pledges and pawnes of Gods loue procured for vs by Christ Iesus and as the first fruites of that heauenly inheritance which he himselfe hath purchased for vs how can we but rest assured to be brought in the time appointed by the Lord to the possession of that whereof we haue so certaine an earnest and so sure a pledge In pasting ouer temporall Land from man to man we esteeme much of good securitie which highly commendeth euen an hard bargaine A sound title and a good conueyance from such and such persons to such and such other maketh the security to be sufficient The goodliest possession that can be passed ouer to any of the sonnes of men is the glorious manner of the coelestiall Paradise the true title thereunto is Christ and his righteousnesse the conueyance thereof is the Word and the Sacraments which giue Christ to all that beleeue and the sure and certaine earnest of the same is the first fruits of the Spirit But to our Romish Catholickes the righteousnesse of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ performed for vs in his owne person and imputed vnto vs by the Lords most free and vndeserued mercy is a meere nullity and new no iustice and the apprehension thereof by faith is a phantasticall apprehension of that which is not a false faith and an vntrue imputation as our masters of Rhemes haue taught For their Rhem. in c. 3. ad Rom. title to the heauenly Paradise is the merit of that righteousnes which is wrought by themselues and their conueyances are the Popes Indulgences and Pardons and their Priests Absolutions and Masses and the deuotions of the men of their Religious orders But what is their securitie for all this verily nono at all for they are commanded to liue still in feare and doubtfulnesse because they know not how much they faile in the measure and manner of the fulfilling of this righteousnesse and whether or no they shall be enabled to perseuere And verily no maruaile that their security for their heauenly happinesse is so small or none at all seeing their pay for the same is in such light and clipt money yea in such base and counterfeit coyne and their conueyance thereof so feeble and weake The faith of our Romish Catholicks as they themselues teach is such a faith as may be in the deuils and therefore no maruaile but as the deuils beleeue and tremble so they doe beleeue and Iac. 2. 19. tremble also but wheras the pay made for the purchase of the coelestiall Paradise vnto all faithfull Christians is the absolute and perfect rigteousnesse of Christ performed for them and the conueyauce thereof vnto them is the Lords gracious grant thereof set downe in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and sealed with the seales of the holy Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament therefore the true faithfull Christian needeth not to feare and to doubt of his saluation seeing he hath so good euidence for the same For seeing Christ hath deliuered them out of the hands of their enemies that they should serue the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1. 74. all the dayes of their liues why should they feare or doubt to enioy the fruit of this deliuerance wrought by such a person and by such meanes Assuredly they doe not as the Apostle testifieth speaking in the name of all the faithfull Yee saith he haue not receiued Rom. 8. 16. the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption where by we cry Abba Father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God if we be children wee bee also heires of God and heires annexed with Christ This ioyfull and comfortable security of all true and faithfull Christians Saint Cyprian setteth Cypr contra Demetriadem downe after this manner There is saith he with vs strength of hope and stedfastnesse of faith amidst the ruines of a decaying world a couragious minde and a constant vertue and a patience alwayes ioyfull and a soule alwayes secure of God to be our God Thus doth both Scripture and Fathers set forth that comfortable security which GOD by his Spirit hath setled in the hearts of his faithfull seruants The security then which they condemne is that whereby men are made either awlâ—sse of falling into temptations or carelesse of vsing the meanes appointed by God to withstand tentations or bold of their own strength in vsing the meanes and so negligent therby to craue continuall aide and assistance from the Lord for if we fearing to fall into tentations vse carefully the meanes appointed by God to withstand the same and distrusting our owne strength call continually to God for his aide then as the Apostle himselfe commandeth we ought in all things to be secure or without feare being Phil. 4. 6. throughly perswaded of this that the euent of all things shall be happy and that God will turne all to our good Rom. 8. 26. And verily the true Christian faith driueth away distrustfull feare out of the soule of euery true sincere Christian maketh manifest vnto him the soundnes vprightnes of his own heart seeing otherwise it could neuer leade him to true happinesse Yea as the most learned Dr. Fotherby our late most Reuerend and most louing Diocesan Lord Bishop of Sarum lib. 1. Cap. 12. Fol. 1 22. Hath shewed out of diuers of the bookes of the wisest among the Heathen true happinesse hath bin esteemed for a man to haue his soule free froÌ„ terror fearefulnesse nay without this freedome and security it is most certaine that it cannot enioy so much as a shadow of any foelicity or any sound comfort and true contentment seeing true contentment and sound comfort and ioy is founded in a couragious confidence of the heart and in the quiet security and tranquillity of the mind To be full of feare and terrour is a property belonging to a 1 Ioh. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 yea it is a 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 conâ—rary to true confidence and courage Feare saith the Apostle hath Cura quasi cor vrens painefulnesse and it brâ—edeth that care that burneth and scorcheth the heart and 〈◊〉 the soule and it hastneth those Apoc. 21. 8. that willingly entertaine it towards the horrours of hell and excludeth them from the ioyes of Heauen How then ought all the sincere Professors of the Gospell to be thankefull to God for that he hat sent his Gospell vnto them and hath opened theâ—… eyes thereby so to apprehend his vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 Christ reuealed therein that therby they are effectually stirred vp to loue God especially seeing as the Apostle saith there is no feare in loue but perfect loue 1 Ioh. 4. 18. casteth out feare For as a chast spouse is not iealous of her kind huâ—band and a dutiful sonne is not so fearefull as to think that his tender-hearted Father will withdraw his loue froÌ„
weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered the vaine conceits of their owne hearts in the name of doctrines Ier. 23. 25. proceeding from God and so seduced not onely the people but sometimes the Prophets also there was great reason 1 Reg. 13. 18. why God should cause all diuine truthes necessary to saluation to be set downe by the Pennes of his Prophets and Apostles as being the best meanes not onely for the manifestation but also for the preseruation thereof For as men doe more plainly fully and safely set downe their whâ—…e mindes in their written wils and testaments then when they deliuer them by word of mouth so the Lord would haue his minde set downe in the bookes of the Old and New Testament by his faithfull Registers the Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists as being the best meanes for the safer custody Phil. 3. 1. of the same It was an argument of Gods loue and a Luk. 1. 4. good foundation of faith for God to reueale all diuine truths necessary to the saluation of his people in visions and dreames but it is a greater argument of his loue and a stronger foundation of faith that God hath caused his whole and perfect will to be set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures Or else the Apostle Saint Peter did mistake when he assured the faithfull to whom he wrote that hee followed not sophisticall fables when he opened vnto them the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ For first saith he We had an heauenly vision 2 Pet. 1. 19. to assure vs that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And secondly saith he we haue a more sure testimony then the former euen the Word of God written by Moses and the rest of the Prophets And hereof it was that when our blessed Sauiour had testified to the Iewes that his Father had giuen witnesse to him from heauen that he was the Sonne of God yet hee sendeth them to the Scriptures as to the surer meanes for the confirmation of their faith saying Search the Scriptures for in them Ioh. 5. 39. yee thinke to haue life and they are they that testifie of me And towards the end of that Chapter he telleth the Iewes that hee will not accuse them because they receiued not such diuine doctrines as were deliuered vnto them by his owne testimony But Moses saith he will accuse you for that yee beleeue not things which are deliuered vnto you in his Bookes Shewing thereby that it is a greater fault not to beleeue the testimony that God giueth in record vnder the hand of any one of his sworne Registers then that which is giuen by his owne bare voice For saith he if yee beleeue not his writings how will yee beleeue my wordes Vpon the which words 〈◊〉 thus writeth As that is more firme that is coÌ„mitted to writing so it is a greater fault not to beleeue things written then not to beleeue things vttered by word So Theophilact vpon the same place If ye beleeue not things written how will yee beleeue my words that are not written Whereby it is euident that the Word of God written in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scripture is the more safe and sure meanes to haue all diuine truthes to be conâ—eighed ouer to vs then is the deliuering of them to vs by his voyce in dreames and visions euen as the Princes grant vnder his hand and â—eale is a more sure euidence then when it is deliuered onely by his bare word Whosoeuer therefore auoucheth that God reuealing himselfe to the old Fathers by visions and dreames did bestow vpon them a greater blessing then he doth vpon vs by deliuering his will vnto vs by the holy Canonicall Scriptures either is himselfe in a dreame or is deceiued by a vaine dreame of some other Now if it were not altogether so safe to haue diuine doctrines deliuered by dreames and visions when that which was not so throughly conceiued or at the least so well remembred by those that so receiued the same might be righted by new visions then surely now when all such visions are ceased it is not safe to haue diuine truthes deliuered at all by vnwritten traditions but to be recorded in the rolles of the Canonicall Scriptures QVEST. LXIX The doctrine of the Church of Rome ministreth occasion and prouocation to sinne and not the doctrine of such as prosesse the Gospell We are carefull there not to trespasse against another where our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell iâ— that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purgeâ— but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Tâ—entals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is
our renowned Church to be confirmed by cleare and demonstratiue arguments iustificable by all the rules of sound reason and the sophismes opposed against them reduced to the elenches as in part they haue bin already by that famous late publike Professor in Cambridge Doctor Whitaker And if worthy ensamples of famous men of their own ranke be not to be neglected herein haue they not to be their Precedents the singular Patrons of the Christian Faith that liued in the Primitiue Church that penned their learned Apologies and deliuered them vp into the hands euen of the Heathenish persecuting Emperours And albeit that reprobate Iulian did say of these Apologies I haue read them vnderstood them and despised them yet the learned Bishops were not dismaâ—de therewith but gaue him this answere thou hast read theÌ„ Zozom l. 5. c. 18. perhaps but thou hast not vnderstood them for if thou hast vnderstood them thou wouldst not haue despised them And verily whereas the vpholders of the Kingdome of Antichrist come with strong delusion and with all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse why should not all such as are set in the defence of the Gospell of Christ striue earnestly as the Apostle St Iude exhorteth for the maintenance Iude 4. of the Faith which was once giuen to the Saints yea why should they not striue for truth euen vnto death and defend Iustice for liâ—e seeing if they doe so they shall Eccl 4. 28. haue God to fight for them against their enemies Meroz hath a double curse for omitting this duty and Iael hath a double blessing for performing the same pronounced by an Angell of God from Heauen Curse yee Meroz Iud. â— 22. said the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not out to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mighty Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women dwelling in tents for she put her hand to the naile her right hand to the workemans hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera yea she smote off his head after that she had wouÌ„ded and pierced his temples So let the words of the wise which are like goads and Eccl. 12. 11. like nailes â—astned by the masters of the assemblies which are giuen by one Pastour bee as it were driuen into the heads of all spirituall Siseraes that all Heresie and Idolatry may be pierced and wounded and in the end vtterly destroyed And so now also let all thine enemies perish O Lord and let all that loue thee and thy Truth be as the 〈◊〉 he riseth in his might And let all true Christian hearted Englishmen continually pray that the Sunne of righteousnesse would neuer goe down vnder the Horizon of this our Church of great Brittaine but that he would alwayes shine ouer it by the bright beames of his glorious Gospell and blesse it with the heauenly influence of his holy Spirit holding still the starres thereof in his right hand and preseruing the Candle of his Word in the Candlesticke thereof vnto the world's end Thine in the Lord IOHN TERRY THE QVAESTIONS THAT are handled in the first part of this Treatise 1 The Gospell is the onely proper and immediate cause of true saith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the holy liues and comfortable deaths of the dearest seruants of God nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man 2 The Word and Sacraments doe not profit vnlesse the sense and vse of either be rightly conceiued and vnderstood 3 The meanes whereby wee are to come to the right vnderstanding of the word of God is the light of true reason For the opening of the truth whereof these positions following are explained 1 All quaestions humane and diuine are to be determined by the rules of right reason 2 The testimony of no author humane or diuine is further to bee approued then as it agreeth with the grounds of true reason 3 The holy Scriptures doe teach and demonstrate the greatest mysteries of godlinesse by arguments and reasons 4 The Law and the Gospell are founded vpon most forcible reasons yea the permission of the fall of Adam by transgressing the Law of God being the occasion of mans recouery which is openened in the Gospell is grounded vpon most forcible reasons 5 The Professors of euery Religion alleage reasons for the iustifying of their seuerall devotions 6 The soundnes and substance and as it were the very quintessence of all diuine reason is most plentifully to be found in the canonicall Scriptures 7 No truth iâ— Philosophy is contrary to any truth in Diuinity 8 Testimonies may be taken out of Philosoyhy to giue witnesse vnto truths in Diuinity and reasons may be produced out of the booke of Nature to open and cleare the doctrines of the booke of Grace 9 Where there is no reason apprehended that may perswade to Faith there ordinarily is no Faith 10 Where there is a clearer apprehension of the reasons that perswade to Faith there is the more setled assent and the stronger Faith 11 The doctrines of Faith and Godlines are often repeated and the reasons and motions that perswade thereunto are inculâ—ated and vrged again again in the Bookes of the Old and New Testament that we may thereby vnderstand that the clearer fuller apprehension of them doe beget a clearer and fuller Faith 12 Wee may by supernaturall reason ascend aboue the reach of naturall reason 13 That Faith is not the best and strongest that hath the lesse number of reasons and the lesse perspicuous arguments to stay it vp but rather that which hath the greater number and the mâ—re perspicuous 4 Sauing Faith is diuine wisdome or a certaine knowledge and a setled assent â—dherence to all diuine verities necessary to saluation especially to the Couenant of grace as to the meanes of the highest happines and the chiefest good 5 A sauing Faith is alwaies accompanied with all other sanctifying graces as being the fruitfull mother tender nurse of them all 6 The Christian Faith only doth giue vndâ—…eiuable 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 drawâ— from the efficient Cause The Church is not alwayes glorious notorious as a Citty set vpon a high hâ—ll All the workes of the most holy in this life are stained with siâ—ne The ignorance and not the knâ—…ledge of holy Scripture is the cause oâ— 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
doe we hereby disgrace the nature of man but shew how man by his owne fault hath disgraced himselfe and into what misery he is fallen by his owne folly And this wee teach only concerning the estate of the naturall man before he be renewed by the Spirit of God Whereas the Church of Rome forbiddeth the faithfull theÌ„selues Rom. 15. 4 to search the Scriptures which yet were written for their learning and keepeth them from them vnder the locke key of an vnknown â—onâ—ue and in her diuine seruice readeth them vnto them in a strange language and iâ—…oyneth them to receiue their Fatih vpon their Preachers word and credit without all examination and try all commanding them to beleeue blindfully as the Church beleeueth Yea a greaâ— Cardinall is bold to avouch that it belongeth no more to thâ— people to aske a reason of their teacher doctrine then it doth to an house to know Cusan exercit 6. pag. 547. why his Master turneth his head this way or that way Whereâ—…re it is the Church of Rome that maketh the very Faithfull themselues like to the horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding contrary to the precise commandement of the Holy Prophet it is the Church of Rome by sorceing the Psal 32 9 people to pray in an vnknowne tongue that causeth them to offer vp to God the lips of calâ—es and to pattâ—r like pyes and parrets yea whereas by nature all men being degenerate and turned into lions beares wolues and tigres are not recouered out of this their wretched estate but by the sanctisied knowledge of the diuine Writers of the most powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ the Church of Rome keeping theÌ„ from the same keepeth them from that whereby they should be recouered out of this their miserable brutish condition And for the iustifying of her doing so there is alleaged by some of her followers this Commandement of Christ Giue not holy things to dogs nor cast pearles before swine Mat 7. 6 Now then let all indifferent men iudge who maketh men beasts whether the Professors of the Gospell of Christ or the followers of the Church of Rome And let all such persons labour both to vnderstand and put in practise the diuine mysteries of Faith and godlines who will not be condemned by God himselfe to be brutish and vnreasonable Creatures CHAP. III. The meanes whereby we are to come to the right vnderstanding of the Word of God is the light of true reason for the opening of the truth whereof these propositions following are explained QVAEST 1 2 3 c. 1 All Questions humane and diuine are to be determined by the rules of reason 2 The testimony of no Author humane or divine is farther to be approued then as it agreeth with the grouÌ„ds of right reason 3 The holy Scriptures doe declare the greatest mysteryes of godlinesse by arguments and reasons 4 The Law the Gospell are founded vpon most forcible reasons yea the permission by God of the fall of Adam being the occasion of the strange meanes of man's recovery which is opened in the Gospell is grounded vpon most forcible reasons 5 The Professors of euery Religion alleage reasons for the iustifying of their severall devotions 6 The soundnes substance as it were the very quintessence of all divine reason is most plentifully to be found in the Canonicall Scriptures 7 No truth in Philosophy is contrary to any truth in Divinity 8 Testimonies may bee taken out of Philosophy to giue witnes vnto truths in Divinity reasons may be produced out of the booke of Nature to cleare the doctrines of the booke of Grace 9 Where there is no reason that may perswade to faith there ordinarily is no faith 10 Where there is a clearer apprehension of the reasons that perswade to faith there is a more setled assent a more strong â—aith 11 The doctrines of faith and godlines are often repeated the reasons that perswade thereunto are vrged and inculcated againe and againe in the bookes of the old new testament that we may thereby vnderstand that the clearer and fuller apprehension of them doth beget a clearer and fuller faith 12 We may by supernaturall reason ascend aboue the reach of naturall reason 13 That faith is not the best and strongest that hath the lesse number of reasons and the lesse perspicuous arguments to stay it vp but rather that which hath the greater number and the more perspicuous WHereas the Word of God profiteth not vnlesse it bee Heb. 4. 2 mingled with Faith that is vnlesse it being rightly vnderstood procure a wise and a settled assent it standeth all in hand to seeke out the true meanes whereby they may come to the right vnderstanding thereof if that they desire to reape any benefit thereby The truth is that the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists being the Lord's Secretaries or Registers to set down in writing all diuine and heauenly doctrines necessary to saluation were instructed by the immediate revelation of the Spirit of God that so they might be frâ—ed therin from all errour But for any other person to challenge the same priuiledge were but a phantasticall and an Anabaptisticall illusion For euen the Bishop of Rome himselfe who is magnified by his followers as the only man that hath all diuine and humane Lawes locked vp in his brest and is by them accounted the only vnerring Interpreter of holy Scripture and the infallible Iudge of the right sense and meaning thereof yet is by his chiefest Vpholders â—…strained to the meanes without the which he must not looke to attaine to the right and true vnderstanding thereof The high Bishop saith Bellarmine must not expect revelations but vse Bellar. de concil l. 1. c. 11. Canus locor theolog l. 5. c. 5. ordinary meanes For as Canus affirmeth the holy Writers only set downe Catholick doctrines by the immediate revelation and inspiration of God and therefore needed not outward helpes thereunto Whereas it behoueth Bishops to vse the ordinary course by weighing of reasons and by imploying their diligence Yea Cameracensis is bold to avouch that both it is impossible Cam sent quaest 1. art 2. to assent without a reason to perswade thereto oâ— to giue any other manner of assent then the force of the reasons are that procure the same And therfore whereas we ought to giue the fullest assent to all doctrines of piety and godlines which are deliuered in the Word of God we ought most diligently to search out the strongest reasons that may throughly induce perswade thereunto For as S. Ierome testifieth the Gospell Hier. in c. 5. ep ad Gal. doth not consist in the leaues of the Words but in the root of reason And vndoubtedly by arguments and reasons all truths are not only lightned and cleared but also iustified and confirmed For when is any proposition true but when one part Vera est propositio quando pradicatum
fatherly fauour and loue Yea he maketh them sensible of this gracious worke of his Spirit in their owne hearts when he effecteth the same by the powerfull operation of his owne holy Spirit and worketh a true sense and feeling thereof in the receiuers themselues as it hath already beene declared in the opening of the second question of the first part of this treatise and shall bee further cleared also in the second part hereof For that the faithfull should not doubt of Gods loue toward themselues he giueth his owne sanctifying Spirit and their owne sanctified spirits to testifie the same that against the sufficiency of their testimonies no man can take any iust Rom. 8. 16. exception In the Law saith our Sauiour it is written that the testimony Iohn 8. 17. of two men is true Of what an vndoubted truth then is that thing which is witnessed by a sanctified conscience whereas the testimony of conscience without this qualification Conscientia mille testes is in stead of a thousand witnesses Now if the witnesse of a sanctified conscience be of such validity which yet is but an humane testimony what is the witnesse of God himselfe Now this is the witnesse of God saith the Apostle that not 1 Iohn 5. 9. onely he hath giuen vnto vs eternall life but also that he hath by his Spirit giuen vnto vs our faich to testifie the same to our owne soules and that to this end that we might know that we haue eternall life and that we might beleeue viz. by a faith daily growing stronger and stronger in the name of the Sonne of God The which thing cannot be but effectually wrought if the faithfull would daily and duly consider that the promise of blessednesse made by Christ to all that beleeue was by God deliuered not onely by word of mouth but also by an oath Iohn 5. 24. and after the same maner was redeliuered to Christ and that to this end that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible Heb. 6. 17. that God should lie we might haue strong consolation and not only so but also was set downe vnder his own hand againe and againe in all the bookes of the old and new Testament and further yet was ratified and confirmed by many feales of diuers Sacraments Wherefore no maruell though the faithfull in former ages haue often openly made profession of this their comfortable assurance of Gods loue publishing and proclaiming that God was their God and they his seruants and that Christ was their Christ in particular and that by his Bloud shed precisely for themselues they were iustified from all their sinnes O my soule saith Dauid thou hast said and said it againe and Psal 16. 2. againe vnto the Lord thou art my God for so it followeth in the same Psalme and in diuers others The Lord is the poâ—tion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot my lot is fallen vnto me in a very good ground I haue a goodly heritage So Psal 18. I will loue thee deerely O Lord my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God and my strength in whom I will trust my shield and the horne also of my saluation So Esay O Lord thou art my God So Thomas My Lord my God Esay 25. 1. Ioh. 20. 28. Hos 2. 23. So all the faithfull since the comming of Christ in the flesh I will say vnto them that were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God And verily as when Ahab said to Benhadads seruants Is my brother Benhadad yet 1 Kings 20. 33. aliue they tooke aduantage thereby saying thy brother Benhadad so whereas God calleth himselfe in particular the God of the faithfull and them in like manner his people and his seruants why may not the faithfull call not God only their God but themselues also his seruants after a speciall maner making thereby a thankfull confession of their own high dignity which the Lord their God hath bestowed vpon them It was not pride then and presumption but a thankfull and dutifull acknowledgement of Gods most singular goodnesse towards himselfe that made Dauid sound out with a loud voyce and double the same againe and againe Behold Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds that is thou hast deliuered me from the bondage of sinne and Satan and hast made me the seruant of righteousnesse and therefore I may safely assure my selfe that I am thy seruant So old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Luke 2. 29. seruant depart in peace according to thy word So Elias O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel let it be knowne 1 Reg. 18. 36. this day that thou art the God of Israel and that I am thy seruant that I haue done al these things at thy commandement So the Apostles Simon Peter a seruant and an Apostle of Iesus 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iac 1. 1. Iude 1. Rom. 1. 1. Christ Iames a seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ They knew that they serued Christ faithfully in the preaching of the Gospell and in all other duties inioyned to Act. 27. 23. them by Christ and therefore they were bold to publish and proclaime themselues to be his seruants and Christ himselfe to be their Lord. So Tertullian writing in the defence of the Tert. in Apol. Christian saith against the Gentiles The religious saith he among you seeke for safety where it cannot be had c. but I cannot pray for it but to him of whom I know that I shall obtaine it because it is hee that is able to doe it and I am thâ— party to whom it is to be granted because I am his seruant and doe worship him alone Now as euery faithfull man knoweth that God is â—is God in particular and that he himselfe is Gods seruant so he knoweth the same blessing to be wrought for him by Christ being in particular his Redeemer and Sauiour who hath tendred to God a full satisfaction for the discharge of his sinnes So protesteth the mother in the name of all her children My beloued Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his and whom may we ioyne next to the mother but her best and deerest daughter My soule saith Lukâ— 1. 47. he doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour So Iob I am sure that my Redeemer liueth So Dauid Iob 19 25. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So Saint Paul I liue by the faith of the Gal. 2. 20. Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me So an ancient Peere of the Church whose workes
eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drinke his Bloud yee shall haue no life in you may be more rightly vnderstood of the receiuing of Christ in the Word then in the Sacraments And verily how was the whole world perswaded to imbrace Christ by the preaching of the Gospell or by the administration of the Sacraments The truth is that our most louing and gracious God by his Euangelicall couenant made with Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in him with all his spirituall â—eed doth giue vnto them Christ Iesus their Sauiour and in him eternall life and blessednesse and doth open and manifest the same by causing this his graunt to be set downe in the Gospell written in the bookes of the Old and New Testament as in the authenticall euidences thereof and to be sealed by the Sacraments as by his owne seales the which he hath ordained to be deliuered to his people as his owne deedes by the hands of his faithfull and painfull Ministers Now which is the chiefe instrument to ratifie vnto the faithfull this gracious graunt the deeds and euidences themselues or the seales annexed thereto that is the Word or the Sacraments Vndoubtedly the Word seeing without the graunt written the seale added to a blancke is nothing worth And yet the word it selfe doth not profite vnlesse it be mixed with faith the true sense thereof being rightly Heb. 4. 2. apprehended and a setled assent yeelded thereto and so neither can the Sacraments profit vnlesse the vse of them be rightly 1 Cor. 11. 29. apprehended and discerned by a true saith Moreouer heere also we may perceiue who in the execution of their Ecclesiasticall function come nearer to Christ and to his Apostles whether the Ministers of the Gospell in their painfull â—reathing or the Popish Priests in their continuall saying of Massâ— QVEST. XLVI No Images are to be worshipped with diuine worship If any images and representations of God are to be worshipped with diuine worship then the best and truest images of God euen such as were framed by God himselfe were so to be worshipped but men which are the best and truest images and representations of God made and framed by God Gen. 1. 26. himselfe are not to be worshipped with diuine worship much lesse any images of God made by man The Church of Rome maketh images of three faces to represent thereby the glorious Trinity but the Apostle teacheth that we which are the generation of God viz. in our soules rather then in our bodies Act. 17. 29. ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like to gold or siluer or stone grauen by the art or inuâ—…tion of Mâ—n Wherefore the Church of Rome which worshipâ—eâ—h such Images doth not therin so much as worship the 〈◊〉 of God but the inuentioÌ„ and fiction of her owne braine Now â—f the Images of God are not to be worshipped with Diuine worship inuâ—… lesse the Images of any men Nay if holy men themselues may not be worshipped with Diuine worship much lesse may their Images and Pictures be QVEST. XLVII The word of God is not to be read vnto people in an vnknowne tongue Such as in the Primitiue Church vttered Diuine Mysteries in strange tongues which were giuen them by the miraculous working of the Holy Ghost were commanded by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 28. to be silent in the Church vnlesse the meaning of the words were presently expounded that so the hearers might receiue instruction and edification thereby much more now such are to be silenced in the Church which vtter Diuine mysteries in an vnknowne tongue which they haue not receiued by the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost where there is no exposition thereof QVEST. XLVIII In all matters that concerne the worship and seruice of God nothing ought to be taught or to be beleeued which is not warranted by the testimony of the Canonicall Scriptures If Saint Paul himselfe taught nothing concerning Christ but that which was deliuered by Moses and the Prophets Act. 26. 22. then ought none other of meaner gifts and priuiledges teach any thing that he hath not receiued from the Canonicall Scriptures So reasoneth Origen Paul as his custome is saith he will auouch that which he teacheth out of the holy Scriptures wherein he giueth an ensample to the teachers in the Church that they should produce such things as they teach the people not grounded vpon their own opinions but strengthened with the testimonies of God For if such and so great an Apostle did not thinke that the authority of his owne word might suffice vnlesse he knew that those very things were written in the Law and in the Prophets which himselfe deliuered â—how much more should we little ones obserue this that when we teach we vtter not our owne but the meaning of the Holy Ghost Against the which most wise aduertisement if we presume to offend albeit we were such as the glorious Angels Saint Austin is bold out of the penne of the Apostle to denounce against vs a most terrible curse If saith he I will Aug. cont lit Pelag. l. 3. c. 6. not say we our selues but if an Angell from Heauen shall teach coÌ„cerning Christ and his Church or concerning any thing else that doth belong to faith and life any other doctrine then that which is contayned in the Legall and Euangelicall Scriptures let him be accursed Accursed then is the Church of Rome and her children who affirme that their vnwritten traditions are of equall authority with the doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures and command them with the like reuerence to be imbraced and receiued QVEST. XLIX The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good If the Church her selfe had need still to pray to her deare Bridegroome Draw me after a sort vnwilling that thou maist Bernard in Cant. Serm. 2. make me willing draw me drowping that thou maist cause me to runne then certainly all such as are not indued with such spirituall graces as the Church is may iustly be challenged for persons not almost but altogether vnwilling to follow God and to walke in his wayes And if euery one of the true members of the Church had need to confesse vnto God and to pray Thou hast corrected me and I haue receiued thy correction Ier. 31. 18. as an vntamed Bullocke conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art my God Then how farre off from any willingnesse and readinesse to turne vnto God are all such as are not yet effectually called to the estate of Grace but are strangers from God and from the Couenant of mercy QVEST. L. Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of wilfull pouerty is the way to perfection The possession of riches which are yet Gods good blessings and testimonies of his goodnesse and loue is not the way Act. 14. 17. to perfection much lesse the vow of pouerty or pouerty it selfe which is the rod