to all her Children by the meanes of Pastors and Teachers which the Apostle delivers unto us Ephes 4. 11. where he saith When hee ascended up on high bee led captivitie captive hee gave gifts unto Men c. He therefore gave some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the Body of Christ that henceforth we be not Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive For the first it doth keepe and preserve the Tables of Truth in three respects 1. It keepes the letters of the Scripture 2. The true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes 3. The Authoritie of the Scriptures First It keepes the letters of the Scriptures for the Scripture is the chiefest rich Iewell and Treasure that Christ hath left his people therefore it hath beene the care of the Church the Spouse to preserve and keepe the Scripture as the chiefest Iewell and Treasure left of her husband Christ we see in experience if a man leave a Iewell or some other treasure with his wife when he goes into a farre countrie she will be carefull to keepe it till he come home againe shee will locke it up or lay it in some Boxe or Chest so because the Scripture is a rich Iewell left unto the Church by her Husband Christ therefore there can be no doubt but the Church was carefull at all times to preserve and keepe it to this purpose Exod. 25. 16. The Lord commanded Moses to make an Arke of Shittim wood to put the Tables of the Covenant in that is the written Law of God and why should they put it into an Arke or Chest of Cedar But because it is the durablest wood which will not rot to teach us that the Lord would have the Scriptures preserved therefore S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 4. That the Lord hath of trust committed the Oracles of Truth unto the Iewes which were the Church of God so that it is the dutie of the Church to preserve and keepe them None hath done it but the Church which hath not failed in any point If a tender mother should have a spring that she and her Children live by to drinke of how carefull would she be to kepe it from all annoyances so because the Scripture is as a Spring that the Church lives by and drinkes of she and her children Therefore there can be no question but that the Church hath beene carefull to keepe it from all annoyances It hath beene an opinion of the Papists that the Scripture was corrupted by the Iewes in the Originall Text but if this opinion were true it were enough to bring in Atheisme and all prophanenes for no body can deny but if that the letters of the Scripture were corrupted in the Originall then that which is translated cannot be right Here then to confute this opinion of the Papists which is enough to bring in flat Atheisme and superstition I will shew you divers arguments and reasons to proove that the Scripture hath not beene corrupted which because it is a point of learning and a high one therefore as God when he gave the Law to the People came downe upon the Mount as low as might bee to deliver it to them so I will come downe as low as I can to make it plaine to your Capacities who heare me The first Is drawne by comparison from a King There is no King that would suffer his Statute lawes to be corrupted in the fundimentall Points and his publike Records if hee could helpe it but God is our King and the Scripture is the Statute-Law of God and his publike Records whereby he makes his Will knowne to Men and governes them and therefore can we thinke that the Lord will suffer any to corrupt it seeing he hath Power in his hand to help it unlesse we thinke that God hath lesse care than an earthly king would have of his lawes Iosephus reports and also Eusebius of a certaine Poet that tooke upon him to apply a Holy sentence to a wrong end who was stricken with blindnesse till he made confession of his fault And of another that tooke a peece of Scripture to make a jest of it who was taken with a phreneticall madnesse and hardly ever recovered againe Now therefore if God doe punish those that do prophane the Scripture then how much more will he punish them that doe corrupt it seeing God hath set this seale to it This God makes good Revel 22. 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this book If any Man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any Man shall take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life therefore who durst meddle to corrupt it The second reason is drawen from the Promise of Christ in Matth. 5. 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth perish one jot or one title of the Law shall not escape till all things be fulfilled now by the law he meanes the written Law of God here we have the promise of Christ that as long as Heaven and Earth indures there is not one jot or title of the Law that shall be corrupted The third is taken from the continuall practise of the Prophets Apostles and of Christ himselfe that still send the People of God to the Scriptures as the most sincere Iudges as Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. and Christ Iohn 5. 39. saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to have Eternall Life they are they which testifie of me So wee see that Christ the Prophets and Apostles call us to the Scriptures as to the sincerest Iudge Now if the scriptures had beene corrupted and depraved they would not have sent us to them for there is no man that will send his servant to sea but hee will tell him the danger of it and of the Shelves Rockes and Sands and where they be that so hee may avoyde them so if the Scriptures had beene corrupted Christ the Prophets and the Apostles would not have sent us to the Scriptures but would have told us where the Rockes and Shelves and where the dangers had beene nay if Christ had knowne the Scriptures had beene corrupted he would have made it knowne or if
speaketh it will beleeve The common faith of the world is not so for they beleeve God in one thing and not in another they beleeve God in his promises and not in his threatnings in his mercy but not in his judgement they beleeve God in one commandement and not in another therefore this is not the true faith that the Scripture speakes of for all the parts of true faith be so joyned and knit together that if wee take away one wee destroy all even as it is in a stone wall take away one part and the rest falls and even so take away one part of true faith and yee destroy all and as one cracke in a bell spoyles the sound of a bell even so one part of our faith being taken away destroyes our faith To this effect Gal. 1. 6. The Apostle saith I marvell yee are so soone turned to another Gospell they missing one point of faith he shewes they destroyed all If any man object and say How can that be that a man failing in one point of faith should faile in all Wee see Abraham beleeved God in one thing and not in another I answere wee are to consider two things First what he beleeved and what hee beleeved not all points be not of one consequence some bee of greater moment and some of lesse for as Aquinas saith some points bee the grounds of faith and those bee of greatest weight and moment and there bee some that bee in relation to others so many things in the story of the Bible bee most directed to faith as grounds and some be in relation to others to helpe and further it now Abraham doubted not of any maine point of faith but hee doubts of the lesse hee beleeves God for saving of his soule that God for Christs sake would save that but hee doubts of this that God would not give him a child so hee doubts not of the maine matter but of the lesser a man may beleeve God in the maine beleeve God for the saving of his soule and doubt of the lesser this doth not destroy true faith Even as a man comming to a shelfe where be a number of dishes a man may take away one and the rest may stand but if hee take away the shelfe all the dishes fall downe even so it is in faith take away one point which is in relation to another all the rest will stand but take away that which is the ground and beareth up all of them and then all the rest fall Now the causes of this defect are First because they beleeve it not not out of any distrussfulnesse of God as the children of Israel said in the Psal Can God prepare a table c. And as the Prince wee read of in the second booke of the Kings that doubted of the power of God but it ariseth for want of light that they doe not see it to bee so or because they have not beene as yet taught it out of the word of God The second defect is for want of strength for although hee sees it to bee a truth yet hee cannot beleeve it but is carried away with the sway and swinge of Nature against his judgement that hee is faint to strive and struggle against it This is the maine difference betweene the people of God and the world for although they beleeve not some particular thing yet they strive to beleeve even as the man in the Gospell said Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe But the world doth not so for they doubt and doe not beleeve many particular things and yet they doe not strive against their unbeleefe and therefore if we doe not find it so in ourselves that there is not a striving to beleeve it is no true faith for true faith doth beleeve God in the maine matters it doth beleeve that God will give them Christ and yet many times they doubt of health it beleeves Christ will give them heaven and through weaknesse doubts that God will not give them seasonable weather and yet there is a striving to beleeve all The second thing that wee are to observe in saving faith is That it makes use unto it selfe of the word of God and not in generall but it applieth every promise of God made for our good As Eliphas saith to Iob take this and take to thy selfe so true faith beleeve this and beleeve it for thy selfe so that it doth not beleeve in generall but it makes use and applies every promise of God made home and to say with David I have respect unto all thy Commandements Herein true faith differeth from the faith of the world whosoever beleeveth the word of God in generall and yet cannot apply it to themselves may bee compared to the Apothecary which giveth others Physicke but doth not take it himselfe whereas true faith applies the promises of God for its owne good this is a justifying faith The third thing in true saving faith is that as it applies all the promises of God to it selfe so espicially it applies and takes hold of the great promises made unto us in Christ wherein wee stand perswaded of our redemption by the blood of Christ Even as a man being carried away in a great streame looketh up and espying a great tree hang over him takes hold of it and saveth himselfe from drowning so when a man is carried away in the streame of corruption and lookes up by the eye of faith hee espieth Christ like a tree hang over him takes hold of him and by this meanes hee saveth himselfe when thousands of others perish It is true indeed that true faith looketh to the whole word of God it beleeveth the threatnings and the promises of God as in Heb. 11. That by the same faith that Noah beleeved God for the saving of his soule by the same hee beleeved God for the saving of his bodie by an Arke and so likewise Abraham by the same faith hee beleeved that God would give him heaven by the same faith hee beleeved that God would keepe him in a strange countrey so Moses by the same faith that hee beleeved that God would preserve him from hell by the sanie faith hee beleeved that God would preserve him from the wrath of Pharaoh Yet in the matters of our salvation true faith lookes at Christ onely and at the promises made unto us in him even as the people of Israel that were stung with the firie serpents with the same eye wherewith they looked on Moses Aaron on the people and on their tents with the same eye they looked on the brasen serpent which was it that hoâ—pe them so it is in true saith it lookes to all the promises of God made unto us and yet in the matters of salvation it must bee the great promise made unto us in Christ that must save us which true faith lookes at All the hope we have of heaven hangs on faith and lest we should be
directed to keep thy Statutes I cannot do as I would but would to God my heart were directed to keepe thy Statutes David had no strength to doe as he would but he desires it above his strength so should we Secondly The manner how Christ did appeare to her He shewed himselfe strange a long time and held her in suspence and yet Mary sought for Christ and sought for him when others gave over with teares which may teach us that many a good Christian may seeke for Christ with teares that is in truth of affection and yet not presently finde him they may seeke long and attend upon the meanes but as Christ did appeare to Mary so in due time thou shalt see him to thy comfort Now there were two causes why Christ did not appeare to Mary nor shew himselfe to her presently First through her owne default for when Christ appeared to her shee thought it had beene the Gardiner Hee did not appeare in such a forme but Marie thought so she did so sorrow and mourn for Christ that though he were before her she could not see him it was through her owne default so God many times gives comfort to us when through our owne default we see not the comfort that is before us through the sorrow and griefe wee sustaine but refuse it when it is offered and this is the cause why it is so longâ—ere some can receive comfort As Psal 77. David saith My soule refused comfort so it is with Christians many times God offereth comfort to them and they refuse it this is the estate of the best so likewise Christ appeared to the World when through their owne default they could not see him through the blindnesse and ignorance that remained in them even to this day they see not though hee speakes unto them day by day they have not the eyes of Faith to see him This is the estate of the World though God speakes unto them they know it not they thinke it is the Gardiner they thinke it is the voyce of a Man and not of God but the true Church of Christ knowes when Christ is speaking unto her It is the voyce of my welbeloved so Christ no sooner speakes but they know it but the greatest part of the world doe not so though hee speakes unto them from day to day Christ appeares unto them and through their owne default they doe not see him The second cause was Through a speciall dispensation that shee might the more repent of her sinnes and make a triall of her faith to make the present more comfortable as Ioseph made himselfe strange to his brethren a long time and afterward did reveale himselfe unto them so though Christ make himselfe strange and hold us in suspence for a time it is because hee would have our faith tried and because wee might have the greater comfort when we finde him Now though he held himselfe a long time in suspence yet Christ did discover himselfe by a word for he saith Marie and she turned about and said Rabboni Master so it was but a word of Christ that gave comfort he can doe it by a word hee can make all our discomforts to cease and give comfort with a word Thus wee see Matth. 8. that the Centurion said to Christ Doe but speake the word and thy servant shall be whole If Christ doe but speake a word his wisedome is to lay hold on that word which must teach us that wee must catch hold on every little word of Christ I have shewed you heretofore that it is the nature of the Vine to catch hold on every little sticke or on every little thing with his twigs to lift up himselfe so a Christian must lay hold on every little word of Christ to help him by But it is a pittifull thing that one word of Christ will not serve nor all the words of Christ nor the mercies nor the judgements of God to turne us to him as Marie catched hold on every little word so it must bee our wisedome to lay hold on the least word that may bring us to Christ From hence two things are to be considered First That true faith doth lay hold on every little word of Christ It is like the Vine that layeth hold on every little sticke and post with his keyes and clanvers to lift up himselfe so true faith will lay hold on every little means to lift up it selfe if it be but a word it will lay hold on it as wee see Iohn 2. Christ saith to his mother Marie Woman my houre is not yet come she layes hold on this word of Christ and saith to the servants whatsoever hee bids you doe that doe you and you shall not want wine so Matth. 15. It was but a word that Christ spake to the woman of Canaan and a sowre word too yet the poore woman catches hold of it so in the booke of Kings when Benhadads servants came unto the king they catched hold on every word thus where there is true faith it will lay hold on every little word of Christ therefore when men cannot catch hold on one word of Christ nor all the words of Christ this doth shew the dulnesse and deadnesse of mens hearts It is said Ionah 2. They which follow lying vanities forsake their owne mercies and there is great mercie offered in the Word in the preaching of the Gospell but they which despise and refuse it despise and forsake this great mercy that is offered unto them The second thing is The infinite comfort that a Christian hath after hee findes Christ Heaven and Earth cannot give that comfort that a Christian hath after he hath found him Therefore although it cost a man sore travell and labour and a great deale of paines yet hee thinkes his labour well bestowed if he can finde him at last so we see in Marie that she sought Christ and sought him with teares and yet when she had found him how joyfull was she saying Rabboni Master thou art the man I sought for thou thou art he I did long for so Ioh. 1. 41. Andrew saith to Simon Peter we have found the Messias and the wise men Matth. 2. when they had found Christ they rejoyced exceedingly therefore whatsoever paines a Christian takes to seeke Christ if once hee have found him the World cannot make him so glad he thinkes all his paines and labours well bestowed If a man finde a bag of gold how glad will he be but all the gold in the World is not like to it the Apostle counteth all things dung and drosse in regard of it It is like the pearle that the Merchant went and sold all that he had to buy the field where the Pearle was Thirdly the end why Christ did Manifest himselfe to Marie was twofold 1. By information and instruction to informe her selfe 2. To Comfort his Disciples First these words touch
hosts O how shall men quake and tremble and how terrible will that day be To illustrate this unto you and presse it home to your consciences give me leave to relate a story the truth whereof is not to the purpose to enquire for the morall is that which I intend and you may make profitable use of and this it is There was a certaine king that did weepe and was heavie and sad which when his brother saw he asked him why he was so heavie and sad Saith hee because I have judged others and now I must bee judged my selfe Why saith his brother art thou so heavie and sad for this it will be a long time ere that day come and besides that it is but a slight matter the king said little to it for the present now it was the order in that country when any man had committed any treason there was a Trumpet sounded at his doore in the night time and he was brought out the next day to bee executed now the king commanded a Trumpet to bee sounded at his brothers doore in the night time who waking out of his sleepe when hee heard it arose and came quaking and trembling to the king How now saith the king what is the matter you quake and tremble and are so afraid I am attached of treason answers he and I shall be executed the next morning why saith the king to him againe art thou so afraid and dost thou so tremble at that knowing that thou shalt bee judged by thy brother and for a matter that thy conscience tells thee thou art cleare of how much more therefore may I be affraid seeing that God shall judge me and not in a matter that my conscience frees me in but of that which I am guilty of and besides this if the worst come it is but a temporary death that thou shouldest dye but the death I am subject to is eternall both of body and soule Hereby wee may see what terrour will bee to a guilty conscience that hath not repented of his sinnes how dreadfull will that day bee when the bookes shall bee opened and all the thoughts words and works of every man shall be manifested as well the secretest lusts of the heart-adultery as the shamelesse blasphemies of open profanenes aswel the private corruptions of bribed justice as the publike gratings of heard-hearted oppression then neither poverty nor riches neither meanenesse nor honour no state or condition shall free us all must appeare and answere for themselves But what shall we doe in this case may some man say I answer we must doe as Iaakob did when his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men Genes 34. I will pacifie his wrath with a present if I have found grace in thy sight then receive my gift so when wee know that God is comming our against us not with foure hundred men but with thousand thousands of his Angels we must doe as Iaakob did say I will give him a gift I will pacifie his wrath with a present that so I may finde favour in his sight to compose the matter with him before that great and terrible day come Now the next thing that shall be at the day of judgement is the assembling and gathering together of all men at that day so that which we heare now with our eares wee shall see then with our eyes for the Angels shall gather together God elect from the one end of heaven to the other so the words of Christ be In which gathering together of the elect wee observe three things 1. What they be that shall be gathered 2. By whom they shall be gathered 3. To whom they shall be gathered First who they bee that shall be gathered Gods elect as the text sheweth now it is out of all question that not onely Gods elect shall be gathered but the wicked also which Christ shewes in two parables first of the tares Matth. 13. 41. for as the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world saith our Saviour The Sonne of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and then vers 44. in the parable of the draw-net that is cast into the Sea and gathereth of all kinde of fishes which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast away the bad so the wicked shall bee gathered too I but seeing the wicked shall bee gathered aswell as the godly why is it said that the Angels shall gather together the elect onely I answer to shew the tender care that Christ hath of the elect that he would not have so much as a little bone lost or a finger or a toe or a haire of their heads such a tender care hath he of them as David gave a charge to his Captaines 2 Sam. 18. 5. concerning Absalom If you meet with the young man intreat him kindly for my sake such a charge Christ shall give to his Angels intreat the elect well for my sake have a tender care of them that there be not one of them wanting Now what is the reason that Christ hath such a tender care of the elect I answer because they be his mysticall members and he will bee compleat in all his members therefore if we be of hsi elect there shall not a bone or a finger or a little toe nor so much as the haire of their heads bee wanting such a tender care God hath of his elect but the wicked they shall be hurried and haled to the barre as theeves villaines and traytors when the other shall bee brought tenderly by the hands of Angels Therefore seeing there shall be such an assembly of all men both good and bad at that day how great should our care bee to provide our selves against that dreadfull appearance O man whoever thou art doe but consider with thy selfe and thinke what a number of men there have beene of the Romans since it was Rome what a number of men there have beene in England since it was inhabited or in France and so of all other Countries and then thinke of all the men that have beene in all ages and at all times from the beginning of the world to the latter end and that all these shall bee gathered together before Christ and then how canst thou chuse but bee carefull how thou passe thy daies heere that thou may'st stand with comfort before Christ in such an assembly David saith Psalm 1. the wicked shall not stand in the Iudgement if a man be a wicked man though he be a king or a lord or a kinght or whatsoever he be hee shall not bee able to hold up his head in judgement but the godly man though he be a poore man he shall lift up his head with comfort whereas there is never a man that is wicked which shall
kingdome Secondly All our good workes shall bee remembred and rewarded at the day of judgement and Christ will make rehearsall of them there is never a good deed we have done but it shall be remembred and rewarded so that our labour shall not bee in vaine as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. ult so Revel 20. 12. it is said And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes So the Lord hath all the good deeds of his servants written in a booke which shall bee remembred reported and rewarded therefore what a comfort is this to a poor Christian that in the hearing of all the world all his good deeds shall be reported how many painefull Iourneyes they have taken to heare the Word how many houres they have spent in prayer how many teares they have wept for sinne that they have entertained the Saints that they have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke what a great inticement this is to doe good to thinke what honor it is that all their good deeds shall be remembred and rewarded Matth. 26. 15. Christ saith of the woman when she had powred the ointment on him that this which shee had done should bee spoken of her wheresoever this Gospell shall bee preached for a memoriall of her But what is the speech of men to the speech of Christ the praise of men to the praise of Christ when hee shall stand out and make a report of all our good deeds wee have done therefore what a comfort will this be I but have not the people of God sinne I answer they have their sinnes and their great sinnes too even the best men that be but here is the comfort when the day of judgment commeth they shall not bee remembred but pardoned and carried on the shoulders and necke of Christ and our good deeds onely shall be remembred As Esay 33. ult it is said The people that dwell therein shall have their iniquity forgiven So Ieremie 31. 33 34. saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with them and I will write my lawes in their hearts and I will bee their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the greatest to the least saith the Lord and I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Here is the comfort of Christians that all their sinnes shall be forgotten onely their vertues shall be remembred Exodus 34. Moses put a veile on his face that the children of Israel should not see the glory of it but Christ hath hanged a veile over our sinnes that they should not be seene even his holinesse and sanctifie that the world should not see nor behold them for they are all pardoned remitted and covered with the Robe of his righteousnesse Thirdly the judgement which shall passe upon us shall bee according to the workes of mercie and not only workes of mercie but all other good workes shall have a reward as Malach. 3. 16. it is said Then spake they that feared God every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God and thought upon his Name So there was a booke written of all the good deeds of them that did feare God and so Matth. 5. 11 12. saith our Saviour Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Names sake falsly Rejoyce and bee glad for great is your reward in Heaven as also Matth. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my Father which is in Heaven So then wee see all our good workes shall be rewarded But why doth Christ mention onely workes of mercie I answere there be two reasons of it First because the Lord doth not accept of any worke we doe of hearing of the Word of praying nor of any other good dutie we doe if wee doe not shew mercie and compassion to our brethren As 1 Cor. 13. 3. And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I give my body that it bee burnt and have not love it profiteth me nothing and Esay 1. 14. saith God My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed Feasts they are a burthen to me I am wearie of bearing them and the reason was because they did not shew compassion to their brethren as may be gathered out of the 15. verse In like manner the Prophet bringeth in the people expostulating with God and he answering them Esay 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seeft not wherefore have we punished our selves and thou regardest is not c Is not this the fasting that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heavie burthens is let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke verse 6 7. Is it not to breake thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander unto thy house and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh and therefore wee may assure our selves the Lord will accept of none of our workes without we be mercifull to our brethren Secondly because as it is Hos 6. 6. The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice when both may stand together then God will have both But if they cannot he will have mercy shewed hee had rather lose his owne part than a poore man should lose his So the command is Heb. 13. 16. But to doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Such is the tendernesse of God that hee is contented to abate of his owne service rather than man should want of his comfort As Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Hence we see though it be a great dutie that we owe to God yet for mans good hee will bee contented to stay for his owne service Philosophers say that the fire which is farthest remooved is the hottest and most vehement so it is in love that love which is furthest remooved from God is the hottest and the most vehement love of all other It is an easie matter to love God in himselfe O but for a man to love God in his poore distressed members to love him in his poore Saints and People this is the hottest
he had seene that in time to come they would have beene therefore this practise of Christ the Prophets and Apostles in sending them to the Scriptures shewes that they were not corrupted nor depraved The fourth reason is drawne from the circumstance of time which both Saint Ierome and Bellarmine doe approve of that if the Scriptures were corrupted by the Iewes it was either before Christs time or soone after his time if it had beene corrupted before his time as hee did reproove other corruptions hee would have reprooved this also but he did not reproove this and therefore it was not corrupted before his time againe it was not after his time for as Augustine saith the Iewish Church indured but a while after his time and then it did diffuse it selfe into all the world then though the Iewes might have corrupted the bookes that were in their owne hands yet they could not corrupt all the bookes that were in so many sundry hands scattered all the world over and therefore it was impossible for the Iewes to corrupt any Philo and Iosephus report that the Iewes lived two thousand yeeres under the Law when there was not one word corrupted nay they say that the the Iewes would suffer a hundred deaths before they would have corrupted any one word So then this reason stands good that it was not corrupted before Christs time nor after his time and therefore it is not corrupted in the Originall The fifth reason is taken from the Iudgement of the learned saith Saint Ierome if wee make any doubt of any question in our Bibles we straight runne to bee resolved of it in the Originall tongue if it bee in the new Testament we goe to the Greeke if it be in the Old Testament we goe to the Hebrew likewise Saint Augustine saith if any man make any doubt or question of this or that in the Scripture by and by wee goe to the Hebrew Bible to cleere our controversie as to the Canon law Hence we conclude by these reasons that the Church hath preserved the letter of the Scripture without any corruption Whereof we should make that use that Paul teacheth 2 Cor 6. 1. Wee as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vaine so then it is a grace and a great grace that the Lord hath preserved the Scripture without any corruption in the Hebrew text therefore I beseech you that you would not receive this grace of God in vaine but labour to grow in knowledge and to nourish thy faith to increase the graces of his Spirit to the weakening of thy sinnes and corruptions Now here may a question be made indeed the Lord hath preserved the Scripture in the Originall tongue without any corruption but in the Latine and other tongues they have beene corrupted and therefore what is this to us we cannot understand Hebrew Againe there was a Popish priests who said that wee have no faith because wee have not the Word of God for faith is grounded on the Word of God but the Word of God saith he was written in Hebrew and in Greeke which translated into an other tongue is not the Word of God how then shall we in this case know it to be the Word of God To this I answer that the Lord doth by us as Ioseph did by his brethren Gen. 42. 12. first hee spake unto them by an interpreter and afterwards by his owne mouth so the Lord doth speake unto us by the mouth of his servants and afterwards by his owne as we know the king makes a proclamation of his will to his subjects in English which when it commeth into Wales where they cannot understand it by one of the kings subjects is taken and translated into Welch wherein it differeth not a haire from the other so it pleased God to proclaime his will to his servants in the Hebrew and the Greeke tongue at first after which they were translated into all tongues by his servants so that there is not a haire difference betweene them in substance I but how shall wee know they bee rightly translated Hereto I answer first out of Chrysostome that we need not doubt but whatsoever is needfull to salvation is set downe plainely and cleerely in the Scriptures and Augustine adds that all those places in the Scriptures which speake of Faith and good manners bee plaine and easie therefore in plaine and easie places the interpreters could not be deceived Secondly a man may know it is the Word of God in our tongue by the same meanes they may know it in Hebrew and that is by the purity sincerity majestie and the power thereof to worke on the soules and consciences of men Therefore when a Christian shall feele and see the power of it worke on mens consciences and soules with the same purity and majesty they may safely say It is God speakes and not man It is the voyce of my welbeloved that speaketh as it is in the Canticles if one put pretious water into a glasse and after put it into an earthen vessell by the taste and vertue of it he may know it to be the same water that it was in the glasse so we may know the Word of God which is in Hebrew and Greeke to be the same in our tongue by the vertue purity sincerity and power thereof therefore the Popish priests opinion is but a tricke of wit and scant that I but there are some differences in the translations I answer first they differ not in sense but in words and termes for the Scripture containes such high wisedome as no one man is able to expresse it therefore the divers translators goe as neere as they can to expresse it some in one thing and some in an other and all to make knowne the wisedome of God to us so that it cannot be denied but that the difference of translations is a great helpe to expound the Scriptures Secondly I answer that where there is any difference it is not in the substance or any materiall point but it is in genealogies and yeares and where any doe finde these differences they may bee satisfied in it by the helpe of their pastours and teachers to instance a few Matth. 1. 11. in the ordinary Bibles there is next unto Iosias Iakim which in the new translation is left out now if any man would know which of these are the better let him looke into the 17. vers where hee may see that all the Generations from Abraham to David are fourteene all betweene David and the captivitie fourteene and from the captivitie to Christs time are fourteene now looke into your ordinary Bibles where are fifteene generations betweene David and the captivitie therefore the new translation is the better so Exod. 3. 19. in the ordinary Bibles it is thus read And I know that the king of Egypt will not
let you goe but by strong hand the new translation hath it And the king of Egypt will not let you goe no not by a strong hand now how may a man know which is the better I answer hee may know it although he have no other helpe than his owne let him looke into Exod. 6. 1. there the Lord saith to Moses now shalt thou see what I will doe to Pharoah for by a strong hand shall be let them goe so herein the ordinary Bibles are the better from these wee inferre a wise Christian may helpe himselfe by the helpe of his minister in any doubt about the difference of texts of Scripture and to shut up all in a word it is plaine and manifest by these premises that the true Church throughout all ages hath preserved the letter and text of the Scripture from all annoiances taint of corruption or the least soile that may bee The use hereof is First seeing it hath beene the care of the Church in all times to preserve the letter of Scriptures therefore it must be every mans care to read it be acquainted with it and to meditate therein so to profit by it as Ioh. 5. 39. Christ counsels us Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life they are they which testifie of me so 2 Tim. 3. 15. Timothie was commended for that he had knowne the Scriptures of a Childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation in like manner wee must know the Scriptures and be acquainted with them to make us truely wise Augustine saith well to this purpose that the two testaments are the two breasts of the Church that every Christian man must sucke to draw spirituall nourishment from that he may live eternally by it and another learned man saith that the holy Scripture is an Epistle sent from the Creator to the creature if an earthly king should send us a letter what would we let it lye by us would we not bestow some time to read meditate of it and bee acquainted with it to know what were the kings will with us so saith he the holy Scripture is the letter and Epistle of Almighty God let us labour to bee acquainted with it bestow some time to read it and meditate therein another learned man saith Now the Paradise of God is in this world the bookes of the Scriptures are the trees of Life whereof no man is forbidden to eate therefore it must be our care to heare the Scriptures read and to reade them our selves meditate in them and tell the good things that wee learne from thence one to another Secondly seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the Scripture it must bee our care not onely to reade and to meditate in it but also to beleeve it and to put it in practice as Psal 124. David did where hee saith by the words of thy lips I kept mee from the pathes of the cruell man and againe Psal 119. 11. I have hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee See wee must learne by the Scriptures to put it in practice to sanctifie us in our wayes to keep us from sinning against God and to direct us in all the things wee take in hand this fruit and benefit wee must draw out from it saith Christ to the Iewes I will not accuse you but there is one will accuse you even Moses in whom yee trust How shall Moses accuse them not in his person but by his Bookes and Doctrine for that they did not beleeve nor practise but neglect the things that were commended to them therein so Moses shall accuse them and draw such a fearefull bill against them as they shall not bee able to answer so wee that bee your Pastours and teachers wee doe not accuse you but Moses Paul and Peter doth accuse you and will write such a fearefull bill of indictment against you as you shall not bee able to answere Therefore labour yee to repent of your sinnes to make conscience of your wayes to put in practice the good things that have beene taught you that so there bee not framed a fearfull bill of indictment against you which yee shall not bee able to answer especially remember it at this time to make use of it seeing yee see by evident tokens that God is displeased with us doe not thinke that time will weare it out but search into your hearts and into your lives to see what is amisse repent of your sinnes and turne to God that he may turne away this fearefull judgment that is come upon this land Oh my good brethren let us not passe away these things and make no accompt of them but let us labour to put them in practise seeing wee know them lest there bee such a fearefull bill of indictment framed against us as wee shall not be able to answer SERMON LXV 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth WEE heard the last day that the Church hath three wayes preserved the tables of truth First in preserving the Letter of the Scripture which I then dispatched Secondly in preserving the Canon of the Scripture I meane the true number of Canonicall Books Thirdly in preserving the Authoritie of the Scriptures Wee come now to the next Point which is that the Church hath preserved the true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes without adding or diminishing Canonicall Scripture is that which is given us of God is bee a rule of faith and good life by the which yee may bee sure wee may please God The word Canon is a Greeke word signifying a Rule so the Scripture is a rule to square out our actions by Those which worke in curious buildings doe not work by aime and ghesse but by rule so in the spirituall building of a mans soule and conscience in making a spirituall house for God wee must not goe by aime and ghesse but by rule Wee must hold us to our rule so saith S. Paul Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace shall bee upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And Exod. 25. 40. saith the Lord to Moses Looke therefore that thou make all after the pattern that was shewed thee in the mount There the Lord had given Moses a paterne Such a charge as this comes to every Christian concerning all his actions see that thou doest it according to the paterne which the Lord hath lest thee in the Scriptures to bee a rule of faith and good life and to build up thy soule and conscience in the assurance of thy salvation and hope of an heavenly life Therefore it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true number of the Canonicall Bookes intire Paul tells
us Gal. 3. 15. Though it bee but a mans Testament when it is confirmed yet no man abrogates it nor addes any thing thereto therefore seeing the Scripture is the best will and Testament of Iesus Christ there is no man that should adde or subtract any thing from it Now in the New Testament all is Canonicall It was the wisedome of the first Christians not to suffer any thing to goe hand in hand with the word of God lest the Lord should take up that complaint against them Ezek. 43. 8. Albeit they set up their thresholds by my thresholds and their posts by my posts and the wall between me and them c. In the new Testament all is Canonicall but in the old there are nine Bookâ—s which are not Canonicall the two Bookes of Esdras the Bookes of Tobit and Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Baruch the two Bookes of Macchabees with some fragments of Daniel and Hester as for the second Booke of Esdras it is very fabulous as S. Ierome doth affirme And Bellarmine confesseth where hee saith S. Ambrose himselfe doth foure times alleage it and yet it is not Canonicall because no councell tooke it to be so and it was not wrote in Hebrew In the sixt Chapter thereof there are two monsters spoken of that Sea and Land could not hold Now this is a fabulous thing and a very dreame therefore saith hee I wonder what came into his minde so a certaine Pope saith for so much as it was found written in the Greeke and not in the Hebrew which was the tongue that the Scripture was wrote in wee hold it to bee Apocrypha Therefore now if any man shall demand are there some Bookes Canonicall and some Apocrypha I answer that is called Canonicall which was written by the chosen Penmen of the Holy Ghost and hath sufficient authoritie in it selfe to confirme our faith and to perswade us that God is well pleased in the performance of those things which are required in it saith Augustine if were finde any hard place wee are not to blame it and to say it is not true but wee must say the fault is in the Printer or in the interpreter or it is because I doe not understand it Now the Apocrypha Bookes are such as were written by men not so inspired though they were learned men and such as were indued with the Spirit of God yet a man is not bound to beleeve them any further than they have warrant from the Canonicall Scripture S. Ierome saith though they were good men that wrote them yet they bee not of weight sufficient to confirme any Point of Doctrine no further than they have authoritie from the Scriptures And Damascen saith that they were good Bookes but yet they were not put into the Arke of God and kept as the Canonicall Scripture was now here is the difference between them the Canonicall Scripture is the very word of God c. The Apocrypha though there bee good things in it yet in it there is some taste of humane frailtie Now if any man shall aske why did not the Church receive this as the Canonicall Scriptures I answer there is good cause why they did not receive it which hath foure grounds for it First because the Iewes which were the Church and people of God did not receive it S. Paul saith Rom. 3. that to the Iewes were committed in trust the Oracles of God but they did not receive these Bookes therefore they were not the Oracles of God But how shall wee know that they did not receive them as the Scripture I answer First because Iosephus which was a Iew tells us in his booke against Appianus that the Iewes had two and twentie bookes which were written from God by Holy men inspired by the Holy Ghost saying that other bookes there bee which bee not of the like authoritie because they were written since the succession of the Prophets And S. Ierome saith that as the Iewes had two and twentie letters so they had two and twentie bookes that they admitted of and of no other booke besides into the Canon of the Scripture This is so cleare that Bellarmine himselfe confesseth it The second ground is this they which did write the Apocrypha were not the Penmen of the Scripture Wee see in the speech Luk. 16. 27. where Abraham is brought in saying to Dives they have Moses the Prophets let them heare them so Moses and the Prophets were the Penmen of the Scripture But the Apocrypha was not written by the Prophets First because they were not written in Hebrew which was the tongue that they wrote in againe they would not speake and write in an unknowne tongue to the people because they would not bring that curse upon them which is spoken of 1 Cor. 14. 21. In the Law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speake to this people and yet for all that will they not heare mee saith the Lord. Secondly because the Succession of the Prophets were ceased at that time when these bookes were written as Iosephus saith for they were written in the time of the Macchabees and David tells us Psal 74. 9. prophecying of the destruction of the Church and true Religion which was in the time of the Macchabees wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there among us any that knoweth how long Therefore seeing it was not writ in the tongue that the Prophets wrote in but in Greeke and they were written since the Prophets therefore the Prophets were not the Penmen of them The third ground is that they bee not in the number of the witnesses that Christ will stand to for these bee Christs witnesses Luk. 24. 27. where it is said and hee began at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe so verse 24. and hee said unto them these are the words which I spake unto you whilest I was with you that all things must bee fulfilled which was written of me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes Augustine faith well that the Iewes doe not accompt of any bookes save of Moses the Prophets and of the Psalmes to the which our Lord Iesus gave witnesse and Chrysostome saith that the Iewes did divide the Scriptures into three parts the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes they bee the witnesses that Christ stands to But these Apocrypha Bookes are not within this number therefore the Apocrypha is not received equally as the Scriptures are of the Church The fourth is Because the Bookes themselves bewray that they bee of man and not of God as S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 4. Let God bee true and every man a lyar but these Bookes there is none of them but have some taste of humane fâ—ailty in it as Tobit 5. there an Angell is made to lye but the