Quest Which be those three concerning Gods glory Ans First Hallowed be thy name Secondly Thy Kingdom come Thirdly Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heauen 437 Quest In the first of these what desire you Answ That the name of God may be glorified in the vse of his Titles Word and all his Workes 437 Quest In the second Petition what desire you Answ That the number of true belieuers may be daily increased that Gods Kingdome of grace being inlarged his Kingdome of glory may be hastened 443 Quest In the third Petition what pray you for Answ That I and all the people of God vpon earth may as readily obey Gods will as the Angels and Saints in Heauen 452 Quest Which be the three Petitions concerning our selues Answ The first Giue vs this day c. 2. Forgiue vs our trespasses 3. Leade vs not into temptation c. 459 Quest What pray you for in the first of these Petitions Answ For all things necessary for this present life and therefore we aske but for bread and but for this day 460 Quest What pray you for in the second of these Petitions Answ That God would freely forgiue vs all our sinnes as we doe from our hearts forgiue the offences of men against vs. 471 Quest What pray you for in the third of these Petitions Answ That the Lord would not suffer vs to be carried a-away by the temptations of the world flesh or Deuill to the committing of sinne but that he would deliuer vs from the euill of all temptation both sinne and damnation 480 Quest Wherefore serueth the conclusion For thine is c. Ans It is added as a reason of all the Petitions to strengthen our faith that God being both able and willing doth certainely yeeld to our requests made vnto him therfore we adde a note of confidence and say Amen 487 Quest What is the other exercise of the faithfull Answ The right receiuing of the Sacraments 518 Of the Sacraments Quest The benefits being showed which we are to craue at Gods hands by prayer what further meanes haue we for the better assuring to our soules the promises of all spirituall blessings in Christ Answ The Sacraments of the new Testament which are the pledges of the Couenant betweene God and his people 492 Quest Wherein stands true repentance Answ In three things First in knowledge and acknowledgement of our sinnes past Secondly in godly sorrow and griefe of heart for them Thirdly in a godly purpose to forsake all sin and to lead a new life for all time to come 505 Quest What is faith Answ It is a certaine perswasion of the heart wrought by the Spirit of God grounded vpon his promises that al my sinnes are forgiuen me in Christ Iesus 508 Quest What is required in such as come to the Lords Supper Answ To be rightly disposed before and at the receiuing hereof 532 Quest What ought a man to doe before his comming Answ To examine himselfe for his faith in Christ 532 Quest How may a man know whether he hath true faith or no Answ By two speciall fruits thereof repentance for all his sinnes and loue towards his neighbour 534 Quest Wherein stands true repentance Answ In affection when it is the same towards our neighbour that it is towards our selues void of malice hatred and enuy and desirous of his good as of our owne and in action when wee are readie to doe good vnto others as vnto our selues and to keepe away hurt as from our selues 537 Quest What shall he doe that finds not these things in himselfe after due examination Answ Hee may not keepe away from the Lords Supper for this were a prouoking of God to wrath neither can hee come vnto it without offending in a higher degree 539 Quest What may a man doe then in this case Answ Hee must humbly sue vnto God for the pardon of his sinnes to ftrike his hard hart that he may melt into teares for them and constantly cleaue to his commandement and if there be any dissention he must goe and bee reconciled to his brother 540 Quest What ought a man to doe at the Lords Supper Answ He ought thankfully to remember the inward graces of God towards him by seeing the outward signes 541 Quest What are these graces Answ First the Lords giuing of his sonne Iesus Christ to death for vs set forth by the Ministers taking of the bread wine breaking powring out offering them to vs all Secondly our neare vnion vnto Christ and how wee haue all our spirituall food from him set forth by our taking eating and inward digesting the Bread Wine that become nourishment vnto vs. Thirdly the neare vnion that God hath made by Christ betwixt all the faithful set forth by the same bread being made of many graines of corne and by the same wine made of many grapes 541 Quest What is to be done after the receiuing Answ We must meditate of the couenant of new obedience renewed by this Sacrament that we may more carefully performe it and flie sinne and vice all the dayes of our life 543 Appendix Quest What is the Word of God Answ Whatsoeuer is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament and not any other Bookes or writings whatsoeuer 545 Quest How many and which are these Bookes Answ The Books of the old Testament are seuen twenty Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numbers Deuteronomie Ioshua Iudges Ruth the first and second of Samuel the first and second Kings the first and second of the Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Ester Iob Psalmes Prouerbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Isaiah Jeremiah Ezechiel Daniel and the Booke of the twelue small Prophets The Bookes of the new Testament are 26. Matthew Marke Luke Iohn the Actes of the Apostles the Epistle to the Romans first and second to the Corinthians Galathianss Ephesians Philippians Colossians and two to the Thessalonians and two to Timothy to Titus the Hebrewes the Epistle of Iames and two of Peter first second and third of Iohn of Iude and the Reuelation of Iohn 545 Quest Are not the Apocrypha Bookes part of the word of God Answ They are not neither haue been euer so accounted in the Church of God but are annexed as being full of good instructions and histories declaring Gods wonderfull Prouidence ouer his people Israel 546 Quest What proofe is there that the other are Gods Word Answ It is proued by their antiquity some of them being before all other bokes sundry times oppugned and sought to be burnt vp by persecutors and yet wonderfully preserued and by miracles from Heauen confirmed which shewes that they came from heauen and are not of mans inuention 547 Quest Hauing this word written is it not sufficient for our saluation without any helpe by preacking Answ It is not sufficient but it must also bee set forth by preaching that the hard places may bee rightly vnderstood we may be kept from errors and haue our dull
hath made to cease by the liberty which hee hath brought vs insomuch as we are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace So that now we may challenge this our greatest and most terrible enemy with the Apostle â— Cor. 15. Rom. 6. Death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory Death of it selfe indeede is most fearefull as being the wages of sinne and the passage to eternall pangs but Christ by dying hath altered the nature of death of a curse he hath made it a blessing of the passage to hell he hath made it the entry of heauen to all the faithfull Againe though our griefe in our sicknesses be great his pangs were greater Heb. 4.15 and so he hath had experience of our miseries and so cannot but haue compassion and prouide that we shall not be tempted aboue our power and in good time deliuer vs out of all our troubles Quest 26. Which is the third degree of his humiliation and in which words Answ Thirdly hee descended into Hell that I might he deliuered from Hell and euerlasting death to these words he descended into Hell Rus in Exposit Symbol Explan This clause was wont of olde to bee inserted into most of the confessions of faith as Rusâ—â— saith 〈◊〉 est quod in ecclesiae Romanae Symbâ—lo non habetur additum W. must know that it is not added in the Creed of the Church of Rome and neither saith hee is this speech had in the Churches of the Past yet the meaning hereof seeme to be the same with this He was buried It is not in the Creed councell of Nice nor in the Creed of Athanasius nor in the Sirmian nor in the Sardian nor in the first Toletan nor in the Ephesine nor in the first nor sixt Constantinopolitan nor in the Calcedon councels nor in many other ancient confessions and tractates written by the learned Fathers for the space of foure hundred yeeres and vpward See Pirk nemonstr problematis page 129. Notwithstanding it is now and may well bee an article of our faith or at the least this third degree of Christ his humiliation set downe vnder it About the meaning of these words great disputations are held and whole bookes written to leaue all which onely signifie briefely that these words are interpreted fiue manner of wayes Of Christs descent into hell diuers opinions Some holding them meerely literally He descended into hell that is went into the place of the damned or some lower places thereabout They which vnderstand it literally of the place of the damned say that he went thither to triumph ouer all the damned Ghosts and Diuels his enemies They which vnderstand it of some place thereabout say that hee went thither to free the Patriarks that were detained for their originall sinne in Limbo The grounds common to both are both that to the Ephesians Ephes 4 9. 1. Pet. 3.19 He descended into the lower parts of the earth and that of Peter By which Spirit he went and preached to the spirits that were in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah that of the Psalmist Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell But the last sort that stand for Limbo haue some speciall allegations besides as that to the Hebrewes Heb. 9.8 The way into the holiest of all was not yet opened whilst the first Tabernacle was standing And againe speaking of the Patriarkes he saith All these dyed and receiued not the promises Heb. 11. Secondly others againe hold them literally but expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue saying that He died and was buried that is annoynted to the buriall and descended into the Sepulcher Thirdly others interpreting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue make the descent to be figuratiue thus he descended into Hell that is remained in the graue vnto the third day Fourthly some others interpret it as an Idiom or phrase peculiar to the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He descended into Hell that is was in the estate of the dead for thus the Greekes were wont to speake of a man departed whether good or bad Lastly some others hold it to bee meerely figuratiuely spoken He descended into Hell that is suffered the torments of Hell viz. the anger of God against the sinnes of all the elect powred forth vpon his soule driuing him into that bloody agony in the garden and making him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now of all those that which stands for Limbo is to be exploded as by other sound positiue reasons drawne from Scriptures so in regard also of the impertinency of the places alleadged for in that to the Hebrewes The way into the holiest was not yet opened is meant nothing else but that which in more words is there expressed viz. heauen and happinesse the redemption of man as verse 12. was not obtained by the seruice done in this tabernacle and in the other these dying receiued not the promises is meant the incarnation of Iesus Christ so long before and so often promised but not sent in their times The second interpretation seemeth to mee too much strained and maketh this short Creed needlesly to labour with tautologie for what else can this import He was buried that is laid in the graue and descended into hell that is went downe into the graue as if it had beene said He was buried and was buried The third not much different from this and onely sheweth that this his buriall was not a meere transeunt act or passion but had a due continuation by his body so remaining in statis quo till his resurrection which me thinkes is sufficiently implyed in the specifying of his buriall and rising the third day importing that for that interim his body lay still in the Sepulchre The fourth interpretation hath farre more probability this Creed being composed by those who fitted it not onely to the Greeke stile in which language it was written but also to the Hebrew ordinary phrase which soundeth in this fashion speaking of a dead man namely that he is dead and gone downe into Sheol which whether you translate hell or the graue or some place of blisse it doth not heereby specifie any of these distinctly but onely pointeth at the state and condition of the dead in generall and considereth them by a confused motion as opposite to the state of the liuing heere vpon earth So that by this construction heere is to bee meant that our Sauiours not body onely but soule also did for this meane space vndergoe the common lot of separation the one from the other and so remained in the ordinary estate of others departed this life Howsoeuer it bee yeelded that this phrase may well beare this sense yet because both thus much is implied in the generall word of Christs being dead which must needs meane a true death putting him in the common condition of other deadmen and forasmuch as these words of
Manichâ—es and Marcion some haue reiected the Booke of Psalmes as the Nicholaitans and Anabaptists some the booke of Iob as some Rabbins and some Daniel as Porphyrius some haue reiected the Gospel of Luke as Cerdon some all but Marke as Cerinthus some the Gospel of Iohn as the Alogâ— some all Pauls works as the Ebionites c. Concerning the second some haue made the Apocryphall Books of equall authoritie with the fore recited Scriptures as the Papists and others haue more boldly long since obtruded for Canonical the fatherlesse brood of other books vnto these as the third and fourth of Eldras and Appendix of Iob a Preface to the Lamentation the third and fourth of the Macchabees a Booke called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Booke of Enoch the Gospel of Thomas and of Matthias the acts of Peter And in the yeare 1120 a certaine new Gospell called Euangelium aeternum the eternall Gospell was found out being full of blasphemies but all these and the like are damnable presumptions plainly forbidden by the Lord saying Deut 4.2 Ye shal not put ought vnto the word that I command you neither shall ye take ought there-from and grieuously threatned Reu. 22.18 19. If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this Booke and if any man shall diminish any thing God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life Now that the Books first aboue named are all Canonicall Scriptures and part of the word of God Epist Tom. 3. hath been acknowledged in all ages by the Christian Church Ierome writing to Paulinus of the study of the holy Scriptures doth both reckon vp all these bookes in particular and adioyneth to euery one of them a seuerall pithy commendation And vnto Leta he prescribeth an order of reading them with most safetie and profit As for the other Bookes Epist Tom. 1. which our Church adioyneth to the volume of the inspired Scriptures they are both entertained and in part publikely read in our Churches not as authentike Principles whereon to ground any doctrine but as wholesome precepts of moralitie and declarations of the estate of the Church in those times very profitable for deuotion and heauenly meditation Quest. 146. What speciall proofe is there making manifest that those Bookes of Scripture are the word of God Answ The antiquity of those books some of them being before all other bookes sundry times oppugned and sought to be burnt vp by persecutors and yet wonderfully preserued and by miracles from heauen confirmed is a manifest proofe that they came from heauen and are not of mans inuention That the â—oly Scriptures are Gods word Explan Amongst all arguments there is none of that force in the conscience of man that this is of being taken from the diuinitie of the holy Scriptures For let it appeare that they are of God and what heart dares doe any other but yeeld vnto them Now that they are of God may bee plainely prooued by sundry reasons First by their Antiquitie for the first and most ancient writings in the world concerning Religion must needs be Gods but these are the first and most ancient therefore must needs be Gods 1. That the most ancient are Gods Scriptures is plaine because otherwise either some other Instructor must haue beene before God or else God the Ruler of the whole world must haue beene without any thing recorded whereby the world ought to be ruled till that man had inuented something to gouerne man by both which are most absurd That the holy Scriptures are most ancient appeareth by the most ancient humane writers Orpheus the first of all writeth of the two Tables deliuered to Moses Whence he saith that he learned what he knew of God Linus wrote of the Tower of Babylon described by Moses c. making plaine heereby that the Bookes of Moses were long before any of their writings and so the most ancient in the world Hence it is that Tacianus affirmeth that it appeareth out of Berosus a Caldee Writer Tatiani Oratio aduersus gentes Moses fuit Baccho antiquior plurimis diis gentium Clem. Alexandr out of the writings of the Phoenicians and Annales of the Egyptians that Moses wrote long before Orpheus Linus Amphyon Homer or the most ancient Ethnickes Now the Bookes of Moses are in effect the whole Scriptures all that followeth tending onely to the further explanation heereof Wherefore the Scriptures are most auncient and consequently the vndoubted word of God 2. This is further prooued by the preseruation of the Scriptures in all ages other ancient Bookes being perished either in part or in whole but the holy Scriptures though more oppugned then any by persecutors who haue sought to blot out the memory of them yet are wholly preserued without diminution or corruption of any part of them Had they beene of man certainly it would haue happened vnto them as vnto many other humane writings which are most ancient which if they haue not perished yet they haue been falsified yea one complaineth that hee himselfe yet liuing to see it Fratribus rogantibus vt scriberem Epistolas scripsi has Apostoli Diaboli Zizanijs alia eximentes alia adâ—icientes Dionysius Areoâ— pag. repleuerunt The Brethren requesting I wrote Epistles these the Apostles of the Deuill haue filled with tares adding some things and taking away othersome Now the holy Scriptures haue been singularly preserued heerein in the hands of the Iewes who haue misliked some things and forbidden them to be read as Daniel because he speaketh so plainly of the Messiah in the hands of the heathen as when at the request of Ptolomee they were translated by the Septuagint and in the hands of Heretikes who haue corrupted Fathers and Councels yet neuer durst but haue beene restrained from heauen from corrupting the Scriptures 3. This is further proued by the miracles which haue been wrought to confirme the Scriptures to be of God the Author of all true miracles of this sort are the miracles wought by Moses by the Prophets by Christ and by his Disciples For all these miracles doe plainly testifie of them that they were sent of God and if they were of God then the word by them set forth is the word of God 4. The same is proued by the prophesies contained in the Scriptures some being of things to come to passe many hundreds of yeares after as that the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head that Abrahams posterity should be numberlesse that they should be strangers 400. yeares that Josiah should burne the bones of Baals Priests where Ieroboam did sacrifice that the people of Israel should be in captiuity 70. yeares that Cyrus expressely forenamed should giue them leaue to returne and diuersly honour them c. From hence we may reason thus Those Scriptures which in their reuelations exceed all the vnderstanding of all creatures are vndoubtedly his who is aboue
THE ENGLISH CATECHISME EXPLAINED OR A COMENTARIE ON THE SHORT CATECHISME set forth in the Booke of Common Prayer WHEREIN DIVERS NECESSARIE Questions touching the Christian Faith are inserted moderne Controuersies handled doubts resolued and many Cases of Conscience cleared Profitable for Ministers in their Churches for Schoole-Masters in their Schooles and for Housholders in their Families By IOHN MAYER Bachelour of Diuinitie The second Edition reviewed LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Marriot and are to be sold at his Shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet 1622. TO MY REVEREND BRETHREN THE PASTOVRS OF Parochiall Congregations in the Church of England REuerend Brethren euer since my first entring into a Pastorall charge I haue applied mine endeauours by Catechising to instruct the ignorant And because I would not be irregular my Theame hath alwaies been the short Catechisme set forth in the Booke of Common Prayer a Catechisme indeede solely appointed to bee first taught but to the great detriment of our Church either wholly neglected any other being preferred or barely taught without any further explanation or else for outward formality onely in Lent set vpon the Table as a dish appropriated to that Fast My study hath been first to mend this fault for my owne particular and therefore I haue diuers yeares labored constantly throughout the yeare by this kind of teaching to forme in my hearers some distinct knowledge of our Christian Principles and hauing at length come to my intended period I digested the pith of all my Collections and Meditations into this Booke herein imitating Vrsinus vpon Melanctons short Catechisme so vsefull to young Students in Theologie and to other studious persons The labour thus ended being conscious to my self of mine own weaknes I suppressed it three or foure yeares till that being animated by some of you my Brethren who had either seene or heard hereof I haue aduentured to bring it into publike view The worke I confesse is ordinary and worthles but for forme it is alone and so may craue entertainement Heere are collected into one all fundamentall points of the true Christian Religion sparsedlie handled in diuers learned Bookes and applied to the short English Catechisme It is a Catechisme and a Comentarie the one for Children short and fitted to their capacity the other for men leading to a larger mappe of Christian Principles and fitted for the edification of all To haue written a large new Catechisme without an old text had bin superfluous amongst so many already abroad but to write for the illustrating of the Text to which we English must all hold vs is very necessary In publishing this I take not vpon me to prescribe a forme vnto any my selfe being the least amongst thousands but I whet on all what I can to an vniforme proceeding by our common grounds We haue all one God one Christ one Baptisme one Gospell and one forme of Articles of Religion to which wee subscribe why then should we not all consent in one Catechisme Our Mother the Church of England hath first commaunded this one Catechisme vpon which is my Commentary If therefore my inward wishes may breake foorth into open request I would craue that it might please the right Reuerend Fathers of our Church more strictly to presse the teaching of our common Catechisme in their seuerall Iurisdictions and you my Brethren who doe already teach it in your seuerall Parishes to labour in it with all diligence and to bring it in and commend it to the priuate exercise of your people in their families amongst whom it hath hitherto been much neglected And I beseech you all fauourably to accept this my present act and where I haue faulted correct me where I haue failed supply me where I haue done rightly ioyne with me If this may be any thing though but goats hayre towards the Lords Sanctuary I shall be glad and giue God the glory Our great Shepheard the Lord Iesus who hath laid downe his life for his sheepe make this and all the endeauours of his Seruants fruitfull pastures for the comfort of his flocke and for the praise of his holy and glorious name Amen Your fellow-Seruant in the worke of the Ministery IOHN MAYER A TABLE OF THE QVESTIONS AND Answers added vnto those of the Catechisme handled in this Commentarie Question WHom doe the Articles of your faith concerne Answ The first part of them concernes God the second the Church of God 21 Quest In the first part concerning God what learne you to beleeue Answ First I learne to beleeue in God the Father secondly in God the Sonne thirdly in God the holy Ghost 21 Quest How knowest thou that there is a God Answ Many wayes but chiefly by mine owne conscience accusing me for secret sins which cannot be but vnto an infinite wisedome that knowes the most secret thoughts of the heart such as is neither man deuill nor Angel but God alone 22 Quest How many Gods be there Answ But one onely true God the rest are Idols set vp by man Quest VVhat is God Answ He is a spirituall Essence most simple infinitly present holy wise iust mercifull and mightie the creator preseruer and onely gouernour of the whole world 23 Quest Into how many Persons is the God-head distinguished Answ Into three the Father Sonne and holy Ghost 24 Quest If in the God-head there be three persons and euery one be God how say you then that there is but one God Answ Although there bee three persons yet is there but one onely God in substance one infinite power and one eternitie 25 Quest What learne you to beleeue concerning God the father and in which words Answ I learne to beleeue that God is my Father able to doe all things the creator of the whole world and the Lord and gouernor of the same in these words I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth 26 Quest In which words learne you to beleeue in God the Sonne Answ In these And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord c. From thence he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead 32 Quest What learne you to beleeue heere concerning God the Sonne Answ Two things First his humiliation secondly his exaltation Quest What is the Son of God who is also called Iesus Christ Answ Hee is perfect God by nature and one substance with the Father and perfect man made so of his owne good wil that he might become our Redeemer and thus is he subiect to the Father 33 Quest How can this be that God should be made man Answ Not by turning the God-head into the nature of man but by taking mans nature vnto the God-head that so one person might be both God and man 33 Quest What need was there that the Sonne of God should thus abase himselfe to become man Answ Great need on our behalfe who could not be deliuered by Angels or by earthly treasures but onely by his precious blood
merits as it were with incense out of a censor what neede haue we of Saint or Angell to helpe vs to accesse and acceptance before the Father Yea I neede not say what neede but what Faith can we haue in so doing seeing that both himselfe hath bidden vs aske in his owne name and in the case of sinne-guiltinesse wee are directed onely to him as our onely Mediator and Aduocate Wherefore the profession of the Church of Rome is in this point by all meanes to bee reiected as a profession and practice of infidelity in Christs sitting at the right hand of the Father Their comparison from earthly Princes are chaffie and of no moment if they be brought to the ballance of the Sanctuary and are meerely colours whereby they seeke to dawbe ouer their blinde deuotion and to gull the doting people Quest 31 Which is the third degree of his exaltation and in which words Answ Thirdly he shall come from Heauen at the ende of the World to iudge all that shall then be found liuing and all that haue dyed since the world began in these words From thence hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Explan For the meaning of this Article it is opposite to that which setteth downe the first degree of his humiliation for as there of God he was made Man yea a poore man vnder the gouernment of Ioseph and Mary so heere hee is of a poore man set ouer all both rich and poore great and small that they might be disposed of according to his pleasure And as there he was vnder earthly Iudges and Rulers who did often decree hard things against him so here hee comes as Iudge and Ruler of all to decree vnalterably extreame things against all the stoutest of his enemies and comfortable things for all his louers and friends He shall come from Heauen that is as man for thus onely hee can remooue from place to place his God-head euer fils all places as man then hee shall come downe visibly and openly with great glory and troopes of Angels about him as Iudges are wont in pompe and with great attendance to ride their circuits and he shall come downe towards this nether part of the world where they haue liued whose causes shall be heard and proceeded in as Iudges are wont to go to sit in Iudgement in such places as wherin they dwel which are to be brought before them To iudge those that shal be then liuing for the World shall be full of people euen to the houre of his comming and then the dead being raised out of their Graues euen all from the first Adam shall be ioyned with the liuing who shall onely instead of dying be changed and thus all people together of all Countries and Nations shall bee presented before his Tribunall to receiue sentence according to the equity yea and iustice of his Gospell whether of Absolution to passe into the Kingdome of the Father or of condemnation into the Kingdome of Hell with the Diuell and his Angels for euer Proofe Secondly for the grounds of holy Scriptures whereupon all this is founded the comming of Christ to iudgement according to all these circumstances is plainely heere set downe in many Places First that he shall come againe the Angels sent of God for the same end told his Disciples thus much immediatly after his ascension saying Acts 1.12 This Iesus shall euen so come downe from heauen as ye haue seene him goe vp to heauen Heb. 9.28 And in another place it is said that Christ vnto them that looke for him shall appeare the second time without sin vnto saluation and of himselfe he saith I goe away but will come againe Secondly that he shall come to iudge Iohn 14. not in pouerty but in Maiestie not basely accompanied but gloriously with Angels not like a Lamb to be slaine againe but like a Lyon to teare in pieces his enemies all this doth he himselfe promise saying Then shall they see the Son of Man come in the clowds of Heauen with power and great glory Mat 24.30.31 and he shal send his Angels with the sound of a Trumpet c. And what is here wanting is further supplied in the next Chapter Chap. 25.31.32 When the Son of man commeth in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shal he sit vpon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations c. Thirdly that the world shall bee then full of people liuing as at other times and that all shal not die before the Apostle sheweth both where purposely he entreateth at large of the resurrection saying We shall not all sleepe but we shall be changed in a moment 1 Cor. 15.51 in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet 1 The. 4 and where he comforts the Church of God in this that their dead friends and they aliue shall meete againe at the last day And the Lord himselfe plainely saith that as it was in the dayes of Noah and in the daies of Lot so shall it be at the comming of the Son of man then the world was full of people which were eating and drinking marrying and giuing in mariage c til the floud came Luc. 17.27 swept them all away till fire came from Heauen and consumed them all so shall it be at Christs cōming to iudgment Fourthly that quick dead shal all come to iudgement before him was long since confirmed vnto Iohn by vision He saw a Throne set and the Son of of Man sitting theron the books opened and al euen the dead as wel as the liuing brought before him to be iudged according to the things written in the bookes Reuel 20.12 then the earth gaue vp the dead buried there the sea gaue vp the dead that were therin Rom. 14.10 And S Paul hence giues warning that wee iudge not one another For wee must al appeare before the Iudgemēt seat of Christ Fiftly that the maner of his comming shall be most terrible to all his enemies but comfortable to his friends and faithfull people for the terrour it is set forth by comparisons taken from the flood Luk. 17.27 fearefully drowning the old world without mercy or compassion from the fire and brimstone descending vpon Sodome Prou. 1. from the sorrowes comming vpon a woman in trauell Math 24. from a seuere master returning from a farre countrey and adiudging his vnprofitable seruants to be cut off and to haue their portion in the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth and from a thiefe breaking into an house to rob and slay in the dead time of the night c. For euen such and more terrible by farre shall Christs comming to iudgement be 2. Pet 3.10 Againe this terrour is set forth by particular accidents that shall accompany this time viz flaming fire in which the Lord shall come to render vengeance to the wicked
wherewith the earth with the workes thereof shall be burned vp The Heauens shal passe away as a scrowle the elements shall melt with heat A deuouring fire before him Psal 50.3 Math. 24. and a great tempest round about him The Sunne and the Moone darkned and the Starres losing their light A great trumpet sounded peircing from one ence of the world to another and all this in a moment in the twinckling of an eye Lastly it is set forth in the effects Ioâ—l 2.6 All faces shall gather blackenes They shall see him whom they haue pierced and mourne euery family apart And as the Lord himselfe saith Zach 12. Math. 24.30 Reuel 16.20 All the kindreds of the earth shall mourne They shall runne away and call vpon the mountaines to fall on them and vpon the rockes and hils to couer them But vnto those that wait for the comming of the Lord it shall be comfortable wherefore Christ saith Luk 21.28 When yee see these things lift vp your heads with ioy for your redemption draweth neere And the Apostle vseth this argument to the Thessalonians to disswade them from sorrowing like vnto the Heathen 1. Thess 4.14 for at his comming we shall be taken vp into the clowds to meete the Lord and so remaine euer with the Lord. Sixtly at the time of this iudgement it shall be proceeded according to mens works Ioh. 5.29 They that haue done good shall goe into euerlasting life they that haue done euill into euerlasting condemnation Math. 25. The sheepe of Christ that haue fed the hungry clothed the naked visited the sicke c. Shall be inuited into the Kingdome of the Father 1. Cor 4 5. the rest into euerlasting fire And secretest euils shall not then be hid for thoughts shall bee manifested and most hidden things discouered Reu. 20.12 The booke of euery mans conscience that was shut vp and benummed here shall be opened and according to the things here written he shall be iudged Not onely for sinnes committed but euen for omitting good duties men shall bee sent into Hels torments No outward thing shall then stand any man in stead the foolish Virgins with lampes but wanting oyle Math. 25.1 shall be shut out of the Bridegroomes chamber No crying or crauing shall then preuaile for such as haue liued impenitently in sinne if they shall say Lord Lord open vnto vs he will answer Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Math 7.21 If with Esau thou then seeke the blessing with teares Heb. 12.6 there is no place for repentance to be found And thus much for the grounds of Christs comming to Iudgement and the further setting forth of the same Now if any man shall aske the time when these things shall be â—t is easily answered Math. 24.36 The day and the houre knowes no man no not the Son of Man himselfe but the Father onely but for the yeere diuers men haue gessed diuersly and because they be but coniectures I will not trouble the Reader herewith A principall vnaccomplished forerunner to bee taken heede vnto the Gospell hauing beene already preached to all nations and Antichrist that man of sinne discouered is his further laying open and confusion when the Kings of the earth that honoured him shall make a mocke of him and a gratious conuersion of the Iewes the stiffest enemies vnto the Lord Christ and then shall the comming of the Lord vnto Iudgement be 1. Duty To keepe a good conscience For the duties of this faith The first is to keepe a good conscience before God and men because at the day of iudgement euery conscience shall be a booke opened and all the world shall read whither it be good or bad This Paul professeth to be his care saying Act. 24.16 Herein I endeauour to haue a cleare conscience alwayes towards God and towards men The reason he alleadgeth before viz. For that he had hope Vers 15. that the resurrection should be both of the iust and vniust that all should be brought forth another day to iudgement And in another place speaking of the Gentiles which had not the written lawe Rom. 2.16 Vers 12. Vers 15. hee saith At the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ those that are vnder the Law shall be iudged by the Law and they that are without without the Law for vnto both the conscience is a law bearing witnesse for or against and the thoughts accuse or excuse that is in euery mans nature there remaines some impression of good and bad of right and wrong a light whereby to discerne these and for those that haue done ill heere will be an accusation at that time they that haue done well shall be excused And this we cannot but in some measure conceiue by experience daily for that when wee haue done amisse we feele afterwards an inward trouble in our mindes and though we would gladly put off the thinking hereupon yet we cannot but still perplexing thoughts this way come vnto vs and disquiet vs and chiefely when we are alone The excellency of a good conscience and in greatest darkenesse of the night Now all this is nothing else but our consciences beginning the part euen whilst we are aliue and as it were warning vs to take heede of sinne though neuer so hidden for it will not suffer it to be blotted our through forgetfulnesse but is and will be a continuall register hereof so long as we liue and most of all then present it selfe before the Lord when finall and irreuocable iudgement shall passe vpon all Wherefore as he that is continually watched by one appointed of his master who hath power of life and death ouer him so that in no place he can be hidden from his sight and hee will not by any bribes be hyred to conceale what he seeth will carefully carry himselfe in all things as a good seruant and not by any allurements be drawne to wast his masters goods or to neglect his businesse or to any vnfaithfulnesse towards him Euen so let vs be contained alwaies in the feare of the Lord from all disloyalty towards his Maiesty and from all abuses either against our selues or our neighbours euen when opportunities of secresie are offered hereunto because our owne conscience notes our doings and will not be hired to giue any other but true testimony against vs when wee come to our reckoning at the last day Oh! how comfortable will it bee then to haue a good conscience 2. Duty To abstaine from iudging other man The second duty is both to abstaine from iudging and censuring others and to neglect and not to set by mens iudging of vs if so be our consciences iudge vs not because there is one iudge of all and it is presumption in whomsoeuer to take his office out of his hands in iudging these to be hypocrites these reprobates and
God as Dauid did of Ahitophel and Doeg who had most notoriouslie expressed their malice and as Eliiah did against the Israelites who had killed the Prophets and broken downe the altars Or before men as Paul doth of false teachers to the Galatians and so doth Peter and Iude giuing them disgracefull names that others might take heede of their company and being infected by them or before themselues in publike as Paul calleth the Galatians foolish Gal. 3.1 and bewitched And Esay the Israelites Princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrah Or lastly Leuit. 19.17 Matth. 18.17 in priuate reprouing offenders for Thou shalt rebuke thy neighbour for his fault and not suffer him to sinne And if hee heareth not thee tell it to the Church saith Christ complaine to the Gouernours of the Church from whom he may receiue due censure But it is offended in making such complaints vpon any either if it be but vpon coniecture and not apparant certainty or in doubtfull actions that may haue a better construction or out of malice or vaine-glory seeking by the disgrace of our neighbour to bring our selues into credit or lastly Iohn 8. being in as great or greater fault our selues for Hee that is without sinne amongst you saith Christ cast the first stone at her And hypocrite cast first out the beame which is in thine owne eye and then shalt thou see more clearely to cast the mote out of thy brothers eye The sin against this Commandement therefore is vniustly to detract from the good name of our neighbour by any meanes Deut. 19.17 First by vniust and false accusations and witnessing before any Iudge If any doth thus the Lord prouided That he should by the Judge bee done vnto as hee had thought to haue done vnto his brother and where it is concealed from men God will be auenged 2 Kings 22. Vniust accusations as in Naboths case against Ahab and Iezabil This is a double most hainous sinne a most high degree of taking Gods name in vaine when in his presence before his Vicegerent the false is witnessed and the height of sinne against this Commandement Secondly by accepting of sleighty witnesse against a man Deuit. 17 6. and the Iudges proceeding hereupon in sentence of condemnation for by Gods positiue law there must be sufficient witnesse of two or three when Pilate proceeded to iudgement against Christ in this case he made himselfe as guilty as the Iewes that falsely accused him Leuit. 19.16 Rom. 1.30 Thirdly by slandering and back-biting for Thou shalt not walke about with tales saith the Lord It is noted as one of the properties of such as are giuen ouer to a reprobate sense to be back-biters and much in complaining against this is the booke of the Prouerbs Such are worse then deuouring beasts and foules making a prey of men euen whilst they liue whereas others deuoure onely dead things Hee that hath an ill name wee say is halfe hanged the back-biter therfore that raiseth an ill name is halfe an hangman to his neighbour poysoning as with dead Cantharides with his venomous tongue the boxe of precious oyntment of his neighbour which is his chiefe treasure and with the sharpe Rasor of his tongue cutteth his throate and pierceth his sides as it were with swords and speares And yet this is a common practise in these miserable daies out of the same fountaine as to send forth the sweet water of blessing God so the brackish water of malediction or speaking euill of our neighbours But so much as thou falsly detractest from thy brothers good name before men is detracted from thine before God in heauen to the razing of it out of the booke of life which he hath written Exod. 13.1 Fourthly to haue a mans eares open to receiue false rumours and tales against a neighbour For Thou shalt not receiue a false tale saith the Lord. The slanderer is as the thiefe he that hearkens to him as the receiuer for if there were not some which delighted to heare and so did giue incouragcement there would be no carrier of tales Gal. 6.1 Prou. 11.13 Fiftly to be long-tongued and bee ready to blaze abroad the infirmities and slips of others for hee that is not carnall like Jsmael after the flesh but spirituall doth restore such by the spirit of meekenes The man of vnderstanding will keepe silence hee is a foole that seeketh thus to disgrace his neighbour He that is of a faithfull heart concealeth a secret hee is a slanderer that discouereth a secret Hard surmises 1 Cor. 4.4 Rom. 2. Sixtly in the heart to thinke and iudge ill of our neighbour without apparant cause or for some infirmities to passe sentence of iudgemēt against any man for Iudge nothing saith the Apostle before the time when the Lord wil lighten things that are hid in darkenes He is made subiect hereby to Gods iudgement that iudgeth another man Vaine-glory Seuenthly to be possessed with vain-glory and selfe-loue which is the fountain of all disgrace doing vnto our brother as Eliab Dauids elder brother out of an high conceit of himselfe and of his owne valour made base account of his younger brother Dauid and extenuated his worth When a man is puft vp saith S. Paul hence commeth strife enuy railings euill surmisings 1 Tim 6.4 Prou. 27.2 Wherefore Let another man praise thee saith Salomon and not thine owne mouth Such is the basenesse of a proud minde as that it will build vp the owne credit with the ruines of another mans and varnish it selfe ouer with oyle pressed from anothers credit euen to the vtter spoyling and tearing of it in pieces As he that without conscience seeketh to in rich himselfe out of another mans goods so is he whose tongue runneth ouer the world to rob his neighbours of their good name and to make all other men no body that himselfe onely may bee some body it was a speciall marke wherewith the false teachers amongst the Galatians were branded Against flattery Eighthly to flatter and sooth men contrary to the truth for aduantage praising him that is or may be beneficiall vnto thee or into whom thou desirest to insinuate thy selfe for thine owne benefit when he is not worthy any such praise or when the contrary is true of him As if a man should praise him for liberall which is vainely prodigall or couetous for wise and vnderstanding in such things as wherein hee hath little or no skill for deuout and holy when hee is negligent of holy duties and prophane for discreet when he is Machiauell-like politique for humble and familiar when he is base degenerous for ordering himselfe well in all things when hee doth palpably amisse in many things and like Gnatho in the Comedy swearing it to be true that Thraso saith how false soeuer Flattery is called in hebrew Chalac signifying either blanaus swooth and mollis soft because the flatterer vseth smooth and soft speeches
sound of words neither shall he speed any more then Esau of the blessing belonging to the first borne though he cryed with strong cryes and bitter Hee may wish indeed as Balaam Let me dye the dea h of the righteous but he cannot pray so is without fruit heereof these wishes differing so farre from faithfull prayer Differences betwixt praying and wishing 1. Because wishes are sudden and inconsiderate straightway ceasing as a ball rebounding when it is at the highest it falleth againe prayer is with deliberation and giueth not ouer without speeding of the thing desired 2. Wishes are without respect of the meanes and care of right or wrong in attaining the thing wished for Prayer is with submission to the vse of the meanes and care of preuailing by right onely 3. Wishes are for the most part of things worldly I would I had such an house such riches c. prayer is chiefly for things spirituall and heauenly one only petition of sixe being for things temporall 4. Wishes are sometime for things spirituall and heauenly but very inconstant as Balaams wish and that of Simon Magus pray vnto God that none of these things befall mee prayer perseuereth as Iaacob wrestling heereby will not let God depart vntill that hee yeeldeth to blesse him Esa 1.13 Prou. 15.8 Furthermore as a wicked man cannot pray so his saying of prayers is an abhomination to the Lord. Of the wicked Iewes Incense is abhomination to me saith the Lord and The sacrifice of the wicked saith Salomon is abomination to the Lord. The King or some noble person would disdaine it much to bee waited vpon at the Table with Clownes all miry and dirty and the King of heauen is no lesse offended if any wallowing in the mire of sinne come to giue attendance vpon him in prayer Woe then to wicked persons that will steale whoore prophane the Sabbath drinke oppresse and kill and yet come and worship in the Lords House This is so abominable that euen naturall men and Pagans doe abhorre it in Christians Penda an heathen king of the Mercians Hovvs Chron. pag. 67. would not suffer any Christians that liued contrary to their profession to goe vnpunnished So the Turke doth at this day See then here the horrible estate of wicked men pray they ought it being a common duty of all men and yet pray they cannot yea they sinne if they pray such a maze or Labyrinth doth sinne bring them into 2 Secondly from the person vnto whom we are directed to pray wee learne if wee bee such as can rightly call him Father to come with all boldnesse and confidence vnto him Father sometime and most commonly setteth foorth the first person in Trinity sometime but very rarely the second as where the prophet saith Hee shall call his name Emmanuell Esa 9.6 the euerlasting Father And sometime the whole Trinity as where the Apostle comparatiuely sayeth Heb. 12.9 Ought we not much more bee subiect to the Father of Spirits We may therefore pray vnto the whole Trinity but more properly vnto the first person God the Father in the name of God the Sonne by the assistance of God the holy Ghost But though we come before so high a maiesty he is our Father and doth accept vs for his children to our great incouragement not to bee afraid but to come often and with all filiall boldnesse vnto him Luc. 11 1â—â— If a sonne desireth saith Christ of any of you that is a Father for bread will he giue him a stone if hee aske a Fish will hee giue him a Serpent If yee then which are euill can giue good gifts vnto your Children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him What boldnesse did Iaacob vse saying I will not let thee goe vnlesse thou blesse mee first and Moses saying rather blot mee out of the booke which thou hast written and Abraham disswading the Lord from destroying Sodome if fifty if forty if thirty if twenty if but ten righteous were found there Children ire bold aand confident to aske of their louing Parents and soae Gods â— children to aske of him Quest 119. Why doe wee say our Father and not my Father Answ Because J ought to pray for all other the children of God as well as for my selfe For whom we must pray Explan As we are directed for the person vnto whom so also for the persons for whom wee ought to pray and that is not for our selues onely or some few of our friends but for all our brethren and Sisters by grace that can call God as we do Father And these are to be distinguished into certaine ranks or orders 1. Wee must pray for all such as are effectually called by the preaching of the word these are already our brethren and fellow members of the same body of Christ they are of the houshold of faith and their welfare ought as much to affect vs with ioy as our owne 2. For all such as God in his eternall secret counsell hath appointed vnto life but are not yet called from their wandrings to be of one sheepe-fold vnder one shepheard the Lord Iesus Christ we must pray for them that God would hasten their vocation as Christ hath giuen vs example in his prayer for his sheepe Iohn 17.20 I pray not for them onely which thou hast giuen me saith Christ but for them also which shall belieue in mee through their word 3. For Particular persons of whom wee haue receiued benefit vnder whose gouernment wee liue or which bee more deare or neare in the flesh vnto vs. Thus S. Paul promiseth that for the liberality towards the poore Saints at Ierusalem there should bee thanksgiuing of many vnto God 2. Cor. 9.12 â— Tim. 2.2 and Le prayers saith he and suplications and giuing of thankes bee mad for all for Kings and for such as be set in authoritie And such people as with whom he had special acquaintance he professeth that he made often mention of them in his prayers and for the Iewes that were his kinsmen according to the flesh hee sheweth his great earnestnesse in prayer for their conuersion 4. For such as whose necessity is more specially made knowne vnto vs if they be in danger of sicknesse troubled in mind distracted vpon any dangerous enterprise or iourney or in any distresse Iames 5.14 If any be sicke saith Iames let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him 5. For men generally of all estates and conditions that they may be saued for this is good and acceptable saith Paul in the sight of God 1. Tim. 2.3 And likewise for men of all Countries and Nations for this cause wee Englishmen must pray for Gods ancient people the Iewes for Turkes Heathen and seduced Papists that they may come to the vnity of Faith 6. For our enemies and those that hate vs Matth. 5 44. Pray for
to the poore would not let passe good admonitions but as feed their bodies so indeauour to season their soules with grace 3. The thanksgiuing 3. The thanksgiuing is for the Lords exercising his Kingdome in the right ordering of the world punishing the wicked rewarding the godly spreading the glorious beames of his word for bringing men heereby into the right way for inlarging his kingdome thus for worthy magistrates painfull and faithfull ministers religious neighbours for faith repentance hatred of all sinne and care to doe our duties wrought in vs. Thus the Saints in heauen doe sing continually to the praise of the Lord both for the destruction of the whore of Babilon Reuel 18. and for his kingdome in them And all this is in the second Petition properly comprehending the first Commandement Let thy kingdome come outwardly thy power and prouidence being exercised and inwardly grace being increased and glory hastened Let nothing hinder the comming of thy kingdome neither the deuill nor wicked men neither in the magistracy ministry nor people neither infidelity impenitency any reigning sin or negligence Thy kingdome is come we praise thee for it in our selues and others and all ouer the world Heere also implicitly wee acknowledge our opposite disposition to Gods kingdome and bewaile it Quest 105. In the third Petition what doe you desire Answ That I my selfe and all the people of God vpon earth may as readily obey Gods will as the Angels and Saints in heauen Explan First for the order of this Petition it followeth this Thy kingdome come to shew that where Gods kingdome is set vp his will is endeauoured after and preferred alwayes and not our owne will His will is accounted holy and his way equall our owne will and waies vnholy and vnequall There cannot be a good Tree but it will bring forth good fruite there cannot be faith but it will appeare by the workes neyther can there bee a good faithfull subiect of Gods kingdome but he will study in all things to doe his will Hee is therefore wrapped vp in infidelitie hardnesse of heart and in sinne that preferreth his owne will and goeth on in Rebellion against the Lord what Faith and hope soeuer hee pretendeth 2. The sense of the wordes GODS will is eyther secret or reuealed according to that of Moses The secret things of the Lord belong to the Lord but the reuealed to vs to our children The secret will of God is touching the number of those that shall be saued the day of iudgement the time of the Iewes conuersion the finall confusion of Antichrist and particular estates of other men the particular afflictions and crosses appointed for vs and the day of our death and such like In these things we pray that we may rest contented in the Lords good pleasure when by the euent it shall be made knowne what hard-ship soeuer he hath appointed to vs. The reuealed will of God is whatsoeuer is manifested in his word to be his will concerning both faith and practise we pray that it may be answerably done as it is required Thy will that is not my will thy will only not thine and mine also betwixt which two there is no proportion thy will both for matter and manner and thy will though contrary vnto and against my will In earth as it is in heauen that is say some of our bodies and members as of our soules and mindes of the worldly and such as be not yet called as of those that are called but this is forced without cause the words hauing a proper meaning with good sense In earth therefore is by vs that dwell in this world in the middest or many temptations and prouocations vnto sinne let thy will be done as by the inhabitants of heauen that are free from all temptations and discouragements 1. With such cheerfulnesse and readines as the Saints are set forth in heauen to be continually reioycing and singing and the Angels to haue wings through their readinesse flying as it were to do that which the Lord appointeth them 2. With so perfect an heart free from all hypocrisie louing the Lord with all our heart and out of this loue doing his will as Dauid and Iosiah are commended to haue done 3. In all things not in some onely which wee can most easily incline our hearts vnto or in most still cleauing to our owne most beloued wayes but in all things to the vtter denying of our selues as Zachary and Elizabeth are commended to haue done Luke 1. 4. Striuing after that perfection of obedience which the Angels and saints in heauen yeeld making it our marke that we continually ayme at and therefore not looking backe with Lots wife Phil 3. but pressing towards this with the holy Apostle Paul earnestly desiring to attaine vnto it 5. With all constancy and perseuerance neuer being weary of well doing or fainting vnder the burthen of crosses persecutions for they stand continually in the Lords presence ready to execute his commands and this was holy Iobs praise Though he kill me yet will I trust in him To deny our owne will Supplicat 1. 3. The scope of this Petition 1. in the supplication wee desire grace to deny our owne wills and wayes for vnlesse we be willing to deny that which is pleasing to our corrupt natures and desired by vs we doe in vaine desire that Gods will may be done by vs euen as he which is in some pleasing by-way that he will not forsake doth in vaine desire to goe the right way and as hee that hath a table-Table-booke wherein many old things haue beene written heeretofore which hee will not consent to haue blotted out doth in vaine desire to haue some other thing anew written there Wherfore Christ teacheth vs to deny our selues thet we may become his Disciples Ezech. 18 Eph. 4.23.24 Cast away all your transgressions saith the Prophet Whereby you haue transgressed and make you a new heart and Cast off the old man saith the Apostle which is corrupt and put on the new man Heere is no new heart or new man according to Gods will granted vnlesse first the old heart the old man be put away Our will is a blind guide leading vs into the danger of our enemies as Elishah led the Aramites Wee pray therefore Lord make vs to deny our owne crooked wills which vntill we doe we cannot doe thy most holy will 2. Wee pray for vnderstanding of the will of God for without this how should we doe it Giue mee vnderstanding Supplicat 2. Psal 119.34 Hos 4.6 Prou 1. saith Dauid and I will keepe thy saw Without knowledge my people perish saith the Lord Get knowledge and get vnderstanding saith Wisedome in the Prouerbs No seruant can doe the will of his maister vnlesse he knoweth it neither can he walke after the Spirit and doe the will of God that is not by the spirit instructed to know all things in Gods will
all creatures that is Gods but such are the holy Scriptures as appeareth by these the like Prophesies Ergo c. for no created vnderstanding can of it selfe reach to things to come to say certainly thus it shal be some may coniecture or being appointed as instruments of execution may declare what themselues shall performe as the Deuill did to Saul but God onely hath made it so proper to himselfe to foretell independently absolutely and infallibly what shall come afterwards as that it may well be said Let them tell what shall come let them doe good or euill and say that they be Gods 5. The same is further proued by the Argument handled in the Scriptures which is altogether graue holy tending to the setting forth of all vertue and against all vice wheras as Iustine Martyr hath obserued the writers of the Heathen gods and religion Iustin Martyr were either ridiculous Poets which deriue the beginning of all from the waters handle the quarrels and filthy loues of the gods or Phylosophers more ridiculous for that the very chiefe of them were vncertaine of the beginning of things Now such as the writing is such must needs be the Author from whom it first commeth true it is that he which is vnholy may write things holy good but then they come not from him but first from some other fountaine therefore the most holy who is God must needs be the Author of the holy Scriptures 6. This is proued by the testimony of Heathen men themselues The Law of Moses against Images Numa Pompilius the chiefe religious Emperour amongst the heathen Romans approued of Numenius a Pythagorean Phylosopher saith of Plato that hee was none other but Moses speaking in the Atticke tongue Euseb de prepar Euang. The Oracle of Apollo confessed that the Christians onely had the truth and acknowledged the true God saith Eusebius Tribellius Pollio writing of Moses saith that hee was the only man familiar with God Cornelius Tacitus confesseth the truth of that History in Exodus telling how Pharaoh after many plagues let the children of Israel goe though hee thrust in some absurd fabulous lyes concerning the Iewes Procopius testifieth of Ioshua that for feare of him the Phoenicians left their country Linus and Homer write of the Creation of the world in sixe dayes Ouid of the generall deluge as also of the Gyants rearing of mountaines vp to heauen which is an allusion to the Tower of Babell Abidenus Sybilla and Hestiaeus of the long liues of the Ancients Epolemus of Abraham and how he fought for Lot Plato confesseth that he learned the most excellent precepts of wisdom of the barbarous meaning Moses and the Prophets Now whence commeth this consent of men of contrary minds to the truth of the Scriptures Verily from Gods prouidence that no man might deny that which by the light of nature is acknowledged of naturall man viz the truth and Diuinitie of the Scriptures 7. The same is proued by the single drift of the Scriptures which is only to giue all glory to God nothing to man seeing that the faults of the best are ingenuously and without flattery set downe neither is any mans fauour affected or sought for in any of these books which cannot be said of any humane writings 8. The same is proued by the consent of all the books of holy Scripture though written by diuers men at sundry times Neuer was the like to be found touching mens writings but euen the same Author hath been oftentimes noted to differ from himselfe Wherefore the Writers of the holy Scriptures were vndoubtedly guided by one spirit of truth and what they wrote came from this spirit which is God If any differences seeme to be in these holy writings this is through the weaknesse of our conceit and misvnderstanding and not indeed Quest 147. Hauing this Word of God written is it not sufficient for our saluation without any other helpe euen as to haue a Booke of Statutes sufficeth to be kept from the danger of the Law to those that will Answ It is not sufficient but it must also bee set forth by preaching that the hard places may bee rightly vnderstood wee may bee kept from errours and haue our dull hearts stirred vp to imbrace the holy precepts hereof Explan Many there be who acknowledge the Scriptures to be Gods word but doe not so much regard the preaching of this word prosuming vpon their owne ability to make a good vse of it in priuat by reading for their edification and saluation And some colour of reason there is also for this seeing that the word serueth to acquaint vs with the wil and law of God as a statute booke with the Lawes of the land and knowing these Lawes if we will not obey all preaching cannot bring vs to obedience or doe vs more good But this is a deceitfull colour First because a Statute book is not like vnto Gods booke that being humane and the penalty sensible this diuine and spirituall and not vnderstood by a naturall man so that a man may read much here but remain still as destitute of vnderstanding Actes 8. as the Eunuch who asked How can I vnderstand without an Interpreter Secondly because preaching is the meane by which God hath wrought in all ages and will principally and most powerfully worke by this ordinarily for our saluation 1. Cor. 1.18 1 Pet. 2 2. Thirdly because no man can receiue the word to his comfort vnlesse he reuerence and esteeme of the preaching therof seeing that the word it selfe doth so highly commend and vrge to attend to preaching Fourthly because the Lord who onely can giue light by his word doth direct such as be in darknes to the Preachers of his word Saul to Ananias Cornelius to Peter the Eunuch to Philip c. refusing otherwise to giue them any light Lastly because men are naturally dull and backward to that which is good when they know it so that reading only they are still frozen in their sins it is necessary that by the exhortation of preaching they should bee stirred vp and by the zeale and heat of others bee warmed and become agile and chearefull to doe accordingly In all things wee say for comfort Two are better then one and why should it not be so in this also A man reading alone is forgetfull and letteth it flip soone out of his mind which he readeth a faithfull Minister of Gods word preacheth vnto him and bringeth continually to his remembrance hee is like a sticke lying by a firebrand ready to goe out the Minister stirres vp the fire and layes the stickes together he hath bread by him but is feeble because he cannot breake it in pieces to eate some of it the Minister breakes it vnto him for his comfort I conclude therefore that it is necessary to exercise the hearing of this Word preached besides the priuate reading thereof and hee that hauing the meanes contemneth them wandreth