The whole treatise of the cases of conscience distinguished into three bookes: the first whereof is revised and corrected in sundrie places, and the other two annexed. Taught and deliuered by M. W. Perkins in his holy-day lectures, carefully examined by his owne briefes, and now published together for the common good, by T. Pickering Bachelour of Diuinitie. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table: one of the heads and number of the questions propounded and resolued; another of the principall texts of Scripture vvhich are either explaned, or vindicated from corrupt interpretation.

The Preface declaring the Ground and Order of the Treatise following.

Isaiah, 50. 4.

The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned, that I should know, to minister a word in due time, to him that is wearie.

IN that part of the Pro∣phecie which goes be∣fore, the holy Ghost set∣teth downe and foretel∣leth the Calling of the Gentiles, which was to beginne at the death of Christ, and from thence to continue vnto this day, and so consequently to the ende of the world. In the former verses of this Chap∣ter, there is mention made of the reiection of the Iewes; I meane not a generall, but a

particular rejection, namely then, when they were in affliction in the daies of Isaiah. Now in this, and so in all other Prophecies of the like kind, which intreat of this point; Christ himselfe is brought in, speaking in his owne person; and the words of this Chapter from the beginning, to this present verse and the rest that follow, are the words of Christ the Mediatour.

In the verses going before, he disputes the case of their rejection, and and the summe of the whole disputation is: that either he or they themselues were the causes thereof; but he was not the cause, & therfore they them∣selues by their sinnes. The reason, whereby he prooues that they themselues were the cause, is framed in this sort. You Iewes cānot bring any writing or bill of diuorce, to shew that I rejected you: therfore I appeale euen to your owne consciences, whether you haue not brought this iudgement vpon your selues, by your iniquities. vers. 1. On the other side, the reasō why God was not the cause is: because he for his part called them in great mercie and ioue: but when he called they would not obey. ver. 2.

Now in the ende of the second verse, is contained an answer to a secret reply, that some obstinate Iewe might make after this manner: God hath not nowe the like power in sauing and deliuering vs, as he hath had in form••r times: therefore we cannot hope or

expect any deliuerance from him, and howe then shall we doe in the meane while? To this the Lord himselfe makes answer, ver. 2, 3, 4. that his hand is not shortned, nor his power lessened in regard of greater workes, much lesse in respect of their deli∣uerance; and though the present affli∣ction which they indured, was great and tedious, yet they were not to be ouermuch dismayed in themselues, but rather to be comforted: because God had giuen him the tongue of the learned, to minister a word in season to the wearie and distressed, and consequently, that he had power to case and refresh that their wearines and afflicti∣on.

In this text then, there is set downe one principal dutie of Christs propheticall office, by allusion to the practises of the Prophets in the old Testament, especially those which belonged to the schooles of Elias and Eli∣zeus, who are here tearmed, the learned. And out of the words thereof, one speciall point of instruction may be gathered, name∣ly, That there is a certaine knowledge or do∣ctrine reuealed in the word of God, whereby the consciences of the weake may be rectified and pacified: I gather it thus. It was one speciall dutie of Christs propheticall office, to giue comfort to the conscien∣ces of those that were distressed, as the Pro∣phet here recordeth. Now as Christ had this

power to execute and performe such a dutie, so he hath committed the dispensation ther∣of to the Ministers of the Gospel. For we may not thinke that Christ in his owne per∣son, ministred and spake words of comfort to the wearie, in the times of the Prophets, because he was not then exhibited in our nature; and yet he did then speake, but how? in the persons of the Prophets. So likewise, because Christ now in the new Testament, speaks not vnto the afflicted in his owne pro∣per person, it remaineth therfore, that he per∣formes this great worke in the Ministerie of Pastours and Teachers vpon earth, to whom he hath giuen knowledge, and other gifts to this ende and purpose. There must needes therefore be a certen and infallible doctrine, propounded and taught in the Scriptures, whereby the consciences of men distressed, may be quieted and releeued. And this do∣ctrine is not attained vnto by extraordinarie reuelation, but must be drawne out of the written word of God.

The point therfore to be handled is, What this doctrine should be? It is not a matter easie and at hand, but full of labour and diffi∣cultie: yea very large, like vnto the maine sea: I will onely (as it were) walke by the banks of it, and propound the heads of do∣ctrine, that thereby I may, at least, occasion others, to consider & handle the same more at large.

That I may proceede in order: First, I am to lay downe certaine Grounds or Pream∣bles, which may giue light and direction to the things that follow: and in the next place, I will propound and answer the maine and principall Questions of Conscience.