also all such as be evidently inferred from thence as Belief in God the Father Joh. 12.44 He that beleveth in me believeth not in me but in him that sent me 1 Joh. 2.23 He that denyeth the Son hath not the Father Belief in God the Holy Ghost of whom Christ saith Joh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name And Joh. 15.16 But when the comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth Beleife of the scriptures by which we beleeve those points and of the immortality of the Soul without which we cannot beleeve that he is a Saviour 7. And as these are the fundamentall points of faith necessary to salvation so also are they only necessary as matter of faith â—nd also essential to the calling of a christian as may appear by many evident places of Holy Scripture Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eteral life and they are they which testifie of me Now forasmuch as by the Scripture is meant there the Old Testament the New being then not written the beleife of that which was written concerning our Saviour in the old Testament was sufficient beleife for the obtaining of Eternal Life but in the old Testament there is nothing revealed concerning Christ but that he is the Messiah and such things as belong to the Fundamentall Points thereupon depending And therefore those fundamental Points are sufficient to salvation as of Faith And Joh. 6.28.29 Then sayd they unto him what shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them this is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent So that the Point to be beleived is That Jesus Christ came forth from God and he which believeth it worketh the works of God Joh. 11.26.27 Whosoever liveth and beleiveth in me shall never dye Beleevest thou this She sayd unto him yea Lord I beleeve that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World Hence followeth He that beleiveth this shall never dye Joh. 20.31 But these things are wriâ—ten that ye might beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that in beleiving ye might have life through his Name By which appeareth that this Fundamentall Point is all that is required as of Faith to our Salvation 1 Joh. 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh is of God 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever beleiveth that Jâ—sâ—s is the Christ is born of God and ver. 5. Who is it that overcometh the World but he that beleiveth that Jesus is the Son of God and vers. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve in the Name of The Son of God that ye may know that ye have â—ternall life Act. 8.36.37 The Eunuch said Here is Water what doth let me to be baptized And Philip said unto him if thou beleevest with iâ— thy heart thou mayst He answered and sayd I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God This point therefore was sufficient for the reception of Man into Baptisme that is to say to Christianity And Act. 16.30 The Keeper of the Prison fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what shall I do to be saved And they sayd beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ And the Sermon of S. Peter upon the day of Pentecost was nothing else but an explication that Jesus was the Christ And when they had heard him asked him what shal we do he said unto them Ac. 2.38 Amend your lives and be baptized evry one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confâ—ss with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him up from the Dead thou shalt be saved To these places may be added that wheresoever our Savior Christ doth approve the Faith of any man the Proposition beleeved if the same to be collected out of the Text is alway some of those Fundamentall Points before mentioned or something Equivalent as the Faith of the Centurion Mat. 8.8 Speake the word only and my Servant shall be healed beleiving he was omnipotent The Faith of the Woman which had an Issue of Blood Math 9.21 If I may but touch the Hem of his Garment implying he was the Messiah The Faith required of the blind men Mat. 9.28 Beleeve you that I am able to do this The Faith of the Canaanitish Woman Matth. 15.22 That he was the Son of David implying the same And so it is in every one of those places none excepted where our Saviour commendeth any mans Faith which because they are too many to insert here I omit and refer them to his Inquisition that is not otherwise satisfied And as there is no other Faith required so there was no other preaching for the Prophets of the Old Testament preached no other and John the Baptist preached only the Approach of the Kingdome of Heaven that is to say of the Kingdome of Christ the same was the commission of the Apostles Mat. 10.7 Go preach saying the kingdome of Heaven is at hand And Paul preaching amongst the Jews Act. 18.5 did but testifie unto the Jews that Jesus was the Christ And the Heathens took notice of Christians no otherwise but by this name that they beleeved Jesus to be a King crying out Act. 17.6 These are they that have subverted the state of the World and here they are whom Jason hath received And these all doe against the Decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King One Jesus And this was the Sum of the Predictions the Sum of the Confessions of them that beleeved as well Men as Devils This was the Title of his Crosse Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jewes This the occasion of the Crowne of Thorns Scepter of Reed and a man to carry his Crosse This was the Subiect of the Hosanâ—a's And this was the Title by which our Saviour commanding to take another mans goods bad them say The Lord hath need And by this Title he purged the Temple of the profane market kept there Nor did the Apostles themselves believe any more then that Jesus was the Mâ—ssiah nor understand so much for they understood the Messiah to be no more then a Temporall King till after our Saviours Resurrection Furthermore this Point that Christ is the Messiah is particularly set forth for Fundamentall by that word or some other equivalent thereunto in divers places Upon the Confession of Peter Matth. 16.16 Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Our Saviour ver. 18. saith Upon this Rock will I build my Church This point therefore is the whole Foundation of Christs Church Rom. 15.20 S. Paul raith I so inforced my self to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named lest I should have built upon another mans foundation 1 Cor. 3.10
S. Paul when he had reprehended the Corinthians for their Sects curious Doctrines and Questions he distinguisheth between Fundamental Points and Superstruction and saith I have laid the Foundation and another buildeth thereupon but let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it For other Foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ Colos. 2.6 As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him rooted and builded in him and stablished in the Faith 8. Having shewed this Proposition Jesus is the Christ to be the only Fundamentall and necessary point of Faith I shal set down a few places more to shew that Other Points though they may be true are not so necessary to be believed as that a man may not be saved though he believe them not And first If a man could not be saved without assent of the Heart to the truth of all Controversies which are now in agitation concerning Religion I cannot see how any man living can be saved so full of subtilty and curious knowledge it is to be so great a Divine Why therefore should a man think that our Saviour who Mat. 11.30 saith that His Yoke is easie should require a matter of that difficulty or how are little Children said to believe Mat. 18.6 or how could the good Thief be thought sufficiently catechized upon the Crosse or S. Paul so perfect a Christian presently upon his Conversion and though there may be more Obedience required in him that hath the Fundamental points explicated unto him then in him that hath received the same but implicitely yet there is no more faith required for salvation in one man then in another For if it be true that Whosoever shall confesse with his mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in his heart that God raised him from the Dead shall be saved as it is Rom. 10.9 and that Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God the Belief of that point is sufficient for the salvation of any man whosoever he be for as much as concerneth Faith And seeing he that believeth not that Jesus is the Christ whatsoever he believe else cannot be saved it followeth that there is no more required to the salvation of one man then another in matter of Faith 9. About these points Fundamental there is little Controversie amongst Christians though otherwise of different Sects amongst themselves And therefore the Controversies of Religion are altogether about Points unnecessary to salvation whereof some are Doctrines raised by Humane Ratiocination from the points Fundamentall As for Example such Doctrines as concern the Manner of the Real Presence wherein are mingled tenets of Faith concerning the Omnipotency Divinity of Christ with the Tenets of Aristotle and the Peripatelicks concerning Substance and Accidents Species Hypostasis and the Subsistence and Migration of Accidents from place to place Words some of them without meaning and nothing but the Canting of Grecian Sophisters And these Doctrines are condemned expresly Col. 2.8 where after S. Paul had exhorted them to be rooted and builded in Christ he giveth them this farther Caveat Beware lest there be any man that spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceits through the Traditions of men according to the rudiments of the World And such are such Doctrines as are raised out of such places of the Scriptures as concern not the Foundation by mens natural Reason as about the Concatenation of Causes and the Manner of Gods Predestination which are also mingled with Philosophy as if it were possible for men that know not in what manner God seeth heareth or speaketh to know nevertheless the manner how he intendeth and predestinateth A man therefore ought not to examin by Reason any point or draw any Consequence out of Scripture by Reason concerning the nature of God Almighty of which Reason is not capable And therefore S. Paul Rom. 12.3 giveth a good Rule That no man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand but that he understand according to Sobriety which they doe not who presume out of Scripture by their own Interpretation to raise any Doctrine to the Understanding concerning those things which are incomprehensible And this whole controversie concerning the Predestination of God and the Free Wil of Man is not peculiar to Christian men For we have huge volumes of this subiect under the name of Fate Contingency disputed between the Epicurians and the Stoicks and consequently it is not matter of Faith but of Philosophy and so are also all the Questions concerning any otâ—er Point but the Foundation before named and God receiveth a man which part of the Question soever he holdeth It was a Controversie in S. Pauls time whether a Christian Gentile might eate freely of any thing which the Christian Jews did not and the Jew condemned the Gentile that he did eat to whom S. Paul saith Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath received him And vers. 6. in the Question concerning the observing of Holy Dayes wherein the Gentiles the Jewes differed he saith unto them He that observeth the Day observeth it to the Lord and he that observeth not the Day observeth it not to the Lord And they who strive concerning such Questions and divide themselves into Sects are not therefore to be accounted zealous of the Faith their strife being but carnal which is confirmed by S. Paul 1 Cor. 3.4 When one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal For they are not Questions of Faith but of wit wherein carnally men are inclined to seek the Mastery one of another For nothing is truly a Point of Faith but that Jesus is the Christ as S. Paul testifieth 1 Cor. 2.2 For I esteemed not the knowledge of any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified And 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timotheus keep that which is committed unâ—o thee and avoid prophane and vain bablings and Opposition of Science falsly so called which while sâ—me profess they have erred concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 2.16 Stay prophane and vain bablings c. vers. 17. Of which sort is Hymeneus and Philetus which as concerning the truth have erred saying that the Resurrectionis past already Whereby S. Paul shewed that the Raising of Questions by Humane Ratiocination though it be from the Fundamental Points themselves is not onely not necessary but most dangerous to the Faith of a Christian Out of all these places I draw only this Conclusion in general That neither the points now in Controversie amongst Christians of different Sects or in any point that ever shall be in Controversie excepting only those that are contained in this Article Jesus is the Christ are necessary to salvation as of faith though in matter of obedience a man may be bound not to oppose the same 10. Although to the obtaining of Salvation there be required no more as hath been already
performe is taken for the Performance 11. Amongst the Lawes of Nature Customes and Prescriptions are not numbred For whatsoever Action is against Reason though it be reiterated never so often or that there be never so many Precedents thereof is still against Reason and therefore not a Law of Nature but contrary to it But consent and Covenant may so alter the Cases which in the Law of Nature may be put by changing the Circumstances that that which was Reason before may afterwards be against it and yet is Reason still the Law For though every man be bound to allow equally to another yet if that other shall see cause to renounce the same make himself inferior then if from thenceforth he consider him as inferior he breaketh not thereby that Law of Nature that commandeth to allowâ— Equallity In sum A mans owne Consâ—nt may abridge him of the liberty which the Law of Nature leaveth him but custome not nor can either of them abrogate either these or any other Law of Nature 12. And forasmuch as Law to speake properly is a Command and these Dictates as they proceed from Nature are not Commands they are not therefore called Laws in respect of Nature but in respect of the Author of Nature God Almighty 13. And seeing the Laws of Nature concern the Conscience not he only breaketh them that doth any Action contrary but also he whose action is conformable to them in case he think it contrary For though the Action chance to be right yet in his Judgment he despiseth the Law 14. Every man by naturall passion calleth that Good which pleaseth him for the present or so far forth as he can foresee and in like manner that which displeaseth him Evil And therefore he that foreseeth the whole way to his Proservation which is the End that every one by nature aymeth at must also call it good and the contrary evil And this is that Good and Evil which not every man in passion calleth so but all men by Reason And therefore the fulfilling of all these Laws is Good in Reason and the breaking of them Evill And so also the habit or disposition or intention to fulfill them Good and the Neglect of them Evill And from hence cometh that Distinction of Malum Poenâ— and Malum Culpae for Malum Pâ—nâ— is any pain or molestation of the Mind whatsoever but Malum Culpae is that action which is contrary to Reason and the Law of Nature As also the habit of doing according to these and other Laws of Nature that tend to our preservation is that wee call Virtue and the Habit of doing the contrary Vice As for Example Justice is that Habit by which we stand to Covenants Iniustice the contrary Vice Equity that Habit by which we allow Equality of Nature Arrogancy the contrary Vice Gratitude the Habit whereby we requite the Benefit and trust of others Ingratitude the contrary Vice Temperance the Habit by which wee abstain from all things that tend to our Destruction Intemperance the contrary Vice Prudence the same with Virtue in general As for the common opinâ—on that Virtue consisteth in Mediocrity and Vice in extreames I see no ground for it nor can find any such Mediocrity Courage may be Virtue when the Daring is Extream if the Cause be Good and extream fear no Vice when the danger is Extream To give a man more then his Due is no iniustice though it be to give him less and in Gifts it is not the sum that maketh liberality but the reason And so in all other Virtues and Vices I know that this Doctrine of Mediocrity is Aristole's but â—is Opinions concerning Virtue and Vice are no other then those which were received then and are still by the generality of men unstudyed and therefore not very likely to be accurate 15. The Sum of Virtue is to be Sociable with them that will be Socâ—able and Formidable to them that will not And the same is the Sum of the Law of Nature For in being Sociable the Law of Nature taketh place by the way of Peace and Societie and to be Formidable is the Law of Nature in War where to be feared is a Protection a man hath from his own Power and as the â—ormer consisteth in Actions of Equity and Justice the latter consisteth in Actions of Honour And Equity Justice and Honour contain all virtues whatsoever CHAP. V. A Confirmation out of holy Scripture of the principall points mentioned in the two last Chapters concerning the Law of Nature THe Lawes mentioned in the former Chapters as they are called the Lawes of Nature for that they are the Dictates of Naturall Reason and also Morall Lawes because they concern the Manners and Conversation one towards another so are they also Divine Lawes in respect of the Author thereof God Almighty and ought therefore to agree or at least not to be Repugnant to the Word of God revealed in Holy Scripture In this Chapter therefore I shall produce such places of Scripture as appear to be most consonant to the said Lawes 2. And first the Word of God seemeth to place the Divine Law in Reason by all such Texts as ascribe the same to the Heart and understanding as Psal. 40.8 Thy Law is in my Heart Heb. 8.10 After those Dayes saith the Lord I will put my Lawes in their Mind And Heb. 10.16 The same Psal. 37.31 speaking of the Righteous man he saith The Law of God in his Heart Psal. 19.7 8. The Law of God is perfect converting the soul It giveth Wisdome to the simple and light unto the eyes Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts And Joh. 1. The Law-giver Himself God Almighty is called by the Name of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is also called ver. 4. The Light of men And vers. 9. The light which lighteth every man which cometh inâ—o the World All which are Descriptions of Naturall Reason 3. And that the Law Divine for so much as is Morall are those Precepts which tend to Peace seemeth to be much confirmed by such places of Scripture as these Rom 3.17 Righteousnesse which is the fufilling of the Law is called The way of Peace And Psa. 85.10 Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other And Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the Peacemakers And Heb. 7.2 Melchisedeck King of Salem is interpreted King of Righteousness and King of Peace And ver. 21. Our Saviour Christ is said to be a Preist for ever after the order of Mâ—lchisedeck Out of which may be inferred that the Doctrine of our Saviour Christ annexeth the Fulfilling of the Law to peace 4. That the Law of Nature is unalterable is intimated by this that the Preisthood of Melchisedeck is everlasting and by the Words of our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and Earth shall passe away but one jot or tittle of the Law shall not passe till all things be fulfilled 5. That Men ought
himselfe to no greater then Humane Authoritie Nor can a man bee said to submit himselfe to Holy Scripture that doth not submit himselfe to some or other for the Interpretation thereof Or why should there bee any Church Government at all instituted if the Scripture it selfe could doe the Office of a Judge in Controversies of Faith But the Truth is apparent by continuall Experience that men seeke not onely Liberty of Conscience but of their Actions nor that onely but a farther Liberty of perswading others to their Opinions nor that onely for every man desireth that the Soveraign Authoritie should admit no other Opinions to bee maintained but such as hee himselfe holdeth 14. The difficulty therefore of obeying both God and Man in a Christian Common Wealth is none All the difficulty resteth in this Point Whether hee that hath received the Faith of Christ having before subiected himselfe to the Authoritie of an Infidell bee discharged of his Obedience thereby or not in matters of Religion In which case it seemeth reasonable to thinke that since all Covenants of Obedience are entred into for the preservation preservation of a mans life if a man be content without Resistance to lay down his life rather then obey the commands of an Infidel in so hard a Case he hath sufficiently discharged himself thereof For no Covenant bindeth farther then to endeavour and if a man cannot assure himself to perform a iust Duty when thereby he is assured of present Death much less it can be expected that a man should perform that for which he believeth in his heart he shall be damned eternally And thus much concerning the Scruple of Conscience that may arise concerning Obedience to Humane Lawes in them that interpret the Law of God to themselves It remaineth to remove the same scruple from them that submit their controversies to others not ordained thereunto by the Soveraign Authority And this I refer to the Chapter following CHAP. VII 1. The Questions propounded who are the Magistrates in the Kingdome of Christ 2. The Questions exemplified in the Controversies between Moses and Aaron and between Moses and Corah 3. Amongst the Jews the Power Temporal and Spiritual in the same Hand 4. Parallel of the Twelve Princes of Israel and the twelve Apostles 5. Parallel of Seventy Elders and Seventy Disciples 6. The Hierarchy of the Church in our Saviours time consisted in the Twelve and in the Seventy 7. Why Christ ordained not Priests for Sacrifices as Moses did 8. The Hierarchy of the Church in the Apostles time Apostles Bishops and Priests 9. The Preaching of the Gospel was not commanding but perswading 10. Excommunication Soveraignes immediate Rulers Ecclesiasticall under Christ 11. That no man hath any just Pretence of Religion against Obedience to Common-VVealth God speaketh to Man by his Vicegerents IN the former Chapter have been removed those difficulties opposing our Obedience to Humane Authority which arise from misunderstanding of our Saviours Title and Lawes in the former whereof namely his Title consisteth our Faith and in the latter our Justice Now they who differ not amongst themselves concerning his Title and Lawes may neverthelesse have different opinions concerning his Magistrates and the Auâ—hority he hath given them And this is the cause why many Christians have denyed Obedience to their Princes pretending that our Saviour Christ hath not given this Magistracy to them but to others As for example some say to the Pope universally some to a Synod Aristocratical Some to a Synod Democraticall in every several Common VVealth and the Magistrates of Christ being they by whom he speaketh the Question is Whether he â—peak unto us by the Pope or by Convocations of Bishops and Ministers or by Them that have the Soveraign Power in every Common-Wealth 2. This Controversie was the cause of those two Mutinies that happened against Moses in the Wilderness The first by Aaron and his Sister Miriam who took upon them to censure Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman And the state of the Question between them and Moses they set forth Numb. 12.2 in these words VVhat hath the Lord spoken but only by Moses hath be not spoken also by us and the Lord heard this c. and punished the same in Miriam forgiving Aaron upon his Repentance And this is the case of all them that set up the Priest-hood against the Soveraignty The other was of Corah Dathan and Abiram who with two hundred and fifty Captains gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron The state of their Controversie was this Whether God were not with the Multitude as well as with Moses and every man as holy as he For Numb. 16.3 thus they say You take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift ye your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And this is the case of them that set up their private Consciences and unite themselves to take the Government of Religion out of the hands of Him or Them that have the Soveraign Power of the Common Wealth which how well it pleaseth God may appear by the hideous punishment of Corah and his Complices 3. In the Government therefore of Moses there was no power neither Civil nor Spiritual that was not derived from him Nor in the State of Israel under Kings was there any Earthly Power by which those Kings were compellable to any thing or any Subiect allowed to resist them in any case whatsoever For though the Prophets by extraordinary calling did often admonish and threaten them yet they had no Authority over them And therefore amongst the Jews the power Spirituall and Temporall was alwayes in the same Hand 4. Our Saviour Christ as he was the rightful King of the Jewes in particular as well as King of the Kingdome of Heaven in the ordaining of Magistrates received that form of Policy which was used by Moses According to the number of the Children of Jacob Moses tooke unto him by the appointment of God Numb. 1.4 twelve men every one of the chief of their Tribe which were to assist him in the Muster of Israel And these twelve vers. 24. are called the Princes of Israel Twelve men every one for the house of their Fathers which are said also Numb. 7.2 To be heads over the Houses â—f their Fathers and Princes of the Tribes and â—ver them that were numbred And these were every one equall amongst themselves In like manner our Saviour tooke unto him Twelve Apostles to be next unto him in Authority of whom he saith Matth. 19.28 When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Maiesty ye shall follow me in the Regeneration shall sit also upon Twelve Thrones and iudge the Twelve Tribes of Israel And concerning the equality of the Twelve Apostles amongst themselves our Saviour saith Matth. 20.25 Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles have Domination over them c. vers. 26. But