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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14258	The hundred and ten considerations of Signior Iohn Valdesso treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary, and most perfect in our Christian profession. Written in Spanish, brought out of Italy by Vergerius, and first set forth in Italian at Basil by Cœlius Secundus Curio, anno 1550. Afterward translated into French, and printed at Lions 1563. and again at Paris 1565. And now translated out of the Italian copy into English, with notes. Whereunto is added an epistle of the authors, or a preface to his divine commentary upon the Romans.; Consideraciones divinas. English	Valdés, Juan de, d. 1541.; Ferrar, Nicholas, 1592-1637.; Herbert, George, 1593-1633.	1638 (1638)	STC 24571; ESTC S119070	234,477	356

evident to others as well as to themselves that God moved them For otherwise any Malefactor may pretend motions which is unsufferable in a Common-wealth Neither doe I doubt but if Abraham had lived in our Kingdome under government and had killed his sonne Isaac but he might have been justly put to death for it by the Magistrate unleffe he could have made 〈◊〉 appeare that it was done by Gods immediate precept He had done justly and yet he had been punished justly that is in huma●… foro secundum praesumptionem legalem So may a warre be just on both sides and was just in the Canaanites and Israelites both How the godly are exempt from Laws is a known point among Divines but when he sayes they are equally exempt with God that is dangerous and too farre The best salve for the whole Chapter is to distinguish Iudgments There is a judgment of authority upon a fact and there is a judgment of the Learned for as a Magistrate judgeth in his tribunall so a Scholar judgeth in his study and censureth this or that whence come so many Books of severall mens opinions perhaps he meant all of this later not of the former Worldly learned men cannot judg spirituall me●… actions but the Magistrate may To the LXIII CONSID. The Authour doth still discover too slight a regard of the Scriptures as if it were but childrens meat whereas there is not onely milke there but strong meat also HEB. 5. 14. Things hard to bee understood 2. PFT 3. 16. Things needing great Consideration MAT. 24. 15. Besides he opposeth the teaching of the spirit to the teaching of the scripture which the holy spirit wrot Although the holy spirit apply the scripture yet what the scripture teacheth the spirit teacheth the holy spirit indeed sometime doubly teaching both in penning and in applying I wonder how this opinion could befall so good a man as it seems Valdesso was since the Saints of God in all ages have ever held in so pretious esteem the word of God as their Ioy and Crowne and their Treasure on earth Yet his owne practice seemes to confute his opinion for the most of his Considerations being grounded upon some text of scripture shewes that he was continually conversant in it and not used it for a time onely and then cast it away as he sayes strangely There is no more to be said of this Chapter but that his opinion of the scripture is unsufferable As for the text of S. PFT 2. Ep. 1. 19. which he makes the ground of his Consideration building it all upon the word uutill the day starre arise it is nothing How many places doe the Fathers bring about Vntil against the Heretiques who disputed against the Virginity of the blessed Virgin out of that text MAT. 1. 25. where it is said Joseph knew her not untill shee had brought forth her first borne Sonne as if afterwards he had knowne her and indeed in common sence if I bid a man stay in a place untill I come I doe not then bid him goe away but rather stay longer that I may ●…peak with him or doe some thing ●…e when I doe come so 〈◊〉 Peter bidding the dispersed Hebrews at●…end to the word till the day da●… doth not bid them then cast away the word or leave it off but however he would have them attend to it till that time and then afterward they will attend it of themselves without his exhortation Nay it is observeable that in that very place he preferres the Word before the sight of the Transfiguration of Christ. So that the Word hath the precedence even of Revelations and Visions And so his whole discourse and sevenfold observation falls to the ground To the 65. CONSID. on these words Acknowledging the benefit received by Iesus Christ our Lord like as it betides unto a thirsty Travellour to whom ●… This comparison is infinitely too base there is none of the references which we have had with our Lord Iesus Christ dissolved but infinitely perfected and he shall ever continue our glorious head and all the influences of our happinesse shall ever descend from him and the chief our glory shall a●… I conceive consist in that which he saith amongst the last words that he spake in the 17. Iohn v. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me ●…ee with me where I am that they also may behold the glory which thou hast given me before the foundation of the world To which agreeth that which S. Paul writes 2. THES 1. chap. v. 9. To the 69. CONSID. upon these words So much faith as thereby to remove Mountaines Divines hold that justifying faith and the faith of miracles are divers guifts and of a different nature the one being gratia gratis da●…a the other gratia gratum faciens this being given only to the godly and the other sometimes to the wicked Yet doubtlesse the best faith in us is defective and arrives not to the point it should which if it did it would doe more then it does And miracle-working as it may be severed from justifying faith so it may be a fruit of it and an exaltation 1. IOHN 5. 14. To the 94. CONSID. By Hebrew piety he meaneth not the very C●…remonies of the Iewes which no Christian observes now but an analogat observation of Ecclesiasticall and Canonicall lawes supe●…duced to the scriptures like to that of Iewes which they added to their divine law This being well weighed will make the Consideration easy and very observeable For at least some of the Papist●… are come no●… to what the Pharisees were come in our Saviours time CELIO SECVNDO CVRIONE A SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST to all those that are Sanctified by God the Father saved and called by Iesus Christ our Lord The Mercy the Peace and the love of God be multiplied unto you SEE here Brethren we make tender unto you not of Boccace his Hundred Novelties but of the Hundred and ten Considerations of Valdesso the great importance whereof I shall declare unto you Many both Ancient and Modern have written of Christian afsayres and of them some better then others but who he is next the Apostles of our Lord and the Evangelists that hath written more substantially and Divine-like then Iohn Valdesso would perhaps be hard to finde There be some of them that have left indeede many great and laborious Bookes but amongst them there are also many of little importance and that are not much necessary to a Christian life being fraught with unprofitable Questions and Philosophicall dtsputations from whence hath sprung a thousand inconveniences in the Church of Christ. And to give a proofe that I say the trueth in this matter I set downe some of these inconveniences whereby Iudgment may easily be given of the rest First therefore in a●… much as they have written huge Bookes they could not avoid many falsities follies and vanities For as the wise man testifieth

the just being made there shall be nothing more to hope but Charity shall never faile for there shall be alwaies what to Love and there shall be alwaies what to tast For in eternall life we shall love God and Christ and we shall finde rellish and savour in the contemplation of God and of Christ wee who in this present life have lived with Faith Hope and Charity being incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXI Vpon the most holy prayer of OUR FATHER IN the most holy prayer of Our Father I consider all this First that calling God Father it becomes me to reduce my selfe to hope from God all that which an obedient son may hope from a most good and loving Father And albeit I am a disobedient Son it matters not For God considers me not by that which I am of my selfe but by that which I am by Christ of whom I am a member and who was a most obedient Son through which Sonship I call God Father If I should call him Father for the common generations sake my being would be of importance but calling him so through particular regeneration my being imports not to make mee obedient or disobedient but as I have said the being of Christ who was most obedient And farthermore I understand that it is necessary that I should reduce my selfe to be with God such a one as a good and obedient Son is with his Father Secondly I consider that saying Our I presuppose that I hold for brethren all those who through regeneration hold God for their Father and that I ought to govern my selfe with them as with brethren Thirdly I consider that because God is where he is known holy Scripture useth to say that God is in Heaven for there God is known God is in all his creatures but it is not said that he is but only in them who know him and where he lets himselfe to be known Fourthly I consider that the proper desire of a pious Christian is that Gods Name should be sanctified I would say that God should be esteemed and judged of every one for Holy and for just in all his works as he is in truth Humane wisdome not finding holinesse nor justice in many of those things which be fall men in this life flying from the inconvenience of attributing injustice to God falls into another inconvenience depriving God of his particular Providence in all things And the holy spirit knowing in all things holinesse and justice on Gods part doth not doubt to attribute them all to God desiring that men captivating the judgement of their own humane wisdome should sanctify the name of God confessing and holding that God doth all things and that in all things is holinesse and justice There are some men who sanctify God in the things which they judge good drawing themselves back in those things which they judge to be evill And there are other men who sanctify God generally in all things but with the mouth and not with the heart And the desire of the Pious Christian is that God should be sanctified in all things and that the sanctification should come from the Heart for in this manner God will be sanctified Fiftly I consider that the proper and continuall sighing of a pious Christian consists in the desire that the Kingdome of God should suddenly come when the resurrection of the just being made Christ shall consigne the Kingdome to his eternall father For that shall be properly the Kingdome of God in as much as the just shall be governed immediatly by God seeing God himselfe face to face God reignes in this present life in the just but by Christ as he gives light but by the Sunne and God shall reigne in life eternall by himselfe as by himselfe he shall give light Sixtly I consider that the pious Christians flying from the will of God which is with wrath and that which is mediat by those things which we call second causes doe demand that that will of God should be executed here on earth which is executed in heaven understanding that which is with mercy and with love and that which is immediat by God himselfe Seventhly I consider that the Pious Christians feeling that through the curse for the first mans sinne it results that they eat their bread with sorrow and care they demand of God that freeing them from the sollicitude and the griefe he should provide them of ordinary sustentation in such manner that they may be provided and sustained according to their necessities without griefe or sollicitousnesse acknowledging their sustentation only from the liberality of God and even in this beginning to feele the remedy of the first mans sinne together there with feeling the benefit of Christ. Eightly I consider that the pious Christians not because they make any doubt of the generall pardon which they have had by the justice of God executed in Christ for of this they are most assured but because they rejoyce to remember themselves that they are debtors which remembrance breeds in them humility in the sight of God they aske alwaies of God that he would pardon them those things for which he might in justice chastize them And I understand that they alleage the pardon which they have given to them who were their debtors rather to oblige themselves to pardon then to oblige God that he should for such cause pardon them This I understand thus by that which Iesus Christ himself ads in the Gospell saying If you pardon you shall be pardoned Ninthly I consider that the pious Christians knowing their own weaknesse fear the Temptation in as much as it may sever them from Christian decorum and knowing here with the necessity which they have to be mortified with temptations they demand of God not that he should not tempt them but that the temptations may be of that quality that they should not make them to loose the Christian decorum Tenthly I consider that pious Christians having understood that many are the evills that combat the just they are afraid to be oppressed by them and knowing the frailty of their own forces to be able to make resistance they have recourse to God demanding of him that he should free them from all In these desires and in these demands I understand that pious persons stand and persevere not only through the outward doctrine of Iesus Christ our Lord which they finde written in his history but also through the inward doctrine of the holy spirit who puts these desires into their mindes and moves them to demand these things And they who with the outward Doctrine of Christ have not that inward of the holy spirit in praying ●…s taught and not inspired doe not pray as the true and lively members of Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXII That man pretending that part of the image of God which did not appertaine unto him lost that part which did appertaine to him IN the creation of man I read that he was

bound to give unto God They think of the Christian businesse that it is a living under the goverment of the holy spirit in holinesse and iustice And they think of the Gospell that it is a Proclamation that compriseth these two things Remission of sinnes and Iustification by Christ And the regiment and goverment of the holy spirit Of which two things they enioy who believing in Christ accept the Gospell From all this discourse I gather that they who understand Justification to be a fruit of Piety follow Plato and Aristotle And that they who understand Piety to be a fruit of iustification Iustification being a fruit of Faith follow S. Paul and S. Peter It is also gathered that this name Piety understood in the manner in which it is here understood it cannot be attributed to God because he owes no man any thing Nay on the contrary every one owes to him And that which he doth with us is not for piety is not for debt nor for obligation but for compassion for mercy and for liberality being in every thing towards us compassionate mercifull and liberall Which ought principally to be known in this that he put all our sinnes on his pretious son Iesus Christ our Lord to put on us the iustice of the selfesame Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XCVIII How that is to be understood that the holy Scripture saith attributing condemnation sometimes to infidelity and sometimes to evill works and salvation sometimes to Faith sometimes to good works AMongst those things in holy Scripture which give molestation to Christian persons who having faith feel within themselves the fruit of Faith that is Iustification and the fruit of justification that is the peace of conscience when they will examine with them their conceptions their spirituall feelings I hold for very principall this that feeling themselves justifi'd by Faith consequently with peace of conscience cannot understand for what cause Christ speaking of the day of Iudement saith that he will condemne some because they have not done well and will save others because they haue done well Nor for what cause S. Paul saith That God will render to every man according to his works Rom. 2. And S. Peter That God will iudge every one according to his works At which they so much the more marvell in as much as the same Christ saith that he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned And the selfesame S. Paul saith that the Faith of the heart iustifieth and the confession of the mouth saveth And the selfesame S. Peter attributes the salvation of the soule to Faith And from their not understanding of this matter it comes to passe that every one of them thinks in this manner If God be to judge me according to my works there is no doubt but he will condemne me for there is not in them any goodnesse nay in those which seem best there is more contamination of selfe-loue interest and proper glory in such sort as if I be to be judged by my work it will goe ill with me Whereupon being desirous to take away this molestation and this scruple of Christian persons and spirituall and to salve the intelligence of the holy Scriptures in such sort as they should not contradict themselves I think thus That in good or evill works God cōsiders not the quantity but the quality which consisteth in the minde of him that doth the works in the thing wherein he implies it That this is true in evill workes needs no proofe and that it is true in good works is evident by that which Christ saith of them that cast their monies into the Treasury of the Temple praysing the minde of him that did the works And it is evident likewise by that which the selfesame Christ saith speaking of the day of judgement where he doth not say that hee will saue them who haue bin charitable simply but they that have been charitable with himselfe that is they who believing shall stand incorporated in him Whence it seems that Christ saith that he will saue them who haue used charity with him and condemne them that haue not used it Now it being cleer that they cannot work with a pious minde but only who are pious and holy nor can know Christ in his members to use charity towards him but they onely who appertain to the selfesame body of Christ it is clearely approved that none can work well work Christianly but those who are the members of Christ those who haue the spirit of Christ and are pious and holy and just and believe in Christ. And this being approved it is likewise approved that it is the selfesame in holy Scripture to say That men shall be saved by their good works and condemned by their evill works and to say That they shall be saved by their Faith and condemned by their Infidelity Whereupon Christian persons are to two things The one That they only work well for holding themselves justified by Christ they doe not pretend to justifie themselves by their own good works and so working they work purely for the loue of God and not for their own proper loue as those men work who not holding themselves justified by Christ pretend to justifie themselves by their own good works and so working for their own proper loue proper interest and not for the love of God they noe not work well for their works doe not please God cannot be called good works The other that God judging them according to their works will not put to their accompt the contamination that he shall know in them having pardoned them originall sin together with all that which they haue from this evill root And because he will put to their accompt the Faith which he shall haue given them and the purity that shall be in their works whether few or many in as much as they shall be the fruit of Faith And so God shall saue them shewing in the outward judgement that he saves them for their good works saving them indeed by the Faith which he shall have given them God shall iustifie the sentence with which he condemnes the impious superstitious and shall save the pious and holy alleaging the outward works of the one and the other the living with holinesse and iustice on the one part and the living with iniustice and impiety on the other part But this shall not be but for men who know not nor see not but in the outward And in the self same sentence they who know and see the inward the root whence this living working on the one part and this living and working on the other grow they being more then men by the Christian regeneration shall know that Faith hath saved them that shall be saved and that infidelity shall haue condemned them that shall be condemned Here may an impious person say to me willing to calumniate holy Scripture and a superstitious willing to canonize his own

he shall giue it us through Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XLIX Whence it proceeds that humane wisdome will not attribute all things to God And in what manner they ought to bee attributed to him FOR three Causes I understand it men being deceived by the judgement of humane wisdome will not confesse that every thing comes from God The first is that they might not deprive themselues of the merits of their own good works understanding that they should depriue themselues of them when every thing should be attributed to God in as much as in their good works the goodnesse of God would be that which was to bee considered and not that of men The second Cause I understand is because men judging of Gods works with the selfesame judgement with which they judge their own proper works they hold that for evill in God which they would hold for evill in evill men And it seeming to them an evill and absurd thing to attribute any evill thing to God who is soveraignly good and is goodnesse it selfe they resolue that they will not attribute every thing to God The third Cause as I understand is because they think that if men believed that God did all things they would become dissolute in their lives licentious vitious and insolent and remisse in succouring helping and favouring their neighbours every man saying of himselfe if I liue ill it is because it pleaseth God that I should liue so and he himselfe when it so seems good to him will make me to liue well and saying of their neighbour if such a one be needy tribulated and afflicted it is because it so pleaseth God and when it shall please God that he should not be so he will draw him out of necessity and out of tribulation and out of affliction and therefore it is not necessary that I should meddle ther●…with To these three Causes or reasons of humane wisdome I understand that a man may fully answer in this manner To the first that if men knew themselues they would know in themselues rebellion iniquity and sin and in their works selfe-loue and selfe-interest and so they would not pretend to obtain merit through their own works and not pretending it the first cause of impiety would be taken away in which they doe easily fall that are in the eyes of the world just and holy for they properly are those that seek Meritin their works From this inconveniency they are free who knowing the being and the nature of man renounce their own merits cleaving only to the justice of God executed in Christ. To the second Cause and reason it may bee answered that if so be it seem to men an absurd evill thing that God should harden the heart of Pharaoh making him to sin in not suffering the people of God to depart that God should command Shimei that he should sin by cursing David and that God should make them to sin to whom the Scripture saith he gaue the spirit of errour and that he should ordain that Judas should sin by selling Christ and that God should blinde them of whom S. Paul Rom. 1 speaks that they should fall into silthy and abominable sins And if like wise it seem an absurd evill thing to men that which God doth to many men in the world it is not because the things are in themselues absurd and evill but because they are works of the holy spirit and men judging with humane wisdome with which they cannot understand the divine secret that is in them come to judge falsely of them being herein towards God as rash men are towards their Princes judging evill of them when for the good goverment for the common profit they doe something which turnes to the dammage of some particular not considering nor peircing the intent which the Prince hath in such like things For if they did consider and understand they would judge well of those things and of the Princes that doe them I would say in the selfesame manner rash men because they understand not the intent which God hath in his works they judge them evill and then pretending piety they will not attribute them to God and if they did know and understand the intent that God hath in those things which they judge evill they would hold and judge them for good and so they would not come to deprive God of his particular providence in every thing And certainly if these men did consider that God hardning the heart of Pharaoh that he should sin not letting Gods people goe did pretend to illustrate his glory and to make manifest his power in favouring his people they would accompt the hardnesse of Pharaohs heart amongst the works of Gods mercy for as much as that which the people of God desired was thereby effected and this selfesame judgement they would make of the curses of Shimei and of Iudas his s●…lling Christ and of the sins of them of whom Saint Paul speaks in the first of the Romans and they would make the selfesame judgement in all the works of men not doubting to attribute them all unto God searching out the secret judgement that is in them even as pious persons search them out to whom it oft-times happens that they hold something of their own or others for an errour because they know not the intent that God hath in it And afterwards by time knowing the intent that God had in it they hold it for a very certain thing And to the selfe same persons it oftentimes befals that they hold a thing for well done which afterwards by tract of time they knew was ill done This sometimes happens to them when they stand not very attent to consider the judgements of God and sometimes because it doth not alwaies please God that they should understand that which he pretends in his works as peradventure it did not please him that Moses and Aaron should understand that which he pretended in the hardnesse of Pharaohs heart to the intent they should not cease to be very instant that he would let the people of God to goe out Whereupon it seems that mans piety consisteth in applying his minde to understand that which God pretends in his workes especially in those which seem absurd and evill and to venerate and approue those which hee doth not understand holding them all for holy just and good To the third cause and reason which men finde not to confesse that God doth all things it may be effectually by our own proper experience answered that those men who belieue hold for certain that God doth all things for this selfe same cause that they abide in this certainty are pious and iust and being pious and iust are in themselues most temperate and most modest and are towards their neighbours most mercifull most diligent and most liberall in as much as piety and iustice doe as well mortifie in them the appetites of sensuality that might make them vitious and insolent as

mortifie it whilst he liues And he mortifies it rather with the consideration then with outward effects And the consideration is of that which Christ suffered of the being dead on the Crosse with Christ and the being raised with Christ and that it is his intent to liue in life eternall with Christ which considerations are of such efficacy in a man that making him to loose the tast of all things of this present life it mortifies in him all that is flesh and all that is world albeit I doe not think that it dies altogether untill that a man dye indeed From all this is gathered that humane wisdome knows not what thing mortification is and that the law of Moses commanded it but did not giue it and that it is onely gotten through the incorpororation wherewith wee who believe are incorporated in Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. LXXXV Foure manners by which a Christian knowes God by meanes of Christ. HAving often spoken of the knowledge of God as of a most important thing and so much that in it felicity and eternall life consisteth And having said that there are three waies to know God One by the contemplation of the creatures which is proper to the Gentiles the other by reading of the holy Scriptures which was proper to the Hebrews and the other by Christ which is proper to Christians And having never remained satisfied in this third I would say in the manner of that understanding through the which we Christians know God by Christ after that I had well considered it I finde Foure manners by which we Christians know God by Christ. The first is by the Revelation of Christ The second is by the communication of the holy spirit The third is by christian Regeneration Renovation And the fourth is by a certain inward vision by revelation of Christ. I understand that a Christian knows God when Christ himselfe suffers himselfe to be known because wee then know God in him he being the expresse image of God conformable to that he saith to S. Philip He that sees mee he seeth my Father also Ioh. 14. And conformable to what S. Paul saith Colos. 1. speaking of Christ who is the Image of the invisible God And that it is true that a Christian knows God by Revelation of Christ is manifest by that No man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. This Revelation I understand is inward having nothing that is visible and so it appertaines to the inward eyes and not to the outward And this presupposeth the knowledge of Christ. I would say that to the knowledge of God by Revelation of Christ the knowledge of Christ proceeds which I understand consisteth in knowing his Divinity his Humanitie his being Divine and Humane his glory and his ignominy his dignity and his basenesse and so his omnipotency and his humility And it is certain that I knowing that Christ is the Image of God and seeing in him Omnipotency Iustice Truth and Fidelity I come to know not now by relation of holy Scripture but by the revelation of Christ himselfe that there is in God omnipotency justice and truth fidelity for as much as these things are in Christ and Christ is the Image of God In such manner as hee who in this manner knowes Christ not by relation of men but by inward revelation of Christ himself may say with truth that he knowes God in Christ As the man to whom S. Paul in whom was a great part of the image of Christ should haue discovered all his minde all his inward things might haue said with truth that hee knew Christ in S. Paul although this comparison serves not to ascertaine but to explain that which I would say By the communication of the holy spirit I understand the christian knowes God for I understand that the holy spirit is given to them that believe in Christ. And understanding by S. Paul that the spirit of God searcheth out the deep secrets of God I understand that we also know God himselfe and by Christ in as much as the holy spirit is given unto us by Christ Christ himselfe being he that gives it unto us by the will and ordinance of God even as by the selfe-same will and ordinance the light is given unto us by the sunne And it is certain that the holy spirit is efficacious in mee that am a christian to make mee know omnipotency in God through the great power which he shewes in mee mortifying me making mee alive to make mee know wisdome in God by the wisdome which I get through his holy spirit to make mee know justice in God because he justifies me in Christ to make me know truth in God because he keepes promise with me and to make me know goodnesse and mercy in God because he beares with my slothfulnesse and sinnes And so I come to know all these things in God not now by relation of Scriptures but by that which the holy spirit workes in me which is communicated to me through Christ. By the Christian Regeneration and Renovation I understand that a christian knowes God For I understand that he being regenerated and renewed by the holy spirit which is communicated unto us by Christ goes on leaving and renouncing the image of Adam which is proper unto us by the humane generation by which we are naturally the sons of wrath we are enemies of God impious rebells and infidels and goes on taking and recovering that image of God which is proper unto us by christian regeneration by which we are as it were naturally the sons of grace adopted sons of God we are the friends of God pious obedient and faithfull and so by litle and litle we come to know God in us knowing in us those divine perfections which the holy spirit attributes to God And getting the regeneration and the renovation through the holy spirit and the holy spirit through Christ it comes to be true that by Christ we know God in us And it is a cleare ease we should never know in God truth fidelity justice bounty were we not first true faithfull just good c. It being naturall of man to judge of others according to that which he knowes in himselfe By a certaine inward vision I understand that a christian knowes God after that he hath known him by the revelation of Christ by the communication of the holy spirit by the Christian regeneration And for as much as belongs to this knowledge I referre my selfe to that which I have said in another Consideration Wherein I have set certain comparisons by which a man that hath not attained to this knowledge of God may in some sort arrive to understand in what it doth consist And if he doe arrive I am sure that there will come upon him so great a desire of this knowledge that he will continually goe after God saying unto him these amorous words shew unto me thy

because they haue not the knowledge of good or evill shall be saved in the day of judgement by the faith with which their Fathers have put them into Baptisme In effect exceeding great is the force efficacy of Faith I say of that which giving credit to the promises of God stands certain of the fulfilling of them shewing its certification by putting in execution that outward thing which on Gods behalfe is commanded This Faith saved Noah in the Floud by meanes of the Ark and this Faith shall save all us in the day of judgement by the meanes of Baptisme us who believing the Gospell shall be Baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost to whom be glory for ever Amen CONSID. CV Three principles whence the ignorances arise with which men erre against God COnsidering that which S. Paul saith of the sin which he had committed against God in persecuting the Christian Church But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief And considering the prayer wherewith Christ being put on the Crosse prayed his eternall Father for the sin of them that crucified him saying Father forgive them for they know not what they doe And considering that which S. Paul saith of the wisemen of the world For if they had known it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory I haue gathered three Principles from which I understand and all the errours which men doe against God through ignorance doe proceed The first is Malice The second is Inconsideratenesse The third is Incredulity In this manner from S. Pauls standing in unbeliefe from his not believing that Christ was the Sonne of God that he was the promised Messias in the Law that he died for the sinnes of every one that he was raised up for the resurrection of every one and that he was glorified for the glorification of every one it proceeded that he persecuted and slew them that did believe and preach this thinking therein to doe service to God as from step to step others haue done with the selfesame intentions which S. Paul did who as S. Paul haue erred and doe erre against God not by Inconsideratenesse for he and they go with attention to that which they doe nor through Malice for they doe not hate for their own interest those whom they persecute but through Infidelity because they doe not believe in Christ. Whence I understand it proceeded that God using mercy which S. Paul gaue him to know Christ and so of a famous persecuter he became a most famous Preacher as I understand hath befallen them who haue erred as S. Paul erred From the Gentiles who were Ministers and executers of Christs death not considering what they did proceeded that they erred inconsiderately killing the innocent as many Gentiles haue erred who have been the death of many Christians not cōfidering what they doe For if they did ●…onsider it as they ought there is no doubt they would not doe it And therefore because they erre as Beasts their errour is not put to their accompt This I believe holding for certain that God did heare Christ when he said Father f●…rgiue them for they know not what they doe And S. Steven whē he said Lord lay not this sin to their charge From that the Scribes and Pharisees minds stood full of indignation against Christ as haue been and are from time to time full of indignation against them that imitate Christ the minds of those who being like unto the Scribes and Pharisees make profession of outward holinesse being void of the inward it did proceed that is come to passe and goes on proceeding that maliciously killing them whom they haue known and doe know to be members of Christ who haue been alwaies hated of the Saints of the world because they ruine throw down that sanctity whereof they make profession With them I doe not understand that God useth mercy For albeit they stand as S. Paul did in Incredulity that is not in credulity which maketh the erre but proper Malice and Malignity Nor doe I understand that Christ prayed nor that his members pray for them for their errour ariseth not through Inconsideratenesse but from Malignant Depravation Nay this sin I understand is that which Christ calls against the holy spirit which he saith shall not ●…e pardoned neither in this nor in the other world And this selfesame sin I understand Saint Iohn calls a sin unto death The men who imitating the Scribes Pharisees erre through ignorance arising of malice I understand they haue left to be men and are in●…ernall spirits The men who imitating the Gentiles who killed Christ erre through ignorance arising from inconsideratenesse I understand they have left to be men are beasts And the men who imitating S. Paul erre through ignorance bred from incredulity are as I understand truly men to whom incredulity is so proper as Inconsideration is proper to the Beasts and as malice is proper to the infernall Spirits And therefore the errour which growes from Incredulity without mixture of malice and inconsideratnesse findes mercy with God he being drawn to the faith who errs through ignorance bred of incredulity Whereupon if any shall ask me saying whence dost thou think that the Hebrews erring through ignorance grew of which S. Paul saith Rom. 10. For being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establish their own righteousnesse they haue not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God I will answer him that it was bred partly from Malice and partly from Incredulity through the hatred which they bore unto the Gospell That this is true is approved that some believed and others remained in their ●…beliefe The selfesame will I answer to him that shall demand of me whence it did proceed doth proceed the erring through ignorance of them of whom Christ saith Every one that shall kill you will think that ●…e doth God good service And so much the more by how much to me it is approved that S. Paul was one of these and found mercy for his erring through ignorance grew from Incredulity In this discourse I learne this That every man ought to stand on his watch not to appassionate himselfe at any time in the things that appertain to religion I would say in defending one thing and impugning another with passion to the end that the passion may not blind him in such manner as he come to erre against God through Ignorance bred of malice Further I learn that a man ought not without consideration to set himselfe to any of those things which shall offer themselves unto him and much lesse to those which belong to religion to the end that he come not to bee counted in the number of Beasts Further I learn that a man who findes himselfe free from passion and from Inconsideration that hee erre not against God ought to acknowledge himselfe to be in Incredulity and so to pray