Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 18 – Part 22
Now for the swearing by Creatures, some obiect, first that
Obiection 1 Mat. 23.21.22. where Christ saith, whosoeuer sweareth by the Temple, sweareth by it, and him that dwelleth therein; and he that sweareth by Heauen, sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon: heere (say they) Christ reproues it not, therefore it may be lawfull.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; Christ doth not there allow swearing by Creatures, but Christ confutes that nice distinction of the Pharisees; that it was nothing to sweare by the Temple, but he that sweareth by the gold of the Temple offendeth. verse, 16. And sheweth that in swearing by the Temple, they could not auoide swearing by God, the Temple beeing the place of Gods habitation.
Obiection 2 Genesis 42.15. Ioseph did sweare by the life of Pharaoh, now Ioseph was a holy man, and yet sware thus: therefore it may be lawfull.
Quest: How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; It was Iosephs infirmitie; who, though hee worshipped the true God, yet he had learned to speake as other Courtiers did, and that of common vse and custome, as as appeares by his twise vsing the same words. ver. 15.16.
Or more cunningly to conceale himselfe from his Brethren, then of purpose to sweare; therefore his example is no warrant for vsus.
Obiection 3 It is vsuall for men, in taking an oath, to lay their hand on a booke, the Bible or Testament; therefore it is lawfull to sweare by Creatures.
Quest: How is this to be answered?
Answ. Men vsing this externall signe of laying their hands on a Booke, doe not sweare by it, no more then Abrahams seruant did sweare by his Masters thigh, when hee put his hand vnderunder it: Gen. 24.2. for he sware by the name of God. vers. 3. And the Angell, Reu. 10.5.6. lift vp his hand to Heauen, but sware by him that liueth for euer.
Quest. What are the workes of Gods prouidence, that are commonly abused?
Answ. Either such workes of his prouidence, as fall out and come to passe in the common course of this life; or the workes of his mercy, his blessings, benefits, and such like: or the workes of his iustice, his Iudgements.
Of these in Order.
Quest. How are the workes of Gods Prouidence, that fall out, and come to passe in the common course of this life, abused?
Answ: Thus; when men hauehave such an opinion and conceit of those workes, of Gods prouidence, as hath no ground for it, either in the Word of God, or in the course of Nature; but is a meere superstitious fancie: as for example, that it is vnluckie for one in the Morning to put on his shooe awrie, or to put the left foot shoe on the right foote; to hauehave Salt fall towards him, and such like: and on the contrary, that it is a signe of good lucke to find old yron, to hauehave drinke spilled on him. This is an abuse of these workes of Gods prouidence: the Lord hath not appointed these things to manifest his will in things to come.
Q. May not one guesse and coniecture some things by naturall dreams?
A. Yes; the constitution of his body, and to what sin he is most naturally inclined, one may probablie coniecture: but not things to come either good or bad.
Q. How are the workes of Gods mercy, his blessings, & benefits abused? Answ. Two waies especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
A. This; when men receiue Gods blessings,1 Sam. 15.17.18.19. 2 Sam. 12.7.8.9.10. Isai. 5.1.2.3.4. Mat. 21.33.34. & good things publike or priuate; cōmon to them with others, or peculiar to themselues, in respect of soule or body vnthankfully, or requite them vnkindly, as the husbandmen the Vineyard.
Qu. What is the second? Ans. This; when men sweare by any worke of Gods merciemercy, as the death and passion of Christ, or by any good gift of God; as by their faith,Ierem. 5.7. their troth, and such like; which are workes of grace, and gifts of God; this is to sweare by the things that are no Gods. And this is to abuse those workes of mercy, & those gifts of grace.
Now to the abuse of the word of God, and his holy Ordinances seuerally: and first of the Word of God, the Scripture.
Quest: How is the Word of God the Scripture, in particular abused?
Answ. Two waies.
Quest: What is the first of those?
Pet. 4.11. ai. 22.12.13. Pet 3.4.Answ. This; when men take any part of the Word of God into their mouthes, and vse it in their speech; either vnreuerently, idlely, and vainely; or in mockage, and make a mocke at it.
Quest. What is the second?
Answ. This; when men peruert the Word of God, or any part of it, and turne it to a wrong vse.
Quest. How many waies is that done?
Answ. Foure waies.
Quest. What is the first of those?
1 Tim. 14. & 6.4 Tit. 1.14.Answ. This; when men vse any part of the Word of God to curious, idle, and needlesse questions.
Quest. What is the second?
Answ. This; when men vse any part of the Word of God, any part of the Scripture, to iesting and prophane mirth; and to moue laughter, doe make iests of the Scripture phrase, as Iulian the Apostata, who was wont to reach Christians boxes on the eares; and withall, to cite Mat. 3.39. And to denie Christian Soludiers their wages, and aledge Mat. 5.3.
Quest: What is the third?
2 Sam 6.14. Eccles. 3.4.Answ. This; When men vse any part of the Word of God, for the maintenance and defence of any error, heresie, or sinne: Mat. 4.6. So voluptuous and sensuall persons, alledge Scripture for the defence of their idle recreations. So Couetous persons, in defence of their Couetousnesse, abuse that: 1 Tim. 5.8. Exod. 22.25. Deut. 23.19. So angry persons that, Mark. 3.5. Ephes. 4.26. And so in other sinnes.
Quest. What is the fourth?
Answ. This; when men turne any part of Gods Word to a Charme, or Sorcerie; and vse the words or sentences of Scripture; either for the curing of paines, and bodily diseases of men or beasts: or for the finding againe of things that bee lost, and the like: as those words. Iohn 1.1. In the beginning was the Word &c. are vsed to be written in paper and hung about mens neckes to cure an ague. This is a sinfull peruerting of the Word of God.
Obiect. The words bee good that are vsed, and the effect is good that followes on the vse of them, (namely) good health, for the most part, restored to the sicke partie: therefore they may be vsed.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; the words are good in themselues, but beeing abused to a wrong end, they become euill words to them that so abuse them: and the Word of God being peruerted to such an end, as hee hath not appointed, becomes the Deuils word to them that so peruert it. And so the cure wrought by the words of Scripture, so vsed, is not of God, but from the Deuill.
Quest. How may that appeare?
Answ. Thus; that cure of diseases that is of God, is either naturall and ordinarie, or it is extraordinarie and by miracle. Now the cure of diseases by the words of Scripture is not naturall and ordinary; because the word of God is not giuen to cure bodily diseases: neither by miracle; because Gods power is not tied to certaine words, be they neuer so good. Therefore the cure of diseases so wrought is not of God, but of the Deuill.
Obiection The Deuill regards not the good health of men, he cares not for it.
Answ. Simply he doth not, but to another end he doth; that by bringing ease to the body, he may bring the soule in bondage; changing himselfe into an Angell of light.
Now to the abuse of the holy Ordinances of God; and first of the Sacraments.
Quest. How are the Sacraments in particular abused?
Answ. Two waies; Either by ascribing and giuing to the Sacraments, that belongs not to them; or by peruerting and applying them to a wrong vse.
Quest. How many waies doe men ascribe and giuegive that to the Sacraments that belongs not to them?
Ans: Three waies especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
…. 4.10.11. …es. 5.26. …t. 3.21.Answ. This; when men giuegive to the Sacrament, power to conferre and giuegive grace, ex opere operato, by the very worke wrought; that is, by force and vertue of the worke done, the word done and said in the Sacraments; so say the Papists. Rom. 4.10.11. Righteousnesse was imputed to Abraham, before hee was circumcised: and circumcision was added afterward as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith.
Quest. What is the second?
Answ. This; when men giuegive to the Sacraments absolute necessitie; and hold them simply, and absolutely necessary to saluation; as Baptisme to Infants: and that an infant dying without baptisme, dies without Christendome. And the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, in the time of extreame sicknesse; this is to tye Gods grace to the outward elements which is free:…n 3.8. Iohn 3.8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, (that is) God giues grace, and vouchsafes fauour to whom, when, and where it pleaseth him.
…biectionIohn 3.5. Verely, verily, I say vntounto thee, except a man bee borne of water and of the Spirit, hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God: therefore say some, baptisme is absolutely necessary to saluation.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ: Thus; First, that place is not to be vnderstood of infants, but rather of men of yeeres. The answer to Nicodemus question,…n 3.4. verse 4. How can a man be borne which is old? doth imply so much.
Secondly, it is not necessary that the word (water) should signifie materiall water,…t. 3.11. no more then the word (fire) Mat, 3.11. should signifie materiall fire.
Quest. What is the third?
Answ. This; When men giuegive adoration to the Sacraments, as the Papists do to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, they adore it with the highest degree of worship,…t. 4.10. which is proper to God. Mat. 4.10.
Quest. How are the Sacraments peruerted, and applyed to a wrong vse?
Ans: Thus; when they be applied either to such things, or to such vses as God hath not appointed them; as baptisme to the consecrating of Bells, to driue away euill spirits, and to hauehave power against thunder, lightnings, and the like. The Bread and Wine remaining in the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be carried about, and to be applied to the sicke, for the curing of their diseases: this is a sinfull peruerting of them: the Lord neuer ordained them to these vses.
Now to the abuse of prayer.
Quest. How is Prayer in particular abused?
Ans. Two wayes especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
A. This;Iam. 4.3. 1 Iohn 5.14. whē men pray for such things as are not agreeable to the will of God; as when they pray for the dead, & the like.
Quest: What is the second?
Answ. This; when men vse prayer to vnlawfull ends, as to Sorcerie, Enchauntment, and the like.
Obiection. The prayers that Sorcerers and Enchanters vse, are good prayers; as the Lords Prayer, and the like: and they vse them to blesse men or beasts, and to wish good to them, & the effect is good that followes on the vse of such wishes and prayers, (namely,) good health and ease to men or beasts, by such prayers: therefore they may be vsed.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. As before; the prayers are good in themselues, but being vsed to sorcerie & to charme, they become euill to them that so vse them; and the better, and the more holy the prayers are, the worse they are being so abused.
Quest: What is the reason of that?
A. This; because thē they becom most dishonorable to God; best pleasing to Satan; most hurtful to them that so vse them.
Quest: May not men vse prayer to this end, to bee reuenged of their enemies? Ans: No, they may not; men may vse prayer against the bad dealing, and sinne of their enemies;2 Sam 15.31. Act. 4.29. but not to be avenged of their persons.
…iectionIudg. 16.28. We reade that Sampson prayed to God, and besought him that he might be auenged of the Philistims for his two eies; therefore it may seeme that men may vse prayer to be auenged of their enemies.
Quest: How shall we answer this?
Answ: Thus; Sampson was appointed of God to bee a Iudge, and Captaine ouer his People Israel, to auenge the iniuries and wrongs done to them, and to himselfe by the Philistims: and though he was then a Captiue, yet as he was able, he went on in the execution of that Office, and called on God to strengthen him in the execution of it; not from the desire of any priuate reuenge, but with a pure zeale to Gods glory, and to discharge his duty: and so this example is nothing to the purpose.
I will adde a word touching the abuse of a lot which is an ordinance of God, appointed for speciall ends: and the abuse of it, is a breach of this Commandement.
Quest. How is a lot in particular abused?
Answ. Two wayes especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; When men vse it vnreuerently, as in light and trifling matters, or in way of sport, for a lot ought to be vsed reuerently, and in waighty matters; the whole disposition of it, beeing immediately from the hand of God. Pro. 16.33.26.
Quest. What is the second?
Answ. This; When men peruert it, and vse it to wrong ends; as to search their fortune, and what successe th…y shall hauehave in their affaires; by casting a Die, opening a Booke, and the like: this is to peruert a Lot, the proper vse of it beeing to decide great controuersies, which cannot other…ise be determined: Pro. 18.18. Thus it was vsed in Sauls choice: 1 Sam. 10.21. In diuiding the Land of Canaan: Iosh. 14.2. In finding out Achans Theft: Iosh. 7.15. In Mathias choice: Acts 1.26.