Fides Divina The Ground of TRUE FAITH Asserted OR A useful and brief Discourse shewing the insufficiency of humane and the necessity of Divine Evidence for divine or saving Faith and Christian Religion to be built upon Being a Transcript out of several Authors extant Joh. 10.37 If I do not the works of my Father believe me not Joh. 15.24 If I had not done among them the works that none other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father 1 Cor. 2.4 5. My speech and my preaching was not with perswasible words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God LONDON Printed for the Author 1657. A Just and necessary Vindication of all such as endeavour to be satisfied concerning the anthentickness and demonstrative authority and perfection of Copies or Translations of Scripture or any Expositions Doctrines or Conclusions drawn from them to be a ground sufficient for Divine and saving Faith scruples herein unavoidably arising from the Tongues and Pens even of the learned themselves who both in publike and private will ofâ—en tell us That this or that is not rightly translated but should be read out of the Hebrew or Greek word for word thus or thus much different from the Translation or that this or that word or sentence is not in some or most of their Greek Copies or here or there should be a Parenthesis or that the Comma is not rightly placed or the like something or other is usually amiss especially when from some Text of Scripture the unreasonable or doubtfulness of their Opinions or Doctrines are questioned In further prosecution hereof I shall not need to cite any of the learned Papists who urge many shrewd Arguments and Reasons to prove the corruption of our Scriptures and the insufficiency of any Scripture for the purposes aforementioned Nor need I insist on our learned Countreyman Mr. Hugh Broughton though a Protestant who being a great Linguist charged the Bishops with perverting the Text in the Old Testament in the English Translations in 848. places Nor on the Charge delivered to King JAMES by the Ministers of Lincoln Diocess telling him in the Abridgement of their grievances That the English Translation of the Bible was such as takes away from the Text and addes to the Text and that to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost Nor yet on the palpable differences and contradictions in Translations wherein some Texts are rendred with much suspition of Nonsense untruth or both observed by private men Nor will I at present descant Whether it was through negligence ignorance or design in the Translators or otherwise that all this was done yet that de facto it is so done may be seen and must be confest by all intelligent men not blinded with superstition like the Ephesians Acts 19.17 18. nor pindiced with worldly interest like the chief Rulers Joh. 12.42 43. But for the present among many other that might be cited I shall produce some few modern English Protestant Authors of most eminent learning whose concurrent Testimony herein together with the precedent and subsequent considerations may be more then sufficient to our purpose it being also back't with such Arguments and Reasons as are evident to our own understanding and experience THe Translators of King JAMES his Bible in their Epistle to the Reader do set forth how they wtre charged and upbraided by some of their Brethren as well as by the Papist in that they so often altered and changed the Bible by their new translating it thus viz. Many mens mouths have been open a good while and yet are not stopped vvith speeches about the translation so long in hand or rather perusals of Translations made before and ask vvhat may be the reason vvhat the necessity of the Employment hath the Church been deceived say they all this vvhile Hath her svveet bread been mingled vvith leaven her silver vvith dross her Wine vvith Water her Milk vvith Lime Lactè Gypsum malè incestur saith Jeremy We hoped that vve had been in the right vvay that vve had had the Oracles of God delivered unto us and that though all the vvorld had cause to be offended and to complain yet vve had none Hath the Nurse holden out the Breast and nothing but vvind in it Hath the bread been delivered by the Fathers of the Church and the same proved to be Lapidosus as Seneca speaketh What is to handle the Word of God deceitfully if this be not Thus certain Brethren Also the Adversaries of Judah and Hierusalem like Samballat in Nehemiah mock as vve hear both at the vvork and vvorkmen saying What do these vveak Jews c Will they make the stones vvhole again out of the heaps of dust vvhich are burnt Although they build yet if a Fox go up he shall even break dovvn their stony Wall Was their Translation good before Why do they novv mend it Was it not good Why then vvas it obtruded to the people Yea VVhy did the Catholicks meaning Popish Romanists alvvayes go in Jeopardy for refusing to go to hear it Nay if it must be translated into English Catholicks are fittest to do it They have learning and they knovv vvhen a thing is vvell they can manum de tabula VVe vvill ansvver them both briefly The former being Brethren thus c. And after their ansvvering these they ansvver the Papists and retort as many or more faults of the same kind upon them in these vvords follovving viz. Yet before vve end vve must ansvver a cavil and objection of theirs against us for altering and amending our Translations so oft vvherein they deal hardly and strangely vvith us for to vvhom ever vvas it imputed for a fault by such as vvere vvise to go over that vvhich he had done and to amend it vvhere he savv cause Saint Augustine vvas not afraid to exhort St. Hierome to a Palmodia or Recantation The same St. Augustine vvas not ashamed to retractate vve might say revoke many things that had passed him and doth even glory that he seeth his infirmities If vve vvill be sons of the Truth vve must consider vvhat it speaketh and trample upon our ovvn credit yea and upon other mens too if either be any vvay an hinderance to it This to the cause Then to the persons vve say That of all men they ought to be most silent in this case for what variety have they what alterations have they made not only of their Service-Books Portesses and Breviaries but also of their Latine Translation The Service-Book supposed to be made by St. Ambrose Officium Ambrosianum was a great while in special use and request but Pope Hadrian called a Councel with the aid of Charls the Emperor abolished it yea burnt it and commanded the Service-Book of St. Gregory universally to be used Well
circumcize all his male-servants whether born in his house or bought with money of any stranger though not of his seed as well as his natural seed Gen. 17. but these baptize no servant from that ground which they may as warrantably do as baptize any Infant Nor are the Anabaptists who deny the baptizing of Infants excusable upon the same account in pretending to derive divine authority to preach and baptize from the meer recital of that authority which was by Christ given personally to the eleven Apostles who both received and exercised the same long before the recital thereof in Matth. 28. from which no such authority can be derived to any because on that recital no authority at all was conferred by the eleven Apostles themselves there mentioned nor was their authority the more for it 's being there recited nor had it been the less if it had never been recited either there or any where else and therefore no such authority can be derived from that or any other Text. Besides these are very partial in that they assume such great and sublime authority to themselves from the meer recital of such authority given by Christ to his Apostles and not withall judge themselves also as well bound by the recital of that prohibition given also by Christ to the same Apostles viz. That they should not go out in the excercise of that Ministerial Function until they were indued with power from on high by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 And therefore upon due consideration of the whole matter it will be found That these do assume to themselves from meer recitals more authority then that which Christ gave to the Apostles themselves and whereof the Scriptures are but bare recitals Some other there are who disowning all the former wayes of conveyance yet to keep on foot that divine authority and that reverence accommodation which usually they received thereby in the world would by another trick both cozen themselves and all others their own consciences only excepted by telling the people that this divine authority which hitherto they have mist of must needs be in them and that they by their free election and bountiful contribution may convey it on whom they will and on them if they please but this also will be found a meer shuffle and as vain as any of the former for we finde both by Scripture and reason That a true Ministry divinely authorised and impowered did and alwayes must precede beget and constitute a true Church divinely authorised and that no Church or people whatsoever who are not so begotten and indued with divine power and authority themselves can possibly convey any such divine authority on any other this is evidently seen a truth by all the empty vain and fruitless laying on of hands used as well in particular Churches as by others in their Ordination of Ministers in imitation of the Apostles laying on their hands whereby the manifest and powerful gifts of the Spirit as that of tongues and prophesie c. were conveyed Act. 19.6 This form is still retained generally throughout Christendome as well as amongst us but where 's the power that should follow here 's the shell but where 's the kernel Might not little children or Apes in imitation of these lay hands one upon one another to as good purpose and with as much success Nor want we many amongst us who would needs have this whole Nation governed meerly by the Lawes and Ordinances of the Jews recited in Scripture and by Scriptural precepts onely pretending its divine authority to be alike over us as the Lawes and Ordinances given by Moses were over the Jews but how by this our case would be better then now it is I cannot imagine unless our Lawyers could which is not likely and would against their own profit which is not to be hoped make more certain and undoubted Translations Commentaries and Expositions of Scripture then ever any of the most Orthodox Divines have hitherto done But these men as it seems deeming themselves Saints and to be divinely authorized from Scripture to make this Nation the Kingdome of Christ and to set up and enthronize themselves to rule and raign for Christ and in his stead do declare it now their duty to effect all this by force and power * In their Standard set up pag. 10. inviting all the upright in heart to follow and joyn with them in this the work of the Lord * I wish that all Christians besides such as do jump with them were not to be numbred among the Heathen upon whom they would execute vengeane if they had power in their hands to do it To execute vengeance upon he Heathen and punishment upon the people c. and for this take their warrant from Psal 50.5 Psal 94.15 Psalm 149.7 applying these and very many other Scriptures of like import now unto themselves which do properly belong to other times persons and not to be fulfilled until the times of restoration of the Jews and the personal coming of Christ to set up his Kingdome But these mistakes at least as I conceive do arise from their deeming as many others inconsiderately do that the coming of Christ and his Kingdome is to be meerly spiritual by his grace coming and ruling in mens hearts without his personal coming whereas the Scripture plainly sets forth his personal coming in power and great glory visible to all men Act. 1.11 Act. 3 20 21. Matth. 24.30 Luke 21.27 Esa 40.5 after which he will gather together his ancient and elect people the Jews out of all Countreys where they are dispersed Luke 21.28 Matth. 24.31 compared with Esa 11.12 c. after which he will set up his Kingdome Luke 21.30 31. Luke 19.11 12 13. which shall be upon the earth and at the end of this world when he will gather and destroy out of his Kingdome the earth all the wicked and them that work iniquity Matth. 13.39 40 41. Then and not till then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of ther father vers 23. and then Christ will be King over all the earth Zach. 14.9 which will not be until his personal coming on the earth as ver 4 5. do manifest And then will be fulfilled the promise to Abraham and his seed to inherit the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 wherein whilest he lived he did but so journ and dwell as in a strange Countrey with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise Heb. 11.8 9. Act. 7.4 5. these all died in faith and expectation of that promise nevertheless to be performed to them afterward Hebr. 11.13 Then will the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ wherein he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11 15. having the Heathen for his inheritance and the utter parts of the earth for his posession Psal 28. And
therefore condemn all the rest among whom may be found more wicked base tyrannical bloody cruel covetous and deceitful persons then ordinarily among the Heathen themselves witness the many Persecutions Wars Massacres Murtherings Poysonings Assassinations Burnings Killings and other ways of destroying of mankind from and among those called Christians and in particular the cruel burnings and destroyings of men in queen Marys dayes in England the many massacred and destroyed in France the bloody Inquisition in Spain the unheard of Cruelties exercised upon the English by the Dutch in Amboyna the most monstrous abominable bloody cruelties done by the Spaniards in destroying many millions of harmless creatures men women and children in the West-Indies spoyling robbing and depriving them causlesly both of their Estates Countries and lives and that so inhumanly and barbarously that it is sufficient alone to make the very name of a Christian to stink all the world over as by report in some forraign parts even among Mahometans it doth where they use to say upon occasion one to another What dost thou think I am a Christian to swear lye cozen and deceive thee this is soon credited by such as know any thing of the manifold mysterious frauds and over-reachings usually practised in tradings and commerce even in Christendom it self For Are there not among them Publicans and Harlots yea and many Whole-sale-Thieves who rob and impoverish many men at one clap by getting great store of Wealth into their hands upon credit and then break and so cheat them all at once and be safe by getting sanctuary in some Church Prison or other prerogative Protection Nay have there not been some Whole-sale-Thieves in Office and Authority who beggar Particular men and families at once by colour of Law and Justice and yet escape scot-free when in the mean time some so beggared or impoverished do but steal to supply natures necessity shall be judged to death when perhaps the fault is most in the Government or in the Governors under which they live either in not punishing such great Thieves according to their demerit and causing restitution to be made or at least in not making some Provision for the necessary supply of all such as are brought into unavoidable necessity streights even as God commanded the Jews Levi. 25 35. if thy brother be waxen poor and fallen to decay with thee then thou shall relieve him yea though he be a stranger or sojourner that he may live with thee and that all such should be much indulged is both reasonable and according to Scripture Pro. 6.30 Men do not despise a thief much less revile him and lest of all ought they to hang him if he steal to satisfie his soul when he is hungery And is there not in some places Justice and Right ordinarily so hard to be got through multiplicity of Mizmazes Intanglements Intricaties quirks and Collusions divised and practised by crafty and unconscionable Lawyers Clerks c whereby Causes are usually protracted Clyents perplexed their Purses dreined and their Remedy made worse then their Disease to the undoing of many how then can any ordinary or poor man think to be able to get Justice that way wherein the rich are so frequently made beggars by seeking it and go without it too when all is done For may not some be seen thus spoiled by the injustice of ordinary Courts who thereupon appealing to the chief Magistrate and supremest Power the only means left them for their relife and after discoveries made of much injustice done them and after many fair words and promises of redress may not some nevertheless be yet seen still languishing without help yea and after many years spent in tedious and chargeable attendances whereby their grievances are more then trebbled upon them And may not some such be yet seen with much sadness and affliction of spirit still attending and still languishing under all these oppressions without any the least ease or relief And indeed where can be seen any King or chief Magistrate to lay the heavy burthens and grievances of the people so to heart as out of pity conscience or good disposition to ease and disburthen them or so much as effectually to reform the aforesaid abominations after they be discovered so offensive to honest wise and vertuous men and so great a shame to any Christian-Commonwealth to permit and more then any man having power in his hand with any true fear of God in his heart can possibly endure These with innumerable other great and horrid wickednesses are perpetrated among the sons of men yea and some such too in Chtistendom as would make a meer moraliz'd Heathen blush to hear wherefore it is strange to me that any such considerate wise man should think much less in print affirm That there is no use or need now of those powerfull gifts of the Spirit to convince this Reprobate and ungodly world and to bring them from all these wicked and sinfull practises unto true faith and repentance that so they may become true and real Christians not in name only as the present mode is but in deed and in truth and in particular convincingly to reveal to all Kings and chief Magistrats the greatness of their sin and wickedness in permitting and not remedying the aforesaid practises and oppressions which are so hateful to God and all good men And it is yet more strange to me that any such man should so much neglect and over-see all Experience in this and late ages as to think that the usual flatteries of meer Pulpit-Sermons by Trencher-Champlains or any Mercenary Clergy or others who generally have mens persons in admiration because of advantage preach for filthy lucres sake and are no small corrupt interest themselves living deliciously by the sweat of other mens brows will ever effect this Divine and powerful work in the world let him believe it that can I cannot believe even what I might possibly desire to believe their conversation their actions must work it in me R. B. And in his Saints rest part 2. pag. 236. he hath these words viz. I demand with my self By what argument did Moses and Christ evince to the world the verity of their doctrine and I find it was chiefly by this of miracles and surely Christ knew the best argument to prove the divine Authority of his doctrine and that which was the best then is the best still And soon after he useth these words namely Doth not Christ say If I had not done the works that no man else could do ye had not had sinne that is Your not believing me to be the Messiah had been no sin for no man is bound to believe that which was never convincingly revealed Obj. This Author by his asserting here that Christ did evince to the world the verity of his Doctrine by Miracles and that he surely knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine and by his concluding thence That that which was the
from Luke 24.21 22. where two of the Disciples after they had with much sadness declared how the chief Priests and Rulers had delivered Christ to be condemned to death and had crucified him said we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel intimating thereby that he being then dead and gone they were quite hopeless expecting nothing less then his rising again for after when they heard by the women that he was alive they were astonished at it in Mark 16.13 when upon his appearing unto two of them these went and told it to the rest of the Apostles yet they believed it not and hence it was that he appeared and shewed himself to his Disciples 500 at once and familiarly and often to such of them as he intended to make his Apostles and chief witnesses to the world to confirm this their belief in his resurrection insomuch that when he first appeared to them he shewed them his hands and his feet and bad them handle and see Luke 24.39 Jeh 20.20 c. where it is very observable that Thomas not being then present would not believe the report of all the rest of the Apostles that he was risen unless he might see and handle his wounds also as they had done wherein also afterward Christ gave him satisfaction by permitting him to do so likewise and then withal left a blessing in the hands of the Apostles for all such other of his Disciples who had not seen him as they had done yet did believe his resurrection Wherefore most requisite it was That as well for the communicating of this blessing as for the confirmation of the Disciples believers in the belief of Christs resurrection they should write the Narratives of all these things and most probable it is the Apostles did therefore write the three other Gospels for these ends and purposes as may be gathered by comparing John the Apostle with the Apostle John that is Joh. 20.31 with 1 Joh. 5.13 I have been the larger upon this because I finde not only ordinary men but most learned profound Teachers do pervert this place of Scripture to the mis-leading of many whether ignorantly or purposely I will not determine 1 In making the sence of the words as if Christ thereby did intend a blessing on all such as in the future should believe the teachings of men without seeing any divine evidence to attest the truth of their Doctrine whereas Christs words had respect onely to such other of his Disciples or believers who had not seen Christ as Thomas did yet did believe his being risen again which Thomas by no means would do until he had both seen and felt him 2 In making the Apostles words in vers 31. to be intended to all the world as a ground sufficient for true and saving faith whereas if it were so it might serve instead of a true Ministry in all nations when as to the generality of mankinde it was meer barbarism coming from the Apostle but in one language onely which would have been a failer not imaginable in the Apostle having the guift of tongues enabling him purposely to teach all nations people in their respective languages and accordingly no doubt he would have written if he had intended it for any such great and general use but it is most plain that his intention therein was onely to confirm believers of that one language in their belief of that one great article of Christs being the Son of God whereof they could not doubt if they firmly believed his resurrection And if we may have leave to give a like credit to the Scripture in this matter and to make conclusions from plain premisses such as many would have us give and make from none at all or at best from such as are far more dark We may both see and conclude that the Scripture is so far from testifying it self to be any sufficient ground for faith and conviction to the unbelieving world that it testifies the quite contrary 1 In that it testifies that the power of God by signes and miracles accompanying the Ministry and attesting the truth and divine authority of their doctrine was the onely true ground of faith and conviction unto unbelievers as before is set forth and is evident by these texts Ioh. 16.7 8 9. Acts 1.4 8. Luke 24.49 Act. 1.1 2 3. Mark 16.20 1 Cor. 2.4 5. compared with Rom. 15.18 19 20. Act. 8.6 And that thus and upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets the true Ministry of the Gospel fitted by gifts Ephesians 4.8 11 12 13. Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone was Christian belief and Churches founded Ephes 2.20 And that no foundation other then such can any man warrantably lay or plead for 1 Cor. 3.11 2 In that it testifies That whatsoever is delivered in any unknown tongue or but in a doubtful and uncertain sence is as barbarism not obliging any to believe it 1 Cor. 14.7 8 9 10. for no man is bound or can infallibly and convincingly believe any thing which is not infallibly and convincingly revealed to him Notwithstanding all the uncertainties afore specified yet how doth each Sect of Christians assert that they are of the true belief and many therefore challenge the highest priviledges of true believers mentioned in Scripture to belong unto them yea and some such do they assume to have as no true believer ever had in this life I shall give instances They assume to be true believers and to have the Spirit of God yea the same as true believers formerly had and by which the Scripture was given forth To be actually justified to have eternal life and to be already passed from death to life To have Christ and his divine nature within them and that white stone wherein a new is written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it c. Wherein if I am not exceedingly mistaken they are first in their conceiving themselves to be true believers yet ground it upon various yea on contrary doctrines and want both the true ground upon which true believers built their faith and the same power whereby true believers were to be known Mark 16.17 18. or that they have the same spirit by which the Scripture was given forth and yet make use of and cite texts amiss rendered in translations even as others do who pretend not to have the Spiâ—it Secondly what can reasonably be imagined or understood by believers being justified by faith I am inclined to think it is no more then their being saved by hope and what is or can be meant by this more then now in this life to hope to be saved hereafter in the life to come as the Apostle reasoneth Rom 8.24 25. where speaking of himself and other believers saith we are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for for if we hope for that we see not then do we