reward given to men according to their meede and therefore it is necessary that there should be a Resurrection Iustin Martyr Sect. 2 § 2. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures It is questioned betweene us and the Church of Rome whether the Scriptures be necessary or not and we affirme That they are necessary for the people of God the reading preaching and understanding thereof being the onely ordinary meanes to beget faith in us Argum. And this wee confirme from this place by this Argument That whereby we are kept from errour and doubtfulnesse in matters of faith is necessary but this is performed by the Scripture Therefore it is necessary Here two things are to bee shewed namely First that the Scripture keepeth us from errour this is cleare from these words yee erre not knowing the Scripture where our Saviour shewes that the ignorance of Scripture was the cause of their errour And Secondly if our knowledge were onely builded upon Tradition without Scripture we should then be doubtfull and uncertaine of the truth Thus St. Luke saith in his Preface to Theophilus I have written saith he that thou mightest be certaine of those things whereof thou hast beene instructed Whence wee conclude that although we might know the truth without Scripture as Theophilus did yet we cannot know it certainly without it § 3. But shall be as the Angels Sect. 3 The Papists teach us to pray unto the Saints and that we may be the easilier induced to learne this lesson they assure us That the Saints heare our prayers and because they feare we will not credit this without proofe therefore our learned Countreymen who can draw Quidlibet ex quolibet produce this place for the proofe thereof arguing thus As CHRIST proveth here that in heaven the Saints neither marry nor are married Object because there they shall be as Angels So by the very same reason is proved that Saints may heare our prayers and helpe us be they neare or farre off because the Angels doe so and in every moment are present where they list and neede not to be neere us when they heare or helpe us Rhemist sup § 4. First our Saviour CHRIST speaketh not of the Answ 1 soules departed at this time but after the Resurrection and therefore the Argument is absurd Secondly CHRIST doth not in all points compare Answ 2 the Saints after the Resurrection to Angels for then they should be invisible and without bodies as the Angels are but in that they have no need or use of marriage Thirdly it is false that the Angels may be present Answ 3 in every moment where they list for they cannot be in more places at once then one neither are they where they list but where God appointeth them Fulke Whether are or ought the Saints and faithfull in this life to be like unto the Angels Quest and wherein They should labour to be like the Angels Answ in these things namely First in rejoycing at the conversion of sinners Luke 15. And Secondly in reverencing the divine Majestie like the Angels who cover their faces before him Esa 6.2 And Thirdly in standing ready prest to execute the will of the Lord as the Angels doe Psal 103.20 21. And Fourthly in executing the will of God for the manner as the Angels doe that is with cheerefulnesse with sincerity and without wearinesse VERS 32. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Verse 32 Quest 1 How or in what regards is the Lord called Deus viventium the God of the living Answ 1 First Ratione causalitatis providentiae because he both created all perfect living creatures and also provides for all Now providence hath place onely in those things which have an existence or being in rerum naturá but when God pronounced these words unto Moses Exod. 3.6 the Patriarches were corporally dead and their bodies dissolved and therefore it was necessary that their soules should remaine and be alive Answ 2 Secondly the creature is referred unto God in a reall relation which is not founded but onely in an entity and being and therefore that whose God God is said to be must needs be really something and consequently those Patriarches who were not in regard of their bodies were in regard of their soules Quest 2 How may we prove or conclude the Resurrection of the body from hence Answ 1 First because the reasonable soule being the forme of the body and the substantiall part of man hath alwayes a naturall inclination unto the body neither hath a perfect subsiestnce in it selfe but doth desire to be in man now nature doth nothing in vaine and therefore the soule which for a time is separated from the body shall at last be eternally united and conjoyned unto the body Answ 1 Secondly because the reasonable soule cannot obtaine perfect felicity untill she have reassumed the body in regard of that naturall affection which she hath unto the body And therefore there shal be a Resurrection of the body Quest 3 How can this verse stand with Romans 14.9 For it is said Here God is not the God of the dead but of the living And There CHRIST died that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Answ Our Saviour here denies that God is the God of the dead that is that he will not give grace and glory to those who are corporally dead and shall rise no more and hence he doth evince the Resurrection of the dead by â—his argument Glory cannot be conferred upon dead men as dead men But glory shall be conferred upon Abraham and all the faithfull Therefore they shall not remaine alwayes dead or in an estate of death but shall rise againe at the last Hence the Apostle saith That CHRIST is Lord both of the living and of the dead that is of all the faithfull who either now live or are dead but shall rise at the last day and of dead shall be made living as it is said in the Creed Hee shall judge both the quicke and the dead that is those who now are dead shall live againe at the last day VERS 37.38.39.40 Vers 37 38. c. JESVS said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind This is the first and great Commandement And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets § 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Sect. 1 Whether can we love the Lord above all things Quest as wee are here enjoyned by nature or by grace We cannot love the Lord above al things by nature Answ and therefore grace is simply necessary thereunto as appeares thus First the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by his holy Spirit Rom. 5. and the fruit of the Spirit is love Galath
griefes whatsoever as for example First if thou bee in any temporall danger then here is thy comfort that all things shall worke together for the best unto thee x Rom. 8.28 Secondly if thou bee derided for the profession of religion the holy Comforter will afford internall consolation unto thee Thirdly dost thou mourne for the sinnes of others and art in feare for them then here is thy comfort viz. 1. If they be righteous men who have sinned and for whose sinnes thou art troubled thou must remember they stand or fall to their own Master y Rom. 14.4 2. If they bee wicked men for whose sinnes thou mournest and whose persons thou art afraid of in regard of their sinnes yet thou maist be comforted through hope What hope can we have in bewailing the sins Quest 7 of the world and of wicked men Chrysost imperf First it may be that by thy prayers tears counsell Answ 1 advice some may be converted although the Apostle feares the worst and heares bad enough of those unto whom he writes yet hee hopes the best Heb. 6.9 Secondly the audaciousnesse and boldnesse of Answ 2 the wicked in sinning shall not be perpetuall for Christ will come to judge the world and therefore hence wee may have some comfort in our mourning for the sinnes of the wicked Thirdly God will glorifie himselfe either by Answ 3 converting them from sinne or by confounding them for sinne Wherefore in regard of Gods glory wee are not utterly deprived of comfort in our sorrow for their sinnes Answ 4 Fourthly at least when wee see apparantly that they belong not unto God we then mourne no more that is if we see them die in their sins as they lived in their iniquities then wee are to cease our mourning for them and therefore in bewailing the sinnes of the world wee have this hope that either our mourning shall be turned into mirth by their amending or shal be brought to end by their death Fourthly if thou grievest for thy owne sinnes committed against thy God thou maist hearken what the Lord saith and hee will speake peace unto thee he will tell thee he desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his sinnes and live He will tell thee that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart and such a sacrifice he will not despise z Psa 51.17 Yea thy Christ will tell thee that if thou feele thy sinnes to be a burthen unto thee that hee will ease thy shoulders of that load if thou wilt but come unto him a Mat. 11.28 Thus the Lord hath particular comforts for all the griefes of his children or whatsoever their causes of mourning be And thus we have seene the first consolation which wee have from this Blessed Comforter and that is temporall Secondly the Holy Spirit gives unto all holy mourners spirituall solace and that two wayes first by mitigating their affliction by inward comfort hence they can rejoyce in tribulation b Rom. 5.3 yea hence they can cheerfully endure death c Rom. 8.36 as we see in Paul Acts 20. and in the other Saints Heb. 11.35 c. And in the Apostles who rejoyce that God is pleased to thinke them worthy to suffer for Christs sake d Acts 5.41 Secondly by giving unto them internall peace of conscience both with themselves and with their God e Phil. 4.7 insomuch as they become thereby more then conquerers in their greatest afflictions and tryals f Rom. 8.31.37 and 2 Cor. 1.4 Thirdly this Paracletus will give unto these mourners in Zion eternall consolation in the new Jerusalem which is above where and when Death shall be swallowed up in victory and all teares wiped from off their faces g Esa 25.8 and Apoc. 7.17 Revel 21.4 And their temporal mourning changed into eternal mirth as Abraham saith to Dives of Lazarus he in his life time received paines therefore now hee is comforted h Luk. 16.25 and hence it is called everlastâ—ng consolation i 2 Thess 2.16 yea joy and comfort which the heart of a mortall man is not able to conceive off k 1 Cor. 2.9.10 Quest 8 How many degrees are there of this Eternall Consolation Answ Two to wit First from death when the spirit returnes unto God that gave it and the soule is caried by the Angels into heaven to enjoy the joyes of that celestiall paradise with Christ for ever and ever The second is from the resurrection when the body beeing united into the soule both are made partakers of that eternall blisse when we can see God with these same eyes l Iob. 19.26 having put on immortality as a garment and our corruptible bodies being made incorruptible And therefore from the consideration hereof we may see how blessed a thing it is to mourne and to want comfort for a while here on earth and how wide they shoot that thinke those happy that laugh and rejoyce here on earth Extrema gaudij luctus occupat the end of temporall joy is eternall sorrow as wee see in Dives thou in thy life time receivedst pleasure saith Abraham therefore now thou art tormented m Luk. 16 25. We see worldlings rejoyce and expose themselves wholly to profuse laughter and mirth according to that of the Prophet The harpe and the violl the tabret and pipe and wine are in their feasts n Esa 5.12 with joy and gladnesse slaying Oxen killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine o Esa 22.13 in bowles chaunting to the sound of the violl inventing instruments of musicke and anointing themselves with the chiefe ointments p Amos 6 5.6 But all this jollity doth not argue felicity the lives of worldlings being meerely tragicall that is merry in the beginning but the Catastrophe death and misery Balthazar feasts but by and by trembles and within few houres is slaine Dan. 5.5 And many more like him spend their daies in good things and in a moment goe downe into the pit q Iob. 21.13 And therefore let us remember how vaine all the joyes of this world are and not place our felicity in them or thinke our selves happy because we enjoy them but rath r thinke blessed are they that mourne What comforts may we be supported withall Quest. 9 in the time of our sorrow What consolations may wee propound unto our selves in our distresse that we may the more patiently beare and undergoe it Ruminate in the day of mourning and time of griefe of these five things Remember first Answ that affliction is common with thee unto all the faithfull and therefore thou mayest the better beare it r Heb. 12.8 Secondly remember affliction may bee grievous to the body but it is joyous to the soule our Saviour sayth Feare not him nor that which can kill the body but feare him and that which can cast body and soule into hell fire And therefore we should not
themselves so a man becomes not a divell incarnate at once but sinne by degrees seaseth upon him and at length wholy surpriseth him As for example from these verses I. Comes carefulnesse for the things of this world from hence II. Comes feare and doubting least wee should want and be exposed to povertie from hence III. Comes Oportet habere wee must have something to lay up for the time to come from hence IV. Omne saxum volvitur no meanes is left unsought of enriching our selves from hence V. Comes a covetous detaining and reserving of what wee have not imparting of it unto any good use from hence VI. Comes a certaine hope and trust in what wee have laid up wee begin to make an idoll of our riches saying unto gold thou art my God and unto the wedge of Gold thou art my confidence And therefore there is great reason that we should resist the least motions and beginnings of sin Quest 2 What are those small sinnes which wee must take heed of First the least circumstances of sinne wee Answ 1 must hate the garment spotted with the flesh and abstaine from all appearances of evill Secondly the occasions of sinne for otherwise Answ 2 we cannot be free from sin it selfe David by not avoyding the occasions of idlenesse and giving his eyes leave to rove was drawn unto adultery Thirdly our internall affections because Answ 3 those are the roots of all evill and therefore must be mortified § 4. Take no thought for your life what you shall Sect. 4 eat c. Why doth our Saviour condemne care about temporall things Quest First because it afflicts the heart or as Answ 1 Salomon cals it is the vexation of the spirit Eccles 1. Secondly because it hinders the fructification Answ 2 of the word thorny cares hinder hearing Matthew 13. A Philosopher going to Athens to study cast away and forsooke all his riches and possessions that his minde might bee the more free for the search of wisedom and knowledge so when men come to heare or read or meditate or pray they had neede cast away all worldly care from them otherwise they will utterly distract their minds from the duties in hand Thirdly worldly cares make us forget God Answ 3 and doe estrange the soule from God § 5. Is not the life more then meat and the body Sect. 5 then raiment Our Saviour implyes here in generall that Obser 1 the things of greatest importance are most to be looked after we must have more care of our bodyes then of our apparell of our soules then of our bodies because as the body excels raiment so doth the soule the body Wherein doth the soule excell the body or Quest 1 why is it more to bee regarded and cared for First it is better and therefore more to bee Answ 1 regarded in respect of the creation thereof for the body was created of the dust of the earth but the soule was imprinted by God and infused being created a pure and immateriall substance without sin according to his own Image Secondly the soule is better then the body Answ 2 and more to bee cared for in regard of the office thereof God created both the soule and body to serve him but principally the soule for the body with Martha is daily troubled about many things but the soule with Mary should attend wholy upon God and suffer nothing to harbour there but what is holy and pure yea the soule must love nothing but God as the wife with a conjugall love must love none besides her husband Thirdly the soule is more excellent then the Answ 3 body and therefore more to bee cared for in regard of the nature and substance thereof the body is mortall the soule immortall the body of a corporall substance the soule of a spirituall the body partly and in some sort wholy from man but the soule wholly from God the body of an earthly nature the soule of a spirituall Quest 2 Why must our care and affections be set upon the best things to wit spirituall Answ 1 First because this argues our wisedome whereas the contrary would argue us to be but foolish and childish Answ 2 Secondly because temporall things will not endure but spirituall graces will Answ 3 Thirdly because the most profitable temporall things are but meanes to preserve the body and temporall life but spirituall graces are profitable both for body and soule both here and hereafter for ever How doth it appeare that spirituall graces are Quest 3 more necessary and delightfull and profitable for us then corporall that we must thus prefer them before all temporall things Because whatsoever we desire or long for in temporall things we may finde in spirituall Answ and that after a more singular and ample manner as for example Dost thou desire First Riches Secondly Houses Thirdly an Inheritance Fourthly friends and good companions because thou art a sociable creature Fifthly Honour Sixthly Wisedome with Salomon Seventhly pleasure as Salomon once did Eightly Marriage dost thou thinke a good Wife or Husband a principall comfort Then Remember Godlinesse is great riches and the best treasure a 1 Tim. 6 6. In heaven there are many mansions b Ioh. 14.2 1 Pet. 1.4 There is an inheritance immortall prepared for those who serve God That on earth thou shalt be admitted into the society of the Saints and in heaven thou shalt have fellowship with God and Christ and the Saints and Angels c Ps 16.3 and Heb. 12.22 and 1 Ioh. 1.3 That in heaven thou shalt raigne and be endued with a kingdome d Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 4.8 That in the word is true wisedome it being able to make us wise unto salvation e Colos 3.16 and 2 Tim. 3.16 That true solide perpetuall and eternall joy is onely to be found in the Lord Phi. 4.4 Ioh. 16.22 That the Lord will marry thee unto himselfe in righteousnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercy and betroth thee unto him in faithfulnesse f Hos 2.19 20. We may here observe our Saviours argument a majori ad minus God hath given you the greater things therefore he will give you the lesse he hath given you life therefore he will not deny food hee hath given you a body therefore Obser 2 he will not with-hold raiment Teaching us hereby That the experience we have of Gods mercies in greater things should make us more confidently hope for and expect the lesse Thus David saith He that delivered me from the Lyon and Beare will deliver me from this Philistine g 1 Sa. 17.37 As if he would say it is lesse dangerous for man to combat with man then for man to combat with a Beare or Lyon now God delivered me from the greater perill and therefore I dare trust him in the lesse Thus Saint Paul saith Hee who hath given Christ for you and unto you will withhold nothing from you Rom. 8.32 Why may we so boldly
a child is given more then he hath deserved As a father thinkes a smal punishment enough to give a child for a great offence so also he thinkes not a great reward too much to give for a little obedience Secondly to a workeman wages is given if he deserve it but to a child if he doe but indeavour to doe what his father commands although he is not able to doe it And thus the Lord doth with us giving the Kingdome of Heaven to those who labour for it though by their owne labour they are never able to procure it Thirdly although the Lord is pleased to encourage Answ 3 us to labour by promising of a reward yet the true name of Heaven is an Inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 because that is derived from the father unto the sonne by vertue of his sonship and not for any deserts Why cannot heaven be procured without labour Quest 8 and paine First because temporall things cannot be had Answ 1 without much labour and care and toile therfore much lesse spirituall much lesse eternall Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos Per mare pauperiem fugiens persaxa perignes The carefull Merchant sea and land doth trace That by that meanes wealth may flow apace Secondly because Christ doth not save us Answ 2 without our assent or comming unto him as appeares thus I. God hath given unto us faculties of the soule that by them we might glorifie him Wee differ from inanimate things by nature shall we not therefore differ from them in action they are alwaies meerely passive but we should be active God who hath given the belly for the conveighing of nourishment to the whole body hath also certainely given the soule for some end and use for he made nothing in vaine II. Certainely God workes in us but not without us Faith is a grace infused by God or an action taught imprinted by him and yet it is our minde which believes our wil which chooseth God our affections which love him Hence it is said that he drawes but whom those that are willing hee doth not dragge any by force he first bends and inclines the will and affections and then we willingly follow hence Augustine saith Non salvabit te sine te God will not save us without our selves III. The Scripture doth clearely shew this Thus Esay speaketh unto Edom If yee will inquire inquire yee returne come g Esa 21.12 so againe unto all Ho every one that hungers let him come and who is a thirst come h Esa 55.1 and Matth 11 28 and Iohn 7 37. our Saviour calleth Come unto me yea this is the end of our preaching that men might repent and turne unto God i Acts 26.20 All which shew that Christ will give grace and salvation to none without their endeavour and paines Quest 9 How is it said then that God workes in us all things Phil. 2.13 Answ 1 First certainely God first workes and then after him man Answ 2 Secondly God workes all things in us but often insensibly and the worke seemes to bee ours and is in regard of the substance of the worke onely we must confesse and acknowledge that the goodnesse of the workes proceeds from the cooperation of God Answ 3 Thirdly God doth not worke in us against the mind or faculties of the soule but in them and by them Namely First by freeing our affections from the yoake of Satan and captivity of sinne Secondly by turning our affections unto the Creator that so we may approach nearer unto him and with readnesse of heart seeke him § 2. Primo Seeke first Sect. 2 All creatures besides man goe with their bodies and eyes to the grownd-ward but man was made to goe upright and whereas all other creatures have but foure muskles to turne their eyes round about man hath a fifth to pull his eye up to heaven-ward k Columb lib. 5. Cap. 9. Which teacheth us that howsoever wee seeke for other things yet first of all and above all we should seeke for the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof Or that heaven Obser and heavenly things should be hungred after and sought for above all other things Reade Colos 3.1.2 Heb. 4.11 13.14 according to the example of those holy men mentioned Heb. 11.10.14.16.26 Pope Pius the 4. sending his Nephew Marcus Altempts to Maximilian King of Bohemia to side with him in the Councell of Trent with many promises of honours and profits no lesse then the succession of the Empire he answered that he thanked his Holinesse but his soules health was more deare to him then all the things in the world l Histor of Councel of Trent pag. 419. Alexander the great was wont to say of Calisthenes that he begged many things for others but few for himselfe And Iulius Caesar of Cicero that hee was negligent in things belonging unto himselfe but diligent and and importunate in things concerning the common-weale so wee should prise our soules most and desire many things for our for our bodies we should be negligent in temporall things in comparison of irituall Ignoti nulla cupido we have no knowledge of heaven therefore what desire can we have after it the joyes of heaven wee are not able to conceive Quest 1 of therefore how can wee in our endeavours and affections preferre them before all other things A man can have no desire of an unknowne thing Answ 1 First somethings are unknowne Totaliter wholy both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there are such things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What those things are A man can have no desire at all unto these things Respectivè in part when We know that there are such things We know not what they are perfectly These things a man may hope for and desire Answ 2 Secondly although we know not all things in heaven yet we know that there is a heaven and somethings wee know concerning it For the better understanding hereof observe Those things which we expect in heaven are either Knowne and are either General namely First that there we shall possesse and enjoy every good thing Secondly hat there we shall be freed from every evill thing Thirdly that our fruition of good and freedome from evill shall bee perpetuall Particular namely First in heaven we shall enjoy good things which are either Internall as the joy wee shall have in the societie of God Christ and the Triumphant Church Externall to wit The glorification of the body The perfection of the Soule In truth purity love peace and joy Secondly in heaven wee shall bee free from all evils whether Temporall as from hunger thirst cold sicknesse weakenesse and the like Revelat. 7.17 Spirituall as from falling into sinne from all base and vile lusts from the malice and temptation of sathan from the feares and terrours of conscience and the like Unknowne 1 Cor. 2.9 Thus the joyes we expect are expressed sometimes by the name of a Kingdome
walke in the narrow way are but a very few so that the meaning of Multi Many is Plurimi the most by much Whereunto is this word Many to be referred Question 2 It is to be referred both unto the Way Gate as if our Saviour would say Many walke in the broad way D. Answer Many enter in at the wide gate E. D. First by Many our Saviour would have us to take notice of the Multitude of sinners as if hee should say the most part of men walke the wayes of sinne reade Psalm 14.3 and 53.2 and 1 Iohn 5.19 and 1 Cor. 1.25 Numb 16.4 How doth this appeare that the most men vvalke Question 3 in the broad vvay First It may be illustrated by a double Embleme Answer 1 to vvit 1. The locust is an Embleme of vvicked men shee is called in Hebrevv Arbeh of the numbers and multitudes of them for Rabah signifieth to multiply And hence the Scripture it selfe expresseth the number of vvicked men by the locusts They came as locusts or Grashopers for multitude Iudg. 6.5 And againe They are more then the grashopers and are innumerable Ierem. 46.23 2. The Mouse is an Embleme of vvicked men because shee encreaseth exceedingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist both in number and speede Answer 2 Secondly this will appeare by the partition of the world In the foure corners of the world there are foure kindes of men namely 1. Prophane persons who are given to grosse and enormous sins 1 Tim. 5.24 2. Hypocri es who have a forme of goodnesse and godlinesse but in their hearts have denied the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 3. Carnall men who are not egregious sinners but only minde the world and outward things not regarding the hidden man of the heart at all 4. Righteous and holy men who being truely regenerated become burning and shining lamps Rom. 12.11 And these are but few in comparison of any of the rest Question 4 Why doe the most part walke the wayes of sin Answer 1 First because sinne is most naturall unto all 1. Cor. 15. First comes that which is naturall and afterwards that which is spirituall wee were all conceived and borne in finne and nature and sin works in all grace but onely in a few Answer 2 Secondly because sinne is pleasant to flesh and blood By reason of that innate and naturall concupiscence which is in us temptation workes upon every part of the soule and sense and body and all follow willingly but perswasion unto good workes onely upon some few And therefore more follow the broad way of sinne then the strait way of grace Answer 3 Thirdly because Sathan is so craftie subtle strong and vigilant that hee is called the prince of this world and the god of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 And therefore hee drawes the most part of the world after him Answer 4 Fourthly because it is easier to fall and to lie still then to rise and flie unto heaven And therefore the most men walke not in this strait and painefull way Answer 5 Fiftly because temptation unto evill is like poyson which infects with a light touch thereof or whereof one drop will doe hurt But perswasion unto good is like a potion or purgation which except it be drunke up and well digested doth not produce his wished effect And hence it is that so many are taken captive by sinne and few wonne by grace Question 5 How can this be that the most part of men walke in the broad way Is not Multitude a true note of the true Church Answer No For the true Church is but small in comparison of the world of wicked men The most part of the world is without the Church overwhelmed with the deluge of ignorance and Atheisme and in the Church there are but a few good And thus wee see how Many here is referred to the broad way E Secondly this word Many may be referred to the wide gate Now by the Gate we showed before was meant Death so that the meaning of these words Many there bee which goe in thereat is that that the most men dye unto condemnation or enter in by death at the gates of hell Wee see there were but onely eight out of the whole world preserved and saved in the Arke amongst which small number was wicked Cham. Wee see that ten righteous men could not bee found in five populous Cities of Sodome Genes 18. Yea wee see that of six hundred thousand of Israelites there were but two onely that came into the holy Land And one Nicodemus only we reade of amongst the Senators How doth it appeare that the most part of men are Question 6 damned It appeares most evidently thus First Answer there are many who know not God and Christ John 17.3 and 2 Thess 1.8 Secondly there are many who contemne and despise the word which is the meanes to bring them unto saving knowledge Thirdly there are many who although they doe not contemne it yet susque deque habent they neglect it and doe not much regard it Fourth there are many who care for no hing but the world and honours and pleasures and riches Fiftly many are ensnared and entangled in sinne and wholy serve either some publike or private lust Sixtly many boast and brag of their owne righteousnesse and feele no want neither stand in any neede of Christ Seventhly there are but very few who feele their sinnes to be a burden unto them and desire to bee eased of that loade by Christ And therefore these things considered we may safely say that it is as cleare as the Sunne that the most of men enter in at the wide gate of destruction Whence comes it that the most perish Question 7 First from the weakenesse of our nature Nature Answer 1 cannot save us by grace only we are saved and hence it is that so few are saved and so many damned Secondly this comes from the nature of sinne and Answer 2 here is to bee observed that even one sinne without repentance sufficeth unto condemnation one such transgression is enough to bring a man to eternall destruction as wee see in Achan in Korah and his company in the man who gathered stickes upon the Sabbath day (g) Num. 15.36 and in him who blasphemed Numb 24. We see how at once for one rebellion there dyed foure and twenty thousand 1 Cor. 10. Thirdly this comes from the nature of our enemies Answer 3 who are many and strong as for example 1. The World 2. Sathan 3. The flesh 4. The custome of evill 5. Men. or friends who often tempt unto evill 6. The scoffes and taunts that are thrown upon the profession of the Gospell 7. Carefulnes for the things of this life All these are enemies unto us and one or other of them daily prevaile against us Fourthly this comes from the nature of the multitude Answer 4 or of the men in the world Here observe that in the world there are foure sorts of people
of what they were at first before the fall II. Divertuntur a vero objecto All the members of our bodies and faculties of our souls are now as so many instruments of the service of sin and satan man by nature rebelling against God both in soul and body Secondly our spirituall faculties and graces whereof the present Text speaks are wholly and altogether killed and that in this order I. Adam by sinning forsook and left God a August civit Dei 13.13 â—ence Thomas calls originall sin Ablationem menâ—s à Deo aversionem voluntatis Aq. 1.2.82.2 An alienâ—tion of the soul and aversion of the will from God II. Adam having forsaken and left God loseth originall righteousnesse Hence Aquinas o Thom. 1.2.82.1 ex Ansel saith Originale peccatum est carentia justitiae originalis Originall sin is a deprivation of originall righteousnesse III. Adam having lost his originall righteousnesse is then forsaken of God Desertus ab eo prius p Aug. civ Dei 13.14 whom first he forsook for as God was primus in Amore so he was ultimus in desertione that is God loved us before we loved him q 1 Ioh. 4.10 but God left us not untill we had left him Deseruit Adamum Deus id est abstulit gratiam quâ stare potuit r Aug. de corr gratia God forsook Adam that is withdrew from him his grace whereby he might stand And this was true death Illud Gen. 2.17 intellige cum anima deseritur a suâ vitâ viz. Deo Å¿ Aug. de civit Dei 13.15 That death which is threatned Gen. 2.17 is a spirituall death when the soul is separated from her life that is God t Ephes 4.18 IV God having left and forsaken man hence followeth these two things to wit First corruptio impacta sin and uncleannesse doth seaz upon man radically and hereditarily insomuch as the Father now doth derive sin as well as life unto his childe as Gehazi did leprosie to his posterity u 2 Kings 5.27 yea every man is contaminated and corrupted from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Esa 1.6 the very imaginations and cogitations of man being evill Gen. 6.5 and 8.21 Omnes animae partes inficit Sin hath now tainted and polluted all the parts of the soul saith w Thom. 1.2.82.8.3 3.3 Thomas yea four deadly wounds did man receive by sin said Beda Glos ordin s Luc. 10 In ratione ignorantia In voluntate infirmitas In irascibili malitia In concupiscibili concupiscentia I. In his reason II. In his will III. In his irascible faculty IV. In his concupiscible He was wounded with Ignorance Weaknesse Malice Lust and concupiscence Secondly Potestas boni ablata God having lefâ— man he left grace and the power of doing good so that now though he would do good he cannot and though he would not do evill yet he doth it daily Rom. 7.18 19. Postquam anima Deum deseruerat samulam carnem subditam omninò non habebat x Aug. â—iv Dei 13.13 After the soul ran away from the Lord her God her servant the flesh would be no longer subject or obedient unto her but as she rebels against her Master God so the flesh rebels against her Mistris the Soul So that now Man by his own strength can neither I. Do any thing that is good Rom. 7.14 19. Neither II. Have any good desires for God gives the will as well as the deed Phil. 2.13 Neither III. Think a good thought 2 Cor. 5.3 Answ 3 Thirdly that which hath been said that all men naturally are spiritually dead in sin will most evidently appear by a plain observation of the Dâ—grees of Adams fall which were these I. Sathan under the form of a Serpent tempts man Gen. 3.1 c. Heb. 2.14 II. Adam is overcome by the Tempter and sins against God Gen. 3. and Rom 5.12 14. III. Adam by eating of the forbidden fruit violates and tramples the Law of God under his feet Gen. 2.17 IV. From the violation of the Law springs up corruption that is the Law being broken man became to be corrupted Iob 15.14 and 25.4 Psalm 51.7 V. Mans nature being corrupted sin presently shews it self in the life and actions growing and encreasing in strength daily more and more VI. Hence we were detained in the chains of death and sate in the shadow of death Luke 1.79 as condemned persons are reserved unto the day of execution Object Against that which hath been said that naturally men are dead unto all good it will be objected The Morall man performs many good works yea doth many duties which the Law of God enjoyns And therefore we are not killed out-right in our spirituall faculties Answ In every good action there are two things to be considered namely Instrumentum operans Anima movens First the work wrought then secondly the first mover of the work The action performed must be good and such as the Law commands and the intention must be good also in the performance of the work for otherwise the action is not accepted Simon Magus made a dead body to stir the eyes head and body but it was far from true life so a Morall man may perform a Morall good work but yet it is but a dead work because it proceeds not from the life of Grace Heb. 9.14 Quest 5 How or wherein are naturall men dead Answ 1 First they are dead in regard of Grace and that in a double respect viz. I. They can do nothing that good is Rom. 7.14 18. All their works being either foolish or proud or counterfeit or hypocriticall or pharisaicall or weak or performed for fear of God or man II. They cannot cease to sin 2 Pet. 2.14 Rom. 7.5 Answ 2 Secondly they are dead in regard of life eternall for so long as they are naturall there is no hope of heaven or salvation Iohn 8.21 and Rom. 6.16 21 23. Answ 3 Thirdly they are dead in regard of joy and comfort for to the naturall man there can be no true peace indeed a man may sleep in a wildernesse amongst wilde beasts or in the ships Mast y Prov. 2â— 34. and neither perceive nor conceive nor fear danger but when he awakes he will with terrour and amazement consider of his perill so Naturall men may lull themselves in a carnall security and cry peace peace unto themselves but if ever they awake they will have an horrible expectation of wrath to come z Heb. 10. â—7 Fourthly they are dead in regard of sense for Answ 4 I. They are not sensible of their evill condition nor perillous estate Esa 28.14 Revel 3.17 Nor II. Are sensible of their wants or of those good things which they are deprived and disinherited of and therefore not being sensible of the lack of them do not earnestly endeavour for them or seriously desire them Psalme 42.1 and 63.1 and Iohn 3.19 What things must not the naturall
They that be whole need not a Physician Sect. 2 The Pharisees were here faulty in a double regard to wit First being proud in themselves they contemned and despised others And Secondly they did not consider our Saviours office who was sent to call sinners unto repentance Now our Saviour answers to both these Calvin s to the first in this section to the second in the next Were the Pharisees so whole and righteous Quest 1 that they needed not Christ at all that our Saviour saith here of them The whole need not the Pbysician Christ here speaks ironically Answ not that they were so indeed but that they thought themselves so and being puffed up and carried away with this perswasion thought themselves to have no need of Christ at all From whence wee may learn That the opinion of our own righteousnesse drives us and keeps us from Christ Luke 18.11 Observ Iohn 7 47. and 9.41 Why doth the perswasion of our own righteousnesse Quest 2 hinder us from Christ First because such an opinion makes us swel Answ 1 and grow proud as we see in the Pharisee Luke 18.11 Now wee should come humbly unto Christ as the Publican did Luke 18.13 Secondly because such an opinion hinders us Answ 2 from praying for pardon of our sins or from begging helpe and strength against sin as we see in the Pharisee who puts up no petition unto God but only in his prayer proclaimes his own negative and affirmative righteousnesse Luke 18.11 whereas we should come unto the Lord that we might become humble suters unto him for mercy pardon favour and grace as the Publican did Thirdly because such a perswasion will hinder Answ 3 us from taking the physick which is prescribed by Christ namely Repentance and godly contrition and compunction For those who come unto Christ must come with a sense of their sins Mat. 11. â—8 But those who are opinionated of their owne righteousnesse can find no such cause of sorrow or need of râ—pentance Fourthly the lâ—â— cause why an opinion of Answ 4 our owne righteousnesse hinders us from comming unto Christ is taken from Christs omming into the world For I. Christ came not into the world to approve the righteous by his first comming for this is the worke of his second comming and belongs thereunto But II. He came first for this end to helpe the dead and those who were miserable this being the proper end of his first comming And therfore those who desire to come unto Christ must labour to find themselves to be sick wounded and miserable or else they come not aright unto him Sect. 3 § 3. But those who are sick In the literall sense wee see here that those who are sick stand in need of physick and the helpe and advice of the Physician From whence we may observe Observ 1 That medicines and physick are ordained by God against sicknesses and diseases Eccles 38.1.16 Object 1 Against this it will be objected 1. Physick and going to Physicians are blamed 2 Chron. 16.12 And 2. God hinders their effect and often will not give a blessing to the use thereof Ier. 46.11 And therfore physick is not to be used Answ 1 First Asa is blamed not because he used physick but because he trusted in it Answ 2 Secondly God sometimes indeed hinders the wished effect of physick for sin but it follows not hence that therfore none must use it Good meat doth not nourish some corrupt bodies but rather cause them more to abound with obnoxious humours shall therfore all refuse to eat good meat Answ 3 Thirdly God no where in his word prohibits the lawfull use of physick but commands it rather And therfore it is arrogant and insolent to condemne it as unlawfull yea to neglect the ordinance of God is to tempt his providence Object 2 But it will be objected again physick cannot of it selfe produce that good effect of health which is desired and therfore it is to no purpose to use it Answ Certainly it is most true that physick of it selfe cannot cure or recover unto health no more can bread nourish without the good blessing of God Deut. 8.3 And therfore in taking physick these three rules must be observed viz. First turn from thy sins which are the cause of thy sicknesse Eccles 38.10 Then Secondly use physick the ordinary meanes which God hath appointed for the procuring of health m Eccles 38.12 Thirdly then pray unto God for a blessing upon the means and that he would be pleased to make them good means for the effecting of health Eccles 38.9 Numb 12.13 Psalme 6.3 Quest 1 How doth it appear that it is lawfull to use physick and the Physicians aid in sicknesse Answ It appears by these particulars viz. First because God hath created many medicinable herbs roots and fruit which are not for meat but onely for medicine Now God created nothing in vain Secondly because God hath ordained all these for our use As the Lord made man the Lord of all the creatures so whatsoever good thing was created was made for mans use either that it might be good for mans food or for apparell or for houses and habitations for him or for medicines to cure and recover him Psalme 104 14 15. Thirdly because God hath given unto man the knowledge of herbs trees roots plants and the like and all for this end that man might use them for his good and admire and glorifie the great workeman of them 1 King 4.33 Ecclesiastes 38.6 Fourthly because the Lord himself hath used meanes Thus the Prophet from the Lord useth meale for the healing of the deadly pottage n 2 King 4.41 and salt for the healing of the waters o 2 King 2.20 and a bunch of figs for the breaking of Hezekiahs plague sore Esay 38.21 and Moses from God cast a tree into the waters at Marah whereby they became sweet p Numb 15.25 But those who are sick In the figurative sense of these words we may learne two things to wit First that by nature we are sick Secondly that except Christ heale us we cannot be healed First by these words Those who are sick stand in need of the Physician our Saviour would teach us That the naturall man is sick in soule by nature Observ 2 we were infected by Adam Rom. 5.12 and by him wholly corrupted both in soule and body What Analogy is there between sick men and Quest 2 naturall men First sick men have the cause of their sicknesse Answ 1 within in their humours so wee in our inward bowels for corrupt and evill concupiscence lodgeth within Secondly sick men have but bad or no stomacks Answ 2 to good meat so we so long as wee are naturall have no appetite at all unto holy duties meanes or exercises which are the food of our soules Thirdly the longer a man is sick the weaker Answ 3 he growes and the stronger growes his infirmity within him So the longer we continue in our
By some beginning Apoplâ—xie But none of these had place in this Maid she being truly dead Secondly some understand these words Miraculously Answ 2 as if our Saviour would say As yet after the course of nature she is dead but I will restore her unto life Thus the Prophet from the Lord saith Morieris to Hezekiah thou shalt die Esay 38.1 and afterwards vives thou shalt live 2 King 8.10 But these words imply something more for they doe not belong only to this Dâ—mosell but also unto us Muscul s Offendit naturam mortis piorum Guali s Thirdly some understand these words Philosophically in regard of the soul which dieth not Answ 3 therfore neither the Maid because Mens cujusque est quisque And therfore death is called a dissolution because the soul dieth not but returneth unto God that gave it Eccles 12 7. And therfore David commends his soul unto God Psal 31.5 as doth also Christ Luke 23.46 and Stephen Acts 7.59 But these words imply something more than this because this opinion neither affirmeth nor proveth any thing concerning the Resurrection and therefore may be maintained by a Sadduce Answ 4 Fourthly these words The Maid is not dead but sleepeth may be expounded Theologically because the whole man shall live again hereafter in the Resurrection and that either I. Generally because at the last day the body of every one shall be raised and united again to the soul Or II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because onely the godly shall live for ever a life of felicity and glory Ergo docet quae conditio mortis spem resuscitationis Gualt s In these words our Saviour teacheth us the condition of death namely Observ That death is not a finall dissolution but only as it were a sleep for a time Quest 2 How doth the truth of this appear The truth hereof appears by these particulars viz. Answ First because death is common unto all and hath ceazed upon all and therefore is not a finall dissolution nor totall destruction of soul and body Secondly because those who dye are said to sleep as appears I. By the godly before the Law Gen. 47.30 And II. By the godly under the Law as 2 Sam. 7 12. and 1 King 2.10 and 11.43 And III. By the wicked under the Law as 1 King 14.20 c. and verse 31. and 15.8 Esa 14.18 And IV. By the Saints under the Gospel Iohn 11.11 Acts 7.60 and 1 Cor. 11.30 and 15.18 Thirdly because sleep is like to death for so it binds all the senses that it makes the body seem to be livelesse because in sleep the body moves not perceives not regards not either wife or children or possessions or employments or affairs or pleasure or beauty or health Psal 76.5 And hence Sepulchers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dormitories or sleeping houses Fourthly because death is like unto sleep for we sleep for a time and then awake and rise So we shall all arise from the grave of death Reade Iob 19.25 Psal 16.9 c. Daniel 12.2 and Mat. 25.32 c. Iohn 5.28 and 2 Cor. 5.10 Quest 3 What happinesse do they enjoy that sleep in the Lord Answ 1 First now they enjoy the sight of God that beatificall vision Mat. 5.8 and that in fulnesse Bâ—â—n ex Psal 34.8 Answ 2 Secondly now they are free from all mutation change danger and fear Thirdly and their very bodies at the last day Answ 3 shall awake unto glory 1 Cor. 15. What is required of us in regard of this sleep Quest 4 death Let us prepare our hearts for a happy Resurrection Psal 57.7 doing as men do Answ who are ready to lay themselves down to sleep namely First before they sleep they shut bolt and lock the doors for fear of Thieves so let us bolt and lock the doors of our hearts that sathan do not enter let us seek to be secure from him by Christ that is let us labour that we may be certainly assured that Christ is our Mediatour Intercessour and Advocate who will obtain for us at Gods hands remission and pardon of all our sins Secondly before men sleep they hide lock up or make sure their purses and money so we must be carefull to lay up our treasure in heaven Matthew 6. Thirdly before men sleep they provide and prepare something to cover them lest they should take cold so we must labour that we may be cloathed with the covering of Christs righteousnesse Rom. 13.12.13 Fourthly men before they sleep dispose and lay ready in order their garments that they may finde them and cloath themselves with them when they awake lest they be found naked so we must labour that we may have the garments of sanctity and sincerity otherwise we shall be found naked and like him without a wedding garment cast into everlasting fire And thus if we desire that death may be a happy sleep and our Resurrection a happy awakening we must be watchfull against sathan and carefull to adorn our selves with sanctity and piety but principally carefull that Christ may be our Mediatour and we cloathed with his righteousnesse and then death shall be but like a sweet sleep and the last Trump like a joyfull sound summoning us to our Coronation and everlasting inheritance § 5. And they laughed him to scorn Sect. 5 Christ we see here both speaks and does promiseth and performeth and yet is derided for which they are justly excluded and caused to depart to teach us That deriders mockers and scoffers Observ shall be shut out from Christs presence Gen. 21.9 Gal. 4.29 c. Why shall these be put out from Christ Quest 1 First because on their part it argues pride Answ 1 and insolencie that they will not hear Christ Prov. 13.1 Secondly because this scoffing and derision is Answ 2 terminated in God whether it be I. Against God himself as Gal. 6.7 Or II. Against Christ as Luke 22.63 and 23.11 Or III. Against Gods word as Act. 2.13 and 2 Pet. 3.3 Or IV. Against his Messengers as 2 Chron. 30.10 Lâ—m. 3.14 15. Or V. Against the godly or the true Church as Psal 22.7 and 35.15 and 119.51 Esa 37.23 Or VI. Against the poor and weak who hath no helper 1 Sam. 17.42 Now against which soever of these derision be directed yet it is terminated in God and therefore no scoffers shall come or be suffered to abide in Christs presence Quest 2 Who is here blame-worthy Answ 1 First those who deride the dejected Here observe that there are two sorts of evils namely Culpae Poenae Now wicked men sometimes deride their brethren for evils either First Active of sin thus the Ammonites laughed because the Sanctuary of the Lord was prophaned Ezech. 25.3 Now Charity covers a multitude of sins n 1 Pet. 4.8 and therefore Christians should deride none for this kinde of evill Secondly Passive of punishment thus Iob complains that base persons disdained him when Gods hand was upon him
the whole worke of our conversion is Gods Secondly those who bring us to God are his Instruments as wee see in Philip Acts 8.29 Thirdly it is a dutie imposed upon us by God to help one another and to labour to build up one another according to our Saviours speech to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And therefore it being Gods owne Ordinance that we should mutually strengthen and helpe one another those may hope for mercy who are brought to Christ though by others Who are here blame worthy Quest 2 First those who neglect to bring others unto Answ 1 Christ Oh remember how great and good a worke it is to save the soule of a Brother from death Iames 5.20 And therefore how farre doe they wander from true Christian charity who regard their Brothers pleasure or substance or life yea his Oxe or his Asse more then his soule Answ 2 Secondly those are to blame who will not be brought unto Christ but despise the counsell advice instructions exhortations and reproofes which are given either I. By the Ministers as they did Ierem. 51.9 Or II. By the Magistrates as they did 2 Chron. 30.10 Or III. By friends and neighbours as Luke 7.32 Certainly these will rise up in judgement against such as would not be wonne or allured by them to come unto Christ § 2. One possessed with a Devill Sect. 2 Doth Sathan possesse any or is it onely some Quest 1 Melancholly humour that possesseth men First certainly Melancholly doth many great Answ 1 and wonderfull things and produceth very strange effects representing specters and sights to the imagination which are not present for nothing almost is more usuall then for a Melancholly man to thinke that he seeth that which he sees not yea Secondly certaine it is that the Divell is alwayes Answ 2 ready to abuse Melancholly to the deceit and hurt of the partie so affected Thirdly but it is most certain that sometimes Answ 3 possession is the worke of Sathan and not the effect of sickenesse because those who are possessed do things which are above the power and strength of nature to doe For I. Such wiil declare what is done at the present time in most remote places And II. Will overcome very strong men yea breake many and strong coards This might largely be proved but that in so plaine a thing it is needlesse to light a Candle Quest 2 Doth the Devill care for hurting of the body Is not he onely an enemy to the soule of man Answ 1 First certainely the Devill is an enemy both to the soule and body of man But yet Answ 2 Secondly his chiefest enmity is against the soule the best part of man And hence Answ 3 Thirdly he desires to infest and possesse the body because that helpes as a more ready meanes and way to destroy the soule and that I. By perverting the senses and imagination And II. By drawing the man so possessed wholly unto his service for such being not themselves are wholly guided and led by Sathan Quest 3 Are any now a dayes corporally possessed by Sathan Answ 1 First some say Obsidâ—ri nos non Possideri That men now adayes may bee both corporally and spiritually assaulted but not corporally possessed Answ 2 Secondly some on the contrary say that even at this time many are bodily possessed Answ 3 Thirdly I conceive that it is enough to say that I. There is no certaine rule given how farre the power of Sathan is restrained under the Gospel II. But probably wee may say that some things do more agree to sometimes then to other And therefore I suppose that this corporall possession did belong unto the former ages and not unto this last age of the world Here observe three distinct times First before Christ came there were sathanicall Oracles where the Devill gave responses and answers to those who came unto him and although sometimes their answers were so ambiguous that they might be interpreted either way and sometimes proved apparently false as might be shewed by divers answers given by the Delphicke Oracle yet for the most part they were true and therefore the Devill was honoured as a God Secondly in the comming of Christ the Oracles ceased giving answers and became mute And yet in heathenish places I meane amongst the Indians there are some yet and then the Devill began to rage and grow cruell against the bodies of men whence corporall possessions became frequent and that I. Partly from the malice of Sathan And II. Partly for the glory of the Gospel Iohn 9.3 Thirdly after the Church was established And now there being no need of Miracles the Devill seemes to be bound and restrained from the corporall possessions which cannot be cured by any naturall meanes but only miraculously or by meanes above nature Here as in Chap. 11. wee may say that undoubtedly in corporall evils spirituall are comprehended and therefore this man teacheth us what every man is by nature namely That by nature we are al subject to the power and dominion of Sathan as appeares thus Observ First hee is called the Prince of the world Answ 1 yea the God of this world 2 Corinth 4.4 And therefore Secondly it is necessary that either Christ free us and cast out him or we can never bee delivered and set at liberty § 3. And the man was dumbe Sect. 3 It is worth observation how the enmity of Sathan is principally bent against the tongue and speech that being the most excellent member in the body Reade Matth. 9.32 Marke 9.25 and Luke 11.14 What use serves the tongue for that the Devill Quest 1 is such an enemy unto it First in generall the uses thereof are many Answ 1 namely I. With the tongue wee glorifie God Iam. 3. II. With the tongue wee discourse with the Lord. As did Adam Iacob and Moses often III. Wee expresse our minds unto others by our tongues Vox index animi IV. With our tongues wee utter hidden and secret knowledge V. With the tongue wee pacifie and appease wrath Proverb 15.1 as Iacob did with Esau VI. With our tongues wee give both sweet comfort and sound and safe counsell unto our brethren which very difficultly would bee expressed by signes if wee were dumbe VII It is usefull for a mans selfe for therewith a man doth complaine of his want and poverty and therewith a man doth implore help and seeke remedy and therewith a man doth utter his injuries and wrongs and desires redresse It is an admirable thing to consider how great variety there is in the tongue for with that sometime wee speake gravely sometimes jestingly sometimes sharpely sometimes lovingly sometimes harshly sometimes sweetly lingua à ligando Rhoding because a man seems to have the mind of his brother as it were in his hands or rather in his tongue to bind or lose as he pleases for sometimes with the tongue a man doth incense and exasperate his brother and sometimes therewith pacifie him
Church and not the Scribes and Pharisees as Bellarmine himself confesseth Tom. 1. 1272. B. Quest 6 Can there be a Visible Church of Christ ad intra without a visible ad extra Answ The Visibility of the Church of Christ may be in two or three for although the whole Synagogue of the Jewes should have failed yet the Church should not have fallen because besides that people there were Melchisedech Iob Cornelius the Centurion and the Eunuch as is confessed by Bellarmine himself de Eccles milit li. 3. Cap. 16. Sect. Ad Tertium Yea at the time of Christs death when the Apostles failed and shrunk away for fear the profession of the faith and truth remained in the Blessed Virgin only August Epist 48. Quest 7 What is meant here by the Church of Christ or what doth our Saviour mean by this word Church Answ 1 First it signifies sometimes the place which is set apart and consecrated for the service of God and the celebration of Prayer Preaching and the Sacraments but not so here Answ 2 Secondly sometimes it is taken for some particular and nationall Church but neither so here Answ 3 Thirdly sometimes for that part of the Church which is Triumphant in Heaven Answ 4 Fourthly sometimes for all those who professe the name of Christ and who are called Christians But it is not taken in this sense here by our Saviour Answ 5 Fifthly sometimes for a particular assembly of Christians The Church which is in thy house salute Answ 6 Sixthly sometimes Church is taken for that part therof which is Militant or for all the faithfull flock of Christ And thus it is principally taken in this place By what markes or signes may this Church of Christ be knowne Quest 8 The markes of the true Church are these viz. First the word of God as it is revealed Answ and commended unto us by Christ and this is the chiefe and principall marke because it is given for the rule of the Church and is that whereby the Church is begotten and unto which she must cleave constantly and immovably Reade for the confirming of this note Matth. 7.24 and 10.7 and 13.23 and 17.5 and 28.20 Marke 13.10 and 16.15 Luke 24.47 Now by these and the likâ— places it is evident that the pure word of God not adulterated with the traditions and inventions of men is a notable marke of the Church of Christ Secondly a true and lawfull use of the Sacraments and Keyes according to the institution of Christ Matth. 28.19 Baptize them in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Luke 22. Doe this in remembrance of me Iohn 20. Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted c. Thirdly confession of the truth constancie and perseverance in the profession thereof and purity of life and conversation Matth. 5.16 10.32 So Peter in the â—ame of the other Apostles having confâ—ssed Christ to be the Son of the living God he in this verse presently addes Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Fourthly obedience to the Ministerie in those things which Christ hath taught and ordained as Luke 10. Hee that heares not you heares not me c. Iohn 8. Hee that is of God heares Gods word And Matth. 10.14 15. § 6. And the gates of hell shall not prevaile against Sect. 6 it What is here meant by the gates of hell First for answer hereunto we must observe Quest that amongst the Jewes there was a greater Answ 1 Consistory and a lesser which differed in divers things and amongst the rest in place For I. The greater Consistory sate only at Ierusalem within the Court of the Temple in a certaine house called Lischath hagazith The paved Chamber because of the cuâ—ious cut stones wherwith it was paved by the Greekes it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pavement as Iohn 19.13 Pilate sate downe in the judgement seat in a place called the pavement II. The lesser Consistory sate in the gates of the Cities Now because the gates of the Citie are the strength thereof and in their gates their Iudges sate therefore it is said here The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it that is neither the strength nor policie of Satan Iewish Antiq. Godwyn pag. 234. Secondly our Saviour saith That the gates of Answ 2 hell shall not prevaile against this faith this Rock and those who confesse Christ with as good a faith as Peter did and the Metaphor is taken from the gates wherein the Jewes and Gentiles exercised their judgements as appeareth by Moses Gen. 22.17 and Iob 32.21 And because wicked Judges did there give false sentences as absolving the offenders and condemning the innocents therefore false judgement and tyrannicall Iudges and injurious Magistrates are called hell gates that is the gates of death or the judgement seats of death Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gates of hell may be translated the gates of death or the gates of the grave The gates of Hades saith Christ shall not prevaile against or overcome the Church nor utterly destroy the faithfull neither at length have the victory for they may kill the bodies but they cannot hurt or touch the soules Now these gates are false Iudges malicious Magistrates and cruell Tyrants which sitting in judgement condemne the innocents and justifie the Malefactors and consequently may injure and wrong the bodies of the righteous but not their soules at all Peter not at Rome pag. 33. Answ 3 Thirdly by the gates of hell some understand vices sinnes and the corruptions of mans nature which shall neither raigne in their mortall bodies nor finally or totally prevaile against them Origen Ambros s It is questioned betweene us and Rome whether the Church of Rome may erre or not and wee affirme that it may that is any particular Church or visible Congregation and confirme it thus Argu ∣ ment 1 If any Christian Church hath this infallibility of judging so that it cannot erre then it must have it from some divine promise But there is no such thing promised to any Church Therefore no Church is exempt from errour If this place bee objected as it is by the Papists That Christ hath promised Object that the gates of hell shall not prevaile agaâ—nst his Church We answer First Christ speakes not here of any particular Answ or nationall Church and consequently not of the Church of Rome Sect. 7 § 7. And I will give to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven Mason de Min. Ang. l. â— cap 3. The Papists to prove the absolute and boundlesse power of the Pope alleage this place To thee will I give the keyes of heaven Marke say they Christ did not promise unto Saint Peter Clavem one key but Claves two keyes to wit First Scientiae the keyes of knowledge and with this key hee doth open the doore of the Scripture absolving all mysteries and resolving all controversies Secondly Potestatis the Key of power and with this Key he doth open the
the Minister of the word Sacraments is said to save and to beget in Christ as the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 4.15 and. 2. Cor. 5.21 And therefore if we desire to walke in that way which leades unto him let us pray unto God to give us his holy Spirit let us attend carefully to the preaching and reading of the holy word and approach reverently and preparedly when we are invited to the holy Sacrament of the Lords holy Supper Who shall be made partakers of this life eternall Quest 3 First onely the Elect and faithfull Iohn 17.9 Answ 1 Acts. 2.47 Rom. 11.7 If it be here demanded whether the wicked Quest 4 shall rise or not at the last day I answer they shall but not unto eternall joy Answ but unto an eternity of torments Daniel 12.2 Matth. 25.46 and 2. Thes 1.8.9 Shall not wicked men rise at the great day of Quest 5 judgement unto eternall life shall not they also live for ever They shall rise unto eternall death Answ but not unto eternall life For I. It is like death herein as there is no exemption from death so there is no redemption from hell And II. In death there are two things namely First Mortis inchoatio the inchoation of death or the dolefull and strong pangs of death now this wicked men have for the bitter paines of eternall death are alwayes upon them they with St. Paul in another sence may justly say that they dye daily Secondly Mortis consummatio in death there is the period perfecting and consummation thereof Now this wicked men never have for they are alwaies a dying but they never dye Secondly all the Elect shall be made partakers Answ 2 of this everlasting life It may here be demanded whether the joy of Quest 6 heaven shall be alike unto all or unlike whether equall or unequall First in heaven there shall be Par gaudium Answ 1 an equal joy for every man shall receive his penny and shall have a fulnesse and perfection of joy Secondly in heaven there shall be Impar gradus Answ 2 different degrees of Glory Daniel 12.3 When shall the Elect and faithfull be made Quest 7 partakers of this everlasting life both in bodies and soules Answ 1 First in generall concerning the yeare when the Righteous shall rise unto life there was a double opinion to wit I. Some said it would bee 6000 yeares after the Creation of this opinion were Iustinus Iraenaeus Hieronymus Augustinus Lactantius Hilarius Rabbi Elias and some heathens II. Some said it would bee 6500 yeares after the Creation and of this opinion were Cyrillus Chrysostomus Hyppolitus Germanus Constantinopolitanus Vide Senens bibl Sanct. lib. 5. § 190. pag. 399. Answ 2 Secondly more particularly there are three times when this life eternall is by the Elect injoyed viz. I. Tempus Inchoationis There is the time when they are first interested into this life and that is when they are Regenerated Iohn 5.24 and 17.3 and 1 Ioh. 3.2 Thus this fruition of life Eternall is begun in this life Read Rom. 5.2 Colos 3.3 Gal. 2.20 II. Tempus Possessionis There is the time when they enjoy this life in Soule onely and this is presently after death When First the body rests from labour Revelat. 14.13 And Secondly the soule hath a certaine perfection Quest 8 It may here be questioned If the soule doth not sleepe as well as the body untill the generall Resurrection Answ 1 First some held that the soule was like the body altogether mortall and the same in men with beasts as the Nazarens thought Danaeus and therefore the soule should never be restored to the body or to life as the Saducees dreamt Answ 2 Secondly some held that the soule died but that at the Resurrection it should be restored againe alive to the body and thus thought the Arabians Thirdly some held that the soule died not but Answ 3 onely when it departed from the body it fell a sleepe and slept untill the day of judgement And of this opinion were well nye 20 Fathers who are reckoned up by Senens § 345. Page 569. 570. Fourthly some held that the soule enjoyed the Answ 4 presence of God before the generall Resurrection but imperfectly Pet Mart. 3. 14. 16. Page 684. Fifthly some hold that the Elect and faithfull Answ 5 in regard of their soules doe perfectly enjoy the pesence of God presently after their corporall dissolution Here some object God onely is immortall Object 1. Timoth. 6.16 and therefore the soule is mortall First God onely is Eternall wee only sempiternall Answ 1 God is from everlasting Aparte ante and to everlasting aparte post but man had a beginning although he shall have no end because both soule and body shall be conjoyned together againe at the last day and shall endure for ever Secondly God onely is the fountaine of Immortality Answ 2 having life and immortality in himselfe and of himselfe but we are made immortall onely by him Thirdly that the soule is immortall and dyeth Answ 3 not appeares thus The Scripture saith the soule goes to God Eccles 12.7 Revelat. 7.15 and .14.4 And Stephen commends his soule to God Acts. 7.59 And CHRIST saith That man cannot kill the soule Matth. 10.28 And. Iohn 6.40 Christ promiseth to the faithfull that they shall be raised up and made partakers of life everlasting III. Tempus perfectionis there is the time when the Elect shall absolutely and perfectly enjoye this life eternall and that is in the Resurrection when the body and soule shall be united and conjoyned together for ever inseparably What is this life eternall Quest 8 Answ 1 First it is Life Here observe that life is either Increate as is the life of God Or Create and is either Naturall as is the life of the body or the life which we leade in the body Or Spirituall which is Inchoate and imperfect in this life Or Comsummate and perfect in the life to come Answ 2 Secondly this Spirituall life consists in the union of the soule with God Iohn 17.21 Revel 21.3 Answ 3 Thirdly this Communion will be I. With the humanity of CHRIST And II. With his Deity And III. With the Father and the holy Ghost Iohn 17.22 Answ 4 Fourthly the difference between this inchoate and that consummate spirituall life is this that there God will be all in all by himselfe without the use of meanes There shall be no need or use of the word and Sacrament and Temples and the like nor any use of the creatures the Sunne Moone and the rest Indeed there shall be an use of the creatures Rom. 8.21 but it is for pleasure and delight not for necessity or want What manner of life shall this everlasting Quest 9 life be First it may be illustrated and described by the Answ 1 names given thereunto Heaven is called I. A reward great is your reward in heaven And II. An inheritance Rom. 8.17 and. 1. Pet. 1.4 And III. A crowne of
machina mundi peribit What miraculous and extraordinary things Quest 4 were in this Eclipse First the naturall Eclipse of the Sunne never happens Answ 1 as the Astrologers say but in the time of the conjunction of the Sunne and Moone which was not at the time of this Eclipse the Moone being in the full Answ 2 Secondly about the sixth houre and so forward to the ninth houre the Moone was together with he Sunne in the midst of Heaven but in the Evening shee appeared in her owne place namely in the East opposite to the Sunne Answ 3 Thirdly the Moone miraculously returning from the East towards the West did not passe by the Sunne and set in the West before it but comming to the place and terme of the Sunne went along with it for the space of three houres and then returned unto the East againe Answ 4 Fourthly the naturall Eclipse of the Sun quickly passeth away but this Eclipse continued for the space of three houres Answ 5 Fifthly the naturall Eclipse of the Sunne beginneth alwayes at the West that is that part of the Sunne which lookes towards the West is alwayes in naturall Eclipses first darkened because the Sunne is more swif in his motion then the Moone is in hers and so overtaketh her but here although the Moone were in opposition to the Sunne and distant from it the breadth of heaven yet it overtooke by a miraculous swiftnesse the Sunne and so darkened first that part thereof which lookes towards the East Answ 6 Sixthly in the naturall Eclipse of the Sunne that part thereof is first discovered and seene which was first covered and obscured but in this Eclipse that part of the Sunne which lookes towards the East was first covered and last discovered Jf the studious Reader would see these things illustrated and more then these expressed and handled concerning this unnaturall and miraculous Eclipse Let him read Aquin. 3. p. 9. 44. Art 2. ad 2. et Dionys in praefata Epist et Chrysost et Hier. s and Chemnit harm fine addit Gerard fol. 189. b. calce Sect. 2 § 2. Over all the Land Quest 4 Whether was there darknesse at this timeover all the Earth or not Answ 1 First the words in the Text are Tenebrae factae sunt supra universam regionem And there was darkenesse over all the Region or Land which by our best Hebruicians is interpreted generally of the Land of the Iewes and their reason is this because if this darkenesse had occupied the whole Earth then without doubt the Historians of other Nations would have recorded and mentioned it Syllâ—ge vocum exotic Pâ—ge 18â— Answ 2 Secondly others say that this Eclipse was not onely in the Land of the Iewes but in Egypt and in Athens as testifieth Dionysius and divers other Historians sâ—ith Carthusian upon this place doe testifie that it was in other Lands Answ 3 Thirdly that it was overall the world I cannot imagine for those who thinke so extend it too far neither dare I subscribe to those who restraine it onely to the Region of the Iewes because on the other side I conceive them to limit it too much And therefore J thinke that it was over all that Horizon and all those Regions which were in a manner of the same Altitude and Latitude and unto which the Sunne gives light and is seene at once VERS 46 47. And about the ninth houre Vers 46 47. Iesus cryed with a loud voice saying Eli Eli lamasabacthani that is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Some of them that stood there when they heard that said This man calleth for Elias § 1. My God my God Sect. 1 How can CHRIST have a God Quest when himselfe is the true God blessed for ever Hath God a God above him whom he stands in need of for protection and defence First Christ according to his humane nature and Answ 1 as he is man hath the same God and Father that we have Behold I goe unto my God and your God unto my Father and your Father CHRIST as man had God for his Father upon whose power he did depend and into whose hands he committed his Spirit and according to his humane nature he cals his Father his God Secondly Christ according to his divine nature Answ 2 is very God yea true God himselfe of the same substance and power with the Father § 2. Why hast thou forsaken me Sect. 2 What was the cause that moved Christ thus to Quest 1 complaine First negatively the cause was not any impatiency Answ 1 or discontent of mind neither any despaire or dissembling as some would have it But Secondly affirmatively the cause was an apprehension Answ 2 and feeling of the whole wrath of God which seazed upon him both in body and soule Thirdly Christ complained because of Gods delay Answ 3 and differring of helpe and succour Vrsin Whether did Christ truly complaine upon the Quest 2 Crosse that he was forsaken of God First we answer hereunto That our blessed Saviour Answ 1 bearing our sinnes in himselfe upon the Crosse did verily feele Gods wrath in his soule and truly complained in respect thereof that he was forsaken of God And this we confirme from himselfe thus Our Saviour cryeth out and complaineth upon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me which words were uttered in truth and not in colour or shew Athanas ad Apollinar as Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things were done naturally and in truth not in opinion or shew And therefore Christ did feele himselfe in his soule forsaken of God that is left comfortlesse of Gods Spirit If the Reader would see this opinion opposed and confirmed let him read Dr. Willets synops page 1142. sine et 1433. et Cham. tom 2. page 177. Secondly Fevardentius absolutely denies that Answ 2 Christ did truly complaine upon the Crosse that he was forsaken of God and he gives this reason for his deniall If Christ saith he were truly forsaken of God it would follow that the hypostaticall union was dissolved and that Christ was personally separated from God for otherwise he could not have beene forsaken Fevardent Page 437. confut â— b I. We answer hereunto If Christ had been totally and eternally forsaken the personall union must have been dissolvea but upon this temporall dereliction rejectioÌ„ there followeth not a personall dissolution II. As the body of Christ being without life was still hypostatically united to the God head so was the soule of CHRIST though for a time without feeling â—f his favour the dereliction of the one doth no more dissolve the hypostaticall union then the death of the other If life went from the body and yet the Deity was not separated in the personall consociatioâ— but onely suspended in operation so the feeling of Gods favour which is the life of the Soule might be intermitted in CHRIST and yet the divine Union not dissolved III. Augustine
Redemption But I rather thinke the reason to bee this in short Saint Matthewes chiefest regard in the reckoning up of this genealogie was to move the Jewes to embrace the Gospel and therefore hee beginnes with David in this verse because then it was most common in the mouthes of all men that the Messias should be the sonne of Dauid but Saint L ke as testifies Eusebius * Eccles Hist lib. 3. cap. 4. by birth a Gentile borne in Antiochia learned in Physicke and now a Proselite truely converted doth write his Gospel to convert others and therefore shewes to the comfort of all beleeving Gentiles that Christ is a Saviour also unto them even which are of the posterity of Adam The promise of the Messias was tyed to the families of David and Abraham k Gen. 22.18 2 Sam. 7.12 and therefore Matthew proving Christ to bee the sonne of David and Abraham according to the flesh needs goe no further But Luke writes unto the Gentiles for he was Pauls companion who was the Apostle of the Gentiles and therefore hee proceeds unto Adam the Father of all Nations Quest 7 Againe hence it will bee demanded why is onely David and Abraham here named Answer I answer because under these two were all the promises made and given viz. First to Abraham Gen. 12.3 and 22.18 Secondly to David 2 Sam. 7.12 1 Chron. 17. Psal 89.37 Esa 37.35 and 53.3 Ier. 13.13 22.4 30.23.5 Quest 8 Lastly one other question may hence be propounded which is this why is David set or placed before Abraham in this verse Abraham being Answ 1 the eldest I answer First because the promises made to David were more cleare and illustrious and later and therefore better knowne unto the people as appeares by the blinde man who cries unto Christ thou sonne of David have mercie upon me and so the common people call the Messias the sonne of David Secondly I answer Answ 2 It is ordinarie with Historians to proceed from later things to more ancient first to relate those things that are freshest in our memories and then goe one to those that are more remote from us Lastly I answer The matter Answ 3 in hand or the historie of the Genealogie of Christ doth require that David should bee placed before Abraham for the Catalogue of the persons is to bee drawne from the first to the last or to begin with the eldest first and so proceed downewards and therefore being to begin with Abraham as he doth vers 2. hee first names David then subjoynes Abraham vers 1. that so the second verse may depend immediatly upon the first Thus much for the questions One objection we have further to resolve Object Saint Matthew making no mention at all in this his Genealogie of the linage of the blessed virgin Mary gives Salmeron the Jesuite occasion to alledge this place to prove that the virgin Mary was without sinne at all and that we should not consider her to have sprung from sinners lest she should thereby have incurred the guilt of originall sinne from them but wee must conceive of her as the elect and gracious mother of Christ and consequently exempted from all sinne and for this cause onely sayth he she is described as Saint Paul describes Melchizedech without Father or Mother or genealogie and as wee understand an other person i. e. Christ figured in Melchizedech so the blessed Mother of Christ must bee imagined to be without Father or Mother that so wee may understand her to bee without the least staine of sinne The Jesuites argument being something confused we will draw it to this forme Major Whosoever is described without father or mother or genealogie is altogether voyd of sinne Minor But the blessed virgin Mary is such a one described without father or mother or genealogie Therefore she is altogether voyd of sinne First of all we deny the Major or first proposition Answ 1 for Melchizadech is described in Scripture to be without father or mother or generation and yet neither Papists nor any other goe about to prove that hee was free from all sinne Secondly wee answer that the confirmation Answ 2 and proofe of the Major is very ridiculous Mary is described like Melchizedech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any genealogie or generation therefore as Melchizedech signifies Christ so Mary was free from all staine of sinne this is a Sequitur à baculo ad angulum as wee say in the Schooles Thirdly the Minor or second proposition Answ 3 is false Mary is not described like Melchizedech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his parents none at any time or any where hath named in Scripture yea he is so obscurely brought in that wee have no argument to prove that hee was borne but onely that generall argument which is taken from the nature of man But Mary was not onely borne after the nature of other men and women but also her Genealogie is named in Scripture For I. First she is called the Cosen of Elizabeth from whence necessarily one genealogie must bee common to them both II. Secondly shee is shewed to bee the daughter of David and Abraham because Christ was borne of her vers 20. and hee is sayd to bee the sonne of David and Abraham vers 1. And therefore the Genealogie of the Sonne must needs appertaine unto the Mother III. Thirdly this same Genealogie which is described both by Matthew and Luke is both the Genealogie of Mary and described for Maries sake and not for Iosephs because it is described to shew the descent and linage of Christ who came not of Ioseph but of Mary onely and therefore if this Genealogie belong not unto her it belongs not unto Christ l Chamierus Tom. 3. f. 115. Sect. 18.19.20.21 Vers 2. Observa VERRS 2. Abraham begat Isaac Isaac was a type of Christ in 3 things First in his nativitie which was in a manner and in nature almost impossible m Rom. 4.19 Abrahams body being dead so Christ was wonderfull in his birth Secondly in his obedience unto the death making no resistance against his Father Abraham Gen. 22. So Christ was also obedient to the stroake of death n Phil. 2.8 Thirdly he was the sonne of promise and the promised seed Gen. 21.12 and so was Christ Gal. 3.16 Vers 5 Quest § 1. VERS 5. Boaz of Rahab It may here bee demanded why in the Genealogie of our Sect. 1 blessed Saviour none of the holy women are reckoned up but those onely whom the Scriptures Answ 1 doe taxe and reprehend as sinners I answer this was done first of all because Christ came into this world to save sinners and to take away their sinnes Sinners are reckoned up in his Genealogie and he is sayd to be descended of them because he descended frō heaven for them o Hier. s Christ for the comfort of poore penitent sinners assumed that nature which once was sinfull that he might separate it from sinne Secondly another
It may here bee asked Is any faith beleefe or credit to be given to dreames Quest Answ 1 I answer first sometimes dreames are messengers from God according to his promise your young men shall dreame dreames k Ioel 2 2◠Act. 2.17 and wee have many instances of such dreames as for example Ioseph Gen. 37. Pharaohs baker Gen. 40. Pharaoh himselfe Gen. 41. and Ioseph in this verse Answ 2 Now these dreames are to be beleeved Secondly dreames in times past were more ordinary l 1. Sam. 28.6.15 but the light of the Gospel hath now dispersed and expelled them signes belonging to unbeleevers Thirdly Dreames now are alwaies doubtfull Answ 3 and therefore not lightly to be credited nor taken notice of for the confirmation of this answer observe some make a sixefold originall of dreames l thus every dreame is either first Naturall or secondly Spirituall m Creg Moral 8. s Iob. 7. or thirdly Diabolicall Naturall dreames either proceede from causes Internall to wit either From the temper or temperature of the body as fulnesse emptinesse or some change wrought in the humors of the body by sicknesse This the first cause Or From abundance or diversity of thoughts n Eccles 5.2 as when our friend is absent wee dreame that hee is dead or returned or the like This is the second cause Externall proceeding from abundance of imployments This is the third cause Spirituall dreames are divine admonitions and are of two sorts either Simply divine as this Dreame of Iosephs which was a divine admonition meerely from the Lord. This is the fourth cause Or Mixtly divine that is when our dreames are spirituall but mixed with some thoughts of our owne o Iob. 7.14 This is the fift cause There are diabolicall wicked and uncleane thoughts or such dreames arising from such thoughts And this is the sixt and last cause of Dreames Answ 4 I answer further Dreames have their significations either first as signes or secondly as causes Dreames have their significations as Signes and that either first of things present as dreaming of meat or drinke argues hunger or thirst c. Or secondly of things to come this is called a prediction and is threefold either First Naturall and divine as Galen tells of one Crus lapideum balneo lotus c who dreamed that bathing himselfe his legges and thighes were metamorphosed from flesh to flint Or secondly Diabolicall and wicked the devill sometimes forewarning of things to come to gain credit and beleefe with men Or thirdly Divine and these are to bee observed and marked and of this kinde was Iosephs dreames p Matth. ◠13. and the dreame which was dreamed by the wise men Matth. 2.12 Againe dreames have their significations as causes and that either By illusion of Sathan Or By revelation from God and that either Commanding as in this verse and Matt. 2.19.22 Or Forbidding as Gen. 31.24 Answ 5 And in all these three we must carefully take heede of the illusions of Sathan who can doe all these Deut. 13.1 c. Lastly all dreames do either First promise something Or Secondly terrifie and affright us Or Thirdly declare or shew something unto us Fourthly or admonish and advise us and these are not altogether to be sleighted but to be weighed and pondered observing therein these conditions viz. First doe not wholly believe them but onely suspect that they may be true Secondly Procura ne cura if we can provide against what wee doubt and dreame of doe it but be not careful of the successe nor fearefull for any dreame Thirdly doe nothing upon a dreame either against thy generall calling as thou art a Christian or against that particular calling wherein God hath placed thee More plaine and particular signes of divine dreames wee shall consider of God willing in another place Sect. 3 § 3. For that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost Exposition From the words it evidently appeares that Christ is the true Sonne of God or the onely begotten Son of the true God Not First onely man by nature and Quasi Deus as it were a God by grace as the Arrians Nestorians and divers others would have it Nor Secondly onely God and made Quasi homo as it were a man as the Maniches Marcionites and divers others falsly imagine Nor Thirdly true God and true man but having the humanity created of nothing as the Valentinians and Wittcham hold that Christ tooke not flesh of the Virgin Mary and Servetus that the body of Christ was compacted of three uncreated Elements Beza epist 8. confess Gal. art 14 But Fourthly that in Christ are two natures united by a hypostaticall conjunction being Man of the flesh of his Mother without a Father and God of God his Father without a Mother Now hence divers Quares may be made of which briefly First why was it necessary that Christ should Quest 1 be God Answ 1 I. Because man alone could not doe that which was requisite for our Redemtion viz. First satisfie Gods justice And secondly overcome and conquer death And II. Because neither could an Angell save us or performe that which was to bee done before we could be ransomed that is First an Angell could not dye Nor secondly overcome temptation for us Nor thirdly make us the children of God Quest 2 Secondly Why was it necessary that Christ should be man Answ 1 I. That he might dye for God cannot it being contrary to the nature of an immortall God and without death there can bee no Redemption And Answ 2 II. That he might merit which God cannot doe neither because to merit is to procure unto ones selfe that which otherwise they have not nor is due unto them Thom. wherefore God cannot merit Answ 3 III. That he might apply his merit unto us and therefore it was convenient that hee should be like unto his brethren Quest 3 Thirdly why was it necessary that the Son the second person of the blessed Trinitie should be made Man Answ Because he being the Character and engraven Image of the Father Heb. 1.3 was most fit to restore and repaire againe the Image of God in us Quest 4 Fourthly why was Christ begotten of the holy Spirit Answ That hee might bee holy pure immaculate and a lambe without spot both in his generation and conception Quest 5 Fiftly why is the conception of Christ ascribed to God the holy Ghost alone seeing it is common to all the three persons in the blessed Trinitie Answ 1 I. This is not done to exclude the Father or the Son himselfe from this work but to signifie that it comes of the free gift and grace of God which commonly is tearmed by the holy Ghost that the manhood of Christ being but a creature should bee advanced to this dignitie and become a part of the Sonne of God Answ 2 II. The holy Ghost is the authour of this conception in a speciall manner for the Father and the Sonne
l Daniel 5. this was in Esau he wept sore m Gen. 27.38 yet obtained no mercy n Heb. 12.17 because obedience was wanting II. Neither the confession of the tongue is acceptable unto God without service in the life for Cain could confesse his sinnes to be great o Gen. 4.13 and Saul acknowledge his iniquity unto the Prophet with a peccavi p 1 Sam. 15.24 I have sinned yea Iudas doth confesse his particular transgression for which he is sorry in these words I have sinned in betraying of innocent blood q Matth. 27.4 but yet none of these received either benefit or comfort by this their confession because it was not accompanyed with obedience III. The externall humiliation of the body availes nothing without this neither for Ahab humbled himselfe in dust and ashes r 1 King 21.27 and yet was slaine not long after ſ 1 King 22.35 IV. Affection unto religion without zealous obedience is not gratefull unto God for Agrippa was halfe perswaded to become a Christian t Act. 26. and Herod in practise as well as affection was halfe a Christian for he heares Iohn Baptist gladly and doth many things and abstaines from some sinnes u Mark 6. like the stony ground that sends forth a blade and grasse x Matth. 13. yet all this profits them not so long as true repentance and sincere obedience is wanting in them And thus our repentance must bee true Secondly our repentance must be timely and mature begunne betimes without procrastination or delay while it is said to day while we have life while we have hope in regard of Gods gracious invitations remembring that repentance is not in our power wee cannot turne unto God when we will yea the longer wee delay it the more unfit we are to performe it Nam qui non hodiè cras minus aptus erit he that is not in fit case to repent him to day will be more unfit to morrow and therefore call upon God while thou mayest be heard approach unto him while the doore is open y Matth. Obiect It may here be objected Deliberandum est diu quod statuendum est semel nothing is to bee done rashly and that which is but once to be done had neede be undertaken with a great deale of deliberation festina lentè make not too much hast is a good rule Relapses are dangerous and therfore men had neede beforehand to beware sat citò si sat bene if we repent truely at any time we tepent soone enough a King must not wage warre with a Potent Foe but upon mature deliberation neither is a man to lay the foundation of a building untill seriously in his thought hee have considered how he shall be able to reare up the edifice and therefore Repentance being a weighty worke of great importance it is not so suddenly to be undertaken I answer first there is a great difference betweene Answ 1 Deliberation and Delay the latter feares and neglects the former considers consults and then speedily effects and undertakes Secondly deliberation concerning repentance may be two fold First an poenitendum whether thou must or ought or shalt repent or not now this is not to bee doubted of and therefore there needs no deliberation but rather a quick and speedie determination in the particular because without repentance there is no hope of mercy or remission or eternall salvation Secondly quomodo poenitendum the second deliberation is how we must repent and this is twofold 1. First quibus viribus by whose power thou must repent there is no neede of deliberation heere neither art thou at all to doubt of this because all sinners must acknowledge these two things first that of themselves they have no power to repent and this is necessary to bee confessed least otherwise they presume that they can repent when they will and therefore may procrastinate the worke Secondly that repentance is wrought in them by God alone who is able to convert when and whom he pleases this wee must undoubtedly acknowledge also least otherwise the sight of our sins and the sense of our owne insufficiencies cause us to despaire thus the Prophet praying for the people frames his petition turne thou us oh Lord unto thee and then we shall be turned a Lam. 5.21 as if he should say we are not able of our selves to repent and therefore it thou oh Lord leave us unto our selves we shall never be converted but thou art able to worke true repentance in our hearts and therefore if thou wilt bee pleased to take the worke in hand then wee are certainely assured that we shall be truely turned 2. Secondly quibus laboribus wee must consider what is required unto true repentance and here onely Deliberation is seasonable and needfull for this is indeede seriously to be considered of wee must observe the requisite conditions unto conversion that we may be the more careful stare pollicitis to performe our promises and to keepe the conditions required of us The conditions of this obligation made betweene God us in Repentance are these First to denie our selves and confesse our selves wholy only subject to the wil command of the Lord. Secondly to take up our crosse of what nature or kinde soever that is patiently to endure and undergoe all afflictions that the Lord shall please to exercise us with all whether in body or goods or good name Thirdly not to esteeme our lives deare unto us when God calls for them whether by a naturall or a violent death Fourthly to persevere in the service of the Lord unto our lives end Fiftly to oppose our selves unto Sathan the world and the flesh and to strive against all sin alwaies even unto blood b Heb. 12.4 And thus therefore I conclude this objection the Thesis is to bee granted that we must repent and that by and by without delay the Hypothesis is to be considered and meditated of but ut muniaris non ut cuncteris that is thou must not so deliberate upon the worke that thou delay it but so seriously consider of it that thou mayest the more carefully arme thy selfe both to overcome all impediments that might hinder thee from the perfecting of it and also to accomplish what the Lord expects from thee and what thou hast resolved to put in execution And thus our repentance must be mature and timely as well as true Thirdly our repentance must be constant for it is not true except it endure unto the end and therefore we must be perseverant c Ephes 6 18. Heere a question may bee made why must Quest our repentance bee perpetuall for terme of life I answer First because otherwise it shall not Answ 1 be crowned with a crowne of glory d Matth. 24.13 finis coronat opus the end proves the truth of the work and therfore hee that lookes backe and proves retrograde is not worthy of this reward
Jewes by circumcision to the Christians by Baptisme but if Iohns baptisme were not the same with the baptisme of the Christian Churches then Christ was not thereby united unto them The sixt reason is because there is but one Baptisme a Ephes 4.5 and therefore Iohns was the same with the baptisme of Christ The seventh reason is because we are all baptised into one body b 1 Cor. 12.13 and therefore those that were baptised by Iohn were united unto Christ The eight reason is because Iohns baptisme was from heaven c Matth. 21.25 Ioh. 1.33 The ninth reason is because Christ permits Iohn still to baptise after he was baptised and begun to preach d Ioh. 3.23 The tenth reason is because Apollos learned the way of Christ and yet was not rebaptised as the Holy Ghost saith of him he was instructed in the way of the Lord he was fervent in spirit he was diligent in preaching Christ and yet knew onely the Baptisme of Iohn e Act. 18.25 And thus although the Papists say that the baptisme of Iohn did conduce nothing at all either unto repentance or the remission of sinnes being onely a preparation unto another baptisme yet I hope by that which hath beene spoken the contrary will evidently appeare to any indifferent Reader Object 6 They object further for the proofe hereof that those who were baptised unto Iohns baptisme were againe rebaptised f Acts 19 4 5. and therefore Iohns baptisme is not the same with Christs We shall consider God willing more amply of that place when we come unto it in the meane time I answer first that all those that were baptised Answ 1 unto Iohns baptisme were not rebaptised as appeares by Apollos named before Secondly the difference here was in the graces Answ 2 not as yet received but now given not by a new Baptisme but by the imposition of hands onely which the Papists themselves call Confirmation It may be hence farther demanded is there Quest 2 no difference at all betweene the Baptisme of Iohn and Christ I answer first some state this difference betwixt Answ 1 them that Iohns baptised unto Christ who was shortly to be revealed we now the Ministers of Christ baptise unto Christ already revealed Secondly some state this difference that Answ 2 Iohn baptised onely in the name of the Messias not of the Trinity but this is uncertaine Thirdly the true difference is twofold first Answ 3 betweene the Persons the Messias and the Minister Iohn was but Christs forerunner Christ was the true Messias and therefore they differed in their person as do the Master and the servant Secondly betweene the Sacrament externall and internall and this is the principall thing that Iohn meanes in this verse when he saith I baptize with water but Christ with the Holy Ghost that is I am not the author of this Sacrament but onely a servant appointed to celebrate it My part is to administer water and the outward ordinance but it is Christ onely that gives grace For the full understanding whereof observe that the scope of the Baptist in this place I baptise with water is twofold First generall Secondly particular First Iohns generall scope hereby was to remove the admiration of the people from himselfe unto Christ Observ Teaching us that in the undertaking and administration of the Sacraments wee must looke unto Christ and that for these two causes First because hee that in the Sacraments lookes no further then man doth much derogate from the dignity of the Sacrament Secondly because he that lookes not unto Christ in the Sacrament is unworthy of that blessing which is expected and desired in the administration of the Sacrament Secondly Iohns particular scope hereby was this to shew that his Baptisme had no efficacie nor power in it from him at all but onely from Christ § 2. Whose shooes I am not worthy to beare Here Sect. 2 is an excellent paterne of true humility in the Baptist who although hee were the greatest of the sons of men m Matth 11.11 yet he thinks himself unworthy not as the Prouerbe is to carrie his books after him but to carry his shooes or to untie them Teaching us that humility becomes the chiefest of the Saints and the best of Gods children Observa we must preferre one before another a Rom. 12 10. we must not minde high things but condescend to men of low estate b Rom. 12 16. we must be lowly and meeke c Eph 4.2 in humility of minde esteeming others better then our selves d Phil. 2.3 Why should we thus labour to be humble Quest 1 I answer first because thus we shall shew our Answ 1 selves not to be of the world or to bee contrary unto the world the ordinary custome and practise of the world is for great ones to Lord it over the poore but it shall not be so among you saith our Saviour e Matth. 20 26. the Pharisees being proud loved to be called Rabbi but saith Christ unto his Apostles be not ye called Rabbi for ye are brethren f Matth. 23.7.8 Answ 2 Secondly because thus we shall shew our selves to be truely spirituall sanctified by the Spirit of grace Saint Paul when he was a Pharisee was most strict g Acts 22.3 and in his life unblameable h Phil. 3.6 8. c. but when he was a Christian an Apostle of Christ yea a Saint upon earth then he thought himself the greatest of sinners Answ 3 Thirdly because thus we shal shew our selves to bee imitators of the best David was humble his heart was not haughty nor his eyes lofty but his soule was as a weaned child i Psa 131.1.2 The Blessed Virgin was lowly therefore God regarded her k Luk. 2.48 52. yea Christ himselfe was humble taking upon him the forme of a servant l Phil. 2.7 and meek commanding us to imitate him therein m Matth. 11.29 Answ 4 Fourthly because there is nothing in us that we can justly be proud of and therefore we should not be exalted or puft up by any vertues or graces but remember alwayes these three things First that whatsoever good is in us is not of us or from our selves but from Christ from whom comes both the will and the deed n Phil. 2.13 Secondly that the good that is in us is not according to the measure of that depth of obedience which we owe unto God but comes farre short of what we ought to pay and performe unto the Lord and therefore we should not be proud of any thing we doe but rather confesse that wee are but unprofitable servants o Luke 17.10 Thirdly we must remember that all our honey is mingled with gall our wine with water our silver with drosse our good with evill our obedience mixed with many infirmities because in many things as S. Iames saith we all sin And therefore our blacke feete
thou must grieve in thy heart for their wrongs and oppressions Secondly thou must pray for them unto God that he would arise to defend them and to plead their cause against all their enemies Thirdly thou must shew thy zealous love and affection unto them by thy words that is by speaking for them when they are abused or scandalized and by urging the Magistrate with all modest importunity to execute just judgement for them upon their enemies And thus much for the Morall sense of these words Thirdly there is Fames spiritualis a spirituall hunger and thirst having elswhere to handle this I here will but onely touch it Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse First these words may spiritually be expounded thus Blessed are those that are grieved with the iniquities of the times and mourne for the sins of the world and withall doe in heart and soule long for the amendment and reformation thereof Secondly by righteousnesse we may well in the first place understand the righteousnesse of Faith whereby a sinner is justified through faith in Christ and so standes righteous before God having the pardon of all his sinnes sealed unto him Wee may in the second place by righteousnesse understand righteousnesse of workes whereby a man is sanctified and made holy having Gods Image renewed in him by the Spirit of grace which was lost by the fall of our first parents And this appeares by these places Isa 55.1 1 Joh. 7.37 Rev. 21.6 All which places are one in substance for by waters we must understand righteousnes which is that spirituall grace of God the fountaine of all blessings whereby sinners are justified and sanctified p Perkins s VERS 7. Blessed are the mercifull Vers 7 for they shall obtaine mercy In this verse we have these two parts to wit The blessednesse promised wherein are these two things First in generall who are blessed the Mercifull Secondly in particular what mercy and how manifold it is which is here required unto this blessednesse The reason of the blessednesse or promise thereof wherein are these two things viz First in generall why are the mercifull blessed because they shall obtaine mercy Secondly in particular what mercy this is which the mercifull shall obtaine First in generall wee see here who they are that shall obtaine mercy onely the mercifull Observ 1 Teaching us that those who would find mercy must exercise mercy He hath shewed thee O man saith the Prophet what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justly and to love mercy q Micah 6.8 Quest 1 Why must we bee thus carefull to shew mercy unto others Answ 1 First because Mercy is a vertue taught us by nature or because by the light of nature we are taught to be mercifull one towards another For first nature teacheth Nemo sibi natus r Cicero No man is borne or brought into the world onely for himselfe but to doe good unto others as well as unto himselfe Secondly Nature teacheth that we must not be cruell or revengefull against our owne flesh No man ever hated his owne body but nourisheth and cherisheth it saith the Apostle that is by the light of nature we are taught to doe good unto our selves and those that are of our owne flesh and blood And therefore wee should be mercifull unto all because we are all children of one Father and creatures of one and the same species or kind Thirdly Nature teacheth us that vindictae brevis voluptas misericordia perpetua the pleasure that a man hath in revenge is very short but the delight which a man findes in shewing mercy is of great continuance and therefore we should be mercifull Secondly mercy pleaseth God and therefore Answ 2 we should be mercifull that the Lord is pleased herewith appeares thus First he loves and delights himselfe to shew mercy hence it is said The earth is full of his mercy Psal 33.5 Yea his mercy reacheth unto the clouds Psal 36.6 and 108.4 and is perpetuall enduring for ever Psal 100.5 and 106.1 and 107.1 and 136. yea all his wayes are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 this being his nature to bee mercifull and gracious slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psalm 86.5.15 Exod. 34.6 Secondly the Lord hath proposed this his mercie unto us for our imitation Be mercifull as your Father in heaven is mercifull Å¿ Luk. 6.36 and doe good unto all as he doth who causeth his Sunne to shine and his raine to raine both upon the good and bad t Mat. 5.45 and therefore when we follow the Lord herein certainly wee please him Thirdly the Lord to assure us hereof hath plainly told us that mercie is very acceptable and gratefull unto him I will have mercie and not sacrifice sayth the Lord and his Christ Ose 6.6 Matth. 9.13 and 12.7 And Salomon a type of Christ sayth that the mercifull man doth lend upon usurie unto God v Prov. 19.17 yea our Saviour describing the generall judgement doth shew how graciously the Lord accepts workes of mercie wherein we have first Gods acceptation In as much as yee have done it to them yee have done it unto me Secondly his enumeration When I was hungry yee fed mee when I was thirsty yee gave mee drinke c. Thirdly his remuneration therefore come yee blessed into everlasting joy u Mat. 25.40 c. And therefore wee may safely say that God is pleased with mercie and that it is our part to bee mercifull if wee desire to please him Answ 3 Thirdly God hath threatned to punish the cruell and unmercifull man and hath promised to reward the mercifull and therefore if we desire to be made partakers of mercie or to bee freed from miserie we ought to bee mercifull First the cruell and unmercifull man shall finde no mercie Behold sayth the Lord this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome shee did not strengthen the hand of the poore and needie therefore I tooke her away as I saw good w Ezek. 16.49 c. And thus Salomon threatens that whoso stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore hee also shall cry himselfe but shall not bee heard x Pro. 21.13 And shall have judgement without mercy because he shewed no mercy y James 2.13 Secondly the mercifull man hath from God a promise of mercie This will further appeare in the second part of this verse and therefore I now leave it Answ 4 Fourthly it is our dutie as we are Christians to be mercifull as thus appeares by these dependant particulars First we are all one body Thus sayth the Apostle Wee being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another z Ro. 12.5 Read for this purpose 1 Corinth 12.12 and 10.17 and Ephes 4.4.15.16 Secondly never any man hated his owne flesh a Ephe. 5.29 Thirdly hence came that mutuall communicating of riches which wee read of Acts 2.44 and 4.32
after her in his heart hath committed Sect. 4 adultery Is the concupiscence of the heart sinne Quest 1 First the Papists say the second Concupiscence Answ 1 is sinne but not the first see before Math. 4.1 § 3. Object 1.2 Secondly the Father saith Answ 2 Non quicunque concupiscit sed qui aspicit ad concupiscentiam August It is not every one who lusteth or desireth his neighbours wife that commits adultery but he that therefore lookes upon her that he may lust after her And here Augustine makes three degrees namely I. Suggestion II. Delectation III. Consent resembling these three to the Serpent Evah and Adam or 1. to the motion of the flesh 2. to the delight of the minde 3. to the consent of reason and here it is perfect as Saint Iames sayth Concupiscence brings forth sinne z Iam. 1.15 Suggestion is the temptation of the Serpent ye shall not die but bee like God a Gen. 3.45 This was not sinne unto Eve Delectation resembles Evahs listening unto the Serpent and beleeving him shee saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to bee desired to make one wise b Gen. 3.6 neither was this sinne unto her Consent resembles Adam and Eves eating of the Apple which was a sinne unto them And thus the Father seemes to meane That I. the motion of the flesh unto sinne is not sinne II. That the delight of the minde is not sinne neither But onely the III. the Consent of reason And Saint Hierome differs not much from him upon this verse saying that there is a difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passio propassio the first being a sin the second not Answ 3 Thirdly it is most certaine that it is a sin as may thus be evidenced First the Scripture forbids it in the Morall law Thou shalt not covet Exod. 20.17 which Prohibition makes Paul know that it is a sinne which otherwise he had not understood Rom. 7.7 I had not knowne lust that is to have beene sinne except the law had said Thou shalt not covet Secondly Saint Iames speakes of sinne accomplished that is of externall and actuall sinne Thirdly the Fathers above mentioned imply as much For with Hierome Passio is a sin and Propassio hath the guilt and staine of sin in it although it bee not simply esteemed a sin in it selfe Now this Propassio he calles Titillationem carnis cum delectatione mentis The motion of the flesh accompanied with the delight of the minde Now is not this sinne Againe Saint Augustine hath three degrees of sinne but wee must here observe as hee himselfe doth there c de serm Dom. s That every suggestion doth not arise from Sathan but sometimes from the memorie sometimes from the senses Now as it comes from Sathan it is not ours and so is not sinne but as it springs either from our memorie or senses so it is ours and proceeds from the Originall corruption of our nature and is sinne unto us Yea Augustine himselfe condemnes all Concupiscence Quis dubitat omnem malam concupiscentiam rectè vocari fornicationem Who makes question but all evill Concupiscence may justly bee called Fornication And another d Hylar s most plainly In evangelicis motus oculi adaequatur adulterio illecebrosa affectio visus transcurrentis cum opere fornicationis punitur In the Gospell the lascivious motion of the eye is resembled and equalled with adultery And the enticing affection of a glancing looke equally punished with actuall fornication Fourthly it appeares that Concupiscence is sinne by this reason because sinne is not in the eye but in the heart or the motion or mover unto sinne Yea more plainly because our Saviour doth not here say hee hath committed adultery with a woman in his heart who lookes upon a woman that he may commit adultery but that lookes and lusts after her Teaching this unto us Obser that the concupiscence of the heart makes us guilty of the violation of the law and eternall death Why is the lust of the heart sinne before God and how doth it more evidently appeare to bee such Quest 2 First because God requires the heart Prov. Answ 1 23.26 and commands that the heart be circumcised Deut. 10.16 and 30.6 yea he requires the heart as his owne right because hee hath bought it 1 Cor. 6.20 and therefore hee will be glorified therewith 1 Cor. 7.34 Secondly the lust of the heart is sinne although Answ 2 it be resisted for the concupiscence of the flesh is condemned and reproved where the spirit strives against it e Gal. 5.16 yea we hence argue against the Papists It is praise-worthy strongly to resist concupiscence and the first motions unto sinne therefore that is evill which thus wee resist Thirdly originall concupiscence is sinne in Answ 3 the unregenerate as the Papists themselves confesse therefore in the regenerate it hath the same nature although it shall not bee imputed unto them as it shall unto the former Fourthly this appeares by the example of Answ 4 Paul who cryes out Oh wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death and this law of my members Rom. 7.24 and yet hee solemnly protests that he would not sinne nor give way unto these corruptions vers 16.19 yea it appeares he would not because when he is assaulted he prayes many times against it 2 Cor. 12.7 And therefore give no place unto lust at all but remember that not onely they who consent unto sinne and commit it actually are guilty before God but also those who ruminate meditate and delight in the thoughts thereof How must we resist this internall lust or by Quest 3 what meanes must we withstand it First remember that it is the root of all sin Answ 1 for from the heart proceed adulteries c. Mat. 15.19 These thoughts and suggestions are the seeds of all manner of evill and therefore if thou wouldest not have thy life over-spread with the weeds of wickednesse root out and destroy this seed Secondly remember all is nothing thou doest Answ 2 so long as thy heart is not upright it is to no purpose to serve God outwardly or to draw neere unto him with thy mouth if thy heart be farre from him to what end serves a pure life and a polluted heart God cares not for painted Tombes although they be gorgeous without because they are within but filth and rottennesse Man cares not for Sodomes fruit although they be faire and pleasant to the eye because they are but ashes within And therefore if we desire that any thing we doe may be acceptable unto God we must be carefull to purge and purifie our hearts Thirdly remember that all thy thoughts are Answ 3 conspicuous unto God and when thou givest way unto any wicked thought hee stands by sees it observes it frownes at it and prepares the arrowes of vengeance against thee
curae de futuro crastino Hic Regula ne curate in crastinum vers 34. Ratio Hodiernus dies dat satis curarum vers 34. Sect. 1 § 1. Lay not up for your selves c. Quest 1 Why doth our Saviour adde this exhortation Answ 1 First because the Pharisees being rich their abundance might be a stumbling stone unto the Apostles Observ And therefore Christ doth arme them against it Teaching them that it must not offend the godly to see the ungodly rich and great in the world Psal 37. and 73. for the time will come when there will be a change the wicked being miserable and the righteous happy Answ 2 Secondly because the love of riches becomes not the Apostles of Christ For I. How can they be enemies unto the world if their heart be in the world II. How can they be faithfull unto God if they serve the world and hate God III. How can they strive and contend for heaven except their hearts and affections be there IV. How can they but seeke their owne lucre and gaine in all things if their hearts bee on the earth V. How can they disswade others from the love of the world if themselves be guiltie thereof VI. How could or would they be beleeved if they should disswade others from the treasuring up of riches if themselves were given hereunto VII How unfit was it for those times of persecution and trouble to lay up treasures And thus for these causes our Saviour gives this exhortation unto the Apostles Why doth not our Saviour ad lay not up treasure Quest 2 for your selves as the Hypocrites doe as he did fore both in prayer almes and fasting First because not onely hypocrites but all others Answ 1 in a manner were guilty of this Gualt s Secondly because those who were esteemed Answ 2 most wise in the world were given too much to the love thereof And therefore our Saviour forbids it in generall Whom doth our Saviour here speake unto Quest 3 Not onely unto his Apostles Answ but also to those who were rich and desired to be rich because he neither would have them to gather treasures nor to set their hearts upon them whom they have laid up What doth our Saviour prohibit here when Quest 4 he saith lay not up for your selves treasure Hee doth not forbid labour Answ and honest callings whereby necessary things may bee acquired without the detriment and hurt of our neighbour for this is commanded Ephes 4.28 and 2 Thes 3.11 12. but the love of temporall things as followes by and by which is conjoyned with the neglect of divine worship and a diffidency or distrust of the providence of God § 2. Lay not up treasures Sect. 2 Why doth our Saviour prohibit this Quest 1 First because he who is addicted unto earthly Answ 1 things is an Idolater not beleeving that God is the Creator of heaven and earth and their Lord before whom they must have no other Gods Secondly because hee who is addicted unto the world doth deny the providence of God Answ 2 yea God himselfe It is worthy observation how our Saviour doth confirm the providence of God even by the booke of nature as an Antidote against this love of the world and that by these Arguments Argu. 1 First we should leave the care of providing foode and raiment for us unto him who hath given both body and soule unto us verse 25. The Argument plainely is this The soule that is the life is much more excellent then meat And the body is much more excellent then cloathing Therefore hee who gave the greater and more excellent things unto us without our intreatie will much more give the lesse worthy if we pray unto him Hereunto we might adde these reasons He Who hath not spared to give his Sonne for us Rom. 8.32 will not deny us inferiour blessings Hee who hath given us bread from heaven John 6. will give us earthly foode He who hath given Christ to bee a garment unto the soule Rom. 13.11.12 will apparell the body Argu. 2 Secondly he who feedes the birds is God yea thy Father and therefore he will not deny meat unto thee The Maister of the family who gives meate to his horse and oxen and sheepe will certaineâ—y not withhold it from his children Now if men who are wicked know how to give good things unto their children how much more then our heavenly Father Luke 11. Argu. 3 Thirdly hee who cloathes the lillyes will much more have a care of cloathing us Answ 3 Thirdly because the Gentiles love and labour for these earthly things now we should be better then they Doth our Saviour forbid us to lay up temporall Quest 2 riches Answ Not absolutly but respectively but of this by and by verse 24. Quest 3 What is principally prohibited in this verse The love of riches or the setting of our hearts upon them Answ Riches are the blessings of God why therefore Quest 4 may we not love them First because it is undecent for an heire of Ans 1 heaven to be so base minded as to mind or love earthly things It is a disgrace for a man to delight in childish vanities and toyes Secondly because riches hurt us and bring Ans 2 many cares along with them of this verse 24. Thirdly because riches tempt unto many evils Ans 3 1 Tim. 6.10 For from hence come I. contentions and suites II. Iniuries and wrongs III. hard-heartednesse towards the poore IV. fraud deceit false weights and measures lying and dissembling V. supplanting of others VI. false witnesse perjury and bribes in judgement VI. theft and sacriledge VII oppression of Orphans making ship-wrack of a good conscience VIII Usury and extortion IX murder X. treasons and treacheries XI the deniall of the faith and Apostacy All these effects and more the love of riches hath produced And therefore let us not so love riches as that either I. wee unsatiably desire them when wee want them Or II. Rejoyce in the fruition of them when wee have them Or III. Mourne and greeve for their losse when wee are deprived of them § 3. On earth Sect. 3 Our Saviour here by an Antithesis doth shew that the love and affection of earthly things is unbeseeming a Christian Why may not the righteous love earthly things Quest First because they are most fit for bruit beasts Answ 1 to affect who are meerely mortall and led onely by sensuall appetite Secondly because wee must not remaine on Answ 2 earth alwaies and therefore our affections should not be here Thirdly because wee have a better country Answ 3 which is above therfore our affections should not be set upon those things which are below but we should 1. Mortifie all earthly and carnall affections Col. 3.5 2. Hunger after Christ who farre exceedes all worldly treasures and delights 3. labour for the certainty of salvation Luke 10.20 and peace of conscience Phil. 4.7 § 4. Where the moth and rust doth
of light But if thine eye bee evill thy whole body shall be full of darkenesse If therefore the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse § 1. The light of the body is the eye c. Sect. 1 The Papists say Argu. that in men there is Liberum Arbitrium a malo ad bonum a freedome of will by which we may both doe good and abstaine froÌ„ evill Amongst many other arguments our men urge this verse arguing hence from the corruption of the understanding In man Liberum arbitrium proceedes from the understanding and wil which are faculties of the humane soule And therefore it is necessary that Free-wil Liberum Arbitrium should be such as the the understanding and will is The Argument is drawne from the understanding which is now corrupted in this manner If the understanding of man be evill then mans Free-will is not good If Free-will be not good then neither is it free from evill But the former is true therefore also the latter The consequence is plaine of it selfe but more evidently appeares from this verse The light of the body is the eye c. Which place all Interpreters acknowledge to be metaphoricall drawne from the light of the body unto the light of the minde see Chrysostome Iansenius and Lucas Brugensis sup The Antecedent namely that the understanding in all men naturally is corrupted vitiated depraved and obscured is thus confirmed from these places to wit I. From verse 23. If thine eye be evill c. Now that the eye is evill appeares from Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and therefore hath the Lord sent mee to preach the recovering of sight to the blind and therfore it appeares that all men without Christ are blinde as Cajetane well observes upon those words II. From Mat. 4.16 The people who sate in darkenesse saw a great light where we see the state and condition the Galileans were in when Christ came to dwell amongst them so Luke 1.79 III. Hence salvation in and by Christ is described to be a freedome from darkenesse ye are called that you might shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkenesse into his marvellous light Col. 1.13 Thus without Christ all men are in darkenesse IV. Out of Christ all men are darkenesse Ephes 5.8 ye were darkenesse c. which darkenesse was wrought in us by Sathan 2 Cor. 4.4 If the Reader desire to see a further fuller and more ample prosecution of this Argument I referre him to Chamierus De libero Arbit lib. 4. cap. 3 Tom. 3. pag. 88. Sect. 2 § 2. If thy eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light Object The Papists hold that the workes of the righteous be perfect and Bellarmine De justific lib. 6. cap. 15. hopes to prove it from this verse arguing thus If thy eye be single thy whole body shall be light And Luke 11.36 for I joyne them as hee doth both together If thy whole body bee full of light having no part darke the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light In these places is described a worke perfectly good both substantially intentionally and circumstantially both in regard of the matter intention and all the other circumstances For Oculus simplex the single eye is a good intention and Corpus Lucidum the light body is the good worke Now such a worke our Saviour pronounceth to bee full of light having no part darke But if such a worke bee a mortall sinne of his owne nature as the Lutherans say then it should be all darke For as an evill intention so any other fault or defect makes a worke evill although it be in his owne nature and kinde good Wherefore some certaine workes of the regenerate are so good that they are exempted and freed from all sinne defect fault and obliquity whatsoever First Bellarmine concludes extra thesin that Answ 1 which is not in controversie for wee doe not dispute whether the good workes of the regenerate be sinne in their owne nature for this none of us doe say and therefore he falsely ascribes this to the Lutherans but whether they be sinne by accident or not that is through the corruption of the workeman And this indeed we say that by reason of the contagion of our nature there alwaies adheres something to our best workes which of its owne nature is evill vitious and contrary to the law of God and consequently in the rigour severity of Gods judgement is mortall and deadly But we acknowledge that the good workes of the regenerate in their owne nature that is as they proceed from the grace of God within us and his Spirit assisting us they are good holy and pleasing unto God Secondly his consequence is naught Christ Answ 2 describes a worke perfectly and in every respect good Therefore the workes of the regenerate are such is a grosse and absurd conclusion We must not from hypotheticall and conditionall propositions collect categoricall and absolute conclusions for that is done without booke If thy eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light this is true but this proves not that the eye is so or if that were granted no more would follow from hence then this that all those actions which proceede onely from the mind were pure for the clearer taking up of this answer I lay downe these Propositions First in the law of God the Lord doth both Proposi 1 prescribe and describe workes perfectly good yea it is contrary to the nature of the law to admit of imperfection the law injoynes us to love the Lord with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength in which words is described a worke perfectly good and so our Saviour in the places objected may give us an Idea of a worke full of light having no part darke in it Secondly although the law perscribeth and Proposi 2 describeth workes perfectly good yet it followeth not hence that any workes of the righteous are such When it is said that Philosophy is Amor sapientiae a love of wisedome the perfect nature thereof is described But we must not hence presently conclude that the Philosophy of Socrates or Plato or Aristotle was perfect Thus Christ saith not that any man hath a single eye or a body all light but speakes hypotheticâ—â— si fuerit If there be a single eye Thirdly by the eye is meant the mind which Proposi 3 is enlightned and healed by the grace of the holy Ghost Fourthly although we should grant that the Proposi 4 mind were perfectly enlightned and that all the actions of such a one were light in as much as they proceed from the grace of regeneration yet to those actions cleaves something which doth not proceed from this regenerate minde but from the corrupt and unregenerate flesh for that hath alwayes in it some darknesse and vitiousnesse
as Saint Paul proves plainly Rom. 7. And therefore though the workes of the regenerate should proceed from a perfectly pure mind yet we might not proclaime them perfectly pure and good because they are tainted by the body and polluted by the unregenerate part of man Prop. 5 Fifthly the illumination and purgation of the mind is here only imperfect and inchoate as appeares by these places We know in part and wee prophecie in part 1 Cor. 13.9 and Rom. 12.2 and Ephes 4.23 The Apostle exhorts those who are regenerate to labour to be more and more renewed in the spirit of their minds Prop. 6 Sixthly notwithstanding these reliques of darknesse and corruption the regenerate are called by the Lord A parte meliori from their better part light now ye are light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 And their workes pure as followes by and by Answ 3 Thirdly the single eye signifies not perfection but integrity and singlenesse of heart without guile or dissimulation Thus Augustine acutely distinguisheth betweene Rectum corde mundum corde right in heart and cleane in heart Rectus corde est ut recto cursu id est rectà fide atquè intentione pervenire possit ubi habitat mundus corde Hee is right in heart which endeavoureth that with a right course that is with a right faith and intention hee may at length come thither where dwelleth the cleane in heart m August de perfect justit contr Celestin Thus in both places objected by a single eye wee must understand a minde enlightned and purged by the Hâ—ly Spirit and by a light body a life and conversation shining in righteousnesse and holinesse Fâ—r if thâ— eye be cleare and quicke sighted a man walkes on cheâ—refuâ—ly and readily in the right way if the eye be blind or vitiated a man stumbles and fals and erres And so if the mind bee enlightened and purged the child of God walkes on in the right way of the Commandements of the Lord but if it bee obscured and blinded then a man walkes in the way of darknesse and sinne Answ 4 Fourthly Bellarmine erres in saying that a single eye is a good intention For by the single eye is not meant the intention neither is it to be restrained thereunto but the pure light of the minde for a good intention doth not suffice for the producing of a worke full of light as appeares by Saint Paul who wanted not a good intention when hee persecuted the Church and members of Christ and yet the work was a work of darkenesse because it did not flow from a minde enlightned and purged Answ 5 Fifthly the Jesuites inference is erroneous that any fault or defect going along with a good worke makes the worke wholly darke and wicked for it followes no more then this some ignorance or ignorance in somthing may be found in Socrates or Aristotle and therefore they are altogether ignorant Answ 6 Sixthly hee doth not rightly conjoyne an evill intention and any other obliquity not truly affirme that there is the same reason in both for the vitiating and corrupting of an action which is good in its owne nature and kinde for the malice or evilnesse of an action principally depends upon the will and therefore an evill intention doth argue the action to be crooked and depraved But any other obliquity or sailing which sprouts from the corruption of our nature doth not argue voluntary malice and consequently doth not vitiate a moral action which is good in its owne nature Although if wee speake strictly our best actions may bee called bad for their imperfections and defects which cleave unto them Seventhly the light having no darknesse Answ 7 mentioned by Saint Luke is faith which wholy inlightneth the body as Christ saith He that is washed is cleane every whit Iohn 13.10 But this maketh not for the perfection of workes Eightly yet the light of faith though considered Answ 8 in it selfe it hath no darknesse yet in the sight of God and conferred with his light is full of darknesse as Hierome well noteth upon those words God is light and in him is no darkenesse n 1 Ioh. 1.5 Hee sheweth that all other lights are obscured with some blemishes Ninthly Saint Luke saith that the light body Answ 9 hath no darke part in it because in every worke it followes the light and walkes by the direction thereof and yet there may bee some darknesse mixed with this light The Moone is all enlightned at full Moone and yet even then some darkish and duâ—kish clouds appeare in her And therfore al these things considered we date not subscribe to the Cardinal who saith that the good workes of the regenerate are perfect I find this present Objection handled by B. Davenant de justitià actuali Cap. â—6 pag 4 8 439. By D. Willet Synops of good workes part 3. qu. 2. fol. 127. By Chamier de oper impeâ—f lib. 11. Cap. 22. § 10. fol. 361. â—om 3. and Amesius Bellar. â—nerv tom 4. pag. 197. From all which I haue borrowed something § 3. If the light that is in the body be darknesse Sect. 3 how great is that darknesse These words are alleadged by Mr. Weâ—mse in the last part of his exercitations to prove that the originall Text of Scripture is not corrupted pag. 117. The Scriptures are the light of the Church and if the Originall Text were corrupted how great were the darknesse of the body The Lord hath Instrumenta gratiae Conjuncta Remota Remota instrumenta gratia are the preachers and their writings and they may be corrupted Conjuncta instrumenta gratiae are the Prophetes and Apostles and their writings these the Lord kept from errour and corruption for the good of his Church VERS 24. No man can serve two masters Vers 24 for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon § 1 No man can serve two masters Sect This verse containes a compleate Categorical syllogisme No man can serve two Masters But God and Mammon are two Masters Therefore neither ye nor any can serve God and Mammon The Minor proposition that God and Mammon are two contrary Masters our Master takes as granted and proves the Major ab effectis from the effects of love hatred adhesion and neglect If he love the one he must hate the other if he hold to the one he must neglect the other No man can serve two masters Many men serve two partners Object many men serve two persons a husband and a wife many men serve two Consuls yea two Friends How therefore is this true No man can serve two Masters First some expound this of opposite and contrary Masters that a man cannot serve two enemies Answ 1 and this is true in the present case for God and Mammon are opposites and enemies Secondly the Proposition seemes universally Answ 2 true understanding it with a double distinction viz. 1. Distinguish
therefore the Popes governement must be Monarchicall Againe in Princes courts men use Mediators to goe to their Prince therfore they conclude that we must use the intercession of the saints to God In policie no lawes are given but which the subjects may fulfill therefore man is able to fulfill the law of God Fourthly from the Physickes Physicke teacheth us that the body turnes to corruption and dissolves upon this they inferre that the body of man should have dyed naturally as it doth now though he had not fallen if supernaturall righteousnesse had not kept backe corruption thus making God as well the author of death as of nature considering man onely according to the principles of nature and not according to this first creation Againe Physick teacheth us that the blood alwaies followeth the body therefore they have taken away the cup from the people in the Sacrament because say they if they get his flesh they get his blood per concomitantiam Fifthly the Metaphysickes teach us that every positive thing is good therefore they define originall sinne to be a mere privation Sixthly I might shew how from the Platonickes they have borrowed their apparition of spirits how from the Poets fables they have taken their Purgatorie and how from the incantations of the Gentiles they have borrowed their exorcismes but I inlarge it no further May we not oppose Reason to Religion Quest 4 No Answ because this were to goe about to confute God from his owne rules But Preachers teach that reason and humane wisedom are opposite unto God religion yea Object 1 Saint Paul himselfe affirmes the same Romans 8.6 7 8. Answ This is meant of the corrupt and blinde wisedome of man and not of right reason for it is one thing to be Contra rationem against reason for no such thing is true in Religion Supra rationem above reasons reach thus wee doubt of the magnitude of the Sunne and wee are altogether unable to conceive fully or comprehend God and things which are infinite because we are blind Object 2 But reason it selfe seemes in some things to be opposite Answ 1 First Reason is either Humane when wee reduce or bring back God unto a humane order not acknowledging him to be eternall infinite and the great Creator of all the world this indeede is opposite unto God Divine when wee know how to distinguish betweene God and man both in his power and equitie Answ 2 Secondly particularly there are two sorts of Oppositions viz. Possibilitatis Aequitatis First Possibilitatis whether such a thing bee possible unto God or not To this Christ answers unto God nothing is impossible Indeede ordinarily two things are said to be impossible unto God namely I. To sinne this argues infirmitly and impotency and therefore cannot have place in God II. To be contrary unto himselfe for this argues mutabilitie and variation But in these we must not say God cannot but God will not the thing is the same but the phrase is more remote from blasphemy In this first opposition of Possibility there are two quaeres namely First An sit whether any thing be impossible unto God here with Christ above wee must answer negatively Nothing is impossible unto God Secondly Quomodo sit How such a thing may be here often reason is foolish and not able to give an answer and that sometimes in humane things sometimes in Divine I. In humane things reason often is not able to give a reason as why an Amulet hung about the necke should preserve from poyson or enchantment or bewitching why a bone-ring should preserve from the cramp how five thousand could bee fed with five loaves and twelve baskets full left Many men admire how the earth can hang in the aire how the Eclipses can be foretold how the motions of the heavens can be discerned or understood how men can goe with their feet against ours This is a thing so hardly to be beleeved that Virgilius the Bishop was degraded and expelled his Bishopricke by Boniface Pope Gregory the seconds legate w Aventinus Thus reason is blind and foolish in humane things II. In Divine things reason is much more to seeke beeing therein in many things altogether ignorant Multa in religione fide credenda non demonstratione rationeve probanda There are many things in religion which cannot bee demonstrated or proved by reason but are onely to be beleeved by faith as God to bee eternall a parte ante a parte post without all beginning without all end and for the torments of hell to be eternall that is without end although they had a beginning how can reason demonstrate the blessed Trinity in Unity ever to bee worshipped when wee begin to consider of these things we must cry out O al titudinem O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and of the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 Secondly Aequitatis flesh and blood doth here frequently reason against God demanding how he can equally and justly doe such or such things and th s troubles us most because we doe not consider God as the Creator of al things but as our companion wee equall him with our selves and then try him by that rule God in derision said Man is become like one of us and Man in his reasonings and disputes concerning God makes him like Man As for example I. What reason can there be for eternall punishment for a temporall fault how can God punish a man justly with eternall and perpetuall torments for momentary offences I answer reason it selfe doth confirme the equitie of the thing for First sinne is eternall voluntate in desire and will a wicked man would sinne for ever if hee did upon earth live for ever and therefore it is just with God for ever to punish him Secondly sinne is eternall iniquitate that is out of measure sinfull and of an infinite merit because committed against an infinite and eternall God and therefore is justly eternally punished Thirdly reason will say that there is no reason to deny that unto God which we allow to men or to think that unjust or unequall in God which in men we hold most just now man for offences committed against man punisheth eternally for sometimes he taketh away his eares sometimes cutteth of his hand sometimes taketh away his life which are justly called eternall punishments because they can never bee restored the whole world cannot give unto a dead man life or unto a mutilated man limbs II. What reason is there that God should condemne us for Adams fault Reason here answers that for treason against the King the Father is beheaded the children disinherited Why then should wee pleade against God our Father Adam committed high treason against him yea the covenant was made with all men in Adam and therefore justly may the Lord reject us wee sinning against him in our fathers loynes yea we have the seede of all
makes us cold but by and by wee burn So at first we are afraid of sin by and by fearlesse therof at first our affections freez afterwards fry in the love of sin at first wee abstain from sinne and are hardly drawn to the committing of sinne but by and by custome makes it habituall and naturall unto us and us insensible of it III. In a Feâ—er when we are cold yet even then we are hot within though we are not so sensible of that heat So even then when the naturall man fears and trembles to commit sin there is the fire of evill concupiscence which in time sets on fire the whole course of nature shews it selfe outwardly in the practise of sin IV. The Fever inflames the whole body even to the very toes of the feet So sin wounds and enfeebles us from the crown of the head to the solâ— of the foot Esay 1.6 Answ 4 Fourthly siâ—ne may be resembled to a Fever Respectu effectuum in regard of the effects For I. The Fever in membris in the parts of the body workes this effect it debilitates and weakens the whole man so that hee cannot walke forth of doors nay bee cannot walke within his owne house neither is able to stand but forced to sit or lye and keep his bed So by sinne we are so weakned that wee are neither able to walke in the wayes of God nor run the race that he hath set before us nor worke out the work of our salvation with fear and trembling II. The Fever in intellectu in the understanding works this effect it disturbs takes away the use of reason making a man not know what he saith or doth And this is for the most part or at least very often mortall and deadly So when men grow obstinate and bold in sinning and are neither sensible of sinne nor punishment but will do whatsoever they will Ier. 44.16 it is an argument of a soule not distant from death III. The Fever In appetitu in the appetite produceth these effects namely First it loaths the most wholsome things So sinne makes us to loath both I. Good workes and duties and exercises of religion like the Iews who cryed when will the new Moons and the Sabbaths be done that we may return unto our sins Malach. 1.13 II. Good Counsell for that we think to bee a hard saying and we cannot endure it Ioh. 6.60 Secondly as the Fever loaths that which is wholsome so it longs for that which is unwholsome So wee loath the heavenly Manna of the word and spirituall graces and love the vaine pleasures of sin although they be but for a season and the end therof destruction and death Rom. 6.23 Thirdly In a Fever there is a thirst not to bee quenched or satisfied but insatiable having no moderation in drinkiâ—g if it can come unto liquor So many are furious in sinning and cannot cease to sin h 2 Pet. 2.14 although they see oftentimes that I. The thing is childish and of that nature that it is a shame for a man to be besotted therewith Yea II. That the event is perillous and dangerous And III. That both the estate is lessened and impaired and the body enfeebled and enervated therby Thus no feverish man is more mad after drink then wicked men are after their sins Fourthly Potus factitij made drinks quench not the thirst in a Fever but now pleaseth the Pallat and by and by displeaseth it it being only cool things which allaieth and asswageth the heat therof although often they kill because the stomack is not able to bear them So it is not ordinary comforts that appease the soule because they cannot fill the soule neither can they allay the heat of a wounded spirit but it is the word and the comminations and promises thereof which afford ease and peace to the troubled heart And yet sometimes this cooling Cordiall doth kill and drives accidentally to desperation as we see in Cain Gen. 4. and Iudas Mat. 27. Fifthly sinne may be resembled to a Fever Respectu finis in regard of the end thereof For I. Sometimes it ends in health and life of it selfe that is a man recovers sometimes out of a Fever without the use of any means or help of any man II. Sometimes the Fever ends in health and life by the use of good means and the helpe of the Physician III. Sometimes the Fever ends in a sickly and weakly estate that is when the Fever leaves a man oftentimes he fals into deafnesse and swellings and boyls and the like IV. Sometimes it ends in death Fevers often bring men to the period of their life now this is two-fold viz. First sometimes a Fever brings a man to a speedy death when he dies therof Secondly sometimes it brings a man unto a lingring death and that either I. By an Hâ—ctick Fever which inflames the heart or lungs Or II. By bringing a man into a Dropsie Now to apply this First sinne herein differs from a Fever this as was said sometimes ends in health and life without the use of physick or helpe of the Physician but never that for sin cannot be cured or healed of it selfe Secondly sin is cured and healed by Christ who is the only Physician of the soule Thirdly if sinne end not thus in health and life by Christ then it ends either I. In a dry Hectick Fever and a barrennesse of all good fruits Or II. In a cold Dropsie or Lukewarmnesse in Religion Or III. In a deafnesse and unwillingnesse to hear the word of God Or IV. In filthy Vlcers and putrified Boyls of actuall transgressions V. The safest Crisis or conflict of nature in this sicknesse is evacuation and that either by vomiting purging sweating or bleeding So we must labour either to vomit up our sinnes by Confession or sweat them out by Contrition or purge them out by alienation and separation or else if the Lord love us he will bleed us and make us forsake sin by affliction as hee did by David and Manasses Quest 2 How may we know whether we are sicke of the Fever of sin or not By these plain signes namely Answ First if without thou be inflamed with the lust of sinne or if it shew it selfe in in thy life and actions Secondly if the fire of concupiscence kindle thy affections unto evill although as yet it doth not appear by thy actions and outward man Thirdly by examining what drink pleaseth us best whether is the word of God unpleasing to our taste or not câ—rtainly if we be refreshed and comforted with the pleasures of sin and that the word of God relisheth not with us we are feverish Fourthly by examining whether Christ hath cured us or not whether we be freed from the Fever of sin or not For this Fever of the soule differs from the bodily Fever there being many in health of body and free in body from the corporall Fever but none at all from the Fever of
good thing in them but what they have received from God and therfore it were great pride to be proud of it and insolent arrogancie to boast of it as though they had not received it Fourthly he departs because he would not be Answ 4 hindred from praying teaching us thereby that prayer is not to be neglected but frequently to be performed Ephes 6.18 Mat. 7.7 Col. 4.2 Fiftly Christ leaves this multitude and departs Answ 5 because it was necessary that he should preach to others as well as to these Sixthly he departs from this multitude lest Answ 6 they should go about to make him a King Ioh. 6.15 Seventhly he commands his Apostles to put Answ 7 off from these because he knew they were wicked and he judged them unworthy of his presence or of his preaching Eightly Gualter sup gives another reason of Answ 8 Christs departure and that is this because his Disciples who were hitherto accustomed and acquainted with nothing but pleasant things might be accustomed unto afflictions and dangers for afterwards verse 24. we finde that they were in perill by reason of a great tempest upon the Sea Vers 20. And Iesus saith unto him Vers 20 The Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nâ—sts but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head § 1. But the Son of man hath not where to lay his Sect. 1 head Christ here calleth himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Object the Son of man not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of a woman and therefore he was born and begotten of mans seed Answ 1 First this phrase the Son of man is an Hebraisme for Ben Adam the Son of man signifieth no more than Adam Man as evidently appears thus because Adam himself is called Ben Adam The son of man although he was neither begotten by a man nor born of a woman Answ 2 Secondly Nazianzen answers Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Son of man in the singular number because he came from man onely ex unâ parte in regard of his humane nature which he took from his mother Mary and not from man But others are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sons of men in the plurall number because they have their bodies both from Father and Mother Answ 3 Thirdly Augustine answers Christ is called the son of man that he might manifest and shew unto us the great benefit which man hath received by his taking mans nature upon him Answ 4 Fourthly he is called the son of man that so his Humanity may be distinguished from his Deity Answ 5 Fiftly Tertullian answers he is called the son of man that so we might acknowledge him to be true man as well as true God But the true sense of the vvords is gathered from the Hebrevv phrase Ben Adam i. e. Adam the son of man that is Man We see here how Christ calleth himself the son of man although the phrase be elswhere a phrase of contempt as Iob 25.6 and Psa 8.5 to teach us Observ 1 That Humility becomes the best Reade for the proof hereof Prov. 11.2 and 16.19 and Mat. 11.29 Gen. 28.17 Phil. 2.7 Quest 1 Why must the children of God be humble Answ 1 First because it is a laudable and praise-worthy vertue Prov. 25.7 and Luke 14.10 Answ 2 Secondly because God will avenge himself upon those who injure or wrong the humble Psal 18 27. and 34.18 Prov. 22.22 Answ 3 Thirdly because God will teach the humble to wait and expect for him with patience Psalme 33.20 Answ 4 Fourthly because Humility is a signe of a good spirit for the spirit of the world doth exalt and puffe up but the spirit of God doth humble as we see in Iacob Ioseph and David Psalme 131.1 Answ 5 Fifthly because God will in his due time exalt those who are humble for Humility goes before Honour Prov. 18.12 and 29.23 Answ 6 Sixthly because God will hear the prayers of the humble Psalm 10.17 c. and 102.17 and 138.6 Our Saviour by these words The Son of man hath not where to lay his head doth shew the poor Observ 2 estate wherein he was thereby teaching us That the best and most holy are sometimes brought to great poverty and want Quest 2 How doth it appear that the pious are often poor for they have promises in the Word to the contrary and that whatsoever they do shall prosper and they shall have no lack Answ It is evident by the examples of Christ and his children First if we look upon Christ we shall finde him in his Nativity born in a stable and laid in a manger Luke 2.17 afterwards nourished and maintained by others Luke 8.3 not having mony to pay Tribute withall Mat. 17.27 yea robbed of his garments Mark 15.24 and destitute when he was dead of a sheet to be wrapped in of a Sepulcher to be laid in of sweet odours to embalm him d Ioh. 19.38 Secondly if we look upon the Patriarchs e Heb. 11.36 c. or Apostles we shall see them to be as poor as their Lord and Master f Acts 2. and 4. and 3.6 Why doth the Lord permit Christ or the Saints to be poor seeing he hath promised his Quest 3 delight shall be in them and his care for them First Christ was made poor that he might Answ 1 make us rich 2 Cor. 8 9. And. Secondly the Saints are often poor that they Answ 2 may learn Contentation in outward things 1 Tim. 6.6 8. And Thirdly the Lord permits Christ and his children Answ 3 to be poor that so he might sanctifie Poverty which otherwise is a punishment of sin And Fourthly the Lord lets the righteous fall into Answ 4 poverty that so he might commend the poor unto us as companions of our afflictions And Fifthly Christ was poor that so the prophesies Answ 5 concerning him might be fulfilled David saith He was poor and in misery and herein he was a Type of Christ or as some think speaks it prophetically of Christ g Carthus suâ— And Sixthly Christ was poor that so he might Answ 6 shew to the people that he did as he said and practised what he preached He came to preach and teach men the contempt of riches and of the world and therefore it was not sutable for him to abound in riches Carthus s Seventhly Christ was poor that not onely by Answ 7 words but also in deed he might shew the truth of the life to come for by a contempt of all temporall things is fully declared a sure and certain hope of another life after this Eighthly Christ was poor left it should have Answ 8 been thought that he drew Disciples after him for covetousnesse sake Ninthly Christ was poor to teach us that his Answ 9 kingdom was not of this world § 2. Iesus saith unto him Sect. 2 In this verse is contained Christs answer to the Scribe who offered to follow him and in the answer two
to be feared that thou art yet alive in nature but dead in grace Wherein must naturall men labour to acquire Quest 11 life First in generall in the whole man that is Answ 1 both in the body and soule in the outward life and in the inward man in the will and memory and reason and spirit and mind Ephesians 4.24 and 1 Thess 5.23 Answ 2 Secondly more particularly we must labour to acquire life in three things to wit I. In sensu in our sense and apprehension Nothing comes unto the understanding which was not first in the sense and therefore we must labour that our understandings may be enlightned and that the scales of ignorance may fall off from our eyes because sense is the outer gate of the soule Ephes 1.18 Rom. 11.8 and 1 Iohn 2.11 In a word he that desires the light of grace must labour first to be sensible of the blindnesse of nature and he who longs for spirituall life must strive to be sensible of that spirituall death wherein he lies buried Luke 11.34 II. In fide in our faith and confidence faith is the eye wherby wee see God Mat. 5.8 faith brings us to saving knowledge Iohn 17.3 and workes in us true experience of the love of God c Philip. 3.10 And therefore let us not content our selves with dead dreams or carnall conjectures but labour for a true lively working and applicative faith III. In robore in our strength and power that is labour that wee may bee strengthned with might and power in the inward man d Ephes 3.16 not contenting our selves with the power of nature which is but impotency it selfe Now this living or lively power which we must labour for is three-fold namely First Potestas pugnandi power to fight against sinne and Sathan manfully untill we have prevailed e Heb. 12.4 and 1 Pet. 2.11 Secondly Potestas obediendi power to obey God in some good measure in that which he requires of us in a new life Thirdly Potestas amandi gaudâ—ndi power to love God and good duties and to rejoyce in the performance thereof Esay 58.13 Quest 12 From whom is this life to be acquired Answ 1 First we must seeke it of God the Father Esay 25.8 Hos 13.14 Rom. 4.17 Answ 2 Secondly we must seek it of God the Sonne Luke 1.78.79 Iohn 1.4 and 2 Cor. 5.15 and 2 Tim. 1.10 Answ 3 Thirdly wee must seek it of God the Holy Ghost Iohn 6.63 Rom. 8.10 11. and 1 Cor. 6.11 And therefore let us invocate God the Father in the name and mediation of God the Sonne to infuse this spirituall life of grace into us by the operation of his blessed Spirit Quest 13 What means must we use for the obtaining of this spirituall life Answ 1 First wee must be watchfull and circumspect over our wayes Ephes 5.15 for grace is not found in the way of security or with sleeping upon the bed of case Colos 3.1 Answ 2 Secondly we must be diligent in hearing Iohn 5.24 25. and 2 Tim. 1.10 Now there are two things to be heard namely I. The Law this wee must hear that we may be humbled therby Rom. 7.9 II. The Gospel this we must hear that we may be counselled and comforte therby 2 Cor. 2.16 Answ 3 Thirdly we must die unto sin Generatio unius est corruptio alterius the vivifying of grace is the mortifying of sin And the more grace increases the more sin decreases Rom. 6.11 and 1 Cor. 15.36 Now there are two kinds of death namely First Concupiscentiae of sinne and lust Colos 3.5 for all sins evill affections and lusts are to be mortified Secondly Confidentiae of hope and confidence for wee must deny our selves not trust at al in any thing we do Fourthly wee must labour to beleeve Iohn 8.24 Answ 4 And that by a faith not of our own framing but of Gods infusing Colos 2.12 Fifthly we must persevere in all these as long Answ 5 as we live that is both in watchfulnesse and hearing and mortifying of sinne and beleeving with a faith approved by works Revelat. 2.11 Ephes 6.13 What shall wee gaine by this spirituall life Quest 14 that we must take so much paines for the procuring of it First if wee be made partakers of this life Answ 1 of grace then we shall bee made fellow Citizens of the Saints yea the Heirs of God Rom. 8.17 Ephes 2.6.19 Second by this spirituall life we gain spiritual Answ 2 liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 from sin Rom. 6.14 8.11 Thirdly by this life we gain light and knowledge Answ 3 and spirituall rejoycing Esay 9.2 Luke 1.80 and 1 Pet. 1.8 And therfore it is worth al the paines VERS 25. And his Disciples came to him Vers 25 and awoke him saying Lord save us wee perish § 1. His Disciples came to him Sect. 1 This action of the Disciples in comming to Christ may teach us the degrees of our comming unto Christ How do we come unto Christ Quest or by what steps First the carnall man is absent from Christ Answ 1 and a stranger unto him Mat. 18.11 Luke 15.13 Ephes 2.12 and 1 Pet. 25. Secondly therefore God sends affliction as Answ 2 to the prodigall poverty and to the Jews misery Psalme 107. Thirdly and then we come to him Psal 119.67.71 Answ 3 One of these two wayes either I. By prayer as the Disciples here did crying Lord save us Or II. By repentance as the Prodigall did Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee § 2. They awoke him Sect. 2 Christ indeed is sometimes absent from his children which is here expressed by his being asleep How is Christ absent from his children Quest First sometimes he is absent from them by Answ 1 withdrawing his grace from them and permitting them to sin thus he absented himselfe from Peter and David for a time Secondly sometimes he is absent from them Answ 2 in comfort when hee permits them to fall into grievous afflictions thus hee absented himselfe from Iob for a time and from David Psal 22. Sect. 3 § 3. Save us or wee perish The Disciples here in their distresse pray unto Christ and are preserved whence we may learn Observ That the prayers of the righteous shall certainly be heard Object But many pray whom God answers not Answ 1 First God is alwayes able to heare and helpe us if he please Daniel 3.17 Answ 2 Secondly if he do not helpe us when we pray yet he will turn his deniall and our distresse unto our good for all things worke together for the best unto the righteous Rom. 8.28 Answ 3 Thirdly and although hee do not helpe us at the first yet he can afterwards as we see in Israels fighting against Benjamin who was overcome once againe Iudg. 20.21.25 although God bad them fight verse 18.23 but at length they wholly overcome them verse 35. c. Vers 26 VERS 26. And hee saith unto them why are yee fearfull O yee of
is borne of a woman and begot by a man is impure and polluted Iob 14.4 and 15.14 and 25.4 Psal 51.7 And therefore it is evident that all men are defiled Answ 3 Thirdly this further evidently appeares by the consideration of parts For I. The Body is but a dead Organ except only as it is quickned and enlivened by the soule II. All our senses are both direct Traytors letting in temptation into the soule and also the servants and handmaids of lust and concupiscence III. The bruit part of man is wholly set upon evill and runs after and pursues nothing else that is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Irascible and concupiscible parts or faculties IV. The Imagination doth continually present some evill or other unto the soule Ephes 4.18 V. The will of man alwayes naturally assents to the worse part Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor I see what 's best but oh accurst I follow still what is the worst This was the bitter plaint of blessed Paul The evill which I would not doe I doe daily Rom. 7.15 VI. Naturall reason and carnall wisedome are enemies and opposite unto God and averse from him Rom. 8.7 VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind it selfe which the Platonicks thought did partake of the divine nature stands in need of reformation and renovation Ephes 4.23 Rom. 12.2 And thus wee see by an Induction of parts how the whole man of all mankind is corrupt Answ 4 Fourthly it will most evidently appeare that we all naturally are contaminated with sinne if we consider the nature of the leprosie and together therewith the resemblance of sinne thereunto I. Leprosie is an universall disease it begins and breeds first in the humours then breakes forth in the skin and within a while overspreads the whole man Thus sinne seizing first upon the soule by and by corrupted and tainted both soule and body And therefore wee should consider how necessary it is that wee should be changed and renewed who are thus corrupted and defiled We are easily perswaded to confesse and acknowledge that a change is necessary but very difficultly perswaded to goe about the worke being herein especially enemies to innovations wherefore wee should so much the more earnestly and industriously undertake the taske by how much the harder and contrary to our naturall affections it is II. Leprosie is hereditary as was shewed before Chap. 8. And so is sinne derived from the father to the sonne III. Leprosie is an uncleane disease For First the humours in Lepers are intemperate And Secondly altogether corrupt and poisonous so that the humours in the Leper and in him who is taken with the French or Neapolitane disease are much like And Thirdly it is an infectious disease and therefore by the Leviticall Law Lepers were to live alone Thus sinne doth pollute and infect our selves and endangereth others And therefore why should we presume thereof Let us rather remember that I. Sin cast us out of Paradise And II. Brought death upon Christ who knew no sinne in himselfe neither deserved any death or punishment at all for any offence of his owne And III. Hinders our prayers from being heard for God heares not sinners Iohn 9. And IV. Hinders the Lord from saving us because it is contrary to his Iustice to save sinners Yea V. Is of that nature that one sinne is enough to destroy us yea the whole world as we see in the sinne of Adam Achan Saul David Ionas Hezekiah yea if Christ had but broken the least commandement hee could not have saved us IV. The Leprosie leaves its scarres and markes and relickes behind it So sinne leaves its remainders and a pronenesse unto concupiscence behind it and a certaine weaknesse and inability in nature to do the will and worke of God V. Hence the Leper although he be cured of his Leprosie and pronounced clean is prone to relapse and fall into this disease againe So by reason of the remainders and relickes of sinne in us wee are prone to relapse and fall into sin even after our regeneration And therefore wee must be watchfull and circumspect over all our wayes standing alwayes upon our Watch-Tower and labouring and praying that the Lord would sanctifie us throughout both in body soule and spirit 1 Thess 5.23 And thus we have heard that wee are by nature polluted with the leprosie of sinne It remaines now Secondly to shew that by Christ wee are purged from sinne Or That those whom Christ receives hee cures Observ 2 from the pollution of sinne This wee have handled before and therefore I will adde but one Question to what hath beene spoken and proceed to the next Section How may wee know Quest whether we be cleansed from the leprosie of sinne Examine seriously these five things viz. First Answ whether doe wee strive and struggle against our owne proper sinnes or not Secondly whether doe we hate all sorts and kinds of sin whatsoever or not whether great or small whether publike or private whether beloved or not beloved Thirdly whether have wee strength to walke in the wayes of God have we received health and strength and new humours from the Lord in so much as now we can serve the Lord in purity of heart Fourthly whether have wee tender consciences and awakened consciences or not which will not endure the least touch of sinne but carefully watch against all Fiftly whether doth the Watch-man of Israel which neither slumbers nor sleepes preserve and keepe us that is both watch over us himselfe and also excite us to bee watchfull over our selves Certainely if we find these things in us we may then be confidently assured that the Lepers are cleansed And therefore enquire diligently whether 1. We hate all sinnes in generall and 2. Strive more particularly against our owne sinnes And 3. Are afraid to commit any and watchfull against all And 4. Perceive the holy Spirit to prevent us from sinne and to helpe us forward in the performance of what is good And 5. Find new strength in our bones and joynts to serve the Lord For by these wee may know whether we be freed from the pollution of sinne or not Sect. 4 § The deafe heare First wee must here consider the estate of nature And then Secondly the state of grace First by nature wee are deafe untill wee bee cured Quest 1 How many sorts and kinds of deafenesse are there Deafenes is two-fold Answ to wit either of the Body of which I here speake not Or Mind it is an incapacity of things either Naturall but we heare the clamours of nature which desire meat drink sleep rest health pleasure and the like Or Morall but wee can learne worthy wisedome and crafts the like Or Scientialium of things belonging to Arts sciences but the naturall man can learne liberall arts and sciences professions yea even the most deep profound arts Or Spirituall Now these things are understood either I. In others here our eares
begets both paine in the Eare and duls the hearing Now Christ cures this by taking away our hard and stony hearts and giving us hearts of flesh Ezech. 11.19 Acts 2.38 Thirdly there is the infirmity it selfe or deafenesse this Christ cures by opening and boring our Eares Iob. 33.16 Esa 50.5 c. Acts 16.14 Esa 55.10 and enabling us to heare the word of God with joy and comfort II. The next impediment of the Eare which Christ takes away is drynesse or want of moysture in the Eare This hee cures by sending rain and watring our hearts with the deaw of Heaven and with the grace of his holy Spirit Reade Deuter. 32 2 Esa 30.20 c. and 44.3 and 55.10 Thirdly the ringing and tinckling in the Eare hinders the heareing this is blind zeale and is cured by Christ who enlightens our understandings and enformes our judgements and suffers us no longer through a false zeale with Saul to persecute Christ and his members Acts. 9.4 or in his members but with Paul to suffer yea to dye If God require it for the glory of Christ and the good of his body the Church IV. The weakenesse of the braine is a great impediment to the hearing Now this Christ cures by enabling us to heare the word of God profoundly that is as he did to Ezeâ—hiel enabling us to hear with our eares to receive in our hearts al the words that the Lord speaks unto us Ezec. 3 1â— and not like the seed in stony ground who for want of depth of roote and ground withered and died Mat. 13.5 V. Sleepe and Lethargie hinders the hearing this Christ cures by enabling us to heare the word with delight as Esay commands us 58.13 And with joy as Ieremiah did Thy words were found and I did eate them and they were the very joy and rejoycing of my heart Ierem. 15.16 Secondly Christ doth not onely take away the impediments of hearing but repaires and restore the losses of the Eare which are principally Answ 2 Life and Spirit I. Christ gives life unto us Iohn 1.4 and 14.6 Dead men cannot heare and therefore he quickens us as follows in the next Section II. Christ gives his Spirit unto us Cantie 4.16 Ioel 2.28 c. Esa 44.3 whereby wee are enabled to understand what wee heare and to practise in some measure what we understand § 5. The dead are raised up As in the former Section so also in this wee Sect. 5 have two things to consider of namely I. That by nature we are dead II. That by grace we are quickned First by nature we are dead Quest 1 Who are here meant by the dead Answ 1 First there is a three-fold death namely Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Answ 2 Secondly there is a two-fold Spirituall death viz. I. A death to sinne in the Dative case now this is Mortification II. A death in sinne in the Ablative case And this is the death here spoken of Answ 3 Thirdly the meaning therefore of these words The dead are raised is this that all men by nature are spiritually dead in sinne but the children of God are restored unto life by Christ Now of these in their order and first of the first the state of nature Observ 1 First I say wee learne hence that all naturall men are dead in sinne Quest 2 How doth this appeare Answ 1 First from these places Rom. 3.23 and 5.12 Colos 2.13 Ephes 2.1.5 c. Answ 2 Secondly because otherwise Christs death had beene needlesse Rom. 5.6.8 and 2 Cor. 5.14 but of this by and by in the state of grace Answ 3 Thirdly it appeares plainely that all men naturally are dead in sin because all were killed in Adam Rom. 5.15.17.18 and 1 Cor. 15.21.22 For I. The Image of God which was in us at first is now lost Gen. 2. But is renewed by Christ Ephes 4.24 At first the heart was converted unto God And the beames of love did inflame and kindle the hearts to love the Lord above all Psal 63.1 But now we are averse from the Lord. II. Wee are now guilty of death 2 Cor. 3.7 And subject to the Law which is the Minister of death and therefore wee are called dead men because by the Law wee are condemned and adjudged unto death III. Wee are by nature subject to the wrath and anger of God And his Iustice will not suffer us to goe unpunished Colos 3.6 IV. Our nature is so polluted that it produceth nothing but sinne and impurity Colos 2.13 V. Wee are by nature the servants of sinne and Sathan Rom. 6.20 and 2 Tim. 2.26 and 2 Pet. 2.14 And hence the body was called by the Ancients Tartara Sepulebrum mortuorum Pistrinum animae b Rhod. 287. And therefore these things considered wee may safely conclude that all men by nature are spiritually dead in sinne Observ 2 Secondly wee have now to consider of the state of grace Suscitantur namly That Christ frees all those who are his from the death of sinne Iohn 5.24 c. Esa 9.2 and 2 Tim. 1.10 Quest 5 From what death doth Christ free his Answ 1 First hee freeth them from eternall death Ioh. 5.24 and 2 Thess 1.9 Revel 2.11 and 21.8 Answ 2 Secondly he freeth them from spiritual death and this is that which is here meant and is understood either I. Of our fredome and deliverance from our enemies Rom. 7.2 that is First from sinne and the kingdome thereof Rom. 6.2 Or Secondly from the Law and the curse thereof Rom. 7.4 How or by what meanes may we or are wee Quest 6 raised from death unto life First by God and Christ Psalme 90.3 Rom. 4. Answ 1 17. and 7.25 and 11.15 Secondly by the preaching of the Gospel 1 Answ 2 Pet. 4.6 Thirdly by faith in Christ Iohn 5.24 c. Answ 3 Fourthly by a spirituall death of sinne Rom. Answ 4 6.2.5.8.11 and 8.10 and 6.3.6 Fiftly by charity and love wee know that Answ 5 wee are translated from death unto life because wee love the brethren 1 Iohn 3. VERS 7.8.9 And as they departed Verse 7.8.9 Iesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning Iohn what went you out into the wildernesse to see a Reed shaken with the wind But what went you out for to see a man clothed in soft raiment Behold they that weare soft clothing are in Kings houses But what went you out for to see a Prophet yea I say unto you and more then a Prophet § What went you out for to see Sect. 1 What use is there of an Interrogation or Quest 1 why are questions asked First some aske a question that they may bee Answ 1 instructed and thus the Disciples propound many questions unto Christ Secondly some aske questions for this end Answ 2 that thereby others may be instructed and thus our Saviour here interrogates the people Thirdly some aske questions to see or try Answ 3 whether others know that which is enquired And this is ordinary
is a necessity of service we must not serve God as one Neighbour helpes another who will lend when they please but will not acknowledge any debt but we must confesse our selves to bee the Lords Servants and bound to doe more then we are able therfore when we have done all we must confesse our selves to bee but unprofitable servants Omne tulit punctum he doth understand his Masters will a right who hath learnd to conjoyne these two together Servire liberè ex officio to serve God with a free ready willing and cheerfull heart with a filiall affection and without any servile compulsion and yet in thus doing confesse that it is his duety to doe what hee doth II. It obligeth the outward life as well as the conscience For we must not live to our selves but to Christ 1 Peter 4.2 Rom. 14.7 c. and 6.11 13. and 12.1 Sect. 2 § 2. Learne of me As we must be Subjects as was shewed in the former Section so wee must bee Disciples as comes now to be considered wherein we must observe that First Christ teacheth unto us the necessity of learning we must be taught And Secondly he shewes that he is the onely true Doctour and Teacher opposing himselfe I. To the Pharisees who taught salvation by the Law without Christ And II. Perhaps to the wisedome of the flesh and humane reason And III. To the Doctrines of the flesh and world But IV. Most certain it it is that Christ here is opposed to all other Teachers as weake and invalide in regard of him who onely is able to teach us the truth truely Matth. 23.8.10 Observ Hence then learne That we must bee made the Disciples and Schollers of Christ and submit our selves to be taught by him Esa 54.13 Ephes 4.21 Iohn 6.68 Quest 1 Why must we be made the Disciples Schollers of Christ Answ 1 First because it is necessary that we should be taught no man is borne learned neither is any borne holy in corrupt nature the Philosophers who were most learned had Children born unto them who were most ignorant of all literature For Nature gives us two things but the third it cannot namely it gives I. Strength of body And II. A towardlinesse and readinesse of mind But III. Learning it cannnot give that beeing obtained onely by study And therefore wee being naturally borne ignorant it is necessary that wee should be taught Secondly because it is necessary that we should Answ 2 be taught by Christ none else being able to teach us as is cleare in a fourefold regard namely I. Respectu Doctrinae in regard of the Doctrine which is the knowledge of God Iohn 17.3 But this onely Christ teacheth and knoweth Luke 10.22 Iohn 1.18 II. Respectu subjecti in regard of the Subject for wee are not onely to be taught in our eares for so man could teach us but also and principally in our hearts and so onely the Lord of the Spirits teacheth us Ierem. 31.33 and 32.40 Luke 24.32 III. Respectu Officij in regard of his Office for Christ was ordained to preach Luke 4.18 Deuter. 18.15 Iohn 3.2 IV. Respectu gratiae communicatae improssae in regard of grace communicated and imprinted for knowledge is a light 2 Cor 4.6 And Christ and his Father are the light and the givers of light as appeares by Luke 2.32 Iohn 1.9 and 1 Iohn 1.5 and Iames 1.17 and Iohn 5.35 And therefore seeing Christ is onely able to teach us the true knowledge of the true God and alone able to teach the heart yea ordained and appointed by God his Father to preach unto us and to communicate unto us spirituall light and knowledge it is then necessary that we should be taught by him How many wayes doth Christ teach us Quest 2 First hee teacheth us by the preaching of the Answ 1 word Heb. 1.1 whence I. It is called a light to guide and direct our paths Psalme 119.105 And II. We are directed and sent thereunto To the Law to the Prophets Esa 8.20 And III. We are commanded to seeke the sence and meaning of the Law of the Ministers God himselfe endowing them with knowledge and sending us then unto them Malach. 2.7 Yea IV. It is hence called the mighty power of God unto salvation 1 Cor. 1.18.21 And therefore if we desire to know whether wee be taught by Christ or not let us seriously and heartily examine whether wee bee good hearers of the word or not viz. First are we reverend hearers doe we tremble in the hearing of the word because it is Gods not mans Esa 65.2 or doe we sleight and despise it Secondly are wee industrious hearers hearing daily and treasuring up in our hearts what wee heare Matth. 13 51.52 Or are we sluggish hearers who heare but carry nothing away of all that we heare Thirdly are we profitable hearers not onely remembring what wee heare but practising carefully what we remember Luke 8.15 Or are wee obdurate and perverse hearers who will neither learne nor practise what is taught Answ 2 Secondly Christ teacheth us by his holy Spirit in ou◠hearts thereby converting us unto himselfe 2 Corinth 3.16 and without this our hearing is unprofitable Heb 4.2 And therefore St. Paul prayes for the Spirit of Revelation Ephes 1.18 But this wee cannot hope to obtaine except we deny our owne hearing and the worke of the Minister and expect spirituall light and knowledge onely from the Lord by the operation of his blessed Spirit Some hope to be taught by the word although in the hearing thereof they look no further at all then either to their owne diligence in hearing or ability and capacity of understanding and taking up what is delivered or to the faithfull and powerfull delivery of the word by the Minister now these cannot expect to be taught by Christ because both our hearing and the Ministers preaching will bee like water spilt upon the ground without the operation of the Spirit of God for except he give the encrease Pauls preaching and Apollos watering will bee fruitlesse That Noble Souldier and godly Centurion certainly was convinced of this truth when he said and that unto Peter himselfe Wee are all present here before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Acts 10.33 whereby he intimates that the word is Gods the work is Gods the message is Gods the direction is Gods yea the blessing that comes by hearing is Gods also And therefore if we desire to know whether wee be taught by Christ or not let us examine these three things viz. I. Doe we desire with our hearts and Spirits when we come to heare the word that we may be taught by the holy Spirit of God or doe we trust to our own hearing or the Ministers preaching not thinking at all upon the operation and assistance of the Spirit II. Doe we in our hearing lay aside all respect of the man who speakes unto us contemplating and beholding onely the Lord
and 1 Cor. 12.7 Colos 2.7 And therefore to conclude this Question I say that there are two things principally here necessary viz. First the truth of the fire or of the life of Faith And Secondly an encrease unto victory as in this verse The smoking flax shall be not quench till he send forth judgement unto victory Here we must observe That there is a great difference between life and power between a faculty and strength and whosoever hath Faith without strength lacks one of these either I. Truth for an Ape seemes to have Reason by his imitating of Man and the Devill is Gods Ape counterfeiting of a false Faith often for a true as was in those who were alwaies learning but never came unto perfection 2 Tim. 3.7 S. Iames saith plainly That every Faith is not true there being a false Faith as well as a true Iames 2. And therfore those who are long weak in their Faith perhaps want truth and life therein Or II. Age Infants have true life and yet no strength Heb. 5.12 So a man may be one of Christs little ones and tender babes and yet be weak for a while but these may be of good comfort for Infants in time become strong men and the weaklings of Christ by little and little will attain unto strength Or III. Health vapours often disturb and hurt the brain and this is very dangerous And therfore we must alwaies so hope in the mercie of God and Christ that we endeavour still with all our might and strength to encrease in age and health unto perfection What is here required of us Quest 5 To prove and examine the truth Answ and life of our Faith and therefore let us try First whether we be Infants or not Now in Infants there are these two properties to wit I. They suck and therefore examine whether we desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow up thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 II. They encrease for if they be alwaies children they are dwarfs and monsters in nature wherefore we should try our selves by our selves what we were a moneth a year or seven years since and what we are now and see how we have encreased in light and knowledge and Faith and zeal and hatred of sin and strength in the service of God Secondly whether are we sick or not The properties of some sick men are these namely I. They have no appetite and therefore examine what love we have to the Law of God what desire and longing affection we have to the word the food of our souls II. They are disturbed in Minde and their brain is obscured let us try therefore whether we be not yet so blinded in our understandings and so polluted in our Mindes that we are scarse sensible of our sins and we have no desire to use the means appointed for the obtaining and recovering of health III. They despise counsell and will not follow the Physitians advice wherefore examine whether we submit our wils to the Lords will or contemn his word and walk according to the imaginations of our own hearts lusts IV. They seldome rejoyce except it be onely in jests or ridiculous or childish things so we should herein prove our selves and see whether we rejoyce more in the world or in our God whether in vain pleasures or solid delights whether in the waies of sin or the works of righteousnesse Thirdly whether have we a false Faith or a true Certainly if we neither suck the sincere milk of the Word nor grow up in grace nor desire the means wherby we may be edified built up we have neither true life nor living Faith VERS 22. Then was brought unto him Vers 22 one possessed with a Divell blind and dumbe and be healed him insomuch that the blind and dumbe both saw and spake Sect. 1 § 1. Then was brought unto him Observ 1 Two things may be observed from these words namely First that this man comes not of himselfe unto Christ neither hath any desire to come that wee reade of but as carelesse of himselfe is brought by others to teach us That we are naturally carelesse of our selves and negligent in seeking unto Christ God loved us before we loved him Christ dyed for us when we were enemies unto him and hee called us unto him before wee call upon or desire him Object It will be here objected that Christ sometimes requires faith of some that come unto him before he cure or heale them as we see plainly Mat. 9.28 Where our Saviour askes the blind men if they beleeve in him before he opened their eyes And therefore hee doth not alwaies call or cure us before we desire or seek unto him Answ 1 First certainly men may repayre unto Christ yea pray unto him for temporall things or for freedome from corporall evills before they bee called by him because nature teacheth us to love our bodies and to wish well unto them Answ 2 Secondly we cannot come to Christ for freedome from spirituall evils or cure for our soules with a true sence of our sinnes and sorrow for them and unfained desire to bee healed of them before Christ come unto us for the desires and endeavours come from him who workes insensibly in us Iohn 3. as followes in the fourth answer Answ 3 Thirdly Christ requires faith of the blind men before bee cures them for these ends viz. I. That hee might shew the singular faith of the blind men to those who stood about him II. That hee might teach both them and us that faith is the meanes of obtaining grace and if any desire favour or mercy from him they must beleeve Answ 4 Fourthly Christ cures us of his owne free grace and not for any worke of ours yea hee begets faith it selfe in us Quest 1 How many sorts of persons doth Christ cure and heale Answ 1 First he cures them who pray unto him themselves and desire to be healed Per se Thus he healed the blind men Matth. 9.28 who prayed for themselves Answ 2 Secondly he cures those and grants the request of those who desire Per alios by others to bee healed of him And thus he cured the Genturions servant in whose behalfe the Elders of the Jewes were sent Luke 4.7 c. by the Master Answ 3 Thirdly he answers the request of those who pray pro alijs for others whether they be brought unto him by others as this possessed man was or whether mercy be beg'd in the behalfe of others as Luke 7.4 Fourthly sometimes hee câ—res when he is not at all entreated or any way sought unto and thus he restored unto life the Widdowes sonne Answ 4 Luke 7.13 Secondly we see that this poore man who is Observ 2 brought unto Christ by others findes mercy to teach us That those who are by others drawne unto Christ may hope for mercy from him Read Iohn 1.41.45 Acts. 8.4.5 and 11.19 And besides remember First that wee can doe nothing of our selves but
to haven and from one Kingdome to another Thirdly in a Ship there are Vela sayles and Clavus a Rudder and this is the word of God whereby the Church is governed Fourthly there is Ventus wind now this is two-fold namely I. A faire wind which carries the Ship to his wished Port and this is the Holy Spirit who agitates and animates the sayles of the word II. A crosse contrary and tempestuous wind which endangers the Ship Now the hurtfull and troublesome winds are either I. Heretikes who deceive the simple and cause them to make shipwracke of faith as did Ebiâ—n Arius Cerinthus and divers others of old and many in our ages Or II. Tyrants who persecute the Church as did Maximinus Decius Diocletianus Iulianus and many moe besides Or Secondly Intra nos within us and this is the Devill who raiseth sometimes the wind of pride promising honour as he did unto Christ sometimes the wind of pleasure as he did unto David sometimes the wind of covetousnesse as hee did unto Nabal yea sometimes hee blowes one blast sometimes another according to the nature and disposition of him hee tempts Fifthly there are Conscensus the steps or ladder by which a man climbes up to the Ship This is Baptisme which is the ordinary admission and entrance into the Church For as Noah numbred the creatures which entred into the Arke by steps made for that purpose So by Baptisme the faithfull are publikely admitted into a covenant with God Sixthly there is Naulum the fraught or fare which is paid for passage over the sea in a Ship this is the Covenant which wee make with our Christ in Baptisme hee promiseth to carry us safe over the troublesome and dangerous sea of this world and bring us to our wished haven and wee promise him that wee will faithfully without fraud or coven pay our fraught He promiseth to bring us to our eternall countrey and immortall kingdome and wee promise him to render due and faithfull obedience throughout our whole passage and space of life Seventhly there is Coâ—â—eatus provision of victuals and diet which the Master of the Ship must provide for the Passengers So Christ gives bread to all the faithfull in the Church and invites those who are thirsty to drinke that is hee gives himselfe who is the bread which came downe from heaven Iohn 6. and his blood which is drinke indeed And these hee gives freely Esay 55.1 Eighthly there is Terminus ad quem the haven unto which the Ship is bound and this is the Ierusalem which is above which all the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and blessed Saints have desired and longed for when they were on the sea of this world Verse 25 26. VERS 25 26. And in the fourth watch of the night Iesus went unto them walking on the sea And when his Disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a spirit and they cryed out for feare § 1. In the fourth watch of the night Sect. 1 Wee may here observe that the Iewes divided their night into foure quarters or greater houres termed foure Watches each Watch containing three lesser houres The first they called Caput vigiliarum the beginning of the Watches Lament 2.19 The second was the middle Watch Iudg. 7.19 not so termed because there were only three Watches as Drusius would have it s Iudg. 7.19 but because it dured till midnight The third Watch began at midnight and held till three of the clocke in the morning h Luke 12.38 The fourth and last Watch was called the morning Watch Exod. 14.24 And began at three of the clocke and ended at six in the morning And this is the Watch here spoken of Now these Watches were called also by other names according to that part of the night which closed each Watch. The first was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Even The second was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Midnight The third was named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cock-crowing And The fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Dawning Yee know not when the Master of the house will come at Even or aâ— Midnight or at Cock-crowing or at the Downing l Marke 13 35. Sect. 2 § 2. Walking on the sea Object It is questioned betweene us and the Church of Rome concerning the corporall presence of Christ whether a true body can be in a place and yet not occupy a place And Bellarm. lib. 3. de Euchar. Cap. 5. proves it thus from this verse It doth no more agree to a corporall substance or true reall body to fill and occupy a place then it doth to a heavie body to descend and sink downward or to a lucide and bright body to shine or to a coloured body to be seene or to a hot body to warme c. But God can make that a heavie body shall not sinke c. as is plaine from this verse where Christ vvalkes on the water and sinkes not and so also Luke 4.30 and 24.31 and Iohn 8 5â— Therefore a body may bee in a place and yet not occupy or take up the place First the proposition is false because all Answ 1 the other things may bee done supernaturally but they are not contrary to nature But for a Body not to be in a place is directly contrary to nature And therefore these are wrong conjoyned Secondly it is evident from Scripture that Answ 2 God hath made a heavie body not to sinke as hee did Iron to swim and the rest but wee have no Scriptures to confirme this that a body may bee in a place and yet not fill it and therefore these are unequally ranked Thirdly it is false which the Iesuite avoucheth Answ 3 namely that in Scripture wee reade of heavy things which weighed not c for the bodies of Christ and Peter were no lesse ponderous when they walked upon the water then they were before but onely when they so walked they were sustained by a divine power and therefore when Peters faith failed he began to sinke whence it is cleare that he was as ponderous then as ever but that hee was upheld by an Almighty arme Fourthly although the bodies of Christ Peter Answ 4 when they walked upon the water were made light yet even then their bodies remained in a place circumscribed and â—illed the place wherein they were And therefore there are not the like reasons of these instances Fifthly that which Bellarmine saith of the invisibilitie Answ 5 of Christs body is false because it alwaies remained in it selfe visible but it is said to be invisible in regard of the multitude from whom suddenly hee withdrew himselfe or whose sight miraculously he hindred from seeing him and therfore Luke 24.51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from them is added Scharp curs Theol. pag. 1474. § 3. And they cryed out for feare Sect. 3 The Disciples seeing one in the form of a man walking towards them upon the surface of the water thought certainly
that it had been some Specter and therfore were frighted with the sight whence it may be demanded Why men naturally so much abhorre and fear such sights and apparitions of Spirits Quest First the reason herof is because of that diversity Answ 1 of nature which is in corporall and spiritual bodies or because of that strangenesse which is betwixt them For spirituall creatures whether good or bad are alienated from all commerce and society with men and hence from the unwontednesse or strangenesse of the sight Specterâ— trouble men which would trouble them lesse if they were more acquainted with them or accustomed to such fights Secondly spirituall creatures are more agile Answ 2 quicke strong and powerfull then are corporall and therefore men are troubled with the sight of them and affrighted with them as naturally the weaker things are afraid of the stronger VERS 31. Verse 31 And immediately Iesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Concerning a small true faith divers things have bâ—en spoken heretofore I will therefore here onely propound a Question or two of faith in generall Quest 1 Wherein doth the faith of beleevers now differ from that faith which was in Adam in his innocency Answ For answer hereunto observe that the Object of that faith which is in beleevers is twofold viz. First the whole will of God revealed unto us in his word containing all Histories Commands Doctrines Threatnings Promises of what kind soever And this is called Legall faith Secondly the particular promise of remission of Sins and everlasting life by the death of Christ and this is called Evangelicall faith Now in this distinction between Legall and Evangelicall faith we must not conceive of two distinct habits of faith for it is but one gracious quality of the soule disposing it to the belief of all divine truth which for the substance of it was the same in innocent Adam with that which is in regenerate men The difference standing onely in these three things to wit First in the degrees Adams faith was perfect because his understanding was fully enlightned and his affections absolutely conformable to all holinesse We know but little and by reason of our internal weakenesse wee beleeve but weakly what we do know Secondly in the Originall in Adam faith was naturall by Creation in us it is supernaturall by the Holy Ghosts infusion Thirdly in the particular Object Adam beleeved God without reference to Christ the Mediatour we beleeve chiefly the promise of grace in Christ and all other things with some Relation to him And thus we see wherein our faith differs from Adams Quest 2 Whether is fiducia trust and assurance of the essence of justifying faith because our Saviour here blames Peters doubting Answ It is and I make it good by these three grounds namely First from the Phrase of Scripture used in this businesse Those phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.12 and Rom. 10 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romans 4.5 Acts. 16.31 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.12 To beleeve in or upon or into God Christ the Holy Ghost are not used as the learned know by prophane writers but onely by Ecclesiastical implying that in divine matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies besides the naked acknowledgement of the Head the confidence and affiance of the heart Secondly it is cleare from that opposition which is made between faith and distrust or doubting as in this verse and Iames 1.6 and Rom. 4.20 Thirdly from that excellent place 2 Timoth. 1.12 where it is apparent that to beleeve is as much as to commit our selves to Christs trust and keeping I know saith the Apostle in whom I have beleeved or whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that thing wherwith I have entrusted him or delivered up to his keeping What was that his soule unto everlasting salvation Wherefore to beleeve the Promise is with confidence and Trust to rely upon it resting our selves upon the performance of it Verse 33. Then they that were in the Ship Verse 33 came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the Sonne of God How many waies are men Quest or any other creatures called the Sonnes of God and how is Christ his Sonne Thomas 1 p. q. 33. ar 3 saith that The Sonne of God is five wayes used in Scripture viz. Answ First some are called the Sonnes of God Propter similitudinem vestigij tantum and thus the unreasonable creatures are called the Sonnes of God and God is called their Father Iob. 38.28 Secondly some are called the Sons of God Propter similitudinem Imaginis and thus the reasonable creatures are called the Sonnes of God as Deuter. 32. Js not he thy Father who hath created and made thee Thirdly some are called the Sonnes of God Secundum similitudinem gratiae and these are called Adopted Sonnes Fourthly some are called the Sonnes of God Secundum similitudinem gloriae according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of the Sonnes of God Fifthly some are called the Sonnes of God Secundum perfectam rationem nativitatis and thus onely Christ is the Sonne of God CHAPTER XV. Verse 1. 2 VERS 1. 2. Then came to Iesus the Scribes and Pharisees which were of Hierusalem saying Why doe thy Disciples transgresse the Tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they Eate Bread Quest WHat is meant by this word Tradition This voice Tradition is equivocall Answ and hath divers significations namely First sometimes it is taken for all Doctrine whether written or not written 2 Thessal 2.15 Hold fast the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle Secondly sometimes it is taken for that Doctrine which is delivered only Vivâ Voce by word of mouth as in this verse Why doe thy Disciples transgresse the Tradition of the Elders which Traditions were never written but delivered with a living voice from one to another Thirdly sometimes it is taken for the written word of God As Acts 6.14 and 1 Corinth 15.3 Fourthly by the Papists this word Tradition is taken for that Doctrine which is written but not in the holy Scriptures Fiftly the Fathers by this voyce did understand sometimes those Doctrines which were contained in the Apostolicall writings and unwritten Traditions they called that which was not Totidem verbis expresly commanded or laid down in the Scripture but yet the thing it self was extant in the Scripture and might be proved from thence And sometimes by Tradition they did understand not Doctrines but Ecclesiasticall order and Rites Scharp de sacra Script pag. 125. Verse 3. Vers 3. But he answered and said unto them Why do you also transgresse the Commandement of God by your Tradition Argu ∣ ment Against the Popish Traditions we produce this Argument from this place All Traditions among the Jews besides
who were offended with him verse 12. And saith of them in this verse That they be blind leaders of the blind And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch In foveam peccati inferni Into the ditch of sinne and Hell saith Hugo Cardinalis on the place Cum Pastor per abrupta graditur necesse est ut grex in praecipitium ducatur When the Sâ—epherd goes by craggie clifts the flocke must needs fall Headlong and break their necks saith Gregory Duces praeceptores foveá infernus The guids are the Teachers and the ditch is hell saith Faber Stapulensis on this place Observ Secondly our Saviour in this place doth plainly point out this proposition unto us namely That it is a miserable thing for men to have blind guids unto Christ Reade for the proof hereof these places Romans 1.28 Corinth 12.2 Ephes 4.14 and 2 Thessal 2.11 and 2 Timoth. 3.13 Quest 1 Why are they miserable who have blind guides Answ 1 First because we cannot walk without a guid How can I said the Eunuch understand without a Teacher Acts 8. Answ 2 Secondly because if we be led by a blind guid we are then misled and seduced and consequently miserable and wretched 2 Peter 2.2 And hence the Lord threatens to make drunke their guids if they will not obey Ierem. 51.57 and to send them seeing Seers if they will but repent and obey Ierem. 3.13.14 Quest 2 Who are miserable by reason of their guids Answ 1 First he is miserable who is led by his owne naturall affections and perturbations and not by reason or Religion that is is transported by hatred selfe-love pride vaine glory and opinion of wisedome and knowledge drunkennesse gluttony and the like Answ 2 Secondly he is miserable who is ignorant of the grounds of Religion and is not enlightned from above but led by nature reason judgment opinion and the like blind guids Answ 3 Thirdly that common wealth is miserable who either I. Is without a head or guid or King Or II. Which hath blind and ignorant Magistrates and Governours Answ 4 Fourthly that Church is miserable which either I. Hath blind guids and ignorant Teachers Or which hath wicked Teachers that is without the light of a pure life though not without the light of sound Doctrine and knowledge Here observe three things viz. First that ordinarily a Teacher who is sound in judgment and profound in knowlege doth more harme by a wicked example then good by all his preaching because we live now more by examples then precepts And therefore in regard of this scandall and stumbling stone which wicked Teachers put before the face and feet of their flockes I say they are miserable who have such wicked guids although they be sound and seeing Pastours in regard of their knowledge Secondly I conceive those people are equally and alike miserable who have no guid at all and those who have blind ignorant Teachers that are not able to lead the flocke of Christ in the waies of God their own lips not preserving knowledge Malach. 2.7 Thirdly it is better for a people to have a Pastour who is endued with the light of knowledge though not with the light of a pure and immaculate life then one who is ignorant and unable to teach although his life be not so scandalous as the life of the other VERS 17. Do not yee yet understand Verse 17 that whatsoever entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly and â— cast into the Draught The Scriptures every where refâ—ll the errour Argu. 1 and false opinion of those who thinke men to be made more holy by an abstinence from some sorts of meats and more unholy by an indifferent use of some certain meats yea our Saviour himself taxeth the Pharisees verse 11. for this errour and verse 12. admonisheth his Apostles lest they also should fall into the same Not that saith he which goeth into the mouth defileth the man but that which commeth out of the mouth defileth the man Now the Pharisees being offended with this speech our Saviour confirmes it by the very condition and corruptible nature of all meat in this verse Doe not ye saith he yet understand that whatsoever entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught As if he would say it is a foolish thing to seek holinesse or righteousnesse in such Terrene corruptible and frail things as are meat and drink or to think a man to be contaminated and defiled by the moderate use of any sort of meat or drink For all these things are neither good nor evill in themselues but are made evill by the mind or abuse of him that misuseth or useth them not aright We produce this place as against the Popish Argu. 2 distinction of meats in the former words so also against their Transubstantiation and corporall presence and we argue thus If the body of Christ were carnally eaten then it should goe into the belly and from theâ—â—e into the Draught but this is absurd therefore also the other If the Reader desire to see how this Argument is canvased to and fro and how it is answered by Bellarmine and his answers answered let him Reade Chamier tom 4. de euchar lib. 11. Cap. 16. fol. 686. 687. I onely adde a word or two First Bellarmine hereto answers that Christ Answ 1 speaketh only of such meat as is received to nourish the body First to this we answer that the truth of this Replie 1 speech of our Saviours doth not depend upon the intention of him that receives meat but upon the very nature of the thing that is whether men eat for pleasure or wantonnesse or a greedy satisfying of their appetites or for the nourishing of their bodies it matters not for what end soever a man hath in eating yet this is true that what is eaten or which entreth into the mouth that goeth into the belly and is cast out into the Draught Secondly we answer that Bellarmine himselfe Replie 2 in his answer doth grant that all those things which nourish the body goe into the belly and are cast out into the draught Now we assume but that which is received with the corporall mouth in the Eucharist doth nourish the body And therfore by his own confession that which wee eate with the mouth of the body goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught Our Assumption is proved by that Analogy which this Sacrament hath with our Spirituall nourishment yea from the Schoolmen themselves who maintaine that those things which they call Species Sacramentâ—las which remaine in the Sacrament after Consecration Reficere nutrire virtutem vini tanta quantitate posse sumi ut hominem naturaliter inebriaret Alex. Al. â— 4. q. 10. m 7. a. 2. Bonavent alij in 4. d. 12. Answ 2 Secondly Bellarmine answers that after the Resurrection Christ did verily eat and yet that was not cast into the Draught which he
day pray in the name of Christ unto God before they have the Popes reall command or assent Answ 6 Sixthly Councels are then assembled in Christs name when they suffer themselves and their actions to be governed by the Spirit of God speaking in the Scripture Sect. 3 § 3. I will be in the midst of them Argum. From these words we conclude that to assemble together in the name of Christ that is to hear his word and receive the Sacraments is a most manifest note of the true Church whereunto Bellarmine answers two things viz. First to be gathered together in the name of Answ 1 Christ is not a note of the Church because it agrees with Heresies and Schismes To be gathered together to preach the word of Christ truly to hear it reverently Replie and to receive it sincerely is to be gathered together in the name of Christ and doth not agree with Heresies and Schismes which destroy the Church Answ 2 Secondly Bellarmine answereth That this place sheweth not where the Church is but where Christ is Christ walks amongst the Seven Candlesticks Replie which are the seven Churches Revel 1.20 and 2.1 He is to be found only in his Church and therefore where Christ is known to be present there is necessarily the Church The Papists object this place to prove that a Councel cannot erre Object but that the judgment therof is infallible Christ here saith saith Bellarmine Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them and therfore they obtain whatsoever they desire of God viz. wisedome and light which may suffice for the understanding of those things which are necessary for them And as Christ is present in private and particular assemblies to help and assist them in private and particular things so he is present in a generall Councell that he may help them in great and publike things and consequently they do judge of all such things infallibly Bellarm. de Concil lib. 2. Cap. 2. First this place directly respects every particular Answ 1 assembly of the righteous if therefore by vertue of this promise infallibility of judging be allowed and granted unto men then it is given also to all Bishops and Ministers assembled together in every particular Councell and Convocation which the Papists themselves deny Secondly in these two or three to whom Answ 2 Christ promiseth his presence is not necessarily included the Pope of Rome and yet the Papists say that not only the opinion of two or three but even the judgment of the whole world wants this infallibility untill the confirmation of the Pope of Rome come thereunto and therfore from this promised presence of Christ this infallibility of judging is not rightly collected Thirdly Gregory de Valentia analys fide lib. 8. Answ 3 cap. 7. answers That this place is not to be applied to an infallible certainty of any opinion wherein many agree but unto the efficacy of the consent of many for the obtaining of that which is unanimously desired Bishop Davenant de Iudice controv pag 97 114. ubi ex hoc loco contra hanc infallibilitatem disputat How is Christ present with those who are assembled Quest 1 in his name The Schoolmen say Answ and that truly that there are four degrees of Gods presence which degrees may rightly be applied and accommodated to the humane nature of Christ For First the humane nature of Christ is present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Son of God and the Substantiall word Personaliter personally the humanity being united unto the Deitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inconfusé 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inconvertibiliter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indivulsé 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inseparabiliter and therefore the humanity can never be separated from the Deitie Secondly the humane nature of Christ as it is present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Godhead is present with the blessed Saints and Angels in heaven Gloriose gloriously who without ceasing behold his glory which was given unto him by his Father Iohn 17.24 Thirdly the humane nature of Christ or his manhood is present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his Church Gratiosé graciously governing it and blessing the Ministery therof regenerating men by Baptisme feeding his Children in his Holy Supper with his body and blood hearing the prayers of the faithfull curbing their enemies and at length freeing them from all evill And this is the presence here promised Fourthly the humane nature which Christ assumed unto his divine is present with all creatures Vniversaliter universally creating them conserving them directing them unto a determinate end containing them within the bounds appointed and set by God and the like Is there not a Pleonasmus or redundance here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be there in the midst of them It seems that there is but yet indeed there is nothing lesse for this Phrase To be in the midst in the Hebrew phrase hath a double signification namely First to be present with some as is plain from these places Genes 23.6 Ezech. 1.1 Esa 52.11 which is repeated by S. Paul 2 Corin. 6.17 Separamini de medio eorum Be ye separated from the midst of them that is segregate your selves from them Now suppose this phrase To be in the midst had no other signification but this then there was indeed a Pleonasmus here and yet such a one as is ordinary and very Emphaticall thus the Grecians say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Etiam atque Etiam Again and again and therefore being the more Emphaticall it is not superfluous But we need not thus answer the question because there is another signification of these words viz. Secondly this phrase To be in the Midst as it signifies to be present with some so also to bee president amongst some or to be chief in an assembly Thus it is said God standeth in the congregation of the Gods and judgeth In medio Deorum in the midst or amongst the Gods For in Iudicial assemblies the place of a President is in the midst that he may both hear all and be heard by all Thus Christ is both present with and President amongst the faithfull assembled together in his name Verse 23 24 c. VERS 23 24. c. unto the end of the Chapter Therefore is the Kingdome of Heaven likened unto a certain King which would take account of his servants and when he had begun to reckon â—ne was brought unto him which ought him ten Thousand Talents c. Quest 1 What is the meaning of this Parable First the King here spoken of is God who is the Lord of all the world Answ 1 Secondly the servants here mentioned are we Answ 3 who are the Subjects of this King Thirdly the Talents which the Lord betrusted Answ 3 us withall and which prodigally we spent and wasted are the Image of God and those inherent graces which were given unto us in our first
is impossible by the two latter sorts of impossible things because it is contrary to the nature of a true body and includes contradictions as is proved clearely afterwards Chap. 26.26 Answ 5 Fifthly if these kindes of impossibilities be excepted wee may then say with the Angell That with God nothing is impossible Luke 1.37 or with the Lord of the Angells in this verse Though with men many things be impossible yet with God all things are possible for there is nothing that can be either spoken of or imagined which as not subject unto his power For the better understanding and confirming hereof observe that there are three causes onely why some effect cannot be accomplished by some agent none of which have place in God The causes are these I. The first is because there is no similitude betwixt the effect and the agent as there must needs be but what is there that hath not some resemblance with God If thou have a being it is like to God in being who is a most perfect being and therefore every thing that either is or may be is subject to his power II. The next cause why an agent cannot produce an effect may be because the effect is more excellent then that the agent can accomplish it therefore corporall substances cannot beget spirituall nor inferiour superiour But there is nothing more excellent then God who is excellencie it selfe III. The agent may want matter to worke vpon and can neither provide it of himselfe nor procure it from others But this can never hinder God who hath no need of matter for if it please him to use it he can create it of nothing And therefore it is as cleere as the light that all such things as in nature are and are not contrary to the nature of God are subject to his power Sixthly unto the place wee answer that Answ 6 CHRIST here sheweth That it is as impossible for a rich man that is high minded and trusteth in his riches to enter into heaven as for a Camell to passe through the eye of a needle but it is possible with GOD to give rich men humble and lowly minds and so make than fit for his Kingdome and also to make the Camell lesse and so draw him through the eye of a needle Seventhly the Consequence of the argument Answ 7 is not good they argue thus to GOD nothing is impossible and therefore he can make the body of CHRIST to be in many places at once Now wee know that A posse ad esse non valet consequentia Such a thing may be therefore such a thing shall bee or God can doe such a thing therefore hee will doe such a thing followes not neither is the question betweene us and the Papists concerning the power of God what he can doe but concerning his will what he doth or will doe Eightly it is not proved out of this place Answ 8 that God can or will draw the huge body of a Camell through a needle the Beast remaining still of that bignesse no more then it is possible for God to bring a proud rich arrogant man to Heaven his affections not being altered Now wee say that both these are impossible unto God not because he cannot in his absolute power doe them but because they are contrary to his will and ordinance For the one is against the law of Justice to bring a wicked man to Heaven and the other against the Law of nature to cause a great Camell to passe through a small needles eye Ninthly the thing aymed at in the Objection Answ 9 wee say is impossible It is impossible that God or his word should be false now the word saith that the â—ody of Christ shall remaine and abide in heaven untill the time of the restitution of all things Acts 3.21 And therefore it is impossible that now his body should be on earth ordinarily and in divers places at once as they teach But the impossibility and absurdity of transubstantiation is sufficiently illustrated afterwards Chap. 26.26 If the Reader would see how some things which wee have said are excepted against by Bellarmine let him read Willets synops pag. 609. and Scharp de sacra Caena Page 1463. Vers 28.29 VERS 28.29 And Iesus said unto them verely I say unto you that ye which have followed mee in the Regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye shall also sit vpon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israell And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Sect. 1 § 1. Yee which have followed mee in the Regeneration Concerning this head of Regeneration many necessary questions may be propounded and because they are necessary I will not balke them and because many I will not enlarge them all Quest 1 What is Regeneration Answ 1 It is a worke of God wrought by the word whereby hee infuseth the holy Spirit into the whole man for his owne glory and our salvation The severall branches of the Definition are these namely First Regeneration is the worke of God not the worke of man and hence they which are regenerated are called his workemanship Ephes 2.10 And the worke is appropriated unto him as the Author of it Iohn 13. and 3.6 and Ezech. 36.26 Secondly Regeneration is wrought by the meanes and ministery of the word Psalm 19.7 Iohn 15.3 and 1. Peter 1.23 and 2. Peter 1.5 And therefore if we would be regenerated we must attend carefully to the word as followes by and by Thirdly in Regeneration the Lord infuseth his Spirit into the whole man and worketh a true and holy change in all the parts of the soule Wisdom 12.11 and 1. Timoth. 1.7 Fourthly God workes Regeneration in the heart of his Saints both for his and their glory where we may observe that as there was a double aime and end in the Worker of Regeneration so there should be in those in whom it is wrought First the Person working the worke of Regeneration aimed therein I. At his owne glory Proverb 16.4 And II. At the good glory and eternall felicity of those whom he Regenerates Therefore Secondly the persons in whom the worke of Regeneration is wrought should aime I. Principally and above all to glorifie their God in their lives and conversations who hath done so great things for their soules 1. Corinth 10.31 And II. Next thereunto they must be chiefly carefull to worke out the worke of their salvation with feare and trembling Philip. 2.12 because nothing doth so nearely concerne them next unto Gods glory as the salvation of their soules By what steps or degrees doth the worke of Quest 2 Regeneration proceed Or what are the degrees of Regeneration First the Spirit of God and the Spirit of contrition Answ 1 doth shew us our sinnes that is not onely the guilt
righteousnesse and true holinesse will never repent him of that promise in a word he that turneth from sinne and whatsoever is evill and turneth unto God and whatsoever is good will never repent him of this his repentance and conversion But on the other side he who neglects to find out his sinnes and to sorrow for his sinnes and to confesse his sinnes and to hate his sinnes and neither purposeth to leave his sinnes nor promiseth to serve God but continues in sinne and disobedience against him will certainly repent him when it is too late of this his great neglect IV. We must remember the reward which is promised unto us and prepared for us if we truly repent notwithstanding the bitternesse and irkesomnesse thereof unto nature and flesh and bloud Now this reward is either First spirituall namely peace of Conscience and joy of the holy Ghost as Iohn 16.33 Philip. 4.7 Or Secondly eternall to wit everlasting life and perfect liberty and eternall glory Rom. 8.18 Now of this reward we have spoken amply before viz. Chapter 5.48 and 6.33 and 19.29 Answ 4 IV. Purgations become purgative Contrarietate by a certaine contrariety that is in them For Omne catharticum est natura contrarium every thing that purgeth is contrary to the nature of the Ventricle which receiveth the Potion And the reason hereof is Vt agat in naturam et non patiatur ab ea that so the purgation may worke upon nature and not be wrought upon by nature and according to the Physitians this is the difference betweene meat and medicine viz. First Alimentum Food received into the stomach is there Passive nature working upon it and disgesting and concocting it and dispersing the nourishment and moisture thereof into the severall parts of the body But Secondly Medicamentum Physicke received into the Ventricle is there active working upon nature and ejecting and sending forth what it meets withall Hence observe That there is a contrariety and strife betweene Obser the flesh and the Spirit Or he who desires that sinne may be purged out must expect conflicts within himselfe Read Rom. 8.6 7 12. and 1 Corinthians 2.14 Rom. 7.23 Galath 5.17 J enlarge not this because we have spoken something of this spirituall strife before Chap. 19.28 qu. 12. Answ 1. V. J might adde that potions become purgative Modo operandi by the manner of their working for a purgation performes a double worke namely First it attracts and drawes all the humours that are to be purged out into the Ventricle And so repentance brings all our sinnes into the conscience Then Secondly the purgation provokes and irritates the expulsive faculty of the Ventricle to expell Answ 5 and cast out all those obnoxious and hurtfull humours So repentance having once brought our sinnes into the Conscience doth further excite us to purge them out and to discharge the conscience of them which is overcharged with them And thus much may suffice for the first part namely Medicamentum purgans the Potion which purgeth Secondly the next part is Modus accipiendi the manner of the receiving of this purgation wherein we have three things to consider of to wit Quest 7 First Quid purgandum What is to be purged out Answ 1 I. Plethora an over-plus of good bloud or an abundance or fulnesse of good humours in the body this the Physitians call A furnisht man or Athletarum habitus but iste habitus periculosissimus Hippocr et Galen It is dangerous for a man so exceedingly to abound with good bloud or humours for Omne nimium vertitur in vitium the over-plus of good humours will turne into bad and upon the lest distemper or disorder such a mans health is much indangered This Plethora is Divitiae Riches to teach us Obser 5 That Divitiarum Plethora an abundance of riches is very dangerous a man thereby having fuell for every hellish fire that is if a man be rich he hath a ready supply for the satisfying of every ungodly lust If a rich man be tempted unto pride in apparell his money will procure him most rich roabes if unto drunkennesse or gluttony his money will buy him the most delicious meate and drinke that is to be had if unto revenge for his money he may have instruments of cruelty or suborne perjurers or avenge himselfe by suits if the rich man desire to know any secrets he hath a golden key which will open any locke and make a silent man speake if he be tempted to uncleannesse his riches perswade him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argenteis telis pugnare to fight with golden weapons and he shall overcome because Pecuniae obediunt omnia Golden Bullets will scale the strongest Fort. Now by these and the like animadversions we may easily see how dangerous abundance of riches is unto us if any would see it proved from Scripture let him read these places Matth. 13.22 and 1 Timoth. 6.9 Genes 19.32 Iohn 2.10 and Prov. 30.9.10 15. and 27.20 But we have spoken largely of this before Chap. 6.14 Answ 2 II. Obaesitas fatnesse and grossenesse is to be purged out or Obaesitas is a phlegmaticall and windy repletion which makes the body thicke and fat and such an one the Physitian cals A grosse or growne man This Obesitas is Ventositas honoris the windinesse of honour to teach us Obser 6 That ambition and a desire of honour is to be purged out and avoided because Honores mutant mores honours change manners and therefore the Prophet rightly cals it Locus lubricus a slippery place Psalm 73.17 Vt fumus petit coelum sed perit in aere As the smoake ascends and tends upwards as though it would top the Clouds and clime the Heavens but perisheth in the Ayre and vanisheth and commeth to nothing so the ambitious man strives to aspire higher and higher but at last with proud Lucifer is cast downe into Hell Is not honour good and if so why then is it to Quest 8 be purged out First honour in it selfe when it is conferred upon Answ 1 a man by God or by man for some worthinesse or good deserts is good but ambition and an ambitious desire of honour is not good Answ 2 Secondly J say not that honour is to be purged out but ambition and the ambitious desire of honour Yet Thirdly honour preferment and high places Answ 3 are dangerous baits and snares and therefore not to be desired but as perillous moderately and warily to be borne that is if honour be conferred upon any they must be carefull to behave themselves humbly and lowlily lest they be infected with the vices which attend upon those who are in honour Now those who are in honour are in a dangerous estate in a threefold regard viz. I. Facilitate peccandi in regard of their pronnesse unto sinne for such know that they are potent and can defend themselves and like Lycurgus his great Flies breake through the Law and escape from it as the Tribe of Dan
secundò et § Est igitur and there he shall see his exposition of these words This is my body according as we have laid them downe Sub speciebus est corpus meum under these accidents is my body His example is laid downe in the same place § Sed S. Thomas which for the Readers satisfaction I will set down Esset aptum exemplum si Dominus quandò mutavit aquam in vinum ostendisset hydrias aquae dixisset Hoc est vinum et illis verbis mutâsset aquam in vinum neque enim possumus ita exponere istam sententiam Hoc est vinum id est haec aqua est vinum id enim falsum esset neque ita Hoc id est vinum est vinum nam falsa fuisset demonstratio non enim aderat vinum cum diceretur Hoc sed hic est sensus Hoc est vinum id est in hoc vase est vinum That is that the meaning of these words This is my body is under these accidents is my body will appeare by this pregnant example If our Saviour when he changed the water into wine had shewed the pots of water and had said This is wine and with those words had changed water into wine yet we could neither expound this sentence This is wine thus that is this water is wine for this were false nor thus This that is This wine is wine for then the demonstration is false for it was not wine when he said this but the meaning is This is wine that is in this vessell is wine which every Novice knowes is as direct a Metonymy as if I should say to my friend my purse is at your command meaning the money in my purse And thus in his assertion he doth affirme these words This is my body to be proper and not figurative and in his exposition and illustration doth confirme them to be tropologicall and figurative And thus much for the answer to his assertion I come to his reasons Secondly the Cardinall looseth more then he Answ 2 gaines by his first reason for thereby though I thinke unawares he grants unto us that the precepts and rules in Scripture are set downe simply and plainly and therefore the Word cannot be so hard and obscure as he else-where would beare us in hand it is for if the precepts and rules of Faith be evidently in Scripture expressed as he here confesseth then what reason hath he to keepe backe the people from reading the Scripture which he labours with tooth and naile to doe Thirdly to his first reason I answer againe Answ 3 That it is false that the Scriptures use no figures nor tropes in the Declaration of the Lawes and Sacraments of the Church For St. Paul speaking of the Sacraments of the Jewes saith The Rocke was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 That is the Rocke signified Christ So verse 17. We that are many are one bread that is our spirituall unity and conjunction is represented in that we are partakers of one bread Fourthly to his second reason I answer that Answ 4 sometimes our Saviour did speake darkely being alone with his Apostles thereby to stirre them up more diligently to attend unto his words as when he biddeth them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees Mark 8.15 Yea this speech of our Saviours uttered in the hearing of the Apostles This is my body was neither so darke nor obscure that the Apostles need much be troubled about the understanding of them Nay many things being spoken in borrowed and Metaphoricall words are uttered with greater grace and carry a fuller sense When Christ said I am the doore Iohn 10.9 and I am the Vine Iohn 15.1 he spake by a figure as he doth here for neither was he a Vine nor a doore as the bread was not his body And yet which of the Apostles was there that understood him not when he called himselfe a Vine and a doore Neither could they doubt of our Saviour Christs meaning here Fifthly to his third reason I answer two things Answ 5 namely I. Other places of Scripture which must be understood in a figure as where CHRIST saith I am the doore the vine c. doe also insinuate how Christ is to be understood here II. If the Papists did beleeve the Article of Christs ascension aright as St. Peter doth Acts. 3.21 saying whom the heavens must containe untill c. they should not then containe him in earth under the formes of bread and wine who must yet be contained in heaven for if CHRIST could be contained in divers places at once the Angell had not reasoned soundly Matthew 28.6 He is not here for he is risen Object 5 Bellarmine lib. 3. de Euchar. Cap. 19. urgeth these words further for the proofe of Transsubstantiation thus Our Saviour saith This is my body which words doe signifie a substantiall not a figurative change onely of the bread into Christs bodie for otherwise the bread and the flesh of CHRIST being things of divers natures cannot be one pronounced or affirmed of another for bread is not flesh remaining in it owne nature Answ 1 First as one thing being of a divers nature cannot be pronounced of another unlesse there be some change so neither can the same thing be affirmed or predicated of it selfe as to say this substance is my body which is all one in their sense to say This is my body Answ 2 Secondly a figurative change is sufficient according to the phrase of Scripture though there be no materiall or substantiall mutation in this proposition This is my body that is this bread signifieth my body like as when Christ breathed upon his Apostles he said Receive yee the holy Ghost calling the very breath the Spirit which it signified and exhibited onely So the holy Ghost descending upon Christ in his Baptisme is called the Dove So then as the breath of Christ is the Spirit and the Dove the holy Ghost so is the bread Christs bodie that is in figure and signification and not in substantiall mutation Willet synop 615. Quest 21 Why may we not beleeve the Elements substantially changed or transubstantiated or what Reasons may be given against Transsubstantiation Answ 1 First the affirmation of Transsubstantiation doth overthrowe the distinction of the outward and inward action of the Communicant in the celebration of the Lords supper which distinction is warranted by Scripture and grounded vpon Scripture and therefore that Tenet is not to be maintained For the cleare understanding hereof observe that in the receiving of the blessed Sacrament we are to distinguish betweene the outward and inward action of the Communicant In the Outward with our bodily mouth we receive really the visible elements of Bread and Wine In the inward we doe by faith really receive the body and blood of our Lord that is to say we are truely and indeed made partakers of Christ crucified to the spirituall strengthning of the inward man Now this distinction betweene the
Sacrament and the thing whereof it is a Sacrament and consequently betweene the Sacramentall and Reall eating of the body of Christ is briefely and excellently expressed by St. Augustine in Ioh. 6. tract 26. in these words Hujus rei sacramentum de mensa Dominica sumitur quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium Res vero ipsa cujus sacramentum est omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium quicunque ejus particeps fuerit That is the Sacrament of the Lords supper is received by some unto life and by some unto death but whosoever is made partaker of that thing whereof it is a Sacrament is made partaker of life and not of death From hence we draw this conclusion The body and blood of Christ is received by all unto life and by none unto condemnation But that substance which is outwardly delivered in the Sacrament is not received by all unto life but by many unto condemnation Therefore that substance which is outwardly delivered in the Sacrament is not really the bodie and blood of Christ The Major is proved out of Augustines forenamed place and out of the true exposition of those verses of Iohn 6. viz. verses 27 33 35 48 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 58 63. The Minor is manifest both by common experience and the testimony of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.17 27 29. We may therefore conclude that the 6. of Iohn is so farre from giving any furtherance to the doctrine of the Romanists concerning Transsubstantiation that it utterly overthroweth their fond opinion who imagine the body and blood of CHRIST to be in such a sort present under the visible formes of bread and wine that who soever receiveth the one must of force also really be made partaker of the other And thus we see that both this distinction of the outward receiving of the signes and the inward receiving of the thing signified is grounded upon Scripture and also that it is overthrowne by this doctrine of Transubstantion every one by that doctrine being truely made partaker of the very flesh and blood of Christ and the bread the Lord whereof who so eates shall live for ever Iohn 6.50 c. And therefore this opinion as contrary to Scripture is to be detested Secondly this doctrine is to be rejected because Answ 2 the maintainers thereof are inforced to support and uphold it with Fabulous narrations and grosse untruthes As for example Paschasius Raabertus who was one of the first setters forward of this doctrine of Transsubstantiation in the West spendeth a whole Chapter to prove that the body and blood of Christ is in such a sort present under the visible formes of bread and wine that whosoever receiveth the one must of force also really be made partaker of the other Paschas de corp sang dom Cap. 14. And in the same place for the further confirmation hereof telleth us that Christ in the Sacrament did shew himselfe oftentimes in a visible shape but especially he insisteth upon a narration which he found In gestis Anglorum but deserved well for the goodnesse of it to be put into Gesta Romanorum of one Plegilus a Priest to whom an Angell shewed Christ in the forme of a child upon the Altar whom first the Priest tooke in his armes and kissed but ate him up afterwards when he was returned to his former shape of bread againe Such another story Iohannes Diaconus reporteth in the life of Gregory the first of a Romane Matron who found a peece of the Sacramentall bread turned into the fashion of a finger all bloody which afterwards upon the prayers of St. Gregory was converted to his former shape againe Jt is likewise credibly related and on their side faithfully beleeved and still is to be read in the Legend of Simeon Metaphrastes in the life of Arsenius how that a little child was seene vpon the Altar and an Angell cutting him into small peeces with a knife and receiving his blood into the Chalice as long as the Priest was breaking the bread into little parts Answ 3 Thirdly this corporall presence overturnes an Article of our faith For we beleeve that the body of Christ was made of the pure substance of the Virgin Mary and that but once namely when he was conceived by the holy Ghost and borne But this cannot stand if the body of CHRIST be made of bread and his blood of wine as they must needs be if there be no succession nor annihilation but a reall conversion of substances in the Sacrament unlesse we must beleeve contrarieties that his body was made of the substance of the Virgin and not of the Virgin made once and not once but often Answ 4 Fourthly this bodily presence overturnes the nature of a true bodie whose common nature or essentiall property it is to have length breadth and thicknesse which being taken away a body is no more a body And by reason of these three dimensions a body can occupy but one place at once as Aristotle de Categor quant said The property of a body is to be seated in some place so as a man may say where it is They therefore that hold the body of CHRIST to be in many places at once doe make it no body at all but rather a spirit and that infinite Answ 5 Fifthly Transsubstantiation overturnes the very supper of the Lord. For in every Sacrament there must be a signe a thing signified and a proportion or relation betweene them both Now Transsubstantiation takes away all for when the bread is really turned into Christs body and the wine into his blood then the signe is abolished and there remaines nothing but the outward formes or appearance of bread and wine And the signe being abolished the thing signified fals to the ground they being Relata Answ 6 Sixthly Christ in saying this is my body did demonstrate or shew something in sight for a thing absent and invisible cannot be demonstrated but Christs body which they imagine was hid under the formes was not seene Therefore it could not be shewed And consequently these words doe not signifie any substantiall change neither are to be taken properly and literally but figuratively and tropologically Seventhly as Christ saith here pointing to the Answ 7 bread This is my body so he saith Iohn 6.35 I am the bread of life but in this place he was not changed into bread why then in the other place should the bread be turned into his body for the speech is all one Answ 8 Eightly when Christ spake these words This is my body the bread was transsubstantiated before or after or the while these words were spoken Before they will not say for the elements were not then consecrated Nor after for then Christs words This is my body had not beene true in that instant when they were spoken Neither was the Transsubstantiation wrought in the while of speaking for then should it not have beene done all at once but successively and one
part after another as the words were spoken one after another But this is also contrary to the opinion of the Papists for they would have it done altogether Ninthly we may not credit this Tenet of Transsubstantiation Answ 9 because the holy Scriptures call the element bread still after the consecration 1 Cor. 10.17 and 11.26 27 28. Tenthly the judgement of the ancient Church Answ 10 doth oppose this Novelty of Transsubstantiation If the Reader would see how the Ancients expounded this phrase and how it appeares they held not this doctrine Let him reade Perkins reformed Catholike of the reall presence Pag. 196 197 198 And thus we have seene the reasons why we must not beleeve this fancie of Transsubstanâ—iation Doe any absurdities follow this doctrine Quest 22 This Tenet of Transsubstantiation doth bring along with it foure absurdities Answ namely First if the bread and wine should be turned into the body and blood of JESUS CHRIST there should be no signe in the supper and so there should be no Sacrament which cannot be without a visible signe Secondly if the bread and wine should be turned into the body and blood of Christ then the blood must needs be separated from the body which is absurd and impossible Thirdly if this doctrine of Transsubstantiation were true then it would follow that Christ should have a body infinite and by consequent he should not be true man nor truely ascended into heaven which would overthrow the principall Articles of our faith Fourthly if this opinion be true then it will follow that infidels and hypocrites comming to the Lords supper should truely participate the body and blood of Christ and so it must needs follow that God and the devill should be lodged together Many are the absurdities which follow Transsubstantiation which our adversaries wâ—pe easily off with telling us that they are not incongruities but Miracles For the proofe hereof observe That Iohan. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 6. Cap. 14. makes nine wonders in this Sacrament viz. First that Christs body is in the Eucharist in as large a quantity as he was upon the crosse and is now in heaven and yet exceeds not the quantity of the bread Secondly that in this sacrament there be accidents without a subject Thirdly that the bread is turned into the body of Christ and yet is not the matter of the body nor resolved to nothing Fourthly that the body increaseth not by consecration of many hosts neither is diminished by often receiving Fifthly that the body of Christ is under many consecrated hosts Sixthly that when the host is divided the body of Christ is not divided but under every part thereof is whole Christ Seventhly that when the Priest holds the host in his hand the body of Christ is not felt by him nor seene but onely the formes of the bread and wine Eighthly that when the formes of bread and wine cease the body and blood of Christ ceaseth also to be there Ninthly that the accidents of bread and wine have the same effects with the bread and wine it selfe which are to nourish and to fill Antoninus part 3. Tit. 13. Cap. 6. § 16 reckons up twelve Miracles and strange ones that are in this Sacrament and he hath them from Iohan. de sancto Geminiano in sâ—rmone quodam I conclude this question thus That on this manner it shall be easie for any man to defend the most absurd opinion that is or can be if he may have liberty to answer the arguments alleadged to the contrary by wonders and miracles Object 6 But they object here that God is Almighty and therefore nothing is unpossible unto him he can doe all these things which are above rehearsed and change bread and wine into the body and blood of CHRIST Answ 1 First true it is that God is Almightie but in this and like matters we must not dispute what God can doe but what he will Answ 2 Secondly because God is Omnipotent therefore there be some things which he cannot or rather will not doe as for him to deny himselfe to lye and to make the parts of a contradiction to be both true at the same time Thirdly if God should make the very body of Answ 3 CHRIST to be in many places at once he should make it to be no body while it remaines a body and to be circumscribed in some one place and not circumscribed because it is in many places at the same time yea he should make the very body of Christ to be visible in heaven and invisible in the Sacrament And thus should he make contradictions to be true which to doe is against his nature and argues rather impotencie then power vide August de symb ad Catech. lib. 1. Cap. 1. Object 7 They object againe CHRIST hath a glorified body and therefore he may be visible in heaven and invisible in many places at once upon earth Answ 1 First this argument is vaine because CHRIST had no such body when he instituted the Supper and said these words This is my bodie Answ 2 Secondly Christs glorification doth not any way diminish the nature of a true body And therefore it is said Acts. 3.21 That the heavens should containe him untill the day of judgement when he shall visibly descend as he was seene to ascend Quest 23 Is the Eucharist of necessity to be received of all men of discretion Answ Yea it is the Sacrament of Christs flesh whereby all men must be saved Reade verse 27. of this Chapter and Iohn 6.53 and 1 Cor. 10.17 As Baptisme is sometimes compared or resembled unto a begetting so the Lords Supper is to food and therefore as food is necessary for the body so is this Sacrament of the Lords body necessary for the soule Wherefore three sorts of people are much to blame namely First those who care not at all for comming to the Lords Supper Secondly those who will never come but at Easter Thirdly those wâ—o omit and forbeare comming either I. Because they are so taken up with worldly imployments that they have no leisure to fit and prepare themselves Or II. Because they are at Law with some or have beene injured by some whom they will not forgive but rather forbeare comming to the Lords Table How oft must we receive this Sacrament Quest 24 With an ordinary continuance Answ as oft as we can conveniently Act. 2.42 and 20.7 and 1 Cor. 11.25 This Sacrament must not be once celebrated as Baptisme is but often First because we are once borne but often fed and nourished SecoÌ„dly because as often as we worthily celebrate this Supper so often we honour our Christ And hence it was that the Ancients did celebrate this Sacrament every Lords day What is inwardly signified by these Elements Quest 25 of bread and wine Our communicating in the body and blood of Christ by faith Answ For First bread signifies the body of CHRIST Iohn 6.35 55. And in this verse he tooke the bread and
inst 4. 17. § 40. Here observe two things viz. First this state of grace in which we should be when we come to the Lords Table is diversely defined For I. The Papists say that it consists in Faith repentance and a confession of sinnes because it is necessary that he which comes to this holy Sacrament should confesse his sinnes to the Priest and be penitent for them and believe with a generall Faith the promises of the Gospell Concil Trid. II. We say that this state of grace in which we should labour to be doth consist in a hatred of all sinne in a resolution to leave all sinne and in a sure hope and confidence of mercy in and through CHRIST Secondly observe that Bellarmine here taxeth Calvin because he saith that men ought to come to the Lords Fable with a conscience of mortall sinne But we answer for Calvin thus That there is a double conscience of sinne I. A conscience accusing of some sinne which yet raignes in the heart without any confidence of remission that is when a mans conscience telleth him that the old leaven of sinne is not yet purged out but remaines and raignes in his mortall body neither hath any hope that the sinnes past are pardoned This is an evill conscience and it is dangerous for a man to come unto the Table of the Lord with such a conscience of sinne II. There is a blushing conscience for sinne which remaines within and presseth downe both in regard of the time present and by-past That is when a man blusheth and is ashamed both for his sinnes already committed and also for the reliques of sinne which remaine within him and strive and wrastle continually against him And this conscience of sinne Calvin requires in every one who approcheth unto the Supper of the Lord. II. Wee must examine our Faith and repentance by those markes and properties which were before shewed Quest 31. III. We must examine our desire of God and his holy Sacrament but of this we speake before in this same question answ 1. And thus much for our Preparation Who are to be held unworthy to partake of this Quest 35 Supper Or to whom is this Sacrament not to be given First it is not to be given to a Heathen or Answ 1 Gentile who is not baptized It is the Childrens bread and therefore must not be given to Dogs which are without the Church Secondly it is not to be given to those who are Answ 2 ignorant that is I. To those who are Infants aetate children in yeares And II. To those who are Jnfants eruditione et moribus children in manners and understanding for there are many babies of threescore yeares old who are as ignorant of the grounds and principles of Religion as children of three Both these sorts ought to be kept backe untill they be thorowly informed of the doctrine and nature of the Sacrament For Children and such ignorant ones as cannot discerne the Lords body are not to be admitted 1 Cor. 11.29 Answ 3 Thirdly this Sacrament is not to be communicated or given to notorious sinners whether I. Such as are justly excommunicated for giving some great and grievous scandall and offence unto the congregation wherein they live 1 Cor. 5.11 Or II. Those who publikely commit some haynous and enormious offences and repent them not of them for there are many such offenders who are not Excommunicated and yet because they are such offenders they are to be debarred from this sacred mystery Here observe that a signe is made enormious divers and sundry wayes viz. First Gravitate facti by the haynousnesse of the offence Thus Adultery drunkennesse murder swearing blasphemy treason and the like are enormious sinnes Secondly by a proud and obstinate defending of it as 1 Corinth 5.2 for the defending and maintaining of what is evill is a great aggravation of sinne and makes a little sinne a great one Thirdly sinne is made enormious by a negligent continuing therein And Fourthly by scandall and offence as 1 Corinthians 5.11 and 2 Samuel 12.14 Matthew 18.6 and 1. Corinthians 8.9 And therefore they who are given to grievous sinnes or who defend and justifie their sinnes or continue in their iniquities or give offence by their transgressions either to those within or without the Church are to be kept backe from the Sacrament untill they have shewed some repentance and amendment of life Fourthly this Sacrament is not to be given to a particular person as in private Masses because it is a Communion of Christians as was shewed before Quest 34 What doe they who are unworthy gaine by comming unto the Lords Supper Answ 1 First sometimes they gaine temporall punishment 1 Corinth 11.30 Answ 2 Secondly sometimes also eternall condemnation 1 Corinth 11.27 29. Quest 35 What is required in the administring or Minister of this Sacrament Answ 1 First he must administer true Elements and pure and good according to the institution 1 Corinthians 11.23 Answ 2 Secondly he must not separate the Elements that is give one and not another but administer to every Communicant both bread and wine Answ 3 Thirdly he must consecrate and blesse the Elements before he administer them and therefore if as it sometimes happens the wine faile which is first provided and a new supply of Wine is made by fetching more that is to be consecrated before it be administred 1 Corinth 10.16 Fourthly he must breake the bread Mark 14.22 Answ 4 Fifthly he must communicate it to a company Answ 5 and not to himselfe onely as in private Masses Is not preaching needfull and required in the Minister Quest 36 at the administration of this Sacrament First some answer here that it is not necessarily to Answ 1 the Sacrament required and they give two reasons for it namely I. Because it is not of the essence of the Sacrament neither is once mentioned in the Evangelists or in 1 Corinth 10. or 11. II. Because there is no commandement given any where to use it Secondly J answer that it is very usefull Answ 2 Ad bene esse and profitable for our preparation and instruction Thirdly there are many weighty causes why Answ 3 this Sacrament should be celebrated with Preaching or why preaching should be adjoyned to the administration thereof And that both I. That we may be instructed in the nature of the Sacrament and learne to discerne the Lords body and to make a difference betweene comming unto the Lords Table and our owne and of taking those Elements and our owne repast at home which too many doe not for want of instruction And II. That we might be admonished to prepare our selves to come unto the Lords Supper with reuerence And III. That by preaching our hearts might be the better excited both First for the expectation of the promises which are made in the Gospell to the worthy receiver And also Secondly for the performing of the Promises Articles and Covenants which we make unto God in the Sacrament And