serued and glorified and our selues beautefied thereby Ioh. 6. 29. but also that so we may stop the mouthes of our adversaries For among al the most slanderous imputations that they lay to our charge this is not the least that they avouch that wee teach a bare and naked faith without the fruit of all good workes in that wee affirme that faith is alone in the worke of our iustification The which is as true as if they should say that wee hold that the eye is alone in the body without the residue of the other senses seeing that wee avouch that the eie is alone in the apprehension of all such things as are subiect vnto sight And yet for this cause we must be called Solâ—fidians as if wee reiected all other fruits of the spirit with the practise exercise of all good works Nay let vs make no lesse vse hereof then Philip did of those slanders the which the Athenians had raised vp against him I am much said he beholding to the Athenians for that by their slanderous reports I am made the more careful to look to my waies that I may hold a right course that so I may confute them both by my words and workes So likewise whereas our doctrine is that the true Christian saith is accompanied with all manner of divine and heauenly graces and is fruitfull in all good workes let vs giue all diligence to confirme the same by an holy life and conversation that so we may confute them by our deeds also And so we may bee bold to retort vpon them iustly and truly that which they vntruely charge vs withall For in that they avouch that the true Christian faith may not only be in the reprobate but even in the very divels themselues thereby they teach that it may be alone without the company of any vertue without the practise of any good worke And therefore they may be truely tearmed not onely Solifidians but Implijfidians ' Diabolifidians also Vndoubtedly hereby they make it manifest to the whole world that they hold not the true Catholike faith seeing thereby in the iudgement of S. Austine the iust are discerned from the vniust Aug. ad Bomf l. 3. c. 5. Whereas by that faith which themselues hold to be Catholike they cannot be discerned from the very Divels themselues Now if they bee not severed from the Divels in their faith neither can they bee seuered from them in their workes seeing faith is the root works are the fruits and such a root such a fruit Now if they bee severed from the Divell neither in their faith nor workes how can they bee severed from him in their punishments Wherefore let them disgrace this gracious gift of faith which haue no part nor portion in the reward thereof But as for vs which acknowledge it to be a principall part of true sanctitie and holinesse let vs most carefully obserue the meanes whereby it is coliated by God set downe in these words of our text Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Wherein we are to obserue these two points First that God doth sanctifie his by the truth secondly that this truth is contained in Gods word even in that word of God which is delivered vnto vs by the Prophets and Apostles Concerning the first which is that truth is the true meanes whereby we attaine to an holy faith and to all the residue of the graces of sanctification it is manifest in this that truth doth rectifie our vnderstanding will affections in the vprightnesse of the which our whole and totall sanctification doth consist And therefore by S. Austine truth is tearmed The virginitie of the soule and the chastitie of the mind As falsehood and vntruth is the adulterous pollution of them all insomuch that all such as in Gods service embrace lyes either taken by tradition from their ancestors or sucken out of their owne heads are iustly charged by the spirit of God to goe a whoring after humane inventions Num. 15. 39. Here of it is that men of al professions lay claime to the truth and for proofe thereof make a shew to deriue the pedegree of their doctrine from God the author of truth and from his word the authenticall and vndeniable evidences thereof As it may appeare by Celsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who as Origen reporteth entituled his bookes The word of truth which yet hee wrot against the truth Wherefore as the Apostle exhorteth we are not to beleeue every spirit but to trie the spirits whether they are of God or no and wisely to examine the grounds of all doctrines before that we make them Articles of our Creed that so we may imbrace the knowledge of the truth whereby we may bee saved and reiect the strong delusion of Satans lies which are the venome and poison of our soules 2. Thess 2. 10. Now the word of God which our blessed Saviour the wisdome of God Prov. 8. revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is this word of sanctifying and sauing truth For if we continue in the same We shall knowe the truth the truth shall make vs free Ioh. 8. 32. And how doth truth make vs free but by sanctifying vs with al divlne and heavenly vertues For a true vertuous man is the only free man Let vs then come to the second point and take a true view of such proofes as may be produced to make manifest that the word of Christ revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is only the rich treasury of that pretious truth whereby all the elect of God are brought to a sanctifying and sauing faith The which thing that we may effect let vs first search and enquire where and what truth is that so truth may speake and manifest it selfe Truth is either in things or words Truth in things is the fit and apt agreement of the causes with their effects and the effects with their causes of the accidents with their subiects and subiects with their accidents and so of all other arguments and reasons with the things whereof they are argumeÌ„ts reasons Vera est propositio quaÌ„do praedicatum convenit subiecto Tum praedicatuÌ„ coÌ„venit subiecto cum est genus c. So truth in words is when true reasons which agree with the things whereof they are reasons are accordingly set downe in the words which are deliuered to expresse the same Hence then we thus conclude that if all true reasons whereby the true God and true Godlinesse may be knowne and embraced are rightly set downe in the doctrine revealed by Christ to the Tum veritas est in verbis quando ita est in rebus quemadmodum verbâ— significant Prophets and Apostles and by them registred and enrolled in the Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament then this word is the word of God and the word of truth But in these bookes are set downe all manner of most forcible and
effectuall arguments and reasons for the rooting vp of all errors and vntruths for the opening confirming of all doctrines of faith and godlinesse and for the edifying of the spirituall Scriptura est â—ons rationalis temple of God Let vs saith S. Hierome ascend into the reasonable mount and seeking of the testimonies of Scripture choice and fit timber for every severall point of doctrine let vs cut it downe and there with build the house of wisdome Hier. in Hagg. Neither doth this word of God minister choice timber onely for the building vp of the Lords Temple but all maner of wholsome food also for the sustenance of all such as are of the Lords houshold For in it there is both milk for children strong meat for such as are men Heb. 5 12. The principles of this word are the childrens milke which is by S. Peter called a doctrine standing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon so sure and sound reason that hee that rightly apprehendeth the same cannot bee deceaued 1. Pet. 2. 2. whereby he doth distinguish it from the principles of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 1. 16. all other religions which being not Logicall but Sophisticall as happely hauing in them a shew but not the substance of sound reason cannot but deceaue and destroy all such as drinke downe the venomous poison thereof Now if the first rudiments of the word of God stand vpon such sound reason that they cannot deceaue then the stronger meat thereof which is all such reasons and arguments which are set downe for the further lightning and strengthning of these principles must needs bee of greater light and strength And so no doubt they are seeing they are of power to make the meÌ„ of God which are long exercised therein able so throughly to discerne betweene good evill errour and truth that they can both purely and zealously performe vnto the Lord that reasonable service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is acceptable vnto him Rom 12. 1. The which reasonable service what is it else but the puritie of a true saith and of all oather divine vertues with all holy workes that issue from them all Ioh. 6. 29. 1. Tim. 6. 11. Now faith as the Apostle defineth it Heb. 11. 1. is the ground of things hoped for the demonstration of things not seene which principally are the vnspeakable loue and goodnesse of God demonstrated not onely in the worke of the creation Rom. 1. 20. but especially in the worke of the redemption 2. Cor. 3. 12. For this is such a demonstration of Gods vnspeakable goodnesse and loue that as Austine saith it doth convince the iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after a sort force the minde to yeeld her assent thereto Aug. in Ioh. hom 79. 95. So God loued the world saith out blessed Saviour that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Ioh. 3. 16. So Saint Iohn In this appeared the loue of God towards vs in that God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that wee might liue through him Ioh. 4. 9. And againe Herein is loue not that we loued God but that God loued vs gaue his Sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes And againe in the very next verse If God so loued vs c. As if hee would haue vs throughly to vnderstand that such a person giuen for such persons to worke such a worke is such a demonstration of Gods loue that the like is no where to be found no not in all the Bookes of Aristotles Demonstrations When I was here a scholler I heard a most reverend Father namely Mr. Fox preaching on these words of the Apostle If one bee dead for all then we were all dead 2. Cor. 5. 14. say here is such an ergo that all the Schooles cannot shew the like And yet this ergo demonstration whereof we now speake is a more forceable ergo a more compelling demonstration as the same Apostle teacheth in the former part of the same verse For verily if we could attaine to all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to knowe the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. Then we should attaine to the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. even to the full assurance of Gods loue If wee were able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height of the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge then should wee bee filled with all fulnesse of God Eph. 3. 18. In the meane season all such as haue attained to some measure of this faith which is grounded vpon so strong demonstration are called by S. Chrysostome hom 9. in Epist ad Coll. sheepe indued with reason for that they are or should bee able to giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answer to every one that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them 1. Pet. 3. 15 And verily all such Christians as rightly vnderstand the grounds of their faith are esteemed by the Apostle to bee worthie of the name of reasonable men whereas all that doe not are by him branded with the note of men wicked and vnreasonable Furthermore saith he bretheren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a full current be glorified as it is with you and that we may be delivered from vnreasonable and evill men for all men haue not faith 2. Th. 3. 1. Neither is this first and principall part of Gods seruice only grounded vpon most sure sound reason but also the other part thereof consisting in the exercise of all holy works proceeding from al the divine graces and gifts of the holy spirit of God For if they be not done after that manner and by the inducement of such reasons as God in his word requireth Deus non exigebat quae siebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. 1 3 cont Marc. them to be performed they are not allowed and approued of Christ Mat. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 13. 1. For that may bee said of all good workes which Tertullian avoucheth of the Iewes sacrifices Viz that God did not in them require the thing done but the reasons for the which they were to be done so God doth not require our bare workes but will haue them done vpon such reasons and motiues as they ought to be done So then the very rudiments and principles of this word of Christ are reasonable milke the service therein prescribed is a reasonable service and the faith therein commanded is grounded vpon a most strong demonstration and the workes therein required are squared by the squier of exact reason and the persons that embrace this faith are only and alone esteemed to be endued with right reason therefore we rightly conclude that this word of Christ set downe in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets Apostles is the only vnerring word of
Moizare that is deliver many doctrines set downe by Moses for that hee had taken them out of him So these Sybille did Prophetizare because they had receaued these prophesies either out of their books or by tradition from the old Patriarks For as Sampson said vnto his guests that were at his wedding when they gaue him the right sense of his riddle which lie had proposed vnto them If yee had not plowed with my heifer yee could not haue found out my riddle Iud. 14. 18. So may wee as truely say that if the heathenish Prophets and Prophetesses had not consulted with our Prophets they could not haue delivered these Oracles The which is evident by this that when they were consulted by their greatest friends concerning events that were presently to come to passe they deliuered their Oracles in doubtfull sentences which might be expounded divers waies for that they were not able to deliver any certaintie thereof As Aio te Aeacides Romanos vincere posse And Craesus halim penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Whereas our Prophets not only delivered the certaintie of the events of divers battles when they were ready to bee vndertaken as Iud. 4. 9. and 7. 9. 1. Sam. 30. 8. 1. Reg. 20 13. But also many other events many hundred yeares before they fell out As namely the deliverance of the Iewes out of the captivitie of Babylon and the particular king by whom it should bee accomplished even Cyrus king of the Medes Persians Isa 44. 45. The which prophesie as Iosephus reporteth Antiq. Iudaic. l. 11. c. 1. Cyrus reading and perceauing himselfe to be named therein some 200 yeares before he was borne and appointed to such a worke gaue liberty to the Iewes to returne to their-owne country and to build their temple and he gaue them backe the vessels thereof which had beene carried away by the king of Babylon For he vnderstood that the God of the Iewes was the true God because he had foretold such an event a long time before it was to come to passe As it may appeare by his owne words Ez. 1. 2. Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia the Lord God of heauen hath given me all the kingdomes of the earth and hath commanded mee to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with whom his God is Let him goe vp to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the house of the Lord God of Israell he is the God which is in Ierusalem Here then wee may perceaue by evident reason set downe in the Scriptures that the heathen haue and therefore still may be convinced to acknowledge him to be the true God who hath revealed himselfe in those bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and that those bookes are the authenticall word of the true all seeing and well working God And verily even the most profoundest mysteries of those bookes may bee iustified by evident reason to the heathen themselues to be the doctrines of truth proceeding from the true God as it may appeare by the bookes of these notable lights in the Church of Christ ' D. de Plessis de veritate Christianae religionis Zeged in locis com Keckerm in Syntagm Theolog. Neither must the doctrines of our Christian religion bee by reason evicted against the Gentiles but also against all Schismatiks Heretiks For albeit all these or at the least the most of them acknowledge the holy Scriptures to proceed from God yet seeing this word of God consisteth not in the letters but in the sence not in the reading but in the vnderstanding not in the leaues of the speech wherein it is delivered but in the root of the reason whereon it is grounded and seeing all Schismatikes and Heretikes be the words that are produced against them never so plaine and pregnant yet peruert and corrupt the right sense and meaning of them how can the right sense be iustified against all such persons but by cleere and evident reasons For if one testimonie bee produced to cleere another they will pervert the sense of the one as well as of the other And if the testimonies of the ancient Fathers yea of generall Councels bee alleaged against them either they will pervert the meaning of them aswell as they did the meaning of the Scriptures or else they will flatly refuse to subscribe to their autoritie The truth hereof was fully knowne vnto S. Austin who for his learned confuting of many heretikes was called the Hammer wherewith heretikes were knocked Malleus haereâ—â—corum in the head For hee writing against Maximinus the Arrian l. 3. 1. 14. saith I will not alleage the Councell of Nice to preiudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to preiudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the autority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the autoritie of the Scriptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both Let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason bee compared together let that prevaile which is the stronger and weigh most wherein there is the most weight And verily there is no other meanes to cleere the meaning of all testimonies humane and divine then by the light of cleere arguments and reasons Wherefore seeing that the power of the word of God consisteth in the right sense and meaning thereof which cannot be cleered without the light of reason without the sure apprehension thereof the people of God themselues cannot be edified therefore cleere arguments and reasons must bee produced for the cleering of all doctrines of faith and an holy life by all such teachers as seeke after the edification of the people of God The truth whereof is plainely confirmed by the vsuall practise of all preachers of the word of God Among whoÌ„ it is most ordinary after the doctrines deduced out of their texts to cleere the same with varietie of reasons and then to drawe out the vses there of which are nothing else but particular doctrines by evidence of reason collected and gathered out of the generall And verily the true Christian faith is not an ignorant credulitie but an vnderstanding assent grounded vpon a sure knowledge even such a faith as was in the Apostles themselues the which they were to preach through out the whole world Luk. 1. 77. For of this their faith our Sauiour himselfe testifieth in this very chapter saying I haue giuen them the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and haue beleeued that thou hast sent me v. 8. The truth where of is plainly confirmed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of S. Peter Ioh. 6. 69. Thou hast the wordes of eternall life we beleeue knowe that thou art the very Christ the sonne of the liuing God Neither is this vnderstanding faith proper