of Christ by the Euangelists and Apostles as by his Pen-men or Notaries How is the Scripture diuided in respect of that authority it hath in prouing So it is diuided into the bookes which are Canonicall and those which are not Canonicall but Apocryphall Which doe you call the Canonicall Books Syst Theol. pag. 169. item p. 173. Hi constituūt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Those which are of vndoubted authority in prouing the Articles of Faith or which are the Square and Rule of our faith for Canonicall is deriued from Canon which signifieth as much as a Rule or Square Of what sort are the Canonicall books Of two sortes either of the Old or of the New Testament Which Books of the Old Testament are Canonicall The Canonicall Scripture of the old Testament is diuided into foure rancks Syst The. pag. 182. the first containeth the fiue Bookes of Moses the second those Bookes which are called Historicall as these Joshua Iudges Ruth the two Bookes of Samuel the two Bookes of Kings the two Bookes of the Chronicles the Bookes of Esdras Nehemiah Ester The third Bookes which are written in verse which are called Poeticall as these Job the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbs of Salomon Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs the fourth comprehendeth the Prophets which are either greater Prophets in number foure or lesser to wit twelue Which Bookes of the New Testament are Canonicall The Canonicall Scripture of the New Testament is diuided into the History of the Euangelists the Acts of the Apostles the Apostles Epistles and the Prophecy or Reuelation of John Which are called Apocriphall or not Canonicall Syst Theol. pag. 190. Which are not of infallible truth and authority in prouing the Articles of faith and consequently which are not the Rule and Square of our beliefe but containe precepts of life and historicall instructions Which are those Apocryphall Bookes Among the Bookes of the Old Testament as wee haue before said there are some found not to bee Canonicall such as the Booke of Tobias Iudith Wisedome which falsly is ascribed to Salomon Ecclesiasticus or Syracides the third and fourth bookes of Esdras all the Bookes of the Maccabees Baruch with Ieremy his Epistle the Prayer of Manasses the fragments of Ester the additions to Daniel as is the Song of the three Children the Historie of Susanna the Historie of Bell and the Dragon None of all these Bookes are to be found in the Hebrew tongue in which Language onely God would haue the Bookes of the Old Testament to bee written neither were they written by the Prophets or any person immediately called of God Neither doth Christ the Euangelists or the Apostles cite them at any time and to conclude there bee many vntruths in them Wherefore when the Papists vrge any thinge out of these Bookes against vs wee must answer that those Bookes containe not the infallible Word of God and consequently that they haue no firme force or validity in prouing How is the Scripture diuided in respect of the matter it handleth Into the Law and the Gospell for that part of Gods Word is called the Law wherein wee are taught what we ought to doe but the Gospell is that part of Gods Word wherein we are taught what we ought to beleeue and consequently wherein wee haue the remission of our sins promised vs by faith in Christ I haue heard sufficiently touching the diuision of the Word of God J pray you also instruct mee in the proprieties of it That will I willingly doe so I first admonish you that hereafter wee shall alwaies take the holy Scripture for the Canonicall Bookes onely and not at all for the Apocryphall VVhat is the first proprietie of the holy Scripture The first propriety is that it deriues all its authority from God alone Syst Theol. pag. 171. not from the assembly of godly men which is called the Church How proue you this I proue it by these reasons first the testimony of God hath not any authority from men The Scripture is the testimony of God alone Ergo. It hath none authority from men yea the most holy men that bee and consequently not from the Church which is nothing else but a company of godly and sanctified men The force and pith of the argument you shall finde 1 Ioh. 5.9 If wee receiue the witnes of men the testymonie of God certainely is greater Secondly that must needs be before the Scripture in naturall order of which the authority of the Scripture dependeth But the Church is not before the Word of God Ergo. The Maior proposition is euident because that which dependeth of another must needs come after that on which it dependeth The Minor is thus prooued That which is gathered gouerned regenerated by the Word or by the Scripture that is in order after the Scripture But the Church Ergo. The Maior is plaine the Minor is prooued by 1 Pet. 1.23 Wee are regenerated and borne anew by the word of God Iames 1.18 He hath begotten vs by the word of truth Ioh. 17.20 Which by their word shall beleeue in me Thirdly the foundation of any building depends not on the roofe or vpper roomes which are built vpon the foundation but contrarily those same vpper roomes and the roofe depend vpon the foundation but the Word of God is the foundation Ergo. The Maior is plaine in it selfe The Minor is confirmed by that Ephes 2.20 You are built vpon the foundation of the Profits and Apostles Obict The Papists obiect to vs that place 1 Tim. 3.15 Where the Church is said to be the pillar and ground of truth Whereto we answer Answ that this argument is sophisticall or a fallacie commonly called a Dicto secundum quid a dictum simpliciter For the Church is not called the piller and ground of truth in regard of it selfe but in regard of Christ the head who is that corner stone And further it is so called in regard it is the keeper of the Scripture Syst Theol pag. 181. forsomuch as God hath made the Church onely to haue to doe with the treasurie of his Word and in the Church as on the piller and doore of his house or pallace he hangeth those holy Tables which euery man must go thither to read No otherwise then the Magistrate hangeth vp on pillars and gates of his Court Tables containing in them his Lawes and Decrees to the end that his Subiects may there reade them as in a publike place Lastly the Church is called the Pillar of Truth in this respect because that God vseth the testimony of the Church as his instrument and meanes for the proposing teaching and expounding of the holy Scriptures vnto men for the Ministers of the Church are the conseruers of truth and the interpreters of the Scriptures yet not so as if the authority of the Scripture did depend on them but because God vseth them as his seruants and Ministers to propound and to beate into the memories of
world which his right hand hath not before determined either to doe as in all good things or suffer to be done as in all sinfull actions as S. Austin very fully and learnedly proueth in his Enchiridion to Laurentius Conclus It was Themistocles his commendation in Thucydides that hee could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex tempore and on a sudden speake to any point and counsell alwayes for the best For my selfe I must confesse I am none of those ready wits yet thus much I haue beene bold out of some former acquaintance with this point of doctrine to write raptim on a sudden to this question for your satisfaction which I trust also will bee sufficient to perswade any ingenuous man that is only tainted with Popery and not branded with the marke of the Beast for there is no hope of such to think and conceiue wel of the truth of our doctrine If I had had my tooles about mee I should haue made it a more perfect worke but you know I am far from my bookes Such as it is it is yours and I am yours to vse in all Christian offices T.V. Aug. de lib. arbit l. 2. c. 20. Tu tantùm pietatem inconcussam tene vt nullum existimes tibi bonum vel sentienti vel intelligenti vel quoquo modo cogitanti occurrere posse quod non sit ex Deo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or The Heads of a plaine and profitable method of Teaching shadowed and pointed at WHereas there bee now in vse two wayes of deliuering the precepts of any Art according to the doctrine of Plato the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a longer the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shorter way in the setting downe of these few rules following I haue made choice of the later because I am sure I haue only to deale with intelligent men or schollers to whom as the old saying runs Verbum sat one word is as good as a thousand I. Preloquution if the matter require vnder which Coherence auoid affectation I meane not only an affectation of big words and phrases but also of a farre fetcht entrance into the Text as hee that in euery Sermon he made whatsoeuer the Text was would bee sure to begin alwayes at the beginning of the world II. Partition into as few parts as you can Auoid curiositio As for example if I were to handle those wordes of Christ Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues I would not diuide them thus The parts are sixe I. Weepe II. Weepe not III. Weepe not but weepe IV. Weepe not for mee V. Weepe for your selues VI. Weepe not for mee but for your selues for feare I should seeme rather to play with the Text then to diuide the word aright III. Interpretation if terms or words bee ambiguous Auoid needlesse criticismes as if I were to open the name of Paul I should say it came from Pi in Hebrew which signifies â—s and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek that is tibia Master Selden hath intermixed many needlesse Criticismes in the History of Tithes obserued and exploded by diuers Worthies so that I shall not need to say any thing but onely pray for him that the pride of his heart in worm-eaten learning and his malice against the Ministers of the Gospel which he hath discouered by thâ—â— Booke though couertly and aliud agens may bee forgiuen him and that the sin of many close-fisted sacrilegious Patrons which detaine the Churches * Of the point before the famous History saw the light DD. Carleton now L. Bishop of Chichester Tithes proued due to the Ministers of the Gospel by diuine right Sir Hen Spelman De non temerandis Ecclesijs M. Eburne The Maintenance of the Ministery M. Robarts The Reuenew of the Gospel Tithes M. Gosthwick The truth of Tythes To the point and person too S. Iam Sempill Sacriledge Sacredly handled DD. Tillesley Animaduersions on the famous History DD. Sclater The Ministers portion and question of Tithes Reuiewed M. Montague Diatribae on the History M. Nettles Answere to the Iewish part of M. Selden Right and think they haue gotten a very good pretence for so doing by the writing of that Booke bee not one day laid to his charge It is a wonder to see what adoe the Friers make with the first word in the Angels salutation Aue Luc. 1. First say they Aue is as much as sine vae making it come of a priuitiua particula in Greeke and vae in Latine Secondly they find the name of our great Grandame in it because Eue wrought mans destruction and Mary mans Saluation therefore the Angell doth most fitly begin the Salutation with Aue which Anagrammatiz'd is Eua. Ioan Picus in his Heptaplus findes I know not what Mysteries in the first word of the Bible Berescit by transposing and conioyning the Letters diuersly as though he were ringing changes hee pickes out three wordes the intellectuall Celestiall and corruptible and withall this sentence Pater in filio per filium principium fine siue quietem creauit caputignem fundamentum magni hominis foedere bono All this as he conceiues dissults out of the resolution and comâ—osition of the first word in Genesis IV. Collection of Doctrines or conclusions out of the seuerall parts as they shall naturally arise auoid straining as Christ bid some body loose Lazarus and let him goe ergo the Ministers haue power to loose and absolue sinners it is Sixtus Senensis his Collection Moses saith that the Stars were created to bee signes Ergo the Astrologer may come to the knowledge of mens fortunes and of particular euents by the Stars it is Sr. Chrystopher Heydons Collection Abraham paid Tythe to Melchizedech of all the spoyles euen of the spoyles Ergo the spoyles onely it is Mr. Seldens Doctrine God made man after his owne Image Ergo Images are to be suffered in Churches The Sun is greater then the Moone by many degrees Ergo the Pope is aboue the Emperour Dauid saith Praise God in his Saints Ergo wee may pray vnto the Saints Christ said to Peter thy faith shall not faile Ergo the Pope of Rome cannot erre These and the like inconsequences are meere wrestings of the Text. And so it is likewise when a Parable is vrged beyond the scope and drift of it very common among Popish interpreters V. Probation 1. By authoritie of Scriptures opening them along if need be 2. By arguments or reasons illustrating them some way as you can Auoid prolixitie That 's S. Austins counsell Lib. 4. de doct Christ 22. and his reason is Quando prolixa est oratio in vno genere minus detinet auditorem and therefore hee would not haue a Preacher stand long vpon any point when it is once vnderstood of the people but slide into another I haue heard of a Preacher that stood vpon a short Text seuen yeeres together and I haue read I am sure of one Thom. Hasselbachius that was
their oppositiōs cōtradictions to thēselues this may further appeare by Joh. Pappius and Matthias Illyricus his Book of the Sects Dissentions cōtradictiōs among Popish Doctours printed at Basil 1565 whereunto the Papists haue not as yet answerd Andr. Chrastouius likewise hath written a Booke hee cals Bellum Iesuiticum The good agreement the Iesuites haue among themselues who neither is as yet confuted In the Bodleian Library at Oxford That same Book of Chrastouius was printed at Basil in quarto 1593 and it containes 205 Iesuiticall contradictions Which is that bare or secondary propriety of the Church To the Church of the New Testament Syst Theol. pag. 404. this propriety doth also agree that it is Catholicke and that first in respect of places not because it possesseth many Kingdomes but because it is scattered ouer the whole world and not tyed to any one certain place to any determinate countrey or city Secondly in respect of men because it doth consist of men of all sorts gathered out of the condition of al men of all Nations Act. 10.35 Thirdly in respect of times because it shall continue all times euen vnto the end of the world as it is said Matt 28. I will be with you euen vnto the end of the world Fourthly in respect of vnitie because the Catholicke Church is at all times but one to wit in the vnity of doctrine and consent in that doctrine And thus much we haue spoken of the proprieties of the Church Now if we shall examine and try the Popish Church by these proprieties it will appeare to bee no pure Church but to be very corrupt euen as a rotten apple is an apple corrupted and no otherwise then a man that is infected with the plague is a man but no sound man And that the Popish Church is not the pure Church I will prooue it by two manifest reasons the first An idolatrous Church is not the true and pure Church but such a one is the Popish Church Ergo. The proposition is euident because God doth abhorre nothing more then Idolatrie therefore hee saith Flie from Idols and No Idolater shall be saued The assumption I confirme thus That Church which giues that honor which Dauid giues vnto God the Creator in the very same words vnto the creature to wit the Virgin Mary that same Church is idolatrous But the Church of Rome doth so goe now that the Church of Rome doth attribute that honour which is due vnto God vnto the Virgin Mary I proue it by a most euident testimony out of that same Psalter of Marie the Virgin which was compiled by Bonauentura who liued 250 yeares agoe and canonized of the Pope of Rome so that hee is accounted among the Saints and the title of a Seraphicall Doctour which is more then Angelicall giuen vnto him This same Psalter was by the permisson of the higher powers printed in Latin at Brixia and Bononia in Italy eight yeares since being before printed at Ingolstadium in the Dutch tongue some 20 yeares agoe in the Preface whereunto it is expresly said that it was compiled the holy Ghost inditing and dictating it And further that very Psalter is in speciall vse in the Romish Church but especially it is currant among the Monkes of Saint Bennets Order which are called Cistercians Now in this Psalter all those things which Dauid attributes to the high most mightie God Ye haue this Psalter in Bonauētures works printed in seauen Tomes at Rome 1588 vol. 6. pag. 502 in Latin in English yee haue diuers passages of it and amongst the rest these in Foxes Martyrology printed 1583. fol 1600. Missale Roman edit Salmanticae A D. 1588. feria 6. in parasceue p. 223. are by them put vpon the Virgin Marie as Psal 51. Haue mercy vpon me O Lady and cleanse me from all mine offences But that of all other is most blasphemous which they apply vnto her out of the Psal 109. according to that distinction The Lord said to my Lady sit thou mother mine at my right hand where Mary is made the mother of God the Father as though the Father had beene incarnate and made man that I may not say further that to be set on the right hand of God is to haue a like power and equall glory with God himselfe Againe that the Romish Church is an Idolatrous assembly I prooue it out of the Romish Masse booke where in the Seruice appointed for Good-Friday it is said that the Priest so soone as he hath put off his shoos then approacheth to adore the Crosse shall kneele 3 times before hee kisse the Crosse and then afterward the Ministers of the Altar they must also kneele and three times adore the Crosse II. Arg. That Church which approueth manifest crimes is not the pure Church but the Church of Rome is such Ergo. The Proposition is herein manifest for that the Papists themselues doe yeeld sanctity and holinesse of manners to be a note of the Church The assumption I cōfirme 1. for that the Pope doth dispence for Incest Sodomy and other most grieuous crimes See the Taxes Fines or Nundinations of the Court of Rome described at large in Musculus his Common Places 2. It is confirmed out of Costers Enchiridion Coster Enchirid c. 5. propos 9. where you shall finde it written that a Priest committing fornication or keeping a concubine in his house does not so grieuously sinne as he that doth marrie This doth Gretzer allow of in his History of the Iesuiticall order pag. 115. Most truly wrote our Coster Gretzer Ingolstad A.D. 1594. that a Priest should not so grieuously offned if hee should commit Fornication as if hee should marry And he addeth Yea it is truly spoken that a Priest doth lesse sinne in committing Adultery then in marrying a Wife Bellar. 2. lib. de Monach. cap. 30. Jt cannot truly be said of a Nun that hath vowed continencie that it is better to bee married then to burne for both in her is euill to be married and to burne yea worse it is to bee married then to burne whatsoeuer our aduersaries say to the contrary that it is written 1 Cor. 7. It is better to marrie then to burne Here that is worthy marking which Sleidan sets downe in his first booke that a certaine Italian Bishop Casa by name hath written a whole Booke in the praise of filthy Sodomy Where wee may note for a conclusion that although all those things be granted to the Papists which they most gloriously dispute about the Church yet they can gaine nothing hereby because they ought to make it plaine first vnto vs that the Popedome is the true Church which in that they haue not as yet prooued nor shall euer be able to proue it they doe but delude themselues with a vaine title of the Church And whereas they say that it is absurd before the point of the Church bee discussed to take in hand to dispute of
twenty one yeers in preaching vpon the first Chapter of Esay neither did he come to the end of it in all that space but left in an vnperfect work twenty foure large volumes behinde him of that he had expounded Take heed of such prolixity and remember the old saying Varietas delectat VI. Solution of doubts if any occurre auoyd tedious disputes That a Minister may moue doubts in his Sermon if he be able to solue them Saint Austin doth warrant Lib. 4. de doct Christ c. 20. But for one to draw in by the necke shoulders a disputable question and vpon the smallest occasion that may bee to fall into a large field of controuersies by handling the points pro and con as there is mention made of Will in the Lords Prayer therefore for a man to fall vpon the doctrine of Free-will and dispute the question thereupon this is not warrantable Long disputes are fitter for the Schooles then for the Pulpit VII Application 1. By way of Confutation if it be a matter of controuersie 2. By way of Reprehension if you preach against any sinne or if you commend a vertue you may reprehend the contrary vice 3. By way of Exhortation to the good Dehortation from euill 4. By way of Direction vrging and shewing he motiues and meanes how to attaine the good how to eschew the euill 5. By way of Consolation if it will conueniently arise Auoid all indecorums An indecorū is when circumstances are not rightly obserued in the application Verbi causa If any man should preach of the life or death of S Iohn Baptist on S. Iohn the Euangelists day in Christmas apply it to that Festiuall though it be bonum good at all times to be remembred of the sobriety and austerity of that holy man of God yet it is not benè id est appositò dictum well done and therefore an indecorum because it is verbum non in tempore suo a word not in his fit season Keckerman in his Ecclesiasticall Rhetorique I will not cite the Chapter and Page because I would haue you read the whole Treatise tells a tale of a Fryer that following his Postill and sticking too close to the very wordes that hee found written had almost brought the whole town where hee liued about his eares And it was thus The Postiller had very bitterly inueighed as it seemes against the sinnes that raigned in the Towne where he preached during the time of a common plague and had told them that because they cōtinued in those sins God had sent the plague among them The Homiliary Frier finding this in his Postill and taking little thought saue only to get it by heart pronounce it boldly enough deliuered the very same words in his owne congregation inueighing against the sinnes that raigned in the Towne and told them that for those sinnes God had sent this grieuous plague among them At these words all the Auditors were greatly astonied and came vpon him presently after Sermon to inquire in what house or what part of the town the pestilence was that he spake of in his Sermon for they knew of none The silly Ignoramus could not resolue them but answered thus Howsoeuer it be whether the plague be in the towne or not I am sure I found it so as I said in my Postill For the opening of these short rules and more full vnderstanding of the whole matter let not a young Diuine trouble himselfe with multitude of bookes Among many Worthies who haue written of this subiect I haue found these three very vsefull and profitable Keckerm de Rhetoric Ecclesiast Augustin de doct Christian and M. Bernards Faithfull Shepheard And Mr. Weemse his Booke of Lathoquar in Scotland written of late as it seems of purpose to helpe young Diuines in this way and Method of teaching intituled The Christian Synagogue In setting downe these few notes and rules I would not be thought to take vpon mee to prescribe vnto Academicall Preachers nolo sus Mineruam but to Rurall neither to instruct the graue and learned well experienced among them Veteranos Iesu Christi Milites but new beginners Neither do I tye them to this onely Method It may bee euery Text will not admit of it and it may bee euery mans gift doth not lye for it But my desire was to help my selfe by these Collections and those that are weake and I pray my brethren to giue a candid interpretation of my good affection being most ready to entertaine any other more profitable way of teaching that they shall suggest Si quid nouisti rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum FINIS THE GOSPELL OF St. THOMAS MY LORD and MY GOD. An Ode thereupon gathered out of the Psalmes of Dauid Jt will goe to the tune of the C. Psalme MY LORD MY GOD strength of my head Sraffe of my ioy Spring of mercy Guide with thy grace blesse with thy loue Thy Seruant in necessity Thou art my Lord this is my Song And I will render thankes to thee Thou art my God and I will praise Thy mercies euer towars mee Thy Seruant loe thy Seruant I My selfe confesse and euer will Take thee to be MY LORD AND GOD And rest vpon thy goodnes still Thou art my Lord this is my Song And I will render c. In calling thee MY LORD I know Thy hand of power doth gouerne mee In calling thee MY GOD I know Thine eye doth all my doings see Thou art my Lord this is my Song And I will c. MY LORD because my fortitude To saue me from the fiends of Hell MY GOD because my righteousnesse To make mee with thy Saints to dwell Thou art my Lord this c. MY LORD MY GOD my Sunne my Shield My hope my health my life my stay Loose me from out these mortall bands To liue O Christ with thee for aye Thou art my Lord this is c. FINIS The Contents of this Booke I. A Monitory Preface to Catholikes II. A Manuduction to Theologie III. Briefe directions for Communicants IV. The Sum of Diuinity V. The Controuersie touching Free-will VI. A plaine and profitable Method of Preaching VII The Gospel of Saint Thomas THE PARTICVLARS of the foregoing Treatises IN the I. generall namely The Monitory Preface is showen that both the Doctrine of Popery is a doctrine of darknesse and that the Doings of the Papists are workes of darknesse And therefore that it concerneth much the seduced Catholikes to looke vnto their dangerous estate to come out of the snares of darknesse wherein they haue bin held now a long time In the II. namely The Manuduction to Theologie you haue these particular places of Diuinitie 1. Of Religion page 1. 2. Of God p. 5. 3. Of the Scripture p. 14. 4. Of Saluation p. 38. 5. Of the Image of God p. 42. 6. Of the fall of man p. 44. 7. Of Sinne. p. 48. 8. Of the Punishment of sin p. 50. 9. Of