Gods appointment so to instruct their brethren in doubtfull cases as they should not need to consult sorcerers or entertaine familiarity with wicked spirits Christ to omit the eminency of his Propheticall function till hereafter besides this common fraternity with his people was in more especiall manner Abrahams seed and in particular sort raised vp by Iehouah his God by intrinsique assumption into the vnitie of his person not by externall assistance or impulsion of his spirit Raised likewise hee was in a strict and proper sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from amid this people being as it were extracted out of the pure virgin as the first woman was out of the man by Iehouahs owne immediate hand from his craddle to his crosse most exactly answering to that delineation of the Great Prophet and Mediatour to bee reuealed which was exhibited first in Moses when hee stood before the Lord in Horeb his strange deliuerance from Herodian butcherie whiles al the Infant males besides did perish was fully parallel to the others exemption from Pharaohs cruelty like to Moses hee was in the number of his Disciples in communication of his spirit vnto them in admitting them to more speciall participation of his secrets in the peculiar testifications of his familiarity with God in his fasting in his transfiguration in multitude of miracles But these and the like I leaue to the Readers obseruation 10 The peculiar and proper vndoubted notes of the great Prophet there spoken of will bee most conspicuous in our Sauiour if we compare him first with Moses then with ordinary Prophets according to that difference the Lord himself made between these and Moses If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will bee knowne to him by a vision and will speake vnto him by dreame My seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all mine house Vnto him will I speake mouth to month and by vision not in darke words but he shall see the similitude of the Lord. Wherefore then were yee not afraide to speake against my seruant euen against Moses It is said signanter he should see the similitude of God not God for as the Euangelist saith No man hath seene God at any time so was it told Moses from the Lords owne mouth that hee could not see his face and liue Yet saw this great Prophet more of God then all the Prophets beside Herein then was Christ like vnto him but farre aboue him that hee was in the bosome of his father not admitted to see his backe parts onely and hath declared him to the world Moses from the abundance of his Propheticall spirit so perfectly foretold the perpetuall estate of his people from the Law giuen to the time of their Messias as the best Prophets may seeme to be but his schollers From participation of that fulnes which was in Christ hath that Disciple whom hee loued farre exceeded Moses as well in the extent waight and variety of matters foretold as in the determinate manner of foretelling them And I know not whether if it were possible to call both Christ and Moses from heauen their presence though more glorious then it was vpon Mount Tabor would be more forcible to illuminate the Iew or Atheist then serious reading the bookes of Deutoronomy and the Reuelation comparing the one with the Iewes known misery the other with Ecclesiasticall Stories the late abominations of the Papacy and Romanists more then Iewish blindnesse The one shewes Moses to haue been the father of Prophets the other Christ from whose immensurable fulnesse Iohn had that extraordinary measur of the spirit to bee the fountaine of Prophesies whose supereminencies and inexhaustible fulnesse may yet bee made more apparent by comparing him not with Moses the symbole or meane but with the other extreame to witte the ranke of lesser Prophets 11 It is rightly obserued by the Schoolemen Lumen Propheticum erat aliqualiter aenigmaticum these ordinary Prophets illuminations were not so euident or distinct as certaine they discerned rather the proportion then featur of truth which they saw but as it were through the couer or in the case not in it self And albeit the euent did alwayes proue their answeres true oftimes in an vnexpected sence yet could they not alwayes giue such answeres when they pleased Nor did the light of Gods countenance perpetually reside vpon them as the Sunnes brightnesse doth by reflexion vpon the starres they had their vicissitude of day and night dayly Eclipses ouercastings many their chiefe illuminations came but as it were by flashes Thus Ieremy in the late cited controuersie dares not aduenture to giue the people a sign for confirmation of his doctrine or other more distinct or determinate prediction besides that of the generall euent about which the contention was That hee knew because the Lord had put it into his mouth would in the end condemne his aduersarie of presumption But after Hananiah had outfaced him with a sensible signe of his owne making breaking the yoake which he had taken from Ieremiahs necke on which the Lord had put it and boldly auouched in the presence of all the people Thus saith the Lord euen so will I breake the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel from the necke of all nations within the space of two yeeres the word of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah again and sends him backe with this message to his aduersarie Heare now Hananiah the Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to trust in a lie Therefore thus saieth the Lord Behold I will cast thee from off the earth this yeere thou shalt die because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. So Hananiah the Prophet died the same yeere in the seuenth moneth Not long after this euent were both Prince and people of Iudah rooted out of the land the Lord had giuen them because contrary to Moses admonition they reuerenced the Prophet that spake presumptuously and would not hearken vnto the words which the Lord had put in Ieremiahs mouth Elisha likewise to whom Elias had giuen a double portion of his spirit in respect of his fellowes of all the Prophets vnlesse Elias might be excepted most famous for the gift of miracles a liuely type of the Messias in raysing from death and giuing life had his spirit of Diuination but by fittes and needed Musicke to tune his spirites vnto it He gaue the barren Shunamite a sonne of whose death notwithstanding hee knew not as the Lord of life did of Lazarus in his absence nor ruled hee by her vnusuall gesture or strange signes of sorrow distinctly diuine the true cause of her comming onely when Gehezi went to thrust her away he said as much as hee knew Let her alone for her soule is vexed within her and the Lord hath hid it frō me and hath not told it me 12 But from the perpetuall and internall irradiation of the Deitie bodily or personally
to doe according to all that they informe thee According to the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the iudgement which they shall tell thee shalt thou doe thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will doe presumptuously not hearkning vnto the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there or vnto the Iudge that man shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel so all the people shall heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously 2 This precept admits of many restrictions any one of which doth take away all the force of our aduersaries obiections First it may without preiudice to our cause bee granted although it cannot out of these words bee necessarily inferred that God here prescribes obedience in the abstract such as was to bee performed vnto those Priests and Iudges that liued according to that patterne which hee had set them Thus may this precept of obedience for the extent be vniuersall and concern all causes whatsoeuer spirituall or temporall doubts of conscience or matters of this life in all which such gouernours wereto bee obeyed but conditionally if they were such as God in his law required they should be vnto such as you heard before hee gaue illuminations extraordinary such as the parties that were to obey might haue perfect notice of But how great soeuer the extent of this precept be not one fyllable in it makes more for absolute obedience vnto spirituall then vnto ciuill gouernors for it is said indefinitely thou shalt doe according to that thing which they eyther spirituall or temporall of that place which the Lord hath chosen shall shew thee And againe the words are disâ—unctiue That man that will doe presumptuously not hearkening vnto the Priest or vnto the Iudge that man shall die whether the Priest were to be supreme Iudge or no it is not said at the least the High Priest was not the chiefe man alwayes in the Councell for hee was not alwayes admitted into the supreme Consistory or Sanhedrim which is established in this place yet Bellarmine will haue the b definitiue sentence belong vnto the Priest and the execution of it to the ciuill magistrate so indeed the present Romish Church in spirituall cases would bee iudge and make Christian Princes her hangmen but their practise must not be taken for an infallible exposition of that Law whence they seeke to iustifie their practise quite contrary to the practise of the Iewish Church and Synagogue Nor doth Bellarmine or any other beside the base parasiticall Canonists or the Popes trencher chaplaines deny but that in many ciuill causes the Prince or temporall Magistrate hath a definitiue sentence can hee then gather out of any circumstance of this place that onely spirituall causes are here meant nay hee confesseth that the law is generall concerning all doubtes that might arise out of the law yea it is most probable that it onely concernes ciuill controuersies and Bellarmines reason to proue that it includeth spirituall causes or matters of religion is most idle The occasion of this Law saith hee was for them that did serue other Gods as appeares out of the beginning of the Chapter now the seruice of other Gods is a point of Religion But what though Moses in the former part of this Chapter speake of Idolaters must this law therefore concerne Idolaters In the former part hee speaketh onely of Idolaters but this law is not onely for them by Bellarmines confession Yea the circumstances of the place and the expresse law against Idolaters mentioned before euince that in this Chapter as in the former he first sets downe lawes concerning the true seruice of God and in the latteâ— part giues precepts for the obseruation of the second Table the maintaining of loue by the finall composition of all controuersies that might arise betwixt neighbours In the former law Idolaters are sentenced to death and Idolatry saith Bellarmine is a point of Religion Was the Priest alone then to giue sentence and the ciuill Magistrate onely to execute it There is not the least pretence for it out of this Text. Any ordinary Magistrate might execute him that was lawfully conuicted of this crime nor was it so hard a matter to iudge who was an Idolater amongst the Iewes as it is to determine what is an heresie amongst the Romanists This was to be proued by witnesses not by Logicall proofe or force of speculatiue reason Had the cunningest Iesuite in the world been taken amongst them kneeling down before an Image and praying to it all the distinctions in the master of sentences or Aquinas or both their Commentators could not haue redeemed him against two honest men that would haue sworne hee would haue done thus much there had beene no appeale from any City in Iudah vnto any higher Court his doome had been read in the gates and without them hee should as Homer speakes haue put on a stony coat 3 That the Kings of Iudah were only to execute the Priests definitiue sentence in all hard controuersies is a positioÌ„ wel deseruing execution without appeale at Princes hands And no doubt but it did so amongst the Iewes The former Court as is most probable was to cease when they had a King amongst them And Moses in the former Chapter after he had giuen the other law for ending controuersies giues the law for the election of their king if so bee they would haue one as if the former Court had then ceased to bee the supreme Tribunall seeing all Subiects might appeale vnto the King from it in which this Soueraignty did before reside as being the supreme Tribunall whence there could be no appeale 4 The King in the Law concerning his qualification is commanded to haue the Law of his God written out And it shall bee with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to feare the Lord his God and to keepe all the words of his Law and these Ordinances for to doe them that his heart bee not lifted vp aboue his brethren and that he turne not from the commandement to the right hand or to the left Was hee to take all this pains onely that hee might learne to execute the Priestes definitiue sentence This any heathen might haue done But the Kings of Israel albeit they were not to meddle in the execution of the Priests office were notwithstanding to bee so well skilled in Scriptures as to bee able to iudge whether the Priest did according to that Law which God had set him to follow and to controle his definitiue sentence if it were euidently contrary to Gods word which both were absolutely bound to obey 5 It may perhaps here be obiected that the King had no such assurance of infallibility in iudgement as the Priest had therefore it was requisite he should rely vpon the
vniuersally absolute nor in all causes but in causes of controuersie betwixt man and man not in causes betwixt men and their owne consciences And although the ground of controuersers plea might bee from some spirituall law as concerning succession in the Priesthood c. or haue some spirituall matters annexed as consequent the Iudges censure was to extend onely vnto mens ciuill carriage in such controuersies and the Plaintiffes were to prosecute their right or title were it matter of wrong of inheritance spirituall or temporall no farther then the sentence of his Court did permit All were bound vpon paine of death to sit down with their priuate losse rather then raise tumults or endanger the publike forme of gouernement established in Israel Euen when they knew the Iudges sentence in particular to be erroneous they were to doe or suffer as hee commanded to remit their right to let goe that hold and interest which they thought they had in matters of temporall consequence though perhaps of spiritual title and vndergoe what corporall penalty soeuer the Priest or Iudge whethersoeuer were supreme magistrates did inioyn them but they were not bound to thinke as the Priest or Iudge thought nor to holde their sentence was alwayes agreeable to the law of God Albeit much easier it was for the Sanhedrim then for the moderne Romish Consistory to resolue more controuersies brought vnto them by this diuine rule Because the ancient Israelites did not vse to trouble their Priests or Iudges with such quirkes and quiddittes as coined for the most part by Schoole-men haue bred greatest contention in the Christian world such as neuer could haue beene decided by the iudgement of Vrim or Thummin not by Prophets visions or dreames Hee that had desired any must haue gone to Endor for resolution Sam. 1. c. 28. v. 7. In Ierusalem or Shiloh whiles they flourished the proposers of such controuersies should haue bin punished for their curiosity which amongst the Israelites had beene as hatefull as the sinne of Witch-craft The want of such a Tribunall as this for punishing contentions and curious spirites hath caused such fruitlesse contentions and nice questions as cannot possibly bee resolued once set abroach or prosecuted but might easily haue beene preuented by the religious care and industry of such a supreme Consistory in euery kingdome What hath beene said concerning the meaning of this place Deut. 17. is confirmed by the practise of the Iewes and their ancient Records First that not onely conditionall but absolute obedience is here inioyned is not probable out of those wordes v. 11. according to the Law which they shall teach thee not onely the written law of God as some will haue it but such customes as were receiued in this Court thogh but probably deduced from the written law or otherwise inuented by their magistrates in cases omitted by the Law-giuer All such customes decrees or ordinances were to bee obeyed absolutely in such matters as did concern mens temporall losses or commodities there was not appeale to any other Court on earth for the reuersing of any sentence giuen in this to haue attempted thus much by this law had beene present death and by the same all Christian Princes iustly might yea ought to put death all such as in any cause spirituall or temporall vpon any occasion whatsoeuer shall appeale to Rome from the chiefe Tribunall allotted for the hearing of such causes in their natiue Country for by nature and Christian duety all are bound to abide the sentence of that Tribunall though not to approue it yet not to resist it or oppose violence vnto it though it offer violence to them for God onely must take vengeance of their abusing of that authority which hee had giuen them for others good not for their harme Would God all Christian Princes would put this law in practise and fulfil Gods word in the forementioned place that al might die which doe thus presumptuously that so euill and the mischiefe of mischiefes all appeales to Rome might bee taken away from Israel that so all Christian people hereafter might heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously Secondly that the high Priest was not the infallible Iudge nor aboue Kings in giuing definitiue sentence is most euidently confirmed by consent of Iewish antiquity for the High Priest was not admitted into their chiefe Consistory but vpon this condition if he were a wise man and being admitted yet was hee not to sway al as he pleased for so is it said in the same place that the king was not to be of the Sanhedrim because they were forbidden to contend with him with the High Priest they might But the Prophets of God did alwayes in their doctrine withstand either the Priests Prophets Kings or Iudges as often as they went * contra stationes Montis Sinai CHAP. III. That our Sauiours iniunction of obedience to the Scribes and Pharisees though most vniuersall for the forme is to be limited by the former Rules that without open blasphemy it cannot bee extended to countenance the Romish cause that by it we may limit other places brought by them for the Popes transcendent vniuersall authority 1 ANother place there is which as it seems hath beene too much beaten heretofore because some of the cunningest Anglers for Peters tribute beginne of late to relinquish it The place is Math. 23. verse 2. 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do but after their workes doe not for they say and doe not Bellarmine in his first attempts is more forward to fortifie this hold then any other to what purpose I cannot diuine vnlesse to terrifie such as view it only a far off but it seems he felt vpō beter experience the maintenance of it once closely besieged would not quit the cost for elsewhere hee yeelds as much expresly as will inforce him to surrender vp this if it bee instantly demanded Perhaps he hoped his premunitions might worke some secret disposition in most mens minds more preiudiciall to our cause then wee out of our honest simplicity could at first sight suspect It will not therfore be amisse partly to preuent the possible danger of his concealed conclusion by shewing the expresse folly of his premises partly to examine the place it selfe because the euidence of it failing will bee a presumption against all they pretend of like kind and may afforde some farther light how we may restraine propositions for their forme most vniuersall by the matter or circumstances concomitant 2 The fortresses which hee erects for defence are three His first that our Sauiour in this very Chapter wherein he reprehends the Scribes and Pharisees most sharpely yet giues this caue at to such as are weake in faith lest they should neglect their doctrine for their bad liues and hypocrisie The note considered in it selfe is not amisse but brought to countenance their bad cause or else
spirit which exempts the Pope from priuatenesse makes his authority oecumenical and infallible Whosoeuer then by participation of this spirit vnderstands the Prophesies eyther immediately or expounded by others whomsoeuer his conceit of them or their right interpretation is not priuate but authentique And Canus though a Papist expresly teacheth that the immediate ground or formall reason of ours and the Apostles beliefe must be the same both so immediately and infallibly depending vpon the testimony of the spirit as if the whole world beside should teach the contrary yet were euery Christian bound to sticke vnto that inward testimony which the spirit hath giuen him Though the Church or Pope should expound them to vs wee could not infallibly belieue his expositions but by that spirit by which hee is supposed to teach so belieuing wee could not infallibly teach others the same for it is the spirit onely that so teacheth all The inference then is as euident as strong that priuate in the forecited place is opposed to that which wants authority not vnto publike or coÌ„mon The Kings promise made to me in priuate is no priuate promise but will warrant mee if I come to pleade before his Maiesty albeit others make question whether I haue it or no. In this sense that interpretation of scriptures which the spirit affordes vs that are priuate men is not priuate but authentique though not for extent or publication of it vnto others yet for the perfection of our warrant in matters of saluation or concerning God For where the spirite is there is perfect liberty yea free accesse of pleading our cause against whomsoeuer before the Tribunall seate of iustice especially being wronged in matters of the life to come To this purpose saith our Apostle But hee that is spirituall discerneth all things yet hee himselfe is iudged of no man In those things wherein hee cannot be iudged by any hee is no priuate man but a Prince and Monarch for the freedome of his conscience But if any man falsly pretend this freedome to nurse contentions or to withdraw his necke from that yoke whereto hee is subject hee must answere before his supreme Iudge and his holy Angels for framing vnto himselfe a counterfeit licence without the assured warrant of his spirit And so shall they likewise that seeke to command mens consciences in those matters wherein the spirite hath set them free This is the height of iniquity that hath no temporall punishment in this life but must bee reserued as the obiect of fiercest wrath in that fearefull day the very Idea of Antichristianisme CHAP. XIIII That Saint Paul submitted his doctrine to examination by the Words before written That his doctrine disposition and practise were quite contrary to the Romanists in this argument 1 SAint Paul as well as other Apostles had the gift of miracles which amongst Barbarians or distressed soules destitute of other comfort likely to bee wonne to grace by wonders hee did not neglect to practise but sought not to enforce beliefe vpon the Iewes by fearefull signes or sudden destruction of the obstinate albeit hee had power to anathematize not onely in word but in deed euen to deliuer men aliue vnto Sathan When hee came to Thessalonica hee went as his maner was into the Synagogue three Sabboth daies disputed with his countrimen by the Scriptures opening and alleadging that Christ must haue suffered and risen againe from the dead and this is Iesus Christ whom I preach to you These Iewes had Moses and the Prophets and if they would not heare them neither would they belieue for any miracles which to haue wrought amongst such had been as the casting of pearles before swine What was the reason they did not belieue because the Scriptures which hee vrged were obscure but Saint Paul did open them Rather they saw the truth as Papists doe but would not see it They rightly belieued whatsoeuer God had said was most true that hee had said what Moses and the Prophetes wrote and yet Saint Paul taught nothing which they had not foretold But that was all one these Iewes had rather belieue Moses and the Prophets meant as the Scribes and Pharisees or other chiefe Rulers of their Synagogues taught then as Paul expounded them albeit his expositions would haue cleared themselues to such as without preiudice would haue examined them But the Beroeans were of a more ingenâ—ous disposition so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports they were not vassals to other mens interpretations or conceites but vsed their liberty to examine their truth They receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures whether these things were so or no. If they beleeued in part before their practise confirms the truth of our assertion that they were not to belieue the infallibility of Paul but of his doctrine albeit they were well perswaded of his personall authority If they beleeued neither in part nor wholly before they see the truth of his doctrine confirmed by that scripture which they had formerly acknowledged their ingenuity herein likewise confirmes our doctrine and condemnes the Papists of insolent blasphemy for arrogating that authoritie vnto the Popes decrees which is onely due vnto Gods word already established 2 I would demand of any Papists whether the Beroeans did well or ill in examining Saint Pauls doctrine if ill why hath the spirit of God commended them if well why is it not lawfull and expedient for all true Christians to imitate them Vnlesse the Reader bite his lippe I will not promise for him hee shall not laugh at Bellarmines answere albeit I knew him for another Heraclitus or Crassus Agelastus who neuer laughed in all his life saue once when he saw an Asse feed on thistles Surely he must haue an Asses lippes that can taste and a swines belly that can digest this great Clerks Diuinity in this point I answere saith he albert Paul were an Apostle and could not preach false doctrine thus much notwithstanding was not euident to the Beroeans at the first nor were they bound forthwith to belieue vnlesse they had seene some miracles or other probable inducements to belieue Therefore when Paul proued Christ vnto them out of the Propheticall Oracles they did well to search the Scriptures whether those things were so If Saint Paul had thought miracles a more effectuall meanes then Scriptures for begetting faith in such as acknowledged Moses and the Prophets no doubt hee had vsed miracles rather then their authority Or if the Pope cannot expound the scriptures as effectually and perspicuously as S. Paul did why doth he not at the least work miracles are we bound absolutely to belieue him is he bound to doe neither of these without which the people of Beroea were not bound as Bellarmine acknowledgeth to belieue Saint Paul Wee are if his reason be worth beliefe Christians which know the Church cannot erre in explicating the doctrine of faith are bound to embrace
to stagger vs most is this Why doe you belieue or how can you know those Bookes which yee call Scriptures were from God The last and finall answere according to the Iesuiticall Catechismes wherein as you heard before out of Bellarmine they thinke they haue great aduantage of vs would be this The holy Church our Mother doth so instruct giuing vs this expresse admonition withall his amplius fili mine requiras Here vpon God their Father and the infallible Church their mothers blessing their soules are bound to rest without further doubt or demand Whence vnlesse they vse so me mentall reseruation or seeke to shrowd themselus in the former aequiuocation hetherto vnfolded they must of necessity account themselues accursed if they deny the last or finall resolution of their beliefe to be into the Churches infallibility or veracity Againe what reasonable man would demand further resolution of any doubts incident to his faculty bee it reall or verball speculatiue or practicke then into the prime and immediate rules He should surely be lasht in a Grammer schoole that eyther for quantity of syllables right accent construction of wordes or the like would seeke a fuâ—ther reason then a knowne generall rule which admitteth no exception So should he with disgrace bee turned ouer the Barre amongst the Lawyers that would demurre or seeke a deuolution of an euident ruled case which by his owne confession could neuer alter Much more grosse would his absurdity appeare that in the Mathematiques or other demonstratiue science should attempt to resolue a probleme or conclusion further then into an vnquestionable theoreme or definition Finally might wee haue a centumâ—irall Court of all professions vnder the sunne our aduersaries would bee condemned with ioint consent eyther of intollerable folly or impudency if they should with Valentian deny the last resolution of their faith to bee into the Churches infallibility seeing they make it such a Catholike inerrable perpetuall rule of Christian faith as admits no exception no deuolution from it no appeale It is to them more then he said of Logicke Ars artium scientia scientiarum a faculty of faculties a Rule of Rules able rightly to resolue all doubts concerning the very Canon of Scriptures or Gods word written or vnwritten or the true sense or meaning of both briefly able most authentically to determine define all controuersies in Religion of what kind soeuer 4 Nor will it boot them ought to say that Gods word in the Churches mouth is the Rule whereinto faith is finally resolued seeing the Church defines nothing but by Gods word eyther written or vnwritten For this is more then the party which beleeues it can know nor hath hee any other motiue to belieue it besides the Churches definition or assertion Suppose then wee should conceiue so well of a temporall Iudge as to presume hee did neuer speake but according to the true meaning eyther of statute or customary law yet if wee could not know eyther the one or the other or their right interpretation but onely by his determinations the law were little beholden to him vnlesse for a floute that should say he were resolued iointly by the Iudge and it For seeing the Law is to him altogether vncertaine but by the Iudges auouchment or interpretation his last resolution of any act of iustice must bee onely into the Iudges skill and fidelity This inference Sacroboscus would nor deny hee himselfe hath made the like to proue that not the Scripture but the Church must bee the infallible rule of faith You will obiect saith he when the Church defines it alwayes defines according to the word of God eyther written or vnwritten New reuelations it receiues none the promised assistance of the spirit helps it onely to know what is alreadie reuealed Therefore from the first to the last that which determines controuersies and is the Iudge in all questions of faith is the word of God To this obiection thus hee answeres because we cannot be certaine of the true sense of Gods word but by the voice of the Church which heares our controuersies and answeres them The Church is Iudge although it iudge according to Gods word which vpon examination and by the spirits assistance it alwayes vnderstands a right And if euery one of vs should haue the infallible gift of vnderstanding Gods word wee should not neede any other Iudge The Reader I hope will remember what was said before that those flowting hypocrites would faine beleeue the Pope saith nothing but what God saith that God may be thought to say all he sayes which is the most abhominable blasphemie that euer Hell broacht worse then worshipping of Diuels as shal appeare hereafter 5 It may be some Nouice in Artes that hath late read some vulgar Logicians vpon the demonstrations might here frame this doubt in fauour of the Romish Churches Doctrine As the finall cause may be demonstrated by the efficient and the efficient by the final so may the Church be infallibly proued by Scriptures and the Scriptures againe by the Churches authority both infallibly beleeved each for others sake as both the former demonstrations are true and certaine and yet mutually depending one vpon the other 6 This obiection had some late Logicians vnderstood what they said would carry some shew of truth to countenance Valentians former circular resolutioÌ„ but they lace their M rs rule vttered by him Pingui Minerua too too straightly For taking it as they do we shold admit of circular demoÌ„strations the conceit wherof can haue no place but in a giddy braine To demonstrate the finall cause in any worke of Nature were to assigne a Counsailor to the infinite wisdome of the God of Nature in whose intention the end is first and is the cause of all operation or efficiency Who could giue or who would demaund a naturall cause why life should be prescribed for this is the will of him that gaue it If question were made of the manner how the life of man and other creatures is preserued when as their heat might seeme to choake them A man might truly answere by respiration and respiration is from the lungs But it is one thing to aske how or by what meanes another for what end any effect is produced The former is an inquiry of the efficient within these precincts of meanes or motions alwayes prime and independent The later of the final cause absolutely indemonstrable becauses it implies a contradiction to giue a reason why that should be for whose sake all other things of that ranke haue being Nor is the end it selfe to speake properly euer produced though oftimes in common speech we take the effect immediately thereto destinated because most sensible for the end it selfe as we doe the starre next to the pole because visible for the pole or point immoueable Thus we confound respirations or actuall preseruation of life with the finall cause why men haue lungs when as both are effects of the lungs