ment. It is true that impenitent persons, who are the seed of a line of wicked ancestors, have more obligations to the same punishment, but not obligation to greater punishment; because as great as they were capable of was due before.

Q. 21. But many say that for nearer parents' sins no punishments but temporal are due?

A. 1. If any at all are due, it proveth an answerable guilt. 2. To say that Adam's sin deserveth our spiritual and eternal punishment, and all other parents' sin only temporal, is to speak without and against Scripture, and the nature of the case. The case of the seed of the old world, the Sodomites, the Canaanites, and the present heathens, speaks much more. 3. It is clear that nearer parents' sin is a cause that of their posmany terity are more sinful, in lust, pride, fornication, heresy, and ignorance, than others: and sin, as well as grace, hath a tendency to perpetuity, if not cured and remitted.

Q. 22. Why doth God name only the third and fourth generation?

A. To show us, that though he will punish the sins of hist enemies on their posterity who imitate their parents, yet he sets such bounds to the execution of his justice, as that sinners shall not want encouragement to repent and hope for mercy.

Q. 23. Who be they that be called here haters of God? A. All that have a predominant hatred to his servants, his service, and his holy laws. But the next specially meaneth those societies of infidels, heathens, and malignants, who are the professed enemies of his church and worship. As I said before, the outward symbols of idolatry were the professing signs by which his church's enemies were openly noted in the world; as baptism and the Lord's supper were the badges of his church and servants.P

Q. 24. What is the meaning and extent of the promise of mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments?

A. 1. As to the subject, it must be noted, that such a belief in God as causeth men to love him and keep his commandments, is the qualification of them that have the promise of God's saving mercy: faith working by love and obedience.

2. The words signify God's wonderful mercy, and h's delight to do good to those that are qualified to receive it.

3. And they signify, that God will not only love and bless a » Deut. xxxii. 41; Psalm lxxxi. 15; Rem. i. 30; Luke xix. 27.

godly offspring for their own sake, but also for the sake of their godly ancestors; and while they succeed them in true piety, God will increase his blessings on them.

4. And though those forfeit all, that prove ungodly when they come to age, yet the infant seed of the faithful, while such, are in covenant with God, on the account of their relation to those godly parents who dedicate themselves and theirs to him.

Q. 25. How doth God perform this promise, when many godly parents have wicked and miserable children?

A. This promise doth not say that God will keep all the children of the faithful from sinning against him, and casting away his mercy and salvation. But if men be sincerely godly, and dedicate themselves and their children to God, and enter them into his covenant, and perform their own part promised by them, God will accept them into his family, and pardon their original sin, and give them the necessary helps for their personal faith and obedience when they come to the use of reason. And if the children keep their covenant according to their capacity, and do not violate it, and reject his grace, God will accept and save them, as actual, obedient believers.

Q. 26. Will he not do so also by the children of unbelievers? A. If such at age see their parents' sin, and forsake it, and devote themselves to God, he will accept them. But as infidels and wicked hypocrites have no promise of God's acceptance of them and theirs, so such do not dedicate themselves and their children to God; he that will devote his child to God, must do it, as it were a part of himself; and cannot do it sincerely if he first devote not himself to God.

Q. 27. But may not others do it for his children?

A. In infancy they are considered in the covenant of grace but as infants, that is, appurtenances to another. As the infidels' infants they have neither capacity nor promise; but if any other adopt them, and take them truly as their own, I am in hope that God accepteth such so devoted to him.

↑ Prov. xx. 7; Psalm xxxvii. 28, 29; Matt. xix. 13, 14; Acts ii. 39; 1 Cor. vii. 14; Isa, xiv. 25, and lxv. 23; Mal. ii. 15; Rom. iv. 16, and ix. 8.

CHAP. XXXVI.

Of the Third Commandment.

Q. 1. WHAT are the words of the third commandment? A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Q. 2. What is it that is specially here forbidden?

A. Profaneness; that is, the unholy using of God's holy name, and holy things; especially by perjury, or any other entitling him to falsehood, or to any of the sins of men, as if he were the author or approver of them.

Q. 3. What is meant by the name of God?

A. Those words, or other signs, by which he is described, denominated, or otherwise notified to man; which I opened so fully on the first petition of the Lord's Prayer, that to avoid repetition I must refer you thereto.

Q. 4. What is meant by taking the name of God in vain?

A. Using it profanely, and specially falsely. It is contrary to the hallowing of God's name, which is mentioned in the Lord's Prayer.

In the Scripture, 1. The creature is called vanity, as being but a shadow, and untrusty thing; and to use God's name and holy things in a common manner, as we use the creature's, is to profane his name, and take it vainly.

2. And falsehood and lies are usually called vanity; for vanity is that shadowyness which seemeth something and is nothing, and so deceiveth men. A lie is that which deceiveth him that trusteth it: so idols are called vanity and lies, for their falsehood and deceit; and all men are said to be liars, that is, untrusty and deceitful.

Q. 5. What is an oath?

A. I have said heretofore as others, that it is but an appeal to God as the Witness of the truth, and the Avenger of a lie; but, on further thoughts, I find that the common nature of an oath is to pawn some greater thing in attesting of the truth of our words; or to take some grievous thing on ourselves as a penalty if we lie; or to make some certain truth a pledge of the truth of what we say. And to swear by our faith, or truth, or

honesty, by the temple, the altar, the fire, the sun, is as much as to say, 'If this be not true, then I have no faith, truth, honesty; there is no temple, altar, fire, sun:' or 'Let me be taken for one that denieth that I have any faith, that there is any sun, fire,' &c.: or, 'It as true as that this is fire, sun,' &c. So to swear by God is to say, 'It is as true as that there is a God,' or 'as God liveth,' &c.; or, "If I lie, take me for one that denieth God to be God;' and consequently it is an appeal to him as the Avenger; so, 'By the life of Pharaoh' was 'As true as Pharaoh liveth,' or 'Else take me for one that denieth the life of Pharoah.' So that there is somewhat of an imprecation, or self-reproach, as the penalty of a lie, in every oath, but more dreadfully of divine revenge when we swear by God, and of idolatry when men swear by an idol, as if it were a God.

Q. 6. Which be the chief ways of taking God's name in vain?

A. 1. Fathering on him false doctrine, revelations, or laws; saying as false prophets, 'God sent me,' and 'Thus saith the Lord,' when it is false; saying, "This doctrine, or this prophecy, God's Spirit revealed to me,' when it is not so. Therefore all Christians must be very fearful of false revelations and prophecies, and see that they believe not every spirit, nor pretend to revelations; and to take heed of taking the suggestions of Satan, or their crazed, melancholy fancies, for the revelations of God.

2. So also gathering false doctrines out of Scripture by false expositions, and fathering these on God. And therefore all men should, in dark and doubtful cases, rather suspend their judgments till they have overcome their doubts by solid evidence, than rashly to conclude, and confidently and fiercely dispute for error. It is a great profanation to father lies on God, who is the hater of them, when lying is the devil's work and character.

3. The same I may say of a rash and false interpretation of God's providences.

4. And also of fathering false laws on God, and saying that he either commandeth or forbiddeth what he doth not; to make sins and duties which God never made, and say he made them, is to father falsehood on him, and corrupt his government.

5. Another way is by false worship. 1. If men say that God commanded such worship, which he commanded not, it is the

sin last mentioned. 2. If they worship him with their own inventions without his command, (particular or general,) they profane his name, by offering him that which is unholy, common, and unclean.

6. Another way is by false pretending that God gave them that authority which he never gave them; like counterfeiting a commission from the king. If princes should pretend that God gave them authority to oppose his truth, to persecute godliness, unjustly to silence faithful ministers of Christ, to raise unnecessary wars, to oppress the innocent; this were a heinous taking of God's name in vain. If priests shall pretend that God gave them authority to make themselves pastors of the flocks that are unwilling of them, without a just call, or to make laws for any that are not rightfully their subjects, and to impose their dictates, words, and forms, and unnecessary inventions, as conditions of ministration or communion, without true right, and to make themselves the rule of other men's words and actions by usurpation; this is all taking God's name in vain. And so it is, if they preach false doctrine in his name, and if they pronounce false excommunications and absolutions, and justify the wicked, and condemn, reproach, and slander the just, and brand unjustly the servants of Christ as hypocrites, schismatics, or heretics, and this as by ministerial power from Christ: especially if they silence Christ's ministers, impose wolves or incompetent men, scatter the flocks, and suppress serious godliness, and all this in the name of Christ. Much more if any pretend, as the pope or his pretended general councils, to be Christ's vicar general, or head, or supreme, unifying governor over all the church on earth, and to make laws for the whole church: or if they corrupt God's worship with imposed superstitions, falsehood, or profanations, and say God hath authorised them to do this; it is heinous profaning God's name by a lie; such doing brought up the proverb, In nomine Domini incipit omne malum: when all their abuses began with, "In the name of God, Amen."

And they that make new church forms which God made not, either papal, universal aristocracy, patriarchial, and such like, and either pretend that God made them, or gave them, or such other power to make them, must prove what they say, lest thev profane God's name by falsehood.

But the highest profanation is, when they pretend that God hath made them absolute governors, and set them so far above his own laws, and judgment, and himself, as that whatever they