est sua peccata patriae suorum quantum fiori potest tegere all of nothing So for a man to come to this that he wil not conceale his fathers mothers or friends faults to speake against his owne country and countrymen yea against himselfe is against the nature of man cannot be wrought in man but by a supernaturall cause This we see the holy men in the Scriptures did It is naturall to every man so farre as he can to cover his owne faults and the faults of his Countrey and friends Moses when no necessity bound him confessed that he came of a cursed stocke spared not his brother Aarons fault in making the Calfe but committed it to writing spared not his sister Miriam in the cause of murmuring no not his owne fault in murmuring against the Lord at the waters of strife Numb 11.11 dispossessed his owne children and would not have them to succeed him in the Magistracy a very unnaturall thing but preferred Ioshua yea he put by his owne Tribe and the Tribe of Iuda and preferred Ephraim This is not able to agree with the naturall man but must come from an higher cause Therefore the writers of these bookes must be inspired by God 10. Whereas the whole drift of the greatest Philosophers and most learned men was to teach how Kings should enlarge their Kingdomes and to be in credit with Princes and great men this teacheth that life is the contempt of life It teacheth the contempt of the world and worldly honours The Prophets they never sought to be in favour with Princes but were so farre from that that they answered them not so much to that they asked as to that they should have asked therefore this is supernaturall Therefore the true way and from God not from man Against the Iewes The next point as God is a Spirit so must his worship be spirituall so we finde in the Scriptures not onely forbidding of images and shadowes but also a flat negative And as in the case of Gods unity though false religion may agree with the true in the first point yet not in the second so in this regard howsoever they exclude images yet they fault in this that all their worship is ceremoniall bodily and rituall consisting in matters of ablution and outward types And though there be types in the old Testament yet he proclaymeth every where that he abhorreth them for he will have a contrite heart and onely the circumcision of the heart Therefore as man is bodily and his notions fall into the compasse of the body so as that worship that commeth from him is bodily whereas the worship that commeth from God is spirituall 2. To this may be added that of Miracles and Oracles to confirme this religion as the other did in confirming their religion They were not done in corners but in the sight of Pharao in the middest of all his servants 2. Againe they were not frivolous but they that have felt them have got good by them 3. They are not imitable nor expressible by the art of man as the dividing of the red Sea the causing the Sunne to stand still in Ioshuahs time the making of Ahaz Diall to goe backe 10. degrees both which Areopageta saith are in the Persian Oracles The raining of Manna from Heaven Iannes and Iambres were not able to imitate Moses For Oracles of the Gentiles they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise Oracles speake as King Philip would have them and that they were very ambiguous and needed Delio natatore the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo to expound them Therefore Porphyry said that their Oracles commonly had Posticum a backe-dore These doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise are not doubtfull need no Delius natator the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo Last most of the heathens Oracles came not to passe but in the Scriptures they came all to passe some three hundred yeeres before some 500. some a thousand some three thousand as the dilatation of Iapheth which happened not before the calling of the Gentiles And this for confirmation both of the old and new Testament common to the Jewes aswell as to us those that follow are proper to Christian religion 1. Aug. 23. de eivitate Dei out of Porphyrie de regressu animae of the regresse of the soule the greatest enemy that ever the Church had That it is no true religion that doth not yeeld a sufficient purgation to the soule of man Moreover he addeth there that the Platonists received from the Chaldees that the purgation of the soule of man cannot be nisi per principia but by the principles we know that Plato his principles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father the mind love an enignaticall speech of our Trinity But this i. the purgation of the soule of man no religion teacheth but ours for it teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word tooke upon him sinfull flesh to purge away the sins of man therefore ours the true all the rest are meerely bodily for all their exorcismes and sacrifices are bodily and not spirituall and so withall the God of the Christians is not like to the heathen gods for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who loveth man i. he delighteth not in cutting mens throats or burning them to afhes as their divels had virgins babes old men young men good men offered up to them And the sacrifices of beasts in the old law were onely used for two respects 1. That they might be types of those things that are in the Gospell 2. To be an admonition to men to shew them that they have deserved to be thus killed and sacrificed God was so farre from having men to be sacrificed to him that he himselfe came downe to give himselfe a Sacrifice for our sinnes And what greater love can be then for a man to give his life for that he loveth for his friend therefore no greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to man then this In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty 1. Ioh. 1.1 Now for the Gospell 1. For the witnesses In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty First for the skill There is never a one of them but can say we write and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which we have heard which we have seene with our eyes which we have looked upon and which our hands have handled Not as Homer Plato and the rest that had their things from other and by report And withall the writers of the Scriptures writing them when the world bare greatest hatred against them and yet never any durst write any booke against Moses in his time or against the Gospell in these daies And de probitate testis concerning the honesty of a witnesse The honesty of a witnesse there can be no better reason given then that Tacitus giveth That they testifie best quibus nullum est mendacii pretium that have nothing for their labour
and yet in the same booke in the Epistle of Aristobulus it is said that part of it was translated before the Empire of the Persians was begun long before it came to be translated of the 70. But it appeareth that it hath pleased God in most strange manner in every Nation to leave some Register or Chronicle of this as among the Egyptians Manetho among the Phenicians Sanchoniatho among the Chaldees Berosus in Asia minor Abidenus among the Persians Metasthenes among the Gentiles Histaspis Hecataeus Euemerus Alexander polyhistor In the second booke of Herodotus we shall finde that notable miracle that God wrought on Senacherib though somewhat corrupted the edict of Cyrus almost the whole prophecie of Daniel 11. booke of Josephus as Augustine lib. 8. de civit Dei Alexander being in Babylon and purposing to build an Image to Belus and certaine of the scattered Jewes which were then the cunningest workemen refusing to build an Image to any Idoll of the Heathen vowed to roote out cleane all the Nations of the Jewes but he was soone appeased by Iaddus the High Priest for he hearing of the Kings vow met him in peaceable manner in Aarons attire whom as soone as Alexander saw he fell downe before him and worshipped him and presently gave over his purpose And being demanded the cause of so sudden change of his purpose answered that Hiaddus appeared unto him in the same likenesse of that God which appeared to him bidding him to conquer the whole world in the very same attire that that man ware After those daies by the meanes of Ptolomey and his Embassage to Aristobulus and his great Library in Alexandria the Jewes religion was dispersed Laâ—rtius in the life of Epimenides which agreeth with Act. 17. The Athenians being visited with a strange plague and asking counsell of the Oracle how to rid themselves of it the Oracle sent them to Epimenides He told them that they were not to seeke to their owne God but to another God for it was another above all their Gods that sent them this plague and it was onely to be driven away by Sacrifice They making offer to discharge themselves of this offered Sacrifice the plague neverthelesse continuing they were faine to send to Epimenides the second time to know in what manner they should sacrifice and where he counselled them to let the beasts goe whither they would and in that place where they should stand still there to sacrifice them to that God that had sent them that plague The beasts went on with the Sacrifice on their backe untill they came to Mars his streete and comming to a faire plat there stayed where they built an Altar and dedicated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17. to the unknowne God The like is in the Romane histories the Romans having got a great victory over their enemies after built a Temple and consecrated it to peace and demanding of their Oracle how long it should continue word was given them that it should endure quoad virgo peperit till a Virgin should beare a child which because they thought it would never be they set this inscription upon the doore Templum pacis aeternum The everlasting Temple of peace And about the time that Christ was borne in the shutting on an evening it fell downe to the ground without any helpe Thus much for the Antiquity both by them whose writings yet remaine and fathers as also by the Heathen themselves that proposition alwaies holding Quod primum verum What is most ancient is true 2. Argument The continuance of it The second argument from the continuance of preservation of it most miraculously as that the religion that commeth from man or any false God cannot have the like whereas we see the Jewes continued in captivities under other nations more then any as under the Philistins Moabites Amorites Persians Romans Egyptians and yet in all these it hath continued So also the people round about them Especially the victorers nature being to turne the religion and lawes of the conquered to his owne bearing a deadly hate to them and their religion And Antiochus bending himselfe wholly to destroy all the copies of the Law and yet hath it beene so wonderfully preserved as not one jot of it hath at any time perished We see that the chiefest men in Philosophy Physicke Law c. have left their schollers behind them to renâ—w their writing their workes have beene countenanced of mighty men as much as could be all meanes in the world hath beene used for the preservation of them yet most of their writings have beene lost some have come to the posterity unperfect or very corrupt On the other side there hath beene extreme contempt of the Jewes their enemies intent alwaies to subvert them and their religion as also a purposed malice of the Jewes themselves against their owne religion All meanes possible used to the subverting of it yet as yet it hath continued So that there is not a materiall point that feareth the sifting either concerning manners or faith so that we may say Hîc Dei digitus here is the finger of God for time leaveth her markes in humane things And though there be differences in the divers taking of things and in the divers forme of words yet they tend all to one end There is no materiall difference about any materiall point so that it mattereth not which of all the waies it be taken The like may be said concerning the whole manner of their religion They never changed their religion customes or lawes being in captivity in divers strange Lands whereas any other Nation being instituted in a strange religion strange customes and Lawes useth to alter her owne and give her selfe to that other religiâ—n 3. The certainty of Christian religion The third thing the certainty That whereas other writings are brought into question or are imperfect or not authenticall but counterfeits The perfectest of all mans writings fals into one of these In it 1. no imperfection Impossible that man should take away the least part in the Christian religion without the destruction of the whole 2. No contradiction or include contradictions but this religion can fall into none of these Therefore this religion must needs be the religion of God 1. For imperfection It is a certaine note that when any thing commeth from man it groweth by little and little untill it come to perfection no such thing in this For in the delivery of the Law all was delivered at once most absolutely in the 10. Commandements under which there is no duty but may be sensibly contained to which nothing hath beene or could be added nothing be detracted without the cleane overthrow of the whole onely writers have explained them which because man cannot doe in his writings it must needs be from God 2. For contradictions Paul 2. Cor. 1. The words of man are sealed with etiam non yea and no but the writings of
therefore for the rectifying of whatsoever is done amisse in the other three Commandements was this instituted It is not enough to have authorities but there must bee proofes too and that is by witnesses therefore Levit. 5.1 God taketh order that a man shall beare witnesse and Deut. 17.6.7 the witnesse being so borne shall be received 3. There is another sort that upon the comparisons of the holy Ghost betweene a good name and credit and wealth that honesta fama is alierum patrimonium an honest report or a good name is another patrimony immediately then having dealt with patrimonium with other patrimonies before now he comes to deale with a good name which is a second or alierum patrimonium another patrimony But the second opinion de re judicata of the matter to be judged or to be referred to the Judges carrieth it away that is thought to be the best and the best are inclined thereunto for Esa 59.13 hee saith that they have trespassed in lying i. inconceiving lies in their heart and uttering false matters and his consequence he bringeth in the 14. Judgement is turned backe and justice standeth a farre off that is tanqam germanum effectum as the proper naturall effect of false witnesse he bringeth in the breach and overthrow of judgement and justice as most horrible before God therefore he bringeth it as a barre and so indeed it is as Prov. 12.22 he saith that lying is abomination unto him Then this is the effect concerning the consequence of this Commandement that if in respect of the breach of any of the other Commandements Deut. 19.16 any man bring up an evill name or accusation of his neighbour if any saith hee hath done that which he hath not then as he taketh order chap. 19.21 he shall be punished and that punishment whether it be penall or corporall that he thought to have brought upon his brother the very same shall be upon him Scopus quadâ—â— plex For the scope and purpose of the Law-giver it is sure that the Lord being truth as it is expressely said of Christ and of the Spirit the Spirit of truth and holinesse Secondly mercie justice true dealing 1. Gloria Deâ— and thirdly truth in regard of God so we may easily see the end in Gods behalfe he would have the truth preferred for which truth as Iohn 18.37 Christ saith he was borne to beare witnesse to it And for which cause every man by the proportion of Christs birth is boâ—ne to witnesse And as the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.15 if wee have taught aâ—lâ—e then we are found false witnesses against God for we have taught and testified that Christ is risen and in teaching this we teach a lie if Christ be not risen from the dead And not onely in these but also in judiciall matters Ios 7.19 where a confession being to be made of Achans theft Iosuah saith unto him My sonne give glory to God and make confession of thy sinne unto him that is as much to say as of the confession of truth and the glory that commeth of it is the end for God because that of the confession of truth not only in matter of religion but in judiciall matters there turneth an especiall glory to God 2. Bâ—â—um Sâ—â—lesia Now for the Church 2 Pet. 2.1 he speaketh there of certaine as he calleth them magistri mendaces lying masters or false teachers We speake not as it is referred to the unhallowing of the name of God but as it is referred to the danger and hazarding of the soules of the hearers that heare them preach 1 Iohn 2.22 Quis est mendax nisi qui negat Iesum esse Christum Who is a lier but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ he is a lier that affirmeth an hereticall point and by that meanes bringeth into hazard the soules of the hearers And the preserving then of the truth in the Church not in respect of Gods glory but in respect of the safety of the Church it is the second end 3. The establishing of justice and truth in the Common-wealth Now for the third end for the Common-wealth as we said Gen. 21.30 Abraham calleth the Well Beersheba the Well of the oath and gave Abimelech seven Lambes for a testimony that the Well was his And Gen. 31.47 48. that cumulus testimomi the heape of witnesse was onely this because there passed a covenant betwixt Laban and Iacob that they would be friends and allies So Levit. 5.5 the cause of proceeding of justice and the establishment of all truth was done by this onely Numb 5. except it were in the case of jealousie Now for every particular man it is the fence of his good name and credit 4. The fence of every particular mans good name for seeing Prov. 15.30 that a good name fatteneth a mans bones it doth him much good within and without And Eccles 7.1 it casteth a good and sweete savour and Prov. 22.1 when it commeth to be prised it passeth gold and silver and indeed it is selfe the cause of them especially of the last Prov. 22.1 because from it proceedeth favour and of that favour the smell that men will commit themselves unto him Act. 5.34.40 as to Gamaliel being a man of name they gave all eare unto him as men will goe to Physitians that are well spoken of and a cunning Lawyer shall be sure of many Clients and a good Tutor of many Schollers and most customers will resort thither where is most credit and best report so we see the foure-fold end of this Commandement The entrance into that that followeth may be thus In respect of Gods judgements it maketh no matter what men thinke of us But then there is an injunction to every man Matth. 5.16 that his workes shall so shine before men c. There is laid upon every man a duty of doing good here and there is no good to be done by that man that hath an evill report A double necessity of truth So that duplex necessitas a double necessity is laid upon us to have bonam conscientiam propâ—er te a good conscience for your selfe and bonam samma a good report for your brethren as August you may be able to doe good then before men And therefore howsoever in respect of God and duty setting scandalum vitae scandalum justitiae the scandall of life and the scandall of righteousnesse or justice aside a man must stand thus resolved as he speaketh 2 Cor. 6.8 that through evill report and good report he must doe good yet if Phil. 4.8 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just a man can joyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things that make a good report it is the best course and that way is to be taken For little good use will there be of mens gifts without them
as man eateth and drinketh every day so he drinkes iniquity like water Iob 15. Thirdly vve runne into such debts as vve are not able to discharge for if vve vvere vve needed not to say Dimitte nobis Forgive us our debts but Have patience with me and I will pay thee all Matth. 18. To signifie to us the greatnesse and number of our sinnes one vvas brought that ovved 500. pence and another that ovved 50. Luke 7. and another that ovved to his Master ten thousand Talents By vvhich vve perceive that vve cannot make satisfaction to God therefore hee must remit them The consideration vvhereof ought to vvorke in us humiliation First that as Iob sayes our hearts doe not excuse us and that vve seek not to justifie our selves that as God requireth we confesse our mis-deeds Levit. 26.40 that we acknowledge our sinnes to God and hide them not Psal 32. For if we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgive our sins 1 Iohn 1. Secondly that vve doe not onely confesse but be sorry for them Psal 38. that vvhile vve are in danger to God for our sinnes vve goe and humble our selves and intreat him and suffer not our eves to sleepe till we be sure how we may obtaine forgivenesse Prov. 6 3. The consideration of sinne made David forget to eate his bread Psal 102. so greatly was he disquieted till he was assured of pardon For the second point if our sinnes be debts they must be payed Owe nothing to any but we are not able to answer one of a thousand Iob 9. and for the penalty of malediction we are not able to endure it Psal 90. Who knoweth the power of his wrath therefore our prayer must bee to God that our misery may prevaile more with God to move him to compassion then our unworthinesse to stirre up his indignation and that he will Cancell the hand-writing Col. 2. which thing for that he is full of the bowels of compassion Ier. 31.20 hee is moved to doe when he seeth us sorry for our sinnes howbeit his justice must be satisfied else his mercie cannot take place but Christ by his death having done that God saith of the sinner Deliver him for I have received a reconciliation Iob 33. Qui circumcisus est debitor est totius legis Gal. 5.3 But Christ was circumcised and therefore fulfilled the law for us ad ultimum quadrantem to the utmost farthing and not onely so but he saith of himselfe Exolvi quae non rapui I restored that which I tooke not Psal 69.4 He not onely perfectly fulfilled the Law but suffered the curse of the Law which he had not deserved with this condition Sinite istos abire Let these goe Iohn 18. that is hee was content to be the reconciliation for us that he might draw us out of the hands of Gods justice The estate of our debts may be compared with the Widewes state that was left in debt by her husband 2 King 4. for as the Lord blessed her Oyle in such sort as she did not onely pay her debts but had enough to live on after so Christ is our Oleum effusum our Oyle powred out that is of power not onely to satisfie Gods wrath for ous sins but also to give us an estate in the Kingdome of Heaven and for his sake it is that we may be bold to pray for remission of sinnes and are taught to beleeve that for his merits our sinnes are forgiven so that is true Legem operandi legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi the Law of prayer stablished both the Law of obeying and beleeving Our of Dimitie arise three things for our comfort First that even these sinnes which we commit after Baptisme after our calling and when we are come to the knowledge of the truth are remissible In teaching the Apostles to pray he assureth them of this favour that the same party that saith peccata nostra our sinnes is taught to say Pater noster Our Father Our comfort therefore is that still we are the children of God though great sinners for though we lose the dutifull affection of children yet God cannot lose Viscera patris the tender bowels of a Father David to a rebellious sonne could not but shew a fatherly affection Doe good to the young man Absolon 2 Sam. 18.5 So though the prodigall sonne had offended hainously yet the Father is ready to receive him Luke 15. Secondly another comfort that albeit we commit sinne daily yet he will daily forgive us for God should mocke us saith Augustine if bidding us pray for forgivenesse he should for all that shut up the bowels of his mercie he bids us pray for pardon of our sinnes putting no difference whether they be peny-debts or Talents whether fifty or a thousand if we aske forgivenesse he tels us be is ready daily to remit them Thirdly that be our sinnes never so great so great as cannot be satisfied by us yet he will forgive them propâ—er seipsum for his owne sake Isa 45. Christ hath made himselfe a satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world 1 Iohn 2. We must labour how we may soundly apply his satisfaction to our selves and among other meanes whereby we apply the satisfaction of Christ to our selves prayer is one They shall confesse their iniquities then I will remember my covenant Levit. 26.40.41 He shall pray unto God and he will be mercifull unto him Iob 33.26 I confessed my sins unto the Lord and thou forgavest the wickednesse of my sinne Propter hoc orabit omnis sanctus Psal 32. For this cause shall every one that is holy pray c. By vertue of this prayer Solomon saith that the people having committed any sinne if they come into the house of the Lord and pray for pardon God who is in Heaven will heare them 1 King 8.47 But this is more plaine in the new Testament Matth. 18. Did I not forgive thee quia rogasti me and to Simon Magus Pray to God if he will forgive thee the thoughts of thy heart Acts 8.22 that is if we confesse and be sorry for our sinnes and aske pardon he will forgive us How long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth to thee Psal 66. But we must be of the number that is meant by Nobis that is of the Apostles that is such as are baptized into Christs death Rom. 6. We must die unto sinne as he died for sinne Vt sicut is demisit peccata so we must dâ—mitiere peccata he hath suffered in the flesh and hath ceased from sin so must we 1 Pet. 4. We must have a care that hereafter we fall not into sinne more then our infirmity compels us For sinnes of infirmity Gods grace is sufficient 2 Cor. 11. But if we willingly sinne after remission there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. We are therefore to crucifie the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof if wee will be Christs and receive benefit by