Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 27 – Part 29
Now, to the second generall branch wherein the sober, religious, and honourable vsage of the name of God standeth, namely, the making a wise and holy confession of the truth of God.
Quest. What is it to make a wise and holy confession of the truth of God?
Answ. This; to confesse the whole truth of God, and his religion, and eueryevery part of it plainly, boldly, and religiously;Isai. 44.5. Math. 10.32, 33 Marke 8.38. when, and wheresoeuer any iust cause of such confession is offered. Isai. 44.5. I am the Lords (that is) eueryevery one shall openly confesse himselfe so to be.
Quest. How many wayes is this done?
Answ. Two wayes: either by word, or by practice.
Quest. How doe men make a plaine, bold, and religious confession of the truth of God by word.
Answ. By Christian Apology, and profession of the truth of God in word;Rom. 10.10. 1 Pet. 3.15, 16. which is when men are ready to confesse the truth of God and his religion, & doe with feare and meeknes confesse it so oftē, as on iust cause they are therunto required.
Quest. When is it that men are required on iust cause to confesse the truth of God in word?
Answ. At two times.
Quest. VVhat is the first of those?
…lm. 22.22. Thes. 5.11.Answ. This; when they are thereunto required, either in publike by the Magistrate, or in priuate by friends, peaceably, and without violence, for the glory of God, and for the good of themselues and others.
Quest. VVhat is the second?
…t. 10.18, 19. …ct. 5.27, 28, …, 30, 32, 33. …ct. 26.1. &c.Answ. This; when they are thereunto drawn by violence and force of enemies and persecutors of the truth of God.
Quest. Are men to make a plaine and bold confession of the truth of God before obstinate and malicious enemies of the truth?
Answ. Yes, they are, if they be thereunto called, and do see Gods glory endangered, and his truth spoken against & slandered: thus did Stephen, Act. 7 whole. Act. 6. ver. 9. Some rose vp, & ver. 11. They suborned false witnesses, Act. 22.1. to 22.
Quest. How doe men make a plaine, bold, and religious confession of the truth of God by practice?
Answ. Two wayes.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; when men shew forth the truth of religion by their practice, though it be with danger to lose their liues for it. Thus did Daniel, Dan. 6 10, 11. Abraham built Altars amongst Infidels, Gen. 12.7, 8. Gen. 21.33.
Quest. What is the second?
Act. 7.58, 59. Act. 22.20. Hebr. 11.37. Reuel. 2.13.Answ. This; when men witnesse and seale the doctrine of faith, and the truth of religion by their cheerefull suffering; yea, by shedding of their bloud, without f…are or shrinking, being thereunto called.
Quest. How shall a man know that he is called to suffer, and to shed his blood for the doctrine of faith, and truth of Religion?
Ans. By two things.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Ans. This; if he finde that God puts into him the spirit of courage and fortitude,Act. 20, 22, 24. and giues him resolution to abide, and to stand out against the force of all enemies of the truth.
Quest. VVhat is the second?
Answ. If he be in the hand and custody of the Magistrate, and God in his prouidence doe cut off all lawfull meanes of escaping, and the Magistrate do then inflict on him tortures, and torments, and doe take away his life for his truths sake,1 Pet. 2.19. he is called to suffer and to shed his blood; for the Magistrate must be obeyed in suffering that he layeth on vsus, though it be vniust, and we suffer wrongfully.
Quest. May not a Christian lawfully flie for his saftie in th… time of persecution, when the Church is persecuted by enemies of the truth?
Answ. Yes, he may, if the danger be certaine and present, and God in his prouidence offer him a lawfull meanes and way to escape,1 Kings 18.33. Math. 10.23. Actes 8.1. and he find not himselfe sufficiently strengthened to beare extremitie; and that he be not hindered by the bond of his priuate or publike calling.
Quest. May a Minister that hath a Pastorall charge, flie in the time of persecution?
Ans. If either his particular congregation be dispersed by enemies,Exod. 2.15. 1 Kings 19.3. Iohn 10.39. so as he hath no hope to gather and call them backe againe: or if the persecution bee directed against his person, and his life be aymed at, hee may with consent of his flocke goe apart for a time.
Quest. May not the people hinder him, and not suffer him to flie?
Answ. They must bee so farre from hindring him in this case, as they ought rather to succour and relieue him.Acts 9.24, 25, 29.30. Acts 19.30.
Obiection. 1 Persecution is the hand of God, and from his hand wee may not flie. Therefore it is not lawfull to flie in the time of persecution.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. Thus; first, a man being persecuted for the truth, and hauing libertie to flie, and flying doth not flie from Gods hand, but from the wrath of his enemies, to saue his life, for further good vse of Gods Church.
Secondly, euill things comming from the hand of God, may be auoyded, if God shew a lawfull way and meanes how to auoyd them; as famine, sicknesse, the sword, and such like; and so from persecution.
…biecti….Math. 10.28. Feare not them which can kill the body onelyonly, &c. If a man must not feare them, then hee must not flye from th m.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Answ. This Text is to bee vnderstood of such feare as tends to Apostasie, and by which a man feares men more then God; and by which hee is vrged to tempt God, by doing something contrary to his will, and that out of his calling; but lawfull flight tends not to Apostacie, neither doth it argue feare of man more then of God; neither is it a doing of any thing contrary to Gods will: but it is an vsing of meanes offered, according to Gods appointment, lest wee should tempt him, and bring to our selues vnnecessary danger. So much of the Commandement.
Now to the Commination, or threatning denounced against such as breake this Commandement, in these words:
For (Iehouah) the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse, that taketh his Name in vaine.
Quest. What Arguments are included in this threatning denounced against such as breake this Commandement?
Answ. The arguments here included, are two.
First, the greatnesse of the punishment, that shalbe inflicted on offenders against this Commandement.
…ahum 1.3, 6. Sam. 2.25.Secondly, the ineuitablenesse of it; for in that the Lord himselfe will punish them, is implyed, that their punishment shall be great, and that it shall be vnauoydable.
Quest. What is intended and meant by those words, Iehouah will not hold him guiltlesse, that taketh his Name in vaine?
Ans. Thus much; God will hold and account him guilty and wicked, and wil execute a sharp & seuere punishment on him: for whom the Lord holds innocent, he punisheth not.
Quest. What is then the summe of this threatning?
Answ. This; that howsoeuer mans Law for the most part take not hold of offendors against this Commandement, and they escape punishment amongst men;Psalm. 1.5. Ierem. 23.10. Zach. 5.3, 4. Malac. 3.5. yet God will not acquite them, nor suffer them to escape his iust and fearefull Iudgements.
Quest. Whence is it that the Lord will seuerely punish offenders against this Commandement?
Answ. From the exactnes of his Iustice, which cannot let sinne passe vnpunished; and especially a sinne so foule and hainous, as is the transgression of this Commandement.
Quest. Is then the transgression of this Commandement so foule and so haynous a sinne?
Answ. Yes, it is; though men make light of it, and commonly punish such as rob a man of his goods more seuerely, then they doe such as rob God of his glory: yet the prophanation of Gods name, is accounted a most haynous sinne before God.
Quest. How may it appeare, that the prophanation of Gods Name is a most haynous sinne?
Answ. By three reasons.
Quest. VVhat is the first of those?
Ans. This;Prou. 16.4. Rom. 11.36. Isai. 42.8. Isai. 48.11. Gods glory is the last and principall end for which all things are ordained: and Gods glory is most deare to himselfe: and therfore the robbing of him of his glory, and the prophanation of his name, is a most hainous sinne.
Quest. VVhat is the second?
Answ. This; In prophaning the Name of God men shew most insolent contempt of God: for they are led to breake other Commandements; either on a false opinion of worshipping God, as in Idolatry, or the like; or for their credit, profit, pleasure, or the like: but for the breaking of this commandement, they can pretend none of these things.
Quest. What is the third?
Answ. This; the Lord appointed in the Iudiciall Law,Leuit. 24.14. Leuit. 5.1. not onelyonly the B…asphemer himselfe to bee punished by death; but also eueryevery person that should heare blasphemy, or a false oath, and not reueale it: therefore the breach of this Commandement is a foule and a hainous sinne.
So much of the Commination, and of the third Commandement. Come wee now to the fourth Commandement.
Quest. How differs the fourth Commandement from the second and third Commandement?