popular reasons such as are similitudes and arguments of this kind Those which are found in Scripture are not of this rank for the authority thereof makes them become demonstrations and undoubted proofs But all others have no other vertue thē to clear being besides uncapable to prove notwithstanding the vulgar will sooner believe for one bare comparison which maketh no proof then for a reason well concluding This is it that similitudes particular examples and the like arguments have an appearance manifest to the sense and therefore move beyond essentiall reasons which are not perceiveable but by the understanding Notwithstanding this faith is not more solid The man which conceives a point under the sole resemblance of truth and not in the proper essence thereof understandeth it not as he ought This is to have a true opinion but not a true knowledge And more deceive themselves by this meanes presuming they have the knowledge of a point instead whereof they have but the opinion It sufficeth not to say their opinion is conformable to the truth For truth is not known by opinion Whosoever desires the knowledge thereof ought to endeavour the understanding rather of one concluding and formall reason then ten thousand Arguments which have but a bare resemblance of truth CHAP. VIII Of whose who perswade themselves of the truth by false reasons Of those which falsely accuse themselves IT comes to passe that many believe a truth which is grounded on Scripture but conceive it under a false reason He believes the truth which holds we are justified by faith and not by works But if he believe that faith hath a prerogative because it is more excellent then works this reason is false For though faith be more excellent then works the excellency thereof is not the true cause why it justifies rather then works All the vulgar spirits know how to maintain a truth in expresse tearmes of Scripture But in that which the Scripture saith they often imagine a reason either false or impertinent So the friends of Job did maintaine Gods cause his power prudence wisdome and justice but by false presupposition And scarcely could one have said that they err'd if God himselfe had not interposed his judgement in the dispute So some to exalt the grace of God towards them accuse themselves to be the greatest sinners in the world imitating the Apostle S. Paul who speaketh of himself in this manner although that Judas and those that had crucified the Prince of glory were without doubt more guilty Now Saint Paul ranketh not himself simply amongst the greatest sinners but amongst them which had not sinn'd but through ignorance 'T is true that Originall sin is equall naturally in all men and 't is the grace of God which restrains many therein But that to amplifie this grace a man should accuse himself of actuall sinnes which he never committed this is a foolish sort of falshood The water of sprinkling which purified the unclean did defile those which were clean If we would exalt the mercy of God we have enow true arguments without searching imaginary for it If we would justify his severity we find enow true crimes in our life without imposing false ones upon us Whosoever will speak of God ought to speak according unto God that is to say according to the truth otherwise it is to speak against God To maintain truth with false reasons is to imitate the proceeding of Rebecca who to the end the Oracle might be found true had recourse to an abusive means using a fraudulent superstition There is nothing wherein one ought to be so circumspect as in speaking for the truth He that undertakes to maintain it is subject to a grievous censure if he acquits not himself thereof pertinently CHAP. IX Of points whereof one ought to know the causes Many matters of Religion are ridiculous without their causes The understanding whereof decides many questions From whence come the greatest part of errours THe matters of Religion are known principally either by their causes or by their effects The Deity as being the highest cause of all is not demonstrable but by its effects Whose decrees ought also to be sought rather in their effects then in their causes But the other points which are subordinate are represented to us with their causes which teach us the true reasons of every one of them And in this the learned differ from the common people For the vulgar sees not the quality or truth of a point but in the effects and streames But to comprehend it well it behoves to see it in the spring Many matters of Religion are ridiculous without their causes All the ceremoniall law if one knows not the reasons thereof is nothing but a heap of unprofitable burdens The Temple but a shambles and the priesthood but a vaine occupation In lieu thereof considering them in their causes every thing there is important even to the least circumstances VVhosoever shall remember that Jesus Christ suffered out of the City of Jerusalem will admire the providence of this Law which ordained that the sacrifices of oblations whereof the blood ought to be carried into the holy place should be consumed out of the compasse of the Camp or of the City We know that our Lord in the dayes of his flesh was environed with sorrow and feare But if we know not the cause thereof we make him inferiour to many martyrs who bare a smiling face amidst their punishments The Jew understands nothing in the Ceremoniall Lawes for although he knowes the number thereof all their particular forms he is ignorant of the cause thereof not knowing that they were given to serve onely till the coming of Christ The true meanes to well understand a point is to learn the causes thereof and the understanding of them is a soveraign eye-salve to cleare ones self of many difficulties Saint Paul sheweth by the finall cause of the Law that it is uncapable to justifie men for saith he the Law came because of transgressions to wit to discover not to cover them And indeed they which think to be justified by the works of the Law know not why it was given The Law was never given to justifie Gal. 3.21 on the contrary its office is to condemne men A great part of errours which wast Religion and likewise of them which trouble it at this day proceeds from this that the cause is taken for the effect or the effect is taken for the cause Instead that the Sabbath is made for man Pharisaisme concluded that man was made for the Sabbath Instead that meats were not unclean but because they were forbidden superstition believed them to be forbidden because they were uncleane Instead than the alter sanctified the offering they would by their Maximes that the offering did sanctifie the alter Instead that the Scripture sanctifieth the Church it is maintained that the Church sanctifieth the Scripture Instead that justification produceth works they hold that works produce justification
ordinary points of particular commerce amongst men and notwithstanding it is as yet undecided For some put no difference betwixt a light interest and that which the Jewes call biting it being interdicted by the Law and others admit it as lawfull in the proportions of equity as the same Law recommends but the difficulty of a solution takes not away the necessity and the impossibility of it in some points takes not away from us the searching after others CHAP 13. Of certain questions which are indifferent in which the one ought the rather to be delivered then the other THere be disputable matters which ar not so indifferent or so well ballāced but that the weight of the one will turne the scales It s a disputable point whether the terrestriall Paradise be as yet subsistent The negative hath more appearance It s a question not necessary whether the Arch of the alliance was burnt when the Babylonians fired the temple the affirmative is the most certain namely we do imploy it to convince of falsenesse the history of the Macchabees which relates that this Arch was sound at the return from the Captivity Behold here one more important to wit whether the spirits and namely the soule of man are purely immateriall essences Certain ancient Theologians followed also by some moderne Divines deny it and give it a substance as that of the aire subtil and imperceptible but notwithstanding in some sort materiall to which it is very hard to subscribe This is the most considerable of all whether the humane soule be immediately produced from God and by him infused into the body or whether it draws its effence from his Progenitors who transmit it to their children by naturall propagation the first of these two opinions is without doubt the more receiveable and the most worthy of a Christian I set aside the disputes touching the salvation of Adam and Solomon in which the most favourable opinion is also most certain CHAP. 14. Indifferent questions sometimes become necessary Many things are held for problematicall which are not so in effect Problematicall points ought not to be believed with the same faith as the articles necessary to salvation IF there be any matters which are of small importance they are these following What age had Terah when Abraham was born unto him Genesis 11.12 how many yeares the Hebrews were in Egypt Exod. 12. Gal. 3.17 How many persons descended thither with Jacob. Gen. 46.27 Acts 7.14 These points and many other which we might quote have some difficulty An ignorant will not trouble himself therewith but an Atheist will find wherewithall to calumniate the whole Bible and the Jews from thence have drawn objections against us crying out the new Testament to be false which they pretended to be contrary to the history of Moses A Christian is obliged to seek instruction as well in these things as also in an infinite of others to the end that Religion be not blasphemed through our ignorance On which occasion you may mark a number of matters which are Problematicall rather in opinion then in effect I believe that many questions which we hold for disputable the solution thereof is contained in the Scripture although we find it not therein Our ignorance is the cause that they remain Problematicall which would not be if the Scripture were perfectly understood certainly there is some which are not therein decided we ought not to beso bold as the Scholasticks who have disputed if the ravishing of S. Paul into the third heaven was in body or in spirit onely They might be assured nor to find the solution thereof But on the other side it 's a great temerity to hold all for undecided in the Scripture because we cannot resolve it In the mean time there is no reason for us to imbrace with an equall stablenesse of belief the points which are as yet Problematicall unto us as those of which we have a full assurance It is most worthy to be believed that the Virgin never had any other children then he for whom all ages call her blessed But this point is not of the same quality as those whose demonstration is cleare undubitable and necessary CHAP. 15. Of those who will know nothing but what is found in the Scripture WIthout derogating from the Scripture the perfect rule of faith as well as of manners we say there is divers matters not contained therein whose ignorance would be shamefull and unfitting to a Christian capable of instruction I speak not here of many natural principles which the Scripture expresseth not as not to know that two contradictions cannot be true or that the whole is greater then a part under colour that the Scriptures speaks not of it should be a criminall brutality The Scripture teaches not naturall Notions but presupposeth them as manifest because it speaks to men not to stones I leave divers histories and prophesies as are the works of Daniel the drying up of the river Euphrates in the Apocalips and a number of others which is impossible to understand without the knowledge of many things which the Scripture teacheth not The Passage of the Israelites through the red sea The darknesse happening at the death of our Lord are acknowledged to be miraculous because they came in a time that they could not be produced by naturall causes which was the reason that the Scripture passeth it under silence All the predictions which have come to passe since the closing of the new Testament show not their accomplishment but in humane histories Nay all these prophesies are finally reduced into histories which are not found in the Scripture But I will onely touch one point or two which consist not but onely in act He who would believe the temple of Jerusalem is as yet standing that the Jews sacrifice therein and that the other legall ceremonies are practised as if their Republick as yet subsisted would be culpable of a very grosse error and notwithstanding the history of the cessation of sacrifices is not to be read in the Scripture it teacheth us that the Leviticall sacrifices were abolished by right but as then in act Neverthelesse this actuall abolition came since so advantageously for the Christians that one cannot be ignorant thereof without manifest carelesnesse Also we do not learn in the Scripture that there be as yet Jews in the world and neverthelesse it would b a blockish stupidity to be ignorant of the subsistance of that nation whose misery verifies the threatnings of our saviour upon them and whose conversion we do as yet expect But above all it would be an ignorance worthy of reproach to put in indifferency how many ages we ought to count since the birth of Christ A man who should not know whether there were more then two hundred yeares since Jesus Christ was borne should be unworthy the name of a Christian although that the supputation be a matter of Chronologie which is not deduced in the Scripture but
And 't is likwise disputed whether faith depend on election or election depend on faith This turning topsie turvy is ordinary amongst the ignorant who believe that the person is acceptable for his works instead that the works are acceptable for the person CHAP. X. Of the ignorance of the vulgar who believe that one ought not to search nor give any other reason of the points of Religion then the will of God IF t were not the will of God that we should know why and how he worketh we could not know how our Lord could be born of a Virgin yet notwithstanding this is one of the prime Articles of our faith He hath not said why instead of causing the Hebrews to passe when they came out of Egypt by the Philistines country which was the straight way to enter into Canaan he led them by a great circuit full of wandrings and inconveniences Nor why having given to Abraham the land of the Amorites his posterity ought not to have possessed it but at the end of 400 yeares Gen. 15. Nor why the bill of divorce was permitted the Jewes Nor why he disapproved Davids designe touching the building of the Temple And a thousand other effects of his providence whereof he would have us know the causes Many think they know enough thereof when they referre all things simply to the will of God which they say sufficeth for all reason and that in every point be it historicall or dogmaticall when one asks why it is so one ought to content himself with saying that God would have it so or hath so ordained This Maxime teacheth ignorance under the shaddow of modesty By this meanes there 's no question but may be avoided in two words and the veriest idiot shall be capable to give a solution thereof 'T is true the will of God is the soveraigne cause of all things and the onely reason of a great part thereof But this answer suffiseth not for all questions nay in many matters it is impertinent When one asketh how Abraham was justified this would be an absurdity to answer that he was justified by the will of God instead of saying it was by faith An absurdity to shew the first cause when the second is demanded An absurdity to produce the will of God when the question is of the formall or instrumentall cause An absurdity to name the Architect instead of the matter This is to annihilate the dispensation which God hath established in his works and to breake downe those steps by which he would have us climb up unto him To think to leape over all at one leape is extreme folly A man that alledgeth nothing but the will of God upon a Subject proposed understands not what this will of God is For to understand it 't is necessary to know wherein it consisteth and how it concerns the matter in question Now the understanding of this point presupposeth the knowledge of second causes by which the will of God worketh He that alleadgeth the second causes and gives reasons thereof alleadgeth the will of God For God hath willed that such things should be so for such reasons and these reasons are one part of his will When the Disciples asked why they could not deliver the man possessed the vulgar answer would import because it pleased not God But our Lord notes their incredulity as a cause of this inability and shewes fasting and prayer as the meanes necessary to the expulsion of the Devill When Saint Paul was buffeted by Sathan he did not simply understand that such was the will of God but that his power was accomplished in weaknesse When we search the causes of our salvation This would be a dangerous proceeding to desire to mount up to Election without passing by the middle meanes The will of God is the first reason but the last answer one ought to give to a question CHAP XI Objections of the vulgar touching the reasons Scripture expresseth not and how we may know them THe Scripture is full of Lawes and mysteries whereof we know not the reasons We read of divers ceremonies divers points of history and doctrine the particular reasons whereof are not yet found out But oft times we abuse our selves by believing that the Scripture discovers not the reason thereof under colour that our ignorance hindreth us from seeing them This is a common objection in the mouth of the vulgar when they heare men reason upon any matter to alleadge that this reason is not at all exprest in Scripture Certainly the Scripture expresseth not why the Law permitted Homicides confin'd within the Cities of Refuge to return to their houses after the death of the high Priest And notwithstanding besides politick reasons which may be given for this Law It is impudence to deny that it meant to represent the efficacy of Christs death But to produce an example more formall to this purpose the reason for which our Lord was put in a new sepulchre wherein never any one was buried is notwithstanding lesse exprest Yet notwithstanding we say that the wisdome of God would prevent the malice of the Jews who not able to deny the truth of his resurrection might have disputed the cause thereof pretending that he had recovered life by touching the bones of some Prophet as he that was raised in the grave of Elisha This reason is not grounded but upon conjecture but of so great appearance that it were a shame to reject it In many things the very effect shews its cause If any man ask why Jesus Christ trusted Judas with the bag whose covetousnes he knew rather then another of his disciples the reason thereof is evident to him that considers that the convenience of this office rendered his treason so much the more inexcusable VVhen the Scripture tells not at all why God permitted sinne why he would harden Pharaoh why he suffers the vessells of wrath the effects which proceed thence shew that sin is the cause thereof CHAP. XII Of the prudence that is requisite in the examination of points where the cause is uncertaine Of a Ly. Whether Satan made Pilates wife speak for the innocence of Jesus Christ IT is true that one ought carefully to take heed of those causes and reasons which are not plain unto us but by a conjecturall appearance for the consequences thereof may be foolish and dangerous Some have thought that Jacob in all the proceedings he made to gaine his fathers blessing was inspired by the spirit of God But the consequence thereof sounds very ill For then it must be that the Holy Ghost had dictated the deceitfull words which came from Jacobs mouth Now God is an enemy of lies He may command to kill but not to pronounce a falshood although a barely be not so bad as manslaughter The reason thereof is that man slaughter may be sometimes an act of Justice but a ly can never be truth And therefore God himself may kill but he can never ly On the