am thus resolued saith Plato not now but alwayes that I am not to enthrall Plato in Critone my iudgement to any of my friends but to reason yea to that reason which by discourse appeareth to be best Whose opinion was seconded by the chiefest of all his Schollers that is by Aristotle Plato said he is my friend but truth that is Arist moral l. 1. c. 3. made knowne by reason is more my friend So our wise and Christian Philosophers What wilt thou Lact de vero Dei simulaâ—hro c. 20. doe quoth Lactantius wilt thou follow thine Ancestors or reason rather So St. Cyprian we are not to prescribe by custome but to conuince by reason yea let there bee gathered together in a generall councell the chiefest of the Bishops and Doctors and of all other learned men of the whole Christian world and let them also be such as rightly embrace the true Catholique and Apostolique Faith and giue a iust censure also in matters of neuer so great waight and moment yet are we not of necessity bound to stand to their verdict Or else Saint Austin was out of the way when he stood vpon this plea Aug cont Maxim l. 3. c. 14. with Maximinius the Arrian I will not saith he alledge the Councell of Nice to prejudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to prejudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the authority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the authority of the Scrâ—ptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason be compared together and so let tryall be made of the truth For he had learned to yeeld that honor to those onely books of the holy Scripture that are called Canonicall Aug ep 19. ad Hieronymum that he did assuredly beleeue that none of the Authors of them did erre any whit at all But as for all other albeit they did excell in learning and holinesse yet he would not rest vpon their iudgements vnlesse they did confirme the same by the authority of Canonicall Scripture or by some reason agreeable vnto truth And verely faith is not to be iudged by the persons but the persons by the faith For as Tertullian saith â—aith is not therefore sound and Catholique because it is professed by such and such persons but such and such persons are to be deemed sound and Catholique for that they professe the sound and Catholique faith Ramus and Scribonius men of no small iudgement and learning haue taught that all manner of testimonies be they Divine or humane are of themselues iâ—artificiall arguments and that the doctrines proued thereby haue their credit and authority rather from the qualification of the persons whose testimonies they are then from the bare and naked testimonies themselues So the Emperour Adrian in his rescript credit is to be giuen to him that giueth the testimony and not to the bare testimony And verely we doe not embrace the testimony of God set downe in the bookes of the Scriptures with that reuerent manner as we ought to doe vnlesse when wee giue assent thereunto we d ee it not so much for the bare testimony it selfe as for that it is the testimony of the most wise and holy God which cannot deceiue or be deceiued Fâ—r then we rightly honour him and his truth Hereof it was that Christ receiued not the witnesse of Iohn as it was the testimony proceeding from a meere man but he receiued it as the testimony Ioh. 5. 33. of such a man as was indued with the Spirit of Eliah and sent before himselfe to prepare his way Nay he saith of his owne bare and naked testimony considered by it selfe If I should beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not true Ioh 5. 31. And yet concerning the same as it is the testimony of the Son of God the very essentiall wisedome of his heauenly Father he saith though I beare record of my sâ—lfe my record is true Ioh. 8. 14. for I know whence I came and whither I goe And hereof it is that both God and Christ are so often mentioned in the holy Scripture with their honourable Titles that so the credibility of their persons may yeeld the more and greater credit to their Doctrine Andy et as if this were not sufficient inough the very doctrine it selfe that proceedeth from God and is set downe in the holy Scripture is cleared and iustified by many arguments and reasons And verily how otherwise could the holy Scripture inable the wise and learned professors of the Christian Faith to confute all Heathenish and haereticall errours and to iustifie all Divine and Heauenly Truthes not onely to the Gentiles and Haeretickes but also to the faithfull themselues vnlesse it did minister plenty of all sound and evident arguments for the effecting of the same The Gentiles refuse the very words of the Canonicall Scriptures and the Haeretickes reiect the right and orthodoxall sense of them and therefore neither of them can be convicted but by the euidence of reason yea how can the faithfull themselues giue a sure assent vnto the Doctrines of the holy Scriptures vnlesse they apprehend such arguments and reasons as are sufficient motiues to induce them thereunto And hereof it is that in all sound and Orthodoxe Sermons made either to breed or to encrease and strengthen Faith vnto the doctrines obserued in the words of the Text there are annexed sound and sufficient reasons for the opening and confirming of the same doctrines And this is the cause why preaching is preferred before reading and Catechising as being the more ordinary meanes both to beget and strengthen Faith for that in preaching many reasons are produced as many lights for the better clearing and iustifying of all Truthes and for the fuller convincing of all errours and haeresies the which thing is not done either in reading or in Caâ—echizing There is I confesse no efficient cause of Gods will but his will it selfe for there is nothing without God that maketh him to will or to worke for then God should not be the first mouer and the first cause of all things but therefore he willeth Rom. 9. 19. because he willeth And yet farre be it from any Religious heart to thinke that the most wise God willeth any thing without good and sufficient reason or that he speaketh any thing idlely or in vaine The Word of the Lord is the Fountaine Eccles 1. 5. of Wisedome and therefore openeth all Divine truthes by their right and proper reasons And all the workes of God are done in number weight and measure he hath giuen to euery severall creature according to it's kinde it 's seuerall nature with properties qualities sitted thereunto And he hath ordained euery thing to coÌ„sist of such such causes faculties powers as were best agreeing to such
from the same Author from whom doe proceed all truthes in Theology Veâ—o nil veriâ—… aâ—d are all of the like verity albeit they are not of the same authority Wherefore the depositions of prophane Authors are not lightly to be reâ—ected and set at naught when they beare witnesse to the truthes in Diuinity seeing our blessed Sauiour would not haue such inhibited to cast out diuels Mar. 9. 39. in his Name which yet did not follow him as his owne disciples did For as in matters of Controversie where truth is to be determined by mens oathes if there be such a number of deponents as the Law requireth it is sufficient albeit it be not amisse if there be more euen so in the decision of questions that are diuine it is sufficient if the truth be confirmed by euident testimonies and reasons taken out of the vn-erring booke of God yet if testimonies also and reasons taken out of prophane Authors bearing witnesse to the â—ame truthes be added to the former it is not preiudiciall but beneficiall to the cause For it is no disgrace to the Diuine truth in Theology the soueraigne Lady and Queene of all Sciences to haue the truthes of all humane arts to attend vpon her Nay rather it is an euident demonstration of her true Nobility seeing she is waited vpon with such a Princely traine Nay her certaine truths cannot be fully opened neither all the truthes of any other Science without some measure of knowledge in them all For there is among 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such a strong linke of assinity the principles and grounds of the one lightning and strengthening the rules of the other that no perfection of knowledge can be had in any one of them without some measure of knowledge in all Wherefore it is not to be seared that the principles and precepts of humane arts will thwart the principles and precepts of sacred Theology seeing they are in no wise contrary the one to the other no not in those very positions which yet seem to carry a shew of contrariety As for example Of nothing nothing Ex nihilo nihil fit Mundus sactus est c nihilo A priuatione ad habitum non sit regressio Mortuâ— resurgent can be made viz. by any limited and finite power is not contrary to this The world was made of nothing viz. by the infinite illimited power of God So there is no recouery froÌ„ death to life viz. by any naturall or ordinary meanes is not contrary to this the dead shall all rise viz. by the supernaturall power of God And so in diuers other of the like kind For doth not all reason euen in Philosophy acknowledge the vndoubted truth of this principall in Diuinity viz. that which is impossible with man is possible with God vnto whoÌ„ nothing is impossible and therefore that which cannot be brought to passe by any naturall power may be effected by a supernatural And doth not also all reason teach that euery truth agreeth Verum vero â—onsonat with euery truth is contrary onely to falshood and vntruth And therefore seeing euery true argument and reason doth agree with that whereof it is an argument and reason and ioyned with it maketh a true proposition no true reason in any wise can be contrary vnto truth Why doth not reason experience and Scripture also teach that one fountaine cannot Iac. 3. 11. send forth sweet water and bitter And therefore seeing all naturall reason as well as Scripture from God the Creator of nature and the reuealer of the Scripture they cannot be contrary one to the other vnlesse that God may be contrary to himselfe Scripture indeed is contrary to the iudgement of corrupted nature and may be new and strange to nature her selfe in her integrity but it can in no meanes be contrary therevnto Aug de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 1. vnto So Saint Austin truth was perswaded new to custome but not contrary to reason Nay there is admirable consent and harmony as a learned Author testifieth betweene the naturall Amand. Pol. lib. 2 Log. fol. 213. paâ—efactions of God and the supâ—rnaturall for from God is both reason and Scripture and reason being obsâ—ured by sinne and desiled with filthy errours the Spirit of God by the Scripture doth lighten againe and free her from her former aberrations So Saint Ambrose the light of nature being Am de suga seâ—uli cap. 3. dimmed was to be cleared by the Law To whom accordeth Saint Cyrill The law was giuen that thereby the light that Cyrill in Ioh. l. 1. c. 11. was in vs should be increased Wherefore let no reasonable man dispute against reason nor learned man against humane learning vnlesse he will indanger the reputation of his reason and of his learning also A stranger which was not of the kindred of Israel hauing shauen her selfe and cut of the haire of her eye-browes and of her head and hauing performed all other things ordained iâ— the Law to that purpose might be ioyned to the people of God and be admitted into the Sanctuary So Phiâ—osophy and humane learning by her corrupt Doctrines a stranger to the seruice of God being pruned from them by the sharpe booke of the Scripture may yeeld some good timber to the Lords Spirituall buildâ—rs for the rearing vp and also for the beautifying of the Spirituall House and Temple of God Truth it is that the errours in Philosophy being wrongfully opposed against the truthes in Theology and stifly and obstinately maintained and defended haue made some of the Philosophers the Partriarches of Haeretickes and yet as true it is that the truthes thereof being diligently sought out by the studious haue had such as haue bin best instructed therein the chiefest Patrons of all Diuine verities and the strongest impugners of all Heathenish and Haereticall pranities And hereof it is that in all well-ordered Schooles and Vniversities yong Schollers are first trayned vp in the knowledge of the tongues and Arts before they be admitted to be students in Diuinity And doth not experience it selfe make this manifest that the siner the naturall wit of any student is and the more it is ripened with a greater measure of all manner of humane learning the fitter such an one is to vnderstand the heauenly doctrines of the diuine Scriptures and to diue into the profundity of the mysteries of Faith Po. as S. Austin saith grace doth not abolish Aug. in Ps 10â— nature but make it perfect neither doth nature reiect but embrace grace Yea as Tertullian truely teacheth God sent first nature to be our Schoole-mistris beiâ—g afterward to send prophesie that thou being first the disciple of nature mightst afterward be more easily induced to beleeue prophesie For the booke of Nature is as well the Lords booke as the booke of Scriptures and the truthes written in the one are as well the Lords trutâ—…es
weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered the vaine conceits of their owne hearts in the name of doctrines Ier. 23. 25. proceeding from God and so seduced not onely the people but sometimes the Prophets also there was great reason 1 Reg. 13. 18. why God should cause all diuine truthes necessary to saluation to be set downe by the Pennes of his Prophets and Apostles as being the best meanes not onely for the manifestation but also for the preseruation thereof For as men doe more plainly fully and safely set downe their whâ—…e mindes in their written wils and testaments then when they deliuer them by word of mouth so the Lord would haue his minde set downe in the bookes of the Old and New Testament by his faithfull Registers the Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists as being the best meanes for the safer custody Phil. 3. 1. of the same It was an argument of Gods loue and a Luk. 1. 4. good foundation of faith for God to reueale all diuine truths necessary to the saluation of his people in visions and dreames but it is a greater argument of his loue and a stronger foundation of faith that God hath caused his whole and perfect will to be set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures Or else the Apostle Saint Peter did mistake when he assured the faithfull to whom he wrote that hee followed not sophisticall fables when he opened vnto them the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ For first saith he We had an heauenly vision 2 Pet. 1. 19. to assure vs that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And secondly saith he we haue a more sure testimony then the former euen the Word of God written by Moses and the rest of the Prophets And hereof it was that when our blessed Sauiour had testified to the Iewes that his Father had giuen witnesse to him from heauen that he was the Sonne of God yet hee sendeth them to the Scriptures as to the surer meanes for the confirmation of their faith saying Search the Scriptures for in them Ioh. 5. 39. yee thinke to haue life and they are they that testifie of me And towards the end of that Chapter he telleth the Iewes that hee will not accuse them because they receiued not such diuine doctrines as were deliuered vnto them by his owne testimony But Moses saith he will accuse you for that yee beleeue not things which are deliuered vnto you in his Bookes Shewing thereby that it is a greater fault not to beleeue the testimony that God giueth in record vnder the hand of any one of his sworne Registers then that which is giuen by his owne bare voice For saith he if yee beleeue not his writings how will yee beleeue my wordes Vpon the which words 〈◊〉 thus writeth As that is more firme that is coÌ„mitted to writing so it is a greater fault not to beleeue things written then not to beleeue things vttered by word So Theophilact vpon the same place If ye beleeue not things written how will yee beleeue my words that are not written Whereby it is euident that the Word of God written in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scripture is the more safe and sure meanes to haue all diuine truthes to be conâ—eighed ouer to vs then is the deliuering of them to vs by his voyce in dreames and visions euen as the Princes grant vnder his hand and â—eale is a more sure euidence then when it is deliuered onely by his bare word Whosoeuer therefore auoucheth that God reuealing himselfe to the old Fathers by visions and dreames did bestow vpon them a greater blessing then he doth vpon vs by deliuering his will vnto vs by the holy Canonicall Scriptures either is himselfe in a dreame or is deceiued by a vaine dreame of some other Now if it were not altogether so safe to haue diuine doctrines deliuered by dreames and visions when that which was not so throughly conceiued or at the least so well remembred by those that so receiued the same might be righted by new visions then surely now when all such visions are ceased it is not safe to haue diuine truthes deliuered at all by vnwritten traditions but to be recorded in the rolles of the Canonicall Scriptures QVEST. LXIX The doctrine of the Church of Rome ministreth occasion and prouocation to sinne and not the doctrine of such as prosesse the Gospell We are carefull there not to trespasse against another where our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell iâ— that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purgeâ— but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Tâ—entals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is
haue not the gift of Continencie being against this Law and Commandement of God For the auoiding of fornication let euery man haue his wiâ—e and let euery woman haue 1 Cor. 7. 2. her husband is of no validity or force to binde any person bee he votary or no votary to the obseruation thereof And as for the Law that is made by any man whosoeuer he be to binde them that haue not the gift of Continency to keepe their vow it is no Law at all seeing it is vniust and vnrighteous and contrary to the holy and righteous Law of God QVIST LXXXIX All Ecclesiasticall persons are subiect to the Ciuill Magistrate Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power for there is no Rom. 13. 1. power but of God and this Commandement is giuen by the Apostle in generall vnto all Now if all in generall ought to be subiect to the higher power then euery one in particular be he Laâ—ke or Clerke So reasoneth Saint Bernard writing Bernâ—ad Epis Senens Ep. 42. to a Bishop If all then yours Who hath excepted or exempted you out of the number of all If any doe so endeauour hee is no better then a deceiuer Doe not build vpon their counsels who being Christians either wilâ— not follow the doings of Christ or esteeme it a reproach to be subiect to his sayings These are they that are wont to say preserue the honor of your Sea are yoâ— of lesse power then was your Predecessor Such thinâ—s they but Christ otherwise commanded and did also Giue said he to 〈◊〉 that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods So reasoneth also Saint Chrysostâ—me vpon the Chrysost in Ep. ad Rom. Hom. 23. same words of the Apostle Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Albeit saith he thou be an Apostle albeit thou be an Euangelist albeit thou be a Prophet yea whosoeuer thou be For this subiection doth not ouerthrow godlinesse QVEST. XC It doth belong to the Ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to be obserued of his subiects that concerne Gods diuine seruice and his subiects happinesse and herein he hath highest authority The Ciuill Magistrate is the Lords Liefetenant to see all his Lawes obserued and kept and therefore in speciall those which concerne Gods seruice and the happinesse of his owne Deut. 17. 18. subiects At the Coronation of the King the booke of the Law of God by Gods speciall commandement was to be deliuered into his hands the which booke he was to haue before as he was a good seruant of God that he might meditate therein Psal 1. 2. day and night and so be made fruitfull in all good workes But at his Coronation he was to haue it as a King that hee might cause all his subiects to obserue the same that wholy and not by halfes And thus much euen naturall reason taught the Philosopher to auouch The Ciuill Magistrate saith Aristotle Arist Moral lib. 1. cap. 2. is the supreme gouernour in his owne Countrey and he ought to prouide as in generall for the good of all his subiects so in particular that they might enioy the meanes whereby they might be made happy and blessed Now no people can be happie and blessed vnlesse they haue communion and fellowship with God and sincerely performe vnto him all such things as doe concerne his diuine worship and seruice Wherefore the Ciuill Magistrate is to prouide that those Lawes be taught and made knowne to his subiects in the which the meanes are laid open how they may haue Communion and fellowship with God and performe vnto him that religious seruice that is acceptable in his sight if that he desire to haue them happie and blessed The which euery good King ought to desire vnfainedlie euen as he tendreth his owne good seeing the happinesse of the subiect is the happinesse of the King QVEST. XCI The naturall man hath no free will in diuine and heauenly things If all the imaginations of mans heart be onelie euill and that continuallie and that in the eie and iudgement of him that Gen. 6. 5. searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued then the naturall man hath no will to thinke much lesse to will any thing that is good For man is become saith Chrysostome totallie sinne Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 1. Esay 1. 6. and therefore in his whole vnderstanding and will And this he learned of the Prophet Esay The whole head is sicke and the heart is heauy from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there is nothing whole therein What good habilitie or freedome then is in the will to that which is truelie good QVEST. XCII The Church of Rome giueth to the Saints diuine honour Arguments drawen from the parts to the whole or from the speciall to the generall Religious faith prayer and deuotion are principall parts of that diuine seruice and honour which is due vnto God and is giuen vnto him by all his true and faithfull seruants Ioh 6. Psal 50. 15. But these religious duties are by the Church of Rome communicated to the Saints vnto whom they make their prayers in their wants and necessities and trust to be releeued by their meanes and for that purpose deuote themselues to their seruice and therefore they giue vnto them diuine honour QVEST. XCIII There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory All persons are either beleeuers or Insidels and vnbeleeuers Now neither of these when they receiue from GOD their discharge to depart out of this world haue by his appointment any passe for Purgatory Concerning the beleeuer be he weake or strong in faith so hee be sound and sincere our blessed Sauiour testifieth and that by a solemne and a doubled asseueration that he hath euerlasting life and shall not come into Ioh. 5. 24. condemnation but is passed from death not to the paines of Popish Purgatory but to life that is to the vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen And as for all vnbeleeuers they are condemned already viz. Ioh. 3. 18. in Gods decree and in his holy word the vndoubted record thereof and hell is their place being the prison appointed for all condemned persons and there they are to be reserued against the iudgement of the great day And therefore none at all are appointed by God for Popish Purgatory And verily there is no way detected in the holy Scripture that leadeth thither For there wee finde but two wayes whereof the one is Matth. 7. 13. narrow and leadeth to life that is to heauen and the other broad and leadeth â—o destruction that is to hell And therefore if our Popish paeâ—…tents would needes passe along to Purgatory there to make full satisfaction to God for their sinnes which they haue not throughly satisfied for by their workes of paenance they shall be able to finde no way that leadeth thither QVEST. XCIIII The miracles and
hearer also are co-workers with God and yet hereof they are not to be proud For what hast thou that 1 Cor. 4. 7 thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not receiued it Of our selues we are dead in our sinnes and altogether vnable to moue our selues to the working out of Faith and an holy life but are meerely passiue Eph 2. 1. Rom. 5. 6 in our spirituall resurrection vntill God by his Spirit put good thoughts into our mindes and holy desires into our hearts yet then we our selues beginne to thinke well and to desire that which is good albeit not of our selues but by the gracious working of God's most holy Spirit By the grace of God saith the Apostle I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine but I laboured more abundantly then 1 Cor. 15. 10. they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me I laboured saith the Apostle more abundantly then they all in working out the worke of the saluation of many but yet not I as of my selfe or by any naturall power that was in me but by the worke of the grace of God which was with me For so he doth declare his meaning to be in the third chapter of his second Epistle where for that some among them called in question the truth of his Apostleship hee boldly aâ—oucheth that their regeneration and conversion to God wrought by his ministery but by the power of Christ was a most euident demonstration thereof Such trust saith hee haue wee through Christ to God not that we are sufficient of our selues to thâ—nke any thing belonging to the worke of our owne saluation or to the saluation of any other as of our selues but 2 Cor. 3. 5 our sufficiency is of God The Faithfull then must haue an holy minde and an holy will before they can be the holy ones of God yet it is neither of these that they haue of themselues but of the pâ—wâ—râ—ull grace of God We will saith S. Austin but it is God that worketh in vs to will we worke but it is God that Aug. de gratiâ— libero arâ— c. 16 worketh in vs to worke and that of his owne good will Thus to beleeue and to professe is behâ—ofull and expedient for vs this is according to godlines and truth that an humble and lowly confâ—ssion be made by vs and that all be giuen and ascribâ—d to God seeing our life is in greater security when we ascribe all to God and doe not commit our selues in part to our selues and in part to God So then it is a most certain truth that in our regeneration and deliuerance from the being and bondage of sinne it is God that worketh in vs euery good thought word and worke and also that herein we our selues are co-workers with God as it may appeare by this euen for that this worke proceedeth after so slow and slacke a manner Adam indeed was made perfectly holy and righteous and that in a moment euen at his first being and existing because the Lord Almighty and all-sufficient wrought himselfe and by himselfe that holinesse and righteousnesse that was in him but now the Faithfull are herein â—oint-workers with God and therefore this worke goeth forward slowly because of the small measure of grace that is giuen to them the great power of the remnants of their inbrâ—d corruptions which continually striue against the worke of grace and hinder greatly the proceedings thereof The faithfull in diuers places of Scriptures are compared to starres in respect of their profitable and fruitfull vses but may they not also be likened vnto them in respect of their manifold imperfections and aberrations Their proper motions are but slow yea some of them very slow For some of them finish â—heir couâ—se in a yeare one in two yeare one in twelue yeare one in thirty yeare and all that be fixed in the fitmament in forty nine thousand yeares Neither keep they their rightâ— curse always vnder the Ecliptick line but somtimes turne to one side thereof sometimes to the other neither are these their courses still direct and forward but also sometimes retrograde and backward in their cycles epcicycles towards their apogeïon and towards their perigeïon giuing sometimes a cheerefull aspect and sometimes an opposite and disastrous stowne So is it with the faithfull they are slow in the entire accomplishing of any one â—oly motion yet the motions of all the powers of their soules and bodies will not be made perfite vntill the glorious commâ—ng of Christ vnto iudgement Verily while they liue here in this world they follow not continually the streight course of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse vnder the Eclipticke line of his holy Word but sometimes they turne to one side and sometimes to the other neither doe they alwayes keep a direct course and goe on forward in the way of godlines but sometimes they are retrograde and goe backward and sometimes running in a maze being doubtfull and vncertaine which way to take sometimes they are in their apogeïon and sometimes in their perigeïon that is sometimes they are lifted vp with heauenly meditations and sometimes pressed downe with earthly cares and sometimes they giue a cheerefull aspect to the good proceedings of others and somtimes they become their cleane opposites and cast vpon them a disastrous frowne Wherefore it behooueth the faithfull to giue all diligence to worke out their saluation not only with hearts trembling at their owne imperfections but also by being fearefull to ascribe to themselues the glory of willing or working any thing that is good seeing as the Apostle adâ—oyneth it is God that worketh Phil. 2. 13. in you the will and the deed and that of his own goodwill And yet they themselues must vnderstand desire and accomplish that which belongeth to the honour of God and to their owne and the Churches good if they will be the accepted seruants of God The Church of Rome doth lay this as an hainous offence vnto our charge that by us the nature of man is greatly disgraced in that wee teach that men are become brutish without reason and as dead stocks and stones without sense and life because we teach that by nature they haue not liberty list nor life vnto any thing that is truly and religiously good And why doe they not bring in the same inditement against the bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures which teach that euery man is a beast in his owne knowledge and that our hearts are stony vntill Ier. 10. 14 Ezek. 36. 26. Eph. 2. 1. they be made flesh and that we are starke dead in trespasses and sinnes and therefore haue no sanctified will sense nor life vntill Christ doth quicken vs by his holy Spirit and raise vs vp to an holy life Our doctrine then herein is none other then the very doctrine of the Holy Ghost neither
such things most powerfull to enable them to produce such and such effects for the producing whereof they were ordained by God The which causes and effects powers and faculties qualities and properties when they are found out then there is a right knowledge of the things themselues Now what are causes and effects powers qualities and the like but reasons and arguments whereby all things are made open and manifest and so are rightly apprehended and knowne Looke we into the sacred Scriptures and we may see therein how the Lord doth lay open vnto his people the mysteries of godlinesse yea euen that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh being the principall subiect of those divine bookes by assigning his efficient cause God the Father Matth. 3. 17. and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary the daughter of David the King Luk. 1. 31. His materiall causes his Divine and humane Natures Matth. 1. 23. His formall cause the vniting of his humane nature by personall vnion vnto his divine Ioh. 1. 14. his finall cause the working out of mans redemption Gal. 4. 4. His effects our reconciliation to God Ephe. 2. 18. with our deliuerance out of the bondage of sinne and Satan and our translation into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Ioh. 8. 36. His attributes according to his Divine nature infinite wisedome holinesse righteousnesse and the like Col. 2. 3. and according to his humane nature such a measure of all divine and heauenly graces as â—re farre aboue the perfections of any other creatures Ioh 1. 19. The time when he was borne euen when the Scepter was taken away from Iudah and all regall authority was in the hands of strangers Luc. 2. 1. The place where he was borne Bethlehem Matth. 2. 5. The place whither he â—led into banishment Aegypt Matth. 2. 13. The place where he was brought vp Nazareth Matth. 2. 23. The places where he liued preached wrought his miracles and dyed Galile Samaria Iury and Ierusalem Luc. 13. 24. The place where his body was laid after his death a Sepulcher that was in a Garden wherein neuer any body was laid before Ioh. 14. 42. The place whither he ascended after his resurrection and where he sitteth at the right hand of God and from whence he shall come to iudge both quicke and dead the highest Heauens Act. 2. 32. Diuers things from him all creatures in their defects and imperfections Ioh. 1. 23. Things like vnto him all creatures in their good properties and gifts Gen. 1. 26. especially typicall persons as Melchisedecke Heb. 6. 2. Isaack Gen. 17. 16. Sampson Iud. 16. 30. Ionah Matth. 12. 40. and all the high Priests Heb. 9 9. Typicall things the brasen Serpent Ioh. 3. 14. The mercy seat Hebr. 4. 16. Especially the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testaments 1 Cor 10. 4. His description Heb. 1. 2. His distribution by his Propheticall Priestly and Kingly offices set down in the greatâ—r part of that Epistle the interpretation of hiâ— Name Iesus a Sauiour Matth. 1. 21. Of his Name Christ annointed Cant 1. 2. Of his Name Emmanuel God with vs Matth. 1. 23. His Conjugates a Sauiour bringing saluation to all that are saued Act. 4. 14. His testimonies of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Of the Angels Luk 2. 11. Of all the Prophets Act. 10. 4â— And of his greatest enemies euen the Diuels themselues Matth. 8. 23. The principall parts of the Word of God are the Law and 2 Cor. 4. 2. Gospel both of which are grounded vpon the evidence of reason and truth Law saith Ciâ—ero is the higest reason The Cic. l. 1. de leg which if it be true of the wise Lawes made by wise men much more is it true of the most wise and righteous Lawes made by Deut. 4. 8. the most wise and righteous God And verily it is the reason of the Law that is the life of the Law and bindeth the conscience to yeeld obedience For if the Law be contrary to reason it bindeth such as are subiect thereunto onely to endure the penalty thereof and â—ot to performe the thing therein commanded For as Tertullâ—an saith if a Law will not be tryed Tert. in Apol. Quod ad omnes attinet ab oinnibus debet approbaâ—i it is iustly suspected and if it being not tryed and approued yet is forced vpon any it is wicked seeing no Law doth owe to it selfe the iustifying of the equity thereof but to them of whom it doth require obedience And therefore wise and moderate Princes doe vse to call together a generall assembly of all the States and Commons of their Kingdomes that vpon iust causes and reasons duely weighed and examined both hurtfull Lawes may he taken away and holsome Statutes enacted for the generall good of their Kingdomes and Countries The which Statutes when they are published are many times set forth barely without their reasons least happily they might grow into too great a Volume But it is not so with the Lawes of God especially with those of the first Table for they haue sundry reasons adioyned to them as lights to make manifest the aequity of them and as Orators to perswade obedience thereunto And verily there was great reason why it should be so seeing by the fall of Adam the true knowledge of them is greatly defaced in all his posterity Whereas the Lawes of the second Table which concerne our duty towards our neighbour are for the most part barely deliuered because they are knowne by their owne light and that to the most barbarous people that liue on the face of the whole earth As it may appeare by the History of the West-Indinas who are reported presently to haue approued and embraced the aequity of those Lawes when they were at the first proposed vnto them And yet behold how behooueâ—… it is euen for the faithfull themselues to haue many reasons set downe before their eyes for the procuring of ready obedience to be yeelded euen vnto these commandements in that the Spirit of God hath caused the Prophets and Apostles being the expounders thereof to set downe in their Canonicall writings many most forcible and effectuall argument for the procuring of a more ready obedience to the same And verily experience it selfe doth shew Veritas docendo suadet that truth doth teach by perswasion that is by arguments and reasons as being such motiues and inducements as best befit the reasonable and generous nature of man Whereas brute Generosus animus poti us ducitur quam trahitur beasts that want reason are to be compelled by force and violence And therefore the Law of God in the originall is called Thorah that is a Doctrine or Teaching for that it doth teach and instruct the people of God by the Divine aequity and reason that is contained therein Now if the Law of God which is in part naturally knowne had need to be further
matter large In siue loaues saith he there was once foode to feede siue thousand men in fiue words of the Scripture the food of the soule there is matter enough to teach many thousands more It may iustly be compared to a most faire and goodly peece of Plate of most pure gold or to a most rich Iewell beset with most pretious Diamonds and other the like stones of the greatest worth which are little in substance and quantity but great in quality and value Yea if it bee true with Saint Austin aâ—oucheth Aug. de doct Christiana l. 4. cap. 6. there is nothing not onely more wise but also more elegant then the Diuine bookes of Canonicall Scriptures Of the vndoubted truth whereof he is so confident that he saith I am bolde to say that all such as rightly vnderstand them are with me of the same iudgement And verily Origen was of the same iudgement For he affirmeth that the divine Scriptures Orig. hom 15. in Gen. 45. howsoeuer it seemeth otherwise to the most are not composed of an vnlearned and rude stile but according to a forme sit to teach diuine Doctrine But be it that some prophane Authors among the Heathen haue furnished their bookes with a greater shew of humane wisedome and beautified them with a goodlier sâ—ouâ—ish of glorious words yet pith and substance and the most exquisito perfection of sincere truth which are things most materiall in euery Treatise are most proper and peculiar vnto these heauenly oracles And therefore the former of these may fitly be compared to Gentle women of faint complexions and hard countenances who paint their faces and adorne their bodies with rich artyre and costly Iewels that so they may make some shew of beauty but the other may most iustly be likened to a most noble Lady that is in her owne personage most louely indeede and therefore contenteth her selfe with her Veritas Christianorum est pulchrior Helena Graecorum owne naturall beauty Or the former may be likened to meane meates altered with pleasant ingredients or some soueraigne sawâ—e the other to most wholsome food which doth best nourish when it is plainely serued in its owne kind And hereof it is that the Books and Treatises of prophane Authors are oftentimes uery pleasant and delectable to the eare being altogether vnable to alter the heart Whereas the powerfull doctrine of the word of God deliuering plaine and powerfull truth pierceth the soule woundeth the conscience conuerteth the heart and so maketh a new and another man Wherefore albeit the study of prophane Authors is not to be neglected nor the truthes taught by them to be contemned nor their gifts of vtterance to be despised because they may be good helps and furtherances for the playner opening and clearing of all divine verities yet for that sometimes they commend vnto vs a shew of truth instead of truth it selfe therefore all their positions are to be examined according vnto the exact rule of the Canonicall Scripture which is the sure touchstone of all truth As likewise for that in their purest mettals there is a great quantity of earthly drosse whereas the currant coyne Psal 12. 6. of sacred Scripture is as refined siluer purified and tâ—yed sâ—uen times in the fire therefore we are to set a farre greater price vpon the one then vpon the other and to bestow farre more paines vpon the one then vpon the other Of the wholsome waters that issue from the pure springs of the one we may taste once and againe and then set them aside to be better tasted at our better leisure but of the most soueraigne waters that slow most plenteously out of the full fountaines of the Isa 12. 3. wels of life we ought to drinke our fall draught and euer to haue them ready at hand to satisfie our spirituall thirst Vpon Psal 1. 2. Iosh 1. 8. Deut. 6. 7. the one we may looke once and againe and then set them aside vntill some fit opportunity but we must be continually looking vpon the other and neuer let them vpon any occasion goe from vs for any long time or to depart out of our sight It is recorded of Themantes a Painter that herein consisted the excellency of his skill in that out of his draughts many more things were to be collected then were therein fully expressed euen so is it to be seene in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles which draw out vnto vs the most liuely image of the most gracious and glorious God and of his most goodly and beautifull workes wherein albeit at the first view and in their outward shew there be nothing offered to our sight worthy of any great admiration yet when they are throughly viewed and looked into it is strange and almost incredible what great delight will be raised vp by the due view of that profound wisdome which doth lie hid vnder a bare as it seemeth and a naked narration For as it is reported of a Countrey called Eleusinia that it doth offer still some new matter to such Trauellers as come againe again to review to revise it so is it most true of the Divine Bookes of the sacred Scriptures that hath the learnedst Doctor of the Church of God looked into them neuer so often and so attentiuely and Nunquam ad te accedo quin recedo doctior proâ—ited also therein neuer so much yet if he come to reuise them yea if he still diligently looke into them he may still see and learne more and more And therefore it is not without cause that Chrysostome giueth this garland vnto the most fruitfull Vine of the Divine Scripture aboue all other â—edars of the wood that it is so full of fruit that all the grapes thereof can neuer be gathered and that it is so rich a corne-field that all the eares therof can neuer be cleane gleaned nor contayned within the â—arâ—…s of our narrow streight hearts So that â—lbeit the most learned and wise be daily occupied in the study thereof yet there will somewhat remaine to be learned further out of it Yea they shall plainâ—ly find thereby that most of the thingâ— that they â—aâ—e already learned therein may be yet againe learned better and better Wherefore it was not without cause that Gregory Nazianzen 1 Cor. 8. 2. and Basil as Ruffinus testifieth did lay aside for thirteene yeares all bookes of sEcular learning that they might giue themselues wholly vnto the stuâ—y of the Diuine Scripture As Iâ—rome likewise testifieth of himselfe that there were full fifteene yeares past since any prophane Author came into his hands and if happily saith he as we speake to the people any of their sayings come into my minde we remember it as an olde dreame comming vpon vs when we are asleepe Yet let vs not here mistake this learned Father as if he deemed all the wise sayings of the Philosophers to be meer dotages and dreames seeing all truthes in Philosophy came
not indure to haue it applied vnto them All meanes are nothing be they neuer so good without the speciall blessing of God as on the contrary side when it 1 Cor. 3. 7. shall please God to blesse the meanes they shall preuaile be they neuer so meane And verily as in bodily wars it is as easie with God to saue with few as with many albeit ordinarily the strongest army the best furnished winneth the field and getteth the victory so in our spirituall warfare against infidelity superstâ—…on and idolatry men of meane gifts by the Lords special blessing may more preuaile then such as are indued with greater graces And yet as the better meanes are the better blessings of God so ordinarily by his disposition and prouidence they doe obtaine the better effect As it is manifest in the Apostles who for that they were indued with the greatest measure of all diuine and heauenly wisedome conuerted more to the faith of Christ then any other of their successours As did likewise those principall men which were in thâ—se last dayes raised vp by God to be the reuiuers of his gracious Gospell spread abroad in a short time the bright beames thereof in many countreys of this West and North parts of the world Daniel and his fellowes may be better nourished with course poulse then some other with a good portion of finer food brought vnto them from the Kings owne table and so some persons may be better edified with a plaine declaration of truth lightened with one or two testimonies out of the word of God then by a great cloud of the same witnesses and by many strong forcible demonstrations but the cause hereof is either in the weaknesse of the spirituall stomacke vnto the which milke doth better agree then strong meat and in the dimnesse of the spirituall eye which can see better with a little light then with a great or in the extraordinary worke of God For ordinarily the greater number and the bigger lights doe giue the greater and bigger light as the better and stronger food doth yeeld the better and stronger nourishment Wherefore the Preachers of the word of God being the Lords stewards and the disposers of the mysteries of God who are therefore set ouer the Lords house that they shouâ—d giue to euery one their portion of food in due season had need to prouide good store of spirituall graine to be laid vp before hand in the baines of their inlarged hearts that therewith they may feed the Lords people to the full As likewise for that they are the Lords Captaines to marshall his bands and companies against the Lords and their owne enemies they ought to be furnished with all manner of spirituall armour that so they may be able to furnish other And verily for any one to take vpon him to discourse and reason without sound and apt reasons and to argue without substantiall and sufficient arguments is to take vpon him to feed without food to fight without weapon to lighten a thing without light and to build without morter timber and stone Wherefore the most wise God hath most prudently prouided for the most plentifull instruction both of Priest and people not only by setting downe in his two bookes of nature and grace all doctrines necessary for their saluation with great variety of all manner of reasons and arguments for the better clearing and confirming of the same but also by often repeating and inculcating of them yea by vrging them againe and againe he hath giuen them a plaine admonition that they should be most diligent to learne those thing ouer againe and againe which he hath beene so carefull so often to teach Verily if we were such as we should be it should be sufficient for vs that the Lord did barely and onely in the booke of the Canonicall Scriptures deliuer the seuerall doctrines of all diuine vereties giuing testimony to each of them but once by the pen of one of his vnerring Secretaries seeing when God speaketh any thing albeit it be but once we ought Chrys aduersuâ— vituperatores monasticae vitae to receiue it with all assurance as if it had beene spoken often times For although when humane testimonies are required in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must be established and to him that bringeth not a sufficient number 1 Tim 6. 19. of deponents it is by strict law as if he had brought none yet for that God is true and cannot lie nor beare witnesse to any falshood or vntruth or command any thing that is vnrighteous or vniust therefore in his word which is the infallible foundation of truth if he giue testimony to any thing but once vnder the hand of one of his faithfull registers it is as sufficient as if he had testified the same by them all For if Pythagoras his he said it was enough to his scholers for that he was a most learned and wise Philosopher and the Ipse dixit Centurions come goe and doe this was sufficient to his souldiers Matth. 8. 9. and seruants for that he was a most conscionable Commander yea if the Kings witnesse my selfe be a full warrant Teste meipso to all his grants because of his supereminent power and authority then much more the he said it of the most high God ought to be sufficient to his disciples and all that be of his schoole and the come goe and doe this of the most righteous Commander and Iudge of the whole world ought to beenough to worke a most ready and speedy obedience in all his true and faithfull seruants and the witnesse my selfe of the King of kings and Lord of lords ought to be taken as a most full warrant to all his grants by all his loyall and faithfull subiects Wherefore herein we may behold the strange proceeding of our most great and glorious God remitting after a sort his owne â—ight and submitting himselfe in his great goodnesse to our weaknesse and in his high and endlesse wisdome prouiding a gracious remedy for our infirmity For because we are blinde to conceiue and flow to beleeue and hard to learne and ready to forget the holy mysteries of piety and godlines therefore the Lord hath caused not onely doctrines and reasons and arguments to be set downe at once in the booke of the diuine Scriptures but he hath made them to be reitterated againe and againe that thereby they may become lights to our vnderstanding stayes to our faith and helps to our fraile and weake memory So that albeit we are by nature neuer so dull and blockish yet the same lessons being often repeated and opened and cleered againe and againe we shall be thereby enabled by Gods blessing sufficiently to conceiue and faithfully keepe them in good remembrance Pharaohs dreames were Gen. 41. 32. doubled vnto him that the thing opened therein might get of him the better credit so the instructions of faith and an holy
life are doubled and trebled in holy Scripture that they might procure of vs a fuller faith So and so good is our gracious God vnto vs which are so and so vnworthy of the least of his mercies that as he hath stored the earth with great variety of bodily food and physicke for the preseruing and recouering of the life health of our bodies so he hath prouided in the Scriptures great abundance of spirituall food and physicke for the maintenance and restitution of the life and health of our soules One kinde of bodily food and one kinde of dressing doth not sauour alike to euery stomacke and therefore God hath prouided variety of both so one motiue to faith and repentance nor the deliuery thereof after one manner doth fit euery ones spirituall taste and stomacke therefore hath the Lord ordained great abundance of both Yea as the Lord gaue sundry signes and wonders to be done by the hands of his seruant Moses before the eies of the children of Israel that therby they Exod. 4. 8. might vnderstand that he was called sent of God to be their deliuerer out of the bondage of Aegypt that to this very end and purpose that if they would not beleeue nor obey the voice of the first signe yet they might be induced thereto either by the second or the third So doth the Lord furnish the Preachers of the Gospell whom he hath appointed to bee ministers of his mercy for the deliuerance of his people out of the spirituall captiuity of sinne and Satan with great variety of forcible and powerfull motiues and perswasions to repentance and faith that if some of the same will not worke and preuaile with them yet other may For the which purpose also he hath caused the mysteries of godlinesse to be set downe not onely in common and vsuall phrases but also in Metaphores and Allegories and hath lightned them with similitudes and resemblances apparent and manifest to the most simple So the Apostle teacheth that the 1 Cor 15 36. dead shall rise to life and glory by the resemblance of seed that after a sort rotteth and death in the ground before it springeth vp and groweth to maturity and ripenesse So elsewhere he prooueth the vnprofitablenesse of speaking in an vnknowne 1 Câ—… 14. â— tongue by the trumpet which if it giue an vncertaine sound none shall be prepared to the warre and by some oâ—her the like things So he likewise proueth that the faithfull ought not to seeke for life and saluation by the works of the Law seeing Gal. 3. 15. God hath couenanted to giue it to them in Christ Iesus seeing to a mans couenant or testament when it is once made nothing ought to be added or detracted from the same much lesse to the Couenant of God So our Sauiour teacheth that they are Matth. 13. 23. the holy doctrines of his good and gratious Word that causeth our hearts to be good and gracious euen as it is pure and good feed that maketh the ground bring forth pure and good fruit And verily our blessed Sauiour did illustrate with parables all Matth. 13. 34 his diuine instructions which he gaue vnto the people as being the best meanes to bring them to the knowledge of the truth and to their euerlasting saluation which is procured thereby For as our Sauiour himselfe speaking thereof saith if I teach Iohn 3. you earthly things that is heauenly doctrines by earthly similitudes and ye beleeue not how should ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things that is after an high and heauenly manner It is impossible saith Saint Denis that the diuine beame Dion de coeles hierar l. 1. cap. 1. should shine vnto vs but vnder the variety of sacred couerings for parables are couerings vntill they be vnfolded and expounded but being expounded and laid open they make manifest and lay open vnto vs spirituall things Christ saith Chrsostome did set out his doctrine by parables that he might Chrys in Mat. hom 45. in Ioh. hom 33. speake more significantly and set it plainer before our eyes for by the resemblance of familiar things the minde is more stirred vp and doth apprehend the thing the better being set foorth as it were in a picture This kinde of opening things is most pleasing and sticketh faster for a similitude or relemblance if it be apt oâ— sit doth shew forth much wisedome Yea no man doubteth as saith Saint Austine but by parables Aug. de doct Christiana lib. 2. cap. 6. things are more readily learned and being sought out with some difficulty are the more acceptable when they are found Wherefore our blessed Sauiour and his Apostles vsed often parables and resemblances taken from earthly things for the better manifesting of their heauenly doctrines and other like arguments also taken out of the booke of nature well knowne to euery intelligent man that is found and entire in his outward senses As whâ—n our blessed Sauiour appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection and they supposed that they had seene a spirit our Sauiour appealeth to the outward senses saying handle me and see me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to haue And when Thomas would Luke 24. 39. not yet beleeue the testimony of his fellow Apostles concerning the resurrection of Christ when he appeared vnto them againe he spake vnto Thomas saying put thy finger here and see my hands and stretch foorth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeue The which thing when Iohn 20. 28. Thomas had done he was so conuinced euen by the censure of his outward senses that immediatly he crieth out saying my Lord and my God So the Apostle Saint Paul to conuince the idolatrous Athenians of error for the worshipping of their gods with materiall images alleageth this naturall reason taken out of one of their Act. 17. 29. owne heathenish Poâ—ts saying Seeing we are the generation of God resembling God by our immoâ—tall spirits which cannot be resembled by any materiall image much lesse can the immortall and incorruptible God be reâ—embled by any such meanes So among the Corinthians when there was an abuse 1 Cor. 11. 14. in some of them in wearing long â—aire the Apostle to redresse the same appealeth to the iudgment of nature it selfe saying What doth not nature it selfe teach you that it is a shame for a man to haue long haire So our blessed Sauiour to perswade his Disciples to doe good to their very enemies saith that nature doth teach the Gentiles themselues to be good to their friends and that Christians being aduanced aboue them by Matth. 5. 45. grace should learne thereby to doe good to their enemies especially seeing that sense and experience did plainly teach them that God maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and his raine to fall on the iust and vniust Wherefore errours
enabled them to vse more diligence in their weaker meanes and thereby aduanced them to greater gifts Now if against these things which haue beene deliuered it be obiected that faith doth not produce her actions by meanes of discourse but by the immediate operation and reuelation of the Spirit of God albeit this hath beene most abundantly confuted in all the former part of this Chapter yet if it were not so this one reason is fully sufficient to conuince the same For where is faith is that to the minde which the eye is to the body then it followeth that as the eye doth not apprehend his obiect immediately but as it is made conspicuous by meanes of some bodily light so faith which is the sight of the soule doth not apprehend truth which is her generall obiect vnlesse it be made manifest by the light of reaâ—on and meanes of discourse The which is so sure and certaine a truth that the Apostles themselues who had the knowledge of all diuine and humane verities necessary for such as should be teachers and instructers of the whole world giuen vnto them not by their owne labours and studdy but by the immediate reuelation of the Spirit of God yet had not this their knowledge without discourse As it is manifest by manner of handling and deciding the question that was brought vnto them which was whether the workes of the Law were to be ioyned with faith in Christ in the case of iustification and saluation For it is recorded that after the question had beene debated among them with great disputation and discourse the Apostle Saint Peter determined the same and that not without the allegation Act. 15. 7. of many arguments and reasons As Saint Iames caused some clauses to be added thereto but not without the producing of iust grounds for the same So when the people of God were to be carried into captiuitie among the heathen how did the Lord fore-seeing that they should be intised to Idolatry strengthen them in the Faith and Seruice of the true God and arme them against all contrary perswasions but by deliuering vnto them such reasâ—ns as whereby they might be fully perswaded that their owne God was the onely true God Ier. 10. 11. and that the gods of the Heathen were but titularie gods that Isa 41. 21. is gods in name and not in deed It is a truth confessed euen by some of the chiefe pillars of the Church of Rome that all the greatest mysteries of Faith that are necessary to saluation are plainely set down in the Canonicall Scriptures Now I would demand whether these doctrines there deliuered are treated and discoursed of there verbally and in bare words onely or really with sufficient waight of sound reason And verily how can any one reason without reason and discourse without discourse That there is but one true God euen the God of Abraham Isaac and Israel the Prophets Isay and Ieremy proue by most sound and sufficient arguments in the places cited a little before That this one God is distinguished into three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost why may it not be both iustified and illustrated and made euident by sound and sufficient arguments and reasons For whereas God is essentially good yea goodnesse it selfe seeing it is the property of that which is good to communicate it selfe to other why Bonum est sui communicativum Pro. 8. 22. Ioh. 5. 26. Ioh 16. 15. Ioh 15. 26. may it not be beleeued as an vndoubted truth that God the Father gaue his aeternall essence to God the Sonne begotten of him before all worlds and that God the Father and the Sonne gaue their aeternall essence to God the Holy Ghost proceeding from them both from all aeternity Hath God giuen to some of his mortall creatures power to beget things of the same essence and substance with themselues And may not the aeternall God beget an aeternall Sonne of the very selfe-same essence and substance with himselfe And hath God giuen to some other of his creatures as to graine of all sorts this power that things of the same essence and substance doe proceed from them And hath not the aeternall Father and the Sonne power that an aeternall Spirit of the same essence and substance should proceed from them both from all aeternity Is not this world with the creatures therein contained a most liuely glasse wherein the most glorious Creator is shadowed out vnto vs And euery good thing that hath a reall and an absolute being in the creature hath it not a reall existence in God For God is most absolutely and fully perfect and therefore the perfection of all good things is in God in the highest degâ—ee of absolute and full perfection And therefore seeing that paternitie and siliation and procession are good things in the creature why may they not rightly be 〈◊〉 to be in God in whom is the fulnesse of all good things Of all the creatures of this inferiour world the soule of man is most principall as the Sunne is the chiefest of all those goodly lights that are planâ—ed aboue in the heauenly spheâ—…es and therefore they are the fittest among all the noble creatures in some sort to resemble vnto vs the glorious Trinâ—tie The reasonable soule of man hath a reasonable substance which be â—etteth a reasonable vnderstanding from which proceedeth a reasonable will and yâ—t this is but one soule So Anima mundi est Deus God the soule of the world and the life of all things being aeternall begate his aeternall vnderstanding and wisedome before all worlds from whom proceedeth from all aeternity the holy Spirit with whom and by whom they will and worke all things and this aeternall soule wisedome and will is but one God So in the Sunne there is a most singular pure substance and a most excellent lustre and brightnesse begotten thereof and residing in the same and glorious beames issuing from both So in the most glorious Deity wee may behold God the Father the Father of Light God the Sonne the Iac. 1. 17. brightnesse of his Fathers glory God the Holy Ghost by whose beames the Light of the Gospell is made manifest Heb 1 3. vnto vs and yet this Father of Light this brightnesse of his Fathers glory and this glorious beame issuing out of both 1 Cor. 2. 10. is but one and the selfe-same God This euen the greatest mystery of our Christian profession was in part knowne vnto very Heathens themselues For they auerred that Minerua the Goddesse of Wisedome was begotten of their great God Iupiter without the helpe of Iuno which came in all likelihood from this vndoubted truth that the second person of the Trinity the essentiall wisedome of God was begotten of the true Iehovah before all worlds Now if any one being of a moâ—e metaphysicall apprehension desireth to see concerning that high mysterie other reasons that are more metaphysicall let him repaire to the
Lord of Plessis in his bookes of the truth of Christian Religion Zegedine in his Common places and to Reckerman in his Systema Theologicum But if any one on the contrary side iudge that these few are too many I would request him to pardon me herein seeing if I had produced no reasons for the 〈◊〉 of this truth I had failed in the chiefe point of this 〈◊〉 wherein is auouched that all quaestions 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 may be cleared iustified with arguments and 〈◊〉 And that the truth of this assertion may ye◠〈◊〉 appearâ—… let vs proceed to the quaestion concerning the resurrection of the dead which is also supernaturall and take a view how by great variety of arguments and reasons the Spirit of God doth open the same in the Diuine Scriptures The Doctrine of the Resurrection is strange absurde and almost yea altogether incredible in the iudgement of the naturall man but most wise and reasonable vnto the Christian Act. 17. 18. The Apostle Saint Paul in the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians proueth the same by many arguments Fides Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum and reasons As first Christ is rison from the dead therefore there is a Resurrection Now that Christ is risen he prooueth it first for that his Psal 16. 10. Rom. 9. 6. resurrection was fore-tolde in the word of God the which that it should not take effect it was impossible Secondly he proveth it by the testimony of those that saw and handled his wounds that were made in his body both before and after his death Thirdly he proueth it by the effect of Christs sufferings and death which was a full satisfaction for sinne and an abolishing of death and therefore an introduction of a Resurrection For where there is no sinne there is no death at least as it is a paine and punishment for sin but onely as it is an entrance vnto life euerlasting which cannot be enioyed by our whole maÌ„ vnlesse theâ—e be a Resurrection Now the Apostle hauing thus proued the Resurrection of the dead by our Sauiours owne Resurrection hee proceedeth to proue the same by diuers other arguments and reasons If saith hee there be no resurrection to a better estate asâ— this life then this world doth afford then are the godly of all men most miserable for that in this life they are subiect to so many outward and inward crosses Yea then let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die and let vs labour to enioy the pleasures of this life if there be no resurrection nor hope to inioy better things in the world to come But it is absurd to imagine that the godly are in the worst case and that godlesse Epicures and Atheists are in the best therefore it cannot be but there shall be a Resurrection Moreouer whereas God doth raise vp his faithfull seruants here in this life in their soules from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse whereof Baptisme is not onely aâ—liuely representation but also an assured pledge why should they doubt but that he can and will deliuer their bodies out of the bonds of bodilie death seeing the one is a farre greater and harder worke then the other and specially seeing he hath giuen his word also that all such that haue their part in the first Resurrection shall not be hurt by the second death much Apoc. 20. 6. lesse be kept for euer vnder the power of the same Furthermore if these intelligible motiues will not prevaile with vs the Apostle sendeth vs to sensible things that we may be convinced by the censure of our sense For saith he if hearbes and graine after a sort die in the Winter and receiue life againe in the Spring why may not the bodies of men doe so likewise Surely Saint Austin auoucheth that he that quickneth putrified and dead graine by the which mans life is maintained in this world wil much more quicken man himself that he may liue with him for euer The which truth is most solemnly auouched by the Prophet Esay Thy dead shall arise with Isa 26. 19. my bodie shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the â—ust for thy dew is as the dew of the hearbes and the earth shall cast out the dead The earth saith the Prophet doth bring out her hearbes in the Spring which were dead in the Winter and why may she not doe so with our bodies at the generall iudgement Wherefore as our blessed Sauiour Mar. 22. 29. testifieth all such as are contrarie minded erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God nor yet his constant and vnchangeable goodnesse For first the Scriptures doe plainelie testifie that there shall be a Resurrection of some of them that sleepe in the dust to Dan. 12. 2. glorie and of some to perpetuall shame and contempt Secondlie the power of God doth teach that as he made all things out of a confused Chaos at the first and gaue to each thing their distinct and seuerall beings so he can doe the like againe if al lthings should returne to their former confusion Thirdlie the constant and vnchangeable goodnesse of God doth likewise assure vs of the truth hereof For God is the God of Abraham and of all the spirituall children of Abraham Exod. 3. 15. Prou. 17. 17. Isa 49. 15. 2 Tim. 2. 13. for euer For a true friend loueth alwaies much more God the faithfullest friend of all friends For if we be vnfaithfull yet he will not be vnfaithfull he cannot denie himselfe 1 Thess 4. 17 And therefore albeit that sin may suffer a full death hee causeth the faithfull to sustaine the anguish of a bodily death yet he will raise them vp again to life that they may euer liue with him and inioy the fruit of his most constant and immutable goodnesse and loue For the bodies of the faithfull as they haue beene co-workers with their soules in the Lords seruice so they shall be ioynt possessors with them in that happinesse and blisse wherewith he will reward all his faithfull seruants Yea whereas our blessed Sauiour Christ tooke vnto him an humane body as well as a humane soule and suffered in the one as well as in the other vndoubtedly the faithfull shall be partakers of their saluation and redemption as well in the one as in the other Now by these things that haue beene deliuered it is euident that holy Scripture giuen by diuine inspiration is able by such sufficient arguments and reasons in all the mysteries of piety and godlinesse to teach truth and to convince errour 2 Tim. 3. 15. that the man of God may be made thereby wise to saluation by faith in Christ that is that the sincere and sound Christian the true seruant of God may obtaine a wise faith and so may be saued Yea that a professor of any Religion should voluntarily confesse that the points of his profession cannot
31. life we shall not be iudged of the Lord but when wee cease from sinning the Lord will cease from punishing Wherefore if in this life when other may take encouragement to sinne by the impunity of others and besides the most paenitent sinner that is doth not wholly and fully cease from all sinne yet God and his Ecclesiasticall Ministers doe remit both sinne and punishment vpon the sight of the sinners vnfained repentance and amendment of liâ—e without all doubt the Lord of all mercy will much more doe the same in the life to come and not extreamely torment his owne seruants in Purgatory fire QVEST. XVI The carnall eating of Christs Body is nothing auaileable to eternall life but the spirituall Arguments drawne from the effects When our blessed Sauiour had taught his Auditors that vnlesse they did eate his flesh and drinke his bloud they could haue no life in them and the carnall Capernaits were greatly offended therewith because they thought that he had commended vnto them a bodily and a carnall eating of his flesh he answered It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Ioh. 6. 63. not intending hereby to recall his former words My Flesh is meate indeed and my Bloud is drinke indeed but to giue them to vnderstand that it is a spirituall eating of his flesh that is auaileable to euerlasting life and not a carnall seeing that profiteth nothing And verily it is not the bodily seeing touching or eating of Christ that can doe vs any good but the spirituall seeing touching or eating of him by faith which is the eye the hand and the mouth of the soule For when a woman hauing an issue of bloud came behinde Christ and touched the hemme of his Luke 8. 49. garment and was immediately healed of her issue at that very time the people thronged him and trod vpon him and receiued no benefit thereby And why the woman touched him with the hand of her faith and was healed thereby as our Sauiour testified saying Oh womaÌ„ great is thy faith be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt but the people were maimed and lacked that hand And so Saint Ambrose vnderstood our Sauiours words Christ saith he healed them that touched him by faith Amb. in Luc. l. 6. cap. 8. whereas to them that wanted faith the touching of Christ or his garments was no benefit at all Yea the blessed Virgine her selfe was more happy in conceauing the faith of Christ in her heart then in conceauing his flesh in her wombe as Austin saith And so he had learned of our blessed Sauiour himselfe Aug. de sancta Virgine cap. 3. Luke 11. 27. for when it was said vnto Christ Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the Pappes that thou hast sucked Nay rather said he Blessed is he that heareth the word of God and keepeth it For by the Word reuerently receiued we obtaine faith and by faith Christ is receiued into our hearts and taketh Apoc. 3. 20. vp his habitation there Now if by our bodily mouthes to receiue Christ into our bodies be a thing altogether vnprofitable then our most wise Sauiour commanded it not to be done at the celebration of the holy Eucharist for he commandeth nothing to be done in the Lords seruice that is vnprofitable Why then doth the Church of Rome so eagerly contend for their transubstantiating of Bread into the Body of Christ and receiuing of it into their bodies by their bodily mouthes but for that albeit this thing be vnprofitable to Gods seruants yet it is not vnprofitable to them not onely by magnifying of their power for that they are able to create their Creator but also by enlarging their reuennewes seeing they haue turned the Bread into the Body of Christ and are able to offer him vp in their Masse as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of quicke and dead the which thing cannot be but much auaileable to themselues which are sure to be well payed for their paynes QVEST. XVII Concupiscence is sinne euen in the Regenerate themselues Why is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne So the Apostle By sinne death entred into the world and Lam. 3. 37. Rom. 5. 12. therefore all sickenesse and other miseries that lead thereunto Vnto the which seeing euen sanctified Infants which haue receiued the Sacrament of regeneration and are free from all actuall sinne are subiect therefore concupiscence in sanctified infants is sinne vnlesse we will lay to the charge of the most righteous Iudge of the whole world that he punisheth such persons that are without all fault Yea whereas infants giue no consent to their naturall corruptions and yet are punished for them therefore concupiscence is sinne albeit consent is not giuen to it See S. Aug. Serm. de Temp. 45. QVEST. XVIII Faith repentance and loue with all holy workes proceeding from them doe not deserue any thing at all at Gods hands but make the faithfull endebted to God for the same If Abraham saith the Apostle were iustified by workes hee Rom. 4. 2. hath wherein to reioyce but not before God For gifts and benefits doe not make the doner any whit endebted to the receiuer but they deserue at the hands of the receiuer and make him endebted vnto the doner But faith repentance and loue Phil. 1. 29. and all holy workes proceeding from them are the free gifts and blessings of God wrought in them by the operation of 1 Cor. 12. 11. the holy Ghost and therefore are called the fruits of the Gal. 5. 22. Spirit Wherefore hereby the faithfull deserue nothing at Gods hand but are made the more indebted to God So reasoneth Saint Bernard None by good workes can deserue eternall life Bern. Ser. 1. de annunciat at Gods hands seeing all the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be reuealed albeit one person could indure them all The merits of men are not such as vnto the which eternall life is by iustice due and that God should doe wrong to them if he did not reward them there with For that I may not let passe that all merits are Gods gifts and that man is thereby rather made a debter to God then God to man what are all merits being compared to so great glory And therefore Dauid cryed out Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified QVEST. XIX The workes of God reuealed in the Scriptures doe manifestly declare them to be the word of God especially the worke of regeneration wrought by the Diuine and powerfull doctrines thereof in the hearts of all such as faithfully and sincerely embrace the same and therefore they are not to be receiued as such onely vpon the testimony of the Church Knowne vnto God are all his workes from the beginning Act. 15. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 11. of the world and to none other besides
himselfe and therefore he onely is able to reueale them Wherefore seeing the works of the creation redemption and Sanctification which are the most gracious and glorious workes of God are plainely reuealed in the bookes of the Holy Scriptures therefore the doctrines of the holy bookes are faithfully to be embraced as vndoubtedly proceeding from diuine reuelation And verily who could so distinctly and particularly set downe the manner of the creation of man and of all the rest of the creatures but he that hauing the fulnesse of being in himselfe could giue such a manner and measure of being to them all as should manifest his great power wisedome and goodnesse towards man for whose sake principally the world was made And who could lay open the fall of man from his estate of holinesse and happinesse wherein he was created and the manner thereof but he onely from whose obedience albeit man could depart yet he could not depart from his presence nor so much as dazle his sharpe and cleare eyes albeit he could cleane put out his owne but who could open a meanes of mans recouery from this his miserable and wretched estate whereinto he is fallen by his owne folly but he that was onely able to worke his recouery It is euident that sinne being an offence committed against the infinite Maiesty of the most glorious Deity requireth a satisfaction no lesse then infinite Now who could so much as imagine that God being so grieuously prouoked and so highly offended with man should send his owne Sonne to become man that in mans nature he might suffer death for mans deliuery from death and condemnation For doubtlesse one will scarce die for a righteous man for a good Rom. 5. 7. man it may be that one dare dye that then such a person who when he was in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God should die for such persons as were not onely neither righteous nor good but aboue measure vnrighteous and euill and that he should die such a death as proceeded from the intollerable wrath of so highly incensed a God against most execrable and cursed sinnes Isay 53. 1. Who hath beleeued our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed Surely the Gospell wherein this worke is reuealed is Diuine and supernaturall exceeding all humane and naturall apprehension and could not be reuealed but by him that could worke beyond the power of nature The which thing doth more euidently appeare hereby in that wheresoeuer it is plainely reuealed and sincerely imbraced it doth deliuer all such from the most grieuous bondage of sinne and Satan and doth most effectually bring them backe againe vnto God For as Lactantius saith Let humane wisedome stretch it selfe to the vttermost yet it can but cause men to couer their sinnes it cannot enable them to cast them out whereas the Gospell which is the Law of the Spirit of Life not onely freed Saint Paul from the Law of sinne and death but also conuerted Rom. 8. 2. the world and that in short time from infidelity to faith from sinne to righteousnesse from Satan to God albeit it was most mightily resisted not onely with all the wisedome and learning but also with all the power and authority of all the wisest and greatest men of the world and therefore it cannot be denyed but that it is the most mighty and powerfull word of the most mighty and powerfull God The heauens declare themselues to be the workes of God in that they cause the earth which is so bare and barren at Winter to be cloathed in Summer with all manner of hearbes flowers and graine and to abound with all variety of fruit and doth not the doctrine of the holy Scriptures much more euidently declare it selfe to be the most powerfull word of the most powerfull God in that it beautifieth the bare and barren soile of our soules with true wisedome righteousnesse and holinesse and with all manner of spirituall graces It was an euident effect of the diuine power of the mighty word of the omnipotent God that thereby in the Creation all things receiued their essence and being but of an euill man to make a good man yea to make one that is bruitish and diabolicall to become reasonable and Angelicall is a farre greater worke then the Creation of the whole heauen and earth as Saint Austin teacheth And therefore seeing this so strange a Aug. in Iob. tract 72. Isay 11. 9. worke is wrought as Isayas saith by the doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures hereby it is sufficiently proued that the booke of the Scriptures is the booke of God Wherefore no maruell that the Apostle Saint Paul when 2 Cor. 3. 1. the truth of his Apostleship and Apostolicall doctrine was questioned by some among the Corinthians so confidently auoucheth that he standeth not in need of any testimoniall from men for his approbation and iustification seeing their owne conuersion wrought by that word which was written in their hearts by his Ministery was a most sufficient demonstration that his Apostleship and doctrine was from God The great works wrought here by our blessed Sauiour in the time of his being on earth did sufficiently declare him to be the true Matth. 11. 5. Ioh. 5. 36. Messiah and shall not the greater workes wrought by his word since his departure out of this life plainely demonstrate it to be the very word of the Sonne of God himselfe Wherefore if the blind Papists the most sightfull and spitefull enemies of the sincere Professors of the Gospell of Christ shal still auouch that they cannot know that the doctrine of the Scriptures is the doctrine of God but by the testimony of the Church we answer them as the man cured of his blindnesse by our most blessed Sauiour answered the blind Pharisies when they made protestatiō that they knew not whence our Sauiour was Doubtlesse saith he this is a maruellous thing that yee Ioh 9. 30. know not whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eyes So doe we also answere Doubtlesse this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence the Scriptures are but by the testimony of the Church and yet they haue doe and shall open the eyes of the mindes and sanctifie the affections of the hearts of all Ioh. 17. 17. Ioh. 7. 17. such as haue beene are or shall be the people of God and shall thereby make them know that they are of God Wherefore hereby these blind Papists plainly manifest themselues to be none of the Lords people seeing they openly professe that they neither know nor can know the graces of sanctification wrought in their hearts by the Spirit and word of God giuing thereby testimony to it's selfe and to the conscience sanctified therewith that it it of God but that they receiue the same so to be onely vpon the testimony of the Church QVEST. XX. That the soule of our blessed Sauiour after his death
of Gods correction and a signe or token of his displeasure as all other crosses and calamities are Poore Lazarus was brought into the bosome of rich Abraham both which were rich in God and poore in spirit Marke this saith Saint Austin that ye doe not as commonly men Aug. ad Hillar Epist 89. do blame rich men and put your trust in a poore estate for if a maÌ„ should not put his trust in his riches much lesse in pouerty QVEST. LI. The people ought to be able to try and to discerne the doctrine of their Teachers Doe yee not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall 1 Cor. 6. 2. iudge the world If the world then shall be iudged by you are yee not worthy to iudge the smallest matters Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things of this life So may we reason also that if the faithfull people of God shall iudge the world and the very Angels themselues much more may they boldly take vpon themselues to try and discerne the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers Our most blessed Sauiour thought it no disgrace to himselfe to haue his diuine doctrine examined of the people by the rule of the Scriptures nay he that requireth the same at their hands saying Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue life Ioh. 5. 39. and they are they that testifie of me and beare witnesse to my doctrine that it is of God Yea the Lord so approued the Berâ—ans for that they receiued the word with all readines searched the Scriptures whether those things which Saint Paul Act. 17. â—1 taught them were agreeable thereto that thereby he brought many of them to the faith It is then no presumption in the people to examine the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers seeing it is not onely approued but commanded by the Lord and enioyned the Corinthians also by the Apostle I speake saith he as to them that haue vnderstanding iudge yee what I say The refusall 1 Cor. 10 15. hereof by the hereticke Auxentius was sharpely reprooued by holy and Orthodoxe Saint Ambrose Auxentius saith he Amb. Ep. l. 5. in oratione cont Auxentium speaking to the people knowing you not to be ignorant of the faith hath shunned your iudgement and hath chosen foure or fiue heathen men Then in that he hath chosen Infidels he is worthy to be condemned of Christians because he reiected the Apostles precept where he saith Dare any of you hauing ought against another be iudged vnder the vniust and not rather vnder the Saints Yee see then that which he hath offered is against the authority of the Apostle But what speake I saith hee of the Apostle when the LORD himselfe proclaimeth by his Prophet Heare yee mee O my people that know what belongeth to iudgement in whose heart my Law is God saith Heare yee mee O my people that know iudgement Auxentius saith You know not â—ow to iudge Yee see then that he contemneth God in you which refuseth the sense of this heauenly Oracle For the people in whose heart the Law of God is doth iudge And doe not the Popish Priests likewise ioyne with this impious Arrian Auxentius in refusing to stand to the Oracle of God while they refuse to haue their doctrine examined and iudged by the people whether it be agreeable vnto the diuine doctrine of the Canonicall Scripture QVEST. LII Our whole Iustification and Saluation is by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The Apostles plain asseueration that we are iustified freely by Rom. 3. 24. the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus hath forced the Church of Rome to auouch that there is a double iustification The first by grace and the second by the merit of our owne workes But his doubling is flat contrary to the simplicity of the Gospell For the Apostle plainly auoucheth that not onely at the first we are reconciled vnto God by Christ and are brought into his fauour and loue and are iustified and saued by his Bloud but much more that we are brought to the end of our saluation and to our full and finall glorification by the very same meanes God saith the Apostle setteth out his loue toward vs seeing while wee were yet Rom. 5. 8. sinners Christ dyed for vs much more then being iustified by his bloud we shall be saued froÌ„ wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life In the which words of the Apostle it is manifestly and distinctly set downe that as it is the grace of God in Christ whereby we are reconciled vnto God and iustified at the first so it is the very selfe-same grace of God in Christ that doth saue vs at the last And Greg. Moral lib. 2. cap. 4. so a Bishop of Rome it selfe in her better times hath taught saying The first grace begat me in faith being naked and the very self-same grace shall saue me being naked take me vp into glory Wherefore if we desire to be partakers of the fruit of our redemption wrought for vs by Christ let vs not so meanly thinke thereof as if he should haue begun it onely by his obedience and left it to be finished by our selues Let vs not imagine that he paid but a part of our ransome and a parcell of the price that was to be tendred to God for the full purchase of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen and left it to our selues to discharge the rest Or if we cannot but confesse that he paid the whole summe and the full price let vs not impute to the God of all mercy and the most excellent Patron and Patterne of all Pitty such an hard and vniust kind of dealing as if he should exact againe a new payment at our hands for that which was fully purchased and paid for before Vndoubtedly if our title to the heauenly inheritance by the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ be sufficient good why should we seeke after any other title Seeing Law and reason teacheth vs this that that thing Quod semel â—…eum est non potest ampliâ—… fieri meum Qui semel factus est dominus non potest ex alia causa fieri dominus Quia nemo potest acquirere dominium â—…ci suae which is once iustly mine cannot be made more mine And he that is once made a right owner of a thing cannot againe by another title be made owner of the same thing seeing no man can get againe the Dominion of that which was his own before If then our first title to our Iustification and Saluation by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ be good and sufficient then we cannot afterward lay any claime thereunto by the broken and forged title of our owne workes
QVEST. LIII The going on pilgrimage to see or to touch the true reliques of the Holiest of the Saints doth not bring any sanctification at all The seeing and touching of holy persons themselues doth not sanctify any much lesse the seeing or touching of their reliques They that receiue Christ by faith are made the Sonnes Ioh. 1. 12. of God and are renewed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse and not such as imbrace and kisse him with their bodily hands and mouthes for then Iudas the Traitor should haue been made a Saint Wherefore if we desire to haue any benefit by visiting the Saints we ought daily and diligently to visite the Scriptures wherein the pictures of their piety are most liuely painted out that so we may be rauished with the admiration thereof and be stirred vp to follow them by an holy imitation And so concerning the Saints which liued since the Apostles times if we be desirous to visite them also wee ought to get their learned bookes which are the best Images of their A maÌ„s speech is the image and glasse of his minde Erasm in praefat Hieron ad Guili Warraâ—…um holy soules that by their sound and Orthodoxe doctrines which are set downe therein we may be directed in the right way of piety and godlinesse But so it is saith Erasmus complayning of the superstitious folly of many of his time we kisse the shooes of the Saint and their handkerchers albeit loathsome for filth but as for their Bookes which are their best reliques we relinquish hauing little regard of them Their Coat or Shirt we lay vp in a chest adorned with gold and precious stones but as for their writings vpon the which they bestowed much labour and in the which still liueth here with vs that which is in them their chiefest good we leaue them to be consumed with wormes and rust QVEST. LIV. The faithfull that are sanctified by Regeneration may and ought to assure themselues of their full and finall glorification If God was found of the faithfull when they sought him not and made himselfe manifest vnto them when they asked Rom. 10. 20. not after him much more when they turne vnto him hee will turne to them when they draw nigh to him he wil draw nigh Iac. 4. 8. Matth. 7. 7. to them when they seeke him he will be found of them For if when they were enemies they were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more may they rest assured of his loue being reconciled vnto him and made his stedfast friends If God for Christs sake offered them a pardon being Traitors and Rebels and standing vp in armes against him certainly he will suffer them to enioy the benefit of that pardon when they haue humbly submitted themselues and are become his loyall subiects If God doth forgiue vnto his all their grieuous sinnes which they willingly and wittingly committed before their effectuall Calling to the estate of grace will he not forgiue their sinnes of infirmity which they afterward commit against the resolute purpose of their owne hearts if he did deliuer them from domineeâ—ing and raiguing sinnes will he not in the end deliuer them fully from all such sinnes whose power and strength are already in part weakened by their daily repentance and stedfast faith The Lord said Dauid that deliuered 1 Sam. 17. 37. me out of the hand of the Lyon and the Beare will also deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistin Vnto the whiâ—h words happily the Apostle alluding saith of himselfe And I also was deliuered out of the hand of the Lion And thereupon was confident that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and would preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 15. God hath promised thee O man saith Saint Austin speaking Aug in Ps 148. to all such as are sanctified by regeneration that thou shalt liue for euer and doest not thou beleeue it Oh saith he beleeue it beleeue it For that which he hath done for thee already is a greater matter then that which he hath promised For he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne who is farre more excellent then thousands of heauens at the dearest rate that may be to purchase for thee euerlasting life and doest thou think that this purchase made by such a person at such an high rate can euer possibly be made voide Especially whereas for his Sonnes sake be hath adopted thee which wert by nature the slaue of Satan the child of wrath and inheritor of euerlasting destruction into the number of his sonnes and heires and renewed thee in part to his owne image in holinesse and true righteousnesse and doest thou yet doubt whether he will giue thee the inheritance of a sonne Vndoubtedly he that for thy Sauiours sake hath in part sanctified thee to liue a sober iust and a godly life in this world will for his sake bring thee to an eternall and an euerlasting life in the world to come QVEST. LV. Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Arguments drawne from the lesser proportion of reason to the greater If all our righteousnesse be as a menstruous Cloath loathsome and odious to God and deserue Gods curse because it wanteth that fulnesse of faith feruency of loue simple sincerity and full freenesse from all sinister respects which the Law of God requireth at our hands then what doe those thoughts words and workes which are meerely sinfull deserue albeit Esay 64. 6. Iob 9. 31. Gal. 3. 10. they be neuer so small Vndoubtedly no sinnes that are meerly so can be smaller or lesse hurtfull then the imperfections of our best workes and yet these being transgressions of the Law of God deserue Gods curse and malediction and therefore all sinnes that are meerely so cannot but deserue the like woe So reasoneth our blessed Sauiour If the light which is Matth. 6. 23. in thee bee darkenesse how great is the darkenesse it selfe And so Saint Bernard If all our righteousnesse be as vnrighteousnesse Bern. Serm. in fest Sanct. then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be QVEST. LVI All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Ganonicall Scriptures There is no wise man among men but that he will be carefull in his last Will and Testament that all things therein be set downe plainly distinctly and fully which concerne either the legacies which he bequeatheth to his childreÌ„ or the duties that he requireth at their hands that so all occasion of discord and debate may be cleane taken away And can we then imagine that our heauenly Father being so wise and so prouident as he is and so desirous to preserue vnity and peace among his deare children would not set downe plainly distinctly and fully in his Will and Testament what be those great and gracious gifts that he doth in his tender kindnesse and loue bestow vpon them with the meanes whereby they
as they that are written in the other Neither is there as Nazianzene saith any knowledge of learning to be despised seeing all Science whatsoeuer is in the nature of good things Rather those that despise it we are to account sluggish and clownish who would be glad that all were ignorant that so their own ignoraÌ„ce might not be espied Verily all such persoÌ„s are like the Painter who hauing drawne out the picture of Cockes after an vnseemly and euill fauoured fashion set his Boy to keepe away all liuing Cockes from his shoppe least by their comming neare his rudenesse and vnskilfulnesse might more euidently appeare Wherefore it may well beseeme the sauage Sarazons and the barbarous Turkes to beleeue 〈◊〉 viv l. 1. de 〈◊〉 Religionâ—… Christiane grosly in their false Prophet Mahomet and to haue no learning to be vâ—able to discourse of any point of their religion and well may the sword be the finall resolution of their sottish Alcharon an argument concluding in Ferio and taken out of the Butchers Shambles as best beseeming such beastly blood-suckers And let it also agree to Henry Nicholas Henry Nicholas in the Goâ—pel of the Kingdome cap. 23. 〈◊〉 Father of the Familists to glory in the name of an vâ—learned man and in a scoffe to tearme the skilfull in the Scriptures Scripture-wife or Scripture-men and to warne his Schollers to beware of such And let it agree to wicked Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne and to fall away from God to make the 〈◊〉 of the people being vnlettered persons to be his Priests as being in truth fitter guides to leade into all superstition and Idolatry then vnto the right worshippe and seruice of God So let it agre to the Priests and Prelates of the darke kingdome of Antichrist to be like my Lord of Dunkelden who knew neither old nor new Law and to their Doctors which taught that the Lords Prayer might be aswell to the Virgine Mary as vnto Christ and to one of the Founders of their superstitious orders viz. to Frier Francis who preached to the birds yea to the Popes themselues among whom some were so vnlettered as Alphonsus saith that they knew not Alphon. de castra lib. 1. ca 4 cont haeres the very grounds of the Grammer And let these men be their supreame iudges in all controuersies who although they goe awry in the premises yet they cannot erre in the conclusion For belike albeit they take their aime neuer so much amisse and stand cleane contrary to shoot at the marke yet they cannot choose but hit the white And although they goe neuer so contrary a way all the day long yet such admirable and vnerring guides they are that at night they are still right and at the place where they should be But the Lord requireth of all such as should be pastours and feeders of his slocke and instructers and teachers of his people that they be not young nouices and raw schollers 1 Tim. 3. 6. but ancient Students and well grounded Diuines euen such as are able to teach truth and conuince errour they must be learned Scribes in the Kingdome of God able to bring out of their treasury both new and old Yea it is very fit and conuenient that they haue skill in prophane learning that they may wound the enemy with his own weapon cut off Goliahs head with his owne sword and build vp the Temple of God with some stuffe taken out of the ruines of Babylon For as Saint Austin saith it is no small praise and commendation to Aug. de doct Christiana lib. 2. cap. 40. rob the Aegyptians of their sumptuous vestments and of their siluer and gold and to bestow the same things vpon the adorning of the Lords Tabernacle which they abused by riot and pride and to the beautifying of the Temples of their false gods And verily Moses being learned in all the wisdome of the Aegyptians was thereby made mighty in words and deeds or at the least was not a little holpen thereby in all his great and weighty affaires As Daniel being instructed in all wisedome Dan. 1. 17. and being taught the tongue and learning of the Caldeans became ten times wiser than all the Inchanters and Astrologians of Babylon and was also strengthened and stablished in the feare and seruice of the true God more than any other that liued in his time And did not our Sauiour Christ giue to his Apostles the first Preachers and Publishers of his Gospell in all the world by the immediate worke of his Spirit Act. 4. 13. for they were by education simple and vnlearned such a Luke 21. 15. mouth and wisdome that all their aduersaries were not able to resist And did he not also giue to the first renewers and reuiuers of the Gospell in these latter dayes such knowledge in the tongues and in all manner of Diuine and humane learning by blessing their great labours and paines in the diligent vsing of the meanes for the obtaining thereof that thereby they became most notable lights throughout all the Countreys and Kingdomes of Christendome For they which haue the greatest light in themselues are the fittest persons to lighten others and they that best apprehend the grounds and reasons of all humane and diuine verities can best informe and confirme others in all manner of doctrines both humane and diuine As it may appeare by the parable of the Talents where Matth. 25. 16. it is assumed that he that receiued fiue Talents went and occupied with them and gained other fiue as he that receiued two gained other two And yet it may not be denied but that it may come to passe that he that hath the meaner gifts may doe the more good and sometimes perswade with more fruit As in the Councell of Nice when all the learned Bishops could not Ruff. hist eccles lib. 1. cap. 3. preuaile with the Philosopher with all their pithy Orations and perswasions an vnlettered Layike with a plaine Narration caused him to giue ouer his former errours and to yeeld his assent to the mysteries of faith But this was an extraordinary Zozo li. 1. ca. 13 worke of the Spirit of God opening the vnderstanding of the Philosopher at the plaine declaration of the vnlettered person and leauing him before in his naturall blindnesse and infidelity all the time that the learned Bishops reasoned with him For as all the lights in the world cannot direct vs in our way if we our selues be blinde and want our sight or as all the medicines in the world cannot restore health if that our diseased stomackes will not receiue them so the light of Gods word be it neuer so cleerely and neuer so directly set before vs cannot guide vs to God as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnesse and shut our eyes against the same Neither can all the balme of Gilead cure our spirituall Iere. 8. 22. sores if that we will