Collection of Discourses, Part 11 · Subpart 20 – Subpart 22
XX. OF THE SIXE FIRST COMMAVNDEMENTS.
IN the firſt precept is cōmaūded the immediate internal worſhip of God, wherof the principall parts are, true knowledg of God, faith, hope, louelove of God, feare of God, &c. as in the the 3 and 10 ſection of the title going next before, beſides all this, herein is forbidden contemp of God, vnbeliefe, doubtfulneſſe and diſtruſt in God, temporarie faith, apoſtaſie, carnal ſecuritie, tempting of God, deſperation, doubt of deliuerance from ſin and eternall life, hatred of God, inordinate louelove of our ſelues and the creatures, ſervile feare, pride, vainglorious hypocriſie, impatience, raſhneſſe.
2. The ſecond precept is a rule of our whole worſhip of God, that wee worſhip not God with any kinde of worſhip, beſides that wherewith he cō maunded himſelfe to be worſhipped: wherfore it commaundeth the true & forbiddeth al the fained and falſe worſhip of God, eſpecially idols and images made to repreſent and worſhip God: alſo negligence of magiſtrates, whereby images or other inſtrumentes, which either doe or may eaſily ſerue to idolatrie, are tolerated in places ſubiect to their authoritie, much more the worſhip of thē; alſo hypocricie and prophaneſſe.
3. The thirde precept requireth that externall worſhip which everie man ought to performe, that is, the furtherance of the true doctriue touching God, lawfull ſwearinge, zeale for Gods glory: if forbiddeth omitting, wearines, and corrupting the doctrine concerning God, neglect of his glorie, blaſphemie, denyal or diſſemblinge the truth, vnſeaſonable confeſſion, abuſe of libertie in things indifferent, ſcandals in life and members, neglect of praier, prayer made after an evill manner, or not the true God, or not lawfully: ingratitude, denyal, neglect and abuſe of Gods benefites; refuſall of neceſſarie ot…es pe…urie, idolatrous, vnlawfull, raſh ſwearinge, vnconſtancie of lightneſſe in defence of Gods▪ glorie, and erringe zeale.
4. The fourth precept containeth that externall worſhip of God, which is publique in his church, or the preſeruation and vſe of the miniſtrie, that is, publique preaching and ſtudie of religion, adminiſtration and vſe of the ſacraments: publique praier: honor & obedience dew to the miniſterie, that is, a mainteining of the miniſterie and ſpirituall ſabbaoth, which is, obedience to this doct…ine. It forbiddeth neglect of the duty of teaching, corrupting and maiming of doctrine, neglect of exhortation to vſe the ſacraments and their lawfull adminiſtration: contempt of doctrine, and curioſitie in ſearching things not neceſſarie: contēpt and prophanation of ſacraments: neglect of publique praier▪ hypocriticall preſence at them, ſuch recital of thē as is vnprofitable to the church; with drawing others frō the miniſterie: aboliſhing the miniſterie, calling ther vntounto men vnworthy, errors about the vſe of the miniſterie, contēpt of miniſters, diſobedience to the miniſterie, ingratitude or harde dealing againſt the miniſters, neglect of ſchooles and ſchollers.
5. The fifte precept commaundeth civile orde…, or mutuall duties of men betweene ſuperiors and inferiors; wherof ſome are peculiar to p…rents, as nouriſhing, defenc, inſtruction, and domeſticall education of their children: to teachers, as ſcholaſtical diſcipline and inſtruction: to magiſtrates, as commaunding the diſcipline of the whole decalogue, and putting the precepts therof in executiō, by defending the innocēt, punniſhing offenders, ordeining and executing politique lawes in common weales: of maiſters, as to commaund their families that which is iuſt, to giuegive rewardes, and gouerne by domiſticall diſcipline: of ſuch as are honorable for age or authoritie, as to direct others both by examples and adviſe: inferiors, as honor, that is reuerence, louelove, obedience, gratefulneſſe, mildneſſe towards ſuperiors. Other ſome are commō to all men, as vniverſal iuſtice, and iuſtice particular diſtributiue, diligence, louelove of parents, grauity, modeſtie, gentleneſſe. Ther-fore it condemneth, in parents neglect or looſeneſſe of education, neglect of defence, or fooliſh zeale for children: In parents and teachers, neglect of inſtructiō, corrupting, too much indulgence or fauor, too much crueltie. In magiſtrates, ſlouth and tirannie: in maiſters granting too much libertie, vniuſt commaundes: defrauding men of their dew hyre or rewarde, too much roughneſſe: in men of authoritie fooliſh coū ſell, light and euill manners, neglect of yonger ſort or others whom they may help or correct: in inferiors defect of reuerence, louelove, obedience, gratification, mildneſſe, or exceſſe, when more of theſe is attributed vntounto them then the lawe of God doth permit. But in all omitting of dutie, diſobedience, eye-ſervice, error or reſpect of perſons in diſtributing offices, honors, or rewardes, ſlouth, buſie curioſity, want of louelove to parents, vniuſt indulgence towards children, ingratitude, vniuſt gratification, lightneſſe, pride, immodeſty, arrogancie, ſhew of modeſtie, too much rigor & ſeverity, too much gentleneſſe.
6 The ſixt precept provideth for the ſafety of our owne and others life and body: & therefore commandeth particular iuſtice, hurting no man gentleneſſe, mildneſſe, quietneſſe, cōmutatiue iuſtice in puniſhmēts, fortitude, humanity, mercy, friendſhip. It forbiddeth vniuſt harming the life or body of our ſelues or others, too much pitty, wrath, vniuſt anger, deſire of revenge, ſtrife, cruelty, reſpect of perſons, turbulency, vniuſt gratificatiō for quietneſſe ſake, cavill vponupon too ſtrict law, private revenge, fearefulneſſe, inhumanity, hatred of our neighbour, inordinate louelove of our ſelues, reioicing in other mens harmes, wāt of pitty in mens miſeries, lightneſſe or inconſtancie in contracting or diſſolving friendſhip, couſenage.
OF THINGS INDIFFERENT.
1. OF humaine actions ſome are in their owne nature good or evill, ſome indifferent.
2 Of their owne nature good are ſuch as be expreſſely commaunded by God, which wee muſt needes doe, according to the intente of the lawe rightlie vnderſtoode.
3. Evill in their owne kinde are ſuch as are expreſſely forbidden in Gods lawe.
4. Indifferent are ſuch as are neyther commaū ded nor exhibited by God.
5. Theſe may either be done or omitted with ſinne, or without ſinne.
6. They are ſinnes when they are either done by the vnregenerate, or of the regenerate, but with ſcandall & offence of themſelues or others.
7. They are no ſinnes when they are done of the regenerate without ſcandal.
8. They are neceſſarie to be done when they cannot be omitted without ſcandal.
9. Therfore of themſelues they are lawfull and good, but yet indifferent and arbitrarie: by accident they may be evil and vnlawful, or neceſſary.
XXII. OF MANS IVSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD.
1. That righteouſeneſſe wherby we are iuſtified before God, is the fulfilling of Gods lawe.
2. Legal iuſtice is the fulfilling of the lawe, performed by him, which is named iuſt.
3. Evangelical iuſtice is the punniſhment of our ſinnes, which Chriſt endured for vsus, freely imputed by God to them that beleeue.
4. Since the fall of man no man beſides Chriſt alone in this life is iuſtified before God by the righteouſeneſſe of the lawe.
5. Wee are iuſtified onelyonly by faith in Chriſt.
6 And yet the righteouſnes of the law muſt in this life be begun in al that will be ſaved.