CaftJ of Conjcience. z.Boo ce. 1 Fcr·e[olntion ofehis Q9dlion, the Cau- A ·.,.,; (eg ofr,~t profitir.g,are di!hnClly mbe confi· dcrcd. And they arcoftwoforrs. Thefir!Hc•rtofCaufes, are the finnes of the hearers. And chat tinnes arc the cau[es ofnot profiting, it will appeare by this fignc; ifrhc mcmoric,vndcrUanding, &other parts ofthe minde in commo.:1 matters, bee flrong and pregnant. bet dull and weake mappre– hending, and waining the doctrine taoght. Now rhefc linncs arc principally two. FuCl,Hardnefftofheart, when aman is not inwardly mooucd and affected with theword preached, but rcmaines m rhc fame £latehcc was before, This is fct foorth by tl1e hard ground, rhat is, by the high "'ayfide, and by rhc £lony ground,Matrh. t 3·4·5.And fnch is B the bcartrhar is not mooucd nor affeCl:cd ei– rherwirh ioy, forrow, fcare, orconfolation. The hardnclfecfheart arifcrh from acuflom in !inning, and from the dcccltfulne!Te oflin, Heh.J.IJ. Sccondly,.m/dt}Ca>"Cs,that is,a heart pof– felfed with dclireofprofits,pleafilfes,honors, preferments, &firch like; which beas thorns char choake ihelced of the word,and fuffer ir ·notrogrow and fru,Clifie: yea, that fill the he:ut full of w:mdringimagmations, which • ficalc away the mindc from attending to the word preached. T hofc that are thus hindred from profiting, are rather to be rcprooued, then comforted: for that the caufe ofrheir non-proficieucie,isin, & from themfdues.They C are therefore to vfeall good meanes torrhe remoouall oftheir finnes , that ofhard hear· tedand carnaJI, they may become good and profitablehearers ofrhe word. The meanes arc rhefe. Firfl, rhey muJl labour to beetouched in heart,ll'ith fenfe and feehng ofthcirfpiritual poucrtie, and wanr ofGods fauour and mer· cie in rhc pardon ofrheir linnes. The reafon isgiucnofDauid, Pfal.zs.9. The Lordrt•ch– ethtbehumblehi41vtties: AndbyMarieinher fong,Luk. '·53· Huhath filled the hungriewith /!.ood things,and therich hebath(ent tmptieaway. Thefecond meancsis, to heare tho word of God 1vith an hondl hearr,ioyncd withacon– ilantpurpofeofnotfinning. The third, robe D as carcfull to bring good a.ffetlions,as agood vnderllanding. For affet!ions are the feere that.carrie the heart, and Salomon biddes vs to take heed toortrfute, J>Jbcn weenttrinto the boil("[God, Ecclcf. 4· '7· They are the very key ofknowledge and memorie; and there– fore Dauidfaics,Thc(ecrct ofthe lArd iJ reucald to thb(: thatjMrehim, andhiscoru111mt is to giucrhmn;nderflanding, Pfal,15. r4.And that which hefaith ofFearc,rnay befaid a!fo oforher goodaffcelions. benefit by the w·ord preached, Thefe wants may be di(cerned rhus; Ifrheminde and me– moric beeweake or wanting, \swell incorn~ mon worldly matters,u in diuincthings that belongtoGodskingdome. And to thiskind ofmen, which ar< rhus troubled f0r notpro6ring,therc belongeth comfort;Yetnorlim– ply,butvponthefccondirions. Firil, ifthey kn01v rhe principall grounds ofreligion. Se– condly, it they haue care to profit &increafe in knowledge. Thirdly, ifrhey liueaccording to the rneafurc oftheir knowledge, in obedi– ence ro Gods will. Thcfc bceing obferued, fuch parties arc to comfort chcmfelucs in this, that God in mercic will accept oftheir mdeauour, forgiue their ignorance, &bearc \Vith their infirmities. This is tobccfeene in rhe example ofPcrer,whofe faith was highly commendcd by Chrifl,whcn hcfaid, theuau s flj heUP,ould not prcHaile againft it, Matth~ 16.· J6.Andyet at that very tlmc,Percrwa.igno. ranr ofmany maine points·ofRciigion, as of the dcarh,rcfurrcClion,& afcenlion ofChrill. And in his perfon , the other difciples are commeodcdalfofortheir faith, becaufe rhcy held Chriil robe rhc Mcllias andSauiourof theworld, though theywere ignorant of the manner ofhis redemptio,thinking be nwuld hauebecnc an earthly king. ACl.r. Againe, the want ofknowledge infuch as hauenatu– rall dcfcCls,may becfupplied by good atfeCli– on, ifthey be not wanting in :111 honcfl heart, and carefull indeauour of godly life. Thu• the Church of the Iewes in the oldeTefia– menr,drd farrc exceed the Church ofrhe new ingood affetl:ion, though ir came farrenwrt oflt in knowledge and apprehenfion. CHAP. VIII. OftbeSttcramentsingtntrAII,tbl r1Cci11ing, 1111dv{t of them. IN the next place, followthc~eflionsof confcicncc touching rhe third partofGods Ourward worl'hip, namely, theSilcramentJ; . and rhefeconccrn either thcadminifiration; or the recciuingofrhem. The Adminillration I wil here letpalfe,and handle thofc Qtle– ctionsoncly, thatconcerne the rccciuingand vfe thereof, both in gencrall &in p•rricular. Touching the recc:iuingof the S:1craruCrs ingt>;urafl,rhclc iseneoncly ~dhon: Fflhether the SacramentJ The fecondfort ofCaufcs , nreordinarie and duall defedsofnaturnll gifts; as ofcapa· citic,orconccipr,Qfmcmoric,and vndcrfian .. miniflred /Jy Heretickes, ldo– latour.r, and '"Pn/ujjicient mi– niflers,be Sacraments or no ~ _ For anfwer l1ereunto, wee arc to knGw, rherebe thrccfortsofmen tbatmayadmini~ !lertheSacraments. Some are true a·nd law- / ding. For all men hauo nor the likegifrsof narurc,and chcreforcall mcnc;annorreap like loll
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