The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 3
THE THIRD PART OF MANS THANKFVLNES.
86 Whenas wee are deliuered from all our ſinnes and miſeries, without any merit of ours, by the mercy of God onlie for Chriſtes ſake: for what cauſe are we to doe good-workes?
BEcauſe, after that Chriſt hath redeemed vsus with his bloud, he renueth vsus alſo by his ſpirite to the Image of himſelfe: that wee receiuing ſo great benefits ſhouldaRom. 6.13. & 12.1.2. 1. Pet. 2.5.9.10. 1. Cor. 6.20. ſhewe our ſelues all our lifetime thankefull to God, andbMat. 5.16. 1 Pet. 2.12. honour him. Secondly, that eueryevery of vsus may beec2. Pet. 1.10. Mat. 7.17.18. Gal. 5.6.22. aſſured of his faith, by his fruite. And laſtly, that by our honeſt and good conuerſation wee mayd1. Pet. 3.1.2. Mat. 5.16. Rom. 14.19. winne others vntounto Chriſt.
87 Cannot they then be ſaued which be vnthankefull, and remaine ſtill careleſlie in their ſinnes, and are not conuerted from their wickedneſſe vntounto God?
By no meanes. For, as the Scripture beareth witneſſe, neither vnchaſt perſons, nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, nor theeues, nor couetous men, nor drunkardes, nor ſlaunderers, nor robbers, ſhalle1. Cor. 6.9.10. Epheſ. 5.5.6. 1. Ioh. 3.14.15. enter into the kingdome of god.
88 Of what parts conſiſteth the conuerſion of man vntounto God?
It conſiſteth of theaRom. 6.4.5.6. Ep. 4.22.23.42. Col. 3.5.6.7.8.9.10. 1. Cor. 5.7. 2. Cor. 7.11. mortifieng of the oulde man, and the quickning of the new man.
89 What is the mortifieng of the old man?
To bee truely and hartily ſorry, that thou haſt offended god by thy ſinnes, and daily more and more to hate andbRom. 8.13. Ioel. 2.13. Ho. 5.15. & 6.1. eſchew them.
90 What is the quickening of the new man?
True ioy in God throughcRom. 5.1. & 14.17. Iſa. 57.15. Chriſt, and an earneſt and ready deſire to order thy life according to gods will, and todRom. 6.10.11. Gal. 2.20. doe all good woorkes.
91 What are good-workes?
Thoſe only which are done, by a trueeRom. 14.23.faith, according tof1. Sam. 15.22. Eph. 2.10. gods law, & areg1. Cor. 10.31. referred only to his glorie: and not thoſe which are imagined by vsus, as ſeeming to vsus to be right and good, or which arehDeut. 11.32. Ezec. 20.18.19. Jſ. 29.13. Mat. 15.9. deliuered and commanded by men.
92 Which is the Law of God?
God spake all iExo. 20. Deu. 5.theſe wordes.
1 I am the Lorde thy God, which hath brought thee out of Aegypt, out of the houſe of bondage, Thou ſhalt hauehave no other Gods in my ſight.
2 Thou ſhalt make to thee no grauen Image, nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauē aboue, or in the earth beneath, nor in the water vnderunder the earth. Thou ſhalt not bowe downe to them nor worſhip them: for I the Lord thy God am a ielouſe God, and viſit the ſins of the fathers vponupon the childrē vntounto the third & fourth generatiō of thē that hate me, & ſhew mercy vntounto thouſands of them that louelove me and keepe my commandementes.
3 Thou ſhalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine: for the Lorde will not holde him guiltleſſe that taketh his name in vaine.
4 Remember thou keepe holy the ſabboth day, ſixe daies ſhalt thou labour and doe al that thou haſt to doe, but the ſeuenth day is the ſabboth of the Lord thy God, in it thou ſhalt doe no maner of works, thou, and thy ſon, & thy daughter, thy man-ſeruant, & thy maid ſeruāt, thy cattle, & the ſtranger, that is within thy gate. For in ſix daies the Lord made heauen & earth, the ſea & all that in them is, and reſted the ſeuenth daie: wherefore the Lorde bleſſed the ſeuenth daie and hallowed it.
5 Honor thy father & thy mother, that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee.
6 Thou ſhalt doe no murther.
7 Thou ſhalt not commit adultery.
8 Thou ſhalt not ſteale.
9 Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe againſt thy neighbour.
10 Thou ſhalt not couet thy neighbours houſe, nor his wife, nor his ſeruant, nor his maide, nor his oxe, nor his aſſe, nor any thing that is his.
93 How are theſe commandements diuided?
Into twoaExo. 34.28. Deut. 4.13. & 10.3.4.tables, whereof the former deliuereth in foure commaundementes, how we ought to behaue our ſelues towards God: The latter deliuereth in ſixe commaundements, what duties webMat. 22.37.38.39. owe vntounto our neighbour.
94 What dooth God require in the firſt commaundement?
That, as dearlie as I tender the ſaluation of my own ſoul, ſo earneſtlie ſhould I ſhun & flie allc1. Cor. 6.9, 10. & 10.7.14.Idolatry, ſorcery, enchantmēts,dLeu. 19 31. Deut. 18.11.ſuperſtitiō, praying to Saints, or anie othereMat. 4.10. Apoc. 19.10. & 22.8.9.creatures: & ſhould rightlyfJoh. 17.3.acknowledge the only & true god,gIer. 17.5.truſt in him alone,hHeb. 10.36. Col. 1.11. Rom. 5.3.4.1. Cor. 10.10. Phi. 2.14.ſubmit & ſubiect my ſelf vntounto him with ali1. Pet. 5.5.6. humility & patience,kPſ. 104.27.28.29.30. Jſ. 45.7. Iac. 1.17.look for all good things from him alone, and laſtly with the entire affection of my hartlDeu. 6.5. Mat. 22.37.loue,mDeu. 6.2. Pſ. 111.10. Prou. 1.7. & 9.10. Mat. 10.28. reuerence, &nMat. 4.20, Deu. 10.20.worſhip him: ſo that I am ready to renounce and forſake al creatures rather, thā tooMat. 5.29.30. & 10.37. Act. 5.29. commit the leaſt thing that may be againſt his wil.
95 What is Idolatrie?
It is, in place of that one God, or beſides that one and true God, who hath manifeſted himſelf in his word, to make or imagin and account any other thing, wherein thou repoſeſt thya1. Para. 16.26. Phi. 3.19. Eph. 5.5. Gal. 4.8. Eph. 2.12.1. Ioa. 2 23.2. Ioan. 9. Jo. 5.23. hope and confidence.
96 What doth the ſecond cōmandement require?
That wee ſhoulde notbDeut. 4.15. &c. Iſ. 40.18. &c. Rom. 1.23. &c. Act. 17.29. expreſſe or repreſent god by any image or ſhape & figure, or worſhip him anie otherwiſe than he hath commaunded in his word himſelfe to be worſhipped.
97 Maie there then at all anie images or reſemblances of things be made?
God neither ought nor can be repreſented by anie means: and for the creatures, although it be lawful to expeſſe them, yet god forbiddeth notwithſtanding their images to be made or had, as thereby to woorſhip ordExo. 23.24. & 34.13.14. & 17. Num. 33.52. Deut. 7.5. & 12.3. & 16.22. 2. Reg. 18.4. honour either them, or god by them.c1. Sam. 15.23. Deu. 12.30. &c. Mat. 15.9.
98 But maie not images be tolerated in Churches, which may ſerue for bookes vntounto the common people?
No. For it is not ſeemly that we ſhould be wiſer than god, who will hauehave his church to beee2 Tim. 3.16.17 2. Pet. 1.19.taught with the liuely preaching of his worde, and not with dumbfIere. 10 8. &c. Hab. 2.18 19.images.
99 What doth God decree in the third Commaundement?
That not only by curſing, orgLeuic. 24.11. &c. Leuit. 19.12. forſwearing, but alſo byhMat 5 37. Iac. 5.12. raſh ſwearing wee ſhoulde not vſe his name deſpitefully or vnreuerently: neither ſhuld by ſilence or conniuence bee partakers of theſe horrible ſinnes in others: But that weeiJeſ. 45.23.vſe the ſacred and holie name of God euer with great deuotion and reuerence: that he may bek1. Tim. 2.8. worſhipped and honoured by vsus with a true and ſtedfaſtlRom. 2.24. 1. Tim. 6.1. Col. 3.16.17.confeſſion, andmMat. 10.32.inuocation of his name, & laſtly in al our woords and actions whatſoeuer.
100 Is it then ſo grieuous a ſinne by ſwearing or banning, to take the name of God in vaine: as that God is alſo angrie with them, who, as much as in them lieth, doe not forbid or hinder it?
Surely moſtaLeuit. 5.1. grieuous. For neither is there any ſinne greater, or more offending God, than the diſpiting of his ſacred name. Wherefore alſo heebLeuit. 24.15.16. would hauehave this ſinne to bee puniſhed with death.
101 May a man ſweare alſo religiously and lawfully by the name of God?
He may: when as either the magiſtrate exacteth it, or otherwiſe neceſſitie requireth by this meanes the faith and truth of any man or thing to be ratified and eſtabliſhed: whereby both the glorie of God may bee aduanced, and the ſafetie of others procured. For this kinde of ſwearing iscDeut. 6.13. & 10.20. Iſ. 48.1. Heb. 6.16.ordained by Gods word, and therefore was weldGen. 21.24. & 31.53. Joſ. 9.15.19. 1. Sam. 24.22. 2. Sam. 3.35. 1. Reg. 1.29. Rom. 1.9.vſed of the Fathers both in the olde, and newe Teſtament.
102 Is it lawfull to ſweare by Saints or other creatures?
No: For a lawefull oth is an inuocation of God, whereby we deſire, that he, as the onelyonly ſearcher of hearts, beare witneſſe vntounto the trueth, and puniſh the ſwearer, if hee wittinglye2. Cor. 1.23. ſweare falſely. But this honourfMat. 5.34.35.36. Iac. 5.12. agreeth to no creature.
103 What doth God commaunde in the fourth commandement?
Firſt that the miniſtery of the goſpel, and the ſchooles of learning ſhould begTit. 1.5 1. Tim. 3.14.15. 1. Cor. 9.11. & 13.14. 2. Tim. 1.2. & 3.15. 1. Tim. 4.13.14.15.16 & 5.17. maintained: and that I, both at other times, and eſpecially on holy daies, ſhouldhPſal. 68.26. & 40.9.10. Act. 2.42.46.frequent ſtudiouſlie diuine aſſemblies,i1. Cor. 14 19.29.31.heare the word of God diligently, vſe thek1. Cor. 11.33. Sacraments,l1. Tim. 2.1.2.3.8.9. 1. Cor. 14.16. ioine my praiers with the common praiers of the aſſemblie, and beſtowe ſome thing according to my abilitiem1. Cor 16.2. on the poore. And further, that all my life-time I bee free from miſdeeds or euil actions, yeelding vntounto the lord, that he may by his holy ſpirit woorke in mee his worke: and ſo I maynJſ. 66.23. begin in this life that euerlaſting Sabboth.
104 What doth God inioyne vsus in the fift commandement?
That we yeelde due honor, louelove, & faithfulnes to our Parentes, and ſo to all, who bear rule ouer vsus, &aEph. 6.1.2.5. &c. Col. 3.18.20.22.23.24. Eph. 5.22. Prou. 1.8.4.1. & 15.20. & 20.20. Exo. 21.17. Rom. 13.1. ſubmit our ſelues with ſuch obedience, as is meete, to their faithful commaundements and chaſtiſementes: And further alſo, that by our patience weebProu. 23.…. Gen. 9.25. 1. Pet. 2.18. beare and ſuffer their vices and maners, …uer thinking with our ſelues that god willcEph. 6.4.9. Col. 3.19. & 21. Rom. 13. Mat. 22.21.gouerne and guide vsus by their hand.
105 What dooth God exact in the ſixt commaundement?
That neither in thought, nor in geſture, muchleſſe in deede, I reproch, or hate, or harme, ordMat. 5.12.22. Gen. 9.6. Mat. 26.52.kil my neighbour, either by my ſelfe or by another: buteEph. 4 26. Rom. 12.19. Mat. 5.25. & 18.35. caſt away al deſire of reuenge. Furthermore, that I hurt not my ſelfe, or caſt my ſelfe wittinglie into anie daunger. Wherefore alſo, that murthers might not be committed,fRom. 13.14. Col. 2.23. Syra…. 3.27. Mat. 4.7. hee hathgGen. 9.6. Exod. 21.14. Mat. 26.52. Rom. 13.4. armed the Magiſtrate with the ſword.
106 But this commaundement ſeemeth to forbid murther only.
But in forbidding murther, god dooth further teach that he hateth the roote and cauſe of murther, to wit,hIac. 1.20. Gal. 5.20. anger,iRom. 1.29. enuy,k1. Joh. 2.9.11. hatred, and deſire of reuenge, and dothl1. Ioh. 3.15. account them al for murther.
107 Is it enough then, that we kil no man in ſuch ſort, as hath beene ſaid?
It is not enough: For when god condemneth anger, enuy, hatred, he requireth that weemMat. 22.39. & 7.12. louelove our neighbour as our ſelues, and that he vſenRom. 12.10.humanity, lenitie, curteſie,oEph. 4.2. Gal. 6.1.2. Mat. 5.5. Rom. 12.18. Mat. 57. Luc. 6.3.6. patience, andpExod. 23.5. merciemercy towards him, &qMat. 5.45. turne awaie from him, as much as we may, whatſoeuer maie be hurtful vntounto him. In a word, that we be ſo affected in mind, as that werRom. 12.20.2… ſtick not to do good alſo vntounto our enemies.
108 What is the meaning of the ſeuenth commandement?
That god hath inſLeu. 18.27.28. execrational turpitude and, filthines, & therefore we alſo muſtIud. 22.23. vtterly hate and deteſt it, and contrariwiſe liue temperately, modeſtly, anda1. Theſ. 4.3.4.5. chaſtly, whether webHeb. 13.4. 1. Cor. 7.4. liue in holy wedlock, or in ſingle life.
109 Forbiddeth God nothing elſe in this commandement, but adulterie, and ſuch kinds of vnclearnes?
Seeing both our bodie and ſoule are the temples of the holy ghoſt, god wil hauehave vsus to poſſeſſe both in puritie & holines. And therefore deeds, geſtures,cEph. 5 3. 1. Cor. 6.18.9 20. woordes, thoughtes,dMat. 5.27.28. filthie luſtes and whatſoeuer entiſeth a man vntounto theſe, al that hee wholyeEph. 5.18.19. 1. Cor. 15.33. forbiddeth.
110 What doth God forbid in the eight commaundement?
Not onelyonly thoſef1. Cor. 6 10. thefts, &g1. Cor. 5.10. robberies, which the magiſtrate puniſheth: but by the name of theft he comprehendeth whatſoeuer euil craftes, fetches, and deuiſes, whereby we ſeek after other mens goods, & endeuour by force or with ſome ſhewe of right tohLuc. 3.14. 1. Theſ. 4 6. conueie them ouer vntounto our ſelues: of which ſort are, falſeiProu. 11.1. & 16.11. weightes, falſe els, vneuenkEzech. 45.9. &c. Deu. 25.13. &c. meaſures, deceitfull merchandiſe, coū terfet coine,lPſal. 15.5. Luc. 6.35. vſurie, or any other way or meanes of furthering our eſtate, which God hath forbidden. To theſe we may adde allm1. Cor. 6.10. couetouſneſſe, and the manifolde waſte andnProu. 5.16. abuſing of Gods gifts.
111 What are thoſe thinges, which God here commaundeth?
That to my power I help and further the commodities and profit of my neighbour: and that I ſo deale with him, as I wouldoMat. 7.12. deſire to be dealt with my ſelfe: and that I doe my owne woorke painefully & faithfully, that IpEph. 4.28. may thereby help others alſo who are diſtreſſed with any neede or calamitie.
112 What doth the ninth commandement exact?
That I beare no falſeqProu. 19.5.…. & 21.28. witneſſe againſt any man, neitherrPſal. 15.3. falſifie any mans wordes, neither backbite orſRom. 1.29.30. reproch any man, nortMat. 7.1. &c. Luc. 6.37. condemne any man raſhly or vnheard: but auoid anduJoh. 8.44. ſhun with all carefulneſſe all kind of lies, and deceipts, as theaProu. 12.22. & 13.5. proper works of the Diuel: except I mean to ſtir vp againſt mee the moſt grieuous wrath of god: And that in iudgements and other affaires I follow the truth, and freely and conſtantlyb1. Cor. 13.6. Eph. 4.25. profeſſe the matter as it indeede is: And moreouer defend andc1. Pet. 4.8. encreaſe, as much as in me lieth, the good name and eſtimation of others.
113 What doth the tenth commandement forbid? That our hearts be not at any time moued by the leaſt deſire, or cogitation, againſt any commaundement of God: but that continually and from our heart we deteſt all ſinne, and contrarilydRom. 7.7. &c. delight in all righteouſneſſe.
114 But can they, who are conuerted vntounto God, perfectly obſerue and keepe theſe commaundementes?
No: But euen the holieſt men as long as they liue, hauehave onelyonly ſmale beginnings of thise1.10.1.8. &c. Rom. 7.14.15. Eccle. 7.22. obedience: yet ſo, that theyfRom. 7.22. Jac. 2.10. begin with an earneſt and vnfained deſire and endeuour to liue not according to ſome onelyonly, but according to all the commaundements of God.
115 Why will God then hauehave his law to bee ſo exactly & ſeuerely preached, ſeeing there is no man in this life, who is able to keepe it?
Firſt, that al our life-time wee more and moregJoh. 1.9. Pſal. 22.5. acknowledge the great pronenes of our nature to ſin, and ſo much the more greedilyhRom. 7.24. deſire remiſſion of ſinnes and righteouſneſſe in Chriſt: Secondly,i1. Cor. 9.24. &c. Phi. 3.12.13.14. that wee be doing of this alwaies, and alwaies thinking of that, and implore and craue of the father the grace of his holy ſpirit, whereby wee may daily more and more bee renewed to the image and likeneſſe of God, vntill at length after wee are departed out of this life, wee may ioyfully attaine vntounto the perfection which is propoſed vntounto vsus.