increaseth day by day CHAP. XVI Of those which studie nothing but controversies what sort of controversies may teach us most doctrine What points of doctrine are the most difficult amongst Christians What expedient may weake ones take in the highest questions A rule which is not to be found but in the reformed Religion Of Miracles Of Martyres Concerning the question where was the Church before the Reformation SOme seek no other instruction but that of controversies a studie truly which is necessary for to furnish Antidotes in places or in times infected with heresies But yet it is incapable to give unto the soule a full reflection He should truly be a foole who would take no other nourishment but from the Treacle or the Rubarbe Controversies shewes not the whole body of Religion but the parts thereof which are in dispute And this is but by accident For our faith is affirmative not negative And our knowledge hath for its object the evidence of truths not the disguising of errors Who would come by this way to a more universall knowledge of religion he must study not only all whatsoever wee dispute with the Roman Catholicks but also whatsoever the Christian Church debates against an infinite of Sects who rob her of her title nay more all the differencies which wee have to decide with the Jewes Mahometans Indians and other Pagans and that which is worse with a multitude of Atheists If there be a controversie in which a Christian armed to the proofe against blasphemies may learne rare and excellent things 't is in that which we have with the Jewes I understand for to have an exact knowledge and not to consider only the trunke but also all the branches the juyce and the marrow from the lowest of the rootes to the highest of the leaves To see the depth of this controversie is more painfull then all the others It hath but very few Philosophicall arguments All therein is drawne from the deep fountaines of the ancient testament and you must lift all the curtaines of the Tabernacle and passe through many vailes before that one can see the holiest of holies This was the exercise of the first Christians For their first disputes began by the Jewes and excepting necessity which obligeth us to turn head to other adversaries this controversie would be more fruitfull then any other There are two sorts of matter in which lies the hardest controversies which be amongst Christians and the most difficult to manage 1. Those which touch the decrees of God as the Prevision or Prescience Prudence Predestination Reprobation c. Secondly Those which concernes the qualities of the soule be it in Nature or be it in Grace Free-will certainty of Faith c. The reason why these two points are more difficult then the others is evident in respect of the first Divine decrees are infinitely distant from our sight as being elevated above all times and inclosed in a volume of which we see nothing but a few characters hard to be discerned at so great a distance Many who thinke they read there distinctly draw most dangerous constructions But it is a wonder in the other point that so many difficulties are found seeing that the subject is so neare our eyes nay that it is within our selves Our intellect is in trouble to know whether our intellect and the will are faculties really different Whether granting the judgement of the Intellect the will must necessary follow or if it remaines in Balance and in power to suspend its action If our faith be placed in the Intellect or in our will Our soule so little knowes thereof that she knowes not where to find her selfe being ignorant whether she resides in the blood or in any other particular part of the body or whether she be universally diffused through all the parts thereof The proximitie it selfe of the subject is the cause of this difficulty The soule no more then the eye cannot see it selfe except it be by a very obscure reflection and that false to for the most part which we call indirect knowledge For to disturbe the spirits of the common people ye need but to set them on these two points which many have chosen expresly as being full of Labirinths He who hath not been acquainted with these slights ought to remember that in each controversie truth lodgeth in a center to which ought to bend all matters which are in dispute In these differences which concerne the will of God towards man or the will of man towards God for all the controversies of Election of universall grace of free will of perseverance and such like may have relation to these two things these maximes ought to be the center to wit that the glory of all good belongs to God That whatsoever is ill proceeds from man We must not attribute to God the ill that proceeds from man Nor to man the good which proceeds from God One cannot take from God the smallest part of his glory without ravishing it intirely because that it is indivisible as a point that admits no parting Commutative justice cannot happen to be in God The creature attributing unto God all the good which is in her cannot faile in excesse nor incurre any danger thereby but in attributing some portion thereof to himselfe he may runne some hazard In these principles which are as undoubtable as familiar as they may easily resolve all the subrilties will they or nill they which may be produced on the one side or the other And the weakest Christian taking heed to the lines which end not in this center or fall aside will easily judge that they are irregular This constant and universall rule may be applyed to all fo 〈…〉 â—octrine John 7.18 and I dare say that of all religions which are in the world there is none but the reformed which attributes to God the glory of all good especially in the salvation of man And certainly there is not one of the others but makes profession to attribute to God this glory but examining them nearly you shall not find any but that take away some part to make thereof a present to man what they avow in generall they steale by retaile or deny it by their consequences to hinder God from possessing of it in effect As to the rest the common people ought to distinguish the certaine and the infallible propositions from prejudicate opinions which may be disputable It 's a common opinion that there are no miracles wrought in the world and that there shall be never more This negative is uncertaine and the proofe neither assured or necessary When all the miracles which the Jesuits doe attest to have bin wrought in the midst of the Indies should be true they would not conclude the least of their errors no more then the annuall miracle at the poole of Shiloa gave authority to Pharisaisme Much lesse can they draw any consequence from the martyrdome which some of them have suffered by the hands
that should be scandalous to naturall prudence to the end that their wisdome should not undertake to controule his which neverthelesse happens without thinking thereon to the most religious spirits The ancient Christians in their ordinary prayers demanded of God the retarding of the last day This request was founded upon the comming of Antichrist which they knew ought to preceed that day which would bring with it many calamities which they sought to keep from them by their prasers upon this that the Assembling of the Elect and the calling of so many people would require a long space of time and upon other reasons which was knowne unto them but they tooke not heed that the holy Ghost whose foresight surpasses that of man commanded them to say Come Lord Jesus come For a close we shall marke that in divers matters of religion many submit their beliefe to the testimony of the Scripture because that they find therein some reason or circumstance which seemes to agree with their naturall judgement They perswade themselves of the truth of an history or the equity of a law or the excellencie of a mystery or the importance of a Sacrament or the justice of a rigorous execution for as much as they meet therein a certaine shadow or an appearance conformable to the thoughts which are the most prevalent in their spirits the faith proceeding thereof is vaine as wee shall declare hereafter in its proper place CHAP. VI. Some say Knowledge produceth Atheisme all here saies have not proceeded from learned men The abuses of humane learning in religion THe common people reproches Athiesme to the learned and their scorning of all religion An accusation but too true in respect of many Some doe so inclose themselves within the thoughts of a Science or particular faculty that their spirit cannot admit any principall higher then that of their owne art from whence it comes to passe that they know no other divinity then the matter and the forme or the temperature of the body or the vertue of herbs or the law of nature or nature it selfe Others although most speculative in the higher causes attaine not to the first But certainly we must impute this crime to their ignorance not to their knowledge for to say the truth there was never Atheist but was ignorant never a perfect Philosopher but acknowledged a God the most specious arguments that impiety euer displayed for to sight against this fundamentall point of religion if we look neerly unto it are nothing but popular reasons And it is impossible to an Atheist to sustain his cause without disavowing some principalls of naturall reason If Atheisme were grounded upon knowledge the perswasion would be the stronger in stead that its weaknesse is subject to a thousand doubts which wearies those which are most obstinate As I have seene in a learned man famous in his profession who having called my selfe to comfort him in his sicknesse assured me upon the silence he exacted of me that his health depended upon the resolution of a point which he never could believe and asked the proofe thereof which was if there were a God a question so criminall that cannot proceed but from a spirit full of Egyptian darknesse what learning soever he hath in other matters Againe the vulgar charge the learnâ—d to have been the authors of all the heresies which have troubled the Church complaining that all the errors have had the originall from their subtilties who have seduced the common people and which cannot proceed but from learned men But we find two sorts of heresies Some more artificiall and subtill which cannot proceed but from the invention of learned men of this ranke are those who have fallen upon the attributes and the divine decrees The predestination the Trinity the Union of the two Natures in Christ and such like points The others more grosse and stupid as that of the Anthropomorphites And these proceeds from imaginations of the vulgar In generall Idolatrie hath alwaies began by ideots Nay the greatest part of popery â—he invocation of Saints the adoration of their reliqnes the worship of Images the prayers for the dead have never drawne their originall but from the superstition of the vulgar In heresies the most subtill the learned conduct the multitude but in those whose stuffe is more grosse as in the exterior practice and Ceremonies of religion the people lead the skilfull who carried by a multitude as by a crowd or a torrent suffer themselves to be lead to the very melting of the Calfe of gold Nay what is more shamefull one hath seene learned and able men most grosly deceived by the imposture of idiots not only simple in matter of action but moreover in things purely dogmaticall without speaking of the gravity of Tertullian miserably seduced by the dotages of Montanus nor so many spirits abused by Priscilla and Maximilla pretended prophetesses The learned who have believed something of Purgatory hath been brought to this beliefe by the revelation of silly devotious women by the apparition of soules that good people said they had seen with their eyes by the Enthusiasmes of some melancholy men and by the recite of some Miracles which oft-times were but effects of nature as the nocturnall fires which often appeare in Church-yards The errors of the first sort are knowne for the most part by the names of some chiefe Hereticks which hath produced them Thus the blasphemies of the Sabellians Arrians Euticheans Nestorians are marked with the name of their authors famous for having been Patriarkes of so many severall bands of hereticks but the errors of the second sort have not so certaine a Genealogie it s not so easie to name the inventors of the offerings for the dead of the adorations of Saints or of the service of Images or the noting the time of their originall because these abuses have bin generated from the confused medly of the common people so that the true father of them is unknown But a man may take notice of a familiar abuse in those who make use of humane learning for in many religion takes some taint of their humours so very often they give it the bent or a forme set set out according to the rules of the art which they exercise or of some other Science with which they are indued In the greatest part of the Fathers wee find alwaies either in matter or phrase something which smells of Platonisme a Philosophie which they had dranke in with their studies Afterwards that of Aristotle came into favour the Theologians have imitated his language his countenance and his gate The excesse to which this disguise obtained was never so put off but many indeavoured to set it againe on foot So we have seen many Lawyers and Phisitians who accommodate Theologie to the maximes of their profession not only in the tearmes or in the method as when the one makes it personall reall and active the others Patholotick and Therapentiâ—ke which is not of
convince the Apostolicall writings of falshood and so by consequence to annihilate C ristianity CHAP. 19. Why the opinions the most erronious are maintained with greater obstinacy then those which are lesse absurd The plea of these which burnt their children Pretexts for transubstantiation THe more monstrous is the errour the more pertinacious is the belief when once it hath taken place in the spirit the reason is because the falshoods the most enormous are made important by the highest pretexts of truth and are not authorised but by the most undoubted maximes of religion under the colour of this soveraigne power◠they make men renounce their judgement of reason nay more disavow their own proper sences If ever there were an error incapable it was the impiety of the Israelites who burnt their own children as a sacrifice pleasing to God Neverthelesse neither nature which cried out against those horrors nor the threatnings frō heaven which condemned them could not hinder their practise But it needs must be that some violent passion which brake in sunder the strongest chains of naturall affections was moved with some powerfull engine cloaked over with some very specious pretext Their apology might be that the chiefest good of man consists in the remission of his sinnes that this remission could not be without the effusion of blood That it were a folly to go about to appease God by the blood of beasts and therefore some humane sacrifice must be offered That this sacrifice ought to be innocent and that a greater innocence could not be found then in a little infant That to be of the proper substance of the man which did present it and so it was necessary that his offering should be offered in expiation But if the sacrifice ought to be but Eucharisticall then it were but to mock God to present him a calf or a pigeon his Majesty requiring more noble offerings nay more demanding our own bowels and that they knew not how to offer him a more precious present then the life of their own children Under this pretext and such like this abomination passed for the most ardent piety which a man may show to God equallising or rather surpassing all which the Scripture extolls in Abraham for an action of this quality So that the excesse of errour augments the perswasion The article of transubstantiation is produced under the name of the most excellent and most dreadfull misterie of all religion bearing upon its front the expresse words of the sonne of God whose presence is fearfull to the Angels arming it selfe with the power of his omnipotency inclosing within its titles all the Majesty of heaven and the salvation of the whole world By how much the representation of this opinion is prodigious by so much the more it makes them believe it misterious From thence it comes that that belief is maintained with more pertinacity then any error whose absurdity is lesse apparant Also the believing hereof is esteemed so much the more meritorious by how much lesse the object is to be believed as indeed that man who firmly believes this transubstantiation should have were it true more faith then ever had all the Patriarks and Apostles together The third Section CHAPTER 1. What manner of knowledge or instruction is most naturall to the vulgar TWO men may know one and the same truth but in divers manners A Country man may know that an Eclypse ought to happen on such a day having read it in an Almanack but that is not called Science as an Astronomer who knows by demonstration foreseeing the Eclypse in his causes He is not learned in religion who knows all the matters but he that knows them in the manner they ought to be known on which many faults are to be observed There are two traditions or wayes of instruction on which the vulgar repose themselves Sentences and generall propositions 2 Histories in these two consists almost all the knowledge of the common people As for the first head the ignorant content themselves to know the generalities because the intelligence of particular points requires a sharper sight and a more fixed contemplation It s easier to an Idiot to say These Things then to restrain this generality to its species to know how to give each one of them its proper name To the other the instruction which is given them by history pleaseth them because of its facility for it consists in actions and circumstances perceptible to the imagination so that all their knowledge lodgeth either in copious generalities or in the single individuums but the points which are as it were mediums between these two wearies more the spirit obliging them to reason and to take the measure weight and number and the names of all things This is the cause the vulgar cast it off In the mean time many are Orthodoxall in the generality of a point who erre grossely in the particulars thereof witnesse the article of providence upon which the common people will give a cleare opinion in respect of the generality of this doctrine but in the particular points imagine a world of absurdities CHAP. 2. Of the superficiall knowledge of each point of Of religion Of their definitions and of their exact Knowledge An example in the doctrine of the Eucharist THE ignorance of generall as well as particular points proceed from this that popular spirits learn an infinity of descriptions but very few definitions I speak not in favour of subtil and artificiall definitions of which every one is not capable But certainly it is impossible to have the true knowledge of a point without knowing how to mark and define the essence if not exactly yet at least very near the truth When a man can say sinne is the poyson of the soule and knows how to give it a hundred epithites of this sort yet hath he not learnt what sinne is this ignorance is entertained by a multitude of Preachers who are content to declaim by descriptions and abundance of metahpots never showing but the superficies of matters in stead of setting forth the dimensions I leave the points which are elevated above all definition The imagination of Idiots who not understanding what is properly that eternity although they know that God hath neither beginning nor end believe him neverthelesse to have more age then he had foure thousand yeares since This point and many others are not the mark at which we shoot I could show that the greatest part of our differencies proceed from the ignorance of definitions If the Romish Church comprehended intercession to be a sacerdotall act and that Christ prayes in quality of a soveraign Priest dead for us and this function consists in the comparition of his person c. She would never transport to others the title of intercessor But to make you see how many excellent matters the exact intelligence of one point furnisheth in respect of a superficiall knowledge we will produce only one example In the words of the Lord
of the common people is this that they Preach the word of God and that therefore one ought to content himselfe with their doctrine though it be triviall and one ought not to bee troubled with their frequent repetitions nor disdaine their grosse stile and other defects which are found in their discourses VVhereunto I shall onely say that t is an abuse of the people to say that a mans Sermon is the word of God It is but the interpretation thereof which if it be defective or confused or darke or foolish or extravagant doth injure more the word of God then it receives authority there-from This colour they give their ignorance serveth to foment that of the people the greater part whereof content themselves with that they know of religion and even make a scruple to learne more One of the deceipts by which many Preachers are accustomed to hide this defect is this to take â— text of three words upon which they inlarge themselves in digressions mixing all the old and new Testament reducing all divinity into one Sermon and there is no matter so remote from the subject which either by hooke or by crooke they force not to their purpose So that once a valiant expositor of Scripture imployed forty yeares in interpreting the Prophet Esay The prolixity whereby they affect to appeare as Giants who neede a whole Acre of ground to stretch themselves upon is of no great fruict A succinct and nervous discourse nay one sole reason very pertinent or one rare or extraordinary conception couched in few words shall rather convert a soule or shall grave thereon more lively impressions then these vast discourses shall doe more fruictfull in words then matter VVe have many Sermons of Jesus Christ and some of his Apostles But the longest of them may be pronounced in the space of halfe an houre Finally not to touch on the repetitions wherewith many fill their auditoryes we shall find them which will be exact to the dividing of a graine of sand by so small distinctions and divisions that they themselves can scarce discerne them If in lieu of the vulgar method which under colour of desiring to say all that concernes a text yet teacheth nothing but things common and a thousand times repeated if a Preacher could find only three or foure observations which are rare and but little knowne his auditors might say they had learned that which they knew not And one such Sermon were worth a hundred others although the ignorant thinke that this doth much advantage to have a multitude of Sermons at the end whereof they are as knowing as they were at the beginning Many also have a superstitious opinion touching Preachers that one ought not to be more sought after or more willingly heard then an other because all Preach the word of God and that it is of the same weight and same vertue in the mouthes of all Now t is true that all make profession to carry the same sword of truth but all doe not mannage it with the same skill nor with the like force of arme From whence it comes to passe that it cutteth not equally in all hands nay in many it is as a plate of leade Of a thousand which handle the same passage of Scripture it is impossible to find two amongst them which are wholly alike in conceptions in the order and frame of discourse In so much that representing the same subject they give it so divers faces that even they themselves are different in shape But those which keepe the resemblance thereof nearer the life are to be preferred before others which shew but the draughts of it grosly delineated CHAP. VI. That the words of Scripture had more Emphasis in the mouth of Jesus Christ and his first Disciples then they have in ours The reason of this difference IT s true that all those to whom Jesus Christ himselfe Preached when he was conversant upon earth were not converted The most eminent Apostles complained that few persons received their Preaching yet neverthelesse t is certaine that the word of God had greater efficacy in their mouthes then now it hath in ours If it converted not all them who heard it it made it selfe felt by the most hardned as a burning cautery even within the very entrailes But besides the progresse thereof was altogether different One onely exhortation of St. Peter brought in one day three thousand Jewes to the Church And by an other Sermon he gained five thousand soules If at this day wee pronounce the same Sermon word by word in an assembly of Jewes it will not have the same successe Although wee sound the same discourse nay the proper expresse and formall words as Jesus Christ or some of his Apostles have sometimes uttered them they have not such vertue as they had when they themselves pronounced them viva voce When the Sonne of God speke there was felt an extraordinary working and force that never was upon the lipps of mortall man The Apostles whom he had animated with his owne vertue spake also as out of thunder and as cherubins of glory The sound of their wings was as the noyse of great waters and as the voice of God Almighty when he speakes If we would know from whence proceeds such vertue it may be some will say it consisted rather in their morals then in their words And that their supernaturall works which were seene to be done by them were the onely cause that rendred their discourse more efficacious then that of other men but it appeares to the contrary by the testimony of them to whom Jesus Christ spake in the way to Emaus For although they knew him not so farre were they short of seeing any miracle their heart burned within them as hee expounded to them the Scriptures These reasons may be given hereof that the Son of God who knew al the thoughts of his hearers strucke directly within them and they could not but be moved when they heard a voice which surprized their most secret thoughts That the same spirit which spake in his Disciples touched with his words that which men thought was closely hid within their hearts an example in Ananias and Zaphira whereunto may be referred that we read in the first to the Corinthes 14.24 and 25. that their breast was ful of flames and the words which came from them lighted as at a fornace did burne as live sparks nay as burning brans And finally that their tongues were touched immediatly with the finger of God having wholly an other force then ours which are not touched therewith but at a distance and by he interposition of many judgements nay seeble and light CHAP. VII What men are most hardly saved Of the vulgar error which imports that the Pastors manners edifie asmuch as his doctrine AN antient father said of his time that in his opinion there were not many Churchmen or Pastors that were saved This may seeme strange But if we may say there