graces as being the fruitfull mother tender nurse of them all 6 The Christian Faith only doth giue vndeeeiuable assurance of the loue of God of aeternall happines obtained thereby to all the sincere embracers thereof 7 The dignity and vtility of Faith and the difficulty of obtaining and encreasing the same THE QVAESTIONS THAT ARE handled in the second part which are declared by arguments taken from all the Topick places Quaestions handled by argumente drawn from the efficient Cause The Church is not alwayes glorious notorious as a Citty set vpon a high hill All the workes of the most holy in this life are stained with sinne The ignorance and not the knowledge of holy Scripture is the cause of all errours and sinnes From the materiall Cause Not the sufferings and righteousnes of any meere man but onely of our most blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthines to satisfie for sinne or to purchase the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the very Body Blood of Christ The righteousnes prescribed in the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnes whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnes which is said to be obtained by the vndertaking of Popish vowes From the formall cause We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law which are wrought by our selues but for those which were done by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person for vs and are made ours by the Lord 's gracious imputation The forme and manner to attaine to true sanctification is not to receiue the holy Word of God and the Sacraments onely with our bodily senses but rather with the powers of our Soules nor to trauaile farre and neare on pilgrimage to see and kisse holy Reliques but to see and touch holy things by the inward powers of our mindes which are the proper subiects of sanctification From the finall cause Saluation and aeternall life is from our blessed Sauiour and not from any other person or thing The outward Elements in the Eucharist are not Bread and Wine in shew but in substance There is no miraculous turning of Bread Wine in the Eucharist into the very Body and Blood of Christ nor any other the like miracle Iustification is by faith alone not by faith and workes ioyned together in that worke The faithfull after this life are not punished in the fire of Purgatory From the effects The carnall eating of Christ's Body is nothing auaileable to aeternall life but only the spirituall eating thereof by faith Concupiscence is sinne euen in the Regenerate The workes of God reuealed in the Scriptures doe manifestly declare them to bee the word of God especially the worke of Regeneration wrought by the wise and powerfull doctrine thereof in the hearts of all the sincere embracers of the same and therefore they are not to be receiued for such only vpon the testimony of the Church The Soule of our Sauiour Christ descended locally into hell From the Subiect Fasting or any outward thing doth not sanctifie any but only the inward graces of the spirit and such things as doe breed strengthen the same There is no such place appointed for the faithfull as Purgatory is faigned to be Christ is not corporally in the Eucharist but only in Heauen The City of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the titulary Catholick Roman Church is the certaine seat of the great Antichrist of the latter times From the adiuncts The Word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credit to it's selfe and doth cause it selfe to bee beleeued and embraced as the Word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrine contained therein and not only for the bare testimony of the Church Kneeling is the fittest gesture of the body at the reuerent receiuing of the holy Eucharist Holines doth not consist in vowing to abstain from riches meates and marriages but rather in the holy and lawfull vse of them The Body of Christ is at one time but in one place Christ's Body and Blood ought not and in truth cannot bee often offered vp to God by the Masse Priests as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead Christ's flesh is not eaten with our bodily mouthes It is a property only belonging to God to forgiue sinne Enoch and Elias cannot come in their owne persons to resist Antichrist and to be slain of him Frō things that be diuerse Regeneration is not wrought by the power of free-will but by the operation of the spirit of God None are elected for foreseene workes Frō things that be contrary A true faith is not seated in that soule where infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Saluation is not merited by our own workes Frō things that bee opposite priuatiuely The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiousty good Frō things depending vpon relation No diuine worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Frō things that haue the same proportion of reason The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnes of Christ imputed vnto them The faithfull may aswell know themselues to be endued with true loue as with true faith The Cup in the Eucharist is not to bee taken away from the Lords people The paines of Popish pennance or Purgatory cannot be satisfactory for the least sinne Matrimony is lawfull for the ministers of the Gospell The nailes and speare wherewith our blessed Sauiours most precious Body was tormented grieuously are not to bee worshipped with diuine worship Frō things that haue the greater proportion of reason The sinnes of the faithfull shall not be punished in the fire of Purgatory The Sacraments be not instruments of grace vnlesse their vses be rightly vnderstood Images are not to be worshipped with diuine worship The word of God is not to be read vnto the simple people in a strange tongue In all matters that concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God no doctrine is to be receiued which is not warranted by the authority of the Canonicall Scripture Frō things that haue the lesse proportion of reason The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of voluntary pouerty is the way to perfection The people ought to be able to discerne the doctrine of their teachers Our whole iustification is by the free vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The going on pilgrimage to visit the relickes of the Saints doth not sanctifie The faithfull haue the assurance of their own saluation giuen vnto them The least sinnes are mortall and damnable All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures The faithfull embrace the Scriptures as the Word of God for it selfe not only for the testimony of the Church The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously
Gospell it selfe for the working out of the conversion of any Because this word of Christ is not rightly receiued nor doth worke in any one effectually but where it 1 Thess 2. 13 is receiued for it's own sake And verily concerning the power of miracles and of the Church which is a multitude of such as professe the truth they are not able to convert an Infidell but to prepare him make him ready to embrace the Gospell which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16 Aug. de utilitntâ— credendi c. 16 to saluation to all that belieue Men saith S. Austin that are not yet able to discerne the heauenly truth that they may bee lifted vp to it and suffer themselues to be purged from their impurity hindring them from it haue the benefit of direction of authority which standeth vpon two things whereof the one is the greatnes of miracles and wondrous workes done the other is the multitude of such as beleeue Verily God would haue all men saued and come thereto by the knowledge of the truth But this knowledge of the truth is learned out of the 1 Tim. 2. 4 Ioh. 8. 32 Col. 1. 5 Gospel the word of truth And therefore did the Lord cause so many strange signes and wonders to be done by the first publishers and preachers thereof that the doctrine of the same Marc. 16. 20. Hab. 2. 4. might bee embraced as diuine and heauenly whereunto the Lord himselfe did giue such testimony For the which purpose also the Lord caused so many diuine graces to shine in the liues and such admirable courage and comfort in the deathes of such as were the first Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitiue Church that that doctrine might be receiued as diuine heauenly which wrought such diuine and heauenly effects The which were so euident and apparent that the very enemy was forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holy profession which bringeth forth such an holy conversation this is a ioyfull comfortable faith which breedeth such ioy and comfort amidst the very terrours of death O vndonbtedly great is the God of the Christians Their light did so shine before men that they seeing their Mat. 5. 16. good workes did glorifie God the Author thereof So likewise why doth the Lord sometimes cause the sweet dewes of his temporall blessings to distill downe vpon his beloued Vineyard and sometimes againe smite it with the sharpe stormes of his coâ—rections but that thereby he might prepare it to yeeld a fruitfull and a plentifull Vintage And why doth he suffer the Field of his Church sometimes to lye ley and vnbroken vp and to be at rest and againe at another time doth breake it vp and fallow it but that he might make it fitter to receiue and nourish the Lord's seed and in the end yeeld a better haruest Yea as a wise and prudent Schoolemaster dealeth with his young and tender Scholler sometimes speaking him faire and giuing him an apple or a fig that so he may winne him vnto his will and sometimes not only threatneth him but vseth also the rod that so he may force and compell him thereunto so dealeth Christ our heauenly Master and Teacher with vs his dull disciples and Schollers sometimes seeking to allure vs with a liberall largesse of his temporall blessings carefully to hearken to the holy instructions of his Word and sometimes seeking to compell vs thereto by his sharpe corrections the which yet Psal 106. 45 Luc. 14. 23 are neither our Schoole nor our Schoolemaster but the rod rather in our Schoolemasters hand The Church is our Schoole-house and Christ himselfe is our Schoolmaster and the Bible is the Booke whereby we be taught corrections are the rod in Christs hands whereby we are forced to giue an attentiue eare to the instructions of his word by the which we are made wise and learned Christians Prosperity ordinarily breedeth security and choaketh the Mat. 13. 22. Exod. 6 9. Eccle. 7. 9 Iob. 3. 3. Ier. 15. 10. good seed and maketh it vnfruitfull So aduersity maketh many to murmure against God and to stop their eares against all good admonitions yea it maketh a wise man mad as it may appeare by holy Iob and Ieremie who were thereby occasioned euen to curse the day of their nativity And therefore it is a speciall blessing of God when by prosperity we are stirred vp to thankfulnes and by aduersity to repentance and to take better heed to the wholesome instructions of God's most holy word Blessed is the man said Dauid whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest in thy Law that thou maist giue him patience in Psal 94. 12. time of adversity vntill the pit be digged for the vngodly And verily when in our aduersity the Lord doth teach vs out of his Word the vse and end of afflictions and maketh vs seriously to lay it to our hearts then is our adversity made profitable vnto vs by the blessing of God I heard Ephraim saith the Prophet lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe convert thou me and I shal be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented and after I was instructed I smote vpon Ier. 31. 18. my thigh In which words we may perceiue that corrections of themselues cause the professed seruants of God to kicke with the heele and that vntill God by his word instruct them they are not effectually moued by their corrections vnto repentance and amendment of life Wherefore when the Lord openeth the eares of any of his Seruants by their corrections it is by sending vnto them a Messenger one of a thousand to declare vnto them the Lord 's most exact righteousnes and seuerity euen against the sinne of his Elect which cannot be satisfied for the same but by the precious Bloud of their Sauior Christ that thereby they might be brought to Faith and Repentance For then will the Lord haue mercy vpon them and say Deliuer them that they goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Iob 33. 24. So then it is still the power of the Gospell of Christ sounding in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers that is able to worke the conversion of a sinner afflictions may cause vs more carefully to giue attendance to the Word as in like manner may paines penalties inflicted by the Magistrates which are the Lord's Lieutenants ordained to this purpose that they should by their penall statutes euen force their subiects to harken diligently to the commandements of God Not that any can be forced to faith and repentance by any manner of penalty or paine whatsoeuer but by inforcements they may be driuen to come to the Assemblies of the Saints where the Fishers of men cast out the net of the Gospell that at
my Calling and to leaue the discussing of quaestions of learning to the learned I am ready to come to Church and to doe my duty to God and to liue iustly and peaceably with my neighbours Why the learned themselues cannot agree about the points of Faith and how then shall such an one as I am be able to discerne it and to finde it out The truth is that God wrote his Law in the heart of Adam and thereby set in his minde such a light of reason that he had a right iudgement in all things But Adam was not contented with this treasure of wisdome and this measure of knowledge extending it selfe to all that was good but he would needes know euill also that he might by experience try what would be the event thereof And thereupon he forsooke God the Father of light and betooke himselfe to be instructed by the Prince of darkenesse Whereby it came to passe that he fell from truth to falshood from faith to fancy from the knowledge of good to the knowledge of euill from the light of Diuine logicke and reason to divellish sophistry Yea hereby the wily and crafty Serpent stored him and his posterity with all manner of captious and deceiuable sophismes and so enabled him not onely to know but also colourably to defend all falshood and vntruth Against the which so desperate a mischiefe the Lord prouided a soueraigne remedy by causing all Diuine verities necessary to saluation lightned fortified with all manner of sound arguments and reasons to be deliuered to his Church first by word of mouth and afterward by writing in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture that so when the enemy should come ready furnished and prepared with strong delusion and with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse the desender of the Truth on the contrary side might also be armed with all manner of weapons offensiue and defensiue that so he might be enabled to stand fast and firme against all the assaults of the enemy and to get ouer him a glorious victory And hereof it is that the booke of the holy Scripture is called the Bible that is the booke of bookes or the onely booke for that all manner of Divine wisdome is contayned therein The reasons and argument set downe in this booke for the clearing and fortifying of all Diuine verities are of such validity and strength that therefore this booke is called by Saint Hierome a reasonable mountaine where wee may Hieron in Hag. cut downe choice and sit timber for the building vp of the house of Wisedome Yea the first rudiments and principles thereof are of such soundnesse and solidity that Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3. 2. Chrysost hom 9. in ep ad Col. calleth them reasonable and vndeceiueable milke In which words he opposeth them to the principles of all erronious professions which the same Apostle tearmeth sophisticall fables For the which cause the maintayners of those sophisticall positions are called by the Apostle Saint Paul absurd or vnreasonable men as the sincere imbracers of the Doctrines of the Scriptures are tearmed by Saint Chrysostome reasonable sheepe for that they are able to discerne the voyce of their shepheard from the voyce of a stranger And hereof also it is that the Apostle Saint Paul calleth the seruice of God prescribed in this booke a reasonable seruice For that as Tertullian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non exigebat Deus quae siebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. l. 3. cont Marc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 19. teacheth God doth require therein not so much the worke wrought as the doing it vpon those grounds and reasons for the which it should be done One most singular worke of this seruice of God being done by one of the most singular seruants of God that euer liued euen the offering vp of Isaac by his father Abraham was as the Apostle saith performed by him as a Logiâ—ian by the helpe of Metaphysicall and supernaturall reason And no maruell seeing as in the same place the Apostle teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Downam l. 2. c. 7. Of Christian Warfare the true Christian faith is grounded vpon such a demonstratiue syllogisme that is able as Austin expoundeth the words to convince the iudgement and after a sort to force the minde to yeeld therevnto a most setled assent whoÌ„ one of our learned and religious Doctors followeth saying that faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a manifest demonstratioÌ„ for that it doth not onely shew a thing probably but doth convince it with strong arguments and maketh that cleare and manifest which was otherwise obscure and secret and therefore is called a demonstration of things not seene And if it be not reason that doth season our seruice done vnto God and make it sauory and well tasting vnto him why Leu. 12. 13. Mar. 9. 50. Coloss 4. 6. was salt to be added to euery sacrifice and why are all the faithfull commanded to haue salt in themselues Yea and that their very words should be poudred with salt And was it not for this cause that one Eccholius in the Primitiue Church when he had fallen away againe and againe from the true faith and reasonable seruice of God vnto absurd and impious Idolatry at his last returne cast himselfe downe flat vpon the ground before the Congregation saying trample vpon me vnsauery salt That reason should be our guide not onely in such things as concerne the Divine seruice of God but also in all our actions whatsoeuer Iesus the sonne of Siracke teacheth saying Eccl. 37. 16. Let reason goe before euery enterprise and counsell before euery action Yea Aristotle saw thus much by the light of naturall reason that is that euery vertuous action must be done vpon knowledge and vpon good advise had with right reason Scienter consultò constanter and vpon a setled purpose to be constant therein Wherefore there was great reason that the great and wise G O D should enrich his owne booke with all manner of divine and heauenly reason that so it might be able rightly to guide all his sincere and faithfull seruants in the performing of all manner of vertuous and Religious actions And verily it is in that aboundant manner so filled and furnished with this heauenly treasure that as Luther saith it were no great matter if all other bookes contayning the doctrines of faith and an holy life were on a light fire if this one booke were rightly vnderstood For there is more Diuine learning wisedome and reason in this little booke then in all the large volumnes that euer were written Witnesse not only the explications of the divine doctrines hereof made by our blessed that â—low most plenteously out of the full fountaines of the Isa 12. 3. wels of life we ought to drinke our full draught and euer to haue them
2 Tim. 4. 15. God hath promised thee O man saith Saint Austin speaking Aug in Ps 148. to all such as are sanctified by regeneration that thou shalt liue for euer and doest not thou beleeue it Oh saith he beleeue it beleeue it For that which he hath done for thee already is a greater matter then that which he hath promised For he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne who is farre more excellent then thousands of heauens at the dearest rate that may be to purchase for thee euerlasting life and doest thou think that this purchase made by such a person at such an high rate can euer possibly be made voide Especially whereas for his Sonnes sake be hath adopted thee which wert by nature the slaue of Satan the child of wrath and inheritor of euerlasting destruction into the number of his sonnes and heires and renewed thee in part to his owne image in holinesse and true righteousnesse and doest thou yet doubt whether he will giue thee the inheritance of a sonne Vndoubtedly he that for thy Sauiours sake hath in part sanctified thee to liue a sober iust and a godly life in this world will for his sake bring thee to an eternall and an euerlasting life in the world to come QVEST. LV. Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Arguments drawne from the lesser proportion of reason to the greater If all our righteousnesse be as a menstruous Cloath Ioathsome and odious to God and deserue Gods curse because it wanteth that fulnesse of faith feruency of loue simple sincerity and full freenesse from all sinister respects which the Law of God requireth at our hands then what doe those thoughts words and workes which are meerely sinfull deserue albeit Esay 64. 6. Iob 9. 31. Gal. 3. 10. they be neuer so small Vndoubtedly no sinnes that are meerly so can be smaller or lesse hurtfull then the imperfections of our best workes and yet these being transgressions of the Law of God deserue Gods curse and malediction and therefore all sinnes that are meerely so cannot but deserue the like woe So reasoneth our blessed Sauiour If the light which is Matth. 6. 23. in thee bee darkenesse how great is the darkenesse it selfe And so Saint Bernard If all our righteousnesse be as vnrighteousnesse Bern. Serm. in fest Sanct. then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be QVEST. LVI All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Ganonicall Scriptures There is no wise man among men but that he will be carefull in his last Will and Testament that all things therein be set downe plainly distinctly and fully which concerne either the legacies which he bequeatheth to his childrē or the duties that he requireth at their hands that so all occasion of discord and debate may be cleane taken away And can we then imagine that our heauenly Father being so wise and so prouident as he is and so desirous to preserue vnity and peace among his deare children would not set downe plainly distinctly and fully in his Will and Testament what be those great and gracious gifts that he doth in his tender kindnesse and loue bestow vpon them with the meanes whereby they shall attaine to the same as likewise what be all those necessary duties which he requireth at their hands So reasoneth Optatus Christ hath Optat. l 5. cont Parm. Donat. dealt with vs as an earthly Father is wont to doe with his children who searing least they should fall out after his decease doth set downe his Will in writing vnder witnesses that if there arise any doubt among them they should goe to his Testament He whose word must end our Controuersies is Christ let vs then goe to his Testament QVEST. LVII The faithfull for the diuine wisedome of the holy Scriptures rightly vnderstood beleeue them to be the Word of God and not onely for the bare authority of the Church If the Gentiles instructed by the light of naturall reason did certainly perceiue the booke of the creatures to be Gods booke by the glorious attributes of God made manifest therein much more the faithfull lightned with the Lampe of Rom. 1. 19. diuine grace may plainly perceiue the booke of the Scriptures wherein God as a familiar friend without casting of a mist doth speak to the heart not onely of the learned but of the vnlearned also as Austin saith to be Gods booke by the diuine Aug. Ep. 3 ad Vol. and heauenly wisedome deliuered therein and therefore they need not build their faith vpon the bare testimony onely of the Church And so reasoneth the Prophet Dauid The Psal 19. 1. heauens saith he declare themselues to be the workes of the glorious God euen by their heauenly influences and diuine operations How much more doth the Law of the Lord by the diuine wisedome and righteousnesse thereof and by the most powerfull and excellent workes that are wrought thereby declare and demonstrate it selfe euidently to be the most wise and righteous word of the most wise and righteous God QVEST. LVIII The naturall man hath no free will in heauenly things Mans will is but feeble and weake for the compassing of earthly businesses that are of any weight or moment therfore in heauenly matters the strength thereof is small or rather as the Apostle saith it is none at all So reasoneth the Wiseman Rom. 5. 6. Sap. 9. 13. What is man that he can know the counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of the Lord is For the thoughts of mortall men are fearefull and their forecasts vncertaine because a corruptible body is heauy to the soule and the earthly mansion keepeth downe the minde that is full of cares and hardly can wee discerne the things that are on earth and with great labour finde we out the things that are before vs Who can then seeke out the things that are in heauen who can know thy counsell except thou giue him wisedome and send thy holy Spirit from aboue So Saint Austin It is an absurd thing that we should thinke Aug. de predest Sanct. cap. 26. that God frameth the wils of men for the setling of earthly Kingdomes and that men frame their owne wils for the obtayning of the Kingdome of heauen The Prophets complaint taken vp against the Iewes with whom he liued and who tooke themselues to be Gods people is true against all men as they are naturally corrupted My people are foolish and haue Ierem. 4. 22. no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Now if we haue no vnderstanding of that which is good then doubtlesse we haue no will thereunto and if we be so foolish that we will not be perswaded of the truth hereof it commeth from him that so befooled our first parents Adam and Eue that he made them beleeue that if they would forsake the direction of the most wise God and fall from him
signe that he Mat. 13. 11. hath admitted all such into the couenant of grace in whose hearts hee hath written his holy Lawes by giuing them the right vnderstanding of them For the soule of man is as a Table Ier. 31. 31. 2 Cor. 3 3. Prov. 7. 3. Apoc. 20. 12 board or as a register or a booke of records and the firme conceiuing of a thing in the minde and the sure laying vp thereof in the memory is as the drawing or grauing in a Table board or as the writing of it in a booke of record And therefore when the diuine doctrine of the Word of God is rightly apprehended by our vnderstanding and firmely layed vp and settled in our memory it is as it were printed and grauen in our soules so doth thereby assâ—re our Consciences that wee are the beloued people of God For giue in sincerity entertainment in the best roomes of thy soule to the Word of God and thou dost Ioh. 14. 23 Eph. 3. 17. withall giue entertainment to Christ For Christ doth dwell in our hearts by Faith He is not receiued and eaten with our bodily mouthes because he is not our bodily food but with the mouthes of our soules when sweetly and profitably we lay vp in our memories that his flesh was wounded and pierced for Aug. de doct Christian l. 3. c. 10. Tertul. de resur carnis vs. So Tertullian Christ is deuoured by hearing chewed by vnderstanding and digested by beleeuing For reall things are not in our mindes by any corporall contiguity of their reall substances but by a spirituall participation of them by their Res non sunt in animis sed rerum notiones reall notions Neither doe our Sacraments auouch a mingling of persons or an vniting of substances but after a spirituall and a mysticall manner And therefore Christ's Body being not a bodily but a ghostly food is not receiued but by the powers of our soules being indued with a true Faith For the Lord doth bestow his seuerall gifts and blessings Cyp. de coena Dom. Quicquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur vpon his seuerall creatures according vnto their seuerall natures and powers whereby he hath made them capable thereof causing them all to moue and to worke according to those powers and faculties where withall he hath indued them Hee nourisheth nourishable things by their nourishing powers doth minister many comforts to his creatures that haue sense and motion by causing them to apprehend the same by their sensitiue and motiue faculties So likewise doth he bestow his gifts proper to men which are reasonable creatures by making them knowne vnto them by the discourse of reason by causing them to apprehend and embrace the same by their vnderstandings and wils which are the proper faculties of reasonable creatures As for example the Lord worketh a care in many naturall men to lead a ciuill and a righteous life by causing them to apprehend and embrace those arguments and reasons which are of force to perswade to a ciuill and a righteous life As in like manner hee openeth the hearts of such as he calleth to the estate of grace by causing them carefully to attend to the diuine Acts 16. 14. doctrines of the Word of grace For the Spirit of God leadeth them not as blind men which are led by their guides in the way that they see not themselues but he openeth their eyes that they may turne from darknes to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receiue remission of sinnes inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Christ Insomuch that the minds of the Faithfull are first sanctified Acts 26. 18. by a true and right apprehension of the loue of God in Christ made manifest vnto them by the light of the Gospell and their wills are inflamed with a seruent desire to be partakers thereof before they be made the sincere Seruants of Christ For as Austin Aug. de peccat merit remiss l. 2. cap. 3. Aug. hom 15. de verb. Apost saith God worketh our saluation in vs not as in stones that haue no sense or as in those creatures to whom he hath not given reason will For as the same Father also teachetb elsewhere He that made thee without thee doth not make thee Iust without thee He made thee not knowing what was done vnto thee but he maketh thee iust being willing and witting to that worke which is wrought in thee There are two parts of our saluation or deliuerance from sinne whereof the one is a deliuerance from the very being and Heb. 1. 3. 1. Pet. 2. 24 Isa 63. 3 1 Cor. 1. 13. Act. 20. 28 1 Pet. 1. 19 bondage of sinne and the other from the guilt and punishment thereof Now albeit concerning our deliuerance from the guilt punishment of sinne our most mighty Sauiour hath performed that alone by himselfe euen by the shedding of his owne most precious blood yet concerning that other part which consisteth in the dâ—liuerance from the being and bondage of sinne he doth effect it by diueâ—s motiues set downe in his holy Word whereby through the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit he doth make his Elect desirous and willing to cast off the grieuous yoake of Satan to haue all their very thoughts brought vnto obedience to the commandements of God Wherefore it was not without cause that the Prophet Daniel Dan. 4. 24. exhorted Nebuchadnezzar to redeeme his sins with righteousnes and his iniquities with mercy towards the poore that so there might be an healing of his errour For as hee that is ouercome of sinne is in bondage to sinne so he that breaketh 2 Pet. 2. 19. the bonds of sinne and casteth off the yoke thereof may rightly be said to redeeme and to saue himselfe from the same Take Redime to captum quam queas minimo 1 Tim. 4. 16. heed saith the Apostle to Timothy to thy selfe and to thy doctrine and continue therein for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Verily as sinne is the sicknes death of the soule so righteousnesse is the health and life thereof And therefore whereas contraries are cured by contraries Contraria curaÌ„â—ur contrarys by righteousnes our soules are cured of their sinnes As it is apparent by the words of Daniel before-mentioned Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes and thine iniquities with mercy towards the poore loe let there be an healing of thine errour by which words we are taught that by righteousnes our souls are healed of their sinnes Wherefore all such as hearken attentiuely to the doctrine of the Gospell and are thereby brought to saith and righteousnes Luc. 1. 17. whereby they are purged from their sinnes may rightly be said to worke out their owne saluation to redeeme and saue Phil. 2. 12. their owne soules for that they are instruments
be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed childe Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe Yea as Saint Austine admonisheth Tota opera nostra in hac vita est sanare oculum cordis vnde videtur Deus Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 18. Our whole worke in this life must be continually imploied about the cure of the eye of our heart whereby God is seene that is our faith The which lesson he learned of our Sauiour Christ who when the people demanded of him What they should doe that they might worke the workes of God Answered them saying This is the worke of God that ye beleeue Iohn 6. 26. on him whom he hath sent and so his beloued Disciple hath taught vs also This is the commandement of God 1 Iohn 3. 23. that ye beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God and loue one another as he gaue commandement Wherefore the calumination of the carnall professour and of the Romane Catholike made against the doctrine of the Gospell is vniust and vntrue which is that an easie way is laid open by the professours of the Gospell to life euerlasting and heauen set at a very small rate for that they teach that God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne to the end that Ioh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Yea our Catholike Romanists may iustly bee challenged for doing great and intollerable wrong to our Christian saith in that they so vilisie and debase the same that they make it common not onely to the reprobate but also to the very Deuils themselues whereas in Tit. 1. 1. Act. 13. 43. very truth it is proper and peculiar to Gods elect yea euen to such as are ordained to life euerlasting THE SECOND PART OF THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE The questions that are handled in this second part concerning the doctrines of faith and are cleered by arguments drawne from all Topicke places Are these QVEST. I. The Church is not alwayes glorious and notorious as a City seated vpon an high hill GOD would haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Arguments drawne from the efficient cause 1 Tim. 2. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 15. and by the voice of truth vttered by the Church the pillar and ground of truth he doth call to him such as are to be of the truth doth cause thē to hearken vnto the truth and to be led thereby into the euerlasting habitations Psal 43. 3. Now truth and falshood are nigh neighbours and dwell neere each to other for where God hath his Church the deuill hath his Chappell and their houses in outward shew differ little sauing that for the most part the fore-front of falshoodes habitation is gloriously set out garnished and trimmed whereas the doore of truth is plaine and homely Whereby it commeth to passe that falsehood in the right way of truth and righteousnesse the testimonies of the Lord are sure and giue wisedome to the simple For doth pure seed breed Tares or pure Corne And doth wholesome food breed noisome or wholesome humours Vndoubtedly light and sight preserue from stumbling and falling it is Ioh 11. 9. Matth. 22. 29. darkenesse and blindnesse that cause both Yee erre saith our blessed Sauiour to the seduced Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Euen as their seduced Fathers erred in their hearts because they knew not the Lords Psal 95. 10. Chrysost Hom. 3. de Lazaro wayes The ignorance of the Scripture saith Chrysostome brought in haeresies and a corrupt life and made a confusion of all things Wherefore it is a note of an euill person to hate the light Ioh. 3. 20. lest his deeds should be reproued as it is a badge of an haereticke to accuse the Scriptures of ambiguity and obscurity as Irenaeus affirmeth for that in truth they doe without ambiguity Iren. l 3. c. 2. and obscurity giue definitiue sentence against their haeresies From the which badge and cognizance if the Romish Church will be set free let her purge out of the bookes of her deare darlings the slanderous accusations of the Scriptures which are in them and let her giue a generall liberty to the lay people to haue the Scriptures in a knowne tongue that so they may the more easily attaine to knowledge and let her not any longer commend a blinde faith nor teach that faith consisteth rather in ignorance then in knowledge QVEST. IV. Not the sufferings or righteousnesse of any mere Man but onely of our blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthinesse to satisfie for sinne and to merit the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen As in Adam was the common nature of all men he being Arguments drawne from the materiall cause the roote all other the branches that so he might be a fit person with whom the legall Couenant might be made which was that if he would stand stedfast in obedience to the Law of God which was written in his heart and the which he was enabled to performe he should conueigh ouer his nature holy and pure to all his posterity and be translated from an earthly to an heauenly Paradise but if by his fall he stayned and polluted it he should conueigh it ouer to them stayned and polluted and make himselfe and all that by ordinary propagation came from him subiect to all miseries and woes So in Christ Iesus the second Adam was the common nature of man he being the roote and the faithfull the branches and vpon him Rom. 11. 17. Ioh. 15. 5. Gal. 3. 17. Act. 3. 26. was grounded the Euangelicall Couenant that the sufferings which he endured and the righteousnesse which he performed in our nature not for himselfe but for vs should be auaileable to all that are vnited vnto him by a true faith both for their deliuerance from that condemnation which was due vnto them in respect of their sinnes and for the purchasing vnto them of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Vnto all
any thing that is good For man is become saith Chrysostome totallie sinne Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 1. Esay 1. 6. and therefore in his whole vnderstanding and will And this he learned of the Prophet Esay The whole head is sicke and the heart is heauy from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there is nothing whole therein What good habilitie or freedome then is in the will to that which is truelie good QVEST. XCII The Church of Rome giueth to the Saints diuine honour Religious faith prayer and deuotion are principall parts of Arguments drawen from the parts to the whole or from the speciall to the generall Ioh 6. Psal 50. 15. that diuine seruice and honour which is due vnto God and is giuen vnto him by all his true and faithfull seruants But these religious duties are by the Church of Rome communicated to the Saints vnto whom they make their prayers in their wants and necessities and trust to be releeued by their meanes and for that purpose deuote themselues to their seruice and therefore they giue vnto them diuine honour QVEST. XCIII There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory All persons are either beleeuers or Insidels and vnbeleeuers Now neither of these when they receiue from GOD their discharge to depart out of this world haue by his appointment any passe for Purgatory Concerning the beleeuer be he weake or strong in faith so hee be sound and sincere our blessed Sauiour testifieth and that by a solemne and a doubled asseueration that he hath euerlasting life and shall not come into Ioh. 5. 24. condemnation but is passed from death not to the paines of Popish Purgatory but to life that is to the vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen And as for all vnbeleeuers they are condemned already viz. Ioh. 3. 18. in Gods decree and in his holy word the vndoubted record thereof and hell is their place being the prison appointed for all condemned persons and there they are to be reserued against the iudgement of the great day And therefore none at all are appointed by God for Popish Purgatory And verily there is no way detected in the holy Scripture that leadeth thither For there wee finde but two wayes whereof the one is Matth. 7. 13. narrow and leadeth to life that is to heauen and the other broad and leadeth to destruction that is to hell And therefore if our Popish paenitents would needes passe along to Purgatory there to make full satisfaction to God for their sinnes which they haue not throughly satisfied for by their workes of paenance they shall be able to finde no way that leadeth thither QVEST. XCIIII The miracles and doctrine of the Romish Church are fabulous and false by the testimonies of her owne vulgar people learned Writers the ancient Fathers Canonicall Scriptures It is an approued saying that the voice of the people is the Arguments drawen from humane and diuine testimonies 1 Cor. 14. 22. voyce of God the which in Gods matters is true of Gods people and in matters subiect to sense and naturall reason is true in all such persons as haue in them sense and reason sound Wherfore seeing miracles may be discerned by sense and naturall reason and therefore are appointed for Infidels which haue no other meanes to apprehend the truth of them the iudgement of â—…quity and that in euery controuersie that is betweene them Camp Rat. 2. Possevin Biblioâ—hes Select l. 7. c. 18. vs is wholy for them and directly against vs. The which if it were true why was their Index Expurgatorius made therein order taken to put out diuerse things one of the bookes not only of diverse writers of their owne side but also out of the monuments of the ancient Fathers What Doe any that trust to the goodnesse of their owne cause and to the fulnesse of the witnesses produced by themselues maime and mangle and curtall and abridge their testimonies giuen vnder their owne hands and set downe in record by themselues and so suffer them not to tel out to the end fully and wholy their owne mindes Verily hereby it is plaine and manifest that all antiquity is not fully and wholy for them and therefore that such of them at least that make boast thereof are of the number of such haereticks as sinne being condemned by Tit. 3. 11. their owne consciences Yea whereas they Father vpon diuerse of the greatest lights of the Church diuerse Treatises that neuer came from them as the Liturgies of S. Iames S. Marke S. Denis and the like and as the Decretall Epistles fathered vpon divers ancient Bishops of Rome and produce out of them diverse testimonies for the iustifying of diuerse points of their Idolatry and superstition hereby it is manifest that their cause is very bad in that it cannot bee maintained but by such counterfeit and forged evidences Lastly to conclude if that the gouernours of the Church of Rome were not well witting to themselues in their owne consciences that the testimonie of God himselfe deliuered in the bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures was not directly against them why doe they refuse them as authenticall as supreame iudges in those tongues wherein they were first penned by the speciall and immediate revelation of the spirit of God allow them that dignitie onely in the language of the vulgar Interpreter who was a man subiect to errour And why doe they charge them being thus translated to be obscure ambiguous and doubtfull and therevpon refuse the Text it selfe to bee the supreame Iudge vnlesse it be taken in that sense as it is expounded by the Churches glosse so making the glosse better then the text and seating it in the place thereof Yea why doe they yet charge the Text it selfe being thus expouÌ„ded by their Churches glosse to be an vnsufficient Iudge vnlesse there be ioyned vnto it as fellow Benchers and Peeres equall with it in authority the bookes Apochrypha vnwritten verities and traditions Vndoubtedly as it is a very strong presumption that hee which disgraceth the Lawes of his Prince is guilty of trespasse committed against them and so liable by them to condigne punishment so is it an euident argument that many of the doctrines of the Church of Rome are condemned by the Canonicall Scriptures because they are so disgraced by her deare children with diuerse reproachfull imputations For it is the fashion of Hereticks as Irenaeus saith when they are reproued by the Scriptures to reproach and disgrace Jren. l. 3. cap. 2. them as if they were not right and as if they were vttered ambiguously and as if the truth could not be learned out of them by such as knowe not traditions And therefore Tertullian calleth them fugitiues from the light of the Scriptures and further Lucifugae scripturarum Tertull de carnis resurr testifieth that if that were taken from them which they haue common with the Ethnickes and if they were brought to determine all their controuersies by the Scriptures only they could not prevaile And so I beseech God that our Romanists the defenders of all Antichristian heresies may no longer prevaile but that their madnesse may be made manifest to all men Amen FINIS