annexed to any peculiar Men or Company of Men distinct from others by Prerogative of Place Preheminence of Succession and from him or them to be derived unto all others set apart for this Ministerie or whether the Ministerie of any men of what Place or Societie soever whom God hath called to this Function and enabled for the same be sufficient for the begetting of true Faith without any others Confirmation or Approbation of their Doctrine 9 Secondly it is questioned how this Ministery of Man which is necessarily supposed ordinarily both for knowing the Word of God and the true Meaning of it becomes available for the begetting of true Belief in either point In whomsoever the Authoritie of this Ministerial Function be the Question is whether it perform thus much only by Proposing or Expounding the Word which is Infallible or by their Infallible Proposal or Exposition of it that is whether for the attaining of true Belief in both Points mentioned we must relie infallibly upon the Infallible VVord of God only or partly upon it and partly upon the Infallibility of such as expound it unto us Or in other words thus whether the Authoritie or Infallibilitie of any Mans Doctrine or Asseveration concerning these Scriptures or their true Sense be as infallibly to be Believed as those Scriptures themselves are or that Sense of them which the spirit of God hath wrought in our Hearts by sure and undoubted Experience 10 These are the principal Roots and Fountains of Difference between us concerning our present Controversie whence issue and spring these following First Whether Christ whose Authoritie both acknowledge for Infallible hath left any Publick Judge of these Scriptures which both receive or of their right Sense and Meaning from whose Sentence we may not appeal or whether all to whom this Ministrie of Faith is committed be but Expositors of Divine Scriptures so as their Expositions may by all faithful Christians be examined Hence ariseth that other Question whether the Scriptures be the Infallible Rule of Faith If Scripture admit any Judge then is it no Rule of Faith If all Doctrines are to be examined by Scripture then is it a perfect Rule 11 Our Adversaries especially later Jesuites Positions are these The Infallible Authoritie of the present Church that is of some visible Companie of living Men must be as absolutely Believed of all Christians as any Oracle of God and hence would they bind all such as proâ—esse the Catholick Faith in all Causes concerning the Oracles or Word of God to yield the same Obedience unto Decrees and Constitutions of the Church which is due unto these Oracles themselves even to such of them as all Faithful Hearts do undoubtedly know to be Gods written Word 12 The Reasons pretended for this absolute Obedience to be performed unto the Church or visible Company of Men are drawn from the Insufficiency of Scripture either for notifying it self to be the Word of God or the true Sense and Meaning of it self Consequently to these Objections they stifly maintain That the Infallible Authority of the present Church is the mosâ— sure most safe undoubted Rule in all Doubts or Controversies of Faith or in all Points concerning these Oracles of God by which we may certainly know Both without which we cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true Sense and Meaning of such as are received for his Oracles one of the especial Consequents of these Assertions is That this Churches Decisions or Decrees may not be examined by Scriptures 13 Our Churches Assertions concerning the knowledge of Gods Word in general is thus As Gods Word is in it self Infallible so it may be infallibly apprehended and Believed by every Christian unto whom he vouchsafeth to speak after what manner soever he speak unto him Yea whatsoever is necessary for any man to Believe the same must be infallibly written in his heart and on it once written there he must immediately relie not upon any other Authoritie concerning it 14 Or if we speak of Gods written Word our former general Assertion may be restrained thus 15 We are not bound to Believe the Authority of the Church or visible Companiâ— of any living men either concerning the Truth or true Sense of Divine Oracles written so stedfastly and absolutely as we are bound to Believe the Divine written Oracles themselves Consequently to this Assertion we affirm 16. The the Inâ—allible Rule whereupon every Christian in matters of written Verities absolutely and finally without all appeal condition or reservation is to relie must be the Divine written Oracles themselves some of which every Christian hath written in his Heart by the finger of Gods Spirit and Believes immediately In and For themselves not for any Authoritie of Men and these to him must be the Rule for examining all other Doctrines and trying any Masters of Faith But because most in our daies in Matters of Faith and Christian Obedience misse the Celestial Mean and fall into one of the two extreams It shall not be amisse while we seek to divert their course from Sylla to admonish lest they make shipwrack in Charybdis CAP. IV. Shewing the Mean betwixt the two Extremities the one in Excesse proper to the Papists the other in Defect proper to the Anti-papist 1 IT is a Rule in Logick that Two contrary Propositions for their form may be both False And hence it is that many Controversers of our times either in love to the Cause they defend or heat of contention not content only to Contradict but desirous to be most Contrarie to their Adversaries fal into Errour with them No Controversie almost of greater moment this day extant but yields Experiments of this Observation though none more plentiful then this in hand concerning the visible Churches Authoritie or Obedience due to Spiritual Pastours 2 The Papists on the one side demand Infallible Assent and illimited Obedience unto whatsoever the Church shall propose without examination of her Doctrine or appeal which is indeed as we shall afterwards prove to takeaway all the Authority of Gods Word and to erect the present Churches Consistorie above Moses and S. Peters Chair On the other side sundrie by profession Protestants in eagernesse of opposition to the Papists affirm that the Church or Spiritual Pastors must then only be Believed then only be Obeyed when they give Sentence according to the Evident and Expresse Law of God made evident to the Hearts and Consciences of such as must Believe and Obey them And this in one word is to take away all Authoritie of Spiritual Pastors and to deprive them of all Obedience unto whom doubtlesse God by his written Word hath given some special Authoritie and Right to exact some peculiar Obedience of their Flock Now if the Pastor be then only to be Obeyed when he brings evident Commission out of Scripture for those particulars unto which he demands Belief or Obedience
Arguments of Proof suppose a Prioritie in respect of the Parties unto whom proof is to be made And to say that of two things both Believed and known together without any Priority the one might prove the other were as much as if we should say that a thing might prove it self and as we say in Schools to prove idem per idem For the very Reason why we cannot prove idem per idem is because there is no Priority of knowledge in such Identitie for otherwise where the thing proving and the thing proved are indeed the self same yet if there be a Priority of Conceits or Notions in the same thing one of them will sufficiently prove the other as is evident in the Divine Attributes none of which are indeed really distinct from others and yet may one of them prove another because in respect of us one of them is better known then another and consequently being known may prove the other But of such Attributes as are neither better known then other or where the termes are onely diverse without Priority of Conceit or knowledge there can be no proving of the one by the other For all discursive knowledge such as is all knowledge by way of Proof or Syllogism must be ex praeexistente cognitione And where one thing is proved by another that which proveth must first be Believed for the Belief of the other must spring or arise from the Belief of it If a man should go about to prove that the Prince was sumptuously arrayed because he was sumptuously apparrelled or attired the Proof would be ridiculous seeing sumptuous apparrel and sumptuous array in common speech are all one and he that knows the one knows or believes the other But if a man should say the Prince was sumptuously apparrelled because he wore a sute of Tissue or beset with Pearl the Proof were good so it could be proved that he wore such a sute For it is sufficiently known to all that such Attire is sumptuous and therefore he that can make proof that he was so attired hath sufficiently proved that he was sumptuously arrayed And thus would our Adversaries admit that either the Scriptures were better known then the Infallibilitie of the Church or the Churches Infallibilitie better known then they the one of them might be brought to prove the other without any fault in the manner or form of Proof howsoever their Assertions in the Proof of either would overthrow either their own Positions or the Principles of Faith as appeareth in the two former parts of our Division But according to our Supposition in the third member to wit That the Churches Infallibilitie and the Infallibilitie of Scripture are both alike known unto us and neither Believed before other the very manner or forme of proving one by the other would be as ridiculous and absurd as if a man should prove costly apparrel by sumptuous array Or that one was costly apparrelled because he wore costly raiment 16 The most of our Adversaries loving in this Point Darknesse more than Light like desperate Debters that keep strict reckoning what others owe them but are afraid to take an account of the Debts they owe never seek to examine the particular Difficulties of their own Opinions but think it sufficient to cast stumbling Blocks before their feet that will not hoodwink themselves that they may stand in need of leading by such blind Guides as themselves Yet Valentian who had gone so far in searching the Difficulties and dangers of this darksome inchanted Way untill he had come to see some Lightnings of these Objections here set down at the first representation of them is so affrighted as if he had seen a night-walker or Hobgoblin that had put him so far out of his right mind as he neither dare go forwards nor can he pray to God to blesse him or send him his Spirit to conduct him safely back but runs round with the Colliars Catechism in his mouth instead of a better Charm His resolution is thus That we may briefly collect the former large Disputes concerning the resolution of Faith it shall not be amisse to set down a form of answering to such as demand a Reason of our Faith If you be demanded for example sake why you Believe a Trinity of Persons in one Godhead First distinguish whether the Question be of your firm and infallible Belief of this Truth it self or of the cause which moved you to imbrace this Belief In the former Case the Answer must be Because God hath revealed it If it be demanded again how you know that God hath revealed it the Answer must be you know it not evidently but yet Believe so by the same infallible Faith by which you Believed the Truth revealed and this not by an other Revelation but by the Churches infallible Proposal of it which is a Condition necessary to such Belief If yet it be further questioned how you know the Churches Proposal or avounching of this Revelation to be infallible your Answer must be again that distinctly and clearly you know not thus much but yet Believe it as infallibly as the former and that for the Revelation of the Scripture bearing Testimony of the Churches Infallibility which Revelation you Believe not by any other Revelation but for it self although unto this very Belief the Churches Proposal be required as a necessary Condition 17 It cannot chuse but be a great Motive to perswade any man that doth not affect Blindnesse in this point of the shallow and unstable Foundation of the Romish Church when he shal thus behold so skilful an Artificer as Valentian in laying the very Ground-work thereof so gravelled in his own Objections that he fares like one that had fallen into a deep pit of loose sand heaving an offering with might and main to get out and go forwards but being destitute of all firm Ground whereon to rest one part til the rest be raised beats himself blind with too much strugling in such a sandy soil For surely from more then Egyptian or Sodomitish Blindnesse did that attempted Evasion of his in the fore-mentioned place proceed Nor do we commit any circular Fallacy in this form of answering Partly because the Revelation for which the Churches infallible Proposal is Believed and the Proposal for which the Revelation is Believed have not one and the same but each it several Object For the Object of the Churches Proposal is the Revelation but the Object of the Revelation is the Truth it self Believed as that there is one God and three Persons or that the Churches Proposal is infallible Partly because when we assign the Revelation as a Reason why we Believe the Churches Proposal we give the Reason by the Cause for the Revelation is the Cause of our assent or actual Belief but when we assign the Churches Proposal as a Reason why we Believe the Revelation the Reason is not assigned by the true Cause of our Belief but
certain as they could be made For so it had been a labour altogether lost yea a matter no lesse prophane then rebaptization to have confirmed them by suffrages of Bishops after their Cathedral confirmation by the Pope Even of his Holinesse himself whose verdict as in this case must finally be supposed addes Divine credence unto testifications in their own nature fallible and meerly humane the question proposed in the former Section remains still insoluble For without the relation of some Historian or Register or especial revelation from above no Pope can divine how many Councels have been held much lesse what was finally determined in every ancient Canon confirmed by the Bishops assembled at Trent Special revelations such as the Prophets had they acknowledge none And yet distinctly to tell what hath been done in times past or places afar off without relying on others relations is an extraordinary effect of special revelation a work of higher nature and greater difficulty then Prophetical prediction of things to come Are then the relations of Historians or Registers of Ancient Councels divine and authentick Not without the Popes ratification with it they are Yes or else a great part of Roman faith by Bellarmines reason can be but humane 5 Hence may we safely annex a corollary as necessary as sutable to the main conclusion proposed for the principal subject of this Section As the Popes authority is by Jesuiticall Doctrine made much greater then our Saviâ—â—rs so may the assistance or countenance of his Omnipotent spirit make the reports of any temporizing Historian or mercenary Register as divine authentiâ—k anâ—…â—â—rtain as any Prophetical or Apostolical testimonies of the Messiah Yea if it should please him to authorize Baronius Annals or relations of former Councels their credit should be no lesse then the Evangelists Yea hence it followes as the discreâ—t Reader without further repetition of what hath here been said or new suggestion of the reasons whereon the inference is grounded will I hope of his own accord hereafter collect That determinations proceeding upon any knaves or loose companions testimonies though more loosely examined so examined at all or taken for examined by the Pope shall by his approbation be of force as all-sufficient either for producing Divine belief of mens spiritual worth we never heard of or for warranting daily performance of Religious worship to their memory as any declaration he can make upon our Saviours promises unto his Apostles For we may not more doubt of any Religion he shal authorize or any mans salvation canonized by him whosoever be the Relators of their life and death then of S. Peters though our Saviour promised he should be saved The reason is plain The Pope is sole Judge of all divine Oracles our Saviour as you have heard out of Valentian is but a witnesse and so may others be whomsoever he shall admit SECT IV. Containing the third branch of Romish blasphemy or the last degree of great Antichrists exaltation utterly overthrowing the whole foundation of Christian Religion preposterously inverting both Law and Gospel to Gods dishonour and advancement of Satans Kingdom THat the authority challenged by the Romish Church is altogether prejudicial to Gods word greater then either the visible Church of Israel from Moses till Christ or Christ himself or his Apostles either before or after his resurrection did either practise or lay claim to is evident from the former treatise It remains we demonstrate how the acknowledgement of this most absolute most infallible authority doth quite alienate our faith and allegeance from God and the Trinity unto the Pope and his triple Crown The Proposition then we are to prove is this Whosoever stedfastly believes the absolute authority of the Romish Church as now it is taught doth truly and properly believe no article of Christian faith no God no Trinity no Christ no redemption no resurrection no heavenly joyes no hell CAP. XXVI The Jesuites unwillingnesse to acknowledge the Churches proposal for the true cause of his saith of differences and agreements about the final Resolution of saith either amongst the Adversaries themselves or betwixt us and them 1 THe conclusion proposed follows out of their principles before mentioned and afterwards to be reiterated that they may be the more throughly sounded But ere we come to raze the very foundation of their painted wals a few weak forts must be overthrown vvhich some have erected in hope thereby to save their Church from battery Falentian as you heard before seeing his Mother would lie more open to our asâ—aults if they should admit this manner of speech I believe this or that proposition or article of saith because the holy Church doth so instruct me would mitigate the harshnesse of it thus If you ask me why I believe a Trinity or God to be one in three persons I would answer because God hath revealed this mystery The divine revelation then is the cause of your Belief in this particular But how do you know how can you Believe that God hath revealed this by another divine revelation No. For so we should run from revelation to revelation without end If by revelation you do not believe it by what means else By the infallible proposal of the Church as a condition without which I could not believe it Mark the mysticalnesse of this speech Ob propositionem Ecclesiae infallibilem For the Churches infallible proposal Is not this as much as if he had said because the Church vvhich is infallible proposeth it to me Why then doth he make it but a condition necessary or requisite to this assent â—elikâ— he meant not so but vvould have us to see the condition not the true and principal cause of his belief The Churches authority by his doctrine may in divers respects be truly said both a cause and condition Or to speak more distinctly the Churches proposal is a condition without vvhich no man can ordinarily believe propositions of faith the infallibility of her proposal is the true and only cause of every Roman Catholicks belief in all points This denial of the Churches authority to be according to their principles the true cause of belief Is the sconse that must first be overthrown but after a friendly parly of the difference betwixt us 2 Valentian if we wel observe his processe in the forecited place proves only that which none in reformed Churches did ever deny albeit he profeâ— more in his premises which whilest he seeks to perform he hath only proved him self a ridiculous Atheist as partly is shewed in the former treatises and shall more fully appear in the end of this To ease his fellows hereafter of such unnecessary or impertinent pains as oft times they take I dare avouch in the behalf of all my brethren in reformed Churches no Jesuite â—…al be more forward to demand then we to grant That God in these later dayes doth not teach men the Gospel in such sort as he did S. Paul
jointly believe for God speaking either in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should have asked him why he did or how possibly he could infallibly believe that God did speak all the words either contained in the Bible or in their traditions he must have given either a womans answer because God spake them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly avows the Books of Canonical Scripture need not be believed without the Churches proposal whose infallible authority was sufficiently known before one tittle of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had never been he plainly confesseth withal that he could not believe the Scriptures taught some principal Articles of faith most firmly believed by him unless the Churches authority did thereto move him against the light of natural reason Now if for the Churches proposal he believe that which otherwise to believe he had no reason at all but rather strong inducements to the contrary as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibility must be the true and only cause both why he believes the mystery proposed and distrusts the natural dictates of his conscience to the contrary In sine he doth not believe there is a Trinity for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but he believes that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it think they believe the Church because God speaks by it when it is evident they do not believe God but for the Churches testimony well content to pretend his authority that her own may seem more Soveraign Thus make they their superstitious groundless magical Faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoever God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagin as wil better appear hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their Tenents the same Divine revelations may be asâ—ented unto by the Habit either of â—heologie or of Faith both which are most certain but herein diâ—ferent That tâ—e former is discursive and resembles science properly so called the later not so but rather like unto that habit or faculty by which we perceive the truth of general Maxims or unto our bodily sight which sees divers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of private spirits their arguments suppose Divine revelations must be believed by the Habit of Theologie which is as a sword to oâ—â—end us Whiles we assault them and urge the unstability of their resolutions they slie unto the non disâ—ursive Habit of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blows as the Habit of Theologie cannot bear off 6 Not here to dispute either how truly or pertinently they deny â—aith infused to be a discursive habit the Logical Reader need not I hope my adâ—onition to observe that faith or belief whether habitual or actual unlesse discursive cannot possibly be resolved into any preexistent Maxim or principle From which grant this Emolument wil arise unto our cause that the Churches authority cannot be proved by any divine revelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of Faith and must be believed â—odâ—m intuâ—â—u with that Scripture or part of Gods Word whether written or unwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceived by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say We beleeue the divine revelation because we believe the Church nor do we see colours because we see the light but We may truly say that the objects of our faith divine revelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of belief because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus's whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whitakers Objections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath been delivered by Bellarmine and other late Controversers hath enforced him clearly to unfold what Bellarmine Stapleton and Valentian left unexpressed but is implicitely included in all their Writings But ere we come to examine the full inconveniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to observe that as oft as they mention Râ—solution of faith they mean the discursive habit of Theologie For all resolution of Belief or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely avoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equivalent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day living it will appear that Valentian was either very ignorant himself or presumed he had to deal with very ignorant Adversaries when he denied that the last resolution of Catholick faith was into the Churches authority which comes next in place to be examined CAP. XXVIII Discovering either the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Jesuite in denying his Faith is finally resolved into the Churches veracity or infallibility That possibly it cannot be resolved into any branch of the First Truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Cajetan saith Valentian hath well observed if one should ask another why he believes the First Truth revealing For the Assent of Faith is finally resolved into the First Truth It may be Cajetan was better minded towards Truth it self first or secondary then this Jesuite was which used his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposal by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction between belief it self and it object often confounded or between Gods Word indefinitely and determinately taken if well observed will evince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man saith he can give any reason besides the infallibility of the Revealer why he beleeves a divine Revelation It is true no man can give nor would any ask why we believe that which we are fully perswaded is a divine Revelation But yet a reason by their positions must be given why we believe either this or that truth any particular or determinate portion of Scripture to be a divine Revelation Wherefore seeing Christian Faith is alwayes of desinite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine saith and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposal is the true and proper cause why we believe them to be infalliblie true because the onely cause whereby we can believe them to be divine revelations so must it be the essential principle into which our Assent or Belief of any particular or determinate
suffice to have waded thus far in these unpleasant passages for discovering the enemies weaknesse in his new Fortifications or Repalliations rather of such breaches as our ancient Worthies have made in their imaginary Rock of strength Now as my soul and conscience in the sight of God and his holy Angels can assure me these imputations of blasphemy sorcerie and preposterous Idolatry I have laid upon this fundamental point of Romish faith aâ—e most true though much lesse exaggerated then it deserves so again I must confesse it hath in some sort over gone against my conscience publickly to discipher or display her abominations For my little experience of this present ages temper too well instructs me what great offence is oft-times hereby given to men as weak in faith as strong in their perswasions of it to flatter themselves in their hypocrisie or make them seem unto themselves men rightly religious or throughly sanctified whilest they measure their love to true religion by their hatred unto this doctrine of Devils or compare themselves with Priests and Jesuites as they are painted out in their native colours by eloquent and learned Pastors But his iniquitie be upon his own head that thus perverts my labours undertaken for his good unto his harm For unto a quite contrary purpose have I set forth this survey of Romish blasphemie in a larger volume then first I meant it even to stir up my self and every Professor of true Religion unto serious amendment of our lives to hold fast our faith by holding up hands pure from bribery and corruption by lifting up hearts and mindes void of all guile and hypocrisie ardently zealous of every good work unto the Lord our God continually lest such swarms of Caterpillars and Locusts as have chosen Beelzebub for their God devour this land Mortis modus morte pejor To think such should be the instruments of our wo will unto most of us I know far surpasse all conceit of any other wo it self or misery that in this life can befall us And yet whilest I consider what God hath done of old to Israel his first-born and Judah his own inheritance the overplus of our ingratitude towards him for all his goodnesse especially our wilfull continual abusing these dayes of peace more and more sweet and gracious then Jerusalem it self the vision of peace did ever see so long together without interruption I am and have been as my publick meditations can testifie for these few yeers of my ministerie possessed with continuall dread lest the Lord in justice enlarge his threatnings denounced against Judah upon this Land Fearfull was that message unto Hierusalem I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses but more terrible is our doom if this sentence be gone out against us I will plague you by the wickedst amongst the Christians by men more cruel proud and insolent then Babylonian Turk or Infidel or any other enemie of Christs Church hath been or could be unlesse Christians or Jesuites in name or shew they were meer Antichristians or Bariesus in heart and affection Such titles we readily give and willingly hear given unto Loyolaes infamous brood But if our wayes shall continually prove as odious unto our God as these termes impâ—rt that Societie is unto us what have we done Surely tied our bodies to the stake of justice by the wickednesse of our hands and proud imaginations of our polluted hearts whiles our tongues in the mean while have set our cruel executioners hearts on fire more grievously to torment to consume and devour us 11 But though likelihood of their prevailing against us be without our repentance great and their cruelty if they should prevail more then likely to be most violent yet this their hope it cannot be long Tu quoque Crudelis Babylon dabis impia poenas Et rerum instaâ—iles experiâ—re viâ—es The Lord in due time will turn again the captivity of his people and the now living may live to see these sons of Babel rewarded as they have long sought to serve us Their shamelesse Apologies for aequivocation and this old charm of Templum Domini which like unluckie birds alwayes flocking or frogs croaking against ill weather they have resumed of late with joint importunate cries albeit with these they bewitch the simple and choak the worldling or careless liver that accounts all serious thoughts of Religion his greatest trouble sound unto hearts setled in grace or mindes illuminated with the spirit of truth but as the last cracklings of Lucifers candle sometimes shining in the Roman Lanterne as the morning-star or an Angel of light but now so far spent and sunk within the socket that it recovers it wonted brightness but by flashes nor can his nostrils that is able with the least breath of his displeasure from heaven in a moment to blow it out any long time endure the smell Even so O Father for thy Son Christ Jesus sake even so O Christ for thine Elect and Chosens sake impose a period to our grievous sins against thee and our enemies malice against us infatuate their policies enfeeble their strength and prevent them in their Devillish purposes that seek to prevent thee in thy judgements by setting the World in combustion before thy coming Amen The continuation of matters prosecuted in the first BOOK THe ingenious Reader I trust rests fully satisfied that for planting true and lively Faith in every private Christians heart Experiments answerable to the Rules of Scripture without absolute dependanâ—e upon any external Rule thereto equivalent are sufficient the assistance of the Holy Spirit whose necessity for the right apprehension of aivine truths revealed the Romanist nor doth nor dare denie being supposed That Valentians heart did tell him thus much and secretly check him for his ridiculous curiosity to make way unto his Circular resolution of Faith * before refuted his diffident speeches immediately thereto annexed upon consciousnesse no doubt of it insufficiencie will give the Reader though partiall just cause of suspition If a man saith he be yet further questioned seeing as well the divine Revelations as the Churches infallible Proposal are obscure and inevident what should impel him to enter into such a Labyrinth of Obscurities as to imbrace the doctrine of Faith by the former Method to wit Believing the Revelation for the Churches Proposal as for a condition unto Relief requisite and the Churches Proposal again for the Revelation being the cause of his Belief then let him come unto the second processe or method and expound the reasons and clearer motives whereby he was and every discreet man may be induced to imbrace Faith though of it self inevident and obscure Thus do they traduce the Grace of God as if there were no difference betwixt mid-day-light and mid-night-darknesse as if the dawning of that Day-star in our hearts or light of Prophets our Apostle speaks of 2 Pet. 1. 19. were not a mean betwixt that more
are quoted lib. 〈◊〉 cap 30. Parag 16. †Lib 2. cap. 16. Part. 8. ‖ Voluerit igitur de side supernaturali 〈◊〉 loqui 〈◊〉 dissert à 〈◊〉 aâ—… acquisita vim generandi fidem habere quicquid ad actum sive ex parte parentiae sive ex parte objectâ— est necessarium Verum â—… Ecclesia quae respectu nostri est causa proponens ut est supra explicatum And a little after Anâ—… Ecclesiae proponentis loquentis Dei in SCriptura respectu actus fidei se habent 〈◊〉 lumen â—… 〈◊〉 vel quemadmodum potentia dispositiones in materia se habent respectu actus informationis â—… quod consequens est quae habetur fides a Scriptura Dei mentem contmente eadem habetur ab Ecâ—… 〈◊〉 Dei quis sit verus scripturae sensus indicante Sacroboseus Def. Decr. â—… Sertent Bellaâ—m cap â—… pag 105. * Vide Annot. Cap. 30. Parag. 4. Vâ—get Whittakerus qui sensum â—… 〈◊〉 nisi quia sic Ecclesia statuit non propter Prophetieam Apostoâ—icam Scripturam tribuit augustionem â—… Ecclefiae quam Scripturae sed cum in fide hac duo sint quid propter quid Papistis â—… Vâ—… respondetur id esse falsum quae enim credimus propter Ecclesiam propâ—… Dâ—â—m loquentem verbo suo scripto vel tradito ut est alià s explicatum Sacrobes pag. 125. * At inquâ—es quando Papiâ—… dâ—câ—nt se câ—â—to 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 id quod â—ccleâ—â—â— dâ—… vâ—… prâ—posiâ—…es 〈◊〉 sâ—…nt â—sse veâ—â—â— vâ—l quia Eccâ—â—sâ—â— id illis dicit vel non quia Ecclesia dicit sâ—d quâ—a Sâ—â—ipâ—… dâ—cit Si â—…mum nullâ—… disâ—…n inter Dâ—um Ecclesiâ—m â—â—atnetur nam hâ—c propâ—ium solius Dei est ut id verum esse credamus quod ille dicit nulâ—am aliam qâ—…â—â—tionâ—m Sin sâ—â—unâ—um summa authoritas definiendi non Ecclesiae sed scriptuâ—ae deseâ—tur Verum ne in aere diâ—puâ—â—â—us ut sâ—pe solet adversarius Catholici oâ—â—es firma fide credunt Ecclesiam in nulla fidei quaestione deterâ—… 〈◊〉 â—â—re poâ—â—e ubi igiâ—ur Ecclesia definit aliquid esse de fide id illi hoc Theologico discursâ— concludunt esse ceâ—â—um Eccâ—… non potest alâ—quid non veâ—um pro Fidei dogmate credendum proponere At hoc Ecclesia pro dogâ—ate fidei pâ—opoui◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—st hoc eâ—go certum In qua ratiocinatione medius terminus est determinatio Ecclesiae atque ita quo â—enâ—…â—…diuâ—â—â—rm 〈◊〉 diciâ—uâ—â—ausa cognoscâ—ndi conclusionem dici potest definitio Ecclesiae causa propter quam haec concluâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inus prâ—dicti discâ—rsus certo persuadeatur Absit vero ut quicquid per modum medii est causa câ—râ—â— cognâ—… â—o ipâ—o â—…tur Dâ—o Sâ—cus enim angulus externus soret Deo â—qualis nâ—m per hunc â—ognosco omnem triaâ—gulum habeâ—â— trâ—â—â—…gulos aquales duobus rectis Atqueâ—aec solutio perspicua est solùm advertat qui minus exercitatos habet seâ—… dictâ—… concluâ—…em ut pendet ex discursu facto pertinere ad habitum Theologiâ— qâ—i quidem certâ—s est queâ—â—dmâ—…â—st hâ—bâ—tus fidei scieâ—uae est tamen ab utrâ—que distinctus ut verior tenet Theologorum senâ—entia nâ—n aâ—â—a â—â—tione perâ—inâ—… potâ—st ad habituâ— fidei quatenus assenâ—u simplici sine discursu creditur tunc Ecclesiae dâ—finitio non â—e haâ—et pâ—… modum â—â—dii teâ—m ni sed per modum sufficientis propositionis authoritas Dei loquentis verbo suo scripto vel 〈◊〉 in lâ—co 〈◊〉 quo petituâ— dâ—finitio est â—orn alis raâ—io credendi ita ut istae dâ—ae râ—tiones subordinatae â—unt causae conâ—… actâ—◠〈◊〉 qui exercetuâ—â—iâ—ca propositionem dâ—â—nitam sicque quemadmodum ait Aristorâ—les non Policletus â—â—c 〈◊〉 â—â—us sâ—d Polâ—â—letus â—…tuarius est causa statuae diceâ—e possumus non definitio Ecclesiae per se soliâ—aâ—â—e nec sâ—lus lâ—câ—◠〈◊〉 quo 〈◊〉 est â—â—finiâ—io Ecclesiae est causa assensus fidei Sed definitio locus illa ut causa â—ine qâ—a non authorâ—â—as Deâ— lâ—quenti in hoc ut formalis ratio objecti Sacrobos def Decr. Sent. Bellarm. cap. 6. part 1. pag. 113 114 115. †See the Aâ—notations cap. 3 par 1. ‖ His words are quoted in the Annotat. parag 5 of this Chapter * Reâ—â—◠〈◊〉 quidâ—… à Cajetaâ—… dictum est Faâ—… esse quâ—… nem si quâ—s aâ—tâ—… interrâ—…t â—ur â—reâ—at prâ—â—â— veritati â—evelanti Nam in pâ—imam veâ—â—tatem 〈◊〉 fiâ—… 〈◊〉 assâ—â—sus â—idâ—â— atquâ— adâ—o â—â—opâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—dâ—s aâ—â—entiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 que non eâ—â— qâ—…da 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 ratio qâ—…des aâ—… Sed solum pâ—â—â—st qâ—aeâ—i ulteâ—iuâ— unde habeat illa prima veritas uâ— sit prima veritas Et tunc respondendum est id hâ—bâ—â—e sâ—cundum 〈◊〉 intelligendi modum ex divinitate cuius attributum quasi passio est quâ— neque â—alli neque falleâ—e poteâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. in Aqâ—inat Disp 1. quâ—st 1 de object â—â—dei punct 1. parag 5. * Cap. 3. parag 1. †Bellar. loco citato ‖ Vide Sacroâ—oâ—â— ca 6. par 1. pag. 109. * Chap. 1. Resolution twofold either of objects believed or of our Belief or perswasions concerning them * Antonius Laurentinus Politianus de Risu That according to the Jesuits own Principles the Churches infallibility doth so terminate all doubts or demands in matters of the Romanists faith as the immediate or prime cause doth all doubts or questions concerning any demonstrable effect * Cap. 3. par â— * Ecclesiastes 12. ver 11. Hoc loco Solomon docet inquit â—â—llarminus non esse 〈◊〉 inquitendum sed â—… peâ—… quando â—… data est à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adjuncto â—… sapientum Quod 〈◊〉 dicuntur de Sacerdote veteris Testamenti quanto magis dici possunt de Sacerdote Testamenti novi 〈◊〉 longe maâ—… promissiones Deo accepit Bellarde verb. Dei lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 4. * At dices quando Ecclesia definit ex verbo Dei scripto vel tradito semper definit neque enim amplius accipit novas revelationes assistentia Spiritus sancti ibi promissa est tantum ad ea quae jam revelata sunt cognoscenda ergo à primo ad ultimum quod terminat controversias quod judex est quaestionum fidei est verbum Dei Respondeo quoniam nobis non constat certò quis sit verus Scripturae tensus nisi per vocem Ecclesiae quae nostras audit contentiones respondet Ecclesia Judex est quamvis judicet ex Dei verbo quod illa serutando examinando propter assistentiam Spiritus sancti semper rectè intelligit Si autem quilibet nostrom haberet infallibile donum intelligendi verbum Dei alio judice non indigeren us Nam hoc fidei veritates contiâ—… sed quonium ita non est verbum Dei respecttu nostri non habet rationem judicis Non quasi certam veram non â—… sed qâ—… de ejus sensu per
of their vanity dispose our minds to embrace the stability of Gods Word with greater stedfastnesse We know the vertue and benefit of the Sun not so much by looking upon it self continually or directly as by the variety of other objects or colours all pleasant with it to the eye but altogether invisible or indistinguishable without it so for mine part I must professe that such historical narrations poetical fictions or other conceits of Heathens as they themselves knew little use of nor should I have done had I been as they were being compared with this heavenly light of Gods Word did much affect me even in my best and most retired meditations of sacred mysteries their observation as it were tied my soul by a new knot or fest more surely unto that truth which I knew before to be in it self most sure most infallible Yea even in points wherein my heart unto my seeming was best established it much did nourish augment and strengthen belief already planted to observe the perfect consonancie of profane with sacred Writers or the occasions of their dissonancie to be evidently such as Scriptures specifie that of many events wondred at by their Heathenish relators no tolerable reason could be given but such as are subordinate to the never-failing rules of Scripture And whosoever will may I presume observe by Experiment the truth of what I say There is no motive unto belief so weak or feeble but may be very available for quelling temptations of some kind or other either in speculation or practise oft-times such as are absolutely more weak or feeble more effectuall for expelling some peculiar distrust or presumption then others farre more forcible and strong for vanquishing temptations of another kinde in nature most grievous Many half students half gallants are often tempted either to distrust the commendations of this Eden which we are set to dress or distaste the food of life that grows within it from delights suggested by prophane books wherewith commonly they are first acquainted and hence much affect the knowledge their Authors profer as likely to Deifie them in the worlds eies Our proneness to be thus perswaded is a witness of our first parents transgression and these suggestions as reliques of Satans baits whereby he wrought their bain But what is the remedy not to tread in any heathenish soil lest these serpents sting us rather the best medicine for this malady would be a confection of that very flesh wherein such deadly poyson lodged Other arguments may more perswade the judicious or such as in some measure have tasted the fruits of the spirit But none the curious artist better then such as are gathered from his esteemed Authors Even such as are in faith most strong of zeal most ardent should not much mispend their time in comparing the degenerate fictions or historical relations of times ancient or modern with the everlasting truth For though this method could not add much encrease either to their faith or zeal yet would it doubtless much avail for working placid and milde affections The very pencilmen of sacred writ themselves were taught patience and instructed in the waies of Gods providence by their experience of such events as the course of time is never barren of not alwaies related by Canonical Authors nor immediately testified by the spirit but oft times believed upon a moral certainty or such a resolution of circumstances concurrent into the first cause or disposer of all affairs as we might make of modern accidents were we otherwise partakers of the spirit or would we mind heavenly matters as much as earthly Generally two points I have observed not much for ought I know if handled at all by any writer albeit their fruit and use would fully recompence the best pains of any one mans life-time though wholly spent in their discussion whose want in my mind hath been the bane of true devotion in most ages The first is an equivalencie of means in the wisedome of God so proportioned to the diversity of times as no age could have better then the present howsoever they may affect the extraordinary signs and wonders of former generations Of this argument here and there as occasion shall serve in this work elsewhere at large if God permit The second is an equivalencie of Errors Hypocrisie Infidelity and Idolatry all which vary rather their shape then substance in most men through ages nations and professions the ignorance of God remaining for the most part the same his attributes as much though in another kind transformed by many in outward profession joyned with the true Church as in times past by the Heathen The truth of which assertion with the original causes of the error and means to prevent it are discussed at large in the article of the God-head Many likewise for ought their conscience because not rightly examined will witness to the contrary are strongly perswaded they love Christ with heart and soul and so detest as well the open blasphemy or professed hatred which the Jew as the secret enmity the Jesuit or other infamous Hereticks bear against him when as oft times the onely ground of their love to him is their spite to some or all of these as they are deciphered to them in odious shape the onely original of their despite to these the very dregs of Jewish Popish or other Heretical humours in themselves by some light tincture of that truth which they outwardly profess exasperated to more bitter enmity against them with whose internal temper they best agree then otherwise they could conceive as admission to place of credit or authority makes base minds conscious of their own forepast villanies more rigid censurers of others misdemeanors or cruel persecutors of such malefactors as themselves in action have been and in heart yet are were all occasions and opportunities the same then any moderate or sincere man in life and action could be Of the original of this disease with the crisis and remedy as also the tryal of faith inherent in the articles concerning Christ and remission of sins From the manner of Jerusalems progress to her first destruction and discovery of the Jews natural temper the principal subject of my subcisive or vacant hours from these meditations and other necessary imployments of my calling I have observed the original as well of most states as mens miscariages professing true religion to have been from presumption of Gods favour before dangers approach and distrust of his mercy after calamities seiz upon them The root of both these misperswasions to be ignorance or error in the doctrin of Gods providence whose true knowledge if I may so speak is the fertil womb of all sacred moral truths the onely rule of rectifying mens wils perswasions and affections in all consultations or practises private or publick Unto this purpose much would it avail to be resolved whether all things fall out by fatal necessity or some contingently how fate and contingency if compatible each
all in this present argument may the truth of that usual Axiom best appear Dimidium facti qui benè coepit habet What 's well begun is well-nigh done If God shall enable me rightly to unfold the contents and meaning of this first word Believe I may justly presume the one half of this intended work to be finished in it seeing it is an essential part of every Article in the Creed such a part as if it be understood amisse we cannot possibly understand any one proposition of this whole confession aright I shall not therefore seem tedious I trust unto the judicious Reader although I be somewhat long in unfolding the nature and conditions of belief the divers acceptions and degrees of the same with the means how it is or may be wrought in our hearts Whether we speak of the Act and operation of believing or of the disposition and inclination of the minde whence this operation proceedeth it skilleth not much he that knoweth the true meaning of the one without any further instruction may know the other And because the Act or Operation is more easie to be known let us begin with the most common and general that is with the best and most usually known acception or notion of belief CAP. I. Of Belief in general TO believe a thing is to assent unto it as true without any evident certainty of the truth thereof either from our sense or understanding 2 That belief is an assent that to believe is to assent all agree but what more besides assent is required to some especially to Christian belief is much controversed among Divines of which God willing in the Articles following 3 That evident certainty either of sense or understanding must be excluded from the assent which is properly called belief is evident and certain by our usual and common speech Thus whiles we demand of him that relates any thing unto us for true as news or the like whether he know his relation to be certainly true or no if he neither have immediately heard nor seen the things which he relates but have onely taken them at the second hand his usual answer is Nay I know not certainly but I verily believe they are true for divers reasons and credible reports but if he had either seen or heard them himself he would not say I believe but I know they are most true For evident certainty doth drown belief 4 Yet is this evident knowledge whether sensitive or intellectuall to be excluded onely from the thing it self which is to be directly believed not from other things that are linked or united to it by nature 5 That which we evidently know may oft-times be the cause why we believe some other matters that have affinity with it As he that seeth it very light in the morning when he first openeth his eyes may probably believe the Sun is up because he evidently seeth the air to be light But no man if you should ask him the same question would say that he believed the Sun was up when either the heat thereof doth scorch his face or the beams dazle his eyes for now he knoweth this truth directly and evidently in it self Nor is there any man that hath his right minde that will say he verily believeth twice two make four for this is evident and certain to ordinary capacities and he that onely believeth this knoweth nothing For what men know certainly and evidently they will not say they onely believe but know what they so know not they may truly and properly say they believe if their assent to it be greater then to the contrary 6 Some again distinguish this unevident assent which is properly called belief from other assents or opinions by the grounds on which it is built The ground of it in their opinion is Authoritas docentis the authority of the teacher or avoucher of the points proposed to be believed 7 This distinction in some cases is true but it is not necessary to all belief nor doth it fully and properly distinguish belief from other unevident assents or perswasions For even those assents or perswasions which seem most to rely upon authorities may be strengthened by other motives or inducements yea our belief or relying upon authorities usually alwayes if it be strong ariseth from experiment of our Authors fidelity and skil as shal appear hereafter For our present proceedings we take it here as granted or supposed that this word Belief as it is usually taken is more general then that Assent or perswasion which relies upon authoritie yet not so general as to comprehend these assents or perswasions which are evidently certain 8 It may be objected that the Apostle calleth evident knowledge belief when he saith The Devils believe there is a God and tremble For it should seem that the Devils know as evidently that there is a God as we do that the Sun did shine but yesterday or this morning For they once enjoyed the presence of God and saw his glory and since have had evident experience of his power 9 Of Gods Being no doubt they have evident certainty albeit of his other attributes their knowledge is not so direct nor evident but conjectural or a kinde of Belief Wherefore unto this place of our Apostle we may answer two wayes Either that under this word Belief he comprehends not onely their assent unto the Being or existence of the Godhead but their assent unto other Attributes of God which they know not so evidently and therefore may be said to believe them Or if he understand onely that assent which they gave unto the existence or Being of the Godhead he calleth this though joyned with evident knowledge a Belief in opposition or with reference unto the Belief of Hypocrites against whom he there speaks which was much lesse then this assent of Devils For albeit that which is greater in the same kinde cannot be properly and absolutely said to be the lesse as we cannot properly and absolutely say that four is three but rather contains three in it yet upon some reference of the greater unto the lesse contained in it or unto some other third we may denominate the greater with the name of that which is lesse in the same kinde as we may say of him that promised three and gave four that he gave three because three is contained in four So the Philosopher saith that Habitus est dispositio every habit is a disposition not absolutely and properly for it is more yet because it is more with reference unto that which is lesse or unto the subject in whom it is we may say it is dispositio that is it contains disposition in it albeit no man would say that habitus were dispositio if he should define it 10 And men usually object to such as scoff at matters of Religion that the day will come wherein if they repent not they shall believe the things which now they little regard Albeit they cannot be said in
that day to believe them if we speak properly and absolutely without reference to their former incredulity Our meaning is they shall do more then believe them for they shall feel them Nor can we say properly that the Elect after the resurrection shall believe the articles of faith seeing all agree that of these three principal vertues Faith Hope and Love onely Love shall then remain The reason is that which you have heard alreadie because evident knowledge must be excluded from the nature of faith and belief and the godly shall then clearly see Christ face to face and fully enjoy the fruit of his Passion which now they onely believe 11 As for certainty We may not exclude it from the nature of belief unlesse this speech be warily understood For the certainty of the Articles of our Faith ought to be greater then the certainty of other knowledge for we must believe them although they be contrary to the capacity of our understanding for even this must we believe that many things as all supernatural things surpasse the reach of our understanding Yet this we may safely say that the certainty of the articles of our belief as of Christ his death of his and our resurrection cannot be so great to us in this life as it shall be in the world to come when we shall evidently know them This rule then is infallible That the knowledge of any thing is more certain then the belief thereof although the belief of some things as of Christ his Passion be more certain then the knowledge of other things as namely then the knowledge of humane sciences So then out of this it is evident that belief taken generally doth neither exclude all certaintie nor necessarily require any seeing some belief hath a kinde of certaintie adjoyned with it and some cannot admit it Wherefore it remaineth that Assent is the essence of belief in general I say such an assent as is not joyned with evidency 12 This Assent may be weaker or stronger and so come nearer unto or be further from certainty according to the nature of that object whereunto we give assent or according to the nature of that whereupon our belief is grounded or lastly according to our apprehension either of the object or that which is the ground of our assent Excesse in the first of these to wit in certaintie or stabilitie of the object doth rather argue a possibility of firmer belief or more credibility not more firm or actual belief For as many things are more intelligible then others and yet are least understood of many so many that are most credible are least believed 13 Excesse in the second of these whence the assent of belief may be strengthned that is in the ground of belief doth rather argue a stronger hypothetical belief then any absolute belief unlesse the apprehension or conceit of this ground be strong and lively In ordinary reports or contracts it skils not of what credit the partie be unto whose credence or authority we are referred for the truth of any promise or report unless we have good inducements to think that he did either say or promise as we were told If we be not thus perswaded by some apprehension of our own we give onely conditional assent unto the report or promise and believe both with this limitation if he say so whose credit we so esteem But if we can fully apprehend that he said so we believe absolutely 14 As in science or demonstrations it is requisite both that we know the true cause of the effect and also that we apprehend it certainly as the true cause otherwise we have onely an opinion so in true and absolute belief it is requisite that we have both a sure ground of our belief and a true apprehension of that ground otherwise our belief must needs be conditional not absolute It remaineth therefore that we set down first the nature of the objects that may be believed secondly the several grounds of belief and thirdly the manner of apprehending them albeit in some the apprehension of the object it self and the ground of belief are in a sort all one as in that belief which is not grounded upon the authoritie of the teacher This rule is general Wheresoever the objects are in themselves more credible the ground may be more strong and the apprehension more lively so men be capable of it and industrious to seek it and equal apprehension of such objects as are more credible in themselves upon such grounds as are more firm makes the belief stronger then it could be of objects lesse credible or upon grounds lesse firm Caeteris paribus every one of these three First Greater credibility of the object Secondly Surer ground of belief Thirdly more lively apprehension of the object or ground encrease belief 15. For the Objects of belief whence this assent must be distinguished they are either natural or supernatural but first of that which is natural The 〈◊〉 of natural belief are of two sorts either scibilia or opinabilia either such things as may be evidently known in themselves but are not so apprehended by him that believes them or else such things as we can have no evident or certain knowledge of but onely an opinion And of this nature are all the monuments of former ages and relations of ancient times in respect of us which are now living all future contingents or such effects as have no necessary natural cause why they should be nor no inevitable let or hinderance why they may not be as whether we should have rain or fair weather the next moneth whether such or such Nations shall wage war against each other the next year These matters past and contingent which are not yet but may be albeit they agree in the general nature of opinabilia that neither of them can be exactly known but onely by opinion believed yet both differ in that which is the ground of our assent or belief The ground or reason why we believe things past as that Tully lived in Julius Caesars time or that the Saxons inhabited this land is the report of others The ground or reason why we believe future contingents is the inclination or propension which we see in second causes to produce such effects or the coherence betwixt any natural or moral contingent cause and their possible or probable issue As if we see one Kingdom mighty in wealth and at peace and unitie in it self bearing inveterate hate to another or if we know that the one hath suffered wrong not likely to be recompenced and yet able in politick estimation to make it self amends we beleeve that such will shortly be at open hostilitie one with another Or if we see the air waterish we believe it will shortly rain Yet are not the grounds why we believe things past and the grounds of believing future contingents alwayes so opposite but that they may jump in one and conspire mutually for the strengthning of belief
CHAP. III. Of general incitements to search the truth of Scriptures or Christian belief 1 WE may hence clearly see how inexcusable even in the judgement of flesh and blood all men are that either by hearing or reading have any accesse unto the Gospel and do not use the best endeavours of their natural wit if God as yet have touched their hearts with no better grace to search out the truth thereof For seeing in the Scriptures are proposed to every mans choice everlasting life or everlasting death what extream madness is it for men to enter into any course of life or to undertake any matter of moment which may exact their chief imployments before they have diligently looked to the main chance before they have tried the utmost of their wits and others best advise to know the tenour of their own estate We see daily what great pains men of no small account do take in the studie of Alchymie spending their spirits and most of their substance in trying conclusions and searching out the truth of those things for which they have but weak grounds of Philosophie or reason onely the conceit of the good they aim at which is rather possible then probable for them to attain inforceth a kinde of hope and encourageth them to go forward 2 To speak nothing of the good the Scripture promiseth the very conceit of eternal death me thinks should move either the Chymicks which spend much gold only upon hope of getting more or any other man whatsoever to spend all the treasure whatsoever either this their Art or all other could yeeld to secure themselves from such horrible torments as the Scriptures threaten to their Contemners or negligent Hearers And why should not all men then in reason bestow most time and pains in searching the truth of those things which concern their souls estate whose securitie in all reason they should purchase with the highest hopes and utmost aim of all other travails in this life Here then as I said the full height of mans Iniquity and his inexcusable Madness is most plainly discovered that having these two motives which in natural reason do sway all Humane Actions offering themselves to encourage him in searching the Scriptures yet notwithstanding most men bestow less labor in them then in other ordinary Studies First if we compare the good they set before us as a recompence and reward of our travails it is beyond all comparison greater then the scope of any other Trade or Science For here is a double Infinity of solid Good First they promise Joy two wayes Infinite both in Degree and Continuance Secondly they threaten unto their Contemners despisers death torments doubly infinite both in Degree and Continuance Now if the probabilities of the truth of Scriptures were far less than is usually found in other studies or Humane hopes yet could this in Humane reason be no reason why we should labour less in them than in other affairs seeing the incomparable excess of the good they promise doth abundantly recompence this But if the Probability of the truth of Scripture be in natural reason equal to the probabilities which men usually take for their grounds in many greatest attempts then certainly not to bestow as great pains and travail in trying the truth of their promises as in any other Human attempts or affairs doth argue infinite Madness Ask we the Chymick what reason he hath to toil so much in the study of Paracelsus or other intricate Writers of his Faculty the like we may say of any Physitians their answer as you may reade in their writings is this Many Philosophers in former ages have laboured much in this study and have set down good rules of their experiments who as is probable would never have taken such pains upon no ground And verily this tradition or the authority they give to their Writers is their chief motive For I think few of their Ancient Authors have bequeathed to their successors any Gold made by this Art thereby to encourage them If then tradition consent of time or approbation of Authors or relation of experiments be an especial inducement for men to adventure their charge pains and travel in this Faculty as in all other affairs without all controversie the Scriptures in all these motives have an especial Prerogative above all other faculties or sciences albeit humane reason were admitted judge For the Authority of Gods Church is far more general then the consent of any Writers in any one faculty whatsoever The consent of time likewise is greater For no Age since Christs time in these civil parts of the World but by the report of other Writers as well as Christians hath yeelded obedience unto Scriptures as the Word of God Men of most excellent spirits and learning in every Age have addicted their studies unto this truth About the time of our Saviours coming Curious Arts and other civil disciplines did most flourish The Grecians sought after Wisdom and secular Philosophy with the like the Romans after Policy State knowledge and discipline of war all the World almost above others those places wherein Christianity was first planted was then set upon Curious Arts yet we see how the study and search of Scriptures in short time did prove as Aarons Rod amongst the Magitians Serpents It hath devoured all and brought them to acknowledge Allegiance unto it using the help of best secular Arts as it were Nutriment for the growth of Christianity and expelling the rest as Excrements out of the Church Nor can the Atheist name any Age wherein the Heathen had an Oliver to oppugn our profession but we had a Rowland to defend it If they had a Porphyrie or Celsus to oppose Philosophy against it we had an Origen a Man by their own confession of the most rare wit and hope for Philosophy then living to forsake Philosophy and follow Christianity It was not despair which made him and many other excellent Scholars Christians but the sure hope which they found in this profession made them contemn all other hopes and cleave to it with their hearts and souls albeit their souls should for so doing be violently separated from their bodies This trial I am perswaded few of their greatest Philosophers would have endured but they had the Potentates of the World as readie to applaud them as to disgrace the Christians and yet the Christians multiplyed as the Israelites did by oppression in Egypt How resolute they were if we may not be believed bearing witness of our own profession let Pliny testifie in whose judgement Constancie and Resolution was the onely crime in our Profession deserving punishment And for this cause he took want of resolution in such as had been accused before him under the name of Christians as a sufficient Argument that they were not Christians in deed or heart For such as he had been enformed could not be inforced to any such idolatrous practise as he perswaded these men unto
meet for them to understand All according to sobriety as God dealt to every one of them the measure of faith They are as many members of one body which have not one office v. 4. And we may see that verified in the Canon of the Old Testament which S. Paul attributes unto the Church in Christ There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit And again To one was given the spirit of wisdom as unto Solomon to another knowledge as unto Ezra Nehemiah to another saith as unto Moses Abraham to another prophecy as unto Esay Jeremy All these gifts were wrought by one and the same Spirit which distributeth to every one as he would The best means to discern this harmony in their several writings would be to retain the unity of the Spirit by which they wrote But alas we have made a division in the body of Christ whilest one of us detracts envies or slanders another or whiles we wrangle unmannerly about idle questions or terms of art our jars ours that have the name of Christs messengers make all the World besides and our selves oft-times we may fear doubt of the true and real unity betwixt Christ and his members now eclipsed by our carnal divisions But howsoever these here mentioned are in their kinde good motives unto sober mindes and the more diligent and attentive men are to observe these and the like the more fully shall they be perswaded that these writings are the dictates of the Holy Ghost CAP. VI. Of the Affections or dispositions of the sacred Writers WIth the Experiment of this kinde we may rank the vehemency of affection which appears in many of these sacred writers most frequent in the book of Psalms And to distinguish fained or counterfeit from true experimental affections is the most easie and most certain kinde of Criticism He that never had any himself may safely swear that most Poets ancient or modern have had experience of wanton loves For who can think that Catullus Ovid and Martial had never been acquainted with any but painted women or written of love matters onely as blinde men may talk of Colours Or who can suspect that either Ovid had penned his books De Tristibus or Boetius his Philosophical Consolation onely to move delight as children oft-times weep for wantonnesse or fained these subjects to delude the World by procuring real compassion to their counterfeit mourning But much more sensible may we feel the pulses of our Psalmists passions beating their ditties if we would lay our hearts unto them Albeit wee seek not to prove their divine authority from the strength of passion simply but from the objects causes or issue of their passions And the Argument holds thus As the Ethnick Poets passions expressed in their writings bewray their experience in such matters as they wrote of as of their carnal delight in love enjoyed or of earthly sorrow for their exiles death of friends or other like worldly crosses So do these sacred Ditties witnesse their Pen-mens experience in such matters as they professe as of spiritual joy comfort sorrow fear confidence or any other affection whatsoever If we compare Ovids Elegy to Augustus with that Psalm of David in number the 51. why should we think that the one was more conscious of misdemeanour towards that Monarch or more sensibly certain of his displeasure procured by it than the other of soul offences towards God and his heavie hand upon him for them Davids penitent bewayling of his souls losse in being separated from her wonted joyes his humble intreaty and importunate suit for restauration to his former estate argue he had been of more entire familiar acquaintance with his heavenly than Ovid with his earthly Lord that he had received more sensible pledges of his love was more deeply touched with the present losse of his savour and better experienced in the course and means of reconcilement to it again Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin For I know mine iniquities and my sin is ever before me Against thee against thee onely have I sinned and done evil in thy sight What was it then which caused his present grief bodily pain exile losse of goods want or restraint of sensual pleasurs Yea what was there that worldly minded men either desireor know which was not at his command And yet he well for health of body only oppressed with grief of mind most desirous to sequester himself from all solace which his Court or Kingdom could afford in hope to finde his company alone who was invisible and to renew acquaintance with his Spirit Create a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me He accounts himself but as an exile though living in his native soil but as a slave though absolute Monarch over a mighty people whilest he stood separate from the love of his God and lived not in subjection to his spirit If one in hunger should loath ordinary or course sare we would conjecture he had been accustomed to more sine and dainty meats Hereby then it may appear that David had tasted of more choice delights and purer joyes then the carnal minded knew in that he loathes all earthly comfort in this his anguish wherein he stood in greatest need of some comfort desiring only this of God Restore me to the joy of thy salvation and establish me with thy free Spirit So far was he from distrusting the truth of that ineffable joy which now he felt not at the least in such measures as he had done before that he hopes by the manifest effects of it once restored to disswade the Atheist from his Atheism and cause lasciviâ—… blood-thirsty mindes to wash off the silth wherein they wallow with their cars For so he addeth Then shall I teach thy wayes unto the wicked sinâ—… be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood O God which art the God â—… and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousnesse Open thou â—… and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise which as yet he could not shew forth to others because abundance of joy did not lodge in his heart for God had sealed up sorrow therein until the sacrifice of his broken and â—… were accomplished From the like abundant experience of â—… joy the Psalmist Psalm 66. v. 16. bursteth out into like consiâ—… inviting us as Christ did his Apostle Thomas to come near and lay our hands upon his healed sore and by the scars to gather the skill and goodness of him that had thus cured him beyond all expectation Come and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done to my soul I called unto him with my mouth and he was exalted with my
and Gentile is much-what the same and the same celestial observation may serve for both The Priests after their return from captivity were forbidden to eat of the Most Holy Thine till there arose up a Priest with Urim and Thummim Fzra 2. 63. But either no such did arise at all from the erection of the Second Temple until Christ time or if any did it was but to give this people a Farewel of Gods extraordinary speaking unto them either by Priests or Prophets Josephus consciseth that revelations by Urim and Thummim did finally cease 200 years before his time Put more probable is the opinion of others that this as all other kind of Prophecies and many extraordinarie signs of Gods power and presence sometime most frequent in that nation did cease with that generation which returned from captivitie or immediately after the finishing of the Second Temple as if God during all that time had appointed a Fast or Vigil as an introduction to the Time of Fulnesse â—foel 2. 28. Wherein their sons and daughters should prophecie and their old men dream dreams and their young men see visions and his Spirit should be poured out on all flesh as well upon the servant as the master as well upon the Gentile as the Jew Malach. 1. 11. For this cause as I said God had enjoyned this long fast in Judah to humble the Jew and teâ—uâ—h him that He was no more his God then the Gentiles and imposed silence to all his prophets dis-inuring his chosen Israel from his wonted Call that so this people might grow more mild and apt to herd together with his other slock now to be brought into the same fold wherein both might joyntly hear the great Shepherds voice As God elsewhere had threatned so it came to passe that visions had ceased in Judah before the rising of the Roman Empire and likely it is that presages by dreams or like means formerly usual among the Ancient Heathen did either altogether determine or much decrease in many Nations about the same time For which reasons the Romans of that Age being the only wise men of the world given too much by nature unto secular Policâ—e did give lesse credit to the relations of the Ancient Greeks or the events registred by their Ancestours in their own Countrey The like incredulity remaineth in most of us but may be easily removed by discovering the root of it CHAP. XII The reasons of our mistrusting of Antiquities 1 IT is the common practise of men to measure matters of Ancient times by observation of the times and place wherein they live as commonly we passe our censure on other mens actions and intentions according to our own resolutions and secret purposes in like cases And besides this general occasion of mistaking other mens actions and events of other times every particular sort of men seek to assign causes of things sutable unto their proper Faculties The Natural Philosopher striveth to reduce all effects to Matter and Form or some sensible qualitie the Mathematician to abstract Forms or Figures or insensible influences the Politician thinks no alteration in publick States or private mens affairs fals out but from some Politick cause or Purpose of man and whilest in the Annals of Antiquities he reads of sundry events surpassing the reach or skill of mans invention or contrary to the ordinarie course of nature he attributes all unto the Simplicity or credulitie of their Ancestors Albeit if we should search the true cause of their credulitie in yielding assent unto such strange reports it will easily confute the error of posterity for this credulity in such particulars could not have been so great in their Ancestors unlesse their mindes had been first inclined to the general from the tradition of their Predecessors But why their forefathers should either have invented such strange reports or be so inclinable to believe them if we search into the depth or first spring of this perswasion we cannot imagine any other cause but the real and sensible Experience of such strange events as they reported to posterity This did enforce Belief upon the first Progenitors of any Nation and from the fulnesse of this perswasion or actual Belief in them was bred this credulitie or aptnesse in posterity to believe the like which yet in successe of time did by little and little wear out It is great simplicity and uncharitable credulitie in us to think that either the most Ancient or middle Ages of the world were generally so simple credulous or apt to believe every thing as some would make them It had been as hard a matter to have perswaded men of those times that there were no Gods no divine power or providence as it would be to perswade the modern Athiests that there is an Almighty power which created all things governeth and disposeth of all things to his glory The most politick Atheâ—st now alive is as Credulous in his kinde as the simplest creature in the old world was and will yield his assent unto the Epicures or other Brutish Philosophers conclusions upon as light reasons as they did their Belief unto any Fable concerning the power or providence of the Gods the reason of both their credulities in two contrary kindes is the same The often manifestation of an extraordinary power in Battels or presence in Oracles and sensible documents of revenge from heaven made the one prone to entertain any report of the Gods though never so strange and the want of like sensible signs or documents of the same power in our dayes whilest all mens minds are still set upon politick means and practises for their own good doth make the other so credulous and apt to assent to any Politik Discourse and so averse from Belief of the Prophets or sacred Writers which reduce all effects to the First Cause But this we cannot do so immediately as the Ancient did because God useth his Wisdom more in the managing of this Politick world then he did in times of old and men naturally are lesse apprehensive of His Wisdom then of His Power so that his present wayes are not so obvious at the first sight unto sense as sometimes they were though more conspicuous to sanctified reason now at this day then before and the manner of his proceeding more apt to confirm true Belief in such as follow his 〈◊〉 then ever it was For the same reason were the Ancient Israelites more prone to Idolatry then their successours were after the erection of the second Temple or either of them were at any time to serve their GOD. For the sensible signs and bewitching inticements of some extraordinary powers mistaken for Divine were then most common and Gods Wonders and miracles grew more rare because they swarved from his commandments What Jew was there almost in the time of the Maccabees but would have given his body for an Holcaust rather then sacrifice to any of the Heathen Gods The undoubted experience of long Wo and
was in respect of the Efficient or impulsive causes rather Superartificial then Natural or Artificial and Rhetorick and Historie only Artificial This opinion will not seem strange if we consider that the wiser sort in those times did commend such matters onely to writing as might inflame posterity with devotion and love of vertue For Poetrie as the same Author tels us was accounted by Antiquitie Prima quaedam Philosophia a kind of sacred moral Philosophie appropriated as it seems at the first to the relation or representation of supernatural Events or divine matters onely of which the most Ancient had best experience and were impelled to communicate them to posteritie elevated as is observed before by the excellency of the Object to this celestial kind of speech which is most apt to ravish younger wits as it self was bred of Admiration This use of Poetrie appears in some Fragments of most Ancient Poets in their kind proportionable to the book of Psalms of Job and the songs of Moses the only patern of true Poesie whose subjects usually are the wonderful works of God manifested unto men Some degenerate footsteps of these Holy men the Heathen about Homers time did observe using their Poets and Musicians for planting modesty and chastity amongst other vertues in their auditors So Agamemnon left the musical Poet as Guardian to Clytemnestra who continued chast and loyal until Aegisthus got the Poet conveyed into an uninhabited Island For this reason was Poetry taught children first throughout the Grecian Cities as Moses had commanded the Israelites to teach their children his divine Poem Deut. 31. 19. and 32. 46. And they much wrong that divine Philosopher that think he was any farther an enemy unto the sacred Faculty then onely to seek the reformation of it by reducing it to its first natural use which was not meer delight as Eratosthenes dreamed rightly taxed by Strabo for this error That might perhaps be true of the Comical Latin poets Poeta quum primum animum adscribendum appulit Id sibi negoti credidit solum dari Populo ut placerent quas fecisset Fabulas When first the Poet bent his wits to write The onely mark he aim'd at was delight Which notwithstanding had neither been the onely nor chief use no end at all but rather an adjunct of Poetry amongst the Ancient by the wiser and better sort of whom nothing was apprehended at least approved as truly delightful which was not also Honest and of profitable use for bettering life and manners The law of nature being then lesse defaced They could read it without spelling and comprehend all the Three Elements of Goodness joyntly under one entire conceit as we do the product of divers Letters or Syllables in one word without examination of their several value apart But when the Union of this Trinity wherein the nature of Perfect Goodnesse consists was once dissolved in mens hearts and Delight had found a peculiar Issue without mixture of Honesty or Utility the desire of becoming popular Poets did breed the bane of true Poesie and those Sacred Numbers which had been as Amulets against vice became incentives unto lust Or if we would but search the native use of Poetry by that end which men not led awry by hopes of applause or gain or other external respects but directed rather by the internal impulsion of this Faculty and secret working of their Souls do aim at It principally serves for Venting Extraordinary Affections No man almost so dul but will be Poetically affected in the subject of his strongest passions As we see by experience that where the occasions either of Joy for the Fortunate Valour or Sorrow for the mishaps of their Countrey-men or Alliance are most rife this disposition is both most pregnant and most common And as Speech or Articulation of voices in general was given to man for communicating his conceits or meaning unto others so Poetry the Excellency of Speech serves for the more lively expressing of his Choicer Conceits for Beautifying His darling-thoughts or Fancies which almost disdain to go abroad in other then this exactly-proportioned attire The souls wooing suits if I may so speak whereby she wins others to Sympathize with her in abundance of Grief or to consent with her in excessive Joy or finally to settle their Admiration or dislike where she doth hers And the more strange or wonderful the matter conceived or to be represented is the more pleasant and admirable will the true and natural representation of it be and the more he that conceives it is ravished with delight of its Beauty or goodnesse the more will he long to communicate his conceit and liking of it to others Whence such as had seen the Wonders of God and had been fed with his Hidden Manna sought by their lively hearty representations to invite others as the Psalmist doth To taste and see the Goodnesse of the Lord as Birds and Beasts when they have found pleasant food call on their fashion unto others of the same kinde to be partakers with them in their Joy until Satan who hunts after the life of Man as Man doth after the life of Birds did invent his counterfeit Cals to allure our souls into his Snare For when men had once taken a delight in the natural representation of events delightful in themselves he stirred up others to invent the like albeit there were no real truth or stability in the things represented and the manner of representation usually so light and affected as could argue no credence given by the Authors to their own report but rather a desire to please such as had never set their mindes to any Inquisition of solid Truth whose unsetled Fancies cannot choose but fall in Love with as many Fair Pictures of others pleasant Imaginations as are presented to them For as to view the connexion of real Causes with their Effects most of all if both be rare or the concurrence of Circumstances unusual doth much affect the judicious understanding so the quaint or curious contrivance of Imaginary Rarities set forth in splendent Artificial colours doth captivate the Fancies of such as are not established in the love of truth But as the Orator said of such as applauded the Tragedie of Pylades and Orestes how would such mens souls be ravished could they upon sure grounds be perswaded that these stories were true albeit devoid of Artificial Colours or Poetical contrivances never used by sacred Antiquitie in whose expression of Wonders the Phrase is usually most Poetical as naturally it will alwaies be where the mind is much affected their invention lesse Artificial or affected then our Historical narrations of Modern affairs the Character of their stile as was intimated before doth argue that they sought onely to set down the true Proportion of matters seen and heard with such resemblances as were most incident to their kind of life And from the Efficacy of such extraordinary effects upon their souls
of Canonical Scripture May private Spirits discern their true Sence in matters of Faith as clearly as if they were a Light indeed to thee Oh no you quite mistake his meaning in making such Collections Let Valentian explicate himself in the end of this fourth Paragraph 8 After the Church hath once gathered any Opinion out of Scriptures and thereupon opposeth the Scripture thus understood by it according to the Apostolical Tradition unto contrary Errours It is extream Impiety and wickedness to desire any more either concerning the Authority or Interpretation of that parcel of Scripture under what Pretence soever of Difficulty Obscurity or the like To that Scripture I pray mark his words wel which is commended and expounded unto us by the Authority of the Church that Scripture now ea jam even for this Reason hoc ipso is most Authentick and shines most splendently mojt clearly like a Light videlicet as we have formerly expounded put upon a Candlestick Nay in good sooth just like a Candlestick put upon a Light or Candle For in this Countrey wherein we live we see the Candlestick by vertue of the Light not the Light by means or vertue of the Candlestick And yet if your Church be the Candlestick as you suppose and the Scripture the Light as you expresly acknowledge we must by your Doctrine discern the Light of Scriptures only by the Commendation Explication or Illumination of your Church the Candlestick And this Illumination is only her bare Asseveration for Scriptures she seldom expounds but only by Negatives or Anathemas The best Correction that can be made of this untoward crooked unwieldly Similitude would be this whereas this Doctor supposeth the Pope to be the Church and saith further necesse est ut lumen illud si dei quod in divinis literis splendet praeser at Ecclesia Let him put lucem for lumen and so the Pope being by his Assertion the Church may be truly called Lucifer And then as when Cloth shrinks in the wetting men shape their Garments accordingly making sometimes a Jerkin of that which was intended for a Jacket so out of this unhandsome ill-spun similitude which was marred in the making we may frame a shorter which wil hold exceeding wel on this fashion Even as Satan being the Prince of Darknesse doth to mens seeming transform him self into an Angel of Light Just so doth the Roman Lucifer being by Valentians Confession but the Candlestick labour to transform him self into the Light it self and would be taken for such a Light or Candle as should make the very Light of Heaven it self Gods Word to shine most splendently and clearly by the glorious Beams of his Majestical Infallibility once cast upon it For otherwise unlesse the Supernatural Glory of his Infallibility do infuse Light or adde fresh Lustre to this Light or Lantern of Truth the Candlestick naturally gives no increase of perspicuity to the Light or Candle Which wil shine as clear in a private Mans hands so he wil take the pains to hold it as in a Publick Candlestick But that which I would have the serious Reader to observe especially is this Speech of his Scripture as once commended unto us or expounded by the Churches Authority becomes thereby most Authentick and shines most clearly and most splendently For this same Doctor if a Doctor may be said the same affirming and denying the same in the beginning of that Dispute would gladly shuffle so as he should not be taken with that Trick which wil discredit their Cause for ever and descry their villanous Blasphemy in this Doctrine of their Churches Authority There he would perswade us that he doth not allow of this Speech I believe this or that to be a Divine Revelation because the Church doth tell me so or of this the Church is the Cause why I believe the Divine Revelations whereas this Speech of his Quae Scriptura per Authoritatem doth infer the Authority of the Church to be the very principal and immediate Cause of our Assent unto Scriptures 9 Secondly I would have the sober Christian Reader to observe what an unhallowed and unchristian Conceit it is to admit the Scriptures for a Lantern and yet to affirm that Christians cannot behold the Light therein contained but only as the Church of Rome doth hold it out what is this else but to call the People from the marvailous Light of the Gospel unto the fearful Lightnings of the Law And to make the Pope that Mediator which the People implicitely did request when they desired that Moses might speak to them not God If we be in Christ then are we not called into Mount Sinai to burning Fire Blindnesse Darknesse and Tempests this Light of the Gospel is not environed with a fearful Cloud or Smoak threatning Destruction if we should go up into the Mount to hear the Lord himself speak we have an Advocate with the Father and need not look for a Moses to go up for us while we stand trembling a far off For as our Apostle tels us Heb. 12. 22. We are come unto the Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestial Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel What is the Consequence or Effect of this our Calling Our Apostle makes this Inference verse 25. See therefore that ye despise not him that speaketh Whom did he mean The Pope or Cardinals But they would be but of like Authority as Moses was but he that Speaketh untous is of far greater For so our Apostle collects See that ye despise nâ—t him that speaketh for if they escape not which refused him that spake on Earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him which speaketh from Heaven The Israelites I suppose had despised Moses if they had admitted any other infallible Teacher besides him whilest he was alive or believed any other as wel as his Writings after his death but only so far forth as they could discern their Words to be consonant unto his If Moses Writings were to these Jews a plain Rule of Faith then much more must Christs Word registred by his Apostles and Evangelists by the Rule of Faith unto us That Moses Doctrine was their Rule of Faith a Rule most plain and easie these places following abundantly testifie CAP. XVII That the Mosaical Writings were a most perfect Rule plain and easie to the Ancient Israelites 1 SO perfect Directions had Moses left for Posterities perpetual instruction that a great Prophet in later Ages desirous to bring Gods people into the right Paths which their Fathers had forsaken and for this purpose professing to impart to them whatsoever he had
Sathans head and put him to flight why should his faithfull followers despair by the same Weapons to foyl and slay Sathans servants so they will be as industrious to use them as the others are to abuse them Nor will you I hope deny that Christ is present perpetually to his true Church as well as Sathan is to Hereticks Say then what you can or dare why ye should think it strange or impossible that he should teach all faithfull Souls the true Sense and Meaning of his Word immediately by his Blessed Spirit working with the Ministery of Saints without a Vicar general on earth as well as Sathan doth Hereticks the counterfeit sense or false but fair-seeming Meaning of it immediately by himself or his wicked spirits For we never heard that Sathan had any Vicar general by whom he teacheth Hereticks all their cunning unlesse this be the Pope which if he be then is he not Vicar general unto Christ 6 Seeing beloved Christians we are compassed about with such a cloud of Witnesses whereof not one without open Infidelity can be impeached let us not disdain to take the practise of Christ Jesus the Authour and Finisher of our Faith as a Pattern well befitting our imitation Not to be as industrious in searching the inward Sense and secret Meaning as Hereticks in urging the outward letter of the Law were not to follow the footsteps of a victorious Lord most good and gracious to his followers with as great alacritie as vanquished Sathans wicked instruments do his both if not detested by us as the foulest shame that in this life can befall us will breed our everlasting Confusion in the life to come 7 That I may dispute with such as make a jest of Scriptures according to their childish follie if by this means I might possiblie cure their Impietie Tell us I pray ye Doctors of Rome many of whom I know to be men of learning wit and spirit and for this reason as I should think more unwilling to make your selves palpablie ridiculous to every child or novice in Arts howsoever unto all sorts you strive to make Christs Practise such Tell us what is your Counsel in this choice Shall we forsake Christ Our us Saint Peters bâ—st Master to become Scholers unto your Staphilus or Hoâ—… Câ—… who if their reports be true did sooner put the Devil to silence with this Doctrine of your Churches Infallibilitie then Christ did for all his Scriptures for the Devil as the Evangelist tels us departed not from our Saviour before the Third Blow Avoid Sathan able to abide the Coalier but Two or rather one a little doubled I believe as the Church believes and the Church believes as I believe So much by your Doctrine doth the Devil fear the very Name of your Church though in a Coaliers mouth more then the Word of God albeit uttered by the Son of God himself 8 But we know the Proverb too well Like to like Children and ignorant people are not ignorant that the Devil will be commanded by such as studie the black-Art no marvail if he suffer himself upon good termes to be put down by a Coalier And as I will not peremptorily denie but the Story might be true so questionlesse such as most believe it mightily mistake the true cause of Sathans sudden silence for the truer the Story were the likelier were it he should hold his peace as soon as he heard the Coalier believe as he would have him This is a Catechism in it kind so perfect and absolute so well suiting to the old Serpents purpose that if Hell might have a general vacancie from all other imployments for time as long as hath been since Luâ—â—sers fall not all the Powers therein could devise what one word might be added what detracted unlesse perhaps they would expresse what the Coalier happily understood I believe as the Church Romish believes and the Church Romish as I believe whose Consequence is Both shall believe whatsoever Hell would have them The use of such rustick weapons as these was perhaps on your part not unnecessary in that rude World wherein Lindan's Panoplie went for approved harnesse or Ecchius Bolts for good Artillerie but should you use the like now every Punie in our Schools that knows but how to manage an Argument of which God be praised we have enough for a whole Army shall match your great Goliath whilest they thus keep aloof and lay your stoutest Champions in the dust by returning their own or like shot upon them CAP. XXI The pretended Excellencie of the supposed Roman Rule for composing Controversies impeached by the frequencie of Heresies in the Primitive Church and the imperfection of that Union whereof since that time they so much boast 1 BUt let us leave off skirmishing afar off and come a little nearer to the Point You are content to joyn with us in This That it hath been the Practise of Hereticks from time to time to stand much upon the Authority of Scriptures Then were not Luther and Calvin the first that ever made this Odious Comparison betwixt Gods Word and the Popes Nay you will nor deny but this Practise of urging Scripture was most frequent and the Truth most troubled hereby in the Primitive Church If a man might ask you where was this your supposed Infallibilitie then in the swadling-clouts or unborn If then unborn it is too young to make younger Brethren of all Congregations else too young to cause Christian Kings and Emperours subject their Crowns unto your upstart Mitre If then born albeit but in its Infancie yet such an Herculean Power as you professe yours to be which puts an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all Christian mens thoughts in Points of Faith for to this purpose your Controversors cite that place of Scripture as your Vulgar reads it Verba Sapientum sunt tanquam clavi in altum fixi per Magistrorum consilium conscripta à Pastore Uno data viz. the Pope istis amplius Fili mi ne requires might in all congruitie have taken Hercules Motto for its Word Cunarum labor est angues superasse mearum though it had lain then sleeping in the Cradle yet might it were it such as you would make it easily have crusht this Seed of Serpents in the very nest wherein they bred and not have suffered them to grow up to flying Dragons to pester the World far and near with their deadlie poison 2 I would have you here to consider this Incongruity well which I must farther prosecute in the next Dispute You plead the necessity of your Churches Infallibility for composing all Contentions and varietie of Opinions about Scripture-sense and yet we evidently see which you cannot deny that such bitter Contentions and dangerous varieties of Opinions about Scripture-sense were most rife most eagerlie prosecuted and maintained when this Title of your Churches Infallibilitie if it were just might have been best known and soonest assented unto For sure the Ancient
at least which this Counterfeit exacts to be Believed as true to wit that he himself is a man of excellent parts and one that wil use Fidelity as wel in his Doings as Sayings and in a word one whose proposal in matters of State or War is as infallible as the Popes in matters of Faith Yet notwithstanding that this Counterfeits Proposal or Asseveration which must be Believed from the Princes commendation of him which must be believed again from his Proposal Non habent unum idem objectum sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have not one and the same Object yet is the former resolution â—… and so is Valentians resolution of his Catholick Faith most ridiculously impious For what other issue of such dissolute resolutions can be expected but that men who know no better should hereby be driven to suspect the Scriptures for Counterfeit and the Catholick Church if the Roman were only the Catholick Church of villanous Forgery at the least in those places of Scripture which she pretends for Proof of her own Infallibilitie 19 As for Valentians later Exception why his Resolution should not be Circular it is more ridiculous then the former most ridiculously false to omit other points in this one that he dare deny the Churches proposal by their Doctrine to be the Cause why we Believe the Divine Revelation or rather that these Scriptures which we have are Divine Revelations For by their Positions we cannot assure our selves that the Scriptures are the Word of God by any other cause or reason besides the Churches Authoritie and therefore by their Doctrine the infallible Authoritie of their Church is the only Cause why we Believe this Sacred Canon of Scriptures which we enjoy to be Divine Revelations although it be no Cause by their Doctrine why we Believe that in general Divine Revelations are true For this is a dictate of Nature not controversed betwixt us and them or betwixt any who acknowledge a Divine Power And Valentian himself directly implies that which he impudently denies in the self-same period For he granteth that Propositio Ecclesiae est ratio credendi divinam revelationem ratio eredendi the Reason or Rule of Believing must needs include in it a precedent Cause of Belief it cannot be only a Condition annexed thereto but of this point God willing hereafter 20 Sacroboscus who hath followed Bellarmines and Valentians foot-steps as faithfully as any â—rish Foot-man could his Master though sometimes taking a more compendious and smoother way likely to entice pedestria ingenia wits either by nature dull or novices in Arts and smatterers in School-learning to follow him sooner then those great ones hath taken upon him to answer to this Circle in effect as Valentian doth save only that he hath put more Tricks of Art upon it either to confound the judicious or deceive the sample Reader Which here we shal not need to examin because we purpose to unrid his mystical Evasions in the next Dispute In the end of his tract in defence of Bellarmin he frames his Objection against both Valentian and his own Resolution Whether in Believing the Church by Scriptures and Scriptures By the Church the Belief of the one must in nature if not in time go before the other He thinks it not necessary that the one should be before the other Nam actus fidei fertur in suum objectum modo simplici ut visus in suum And therefore as we see colours per species visibiles by the visible shapes or resemblances which flow from them not by seeing the visible shape before the colours so do we Believe the Scriptures by the Church albe it we do not expresly and formally Believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo In the former part of this his discourse the Visible Church was unto Scriptures as the Light was unto Colours now it is unto Scriptures as visible Shapes are unto Colours What then Do we not see visible shapes before Colours nor Colours before them no. For we see no visible shapes at all but by them Colours only are brought into our sight and we cannot see one before the other if the one we see not at all And in like sense it were true that we should not Believe the Church before Scriptures not Scriptures before we Believe the Church if we were not bound to Believe the one at all But if we see one thing by another which we likewise see we must needs see that first by which we see the other and so if either we Believe the Scriptures by Believing the Church or Believe the Church by believing Scriptures we must of necessitie Believe the one before the other For that by which we Believe a thing is the Means of Belief and the Means of Belief must needs in nature and order go before Belief it self And if the Church be the Means of believing only in as much as we believe it or to speak more distinctly if the believing the Church be the very Meanes of believing the Scriptures then must we needs believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures If our Adversaries affirm that their Church is the only infallible Means of believing Scriptures in any other sort then by believing it let them in the name of God assign by what Means they wil she can make us believe the Scriptures we shal not much contend so they wil not bind us to believe this their Churches Decisions Sacroboscus his comparison of the Visible Church and visible Shapes we admit thus far for good that as unlesse there were such visible Shapes no Colours could be seen so likewise unlesse God had some Visible Church on earth men ordinarily could not see the Light of the Gospel For it is not ordinarily communicated to any but by the Ministery of others but being communicated we believe it in it self and for it self not by believing others as we see Colours in themselves and for themselves not by seeing the visible Shapes by which they are presented or communicated unto our eyes But whether there be any Propriety between the belief of these two Church and Scriptures according to our Adversaries Doctrine or whether the belief of the one be the cause of the Belief of the other or in what sort the cause and what Inconveniences wil follow thereon we shal dispute hereafter 21 Let them in the mean time illustrate the Manner how we believe Scriptures by the Church as they please Let it have the same proportion to Scriptures which the Light or visible Shapes have unto Colours they themselves make the belief of Scriptures most uncertain and for this reason seek to establish the Infallibility of their Church for to assure us of the Truth of Scriptures We demand how â—… of their Churches Infallibility can possibly be proved By Reason that is impossible as you heard before By Tradition of whom of such as may erre that is
Nations as they imagine Christ doth the Pope over every Christian soul thorowout the whole world What spirit then may we think did possesse Bellarmine when he avouched that the Church and Common-weals are different in this case let us hear the difference The Church Catholick must be one by communion with one head so must the â—ieg people of every Monarch be one by subordination to one Soveraign whether resident amongst them or far absent Why may not Christ then though absent be that onely supreme head whence universally the Church receiveth unitie or why may not he rule in it though dispersed thorow many Nations as effectually by his Angels and ordinary Ministers of the Gospel as the Pope doth by his Nuncios fallible Legates or other inferiour Prelates 7 But though reason and Scripture fail them yet Councels Histories and Traditions may be mustered to their aid These are the first Springs of these many Waters whereon the great Whore sits From what History therefore do they believe the Pope is Peters Successor from historie Canonical or divine no Secular Monkish or Ecclesiastical at the best upon which the best faith that can be founded is but humane and their profeâ—â—ed villany in putting in and out whatsoever they please into what writing soever Gods word only excepted makes it more then doubtful whether many ancient Writers did ever intimate any such estimate of the Romish Church as is now fathered upon them or rather this foul iniquity late revealed whilest some have been taken in the manner hath been long time concealed as a mysterie of the Romish state Put they believe not this succession from expresse written history but from Tradition partly From Tradition of whom Of men what men Men obnoxious to errour and parties in this present controversie yet neither partial nor erroneous while they speak ex Cathedra saith the Jesuit But who shall assure us what they have spoken ex Cathedra concerning this point The Councels What Councels Councels assembled by the Pope Councels of men for the most part as ill qualified as carnally minded and so palpably carried away with faction that to attribute any divine authority unto them were to blaspheme the holy Spirit Councels which the Papists them elves acknowledge not of sufficient authority unlesse they follow the Popes instructions from whom likewise they must receive their approbation The Pope must assure us the Councel which perhaps elected him rejecting a Competitor every way more sufficient doth not erre But that the Pope is lawfully elected that so elected he cannot erre in this assertion who shal assure us he himself or his Predecessors This then is the last resolution of our saith if it rely us on the Church 8 We must absolutely believe every Pope in his own cause First that he himself is secondly that all his Predecessours up to S. Peter were infallible When as many of them within these few hundred years late past by their own followers confession were such as whatsoever must derive its pedegree from them may justly be suspected to have first descended from the father of lies such as not speaking ex Cathedra were so far from the esteem of absolute infallibility that such as knew them best did trust them least in matters of secular commodity and if they were found unfaithful in the wicked Mammon who will trust them in the true Not Papists themselves unlesse they speake ex Cathedra Then belike our Saviour did not foresee this exception from his general rule or Judas by this knack might have proved himself or any other knave as faithful a Pastor as S. Peter 9 But if a Pope shall teach ex Cathedra that he is Peters lawful successor and therefore of divine infallible authority in expounding all the former places we must notwithstanding our Saviours Caveat believe him Why Because it must be supposed he hath divine testimony for this assertion As what either divine history divine tradition or divine revelation Divine history they disclaim nor can impudency it self pretend it It may be he hath the perpetual traditions of his predecessors But here again we demand what divine assurance they can bring forth that every Pope from S. Peter downwards did give expresse cathedral testimony to this perpetual succession in like authority Suppose what no Jesuite dare avouch unlesse he first consult his superiours whether he must not of necessity say so for maintenance of the Popes dignity that this assertion had been expresly conveyed from S. Peter to the present Pope without interruption yet if any one of them did receive it from his predecessour having it but as a private man or upon his honesty he might erre in delivering it to his successor so might the third bâ—hâ—vâ—ng iâ— him For no belief can be more certain then its proâ—…ject or immediate ground If That be fallible the belief must needs be uncertain obnoxious to errour and at the best human No better is the Popes testimony unlesse given ex Cathedra and no better is the ground of his own belief of what his Predecessours told him unlesse they told it him so speaking Wherefore though this present Pope should teach ex Cathedra viva voce that he is Peters lawful successor yet unlesse he can prove that none of his predecessours did ever neglect so to avouch the same truth it is evident that he speaks more then he can possibly know by any divine testimony either of history or unwritten tradition It is evident again he binds us to believe that by divine faith which he cannot possibly know himself but only by faith humane For the only ground of his assertion is this supposed perpetual tradition and this is but humane unlesle it be perpetually delivered ex Cathedra Nor is there any other means possibly under the sun nay either in heaven or earth for to know matters of this nature forepast but either the testimony of others that have gone before us who either were themselves or took their relations upon trust from such as were present when the things related were acted or else by revelation from him who was before all times and is a present spectatour an eye witnesse of every action 10 Our knowledge of matters forepast by the former means though Popes themselves be the relators unlesse their relation be cathedral as hath been proved are but humane and fallible Things known by immediate revelation from God are most certain because the immediate Relator is most infallible Doth the Pope by this means know what his Predecessors or S. Peter thought concerning this perpetual succession or generally all matters concerning this point long since forepast He may as easily tell us what any of his successors shall do or say an hundred years hence And thus much if this present Pope will undertake the Christian people then living may safely believe what the Pope then being shall say of this or both of their predecessours But to believe man
another manner then the Lacedâ—monians did Lycurgus laws were from Apollo For when the Law which enjoyns the worship of one God was given unto the people it did appear as far forth as the divine providence did judge sufficient by strange signs and motions whereof the people themselves were spectators that the creature did perform service to the Creator for the giving of that Law But we must believe as firmly as this people did Moses that all the Popes injunctions are given by God himself without any other sign or testimony then the Lacedemonians had that Lycurgus laws were from Apollo Yet is it here further to be considered that the Israelites might with far lesse danger have admitted Moses laws then we may the Popes without any examination for divine seeing there was no written law of God extant before his time whereby his writings were to be tried No such charge had been given this people as he gives most expresly to this purpose Now therefore hearken O Israel unto the ordinances and to the Laws which I teach you to do that ye may live and go in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you Ye shall put nothing unto the word which I command you neither shall ye take ought there from that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you But was the motive or argument by which he sought to establish their belief or assent unto these commandments his own infallible authority no but their own experience of their truth as it followeth Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-Peor For all the men that followed Baal-Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed every one from among you but ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day so gracious and merciful is our God unto mankind and so far from exacting this blind obedience which the Pope doth challenge that he would have his written word established in the fresh memory of his mighty wonders wrought upon Pharaoh and all his host The experiment of their deliverance by Moses had been a strong motive to have perswaded them to admit of his doctrine for infallible or at the least to have believed him in his particular promises When the snares of death had compassed them about on every side and they see no way but one or rather two inevitable wayes to present death and destruction the red sea before them and a mighty host of bloud behind them the one serving as a glasse to represent the cruelty of the other they as who in their case would not cry out for fear He that could have foretold their strange deliverance from this imminent danger might have gotten the opinion of a God amongst the Heathen yet â—… confidently promiseth them even in the midst of this perplexity the utter destruction of the destroyer whom they feared Fear ye not stand 〈◊〉 and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom you have seen this day you shal never see again The Lord shal fight for you therefore hold you your peace Notwithstanding all this Moses never enacts this absolute obedience to be believed in all that ever he shall say or speak unto them without farther examination or evident experiment of his doctrine For God requires not this of any man no not of those to whom he spake face to face alwayes ready to feed such as call upon him with infallible signs and pledges of the truth of his promises For this reason the waters of Mâ—rah are sweetned at Moses prayer And God upon this new experiment of his power and goodnesse takes occasion to re-establish his former covenant using this semblable event as a further earnest of his sweet promises to them If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel unto the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear unto his commandments and keep all his ordinances then wil I put none of these diseases upon thee which I brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee As if he had said This healing of the bitter waters shal be a token to thee of my power in healing thee Yet for all this they distrust Gods promises for their food as it followeth cap. 16. Nor doth Moses seek to force their assent by fearful Anathema's or sudden destruction but of some principal offenders herein For God wil not have true faith thunder-blasted in the tender blade but rather nourished by continuance of such sweet experiments for this reason he showres down Manna from heaven I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel tell them therefore and say At evening ye shall eat flesh and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God For besides the miraculous manner of providing both Quails and Manna for them the manner of nourishment by Manna did witnesse the truth of Gods word unto them They had been used to grosse and solid meats such as did fill their stomacks distend their bellies whereas Manna was in substance slender but gave strength and vigour to their bodies and served as an emblem of their spiritual food which being invisible yet gave life more excellently then these grosse and solid meats did So saith Moses Therefore he humbled thee and made thee hungry and fed thee with Manna which thou knowest not neither did thy Fathers know it that he might teach thee that man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 6 Yet in their distresse so frail is our faith until it be strengthned by continual experiments they doubt and tempt the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst us or no Nor doth Moses interpose his infallible authority or charge them to believe him against their experience of their present thirst under pain of eternal damnation or sufferance of greater thirst in hell such threats without better instruction in Gods word and the comfort of his spirit may bring distrusts or doubts to utter despaire and cause faith to wither where it was wel nigh ripe they never ripen and strengthen any true and lively faith Moses himself is fain to cry unto the Lord saying What shall I do unto this people for they be almost ready to stone me As the Papists would do to the Pope were he to conduct them thorow the wildernesse in such extremity of thirst able to give them no better assurance of his favour with God then his Anathema's or feed them only with his Court-holy-water or blessings of wind But even here again God feeds Israels faith with waters issuing out of the rock making themselves eye-witnesses of all his wonders that so they might believe his words and promises nay himself from their own sense
since to take universality as a sure note of the Church traditions and customs of the Elders for the rule of faith and which is the undoubted Conclusion of such premisses to follow a multitude to any mischief So mightily did the opinion of a major part being all men of the same profession sway with the superstitious people of those times that Ahabs Pursevant conceived hope of seducing Micaiah whilst they were on the way together by intimating such censures of schisme of heresie of peevishneâ—â—e or privacy of spirit as the false Catholick bestows on us likely to befal him if he should vary from the rest The best answer I think a Roman Catechism could affoord would be to repeat the conclusion which Bellarmin would have maintained All the rest besides were Baals Prophets They were indeed in such a sense as Jesuites and all seducers are but 〈◊〉 not by publick profession or solemn subscription to his rites as may partly appear by jehosaphats continuing his resolution to go up to battel against Micaiahs counsel which questionlesse he would rather have died at home then done had he known Micaiah only to have belonged unto the Lord and all his adversaries unto Baal partly by that reverent conceit which even the chief of these seducers entertained at that time of Elias whose utter disgrace Baals servants would by all means have sought for his late designs acted upon their fellows Yet as Josephus records the chief argument used by Zidkiah to diminish Micaiahs credit with both Kings was an appearance of contradiction betwixt his and Eliahs prediction of Ahabs death the accomplishment of both being apprehended as impossible lesse credit as he urged was to be given to Micaiah because so impudent as openly to contradict â—o great a Prophet of the Lord as Elias at whose threatnings Ahab King of Israel trembled humbling himself with fasting cloathed in sackcloth And is it likely he would so shortly after entertain the professed servants of Baal for his Councellors yet seeing the event hath openly condemned them for seducers and none are left to plead their cause it is an easie matter for the Jesuite or others to say they were Baals Prophets by profession But were not most Prieâ—… and Prophets in Judah and Benjamin usually such yes and as afterward shall appear did band as strongly with as joynt consent against Jeremy and Ezechiel as these did against Micaiah The point wherein we desire resolution is by what rule of Romish Catholick Divinity truth in those times might have been discerned from falshood before Gods judgements did light upon the City and Temple He is more blind then the blindest Jew that ever breathed who cannot see how such as professed themselves Priests and Prophets of the Lord as wel in Judah as in Israel did bewitch the people with the self same spels the Papist boasts of to this day as the best prop of his Catholick faith Yet such is the hypocrisie of these proud Pharisees that they can say in their hearts Oh had we lived in the dayes of Jezabel we would not have been her inquisitors against such Prophets as Elias and Micaiah were When as in truth Jezabels impiety towards them was clemency in respect of Romish crueltie against Gods Saints her witchcrafts but as venial sins if we compare them with Jesuitical sorceries But of this errour more directly in the Chapter following of their sorceries and impieties hereafter 3 Unto our former demand whether the society of Prophets were the Church representative whether the people were bound without examination to believe whatsoever was by a major part or such of that profession as â—â—re in highest or most publick place determined What answer a learned Papist would give I cannot tel Then this following better cannot be imagined on their behalf That this supream authority which they contend for was in the true Prophets only that they albeit inspired with divine illuminations and endued with such authority as the Jesuite makes the Popes â—mana divinitas inspirata did notwithstanding permit their declarations for the hardnesse of this peoples heart to be tried by the event or examined by the law not that they wanted lawful power would they have stood upon their authority to exact belief without delay seeing readinesse to believe the truth proposed is alwayes commended in the sacred Story And no doubt but the people did wel in admitting the true Prophets doctrine before the false at the first proposal the sooner the better But were they therefore to believe the true Prophets absolutely without examination Why should they then believe one of that profession before another seeing seducers could propose their conceits with as great speed and peremptorinesse as the best Nor did reason only disswade but the law of God also expresly forbid that people alwayes and in all causes to trust such as upon trial had been found to divine aright of strange events Yet grant we must that hardnesse of heart made this people more backward then otherwise they would have been to believe truths proposed that oft-times they required signs from their Prophet when obedience was instantly due from them to him that oft-times they sinned in not assenting immediately without interposition of time for trial or respite to resolve upon what terms belief might be tendered Thus much we may grant with this limitation if we consider them absolutely or so wel disposed as they should and might have been not as the Prophets found them For in men inwardly ill affected or unqualified for true faith credulity comes nearer the nature of vice then vertue a disposition of disloyalty a degree of heresie or infidelity rather then a preparation to sincere obedience or any sure foundation of true and lively faith Assent perchance men so affected may more readily then others would unto sundry divine truths yet not truly not as they are divine and consonant to the rule of goodnesse but by accident in as much as they in part confort with some one or other of their affections And the more forward men are upon such grounds to believe some generalities of Christian duties the more prone they prove when opportunity tempts them to oppugn others more principal and more specially concerning their salvation For credulity if it spring not out of an honest disposition uniformly inclining unto goodnesse as Sucâ—… from some unbridled humor or predominant natural affection will alwayeâ— sway more unto some mischief then unto any thing that is good Many 〈◊〉 in Jesus saith Saint John when they saw his miracles It pleased them weâ—… had turned water into wine That he had given other proofs of his power 〈◊〉 driving buyers and sellers out of the Temple did minister hope unto proud hearts he might prove such a Messias as they expected as elsewhere upon the like occasion they said †This is of a truth the Prophet that should come intâ— the world The ground of this their aptnesse to believe thus
it self would rather have held the Negative For if we believe as the Papists generally instruct us that we our selves all private spirits may erre in every perswaâ—on of faith but the Church which onely is assisted by a publick spirit cannot possibly teach amisle in any We must upon terms as peremptory and in equal degree believe every particular point of faith because the Church so teacheth us not because we certainly apprehend the truth of it in itself For we may erre but this publick spirit cannot And consequently we must infallibly believe these propositions ‖ Christ is the Redeemer of the world not Mahomet ‖ There is a Trinity of persons in the divine nature for this reason only that the Church commends them unto us for divine revelations seeing by their arguments brought to disprove the sufficiency of Scriptures or certainty of private spirits no other means possible is left us Nay were they true we should be only certain that without the Churches proposal we stil must be most uncertain in these and all other points because the sons are perpetually obnoxious to errour from which the mother is everlastingly priviledged The same propositions and conclusions we might conditionally believe to be absolutely authentick upon supposal they were Gods word but that they are his word or revelations truly divine we cannot firmly believe but only by firm adherence to the Churches infallible authority as was in the second Section deduced out of the Adversaries principles Hence it follows that every particular proposition of Faith hath such a proper causal dependance upon the Churches proposal as the conclusion hath upon the premisses or any particular upon it universal Thus much Sacroboscus grants 3 Suppose God should speak unto us face to face what reason had we absolutely and infallibly to believe him but because we know his words to be infallible his infallibility then should be the proper cause of our belief For the same reason seeing he doth not speak unto us face to face as he did to Moses but as our adversaries say reveals his will obscurely so as the Revealer is not manifested unto us but his meaning is by the visible Church which is to us in stead of Prophets Apostles and Christ himself and all the several manners God used to speak unto the world before he spake to it by his only son this Panthea's infallibility must be the true and proper cause of our Belief And Valentian himself thinks that Sarah and others of the old world to whom God spake in private either by the mouth of Angels his son or holy spirit or by what means soever did not sin against the doctrine of saith or through unbelief when they did not believe Gods promises They did herein unadvisedly not unbelievingly Why not unbelievingly because the visible Church did not propose these promises unto them 4 If not to believe the visible Churches proposals be that which makes distrust or dissidence to Gods promises infidelity then to believe them is the true cause of believing Gods promises or if Sarah and others did as Valentian faith unadvisedly or imprudently in not assenting to divine truths proposed by Angels surely they had done only prudently and advisedly in assenting to them their assent had not been truly and properly belief So that by this assertion the Churches proposal hath the very remonstrative note and character of the immediat and prime cause whereby we believe and know matters of saith For whatsoever else can concur without this our aslent to divine truths proposed is not true Catholick belief but firmly believing this infallibility we cannot erre in any other point of faith 5 This truth Valentian elsewhere could not dissemble howsoever in his prosessed resolution of Faith he sought to cover it by change of apparel Investing the Churches proposal only with the title of a Condition requisite and yet withal so dislonant is falsity to it self making it the Reason of believing divine Revelations If a reason it be why we should believe them need must it sway any reasonable minde to embrace their truth And whatsoever inclines our minds to the embracement of any truth is the proper efficient cause of belif or assent unto the same Yea Efficiency or Causality it self doth Formally consist in this inclination of the minde Nor is it possible this proposal of the Church should move our minds to imbrace divine Revelations by any other means then by believing it And Belief it self being an inclination or motion of the mind our minds must first be moved by the Churches proposal ere it can move them at all to assent unto other divine truths Again Valentian grants that the orthodoxal or catechistical answer to this interrogation Why do you believe the doctrine of the Trinity to be a divine revelation is because the Church proposeth it to me for such He that admits this answer for sound and Catholick and yet denies the Churches proposal to be the true and proper cause of his Belief in the former point hath smothered doubtlesse the light of nature by admitting too much artificial subtilty into his brains For if a man should ask why do you believe there is a fire in yonder house and answer were made Because I see the smoak go out of the Chimney should the party thus answering in good earnest peremptorily deny the sight of the smoak to be the cause of his Belief there was a fire he deserved very wel to have either his tongue scorched with the one or his eys put out with the other Albeit if we speak of the things themselves not of his Belief concerning them the fire was the true cause of the smoak not the smoak of the fire But whatsoever it be Cause Condition Circumstance or Effect that truly satissieth this demand Why do you believe this or that it is a true and proper cause of our belief though not of the thing believed If then we admit the Churches proposal to be but a condition annexed to divine revelations yet if it be an infallible medium or mean or as our adversaries all agree The only mean infallible whereby we can rightly believe this or that to be a divine revelation it is the true and only infallible cause of our Belief That speech of Valentian which to any ordinary mans capacity includes as much as we now say was before alledged That Scripture which is commended and expounded unto us by the Church is eo ipso even for this reason most authentick and clear He could not more emphatically have expressed the Churches proposal to be the true and prime cause why particular or determinate divine revelations become so credible unto us His Second Sacrobosâ—us hath many speeches to be inserted hereafter to the same effect Amongst others where Dâ— Whittaker objects that the principal cause of faith is by Papists ascribed unto the Church he denies it only thus far What we believe for the Churches proposal we
proposition must finally be resolved Every conclusion of faith as is before observed out of Bellarmine must be gathered in this or like Syllogisme Whatsoever God or the first Truth saith is most true But God said all those words which Moses the Prophets and the Evangelists wrote Therefore all these are most true The Major in this Syllogisme is an Axiom of Nature acknowledged by Turks and Infidels nor can Christian faith be resolved into it as into a Principle proper to it self The Minor say our Adversaries must be ascertained unto us by the Churches authority and so ascertained becomes the first and main principle of faith as Christian whence all other particular or determinate conclusions are thus gathered Whatsoever the Church proposeth to us for a divine Revelation is most certainly such But the Church proposeth the Books of Moses and the Prophets finally the whole volumes of the old and new Testament with all their parts as they are extant in the vulgar Roman Edition for divine revelations Therefore we must infallibly believe they are such So likewise must we believe that to be the true and proper meaning of every sentence in them contained which the Church to whom it belongs to judge of their sence shall tender unto us 2 For better manifestation of the Truth we now teach the young Reader must here be advised of a Twofold Resolution One of the things or matters believed or known into their first parts or Elements Another of our Belief or perswasions concerning them into their first Causes or motives In the one the most general or remotest cause In the other the most immediate or next cause alwayes terminates the resolution The one imitates the other inverts the order of composition so as what is first in the one is last in the other because that which is first intended or resolved upon by him that casteth the plot is last effected by the executioner or manual composer In the former sence we say mixt bodies are lastly resolved into their first Elements houses into stones timber and other ingredients particular truths into general maximes conclusions into their immediate premisses all absurdities into some breach of the rule of contradiction Consonantly to this interpretation of final resolution The First Verity or divine infallibility is that into which all Faith is lastly resolved For as we said before this is the first step in the progresse of true Belief the lowest Foundation whereon any Religion Christian Jewish Mahometan or Ethnick can be built And it is an undoubted Axiom quod primum est in generatione est ultimum in resolutione when we resolve any thing into the parts whereof it is compounded we end in the undoing or unfolding it where nature begun in the composition or making of it But he that would attempt to compose it again or frame the like aright would terminate all his thoughts or purposes by the end or use which is farthest from actual accomplishment Thus the Architect frames stones and timber and layes the first foundation according to the platform he carries in his head and that he casts proportionably to the most commodious or pleasant habitation which though last effected determines all cogitations or resolutions precedent Hence if we take this ultima resolutio as we alwayes take these termes when we resolve our own perswasions that is for a resolution of all doubts or demands concerning the subject whereof we treat A Roman Catholicks faith must according to his Principles finally be resolved into the Churches infallibility For this is the immediate ground or first cause of any particular or determinate point of Christian faith and the immediate cause is alwayes that into which our perswasions concerning the effect is finally resolved seeing it onely can fully satisfie all demands doubts or questions concerning it As for example if you ask why men or other terrestrial Creatures breath when fishes do not to say they have lungs and fishes none doth not fully satisfie all demands or doubts concerning this Subject For it may justly further be demanded what necessity there was the one should have lungs rather then the other If here it be answered that men and other perfect terrestrial creatures are so full of fervent blood that without a cooler their own heat would quickly choak them and in this regard the God of nature who did not make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or give them life in vain to be presently extinct did with it give them lungs by whose respiration their naturall temper should be continued This answer doth fully satisfie all demands concerning the former effect For no man of sense would further question why life should be preserved whose preservation immediately depends upon respiration or exercise of the lungs and is therefore the immediate cause of both and that whereunto all our perswasions concerning the former subject are lastly resolved Or if it should be demanded why onely man of all other creatures hath power to laugh to say he were indued with reason doth not resolve us for a Philosophical wit would further question Why should reasonable substances have this foolish faculty rather then others A good Philosopher would perswade us the spirits which serve for instruments to the rational part are more nimble and subtle and so more apt to produce this motion then the spirits of any other creatures are But this I must professe resolves not me for how nimble or subtle soever they be unlesse man had other corporeal Organs for this motion the spirits alone could not produce it and all organical parts are framed for the operation or exercise of the faculty as their proper end Whence he that would finally resolve the former Problem must assigne the true final cause why reasonable substances more then others should stand in need of this motion Now seeing unto reason onely it is proper to forecast danger and procure sorrow and contristation of heart by preconceit of what yet is not but perhaps may be it was requisite that our mortality through reason obnoxious to this inconvenience should be able to correct this contristant motion by the contrary and have a faculty to conceive such pleasant objects as might dilate the heart and spirits that as man hurts his body by conceited sorrow whereto no other Creature is subject so he might heal it again by a kind of pleasance whereof he alone is capable 3 Answerable to this latter acception of final resolution if you demand a Roman Catholick why he believes there is a Trinity there shall be a resurrection or life everlasting his answer would be because God or the First Verity hath said so but this doth not fully satisfie for we might further question him as he doth us why do you believe that God did say so Here it sufficeth not to say This truth is expresly taught in Canonical Scriptures for the doubt whereby he hopes to stagger us most is this Why do you believe
senselesse blind Belief But grant his body and bloud were in the Sacrament rightly administred yet that out of the Sacrament either should be in the consecrated Hoast whilest carried from Town to Town for solemn shew more then for Sacramental use is to reason ruled by Scripture to say no worse more improbable Now to worship that as God which to our unerring senses is a Creature upon such blind supposals that Christs body by one miracle may be there by another unseen is worse then Idolatry committed upon delusion of sense So to adore a wafer only a wafer in all appearance without strict examination nay without infallible evidence of Scriptures urged for the real presence is more abominable then to worship every appearance of an Angel of light without trial what spirit it were Satan or some other that so appeared And if we consider the old Serpents usual slight to insinuate himself into every place wherein inveterate custom or corrupt affection may suggest some likelihood of a divine presence unto dreaming fancies as he did delude the old World in Oracles and Idols the probability is far greater his invisible substance by nature not incompatible with any corporeal quantity should be annexed to the supposed Hoast then Christs real body uncapable for any thing we know of joynt exisrence in the same place with any other howsoever most disproportionable to such base effects as must proceed from the substance contained under the visible shape of bread such as no accident could either breed or support 6 This is a point as is elsewhere observed wherein Satan seemeth to triumph over the modern Papists more then over all the Heathens of the old World whose senses only he deluded or bewitched their reason but quite inverts all use of these mens sense faith and reason making them believe Christs body to be present in the Sacrament after a supposed miraculous manner quite contrary to the known nature of bodies and yet more preposterously contrary to the very end and essence of miracles For what miracles were ever wrought to other purpose then to convince the imperfect collections of human reason by evidence of sense God using this inferior or brutish part thus astonished by his presence to confute the curious folly of the superiour or divine faculty of the soul as he did sometimes the dumb Asse to rebuke the iniquity of the Prophet her Master But so preposterously doth Satan ride the modern Papist that he is brought to believe a multitude of miracles against the evidence of sense or reason contrary to the rule of faith all offered up in sacrifice unto the Prince of darknesse that he having put out the eyes of sense reason and spirit at once may ever after lead them what way he list And as unhappy wags or lewd companions may perswade blind men to beg an Alms as if some great personage did when as a troop of more needy beggers then themselves passe by so is it much to be dreaded lest the Devil perswade the blinded besotted Papist that Christ is present where he himself lies hid that he may with heart and soul offer up those prayers and duties unto him which belong properly unto God and worship in such manner before the Boxes whereinto he hath secretly convaid himself as the Israelites did before the ark of the Covenant 7 Vasquez thinks we may without offence adore that Body wherein the Devil lurks so we direct not our worship unto him but to the inanimate Creature as representing the Creator Suppose this might be granted upon some rare accident or extraordinary manifestation of Gods power in some particular place in case men were ignorant or had no just presumptions of any malignant spirits presence therein Yet were it damnable Idolatry daily to practice the like especially where great probabilitie were of diabolical imposture which the solemn worship of any Creature without expresse warrant of Scripture wil invite Yet sense doth witnesse that Christ is not no Scripture doth warrant us that he or any other living Creature unlesse perhaps worms or such as spring of putrifaction is present in their processions Notwithstanding all the expresse Commandments of God brought by us against their practise the Trent Councel accurseth all that deny Christs real presence in procession or condemn the proposal of that consecrated substance to be publikely adored as God not so much as intimating any tolerable exposition of that Commandment which forbids us to have any Gods but one 8 〈◊〉 To omit many more another instance sutable to the former and our present purpose we have in the decree of communicating under one kind Our Saviour at his institution of this Sacrament gave the cup as wel as the bread and with the cup alone this expresse injunction Bibite ex hoc omnes Drink all of this albeit none of his Disciples were Conficients or such as did consecrate Saint Paul recites the same Institution in like words and continued the practise in such Churches as he planted The Trent Councel acknowledgeth that the use of the Cup was not infrequent or unusuall in the Primitive Church indeed altogether usuall and the want of it for many hundred yeers after Christ unknown The onely instance that can from Antiquitie be pretended to prove it lawfull and which in all likeli-hood did partly occasion it argues the Ancients use of it in solemne Assemblies to have been held as necessary For even in cases of greatest necessity when the Cup could not be carried to parties sick or otherwise detained from publick Communions they had the consecrated Bread dipped in it And Gregorie of Towres relates the poysoning of King Clouis his Sister Queen to Theodorick by her own daughter in the Chalice so as he intimates withall the ordinary use of the Cup at that time as well amongst French Catholicks as Italian Arrians Onely this was the difference The Arrians did not as the Catholicks drink of the same Cup with their Princes 9 It may be fear conceived upon this or like example lest the Priests should in a more proper sence prove Conficients not of Christs but of Lay Princes Bodies made them afterwards more willing to forbear the Cup and the people either in manners would not or otherwise could not be advanced above them at this Heavenly banquet Turonensis reason against these Hereticks I think did hold no longer then his life few Princes afterwards durst have adventured to trie the truth of his conclusion Whether poison drunk in the Sacrament administred by the supposed true Church would have wrought For unlesse my memorie fail me Ecclesiastick Princes Popes themselves have been as surely poisoned in Catholick Chalices as the forementioned Queen was in the Arrian Cup. 10 But what occasions soever either moved the Laity of themselves to imbrace or the Clergie to enjoyn this Communion under one kind the Trent Councel specifies none and yet accurseth all that will not believe the Church had just
causes so to do Without any sure warrant of Scripture to perswade it they bind all likewise to believe this Bare Negative That neither our Saviours Words at his institution of the Sacrament nor any other place of Scripture enjoyn the use of the Cup as necessary by way of precept or commandment Nor doth Christs words in the sixth of John howsoever we understand them according to the diverse interpretations of Fathers either of Sacramental or Spiritual eating enforce any such necessity Will you hear their reasons for this bold Assertion He that said Unlesse ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drick his blood you have no life in you said also If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever And he that said Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life said also The bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the World He that said Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwels in me and I in him hath said withall He that eateth this bread shall live for ever 11 Gods Precepts must be very peremptory and conceived in formall termes ere any sufficient authoritie to enjoyn obedience in what subject soever will be acknowledged in them by these men that dare thus deny a necessity of communicating Christ in both kinds imposed upon all in these words Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you onely because it is said in the words going before If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever Of how much beter insight in Scriptures then these grand Seers of Rome would blind Homer had he lived in their time have proved For he never denied his fained Gods their Nectar because Ambrosia was an immortall meat And would he or any man not more blind in heart and mind then he was of bodily sense collect against Christs expresse words that his blood the true Heavenly Nectar was not necessary because his flesh doth strengthen to eternall life especially if he considered their captious interpellation against whom in that place he disputes which caused him not to expresse his mind so fully there as elsewhere he had done albeit afterwards he ingeminates the necessary of drinking his blood as well as eating his flesh in such precise and formall termes as if he had even then bethought himself that such Antichristian Spirits as these Trent Fathers might happily dare to elude his most sacred Precept by such Satanical glosses as in that Decree they have done 12 He had told the Jews as much as was pertinent to their Objection that he was the living bread which came down from Heaven much better then Minna which their Fathers had eaten Bread he called himself in opposition unto Manna not restraining this to his body or flesh onely albeit what he meant by bread he expounds partly by his flesh And the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the World Besides that bread in the Hebrew Dialect contains all sorts of food the manner of giving this Ambrosia was such as did affoord Heavenly visible Nectar too For whilest he gave his flesh upon the Crosse he poured out his blood withall But the Jews catch at this speech ere he had expounded his full meaning How can this man give us flesh to eat Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Which words considered with the former circumstances to any mans capacity not infatuate import thus much Do ye murmur that I should profer you my flesh Verily I say unto you and ye may believe me Unlesse ye drink my blood as well as eat my flesh ye have no life in you For so he addes my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed that is both are as necessarie to eternal as meat and drink to corporal life 13 For these and many like reasons necessarily arising from the text some as well of their greatest Scholers as best interpreters denie the former places to be meant of Sacramental eating otherwise unable to conceive any possibilitie either of avoiding the inconveniences urged by us or of defending their infallible Church from errour in this Decree Yet saith the Councel howsoever they be understood according to the diverse interpretations of Fathers they infer no such necessity No not if most Fathers as Maldonate contends did hold them to be directly meant of Sacramental eating Why then did Jansenius and Hesselius renounce the Fathers in this surely to defend their Mother whose credit they have much better saved upon supposition that these words are meant onely of spiritual manducation then Maldonate otherwise acute but most perversely sottish in his Apologie for this Decree hath done And yet to speak the truth the same inconvenience will follow as necessarily though not so perspicuously at first sight albeit we grant them to be meant of spiritual Eating primarily For in that they are meant primarily of spiritual they cannot but be meant of Sacramental Eating also seeing these two as elsewhere I have observed are not opposite but subordinate Whence if we grant that Christs Blood as well as his Flesh must be communicated to us by Faith or spirituall manducation the Consequence will be Therefore the Cup as well as the Bread must be administred in the Sacrament because Christ saith in the institution that the Cup is his Blood and the bread his Bodie or flesh that is the one is the sure pledge or instrument whereby his flesh the other whereby his blood which we must spiritually eat as well in the Sacrament as out of it must be communicated unto us For as the Ancient Fathers have observed our Saviour Christ did in his Institution exhibit that unto us sensibly which before he had promised as invisible so that the precept of eating Christs bodie and drinking his blood sacramentally doth bind all capable of this Sacrament as strictly as that other of eating his bodie and drinking his blood Spiritually seeing this latter is the seal and assurance of the other And as our Adversaries acknowledge an absolute necessitie of Precept for eating Christ Sacramentally and Spiritually though that Precept concern not Infants so in all reason they should grant an equall necessity of Precept for eating his flesh and blood distinctly in the Sacrament though this be not necessary to all men at all times if without negligence or contempt they cannot be partakers of both For impossibilitie upon what occasion soever not caused through their own default exempts them from that generall Precept of eating Christ under both kinds as want of yeers or discretion doth children from any injunction divine or humane of communicating so much as in one kind For notwithstanding the
hath been the Original I am perswaded as well of the Papists error in demanding absolute obedience without all condition or limitation as of many Protestants granting lesse then is due to Pastors that is obedience onely upon this condition If they shew expresse warrant of Scriptures for the particulars enjoyned Nor is the condition between the Pastor and his flock like unto that between man and man in legal contracts or in controversies of debt wherein all are equal and nothing due unto the plantiffe before the performance of the condition be proved but such as is between a private man and a Magistrate both subordinate in their several places to one Soveraigne unto whom onely absolute and complete obedience is due though unto his Officers some obedience is absolutely due at the least to be dicto audiens to hear him with patience reverence and attention not to contradict or neglect his commands but upon such evident reasons as the inferiour party dare adventure to trie the cause instantly with him before the supreme Judge The acts of obedience which are absolutely due from the flock to spiritual Magistrates or Christs Messengers and precedent to the condition interposed or inserted are the unpartial examinations of their own hearts and consciences the full renouncing of all worldly desires earthly pleasure carnal lusts or concupiscences because these unrenounced have a command over our souls and detain them from performing service best acceptable unto God or yeelding that sincere obedience which is absolutely due unto his sacred Word For this end and purpose the flock stand absolutely bound to enter into their own hearts and souls to make diligent search and strict enquiry what rebellious affection or unruly desire is harboured there as often as their overseers shall in Christs Name charge them so to do otherwise their neglect or contempt will be in that dreadfull day a witnesse of their rebellion in this life a bar to keep sin in and shut grace out 13 But if any man out of the sincerity of a good conscience and stedfast resolution of a faithfull heart which hath habitually renounced the world flesh and Devil that it may be alwayes ready to serve Christ shall refuse his Pastors commandment though threatning hell pains to his disobedience in some particulars he doth yet better observe the former precept by this his deniall then others do by performance of absolute blind obedience without strict unpartial examination of their consciences for he doth herein obey God whom to obey with heart and mind thus freed from the dominion of Sathan and the World is the very end and scope the finall service whereunto all performance of obedience unto spiritual Governours is but as a trayning of Christs faithfull Souldiers And in these acts of obedience is that saying of our Saviour most generally and absolutely true He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me That precept of denying our selves and renouncing all is the foundation of all the rest concerning obedience without performance of this neither can our undertaking any other acts be sincere nor our refusall lawfully admonished safe our best obedience not hereon grounded is Non-christian our disobedien e Unchristian and rebellious For which cause we are absolutely bound unto habitual performance of this ere we can be admitted as lawfull auditors of Christs other precepts All other our resolutions or deliberate intendments whether for performance of any action commended for good and honest or for maintaining any Doctrine proposed by lawfull Pastors for true and Orthodoxal must be limited by their proportion or disproportion to the end of obedience enjoyned unto spiritual Commanders which as we said before was to obey God in all Those acts then must be undertaken which upon examination appear not prejudicial to that oath of absolute obedience which we have taken unto our supreme Lord these omitted which out of this generall resolution of renouncing all and denying our selves and this unpartial examination of our souls in particular doubts may seem to derogate from that absolute Loyaltie which we owe to Christ No Minister may expect obedience but upon these conditions and he that sincerely obeyeth in the forementioned fundamental act of renouncing all and denying himself and yet disobeys in other particulars upon such grounds and motives as we have said doth perfectly fulfill that precept if any such there were obey your spiritual Overseers in all things 14 Be our bond of duty to such Governours whether by ordinary subjection to their calling or voluntary submission of our judgements to their personal worth never so great yet seeing they command onely in Christs Name and for the advancement of his kingdom to imagine spiritual obedience should be due to such injunctions as upon sober and deliberate examination seem to crosse the end they propose would argue such spirituall madnesse as if a man should adventure to kill by all probability of present occurrence his father or mother because he had formerly vowed without consideration of any homicide much lesse parricide thence likely to follow to kill the first live creature he met In such a case as Philo acutely observes a man should not forswear himself or break his vow yet overthrow the very end and use of all vowes which were instituted as bridles to make us refram all occasions or provocations to evil not as halters to lead or draw us to such unnatural villanies 15 These rules hitherto mentioned rightly observed there is no greater diffculty in restraining universal precepts of obedience to the Church then in limitting general commandements of Kings to their Deputies or Vice-gerents Now if a King should charge his Subjects to obey his Lieutenant in all that he should command any reasonable man would take the meaning to be this That he should be obeyed in all things that belong unto the Kings service because this is the end of his appointment and the proper subject of this precept No man in this case would be so mad as to take the Princes word for his warrant if by his Lieutenant he should be put upon some service which were more then suspitious to be traiterous or apparently tending to the Kings destruction If a Jesuite should see the Popes Agent or Nuncio whom he were bound to obey by the Popes injunction delivered in most ample termes tampering with the Popes open enemies either consorting with us in our Liturgie or communicating with us in our Sacraments receiving pension from forrainers or secretly conferring with such of their Counsellors as had more wit then himself could he dispence with his oath of absolute allegeance to the Pope upon these or like evasions This is suspitious indeed but how shall I know whether the Popes Agent in doing this do disobey his Holinesse If he say no must I not believe him must I not obey him and do as he doth whom the Pope commands me to obey in all things The Jesuites are not so simple in the
Popes cause as they would make all other in Gods they could tell how to limit such commands though delivered in most universal and ample termes This is the matter then which so vexeth their devout hearts and sets them besides themselves with furious zeal in this argument that any Christian should be as wary and circumspect lest he should prove disloyall unto the Creator and Redeemer of mankind as they are lest they should disobey the advancer and supporter of their Order 16 But to come nearer the point and instance in some Precepts of obedience delivered in most general forme Might the literal or Logick note of Universalitie carry away such absolute soveraignty as they contend for far greater reason there is why every father or master should be an absolute Pope over his own familie then why the Pope of Rome should be a father of all Christian Congregations an absolute Judge of Scripture or master over mens faith Saint Paul Col. 2. 20. Commands children to obey their fathers in All things for that is well-pleasing unto the Lord which is as much as if he had said in obeying them you obey the Lord. Again he commands servants to be obedient unto them that are their masters according to the flesh in All things not with eye-service as men pleasers but with singlenesse of heart fearing God Both these precepts are conceived in termes as general as any precept for obedience to spiritual Governours In the Precept concerning wives obedience to their husbands the note of universalitie is omitted for he saith Wives sabmit your selves unto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord not in all things Had the Apostle made any mention of obedience unto spirituall Governours or were there any hope to comprehend Pastors under the name of fathers or masters it would quickly be inferred the note of universality was purposely added by our Apostle in these later precepts that men might know absolute obedience without limitation or examination was due unto the Pope 17 But the Holy men of God whose mouthes alwayes spake out of the abundance of their hearts as the spirit gave them utterance and were not curious to cast their words in such exact scholastick moulds as men addicted to artificial meditations having their brains more exercised then their hearts in Gods word usually do even where they seem to speak most Universally for the Form are to be Universally understood only in that subject or matter which for the present they mind most As when our Apostle commands servants and children to obey the one their masters the other their parents in all things the meaning is as if he had said ye that are christian servants be ye most willing to yield all obedience that is due unto masters ye that are christian children to yield all obedience unto your parents which is convenient for any children to yield to theirs So that the universal note doth rather injoyn a totality of heartinesse and cheerfulnesse a perfection of sincerity in performing that obedience which other children ought to their fathers or servants to their masters then any way extend the object of christian childrens or servants obedience to more particulars then others were bound unto at the least he doth not extend the object of their obedience to any particulars which might prejudice the sincerity of their obedience due unto other commanders whilest he enjoyneth servants to obey their masters in all things he reserves their allegiance intire unto Princes and higher powers Such must be obeyed both by masters and servants by fathers and sons Much more doth God when he injoyns obedience in most ample form unto Kings or spiritual governours reserve obedience due to himself most intire and absolute 18 Yet intire and absolute it cannot be unless it depend immediately and absolutely upon his laws unless it be exempt from the uncontrollable disposal or infallible direction of other authorities Nor can Christ be said our supream Lord unless our obedience to him and those laws which he hath left us do limit and restrain all other obedience due unto any authority derived from him and his laws more then a Prince could be said to be that servants supream Lord or Soveraign which were bound absolutely to obey his Master in all points without examination whether his designments were hot contrary to the publick laws and statutes of his Prince and Country Wherefore as the oath of Allegeance unto Princes doth restrain the former precepts Servants obey your Masters in All things that is in all things that are not repugnant to publick laws nor prejudicial to the Crown and dignity of your Soveraign so must that solemn vow of fidelity made unto Christ in Baptism and our dayly acknowledgement of him for our Soveraign Lord restrain all precepts injoyning performance of obedience to any power on earth and set these immoveable bounds and limits to them Obey thy King and Governour in All things that is in All things that are not repugnant to the laws and ordinances of the Great King thy supream Lord and Governour Whilest thou obeyest him thou doest wel in disobeying them as wel as that servant that takes Arms against his Master in the Kings desence whilest thou disobeyest him all other obedience is rebellion Ye are bought with a price saith our Apostle be not ye the servants of men Service according to the flesh he else-where approves he strictly injoyns for that is freedom in respect of this servitude of mind and conscience in being wholly at any other mans disposition 19 Nor is it more difficult for Christs servants to discern when governours solicit them to disloyalty against him then for servants according to the flesh to know when their masters seduce them unto rebellion so Christian men would fear God as much as natural men do earthly Princes Such as fear God are sure of a better expositor of his laws for fundamental points then servants can have for their Princes The transgression of both are easie to discern in the beginning of revolts or Apostasies but the later more difficult when traitors or usurpers are grown strong and can pretend fair titles unto soveraignties or coin false pedegrees yet it is not impossible for sober and observant spirits in such a case to foresee what party to follow unto such the Signs of the time and carriage of the several causes will bewray who have the true title But this difficulty is in none in our spiritual obedience challenged by the Church of Rome for that Church in words confesseth Christ to be the true King and supream Lord no usurper which is as much as to say the Pope is an usurper and a rebel that dares in deeds and substance challenge the soveraignty from him as you heard in the former dispute by making claim to this unlimited unreserved obedience Upon what grounds especially we are now to examin by these rules hitherto discussed CAP. XII The authority of the Sanhedrim not so
you cannot that God can and what if he should expresly grant such authority as the Pope now challengeth would your arguments conclude him to be Antichrist or the Doctrine we teach to be blasphemous On the contrary seeing our Saviour Christ did never either practise or challenge seeing neither Moses nor the Prophets did ever so much as once intimate such absolute power should be acknowledged in that great Prophet of whom they wrote we suppose the imagination of the like in whomsoever cannot be without real blasphemie Yet suppose Christs infallibilitie and the Popes were in respect of the Church Militant the same The Popes authority would be greater or were their authority but equall his priviledges with God would be much more magnificent then Christs That which most condemned the Jews of infidelity in not acknowledging Christ as sent with power full and absolute from God his Father were his mighty signes and wonders his admirable skill in Gods Word already established but chiefly his sacred life and conversation as it were exhibiting unto the World a visible patern or conspicuous modell of that incomprehensible goodnesse which is infallible Now if we compare Christ his power fulnesse in words and wâ—… with the Popes imperfections in both or his divine vertues with the others 〈◊〉 strous viâ—es to equalize their infallibilities were to imagine God to be like man and Christ at the best but as his faithfull servant the Pope his â—inâ—on his Darling or Son of his age For such is our partiality to our own flesh that oft-times though the Wise man advise to the contrary a lewd and naughty son in that he is a son hath greater grace and priviledges then the most faithfull servant in the Fathers house So would the Jesuites make God dote upon the Pope whose authority be his life never so ungracious if they should deny to be lesse then Christs in respect of us their practises enjoyned ex Cathedra would confute them For much sooner shall any Christian though otherwise of life unspotted be cut off from the Congregation of the faithfull for denying the Popes authority or distrusting his decrees then the Jews that saw Christs miracles for contradicting him in the dayes of his flesh or oppugning his Apostles after his glorification Nor boots it ought to say They make the Popes authority lesse then Christs in respect they derive it from his rather because they evidently make it greater then Christs was it cannot be truly thence derived or if it could this onely proves it to be lesse then the other whilest onely compared with it not whilest we consider Both in respect of us for Christs authority as the Son of Man in respect of us is equall to his Fathers whence it is derived For the Father judgeth no man but hath ommitted all judgement unto the Son 2 But wherein do they make the Popes authority greater then Christs First in not exempting it from trial by Christs and his Apostles doctrine neither of which were to be admitted without all examination of their truth for as you heard before Gods Word was first uttered in their audience established by evident signes and wonders in their sight and presence of whom Belief and Obedience unto particulars was exacted And it is a rule most evident and unquestionable that Gods Word once confirmed and sealed by Experience was the onely rule whereby all other spirits and doctrines were to be examined that not Prophetical visions were to be admitted into the Canon of Faith but upon their apparent consonancie with the Word already written The first Prophets were to be tried by Moses the latter by Moses and their Predecessors Christs and his Apostles by Moses and all the Prophets for unto him did all the Prophets â—… The manifest experiments of his life and doctrine so fully consonant to their predictions did much confirm even his Disciples Belief unto the former Canon of whose truth they never conceived positive doubt 3 Again there had been no Prophet no signes no wonders for a long time in Iudah before our Saviours birth yet he never made that use either of his miracles or more then Prophetical spirit which the Papists make of their imaginary publick spirit he never used this or like argument to make the people relie upon him How know ye the Scriptures are Gods Word How know ye that God spake with Moses in the wildernesse or with your Fathers in Mount Sinai Moses your Fathers and the Prophets are dead and their writings cannot speak Your present Teachers the Scribes and Pharisees do no wonders Must you not then believe him whom daily you may behold doing such mighty works as Moses is said to have done that Moses as your fathers have told you was sent from God that Gods Word is contained in his writings otherwise you cannot infallibly believe that there was such a man indeed as you conceive he was much lesse that he wrote you this Law least of all can you certainly know the true meaning of what he wrote He that is the onely sure foundation of faith knew that faith grounded upon such doubts was but built upon the sand unable to abide the blasts of ordinary temptations that thus to erect their hopes was but to prepare a Rise to a grievous Downfall the ready way to Atheisme presumption or despair For this cause he doth not so much as once question how they knew the Scriptures to be Gods Word but supposing them known and fully acknowledged for such he exhorts his hearers to search them seeking to prepare their hearts by signes and wonders to embrace his admirable expositions of them And because the corruption of particular moral doctrines brought into the Church by humane tradition would not suffer the generality of Moses and the Prophets already believed to fructifie in his hearers hearts and branch out uniformely into lively working faith he laboured most to weed out Pharisaisme from among the heavenly seed as every one may see that compares his Sermon upon the Mount with the Pharisees glosses upon Moses If the particular or principal parts of the Law and Prophets had been as purely taught or as clearly discerned as the generall and common principles His Doctrine that came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law in words and works had shined as brightly in his hearers hearts at the first proposal as the Sun did to their eyes at the first rising For all the moral duties required by them were but as dispersed rayes or scattered beams of that divine light and glory which was incorporate in him as splendor in the body of the Sun Nor was there any possibility the Jews Belief in him should prosper unlesse it grew out of their general assent unto Moses Doctrine thus pruned and purged at the very root Had all believed Moses saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how soâ—â—l ye believe my words For
which cause they were in conscience bound to examine his doctrine by Moses and the Prophets otherwise they might have believed the saving truth but falsly and upon deceitfull grounds The stronger or more absolute credence they had given unto his words or works without such examination the more they had ensnared their souls and set their consciences upon the Rack by admitting a possibility of contradiction betwixt two doctrines both firmly believed without any evidence of their consonancy or Both conspiring to the same end The speedier and higher this edification in Christ had been the sooner it might have ruinated that foundation which God by Moses and the Prophets had reared in Israel unlesse this new work had been orderly squared well proportioned closely layed and strongly cemented unto the former In secular schooles he is held an unwise answerer that will admit Socraticall Interrogations for albeit there appear no difficulty in any one proposed apart yet in the processe a respondent may be easily brought to grant Conclusions from which he knows not what Consequences may be drawn because their Consonancie with the Problem whose defence he undertakes is not so evident nor immediate as upon a sodain may be fully examined And not examining the consonancie of every other proposition with the principles of that faculty whereto the Problem belongs the best answerer living may be made either grant what he should not or deny what should be granted Now Christs doctrine was to Mosaical and Prophetical as the Conclusion to the Promises or as the Corollary of greatest use unto the Speculative Theorem Suppose then a Jew well skilled in Moses and the Prophets should instantly upon the first hearing of our Saviours Sermons or sight of his miracles have admitted him for such an infallible teacher upon termes as absolute and irrevocable as the Jesuite would have the Pope acknowledged by all Christians a good disputant might easily have staggered him by these or 〈◊〉 Socratical demands Do you steafastly believe Moses writings for Gods word Gâ—â— forbid I should doubt of this Do ye believe this new doctrine confirmed by miracles as firmly What if I do Do you know as certainly whether both agree as well as one part of Moses writings with another What if I do not Untill you be fully resolved in this your belief in both cannot be sound for in case they should disagree the one must needs be false and if choice were given you whether in sooth would you disclaim Here a wise man that as the wise King speaks had eyes in his head and would not be led by a blind faith would have paused a while and thought with himself This is a point that should be looked to for if these new doctrines should prove incompatible as for any just examination hitherto made they may I cannot see whâ—ther deserves more credence Whiles I consider Moses writings and call to mind those mighty wonders our fathers told us with like continuall experiments of their divine truth nothing can seem more certain then they again whiles I behold these new miracles me thinks his authority that works them should be as great as Moses was yet if they should happen to disagree the one must be better believed then the other or else for ought I see there can be no certainty of either for if this mans possibly may be why might not Moses doctrine likewise be false or if our fathers were deceived by his signes and wonders why may not we be so served by this mans miracles But if upon just triall they shall be found fully to agree in every point as I trust they do then doubtlesse both are from God and I shall stedfastly believe this new doctrine to be divine if such as Moses had foretold and withall more evidently acknowledge then before I could that Moses spake by the Spirit of the all-seeing everliving God if this Jesus of Nazareth be in all points like to him and so qualified as he foretold the great Prophet should be But in the interim till the triali â—e made it is best to lay sure hold on Moses and the Prophets For prior tempore potior jure their writings doubtlesse were from God because hitherto they could not be destroyed time and they shall trie whether Jesus and his doctrine be so or no whether he be that great Prophet that should come or we are yet to look for some other 4 Thus when John Baptist sent his Disciples to our Saviour with this very question Art thou he that should come or shall we look for another The answer he returned again whether for confirmation of Iohns own faith or as the most interpreters think of his Disciples was this and no more Go and shew Iohn what things ye have seen and heard that the blind see the halt go the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead rise again and the Gospel is preached to the poor and blessed is he that shall not be offended in me These or other of their fellow Disciples had enformed their Master Iohn before of Christs healing the Centurions servant by his word or command though absent of his raising the widows son from death to life of the rumours spread abroad of him thorowout all Judea and the regions round about and upon this report as Saint Luke tells us did John make the former solemne demand But some will yet demand how could he or his Disciples be confirmed by the answer given them wherein is little more then formerly both had heard for the raising up of the widowes son which especially occasioned their coming was the greatest of all in this Catalogue and yet as great as this some of the ancient Prophets had done how could it then prove him to be the Messias Had he told them as much in plain termes they might have beleeved him because this great work did witnesse him to be a Prophet and therefore one that could not lie But by this answer how could they gather more then the people upon the astonishment of that accident had said for when the dead man sate up and spake fear saith the Evangelist came on them all and they glorified God saying A great Prophet is raised up among us and God hath visited his people Luke 7. 16. 5 Yet this objection at least the solution confirms the truth of my former assertion that by his miracles alone considered they were not bound absolutely to believe he was the Messias but by comparing them with other circumstances or presupposed truths especially the Scriptures received and approved prophesies of the Messias though no one for the greatnesse of power manifested in it could of it self yet the frequencie of them at that time and the condition of the parties on whom they were wrought might absolutely confirme John and his Disciples because such they were in these and every respect as the Evangelical Prophet had foretold Messias should work for this reason our Saviour delivers his