Theologicall questions, dogmaticall observations, and evangelicall essays, vpon the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to St. Matthew Wherein, about two thousand six hundred and fifty necessary, and profitable questions are discussed; and five hundred and eighty speciall points of doctrine noted; and five hundred and fifty errours confuted, or objections answered: together with divers arguments, whereby divers truths, and true tenents are confirmed. By Richard VVard, sometimes student in the famous vniversities of Cambridge in England: St. Andrews in Scotland: and Master of Arts of both the kingdoms; and now a preacher in the famous city of London.

VERS. 13, 14, 15. [Vers. 13.14, 15:] But wee unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites for ye shut up the King∣dome

of Heaven against men; for yee neither goe in your selves, neither suffer yee them that are en∣tring to goe in. Woe unto you Scribes, and Pha∣risees, Hypocrites, for ye devoure Widowes hou∣ses, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe un∣to you Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye compasse Sea and Land to make one Proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of Hell then your selves.

[Sect. 1] §. 1. Woe unto you Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypocrites.]

These Scribes and Pharises were of high e∣steeme, and reckoning, both in their owne con∣ceits, and also in the opinion of others, none being thought better then they; and yet we see here that Christ slights them, cals them Hypocrites, and de∣nounceth many Woes against them in this Chap∣ter, to teach us:

[Observ.] That God rejects many as wicked, whom the world & themselves thinke to be happy, and good.

[Quest. 1] How doth the truth of this appeare?

[Answ.] It appeares

• First, from these places, Psalm, 50.22. Esa, 58.3. Galath. 6.3. Revelat. 3.17. Matth. 3.9. and 7.22. Iohn 6.39.
• Secondly, because God sees not as man sees: man seeth only the outward appearance, but God seeth the heart, 1. Samuel 16.7.
• Thirdly, because we are partiall Judges in our owne causes, every mans way seeming good in his owne eyes, Proverb. 16.2. but God judgeth according to truth.

[Quest. 2] What is here required of us?

[Answ. 1] First, we must take heed, and beware of all de∣ceivable Judgement: Now herein three things are included; namely,

I. We must take heed of all popular judgement, (Non si quid turbida Roma) & not beleeve the ap∣plauses and acclamations, and good reports of the world: in a word, we must not therefore thinke our selves good, because our Neighbours, and the world proclaime us to be such.

II. We must take heed of our owe proper judge∣ment, and not rest upon a selfe-conceit of good∣nesse, as many doe, who thinke themselves to be good enough, and their sinnes to be but small and triviall. Selfe-love makes us to thinke well of our selves, and hinders us from condemning our selves; for no Malefactor would die for his of∣fence (though never so hainous) if he were made his owne Judge.

III. We must be carefull to fit and prepare our selves for the judgement of God, labouring that we may be such, as that he may approve of us, as fol∣lowes in the next Answer.

[Answ. 2] Secondly, we must remember, that we shall come before an all-seeing and all-knowing Judge (Hebr. 9.27.) from whose eye nothing is hid, but all things manifest; And therefore we should be care∣full to labour to doe those things, which are agree∣able unto his word, and shall be approved by him; for woe be unto those who are wicked in Gods sight.

[Quest. 3] What doth the Lord see on Earth which dis∣pleaseth him?

First, he seeth some great and rich men, which justifie themselves, and will not be reproved: and unto these he saith, That riches availe not at the [Answ. 1] day of Judgement, Prov. 10.2. but Potentes po∣tenter tormentà patientur, great men shall have great torments.

Secondly, the Lord seeth some who have a forme [Answ. 2] of Religion, without truth, 2. Timoth. 3.5. and these are either

I. Private Papists, who joyne with us in outward shew, and come to the house of God with us, but their hearts runne after the Pope. Or

II. Atheists, who seeme to beleeve God, but their hearts are atheisticall, Psalm 14.1. Now these the Lord perswades not to deceive themselves, for they cannot deceive him, Galath. 6.7.

Thirdly, he seeth some who have honesty with∣out [Answ. 3] zeale, now these he tels, That except their righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they cannot be saved, Mat. 5.20. Such neither

I. Hungring after the word of God, or religious duties. Nor

II. Being sensible of their sinnes, or sorrowfull for them. Nor

III. Seeking the glory of God in all things, and above all things.

Fourthly, the Lord sees some, who serve him [Answ. 4] for base and by ends, for second and sinister re∣spects, whose life is pure, but their hearts polluted; whose outward man is holy, and their inward hy∣pocriticall. Unto these the Lord saith, That the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish.

Fifthly, the Lord seeth some who have many [Answ. 5] idle motions, that is good desires, and intentions, who doe not nourish them, but suffer them to wi∣ther and dye. Now unto all these the Lord will say at the last day, Depart from me I know ye not, Matth. 7.25.

How may we be certaine that the Lord will [Quest. 4] approve of us, at the day of Judgement?

We may be sure he will, [Answ.] if we walke here accor∣ding to these rules; and observe diligently these Cautions: Now the Rules include the Cautions, and the Cautions the Rules, as affirmatives and ne∣gatives doe one another.

First, the Rule is, Doe that which is good, and a∣greeable to the Law, and word of God? The Cau∣tion is, Doe nothing which is evill, or contrary to the Law and word of God. And both Rule and Caution is laid downe, Psalm 34.14. Eschew evill, and doe good.

Secondly, the Rule is, Doe that which is good in sincerity, and truth; the Caution is, Do not that which is good for some second end and scope. We must serve God in feare, and love, and out of a de∣sire to approve our selves unto him, and to glorifie his name.

Thirdly, the Rule is, Use carefully the meanes which God hath appointed for the making of us good: the Caution is, neglect not those holy means which God hath ordained. We must. I. Hunger after the word of God, and delight in the hearing thereof: and not call it a wearinesse unto us, or a hard saying. II. We must be diligent in the du∣ties and exercises of holinesse, and not remisse or

carelesse. III. We must frequent, and delight our selves in the society of the righteous; for of good men we shall learne goodnesse.

Fourthly, the Rule is, be zealous in the service of the Lord, the Caution is, be not key-cold, or luke warme, Apocal. 3.15. We must not onely labour to endure derision, danger; and losse, rather then neglect or omit the Service of God, but we must also despise the care of worldly things, yea necessa∣ry things, rather than forget our duty towards God: For as the body is more worth then meat, so is the soule more worth then the body; and there∣fore the service of our God, and the salvation of our soules, are to be preferred farre before all other things.

Fifthly, the Rule is, be industrious and constant in the service of God, and workes of holinesse; the Caution is, serve not God by fits and starts. We must not sometimes serve God, and sometimes Sa∣than, or sometimes withstand sinne, and sometimes yeeld unto it; but we must strive and struggle a∣gainst sinne, and labour after whatsoever is good, for terme of life,

Sixthly, the Rule is, be circumspect and watchful, Marke 13.33. and 1. Peter 5.8. The Caution is, be not carelesse and negligent. We must

I. Like Prometheus be wise before hand, and wa∣rily avoid all the occasions of evill. And

II. We must like Epimetheus, at least be wise af∣ter hand, examining our former life, and our former errors; that we may avoid them for the time to come, and seriously repent us o•• what is past. Here

First, A Longinquo, we must examine the errours of our life; and see whether

I. They remaine or not, at least in our affecti∣ons and will. Or

II. Whether we be changed from evill to evill, or from evill to worse, as from lying to blasphemy and perjury; from prodigality to usury and op∣pression, and the like; now this is to be perverted and not converted.

Secondy, A propinquo, we must examine our lives and actions, for the last day, or weeke, or moneth, or yeare; and see what we have done which we should not have committed, and what we have not done, which we should not have omitted,

Seventhly, the Rule is, we must walke wisely, as well as warily: the Caution is, we must not walke foolishly, and imprudently, Ephes. 5.15. We must observe and marke

I. What sinnes doe most annoy us, and assaile us; and oppose these manfully even unto blood, Hebr. 12.1, 4. And

II. What the occasions of sinne are which most usually prevaile against us, and deceive us. And

III. By what wayes and meanes we may the ea∣siliest, and best resist both sinne and the occasions thereof. Now here is need both of invention, and wisedome, and labour, how we may most easily, and safely, and happily, both hinder the course of sinne and further the course of piety and holinesse. J con∣clude with the Apostle: He that walkes according to these Rules, peace shall bee upon him, and God will approve of him. Galath. 6.16.

§. 2. Yee shut up the Kingdome of Heaven a∣gainst [Sect. 2] men, &c.]

We in opposition to the Church of Rome af∣firme, that the Militant and Visible Church may erre, and we confirme it from this place, and by o∣ther midstes thus.

First, [Argum.] the Militant and Visible Church consists of meere men, who are subject to errour, and igno∣rance, and whose knowledge in divine things is alwayes imperfect in this life. Hence the Psalmist saith, All men are Lyars, that is, subject to this vanity, that they may fall, and erre, and deceive, and be deceived, according to that trite saying, Huma∣num est errare, Man may erre, and is subject and prone unto errour.

Secondly, the Militant Church often in this life sinnes, yea may sinne alwayes; for no member of the Church Militant is absolutely freed and ex∣empted from sinne: Now if it may sinne, then in like manner, yea much more, it may erre. For sinne (which is the vice of the will) is worse then sim∣ply to erre, or be deceived in the mind and under∣standing.

Thirdly, betwixt the Church Militant, and Triumphant this is the difference, that the Trium∣phant Church in Heaven is freed both from sinne and errour; and therefore the Church Militant la∣bours and travels with both..

Fourthly, we are commanded to examine the words and workes, doctrines and deeds of all, by the Rule of the word of God. Hence our Saviour in this Chapter bids his Apostles, and the multi∣tude to heare the Scribes and Pharisees, but yet withall they must examine whether they taught according to the Law of Moses; and in these ver∣ses, and those which follow he shewes direct and palpable errours in them, although they were in∣deed the Governours, and in esteeme the princi∣pall members of the Judaicall Church. Read Matth. 5. and 16.6. and 1. Thessal. 5.20. and 1. Iohn, 4.1. and Philip. 3.3. From these places we may directly conclude, That the Rulers and Governours of the Church may erre, and the peo∣ple may erre, and consequently the Church may erre, because that consists onely of Pastors and people.

Fifthly, Augustine (Contra Epist. Pelag. lib. 4. Cap. 7.) saith, Quomodo Ecclesia in isto tempore perfecta sine ruga et macula, cujus membra non mendaciter confitentur, se habere peccata. How can the Church in this world be perfect and without spot or wrinkle, seeing the members thereof doe most truly confesse that they are stained and con∣taminated with sinne?