CHAP. I.
This shewed in the General from Texts of Scripture, and further confirmed by those who were strangers to Divine Revelation.

NOW in the General that this is so, those forecited words of our Saviour, Iohn 8. 36. do give us assurance: For the Freedom which Christ there commends as the true Free­dom [Page 2] by way of Eminence is this from the dominion of sin and corrupt affections. This will appear by considering the Con­text: Our Saviour having said, verse 31, 32. to those Iews that believed on him, If you continue inmy words, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free; It fol­lows ver. 33. They answered him, we be Abrahams seed, and were never in bondage to any man, how sayest thou, ye shall be made free. They answered, not the Believers, but some of the Company that came with no good design, We be Abrahams seed, we are not descended from the Canaanites or other servile people, but from Abra­ham, and from him, not by Hagar the Bond-woman, but by Sarah the Free-woman, We are of a Generous and Illu­strious extract; And were never in bondage to any man, as we were not born slaves, so neither have at any time been made slaves. But how could they say this, whenas they were formerly in bondage, both to the Egyptians and Babylonians, with divers others, and even now subject­ed to the power of the Romans? The truth is, if they spake this concerning their Nation, the saying was an impu­dent and loud Falshood, as it is usual for [Page 3] men when they are vaunting and boast­ing, to make bold with truth; but if they understood it of their own particu­lars, and they meant that they were not in Personal servitude, had not lost their natural Liberty as Men, though they were in a Political servitude as a Nation, their saying that they were Abrahams seed came in impertinently.

It follows ver. 34. Iesus answered them, Verily verily I say unto you, whosoever com­mitteth sin is the Servant of sin. He that is a worker of iniquity, is inslaved and brought into a servile state thereby: Ver. 35. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth for ever. Or those who are in this servile state, under sin, though they may for a time be mem­bers of Gods houshold, they shall at length be for ever Cast out, but the Son hath a right to continue there, and to the enjoyment of his Fathers Inheri­tance. Then next follow those words, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

So that the Freedom which our Lord speaks of, ver. 32. being deliverance from the power of Sin, as appears by his explain­ing himself, ver. 34. It is manifest that he meaneth the same thing in these words, [Page 4] and consequently does in them give testi­mony to what we are now designing to prove, that to be rescued from under the dominion of our Lusts is Freedom and Li­berty indeed, the true and most excellent Liberty.

And of this the holy David was very sensible, when he uttered those words, Psal. 119. 45. I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts. Whereby he signified, that the ways of Gods Commandments, though they seem to the fleshly and sen­sual strait and narrow, and though such look upon those that walk in them as too much confined and abridged of Liberty; yet the spirit of a Regenerate and Good man finds no where such Freedom and Enlargement as in those ways. And therefore when he lapsed into those two hainous and provoking sins, he felt him­self exceedingly straitned, and his Spirit was miserably pent up and contracted: As appears by that prayer in his Peniten­tial Psalm, Psal. 51. 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold (or esta­blish) me with thy free Spirit. Or rather, with a free Spirit. In 2 Pet. 2. 19. the Apostle, speaking of a sort of wicked people, who were industrious to make others as vile as themselves, saith, that [Page 5] While they promise them liberty, they them­selves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. They inticed others to all manner of carnality and filthiness, and tempted those that were clean escaped from the pollutions of the world to relapse into them, and this they did by the plau­sible pretence of giving them Liberty; but alas (saith the Apostle) they them­selves are the most wretched and mise­rable of Slaves, having yielded them­selves up to their vile affections, and be­ing under the power and command of Tyrannical Lusts.

And Heathens have divers of them dis­coursed this excellently, and were great Masters of this Notion: That he who is gotten from under the dominion of his Sensitive part, and lives agreeably to the Dictates of Right Reason, and the Will of God, is the only Free Man.

Arrian in his third Book upon Epicte­tus spends some time in shewing, that the true Liberty consisteth in the obedi­ence of our Appetites to the Divine Will. And in his first Book, that there is no true bondage but that which ariseth from the Prevalence of Evil Affections; and that a Good man can never be in real [Page 6] Slavery, though he be in his Enemies hands, that then his [...], his Car­kass only is taken Captive, but he himself is as Free still as ever. And he gives Dio­genes for an instance, who having been set free from his corrupt Appetites by his Master Antisthenes, would deny that it was possible for any one to make a Slave of him, and, being taken by Pirates, be­haved himself in their hands like one that was more their Lord than their Vassal.

And this is one of the Stoical Paradoxes which Tully discourseth very bravely up­on: [...]. That all wise men (whereby they meant good men) are free men, but all fools (whereby they meant bad men) are slaves.

And under this head Tully, shewing who deserves the Title of Emperor, hath this saying, Let him bridle his lusts, Refranet prius libidines, sper­nat voluptates, iracundiam te­neat, co [...]recat avaritiam, cate­ras animi labes repellat [impera­tor] tum incipiat aliis imperare cùm ipse improbissi [...]is dominis, dedecori ac turpitudini parere desicrit, dum quidem his ob [...]di [...]t. Imperator non modò, sed liber habendus omninò non erit. despise pleasures, suppress anger, subdue a covetous humour, and other vicious affecti­ons: Then may be begin to take upon him the go­vernment of others, when he shall have ceased to be under the government of those most cruel Lords, shame and Turpitude, but whilest he [Page 7] yields obedience to these, as he ought not to be accounted an Emperor, so neither so much as a Free-man. Again he saith a little af­ter. Si servitus sit, sicut est, obedi­entia fra­cti animi & abjecti, & arbitri [...] carentis suo, quis neget omnes leves, omnes cupidos, omnes denique improbos esse servos? If Slavery be the Obedience of a broken, abject and base mind, and of a man that hath no power over himself, as it is, then who can deny that allwanton, all covetous, and lastly, all bad people whatsoever are very Slaves?

CHAP. II.
That the most excellent Freedom and Liber­ty consists in the Observance of the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness, more di­stinctly and particularly demonstrated by three Arguments. Of which the First is that this is Freedom from the worst and vilest of Slaveries. Where it is shewed in three particulars, that the Transgressors of those Laws are the most Slavish Crea­tures.

IT may moreover be more distinctly and particularly proved, that the most excellent Freedom and Liberty consisteth in the Observance of the Laws of Righ­teousness [Page 8] and Goodness by these follow­ing Arguments.

First, This is Freedom from the worst and vilest of Slaveries.

Secondly, This is the Liberty of the Soul.

Thirdly, This is the Divine Liberty, the Liberty of God himself.

First, This is Freedom from the worst and vilest of Slaveries. And that there is no such Slavish Creature as he who lives in the transgression of these Laws (as the wicked man) doth plainly appear, in that,

First, His whole man, both Soul and Body is inslaved. Those who are Slaves in the vulgar sence, that are taken cap­tive by the Turk, or such like merciless and inhumane Masters, are necessarily in­slaved only as to their Viler part, their Bodies: It lieth not in the power of any man on Earth to inslave a Soul. The Mind and Will of him, who, as to his Outward man, is the most absolute Vassal to the Lusts of others, may retain their Liberty still in spight of them. No Ty­rant can make me either think, or chuse, or love, or desire what he pleaseth. Where all the members of the Body are under constraint, the Soul may continue free in all its powers, no external Force is able to inthral that.

[Page 9]But he who lives in disobedience to the Laws of Righteousness is perfectly insla­ved, his whole man hath lost its Liberty. As his Body is at the command and dispose of his Lusts, as each of its members are Ministers of Unrighteousness, and made to fulfil the will of the flesh, so his Soul is subjected to their power and dominion, and his Slavery begins there. His Mind, Will and Affections are first subdued and brought into bondage by fleshly and im­pure Lusts, and then his Body is ingaged in the filthy drudgery of making provisi­on for them, of gratifying them and gi­ving satisfaction to them. That is the meaning of those words of S. Iames, Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, Chap. 1. 15.

Secondly, The wicked man is thus subject to the Vilest and Basest of Masters. Such a one (to repeat those words of Tully) doth parere dedecori & turpitudini, is at the command of vile shame and filthiness it self. What is Sordid Covetousness, Swinish Lust, Beastly Intemperance, Devilish Rage and Malice, what I say are all these less than so? To which I may add those other hateful Qualities of Fraud, Dissimulation, Envy, Pride, Selfishness, and the like. But some or [Page 10] other, nay most of these are all wicked men, servants to, and over-powered by.

If Tully could say of the Lustful man, In his St [...]i­cal Para­doxes. An ille mihi liber videtur cui mulier impe­rat? Shall I think him a freeman who is at the command of a woman? And if Arrian could say, What, miserable wretch, dost thou fancy thy self free, who art [...], the Slave of a Wench, and a vile sorry Wench too; well may I say, what a wretched Slave art thou then, who art under the domi­nion of so many base, vile, opprobrious, shameful and hateful things?

To be subject to any one of these is vile Servitude; what is it then to be at the command of so many such Masters, to serve divers Lusts (as the Apostles ex­pression is, Titus 3. 3.) and all most vile, base and brutish.

Thirdly, The wicked man is also inslaved by the most Tyrannical and Cruel Masters. Indeed 'tis rare that the Base prove other than Cruel whensoever they happen to get into power. Having understood who are this mans Masters, we must needs be satisfied, that they are not more vile than they are Tyrannical. And their Tyranny is shewed in requiring the most [Page 11] Vnreasonable services, and the most Vn­easie. Their Commands must necessarily be most unreasonable in that they them­selves are so. The forementioned vile Affections, and the like, are therefore Vile, because perfect contradictions to the Reason of mens Minds, and degrada­tions of the Humane and Intellectual Nature: Because they Brutifie mens Souls, yea, and make them more Vile than the Beasts which perish.

In short, he who obeys these Masters preferreth the Creature before the Creator, God blessed for ever: He forsakes the foun­tain of living waters, and heweth out to him­self broken Cisterns which can hold no water: His Body is far more dear to him than his Soul, and he esteems slight and mo­mentany satisfactions and pleasures, above the most Substantial and Eternal. He fears the displeasure of a poor Crea­ture, and some very tolerable and small evil, more than the wrath of the Omni­potent God, and than Hell it self. He is ever doing that which the sence of his own Mind upbraids him with, and what he knows before hand he shall wish undone as soon as done. In a word, he is always contradicting the Great Design of his Creation and coming into Being. Such [Page 12] things as these (as I need not stand to shew) do the Lusts of wicked men put them upon doing, such services as these are they perpetually imploying them in.

And what we said of the Vnreasonable­ness of their commands speaks them also Vneasie, Grievous and Troublesome. It is impossible for a Creature to act contrary to its Nature and Essential principles, but it must needs feel much Pain in so doing; the more Unnatural any thing is, the more Disquieting and Tormenting must it necessarily be. The very pre­sence of evil Affections in the Soul must needs make it as uneasie, as evil Hu­mours do the Body; what then will the gratifying, the Nourishing and Cherishing them do? I appeal to the Covetous and Ambitious, to the immoderate Lovers of Riches and Honours, to such Lovers of Wine, and such Lovers of Women, to the Revengeful and Malicious, and the like, whether they do not feel exces­sive disturbance and perturbation of Mind, from the several passions that de­nominate them such; and whether the Pain they cause to their Souls, be not in­comparably greater and more lasting, than the pleasure which their Flesh or [Page 13] Sensitive part receiveth from them.

Add hereunto the grievous Disquiet and Torment that is occasioned by Reflect­ing upon the past pleasing and gratifying a Lust. Tully hath an excellent observa­tion to this purpose, Cùm Cupi­ditatum dominatus excessit, & alius est Dominus exortus, ex Consci­entiâ Pec­catorum Timor, quàm illa miscra, quam dura scrvitus! in Stoic. Paradox▪ When a Lust hath ceased to exercise its dominion for a while, or to employ its vassal in new drudgery, he is not for that time at ease, but another Lord immediately tyrannizeth over him, viz. the Dread that ariseth from conscious­ness of Guilt, oh what a miserable slavery and bondage is this!

And (by the way) methinks it should much affect us, to find a Heathen expres­sing such a sense of the intolerable Slave­ry men are brought into by satisfying their Lusts.

I might add further, that mens Lusts have no moderation with them neither, though (as that Philosopher supposeth) they may, after their commands are obeyed, for a while cease to command again, yet it is but for a very little while; before the sinner hath recovered his spent spirits, they lay new burdens on his wea­ry shoulders. What the Apostle saith of those who have eyes full of Adultery that [Page 14] they cannot cease from sin, is as true of those who are under the dominion of any lust whatsoever: And what Horace ob­serves of the Tyranny of sensual Love, may as well be applied to every other corrupt Affection, namely,

I might moreover shew, were it need­ful, that the service which mens Lusts exact from them, is such as ordinarily is of fatal consequence to their Estates and Bodies as well as Souls, but there is nothing to which universal observation in all Ages, and Sinners Experience gives clearer evidence. I might also in the last place, shew, that mens Lusts do deliver up their Servants to the power of the Devil, such being said to be in his snare, and to be taken captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 26. And no man, I hope, shall need to be informed, what a Tyrant and Tormenter the Devil is.

[Page 15]But enough hath been said of the ser­vice of Sin to make us cry out with the Philosopher in the forementioned words, Quàm illa misera, quàm dura Servitus! What miserable and cruel Slavery is that Service!

Enough, I say, hath been said to as­sure us, that no Slavery is comparable to this, and consequently, that the careful observance of the Laws of Righteousness is the true, and most Glorious Liberty, in that, Freedom from such Bondage is implied therein, as is not to be found in any other sort of Liberty.

CHAP. III.
That the Liberty which resulteth from the Observance of the Laws of Righteousness, is the Liberty of the Soul: and how it is so, is shewed in four Particulars.

SEcondly, The Liberty which result­eth from the Observance of the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness is the truest and most excellent of Liberties, in that it is the Liberty and Freedom of the Soul. As this is apparent by what hath [Page 16] been already discoursed, so we may fur­ther take notice, that by the Observance of these Laws the Soul comes to be en­larged, to have Self-enjoyment, and to be as it would be, in that it is by this means delivered from those Passions which straiten, confine and pend it up, and put it into a Slavish state. Those Passions are chiefly, Fear, Shame, Trouble and Dejection of Mind, and an immoderate love to our own Bodily and par­ticular concerns.

And the Opposites to these do give the Soul great Enlargement and Liberty, viz. That Confidence that is opposite both to Fear and to Shame, Delight and joy, which are opposite to Trouble and Dejecti­on of Mind, and Generosity and Nobleness of Spirit, whereby a man is carried forth to the loving of God the Chief Good in the first place, and a hearty concern for the general welfare of his Fellow-Crea­tures, which is opposite to immoderate Self-love.

First, The Observance of the Rules of Righteousness casteth out Fear. This is a most servile Passion; the Apostle speaketh of some, who through fear of [...]ath were all their life-time subject to bon­dage. By Fear I mean that which is ex­pressed [Page 17] by the Greek word [...], a co­wardly and dispiriting Fear. None can ima­gine I mean [...], an Awful and Re­verential Fear, such as is called, Heb. 12. 28. a Godly fear: Nor yet do I mean such a Fear as awakens and excites the Soul to the use of means for the shunning and keeping off evils. Such a Fear as this doth not at all inslave or put a man out of his own power, but is highly serviceable to the maintenance and preservation of Liberty. And therefore it is commend­ed to us by the Apostle, Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

But, as was said, the Fear which is enslaving is a Cowardly Dispiriting Fear, and this the Righteous and Good man is freed from. He hath not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, in this sence, but the spirit of Adoption whereby he crieth Abba Father, Rom. 8. 15.

He is not afraid of God as a poor Slave is of his fierce Master, or as a wicked Servant of his justly provoked and incen­sed Lord; but not being under the guilt of wilful sins, his Conscience being privy to no other guilt than that which upon good grounds he believes is expiated by [Page 18] the Bloud of Iesus, he can go to God as a child to his loving and tender Father.

And as he hath no tumultuary, con­founding or disheartening fear of God, so neither hath he of the Devil or Men, or any worldly evil; as knowing that all these are subject to the restraint of that good Providence which ever chargeth it self with the care of good Souls and all their concerns. God hath not given him the Spirit of fear (or timidity and fear­fulness) but of power, of love, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1. 7.

This man is an affectionate Lover of God, and therefore cannot question God's love to him, and is assured that all things shall work together for his good, for his good both in this life, and in the life to come. Herein is our love made perfect, saith S. Iohn in his 1 Epistle 4. 17. because as he is, so are we in this world (because we fol­low the example of our Blessed Saviour in the conscientious observance of the Rules of Righteousness) there is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment, he that feareth is not made perfect in love: That is, he that is affect­ed with such a fear as hath now been de­scribed.

[Page 19]He who is not under the power of Co­wardizing, dismaying Fear, his Spirit is at great Liberty; but a care to keep an inoffensive Conscience both towards God and men, to adhere to the Rules of Righ­teousness and Goodness, and never to swerve from them, will banish this Fear. The wicked (saith the Wise man) fleeth when no man pursueth, but the righteous is bold as a Lion, Prov. 28. 1. He that walk­eth uprightly, walketh surely: or confi­dently and securely, Prov. 9. 10. To which great truth the Poet gives his Te­stimony in those known Verses;

Secondly, True Goodness begets that confidence which is opposed, as to Fear so, to Shame too. There is a highly [Page 20] commendable shame, which is proper to a Good man, namely that which is expres­sed by the Latine Verecundia: Which is a quick sense of whatsoever is indecorous and misbecoming. No man can have too much of this, for the more any one hath of it, the better man must he ne­cessarily be. But there is another sort of Shame expressed by Pudor, which is a troublesome passion arising from a sense of disgrace, upon consciousness of Guilt. Of this Shame, the most learned Doctor Henry More observeth in his incomparable Ethicks, Pudor nec in pessimos nec in opti­mos cadit. Nam qui sibi consci­us est se li­bero suo arbitrio constanter uti ad ca quae optima sunt, novit se non debere contemni, ac proinde, omni contemptu superior, ipsumme [...] contemnit contemptum; quae magna pars est Generositatis, in improbis ve­ro summum improbitatis fastigium. Enclur. Eth. lib. 1. cap. 2. that it neither falleth upon the worst nor the best of men. For he who is conscious to himself that he constantly exerciseth his liber­ty in doing the best things, knows that he ought not to be contemned, and thereupon, being above all contempt, contempt it self is con­temned by him; which is a great instance, in good men, of Generosity, but in bad men, is the very height of improbity.

This Shame is a good effect of a bad cause, for though it be an evil, yet 'tis a necessary evil, and tends to the deterring men from unworthy actions for the time [Page 21] to come, and doth actually produce this good effect where the great uneasiness and perturbation of mind which was caused thereby upon past commissions of sin, is seriously and consideratively reflect­ed upon. For where this Shame is, there is great Bondage, where there is consciousness of guilt, the mind of a man is miserably pent up, confined and strait­ned, so that he dares many times nei­ther to look abroad into the world, nor to look up to Heaven, nor reflect upon him­self. And therefore Liberty and Confi­dence are expressed by the same word ( viz. [...]) in the Greek language.

But while a man is careful in the ob­servance of the Laws of Righteousness, to be Righteous before God, and to walk ( as it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth) in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless, he is not affected with this kind of Shame, and consequently enjoys a mighty Freedom by this means. Upright Iob had the happy experience of this effect of uprightness; as we find Chap. 31. 35, 36, 37. Oh that one would hear me, ( saith he) behold my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine Adversary had written a book. Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it [Page 22] as a Crown unto me. I would declare to him the number of my steps, as a Prince would I go near unto him. Which is as much as if he had said, Oh that mine Adversary instead of secretly whispering evil things of me, had drawn up a charge in writing against me: I would be so far from endeavouring to have it concealed, that I would my self publish it to all the world, and instead of thinking it a disgrace and disparagement, I would esteem it as an ornament; for my innocence would be the more cleared, and my good name vin­dicated by the means of it. And so far would I be from sneaking and skulking in corners, like one ashamed to shew his head, that I would like a Prince with Heroick courage and confidence go up to the face of mine Enemy, and expose and lay open my whole life before him.

Or rather we will read these Verses as the sence of them is expressed in a late excellent Paraphrase upon this Book: Dr. Pa­trick's. Oh that the truth of all this [ that I have been accused of] might be examined by some equal judge! Behold I continue still to desire of God this favour: And let him that can accuse me, bring in his Libel in writing against me. Surely I would not endeavour to obscure it, but openly expose it to be read by all; nay wear it as a singular ornament, [Page 23] which would turn to mine honour, when the world saw it disproved. I my self would assist him to draw up his charge, by declaring to him freely every action of my life: I would approach him as undauntedly as a Prince, who is assured of the goodness of his cause.

These words, with many other of his sayings, shew, what a blessed Liberty the Soul of this Holy man was possessed with, even whilest he was deprived of all his outward comforts, and in the saddest and most dismal circumstances.

Thirdly, Nothing will free a man from Trouble and Dejection of mind, like the careful observance of the Laws of Righ­teousness. This as it is a certain conse­quent of Fear and Shame, it must needs free a man from, as it freeth from those its Causes: But it incomparably beyond any thing in the world cureth this Mala­dy of a wounded spirit how or by whatsoever it be occasioned. I have shewed that it is the fate of Sinners to feel great perturba­tion and disturbance of mind from their corrupt Affections, by the law in their members warring against the law of their minds, and also by reflecting upon their folly and madness, and by the fearful ex­pectations that their manifold bold trans­gressions of the Divine Laws do raise in [Page 24] them. The wicked (saith the Prophet) are like the troubled Sea, which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt: There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Cain had no sooner given place to Envy and Revenge, but his Countenance fell, and the Disquiet of his mind was bewrayed by his looks.

But there is no such Lightsomness and Sprightfulness of Soul, no such Pleasure and Self-satisfaction as that which results from true Religion, Righteousness and Goodness. It's ways are ways of pleasant­ness, and all its paths peace, Prov. 3. 17. Light is sown for the Righteous, and joy for the Vpright in heart, Psal. 97. 11. Great peace have they that love thy law, and no­thing shall offend them, Psal. 119. 165. The work of Rigteousness shall be peace, and the effect of Righteousness quietness, and assu­rance for ever, Esay 32. 17. The Good man is free from self-accusations, and from that gnawing Worm that is fre­quently felt in Guilty breasts. He is not appalled in thinking of what is past, nor cast down with the fore-thought of that which is to come. His Soul is like a calm and clear River, like the waters of Silo­am which run softly, without noise or murmur.

[Page 25]Whatsoever is Natural is for that rea­son highly pleasing, but nothing so natu­ral to the Heaven-born Soul of man, no­thing is so agreeable to our original Make, as to live in conformity to the Laws of Righteousness. Whilest this is our serious care, we act according to our Highest principle, that Principle which God and Nature designed for our [...], our Leader and Governour, I mean the Reason of our Minds.

And therefore so long as we follow its Dictates, and behave our selves like those on whose souls the Divine image is imprinted, which consisteth in Righte­ousness and true Holiness, so long I say we live in our own Element, and there­fore must necessarily have Self-enjoy­ment: And we shall enjoy our selves more or less according as we are more or less diligent in works of Righteousness and Goodness. The experience of every Good man will force him to subscribe to the truth of this; no such man can with­hold his assent from it, or call it into question any more than he can his own Feeling. Such a one feels such serenity of thoughts, and such great delight and satisfaction of mind in the exercise of love to God and love to men, in works of [Page 26] Piety, Justice and Charity, in the exer­cise of Humility, Meekness, Patience and Submission to the Divine will, and all other Christian Graces and Virtues, that, while he is so employed, all is as well within him as he can desire; he ac­counts it a Heaven upon Earth to be so employed.

I fear that many a one who would be thought a Christian cannot receive this Doctrine, that it seems to him a very strange Soloecism; but I could tell him of many a Heathen of whom he may learn it as well as of Christians; particularly Tully, O Vitae Philoso­phiae Dux O Virtu­tum inda­gatrix, expultrix­que Vitio­rum! V­nus dies benè & ex praeceptis tuis actus, peccanti immortalitati est anteponendus. who hath this brave saying in his Tusculan Questions: O Philosophy the Guide of our lives! O thou seeker out of Vir­tues, and expeller of Vices! One day well spent, and in obedience to thy precepts, ought to be preferred before a sinning immor­tality. And all those say for substance the self-same thing, who tell us, that Virtue is a Reward to it self.

The Good man feels also no small plea­sure in reflecting upon the fruits of Righ­teousness he hath brought forth: And much more in the Contemplation of that Glorious Reward, which God for [Page 27] Christ's sake hath promised to those who patiently persevere in well-doing. The fore-expectation whereof doth greatly support him under all the crosses and af­flictions wherewith he is exercised in this life: And makes him not only Patient under those Tribulations he meets with for Righteousness sake, but even to Glory in them, as the Apostles did and Primi­tive Christians.

And moreover, he receiveth great Re­freshment and Comfort more immedi­ately from the Holy Ghost, especially when he is called forth to any exceeding­ly great suffering, or extraordinary ser­vice. He then marvellously strengthens the Good man with strength in his Soul to bear the one and perform the other as be­comes a servant of Iesus Christ. Which he doth chiefly by giving sensible, clear and lively representations to the Good mans mind of the Glory of Heaven, and by stedfastly fixing it upon the Crown of Righteousness and Life, which his Blessed Lord hath promised to all those who are faithful to the Death.

Thus was the first Christian Martyr S. Stephen strengthened, who being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Hea­ven, and saw the Glory of God, saw the Hea­vens [Page 28] opened, as ready to receive him, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

And in the same manner have innu­merable of his Followers been since strengthened; and among others not a few of our own Country people who were burnt at stakes by the Bloudy Pa­pists in the Reign of Queen Mary. And if ever such days should come again (as God grant they may not) all sincerely good Souls, who are sensible of their own weakness, and intirely confide in the power of Iesus, shall undoubtedly be enabled to suffer with great Patience and Constancy, if not with great Ioyfulness al­so and triumphantly.

And indeed without this more immedi­ate and special Divine Assistance, we could not well hope to endure a Fiery trial. All External encouragements, such is the infirmity of our Natures, ac­companied but with the ordinary assist­ance of the Divine Grace, are like little to avail us in the hour of such a temptati­on. And the reason is, because we shall be in great danger of being totally depri­ved of the power of considering by very acute pain and torment: And a vigorous powerful sense of the Glory of Heaven, is [Page 29] necessary to our bearing with patience, and much more with joyfulness the sharp­est sort of Tribulations; the mere Belief thereof would certainly have but a very weak influence in such a circumstance.

And therefore (as was said) all Good Souls may confidently expect extraordi­nary Assistance, whensoever they are cal­led out to extraordinary sufferings. God is faithful (saith the Apostle) who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 13.

Now then, who after all this shall need to be told, what a Glorious Liberty of Soul is obtainable by the careful obser­vance of the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness? But this will yet further ap­pear, if we consider that,

Fourthly, It delivereth from all im­moderate self-love. Such a love of our selves as ties us down and determines us to our own bodily and particular con­cerns.

A worthy person, Mr. Iohn Smith. in a Discourse of the Excellency of true Religion hath a say­ing to our present purpose well worth our reciting, viz. that Wicked men are of most narrow and confined Spirits, they are so contracted by the pinching particularities of Earthly and Created things, so imprisoned [Page 30] in the dark dungeon of Sensuality and Selfishness, so straitned through their carnal designs and ends, that they cannot stretch themselves, nor look beyond the Horizon of time and sense.

And there he observeth, that Plato hath long since concluded concerning the condition of Sensual men, that They live [...], like a Shell-Fish, and can never move up and down, but in their own Prison, which they ever carry about with them.

But true Religion and Goodness is so Generous and Noble a Principle, that he who is acted thereby cannot be confined to himself and his own things.

His Soul is not imprisoned within himself, that is, within his own particu­lar Being separated from the rest of the World; but is enlarged by an Universal Charity, by a sincere good will to God's whole Creation.

He hath an hearty concern for the good of the World, and carries on no de­signs for himself which are opposite thereunto, nor any other but such as some way or other do tend to promote the welfare and happiness of his Fellow-creatures: And 'tis the greatest pleasure to his mind imaginable, to be instrumen­tal thereunto.

[Page 31]Again, his Soul is not tied down to any inferior good things, his love and de­sires are not terminated on such objects, but they are so extensive as to stretch themselves far beyond this world, and fix upon the Original and Supreme Good, and there to Centre.

The Language of this man is the same with holy David' s, Whom have I in Hea­ven but God, and there is nothing upon the Earth I desire in comparison of him. Though he hath a kindness for things be­low, yet his thoughts and affections are not confined to them, but soar aloft to him who is the Author of them, and from whom all the goodness that is in them is derived. Whereas (as the foresaid Au­thor expresseth it) All the Freedom that wicked men have, is but like that of Banish­ed men, to wander up and down in the Wil­derness of this World, from one Den and Cave to another. And he saith before, that Tully could see so much in his Natural Phi­losophy, as made him to say, Scientia natu­rae ampliat animum & ad divina attollit: The knowledge of Nature enlargeth and di­lates the mind, and carrieth it up to Divine things. But this is most true of Religion, that in an higher sence it doth work the Soul into a true and divine Amplitude.

[Page 32]And thus have we shewed, that the Observance of the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness gives the most excellent Liberty, in that the Liberty which re­sults from thence is the Liberty of the Soul; and also how the Soul is thereby set at Liberty.

CHAP. IV.
That this is the Liberty of God himself, and his most excellent Liberty.

THirdly, I proceed to shew, that the Liberty which ariseth from the Observance of the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness is the Divine Liberty, the Liberty of God himself, and his most Ex­cellent Liberty. God Almighty is of all Beings infinitely the most unlimited and uncontroulable by any thing without him­self. He doth whatsoever pleaseth him, in Heaven, the Earth, the Sea and all deep places. The whole Universe is in his hands as the Clay in the hands of the Potter, perfectly under his power, and at his dispose, so that there is no resisting him, nor hindering one thought of his.

[Page 33]But as unboundable as his Will and Power are by any thing without him, they are both determined, by the internal Rectitude and Goodness of his Nature, to things Holy, Just and Good. He is so great a lover of Equity and Goodness, that he can neither do or will any thing, that is contrary or not agreeable thereun­to.

We read that He is a Rock whose work is perfect, and all his ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Deut. 32. 4

That it is impossible for God to lye. Heb. 6. 18.

That his ways are right and equal, Ezek. 18. 29. and his judgment according to truth.

That the judge of all the Earth will do right, Rom. 2. 2. and that he will not lay upon man more than is right, Iob 34. 23 that he should enter into judgment with God.

That he is of purer eyes than to behold evil, Habak. 1. 13. and cannot look on iniquity ( i. e.) with approbation.

That the righteous Lord loveth righteous­ness, Psal. 145. 17. and his countenance beholdeth the up­right.

That he is not tempted with evil (is un­capable of the least inclination towards it) neither tempteth he any man: I [...]m. 11 [...] Can not tempt any man to evil, and much [Page 34] less by any Decree determine him.

That he is good unto all, Psal. 145. 9. and his tender mercies are over all his works.

That he is full of compassion and long-suf­fering. Ver. 8.

That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked man turn from his way and live. Ezek. 33. 11.

And a multitude of such Declarations we find in the Holy Scriptures, which abundantly speak the Divine Will and Power to be inseparably conjoyned with Righteousness and Goodness; and never in the least to swerve from either.

And if any such providences have fal­len under our notice at any time, or come to our knowledge, which we have been to seek satisfactorily to reconcile with the Rules of Righteousness or Goodness, we ought to take occasion from thence to be humbled under a sense of our own short-sightedness and shallow­ness of Understanding, and to take great heed how we charge our Creator with that, which he hath so often professed to loath and abominate.

Now let us observe, that this deter­mination of God's Will and Power from within himself to things Just and Good, [Page 35] is that which gives a greater lustre to his Nature, and far more speaks him the most Excellent and most Happy Being, than his mere unlimitableness by any thing without him. Nay, Uncontroul­ableness and Absolute Soveraignty would make him so much the Worse, and less Happy Being, except the exercise there­of were determined by a Holy, Good and Righteous Nature.

If God Almighty were made up of Will, and every thing were in it self in­different to him, and he did this or that merely because 'tis his pleasure so to do, he would (I say) be infinitely the Worse Being, for his Absolute Sovereignty and Uncontroulable Power.

What is it that makes the Devils, the most vile and hateful of all Creatures, is it not this, that they are Spirits indued with great Strength and Power, with great Knowledge, Sagacity and quick­ness of Understanding, and with large Do­minions, though Usurped, but have lost that integrity of Nature, and those good Principles, whereby they should govern themselves, and be determined in the ex­ercise of their Power and Wisdom? 'Tis certain, they would be nothing so mischievous and wicked as they are, if [Page 36] with the loss of their Moral endowments, they had also been divested of their Natu­ral: I mean their Strength and Power, their Knowledge and Acuteness of Un­derstanding.

The Devils are in these far more like to God, than any of us Men are in a possi­bility of being (at least in this life) but notwithstanding this, they are of all his Creation the most unlike God; namely, because their great Power and Know­ledge are utterly unacquainted with, and estranged from, Righteousness and Good­ness; are altogether employed in most unrighteous and wicked designs and en­terprises.

So that irresistible power and All-com­prehending knowledge are so far from denominating a Being the most Absolute­ly perfect considered alone, that That would be the worst Being in the world, which is supposed to have those perfecti­ons, and is made to be the worst by those perfections, if they do not exert them­selves in Righteous and Good actions, but the contrary: if the exercise of them be not determined by Rules and Prin­ciples of Righteousness and Goodness.

[Page 37]And in saying that a Being will be the worse for Power and Knowledge, &c. separated from Goodness, I say also it will be the more unhappy: For the worse any one is, the less satisfaction he must needs take in himself, and the less he will necessarily have of self-enjoyment; as hath been already shewed.

Now, considering what hath been said, 'tis most apparent that the Divine Liberty, the most excellent Liberty of God himself, is his absolute Freedom to Good, his being perfectly unbyassed by any evil Affection, and infinitely out of the reach of corrupt Appetites, so that he can as soon cease to be, as fail to exercise his Almighty power, his Omniscience and Unsearchable Wisdom, in doing what is most fit, most right and equal.

This is the Liberty, which most highly commends the infinitely best of Beings, and therefore 'tis that which will make us poor Mortals most like to him, and partakers of the Divine Nature.

And thus it is sufficiently, I presume, demonstrated, that the most Excellent Liberty consisteth in, or results from, [Page 38] the Observance of the Laws of Righte­ousness and Goodness. And to shew, that this is eminently (nay and solely too) our Christian Liberty will be the business of the next Section.

CHAP. V.
The foresaid Proposition Demonstrated by four Arguments, viz. First, That this hath been proved to be the most Glorious Liberty. Secondly, This was that Li­berty, the instating us wherein, was the whole business of our Saviour and his Apostles. Thirdly, Our Saviours Abo­lishing the Ceremonial Law was chiefly designed in order to the thorough effecting this Liberty: Where it is shewed, that this Law accidentally became very prejudi­cial to the great Design of setting men free from the power of their Lusts, in several particulars. Fourthly, That none but the Jews were obliged to the Observance of this Law.

[Page 41]FIrst, We will demonstrate the truth of this Assertion, that Christian Li­berty consisteth in Freedom to holy Obe­dience, in deliverance from the Power and Dominion of sin, together with the direful effects and consequents thereof: This we will do by these following Argu­ments.

First, This is, as we have shewed, in­comparably the best and most Glorious of Liberties, and therefore it must needs be (at least principally and in the most emi­nent sence) our Christian Liberty. For whatsoever Benefits our Blessed Lord is any where said to have procured for us, the absolutely best of the kind is always to be understood.

For instance, whereas he saith, that he is come that we might have life, he [Page 42] means the best of Lives, the Spiritual life of the Soul here, and Eternal life hereaf­ter.

By the Riches he is said to bestow, is meant those whereby the Soul is inriched, the Divine Graces and Virtues, called by himself the true Riches.

By the Salvation which he is the Au­thor of, is meant that from the worst of evils principally, and everlasting Salvati­on.

So proportionably, whenas the Son is said to make us free, the meaning is free with the best of Freedoms, viz. that from sin, as also we have seen is manifest from the Context. Whenas Christ is said to be Anointed, according to the Prophecy of Esay concerning him, to preach delive­rance to the captives, Luke 4. 18. and to set at liberty them that are bruised (with being long fettered and shackled) we are likewise to understand the same most desirable of all Liberties and Deliverances. Whereas S. Iames calls the Gospel the law of Liber­ty (Chap. 1. 25.) and the perfect law of Liberty, (Chap. 2. 12.) we are primarily to understand it (as will be further shewn) of this same Liberty which infi­nitely surpasseth all other. In which sence the Apostle S. Paul understood it to [Page 43] be The perfect law of Liberty, when he cal­led it The law of the Spirit of life, which is in Christ Iesus, adding that, it had made him free from the law of Sin and death, Rom. 8. 2.

Secondly, We find this Liberty was that, the instating us wherein, our Sa­viour, when he was in the World, and his Apostles after him, were altogether bent and intent upon. The business of making men holy and obedient to the Laws of Righteousness, they had not on­ly mostly in their Eye, but all they did was subordinated thereunto.

All those powerful means that were used to perswade the world that Iesus is the Christ, were in order to this end: For the Son of God was manifested to take away our sins; and to destroy the works of the Devil, 1 John 3. 5, 8.

Therefore is Faith so highly commend­ed, and so much ascribed thereto, and men so excited to believe in Christ, or to believe his Gospel, because the Doctrine, Precepts, Promises and Threatnings therein contained have a great aptness and tendency, are of mighty force and efficacy, to the thorough Reformation of our Lives, and the cleansing our Natures from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit: [Page 44] Because that Faith which is terminated upon those Objects is such a Shield, as whereby we shall be able to quench all the fie­ry darts of the wicked one: Eph. 6. 16. Because it is most effectual to the purifying of the heart, Acts 15. 9. and the overcoming of the world. 1 Ioh. 5. 4.

In short, Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Titus 2. 14.

He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves (to the drudging service of their Lusts) but unto him that died for them, and rose again, 2 Cor. 5. 15. Or, that they should be his Servants, that is, his Free-men; according to that of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 7. 22. He that is called being a Servant is the Lords Free-man.

He gave himself for the Church, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it, by the washing of water by the word; That he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish, Ephes. 5. 26, 27.

He his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto Righteousness, 1 Pet. 2. 24. Or as S. Paul saith, Rom. 6. 7. That being [Page 45] dead we might be freed from sin: That is, that being dead to it, we might be freed from the Bondage we were in under it. Or, as we have it, ver. 18. That being made free from sin, we might become the servants of righteousness.

Our Saviour required nothing of us, forbad nothing to us, but what was appa­rently designed in order to our delive­rance from sin, the making us pure in heart, and holy in all manner of conversati­on. He gave us not a Promise, but what was to encourage us hereunto, nor yet a Threatning, but what was intended to scare us from the serving of one Lust or other. And the Apostle tells us, that the whole of the Gospel, or, The grace of God that brings salvation is designed to teach us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. 11, 12.

'Tis sufficiently evident from this little that hath been said, that the setting us free from Sin, and the making us Free to Righteousness was the business which took up our Blessed Saviour's time and thoughts when he was upon the Earth, and wherein his holy Apostles were em­ployed after his departure: And there­fore this must necessarily be our grand [Page 46] Christian Liberty. Abundantly more might have been said upon this Argu­ment, The Design of Christi­anity. but we have heretofore copiously handled it in another Treatise.

Thirdly, Our Saviours abrogating the Ceremonial Law, his freeing from that yoke, was mainly designed in order to the thorough effecting this Freedom and Liberty. This was a yoke which the Apostle Peter saith, neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear, Acts 15. 10. It was a yoke of bondage, as S. Paul calls it, Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the Liberty where­with Christ hath made us free, and be not in­tangled again with the yoke of bondage. This Liberty (as appears by his discourse both before and after) was that which Christ had given them from the burdensome ser­vices of the Mosaical Dispensation. And diverse other places there are which speak of this Liberty as an effect and fruit of the death of Christ.

Now it is worthy our Observation, that the great reason wherefore our Saviour did put an end to the Obligation of this Law, and why the Apostles, especially S. Paul, insisted so much upon it, and so earnestly cautioned the Jewish Believers against intangling themselves again with [Page 47] this yoke, was because it became very highly injurious to the Grand Evangeli­cal Design of setting men perfectly free from their Lusts: Because it gendered to that spiritual bondage, in deliverance from which consisteth our best Liberty. For this Law understood Carnally, and according to the letter only, (which it ought not to have been) was very apt to beget a sordid and low spirit, a temper of mind very much estranged from true Pie­ty and Goodness. And it is too unque­stionable, that the Iews generally had no higher a sense of it.

The Law, the Author to the Hebrews saith, made nothing perfect, Chap. 7. 19. It gave no man Freedom from the power of Sin, no power to subdue corrupt Affe­ctions was obtainable thereby; it did not make men truly and internally Righte­ous, but only Ritually and External­ly. As the most eminently Good men under the Law did fall far short of the Apostles of our Saviour, and those whose lives have been most answerable to the Christian precepts, so those degrees of Virtue and Goodness they did attain to were not owing the Law, but to the Cove­nant made with Abraham, which was the same for substance with the Gospel Cove­nant. [Page 48] The Law is said to be weak through the flesh; or in regard of the impetuosity and violence of mens fleshly Appetites, Rom. 8. 3.

Nor is there any express mention in the Ceremonial Law of any necessity of purity of heart: This was only represented by the divers legal washings, and other Rites; the mortification of corrupt Af­fections was signified by the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh, and the great substantial duties were veiled under dark shadows. So that a man might be very punctually observant of this Law, accor­ding to the mere literal sence thereof, and yet his Soul remain perfectly under the power of sinful Affections.

And the Learned Mr. Chillingworth in his Sermon on Gal. 5. 5. saith thus even of the Moral Duties of the two Tables, as they are part of the Mosaical Jewish Law, viz. That they required only an ex­ternal obedience and conformity to the Affir­mative Precepts thereof, and an abstaining from an Outward practice of the Negative. They did not reach unto the Conscience, no more than the National Laws of other King­doms do. So that, for example, when the law of Moses forbids Adultery upon pain of death, he that should in his heart lust after [Page 49] a Woman, could not be accounted a Trans­gressor of Moses his law, neither was he li­able to the punishment therein specified: Whereas the Gospel requires not only an Out­ward, and, as I may say, corporal obedience to God's Commandments, but also an inward sanctification of the Soul and Conscience up­on the same penalty of everlasting damnati­on with the former. And what is now said (proceeds he) of the Moral Precepts (as they are part of Moses his law) by the same proportion likewise, is to be understood of the Iudicial.

And as for the Promises of this Law they were only of Temporal good things, and therefore the Gospel is called by the Author to the Hebrews, The bringing in of a better hope, Chap. 7. 19. And is said to be established upon better promises, Chap. 8. 6.

'Tis confessed that promises of Hea­venly things were contained in those of Earthly, as some of the latter were Types of the former, particularly the land of Canaan of the Eternal Rest in Hea­ven; and the promises of good things in the general had those of the other life im­plied in them; but there is not the least express mention in this Law of any Life after this: I do not say, in any part of the Old Testament, but in this Law.

[Page 50]Now then, seeing it abounded with Temporal Promises, and none but such being in express terms contained therein, 'tis no wonder if it became an occasion to the sensual Iews of their being the more eager and vehement in prosecuting the profits, honours and pleasures of this life, as it was of their being the more Mercenary in their obedience.

The like may be said of the Threatnings of this Law, they are all so expressed as if they were only of Present, Temporal Evils, and the Iews, for the most part, looking no farther than the outward let­ter of these Threatnings, it was not to be expected that they should be excited by them to obey from any higher motive than the mere fear of such evils; as those that did not look beyond the letter of the Promises were obedient only from the hope of some sensual, present good: And by this means especially did this Law Gender to bondage, as we read it did, Gal. 4. 24.

The terrible manner in which the Law was given, and the Threatnings of Pre­sent death or other temporal Calamities upon the Transgression thereof did occa­sion that slavish sear, which the Apostle calls the Spirit of bondage, in those words, [Page 51] Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, Rom. 8. 5.

God dealt with the Iews as it was most fit to deal with such a carnal, such a stiff­necked, stubborn and disingenuous people; who would not be wrought upon and overcome by love to himself, or a sense of the loveliness of Virtue and true Goodness, nor regard any Laws, but such as were enforced with severe present Penalties, or promises of sensual good things: Which obedience of theirs was most truly and properly the obedience of Slaves, a Servile and Mercenary Obedi­ence.

So that this Law having been abused by the Iews to the so much the more captivating them to their fleshly lusts, for this reason chiefly was it laid aside, namely, because the Liberty which con­sisteth in a thorough compliance with the Rules of Righteousness, the Obligation of this Law would have greatly obstruct­ed the promoting of.

And the things expresly required in this Law being such as had no internal goodness in them, being weak and beggarly Elements, as the Apostle calls them, Gal. 4. 9. the imposition of many such must needs be apt to call away mens Minds and [Page 52] Affections from those that are essentially and immutably good, whilest the spiritu­al meaning of those injunctions is either not understood or not attended to. And that it had this effect upon the generality of the Iews, by this means, is a case too plain to need to be proved.

And though the great substantial du­ties, which are in their own nature Good and Necessary, and of Eternal obligation, were inculcated upon them by all their Prophets, as well as taught by Natural Light, such as Doing Iustice, loving Mer­cy, walking humbly with God, and the like, yet they generally were so sottish as to think that He valued Sacrifices, and the other Ceremonial and External Perfor­mances of the Law so much above such Duties (nay, though he had expresly al­so declared the quite contrary) as that their exact and diligent observation of those would make expiation for their re­misness in these, and fully satisfie for gross immoralities. They trusted in lying words, saying, Ier. 7. 4. The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these; implying that their continual attendance on the services there perform­ed, according to the prescription of the Law, would effectually secure them from [Page 53] Divine vengeance, although they refu­sed to amend their ways, and were never so immoral in their Practices.

And their constant Trading in Sacrifi­ces, in Rituals and Ceremonial things, occasioned their having but very little sense of things Morally good; so that that distinction was almost lost among them, of things Positively and Morally so, or things good only because commanded, and things commanded because good. Their being so intent upon a many little things caused them to sleight and over­look the great ones, as our Saviour told the Pharisees, Luke 11. 42. Ye tithe Mint and Rue, and all manner of Herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God. And Mat. 23. 23. Ye pay tith of Mint and Anise, and Cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy and faith.

And their omitting these things was too plain an Argument alone (though there is other proof of it) of their having scarcely any notion of things Absolutely, Immutably and Essentially Good and Evil, which was occasioned (as I said) by their minds being so employed about things which were in themselves neither Good nor Evil, but only by reason of Di­vine [Page 54] injunctions and prohibitions.

Not that this great evil was necessarily occasioned thereby (God forbid we should think so) but 'twas through their own default; otherwise there could have been no truly good people among them, as there were innumerable: just as we see at this day, there are too many of a certain Profession, who, by means of their continual dabling in matter, are of so gross and course intellectuals, that they seem almost uncapable of any Idea and conception of things immaterial and in­corporeal. Which is a great Unhappi­ness but as great a Fault.

So that, this we have now said suggests to us another reason for the putting a peri­od to the Ceremonial Law, in order to the introduction of that excellent and Di­vine Liberty, which we assert to be emi­nently Christian Liberty; Because that the love of Righteousness and Goodness un­der that notion is necessary thereunto, as shall be farther shewn hereafter. And it is an evidence of a Soul imprisoned in Sense, and sunk in Selfishness to love Virtue and Goodness, merely for its dowry and the external Advantages that accrue by it, and not for its own sake: As also to avoid sin, only for the sake of [Page 55] the uneasie and sad circumstances that at­tend it, having no sense of its Moral Tur­pitude.

Lastly, Whereas I have shewed, that by the observation of the Laws of Righ­teousness and Goodness a man is delivered from all immoderate Self-love to his own Bodily and Particular concerns, and ac­quireth that Generosity and Nobleness of spirit whereby he is carried forth and en­larged to the love of God in the first place, and a hearty concern for the General welfare of his Fellow-creatures, the Iews by the occasion of the forementioned Law, became less free, as Freedom is opposed to Confinement. For they being paled in and separated from the rest of the world by a Religion peculiar to them­selves; and it being forbidden by their Law to contract Marriages, or have any intimacy, and that they should so much as eat with the Gentiles (though 'twas but necessary they should be so restrained for the more effectual preventing their falling into Idolatry, and being infected with their other wicked customs and cor­rupt manners, to which they were natu­rally very strangely inclined, yet) by this means they generally became woful­ly [Page 56] Narrow-spirited and contracted in their Love, and took occasion from hence to banish all from their Kindness and Charity, that were not of their own Na­tion and their own Religion.

And therefore for this reason also it was highly fit that our Saviour should take off all future Obligation to the Ob­servance of this Law; his design being to Ampliate and Enlarge mens minds by the most Universal and Unlimited Cha­rity; in imitation of himself, who was a Propitiation not only for the sins of the Iewish Nation, but also of the whole World.

And for this reason particularly S. Paul tells the Ephesians, This Law was Abo­lished, Chap. 2. 14, 15, 16. For he is our peace, who hath made both one (Jews and Gentiles) and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolish­ed in his flesh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments, contained in Ordinances (or, having Abolished by his Sufferings the Ceremonial Law, which was such a Make-bate between the Iews and Gentiles) for to make himself of twain one new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body on the Cross, ha­ving slain the enmity thereby.

[Page 57]And that in the general, the great work of setting men perfectly at Liberty from the power of their Lusts, and the making them free to all holy Obedience was designed by the nullifying this Law, is asserted by the Apostle, Rom. 7. 5, 6. For when we were in the flesh (or under those Carnal Ordinances) the motions of sin, which were by the Law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. That is, when we were under the Law, the [...], or Sinful Affections, which were height­ned thereby (through our own blindness in not looking beyond the letter of the Law) did so work in us, as to render us so much the more obnoxious to death: But now we are delivered by our Saviour Christ from that Law, it being dead, or abrogated, that in stead of a mere Exter­nal Obedience, and a company of Bodily Washings, we should for the future be inwardly pure and spiritually obedient.

To conclude this Argument: Where­soever we find Liberty or Freedom men­tioned throughout the New Testament, [Page 58] as that which belongeth to us under the notion of Christians, as that which we are beholden to the Gospel dispensation for, it is still, I dare affirm, to be under­stood either of Liberty from Sin (the Power and the Punishment thereof) or of Liberty from the Ceremonial and purely Mosaical Law. This I assert upon a par­ticular consideration of all those Texts, wherein any thing is said relating to Li­berty: And therefore this latter Delive­rance being principally intended in order to the former, the former, viz. that from Sin, must necessarily be the Christian Li­berty.

Fourthly, None but the Israelites were obliged to the Observance of this Law. Indeed in order to a Gentiles partaking of the Iewish Priviledges in the Land of Ca­naan, it was necessary he should be Cir­cumcised and become (as their phrase was) a Proselyte of Iustice, and so make himself a debtor to the whole Law: But it was not necessary to his Acceptance with God and Eternal Happiness to yield obedi­ence to this Law. It was sufficient for him to worship the true God and re­nounce Idolatry, and to follow the Di­ctates of the Law of Nature.

[Page 59]Even the Iews themselves, as ill affect­ed as they were towards the Gentiles, did acknowledge no more to be necessary, than the Observation of the Seven Pre­cepts of Noah, to their having their part in Seculo futuro; and therefore they per­mitted the Proselytes of the Gate to worship in the Outward Court of the Temple. Which was therefore called Atrium Gen­tium & immundorum. The Court of the Gen­tiles and the Vnclean.

And thus, as it appears from the three foregoing Arguments, that Liberty from Sin and to Righteousness is the Emi­nent Christian Liberty, which is procu­red for the World taking in the Iews, so from this fourth 'tis as evident, that it is the only Christian Liberty which is pro­cured and purchased for us Gentiles.

There is no other Liberty mentioned either by our Saviour or his Apostles, be­sides this from the Power and Dominion of Sin (wherein we always include deli­verance from the sad consequents there­of) which we Gentiles are obliged to Christianity for, or which we are invested with under the notion of Christians.

CHAP. VI.
What course our Lord hath taken to instate us in this Liberty shewed in several parti­culars, viz. that 1. He hath most fully informed us concerning all the Parts and Particulars of our Liberty. 2. He hath furnished us with the most potent Means, for the gaining of it. 3. He hath pur­chased a rich supply of Grace and Strength, to enable us to use these Means successfully. 4. He hath laid before us the most power­ful Motives and Arguments to prevail on our Wills to make use of this Strength, and comply with this Grace.

HAving, I hope, sufficiently cleared the truth of this Proposition, that our Christian Liberty (both mainly and wholly) consisteth in Freedom to holy Obe­dience, and deliverance from Sin, I now come to shew,

Secondly, How Christ instates men in this Liberty, or what Course he hath taken for the effecting hereof.

By the way, we are to take notice that the Method our Lord hath made choice of, for the setting us free from our Cor­rupt Affections, is such as is most Suit­able [Page 61] to the Nature of those that are to be delivered, and such as is most suitable to the Nature of that Bondage and Slavery from which he delivers.

Those who are to be delivered being Reasonable Creatures, Voluntary and therefore Free Agents, who act not by mere Necessity of Nature, or Blind in­stincts, and much less from External Force and Compulsion, he dealeth with them, in Setting them free, as with such a sort of Creatures.

Again the Slavery (as also the Con­finement) from which he delivers being Spiritual not Corporal; I mean, being Originally in the Mind, Will and Affecti­ons, and not in the Outward man, he hath accordingly applied himself to the effecting our deliverance.

So that our Deliverer hath not done all for us that is to be done, and left no­thing for us to do, in order to our being set free. Nor can this be said of any other who designs to deliver out of Bondage or Prison persons arrived at years of discre­tion, and that are able to use their hands and legs. Such a one accounts that he hath done abundantly enough, when he hath paid the Slaves Ransom, and remo­ved the necessity he was under of conti­nuing [Page 62] in servitude; If afterward he will not stir a foot, he doth not think himself obliged to hale him by main force out of the Gallies or House of bondage. He al­so looks upon his work as done, when he hath set the Prison doors wide open, and hath cleared the Prisoner's passage out, and put the Key into his hand for the un­locking his Fetters, and offered to assist him if he cannot do it by his own strength: But when all this is done, if the Prisoner will do nothing towards his own escape, he, who hath done thus much in his behalf, will think it great pity but that there he should lie.

There is no Prince but will be satisfied that he hath quitted himself bravely, and fully performed the part of a Deliverer, when he hath put Weapons into the hands of a Conquered People, and fur­nished them with sufficient aids for the rescuing themselves from the Tyranny of their Oppressors; but if after all, they will not be perswaded to use their Wea­pons, and are so dastardly as not to joyn with those Forces that are sent for their help, he nevertheless deserves the Title of a Deliverer.

In like manner, it is not our Blessed Sa­viour's Method to drag men with irre­sistible [Page 63] force out of their Spiritual Vassal­lage and Slavery: He doth not deliver us against our Wills, nor in such a manner as if we were Creatures that have no Wills; nor doth so overpower our Wills (at least ordinarily) as that they shall have left them no power of resistance, but be necessitated to give their Consent.

But this is the Course he hath taken, which is the most wise, and in its own nature the most admirably effectual.

First, He hath fully informed us concern­ing all the Parts and Particulars of our Li­berty.

Secondly, He hath Directed us to the most potent Means for the gaining thereof.

Thirdly, He hath purchased a rich supply of Grace and Strength to enable us to use these Means successfully.

Fourthly, He hath laid before us the most powerful Motives and Arguments imaginable to prevail with our Wills to use this Strength, to comply with this Grace.

First, He hath fully informed us concern­ing all the Parts and Particulars of our Li­berty: I mean, he hath instructed us in all those Rules of Righteousness and Goodness, in the Observance of which consists our best and most desirable Liber­ty.

[Page 64]This he hath done by the Precepts he hath given us, as also by the Example he hath set before us. In Matthew 11. 28, 29. he proposeth both these, the one to be obeyed, the other to be followed, in order to the possessing our selves of this Liber­ty: Come unto me (saith he) all ye that la­bour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And what he meaneth by Coming unto him he tells us in the next words, Take my Yoke upon you, or obey my Pre­cepts, and Learn of me, or follow my Ex­ample, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls: Rest from the Slavish drudgery of sinful Af­fections.

As to our Saviours Precepts, whatso­ever he hath required of us, it is either a Part of our Liberty, or a Means for the gaining and maintenance thereof.

Now as to the Christian Precepts which oblige us to those things in the do­ing of which our Liberty consisteth, as they incomparably excel the Precepts of whatsoever Religion was before or since the coming of our Saviour, so there is nothing defective or wanting in them. There is not any thing left out of them that is necessary to the completing of the freedom and happiness of our Souls. All [Page 65] the defects of the Mosaical Law, and of the Law of Nature, are supplied and made up by them. As our Lord came not to destroy the Law, so he came to fulfil it: To perfect it and fill it up, as he himself hath told us, Matth. 5. 17.

There is nothing that conduceth to the restoring humane nature to its Primitive Perfection, to the bringing every thing in man into due order, to the effecting a complete Harmony and Agreement be­tween his various disagreeing Powers and Faculties, to the putting him into that state wherein every thing would be with him as his own heart could wish to have it, or (in one word) to the making him partaker of the God-like Nature, and consequently of the God-like Liberty, Freedom and Blessedness; There is no­thing, I say, conduceable to these excel­lent purposes, but our Saviour hath in his own Person, when he was on Earth, and by his Apostles since he left the World, acquainted us with it, over and over in­culcated it, again and again minded us of it, and urged it upon our practice.

To speak in the words of the Apostle S. Paul, Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are true, or remote from insincerity and hy­pocrisie; Whatsoever things are honest, [Page 66] [...], venerable and grave; Whatsoever things are just, or exactly agreeable to the Rule of doing as we would be done unto; Whatsoever things are pure, or far from all shew and appearance of unchastity; Whatsoever things are lovely, or which tend to secure to us love among men, such as all works of benignity, mercy and Charity; Whatsoever things are of good report, or which are apt to procure a good name, and therefore to prevent all the causes of shame, and to give us the greatest freedom and confidence, as be­fore God, so before Men too; If there be any virtue, if there be any thing that is by Good men reckoned in the number of Virtues; And if there be any praise, or any thing laudable and praise-worthy: All these things, as the Apostle in the general here enjoyneth us to think upon them, so they are very particularly, and as clearly and perspicuously, recommen­ded to us to be carefully observed by us, in the New Testament.

There is nothing which it becometh us to Do or Forbear, whether in refe­rence to God, our Great Creator, Go­vernour and Benefactor, or to our Fellow-creatures, or to our own Souls and Bodies, but here we find it.

[Page 67]Again, we may observe all these in our Saviour's Life also, wherein He set us an Example, that we should follow his steps. And it is a most admirable Ex­ample of Piety towards God (of Love to him, Trust in him, and Submission to his Will) of Charity to all men, even his greatest Enemies; and of Humility, Meekness, Temperance, Purity, Con­tempt of the World, and Heavenly-mindedness.

He that shall observe how our Blessed Saviour Lived, cannot be ignorant of any of those Laws of Righteousness and Goodness, which, before his coming, the World was so lamentably, in not a few instances, to seek in the knowledge of, through that blindness which by the customary gratifying their vile Affecti­ons men had generally contracted. I say, he that is acquainted with the Life of our Saviour cannot easily be ignorant of any of those Laws, although he never under­stood what particular Commands or Pro­hibitions his Precepts consist of.

So that this is the First thing Christ Iesus hath done for us in order to our be­ing made Free: He hath given us fully to understand what it is to be Free, what are those several Rules of Righteousness [Page 68] and Goodness, in compliance with which consists our Liberty.

Secondly, Our Saviour hath also pre­scribed most Effectual Means, by making use of which we shall most certainly ob­tain and maintain this Liberty, that is, obey those Laws of Liberty which he hath given us.

These Means are especially: Believing himself to be the Son of God, and conse­quently the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine.

Hearing his Word, and Receiving it into honest hearts, or Pondering it in our minds, and Meditating upon it, with the Design of conforming our selves to it.

Prayer to God in his Name, together with Faith in his Bloud for the Remission of our Sins, and in his Power and Goodness, for the Subduing our Lusts, and the making us Obedient to his Precepts: That is, for the blessing our Endeavours to that End.

Setting his Example before our Eyes, which is an Excellent Means to beget in us a likeness to him, and to our partaking of his Spirit and Temper.

Watching over our own Hearts, and against Temptations.

[Page 69]Denying our selves, and not indulging our Sensitive Part.

Advising in all Cases of doubt and difficul­ty with our Pastors and Spiritual Guides; whom Christ hath given to his Church, For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministery, for the Edifying of the Body of Christ, Ephes. 4. 12. And obey­ing them which have the Rule over us in the Lord, they watching for our Souls, as those that must give an Account, Heb. 13. 17. Which Duties were never more neglect­ed, than in this Age, to the great scan­dal of our Reformed Religion.

Keeping in the Communion of the Church: And not forsaking the Assembling our selves together (or our publick Assemblies) as the manner of some is, Heb. 10. 25. And now is the manner of vast numbers of us, (though no Terms of Communion are required that contradict any one Text of Scripture) which Separation we are too like ere long to pay dear for.

The Religious observation of the Lords Day, both in Publick and Private, is ano­ther singular Help and Advantage; Though few Professors of Christianity seem now to have any great sense of it, to the great prejudice of their own Souls, and the Souls of those who are under their charge.

[Page 70]And to these add in the last place (be­cause 'tis most convenient to place them here) The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

By Baptism we are admitted into the Church of Christ, and brought into a New State: We are baptized into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or devoted to their service. And the Father, in this Sacrament, takes us into his special care, and into the Relation of his Children, whereas before we were only the Children of Adam. The Son re­ceives us as members of his Body the Church: We are baptized into one Body (as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 12. 13.) that Body whereof Christ is the Head. And the Holy Ghost, who is the Author of Grace and Spiritual Life, taketh us for his Temples. We are said to Receive the Holy Ghost in Baptism, to receive that power and strength from him, which will enable us to Mortifie the deeds of the Body, and to acquire the Divine Graces and Virtues; which we shall certainly do, if we refuse not to Exert and Im­prove it, when we come to years of Dis­cretion, and our Faculties are ripe enough for that purpose. In Baptism the Holy Spirit communicates to us the Beginnings [Page 71] of a new life, which may afterwards be improved to large measures of Virtue and Goodness, if we be not wilfully wanting to our selves in the other Means.

And in the Lords Supper, as we renew the Covenant we made in Baptism, to renounce the Devil and all his works, &c. So all worthy Receivers of that Sacra­ment receive great additions of Grace and Spiritual Strength, are fed with the spiritual food of the most Precious Body and Bloud of Christ.

And of all the Means prescribed for the Subduing our Lusts, and Growing in Grace, the Frequent Receiving the Lord's Supper is very deservedly accoun­ted the Principal. Certainly there is not any Ordinance wherein sincere Souls do so experiment the Communications of the Holy Spirit, by which they are so Strengthened with strength in their Souls. Nor are there any such Strong and Sprite­ful Christians, any so confirmed and rooted in Goodness, in the love of God and their Neighbour, and all the Chri­stian Virtues, as those who take all oc­casions to attend upon it, with a thankful sense of the infinite love of God and Christ to them, and sincerely design in so doing a fuller participation of the Divine nature.

[Page 72]But this intimation that these two Sa­craments are conveyances of Grace and Strength leads me to shew, that,

Thirdly, Our Saviour hath moreover purchased for us a rich supply of Grace, to enable us to use the forementioned Means with happy success. He hath ob­tained from his Father by his Perfect Obedience, both Active and Passive, Authority to send the Holy Ghost pow­erfully to assist us; and hath assured us that those who ask him shall have him, in those most excellent, and most com­fortable words, Luke 11. 11, 12, 13. If a Son shall ask bread of any that is a Father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a Serpent? Or if he shall ask an Egge, will he offer him a Scor­pion? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your Children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give his holy Spirit unto them that ask him?

And if any of us want the Holy Spirit's Assistance, it is certainly because we either pray not at all for it, or not with a sincere and earnest desire that he should root up and destroy every Evil Affection in our Souls; Because we are secretly unwilling to let go some beloved lust or [Page 73] other; And because we are false to God and our own Souls in those things which he hath put into our Power. For 'tis cer­tain, that not to put forth the power we have already received, and yet complain for want of strength, is to play the Hypo­crities; and no wonder if the Holy Spirit of God doth estrange himself, and with­hold or withdraw his blessed Influences from such persons.

But as for those who are faithful so far as those Talents reach, which they are at present intrusted with, our Lord hath promised them that more shall be given them. That is the meaning of those words, Mark 4. 25. He that hath, to him shall be given: That is, that useth what he hath; for no man properly hath or possesseth what he makes no use of, 'twould be the same thing to him to be without it.

Nay, our Lord doth not only promise to him that hath, that more shall be given him, but also that he shall have abundant­ly more, Matth. 13. 12. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: And he repeats this, Chap. 25. 29.

And if we were not through wilful­ness and carelesness wanting to our selves, [Page 74] in putting forth that measure of strength we have, as sure as Iesus is the Christ we should fully experiment the truth of this promise: We should then feel the Divine Spirit working in us mightily, as the Apostle S. Paul saith he did, Col. 1. 29.

The great things that are spoken con­cerning the Spirit, and of what he shall do in the hearts of men, would be then punctually fulfilled in us, and we should be satisfied by happy experience, that they are not mere words; the Holy Ghost would not fail to do all that for us, he was sent by our Lord to do.

It is to be acknowledged with great sadness, that both Fleshly and Spiritual Lusts are exceedingly strong and vigorous even in the generality of those that pro­fess Christianity, as well as in others, and no less than in others, that are Strangers to our Religion: But this never to be enough lamented Evil doth not proceed from hence, that grace is denied to the generality, but 'tis wholly to be imputed to their Receiving the grace of God in vain, and wilfully refusing to comply therewith. It is not at all to be ascribed to the Spirits refusing to perform his Office in them, or to do in their behalf what doth belong to him, but to their refusing to do their part▪ [Page 75] This we are as fully assured of from abun­dance of Texts of Scripture as we can de­sire to be.

The same is to be said of mens so ordi­narily falling again and again into those sins which they frequently Pray and Re­solve and Vow against: This is far from being the account of it, that God is not willing to hear their prayers; For (as S. Iohn speaks, 1 Epist. 5. 14.) This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and to ask victory over our Lusts is of all Petitions most agreeable to his will. This cannot be the reason of it, that the Holy Spirit refuseth to inforce his Preventing (or Prevenient) with his Assisting Grace, that he will not assist some persons in the performance of those good Resolutions which his Preventing Grace hath excited in their Souls. But this is the true account hereof, viz. Such Persons are undoubtedly wanting in the use of some Necessary Means or other for the subduing their Lusts; they do not use all the means our Lord hath ap­pointed, and are especially faulty in neg­lecting particularly the great duty of Consideration, They pray, it may be, [Page 76] very frequently and earnestly too, that God would give them strength against this or that Corruption, and they add Vows to their Prayers, but they add not Consideration to their Prayers and Vows, they watch not over themselves, disre­gard the first motions of their Wills, and inclinations of their Souls towards the sins or sin they so Pray, Resolve and Vow against, and are not careful to avoid Temptations.

And as inconsideration is the chiefest cause of unsuccessfulness in the use of means for the subduing of Corrupt Af­fections, so the gross neglect of that grand Means the Lords Supper, but now discoursed of (which I hope in no Age, nor among any people professing Christi­anity, was ever so common, as to our great shame it is in this Age and this Na­tion) this gross neglect, I say, is questi­onless a very great cause of so much Non­proficiency in attendance on other Ordi­nances as is complained of. Which Nonproficiency may well be, notwith­standing the Promises of the plentiful Effusion of the Spirit, and our Saviour's purchasing so rich a supply of Grace for us. For our Saviour is no such Friend to Negligence and Carelesness, as to dis­pense [Page 77] his Grace in such a way and man­ner, as that it must necessarily be a mo­tive and encouragement to do nothing, or but little our selves: But on the contrary, he so communicates his Grace and Strength, as to make it a great Exciter and Quickner of Endeavours. Of this S. Paul assures us, in making God's work­ing in us to will and to do, or his readiness so to do, an argument to perswade us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2. 12.

Lastly, As our Saviour hath purchased for us a rich supply of Grace for the Ena­bling us to use the Means of our Delive­rance with happy success, so he hath gi­ven us the most powerful Motives and Ar­guments that can be imagined, to prevail upon our Wills to comply and cooperate with this Grace.

And these Arguments are not only proposed outwardly to us in his Gospel, but they are also inforced inwardly upon our hearts (as appears by what hath been now said) by his Holy Spirit. That is, they are inforced upon the hearts of all those who will take the pains seriously to consider them. To which consideration likewise the Spirit fails not to Excite [Page 78] men, till by long Grieving him, and ve­ry frequent rejecting his good▪ Motions and Suggestions, he is, as it were, forced to desist, and depart from them.

CHAP. VII.
Wherein is discoursed the First of those Mo­tives and Arguments which are offered in the Gospel, to perswade us to use the Means prescribed for our deliverance from the Power of Sin. Namely, The love of God in sending his Son upon the errand of our Redemption. And two most powerful Motives implied in this.

NOW the chiefest of those Motives and Arguments are these that fol­low.

First, The unconceivable Love of God expressed in sending his only and Eternal begotten Son, ultimately upon this er­rand of Redeeming us from the Power of Sin: And the never to be sufficiently ad­mired Love of Christ, in so readily ta­king our Nature upon him, condescend­ing to such extremely low circumstances [Page 79] here in the World, and at last submit­ting to so Vile and Ignominious, so Cru­el and Tormenting a Death, and all this, ultimately I say, for this very End, that of Sins and Satans Slaves we might be­come his and his Fathers Free Subjects; For he died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3. 18.

Here we have a two-fold most exci­ting and wonderfully powerful motive to comply most heartily with the Method our Saviour hath taken for the setting us free.

First, God's sending his own Son to be a Sacrifice for our Sins, without the in­terposition of which he would not pro­pose Terms of Reconciliation to Sinners, sheweth his infinite hatred of Sin, and consequently, that it is a most deadly Evil, and hath excessive Malignity in it. This is expressed in the most Emphatical manner by our Saviour's shedding his most precious Bloud upon the Cross for the expiating of it.

And can we have a more constraining Motive to do our utmost to be delivered from the Dominion of Sin, than this, that it is thus demonstrated to be an un­speakable Evil?

[Page 80]It hath been shewed, that the Death of Christ was designed to set us free from the Power as well as Punishment of Sin, and it is apt to effect that end, partly as its extreme hatefulness is thereby discove­red and made manifest. By this Sacri­fice for Sin, is it condemned in the flesh, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 8. 3. It is con­demned as the Vilest and most Intolerable thing.

The immediate end of Christs suffer­ings was to make Atonement for Sin, but this way of Atonement is a means, a most effectual means, to this farther End, the making us out of love with Sin, and per­swading us to Abandon it as the worst of all Evils. Of which, I say, we cannot desire greater evidence than this, that no meaner Sacrifice might be accepted for the making expiation for Sin, than that of the only begotten Son of God.

Secondly, This is as wonderful an Ex­pression of the Divine love to Sinners, as of the Divine displeasure against Sin. God commendeth his love towards us, in that when we were yet Sinners Christ died for us, Rom. 5. 8. And herein did he commend his love in the most wonderful manner that it was possible to commend it. He [Page 81] shewed the exceeding riches of his grace, in his Kindness towards us through Iesus Christ, as we read Ephes. 2. 7.

Was that an ordinary Love in God the Father think we, that moved him to send no less a person upon the business of our Redemption, than him who was the Brightness of his own Glory, and the express Image of his Person, by whom also he made the Worlds? Was that an Ordinary Love in God the Son, that prevailed with him to take the Humane nature, and to humble himself in that Astonishing man­ner, and to undergo such direful Suffer­ings for our sake? Or was it not such a Love as passeth knowledge? So S. Paul saith it was, and it can be no less. This is such a love indeed, as is rather to be si­lently Admired, than much discoursed of.

How hard must needs be that heart which will not be broken by the force of such love as this! Nothing can be ima­gined to be of such irresistible power over Persons not forsaken of all ingenuity, as the consideration of this Love.

This is the Other way whereby the Death of Christ was designed for the Destroying of Sin. And in respect of ei­ther of these ways, but much more of [Page 82] both, our Saviour had good ground for the uttering those words, Iohn 12. 32. When I am lifted up from the Earth, I shall draw all men unto me: He spake of his dying on the Cross for Mankind, as it fol­lows, This he said signifying what-death he should die. And he here supposeth this his Death to contain such Forcible Ar­guments to perswade men to cast off the Drudgery of sin, and exchange it for his Free service, that it must necessarily be happily successful to this End, whereso­ever it is seriously thought on, and laid to heart.

CHAP. VIII.
A Seasonable Digression concerning the Do­ctrine of Vniversal Redemption. The Antiquity and Catholicalness of this Do­ctrine. Large Citations out of Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper, expressing their sense of it. And full proof thereof presented out of the H. Scriptures.

BY the way: It is of great impor­tance to be fully satisfied, that no man in the World is excluded from ha­ving [Page 83] his share in this Propitiatory Sacri­fice, and that the Redemption designed by the Death of Christ is Universal.

For if each individual Person cannot be assured that he is his Saviour, and that he died for him; if he died not for all, nay, but for a few comparatively (as those say who deny that he died for all) then what influence can the consideration of his Death have upon the Wills of men? Surely the weakest influence that can be, if any at all.

Indeed how it can rationally have any, seems unintelligible, since those who assert that Christ died but for a few com­paratively, assert also that those few shall be infallibly at one time or other drawn to him, and Christ will not lose any one of them.

If this be so, what inducement can we have either from the Death of Christ, or any other Consideration, to concern our selves at all about leaving our Sins, and using the means prescribed for our deliverance from the power of them? For if it so happen that I am one of those few for whom Christ died, what need is there of my being concerned about that which is so effectually secured? What is this but to take Christ's work out of his [Page 84] hand? But if Christ died not for me (as 'tis very many to one he did not, if he di­ed for so few) then all my care is to no purpose.

I say, if every one of us cannot be cer­tain that Christ died for him, and conse­quently for all, what motive to obedi­ence can his Death be to us? And if he died but for some, and those some but a very small number compared with those for whom he did not die, and those for whom he died shall be undoubtedly saved, and those for whom he died not shall be undoubtedly damned, then I cannot see how the wisest man on Earth can answer this Plea of a wicked man for persisting impenitently in his wickedness, viz. If Christ died for me I shall be saved, and he will most assuredly at his own time, which to be sure is the best, bring me over to the obe­dience of his Precepts by his Omnipotent grace, if that be necessary, in order to my Salvation: But if he died not for me, then let me do what I can, it will signifie nothing, my state is unalterable. So that I run no hazard in being careless and neglectful of the concerns of my Soul, on supposition of my having an interest in the death of Christ; nor is my case one jot the better for my dili­gence in using the means of Salvation accor­ding [Page 85] to my power, on supposition of the con­trary.

Now how can we think, that the Go­spel doth contain such mighty Arguments to perswade us to work out our own Salva­tion, whilest it leaves us utterly unable to answer this Plea, that Careless People may, and do many of them, make for their Carelesness? And therefore it highly concerns us to beware of that Do­ctrine, which makes Christ to die but for some Certain Persons, as not only most false, but as very dangerous.

The truth is, this Doctrine could ne­ver gain any considerable Credit, in any Church in the World, for the first fifteen hundred years: 'Twas broached (with the other concomitant Doctrines) by one Lucidus a Presbyter in France, about the year of our Lord 500, of which the Pela­gian Heresie was the occasion, but quick­ly condemned by two Councils, one at Arles, the other at Lions. About 300 years after, it was (with the other) re­vived by Godscalcus, a person of ill Fame, but condemned again by a Council at Mentz.

But the Doctrine we are defending was Asserted, as a Point never doubted of, by the Fathers of the first 300 years: [Page 86] And is as expresly Asserted in the most Ancient Confessions of the Reformed Churches beyond Sea, and also in the Articles, Homilies and Catechism of our own Church.

And those three Holy Martyrs, Arch-Bishop Cranmer, Bishop Latimer and Bishop Hooper (who will be acknowledg­ed by our Adversaries in this Point, to be most Orthodox men) have as plainly and fully given their testimony thereun­to as we can desire.

Arch-Bishop Cranmer, in the Preface to his Book against Gardiner hath these words, that Christ made a Sacrifice and Ob­lation of his body upon the Cross, which was a full Redemption, Satisfaction and Propitia­tion for the Sins of the whole World.

Bishop Latimer, in his Sermon on the first Sunday after the Epiphany, tells us, that Iesus is an Hebrew word, which signi­fieth in our English Tongue, a Saviour and Redeemer of all Mankind born into the World.

And he hath this passage in his Sermon on the Gospel for the twenty first Sunday after Trinity, P. 2. of Fol. 208. which would be horribly offensive to many now| adays, viz. That Christ shed as much bloud for Judas, as he did for Peter; Peter be­lieved [Page 87] it and therefore was saved, Judas would not believe, and therefore he was con­demned; the fault being in him only, and in no body else.

Bishop Hooper, in his Preface to his Exposition of the Ten Commandments, saith, That as the Sin of Adam, without priviledge or exemption, extended and ap­pertained unto all and every of Adams Po­sterity; so did this promise of Grace gene­rally appertain as well to every and singular of Adams posterity as to Adam: As it is more plainly expressed, where God promiseth to bless, in the seed of Abraham, all the people of the World.

And that these Good men did not hold Contradictions, but, as they undoubt­edly believed that Christ died for all, so they also rejected that Doctrine of the Divine Decrees which is inconsistent therewith, is plain from the following passages.

Bishop Latimer saith, in his Fourth Sermon on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, That if the most part be dam­ned, the fault is not in God, but in them­selves; for, Deus vult omnes homines salvos fieri, God would that all men should be saved, but they themselves procure their own damnation, and despise the Passion of [Page 88] Christ by their own wicked and inordinate li­ving. Here we may learn to keep us from all curious and dangerous Questions; when we hear that some be chosen and some be dam­ned: Let us have good hope that we shall be among the chosen, and live after this hope, &c. Think that God hath chosen those that believe in Christ, and that Christ is the Book of life, &c. So we need not to go about to trouble our selves with curious questi­ons of the Predestination of God. But let us rather endeavour our selves that we may be in Christ, for when we be in him, then are we well, and then we may be sure that we are ordained to everlasting life. But you will say, how shall I know that I am in the Book of life? How shall I try my self to be elect of God to everlasting life? I answer, First we may know, that we may one time be in the book, and another time come out again, as it appeareth by David. See more that fol­lows to the same purpose, Fol. 310.

Again, in his Sermon on Septuag. Fol. 214. saith he, God's Salvation is sufficient to save all Mankind; But we are so wicked of our selves, that we refuse the same, and we will not take it when 'tis offered to us, and therefore he saith, Pauci verò electi, Few are chosen; that is, few have pleasure and delight in it, for the most part are weary of [Page 89] it, cannot abide it; for there are some that hear it, but they will abide no danger, &c. Such men are cause of their own Damnation; for God would have them saved, but they re­fuse it: like Judas the Traitor, whom Christ would have had to be saved, but he refused his Salvation, he refused to follow the Doctrine of his Master Christ.

And Bishop Hooper is very full and particular to this purpose in his forecited Preface. Saith he, Cain was no more ex­cluded from the promise of Christ, till he excluded himself, than Abel; Saul than David; Judas than Peter; Esau than Jacob: Concerning which two Brethren, in the sentence of God given to Rebecca, there was no mention at all, that Esau should be disinherited of Eternal Life, but that he should be inferior to his Brother Jacob in this world, which Prophecy was fulfilled in their Posterity, and not the Persons them­selves. God is said by the Prophet to have hated Esau, not because he was disinherited of Eternal Life, but in laying his mountains and his heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness, Mal. 1. 3. That Threatning of God against Esau (if he had not of wilful malice excluded himself from the Promise of Grace) should no more have hindred his Sal­vation, than God's Threatning against Ni­neveh: [Page 90] The cause of Rejection or Damna­tion is Sin in man, which will not hear, nei­ther receive the promise of the Gospel, &c. It is not a Christian man's part to at­tribute his Salvation to his own Free-will, with the Pelagian, and extenuate Original Sin, nor to make God the Author of ill and damnation, with the Manichee; nor yet to say, that God hath written Fatal Laws, and with necessity of Destiny, violently pulleth the one by the hair into Heaven, and thrust­eth the other head-long into Hell.

I have thus at large transcribed the words of these two Holy Bishops and Martyrs for the Reformed Religion, be­cause the Books are not easie to be met with, and Bishop Hooper's not to be light on without great difficulty. And, I say, by these Citations (to which we might have added others) it is very apparent, not only that they undoubtedly believed the Doctrine of Christ's dying for all men, (and were zealous Assertors of it too) but also, that they rejected that Do­ctrine of Fatal Decrees, which is the Foundation of the contrary Opinion.

I cannot but take notice, by the way, how Unreasonable and Uncharitable those men are, who clamour at such a rate against their Brethren, as Innovators [Page 91] and Apostates from the Church of England, for their asserting no worse Doctrine, than we have now seen was heartily ap­proved by these Ancient and Eminent Fathers of our Church. The Doctrine of which Church, I presume, they'l have the Modesty to acknowledge, they were as fit judges of as themselves. But I must ha­sten to that which is much more to our present purpose; viz.

That no Doctrine is more clearly or fully asserted in the Holy Scriptures than this of Vniversal Redemption. And that there may remain no longer the least doubt or scruple in any of our breasts con­cerning it, let us take notice of these fol­lowing particulars.

First, How those that have a share in Christ's Redemption are expressed by our Saviour and his Apostles. They are ex­pressed by the words SINNERS in­definitely, the WORLD, ALL, the WHOLE WORLD, EVE­RY MAN. And can the Wisdom of man invent more plain, significant and full words, by which to express the Uni­versality of Mankind?

1. Those whom Christ came, and died to save, that is, to put into a Salvable [Page 92] state, so that it will be wholly long of themselves if they perish, are expressed by the word Sinners indefinitely. S. Paul saith, 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful say­ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that Ie­sus Christ came into the world to save Sin­ners, of which I am chief. Now 'tis a known Maxim, that An indefinite Propo­sition is equivalent to an Vniversal one. And our Saviour himself saith, that He came to call sinners to repentance, Luke 5. 32. And to seek and save that which was lost, Chap. 19. 10. He makes no exception of Sinners or Lost persons, and therefore what can they be less than All Mankind? But if this be not satisfactory,

2. They are expressed by the word World. Our Saviour saith, Iohn 3. 16, 17. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast­ing life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. I could not disparage any ones understanding more, than by endeavouring to satisfie him, that 'tis a most pitiful and senseless shift, to say, that by the World is meant all the Elect in the world, that is, some exceeding few of the world in comparison [Page 93] of the rest. For, besides that this is to make nonsence of the former Verse, as must needs be obvious to every body, so by taking the same Liberty in interpre­ting other Texts, the Bible would be made the most insignificant Book in the world. The Generality of men is ordi­narily called the World, and Bad men are sometimes so called in Scripture, be­cause they are the Generality; but to ex­press the incomparably lesser part of men by the word World, is such a Figure as was never heard of.

3. They are expressed by the word All, to put us more out of doubt, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. The love of Christ constraineth us, be­cause we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again. Now did ever the word All signifie a few? And that by All is to be understood the Universality is plain from the former of these Verses, where the Apostle proves that all were dead, or obnoxious to death, by this Argu­ment that Christ died for all. But we will not question whether all in the largest sence were obnoxious to death, and there­fore all must be understood in the same ex­tent, [Page 94] when it is said that Christ died for all, or we shall make the Apostle a very sad Arguer. For how could it follow from hence, that Christ died for some, that therefore all without exception were dead?

Again, 1 Tim. 2. 6. we read that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all: And ver. 4. that He will have all to be saved, and come to the knowledge (or Acknowledgment) of the truth. And once more, 1 Tim. 4. 10. that He is the Saviour of all men, but especially of those that believe: So that those that believe are not the all he is the Saviour of, the all being distinguished from them. And the meaning of the words is sufficiently obvious, viz. He is so the Saviour of all, as to put them into a capacity of Salvation, but he is so the Saviour of those that believe, as that they shall be actually saved. Those that so be­lieve as to obey the Gospel are at present in a state of Salvation, and if they persevere shall be undoubtedly saved.

4. Those whom Christ died for and came to save (to make it still more out of doubt if it be possible) are expressed by the Whole World, 1 John 2. 6. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the Righteous, who is the Pro­pitiation [Page 95] for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole World. Nay,

5. They are expressed by Every man, Heb. 2. 9. But we see Iesus, who was made a little ( or for a little while) lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that he by the grace of God should taste death, [...], for every man. And this is the fullest and most Comprehensive Expression that can be imagined.

If after all these most express Affirma­tions, in such variety of the plainest words, it shall still be asserted, that the Doctrine of Universal Redemption is Heretical or false, there needs no other Reply but this: Let Christ be true and his Holy Apostles, and everyman a Liar that dares to contradict them.

Secondly, As our Saviour and his Apostles do so express the Persons for whom he died, as that they must necessa­rily be the Universality of Mankind, so we learn from S. Paul, that the Remedy by Christ is of equal extent with the mis­chief occasioned by Adam: That the Sore is not so broad but the Plaister is every whit as broad: Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as [Page 96] by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the Righ­teousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. Can anything be said plainer than this is, in these words, viz. That as many as fell by the Trans­gression of Adam, were designed to be re­covered by the Righteousness of Christ?

But it is Objected that it follows in the 19. ver. that, By the obedience of one shall Many he made Righteous; As our Savi­our himself saith, This is the New Testa­ment in my bloud, which was shed for Many for the Remission of Sins. But that this is a Strange objection, will appear by com­paring the latter part of that 19. ver. with the former: For as by one mans disobedience Many were made sinners. So that, as ma­ny were put into a possibility of being ju­stified by the Righteousness of Christ (and we do not desire that more should) as were made Sinners (or made liable to condemnation) by the Disobedience of Adam. And by this means, the Reign of Grace to Eternal life was designed to be no more limited, than was the Reign of Sin to death: As it follows in the 21. ver. That as Sin hath reigned unto death, even so might Grace reign through Righteousness un­to Eternal life, by Iesus Christ our Lord. [Page 97] And it is not to be wondered at, that the word Many should signifie All, for it is well known, that [...], Many, or the Many, is used in other Greek Authors to signifie all, as well as in the New Testa­ment.

So that these Texts do most necessari­ly and plainly speak thus much, That none that hear the Gospel shall fall short of Salvation, but through their Unbelief and Disobedience, their wilful rejecting the Remedy offered them: Nor any nei­ther that never heard the Gospel, merely for the Transgression of their first Parents, but only for their own Sins, I mean, their wilful disobedience to that light they have.

And that none to whom the Gospel is preached are excluded from Salvation by Christ, is manifestly implied in those words of our Saviour, Iohn 3. 14. As Mo­ses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. As the Brazen Serpent was erected for the Cure of all that were stung by the Fiery Ser­pent, none excepted but such as would not look up to it, for that end: So none shall be shut out from the benefit designed [Page 98] by the Son of man's being lifted up upon the Cross, but such as will not believe, that is, apply themselves to him in that way, which he hath appointed for the obtaining of it.

And though our Saviour saith, ver. 19. of that Chapter, that This is the condem­nation, that a light is come into the World: Yet he immediately explains himself in the following words, and men loved dark­ness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Or Mens being condemned by the occasion of his coming is to be imputed to their Rejecting him, and so refusing to comply with the most reasonable terms of his New Gracious Covenant, not to his or his Father's design in his Coming. For he saith, Iohn 12. 47. I came not to judge the World, but to save the World.

Thirdly, We are assured that Christ died even for those that perish. The Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 8. 11. If any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the Idols Temple, shall not the Conscience of him that is weak be imboldened to eat those things which are offered to Idols, and through thy knowledge shall the weak Brother perish, for whom Christ died? Here it is supposed that a man may perish, for whom Christ [Page 99] died: And consequently, that he died for Reprobates themselves; that is, those that have made themselves so, for if Christ died for all, there can be no other Reprobates.

Again, Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

And the Author to the Hebrews expresly preacheth this Doctrine, Chap. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the bloud of the Covenant, wherewith he was Sanctified ( or Consecrated) an unholy thing?

S. Peter likewise asserts the same, 2 Epist. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets al­so among the People, even as there will be false Teachers among you, who privily will bring in damnable Heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. So that these vile wretches were not destroyed because Christ did not redeem them, for they are said to be bought or redeemed by him as well as others, but they brought upon themselves swift destruction.

Lastly, If this Doctrine be false, that Christ died for all, then none are or can [Page 100] be condemned for not Believing in him, notwithstanding that the condemnation of men is so continually ascribed thereun­to. For 'tis a plain case, that those for whom Christ did not die, can be no more obliged to believe in him, than the De­vils are. And to say that any are con­demned for not doing that which it was not their duty to do, will, I hope, be ac­knowledged the grossest absurdity.

This little in comparison of what might be said, to demonstrate the truth of this Great Article of our Faith, is much more than barely sufficient to give us an un­doubted assurance of it. The truth is, the Sun doth not shine more bright in the Firmament, than doth this Doctrine in the New Testament: And I know no­thing we can be assured of upon Scripture Authority, if this be False or Uncertain. I verily believe that there are few of the Greatest Points of our Christian Faith, but may as plausibly be objected against as this Doctrine, from Scripture.

'Tis said indeed by our Saviour, Iohn 10. 5. I lay down my life for my sheep: But did he ever say, I lay down my life for none but my sheep? If he had, we must have concluded, either that the whole World [Page 101] are his Sheep, or that which is far worse, that he said and unsaid, and contradicted himself, and so destroyed the Foundation of our Faith and Hope. But in saying He laid down his life for his sheep, his mean­ing was, that those who obeyed his voice should receive the benefit of his death; and such Sheep he would have all to be. For (as we have seen in 1 Tim. 2. 4.) He would have all men to be saved, and to come to the acknowledgment of the truth.

Again our Saviour saith, that He pray­ed not for the World, Iohn 17. 9. From whence some would infer, that surely he would not shed his Precious bloud for those on whom he would not vouchsafe to bestow a Prayer. But 'tis apparent his meaning was, that at that time he pecu­liarly prayed for his Disciples: They on­ly (as appears by the Context) are meant, by those that his Father had given him out of the World. But afterwards, ver. 20. He proceeds to pray for all that should believe on him through their word: And at his death, he prayed for his very Crucifiers. And that he could not re­fuse to pray for the World, is apparent from ver. 21. where he prayeth that Be­lievers might be one in him and his Fa­ther, for this reason, That the World may [Page 102] believe that He had sent him: or might be converted to the Faith of the Gospel.

These two Objections, as weak as they are, are the chief ones that are taken out of Scripture, against the most Ancient and Catholick Doctrine we have been asserting.

But I must needs say, I have often wondred at their Boldness, who have used their utmost endeavours to run down a Doctrine, that not only for so many Ages together hath stood unshaken, but is also so Abundantly, and in the Clear­est manner imaginable asserted by Truth it self, and those who were Guided into all truth: And how they are able not to per­ceive, how grosly they wrest the Holy Scriptures; so that, if they should use the same Artifice in interpreting all other Texts, they would make the Bible to look like a thing that is contrived for the service of every Humour and every Phan­cy, and for both the proving and dispro­ving every thing.

Certainly, if we should take the same liberty in understanding our own and other mens sayings, that they take in Expound­ing the forementioned and the like sayings of our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles, Speech would signifie nothing, nay, be of [Page 103] very pernicious consequence, and serve only to abuse and put tricks upon one ano­ther.

If so many plain Texts as can be, to all Appearance, should require so much la­bour and pains to be rightly understood, 'twill be impossible to defend the Holy Scriptures from that Obscurity which the Papists most injuriously charge them with; and to preserve the Bible from that Contempt, which (the higher to ad­vance the Authority of Holy Church) it suffers from their prophane Tongues and Pens, and wicked Practices.

But this Doctrine of Vniversal Re­demption, being so strongly fortified, could never have been assaulted, were it re­concileable with that of Absolute Reproba­tion, either in the Supra or Sublapsarian way (as it is impossible it should be) which the too great Admirers of the otherwise very judicious and pious Cal­vin, are so exceedingly tenacious and fond of. But 'tis much to be wondred at, what these men should see in this Do­ctrine (which is so severe in it self, and horrid in its necessary Consequences) that they should be contented to buy it at so dear a Rate, as the Parting with that other most Comfortable Doctrine. Espe­cially [Page 104] since this hath no Antiquity to commend it, and is not so much as seem­ingly befriended, but by a very few Texts of Scripture, and those very fairly ca­pable of quite another sence, than at first sight may seem to belong to them; but is contradicted by innumerable plain Texts, and the concurrent strain both of the New and Old Testament.

But I must not forget that this Chap­ter is a Digression from our Main Busi­ness; And I have thus long insisted upon this Argument, that the great Motives contained in the Death of Christ to ex­change the Slavery of Sin for his Free service might have their full weight and cogency: which would be in danger, not only of being weakned, but even quite lost, by limiting the Design of Christ's Death to some particular per­sons, where the Consequences of such a Limitation are apprehended.

And I appeal to every Considerative Person, whether it be not a mighty Mo­tive and Encouragement to the engaging all the powers of our Souls in this great work of using the Means prescribed for the subduing our Lusts, to be assured that every individual person of us is one of [Page 105] those, for whom Christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquity.

CHAP. IX.
Wherein are contained Five more Evange­lical Motives, which are of wonderful Power to excite us to diligence in using the Means of our Deliverance from the Do­minion of Sin, viz. Our Saviours excel­lent Example. The assurance he hath gi­ven us, that he will not take such advan­tage of our Frailties and Weaknesses, as to cast us off for them. Our Saviours Mediation and Intercession. The Glori­ous Reward he hath purchased for, and promised to those, who, by the Assistance of his Grace, overcome their Lusts. And the most dismal Threatnings he hath pro­nounced against those who receive that Grace in vain, and will not be delivered from the Dominion of Sin.

HAving presented you with the First powerful Motive to diligence, in using the Means of our Deliverance from the Dominion of Sin, namely, The un­conceivable Love of God in sending his only [Page 106] Begotten Son upon this Errand of Delivering us; and of Christ in so readily taking our Nature upon him, and dying a cursed Death for that End: And having also fully De­monstrated, that no man in the World is excluded from the Benefit designed by the Death of Christ, in order to our giving that Motive its full force and strength: I proceed to shew, that

Secondly, Another singular Motive is our Saviour's Example.

As we are by his Example Directed in the several parts of our Duty, as hath been shewed; And as the frequent Eye­ing thereof is a Means (as hath been inti­mated) whereby we may be more and more transformed into his Likeness; so is it to be considered as a Wonderfully Exciting Motive to comply with those Rules of Righteousness and Goodness, which we have naturally the greatest Aversation of Will towards.

As particularly, those which oblige us to the Meek bearing of Indignities, the Forgiving the greatest and most Provo­king Injuries, the Loving our Enemies; whereby we shall be set free from the Cruel Tyrants of Revenge and Malice. Those also that oblige us to Humility, Patience and intire Resignation to the [Page 107] Will of God, under the severest Dispen­sations of his Providence; and Contenta­tion with a mean Fortune, and low Cir­cumstances in the World; which will free us from the inslaving Passions of Pride, Anger, immoderate Grief, Co­vetousness, &c.

When we consider with what Admi­rable Evenness of Mind, this Great Prince of the Kings of the Earth indured the Contradiction of Sinners against him­self; How, when he was reviled, he revi­led not again, when he suffered he threatned not, but committed himself to him who judg­eth righteously: When we consider with what strange Sedateness of Spirit he bore the Mockings, Buffettings, and most Contumelious and insolent Behaviour of vile Creatures towards himself: It is then hardly Possible that We despicable Worms should Rage and be inflamed up­on the account of such Disgrace, Con­tempt and ill usage from Rude People, as is not to be compared with that which He underwent.

When we consider how our Blessed Saviour Forgave those who Thirsted after his Bloud, and were never satisfied till they had put him to the most shameful [Page 108] and most cruel Death; and not only For­gave them himself, but Entreated his Fa­ther, and that even in the midst of his Torments (when his Spirit one would think should be most highly exasperated) to forgive them too: I say, when we consider this, how can it be difficult to disswade our selves from Meditating Re­venge upon any Provocations whatso­ever? Surely we must needs be very powerfully inclined to forgive our Ene­mies.

When we call to mind how He exprest his love to his very Murderers, even so as to design the greatest good to them by the means of that, whereby they design­ed the greatest evil to him, can we be averse to the bearing Good will to those who are ill affected towards us, to the Blessing of those that Curse us, and Pray­ing for those that despightfully use us?

When we consider how this Mighty Person humbled himself, even to the washing his Disciples Feet, and declared that He came not to be ministred unto, but to minister, can We contemptible Wretch­es cherish the least spark of Pride in our Souls? Can We despise the meanest of our Fellow-creatures, or think our selves too Great or too Good to condescend to [Page 109] the lowest Offices of Love whereby we may serve our Brethren?

When we consider with what submis­sion to the Divine Will our Blessed Lord indured the most exquisite Pains both of Soul and Body, though He never de­served them by the least offence, but was always most perfectly obedient to his Fa­ther, can this be other than a most for­cible motive to us, who have Merited so ill at the Hands of God, quietly to sub­mit to his good Pleasure in Afflicting us, whenas in so doing he doth always pu­nish us far less than our iniquities de­serve?

When we consider how well satisfied our Saviour was to be in poor low Cir­cumstances, and not to have so much as a Cottage of his own to put his Head in, though he was Lord of all: Is it imagi­nable that We should aspire at High and Great things, and having Food and Rai­ment, not be Content, who are less than the least of all God's mercies?

And lastly, Will not the Considerati­on of our Saviour's being such a Man of sorrows, and so acquainted with griefs, ex­ceedingly deaden our desires after Sensual Pleasures? Surely it must necessarily so do.

[Page 110]Thus we see how greatly exciting the Example of our Saviour is to the perfect Mortifying of those Lusts which are most strong and vigorous, to the loathing and abominating those, which are naturally very dear to us, and to the most restless endeavours, to get our Souls possessed of those Virtues and Graces which are most supernatural.

Thirdly, Another very prevalent Mo­tive is, the Assurance our Lord hath gi­ven us, that He will not take such Ad­vantage of our Frailties and Weaknesses, or Sins we fall into by mere surprize and want of due Watchfulness, as to cast us off for them; so long as we allow not our selves in any evil way, and it is the prin­cipal design of our lives, to be conformed in all things to the Laws of Righteous­ness.

There is a Prophecy concerning the Messiah, Isaiah 42. 3. which our Saviour applieth to himself, Matth. 12. 20. A brui­sed reed shall he not break, and smoaking flax shall he not quench, &c. He will not crush under foot those who fall through weakness, but whatsoever good he seeth in them, he will still cherish. My little [Page 111] children (saith S. Iohn) these things I write unto you, that ye sin not: But what if, through the weakness of their Flesh, they should at any time be overtaken, is their state then desperate? No, by no means, for it follows, And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous, &c. 1 Epist. 2. 1.

As there are Sins unto Death, so there are Sins not unto Death, according to that of the same Apostle, 1 Epist. 5. 17. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. Though all Unrighteous­ness be sin, and the deserved wages of sin be Death, yet such is the Goodness of God through Christ, that all Sins shall not be unto Death, but only Wilful and Presumptuous Sins. And I add, not these neither, if not persevered in, but throughly forsaken.

If we were liable to Eternal Ruine for such Faults, as considering all our Cir­cumstances in this state, it is scarcely to be hoped we shall constantly avoid, we should necessarily live in great Bondage, through continual fear, anxiety and dis­quieting thoughtfulness: But on the other hand, it conduceth exceedingly to the chearful pursuing our Great Work, to be satisfied that it is not every Failure [Page 112] that shall endanger our final miscarry­ing.

And it is no small inducement to inge­nuous Tempers, to be so much the more solicitous to avoid Deliberate and Wilful sins, because God through Christ is so ready to forgive, and graciously pass by those that are not such: Because he is pleased in his infinite Goodness to grant a pardon of course for these, upon conditi­on of their being in the general and habi­tuals repented of. And it is a great Mo­tive also to such Tempers, to be the more vigilant and watchful against all sins whatsoever; against sins of daily incursi­on and infirmity, as well as those which waste the Conscience. And those are very ill natured and obdurate Sinners, who can find in their hearts to Encourage themselves by this indulgence to sin the more freely.

Fourthly, Another wonderful Encou­ragement to the careful use of the Means, we are directed to for the subduing of our Lusts, is our Saviours Mediation and Intercession. There is one God and one Me­diator between God and men, the man Christ Iesus. His oblation was begun on Earth, but perfected in Heaven; where He ap­pears [Page 113] in the presence of God for us, Heb. 9. 24.

Those Prayers we put up in His name, for things Agreeable to the Divine Will, with honest and sincere hearts, our Savi­our inforceth with his own Intercession. He ever lives to make intercession for us, Heb. 7. 25. And for this reason (as the Apostle saith in the former part of that Verse) He is able to save them to the utter­most that come unto God by him: That is, to give them a full and complete Delive­rance from the Slavery of sin, and all the evil Consequents thereof.

Now we know that we ask what is ac­cording to the Will of God, when we pray for his Grace to Mortifie our Cor­ruptions, and to set us more and more Free from their Dominion: This is the Will of God, even our Sanctification, &c. 1 Thess. 4. 3.

There are many Temporal good things, which God in his infinite Wis­dom may see not to be good for us; but He knows that whatsoever hath a neces­sary influence into our Soul's welfare, and the making us partakers of his own image and likeness, can by no Circum­stances whatsoever become unfit to be bestowed on those that heartily and sin­cerely [Page 114] seek it. And therefore we are assured that those prayers that are put up for such things, with a true heart and full assurance of faith in his Power and Good­ness, are seconded in Heaven by our Blessed Lord: And him the Father hear­eth always, John 11. 42.

We have shewed that our Saviour hath purchased a Rich supply of Grace to help our Weakness, and that his Holy Spirit is promised to those that ask him; who will not fail to assist them, whilest they carefully exert that power they are already in possession of: But the most Honest Souls have so frequent experience of Heaviness, Dulness and Distractions in their Addresses to God, that they would be in great danger of despairing of the Success of their Prayers, but for this Consideration, that they have a no Less Friend in Heaven, than the Only Begot­ten Son of God; who is most powerful with his Father, and supplies all the De­fects of their Prayers by his own Interces­sion in their behalf.

I need not say, what a marvellous in­couragement this is of our Faith and Hope in the Divine Goodness; which are so necessary to Animate us, and to put Spirit and Life into all our Endeavours.

[Page 115]And the Mediation and Intercession of our Blessed Saviour conduceth exceeding­ly to the overcoming those inslaving Pas­sions of Fearfulness and Shame, which arise from Guilt; and do naturally cause a great Averseness in Sinners from going into the Presence of God, and disable them, when they are there, to behave themselves as they ought before him.

S. Paul tells the Ephesians, that In Christ Iesus they have boldness and access with con­fidence, by the faith of him. That is, through Christ's Mediation those Belie­ving Gentiles (of whose Calling he was discoursing) as great Sinners as they had been, even dead in Trespasses and Sins, have liberty of Approach to God, with Confidence of a kind Reception and a Gracious Acceptance.

And the Author to the Hebrews, Chap. 10. 19, &c. doth thus encourage Sincere Souls to draw near to God. Having there­fore, Brethren, boldness (or Liberty, [...]) to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Iesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, (in oppo­sition to the dead shadows under the Law) through the veil, that is to say, his Flesh: (Breaking through the veil of his Flesh, being fain to die before he ascen­ded [Page 116] into Heaven) And having an High Priest over the House of God: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith; Having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience, and our Bodies washed with pure Water. That is, being sincere­ly resolved against all sins both of Heart and Life: As none that had touched any unclean thing under the Law, till the Priest had sprinkled them with pure Water, had Liberty to enter into the Congregation.

Fifthly, The Reward, which our Savi­our hath purchased for and promised to those that shall get free from the power of their Lusts, is another Motive, than which a more Powerful one is not to be imagined. He hath promised that such shall be with him where he is. That be­cause he lives, Iohn 17. 24. they shall live also. Hath assured them, that He is gone to Heaven before, Chap. 14. 19. ver. 3. to prepare a place for them: That He is entered thither as their Forerunner: Heb. 6. 20. That they shall behold the Glory there which his Father hath given him; Iohn 17. 24. and that they shall be sharers also with him in that Glo­ry: That they shall sit with Him upon his Throne, Rev. 3. 21. To him that over­cometh will I grant to sit with me upon my [Page 117] Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his Throne. That the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father, Matth. 13. 43. That their dead Bodies also, be­ing raised again, shall be fashioned like to his own most Glorious Body, according to the Mighty working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself, Phil. 3. 21.

Of this Glory it is impossible we should speak much in this state worthily of it; it far surpasseth our most Elevated Con­ [...]eptions, and therefore our highest Ex­pressions must needs fall excessively short of it. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, saith S. Iohn, 1 Epist. 3. 2. only we know so much of the Heavenly Bliss, as to be assured that it is astonishingly Great; for, as it follows, this we know, that when he appears we shall be like him (like Him the infinitely Holy and Happy Being, in his Holiness and Happiness) for we shall see him as he is. Which implieth such a clear, distinct and vigorous know­ledge of his most Glorious Perfections, as will transform the Soul into His own Nature, and fill it with His own Blessed­ness, to the utmost extent of its capaci­ty.

[Page 118]Could we now apprehend this Blessed­ness in any proportion to its transcendent Greatness and Excellency, we should have no more Spirit left in us; as it is said of the Queen of Sheba, when she beheld the Magnificence of Solomons Court. Indeed there is such an Account given us of the Happiness prepared for Good men, that we should find it impossible to be­lieve it, but that God which cannot lye hath promised it, and that it is the purchase of a most inestimable price, the Bloud of his Eternally Begotten Son. And we have so great Evidence of its being promised by his Father, and purchased by Himself, given us by our Blessed Lord, that our own Hearts can't wish for greater; nay, such as we could not have asked any com­parable to it, might we have had our own choice of Evidence, viz. His innumerable Miraculous works, His Resurrection from the Dead, His Ascension into Hea­ven; And afterwards (exactly accor­ding to his promise) His sending the Ho­ly Ghost.

We have not more Evidence that Ie­sus is the Son of God, than we have that All his sincere Disciples shall live with him, in unspeakable and Eternal Blessedness; for we have the self- same [Page 119] for both. The same Arguments which have abundantly demonstrated the truth of the former Proposition, do equally prove the latter, for they depend mutually upon each other; As S. Paul hath shewed in 1 Cor. 5. 13, 14. If there be no Resur­rection of the Dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our Preaching vain, and your Faith is also vain. That is, there will be no Resurrection of the Dead.

Now of what mighty force and effica­cy are the exceeding great and precious pro­mises of such a Glorious state as this, to engage all the Powers of our Souls in the pursuance of that Holiness which is not only an indispensable Condition to precede the obtaining of it, but like a necessary Qualification for it.

The Happiness which will naturally, by proper, Efficiency and necessary Conse­quence, result from our Deliverance from the Dominion of Sin, and our being instated in the Freedom we have discour­sed of, would be a mighty Motive to the doing our utmost to be set at Liberty: What a Motive then is this Vast Additio­nal Happiness which our Lord hath given us the most unquestionable Assurance of?

[Page 120] We can never be sufficiently affected with those words of the Apostle, Rom. 6. 21, 22. What fruit had ye then of those things, whereof ye are now ashamed; for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto Holiness, an [...] the end everlasting life.

Can we have such a Hope as this, such a Blessed Hope (as the Apostle calls it) and not heartily endeavour to purifie our selves as God is pure? S. Iohn tells us, that he who hath this hope will do so. Hath our most Gracious Lord made to his Free Servants such a promise as this of entering into his Rest, his Glorious and Eternal Rest, how should we fear, lest by continuing in subjection to our vile Affections, we should at last fall short of it?

Good Lord!. That such a prize as this should be set before us, and we not press hard forward towards it. That such Blessedness should be Purchased for, and Offered to those, who have no esteem or value for it. But had much rather be wretched Bondslaves and Vassals to the Devil and their Lusts, than Reign with Christ in his Everlasting Kingdom.

[Page 121]How many shall lament this inexpres­sible Folly in a sad Eternity! And this brings me to the Last Motive I shall speak to, viz.

Sixthly, If it be possible, that this with the foregoing Motives should not prevail, there is another behind, which is suited to the most Disingenuous, Stubborn and Inflexible Tempers, and must needs sub­due them, if any thing will: Namely, The most Dismal Threatnings our Savi­our hath pronounced against those, who will not Accept the Liberty he offereth them, and become his Freemen.

As such will be necessarily exceedingly miserable, beyond what they are here, when they leave this world, through the Fury of their Corrupt Appetites (there being no objects in the other state to ap­pease it, or to afford them the least satis­faction or gratification) so our Lord hath declared, that, They shall be cast into outer Darkness, where shall be weeping, and wail­ing, and gnashing of teeth, Matth. 8. 12. That, they shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire, Matth. 13. 42. That, He will say unto them at the last Day, Depart from me ye cursed into Everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Matth. 25. 41. And his Apostle S. Paul hath told [Page 122] such, what their Doom shall be, in 2 Thess. 1. 7, 8, 9. viz. That the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his Mighty Angels, in flaming Fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting de­struction from the presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his power: When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired of all them that believe. Then shall we discern the vastest difference imagi­nable between the states of the Righteous and the Wicked, of those who have through the Spirit mortified the deeds of the body, and those who have lived after the flesh. The Former sort of men, as the same Apostle saith, shall live; that is, a most inexpressibly Happy and Glorious life: The Latter shall die; that is, the Second death, or be Eternally Miserable. One shall be taken, and the other left: One shall be saved, the Other damned: One shall be received into the Blessed Mansions above, and crowned with Immortal Bliss and Glory; the other shall be tumbled down into Hell, and have his portion in the lake that burneth with Fire and Brim­stone.

[Page 123]Did I say, that these Fearful Threat­nings are designed to awaken the most Disingenuous, Stupid and Obdurate Souls? I fear there are Few who do not find, that they have need sometimes of seriously considering them, and laying them to heart. And when we feel the principle of ingenuity most unactive, as also that those Motives that excite our Hope have but a weak influence (as it is possible we may, at certain times, be in so dull and heavy a Temper, as that we may be but very little affected with them) then should we rouse up our selves out of our Lethargick stupidity, by em­ploying our Thoughts upon the Terrors of the Lord, the most Terrible Threatnings of the Gospel.

And now what think we? Hath not our Blessed Lord done Abundantly enough to make us Free indeed; To set us at Liberty from Sin and to Righteous­ness? In that he hath not only shewn us What it is to be made Free, and wherein our Liberty consisteth; And given us the best Means, by the use of which, as we ought, we shall be set at Liberty; And purchased such Grace for us as whereby we may be successful in the use of those [Page 124] Means, if we will not neglect them; But also hath given us such Motives, as those we have now discoursed of, to prevail with our Wills not to receive that Grace in vain.

And as for these Motives, can the Heart of Man conceive any more power­ful? No surely, nor could it, unassisted by Divine Revelation, conceive any that are the thousandth part so powerful.

But besides all this (as hath been inti­mated) the Blessed Spirit of God is ready so to inforce these Motives upon us, if we will endeavour to think seriously upon them, as that they shall effectually do what they are designed for: And not only so, but he also begins with us, and by his se­cret suggestions excites us to the due Con­sideration of them, and the use of what­soever Means we are directed to, for the pulling down of strong holds, and casting down every imagination, and every high thing, that advanceth it self against the Scep­ter and Government of Christ in our Souls, and the bringing every thought, and all that is within us, to the obedience of Christ.

And thus doth he work in us both to will and to do, as to Do so to Will, of his own good pleasure: or, of his free and un­deserved [Page 125] mercy to us. And therefore what encouragement have we to put the Apostles inference from that Doctrine into Practice, namely, To work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling? That is, to work out our own Delive­rance from the Dominion of Sin, and our Slavish subjection thereunto, with great Diligence and Solicitude.

CHAP. X.
Which treats of the First Inference from the First Proposition, [That the most Excel­lent Liberty doth consist in an Intire Com­pliance with the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness; Or in Freedom from the Dominion of Sinful Affections.] Name­ly, That those are most Vnreasonable and Depraved People, who complain of the Di­vine Laws as intolerable Intrenchments upon their Liberty. Where it is shewed, First, That upon supposition our Liberty were restrained by the Laws of God, it would nevertheless be most unreasonable to complain upon that account. Secondly, That the Laws which oblige Christians do not restrain their Liberty.

[Page 128]I AM come now to the Last Head of Discourse, viz. To draw distinctly from each of the Arguments of the fore­going Sections several very useful Infe­rences: Such as, if they be duly conside­red, will farther improve us in our Knowledge of the true Nature and De­sign of the Christian Religion; and (with the assistance of the Divine Grace) Ad­vance us higher in the true Evangelical Spirit and Temper.

To begin with the Former of those Ar­guments, viz. That the most Excellent Li­berty consisteth in an Intire Compliance with the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness; or in Freedom from the Dominion of Corrupt and Sinful Assections. From hence, and what hath been discoursed thereupon, we Infer,

First, That those are most Unreason­able, and very sadly Depraved who com­plain of, and quarrel with the Divine Laws as great Intrenchments upon their Liberty; And therefore, in regard of the high value they set upon Liberty, [Page 129] cry out upon them as intolerable. For,

First, Suppose it were true, that our Liberty is much restrained by the Laws of God, yet would it be the most unrea­sonable thing in the World to cavil at them upon that account, or to think our selves too unkindly dealt with: And that for these three Reasons.

1. We know by Experience, that it is Absolutely necessary to the Well being (nay to the very Being) of Societies, that particular Persons be obliged to part with not a little of their Natural Liberty. It is utterly inconsistent with the Well­fare of the Whole, for each Particular to insist so severely on his own Right, as to refuse to submit to the being deprived of that Liberty, in several instances, in which the Primary Laws of Nature have instated him: And consequently this is as inconsistent with the Wellfare of Par­ticulars; the Well-being of each Part de­pending upon the Well-being of the Whole.

There can be no Leagues, Compacts or Agreements between Men and Men, but there must be yielding, and quitting of Liberty; and that on both sides too or­dinarily, if not always.

[Page 130]All the Laws of Men do suppose the Necessity of this; Nor is there any one merely Humane Law but doth Restrain Natural Liberty. He therefore who is resolved not to let go any part of that Li­berty, must resolve upon another thing too, viz. To live under no Government; To forsake all Society with his own kind, and live alone in a Desart. But by so do­ing he will quickly be satisfied, that he pays infinitely too dear for so stiffly in­filling upon his beloved Liberty, and that he hath sold for it all the Comfort of his Life, and whatsoever would make it de­sirable to him.

In a word, There can be no such thing as Property without parting with several points of Liberty; without this no Meum or [...]uum (I mean as to any thing without our selves, or that can happen to come within the reach of Anothers Pow­er) can be secured, as every Body will grant. And therefore can it be thought a grievous thing that God himself should restrain our Liberty?

2. As it will be Universally Acknow­ledged, that it is Absolutely necessary, that Particular Persons be abridged of their Natural Liberty in abundance of in­stances, so all that have a right Notion [Page 131] of the Deity must needs believe, that we are abridged of it in no instances by God Almighty, but such as wherein it is most fit we should be abridged.

The Holy Scriptures assure us of no­thing more, nor doth Natural Light nei­ther, than that Infinite Wisdom, Righ­teousness and Goodness are necessary Per­fections of the Divine Nature; Than that Wilfulness and Arbitrariness, Au­sterity and Sourness, Envy and Ill will, are as far removed from God as is Hell from Heaven. And consequently, though several of His Laws should seem to our thinking never so Unreasonable, yet while we adhere to the Scriptural and Natural Notion of the Deity, we our selves would be most Unreasonable, in not Concluding them to be really most contrary to what they may seemingly be to us; in not believing them to be as Wise, as Righteous, and as Good, as any can fancy them Weak, Unrighte­ous, or Unkind.

3. As from the Consideration of the Nature of God we are as certain as we are capable of being of any thing, that all the Abatements and Limitations of our Liberty, He is the Author of, are most Wise, Just and Good; that they are [Page 132] founded in great Reason, Equity and Kindness also to us, so we that live under the Gospel Dispensation are assured from the Consideration of the particular Obser­vances and Forbearances He hath by Christ Iesus obliged us to, that they are no other, than such as are infinitely Worthy of such a God.

They are all of that nature, that they carry their own Reason most visibly and apparently along with them: And such as we are easily able to give account to our selves, upon what particular Designs, it was the pleasure of our Creator to im­pose them upon us. 'Tis the easiest thing in the World to demonstrate, that they are not only all of them Consistent with Infinite Goodness, but also great Instan­ces and Expressions thereof: That God is not only most Righteous in enjoyning each of them, but most Good and Graci­ous.

All but some two or three of the Pre­cepts of the Gospel are no other than what Right Reason, and the Law of our Crea­tion did, and must necessarily, always oblige us to, as will presently be seen. And those very few purely Evangelical ones are designed for our better Observa­tion of those Natural Laws.

[Page 133]And thus I have shewed in short, that, granting Gods Laws do put restraints (and those many too) upon our Liberty, we have no cause to complain upon that account: They restraining it only in such particulars, as wherein it is incom­parably better for us to be restrained than otherwise. But

Secondly, It is utterly to be denied, that the Laws we Christians are under the Obligation of, do any of them restrain our Liberty. They restrain Licentious­ness indeed, but not Liberty. This doth sufficiently appear from what hath been discoursed.

That cannot be true Liberty which is injurious to our Chiefest Liberty, but our Chiefest Liberty we have shewed doth consist in being free to Good; in ha­ving all impediments taken out of our way to the free exercise of those Virtues which are (as I may say) the very Soul of our Souls, the Life of our Souls, as our Souls are of our Bodies: Without which we are dead even whilest we live; with­out which we are in an utter incapacity of enjoying our selves, of being in the least measure truly Happy, or of Living [Page 134] like Men, and discharging the Functions of that Life which is proper to Reason­able Creatures: And by the absence of which we degenerate into the Brutish, nay into the Devilish Nature.

You may as well say, that He is abridged of his Liberty, who is kept from running his Head into the fire, or from Cutting his own Throat, as that He is so, who is forbidden to be Unjust and Unrighteous in any kind, or to be Mali­cious, or Uncharitable, or Intemperate, or Lascivious: That is, who is forbid­den to play the Beast or the Devil. Or who is Commanded to Love God above all, to Fear Him, to Trust in Him, to be Thankful to Him, in all his ways to Acknowledge Him; and to Love his Neighbour as himself. But, if we will believe the Great S. Paul, in these parti­culars is comprehended all that for Sub­stance, which the Grace of God that bring­eth Salvation reacheth men to forbear or practise.

To summ up all in short that needs to be said about this matter, There is no­thing required of us, but it is either an Essential part of our Liberty, of our Highest and most Excellent Liberty, to [Page 135] be Free to it, or is a Means to the obtain­ing and Maintenance of it.

What an Unreasonable Brutish Crea­ture therefore art Thou, whosoever thou art, that darest repine at the Restraints which thy Creator and Redeemer have laid upon thee, whenas these Restraints (if they may be called so) are necessary to thy greatest Enlargement. And let me tell thee, thou that thinkest much of be­ing held within the Limits which the Gospel hath set thee, thou affectest a Li­berty which God himself hath not, and Abhors to have.

CHAP. XI.
The Second Inference, viz. That such a Freedom of Will as consists in an Indiffe­rency to good or evil is no Perfection, but the Contrary.

SEcondly, We may observe from the abovesaid Discourse, That such a Freedom of Will as consists in an Indiffe­rency to Good or Evil, as much as it is magnified by some for a great Perfection [Page 136] of the Humane Nature, is indeed no bet­ter than a Diminution and Disparage­ment: Nor is it otherwise Commen­dable than as a less Evil.

This must necessarily be so, if the most Excellent Liberty consisteth in an entire Compliance with the Laws of Righte­ousness and Goodness, as it hath been fully proved it doth.

Seneca hath somewhere a most Impudent and Blasphemous saying, to this purpose: That a Wise, or Virtuous, man is in some respect Superior to God himself; because God is Good by necessity of Nature, but he by his own free choice.

'Tis to be confessed, that, comparing this indifferency to Good or Evil with the Determination of the Will to Evil, so it is desirable; but then it is so only as 'tis a less Evil than the other, as was said. But comparing it with the Determinati­on of the Will to Good, from an inward Principle, viz. from a quick, Vigorous Sense of the infinite Loveliness of Virtue, and monstrous Deformity and Ugliness of Vice, so on the other hand, 'tis a great imperfection, and consequently by no means desirable.

The Divine Nature will be acknow­ledged to be the Great Standard and Mea­sure [Page 137] of Perfections: We cannot question but that, the more like to God any one is, the more perfect he will be; and the more unlike to God, the more imperfect: But the being Free to Evil and Undeter­mined to Good, makes a man less like God, because God is (as hath been shewn) necessarily, from his own Na­ture Determined to Good, and from Evil; And his Infinite Wisdom, Holi­ness, Righteousness and Goodness can­not consist with Peccability, or a Possibi­lity of doing or approving the least Evil. And therefore the more any one is from within himself, from a good Temper of mind, determined to that which is Good, the more like must he needs be to the Best of Beings, and the more he partakes of a Divine Nature.

That saying of S. Ie­rome doth need a Para­phrase, Solus Deus est, in quem Peec [...] ­tum non cadit; C [...]et [...]ra, cùm sint liberi Arbitrii, possunt in utram­que partem suam flectere Volun­tatem. viz. God is the only Being, that is un­capable of sinning; but all Creatures, having Free Will in them, may turn their Will to Good or Evil. Namely, that God alone is Ab­solutely Im [...]eccable; not but that by the Divine Grace Creatures may be made so; as, without doubt, the Angels and [Page 138] Saints in Heaven are. And, whereas the Father seems to exclude Free Will from God, and to give it to all Reason­able Creatures, he must mean such a Free Will as consisteth in Indifferency to Good or Evil, or Undeterminedness from within to Good and against Evil, and so on the contrary. This kind of Freedom cannot belong to God, because it speaks great imperfection: For it sup­poseth him who hath it, to be without such a Sense of the Excellency and Love­liness of Goodness, and the Hatefulness and Intolerableness of Wickedness, as he ought to have.

He that can in the least Deliberate▪ whether it be more Eligible to be Just or Unjust, Chaste or Impure, Intemperate or Sober, to speak Truth or to Lye, to Love God or the World, to Forgive or Revenge, to be Pitiful or Cruel, to be Niggardly or Charitable, &c. He, I say, that can perswade himself to Delibe­rate about these things, doth manifestly declare, that he understands neither the one nor the other, as he ought to do. I mean, that he hath nothing so lively a Sense of the Goodness of the one, or the Evil of the other, as it becomes him to have.

[Page 139]If we had such a Sense, it would be as impossible to perswade us to any Vile Action, as it would be to prevail with a man in his right Mind, to pour melted Lead down his own Throat, to pluck out his Eyes, or to dash out his Brains.

You cannot deliberate whether it be better for you to be Healthy or Sick, to be at Ease or in Torment, to have a Good Name or a Bad, to be Beggarly or in Plentiful Circumstances, to be a Wise man or a Fool, to be a Mad-man or in your Wits, to be a Slave or a Freeman, &c. You will say that Bedlam is the fit­test place for him, that shall in the least consider which of these he shall chuse. Now if we had as great a Sense of the Evil of the infinitely worst of Evils Sin, as we have of those Evils, it would be as im­possible, that our Wills should incline to the Commission of a known Sin, as that they should prefer Sickness before Health, and refuse Ease and embrace Torment.

As for those that contend that, It is more Praise-worthy to do Good and forbear Evil, having a Power to do otherwise, than to be under a necessity of so doing▪ Supposing they mean by necessity, such as [Page 140] is not from without, or from an inward blind instinct, but from an Understand­ing Principle and Perfection of Nature, I must needs tell them there is no Propo­sition in the World more false or absurd. For is God Almighty the less to be Ad­mired, Loved or Praised for his Good­ness, because his Nature is so Good, as that He cannot but be ever doing good? Surely He is much the more to be Loved, Adored, Admired and Praised upon this account.

I will not therefore stick to say, that to have the Will necessarily determined to all Good, and from all Evil, from an Overpowering Sense of the Becoming­ness and Excellency of the one, and the Vileness and Odiousness of the other, is the very Perfection of Liberty. And this is so far from being impossible to be ob­tained by Creatures or by our Selves, that, by the help of God's Grace, it is in a large measure even in this life Attainable. I mean such a Sense of Good and Evil, as shall certainly determine us to Good and against Evil in most of the instances of each.

There are some immoralities and wick­ed Actions, that they who have attained to but very mean and ordinary degrees of [Page 141] Goodness, cannot perswade themselves so much as to endeavour to reconcile their Minds to. Nay, there are some that no man can easily be supposed able to con­sent to, but an extraordinarily Depraved and Wicked Wretch, let the Motives that are used to perswade him be what they will. Such as Blaspheming of God: Contriving the Murther of our Parents, or of a most obliging Friend: Torturing of innocent Babes, and the like Horrid Vil­lanies. Surely then, a man is capable of such a Vivid sense of the Hatefulness of Sin in general, as will (whilest it lasts) render it impossible for him to Will deli­berately to commit any known Sin what­soever.

'Tis confessed that we cannot hope to get past all danger of sudden Surprizals, so long as we inhabit these Bodies, and remain in our present Unhappy Circum­stances; but, I say, so powerful a Sense of the Infinite Unrighteousness, Disinge­nuity, Unreasonableness, Folly and Madness of opposing the Holy Will of our Great Creator and Blessed Redeemer may, by the Divine Assistance, be ac­quired even on this side Heaven, as shall Determine us effectually against all De­liberate and Wilful Violations of the Di­vine Laws.

[Page 142]For this we have the Authority of a Great Apostle: S. Iohn saith in his 1 Epist. 3. 9. Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin, for his Seed remaineth in him, neither can he Sin, because he is Born of God. He here affirms, not only that those who have attained to extraor­dinary Measures of Goodness cannot Sin, that is, cannot will to sin deliberately, but likewise that no Regenerate or truly Good man can. He cannot thus Sin, because he is born of God; because he is a Child of God by the inward Renewing of his Ho­ly Spirit: And because his Seed remaineth in him, that is, the Divine Seed. Which Divine Seed I take to be the same thing with the several times mentioned Quick, Powerful and Pungent Sense of the Hor­rid Nature, and most dreadful Effects and Consequents of Wilful Sinning. It is more than Morally impossible, that whilest this Sense abideth in its Strength and Vigour, the Good man should lapse into such Sins.

Have we not such a Sense of the Vile­ness of some Actions, as to say frequent­ly, I could not for all the world find in mine heart (that is, in my Will) to do so or so? And if we had the same Sense of all Sins, which it is unreasonable not to have, [Page 143] considering them as Sins, or Transgressi­ons of the Everlasting Rules of Righte­ousness (for considering them under that notion, all sins are alike) I say had we the same Sense of all Sins, we should as truly say concerning each, I cannot find in mine heart, I cannot will, to consent unto it.

CHAP. XII.
Which Treats of one Branch of the First In­ference from the Argument of the Second Section, [That in Freedom from the Do­minion of Corrupt Affections doth that Li­berty Principally or rather Wholly Con­sist, which Christ hath purchased for us.] Namely, that several Notions of Christi­an Liberty, which have too much prevail­ed, are false and of dangerous Conse­quence. The First of which is, That which makes it to consist, wholly or in part, in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law. Certain Texts, urged by the Antinomians in favour of it, vin­dicated from the sence they put upon them. [Page 144] And the extreme wildness and wickedness of it exposed in Five Particulars.

WE proceed now to the Inferences from the latter Argument, viz. That in Freedom from the Dominion of Cor­rupt Affections, and all the sad Consequents thereof our Christian Liberty doth Eminent­ly consist, and wholly too the Liberty which Christ hath purchased for us Gentiles. And

First, We infer from hence, that se­veral Notions of Christian Liberty, that have too much prevailed, are False and of dangerous Consequence. We will speak to,

First, That which makes it to consist in Freedom from the Obligation of the Moral Law.

Secondly, That which makes it to consist in Freedom from those Laws of Men, which Enjoyn or Forbid indifferent things.

Thirdly, That which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of Christian Liberty.

First, For that Notion of Christian Liberty, which makes it to consist, ei­ther wholly or in part, in Freedom from [Page 145] the Obligation of the Moral Law: This is extremely Wild and Wicked, as will appear from what hath been discoursed.

It is the Doctrine of the Antinomians, and they produce in favour of it all those Texts wherein we are said to be delive­red from the Law. As particularly Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held, &c. Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, &c. Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. Gal. 4. 4, 5. When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made un­der the Law, to Redeem them that were un­der the Law, &c.

To this it is Answered, That there are indeed many Texts which Assert our be­ing freed from the Law, but the Questi­on is, What Law they mean? Or rather 'tis out of Question, that they mean not the Moral Law. For there is no need of doing more than reading throughout the forementioned Verses, to satisfie us, that the Apostle understood, in each of them, nothing less than that Law. Nay, we need do no more to be assured, that he Abominated this Notion of Christian Li­berty.

[Page 146] For whereas he saith, Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held; it follows, that we should serve in Newness of Spirit, and not in the Oldness of the Letter. That is, That we should no longer be merely Ex­ternally Obedient, but also, Inwardly and Spiritually.

Whereas he saith, Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, he immedi­ately adds this as the reason why he was so, that I might live unto God: Or be in all things conformed to the Rules of Righteousness and Goodness, which He hath prescribed; all which are compre­hended in the Moral Law.

Again, whereas he tells the Romans, Chap. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace: This comes in as a proof of what he said immediately before in the same Verse, viz. Sin shall not have domi­nion over you.

Lastly, In saying, Gal. 4. 5. That Christ was made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, he gives this in the next words as the reason or design hereof, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. But doth not the Relation of a Son necessarily in­fer Obligation to Obedience? It doth so [Page 147] no less than that of a Servant. For where God saith, If I am a Master, where is my Fear? he saith also, If I am a Father where is mine Honour?

The Law therefore which is to be un­derstood in these and the like places is the purely Iewish Law, the mere External and Drudging Observances of the Mosai­cal Dispensation, which the Iewish Belie­vers thought themselves to be still under the Obligation of, and Condemned the Gentile Converts for not submitting their Necks to the same Yoke.

And the Apostle takes a great deal of pains, in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, to confute that mistake; and to convince the Iews, that that Law was made by Christ null and void; that He had Cancelled it, and taken away its Ob­liging power.

And in each of those places the Apostle as plainly affirms this to be the Law they were delivered from, as that it is not the Moral Law. We will therefore a third time go them over again.

Rom. 7. 6. Now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in Newness of Spirit, and not in the Oldness of the Letter. That [Page 148] is, We are delivered from that Law, that considered literally, required no­thing but a company of Bodily Washings, Outward Services, and Carnal Perfor­mances, which the Iews generally rested in, and thought no more was to be done to render them Acceptable in the sight of God; And the reason why we are deli­vered from this Law is, that so we may be the more intent upon the Great Sub­stantial Duties, and the Purification of our Hearts, Souls and Spirits.

Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God. Or, I by virtue of the Law of Christ, am dead to the Law of Moses, that I may have all impediments taken out of my way to the being intirely devoted, as to the Inward as well as Outward man, to the Service of God. And it hath been shewed how in­jurious this Law did Accidentally become to the great Design of the Gospel, viz. The making us Spiritually Obedient; the enduing us with Inward, Real, Sub­stantial Righteousness; or the Divine Likeness.

Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. That is, There is no ne­cessity of your continuing under the pow­er [Page 149] and dominion of Sin, because you are not under the weak Dispensation of Mo­ses, which made nothing perfect, and gave no strength to mortifie Lust, but under the Gospel Dispensation, which is ac­companied with Promises of Plentiful Supplies of Grace and Strength.

Gal. 4. 5. God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. Or, That we might no longer drudge like Servants of the inferior Sort, in such Employ­ments as are mean and low, having no Internal Goodness in them; and that from the hope only of some sleight Re­ward, from the hope of some mere Earth­ly good things, such as are Gratifications only of the Animal and Sensual life; and from the Fear of mere Temporal Evils, and the present Lash, (that Law con­taining no other express Promises or Threatnings but Temporal, as was shew­ed) but may be dealt with as Sons, be Honourably employed, viz. in such ser­vices as are of the most Excellent nature, and do recommend themselves by their own Goodness, and Agreeableness to our Rational and Intellectual Faculty. And be acted also by a more Noble Principle, [Page 150] viz. Love, and encouraged by an Infi­nitely more Noble Reward, which con­sisteth in a perfect Likeness to God, and an Everlasting Enjoyment of him.

And thus we see, these very Texts that are made use of by the Antinomians, to prove this mad Notion of Christian Li­berty from the Obligation of the Moral Law, are so far from signifying any thing to this purpose, that they give manifest and clear proof of the Contrary. As they are far from asserting, that any such Li­berty as this belongs to Christians, so they assure us that no such Liberty be­longeth to them.

Tertullian hath a good saying to our present purpose: Operum ju­ga rejecta [...]unt. non disciplina­rum. Li­bertas in Christo, non fecit Innocentie Injuriam. Mannt [...]extota Pictatis, Sanctitatis, Humanitatis, Veritatis, Castitatis, Iustitiae, Mi­ [...]ricordiae, Benevolentiae, Pudicitiae. Lib. de Pudi [...]itia. The Yokes of Works (meaning the Drudgeries of the Cere­monial Law) are cast off, not those of Rules to walk by. Liberty in Christ is not injuri­ous to innocence. The intire Law of Piety, Holiness, Humanity, V [...]rity, Chastity, Righteousness, Mercy, B [...]n [...]volence, Puri­ty is still of force.

And indeed should we find this Do­ctrine in those Texts, that our Saviour [Page 151] hath procured for us Freedom from this Law, then,

First, The Blessed Apostle would have most expresly contradicted his Great Ma­ster, and so have proved himself no Apostle; For our Saviour plainly saith, Matth. 5. 17. Think not, let not such a wild fancy enter into your Heads, that I am come to destroy the Law and the Pro­phets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil: [...], to fill it up, or Preach it fully. I am so far from such a Design, as that of destroying or Abolishing the Moral Law, that, on the contrary, I am come to Preach it more fully and perfect­ly, than ever it was before my Coming.

And this he presently sets upon doing, Vers. 21, 22, 27, 28, &c. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, thou shalt not Kill, and whosoever shall Kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, that whoso [...]v [...]r is Angry with his Brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, &c.

Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit Adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoev [...]r shall look upon a Woman, to lust after h [...]r, hath com­mitted Adultery already with her in his heart. And so He goes on to Perfect and Fill up [Page 152] Law, in the following Verses.

Again our Saviour saith, vers. 18. Ve­rily I say unto you, that till Heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled: [...], till all be done, or till all things come to an End, according to Doctor Hammond.

He hath not here respect to the Uni­versal Conflagration, saith Grotius upon the place, but it is a Proverbial speech, as if it were said in Latine, Vsque dum Coelum ruat: Till the Heavens fall. Which is thus expressed, Luke 16. 17. And it is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass, than one tittle of the Law to fail. In which man­ner of speaking, as saith the same Learn­ed Expositor, He hath respect to the Or­der of Nature, and not to the Power of God. But according to Nature it seems impossible that Heaven and Earth should pass away or perish.

So that the meaning of these Texts is plainly this, viz. The Obligation of the Law can neither cease, nor be diminish­ed or relaxed in the least, to all Eterni­ty.

And then our Saviour adds, Vers. 19. of this Fifth of S. Matthew, Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Com­mandments, [Page 153] and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: That is, saith Grotius, Minimi erit pretii, eum minimi habitum iri, he shall be contem­ned, and treated as a most despicable wretch at the Day of Iudgment. Then it follows, But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven. He shall be highly Honoured, and signally Rewarded.

When the young Man came to our Sa­viour to ask him, What good thing he should do, that he might have Eternal life, we know what his Answer was, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments, S. Matth. 19. 17. And whereas He meant all, yet (knowing how apt Hypocrites are to flatter themselves with an opinion of the goodness of their state, upon the account of their External Conformity to the First Table Precepts, though they live in the gross Transgression of those of the Second Table) He only expressed those which enjoyn Duties relating to our Neighbour. For the young Man asking which Commandments? Iesus said, Thou shalt do no Murder, Thou shalt not commit Adultery, Thou shalt not Steal, Thou shalt not bear false Witness, Honour thy Father and thy Mother: And thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself, Ver. 18, 19.

[Page 154]Secondly, The Apostle would have Contradicted himself most Egregiously, as well as his Master, should he, in the above-cited Places, or any where else, teach this Notion of Christian Liberty. For 'twas He that said, Do we make void the Law through Faith, God forbid, yea we establish the Law, Rom. 3. 31. He here in­cludes even the Ceremonial Law, as ap­pears by ver. 28. (which gave occasion to these words) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law: That is, that a Gentile is ju­stified without Circumcision, or Sacrifices, or any other of the Iewish Rites and Ser­vices, which they still laid so great weight upon; as appears by the two fol­lowing Verses, Is he the God of the Iews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one God, which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith, and Vncircumcision through Faith. Now saith the Apostle, God forbid we should affirm that the Gospel Dispensation should make void the Law; should make useless so much as the Ceremonial Law, therefore much less the Moral, yea we assert it establisheth the Law. In some sence it even establisheth or perfects that [Page 155] Law, as it brings in the substance of that, whereof that Law had the shadow; and requireth purity of Heart, which was the spiritual meaning of Circumcision.

Again, 'twas the same S. Paul that said, Not the Hearers of the Law are just before God; but the Doers of the Law shall be justi­fied, Rom. 2. 13. And it is He who makes it to be the design of Christ's Expiating our Sins upon the Cross, That the Righ­teousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. And it is this same Apostle that saith, Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels, and have not Charity ( a Moral Virtue) I am become as sounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal. And though I have the gift of Prophecy, and understand all Mysteries, and all Knowledge: And though I have all Faith, so that I could re­move Mountains, and have no Charity, I am nothing, &c. 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2. And in the last Verse, doth not only Equalize Charity with Faith and Hope (which many now adays are so far from doing, that they are angry with those who do so) but also Advanceth it above those Graces. And now abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, these three, but the greatest of these is Cha­rity.

[Page 156]Thirdly, Whosoever teacheth this Doctrine, of Christ's having set us free from the Moral Law, contradicteth the whole strain of the New Testament: Our Saviours Sermon on the Mount throughout, all his Injunctions and even all his Discourses, and all the Precepts and Exhortations contained in the Epistles of the Apostles. They are all so many instances of the Obligations that the First and Second Tables lay upon us, as understood in the most Spiritual, Sub­lime and Comprehensive Sence: And none are more so than those of S. Paul, so intolerably is he abused in being made the Great, and I think, Onely Patron of that most licentious and wicked Do­ctrine.

And even that Precept of Believing in the Name of the Son of God, is a First-Table Precept, not Positive but Moral, in its own Nature necessarily obliging, and a Dictate of Natural Light, to all those who are acquainted with the Evidence of his being the Messiah, and Son of God. Upon our understanding how He is de­monstrated so to be, we should have known that Faith in Him is an indispen­sable Duty, though we could not have produced one Text to prove it.

[Page 157]Moreover Believing in Christ, toge­ther with the Institutions of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are designed as Means to the great End of making us intirely Obedient to the Moral Law, or the Ever­lasting Rules of Righteousness.

Fourthly, Whosoever teacheth this Doctrine, teacheth a most manifest con­tradiction to the Essential Principles and Make of Mankind. It is impossible that Reasonable Creatures should be disobli­ged from Loving God above all, from being Just and Charitable, Sober and Temperate, Humble and Submissive to the Divine Will, and the like.

It is impossible that any Power whatso­ever should discharge them from such du­ties as these. Their Obligation to them doth Naturally arise from their being such Creatures. There is not a greater con­tradiction than this imaginable, that Creatures made capable of understanding what God is, and their Relation and Obligations to him, may not be Eternal­ly bound to behave themselves towards him, as the Moral Law requires they should. Infinite Power it self cannot set such Creatures free from their Obligati­on to love God with the highest degree of [Page 158] love their Souls will admit of. Now as the Apostle tells us, that Love is the fulfil­ling of the Law, so 'tis easie to shew, that all Moral Duties whatsoever, whether relating to God, our Neighbour, or our Selves, are the necessary results and con­sequents of the Love of God; so that we cannot once suppose, that these should cease at any time to be the Duties of Men and Women, but we must also suppose them then deprived of their Essential Form, and to be changed into another sort of Beings.

Fifthly, This Doctrine also is as appa­rent a contradiction to the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind. We cannot be in a Happy or tolerably Good state, but by conforming our selves to the Precepts of this Law.

We have already shewed, that those must necessarily be deplorably Miserable, who live in subjection to any corrupt Appetite, any Fleshly or Spiritual Lust. To which purpose, [...]. Strom. Lib. 2. p. 424. I will add this passage of Cle­mens Alexandrinus, To submit and give place to evil Affections is extreme Slavery, as to overcome them is the only Li­berty. [Page 159] Nor can the best place in the World, not Heaven it self, or the most Glorious outward circumstances, make that person Happy, or not Miserable, within whom all is amiss and out of order, and who is indued with no good Habit or Temper of Mind. A diseased Body will be uneasie, do what you can to it, and so will diseased Souls.

These things considered, 'tis the most Amazing thing, that any who call them­selves Christians can entertain such a No­tion as this of Christian Liberty; the directly contrary being the whole Design and Business of Christianity. And yet for all that we find it as Ancient as the Apostles days; there were those so early that did not only Teach it but Practised upon it; that used their Liberty for a cloak of Ma­liciousness, and turned the Grace of God into lasciviousness. But 'tis no over-bold say­ing, that if this could be really proved to be a Liberty of Christ's bringing into the World, there is no Good man but would abhor the Christian Religion.

But the Antinomians (not to make worse of them than they are) tell us, that they do not deny the Obligation of Chri­stians to the performance of the Duties [Page 160] required by the Moral Law, but 'tis on­ly Love, Gratitude and ingenuity that can oblige them. Which is as much as to say, that they are not obliged to them in strict Justice, or as they are the Mat­ter of a Law.

But alas, they very little mend the matter by this Salvo, nay their Doctrine is of the same dangerous consequence with it, that it is without it. For,

First, It destroys all the Gospel Pre­cepts, makes them insignificant and idle things; They being all Moral, either in themselves or in their Design.

Secondly, It takes off all Obligation to Love, Ingenuity and Gratitude. You say you are not bound to be Righteous, Charitable, Temperate, &c. by any other Law than that of Love and Grati­tude: But by what Law are you obliged to the Love of God and Christ, to be Grateful to them, and to have an Inge­nuous, Thankful Sense of the Great things they have done for you? You must say by no Law at all, seeing you make these the only Law of Christians. And, if you are obliged to these things by no Law, how are they Duties? And perswade a man once, that they are not Duties, and 'twill be very strange if he [Page 161] make any Conscience of Love and Grati­tude: And then there is nothing left to hold him in from committing all manner of wickedness with greediness, whenso­ever the Tempter or his Lusts solicite him, and opportunities are offered to him.

But besides, they have another Do­ctrine, and 'tis that upon which this strange wild Notion is founded, which takes away all necessity of being Grateful and Ingenuous, viz. That the Righte­ousness of Christ is Formally (and not only in its Fruits and Effects) a Belie­vers; so that He hath done all that the Law requires in the Believers stead, or as Personating him.

This is their Sence of those words late­ly cited, I came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it; so that Christ having fulfilled the Law as the Believers Representative, he hath fulfilled it himself in Christ. And Christs Active and Passive Obedience is his, both as to Matter and Principle, and therefore Christs Love and Gratitude are his Love and Gratitude, and all those Graces which so shined forth in Christ are the Believers, in their very Formality and Essential nature.

[Page 162]Now what should ail those that can down with this strange stuff, to boggle at believing that they have no need at all of any other Love, Ingenuity or Grati­tude, than what is thus imputed to them? And therefore you see that their talking of the Law of Love and Gratitude is but a pitiful shift, and will do nothing to­wards the deliverance of their Doctrine of Freedom from the Moral Law, from the necessary tendency it is charged with, to the letting the Reins loose, and open­ing the Flood-gates to all Ungodliness.

I exceedingly wonder how it is pos­sible, for People that have not first lost their Wits, to embrace an Opinion so apparently Destructive of Christianity and of all Religion, and all this while pro­fess themselves Christians, and the onely Christians too.

But I have bestowed too much time in the Confutation of this Hateful Notion of Christian Liberty; it being as ridicu­lously silly as it is wicked: And it being as evident to him that knows any thing of the Gospel, that it is Antichristian Li­centiousness, as that there is any such thing as Christian Liberty.

[Page 163]Poor Souls! They little understand what Liberty meaneth, who are able to talk or think at this rate.

In short, He that believes that true Christians are delivered by the Sufferings of Christ from the Curse due to the Trans­gressors of this Law, believes most truly; but whosoever believes they are deliver­ed from the Power it had to oblige to the Duties thereof, or that any man can be so delivered, thinks most wickedly, and thinks most madly.

CHAP. XIII.
A Second False Notion of Christian Liberty, viz. That which makes it to consist in Free­dom from the Obligation of those Laws of Men, which enjoyn or forbid indifferent things. This Notion differently managed by the Defenders of it. First, Some ex­tend it so far as to make it to reach to all Humane Laws, the matter of which are things indifferent. Secondly, Others li­mit it to those which relate to Religion and the Worship of God. The 23. Vers. of the 7. Chap. of the 1 Epist. to the Co­rinthians cleared from giving any Counte­nance to either of these Opinions. The Former of them Confuted by three Argu­ments: And the Latter by four. Vnder the Second of which, several Texts of Scripture which are much insisted upon in the defence thereof, are taken into Consi­deration. An unjust Reflection upon the Church of England briefly replied to. And this Principle, that the imposing of things indifferent in Divine Worship is no Violation of Christian Liberty, proved to be no ways Serviceable to Popery, by considering what the Popish Impositions are in Three Particulars.

[Page 165]SEcondly, We are next to speak to that Notion of Christian Liberty, which makes it to consist in Freedom from those Laws of Men, that command or forbid Indifferent things: ( i. e.) Things neither good nor evil in their own nature, nor required or prohibited by any Law of God.

This Notion is differently managed by the Defenders of it.

First, Some extend it to all Humane laws, the Matter of which are things Indifferent.

Secondly, Others limit it to those which relate to Religion onely, and the Worship of God.

But what proof is there of Christ's ha­ving purchased such a Liberty as this? Or that Christians are made Free from such Laws in either of these Sences?

There is one Text insisted on by both of these Parties for each of their Sentiments about this matter; viz. that of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the Servants of Men. That is, say the former party, Ye are Redeemed by the precious Bloud of Christ from the [Page 166] Obligation of all merely Humane Laws: From all such Observances as are only of Mens imposing, which neither Natural Light, nor any Divine Law hath made Necessary, but have left us Free to. And the latter Party say, The meaning is, Ye are Redeemed by Christ's Bloud from all merely Humane Impositions which re­spect Religion and Divine Worship, as being aware that the other Exposition is too too extravagant.

But these two Parties are equally Out in their Application of this Text to their several purposes, nor will it do the least service to either of them. And they may as well conclude from that of our Saviour, Matth. 23. 9. Call no man your Fa­ther upon Earth, for one is your Father which is in Heaven, that it is forbidden them to acknowledge any such Relation upon Earth, as that of Father, as raise either of those Doctrines from those words of S. Paul.

And, as it is manifest, that by this Prohibition of our Saviour, no more is to be understood, than that we ought not to give up our selves Universally and Abso­lutely to be Guided and Governed by any Man on Earth; as the Pharisees (of whom He is there discoursing, and [Page 167] against the imitation of whose proud pra­ctices he there cautions his Disciples) did expect their Proselytes should be by them; as young Children who are whol­ly ruled by the Will of their Parents: I say, as, by considering the Context, it is most evident that our Saviour there only speaks against an Vnlimited subjection to Men, as being that which is due to God only, so it is exceedingly Unreasonable to make that Prohibition of the Apostle to speak any more than thus much, Put not your selves so under the power of any Man or Men whatsoever, as to be in all things with­out exception, at their Devotion. As to subject your selves to their Lusts, in doing those things at their Command which God hath forbidden. And thus to do, 'tis ac­knowledged most freely, is with a Witness opposite to our Christian Liberty, accor­ding to that Notion of it, which in this Discourse hath been laid down and de­fended by us.

But it is, I think, a plain case, that this Place hath been not only by these men, but generally mistaken; and that Doctor Hammond is in the right, in read­ing the words otherwise than they are translated, viz. thus: Are ye bought with a [Page 168] price? be not ye the Servants of Men. [...] [...] may as well be rendred, Are ye? as Ye are bought with a price. So that the meaning of these words accor­ding to this Reading is this, Have you bought out your Liberty, and obtained Manumission (having been formerly Ser­vants to Heathens) sell not your selves again. Return not to that condition of Servitude, but prefer Liberty. The im­mediately foregoing Verses do greatly favour this Reading, viz. Ver. 21, 22. Art thou called being a Servant? care not for it, think it not a disparagement to Christia­nity for a Bondman to be a Christian, but if thou mayest be made Free, use it ra­ther: Prefer Freedom, if thou canst law­fully obtain it. For he that is called in the Lord, being a Servant, is the Lord's Free-man: Likewise also he that is called being Free, is Christ's Servant. So that the 23. Ver. follows these two very fitly and pertinently, as we now read it, Are ye bought with a price? that is, out of your Servile condition, (and it was ordinary in those days, for Christians to buy them­selves from their Heathen Masters) be not ye, or be not ye made [ [...]] the Ser­vants of Men. Or return not any more to your former condition. Now,

[Page 169]First, For that Doctrine which makes it a part of Christian Liberty to be freed from all Laws that are merely Humane; (which the minds of some Professors of Christianity were leavened with, as I might shew, even in the Apostles time, and all theirs must needs have been, who then held themselves disobliged from the Moral Law) I say, as for that Doctine, the Wildness thereof will be sufficiently exposed, by that time we have considered these following Particulars.

First, There is no intimation in Scrip­ture of any such Liberty as this. I can­not think of any Text that so much seem­eth to look that way, as this we have now spoken to: And this, read it how you will, cannot to any sober man, at his se­cond thought upon it, seem so to do. But

Secondly, Nothing is more slatly con­tradicted by the Holy Scriptures than this Doctrine. For, Servants are not only commanded to be Obedient to them that are their Masters according to the Flesh, Eph. 6. 5. with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ, without any such limitation as this, If they command nothing but what God hath required; But they are expresly [Page 170] commanded, in all things to obey their Ma­sters according to the Flesh, Col. 3. 22. That is, all things not Evil in them­selves, or not forbidden by any Law of God.

The All things must be so limited, be­cause else S. Paul would have contradict­ed two other Apostles, S. Peter and S. Iohn, who said to their Rulers, upon their Commanding them not to teach any more in the Name of Iesus, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, Acts 4. 19. This limitation needed not to be ex­pressed, because nothing is better known from Scripture, nor from Natural Light neither, than that no Laws of the great­est Kings on Earth are of any force that are contrary to any Law of the King of Kings. According to that saying of Ter­tullian, if I mistake not, Obediendum est Principibus, sed intra limites disciplinae. Princes are to be obeyed, but no farther than our Religion will give us leave.

I see not how he can be better than a down-right Atheist, let him pretend what he will, whosoever patronizeth the Leviathan Doctrine, that Absolute Sub­jection, Active no less than Passive, is due to Governours.

[Page 171]But to return to our present Business: S. Peter is still more express, 1 Epist. 2. 18. saith he there to Servants, Be subject to your Masters with all fear, not only to the Good and Gentle, but also to the Froward. Or, though they require Unreasonable things of you, if they be not forbidden by a Higher Power, do you obey them.

But I presume the greatest Zealots for this wild Notion who have Servants, are well content that they should have no plea from their Christianity to disobey them­selves in any of their Commands; but are onely concerned to have their Notion of Christian Liberty true in reference to the Laws of the Magistrate. As if a Ma­ster of a Family hath more Power over his Servants, than a King hath over his Subjects. Let us see therefore what Do­ctrine we find concerning Obedience to Kings and the Higher Powers.

S. Peter saith, 1 Epist. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake; whether it be to the King as Supreme, or unto Governours, as unto them that are sent by him, &c.

Again, Every Soul is commanded to be Subject to the Higher Powers, because there is no Power but of God, the Powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13. 1, 2, &c.

[Page 172]And Ver. 5. 'tis said, We must needs be Subject, and that not onely for Wrath, but also for Conscience sake. But there is not the least syllable, either in these or any other places, of such a limitation as might Reconcile these Injunctions with this Notion of Christian Liberty. And we may be confident, that if, by virtue of that Liberty, Christians were disob­liged from Obedience to their Gover­nours, whensoever they required things indifferent, (though very unreasonably enjoyned, yet in their own nature not Evil, and no where forbidden by God to be done) the Apostle would have put in this Exception in the last mentioned place: The Emperor being a great Ty­rant, and rather a Monster than a Man, that then Reigned.

Thirdly, If Governours can oblige us to nothing, but what Antecedently to their Laws we ought to do, there is no formal Obedience at all due to them. I am then no more bound in Conscience to obey them, than those who have no pow­er over me, that are invested by God with no Authority. For if such say to me, Do not Kill, Do not Steal, Do not com­mit Adultery, &c. I shall greatly sin in not hearkening to them. And whereas it [Page 173] will be replied, that though such Injun­ctions of Persons not placed in Power ought to be observed, yet not as theirs, but as Divine Injunctions, I must needs profess that I do not believe it neither to be at all my Duty to obey such Laws of our Governours under the n [...]tion of theirs: My obligation to obey all the Laws of God being as strong and indis­pensable every whit, by virtue of His im­mediate Authority, as if they were backt and inforced by never so many, and never so severe Laws of his Vicegerents. Nor can any of their Laws make what God Almighty hath obliged me either to or from, one iot a greater Duty or Sin than it was before; For the Divine Authori­ty hath made whatsoever it hath com­manded or prohibited, as great a Duty or Sin, as it is capable of being made, that is, considered in it self.

It is so evident, that we are not obli­ged to obey a Law of the Land as such, which onely requires or forbids what is required or forbidden by an express Law of God, that the less respect any one hath to Humane Laws in such things, in do­ing Iustly, in being Temperate and Chaste, in attending upon the solemn Worship of God, and the like, supposing he makes [Page 174] Conscience of them upon the account of the Divine Laws, the better Man is he, and the more sincere Christian. And therefore such Laws of Men, as are Enacted against what God's Law hath forbidden, or do enjoyn what was before commanded by God, are not made for a Righteous man (as the Apostle speaks, even of the Law of Moses) but for such Wretches as live under no Sense of the Divine Sovereignty, and would not have any regard to God's Laws, were they not inforced with Men's, having severe penalties annexed to them.

So that, if I am disobliged by my Chri­stian Liberty from Doing or Forbearing any thing in Obedience to Humane Laws, but what I ought to Do or For­bear, though there were no Laws of Men about it, that which I now said is very easie to be believed, viz. That no For­mal Obedience is due to Magistrates; and they have no Power to make any New Laws of their own, but onely to take the best care that the Old ones, viz. the Laws of God, be observed.

And if it be so, what becomes of all those Texts wherein Obedience to Go­vernours is with such strictness required of Christians? This Opinion that Rulers [Page 175] have no Power over us in regard of our Christian Liberty in matters of an In­different Nature, doth make the Fifth Commandment, and all those Injuncti­ons perfectly insignificant. And the Apostle might well have spared his charge to Titus, To put those under his care in mind, to be subject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magistrates, &c. Tit. 3. 1.

This Monstrously wild Notion of Chri­stian Liberty, I should not have taken thus much notice of, as little as I have said, but that of late days Multitudes by their behaviour would make us suspect they are infected with it, who yet will not professedly own it. It is come to that sad pass, that preaching Obedience to Authority is become as unacceptable Do­ctrine as can be to even many great Pre­tenders to Christianity, although it be done never so prudently and agreeably to the express Doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles: And the Notion of Obedi­ence for Conscience-sake seems almost lost among not a few. Which is one of the great Sins for which we have too good reason to fear, there's a Heavy Scourge near us.

[Page 176]Secondly, As for that Doctrine which limits our disobligation, by the means of Christian Liberty, from the Laws of Men that impose indifferent things, to those that onely relate to Religion and the Wor­ship of God: That this is Wild too, though more Sober than the other, will appear by these Considerations.

First, This Notion of Christian Liber­ty tends to introduce sad Disorder and Confusion into the Churches of Christ, and will certainly do it if practised upon. I need not go about to prove, that the Order of Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Societies consisteth principally in the due Regulation of things in their own Nature Indifferent.

S. Paul hath enjoyned that in the Church, All things be done decently, and in order, 1 Cor. 14. 40. But how shall they be so done, if it be a Violation of our Christian Liberty to have any thing impo­sed upon us by our Governours for De­cencies and Orders sake? Particular Rules being not given us in Scripture about this matter; which to be sure would have been, were they not left to the Determination of the Governours of each Church, upon supposition that 'tis [Page 177] possible to give such as would well suit all Churches.

Calvin, upon those words of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 11. 2. Now I praise you Brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you, doth thus express his Sense about this matter: Saith he, We know that every Church is left free to appoint a Form of Polity for it self, because our Lord hath prescribed nothing certain: And he speaks this you see, not as his own sense onely, but as the sense, and that undoubted too, of his other Brethren of the Reformation: Whose judgment, were it needful, we might largely produce to the same pur­pose. But there is no need of it, those very Persons, who have been most zea­lous for the contrary opinion being for­ced to contradict it in their practice; And, for Orders sake, to determine such things in their several Church-Admini­strations as are left perfectly undetermi­ned in Scripture (of which might be gi­ven very many instances) notwithstand­ing their clamors against the Church of England upon this account, as modest as she is in her Impositions.

Secondly, This Notion of Christian Liberty is so great an infringment of the [Page 178] Liberty Christ hath left to Ecclesiastical Governours, as not to leave them so much, as it is certain the Governours of the Iewish Church was invested with, who yet were bound up and determined in a very great number of Particulars.

Over and above the Multitude of Rites and Ceremonies which God himself did annex to the Substance of his Worship, we read of not a few others that were ad­ded by Men. We have a large account of such in Maimonides, in his Book De Cultu Divino, and the Holy Scriptures themselves present us with diverse such, without the least intimation of God's dislike of them; a Summary of which is to be seen in several late Treatises.

I will onely instance in some few of the chief of them, viz. King Solomon's Hal­lowing the middle part of the Temple for Sa­crifices, 1 Kings 8. 64. The celebrating of the Passover for fourteen days by King He­zekiahs order, although God had com­manded no more than half that number, 2 Chron. 30. 23. The Yearly Feast of Purim, Esther 9. 27. The set Hours of Prayer in the Temple, Acts 3. 1. The Feast of Dedi­cation, ordained by the Iews, 1 Maccab. 4. 29. in commemoration of the new Consecrating the Altar, after Antiochus [Page 179] had prophaned it. This Feast, though God did not prescribe it, was Honoured by Christ's own presence at it, Iohn 10. 22, 23. Several Alterations, and particu­larly that of the Gesture, in Eating the Pass­over; The which Christ declared his Approbation of by his Conformity to them, Matth. 26. 20.

To these I shall only add those two known Rites of the Iews not commanded in the Law, viz. That of joyning Bap­tism with Circumcision in admitting Pro­selytes; and that of the Post-coenium, or Feast after the Passover. And these two our Saviour was so far from condemning, upon the score of their being of Humane Institution, that his two Great Sacra­ments received their rise from them.

The Texts which are chiefly urged, to prove the Unlawfulness of bringing any thing into the Worship of God, but what He hath himself prescribed, are those in the Old Testament, wherein God declareth his displeasure against some of the Israelites, for doing those things which he commanded them not: And one in the New, but cited out of the Old, where our Saviour reprehendeth the Pha­risees for Teaching for Doctrines the Com­mandments of men.

[Page 180]Those Texts in the Old Testament are Lev. 10. 1. Deut. 17. 3. Ier. 7. 31. Chap. 19. 5. Chap. 32. 35. But I wonder that those who produce these Texts for such a purpose, could not see without our shew­ing it to them, that they all speak of such things as God did not onely not Com­mand, but had strictly forbid.

In Lev. 10. 1. The thing which God saith He Commanded them not, was Na­dab and Abihu's offering strange fire before the Lord. Which was an Act of Disobe­dience to a most express Law, Chap. 6. 12, 13.

That, in Deut. 17. 3. not commanded by God, was a most hainous Sin, and a flat Transgression of the First Commandment, viz. Serving other Gods, and Worshipping of them, the Sun, the Moon and the Host of Heaven.

That not Commanded, Ier. 7. 31. was not onely contrary to the Law of God, but a horrible wickedness condemned by the Light of Nature, viz. The burning of their Sons and their Daughters in the Fire, in the Valley of Hinnom.

That which God saith, He Commanded not, neither came it into his Mind, Jer. 19. 5. was the same Vnnatural wickedness, viz. The burning their Sons with Fire for Burnt-offerings to Baal.

[Page 181] And that in Ier. 32. 35. was the causing of their Sons and Daughters to pass through the Fire unte Molech.

But what doth Gods condemning such Abominable practices as these signifie, towards the proving it unlawful to use or impose certain innocent Rites and Cir­cumstances in Divine worship, which are not expresly and particularly required by God? But may be truly said to be in the general required by him, as such are necessary to the decorous management of his Worship, and agreeable to the fore­mentioned Rule, of Doing all things de­cently, and in order.

And whereas the Urgers of these Texts for the foresaid purpose do reply to us, that though they cannot deny but the instances of the things not Commanded mentioned in each of them, are things also Prohibited, yet they are pertinently insisted upon by them, because it is ta­citly implied in God's expressing them as things onely not Commanded, that things not Commanded in His Worship offend him, as well as things Prohibited.

To this I briefly Answer, that this is subtil Arguing indeed, except it can be shewed that God doth any where con­demn the doing in his Worship what is [Page 182] lawful in its own Nature, and no where forbidden by him, under the noti­on of a thing not Commanded. Which I dare affirm cannot be shewed. And I add, that nothing is more absurd, than to build Doctrines upon Idioms of the Sacred Language; but this is too com­monly done by the men we are now deal­ing with, as I am able to shew in too ma­ny Instances.

And if we should turn the Scales, and argue thus, such and such things are not Forbidden by God, therefore they are Commanded, we should not be guilty of a grosser absurdity than they are in infer­ring from God's not having Commanded them, that he hath therefore Forbidden them.

If it be said (as it is by these men) that there is a general Precept, Deut. 4. 2. that makes it as evident, that things not commanded in Divine Worship may not be done, though they ben't forbidden, as if there were particular instances of that nature condemned, viz. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, nei­ther shall you diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

[Page 183]I Reply, that if they be not mistaken in the sence of these words, they will prove more than is intended to be proved, or than they would have true: Namely, that nothing is to be done out of as well as in the Worship of God, but what is expresly and particularly Commanded. But Episcopius (who may be listened to in this matter because no Episcopalian) hath shewed that these words, Ye shall [...] add unto the word which I command you, Instit. The­ol. Lib. 3. cap. 8. p. 97. neither shall you diminish ought from it, are no new Precept; but onely signifie, Ye shall not transgress the Commandments of God, by doing any thing contrary to them, which is to Add; or by omitting any thing Required by them, which is to Dimi­nish.

And as to that Text in the New Testa­ment, Matth. 15. 9. But in vain do they Worship me, teaching for Doctrines, the Commandments of men. It is manifest, that that which is condemned in the Pha­risees here is the setting up of their own Constitutions in stead or in the place of God's, and those too contrary to God's Commandments. This is evident from the Context. Our Saviour saith Vers. 3. Why do you transgress the Commandments [Page 184] of God by your Traditions? That is, Non solùm autem per praeva­ricationem frustrati sunt Legem Dei, miscentes Vinum Aquâ; sed & suam Legem è contrario statuerunt, quae usque adhuc Pharisaica vocatur. Advers. Haeres. Lib. 4. Cap. 25. p. 342. saith Irenaeus upon these words, They did not onely frustrate the Law of God by prevarica­tion, mixing Wine with Water; but they also set their Law in opposition, or contradiction to the Law of God, &c. And that so they did appears by what follows, Vers. 4, 5, 6. For God commanded, saying, Honour thy Father and Mother, &c. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his Father or his Mo­ther, it is gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And Honour not his Fa­ther or Mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition. And then next follows a Citation out of Esay 29. 13. ac­cording to the Septuagint, whereof these words are part, viz. Ye Hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesie of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: But their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men.

We will also consider these words as they are recited by S. Mark, Chap. 7. 7. with the Verse following. Howbeit in [Page 185] vain do they Worship me, teaching for Do­ctrines the Commandments of men. For laying aside the Commandment of God, ye hold the Tradition of men, as the washing of Pots and Cups, &c. That is, according to Doctor Hammond 's Paraphrase upon the place, You are those Hypocrites that profess great strictness in performances to­wards God, and practise in some external things more than God commands you, and impose these on others as the commands of God, when they are only Humane Ordinan­ces. As for the inward purity of the heart and actions, to which all God's Laws of wash­ings did refer, you take no care of them, transgress against this substantial part of Re­ligion in the foulest manner, and spend all your time in these External superfluities, [...]shing of Pots, &c. The Ordinances of your Rabbins onely.

But what are the Hypocritical and wicked doings here condemned, to Go­vernours determining of External Cir­cumstances of Administration in the Worship of God, which are not onely innocent in themselves, but also not set up in the place of, or justling out, any thing commanded by God, nor yet im­posed as the commands of God. But who can have the Forehead to fasten such [Page 186] high Presumptions as these upon our Church? But I proceed,

Thirdly, As this Notion of Christian Liberty is an infringment of the Liberty which is left to Governours, so is it also greatly injurious to the Peoples Liberty. For it is a very highly to be prized in­stance of the Peoples Liberty, that they may without giving God an offence con­form to such Laws as oblige them onely to indifferent things. And it will be an intolerable straitning and confining of our Liberty, it will be a very grievous Bondage to us, to be always obnoxious to the Penalties which are the Sanctions of such Laws, and to other manifold in­conveniences that follow upon disobey­ing them.

Christian Liberty, according to this Notion, is so far from being worthy of our Saviour's purchasing, that 'tis infi­nitely more desirable to be without it, in regard of the extremely mischievous consequences which follow upon quar­relling with Authority about harmless matters, which have not the least ill in­fluence upon our Souls; whereby not onely those who refuse Obedience are ex­posed in their own Persons and Families to great Evils, both Temporal and Spiri­tual, [Page 187] but also the whole Community, the Church and State too, by their means. This we all know, at this day, by very sad experience.

This, I say, is such a Liberty as is the occasion of lamentable Mischiefs both publick and private, but I am wholly to seek what Good can possibly accrue thereby; and therefore we may safely warrant it, to be no Liberty of our Bles­sed Saviour's procurement, but the con­trary.

If we were well instructed in the Na­ture of the Gospel Dispensation, we should be very certain that whatsoever doth no way tend to the Depraving of our Souls, and the bringing us into Bondage to Sin (Which we have proved to be the onely Opposite to our Grand Christian Liberty) cannot be unlawful to us Chri­stians; because not prejudicial to the Ul­timate Design of the Gospel, which is the making us Free from the Dominion of Sin. To which Design we have shew­ed all the Precepts of our Saviour, the Promises and Threatnings (and I may add Doctrines too) are subservient. And on the contrary, we may be as sure, that whatsoever is apt to hinder the promo­ting of this Design must needs be Un­lawful [Page 188] lawful under the Gospel: As all that are not blind, or do not shut their Eyes, may easily see this same pretended Christian Liberty most sadly doth.

And there is nothing more apparent, than that Obedience to Authority, in all things not forbidden by the Divine Laws, doth mightily conduce to the pro­moting of Peace, Love, Humility, Self-denial, and the like great Christian Vir­tues: But Disobedience in such matters doth as much occasion the gratifying of those Devilish Lusts, Pride, Unchari­tableness, Contention, Wrath, Sediti­on, &c.

Fourthly, Those that pretend it to be such a Violation of Christian Liberty to be obliged by Mens Laws to things indiffe­rent, if they will be true to themselves and their own Principles, must not onely refuse Obedience to the Injunctions of such things, but to the Prohibitions also of such things: As they must not do such as are commanded to be done, so they must do such as are commanded to be for­born. For it is as great an Infringment of our Liberty to have indifferent things Forbidden us, as to have them Imposed up­on us; 'Tis a no less intrenchment upon it, to be tied up from what we may ante­cedently [Page 189] to the Magistrates Authority do, as to be commanded what we may omit.

So that if the things which the Dissen­ters now Refuse to do because Command­ed, should hereafter be Forbidden by Au­thority, they would be obliged, in order to the Maintenance of their Christian Li­berty, to be every whit as zealous for them as now they are against them: Nor were they so honest as they should have been, but false to this their Principle, and shamefully betrayed their Liberty, in so patiently Submitting, when time was, to the severe Prohibition of the same things, though it was by an Usurped Power too.

What a strange Liberty is this, which, in its natural consequences, tends to make people so Humoursom, Cross­grain'd, and Opposite to Government! Surely it can't be Christian, but the most Vnchristian Liberty.

If this Free Dealing should offend any, I shall be sorry for it, but must withal take leave to tell the offended, that it is an Evidence of exceeding great Weak­ness, not to say worse, to be Angry with those who endeavour in the Spirit of Meekness, to convince us of our Dange­rous [Page 190] Mistakes. But such is the Fate of Conscientious opposing Popular and Pre­vailing Errors, that it seldom meeteth with better success, than kindling the Passions, and sharpening the Tongues (and Pens too) of those, who are most obliged to be thankful for it: But Wis­dom is justified of her Children.

But however it be taken, it was never more seasonable, nor ever scarcely so Ne­cessary, to do our utmost towards the re­ctifying of Peoples Apprehensions about matters of this nature; when our Con­tentions and Animosities about little things mostly, (things very little in themselves) and so great a Defection from our Church, merely upon the account of such things as are no where condemned by the Law of God, nor are opposed by any express or plain Text, but by exceed­ingly laboured and far fetch'd Conse­quences, have given our Adversaries such Advantage against us, and do them far greater service, than all their open Attempts, or secret wicked Plots and Conspiracies, through the infinite Good­ness of God to us, have hitherto done. God Almighty grant that that saying be not to be applied to us ere long, which was used of our Predecessors the Britains, [Page 191] when their intestine Quarrels had occasi­oned their being Vanquish'd by the Ro­mans, viz. Dum singuli pugnant, Vniversi vincuntur. While they severally contend and quarrel with one another, they are all overcome by a Common Enemy.

I must confess, when I consider what Excellent Treatises have of late been pub­lished, fraught with Unanswerable and the most convincing and affecting Argu­ments, to perswade our Brethren of the Separation to ease us in a great measure of our Fears of Popery or Confusion, by Returning to the Communion of that Church wherein most of them were Bap­tized; and when withal I observe what little Success those Treatises have had, I have as faint hopes as can be that so small an endeavour as this should do any Ser­vice. But however, it is some satisfaction to my Mind to express my Good Will.

But we are told by some, that we may thank the Church of England if ever the Pope be again our Master, and particu­larly that Principle of Hers we have been now defending, viz. that Imposing of In­different things in the Worship of God is no Violation of Christian Liberty: And that this Principle will open a door to Popish [Page 192] Conformity, if we should be once more so unhappy as to be brought into Subje­ction to the Roman Yoke.

To these I Reply, in the First place, That 'tis unconceiveable how any thing but Malice or the thickest Ignorance can charge the Church of England with serving the Interest of the Popish Religion: For is any thing more Notorious, than that almost all the opposition that hath either heretofore or of late been made against Po­pery hath been by the Bishops and the other Clergy of this Church? To say nothing of what the Separating Party have done (though not upon that De­sign) to promote Popery, which would be as large as unpleasant a Theme to insist on; what have they done in defence of the Reformed Religion against Popery? Have they all of them put together done the half quarter part of that Service in this kind, that One Excellent Dean of our Church hath done? Truly I much doubt it. And I think I may adventure to say, that all the Reformed Churches to­gether can hardly shew of their own so many Learned and Judicious Treatises against the Body and the several Parts of Popery, as our single Church can shew of Hers.

[Page 193]Again, Is any thing better known than that the Priests and Jesuits, and Popish Faction do at this time spit all their Venome and bend all their Force against the Church of England, and in­deed always have done? This sheweth that they are well aware, though so many among our selves will not acknowledge it, but would have the World think the directly contrary, that our Church is the most Formidable of all their Adversa­ries.

In short, Who needs Arguments to convince him, that the Church of England is at present our onely Bulwark against Popery? As, ever since the Reformation, she hath been acknowledged by our Bre­thren beyond Sea, to be the strongest and most impregnable upon several ac­counts.

But Secondly, as to this Principle of our Church, that Imposing of Indifferent things in the Worship of God is no Violation of Christian Liberty, it is a most weak and ignorant furmise, that it should in the least befriend Popery. Those little understand what Popery means that think thus: For,

[Page 194]First, There is nothing more plainly demonstrable than that many of those things which are imposed by the Roman Church are far from being Indifferent in their own nature, but the grossest Cor­ruptions, as contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of the first Ages of the Church; and, which is far more, as contrary to the Laws of God and our Sa­viour Christ, as is Darkness to Light. I have given a Catalogue in the Design of Christianity of the chief of these, Chap. 17. with Re­marks upon them, and thither I refer the Reader that needs satisfaction.

Secondly, Other of Her Impositions, which are Indifferent in themselves, are made to change their Nature by the Notion under which they are en­joyned by her. That Church enjoyns no Indifferent things as such (as ours doth all she imposeth, as appears by her 34 ^th Article) but as made necessary by Di­vine Authority; She pretending to the Infallible Guidance of the Holy Ghost in all Her Decrees and Constitutions: And therefore expects your Receiving them, as you do the Holy Scriptures, with a Divine Faith, and the self-same awful Regard and Reverence.

I might add too, that several of her [Page 195] Rites and Ceremonies are imposed under a most Superstitious notion, either as Sa­craments conveying Grace, or as having some special Virtue in them, to atone the Divine Majesty, or to scare away the Devil, &c.

Thirdly, It is my opinion too, that though their Ceremonies were never so innocent in themselves, yet the Multi­tude of them doth make them in the lump to cease to be Indifferent. My reason is, because it is unconceiveable to me, but that so great a Number must needs so em­ploy the Mind in the Worship of God, as that it is not possible to be intent there­upon, and consequently must frustrate (at least in a great measure) the Design of Worship.

But this is no Reason to a Papist, who cannot be thoroughly so, and acknow­ledge the necessity of exercising the Mind in Divine Worship: For his Holy Mo­ther hath taught him this mad and impi­ous Doctrine, That the Sacraments con­fer Grace, ex opere operato, from the work Done, and so are differenced from those of the Old Testament, they conferring Grace, ex opere operantis, from the work of the Doer; as also that a mere general Attention in saying their Prayers and [Page 196] numbering them over, is as much as is necessary. And if we can believe that we need not mind our Prayers, we have no reason to blame those of them, who do not desire to understand them; Nor yet their Church for enjoyning the saying them in a Language which the Genera­lity of Her Children are ignorant of; as if She designed in so doing to put an Af­front upon S. Paul, who hath taught us in the most express terms the quite con­trary Doctrine, in the 14 Chapter of the First to the Corinthians.

To conclude this Chapter: Our Noti­on of Christian Liberty is so very far from befriending Popery, that 'tis not possible it should have a greater Enemy; in that it so highly conduceth to the advancing of the true Spirit and Power of Religion, and to the perfect ridding our Minds of those two as Great Friends to Popery, as Pests to Religion, and even Humane So­ciety, viz. Superstition and fanati­cism.

I mean by these two a Base Unworthy Apprehension of the Deity, and a Blind, Irrational, Heady Zeal.

If it be said after all, that supposing [Page 197] the two Notions of Christian Liberty, which we have now declared our Sense [...] be never so false, yet we are notwith­standing too confined in Our Notion; in [...]hat Christian Liberty doth not onely [...]onsist in Freedom from the Dominion of [...] and the other sad Consequents of it, [...]ut also in our Freedom as to all things [...]fan Indifferent nature, to or from which [...]e are not determined as by any Divine, [...] neither by any Humane Law: If this, [...]say, be objected, our Answer in one [...]ord is this. This is not Christian, but [...]his is Natural Liberty. That of S. Paul [...]ving been in All Ages, and in refe­ [...]ence to all sorts of People, as Great a Truth, as it hath been since our Saviours [...]ime and in reference to Christians, viz. Where no Law is there is no Transgression.

CHAP. XIV.
An Answer to this Question, Whether the Prescribing of Forms of Prayer, for the Publick Worship of God, be not an En­croachment upon Christian Liberty? Wherein it is shewed, that this is not a Stifling of the Spirit, or Restraining the exercise of his Gift. And what in Prayer is not, as also what is the Gift of the Spi­rit. Whereby is occasioned an Answer to another Question, viz. Whether an Abi­lity for Preaching be properly a Gift of the Spirit.

WHat hath been last discoursed gives me occasion to Enquire, Whether the Imposing of a Liturgy, or Forms of Prayer for the Publick Wor­ship of God, be not an Encroachment upon Christian Liberty? I answer it is, if that Principle taken up by very many among us be a true one, viz. That this is a Stifling of the Spirit, and a Restrain­ing of the Exercise of one of his Gifts. If this be so, I say, it can be no better than a very great invasion of Christian [Page 199] Liberty, and a far greater than the mere obliging men to things Indifferent. For, as S. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 12. 7. The Mani­ [...]estation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal; and therefore for Christi­ans to be limited in doing good by a Gift of the Spirit, must needs be a robbing them of that Liberty, which Christ in sending Him design'd to give them.

By the way, it shall be no part of my Reply to say, that onely the Ministers are here concerned, not at all the People: For although a Conceived Prayer of the Minister be of the nature of a prescribed Form to those that joyn with him, as to the confining their Spirits, yet the People must needs be sufferers by means of their Ministers being stinted in the exercise of a Gift of the Spirit, since it was designed for their profit; and therefore upon this account, and moreover in regard of the Countenance they will thereby give to Authority in such a kind of Sacrilegious Usurpation of power over Ministers, it cannot be justifiable in them to Attend willingly upon such Forms.

But in order to the undeceiving of those, who are so tenacious of this con­ceit, that a prescribed Liturgy is a hin­derance to the Free Exercise of a Gift of [Page 200] the Spirit, I must freely profess, that I know of no Gifts of the Spirit which we have warrant from Scripture to believe are continued to the Church at this day, besides those which S. Paul calls the Fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. Where he saith, The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Ioy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Good­ness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance. These and the like Christian Graces, are Gifts which the Spirit still bestows, and there­fore called Graces. They are supernatu­ral Gifts as no man by his mere Natural power can obtain them, but only by the Spirit's blessing of our Endeavours; and to the sincere use of the Gospel-means the Spirit is always ready to give his bles­sing. And the reason why in these latter Ages, these blessed Gifts are bestowed upon no more Professors of Christianity than they are, is because the generality of such are miserably wanting to them­selves, and to the Holy Spirit, in refu­sing to do their part, and to cooperate with Him: Because they will not attend to the evidence the Spirit hath given to the Truth of the Gospel, and therefore have too weak and ineffectual a belief thereof: Because they will not consider the Doctrine of the Gospel; they will [Page 201] not weigh well, and lay to heart its Pre­cepts, with the infinitely powerful mo­tives wherewith they are inforced. Be­cause they will not listen to the Spirits good motions and suggestions, whereby he works in men to Will, and begets in them good Resolutions, but do truly [...]ench the Spirit (though that phrase is [...]sed in reference to his miraculous Gifts) and resist the Holy Ghost; and because they will not make a believing Applica­tion to Him for his powerful Assistance. I say it is upon these, and such like ac­counts, that the forementioned Gifts of the Spirit are so rare, and that the gene­rality of those who are honoured with the Title of Christians are so destitute of them as we see they are. Nay, mul­titudes are so befooled by the enemy of their Souls, as to expect that the Spirit should do all in them, without their do­ing any thing; that He should make them Temperate, Righteous, Charitable, Meek, Humble and Submissive to God's Will, Heavenly-minded, and the like, without their due attendance upon those Ordinances of the Word, Sacrament and Prayer, and serious Consideration and Watchfulness over themselves, wherein alone we have ground to expect the pow­erful [Page 202] working of the Divine Grace in our Souls.

But, I say, though these Gifts are ob­servable in so very few comparatively, (the account whereof I have briefly touched upon, and shewed that 'tis mens own fault that they are not very com­mon) yet we have no warrant from Scripture that I know of, to call those which are much more common, though they are by many so reputed, Gifts of the Spirit; notwithstanding the Prophecies and Promises of so plentiful a pouring of Him out in the times of the Gospel.

There were indeed common as well as more special Gifts of the Spirit in the First Ages; For the miraculous ones of speak­ing all manner of Tongues, Prophesying, Healing all sorts of Diseases, Casting out Devils, &c. which were the great Wit­nesses to the truth of Christianity, were very common. They were not only con­ferred upon the Apostles, but the private Believers: These signs, said our Saviour, shall follow them that believe in my name, &c. Mark 16. 17. And not onely on those Believers who were sincere Christians, but those also whose Lives were not at all answerable to their Christian professi­on, as appears by those words of our Savi­our, Mat. 7. 22.

[Page 203]And several of these miraculous Gifts, we have full assurance from Antiquity, Vid. Iust. Mart. Di­al. cum Trypho. p. 247. Ter­tul. ad Scap. p. 69: Rig. Orig. cont. C [...]ls. lib. 1. p. 34. did continue in the Church, though in nothing so plentiful a measure, particu­larly those of Healing, Prophesying and Casting out Devils, till about the be­ginning of the Fourth Century, when Providence blessed her with a Christian Emperor, and she came to be protected by his Sword and Laws; and consequent­ly stood not in such need of those Gifts for the keeping her in Heart, and the up­holding her Credit and Reputation in the World.

But as these have ceased for many Ages, so the abovesaid Fruits of the Spi­rit are the onely Endowments now re­maining, which may in a more peculiar manner be ascribed to Him; that is, they are the onely Supernatural Endowments.

As to that therefore which is common­ly called the Gift of Prayer, we have these things to say,

First, That we have not the least rea­son to believe, that the expressions of the very best mens Prayers are now dicta­ted by the Holy Ghost, or that they pray by the Inspiration of the Spirit as to Words or Matter. I know not that any sober men do pretend to such a Gift as [Page 204] this in Prayer, and too many of those that do pretend to it do manifestly de­clare by the management of their Gift, that either they juggle and are gross Cheats, or are sadly deluded.

What slovenly, what ridiculous, what bold and impudent expressions are ordi­narily heard from them? And what a deal of nauseating stuff, that hath brought a vile scandal upon Religion, and furnished Atheistical and Prophane people with matter of derision? Even such stuff as that it is no better than a Blaspheming the Holy Ghost to father it upon Him. But I delight not to insist upon this Argument.

It is objected, that S. Paul saith, Rom. 8. 26. We know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which can­not be uttered.

I answer, that this Text makes not at all for the purpose of those who in this sence pretend to an ability of praying by the Spirit. For, as for the Apostle's say­ing, that We know not what to pray for as we ought, it is to be limited to Temporal things, and wholly to them: For we do know that all those things which are ne­cessary to our Eternal Felicity, viz. all [Page 205] spiritual Blessings, are to be prayed for. And we do or may know what all those are without inspiration. But we do not know whether worldly Prosperity or Af­fliction may be best for us, or what mea­sure of temporal good things, or what particulars of such good things; and therefore in reference to these things, we are not to pray Absolutely but Conditi­onally, and with a Willingness to be de­nied if God sees it not good to grant them to us. And the following words shew, that it is not therefore to be con­cluded, that the Spirit will put it into Good peoples hearts, what temporal things they should pray for, for they tell us that He will back their Petitions in Heaven by interceding for them, with unutterable Groanings; not that He will put words into their mouths, or suggest matter of Prayer to them. I dare not say, the Spirit never does thus, I should be then too bold; but we have no ground to expect or hope He should, at least, in ordinary cases. In short, who­soever pretends that his Prayers are di­ctated by the Holy Ghost, must have the very same opinion of them that he hath of the Divinely inspired Writings.

[Page 206]Secondly, I say consequently, That an ability of uttering our Minds to Al­mighty God in great variety of words and phrases, is as much a Natural Gift, or a Gift acquired in an ordinary way, that is, by study and frequent practising and exercising, as any Art or Ability whatsoever.

Very bad men have been often known to have a notable Faculty this way; and so miserably weak and silly are abun­dance of people as to admire those for excellent Christians in whom they per­ceive it, though they know them guilty of very great immoralities, and they have nothing to commend them but this Fa­culty. But there is no man, if he will set himself to it, and he be made for it, that is, prepared with a sufficient mea­sure of Boldness and Confidence, with a glib Tongue and a warm Head, but may be excellent at it.

Therefore, I say, how shamefully ig­norant and childish are the Vulgar sort (I fear the much greater part) that this dexterity at pouring forth words to the King of Heaven without fear or wit, with a mighty voice, great earnestness, and abundance of action, shall gain to a man a greater repute with them for a pre­cious [Page 207] Christian, than all the above-men­tioned real fruits of the Spirit put toge­ther? Although any Hypocrite that is qualified as we now said, may with the greatest ease attain to it.

Such a brave man as this shall lead mul­titudes by the Nose, work his base de­signs upon them, and infuse what Prin­ciples he listeth into them. Such Babies are the common People too generally in the affairs of Religion, and their Spiritu­al concerns. But, Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur, If Folk will be thus cheated and made a prey of, who can help it?

It may grieve us at the Hearts to think, what work the Popish Priests and Jesuits may hereafter make (as we know that in Disguises they have already made sad work) among these silly Sheep: No men in the World having a rarer knack at Extemporary performances, and at Feigning and Raising of Passions than many of them have. But,

Thirdly, The true Spirit of Prayer consisteth in a deep sense of the Incom­prehensible Majesty of the great God, of the infinite distance that is between Him and us, of our unspeakable Obligations to Him, and necessary dependance upon Him: In an affecting sense of our own [Page 208] Wretchedness and Sinfulness, which makes us altogether unworthy to appear in His presence, or to receive the least Favour at His hands: In a sense of His infinite Goodness, Wisdom and Power, and an undoubted Belief that whatsoever is really needful for us, He knoweth so to be, and is both Able and Willing to confer it upon us, when we ask it as we ought in the Name of Iesus. Add here­unto entire Resignation of our Wills to the Will of God, to have Granted or De­nied to us, as shall seem most agreeable to His infinite Wisdom, the Good things of this present Life; and hungering and thirsting desires after Righteousness, af­ter those Divine Dispositions and Quali­fications which are necessary to our being made meet for the Kingdom of Heaven.

In such things as these doth consist the Soul and Spirit of Prayer: These are the Absolutely necessary and Essential ingre­dients thereof. But,

Fourthly, As for Words, they are but a circumstantial part of Prayer, and no farther necessary than as they tend to the more quickening our Affections, exci­ting our Desires, inlivening our Sense of the forementioned Objects, and keeping our Minds fixed and intent; And in pub­lick [Page 209] Prayer, or Prayer with others, they are necessary to enable others to joyn with us.

But the Omniscient God understands the sense of our Souls, the temper of our Spirits, and the desires of our Hearts, though no words be used for the expressing of them; And always measures our Prayers by those, not at all by these. I say not at all by Words, because if they flow from an honest Heart, and a good disposition of Mind, they cannot be so faulty as to make a Prayer unacceptable.

And therefore it is the same thing to God whether a good Sense and good De­sires be from time to time expressed by the same, or by variety of Words and Phrases: And he who is affected as he ought to be in the use of a Form, who hath such Desires and such a Sense as he ought to have (as thousands of good Christians have) hath as much the true Spirit of Prayer, and as much of it too, as he can have who hath the most notable Faculty at varying his Expressions. And he who hath this Faculty but wants that Sense and those good Dispositions, is not­withstanding utterly destitute of the Spi­rit of Prayer.

[Page 210]But it is incomparably most fit, that there should be a Liturgy, or Forms pre­scribed for the publick Worship of God, for Prayer and Praising of God in the Church, and for the celebration of the Ho­ly Sacraments, with the other Offices; because the publick Worship of God ought always to be performed with the greatest Gravity and Solemnity possible. But such a performance of Divine Wor­ship can never be secured, where Mini­sters are wholly left to their own Liberty, and permitted to put up all the Confessi­ons, Petitions and Thanksgivings of the Congregation, and to perform all the Offices, in their own Arbitrary and Ex­temporary Expressions.

For though some Ministers who take this Liberty may pray excellently well when their heads are clear, and they are in a good Temper, yet I doubt there are very few who have always that Presence of Mind, that Composedness of Thoughts, and Constancy of Temper as not to be forced sometimes to use many Tautologies and indecent expressions. But however the Church is never like to be provided with such Ministers as shall be able, for the most part of them, to keep themselves from great confusion in [Page 211] their conceived Prayers, from bald and absurd phrases, and from Nauseating their Auditory with repetitions of the same things, ful [...]om sayings, or lamen­table misapplications of Texts of Scrip­ture; through over-much modesty or other infelicities of Temper in some, and in others through ignorance, or weakness of Natural parts, either slowness of In­vention or want of Judgment.

And besides, there is this necessity of having a Liturgy, that without one there is no rational way of perswading strangers to hold Communion with us: Except we can shew them something which is ac­knowledged by common Agreement for a Form and Method of Divine Worship, we cannot satisfie them what publick Ser­vice we perform to God, it will then be so various, that is, as not alike in all pla­ces, so neither at all times in the same pla­ces.

But to complete my Answer to the Question in hand.

Fifthly, The affecting us with a pro­found Sense of the Majesty and Glorious perfections of the God we pray to, and of our own Vileness and Unworthiness; And a Submissive frame of Mind to the Divine Will; Ardent Breathings after [Page 212] more of the Divine Image and Likeness; And a lively Faith in the Power, Wis­dom and Goodness of God, which are, as I said, the Substantial and Essential parts of Prayer; all these we heartily and thankfully acknowledge to be the Gifts of the Spirit. We own them to be so other­wise than all other good things which are every of them expressions of the Di­vine Bounty, and consequently Gifts of the Spirit as He is one of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity: But we profess to owe them to the more special operations and influences of the Holy Ghost; And for the working and encrease of these, all good Christians do daily crave the Spirits assistance.

Now I need not say, that to endea­vour to put a restraint upon the exercise of such Gifts as these is a most wicked invasion and violation of our Christian Li­berty, according to our own Notion of it.

But what we have discoursed concern­ing Prayer, gives me occasion to add something of Preaching too, and to shew also how far an ability for that perfor­mance is to be ascribed to the Holy Spi­rit, or called one of his Gifts. And con­sequently [Page 213] we may from hence be satisfied, whether a Preacher of the Gospel is in­ [...]tled to such a Liberty in reference to Preaching as may not be limited by Au­ [...]hority, or upon no accounts taken whol­ [...] from him, without putting an affront upon the Holy Spirit.

First, It is out of doubt, that no man [...] hath the Gift of Preaching in the de­monstration of the Spirit and of Power, in the sence that S. Paul and his fellow-Apostles had it. 1 Cor. 2. 4. For by the demonstrati­on of the Spirit and of Power is meant those extraordinary Gifts of Speaking with Tongues, Prophecy and Miracles ac­companying their Preaching, whereby they demonstrated the truth of the Do­ctrine preached by them. Contra Cels. lib. 1. p. 4. Edit. Spenceri. And so Origen understands it, in his Book against Cel­ [...]us.

Secondly, There is not the least ground to believe that any man hath now the Gift of Preaching by Inspiration, or from the immediate Revelation of the Spirit. Nor do any seriously pretend to it, but wild Enthusiasts, Brain-sick, Melancho­ly and Hot-headed people, who take their own Fancies and Whims, and the pro­ducts of an ungoverned imagination for Inspirations. I say none but those who [Page 214] plainly discover themselves to be such do seriously pretend to this Gift, because there have been and still are a company of Knaves in the World (as is manifest by their actings) who, for the carrying on their corrupt and naughty designs, pretend to that which they are conscious to themselves they have nothing of.

But sober and honest Preachers of the Gospel do profess to deliver nothing to their people, but what they conceive to be long ago revealed; But what they acknowledge they have with study and pains gathered from the Holy Scriptures, either immediately, or by plain conse­quence; wherein are contained all things necessary to be believed and practised by us in order to Salvation; and which, without any Additions, are able to make us wise to Salvation (as S. Paul assures us) and are a complete Rule of Faith and Practice. And that Preacher who shall offer to require his Auditors assent to any thing not delivered, either in express terms or by plain consequence, in the Writings of the Old or New Testament, doth impudently impose upon their be­lief, except he be able to work real Mi­racles for the convincing of them. He takes more upon him, than either the [Page 215] Apostles, or our Saviour himself, who did still appeal to the works, the Super­natural works he did, to attest the truth of the Doctrine he delivered.

I would such impudent imposers were onely to be found among the Romanists (who are all so, and the most impudent that ever appeared upon the stage of the World) but alas, they are too too com­mon also among professed haters of Po­pery.

Thirdly, And as to the sence of the more difficult places of Scripture, no so­ber Preacher pretends to come to the knowledge thereof by the immediate illu­mination of the Spirit, but such a one acknowledgeth he doth it in the general by the exercise of his Reason: And parti­cularly by considering the proper signifi­cation of Words and Phrases in the Ori­ginal Languages; by comparing Scrip­ture with Scripture; by searching into the Ancient Customs, which give great light to a great number of Texts, and without the knowledge of which they are not to be understood; by enquiring after the judgment of those who lived nearest to the Times of the Apostles, &c. And after all, they submit their Exposi­tions of such Texts to the judgments of [Page 216] their Hearers, I mean such of them as are capable of judging. As for others, Opor­tet discentes credere, It becomes Learners to give credit to their Teachers. And Creden­dum est peritis in suâ Arte. But,

Fourthly, We do piously, and by the Authority of Scripture believe, that the Spirit is ready to assist us in our Reason­ings and Enquiries, and whatsoever particular good means we use for the understanding of Scripture, when He is humbly and devoutly sought to by us; and when without the least prejudice, partiality, ill design, or sinister respect, but for the best of Ends, and from the pure love of Truth, we make Enquiry. Thus even Private Christians are assisted in the searches and enquiries which they are able to make: For God hath promi­sed that The Meek he will guide in judgment, and the Meek he will teach his way.

Fifthly, In composing also of profitable Discourses, as we implore, so we have the Divine Assistance, but we see no ground to believe that we have it in any other manner, than in other good works of what nature soever.

But as for the ready Faculty of Dis­coursing from a Pulpit, and popular speaking to a Congregation, we have no [Page 217] reason to believe it a Gift of the Spirit, any more than the Lawyers strange readi­ness in pleading at the Bar. And a volu­bility of speech upon any subject whatso­ever, heat of Fancy, and nimbleness of Wit and Invention, are as much to be attributed to the Holy Spirit as such a Faculty.

And hence we may gather, that a Preacher of the Gospel can plead no such Liberty as is wholly exempted from Re­straints by Authority. But one that is known to have never so good a Talent at Preaching may be forbidden the exercise of it, till he hath submitted to a lawful Ordination, such as was in use in the Churches of Christ for Fifteen hundred years together. And when Ordained, he may lawfully have bounds set him as to the places where he shall exercise his Ministry in publick, and as to the times when. And he may be forbidden to meddle with such Arguments as are above the reach of his Peoples Under­standings, or are not like to conduce to their Edification, and much more to broach dangerous Doctrines, that is, such as are so in the judgment of his Go­vernours. And for his Disobedience, and other Misdemeanours, he is as liable [Page 218] to be suspended or totally deprived of his Ministerial Office, as are any other Offi­cers.

I do but touch upon and give light glan­ces at these things, because my present subject will not give me leave to discourse largely upon them, which would be too great a digression from its proper busi­ness.

CHAP. XV.
A Third False Notion of Christian Liberty, viz. that which makes Liberty of Consci­ence a Branch of it. Two things premi­sed, 1. That Conscience is not so sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being obliged by Humane Laws. 2. That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth. That what is contended for, is more pro­perly Liberty of Practice than of Con­science. The Author's Opinion in refe­rence to this Liberty delivered in Ten Propositions. That whatsoever Liberty of this nature may be insisted on as our Right, it is not Christian Liberty but Natural Liberty.

THirdly and Lastly, I proceed to that Notion of Christian Liberty, which makes Liberty of Conscience a Branch of it.

But before I deliver my Opinion about this weighty point, which hath occasion­ed as great Feuds and sharp Contests as [Page 220] any whatsoever, I shall premise two things:

First, That Conscience is not so Sa­cred a thing as to be uncapable of being Obliged by Humane Laws.

Secondly, That no man can properly be deprived of the true Liberty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth.

First, That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing, as to be uncapable of being Ob­liged by Humane Laws. This is suffici­ently clear from what is discoursed in the Thirteenth Chapter.

But it is said by many that God is the onely Lord of Conscience, and therefore it is the highest presumption for Men to go about to bind it by their Laws. It is the sole Prerogative of the Deity to search the Heart, Icr. 17. 10. and try the Reins of the Chil­dren of men; Conscience is too inward and secret a thing to fall under Mans cog­nizance, and therefore what have any of our Fellow-Creatures to do to give Laws to our Consciences?

In Answer hereunto, We have alrea­dy seen what S. Paul's sense is about this matter, that he saith, We must needs be Subject, Rom. 13. 5. or Obedient, and that not only for wrath, but also for Conscience sake. So that [Page 221] the Apostle was far from thinking, that the obligation of Humane Authority is founded in mere Prudence, not at all in Conscience.

But no man in his Wits will say, that the Laws of Men do oblige Conscience as the Laws of God do. Those cannot do it immediately as these do, but onely by vir­tue of the Divine Authority. S. Paul saith, Rom. 13. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers: I think I shall not be over-critical in saying, that is every Conscience, for what follows proves the obligation of Conscience to subjection, and is an Answer to the foresaid Objecti­on against it, viz. For there is no Power but of God, the Powers that be are ordained of God, whosoever therefore Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God, &c. So that all we assert is this, that we are bound to obey our lawful Governours for God's sake, who hath invested them with the Authority they have over us, and commanded us to obey those Laws of theirs which are not contradictory to any of His. Nor do we say that Humane Authority can make more Duties or Sins than God hath made, or to speak proper­ly and strictly, can make any thing to be a Duty or Sin; for it can only Com­mand [Page 222] or Forbid, and what it Commands, if lawful, the Divine Authority makes it a Duty, and what it Forbids, if not a Duty, the Divine Authority makes it a Sin. Or to speak in the words of the Learned Bishop Taylor: Ductor Dubitanti­um, Book 3 chap. 1. p 21. Edit. 1. Humane Autho­rity doth not make the action of disobedience to be a Sin. It makes that the not compli­ance of the Subject is Disobedience; but it is the Authority of God which makes Disobe­dience to be a Sin. And what immediate­ly follows deserves also to be transcribed in this place, viz. And though no Humane Power can give or take Grace away, yet we may remember, that we our selves throw away God's Grace, or abuse it or neglect it, when we will not make use of it to the purposes of Humility, Charity and Obedience, all which are concerned in our Subordination to the Laws.

There is also this difference between the Obligations of Divine and Humane Laws, viz. The Divine Laws bind our Thoughts and the Sense of our Minds, they bind us not onely to obey them, but to think them also Wise and Good Laws. But so do not Humane Laws, they ob­lige onely to Obedience, but not to the thinking them such as ought, or are fit, to be imposed. A man may think a Hu­mane [Page 223] Law imprudent or unreasonable, and be guilty of no Transgression, if not­withstanding he complies with it; I mean, provided he keeps his thoughts to himself, or does not make them pub­lick.

The forementioned Worthy Prelate layeth down no sewer than Ten or Ele­ven differences of Divine and Humane Laws in their obligation, in his Ductor Dubitantium: Book 3. chap. 1. p. 23. Whether they will all hold or no, or may not be reduced to a smaller number, I will not take upon me to say; but thither I refer the Reader.

And thus much may serve to be spoken to the First thing premised, viz. That Conscience is not so Sacred a thing as to be uncapable of being bound by Humane Laws.

Secondly, I premise also, that no man can be deprived properly of the true Li­berty of his Conscience by any Power on Earth, I mean without his own consent; no Mortal nor any Creature is able to in­vade it.

This will appear by considering what that is, which is called Conscience.

Conscience is The Mind of a man consi­dered as possessed with certain practical prin­ciples, [Page 224] and comparing his own actions with those principles, doth, according as he finds them agreeing or disagreeing with them, judge of himself; either absolve or condemn himself.

So that there are three Offices of Con­science: The first is, That of assenting to and embracing certain practical prin­ciples as Laws for the governing a man's self. The second is, That of comparing ones self, or actions, with those Rules or Principles. The third, That of pas­sing judgment of ones self accordingly.

Now that is properly Liberty of Consci­ence, and that onely, which relates to the execution of these three Offices. But the Acts of Conscience in executing these Offices being all Internal, and within a mans Soul, how can its Liberty in exert­ing those Acts be infringed by any Hu­mane Power? What Earthly Power can make me Assent to or believe what it pleaseth? Can so give Laws to my Con­science, as to necessitate me to receive them for such, and to think them good Laws, and safe to steer my Actions by? Again, how can any such Power deprive me of my Liberty to compare my Actions with such Rules as I think I am obliged to be governed by? And, having reflect­ed [Page 225] upon my self and actions, and made this comparison, how can any such Pow­er abridge me of Liberty to Absolve my self, if I find my actions agreeing with those Rules, or to Condemn my self, if I find the contrary? Can make me Con­demn when I ought to Acquit my self, or Acquit when I see reason to Condemn my self?

So that the Liberty which is with so much heat contended for by some, and inveighed against by others, under the name of Liberty of Conscience, is truly and properly Liberty of Practice, not of Conscience. And the great thing in con­test is, Whether a Liberty of doing what a man's Conscience tells him he ought to do, and of forbearing what it tells him he ought to forbear, be an inviolable Right, and not to be invaded by Humane Au­thority?

This being the true state of the Questi­on, I shall endeavour an Answer there­unto in these following Propositions.

Prop. 1. That there are two Extremes about this matter to be carefully avoided.

First, That of Asserting an unlimited Liberty of practising according to a mans Conscience.

[Page 226]Secondly, That of over-great severity in Restraining this Liberty.

First, As to the Extreme of Asserting an unlimited Liberty of practising accord­ing to a man's Conscience: This will ap­pear to be an Extreme indeed, and a ve­ry wild and mad one, if we consider that there is scarcely any thing so extravagant or wicked, but the Consciences of some or other may urge them to it. Nay, it is certain that men have pretended Con­science for some of the most impious and most villanous actions in the World. So the Papists have done among our selves we all know; And another sort of People too, whose principles, though very bad, were better than theirs. And it is not possible for us to know that their preten­ces of Conscience were m [...]re pretences. Nor is it hard for us to perswade our selves, that through the just judgment of God for past provocations, the Spirit of delusion may be permitted to have such power over some mens Consciences, as that they shall call evil good and good evil, put darkness for light and light for darkness, and bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter; for we find a Woe pronounced against such as do so, Esay 5. 20. which there would not have been, if there were no [Page 227] such men, nor could be. And it is said of some, 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11, 12. that, Be­cause they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, God shall send them (or permit to be sent them) strong delusions ( [...], strength of de­lusion) that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous­ness.

Our Saviour foretold his Disciples, Iohn 16. 2. that The time cometh that who­soever killeth you will think that he doth God service. That is, the time is coming, when men shall kill you out of Consci­ence. As no doubt the Papists have done many thousands of good Christians: And it is well known that their prin­ciples are such, as that they cannot be true to them, and not think themselves bound in Conscience to Stab and Poison, Burn and Massacre all without exception whom they call Hereticks, whensoever an opportunity is put into their hands.

S. Paul, as cruel a persecutor of Chri­stians as he was before his Conversion, did then think not onely that he did what was lawful, but that he did his duty too. For, saith he, Acts 26. 9. I verily thought with my self (or I was verily perswaded in [Page 228] my Conscience) that I ought to do many things contrary the Name of Jesus of Naza­reth. Among which things he reckon­eth in the two following verses, Shutting up many of the Saints in Prison, and giving his voice against them to be put to death, and compelling them to Blaspheme.

No man is able to imagine what dismal Effects Superstition and Enthusiasm may have upon the Mind and Conscience.

So that this will be easily granted me by men of any Sobriety, that that which they call Liberty of Conscience must be li­mited by Governours, if they will have any concern for the Honour of God, the Welfare of Religion, the Safety of the Community, and the Preservation of Government; it being impossible that there should be any such thing as Go­vernment, if all shall be exempt from Punishment who shall plead Conscience for their Disobedience; nay, though they should be known to plead it never so truly.

Now it being so evident that Consci­ence may and must be restrained in its Li­berty, we clearly gain one point by it, and that no small one, viz. That Liberty of Conscience is not to be necessarily allow­ed under the notion of Liberty of Consci­ence: [Page 229] For this Liberty as such is not an inviolable Right, Aquatenùs ad omne valet con­sequentia. if it be not to be claim­ed in all cases without exception.

Secondly, As to that which we call the other Extreme of over-great Severity in Restraining this Liberty, no man sure­ly will question but that there may be an erring on this hand also. But how to steer betwixt Scylla and Charybdis, these two extremes, is, I think, one of the greatest difficulties: And requires a con­junction of the greatest Prudence with as great Goodness. But as to what mea­sures in the general are to be taken, we will adventure modestly to suggest our Thoughts in the Propositions that follow.

Prop. 2. No such Liberty of Consci­ence (for so for fashions-sake wee'l call it) is by any means to be allowed, as is apparently injurious to the Community, and such a Liberty as can have no ill pub­lick influence in the Church or State, both may and ought to be granted. The welfare of the Community with respect to both its Civil and Spiritual Interests is the business and design of Government, and the welfare of particular persons, as they are parts of the Community. There­fore [Page 230] not to grant to particular persons as much Liberty of what nature soever, as is consistent with the general Good or Well-being of the Whole, is to hold the Reins too strait, and to be over-severe and Arbitrary. But it must be left to the iudgment of our Governours, what mea­sure and proportion of Liberty may be safely vouchsafed, with respect to the In­terest of the Community, both because they are to be presumed the fittest Judges of this affair, and because it is wholly in­consistent with Government for every private person to be his own Judge. But (as I need not add) Governours are ob­liged as they will answer it to their Judge, not to be hasty in making a judgment, but to do it with the greatest wariness and deliberation, because their being mi­staken in this point may happen to be of very evil and mischievous consequence.

Prop. 3. It is a very plain case that men ought to have the Liberty of enjoying their Opinions to themselves, without their being extorted by penalties from them. This follows from the foregoing proposition, and if that be true this can't be false. For if such a Liberty ought to be granted as hath no ill Aspect upon the [Page 231] Community, then no Body should be compelled to discover his Opinions, be­cause whilest they are kept within a mans own Breast, they can do no hurt to other Folk, and if they discover themselves by Overt-Acts (as the Lawyers speak) there is no need of using violent means for the Extorting of them. Which is the cruel practice of the Roman Church, and our own Nation knew it by sad experience in the Reign of Queen Mary. How many excellently good Christians were then Sentenced to the Stake for their mere Re­fusing to Subscribe to their as wicked as false Doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Al­tar?

Prop. 4. To make Sanguinary Laws against mere Dissenting from the pub­lick Establishment, that is, when Dis­senting from it is not accompanied with a Factious, Schismatical and Seditious opposition to it, is without controversie Antichristian Tyranny. Of all the inde­fensible practices of the now mentioned Church, there is none that makes the Title of Antichrist more due to her, than her prosecuting with Fire and Faggot, and all manner of Cruelties, men who are guilty of no other crime but that of [Page 232] renouncing Communion with her in her gross Corruptions.

But suppose her Terms of Communi­on were as agreeable as they are contrary to the Word of God, yet would her put­ting men to death for their bare not sub­mitting to those terms, speak her to be utterly destitute of the true Christian Spirit: And to deserve that Reprehensi­on which her mild and gentle Master gave to his Disciples for desiring him to call for Fire from Heaven to destroy the Samaritans for refusing to receive him, viz. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of; for the Son of man came not to de­stroy mens lives, but to save them. And if our Saviour was so offended with those Disciples for making that motion, though He knew 'twas not made deliberately, but in a sudden fit of passion, and that kindled too by the quick resentment they had of an high affront that was put upon his Sacred person, how highly must it needs provoke him to see Christians de­stroying their Brethren in cool bloud, and that not for so hainous a crime as Re­nouncing his Religion, but for not being Christians of their Mode and Form: Which possibly considering all their cir­cumstances (particularly their Educati­on, [Page 233] the prejudices of which it is the most difficult thing in the world one of them to overcome, their Parts, Complexions, &c.) may be more their misfortune than their fault.

Besides Sanguinary Penalties, or the using of extreme Rigour of any kind to compel men to come over to our way of Religion, are the most improper means to effect that end; Religio co­gt non po­test; verbis potiùs quàm ver­beribus res agenda est, ut sit vo­luntas, lib. 5. cap. 20. that of Lactantius being as great a Truth in all Ages as it was in his and the two foregoing, when the Church was subject to the Heathen Per­secutors, viz. Religion is a thing to which no man can be forced, the Will is perswaded by Words not by Blows. And the Argu­ments used by the most Ancient Fathers against persecuting people for mere dissenting in matters of Religion are as strong against the persecuting practices of Rome Christian, as they were against those of Rome Pagan.

And this means hath proved always as unsuccessful as it is improper, the best success it hath ever had hath been to make some Hypocrites, and the rest more averse and obstinate than they were be­fore. That way of Religion they before disliked, they now hate, and oppression making even wise men mad (as King Solo­mon [Page 234] observeth) multitudes from modest Dissenters in their own defence turn Fa­ctious and Seditious, and down-right op­posers. And nothing hath been more ordinarily observed, than that Persecuti­on doth mightily encrease instead of dimi­nishing the number of Dissenters. As it is grown into a Maxim, Sanguis Marty­rum est semen Ecclesiae, The bloud of Mar­tyrs is the seed of the Church, so nothing makes any party so considerable, nor any thing gains them so many Proselytes, as their bearing Death or Torment or any cruel usage like Martyrs; which we need not be informed the very worst of men have frequently done.

Thanks be to God the Church of Eng­land is as far departed from that of Rome in this point of merciless Severity, as in the rest of her Abominations. Which hath made me stand amazed at the Tra­gical out-cries of one or two of late against our Church, as if the Inquisition it self could hardly match her in her sa­vage cruelty towards sober Dissenters. Such Libellers as these have as little Wit as Christianity or Common Honesty; for can they more expose their Reputation than by publishing to the World such things as every body can confute from his [Page 235] own knowledge. These people cannot but believe in their Consciences; that modest Dissenters (nor immodest neither as themselves know by experience) can­not hope to have fairer quarter in any part of the Christian world, where there is any Establishment, than they have in this Church. Nay, that there is hardly any one Party of the Dissenters that would be half so favourable to the rest, should they get into Power, as our Con­stitution is to all of them. The princi­pal of our divided Parties 'tis well known have been tried in England, Scotland and New-England, and how exemplary they have been for their Moderation towards men of a different perswasion is too well understood to be quickly forgotten. But old sores shall not bleed afresh by my rub­bing them, as great provocation as is gi­ven by some at the most unseasonable time imaginable.

Prop. 5. But, notwithstanding what we have now▪ Asserted, there is a necessity of making it more mens interest to comply with the publick Establishment, than not to comply with it: Which cannot be done, so long as those who are conform­able thereunto, and those which dissent [Page 236] from it, are both put into the self-same circumstances. It is as good, nay better, to have no legal Establishment at all, than not to back it with motives of Temporal Interest, to disswade from Disobedience to it; it is so, so long as this sort of inte­rest hath so great a power over the gene­rality of men, nay of professors of Reli­gion too, as we see it hath; and so few comparatively are governed by pure Rea­son and Conscience, as great pretences as there are to both. Penalties of one nature or other are necessary Sanctions of Laws, and were it not for the annexing of them, Laws would be so far from be­ing generally obeyed, that they would be generally despised and contemned. Nay, the perverse natures of men do so incline them niti in vetitum, to do what's prohi­bited, through their excessive fondness for Liberty, that I am perswaded the way to have this or that done by the far greater part, would be for Authority to forbid it without a Penalty.

And as for that Objection, that Civil penalties make men Hypocrites; how is it possible that those who make it should not at the same time see, that it is as much levelled at all Laws, as at those which relate to matters of Religion? [Page 237] Then men ought not to be prohibited Murther, Adultery or Theft under Ci­vil penalties, because they will be apt to make them Hypocrites; as 'tis certain those are no better, who abstain from those crimes from the mere fear of the lash of the Law. But it is better for the Publick that men should be Hypocrites in their Obedience, than that they should live in Disobedience, and somewhat better for themselves too. And no man will be made a Hypocrite by penalties, but such a one as would disobey and be an open sinner were it not for them.

I add, that this Objection is also level­led at leaving it to every bodies Liberty to comply or not comply with the legal Establishment. What a Temptation would this be to those to plead scruples of Conscience against some condition of Communion, who are only swayed by some motive of Interest (to get better trading, to please their Wives or the like) to leave the Church, and joyn them­selves to separate Congregations.

Prop. 6. We must distinguish between a Liberty of serving God according to our Consciences, and a Liberty of ma­king others to be of our perswasion. [Page 238] There is a wide difference between these two. See the Learned Dean of Canterbu­ries judici­ous Dis­course on Josh. 24. 15. It is inconsistent with Govern­ment for this latter Liberty to be Allow­ed. Nothing can come of Authorities giving licence to Dissenters to make Pro­selytes to their several Parties, but down­right Confusion. I appeal to themselves, whether if any of them now sate at the Helm, and were in the chair of Govern­ment, they could endure to have their Authority publickly confronted; they know they could not, and much less give Liberty, that is Encouragement, to those to confront it who have a mind to it. But what is it to put an affront upon Authority, if publick Endeavours to withdraw People from Obedience be not so?

It is the greatest immodesty to desire of Governours such a Liberty as this, and supposeth them either not to understand or to have no concern for their own inte­rest as Governours. And those that dis­sent from the legal Establishment ought to think themselves most kindly dealt with, and to be very thankful, may they enjoy upon tolerable terms their own way of Religion, without free licence to do all they can to encrease their Party. How happy would our good Ancestors in the [Page 239] Reign of Queen Mary have thought them­selves, had Her Majesty vouchsafed them such a Liberty as that! They would hard­ly have thought they could pay too dear for't.

It may be objected, what if a man be immediately commissionated by the King of Kings, as the Apostles were, publick­ly to withdraw men from Obedience to those Laws which require of them un­lawful things, and withal he prove his Commission by working of Miracles, is not Authority obliged to give Liberty so to do in that case? Surely it is. I an­swer, surely it is not, but 'tis obliged to do that which is much better than giving this Liberty, and which will prevent all need of it, namely, to Repeal those Laws as soon as ever it appears they are dis­pleasing to God; and so to make the do­ing contrary to them no Disobedience. But if this be not done, the Commissio­nated person ought not to expect that Authority should give him this Liberty, but he ought to take it, and to be confi­dent that God will stand by him in so do­ing.

Prop. 7. Those Laws that enjoyn or forbid things in their own nature Indiffe­rent, [Page 240] ought not to be inforced with as severe Penalties, as those which are made for or against those things which are good or evil in themselves, which are commanded or prohibited by the Divine Laws. Or the Transgressors of the Ma­jora jura, the Laws of Heaven should be more severely punisht, than the Trans­gressors of mere Humane Laws. 'Tis certain that the former sort of offenders do deserve worse than the latter do. Their crimes are of an higher nature and more intolerable, and therefore it is highly fit that they should be greater suf­ferers than the other offenders, for the more effectual scaring of others from fol­lowing their Example, or doing like them.

All offences against the State are not alike punished, neither should all those which are against the Church. No good man will question, but that 'tis a greater Sin to be a Separatist than a mere Dissen­ter in some things; and also not to wor­ship God at all than to worship him in an illegal way. To make no Conscience of Receiving the Lord's Supper, than to scruple the Gesture he is obliged to re­ceive it in. Or, that Profaneness is more hateful than unaffected Scrupulosity or [Page 241] Superstition. And therefore I think the self-same or equal Penalties should not belong to both.

Common Equity requires this; and ac­cording to this Rule our Judge hath fore­told us He will at the last day proceed with the Disobedient.

And by this means will no pretence be left to those, who take all occasions to censure their Governours, for the re­proaching of them, as laying too great weight upon things little in themselves, as placing Religion in them, and equali­zing their own Traditions with (and much less preferring them, Pharisee like, before) the Commandments of God; and as having less Zeal for Gods Glory than for keeping up the Reputation of their own Authority.

And for the same as well as an higher reason it is necessary, that as great care at least should be taken to bring the open immediate Transgressors of God's Laws to condign punishment, as those who on­ly are Transgressors of mere Humane Laws.

But there is one thing more that I would not have forgotten, that the dread­ful Censure of Excommunication ought not to be past upon any but the greatest [Page 242] offenders; among which (that I may not be mistaken) I account (as the Pri­mitive Church did) all Schismaticks as well as Prophane persons. To make the smaller offenders liable to it, be it done upon what pretence it will, is the readi­est way to make it contemptible. And nothing is more contrary to the practice of the Apostles or the first Ages than so to do.

Prop. 8. Most favour may be reason­ably expected by such Dissenters as give the greatest reason to judge that they are really Conscientious in their Dissenting. If any Liberty be left by Law to the Ma­gistrate to shew favour in pitiable circum­stances, whatsoever it is, such Dissenters ought to have the benefit of it. And those may be presumed to be Conscienti­ous in reality as well as pretence, who

First, Are observed to make Consci­ence of the great and indisputable duties of Religion. And

Secondly, Who comply with the Esta­blishment as far as they can, for ought that appeareth to the contrary. These we are bound in charity to believe are sin­cerely Conscientious in stopping where they do. This proposition needs no pro­ving; [Page 243] and this other is as clear, viz. Those who give greatest evidence of their being Conscientious have most right to favour.

But although it be not an indisputable case, that he makes no Conscience in some smaller things who makes none in certain great ones; or that he who goes not as far as he declares he can, is a mere pretender to Conscience in what he saith he cannot do, yet there is no injury done him if his Governours have a strong sus­picion of him, and he fare the worse upon that account. He must then thank him­self for it, and not blame them.

Prop. 9. Those have least reason to ask or look for Liberty of Conscience or any thing of Indulgence, who are for no bo­dies having it besides themselves, and give great reason to presume by their be­haviour in their present circumstances, that were they in Authority they would give none to those from whom they now expect it.

Such are all those who are not conten­ted to Disobey the present Laws, nor to draw others to their Party as much as in them lies, but cannot forbear Railing at, and passing the severest and most un­charitable [Page 244] Censures, in their Common discourse, and in the Pulpit and Press too, upon their Spiritual Governours especially, and those who are Confor­mable to the Constitution. 'Tis not at all to be questioned but such People would Persecute otherwise than with their Tongues or Pens, if ever they should be furnisht with more dangerous Weapons. He who shews his teeth at me, I have reason to suspect would make them meet, were he able to bite; in so doing he shews his good will and what he would gladly be at, had he an oppor­tunity. I wish the Papists were the one­ly people I could now reflect upon.

Such too are all our peremptory Dog­matizers in Disputable points of Religi­on, who cannot bear to be contradicted, though never so modestly, as if they had gotten the Popes chair from him, and their judgments were the standard of Or­thodoxy. From whose Sentiments you may not depart scarcely one hairs breadth, but you immediately fall under suspicion of Heresie, or some dangerous error.

I should be very loth these Stiff and Supercilious men should ever live to be my Masters; if they should, I doubt not [Page 245] [...]ut I should soon feel that they have Cru­ [...]ty answerable to their Pride, as much [...]s some of them now cry out for Liberty [...]f Conscience.

The men I have now in my thoughts [...]re not onely (as I said of the other) [...]he Roman Gentlemen, but certain pro­ [...]ssed Protestants (as like Papists as they [...]ook) and those of more than one Mode and Form.

Such again are those, who, as impa­ [...]ent as themselves are of all Restraints, [...]re very angry that the Conformable Clergy are no more restrained, that is, [...]n Doctrinals. Who would have the [...]hirty Nine Articles more than Nine [...]nd Forty, and are not a little grieved that several Points are so expressed, as to admit of a latitude of Interpretation. Who can believe but that these men would be far more severe Restrainers of Liberty, than those whom they so com­plain of? I say far more severe, for there is no Considerative Ingenuous and Free­minded man but had rather have twenty harmless Rites imposed on his Practice, than two disputable and uncertain Do­ctrines upon his Belief.

And such lastly are those Parties, who, whensoever they have had oppor­tunity, [Page 246] have been Rigidly severe to Dis­senters from themselves. What security can we possibly have, that those who for the time past have been Persecutors, whenever they had Power in their hands, will never be so for the time to come, if they should have Power? Especially if they still retain those principles which naturally tend to make men Cruel.

Here if I expatiated I would have one­ly to do with the Popish Faction, and spare others, who though they have been too guilty in this respect, yet not compa­rably to them. What is better known throughout the Christian World, than the Horrible Tyranny of the Romish Church, than her most Barbarous and Savage Cruelties towards those who would not Worship that Beast and his Image, and would not receive the mark of his Name? What an Ocean of Bloud hath this Ravenous Beast shed of the Saints and of the Prophets of God? The History of Pagan Rome's cruelties towards the Chri­stians in the ten Famous Persecutions is far out-done by that of Rome Christian (I had rather say Rome Antichristian) towards poor Protestants. Guess we what a prodigiously vast number have fal­len as Sacrifices to her Devilish Fury by two or three Instances.

[Page 247]It is computed that in the Massacre in Paris, and other parts of France, were Butchered about an Hundred thousand. That of the Albigenses and Waldenses were Murthered no fewer than a Thousand thousand. That within the space of For­ty years from the Founding of the Blessed Order of the Iesuits, were Murthered about Nine hundred thousand. That the Holy Inquisition in the space of Thir­ty years destroyed with an infinite num­ber of cruelties an Hundred and Fifty thousand. That in the Low Countries Duke Alva, that Bloudy Bigot of Rome, caused to be executed about Six thousand. And what great numbers did suffer here in England purely upon the score of Reli­gion in the Reigns of King Henry the Eighth and Queen Mar [...]? And what work the Priests and Jesuits and other of the Sons of Rome had ere this time been employed in again among us, if their [...]ate Horrid Conspiracy had taken effect, we very well know.

Those know no more of the Principles or Spirit of Popery than a sucking Infant, who can give the least credit to their most solemn promises of a Toleration of, or In­dulgence towards Protestants, although they should back them with never so ma­ny [Page 248] Sacred Oaths upon the Holy Bible, and pawn their Souls upon their ful­filling them with never so tremendous and direful Execrations.

And yet these men are so void of all shame, that ever since the Reformation they have turned every stone to obtain a Toleration of their Religion among us: And that notwithstanding the plainest Demonstrations which from time to time they have given us, that they seek it for no other End, but that by the means of it they may do that by Fraud against our Religion and all that's dear to us, which (thanks be to God) they are not strong enough to do by force, nor by any other methods of Fraud neither.

Though they could never yet obtain a legal Toleration, yet they have not wan­ted for indulgence and kind usage, but this hath been so far from melting them into good nature, that they have still ta­ken Advantage from thence to lay De­signs for our Ruine. At that very time (and for some time before) when their Gunpowder Conspiracy, not to be thought of without the greatest Horror, was projected and almost effected by them, did King Iames treat them with not onely extraordinary Clemency, but [Page 249] also Friendship and Bounty. At the Trial of the Traitors, his Majestie's At­torny General observed, that that Trea­son was hatched at a time, when the King used the greatest Lenity towards the Papists, whom he honoured with Advancement and Favour as well as others, and by the space of a whole Year and four Months took no Penal­ties by Statute of them. And this likewise the King himself remembred them of, the more to convince them of their pro­digious Ingratitude.

And to pass by their Conspiring the Death of King Charles the First of most Happy Memory, and afterwards effect­ing it by the hands of the Fanaticks (whose instruments they were, not onely in the not to be parallel'd Murder of that excellently pious Prince, all circumstan­ces of it considered, but also in the long Civil War preceding it, as Doctor Peter Du-Moulin hath discovered in his Answer to Philanax Anglicus) I say to pass by all that, to which nothing could provoke them except the most Gentle, Gracious and Kind usage, 'tis known to every bo­dy, that nothing neither except the like usage could provoke them to this last most Inhumane and Hellish Conspiracy.

[Page 250]And yet, notwithstanding they have always been to us like the Philistines to the Israelites, sharp Thorns in our Sides, and Pricks in our Eyes, are they still so impudent as to insist upon it as their Right to have Liberty of Conscience; and hope with the Assistance of their old tried Tools at last to obtain it. And 'tis matter of Grief and Astonishment to us, that these will not yet see, though it be as visible as the Light, that if with their help they do obtain it, the best Recom­pence they shall receive for their good ser­vice will be the Inslaving of themselves, and the Ruine of their Religion.

I thought not of so far enlarging upon this Proposition, but considering into what a large Field I was entered, I found it somewhat difficult to break off so soon.

Prop. 10. In the last place, Gover­nours ought not to impose any thing but for weighty Reasons; but what upon the maturest deliberation they judge to be necessary, or (upon one account or other) very highly Expedient. To make little and insignificant things the matter of Laws is the readiest course to beget in the People a sleighting of Au­thority, and to lessen the Veneration [Page 251] that is due to Laws; And also gives ill­minded persons a great advantage, and puts plausible objections into their mouths against the Government.

But, having taken leave to say what becomes Governours, I am obliged to add, that private Persons are no compe­tent judges of the Necessity or Expedien­cy of Laws. And that it very ill becomes them to be forward to Censure those as needless, the reason of which is unknown to them. 'Tis an Argument of great im­modesty and pride to think, that we who stand upon the lower ground can see as far as those who are so much above us: And a very little Prudence and Humili­ty will serve to convince us, that those much better understand the Methods of Government than we do, and what is fit to be imposed, whose whole Business and Employment it is to Govern.

We have certain Rules whereby to judge of the Lawfulness of things imposed, but we may be easily mistaken when we undertake to determine of the Fitness of them.

Thus having with submission to my Superiors offered my Opinion about this weighty Argument in the foregoing Pro­positi­ons, [Page 252] I hope I shan't be censured as immodest if I also add, that I do not see but Governours might avoid the two Ex­tremes in reference to Liberty of Consci­ence, as it is called, by having a constant regard to such like Rules. And that the Governed, on the other hand, by doing the like, might understand without much difficulty, within what bounds they ought to confine themselves, in Craving of their Governours or Expecting from them this kind of Liberty.

But I think it seasonable to suggest this one thing more to these, that they would so behave themselves, that those who have Power to grant it as far as is sitting, might not be tempted to think it a thing onely adapted to the serving of Interest, and by that means be the more inclined to a total Refusing of any such Liberty. I mean, that there be no Oc­casion given to what is so Commonly, not without ground, said, viz. When 'tis mens Temporal Interest to plead for Liberty of Conscience, then they are Zealous for it, but the Tables are no soon­er turned, but who like them against it. Were we as honest as we should be, we should be more fixed and constant, and not so vary in our Principles as our Cir­cumstances [Page 253] vary. We should not in one Circumstance build what before we de­stroyed, and in another destroy what we before built: And so declare amidst all our Stir and Noise about Liberty of Con­science, that we have either none at all, or but very little Conscience.

But in the Conclusion of all, I must not forget that which hath occasioned all this Discourse about Liberty of Consci­ence, viz. that whatever that Liberty of this kind is which we have a Right to, it is not a Branch of Christian but of mere Natural Liberty. There is no Text of Scripture that mentioneth this as a Liber­ty of our Saviour's Purchasing, and therefore no Christian may claim it as a Christian. 'Tis due to men of all Re­ligions, who may be supposed to make Conscience of what they do, and not only to the Professors of the Christian Religion. And 'twas always and in all places as much mens Right, as it hath been since our Saviour's Appearance in the World, and is in those Parts of it where his Gos­pel is received.

CHAP. XVI.
The Third Inference from our Notion of Christian Liberty, viz. That Popery is the greatest Enemy in the World thereunto. Where it is shewed, First, That the Church of Rome Robs those who are sub­ject to her of that Natural Liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are Men, viz. That which consists in the free use of their Vnderstandings in matters of Religion. That She will not permit men to Examine either her Doctrines or Pra­ctices by the Holy Scriptures; nor yet to receive the Holy Scriptures themselves otherwise than upon her Authority. The Wickedness of this exposed in two Parti­culars. The alledging of Scripture for it, shewed to be the grossest Absurdity. Their great Text 1 Tim. 3. 15. spoken to. Her Tyranny over mens Minds further shew­ed.

HAving now spoken to all the False Notions of Christian Liberty that I know of, and discovered the intolerable [Page 255] Mischievousness of them as well as Falsi­ty; I proceed to another Inference from our Notion thereof, namely;

Thirdly, That Popery is a Religion (if I honour it not too much in calling it so) that is the greatest Enemy in the whole World to Christian Liberty. Should all the wicked Wits in the World meet to­gether to Consult and Complot how to Banish out of it this Liberty, they could not devise more effectual means for the doing of it than those which are pitch'd upon by the Church of Rome. And here we will shew,

First, That She Robs those who Sub­ject themselves to her, of that Natural Liberty which necessarily belongs to them as they are Men, or Reasonable Creatures. And much more,

Secondly, That She Robs them of that Liberty, which it was the Design of our Saviour's Coming into the World, and of all he did and suffered here to instate us in.

First, That She Robs those, who Sub­ject themselves to her, of that Natural Li­berty, which necessarily belongs to them as Men, or Reasonable Creatures. There is no Liberty so Essential to Humane Na­ture, or so much its Inviolable Right, as [Page 256] that which consists in the free use of our Understandings: But a Papist is misera­bly tied up and inslaved here; and that in those matters wherein it is of Infinitely the greatest Importance and Concern­ment to him, that his Mind should be free, namely in matters of Religion; which have such a necessary influence in­to the Welfare of our Souls and our Eter­nal Happiness.

But, notwithstanding that Injunction of S. Paul, 1 Thes. 5. 21. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. And that of S. Iohn, 1 Epist. 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they be of God, &c. This Church denieth to her Children all judgment of Discretion in Points of Religion; at least except in this one Point, the choice of the Church for their Guide, which having Chosen, they must follow her blind-fold all their lives after. They must be Implicit Belie­vers, and Implicit Chusers, She will [...] and believe for them: All their [...]dgment and Faith must be resolved into h [...]rs; as being, if you will believe her, [...] and Uncapable of being either deceiv [...] [...] self, or of deceiving others.

And therefore, to take our Saviour's [...] to [...] th [...] Scriptures, except for [Page 257] the forementioned one thing, (nay, for that too, as we shall see anon) is to put an Affront upon Her Authority; and the Bereans, who were so highly commended for so doing, were guilty of great Sauci­ness and high Presumption.

And She takes the most successful course that can be thought of, that you shall not Search the Scriptures, by locking them up as She does, and making the Bible so scarce a Book to be light upon, where she hath Power enough to do it; and in those places where her Power is Clipt, by using a many wicked Artifices to keep the Vulgar from looking into it; who are so miserably imposed upon by their wretched Priests, as to think it a lighter sin to be Drunk or to commit For­nication, and transgress many an express Law of God, than to cast their Eyes up­on the Holy Scriptures. So well aware is this Church, that a great part of her Religion is neither to be found there, nor agreeable with them, but as expresly, as it can be done by words, contradicted by them.

And as you may not Examine any of her Doctrines or Practices by comparing them with the Rule of Faith and Practice, the Scriptures, so neither (which is but a [Page 258] necessary consequence from thence) may you have any other Foundation for your Belief of the Books of Scripture themselves, besides her Authority. She will have your Assent to their being of Divine Authority to depend wholly upon her Testimony; Notwithstanding that God Almighty hath vouchsafed to the World marvellously full and plentiful Evidence thereof, and such as is adapted to the capacities of all those who have the use of Reason, but never once mentioned this as a part of that Evidence, and there­fore much less can it be thought the Whole.

How infinitely ill hath this Corrupt Church deserved at the hands of all Christians, although this were the onely Abuse she had put upon them!

For (to say nothing of her Horrible Pride and Uncharitableness in making the truth of the Scriptures dependent on her Testimony, that her Pretence suppo­sing her making her self the onely true Church) this is the greatest injury ima­ginable to Christianity; nor can she take a surer course than this to make all men Infidels. And that upon these two Ac­counts.

[Page 259]First, This Pretence of hers is imme­diately founded upon a Precarious and most Evidently false Principle, viz. That of her Infallibility. I dare appeal to those of her own Sons who have studied the Controversie, whether there was ever a more shamefully baffled Cause in the World than this is: Whether by their Infallible Church they mean with the Ie­suits the Pope alone, or with others the Pope with his General Council, that is, a pack of Bishops and Priests of his own Faction.

As the Psalmist saith, If the Foundati­ons be destroyed, what shall the Righteous do? So if this be the Foundation of our Christian Faith, and that be proved to be a Rotten Foundation (as nothing was ever proved if this be not) then what shall we Christians do? We must then acknowledge our selves a Generation of most Credulous Fools, and that our Faith is vain. If the Foundation be tottering, the whole Superstructure must fall to the Ground.

But so fond is this Unsatiably Cove­tous and Ambitious Church of her Great Diana Infallibility, by the Pretence whereof she hath raised her self to such a Height and Grandeur, that she is well [Page 260] content, if that must fall, that our Saviour and his Apostles, both the Old and New Testament should fall with it. And she hath done all that lies in her to make it necessary, that those who shall have the wisdom to reject her Ridiculous Do­ctrine of Infallibility, should at the self­same time renounce Christianity.

If Popery were Chargeable with no other Crime (as it is with innumerable others, and many of them intolerable) I say were it Chargeable with no other Crime, but the making our Belief of the Authority of the Books of Scripture to be founded on the Infallibility of the Ro­mish Faction, we ought to be as zealous for the Preventing its Reestablishment in this Nation (from whence it hath hap­pily been twice Expelled) as we are de­sirous to Preserve the Christian Religi­on.

Secondly, The Romish Churche's ma­king her Authority the sole Foundation of our Belief of the Scriptures makes the Testimony of the Spirit to the Truth of Christianity, in our Saviour when on [...]arth, and in the Apostles and others in the Primitive Ages, to be now perfectly In­significant. I think it makes them to be so as to the Church Representative, for [Page 261] she pretends to her Infallibility (and con­sequently to her Infallible Assurance of the Truth of Christianity) as an immedi­ [...]te Gift of the Holy Ghost, therefore what need hath she of the Testimony of Miracles? But as to Private Christians I can by no means understand in what stead they stand them; for if the Churches Authority be necessary to their believing the truth of the Scriptures, and therefore to their believing that there were those Miracles really wrought, which the Wri­tings of the Apostles tell us of, then why may they not without any more ado make her Authority the immediate ground of their Assent to the truth of Christia­nity?

It is said that the truth of the Matters of Fact are not knowable at this distance, (such as whether there were such Per­sons as our Saviour and his Apostles, whether they performed such Miracles, and the Apostles wrote such Books, &c.) but by the Tradition of the Church, be­cause no such Matters are to be known at any considerable distance, but by Tradi­tion.

To this it is Answered, that it is one thing to believe the Matters of Fact upon the Churche's Tradition, and another to [Page 262] believe them upon her Authority founded upon her Infallibility. Now this latter we reject, but adhere to the former, as a Ground of our belief of those things.

But then by the Tradition of the Church we are far from meaning that of Rome onely. We mean the Catholick Church, or the whole Collective Body of Christians throughout the World, from the Apostles times down to this pre­sent Age; of which the Roman Church is but a Part (and therefore does Impu­dently in appropriating Catholicism to her self) and that a very Vitiated Part too, and that Church Representative an exceedingly small Part.

And we receive the Tradition of the Catholick Church as a Ground (as I said) of believing these Matters, not as t [...]e Ground, because we take in another Tradition, viz. that of those who are out of the Church, and Enemies to Christia­nity, the Iews especially.

In short, we believe those and the like matters of Fact, upon the same ground that we believe all other wherein Religi­on is not concerned; but there are Cir­cumstances which give the Tradition of Christian matters of Fact a mighty Ad­vantage above other Traditions, as un­questionable [Page 263] Assurance as these give men, when they are General and Uninterrup­ted.

But 'tis well known to all who are not strangers to the Popish Writers, what lamentable work they make in proving the Testimony of the Church to be the foundation of our Faith concerning the Authority of the Scriptures. This Proof they fetch out of the Scriptures them­selves; and their main Text for this pur­pose, and for the Infallibility of their Church is those words of S. Paul, 1 Tim. 3. 15. where he calls the Church the Pillar and Ground of Truth.

But what a manifest Circle is this? We ask them, how it appears that the Scriptures are the Word of God? They answer, it appears from the Testimony of the Church. We ask again, how it appears that the Testimony of the Church is true? They reply, it appears from the Scriptures. And so they prove the Au­thority of the Scriptures by the Testimo­ny of the Church, and then wheel about again, and prove the Authority of the Church by the Testimony of the Scrip­tures.

[Page 264]But again, We can either be certain of the truth of these words of S. Paul, set­ting aside the Authority of the Church, or we cannot be Certain. If we can be Certain, why then not of the truth of the whole Scripture as well as of this single Text? If we cannot be certain of the truth of this Text without the consi­deration of the Churche's Authority, what Folly or rather Knavery is it to make this Text an Argument to prove the thing in Controversie by, when the truth of this Text is questionable upon the same grounds that the truth of the Scriptures in general is?

Again, When they say that the Testi­mony of the Church is the Ground of this our Faith, they tell us, that by the Church they mean the Church of Rome, and that She onely is the True Church. We re­ply, that there are a many Societies of Christians in the World, that hold no Communion with the Church of Rome, and Each of these calls it self a True Church, and therefore how shall we know that they are none of them so, but that the Church of Rome alone is? They tell us, that this Church alone hath the Notes and Characters of the True Church. We ask again, how it doth [Page 265] appear that those Notes and Characters they give are true and genuine, and, if they are, that their Church onely hath them? Here they are forced to fly again to the Scriptures, and produce us some which they would have us believe are ve­ry pertinent to the purpose; though none but those who see by their Light are able to discern any such matter. But whether they be to the purpose or no, is no part now of our Enquiry, but this is that which we shew from hence, how still they are intangled in their own Net, and Run round in a Circle.

Yet once again, these People would perswade us that there is no knowing the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority, but by the Testimony of their Church, whenas 'tis impossible to know that there is any such thing in being as a Church, but by the Scriptures.

And thus you see what prime Christi­ans these Romanists are, what Worthy Catholicks. If there were no better Champions than these for the Authority of the Scriptures, or the Truth of Chri­stianity, Atheists and Infidels long since would have filled all Places: As it is well known how they abound in the Popish [Page 266] Countries, and most of all in Italy, and of all Italy most in Rome. And but for Old Mother Ignorance, whom they have a marvellous Fondness for, as well they may, their Holy Mother the Church would by this time have had but a very small number of Children or Friends. But I would this had been the worst on't, as alas it is not: For Multitudes among them being well aware that they are merely imposed on; and being Acquain­ted with no better than an Implicit Faith, and thinking that no more is to be said for Christianity than they learn from them, shake off both their Popish and Christian Faith together.

But we must not let that foremention­ed Text wholly pass on which is laid such mighty Stress for the proving of the In­fallibility of the Roman Church; which gives her such a plausible Pretence for the Enslaving of Mens Minds and Under­standings.

The whole Verse runs thus, with the Verse foregoing: Th [...]e things write I un­to thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God, which is the Church of the living [Page 267] God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth. Ac­cording to Episcopius his reading of these latter words, it is not the Church that is here called the Pillar and Ground of Truth; Instit. Th [...] ­ol. Cap. 8. p. 241. but God manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, &c. in the next Verse. For he makes that 15. Verse to conclude with living God, (Verses and Pointings being arbitrary) and The Pillar and Ground of Truth to begin the next Verse thus, The Pillar and Ground of Truth, and without controversie the great Mystery of Godliness, is God manifested in the flesh, &c. But there is no need of using any artifice to make these words unserviceable to the design of proving the Infallibility of the Church of Rome; for all that can be ga­thered from them is no more than this; That the Church is the support of that Truth which is necessary to Salvation, viz. the Doctrine of the Gospel. That which preserveth it in the world is the Churches constant profession of it, and standing up for it. That is, this is the External and Visible means whereby this Truth is kept from perishing and being lost.

Or according to Grotius, The Church doth uphold and lift up the Truth, it causeth it not to slip out of mens minds, and also to [Page 268] be beheld far and near. For the Testimony of many good men, who all say that they re­ceived these Doctrines and Precepts from the Apostles, must needs have great force and efficacy upon those who are not obstinate and contumacious. So that,

First, This Great man seems to under­stand by the Church in this place onely that which was most Ancient. But,

Secondly, There is no reason at all to understand by the Church here onely the Church Representative, but the whole Body of Christians must necessarily be meant; It being called the House of God, but the Apostles, Bishops and Pastors are called the Builders of the House, and Go­vernours never the House it self. And besides, the Church which is here called the Pillar and Ground of Truth is that over part of which Timothy presided. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God, &c. that is, as a Bishop and Pastor in it.

Thirdly, If it should be understood of the Church Representative, 'tis however intolerable impudence to make it onely the Roman. But,

Fourthly, This Text makes nothing to the purpose of Infallibility in the Church of Rome's sence, understand by [Page 269] the Church of the living God which Church you please; especially if you do not limit it to the First Age: As is plain from what hath been said, and it needs no more words to make it plainer.

Now how can we have greater assu­rance that the Church of Rome is an Ar­rant Impostor than this one thing gives us, viz. That She will not allow us the Liberty of judging for our selves? The Great Apostle S. Paul allowed this Liber­ty to the Corinthians in those words: I speak as unto wise men, judge [...]e what I say, 1 Cor. 10. 15. And dare they say, that he overshot himself in that saying, or passed a mere Complement upon the Corinthi­ans? 'Twill not be at all strange if they do, considering how many worse things several of them have said of this Apostle. But, I say, this Church will not permit us to see with our own Eyes, but we must take the whole of our Religion up­on trust, that is, upon her bare word, pin our whole Faith upon her Sleeve, and receive the most Fundamental Articles upon her Warrant and Authority. Nay, though she would seem to give us leave to use our Reason in the choice of our Church, yet neither doth she this really; [Page 270] but what she gives with one hand takes away again with the other, in that she will not suffer us to judge of the sence of Scripture, and consequently not of those Texts whereby she pretends to prove her self the onely true Church. For if we be acknowledged to be Competent judges of the true meaning of some Scriptures, why not of all that are as easily intelli­gible as those are?

Those must be very Charitable, who can put a fairer Interpretation upon this her Severity than this, that it is designed to make us swallow without Chewing, receive without Examining the Do­ctrines which are of her own invention; and obey blindfold those Decrees of hers, which she is Conscious to her Self, have not onely no Countenance from the Holy Scriptures, but are as apparently Contra­dictory to them, as any one Proposition can be to another; and are framed for no other purpose, but the serving of a worldly and most corrupt Interest, and the gratifying of those Appetites which it is the Business of Christianity to Sub­due and Mortifie, viz. Unsatiable Co­vetousness, Luciferian Pride and Ambi­tion, and Diabolical Revenge and Ma­lice.

[Page 271]Again, what greater Tyranny can be Exercised over a mans Mind, than to im­pose upon his Faith, and that upon pain of Damnation, not onely the strangest Absurdities and greatest Fooleries, but the grossest, most manifest and palpable Contradictions? But the Romish Church requireth your Belief of Innumerable of these in that her one Doctrine of Tran­substantiation.

Nay, in imposing this mad Doctrine upon you, she also tieth you up from gi­ving Credit to your very Senses, no few­er than four of five; and so would de­prive you not onely of the Liberty of Men, but of all Animals.

CHAP. XVII.
Where it is shewed, Secondly, That Pope­ry is as great an Enemy as can be to Chri­stian Liberty. And First, To that Li­berty which our Saviour hath purchased for the World in general. As 1. That it tendeth as much as is possible to the Cor­rupting of mens Souls by subjecting them to vile Affections. This shewed in the ge­neral, viz. in that it is apt to beget false Notions of God; and more particularly, in that it brings men under the Power of the Lusts of Malice, Revenge, Cruel­ty; Pride and Ambition; Covetous­ness; Uncleanness; Intemperance; and the greatest Injustice and Unrighte­ousness. 2. That it no less tendeth to Disqui [...] m [...]ns M [...]nds with certain trouble­some Passions.

SEcondly, As Popery deprives men of that Natural Liberty which doth ne­cessarily belong to them as men, so it is as grea [...] an Enemy as can be to Christian Li­berty. Both to that Liberty which our Saviour hath purchased for the World in [Page 273] general, and to that which He purchased for the Iews in particular.

First, It is as opposite and injurious as can be to that Liberty which our Saviour hath purchased for the World in general. This Liberty we have abundantly proved doth consist in Freedom from the Domi­nion of Corrupt Affections, and an en­tire Compliance with the Laws of Righ­teousness. Upon which follow Freedom from the Power of Troublesom and Dis­quieting Passions, and Sweet Satisfacti­on and Self-Enjoyment.

Now it will fully appear, that the Po­pish Religion is as opposite as can be to the Liberty which consisteth in these things, by that time we have dispatched these following particulars; whereon should I give my self leave to be as large as I might, I should write a large Volume instead of a Chapter.

First, Popery in its own nature tendeth, as much as is possible, to the Cor­rupting and Debauching our Souls by bringing them into Subjection to Vile Affections.

Secondly, It no less tendeth to Dis­quiet our Minds with Troublesom and Tormenting Passions.

[Page 274]Thirdly, It makes the Admirable Me­thod, which we have shewed our Lord hath taken for our Deliverance from both, and the making of us Holy and Happy, perfectly Ineffectual.

First, It in its own nature tendeth as much as is possible, to the Corrupting and Debauching of our Souls, by bring­ing them into subjection to Vile Affecti­ons. This shall be shewed in the general, and more particularly.

1. In the general, it doth this as it is apt to beget false Notions, and very un­worthy Conceptions of the Divine Na­ture: Whereas a true Idea of God is ne­cessary to the Reforming of our Lives, and Rectifying of our Natures, which cannot be done, without a due Awe and Reverence for Him, nor without Con­forming our selves to his Image and Like­ness.

Among the several Instances of Popish Idolatry (from the guilt of which high and provoking Impiety the Heathens may as easily purge themselves, as the Church of Rome) their Picturing of God the Fa­ther and the Holy Trinity (Allowed by the Council of Trent) and Worshipping their Pictures is a very great one. But who seeth not how this tends to beget in [Page 275] mens Minds a most Low and Undervalu­ing, Gross and Impure Conception of the Deity? Can he easily conceive of God as a most pure Spirit, that useth to feed his Eyes, and foul his Fancy with bodily Representations of Him? That useth to Worship the Trinity under the Figure of an Old man, with a long Grey Beard, with a Crucifix between his Knees and a Dove in his Breast? Or un­der the ugly Figure of a Man-Cerberus, or a Man with three Heads upon his shoulders? But 'tis well known that these are the Abominable Forms by which the Papists Represent the Glori­ous Trinity; of which the former is much the more Common.

I do not see how any Man who vene­rates the Divine Majesty as he ought, and hath according to his Capacity a worthy Idea of the unspeakable purity of his Nature and incomprehensible Perfe­ctions, can endure the sight of such Pi­ctures: But whosoever can fall in love with them, whatsoever becoming sense of God he had before, must needs soon lose it.

That other Instance also of Popish Ido­latry, viz. The Addressing themselves to the Saints, whether by Images or [Page 276] otherwise with all the Reverence and So­lemnity of Devotion which is used to the Great God, must necessarily have much the same influence upon their Minds.

And their multitude of little trifling things, and many of them most ridicu­lous Fopperies, in which they place so much Religion, and seek to obtain Par­don by them even for great immoralities, speaks them to have no true sense of his Wisdom or Holiness, to have a base and sordid notion of Him, and doth more and more confirm them therein.

Nor can they have any true Sense of the Infinite Equity and Goodness of the Di­vine Nature, who are able to think that there is no Salvation out of the Church of Rome; and that God will damn to Eternal Torments all Persons that are not of her Communion, that is, the much greater part of Christendom, let them be never so good and pious people other­wise: But no man can be truly a Papist who believes more Charitably. And 'tis no wonder that they should be Bloudy Wretches who are able to conceive such a thing of God; when according to their Notion of Him the more Arbitrary, Ty­rannical and Cruel they are, the more are they like that Being, which to Re­semble [Page 277] is their Glory and Happiness.

2. This brings me to shew more Par­ticularly that Popery doth naturally tend to bring mens Souls into Slavish Subje­ction to the Vile Affections of Malice, Revenge and Cruelty; Pride and Ambi­tion; Covetousness; Uncleanness; In­temperance; and the greatest Injustice and Unrighteousness.

As for Malice and Cruelty (as now we intimated) they are the Natural and Ge­nuine Off-spring of that most Horrible Uncharitableness that is proper to Pope­ry. When men have once conceived such an opinion of any of their Fellow-Creatures, as that they are hated of God, and damned Reprobates, they think themselves obliged to Hate them too, and Hatred and Cruelty are never separated.

We have already given Instances of Popish Cruelty in Butchering Prote­stants, and shewed what a vast Sea of Bloud hath been shed by the Papists; which hath been at the command of their Holy Father, and the instigation of his cursed instruments the Iesuits. And I now add, that they have not satisfied themselves with the mere shedding of [Page 278] Bloud, but have devised the most exqui­sitely tormenting Methods of doing it; such as can hardly be recited without great Horror and Consternation of mind. To pass over the inexpressible Tortures of the Holy Inquisition, what say you to long protracting the torments of those whose Bodies have been committed to the merciless Flames, by letting them down by degrees with Pullies, that the lower parts might be con­sumed before the Fire could reach the Vitals? What say you to Roasting alive; To Flaying off mens skins alive; To Boil­ing of the Young Children of Hereticks alive, and casting them alive to be devoured by Swine? What say you to Ripping up the Bellies of Women Great with Child, their hands and feet being first nailed down; To Hanging men at their own doors by their privy Members; To Burying men alive, and young Children, making holes in the Ground out of which they have put their hands, and made sad moan for their Mo­thers? What Heart is so hard as not to bleed at the mere Reading or Hearing such things as these? But these and innu­merable such like, nay far more horrible things we might shew are Instances of Popish Cruelty; And those in [...]licted up­on the account of no greater Offences, [Page 279] than Refusing to be Idolaters, See Doctor More's Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniqui­ty, Book [...] 2. Chap. 15, & 16. and not daring to be partakers of Rome's Sins lest they receive of her Plagues.

But how should those think that these Devilish Barbarities do not well become them, who presume the poor Wretches they so torture to be Accursed of God, Devoted to destruction, and to far more grievous and intolerable Torments; and that the Hatred God bears to them doth cause him to accept it as an Excellent piece of Service at their hands to be their Destroyers and Tormenters, that is, the Executioners of His Wrath?

Moreover, the Absolute Obedience they owe to Christ's Vicar imposeth a Necessity upon them not to boggle at the greatest Cruelties, whensoever his Holi­ness shall please to imploy them in such Services: which his Pride and Malice will never permit him to fail to do, whensoever he thinks it consistent with his interest. And that a power to em­ploy his Vassals in such work as this, was conferred by Christ upon S. Peter and his Successors, Pope Pius the Fifth tells you, in the beginning of his Bull against Queen Elizabeth. Saith he, Regnans in excelsis, &c. He that Reigneth on High, to whom is given all Power in H [...]en and [Page 280] in Earth, hath committed the one Holy, Catholick and Apostolick Church, to one alone on Earth, viz. Peter Prince of the Apostles, and to his Successor the Bishop of Rome, to be governed with a plenitude of Power. This one hath he constituted Prince over all Nations and Kingdoms, (but what to do? The next words tell us) Qui evellat, destruat, dissipet, disperdat, plantet & aedificet. That he may pluck up, destroy, break in pieces, waste, (Blessed work!) plant and build (i. e.) upon those Ruines. And Pope Innocent the Third applieth to the Popes in a literal sence those words in the Prophecy of Ieremy: See, In D [...]ret. Greg. Lib. 1. tit. 33. cap. 6. I have set thee over the Nations, and over the Kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.

And it would be a most tedious piece of work to shew, what use the Popes have made of this their pretended pow­er; and how they have menaced with Excommunication those good-natured or prudent Princes, whom they have not found forward to obey their Commands in destroying Hereticks. So necessary is it that a Papist, if he will be true to his principles, should be either actually Cru­el, or in a ready preparation to be so.

[Page 281]And where is the Lust of Pride and Ambition so gratified to the height as in the Church of Rome?

As for the Head of this Church, can there be a prouder or so proud a Crea­ture upon Gods Earth? Who claims as Universal and Unbounded an Empire over Mankind, as the Father hath inve­sted his Son Iesus withal. Who preten­deth his Authority to exceed as much the Royal Power as the Sun doth the Moon. Which are the words of the now menti­oned Pope Innocent in the place cited. Who assumes to himself as great a Power over Kings and Emperors as over the meanest of Peasants, and Authority to dispose of their Crowns and Kingdoms at his own pleasure: And, whensoever he hath been strong enough, hath made them feel it. Who claims as great a pow­er over Mens very Consciences, their Minds and Understandings (as we have seen) in matters of Religion, as God himself can. Nay, usurpeth such a Pow­er as God himself abhors to have, as shall be shewn anon.

So that if the Man of Sin, who sitteth in the Temple of God, and Exalteth himself above all that is called God, be not to be [Page 282] found in Rome, no part of the World ever was or will be able to shew him.

And how is it possible that such prodi­gious Pride in the Head should not affect and influence the Members, both Clergy and Laity; and that there should be none or little contagion in such an Example? Surely the Example of the profoundly Humble Iesus cannot have a more pow­erful influence upon his Disciples, than that of his Diabolically proud and haugh­ty pretended Vicars must needs have up­on their Proselytes; especially consider­ing the great propensity of Humane Na­ture to this Sin of Pride. But as for the Popish Clergie, they have infinite tem­ptations to the gratifying to the height this Lust, and as great Opportunities for it.

To pass by the Cardinals and Bishops, the former of which have the stile and go in the Equipage of Princes, and are co-partners with their High and Mighty Lord in his forementioned vast Rule and Government: And the latter not inferi­or to the greatest of the Nobility, and have been Censured for going too much out of their way to meet Princes; I say to pass by these, their Common Priests, Monks and Friers have the greatest incen­tives [Page 283] to Pride, haughtiness and Con­tempt of others, that the most Ambitious of them all can well wish to have.

As for the Priests, I need not say how much their pretended Power of Transub­stantiating the Elements in the Eucha­rist, which is no less than making a God Almighty with pronouncing five words, must needs Conciliate Veneration from the People to them. And also what a mighty Awe and Reverence their taking of Auricular Confession from People of all Ranks lying prostrate before them must necessarily beget in their minds to­wards them. And to other Instigations to pride, too many to be now instanced in, may be added their priviledge of ta­king the Sacrament in both kinds, whereas the greatest men of the Laity may not presume to touch the Cup.

And then for the Monks and Friers▪ what a Gratification of Pharisaical Pride is the Opinion that the Silly Vulgar have of their Extraordinary Sanctity, by means of the many Ceremonies, of which some are peculiar to one, and some to another Order, which are devised for no other purpose, but to make up a Mock­shew of wonderful Humility, Contempt of the World, and Mortification?

[Page 284]And to the Lust of Pride we next add that of Covetousness, this is no less gratifi­ed by the Popish Religion than the other: And no wonder, for Covetousness is a Pander and Pimp to Pride.

Indeed, the whole Systeme of Popery is mainly contrived for the heaping up of Wealth. This is manifestly designed in their Doctrine of Purgatory; Of the Me­rit of good Works; The Popes Indulgences, and his prodigious Grants of Pardons; The prohibition of Marriage to Priests; Their many Spiritual Fraternities, &c. But I must not take liberty to enlarge here; for innumerable are the Ways and Me­thods of the Papacy, and that are inter­woven with the Popish Religion, for scraping together the Wealth of the World: So notoriously guilty is that Church of the crime which S. Paul charg­ed the Seducers with, Tit. I. II. viz. Teaching things that they ought not, for filthy lucres sake. She hath infinitely out­done all Societies and Bodies of men that ever were in the World in the Politick Trade of Grasping and Accumulating Riches; and that (which makes it far the more abominable) varnisht over with a Form and mighty shew of Godli­ness; [Page 285] though in the mean time She sticks at no means, though never so unrighteous and abominably wicked, to accomplish her End. The Sect of the Pharisees, her famous Predecessors, Who made long Prayers to devour Widows houses, were in comparison of Her very silly Novices at this Artifice, and sorry Bunglers. Which should I make out by proceeding to Enu­merate the rest of the Particulars (as hath been now intimated) I should hard­ly know where to make an End.

Then, for the Lust of Vncleanness, what greater encouragement can a Beast­ly Creature have to give it its full Swinge and Liberty, than Holy Church gives him? As also what dangerous and next to unavoidable snares doth she lay in the way of those mens Chastity, who would be glad to live honestly?

As to the Encouragement she gives to the satisfaction of this Lust, what can be greater than to make simple Fornication a Venial Sin? That is, in the Popish sence of that phrase, Bellarm. d [...] Amis. Grat. cap. 13. Et d [...] Sacram. Euchar. l. 4. c. 19▪ a mere Peccadillo; all of which kind put together, Bellarmin will tell you, cannot equal one Mortal Sin, nor destroy Charity: Nor deprive us of Gods favour, etiamsi nullum pactum esset de [Page 286] Remissione, although there were no Cove­nant of Grace. And whereas it will be replied, that though such sins expose not to the torments of Hell, yet they do to those of Purgatory, which are sufficient to scare a man from them, and particu­larly from this of Fornication: I add this as another great Encouragement to the commission of it, viz. The exceeding light Penances that are ordinarily impo­sed for it, such as going a little way bare­ [...]; A little piece of Money; So often Re­peating so many Prayers, &c.

But can there be greater Encourage­ment given, than his Holiness his not bare Connivence at, but Toleration of pub­lick Stews or Bawdy-houses even at his own door, and Sharing with them in their wicked Gains? Nay, Chemnitius tells us (for which he quotes the Autho­rity of Sleidan) that the Popes Legat him­self had lately in a publick Writing, Exam. C [...]n. Tri [...]. Ses. 8. cap. 1 both de­fended in his own behalf, and commended to others that horrid Wickedness for which So­dom with the neighbouring Cities was de­stroyed by Fire.

In short, there is a thousand times greater discouragement given in and by the Church of Rome to Holy Wedlock (the special means appointed by God for [Page 287] the preservation of Chastity) than to Vncleanness of what kind soever, and even the most Vnnatural, as might large­ly be shewed. Vid. Chem. Exam. Con. Trid. Ses. 8. cap. [...]. The Holy Fathers of the Council of Trent have the impudence to oppose Chastity to Matrimony, in their Ninth Canon of the Eighth Session.

Which leads me to shew likewise what Snares are laid by that Church, and what next to invincible Temptations to the sin of Uncleanness she exposeth innu­merable People to. As imposing Vows of perpetual single Life upon all Priests, Monks, Friers and Nuns, most of which live idly and fare plentifully; And gi­ving the Priests the most inviting Oppor­tunities for the commission of Fornicati­on and Adultery that can be: There be­ing not a Female of ripe years but is obli­ged once a year at least to be alone with a Priest for Auricular Confession. And whensoever they please to apply them­selves to them upon that pretence, 'tis a Sin for Parents, Husbands, &c. to pro­hibit them: By which means there is no sort of men scarcely in all Christendom so infamous for Filthiness as the Popish Priests: And what a snare their Ex­ample must necessarily be to the Laity, I need not say.

[Page 288]I might instance in other high provo­cations to Lust and Wantonness which the Clergy and Laity of that Church must thank her for. As her excessive number of Holy days, whereon the Laity at least must be idle whether they will or no. And which, considering how they are observed as well within the Church as out of it, do generally not at all serve the purposes of Religion; and, consider­ing the Liberty that is allowed, are only opportunities for making provision for the flesh to fulfil it in the Lusts thereof. And as for the Carnivals, the business of them is to commit all manner of Wickedness with greediness, and with the greatest Secrecy and Security.

And therefore I need not distinctly shew what Liberty that Church gives to the Sin of Intemperance, the highest provocative to Lasciviousness.

Lastly, For that of the grossest Injustice and Vnrighteousness, no men in the world have such Encouragement to make no bones of it as have the Children of the Church of Rome: Diverse of whose Pra­ctices and Principles are exactly fitted for so Execrable a Design, as the extirpating [Page 289] out of mens Minds all sense of Justice or Common Honesty. As particularly, the Pope's claiming a Power to dispense with the most Solemn Oaths, and fre­quent exercise of that Power in Absol­ving Subjects from their Allegiance to Heretical Princes, and otherwise: That truly Catholick principle, that Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks; which a Council of Constance put in practice upon poor Iohn Husse: The Doctrine of Equi­vocation and Mental Reservation, which takes away all Security and Confidence in one anothers words, and tends to the destruction of Humane Society. This Doctrine is not proper to the Iesuits, but (as Father Parsons saith in his Treatise tending to Mitigation) hath been received in the Roman Church for Four hundred years. Chap. [...].

And if you take in the professed Prin­ciples of that their most Renowned Order, which improve that Doctrine so far, as in some cases, but especially in those wherein their Religion is concerned, to make it Lawful or at least Venial, to back Equivocations with Sacred Oaths, and horrible Imprecations; and that be­fore a Court of Judicature (at least if it consists of Hereticks) of the practising [Page 290] upon which we have had among our selves of late most Amazing Instances: If, I say, you take in these principles (which are now collected out of their Books into Pamphlets, and exposed to the View of every Body) as also those very many other, which are to be seen in the Iesuits Morals, you will say that should we rake Hell for Doctrines to make men Devils, there can none be found more Effectual for the purpose than those wherewith we are furnished by the Church of Rome.

And so much shall suffice to be spoken to the First Particular, viz. That Popery tendeth as much as is possible to the de­bauching our Souls, by bringing them into subjection to Vile Affections; in discoursing on which we have studied to be as brief as can be.

Secondly, Popery no less tendeth to Disquiet mens Minds with certain troublesom and tormenting Passions. We have shewed in the First Section, that all Corrupt Affections (and therefore the forementioned, to which all may be redu­ced) are of a very tormenting nature: In saying therefore now that Popery tends [Page 291] to disquiet men with certain troublesom Passions, I design a distinct head of Dis­course, viz. That the better and wiser any man of that Religion is, the more will his Mind be disturbed by a many Points thereof; particularly with Fear, Shame, Anxiety and Solicitude: And

First, For the Passion of Fear, what can so excite this, or make a man so much a Slave to it, as the Popish Do­ctrine of Purgatory?

Whosoever doth really believe that there is a life after this, must needs be more or less solicitous about his state in that life; and according to the degrees of that his Faith, will his solicitude be grea­ter or less. Now the belief of that Do­ctrine must necessarily be accompanied with great fear of Death; which, as the Apostle saith, makes those who are un­der the power of it all their life-time sub­ject to Bondage. For, as the pains of Pur­gatory are taught to be so dreadful and terrible as to equallize those of Hell, ex­cept onely in the duration of them (and how long each particular person may lie there before he be released, whether scores or hundreds of years, as also what degrees of Torment shall be allotted to him, is the greatest uncertainty) so no [Page 292] man can have any rational assurance, let him lead never so strictly holy a life, of es­caping this place of Torment; No nor the least hope neither from such a life, if it be short of absolute Perfection, as whose is not?

And as for the Efficacy of Penances and Indulgences, it is impossible for any one who ever thinks seriously about the con­cerns of his Soul, and understands any thing of Religion, at least not to be full of diffidence what it may amount to. Those are such monstrous Cheats, the former for the most part of them, and the latter all of them, that such as are not much short of Brutes for Folly, or of De­vils for Wickedness, can never be so blinded as to promise to themselves the least benefit or advantage from them, and much less that which is promised by the Pope and the Priests.

Again, what a Slavish Fear and Dread of God, as a Revengeful Being, must needs possess the Minds of those who have imbibed the Church of Rome's Doctrine concerning Whippings and Scourg­ings, and other severe Penances? viz. That they are necessary not onely for Mortification, but likewise for Satisfacti­on, in the Popish sence of that word.

[Page 293]But what a Spirit of Bondage are they under then from Dread of God's Venge­ance, in believing (as they are bound) that God will not Remit the punishment of Sin where the Guilt of it is washed away with the Bloud of Christ, upon the performance of the conditions of the New Covenant (which is as Nonsensical as False) that he will not Remit it, I say, to such, so far as to excuse them from in­tolerable Temporary Torments in the other World, except he hath other satis­faction given him in this life by them­selves; nor from Torments of a Vastly long duration, except it be given him by others after their decease?

Their Church is so well aware, with what horrible Dread and Fear this Do­ctrine must necessarily affect poor credu­lous Fools, that she hath invented it for that very reason; because by this means she brings them into the most Slavish sub­jection, makes her self Mistress of their Purses, and is enabled to have her fill of Tyranny over their Consciences, their Souls and Bodies. What tongue can ex­press the Devilishness of such Practices!

Next for the Passion of Shame; The necessity of all People's of both Sexes Con­fessing to the Priest, which is enjoyned [Page 294] by the Council of Trent to be done once a year at least, Sess. 14. [...]. [...]. and that of all their Actu­al sins, and not onely so, but also of all their purposes and desires to commit them, nay, and inclinations too; what violence is hereby done to the Modesty of all such as have not arrived to the height of impudence? This is (to use the words of the Learned Doctor More) as if all the modest Maids and grave Matrons in the Pa­rish should strip themselves stark naked, Mystery of Iniquity, p. 78. and in that manner humble themselves before their Priest once a year: Which would look like a piece of unsupportable Tyranny. And yet (as he proceeds) this extorted Confessi­on upon pain of Damnation not to conceal any thing, is not the stripping of a man to his na­ked body, but the stripping him of his body, that they may see his naked Heart, and so by the force of this Superstition break into those secrets, which it is onely the due priviledge of God Almighty to be acquainted with, &c. And

Lastly, What Anxiety and Solicitude must those Papists minds needs be tor­mented with, who are at all concerned about their Eternal State, by reason of these following Doctrines, viz. That of the Dependence of the Efficacy of Sacraments upon the Priests intention: That of Confessi­on [Page 295] now mentioned, decreed in the Trent Canons, viz. That the Penitent must not onely confess every Mortal sin, which after the strictest search he can call to mind, but even his particular sinful thoughts, his secret desires, and every circumstance which chang­eth the nature of the sin: And that of their distinction of sins into Mortal and Venial; to pass by many others.

As for the First of these, That known Doctrine of the Dependence of the Efficacy of Sacraments upon the Priests intention: Such as Baptism; the Lords Supper; Absolution, which is a grand Popish Sa­crament, &c. Can it be other than a great disturbance and distraction to a con­sidering person, whether there be any dash of Melancholy in his Temper or no, to think with himself thus: What if after all my care and all my expence, the Priest should either from a principle of Malice or non-advertency not direct his Intention as he ought to do? Then, if I am not remedilesly damned, I am at least in eminent danger of damnation.

But then as to the Second relating to Confession; This ushers in this perplexing difficulty, viz. How shall I in enquiring after my particular sins, in deed, word and thought, assure my self that I have [Page 296] used my utmost diligence? Which if I have not done, my Absolution will signifie nothing to me.

And as to Confessing the Circum­stances of sins, the Questions and Scruples which naturally arise from thence are too many to be recited. But I'le transcribe some passages of the Learned Bishop Tay­lor' s, concerning Auricular Confession, which are greatly to our present purpose. Saith he in his Disswasive from Popery, the First Part, How this can be safely done, and who is sufficient for these things, Polemical Discourses in fol. p. 316. and who can tell his Circumstances without temp­ting his Confessor, or betraying and defa­ming another person (which is forbidden) and in what cases it may be done, and in what cases omitted; and whether the Con­fession be valid upon infinite other Considera­tions, and whether it be to be repeated in whole or in part, and how often, and how much? These things are so uncertain, casual and contingent, and so many cases are multi­plied upon every one of these; and these so disputed by their greatest Doctors, by Tho­mas and Scotus, and all the School-men, and by the Casuists; that, as Beatus Rhe­nanus complains, it was truly observed by the famous John Geilerius, that according to their Cases, Enquiries and Conclusions, [Page 297] it is impossible for any man to make a right Confession. And thus he concludes that Section: So that although the shame of pri­vate Confession be very tolerable and easie, yet the Cases and Scruples which they have introduced, are neither easie nor tolerable. And though, as it is now used, there be but little in it to restrain sin, yet there is very much danger of encreasing it, and of recei­ving no benefit by it.

But yet for all this, the Trent Gentle­men in the fore-cited Session and Chap­ter, call it an impious thing to say that this their Auricular Confession is Carnifi­cina Conscientiarum, a Racking and Tortu­ring of Peoples Consciences. But it would be a wonder if the greatest Wickedness should be unaccompanied with the most shameless impudence.

As for the Third Doctrine I named, viz. That of their distinction of Sins in­to Mortal and Venial (that is, in their own nature so) the intanglements it brings men into are inextricable. For they cannot be satisfied from their Casu­ists what Sins are Venial and what are not so, in very many instances. And much less can they distinguish between the greatest Venial Sins and the least Mortal ones.

[Page 298]Now, considering this little that hath been said, as the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (or the true Spirit of Christianity) there is Li­berty, so may we say, Where the Spirit of Popery is, there is Slavery; much worse than Egyptian Slavery. No Papist who is disposed to be Devout and Religious can be better than a poor Superstitious Creature: Nor can scarcely serve God after a better sort than a Turkish Slave doth his cruel Patron; or than the poor Indians Worship the Devil.

But that those of them who make Con­science of their ways, and are Religiously inclined are not beholden to their Popery for being so, will be fully made to appear in the next Chapter.

CHAP. XVIII.
The Third Particular discoursed on, viz. That the Admirable Method our Lord hath taken to Instate us in our Christian Liber­ty, is made lamentably Ineffectual by Pope­ry. This shewed as to each of those four Particulars that Method consists of. The Second Head briefly spoken to, viz. That Popery is also the greatest Enemy to that Liberty Christ purchased for the Jews in Particular. A Pathetical Exhortation to a higher valuing of the Priviledges we enjoy in the Church of England con­cludes the Chapter.

THirdly, The Admirable course and Method which our Lord hath taken to instate us in our Christian Liberty is made lamentably Ineffectual by Popery, For,

First, Whereas we have shewed, that He hath fully informed us concerning all the parts and particulars of our Liberty, what can the Romish Church do more than she doth to keep men in Ignorance [Page 300] of them? The Holy Scriptures (as hath been said) She hath locked up: And though (as that excellent Gentleman Sir Edwyn Sandys saith) as well to beat back the irksome out-cries of their Adversa­ries, Europe Speculum, p. 126. Edit. 1673 as to give some content and satisfaction to their own, that they might not think them so terribly afraid of the Bible, they were con­tent to let it be translated by some of their Favourers into the Vulgar, as also some number of Copies to be saleable a-while at the beginning; yet since, having hushed that former clamour, and made better provision for the Establishment of their Kingdom, they have called all Vulgar Bibles straitly in again, yea the very Psalms of David, which their famous Preacher, Bishop Pani­garola translated, as doubting else the un­avoidableness of those former inconvenien­ces.

And such base, blasphemous Reflecti­ons upon the Holy Scriptures have been published, both from their Pulpits and Presses, as speak them exceedingly dan­gerous by reason of their extreme obscu­rity, even in points necessary to Salvati­on (though the Apostle saith, If our Go­spel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost) as well as not worth the reading, as be­ing fitted to serve all turns, a dead letter, [Page 301] and at best an insufficient Rule, and not signifying any thing unaccompanied with their paltry Traditions; though S. Paul saith, The Scriptures are able to make us wise to Salvation. Nor do their Preachers make any great amends for this intolerable abuse; for, as they are too ge­nerally most sottishly ignorant, and know little more of the Scriptures than the poor people, so the most Knowing of them for the most part stuff their Sermons with Legends and Idle tales, make as little use of Scripture as they can, and feed their Flocks with sorry Trash, nay, with rank Poison mingled with the sincere milk of the Word, and the Saving Do­ctrines of the Gospel.

Secondly, Whereas we have shewn, that our Lord hath furnisht us with the most potent Means for the gaining of our Christian Liberty, this Church hath also taken a course to make these unsuccessful We will instance in some of them.

As for that of Believing himself to be the Son of God, &c. we need add nothing to what hath been said to shew how little she befriends it, in that she makes her own Authority the onely foundation of that Belief.

[Page 302]That of Hearing his Word, we have now seen how Ineffectual she makes it.

That of Prayer she makes so as much as she can, both by her foresaid Doctrine of the Non-necessity of imploying the Mind therein, and her suitable Practice of enjoyning the Reading of Prayers in an unknown Tongue: As also by defi­ling them with Superstitious Rites, and even gross Idolatry: And by joyning many Mediators with Iesus Christ.

That of the Observation of the Lords day, for which we have uninterrupted Tradition from the Apostles times, she hath made as effectual to the business 'tis designed for, as the rest of her Holy-days.

That of Denying our sensitive Appetites, she is a wonderful Friend to, as appears by the foresaid Doctrine concerning simple Fornication, and the forementi­oned Liberty she allows, and the Indul­gences her Popes have granted.

And lastly, Those of the Sacraments, how unserviceable hath she made them to their intended End, by her Doctrines of opus operatum, and of making their Effi­cacy dependent on the Priests Intention: And that of the Lords Supper, by Rob­bing the People of half, and converting the whole by her prodigious Doctrine of [Page 303] Transubstantiation into the most Shame­ful Idolatry; and by her, Doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass into a daily Crucifying our Lord afresh, and putting him again to an open shame.

Thirdly, Whereas we have shewed that our Lord hath purchased for us a rich supply of Grace, to enable us to use these and the like Means with happy suc­cess, I need not say what an Enemy Po­pery is to this Grace and the Efficacious­ness thereof, having now shewn what an Enemy it is to these Means.

Fourthly, Whereas we have likewise presented several most powerful Motives, which our Lord hath given us to prevail with our Wills to comply with this Grace, Popery is apt greatly to weaken and deaden every one of them to all its Proselytes. As for instance,

1. That of the Vnconceiveable Love of God, expressed in sending his onely Begotten Son upon the Errand of our Deliverance, &c. Wherein we said are implied two won­derfully exciting Motives to comply hear­tily with the Method Christ hath taken to set us free from the Dominion of Sin, viz. First, Gods extremest Hatred of Sin, in that he would not propose Terms of [Page 304] Reconciliation to Sinners without the in­tervention of such a Sacrifice as that of his Dear Son. Secondly, His as wonder­ful love to Sinners. Now as to the former of these two Motives, what influence can it have upon those who are made to be­lieve that a company of little sleight Pe­nances will satisfie for great and enor­mous Crimes? Can they think that God doth account Sin so heinous and intole­rable an evil, when they presume Him so willing to be reconciled to great Sin­ners upon the most easie terms and condi­tions?

The foresaid Gentleman, who was conversant among them, tells us, Europae Speculum, p. 13. that their Penance doth ordinarily consist but in Ave Maries and Pater Nosters, with some easie Alms to them that are able, and some little Fasting to such as are wil­ling. And that he himself hath known, when the Penance for Horrible Blasphe­my, and that frequent too, besides much other lewdness, hath been but the bare saying of their Beads thrice over; which in Italy (such good Husbands are they) hinders no business, but (as he also ob­serves) they dispatch their Beads as they walk the Streets, or rid business at home, making it two lips and one fingers [Page 305] work. But were the Penance imposed by the Priests never so sharp, he shews that the Fathers plenary Pardon sweeps all away at a blow. And that of these they have granted (especially the Pope that lived in his time) so huge a number, that he believed there were few Church­es of note in Italy, which had not pur­chased or procured a perpetual plenary Indulgence, by virtue whereof whosoe­ver at certain days being Confessed, and, having Communicated, pours out his Devotions at some Altar in that Church, or gives Alms to the behoof thereof, had forthwith free Remission of all sin and punishment. Which, I say, is the most effectual course that can be devised to make people think, that the greatest sins are no greater evil in God's than they are in their own account.

And then as to the latter Motive, how is the Love of God to sinners lessened by this Doctrine of theirs, viz. That by the Sufferings of Christ true Penitents are in­deed delivered from Hell, but not from the direful pains of Purgatory, which (as was said) may be equal in all respects to those of Hell, except in the duration of them; which yet may endure too for many Ages, but that they have invented [Page 306] means to shorten them. And their eaking out the satisfaction which Christ hath made to the Divine Justice for sin­ners, with satisfactions of their own ma­king, doth also not a little disparage his and his Fathers love in what he hath suf­fered in their behalf.

2. As to the Motive of Christ's Admi­rable Example, we have shewed of what little Efficacy this is made by the Vile Examples of his Vicars and Vicegerents, and their Spiritual Guides. Whereunto I will add this passage of the said Sir Ed­win's, Europe Speculum. p. 136, 137 That the Iniquity of their Chief See hath been so exorbitant, as to have raised amidst themselves this Proverb or saying, That the worst Christians of Italy are the Romans, of the Romans the Priests are Wickedest, the Lewdest Priests are preferred to be Cardinals, and the baddest Man among the Cardinals is preferred to be Pope.

3. As for this Motive, viz. The assu­rance Christ hath given us, that he will not take such advantage of our Frailties as to cast us off for them. it is even quite taken away by their Doctrine of even Venial Sins being so severely punisht in Purga­tory.

[Page 307]4. For that of our Saviour's Mediation and Intercession, what a little Motive have they made it, by making so many Co-Mediators with Iesus Christ, as if his Mediation were far from sufficient. And nothing hath been more observed than that for one Pater Noster, they say very many Ave Maries. And the Virgin Mo­ther of God (as they call her) is Cares­sed after that rate by them, that 'tis scarcely uncharitable to suspect that they lay far more stress upon her's than upon her Son's Merits.

Lastly, To joyn together the Motives of the Glorious Reward promised to the sub­duing of Corrupt Affections, and the most Dismal Punishment those are threatned with who gratisie them, it appears abundantly from what hath been already said, that they have made these exceedingly weak and insignificant. But that one Doctrine is enough to do it alone, which we find backt with the Authority of the Council of Trent, viz. Quamv [...] sine Sacra­mento Poe­nitentiae [Attritio] per se ad Iustificationem perducere Peccatorem [...]equeat; tamen cum ad Dei gra­tian in Sacramento Paeniten [...] impetrandum disponit. Sess. 14. Cap. 4. That Imperfect Contrition, or Attrition, although by it self it cannot bring a sinner to Iustification, without the Sacrament of Penance; nevertheless it di­sposeth [Page 308] him for the obtaining of the Grace of God in that Sacrament.

Now they tell you immediately before what they mean by Attrition, viz. A sor­row for Sin, arising either from the consideration of its turpitude, or from the fear of Hell, (not from both toge­ther, but from either) excluding a will to Sin for the future, and accompanied with the hope of Pardon. Now who can find it difficult to be affected with sorrow for his Sins, for fear of Hell, and to be willing to leave off to sin, when he sees Death approaching, and he can sin no longer? And then a Priest being at hand to apply the Sacrament of Penance, ac­cording to this sweet Doctrine, the most profligate sinners work is done for the other World. And therefore what need any man put himself to the trouble of subduing his Lusts, and a holy life, see­ing all that's necessary to Eternal Salvati­on may be dispatcht on the Death-bed? If it be said, that no man can be certain that he shall have any time of sickness be­fore death, or that he shall not be cut off in a Moment, as many are, or that he shall be compos mentis, and have the use of Reason in his Sickness, and therefore 'tis a mad thing to put off the great work [Page 309] of Saving a man's Soul to the very last: I say, if this be said, the Answer is easie, that seeing there's scarcely one in some hundreds but hath at some time or other the use of his Intellectuals upon his Death-bed, and so very few comparative­ly die without some warning, there is no doubt of it, but a hardned sinner will put those things to the Venture, when once he hath drunk down the comfortable Cordial which is prepared for him by his Spiritual Physicians, and that by a Ge­neral Council of them too, which never fails of being Infallible.

And thus we have seen how wofully mischievous Popery is in making as in­effectual as can be the most admirable Method our Lord hath pitcht upon for the setting us Free from the Power of Sin. Which Argument I have been the more brief upon, because I have already discoursed upon it in the Design of Christi­anity. Chap. 17.

Secondly, It remains to be shewn what an Enemy Popery is to that Liber­ty which our Saviour purchased for the Iews particularly. The Church of Rome hath laid on a far more intolerable Bur­den [Page 310] of Ceremonies and Ritual Observan­ces than that which our Saviour took off their shoulders. Which, as they fall not short of the Iewish ones in number, (nay I may say do much exceed them) so they are (to say nothing how grosly Supersti­tious many of them are, and some as Ido­latrous) for the most part so odd and uncouth, so childish and ridiculous, so vain and garish, as that it is not concei­vable how truly Devout and Serious people should stoop so low as to give their Minds to them, and not lose their Seri­ousness and Devoutness. The ill influ­ence which the Mosaical Ordinances had by accident, and through their own de­fault upon the Minds of the Iews, these must naturally have, and a far worse, up­on the Minds of Papists.

It would be an endless piece of work to discourse of them particularly, and I shall onely refer the Reader to the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Chapters of the several times quoted Mystery of Iniquity.

Nor will I add any thing farther of mine own upon this Unpleasant subject, but set down what Sir Edwyn Sandys hath acquainted us with from his own Obser­vation. Europ [...]e Speculum. p. 3. Saith he, To omit the endless mul­titude [Page 311] of Superstitions and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome, enough to take up a great part of a mans life to gaze on and to peruse; being neither Vniform in all places, as some would pretend, but different in divers Coun­tries: An huge sort of them are so childish also and unsavoury, that, as they argue great silliness and rawness in their Inventors, so can they naturally bring no other than dis­grace and contempt to those exercises of Re­ligion wherein they are stirring.

Nor can I forbear to add the following large Citation from the same Author, in the Conclusion of this Discourse, of the infinite injury that is done by Popery to Christian Liberty: Viz. Pag. [...]. The particular ways they hold to Ravish all Affections and to fit each Humour, are well nigh infinite: There being not any thing either Sacred or Prophane, no Virtue nor Vice almost, no­thing of how contrary condition soever, which they make not in some sort to serve that turn; that each Fancy may be satisfied, and each Appetite find what to feed on. Whatso­ever either Wealth can sway with the Lovers, or Voluntary Poverty with the Despisers of the World; What Honour with the Ambiti­ous, what Obedience with the Humble; What great Employment with Stirring and [Page 312] metall'd Spirits; What perpetual Quiet with Heavy and Restive Bodies; What Con­tent the Pleasant Nature can take in Pa­stimes and Iollity; What contrariwise the Austere Mind in Discipline and Rigour; What Love either Chastity can raise in the Pure, or Voluptuousness in the Dissolute, &c. What with the Hopeful Prerogative of Reward can work; What Errors, Doubts and Dangers with the Fearful, &c. What Pardons with the Faulty, or Supplies with the Defective; What Miracles with the Credulous; What Visions with the Fantasti­cal; What Gorgiousness of Shews with the Vulgar and Simple; What multitude of Ce­remonies with the Superstitious and Igno­rant; What Prayer with the Devout; What with the Charitable works of Piety; What Rules of higher Perfection with Elevated Affections; What Dispensing with Breach of all Rules with men of Lawless Conditions: In summ, what thing soever can prevail with any man, either for himself to pursue, or at leastwise to love, reverence or honour in ano­ther, the same is found with them, not as in other places of the World by Casualty blended without Order, and of necessity; but sort­ed in great part into several Professions, &c. What Pomp, what Riot to that of their Car­dinals? What Severity of life comparable [Page 313] to their Hermits and Capuchins? Who wealthier than their Prelates? Who poorer by Vow and Profession than their Mendi­cants? On the one side of the Street a Cloi­ster of Virgins, on the other a Stye of Cour­tizans with publick Toleration. This day all in Masks with all looseness and foolery, to morrow all in Processions, whipping them­selves till the bloud follows. On one door an Excommunication throwing to Hell all Transgressors, on another a Iubilee or full Discharge from all Transgressions, &c. What Pride equal to the Pope's, making Kings to kiss his Pantafle? What Humility greater than his, shriving himself daily on his knees to an ordinary Priest? &c. Where greater Rigour in the World in acting the Observation of the Church Laws? Where less care or Conscience of the Commandments of God? To taste Flesh on a Friday, where suspicion might fasten, were a matter for the Inquisition; Whereas on the other side the Sunday is one of their greatest Market-days. To conclude, never State, never Govern­ment in the World so strangely compacted of infinite Contrarieties, all tending to enter­tain the several Humours of all men, and to work what kind of Effects soever they shall desire, &c.

[Page 314]So that where is mad Licentiousness more countenanced in the whole World than it is by this Church? And where are poor Mortals made such miserable Slaves as She makes them? And conse­quently, how can there be a greater Enemy than the Romish Church is, to that which we have proved to be the true, and most Excellent Liberty?

And now is it possible, that after the reading of the foregoing Account of the unsupportably Tyranny, the intolerably Corrupt Principles and most Abomi­nable Practices of the Church of Rome, we should not be very greatly affected with the Priviledges we enjoy in the Church of England? And with the infi­nite Goodness of God to us in giving us our Birth and Education in a Church which affords us all the Advantages of which that Church, like a cruel Step-Mother, robs her Children?

We live in a Church which lays before us the Scripture Arguments for our Con­firmati [...]n in the Christian Faith; which obligeth us to receive the Faith of Christ upon the self-same Grounds and Motives that are proposed by our Saviour and his Apostles, and upon no other.

[Page 315]We live in a Church which not onely gives us free leave, but likewise enjoyns us to read the Holy Scriptures, and de­prives us of no part of them.

We live in a Church which requires us to receive nothing as an Article of Faith upon her bare Authority; that assumes nothing of In [...]allibility to her self, but freely gives us the Liberty of trying all things: That imposeth nothing upon our Belief or Practice as necessary to Salvation, but what is in the plainest and most express terms to be found in the Bible: That makes the Scriptures a com­plete Rule of Faith, and adds not one syllable of her own to supply their defect: That takes no Liberty in her Constitu­tions, but such as she believes to be agree­able to the General Apostolical Rules of doing all things decently and in order, and to Edification; and imposeth these not as of Divine Institution, or as necessary in their own nature, but onely as Expedient for the more solemn, grave and decorous Management of the Publick Worship of God: This being left by Christ and his Apostles to the Prudence of the Gover­nours of each particular Church.

We live in a Church which Abomi­nates the Worship of God by Images, al­lows [Page 316] no Prayers to Saints or Angels, but onely to the true God by the alone Medi­ation of our Lord Iesus Christ.

We live in a Church which renoun­ceth all Merit of good Works, and teach­eth us to expect Salvation onely for the sake of Iesus Christ, and through his Righteousness; but gives not the least countenance to Licentious practices, or Remissness in good Works; and teacheth the absolute necessity of purging our selves by the Assistance of the Divine Grace from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit, in order to our being made capable of God's Complacential love here, and Glory hereafter.

Lastly, (whereas I might be exceed­ingly large upon this subject) we live in a Church wherein we want no necessary help for the building us up in our most holy Faith, or our having the Design of our Saviour's Religion happily effected in us; namely, the Reformation of our Lives, and our being Renewed after the Image of God, which consisteth in Righ­teousness and true Holiness.

O that at length we could become more eflectually sensible of the blessed priviledges the Divine Goodness vouch­safeth [Page 317] to us of the Church of England, lest we be made to Prize them by the Loss of them: Lest our general monstrous Ingra­titude, and lamentable Unprofitableness under them; and the Wantonness, Pee­vishness, and Causless Separation of Mul­titudes from the Communion of this Church, provoke the Divine Majesty to put our Necks once more under the Iron Yoke of those Tyrants, which made such Vassals of our Fore-fathers.

If that dismal day should again come (as God grant it may not) with what Sorrow and Grief of Soul shall we reflect upon our neglecting and despising such happy Opportunities as we now enjoy? What would we not then gladly part with to regain them, when we are depri­ved of them?

And O that our several divided Parties were capable of being perswaded to con­sider Sedately and Seriously before it be too late, what their Gain will be by the Fall of our Chuch, when themselves and their Religion lie buried together in her Ruines.

CHAP. XIX.
The Fourth Inference, That he onely is a true Christian, that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less Watchful over his Heart and the frame and temper of his Mind, than over his Life and Conversa­tion.

I Shall now return to more immediate­ly practical discourse, for what re­mains of this Treatise, which is far more pleasing to my self than that I have been employed in for several of the past Chap­ters; as necessary and seasonable as that is also.

Fourthly, From our Notion of Christi­an Liberty this is another manifest Infe­rence, viz. That a true Christian is one that looks upon himself as obliged to be no less watchful over his Heart, than over his Life and Conversation; to take as great care to cleanse the inside of the Cup and Platter (to use our Saviour's expres­sion) as the outside; to be as vigilant over his Affections, as over his out­ward Behaviour; to be as Solicitous [Page 319] about purging himself from all immode­rate Love of the things of this World, as about procuring them by warrantable and lawful means.

The true Christian makes as much Conscience of Lusting after a Woman and cherishing impure thoughts, as he doth of Lascivious and Wanton Practices; Of harbouring Revenge in his Breast, and bearing ill will to any, as of repaying Injury with injury. He needs not to be made sensible that 'tis no less his duty to forgive and love his Enemies, than to for­bear reviling them or doing evil to them; that 'tis as indispensably necessary to be low in his own Eyes, and to think mean­ly of himself, as to beware of a haughty and supercilious carriage towards others; that he cannot more safely Covet than he can Steal his Neighbours goods; that he is as much bound to bring his Will into subjection to the Will of God, under the severest Providences, as to forbear Mur­muring, Repining and Charging of God foolishly.

He who is a Christian in deed as well as in name placeth Religion in Governing his own Spirit, no less than in any Ex­ternal performances or forbearances of what nature soever; in putting away [Page 320] from himself all Wrath, Bitterness and Sourness, no less than in abstaining from uncivil deportment towards his Bre­thren.

This man doth not think it more ne­cessary to do good works than to do them from a good principle: And he is as much concerned about Loving of God, as about Doing what he hath commanded him, and Forbearing what he hath forbidden him. He no less endeavours to Hate sin, than not to Commit it; and to be in love with his duty, than to do his duty.

Nay, the sincere Christian looks upon that as his greatest and most important work and business which is least in sight, which is to be done within himself; as well knowing that if the Tree be good, its Fruit will be so also: That (as our Saviour saith) a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a good tree evil fruit; and that all must needs be well without him, if all be well within him: And that no outward Temptations can be forceably enough to draw him to sin, so long as there is entertained within him no treacherous Lust, that is ready to take part with them.

That he to whom this Character doth not belong is no genuine Christian, is ap­parent, [Page 321] in that such a person is no Free­man. And as a great number of Texts do plainly speak the former Proposition to be true, so is it to be concluded from what hath been discoursed of the nature of Christian Liberty; from our having de­monstrated that it consisteth in delive­rance from all Inslaving Lusts, and in having all obstacles taken out of the way to our complete complying with the Laws of Righteousness and Goodness.

CHAP. XX.
The Last Inference. Viz. That the most Proper and Genuine Christian Obedience is that which hath most of Liberty in it; namely, that which proceeds from the Principle of Love to God and Goodness.

FIfthly and Lastly, I infer from our discourse of Christian Liberty what is the most Proper and Genuine Christian Obedience; Surely that which hath most of Liberty in it; that Obedience which is most free and least forced: That which springs from an Inward Living Principle, and is not merely occasioned by the con­sideration of External Motives and Argu­ments.

And then doth a man act from an In­ward Principle of Life, when he acts from the love of God and Goodness. There is scarcely any distinction betwixt these two, for to love God, that is, as God, is to be inamoured primarily with [Page 323] his most Beautiful and Amiable Perfecti­ons of Righteousness, Purity, Benefi­cence and Mercy; all which may pro­perly be expressed by that one Excellent word GOODNESS. I say to love God as God is to be in love with these Perfections primarily, and to love His Person upon the account of them, if it be lawful to distinguish them, and abstract His Person from His Perfections. But those do most truly conceive of that In­comprehensible Being, who make no such Abstraction, but describe Him by calling Him Infinite Righteousness and Pu­rity, Bounty and Mercy, Wisdom and Pow­er, &c. rather than a Being in whom are all these Perfections: For they are not so properly said to be in God, as to be God Himself. Thus limited that Maxim of the Schools is indisputably true, viz. Quicquid est in Deo est ipse Deus: Whatso­ever is in God is God himself.

So that I say, to love God and to love Goodness as such do amount to the same thing: To love God not because Good in himself, but because Good and Kind to me, is more self-love than a love of God. A Wicked man may thus love God, for as the Wise man observes, that every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, so is he [Page 324] especially to him that bestoweth gifts up­on himself; the very Brutes are so, and he is more a Devil than a Man that is not so. Publicans and Sinners, our Saviour saith, do love those who love them, and the more a man loves himself the more will he be inclined to love his Benefactors and best Friends as such.

Now (as I said) that is the most Free, and consequently the most Christian Obe­dience which ariseth from an Inward lively sense of the Beauty and Amiable­ness of Goodness, of the Christian Vir­tues and Graces, which are all so many Rays of and Emanations from the Di­vine Goodness, and therefore those who are indued with them are said to be par­takers of a Divine nature: And when we act from this Principle we act from a New nature, and I need not say that no actions are so free as natural actions. Thus to do good is to do like God himself, the Freest of all Agents; for he doth good not from External Motives, but from the Infinite Complacency he takes in Goodness it self. I am the Lord who exercise Loving kindness, Iudgment and Righteousness in the Earth, for in these things do I d [...]light saith the Lord, Ier. 9. 24. Which is as much as to say, therefore I [Page 325] am exercised in these things, because I delight in them: or, my delight in these things is the Principle whereby I am act­ed in the Exercise of them. Thou art Good (saith the Psalmist) and dost good, Psal. 119. 68. Or, because thou art Good thou dost good, and God's being Good is his Delighting in Goodness. Righteous­ness and Goodness are too Excellent things to be made mere means to a far­ther End. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquity, and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heri­tage, he retaineth not his anger for ever (and why he doth not, the next words tell us) because he Delighteth in Mercy, Mic. 7. 18. And our imitating of God and being like to him is the great de­sign and business of our Saviour's Religi­on.

But I would not be understood as if I affirmed that that Obedience which springs from Hope or Fear, or is excited by the consideration of Rewards and Pu­nishments is an Obedience not becoming and unworthy of Christians: If so, I should condemn our Saviour and his Apostles for proposing such Motives. But I say,

[Page 326]First, That the most genuinely Chri­stian Obedience is that which proceeds from Love, from the Love of God and Goodness; Not that Christianity doth exclude all other Motives, but this is the Chief and Principal, because it makes our Obedience most Free, and makes us most like to God in doing Good.

Secondly, I say also that to do good from a Principle of love to God and Goodness, and to do it from the hope of Heaven and the fear of Hell are one and the same thing, if we have a true notion of Heaven and Hell: That is, if we con­ceive of the Heavenly State as that which consists in a perfect likeness to God (as perfect as our Natures are capable of) and a full and complete enjoyment of him; and of the Hellish State as that which is directly opposite to the Heaven­ly, according to this Notion of it. Now I need not spend one minute in shewing, that to do good from the hope of such a Happiness, and from the fear of such a Misery, is to be acted by the foresaid prin­ciple of Love in so doing.

Thirdly, I add, that to be acted by mere External Motives, Motives wholly Extrinsical to God and Goodness, by the [...]ar of Hell onely considered as a place of [Page 327] Torment, and the hope of Heaven onely considered as a place of great Pleasure and Joy, without considering the nature of that torment and the nature of that Joy, this is a low and mean Obedience, as having nothing but Self-love in it, and Self-love of the lower kind too; and this is a forced not a free Obedience.

It is a certain truth, that he who hath no sense of the inward Pulchritude and Loveliness of Virtue, and of the Defor­mity and Ugliness of Vice, and the Eli­gibleness of the former before the latter considered in themselves, and therefore would be a Wicked wretch if he were not held in by the mere hope of a Reward and fear of Punishment, though he be ne­ver so Conformable outwardly to the Laws of Christ, this man is no Christian. He is much nearer to the Kingdom of God, than he on whom Hope and Fear have no Influence to make him better, but he hath not attained to a due qualifi­cation and meetness for it.

I appeal to any Father, whether he would account such a one a good Child who is mightily observant of him, if he were assured that his Obedience proceed­ed from no more generous Principles; and that he would be a Rogue and a [Page 328] Villain but for fear of the Lash, and that he hopes for his Estate. As little reason hath our Saviour to account such Dis­ciples of his good Christians, as we have to account such Sons of ours good Children.

And from what hath now been said we learn what to think of the Principle of Gratitude; Whether this makes that Obedience which ariseth from thence the most genuinely Christian Obedience, as it is ordinarily said it doth. If our Gratitude proceeds merely from the con­sideration of the Divine Bounty to our selves, taking no notice of that expressed to our Fellow-Creatures, it hath nothing but Self-love in it, and therefore is more Animal than Christian Gratitude. And consequently, I need not ask what we are to think of that Gratitude which is foun­ded onely or chiefly upon the Peculiarity of God's love to our selves; that wherein the Sweetest and most Indearing Consi­deration is this, that the Generality of Mankind are excluded from it: Truly this is a worse than mere Animal Grati­tude, and speaks a Mind exceedingly de­stitute of that Divine (and therefore Christian) temper, which exerts it self in Universal good will. And I am cer­tain that the more a Christian any man [Page 329] is, the higher will the Consideration of other's having a share with him in the Blessings of God advance his Gratitude. And that which doth most become us springs more from a lovely sense of the Divine Beneficence considered as largely extended, than from the Consideration of its being terminated on our own Per­sons or Families, or some few people be­sides our selves.

I do not say, that the peculiarity of a Favour ought not to affect us, when it is not in our Fancy onely but in reality: But, I say, there is nothing but what is natural, (it is impossible we should not be affected with it when we consider it) there is nothing proper to a Christian in such a Gratitude; and I say also, that though this Consideration, I have such a Mercy conferred upon me, which not one in a thousand is blessed with besides my self, must needs the more affect me with Joy and Gratitude; because it makes me sensible that it was more than a thousand to one I might have missed of it too, supposing it was no fruit of my extraordinary diligence, and I did no more than others for it who went with­out it: Yet it would be a very Unchari­table, and therefore Wicked, thing in [Page 330] me to be so much the more thankful for that Mercy, because it is denied to most others. There is a Vast difference be­tween being the more grateful for a Bles­sing, because, since so small a number are partakers of it, I am one of those that are; and being so, because so small a num­ber are partakers of it. And the more will our Gratitude have of the truly Christian Spirit, the less we abstract our selves from others in the Consideration of those obligations God hath laid upon us together with others; and by consequence that Obedience will be most Christian-like which flows from such a Gratitude.