whom they may be deceaved We are therefore to beware that we neither wrong our selvs by credulitie nor others by unjust suspition To receav without examination mens sayings is to make of men God to reject them lightly is to make of men Divels or fools at the best The latter hath pride and uncharitablenesse for the ground the former either argues men to be simple which cannot or idle which will not or presumptuous which think they need not or superstitious which dare not judg or which is worst of all the rest desirous in a kinde of humble hypocrisie to shelter an evill conscience before God under the shadow of great mens Authoritie To presse immoderately mens Authoritie in Divine things is to wrong Gods which alone is authentick and whose will and it alone and all it so far as is fit for us to know it we know more certainly to be contained and preserved without corruption in the Scriptures then any Fathers opinion in the Books which go under his name This also wrongs mens Faith and reason captivating them by prejudice and rather offering a hand to lead the blinde then a light for the help of him that hath eyes to see with I have known some who if they light upon a peremptorie Authour and bold asserter of things were readie to be still of the same opinion with the Book which they last read their weaker judgment being overborn rather by the strength of other mens asseverations then reasons Lastly this ingenders endlesse contentions as is to be seen in some Learned mens writings in which there is more adoe about the meaning of such or such a place in a Father then were enough to determine the whole controversie by the Scriptures and good Reason These things notwithstanding there is both a lawfull and convenient use of humain testimonie even in Divine things as first for the convincing of such thereby as regard it too much and Gods Word too little Thus Paul amongst Heathens even in his verie Sermons alledged Heathenish Poets and Phylosophers and we in our writings rightly alledg Fathers and Councels against Papists and others who more regard the saying of an ancient Father or Canon of a Councell then the written Word of the Ancient of Dayes They are twice overcome who are beaten with their own weapons in which they trust Secondly It induceth a morall probabilitie though no absolute necessitie of truth and though we see not the truth by other mens eyes but by our own yet may we be something held up in the arms of their testimonie to see it the better and so be helped as Zacheus was by the Tree into which he clymbed to see Christ. So the Apostles in penning some parts of Holy Scripture upon occasion of differences in the Churches and opposition to their Apostolicall Authoritie took in for the better passage with men of Gods undoubted truth the concurring testimonie even of ordinarie Christians though both the Decrees Epistles were penned by infallible and immediate direction of the Holy Ghost as well and as much as any other parts of Canonicall Scriptures Thirdly Citation of humain Authoritie helps to wipe away the aspersion of Schism singularitie when we can shew that our assertions and practises have agreement with such as are in account in the Churches Lastly It commends both a mans modesty diligence when he enquires after and withall his cause in the eyes of men when he appears to know the judgments of others in the things he handles as it is on the other side an imputation to him that knows them not and that even where it is otherwise no benefit to know them The Authoritie of him that prescribeth or commandeth within his limits is the same whether the matter be great or small God is God in the smallest things which he requires and man but man in his deepest charges The Prophets and Apostles in their writings are extraordinarie and Pastors and Teachers ordinarie Ministers and neither are either more or lesse in any part of their Ministerie for the instruction of the Churches So likewise all true Reasons are of the same force in themselvs to confirm that for which they are brought neither is any one stronger then other but onely more evident The best but proves of itself the things to be so and the meanest if sound doth as much CAP. X. Of Faith Hope and Love Of Faith Reason and Sense FAith in generall is a firm assent upon knowledg to an affirmation for the credit or authoritie of him that affirmeth a thing whether God or Angel or man To some things we assent by Sense and naturall light to some for certain proof of Reason but the assent of Faith rests upon the fidelitie of the speaker and not upon the Sense or Reason of the thing how agreeable to either soever it be Yet so as the more reasonable the thing related is the more readily we beleev it to be true The thing beleeved Faith apprehends primarily as a matter of truth and therein hath its seat in the understanding Divine Faith assents to the revealed will of God for the authoritie and truth of God which cannot deceav That Faith or act of Faith by which we are justified is a due assent to and application of the promises of the Gospel as made and appertaining to us in particular the generall promise upon condition of application duly and rightly made being as much for certaintie as either extraordinarie revelation or particular nomination of person This application of Gods promises in Christ hath evermore affiance necessarily and immediately ioyned with it For being by the Spirit of God and Word of the Gospel perswaded of Gods love in Christ we cannot but trust unto him rest and repose our selvs upon him and expect accordingly from him all good But as we must lay hold of the stay or prop before we can rest upon it So must Faith go before affiance in order of causes and we lay hold of Gods love before we can repose our selvs upon it Hope is the expectation of the good things promised having Faith for its foundation These two Faith and Hope have many the same objects yet neither all nor any in the same respect We beleev things past present and to come but hope for things to come onely We beleev both promises and threatnings both rewards and punishments in the order set by God but hope onely for things desireable And for the verie same things in themselvs beleeved and hoped for as for example the resurrection of the body and life everlasting we beleev them as present in Gods promises which Faith applyes unto us but hope for them as absent and to come in performance unto which Hope carieth us Faith begets Hope for by beleeving the forgivenesse of our sins and Gods promises for the present we are encouraged to expect and hope for all future good And Hope again as a good Childe helps to
fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire The oppositions intended in Scriptures are diligently to be observed upon mistaking whereof errour followeth upon neglect maimed obedience For example The Apostle in teaching that there is but one God the Father and one Lord Iesus Christ doth not oppose the Father to the Son nor the Son to the Father for either is God either Lord but both to all whether Creatures or Idols So where Christ bids his Apostles baptize them that beleev he doth not exclude their infants but such as beleev not the Gospel being preached unto them Likewise where Paul saith of the incestuous man that he was rebuked of many he opposeth not many to all as some conceav but to one viz. himself Lastly He that will expound the Scriptures ought in honour of the graces of God bestowed upon other men and in conscience of his own infirmitie with the holy use of other means to joyn the reading and searching of the commentaries expositions of such speciall Instruments as God in mercie hath raised up for the opening of them and edifying of the Church thereby remembring alwaies that the Word of God neither came from him nor to him alone He that depends too much upon other mens judgment makes as if the Word of God came not to himself at all He that neglects it as if it came to him onely Of which two evils the latter is so much the worse as arrogancie in a mans self is more odious both to God and men then either slacknesse in examining or dulnesse in discerning or excessive fear of departing from the opinion specially receaved of others It is strange and lamentable that in the great profession of the Scriptures made in our dayes so many should be ignorant of the difference between the Law and the Gospel of which two heads the Scriptures consist making the Gospel nothing els but a more favourable and easie Law and thereby transforming grace into nature a promise to be receaved into a commandment to be fulfilled and the offering of new life even the life of Christ into the exacting of old and due debt onely God as an absolute Lord gives his holy Law saying Do this and live and therein properly exacts obedience as a naturall debt of the reasonable creature thereunto enabled by creation But as a gracious Father publisheth the Gospel in it offering help to the miserable and helplesse creature and working withall according to the election of grace power will to receav the help and hand offered This if many considered as they ought they would not as they do plead the power of mans free-will in Spirituall things against the free grace of God nor exclude as some of them do the infants of beleevers from the covenant and baptism of the Church as though God could not shew grace because they cannot shew free-will to receav it The utmost ordinarie means of revelation of Gods will for mans salvation and happines is the Gospell When the Law written in mans heart by creation was almost worn out God gave it written in tables of stone But life and freedom from sin and death being impossible to the Law in that it was weak through the flesh and all men by it whether considered as written in tables of stone or of the heart by creation comming short of the glory of God it hath pleased the same God by the Gospell of his son Christ to provide a gracious remedy that the sick to death by the justice of the Law might be cured yea the dead revived by the grace of the Gospell and mercy of God therein And other remedy besides and beyond this for the obteyning of salvation God hath not revealed He that fulfils not the righteousnesse of the Law violates Gods justice but remaining obstinate against the grace of the Gospel also he despises with Gods justice his mercy and his authority in both And what remains for such but a fearful expectation of the work of his terrible power of the revelation of his wrath from Heaven against all specially such ungodlinesse of men For if the word of the Law spoken by Angels was steadfast and everie transgression and disobedience receaved a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation of the Gospel which at first began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him CAP. IX Of Authoritie and Reason AVthoritie leads us to the Authour of a thing and bids us rest in his word whether for credence to his relation or obedience to his commandment Reason wils us to look to the thing it self and to the arguments for or against it taken either from common sense or naturall principles and conclusions or other undoubted grounds of truth or goodnesse of matter The ground in Authoritie is in a sort personall in Reason reall It is a kind of impeachment of Authoritie to examine the Reasons of things so is it a prejudice to Reasons work to call Authoritie to counsell save onely when God speaks for then the Authoritie justifies the Reason and Reason bids receav the Authoritie and do all things commanded without reasonings The Authoritie and credit of him that relates a matter whether man or Angel yea or God himself makes it not the truer in it self but the more readily to be beleeved by them that hear it The testimonie of God in his Word that in the beginning he made the World of nothing and will judg men and Angels at that day by Iesus Christ is onely therefore true in it self because God indeed hath done the one and will do the other but is therefore by us to be beleeved as true because he so testifies in his Word Divine Authoritie is to sway with us aboue all Reason yea Reason teacheth that God is both to be beleeved and obeyed in the things for which man can see no Reason And hence it is that the Lord hath so severely punished mens transgressing his Laws of Ceremonies and Divine Institutions called by the Schoolmen voluntarie precepts for that in commanding of them Gods absolute Authoritie most clearly appears and mans pure obedience in observing them Humain Authoritie hath more or lesse weight according to the worth of the person or other circumstances But as the moneys of all men high and low good and bad are alike so are the Reasons The meanest mans Reason specially in matter of Faith and obedience to God is to be preferred before all Authoritie of all men I say specially of Faith yet not excluding other subjects For though I will and ought to do some things simply because I am commanded yet I will not therefore simply beleev that any thing is good in it self And albeit I am bound to obey humain Authoritie in sundry things for the commanding of which I know no Reason yea know there is no Reason yet know I Reason for mine
or all which they spake by the Spirit written but onely so much as the Lord in wisdom and mercie thought requisite to guide the Church in Faith and obedience to the worlds end so as the Scriptures should neither be defective through brevitie nor burthensom by too great largenesse and prolixitie And thus to judg is more answerable both to Gods providence in preserving the Scriptures from miscarrying and to the Churches care and faithfulnesse in keeping safe this heavenly treasure committed to her custodie then to say with some that any of the Books or parts of the Canonicall Scriptures are lost It no more detracts from the authentique authoritie or generall use of some parts of the Holy Scriptures that they were penned upon some speciall occasions then of the Sermons of Christ the Prophets and Apostles that some of them were preached upon speciall occasions And surely it seems a strange conceipt that the authoritie of the writing should be the lesse because the thing written was suggested by the Holy Ghost and so penned upon speciall occasion offered as such Scriptures were The Scriptures are not onely authentique in themselvs as having the Spirit of God for the Authour both of matter and manner and writing but do also as they say carrie their authoritie in their mouthes binding both to credence and obedience all whomsoever unto whom they come by what means soever And if God left not himself without witnesse in his works of creation and providence how much lesse in his written Word Wherein without comparison he reveals himself much more clearly then the other way which is therefore discernable by its self as is the Sun by its own beams and light and which as one saith he that studies to understand shall be compelled to beleev Their assertion therefore who hold and teach that we are to receav the Scriptures for the Churches testimonie because usually as others more truly and religiously speak we receav them by its testimonie is in effect none other then that we are to beleev God for mens cause whereas on the contrarie if a man should finde the Book of Holy Scriptures in the high-way or hidden under a stone yet he were bound to learn receav beleev and obey them and everie part of them in his place though without yea against the likeing and approbation of all the men in the World except God must not be God without mens likeing And if the Word preached by Christ the Prophets and Apostles in their time whether to Iews or Gentiles were absolutely to be beleeved and obeyed by everie one that heard it without other or further testimonie why not as well and much now by all that read it written He that receavs the testimonie of Christ for it self whether exhibited in speach or writing sets to his seal that God is true He that receavs it for the testimonie of the Church sets to his seal that men are true But the Childe of God knows his Fathers voyce The profit and power of the Scriptures both for stay of Faith and rule of life and comfort in all manner of afflictions no tongue or pen is able so fully to expresse as everie true Christian findes and feels in his own experience There is but one true happinesse life eternall one giver of it God one Mediatour Iesus Christ and so but one means of imparting it the Word of God by which he that is both Authour and finisher of all both begins and perfits all Blessed is the man that hath his delight therein and meditates in the same day and night that so he may learn the things upon Earth the knowledg whereof will fit him for Heaven When we avow the Scriptures perfection we exclude not from men common sense and the light of nature by which we are both subjects capable of understanding them and directed in sundry manners of doing the things commanded in them yea besides other humain helps we both acknowledg and beg of God as most needfull for their fruitfull understanding the light of his holy Spirit onely we account and avow them as a most perfect rule neither crooked any way nor short in any thing requisite This their sufficiencie and perfection is not to be restrained to matters simply necessarie to Salvation For who can say how many or few and no more nor lesse they are But to matters necessarie to obedience that we may please God in all things great or small expressed or intended and to be gathered by proportion and just consequence Without Faith we cannot please God and Faith comes onely by the Word of God which we must therefore make our guide in all our wayes And if we be to give an account for everie idle word and so for every vain thought or work there is then a Law of God for these smallest matters for where no Law is there is no transgression and where there is no transgression or fault there is no account to be given But as Phylosophers say that the least naturall things are not sensible by reason of their smalnesse so may and doth it too easily fall out that we fail through want of skill or care in applying our rule of direction both in smaller matters and others of greater moment also But this is not because the Scriptures are defective in directing but we either blinde in discerning or negligent in searching or both And if the Holy Scriptures direction reach unto the whole course of our life how much more of our Religion or worship of God In which nothing is to be practised but that which is to be beleeved nothing to be beleeved but that which is to be taught nothing to be taught but according to the Scriptures This being the first thing that we are to beleev that we must beleev nothing but according to them All things els are humain and humain it is to er and be deceaved The custom of the Church is but the custom of men the sentence of the Fathers but the opinion of men the determination of Councels but the judgments of men To conclude One onely place of Holy Scriptures rightly understood and fitly applyed will have more power and fasten deeper upon a truly good and godly heart then all the consenting authorities of men and Angels though uttered with the tongue of men and Angels As the title set over the head of Christ crucified was the same in Hebrew Greek and Latin so are the Scriptures the same whether in the Originall or other Language into which they are faithfully translated Yet as the waters are most pure and sweet in the Fountain so are all writings Divine and humain in their Originall Tongues it being impossible but some either change or defect or redoundancie will be found in the translation either by default of the Translatour or of the Tongue into which it is made In a Translatour is required specially skill in words and
Tongues in an Expositour judgment in things That Translation is most exact which agreeth best with the Originall word for word so far as the idiom or proprietie of the Language will bear so as for words or phrases in the Originall proper or common simple or figurative perspicuous or doubtfull words and phrases of the same sort proper or common and so of the rest be put and retained in the version lest the Interpreter bring his own Commentarie for the Scriptures Text. On the contrarie the Commentarie is best which shews most clearly the sense scope and meaning of the Text in what words soever As the Law-maker best knows the meaning of the Law and how it is to be expounded so for the exposition of the Holy Scriptures the Spirit of God as the Authour thereof is first and most to be consulted with by faithfull and earnest prayer from a good conscience that God may fulfill his promise made of giving his holy Spirit to them that ask it and of revealing his secrets to them that fear him And so some speciall Instruments of renuing the Gospels light in the former Age have professed that they learned more this way by prayer then by much studie otherwise There is in a Scripture but one proper and immediate sense others are rather collections from it relations unto it or illustrations of it then immediate senses The literall sense is to be followed as being most naturall what may be and not to be refused if it may stand without danger without blasphemie and according to other Scriptures And here it must be noted that Christ and his Apostles in expounding Moses and the Prophets did not onely infallibly expresse their conceptions and meanings but the meaning of the Spirit speaking in them and that by reason of their more plentifull measure of the same Spirit and experience withall in some particulars as I conceav further then the Prophets themselvs understood albeit they alwaies knew the immediate drift of the Spirit and meaning of the things which they spake and were not as the Pythonists or other the like Instruments of the Divell uttering Oracles which they themselvs understood not The Lawyers have a rule and the same competent to the matter whereof they treat that Laws of fauour are to be extended as largely as may be but odious Laws as they speak as much straitned and confined within the narrowest bounds of interpretation But all Gods Laws and Instructions must in honour of the Lawgiver be expounded in the largest sense that they can beare that so they may reach as far and binde as fast as may be This the infinitenesse of his wisdom challengeth in directing us of his authority in commanding us of his mercy in promiseing and justice in threatning Which by so interpreting and applying his word we acknowledg and honour as is meet And as they are blame-worthy who out of a scrupulous fear lest they should ad to the Scriptures allow them no further meaning then the words expresse so is their sin greater and full of presumption who shorten and straiten the Scriptures instruction to that which is expressed in so many words that they may make room thereby for their own devises A Scripture commandeth promiseth or threatneth whatsoever is contained in it though not expressed And that is contained in it which can truly and iustly be gathered from it though by never so many consequences or inferences though the fewer the lesse dangerous by reason of our weaknesse of discourse Particular words and phrases more obscure are to be interpreted according to the scope mind of the speaker the Holy Ghost in the place which is both in time and excellencie before the thing spoken and that for which the Spirit speaketh as it doth in the place neither is the Scripture profitable except the scope be first found And to hang upon a word phrase or sentence in a Text without looking to the main drift is if any other the character of an hereticall disposition With this that other most necessarie rule hath affinitie namely that the words are to be understood according to the subject matter the words of Law and Gospel according to the different nature of Law and Gospel the words of an Historie Historically of a Sacrament Sacramentally and mystically and accordingly notes of universalitie according to the extent of the matter or person spoken of As we oft finde out learn mens meaning by some of their companie of such as are about them which we could not learn of themselvs so may we gather the meaning of a Scripture otherwise hard to be understood by marking the things which accompanie it and which are above and below as the Iews use to speak and Christians with them Like as the Lamps in the Golden Candlestick did one help anothers light so doth one place of Holy Scripture anothers And though a thing found in one place if in one indeed be as true binde as strongly as if it were a thousand times written yet so to insist upon any one place in a difference as to neglect others is the high-way to error and to loose the right sense by breaking the Scriptures golden chain whose links are all fastened together And as one place must be expounded by another so must the more brief and obscure by the more plain and larg and not the contrarie crosse way for that were not to lighten the darknesse of a Text but to darken its light according to that of the Father The fewer must be understood according to the more and one saying must rather be taken according to all then against all Touching precepts affirmative and negative First They are usually either kept or broken together He who doth not what he should do commonly doth what he should not do If a man be drawn away from God he is easily ensnared by his own lust On the contrarie he that doth his dutie faithfully hath as it were a Supersedeas from the Lord against the temptations of sin and Satan The way not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit Secondly The receaved rule that affirmative precepts binde alwayes but not to alwayes as negatives do is true being rightly understood We are to take no time for doing evill and but some time for the doing of the best good to wit as we have opportunitie and abilitie Thirdly In the prohibition of an evill we must ever understand the command of the opposite vertue and so on the contrarie He that saith expresly Thou shalt not kill means also as well Thou shalt preserv thy neighbours life Lastly There is both more vertue more vice practised in affirmatives then in negatives It is more good to do good then not to do evill and more evill to do evill then not to do good though both the tree that brings forth evill fruit and that brings forth no
obedience even the honour of Authoritie and preservation of peace The thing commanded may be unjust and evill in him that commands and yet good in me obeying his Authoritie in it For example A matter of outward wrong to me commanded by the Magistrate in the doing whereof I sustain dammage but sin not God who made two great lights for the bodily ey hath also made two lights for the ey of the mind The one the Scriptures for her supernaturall light and the other Reason for her naturall light And indeed onely those two are a mans own and so is not the Authoritie of other men The Scriptures are as well mine as any other mans and so is Reason as far as I can attain to it But the Authoritie of others is not mine but theirs which when I use I borrow and lay to pawn unto them whom I cannot satisfie or secure by the other means which are mine own Who would borrow of others that hath enough of his own to satisfie as well God who though he be absolute Lord so oft annexeth Reasons to his Precepts teacheth even the most powerfull and mightie upon the Earth in their governments to prefer Reason afore Authoritie And the man that would not rather rule men by Reason yea beasts if they were capable thereof then by violent Authoritie is himself inhumain and beast-like The Authoritie of Gods Word and testimonie is alwaies the same as being grounded upon his unchangeable veritie But the credit of mens judgments is lesse or more according to varietie of circumstances Men deserv most credit in the facultie wherein they haue been most exercised for none can judg so well of the craft as the crafts-man So more likely it is that a man wise learned and studious in the Scriptures specially if withall he be such a one as unto whom God hath promised in ordinarie course as unto one that fears him to reveal his secrets should finde the truth then one sleightie illiterate and of more shallow meditations In former ages the Divell hath so far prevailed as that men in superstitious reverence haue as it were pinned their Faith and Religion upon the sleeves of the Churches Authoritie and Clergies learning putting out or winking with their own eyes that their guides might lead them and this blinde-fold devotion is yet affected by too many But withall there want not specially in places of libertie whose minds Satan hath so far possessed with the contrarie delusion as they think it halfe Poperie so much as to seek counsell and direction at men of Learning and knowledg lest for sooth they should be deceaved by them This suspition hath been and is too much occasioned by the abuse of Learning to covetousnesse and ambition in the Learned but is taken and held up by the other partly by unbelief whilst they more fear the Divels subtletie in deceaving them by Learned men specially being in any measure conscionable then they trust to the blessing of God upon his own gifts in them for their information partly from conceiptednesse in themselvs as if they were indeed verie Popes and exempted from danger of erring and partly through partiall affection to their preconceaved opinions of which they are as loath to hear any ill as fond Parents are to hear ill of their Children though there be never so much cause lest thereby they should be brought out of love with them But as we are more to desire and endeavour that we our selvs may walk in the wayes of God then others so should we rather desire and more endeavour as we have occasion to converse with men of knowledg and such as may inform us then with them that know lesse then our selvs and do depend upon us for information And to conclude as Learning makes the good better and the bad worse so is it more likely that a man should be bettered by it then not and that knowing what concerns him he will be the more ashamed of the contrarie It is also more probable that many specially wise and godly should finde the truth then one as many eyes see more then one whereupon it was that the verie Apostles in some cases of practise sought or took the advise of others which help our dulnesse makes much more necessarie for us Into this account we must also bring the advantage of Ages and times in which men live and so more credit in matters controverted between Rome and Vs is to be given to the Churches and Fathers of that first Age after Christ then of the latter when the Mysterie of Iniquitie rising by degrees had gotten too great both height and breadth Besides the occasions offered have their weight in these Ballances Austin is observed by occasion of the errour of Pelagius to have examined more diligently and more exactly discerned and in preffer terms to have propounded the truth in the points of Predestination and Free-will then others his Ancients Many are ignorant yea mistake specially in smaller matters not properly because they want either skill or will to finde out the truth in them but occasion onely pressing them to examine things receaved by tradition or done of custom without ground of reason With these also we must ioin the consideration of such advantages as the latter times have of the former whose helpfull labours they enjoy by which those which follow them though in themselvs meaner then they are enabled to discern of many things better then the other that went before them as a dwarf set upon the shoulders of a giant can see further then he Lastly It is more likely that of two in any measure alike otherwise he who suffers affliction for conscience of God should have the truth then he that gets worldly benefit by his course in Religion specially if he have not in a great measure learned to denie himself and this world it being their guize to dissemble herein who love â—ucre and riches as too many do The credit commending a testimonie to others cannot be greater then is the Authoritie in it self of him that gives it nor his Authoritie greater then his person The person then being but a man the Authoritie can be but humain and so the faith but humain which it can challeng The custom of the Church is but the custom of men the sentence of the Fathers but the opinion of men the determination of Councels but the judgments of men what men soever And so if all the men in the World not immediately directed as were extraordinarie Prophets and Apostles in whom the Spirit spake and testified by them should consent in one as they notwithstanding their multitude were but men though many so were their testimonie but humain though of many men neither could it challeng other then humain assent unto it and not that neither absolutely either in matters of discourse of reason wherein it is possible that men should deceav themselvs or of relation from others by