be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed childe Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe Yea as Saint Austine admonisheth Tota opera nostra in hac vita est sanare oculum cordis vnde videtur Deus Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 18. Our whole worke in this life must be continually imploied about the cure of the eye of our heart whereby God is seene that is our faith The which lesson he learned of our Sauiour Christ who when the people demanded of him What they should doe that they might worke the workes of God Answered them saying This is the worke of God that ye beleeue Iohn 6. 26. on him whom he hath sent and so his beloued Disciple hath taught vs also This is the commandement of God 1 Iohn 3. 23. that ye beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God and loue one another as he gaue commandement Wherefore the calumination of the carnall professour and of the Romane Catholike made against the doctrine of the Gospell is vniust and vntrue which is that an easie way is laid open by the professours of the Gospell to life euerlasting and heauen set at a very small rate for that they teach that God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne to the end that Ioh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Yea our Catholike Romanists may iustly bee challenged for doing great and intollerable wrong to our Christian saith in that they so vilisie and debase the same that they make it common not onely to the reprobate but also to the very Deuils themselues whereas in Tit. 1. 1. Act. 13. 43. very truth it is proper and peculiar to Gods elect yea euen to such as are ordained to life euerlasting THE SECOND PART OF THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE The questions that are handled in this second part concerning the doctrines of faith and are cleered by arguments drawne from all Topicke places Are these QVEST. I. The Church is not alwayes glorious and notorious as a City seated vpon an high hill GOD would haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Arguments drawne from the efficient cause 1 Tim. 2. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 15. and by the voice of truth vttered by the Church the pillar and ground of truth he doth call to him such as are to be of the truth doth cause thē to hearken vnto the truth and to be led thereby into the euerlasting habitations Psal 43. 3. Now truth and falshood are nigh neighbours and dwell neere each to other for where God hath his Church the deuill hath his Chappell and their houses in outward shew differ little sauing that for the most part the fore-front of falshoodes habitation is gloriously set out garnished and trimmed whereas the doore of truth is plaine and homely Whereby it commeth to passe that falsehood in the right way of truth and righteousnesse the testimonies of the Lord are sure and giue wisedome to the simple For doth pure seed breed Tares or pure Corne And doth wholesome food breed noisome or wholesome humours Vndoubtedly light and sight preserue from stumbling and falling it is Ioh 11. 9. Matth. 22. 29. darkenesse and blindnesse that cause both Yee erre saith our blessed Sauiour to the seduced Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Euen as their seduced Fathers erred in their hearts because they knew not the Lords Psal 95. 10. Chrysost Hom. 3. de Lazaro wayes The ignorance of the Scripture saith Chrysostome brought in haeresies and a corrupt life and made a confusion of all things Wherefore it is a note of an euill person to hate the light Ioh. 3. 20. lest his deeds should be reproued as it is a badge of an haereticke to accuse the Scriptures of ambiguity and obscurity as Irenaeus affirmeth for that in truth they doe without ambiguity Iren. l 3. c. 2. and obscurity giue definitiue sentence against their haeresies From the which badge and cognizance if the Romish Church will be set free let her purge out of the bookes of her deare darlings the slanderous accusations of the Scriptures which are in them and let her giue a generall liberty to the lay people to haue the Scriptures in a knowne tongue that so they may the more easily attaine to knowledge and let her not any longer commend a blinde faith nor teach that faith consisteth rather in ignorance then in knowledge QVEST. IV. Not the sufferings or righteousnesse of any mere Man but onely of our blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthinesse to satisfie for sinne and to merit the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen As in Adam was the common nature of all men he being Arguments drawne from the materiall cause the roote all other the branches that so he might be a fit person with whom the legall Couenant might be made which was that if he would stand stedfast in obedience to the Law of God which was written in his heart and the which he was enabled to performe he should conueigh ouer his nature holy and pure to all his posterity and be translated from an earthly to an heauenly Paradise but if by his fall he stayned and polluted it he should conueigh it ouer to them stayned and polluted and make himselfe and all that by ordinary propagation came from him subiect to all miseries and woes So in Christ Iesus the second Adam was the common nature of man he being the roote and the faithfull the branches and vpon him Rom. 11. 17. Ioh. 15. 5. Gal. 3. 17. Act. 3. 26. was grounded the Euangelicall Couenant that the sufferings which he endured and the righteousnesse which he performed in our nature not for himselfe but for vs should be auaileable to all that are vnited vnto him by a true faith both for their deliuerance from that condemnation which was due vnto them in respect of their sinnes and for the purchasing vnto them of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Vnto all
THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE OR THE THIRD PART OF THE TRYALL OF TRVTH Wherein is declared the excellency and aequity of the Christian Faith and that it is not withstood and resisted but assisted and fortified by all the forces of right reason and by all the aide that artificiall Logicke can yeeld Against the Heathenish Atheist and the Romish Catholic◠whereof the one taketh exception against the Faith 〈◊〉 Christ in generall and the other against the doctrine thereof as it is professed in the Reformed Churches as being in their opinions absurd and contrary to the euident and vndeniable grounds of reason BY IOHN TERRY Minister of the Word of God at Stocton OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD and WILLIAM TVRNER Anno Dom. 1625. 2 THESS 3. 1. Furthermore brethren pray for vs that the word of God may haue a free current and be glorified as it is with you and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and wicked men for all haue not faith AVG. DE TRIN. l. 4. c. 6. Against reason no sober man that is himselfe in his right wits against Scripture no Christian man that is of a sound and orthodoxe faith against the Church no man of a peaceable spirit that is not a Schismaticke or at the least somewhat schismatically affected will reason or dispute TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD ARTHVRE LORD BISHOP OF BATH AND WELLES IOHN TERRY wisheth all increase of grace in this life and of glory in the life to come IT is truly said Right reuerend and my very good Lord that a foolish Iudge doth ouer-hastily giue sentence not rightly apprehending or duely weighing all things belonging thereunto An example whereof we haue both in Iewes and Gentiles vnto whom the Gospel preached was a stumbling-blocke and seemed to be a foolish and an absurd doctrine they being carried away so to iudge by this hasty conceit that a man who came himselfe to shame death could not bring others to life and glory Whereas if they had rightly apprehended and duely weighed and considered that sinne was a most shamefull and deadly euill which could not as Gods decree stood bee done away but either with the shame and death of the offender or of some other party that should vndertake to satisfie the iustice of God for the same they would haue perceiued that the Gospell reuealing Christ Iesus the aeternall Sonne of God assuming humane nature and ioyning it into one person with his diuine and therein performing all things necessary for our full reconciliation to God that so by his humiliation and shamefull death he might bring u◠to life and glory they would I say well haue vnderstood that the Gospell thus reuealing Christ Iesus vnto us is the 1 Cor. 1. 23. power of God and the wisdome of God And verily the Gospell is the most powerfull wisedome that euer was reuealed to man because it maketh men that by the corrupt suggestions of Satan were made mad Luc. 15. 17. Eccl. 7. 27. 2 Tim. 3. 15. put out of their right mind wise to saluation by faith in Christ yea is not the sincere embracer of the Gospell the wisestman that liueth on earth seeing he only embraceth the right meanes whereby he may be made happy and blessed And is not the sound preacher of the Gospell who turneth the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust and so maketh a people ready prepared for the Lord the disposer of the chiefest Luc. 1. 17. blessings that the Lord bestoweth vpon his dearest seruants And is not also the carefull and watchfull Bishop that is a guide set ouer the guides of the Lord's flocke and a Superintendent ouer the Lord's watchmen and is to commaund that they teach no other doctrine nor mingle wilde goards 1 Tim. 1. 3. with the wholesome food that is appointed for those that 2 Reg. 4. 39. Tit. 1. 5. are of the Lord's Family and if any such thing be done to redresse the same is not I say such a one a singular yea an honourable instrument vnder God that those so sruitfull labours of all inferiour Ministers may bee made powerfull vnto many for the saluation of their soules Now the labors of Ministers are then powerfull when the wisdome of the word of God is made manifest by them which is when the right sense thereof is explained and iustified by cleare and sound arguments and reasons For he that will vrge the bare and naked words of the Scripture without the true sense and meaning thereof is like to a souldier that will fight with a scabbard without a sword And he that will vrge a sense thereof not iustified cleared by sound and sufficient reasons is like to one that will fight with a sword without an edge For they are the solid reasons whereon the wise and holy doctrines of the diuine word of God are grounded that giue light weight thereto and are after a sort the very life thereof And hereof it is that all manner of learned Professours especially among Christians he they orthodoxe or be they haereticks offer to iustifie their seuerall opinions by sound solid arguments concluded in true syllogismes and to that end require publike disputations Now if all require the truth of their opinions to be thus tried then they may not in any case refuse and shame this manner of tryall Wherefore as Festus said vnto Paul when he had appealed Acts 25. 12. vnto Caesar Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar vnto Caesar thou shalt goe So say I vnto all learned Professours of Christianity haue yee appealed vnto reasons concluded in true syllogismes for the iustifying of your seuerall positions by reason ye shall be tryed and to the censure thereof ye ought to stand And this I haue sufficiently proued in the explication and confirmation of the third proposition of the former part of this Treatise by the approbation thereof giuen vnto me from your LOrdships owne mouth after you had duely perused the same being committed vnto your Lordships iust censure Wherefore according to the old Prouerbe Scitum est Athletam placuisse Herculi as he may bee taken for a sufficient Champion that is approued of Hercules so that Treatise may be esteemed to be furnished with sufficient munition that is approued of a wise Colonell And hereupon I am bold to craue to haue it published vnder your Lordships protection that so it may be the better accepted and that some of the Lords souldiers may bee strengthned and inabled thereby with better courage to fight the Lord's battles And thus commending your Lordship to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to giue you an inheritance among them that are sanctified I rest Your Lordships in all Christian loue dutie IOHN TERRY TO THE CHRISTIAN READER I Haue already Christian Reader in the two former parts of the Tryall of Truth made it manifest that the doctrine of
good No man can make satisfaction to God for any one sinne The people ought not to embrace the doctrine of their teachers without tryall The faithfull are saued by their owne faith not by the faith works of any other God did praedestinate before all worlds some to aeternall saluation in Christ Iesus and others to aeternall damnation through their owne sinnes Frō things that be vnlike No image ought to be made to represent the Diuine Maiesty All the workes of Infidels are sinnes Frō things that bee like The true seruants of God doe know themselues to be the true seruants of God God giueth saluation in Christ and not in any other Vngodly Hypocrites are no true members of the Church of Christ The testimony of God deliuered in the Canonicall Scripture and not receiued by bare tradition is the sure euidence ground of truth The doctrine of the Romish Church is a provocation to sinne and not the doctrine of the Churches that professe the Gospell Popish pennance and Purgatory are contrary to the Article of the Creed I beleeue the remission of sinnes Frō such things as be coniugates Iury is not to be esteemed an holy land The will of man is not by nature free in things concerning God All the faithfull are Saints The Bishop of Rome is not the vniuersall pastour of the whole Church The Lawes of God only bind the conscience From the etymology or interpretation of the name True Religion bindeth only to the obseruation of such things as are commanded by God Whereas superstition bindeth to the obseruation of such things as are beside and aboue the former The Laity ought to haue liberty daily to read the holy Scriptures The faithfull themselues and also their Churches ought to be dedicated only to God The faithfull know their own Faith repentance and loue and their saluation in Christ Iesus An implicite that is a blinded and a folded vp Faith is not the true Christian Faith The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne The Monkes as they now demeane themselues are not true Monkes All the faithfull are saued by the meere mercy of God in Christ. From the definition or description of a thing The faithfull haue assurance both of the Lord 's good will and loue towards themselues and also of their own sincere faith and true loue towards God The bare testimony of the Church cannot make sufficiently knowne any doctrine of Faith A Bishop may be a ciuill Magistrate From the diuision of a thing The signe of the Crosse is not a thing absolutely euill but may lawfully bee vsed at the administration of Baptisme From the whole to the parts or frō the generll to the speciall Matrimony is lawfull for the Clergy euen after the vow of single life All Ecclesiasticall persons aswell as secular ought to be subiect to the ciuill Magistrate It doth belong to the ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to be obserued of all his subiects as concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God and therein he hath the highest authority The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good From the parts to the whole or from the speciall to the general The Church of Rome giueth diuine honour to Angels and Saints There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory Frō diuine humane testimonies The miracles and doctrine of the Church of Rome are fabulous and false euen by the testimonies of her own vulgar people Learned Writers the ancient Fathers Canonicall Scriptures THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE CHAP. I. QVAEST 1. 1 The Gospell is the only proper and immediate instrumentall cause of our conversion to God and of our faith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God and therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man THe Gospell is the proper and immediate Acts 26. 18. Ioh. 8. 32. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Rom. 10. 17. 1 Ioh. 4. 19. instrument whereby God doth open our eyes and turne vs from darknes to light and from the power of Satan to God and doth free vs from the bondage of sinne and doth beget vs againe and renew vs into his owne Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of God Faith commeth by the Gospell For what can giue vs a faithfull assurance of Gods loue but such a pledge thereof as is giuen vs in the Gospell Loue is wrought by the Gospell displaying Gods loue For if we loue them that loue Matth. 5. 47 vs what singular thing doe we Doe not the Publicanes euen the same So repentance is wrought by the Gospell and a godly sorrow Mar 1. 15. for our diuelish sinnes For what can make vs truely sorrowfull for offending so good so gracious a God and carefull from the very heart to cease from sinne and to follow righteousnes if the grieuous agony and dreadfull death of our blessed Sauiour endured for our sinnes being reuealed in the 1. Pet. 4. 1. Ioh. 12. 32. Gospell cannot effect the same Verily Iohn the Baptist giuing the knowledge of saluation vnto the people for the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercy of God whereby the day spring from an high Luc. 1. 16. hath visited vs did turne many of the children of Israel vnto the Lord their God So the Apostles going out into the whole world and preaching the Gospell to euery creature did cast down holdes and imaglnations and euery high thing that was exalted against the knowledge of God and brought into captiuity 2 Cor. 10. 4. Isa 2. 2. euery thought to the obedience of Christ and so converted the whole world vnto God But as for miracles the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God the Lord 's temporall blessings and corrections the wisdome of the Law of God and the best reason of the naturall man all and euery of these may bee as good preparatiues to cause vs more readily to receiue the Physicke of our soules but the instructions of the wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ are the only right Physicke and the most soueraigne confections that are able to recouer our spirituall health and life For if we liue an holy and an heauenly Ier. 46. 1. Gal. 2. 20. life we liue so by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs the which faith is wrought by the Gospell The former may be some impellent occasions to induce such as are not yet effectually called to giue an attentiue eare to the most wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ and to moue such as are effectually called already to hearken more readily and reuerently then before they haue done But they are no helpes to the
with milke and to be taught the first principles of Religion and grounds of the Catechisme and yet they that will become men must be able to take stronger meate and to vnderstand the reasons of all Divine Doctrines for the further strengthening and confirming of their faith And verely by all Doctrines deliuered by men it is a truth Non quis sed quid spectandum generally confessed by all that not so much the party that speaketh but that which is spoken ought to be respected and not the bare and taked authority of any but the sufficiency of the testimony it selfe ought to sway altogether and the waight Salmeron Jesuitâ— in c 5. ep ad Rom. of reason whereon it is grounded For the efficacy of reason is better then all authorities And of this iudgement are all wise men as well Heathen as Christians I am thus resolued saith Plato not now but alwayes that I am not to enthrall Plato in Critone my iudgement to any of my friends but to reason yea to that reason which by discourse appeareth to be best Whose opinion was seconded by the chiefest of all his Schollers that is by Aristotle Plato said he is my friend but truth that is Aristonoral l. 1. c. 3. made knowne by reason is more my friend So our wise and Christian Philosophers What wilt thou Lact de vero Dei simulachro c. 20. doe quoth Lactantius wilt thou follow thine Ancestors or reason rather So St. Cyprian we are not to prescribe by custome but to conuince by reason yea let there bee gathered together in a generall councell the chiefest of the Bishops and Doctors and of all other learned men of the whole Christian world and let them also be such as rightly embrace the true Catholique and Apostolique Faith and giue a iust censure also in matters of neuer so great waight and moment yet are we not of necessity bound to stand to their verdict Or else Saint Austin was out of the way when he stood vpon this plea Aug Cont. Maxim l. 3. c. 14. with Maximinius the Arrian I will not saith he alledge the Councell of Nice to prejudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to prejudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the authority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the authority of the Scrâ—ptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason be compared together and so let tryall be made of the truth For he had learned to yeeld that honor to those onely books of the holy Scripture that are called Canonicall Aug ep 19. ad Hieronymum that he did assuredly beleeue that none of the Authors of them did erre any whit at all But as for all other albeit they did excell in learning and holinesse yet he would not rest vpon their iudgements vnlesse they did confirme the same by the authority of Canonicall Scripture or by some reason agreeable vnto truth And verely faith is not to be iudged by the persons but the persons by the faith For as Tertullian saith faith is not therefore sound and Catholique because it is professed by such and such persons but such and such persons are to be deemed sound and Catholique for that they professe the sound and Catholique faith Ramus and Scribonius men of no small iudgement and learning haue taught that all manner of testimonies be they Divine or humane are of themselues iâ—artificiall arguments and that the doctrines proued thereby haue their credit and authority rather from the qualification of the persons whose testimonies they are then from the bare and naked testimonies themselues So the Emperour Adrian in his rescript credit is to be giuen to him that giueth the testimony and not to the bare testimony And verely we doe not embrace the testimony of God set downe in the bookes of the Scriptures with that reuerent manner as we ought to doe vnlesse when wee giue assent thereunto we d ee it not so much for the bare testimony it selfe as for that it is the testimony of the most wise and holy God which cannot deceiue or be deceiued For then we rightly honour him and his truth Hereof it was that Christ receiued not the witnesse of Iohn as it was the testimony proceeding from a meere man but he receiued it as the testimony Ioh. 5. 33. of such a man as was indued with the Spirit of Eliah and sent before himselfe to prepare his way Nay he saith of his owne bare and naked testimony considered by it selfe If I should beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not true Ioh 5. 31. And yet concerning the same as it is the testimony of the Son of God the very essentiall wisedome of his heauenly Father he saith though I beare record of my selfe my record is true Ioh. 8. 14. for I know whence I came and whither I goe And hereof it is that both God and Christ are so often mentioned in the holy Scripture with their honourable Titles that so the credibility of their persons may yeeld the more and greater credit to their Doctrine Andy et as if this were not sufficient inough the very doctrine it selfe that proceedeth from God and is set downe in the holy Scripture is cleared and iustified by many arguments and reasons And verily how otherwise could the holy Scripture inable the wise and learned professors of the Christian Faith to confute all Heathenish and haereticall errours and to iustifie all Divine and Heauenly Truthes not onely to the Gentiles and Haeretickes but also to the faithfull themselues vnlesse it did minister plenty of all sound and evident arguments for the effecting of the same The Gentiles refuse the very words of the Canonicall Scriptures and the Haeretickes reiect the right and orthodoxall sense of them and therefore neither of them can be convicted but by the euidence of reason yea how can the faithfull themselues giue a sure assent vnto the Doctrines of the holy Scriptures vnlesse they apprehend such arguments and reasons as are sufficient motiues to induce them thereunto And hereof it is that in all sound and Orthodoxe Sermons made either to breed or to encrease and strengthen Faith vnto the doctrines obserued in the words of the Text there are annexed sound and sufficient reasons for the opening and confirming of the same doctrines And this is the cause why preaching is preferred before reading and Catechising as being the more ordinary meanes both to beget and strengthen Faith for that in preaching many reasons are produced as many lights for the better clearing and iustifying of all Truthes and for the fuller convincing of all errours and haeresies the which thing is not done either in reading or in Catechizing There is I confesse no efficient cause of Gods will but his will it selfe for there is nothing without
my Calling and to leaue the discussing of quaestions of learning to the learned I am ready to come to Church and to doe my duty to God and to liue iustly and peaceably with my neighbours Why the learned themselues cannot agree about the points of Faith and how then shall such an one as I am be able to discerne it and to finde it out The truth is that God wrote his Law in the heart of Adam and thereby set in his minde such a light of reason that he had a right iudgement in all things But Adam was not contented with this treasure of wisdome and this measure of knowledge extending it selfe to all that was good but he would needes know euill also that he might by experience try what would be the event thereof And thereupon he forsooke God the Father of light and betooke himselfe to be instructed by the Prince of darkenesse Whereby it came to passe that he fell from truth to falshood from faith to fancy from the knowledge of good to the knowledge of euill from the light of Diuine logicke and reason to divellish sophistry Yea hereby the wily and crafty Serpent stored him and his posterity with all manner of captious and deceiuable sophismes and so enabled him not onely to know but also colourably to defend all falshood and vntruth Against the which so desperate a mischiefe the Lord prouided a soueraigne remedy by causing all Diuine verities necessary to saluation lightned fortified with all manner of sound arguments and reasons to be deliuered to his Church first by word of mouth and afterward by writing in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture that so when the enemy should come ready furnished and prepared with strong delusion and with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse the desender of the Truth on the contrary side might also be armed with all manner of weapons offensiue and defensiue that so he might be enabled to stand fast and firme against all the assaults of the enemy and to get ouer him a glorious victory And hereof it is that the booke of the holy Scripture is called the Bible that is the booke of bookes or the onely booke for that all manner of Divine wisdome is contayned therein The reasons and argument set downe in this booke for the clearing and fortifying of all Diuine verities are of such validity and strength that therefore this booke is called by Saint Hierome a reasonable mountaine where wee may Hieron in Hag. cut downe choice and sit timber for the building vp of the house of Wisedome Yea the first rudiments and principles thereof are of such soundnesse and solidity that Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3. 2. Chrysost hom 9. in ep ad Col. calleth them reasonable and vndeceiueable milke In which words he opposeth them to the principles of all erronious professions which the same Apostle tearmeth sophisticall fables For the which cause the maintayners of those sophisticall positions are called by the Apostle Saint Paul absurd or vnreasonable men as the sincere imbracers of the Doctrines of the Scriptures are tearmed by Saint Chrysostome reasonable sheepe for that they are able to discerne the voyce of their shepheard from the voyce of a stranger And hereof also it is that the Apostle Saint Paul calleth the seruice of God prescribed in this booke a reasonable seruice For that as Tertullian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non exigebat Deus quae siebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. l. 3. cont Marc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 19. teacheth God doth require therein not so much the worke wrought as the doing it vpon those grounds and reasons for the which it should be done One most singular worke of this seruice of God being done by one of the most singular seruants of God that euer liued euen the offering vp of Isaac by his father Abraham was as the Apostle saith performed by him as a Logiâ—ian by the helpe of Metaphysicall and supernaturall reason And no maruell seeing as in the same place the Apostle teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Downam l. 2. c. 7. Of Christian Warfare the true Christian faith is grounded vpon such a demonstratiue syllogisme that is able as Austin expoundeth the words to convince the iudgement and after a sort to force the minde to yeeld therevnto a most setled assent whoÌ„ one of our learned and religious Doctors followeth saying that faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a manifest demonstratioÌ„ for that it doth not onely shew a thing probably but doth convince it with strong arguments and maketh that cleare and manifest which was otherwise obscure and secret and therefore is called a demonstration of things not seene And if it be not reason that doth season our seruice done vnto God and make it sauory and well tasting vnto him why Leu. 12. 13. Mar. 9. 50. Coloss 4. 6. was salt to be added to euery sacrifice and why are all the faithfull commanded to haue salt in themselues Yea and that their very words should be poudred with salt And was it not for this cause that one Eccholius in the Primitiue Church when he had fallen away againe and againe from the true faith and reasonable seruice of God vnto absurd and impious Idolatry at his last returne cast himselfe downe flat vpon the ground before the Congregation saying trample vpon me vnsauery salt That reason should be our guide not onely in such things as concerne the Divine seruice of God but also in all our actions whatsoeuer Iesus the sonne of Siracke teacheth saying Eccl. 37. 16. Let reason goe before euery enterprise and counsell before euery action Yea Aristotle saw thus much by the light of naturall reason that is that euery vertuous action must be done vpon knowledge and vpon good advise had with right reason Scienter consultò constanter and vpon a setled purpose to be constant therein Wherefore there was great reason that the great and wise G O D should enrich his owne booke with all manner of divine and heauenly reason that so it might be able rightly to guide all his sincere and faithfull seruants in the performing of all manner of vertuous and Religious actions And verily it is in that aboundant manner so filled and furnished with this heauenly treasure that as Luther saith it were no great matter if all other bookes contayning the doctrines of faith and an holy life were on a light fire if this one booke were rightly vnderstood For there is more Diuine learning wisedome and reason in this little booke then in all the large volumnes that euer were written Witnesse not only the explications of the divine doctrines hereof made by our blessed that â—low most plenteously out of the full fountaines of the Isa 12. 3. wels of life we ought to drinke our full draught and euer to haue them
for parables are couerings vntill they be vnfolded and expounded but being expounded and laid open they make manifest and lay open vnto vs spirituall things Christ saith Chrsostome did set out his doctrine by parables that he might Chrys in Mat. hom 45. in Ioh. hom 33. speake more significantly and set it plainer before our eyes for by the resemblance of familiar things the minde is more stirred vp and doth apprehend the thing the better being set foorth as it were in a picture This kinde of opening things is most pleasing and sticketh faster for a similitude or relemblance if it be apt or sit doth shew forth much wisedome Yea no man doubteth as saith Saint Austine but by parables Aug. de doct Christiana lib. 2. cap. 6. things are more readily learned and being sought out with some difficulty are the more acceptable when they are found Wherefore our blessed Sauiour and his Apostles vsed often parables and resemblances taken from earthly things for the better manifesting of their heauenly doctrines and other like arguments also taken out of the booke of nature well knowne to euery intelligent man that is found and entire in his outward senses As when our blessed Sauiour appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection and they supposed that they had seene a spirit our Sauiour appealeth to the outward senses saying handle me and see me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to haue And when Thomas would Luke 24. 39. not yet beleeue the testimony of his fellow Apostles concerning the resurrection of Christ when he appeared vnto them againe he spake vnto Thomas saying put thy finger here and see my hands and stretch foorth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeue The which thing when Iohn 20. 28. Thomas had done he was so conuinced euen by the censure of his outward senses that immediatly he crieth out saying my Lord and my God So the Apostle Saint Paul to conuince the idolatrous Athenians of error for the worshipping of their gods with materiall images alleageth this naturall reason taken out of one of their Act. 17. 29. owne heathenish Poets saying Seeing we are the generation of God resembling God by our immortall spâ—rits which cannot be resembled by any materiall image much lesse can the immortall and incorruptible God be resembled by any such meanes So among the Corinthians when there was an abuse 1 Cor. 11. 14. in some of them in wearing long haire the Apostle to redresse the same appealeth to the iudgment of nature it selfe saying What doth not nature it selfe teach you that it is a shame for a man to haue long haire So our blessed Sauiour to perswade his Disciples to doe good to their very enemies saith that nature doth teach the Gentiles themselues to be good to their friends and that Christians being aduanced aboue them by Matth. 5. 45. grace should learne thereby to doe good to their enemies especially seeing that sense and experience did plainly teach them that God maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and his raine to fall on the iust and vniust Wherefore errours may be confuted and faith and piety perswaded not onely by arguments taken out of the booke of grace but also out of the booke of nature For neither sense nor reason are contrary to religion or enemies to faith nay rather right reason is a most fast friend to faith and a most valiant Champion for true Religion But yet here this most reasonable caution must be added that when question is of the extraordinary and supernaturall workes of God we take not vpon vâ— to measure them with the short line of naturall reason seeing that is not able to reach vnto the height or to found the depth thereof And therefore Sarah and Zachary cannot be excused in that when a childe Gen. 18. 11. was promiâ—ed to each of them by the Lord almighty at that time when by the course of nature it was vnlikely if not impossible Luke 1. 18. that they should haue had any they cast their eyes vpon the disabled power of nature and not vpon the almighty power of God and thereby offended through vnbeleefe Whereas the blessed Virgin Mary in a case more improbable cast her eyes vpon the power of the promiser and so sanctified Luke 1. 49. his holy name As Abraham also in the former case doubting not through vnbeleefe but resting fully assured that he that promised him a childe would and could performe it glorified God aboue that hope that nature could yeeld but vnder that hope that God which is supernaturall is able to satisfie Rom. 4. 19. to the full Wherefore it is not impossible by reason to ascend aboue reason and by the principles of an higher science to haue that selfe-same thing confirmed for a truth which by the grounds of an inferiour Art cannot be proued Neither is faith it selfe then most commendable when she hath fewest reasons to assist her for then the Colliers faith were â—…taine and an vndoubted a truth that if any instance may bee giuen against the same in any singular person that liued vnder the Synagogue as in Abraham Moses Dauid and the like we may be bold to stand to this resolution that if in these persons there was any eminency of faith aboue that which is to be found in such as liue vnder the Gospell the cause thereof was in the extraordinary working of the Spirit of God which enabled them to vse more diligence in their weaker meanes and thereby aduanced them to greater gifts Now if against these things which haue beene deliuered it be obiected that faith doth not produce her actions by meanes of discourse but by the immediate operation and reuelation of the Spirit of God albeit this hath beene most abundantly confuted in all the former part of this Chapter yet if it were not so this one reason is fully sufficient to conuince the same For where is faith is that to the minde which the eye is to the body then it followeth that as the eye doth not apprehend his obiect immediately but as it is made conspicuous by meanes of some bodily light so faith which is the sight of the soule doth not apprehend truth which is her generall obiect vnlesse it be made manifest by the light of reason and meanes of discourse The which is so sure and certaine a truth that the Apostles themselues who had the knowledge of all diuine and humane verities necessary for such as should be teachers and instructers of the whole world giuen vnto them not by their owne labours and studdy but by the immediate reuelation of the Spirit of God yet had not this their knowledge without discourse As it is manifest by manner of handling and deciding the question that was brought vnto them which was whether the workes of the Law were to be ioyned with faith in Christ in
the Church of England is agreeable to the coÌ„mon grounds and principles of our Christian Profession contained in the Articles of our Creede the Law of God the Lord's Prayer the doctrine of the Sacraments and in those other generall rules of holy Scripture wherein are set down all such circumstances as are requisite to euery good worke Now in this third part I endeauour to make it euident that the same doctrine is agreeable to all the rules of right reasoning therefore also is orthodoxe sound For the declaration and demonstration of the truth of euery thing is nothing els but a declaration and demonstration of a true definition and diuision thereof and of the causes and effects and of all other arguments that agree thereunto as I haue already proued in a little Treatise entituled The reasonablenesse of wise and holy Truth and The absurdity of wicked and foolish errour being the fore-runner of this large Volume Faith in holy Scripture is taken either for the quality and habit of Faith or for the doctrine of Faith The holy Scripture deciphereth the quality and habit of our Christian Faith by arguments taken out of all Logicake places as followeth The principall efficient cause of the quality or habit of Faith is God Phil. 1. 29. The instrumentall cause is the word of God Rom. 10. 17. The materiall cause is an assent vpon knowledge Iohn 6. 69. The formall cause is a sure and settled assent grounded vpon a sure settled kgowledge Iohn 17. 8. Col. 1. 6. The finall cause is the excluding of all glorying in our selues and the ascribing of all glory vnto God Eph. 2. 8. Rom. 3. 27. The effects of Faith are as all other diuine graces and fruits of the spirit Acts 26. 18. so an holy confidence and an assurance of God's loue and a comfortable boldnesse to come vnto God as vnto a gracious and louing Father Eph. 3. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 10. The subiect wherein it is seated is the mind For the mind is the eye of the soule and Faith is the true sight thereof Ioh. 8. 56. Acts. 26. 18. the obiect thereof is all diuine truths Rom. 15. 4. especially the Couenant of grace founded vpon Christ Ioh. 20. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 21. the attributes are that it is sound orthodoxe and Catholicke that is one and the same in all the true seruants of God which haue bin are or shal be to the end of the world Heb. 11. 2. Eph. 4. 5. Things diuers are a sleight opinion Acts 26. 28. and a temporary Faith Mat. 13. 20. Things contrary are presumption fleshly security either bred by confidence in teÌ„porall prosperity Isay 28. 15. or in the outward pledges of God's loue Ierem. 7. 4. or in the outward shew of good workes Rom. 9. 32. 10. 3. Things priuatiuely opposite are ignorance Eph. 4. 18. a blind Faith Mat. 13. 19. and sophisticall infidelity 1 Cor. 1. 2â— That which is plaine contradictory is flat Atheisme Sap. 2. 1. Act. 23. 8 things like are a bodily eye Ioh. 9. 39. a bodily hand â— Tim. 6 12. a bodily mouth Ioh. 6. 53. a bodily foot 2 Cor. 5. 7. bodily wings Luke 17. 37. Things vnlike are vnstable childishnesse Eph. 4. 14 and wauering doubtfulnes Iac. 1. 6. The coniugates are to beleeue in God and in Christ Ioh. 14. 1 and to be one of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10 the notation or interpretation of the name is a sure and Fides quia fiet quod dictum est certaine accomplishment of that which Faith beleeueth Math. 8. 8. The definition or description thereof is this Sauiâ—g Faith is diuine wisdome or a certain knowledge and a settled assent and adhaerence to all diuine verities necessary to saluatioÌ„ especially to the couenant of grace as to the meanes of the chiefest good and highest happines 2 Tim. 3. 15. the diuision thereof is into a weake and strong Faith Rom. 14. 2. The testimonies are the confessions of the Martyrs and Confessors that haue liued doe and shall liue to the end of the world Apocal. 7. 10. This is the delineation of the whole body of Faith as it is drawne out by the pensill of the Prophets and Apostles the parts members whereof which are most controuersed are further lightned and cleared in the first part of this Treatise As in the second part thereof the reasons and arguments produced to open and iustifie the seueral doctrines of Faith are referred to all the Topick places as being the rich mines out of which they are digged The doctrines of Faith set down in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles are Logicall reasonable wise and the very first principles and grounds thereof are 1 Pet. 2. 2 without any mixture of sophisticall deceit The high Priests pectorall wherein the Vrim and Thummim was put and by the which God gaue answer vnto his people was called by the Hebrewes Hosen and by the Greekes See Alsted Praecog Theolog. fol. 230. Logeïon and by the Latines Rationale for that the Lord's doctrines had in them the most pure holines of most exact Logick or reason The Logick places which I follow in this Treatise are deliuered by Petrus Ramus who concerning the vse of Logick hath very much cleared the rules of Aristotle our grand Master The exemplifying of Logick places by the Theologicall positions I haue taken from Amandus Polanus but with this difference in that he setteth downe his arguments declaratiue and demonstratiue in bare sentences and propositions without further discourse whereas in this Treatise they are further opened by other arguments and reasons For as learned and iudicious Doctour Feild auouncheth in his Dedicatory Epistle to his first Booke of the Church the doctrines wherein we differ from the Church of Rome are grounded not only vpon the greatest authority that is but also vpon the most preuailing reasons that euer perswaded men And verily if that most famous Oratours iudgment be sound there is no reason to giue credit to that reason whereof there cannot bee yeelded a sufficient reason Cic. lib. 4. ad Herennium The great Antichrist of these last times as testifieth 2 Thess 2. 8. the Apostle which hath brought in a great Apostacy froÌ„ the Faith shal be consumed with the Spirit of the Lord's mouth and shal be abolished with the brightnesse of his comming and so shall his Armies also which as Chrysostome Chrys bom 49. in Mat. saith are impious Heresies For whereas the time of miracles is now long since expired whereby the Apostles and their successours in the Primitiue Church got credit to the diuine doctrine of the Gospel of Christ and Heb. 2. 4. â— Cor. 10. 4. made it most powerfull to the ouerthrowing of all Heathenish Idolatries and impious Heresies it remaineth now that the Professours of the Gospel by the glorious light of powerfull arguments taken out of God's booke and iustifiable by the exact rules of sound reason make Truth
barely and onely in the booke of the Canonicall Scriptures deliuer the seuerall doctrines of all diuine vereties giuing testimony to each of them but once by the pen of one of his vnerring Secretaries seeing when God speaketh any thing albeit it be but once we ought Chrys aduersus vituperatores monasticae vitae to receiue it with all assurance as if it had beene spoken often times For although when humane testimonies are required in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must be established and to him that bringeth not a sufficient number 1 Tim 6. 19. of deponents it is by strict law as if he had brought none yet for that God is true and cannot lie nor beare witnesse to any falshood or vntruth or command any thing that is vnrighteous or vniust therefore in his word which is the infallible foundation of truth if he giue testimony to any thing but once vnder the hand of one of his faithfull registers it is as sufficient as if he had testified the same by them all For if Pythagoras his he said it was enough to his scholers for that he was a most learned and wise Philosopher and the Ipse dixit Centurions come goe and doe this was sufficient to his souldiers Matth. 8. 9. and seruants for that he was a most conscionable Commander yea if the Kings witnesse my selfe be a full warrant Teste meipso to all his grants because of his supereminent power and authority then much more the he said it of the most high God ought to be sufficient to his disciples and all that be of his schoole and the come goe and doe this of the most righteous Commander and Iudge of the whole world ought to be enough to worke a most ready and speedy obedience in all his true and faithfull seruants and the witnesse my selfe of the King of kings and Lord of lords ought to be taken as a most full warrant to all his grants by all his loyall and faithfull subiects Wherefore herein we may behold the strange proceeding of our most great and glorious God remitting after a sort his owne right and submitting himselfe in his great goodnesse to our weaknesse and in his high and endlesse wisdome prouiding a gracious remedy for our infirmity For because we are blinde to conceiue and slow to beleeue and hard to learne and ready to forget the holy mysteries of piety and godlines therefore the Lord hath caused not onely doctrines and reasons and arguments to be set downe at once in the booke of the diuine Scriptures but he hath made them to be reitterated againe and againe that thereby they may become lights to our vnderstanding stayes to our faith and helps to our fraile and weake memory So that albeit we are by nature neuer so dull and blockish yet the same lessons being often repeated and opened and cleered againe and againe we shall be thereby enabled by Gods blessing sufficiently to conceiue and faithfully keepe them in good remembrance Pharaohs dreames were Gen. 41. 32. doubled vnto him that the thing opened therein might get of him the better credit so the instructions of faith and an holy life are doubled and trebled in holy Scripture that they might procure of vs a fuller faith So and so good is our gracious God vnto vs which are so and so vnworthy of the least of his mercies that as he hath stored the earth with great variety of bodily food and physicke for the preseruing and recouering of the life health of our bodies so he hath prouided in the Scriptures great abundance of spirituall food and physicke for the maintenance and restitution of the life and health of our soules One kinde of bodily food and one kinde of dressing doth not sauour alike to euery stomacke and therefore God hath prouided variety of both so one motiue to faith and repentance nor the deliuery thereof after one manner doth fit euery ones spirituall taste and stomacke therefore hath the Lord ordained great abundance of both Yea as the Lord gaue sundry signes and wonders to be done by the hands of his seruant Moses before the eies of the children of Israel that therby they Exod. 4. 8. might vnderstand that he was called sent of God to be their deliuerer out of the bondage of Aegypt that to this very end and purpose that if they would not beleeue nor obey the voice of the first signe yet they might be induced thereto either by the second or the third So doth the Lord furnish the Preachers of the Gospell whom he hath appointed to bee ministers of his mercy for the deliuerance of his people out of the spirituall captiuity of sinne and Satan with great variety of forcible and powerfull motiues and perswasions to repentance and faith that if some of the same will not worke and preuaile with them yet other may For the which purpose also he hath caused the mysteries of godlinesse to be set downe not onely in common and vsuall phrases but also in Metaphores and Allegories and hath lightned them with similitudes and resemblances apparent and manifest to the most simple So the Apostle teacheth that the 1 Cor 15 36. dead shall rise to life and glory by the resemblance of seed that after a sort rotteth and death in the ground before it springeth vp and groweth to maturity and ripenesse So elsewhere he prooueth the vnprofitablenesse of speaking in an vnknowne 1 Cor. 14. 1. tongue by the trumpet which if it giue an vncertaine sound none shall be prepared to the warre and by some oâ—her the like things So he likewise proueth that the faithfull ought not to seeke for life and saluation by the works of the Law seeing Gal. 3. 15. God hath couenanted to giue it to them in Christ Iesus seeing to a mans couenant or testament when it is once made nothing ought to be added or detracted from the same much lesse to the Couenant of God So our Sauiour teacheth that they are Matth. 13. 23. the holy doctrines of his good and gratious Word that causeth our hearts to be good and gracious euen as it is pure and good feed that maketh the ground bring forth pure and good fruit And verily our blessed Sauiour did illustrate with parables all Matth. 13. 34 his diuine instructions which he gaue vnto the people as being the best meanes to bring them to the knowledge of the truth and to their euerlasting saluation which is procured thereby For as our Sauiour himselfe speaking thereof saith if I teach Iohn 3. you earthly things that is heauenly doctrines by earthly similitudes and ye beleeue not how should ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things that is after an high and heauenly manner It is impossible saith Saint Denis that the diuine beame Dioâ— de coeles hierar l. 1. cap. 1. should shine vnto vs but vnder the variety of sacred couerings
for him by Christ being in particular his Redeemer and Sauiour who hath tendred to God a full satisfaction for the discharge of his sinnes So protesteth the mother in the name of all her children My beloued Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his and whom may we ioyne next to the mother but her best and deerest daughter My soule saith Luk 1. 47. he doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour So Iob I am sure that my Redeemer liueth So Dauid Iob 19 25. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So Saint Paul I liue by the faith of the Gal. 2. 20. Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me So an ancient Peere of the Church whose workes haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesi O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For the which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold
earth some to honour and some to dishonour So why may not the Lord haue in this his great house of the world some regenerate by his holy Spirit made to haue pure and golden soules meete to be partakers of heauenly glory and others marred by their owne malice and so made impure and vncleane spirits meet to be punished with the torments of hell 〈…〉 last iudgement some shall rise to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And why may not wee as well say that euerlasting fire and perpetuall contempt was prepared for the one before any time was as that ouerlasting life and eternall glory was prepared for the other before the foundation of the world was laide For verily God doth nothing vpon any new aduise occasioned by some new accident For nothing is new vnto him vnto whom were well knowne all his workes euen from the very beginning of the world But he acteth all things in their Act. 15. 18. times appointed by himselfe and bringeth all things to the same ends and by the same meanes as he himselfe hath decreed from euerlasting The Philosopher gaue this glory to God Nihil sit frustra frustra autem fit quod fine caret that nothing was created in vaine not hauing an end whereunto it was ordayned and meanes to bring to the same end For there is no wise workemaster here among men that will goe about any thing but that he will first determine with himselfe both concerning the end of his worke and also the meanes whereby it may be brought thereunto Which of you saith our Sauiour Christ minding to build a towr◠sitteth not downe Luc. 14. 28. before and counteth the cost whether he be sufficient to performe it Wherefore it cannot possibly otherwise be but that the most wise and prouident Creator of heauen and earth hauing purposed from all eternity to create man the chiefest and excellentest of all the rest of his workes should decree with himselfe from all eternity both concerning the end whereunto hee would create him and also the meanes whereby hee would bring him thereunto And therefore whereas all that are indued 〈…〉 changeable goodnesse or his vncontrouleable might and power For his goodnesse being vnchangeable and his power vncontrouleable if hee ordained all to life why did he not bring them all to that happy estate whereunto he had ordayned them all To say that he could not disableth his power to say that he would not impeacheth his goodnesse to say that he desposeth of them neither this way nor that way but left them to their owne disposition derogateth from his supreame wisedome yea that he being the Potter should not dispose of his owne Clay but leaue it to the Clay to dispose of it selfe himselfe being as a neuter neither bending this way nor that way taketh away from him all diuine prouidence Wherefore it ought not to be denyed but that as God electeth some to saluation in Christ and calleth them to be partakers thereof by a true faith and preserueth them thereby through his mighty power that they neuer fall away from that happy estate to the end that they should ascribe vnto him the whole glory of their eternall blessednesse so likewise it cannot be iustly denyed but that God leaueth other in their Infidelity and sinne to runne on wilfully and obstinately in their owne demnable wayes that so they might be forced to acknowledge and cousesse God to be most iust herein and themselues to be the totall cause of their owne destruction Sap. 5. 7. For as euents which in themselues may or may not come to passe are called cōtingent for that they proceed frō contingent causes albeit they could not but come to passe as they were fore-seene and fore-appointed by the vnchangeable wisedome and will of God euen so all sinfull actions albeit they be ordained of God to come to passe by his permission yet they are not to be said to be wrought by his operation and albeit they may be said to be willed by him yet none of them all is instilled by him For God made man according to his owne image and instilled into his soule all diuine and heauenly graces and gaue him hability to continue therein and left him to his owne choice to stand or to fall at his owne free will but he did not so stablish him with his grace that he could not become willing to fall away because he was no way indebted vnto him and bound to performe vnto him that fauour Much lesse when all mankinde fell away in Adam was God bound to restore all but some according to his owne good pleasure he calleth by his Spirit and Word to the estate of Grace and giueth them faith to embrace his endlesse goodnes in Christ Iesus so maketh them partakers of euerlasting blessednes other he iustly leaueth in their own wretchednesse whereinto they are fallen by their owne fault and suffereth them to perish in their owne sinnes And why might not the Lord iustly doe so An earthly Father may giue to his son some Stock to Trade withall then leaue him to his own gouernment to try whether he will play the good husband or no and might not our heauenly Father giue to Adam and in him to vs all that were then in his loynes some portion of his heauenly grace and so leaue him and vs in him to our selues to try whether we would settle our selues to continue in his loue or whether we would set light by his goodnesse and fall from him to sinne and Satan to our vtter ruine and destruction Vndoubtedly as God in his eternall Counsell did appoint that bodily diseases should come into the world to detect on the one side the weakenesse of the creature and his folly in abusing many things to his hurt and destruction that are of themselues profitable for his preseruation and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse in that he hath prouided great variety of helpes to man both for the preuenting and also for the full curing of all manner of noisome maladies so did hee in like manner decree that hee would permit man to cast himselfe into many spirituall diseases to detect on the one side his frailty and weaknesse who taketh occasion many times thereby to fall whereby he might haue been staied vpright and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse by appointing many Antidotes against sinne and such a strange restoratiue to cure sinnes as man himselfe could not so much as dreame thereof There must be Haeresies saith the Apostle that they which are approued may be knowne euen that they may be knowne 1 Cor. 11. 19. whether they be as chaffe which will be carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine or whether they be as found and good Corne and will abide setled and constant in the truth And verily the grounds of truth are neuer better
Law which was foure hundred and Gen. 22. 18. thirty yeares after cannot disanull the Couenant that was confirmed a fore of God in respect of Christ that the promise should be of none effect And therefore all such of our Romanists which will needes adde to eternall blessednesse giuen freely in Christ the meriting thereof by their owne workes are iustly chargeable as guilty of grieuous sacriledge because they adde to the couenant of God QVEST. LXVII Vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ As Botches and Sores and all corrupt humours are to the body of Man so are all vngodly persons to the Church Isay 1. 5. which is the mysticall Body of Christ But Botches and Sores and corrupt humors are no members of mans Body but when they are taken away the Body is eased and made whole and sound also So vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ But as Saint Iohn saith are the limbes and 1 Ioh. 3. 8. members of the Deuill howsoeuer they themselues are perswaded to the contrary QVEST. LXVIII The testimony of God set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures and not receiued from vnwritten Traditions is the onely sure euidence and ground of truth As in buying and selling of temporall commodities euery honest subiect will bee content to stand to the measures weights and ballances that are marked and sealed with the marke and seale which is allowed by the Kings Law and to receiue for currant all such coine as beareth the Image and Matth. 22. 20. superscription of the Prince and to refuse all other so euery good Christian is religiously to embrace that doctrine that beareth the stampe of the Canonicall Scriptures and is liable to those measures weights and ballances and hath iust cause to refuse all that which will not hold weight by them So reasoneth Saint Austin Let vs not bring forth deceitfull Aug cont Denat l. 2. c. 6. ballances whereinto we may put what we will after our owne lust say this is heauy or this is light but let vs produce the diuine ballance out of the holy Scriptures as out of the Lords store-house and into it let vs put that which hath weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell is that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purged but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Trentals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is not now to be esteemed an holy Land The Iewes themselues are now an vnholy and a detested Arguments drawen from the Coniugates that is from such things as agree in nature and in name Nation and therefore Iury is now to be esteemed to be an vnholy and detested Land While the Iewes were an holy people and did faithfully performe those holy duties that their most holy God required in his most holy Lawes then Iury where this holy people inhabited was worthily accounted an holy Land but when they became an vnholy people and defiled their hands with the bloud of Christ and his Martyres those their vncleane workes polluted and defiled their very name and caused it to be had in detestation And why also did they not as well defile their very Land and cause it to be had in execration Surely God himselfe had it in execration when he sent into it the abomination of desolation that is Mat. 24. 15. Luke 21. 20. as Saint Luke expoundeth and explaineth it A destroying army to bring it to vtter desolation that being an euident argument that the Lord had that Land in extreame abomination Now if God himselfe had Iury in extreame abomination then vndoubtedly it is no holy Land QVEST. LXXII The will of man is not by nature free The faithfull themselues are not free indeed vntill by Christ Ioh. 8. 36. they are made free how then can their will be free as long as they continue in the state of nature So reasoneth Saint Austin Aug. ad Bonif. l. 1. c. 3. Why do miserable men dare to be proud of their free will before they themselues be made free or of their own strength Aug. de corrept grat cap. 13. if now they be made free seeing free will not freed is free from righteousnesse and a slaue to sinne QVEST. LXXIII All the faithfull are Saints Such onely are Saints in the Church of Rome that are Canonised by the Popes or at the least are thought by them to be worthy to haue their names put into the Romish Calender But all the faithfull whereof an huge number are not thus dignified by the Pope are sanctified by the Holy Ghost and 1 Cor. 6. 11.