or all which they spake by the Spirit written but onely so much as the Lord in wisdom and mercie thought requisite to guide the Church in Faith and obedience to the worlds end so as the Scriptures should neither be defective through brevitie nor burthensom by too great largenesse and prolixitie And thus to judg is more answerable both to Gods providence in preserving the Scriptures from miscarrying and to the Churches care and faithfulnesse in keeping safe this heavenly treasure committed to her custodie then to say with some that any of the Books or parts of the Canonicall Scriptures are lost It no more detracts from the authentique authoritie or generall use of some parts of the Holy Scriptures that they were penned upon some speciall occasions then of the Sermons of Christ the Prophets and Apostles that some of them were preached upon speciall occasions And surely it seems a strange conceipt that the authoritie of the writing should be the lesse because the thing written was suggested by the Holy Ghost and so penned upon speciall occasion offered as such Scriptures were The Scriptures are not onely authentique in themselvs as having the Spirit of God for the Authour both of matter and manner and writing but do also as they say carrie their authoritie in their mouthes binding both to credence and obedience all whomsoever unto whom they come by what means soever And if God left not himself without witnesse in his works of creation and providence how much lesse in his written Word Wherein without comparison he reveals himself much more clearly then the other way which is therefore discernable by its self as is the Sun by its own beams and light and which as one saith he that studies to understand shall be compelled to beleev Their assertion therefore who hold and teach that we are to receav the Scriptures for the Churches testimonie because usually as others more truly and religiously speak we receav them by its testimonie is in effect none other then that we are to beleev God for mens cause whereas on the contrarie if a man should finde the Book of Holy Scriptures in the high-way or hidden under a stone yet he were bound to learn receav beleev and obey them and everie part of them in his place though without yea against the likeing and approbation of all the men in the World except God must not be God without mens likeing And if the Word preached by Christ the Prophets and Apostles in their time whether to Iews or Gentiles were absolutely to be beleeved and obeyed by everie one that heard it without other or further testimonie why not as well and much now by all that read it written He that receavs the testimonie of Christ for it self whether exhibited in speach or writing sets to his seal that God is true He that receavs it for the testimonie of the Church sets to his seal that men are true But the Childe of God knows his Fathers voyce The profit and power of the Scriptures both for stay of Faith and rule of life and comfort in all manner of afflictions no tongue or pen is able so fully to expresse as everie true Christian findes and feels in his own experience There is but one true happinesse life eternall one giver of it God one Mediatour Iesus Christ and so but one means of imparting it the Word of God by which he that is both Authour and finisher of all both begins and perfits all Blessed is the man that hath his delight therein and meditates in the same day and night that so he may learn the things upon Earth the knowledg whereof will fit him for Heaven When we avow the Scriptures perfection we exclude not from men common sense and the light of nature by which we are both subjects capable of understanding them and directed in sundry manners of doing the things commanded in them yea besides other humain helps we both acknowledg and beg of God as most needfull for their fruitfull understanding the light of his holy Spirit onely we account and avow them as a most perfect rule neither crooked any way nor short in any thing requisite This their sufficiencie and perfection is not to be restrained to matters simply necessarie to Salvation For who can say how many or few and no more nor lesse they are But to matters necessarie to obedience that we may please God in all things great or small expressed or intended and to be gathered by proportion and just consequence Without Faith we cannot please God and Faith comes onely by the Word of God which we must therefore make our guide in all our wayes And if we be to give an account for everie idle word and so for every vain thought or work there is then a Law of God for these smallest matters for where no Law is there is no transgression and where there is no transgression or fault there is no account to be given But as Phylosophers say that the least naturall things are not sensible by reason of their smalnesse so may and doth it too easily fall out that we fail through want of skill or care in applying our rule of direction both in smaller matters and others of greater moment also But this is not because the Scriptures are defective in directing but we either blinde in discerning or negligent in searching or both And if the Holy Scriptures direction reach unto the whole course of our life how much more of our Religion or worship of God In which nothing is to be practised but that which is to be beleeved nothing to be beleeved but that which is to be taught nothing to be taught but according to the Scriptures This being the first thing that we are to beleev that we must beleev nothing but according to them All things els are humain and humain it is to er and be deceaved The custom of the Church is but the custom of men the sentence of the Fathers but the opinion of men the determination of Councels but the judgments of men To conclude One onely place of Holy Scriptures rightly understood and fitly applyed will have more power and fasten deeper upon a truly good and godly heart then all the consenting authorities of men and Angels though uttered with the tongue of men and Angels As the title set over the head of Christ crucified was the same in Hebrew Greek and Latin so are the Scriptures the same whether in the Originall or other Language into which they are faithfully translated Yet as the waters are most pure and sweet in the Fountain so are all writings Divine and humain in their Originall Tongues it being impossible but some either change or defect or redoundancie will be found in the translation either by default of the Translatour or of the Tongue into which it is made In a Translatour is required specially skill in words and
a man to professe a Religion by working it first in his heart If the order in Israel be objected it may be answered First that the Land was holy as no Land now is that one Nation seperated from all other Nations to be the Lords peculiar people as no Nation now is the Kings types and figures of Christ as no Kings now are and Secondly That none were in truth compelled to the Israelitish Church and Religion but being of it whether Israelites or Proselites were to be cut off from the Lords people and destroyed out of Land for presumptuous sins or working iniquitie or for not serving God with all their heart and might Kings by this course would come short of the number of Subjects in whose multitude their honour stands and unto Churches few or none could possibly be added If it be further objected that men may be by the Magistrate constrained to the outward acts of justice honestie and the like though destitute altogether of the inward vertues It may be answered that these serv properly and immediately to preserv civill societies of which Magistrates are properly Kings and Lords and so do obtain their proper ends if the verie outward things be done though never so unwillingly But of Religious actions the proper end is not civill societie nor is attainable but by Faith and devotion in the heart of the doers Lastly To that of the Father that many who at first serv God by compulsion come after to serv him freely and willingly I answer that neither good intents nor events which are casuall can justifie unreasonable violence and withall that by this course of compulsion many become Atheists Hypocrites and Familists and being at first constrained to practise against conscience loose all conscience afterwards Bags and vessels overstrained break and will never after hold any thing Yet do I not denie all compulsion to the hearing of Gods Word as the means to work Religion and common to all of all sorts good and bad much lesse excuse civill disobedience palliated with Religious shews and pretences or condemne convenient restraint of publike Idolatry so as this rule of reason holds its place viz. that the bond between Magistrate and Subject is essentially civill but Religious accidentally onely though eminently For conclusion of this matter Let the godly Magistrate consider that as there is no Church-state and profession so truly Christian and good in which too many may not be found carried in their persons with a Spirit plainly Antichristian so there is hardly any Sect so Antichristian or evill otherwise in Church profession in which there are not divers truly though weakly led with the Spirit of Christ in their persons and so true members of his mysticall body With whom to deal rigorously for some few aberrations of ignorance or infirmitie were more to please Christs enemie in the oppressing of the person then Christ in so repressing his failing in some particulars specially if they be not fundamentall As then the Christian Magistrate hath his power of Magistracie from God which his Christianitie servs to sanctifie and direct so undoubtedly he is to use it for God and his honour that in his true worship in which he is specially honoured and against the contrarie yet with these two cautions First That as the greater sins of other kinds do not so violate and dissolv the marriage-bond as adulterie doth by reason of its direct opposition thereagainst so neither do Idolatry or Heresie how great sins soever in themselvs so outlaw a Subject civily as do Seditions Murthers Adulteries and the like directly violating and disturbing civill societies The second is That no authoritie of man may bring into or uphold in the Church either Doctrine or Ordinance of Religion or person which last is not lightly to be regarded seeing the other two serv for it unto which the Lord in his Word hath not first given testimonie of approbation for that use seeing Magistrates are not Governers against nor besides but under God in their Dominions CAP. VIII Of the holy Scriptures THe Holy Scriptures are that Divine Instrument and means by which we are taught to beleev what we ought touching God and our selvs and all creatures and how to please God in all things unto eternall Life I speak of beleeving things seeing Faith comes by hearing for els we know things touching God by that which we see feel and discern in and by his works We are led to the knowledg of God in his Power Wisdom Goodnesse Iustice and Mercie by his Works both without and within us And whensoever God either doth or suffers a thing to be done though not so much as insinuated formerly in his Word we then know it to be his will that such a thing should be as certainly as if he had expresly revealed it before in the Scriptures I speak of pleasing God in all things First because entire obedience so far as humain frailtie will permit is the immediate end and use of the Word of God and the way and means to Salvation Secondly to meet with that dangerous presumption of doing that which is necessarie to Salvation as many use to speak though with affected ignorance of and apparent disobedience to many of Gods Commandments Who knoweth with how little God can and doth save many being faithfull in learning what they can and in observing what they know Though much more be necessarie to such as have means to know more And thirdly because it is no childe-like but a bastardly disposition to take care for serving God no further though alas all be little enough for that then to be sure of the Fathers inheritance The heart of a man is then assured before God and hath a warrant from Heaven against eternall confusion when he can say with good conscience that he hath respect to all Gods Commandments God would have his will written that is his Word to become Scripture partly for more certaintie of truth to men and to preserv it the better from being corrupted as all make account that things set down in black and white as they speak are most firm partly for accord and unitie of Churches and Christians in the same truth who if they differ so much notwithstanding they use the same rule what would they do if their rules were different or uncertain and partly for more communitie seeing Books and Writings may easily both be dispersed whither the voyce of Teachers cannot come and also be read in private by Christians when they are apart from their Teachers Neither all things which the Prophets of God wrote were written by Divine inspiration but some of them humainly as their humain affaires common to them with other men required Neither was all wherein they were divinely inspired brought into the publike treasurie of the Church or made part of the Canonicall Scriptures which we call the Bible no more then all which they spake was spoken by the Spirit
magnifie his mouth above measure and the weight of the matter and draw Hercules his hose upon a childes leg which the wise King counted no matter of commendation And besides affectation in which men strain the strings of their eloquence to make persons or things as good or bad or as great or small not as they are but as the speaker can I have known some by an abused benefit of nature and art so impotently eloquent as that they could hardly speak in prayse or disprayse of person or thing without doubling and trebling upon them superlative synonomies of honour or disgâ—â—â—e Such Oratours would make notable market-folk in crying up their own wares which they meant to sell and in making other mens which they would buy double nought Both length and shortnesse of speech may be used commendably in their time as Mariners sometimes sayl with larger-spread and sometimes with narrowergathered Sayls But as some are large in speech out of aboundance of matter and upon due consideration so the most multiply words either from weaknesse or vanitie Wise men suspect and examine their words ere they suffer them to passe from them and so speak the more sparingly But fools pour out theirs by talents without fear or wit Besides wise men speak to purpose and so have but some thing to say The other speak everie thing of everie thing and thereupon take libertie to use long wandrings Lastly they think to make up that in number or repetition of words which is wanting in weight But above all other motives some better some worse too many love to hear themselvs speak and imagining vainly that they please others because they please themselvs make long Orations when a little were too much Some excuse their tediousnesse saying that they cannot speak shorter wherein they both say untruly and shame themselvs also For it is all one as if they said that they have unbrydled tongues inordinate passions setting them a work I have been many times drawn so dry that I could not well speak any longer for want of matter but I ever could speak as short as I would Some have said that hurt never comes by silence but they may as well say that good never comes by speech for where it is good to speak it is ill to be silent Besides he that holds his tongue in a matter that concerns him is accounted as consenting Indeed lesse hurt comes by silence then by speech and so doth lesse good Some are silent in weaknesse and want either of wit to conceav what to speak or of courage to utter what they conceav or of utterance where the other defects are not They of the first sort are not desperately foolish seeing they are sensible of their own want which is half the way to mending it there being more hope of such a fool then of a man wise in his own conceipt that is thinking himself wiser then he is Besides such have the wit to cover their folly and a fool whilst he holds his tongue is accounted wise whereas a babâ—ing fool proclaims his foolishnesse For the second though it be a miserie for a man to be compelled to keep silence when he would speak and that the prison be strait where the verie tongue is tyed yet he wants not all wit who can for fear of danger hold his tongue and not make his lips the snare of his Soul Some again are silent in strength of wisdom and others of passion As deep streams are most still so are many of deepest judgment through vehement intention of mind upon weightie or doubtfull matters whereas the shallower are lowder and more forth-putting And here the testimonie which Spintharus gave of Epaminondus hath place that he met with no man in his dayes that knew more and spake lesse Again in some vehemencie of passion and affection dams up the passage of speech The grief is moderate which utters it self that which is extream is silent So Absolom hating his Brother Amnon to the death spake neither good nor evill to him Lastly there are who can bridle their tongue in discretion and know not onely how to take the time to speak but also the time to keep silence which surely is no small commendation in a wise able person And this the Phylosopher knew well who when all the rest of his fellows being ech to present the King with some notable sentence or other were forward to utter everie one his ware desired of the Kings messenger that it might be certified in his name that he had skill to hold his peace when others were forward to speak CAP. XXIII Of Books and Writings WRiting is the speech of the absent and even he that gives a writing into the hand of another to be read by him thereby after a sort sequesters his person from him and desires to speak with him being absent and that to his advantage if his personall presence and speech may endanger either contempt or offence The Lord God in providing that the Books of Holy Scriptures should be written effectually commended the writing and reading of other Books touching all subjects and sciences lawfull and lawfully handled For though the difference be ever to be held between Divine and humain writings so as the former may worthily challeng absolute credence and obedience as breathing out onely truth and godlinesse whereas the other are not onely to be learned but judged also yet even in humain writings the truth in its kind is taught commonly both more fully and more simply and more piously then by speech For howsoever the lively voyce more pierce the heart and be apter to move affection and that to the receaving of truth and goodnesse not onely by love and liking but by Faith also and assent for Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God yet men seldom take either the pains or time to lay down things in speech which they do for publike writings neither can any possibly either have the obportunitie to hear the tythe of that which he may read for information or take the time for the full understanding of things remarkeable spoken which in private reading he may do Besides men are commonly in their writings both freer from passion in themselvs and from partiall respect of others then in their speeches And hence it comes to be said of dead men that they are the best councellors to wit in their Books wherein they are freest from affection one way or other Lastly though the Father found some in his time who because Christ had said Thou shalt not swear thought they might do that in writing which they might not do in speech and confirm Idolatry with their hand so they professed it not with their tongue yet it is usually found otherwise and that men are or would seem to be more religious in writing then in speech Who ever shall finde a black-mouthed blasphemer