:i The P7eface. Scriptures, whereby the confciencesofmen A dr!lrctfed,may be quieted and rdeeued. And this do~rine 1s nor arrainedvnto by extraor~ dioarie rcuclarion, bur mufi be drawne out of the written word ol God. The point therefore to bee handled,is, What rhi• doClrine fl:ould bee/ It is nota matter eafie and at hand, bur full oflabour and difficulric: yea very large, likevnto the mame fea : I willoncly (as it"were) walke ~y the bankes oftt, and propound theheads o doChinc,thar thereby 1may, atleafi,occafion others, to confider and handle the fame more at large. ThatI may proceedinordcr:Firli,Iam to laydownc cerraine Grounds or Pre.1mbles, which may gauc light 2nd direction to rhe B rhings that follow : and in the ncxr place, I ~v1l. propound and anfwer themainc and prin– cipall quellions ofConfcicnce. perfontowbomititismadc, mufi bee: aman ofrrulland fidelirie,able and willing to kccpe fccret things that are rcucalcd, yea tobunt them (as it were) in the graue ofoblmion,for UH~coHtr~th amHitituJ.eof{imJu. s.a.•. The next Ground is touching the degre<> ofGoodnelfc in humane thm~s and aG!rons• . Goodnelfe 111 things is rwo.fold; vncreated, and cteated.Vncreared,is God himfelfe, who neucr had beginning, and who is Goodnctfe itfelfe,becaufe hrs nature IS abfolutdy and perfeClly good, and becaufe heisrheauthor and worker [hereof, in all things created. Created goodnelfe, rs that whereby rh: crea· turc1s made good; and1r is nothmgdfc, bur the fruit of that gpodnctfc, that isctfcnualJy in God. Nowrhe dcgrcei thereofare rhcfc. There is a general) er narurall Govdnctlc1n creatures , and a more fpcc!all or m01alJ Goodnctk CHAP. I. Generall Goodnclfe isrhat, whereby all Ofthe two(irft Gr.HndsofCafn,C.,f'ffi,., creatures arc accepted and approucd of God, n~td the dt.~rusofGoodnej{e. bywhom they W£TC both created and ordaiH E Grounds or Preamble. ned. Thus eucry crcarure isgod, partly by arcefpccially foure. The firfl, creation,and partly by mdmation. Bycrcati· tou:.hing confeffion. The fcon ic is,chat the fubflance ofeachcreature, as cond, touching the degrees0f ofrhe Sunne, the Ivloom·, theEarth,Water, goodnelfc in things and athMe:ue,Drmke,&c.is good,hauing rhe bceing Oils. The third, touching the thercoffrom God. Hence alfo theclfcmiall degrees of Sinne. The foutth and lall ,conpropertics,cluamiries,qualities, rnotions,aCli· ccrning the Subietlion and power ofconfdons, & inclinations of thecreatures ,inthem~ ence. Ofthefc m order. C felues con(idercd, with ail their euents, arc Sell. 1. good. By thcfamcgenerall goodnclfe alfo,e· The firll Ground is, That in the troubles uen the Dtucll himldfc and his aclions,as he of Confcicnce , it is meete and con~enicnr, ts afubfianccl and as rheyare aCbons,hauing thcrdhould alwaies ben-fed ap1iuate C•nNtheir bccing from God, are good. Thiogs a· jion. For lames fa1th, Iam.s. 16. ConfeP"tJOHr gaine doe take vnto them the condition of f.. ults on(tom:olh(r,& pr11y onrforlfnother, ther. Goodnelfe,norondy by crcation,butalfoby by Cignifying,cbat Confc!lion in tbiscafc,isto Gods ordmation, whereby they arcdircd-cd bce'v[ed as a thing moO rcquiUte. For mall and appcinced,to lame certain vfesand <'nds. rea(on,tbe Pllyfitian mufl firll knowe the cirf. Thus the eudl Confcience,Hell, and Death cafe ,bcforchcccan applyd:eremcdre: ahd aregocd,bccaufe they areordarnedofGod, rhc gricfc ofthe heart will r10r bee d1fccrncd, for thcexccutJOn ofhis iu(bce )how(oeucr in vnlclfe it becmam(dlcd by the confetlion of thcmfelues,and rovo they be eurll. tbepartiedifcafcd; and for this caufc alfoin Bcfide• this gcnerall and n.aturall goodthegricfc ofconfclcncc, the[cruple, that is, netfc ,there is allo afpui~eflormoraflgoodnes, thethingtllar rroubleth thcconfcience, mull properly fa called: & it isrllarwhich IS agree· be knownr. able eo rhc ctcrnall and vnchangeable wife.. Neucrrhcldfo, in priuar<confcilion, rhefc D dome ofGod ,reucaled rn rhe Morall Law, eaucats mul~bc obfe1ued. F1rfl, it muH not wherein it Js commanded ;and thing,s as they beevrged, as a rhmg fimply or abfolmdy nearc therein conJmandcd to be done byGod, cetfary,wirhoutwhJchtberccabenofaluarl6. are good morally. Now of aCtions m~rallJ Againe, it is noc fit rhar confeffion OJOuld be good,thcre be two degrccs:for rhey areeith~r ofall finnes, but onely of the fcruple it felfe, good 1n tbemfclues alone, or good bcth 10 that is,ofrhat orthofe finnesalonc-,u-hich doe rhemlcluc~,and in the doer. In themfcluesa~ trouble and mol en ch~confcience. Thirdly, lonefomethingsbcmorodly good:forexam· though confcflion m~y be maderoany kinde ple, when a w1ckcd man g10c:s an almes,ais a ofman, ([O,fo~oneto anothtr ,faithlames 1 ) good worke oncJy in it (cJfe, bur ~or good ycr is; ir efpcc1ally 10 be made to rhe Prophets in thedocr,bec<ilufe iris nm done in fairh,and andMinlllmofrhcGofpcl. Forthey in lrkefrom a good confcience: and fa are all the It hood ,ofall other men, in refpett of rhcir verrucsofthe he;.then, mCJraDygqod in thempl;tces and gifrs,arc the fittcfi and bcU able to · (clues, but rhcy arc nor good in heathen men ;I'Splf:ndi· inilruCl ,correct ,comfort, and cnforme the for in them rhey are but (a) bt'autifHU/innCJ. dapcccau. :.:.w:.:.ra:.:.k:.:e...:a:::n:.:d:..':.. '"o:::u:.:n:.:d:..ed;:.:::co:::n:::fc:::i:::cn:::c~e,_.~L::•::ll:;ly 2,:::th:::<:.:__T:.:::h•::..::n:::ex::t:::d::.<egree of goodnelfe is , whereby _ · thir.gs
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