Geography History Arts and monuments of antiquity For 1. The holy Scriptures being the Language of other Countreys how shall they understand them that know nothing of the situation of those countreys and places or of their rites and customes particular idiomes phrases and proverbial speeches which must needs seem strange improper and insignificant to them who know no more but the ordinary places customes and expressions of their own nation 2. The Scriptures are of all books in the world the most ancient now as times do alter and vary so do the customes and constitutions actions and affections manners and proverbial sayings of all people alter also hence the 14. chapter of the 1 Cor. is so hard to be understood Because those customes are so long since out of date And this may seem to be one reason why God in his wisdome hath so often altered his waies of dispensation and the revelaton of his truth unto his Church and 't is the ground of that wise direction of the Father Distingue tempora intelliguntur Scripturae he must warily distinguish betwixt ancient and modern times that will rightly understand the Scriptures III. The knowledge of Rhetorick Logick c. by the help whereof we are enabled to take notice 1. Of those tropes and figures and metaphorical expressions whereof the holy Scripture is full to know what is properly and what figuratively expressed what is the literal and what the mystical sense therein what is delivered by way of History and what by way of parable and similitude what by way of command and what by way of counsel to compare the more obscure and dark places with the more plain and perspicuous the like saying in one place with its like in another and the differing and unlike with its unlike and differing expression 2. To observe the causes and grounds the scope and drift of every saying with the reasons and arguments to enforce it and warily to distinguish betwixt the substance and circumstances of each command and admonition 3. By way of Logical Analyse to open divide and resolve the holy Word into its proper parts that each who hears and reads the same may know his own portion and what particularly is applyable to him An art which Timothy was commanded to study for Study to shew thy self approved a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 1 Tim. 2.15 IV. The knowledge of natural causes vertues operations and effects which is the sum of Natural Philosophy For 1. The holy Scripture as well sets forth unto us the works of God Adoro scripturae plenitudinem quae mihi factorem manifâ—stat facta Tert. cont Herm. as his words of command admonition c. Witness the history of the creation Gen. 1. which is in it self a little epitome of all natural Philosophy and the admirable discourses of Gods works in the book of Job and in the Psalmes of David and many other places and this because the works of God are as the great Basil styles the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the School of Gods knowledge For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 The most wise God who hath revealed himself unto us in his works as well as in his word hath also used the one as a means to illustrate and clear the meaning of the other so that as the word of God sets forth his marvellous works so by his works and by similitudes and resemblances taken from his creatures he teacheth us in his word both the knowledge of himself and of his holy will touching the waies of his worship witnesse the manifold commands and admonitions expressed under the notion of several creatures The Oxe and the Asse the Stork the Crane Isa 1.3 and the Swallow To exemplifie but in one text which is also a positive command of the Gospel Mat. 10.16 Be ye therefore wise as Serpents but innocent as Doves He then that knowes nothing of the nature of the Serpent and of the Dove how shall he understand the meaning or yeeld obedience to this command And that very appearance of the holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove upon our Saviour Mat. 3.16 Act. 2.2 3. and in winde and fire upon his Apostles implies the necessity of this price of humane Learning to understand something of the properties of that creature and of these elements to understand aright the several qualifications of the holy Ghost V. The knowledge of moral Philosophy for rightly to understand the nature properties c. of moral vertues must needs conduce exceedingly to the right understanding of the perfection and excellency of spirituall graces the one being but the elevation and raising up of the other to an higher pitch of perfection The light of nature being not extinguished but made more clearly seeing by the light of Grace And the guidance of natural reason being not abolisht 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Diol cum Tryph. but rectified perfected and confirmed by the dictates and commands of the holy Christian Faith Therefore Justin Martyr stiles Philosophy meaning I believe natural and moral Philosophy as subservient to Divinity The greatest possession and most acceptable unto God as the means whereby we are brought to the knowledge of God and of his holy will CHAP. XI Of the Analogie of faith and the Doctrine of the Church TO the right understanding of holy Scriptures 't is further required to know what sense and meaning the ancient Fathers the learned and pious Doctors of the Church in all ages have given of them for no Scripture is of private interpretation But interpreted and understood it must be according to the general Canon or Analogie of Faith that faith which was once given to the Saints by the Apostles the articles whereof are summarily comprehended in the Apostles Creed That Faith which so delivered and received hath been preserved and maintained Winc. viâ— semper abique ab omnibus at all times in all places by all persons Councels and Fathers and is by the merciful providence of God in spite of all opposition from Infidels Heretiques and Schismatiques brought down unto us Prov. 3.5 This Faith must be the rule according to which we must steer our interpretations of holy Scriptures not leaning to our own understanding or abounding in our own sense but ever submitting our private judgement to the publique judgement of the Church which in the Apostles own times was commanded when the gift of prophesie or interpretation of Scripture was by more immediate and extraordinary inspiration communicated yet even then the judgement of the Church was to be allowed in the interpretation of Scripture 1 Cor. 14.29 Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge Object But 't is here objected Numb 16.14 Wilt thou put out the eyes of these
people must we not see with our own eyes but only with those of the Church Shall we pin our faith upon any mens sleeves What need we the authority of men when we have Gods own authority for our direction and men are but men i. e. frail and liable to error so that all they affirm is not to be taken for Gospel In answer whereunto consider Answ 1. That there is a great deal of difference betwixt an implicite faith and blinde obedience to the dictates of the Church and a submission to the publique judgement thereof The first deprives the people of their reason and judgement the second renders them more meek humble submissive and obedient and thereby more capable to receive the impression of the knowledge of celestial mysteries 2. That we assert not the ancient and learned Fathers of the Church ut dominos sed ut duces sidei Nihil carum rerum scire quae antè nascereris facta sunt hoc est semper esse puerum Cic. Not as Lords over our faith but as guides in the true belief And he that knows nothing of the Religion of the Fathers for his guidance and direction is most likely still to continue a childe in his religion Nor 3. are we to receive for Oracle all that the ancient reverend Fathers of the Church did affirm being very few amongst them Quicquid omnes vel plures uno eodemque sensu manifeste frequenter perseveranter velut quodam sibi consentiente concilio accipiendo tenendo tradendo firmaverint id pro indubitato certo ratcque habeatur Quicquid vero quamvis ille doctus sanâ—tus quamvis Episcopus praeter omnes aut etiam contra omnes senserit id inter proprias privatas opiniunculas à communis publicae generalis sententiae authoritate secretum sit Vinc. Lyr. but had their particular errors and mistakes and in many particulars also 't is confessed they did contradict each other 'T is not therefore the affirmations and private opinions of particular persons we must look upon as the Doctrine of true Religion and true meaning of the Scriptures but the general and universal consent of all for that all should erre and fall from the truth is contrary to what our Lord hath promised who will undoubtedly be as good as his word Mat. 16.18 Vpon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it and Mat. 28.20 I am with you alway even to the end of the world In a word in the interpretation of Scriptures and for the confirmation of holy truths thence deduced the authority of the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church is to be consulted and known for these reasons 1. Because they are certain and undeniable witnesses of what the Church and the people of Christ did in their respective times believe and hold for orthodox Doctrine If the same doctrine St. Augustine taught in Africk was also taught by St. Chrysostome in Greece by St. Ambrose in Italy by St. Hierome in Palestine and so in other places by holy and reverend Bishops and Pastors of the Church then this undoubtedly was the doctrine of the Church and thus were the holy Scriptures understood in those ages of the Church Ita intellexit Ambrosius ita Cyprianus c. Thus Ambrose thus Cyprian understood such or such a place of Scripture this had some weight in St. August time and St. Aug. opinion and there is no reason but that it should be of the same force still amongst us 'T is no way probable but that persons so eminent in learning and in piety so frequent in holy prayers and meditations in fastings and wailings so indefatigable in their studies and labours in the Word and Doctrine and who laid down their lives and fortunes for the doctrine they preached should more truly understand the Scriptures and the truth of Christian Religion then we who if there be any thing of Modesty and Humility in our hearts must confesse our selves far inferiour to them in the said gifts and graces of the holy Spirit Aug. Vsque adeo promiscuit imis summa longus dies c. Hath time so confounded all things is light so changed into darkness and darkness become light ut videant Pelagius c. that Haeretiques now are the only seers Et caeci sunt Hilarius Cyprianus Ambrosius And the learned pious Fathers of the Church become blinde The words are too much appliable to the Heretiques of the times 3. The judgement of the Fathers being so far remote from these times wherein we live must needs be impartial as to the controversies amongst us touching the interpretation of any texts of Scripture or doctrines therein delivered as being altogether disinterested and knowing nothing of our disputes and contestations thereabouts Aug. contra Julian Pelag Nullas nobiscum vel vobiscum amicitias attenderunt c. They were neither in friendship nor in community with us or with them who in this age are of a contrary opinion to us they were neither angry with us nor them neither did they pity either of us but what they found professed in the Church they faith fully preserved what they learned they taught and what they received from their fathers they delivered unto us their children and undoubtedly Survey of the pretended discipline as a learned man of our Church observes they that contemn the learned Fathers that went before them do but open a gap to their own discredit making way thereby to be contemned themselves by all those that shall come after 4. We cannot but reasonably imagine that those holy and learned persons who lived nearer the Apostles times should proportionably know better the Apostles meaning in their writings and the doctrine they preached then any of us who live so many hundred years since Iren. l. 3. ch 4. Therefore saith Irenaeus who was the Disciple of Polycarpus the Disciple of St. John Where any question ariseth and the holy Scripture as 't is too common is so perverted Vinc. Ler. as to be made speak for both sides whither shall we have recourse for satisfaction but to the ancient Churches of Christ in which the Apostles converst from thence to hear what the truth is viz. Quid Apostoli quid primi fideles quid eorum successores c. what the Apostles what their Disciples and successors what the primitive Saints and Martyrs Councels and Fathers have received taught and delivered unto others For what came the word of God our from you or came it unto you only 1 Cor. 14.36 Since the Word of God comes not first to us but by and from the Church it is delivered it followes that the sense and meaning of Gods word must not spring from our own heads but to be by and from the Church delivered together with the word The learned Doctor Whittaker in his disputes against the authority of the Church Whit. de sac Q. 3. con 1. c.
heresies even that which they call the light within us This say they is the only Judge we must follow the Pilot we must steer by the voice whereunto we must give ear the only Sanctuary to which we must flie for resolution never remembring how this sanctuary is profan'd by continual acts of spiritual fornication or idolatry therein committed whilest in stead and even in opposition to God and Spirit of all truth they enshrine and idolize their own fond vain and lying imaginations which the Lord by his Prophet cals the vanity and deceitfulnesse of their own heart Jer. 14.4 Jer 14.14 The Lord said unto me The Prophets prophesie lies in my Name I have not sent them neither did I command them neither spake I unto them but they prophesie unto you a false vision and divination and vanity and the deceitfulnesse of their own heart 'T is undoubtedly necessary for every man to be perswaded in his own conscience both of the truth of what he believes and of the justice and equity of what he undertakes but yet this perswasion of the conscience or the following the light within us or the dictates of our own spirit is not the first ground and prime rule either of our faith or of our works For the conscience it self must be regulated or else it will often prove a false witness and most especially in the things of God for as conscience is is set betwixt God and us so it must speak from God unto us And our spirit or the light within us must be guided by the light of Gods Spirit shining in his word S. Paul thought verily he ought to do many things against the name of Jesus This perswasion arose from the light within him Act. 16.9 11. and hereupon he made havock of the Church which no man that is not infatuate will say was either fit or lawful to be done 'T was first in the heart of Judas to betray his Master Joh. 13.2 Such was the light within him and according to this light he walked till at last he hanged himself And this delusion of mans own spirit following the deceitfull dictates of his own heart is seldome mentioned in holy Scripture without heavie threats denounced both against such deluders and all that suffer themselves to be deluded by them as you may read Jer. 14.15 16. And again Ezek. 13.3 Wo unto the foolish Prophets Ezek. 13.3 which follow their own spirit and have seen nothing Nothing but what their own foolish spirit dictates to them Such are noted by the Apostle also Col. 2.18 Who intrude into those things which they have not seen Col. 2.18 or which they understand not being vainly puft up by their fleshly minde Closs Sensualitatis non rationis following the dictates of sense rather then of right reason and in this place the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is remarkable for even by that 't is easie to distinguish betwixt the dictates of a mans own carnal and sensual spirit and the impressions of Gods holy Spirit for the guidance of the minde The dictate of the fleshly spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inflatio a puffing up but the impression of the holy Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afflatio an inspiration indeed but without inflation or puffing up The heavenly winde of Gods Spirit may fill but it never puffs up or swels the heart but rather humbles and abaseth the Spirit of man which is most conformable to the Spirit of Christ according to his own command Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11.29 the minde that is either puft up with pride vain-glory and false conceited excellency in it self or that swels with malice hatred or envie towards others is not inspired with the celestial Breath or Spirit of the holy Jesus but follows its own carnal and corrupt dictates and conceits being thereunto raised and moved by that grand Impostor the spirit of Delusion Besides mans own carnal spirit there is also A spirit of the World opposing and poysoning the truths of Gods Spirit The Apostle distinguisheth and opposeth these each to other 1 Cor. 2.12 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the spirit which is of the world but the Spirit which is of God which spirit of the world he cals a little before the wisdome of the world and of the Princes thereof vers 6. and opposeth the same to the wisdome of God vers 7. And what else can be this wisdome of the world but those humane policies so frequent in the world whereby men steer their actions to their worldly ends and interests with this spirit of the world are all such possest who having set up and enshrined the world in their hearts do thereupon ground their Religion and thence deduce all their reasons arguments and religious conclusions so that they can finde in their hearts to be thus far religious and to close with this or that sect society and opinion in Religion as it stands with their worldly profit pleasure credit preferment or the like It was from the dictates of this spirit that Jeroboam the Son of Nebat made Israel to sin pulling down the holy and true Religion established amongst the people by the Lawes of God and erecting two golden Calves at Dan and Bethel which became a snare unto the people who were thereby inveigled into idolatry the cause of their utter ruine and extirpation in the end And what other Spirit was it that moved this wicked Usurper thereunto 1 King 12.28 29. but that of his own worldly respects and interests there was no other way as this worldly spirit dictated to him to uphold his present estate and new gotten Monarchy so we read 1 King 12.26 1 King 12.26 c. And Jeroboam said in his heart Now shall the kingdome return to the house of David c. Rather then the people should return to their obedience to their liege Lord and Soveraign religion must down and the true worship of God be laid in the dust to make way for superstition and idolatry to be set up the Priests of the Lord shall be discarded and the lowest of the people exaltted to that dignity and to make the office more contemptible every one that list may take up the trade and consecrate himself to be a Priest of the high places 2 King 13.33 1 King 13.33 It was this very spirit also that stirred up the High-priests and Pharisees to take counsell against our Saviour to put him to death for say they If we let him alone all men will believe on him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Romans will come and take away our place and Nation Joh. 11.48 It was this spirit also that stirred up Demetrius the Silver-smith with the rest of the Crafts-men of the like occupation against St. Paul and his companions and the holy Christian Religion preached by them his Pretence was Religion such a kinde
quantum in ejus dilectione profecerimus God suffers us to be tempted tryed and proved by the lying wonders of false Peophets arising amongst us not that he himself may know what is in us to whom the hearts of all men are naked and bare but that we may thereby know our selves and our own proficiency and constancy to the principles of truth and integrity The very same reason is given by the Apostle for the necessity of heresies 1 Cor 11.19 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be heresies among you Aug. de civ Dei lib. 18. that they which are approved among you may be known Quolibet errore caecentur c. With what error soever our enemies are blinded or with what wickedness soever they are deprav'd 't is for the proof trial and exercise of the graces of Gods Spirit within us Have they received power to afflict persecute imprison c. 'T is for the trial of our patience in suffering and charity in loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors as becomes the Disciples of Christ Mat. 5.44 Mat. 5.44 Do they only by fair words and cunning speeches distil their false and poysonous Doctrines 'T is for the trial of our wisdome in resisting Gal. 6.1 and beneficence in perswading and endevouring to restore them with the spirit of meeknesse proving whether God will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth that they may escape the snare of the Devil of whom they are taken captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.25 26. 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Secondly Try the spirits whether they be of God or no Try them how but by the revelations of the Spirit which is of God who being the Spirit of truth must necessarily therefore in all his qualifications and impressions be consentaneous and agreeable to himself Aug. Veritas veritati congrua one truth ever holds proportion with another nay all truths are as it were the images and resemblances one of another they are all links of the same golden chain which affixt to the throne of heaven displayes ' its radiant lustre unto the mindes of men upon earth They are all but streams flowing from one and the same fountain the God of truth There is nothing then that we are to receive for truth but what is consonant and agrees with the Spirit of truth which ever blessed Spirit speaking in the Word hath thereby prescribed and given us a sure and infallible rule of truth What the Apostle cals a being filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 19. he also cals the dwelling of the word of Christ in us richly which any one that will compare the places may perceive whence it is easie to observe that the Apostle means no other by being filled with the Spirit then to be full of the Word of Christ or to be mighty in the Scriptures and the reason is because the holy Spirit is not only the great Dictator of the Scriptures unto us but also our guide in several respects as to the right understanding of them The first rule of trial then is the holy Word of God in general that 's the grand general rule that 's the great square or level according to which we are to try and examine the rectitude truth and integrity both of the doctrines and opinions of others without and also the impressions and workings of the Spirit within Gal. 1.8 Though we Gal. 1. â— or an Angel from Heaven should preach unto you another Gospel besides that you have received let him be accursed Though we preferring authority of the Gospel they had preached before their own authority the Preachers thereof nay before the authority of celestial spirits Though an Angel from Heaven c. He saw saith the Father Aug. that it might so come to passe that Satan transforming himself into an angel of light and working by his mediators and instruments those deceitful workers who transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 13 14. might so cousen and deceive them if they did not keep close to the Gospel received which is the true rule of faith therefore he saith another Gospel besides c. praeter any thing that is besides that holds not square and is not level to that rule Qui praetergreditur fidâ—i regulam non procedit in via sed recedit à via he that goes besides and not according to the rule of faith goes not forward in the way but backward from the way of truth so 1 Joh. 4.8 We are of God speaking of himself and the rest of his fellow Apostles He that knoweth God heareth us acquiescendo doctrinae nostrae cleaves to our doctrine and he that is not of God heareth us not Lyra. neither is obedient to our word And hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error q. d. He that cleaves to our doctrine is guided by the Spirit of truth and he that doth not so by the spirit of error But the spirit of error will come with his scriptum est likewise as he did against our Lord himself Mat. 4. And all hereticks and schismaticks do generally alledge Scriptures and wrest the very sayings of the Spirit of truth against himself to insinuate thereby their lies and errors For as Tertullian observes of the writings of Ovid Virgil Homer both the matter of them hath been transferr'd unto other uses and the verses applyed to other matter Even so do hereticks deal with the holy writings of inspired men De Praeser adv Haer. cap. 39. Nec periclitor dicere c. I fear not to say that the Scriptures were so disposed by the wisdome of God that they might accidentaliter and by the by even administer matter to Heresies since I read that heresies must come and without the Scriptures they cannot come For 't is in the production of heresies as of natural things Corruptio unius est generatio alterius the corruption of truth is the generation of heresie all heretical opinions being generally grounded upon and flowing from the fountain of truth the Scripture not as they are in themselves rightly interpreted and understood but as they are wrested and perverted either in the words or in the sense either by additions or diminutions or by not considering them together but divided into parts and taken up by shreds and pieces for the avoiding whereof these following rules must be observed in the trial of spirits by the Scriptures First try and oxamine by the coherence whether that be the very intent and aim of the holy Ghost in the text for the which it is urg'd and alleged For the same words of the Spirit may be misapplyed both to other things and other persons then the Spirit ever meant or intended therein Secondly distinguish betwixt times ages persons when wherein and to whom this or that word was spoken For there are many things both said and recorded to be done in the Word which are only agreeable
to those times to that age of the Church and to some particular persons and are not at all appliable to the Church and people of Christ in these times or to any persons amongst us Thirdly examine diligently the phrase and manner of speech whether it be plain or Metaphorical literal or allegorical a true history or a parable only For many things are spoken in the Word by way of type figure allegory parable and the like which if we should apply in the plain and literal sense would prove strange monstrous lies and contradictions which God forbid any man should be so blasphemous as to impose on the Spirit of truth and wisdome Fourthly examine diligently what agreement every text of Scripture hath with other and receive not easily and slightly the seeming sense of any text without comparing the same with its parallel texts For many things seem to be positively asserted in some places of the Word of God which yet are directly contradicted in others one place therefore is so to be compared with and interpreted by another that the one do not obscure or any way cloud the truth of the other Fifthly examine whether that which we conceive to be the sense of this or that Scripture be agreeable to those Articles of Christian faith contained in the Apostles Creed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or form of sound words in faith we must 2 Tim. 2.13 Jude v. 3. hold fast that model of faith once given to the Saints for which we must contend and consequently receive no private sense or interpretation of Scripture that is contrary thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 remembring that no Scripture is of any private interpretation 1 Cor. 14.32 but that even the Spirits of the Prophets themselves are subject to the Prophets Sixtly examine what we conceive to be the sense of the Spirit in the Word by the rule of that law written by the singer of God in two Tables of stone as a lasting square according to which to regulate all our actions and consequently all our conceptions and opinions from whence our actions flow The rule of obedience or that all perfect rule of Charity Rom. 13 1◠which is the fulfilling of the Law is an infallible rule of trial of the spirits whether they be of God or no Hereby saith the Apostle we are sure we know God if we keep his Commandements he that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.34 1 Joh. 2.34 It is not the Spirit of truth but the spirit of error if it oppose or deny or any way impede and hinder our obedience to the Laws of God For saith the same Apostle again He that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in him 2 Joh. 3.24 and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us even by that Spirit which he hath given us even by the spirit of obedience to the Commandements of God So that even from hence 't is clear that both to have the Spirit abiding in us and the way to know we have him also and not a false counterfeit lying spirit is if thereby we be mov'd and enabled to keep Gods Commandements This is the very rule our Saviour himself prescribes to examine his own doctrine thereby Joh. 7.17 Joh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self And this is the first general rule of tryal of the Spirits even the Word of God A second rule according to which to try the spirits whether they be of God or no is by the fruits of the Spirit and 't is the rule our Lord himself hath given us to know them by Mat. 7.15 Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves Beware of false Prophets for many such are gone out into the world who in respect of their exteriour dress and outward appearance so plausible are their pretences so spiritual are their expresions so much of the language of the Spirit and Scripture phrases flow from them that you would take them for the true sheep of Christ and undoubtedly to belong to his fold and yet for all this inwardly really and truly they are wolves in sheeps cloathing limbs of Satan deceiving and devouring the souls of the simple But by their fruits you shal know them which is confirmed by an apt similitude Mat. 7.16 vers 16. Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles q. d. No man can be so foolish as to expect this but every tree whether it be good or whether it be bad bringeth forth fruit suitable to its good or bad nature So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit nor is it possible it should be otherwise A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit even so false Prophets cannot bring forth the fruit of good true wholsome sound doctrines and religious manners So Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man being good in himself produceth evil actions on the other side saith Antoninus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that will not have a wicked man to commit wickedness is like unto him that will not have a fig-tree to bring forth figs 'T is then an infallible tryal of the spirits whether they be of God or no by the fruits they bring forth The fruit of the Spirit viz. which is of God Gal. 5.22 23. is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance The first of these fruits and the fairest too even of largest extent and most lasting which this tree of life brings forth is Love even the love of God above all and of our neighbour as our selves This therefore must needs be an infallible touch-stone to try the spirit of truth from the spirit of error for the spirit of truth is the very spirit of love and that first in respect of himself being that essential love and love-knot of the Father and the Son And secondly in respect of us being that sacred vinculum that invisible chain which unites us unto God by faith which worketh by love Gal. 5 6. and which unites one to another by charity peace amity the inseparable fruits of a true faith So that the Spirit of God is vinculum unitatis both in respect of his person and office and that 3 waies First he is the bond of unity betwixt God and God Secondly betwixt God and man and Thirdly betwixt man and man therefore call'd the unity of the Spirit Eph. 4.3 The devil on the other side Ephes 4.3 is of a quite contrary nature as being the author fautor and fomentor of all division He divides and separates man from God by sinfulness and error and man from man by envie malice hatred strife
Spirit is clear from the prayer of our Lord Joh. 17.17 Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth The Word of God is the Word of truth for our illumination and the Word of grace for our sanctification and this prayer of our Lord was granted saith Lyra in behalf of his Apostles when the holy Spirit descended on them at the feast of Pentecost Regeneration which is the same with sanctification and to be born of God and to be born of the Spirit is ascribed to the Word of God as the conveyance of the Spirit in this respect or as the means of our new birth Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us Jam. 1.18 Joh. 1.17 by the Word of truth And Joh. 1.17 The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Now what else are the gifts of the Spirit or at least whereunto do they tend but to the clear understanding of the truth of God revealed by Jesus Christ which revelations are the sum of his Gospel and what else are the graces of Gods Spirit but accumulative an obedience to this truth even an obedience to the Gospel of Christ 1 Cor â—â—4 Hence it is termed the power of God and the wisdome of God And his Gospel the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 So that the preaching reading hearing or in a word the clearing of this Gospel unto the mindes of men is the conveyance of the Spirit thereinto An example whereof see Act 18.44 Whilest Peter yet spake these words Act. 10.14 the words of the Gospel the holy Ghost fell on them all that heard the Word 3. The Holy Sacraments both Baptism and the Supper of the Lord are effectual means also for the conveyance of the holy Spirit 'T is promised upon our Baptism with repentance Act. 2.38 Act. 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost And this is also verified from the example of Christ our head upon whose Baptism in Jordan the heavens were opened and the holy Ghost descended in shape of a dove and lighted on him Mat. 3.16 denoting unto us Mat. 3.16 Remig. that by the virtue and power of Baptism not only the heavens are opened but also the gift of the holy Ghost is received therefore are we said to be born again of water and of the holy Ghost and without that the heavens are shut against us There is no admission into the celestial Kingdome Joh. 3 5. Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven The Apostle St. Paul couples both Sacraments together as the conveyances of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and are all made to drink of one Spirit where we have the Spirit joyned with Baptism and with the Lords Supper also for what else can be meant by drinking of one Spirit but an allusion to the eating and drinking of the holy body and bloud of our Lord whereof himself testifies Joh. 6.55 56. My flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drink indeed Joh. 6.55 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him that is is make partaker of my Spirit or of my gifts and graces For in such a spiritual sense we must needs understand the words except we admit them in the grosse carnal and corporal sense of the Romanists Hence Christ is termed by the Apostle a spiritual meat and a spiritual drink 1 Cor. 10.3.4 1 Cor. 10. â— And they did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of the same spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ A spiritual meat and and spiritual drink Christ was to the Israelites of old in those Sacramental Symbols of his presence with them the Rock and the Manna and the like but in a more full measure and clear manner he is to us in those consecrated elements of his holy Supper which being rightly administred and rightly received are spiritual food indeed for we eat and drink the very Spirit of Christ therewithal that is are made partakers of his gifts and graces But how comes it to passe then that these blessed means of grace these conveyances of the Spirit are so often ineffectual Many men do daily pray often hear and read the Word of God have been engraffed into the body of Christ by Baptism and many times receive the blessed Eucharist and yet little or no newes do they hear of the Spirit very little stirrings of the heart few good motions do they feel within they are never the better nor a whit the more enricht either with spiritual gifts or graces for the use of these means The cause whereof is the hardnesse of mans heart which receives not the impressions of the Spirit the corruption of mans nature which quenches the sacred fires of Piety and Charity before they be well inkindled in the soul the exorbitant and unruly lusts of the flesh and of the world which resist the good motions lustings and strivings of the Spirit of God Intus existens prohibet alienum when the fruits of the flesh have overgrown the soul there 's no room for the fruits of the Spirit to take rooting there These two kindes of fruits cannot grow both in one heart but the one will choak overgrow and destroy the other To this outward means of grace then and of the Spirit the inward qualifications the infitting of the soul to receive the impressions of the Spirit must be added Actus aclivorum in patiente disposito as the patient is disposed and fitted to be wrought upon accordingly so is the power and efficacy of the Agent so that according as the hearts of men are more or lesse perspirable and plyable to the impressions of the Spirit accordingly so are his workings and inspirations upon the heart The holy Spirit is compared in Scripture to water Joh. 7.38 39. and as the water is of a diffusive nature and knows no bounds but as 't is limited by the channel or vessel that holds it so the Spirit is in himself of a spreading quality and is only straitned by the narrownesse of the hearts whereinto he flowes 2 Cor. 6.12 as 2 Cor. 6.12 Ye are not straitned in us that is in our Ministry we preach abundance of grace unto you but you are straitned in your own bowels through the hardnesse of your hearts being not capable of the graces of the Spirit And the heart is made soft and pliable for the impressions of the Spirit by repentance and mortification the good seed of Gods Spirit will not take root amongst the thornes of impiety Jer. 4.4 therefore
shine into our hearts and guide us in the sacred paths of life eternal But as unto every thing of price and value there is art and skill required rightly to make use thereof and also there are means and instruments fitted for the acquiring of this skill so rightly to use this precious jewel of Gods holy Word for the illumination of our souls there is much art and skill required and this skill must be attained in the use of all those instruments and helps which God hath for this end graciously afforded unto us it being most agreeable to the wisdome and goodnesse of God to work upon humane understanding by humane means and helps And according as we are more or lesse industrious in the use of these means God imparts a more or lesse treasure of understanding unto us Not as if the holy Spirit of God could not without means communicate his gifts of wisdome and open our understanding to understand the Scriptures Luk 24.45 But that ordinarily he doth not do this but commands us not lazily to sit still Prov. 2.4 and wait upon his immediate Revelations but to seck for knowledge and search for wisdome as for hid treasures and how shall we seek for it but in the use of those means he hath sitted for this search And these means are either outward or inward The outward and humane helps are the knowledge and understanding of tongues and sciences The inward or divine means are the purity and holiness of the hearts and life The first are necessary as to the formale externum to understand the outward letter of the word in its proper and genuine sense The second as to the formale internum rightly to apply the word according to the minde of the holy Spirit therein And experimentally to feel those sacred truths accomplished in our selves As to the former whereupon this controversie depends the knowledge of tongues and languages arts and sciences herewithall the holy Scripture doth presuppose those men to be furnished that will dive into the secret and hidden mysteries therein contained for all kindes of knowledge have their certain bounds and limits and each of them presupposes many necessary things learned in other sciences before we can know the secrets of this as the Art of Rhetorick presupposeth the understanding of words as the cabinet must be first opened before the jewel therein can be found out There is a threefold knowledge of things natural moral and divine By the first we are guided to live as men By the second as reasonable men and members of a civil society By the third as Christian men and parts of Christs body the Church And each of these presupposes the other as moral wisdome presupposes that which is natural and divine wisdome presupposes both to this end God hath endued us not only 1. With sense to know the things that concern our present life and being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. de Mos And 2. with reason to know what concerns our well being in the peace contentment and happiness of the soul But 3. He hath added also the heavenly revelations of his holy Word whereby what sense and reason could never sinde out as conducible to eternal happiness is made known unto us And as reason doth imply and presuppose a man to be endued with sense so Religion and divine Revelation presupposes as to endued with sense and reason 2. Divinity which is the body of divine Revolation is the Art of arts and comprehends with it what ever other Arts do teach And the holy Scriptures the contents whereof are the precepts of this Art both contains all kindes of knowledge und relates to all sorts of truth both natural Eph. 5.20 Civil Rom. 13.4 Historical 2 Tim. 3.8 Forein Tit. 1.12 And consequently to the understanding thereof the knowledge of such Truths are necessarily subservient to the supernatural and divine assistance Humane Arts are the Handmaids of Religion which they serve and wait upon as their Queen and Soveraign And as great Fersons are not approached unto without the mediation of servants and great Houses have their through-fare before you come to rooms of state and great Cities have their suburbs before you come to the high streets So the great and sacred body of Divinity is not approached unto ordinarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she sits in the height and perfection of understanding but by the mediation of her Handmaids or through the several passages of Tongues and Sciences 3. Though many things in holy Scripture be plain and easie to be understood without the help of much learning or art yet there are also many things obscure dark and mysterious which too many men for want of learning and sobriety do misconster pervert and abuse to their own ruine which is expresly affirmed both of St. Pauls Epistles and of other Scriptures also 2 Pet 3.16 As also in all his Epistles speaking in them of those things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction In which meaning St. Pauls Epistles are somethings hard Non temere a Spiritu Sto. Scripturas esse tectas sed eb id meâ—imè ne vâ—leseam exerceant uâ— pascant Aug. And the holy Ghost hath therefore left Gods word in many places veil'd and obscure saith St. August 1. Novileseat that we might not undervalue it 2. Vt exerceat to keep us in the exercise of prayers and meditations studies and labours for all kinde of knowledge the more hardly it is attained the more we esteem it and the more also it doth feed and nourish the soul as making a deeper impression therein 4. Such is the height and sublime perfection of those holy mysteries in sacred Scripture contained that vulgar and learned men have need of an interpreter as Act. 8.31 Learned Guides therefore God hath in all ages raised up both Priests and Prophets under the Law and under the Gospel whom he hath appointed the treasurers of knowledge and unlearning in the sound and sincere Expasition of holy Scripture and instruction of his people 5. The necessity and honour of humane learning as to the reception and right understanding of divine Revelations doth appear from the antiquity for those first Patriarchs of the world who honoured with immediat Revelation and invested with the sacred office of the Priesthood were all of them learned men either so found or so made by the God of wisdome and knowledge when he spake unto them Adam as the first man so the first to whom God revealed himself and first Priest or Prophet of the Lord was not a â—ovice in Philosophy nor ignorant of any part of what we call humane learning he knew undoubtedly the nature properties vertues effects and workings of all creatures and therefore God permitted him to give them names according to their natures Gen. 2.19.20 And out of the ground the
that the very end of all such breeding is meerly to make a trade of the Ministery that they may get livings and preferments in the world The Scholars study for Benefices and Tithes and Degrees and the Priests teach for hire and the Prophets prophesie for money thus the holy Ghost is bought and sold and the office of the Ministery it self being Simoniacal is thereby unlawfull Answ 'T is confessed That if Livings and preferments were the only end of our studies and endevours either for or in the work of the Ministery it were iniquity in us And although it cannot be denied but that some persons amongst us are too much guilty of this iniquity yet the guilt of some few and their ambitious and covetous desires do's neither first impeach the way of breeding in Colledges and Schooles nor yet secondly any way impugn the use and necessity of the Ministerial office As to the first not only under the Law the Prophets of the Lord both ordinary and extraordinary were generally such as were bred up in the Schools of the Prophets as before but under the Gospel we read of Christ himself that he had recourse unto the Temple where he sate amongst the Doctors hearing them and asking them questions Exâ—mplo ejus nobis estendem ne infirmus docere quis â—udeat si ille puer doceri interrogando voluit qui per divinitatâ— potentiam veâ—bam scientiae ipsis doctoribus mâ—nâ—stravit Lyra. Luk. 2.46 not that he who was the wisdome of the Father had need of any instruction from men but to give us an example by this gracious act of condescension first to hear and learn from them whom God and publique order has plac'tâ— over us before we presume to be the teachers of others As in temporall and civill affairs He to whom all things in heaven and caâ—th do bow and obey was notwithstanding obedient to his parents and to Caesar that he might be unto us a patter most the like obedience so in spiritual and divine things He who is the fountain of wisdome and truth vouchsafe notwithstanding to be taught by learn from the Doctors of the Law that he might be unto us an example to observe the same way of instruction and breeding The example of S. Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles bred up at the fect of Gamaliel his Divinity Lectures for the space of seven years together Exemplified preached in the School of one Tyrannus hath both warranted and exemplified the joynt use of Philosophy and Divinity Lectures in our Colledges and the useful combination of humane and divine learning of humane Arts and divine Theologie Reason and Religion the one as the Handmaid and the other as the Mistresse or rather the Queen of saving knowledge and wisdome As to the second Those who either study to preach or preach what they have studied and learnt out of ambitious and covetous desires only as their intentions desires are best known unto God the Judge of all so to his just judgement 't is our Christian duty to refer them Bâ—r. in cant Serm. 3â— â—itat pâ—r Th. Aq. Est in 1 Cor. 8.1 And herein 't is to be heartily wished that those pious and prudent directions of S. Bernard might by all students and preachers both be remembred and observ'd Necesse est ut scias c. He that will study aright for knowledge and rightly imploy it when he hath obtained it it is necessary that he consider and observe 1. A right order 2 A right endevour 3. A right end in his studies and spiritual labours And. 1. He observes a right order who studies to know that first which is most conduceable to eternal salvation 2. A right endeavour is observed when that is most earnestly laboured for which most tends to the inflaming of the soul with the celestial fire of holy charity 3. He observes a right end in his studies who studies not either 1. out of curiosity or 2. of vain-glory or 3. for filthy lucre and preferment or in a word for any sordid and worldly ends but only for the edification of himself and others For 1. there are some saith the Father who study to know only that they may know and this is a fantastick and misbecoming curiosity Others 2. study to know that they may be known and taken notice of for learned and knowing men and this is pride and vain-glorious ostentation against whom that satyrical lash of the Poet is directed Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Others 3. study to know that they may make sale and gain of their knowledge and this is filthy covetousness Others 4. do study for knowledge and widom for their own edification in the most holy Faith and this in prudence And others 5. study for the aedification of others And this is Charity Only the two last saith the Father abuse not their knowledge because for this end only they labour for knowledge that they may know to do good both to themselves and to others The necessity of learning as to the understanding of holy Scriptures will further appear by induction of particulars CHAP. X. The several parts of Learning required to the understanding of the holy Scriptures I. TO the right understanding of the true and genuine sense of Gods holy Word first The knowledge of Tongues and Languages is requisite For tongues are the gates of knowledge or the doors to the house of wisdome and as ordinarily no man enters a house but by the doors thereof so no man how piercing soever his understanding be can enter the cabinet of divine mysteries contained in holy Scriptures but by some insight in those languages wherein they were written For 1. 't is not enough to see these waters of life in their streams except we see them also in their fountain not only as they are severally and variously translated by men but as they are the immediate dictates of the Spirit of God for as waters are more clear in the fountain then in the stream so the holy Scriptures appear more clear and intelligible in the Original and fountain Language then as they are conveighed unto us in the stream of Translations into other languages 2. The holy Scripture is full of Metaphors Multa dicuntur in sac Script 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnis metaphora si de-alia in aliam linguam transferatur ad verbum quibusdam quasi sentibus orationis sensus germina suffocantur Hier. in Eph. 4. and as Hier. observes When a Metaphor is transferred out of one Language into another if it be done exactly and to a word it loses its proper emphasis and the sense and fruitfulness thereof is stifled and choakt 3. There is no Translation how accurate soever can in all words and phrases punctually agree with the Original because there are but few words to be found in any language which have not divers significations II. The knowledge of
presume to intermeddle with preaching or unfolding the mysteries of the Gospel 'T is recorded of the great St. Basil and Nazianzen that after their long studies in saecular learning Russin Lib. 2. cap. 9. they continued for the space of thirteen yeers together in a monastery giving themselves to the study of holy Scriptures the sense and meaning whereof they fetcht not out of their own heads but out of the writings and authority of the ancients to whom by succession from the Apostles the rule of right understanding the Scriptures was apparently known The order of divine wisdome and providence in the dispensation of holy truths to the world is worth our observation out of 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit there are diversities of administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but the same God that worketh all in all From hence it is easie to observe that there must be gifts before administrations i. e. 1. A man must be qualified with gifts fit for every calling before he receive administration or be ordained to that calling 2. There must be administration before operation i. e. A man must be lawfully ordained to a calling before he work or labour therein So in the great calling of the Ministry the gifts of the Spirit must precede or go before before Letters of administration be taken And 2. a lawful ordination must be taken before operation or working therein And he that either 1. assumes this high and sacred function Bish Andr. serm in 1 Cor. 12.14 c. being not qualified with gifts contemns the Spirit from whom they come Or 2. He that labours in the word and Doctrine though he be gifted being not also lawfully ordained contemns the Lord from whom all administrations come and who hath instituted and commanded ordination thereunto Or 3. He that being both gifted and lawfully ordained is not industrious in this calling contemns God the Father of all operations who worketh all in all He that thinks any of these superfluous may as well question whether some one Person of the Trinity be not superfluous also even that Person from whom comes that part of the division which he slights and contemns As it is therefore in the order of the Trinity as the Father begets the Son and from the Father and the Son proceeds the holy Ghost So in this Division the gifts of the Spirit beget the Lords Administration or calling to the Ministry and both together produce the operation or labour therein which is the work of God and as no man comes to Christ but by the holy Ghost so no man comes lawfully to the calling but by the gifts and as no man comes to the Father but by the Son so no man comes to the work but by the calling CHAP. XIII The internal and divine qualifications of the soul as to the understanding of holy Scriptures 1. T Is confessed that all the external parts of humane learning already remembred though they be the gifts and blessings of Gods Spirit and necessary helps to the opening of the Letter and right understanding of the literal and genuine sense of Gods word yet are not in themselves alone sufficient to attain a true and throughly saving knowledge thereof except our souls be enricht as with the outward gifts so with inward graces of the holy Spirit also Truth and Holiness are the two inseparable constituent parts of spiritual wisdome and to understand the truth or true meaning of the Spirit of Truth in the word the Spirit of holiness must necessarily concur And this is most eloquently expressed Job 28. where after a most high and magnificent expression of the praises great price and value of true wisdome a view is taken of all the parts of the world where it might be found gold and silver iron and brasse all useful metals and precious stones have their places though secret designed them but where shall this rich pearl where shall wisdome be found and what is the place of understandings Vers 12. It is not found in the land of the living the depth saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not in me Vers 14. It is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowls of the air vers 21. The most Eagly sighted Philosophers and wisemen of the world who have viewed the natures properties and causes of all things not in the earth alone but in the heavens also even the courses influences and operations of the Sun Moon and Stars have not yet attained true wisdome how then shall we finde it out it followes God knoweth the place thereof and he understandeth the way thereof vers 23. And he hath said Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding briefly describing both the place of wisdome and the way thereunto even the way of piety and obedience And of that piety which is necessarily requisite to the understanding of holy Truth there are several species or particular parts which from the example of holy Bernard may be thus reckoned up Qui ut legeret intelligendi fecit cupiditas ut intelligeret oratio impetravit ut impetraret quid nisi vitae sanctitas promeruit His earnest desire of knowledge made him studious and industrious in reading his fervent prayers obtained the understanding of what he read and his holy life made his prayers effectual for the enlightning of his understanding and thus he must desire thus study thus pray and thus live who will attain that knowledge which shall make him wise to salvation 1. The first divine qualification of the soul requisite unto knowledge is the desire thereof The beginning of wisdome it the desire of instruction Wisd 6.17 Come unto me all ye that be desirious of me and fill your selves with my fruits Ecclesiasticus 24.19 and what is more authentick If thou seekest wisdome as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Prov. 2.4 Such desires and studies for wisdome the holy Ghost undoubtedly would never 1. exemplifie 2. exhort unto 3. enkindle in the hearts of men but that they should tend not to vexation and trouble but to satisfaction and accomplishment in the prosecution of them Et hoc modo priùs invenire oportet ut quaeras deinde quaerere ut pleniùs invenias This desire of knowledge must not be only earnest but also sincere Pura erit intentio si in omni actione aut honorem Dei aut militatem proximi aut bonam consciâ—ntiam conscientiam quaeramus Bern. serm par free from partialities prejudices and prepossessions free from pride covetousnesse ambition emulation and all base carnal and worldly ends and interests denoted by the singleness of the eye Mat. 6.22 which is generally interpreted to be purity of intention in all our studies and endevours
1. His written Word 2. Those several means and helps forementioned both divine and humane outward and inward for the right understanding of his Word by the blessing of God and the secret influence of his holy Spirit upon our studies and meditations therein laies himself open to manifold temptations and dangerous seductions of the spirit of error and delusion and as much as in him lies subverts the very foundation of the holy Christian Faith for hereupon these destructive inconveniencies must needs ensue 1. The canon of holy Scripture is transgrest and dissolv'd by the superaddition of new Revelations and the authority of Gods Word is made null and void that must passe for a dead letter when the fictitious dreams and delusions of every idle enthusiastical brain under the mask of Revelations shall be mistaken and miscalled too The quickning Spirit And he that sets up any thing of Religion to the dishonour of holy Scriptures Optaâ— l. 3. 1. saith the Father he doth adificium de ruina construere erect a building upon the ruines of Gods truth and such a building can be no better but an heap of errors and deceits For what will not he dare to affirm and hold who holds any thing besides or above or but equal to the Word of God for the Rule of Faith Hereupon the Resurrection hath been denied and the last judgement and the necessity of all holy just and good works the necessary consequences of these points of our faith for he that believes not the Resurrection and last judgement Quid boni aut veri what holy Truth will he care to believe or what good action will he make conscience to practise 2. He opposes himself to the doctrine of the universal Church of Christ for 1600 years together who with one unanimous and common consent have received the holy Scriptures as the very canon of Faith without addition or diminution without ever hoping or waiting for any new Revelations to be superadded thereunto and very good reason sure if that dismal curse wherewith the canon of holy Scripture is concluded have any influence upon the mindes of men Rev. 22.18.19 If any man adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book c. 3. And more particularly he makes void all those commandements of God to search the Scriptures to hear read meditate and study and delight our selves in the Lawes of God For all immediate Revelation of Gods will presupposes the knowledge of the truth without any search study c. The contempt or neglect of which duty hath sad and heavie judgements threatned thereunto as Jer. 9.13 c. And the Lord saith Because they have forsaken my Law which I set before them And have walked after the imagination of their own heart I will seed them with wormwood and give them water of gall to drink I will scatter them among the heathen c. with manifold texts to the same purpose both in the old and new Testament as Prov. 13.13 28.9 Psal 81.11 12. Zach. 7.12.13 Joh. 5.45 46. 12.48 4. He makes void and unnecessary the sacred function of the Priesthood or Ministery which God hath in all ages ordained and setled in his Church as to mediate with God for the people so to instruct the people from God And this sacred office God hath both confirmed by miracles and by testimony of his blessings ordinary and extraordinary and guarded the same by many direful threatnings denounced and many heavie judgements inflicted upon such as have or shal sacrilegiously violate infringe or usurp this office or neglect refuse or contemn to hear the word of God in the mouthes of his Prophets and faithful Ministers See amongst many other places Jer. 5.12 c. Because the people belied the Lord and said It is not he when he spake by his Prophet And because they said moreover The Prophets shall become â—inde and the word is not in them Therefore thus saith the Lord Because ye speak this word I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devour them And to the same purpose Jer. 6.10 11 12. Mat. 10.14 15. Luk. 10.11 12. 5. All pretence to immediate Revelation lords it over the faith of our Christian brethren For an immediate Revelation commands an immediate belief and blinde obedience without any further fearch or trial at all contrary to those expresse commands 1 Joh. 4.1 Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good or agreeable to the word of God but reject that which is not so and hold for accursed the publishers and promoters thereof Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven should preach unto you another Gospel besides what ye have received let him be accursed 6. The faith of the Enthusiast if it may be called a faith and not rather an illusion of his fancy is not built upon the same grounds with the faith of Christs Church which is the pillar and ground of truth the Church is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the head corner stone Eph. 2.20 i. e. what the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New have revealed to be the doctrine of salvation in Christ is the foundation which the faith of all true Christians is built upon But the Enthusiasts faith is not built upon old but upon new Revelations not upon what is revealed already through the mediation of the Prophets and Apostles and communicated by their successors but upon what shall be immediately revealed from heaven and this groundless ground of faith is opposed to that which is the true ground of faith indeed and made of equal authority therewith so that upon this ground every private mans sayings and affirmations are of as great authority and as much to be regarded as the divinely inspired sayings of the Prophets and Apostles and this must needs be so were there any truth in mens pâ—etended Revelations for undoubtedly we owe as much faith reverence and obedience to every Revelation from heaven how mean soever the person be that receives it as we do to any part of Gods Word already revealed though by the greatest Patriarch or Prophet that ever lived upon earth 7. All dependence upon new Revelations laies a secret stain of dishonour upon God and this in two respects 1. That God notwithstanding his several methods of divine Revelation by the Patriarchs and Prophets of old by his own Son Jesus Christ and his Apostles in these last daies should yet be defective in making known to his people the waies of his service and of their own salvation 2. All pretence to new lights and Revelations makes God the Father of Lights with whom is no variablenesse or shadow of change to vary and change his minde as oft as the fickle and deceitful mindes of men do alter Nay thus God
saith the Father a mixture of his person with ours nor of his substance with our substance for so the blasphemous corceit of being equal with Christ must needs follow but 't is the consociation of our affections and confederation of our wils with the holy desires and blessed will of our Lord And thus Christ abideth in us by our obedience to his doctrine and conformity to his example both in the affections of our hearts and the actions of our life therefore he saith Joh. 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you c. and vers 10. If ye keep my commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandements and abide in his love In like manner the being of the holy Spirit in us is not to he understood of his personal being but of the being of his graces in our hearts which render us of such a gracious and holy disposition of Spirit as makes us obedient to the will and conformable to the Spirit of Christ who is not only our Lawgiver but also the exact pattern of perfect obedience to the Lawes he hath given us so Phil. 2.5 Let the same minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus What to be equal with God as some blasphemous Enthusiasts have perverted the text No but the same gracious temper of minde or spirit even the same humility and obedience to the will of God both in life and death so it followes who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet made himself of no reputation and humbled himself and became obedient unto death And whosoever by the influence of Gods holy Spirit hath this gracious temper of minde or Spirit wrought in him may be assured that Christ dwelleth in him by his Spirit which he hath given him which makes him conformable to the minde or Spirit of Christ who is as the fountain so the exemplar of all gracious perfections And this is also the meaning of that other perverted text 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit not that he hath the same essential Spirit with the Lord but being by the mystical bands of holy faith joyned unto him by the influence of his Spirit he becomes to be a man of the same Spirit viz. of love meeknesse gentleness goodness holiness patience humility obedience which were graces of the Spirit most emineat in Christ and must be in us also according to our model and measure of reception if we be truly his Disciples 2 Cor. 13 5. That other text alledged by the same purpose 2 Cor. 13.5 Know you not your selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates is more generally misunderstood for the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not so rightly rendred in English in you as among you and the meaning is that Christ in his holy Gospel was so evidently present amongst these Corinthians by S. Paul's powerful preaching and the miracles he wrought that if they did not acknowledge it and beleeve in him they must be such senseless obdurate persons as were uncapable of a true saving faith From 1 Cor. 13.11 12. When I was a childe 1 Cor. 13.11 12. I spake as a childe I understood as a childe I thought as a childe but when I became a man I put away childish things now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face 'T is alledged That Scripture and ordinances are useful only in our minority whilest we are babes in Christ but these as childish things must be laid aside when we are grown up to be perfect men and if we will see clearly we must throw away the glasse of the word and ordinances and have our inspection into the things of God more immediately and nearly even by immediate Revelation Answ In these words not the different degrees of Grace in this life but the different condition of the state of grace and of glory are compared together being not here taught who have need of the glasse of holy Scriptures and who not but what the best and most perfect of us are in this life in respect of what we shall be in the life to come here we see the things of God through the glasse of his word works sacraments but hereafter more immediately and fully not by way of species image and representation as through a glasse but in a full view face to face Here that we may be united unto God we must use the mediation of Faith Hope and Charity vers 13. Now abideth Faith but hereafter our faith shall be changed into vision Vers 13. our Hope into fruition and only Charity shall remain which being now but a spark shall increase then into a flame which shall never die but burn for ever In the mean time we must make use of those prospectives God hath graciously lent us through which his goodnesse power wisdome are represented to us and if we throw away this glasse or neglect the waies and means of grace and salvation which God hath ordained we must expect either to see nothing at all or nothing but what are the dreams and fond imaginations of mens hearts or what is worse the delusions and destructive suggestions of Satan the Prince of darkness The like objection is made from 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure word of prophesie 2 Pet. 1.9 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts From whence 't is alleadged that the Word of God and his Ordinances are only useful until we get possession of Christ into our hearts and then they are of no further use because Christ by immediate Revelation is all in all to them in whom he abideth Answ These words if the context be considered make more against immediate Revelation then any way can be pretended for it for this sure word of prophesie whether it be understood more particularly of the prophesies and coming of Christ to the destruction of his crucifiers and deliverance of his people or whether more specially of the Law and the Prophets of old or whether more generally of all the Scriptures both the old and new Testament in what sense soever this light of prophesie is taken 't is preferred before immediate Revelation by voice from heaven as being a more certain infallible way to direct us to the knowledge of Christ the true light For the further illustration whereof 't will be not impertinent to observe that there is a twofold light whereof Christ after an especiall manner is the fountain and original 1. The light of Grace and truth in this life 2. The light of Glory and peace in that life to come And in both these respects Christ is termed the morning star The day-spring from on high or as in the text The dawning of the
day The holy Scriptures or in the language of the text according to some interpretations the word of prophesie is as 't were those beams which are displayed from Christ the light of the world for our illumination and guidance in the paths of grace and truth unto the mansions of glory and peace eternal Thy word is a light Psal 119. And all they who enjoy this word of prophesie in the right understanding and conscientious practise thereof are therefore termed children of the light and of the day not of the night and of darknesse 1 Thess 5.5 But assuredly what ever seduced persons may falsly gather from this text whosoever shall neglect or contemn the use of this light or obscure the same by false glosses and mis-interpretations must read the Apostles words backwards and become children of the night and of darknesse and not of the light and of the day But yet as the light of a candle is useless when the Sun ariseth so the light of Gods Word for our direction in the way of grace shall cease when the light of glory shall once arise and the day-spring of eternity appear when we shall be united unto Christ not by faith but by vision when we shall no more see him and enjoy him in his word and ordinances through a glasse darkly but face to face plainly and fully be made partakers of him But in the mean time whilest we live in this darksome place of the world darkned by ignorance and error by sinfulness and manifold temptations thereunto he that will not walk in darkness not knowing wither he goes must make use of Gods holy word for a light unto his feet and a lanthorn unto his pathes Against the use of humane learning by the preachers of the Gospel is alledged 1 Cor. 2. 1 c. 1 Cor. 2.1 2 4. And I brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdome For I determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified And my speech and my preaching was not with the enticing word of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power The Apostle in this place takes not away the use of humane learning because himself in other places makes use thereof he had his books and writings which he commanded to be brought unto him 2 Tim. 4.13 he read the Greek Poets which he quotes Act. 17.28 Tit. 1.12 He commands Timothy to give attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.13 and to study 2 Tim. 2.15 But amongst these Corinthians at the first he declined the use of his humane learning not drawing his arguments from natural reason and probable discourses out of Philosophy guilded with curious quaint and rhetorical expressions which he cals the enticing words of humane wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probable arguments or perswasive discourses this was not the way he went to convert these Corinthians but by the demonstration of the Spirit and power i. e. He proved Christ to be the Saviour of the world 1. By the demonstration of the Spirit Shewing that the holy Spirit 1. did speak and foretel in the Law and in the Prophets of Christs coming into the world and of his doings and sufferings for our salvation 2. That he both visibly descended on him and audibly bare witness to him in a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son c. 3. That he both visibly and audibly descended upon his Apostles also and endued them with extraordinary gifts and through their ministery also he descended upon others that were converted by them Thus S. Paul preached Christ to these Corinthians by the demonstration of the Spirit And 2. Of Power also viz. The power of miracles curing diseases speaking with tongues these were the topical arguments wherewith he perswaded them to become Christians And the reason hereof he gives vers 5. That your faith might not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power of God i.e. That the grounds of your belief in Christ might not be the perswasions and allurements of men how wise soever but such as God himself made use of In a word his meaning in this place is that he preached unto them plainly and not Rhetorically and the arguments he used were demonstrative and divine not probable and humane only But 1. We may not hence gather that S. Paul did alwaies decline the use of Rhetorical and Philosophical wisdome in his preaching but such was his great wisdome that his preaching was according to the conditions and capacities of his hearers sometimes more plainly sometimes more elegantly and mysteriously using sometimes divine and sometimes humane sometimes demonstrative and sometimes probable arguments and perswasions He fed the babes in Christ with milk as here Vers 2. I determined to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified but the more perfect and grown up in Christ he fed with stronger and solid meat as vers 6. Howbeit we speak wisdome among them that are perfect And 2. when his preaching was most plain it was not devoid of learning both divine and humane 't was not without order method proper and pertinent expressions like the upstart intruders into the ministerial office now a daies who to avoid as they pretend the enticing words of mans wisdome speak not forth the words of truth and soberness but rove and ramble about many points in Divinity which rightly they understand not heaping together variety of texts and Scripture expressions without either order or right application as if to spend an hour or more in a rude and zealous delivery of religious nothings were to avoid the enticings words of mans wisdome and to preach in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Animalis homo est qui babet intellectum affectam depressos ad sensibilia Lyra. but he that is spiritual judgeth all things whence all Enthusiasts and pretenders to the Spirit most presumptuously arrogate to themselves an un-erring judgement in all spiritual and divien things vilifying all other persons besides themselves be they never so learned or pious as blinde and ignorant under the notion of matural men whose presumption in the wresting of this text and the true meaning thereof will appear by considering 1. What is meant by the natural and spiritual man 2. And what by the things of the Spirit of God For the first the natural man is such a one whose understanding and affections soar no higher then outward sensible objects So that there are two kindes of natural men 1. One who is meerly natural in respect of the understanding of his minde And 2. Another who is natural in respect of the manner of his life Of the 1. sort were the heathen Philosophers of old who received not the things of the Spirit of God but accounted them as foolish idle and ridiculous
truth which their understandings being not able to digest they are intoxicated therewith and stagger like drunken men being tossed and fro with every winde of doctrine against which presumption the wise Syracides admonisheth Ecclus. 3.21 Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are above thy strength But what iâ— commanded thee think thereupon with reverence For many are deceived through their own vain opinion and an evil suspiâ—ion hath overthrown their judgement Hence 4. Even from ignorance under the pretext of knowledge 't is the custome of Heretiques to snarle and detract and speak evil of those Truths the profound and deep excellency whereof their darkned understandings cannot fathom so they are described 2 Pet. 2.12 and Jude vers 10. To speak evil of the things they understand not As the Jewes because they understood not Christs Doctrine of the bread of life therefore they strove amongst themselves saying How can this man give us his flesh to eat Joh. 6.52 And Nicodemus because he understood not the nature of Regeneration was offended at the doctrine saying How can a man be born when he is old c. Joh. 3.4 Whereas all good Christians who have any grain of true faith do believe with reverence even those mysteries of godliness which they understand not expecting with all humility and obedience till they shall be opened and made known unto them Hist eccl l. 7. c. 13. So Eusebius records of Dionysius Alexand who speaking of the Revelation of S. John saith I do not impugn those things therein which I understand not but rather admire them the more for that they are above my understanding And S. Aug. gives us this rule to be observed as touching the mysteries of holy Religion Quod secundum fidem qua imbuti sumus inteligere valucrimus tanquam de cibo guadeaâ—us quod secundum saâ—aâ—n sidei regulam intelligere non poterimus bonum tanen verum esse minime dubitemus Aug. in Joh. tract 18. What according to the measure of faith wherewith we are endowed we do understand aright let us therein rejoyce as 't is the food of our souls but what we cannot according to the sound rule of faith conceive we must not therefore doubt but to be holy just and good Hence 5. ariseth so much levity and inconstancy of minde in all heretical and schismatical persons like children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine Ephes 4.14 Even as children for want of judgement distinguish not betwixt wholsome and unwholsome diet betwixt food and poyson so all persons become erroneous and wavering for want of knowledge and judgement rightly to distinguish betwixt light and darkness tares and wheat corn and chaffe betwixt what is the food and what they poyson of their souls therefore they are compared to clouds without water carried about with windes Jude vers 12. denoting the emptiness of sound knowledge which renders them not only inconstant in the tenents of religious Truths but also obnoxious both to the broaching and belief of lies having ever an itching desire to things new and strange but with the Israelites loathing the old Manna though it be the food of Angels for no other reason but because they are accustomed to it And this spiritual itch a more baneful disease then the corporal is grown epidemical and so overspreading the body of our Church as that prophesie of the Apostle hath at no time been more manifestly fulfilled then in these our daies 2 Tim. 4.3.4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables This itch saith the Father Pruritus in auribus spiritualiter fornicantibus sicut pruritu libidinis in carne corrumpitur integritas castitatis Aug. in Joh. Hom. 43. is as pernicious to the purity of Truth as is the itch of lust to the vertue of chastity for hence many solid and soul-saving Truths are often contemned for their antiquity because they were heard of before and so they tickle not their itching ears And lies and errors are readily embrac'd in their stead meerly for their novelty And those teachers which feed this humor and claw this itch by bringing things new and strange to their ears are the only persons they lust after delight in and follow by heaps and multitudes But undoubtedly amongst many other this is one infallible mark whereby to distinguish Truth from Error and consequently Heretiques and Schismatiques from orthodox Christians Truth like the Sun in the firmament is ever one and the same and constant to it self but Error changes like the Moon is multifarious and endless knowes no stint or limits therefore Tertullian cals the faith of Heretiques Fides annua menstrua sides temporum non evangeliorum Not like the faith of the Gospel which is fixt and setled permanent and constant but the faith of a year or of a moneths continuance and the faith of the times as the times change and alter so doth the Religion commonly of all seduced and erroneous persons From which inconstancy new sect and parties daily and hourly do arise amongst Heretiques as from the shop of Simon Magus Heresie sprung all those innumerable sorts of Heretiques in the Church till the time of the Manichaean heresie And these Manichees were also subdivided into Catharists Macarians and Manichees strictly so called From Arrius sprung the Macedonians Aerians Aetians Aug. cont Don. l. 1. c. 6. and innumerable others Donatus party saith S. Aug. was soon broken into many lesse and smaller parcels Denique penitus inspectae omnâ—s haereses in multis cum autoribus suis dissentientes deprehenduntuâ— Teit. de prae cont Haer. c. 42. The Anabaptists amongst us are subdivided into Antinomians Brownists Seekers Ranters Quakers Familists c. And finally saith the Father look into all Heresies and you may easily finde them in many things dissenting even from their own authors and Founders And seldome shall you see Heretiques agree in any one point except it be to oppose and cry down the Truth as Herod and Pilat against Christ 6. From the same dark Abysse of Ignorance Neque n. natae sunt haereses quaedam dogmata illaqueantia animos in profundum praecipitantia nisi dum scripturae bonae intelligerentur male quod in its non bene imelligitur etiam temere audacter asseritur Aug. in Joh. Tract 18. under the semblance of self-conceited wisdome hath sprung that which is of all others the greatest cause of Heresies viz. The misinterpretation and mis-application of the holy Scriptures For saith the Father Heresie had never sprung up nor false doctrines bewitching and destroying the souls of men had never been broacht had not the good word of God been ill understood and that also which is but ill and weakly understood been rashly
and presumptuously affirmed 'T is ever the custome of Heretiques to alledge holy Scriptures in a wrested and perverted sense making those sacred writings like a nose of wax turning and writhing them to this and to that and to every sense that best agrees with their own vain imaginations Aliter Photius aliter Novatianus c. One Heretique understands it this way and another diversly from him and a third distinct from both and all put another sense upon the words of God then ever his holy Spirit intended therein Pro voluntatis sue sensu Hilar. Vinc. Lir. adversus Har. c. 1. Hil de trinitate l. 2. The sense of their own minde and spirit not of Gods Spirit they put upon the Scriptures which occasion'd that complaint plaint of S. Hierome 'T is only the Art of understanding Scriptures which all persons challenge to themselves Soâ—a scripturarum aâ—s est quam sibi passim omnâ—s vendicant Hanc gariula avus hanc delirus senex hanc so phista verbesus hanc universi presumunt lacerant docent ante quam discant Hier. ad Pâ—l l. 1. c. 6. This the pratling old wise and the doting old man and the wrangler full of words this all men presume unto and upon presumption of their interest therein they tear and wrest and abuse it at their pleasure presuming to teach the doctrine thereof before they have half learned it As in the natural creation of children too many are the issue of lust and wantonness nor is it considered when they are begotten how they shall be kept even so 't is in the spiritual brood of Heresies pride covetousness and ignorance begets them before the authors know how to maintain them but as children when they are once gotten must be kept though they pinch upon their neighbours so this heretical crew rather then the opinions which are the issue of their pride and vanity should die they will steal the sincere milk of the word to nourish them or in language of another strain rather then they will submit their vain imaginations to the truth and true meaning of Gods word the truth of that must submit to their imaginations And this Videtis id vos agâ—re ut omnis scripturarum de medio auferatur authoritas suus cuique animus author sit quid in quaque scriptura probet quid improbet id est non ut authoritati subjiciatur sâ—ripturarum ad fidem sed ut sibi scripturas ipse subjiciat non ut illi ideo placeat aliquid quia hoc in sublimi authoritate scriptum legitur sed ideo recte scriptum videatur quia hoc illi placâ—â—t Aug. cont Faust saith the Father is the way to rob the Scripture of its authority whilest every mans own imagination must tell him what it allowes and what it disallowes this is not to be subject to the authority of the Scriptures but to make the Scriptures subject to our imaginations so that therefore this or that is not acceptable unto them because 't is written in the word of God but therefore 't is well said or written there because 't is acceptable unto them The great danger they incur who put another sense upon the holy Scriptures then Gods holy Spirit ever intended therein is represented to us by the strange fire which that rebellious crew under the conduct of Corah Dathan and Abiram offered up unto the Lord there came out a fire from the Lord and devoured the presumptuous sacrificers Numb 16.18 35. So those unlearned and unstable souls which wrest the Scriptures do it to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 As a remedy to prevent so great mischief the ancient Fathers thought it meet to provide saith the reverend Andrewes that they who took upon them to interpret the Scriptures Lat. conâ— secundum sâ—ss 11. should put in sureties that the sense they gave of them should be no other then what the Church in former times acknowledged So Vinc. Lirin also By reason of the manifold windings and turnings of the Scriptures Propter tantos tam varii erroris anfractus necesse est ut prophetiâ—ae Apostolicae interpretationis lâ—nea secundum ecclesiastici catholici sensus normam dirig atuâ— Vine Lir. advers Haer. c. 2. for the maintenance of several errors 't is necessary to direct the line of prophetical and Apostolical interpretation according to the rule of an Ecclesiastical sense and meanings for Quis unquam Haereses c. saith the same Author Who ever brought in an Haeresie but first he disagreed from the consent of antiquity and of the ancient Catholique Church Et in laqueum sit verbum Dei saith Estius the holy Word of God becomes a snare and a stumbling block to all those who contemning the authority of the Church presume to impose their own private sense upon it And he that obtrudes his private sense of Scripture upon his hearers not only lords it over their faith but over the faith of the universal Church of Christ Estius in Rom. 11.9 nay he makes null and void the authority of holy Scriptures for Scripture is no more Scripture if not rightly interpreted 7. Another general cause of erroneous opinions in Religion is Hypocrisie when men are cold and lukewarm and too negligent in the practise which is the life of Christianity when they receive not the love of the Truth so as readily to obey and practise it then it is just with God to give them up to strong delusions Nay hereby men lay themselves open to the delusions of Heretiques because the excellency of holy Christian truths are not cannot be known but by the practise and experience thereof therefore said our Saviour If ye do his will ye shall know of my doctrine whether it be of God or no Joh. 7.17 So that undoubtedly what ever piety or purity Heretiques may pretend unto yet generally 't is but a meer formal outside a show and shadow of truth but no substantial solid piety or charity having a form of godliness but denying the power 2 Tim. 3.5 For to such who by obedience practise and experience do know and believe the excellency of Truth it is not possible to be seduced and drawn aside therefrom Qu imdiu bona epâ—ra saâ— imus ipsum lumen ju stitiae ante oculos nosties adaperit veritatem Chrys in Mat. 7. Hom. 19. therefore our Lord cals all false Prophets Woolves in sheeps cloathing Mat. 7.15 that is Nominis Christiani extrinseous superficies meer nominal outside Christians no men so seemingly austere and strict and yet all is but empty appearance of holiness no men assume to themselves more holy titles the Saints the Elect the People of God If they be simple and illiterate persons then they apply to themselves God hath chosen the simple 1 Cor. 1.27 and those that confute them in discourse do it by carnal Reason and the wisdome of the flesh if they be subtil and acute in argumentation and put