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
God that maketh him to will or to worke for then God should not be the first mouer and the first cause of all things but therefore he willeth Rom. 9. 19. because he willeth And yet farre be it from any Religious heart to thinke that the most wise God willeth any thing without good and sufficient reason or that he speaketh any thing idlely or in vaine The Word of the Lord is the Fountaine Eccles 1. 5. of Wisedome and therefore openeth all Divine truthes by their right and proper reasons And all the workes of God are done in number weight and measure he hath giuen to euery severall creature according to it's kinde it 's seuerall nature with properties qualities fitted thereunto And he hath ordained euery thing to cōsist of such such causes faculties powers as were best agreeing to such such things most powerfull to enable them to produce such and such effects for the producing whereof they were ordained by God The which causes and effects powers and faculties qualities and properties when they are found out then there is a right knowledge of the things themselues Now what are causes and effects powers qualities and the like but reasons and arguments whereby all things are made open and manifest and so are rightly apprehended and knowne Looke we into the sacred Scriptures and we may see therein how the Lord doth lay open vnto his people the mysteries of godlinesse yea euen that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh being the principall subiect of those divine bookes by assigning his efficient cause God the Father Matth. 3. 17. and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary the daughter of David the King Luk. 1. 31. His materiall causes his Divine and humane Natures Matth. 1. 23. His formall cause the vniting of his humane nature by personall vnion vnto his divine Ioh. 1. 14. his finall cause the working out of mans redemption Gal. ◠4. His effects our reconciliation to God Ephe. 2. 18. with our deliuerance out of the bondage of sinne and Satan and our translation into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Ioh. 8. 36. His attributes according to his Divine nature infinite wisedome holinesse righteousnesse and the like Col. 2. 3. and according to his humane nature such a measure of all divine and heauenly graces as are farre aboue the perfections of any other creatures Ioh 1. 19. The time when he was borne euen when the Scepter was taken away from Iudah and all regall authority was in the hands of strangers Luc. 2. 1. The place where he was borne Bethlehem Matth. 2. 5. The place whither he fled into banishment Aegypt Matth. 2. 13. The place where he was brought vp Naezareth Matth. 2. 23. The places where he liued preached wrought his miracles and dyed Galile Samaria Iury and Ierusalem Luc. 13. 24. The place where his body was laid after his death a Sepulcher that was in a Garden wherein neuer any body was laid before Ioh. 14. 42. The place whither he ascended after his resurrection and where he sitteth at the right hand of God and from whence he shall come to iudge both quicke and dead the highest Heauens Act. 2. 32. Diuers things from him all creatures in their defects and imperfections Ioh. 1. 23. Things like vnto him all creatures in their good properties and gifts Gen. 1. 26. especially typicall persons as Melchisedecke Heb. 6. 2. Isaack Gen. 17. 16. Sampson Iud. 16. 30. Ionah Matth. 12. 40. and all the high Priests Heb. 9 9. Typicall things the brasen Serpent Ioh. 3. 14. The mercy seat Hebr. 4. 16. Especially the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testaments 1 Cor 10. 4. His description Heb. 1. 2. His distribution by his Propheticall Priestly and Kingly offices set down in the greater part of that Epistle the interpretation of hi◠Name Iesus a Sauiour Matth. 1. 21. Of his Name Christ annointed Cant 1. 2. Of his Name Emmanuel God with vs Matth. 1. 23. His Conjugates a Sauiour bringing saluation to all that are saued Act. 4. 14. His testimonies of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Of the Angels Luk 2. 11. Of all the Prophets Act. 10. 4e And of his greatest enemies euen the Diuels themselues Matth. 8. 23. The principall parts of the Word of God are the Law and 2 Cor. 4. 2. Gospel both of which are grounded vpon the evidence of reason and truth Law saith Cicero is the higest reason The Cic. l. 1. de leg which if it be true of the wise Lawes made by wise men much more is it true of the most wise and righteous Lawes made by Deut. 4. 8. the most wise and righteous God And verily it is the reason of the Law that is the life of the Law and bindeth the conscience to yeeld obedience For if the Law be contrary to reason it bindeth such as are subiect thereunto onely to endure the penalty thereof and not to performe the thing therein commanded For as Tertullian saith if a Law will not be tryed Tert. in Apol. Quod ad omnes attinet ab oinnibus debet approbari it is iustly suspected and if it being not tryed and approued yet is forced vpon any it is wicked seeing no Law doth owe to it selfe the iustifying of the equity thereof but to them of whom it doth require obedience And therefore wise and moderate Princes doe vse to call together a generall assembly of all the States and Commons of their Kingdomes that vpon iust causes and reasons duely weighed and examined both hurtfull Lawes may he taken away and holsome Statutes enacted for the generall good of their Kingdomes and Countries The which Statutes when they are published are many times set forth barely without their reasons least happily they might grow into too great a Volume But it is not so with the Lawes of God especially with those of the first Table for they haue sundry reasons adioyned to them as lights to make manifest the aequity of them and as Orators to perswade obedience thereunto And verily there was great reason why it should be so seeing by the fall of Adam the true knowledge of them is greatly defaced in all his posterity Whereas the Lawes of the second Table which concerne our duty towards our neighbour are for the most part barely deliuered because they are knowne by their owne light and that to the most barbarous people that liue on the face of the whole earth As it may appeare by the History of the West-Indinas who are reported presently to haue approued and embraced the aequity of those Lawes when they were at the first proposed vnto them And yet behold how behoouefull it is euen for the faithfull themselues to haue many reasons set downe before their eyes for the procuring of ready obedience to be yeelded euen vnto these commandements in that the Spirit of God hath caused the Prophets and
be new and strange to nature her selfe in her integrity but it can in no meanes be contrary therevnto Aug de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 1. vnto So Saint Austin truth was perswaded new to custome but not contrary to reason Nay there is admirable consent and harmony as a learned Author testifieth betweene the naturall Amand. Pol. lib. 2 Log. fol. 213. parefactions of God and the supâ—rnaturall for from God is both reason and Scripture and reason being obsâ—ured by sinne and desiled with filthy errours the Spirit of God by the Scripture doth lighten againe and free her from her former aberrations So Saint Ambrose the light of nature being Am de suga seâ—uli cap. 3. dimmed was to be cleared by the Law To whom accordeth Saint Cyrill The law was giuen that thereby the light that Cyrill in Ioh. l. 1. c. 11. was in vs should be increased Wherefore let no reasonable man dispute against reason nor learned man against humane learning vnlesse he will indanger the reputation of his reason and of his learning also A stranger which was not of the kindred of Israel hauing shauen her selfe and cut of the haire of her eye-browes and of her head and hauing performed all other things ordained in the Law to that purpose might be ioyned to the people of God and be admitted into the Sanctuary So Phisâ—osophy and humane learning by her corrupt Doctrines a stranger to the seruice of God being pruned from them by the sharpe booke of the Scripture may yeeld some good timber to the Lords Spirituall buildâ—rs for the rearing vp and also for the beautifying of the Spirituall House and Temple of God Truth it is that the errours in Philosophy being wrongfully opposed against the truthes in Theology and stifly and obstinately maintained and defended haue made some of the Philosophers the Partriarches of Haeretickes and yet as true it is that the truthes thereof being diligently sought out by the studious haue had such as haue bin best instructed therein the chiefest Patrons of all Diuine verities and the strongest impugners of all Heathenish and Haereticall pranities And hereof it is that in all well-ordered Schooles and Vniversities yong Schollers are first trayned vp in the knowledge of the tongues and Arts before they be admitted to be students in Diuinity And doth not experience it selfe make this manifest that the siner the naturall wit of any student is and the more it is ripened with a greater measure of all manner of humane learning the fitter such an one is to vnderstand the heauenly doctrines of the diuine Scriptures and to diue into the profundity of the mysteries of Faith Po. as S. Austin saith grace doth not abolish Aug. in Ps 102. nature but make it perfect neither doth nature reiect but embrace grace Yea as Tertullian truely teacheth God sent first nature to be our Schoole-mistris being afterward to send prophesie that thou being first the disciple of nature mightst afterward be more easily induced to beleeue prophesie For the booke of Nature is as well the Lords booke as the booke of Scriptures and the truthes written in the one are as well the Lords truthes as they that are written in the other Neither is there as Nazianzene saith any knowledge of learning to be despised seeing all Science whatsoeuer is in the nature of good things Rather those that despise it we are to account sluggish and clownish who would be glad that all were ignorant that so their own ignoraÌ„ce might not be espied Verily all such persoÌ„s are like the Painter who hauing drawne out the picture of Cockes after an vnseemly and euill fauoured fashion set his Boy to keepe away all liuing Cockes from his shoppe least by their comming neare his rudenesse and vnskilfulnesse might more euidently appeare Wherefore it may well beseeme the sauage Sarazons and the barbarous Turkes to beleeue Lud. viv l. 1. de veritate Religionis Christiane grosly in their false Prophet Mahomet and to haue no learning to be vnable to discourse of any point of their religion and well may the sword be the finall resolution of their sottish Alcharon an argument concluding in Ferio and taken out of the Butchers Shambles as best beseeming such beastly blood-suckers And let it also agree to Henry Nicholas Henry Nicholas in the Gospel of the Kingdome cap. 23. scrip â—…arij Father of the Familists to glory in the name of an vnlearned man and in a scoffe to tearme the skilfull in the Scriptures Scripture-wife or Scripture-men and to warne his Schollers to beware of such And let it agree to wicked Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne and to fall away from God to make the basest of the people being vnlettered persons to be his Priests as being in truth fitter guides to leade into all superstition and Idolatry then vnto the right worshippe and seruice of God So let it agre to the Priests and Prelates of the darke kingdome of Antichrist to be like my Lord of Dunkelden who knew neither old nor new Law and to their Doctors which taught that the Lords Prayer might be aswell to the Virgine Mary as vnto Christ and to one of the Founders of their superstitious orders viz. to Frier Francis who preached to the birds yea to the Popes themselues among whom some were so vnlettered as Alphonsus saith that they knew not Alphon. de castra lib. 1. ca 4 cont hares the very grounds of the Grammer And let these men be their supreame iudges in all controuersies who although they goe awry in the premises yet they cannot erre in the conclusion For belike albeit they take their aime neuer so much amisse and stand cleane contrary to shoot at the marke yet they cannot choose but hit the white And although they goe neuer so contrary a way all the day long yet such admirable and vnerring guides they are that at night they are still right and at the place where they should be But the Lord requireth of all such as should be pastours and feeders of his slocke and instructers and teachers of his people that they be not young nouices and raw schollers 1 Tim. 3. 6. but ancient Students and well grounded Diuines euen such as are able to teach truth and conuince errour they must be learned Scribes in the Kingdome of God able to bring out of their treasury both new and old Yea it is very fit and conuenient that they haue skill in prophane learning that they may wound the enemy with his own weapon cut off Goliahs head with his owne sword and build vp the Temple of God with some stuffe taken out of the ruines of Babylon For as Saint Austin saith it is no small praise and commendation to Aug. de doct Christiana lib. 2. cap. 40. rob the Aegyptians of their sumptuous vestments and of their siluer and gold and to bestow the same things vpon the adorning of the Lords Tabernacle which they
Eph. 4 24. Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Luke 10. 29. Apoc. 20. 12. hath put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse and are called by the very name of Saints by the Apostle and their names and deedes also are written in heauen and in the booke of life Therefore all the faithfull are to be taken for Saints by all the faithfull whatsoeuer meane reckoning the Church of Rome maketh of them QVEST. LXXIIII The Bishop of Rome is not the Vniuersall Pastour of the whole Church Some Popes doe not at all by preaching of the Word of God seed so much as the people of the City of Rome it selfe and none of them all haue such gifts as whereby they are enabled to feed the Vniuersall Church therefore some of them are no feeders or Pastors at all and none of them are the feeders and Pastours of the Vniuersall Church And how can they iustly challenge the office of Saint Peter seeing they so much neglect the trebled charge giuen to Saint Peter by his Master Christ who gaue him the dignity that he might performe the dutie annexed thereunto QVEST. LXXV The Lawes of God onely binde the conscience There is but one Law-giuer that is the Lord of the Conscience and therefore his Lawes onely bind the same So reasoneth Saint Iames There is but one Law-giuer that is able to Iac. 4. 12. saue and to destroy viz. the soule and therefore there is but Matth. 10. 28. one Law-giuer that can giue lawes to the soule and that one Law-giuer is God For God onely searcheth the heart and taketh notice of all the aberrations thereof and can punish them with condigne punishments So reasoneth the Lord himselfe The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all Ier. 17. 9. things who can know it I the Lord search the heart and try the raynes euen to giue euery man according vnto his wayes and according to the fruit of his workes All Magistrates ciuill and Ecclesiasticall are his vnder-officers not to make lawes but to command that the Lords laws only be put in execution in all matters that concerne the substance of his spirituall kingdome For as concerning the lawes that they haue authority to make in matters of circumstance belonging to the spirituall kingdome and in matters both of substance and circumstance belonging to the temporall gouerment they must be squared by those generall rules that are set downe by this one Law-maker in the authenticall records of his canonicall Scriptures And being so framed they are not for their particularities to be esteemed so much mans laws as they are for the generall grounds of them to be accouÌ„ted Gods owne ordinances And being so made they binde the conscience Rom. 13. 5. Exod. 16. 8. 1 Sam. 8. 7. as the Apostle testifieth and they that refuse to be subiect to them doe not cast away man but God that hee should not raignâ— ouer them QVEST. LXXVI True religion bindeth only to the obseruation of such Canons and rules as are made by God himselfe in matters of substance whereas superstition imposeth other also which Arguments drawen from the Etymology or inâ—erpretation of the name Religo à religando Aug. de veca religione cap. 54. are aboue and beside the former Religion hath her name as S. Austin saith for that by certaine rules and precepts giuen by God himselfe it doth inclose and keepe in as within certaine limits and bounds all such as desire to performe that religious seruice which is acceptable to God least they should goe astray and wander out of the right way that should bring them to God Whereas superstition Superstitio quasi supra statutum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. c. 2. 3. hath her name for that shee is so bold foolish hardy as to thrust those things vpon Gods people which are aboue and besides the Lawes and statutes of God Ane therefore it was not without cause that the wise man so seriously aduiseth all such as desire to be esteemed of God as his religious seruants to take good heed when they goe to the house of the Lord to performe that religious seruice which is acceptable in his sight that they be prepared most readily and reuerently to hearken Eccl. 4. 17. to the word of God that so they may both learne keep that which is therein commanded vnto them that they presume not to offer to God the sacrifice of Fooles that is that kinde of seruice which is sucked out of their owne or other mens foolish braines and is aboue and beside that which is commanded of God QVEST. LXXVII The Laitic ought to be admitted to the dayly reading of the holy Scriptures If Religion hath her name á relegendo that is from often Religio à relegendo Cicer. de natura deorum lib. 1 reading because the doctrines which concerne religion should be read ouer againe and againe as Tully whose iudgement concerning the originall of Latine words is not to be contemned iudgeth then the Christian Magistrate must not only suffer but also command all his subiects if he desire to haue them to be truly religious daily to read the holy Scriptures for that they containe the summe and substance of all true religion yea the chiefe Magistrate himselfe albeit the care for the whole common wealth lyeth vpon him and therefore hath cause to busie his thoughts thereon continually yet must not let the booke of the Law of God depart out of his mouth but meditate therein day and night that he may doe according to all that is written therein if he will haue his waies made prosperous Iosh 1. 8. if he will haue good successe in his temporall affaires QVEST. LXXVIII The Faithfull themselues and also their Churches ought only to be dedicated vnto God The congregation of the faithfull themselues and the places of their publike assemblies for the performing of diuine service are called the Church or Kirke from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth that which is the Lords Whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that the one and the other should be onely dedicated to the Lord seeing they are the Lords So reasoneth the Apostle You are not your owne for yee are bought with a 1 Cor. 6. 20. price therefore glorifie the Lord both in your bodies and in your spirits for they are Gods And verily for this end and purpose not onely the people of God are called The Lords peculiar but 1 Pet. 2. 19. their Churches also are called Basilicae that is the Kings for that they should be dedicated and consecrated to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords QVEST. LXXIX The faithfull are witting to their faith and loue and to their saluation in Iesus Christ The conscience of all men is as a Register wherein all their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia I know what I know thoughts desires words and workes are truely recorded