what it is that it may be much wished for yes surely for Ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire of that is not knowen And in affecting that which is wanting we are to beware that impatient rashnes draw out our affections beyond the bond of christian charity and godly sobriety lest we forget to bee thankeful for those singular benefits which wee haue already receiued and so for our impatience on the one side and our ingratitude on the other we are rewarded in the ende with the losse of al. Now followeth the reason of the exhortation in these words For I am your Lord. The word Lord in the originall signifieth to coÌ„maund as a Lord or to rule as a husband either is sufficient so the sence be taken as if hee should say it is good reason thou shouldest turne againe for thou hast entred a couenant with me and married thy selfe vnto me and therefore I haue both power our you and interest in you This beeing the sense the doctrine shall be this first that it is neuer in vaine to turne to the Lorde for such is his loue vnto those whose names are once written in his booke of election that finally he will not forsake them but most mercifully will embrace them whensoeuer they shall faithfully turne vnto him Neyther doth he shew vs this fauour because we haue deserued it by our turning againe as the papists say but because of his free vndeserued loue hath made vs this promise If any shal thinke that of himselfe he hath power or will to turne vnto God he deceiueth himselfe for by nature we run from God as Adam did 〈◊〉 3.8 〈◊〉 6.5 〈◊〉 51.10 but it is God that seeketh vs vp againe Naturally our thoughts are euill continually our wordes are vaine our works are filthy but it is God that createth in vs new hearts and that makes our words gracious 〈◊〉 Cor. 3.5 and our works acceptable to himselfe that by Iesus Christ for of our selues we can not so much as thinke a good thought â—â—ilip 2.13 And as God only by his grace preuenteth vs and worketh in vs both the will and the deed â—oh 6.44 so by the same spirit he draweth vs to him or els we neuer come at him and by no other spirit doth he also finish that good work he hath begun in vs that in Iesus Christ And as our repentance is of god so is our faith also for S. Paul saith Philip. 1.29 To you it is giuen both to beleeue suffer S. Iohn saith Ioh. 6.65 It is the work of God to beleeue in Iesus Christ And what haue we that we haue not receiued If we haue receiued al the good we haue from god not from our selues and that of his free grace and mercy without any consideration of our parts why should we not attribute al to him again why should any part of our conuersion or saluation be ascribed to our selues or any creature else in heauen or earth and not wholy to the merits of Christ his death and passion Rom. 5.17 18 19 for shall the disobedience of one man Adam destroy all the world and shal not the obedience of one man Iesus Christ saue al that beleeue shal the work of men of Saints of martires or of Mary all sinfull and imperfect be sufficient and not the workes of Christ Iesus which are most perfect and perfection it selfe Is he the seed of the woman that brake the serpents head and could he not do it without vs Is he that brasen serpent that heales all those that look on him with the eie of a liuely faith must we now licke our selues whole But say the Papists there is righteousnesse in vs as the accident in the subiect To which we answer first though this be true in philosophie yet it is false in diuinity â—â—loss 2.8 and therfore Paul saith Take heede lest any man spoile you through philosophie Secondly there is righteousnes in vs as ther was sin in Christ but in Christ there was no sin really of his owne but of ours by imputation neither haue we any righteousnes of our owne but of Christs and that by imputation also Thirdly God by his good spirit beginneth righteousnes in vs euen in this life but it is imperfect and polluted so soon as it commeth into the stinking vessels of our corrupted nature â—â—a 64.6 but it shall be perfected in the world to come by Iesus Christ only But yet the papists haue another shift as our euill workes are auaileable vnto condemnation so our good workes are auaileable to saluation for say they Contrarierum contraria estratio of contraries there is a contrary reason But I answer the comparison is vnlike and holdeth not for first our sins are of our selues our righteousnes is of God secondly our sinnes are perfectly euill our good is imperfect thirdly he that is guiltie of one commaundement is guiltie of all â—â—m 2.10 and deserueth damnation shall we therfore conclude that he which keepeth one deserueth saluation what more absurd No no both our conuersion and saluation bee the free workes of God Eph. 1.14 Luke 12.31 Heauen is our inheritance ergo no purchase by vs it hath pleased the Father to giue vs the kingdom ergo we get it not by our selues Saint Iohn saith Christ is the dore by which we must enter Ioh. 10.7 Act. 10.12 Peter saith there is no other name vnder heauen whereby we can be saued but onely by the name of the Lorde Iesus And therefore to ioyne Christ with vs and his perfect righteousnes with our broken workes euen vnholinesse it selfe Matt. 9.16 1â— were but to put new cloth in an old garment and so to make the rent worse and to put new wine into old bottles and so to spill all and to build part of the house vpon Christ and part vpon our selues were to set part vpon the foundation 1. Cor. 3.11 and part besides the foundation and so to bring all vnder foote And therefore if we will be wise builders let vs ascribe all wholy and onely to our good God who hath so loued vs in Christ Iesus that albeit we haue beene disobedient to his heuenly maiesty yet if we wil come when he calleth and vse the ordinary means when he offreth them turn again to him with al our hearts he will be stil our Lord that for his promis sake in Iesus Christ our Lord and yet al of his fauor vnde serued and loue vnspeakable wherwithal he loued vs before the foundation of the world 〈…〉 This doctrine is necessary for two sorts of men First for those that are too much oppressed with the burthen of their sinne euen to despaire these men are to know that Christ Iesus spake vnto them when as hee saide 〈◊〉 11.28 Come vnto mee all you that are heauy laden and I will ease you And the Prophet heere speaketh vnto
better bringing vp of men in this holy knowledge of God the Lorde hath giuen his statutes vnto Iacob and his ordinaunces vnto Israell which hee hath not vouchsafed vppon all nations for the heathen haue not the knoledge of his waies Psalme a hundred fortie and six And these statutes of God are contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament called the holie Scriptures by the waie of excellencie which being rightly vnderstoode of vs doe bring vs directly to the true knowledge of God and of our selues And because there are in the scriptures som things that be hard and darke to our vnderstanding therefore the Lord hath ordained pastors doctors whome hee hath also furnished with giftes of knowledge and vtterance and learning and sanctification that they may teach the Lords people the true meaning of the scriptures and so traine them vp in the knowledge and obedience of the Lord. By this then it appeareth how necessarie it is for all Gods children to haue the knowledge of GOD the vnderstanding of the scriptures and the preaching of the word amongst them by a painefull faithfull and learned ministerie And on the other side it be wrayeth the pestilent daunger of ignorance and ignorant ministers and also the barrennesse of bare reading without the tillage of expounding of catechising of doctrine of exhortation and of application the which is the life of doctrine by which holy meanes as it were with the Lords ploughs the fallow groundes of mens hearts are broken vp 〈◊〉 4.4 whereas otherwise the seede is but cast amongst the thornes as Ieremy speakes When the Queen of Ethiopia her chamberlaine was reading the prophet Esay in his chariot â—8 30 Philip asked him if he vnderstoode what he read to shew that a man may reade and reade againe and bee neuer the nearer without an interpreter as that noble man confessed for how can I vnderstand saide he without a guide Therefore Ezra when he had read the scripture he also gaue the sence Nehem. â— 8 and caused the people to vnderstand the reading to shew that bare reading is not sufficient to bring men to vnderstanding And therefore our sauior Christ also when hee had read a place of Esay that concerned himselfe hee closed vp the booke Luke 4.20 and opened the text making application thereof to his hearers whereuppon it followeth in the same place that all that heard him bare him witnes and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth to shewe that preaching giueth grace to reading And when the word read is opened and applied then men beare witnesse of the trueth that is they knowe what to holde and beleeue for trueth and not before This the apostle Paul knew very well and therefore hee did not onely teach the Ephesians openly but priuately also in euery house going from house to house warning Act. 20.20 3â— and exhorting euery one as hee had occasion to shewe what course those sheepeheardes must take that would bring their flocks vnto the green pastures of heauenly comforts and the liuing waters of eternall happinesse both growing and flouring out of the liuely fountaines of knowledge and vnderstanding in the holy word of God And further for the necessity of knowledge vnderstanding what could the lord say more to shew the greatnes therof then to call them by the name of foode or meate and drinke for so he doth I will giue you pastors which shal feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding as if knowledge and vnderstanding were foode of the soule and so they be to teach vs as there is nothing more necessary for the strengthning of the bodie then meate and drinke so there is nothing more necessarie for the sauing of the soule then knowledge and vnderstanding Take away from the bodie ordinary sustenance long and it starueth And take away knowledge and vnderstanding from the soule and it perisheth Therefore as Christ said when he raised vp Iairus daughter giue hir meate so the Lorde saieth when the soule is raised vp to the life of God giue it meate but that must be knowledge and vnderstanding Againe as knowledge and vnderstanding are here called food so pastors are called feeders as if they were nurses the people as babes children which neither know what is good for them nor howe to dresse their meat nor how to feed themselues And therfore many doe not vnfitly compare the bare reading of the scripture vnto a whole loafe set before children which must bee cutte in peeces and be dâ—uided before it can profite them The preachers are also called feeders to shew that they must be like nurses in abilitie in affection and discretion Some haue wherewith to feede their children but they are vnkind and vnnaturall like cruel harlots that kill their children that they may not be troubled with theÌ„ Some beare a good affection to their children but their breastes are drie and they haue no meate to giue them when they crie for it as in the great famine of Samaria Som haue wherwith to feed but for want of discretion to obserue the childes nature and constitution as also the weaknes or strongnes of the stomack the frowardnes tendernes of thinfant and the causes of al it happeneth that much is giuen and little digested great pain is taken to little purpose bicause the child is either misdieted or distempred or handled too tenderly or too rigorously Therefore in the feeders of the soule there ought to bee sufficient store of knowlege there ought to be a louing tender affection tempered with wisedome and discretion that euery one may haue his due portion faithfully distributed vnto him and that in due time and season It is a lamenble hearing to heare the children crie for bread and it shal be answered againe by the Nurse I haue none for thee thou must starue for I haue none to giue thee But it is a thousand times more lameÌ„table to heare the soules mone for want of spiritual foode oh what accompt haue they to make vnto God that take the place of spirituall nurses and haue no milke in their breasts that is know nothing to any purpose is it nothing to starue the Lordes people Is the murthering of mens soules no sin before the Lorde O that the smoky Kemarius of this our age as vnpreaching ministers and non-residents and such like did consider well of this pointâ— then would they not leaue their occupations and trades as many haue done and betake them to the ministerie as their last refuge for liuing and maintenaunce sake but they would leaue the ministerie as fast and betake themselues to some other trade of life againe and wish that their heades were fountaines of teares that they might weep day and night for the slaughter and destruction which they haue made of the Lordes people VVhich they were better to doe nowe while the Lorde doeth allot them a time of repentance then heereafter in
hell from whence there is no redemption Oh that our Patrons and Bishops likewise did enter into the due consideration of this point then should not so many symonaicall and vnworthy worldlings be presented and admitted nor so many godly and painefull pastors be dismissed as ther are to the great woe and sorrowe of many poore soules that haue receiued most sweete comfort from their blessed ministerie and painefull endeuours in the Lord. But now it is time to enter combate and encounter with our aduersaries the Papists nay the aduersaries of Christ and his church about this point who wold beare the world in hand that Ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that there is no necessitie of the scriptures for the common people but that euery one must beleeue as the church beleeueth without any further triall or examination had of the matter by the word of God Which bloudy doctrine and vncomfortable assertion we shall see by Gods grace to fall downe and breake his necke at the sight of the trueth as Dagon the idoll of the Philistimes did at the presence of the Arke Ignorance say the Papists is the mother of Deuotion And Ignorance say the Protestants is the mother of dānation Now ther is great oddes between Deuotion and Damnation as much as is betweene ignorance and knowledge or between light and darknesse Indeede of Popish deuotion whose fruites are idolatrie and superstition and sacrilege and blasphemie and pride and ambition and couetousnesse and treason and all abhominations and in the ende eternall damnation Ignoraunce is the mother but not of true deuotion which pleaseth God Knowledge and Ignorance be contrarie one to another and as they be contrarie causes so their effects must needes be contrary and that by the rule of contraries for Contrariorum contraria est ratio Now if knowledge be the roote of faith and of loue and of zeale and of obedience and of all vertue and goodnesse as it is then is not ignorance the roote of faith but of vnbeleefe not of loue but of hatred not of zeale but of rashnesse and coldnesse not of obedience but of rebellion not of goodnesse but of mischiefe and therefore not of deuotion neyther but of damnation In the ninetie fiue Psalme the Lorde accuseth the Iewes of hardnes of heart tempting of God and continuall rebellion against the Lorde for the space of fortie yeeres and addeth this withall as a reason of all their wickednesse that they knew not the waies of the Lorde for which cause the Lorde sware in his wrath that they shoulde neuer enter into his rest to shew vs what bee the fruites of ignoraunce which if it bee the mother of deuotion it is of such deuotion as bringeth foorth all manner of iniquitie and shutteth men out of eternall felicitie In the fourth Chapiter of the Prophet Hosea in the first second third and fourth verses the Lord hath a controuersy with the inhabitants of Israel because there was no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God amongst them but swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring and oppression for which things the Lord telleth them that the land shall mourne and euerie one shall be cut off to shew what is to bee looked for where the knowledge of God is wanting When the Prophet Esay reproued the Israelites idolatrie and hypocrisie hee saide Knowest thou nothing as if he should say these are the fruits of ignorance In Philip. the first chapter and the ninth verse the Apostle prayeth God that the church might abound in knowledge and iudgement which hee woulde not haue doone if ignoraunce were the mother of deuotion Our Sauiour Christ commaundeth his church to search the Scriptures adding this as a reason that they beare witnesse of him Ioh. 5.39 and shewe the way to eternall life to shew that ignorance is not the mother of deuotion By this may we see how much we are beholding to the papists for shutting vp the doores of knowledge against the church of God They are like the Philistines that put out the eies of Sampson 〈◊〉 16.21 that so they might the better make sport with him and when the Papists had put out the right eye of knowledge in the church they might then make them doe what they list themselues They are like the cruell Nahash the Ammonite that would make no couenaunt with the Israelites 〈◊〉 11.2 but vppon condition that euerie man woulde put out his right eye The rauen when hee falleth vppon a sheepe the first thing hee doth is to picke out his eies that so he may the more easily deuoure the body so when the Papists fall vpon the sheepe of Christ the first thing they labour to effect is to put out their eies of knowledge that so they may the more easily prey vpon their bodie and goodes too They tell vs forsooth that the searching of the scripture is the cause of errour And our sauiour Christ saith therefore you erre because you knowe not the scriptures 〈◊〉 12.24 which of these must we beleeue the Papists or our Sauiour Christ They tel vs that the scriptures are hard to bee vnderstoode but the Lorde saith Al the words of my mouth are righteous there is no lewdnesse 〈◊〉 8 8 9. nor frowardnesse in them They are all plaine to him that will vnderstand and straight to them that would find knowledge The papists say they are hard and the Lord saith they are plaine and straight which of these now shal we beleeue the papists or the Lord Indeede saint Peter saith that in the writings of his brother Paul there are some things hard to be vnderstoode 2. Pet. 3.1 6 which ignoraunt and vnstable men doe peruert as they doe all other scriptures to their condemnation now if they be hard we see to whome they are hard to the ignorant and vnstable but not to those that desire knowledge to them they are made easie by the Lorde Therefore it must stand vs in hande to bee well repaired and sanctified by fayth and prayer when wee deale with the scriptures and bee truely resolued to bee reformed thereby or else wee may fall into errour as a iust recompence of our pride presumption Exo. 19. VVhen the Israelites shoulde come before the Lord they must be sanctified to day and to morrow saith the Lord when we come to the handling of the scriptures wee come before the Lorde and therefore wee must bee throughly sanctified and with Moses wee must put off the shooes of our carnall affections when wee come to deale with the booke of GOD for the scriptures are the mount from which God doth shew himselfe and the bush out of which goeth a flame of fire In them the Lord speaketh to vs and wee heare the words of euerlasting life wee must therefore strip off all our affections and fall downe before the Lorde with feare and knowe who it is that speaketh His worde is holy let vs take heede therefore into