not indure to haue it applied vnto them All meanes are nothing be they neuer so good without the speciall blessing of God as on the contrary side when it 1 Cor. 3. 7. shall please God to blesse the meanes they shall preuaile be they neuer so meane And verily as in bodily wars it is as easie with God to saue with few as with many albeit ordinarily the strongest army the best furnished winneth the field and getteth the victory so in our spirituall warfare against infidelity superstâ—…on and idolatry men of meane gifts by the Lords special blessing may more preuaile then such as are indued with greater graces And yet as the better meanes are the better blessings of God so ordinarily by his disposition and prouidence they doe obtaine the better effect As it is manifest in the Apostles who for that they were indued with the greatest measure of all diuine and heauenly wisedome conuerted more to the faith of Christ then any other of their successours As did likewise those principall men which were in thâ—se last dayes raised vp by God to be the reuiuers of his gracious Gospell spread abroad in a short time the bright beames thereof in many countreys of this West and North parts of the world Daniel and his fellowes may be better nourished with course poulse then some other with a good portion of finer food brought vnto them from the Kings owne table and so some persons may be better edified with a plaine declaration of truth lightened with one or two testimonies out of the word of God then by a great cloud of the same witnesses and by many strong forcible demonstrations but the cause hereof is either in the weaknesse of the spirituall stomacke vnto the which milke doth better agree then strong meat and in the dimnesse of the spirituall eye which can see better with a little light then with a great or in the extraordinary worke of God For ordinarily the greater number and the bigger lights doe giue the greater and bigger light as the better and stronger food doth yeeld the better and stronger nourishment Wherefore the Preachers of the word of God being the Lords stewards and the disposers of the mysteries of God who are therefore set ouer the Lords house that they shouâ—d giue to euery one their portion of food in due season had need to prouide good store of spirituall graine to be laid vp before hand in the baines of their inlarged hearts that therewith they may feed the Lords people to the full As likewise for that they are the Lords Captaines to marshall his bands and companies against the Lords and their owne enemies they ought to be furnished with all manner of spirituall armour that so they may be able to furnish other And verily for any one to take vpon him to discourse and reason without sound and apt reasons and to argue without substantiall and sufficient arguments is to take vpon him to feed without food to fight without weapon to lighten a thing without light and to build without morter timber and stone Wherefore the most wise God hath most prudently prouided for the most plentifull instruction both of Priest and people not only by setting downe in his two bookes of nature and grace all doctrines necessary for their saluation with great variety of all manner of reasons and arguments for the better clearing and confirming of the same but also by often repeating and inculcating of them yea by vrging them againe and againe he hath giuen them a plaine admonition that they should be most diligent to learne those thing ouer againe and againe which he hath beene so carefull so often to teach Verily if we were such as we should be it should be sufficient for vs that the Lord did barely and onely in the booke of the Canonicall Scriptures deliuer the seuerall doctrines of all diuine vereties giuing testimony to each of them but once by the pen of one of his vnerring Secretaries seeing when God speaketh any thing albeit it be but once we ought Chrys aduersuâ— vituperatores monasticae vitae to receiue it with all assurance as if it had beene spoken often times For although when humane testimonies are required in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must be established and to him that bringeth not a sufficient number 1 Tim 6. 19. of deponents it is by strict law as if he had brought none yet for that God is true and cannot lie nor beare witnesse to any falshood or vntruth or command any thing that is vnrighteous or vniust therefore in his word which is the infallible foundation of truth if he giue testimony to any thing but once vnder the hand of one of his faithfull registers it is as sufficient as if he had testified the same by them all For if Pythagoras his he said it was enough to his scholers for that he was a most learned and wise Philosopher and the Ipse dixit Centurions come goe and doe this was sufficient to his souldiers Matth. 8. 9. and seruants for that he was a most conscionable Commander yea if the Kings witnesse my selfe be a full warrant Teste meipso to all his grants because of his supereminent power and authority then much more the he said it of the most high God ought to be sufficient to his disciples and all that be of his schoole and the come goe and doe this of the most righteous Commander and Iudge of the whole world ought to beenough to worke a most ready and speedy obedience in all his true and faithfull seruants and the witnesse my selfe of the King of kings and Lord of lords ought to be taken as a most full warrant to all his grants by all his loyall and faithfull subiects Wherefore herein we may behold the strange proceeding of our most great and glorious God remitting after a sort his owne â—ight and submitting himselfe in his great goodnesse to our weaknesse and in his high and endlesse wisdome prouiding a gracious remedy for our infirmity For because we are blinde to conceiue and flow to beleeue and hard to learne and ready to forget the holy mysteries of piety and godlines therefore the Lord hath caused not onely doctrines and reasons and arguments to be set downe at once in the booke of the diuine Scriptures but he hath made them to be reitterated againe and againe that thereby they may become lights to our vnderstanding stayes to our faith and helps to our fraile and weake memory So that albeit we are by nature neuer so dull and blockish yet the same lessons being often repeated and opened and cleered againe and againe we shall be thereby enabled by Gods blessing sufficiently to conceiue and faithfully keepe them in good remembrance Pharaohs dreames were Gen. 41. 32. doubled vnto him that the thing opened therein might get of him the better credit so the instructions of faith and an holy
to the mainetenance of true Protestancye with their faith and quality therof Faith in holy Scripture is taken either for the quality and habit of Faith or for the doctrine of Faith The holy Scripture deciphereth the quality and habit of our Christian Faith by arguments taken out of all Theologicall places as followeth The principall efficient cause of the quality or habit of Faith is God Phil. 1. 29. The instrumentall cause is the word of God Rom 10. 17. The material cause is an assent vpon knowledge Ioh 6. 69. The formall cause is a sure and settled assent grounded vpon a sure setled kgowledge Iohn 17. 8. Col. 1. 6. The finall cause is the excluding of all glorying in our selues and the ascribing of all glory vnto God Eph. 2. 8. Rom. 3. 27. The effects of Faith are as all other divine graces and fruits of the spirit Acts 26. 18. so an holy considence and an assurance of God's loue and a comfortable boldnesse to come vnto God as vnto a gracious and loving Father Eph. 3. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 10. The subiect wherin it is seated is the mind For the mind is the eye of the soule and Faith is the true sight thereof Ioh. 8. 56. Act. 26. 18. the object thereof is all diuine truths Rom. 15. 4. especially the Covenant of grace founded vpon Christ Ioh. 20. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 21. the attributes are that it is â—ound orthodoxe and Catholicke that is one and the same in all the true servants of God which haue bin are or shall be to the end of the world Heb. 11. 2. Eph. 4. 5. Things divers are a sleight opinion Act 26. 28. and a temporary Faiâ—h Mat. 13. 20. Things contrary are presumption fleshly security either bred by confidence in teÌ„porall prosperity Isa 28. 15. or in the outward pledges of God's loue Iâ—rm 7. 4. or in the outward shew of good workes Rom. 9. 32. 10. 3. Things privately opposite are ignorance Eph 4. 18. a blind Faith Mat. 13. 19. sophisticall infidelity 1 Cor. 1. 23. That which is plain contradictory is flat Atheisme Sap. 2. 1. Act. 23. 8 things like are a bodily eye Ioh. 9. 39. a bodily hand 1 Tim. 6 12. a bodily mouth Ioh. 6. 53. a bodily foot 2 Cor. 5. 7. bodily wings Luke 17. 37. Things vnlike are vnstable childishnesse Eph. 4. 14 and wauering doubtfulnes Iac. 1. 6. The coniugates are to beleeue in God and in Christ Ioh. 14. 1 and to be one of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10 the notation or interpretation of the name is a sure and Vides quia fiet quod dictum est certaine accomplishment of that which Faith beleeueth Math. 8. 8. The definition or description thereof is this Sauiâ—g Faith is diuine wisdome or a certain knowledge and a settled assent and adhaerence to all diuine verities necessary to saluatioÌ„ especially to the couenant of grace as to the meanes of the chiefest good and highest happines 2 Tim. 3. 15. the diuision thereof is into a weake and strong Faith Rom. 14. 2. The testimonies are the confessions of the Martyrs and Confessors that haue liued doe and shall liue to the end of the world Apocal. 7. 10. This is the delineation of the whole body of Faith as it is drawne out by the pensill of the Prophets and Apostles the parts members whereof which are most controuersed are further lightned and cleared in the first part of this Treatise As in the second part thereof the reasons and arguments produced to open and iustifie the seueral doctrines of Faith are referred to all the Topick places as being the rich mines out of which they are digged The doctrines of Faith set down in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles are Logicall reasonable wise and the very first principles and grounds thereof are 1 Pet. 2. 2 without any mixture of sophisticall deceit The high Priests pectorall wherein the Vrim and Thummim was put and by the which God gaue answer vnto his peoâ—le was called by the Hebrewes Hosen and by the Greekes See Alsted Praecog Theolog. fol. 230. Logeïon and by the Latines Rationale for that the Lord's doctrines had in them the most pure holines of most exact Logick or reason The Logick places which I follow in this Treatise are deliuered by Petrus Ramus who concerning the vse of Logick hath very much cleared the rules of Aristotle our grand Master The exempliâ—ying of Logick places by the Theologicall positions I haue taken from Amandus Polanus but with this difference in that he setteth downe his arguments declaratiue and demonstratiue in bare sentences and propositions without further discourse whereas in this Treatise they are further opened by other arguments and reasons For as learned and iudicious Doctour Feild anouncheth in his Dedicatory Epistle to his first Booke of the Church the doctrines wherein we differ from the Church of Rome are grounded not only vpon the greatest authority that is but also vpon the most preuailing reasons that euer perswaded men And verily if that most famous Oratours iudgment be â—ound there is no reason to giue credit to that reason whereof there cannot bee yeelded a sufficient reason Câ—… lib. 4. ad Herennium The great Antichrist of these last times as testifieth 2 Thess 2. 8. the Apostle which hath brought in a great Apostacy froÌ„ the Faith shal be consumed with the Spirit of the Lord's mouth and shal be abolished with the brightnesse of his comming and so shall his Armies also which as Chrysostome Chrys â—om 49. in Mat. saith are impious Heresies For whereas the time of miracles is now long since expired whereby the Apostles and their successours in the Primitiue Church got credit to the diuine doctrine of the Gospel of Christ and Heb. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 10. 4. made it most powerfull to the ouerthrowing of all Heathenish Idolatries and impious Heresies it remaineth now that the Professours of the Gospel by the glorious light of powerfull arguments taken out of God's booke and iustifiable by the exact rules of â—ound reason make Truth victorious against Antichrist and all his impious Heresies For where Truth is clearely demonstrated and rightly apprehended it cannot otherwise be but that it 1 Esd 3 12. will mightily preuaile Our most wise and learned Solomon hath already by his penne begun this regall and Princely worke and hath iustified by cleare and demonstratiue arguments that the supreme authority to command aswell in Ecclesiasticall as in ciuill causes resteth in the ciuill Magistrate in his own Dominions and Countries and hath sent his Booke to all Christian Princes the which no doubt shall preuail at that time when he that hath the hearts of all Kings in his own hand shall know it to be most â—it And why should it not then highly please especially the Ecclesiastick Peeres of his Kingdomes to follow so worthy supereminent an example in causing all Theologicall doctrines in this
giue in sincerity entertainment in the best roomes of thy soule to the Word of God and thou dost Ioh. 14. 23 Eph. 3. 17. withall giue entertainment to Christ For Christ doth dwell in our hearts by Faith He is not receiued and eaten with our bodily mouthes because he is not our bodily food but with the mouthes of our soules when sweetly and profitably we lay vp in our memories that his flesh was wounded and pierced for Aug. de doct Christian l. 3. c. 10. vs. So Tertullian Tertul. de resur carniâ— Christ is deuoured by hearing chewed by vnderstanding and digested by beleeuing For reall things are not in our mindes by any corporall contiguity of their reall substances but by a spirituall participation of them by their Res non sunt in animis sed rerum notiones reall notions Neither doe our Sacraments auouch a mingling of persons or an vniting of substances but after a spirituall and a mysticall manner And therefore Christ's Body being not a bodily but a ghostly food is not receiued but by the powers of our soules being indued with a â—rue Faith For the Lord doth bestow his seuerall gifts and blessings Cyp. de coâ—a â—om Quicquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur vpon his seuerall creatures according vnto their seuerall natures and powers whereby he hath made them capable thereof causing them all to moue and to worke according to those powers and faculties where withall he hath indued them Hee nourisheth nourishable things by their nourishing powers doth minister many comforts to his creatures that haue sense and motion by causing them to apprehend the same by their sensitiue and motiue faculties So likewise doth he bestow his gifts proper to men which are reasonable creatures by making them knowne vnto them by the discourse of reason by causing them to apprehend and embrace the same by their vnderstandings and wâ—ls which are the proper faculties of reasonable creatures As for example the Lord worketh a care in many naturall men to lead a ciuill and a righteous life by causing them to apprehend and embrace those arguments and reasons which are of force to perswade to a ciuill and a righteous life As in like manner hee opâ—neth the hearts of such as he calleth to the estate of grace by causing them carefully to attend to the diuine Acts 16. 14. doctrines of the Word of grace For the Spirit of God leadeth them not as blind men which are led by their guides in the way that they see not themselues but he openeth their eyes that they may turne from darknes to light from the power of Satan to God that they may receiue remission of sinnes inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Christ Insomuch that the minds of the Faithfull are first sanctified Acts 26. 18. by a true and right apprehension of the loue of God in Christ made manifest vnto them by the light of the Gospell and their wills are inflamed with a seruent desire to be partakers thereof before they be made the sincere Seruants of Christ For as Austin Aug. de peccat meriâ— remiss l. 2. cap. 3. Aug. hom 15. de verb. Apost saith God worketh our saluation in vs not as in stones that haue no sense or as in those creatures to whom he hath not given reason wiâ—l For as the same Father also teachetâ— elsewhere He that made thee without thee doth not make thee Iust without thee He made thee not knowing what was done vnto thee but he maketh thee iust being willing and witting to that worke which is wrought in thee There are two parts of our saluation or deliuerance from sinne whereof the one is a deliuerance from the very being and Heb. 1. 3. 1. Pet. 2. 24 Isa 63. 3 1 Cor. 1. 13. Act. 20. 28 1 Pet. 1. 19 bondage of sinne and the other from the guilt and punishment thereof Now albeit concerning our deliuerance from the guilt punishment of sinne our most mighty Sauiour hath performed that alone by himselfe euen by the shedding of his owne most precious blood yet concerning that other part which consisteth in the dâ—liuerance from the being and bondage of sinne he doth effect it by diuers moâ—iues set downe in his holy Word whereby through the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit he doth make his Elect desirous and willing to cast off the grieuous yoake of Satan to haue all their very thoughts brought vnto obedience to the commandements of God Wherefore it was not without cause that the Prophet Daniel Dan. 4. 24. exhorted Nebuchadnezzar to redeeme his sins with righteousnes and his iniquities with mercy towards the poore that so there might be an healing of his errour For as hee that is ouercome of sinne is in bondage to sinne so he that breaketh 2 Pet. 2. 19. the bonds of sinne and casteth off the yoke thereof may rightly be said to redeeme and to saue himselfe from the same Take Redime to captum quam queâ—…s minimo 1 Tim. 4. 16. heed saith the Apostle to Timothy to thy selfe and to thy doctrine and continue therein for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Verily as sinne is the sicknes death of the soule so righteousnesse is the health and life thereof And therefore whereas contraries are cured by contraries Contraria curaÌ„tur contrarijs by righteousnes our soules are cured of their sinnes As it is apparent by the words of Daniel before-mentioned Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes and thine iniquities with mercy towards the poore loe let there be an healing of thine errour by which words we are taught that by righteousnes our souls are healed of their sinnes Wherefore all such as hearken attentiuely to the doctrine of the Gospell and are thereby brought to saith and righteousnes Luc. 1. 17. whereby they are purged from their sinnes may rightly be said to worke out their owne saluation to redeeme and saue Phil. 2. 12. their owne soules for that they are iâ—struments vnder the grace of Christ for the effecting of this so worthy a worke And verily as the ignorance of the powerfull truths of the Gospell breedeth folly and folly leadeth into all iniquity and Eccl. 7. 27. is the porter that openeth the doore to all impleâ—y â—o the true knowledge of the mysteries of godlines breedeth wisedome 2 Tim. 3. 15. wisedome deliuereth from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things and from them that leaue the Prov. 2. 10. wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darknes and so is an entrance and portall to piety and to all other diuine Prov. 4. 7. vertues So then in the worke of regeneration deliuerance from the being and bondage of sinne both the â—aithfull teacher of 1 Cor. 3. 9. 2 Cor. 6. â— Phil. 2. 12. the Gospell and
convenit subiecto In omni legittima praed catione praed catum est genus species proprium aut accidens Basil serm 8. in Psal 108. there of agâ—eeth with the other but when one is a reason and an argument of the other Seeing then reasons and arguments are the causes of truth we are to seek out the right reasons of all things if that we will come to the knowledge of the truth There is much obscurity saith S. Basil in the diuine books but if with the hand of the minde thou dost knocke at the gate of the Scriptureâ— and dost diligently sift those places that are hidden by litle and litle thou shalt beginne to vnderstand the reason of the things that are spoken and it shal be opened vnto thee not by any other but by the word it selfe vnto the censure whereof we ought all to stand For all things are cleare euldent in the Scriptures to such as with an holy discourse according to reason will heare the Word of God For as the eye of the body doth discerne the differences of all visible things by the light of the sâ—nne so the eye of the minde doth discerne the differences of all intelligible things by the streaming beams of true reason proceeding from Christ the Sunne of all true wisdome and vnderstanding And therefore in all Vniuersities and Schooles of good learning where wisdome and the knowledge of the truth is sought for after the best manner in all Lectures disputations and conferences not only errours are confuted and doubtfull things opened but confessed truths also are further clâ—ered and confirmed by arguments and reasons And verily there is no man that maketh profession of learning and wisedome and trusteth to the goodnes of his cause D. Morton de aequivâ—c fol. 83. that doth not willingly submit the same to this manner kind of tryall Logicke saith a most learned and iudicious Author and now a most reuerend Bishop in our Church being the Art of discoursing and reasoning is the Art of Arts and high tribunal of reason and truth it selfe which no man in any matter whether it be case of humanity or diuinity can iustly â—esuse And as another wisely admonisheth the faithfull Christian must remember that he seeke the truth without partiality and that the place to seeke it is the Scripture and the meanes to finde it out is the right vse of true reason Yea saith he it is not vnknowne to any of our English Romanists that Doctour Fulke long since desired to haue all questions controversed betweene Papist and Protestant to be brought to this issue and and to be tried by syllogismes the very iudgment-seat of true reason And no marâ—aile seeing God himselfe who is all wisedome reason and truth and needeth not to come to any manner of tryall For the only opening the eyes of his greatest enemies Wisd 5. 6. to behold the aequity of all his words and workes wiâ—l cause themselues will they nill they to cleare him and to condemne themselues yet offereth this plea euen to the idolatrous Heathen standing in defence of their Heathenish gods saying Stand to your cause bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Iacob let them tell vs what shall come hereafter that Isai 41. 21. we may know that they are gods As if hee had concluded against them with this syllogisme The true God knoweth what shal come to passe hereafter yea world without â—nd but your Heathenish gods do not know nor can foretell what shal come to passe in time to come therefore they beno true gods And verely as Wisedome so Truth seeketh no corners to Pro. 1. 20. hide her selfe in but cryeth without in the open streetes and setteth vp her questions vpon the gates of the greatest Schooles yea they settle such a certainty of all Divine and humane knowledge in the hearts of their followers friends that they refuse not triall nor iudgement no not in the midst of all their enemies Hee that doth euill maintayning errors either in faith or Ioh. 3. 20. manners hateh the Light neither commeth to the Light least his deeds should be reprooued but he that doth the truth commeth to the Light that his deedes may be made manifest that they are wrought according to God For what doth make things manifest but light And what is light but truth Eph. 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor 4. 2. Psal 43. 3. the bright beames whereof will not suffer it selfe to be hidde And what is truth but the agreement of the reasons with the things themselues whereby they are made manifest and knowne This euidence of true reason is that which enableth the professors of euery humane art and science to stand in the iust defence of their seuerall professions and therefore doth it much more inable euery faithfull wise Christian to stand to the iustifying of his most holy Religion Is it not saith Chrysostome a great absurdity that the Physitian Tanner Clothier all manner of Crafts-men generally shal be able to contend for the worthines of their Sciences that a Christian shall not be able to giue a reason of his saith Whereas these Trades being Chrys in Ioh. hom 16. neglected bring but daÌ„mage to our wealth the other being despised doe hurt the soule And yet saith he so madde are we that we bestow vpon the one all our cogitations and cares nothing regarding the most necessary and firme munitions of saluation Albeit it be commanded vs that we should be prepared to giue answere to euery one that asketh vs a reason of that faith that is in vs. For albeit Novices and young beginners in euery mystery Oportet discentem credere cannot at the first sufficiently vnderstand the first principles thereof and therefore must admit them for truthes vpon the bare credit and authority of their Teachers yet in pâ—ocesse of time they must conceâ—…e the reason of euery rule it that they desire to attaine to any sufficiâ—nt skill therein so in ouâ— Christian profession they that be as children â—aust be contented to be fed with milke and to be taught the first principles of Râ—ligion and grounds of the Catechisâ—e and yet they that will become mâ—n must bâ— able to take stronger meâ—te and to vnderstand the reasons of all Divine Doctrines for the further strengthening and confirming of their faith And vâ—…ly by all Doctrines deliuered by men it is a truth Non quis sed quid spectandum generally onfessed by all that not so much the party that speaketh but that which is spoken ought to be respected and not the bâ—re and taked authority of any but the sufficiency of the testimony it selfe ought to sway altogether and the wâ—ight Salmeron Iesuitâ— in c 5. ep ad Rom. of reason whereon it is grounded For the efficacy of reason is better then all authorities And of this iudgement are all wise men as well Heathen as Christians I
such things most powerfull to enable them to produce such and such effects for the producing whereof they were ordained by God The which causes and effects powers and faculties qualities and properties when they are found out then there is a right knowledge of the things themselues Now what are causes and effects powers qualities and the like but reasons and arguments whereby all things are made open and manifest and so are rightly apprehended and knowne Looke we into the sacred Scriptures and we may see therein how the Lord doth lay open vnto his people the mysteries of godlinesse yea euen that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh being the principall subiect of those divine bookes by assigning his efficient cause God the Father Matth. 3. 17. and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary the daughter of David the King Luk. 1. 31. His materiall causes his Divine and humane Natures Matth. 1. 23. His formall cause the vniting of his humane nature by personall vnion vnto his divine Ioh. 1. 14. his finall cause the working out of mans redemption Gal. 4. 4. His effects our reconciliation to God Ephe. 2. 18. with our deliuerance out of the bondage of sinne and Satan and our translation into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Ioh. 8. 36. His attributes according to his Divine nature infinite wisedome holinesse righteousnesse and the like Col. 2. 3. and according to his humane nature such a measure of all divine and heauenly graces as â—re farre aboue the perfections of any other creatures Ioh 1. 19. The time when he was borne euen when the Scepter was taken away from Iudah and all regall authority was in the hands of strangers Luc. 2. 1. The place where he was borne Bethlehem Matth. 2. 5. The place whither he â—led into banishment Aegypt Matth. 2. 13. The place where he was brought vp Nazareth Matth. 2. 23. The places where he liued preached wrought his miracles and dyed Galile Samaria Iury and Ierusalem Luc. 13. 24. The place where his body was laid after his death a Sepulcher that was in a Garden wherein neuer any body was laid before Ioh. 14. 42. The place whither he ascended after his resurrection and where he sitteth at the right hand of God and from whence he shall come to iudge both quicke and dead the highest Heauens Act. 2. 32. Diuers things from him all creatures in their defects and imperfections Ioh. 1. 23. Things like vnto him all creatures in their good properties and gifts Gen. 1. 26. especially typicall persons as Melchisedecke Heb. 6. 2. Isaack Gen. 17. 16. Sampson Iud. 16. 30. Ionah Matth. 12. 40. and all the high Priests Heb. 9 9. Typicall things the brasen Serpent Ioh. 3. 14. The mercy seat Hebr. 4. 16. Especially the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testaments 1 Cor 10. 4. His description Heb. 1. 2. His distribution by his Propheticall Priestly and Kingly offices set down in the greatâ—r part of that Epistle the interpretation of hiâ— Name Iesus a Sauiour Matth. 1. 21. Of his Name Christ annointed Cant 1. 2. Of his Name Emmanuel God with vs Matth. 1. 23. His Conjugates a Sauiour bringing saluation to all that are saued Act. 4. 14. His testimonies of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Of the Angels Luk 2. 11. Of all the Prophets Act. 10. 4â— And of his greatest enemies euen the Diuels themselues Matth. 8. 23. The principall parts of the Word of God are the Law and 2 Cor. 4. 2. Gospel both of which are grounded vpon the evidence of reason and truth Law saith Ciâ—ero is the higest reason The Cic. l. 1. de leg which if it be true of the wise Lawes made by wise men much more is it true of the most wise and righteous Lawes made by Deut. 4. 8. the most wise and righteous God And verily it is the reason of the Law that is the life of the Law and bindeth the conscience to yeeld obedience For if the Law be contrary to reason it bindeth such as are subiect thereunto onely to endure the penalty thereof and â—ot to performe the thing therein commanded For as Tertullâ—an saith if a Law will not be tryed Tert. in Apol. Quod ad omnes attinet ab oinnibus debet approbaâ—i it is iustly suspected and if it being not tryed and approued yet is forced vpon any it is wicked seeing no Law doth owe to it selfe the iustifying of the equity thereof but to them of whom it doth require obedience And therefore wise and moderate Princes doe vse to call together a generall assembly of all the States and Commons of their Kingdomes that vpon iust causes and reasons duely weighed and examined both hurtfull Lawes may he taken away and holsome Statutes enacted for the generall good of their Kingdomes and Countries The which Statutes when they are published are many times set forth barely without their reasons least happily they might grow into too great a Volume But it is not so with the Lawes of God especially with those of the first Table for they haue sundry reasons adioyned to them as lights to make manifest the aequity of them and as Orators to perswade obedience thereunto And verily there was great reason why it should be so seeing by the fall of Adam the true knowledge of them is greatly defaced in all his posterity Whereas the Lawes of the second Table which concerne our duty towards our neighbour are for the most part barely deliuered because they are knowne by their owne light and that to the most barbarous people that liue on the face of the whole earth As it may appeare by the History of the West-Indinas who are reported presently to haue approued and embraced the aequity of those Lawes when they were at the first proposed vnto them And yet behold how behooueâ—… it is euen for the faithfull themselues to haue many reasons set downe before their eyes for the procuring of ready obedience to be yeelded euen vnto these commandements in that the Spirit of God hath caused the Prophets and Apostles being the expounders thereof to set downe in their Canonicall writings many most forcible and effectuall argument for the procuring of a more ready obedience to the same And verily experience it selfe doth shew Veritas docendo suadet that truth doth teach by perswasion that is by arguments and reasons as being such motiues and inducements as best befit the reasonable and generous nature of man Whereas brute Generosus animus poti us ducitur quam trahitur beasts that want reason are to be compelled by force and violence And therefore the Law of God in the originall is called Thorah that is a Doctrine or Teaching for that it doth teach and instruct the people of God by the Divine aequity and reason that is contained therein Now if the Law of God which is in part naturally knowne had need to be further