set vp in the place thereof a translation made without any speciall or extraordinary revelatioÌ„ vnder the pretence of more greater corruptions crept into the one theÌ„ into the other As if the Lord had not had â—he same care to preserue the truth in the bookes penned by his owne publike registers and notaries as in the translation of such an one whose greatest praise caÌ„not be but this to be their faithful disciple and scholler And as if the Lord had not had the same regard to keepe vnpollâ—…ted his owne divine and heauenly doctrine in the most pure fountaines and springs as in the impure streames and rivers And yet how doth shee also esteeme of the wil of God set downe by the pen of her translator Do not some of her deare children compare it to a nose of waxe and to a shipmans hose which may be turned and wrested every way and sit falshood as wel as truth And doth shee not charge it to bee shadowed with such obscuâ—ities ambiguities that the truth thereby cannot be cleared without the light of an Interpreter and the right faith cannot be found out wiâ—hout the helpe of the Pope his councels Now is this to honour the Lordes will and to reverence it as holy pure and perfect Were that to be esteemed an holy pure and perfect will and testament of an earthly father which is involved with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children cannot vnderstaÌ„d the legacy that is therin bequeathed vnto them nor yet the duety that is required at their handes but that they must still fall at variance and ods among themselues be ready still to go to law one with another or at the least be driven continually to seeke to the lawyers for the opening and explaning of their manifold doubts May not such a will be said to be at the least very vnadvisedly penned and if it were done of set purpose very wickedly also Now the will and testament of our heauenly father was of set purpose peÌ„ned by the spirit of god after that very manner as it is set downe in the bookes of the old and new testament and therefore in that the Church of Rome doth charge these bookes with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children of God cannot vnderstand that heavenly legacie that is bequeathed vnto them therein nor yet that duty that is required at their handes but that they must needes be at variance and fall out about â—he â—…ne continually vnlesse they resorte continually vnto the decision of the Pope and to the determination of his approved counâ—els for the dissolving of all their doubts and for the clearing of all their controversies what else doth shee herein but most impiously charge the most holy pure and perfect wil and testament of our heavenly father not only to haue bin very vnadvisedly but also to haue bin most wickedly penned But let God be true and al men liars as it is written that thou mightest be iustified in thy words overcome wheÌ„ thou art iudged And Rom. 3. 4. let all the most glorious works of the children of pride be vtterly condemned for that they doe them not in most humble obedience to the most holy pure and perfect will of God or that which is farre more heinous and impious for that they are not ashamed in their bookes published in the eies of all men thus to defame and slander that most holy pure and perfect will of the most holy pure and perfect God 2 The will of God is to bee respected in doing our workes for that it is acceptable wellpleasing to god Coll. 3. 20. 1. Tim. 2. 3. Eph. 5. 10. Heb. 13. 16. The second reason why we should haue such a respectiue regard to the wil of God in doing our works is for that what is conformable to his will cannot be but well-pleasing and acceptable to himselfe Children saith the Apostle obey your parents in all thinges for that is well-pleasing vnto the Lord. So to Timothy I exhort therfore that first of all praiers supplications intercessions and giving of thaÌ„ks be made for all men for kings and for such as be in authority that vvee may lead a quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior So likewise to the Ephesians Yee were once darknes but nowe yee are light in the Lord walke as children of the light approving that which is wellpleasing vnto the Lord. So also the Apostle to the Hebrewes To do good to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is wellpleased Now that which God willeth that no doubt he liketh and that which he himselfe commaundeth is assuredly wellpleasing and acceptable in his owne eies For if it bee a pleasure to a wise man when his counsell is obeyed and a griefe and corrasive when it is despised esteemed vaine and nothing worth so it cannot be but wellpleasing vnto him in whom are hid al the treasures of wisdome knowledge when his counsels are obeied and he cannot be but highly offeÌ„ded when they are trodden vnder foote and lightly regarded When blind blockish and sottish men shall so lightly esteeme of the wisdome of God which hee hath made manifest in his owne ordinaÌ„ces that they shal imagine that they themselues caÌ„ invent a better or at the least as good a manner of serving of God as hee himselfe hath ordained in his own word what can be more odious and abominable before God As on the contrary side when men ascribe that perfection of wisdome to the will and commandeâ—ents of God as that they fully perswade themselues that in them are contained his whole and entire worship and service therefore do busie themselues most carefully about the fulfilling of the same this their respect and obedience to the law of God cannot be but a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God For as wee can no better please the prince theÌ„ by being careful to obey the Placita principum princes pleasure so we cannot better please God nor testifie our loue better vnto him then by our carefull keeping of his commandements If yee loue me saith our Saviour Christ keepe my coÌ„mandements Ioh 14 15. and 21. Our loue to God is best shewed in our obedience to his wiâ—l expressed in his owne commandementes And againe he that hath my commandements keepeth them â—he same is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will loue him and shew my selfe vnto him And againe if any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him he that loveth me not keepeth not my worde By the which so often repetition of one the selfe-same thing so easily to be conceaved and to be born away at the first our Sauior Christ would haue it throughly setled in our harts that we cannot
vnto our Saviour Christ that he is called by the name of truth and his spirit is said to be the spirit of truth and that it is testified of him that one of the principal causes why he came downe from the father was that hee might beare vvitnes to the truth and why he ascended againe vp to the Ioh. 18. 13. father even that he might send downe his spirit vpon his A postles to lead them into all truth and by the voice of truth to gather Ioh. 16. 13. to himselfe a church and congregation which should be a lover embracer maintainer and pillar of truth For all such as Christ 1. Tim. 3 15 would haue to be saued hee would haue them come thereto by the knowledge of the truth And therfore he sendeth vnto them the 1. Tim. 2. 4. light of his word causeth them with all constancy to embrace the same whereby they are enabled to know the truth and the truth Ioh. 8. 32. doth make them free Free from the slavery of sinne and Satan from all the powers of the kingdome of darknes and the same truth doth sanctifie them being before polluted with blind infidelity Ioh. 17. 17. and ignorance of God and so maketh them fellowe cittizens of the Saintes and enrolleth them into the Lords family So then the faithful embracing professing of the truth being the bādes of our communion fellowship with God and an assured note of the Lords people no marvaile though all nations of the earth of what profession soever they be be they Pagans Turks Iewes or Heretikes make so bold a claime to the possession of truth and be at open defiance with al other which wil not yeeld vnto their pretended title And yet there is but one truth one faith which The greatest chalengers are not the rightest owners of truth The testimony of God is the best evidence for truth is the sure anchor of our hope in God the direct way vnto his heavenly kingdome Neither are they seased of the possession therof who make the stoutest claime and chalenge thereto and seeme to be most earnest in the defence of the same but rather such as can shew for it the best evidence Now the best evidēce for truth is the testimony of God who is onely true and cannot lie who cannot erre be deceiued himselfe or in any wise deceiue others And this is acknowledged by all as it may appeare by the pretence made by the autors and inventors of every devotion who haue fained either conference with some God or goddesse or some revelation from some divine power to get the greater credit to their profession So dealt Numa among the Romans Licurgus amōg the Lacedemonians and Solon among the Athenians The truth is that God who dwelleth in a light that no man can approach vnto whom no man hath 1. Tim 6. 16. seene nor can see whose voice is so terrible and glorious that no man can heare it and liue who is onely knowen vnto himselfe and who onely knoweth what is truth what belongeth to his owne worshippe and service hath revealed his wil vnto his faithfull servants and hath made them his penmen and scribes and as it were the publike notaries of his heavenly wisdome And these publike notaries we that be Christians beleeue not to be Solon Lygurgus Numa Mahomet or the like but the Prophets Apostles and Evangelistes even the penmen and scribes of the word The pen-men of the bookes of the olde new testament are the onelie sure and infallible witnesses of truth of God contained in the bookes of the olde and newe testamēt For as for those lawgiuers among the heathē it is acknowledged that they were great learned and politicke men as being trained vp in those artes and sciences which did florish in those ages wherein they liued wherby they were enabled to set down many witty and skilfull rules for the better managing of humane affaires But as for the most of our Prophets Apostles they were simple and ignorant men brought vp not in famous places and schooles of learning but in meane poore and base occupations and therefore the divine knowledge of all heavenly wisedome wherewithal they were endued most plentifully must needes be extraordinarily derived vpon them from God himselfe the foūtaine and wel-spring of all wisedome seeing they obtained not the same by any ordinarie meanes and the miraculous gifte of tongues bestowed vpon them whereby they were enabled in all languages to open to all nations the wonderfull workes of God could not proceede but frō him who is the author of all languages and tongues as likewise the quicke and speedy prevailing of this heavenly doctrine the strong effectual working therof in the harts of the faithful which made them yong old most desirous to testifie their exceeding great loue to the same with the sheading of their decrest blood doth manifestly convince it to be the most mighty powerfull word of the most mighty powerful God Now as the persons from whom the bookes of the olde new testament proceeded by whom the doctrine thereof was so louingly embraced declare them to be divine so doth the matter also in them contained For where are the deformities of all iniquities and sinnes so liuely drawen forth sette out in their coloures to moue to a through dislike and hatred of them and to vnfained repentance and amendement of life as they are described in these divine bookes And where else may we find such a gratious mediator to reconcile vs to God so great a price given for the purchase of the kingdome of heaven so ample and full a satisfaction for the discharge of al our sinnes such a soveraigne salve for the curing of al our maladies such an effectual meanes to relieve our distresled consciences and to secure vs of the loue and favour of God as are offered vnto vs in the holie scriptures And wheras the penmen of these holy bookes lived in diverse ages countries doth not the perfect cōsent agreement of their precepts and instructions manifestly declare by whom they were directed even by him who is alwaies one and the same never differing or disagreeing from himselfe So doth the perfect accomplishment of so many strange predictions foretolde so many ages before they came to passe evidently cōvince that these books proceeded frō him vnto whō only were known al his own decrees works before the foūdatiō of the world was Veritas docendo suadet Tertul. cōt Valēt laide Lastly the perfect purity holines of all points of faith set down in these bookes that absolute equity righteousnes of all the precepts of piety and godlines therein contained doeth plainely declare also that they proceeded from the holy of holies euen from him whose wil is the rule of all equity and righteousnes So that Moses the first penman of this holy write mighte
ministery of pastours and Doctors is not stil needfull for the people of God but the meaning is that the doctrine first taught by the mouth of the Apostles afterward set downe in their Canonical writings is so plaine evident and ful to the servants of Christ which are endued with his spirit that they need not now at vnder the law any vnerring teacher ordinary or extraordinary for the further opening of any necessary point of faith which otherwise might be secret and lye hid And so also the Apostle to the Hebrews teacheth out of the booke of the Prophet Ieremy This is the testament that I will make with the Heb. 8. 10. house of Israell after these daies saith the Lord I will put my laws in their mindes and in their heartes will I write them and I will be their God and they shall bee my people and they shall no more teach one another saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the greatest vnto the least Not as I said before that the ministery of teaching by ordinarie pastours should cease amongst vs which is still most behouefull both to renew the memory of those things which we know seeing we are stil ready to forget and to teach better those thinges which we know but in part and also those things which as yet we know not at al for the most skilful may proceede from knowledge to knowledge but that there shal be now no neede of any vnerring interpreter to open any necessary point of faith which otherwise would be altogether vnknown For al necessary things are set downe so plainly in the bookes of the Apostles and Evangelists by him that was best able to write even to the capacity of the most simple who caused also those bookes to be penned not to obscure but to lighten the truth that the lambe may wade in them without danger of drowning and drinke most plentifully of those vvaters of life yea the vvary of Gods service is now so plaine that the very fooles cannot erre therein The pointes of faith contained in these bookes neede neither to begge credite All thinges necessary to salvatioÌ„ are sette downe so plainely in the bookes of the new testament that all the faithfull may vnderstand the same without the helpe of an vnerring Interpreter yea without the helpe of any Interpreter at all nor to take light from the writings expositioÌ„s of men but haue their credite in themselues take their light from themselues giue light credit both to the persoÌ„s also to the bokes of al other whoÌ„soever that haue any credite or light in them And the maine grounds of faith contained in them stand vpon their owne ground haue in themselues most manifest perspicuity that the mind passing through many forms of opinions being once lightned therwith may resolue settle his ful assent consent vpon theÌ„ without the helpe of any vnerring Interpreter yea without the helpe of any Interpreter at all For what containe the bookes of the new testament but the vncovering of that which was covered in the old Now if those things be vncovered already what neede haue they of a further vncovering Vnlesse we thinke that the Apostles themselues which had the greatest measure of the spirite and the largest portion of knowledge in the misteries of God had either not so good skill or will to sett downe plainly in their Canonicall writings all points of faith as their schollers and successors had in their writings which are not Canonicall The truth is that all thinges necessarie vnto salvation are novve most plainly delivered in the bookes of the new testament the best Interpreters doe not by their expositions bring any new light at all vnto them but pointe as it were with the finger to that light which is in them that we may turne our eies vpon it togither with them behould the same they bring no grounds and principles of their owne that thereby they may lighten the doctrine of the scripture but they hould out the grounds principles of the scripture it selfe that therby they may lighten all that is obscure For albeit in the divine scriptures there are many places darke obscure hard to be vnderstoode such wherein the best Interpreters themselues may erre be deceaved yet as S. Austine Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. cap. 9. saith all things that belong to faith good manners that is to say to hope and loue are openly delivered sette downe in the same and out of these plaine and open places all necessary doctrines are to be taken and not out of the doubtfull and obscure And therefore when the heretike Petilian did alleage mystical obscure places for the confirmatioÌ„ of his errours the same father taketh exception against him after this manner saying these places Aug. cont Petil. cap. 16. are mysticall obscure and figurative but vvee require a manifest place that needeth no Interpreter at all And such places were alleaged by the Catholike Bishoppes for the opening and confirming of all controversies and doubtes Attende saith Iustine Iust Martyr in dialogo cuÌ„â—rypho Chrys in ep ad RoÌ„ hom 19. 2. Pet 3. 16. Martyr to these thinges vvhich I shall rehearse out of the scriptures vvhich neede not at all to bee expounded but onely to bee hearde So Chrysostome Doe these saith he neede any exposition are they not cleare and manifest even to those that are very dull And albeit in Saint Paule there are some thinges hard to bee vnderstoode vvhich the vnlearned and vnstable pervert as they doe also the other scriptures to their destruction yet Saint Ambrose is bold Ambr in ep 7. in principio epistolae to avouch of him that in most thinges hee doth so expound himselfe that he vvhich doth deliver and teach his doctrine can finde nothing that hee may adde or if hee vvill needes say something he must rather performe the dutie of a grammarian then of a discourser or disputer And verely albeit the vnbeleevers and such as are ignorant of the divine and heavenly doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures Stap doct princ lib. 8. cap. 22. veritas docendo suadet Tertul. coÌ„t ValeÌ„t Aug cont ep Funda cap 14. The saith of the fiue members of the church of Christ is not setled vpon the auctority of the church or the iudgment of the Interpreter but vpon the light of the divine doctrine it selfe are at the first mooued sometimes to embrace the faith of CHRIST by the auctority of the Church and by the dignity and vvorthines of the Bishoppes and teachers yet when they are once perswaded and setled therein beeing lightned by the spirit of illumination and by the light of the doctrine it selfe then as Stapleton himselfe also hath taught they doe not any longer beleeue for the voice of the church but for the divine light it selfe they doe not any longer builde their faith vpon the voice of
as beleue hath bin more careful for the naturalmaÌ„ by leaving those principles which stande vpon their owne ground that so he may attaine to the knowledge of all such Arts sciences which are profitable for the maintenaÌ„ce of this teÌ„poral life that he hath not left the like principles and grouÌ„ds for the regenerate maÌ„ wherby he may attaine to the knowledge of al such things as do coÌ„cerne eternal life And if Aristotle bee iudge in Philosophy Galene in Physicke Iustinian in the law albeit many of their rules precepts he diversly expounded by their Interpreters even so albeit there be diverse expositions of holy scripture yet God forbide but the holy scripture of God the most cleare pure fountaine of truth should be the iudge of faith that especially by the maine grounds of faith therein coÌ„tained The which are therefore named by the auncieÌ„t Fathers the key A bâ— serm 38. Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. cap 2. 3. De Temp. Serm 119. So r. hist Eccles lib. 5. Cap. 10. and rule of faith for that the perspicuity plainnes of theÌ„ doth open as it were a doore into all the mysteries of faith And hereof it was that not only Theodosius the Emperor vsed theÌ„ as a meanes to end all coÌ„troversies in his time but S. Austin also being to expouÌ„d the first booke of Moses called Gen. setteth theÌ„ down in the forefroÌ„t of his worke as a rule whereby he meaneth to frame al his interpretatioÌ„s that if they misse in the meaning of any particular place yet they may not erre in the substaÌ„ce of faith because he avoucheth nothing but that which is agreable to the grouÌ„ds of faith So likwise TertulliaÌ„ Iraene that liued near the Apostles See Kemnis Exa Trid. Conc. de traditionibus time wheÌ„ certaine heretikes charged the scriptures as the meÌ„bers of the Church of Rome doe now that they were in sufficieÌ„t dark ambiguous that the truth could not be fouÌ„d out by them without traditions they ioined issue with theÌ„ referred themselues to the iudgmeÌ„t of that doctrine which the Apostles delivered by tradition to the Churches the suÌ„me whereof they relate altogeather as it were eveÌ„ as it is set down in the Apostles Creed being the very pith substaÌ„ce of that faith which was delivered first by mouth by the Apostles theÌ„selues afterward set downe in their writings that it might be the pillar fouÌ„datioÌ„ of faith al interpretatioÌ„s of scripture they require to be agreable to this entire perfect body of truth as they had learned of the Apostle S. Paul that al prophecie should bee Rom. 12. 6. sutable proportionable to the faith Vnto the which Testimonies of these learned Fathers I adde the iudgment of Beza KeÌ„nitius quoted before that al indiffereÌ„t persoÌ„s may perceiue that we walke in the saÌ„e waies that these learned Fathers haue trod out vnto vs vsed the same meanes to attaine to the right interpretatioÌ„ of holy scripture and to a sound catholike iudgment in matters of faith No huÌ„ble Serm. in c 3. Cant. christiaÌ„ saith Beza if he desire to be taught caÌ„ be deceiued in the interpretatioÌ„ of holy scripture if he diligeÌ„tly coÌ„fer place with place according vnto the exaÌ„ple of our S. Christ the Math. 4. 7. practise of the auncieÌ„t CouÌ„cels if with all he referre the whole vnto the correspoÌ„deÌ„cy of the articles of our faith which we call our Creede being the suÌ„mary abridgmeÌ„t of every fuÌ„dameÌ„tall point of our Christian religioÌ„ Most notable also to Serm 4 de Incarnat Dumini this purpose is that of Leo If any saith he shal preach vnto you any other thing besides that which ye haue learned let him be accursed preferre not wicked fables before evideÌ„t truth whatsoever it shall happeÌ„ that ye read or heare coÌ„trary to the rule of the Catholike Apostolike Creede accouÌ„t it altogeather daÌ„nable divelish By which testimony of this learned Father we may gather that the doctrine of faith sette down in the Creede is that evideÌ„t truth which was delivered by the Apostles whatsoever is contrary to the same is a wicked fable to be accursed as being no better then flat daÌ„nable divelish Wherefore good ChristiaÌ„ reader if thou wouldst not willingly hold that faith which is fabulous accursed daÌ„nable diuelish examine thy faith according to those grouÌ„ds which are both easie short perfect least thou shouldst plead ignoraÌ„ce in thy selfe or leÌ„gth tediousnes in the worke it selfe Be not ouer credulous in this matter of so greate moment nor so simple as to receaue any pointes of faith which are not agreeable to this rule of faith No although that they be taâ—ght by that Church which maketh her boast that she caÌ„not erre and that the faith of her cheife governor caÌ„ never faile Nay rather if thou wilt be a sound scholer in the schoole of Christ learne to yeelde that reverence honour only to the bookes of Aug ep 91. ad â—litron the diuine scripture that thou firmely beleue that none of the Autors of theÌ„ erred any whit in the penning of the same giue this prerogatiue only to the worde of God that it hath his sufficieÌ„t warraÌ„t credite in itselfe because it is inspired of God proceedeth froÌ„ him which caÌ„not erre deceiue or be deceiued as for the writtings of all other albeit they excel in wisdom holines receiue theÌ„ not because they haue thus iudged but for that they are coÌ„firmed by the autority of the Canonicall scripture or by some reasoÌ„ agreable vnto Hom. 13. in 2. ep ad Cor trueth And verily it is an absurd thing as Chrysost saith in a mony matter not to trust an other but to tell that eveÌ„ after a mans own father in matters of farre greater momeÌ„t which coÌ„cerne Gods glory the salvatioÌ„ of our owne soules in a simple sottish credulity to follow the iudgmeÌ„ts of other men whereas also we haue a most exact ballaÌ„ce rule even the ceÌ„sure determinatioÌ„ of the divine lawes Yea whereas we are precisely coÌ„maÌ„ded to proue all to approue the best â— Th. 5. 21. 1. Ioh 4. 1. 1. Cor. 14. 32. not to beleeue every spirit but to try the spirits whether they bee of God or no for that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets therefor by trial to be fouÌ„d true before they be beleeued Neither is it any disgrace to the iudgmeÌ„t of man to be subiect to the ceÌ„sure of Gods spirite already set downe in the canonical scriptures for eveÌ„ the spirit of God speaking in S. Paul was coÌ„teÌ„t to be tried by the sacred scriptures that is in truth by himselfe the BereaÌ„s at coÌ„meÌ„ded Act 17. 11. Apoc. 2. 2. for doing the same as the Angeâ—l of the church of â—phesus is also coÌ„mended for examining
is a manifest falling away from the faith and a note of pride either to reiect any of those thinges vvhich are vvritten in the Lordes bookes or to bring in any thinges vvhich are not vvritten but are either receaued by tradition from other or else are sucked out of our own braines yea that is the vilest as Austine saith and the basest kinde of Aug. de veâ— rarel ca. 38. Idolatrie when men vvorshippe GOD after their ovvne fancies obseruing that for a religion vvhich their deceiuing and svvelling mindes imagine Nay it is no lesse an offence to frame God after our ovvne Hil. in Ps 1. fancy then to deny him And therefore it is not vvithout cause that Saint Austine is so bolde to say that if any one concerning any Aug. coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 3â— 6. thing whatsoever which doth belonge to our faith and our life albeit hee bee an Angell from heaven shall â—each you any thing besides that vvhich yee haue learned out of the scriptures of the lavve and Gospell let him bee accursed VVherefore the church of Rome in that shee restraineth the people from the reading of the scriptures disgracing those holy and heavenly bookes and reproaching such as are studious of the same denying also the sufficiency of the doctrine therein contained and adding thereto her vnvvritten verities and her vvil-vvorshippes of her owne devising is most iustly charged to haue fallen from the faith and to haue sorted her selfe both vvith olde â—nd nevve haeretikes to haue spotted her selfe with the vilest and bâ—…st kind of idolatrie and with the deniall of the trewe GOD and therfore to be held for a cursed company and for the Congregation of the malignant Opposit 2. Dumbe and dead images are blinde and wrong guides which turne vs out of the way of truth and verity but the writings of the Apostles and prophets are sure guides and vn erring teachers appointed by God to bee our instructers and to set before our eies and after a sorte to painte out vnto vs in most liuely coloures all those thinges vvhich concerne the true worshippe of God and the salvation of our ovvne soules IMages are teachers of lies especially such as are made to represent Hab 2. 18. Ier. 10 8. Aug. de â—iv Dei l 4. c. 31 Idem de coÌ„sens Evâ—ng lib. 1. ca. 10. Lact instit lib. 2. ca. 19. the sacred Trinitie which cannot be represented for that it is invisible and incomprensible And therefore al such images doe both diminish the feare of the divine maiesty and also teach errours concerning the same VVherefore they haue deserved to erre vvho haue sought CHRIST not in the sacred hookes but on painted vvalles and may vvorthily bee iudged to haue no religion at all or at the least no sounde and sincere religion For al sound and sincere religion is to bee learned not of dumbe and mute images but out of the canonicall and sacred scriptures vvhich Rom. 15. 4. wer not only writen by the appointment of god that they might be our instructers and teachers but also were so penned by the direction of his Spirite that they are very profitable and availeable thereunto yea they are so profitable to this purpose that they are able to fence vs against all corruptions both in doctrine and 2. Tim 3 15 16. manners and to make vs vvise vnto salvation through faith in Christ For in them are most liuely drawen out the true images of a sounde faith and of an holy and a godly life vnto the which if we vvill compare the counterfeites of the same dravvne out by men we shall easily be able to giue a true iudgement therof O foolish Galathians saith the Apostle vvho hath bewitched Gal. 3. 1. you that yee shoulde not obey the trueth to vvhome Iesus Christ vvas before your eies painted and even crucified among you And in deede Christ is best painted out before the eies of the people by the doctrine of his painefull pastours and teachers and not by the pensile of the artificiall painters Such a faithful teacher vvas Iohn Hus of vvhom it is recorded that hauing painefully taught in his church called Bethlehem the gospell of Christ dreamed a little before his death that he had drawne out there divers goodly images the vvhich being defaced by the limbes of Antichrist hee further dreamed that hee sawe the same more liuely drawne out againe by better painters vvhereby vvas fore-signified the preaching of the learned and godly preachers of these last times And verily where the dignity and povver of Christs death is sufficiently set out by painefull preaching there is no neede of painting it in pictures and images made and framed by artificiall painters It vvas the Devils vvorke to cause that kinde of teaching to cease which was made the meanes ordained by God both to convert the infidels and also to confirme the faithfull in the truth of the gospell to bring them out of the kingdome of darkenes into the kingdome of light that he might bring in his kingdome of darkenesse by the corrupt teaching of blinde and dumbe Images VVherefore seeing that the church of Rome alloweth still of these her lay mens bookes vvhich the prophets call teachers of lyes and vvill not haue all trueth to bee learned onely out of the booke of bookes the booke of truth no mervaile that shee hath so shamefully embraced lies and so fowly fallen away from the truth Opposit 3. The doctrine taughte and penned by the prophets and Apostles hath no neede of any nevve miracles seeing it is sufficiently confirmed alreadye by olde but the Turkes Alcharon and the Popes Decretals haue neede to bee confirmed with new miracles for they containe new doctrine OVr faith is neuer so honourable nor GOD so well pleased with vs as when we seeke no signes for the confirmation therof when the word of God hath such a perswasioÌ„ in our hearts we haue so deepely tasted of the sweetnes therof that vve are ready to say to al miracles Get you hence Blessed vvere they vvhen miracles vvere in vse that by miracles vvere brought to embrace the true faith but more blessed are they that embrace faith for it selfe and not for that it is testified by miracles Blessed no doubt vvas Thomas for that hee sawe and beleeved â—…h 20. 29. â— Cor. 1. 22 â— Cor. 14. â—… but blessed are they rather vvhich see not and yet beleeue The vnbeleeuing Iewes sought for a signe and had also in admiration strange tongues vvhich vvere appointed for vnbeleevers to conuert them to the faith they that are already converted haue no neede of the same VVhen they vvere offered of God he shevved his compassion on mans infirmity now he hath taken them avvay he shevveth greater mercy in that he strongtheneth our faith vvithout them And verily if the vvorde it selfe being now acknovvledged to be the vvorde of God bee not able to vvinne credite to the doctrine therein contained neither vvill vvee
beleeue though one rose from the deade Signes â—uk 16 31. â—ar 16. 20. â—eb 2. 4. vvrought by diuine power were diuine witnesses to giue testimony to the doctrine that it vvas diuine nowe the doctrine is receaued as a diuine doctrine what neede is there of witnesses stil to testifie the same Hee is a monster saith Austine that as Aug. de civ Dei l. 22. c. 8 yet seeketh for a miracle The doctrine in truth of Antichrist and of all false prophets hath neede of new miracles because their doctrine is straunge and new and the Deuil as the spirite of Mat 24 24. â— Thess 2. 9 â—hrys in Mat. hom â—9 Christ hath foretolde shal be ready to furnish them vvith great variety thereof that so hee may prevaile the more by them and leade the greater number thereby into errour VVherefore in that the church of Rome boasteth greatly of her miracles and taketh exception against our doctrine for vvant thereof thereby shee betrayeth her infidelity and bewrayeth her selfe not to bee the church of Christ but the very seate of the great Antichrist Opposit 4. The faithfull servauntes of Christ by the preaching of the worde of God having their secret sinnes disâ—layed and their consciences touched to the quicke and feeling in their hartes the divine power and maiesty purity and perfection thereof lightning their mindes sanctifying their affections and converting their soules doe fall downe as the Apostle saith and worshippe God and say that God is in you of a trueth acknowledging the preachers of that worde to be Gods ministers and 1. Cor 14. 25. the worde it selfe to bee Gods word vvhereof they haue so good proofe and so sufficient warrant in their owne heartes whereas faithlesse hypocrites having felt within them no such divine power of Gods heavenly worde doe not beleeue it to bee the worde of God for the words sake it selfe but for the outwarde testimony and witnes of the church THE mighty and powerfull worde of Christ is the scepter of Heb. 1. 8. 4. 12. Isa 11. 4. Apo 19. 15. his kingdome whereby he ruleth and raigneth in the heartes of his loyal and obedient subiects the most sharpe sword whereby he subdueth and vtterly destroyeth all his enimes By it he beateth downe in the heartes of his chosen infidelity Idolatry pride and vnthankefulnes and whatsoeuer lifteth vp it selfe against God and planteth faith piety humility and an hearty desire of sincere obedience and thankefulnes vnto God In this word being laide open the infinite and inestimable dignity of the sufferings and death of Christ whereby ful reconciliation is obtained with God satisfaction made for sinne to the vttermost and a perfect purchase made of the kingdome of heauen how are the faithful encouraged with ful assurance of faith to come vnto God and to place their whole trust and confidence in him As by the dreadful denunciations of Gods wrath against all iniquity and sinne set downe in this word especially by that seuere execution of the iustice of God in the death of Christ in whom the sins of all the elect were so seuerely punished that in vnspeakeable mercy they might be most freely pardoned vnto themselues how are the faithful touched to the quicke pricked at the very hearts humbled and after a sort cast downe into hell that they might be lifted vp againe by the Lordes mercy tast see how gracious the Lord is So like wise vvhen the infinite wisedome equity iustice righteousnes integritie puritie sanctity vprightnes which is in every one of the commaundementes of God is made knowen in some measure to everie of the faithfull how doth it winne all his affections to the loue of this lawe and cause him to lay it vp fast in his heart as a most precious and invaluable treasure O theâ— saith he with the prophet David the law of the Lord is an vndefiled law 〈◊〉 19. converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple the statutes of the Lord are right reioice the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the Lord is cleane indureth for ever the iudgmentes of the Lord are true righteous altogeather And more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony and the hony combe The SamaritaÌ„s who at the first were induced to beleeue in Christ vpon the testimony of the womaÌ„ which said vnto theÌ„ come see a man which hath told me all whatsoever I did is not he thâ— very Christ wheÌ„ they had heard theÌ„selue the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth had felt in their heartes the power of his doctrine theÌ„ they said to the woman that first brought theÌ„ to Christ Now we do not beleeue for thy words for we haue heard him our selues â—…h 4. â—…om 13. â—ug Conses â—ib 8. â—ap 12. do beleue that he is the very Christ So Austin wheÌ„ he was a coÌ„teÌ„tious carnall Manichee would not beleue the gospell but for the testimony of the church but when by the divine oracle being admonished to take the booke of God into his haÌ„ds to reade therein he had read Let vs walke honestly as in the day-time not in gluttony and drunkennes nor in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and envying but put yee on the Lord Iesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it this did seeme so holy heavenly and divine a doctrine vnto him and such an admiration and alteration it wrought in his hart that theÌ„ no doubt he did not beleeue for the bare outward testimony of the church but for the divine fruite vertue power puritie of the divine word of God that he himselfe had felt in his own hart VVherefore in that the children of the church of Rome doe teach and avouch that they doe not nay cannot beleeue the divine scripture to be the worde of GOD but for the testimony of the church it is manifest that they haue not felt the divine power thereof in their heartes nor haue beene translated thereby out of the slavery of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Opposit 5. The mighty and speedy prevailing of the Gospell of Christ both at the first publication thereof by the Apostles of Christ and also at the renovation of the same in these last daies and that vvithout any earthly helpes or furtherances yea maugre the malice and spite of the Devill who set all the power and pollicy of the world with might and maine to suppresse and to roote out the same declareth the great â—fficacy of this most mighty truth vvhich thus hath hitherto and will still prevaile IT is a thing worthy to be obserued that the mystery of iniquity 2. Thes 2. 7 beganne even in the Apostles times creeping in by little and little being long in working before
bountifully bestowed vpon vs. 1 The will of God is to be respected of vs in doing good workes for that it is holy good perfect Rom. 12. 1. If then we wil bee assured to haue our workes good wee must haue our eies bent vpon the will of God that must most carefully be respected of vs yea the holy good and perfect wil of God must be the motiue and inducemeÌ„t vnto vs for the most willing and ready performing of the same The Apostle St. Paule hauing sette downe in the former part of his Epistle to the Romans the principles and groundes of our Christian faith being in the latter part thereof to deliver the doctrine of good workes beginneth that matter after this manner I beseech you saith he by the mercifulnes of God that you giue vp your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable serving of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be yee changed by the renewing of your minde that ye may prooue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect In which wordes we may obserue these two pointes first in what things the service of God consisteth not in the sacrificeing vp of vnreasonable beasts but in offring vp of our selues for that is our reasonable serving of God secondly who ought to be our directers and guides in performing our service due vnto God not the customes or fashions of this world nor the intents and divices of our owne harts but the good will of God acceptable and perfect Wherby we are to learne that if we wil be the approoved servaÌ„ts of God and haue our service allowed of him we must haue an intentiue eie to the Lords will make it the rule of all our works yea if wee will be citizens with the saintes and of the housholde of God and fellow servants with the Angels themselues then as they stand prest ready alwaies before God to attend his pleasure and to performe his will so must wee also walke continually before God as in his eies in his presence presenting our selues vnto him in our dayly praiers and still labouring by all meanes possible that his will may be done here by vs on earth as it is in heaven Mat. 6. 10. by his holy Angels When that kind of serving of God by the sacrificing of beasts was most in force Samuel said vnto Saule who had transgressed the flat commandement and wil of God to offer as he pretended sacrifice to God Is God so well pleased with sacrifice as when the voice of the Lord is obeied Beholde to obey is better 1. Sam. 15. 22. then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rammes It is the highest degree of wisedome and goodnes of himselfe to be able to conceiue that which is good and the second degree is of such as knowing their own wants betake themselues to be wholy guided and ruled by those in whom dwelleth wisedome in al abouÌ„dance Now perfect wisedome and goodnes dwelleth only in God his will is most holy iust and perfect yea it is the most perfect rule of all holines and of all iustice Neither doth God will and commande things so much for that they are iust lawful and good but rather those things are therefore iust lawful good for that they are willed and commanded of God When vpoÌ„ occasion of this holy and comfortable doctrine of the gospell that the sinnes of the faithfull doe the more evidently set forth the mercy of God in Christ in that he is of himselfe so good and so good vnto such which Rom. 3. 5. are so and so vnworthy in themselues obiection was made If our vnrighteousnes setteth forth the glory of Gods goodnes then the Lord may seeme to be vniust in punishing sinne for that his glory is thereby the more furthered the Apostle answereth by an exclamation or rather by a detestation saying God forbid else how should God iudge the world Seeing he is not a iudge after the manner of mortal men who being advanced to high estate do many times corruptly abuse their high authority but it is not so with God For his being iudge of the world is not by birth or electioÌ„ or suite or purchase but by nature For in that he is God creator of all hee is iudge of all and his most vpright and vncorrupt will is the soveraigne rule of all righteousnes and it his is the extraordinary prerogatiue of this his most righteous will that hee cannot possibly wil or coÌ„mand any thing that is vniust So that if he coÌ„mand the Israelites to borrow of the Aegyptians Iewels of silver Exod. 3. 23. Iewels of gold so to rob the Aegyptians they may boldly do the same and keepe those Iewels to their owne vses as his lawful gifts as the pledges of his fatherly loue If God coÌ„maÌ„d Levy to Exod. 32. 27 consecrate his hands in blood if he know not father nor mother brother nor friend but execute the Lords veÌ„geance without respect of persons he shall receiue a blessing for the same So likewise if Abraham be commanded of God to kill holy innocent Isaak Gen. 22. 16 his deare and only sonne from whom was to proceed that holy seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed if hee but intende in all humble obedience to the will and commaundement of GOD to performe the same GOD will so â—pproue and like of him for it that hee will in recompence thereof even vow and sweare his everlasting blessednes Nay if the most holie but secret counsell of God wherin he hath chosen some to eternall life before they were borne yea before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid and refused other be called in question and condemned also by the corrupt reason of maÌ„ yet this is a sufficient iustification thereof vttered by the Lordes owne mouth I Exod. 33. 19 Voluntas beneplacitâ— Mat. 11. 26. will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion Whervnto our Saviour also subscribeth saying even so O father for so was it thy good pleasure And the same plea is made likewise by the Apostle in the same case he will haue Rom. 9. 18. mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he hardeâ—eth But this secret wil of God is mainly improued by the Church Not only the secret but also the revealed will of God is blasphemously defaced by the church of Rome voluntas signi of Rome yea and flatly condemned of cruelty and tyranny Neither hath shee any better regard of the revealed will of God set downe in the sacred bookes of the canonicall scripture For shee hath presumed to plucke downe out of the seate of highest iudgment the booke of God in that tongue wherin it was penned by the speciall direction of Gods vn-erring spirite hath
authority over them and their humble submission vnto his statutes and lawes And therefore in the prophecie of Ieremie the Lorde himselfe doeth most vâ—hemently cry out vnto this backesliding generation O yee disobedient children turne againe saith the Lorde for I am your Ierem. 3. 14 Lord. And verily if it seeme vnto every man iust and reasonable that the eies of servantes shoulde looke to the hands of their masters Psal 123. 2. and the eies of maydens to the handes of their mistrestes then much more reason is it that our eies shoulde waite and attende vpon the LORDE our GOD if that vvee vvill bee accepted of him as his faithfull servauntes The Centurions goe Mat. 8. 9. in the Gospell vvas enough to his souldiours and his doe this was sufficient vnto his servantes and shall not the orders and iniunctions of the Lord of Lords and commander of al commâ—unders make vs prest and willing to yeeld to him al humble ready obedience Especially whereas he is our only Lord and lawmaker who hath authority not only to impose lawes vpon our consciences but also to revenge all contempt and disobedience even with everlasting perdition both of body and soule There is Iac. 4. 12. Eph. 4. 5. one lawgiver saith S. Iames who is able to saue and to destroy There is one God saith the Apostle and one Lord. All other Lord here among men haue no lawfull authority but from him for they are but his Lieuetenants and deputies and therefore must not goe beyond their commission in making statuces and imposing lawes no not vpon their owne subiects Concerning the safety prosperous estate of themselues and of their earthly kingdomes and concerning the welfare of their owne subiects that are coÌ„mitted to their fidelity and trust they haue sufficient authority in wisedome equity and iustice to make holesome lawes but as coÌ„cerning the worship and service of God they haue none authoritie to make any new lawes of their owne but to provide that the Lords lawes alone be duely put in execution The which thing if they religiously perfourme then they are to bee obeyed in the Lord and that not only for feare but also for conscience otherwise if they goe beyond their commission their subiects owe theÌ„ patience but not obedience For as they themselues wil not tolerate or indure any such presumptioÌ„ in any of their own subiects if they take vpon them to make lawes to overrule them their kingdomes for that were to suffer the scepter to be wrested out of their owne hands and the crowne to be taken from their own heads so they themselues must not presume to make lawes for the ordering of the church of God for the administring of his spirituall kingdome but religiously to provide that the Lordes lawes only be carefully observed and kept And therefore at the day of the kings coronation the booke of the law was delivered into his hand to put him in minde that thereby he ought to rule both himselfe and all his subiectes in all matters concerning the service of God So likewise the ecclesiasticall officers governours even they that are the chiefe builders of the Lords spirituall temple must lay no other stones in that building but such as are digged out of the Lordes owne quarries That is they must teach no other points of faith and precepts of life then such as they haue received froÌ„ him who only hath authority to appoint and ordaine what we ought to beleeue and how to liue otherwise if they teach any thinge of their owne wee ought to giue no eare nor credite vnto them The Scribes and Pharisies saith our Mat. 23. 2. Saviour Christ sit in Moses chaire whatsoever therefore they say vnto you that doe yee For in sitting in Moses chaire they teach the law delivered by Moses and so God himselfe teacheth by them vnto whom we owe all ready obedience But if they doe mingle therewith their owne leaven that is their owne doctrines and inventions Mat. 16. 6. we must avoide and shun the same as a most daungerous deadly poyson The truth is that in matters of ceremony the church governours haue authority to ordaine such thinges as belong to edification comelines and order and yet therin also they are to take heede that they do not clogge the Lordes people with such burdens as the Lord would not haue to be laid vpon them and also that matters of ceremony and circuÌ„stance be not so vehemently pressed and vrged as if they were matters of substance When king David not without the approbation of Nathan the prophet had purposed to builde a sumptuous temple for the arke of the Lords covenant for the fitter assembling of the people and for the more convenient performing of all such things as did belong to the service of God albeit also it was a matter of circumstance and not of substance therfore left in the hands of such as were in authority yet for that it was new and strange and not precisely and particularly commanded by the Lords owne mouth beholde howe the Lorde seemeth at the first to take exception against this so relligious and godly a purpose of his owne most choice and beloued servant In all the places saith the Lord wherin I walked with the childreÌ„ of Israell spake I one word to any of the tribes of Israell when I commanded the Iudges to feede my people Israell or said 2. Sam. 7. 7. I why build ye me not an house of Cedar trees Yea when those very sacrifices offerings Sabbothes new moones solemne feastes with other the like exercises belonging to the service of God which were also precisely commandâ—d by the Lordes owne expresse word were performed by priest and people but not after that manner as they were ordeined by God how doth hee reiect them al cast them of saying what haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices when yee come to appeare before meo who bath required Isa 1. 11. these things at your handes No marvaile then that the Lord doth with so great detestation reiect al those kinde of services which the people had sucked either out of their owne bâ—ainsicke heads or had receiued by tradition from their forefathers saying They haue done that which I commanded them not neither ever entred into Ier. 7. 31. my hart So Isay 29. Because this people commeth neare vnto mee vvith their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes but haue remooued their hart farre from me and their feare towardes mee was taught by the precepts of men therfore behould againe I will doe a marvelous worke in this people even am trvelous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise shall perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hidde Behould how dangerous a matter it is in those thinges which concerne the service of God to maime or to mingle any thing with the pure perfect word of God to
in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest doe it By which words we are to learne that God in his divine and heavenly wisedome hath not appointed either an Angel from heaven or a messenger from beyond the seas to bee the instruments wherby his wil may be related vnto vs but only his holy word sacred coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts In truth such is the pride curiosity superstition and rebellion of sottish sinfull man that he setteth light by the meanes appointed by God for his best instruction would needes haue one raised from the deade or an Angel from heaven to bring him tydings of the Lordes wil and to make relation thereof or else hee woulde receive it by tradition from his auncestors or by descent from his forefathers The rich glutton beeing in hell is saide to haue made his petition to Abraham being in heaven that he should cause one to come froÌ„ the deade to admonish his brethren whom he had lefte aliue behinde him least they also should come into the same place of tor ments Not that the damned spirits in hel are so charitably affected that they could wish others to be delivered from those miseries which they themselues endure wheras on the contrary side they are so envious and malitious that they envy at the happy estate of the blessed and would haue all entangled with them in the same curse But the purpose of the parable is to shew the vanity of such as are aliue who coÌ„tent not themselues with the instructioÌ„ of the word but needs would be taught by a messenger from the dead Now what is Abrahams answere to this petition They haue saith he Moses and the Prophets that is the word of Luk 16. 29. God sett down in their writings let them beare them For howsoever many perswade themselues that they should verily beleeue and amend their liues if one should arise from the deade and admonish warne them of the great danger they are subiect vnto in respect of their sins yet it is a contrary resolution from the spirit of God by the mouth of Abraham If they wil not heare Moses the Prophets neither will they beleeve though one rose againe from the deade For if they will not be taught and reformed by such meanes as God in his dâ—vine wisedome hath thought to be best for their instruction reformation then surely al such meanes must needs be of lesse force and efficacy which blinde foolish man hath of himselfe imagined conceaved And therfore when the vaine people in the time of the Prophet Esay would needes be certified Esa 8. 19. of the Lords will by sorcerers coniurers by informatioÌ„s from the deade What saith the Lord from the living to the deade Doe yee appeale from the censure of the eternall and everliving Lord vnto the sentence of such as are deade To the lawe to the testimony for if they vvhich pretend to certifie you of the vvill of the Lord speake not out of this vvorde it is because they haue no light in them And verely if we meane to consult with God and to haue an answere from him concerning his will wee must seeke for the same froÌ„ the divine Oracles of his sacred word if we be desirous Rom. 3. 2. Psal 119. to be partakers of the Lords counselles our counsellours must bee the Lords owne bookes For they are the Lords testimonies and after a sort his sworne witnesses to testify vnto vs all the truth nothing but the truth in all matters that concerne the glory of God the salvation of our owne soules They containe the full and whole wil and testament of our heavenly father the disposition of all such blessings as he bestoweth vpon his deare louing children the prescription of all such duties as he requireth at their hands And yet there haue bin still are many who had rather seeke for the manifestation of the will of God in the traditions of their auncestors in the examples of their forefathers then in the very will testament of God himselfe Our Fathers Ioh. 4. 10. saith the woman of Samariâ— worshipped in this mount but ye say thaâ— Ierusalem is the place where men ought to worshippe The Samaritaneâ— had forsaked the most certaine infallible rule of the vvritten word pretended the example of their progenitors an olde tradition from their forefathers Our Fathers worshippeâ— in this mount But what replieth our blessed Saviour vnto this so plausible glorious an allegation yee worshippeyee wote not what vve Vers 22. know what we worshippe therfore salvatioÌ„ is from vs. So the Idolatrous Iewes The word say they that thou hast spoken to vs â—n Ier. 44. 16. the name of the Lord we will not heare it of thee but will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heaveÌ„ and to powre out our drinke-offrings to her as we haue done both we our fathers our kinges our princes in the cities of Iudah in the streetes of Ierusalem for then bad we plenty of victuals and vvere well and felte none evill So mightely doth crooked custome the example of carnal progenitors other carnal respects prevaile with carnal sensuall men but the spirituall man is taught by the spirit of truth to follow no such deceaveable guids We followed not saith S. Peter deceaueable fables wheÌ„ we opened vnto you the power coÌ„ming of our 2. Pet. 1. 16. Lord Iesus Christ but with our eies we sawe his glory for be received of God the father honour glory when there came such a voice vnto him from the excellent glory This is my well beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voice we heard when it came from heaven being vvith him in the holy mount We haue also a most sure word of the Prophets vnto the which yee doe well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Wherby we learne that the word of God delivered either by revelation from himselfe or else sett downe by the pennes of the Apostles and Prophets is a most sure vndeceavable testimony of the Lords wil wheras that which is delivered by tradition from hand to hande hath oftentimes a mixture of decea veable fables in steede of pure and sincere truth as the Iewish Thalmud and the popish Legende can testifie sufficiently And therefore for the safer custodie and preservation of the truth it Luk. 1. 4. pleased the spirite of GOD that the Gospell first preached by the mouth of the Apostles and Evangelistes should afterward be registred by their ovvne pennes and sette dovvne vnder their ovvne handes VVee haue not saith Irene by any other knowen those thinges that belong to our salvation but by those by whom Iren l. 3. c. 1 the Gospell came vnto vs the vvhich they at the first published by mouth and
aftervvardes by the vvill of God delivered vnto vs in the holy Scriptures that is might bee the foundation and pillar of our saith The doctrine then delivered in the Scriptures is a most sure doctrine and hee that buildeth his faith thereon buildeth vpon a most strong foundation but hee that buildeth vpon any thing else buildeth vpon the slippery sande If anie thinge saith Chrysostome be spoken vvithout the Scripture the knovvledge of the Chrysâ—in Psal 95. bearer halteth novve staggering novve graunting novve dâ—testing the speech as vaine and novve receiving the same as probable but vvhere the Scripture the testimonie of GODS voice commeth forth it confirmeth the talke of the speaker and the minde of the hearer And verely vvee may bee fully assured that to bee sound and perfect vvhich is delivered in the holy Scripture the which vvhosoever follovveth vvalketh safely and all other doctrines may bee suspected vvhich the Lavve and the Prophets vvith the Gospell doe not confirme For as for our ovvne narrations and declarations they haue no credite at all vvithout the divine bookes and therefore if vve wil be accounted the teachers of truth wee must not â—et abroach our ovvne inventions or any manner of doctrine received froÌ„ man but only â—ecite rehearse out of the scriptures the doctrine of Christ our onely Doctor and teacher For humane testimonies are not sufficient aâ—d allowable in divine matters of what force and validity soever they be in humane affaires to warrant divine matters they are not of sufficient auctority albeit they be the revereÌ„d testimonies of Apostolicall men For they were apostolicall men on both sides in the first age of the primitiue church that contended so eagerly about the observation of Easter and pretended both apostolicall tradition yet even so neere the Apostles time on the one side at the least there was in al likely-hood but a meere pretence Wherfore Ier. in 1. Hagg. Ierome is bolde to avouch that the sword of the spirit which is the word of God doth strike through those things which without the auctorities testimonies of the scripture men doe finde out faine as if they had them by apostolical tradition Cyprian also thought it to be a sufficient exception against any apostolical Cyp. ep 74. tradition if it were not written in the bookes of the Prophets Apostles For the Lord saith he doth testifie that those things are to be done which are registred in writing as to Iosuah the sonne of NuÌ„ Let not the booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe do all things that are written therin In all well ordred countries kingdomes there is a common beame or ballance or sealed weights allowed measures for the preservation of iustice equitie which would not vndoubtedly be so well kept if every one were permitted to follow what measure he listed This common ballance among the Lordes people Aug. cont Donatist â—2 c. 6. is the Lords owne word therfore when any goe about to measure their faith or their workes by their owne good intentes and meanings or by the opinions iudgments of men it is as it were a taking to themselues of new ballance that is to be esteemed no better then flatt forgery these their measures are to be broken themselues to be punished for that they presume to refuse the Lords weights measures to gette to themselues other of their owne devising Wherfore if we desire to be rightly instructed what is the holy perfecte wil of God what are the things that belong to his service we must not now seeke for any new revelation nor for any information to be given vs by Angels or by any from the dead we must not follow the customes of the multitude nor say a conspiracy to that whereto the people saith a conspiracy neither must wee be over ruled by the examples of our forefathers nor yet by the pretence of apostolike traditions seing all these are but false ballances vncertaine deceaveable guides The books of the Prophets Apostles are the onely iust ballances the onely sure infallible teachers that will not mislead vs nor carry vs into errors Wherefore most holesome is the counsell of the preacher VVhen thou goest vp saith hee to the Eccl. 4. 17. house of God take heede to thy foote be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they doe evill Our naturall light in divine matters is grosse darkenes our fleshly wisedome 1. Cor. 3. 19. is meere follie and therfore he that will come to the house of God there offer vp to God as parte of his service any thing either drawen out of his owne foolish braines or taken froÌ„ others like to himselfe he doth offer to God the sacrifice of fooles wheras he that is affraide to thrust vpon God his owne or other mens follies therfore is ready to harkeÌ„ most diligeÌ„tly to the word of the most wise God the full fountaine welspring of all true wisdome he is in the ready way to offer to God that service vvhich is most gratefull and acceptable vnto him as being most agreeable to his owne will And no doubt but that hereof it was that in the ancieÌ„t church of the Iewes every Saboth day wheÌ„ the Lords people went vp to the Lords house to perform that service which wâ—s acceptable vnto him the bookes of Moses were read expounded Act. 15. 21. as it may appeare by the history of Nehemiah by the common practise of Christ and his Apostles For this cause in the primitiue church all bookes that vvere not Canonicall vvere in Concil Laod. Caâ— â—9 some Christian churches forbidden to be read in their publike asseÌ„blâ—es in those churches where there was a tolleration of some books to be read that were Apocripha that was done not as if any point of faith could sufficiently be confirmed by their auctority but for the edification of manners by the ensamples of the servantes of GOD therein remembred vvhose lives vvere framed according vnto the Lavve of GOD and according vnto the rules of the Canonicall Scriptures For vvee ought not to follovve the holiest of the Saintes but vvith this restriction as they follovve CHRIST Bee follovvers saith Saint Paule of mee as I am of CHRIST So that if the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 1. himselfe in any thing bee it never so little decline from GOD and turne out of the directe vvaie of his commandements we must turne from him if he leaue God we must leaue him only in what things he most vprightly walketh vvith God in those thinges vve are bounde ro walke with him steppe by steppe and to follow his holy and godly example But the precepts of a sincereâ— faith and of an holy life delivered in the Caâ—onicall scriptures doe in all pointes leade
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same
holy pure perfect gratefull and acceptable to himselfe also for that it is his will vnto whoÌ„ I am ten thousand times bouÌ„d to yeeld al dutiful submissioÌ„ obedience both in respect of his soveraigne auctority that he only hath to rule over my conscience soule also in regard of his infinite blessings which he of his owne vnspeakeable goodnes in Christ hath most freely fully bestowed vpon me And verely our obedience performed to the vvill of God in these respectes is a sweete incense and a most acceptable sacrifice to God wherwith we after a sort gratifie God and grieve the Devill are as an heaven to all holy Angels and a very hell vnto al vncleane spirits So like wise when we are tempted to any wicked worke wee must thus reason with ourselues and say this worke ought in no wise to be done by me no not the least desire to accomplish the same ought once to haue any entrance into my hart because it is contrary to the holy pure perfect will of God agreeable vnto the impure will of the Devill because it is most offensiue grievous to God most gratefull acceptable vnto the Devill because it is a great dishonour to him to whoÌ„ all honour is double due both in respect of his soveraigne auctority over me and also in regard of his manifolde mercies collated vpon me and it is a great honour vnto that most cruell and infamous tyrant the Devill who presseth vpon me thereby to take me captive to the vtter destruction both of my body and soule We are debters as saith the Apostle yea very great debters as great as great may be but not to the flesh nor to our selues nor Rom. 8. 12. to the devil vnles it be that we owe to these al maÌ„ner of evils miseries whatsoever but we are debtters to God that for the loue of a thousand talents for the gift of ten thousand more yet if we haue but a sincere desire to discharge this our debt our most gracious creditour will not onely straitwaies forgiue it all but also wil giue vnto vs ten thousand times more Yea the sincere desire of being obedient to the will of God vpon the former respects and the true care according as God hath enabled vs in some measure to discharge this our debt is a very great mercy a very gracious favour wherby we are more and more endebtted vnto him And verely this is al the discharge of our debt that hee requireth at our hands that we willingly gladly acknowledge him of whoÌ„ we haue received all that we so highly esteeme of his giftes and presume of his good will that we are stil desirous to been debtted vnto him more more by al relligious hearing reading and meditating vpon his holy and sacred word by all servent and devout praier bee continually begging and craving for more and after a sort extorting it out of his handes For his desire is not to be benifited by vs but that we should still more and more bee benefited by him and hee vvould haue vs to acknowledge his loue and to grovve into a stedfast assurance therof that therby we might be more effectually stirred vp to reioyce in his goodnes to be thankful vnto him for his manifold mercies especially he would haue vs most midfully to record that vnmatchable blessing of our redemption wrought by Christ his inestimable loue made manifest therin that therby our hearts might be renewed our affections saÌ„ctified dying to our selues living to God employing our selues to every good worke And hereof it is that the spirit of God especially in the bookes of the new testament doth so often make mention of Christ and of our redemption wrought by him and of his great loue manifested therein as being the matter and subiect of those bookes a â—aÌ„st vvhereof I vvill giue vnto thee in some sentences of one of those bookes penned by Saint Iohn as they be pointed vnto by that learned preacher of the vvord Mr. Robert Rolloc in his commentaries vpon the same booke No man hath soone God at any time the onely begotten sonne of God vvho is in the bosome of the father hee hath revealed him Ioh 1. 18. The Philosophers in all ages haue most painfully searched after truth in their Physikes Ethikes Mathematikes and the rest But the knowledge of the Father in the Sonne doth only deserue the name of truth For to what purpose is it to comprehend in minde heaven and earth and all other thinges if a sinner doth not knowe God in Christ the redeemer That is vnlesse he feele God favourable vnto him and forgiving him all his sinnes in Christ which only doeth pacifie the troubled conscience hee can haue little true comfort in all his knovveledge of all other things be it never so great and smal courage to come vnto God and to rest in him and so to take hold of everlasting blessednes Therefore our Saviour himselfe after that he had said no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whom the sonne hath revealed him Math. 11. 28. immediately addeth Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and I will refresh you VVhereby hee signifieth that God being revealed in Christ there doeth follovve peace of conscience and vnspeakeable ioy in all those that doe cast their sinnes vpon him The nexte daie Iohn stoode and tvvo of his disciples and beholding Iesus vvalking hee saide beholde that lambe of GOD. Iohn 1. Chap. verse 36. As Iohn oftentimes gaue witnesse to Christ so it is no lesse necessarie at this time that the sacrifice and death of Christ be repeated and reiterated againe and againe For as the Iewes were ignoraunt that Christ the lambe of God shoulde bee offered vppe in sacrifice so vvee after a sort haue forgotten that hee hath beene sacrificed and hath already suffered for our sinnes For vvhat meane these sinnes which so every where abound adulteries murders rapines sacriledges even so many sinnes of all sortes vvhat say I doe they meane but that wee haue forgotten that our Saviour Christ hath suffered for vsâ— For ifit did come into our mindes that vvee vvere once boughte with so greate a price vvoulde vvee so sell our selues and become captiues to so manye sinnes If vvee did remember that vvee vvere washed with the most precious bloodof CHRIST vvoulde vvee againe so defile our selues vvith the filthy mire of this vncleane vvorlde After that Saint Peter had commended vnto the faithfull certaine necessary vertues 2. Peter 1. 9. Hee that hath not these saieth hee is bloude and seeth nothing a farre of but hath forgotten that hee vvas purged from his olde sinnes For let all bee sure of this that who edomes murders and the like to them that make profession of the faith of Christ are not therefore sinnes onely for that they are contrary to the lawe of God