such as should beleeue in him through their word Where he further Ioh. 17. 20. testifieth that his will was that they all should be with him euen where he himselfe is and that they might see his glory which cannot be meant but of the place of glory QVEST. XXIII Our blessed Sauiour is not corporally present in the Eucharist but in Heauen When some of our Sauiours owne Disciples were offended at those words of his Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you thinking that he had spoken of a grosse and carnall eating of his flesh with their bodily mouthes Iesus said vnto them Doth this offend you what then if yee should see the Sonne of man ascend vp where Ioh. 6. 62. he was before By which words he gaue them to vnderstand that his carrying of his body at his Ascension into Heauen would teach them if they were Eagles with the mouthes of faith to mount vp thither and there to feed vpon him with the Luke 17. 37. mouthes of their mindes and not to dreame of a grosse and carnall feeding vpon his flesh with their bodily mouthes So reasoneth Saint Austin when ye shall see the Sonne of man Aug. in Ioh. tract 27. ascending were he was before then verily ye shall perceiue that he giueth not his body to be eaten after that manner as yee conceiue Then verily ye shall vnderstand that the grace of Christ is not consumed by chewing it in the mouth So likewise Athan. in illud quicuâ—quâ—… dixerit vâ—rbum c. Athanasius saith that Christ for this end warned them of his ascension into Heauen that he might draw them from thinking vpon his Body and that they might thereby learne that the flesh which he spake of was a coelestiall meat from aboue and a spirituall nourishment to be giuen by him The words which I speake vnto you are spirit and life the which saith he is as much as if he had said This Body which is in your sight and is to be deliuered to death for the world shall be giuen you for meat that it may be spiritually distributed to euery one of you and be an assurance and a preseruatiue to raise you vp to eternall life QVEST. XXIIII The Citie of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the pretended titulary Romane Church is the most certaine seate of the great Antichrist of these last times The Apostle Saint Iohn describing in her colours that Babylon Apoc. 17. 18. which was to be the certaine seat of the great Antichrist of these last times auoucheth in plaine words that it is the very Citie that in his time raigned ouer the Kings of the earth the which was the Citie of Rome The truth whereof is so euident that our Rhemists themselues in their notes vpon that Chapter doe subscribe thereunto but they thinke to helpe the matter by excepting that Rome was Babylon vnder the gouernment of the persecuting Emperours but that exception will not serue their turne for by the plaine censure of Saint Iohn Rome must be the Royall Seat of the great Antichrist of these last times Wherefore they except in the second place that albeit the great Antichrist of these last times shall sit at Rome yet he may sit there in the Princes throne and not in the Priests chaire But Chrysostome precisely affirmeth that Antichrist shall Chrysost in 2. Ep ad Thess cap. 2. take vpon him the Empire both of God and men and therefore shall sit in the Priests chaire as well as in the Princes throne And so it was signified by his two bornes like to the Lambes Apoc. 13. 11. and so it is claimed by themselues by their double keyes and swords giuen in their Armes and carried before them and so it was really acted by Boniface the eight who one day shewed himselfe vnto the people in his Papall attire and the next day in the robes of an Emperour And it hath a long time bâ—en practised by them all and is still defended by most of their followers as a soueraignty that iustly belongeth vnto them And was not this most plainly fore-told by the Apostle that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God not in the Temple of God at Ierusalem seeing that was vtterly to be destroyed and neuer to be built againe but in the Temple of God seated in the greatest City of his Antichristian Dominion that is in Babylonish Rome and that he should exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God and worshipped that is aboue all ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours of whom it is written I haue said yee are Gods Yea and that he should sit in the Temple Ioh. 8. 34. of God as God that is as Gods Lieutenant Generall and Christ Vicar vniuersall not onely in earth but also in Purgatory and in heauen also as it is signified by his triple Crowne And doth he not by his Indulgences take vpon him to open the doores of Purgatory at his pleasure And by Canonizing of Saints doth hee not take vpon him to giue greater or lesser dignities in the Kingdome of Heauen No maruell then that he taketh vpon him to dispose of temporall Kingdomes and earthly crownes and to possesse and dispossesse Kings of their Regalities at his owne will For this great Antichrist in his transcendent pride will not content himselfe with the honour and dignity of a great starre as all the ancient Bishops of Rome were wâ—nt to doe but he will aduance himselfe into the throne of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse that all the greatest starres both in the ciuill and also in the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment may take their light and authority from him For if wee will beleeue his Parasires his supremacy is so much greater then the Emperours as the Sunne is greater then the Moone QVEST. XXV The word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credite to it selfe and doth cause it selfe to be beleeued and imbraced as the word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrines contained therein and not onely for the bare testimony of the Church Arguments drawne from the attributes or adiuncts Behold saith Moses Deut. 4. 5. I haue taught you ordinances and lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that yee should doe euen so in the land whether ye goe to possesse it Keepe them therfore and doe them for it is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people that shall heare all these ordinances and say onely this people is wise and vnderstanding and a great Nation For what Nation is so great that hath Ordinances and Lawes so righteous as all this Law is that I haue set before thee this day In which words Moses prooueth that his doctrine which hee deliuered vnto the children of Israell was of GOD because it was a wise and a righteous doctrine able to iustifie it selfe to be so euen in the iudgement of the Heathen themselues which
shall attaine to the same as likewise what be all those necessary duties which he requireth at their hands So reasoneth Optatus Christ hath Optat. l 5. cont Parm. Donat. dealt with vs as an earthly Father is wont to doe with his children who searing least they should fall out after his decease doth set downe his Will in writing vnder witnesses that if there arise any doubt among them they should goe to his Testament He whose word must end our Controuersies is Christ let vs then goe to his Testament QVEST. LVII The faithfull for the diuine wisedome of the holy Scriptures rightly vnderstood beleeue them to be the Word of God and not onely for the bare authority of the Church If the Gentiles instructed by the light of naturall reason did certainly perceiue the booke of the creatures to be Gods booke by the glorious attributes of God made manifest therein much more the faithfull lightned with the Lampe of Rom. 1. 19. diuine grace may plainly perceiue the booke of the Scriptures wherein God as a familiar friend without casting of a mist doth speak to the heart not onely of the learned but of the vnlearned also as Austin saith to be Gods booke by the diuine Aug. Ep. 3 ad Vol. and heauenly wisedome deliuered therein and therefore they need not build their faith vpon the bare testimony onely of the Church And so reasoneth the Prophet Dauid The Psal 19. 1. heauens saith he declare themselues to be the workes of the glorious God euen by their heauenly influences and diuine operations How much more doth the Law of the Lord by the diuine wisedome and righteousnesse thereof and by the most powerfull and excellent workes that are wrought thereby declare and demonstrate it selfe euidently to be the most wise and righteous word of the most wise and righteous God QVEST. LVIII The naturall man hath no free will in heauenly things Mans will is but feeble and weake for the compassing of earthly businesses that are of any weight or moment therfore in heauenly matters the strength thereof is small or rather as the Apostle saith it is none at all So reasoneth the Wiseman Rom. 5. 6. Sap. 9. 13. What is man that he can know the counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of the Lord is For the thoughts of mortall men are fearefull and their forecasts vncertaine because a corruptible body is heauy to the soule and the earthly mansion keepeth downe the minde that is full of cares and hardly can wee discerne the things that are on earth and with great labour finde we out the things that are before vs Who can then seeke out the things that are in heauen who can know thy counsell except thou giue him wisedome and send thy holy Spirit from aboue So Saint Austin It is an absurd thing that we should thinke Aug. de predest Sanct. cap. 26. that God frameth the wils of men for the setling of earthly Kingdomes and that men frame their owne wils for the obtayning of the Kingdome of heauen The Prophets complaint taken vp against the Iewes with whom he liued and who tooke themselues to be Gods people is true against all men as they are naturally corrupted My people are foolish and haue Ierem. 4. 22. no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Now if we haue no vnderstanding of that which is good then doubtlesse we haue no will thereunto and if we be so foolish that we will not be perswaded of the truth hereof it commeth from him that so befooled our first parents Adam and Eue that he made them beleeue that if they would forsake the direction of the most wise God and fall from him they should be as Gods knowing good and euill whereas in truth they thereby became diuels and depriued themselues and all their posterity of all knowledge of that which was truely good and of all will thereunto QVEST. LIX No man can make satisfaction to God for transgressing of any of his holy Lawes If a Fellon that hath stollen but a sheepe cannot make satisfaction by his repentance or by any good worke be it neuer so great for this trespasse against the Law of his Prince albeit it be but once committed but must be condemned and suffer for it if he cannot read as a Clarke or be not releeued by a gracious pardon from his Prince much lesse can any one by his repentance or any other good worke satisfie for any trespasse committed against any one of the holy Lawes of God but hee must be condemned and suffer for it vnlesse he can reade the Couenant of grace written in his owne heart and finde therein the pardon of his sinnes procured vnto him by the most precious Bloud of Christ Wherefore howsoeuer the proud Romanists by their own deuised workes of satisfaction satisfie and please themselues and their blind followers yet they shall be neuer able thereby to satisfie and please God QVEST. LX. The people ought not to imbrace the doctrine of their Teachers without triall It is no wisedome in matters whereon our whole estate in this world consisteth to commit them wholly to thecare of others and not to looke into them our selues how much lesse wisedome is it in matters of faith whereon dependeth the saluation of our soules to suffer our Teachers to deliuer vnto vs for the ground-worke thereof what doctrine they list without due examination and triall especially seeing that the Spirit of God commandeth vs otherwise to doe Let thine Eyes saith Solomon behold the right and let thine eye-liddes direct thy Pro. 4. 25. way before thee Ponder the Path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be ordered aright So Iesus the Sonne of Syrach Take counsell Eccl 37. 13. of thine owne heart for there is none more faithfull vnto thee then it For a mans minde is sometimes accustomed to shew him more then seuen watchmen that sit aboue in an high towre We must not then trust our Teachers eyes but our owne nor rest wholly vpon the warning of our watchmen but keepe watch and ward our selues ouer our owne soules The welfare of euery one 's owne soule concerneth himselfe most and therefore it lyeth vpon himselfe to looke to himselfe into the doctrine that he receiueth from his Teachers that it bâ— wholsome sound and powerful to beget and increase a true faith because theron dependeth the welfare of his owne soule And verily if a man may tell money after his bodily Father and not trust his eyes in the tale thereof how much more may he examine the doctrine of his ghostly Father whether it hath vpon it the right stampe and whether he hath deliuered his iust and full tale especially seeing the Lord doth enable him thereto if he belong to the Couenant of Grace For this is the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israell after those Heb. 8. 10.
presence Aug. cont Faustum l. 20. c. 11. Cyrill in Ioh. l. 11 c. 3. Vigil cont Eutychem at one time in the Sunne and in the Moone and on the Crosse So Cyrill Christ could not be conuersant with his Apostles after that he had once ascended So Vigilius writing against Eutyches The flesh of Christ when it was on earth was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainely it is not on earth Yea so farre it is from being on earth that we looke for Christ after the flesh to come from heauen whom as he is God the Word we beleeue to be with vs on earth but by your opinion saith he to Eutyches either the word is comprehended in a place as well as the flesh or the flesh is euery where together with the word seeing that one nature doth not receiue any contrary or different estate Now to be contained in a place and to be present in euery place be things diuers and very dislike And therefore for so much as the word is euery where the flesh of Christ is not euery where it is cleare that one and the selfe-same Christ is of both natures that is euery where according to the nature of his Diuinity and contayned in a place according to the nature of his humanity This is the Catholike faith and confession which the Apostles deliuered the Martyres confirmed and the faithfull persist in to this day Wherefore the Church of Rome hath made an Apostacy from the Catholicke faith in that shee teacheth that the flesh of Christ is both together in heauen and on earth and not contayned in one certaine place but is in all places wheresoeuer the Eucharist is administred albeit it be administred in innumerable places at one time QVEST. XXIX Christs Body and Bloud ought not and in truth cannot be often offered vp to God by the Masse-Priests as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead The often offering of the same sacrifice doth argue the imperfection thereof as the Apostle saith As the doing againe again of one the selfesame worke doth shew that it was vnsufficiently done at the beginning For no wise man will goe about to do the same work the second time which was sufficiently yea perfectly done at the first lest it be said vnto him Act not that which is acted already No wise stage-player will attēpt Noli actum agere to come vpō the stage where Roscius is to act the same Enterlude that he acteth As no Historiographer of any iudgement will take vpon him to write that selfe-same History that Livy Caesar or Salust haue already written And shall then euery Masse-Priest be so presumptuous as to take vpon him to offer vp Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead where as that one oblation of Christ made once by himselfe was so sufficient and perfect that thereby he brought in eternall redemption and made perfect for euer them Heb. 7. 25. 10. 14. that are sanctified What will they put our deare Sauiour to death againe and shed his bloud surely this they must doe if in their Masse they will offer him vp a propitiatory sacrifice for sinne seeing that cannot be performed without a bloudy death For iustice cannot be satisfied for sinne vnlesse that which is due be rendred thereto But the wages and hire due to sinne is death The Rom. 6. 19. which is so euident and vndoubted a truth that the Apostle is bold to auouch that if our Sauiour himselfe should haue often offered himselfe to God as an expiatory sacrifice for sinne hee Heb. 9. 26. should haue often suffered and dyed But our blessed Sauiour dyed but once neither needeth he nay neither can he dye any Rom. 6. 9. more therefore he cannot be offered any more as an expiatory sacrifice for sinne Wherefore in that the Masse-Priests doe still presumptuously vndertake to offer vp Christ as an expiatory sacrifice for sinne what doe they therein but as much as in them lyeth murder and slay Christ againe and shed his pretious bloud and greatly derogate from the dignity of that sacrifice that he himselfe did offer at his death QVEST. XXX Christs flesh is not eaten with our bodily mouthes The pretended eating of Christs flesh with our bodily mouthes by the members of the Romish Synagogue is impious and wicked against Piety Religion and nature it selfe causing our Christian faith to be scorned and abhorred of the Heathen and therefore it was neuer intended much lesse commanded and commended by our Lord himselfe Our Sacrament saith Cyrill doth not command the eating of a man Cyr. ad obiect Theodor. drawing the minds of the faithfull to grosse conceits after an irreligious manner for as concerning these words of our Sauiour Christ Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you Saint Austin affirmeth Aug de doct Christ l. 3. c. 16. that seeing there seemeth therein an impiety to be commanded therefore they are not to be vnderstood literally but mystically and spiritually And verily the grosse mistaking of these words by the Church of Rome hath caused some of the heathen to condemne Christians of more barbarous impiety and inhumanity then was vsed in the impious and inhumane Anthropophagi for that they did eate but the flesh of ordinary men whereas the other pretend that they eat the very flesh of their God QVEST. XXXI Enoch and Elias cannot come in their owne persons to resist Antichrist and to be slaine of him Enoch and Elias cannot be slaine of Antichrist seeing their bodies be glorified and therefore immortall and not subiect vnto death And if they should assume other bodies then were they not the same persons because they had not the same essentiall parts Moreouer if a soule may assume diuers bodies with which of them shall she be vnited at the day of the generall resurrection QVEST. XXXII It is a property onely belonging to God to forgiue sinne When Iesus said to the sicke of the palsie Sonne thy sinnes Mar. 2. 5. are forgiuen thee and some of the Scribes sitting there did thus reason in their hearts Why doth this man speake blasphemies who can forgiue sinne but God alone He perceiuing that they thus reasoned in themselues said vnto them Whether is it easier to say to the sicke of the Palsey Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say Arise take vp thy bed and walke Whereby he gaue them to vnderstand that by a word to cure both the sicknesses of the soule and the body was a property belonging to one and the selfe-same power euen to God And therefore that seeing he did make it appeare euen to their outward senses that by his word he did cure the diseases of the body they should haue acknowledged his diuine power whereby he was also able to cure the sinnes of the soule For as Chrysostome and Hillary teach our
that as many as would ioyne the workes of the Law to the grace of Christ in the matter of Iustification They were abolished from Christ and fallen from Gal. 5. 4. grace Yea if we had not sinned but continued in our innocency and had kept all the Commandements of God whereunto God had bound himselfe by his promise to render the reward of eternall life yet in confidence of the merit of our workes we could not haue said rightly vnto the Lord Pay that thou Aug. in Ps 83. Aug. de verb. Apost Ser. 15. owest but performe that which thou hast promised For as the same Father saith God hath not made himselfe a debtor to vs by receiuing any thing froÌ„ vs but by promising vs that which best pleased himselfe But now since our best actions are so stayned by some sinister respect or other in the doing of them that as Gregory saith euen an holy man doth see his Greg. in Ioh. l. 9. c. 1. very vertuous workes to be vicious if they come to be scanned by a iust Iudge then they are so farre off from deseruing of any reward at Gods hands much lesse of Iustification and Saluation that rather in strict Iustice they merit condemnation For so Saint Austin is bold to pronounce of them Woe Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. worth the commendable life of man if thou Iudge it without mercy In what a wofull case then are all proud Papists which will not be iustified and saued but by the merit of their owne workes seeing thereby they be abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace and from the fruit and benefit of both QVEST. XXXVII The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good Arguments drawne from that which is opposite priuatiuely By nature we are all spiritually dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. And therefore as a man that is bodily dead is able to performe no action that belongeth to a naturall life so cannot wâ—… performe any action that belongeth to a spirituall and supernaturall life vntill we be quickned and raised vp againe by he Spirit of Christ We are now all by nature depriued of all Rom. 5. 6. spirituall power and strength We are 〈◊〉 sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of 〈◊〉 selues Much lesse to will or 2 Cor. 3. 5. to worke any such thing We are saith one Prophet foolish Ier. 4. 22. children and haue no vnderstanding we are wiâ—e to doe euill but to doe well we haue no knowledge We are now all by nature the Gal. 4. 25. children of the bond woman and not of the free The time was when in Adam we had all freedome of will to make choice either of good or euill but since that in him we made choice of that which was euill we are so hardned therein and in such Rom. 6. 20. bondage and slauery to our corrupt lusts that we haue no inclination at all or free motion vnto righteousnesse For as Aug. de correp grat c. 13. Austin saith our will as it is â—ow by nature free and not made free by grace is free from righteousnesse only in bondage to sin For liberty without race as the same Father teacheth Aug. Ep. 89. is nâ—t liberty but contumacy that is a wilfull obstinacy in that onely which is euill QVEST. XXXVIII No religious worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Arguments drawen from such things as depend vpâ—n relation Let not saith Saint Austin the worship of the dead be vnto vs a matter of Religion Aug. de Vera Reâ—ig c 55 Aug contra Faust Mâ—nich lib. 23. c. 21. Synod MoguÌ„t c. 46. For they are to be honoured for imitation but not to be adored for Religion And againe we worship the Saints with charity but not with seruice neither doe we build temples vnto them For according vnto the censure of the Synode of Ments the Saints which haue shut vp the course of their liues with a blessed end ought worthily to be honoured of vs as the worthy members of Christs body but not with that honour which is due vnto God but with that reuerent regard of society and loueâ— wherewith holy men may be honoured of vs here in this life The like is to be said concerning the worship of Angels I fell said Saint Iohn confessing his owne double fall at the Angels feet to worship him but he said vnto me See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus Apoc. 19. 10. câ— 22. 9. worship God By which words of the Angell vttered once and againe we Seruus est domini seruus may iustly collect that seeing a seruant among men is a seruant of his Lords only not of any one of his fellow seruants and is bound to serue the one onely and not the other therefore seeing all the faithfull haue but one Lord all Angels and Saints being their fellow seruants they ought to deuote themselues Eâ—hes 4. 5. 2. 29. onely to the Religious seruice of God and not vnto the seruice of any Angell or Saint We take it to be a great absurdity and indignity also for one that is admitted into the family of an earthly King to betake himselfe to the seruice of a subiect and is it not a greater indignity for one that by baptisme is admitted into the family of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to betake him to the seruice of an Angell or Saint In Oxford wee are sworne Non suscipere gradum Simeonis that is when we haue taken an higher degree of dignity in the Schooles not to take a lower degree And shal we then when we haue receiued this high degree of honor to be admitted among the seruaÌ„ts of the Almighty Creator of heauen earth shall we I say debase our seâ—ues so low as to seeke for admission into the seruice of a weake creature Let the Romanists then if they list deuote themselues vnto the seruice of the Saints and giue to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuine worship but let the true seruants of God be carefull to giue diuine seruice onely to God QVEST. XXXIX The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them Arguments drawen from things that haue the same proportion of reason If by the disobedience of the first Adam many were made sinners why by the obedience of the second Adam may not many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 34. If our sinnes were imputed vnto Christ when hee was pure from all sinne why may not his righteousnesse be imputed vnto vs albeit we be stayned with all sinne If Christs sufferings and death are made ours and we thereby are deliuered from condemnation Why may not his righteousnesse as well be imputed vnto vs
eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drinke his Bloud yee shall haue no life in you may be more rightly vnderstood of the receiuing of Christ in the Word then in the Sacraments And verily how was the whole world perswaded to imbrace Christ by the preaching of the Gospell or by the administration of the Sacraments The truth is that our most louing and gracious God by his Euangelicall couenant made with Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in him with all his spirituall â—eed doth giue vnto them Christ Iesus their Sauiour and in him eternall life and blessednesse and doth open and manifest the same by causing this his graunt to be set downe in the Gospell written in the bookes of the Old and New Testament as in the authenticall euidences thereof and to be sealed by the Sacraments as by his owne seales the which he hath ordained to be deliuered to his people as his owne deedes by the hands of his faithfull and painfull Ministers Now which is the chiefe instrument to ratifie vnto the faithfull this gracious graunt the deeds and euidences themselues or the seales annexed thereto that is the Word or the Sacraments Vndoubtedly the Word seeing without the graunt written the seale added to a blancke is nothing worth And yet the word it selfe doth not profite vnlesse it be mixed with faith the true sense thereof being rightly Heb. 4. 2. apprehended and a setled assent yeelded thereto and so neither can the Sacraments profit vnlesse the vse of them be rightly 1 Cor. 11. 29. apprehended and discerned by a true saith Moreouer heere also we may perceiue who in the execution of their Ecclesiasticall function come nearer to Christ and to his Apostles whether the Ministers of the Gospell in their painfull â—reathing or the Popish Priests in their continuall saying of Massâ— QVEST. XLVI No Images are to be worshipped with diuine worship If any images and representations of God are to be worshipped with diuine worship then the best and truest images of God euen such as were framed by God himselfe were so to be worshipped but men which are the best and truest images and representations of God made and framed by God Gen. 1. 26. himselfe are not to be worshipped with diuine worship much lesse any images of God made by man The Church of Rome maketh images of three faces to represent thereby the glorious Trinity but the Apostle teacheth that we which are the generation of God viz. in our soules rather then in our bodies Act. 17. 29. ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like to gold or siluer or stone grauen by the art or inuâ—…tion of Mâ—n Wherefore the Church of Rome which worshipâ—eâ—h such Images doth not therin so much as worship the 〈◊〉 of God but the inuentioÌ„ and fiction of her owne braine Now â—f the Images of God are not to be worshipped with Diuine worship inuâ—… lesse the Images of any men Nay if holy men themselues may not be worshipped with Diuine worship much lesse may their Images and Pictures be QVEST. XLVII The word of God is not to be read vnto people in an vnknowne tongue Such as in the Primitiue Church vttered Diuine Mysteries in strange tongues which were giuen them by the miraculous working of the Holy Ghost were commanded by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 28. to be silent in the Church vnlesse the meaning of the words were presently expounded that so the hearers might receiue instruction and edification thereby much more now such are to be silenced in the Church which vtter Diuine mysteries in an vnknowne tongue which they haue not receiued by the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost where there is no exposition thereof QVEST. XLVIII In all matters that concerne the worship and seruice of God nothing ought to be taught or to be beleeued which is not warranted by the testimony of the Canonicall Scriptures If Saint Paul himselfe taught nothing concerning Christ but that which was deliuered by Moses and the Prophets Act. 26. 22. then ought none other of meaner gifts and priuiledges teach any thing that he hath not receiued from the Canonicall Scriptures So reasoneth Origen Paul as his custome is saith he will auouch that which he teacheth out of the holy Scriptures wherein he giueth an ensample to the teachers in the Church that they should produce such things as they teach the people not grounded vpon their own opinions but strengthened with the testimonies of God For if such and so great an Apostle did not thinke that the authority of his owne word might suffice vnlesse he knew that those very things were written in the Law and in the Prophets which himselfe deliuered â—how much more should we little ones obserue this that when we teach we vtter not our owne but the meaning of the Holy Ghost Against the which most wise aduertisement if we presume to offend albeit we were such as the glorious Angels Saint Austin is bold out of the penne of the Apostle to denounce against vs a most terrible curse If saith he I will Aug. cont lit Pelag. l. 3. c. 6. not say we our selues but if an Angell from Heauen shall teach coÌ„cerning Christ and his Church or concerning any thing else that doth belong to faith and life any other doctrine then that which is contayned in the Legall and Euangelicall Scriptures let him be accursed Accursed then is the Church of Rome and her children who affirme that their vnwritten traditions are of equall authority with the doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures and command them with the like reuerence to be imbraced and receiued QVEST. XLIX The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good If the Church her selfe had need still to pray to her deare Bridegroome Draw me after a sort vnwilling that thou maist Bernard in Cant. Serm. 2. make me willing draw me drowping that thou maist cause me to runne then certainly all such as are not indued with such spirituall graces as the Church is may iustly be challenged for persons not almost but altogether vnwilling to follow God and to walke in his wayes And if euery one of the true members of the Church had need to confesse vnto God and to pray Thou hast corrected me and I haue receiued thy correction Ier. 31. 18. as an vntamed Bullocke conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art my God Then how farre off from any willingnesse and readinesse to turne vnto God are all such as are not yet effectually called to the estate of Grace but are strangers from God and from the Couenant of mercy QVEST. L. Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of wilfull pouerty is the way to perfection The possession of riches which are yet Gods good blessings and testimonies of his goodnesse and loue is not the way Act. 14. 17. to perfection much lesse the vow of pouerty or pouerty it selfe which is the rod
of Gods correction and a signe or token of his displeasure as all other crosses and calamities are Poore Lazarus was brought into the bosome of rich Abraham both which were rich in God and poore in spirit Marke this saith Saint Austin that ye doe not as commonly men Aug. ad Hillar Epist 89. do blame rich men and put your trust in a poore estate for if a maÌ„ should not put his trust in his riches much lesse in pouerty QVEST. LI. The people ought to be able to try and to discerne the doctrine of their Teachers Doe yee not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall 1 Cor. 6. 2. iudge the world If the world then shall be iudged by you are yee not worthy to iudge the smallest matters Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things of this life So may we reason also that if the faithfull people of God shall iudge the world and the very Angels themselues much more may they boldly take vpon themselues to try and discerne the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers Our most blessed Sauiour thought it no disgrace to himselfe to haue his diuine doctrine examined of the people by the rule of the Scriptures nay he that requireth the same at their hands saying Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue life Ioh. 5. 39. and they are they that testifie of me and beare witnesse to my doctrine that it is of God Yea the Lord so approued the Berâ—ans for that they receiued the word with all readines searched the Scriptures whether those things which Saint Paul Act. 17. â—1 taught them were agreeable thereto that thereby he brought many of them to the faith It is then no presumption in the people to examine the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers seeing it is not onely approued but commanded by the Lord and enioyned the Corinthians also by the Apostle I speake saith he as to them that haue vnderstanding iudge yee what I say The refusall 1 Cor. 10 15. hereof by the hereticke Auxentius was sharpely reprooued by holy and Orthodoxe Saint Ambrose Auxentius saith he Amb. Ep. l. 5. in oratione cont Auxentium speaking to the people knowing you not to be ignorant of the faith hath shunned your iudgement and hath chosen foure or fiue heathen men Then in that he hath chosen Infidels he is worthy to be condemned of Christians because he reiected the Apostles precept where he saith Dare any of you hauing ought against another be iudged vnder the vniust and not rather vnder the Saints Yee see then that which he hath offered is against the authority of the Apostle But what speake I saith hee of the Apostle when the LORD himselfe proclaimeth by his Prophet Heare yee mee O my people that know what belongeth to iudgement in whose heart my Law is God saith Heare yee mee O my people that know iudgement Auxentius saith You know not â—ow to iudge Yee see then that he contemneth God in you which refuseth the sense of this heauenly Oracle For the people in whose heart the Law of God is doth iudge And doe not the Popish Priests likewise ioyne with this impious Arrian Auxentius in refusing to stand to the Oracle of God while they refuse to haue their doctrine examined and iudged by the people whether it be agreeable vnto the diuine doctrine of the Canonicall Scripture QVEST. LII Our whole Iustification and Saluation is by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The Apostles plain asseueration that we are iustified freely by Rom. 3. 24. the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus hath forced the Church of Rome to auouch that there is a double iustification The first by grace and the second by the merit of our owne workes But his doubling is flat contrary to the simplicity of the Gospell For the Apostle plainly auoucheth that not onely at the first we are reconciled vnto God by Christ and are brought into his fauour and loue and are iustified and saued by his Bloud but much more that we are brought to the end of our saluation and to our full and finall glorification by the very same meanes God saith the Apostle setteth out his loue toward vs seeing while wee were yet Rom. 5. 8. sinners Christ dyed for vs much more then being iustified by his bloud we shall be saued froÌ„ wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life In the which words of the Apostle it is manifestly and distinctly set downe that as it is the grace of God in Christ whereby we are reconciled vnto God and iustified at the first so it is the very selfe-same grace of God in Christ that doth saue vs at the last And Greg. Moral lib. 2. cap. 4. so a Bishop of Rome it selfe in her better times hath taught saying The first grace begat me in faith being naked and the very self-same grace shall saue me being naked take me vp into glory Wherefore if we desire to be partakers of the fruit of our redemption wrought for vs by Christ let vs not so meanly thinke thereof as if he should haue begun it onely by his obedience and left it to be finished by our selues Let vs not imagine that he paid but a part of our ransome and a parcell of the price that was to be tendred to God for the full purchase of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen and left it to our selues to discharge the rest Or if we cannot but confesse that he paid the whole summe and the full price let vs not impute to the God of all mercy and the most excellent Patron and Patterne of all Pitty such an hard and vniust kind of dealing as if he should exact againe a new payment at our hands for that which was fully purchased and paid for before Vndoubtedly if our title to the heauenly inheritance by the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ be sufficient good why should we seeke after any other title Seeing Law and reason teacheth vs this that that thing Quod semel â—…eum est non potest ampliâ—… fieri meum Qui semel factus est dominus non potest ex alia causa fieri dominus Quia nemo potest acquirere dominium â—…ci suae which is once iustly mine cannot be made more mine And he that is once made a right owner of a thing cannot againe by another title be made owner of the same thing seeing no man can get againe the Dominion of that which was his own before If then our first title to our Iustification and Saluation by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ be good and sufficient then we cannot afterward lay any claime thereunto by the broken and forged title of our owne workes