Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

for an affli7ed confcience. him. I anfwere,that as I denie notPhificke tobe miniftred ifit inpart proceedfrom a ná- turallcaufi fo Irequire the word elpecially to fhew the principalland original! caufe to tcgiLl in the foule. And this I do therather , becanfeI would hauewifedomeboth incon- fdering the ítateof the body if neede fo require;and inlooking chiefly to thefoule,which -orè mètl fo few thinkeof. Ifa man troubled in confcience come to a Minifer, it may be hewillook all to the foule and nothing to thebody : if he come to aPhifition,he onely confidereth of thebodíe,andnegleéteth thefoule, Formypart, Iwouldneuerhaue the phifitionscoon- fell fettered,northe Miniffers labour negle&ed; becaulè the Jouleand bodiedwellingto gether, iris conuenient , that as thefoule fhouldbecured by the worde, byprayer, by fa.- tting, by threatning, or by comforting ; fo the bodie alfo fhould be brought into franc temhperature, by Phificke , by purging , by diet, by reftoring, bymuficke, and by fuck like wiweames ; prouidingalwayes that it bee done fomthe ferre of God, andwifedome of . his fpirit, as wee thinke net by theftordinariemeanes to !Moodier or fnoke out ourtrou. bles ; but as purpolingtovfe themaspreparatiues , whereby both our foulesand bodies may bemademore capable of thefpirituall nteanesto follow after. As we require tbeté thingsto be thematter of our Minifterie infuck a perplexitie: fo we would with the perfons miniftring to be men learned and of found iudgement, wife, and feet ,com= of godly experience, meekeandofmolt loving fpirites. For when the troubledpatient I Thal be well perfwaded ofour knowledgeand diicrecion,andtberewithail (hall perceive vs to come in tender and lowing affection, I thinke an entranceis made, and all prejudice is taken away, foaswe maythe morefreelyworke upon theconfcience 5 firft bringing them to the fight offinne,astofumecaufeoftheirtrouble. Herein we muttlabour toput away all confufon and blindneffe offorrow, cndeuouring by wifedometobring theparties wounded to fouiecertaineobiea and matter of their trouble; and fodraw out of them theconfeffionof fame feuerallefpeciali,and ferret fii ne; Ifay feuerall and fecret fnne,be- canfe I know,how many(through a palpable blindneffe or difordered difcerningof (inne) talkenothing fomuch as of linnet and yettheyeither cannot defcryfeuerall fnnes,or they willnot bebrought toacknowledgetheir ferret francs : whereofthe oneproceedechof the ignoranceof the lawof God,and the otherof felfc- Iouc,whichmaketh vs loathe evenour trauellof minde, to themeour felues. Now that the confeffion ofparticularfnres is requifrte,it may appeare by the twoand thirtieth Pfalme, wherein(being a Pfalrne of inffruéhion, concerningthe forgiuenefle of Pfalgz. hones) the Prophet (byhis owne experience) teachethvs,that lice could findeno reliefe of Isis fckneffe, vntili he had remembred, andmade confeffionof his finnes. What? (hail wee thinke thatthe Prophetof God(taught fowonderfully by theword and bythe fpirit)didnot fee his finnesbefore; Be itfarrefrom vs. Rather let vs know that hinfelonof he hadnot feuerally and particularly ripped vp his fins before theLord, ina feuerall con- Jßesiall Pines. feflion of. them. Which though theLorde knoweth farcebetter then wee our felues : yet fuels kinde of facrifice ismolt acceptable vnto Irim, Now ifin this troublethe perfons humbledcannot come to theparticularfightoffinne inthenifelues itis good to viethe helpeof others,vntowhomthey mayoffer their hearts tobegagedand iearcbed, and theirhues tobe examined inoredeepely, byhearing the fe- uerall Articles of the Lawlaid open before them; whereby theymay trie thewhole courfe of their actions. For (as we faid before)the grotfeft hypocrites will generally complayne of fume ; and yet deale with them inparticular pointes of the particular preeeptes, and prooue them intheapplying of things tobedone or notdoneto their owne confciences; and wee (hall fee many of thefe poore tonicstoad toand fro, now flotingin ioyes,now plunged in forrowes, notable to diffiuguifhone finne fromanother. Nowwhen we Thal feethe woundofthe fpiritto arife ofany certaine and knowne fin, it iseither forlöme fin aireadie committed,whereinweIic;or elsfor !erne-fn asyet not corn- mitted,butwheruisto weare tempted. For theformer:It pleafeth Godoftentimes tobring °Ed lips to minde,whenwe had nottsroughlyrepented ofthem before; thatfo(as it were) reprefentingthemtovsafiefh,we mightfall intoamore ntifikingofthem. And yethere- lisis flOt ail, tomillike our fehum-forlomeparticulars, akhsougis it begoodtobeoccupied N 3 about l

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