Isaac and of Jacob onely we trust in him not by Moses nor according to the law but by Christ and according to the gospel for the law which was given in Horeb is now antiquated for it was given onely to you Jews but the law which we serve God by is a law given to all nations of the world and is to abide to the worlds end for Christ is given unto us as the law and as an everlasting law his Testament as a faithfull Testament to remain for ever after which no law no commandment is to be expected or may be received Thus far Justin Martyr to the Jew because thus far the Apostle had stated the question to the Martyr and indeed to all Christians in the epistle to the Hebrews the sum whereof is briefly this that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God coequal and coessential with the Father and the holy Ghost is perfect God and perfect man in the unity of the same person and is that onely eternal King Priest and Prophet which God in the fulness of time gave unto his Church to govern instruct and sanctifie it for ever and this he proves by the promises before the law by the types and figures under the law and by the general consent of all the prophets And therefore in this same Christ the Christian Church hath already a perfect knowledge of God in this world and shall have a perfect enjoyment of him in the world to come and therefore may expect no other Doctrine either for sanctification here or for salvation hereafter Now in that the old Testament is alledged to prove and confirm the New it is evident that the substance of Religion is one and the same in both Testaments unless we will suppose the Spirit of God to have made use of unfit and unproper proofs a thing not agreeable with the spirit of a prudent man who gains his knowledge by succession of time and much less agreeable with the Spirit of the omniscient and onely wise God who seeth all things at once in the looking-glass of eternity and if the Spirit of God confirm the new Testament by the old and hath left both the old and the new Testament to confirm us then it is evident that no Christian can seek to weaken or diminish the authority of either Testament but he must be an enemy to his own confirmation in the Christian faith Wherefore among all the contestations contentions that have been in the Church of Christ that controversie doth least become Christians and doth most shake the foundation of Christianity which doth seek to undervalue the authority of the word of Christ for if there be no infallible certainty in the word of Chrst it is impossible there should be any infallible certainty in the Christian Religion therefore they are the greatest enemies to the certainty of the Christian Religion who seek to add to the Church by detracting from the Scripture for if the Scripture hath not a most undoubted authority the Church can have none at all for sure we are the Scripture was delivered to the Church without any faults or corruptions and therefore we are bound not onely in common charity but also in common prudence and justice to beleeve that the Church hath so kept it because all the faults of the Text are to be layed upon the Church to whose care and trust God did commit the keeping of the text for God requireth two things of his Church first to be a faithfull keeper then to be a faithfull interpreter of his word and if we will needs say she hath not been faithfull in the keeping how can we choose but say she may be as unfaithfull in the interpreting of the word of God So that they are the greatest schismaticks that ever were who under pretence of extolling the authoritie of the Church do question nay debase the authoritie of the Scriptures for these men have begun an everlasting schisme which must needs last as long in the Church as there shall be any Christians so well perswaded of Gods truth as to think it was worth the registring and of the books wherein it was registred as to think them worth the keeping And Cassander himself seems to be of this opinion in his consultation of Religion in the chapter of the Church I cannot deny but the chiefest cause of this calamitie and distraction of the Church is to be ascribed to them who being puffed up with an empty kinde of pride of ecclesiastical power did contemn and repel those who rightly and modestly admonished them wherefore I think there is no firm peace to be hoped for unless they begin the reconciliation who began the distraction that is unless they who are set over the ecclesiastical government do remit somewhat of their excessive rigour and do yield somewhat to the peace of the Church and hearkening to the instruction and advice of many pious men do correct some manifest abuses according to the rule of Gods word and of the ancient Church from whence they have lately swerved I will set down the words in Latine for their sakes who do understand the Authour as well as I have the sense of them in English for their sakes who do desire to understand their Religion Non negarim praecipuam causam hujus calamitatis distractionis Ecclesiae illis assignandam qui inani quodam fastu ecclesiasticae potestatis inflati rectè modestè admonentes superbè fastidiosè contempserunt ac repulerunt Quare nullam firmam pacem sperandam puto nisi ab iis initium fiat qui distractionis causam dederunt hoc est nisi ii qui ecclesiasticae gubernationi praesunt de nimio illo rigore aliquid remittant Ecclesiae paci aliquid concedant multorum piorum votis monitis obsequentes manifestos abusus ad regulam divinarum literarum veteris Ecclesiae à quâ deflexerunt corrigant Cassander in consult de Rel. ad Ferdin 1. Max. 2. Imp. cap. de Ecclesiâ His judgment is plainly this that the Scripture is to rule and govern the Church and that to advance the authority of the Church against the authority of the Scripture much more above it is to give the occasion of a calamitous if not of a remediless schisme and distraction a distraction not possibly to be remedied till this irreligious tenent which is the cause of it be renounced and it is high time though the tenent it self be yet scarce one hundred years old for all good Christians that wish better to Christs interest then their own to renounce it and leave raising objections against the holy Scripture thinking to set up the Church by pulling down the word of God for besides that both Scripture and Church by their joynt authorities can never make us too sure of our Religion it is not possible for the Church to stand if the Scripture fall but they must needs both fall together Whereas let the Church not be
coalescere Unio Gentilium Iudaeorum insimul habitantium Iudaeis enim propter antiquam consuetudinem suffocatum sanguis erant abominabilia Comesti autem immolatorum simulachris poterat in Iudaeis suspicionem ingenerare circa Gentiles quod scilicet redituri erant ad Idololatriam ideo ista fuerunt prohibita pro tempore illo in quo de novo oportebat convenire in unum Gentiles Iudaeos procedente autem tempore cessante causâ cessat effectus manifestâ doctrinae Evangelicae veritate in quâ Dominu◠docet quòd nihil quod per os intrat coinquinat hominem Mat. 15. nihil est rejiciendum quod cum gratiarum actione percipitur 1 Tim. 4. Fornicatio autem prohibetur specialiter quia Gentiles non reputabant eam esse peccatum The Apostles forbad things strangled and bloud and meats offered to Idols not to oblige the Gentiles to the observation of the Ceremonial Law but to bring the Jews and Gentiles now living together into one peaceable Communion that the Gentile might not offend the Jew by eating bloud and things strangled which had been forbidden by their Law nor the Jew suspect the Gentile as relapsing to his former Idolatry if he should eat things offered unto Idols therefore those three things were forbidden for that time onely till there might be a right understanding and a firm agreement betwixt the Jew and the Gentile but in process of time when the Gospel came to be fully published the cause ceasing the effect likewise ceased with it for then both Jew and Gentile were taught that nothing that entreth into the mouth defileth the man S. Mat. 15. 11. and that every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanks-giving 1 Tim. 4. 4. But as concerning fornication that was especially forbidden meerly in relation to the Gentiles because though it were a sin in it self yet was it not so in their opinion Thus the Angelical Doctor determines concerning this decree of the Apostles and to shew it was the undoubted judgement of his Church which in some things clearly sways him against the strength of his own reasons he again in effect renews the same determination Fornicatio illic connumeratur non quia habeat eandem rationem culpae cum aliis sed quia poter at esse similiter causa dissidii quia apud Gentiles Fornicatio simplex non reputabatur illicita propter corruptionem naturalis rationis Iudaei autem ex Lege divinâ instructi eam illicitam reputabant Alia verò quae ibi ponuntur Iudaei abominabantur propter consuetudinem legalis conservationis unde Apostolica Gentilibus interdixerunt non quasi secundum se illicita sed quasi Iudaeis abominabilia 22. qu. 154. art 2. resp ad 1. Fornication is there reckoned up with those other things not that it had as little sin as they but because it might have produced as great a cause of contention for the Gentiles through the corruption of their natural reason accounted fornication as no sin which the Jews knew to be a sin having their reasons enlightned and rectified by the Law of God and as for the other things they were forbidden not as unlawful or abominable in themselves but only as abominable to the Iews And indeed we cannot put fornication into the same bed-role of indifferency with the rest if we do but consider that the Apostles intent was not to give to those new beleevers a rule of life but a rule of peace not directions for their conversation but for their communion not to set down what was fit for their action but what was fit for their Union not what was conducible in it self but what was conducible to their present agreement in the first respect their Decree had been a very imperfect catalogue of things unlawfull a very imperfect rule of abstinence but in the second respect we have great reason to suppose that neither as a catalogue nor as a rule it needed any greater perfection And this was the judgement of the Latine Church concerning this matter though the Greek Church in the Trullane Council can 67. seem to be of another opinion and forbid all manner of eating of bloud but the reason is evident those of that council looked upon this decree as a command of the text and not as a condescention of the Apostles which doubtless was a mistake the like to which had been in the Asiatick Church before concerning Easter whence in process of time sprang up the heresie of the Quartadecimans for whereas S. Iohn the Apostle and some other Apostolical men had out of compliance with the Iews in Asia whose Church was mainly fixed in those parts kept the fourteenth day of the first moneth according to the law of Moses for their Pass-over Polycrates afterwards and the Clergy of his Churches taking that for an example or president which was onely a compliance or condescention would have perswaded the whole Christian Church to keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Scaliger cals it to keep a Pass-over rather in remembrance of Christs Passion which was upon a week day then in Remembrance of his Resurrection which was upon a Sunday the Reason was the Churches of Asia had mistaken S. Iohns condescention to the Iews for an approbation to themselves as if what he allowed onely to the Iews he had also approved and by consequent established for the Christians The like mistake seems here to have been amongst the Fathers in Trullo concerning eating of bloud whereas the Greek Church had otherwise a right judgement concerning Apostolical condescention which is not to look upon it as a dogmatical sanction for so Theodoret in his argument upon the Epistle to the Galatians tels us that some Iews had perswaded the Galatians to stick to the Iewish ceremonies of Sabbaths new moons and circumcision saying they should not follow S. Paul who was of yesterday but rather S. Peter and S. Iames and S. Iohn which had been with Christ and did not forbid Circumcision nor those other Ceremonies whereupon Theodoret thus declares his judgement or rather the judgement of his Church for he was neither heretical nor schismatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And true it was that those Apostles did not then forbid Circumcision because they thought it requisite for that time to condescend unto the Iews but these men concealing the cause laid hold of the practise and endeavoured by that means to turn the Condescention into a Constitution The like was also the judgement of Oecumenius on Act. 3. 1. where he tels us that S. Peter and S. Iohn went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not that they did care to Iudaïze but that they might condescend to gain the Iews so that we may safely conclude notwithstanding the Canon of Trullo as well as the practice of the Asiatick Churches that the judgement of the Catholick Church
aliis scientiis whether the manner of knowing divine truths be more certain in Divinity then the manner of knowing natural truths is in other sciences he answers it is more certain and he gives these three admirable reasons for his answer 1. Quia certior est modus sciendi per inspirationem quà m per humanam rationem because the way of knowing by divine inspiration is much more certain then the way of humane ratiocination or collection since the one is subject to errour the other not and all divine truths are made known to us by inspiration as appears 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness I may not take any doctrine for an instruction in righteousness which I cannot prove was first taught by inspiration of God and if it be taught of God it may be found in the Scripture which is Gods word 2o. Certius est quod scitur testimonio Spiritûs quà m quod testimonio creaturarum That is more certain which is known by the testimony of Gods Spirit then of the creature But all that we know in Divinity is known by the testimony of Gods Spirit as saith S. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 21. For the prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost in Divinity we appeal to the undoubted testimony of God the holy Ghost and can say Veni Creator whereas in all other sciences we can go no higher then the testimony of the creatures 3o. Quia certius est quod per modum gustûs quà m quod per modum visûs A man is more sure of that which he discerns by his taste then of that which he discerns onely by his sight for what he discerns by his sight he knows onely speculatively and perchance to his great discontent but what he discerns by his taste he knows also experimentally and if the thing be good not without great delight and from these premises he proceeds to this dogmatical conclusion or determination Est certitudo speculationis est certitudo experientiae vel est certitudo secundùm intellectum secundùm affectum vel quoad hominem spiritualem quoad hominem animalem Dico ergò quòd modus Theologicus est certior certitudine experientiae quoad affectum quia est per modum gustûs Psal. 118. Quà m dulcia faucibus meis eloquia tua quamvis non certior quoad speculationem intellectûs quae est per modum visûs item certior est homini spirituali quamvis incertior animali 1 Cor. 2. Animalis homo non percipit ea quae Spiritûs Dei sunt There is a certainty of speculation and there is a certainty of experience there is a certainty that proceeds from the understanding there is a certainty that proceeds from the will and affections Lastly there is a certainty of the spiritual man and there is a certainty of the natural man I answer then that the manner of knowing Theological or Divine truths is more certain then the manner of knowing any other truths if we look upon the certainty of experience which proceedeth from the will and affections because that certainty is by way of tasting Hence the Psalmist saith How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honey to my mouth although it be less certain if we look upon the certainty of evidence which proceedeth from the understanding because that certainty is onely by way of seeing And none of us all is so quick-sighted in spiritual as in natural things and hence it is that this certainty of divine truths which is very great in the spiritual man is little or none at all in the natural man Because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. The sum of all is this The certainty that is to be had of the Christian Religion is greater then the certainty that is to be had of other truths but it must be in a subject rightly qualified that is First in a man of holy affections who lives not after the flesh but after the Spirit else his profaneness will beguile him Secondly In a man of holy resolutions that desires not to satisfie his curiosity but his conscience not to provide for his temporal but for his spiritual interest else his hypocrisie will deceive him Thirdly in a man of holy intentions that steers not his course to heaven by the Cynosure of his own reason and much less of his own humours but is wholly guided by Gods authority for none but Gods authority ought to sway in Gods cause else his perversness will defraud him of his certainty for those men that are guilty of hypocrisie come short of it those that are guilty of profaneness go beside it those that are guilty of perversness go against it for as it is concerning Religion it self so is it also concerning the certainty that accompanies it the profane person goes beside it the hypocrite comes short of it the perverse person goes against it onely the sincere meek good man obtains it he that is sincere without hypocrisie meek without perversness good and honest without profaneness and debauchery The same seed is sown in several grounds but from some the sower hath not so much as his seed again from other he hath great increase The spiritual seed is the word of God the rule of Religion And as for this word some of it falls by the way-side that is among profane and vicious persons such as are in the high-way of perdition where it is troden under foot and the fowls of the air irregular and extravagant fancies and desires devour it some of it falls upon a Rock where it can have no root nor moisture for onely the mere out-side is earth the rest is all stone that is among hypocrites and dissemblers who hear the word with joy and for a time beleeve but in time of temptation fall away for temporary beleevers as they beleeve with the times so also they beleeve but for a time and soon fall away from their belief Lastly and some of it falls among thorns that is among perverse and refractory men for such are called briers and thorns Ezek. 2. 6. men of a wilfull Religion and therefore in truth men of no Religion since Religion depends not upon mans but upon Gods will and here the word must needs be choaked for a man that gives himself to be governed by his own will cannot possibly submit himself to Gods will or at least not for Gods sake but onely for his own sake and a Religion that is not for Gods sake is certainly not of Gods making and consequently though it may be of a great growth as we find by sad experience yet it cannot be of a long
dominion Both these grand factions from several principles inferring one and the same conclusion because both by their additions deprave the truth of the Text so that if we will needs allow that our glosses may be additions to the rule we must of necessity overthrow the rule and by not allowing Religion to be all-together at once we shall come to make it none at all It is not to be denied but Religion hath had and may have additions in regard of men but not in regard of it self Si de prophetia loquamur in quantum ordinaturadfidem Deitatis sic quidem crevit secundùm tres temporum distinctiones scil ante Legem sub Lege sub Gratia non autem quatenus per eam humanum genus in suis operibus dirigitur saith Aquinas 22 ae qu. 174. art 6. Prophesie may be said to have received increase as to Articles of Faith towards God for he hath revealed himself more fully under the Gospel then under the Law and more fully under the Law then before it but not as to duties of life either towards God or towards man The Christian knows and beleevs more then the Jew because Christ is more fully revealed unto him then to the Jew but yet Christ is still the same to both The same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. The same before the Law yesterday Under the Law to day and under the Gospel for ever One Christian may know and beleeve more then another nay more then himself for as he increaseth in years so also in knowledge and faith yet the truth of the Christian Religion is but one and the same at all times onely more fully understood at one time then at another for which reason God requires a preparation of minde in every true beleever to be ready to beleeve more when it shall be revealed to him to be Gods truth and to do more when it shall appear to him to be for Gods glory The first part of this position concludes it impossible that there should be any certain catalogue of the fundamentals of Faith not onely for all men but also for one and the same man at all times because that may be revealed to one which is not to another nay to one man at this time which was not at that time The second part of this position concludes it necessary that the Evangelical Counsels should sometimes become a piece of the Law namely If the case be put that a man can in any of those particulars of Voluntary poverty Obedience or Chastity shew or exercise more fully and sincerely his love of God and therefore saith S. Hieroms gloss upon S. Matth. 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up Mentitur adolescens The young man lies for if he had indeed kept this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self he would not have been grieved for being commanded to sell all and give it to the poor no more then he was grieved for keeping all unto himself And Origen tells us it was written in some other Gospel that he had met withall in Hebrew but sure not of sufficient authority to discountenance the Greek for Aquinas that tells us this storie saith Si placeat alicui suscipere illud If any man please to receive it That when the young man began to scratch his head at this saying the Lord replied unto him How doest thou say thou hast kept the Law which requireth to love thy neighbour as thy self and behold many of thy brethren the children of Abraham are ready to die for hunger upon the dung-hill whiles not onely thy bodie but also thy house is full even to superfluitie Aquin. 22 ae qu. 189. art 1. resp ad 1. We must therefore say with Gulielmus de sancto Amore in libro de periculis Ecclesiae Paupertatem praecipit non actualem sed habitualem scil si gloria Christi id postulârit ut cùm ait Luc. 14. 26. Si quis venit ad me non odit patrem non potest esse meus discipulus non praecipit parentes contemnere sed tantùm si Christo se opponant That this is not a counsel but a command whereby our blessed Saviour commandeth though not actual yet habitual povertie though not a real yet a ready forsaking of all if the glory of Christ should so require as when he saith S. Luk. 14. 26. If any man come to me and hateth not his father he cannot be my disciple the command is but conditional to wit If his father oppose his Saviour there he must go from the one to come and cleave to the other And so Aquinas himself states this question saying Nullus est actus perfectionis sub consilio cadens qui in aliquo eventu non cadat sub praecepto quasi de necessitate salutis existens 22â—e qu. 124. art 3. ad 1. There is no act of perfection under an Evangelical Counsel but may in some case fall under a precept as being necessary to that mans salvation And in this particular case of voluntary poverty he saith thus Abrenunciatio propriarum facultatum in actu est quoddam perfectionis instrumentum sed secundùm praeparationem animi pertinet directè ad perfectionem 22 ae qu. 185. ad 2. For a man to renounce his property actually that he may betake himself wholly to meditation and prayer doth conduce instrumentally to perfection but for him to renounce it potentially in the preparation of his minde doth appertain directly to perfection that is to the perfection of Christianitie and so in effect he saith thus much He that will not part with his estate when Christ calls for it is far from shewing himself a good Christian. How little this precept is now observed by those who see their poor brethren readie to starve for Christ both at home and in forein countreys and yet neither lay their miseries to heart nor lay their hands to their relief Christ doth now see and will hereafter judge when he will not onely say Depart ye cursed to those that made them hungry thirsty and naked but also to those that let them continue so St. Mat. 25. 41 42. and good reason for such men forget their brother Ioseph in the pit sitting down to eat and drink while he is ready to perish they forget themselves and renounce their own bowels they forget their God and renounce his commandments not onely as enforced by right of dominion for being Lord of all he might call for all without shewing any other cause for it but also as being enforced by the light of reason for it is observable that Saint Paul useth more arguments to stir up the Corinthians to a liberal contribution for the poor Saints at Jerusalem then he useth to the stirring them up to any other Christian duty whatsoever for he hath concerning this duty almost two whole chapters together 2 Cor. 8 and 9 chap. and almost as many arguments as verses in those
the reconciliation would be easily effected as to what concerns Gods interest were it not impeded and hindred by our own Hence it is also that many under a pretence of settling and regulating Religion do indeed disturb and disorder it and in stead of rightly guiding the Christian do indeed misguide him whiles they stand so much upon ceremonals which are of their own making as that they much more neglect morals which are Gods undoubted commands and so desire to have their converts be some of Paul some of Appollos some of Cephas as they little regard and less care to see they be truly all of Christ. And yet amidst all these grand miscarriages of men which no Rhetorick can sufficiently express no repentance can sufficiently bewail though we finde much that may trouble us in the practise of Religion yet we finde nothing that can excuse us if we practise it not for there is matter enough uncontroverted on all sides to engage the whole soul of man if we would take notice of that engagement Satis ampla pietatis exercendae materia est in iis rebus de quibus utrinque convenit nam de side in Christum mortuum resuscitatum pro nobis collocandâ de charitate Deo proximo exhibendâ controversia nulla est at in his duobus capitibus pietatis summa consistit saith the most judicious and pious Cassander in his book De officio pii viri What pitie is it that there should be the greatest defect where is the least controversie amongst Christians This made the forenamed Authour profess that he was nothing at all satisfied with those men who pretended that the contentions of Christians hindred their progress in Christianity for saith he There is matter enough for the exercise of piety which is quite exempted from all controversie for all sides agree that we must be saved by faith in Christ crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification and by the love of God for his own sake and of our neighbour for Gods sake and in these two heads saith he of faith and charity is comprised the sum of all true Christianitie Saint Paul had said no less before him 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfained which Aquinas thus proves most substantially Omnes enim virtutes de quarum actibus dantur praecepta ordinantur vel ad purificandum cor à turbationibus passionum sicut virtutes quae sunt circa passiones vel saltem ad habendam bonam conscientiam sicut virtutes quae sunt circa operationes vel ad habendam rectam sidem sicut illae quae pertinent ad divinum cultum haec tria requiruntur ad diligendum Deum nam cor impurum à Dei dilectione abstr ahitur propter passionem inclinantem ad terram conscientia vero mala facit horrere divinam justitiam propter timorem poenae fides autem ficta trahit affectum ad id quod de Deo fingitur separans à Dei Veritate 22 ae qu. 44. art 1. All the vertues whose acts are commanded in the Law directly tend either to the purging of the heart from the disturbances of the passions as those vertues which teach us to order our affections or they tend to the getting and keeping of a good conscience as those vertues that concern our works and operations or they tend to the getting and keeping of a true Faith as those vertues which immediately concern the worship of God and all these three are required to the true love of God 1. A pure heart for that else will cleave to the earth by its impurity 2. A good conscience for that else will run from God because of its guiltiness 3. an unfained faith for that else will follow a fiction in stead of God and falsities in stead of his truth This being taken for granted which cannot rationally be denied the meanest man that is will finde little cause to be discouraged or disheartened in the Christian Religion by reason of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from all which S. Paul so exceedingly dehorts S. Timothy that there are amongst Christians so many strifes about words and so many vanities and novelties and emptinesses in those strifes for if he will have a diligent care of his own heart that it may be pure of his own conscience that it may be good and of his own faith that it may be unfained he will not dangerously neglect his duty either towards himself or towards his neighbour or towards his God but will always finde matter enough to busie his soul here and take a sure course to save his soul hereafter it is evident from the ensuing words that none but they who swerve from these three scil a pure heart a good conscience and a faith unfained do turn aside unto vain janglings And for this cause our blessed Saviour chides not onely the Scribes and Pharisees but also the meanest of the common people for not following and embracing the undoubted truth though there were at that time as great contentions in the Jewish as are now in the Christian Church S. Luke 12. 54 56 57. And he said also unto the people Ye hypocrites can ye discern the face of the sky and of the earth But how is it that ye do not discern this time yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right He chides them for being quick-sighted in matters of earth but as it were pur-blinde in the things of heaven that they could of themselves judge rightly of the seasons for their profit not so for their amendment and notwithstanding he professeth that he came not to give peace on earth but rather divisions such as should divide the nearest and dearest relations from and against themselves yet he gives no writ of ease to any man that he should leave off being a judge in matters of his salvation for if divisions hinder them not from judging what is right in husbanding their lands why should they hinder them from judging what is right in husbanding their souls To apply this to our present purpose since 't is not in our power to doubt either of Christian faith or Christian Charity as necessarily required and immediately conducing to salvation why should it be in our will to neglect them both for this is in effect to proclaim that we had rather with Martha be troubled about many things then with Mary choose that good part which shall not be taken from us it is in effect to declare that we will have a Religion rather to serve our selves then to serve our God rather agreeable with mens present humours then with Gods eternal truth otherwise our whole labour would be to conform our selves to that eternal truth in our understandings by faith in our wills by charity which two would make us
also conformable thereto in our lives either by our obedience or by our repentance so saith the Psalmist Psal. 119. V. 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way as if he had said Through thy word I get the knowledge of the saving truth and that makes me avoid and abandon whatever is destructive of salvation for every way is a false way that leads from truth and from the God of truth wherefore the Greek translation thus renders the latter part of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I hate every wicked way for a false way is a wicked way and a wicked way is a false way the Urim and Thummim being inseparably joyned together so that what is against the light of the truth is also against the perfection of life and indeed the way of wickedness is a false way according to Aristotle's own determination of falsity who in the fifth of his Metaph. cap. 29. saith that things are said to be false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either because they are not in being so a Chimaera or a castle in the air is said to be false or because they make a false appearance and beget in us false apprehensions and so a glass that represents those colours and those proportions which are not in the object is called a false glass In both these respects is the way of wickedness properly said to be a false way both because it is defective in a true being for it is a meer non entity and also because it is excessive in a false being making a false appearance and begetting in us false apprehensions as if it were pleasant and profitable when as it is the onely cause of all our wo and misery of all our punishment whether of sense or of loss And it is observable that every irreligious man hath in himself these two properties of a liar a wilfull liar which is the falsest of all false men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first he loves and embraces that which is false and secondly he desires to propagate and derive it to others so the irreligious man whether he be irreligious out of superstition or out of faction delights in the errour of his own way and desires to bring others into the same perdition as we finde it spoken by the mouth of truth S. Matth. 23. 15. That Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites compass sea and land to make one proselyte and when he is made they make him twofold more the childe of hell then themselves factious men and hypocrites are much more zealous for their own new and false opinions then for Gods eternal and undoubted truth so that were there nothing else in impiety and irreligion but onely its own falseness yet that alone were enough to make it eternally odious to God the God of truth and to the godly man the lover of truth for God cannot but be true even as he cannot but be God and as he is God he is truth for God is truth and for this reason some Schole Divines do answer negatively to this question Whether God can dispence with a lie as he can with the other commandments and the reason is because in his own essence he is truth so the master of Advertencies upon S. Chrys. and the four Doctours of the Church S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine and S Gregory An Deus possit in mendacio dispensari sicut in aliis praeceptis Decalogi Negatur Quia ex sua Essentia est Veritas But we may go much further because the truth will go along with us for not onely the ninth Commandment which requires us to be true men is indispensable but also all the rest of the moral Law which requires us to be good men for indeed we cannot be one without the other therefore is all the moral Law alike indispensable that is all that is intrinsecally moral by its own nature whereby we do not onely obey God but also imitate him and not extrinsecally moral being made so by Gods command or by Divine precept whereby we onely obey God but do not imitate him and the reason is because all that is contrary to what is intrinsecally moral is a lie and consequently contrary to the truth of God and God cannot will not dispence with his own truth And this is the cause that whatsoever is evil in it self is necessarily displeasing unto God and that indeed under a twofold reason for as it is evil in it self and defective in a right being so it is opposite to his goodness and as it is a lie and redundant or excessive in a false being by a counterfeit appearance and representation so it is opposite to his truth Men may and do too much out of stomack and animositie oppose one another in matters of disputation but 't is out of some spice of atheisme if they wilfully oppose Gods undoubted truth in matters of Religion either speculatively by going in a false way or practically by going in a wicked way The next communicable property in God is Goodness in his Will which appears in that he hath been so diffusive of himself in communicating his being to the creature therefore is our creation put as a ground of our thankfulness and thanksgiving Psal. 149. 2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him which could not be if God had not created us out of his Goodness to give us a good being to make us the object of his mercy but out of his power that by his absolute dominion he might give us an everlasting ill being to make us the object of his justice Therefore 't is an excellent position of the Protestant Divines in Colloquio Mempelgertensi recited by Osiander Neque ex lege neque ex ratione humana sed ex solo Evangelio de praedestinatione electorum judicandum est That neither out of the law nor out of humane reason but onely out of the Gospel can we rightly judge of the predestination of the elect and the Gospel condemns none for reprobates but those who despising the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance by their infidelitie and impenitencie heap upon themselves damnation But let us more particularly consider this Goodness of God both in regard of it self and also in regard of us First In regard of it self and so it is an essential and universal Goodness demonstrable these three ways per viam efficientiae per viam sufficientiae per viam eminentiae as saith Bonavent by the way of efficiencie for he made all that is good by the way of sufficiencie for he satisfieth the desire of all with good by the way of eminencie for all that is good being made by him is most eminently in him that made it Secondly Consider we this Goodness of God in regard of us and so 't is the rule or exemplarie cause of all goodness in man for our good of Nature is according to the image of God the Father our good of Grace is according to
the living for he created all things that they might have their being Jah is the fountain of being and made me out of nothing that I might have a being and therefore I trust will so uphold me that I shall not make my self worse then nothing to wish that I had never been as it is better to have no being or to be annihilated then to be everlastingly miserable to be driven or banished from God the authour of life into hell there to be tormented in everlasting flames so to have onely a sinfull being when the spirit of grace is totally banished and shut out of the heart this is a kinde of moral annihilation for as S. Augustine saith In quantum mali in tantum minus sumus every sin being clongatio à Deo a withdrawing of the soul from God the more sins we commit and the longer we trade in sin the farther we go from God and as those that live under the North-Pole far distant from the Sun want light and heat being pincht with cold and encompass'd with darkness so a sinfull soul that is at great distance from God having no communion with him by his spirit is in darkness and in the shadow of death it is likewise chill'd with fears and frozen with perplexed doubtings full of terrour and amazing griefs which are peccati pedissequae the black hand-maids or attendants of sin which is the work of the devil for all that God made was good and without him nothing was made therefore as Augustine often inculcates in his Soliloquies c 5. Malum or peccatum nihil est quia sine verbo factum est sine quo factum est nihil Illud autem malum est quod privatur illo bono per quod omnia facta sunt quaecunque sunt Sin is a kinde of nothing it is a mere privation of good as a shadow is of light and cold of heat and a sinner deprived of all grace having onely a bare being as a creature is nothing in the esteem of God his maker who onely or chiefly values men so far as he beholds the Jewels of his Spirit his heavenly graces as Love and Charity Humility and Meekness c. residing and shining in them O thou whose Name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jah so enrich and possess our hearts with thy grace that Christ may dwell in them by his Spirit and we may dwell in him by faith that the life of grace which we live here may be seconded and crowned with the life of glory hereafter The ninth essential proper Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Name of four Letters and of so many and no more or less consisteth the name of God as it is used among all Nations as Greeks Latines Italians Germans English Chaldeans Syrians Aethtopians Egyptians Assyrians French and Persians and others which are recorded by the elaborate Learned Zanchius which as he saith l. 2. de Nat. Dei c. 12. Est res magna admiratione digna is as his name is a great or weighty matter deserving admiration not done without a special providence and by divine Ordination whereby God intended to declare and manifest that as his name should be known to all Nations of the world so likewise that he is God and Lord of all not onely of the Jews as the Apostle speaks but also of the Gentiles and that in all the four parts of the world Electos habeat quorum sit Jchovah Pater Servator he hath a set of certain number of Elect of whom he is Jehovah or Lord their Father also and preserver c. even as Christ saith in the Gospel that he would gather his elect at the day of Judgement from the four winds è quatuor mundi plagis from the four quarters of the world agreeable to which is that which Apoc. 4. is spoken of the four Beasts i. e. the Ministers of the Word whom he would stir up or appoint to preach the Gospel that all the Elect may by the preaching or publishing of it be drawn and turnd to Jehovah their Lord. This Name is termed by the Fathers and other Writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ineffabile not for that it ought not to be uttered as the Jews superstitiously conceited who bore such an awfull respect to that name that they deemed it a crime worthy of death for any but sacred lips those of the High-Priests to express or name it and that on set times and in certain places as in the Feast of Expiation and in the Temple and in the solemn benediction Num. 6. 24 25 26. but this is not the reason why it is termed by the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ineffable the proper cause or reason of it is to be fetch'd or derived from the nature or essence of God because this is incomprehensible therefore the Name Jehovah which denotes or signifies it is said to be unutterable whence it is called or stiled in the Jewish record 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shem Hammeporasch nomen separatum a separated or distinct name not onely for that it is separate or far remote from our understandings which cannot reach unto or dive into the profound notion of it but also because that it is incommunicable to any creature it being as they term it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haschem the Name by way of eminence the Name of Gods Essence signifying and denoting him the great Lord of heaven and earth that is and was and ever shall be to all eternity that in it the parts of time past present and to come are included is well known to those that have skill in the Hebrew tongue and might as easily be demonstrated it then signifies such an eternal essence or being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Platonick Iamblicus calls God who by his Almighty power hath not onely created but still by his wise and powerfull Providence preserves and governs all things in heaven and earth and 3ly gives a being to his promises by a reall performance Promissa complendo eaquodammodo facit esse realiter subsistere so Zanchius this is intimated in that saying of God himself to Moses Exo. 6. 3. I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by my Name Almighty but by my Name Jehovah I was not known unto them the meaning of which words is this that the Patriarchs had a sence or knowledge of his power in the Creation of the world and destroying the same by a sloud likewise by many experimental mercies by many blessings and benefits which he confer'd on their persons in their many and great deliverances whereby he declared himself to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most powerfull and all sufficient having a store of all good things lock't up in the treasury of his goodness however he had not as yet fully declared himself to be Jehouah for that he had not actually performed that grand promise Gen. 15. 13 14. which he made