What .;ldditions er Inl>entions ofmm are Lmvful. Thus the Apofilcs knew that no man had power from God to filencc them, or pcrfc:cute them for the Gofptl. Therefore they would not obey thofe that forbad them to Preach : And yet they would apppear before any MJgiflrarc that commanded them, and obe.y their fummons; And fo we may do even to an ururper, or a private man. g. The princip1l and moft notable Cafe, in which we mufi obey when a Ruler finfully command-· c:th is, when the matter which he cornrnandcth is not fuch as is either forbidden us by God, or out of theVerge of his place and calling at all to rnrddte with and command, nor yet fuch as is ddhuctive of our duty to God:, but (uch as i;z Gtneral bclongtth to his office to deurmi11e of acc!J'fding to Godr gtneral Rule I ; but he mijJe1h it in tlu manner and goeth againft Jb(l{t Rules; ; •et not fo far as to dcjfroy the duty we owe to God, or the rnd of it. , , For in(hncc, It is not in the Rulers power ro dercrmirie whether rhere £hall be Preaching .or rione; true doCtrine or falfc, &c. But it is in his power to Regulate the circumllances of Time, Place, &c. ( next to be rccirc::d.) Now if he do thcfe to Order, Vnity, and Edification, I will obey bim formally and fully for Confcience fake: If he fo do it as is dctlruttivc to the end (as is aforefaid ), as to far, Yon (haHmeet only 2.t twenty miles ditlance, or only at midnight,&c. I will obey him no farther than rrw~ffit;• and the commo1J good nquireth me: If he do it only with a tolerable inconvenimce (as to fay, Yl)u jhall meet mwhere b:tt in tbt open fieldJ , &c. ) I will obey for Confcience fake as I am in general a fubjeCl: bound !O honour the Magifirate; but not as he nameth an unmect circumllance; in that refpeel my obedience fnall be but material. 1need not h1ndlc it as a difiin8: queiHon, Whether Paflors are to be believed or obeyed ;my farther than they !hew a Word of God Revealing or Comm:mding the plrticubr thing ? Divine f.Jitb and obtdience is one thing~ and Humane is another. I· If as a Preacher ~e fly, Thi1 i1 God1 word, believt it and obey it as fiech, you mull believe with a humane faith rhar it is liltcr that he knowcth what he faith, than you do ( unlcfs, t. You fee evidence, 2· Or theconfent of more credible perfons to be againtl him, and then you arc not to believe him at aJJ ). Even as a Child belicveth his Te:1cher in order to learn the things himfelf, fo you are fo far to take his word while you arc Learning to know whether it be fo or not. But not to reil: in it as certain, nor to take your belief of him and obedienac to him, to be a bdievin~ and obeying Godformally, though a duty. " ~dltH· What are the additions or inl>entions of mm, which are 110t forbiddm _ by tbe Word of God, ( w!Jetber by IJI.!1lers of by pril>ate men, inwnted) ? An[w. THis is handled under the Dire6tions for Worfhip : to which I refer. the Reader, as alfo for part of the an{wer to the former cafes : Yet here I !hall trouble you with fo much re.. petition, as to fay that, - I • Such inve~tions and additions are lawful as God hath commanded men (Rulers, Pafiors, P.&· rents, or private perfons) to make under the regulation of his General Laws. 2· A\t fuch additions are Lawful as are meerly Juhordinate and fuhfervient to Gods Laws and Or– ders, and not forbidden by him, among the fore-mentioned prohibited additions. Infiances arc many. 1. All fuch modes ofa duty as are neceifary in gtnere, or one way or other to be determined of, but left to humane prudence as to particulars. A'i I· whether I {hall ( this Week or Monrh ) publHb the Gnfpel by SpcabJng, or by Writi>tg, or by Pdnting. •· Whether I O~all ufc thi1 metiJOtJ. or that, or another method in this Sermon. 3· Whether I fhall ufe thefe phra{es and word1, or other words. 4· Whether I !halL ufe NoteJ for my memory or 110t? And whether largC ones or ihort ones? 5· \Vhcther I Clull be an hour or two in preaching. 6. \Vhetherl Gull preach with a loud voice or a low. 7· Whether I Gull at this time more endeavour explication or appli– cation, comfort or terror, rcprehcnfion or dirt6tion, &c. All which are to be varyed by mans law– ful invention according to Gods gmtrsl Rules. 2. 1t is alfo lawful and needful, that our own Invention or our Superiours, according to Gods ge– neul Laws, do determine of the particular f!Jbje{]J of our office ; which Scripture doth not particu– larly decerminc o~ viz, I. Scripture telleth not Minifiers what Countrcy, Pari!h or Church they lhall bellow their LabouiS in. 2· Nor to how many they £hall be a Paftor. 3· Nor what Ttxt or Sub... jel.t they fhall Preach on. 4· Nor what fingubr perfons they fhall apply comforr, counfel or terrour to, this or that. 5· Nor whom they {hall admit to the Sacrament ( but by the General Rute or de– . fcription ). 6. Nor whom they lhall openly rebuke or excommunicate. 7· Nor whom they fhall abfolvc. It telleth them not who the perfons be to whom the Scripture Character d:oth belong, in any of thefe clfes. 8. Nor whether the witnefi'l!s fay truly or falfly who accufc:: a man. 9· Nor whe– ther the accufed be to be taken as guilty of Hcrefie, fcandal or fchifm, &c. 3· It is alfo a lawful Invention of man, to find, choofc and ufe, fuch natural HelpJ, as arc ufe. fu\ to further us in the obedience of Gods Laws, and the practice of his wor(hip, and are no~ forbidden by him. (Yea in genere they are commanded, and yet never particularly determined of in che Scripture:) As, 1. What will clear a preachers voice, to fpeak audibly. 2· The advantage of a Pulpit to be above the people. 3· The ufe of Spe8aclts to them that need theril to read the Scripture. 4•The tranfl:ning the Scriptures into our nazive langu zge. 5· Whkh tranjl;tion ofmany we
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