God that maketh him to will or to worke for then God should not be the first mouer and the first cause of all things but therefore he willeth Rom. 9. 19. because he willeth And yet farre be it from any Religious heart to thinke that the most wise God willeth any thing without good and sufficient reason or that he speaketh any thing idlely or in vaine The Word of the Lord is the Fountaine Eccles 1. 5. of Wisedome and therefore openeth all Divine truthes by their right and proper reasons And all the workes of God are done in number weight and measure he hath giuen to euery severall creature according to it's kinde it 's seuerall nature with properties qualities fitted thereunto And he hath ordained euery thing to cōsist of such such causes faculties powers as were best agreeing to such 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. 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 are 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 fled into banishment Aegypt Matth. 2. 13. The place where he was brought vp Naezareth 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 greater part of that Epistle the interpretation of hi◠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. 4e 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 Cicero 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 not to performe the thing therein commanded For as Tertullian saith if a Law will not be tryed Tert. in Apol. Quod ad omnes attinet ab oinnibus debet approbari 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 behoouefull 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
clensed Such is the force of divine wisedome that it being once admitted into the heart of man it will at once dispossesse folly the very mother of all trangressions This truth was knowne to the Heathen themselues who not onely auouched that Pallas the Lady of wisedome subdued the giants when they rebelled against God but also that Perseus by the helpe of Minerva the Lady of learning and all one with Pallas did cut off the head of Medusa who by her lookes did turne men into stones Vnder the which fabulous fictions this truth was deliuered that they are the most powerfull instructions of diuine wisedome that can subdue our rebellious and Giant-like affections and can make soft and meeke our hard and stony hearts If ye continue in my word saith our blessed Sauiour ye shall know the truth Ioh. 8. 31. and the truth shall make you free It is then the knowledge of the truth which is all one with sauing faith and diuine wisdome that freeth vs from the bondage we were held vnder by our naturall errours and sins and doth purifie our hearts and sanctifie our mindes by causing Act. 15. 9. Ioh. 17. 17. them to heaâ—ken most attentiuely to all iust and equall motions and to all diuine and heauenly counsels The truth is that good counsels are no commaund to Counsell is no command vide to fools sed dictum sapientisat est fooles which will not hearken to them yet to the wise hearted they are of great waight and their aduise with them doth greatly preuaile The holy Counsels of God arising out of himselfe doth cause him so perfectly to behold the glorious beauty of that which is holy iust and good and so constantly to cleaue thâ—râ—o that it is altogether impossible that he should fall away from the same and doe any thing that is sinfull and euill The continuall intention of contemplation doth cause the elect Angels and Saints in heauen to cleaue stedfastly vnto God and constantly to continue in his seruice So the daily meditation and recordation of the equity and wisdome and holinesse and righteousnesse of the diuine and heauenly instructions of Gods holy word doth cause the faithfull in this life to be carefull to auoid all occasions of euill and to imbrace Psal 78. 7. all prouocations to good For it must needes be that as the scale sinketh downe in the ballance when waight is put into it so the minde must yeeld it captiue vnto truth and by consequent vnto vertue when by the weight of sound reason it is euidently cleered and confirmed as Tully could teach in his Academicall questions The minde of man is the absolute Monarch and the highest commander of all the powers of mans soule in it selfe it doth conceiue and beget reason and by it selfe and by reason doth bring foorth the will Amand. Pola lib. 1. log cap. 11. which is nothing else but a desire flowing from the minde Kecker Syst Theolo lib. 1. fol. 68. So that how much more there is of the vnderstanding in any thing so much more also there is of the will and by how much more also a good thing is knowne by so much the more it is willed and desired Kecker Syst Theolo lib. 1. fol. 28. As it is euident by the dolefull complaint that Saint Austine made against himselfe vnto the Lord saying Hence it is O Lord that I doe not loue thee so Aug. Solilo ca. 1. much as I should because I doe not fully know thee yea because I know thee but a little therefore doe I loue thee but a little and therefore doe I but a little reioyce in thee And hence it is that Angels and men haue this prerogatiue Doctor Field of the Church lib. 1. cap. 1. aboue all the residue of the Lords creatures that they are able to will and to desire any thing whatsoeuer it be because the desire flowing from the formes and resemblances shining in the minde and apprehended in the vnderstanding in that the formes and resemblances of all things may shine in their mindes and be apprehended of their vnderstandings by reason of their spirituall and immateriall natures and therefore their wils and desires may extend themselues to all things also Yea the minde of it selfe is only partaker of reason by the light whereof euery thing is knowne and is desired accordingly whereas the will is so only from the participation of the minde and therefore is not the ruler and commander of the minde but is commanded and ruled thereby For the will cannot desire any thing at all vntill it take notice thereof from the minde as of a thing which for such and such reasons is so and so to be desired The will and affections either as stout and stately Peeres or as cunning and politique Counsellers or as violent and importunate suiters and solliciters may somtimes dazle the vnderstanding by mouing it to hearken to false informations and to wrongfull suggestions and so may after a sort ouerrule the minde and make it to yeeld to that which it ought not and to command to put the same in execution yet still the minde is the supreame iugde that must pronounce the definitiue sentence before the will and affections as vnder officers can put the same in execution For the will doth not chuse or refuse any thing that the vnderstanding hath not first determined Zanâ—h de oper Dei fol 886. Quod est affirmatio negatio in intellectu hoc est prosecutio fuga in voluntate Arist Moral l. 6. c. 2. that it ought either to be imbraced or refused as Zanchius affirmeth insomuch that that which is affirmed or denied of the minde euen that is embraced or refused of the will For there are two originall causes of all humane actions the vnderstanding and the will whereof the vnderstanding as it is the first in place and worke so it is that which must set the will on worke also seeing there can be no will or desire to that which is vnknowne and therefore when any one seeth that which is good and yet willeth and doeth that which is euill he cannot doe so vntill the minde being seduced taketh that which is euill to be good and so setteth the will on work to desire the same for the will cannot desire that which it taketh to be simply euill but either that which is good indeed or at the least seemeth to be so And therefore there must bee Kecherm Syst Theol. l. 2. f 219. first an errour in the vnderstanding before there can be an offence in the will So Salomon doo they not erre that imagine Prou. 14. 22. euill things So the wicked themselues confesse when they are forced to acknowledge the truth We say Sap. 5. 6. they haue erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs the Sunne of vnderstanding rose not vpon vs For as Philosophers Schoolemen and experience it selfe doth
the Church of England is agreeable to the coÌ„mon grounds and principles of our Christian Profession contained in the Articles of our Creede the Law of God the Lord's Prayer the doctrine of the Sacraments and in those other generall rules of holy Scripture wherein are set down all such circumstances as are requisite to euery good worke Now in this third part I endeauour to make it euident that the same doctrine is agreeable to all the rules of right reasoning therefore also is orthodoxe sound For the declaration and demonstration of the truth of euery thing is nothing els but a declaration and demonstration of a true definition and diuision thereof and of the causes and effects and of all other arguments that agree thereunto as I haue already proued in a little Treatise entituled The reasonablenesse of wise and holy Truth and The absurdity of wicked and foolish errour being the fore-runner of this large Volume 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 Logicake 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 materiall cause is an assent vpon knowledge Iohn 6. 69. The formall cause is a sure and settled assent grounded vpon a sure settled 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 diuine graces and fruits of the spirit Acts 26. 18. so an holy confidence and an assurance of God's loue and a comfortable boldnesse to come vnto God as vnto a gracious and louing Father Eph. 3. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 10. The subiect wherein 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. Acts. 26. 18. the obiect thereof is all diuine truths Rom. 15. 4. especially the Couenant of grace founded vpon Christ Ioh. 20. 31. 1 Pet. 1. 21. the attributes are that it is sound orthodoxe and Catholicke that is one and the same in all the true seruants of God which haue bin are or shal be to the end of the world Heb. 11. 2. Eph. 4. 5. Things diuers are a sleight opinion Acts 26. 28. and a temporary Faith Mat. 13. 20. Things contrary are presumption fleshly security either bred by confidence in teÌ„porall prosperity Isay 28. 15. or in the outward pledges of God's loue Ierem. 7. 4. or in the outward shew of good workes Rom. 9. 32. 10. 3. Things priuatiuely opposite are ignorance Eph. 4. 18. a blind Faith Mat. 13. 19. and sophisticall infidelity 1 Cor. 1. 2â— That which is plaine contradictory is flat Atheisme Sap. 2. 1. Act. 23. 8 things like are a bodily eye Ioh. 9. 39. a bodily hand â— 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 Fides 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 people 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 exemplifying 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 auouncheth 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 sound there is no reason to giue credit to that reason whereof there cannot bee yeelded a sufficient reason Cic. 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 bom 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. â— 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 sound reason make Truth
graces as being the fruitfull mother tender nurse of them all 6 The Christian Faith only doth giue vndeeeiuable assurance of the loue of God of aeternall happines obtained thereby to all the sincere embracers thereof 7 The dignity and vtility of Faith and the difficulty of obtaining and encreasing the same THE QVAESTIONS THAT ARE handled in the second part which are declared by arguments taken from all the Topick places Quaestions handled by argumente drawn from the efficient Cause The Church is not alwayes glorious notorious as a Citty set vpon a high hill All the workes of the most holy in this life are stained with sinne The ignorance and not the knowledge of holy Scripture is the cause of all errours and sinnes From the materiall Cause Not the sufferings and righteousnes of any meere man but onely of our most blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthines to satisfie for sinne or to purchase the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the very Body Blood of Christ The righteousnes prescribed in the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnes whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnes which is said to be obtained by the vndertaking of Popish vowes From the formall cause We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law which are wrought by our selues but for those which were done by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person for vs and are made ours by the Lord 's gracious imputation The forme and manner to attaine to true sanctification is not to receiue the holy Word of God and the Sacraments onely with our bodily senses but rather with the powers of our Soules nor to trauaile farre and neare on pilgrimage to see and kisse holy Reliques but to see and touch holy things by the inward powers of our mindes which are the proper subiects of sanctification From the finall cause Saluation and aeternall life is from our blessed Sauiour and not from any other person or thing The outward Elements in the Eucharist are not Bread and Wine in shew but in substance There is no miraculous turning of Bread Wine in the Eucharist into the very Body and Blood of Christ nor any other the like miracle Iustification is by faith alone not by faith and workes ioyned together in that worke The faithfull after this life are not punished in the fire of Purgatory From the effects The carnall eating of Christ's Body is nothing auaileable to aeternall life but only the spirituall eating thereof by faith Concupiscence is sinne euen in the Regenerate The workes of God reuealed in the Scriptures doe manifestly declare them to bee the word of God especially the worke of Regeneration wrought by the wise and powerfull doctrine thereof in the hearts of all the sincere embracers of the same and therefore they are not to be receiued for such only vpon the testimony of the Church The Soule of our Sauiour Christ descended locally into hell From the Subiect Fasting or any outward thing doth not sanctifie any but only the inward graces of the spirit and such things as doe breed strengthen the same There is no such place appointed for the faithfull as Purgatory is faigned to be Christ is not corporally in the Eucharist but only in Heauen The City of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the titulary Catholick Roman Church is the certaine seat of the great Antichrist of the latter times From the adiuncts The Word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credit to it's selfe and doth cause it selfe to bee beleeued and embraced as the Word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrine contained therein and not only for the bare testimony of the Church Kneeling is the fittest gesture of the body at the reuerent receiuing of the holy Eucharist Holines doth not consist in vowing to abstain from riches meates and marriages but rather in the holy and lawfull vse of them The Body of Christ is at one time but in one place Christ's Body and Blood ought not and in truth cannot bee often offered vp to God by the Masse Priests as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead Christ's flesh is not eaten with our bodily mouthes It is a property only belonging to God to forgiue sinne Enoch and Elias cannot come in their owne persons to resist Antichrist and to be slain of him Frō things that be diuerse Regeneration is not wrought by the power of free-will but by the operation of the spirit of God None are elected for foreseene workes Frō things that be contrary A true faith is not seated in that soule where infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Saluation is not merited by our own workes Frō things that bee opposite priuatiuely The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiousty good Frō things depending vpon relation No diuine worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Frō things that haue the same proportion of reason The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnes of Christ imputed vnto them The faithfull may aswell know themselues to be endued with true loue as with true faith The Cup in the Eucharist is not to bee taken away from the Lords people The paines of Popish pennance or Purgatory cannot be satisfactory for the least sinne Matrimony is lawfull for the ministers of the Gospell The nailes and speare wherewith our blessed Sauiours most precious Body was tormented grieuously are not to bee worshipped with diuine worship Frō things that haue the greater proportion of reason The sinnes of the faithfull shall not be punished in the fire of Purgatory The Sacraments be not instruments of grace vnlesse their vses be rightly vnderstood Images are not to be worshipped with diuine worship The word of God is not to be read vnto the simple people in a strange tongue In all matters that concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God no doctrine is to be receiued which is not warranted by the authority of the Canonicall Scripture Frō things that haue the lesse proportion of reason The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of voluntary pouerty is the way to perfection The people ought to be able to discerne the doctrine of their teachers Our whole iustification is by the free vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The going on pilgrimage to visit the relickes of the Saints doth not sanctifie The faithfull haue the assurance of their own saluation giuen vnto them The least sinnes are mortall and damnable All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures The faithfull embrace the Scriptures as the Word of God for it selfe not only for the testimony of the Church The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously
double keyes and swords giuen in their Armes and carried before them and so it was really acted by Boniface the eight who one day shewed himselfe vnto the people in his Papall attire and the next day in the robes of an Emperour And it hath a long time been practised by them all and is still defended by most of their followers as a soueraignty that iustly belongeth vnto them And was not this most plainly fore-told by the Apostle that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God not in the Temple of God at Ierusalem seeing that was vtterly to be destroyed and neuer to be built againe but in the Temple of God seated in the greatest City of his Antichristian Dominion that is in Babylonish Rome and that he should exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God and worshipped that is aboue all ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours of whom it is written I haue said yee are Gods Yea and that he should sit in the Temple Ioh. 8. 34. of God as God that is as Gods Lieutenant Generall and Christ Vicar vniuersall not onely in earth but also in Purgatory and in heauen also as it is signified by his triple Crowne And doth he not by his Indulgences take vpon him to open the doores of Purgatory at his pleasure And by Canonizing of Saints doth hee not take vpon him to giue greater or lesser dignities in the Kingdome of Heauen No maruell then that he taketh vpon him to dispose of temporall Kingdomes and earthly crownes and to possesse and dispossesse Kings of their Regalities at his owne will For this great Antichrist in his transcendent pride will not content himselfe with the honour and dignity of a great starre as all the ancient Bishops of Rome were wont to doe but he will aduance himselfe into the throne of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse that all the greatest starres both in the ciuill and also in the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment may take their light and authority from him For if wee will beleeue his Parasires his supremacy is so much greater then the Emperours as the Sunne is greater then the Moone QVEST. XXV The word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credite to it selfe and doth cause it selfe to be beleeued and imbraced as the word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrines contained therein and not onely for the bare testimony of the Church Behold saith Moses I haue taught you ordinances and Arguments drawne from the attributes or adiuncts Deut. 4. 5. lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that yee should doe euen so in the land whether ye goe to possesse it Keepe them therfore and doe them for it is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people that shall heare all these ordinances and say onely this people is wise and vnderstanding and a great Nation For what Nation is so great that hath Ordinances and Lawes so righteous as all this Law is that I haue set before thee this day In which words Moses prooueth that his doctrine which hee deliuered vnto the children of Israell was of GOD because it was a wise and a righteous doctrine able to iustifie it selfe to be so euen in the iudgement of the Heathen themselues which did rightly vnderstand and apprehend the same And verily as it was foretold by Moses so it came to passe many ages following For euen then when the children of Israel had lost their worldly estate glory and countrey it selfe for their transgressing of this most wise and righteous Law of their most wise and righteous God and had made themselues vile and contemptible in respect of their vile and base designes yet these vile and base captiues gaue Lawes to such of their glorious Conquerours as did labour to vnderstand the wisedome and righteousnesse of their Lawes In so much that they being Aliens vnto them in Nation yet became Proselytes and Allies Victi victoribus leges dabant Aug de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. 11. vnto them in their holy profession Yea the further degenerate posterity of this people who had heartened and hardened themselues to transgresse these wise and holy Commandements of God that they might obserue their owne absurde Matth. 15 3. Luk. 4. 22. and sottish traditions did wonder at the gracious words that proceeded out of our Sauiours mouth when he opened vnto them the high wisdome and holinesse of those diuine doctrines that were deliuered vnto their Fathers by Moses and the Prophets and gaue this testimony vnto him Neuer man spake Ioh. 7. 46. as this man speaketh No maruell then that when the Apostles were sent by our blessed Sauiour to open these wise and righteous counsels of God to all creatures they soone subdued the whole world and brought some of all conditions and callings therein vnto the obedience of the faith of Christ In truth the strange Miracles that were wrought by their Ministery gaue testimony to the doctrine that was preached by them that it was diuine and so procured audience thereunto but it was the word of faith it selfe that bred faith Miracles were meanes to bring many to the outward court of the Temple of God and to the doore of Christs Church but it was the key of the knowledge of the diuine mysteries themselues Luke 11. 52. that vnlocked the Church doores and opened an entrance vnto them into the house of God For it is the heauenly wisedome and righteousnesse of the Diuine doctrines of the Word of God that can cause vs to receiue the vision for 1 Thess 2. 13. the vision it selfe and to embrace the word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God The holy and religious behauiour of the teachers and professors of the truth may with the woman of Samaria bring many vnto Christ and perswade them to hearken to the doctrine of faith but the holinesse and equity of the doctrine it selfe will cause all such as rightly apprehend the same to professe with those conuerts of Samaria and to say Now we beleeue not any longer by reason of the bare words of the Teachers and professors of truth for we heard it our selues and haue felt such a diuine power therin that we willingly subscribe thereto for that most sufficient euidence that it giueth to it selfe And so doth Stapleton auouch concerning all the faithfull Stap. doct princ lib. 8. cap. 22. that they being at the first induced to beleeue for the voyce of the Church and lightned with the bright lustre of diuine inspiration do not any longer beleeue for the voyce of the Church but for the diuine light it selfe And verily all such as are once brought to the faith and setled therein ought not as Austin Aug. de Catechis rud cap. 25. teacheth measure religion by the professors thereof but by the equity and sanctity of the doctrine it selfe neither ought they to iudge of the doctrine by the persons that professe the same but of
they should be as Gods knowing good and euill whereas in truth they thereby became diuels and depriued themselues and all their posterity of all knowledge of that which was truely good and of all will thereunto QVEST. LIX No man can make satisfaction to God for transgressing of any of his holy Lawes If a Fellon that hath stollen but a sheepe cannot make satisfaction by his repentance or by any good worke be it neuer so great for this trespasse against the Law of his Prince albeit it be but once committed but must be condemned and suffer for it if he cannot read as a Clarke or be not releeued by a gracious pardon from his Prince much lesse can any one by his repentance or any other good worke satisfie for any trespasse committed against any one of the holy Lawes of God but hee must be condemned and suffer for it vnlesse he can reade the Couenant of grace written in his owne heart and finde therein the pardon of his sinnes procured vnto him by the most precious Bloud of Christ Wherefore howsoeuer the proud Romanists by their own deuised workes of satisfaction satisfie and please themselues and their blind followers yet they shall be neuer able thereby to satisfie and please God QVEST. LX. The people ought not to imbrace the doctrine of their Teachers without triall It is no wisedome in matters whereon our whole estate in this world consisteth to commit them wholly to thecare of others and not to looke into them our selues how much lesse wisedome is it in matters of faith whereon dependeth the saluation of our soules to suffer our Teachers to deliuer vnto vs for the ground-worke thereof what doctrine they list without due examination and triall especially seeing that the Spirit of God commandeth vs otherwise to doe Let thine Eyes saith Solomon behold the right and let thine eye-liddes direct thy Pro. 4. 25. way before thee Ponder the Path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be ordered aright So Iesus the Sonne of Syrach Take counsell Eccl 37. 13. of thine owne heart for there is none more faithfull vnto thee then it For a mans minde is sometimes accustomed to shew him more then seuen watchmen that sit aboue in an high towre We must not then trust our Teachers eyes but our owne nor rest wholly vpon the warning of our watchmen but keepe watch and ward our selues ouer our owne soules The welfare of euery one 's owne soule concerneth himselfe most and therefore it lyeth vpon himselfe to looke to himselfe into the doctrine that he receiueth from his Teachers that it be wholsome sound and powerful to beget and increase a true faith because theron dependeth the welfare of his owne soule And verily if a man may tell money after his bodily Father and not trust his eyes in the tale thereof how much more may he examine the doctrine of his ghostly Father whether it hath vpon it the right stampe and whether he hath deliuered his iust and full tale especially seeing the Lord doth enable him thereto if he belong to the Couenant of Grace For this is the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israell after those Heb. 8. 10. dayes saith the Lord I will put my Lawes in their minde and in their heart will I write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euery man his neighbour and euery one his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of theÌ„ to the greatest of them By the which words it is not meant that there shall be no teachers vnder the Couenant of Grace for there shall be teachers and learners Doctors and Disciples vnto the end of the world and that not without great cause but that the Disciples and Learners vnder the time of Grace shall haue such a measure of Knowledge giuen vnto them that they shall not imbrace the doctrines of faith vpon the bare word of their Teachers but vpon their own sufficient knowledge and iudgement yea they shall all be indued with such a sound iudgement that if any would teach them any strange doctrine and seek to mislead them into errors they shall not hearken vnto Ioh. 10. 5. them nor giue care to such deceiuers QVEST. LXI It is not safe to trust to the Priests Masses nor to the Fryers Prayers nor to the Popes Pardons pretending to disburse the surplussage of the Saints workes and to neglect to seeke after such a faith of our owne as may make vs fruitfull in all good workes and giue vs interest in Christ and in all his gifts Drink thy water of thine own Cisterne and of the Riuer out of Pro. 5. 15. the midst of thine own well Let thy fountaines flow forth and the riuers of waters in the streets but let theÌ„ be thine euen thine only and not the straÌ„gers with thee Now if it behoueth euery one to endeauour to get some temporall liuing of his own not to trust to the beneficence of another seeing euen a poore mans Eccl. 29. 24. life in his owne Lodge is better then delicate fare in another mans then much more euery wise Christian ought not to trust to the Priests Masses nor to the Fryers Prayers nor to the Popes Pardons although they promise the disbursing therein of the surplussage of the Saints good workes but to prouide for himselfe a true Christian faith that may incorporate him into Christ and make him fruitfull in all good works For the iust shall liue by his owne faith and by the Lampe thereof Heb. 2. 4. be directed in the right way to the Kingdome of God whereas the oyle thereof will not be sufficient to serue himselfe for that purpose and others also euery one therefore ought to buy of Christ Gold tryed in the fire that thereby hee Matth. 25. 1. himselfe may be made rich and white rayment that hee may be clothed and that his fiâ—thy nakednesse doe not appeare and annoint also his owne eyes with eye-salue that he may see Yea let euery Apoc. 3. 18. one proue his owne worke and so he shall haue reioycing in himselfe Gal. 6. 4. and not in another for euery one shall beare his owne burthen QVEST. LXII God did predestinate before all worlds some to euerlasting saluation in Christ and others to perish through their owne sinnes Hath not the Potter saith the Apostle power of the Clay Rom. 9. 21. to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And shall not God himselfe haue liberty to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne by suffering with long Patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and to declare the riches of his mercy vpon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared to glory In a great house are not onely vessels of Gold 2 Tim. 2. 20. and siluer but also of wood and of
Law which was foure hundred and Gen. 22. 18. thirty yeares after cannot disanull the Couenant that was confirmed a fore of God in respect of Christ that the promise should be of none effect And therefore all such of our Romanists which will needes adde to eternall blessednesse giuen freely in Christ the meriting thereof by their owne workes are iustly chargeable as guilty of grieuous sacriledge because they adde to the couenant of God QVEST. LXVII Vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ As Botches and Sores and all corrupt humours are to the body of Man so are all vngodly persons to the Church Isay 1. 5. which is the mysticall Body of Christ But Botches and Sores and corrupt humors are no members of mans Body but when they are taken away the Body is eased and made whole and sound also So vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ But as Saint Iohn saith are the limbes and 1 Ioh. 3. 8. members of the Deuill howsoeuer they themselues are perswaded to the contrary QVEST. LXVIII The testimony of God set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures and not receiued from vnwritten Traditions is the onely sure euidence and ground of truth As in buying and selling of temporall commodities euery honest subiect will bee content to stand to the measures weights and ballances that are marked and sealed with the marke and seale which is allowed by the Kings Law and to receiue for currant all such coine as beareth the Image and Matth. 22. 20. superscription of the Prince and to refuse all other so euery good Christian is religiously to embrace that doctrine that beareth the stampe of the Canonicall Scriptures and is liable to those measures weights and ballances and hath iust cause to refuse all that which will not hold weight by them So reasoneth Saint Austin Let vs not bring forth deceitfull Aug cont Denat l. 2. c. 6. ballances whereinto we may put what we will after our owne lust say this is heauy or this is light but let vs produce the diuine ballance out of the holy Scriptures as out of the Lords store-house and into it let vs put that which hath weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell is that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purged but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Trentals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is not now to be esteemed an holy Land The Iewes themselues are now an vnholy and a detested Arguments drawen from the Coniugates that is from such things as agree in nature and in name Nation and therefore Iury is now to be esteemed to be an vnholy and detested Land While the Iewes were an holy people and did faithfully performe those holy duties that their most holy God required in his most holy Lawes then Iury where this holy people inhabited was worthily accounted an holy Land but when they became an vnholy people and defiled their hands with the bloud of Christ and his Martyres those their vncleane workes polluted and defiled their very name and caused it to be had in detestation And why also did they not as well defile their very Land and cause it to be had in execration Surely God himselfe had it in execration when he sent into it the abomination of desolation that is Mat. 24. 15. Luke 21. 20. as Saint Luke expoundeth and explaineth it A destroying army to bring it to vtter desolation that being an euident argument that the Lord had that Land in extreame abomination Now if God himselfe had Iury in extreame abomination then vndoubtedly it is no holy Land QVEST. LXXII The will of man is not by nature free The faithfull themselues are not free indeed vntill by Christ Ioh. 8. 36. they are made free how then can their will be free as long as they continue in the state of nature So reasoneth Saint Austin Aug. ad Bonif. l. 1. c. 3. Why do miserable men dare to be proud of their free will before they themselues be made free or of their own strength Aug. de corrept grat cap. 13. if now they be made free seeing free will not freed is free from righteousnesse and a slaue to sinne QVEST. LXXIII All the faithfull are Saints Such onely are Saints in the Church of Rome that are Canonised by the Popes or at the least are thought by them to be worthy to haue their names put into the Romish Calender But all the faithfull whereof an huge number are not thus dignified by the Pope are sanctified by the Holy Ghost and 1 Cor. 6. 11.
scire Quaestio an sit alia est à quaestione quid sit thereof A man may know by the testimony of another that there is such or such a thing but he cannot know what it is vnlesse he know the definition thereof wherein are set downe Definitio explicat quid sit res the true causes of the thing whereby the thing it selfe is made knowne It is not then the bare testimony of the Church that can make knowne vnto vs any doctrine of faith vnlesse the causes and reason thereof be opened and cleared vnto vs out of the word of God QVEST. LXXXVI A Bishop may be a ciuill Magistrate or any other sufficient Ecclesiasticall person A ciuill Magistrate is such an one as is placed to gouerne in the Temporall estate by such as haue power by the Lawes and customes of the Land to giue vnto him that authority And a good ciuill Magistrate is he that is indued with those qualities which God requireth in euery good Magistrate viz. That he be a man of courage fearing God dealing truely and Exod. 18. 21. hating couetousnesse And he that is thus qualified is called of God to be a Magistrate seeing Gods calling of any person vnto an office is nothing else but his induing of him with those gifts whereby he is made fit to execute the same Whosoeuer then is thus called by GOD and by man Heb. 5. 4. to be a Ciuill Magistrate may lawfullie take vpon him this authority But our Bishops and some other Ecclesiasticall persons are called by our Prince to this place of gouerment and if they be also such as the Apostle requireth Bishops and Pastors to be then they are likewise called of God And such 1 Tim 3. 2 Tit. 1. 7. an one as Mr. Foxe in his booke of Martyrs doth sufficiently proue was Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury a patterne for all Pastors yea an Idea for all Bishops to imitate and expresse And verily albeit the offices of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernours be distinct and diuers in themselues yet they may be co-incident in one person For otherwise God himselfe would not haue made Eli and Samuel being Ecclesiasticall persons the chiefe Temporall gouernours among his owne people nor made the high Priests to be ordinary Assistants vnto the Ciuill Matrimony to be the means for the auoiding of fornicatiō and adultery all such of the Cleargie as haue not the gift of Continencie ought to vse the remedie of lawful Matrimonie yea after the taking of the vowe of single life For if no promise vowe compact or couenant made against Law is of any validitie or ought to be kept then the vow of single life made by all such that haue not the gift of Continencie being against this Law and Commandement of God For the auoiding of fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue 1 Cor. 7. 2. her husband is of no validity or force to binde any person bee he votary or no votary to the obseruation thereof And as for the Law that is made by any man whosoeuer he be to binde them that haue not the gift of Continency to keepe their vow it is no Law at all seeing it is vniust and vnrighteous and contrary to the holy and righteous Law of God QVIST LXXXIX All Ecclesiasticall persons are subiect to the Ciuill Magistrate Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power for there is no Rom. 13. 1. power but of God and this Commandement is giuen by the Apostle in generall vnto all Now if all in generall ought to be subiect to the higher power then euery one in particular be he Laike or Clerke So reasoneth Saint Bernard writing Bern ad Epis Senes Ep 42. to a Bishop If all then yours Who hath excepted or exempted you out of the number of all If any doe so endeauour hee is no better then a deceiuer Doe not build vpon their counsels who being Christians either wil◠not follow the doings of Christ or esteeme it a reproach to be subiect to his sayings These are they that are wont to say preserue the honor of your Sea are yo of lesse power then was your Predecessor Such things they but Christ otherwise commanded and did also Giue said he to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods So reasoneth also Saint Chrysostome vpon the Chrysost in Ep. ad Rom. Hom. 23. same words of the Apostle Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Albeit saith he thou be an Apostle albeit thou be an Euangelist albeit thou be a Prophet yea whosoeuer thou be For this subiection doth not ouerthrow godlinesse QVEST. XC It doth belong to the Ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to be obserued of his subiects that concerne Gods diuine seruice and his subiects happinesse and herein he hath highest authority The Ciuill Magistrate is the Lords Liefetenant to see all his Lawes obserued and kept and therefore in speciall those which concerne Gods seruice and the happinesse of his owne Deut. 17. 18. subiects At the Coronation of the King the booke of the Law of God by Gods speciall commandement was to be deliuered into his hands the which booke he was to haue before as he was a good seruant of God that he might meditate therein Psal 1. 2. day and night and so be made fruitfull in all good workes But at his Coronation he was to haue it as a King that hee might cause all his subiects to obserue the same that wholy and not by halfes And thus much euen naturall reason taught the Philosopher to auouch The Ciuill Magistrate saith Aristotle Arist Moral lib. 1. cap. 2. is the supreme gouernour in his owne Countrey and he ought to prouide as in generall for the good of all his subiects so in particular that they might enioy the meanes whereby they might be made happy and blessed Now no people can be happie and blessed vnlesse they haue communion and fellowship with God and sincerely performe vnto him all such things as doe concerne his diuine worship and seruice Wherefore the Ciuill Magistrate is to prouide that those Lawes be taught and made knowne to his subiects in the which the meanes are laid open how they may haue Communion and fellowship with God and performe vnto him that religious seruice that is acceptable in his sight if that he desire to haue them happie and blessed The which euery good King ought to desire vnfainedlie euen as he tendreth his owne good seeing the happinesse of the subiect is the happinesse of the King QVEST. XCI The naturall man hath no free will in diuine and heauenly things If all the imaginations of mans heart be onelie euill and that continuallie and that in the eie and iudgement of him that Gen. 6. 5. searcheth the heart and cannot be deceiued then the naturall man hath no will to thinke much lesse to will