Body of Divinity

AMBITION

IS an inordinate desire of outward promotion to places of honor and wealth. It is inordinate,

• 1. When it is carried after such honors as may not lawfully be possessed by him that desires them.
• 2. When to an higher place then that one hath already; as everyone must be content with his goods, so with his place.
• 3. When the desire is overvehement , such as makes him to take irregular courses to satisfy them, or to be extremely discontented, if he fail of his purposes. Absalom's ambition made him basely to crouch to the people.
• 4. When it seeks alone itself and not the glory of God and public good.

The Pharisees were very ambitious, Matth. 6. 1, 2, 5, 16. Luke 18. 11. Matth. 23. 6, 7.

The Jesuits have most traitorously cast the platform, and do go about so much as the wit of man can devise, to bring all Kings, Princes and States under their subjection. Pars. Quodl. of Relig. and State, Quodl. 9. Answ. to 7 ^th Artic. See more there, and Answer to the 16 ^th Article.

In his Answer to the 5 ^th Article, he saith, the Jesuits have given it out for England by name, that it should be made an Island of Jesuits.

Tertullian calls ambitious men Animalia gloriae & famae negotiatores.

The whole world satisfied not Alexander.

Yet Diogenes was more ambitious in refusing all honors, then Alexander in rejecting none.

We must labor to mortify it,

By telling ourselves often and seriously

• 1. Of the vanity of this outward greatness which is but a bubble; those that are advanced highest for worldly greatness, are as full of discontents as any other men under heaven.
• 2. By convincing ourselves that ambition is a damnable sin.
• 3. Of our unworthiness of any good thing, and the danger of high places. See Rom. 12. 16. Phil. 2. 3. Psal. 131. 1, 2. Qui bien se cognoit, pe • se prize.
• 4. Labor to be ambitious of honor from God and our consciences, Rom. 15. 20. The Greek word signifies an high ambition to preach the Gospel. The same Greek word is used also to the like purpose, 2 Cor. 5. 9. & 1 Thes. 4. 11. There is a holy ambition, Habet & sapientia sui generis superbiam. Lactantius.

It should be our ambition to serve God in the highest way of duty, and to obtain the highest degree of glory.

Apostasy.

Apostasy and Backsliding are usually confounded; Yet

Some distinguish them, and say, Apostasy is a total and final departure from the faith once professed. Backsliding is a falling again into our old sins for a time, out of which we recover through God's grace, being renewed again by repentance.

Apostasy is partial or total, particular or universal, temporal or final, of the head, heart, and life.

The question is not Whether grace being a creature be defectibilis, in its own nature defective, whether a creature being left to himself may fall off? Grace where it was perfect, was not able to defend itself. The Angels and Adam (we know) fell.

Bishop Carleton against Montague, ch. 2. thus states the question, Whether they that are according to God's purpose Predestinated, Called and Justified, may lose these graces of their Predestination, Calling and Justification: This (saith he) the Orthodox Church hath always denied. The Arminians who admit no other Predestination but conditional, affirm it, and none but Pelagians and Arminians.

Eminent Professors that have attained only common grace, may fall from a form of godliness, Acts 19. 33. compared with 2 Tim. 4 14.

We must distinguish betwixt gifts or common graces, and true sanctifying graces; the first may be lost, not the other.

In sanctifying graces there may be an intermission of the act, a remission of the degree, Rev. 2. 5. & 3. 27. but not an utter and total amission of the habit.

A godly man may fall fearfully and dangerously, when God withdraws his assistance, but not totally and finally; he may decay in the degrees of grace, that he may never recover it to his dying day, neither the strength nor comfort of grace that he formerly had: Perpaucos invenies qui redeant ad gradum pristinum, Bernard; yet it is a great sin for a godly man to fall from any pitch of grace obtained, Heb. 12. 15. Rev. 2. 5.

Our own times afford many sad instances of Apostates, Professors turned Apostates, nay pleaders for Apostasy.

These things premised I shall endeavor to prove That a true believer cannot fall totally and finally.

Scripture proves it, Psal. 1. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 9. Prov. 24. 16. Not totally, 1 John. 2. 19. 1 John 3. 9. nor finally, John 10. 28, 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. God and Christ have agreed to uphold him.

Perseverance in grace to the end is a gift of God given to true Believers, Rom. 8. 28, 29, 30. The chain is so linked together that it cannot be separated. He whom God purposed to predestinate must needs be predestinated, he that is predestinated must needs be called, he that is called must be justified, he that is so justified must be glorified. But no man can come to glory without perseverance to the end.

Mr. Burgess in his Treatise of Grace and Assurance, Sect. 2. Serm. 14. on 1 John 3. 9, 10. saith, This place is brought to prove perseverance in grace, and no strength of wit hath yet been able to overcome it; and he interprets it, sinneth not as one who is of the devil his father, all within him is not corrupted, so that he makes sin his trade, his custom and delight.

He cannot fall into the service of sin totally and finally. Whether this seed of God be faith, or the Word of God, or the grace of God's calling according to his purpose, or the Spirit, or any of these, or all these, it proveth our purpose, that all is not fallen away, then the man in whom it abideth cannot fall totally. B. Carlton against Montague.

John 5. 24. Hath everlasting life, it shall be as truly given him as if he had it already in possession.

S ^t Agustine hath observed out of the Exposition of the Lord's Prayer made by Cyprian, that almost in every petition we pray for perseverance. So then that prayer will uphold the doctrine of Perseverance, as the articles of the Creed do generally that of Assurance.

Objections answered.

Blasphemy.

According to the notation of the Greek word, it signifies to hurt ones fame or credit; yea in the Hebrew also a blasphemer of God is said to strike through the name of Jehovah, Lev. 24. 16.

It was so detested of old, that whereas it had a name, yet they did express it by an Antiphrasis, and used the word blessing instead of cursing, 1 King. 21. 10.

The Jews were wont to rend their garments at the hearing of the name of God blasphemed, Isa. 30. ult. & 37. 1. Acts 14. 14. to express the rending of their hearts with grief and indignation.

The School Divines thus describe it, If one deny anything concerning God which agrees to him, or affirm anything of him which doth not agree to him; or when that is attributed to the creature which belongs to the Creator. Vide Aquin. secunda secundae Q. 13. Art. 1.

The Name of God is blasphemed in regard of the matter and manner. In regard of the matter God is blasphemed two ways; either Privatively, by taking away from him that which is due unto him, and wherein his honor consisteth. Or Positively, By attributing that unto him which is unbeseeming his Majesty, dishonorable to his great Name. In regard of the manner, when anything is spoken of God ignominiously, contemptuously, as Exodus 5. 2. 2 Kings 6. 33. Dan. 3. 15.

I would I were able to resist God, said Francis Spira.

Gregory the 9 ^th reckoned three famous impostors of the world, Moses, Mahomet and Christ.

Julian blasphemed Christ living and dying.

The Heathens would never suffer their God's to be blasphemed, but punished such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate. Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of God's. Master Burroughs Irenicum chap. 5.

The very Turks who account of Christ but as a great Prophet and powerful in word and deed, inflict death upon that man that speaketh blasphemies against Jesus Christ.

Heretics ought to be put to death now, as well as false prophets under the law; the equity of the judicial law remains, of putting blasphemers to death, Cartw. against Whit.

When Servetus condemned Zwingli for his harshness, he answers, In aliis mansuetus ero, in blasphemiis in Christum non ita, In other things I will be mild, but not so in blasphemy against God.

For immediate blasphemy against God himself, it was capital, Levite. 24. 16.

The Civil law herein followeth the Divine law, Blasphemi ultimis suppliciis afficiantur. Others have punished this sin with cutting off, or plucking out the tongue, and that deservedly; for that tongue is unworthy ever to speak more that shall dare once to speak against its Creator.

Lewis the 9 ^th , King of France, styled the Saint, published an Edict for the burning of blasphemous persons in the lips; A Noble man having offended in that kind, and being brought to the King, many interceded for him, that such an infamous punishment might be changed to another. The King would not hearken to their requests, but said, he himself would take it for an honor to be marked so on his forehead, if by that means he might drive away that enormous sin out of his Kingdom.

Helps against it.

• 1. Labor for a distinct, well-grounded knowledge in the principles of Christian Religion, Jude 10.
• 2. Receive the love of the truth, 2 Thess. 2. 11.
• 3. Walk in the truth, 2 John 4. 2 Cor. 13. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 14.
• 4. Pray earnestly, Jude v. 24.

Its a Question among the Schoolmen, Utrum damnati blasphement? Aquinas thinks it credible, that after the resurrection they shall vocally blaspheme, as the Saints shall vocally praise God: And some say Damnati dum blasphemant Deum, in hoc peccant, because they are bound to an eternal law. After this life the demerit of sin ceaseth, you shall give an account for the things done in the body, 2 Cor. 5. 10. The soul sins after, but shall not be judged for those sins; as in heaven good actions Pertinent ad beatitudinis premium; so in hell evil actions Pertinent ad damnationis paenam, saith Aquinas in the same place.

Of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

It is called the great transgression, Psal. 19. 12. and blasphemy against the Spirit, Matth. 12.

Blasphemy against the Spirit is, When a man doth maliciously and proudly revile and despite the truth of the Gospel and Word of God, which he certainly knoweth.

It is called the blasphemy against the Spirit, because it is against the knowledge wherewith a man is lightened by the Spirit of God, Cartw. on Matth. 12. 31.

It is called the sin against the holy Ghost, not that it is only against the third Person in the Trinity, the three Persons make but one Divine Essence; but because it is a direct opposition and resistance of the light of knowledge with which the holy Ghost hath enlightened it. Non dicitur blasphemia Spiritus ration personae illius: sed ration propriae ipsius in hominibus energy, quatenus Spiritus Sanctus est is, qui in veritatis lucem introducit. Rivet. in Exod. 30. Vide Thom. Aquin. 2da 2dae quaest. 14. Artic. 1, 2, 3, 4.

It is called sin against the holy Ghost, not in respect of the Essence, but of the Office of the holy Ghost; this sin is all malice, willful without any infirmity, he being pleased with malice for it selfs sake. Capell of Tentat. part. 2. c. 3.

Origen (as Bellarm. l 2. de Paenitentia c. 16. alledgeth) thought that every sin committed against the law of God after Baptism, was the sin against the holy Ghost; so Novatus. Agustine makes it final impenitency. The Schoolmen say any sin of malice.

It is conceived by some that the presumptuous sin in the Old Testament is the same with, or answers to the sin against the holy Ghost in the new: and that which leads to this apprehension is, because no sacrifice was appointed for that under the Law, as this is said to be unpardonable under the Gospel, Heb. 10. 20. but by Psal. 19. 12. it seems to be a pitch of sinning beyond presumption.

It is described to be a general Apostasy and revolt of a man willfully fallen from the truth known, even to a malicious persecuting and blaspheming of it. Mr. Bedford Of the sin unto death, out of 1 John 5. 16.

Mr. Deering on Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. saith, It is a general Apostasy from God with willful malice, and an unrepentant heart to persecute his truth to the end.

Mr. White in his Treatise of this sin, thus describes it,

It is a willful, malicious opposing, persecuting and blaspheming the truths of God, against knowledge and conscience, without ever repenting and grieving for so doing, but rather fretting and vexing that one can do no more.

It is a total falling away from the Gospel of Christ Jesus formerly acknowledged and professed, into a verbal calumniating and a real persecuting of that Gospel with a deliberate purpose to continue so to the end, and actually to do so, to persevere till then, and so to pass away in that disposition.

It is a spiteful rejecting of the Gospel, after that the Spirit hath supernaturally persuaded a man's heart of the truth and benefit thereof.

It is a sin committed against clear convincing, tasting knowledge, with despite and revenge, Heb. 10. 29.

• 1. It must be a clear knowledge; an ignorant man cannot commit it.
• 2. Such a knowledge as lets in a taste of the goodness as well as discovers the truth of the Gospel, Heb. 6. 3. yet goes against this knowledge with despite, opposeth the motions of God's Spirit with rage, this puts a man into the devils condition. Compare Heb. 6. 4, 5. with 10. 26, 27. It is a voluntary way of sinning after one hath received, not only the knowledge, but the acknowledgement of the truth, so much knowledge as subdues the understanding. The will is chiefly in this sin, he sins willfully, he trampleth under his foot the blood of the Son of God, sins maliciously and with revenge. The Jews put Christ to death with the greatest malice.
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The conditions of that sin are,

1. Hatred of the truth. 2. A settled malice. 3. An obstinate will. 4. An accusing conscience.

Therefore this sin is distinguished from other sins by three degrees. 1. That they all fall toti. 2. à toto. 3. In totum.

• 1. Toti, Because they fall from God and his gifts, not out of infirmity or ignorance, but out of knowledge, will and certain purpose.
• 2. A toto, Because they cast away and oppose the whole doctrine, his authority being contemned.
• 3. In totum, Because they are so obfirmed in their defection, that they voluntarily oppose and seek to reproach the Majesty of God.

But the specifical difference of this sin is, that they reproach those things which the holy Ghost hath revealed to them for true, and of whose truth they are convinced in their mind.

This sin necessarily supposeth the knowledge of the Mediator: wheresoever there is any mention of it in the New Testament, there comes with it some intimation of the works of the Mediator. In Matth. 12. they opposed Christ in his miracles: in Heb. 6. Paul instanceth in their crucifying again of Christ, Heb. 10. speaks of their trampling underfoot the Son of God. The devils sinned against light and with revenge, but not against the light of the second Covenant, this sin is purely against the Gospel, Heb. 4. & 10. 27, 28, 29. Objectum hujus peccati non est lex sed Evangelium.

Matth. 12. 32. He that commits this sin shall neither be pardoned in this world, in foro conscientiae, nor in the world to come, in foro judicii, neither in this world per solutionem ministry, by the Ministry of the word, nor in the world to come, per approbationem Christi.

When once the means of recovery by the Gospel are neglected, contemned and despised, then there is no place for remission; see Heb. 1 • . 26. The sacrifices in the old Law were effectual in their time to the expiation of sin, if joined with faith. The sacrifice of Christ's death was always effectual; but if this also be despised, this being the last, there is no more sacrifice for sin, and yet without sacrifice no remission.

It is called the sin unto death, not because it may kill, for no sin but may kill if it be not repented of, but because it must kill.

Divines observe two sorts subject to this sin. Some have both known the truth and also professed it, as Saul, Judas, Alexander the Copper-smith, all these made profession of the Gospel before they fell away: Others have certain knowledge of the truth, but yet have not given their names to profess it, but do hate, persecute, and blaspheme it, such were the Pharisees, Matth. 13.

All they who fall into this sin, first do attain unto a certain and assured knowledge of the truth, though all do not profess it.

Absolutely to determine of such a one is very difficult, neither is there any sufficient mark but the event, viz. final impenitency. But the grounds of suspicion are such as these.

1. Profaneness. 2. Doubting of every saving truth and impugning it. 3. Envying another's grace and happiness. 4. Blasphemy. 5. Want of good affections.

Many Christians are ready to suspect that they have sinned against the holy Ghost. Some Divines give this as a rule, If the Lord give you a heart to fear that you have sinned against the holy Ghost, then you have not.

Boasting.

A man boasts when he is full of that which he thinks excellent, and to add worth and excellency to him, Psal. 34. 2. & 44. 8. & 64. 10.

It is one of the sins of the tongue, 1 Sam. 2. 3. a high degree of pride, see Ezek. 28. 3, 4. Rom. 2. 17. there is vera and vana gloriatio, the highest act of faith is to glory in God, we make our boast of God all the day long, Psal. 44. but to boast of God when one hath no interest in him, is vain.

Bribery.

A bribe is a gift given from him which hath or should have a cause in the Court of justice, to them which have to intermeddle in the administration of justice.

Bribery or taking gifts is a sin, Exod. 23. 8. the same is repeated, Deut. 16. 19. Isa. 1. 23. Prov. 17. 23. Psal. 26. 10. Hos. 4. 18. Amos 2. 12. Micah 3. 11.

Reasons,

• 1. From the causes of it, 1. Covetousness. Samuel's sons inclined after lucre and took gifts. 2. Hollowness and guile. 3. A want of love of justice. 4. A want of hatred of sin.
• 2. The effects. 1. In the parties self that offends. 2. In others. 1. In himself, The bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, 1 Sam. 12. 3. Exod. 23. 8. it makes him unable to see and find out the truth in a Cause. 2. It perverts the words of the righteous, that is, it makes them which otherwise would deal righteously, and perhaps have had an intention of dealing righteously; yet to speak otherwise then becomes, it exposeth the offender to condign punishment. Solomon saith, A gift prospers whither ever it goeth, and it makes room for a man, meaning, that otherwise deserve h no room. For the punishment of it, see Job 15 34. Fire shall devour the tabernacles of bribery, meaning, that God will not fail by some or other means to bring destruction upon those families that shall thus augment their estates.

For others, 1. It doth make all that are rich bold to sin, because they hope to bear it out. 2. It makes rich men also bold to do wrong. 3. It grieveth the heart and spirit of the innocent that is in low estate, and makes him call to God to be his avenger. 4. It overthroweth the throne, Prov. 29. 5. It brings public desolation.

It is lawful to pacify an angry foe with a gift, so did Jacob; but to hire and corrupt a Judge with a gift is unlawful. He cannot lawfully take, therefore neither thou lawfully give, seeing these two are mutual causes and effects, and therefore can hardly be separated in their guiltiness.

Cambises caused a bribing Judge to be flaid quick, and laid his skin in his chair of judgment, that all Judges which should give judgment afterward should sit in the same skin.

CARNAL CONFIDENCE.

COnfidence in general is that affection of the soul whereby it rests itself in the expectation of any good from anything. Therefore carnal confidence is a vice whereby the heart of man rests itself in the looking for any good of any kind from anything but God alone. He is carnally confident which promiseth himself anything desirable, as health, deliverance out of trouble, long life, because he hath such or such outward means, which he thinks are able to bring forth such safety unto him.

The Scripture calls it Making flesh our arm: A man is said to make that his arm which he thinks himself strong and safe if he have; and so he is said to make riches a strong tower in the same sense.

Men are prone to this sin of false confidence. David trusted in his strong hill. Asa in the Physicians. The Israelites in Egypt for chariots and horses, 1 Sam. 17. 45, 46, 47. Luke 12. 19.

The grounds of it are,

• 1. Ignorance of God, whose strength and greatness together with his grace and goodness the mind apprehends not, Psal. 9. 10.
• 2. Ignorance of these earthly things, their weakness, mutability, and disability to help and comfort, Isa. 28. 15. the Prophet brings in the lewd men of his time flattering themselves and soothing up their own hearts with fair words, and promising all safety to their own souls in derision and despite of all his threats, If a plague come through the land it should not touch them; by vanity and falsehood they meant wealthy friends and outward support, which the Prophet here calls by this name ironically.

This is a great evil,

• 1. It is a denying of God, Job 3. 28. Trust is only due to him, such a one sets up another God, Ion. 2. 8. A covetous man is therefore called an idolater, Ephes. 5. 5. and covetousness idolatry, Col. 3. 5.
• 2. It is the ground of all our miscarriage in practice, 1 John 5. 3, 4, 5. The world is a great hindrance to our keeping the Commandments.
• 3. It is the ground of all disquiet, if you would live a happy life seek a fit object for your trust, Psal. 30. 6, 7. & Psal. 112. 7. Expect all good things from God alone. Abraham looked for a child from God when nature failed him.

This confidence in God is shown,

• 1. By preferring his favor above all things.
• 2. By making his name our refuge in all troubles.
• 3. By using all good means and only good to get any good thing, and that without carking and vexation.
• 4. By comforting ourselves in him when all means fail us, 1 Sam. 30. 6.

Signs of false confidence.

• 1. The inordinate desire of any earthly thing. What a man desires more then he should that he looks for some good by.
• 2. Immoderate joy when he hath gotten it. He that finds great joy in anything, doth therefore joy in it because he thinks he shall be better for it.
• 3. Impatience in the absence of it, Job 13. 24, 25.
• 4. To grow bold to do evil and careless of doing good in respect thereof. The cure of carnal confidence.

• 1. Consider how pernicious this vice is, it withdraws the heart from the Lord, Ier. 17. 5. and brings his curse on the soul and body.
• 2. It makes one unable to use well that which he hath.
• 3. Consider the weakness and uncertainty of all outward things.
• 4. Meditate on those places, Psal. 62. 10. & 146. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 17.

Covetousness.

Is an insatiable desire of having, or an inordinate love of money, Avarus quasi avidus aeris, Isidor.

It lies in the heart, but is reckoned by the Apostle among outward gross sins, because it is consummate by outward sordidness.

It is taken two ways. 1. For detaining or taking other men's goods in an unlawful way, and so it is opposed to justice. Or 2. For an inordinate desire to get and hold, though God call for it, and it opposeth liberality.

The desire is inordinate, 1. For the measure of it, when it is vehement and strong, seeing wealth is a thing of a base and contemptible nature, not worthy any earnestness of desire. 2. For the quantity of the object, the sum of wealth desired, if he suffer his desires to be carried after more then that which is sufficient for the providing of meat drink and cloth for himself and his in a comfortable sort, affecting an overplus: The proper end of riches is comfortable maintenance. 3. For the end of ones desiring, when it is to serve and set up himself, and is not to fit himself to do God service, and to profit mankind. Laban and Nabal, whose names Anagramatize each other, are examples of avarice.

It is a great and dangerous sin, Isa. 57. 7. Hab. 2. 9. Col. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 8. 3. Prov. 15. 27. Ier. 22. 17. The same Prophet complains of the people in his time, that From the least of them to the greatest of them, they were all of them coveting covetousness, as the words are; that is, given unto it, did yield their hearts to a desire of gain; which complaint also he renews, ch. 8. 18. and in both places allegeth it as a cause of great sins, Ezek. 32. 31. The Lord so hates it that the godly should not company with such, 1 Cor. 5. 11.

In the body when the spleen swells all other parts decay and consume; so when the heart swells with desire of riches, all the graces of God consume and fade away.

When all other sins wax old, this waxeth young in thee.

Reasons, 1. From the causes of it, 1. Ignorance of the goodness, mercy, power and excellency of God, and of the faithfulness, profitableness, desireableness of things heavenly and spiritual. He knows not God nor the worth of the graces of God's Spirit, nor the excellency of his heavenly Kingdom, who is glued unto these earthly, deceitful vanities: And withal he doth not conceive of the worthlessness of these trifles, who suffers his heart to be deceived with the same. 2. Error: He is in a strong and palpable error concerning them, imagining them to be of more power and ability to profit him then in truth they be, he overprizeth earthly things, and imagineth riches to be a strong tower and castle of defense. 3. He puts his trust in riches, and dreams that he shall be so much the more happy by how much the more rich, yea that he cannot be happy without riches.

2. The effects of it. 1. The evils of sin which slow from it generally; it is the root of all evil, it will make a Judge corrupt, as 1 Sam. 8. 3. a Prophet deal falsely with the word of God, as Jeremiah complains; it will make a man to lie, deceive and cozen in his dealing; it will make a woman unchaste.

More particularly, 1. It choketh the Word of God. 2. It causeth that a man cannot serve God, for it is impossible to serve God and mammon. It causeth that he cannot desire heaven nor set his heart on the things that are above; it sets a quarrel between God and man, for the love of the world is enmity to God.

3. The evils of punishment that ensue upon it. Paul saith, It pierceth a man through with many sorrows: They fall into perdition and destruction; they shall be damned. Covetous men are ranked in Scripture with whoremongers, drunkards.

How shall I know that my heart is Covetous?

• 1. If a man be always solicitous in caring about the things of the world; our Savior describes covetousness by carking and divisions of heart: this is to mind earthly things.
• 2. If joy and fear do depend upon the good success of these outward things, rejoice when riches increase, but are dejected otherwise.
• 3. If a man be quick in these things, and dull to any good thing.
• 4. If the service of God be tedious to thee because thou wouldst fain be in the world: When will the new moon be gone?
• 5. If he be distracted in God's service, if their hearts run after their covetousness.
• 6. If one esteem those that are rich for riches sake.
• 7. Niggardice, Prov. 11. 24. Eccles. 6. 7.

Means to mortify this sin.

• 1. Be affected with your spiritual wants, Psal. 102. 2. Let the heart be deeply sensible of the want of Christ and his sanctifying power in the heart, these outward things are such great wants unto thee, because spiritual wants are not apprehended, Rom. 7. ult.
• 2. Labor for spiritual delights and joy, Psal. 4. 6, 7.
• 3. Consider the shortness of thy own life, James 4. 13, 14.
• 4. These outward things cannot stand thee instead at the day of judgment: Riches cannot deliver a man from death, much less from damnation.
• 5. Remember that God requires the more of thee; Solomon therefore saith, he hath seen riches kept for the hurt of the owners: As you increase your revenues so you increase your account, you will have more to answer for at the day of judgment.
• 6. Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, therefore he calleth upon his disciples to prepare for a Cross.
• 7. Meditate upon the word of God prohibiting covetousness, and turn the precepts thereof into confessions and prayers. To apply the reproofs, threatenings and commandments of the Word of God agrinst any sin is a common remedy against all sins, and so also against this.
• 8. Seriously consider of God's gracious promises for matter of maintenance in this life, that you may trust in God, Psalm 34 10. and 84. 11. and 23. 1. Heb. 13. 5.

Be as much for the world as thou wilt, so thou observe three rules.

• 1. Let it not have thy heart. Agustine speaks of some who utuntur Deo & fruuntur mundo, use God and enjoy the world.
• 2. Do not so eagerly follow it that it should hinder thee in holy duties.
• 3. Let it not hinder thee from works of charity. One compares a covetous man to a swine, he is good for nothing till he be dead.

Cruelty.

Cruelty is a great sin, Gen. 49. 6, 7. 1 Sam. 22. 18, 19. Psal. 124. Rom. 3. 15. The blood-thirsty men shall not live out half their days: Blood defiles the Land. Seven things are an abomination to God, the hands which shed innocent blood is one of them.

Halto Bishop of Mainz in a time of famine shut up a great number of poor people in a barn, promising to give them some relief: But when he had them fast, he set the barn on fire, and hearing then the most lamentable cries and screechings of the poor in the midst of the slames, he scoffingly said, Hear ye how the Mice cry in the burn. But the Lord the just revenger of cruelty sent a whole army of Mice upon him, which followed him into a Tower which he had built for his last refuge in the midst of the river Rhene, never leaving him, till they had quite devoured him.

The Romans were so accustomed by long use of war to behold fightings and bloodshed, that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith: for they would compel poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutual blows, or to enter combat with savage and cruel beasts, to be torn in pieces by them.

In the punishment of certain offenses among the Jews there was a number of stripes appointed, which they might not pass, Deut. 25. 23. So doth the Lord abhor cruelty under the cloak of justice and zeal against sin. This Law was so religiously observed amongst the Jews, that they would always give one stripe less unto the offender, 1 Cor. 11. 24.

The highest degree of cruelty consists in killing the bodies of men, and taking away their lives for revenge, lucre or ambition: murder and cruelty cry in God's ears, The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me, Gen. 4 10.

Reasons.

• 1. It is most directly contrary to the love and charity which God would have to abound in every man, love doth no evil to his neighbor.
• 2. It is most contrary to the Law of nature which ought to rule in all men's lives, to do as they would be done to, we abhor smart, pain, grief, hurt, loss of limbs, of life.
• 3. This sin is contrary to the sweetness of human nature which God hath pleased to plant in it in the very frame of the body, in regard of which it is justly termed inhumanity and savageness, and to the graciousness and gentleness that is in God.
• 4. It is a sin against the Image of God as well as against his Authority, for he hath pleased to imprint a kind of resemblance of his own excellent nature upon man more a great deal then upon any other creature of this lower world.

A Fox is a cruel beast as well as a Lion, for though he kill not men, yet he kills Lambs and Pullen, and if he were big and strong enough he would set upon men also; yea a Weezle is a devouring beast as well as a Fox, for he kills young chickens, and the lik • , he is cruel according to his kind.

Cursing.

It is to wish evil to a thing or person, it virtually▪ contains in it all evil, as blessing contains in it virtually all good.

The holy Ghost notes it of unsanctified men, Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness, Rom. 12. 3.

Reasons.

• 1. Abundance of contempt of God and uncharitableness in the heart.
• 2. The Devil stirs up cursed conceits in men's minds when they are angry: James, Their tongues are set on fire of hell, therefore with it they curse their neighbors.

We must learn to bless and not curse, as S. Peter exhorteth, because we are heirs of blessing, as our Savior exhorteth, Bless them which curse you; Strive to reverence God and love thy neighbor. Consider of the Commandments of God which forbid it, and his judgments, cursing shall clothe thee as thou didst love it.

There is a double cursing, one is a warrantable, lawful, needful duty, when any man doth in God's name, and by God's authority pronounce or denounce evil against anything or person, withal praying that the thing may fall out accordingly; thus Christ cursed the Fig tree, and Elisha the Children. The other sinful, the vomiting out vile and disgraceful speeches, mischievous and wicked wishes.

The Ancients observe, that when God gave the Devil leave to afflict Job's body, he spared his tongue, that feeling his pain he might easily rail and curse.

DECEIT.

DEceit is when we make show of one thing and do another.

It is that vice by which men are apt to make show of good they intend not, and again to hide the show of that evil they do intend, or by which men cover over bad purposes with fair pretences, that they may the more easily accomplish them, as in Saul to David, whom he desired to thrust upon his own ruin in fighting with the Philistines, and his pretence was to honor his valor by making him his son in law. Jacob's sons used it against the Shechemites, Judas against Christ, he came with a kiss when he meant nothing but mischief.

It is a great sin, David blameth this fault in Doeg, Psal. 52. See Psal. 5. 6. it is a sin condemned by nature, for no man can choose but complain if he meet with it in others; and by Scripture more, Mark 7. 17. Rom. 3. With their tongues they have used deceit, Rom. 1. 29. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Deceitful men shall not live out half their days, David. The bread of deceit shall be gravel in the belly, Solomon, The deceitful man shall not roast what he took in hunting. Of all vices it takes up most of the lodgings about us, 1. Our spirits, Psal. 2. 2. 2. Our thoughts, Psal. 38. 12. 3. Our hearts, Prov. 12. 20. 4. Our mouths, 1 Pet. 2. 22. 5. Our lips, Psal. 34. 12. • 6. Our tongues, Psal. 15. 3. 7. Our bellies, Job 15. 35. 8. Our feet, Job 31. 5. All our members, Acts 13. 10.

There is fraud in bargaining and conversing; David's whole carriage to Achish was nothing but a pack of fraud, Abraham helped himself by deceit, saying of his wife, She is my sister. Isaac practiced the same deceit with less probability or show of truth. Plain Jacob was drawn by his mother to use deceit to get the blessing.

Reasons.

• 1. The causes of it are want of the fear of God, and of charity to men: a Christians faith and love must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 without dissimulation, S. Paul saith it twice of both.
• 2. It is an abuse of a good gift, yea one of the best natural gifts, wit, reason and understanding, Corruptio optimi pessima.
• 3. It overthrows the welfare of human societies, and is contrary to charity, equity, and all well-ordered laws.

Distrust.

It is a kind of shaking or looseness of the heart for want of something to stay upon for attaining of good or avoiding evil, Isa. 7. 2.

• 1. We must not distrust God, as Ahaz did in Isa. 7. and Sarah when she heard of her having a son, and the Israelites when they murmured in their tents, and said, They should perish in the wilderness; and David, I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul.
• 2. We must not distrust men without cause, thinking they will not do such things as they have promised or undertaken, or as they seem willing to do, which was the fault of Saul, who distrusted the loyalty both of David and of the people, only because they in their Song ascribed to David ten thousand, and mistrusted Jonathan also as if he had been disloyal.
• 3. We must moderately distrust ourselves and our own wit and sufficiency, as Solomon did, saying, I am but a child, and I cannot go in and out before this great people: And Paul when he said, I am not sufficient to think anything as of myself. We must not so distrust ourselves, as to be disheartened from attempting to do our duties, which was Moses his fault, that because he was not eloquent refused to go to Pharaoh, but alone in such measure, as to make us seek more earnestly to God for his help and assistance.

Divination.

Divination is quaedam praenunciatio futurorum, saith Aquinas. In general is a course, way or proceeding to effect strange and unwonted effects by means not allowed or ordained by God, either in the course of nature, or any special institution; as for example, to find out secret and hidden things, who did this or that, where such a thing is which is lost, what shall become of such a man in such a business, and to hurt a man and strike him with a disease, or to help another and cure him of a disease, or the like.

Of these strange effects some are plainly diabolical, which are done by a manifest, direct and personal concurrence of Satan and association with him, such as all Sorcerers, Conjurers and Witches use, and those which have familiar Spirits, who raise up the Devil himself to appear in likeness to them, and answer and do things for them, and such as were used of old in Oracles, where the Devil disguised himself under the appearance of a god.

2. Mixtly natural and diabolical, when Satan is not directly consulted withal, but certain natural things are employed to the end whereto in nature they serve not to cover the Devil from men's eyes, and so to work more secretly, as in all those which are termed curious arts, Act. 19. 19. such as are the use of charms, and spells, and divinations of all sorts, and the casting of figures, and observation of heavenly bodies, out of them to pick the knowledge of contingent events, which because they have no certainty in their nature, therefore cannot be collected out of these natural things, upon which alone certain and necessary things do follow. This Art of Divination and all the rest are naught, for they came from Satan and serve to set him up in men's minds, and to quench the respect and fear of God.

Division.

All creatures in their natural estate are severed and divided one from another.

• 1. They are divided from God the only and chiefest good.
• 2. From the Angels, 1 Cor. 11. 10.
• 3. One from another, Isa. 19. begin.
• 4. From themselves. We are joined to Satan and comply with the Idols of our own hearts, Ezek. 14. begin.

1. The nature of this division is not only local, as that of Reuben▪ Judge. 5. 15, 16. by the river Jordan, or in externals, but spiritual which is the worst, as spiritual union is the best. This makes the difference in men's minds, judgments, wills, consciences, Acts 26. 9. John 16. beg. divided in the very ends they propound, and the means that lead to those ends, and the rule.

The causes of it are sad, the lusts and sins of our own hearts, the just indignation of God.

These sins especially,

• 1. Idolatry, Judge. 5. 8.
• 2. Covenant-breaking, Levite. 26. 25.
• 3. Pride, Ier. 13. 9. compared with 14.
• 4. Hypocrisy, Isa. 10. 6.
• 5. Apostasy.

Arguments against division and falling into parties:

First, Divisions are a judgment of God upon a Nation, Zech. 13. 14.

Secondly, Consider the several sins that falling into parties puts men upon.

• 1. It puts them on great thoughts of heart, Judge. 5. 15.
• 2. Men break forth into bitter censuring and reviling of those which are not of their own party, Prov. 21. 24. James 4. 11. they set up their own will in opposition to God.
• 3. It causeth men to be glad to hear evil one of another, and take up any report for truth, Nehem. 6. 6. and glad of any mischief that shall befall them, Ezek. 25. 6.
• 4. This lays upon men a necessity of joining with any to oppose that party, though they be never so contrary in religion or affection.

Thirdly, Falling into parties is a certain way of ruin.

• 1. In the just judgment of God, Hos. 10. 2.
• 2. In the nature of the thing, Judge. 5. 5.

In cause of religion every subdivision is a strong weapon in the hand of the contrary part, Hist. of Council of Trent. lib. 1. pag. 49.

Two earthen pots floating with this Inscription, Si collidimur, frangimur, If we knock, we crack, were long ago made the emblem of England and the Low countries; but may now be extended to all Christians.

We shall find in our English Chronicles, that England was never destroyed but when divided within itself, our civil divisions brought in the Romans, the Saxons, Danes and Normans.

Though our Civil and Ecclesiastical breaches be very great, Lam. 2. 13. yet God can and will heal all the breaches of his Saints.

• 1. Because he hath promised to do it, Isa. 2. 4. & 11. 6, 7, 8, 9, 13. & 30. 26. & 32. 18. & 33. 20. Ezek. 28. 24. Ier. 32. 39. Zeph. 3. 9. Zech. 14. 9.
• 2. Christ hath prayed for it three times in John 17. viz. 21, 22, 23. verses.
• 3. Christ died to make his people one, Ephes. 2. from 14. to the later end. See 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 8. to the end.

There are some cementing or reconciling graces, faith, repentance, charity, Col. 3. 14. and humility.

There is much talk of peace and unity, peace with truth, or peace and holiness are joined together in Scripture.

We should pray to Christ to heal our divisions, that he would make us one, we should put on love which is the bond of perfectness, Col. 3. 14, 15. See Phil. 3. 14, 15.

Drunkenness.

Drunkenness is a great sin, Isa. 28. 1. Deut. 32. 32. Prov. 23. 29, 30, 31.

The Scripture condemns it, Be not drunk with wine▪ saith the Apostle; Solomon forbids to keep company with a wine bibber; the Prophet denounceth a woe to the drunkards of Ephraim. Drunkenness is one of the fruits of the flesh, and a drunkard one of those whom Paul excludes from heaven; Nature condemns it, it trampleth under▪ foot at once the whole Law and Gospel too.

First, For the Law it violates each Commandment; The first, the drunkard makes his belly his god, he cannot exercise knowledge of God, love, fear, confidence, remembrance of sin, or any virtue. It breaks the second Commandment, it is a direct breach of our vow made in Baptism, and renewed in the Lord's Supper, for this is one of the works of the Devil which we then renounced. Again it hinders a man from praying, reading, meditating, or doing any good and religious duty. It breaketh the third Commandment, because it is an abuse of one of God's creatures, and so takes God's name in vain, it causeth that one can neither see God in his works, nor do any works to his glory, nor show forth thankfulness for benefits, nor patience in crosses, and because it fills the mouth full of foul and desperate oaths. The fourth, he is unfit to sanctify the Sabbath▪ and if one be drunk on the Lord's-day, it is a great profanation of it, for it is far from a holy work. The fifth, it makes one despise Parents, Magistrates, all Governors, it makes him abuse Wife, Children, Servants, and all his Inferiors, it makes him lift up himself above his equals, and despise all in comparison of himself. The sixth, it is a hurt to his own body, and breeds vile diseases, dropsy, fever, redness of eyes, makes him rail, revile, quarrel and kill, and commit all insolent injuries, and hazards himself to untimely death, Gal. 5. 21. The seventh, for it fills heart and tongue and all full of filthiness, it inflames the body to lust, a drunken Lot will commit incest, Rom. 13. 13. The eighth, it is a wasting of time and goods, and a robbing of a man's self and family, it often inciteth to cozenage and beguiling, it is gross injustice. The ninth, it makes him full of bragging and boasting and backbiting, his tongue is as full of vanity as his head of vapors. The tenth, it fills the mind full of lewd imaginations, and exposeth him to Satan's suggestions. Perkins on Revel. 2. 14. shows that Popery breaks every Commandment.

M ^r Paget in his admonition touching Talmudique allegations, pag. 422. to 436. shows how the Jewish Rabbins break every Commandment.

It is against the Gospel, it oppresseth the heart and takes away reason, that a man grows hard-hearted, and fills men full of presumption.

There was a street in Rome called Vicus sobrius, the sober street, but is there a village in England that may be called Villa sobria, the sober village?

If a man (though he loathes drunkenness) should (to symbolize with wicked company) drink immoderately, yet it is drunkenness: it is true he is not ebriosus, an old soaking drunkard, yet he is • brius, he hath committed the sin of drunkenness.

There is a twofold privation of reason:

• 1. Aptitudinal, when a man drinks so immoderately, that there is a disposition to disturb reason, yet because he is of a strong brain and constitution, he can bear it without any disturbance, and this hath a woe, Woe to those that are strong to drink, that have strong brains and bodies to carry their liquor away, and never cry out with him, Duos soles video.
• 2. Actual, either total and complete, when reason is fully intercepted, and that is to be stark drunk, to be a vivum cadaver, as Chrysostom calls it well, a breathing carcass; one calls them Ventri-d • moans, belly-devils, who like D • genes could live in a barrel all their life time.
• 2. Partial, when a man's fancy is not wholly disturbed, yet he is so far tippled, that both his fancy and judgment are darkened, and the house runs round with him.

Means to avoid it:

• 1. Shun the company of drunkards, and all occasions.
• 2. Cry to God to help you against this vice, and consider the terrible threats against it, 1 Cor. 6. 9.
• 3. Get thy sensual appetite mortified.
• 4. Taste of Christ's wine, the sweetness of having Communion with him, Ephes. 5. 18.

ENVY.

ENvy is a grief for the prosperity of others. Est aegritudo suscepta propter alterius res secundas, quae nihil noceant invidenti.

The first instances that we have of sin, are Adams pride and Cain's envy.

Envy is the mother of strife, they are often coupled Rom. 1. 29. & 13. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 3. 2 Cor. 12. 20. Gal. 5. 20. I am. 3. 14. Natural corruption doth most of all bewray itself by envy. The Devil first envied us the favor of God, and ever since we have envied one another. The children of God are often surprised with it, Numb. 11. 29. John 21. 20, 21. It breaketh both Tables at once; it beginneth in discontent with God, and endeth in injury to man.

Macrobius l. 2. Sat. c. 2. saith acutely of Mutius a malevolous man, being sadder then he was wont, Aut Mutio nescio quid incommodi accessit, aut nescio cui aliquid boni. The Heathens when they saw an envious man sad, they would demand whether harm had happened unto him, or good unto his neighbor.

Aristotle calls it the Antagonist of the Fortunate. Parum alicui est si ipse sit foelix, nisi alter fuerit infoelix.

Livor semper lippus est, saith Petrarch, this humor is always ill-sighted. All blear-eyed men are offended and hurt with the light, so envy is provoked at another's good and honor. The better the party envied is, the better he behaveth himself, the more bitter the envier doth grow against him, and the more his hatred increaseth. Saul had still a more violent spleen against David by how much he discovered more wisdom, courage, and the more the hearts of his servants were set upon him. Who can stand before envy? saith Solomon, Prov. 27. 4.

It is the rottenness of the bones, Pro. 14. 3. and so the justest of all vices, because it bringeth with it its own vengeance.

As the rust consumes iron, so this vice the envious man. Anacharsis calls it serram animae, and Socrates, Ulcus. When Hercules had vanquished so many fierce monsters,

He grappled at last with envy as the worst.

Erasm. lib. 17. of his Epist. in an Epistle to Sir Thomas More, saith of Conradus Goclenius, Invidere quid sit, ne per somnium quidem unquam intellexit: tantus est ingenii candor.

The objectum quod of it, is, Good of any kind, true, apparent, honest, profitable, pleasant, of mind, body, fortune, fame, virtue itself not excepted; the objectum cui, is generally any other man, Superior, Inferior, Equal. We envy a Superior because we are not equalled to him, an Inferior least he should be equal to us, an Equal because he is our equal. Men of the same Trade or Profession envy each other:

Death frees a man from it, Extra omnem invidiae aleam.

Pascitur in vivis livor, &c.

The chief cause of it is pride and inordinate love of a man's self: the impulsive cause is manifold, as if he be an enemy, a corrival.

Hatred (when one loathes and wisheth ill to another) agrees with envy,

1. In the subject, always he which envies another hates him, but not on the contrary.

Secondly, In the efficient cause, which is pride, and a blind love of a man's self.

It differs from it:

First, In the subject, for hatred may be in one in whom envy is not.

Secondly, In the objectum quod, which in envy is only good, but in hatred it may be evil.

Thirdly, In the objectum cui, which is larger in hatred then envy, for we envy men only, not God, nor ourselves but others, but we may hate not only other men but ourselves and other creatures, yea God himself.

Error.

Error is to judge otherwise then the thing is, taking truth for falsehood, or falsehood for truth, Usquequaque fidei venena non cessant spargere, saith Augustine of his times.

In Gregory Nazianzens days there were six hundred errors in the Church. Selat. on 1 Cor. 11. 18, 19.

The Doctrine only of the Trinity remains undefiled in Popery.

Obstinately to defend an error in things indifferent, makes a man a Schismatic; and in points necessary and fundamental, an Heretic. It is the greatest judgment in the world to be given over to error, Revel. 13. 8. Iud • v. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 11.

All the primitive Fathers spend most of their zeal and painful writings against heresies and errors.

All the Primitive Churches to whom the Apostles wrote Epistles, areexpresly warned either positively to stand fast in the truth, to hold fast their profession; or negatively to beware of, and to avoid false teachers, and not to be carried about with divers and strange Doctrines. See M ^r Gillesp. Misc. c. 11. & 12.

It is not difficult to enumerate those heresies which gave occasion for the introducing of every Article in the Creed. Vide Sanfordum de Descensu Christi ad infer • s, l. 4. p. 29, 30.

It was well concluded in the 39 Session of the Council of Constance, That every tenth year at the farthest, there should be a general Council held, to reform such errors in the Church as probably in that time would arise.

Preservatives from error:

• 1. Have a care to be established in the truths of God, 2 Pet. 1. 12. specially the main truths of religion; look to repentance, faith, daily examination, Matth. 13. 45. Rom. 6. 17. Corrupt teachers beguile none but unstable souls.
• 2. Get experimental knowledge, Ephes. 3. 17. and mourn to see the truths of Christ corrupted, Revel. 11. 3.
• 3. Love not any sin, 2 Tim. 2. 19.
• 4. Try the Spirits, 1 John 4. 1. Every man pretends to speak by the Spirit, bring their Doctrine to the rule, try to what end the Doctrine tends, whether to exalt God and abase man, Matth. 7. 15, 16. or to set up the dark wisdom and proud will of man, as Free-will, Universal Redemption, the denying of God's Decrees and Perseverance, Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae. Aug.
• 5. Beware of communion with false teachers, Rom. 16. 17. Titus 3. 10. 2 epist. John 10.
• 6. Make use of the Ministry.

Flattery.

Flattery is a speech fitted to the will and humors of others for our own advantage.

One may please others much, and yet not flatter them, when he seeks not his own advantage in it, 1 Cor. 3. ult.

We flatter,

First, When we ascribe to them good things which they have not. Or

Secondly, Applaud their evils as goodness. Or

Thirdly, Amplisie their good parts above their merit. Or

Fourthly, Extenuate their evil more then is meet, Isa. 5. 10.

Flatterers are men that dwell at Placenza, as the Italian saith, Isa. 30. 10. They may well be called Caementarii Diaboli, the Devils daubers, Ezek. 13. 10.

Dionysius the tyrant had flatterers about him, who like dogs would lick up his spittle and commend it to him to be as sweet as nectar.

Diogenes compared flattering language to a silken halter, which is soft because silken, but strangling because a halter; and saith, As tyrants are the worst of all wild beasts, so are flatterers of all tame.

None can be flattered by another till he first flatter himself.

Canutus King of England and Denmark well repressed a flatterer at Southampton, who bare the King in hand that all things in the Realm were at his will and command. He commanded that his chair should be set on the shore, when the Sea began to flow, and then in the presence of many, said to the Sea as it flowed, Thou art part of my dominion, and the ground on which I sit is mine, wherefore I charge thee that thou come not upon my Land, neither that thou wet the clothes or body of thy Lord; but the Sea according to his usual course flowing did wet his feet, then he said, None was worthy the name of a King but he to whose command the earth and sea were subject, and never after would be King.

Chalac in Hebrew signifies either blandus smooth, or Mollis soft, because the flatterer useth smooth and soft speeches; or dividere to divide, because in flatterers the tongue is divided from the heart. See Prov. 27. 6. & 29. 5.

Open hostility is better then secret flattery. An ungodly man's sins are acts of hostility, his duties acts of flattery, Psal. 78. 36.

We should shut our ears to flatterer • , and rather seek to do what is commendable, then to hear our own commendation.

Gluttony.

Gluttony is a sin, Isa. 56. 12. Amos 6. it is an immoderate delight in meats and drinks. This was Dives his sin, one of the sins of S • dom, Fullness of bread; and of the old world.

This sin is committed five ways:

Praepropere, Laute, Nimis, Ardenter, Studiose.

Reasons 1. From the causes of it, it ariseth from sensuality, a brutish vice where by one metamorphoseth himself into a swine in disregarding the divine, spiritual, excellent, supernatural good offered to his reason, and by that alone to be conceived, and placeth his happiness in corporal delights and pleasures that tickle his senses. Such a one that so feeds, eats not to live, but lives to eat, and in that sense is said to serve his own belly, and not the Lord.

Secondly, The effects of this vice are very bad:

• 1. It hinders Mercy and Liberality to the poor. Lazarus could not have the crumbs of the Rich man's Table, either they have no heart to give, or nothing to spare.
• 2. It often overthrows Estate, He that loves Wine and Oil shall not be rich.
• 3. Oppresseth the heart and burieth all good Meditations and Affections, for fat is always senseless.
• 4. Draws men to the practice of Unjustice, as 1 Sam. 21. 30.

A Christian must take heed of all excess in food, 1 Cor. 9. 29.

Reasons. First, A moderate Diet keeps the body healthful, that we may glorify God and have ability of strength to serve him.

Secondly, Excess of Diet will breed lusts, and further the power of concupiscence in men.

Thirdly, The Body is to be an Instrument of the Soul in all service to God: glorify God in Soul and Body: much eating unfits, and is sinful.

Fourthly, We must eat to the glory of God when we are hungry, that hereby God may be glorified in our calling.

Fifthly, It is Idolatry to mind the belly, Phil. 3. 19. Rom. 16. 16. such belly-gods were the Monks, and many of the Romans.

Sixthly, It is a sin against the body, the Apostle aggravates fornication from this consideration.

Seventhly, It indisposeth to any spiritual duty, Luke 21. 34. a full belly cannot study,

In Scripture a fat heart is as much as stupid and senseless.

First, Many like Joseph's master Potiphar take account of nothing but what they must eat and drink, that they may be sure to fare well; our feasts usually are turned merely to an exercise of this vice.

Secondly, All should exercise Temperance in Diet, let a little content thee, let the end of thy eating be strength and health, not a pleasing of thy tooth: the rich must inure themselves sometimes to a hard short meal, that they may do more good to others.

Motives.

First, Gluttony is a beastly sin, yea it makes men worse then beasts, for they can take delight in such things, yet will not exceed.

Secondly, It is an abuse of the creatures which are given to us for our good.

Thirdly, Injurious to the poor.

HERESY.

I Dolatry was the prevailing sin of the Old Testament, and Heresy of the New.

It is a pertinacious defending of anything which overthrows the Fundamental Doctrine of faith contained in the Word of God: An obstinate error against the foundation. D ^r Halls Case of Consc. 5 ^th Case.

It was a wild fancy of the Weigelians, That there is a time to come (which they call Seculum Spiritus Sancti ) in which God shall by his Spirit reveal much more knowledge and light then was revealed by Christ and his Apostles in Scripture. M ^r Gillesp. Miscel. c. 10.

The Gnostics had their name propter excellentiam scientiae, from profound knowledge and greater light: They which pretended to know above all others, yet were but a profane sect, as the Ancient Writers tell us.

The Socinians doctrine is, as it were, a filthy sink, into which all the Heresies of former and later ages have emptied themselves. They will receive no interpretation of Scripture nor article of faith unless it agree with reason. Scriptura est norma, recta ratio est judex, all is ultimately resolved into reason.

Infaustus Socinus omnium Hareticorum audacissimus. Rivet.

What doth Socinus think more highly of Christ then the Turks of Mahomet? yea what doth he think better of Christ then the Turks, which esteem Christ a holy Prophet of God who taught us his will?

Socinianism is a complication of many ancient heresies condemned by ancient Councils. A doctrine that undermines the merit and satisfaction of our Savior's death. Arminlanism gratifieth the pride of will; Popery the pride of outward sense, and Socinianism the pride of carnal reason. D ^r Hill on Prov. 23. 23.

The Socinians deny the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Deity of the holy Ghost, the Trinity of Persons, they deny that Jesus Christ hath merited or satisfied for his people.

The Papists, besides some fundamental errors, as justification by the merit of our own works, are most abominably Idolatrous in their worship.

Of all Heretical and False Teachers this last age hath afforded, I know none more pernicious then these two, 1. Libertines, that teach to neglect obedience, as in every respect unnecessary. 2. Justitiaries, that press obedience as available to justification. Dr. Sclater on Rom. 4. 15.

Antinomianism is the most dangerous, plausible error that almost ever invaded the Church, insinuating into well-meaning minds, under a false pretence of advancing Christ and free▪grace. M ^r Baxt. Inf. Church-Memb. part. 2. Sect. 8.

The original of the Antinomians seems to be from the old Katharoi called Puritans, who being justified, affirmed they were perfect and free from all sin, as the glorified in heaven. M. Rutterf. Survey of the Spirit, Antich. part. 1. c. 1.

The Antinomians say repentance, grief, sorrow for, sense or conscience of sin in a Believer, is legal, carnal, fleshly, from unbelief and the old Adam, and that it is contrary to faith and Gospel-light to confess sins, and was a work of the flesh in David. Id. ib. c. 2.

Vossius in his Historia Pelagiana, saith, that Pelagius was humani arbitrii decomptor, & Divinae gratiae contemptor, a trimmer of nature and • n affronter of grace.

The Pelagians say, that a man may by strength of nature convert himself; that Adams sin did hurt himself alone; that no hereditary stain came to h • s posterity by it; that in infants there is nothing of sin; that men die not for the punishment of sin, but by the law of nature.

They were so called from one Pelagius a Welchman, his name was Morgan, which signifies the sea, but he chose rather to be called Pelagius. He dwelt by the sea. Vide R. Episc. Usser. de Britain. Eccles. Primord. c 8, 9, 10.

He seemed to some to have excelled in such great eminency of knowledge and learning, that some thought that place, Rev. 8. 10. was to be interpreted of his fall.

Against this Heresy Austin and Jerome disputed much.

Christ doth not say, John 5. 5. without me you can do little, but without me you can do nothing. Aug. in John. Tract. 81.

Sententias vestras prodidisse refutasse est, patet prima front blasphemia, said Jerome of Pelagius and his opinions.

Austin gives the reason why Pelagianism did spread so much, because there were Pelagiani fibrae in every man naturally.

Austin termed the Pelagians inimicos gratiae Dei, Prosper ingratos, ungrateful and ungracious men, contra ingratos.

The Arminians too much follow the Pelagians. Of Arminius and his opinions Vide Praefat. ad Eccles. Act. Synod. Dordrecht.

The five Articles of the Remonstrants do exalt man's free-will. In the first Article God is said to have chosen them which would believe, obey, and continue in faith and obedience. In the second it is affirmed that Christ obtained reconciliation with God and remission of sins for all and everyone, if by faith they be able to receive these his benefits. In the third and fourth Article the efficacy of conversion depends upon man's will, so that it is efficacious to conversion if a man will, and inefficacious if he will not. In the fifth Article perseverance in faith is ascribed to man's will, which is to derogate from the Fathers free Election, the Sons Redemption, and the holy Ghosts Conversion.

Hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is that vice by which men content themselves to seem good, but are not careful to be so in very deed; that is a good description of it, 2 Tim. 1. 3, 5. See Matth. 23. 14. & 24. 51.

In that measure we like of sin, in that measure is hypocrisy in us. Greenham.

There are two kinds of Hypocrites.

• 1. Such as are gross and know they do dissemble.
• 2. Such as have great works of God's Spirit, as knowledge, joy, sorrow, and reformation of their sins, which do take these to be true graces, because they come near them and are like them; as the foolish Virgins.

A very hypocrite may make some account of serving God. Saul durst not fight till he had offered sacrifice, 1 Sam. 13. 11, 12. A man may hear and that with joy, and believe, and bring forth a blade of forward profession, and yet be an hypocrite. The Pharisee boasted that he paid tithe of all that he possessed, that he fasted twice a week. Paul was unrebukable according to the law, and after a sort conscionable in exercises of Religion. Psalm 50. God tells the hypocrite he will not reprove him for his sacrifices, this way he was not much behind hand.

Reasons.

• 1. A certain natural spark of the knowledge of God is left in man since the fall.
• 2. It is a credit to be somewhat Religious.
• 3. It is fit to feed their pride and a conceit of their own goodness.
• 4. This is a means of nourishing him in his false and presumptuous hope of salvation.

The difference between the religion of the hypocrite and true-hearted:

• 1. In the matter, the one meditateth in the word read and heard, applying it to himself, by turning it into matter of sorrow or joy, confession or petition; the hypocrite will never thus apply the word of God unto himself in the several parts of it.
• 2. The hypocrite hath always a false or evil end in his devotion; either he aims at praise amongst men, or earning heaven to himself notwithstanding his bearing with himself in some sins, he aims not at the pleasing of God and getting grace and power to himself that he may overcome sin.
• 3. They differ in the fruit and manner of performing these exercises; the hypocrite neither hath nor careth to have the power of these acts working mightily in his heart. The Pharisees contented themselves to wash the outside of the cup and platter, and to be zealous observers of the letter of the law, being yet within full of all wickedness. The most accomplisht hypocrite cannot express 1. The life and power of a Christian, 2. Nor the joy of a Christian.

The open profane man may be worse then the hypocrite in some respect, he dishonoreth God more, and sinneth with a higher hand, and with more contempt of God, and also with more hurt to •• en by his example, then the wicked man doth. Yet the hypocrites case in other respects is worse then the state of the profane man,

• 1. In this life, he is hardlier brought to a sense of his sin, and to repentance for it, Matth. 21. 31.
• 2. In the life to come, because they have sinned against greater means and light, they shall receive the greater damnation, Matth. 11. 24.

Many an hypocrite will 1. Constantly hear and frequent the best Ministry, Isa. 58. 2. Ezek 33. 31, 32. 2. Will keep a constant course in prayer, and that not in ordinary prayer only, but even in extraordinary too, Luke 18. 12. compare Zach. 7. 5. & 8. 19. together. 3. Is a strict observer of the Sabbath day, Luke 13. 14, 15. John 5. 10. 4. Loveth the sincerity of Religion and hateth Popery, will-worship and idolatry, with all the relics and monuments of it, Rom. 2. 22, 23. 5. Goeth a great deal farther in the reformation of his life, then the civil man doth, 2 Pet. 2. 20. Luke 11. 42.

We should labor for a spirit without guile, Psal.? 2. 2.

That spirit is

• 1. An humble spirit before, in, and after duty.
• 2. An honest spirit, carried equally against all sin.
• 3. A plain spirit.

Idleness.

Idleness is a vice of spending time unprofitably.

It is vivi hominis sepultura. Solomon often condemneth sluggishness, Prov. 6. 9, 10, 11. which saying he repeats again, Proverbs 24. see Proverbs 20. 13.

An idle man is a burden to himself, a prey to Satan, the devils cushion, semper aliquid age ut te diabolus inveniat occupatum. A grief to God's Spirit, Ephes. • . 28. 30.

Bodily sloth you cannot bear, and soul-sloth Christ cannot bear, Matthew 25. 26.

Sins accompanying idleness.

• 1. Inordinate walking, 2 Thess. 3. 11, 12.
• 2. Talebearing, 1 Tim. 5. 13. Prov. 11. 13.
• 3. Theft, Ephes. 4. 28. 2 Thess. 3. 12.
• 4. Drunkenness, Amos 6. 1.
• 5. Filthiness, see 2 Sam. 11. Ezek. 16. 49. Idleness is the mother and nurse of lust.

Water standing still will putrefy and breed toads and venomous things, so ease will breed diseases.

The punishments of idleness.

• 1. Diseases.
  Cernis at ignavum corrumpunt otia corpus?
• 2. Dulness, idleness is the rust of wit.
• 3. Poverty, Prov. 10. 4. & 20. 13, 19. & 6. 10, 11. & 24. 34.
• 4. Shame, Prov. 10. 5. & 6. 6. & 12. 11.

It is against the order of nature which God set in all his creatures at the first, the heavens stand not still but by miracle; Adam labored in Paradise, much more since the fall; Job 5. 7. The rust fretteth unused iron, and the moths eat unworn garments.

This is the sin of great persons who •• ve received great mercies from God, Cretans, idle, slow-bellies.

This sin is condemned,

• 1. Exceedingly in the word, by Solomon, Prov. Eccles. Isaiah, and by Paul, and in moral Philosophy.
• 2. It is a mother-sin, as was shown before.
• 3. Produceth many plagues, rheums, obstructions, and other inconveniences, as hath been also shown, and exposeth one to great danger.

A good remedy against idleness is diligence in some honest calling. Jacob and his sons, Moses and David were shepherds, 1 Sam. 12. 1, 2. Let him that hath an office wait upon it. This humbleth the mind, profits the estate, and makes a man able to do good to himself and others, interests a man to the things of this life; he that labors not must not eat, in all labor there is abundance. It fits him for religious duties; if it be moderate, makes the life cheerful, prevents evil fancies.

Impenitence.

Impenitence is a great sin under the Gospel, Acts 8. 22. The longer one lies in any sin the more is the heart hardened, Ier. 16. 1. Ephes. 4. 18, 19. He which hardeneth his heart against many reproofs, shall surely perish; obstinate, impenitent sinners shall be destroyed, 1 Sam. 12. 25.

Impenitence perfectly conforms one to Satan, who is in malo obfirmatus, and sins without remorse, In malo perseverare diabolicum.

Reasons,

• 1. Repentance is God's gift, therefore denying of it is God's curse.
• 2. Hereby the highest favor of God is despised, the offering of repentance is a mercy that belongs to the second Covenant; obstinacy in sinning is a denying of God's justice, and abusing his mercy.
• 3. So long as one lives in any sin without repentance, so long God looks on him as continuing in that sin, his mind is not changed.
• 4. Without repentance there is no remission, Acts 5. 31. Luke 24. 47. therefore the sin against the holy Ghost is unpardonable, Heb. 6. 6. because one cannot repent.
• 5. Final impenitency is a certain evidence of ones reprobation, Rom. 2. 5. Heb. 12. 17.
• 6. Under the Gospel there are the greatest arguments and motives to repentance, Matth. 3. 2. Acts 17. 30. Christ himself sent John before him to preach the doctrine of repentance, and he himself did also preach it; he bad men amend their lives, because the Kingdom of God was at hand: and his Apostles also preached the same doctrine of repentance.

He is a willful sinner which either holds in himself a purpose that he will sin, or is irresolute and not settled in a firm purpose of not sinning, or that purposeth to mend but not till hereafter.

Injustice.

Injustice is a sin.

Every man is to have his own, and to be permitted the quiet enjoyment of that wherein he hath interest.

They execute no judgment. Solomon saith in the place of judgment there was iniquity. I looked for judgment, and behold oppression, Isaiah.

Reasons.

• 1. The excellency of the thing abused, judgment is a part of God's authority. It is God's judgment which you execute, saith Jehoshaphat; therefore it is a foul thing to abuse a thing so sacred and of such high respect.
• 2. The causes of it are covetousness, distrust of God's providence, shaking off the fear of God, and extinguishing the light of nature, denying God's Lordship over the whole world.
• 3. The effects of it are bad.

• 1. It defiles a man's conscience: Judas cast away the thirty pieces which he came unjustly by.
• 2. It will ruinate his state and family: A man shall not roast what he caught in hunting.
• 3. It blemisheth the name and stains a man's reputation: The Publicans were in such hateful esteem among the Jews, that they were ranked with the very harlots, and most notorious sinners, because they cared not what nor from whom they gat.
• 4. Riches deceitfully gotten is vanity tossed to and fro by them which seek death, a man shall be damned for unjust gain, unless repentance and restitution come between. The Apostle saith, God is an avenger of all which do such things; Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?

Intemperance.

It is an inordinate appetite or immoderate desire and use of meat and drink, and this is when a due mean is exceeded, either in the costly preparation of them for ourselves or others, or in the too liberal and excessive use of them so prepared.

Degrees of intemperance. 1. More secret.

• 1. When men's thoughts run after what they shall eat or drink, Matth. 6. 25. When animus est in patinis, Rom. 12. 13.
• 2. When we delight too much in it; as Philoxenus who wisht he had a neck like a Crane, that he might take the longer delight in swallowing of his meat and drink.
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• 3. When we feed securely, Jude 12. are too much taken up with the creatures.

2. More notorious.

• 1. When men eat more then their stomachs will digest, Prov. 23. 1, 2.
• When they are too dainty, nothing will down but what is delicious and costly, as the rich man in the Gospel.
• 3. When they eat and drink unseasonably, as Isa. 12. 13. Amos 6. 1, 2. when they eat one meal too hastily after another, not allowing nature sufficient time for concoction, and those that will be still tippling.

Helps against it.

• 1. Read, hear and practice the word.
• 2. Pray.
• 3. Join fasting with prayer.
• 4. Consider the bounty of the Lord in giving us good things and for what end, viz. strength.

LYING.

LYing is a voluntary uttering of that which is false against a man's knowledge and conscience, with an intention to deceive, see Proverbs 12. 19. 22. & 13. 5.

In respect of the end it is distinguished into perniciosum, officiosum, and jocosum, a hurtful, officious, and merry lie. August. in Enchirid. ad Laurent. Aquinas 2 ^a 2ae quaest. 110. Art. 2. The end of a pernicious lie is to hurt, of an officious lie to profit, of a merry lie to delight.

We must not tell a lie for God's glory, Job 13. 7. much less for to help my neighbor.

Officious lying is neither permitted nor approved in the word of God. God threatens to destroy all those that speak leasing, Psal. 5. 6. See Prov. 6. 16. Matth. 5. 37. Ephes. 4. 25. Col. 3. 9. Rev. 21. 27. & 22. 15.

The very Heathens themselves abhorred all lying, Aristotle saith, A lie is evil in itself and to be dispraised.

It is a great sin.

Reasons.

• 1. The Law of God is against it; the ninth Commandment, and the Gospel, Col. 3. 9.
• 2. It is against the nature of God, the Father is the God of truth, John 17. 3. the Son is truth, John 14. 6. the holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth, John 16. 13. and the Word of God which is the word of truth, Ephes. 1. 13. It makes us like the devil, John 8. 44.
• 3. It is against natural conscience; a little child will blush at a lie.
• 4. It is basely esteemed of by all generous men, they abhor above all things the imputation of lying. It was in great reproach among the Persians, saith Brissonius.
• 5. It is contrary to all civil society, takes away all commerce betwixt man and man. Mendax hoc lucratar ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur, it is the just reward of a liar not to be believed when he tells truth.
• 6. Omnibus peccatis cooperatur, Aug. It hath an influence on all sins. Lying and stealing are joined together, Ephes. 4.
• 7. The punishment of it is great, as we may see in Gehazi, Ananias and Sapphira. Psal. 5. and often in the Proverbs the Lord abhors it. Rev. 21. 8. & 22. 15. liars are joined with great sinners. See Isa. 63. 8. & Prov. 6. 17.

Popery is a doctrine of lies, 1 Tim. 4. 2.

The great honor of the Saints is to walk in the truth, 3 John 4. see Ephes. 4. 5: Buy the truth and sell it not.

Erasmus had such an antipathy with lying, that from his youth he would usually tremble at the sight of a noted liar.

Malice.

It causeth a man to receive pleasure in the practice of cruelty; so the brethren of Joseph, and Cain, 1 Sam. 19. 13, to the 18.

Reasons,

• 1. It is most of all contrary to charity, therefore it must needs bring forth quite contrary effects to it; and as that makes a man to take pleasure in doing good, so this in doing evil, for both virtues and vices cause him in whom they rule to take content in those things wherein they are exercised, and by which they are strengthened and increased, as both charity is by well doing, and malice by doing evil.
• 2. Where malice doth rule, the Spirit of God is quite gone, and the light of nature extremely dimmed, and a man is given over into the power of Satan; for in giving place to wrath a man gives place to the devil.
• 3. It distempers the judgment, will and affections.

Murmuring.

It is first, a sin reproved by God, and a provocation of him, Ion. 4. 8. The Israelites were very guilty of it, see Numb. 17. 12. Psal. 106▪ 25.

Secondly, It is a high degree of sin.

• 1. Hereby thou exaltest thy will above God's, and makest it the rule of goodness.
• 2. You put God out of his throne, out of Government; in every murmuring against his dispensations thou deniest his Sovereignty.
• 3. Hereby thou makest thyself wiser then God in divine things.
• 4. This is a way to provoke God to greater displeasure, Amos 4. 12.

Arguments against murmuring and discontent under God's administrations.

• 1. It is a Christians duty to be content with the things present, Heb. 13. 1 Thess. 518. such a one can never be thankful.
• 2. All your murmurings are against God, Numb. 14. 27. & Exod. 16. 8. you charge God with folly, Job 1. ult.
• 3. This will heighten your sin and add to your plagues, Rev. 16. 19. Isa. 51. 20.
• 4. If the Lord should hearken to your murmuring, you would quickly destroy yourselves, Hos. 13. 11.

Oppression.

Oppression is a great sin, Isa. 3. 15. Psal. 14 4. & 17. 12. Amos 8. 5. Mic. 3. 3. Hab. 2. 11, 12. & 1. 14. Ier. 12. 13. & 5. 27, 28.

Pride and unjustice in the extremity meet in an oppressor. The Prophet cries out of them which grind the faces of the poor, of them which are like the wolves in the evening, of them which covet fields and take them by force, because there is might in their hands.

Reason, It is an abuse of a special gift of God quite contrary to his appointment which gave it, God made the stronger therefore to be the stronger, that he might defend the weak, as the greater sims and bones of the body hold up the burden of it.

PERJURY.

PErjury is mendacium juramento firmatum, a lie confirmed with an oath; so Peter Lombard Distinct. 39. The same thing by the addition of an oath that a lie is in a bare promise, saith Dr. Sanderson.

It is double.

• 1. When a man affirmeth or denieth upon oath that which he believeth in his own heart to be quite contrary.
• 2. When he bindeth himself by oath to do or forbear that which he for the present time hath no purpose nor intention to perform.

The old saying is, Once forsworn, ever forlorn.

No Casuist doubts of it that a Turk may be guilty of perjury, and for it be punished by the true God, if he forswear himself, though he swear but by Mahomet a false Prophet.

Such a one that compels a man to perjury is a murderer, saith Austin, duplex homicida, say the Schoolmen.

A fellow hearing perjury condemned in a Pulpit by a learned Preacher, and how it never escaped unpunished, said in a bravery, I have oft forsworn myself, and yet my right hand is not a whit shorter then my left; which words he had scarce uttered, when such an inflammation arose in that hand, that he was constrained to go to the Surgeon and cut it off, least it should infect his whole body; and so his right hand became shorter then his left, in recompense of his perjury, which he lightly esteemed of. The Theatre of God's judgments, c. 28. of Perjuries.

The small success that the Emperor Sigismund had in all his affairs (after the violation of his faith given to John Hus and Jerome of Prague at the Council of Constance, whom though with direct protestations and oaths he promised safe conduct and return, yet he adjudged to be burned) doth testify the odiousness of his sin in the sight of God.

Polygamy.

Lamech first brought it into the world, Abraham into the Church by Sarah's means, Jacob was forced to it by a kind of necessity.

It is a sin, and is evidently blamed by Moses, Levite. 18. 18. that is, Ye shall not take more at once: that this verse is meant of Monogamy is proved by Analogy with verse. 16. and Solomon by way of recantation after his excessive faultiness therein (having had a thousand wives) saith Prov. 5. 18. Rejoice with the wife of thy youth, wife not wives, the first to whom thou didst join thyself in youth. The Scripture calls second wives in Polygamy vexers or enviers, Gen. 4. 23. 1 Sam. 1. 6. The Prophet Mal. 2. 14, 15. in the Old Testament, and Christ in the New, Mat. 19. 5, 9. reproves it: if one be guilty of adultery that puts his wife from him, and marries another, then also if he keep her and takes another to him besides her, 1 Cor. 7. 2. his proper wife. It is a swerving from God's first institution.

Secondly, The conjunction of one man and woman is sufficient for the ends for which Matrimony was first ordained, viz. mutual helpfulness and increase of mankind.

Thirdly, It is the best way to quench lust and order the appetite.

There are two kinds of Polygamy Simultanea and Successiva, the having of more wives successively, or at one time. The Montanists and the Novatians held, That if a man buried one wife he might not marry another, and the Church of Rome forbiddeth the blessing of second Marriages in the Church, but this Polygamy is not only allowed Rom. 7. but in a sort commanded also 1 Tim. 5. 14. and the Fathers justify it. It is only the having of many wives together that is condemned by the Old and New Testament and Fathers.

We read not that Jacob's marriage with his two sisters, nor Lots daughters incest with him was condemned, yet they were sins.

The Patriarchs lived and died in the sin of Polygamy, not through any impiety, the Lord testifying their hearts were upright, but merely through the mistaking of that place, Levite. 18. 18. taking the word Sister for one so by blood, which was spoken of a Sister by Nation, as those clauses to vex her, and during her life do evince, Prov. 19. 2. But no such place was extant in Abraham and Jacob's time.

That Polygamy though so common and connived was in the Mosaical Law inhibited, Levite. 18. 18. in those words, A wife to her sister, that is, one to another, as that form is commonly taken, seems evident enough, and so Junius takes it.

That of God by Nathan to David, 2 Sam. 12. 8. seems not to be any approbation, but that all which was Saul's came by the disposal of God into David's power, though it appeareth not that David made such use of that power which yet he might have done without any such notorious wrong unto any, as he offered to Uriah.

Pride.

Pride is a great sin, Prov. 16. 5. Psal. 101. 5.

It is a vice whereby one makes a high account of himself, Isa. 2. 11, 17. it makes a man somebody in his own esteem, it makes one count himself something, as Paul saith, He that counteth himself something when he is nothing, deceives himself, Galat. 6. 3. it is called being great or high in ones own eyes, a lifting up or exalting ones self.

Initium omnis peccati superbia est: Quid est autem superbia, nisi perversae celsitudinis appetitus? Aug. de civit. Dei, l. 14. c. 13.

It is Inordinatus appetitus propriae excellentiae, an overweening conceit of a man's own excellency, self is his God, his chiefest good and utmost end; the greater the excellency is the higher the pride, it is a greater pride to be proud of gifts and parts then to be proud of riches and honor, and to be proud of grace then of gifts, of ones own righteousness. The root of all other sins (saith Aquinas) ex parte aversionis is superbia, ex parte conversionis avaritia. Pride refers to self-excellency, covetousness to creature-excellency. Pride is the measure of corruption, and humility of all grace.

What swelling and ambitious Titles are those in the styles of the Roman Emperors, Invictus, Victor, Defensor, Triumphator, and the like! Those of the Pope, as Universal Bishop, Prince of Priests, Supreme Head of the Universal Church, and Vicar of Christ here upon earth! Of the great Turk and some other mighty Princes!

This is one of the sins which the fear of God will make a man to hate, Prov. 8. 13. one of the sins of Sodom which procured unto her that strange overthrow, Ezek. 16. 49. See Isa. 28. 1. Ier. 48. 29. Rom. 1. 30. 1 Tim. 3. 2. A vice whose name is comprehended in a Monosyllable, but in its nature not circumscribed with a world.

Reasons.

• 1. It is a most absurd and unreasonable vice for such a mean creature to swell, mean in his creation, vile since his corruption.
• 2. A most harmful and pernicious vice; this causeth the man in whom it is to be loathed of God, The proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 16. 5. and haughty eyes are one of the things which his soul hateth, He resisteth the proud, it makes men to despise him, and count him base, he is by it made uncapable of doing and receiving good.
• 3. It is a great sin against the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Matth. 11. ult. Christ's whole life was a constant lecture of humility.
• 4. It opposeth God as God, other sins set against God's justice, mercy, his Law; but this against God as he is God, it is to make ones own will the supreme rule of all things.
• 5. It is a sin which runs out in many kinds and objects, it may arise from our very graces, so that a man will be proud, because he is not proud, it was Mr. Fox his speech, As I get good by my sins, so I get hurt by my graces, the more universal any sin the more dangerous.

Pride hath three degrees:

• 1. Close and secret pride, when though it be retired as a King into his closet, yet it rules Ier. 48. 26. it bears rule in all unsanctified men, for they dare oppose God's Commandments, cross his directions for their lusts sake, murmur against him, this is to prefer themselves above him.
• 2. More open, when being fed fat with wealth, learning, it makes a man plainly to count himself some worthy person, this is high-mindedness, 1 Tim. 6. 17. and being puffed up, 1 Cor. 8. 1.
• 3. Most open, when it dares even contest with God, and sets light by him in plain terms, as Pharaoh Exod. 5. 2. Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3. 15. the King of Tyre, Ezek. 28. 26. Antichrist, 2 Thes. 2. and some Heathen Emperors would be worshipped as God.

Amongst all vices there is none that discovers itself sooner then pride; for the speech, we read of a proud mouth, Jude v. 16. for the gate, we read of a foot of pride, Psal. 36. 11. for apparel, of a crown of pride, Isa. 28. 1. of a chain of pride, Psa. 73. 6. Many that know not the man, yet point at him as he walks in the streets, and say, There goes a proud fellow, which men usually pronounce of no vice beside but the drunkard, and therefore doth the Prophet Habakkuk 2. 5. join them both together.

It bears rule when it is not constantly observed and resisted with sorrowful confessions and self-judging and earnest prayers to God against it.

The effects of it in all estates:

• 1. A proud man cannot brook a wrong without chafing and distemper.
• 2. It breeds conscientiousness, aptness to strive, to fall out, to be and continue to be at variance with other men, Only by pride cometh contention, Prov. 13. 10.
• 3. Such a one worketh in proud wrath, when he is angry he carries himself haughtily, and cares not what he says, with whom he is angry, to deal in proud wrath argues a proud man.
• 4. Headiness and high-mindedness and self-willednesse; Paul joins headiness and high-mindedness together, the better a man thinks of himself the more apt he is to be ruled by himself, and not regard the counsel of others; it is said of the proud builders of Babel, This they did and would not be stopped.

Secondly, In prosperity he brags and boasts and sets up himself, never fears any alteration, but is secure and saith, He shall not be moved.

Thirdly, In adversity he whines and mutters, and is full of complaints, and is ready to use ill shifts, and cannot frame himself to a useful and patient bearing of it.

Lastly, Consider the hurt it doth in the world.

First, It hinders men from receiving good either from God or man.

• 1. It hinders the good of illumination, God teacheth the humble: See Ier. 13. 15. Prov. 26. 12. Psal. 25. 9.
• 2. The good of Sanctification, Except you become as little children you cannot be my Disciples.
• 3. The good of comfort, To him will I look who is of a contrite spirit.
• 4. It is the main impediment of conversion. See Exod. 18. 11. Job 26. 12. Mal. 4. 1. Luke 1. 5.

Secondly, It depriveth us of all the good we have received, and unfits us for doing service.

Thirdly, It is the mother of all sins, covetousness grows on it, Hab. 2. 5. it whets revenge, Esth. 3. 16.

Helps against it:

• 1. Pray to God to show it and make it hateful.
• 2. Meditate of your own meanness and baseness, bodily and spiritual, in this life and another.
• 3. Be diligent in some virtuous calling.
• 4. Observe God's judgments on pride, either upon yourselves, or those that are near you, Dan. 5. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 7. it is the sure fore-runner of ruin.
• 5. Draw out the Spirit of Christ's humiliation, Phil. 2. 5, 7.
• 6. Let every act of pride be accompanied with a subsequent act of humility, 2 Chron. 32. 25. 1 Chron. 21. 8.
• 7. Treasure up some holy principles, and keep them always present and ready in your thoughts, Psal. 119 9.
  • 1. The only way to exaltation is not to affect it, He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, Jam. 4. 10.
  • 2. The ornament of an high estate is not outward splendor, but a lowly mind, I am. 1. 10. when one can be minimus in summo.
  • 3. Those that are most worthy of praise do most despise it, Prov. 11. 12.
• 8. Take heed of those things which nourish pride, idleness, voluptuousness, delighting in earthly vanity, looking much abroad to others faults, promising ourselves much prosperity, long-life, in the abundance of outward things.

RAILING.

RAiling is a great sin.

Our Savior having condemned rash anger, proceedeth to blame this evil effect of it, saying, He that saith Raka, or he that calleth his brother fool, plainly enough intimating, that commonly distempered and inordinate anger doth bring forth such language. See what companions the holy Ghost hath yoked with railers, 1 Cor. 6. 9. & 5. 11.

Psal. 50. David saith, He heard the reproach of many. Saul railed on Jonathan, and called him the Son of the perverse rebellious woman, as much as if in plain english he had called him whoreson varlet. Nabal railed on David and his servants which were sent unto him; and Rabshekeh railed on the living God; the Jews railed on Christ, saying, Thou hast a Devil. Shimei on David, 2 Sam. 16. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Railing is the uttering of such words and terms against any man as do aim at his disgrace, to make him appear contemptible, hateful and vile.

Not only those rail which call others vile names, as rogue, fool, asse, this is the highest degree of railing, but all vilifying terms, Thou, what art thou? a pin for thee, thou art this and that, casting in a man's teeth his faults and imperfections, yea or any words tending to reproach, is railing.

Reason why it is so great a sin:

• 1. It is contrary to equity, which requires that a man should deal no otherwise with his neighbor then he would have his neighbor to deal with him, no man can brook railing terms, but abhors them.
• 2. It is against charity:
  • 1. It is a fruit of bitterness and wrath in him that doth it, and shows that he is provoked and inflamed; now charity is not provoked.
  • 2. It tends to the disgrace of another to blemish his name, and make him appear vile and contemptible to others, which is against the rules of charity, for charity covers faults, and this lays them open.
  • 3. In some cases it is contrary to truth and verity.

Men are prone to this sin, because they are full of pride, passion, bitternesle, uncharitableness, which ingender it.

A man should be able to hear himself railed at.

• 1. Because we deserve greater evil at God's hand.
• 2. We are never the worse for it.
• 3. Because it argueth folly and pride to be troubled at another's railing on us, folly in thinking ourselves the worse for such speeches, pride in that we cannot endure to be despised.

Rebellion.

Rebellion is twofold
• 1. Against God.
• 2. Against Man.

1. Against God.

A willful practicing of known transgressions, or neglecting of known duties.

It is dishonorable to God as rebellion against a Prince.

Samuel told Saul that rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft, the witch makes the devil a god, the rebel makes himself a god.

As he that entertaineth in his mind a false conceit of things is guilty of error, but if he settle himself in this false conceit, and hold it fast, that is a prejudice, a rooted and grounded error: so he which in his will entertains a deliberate purpose of sinning against his knowledge, or the evident means, is guilty of rebellion: he that stands to his purpose still and still, and goes on in it against reproof and admonition, he adds stubborness to his rebellion.

Three things concur to the making of rebellion:

First, A person subject to Authority that in duty ought to be under the government of another.

Secondly, A Governor that hath a just and lawful title to govern and rule.

Thirdly, Acts of that inferior crossing, thwarting, opposing the commandments of that Governor.

So it stands between God and us when we sin.

• 1. We are his Subjects, persons that in duty ought to be at his command, and to order ourselves according to his will, because he made us and preserves us, and giveth us all things which we have upon condition of obedience, therefore it is equal we should be guided by him, and rebellion is unreasonable, we shall not get but lose by it.
• 2. He hath absolute right over us.
• 3. Sins do contradict the Commandment and Laws of God which he hath revealed and made known, thus sin is like rebellion, therefore so termed in Scripture, Psal. 51. 2. 2 Sam. 15. God saith often of Israel, They are a rebellious house. It is an actual refusing to be under the sovereign▪ Authority of God our Lord and King.

Reasons, It is an actual denying of God's Sovereignty, and as it were a deposing of him from his Government of the world, a robbing him of the honor of his Wisdom, Justice, Power, Authority, it is an opposing of our will to God's will, by holding in ourselves a purpose of doing what he forbids, and not doing what he commands, for our pleasure, profit or credit sake, as Saul spared the cattle for his profit which God would have killed.

2. Against man.

It is a great fault for children or subjects to be disobedient to their Parents or Princes.

Many of the Kings of Israel did fall by the treason of their subjects, as the story recordeth. Mordecai when he knew of two Eunuchs which plotted against the life of Ahasuerus, was careful to reveal the matter to Esther, and she unto the King, whereby the conspirators were punished and he escaped. A wretched and untimely death befell Eli's sons for not hearkening to their fathers admonitions, and other sins.

The causes of rebellions, conspiracies, treasons and insurrections are always naught and evil, they have their original from one of these three vices, ambition, discontentment or superstition, most of the conspirators which are noted in the stories of the Kings of Israel to have slain their masters, and reigned in their rooms, were ambitious: now all these three are foul faults, and therefore rebellion which flows from them. The effects also which follow upon this fault are most loathsome and evil.

• 1. The practicers seldom or never fail to bring on themselves mischief and destruction, as Sheba who rebelled against David, and divers others, the Kings of Israel which came in by treason, their sons still by treason likely thrust them out, so that even Jezebel could say, Had Zimri peace which slew his master?
• 2. It brings misery to a whole Nation, it brings likely with it civil war, and so all manner of confusion.

Reasons.

• 1. It is plainly and often condemned in Scripture, and therefore crosseth clear and many precepts.
• 2. It is a great fault in regard of the mischievousness of it, for it tends to overthrow all the comfort of men's lives, and to destroy the welfare of human societies.
• 3. It is a great sin in respect of the persons against whom it is committed, a Father is the name of the greatest sweetness and goodness, and a King of the greatest power and majesty, the one being also a common Father, and the other a domestical King; the one is a lively picture of God's goodness, the other of his greatness.
• 4. In regard of the great obligations by which the persons offending stand bound to their duty; the one, the child is bound by the strongest bond of nature seeing he is as it were a piece of the Father which oweth to him his being, education, preservation and maintenance: the other the Subject is bound by the strongest civil bond, viz. an oath.

How many malefactors when they come to be hanged, have most bitterly complained of their undutifulness and disobedience to their parents, as the cause of all their misery!

The Pope of Rome and his Jesuited faction teach and maintain rebellion and treason in Subjects against their Princes, giving to the Pope power in order to things spiritual to depose Kings, and to free their Subjects from the oath of Allegiance which they have taken.

Revenge.

Men for the most part are very revengeful, prone to revenge, as Cain, Joseph's brethren, Esau, Absalom, Haman: The sons of Jacob bitterly avenged the wrong done to their Sister. Saul 1 Sam. 15. 24. & 18. 26. The Pharisees who perverted God's Commandment; for when God said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, they added another sentence to it, as if it had necessarily followed thereupon, But shalt hate thine enemies, as if God had enjoined love only to neighbors, that is, such as did dwell quietly by us, and used us in a kind and neighborly fashion, but that he allowed us to hate such as were our enemies and did misuse us; to this purpose they perverted another saying of the Law, A hand for a hand, as if God had there given way to revenge, and allowed every man to return evil for evil, whereas that is spoken of the Magistrates duty in punishing wrong-doers, not of every man's own liberty as if he should do wrong.

Reasons.

• 1. Carnal reason persuades us this is a thing very equal and righteous, because it seemeth to approach somewhat near to that which is indeed a known and approved rule of equity, viz. to do as we would be done to, wherefore corrupt reason a little varieth that maxim, and alloweth us to do as we are done to, and saith Why should I not use him as he used me?
• 2. Carnal reason doth also persuade it is a course of safety and security for ones self. For by this means one shall make men more afraid (thinketh that reason) to do me wrong, if I return their wrongs upon them.
• 3. Pride possesseth all men naturally, this stirreth men up to revenge.
• 4. Every man's heart aboundeth with self-love, and love cannot endure to see evil done to the person loved.
• 5. We are all void of charity and love to our brethren, hence there is an aptness to be provoked and do them hurt if we seem to have any cause.
• 6. It gives a kind of pleasure and satisfaction to hatred or envy, of which it is a kind of exercise, as scratching doth to him that hath the itch.

Revenge is a requiting of evil for evil, a doing hurt again to them from whom one hath received hurt, and measuring ill measure for ill measure. A dog in the Law was an unclean beast because he was revengeful.

• 1. Revenge transgresseth the plain light of nature which bids us do as we would be done to, and every man would be forgiven and not have revenge taken upon him.
• 2. It is a manifest enemy to peace and concord which we should seek and follow after.
• 3. Injurious to God, a preventing of him, as if he were not careful enough to execute justice.

The best and wisest Heathen writer of moral virtues, hath delivered it as a general principle, that a man must not hurt any other but with this caution and limitation, unless he be first provoked by some injury.

Phocion when he had done great service for Athens, yet they ungratefully putting him to death, he charged his son at his death that he should never remember the Athenian injuries. The King of France after would not revenge the wrongs done to him before when Duke of Orleans.

Signs of Revenge.

• 1. A pitiless disposition, by which one is rather glad then sorry for another's evil.
• 2. Excess in punishing.

Some directions or means for the crucifying of this unruly affection.

• 1. You must subdue pride, and labor to make yourselves base and vile in your own eyes, being worthy of all the wrongs and indignities that can be offered to us in regard of our own sinfulness.
• 2. You must observe God in wrongs, as David, The Lord hath sent him to curse.
• 3. You must often consider of the goodness of God in forgiving your sins many and heinous, Eph. 4. 12. and 5. 2.
• 4. You must often ponder of the necessity of this duty which appears by three things.

• 1. The clear and express commandments given about it, Matt. 5. 39. resisting evil, that is, by doing the like evil to him which he doth to thee, but prepare thyself to bear that and another, rather then by doing the like to repel the former, whereby he meeteth with the cavils which flesh doth enforce to justify revenge, or else I shall be perpetually obnoxious to wrongs, be it so, saith our Savior, thou must rather bear it then resist, Rom. 12. 17. and 19. 1 Thes. 5. 15. no man may render to any evil for evil, that is, evil word for evil word, evil deed for evil deed, taunt for taunt, blow for blow.
• 2. The great danger if it be not mortified, our sins shall never be pardoned, we pray in the Lord's Prayer, Forgive as we forgive, he therefore which forgiveth not, can never have any true assurance of being forgiven, Mat. 6. 14, 15. • o as manifest a promise and threat as any the Scripture containeth or can be made. Now to forgive a wrong and requite it with some evil done to the wrong-doer, are as quite contrary as anything in the world, so that he which will do the one doth not the other, as he which sues and imprisons a man for debt doth not forgive his debt, so he that recompenseth a man evil for his evil doth not forgive his evil.
• 3. The worthy examples which we have of good men that have gone before us in mortifying it, as Christ and other Saints.

To these meditations add fervent prayers to God that he would vouchsafe to season our hearts with humility, meekness, forbearance; that he would strengthen us to pass by wrongs, injuries, indignities, that he would give us his Spirit to crucify this as well as the other lusts of the flesh.

Scandal.

A Scandal or offense is that which is or may be in itself an occasion of falling to another. Any thing whereby we so offend another, as that he is hindered from good, drawn into or confirmed in evil, is a scandal: One saith it is an indiscreet or uncharitable abuse of my Christian liberty.

There is Scandalum 1 datum, 2 acceptum, a scandal given, when a man doth that which is in itself unlawful, or else if it be lawful he doth it in an undue manner, Rom. 14. 20, 21.

First, Scandals given,

• 1. When men by corrupt doctrine endeavor to justify wicked practices, Rom. 16. 17.
• 2. By sinful practices, Prov, 29. 6. and 22. 15.
• 3. By giving just ground of offense in appearance of evil, 1 Thessal. 5. 22. 2 C •• . 8. 19, 20.
• 4. In the abuse of lawful liberty go to the utmost bounds of it, Rom. 14. per tot.

Secondly, A Scandal or offense taken, when men take offense at that which is good, where there is neither evil nor any appearance of it, John. 6. 61. 1 Pet. 2. 7. men take offense at true doctrine and good actions, the Disciples at Christ's doctrine of the resurrection. 2. When their sins are reproved, Lev. 19. 16, 17.

Schism.

Schism in the Church is much like sedition in the State: As the name of Heresy though it be common to any opinion whereof one makes choice whether it be true or false (in which sense Constantine the great called the true faith Catholicam & sanctissimam haeresin ) yet in the ordinary use it is now applied only to the choice of such opinions as are repugnant to the faith: so the name of Schism though it import any scissure or renting of one from another, yet now by the vulgar use of Divines it is appropriated only to such a rent or division as is made for an unjust cause, and from those to whom he or they who are separated ought to unite themselves and hold communion with them. Tota ratio Schismatis, the very essence of a Schism consists in the separating from the Church, I say, from the true and orthodoxal Church. It is a renting or dissolving of that unity which ought to be amongst Christians; See M Marshall 's Sermon on Rom. 12. 4, 5.

It was a memorable speech of Calvin, who said, he would willingly travel all over the Seas and Countries in the world to put an end to the differences that were in the Reformed Churches. Cameron well distinguisheth of a double Schism, 1. Negative, which is a bare secession or subduction, and is unlawful, Non separatio sed causa facit Schismaticum, Cassand. 2. Positive, when there is a certain consociation, which useth Ecclesiastical Laws, the Word of God and administration of the Sacraments separatim, which he calleth setting up an Altar against an Altar; this is called Schism Antonomastic 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 s, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , saith he, de Eccles.

Different forms of Churches and Church-government in one State must needs lay a foundation of strife and division therein. It is no wisdom (saith M. Durie in a Letter) in a State, to reject an approved way of government, which all the best Reformed Churches have received all this while, and acknowledged to be God's way, and by experience found to be safe, sound; and instead of it to take up another, which it is not yet known what it is, nor was ever tried but in two or at the most three Churches, and that for the space of a few years. The slighter the cause of Separation, the greater the fault of Schism; when men hold the same Faith and Orthodox truths, yet separate for lesser matters.

The true Saints in the 7. Churches of the Revelation were never bid go out of them though they were very corrupt, as they were out of Babylon, M. Vines. The first Separatist in the Scripture (saith one) was Cain, Gen. 4. 16. Enforcements to love are clear, 1 Cor. 13. 1. That question of Separation in Scripture is dark. See M. Gillespie miscel. c. 10. and 15. and M. Manton on Jam. 3. 17. Schisma est secessio in religions negotio vel temeraria vel injusta, Cameron de Eocles. Schism is a causeless: separation from external communion with any true Church of Christ: M. Ball against Separation c. 8. Schism is a breach of the unity of the Church. D. Field l. 3. of the Church, c. 5.

We do not leave communion of true Churches for corruptions and sins, but only abstain from the practice of evil in our own persons, and witness against it in others, still holding communion with the Churches of Christ.

You send me unto such a Book of M. Robinson as himself doth begin to revoke publicly as being unsound in divers things, whereas I refer you unto a later book of his made with riper deliberation, and in no part that I hear of publicly revoked. His Book which you send me unto, being his Justification of Separation, is sick of King Jehoram's incurable disease, the guts of it fall out day by day, yea, he openly plucks out some of the bowels thereof with his own hands. This is to be observed by them especially who much follow M. Robinson.

SEDITION.

SEdition is a sin whereto people are much inclined.

It is to leave our present Governors which rule us according to law, and follow other Governors who rise up of their own accord: to leave a David and follow a Sheba.

The Israelites raised sedition against David by means of Absalom and Achitophel, and proceeded so far in their rebellion that they brought it to a pitched field, and would not give over till their Captain with twenty thousand more were slain in the battle, 2 Sam. 19. Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, stir up a great multitude against Moses and Aaron. At another time of themselves they rose against Moses, and were ready to stone him because they wanted water. At another time they cry to have a Captain and return back to Egypt.

M. Hobbes in his Rules of government c. 12. reckons up these two (among other wild ones) as seditious opinions, that the knowledge of good and evil belongs to each single man, and saith, Legitimate Kings make the things they command just by commanding them, and those which they forbid unjust by forbidding them, This is to make Subjects beasts and the Magistrate God: 2. That faith and holiness are not acquired by study and natural reason, but are supernaturally infused and inspired unto man: which if it were true (saith he) I understand not why we should be commanded to give an account of our faith, or why any man who is truly a Christian should not be a Prophet. This opinion is so contrary to Scripture and the judgment of all sound Divines, that I need not spend time to confute it, See Phil. 1. 29. Eph. 1. 8. Heb. 12. 2. One indeed saith, the habits of Faith, Hope, and Charity, are infused after the manner of acquisite, God having ordained not to infuse them, but upon the means of hearing, praying, caring, studying, and endeavoring. Some say, there are no graces wrought in us but several actings of the Spirit, as the Spirit acteth with us, where grace is wrought we need the Spirit to excite and draw it forth, but the Scripture is plain for infused habits, grace is called a good work in us Phil. 1. 6. the Law written in our hearts: God is said to shine into our hearts, 2 Cor. 4. 6. we are said to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. See Eph. 2. 10.

1. It is a sin it is plain by Scripture, how severely did God punish it in Korah and his accomplices, making the earth to gape wide and swallow them up! Solomon condemns it, saying, meddle not with such as be given to change; Gal. 5. 20. yea it is a great sin, as is evident, 1. It is contrary to the light of Scripture, in the Law he that cursed, that is, railed upon, or used ill wishes against the Ruler of his people, was to be put to death, how much more then he that shall rise up against him! The Scriptures of the New Testament are full of precepts for duty and subjection, Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, saith our blessed Savior, Give to everyone his due▪ fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor belongeth, You must needs be subject for conscience sake; And the Apostle willeth Titus to put them in mind to obey principalities, and powers, and be subject to Magistrates, and ready to every good work; as if a man were unfit for any good work, if he be not duly subject to authority.

The Jesuits are still tampering about Kingdoms, Monarchies, Common-wealths, and temporal States, how to bring them into mutinies, contentions, seditions, rebellions, and uproars. Watson's Quodlibets of Religion and State, Quodl. 5. Answer to the fourth Article. They are like unto Aesop's Trumpeter who being taken in war made his lamentation, saying, that he never drew his sword against any, nor shot at any: but the enemy answered, Thou hast animated others, thou hast put courage, rage and fury into all the rest. Saint Peter and Jude do blame them which despise government and speak evil of them in authority.

Secondly, It is contrary to the light of nature, for even among those Nations which never had any divine revelation, yet the necessity of duty to Magistrates was always maintained as a thing which they perceived absolutely requisite for the welfare of human societies, seeing without government the societies of men could never continue in a good estate. No man could possess his own goods, enjoy his own lands and house, live comfortably with his own wife and children, or give himself to any profitable calling and endeavor.

Thirdly, It is contrary to those principal virtues by which all men ought to govern themselves in the course of their lives, unless they will be brutish, appetite ruleth beasts, reason ought to guide man, and a settled habit agreeable to right reason; Now the main and fundamental virtues are religion, justice, charity and prudence, against all which sedition doth evidently oppose itself.

Religion tieth our souls to God, and commandeth us to give him his due, God is not duly feared and honored if his Ordinance of Magistracy be despised.

2. Justice bindeth us to men, and requireth to give every man his due, which we do not if we deny subjection to the Magistrate, by whose power all men else should be helped to the attaining of their right.

3. Charity bids us do good to our neighbors as to ourselves, and how will he do good to other neighbors, who will not perform his duty to his Governors who are appointed for the common good?

4. Discretion and prudence advise to take that course which is most requisite for our own and the common happiness, seeing no member can be long safe if the whole be not kept in safety. It is quite contrary to the common welfare, and consequently to a man's own at length, that the body be rent asunder with sedition.

Fourthly, It is a great sin, since it proceedeth from bad causes and produceth ill eff • cts; Ambition, envy, and discontent at the present estate, and foolish hopes to have all remedied by a change, are the mothers of sedition. 2. The effects of sedition are lamentable; where envying and strife i • , there is sedition and every evil work, James. Envying and strife likely bring sedition, and sedition cometh accompanied with every evil work, viz. with civil war which puts the sword into the hand of the multitude, and makes them bold to kill, spoil, bu • n all which lies in their way without difference or respect of persons, religion and justice are exiled, and fury and passion do what they please. The reason why men are so prone to this sin, is because they are naturally full of those vices which are apt to breed it, viz. ambition, envy, discontent, fond hopes.

Self-love.

It is a vehement and inordinate inclination to ones own content in things carnal, earthly, and sensual, 2 Tim, 3 2. See 2 Cor. 12 7.

There is

• 1. a natural 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or self love, by which everyone from the instinct of nature loves himself, his own body, soul, life, Eph. 5. 29. the Scripture doth not condemn this.
• 2. A divine self-love by which everyone that is born again by the holy Ghost from the instinct of the Spirit, loves himself, as is fit • ing, to the glory of God and good of the Church, these two kinds of self-love were in Christ.
• 3. A devilish self-love, whereby one by the instinct of corrupt nature and inflamed by Satan, so loves himself that he loves no other truly, and seeks only his own things.

Effects of it.

• 1. To praise ourselves, Prov 27. 2. and boast of ourselves as the Pharisee.
• 2. To be imbittered against reproofs.
• 3. To attempt things above our power and place.

Remedies against Self-love.

We should love our best selves, Mat. 6 33. Luke 10. 42. and consider what reason we have to love God above all.

The right knowledge of God and ourselves will cure this corrupt self-love. Consider the baseness of our original, and our evils as well as excellencies, and the purity of God, Job 40. 4, 5.

It is lawful 1. To will our temporal good with moderation.

2. To prefer our necessities before the necessities of others, to defend our own lives rather then the lives of others, unless he be a Magistrate, Thou art better then ten thousand of us. 3. To maintain our reputation and just privileges.

Self seeking.

It is an evil at all times to seek great things to a man's self.

Reasons.

• 1. God hath written a Treatise of purpose to take men off from the creature.
• 2. There are divers commands to the contrary, Phil. 4. 5. prohibitions, Mat. 6. 21. sharp reproofs Eph. 5. • am. 4. 4.
• 3. God is much delighted with such a disposition of the soul, as it is taken off from creature-comforts. Psa. 131.

The greatness of this evil.

• 1. It is the root of all other sins, the first sin that came into the world.
• 2. It is an error circa finem, nay, an error concerning the utmost end, therefore the more dangerous.
• 3. Self as standing in opposition to God, is that against which all the curses of the Law are denounced, Isa. 22. 16, 17. and 23. 8.
• 4. For these self-seekers only the torments of hell are prepared, Cesset propria voluntas & non erit infernus, Bern. God hath ever set himself against self-seekers to destroy them and their house, Prov. 19. 21. Isa. 44. 25. Psa. 33. 10. Isa. 59. 5, 6. Ier. 22. 13. Hab. 2. 9.

This is especially evil in the calamities of the Church, Numb. 14. 11, 12. what is this self compared with the Churches good? this is condemned in Baruch, it is unseasonable. We read not of any Saint in the Scriptures given to covetousness. 2. Hypocrites were given to it, Saul, Demas, Judas.

God's prerogative is,

• 1. To have high esteem from the creature as the chiefest good, to this self-love is opposite.
• 2. To give Laws to the creature as an Absolute Sovereign, to this self-dependence is opposite.
• 3. To have the trust of the creature as an Independent essence, to this self-will is opposite.
• 4. To be the utmost end as the Supreme cause, to this self-seeking is opposite.

Signs of it.

• 1. When one puts himself on the profession of Religion for some worldly advantage, Gen. 34. 22, 23. John 6. 26.
• 2. When men are enemies to Christ's Cross, Phil. 3. 18, 19.
• 3. Envy to others. Gal. 5. 26.

Remedies against it, Consider,

• 1. The greatness of the sin, God should be the chief end, to set up self in his room, no man less enjoys himself then he that seeks himself.
• 2. You will have the greater judgment, Mat. 23. 14.
• 3. Frequently pray against it, and cast back the praises given to thee unto God. Phil. 2. 21. May not our things and the things of Christ consist together-

• 1. All men are not Christ's nor led by his Spirit.
• 2. Many that profess themselves to be Christ's, are none of his, Rev. 3. 4.
• 3. Those that are spiritually quickened keep not close to Christ, See Mat. 12. 30.

Slander.

Slander is a great sin, Psa. 52. 3. Rom. 1. 29. It was the sin of Ziba, Haman against Mordecai, Detractio est alienae famae per verba denigratio, Aquinas 2 ^• . 2ae Quaest. 68. Art. 1. the smiting of a man's good name, the Latins call it detractio, because it is a kind of theft, in that it stealeth from a man's good name. See Ames. de Consc. l. 5. c. 15.

The cause of it is flattery, envy, and twatling, uncharitableness, or malice, or both is the prime cause of it, uncharitableness is the bare absence of charity, malice is a disposition quite contrary to charity, either because a man loves not or hates his neighbor. Charity doth no evil, we should do as we would be done to.

The effects of it are bad, it sets one man against another, and so doth mischief to both, slanderous tongues that told Saul in secret David sought his hurt, made him to persecute him so vehemently. The slanders of Haman caused Ahasuerus to make a Decree for the destruction of all the Jews in his Kingdom, Joseph's Mistresses slanderous accusation brought him into much trouble.

Principal parts of slander.

There are four principal parts of slander.

The 1. and worst, when a man doth purposely forge a lie against his neighbor, without any so much as show or ground, as Mephibosheth was served by his naughty servant Ziba, and as David himself was served by the bad Courtiers about Saul.

2. When there hath been such a thing done or said, but he misreports it, adding or diminishing, wresting and perverting it, and so makes it seem evil that was not so in the intention and practice of the doer, as they wrested our Savior's words to a blasphemous sense.

The third kind, when one reports a false report that he hath heard and taken up upon trust, as Tobiah said it was reported, and such a one did speak it, that Nehemiah meant to rebel.

4. When men complain of a good deed as if it were ill to them that will account it so, as the enemies of the three children accused them to Nebuchadnezzar, and those that told Jezebel of Obadiah's hiding the Prophets.

Helps against it.

• 1. Speak nothing of any man that tends to his hurt and disgrace, of which you are not certain, which you cannot prove to be true, Report is a liar, therefore trust it not.
• 2. Though you do know any evil of your neighbor, yet report it not but when duty binds you, and only to such as duty binds you, I mean chiefly of private faults, or of public, if they be such as cannot be made better by speaking of, nor do good to others by being known.
• 3. Be not tattlers, persons full of tongue, apt to be still speaking, he that speaketh much, will speak much evil, and among the rest, some slanders, when other talk faileth he will fall upon the faults of men.
• 4. When you talk, forbear meddling with other men's matters, be not busy-bodies. He that 1. is of few words, 2. When he speaks meddleth as little as may be with others matters, 3. Forbears to talk of their faults, but as much as he must needs by the bond of duty, and then is sure to say nothing but what he knows and can prove, that man shall not prove a slanderer. Make not yourselves petty Devils by slandering and false accusing, many have learned that evil precept of accusing boldly because something will stick.

Of TALE-BEARING.

TAle-bearing, It is a sin easily to believe false tales, as Saul had an open ear to those Sycophants which were ready to accuse David to him of treason and conspiracy, Ahasuerus to Haman who traduced the Jews as a people careless of the Kings Laws, David to Ziba.

Reasons.

• 1. It is an encouragement and hearkening unto those whose trade is to invent and believe lies.
• 2. It makes a man guilty of those lies to which he hath given furtherance and countenance, and so he is partaker of another's sins.
• 3. It is against the clear principle and rule of all actions, viz. to do as we would be done by, one is offended if another readily receive false tales against him.

Men are subject to this fault, because they are not so perfect in wisdom and charity as they ought to be, uncharitableness, evil suspicions, guiltiness, willingness to have other faulty, and imprudent temerity, are the causes of this over-hasty crediting tales. A good man neither taketh up nor receiveth a slander against his neighbor, Psalm 15. 2. let thy countenance be like the North wind to back-biting tongues.

Vain-glory.

Vain-glory is a great sin, John 7. 18. Matth. 6. beg. We are naturally prone to it Gal. 5. 26.

It is when either by vain means which deserve not praise, or when by good duties in themselves praise-worthy, men seek the praise of men, more then the glory of God, John 12. 44. But by holy means to seek a good name amongst men, with intentional reference to the glory of God, is not to be vain-glorious, see Phil. 4 7.

It is an inordinate desire of account and esteem from men.

The Philosophers (which Jerome was wont to call Animalia gloriae & popularis aurae mancipia ) in those very Books which they wrote against vain-glory, whiles they did underwrite their own names, are condemned as guil • y of that vanity which they seemed to oppose.

It is inordinate,

• 1. When a man desires to be esteemed for those things which are in truth so vile, mean, base, that they do not at all commend, grace or countenance him which hath them, as riches, high place in the world, learning, wit, strength, beauty, nimbleness, eloquence.
• 2. When a man desires esteem from men, with a neglect of the esteem and account which he should desire to have with God.

As Mr. Fox was going along London streets, a woman of his acquaintance met him, and as they discoursed together, she pulled out a Bible, telling him that she was going to hear a Sermon, whereupon he said to her, If you will be advised by me, go home again; but (said she) when shall I then go? To whom he answered, When you tell nobody of it.

One must deny himself in all vain-glory attributed to him, Rom. 12. 3. 2 Cor. 12. 6. see Acts 14. 14, 15. Rev. 19. 10.

He must

• 1. Be nothing in his own esteem, 1 Cor. 11. 31. he must judge aright of his estate, endowments and actions.
• 2. He must be content to be nothing in the thoughts of other men, Zach. 13. 5. Motives to shun vain-glory.

• 1. There is no greater folly in the world then flattery, and there is no greater flattery then self▪ flattery.
• 2. This disposition will betray a man to divers enemies.
  • 1. It will make a man exalt himself.
  • 2. It will strengthen a man's heart against admonition.
• 3. Its easy for the vilest men to keep up a credit in the world; the Pharisees were counted the only Saints.
• 4. God will be highly displeased if we take to us false honor, as he was with Herod.

How to distinguish real glory and vain-glory.

• 1. All true honor is grounded on real excellency, and that which is so in God's account, 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4.
• 2. True honor must be à laudato viro, from one that is praise▪ worthy.
• 3. From persons that know you.

Violence.

Violence is a great sin.

It is unrighteousness born forth with strong hand, with strength of body, wit, or purse of friends, unjustice maintained and backed with strength.

Two things must concur to it.

• 1. An unequal and unrighteous intent and practice.
• 2. A prosecuting such intent and practice with might of any kind, as in one instance the Prophet noteth, They covet fields and take them by force.

A man of violence is he who will bear out a bad matter with money, favor, wit, strength, or any outward helps he can use for that purpose.

That this is evil appears by that place where David affirms of God, that the man which loveth violence his soul hateth, that is, he hates him in all extremity, with an utter hatred, the reason is, because he hath sold over himself to sin; he sins of willfulness, is an obstinate sinner, a despiser of God, he hath buried all justice and equity, love and charity, and shamefully abuseth those gifts to mischief, which God hath furnished him with for better purposes, it begins in very children, the stronger, bigger, and craftier, will wrong the weaker and sillier.

Violence bursting forth into any extremities of dealing, was in the old law punished with the like of that that was done Lev. 24. 17.

Unbelief.

Infidelity was the first sin, Gen. 3. 4▪ and is the mother of all sins, Heb. 3. 12. The evil heart is called the heart of unbelief, as faith is the fountain of all graces, Act. 15. 9. Our Savior often checks his disciples for this, Matth. 6. 30.

It is against those most lovely and soul-ravishing Attributes of God, his mercy, goodness, free grace, longanimity, patience, bowels of compassion.

It is called a provocation, Psal. 78. 4. Heb. 3 8. which notes the highest act of displeasure; the unbeliever is abominable to God and good men, Psal. 15. 4.

It is a departing from God, Heb. 3. 12. see John 3. 33. Christ marvelled at it, Mark 6. 6.

It is hard to find out unbelief to be a sin, not that unbelief whereby we assent not to the doctrine of the Scripture, but that whereby we do not apply Christ for our only Savior, for seeing the Law of God is partly ingra • ted in our nature, we easily believe that what opposeth that is a sin, but the Gospel being wholly supernatural and merely by divine revelation, therefore what opposeth that is not presently acknowledged to be a sin, the Scripture discovers this unbelief.

The Spirit convinceth us of unbelief and the sinfulness of that state, John 16. 9.

• 1. It discovers the nature of it, and therein our ignorance, 2 Cor. 4. 4.
  • 1. In respect of the reality of the Gospel, that there is such a thing as pardon, a reconciled, justified state, faith, hope.
  • 2. In respect of the glory of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Cor. 3. ult. Christ is precious to them that believe.
• 2. Shows the distance that unbelief makes between God and us in our approaches to him, Heb. 3. 12.
• 3. Discovers our rebellion and opposition to God and the righteousness of Christ, Rom. 10. 3. by cavilling, objecting, and hard thoughts of Christ.

Secondly, The Spirit convinceth us of our unbelief in respect of the objects and effects of it.

• 1. Its objects. 1. Christ as he hath all merit and satisfaction, in our approaches to God we cannot set that which is in Christ by way of satisfaction against our own guilt. 2. We are not able to see pardoning promises speak pardon to us through the blood of Christ; as that promise, Isa. 1. 18.
• 2. We improve not the Covenant, we look not upon Christ as the Head of it. As he is the party that makes good the Covenant with God for us, though I have many miscarriages, yet he hath fully satisfied and made reconciliation with God for me, as he is the Head of the Covenant also to us, what need I doubt but I shall have strength? pardon is given into the hands of my Mediator.

2. In reference to the effects of unbelief.

• 1. The Spirit shows a man what weakness and corruption he lies under still by reason of unbelief.
• 2. Lets him see how much terror and guilt he still lies under, he cannot call God father, Heb. 10. 22.
• 3. Discovers the comforts and joys of believers, both from Scripture and the experiences of others of God's people, 1 John 1. 4. & 15. 11. and yet much wrath and guilt still lies upon his conscience.
• 4. The Spirit convinceth of unbelief by a Saints often being at a loss in the things of the Gospel. 1. He goes a long time together, and cannot meet with one promise to suit his condition. 2. When he hath a promise he can make no use of it, cannot plead it with faith and expectation. 3. He cannot walk in the strength of a promise.

Lastly, God's Spirit convinceth us also of the sinfulness of unbelief.

• 1. By clearing up to the soul that he lies under the breach of the great Gospel command.
• 2. By showing what it is to neglect the love and grace of the Gospel, Heb. 2. 3. Matth. 24. 51.
• 3. By presenting to the soul how ill God takes it when we will not believe him.

There are divers aggravations of this sin.

• 1. Other sins deserve damnation, but this formally opposeth the way of salvation. Some say only unbelief damns a man, which is not true in a rigid sense, for every sin damns a man unrepented of, but only unbelief is more opposite to the way of curing then other sins.
• 2. It is opposite to the chiefest grace faith, Illud est optimum cujus privatio est pessima: The Scripture honors faith, giving remission of sins, the righteousness of Christ, and salvation itself to it.
• 3. It dishonors God and Christ, and the holy Ghost; it is the glory of God's love that he becomes thy God, though he so great and thou so vile, this is the honor of Christ to thee, A Son is born, a Child is given, God shows the riches of his free grace here, thou grudgest him the honor to be the pardoner of thy sins.
• 4. It is most rooted in us; hence the Lord so often checks his disciples for their unbelief; and faith is called The work of God in a special manner, because of the difficulty of it, and the contrariety of our natures. Hence Comfort you, comfort you, again and again, because the heart of man terrified for sin doth utterly refuse all true comfort in a right way.
• 5. It hath more fair pretences for it, more arguments then any other sin; that is a dangerous sin which comes upon us as a duty, I am unworthy.
• 6. It puts the lie upon God, John 1. 5. God saith he will be thy God, Christ saith he will put away thy sins, thou sayest he will not.
• 7. The devil most tempts a godly man to this sin, as the incestuous person, the devil had almost tempted him to final despair, as he would hold the profane man in security, so the penitent sinner in irksome unbelief.
• 8. It hath the most terrible and sad effects, it breeds daily unsettledness and tossings of heart, therefore doubting and uncertainty is opposed to faith, at last it will breed secret impatience and grudging against God, and in the end open hatred of him.

Unkindness.

Unkindness is a fault.

This is contrary to a plain precept, Put on kindness; and Be kindly affected one toward another.

Reasons.

• 1. It springs from bad causes, some habitual distempers of self-conceit, pride, malice, or ill education, and a kind of testy and pettish temper, or some present passion of anger, grief or fear, which withdraws the mind from the consideration of that which is comely and convenient.
• 2. The fruits of it are evil. It discontenteth and offendeth those to whom it is shown.

We must consider of our slips in this kind and be humbled for them.

2. Let us learn to mend this fault, and to be plentifully constant in the practice of the contrary duty, even to be kind, affable, and gentle in our whole carriage, and at all times to all men, so far as just occasion offers itself, and not to give over ourselves so far to any passion either of grief or anger, as not to exercise this virtue.

Unsettledness.

See Gen. 49. 4. James 1. 8.

Such Christians as are unstable are easily seduced, 2 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 14.

One Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria was nicknamed Euripus because of his ebbing and flowing.

One sort of Sect • ries there is which will not engage to hold anything, but are known by believing nothing; these pass now under the name of Seekers.

The usual way in these days is to play the Skeptics, and question almost everything in Religion, and hold nothing, or else to place Religion in some new opinion.

Unsteadfast Christians are rotten-hearted, Psal. 78. 36, 37. and will never hold out in time of danger.

Rivet. Discus. Grot. Dialy si Sect. 8. p. 262. taxeth Grotius of great inconstancy.

Causabone Epist. 513. to Scaliger, saith thus of Lipsius, Omnino magnam literae jacturam in eo fecerunt, majorem tamen facturae, si quam verbis docuit constantiam, vita exhibuisset.

Such Christians should be careful to wait on the Ordinances, the Ministry, Ephes. 4. 14. Pray to God to stablish them, see 1 Thess. 3. ult. & 2 Thess. 2. ult. and frequent the company of settled and stablished Christians, and take heed of seducers.

Unthankfulness.

Unthankfulness to God or man is a great sin.

It is contrary to plain precepts, Col. 3. Be ye thankful; and in respect of God he saith, In all things give thanks.

The nine Lepers are secretly taxed by our Savior for not returning to give thanks unto him, when he had delivered them from that foul and infamous disease of the leprosy: The Apostle also taxeth the Gentiles for it, saying, That they glorified not God as God, neither were they thankful.

Reasons. 1. It springeth from evil causes, either from the strength of pride and self-conceit, in that a man thinketh himself worthy of all that which is done for him and more, and conceiveth that all should serve his turn, or from notable folly and unreasonableness, that he wanteth wit to consider of his own need of benefits, or at least from some sudden and vehement passion and distemper.

2. The effects of it are also naught, it offendeth men, it causeth them to repent of their labor, cost, love; and if it be practiced toward God it offendeth him also, and hindereth him from bestowing benefits.

Let us blame ourselves and be humbled for our unthankfulness in defrauding God or men of their due praises and acknowledgement for mercies received; unthankfulness to God shows great blindness of mind, great want of humility in the consideration of our own un worthiness and want of faith in God's providence, let us be humbled for it and crave pardon of it.

2. Let us be careful to reform it, and be constant in the contrary duty.

Usury.

Usury (say some) is a lending for gain.

One describes it thus, Usury is when a man makes a gain of lending and binds the party borrowing without consideration of his gains or losses to repay the principal with advantage. It is hard to design some vices, as Heresy, Sacrilege, and also Usury.

It is matched with theft, Ezek. 18. 13. with adultery, verse. 10. and with violence, verse. 11. It is condemned there amongst the great transgressions of the moral Law, therefore that Law, Levite. 25. 36. is not Judicial, as some say, but Moral, see Exod. 22. 25. & Deut. 23. 19. Psal. 15. 5.

To borrow a thing on usury is to covenant with the lender to return him not only the thing lent in the full quantity of it, but something over and above only in lieu and recompense of the lending of it; which is unlawful, saith M ^r Elton on the eighth Commandment, and he proves it by Ier. 15. 10. and answers there the chief objections brought for usury of any kind.

Sir Francis Bacon calls it the bastard and barren employment of money, and the bastard use of money.

Vel minimus fructus ex pecunia percipi non potest sine Dei offensione & proximi injuria. Calvin. Epist. 226. see his Epist. 383. where he gives strict cautions to those that take use. See B. And. Theologic. determinat. de Usuris, & B. Downames Treatise on Psalm. 15. against it, and Knewstub on the eighth Command. Thom. Aquin. 2 ^a , 2ae. quaest. 78. Artic. 1, 2, 3, 4. and Theatre of God's Judgm. part. 1. c. 42. and especially Dr. Fentons Book.

Rivet in Catholico orthodoxo, Tractatu quarto, quaest. 15. Salmasius de Usuri • , c. 4. and Zanchi on Ephes. 4. and Mr. Perkins on 8 ^th Command. and Dr. Ames on Psal. 15. and de Consc. l. 5. c. 44. and Dr. Hall in his Cases of Consc. seem to allow of it in some cases.

Yet Dr. Hall in his Practical cases of Conscience saith, All usury which is an absolute contract for the mere loan of money is unlawful, both by law natural and positive, both divine and human.

There is not a toleration of usury by that Act Eliz. 13. c. 8. but a limitation of it; the Title of it is An Act against Usury, and it calleth it a detestable sin.