rule ouer him but all the Laity in respect of the Cleargy are as sheepe to the Shepheard Therefore the Ministers of the Church may not be iudged or censured of Lay men I answere Answer this whole argument is figuratiue and therefore cannot be demonstratiue by the rules of their owne Schoole A figuratiue speech cannot conclude necessarily but onely probably If we take the word sheepe and sheepheard in their proper signification the sheepe being brutish and vnreasonable cannot iudge the their sheepeheard But if the words be taken metaphorically or by way of similitude the Magistrate is not a sheepe in all things but onely in Spirituall things belonging to doctrine and faith and a good conscience wherein the Ministers are Sheepeheards If we speake of Ciuill things and prouiding that all things be done decently and orderly in the Church the Magistrates are sheepeheards of the people and all the Cleargy are his sheepe because they are citizens and subiects of his city and Soueraignty As then the Magistrate cannot prescribe to the Minister what doctrine he shall teach so it were pride and presumption for the Minister to set downe rules to tie the Magistrate to his lure in the duties of his calling for then the sheep indeed should iudge their Pastor Thirdly Obiect 3 it seemeth absurd that an earthly Iudge should take and punish the seruants of the chiefest and highest Iudge and those men that are consecrated vnto him I answere Answer an earthly Iudge that sitteth vpon an earthly bench is also the seruant of the most High GOD the Minister of the heauenly Iudge Rom. 13.4 2 Chron. 19.5.6 and the Lieutenant of the Almighty exercising the iudgement not of man but of God It belongeth to his office to iudge others that are Gods seruants so farre as they are subiect to him as sheepe to their sheepeheard by the Law of God and man If one of the Cleargy breake the Law of God and of the kingdom wherein they liue by committing murther theft periury false witnesse-bearing or such like he is punished not as the seruant of God but as the seruant of sinne and an offender against the Common-wealth Against those supposed reasons we oppose the authority of Gods word that subiecteth all persons to the power of the Magistrate Let euery soule bee subiect Rom. 13.1 Ti. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 put them in remembrance that they bee subiect to the principalities and powers and that they be obedient and ready to euery good worke therefore submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it bee vnto the king as vnto the superiour or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that do well We heard before that Christ requireth obedience and as he commanded it to others so he practised it himselfe for he was subiect to his parents Luk. 2.51 Matth. 17.27 and to the Magistrates he payed polle money for himselfe and for Peter not vsing the priuiledge he had and the liberty he might vse for offence sake lest another emboldened by his example should vse the pretence of liberty that indeed he had not Paul also teacheth subiectioÌ„ both by word and deed by his doctrine practise For he was subiect to the Magistrates and vsed their authority for his safety when hee appealed from the malicious Pharises vnto Caesar Act. 26.32 Chrysost homil in Roman Bernard eptst 42. Thus we see what Christ did what the Apostles did what the Christians did they exempted not themselues from the secular power but whether they were Apostles or Euangelists or Prophets they submitted themselues and claimed no freedome from their iurisdiction wherefore they are led by another spirit that broach and practise a contrary doctrine The third res proofe Thirdly they are reproued that are seditious persons and moue rebellion and insurrection against Princes who alwaies or for the most part are mette with all in this life and receiue according to their deseruings Of such persons Iezabel spake truely 2 King 9.31 Had Zimri peace that slew his master as if she should haue said Can any Rebell or Traitor or any that riseth against his superior and Soueraigne prosper and haue good successe For Zâ—mri a Captaine of the hoste conspired against Elah the son of Baasha king of Israel smote him that he dyed vsurped the kingdom But the time of his reigne the continuance of his sitting on the throne could not be numbred nor reckoned by yeres 1 King 16.9.15.18 nor by months nor by weeks he reigned onely seuen dayes and then being hardly besieged he was constrained to burne himselfe and the kings house with fire so that as he came to his kingdome by vsurpation and held it a while by effusion of blood so he ended his dayes in desperation Reade to this purpose 2 Kin. 15. where we haue set before vs the examples of Shallum 2. King 15.10.13.25.30 who coÌ„spiring against Zachariah the son of the second Ieroboam and smiting him in the sight of the people and reigning in his stead did not long enioy his kingdome but sate in his throne the space of a moneth and then himselfe was slaine so he found according to his works so that as he spared not to shed blood so his blood was not spared Likewise the example of Pekah who conspired against Pekahiah and smote him in Samaria in the place of the kings palace but did he escape for this treason and end his daies in peace No as he did euil in the sight of the Lord and departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebal so Hoshea wrought treason against him smote him and slew him and paid him home in his owne kind So in the former Chapter we see that when the seruants of Ioash king of Iudah wroght treason against their master slew him his sonne did not suffer their hoare heads to go downe to the graue in peace but so soone as the kingdome was confirmed in his hand he slew his seruants which had killed the king his father 2 Kin 14 5. Thus it appeareth that a discontented head a muttering spirit and a seditious mind are dangerous and bring a iust reward of rebellion vpon their heads that are the contriuers of it so that they fall into the pit of confusion that they made for others This is the ende of rebellion and such recompence haue Rebels against Princes Hence it is that such pernitious persons being the common plagues of kingdomes and Common-wealths are hated of God and man odious to euery one yea euen to those that vsed them to serue their owne turnes in disloyal and wicked actions Plutarch in the life of Romulus so that albeit they loue treason well yet they hate the Traitor For he that betrayeth his Prince his countrey and kindred into their hands to whom he is not tyed
our owne flesh in the lusts thereof Rom 13 14. If wee should giue the bridle to our flesh it is as a bottomlesse pit that will neuer be filled Secondly such as are planted commodiously in this world must beware that they doe not forget the world to come and they that enioy the earth at will must remember the kingdome of heauen wherein they must onely place the toppe of their happinesse If wee seeke heauen vpon earth we shall neuer finde it in the next life Thirdly let vs vse this world as though wee vsed it not reioyce as though wee reioyce not and weepe as though wee weped not considering that the fashion of this world vanisheth away 1 Cor. 7 30 31. Heere can bee no certainety nor assurance of any thing but in health we haue one foot in sicknesse and in life wee bee at the brinke of death In ioy and gladnesse wee are neere to the house of sorrow and affliction Lastly wee must account of euery day as our last day what is present wee see before our eyes but what is to come wee see not we know not The rich man builded and planted and plotted for many yeares and promised to himselfe a long life vpon the earth but it was saide vnto him This night shall they take away thy soule from thee c. Luke 12. CHAP. XXX 1 ANd Moses shake vnto the heads of the Tribes concerning the chilâ—ren of Israel saying This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded 2 If a man vow a vow vnto the Lord or sweare an oath to bind his soule with a bond hee shall not breake his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth The contents of this chapt and the diuision of it NOw Moses commeth to speeke of such Lawes as are voluntary that is of vowes whereof he setteth downe two sorts one concerning men the other concerning women and sheweth in what persons they are ratified and in what persons they are frustrated Touching the man which is the head of the woman he is charged not to falsify his word or his oath lest hee prophane the Name of GOD which he hath taken in his mouth but to performe his promise that he hath made as Psal 15 4 he shall dwell in the holy hill of GOD that sweareth to his owne hurt and changeth not Touching the woman she is ordinarily and by the Law of nature vnder the power and authority of another Wherfore touching their vowes we must giue iudgment according to the place which they hold and the calling into which they are entred For the woman that taketh an oth or maketh a vow either is in the power of her father or in the power of her husband or in her owne power or else in the power of one when shee vowed and in the power of another when she is to performe it A woman in her fathers power is bound to performe that which shee hath sworne or vowed but conditionally if the father allow of it eyther by his word or by his silence so that the vow standeth if he approue of it eyther by speaking or by holding his peace Qui tacet consentire videtur For heere the common prouerbe is verified Hee that wittingly willingly holdeth his peace doth closely secretly giue his consent But on the other side if the father dislike and disallow the vow she is freed because she is not free And if the woman be married and at the disposition of her husband it followeth by proportion of the former Law that if her husband approoue her vow eyther openly or secretly directly or indirectly by speaking or holding his peace so soone as he heareth it or heareth of it shee is bound to keepe it but if he consent not but disallow and disavow it her vow is voyde and she is to aske pardon of her rashnesse If she be a widow and set free being at her owne liberty and not vnder the iurisdiction of father that bestowed her or of the husband to whom shee was bestowed in marriage she is bound to performe her vow The Apostle teacheth that the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liueth but if hee be dead shee is loosed from the law of her husband Rom. 7 2. As shee is free to vow so he is bound to pay that which he hath vowed because the promise was voluntary and free and there is none can make it voide Lastly the widow must not thinke her selfe discharged by her new or second marriage but the time of making her vow to wit in her widowhood must be considered and remembred But such as are cut of the fathers power or by death of the husband set free must pay their vowes to the most High without denying or delaying or diminishing what they haue solemnely and aduisedly vowed From hence we may learne how to answere sundry particular questions touching the vowing of men and women Obiect And first the question may be asked what if it be the vow of a sonne or of a daughter vnder their father or one any way vnder the power of another as of a seruant vnder his Master shall that vow be good or such person be bound to performe it I answere Answ a vow must be of things in our owne power but hee that is in the power of his father and of his master is not at his owne hand his will dependeth vpon the wil pleasure of another and therefore Ionathan telleth his father that Dauid had asked leaue of him to goe to Bethlehem 1 Sam. 20 28 for their family had a sacrifice to offer in that citty If then being the seruant of Saul he would not presume to go before he had obtayned leaue of the Kings sonne doubtlesse such vowes are to be held vnlawfull vnlesse his gouernour confirme it or he that hath vowed ratify it when he commeth to be at his owne hand Againe it may be demanded whether such do not sin Quest as vow being in the power of others in not performing their vow True it is they ought not to haue vowed but hauing made the vow do they not sinne except they performe it Answer I answere they sinne in vowing but they do not sinne in their not performing of it wherefore Moses saith afterward The Lord shal forgiue her he meaneth not her forbearing to performe the vow forasmuch as if she should performe it she should set at nought her fathers power authority which God by no meanes will suffer and consequently adde sinne vnto sinne but God will pardon her rash and vnaduised vow which shee had vttered The doctrine from the first words is this Doctrine Vowes to be made to God lawfully or vnlawfully to be preserued that vowes made to God lawfully are to bee performed Deut. 23.21 Psal 76 11 and 66.13 and 50 14 Deu. 12 17. This is further confirmed vnto vs by sundry examples of the
before our eyes the example of Balaam hired to curse the people of God o Iohn 5 34 36. who gaped after gaine and promotion and gaue mischeiuous counsell to the Moabites and Midianites to worke their death and destruction This truth is confirmed by sundry the Apostles Peter Iude and Iohn in the new Testament who mentioning this history declare both that bee loued the wages of vnrighteousnes and laid a stumbling-blocke before the children of Israel to intrap them was reprooued for his iniquity by his Asse Who spake with mans voice and forbad the foolishnesse of the Prophet These things being duly weighed and throughly considered do sufficientlie teach vs who is the author of this Booke not man but God and that the authority of it is diuine and not humane Now let vs see what vse may be gathered from hence and how it may be profitably applyed to our instruction Seeing the Author of this Booke and so of Vse 1 the rest of holy scripture is not man or Angel or any creature but the Lord of heauen and earth we learne that they want not nor stand in neede of the confirmation and approbation of the Church or of men seeing they are approued vnto vs by a greater authority and as it were warranted vnto our consciences from on higher Court where God himselfe sitteth present and president of the same So then as Christ our Sauiour speaketh p I receiue not the record of man but I haue a greater witnesse then the witnesse of Iohn We may truly say the same of his word we haue a better ground to stand vpon and a fairer warrant then the testimonie of the Church to beare record of the dignitie and authority of the word Hence it is that he saith in the same place The works which the Father hath giuen me to fin sh do beare witnes of me that the Father sent me and the Father himselfe which hath sent me beareth witnes of me This serueth to conuince the Church of Rome of the spirit of errour which teacheth that the scripture receiueth authority and credite from the Church insomuch that some of them are not ashamed to auouch q Eckius in Euchirid de autho Eccl. That the authoritie of the Church is greater then of the Scripture and others feare not to blaspheme r Hermannus that they should haue no more authority in regard of vs then Aesops Fables except the authority of the Church did procure it And as they are bold to maintaine that the Church is aboue the Scripture Å¿ Bellar. de verbo dei li. 4. cap. 12. so they teach that the Scriptures are not in themselues necessary neyther were written to be a rule of our Faith Thus they fall from one heresie into another proceed from worse to worse as euill men doe But the assurance of our Faith touching the Scriptures is not builded on the Churches authority but vppon the illumination of Gods spirit shining euidently in the Scriptures theÌ„selues The holy Ghost openeth the eyes of those that are his that they know discerne his voice from all others For as the Sun is not seene by any lighâ— but his owne so we iudge of the truth and all false Doctrines by the Scriptures How do we discerne sweet from sowre but by it owne taste And how can wee better discerne the rellish of the Scripture t Psal 19 10. Which is swâ—eter then the Hony and the Hony-combe to the taste then by the goodnes and excellency of it selfe True it is wee doe not reiect and refuse contemne or condemne the testimony authority of the true church as the Papists slander vs u What the office and authority of the Church is but wee confesse these points of the Church First it is as the keeper of the rolles and records to preserue them not to authorize them He that is custos rotulorum doth not giue authority to the writings but hath them of trust committed vnto him Secondly it is as a touchstone to distinguish them from bastard counterfeit Scriptures not to make that Scripture which is no Scripture The touchstone of the Gold-smith doth not make gold but discerneth and distinguisheth gold from other mettall what is base and what is rich stuffe so doeth the Church Thirdly it is as the voice of a x Chrisost hom 1. in Epist ad Tit. crier to preach and publish and promulgate and teach the truth as a cryer pronounceth and proclaimeth the Edicts and Decrees of his Prince but cannot adde to them nor take from them nor authorize them nor any way alter change them Fourthly it is as an Interpreter and expounder to expound and interpret them according to the Scriptures As the man of Law deliuereth the sense of the Law but doeth not make it to bee Law These are holy and honourable seruices of the Church and these wee willingly acknowledge to belong vnto it But that the Scriptures should receiue credite from it or bee of no authority without it we cannot admit or acknowledge For they are cleere perfect firme and worthy of all respect and reuerence without the testimony of the Church for the Authors sake The Apostle saith y 1 Ioh 5 6 9 It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for that Spirit is truth and afterwarde If wee receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater Thus then wee see that the chiefe cause why wee beleeue that the Scriptures were deliuered from Heauen is not the witnesse of the Church nor the authoritie of man but because the Spirit speaketh euidently in them so that we can no more doubte of the truth of them though the Church should hold her peace then if we heard God openly speaking vnto vs froÌ„ the highest heauens Let vs therefore detest the wickednesse and blasphemy of such as say the authority of Gods worde dependeth of the testimony of man which were to preferre man before God to make all his promises hang vppon the vncertaine credite of man and to make the hand-maid take place before the Lady and Mistris which were a presumption and saucinesse not to be endured Secondly we learne from hence who is the Vse 2 best Interpreter of the Scriptures and who is the sole and soueraigne Iudge thereof namely God himselfe who is the author and inspirer of them For as the authority of them dependeth not vppon the Church so the interpretation of them dependeth not vppon the will and pleasure of man according to the saying of the Apostle z 2 Pet. 1 No prophesie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation Euery man is the expositor of his owne worke euery Law-giuer knoweth best the meaning of his owne Law a 1 Cor. 2 For what man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him Euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God for God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his
to continue for euer namely that they are a necessary good for the common-wealth whereas these damnable heretikes hold them neither necessary nor good but vnnecessary euills that ought not to be planted nor grow among Gods people and where they haue beene planted ought as superfluous branches to be topped and lopped or as noysome weeds to be rooted vp and remooued But the Scriptures of the old and new Testament commend vnto vs captaines in warre and gouernours in peace But those men acknowledge neither the calling of captaines nor the lawfulnesse of warre Rom. 13.1 The Apostles of Christ at what time Magistrates are euill both prophane idolaters and bloody persecutors command euery soule to be subiect to the higher power inasmuch as there is no power but of God The ancient commandement of the morall Law establisheth this as a perpetuall ordinance neuer to be disanulled vntil the vniuersall frame of the heauens be dissolued that we must honour father and mother that is not onely such as are fathers of the family Exod. 20.12 but such as are fathers of the Countrey He that said Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen image Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery said also Honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 For as the house cannot stand without gouernors to rule it no more can the Common-wealth And as themselues take vpon them to order their owne houses and exercise authority and dominion ouer such as are vnder their roofe and Regiment so is the Magistrate called to manage the affaires of state and to doe that within the walles of the citie which he doth within the wals of his house The father hath gouernment ouer his son the master ouer his seruants the husband ouer his wife the teacher ouer his schollers and why then not the Magistrate ouer his subiects Neither doth the Gospel subuert the order appointed by God in the dispensation of the Law for Christ Iesus who first preached the Gospel chargeth vs to giue Caesar those things that belong to Caesar and the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 we must giue to God So his Apostles teach that we must rather obey God then man when their commandements cannot stand together but when God is not disobeyed themselues preached and practised obedience and reprooued and condemned all disobedience Secondly The second reproofe of the Pope and his Cleargy heere the Pope and all the Romish Hierarchy and Cleargy are reprooued who exempt themselues from the authority and iurisdiction of Princes and Magistrates These cal themselues the spiritualty and claime an immunity both in regard of their persons and of their goods wherein they are confederate and ioine hands with their brethren the Anabaptists as wretched enemies to the crownes and scepters of Princes as themselus Only here lyeth the difference the Anabaptists confesse that Magistrats must be obeyed but they deny that there ought to be any in the Church Contrariwise the Pope with all the rabble of his horned Bishops confesse that there ought to be Magistrates but they vtterly deny that themselues ought to be subiect vnto them Now it is in effect all one whether wee take away Magistracy or whether we yeeld not to their authority And if there be any inequality betweene these the Anabaptists seeme to be the better who liue peaceably and obediently vnder them whose power notwithstanding they deny He is an euill child that denieth his father but he is worse that is obstinate stubborne that will not obey him but resist him How many wayes the Popish Religion is enemy to Princes we haue shewed elsewhere In the exposition vpon the Epistle to Philemon I speake not now of the wicked practises of their Assassinates that murther Princes but of their doctrine taught for sound and Catholike by all their schoole-diuines not by some few onely of them For they teach that their persons in causes Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and criminall are exempted from the Courts and Consistories of temporall Magistrates as appeareth in their publike disputations and by the iudicial proceedings of Paulus the fift against he Venetians who were excommunicated and the city interdicted so that their religious men ceased from ministring Ecclesiasticall Sacraments And as they challenge a freedome of their persons so they claime a freedome from paying tributes and like taxes to Princes nd will be bound to them in no respect To the and we may see the truth in these points Obiections â—nswered â—hereby the â—ope and his Cleargy â—laime freeâ—ome from â—emporall Princes be armed against their Arguments let vs see the grounds whervpon they stand and afterward produce sundry reasons out of the word of God to conuince their proud and false assertions First they obiect that the superiour ought not to be in subiection to the inferiour but contrariwise the inferiour must Obiect 1 be subiect to the superiour this is the Law of God and man But the Ecclesiasticall Regiment is distinguished from the Ciuill and politicall state and set farre aboue it by the Law of God Bellar. de cleri lib. 1. cap. 28. as the soule is aboue the body therefore Ecclesiasticall causes ought not to be iudged by temporall Magistrates I answere Answer by distinguishing the seuerall callings for Princes are superiours and inferiours and Ecclesiasticall persons are superiours and inferiours both of them are aboue others in the proper duties of their callings If any reply to be superiour and yet to be inferiour to be aboue and yet to be beneath are contrary I reioyne they are contrary and yet not contrary they are contrary if meant of one and the same thing and spoken in one and the same respect but if they bee diuersly considered in respect of diuers obiects there is no contrariety at all in them To apply this to the point obiected I say that the superiour cannot be subiect in those things wherein he is superiour but he may be and ought to be in those things in which he is inferiour Now the Ecclesiasticall gouernment albeit it be higher then the politike in the essentiall duties belonging vnto it to wit the preaching of the word of God and the administration of the Sacraments yet it is inferiour in those things that belong to Ciuill subiection and obedience Princes must obey so farre as the word of God commandeth in matters of faith and piety neither haue they any authority to inuent and frame a new Religion or to change and alter the Religion set downe in the Scripture or to decide and determine the Controuersies of Religion at their owne pleasure or to preach the word themselues or to dispence the Sacraments of the Church But in respect of Ciuill power ouer all persons they must acknowledge no superiour no equall they are aboue all and vnder none within Obiect 2 their dominions Secondly they obiect It is absurd and vnreasonable that the sheepe should iudge the sheepeheard or
sinne that is their offering strange fire with strange fire we shall speake afterward in the fift Chapter Heere we will obserue that this fact of theis may seeme in the eyes of many to be a small offence and not to deserue so heauy a censure and so grieuous a punishment For it may be said in defence or them either that they had a good intent and meaning though they missed in the manner or that this fire which they offered would serue to burne the incense as well as any other and what skilleth it by what fire it be done But all these are Doctrine 3 vaine pretences forasmuch as God had commanded the contrary a Gods worâ—â—ip we must â—ot be led â—our owne â—euices but â—y God diâ—ection We learne from hence that nothing in matter or forme concerning the worship of God or the administration of the Sacraments ought to be added or altered or detracted but all must be done as God hath determined and directed Our owne dreames and deuises must not sway vs in the matters of God but it is his will and word that must will and gouerne vs. The Lord himselfe challengeth and defendeth his authority in laying downe the maner and way of his own seruice not leauing it to the liberty of any creature men or Angels to intermeddle with it forasmuch as he will haue all things done as himselfe hath prescribed He is well pleased and contented that men shall make Lawes and statutes for humane matters concerning their temporall estates in this world as shall be fittest for the places where they rule and for the persons whom they rule as touching treasons murthers thefts oppressions slanders routs riots and such disorders but for the diuine worship how God shall be serued we must leaue it vnto him he onely can prescribe what must be done he onely will appoint what must be left vndone It is true the strange fire that Nadab and Abihu tooke was as well able to burne the incense as that which burned euermore vpon the altar and yet because God had not sanctified it for that purpose they were fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God When God instituted the Passeouer in remembrance of his mercifull deliuerance in passing ouer the houses of the Israelites when the first borne of the Egyptians were destroyed Exod. 12.3 the whole order is set downe both for the matter and manner of celebrating and solemnizing that ordinance hee instructeth what they shall take what ceremonies they shall vse what gesture they shall obserue and what he will haue them not to do Moses doth many times in the booke of the Law giue this direction Deuter. 4.2 Deut. 4.2 and 12.8.32 Ye shall not adde vnto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you and in the 12. Chapter ye shall not doe after after all the things that we doe heere this day euery man whatsoeuer is right in his owne eyes and afterward What thing soeuer I command you obserue and doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it On the contrary we see how Saul was punished with the losse of his kingdome because hee would offer sacrifice contrary to the expresse will of God made knowne vnto him 1 Sam. 15.23 The like might bee saide of Ieroboams two golden calues erected at Dan and Bethel without warrant and worshipped without warrant it was the ouerthrow of himselfe and his posterity 1 Kings 14.7 c. For this cause the Apostle speaking of the institution of the Lords Supper saith 1 Corin. 11. 1 Cor. 11.23 I receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you that the Lord the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread c. whereby it appeareth that it is no small matter it is no toy or trifle to worship GOD otherwise then he in his word appointeth vnto vs considering the saying of the wise man Adde not thou vnto his words Prou. 30.6 lest hee reprooue thee and thou be found a lyar This crosseth mans deuises which are Reason 1 bolde to steppe vp in Gods place and therefore let vs see the reasons First God will be acknowledged to be the only Law-giuer the king of his Church and the onely Prophet to instruct it in the will of God This is that which the Apostle Iames witnesseth Iam. 4.12 chap. 4. There is one Law-giuer who is able to saue and to destroy that can cast body and soule into hell fire Matth. 10. He is the master of the house that must set downe orders for the gouernement of his house None can make a Law in the kingdome but by authority of the king none can alter it being made but the king So is it in the Church none can appoint any word any Sacrament any worship but God himselfe none can reuerse any institution without him So that additions or detractions or alterations or any mixtures whatsoeuer are so many abuses of the Sacraments of the word and of the worship of God Reason 2 Secondly there is promise of blessing to them that serue him with a perfect heart and there is threatning of most heauy curses and iudgements to come vpon their soules that worship him after the commandements and precepts of men Our Sauiour chargeth his disciples to obserue all things whatsoeuer he commandeth them Matth. 28.20 and then he addeth Loe I am with you to the ende of the world Matth. 28.20 It appeareth in many places of the booke of Iudges the Israelites are deliuered ouer to their aduersaries for transgressing in this kind Iudg 2.12.14.15 2. Chron. 26.18 19. euen for worshipping him after other waies then he had appointed There is a fearefull denuntiation in the shutting vp of the Reuelation against all that shall dare either to adde or detract any thing in the holy things of God Reuel 22.18 19. I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the Prophesie of this Booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this Booke and if any man shall take away from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from the things which are written in this Booke Wherefore it is no small matter to follow the priuate willes of men in the worship of God and not to suffer our selues to be guided and directed by his word and commandement Obiection This may seeme to tye vp the desires of man too strictly and therefore his wisedome that he hath by nature Ministreth many obiections against this trueth to which wee are to giue answere as briefly as we can First the question may be asked whether Princes haue not power to make lawes in the Church haue they nothing to doe with the Church may they
intermeddle onely with the Common-wealth hath not God made them ouerseers of both states as also committed the charge vnto them of both Tables Answer I answere the care of Religion belongeth to all Princes and therefore the godly kings of Iudah made it their first labour to establish Gods worshippe But touching the worship of God wee must obserue that Church lawes and constitutions are of three sorts Materiall Ministeriall or circumstantiall Lawes that concerne the matter substance and parts of Gods worship are already established by God in the word nothing is left to Princes or Pastours of the Church nothing ought to be inuented of man nothing may be hammered in the forge of our braines which are too shallow to meddle in such deepe and profound matters as Christ teacheth Matth. 15.9 Matthew chapter 15. verse 9. In vaine they doe worship mee teaching for doctrines the commandements of men These Lawes we are to leaue to God only which touch the substance of his worship Ministeriall Lawes are such Canons as command the practise and execution of the former Lawes wherein the Prince is as it were the Minister commanding vnder God It belongeth to him to see both Ministers and people to doe their dutie 2 Chronicles chapter 30. verses 12.16 and to prouide that all his subiects reforme themselues in those things that pertaine to the worship of God and to punish idolaters Exodus chapter 22. Exod. 22.20 Leuit. 24 1â— Deut. 13.5 Numb 15.35 verse 20 blasphemers Leuiticus chapter 24. verse 16. false Prophets Deuteronomie 13.5 and prophaners of holy things Numbers chapter 15. verse 35. These belong vnto him these he is to looke vnto Lastly other Lawes are circumstantiall such as are constitutions made in things meerely indifferent which vary according to times occasions places and Churches These Lawes also he hath authority to make and meddle withall prouided that the rules of the word be not transgressed but carefully obserued So then albeit the Prince ought not himselfe to execute the things of God as to preach the word or to administer Sacraments or to practise the discipline of the Church yet he is bound to see them done and that all things be done in order comelinesse in the Church Againe it may be obiected Obiect that the Scripture doth often mention that sacrifices were offered otherwise then God appointed yet accepted They ought to be brought to the doore of the Tabernacle and not offered elsewhere I answere Answer the question is not so much of the fact as of the right not what was done but what ought to be done This is the cause that the Lord complaineth both against their persons and their doings and brandeth them both with a marke of dishonour in this manner Iehoshaphat did that which was right in the sight of the LORD 1 King 22 4â— but the high places were not taken away he walked in all the wayes of Asa his father he turned not aside from it neuerthelesse the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places The like is remembred of Iehoash hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his dayes wherein Iehoiada the Priest instructed him But the high places were not taken away the people still sacrificed and burnt Incense in the high places 2 Kings 12.2 3. When Manasseh was brought againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome he sought the Lord his God took away the strange gods and repaired the Altar of the Lord â—â—r 33 17 neuerthelesse the people did sacrifice still in the high places yet vnto the Lord their God onely God required to be worshipped not only as he appointed but where he appointed and therefore the contrary practise is noted to be a transgression a breach of the Law of God Thirdly it may be saide that the Prophets Obiection 4 of God who could not bee ignorant of their duties did not sacrifice as God commanded and yet are blamelesse They did not bring their sacrifice to the Tabernacle nor vnto the place that God had chosen but offered in other places as Samuel in Mispah 1 Sam. 7 9. and elsewhere chap. 16 2. â—â—â—wer I answer he did it as one of the Prophets who were extraordinary persons and not tied to the ordinary rules in all their actions So we see Elijah offered in Mount Carmel 1 Kin. 18. But wee are not to follow extraordinary matters without a speciall calling forasmuch as we liue by lawes not by examples So then it was lawfull in the Prophets in regard of their personal vocation which without it had beene vtterly vnlawfull Lastly it may be obiected that Dauid is Obiection 4 commended because he intended to build an house to the Name of God He had receiued no commandement from God to builde the Temple it was his good meaning and good intent yet he is expresly commended of God 2 Chron. 6 7.8 where Salomon in praising God saith It was in the heart of Dauid my father to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel but the Lord saide to Dauid my father forasmuch as it was in thy heart to builde an house for my Name thou diddest well in that it was in thy heart If then Dauid hauing no word or direction from God did well how is all will-worship euill â—â—swer I answer in this God respecteth not the deed it selfe but the intent of the dooer so that when it is said Thou hast done well it is as much as if the Lord had saide I know thou hadst a good meaning in it as it appeareth by the reasons vsed in the second booke of Samuel where Dauid saith to Nathan the Prophet Sam. 7 2. See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Arke of GOD dwelleth within Curtaines where he compareth himselfe with God and his owne house of Cedar with Gods Arke within Curtaines This reason carrieth with it a great shew of comlinesse seemelinesse For some might thinke with themselues was it meete that himselfe should dwell in his seeled house the Lords house lye waste Notwithstanding in matters of God wee are not to reason according to our owne opinion and outward appearing but according vnto the word of God â—â—mment Pet. â—artyr in 2 â—an c. 7. And heerein was Dauid deceiued that he went beyond the Commandement of God To build a Temple to God is not in it selfe euill GOD had promised that the Tabernacle and the Arke should haue a resting place Deut. 12 5 6. 1 Kings 8 but to seeke to preuent God was to bee reprooued As to set a King ouer them was not in it selfe vnlawfull Deuter. 17 15. but when they attempted it before the time and waited not Gods Commandement to goe before them they are reproued and punished for it 1 Sam. 12 16. Dauid in this place had receiued no direction touching this matter eyther of the time or of the place there was no Commandement eyther who should
sword it is the Schoole of Christ this is the rod as the Apostle calleth it it is the Temple of God this is as it were the whip to scourge out such as abuse it themselues it is the body of Christ this is as a medicine to cure the diseases of it it is the vine and sheepfold this serueth to keepe the foxes and wolues from it Secondly some obiect that it is not needfull Obiection 2 vnder a Christian Magistrate who is charged to punish such as liue dissolutely and disorderously inasmuch as he beareth not the sword in vaine Rom. 13. It belongeth vnto him to take away life or limbe according to the nature and quality of the offence What place then is there for excommunication and Ecclesiasticall iudgements I answer Answer Christ hath setled this as a perpetuall order in the Church Math. 18 17. If he shall neglect to heare them tell it vnto the Church but if hee neglect to heare the Church let him bee vnto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Where alluding to the custome of the Iewish Church hee sheweth also that the Christian Church cannot want this spirituall iurisdiction These thē are not contrary they stand well together neither doth the one hinder or ouerthrow the other Neither are we to thinke that Christ pointeth out the ciuill Magistrate when he saith Tell the Church as some suppose Erast thes but an Ecclesiasticall Senate Neither doth he meane when hee saieth Except hee heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen or a Publican except hee heare the Magistrate that is of the same faith and religion with thee thou maist go to law with him as if he were an heathē or Publican and haue him before the Romane Magistrate that is prophane For Christ speaketh not onely to the Iewes that then liued but giueth a remedy to bee vsed at all times The promise that followeth whatsoeuer ye shall binde on earth c. belongeth not to one time or to one place or to one people nor to the ciuill Magistrate nor to ciuill wrongs but pertaineth to the conscience and had bin impertinently vnproperly added if Christ had spoken of seeking ciuill remedy against ciuill harmes and iniuries which will farther appeare by the reasons following First if by the word Church the ciuill Magistrate were to be vnderstood then the words concurring in the text touching binding and loosing and vsed elsewhere to the same effect touching opening and shutting remitting retaining of sinnes shewing the Churches power doe not signifie spirituall power but ciuill but they doe not so signifie neyther were euer so vnderstood of any vntill our times Secondly the authority heere spoken of was such as the Disciples present should somtimes in person exercise and execute for so Christ saith vnto them verse 18. Whatsoeuer ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen But these exercised not ciuill power but spirituall iurisdiction therefore this authority heere spoken of was spirituall not ciuill Thirdly Christs words are in this place imperatiue Tell the Church Whosoeuer saith that these words are but permissiue onely suffering men so to do and not imperatiue enioyning the same he goeth against the letter of the text and propriety of the words But Christ commandeth no man to prosecute his brother ciuilly offending him before the ciuill Magistrate He commandeth to forgiue him and to be ready to take another iniury rather then in law to pursue him Math. 5 40. Therefore this action here in this sort enioyned and required at the offended brothers hands in that Christ saieth vnto him Tell the Church is not a ciuill action but must needs be a spirituall duty whereby the offenders soule abiding in sinne and so in danger to be lost is to bee recouered if it may be by this meanes Fourthly the ground and matter of this action whereupon the whole is inferred is not ciuill for then it should more fitly haue beene named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an iniury but heere it is not so called but it hath the expresse name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne Therefore the remedy also is spirituall and the meanes to bring it to passe Likewise he teacheth a little before of offences spirituall and of the cure of them then he sheweth our duty of seeking and recouering euen one brother going astray Math. 18 12 13 14. comparing this to the seeking and recouering of a lost Sheepe straying from the flocke in the wildernesse which also is a spirituall affaire and businesse These things being thus laide together with the words immediately following and both compared together there is no shew of reason why it should not concerne the same matter with the former there being still one coherence and knitting vp of the argument and that most fitly in this discourse Lastly Christ was no ciuill Lawyer neyther set any ciuill Courts and courses of law neyther was this his calling But this was his office to giue order for his Church and to establish the gouernment thereof Neither was there any speciall occasion to speake of ciuill going to law here was no question put to him concerning any such matter so that he should thus haue answered nothing to the purpose Wherefore by these particular considerations we may conclude that to take the word Church for a company of ciuill Magistrates vsing ciuill not spirituall authority for a bench of Iusticers or a Senate of Magistrates hath no approbation of any author In prophane writers it signifieth a whole ordinary assembly of people met together for ordering ciuill affaires guided therein by some Magistrate They then are very much deceiued that take the word in a ciuill sense vnderstand it of ciuill proceedings Againe when the Apostle speaking of the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5. willeth him to bee deliuered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh they expound it of an extraordinary punishment inflicted vpon him by the diuell whereby hee tormented his body Such a miraculous punishment was laide vpon Ananias and Sapphira by Peter and vpon Elymas by Paul But this is not the right interpretation true exposition of this place For albeit God oftentimes vse the diuell as his instrument both to chastise his children as we see in Iob and to punish the vngodly as we see in Saul so that the power of Satan is the power of God yet this is not intended by the Apostle Parae i◠1 C◠5. quest 1. as appeareth by the circumstances which may bee obserued in this chapter For first hee reprooueth the Corinthians that they had cherished a most wicked man among them and had not long before put him out as verse 2. Ye are puffed vp but he did not neither could he reproue them because they had not wrought a myracle because the gift which Peter and Paul had as the Apostles of Christ was not common to euery Christian nor
consequently Obiect 2 the Pope may for the auoyding of a greater inconuenience tollerate and permit this sinne without fault and without being charged with any allowance of the sinne it selfe It is one thing to approue and another to allow a thing as God permitteth many wicked actes in the world which notwithstanding he detesteth I answer Answer the comparison is vnequall that I say not it is blasphemous It is the fearefull iudgement of God vpon his enemies to make such monstrous and mishapen conclusions God hath a royall prerogatiue aboue his law and is not subiect vnto it but to the righteousnesse of his owne will He permitteth the abominations that are committed that by his infinite power and wisdome he may turne all things to the glory of his mercy or iustice It is not so with the Magistrate he must bee obedient to the law of God and all his authority is to be subiect vnto it it is his office to punish knowne euill and not to permit it neither is hee able to turne euill into good by his suffering of it Besides it will not follow from hence to speak nothing of the Popes temporall iurisdiction and of the right he claimeth to be a temporall Prince neither can it any way iustifie his practise who raiseth rents and taketh fines for bawdry and therfore maketh himselfe no better then a bawde to whores and knaues forasmuch as he maintaineth them and they maintaine him They haue streetes and houses assigned vnto them where they shall dwell and he taketh their money whch they pay with ease and liue in brauery and excesse with the rest Lastly we may conclude from this reason that Magistrates if they list may permit all maner of wickednesse and suffer it to escape vnpunished and not be charged with the allowance of it For if this reason doe hold in one particular God may permit therfore the Magistrate may it is good in all which were to open a gap wide to all prophannesse Libertinisme Atheisme and Epicurisme A third argument Obiect is this a naughty thing may sometimes be necessary and being necessary and consequently impossible to be remooued it must needes be tollerated without fault as they goe about to prooue by testimony of Christ there must be offences Matth. 18.11 and of Paul there must be heresies 1 Corinth 11.19 Heere is a necessity of offences and heresies yet Christ and Paul were not in fault neither did they allow heresies I answer Answer first I would know whether they meane euery wicked thing or onely some wicked thing I suppose they meane not in generall that euery naughty thing is so necessary that it should be tollerated for then they must speake plainely with the diuels tongue and openly vtter his language Doe they then vnderstand it of some naughty and wicked thing that is necessary and so to bee tollerated Then the reason must be framed in this maner Some euill is necessary and therefore to be suffered but the stewes is some euil that is necessary and therfore the stewes ought to be tollerated Euery one meanly seen in the art of reasoning knoweth that the forme of this reason is starke naught and neither necessary nor to be suffered for of particulars nothing can follow Againe they peruert and corrupt the meaning of Christ and his Apostle Such things as cannot be auoyded may be accounted necessary according to the decree of God When he purposeth to try his children to haue them discerned from hypocrites oftentimes euils yea euen heresies breake forth from the corruption of men This is true we confesse and so much the places proue and inferre So then we must distinguish of tolleration which is of two sorts there is a tolleration of necessity and a tolleration of negligence The one is good as when a Magistrate hauing a subiect that committeth treason or such heinous crime that he cannot punish by reason of his owne weaknesse and his subiects power this he must beare of necessity because he hath no remedy so Dauid dealt toward Ioab when hee had slaine Abner with the sword 2. Sam. 3.39 I am this day weake though annointed king and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too hard for me the Lord shall reward the dooer of euill according to his wickednesse Where we see he tollerateth the euill which he could not remedy and referreth the execution of iustice vnto God that was of ability and power to punish it So may the Magistrate beare with patience for a certaine season not failing in his duty howbeit this must not be alwayes for when there is no such cause to suffer a knowne sinne to escape vnpunished he may not winke at it and beare with it There is also a tolleration that is euill which is done of negligence carelesnesse and ouermuch lenity and indulgence this is no necessary tolleration as when Eli bare with his sonnes in his old age did not chastise them for their offences this way doe they offend that punish not at all those that are to be punished or punish lightly such as are to be punished seuerely This tolleration of negligence cannot be implyed from the former places of Scripture seeing that to iustifie the wicked and to condemne the innocent are both of them equally an abomination vnto the Lord. Prouerbes 17.15 Lastly I would gladly vnderstand whether our aduersaries would reason thus Heresies must be therefore tollerate heresies and suffer heretikes to remaine therefore burne not heretikes confute not heresies but let them alone If they dare not reason thus why doe they presse vs with the like consequent if they will needs conclude after this manner what wrong haue they done to our brethren and how much innocent blood haue they shed in the late dayes of persecution O that this argument had beene coyned and vrged in Queene Maries dayes among vs or might now preuaile with the Spanish Inquisition then should not the soules of them that were slain for the word of God Reuel 6.9 10. and for the testimony which they held cry out with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth The last argument is this that the Protestants permit vsurie by their lawes and doe not punish Obiect 4 men for taking ten in the hundred which is done to meet with a greater inconuenience or mischiefe and so doth the Pope with his stewes Heereunto we may adde that which Parsons patcheth together after his trifling manner namely that we allow not the Catholikes absenting themselues from the Church and yet we make them pay for their recusancy I answer Answer to the first instance that if we punish not all byting gaine or suffer the poore to be oppressed we cannot be excused but are to bee blamed forasmuch as the word of God forbiddeth to oppresse the poore by vsury Exo. 22.25 Leuit. 25.35 36. Deu. 23.19 Touching the second instance or example
his reconciliation and attonement For so long as we liue in sinne we lye vnder the curse and wrath of God no grace can shine vpon vs no mercy can ouertake vs no blessing can fall vpon vs. But when sinne is punished the curse is remoued and the fauour of God doth compasse vs about as with a shield Now let vs come to the Vses that we may Vse 1 haue the profit and comfort of this Doctrine First wee learne that such as continue in any knowne sinne vnrepented of cannot look for peace from God So long as sinne reigneth in any place the wrath of God hangeth ouer it and will vndoubtedly fall vpon it There is no peace saith the Lord vnto the wicked Esay 48 22. God doth come into the field as an open enemy to wage warre and enter into a combate against all impenitent sinners This the Prophet speaketh Psal 7 11 12. God iudgeth the righteous and him that contemneth God euery day except he turne he hath whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready He abhorreth all the vngodly and therefore he will fight against thē as a man of war he will raine downe snares fire and brimstone and stormy tempests vpon them hee will destroy them in his wrath and fierce displeasure It is a fearefull thing to bee a rebell and traitor against a Prince and to stand out in armes against his Soueraigne in the field with weapons it is high treason the losse of life the forfeyture of lands and goods the staining of our blood the vndoing of our posterity So to stand out in any sinne is high treason and rebellion against the most High The continuance in any sinne is rebellion and they that are the committers of it are rebels against God This made the Prophet to say Destroy them O God let them fall from their counsels cast them out for the multitude of their iniquities because they haue rebelled against thee Ps 5 10. To this purpose Samuel calleth the disobedience of Saul rebellion 1 Sam. 15 23. Euery man knoweth the danger of rebellion against the Prince it is more against God When we heare of forreigne warres we feare and tremble wee are much moued and perplexed and shall wee not much more be afraid when the Lord the King of Kings wageth battell against vs Whē God by the Ministery of his word doth reproue sinne among vs our ignorance our loosenes lewdnesse our negligence security he doth stand out against vs as with his sword ready drawne in his hand to reclaime vs or to destroy vs. We were better to haue the whole world set against vs then God to be our enemy What a monstrous madnes is it for a mortall man to stand at defiance with him who is the Lord of hostes Doe we faith the Apostle prouoke the Lord to anger Are we stronger then he 1 Corinth chap. 10 verse 22. How many are there which are so witlesse and bewitched that they thinke themselues strong enough to encounter with God like the Gyants that would plucke God out of heauen But let them take heed lest setting themselues against him they thrust thēselues downe into hell to their eternall confusion Secondly it teacheth a notable and necessary Vse 2 duty to all Magistrates to be zealous for the Lords cause to roote out euill dooers to maintaine the glory of God and to shew thēselues enemies vnto all iniquity Do they desire to haue their people liue in peace tranquility and to bring a blessing to those that liue vnder their gouernment Do they desire to haue the curse of God remoued farre from them The onely way is for them to punish sinne wherby they bring quietnesse and safety and moue the Lord to dwell among them with the graces of his Spirit The Lord threatened Ahab because he had let go out of his hands a man whom he had appointed to dye his life should go for his life and his people for his people 1 Kings chapter 20 verse 42. When Saul had spared Agag contrary to the expresse commandement of God who charged him to smite Amalek and to destroy all that appertained vnto them haue no compassion on them but to slay both man and woman both infant and suckling both Oxe and Sheepe both Camell and Asse the Kingdome was rent from him was giuen to his neighbour that was better then he 1 Sam. chapter 15 verse 26. When the Leuite had his wife abused vnto death and villanously defiled at Gibeah which is in Beniamin because those wicked men were not put to death that euill might be put away from Israel it turned almost vnto the vtter destruction of that Tribe Iudg. chapter 20 verses 13 35 and there fell of them in one day fiue and twenty thousand an hundred men all they that could handle the sword So the Magistrates must regard to punish sinne if they regard the honour of God the profit of their people or the good of themselues We see what an head sinne groweth vnto and gathereth strength in all places It beareth the cheefest sway preheminence euery where He that checketh and controlleth it laboureth in vaine and maketh himselfe a prey True it is the Ministers of Gods word haue the sword of the Spirit put into their hands Heb. 4 12. to cut in sunder the cordes of sinne It is a fire that burneth and consumeth the straw and stubble before it It is an hammer that breaketh in peeces the hard stones Ier. 23 29. and it hath the power of God adioyned with it Notwithstanding vnlesse the Ministery of the word be assisted and strengthened by the force of the Magistrate it is little regarded esteemed of the greatest number It is good indeed to haue some instruction but it auayleth little without correction If a master should cry neuer so often vnto his scholler learne learne and disswade him from his idlenesse and lewdnesse neuer so earnestly yet if he know his master hath no authority or power to correct and chasten him he will smally respect the vehemency of his words but esteeme them as a blast of winde that passeth away So is it with the people when the Magistrate and Minister go not together when the word and the sword doe not accompany one another For these two being the high holy ordinances of God do giue strength assistance one to another The Magistrate would bee much more troubled if the word which is liuely mighty in operation were not taught to keepe men in obedience and they might sit as it is saide of Moses Exod. 18 14 to heare causes from morning to euening and weary themselues with the toyle and trouble of their Office without comfort to themselues or profit to others And on the other side the Ministers might lift vp their voyce as a Trumpet and cry aloud vntill they be hoarce vnlesse they be backed and encouraged by the godly Magistracy So long as Moses and Aaron as
vttered with hir lips wherewith she bound her soule of none effect the Lord shall forgiue her 9 But euery vow of a Widdow and of her that is diuorced wherewith they haue bound theyr soules shall stand against her 10 And if she vowed in her husbands house c. 11 And her husband heard it and held his peace c then all her vowes shall stand c. 12 But if her husband haue vtterly made them voide c. 13 Euery vow and euery binding made to humble the soule her husband may establish or her husband may make voide 14 But if her husband altogether holde his peace c then he establisheth her vowes c. 15 But if hee shall any way make them voyde c. 16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses betweene a man and his wife and betweene the father and his daughter being young in her fathers house In these wordes Moses proceedeth in the matter of Vowes euen to the end of the chapter concerning the married woman and concerning the widdow The married woman is bound by the Law so long as her husband liueth and cannot vow and if shee vow it is meerely voide and such vowing is pronounced vnlawfull she hath sinned against God her husband howbeit God is mercifull and he will forgiue her From whence we may learn That the Lord is readie to forgiue those that offend But the Widdow that is free and loosed from the law of her husband is at libertie to vow This teacheth that the power and authority of the husband ouer the wife is very great Doctrine The husband hath authority ouer the wife for albeit she bee at liberty to vow in the Lord when her husband is dead yet while hee liueth hee hath power to disanull all her vowes Rom. 7 2. 1 Cor. 7 36. The wife is tied by a strong band and obligation vnto her husband 1 Cor. 14 34. Ester 1 22. This is not I confesse the proper place to handle these duties and therefore I will briefly touch the reasons and the vses The husband is the head of the wife 1 Cor. 11 Reason 1 3. Ephes 5 23 as Christ is the head of the church to rule it to defend it to prouide for it therefore as the Church is in subiection to Christ so ought the wife to be to her husband Againe marke the order and maner of the Creation how it was at the beginning Adam was first formed and then Eue and hee was not deceyued but the woman beeing deceyued was in the transgression and therefore shee ought not to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man but to be in silence and subiection 1 Tim. 2 12 13 14. Thirdly in the Law of creation wee must obserue the preheminence of man which will euidently appeare if wee marke the end of it for man was made to rule the woman to bee ruled for as the man was not of the woman but the woman of the man so the man was not created for the womā but the woman for the man 1 Corinth chap. 11 verses 8 9. Lastly man is the image glory of God wheras the woman is the glory of the man 1 Cor. 11 7. But was not the woman also made in the image of God Obiect and hath not God set the print of his glory vpon her face also I answer Answer the Woman was made in the image of God as well as the man Genesis 1 verse 27. But man was made to this end and purpose the Gods glorie should appeare in his rule and authority on the other side the woman was made that by profession of her obedience shee might the more honor her husband Vse 1 This serueth first for reproofe both of the husband and the wife when they knowe not their places of commanding or obeying the husband losing his honour and the wife vsurping aboue her calling As God in the creation of one made two so in the first institution of marriage hee vnited those two againe into one that the woman ioyned in marriage with her husband might not onely reuerence him as the rocke from whence she was taken but might honor him as her head vnder whom she liueth This order is broken when she wil by no meanes bee in subiection but seeketh to shake off the yoake which God and her calling hath laide vpon her This subiection is made heauier by transgression then it was by the law of creation For that which God made very good satan quickly turned into euill so that the woman instead of an helper became a tempter of the man to sinne and the man instead of a defender became an accuser of the woman to God for sinne Thus satan labored to diuide the house that it might not stand But Christ Iesus our Lord came into the world to destroy and dissolue the workes of the diuell and hath reconciled man and woman with God that now they shold liue together as heires of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3 7. Therefore all women should be content with their places wherof notwithstanding they oftentimes come short and take vpon them to controll their husbands to speake and doe what they list This we see in Vashti mentioned in the booke of Ester when she was commanded by the king to come vnto the feast she disdained and refused to obey and would not come into his presence Ester 1 22 and lest other women should be emboldned by her peruerse example they passed a decree and gaue it the force of a law and a statute and published the same in all the kings Prouinces that Euerie man should beare rule in his own house to wit vnder the same penalty inflicted on the Queene which was to bee diuorced from their husbands Againe it reproueth all husbands that in simplicity are as willing to resigne vp their places as their wiues in impudency are bold to vsurpe them which is as great a shame and reproch to the husband to lose as it is for the woman to challenge it This argueth want of wisedome courage and discretion in the husband and on the other side bewraieth pride selfeloue contempt and disdain in the wife as also forgetfulnesse of her first creation at what time she was made of a bone taken out of his side Gen. 2 21. I say out of his side to bee his companion and therefore as he is not to make her his footstoole to treade vpon her so shee should not make her selfe his head to ouertop him and so treade vpon him Vse 2 Secondly it is the duty of all wiues to acknowledge their duty and to yeeld without striuing the superiour place to their husbāds and to be subiect vnto them without resisting in word and deed This is commended vnto them in the example of Sarah who is set as a glasse before all womens faces to look vpon 1 Pet 3 5 6 to the end that if any obey not the word they may without the word be wonne by the
of Rome did dispense with King Henry the eight to marry Katherine his late brothers wife So Philip the second Duke of Burgundy had a dispensation to marry his vncles wife as Ferdinand King of Naples had the like to marry his own aunt Thus hee that hath brought Kings and Princes vnder his feete chalengeth authority aboue the Scriptures and taketh vpon him to dispense with the word of God and thereby vsurpeth power aboue GOD and his word For this is one of their owne rules In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior that is The inferiour may not dispense with the commandement of the superior Anton. part 3. tit 22. cap. 6. If then the Pope dispense with the lawes of God doth he not make himselfe aboue God and is not this the Antichrist or shall we foolishly looke for any other Can any thing be more filthy and vile then incest and yet hee hath not spared for filthy lucre to tollerate and allow that in the Church which the Philosopher Plato an heathen man was ashamed off in his commonwealth lib. 8. de leg For he dispensed with Philip the second late king of Spaine to marry his owne Neece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certain brother that married his owne sister Nay Clement the seuenth for a great summe of money licensed Peter Aluaradus a spaniard to marry two sisters at once Thus also he dispensed with Emanuel king of Portugall against the law of God to marry two sisters as Osorius testifieth Dereb gest Emanuel lib. 2. therby verifying the saying of the Apostle 2 Thess 2 4 that the man of sinne shall oppose and exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that hee as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God These marriages did GOD hate and punish in the Gentiles and for the foulenesse and filthinesse of them did God spew out the Canaanites Deut. 18 24. Thus Iohn Baptist telleth Herod that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife Math. 14 4 so that the former lawes were in force in the time of Christ as well as in the dayes of Moses Againe the Apostle reprooueth the incestuous person among the Corinthians that had taken his fathers wife 1 Cor. 5 1. therefore the former lawes remained firme vnder the Gospel as well as vnder the law and hee sheweth that such fornication is not so much as named much lesse practised among the Gentiles and therefore he willeth him to bee excommunicated from the Church where was this forbidden but in the Law of Moses But to leaue this point at the present as impertinent let vs consider the degree wee haue in hand how the Popish Canons and constitutions do restraine it True it is sundry Councels in former times debarred the first degree of cousins to the intent the diuine prohibition might bee kept with the more regard and reuerence and others afterward added thereunto cousens in the second degree But when the Roman Antichrist sate in the Temple of God and had brought both Kings and Councels vnder his checke commandment then he began to domineere and all cousens to the seuenth degree were forbidden But because this was thought too hard and to sauour of couetousnesse and cruelty ioyned with pride and presumption it was brought at length in the time of Innocentius the third to the fourth degree and sod take it the matter standeth vnto this day that the Canons forbid foure degrees from coufen germans as vnlawfull But the reason which they vse is no lesse sophisticall then the law it selfe tyrannical drawne forsooth from the proportion of the foure physicall humors in mans body But what haue we to do with the Canons of this ambitious man sitting in mens consciences and ruling ouer their faith who haue turned out that beast to grasse long ago Or why should we make any reckoning or account of his supereminent and omnipotent power which he claymeth in his dispensations allowing that which God disalloweth and disallowing that which he alloweth Thus hee playeth fast and loose with the law of God as luglers do to deceiue For if the lawes of God cannot binde him why should his papall lawes binde vs and our consciences The Collegiats of Doway in their hereticall Annotations vpon Leuiticus The divinity of the divines of Doway set forth in their late translation of the old Testament are not ashamed to maintaine this assertion that all mariages in the right line and in collaterall the first degree as betweene the brother and sister are onely forbidden by the law of nature and that all other degrees depend vpon positiue lawes which haue beene and may be altered which opinion how grosse vile it is we haue before declared So then I will conclude with the saying of Beza in his 8. Sermon vpon the Cant. Touching the obseruation of holy mariage I will not stay any longer in this horrible filthy stench which neyther the Sunne can abide to see nor the darknesse of the night can couer nor the earth beare and endure Alasse O Lord how long Secondly this reproueth all such as not onely Vse 2 discourage from this marriage but dare condemne it both as impious and incestuous Others that dare not go so farre yet seeme to dislike thereof as comprised in those degrees mentioned in Leuiticus by an analogy or proportion howbeit they holde also that such mariages are not to be dissolued and that the issue of such mariages are not to bee accounted illegitimate And they make a comparison betweene these and the mariage of those that neglect the consent of their parents who may continue together if they confesse their errour do not iustifie their fact so such as are maried in this degree of consanguinity eyther ignorantly or doubtfully may vpon repentance of their error finde comfort But from hence it will follow that such as do not acknowledge any error or goe about to defend such marriages as being perswaded they are consonant to the word of God cannot find comfort nor assure themselues they may lawfully haue the cōpany one of another but stand endighted by the law if not of incest yet of a great sin against God Againe I would gladly vnderstand what breach can bee committed within the degrees forbidden which may not iustly be accounted incest Lastly wheras it is obiected that the vnkles wife which is expresly forbidden seemeth to bee as neere as the vncles son the one being of affinity the other of consanguinity it will follow from hence that all the repentance in the world cannot help nor serue to giue comfort to the mariage of cousen germans For let a man liue in incest and marry any of the degrees expressed in the law wee must know that to liue in the sinne and to repent of the sin are contrary one to the other As for example if I marry my vncles wife and afterward vnderstand I haue done against
51. but amongst these there was not a man of them whom Moses Aaron the Priest numbred when they numbred the children of Israel in the wildernesse of Sinai for the Lord had sayde of them They shal surely dye in the wildernes and there was not left a man of them saue Caleb the Sonne of Iephuneh add Ioshua the Sonne of Nun Verse 64.45 This muster being taken Moses as his last enterprize appointed out of them twelue thousand to be chosen out to inuade the Cities of Midian Numb 31 5. who together with the Moabites had practised with Balaam to curse Israel Deut. 23 4 5. and to allure them from the worship of the true God to the seruice of Baal-Peor to the rest of their beastly idolatry ouer which Companies Moses gaue the chiefe charge to Phinehas who slew the fiue Princes of the Midianites who were or had lately bene the vassals of Sehon king of the Amorites Numb 31.8 as appeareth in Ioshua chap. 13 21. Thus hauing subdued all their enemies on this side Iordan and none of them being able to stand before them Moses is commanded by God before his death which followed immediately after to charge the Israelites to bound out the land so soone as they were come into it Numb 24 2. and 35 2 and to assigne to the Leuites certaine cities taken out of the inheritance of their possession that there might be no diuision nor contention among them when once they were passed Iordan which haply otherwise might haue disturbed and disquieted them This is the historicall part of this Booke which hath entermingled with it many and sundrie ceremonies of the Leuiticall Law as touching their Fasts and Feasts the yeare of Iubile their feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles as also of the Passeouer and Pentecost a few chapters whereof I published certaine yeares past which I haue now reviewed and added the interpretation of the whole Booke from the beginning to the ending which I presume to offer vnto your Worships as a testimony of my loue and duty toward you The Iewes in the Gospel commend the Centurion and make it a motiue to perswade Christ our Sauiour to heale his seruant that was deere vnto him being sicke and ready to dye because hee loued their Nation and had built them a Synagogue Luke 7 5 4. So I may truly affirme of you that you loue our nation and are true friends of the church loue the preachers of the Gospel which is so much the more worthy praise and commendation as there are few in these euill dayes especially of your ranke and calling that affect eyther the one or the other It is a true saying as proceeding from the mouth of the author of all truth Them that honor me I will honor they that despise me shal be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2 30. It is the cheefest honor that we can receiue in this world to honour the Lord which is the beginning of that honor which shall neuer decay whereas all other without this is vaine and vncertaine And albeit I confesse you neede not any helpe or furtherance from mee in the race of godlinesse wherein you runne neither is my weaknesse able to affoord any thing that way yet I am so farre from being discoraged hereby to presse into your presence that I acknowledge it as a speciall reason to induce me to this because I offer the same to you that are able to iudge whose learning and sufficiency that way all men know perfectly that know your person in that both of you are well exercised in the Scriptures and in the doctrine which is according to godlinesse so that I nothing doubt but at vacant houres from waightier affaires you will vouchsafe to peruse this Commentary or at least some part of it it being a duty belonging to all high and low rich and poore to search the Scriptuaes in which our hope is to haue eternall life Thus crauing pardon of my great boldnesse and hoping of your Worships good acceptance and praying the Almighty to increase the sauing graces of his Spirit vpon you I humbly take my leaue resting euer Your Worships at commandement William Attersoll A Recapitulation of the particular Doctrines handled throughout euery Chapter of this Booke of NVMBERS Doctrines out of the Preface OBseruations by the way of preface touching the Author of this booke fol. 1. 2 Obseruations by way of preface touching the Writer of this booke fol. 6. 3 Obseruations by way of preface touching the Title of this booke fol. 8. Obseruations by way of preface touching the principall substance and vse of this booke fol. 10. 5 Obseruations by way of preface touching the diuision and parts of this booke fol. 12. CHAP. I. 1. THe people of God may lawfully make warre fol. 16 2 God knoweth the number and names of all such as belong vnto him fol. 20 3 It is our duty to performe obedience to Gods commandements fol. 29 4 The promises of God made to his children shall be accomplished fol. 41 5 It is the office of the Minister to doe the duties proper to his calling fol. 49 CHAP. II. GOd delighteth to haue a comely order obserued both in Church and commonwealth fol. 55 2 Magistrates and rulers are needfull to be set ouer the people of God fol. 63 3 Gods iudgements are alwayes tempered and seasoned with great mercy toward those that be his fol. 71 4 The Tabernacle of the Congregation is placed in the middes of the hoast fol. 80 5 God bestoweth his gifts and graces freely to whom he pleaseth fol. 85 6 Euery one ought to be content with the present condition wherein God hath set him fol. 98 7 God oftentimes maketh choyce of inferiour things to effect great matters fol. 105 8 It is a duty belonging to all Gods children to yeeld obedience to all Gods Commandements fol. 109 CHAP. III. AMong all people vnder heauen the Ministery aboue all other things ought to be established fol. 118 2 Godly Parents haue oftentimes vngodly and disobedient children fol. 130 3 In Gods worship we must not bee carried by our owne deuices but by his direction fol. 137 4 God hath sole authority to ordaine the Officers and Offices of his Church fol. 146 5 The first borne were sanctified to the Lord and the vses thereof to vs. fol. 158 6 The word of God ought to direct all the actions of our life fol. 167 7 God raiseth vp honourable instruments from meane places to do him seruice fol. 175 8 Euery one in the Church hath his proper peculiar Office fol. 179 9 It is the Ministers office carefully to looke to his charge fol. 188 10 God will haue all places and people taught how small and meane soeuer they be fol. 197 11 The Office of the Ministery is an high worthy and honourable Calling fol. 206 CHAP. IIII. 1 THe Ministers must be men of grauity sobriety and moderation fol. 216 2 Euery one must know
Euery worde of God is the word of a great person and euery part and parcell of it is the Decree of a King nay of the King of Kinges to whom all Kinges and Princes are subiect and must rise vppe from their Throne when they appeare before him whose Throne is the Heauen and though they bee Lordes of the Earth they must resigne their Crowne vnto him that hath the earth for his footestoole and therefore the greatest regard and respect must be giuen vnto it For a Heb. 2 2 3. as the Apostle teacheth Hebr. 2 2 3. If the word spoken by Angelles was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receyued a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him Woe vnto them therefore that reiect the food of their soules and surfet of this heauenly Manna and do not hunger and thirst after the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby Neither let any obiect Obiection If God did speake we would heare and if he did call wee would answere if hee did threaten wee would feare and if hee did teach we would obey but so long as all proceedeth from man as sinfull as our selues wee cannot be so affected Answere This was the Obiection of the Reprobate rich man in the Gospell who albeit his Brethren had Moses and the Prophets yet hee would haue Lazarus sent from the dead vnto his Fathers house to testifie vnto them b Luke 16 28 29 30 31 Lest they should come into that place of torment But what was the answer of Abraham If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded to amend their liues though one arise from the dead againe If we reason on this manner with the rich man and put on his affection let vs also take heede lest wee haue that recompence of reward that the rich man had He supposed that extraordinary meanes would worke extraordinarie effects and vndoubtedly procure the conuersion of those to whom they were sent but therein hee was vtterly deceyued and if wee were not Fooles and blinde we would not follow so foule and fearefull an example Wherefore to informe our iudgement aright and reforme our affection we are to obserue two points first we must acknowledge that it is Gods mercy to speake vnto vs by men like vnto our selues and subiect vnto the same infirmities and passions that we are who applyeth himselfe to our weakenesse and respecteth our capacity who are not able to abide his presence who is so glorious in holynesse fearefull in praises doing wonders We see this in the Israelites at the deliuerie of the Law when the voice of God sounded in theyr eares they ran away and could not abide it they feared to be consumed at once cryed out vnto Moses c Exod. 20 19 Talk◠thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs lest wee dye When the Lord reuealed a part of his glory sitting vpon an high throne the angels couered their faces were not able to abide the beauty brightnes of his maiesty the lintels of the doore cheeks moued the house was filled with smoke the Prophet himselfe said d Esay 6 5. Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell in the middest of a people of polluted Lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In like manner if God should appeare vnto vs and vtter his voice from heauen we should feare and quake and fall downe as dead men and cry out with great astonishment Alas we shall dye beecause we haue seene and heard the Lorde as many of the Fathers did then we would make request to haue the Ministers of the worde speake vnto vs whom now we despise and whose word wee contemne as base and contemptible It is therefore to bee accounted and receyued as a notable token of his great mercy toward vs that he sendeth vs to school to learne of our Brethren to whom wee may freely and familiarly resort for counsell in our doubtes for comfort in our afflictions for knowledge in our ignorance for instruction in godlinesse and for resolution in all our wants Secondly we must labour to perswade our owne hearts that it is his word which we heare and his Ministers that speake vnto vs and that it is our duty to heare them as the Lord himselfe whose Messengers they are whose calling is from him and whose mouths he hath opened to speak his word with boldnesse as it ought to be spoken Let vs craue this mercy at Gods hands to resolue vs of this point and to settle our consciences in the full assurance of it This will be a forcible means to make vs heare it and regarde it as Gods owne ordinance ought to bee heard and regarded And vntill wee haue learned this Lesson we can neuer reuerence the preaching of the worde as is required of vs either for the aduancement of Gods glory or the comfort of our owne soules Let vs therefore perswade our selues of this and set it downe as a principle and firme conclusion that as the words of the Prophets and Apostles are of great authority euen the word of the eternall God most vndoubtedly to bee receyued and most assuredly to bee beleeued so likewise the words of all Gods true and faithfull Ministers truely expounding and faithfully giuing vnto vs the naturall sense and meaning of the Scriptures and gathering sound doctrine out of them for the instruction and edification of the people of God grounding all they teach on the sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles the words I say of Gods Ministers in these dayes are no lesse to be esteemed and acknowledged the word of God himself then if Esay or Ieremy thē if Paul or Peter or any of the rest did write or speak vnto vs. For the Scripture standeth not in words letters or syllables but in the sense vnderstanding So long then as the Minister vttereth not the conceits of his own brain nor deliuereth the traditions and precepts of men but holdeth himself to the doctrine of the Scripture which is the touchstone to try truth from falshood to descern the word of God from the word of man hee is no otherwise to bee heard and the Gospell no otherwise to be receiued from his mouth then if some Prophet of God or Apostle of Christ were among vs. For wee must not haue the Faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons but when the same faith the same truth the same word is preached both by the former Prophets and Apostles and by the ordinary Ministers of the Church of the times wherein wee liue if it should bee receiued when it is published by them and reiected when it is deliuered by these a
all that go foorth to the warre in Israel Whereby we see in this particular numbring who are excepted and exempted to wit first all that were strangers from the Children of Israel Moses did not meddle with them Secondly women for he was charged to take account onely of the males Thirdly such as were vnder twenty yeare old Fourthly olde men that were not fit for Shielde and Speare or to draw the sword Fiftly such as were maymed or impotent or sickly diseased are also essoined by this Law and haue as it were a pasport giuen vnto them beeing cashired and discharged from seruice and left out of the numbers that are enrolled and recorded Question 1 In this diuision two questions arise which are to bee answered First touching this numbring whether it were the same which is mentioned in the Booke of Exodus I answere Answere there is a threefold numbring of them described by Moses first that in Exodus chapt 30. The second is in this chapter the last is afterward in this book chapt 26. These summes were taken vpon seuerall occasions at seuerall times for seuerall ends and differ much in the number of such as were accounted as may appeare by the seuerall comparing of one of them with another Secondly it may be demanded for what Question 2 cause God commandeth a particular account summe to be taken of his people to whom they were well knowne I answere Answere not because God would vnderstand whether they wer sufficient for number or able for strength to buckle and encounter with their enemies forasmuch as nothing is vnknowne to him nothing is hard to him or vnpossible for him to bring to passe who is able to saue as well with a few as with many The causes are these First for order sake that there shold be no occasion of contention for primacy or precedency but that euery Tribe and family should know his place and time when to remoue and when to stand still when to fight with their enemies and in euery point what to doe Secondly that such things as were to be paide for the vse of the Tabernacle might the more easily bee collected and gathered when they were separated according to their Tribes and the Tribes according to the families the families according to the household man by man Thirdly to make manifest the truth of his promise and the power of his hand his truth in performing his promise made long ago to Abraham Gen. 15. that he would increase his posterity in power partly in multiplying the people so greatly in so short a time and partly in feeding and sustaining them in the wildernesse without haruest or husbandry without planting or tilling without sowing of Corne or without feeding breeding of Cattell Fiftly to testifie his exceeding great loue toward them and speciall care ouer them Such things as are deare vnto vs we delight oftentimes to looke vpon them and to take the number of them lest any of them should be lost A faithfull shepheard will many times tell the sheep committed vnto him lest any of them should be missing So in this Commandement to haue all his people numbred is set foorth an infallible token of his care and prouidence toward them Lastly they are seuerally and distinctly numbred euery Tribe by himselfe that in time to come it might bee certainely knowne and perceiued of what Tribe family Christ Iesus the promised Messiah should be borne for as much as according to the ancient promise vttered by the mouth of Iacob and other Prophets he should be borne of the Tribe of Iudah and of the house of Dauid to whome also he is often promised Now let vs come to the doctrines of this diuision Verse 2 3. Take the summe of all the Congregation of the Children of Israel c from twenty yeare old and aboue all that go foorth to the warre in Israel c. We see in these words who is the Author of this numbring of the people not Moses not Aaron not the heads of the house of their Fathers but God alone who hath sole authority both ouer Princes people From hence we might obserue that God is the directer commander and instructer of his people and therefore wee should depend vpon him and aske counsell at his mouth But wee will not stand vpon euery particular circumstance nor examine euery word heere let vs marke who they were that God would haue numbred not women but males not children not old men not impotent men but such as are able to handle the sword and to draw the bow and to fight against their enemies for their liues for their wiues for their children and for the maintainance of Gods worship Doctrine 1 This teacheth vs that a godly man may lawfully be a warriour A godly man may lawfully be a warriour If war were not in it selfe lawfull God would neuer take order in this place to haue a muster taken of such as are able to beare armes True it is euery good ordinance and profession may be abused and nothing is so well instituted but by mans corruption it may bee wrested and the right vse thereof ouerturned We see in this place in this Commandement of God that his Church and people may lawfully take vp weapons and make war against their enemies Abraham is saide to bee the Father of the faithfull and the faithfull to be carried into his bosome and to sit down with him in the Kingdome of Heauen Yet hee made warre Gen. 14 14 18 and ouer threw the enemies that had spoyled Sodome and carried away the riches of it as a prey and was not reprooued of Melchizedech the Priest of the liuing God but refreshed together with his army The like we might say of Moses Ioshua the Iudges and other godly Kings 1 Sam. 17 47 and 2 Sam. 25 28. who fought many battels by the commandement of the Lord. The Scripture teacheth that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart did fight the battels of God and the people of God standing in battell aray against the Philistims are called The hoast of the liuing God When the Souldiers heard the preaching of Iohn the fore-runner of Christ they came vnto him and asked of him what they must doe he did not disswade them from warre or perswade them to cast away their weapons but gaue them directions how to behaue themselues in that honourable profession Doe violence to no man neither accuse any falsely Luke 3 14. and be content with your wages Neither did Peter being sent for to come to Cornelius a captaine of the Italian Band a deuout man and one that feared God command him to follow a new trade of life Neither did Paul perswade Sergius Paulus the Deputy Acts 10 3 4. and 13 7 12 a prudent man to renounce that calling which no doubt they would haue done if the profession of Chiualry had not stood with the profession of Christianity The Apostle in the
heed how we heare Luk. 8 whē we come into his house Christ teacheth that in hearing the Ministers we heare him and in refusing them we refuse him Math. 10. The Apostle commendeth the Galatians for the performance of this duty that they were as carefull to heare him as to heare Christ himselfe chap. 4 14. My tentation that was in my flesh ye despised not nor reiected but receiued mee as an Angell of God euen as Christ Iesus What could he say more for them Or how could he better set foorth their zeale then to giue this testimony of them that they accounted of him in regard of his paines in the Ministerie not as an ordinary man not as a faithfull Minister onely not as an elect Angell onely but as Christ himselfe the head of men and Angels whose person he did represent and whose Church he did feed with wholesome doctrine This example should all of vs follow this doth the Lord require of all true Christians that they receiue his Ministers as his Messengers and reuerence them as himselfe in regard of their doctrine and haue thē in singular loue for their workes sake This we see to be worthily practised by Cornelius as well became a religious Captaine and a deuout Christian Acts 10. ◠10 33. We are all heere present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Loe how great the dignity of the Ministery of the Church is loe how great the excellency of the Ministers of God is we must heare them as if we heard God forasmuch as they are sent of him they preach his word they deliuer no more then they haue receiued and he hath commanded them to publish it in his Name But alasse it is most horrible to behold the contempt that they suffer and the basenesse that is cast vpon this calling which is one of the causes of those greeuous plagues and iudgements that are brought vpon the world The disgrace and ignominy vnder which they lie greeueth the hearts of all the godly and not only greeueth their hearts but pierceth the Clouds and doth not onely pierce the Clouds but reacheth vp to heauen and doth not onely reach vp to heauen but entreth into the eares of the Lord of hosts and not onely entreth into his eares but doth stretch it selfe vnto God himselfe and returne vpon Christ the Prince of all Prophets which ought indeed to pierce and enter into the hearts of all prophane persons and serue to terrifie all those that reuile them and speake all manner of euill against them for the truths sake Let vs remember the saying of the Apostle touching the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2 13. When ye receiued the word of God which yee heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeue This is a worthy commendation of this Church and a notable example which we ought to set before vs to follow it so that we must heare the word as Gods word whose force it carrieth with it Many heare it that do not heare it as Gods word It is a rare thing to finde such an hearer Some heare and then rage and storme when they are reproued Acts 7 57 17 18 and 22 23. Others refuse to heare at all and thinke such as make conscience of hearing to be more curious precise then there is cause Others embrace the word but yet not as the word as we see in Papists and hypocrites The Papists affirme that the Scripture or word written hath no authority in it selfe except it be allowed approued of the Church What other thing is this then to embrace the word but not as the word The hypocrites also doe not receiue the word with due reuerence nor expresse it in true obedience as their life doth witnesse against them These haue men onely in their thoughts and haue not God in their sight they may be said after a sort to receiue the word but they cannot be said to receiue it altogether as the word For if they did seriously and earnestly acknowledge it to bee of God and to haue him the author of it they would not leade their liues in that loose manner that they do Thirdly it reproueth those that contemne the doctrine of the Gospel The third reproofe for the poore and obscure conditiō of the Ministers that preach it For what I pray you was the estate of the Apostles Were they rich and renowned in the world Peter and Iohn going vp together into the Temple at the ninth houre of praier answered the lame man that expected to receiue something of them Siluer and gold haue I none Acts 3 6. Were they much befriended applauded of men The Apostle declareth and complaineth that all men had forsaken him and no man stood with him 2 Tim. 4 16. And Christ himselfe foretelleth that they should bee hated of all men for his Names sake Math. 10 ver 22. Were they honoured and magnified aboue others Or did they liue at ease and in pleasure Paul spareth not to paint out their life 1 Cor. 4 9 I thinke that God hath set foorth vs the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for wee are made a spectacle vnto the world and to Angels and to men Were they clad in purple and fared they deliciously euery day Did they dwell in gorgious houses and Princely pallaces In the words following he telleth vs how it fared with him and the rest of his brethren they were not attired in soft raiment they did not surfet through excesse Verse 12. but euen vnto this present we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place And yet notwithstanding these manifold aduersities and trials the Sonne of God pronounceth of them He that heareth you heareth me and iudgeth the wrongs to be done to himselfe which they suffer Let not vs therefore require honour or riches or glory or pompe or outward dignity in the Ministers of the Gospel but rather consider the goodnesse of God toward vs who knowing that we are not able to beare and abide his infinite Maiesty hath instituted the Ministery of his word that by men equall vnto vs and like to our selues he might teach vs his will and instruct vs in his word We shewed before that when the Lord himselfe in his owne voice preached to Israel at Mount Sinai they were so terrified and afraid that they asked for Moses that he might speake vnto them If the matter stood thus with them that had seene the wonders of God in the Land of Egypt and not many daies before had passed the red sea as it were by dry land what shall befall vs if he should vtter to vs his terrible voice as a most mighty thunder If then we heare patiently and obey readily the word that is brought vnto vs by weake and fraile man it
is a seruice that is well pleasing in his sight forasmuch as we shew thereby that we do not depend on the pleasure of men but rely our selues vpon the authority of God And as it is the praise and triall of a good subiect who is content to beleeue and obey the lowest messenger and least officer that commeth vnto him with a message and commandement from his Prince so heereby it appeareth that we are true Citizens of the kingdom of God his adopted children if we heare his word with feare and reuerence albeit it be preached vnto vs by the meanest and poorest of all Gods seruants On the other side as it is a note of contempt toward the Magistrate himselfe to disobey or resist any Serieant or seruant that commeth from him how base soeuer he may seeme to be so wee make our selues guilty of rebellion and high treason against GOD when wee despise such as speake in his Name and contemne them that haue authority committed vnto them from the most high All such as loathe the truth for the Teachers sake when their owne consciences conuince them that it is the word of God which soundeth in their eares let them assure themselues and perswade their owne hearts that the contempt of their persons redoundeth to the Sonne of God yea to the Father himselfe Let them marke this point weigh it diligently who take it hainously when they are reprooued of men equall vnto them or inferiour to them or if they be contemptible to the world by reason of their poore estate The fourth reproofe Lastly it reproueth those that go about to shake the faith of many and to weaken the assurance and certainty of our saluation hauing the promises thereof propounded vnto vs in the doctrine and by the writings of the Apostles Hence it is that sundry scoffers and prophane spirits aske the question who is Paul and who is Peter or what is Iohn that wee should of necessity beleeue them Who gaue them authority or whence haue they power in the Church to set downe and prescribe vnto vs a rule of faith The doctrine that now we deale withall serueth very fitly to stoppe the mouthes of these Atheists and containeth a soueraigne preseruatiue against the poison that they offer vnto vs inasmuch as Christ the eternall Sonne of God maketh them his messengers his witnesses his heraulds to spread abroad his sauing health and auoucheth that he speaketh in them acknowledgeth himselfe to be author of that truth which they deliuer Gal. 1 8. so that if an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospel then that which they haue preached to the Churches hee must bee holden accursed This therefore we ought to apply vnto our selues and gather as an argument of great comfort that when remission of sins and eternall life are promised to them that are truely penitent and lay hold vpon Christ by a liuely faith according to the doctrine of the Apostles we must assure our selues it is the voice of Christ and he will ratifie it in the highest heauens Neither is this true onely touching the Apostles themselues that had their calling from God and not from men and were conuersant with Christ in the daies of his flesh but likewise of all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ that haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen committed vnto them When we assure forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that haue contrite and broken hearts it is no doubtfull or vncertaine assurance but grauen with a diamond and written as it were with a pen of steele to continue for euer forasmuch as it is the assurance of Christ and of God himselfe The voice of the Minister is not the voyce of a priuate man but of one that is a publike person it is as the voice of Christ himselfe Art thou humbled and cast downe for thy sinnes and doth thy soule cleaue vnto the dust He sendeth his Minister vnto thee and putteth the word of reconciliation into his mouth so that if thou vnfainedly turne vnto God be as well assured of the mercy of God toward thee as thou heardst Christ himselfe say vnto thee as he did sometimes to the sicke of the palsie Sonne bee of good cheare Math. 3 2. thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Againe when the Ministers of God on the other side doe threaten and thunder out the sentence of condemnation against the vnbeleeuers and such as cannot repent this also is no lesse the voice of the Sonne of God which no power of the world nor authority of man can hinder or call backe forasmuch as whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined Iohn ◠This iudgement howsoeuer it be either denied or derided or doubted off among the vngodly yet will Christ make it good and execute the same vpon them to their confusion This doctrine reacheth to the true Ministers of the word who haue their calling from God his word As for the Bishop of Rome that challengeth sole authority to forgiue sinnes and will haue all his decrees and decretals no lesse acknowledged then the word of God it is more then childish and ridiculous For he hath nothing common with the Apostles and cannot proue his succession wherein he glorieth by any sound reasons and yet arrogateth more vnto himselfe then GOD gaue or the Apostles tooke or the Church acknowledged to be due vnto the Apostles forasmuch as the Lord tied thē by an expresse commandement that they should teach the people to obserue those things which he had commanded them Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to informe the Ministers that it concerneth them much to adorne their calling and to magnifie their Ministery that it bee not blemished and euill spoken off through their default This ought aboue all other things to be a spur vnto vs in our sides and as a fire kindled within our bowels to inflame our hearts with a zeale of Gods glory with a loue of his people with a care to discharge our office committed vnto vs with an earnest desire to encrease the kingdome of Christ Iesus For seeing God accounteth vs as his owne Embassadors sent out to do his wil and vouchsafeth to ioyne our labour with mans saluation we are bound in duty and conscience to preach the Gospel truely purely painefully sincerely and soundly It is required of vs not onely to teach but to teach the truth and to teach the truth with a right affection For we can neuer challenge the names and titles of being the Messengers of God vnto our selues and to be respected as the person of Christ himselfe except we preach the pure word of God and commend to the Church the pure doctrine of Christ If wee preach corruptly and make merchandise of the word of God and mingle wheat with chaffe and good corne with darnell or that which is worse we are not to bee accepted receiued as Christ but to be reiected and refused as false teachers that speake in their owne
names and not in the Name of God They cannot say Thus saith the Lord but this I say vnto you not heare ye the word of the Lord but heare ye my word not that which God commandeth to obserue that do ye but keepe my word â—h 15 3. the commandements of men the traditions of the Elders the superstitions of the Fathers and such like humane ordinances wherby they make the word of God of none effect This carrieth no authority to the consciences of the hearers but it is as a sword that is blunt whose edge is turned that it cannot cut or enter into the flesh The word thus deliuered can neuer open the corrupt heart of man or do any good vnto the conscience If then we do not teach the flocke of God both by sincerity of doctrine and by innocency of life we shew our selues to be messengers of Satan not the Ministers of God to be false Prophets not true Teachers We are ioynt labourers with God and therefore he will be sanctified in all that come neere vnto him He feedeth the flock by our hands he conuerteth the soules by our Ministery and he saueth the hearers by our preaching and therefore we must not cause our office to be hated and contemned but by all meanes maintaine the dignity and authority of it to the vttermost of our power It is not only the corrupt doctrine but the euill life of the Ministers that maketh their calling to be vile and void in the eyes of worldly men If the persons that preach it be prophane they reiect Ministers Doctrine and Calling they set al at nought and let all alone And this is the deepe pollicy and subtilty of Satan wheÌ„ he dareth not openly oppose himselfe against the doctrine that is according to godlinesse nor encounter with the word of truth hand to hand he goeth to worke another way that he may cunningly vndermine it to which purpose he striueth to make it hatefull and contemptible by occasion of the Ministers and he duely obserueth their errors their faults and failings that with some colour he may cauill and so countenance his euill proceedings Christ our Lord and Sauiour did well and wisely foresee this and carefully did preuent this The treachery of Iudas was well knowne to the Iewes themselues hee betrayed his master forsooke the Apostles Mar. 26 27. ioyned with the Pharisies and in the end hanged himselfe This must needs bring a great scandall and much hinder the proceeding of the Gospel cause the Disciples to be euill spoken off and the truth it selfe to be reuiled Besides the Apostles might be afraid lest all their labour should be in vaine Wherefore to the end the Lord might adde strength courage vnto them and represse the slanders calumniations of the enemies of the Gospel and withall leaue a perpetuall direction vnto the whole Church that no man should refuse the purity of doctrine for the impurity of the liues of such as are the Teachers he vttereth and oftentimes repeateth this sentence Verily I say vnto you he that heareth you heareth mee Math. 10 40. Luke 10 16. Iohn 13 20. and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me In these words he establisheth the authority of the Apostles doctrine and reprooueth all those that iudge of the doctrine by the Ministers and esteeme of the truth by the teachers For euen as Kings and Princes will not lose their right nor diminish the authority of their commandements albeit their Officers or Embassadors should exceed their calling and goe beyond the bounds of their commission in like sort whatsoeuer the Ministers of the Gospel shall be yet the word alwaies remaineth the same the promises and threatnings that are written in it shall be ratified by it we shall be iudged at the last day We must turne vnto it that shall not bow and bend to vs. For all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flowre of grasse The grasse withereth and the flowre thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer 1 Pet. 1 24 25. To conclude therefore we must not cast our eyes so much vpon the Ministers that are the disposers of the mysteries of God as vppon the author of the Ministery which is the Lord himselfe neither be so carefull and attentiue to heare their voice as Christ himselfe speaking in them in whose Name they are Embassadors Doubtlesse they shall incurre the displeasure of God and receiue greeuous punishment whosoeuer are euilly affected to the Ministery of the word and their impiety shall detract and diminish nothing from the worthinesse of the doctrine it selfe which directeth vs to one God through our onely Mediatour Iesus Christ and teacheth vs to serue him with a true faith with a pure life with a loue vnfained Vse 4 Fourthly we ought from this ground of doctrine heere deliuered to giue them double honour and not withhold from them the wages of their worke and the recompence of their labours that is due vnto them but as euery labourer must haue his hire so ought the Ministers aboue the rest that labour in the word and doctrine to be maintained of the Church As the Church dependeth vpoÌ„ them for their allowance so they depend vpon her for their maintenance Thus the Pastour and the people do feed one another as a flocke of sheepe nourisheth the Shepheard who eateth the milke of them cloatheth himselfe with the wool of them and againe the Shepheard coucheth them into greene pastures and leadeth them by the still waters The people feed him with the bread of this life he feedeth theÌ„ with the bread of euerlasting life They minister to him in carnall things he to them in spirituall things They cannot lacke him in regard of their soules hee cannot be without them in regard of his body Thus then they do feed one another or at least ought to do If he receiue food of them and giue none vnto them againe he robbeth them of their goods and murthereth their soules If they on the other side receiue food of him so that they be taught of him and yet make him not partaker of a part of their goods they robbe him and cause him to depart from them and so become murtherers of their owne soules as if they did lay violent hands vpon themselues or rather as if they did famish themselues by refusing bread prouided for them inasmuch as where vision ceaseth there people perish Prou. 29 18. Nay the Lord accounteth of this sinne in another kinde and nature he chargeth such Church-robbers to be robbers and spoilers of God no lesse then they that stand by the high way and take a purse I doubt not but very many will be ready to scorne this comparison say What Do you liken vs to theeues Do you make no better of vs We are true
a foxe discouering his subtilty and deepe deuises that other men might bee admonished to take heed of him So then to conclude we must vnderstand that the things commonly reprehended are eyther doubtfull or manifest The doubtfull are not to be reprehended whether in themselues they bee true or false worthy or not worthy of reproofe because as it was said before loue is not suspitious but couereth the multitude of sinnes and interpreteth all things to the best and expecteth with patience vntill the light manifest and time discouer the things that are as yet hidden in darknesse This is to be obserued in doubtfull things wherein lyeth such a difficulty that we cannot iudge them without deseruing to be iudged our selues and yet the vngodly and prophane persons feare not to proceed against the godly in this kind Those things which are manifestly knowne are eyther good or euill A thing which is good is to he commended of vs and nothing to be detracted from the worthinesse and excellency thereof whether it be in our friends or enemies nay we are to praise and laud the Name of God for his graces bestowed vpon them and to take them as a patterne to follow If it be euill we are commanded to admonish and exhort and reproue our brother and if he be our friend Deut. 13 6. which is as our owne soule we ought so much the rather to do it howbeit alwaies in loue mildnesse patience and compassion The euill deeds which are manifest as they must be reprehended so they may be iudged considering that Salomon saith Prou. 24 24 25. He that saith vnto the wicked Thou art righteous him shall the people curse Nations shall abhorre him but to them that rebuke him shall bee delight and a good blessing shall come vpon them Of such deeds as are manifestly good or euill the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 5 20. Woe vnto them that call euill good and good euill that put darkenesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Whereby we do learne how to answer the ignorant obiection of foolish men Obiect who wheÌ„ they offend by continuall and common swearing by lying by blasphemy by prophaning of the Sabbath by the contempt of the word by whoredome by drunkennesse such like workes of darknesse being reproued for the same by the word Gods iudgments threatned against them are ready to say You are not to iudge of me no more then I am to iudge of you there be many now adaies will take vpon them to iudge men I am sure they do not learne that in Gods booke which saith Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged They go beyond their commission they take vpon them Gods office for he is our Iudge See heere the peeuishnesse and partiality of these men to whom it may said that out of their owne mouthes they may be iudged For who are they that trespasse against their brethren transgresse against the Law of God more then they or who sit in the seat of God proudly vsurpe a mastership and authority to iudge euen the thoughts of mens hearts beside themselues Who are they that bolster out euill in themselues in their companions and consorts and cannot abide that any good should bee done by others like those that would neither enter into the kingdome of heauen themselues neither suffer them that would enter but forbad them Lu. 11 52. Euery tree is knowne by his fruite If I see a tree bring foorth good fruite am I become a Iudge if I say this is a good tree And if I see euill fruite or no fruite do I steppe vp into the place of God if I say this is an euill tree In like manner if a man see a common drunkard or heare a wretched swearer or marke a continuall contemner of the Lords day and such as make a practise of all sinne boldly and are not ashamed if he say assuredly this is a naughty fellow doth he iudge because he speaketh the truth and telleth what he is and warneth others to beware of him What Shall he account him a good man wheÌ„ he seeth he is starke naught but theÌ„ he should be vnder the Prophets curse and bring a woe vpon his head because he calleth euill good and bitter sweete and darknesse light as we heard before And indeed if we will speake the truth such need not to be iudged of vs inasmuch as they haue giuen iudgement of themselues and haue shewed euidently what they are Touching the words of Christ alledged and pretended by them Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged Math. 7 1. they do not forbid all kinde of iudgement but condemne that which is corrupt rash and vnlawfull which one man giueth vniustly vnaduisedly and vndiscreetly of another as when we can espy quickly small faults in others are blinde to discerne grosser and greater in our selues This practise of rash iudgement breaketh out of themselues as euill sauours out of a rotten corrupt body for let a man be more carefull then themselues to serue God and to walke in his waies they will by and by enter into the secrets of his heart which God onely knoweth not sticke proudly peremptorily to pronounce that they are hypocrites whereas let a man shew them out of the plaine word of God the prophanenesse of their hearts manifested by the greeuous corruptions of their liues the open abhominations committed by them in all their waies they wil answer readily you ought not to iudge so that it falleth full vpon them which the Apostle alledgeth against such men Rom. 2 1 2. Thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that iudgest for wherein thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that iudgest doest the same things but wee are sure that the iudgement of God is according to truth against them that commit such things Vse 3 Lastly be carefull of this duty to maintaine the good name of our brother which is more worth then all riches and of greater value theÌ„ precious stones We ought to thinke of euery one as well as may be and extend our charity as farre as possibly we can albeit they be our vtter enemies forasmuch as loue thinketh not euill as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13 5 and in the practise of loue we are to be followers of the example of God himselfe that we may thereby shew our selues to be his children who maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good â—â—th 5 45. and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniust So ought we to loue our enemies to blesse them that curse vs to do good to them that hate vs and to pray for them which despitefully vse vs and persecute vs. Iohn in his first Epistle chargeth vs to loue one another in deed and in truth â—â—hn 3 18. not in word or in tongue or from the lippes onely And Paul chargeth vs to esteeme of others
fully and freely attend and intend the learning of the Law and giue themselues to the contemplation and consideration of the workes and wayes of God and of godlinesse separated and sequestred themselues for a time wholly from the company and conuersation of men resigning vp themselues into the hands of God and seeking to cut off all occasions whatsoeuer that might quench their zeale and hinder their deuotion Secondly the publike sanctification of the whole Church whereof God is the authour Moses the teacher and the interpreter This is the summe of this Chapter Touching the former point handled in the 21. first verses which is concerning the vow of the Nazarites before we come to the matter it selfe it shall not be amisse for the farther declaration and demonstration thereof to remooue two doubts that stand in the way arising the one from the diuers acceptation of the word the other from the distinction of the seuerall kindes of this vow Touching the seuerall significations of the word The word Nazarite is diuersly taken lest we be deceiued by the ignorance thereof we must vnderstand that there are foure acceptations of it distinct the one from the other Some are called Nazarites some Nazarens others Nasarites which words because they are oftentimes by diuers confounded as if they were all one and the same it is needfull to haue them distinguished aright the one from the other The Nazarites of whom wee haue mention in this place haue their name of separation and are written by the letter Zain Iunij paral lib. 1. c. 8. Analys in Numer these by obseruation of certaine ceremonies of which we shall speake more particularly afterward dedicated themselues vnto God in a more holy manner then the common sort The second sort called Nazarens or Nazarites are distinguished from the former and written with the letter Tsadi and so to be called Natsarites or Natsarens so named of the word Netzer which is oftentimes vsed by the Prophets and signifieth properly a branch growing out of the roots of trees frō whence the Syriack word Notzera or Notzerath or Natzerath is deriued and thereof commeth the name of the City or Village of Nazareth in Galilee Danaeus comment in August de haeres because it was situate in a place planted with store of trees and flowers as Danaeus testifieth out of Bernard Now Christ our Sauiour being conceiued and brought vp in this place is in the New Testament called a Nazarene Matthew chap. 2. verse 23. and Iesus of Nazareth Ioh. 19.19 Act. 2.22 and 3. 6. Matth. 26.76.71 Mar. 1.24 and 10.47 and 14.67 and 16.6 Luk. 4.34 18.37 24.19 Act. 4.10 and 16.14 and 10-38 and 22.8 and 26.9 From hence also the disciples of Christ were first called Nazarites but afterward they were called Christians Acts 11.26 at Antioch which professed the faith of Christ and the doctrine of the Gospel The third kind of Nazarites differeth from both the former both in the originall of the word and in wanting warrant from the authority of the Scriptures For they are otherwise written thē the other were to wit with the letter S and are deriued from the Syriack word Nesar which signifieth to cut off or to abolish because they helde that the bookes of Moses and the Prophets howsoeuer they carried their names were fained and counterfeit things and withall maintained it to be vnlawfull to kill any liuing thing Epiphan lib. 1. haeres 18. or to eate of the flesh of any creature wherein the spirit of life had bin and consequently condemned the bloody sacrifices prescribed in the Law The fourth and last sort of those whom Eusebius remembreth among the Ebionites Euseb lib. 6. histor Ecclesi cap. 17. howbeit others reckon and range them among other heretiks did after a sort beleeue in Christ and acknowledged him to be the promised Messiah for as the former sort were Iewes so these would bee accounted Christians D. Field of the Church lib 5. cap. 7. howbeit they taught that the ceremonies of the law of Moses were necessary to saluation and thereby did couertly and cunningly ouerthrow the liberty of the Gospel againe they boasted of their false miracles and priuate reuelations as the Anabaptists doe in these last dayes Now as Christ our Sauiour was commonly called Iesus of Nazareth so to be called Nazarites after his name as Christians of Christ was at the first receiued as a name of praise and commendation howsoeuer the vnbeleeuing Iewes and Gentiles vsed or rather abused it as appeareth Acts 24.5 Where Tertullus the declayming Oratour accuseth Paul to be a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarens and therefore these heretikes gloryed and boasted in that name as in a name and note of honor as the fittest which they found as with a veile to hide and with a cloude to couer the poison and pestilence of their damnable sect who vnder the colour of the Christian religion did indeed decline and depart from the true doctrine of Christ Luk. 1.26 Thus much of the names of the Nazarites the first whereof is of such as are mentioned in the old Testament the second of such as are expressed in the new so named of Nazareth a City of Galilee the third of those that altogether abrogated and abolished the old Testament the fourth of such as taught that Christians were bound to obserue the ceremonies of Moses These two last haue no footesteps in the Scriptures but they are found in Ecclesiasticall histories Hauing thus opened the name let vs consider the seueral kinds of these Nazarites mentioned in the first place They are of two sorts Two kinds 〈◊〉 Nazarites first such as were Nazarites by commandement secondly such as were Nazarites by vow Now both these kinds were such among the Iewes as were separated from the rest of the people to a more strict and pure course of seruing God then others were of which the Prophet speaketh in the Lamentations chap. 4.7 Her Nazarites were more pure then snow they were whiter then milke they were more ruddy in bodie then rubies their polishing was of Saphir By commandement were such as God from the beginning did extraordinarily call to that solemne profession of a special holinesse These were perpetuall Nazarites whose separation from the common sort by a stricter kinde of life continued all the dayes of their life Of this sort we haue sundry examples some in the old Testament and some in the New In the Old we haue first the example of Sampson then of Samuel and afterward the Rechabites Concerning Sampson we reade that the Angel of God appeared to the wife of Manoah his mother Iudg. 13 3◠and 16.17 and said to her Behold now thou art barren but thou shalt conceiue and beare a son and now drinke no wine nor strong drinke neither eate any vncleane thing for the childe shall be a Nazarite to God from the wombe vnto the day of his death and afterward
Cretes Arabians they spake in their owne tongues the wonderfull workes of God Acts 2 11 41. and 4 4. and 8 37. and 9 36. and 10 44. and 13 12 43 48. and 16 14 34. and 17 4 11 12 34. and 18 8. and 19 18. And how can the word but be effectuall if Reason 1 we consider the titles giuen vnto it It is the strong arme of God to pull vs vnto himselfe Esay 53 1. It is as an hammer to strike our stony hearts in peeces and as a deuouring fire to burne vp and consume to ashes our corruptions as straw and stubble Ier. 23 29. It is as the raine and snow that come downe frō heauen and returne not thither but water the earth and make it bud and bring foorth that it may giue seede to the sower and bread to the eater Esay 55 10 11. It is the key of the Kingdome of heauen Math. 16 19. It is a fan in the hand of God Mat. 3 12. It is as a draw-net cast into the sea and gathereth of euery kinde Math. 13 47. Lastly it is called the Gospel of the Kingdome Math. 9 35 because it teacheth the way that leadeth to euerlasting life Secondly the Ministers are labourers together with God when they preach he preacheth when they instruct he instructeth whē they comfort it is he that comforteth when they threaten it is he that threatneth they are no other but the mouth of God and the messengers of GOD sent out to speake his word 1 Cor. 3 9. They then as workers together with him beseech vs that we receiue not the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6 1. For how can we doubt but that God will blesse his owne ordinance Thirdly when Christ Iesus ascended and led captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to the Ministery Eph. 4 8. It is he that putteth heauenly treasures in earthly vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of any man 2 Cor. 4 7. Vse 1 This efficacy of the Ministery and of euery part of it serueth to many vses First it reproueth such as long to be gone out of the house of God such as thinke the time lost and ill spent that is spent in hearing the word such as so set their mindes and affections vppon worldly things that they cannot tarry abide in the church vntill the blessing be pronounced the assembly be dismissed wherby they depriue themselues indeed of the blessing of God of whom we may speake with the Prophet Psal 109 17. As he delighted not in blessing so it shall be farre from him It is the order and ordinance that God hath appointed in the Church that we should begin and ende the exercises of our religion together For as God is the God of good order so the Church which is the house of GOD is the place of good order and therefore all the children of the Church must submit themselues to the rules of order and decency Vse 2 Secondly it should be a forcible meanes to stir vs vp to diuers and sundry duties First it directeth vs to go to God and to craue of him to worke by his owne ordinance the saluation of his people We must pray vnto him that is the Lord of the haruest to blesse his word and to open the harts of those that heare it to attend vnto it and to imbrace it Secondly it serueth to worke in vs diligence and fidelity knowing that we must giue an account to the great shepheard of the sheepe We are heereby encouraged to preach the word in season out of season considering that God hath promised to be with vs to stand by vs to assist vs and defend vs. Thirdly we must labour to preach with zeale with boldnes and with power and with authority not carelesly or coldly or faintly remembring that wee speake in his Name that sent vs and put vs in his seruice alwaies studying to shew our selues workemen that need not bee ashamed rightly diuiding the word of truth 2 Tim. 2 15. Forasmuch as his blessing doth accompany the faithfull deliuerance thereof The word is euermore effectuall in it selfe 〈◊〉 12. and mighty in operation sharper thē any two edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of soule and spirit and of the ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart let vs not therefore by our negligence dull the edge of it or blunt the point of it nor be afraid to cut the sinewes of sinne with it but speake it as it ought to be spoken Thirdly from hence the people receiue diuers Vse 3 instructions First it worthily challengeth from them reuerence to esteeme them that preach the word as the Ministers of Christ to account their steps beautifull for their message and Ministery sake The feete of the Prophets of God that brought the people glad tidings of a temporall deliuerance from bodily captiuity were very beautifull Esay 52 7. How much more respected ought the Ministers of the Gospel to bee Nah. 1.15 that bring glad tydings of a better deliuerance euen from spirituall captiuity and slauery vnder spirituall enemies to our soules and to our saluation Rō 10 15. This bondage is greater more greeuous then to lye vnder the bondage of all tyrants persecuters Secondly we must yeelde attention to the word of exhortation and not despise Prophesie 1 Thess 5 20. This is the principall meanes ordained for our conuersion and for our confirmation and continuance in the truth For the preaching of the word is necessary not onely to bring vs to the knowledge of the Gospel when we were ignorant and to worke in vs the grace of faith when we did not beleeue but when we are once borne anew to make vs grow thereby to a full strength and stature and to establish vs in the knowne truth Rom. 1 11. Eph. 4 12 13. 1 Pet. 2 2 and 2 Pet. 1 12 13. And wee are taught that Prophesie serueth for them that beleeue and not onely for them that doe not beleeue 1 Cor. 14 22. Lastly we must be content to submit our selues to the word and to be willing to haue it applied vnto our consciences whether it be by exhortations or by reproofes or by threatnings or by comforts For what shall a salue do be it neuer so precious if it be not laide to the sore or what can the medicine auaile if it be not applied to the disease Let vs neuer looke to finde the efficacy of the word in our soules except we desire to feele the working and power of it beeing spread vpon our hearts Lastly we must yeeld obedience to that which we haue heard It is said of the Apostles when they were sent forth into all Nations Mar. 16 20. that they went foorth and preached euery where the Lord wrought with them if then we be dooers of the word not hearers onely then the Lord worketh with his Ministers nay
and enter into the way of saluation Acts 16 34. Abraham is noted to bee the Father of the faithfull and we see hee was not without a faithfull seruant not onely faithfull to his master but faithfull to God and therefore also to his master This is noted as the chiefe cause that religion so much prospered at Thessalonica when the Gospell was preached and published there the Noblemen did embrace it Acts 17. If the raine once fal vpon the mountaines it will quickly water the vallies that are beneath like the precious oyntment powred vpon the head of Aaron that ran downe to the skirts of his garments Ps 133 2. When the Gospel was preached at Berea and such as were of noble birth tooke hold of it and they that were honorable by calling embraced beleeued it then not a few but many in number followed after them with all readinesse Actes 17 11 12. I am not ignorant that diuers of our latest and lernedest Expositers vnderstand the words otherwise Bez◠〈…〉 Act◠〈…〉 â—iâ—â—n 〈◊〉 Testa Mâ—â—◠〈…〉 and thinke they are called Noble not in regard of their birth or blood but of their beleefe as indeede true Piety is true Nobility and true Religion is the truest Honor. Howbeit I rather vnderstand the word in his proper and naturall signification for these causes First it is not needfull to flye to a figure when the proper signification of a word standeth and contayneth nothing vnder it either against the doctrine of faith or the instruction of life or the truth of the historie Secondly Luke vseth this word in this signification as also others for such as are noble by birth and not otherwise as Luk. 19 12. 1 Cor. 1 26. Thirdly the Euangelist hath relation to that which hee noted before in this chapter where he saith That not a few of the cheefe women beleeued verse 4. that were at Thessalonica howbeit they were more noble that were at Berea who searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Lastly in these words a reason is rendred how it came to passe that the Gospell tooke such good effect and gained so many soules to God Caâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 in Aâ—â—â— 17. euen because the Nobility and honorable personages gaue their names to Christ were not ashamed to professe it The multitude followed their example as commonlie they do imitate the actions of their Leaders The Poet could say 〈◊〉 Totus Componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vita regentis The people cast their eyes vpon their Rulers neither are they ordered so much by their lawes as they are by their liues O that they which are in authority would consider this that the eyes of all men are vpon them O that they wold seriously bethink with themselues what good they might do by embracing religion and by countenancing them that are truly religious or if this will not enter into them and that their honors do so dazle their eyes that they cannot see the truth hereof O that they would at the least learne what hurt they do what backwardnes they cause what coldnesse in Religion they procure and what floods of wickednesse they bring in Doubtlesse if they did at any time meditate on these things and weigh in indifferent ballances either the one or the other it were enough to turne nay to breake their hearts and to put greater loue and zeal into them of Gods glorie For if the Gouernours of a Family bee luke-warme it may be easily obserued that their children which follow them their seruants which attend vpon them and all the rest of the house which are guided by them are neither hot nor cold And if it fall out that the Heads of the house be prophane and irreligious there is nothing to bee perceyued in that whole family but notable fruites of infidelity swearing blaspheming breach of the Sabbath contempt of the word brawling contention and all kinde of wretchednesse and wickednes If Saul begin to persecute Dauid he shall get many diuellish Doegs to snarle at him 〈◊〉 22 9. 〈◊〉 26 1. 〈◊〉 19. and finde many hollow-harted Keilahites to betray him haue many pestilent Ziphites offer themselues to discouer where hee hideth himselfe in strong holds all as his seruants to helpe him forward in his wickednes If Caiaphas sit in iudgement to arraigne condemne Christ 〈◊〉 26 69. 〈◊〉 14 66. 〈◊〉 â—2 25. 〈◊〉 9 17. all his seruants and his maides will bee ready in the hall and at the doore to set vpon his disciples and to follow the humor of their master so that euen the damosel that kept the doore could not let Peter alone but must assault him How then can we but acknowledge that it is a very happy thing to inioy godlye Magistrates and Christian Gouernours how much encouragement Inferiours haue by theÌ„ and how sweet a liberty they finde cannot be expressed O that we could learne to prize value this blessing as we ought It is not a generall benefit to be found in all places the godly haue oftentimes much disturbance and suffer many taunts and checkes euen for their profession sake in prophane places liuing vnder prophane persons For albeit all Magistrates and men in authority though their office be not great are set vp for the punishment of euil dooers and for the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2 14. yet oftentimes they turne the edge of the sword the wrong way Rom. 13 3. and are a terror to good works but not to euill Lastly hauing receiued so great merâ—y froÌ„ Vse 3 God and continued among vs to haue such as are cheefe ouer the people to be cheefe also in piety and to go before them in all good â—onuersation whether they be such as bee in the house or out of the house it is our duty to fal downe before the Lord and to acknowledge this blessing Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnes and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men Psal 107 8. So did Hiram the King of Tyre reioyce greatly when he heard that Salomon was annointed King in the roome of his Father and said Blessed be the Lord this day which hath giuen vnto Dauid a wise sonne ouer this great people 1 Kin. 5 17 The like we see in the Queene of Sheba when she had seene his workes and heard his wisedome she said Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on the throne of Israel 1 Kings 10 9 because the Lord loued Israel for euer therefore made he thee King to doe iudgement and iustice And doubtlesse if wee knew the want of such Princes as our brethren and sisters in former times did when they were shut vp in prisons and burned to ashes we would acknowledge the necessity of performing this duty It is recorded in 2 Chro. 17 7. that Iehoshaphat who is renowned
consider two things first the commandement of God without whose authority nothing is to be imposed as necessary in the Church which is that the Priests should light the lampes not one or two but all of them to giue light in the Tabernacle to signifie the light of Gods word shining in the Church which ought sincerely to be preached and published by the teachers to giue light of knowledge to all in the house of God as the Apostle declareth of himselfe that he had kept backe nothing Acts 20 20 27 but reuealed the whole counsell of God as the Priests kept not any of the lampes vnlighted but did light theÌ„ all Secondly the obedience of Aaron to the commandement he lighted the lampes that they might giue light round about the candlestick on euery side wheresoeuer the candlesticke could be seene Vpon occasion of mentioning the candlesticke we haue a description of it verse 4 by the matter of it it was made of gold and by the forme of beaten gold according to the patterne shewed to Moses in the Mount for he was a faithfull seruant in the house of God Heb. 3 2. But of this we may reade farther Exo. 25 37 40 25 26. There was but one candlesticke in the Tabernacle made by Moses because this was sufficient howbeit Salomon that built the Temple afterward made ten candlestickes whereof fiue stood at the one side fiue on the other side 2 Chron. 4 ver 7 20. because the Temple was larger and wider then the Tabernacle and therefore moe were requisite in the one then in the other The place where the Candlesticke stood was in the Sanctuary next to the most holy place or in the first Tabernacle Hebrewes chapter 9 verses 2 9. Not in the most holy place forasmuch as the High-Priest went into it once onely in the whole yeare Heb. 9 7. whereas the lampes of the Candlesticke were renued daily But let vs come to the words as they lye in order and first touching the lampes appointed to bee lighted we must consider that the Tabernacle with all things thereunto belonging was a figure of the time present vntil the time of reformation Heb. 9 9. and when the Priesthood was changed there must be also a change of the law Heb. 7 12. All things had their signification and the truth which is as the pith and substance of the ceremonies belongeth to vs as well as to the Iewes Hence it is that the lampes belonging to the candlesticke â—â—ctrine signifie vnto vs that the word is the light of the church 〈◊〉 word is â—â—amp and 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—rch giuing light to the people as the Sun doth to the world wherby the true light of the knowledge of God of Christ our Redeemer of true righteousnesse and of saluation is kindled in the hearts of all true beleeuers Dauid is a certaine witnesse of this truth who teacheth that the commandement of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes Psal 19 8. Thy word is a lampe vnto my feete and a light vnto my path Psal 119 105. So Salomon saith Prou. 6 23. The Commandement is a lampe and the Law is a light It is plaine therefore that the lampe lighted in the Tabernacle did figure out the word of God Hence it is that the Prophet Esay saith O house of Iacob â—â—â—y 2 5. come let vs walke in the light of the Lord and afterward he sheweth that if any speake not according to this word 〈◊〉 8 20. it is because there is no light in them Reason 1 And it cannot be otherwise because the Lord which is the author of the Scriptures is light it selfe he is called the Father of lights Iam. 1 and the Church acknowledgeth when it sate in darknes that the Lord was the light of it Mich. 7 8. The Apostle saith he only hath immortality and dwelleth in the light which no maÌ„ can approch vnto 1 Tim. 6 16. And in the beginning of Iohns Gospel Christ is called the light of men Iohn 1 4. If God then be the true light how can his word but partake of his nature and be lightsome in it selfe and bring light to vs Againe the word hath in it the effects of light it expelleth darknes and is very comfortable and therfore comfort is often called by the name of light Ps 97 11. Ester 8 16. Ps 118 27 and 43 3. Iob 30 26. Lam. 3 2. So is it with the word it driueth away spirituall darknes and it comforteth and reioyceth the heart Psal 19 8. Vse 1 This doctrine serueth to reproue the church of Rome which bring in their Torches and Tapers and Candles into the Church as the setting of them vp at burials and funerals 〈◊〉 dâ— par â—â—b 2 c. 19. to signifie that the soules of the dead are aliue a superstitious custome condemned by sundry Councels as superstitious and heathenish Moreouer they obserue continually another foolish custome to set vp wax candles Taper lights before their Images and vpon the Altar in their Churches and this they do not onely in the night but in the day at noone when the Sun shineth in his strength And lest they might seeme to wander without Scripture and to be mad without reason they pretend for themselues and their superstition the continuall burning of the lampes in the Tabernacle before the Arke of the testimony Exod. 25. Bellarmine disputing of the reliques of the Saints Bellar. lib. 2. de reliqu c. 3. et 4. noteth three ends of this practise because fire is a signe of gladnesse a signe of glory and a signe of life But all this is no better then will-worship which is condemned Mat. 15 9. Col. 2 23. of which it may be said Who required these things at your hands Es 1 12 And this obseruation in the law touching the lamps is meerly ceremoniall which had an end with the Priesthood and was honourably buried with the Synagogue and is not to be raked out of the dust and raised out of the graue againe Also it is vtterly vntrue that these lampes were lighted in the day time for they were lighted in the euening burned vntill the morning and then were put out Thus doth Ahijah tell Ieroboam and all Israel 2 Chr. 13 11. that they had the Candlesticke of gold with the lampes thereof to burne euery euening Therefore it is said in the law The high Priest shall light the lampes at euen the word is betweene the twilights meaning therby both the euening and the morning Exod. 30 8 and Aaron must cause the lampes to burne continually from the euening vnto the morning Leuit. 24 3. In the booke of Samuel in other places it appeareth that they burned all night for those that kept the watch of the Lord in the Tabernacle and in the Temple but were alwaies exstinguished in the morning when it was day 1 Sam. 3 3. Thus then we reason against them from their owne
habitation of God who is light it self in whom only is light properly to be found who dwelleth in light that none can attaine vnto 1 Tim. 6 16. Hee hath called his Church his rest and the place where his honor dwelleth Psal 132 13 14. The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for euer heere will I dwell for I haue desired it Vse 1 This condemneth the Papistes who stand from the verdict of this doctrine as men endited of two crimes and errors first they accuse the Scriptures left vnto vs in the Originals to be corrupted the old Testament by the Iewes the new by Marcion and other heretikes But it is a vaine surmise without proofe or probability touching the corruption of the original fountaines which notwithstanding the Romanists pretend thereby to make a way to bring in the Latine translation to be the pure authenticke Scripture and consequently to bee preferred before them which is as foolish and vnreasonable as to make the mistris to walke on foot like a seruant Franci Luc. in Epist ad Serlet and to set her handmaid on horsebacke therefore some of their own frends are ashamed of this vanity It is a shame they say to belye the deuill It is a crime to taxe the Iewes of a crime wherof they are not guilty It is wel knowne that howsoeuer they stand affected vnto Christ yet they alwayes were and now are very religious respectiue in keeping the text sound and sincere and cannot by any meanes be induced to choppe and change to adde or to diminish any thing And doubtlesse had they not bene trusty and faithfull would God haue trusted them with this true treasure yea though that Church were oftentimes corrupt yea sometimes an Harlot or an Apostat yet the ouer-ruling prouidence of God hath alwaies wrought in them a care and conscience this way both for their owne future happy estate and the benefit of posterity to come to keepe the ancient records euidences of the Scripture sound sure and sincere This appeareth further by the Sermon of Christ in the Mount reprouing the false interpretations of the Scribes and Pharisies who had very grossely corrupted the meaning of the Law Mat 5 21.27 31 33 38 43. 16 6. The church of the Iewes was neuer more corrupt then in the dayes of Christ yet could they neuer be touched nor be iustly charged with this horrible crime of offering violence to the holy bookes of Scripture And if they might haue bene endited of this detestable forgery â—hrist would not haue omitted this greater fault who often reprooueth them of lesser offences Besides our Sauiour willeth the Iewes to search the Scripture which the Prophets had left vnto them by diuine inspiration hee sendeth them vnto these as then they had theÌ„ to try the doctrine of the Pharisies by them Ioh. 5 39. Iohn 5 39. which hee would neuer haue done had they bene corrupted and themselues the corrupters of them Moreouer touching the Iewes seeing they were mortall enemies to Christ if they were minded to corrupt the Scripture they would haue corrupted for their own aduantage such places out of Moses and the Prophets as concerned Christ whome they hated but these remaine entire by which they are fully conuinced and confuted Andrad lib. â— defens Tridâ—â— Hieron epi. 7â— ad Marcell And therefore one saith well that such as holily and religiouslie handle the Hebrew Text do find therein more notable testimonies of Christ then in the Latine and Greeke Copies Now if the true Church had lost the pure and perfect fountaines of the Hebrew and Greeke Text how could it bee a faithfull keeper of his Will and Testament Howbeit GOD hath euer had a care of his word and truth euen then when he committed the same to the custody of the Church Another error of the Romane church is that they make the churches authority to bee our supreame ground and stay of our faith and set it farre aboue the Scriptures themselues These assertions are found in their writings touching the Scripture It is not authenticall without the authority of the church that the authority of the Scripture dependeth on the authority of the Church necessarily Ecchi â—â—cbirâ—â— Pighi lib. 1. de Hierar eccl cap. 2. that we are not bound to take them for Scripture without the authority of the Church that in respect of vs the church hath absolute authority to determine which is Scripture and which is not that the Church hath power to make a booke not Canonicall Stapl. to be Canonicall and one of them vttred this impudent and shamelesse blasphemy that the Scâ—ipture should bee of no more credit then Aesops Fables Hermaâ—â—m without the approbation allowance of the church Howbeit as wee must not take from the church hir right so we must take heed that we giue not to it more then is due and so rob God of his honour and glorie and derogate from the excellency and authority of the Scriptures They make the Church the light it selfe and not the Candlesticke to hold the light say that it also is called light I answer it is a borrowed light receiuing all the light it hath from the word as the Moone doth from the Sun They make it to be the authorizer of the word and hold that it is of no force or credit but is as a dead letter and inken diuinity without it This is no better then to hang the word and consequently Cal in infâ—â—â— lib 1. cap. 7. the promises of God the kingdome of heauen saluation it self vpon the pleasures of men wheras the church is founded and grounded vpon the word not the word vpon the Church as Peter is builded vpon Christ not Christ vpon Peter All the authority that the Church hath be it neuer so great it hath it from the Scripture for how do we know whether the Church erreth or not but by the Scripture The Church cannot giue vs faith whereby we beleeue in Christ and lay hold of eternall life it is the Scripture that worketh it by the inspiration of the holy Spirit The Scripture is the chiefest and the highest court from whence is no appeale but we may appeale from the iudgement of the Church to the Scriptures not from the Scripture to the Church The Church that is the company of the faithfull are not lords ouer our faith they are ruled by faith not ouer-rulers of our faith True it is the Church is a means to bring vs more speedily to know the Scriptures as the woman of Samaria was a meanes to bring the Samaritans to beleeue in Christ 〈◊〉 4 42. but as they when they had heard Christ beleeued not so much for her report as for that themselues had heard him speake so after the Scriptures are discerned and pointed out vnto vs as by the finger of the Church we beleeue them to bee the word of
in â—orke of â—iniâ—tery the point to bee considered from hence is this that all the Ministers are the Lords seruants appointed to serue him in the worke of the Ministery whether they bee called extraordinarily or ordinarily they must consider they are the Lords Thus hee speaketh by the Prophet Ieremy 35.15 and 25.4 I haue sent vnto you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp earely that ye may turne euerie man from his euill wayes Thus the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ And in 1. Tim. 1.12 Christ Iesus accounted me faithfull and put mee in his seruice No man therefore must thinke it any way to be any disgrace or disparagement vnto him but rather a credit and honor to be the Lords seruant employed in a special place of seruice as it were neere to his person If it be esteemed as an high degree of honour to belong to some Nobleman or to some Prince it is a greater preferment to belong to the King of Kings Reason 1 For the Ministers are called and separated to that end and purpose Paul speaking of him selfe saith He was a seruant of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle Rom. 1 1. Separated vnto the Gospel of God not of men neither by man Gal. 1 1. but by the will of God 1 Cor. 1 1. Euery man must bee mindfull of his calling and consider by whom he was called take heed he passe Reason 2 not the bounds wherein he is set Secondly they haue sundry titles giuen to them which are not idle but serue to put them in mind of their seruice they are called Messengers Mal. 3 1. Mark 1 2. Luk. 7.27 they are called Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5 20. they are called Stewards of the house 1 Cor. 4 1 2. they are called Soldiers that must seeke to please their Captain 2 Tim. 2 1. and such like Vse 1 This serueth to reproue such as neither can nor will do their masters businesse There are many thinke it a great disgrace a base thing for them to do that seruice which they ought who notwithstaÌ„ding are not ashamed to take wages of their master Many giue themselues to serue the worlde and haue so filled their mouths with grauell that they haue emptied their minds of grace These do so sauour of the earth and of earthly things and busie themselues to enrich their coffers that they haue litle care of the flocke of Christ But we cannot serue two masters we cannot serue God and Mammon Math 6 24. We must not entangle our selues in the affaires of this life 2 Tim. 2 4 Woe also vnto all ignorant Ministers that can do nothing which are blinde guides and cannot see to do their masters busines if theÌ„ these do leade the blinde being blinde themselues both must fall into the ditch Mat. 15 14. We may ioyne vnto these such as are idle and vnconscionable and cannot be brought to take any pains who neuer consider that they are charged to preach in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4 2. Lastly it meeteth with such as are scandalous in life and as vnsauoury salt who serue not the Lord but their owne belly Rom 16 18. A seruant honoureth his master saieth the Prophet Mal. 1 6. but such dishonor the Lord by their euill life and make themselues vnworthy either to do the worke or to receyue the wages Secondly the Ministers being Gods Seruants Vse 2 are put in mind of three things fidelity sincerity conformity The first is a notable property in a good seruant to be faithful vnto his master he must not purloine from him but shew all good fidelity Tit. 2 10. that so they may adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things Thus ought it to be in the Ministers when they see the sword comming they must blow the Trumpet lest if any do perish through their silence their blood be required at the watchmans hand Ezek. 3.18 they must keepe backe nothing that is vnprofitable vnto them Acts 20 chapt 20. but declare vnto them the whole counsell of God Verse 27. It is required in Stewards that a man bee found faithfull 1 Cor. 4. verse 2. for they must giue an account to their Lord and master Heb. 13 17. an account not of siluer and golde but of that which ouer-valueth all the treasures of the world to wit the soules of meÌ„ which cost a great price to redeeme 1 Pet. 1.19 Secondly there must be sincerity in them and integrity doing his businesse with a true heart and a right affection not for sinister by-respects but to obey his will Blessed are those seruants that seeke his glorie and not their owne that seeke to approoue themselues to Christ not to the world as men-pleafers neyther hunt after the praise and applause of foolish men and therefore the Apostle sayeth Galat. 1.10 Doe I seeke to please men If I yet pleased men I should not be the seruant of Christ. Nay Christ himselfe witnesseth that he came not to seeke his own glory but his fathers Ioh. 8 50. I seeke not mine owne glory there is one that seeketh and iudgeth Let vs altogether in this work forget our selues that we may remember our master tread our owne honor in the dust that we may exalt his Lastly we must be conformable to Christ Iesus be ready as his seruants to take vp our crosse follow him We shal be sure to meete with many crosses and to suffer diuers afflictions in the discharge for the discharge of our Ministery all which we must bee content to endure and bee ready to possesse our soules with patience remembering that the Apostles departed from the presence of the Councell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ Acts 5 41. It is enough for the seruant to bee as his Lord is Math. 10 24. Will any earthly seruant desire a better condition then his master hath Let it therefore content vs that we bear no more nay not so much as he did bear If we will liue with him we must bee readie to die with him and if wee will reigne with him in the life to come wee must suffer with him in this present life 2 Tim. 2 11 12 if we deny him hee will deny vs before his Father and his holy Angels Vse 3 Lastly the people are from this Title remembred of their duties which may bee reduced to these three heads a reuerend estimation an humble submission and withall a necessary limitation For first seeing the Ministers of God are his seruants the seruants of the most high God and put in their Office by his authority That led captiuity captiue gaue gifts vnto men Ephes 4.8 wee ought so to esteeme of them as of the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4 1. which we shall do if we acknowledge that we haue to doe with God and his ordinance whensoeuer the word is brought
and his memoriall for euer to all generations but he must speak some such like words as if God were delighted with copy and variety of words or did hunt after letters and syllables or as if it were a fault to speak as God speaketh or as if Moses could better deliuer his message in his owne words then in the words of God Againe when the Prophets came from God to the people and brought their warrant and commission with them from him and cryed out Thus saith the Lord the meaning must be according to the conceite of these men God hath not commaÌ„ded to speak the same words nay hee hath forbidden and restrained them that they may not vse them This is most ridiculous both in respect of God and of the people For when God saith to the Prophets Thus ye shall speake to the people they make him say Take heede ye vtter not these words but speake freely to the same effect spare not and varie them at your pleasure And when the holy Prophets came to the people and as they were directed and appointed saide Thus saith the Lord it shall bee as much as if they should say vnto them If yee doe thinke that God hath spoken to mee these words which I am to deliuer you do much deceyue your selues hee hath spoken the like but not the same I may not speak to you from his mouth I must speake from mine owne mouth What can be more childish and foolish then thus to interprete yet all this is necessarily inferred vpon the answer of such as professe theÌ„selues to be our aduersaries Therefore when Christ saith pray thus it is as much by their interpretation as if he had said take heed ye pray not in the same wordes but vse the like of your owne abstaine from mine I giue you liberty to vse what other yee list your selues all which we see to beare no colour or shew of reason I would gladly know of such as are contrary to vs in iudgement practise whether it bee not lawfull to say this part of the prayer Hallowed be thy name If this bee lawfull is it not as lawful to adde the next words in the next place Let thy kingdome come and to this I haue heard they yeeld and confesse it lawfull If this be good why not afterward to adde the rest of the petitions is one more lawfull then another Or can one part be allowed and not the other Thus doe they confound themselues and giue vs an answer out of their owne mouthes â—biect Againe they tell vs that reading is one thing and praying is another and thereupon conclude that a man cannot pray reading I answer â—â—swer they differ indeed being diuers and sundry things so that neither is reading praying nor praying reading howbeit they are not contrary one to the other A man may reade and not pray he may pray not reade and yet he may pray reading and reade praying The like wee might say of speaking and kneeling Speaking is one thing and praying is another a man may speake and not pray he may pray and not speake and yet hee may pray speaking and speake praying So kneeling is one thing and praying is another a man may kneele downe and not pray he may pray and not kneele and yet hee may pray kneeling and kneele praying Wherefore euery reading of a prayer is not praying except withall there be a lifting vp of our harts to God I will shew this by a familiar example touching the Lords praier when we conclude our vnperfect prayers with it we make request to God and consequently pray vnto God But when wee publikely or priuately reade the sixt chapter of Matthew in which the Lords prayer is contained wee reade the words and heare them read yet wee confesse we pray not We haue then no intent to pray but to informe our selues in the will of God set downe in the Scripture So then praying and reading differ thus the one is a powring forth of the supplications and requests of the heart the other is a receiuing into the soule such things as are read These two wee may do easily at one and the same instant if y fault bee not in our owne nature more then in the nature of the things themselues Thirdly Obiection they pretend that stinted prayers cannot bee made as necessity requireth but they tie vs to our bookes and cannot be inlarged according to our wants I answer Answer there be things necessarie to be prayed for at al times and of al men which indeede are the most things that wee are to begge of the Lord of these there may be prescript formes for all times and persons as for other things the prayer is to be applied to the time and necessity For this wee haue the Elders of the Church to help vs to whom we are directed to send Lastly they obiect Obiect we must pray as the Spirit mooueth vs for the Spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8. I answer Aâ—sw euery one receyueth not such a measure of the Spirit as enableth him to this dutie We haue but the first fruites of it and must vse all good helpes to make supply of our wants as the sicke of the palsie when he could not go to Christ of him selfe was borne by his neighbors Mar. 2 3 4. We are like to a sicke man newly recouered who cannot walke without his staffe or leaning vpon the shoulders of another or except hee be stayed by the hand Many men haue grace in the heart who want wordes of vtterance to expresse it All weake ones need help to minister matter of prayer Wherefore the helpe of the Spirit standeth wel enough with outward helpes Neither let them reply that the Spirit is sufficient and that no other are mentioned for when the Scripture will set forth the worke to be his alone and the force and efficacie from him all other meanes are suppressed and depressed all helpes whatsoeuer are concealed and cast downe and may not come in acount or comparison with him Neuerthelesse fasting lifting vp of the eyes and of the hands kneeling and prostrating of the bodie are outward meanes to make the prayer more feruent and do not take away oâ— derogate any thing from the Spirit Secondly we are directed from hence to Vse 2 vse publike and priuat praiers more reuerently and religiously then commonly wee doe both prayers in the Church and prayers in families being warranted by the word though they be read out of the booke by the Minister of the Church or the master of the family For though the prayers bee common yet ought they not to be the lesse regarded There bee two sorts of people which be both in extreamities and iustly to be reproued The one son do so highly magnifie the common prayers allowed appointed by authority that they regard no other but brand them with the title of conceited prayers and so doe account the preaching of the word as
yeelde them subiection feare honour prayer tribute and obedience as the Apostle vrgeth these particulars Ro. 13 1 2. 6 7. and it condemneth to the pit of hell all such as resist them and rise vp against them Should the sonne rebell against the Father as Absolon did Let him then feare the end of Absolon to be hanged in the tree Should the childe striue against his Nurse that beareth him or the sheepe set themselues against the sheepheard that feedeth them Woe then to such as will discharge themselues of the dutie they owe to such as haue the charge ouer thē and will plot against their life of whom they receiue life and goods and peace and safety and all Vse 4 Fourthly it is the duty of all Magistrates and those that are in authoritie to consider what they haue to do their names and titles must teach them what their office is not to magnifie themselues not to think themselues absolute not to set themselues against God not to tyrannize ouer his people not to maintaine themselues in ease and idlenesse in vanity and superfluity not to follow after their owne pleasures but to do iustice to all without respect of person to protect euery one from wrong to maintaine publike peace and tranquility but especially to further Gods true religion They must haue publike minds and not seeke their owne good only or principally It is the ruine of an estate when publique persons haue priuate mindes regarding only to serue themselues and to procure their owne good These are no common-wealths men but priuate wealths men The Apostles were called to be fishers of men and Princes are called to be sheepheards of men to feede reasonable sheepe and this is their honour if they be found faithfull that it may be said of them as it is of Dauid Hee fed them according to the integrity of his heart-and guided them by the skilfulnesse of his hands Psal 78.72 Verses 16 18 20. And the Lord sayde vnto Moses Gather vnto me seuenty men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to bee the Elders of the people c. In these wordes we haue the answer to Moses complaint And as the complaint stood of two distinct parts so doth the answere of the same points Touching the greatnesse of the charge and burthen whereof Moses complaineth God commandeth him to gather together vnto him seauenty men of the Elders of Israel to whom he would communicate of the same spirit that Moses had howbeit without any diminution of his gifts although many suppose that the Lord did punish him for his murmuring with the lessning of his gifts as it is true Marbac Comment in Num. Whit. praelect de pont f. Rom. pag 89 4. hee doth sometimes punish in that manner sometimes by lesning and sometimes by taking away what hee had formerly bestowed Zach. 11 17. Mat. 25 27. But we do not reade or finde that hee dealt so with Moses or that he was lesse fit for gouernment then he was before rather his gifts were deriued to others as one candle lighteth another and yet the light is not diminished And what benefite or profite had it beene to Moses to haue these ioyned if his gifts had beene impaired In this place we haue the institution and erecting of a new Court among the Iewes called the Sanhedrim The institution of the Sanhedrim among the Iewes This honourable Senate at the first founding of it consisted indifferently of men taken out of all the Tribes which had some of the Leuites to assist them This court was seated and kept at Ierusalem and might handle waightier causes D. Field of the Church lib. 5. cap. 9. inflict more greeuous then the set Courts and Tribunals of iustice appointed and assembled and obserued in the gates of euery Citty and to this they might appeale from those inferiour Consistories For such as were instituted thorough the aduice and counsell of Iethro Exod 18 21. were not necessary to be of this number of seuenty they had the hearing and determining of the least causes and besides they receyued not an extraordinary spirite neyther was it needfull for that calling This Councel of the Sanhedrim remained after the captiuitie and continued vnto the dayes of Herod Iunij in Analy◠in Numer who made hauocke of many of them and put most of them to death Howbeit some of them remained euen to the desolation of the Temple and of the City by the Romans Liuelies Chronology of the Persian Monarchy page 238. and of this Christ speaketh Matth. 5 20. and 18.17 which the best interpreters vnderstand of the 70. Elders of the great Consistory or iudgement place in Ierusalem But when King Agrippa was once driuen out of Ierusalem by a rakelly rout of seditious cutters and cut-throats then were the Sanhedrim deposed at their will when there was none to controll them Ioseph de bell Iud. lib. 5. cap. 1 and other base pesants were set vp in their roome who had no lawes to restraine them no Magistrates to punish them no authority to bridle them Then was the Priest-hoode made a mockerie then was Ierusalem without a guide as an house without a Ruler or a ship without a Pylot There was none to manage the state aright but all gouernment was turnd into confusion and disorder The second complaint of Moses was touching the feeding of so great a multitude which God answereth verse 18 19. by a promise and by a threatning Hee promiseth vnto them store of flesh and to fit them and fill them not for a day or two dayes c. but euen a whole month And he that sheweth he could do this sheweth also that he could doe more if that had bin too little howbeit they should in the end take litle delight pleasure in their delicates after which their soules so ernestly lusted because hee threatneth that in the midst of their abundance it shold come out of their nostrils and be vtterly loathed of them This answer of God ministereth many instructions First that God layeth no more vpon any then he will inable them to beare if they thinke it bee too heauy hee will ease them of it He is not like to Pharaoh that willed more to be laid vpon the people then they could compasse complaining that they were too idle Exod. 5 17 18. Neither is he like to Rehoboam that refused to make the greeuous seruice of his father and his heauy yoke lighter but answered the men of Israel roughly that he would adde to their yoake and if his father chastened them with whips he would chastice them with Scorpions 1 King 12 11. but God is ready to take away part of the burthen and diuide it among others that it might bee borne equally vpon all their shoulders Secondly he furnisheth with gifts all such as he sendeth and calleth he employeth none in any function but such as he furnisheth for that purpose Thirdly we see that God is able
possesseth where all things are saide to bee in peace Luk. 11 21. Secondly let vs neuer look Vse 2 for a perfect agreement or perfect vnity in this life Such are falne into a deepe sleep and dreame to finde heauen vpon earth We must embrace the truth before all be agreed or els we shall neuer embrace it forasmuch as there is much ignorance the matter or mother of error euen in the most godly Happy wil it be for vs wheÌ„ there shal be an end of these daies of sin for then shall be an end also of all contention Thirdly let vs follow mens examples Vse 3 no further then they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. There are defects and infirmities in the best We aime at perfection but wee cannot hit it Though we haue multitudes to go before vs we must know whom they follow before we follow and ioyne our selues vnto them Many men may fitly be coÌ„pared to a flock of sheep who at the first make many offers before any will aduenture but if one begin to leap ouer the rest follow amain so is it with diuers men that pinch curtesy at the first and keep themselues entire in the most holy faith but if they see others giue their assent they follow after stick at nothing neither try the spirits whether they be of God or not Lastly it is our duty Vse 4 to cut off all occasions of debate and as it were to take away the fuell that kindleth and continueth the fire 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul beseecheth the Corinthians as brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among them but that they be perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and in the same iudgement Verse 2. And they saide Hath the Lord indeed spoken onely by Moses The true cause of this their murmuring and contention was pride and ambition selfe-loue ostentation vain-glory â—â—â—trine 〈…〉 â—reater â—e to the â—â—â—rch then â—ion Hereby we learne that there commeth no greater plague to the Church of God then by ambition desire of preheminence when men desire to ouer-rule others to haue the sole command of all things in the church and neuer to be commanded This was the sinne that caused our first parents to fall from God and by their fall to ruine all mankinde they would needs be as Gods knowing good and euill Gen. 3 5. The ambition and pride of Amaziah the priest of Beth-el would not suffer the Prophet Amos in the land of Israel but he commanded him to flie away into the land of Iuda and prophesie there Amos 7 10 12. We see this apparently afterward chap. 16. of this booke in Korah Dathan and Abiram This moued the high Priests the Scribes and Pharisies to persecute Christ and his Apostles to wit the loue which they had to their owne kingdome and hierarchy more then vnto the kingdome of God they feared that if all men were brought to beleeue in Christ they shold lose their place and authority Iohn 11 47. Math. 23 6 7. So was it among the Apostles they also stroue who should bee the greatest among them So the Apostle Iohn speaking of Diotrephes sheweth that hee loueth the preheminence 3 Iohn 9 10. Hee was a proud and ambitious man affecting rule and authoritie ouer others and thereby brought much mischiefe and trouble vpon the church of God pratling against the Pastors with malicious wordes and not content therewith neither doth he himselfe receiue the brethren forbiddeth them that would and casteth theÌ„ out of the church Neither is this euill dead with these for this is a great plague of the church to this day and very pernicious Nothing hath more ruined the church of God ouerthrown piety corrupted religion hindered the Gospel discouraged the Pastors and professors of it nothing hath more erected the kingdom of Anti-christ then these petty popes the true successors of Diotrephes such as desire to be vniuersall byshops and to reign alone to haue all the dealings in their owne hands and the whole flocke to stand at their becke and conclude what they list Reason 1 The mischiefe hereof appeareth by sundry reasons First it causeth a great rent and diuision in the church and disturbeth the peace of it Nu. 16 1. Korah and his company went apart as scismaticks caused a great contention to arise where was peace vnity before Reason 2 Secondly it setteth vp men putteth downe the Lord and his ordinances vrging compelling and commanding against the truth Act. 4 18 19. Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and Iohn and Alexander a proude generation of ambitious prelates commanded the Apostles not to preach and teach nor to speake at all in the name of Ieus whoÌ„ Christ had charged and commanded to preach And whereas he would haue them teach whatsoeuer he had commanded them Math. 28 20. they will limit them and stint the Spirit of God how far he shall go and what he shall not do Thirdly Reason 3 it proceedeth from very euill rootes and bringeth forth very euil effects as an euil tree bringeth forth euill fruites The causes from whence it floweth are Satan pride contempt disdaine of others selfe-loue in our selues Zeged loci communes no loue of the truth no zeale of Gods glorie no desire of the good of the church like mother like daughter as the root is so is the branch The effects thereof are trouble disquietnesse feare flattery enuy and subtilty Let vs come to the Vses It reproueth the Vse 1 Byshops of Rome and the Romane Cleargy which beare themselues as Lords ouer the flocke of Christ hauing all things to stand at their becke therefore the Apostle Peter saith the Elders that feede the flocke must not bee as Lords ouer Gods heritage but examples to the flocke 1 Pet. 5 3. and Christ our Sauiour when the two sonnes of Zebedeus ambitiously desired to be aboue their fellowes and stroue among themselues which should bee greatest Christ Iesus therupon sheweth how and which way euery one should be great who ought to bee had in highest regard and reputation euen such and onely such as do the best and greatest seruice to the church Mark 10 42. Lu. 23 24. Whosoeuer wil be great among you shall be your Minister and whosoeuer of you will be the cheefest shall be seruant of all So then the honor and the labour should not be diuided but go together howbeit in the church of Rome they haue most honour that doe the least labour and contrarywise they are least respected who haue most labored and taken greatest paines among the people But howsoeuer this be a common receiued custom it shall bee altogether otherwise in the next life when the great sheepheard of the sheepe shal appeare then shall they be most honored of him that haue laboured most euerie one shall receiue not onely for his labour but according to his labor 1 Cor. 3
time to time to languish and to perish for want of nourishment As these liue in darknesse and ignorance vpon earth so it shall bee iust with God to thrust them into vtter darknesse in hell But it may bee obiected Obiection that the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8 2. Knowledge puffeth vp but charity edifieth I answer Answ the Apostle meaneth a false perswasion of knowledge wherby a man thinketh he hath some great matter in him therefore he addeth in the next words Verse 2. If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know If knowledge puffe vp any the fault is in the person or vaine perswasion of the person not in the gift of God Wee must know therefore that the Scriptures belong to all and that the knowledge of them is necessary to al. And who may exempt themselues from them or who shall say they belong not vnto him Shall Kings and Princes and such as sit in the throne No though they haue a multitude of busines waiting vpon them and are many waies disturbed and distracted by State affaires yet they must haue the law of God with them reade in it all the daies of their life that they may learne to feare the Lord their God Deut. 17.18.19 Shall Captaines and Gouernours in warre and peace No for was not Ioshua such an one yet the Booke of the Law must not depart out of his mouth but he must meditate therein day and night c. For that hee might make his way prosperous and haue good successe Iosh 1.8 Shall Noblemen and Gentlemen exempt thēselues No not they neither for the Eunuch a man of great authority vnder Candace Queene of the Ethiopians who had the charge of all her treasure while he was in his chariot read the prophesie of Esay to further himselfe thereby in knowledge Acts 8 27.28 and 17.11 also the Noblemen of Berca serched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so which the Apostles preached Who then may thinke themselues discharged May the Ministers No they should be men of knowledge and giue attendance to reading aboue others 1. Tim. 4 13. May the people No it is a generall precept giuen by Christ to them to search the Scriptures Iohn 5 39. and yet no doubt many among them were poore and tradesmen so Psal 1 2. Col. 3 16. May such as are weake in iudgement and simple witted No the law of God was written to giue wisedome to the simple Psal 19 7 and the Prouerbes were penned to giue subtilty to the simple and to the yong man knowledge and discretion Prou. 1 v. 4. May the young man deferre the matter vntill age No he must season his young years with the knowledge of the Scriptures Psal 119 9. 2 Tim. 3 15. May they that are rich and wealthy be priuiledged from this No Abraham saith of the brethren of the rich man They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Lu. 16 29. It is in vaine to be rich in the world and not to haue the word also to dwell richly in them that so they may be rich in God May women be freed frō this duty No the grandmother the mother of Timothy taught him trained him vp in the Scriptures of a childe which could not be if themselues had beene without knowledge 2 Tim. 1 5. So then we may conclude that all which liue in the Church and would bee accounted members of the Church whether they be Princes or subiects Ministers or people noble or vnnoble high or low learned or vnlearned young or old rich or poore masters or seruants men or women one or other al I say ought to be endued with the knowledge of the waies of God Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth euery one of vs to examine himselfe and his owne heart how farre he is guilty of this sinne of ignorance It is the first degree or steppe of knowledge for a man to know and acknowledge his owne ignorance For till we come to this to finde our selues to liue in ignorance and to mourne and lament for it it is vnpossible for vs euer to attaine to sound and perfect knowledge Obiect But some will say How shall we attaine to this knowledge which you speake of Answer I answer the way is to exercise our selues in the reading of the Scriptures He that would haue water must draw it out of the well and hee that would haue knowledge must draw it out of the fountaine of the Scriptures This doth Christ often point vnto in the Euangelists stirring vp men to reade and reprouing those that would not as Math. 12 ver 3. he said to the Pharisies Haue ye not read what Dauid did and verse 5. Haue ye not read in the Law and cha 19 4. likewise he said to the chiefe Priests Scribes Haue ye neuer read Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise Math. 21 16. Psal 8 2. and verse 42. he saide Did ye neuer reade in the Scriptures The stone which the builders refused the same is become the head of the corner and chap. 22 3. he saide to the Sadduces touching the resurrection from the dead Haue ye not read that which was spoken of God So he speaketh to him that asked what he should do to inherite eternall life Luk. 10 26. What is written in the Law how readest thou And Abraham saith to the rich glutton They haue Moses the Prophets they haue their writings among them And speaking of the destruction of Ierusalem Who so readeth let him vnderstand Math. 24 15. The contrary when we do not and will not reade and obey this commandement so often repeated and vehemently vrged is the cause of errour and heresie of euill of discomfort and of al prophanenesse Acts 13 27. Mark 12 24. Secondly such as would haue the true and sauing knowledge must first of all lay before him the grounds and principles of Christian religion otherwise whatsoeuer he knoweth he shall know nothing as he ought to know like him that would build without a foundation Heb. 6 1. Thirdly earnest praier to God for the help of his holy Spirit to assist him and to teach him how to profite aright by the reading of the Scriptures For hee that is the author of them best knoweth how to giue vs vnderstāding to edifie our selues by them in our most holy faith And heereby we shall learne more then such as onely meddle with the Scriptures and neuer practise this duty of praier neither craue a blessing of him vpon their labours Lastly conference with others to minister helpe and comfort one to another This did the two Disciples vse going to Emmaus Luke 24 1◠who talked together of all those things which had happened touching Christ they reasoned of his passion and suffering and they are farther instructed in the truth of the matter and in the vnderstanding of the Scriptures This was the blessing of God vpon
euer they were to displease their fathers as if the whole world were gouerned by witches O that these men would be as carefull to please God as fearefull to offend him as for witches they are more afraid of them thē hurt they are but the diuels instruments to deceiue the world the diuell hath vtterly blinded the eyes of these and of many others to make them beleeue that they do those things which they neuer do neither indeed can do The diuell himselfe is Gods seruant or rather slaue to do his will whether he will or no for he can do nothing but what the Lord willeth He ruleth all things by his prouidence the diuell cannot kil a flye except he haue liberty giuen vnto him But to returne to the former point that it is God onely that worketh myracles obserue with me that he worketh two waies somtime by himselfe alone God worketh myracles two waies and sometimes by some other creature By himselfe alone when he vseth no instrument at all as in the creation of the world making al things of nothing without helpe of Angel or other matter So he turned backe the shadow of the diall of Ahaz by himselfe alone and many other such like Againe when it pleaseth him he vseth means as in the myracles wrought in Egypt he did them by the hand of Moses and Aaron But heere we must take heed of two extremes and God is dishonoured by both of them First that we derogate nothing from the Maiesty of God albeit it please him to vse meanes in many of his myracles because he vseth thē freely not of necessity and he is as well able to worke without them as with them Secondly that we do not magnifie the creatures and instruments which the Lord vseth aboue that which is conuenient because that were to set them in the place of God who haue no more power then that which is giuen them from aboue Obiect But some may heere aske the question why doth God vse meanes in working of myracles Why did he vse the holy Prophets and Apostles and sometimes also such as haue no iustifying faith Mat. 7 22 23. as Iudas and others no doubt as he preached so he wrought myracles for he had the same commission with the rest Math 10 7 8. I answer Answer he vseth them not because he standeth in need of them or is tied vnto them but for these causes Why God vseth mean in working of myracles First to teach vs that he approueth the meanes whereby things are brought to passe and he sheweth by his owne example that we should make account of them so that if any neglect or contemne them he opposeth himselfe against the Lord. Secondly to support and vphold mans weaknesse who is not able to looke vpon his Maiesty when he worketh by himselfe as a weake eye cannot see things that are farre off except he put on his spectacles This is plaine in the example of the Israelites Exo. 19 18 19 when they heard the thunder and lightning and the sound of a Trumpet exceeding loud and the Mountaine smoaking they were so afraid that they desired the Lord to speake no more vnto them Exod. 20 19. but that Moses might speake vnto them and they would heare him Thirdly the Lord vseth meanes for the triall of our faith whether we will ascribe the work that is wrought onely to the worker thereof or to the meanes or partly to the one and partly to the other or as some doe all to the instrument and nothing to the principall In the myracles wrought by Christ himselfe wee see how diuersly men were affected for thogh they were effected by the finger of God yet the Pharisies blasphemed Math. 12 24. and said This fellow casteth out diuels by Beelzebub the Prince of the diuels This argueth great corruption of nature and want of faith Obiect And as we haue shewed why God vseth meanes so it may be asked what meanes God vseth in working myracles I answer Answer they are of diuers sorts First such as nay seeme to haue some force and power in them for the working of the myracle 2 King 20 1. When the waters of Marah were bitter that the people could not drinke of them the Lord shewed Moses a tree which when he had cast into the waters they became sweet Secondly Exo. 16 23 ◠he vseth meanes that haue no appearance of any power or vse in the working of a myracle such was the touching of the hem of Chrsts garment which infinite numbers touched Math. 9.21 Luke 8 45. and yet receiued no vertue from thence Such was the lifting vp of the rod of Moses and the stretching out of his hand at the red sea Such was the striking of the Rocke with his staffe at the waters of strife Numb 20. which had no power to make the waters gush out Such was the handkerchieffe of Paul to cure diseases Acts 5 15 ◠19 12. Iosh 6 20 the shadow of Peter by which many were healed For these cures were wrought when the Apostles were absent and knew nothing of them but were busied in other more important workes of their callings Thirdly he vseth such meanes as seeme no way auaileable vnto the worke but rather quite contrary to hinder it as curing the blinde man He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and laid vpon his eies Iohn 9 6 11. which might seeme more auaileable to put out sight then to restore it to make a man blinde then to make him see Thus then wee see and learne to acknowledge that euery miracle is wrought by the sole and omnipotent power of God Lastly we learne heereby that we haue a Vse 4 most sure word of the Prophets and Apostles whereunto we must take heed as vnto a light that shineth in darke places We are not cunningly circumuented by deuised fables but we haue the whole doctrine of saluation deliuered in the Scriptures fully confirmed vnto vs. For to what end do all the extraordinary works of God done by the hands of the Prophets and Apostles serue but to make plaine the doctrine which is according to godlines and thereby to worke in our hearts faith and beleefe The myracles of Christ vnwritten Ioh. 10 30 ◠therefore now vnknowne were not vnprofitable to be read vnworthy to be known neuerthelesse these were sufficient When Christ came into the world Esay 9 6. he was many waies wonderfull it is one of his names by which he was to be called he was wonderfull in his person wonderfull in his doctrine and wonderfull in his workes In his person Math. 1 23. Luke 1 35. because of the vnion of his two natures he was both God man In his doctrine the word preached by him because hee taught the way of God plainely Math. 22 1◠cleerely and euidently nay as one that had authority for his word
visible signe and shape of those fiery serpents to be set vp in brasse vpon an high pole which the people might behold a farre off so as the Israelites looking thereupon should presently and immediately bee healed of that deadly sting Thirdly the obedience of Moses is set down which is greatly to be praised and commended For albeit it might seeme foolish to carnall wisedome and vnpossible to humane reason for a dead image to helpe the deadly byting of those liuing serpents yet he asketh not counsell with flesh and blood nor measureth the commandements of God by the deceitfull measure of mans vnderstanding but submitteth himselfe and all his thoughts to the word of God He did not reason against the commandement of God King 5.12 as Nahaman the Syrian did against the commandement of the Prophet Bidding him goe and wash seuen times in Iordan whereby his flesh should come againe and he should be cleansed of his leprosie But hee did simply as God commanded and as the people desired he set vp aloft the brazen serpent hauing the image and similitude of the true fiery serpents hee aduanceth it on high openly publikely speedily in the sight and view of all at the onely beholding whereof the Israelites bitten were cured restored to health that none of them dyed afterward of that poison and infection that did behold the image that was set vp But before we proceed to the Doctrines of this diuision sundry questions are to be demaunded and determined touching this act of Moses setting vp the signe and image of Obiection 1 these fiery serpents And first of all how doth this agree with the second commandement which forbiddeth the making of an image or representation of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath hath Moses so soone forgotten the law which God gaue in mount Horeb Or doth hee now fall into idolatry which himselfe so zealously reuenged and seuerely punished before in the Israelites setting vp the golden Calfe himselfe now erecting a brazen serpent I answer Answer this fact is no breach of the second Commandement which forbiddeth to make an Image of our owne head by our owne authority at our own will and pleasure and therfore the Law saith Exod. 20 4 5. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image Againe the Law forbiddeth Images which are worshipped The example of Moses setting vp the serpent fauoreth not images set vp to any religious vse and haue diuine honour giuen vnto thē or else are made to be worshipped and adored But this Image of the brazen serpent was not made by the authority of mā but by the expresse commandement of God saying vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent that is a similitude of one of those serpents Neither was it made to be worshipped but onely to be looked vpon not to bend the knee vnto it but to fasten the eie vpon it not for it selfe but for another end euen to heale the people and by healing them to represent Christ crucified and hanging on the crosse whereof this Image was a signe and token Iohn 3.14 therefore when in processe of time it came to be abused to Idolatry 1 King 18.4 Hezekiah stamped it in peeces with contempt This also wee may say and answer to the Church of Rome maintaining the worshipping of Images defacing the glory of God Rhem. Test annot in Heb. 9. cap. and obiecting in defence of them the example of Moses making the Cherubims setting them ouer the Mercy-seate And the Iesuites reason that seeing they were set in the holy place they may much more bee set in our Churches seeing the Iewes were permitted them a people prone to Idolatry grosse in imagination much more are they allowed to Christians vnder the Gospell And lastly seeing the Angels were portrayed which are meere spirituall substances much more may the Images of Christ his blessed mother his holy Apostles and his beloued Saints The Iewes were children Cal. 4.12 and as an heyre in his nonage and were suffered to haue these rites and rudiments to be their booke to help their capacity and to instruct them in knowledge but now the Church being as a man growne to fuller strength and able to digest stronger meate doth not stand in need of such rude Teachers and Schoole-masters Besides these were set vp by the expresse commandement of God we are forbidden to make any images according to our owne fancy and by our owne appointment in his seruice But when God forbiddeth vs the making of Images he gaue not a Law to binde himselfe nor restrained himselfe from commanding ordaining such signes and similitudes such formes and figures as he thought fit for the furnishing finishing of the Tabernacle Againe a particular commandement giuen of God doth not giue a discharge of the generall Law nor set men at liberty or open a gap to do at their pleasure that which GOD expresly and directly forbiddeth to be done so that euery commandement must be vnderstood with this restraint and prouiso Gen. 22.2 Except God command the contrary Furthermore it is a foolish comparison and an euill conclusion to reason because these Cherubins were set in the soueraigne holiest place of all the tabernacle therefore much more the images of Christ of his mother and of Saints may be placed in churches For how fondly and childishly doe they dispute arguing from such as were set vp by the commandement of God to iustifie such images as God neuer commanded nay which are forbidden to be made to any vse of religion D. Bish against Refor Cathal Againe those Cherubins as themselues confesse though others of them deny it were set in the most holy place whereinto the high Priest only entred and that once a yere where they were neuer seene of the people and consequently there could be no danger of idolatry standing in a place farthest remoued from the peoples sight whereas the Romish images are not only set openly in Churches in the peoples view and prefence but are commanded to be worshipped men commonly kisse them and creepe vnto them in signe of honor Yea the writer to the Hebrews teacheth that the holyest place signifieth the highest heauens Now we cannot conclude that because the images of the Cherubins were set vp in the place that representeth and resembleth the heauenly condition of the life to come therefore they may be set vp in earth and in this present life Moreouer the comparison will not holde from Angels to other that seeing they being spirits were portrayed such as had bodies may be as Christ his mother the Saints For we may better draw a contrary conclusion that seeing the Lord commanding some images and similitudes to be set vp would haue none of such things which can possibly bee portrayed by the Art and cunning of mans hand therefore ought men much lesse to doe it by their sole and single authority Neither was there any
possession To this Moses answereth that albeit it could not be denied and gain-sayed but that the Cities were in former time within the Borders and Territories of Moab yet Sihon had taken them away by right of warre and conquest of the sword so that now they were alienated from the Moabites and appropriated to the Amorites who possessed them and dwelt in them So then the Israelites offered no wrong to the Moabites but recouered the places to their owne vse out of the hand of the Amorites Neither did Moab lay any claime to them for many generations as Iephtah declareth Iudg. 11. And this is the right that Israel had to these Cities Thus we see what dealings passed betweene the Moabites and the Amorites before Israel came to these places both of them were idolaters both wicked men both grosly ignorant of the true worship of God and desperate enemies to the true Church one is ready to cut the throat of another and killeth one another in battell We learne from hence Doctrine God often punisheth one euill man by the hand of another as euil that God punisheth oftentimes one wicked man by the hand of another He raiseth vp and armeth one of them to destroy another to eate vp and consume another This truth appeareth in many other places of holy Scripture Chedor-laomer vsurping dominion ouer other Nations made warre against them Gen. 14 5 6.7 8. and tooke away all the substance as a prey booty out of Sodome and Gomorrha God in his prouidence causeth one euill man to slay another The Sodomites were exceeding sinners against the Lord. He raised vp an enemy not much better then themselues for their destruction The like we see in the example of the Midianites Who sheathed their swords in their owne bowels Iudg. 7 20 22 Indeed Gideon gaue his men at armes that went with him to that seruice Lampes Trumpets and Pitchers and thus he marched against his enemies they sounded their Trumpets they brake their Pitchers they lighted their Lampes then the hoast of the Midianites fled euery mans sword was set against his neighbour their own weapons were their owne bane their owne men were their owne murtherers and so they destroyed one another This the Prophet Habbakkuk Hab. 1 6. sheweth when the Law was dissolued Iustice oppressed cruelty practised and all wickednes was aduanced among them the LORD would worke a wonder among them He wold raise vp the Chaldeans against them a bitter and furious Nation to destroy them a people worse then themselues This is that which Esay the Prophet pointeth vnto when he saith Euery one shall eate the flesh of his owne arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh and they both shall be against Iudah Esay 9 21. Likewise he prophesieth the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians chap. 13 17. The destruction of the Egyptians by the Assyrians chap. 19. Yea he would set the Egiptians against the Egiptians so that euery one should fight against his brother and euery one against his neighbour City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom The reasons of this order and manner of Gods working are not hard to finde For first Reason 1 who shall limit him what meanes to vse and what persons to imploy in his seruice Dare any Subiect prescribe vnto his Prince whom he shall send Or shall a seruant teach appoint his master whom he shall entertaine to performe his busines Or will any Magistrate master take well such pride presumption Shall God then the King of Kings the master ouer all men be stinted and limited whom he shal vse As none can appoint him what he shall do or when he shall punish or whom he shall correct no more can we decree or determine the meanes and manner of his proceedings He appointeth the times and seasons of punishing he singleth out the persons to bee punished For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Or who was his Counseller Hee will finde out his enemies in their sinnes and he will chuse out the instruments of his owne iudgements He armeth many times men of euill hearts and of vncleane hands to doe his works diligently and to accomplish his waies feruently When the Lord would smite the house of Ahab and auenge the blood of his seruants the Prophets Iehu is annointed King ouer Israel made the Rod of the Lord who performed his word and will to the full hee slew Iehoram 2 King 9 7. 10 31. cast downe Iezabel and slew the Priests of Baal yet notwithstanding all his zeale which he pretended for the Lord his heart was not vpright before him neither regarded hee to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel neither departed hee from the sinnes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne As then the worke is the Lords so is the workman and as the iudgement is his so is the instrument which hee chuseth and fitteth to effect the same without the prescription appointment of any other Reason 2 Againe albeit they be wicked and vngodly men infidels and idolaters that hee imploieth to finish his worke to bring his decree determination to passe yet he frameth their harts to serue his prouidence as seemeth good in his heauenly wisedome He hath the hearts of all men in his hand euen of Kings to turne them about to be instruments of his will If then he can change the hearts of enemies no maruaile if he vse them as his seruants So he vseth the seruice of the diuels and euill spirits and maketh them to do his will and against their will further the saluation of his children whō they purposed to bring to despaire and damnation as appeareth in the History of Iobs Iob 1 and 2. tentations Albeit they be not his faithfull seruants to do his wil cheerefully yet they are his slaues to serue him by constraint and compulsion This the Apostle Iohn declareth in the destruction of that great whore which is drunke with the blood of the Saints with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication namely that they gaue their power and authority to the Beast but they shall hate the whore make her desolate eate her flesh and burne her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the Beast vntil the words of God be fulfilled Reu. 17 15 16 17. Nothing is done without the will of God He holdeth in his hands the hearts and purposes of Princes and great men vpon earth and directeth them by a secret motion to worke what hee pleaseth whether they know his will or know it not the whole action commeth of him and from him For howsoeuer it might seeme hard and harsh that the Angel saith it was GOD that put it into the harts of Kings to aduance the Papacy which was the work of the diuell to seduce the world yet after
the Patriarkes Prophets Prophetesses and other holy men and women in the old new Testament See the examples of Moses singing the praises of God after their deliuerance out of Egypt after the ouerthrow of Pharaoh and after their passage ouer the red sea he footed it not in a low but in a lofty stile praising God in verses not in prose Exod. 15 1. for the greater efficacy of the matter and the better expressing of their affections The like we might say of his sweet song sung not long before his death Deut. 31 19 22. 32 1 2 c. Cygnea cantio which he taught the children of Israel Iudges 5 1. thus did Deborah and Barak And thus did Dauid make an Epitaph in verse vpon the death of Saul and Ionathan after they were slaine by the Philistims not penned after the plaine and vulgar manner but with many rhetoricall flourishes of Tropes and figures according to the nature of the verse and the substance of the matter Reason 1 The Reasons hereof are easie to be conceyued to auouch the lawfulnesse praise-worthinesse of this Art For first euery Art and knowledge is of God Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift saith the Apostle Iames is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Euery Mechanical trade and handy-craft is the gift of God there is no excelling in any of them but by his special gift who is the God of knowledge which maketh a difference not onely between man beast but betweene man and man Such as found out curious workes in Gold Siluer Brasse in grauing of stones in caruing of wood in making any Needle-worke about the Tabernacle Were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome Exod. 31.3 35 30. in knowledge and vnderstanding As it is God that frameth the hand to such inuentions so it is he that guideth the pen giueth the tongue of the learned to speake or write after an excellent manner The Heathen men were wont to say That Poets were inspired of God to go beyond the reach of the vulgar sort So then this gift being more then ordinary must needs in a peculiar and speciall sort be from God Reason 2 Secondly sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture are penned poetically and those of excellent worthy note albeit we know not the kinds and measures of them howsoeuer sundry haue laboured to finde out the seueral numbers and natures of them inasmuch as euery Language hath his peculiar frame fashion yet not onely some certaine parts and parcels but sundry whole bookes as hath bin said were Poetically penned and in that respect may be fitly called Poeticall Bookes Of this kinde and nature are the booke of Iob the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of the Preacher and the Song of songs all which seeme to be contained comprehended by our Sauiour Christ vnder the title of the Psalmes when he diuideth the whole Scripture into the Law the Prophets and the Psalms as Luke 24 14. Besides when any thing of greatest note worthy of greatest remembrance and commendation was to bee set downe in the Scriptures the Prophets did choose to speake in this artificial composition of words sentences to giue a greater grace and adde greater glory vnto the same as appeareth in sundry places of the Law and Prophets Vse 1 The vses of this truth direct vs to sundry profitable meditations and weighty considerations For first it teacheth vs in part the maiesty and authority of the Scriptures They are not certain rugged and ragged writings to be contemned for their rudenesse and simplicity and to be condemned for their basenesse and homelinesse as the Atheists and others that boast and brag of their fine wits are not ashamed to giue out but Bookes full of holy excellency and wonderfull statelinesse not only working grace in the hearts of the hearers but carrying a grace to the eares of the hearers Bookes filled with true eloquence and more able to perswade then all the enticing words of humane wisedome Therefore the Lord to deliuer his word from disgrace reproach doth sometimes flye aloft with a maiesticall grauity and stately port able to astonish the outward senses sufficient to draw the whole man into admiration and thereby sheweth what he could doe in the rest of the holy Scriptures if it had pleased him Let a man reade with singlenesse of heart and with the eye of iudgement the 104. Psalme 1 2 3 4 5. verses describing the Maiestie of God or Ecclesiastes 12. verses 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the approaching of olde age or the first chap. of Esay vers 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the vnthankfulnesse of the people and hauing diligently read and aduisedly perused them let him tell me whether hee do not despise in comparison of them not onely the descriptions of Homer and Virgil but the Orations of Tully and Demosthenes as froth and scum hauing onely the empty shadow of the true and right eloquence So the Apostle Paul beeing charged to bee rude in speaking doth not confesse any want in his stile or craue pardon for any fault but doth iustify his maner of writing purposely auoideth the wisedom of mans eloquence He opposeth his plainnesse to the set and curious speech of the false Apostles who came in gay appearance and hunted after fine phrases and shew of words as if they had had all the strength of truth that might be on their side yet notwithstanding in this plaine style the Apostle sheweth himselfe most mightie and most eloquent garnishing his words and adorning his sentences with all the figures that Art can affoord so farre as serued to moue affections and to touch the conscience For the power of the Scriptures inspired by God stādeth in the inward force and vertue working vpon the soule piercing the heart casting downe the imaginations that lift vppe themselues against the truth conuerting the whole man and entering through to the diuiding of the soule and spirit of the ioynts marrow Heb. 4 12. yea discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart The Apostles of Christ subdued the whole world not with fire and sword not with carnall and bodily weapons but by the plaine preaching of Christ crucified as Paul himselfe confesseth 1 Cor. 2 2. He regarded to know nothing among them but Christ Iesus and him crucified And in 1 Cor. 2 3 4. I was among you in weaknesse and in feare and in much trouble neither stood my word and my preaching in the enticing speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power that your Fayth should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to giue vs a taste and to leaue as it were the prints and footsteppes of all learning and Arts in the world insomuch that no forme of reasoning no ornament of speaking
him and asketh him what the men were that came to him not that God was ignorant and needed to be taught or in structed what those persons were but to draw from him a voluntary confession of the matter which being truely opened and declared God forbiddeth him to go to the Moabites because they had a mischieuous purpose and to curse the Israelites because they were a blessed people WheÌ„ he perceiued to his great griefe that God had concluded and determined to continue his mercy and blessings vpon his people which no deuice of man could diminish no works of the diuell could abolish the morning being come he returned an answer to the messengers and sent them backe without their long-hoped desire excusing himselfe that he could not goe with them as himselfe desired and as they had deserued at his hands and hauing his minde wholly fixed on his reward he saith Ioseph 〈◊〉 lib. 4 cap 6. Returne backe to your Lord as for me I desired nothing more then to accompany you but the Lord hath stopped and restrained my purpose and will not suffer me to go with you or to helpe you Wherein obserue how this couetous hyreling false Prophet being willing to vndertake the worke because of the wages and to promise his best helpe that he might finger the hyre behaueth himselfe fraudently and vnfaithfully as hyrelings do mincing the matter and reuealing one part but concealing another part of the reuelation giuen him of God For whereas God had said Thou shalt not goe thou shalt not curse the people because they are a blessed people denying vnto him as well his purpose of going as his promise of cursing he declareth the former but dissembleth the latter he sheweth to the Princes and Gouernors that GOD restrained him from going but hideth this that the same GOD had forbidden him to curse the people together with the reason of it That they are blessed lest the messengers should be offended and his expected hyre denyed deteyned This is the summe and substance of this diuision But before we enter into the handling of the Doctrines offered heerein to our considerations to the end we may cleerely see into the meaning of the whole history it shall not be amisse for vs to answer certaine doubts and difficulties that arise as well from the purpose of Balak as from the person of Balaam Some of reuerent account in the Church Caluin 〈◊〉 in 4 â—ib 〈◊〉 interpret this history otherwise then can stand with the circumstances of the Text and the proportion of faith in other Scriptures For they suppose that Balak sought helpe of the true God reuerenced his Prophet and had the seed of religion remaining in his heart If this were so why doth he not himselfe fly to God by prayer And why doth he not stirre vp his people to prayer Why do they not all as one man ioyne in supplications and intercessions to be helped of God Why did he require Balaam to come with cursings and bannings against Israel if there were any sparke of true piety left in his heart Againe it is imagined that Balaam was a Prophet of God and endued with the spirit of Prophesie to whom GOD vsed oftentimes and ordinarily to appeare so do make him as it were a meane betweene the true Prophets and the false Prophets therby God making himselfe knowne among the Infidels and neuer leauing himselfe without witnesse Such were the Sybils thought to be liuing among the Gentiles and giuing testimony to the truth of God But we know no such meane betweene true and false Prophets â—â—swer For whosoeuer is not a true Prophet is a false Prophet and whosoeuer is a false Prophet cannot be a true Prophet of God He that is of God is a true Prophet he that is of the diuell is a false Prophet Neither doth the deliuery and vtterance of some truth make a true Prophet for then the diuell should be a true Prophet who sometime speaketh the trueth albeit to a sinister end For he confessed the Messiah to be the Sonne of God â—arke 1 24. thereby to darken the Doctrine of Christ and to discredite the power of the Gospel raising a suspition that he hath some familiarity friendship with Christ by drawing men to doubt of the truth of our redemption inasmuch as the diuell is a lyar from the beginning 〈◊〉 8 44. the father of lying And touching the Sybils they carry not any certaine credit and authority being all or the most part forged foysted in 〈◊〉 13 2 to win credite to the word of God which needeth not the lyes of any to vphold the truth and authority thereof For they are brought in speaking more clearely and euidently more plainly and particularly of Christ and his kingdome then any of the Patriarkes or Prophets then Moses or any that liued after him Esay is worthily accounted to bee an Euangelicall Prophet prophesying distinctly and determinately of the passion sufferings of Christ yet it is as nothing in comparison of that the Sybils expresse 〈◊〉 Sâ—billine 〈◊〉 â—â—nterâ—â—ffe Iâ—â—a â—saâ—o Ex◠〈…〉 11. touching the name and nature of Christ touching his originall off-spring touching his death and resurrection touching Antichrist and other enemies of the Church Now shall we thinke that God would reueale more to them then to his owne Prophets and the sonnes of the Prophets to such as liued out of the Church more then to all that were brought vp in the Church and sucked the sincere milke of the Scriptures and had the most sureword of the Prophets 〈◊〉 1â— to the which they did take heede as to a light that shineth in a darke place Besides we cannot hold this Balaam for any true Prophet but for a false Prophet 〈…〉 such as Simon the Sorcerer mentioned in the Acts Notwithstanding all the goodly glozes that he maketh to winne himselfe credite and estimation whereof wee shall speake more afterward Furthermore others thinke that Balaam meant his own false gods when he saith Tarry heere this night Obiect and I will giue you an answer as the Lord shall say vnto me And againe Returne into your Land for the Lord hath refused to giue me leaue to goe with you but that he was preuented of his purpose by the true God appearing vnto him But this coniecture is ouerthrowne by the expresse words in this place For the word is Iehouah Answer a name alwayes in Scripture giuen to the true God onely and neuer applyed to any false gods yea the true God was knowne by his name among the Gentiles and by it was discerned distinguished from the Idols of the Nations which indeed are no Gods Now that we may attaine to the true meaning of this Scripture and resolue of the right interpretation thereof I will set downe certaine rules and conclusions which concerne the matter in question which being fully determined and throughly descided the truth will euidently appeare
those workmen that builded the Arke for others but were drowned themselues Let vs then labour after the especiall comfort consisting in the deliuerie of the whole will of God that though our hearers perish and go vnto destruction yet wee may find peace and comfort to our own harts This was it which the Apostle rested in hee preached Christ not onely as a Sauiour to theÌ„ that beleeue but as a Iudge of them that contemne him he saith We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued in them which perish to the one we are the sauour of death vnto death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life for we are not as many which make merchandize of the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake wee in Christ 2 Cor. 2 15 16 17. Thus doth the Prophet Esay prophesie concerning Christ bringing him in on the one side complaining of the contempt of his preaching and on the other side comforting himselfe that his worke was approued of God I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God Esay 49 4. If we be found faithfull we shall be partakers of this comfort blessed shall that seruant be whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing So then this duty serueth to comfort such as haue taught the word of God not only truely but wholly and onely so that they are able to appeale to the consciences of their hearers to witnesse with their sincerity Thus did the Apostle Paul in many places In the 20. chap. of the Acts vers 18 26 he saith Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men Where he maketh them witnesses of his diligence in preaching and of the discharge of his duty in his calling and therefore they could not deny it Thus he speaketh in his second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 3 v. 1 2 The like manner of speaking dealing hath beene vsed by the Prophets and Apostles as appeareth in sundry places yea by Christ Iesus himselfe Samuel cleareth himselfe before the people Behold heere I am beare record of me befere the Lord and before his Annointed 1. Sam. 12 3. So Christ speaketh Which of you can accuse me and rebuke mee of sinne Iohn 8 46. This is a great and singular comfort to all the Ministers that in truth shal be able to auouch to their people this their diligence vprightnesse and to say in the face of the Congregation Ye know that I haue done my duty I take you to record that I haue admonished you I haue blown the Trumpet and taught you the way of saluation This is expedient and necessary for the Minister to vtter of himselfe both in respect of the godly and vngodly of the godly that their soules gained to the faith might cleare him and God haue the glory Of the wicked his aduersaries that they might be left without excuse that their mouthes might be stopped they haue nothing iustly to lay against him But contrariwise when the people haue beene ignorant and without instruction thorough the want of performance of this duty this should bee as great a greefe and anguish of spirit and bring as great trouble of conscience to consider his negligence and want of loue to their soules that were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ Thirdly this serueth to confute and conuince Vse sundry errors and to correct sundry euill practises and corrupt abuses First it meeteth with many errors and heresies of the church of Rome which maintaineth the sowre leauen of false doctrine and poysons the truth of God with their owne inuentions And seeing the Minister is to set downe but the truth of God we must learne to detest apocryphall additions and their humane traditions both which are a derogation to the sufficiency and perfection of the Scriptures For touching the Apocryphall Bookes which they haue lifted vp into the chayre of estate and giuen them equall power and preheminence with the Canonicall Scriptures they are but base counterfet coyne and no part of the Churches treasure they haue drosse mingled with them are not pure and perfect mettall They were not endited by the Spirit of God nor penned by the Prophets 〈◊〉 3 16. Pet. 1 19. the Lords Secretaries as the Scriptures were which haue God for their author and the holy Prophets for their Penmen Againe they were neuer committed of trust to the Iewes nor receiued of them into the Arke as not onely the fathers but the aduersaries themselues confesse and acknowledge but the ancient Church of the Iewes receiued and approued all the Canonical Booke Rom. 3 2. God did commend them to their care committed them to their custody for this was one chiefe priuiledge of the Iewes that they were credited with the Oracles of God And howsoeuer they shewed their ignorance in false interpretations yet they discouered no vnfaithfulnesse in wilfull corruptions additions alterations or manglings of any Bookes for then they should haue beene charged with this â—â—h 5 21. as well as with the other Lastly they containe sundry things that disagree from the true Scriptures of God likewise from theÌ„selues as might be declared and demonstrated by many particulars Seeing therfore these bookes called Apocrypha were neyther penned by the Prophets nor deliuered to the church of the Israelites neither are free from diuers contradictions we conclude that the Church of Rome hath no warrant to equal them with the holy Scriptures make them of like credite and authority with the Scriptures Againe 〈…〉 Ses 4 they offend in teaching humane traditions in making a word vnwritten equall with the word written and holding the Scriptures to be vnperfect maimed lame not containing all things necessary to faith and saluation not fully enabling the Minister to discharge his Calling But the holy Scriptures are perfect absolute and all-sufficient to teach the truth to conuince errors 〈◊〉 3 16 17. to correct vices and to instruct in righteousnesse yea to make the man of God perfect and throughly instructed in euery good worke and are of strength ability and sufficiency to make him wise to saluation Lastly they are accursed that adde any thing that take away any thing froÌ„ that which is written Deut. 4 2. Prou. 30 6. Reuel 22 18. and therefore no such vnwritten verities are to be taught or preached to the people as the matter of our Sermons or the instrument of our faith or the means of our saluation Moreouer it serueth to redresse and amend sundry corrupt practises too common and familiar among the Ministers of the Gospel Some in stead of building vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Iesus
the punishment of euill doers c 1 Pet. 2 14. Now let vs come to the vses which naturally Vse 1 arise from hence First we must acknowledge that Magistracie is a notable blessing and by acknowledging of it learne to bee thankfull for it If there were no Magistrate or law euery one would liue as he list and would be ready to cut anothers throat so that better were a tyranny then an anarchy This is sundry times repeated in the book of Iudges In those dayes there was no Knig in Israel but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes Iudg. 17 6 and 18 1 and 19 1 21 25. Then was idolatry common among them without any punishment then they gaue themselues to whoredome and vncleannesse without controllement then murther and drawing the sword one against another was practised bloud touched bloud This confusion and lamentable disorder and want of lawfull Magistracy and gouernment should teach vs to esteeme highly of this order and ordinance of God according to the blessings which we receiue by the same We obtayne great quietnesse by our rulers and many worthy things are wrought through their prudence and prouidence They are the instruments of our peace the breath of our nostrils and the meanes of our preseruation By them we enioy vnder God all the benefites which we haue our liberty our lands our liues our wiues our children our possessions our safety our houses and habitations and aboue all the rest the comfortable vse of the Gospel with freedome of conscience which is as marrow vnto our bones and as the very life of our liues How oft had we beene ouercome and ouerrunne by forraine enemies how oft had we beene surprized by inward rebels if this ordinance of God had not ouershadowed vs and ouerreached them This meditation must draw out of vs all thankfulnesse to God and confession of his louing kindnesse toward vs the practice whereof we haue in Ezra chap. 7 26 27 when hee beheld the forwardnesse of the King to promote the worship of God to publish a decree that whosoeuer would not performe the Law of God of the King should haue the sentence of God pronounced against him without delay whether it wereto the taking away of his life or banishment of his Countrey or to confiscation of his goods or to imprisonment of his body he gaue glory and praise to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which so hath put in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem This practice of this worthy man must be an instruction vnto vs to teach vs to acknowledge the necessity of this blessing as great as of the Sunne in the firmament whereby all liuing creatures are comforted and refreshed and must cause euery one to returne the praise of this mercy to him that is the giuer of this and of euery good giuing No people vnder the heauens haue better experience of it nor are more bound to walke worthy of this then we Vse 2 Secondly it is their duty to hate that which is euill with an vnfained hatred and to loue that which is good with a speciall loue and liking of it For if he be euill how shal he aduance and countenance the godly or how shall hee chastise and punish the vngodly Can hee haue or hold the reputation of a good Physician that taking vpon him the curing of other mens diseases is not able or willing to cure himselfe or will not euery one vpbraide such with the common Prouerbe Physician heale thy selfe Luke 4 23. How then can he with courage and comfort take vpon him to correct euill doers that is himselfe wholly giuen to all sorts and kindes of euill Can a father for conscience sake rebuke his sonne for sin as for swearing lying drunkennesse and such like disorders when himselfe maketh no conscience to bee a swearer and blasphemer a drunkard and vncleane liuer Or can a Master chasten his seruants for their rioting reuelling lewdnesse wantonnesse and misdemeanors when the guiltinesse of his owne heart cryeth against him and condemneth him as guilty of the same crimes Hee that teacheth another should first of all teach himselfe and he that reproueth another should first of all checke and controlle himselfe otherwise it shal be said vnto vs as the Apostle speaketh Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that condemnest for in that thou condemnest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same things but we know that the iudgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things thinkest thou this O thou man that condemnest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgment of God Rom. 2 1 2 3. Let all those whose office is to reforme euill learne to remoue it both head and taile both root and branch out of themselues let them pull the beame out of their owne eyes that they may cast out the more in their brothers eye It is a great blot and blemish in a gouernor that should punish wickednesse in others to nourish it in his own heart Hence it is that Salomon sayth Woe to thee O land when thy King is a child thy Princes eate in the morning Eccl. 10 16. Prou. 31 4. Where the Wiseman teacheth what danger it is to the commonwealth when the rulers are giuen wholly to their lusts and pleasures to surfetting and drunkennesse If the gouernour that sitteth at the sterne of the ship or the coachman that driueth the coach bee drunken and disordered who seeth not that shipwrack is to be feared and the coach ready to be ouerturned This is to bee considered and regarded of all that haue any authority ouer others to be carefull to order and rule themselues by the word of God If we haue families to gouerne we should goe in and out before them in all wisedome and bee examples vnto them in our liues conuersations If we see that those that be in places of superiority iurisdiction negligent herein not so circumspect ouer their wayes as they ought to be it is our duty to help them by our prayers and to call vpon God to assist them with his grace The burden is great that lyeth vpon their shoulders they many times watch while we sleep and are much troubled while we are at ease we must therfore dayly call vpon God for them to bee with them in their gouernment to indue them with the spirit of wisdom and counsell and to inspire them continually with al holy motions needful for their callings that their thrones may be established with iustice This is it which the Apostle vrgeth I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim
naming thereof is sufficient to shew the vanity of it Prefat ad Ca. thol lectures This I confesse may not vnfitly be called another Scripture then yet hath bin knowne howbeit not the Lords but his owne And if this new and admirable way to a new found land were granted vnto him what would it make more against vs then against himselfe and generally against the whole Church of Rome This shall plainely appeare vnto vs in three respects For first of all admit once of these fond guesses and glosses vpon the Scripture and depart from the simplicity of the same there is a gappe opened wide to intrude a thousand diuerse nay contrary interpretations according to the diuers or contrary disposition of the interpreter As for example out of this present place mentioning the commandement of God to Moses the guiles of the Midianites and theyr drawing Israel to fornication by meanes of Cozbi a Princes daughter among them a man might with greater probability gather and agreeing better with the proportion of faith in other Scriptures an encouragement to all christian Princes to pull downe the purple whore that sitteth in spirituall Babylon to reward her as she hath rewarded vs Reuel 18 6 and to giue her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled to vs to fill her the double For in the former words Moses shall signifie the Christian Magistrate the Midianites the enemies of Christ the greatest whereof are Antichrist and his adherents the entising of the Israelites to fornication the committing of idolatry and running a whoring after Idols the slaying of Cozbi in the day of the plague the downefall and ruine of theyr idolatrous worship which we see God hath miraculously brought to passe Thus we see how these words may more fitly and fully be applyed against the church of Rome then against true Catholiques whom he calleth heretiques Secondly if this be the marrow and pith of the Scriptures to hide such mysticall meanings and secret senses vnder the outward barke what hindreth vs but that we may raise as good doctrine out of Homers Iliads and Odysses out of Ouids Metamorphosis or out of Virgils Aeneads as out of the writings of Moses and the Prophets which were horrible blasphemy once to conceiue or imagine For if a man by Vlysses or by Aeneas should vnderstand Christ by their companions his Disciples by theyr wandrings his sufferings by theyr going downe to hell his ouercomming of the diuell and triumphing ouer the kingdome of darknesse by theyr safe arriuing in an hauen of rest after all theyr labours his resurrection from the dead and taking possession of the kingdome of heauen hee hath as faire a warrant for these coniectures as this trifler hath for his fooleries to vnderstand by Moses the Pope by the Midianites the writings of heretiques 〈◊〉 in Reuel â—â—p 6. by Cozbi such doctrine as pretendeth the Name of God and by vexing the Midianites the stopping of the course of theyr hereticall writings Lastly this inward supposed Scripture that this dreamer hath conceited burieth the true word of God and setteth vp a forged and counterfet Scripture For it turneth all things into Allegories and disanulleth the rules of interpretation The Allegories that we finde not in Scripture we are at liberty to refuse He that hath set bounds and bankes to the sea that it should passe no further hath restrayned vs how farre we shall go We must not turne eyther to the right hand or to the left Deut. 4 2. Wee must walke the kings high way we must not adde or diminish wee must not change or alter any thing of Christs testameÌ„t Origen the Prince and Patron of Allegories hath beene taxed and condemned of all men for corrupting and peruerting the Scripture this way but now Origen is iustified by this new found interpretation which is no better then a languishing about trifles 1 Tim. 6 4 a doting about questions and strife of words and a casting of clouds and smoake vpon the Sunne beames And howsoeuer the schoolemen haue ouerflowed the bankes in the ranknesse and superfluity of theyr wit and thereby defaced and depraued the precious word of God purer then the gold of Ophir In 1. part Sum. quaest 1. artic 10. yet Thomas one of the Princes and gods among them teacheth that the literall sence of the Scripture is that which the Author intendeth and the Author of holy Scripture is God Now if that bee the true meaning of the Scripture which the holy Ghost intendeth I would gladly know whether the pretended mystical interpretation of this place building vp the primacy of Peter and supremacy of the Pope and pulling downe the heretiques were intended by the Commandement of God vnto Moses Let him tell me whether the words be in the nature of a Prophesie or of an History belonging to the present times or to the times to come Let him shew whether Moses euer vnderstood the commandement of the Lord as this popish Proctor or rather prater pretendeth And whether the interpretation now set afoote were true in the dayes of Moses or not Lastly let him declare whether Moses and the Israelites did euer obey this commandement or not Numb 31 7. But if the meaning be that God spake not to Moses but to the Vicar of Christ nor gaue them charge concerning the Midianites but the writings of heretiques nor spake touching Cozbi but those that counterfeted the word of GOD hee did delude Moses with a vaine shaddow of words pretending one thing and intending another in outward shew giuing him authority but in an inward meaning establishing the Popes superiority which was not hatched nor heard of in sundry ages afterward And heereupon it is that all the sounder Diuines of ancient times Aug. epist 48. Hier in cap. 13 Math. Alph. li. 1. c. 3. Andrad lib 2. Defens Triden and the sounder schoolemen of latter times haue reiected this mystical diuinity as vnauaileable and vnsufficient to proue any point of Christian Religion Thus then wee see that the word of God is not to be turned into an allegory taking away the truth of the history and the doctrine of faith In this manner of reasoning notwithstanding the chiefest keyes of Popish Religion are hammered so most absurd and impertinent allegories are established God made two great lights a greater to rule the day and a lesser to rule the night therefore there are two great powers set in the world the Pope and the Emperour and the authority of the Pope is so much greater then the authority of the Emperour as the Sun is then the Moone God said In thy light wee shall see light therefore there must bee candles in the Church burning at noone day The words of the Prophet Thou hast put all things vnder his feete Psal 8 6 7 they allegorize thus for the supreme iurisdiction of the man of sinne all sheepe and oxen that is all men Foules that is Angels and
strange gods and to direct their hearts vnto the Lord to serue him onely that so he might deliuer them out of the hands of the Philistins 1 Sam. 7 3. And to speake the truth if we did aright consider the matter we ought to walk in greater feare and carefulnesse in the time of warre then in the dayes of peace For when there is but a step betweene death and vs when the drum foundeth when the Cannon roareth when the sword deuoureth when danger compasseth vs about on all sides when no man can promise safety to himselfe ought wee not to lift vp our eyes and our hearts so much the more vnto God Seeing therefore wee are then in the greatest most manifest and imminent perill of our liues the losse whereof sin will hasten vpon vs wee ought to remaine vnder the obedience of God and reconcile our selues vnto him before warres be enterprized This is it which the Lord teacheth by Moses Leuit 26 14 17. If ye will not obey me nor doe all these commandements I will set my face against you and ye shall fall before your enemies and they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you This reproueth such as giue themselues the greatest liberty to sinne to vse such violence oppression when they should liue in the best order and the greatest obedience Cornelius the Captaine is commended for his religion Acts 10 1 2. So is the Centurion renowned for his faith Mat. 8 10. They that are Captaines and soldiers must not giue themselues to all riot as if they had a law to commit sin and to breake al lawes of God and man without controlment Secondly it reprooueth such as make choise of the most loose and vngodly to fight the Lords battels and think Atheists swearers blasphemers murtherers whoremongers theeues drunkards to bee fit soldiers to goe against Gods enemies These are fitter instruments to fight the diuels battels for he is the Captaine and Commander ouer this cursed crew They are all the diuels band and of the forlorne hope They are fitter to be mustered and gathered together to fight for some vsurper theÌ„ for a lawfull Prince that may make his choise and call whom hee will to fight his battels These may be vsed in necessity and extremity rather then where there is store and plenty of many others It is noted touching Abimelech that when he had slaine his brethren with the sword and vsurped the dominion he hired vaine and light fellowes which followed him to make himselfe strong and to settle selfe in the kingdome Iudg. 9.4 Thus did Ieroboam establish his seate and throne when he rebelled against his Lord he gathered to him â—aine men and wicked and by them he fortified himselfe against Rehoboam the son of Salomon 2 Chron. 13.7 No trust confidence can be reposed in such who being vnfaithfull to god can giue no comfort or assurance they will deale otherwise towardes men whereby commeth great losse to the Prince and great hurt to the Commonwealth Lastly it serueth to ouerthrow three sorts Vse 5 of men that yeeld not to the truth of this Doctrine First such as murmure and grudge at the hearing of warres complaining of the expences and charges that are necessarie for the maintenance of them whilst others lye in the fieldes and aduenture their liues they sleepe soundly and lye quietly in their beds and yet repine disdain to contribute any thing in so necessary iust a cause and are many times great hinderers and pull-backes vnto others that would shew themselues forward in the Princes seruice It were fit that such as are thus backeward to serue with their purse should be constrained to be forward to serue in their person Vnto these we may ioyne such as cry out that it was neuer well since warre was vsed and do preferre an vniust peace before a iust warre Secondly this condemneth such as are carelesse for their owne defence safety but suffer the enemies to come vpon them and make no prouision or preparation against them This is noted to haue beene the behauiour of the men of Laish and the cause of their destruction that they liued carelesly one with another and made no fortifications against their enemies Iudg. 18 7 10. For the children of Dan came vnto them being a quyet people and without mistrust and smote them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire Thus it is with all that liue securely do not stand vpon their own guard Thus it is with such as neuer prouide against the enemies they are soon surprized by them Lastly it condemneth the Maniches Dane de haeres cap. 22. the Marcionites the Anabaptists the Family of loue and such as call themselues spirituall men which deny the lawfulnes of battell the vse of war the wearing of weapon the putting on of armor and the handling of the sword But do these alledge nothing for themselues Haue they no shew of reason or colour of argument to vphold their opinion It is a desperat cause that admitteth no defence It is a foule fall that cannot be couered with no fig leaues Let vs see what their obiections are how we may stop their mouths by answering of them And as all heretickes pretend Scripture imitating their first father the diuel Mat. 4 6 who tempting Christ in the wildernes alledgeth what is written so haue these men sundry goodly glozes garnished with the name authority of the word of God They alledge that Christ commandeth Mat. 5 39. 26 52. 13 29 If one giue vs a blow on the right cheek we shold turn to him the left if any would sue vs at the Law to take away our coate we should giue him our cloak also If hee compell vs to goe with him a Mile wee should goe with him twaine and thereuppon concludeth That wee should not resist euill He saith vnto Peter He that striketh with the sword shall also perish with the sword and thereupon willeth him to put vp his sword he will not haue the tares to be pulled vp but be let alone and suffered to grow vntill the haruest So the Apostle teacheth Roman 12 17 18 19. That vengeance belongeth to the Lord who will repay that wee must recompence to no man euill for euill that if it be possible as much as in vs lyeth we should haue peace with all men he asketh why we do not rather suffer wrong why wee do not rather sustaine harme then one brother draw another before the iudgement seates of Infidels If then it bee not lawfull to follow suites it is lesse lawfull to draw swords He sheweth that our weapons are not carnall but our warfare spiritual that we wrastle not against flesh blood but against principalities against powers against spirituall wickednesses that are in the high places Adde vnto these testimonies of the New Testament the ancient Prophesies of the Prophets which do
12. how is it then that he omitteth this miracle Doubtlesse if he had receiued so great miraculous a benefit he would not haue forgotten it neither indeede could without note of vnthankfulnesse which was farre from that deuout and religious man Furthermore the setting vp of this miracle of the new-found fire hid in the pit and after discouered by the Priests and kindled by the Lord is the weakning and shaking of a great mystery and foundation of the Christian religion For it is written that the Iewes were stirred vp by the Prophets to proceed cheerefully in building of the Temple because the glory of that latter house should be greater then of the former Hag. 2 9 which prophecy is agreed vpon to be fulfilled in that Christ was borne while the second house stood which he made famous and renowned by his presence by his doctrine by his miracles Luke 2 46 7 8. There also did the Apostles begin the preaching of the Gospel which taking his beginning from Sion and Ierusalem was spread abroad from thence into all the earth Many were the priuiledges and prerogatiues of the Tabernacle framed by Moses and of the first house builded by Salomon they had the fire from heauen the Arke of the Couenant the pillar of the cloud the Vrim and Thummim and the succession of the Prophets but the second house built after their returne from captiuity wanted all these therefore while it stood the Messiah must come being greater then all these that through his presence who was to be the ruler in Israel Mic. 5 2 the glory of the latter house might be greater then the former and so the prophecy should be fulfilled But if this story were true which is broached by the writer of that book the latter Temple should bee more glorious and famous through this miraculous fire then the former For in the former the sacrifices were onely consumed with fire that fire was sent from God and nourished by the continuall ministery and attendance of the Priests but in the latter temple they should haue had not onely the same fire with the other but the fire preserued by a wonderfull miracle that in a contrary element Fire burned â—nto water water into fire yea heere are many miracles heaped together for as that fire was preserued in water so of that thicke water into which it was changed was the fire kindled againe 2 Macab 1 22 and that which is more when the sacrifice was consumed Nehemiah is said to haue commanded the water that was left to be powred on the great stones whereby was kindled a flame which was consumed by the light that shined from the altar verse 31 32. And this is so apparent that the Iewish Rabbines that haue the vayle before their eyes or rather before their harts haue acknowledged the truth herof that the 2 house had not that fire which the former had contrary to the opinion of that writer And yet notwithstanding the euidence of the former reasons and the confession of the Iewes themselues hee sticketh not in the next chapter to alleage the Prophet Ieremy as if he had commanded them that were carried away to take with them the Tabernacle the Arke and the fire as hath beene signified 2 Maccab. 2 1. But to leaue all these assertions deliuered with warrant let vs come to the doctrine offred to our considerations in the destruction of the 2. Doctrine It is a sin to decline from the worship of God sons of Aaron because they offred strange fire to wit that it is a sin impiety which the Lord leaueth not vnpunished for any man in the outward worship of God to decline from the Law of God He appointed to burne euery sacrifice with fire taken from the Altar which was continually kept and nourished for that purpose They altered Gods ordinance and are therefore striken suddenly from heauen so that it is a great sinne for any Church or particular person to swarue from the Law of God in the worship of God as appeareth by many examples testimonies of holy Scripture 1 Sam. 13 12 13 14. 2 Chro. 26 16 17 18. Math. 15 9. Col. 2.20.21 22. The grounds are plaine first because the Reason 1 word of God is the rule of all things that wee are warranted to do and more generally it is the rule of Gods worship so that to decline from this rule to the right hand or to the left must needs be a great sinne which GOD abhorreth Deut. 12 8 13 32. In an art to vary from the rules of the art is a great errour thr carpenter and mason are guided by their line and leuell the Law of GOD is the square and rule of his worship the more closely wee keepe our selues to this rule the more warrantable are our workes if wee decline and depart from it wee wander in errour and the farther we goe from it the more we are out of the way Secondly that starting and swaruing from the Law reprooueth and checketh the wisedome of God who is Wisedome it selfe Pro. 9 1 as if we were able to direct him and knew what belongeth to his worship better then himselfe An artificer in his worke cannot abide to bee checked and controlled by those that know not so well what belongeth vnto it as he doth Iam. 4.12 so the wise GOD the supreme Lawgiuer cannot endure that men should decline from the order which hee hath settled and established in his worship and prescribed vnto them in his Word and therefore he accounteth it a great sinne and impiety in any that attempt the same This reprooueth the Church of Rome Vse 1 which is as a body infected with many diseases and running sores For their whole worship in a maner is an apostacy from God full of dangerous wounds that cannot be cured as wee may see by their worshipping of images prayer in a strange tongue communion vnder one kind and an hundred such like horrible corruptions which are so many prophanations of the worship of God These men set the Law of God at nought and thinke themselues wiser then he and preferre their owne traditions before his commandements and so worship him by the precepts of men Math. 15.6 which is a vaine worship and maketh his Law of none effect Secondly it serueth as a direction to the Vse 2 Church what they receiue to godly Magistrats what they establish by their authority that in the worship of God they alwayes set the law of God before their eies allow nothing but that which is grounded vpoÌ„ the rules of the same that they adde nothing to it take nothing froÌ„ it For this cause the King must write him a coppy of the Law in a booke that it may be euer with him that he may reade in it all the dayes of his life and learne to feare the Lord his God Deu. 17 18 19. This was taught to Ioshua chap 1 8 and
practised by Iosiah 2 Chron. 34 16. If they cleaue to this rule they must continue if they haue declined they must returne cause others to returne and reforme what hath bin amisse This the Pharisies acknowledged when they said to Christ By what authority dost thou these things c. Mar. 11 28 and Ioh. 1 19 they said to him Who art thou what sayst thou for thy selfe If it bee in the Gospel of Christ or in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles we must willingly receiue it and be guided by it if not we must refuse it otherwise wee bring vpon our selues manifest destruction Vse 3 Lastly it behoueth all priuate persons that liue in a Church wherein true Religion and the pure worship of GOD is established to submit themselues to those things that are agreeable to the word howsoeuer they bee not agreable to their affections For as wee must giue obedience to the Scriptures Bernard whether they speake as we would haue them or whether they speake not as wee would haue them so in a reformed Church where a priuat man doth dwell if any thing be commanded by authority either agreeing or not agreeing to our affections yet if the same bee agreeable to the Word of God we must yeeld obedience vnto it If the Church command any thing declining from the Law of God hee must be peaceable in refusing and patient in suffering The weapons of a Christian remembring that the onely weapons of a Christian are supplication to God and to man Besides we must know thus much that whosoeuer refuseth to obey that which hath beene vniformely established and aduisedly and moderatly concluded by the whole what priuat persons soeuer refuse to obey had need to do it vpon a sure ground that the same which they refuse is against the Law of God lest it fall out with them as with those that Austine speaketh off who gloried that they suffered persecution but it was for their faults not for their vertues so they that withdraw obedience ought to do it with a good conscience and vpon a sure ground otherwise they can haue no comfort in suffering nor looke for reward after suffering There haue alwayes bin some things amisse in the Church and no Church is or euer was so perfect but somewhat may be found in it worthy reformation so that Christ may say to it as he did to the Churches of Asia Habeo aduersus te pauca I haue somewhat against thee The best Churches wil quickly decline as wee see it fell out to those which were founded by the happy hands of the Apostles themselues that were the chiefe workmen master-builders 63 These are they that were numbred by Moses and Eleazar the Priest c. 64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the Priest first numbred c. 65 For the Lord had said of them c. The conclusion of the whole chap. followeth in these words wherein the former numbring is illustrated by place where it was by the persons that did number were numbred al amplified by the contrary that among al these there was not so much as any one man left aliue that came in the former account but they were all of them dead perished in the wildernes except Caleb Ioshua Heere is a great blessing set down likewise a great iudgmeÌ„t a blessing in multiplying of them a iudgment in chastifing of them thereby to teach vs that God is faithfull and true both in his promises and also in his threatnings Gen. 15 5. For hee had promised to Abraham that he would multiply his seed exceedingly as the starres of heauen he made this hauock of them Numb 14 35. 1 Cor. 10 5 6. brought this desolation vpon them for their often murmurings mutinies wherefore by his promises let vs be stirred vp to faith obedience by his threatnings be feared terrified from sin Moreouer marke from this fearful example of a generall disobedience or rather conspiracy against God Doctrine A whole mâ—â—titude cannoâ— cleare themselues from iudgment that it is not a whole multitude that can shelter themselues from Gods iudgments when they come vpon them though they bee neuer so many or mighty Though thousands thousand thousands muster together ioyne hand in hand yet they are not able to deliuer theÌ„selues The reasons follow The Lord is iust in all his wayes euen in the works of his iudgments Now iustice giueth Reason 1 equal to them that are equal If then all haue sinned as he is iust in punishing one so he will be iust in punishing all This we see in his casting down all the angels from the heauens that sinned 2 Pet. 2.4 Iude 6. in drowning the whole world in destroying Sodome Gomorrha infinite such like examples Secondly as he is iust righteous so he is strong powerful Many men do well deserue to be called iust yet oftentimes they want power as we see in Daniel toward Ioab when he committed murther complayning of himselfe that he was weake 1 Sam. 3 39. the sons of Zeruiah being martial men were too hard for him It is not so with God he is as powerfull as he is iust therefore he will certainly proceed against whole multitudes be they neuer so many or powerful so that none shal be able to escape vnpunished Thirdly the moe they are that offend the greater is the offence and the greater the dishonor done to God no maruail therefore if hee spare not to ouerthrow great companies in his wrath and sore displeasure For as in a ciuil state the greater the number of rebels is the greater is the offence against the Prince so it is in this case the greater multitude of offenders the greater the oence against Gods and consequently the greater iudgment will fall vpon them Vse 1 This serueth to reproue those that walk on boldly in their sins lift vp their heads without feare because they are many in number great in power thereupon thinke they shall be excused because they are not singular sin not alone Alas this will proue a slender comfort when God shal come to take an account of vs certainly no more then this that as wee sinned not alone so wee shall not be punished alone What benefit hath the theefe that is going to the place of execution to see a traine of many others beare him company Is his iudgment any whit the lesse or is his comfort any whit the more So when the Lord shall come against those that haue broken the couenant with him made a league with hel death what shall it help them or ease them to go to hell with company whereas the yelling and crying of one shal rather adde to the torment misery of another If you thinke God will the sooner respect vs because we are many we deny his iustice and deceiue
bound her soule 7 And her husband heard it and held his peace in the day when he heard it then her vowes shall stand c. Now Moses intreateth of such vowes as were made by those that are vnder the authority of others as children vnder their parents concerning which the father hath authority to disanull them Hereby the power of all parents is so magnified and aduanced that a vow made immediatly to God is frustrate there is a meere nullity of it except they confirme it They haue power to make it good and they haue power to make it voide Doctrine Great is the iurisdiction authority of parents ouer their children Heereby wee learne that great is the authority and iurisdiction of parents ouer their children by the Law of God and Nature The very heathen haue this truth shining in their hearts that parents are to be honoured and that their authority should be inuiolable Exod. 20 12. Eph. 6 1 2. Ierem. 35 6 7 8 c. Gen. 27 8 43. and 28. 2. When the father sayth Goe the child goeth when he sayth Arise he ariseth when he sayth Come he commeth Christ our Sauiour giueth testimony of his perfect obedience whom all both men and Angels stand bound to worship and to whom euery knee must bow of things in heauen of things in earth and of things vnder the earth Philip. 2 yet hee was subiect to his parents and went with them Luke 2.51 1. King 2.19 The reasons are euident Reason 1 First the precept of honouring parents hath the first place in the second Table and is set before all other so that next vnto GOD we are bound to reuerence them to whom we are most bound and it is the foundation and band of obedience to all the rest of the commandements that follow For if men doe not stand in awe of the Magistrate the father of the Common-wealth and the Captaine of the people all the other would soone be violated 2 Kings 20 5. Againe the Apostle teacheth that this is the first Commandement with promise Eph. 6 2 it hath a speciall promised annexed of long life Thirdly children receiue great and manifold blessings from the hands of theyr parents and gouernours and likewise are freed from many euils and dangers that otherwise they might fall into Fourthly patents giue life and breath and beeing after a sort vnto them for children receiue all these from thē Fiftly parents are honoured by sundry titles and names the which are giuen to God himselfe Matth. 23.9 One is your father which is in heauen therefore call no man your father vpon earth Obiect 1 Touching this impregnable and inuincible truth sundry questions may be asked and diuers doubts to be remooued As first seeing their authority is so great why doeth our Sauiour speake of hating father and mother as Luke 14 26 If any man come to me and do not hate his father and mother he cannot be my disciple Answ I answer Christ speaketh in that place comparatiuely that is wee must not regard them in respect of himselfe whom wee ought to loue aboue all and so it is expounded Mathew 10 37 Hee that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me To loue our parents next after GOD is piety but to loue them more then God is impiety Wee hate them therefore when we loue them lesse then God in comparison of whom we should hate our liues Obiect 2 Secondly Christ forbiddeth vs to call any man father as we haue heard before Matth. 23. Answ I answere Christ condemneth not the name or appellation giuen to men simply for then he should be contrary to himselfe where he alloweth the title to earthly fathers Math. 7 9. Marke 7 11 and the Apostle should bee contrary to his master 1 Cor. 4 15. Therefore he meaneth that no man is or can be our Father as God is to wit that we should trust in them and make them the authors of our life and the giuers of all good things that come vnto vs. Obiect 3 Thirdly what if our parents be euil persons and vngodly ought we then to obey them yeelde vnto their authority who are by their wickednesse vnworthy thereof Answ I answer It skilleth not whether they bee good or euill touching our obedience For euill parents are our parents and euill Magistrates are Magistrates and euill Ministers are Ministers Seruants are commanded to bee subiect to theyr masters not onely vnto them that are good and gentle but to them that are froward 1 Peter 2 18 so ought children to yeeld obedience vnto their fathers though they be euill Hence it is that God saith generally in the Law Honour thy father and mother not honor them when they are good onely But it will be farther obiected What if they Obiect 4 be excommunicate persons may they then be obeyed or should children then do any dutie to their parents and is not that to set light by that censure I answer Answer Excommunication rightly vsed is indeede the most greeuous iudgement that can bee inflicted in this life both in respect of the soule and of the bodie and is as it were the messenger of death It is a great punishment to be banished from a well ordered City much more to be thrust out of the Church which is the Common-wealth of God and of his Son Christ Dauid did greatly lament his estate and condition when hee wanted the holy assemblies of the faithfull among the Infidels and could not come into the presence of God with his people and did thinke himself driuen away from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord 1 Sam. 26 19. Who would not tremble and be afraid to bee deliuered vp vnto Satan 1 Cor. 5 6. the enemie of God The children of Israel were deliuered ouer to Nebucadnezzar and other wicked tyrants to be afflicted and they bewailed exceedingly such bodily captiuity Psalme 137 1 2 how much more fearful then ought the excōmunicate person to esteeme it to be deliuered vp not to wicked and vngodly men but to satan himselfe The prince that ruleth in the hart of the children of disobedience Notwithstanding all fellowshippe and familiarity with them is not denyed to vs. It is lawfull for the family to conuerse with the gouernors of the family though they be excommunicate persons The wife may not deny due beneuolence nor the childe dutifull obedience if he bid them go they must goe or to come they must come neither are they by such behauiour culpeable or guilty of their sinne of which we see more before chap. 5. Fourthly if the sonne be a Magistrate Obiect 5 the father a priuate man it may bee demanded whether he be to yeeld obedience to his father I answer Answ though the father must obey the sonne as hee is a Magistrate yet in another respect the sonne must obey the father as he is the father so that neytner is the sonne to bee depriued of the honour and
thence-forward bee accounted iust and lawfull This they did readily willingly to gratifie his desire and yet for al that there was one only Gentleman of Rome that followed that president who also was thoght to do it to win the fauour of Agrippina So likewise when Cambyses fell in fancie with his owne sister and was desirous to marrie her which was neuer vsed amongst the Persians before Herod lib. 5. He called together his Iudges and asked of them whether there were any law to permit a man to contract matrimony with his owne sister They knowing the kings disease as well as if they had felt his pulse made answer That they could finde no such law that suffered the brother to marry the sister yet they had met with another law that the Persian King might doe whatsoeuer hee pleased Thus partly for feare partly for flattery they resolued respecting more their owne security then they did the Kings honour and honesty Plutarch in his Romane questions sheweth that a statute was enacted among them by vertue whereof it was made lawfull for all men from â—hat time forward to marry as far as to their cousen germans including them also but in any higher or neerer degree of consanguinity they were vtterly forbidden This statute was no other but the very law of God and nature which restrayneth and forbiddeth to marry neerer but other degrees it leaueth free Neuerthelesse I confesse that he saith It was long before this statute was enacted that one was endighted and like to be condemned for marrying with his cousen german if he had not bene in speciall fauour with the people wherby it came to passe that the bill of enditement was suppressed But who this was or when it was he concealeth and I must needs say I much suspect the truth thereof because the forbidding of this degree could not bee ancient For many brethren desired to match their children this way Teren. in phormione thought they could not be better bestowed Ligustinus as Liuy reporteth Decad. 5. lib. 2. sheweth that his father gaue him to wife the daughter of his vncle Tully reporteth that Cluentia was married to M. Aurius her cousen german Cicer. orat pro Cluent And before Rome was builded at the comming of Aeneas into Italy a marriage was entreated off betweene Turnus and Laâ—â—â—ia who were borne of two sisters This confirmeth that which S. Augustine writeth De ciuit dei lib. 15. cap. 16. that before his time such marriages were lawfull among them But to leaue these forraine examples let vs come home to our selues In the 32. yeare of the reigne of Henry the eight chap. 38 all persons are adiudged lawfull to marry that are not prohibited by Gods law which statute being afterward repealed and made void by Q. Mary was in the first yeare of the late Queenes happy reigne restored to his former strength and vertue and heereupon by the ecclesiasticall authority in the Land a Table was made and put in print contayning all the degrees vnlawfull in marriage by the law of God and so holden vnlawfull in our Land among which cousen germans are not mentioned and therefore are holden by the iudgment of our Church to be lawfull Thus we haue the continuall practise of the Reason 1 marriage of cousen germans in al ages among the Iewes and Gentiles and our selues which sheweth the lawfull and laudable vse thereof let vs now see a few reasons farther to manifest this point And first this is a sure foundation laid by the Apostle Rom. 4 15. Where no law is there is no transgression But there is no law that forbiddeth these to marry eyther expresly or by implication For albeit we finde in the booke of Leuiticus a perfect direction touching marriage all other titles of kindred noted by the persons to whom they appertaine to wit father and mother sonne and daughter brother and sister grandfather and grandmother and the grand-children vncle and aunt nephew and neece yet not any cousen in any degree third second or first degree and therefore these are to bee excluded from the former and no way to bee sorted and ranged among the vnlawfull marriages Secondly sundry of these degrees forbidden are not onely once expressed but againe reiterated in the very letter of the law and that in a diuers manner to note out the greater efficacy Leuit. 18. as for example the fathers wife first in the 7. ver Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy father and againe in the 8. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers wife Likewise her sister in the 9. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy sister the daughter of thy father which is repeated againe verse 11. Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers wiues daughter begotten of thy father for she is thy sister Lastly thy aunt noted in the 12. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers sister then he addeth in the next verse nor of thy mothers sister and againe in the 14. verse nor of thy fathers brothers wife touching all which three beeing euery one thy aunt the prohibition of any one had debarred the rest The law then being so copious and plentifull to repeate much forbidden before it is certaine it would neuer haue omitted the mention of one whole degree and the same also the greatest of all the rest to wit cousin germans if the matching of them together had beene vtterly vnlawfull as all the rest are which are mentioned in the Law This is the prerogatiue of the word that it is a perfect word as the Law is in no point superfluous so it is in no case defectiue Thirdly among all the titles of kindred mentioned in Leuiticus there is not any whereunto cousin germans may in any sort be referred and therefore as they are not expressed so they are not included vnder any degree prohibited For if they might be comprised vnder any of those heads it should bee vnder the title of brethren and sisters which indeed in a generall sense doe often in Scripture contayne not onely cousens in the first degree but in the second third fourth and farther also But by this extent of the words we should bring vnder the prohibition of marriage as well the one as the other which I suppose few will admit Wherefore the Lord to preuent this generality of brotherhood and mistaking of the Law contrary to the true meaning thereof the sister is limited by determinate notes of difference from the cousins that shee is termed the daughter of thy father or mother Leuit 18 9 and begotten of thy father verse 11 and therefore the titles of brother and sister cannot bee extended so farre as to cousin germanes and if not they much lesse any other Fourthly the bringing of cousin germans within the compasse of the degrees prohibited is to leaue the matter at vncertainty and the Law of God to determine nothing For
expressed the whole Page is to be vnderstood AArons rod. p. 677 729 Abuses of excommunication pag. p. 571 a Accessaries to others sins p. 379 b. Actions how to be directed p. 170 a of vnbeleeuers are sinne 171. b. such as are in themselues vnlawfull are by a calling made lawful pag. p. 1068 Adam could not merit 89 a. his sinne how great p. 161 b. Additions to Gods worship euill p. 141 Admission of vnworthy persons a great sin p. 219 a Adultery punished of God 378 b. the seueral kinds 387 b. the greeuousnes of this sin p. 389 Afflictions why sent to the Church p. 21 b. the godly often lye vnder them p. 576 Afflictions of two sorts 78. wee must loue God vnder them ibidem they are many laid vppon the Church by enemies 756. not simply euill Ibid. Be not offended at them p. 757 a Afflictions of excellent vse 779 884. better for many to be vnder them 780 a. what comforts we haue in them p. 967 a Agreement neuer generall p. 1037 Almes not the onely worke 453 a. See liberality Alterations in the Roman religion some insensible 1105. some are knowne p. 1106 Ambition in vs by nature 54. a. it sheweth it selfe against the best teachers 557. no greater plague to the church 555. it reigneth in the byshops of Rome ibid what it is 556. remedies against it ibid. meanes to pull it downe 183 b. examples of the end of it p. 184 b. Amen what it signifieth 369 a. the vses of it ibid Anabaptists confuted 696 b. 839 b. 1108 1128 a. they are enemies to the Scriptures 7 6.16 b. they ouerthrow Magistracy 64 181. their obiections against Magistrats ibid. against taking an oath p. â—71 Angels cannot helpe p. 733 b. 785 b. Angels that appeared to Balaam p. 902. Anger not simply euill pag. 567 656 b. how it is a breach of the whole Law 657. all sin p. 656. Anthropomorphites p. 422. Apochryphall bookes p. 973 a Arithmeticians best who are p. 26 a. An army before battell must be leuied 1173 a being leuied it must be sent out ibid. b by lawfull authority ibid. Asse of Balaam speaketh 900 how it was p. 901. Assemblies of the faithfull commaunded 83. the godly are greeued for lacke of them 482. the vngodly not so 483 they must be loued 432 457 b. 496 b. See Sabbath Atheisme confuted p. 877 b 906. Attempts against the church cannot hurt it p. 964. Attonement made by Christ p. 339 b. Auricular confession p. 313 b Authority resist not 1108. the Papists do ibid. Authority of parents great 1164 b. of Husbands p. 1169 b. B Balaam what he was 869 no true Prophet Ibid. p. 1175 b. Baptisme wanting see infants it is not common to all 488 a. it was by the cloud and sea p. 498 a. Beggery not to be vowed p. 154 155. Beginnings in good not enough 932. of sin preuent p. 620 1062 1064. Bellarmine confuted p. 459 b. 492 1134 b. 1162 Best things must be giuen to God 445 b. they must be preferred p. 530 b. Binding and loosing p. 289. Birthright what priuiledges it had p. 40 b. 159 a. Bishop of Rome not Peters successor 151 he takes vpon him to excommunicate Princes and to take away their crownes 502. he caÌ„not forgiue sinnes p. 310. Blessing to haue godly Magistrates 67. diuersely taken 421 b it maketh manie the worse 443 rare to be bettered thereby ibid. Blessing sometimes denied to his creatures p. 536 Blessing of God giueth all things p. 630. Bondage vnder sinne p. 176. Booke of life p. 20 a. Brazen serpent and the vses to vs p. 812 b 813. Bâ—edâ—â—â— of the first Table how greâ—ter then of 〈◊〉 â—â—ond p. 642. Breâ—ch Moses stood in p. 671. Brethren taken diuers waies p. 749 a. Brâ—therhood among all mankinde p. 750 b. Brownists confuted denying set formes of praier 424 512. See formes of set praier and separatists Buriall of the dead 728 b. Abuses of it 729. It strengthneth our faith in the resurrection p. 730 Busie bodies p. 225. C Calling 840 841 euery one hath double 186 walke in the duties of both Ibid. 507 b. Rules to be obserued in callings 187 a. euery one is to know the duties of his owne calling 224 b. calling sinne not against p. 693. Canaan the borders thereof p. 1225 a. Candles burning in the day p. 459. Canonicall Scripture See Scripture Cardinals new creatures p. 154. Carelesse persons p. 489 b. Carnall men preferre carnall things p. 530 Cautions to be obserued in laying vp p. 101. Censures of the Church 270 they must be executed without partiality p. 289. Chasticements mingled with mercie p. 573 b. Chastity two-fold p. 387. Childrens duties p. 1202 b. Christ hath made attonement for vs 339 b. in him is happinesse 342 how he taketh away sin 478 a we must apply his merits ibid. he is not seuered from the Crosse 481 he is the substance of all Sacraments 497 b. his comming to iudgement shall be fearefull p. 505 b. Christ is head of the Church 151 b. how the first borne 162 b. he is our onely Mediatour 675 not Saints or Angels ibid. hee was preached vnder the law 813 he is the day-starre p. 1015. Christian liberty p. 181. Christians are free and how 181 b. they should haue fit places of assembling p. 493 b. Churches authority 3 a. it is subiect to many trobles 11 it hath many hypocrites in it Church-assemblies See assemblies Church triumphant p. 84. Church a perfect body 148 a. corrupt in the daies of Christ 149 it ought not to tollerate open offenders p. 288. Church what 436 a. what office it hath 463 b. Church of Rome wholly out of order p. 508 a. Church is one body and ruled by the same lawes 627 driuen to seeke helpe of enemies 747 b. it is a selected company from the world 925 it aboundeth with many children 520 927 it hath the purity of the word 962 in the ende it hath victory ouer all enemies p. 967. Church more excellent then other places 988 b. labour to be members of it 940 b. it hath the vpper hand of strong enemies 991 b. 1012 b. it is first to be cared for p. 1135 b. Church and commonwealth as two twins 755 a. it must bee left in good estate after our departure 768 770 it euermore continueth 769 when the cheefe parts are taken away the rest should mourne 772 b. sometimes it hath rest p. 1009 b. Church must haue helpe of all p. 1206 b. 1207. Church deliuered from danger and bondage p. 1212 Ciuill men 251 a. ciuill honesty p. 641. Cleargy of Rome exempt themselues from Magistrates 64 b. their Obiections answered p. 65. Cloud figured Christ p. 497 b Comfort vnder the Crosse 73 how to comfort our selues in trouble p. 74 b. Comfort to godly Ministers 156 to such as haue meane gifts 708 a. to such as are slandered 402 to such as lie vnder the crosse p. 404 b. 405. Commonwealths why instituted 82 which they are
was with power Math. 7 21. Luke 4 32. and they were astonied at his Doctrine In his works and myracles Math. 11 â— Iohn 5 36. and 10 25. because they plainly proued him to be God The doctrine of Christ serued for faith the myracles serued for the doctrine forasmuch as they tended eyther to prepare the mindes of men to receiue the doctrine 1 Cor. 14 â— or to strengthen faith in the doctrine already receiued Iohn 14 11. Both these were committed to writing by the will and appointment of Christ himselfe to further the faith and saluation of the people to the end of the world The doctrine long since written is no otherwise to be regarded then the liuely voice of Christ if he were among vs we heard him preach to vs as the Iewes did and the myracles that are written are no otherwise to be esteemed â—ede no â—yracles â—me â—racles then if we saw them done before our eies so that wee need no other no new myracles to confirme the doctrine of Christ of his Apostles They were needfull when the Gospel was first planted and seemed strange in the world as it were in the infancy of the Church That truth is already plentifully confirmed except we should account it new euermore Hence it appeareth how found vnreasonable the Romanists are that require of the Ministers of the Gospel to confirme their calling by myracles For thus they reason Extraordinary callings are to bee confirmed by myracles but the planters of our Churches shew no myracles therefore their calling cannot be of God These are like to the Iewes of whom Christ speaketh Mat. 12 38. If I should aske of them what signes and myracles the Prophets shewed Nathan Iddo Obadiah Micah many others I think their best answer would be silence Wee reade expresly that Iohn the Baptist did no myracle Ioh. 10 41. yet was his calling extraordinary The rule that Christ giueth vs to discerne false doctrine from the true is this By their fruites ye shall know them Mat. 7 16. The doctrine that is taught is the true fruite they are known therfore by deliuering the doctrine not by working of myracles We teach no other doctrine then is set downe in the Scripture so that it is sufficiently confirmed by myracles already For if the doctrine of the Apostles be our doctrine doubtlesse the myracles of the Apostles are ours also which may not bee seuered and diuided from the doctrine it selfe 〈◊〉 defens This then discouereth the weaknesse of Turrian the Iesuite who is more ridiculous theÌ„ the rest that asketh the question how wee know that Luther was a teacher raised vp of God and what myracle he euer wrought as also when he telleth vs that if any should aske of them what signe they haue giuen to them of God they haue this myracle the Sacrament of orders A very vnorderly answer whereby it appeareth that he knoweth not what a myracle is For who can call an ordinary thing a myracle As well we may say the preaching of the word is a myracle yea we may better say that the wonderfull effects wrought by the Gospel are a myracle whereby faith is wrought in the hearts of the elect and eternall life begun in them If we will not beleeue the truth of the Gospel by beholding the glorious effects which it worketh in the consciences of men it appeareth euidently that we would not beleeue though we saw a thousand others yea though one should come from the dead vnto vs Lu. 16 31. 7 And Moses laid vp the rods before the Lord in the Tabernacle of witnesse 8 And it came to passe that on the morrow Moses went into the Tabernacle of witnesse and behold the rod of Aaron for the house of Leui was budded and brought foorth buds bloomed blossomes and yeelded Almonds We haue in these words the obedience of Moses in word and worke to the former commandement as also the performance of the promise that God made touching the budding of Aarons rod. Consider in these words Doctrine Obedience is required of al Gods seruant that it is the property of Gods children to yeeld obedience to his word so soone as the same is deliuered and reuealed vnto them All the faithfull are commended in holy Scripture in this respect The ten lepers that were commanded to shew themselues to the Priest prepared themselues immediately to go though as yet no cleansing or curing appeared in the flesh Lu. 17 14 15. they neuer consulted with flesh and blood they beleeue that Christ was true of his word able to performe in deed what he had promised in word Thus did Noah wheÌ„ God commanded him to build an Arke thogh he had many discouragements the greatnesse of the worke the length of the time the mockings of the wicked the danger of putting himselfe into it and committing of his life to the mercy of the raging waters yet none of these could terrifie him Heb. 11 7. but by faith hee ouercame them all Peter being commanded of Christ to let downe his net to take fish sheweth that he had wearied himselfe his fellowes all night neuerthelesse at the commandement of Christ he let it down hoped for an happy issue Lu. 5 4 5 6. Thus haue Gods childreÌ„ alwaies done let vs therefore beware of disobedience vnder what preteÌ„ce soeuer it be Saul had his excuse he could set a faire face vpon a bad cause but hee was punished with the losse of his kingdome 1 Sam. 15. Woe had it bene to Naaman who shewed himselfe discontented with the Prophet because he being before instructed of God had willed him to wash himselfe seuen times in Iordan he had gone away a leper as he came if he had not hearkned to the counsel of his seruants 1 Ki. 5 10 12. Moses was shut out of the land of promise because he obeyed not God in striking the Rock Psal 106 33. but spake vnaduisedly with his lips The Prophet receiued a commandement froÌ„ God that he should go to Bethâ—el reproue the idolatrous worship of the two calues that Ieroboam had set vp and that he shold neither eate not drinke in presence with the idolaters 1 Ki. 13 8 9. but because he did contrary to the commandement he was torne in peeces of a Lyon paying the punishment of his disobedience and teaching vs by his example obedience to God Againe Doctrine obserue that God performeth more then he hath promised He onely told Moses God is better then his word that the mans rod whom he had chosen shold blossome but it appeareth that for farther manifestation of the truth of his word and the dignity of Aaron he verified more for the Lord did not only cause it to bring foorth buds and to bloome blossomes but likewise to beare almonds We see then from hence that such is the goodnes of God that he performeth and bringeth to passe more then he promiseth to
how farre shall wee haue such cousins restrayned once onely remoued or twise or how many degrees And if any answere onely the first degree I would know why the first more then the second or the second more then the third seeing that the one is no more to be proued out of the Law of God then the other As for those that alledge the words of the Law Leuit. 18 6 None of you shall approch to any that is neere to him to vncouer their nakednesse if they be rightly weighed they giue no colour to such interpretation nor liberty of such extension but rather serue as a barre to seclude them out of the prohibition For if any other degrees then are after expressed should bee meant then all cousinâ—â—n any degree though neuer so farre off euen an hundred times remoued should be included within the former prohibition which no wise man will affirme Neyther may wee imagine that the Lord would giue such a Law not to come neere any of the kinne and neuer expresse what kinne hee meaneth but leaue vs at randon euery man to coniecture and euery man to hold what he pleaseth So then it is euident that the wordes are not to be stretched so largely but are to bee gathered into a more narrow compasse and to a more strict senfe such as may bee inclusiue to all the degrees afterward in particular rehearsed and recited and exclusiue to al others Fiftly the Law of God setteth downe sundry threatnings of most horrible iudgments vpon the heades of such as breake the bounds of Nature and are pursued with the censure of abomination of wickednesse of villany of filthinesse committed Leuit. 20. and with the sentence of blood of death of cutting off of fire and of barrennesse not onely vpon the one party but vppon the other neyther onely vpon the man but vpon the beast neuerthelesse among all these the cousin germans are no more touched in the punishment then they were before in the prohibition Lastly as the threatning is noted so also is the execution of the threatning remembred For there is no incest committed against the holy Law of God mentioned in the Scripture but it alwayes carrieth a note of reproof and a brand of Gods iudgement with it but in the examples of the marriages of cousin germans which are many in Scripture not the least touch of any reprehension or correction Ruben went vp to his fathers bed and defiled his concubine Gen. 35 22 49.4 1 Chron. 5 1 and hee is punished with the losse of his birth-right Abshalon went in vnto his fathers concubines which he had left to keep the house 2 Sam. 16 21 and he is punished not long after with a violent death and liued not out halfe his dayes 2 Sam. 18 14. The incestuous Corinthian committed fornication with his fathers wife and hee is censured by the Apostle with excommunication and deliuering him oâ—â—r to Satan 1 Cor. 5 1. Lot in his drunkennesse committed incest with his owne daughters and is plagued with the birth of obstinate enemies of Gods Church the first fathers of the Moabites Ammonites Gen. 19 33. Iudah defiled his daughter in law Tamar indeede in ignorance yet duly reproued by himselfe effectually repented so that he neuer lay with her Gen. 38 16. Amnon fell in loue with his sister Tamar and lay with her and immediately after his lust he is punished with lothsomnes in himselfe hatefulnes in Absolon toward him plagued with a sodaine and violent death in the end 2 Sam. 13 14 15. 28 29. Lastly Herod tooke his brothers wife and hee is reproued for it by Iohn Baptist Mat. 14.4 10. Iohn Baptist is taken away from him and the vnthankfull world who was as a shining candle in the darknes of the world which was no small plague And if wee may giue any credit vnto ecclesiasticall histories touching this Herod who was called Antipas hee that defiled his bodye with most filthy Incest and embrued his hands with hâ—rmelesse and innocent blood Centur magd ceâ—t 1. l 1 câ—â—â— and abused his tongue to mock Christ our Sauiour with his cursed Courtiers felt not long after the vengeance of God For as he gaped after honour and sought ambitiously to be entituled with the name of a king he and his proud minion with him were in the second yeare of the Emperour Caligula condemned to perpetuall banishment and at Lyons in France they ended their daies in shame contempt reproch and misery A fit death for such a life Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 9. Euseb lib. 2. cap. 4. In all these examples wee see that although the Magistrate leaue these sins of incest vnpunished yet good men doe not passe by them without reproofe euen in the greatest personages and God doth not let theÌ„ alone without a iudgement and the Scripture doth not record them without a due note and censure of the abhomination And may we then in reason thinke that God and good meÌ„ and the Scripture it selfe would be silent and haue let passe so many mariages of Cousen-germans without any one checke or chastisement if they had bene against the law of God godlinesse Nay rather we may wel think that seeing they go away so cleerely without any the least note of reproofe yea and some of them with no small approbation and commendation at the hands of GOD and good men they are not at al incestuous impious but most lawfull and allowable Vse 1 Now let vs come to the vses First this serues to reproue the Church of Rome which as it is corrupt in the cheefest parts of christian religion so is it in none more corrupt theÌ„ in the matter of mariage because they restraine that which God hath left free and they leaue that free which God hath restrained an euident profe among other things that the Roman Church is an Antichristian Church And first it is plaine that they maintaine the lawfulnesse of mariages within the degrees expresly forbidden For whereas by the law of God Leuit. 18 touching consanguinity they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marry at all because they are to be holden as parents and children yet if they bee distinct foure degrees from the common stocke they may lawfully marry by the Popes lawes and canons which is filthy incestuous and abhominable And as they are loose when they should be strict so they are strict when they should be loose For wheras cousen germans are left free by the law of God as wee haue already shewed proued they do condemne the same for no other cause but to make way for popish dispensations Againe they teach that the Pope hath power to dispense with the degrees directly and expresly prohibited in Leuiticus and that many of them are onely iudiciall positiue constitutions not grounded vpon the law of nature but seruing peculiarly for that commonwealth of the Iewes Hence it is that that Antichrist