Heâ—od the voice of God and not of man If he then that abases the Princes come deserues to die what is his desert that insteed of the tried silver of Gods word stamps the name and character of God vpoÌ„ Neâ—ushtan vpon base brafen stuffe of his owne Thirdly No Scripture is of private interpretation saith the Apostle There can therfore be but two certaine and infallible interpreters of Scripture either it selfe or the holy Ghost the author of it It selfe doth then expound it selfe when the wordes circumstances doe sound vnto vs the prime and naturall and principall sense But when the place is obscure involu'd and intricate or when there is contain'd some secret and hidden mystery beyond the prime sense infallibly to shew vs this there can be no interpreter but the holy Ghost that gaue it Besides these two all other interpretation is private Wherefore as the Lords of the Philistines sometimes said of the kine that drew the arke vnto Bethshemesh If they goe of themselues then is this from God but if they goe another way then is it not from God it is some chance that hath hapned vnto vs so may it bee said of all pretended sense of Scripture If Scripture come vnto it of it selfe then is it of God but if it goe another way or if it bee violently vrged and goaded on then is it but a matter of chance of mans wit invention As for those marvailous discourses of some fram'd vpon presumption of the spirits helpe in private in iudging or interpreting of difficult places of Scripture I must needs confesse I haue often wondred at the boldnesse of them The spirit is a thing of darke secret operation the maner of it none can descrie As vnderminers are never seene till they haue wrought their purpose so the spirit is never perceaved but by its effects The effects of the spirit as farre as they concerne knowledge and instruction are not particular information for resolution in any doubtfull case for this were plainely revelation but as the Angell which was sent vnto Cornelius informes him not but sends him to Peter to schoole so the spirit teaches not but stirres vp in vs a desire to learne Desire to learne makes vs thirst after the meanes and pious sedulitie carefulnesse makes vs watchfull in the choice and diligent in the vse of our meanes The promise to the Apostles of the spirit which should lead them into all truth was made good vnto them by private and secret informing their vnderstandings with the knowledge of high and heavenly mysteries which as yet had never entred into the conceit of any man The same promise is made to vs but fulfil'd after another manner For what was written by revelation in their hearts for our instruction haue they written in their bookes To vs for information otherwise then out of these bookes the spirit speaks not WheÌ„ the spirit regenerats a maÌ„ it infuses no knowledge of any point of faith but sends him to the Church and to the Scriptures When it stirres him vp to newnesse of life it exhibits not vnto him an inventory of his sinnes as hitherto vnknowne but either supposes theÌ„ knowne in the law of nature of which no man can bee ignorant or sends him to learne them from the mouth of his teachers More then this in the ordinary proceeding of the holy spirit in matter of instruction I yet could never deserie So that to speake of the helpe of the spirit in private either in dijudicating or in interpreting of Scripture is to speake they knowe not what Which I doe the rather note first because by experience we haue learnt how apt-men are to call their private conceits the spirit And againe because it is the especiall errour with which S. Austine long agoe charged this kinde of men tantò sunt ad seditionem faciliores quantò sibi videntur spiritâ— excellere by so much the more prone are they to kindle schisme and contention in the Church by how much they seeme to themselues to bee endued with a more eminent measure of spirit then their brethren whilst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St Basils speakes vnder pretense of interpretation they violently broach their owne conceits Great then is the danger in which they wade which take vpon them this businesse of interpretation temeritas asserendâ— incertae dubiaeque opinionis saith St Austine difficile sacrilegij crimen evitat the rashnesse of those that averre vncertaine and doubtfull interpretations for Catholike and absolute can hardly escape the sinne of sacrilege But whereas our Apostle saith their owne destruction is the destruction onely their owne this were well if it stretched no farther The ancients much complaine of this offence as an hinderer of the salvation of others There were in the daies of Isidorus Pelusiota some that gaue out that all in the old Testament was spoken of Christi belike out of extreame oppositioÌ„ to the Manichees who on the otherside taught that no text in the old Testament did foretell of Christ That Father therefore dealing with some of that opinion tels them how great the danger of their tenent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if saith he we striue with violence to drawe and apply those texts to Christ which apparantly pertaine not to him we shall gaine nothing but this to make all the places that are spoken of him suspected and so discredite the strength of other testimonies which the Church vsually vrges for the refutation of the Iewes For in these cases a wrosted proofe is like vnto a suborn'd witnesse It never doth helpe so much whilest it is presumed to bee strong as it doth 〈◊〉 when it is discouered to bee weake St Austine in his bookes de Genesi ad litteram sharply â—â—proues some Christians who out of some places of Scripture misvnderstood fram'd vnto themselues a kinde of knowledge in Astronomie and Physiologie quite contrary vntosome parts of heathen learning in this kinde which were true and evident vnto sense A man would thinke that this were but a small errour and yet hee doubts not to call it 〈…〉 perniciosâ—â— maxiâ—â— cavendum His reason warrants the roundnesse of his reproofe For he charges such to haue beene a scandall vnto the word and hinderers of the conversion of some heathen men that were schollars For how saith he shall they beleeue our bookes of Scripture perswading the resurrection of the dead the kingdome of heauen and the rest of the mysteries of our profession if they finde them faultie in these things of which themselues haue vndeniable demonstration yea though the cause wee maintaine bee never so good yet the issue of diseas'd and crazie proofes brought to maintaine it must needs bee the same For vnto all causes be they never so good weakenesse of proofe when it is discovered brings great prejudice but vnto the cause of religion most of all St Austine obseru'd that there were some qui 〈◊〉 de aliquibus qui
â—â—â—anctum nomen profitentur aliquid 〈…〉 velveri putuerit 〈…〉 vt de omnibus hoc credâ—tur◠〈…〉 with religion it selfe theÌ„ it doth with the professors of it Diverse malignants there are who lie in wait to espie where our reasons on which we build are weake and hauing deprehended it in some will earnestly solicit the world to beleeue that all are so if meanes were made to bring it to light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaks vsing for advantage against vs no strength of their owne but the vice and imbecillitie of our defence The booke of the Revelation is a booke full of wonder and mystery the ancients seeme to haue made a religion to meddle with it and thought it much better to admire it with silence then to adventure to expound it and therefore amongst their labours in exposition of Scripture scarsly is there any one found that hath touchâ— it But our age hath taken better heart and scarsly any one is there who hath entertained a good conceit of his owne abilities but he hath taken that booke as a fit argument to spend his paines on That the Church of Rome hath great cause to suspect her selfe to feare least shee haue a great part in the prophecies of that booke I think the most partiall wil not deny Yet vnto the expositors of it I will giue this advise that they look that that befall not them which Thueydides obserues to befall the common sort of men who though they haue good meanes to acquit themselues like men yet when they thinke their best hopes faile them and beginne to despaire of their strength comfort themselues with interpâ—â—â—ati 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 abscure prophecies Many plaine 〈◊〉 of Scripture are very pregnant of sufficient strength to overthrowe the points maintained by that Church against vs. If we leaue these and ground our selues vpon our priuate expositions of this booke wee shall instly seeâ—e in the povertie of better proofes to rest our selues vpon those prophecies which though in themselues they are most certaine yet our expositions of them must 〈◊〉 except God giue yet further light vnto his Church necessarily bee mixt with much vncertaintie as being at the best but vnprobable coniectures of our owne Scarsly can there be found a thing more harmefull to religion then to venâ— thus our own conceits and obtrude them vpon the world for necessary and absolute The Physicians skill as I conceaue of it stands as much â—n opinion as any that I knowe whatsoever Yet their greatest master Hippocrates tells them directly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. then the Physicians praesumption vpon opinion there is not one thing that bringes either more blame to himselfe or danger to his patient If it be thus in an art which opinion taken away must needs fall how little roome then must opinion haue in that knowledge where nothing can haue place but what is of eternal truth where if once we admit of opinion all is overthrowne But I conclude this point adding onely this generall admonition that we be not too peremprorie in our positions where expresse text of Scripture faileâ— vs that we lay not our owne collections conclusions with too much praecipitancie For experience hath shewd vs that the error and weakenesse of them being afterwards discovered brings great disadvantage to Christianitie and trouble to the Church The Easterne Church before St Basils time had entertained generally a conceit that those greeke particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest were so divided among the Trinitie that each of the persons had his particle which was no way appliable to the rest St Basil hauing discovered this to be but a nicenesse and needlesse curiositie beginning to teach so rais'd in the Church such a tumult that hee brought vpon himselfe a great labour of writing many tracts in apologie for himselfe with much adoe eare matters could againe be setled The fault of this was not in Basil who religiously fearing what by way of consequence might ensue vpoÌ„ an error taught a truth but in the Church who formerly had with too much facilitie admitted a conclusion so iustly subiect to exception And let this suffice for our third part Now because it is apparant that the end of this our Apostles admonition is to giue the Church a caveat how shee behaue her selfe in handling of Scripture giue me leaue a little insteed of the vse of such doctrines as I haue formerly laid downe to shew you as farre as my conceit can stretch what course any man may take to saue himselfe from offâ—ing violence vnto Scripture and reasonably settle himselfe any pretended obscuritie of the text whatsoever notwithstanding For which purpose the diligent obseruing of two rules shall bee throughly availeable First The litter all plaine and vncontroversable meaning of Scripture without any addition or supply by way of interpretation is that alone which for ground of faith we are necessarily bound to accept except it bee there where the holy Ghost himselfe treads vs out another waie I take not this to bee any peculiar conceit of mine but that vnto which our Church stands necessarily bound When wee receded from the Church of Rome one motiue was because she added vnto Scripture her glosses as Canonicall to supply what the plaine text of Scripture could not yeeld If in place of hers wee set vp our owne glosses thus to doe were nothing else but to pull downe Baal and set vp an Ephod to runne round and meet the Church of Rome againe in the same point in which at first wee left her But the plaine evident and demonstratiue ground of this rule is this That authoritie which doth warrant our faith vnto vs must every way be free from all possibilitie of errour For let vs but once admit of this that there is any possibility that any one point of faith should not be true if it bee once granted that I may bee deceaued in what I haue beleeued how can I be assur'd that in the end I shall not be deceaued If the author of faith may alter or if the evidence and assurance that hee hath left vs be not pregnant and impossible to bee defeated there is necessarily opened an inlet to doubtfulnesse and wauering which the nature of faith excludes That saith therefore may stand vnshaken two things are of necessitie to concurre First that the author of it bee such a one as can by no meanes be deceaued and this can bee none but God Secondly that the words and text of this author vpon whom we ground must admit of no ambiguitie no vncertainetie of interpretation If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who shall provide himselfe to battle If the words admit a double sense and I follow one who can assure mee that that which I followe is the truth For infallibility either in iudgement or interpretation or whatsoever is annext neither to the sea of any Bishop nor to the Fathers nor to the Councells nor
of that land they are as mâ—â—t vnto vs theâ—â— shadow is departed from themâ— the Lord is with vs feare them not Only let vs not thinke 〈◊〉 â—ot is dâ—bellari posse that the conquest will be gotteÌ„ by sitting still and wishing al were well or that the walls of those strong 〈◊〉 will fâ—ll downe if wee only walke about them blow rammes hornes But as the voice of Gods people sometime was by the sâ—â—rd of God and of Gedeon so that which here giues the victory must bee the grace of God and our industrie For by this circumcised narrow and penurious forme of studie wee shall be no more able to keepe pace with them then a child caÌ„ with Hercules But I forbeare and passe awaie vnto the second epitheâ— by which these rackers of Scriptures are by St Peter stiledâ— Vnstable In the learning which the world teaches it were almost a miracle to finde a man coÌ„stant to his own tenents For not to doubt in things in which wee are conversant is either by reason of excellency serenitie of vnderstanding throughly apprehending the maine principles on which all things are grounded together with the deserying of the severall passages from them vnto particular conclusions and the diverticles and blind by-paths which Sophistâ—ie and deceit are wont to tread and such a man cannâ—t â—e never yeeld or else it is through a senselesse stupiditie like vnto that in the commoÌ„ sort of men who coÌ„versing among the creatures and beholding the course of heaven and the heavenly hoast yet never attend them neither ever sâ—â—kes into their heads to marvaile or question these things so full of doubt and difficultie Even such◠〈…〉 that learnes Theologie in the schoole of 〈…〉 to participate of aâ—y 〈…〉 composednesse of conscience Either it never comes into his head to doubt of any of those things with which the world hath inâ—◠〈…〉 if it doth it is 〈…〉 great purpose he may smother and strangle he can never resolue his doubt The reason of which is this It lies not in the worlds power to giue in this case a text of sufficieÌ„t authority to compose fix the thoughts of a soule that is dispos'd to doubt But this great inconvenience which held the world in vncertaintie by the providence of God is prevented in the Church For vnto it is left a certaine vndoubted and sufficient authority able to exalt every valley and lay low every hill to smooth all rubs make our way so open and passable that little enquirie serues So that as it were a wonder in the schoole of nature to find one setled and resolued so might it seeme a marvaile that in the Church any man is vnstable vnresolued Yet notwithstanding even here is the vnstable maÌ„ found too to his charge the Apostle laies this sinne of wresting of Scripture For since that it is confest at all hands that the sense and meaning of Scripture is the rule and ground of our Christian tenents whensoever we alter them wee must needs giue a new sense vnto the word of God So that the man that is vnstable in his religion can never be free from violating of Scripture The especiall cause of this levitie and flitting disposition in the common and ordinary sort of men is their disabilitie to discerne of the strength of such reasons as may be fram'd against them For which cause they vsually start and many times fall awaie vpon every obiection that is made In which too suddaine entertainment of obiections they resemble the state of 〈◊〉 who are 〈◊〉 recouâ—ed out of some long sicknesse 〈…〉 Who never more wrong themselues then by suspecting every alteration of their tempeâ— and being affrighted at every little passion of heat as if it were an ague fit To bring these men therefore vnto an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to purchase them a setlednes of minde that temper that St Austine doth require in him that reads his booke tales meotum Scriptorum velim iudices qui responsionem non semper desiderent qâ—â—m 〈◊〉 quae legâ—ntur audier in t ali quid contradict the same temper must be found in eâ—ery reader of Scripture hee must not bee aâ— a stand and require an answer to every obiectioÌ„ that is made against them For as the Philosopher tels vs that mad and fantasticall men are very apprehensiue of all outward accidents because their soule is inwardly emptie and vnfurnished of any thing of worth which might hold the inward attention of their minds so when wee are so easily dord and amated with every Sophisme it is a certaine argument of great defect of inward furniture and worth which should as it were ballace the minde and keep it vpright against all outward occurrents whatsoever And be it that many times the meanes to open such doubts bee not at hand yet as St Austine sometime spake vnto his scholler 〈…〉 concerning such advise and counsaile as he had given him Nolo te causas rationesque rimâ—ri quae etiamsi reddi possint fides tamen quae mihi credis non eas debeo so much more must we thus resolue of those lessons which God teacheth vs the reasons and grounds of them though they might be giuen yet it fits not that credit and trust which we owe him once to search into or call in question And so I come to the third generall part the danger of wresting of Scripture in the last wordes vnto their owne damnation The reward of every sin is death As the worme eates out the heart of the plant that bred it so whatsoeuer is done amisse naturally workes no other end but the destruction of him that doth it As this is true in generall so is it as true that wheÌ„ the Scripture doth precisely note out vnto vs some sinne and threatens death vnto it it is commonly an argument that there is more then ordinarie that there is some especiall sinne which shall drawe with it some especiall punishment This sin of wresting of Scripture in the eie of some of the ancients seem'd so ougly that they haue ranged it in the same ranke with the sinne against the holy Ghost And therefore haue they pronounced it a sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater then can bee pardoned For the most part of other sinnes are sinns of infirmitie or simplicitie but this is a sinne of wit and strength The man that doth it doth it with a high hand he knowes and sees and resolues vpon it Againe Scripture is the voice of God and it is confest by all that the sense is Scripture rather theÌ„ the words It cannot therefore be avoided but hee that wilfully striues to faesten some sense of his owne vpon it other then the very nature of the place will beare must needs take vpon him the person of God become a new indiâ—eâ— of Scripture and all that applaud and giue conâ—enâ— vnto any such in effect cry the same that the people did to