that other collection may be yet I hold it the safer resolution which is commonly given by Divines for the justification of this fact of Phinehes that he had an extraordinary motion and a peculiar secret instinct of the Spirit of God powerfully working in him and prompting him to this Heroicall Act. Certainly God will not approve that work which himself hath not wrought But to this Action of Phinehes God hath given large approbation both by staying the plague thereupon and by rewarding Phinehes with an everlasting Priesthood therefore and by giving expresse testimony of his zeal and righteousnesse therein as it is said in the next verse after my Text And it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Which words in the judgement of learned Expositors are not to be understood barely of the righteousnesse of Faith as it is said of Abraham that he believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse as if the zeal of Phinehes in this act had been a good evidence of that faith in Gods promises whereby he was justified and his Person accepted with God though that also but they do withall import the justification of the Action at least thus far that howsoever measured by the common rules of life it might seem an unjust action and a rash attempt at the least if not an haynous murder as being done by a private man without the warrant of authority yet was it indeed not onely in regard of the intent a zealous action as done for the honour of God but also for the ground and warrant of it as done by the speciall secret direction of Gods holy Spirit a just and a righteous action Possibly this very word of standing up importeth that extraordinary spirit For of those Worthies whom God at severall times endowed with Heroicall spirits to attempt some speciall work for the delivery of his Church the Scriptures use to speak in words and phrases much like this It is often said in the book of Judges that God raised up such and such to judge Israel and that Deborah and Iair and others rose up to defend Israel that is The spirit of God came upon them as is said of Othoniel Iudg. 3. and by a secret but powerfull instinct put them upon those brave and noble attempts they undertook and effected for the good of his Church Raised by the impulsion of that powerfull spirit which admitteth no slow debatements Phinehes standeth up and feeling himself called not to deliberate but act without casting of scruples or fore-casting of dangers or expecting commission from men when he had his warrant sealed within he taketh his weapon dispatching his errand and leaveth the event to the providence of God Let no man now unlesse he be able to demonstrate Phinehes spirit presume to imitate his fact Those Opera liberi spiritûs as Divines call them as they proceeded from an extraordinary spirit so they were done for speciall purposes but were never intended either by God that inspired them or by those Worthies that did them for ordinary or generall examples The errour is dangerous from the priviledged examples of some few exempted ones to take liberty to transgresse the common rules of Life and of Lawes It is most true indeed the Spirit of God is a free Spirit and not tied to strictnesse of rule nor limited by any bounds of Lawes But yet that free spirit hath astricted thee to a regular course of life and bounded thee with Lawes which if thou shalt transgresse no pretension of the Spirit can either excuse thee from sinne or exempt thee from punishment It is not now every way as it was before the coming of Christ and the sealing up of the Scripture Canon God having now setled a perpetuall form of government in his Church and given us a perfect and constant rule whereby to walk even his holy word And we are not therefore now vainly to expect nor boastingly to pretend a private spirit to lead us against or beyond or but beside the common rule nay we are commanded to try all pretensions of private spirits by that common rule Ad legem ad testimonium to the Law and to the Testimony at this Test examine and Try the spirits whether they are of God or no. If any thing within us if any thing without us exalt it self against the obedience of this rule it is no sweet impulsion of the holy spirit of God but a strong delusion of the lying spirit of Sathan But is not all that is written written for our Example or why else is Phinehes act recorded and commended if it may not be followed First indeed Saint Paul saith All that is written is written for our learning but Learning is one thing and Example is another and we may learn something from that which we may not follow Besides there are Examples for Admonition as well as for Imitation Malefactors at the place of execution when they wish the by-standers to take example by them bequeath them not the Imitation of their courses what to do but Admonition from their punishments what to shunne Yea thirdly even the commended actions of good men are not ever exemplary in the very substance of the action it self but in some vertuous and gracious affections that give life and lustre thereunto And so this act of Phinehes is imitable Not that either any private man should dare by his example to usurpe the Magistrates office and to do justice upon Malefactors without a Calling or that any Magistrate should dare by his Example to cut off gracelesse offenders without a due judiciall course but that every man who is by vertue of his Calling endued with lawfull authority to execute justice upon transgressors should set himself to it with that stoutnesse and courage and zeal which was in Phinehes If you will needs then imitate Phinehes imitate him in that for which he is commended and rewarded by God and for which he is renowned amongst men and that is not barely the action the thing done but the Affection the zeal wherewith it was done For that zeal God commendeth him Numb 25. verse 11. Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel whilest he was zealous for my sake among them And for that zeal God rewardeth him Ibid. verse 13. He shall have and his seed after him the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God And for that zeal did Posterity praise him the wise sonne of Sirac Eccl. 45. and good old Mattathias upon his death-bed 1 Macc. 2. And may not this phrase of speech He stood up and executed judgement very well imply that forwardnesse and heat of zeal To my seeming it may For whereas Moses and all the Congregation sate weeping a gesture often accompanying sorrow or perhaps yet
becommeth wholly sinfull Nay more not onely a true and reall but even a supposed and imaginary defect the bare opinion of unlawfulnesse is able to vitiate the most justifiable act and to turn it into sin I know there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean at the 14 verse of this Chapter Nay yet more not onely a setled opinion that the thing we do is unlawfull but the very suspension of our judgement and the doubtfulnesse of our minds whether we may lawfully do it or no maketh it sometimes unlawfull to be done of us and if we do it sinfull He that but doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith in the former part of this verse The ground whereof the Apostle delivereth in a short and full Aphorism and concludeth the whole Chapter with it in the words of the Text For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Many excellent instructions there are scattered throughout the whole Chapter most of them concerning the right use of that Liberty we have unto things of indifferent nature well worthy our Christian consideration if we had time and leisure for them But this last Rule alone will find us work enough and therefore omitting the rest we will by Gods assistance with your patience presently fall in hand with this and intend it wholly in the Explication first and then in the Application of it For by how much it is of more profitable and universall use for the regulating of the common offices of life by so much is the mischief greater if it be and accordingly our care ought to be so much the greater that it be not either misunderstood or misapplyed Quod non ex fide peccatum that is the rule Whatsoever is not of faith is sin In the Explication of which words there would be little difficulty had not the ambiguity of the word Faith occasioned difference of interpretations and so left a way open to some misapprehensions Faith is verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as most other words are There be that have reckoned up more than twenty severall significations of it in the Scriptures But I find three especially looked at by those who either purposely or occasionally have had to do with this Text each of which we shall examine in their Order First and most usually especially in the Apostolicall writings the word Faith is used to signifie that Theologicall vertue or gracious habit whereby we embrace with our minds and affections the Lord Iesus Christ as the onely begotten Son of God and alone Saviour of the world casting our selves wholly upon the mercy of God through his merits for remission and everlasting salvation It is that which is commonly called a lively or justifying faith whereunto are ascribed in holy Writ those many gracious effects of purifying the heart adoption justification life joy peace salvation c. Not as to their proper and primary cause but as to the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ whose merits and spirit are the true causes of all those blessed effects And in this notion many of our later Divines seem to understand it in our present Text whilest they alledge it for the confirmation of this Position that All the works even the best works of unbelievers are sins A position condemned indeed by the Trent-Council and that under a curse taking it as I suppose in a wrong construction but not worthy of so heavy a censure if it be rightly understood according to the doctrine of our Church in the thirteenth Article of her Confession and according to the tenour of those Scriptures whereon that doctrine is grounded Viz. Mat. 12.33 Rom. 8.8 Tit. 1.15 Heb. 11.6 c. Howbeit I take it with subjection of judgement that that Conclusion what truth soever it may have in it self hath yet no direct foundation in this Text. The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe and the Nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith or belief are both of them found sundry times in this Chapter yet seem not to signifie in any place thereof either the Verb the Act or the Nown the Habit of this saving or justifying Faith of which we now speak But being opposed every where and namely in this last verse unto doubtfulnesse of judgement concerning the lawfulness of some indifferent things must therefore needs be understood of such a perswasion of judgement concerning such lawfulness as is opposite to such doubting Which kind of Faith may be found in a meer heathen man who never having heard the least syllable of the mystery of salvation by Christ may yet be assured out of clear evidence of reason that many of the things he doth are such as he may and ought to do And as it may be found in a meer heathen man so it may be wanting in a true believer who stedfastly resting upon the blood of Christ for his eternall redemption may yet through the strength of temptation sway of passion or other distemper or subreption incident to humane frailty do some particular act or acts of the lawfulnesse whereof he is not sufficiently perswaded The Apostle then here speaking of such a Faith as may be both found in an unbeliever and also wanting in a true believer it appeareth that by Faith he meaneth not that justifying Faith which maketh a true believer to differ from an unbeliever but the word must be understood in some other notion Yet thus much I may adde withall in the behalf of those worthy men that have alledged this Scripture for the purpose aforesaid to excuse them from the imputation of having at least wilfully handled the Word of God deceitfully First that the thing it self being true and the words also sounding so much that way might easily induce them to conceive that to be the very meaning And common equity will not that men should be presently condemned if they shall sometimes confirm a point from a place of Scripture not altogether pertinent if yet they think it to be so especially so long as the substance of what they write is according to the analogy of Faith and Godlinesse Secondly that albeit these words in their most proper and immediate sense will not necessarily enforce that Conclusion yet it may seem deducible therefrom with the help of some topicall arguments and by more remote inferences as some learned men have endeavoured to shew not altogether improbably And thirdly that they who interpret this Text as aforesaid are neither singular nor novell therein but walk in the same path which some of the ancient Fathers have trod before them The Rhemists themselves confesse it of S. Augustine to whom they might have added also S. Prosper and whose authority alone is enough to stop their mouthes for ever Leo Bishop of Rome who have all cited these words for the self-same purpose But we are content
whereof we now speak had been more timely discovered and more fully and frequently made known to the world than it hath been Fourthly let that doctrine be once admitted and all humane authority will soon be despised The commands of Parents Masters and Princes which many times require both secrecy and expedition shall be taken into slow deliberation and the equity of them sifted by those that are bound to obey though they know no cause why so long as they know no cause to the contrary Delicata est obedientia quae transit in causae genus deliberativum It is a nice obedience in S. Bernards judgement yea rather troublesome and odious that is over-curious in discussing the commands of superiours boggling at every thing that is enjoyned requiring a why for every wherefore and unwilling to stir untill the lawfulness and expediency of the thing commanded shall be demonstrated by some manifest reason or undoubted authority from the Scriptures Lastly the admitting of this doctrine would cast such a snare upon men of weak judgements but tender consciences as they should never be able to unwind themselves thereout again Mens daily occasions for themselves or friends and the necessities of common life require the doing of a thousand things within the compasse of a few dayes for which it would puzzle the best Textman that liveth readily to bethink himself of a sentence in the Bible clear enough to satisfie a scrupulous conscience of the lawfulnesse and expediency of what he is about to do for which by hearkening to the rules of reason and discretion he might receive easie and speedy resolution In which cases if he should be bound to suspend his resolution and delay to do that which his own reason would tell him were presently needfull to be done untill he could haply call to mind some precept or example of Scripture for his warrant what stops would it make in the course of his whole life what languishings in the duties of his calling how would it fill him with doubts and irresolutions lead him into a maze of uncertainties entangle him in a world of wofull perplexities and without the great mercy of God and better instruction plunge him irrecoverably into the gulph of despair Since the chief end of the publication of the Gospel is to comfort the hearts and to revive and refresh the spirits of Gods people with the glad tidindgs of liberty from the spirit of bondage and fear and of gracious acceptance with their GOD to anoint them with the oyl of gladness giving them beauty for ashes and instead of sackcloth girding them with joy we may well suspect that doctrine not to be Evangelicall which thus setteth the consciences of men upon the rack tortureth them with continuall fears and perplexities and prepareth them thereby unto hellish despaire These are the grievous effects and pernicious consequents that will follow upon their opinion who hold that we must have warrant from the Scripture for every thing whatsoever we do not onely in spirituall things wherein alone it is absolutely true nor yet onely in other matters of weight though they be not spirituall for which perhaps there might be some colour but also in the common affairs of life even in the most slight and triviall things Yet for that the Patrons of this opinion build themselves as much upon the authority of this present Text as upon any other passage of Scripture whatsoever which is the reason why we have stood thus long upon the examination of it we are therefore 〈…〉 next place to clear the Text from that their mis-interpretation The force of their collection standeth thus as you heard already that faith is ever grounded upon the word of God that therefore whatsoever action is not grounded upon the word being it is not of faith by the Apostles rule here must needs be a sin Which collection could not be denied if the word Faith were here taken in that sense which they imagine and wherein it is very usuall taken in the Scriptures viz. for the doctrine of supernaturall and divine revelation or for the belief thereof which doctrine we willingly acknowledge to be compleatly contained in the holy Scriptures alone and therefore dare not admit into our belief as a branch of divine supernaturall truth any thing not therein contained But there is a third signification of the word Faith nothing so frequently found in the Scriptures as the two former which yet appeareth both by the course of this whole Chapter and by the consent of the best and most approved interpreters as well ancient as modern to have been properly intended by our Apostle in this place namely that wherein it is put for a certain perswasion of mind that what we do may lawfully be done So that whatsoever action is done by us with reasonable assurance and perswasion of the lawfulnesse thereof in our own consciences is in our Apostles purpose so far forth an action of Faith without any inquiring into the means whereby that perswasion was wrought in us whether it were the light of our own reason or the authority of some credible person or the declaration of Gods revealed will in his written Word And on the other side whatsoever action is done either directly contrary to the judgement and verdict of our own consciences or at leastwise doubtingly and before we are in some competent measure assured that we may lawfully do it that is it which S. Paul here denieth to be of faith and of which he pronounceth so peremptorily that it is and that co nomine a sin About which use and signification of the word Faith we need not to trouble our selves to fetch it from a trope either of a Metonymie or Synecdoche as some do For though as I say it do not so often occur in Scripture yet it is indeed the primary and native signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith derived from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perswade Because all kinds of Faith whatsoever consist in a kind of perswasion You shall therefore find the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth properly to believe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth properly not to be perswaded to be opposed as contrary either to other in Iohn 3. and Acts 14. and other places To omit the frequent use of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Fides in Greek and Latine authors in this signification observe but the passages of this very Chapter and you will be satisfied in it At the second verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one believeth that he may eat all things that is he is verily perswaded in his conscience that he may as lawfully eat flesh as herbs any one kind of meat as any other he maketh no doubt of it Again at the fourteenth verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know and am perswaded that there is nothing