that Nay is there not such folly in people that they are as willing to be without Gods Word as mans inventions It is a necessary truth which all Magistrates all Ministers all people should beleeve that Gods Word is perfect There is enough in it as a rule to direct and worke holinesse in us How wretched then are the Papists that will have Images the Lay mans Bible as if Gods Word were not enough and see their perverse disputings they will not have the Scripture read in the known tongue lest people through mistake make errours whereas Images are suffered by them though they doe naturally teach idolatry When therefore these traditions and ceremonies climbe up like Reuben into their Fathers bed let them lose all their glory The Word of God is Heb. 9. 15. alibi called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a Testament now you know to a mans Will nothing may be added nor any thing detracted And this you will alwayes find to be true all subversion of true faith and pure worship floweth from this either because something of Scripture is neglected or something that is not Scripture is introduced 5. It is adequately proportionable unto our faith The rule and the thing regulated must be fitted one to another Faith and the Word of God must runne parallel all that is written must be beleeved and all that is beleeved must be written and oh that the Church of God had in all ages kept to the Scripture as Ruth to Naomi where the one liveth the other would where the one dyeth the other will Non credo quia non lego I doe not beleeve it because I do not read it was a known speech in Antiquity Thou art to say Hitherto thou shalt goe O my Faith and no further hitherto thou shalt goe O my worship and no further Hoc primum credimus cum credimus quod nihil ultra credere debemus this we first beleeve when we doe beleeve that we ought to beleeve nothing beyond Scripture and this also is to be extended unto your practise and conversation As you are to take no other Religion then what the Scripture allowes so neither to live any other life then what the Word commands come therefore thou who livest a prophane and wretched life let us expostulate with thee thou art no Papist thou wilt not hold transubstantiation why because it cannot be proved true by Scripture And can thy profanenesse thy lusts thy oathes be proved lawfull by Scripture Doth not the same Scripture that bids thee beleeve thus bid thee also live thus Is not Gods Word against profanenesse as well as popery If this were attended to men would have holy lives as well as sound judgements 6. And lastly a rule must be first and before the thing to be regulated a rule is a measure and therfore must be first in its kind To question whether the Church should be before the Scripture is to question whether man be before God 'T is true Divines doe well observe that the Scripture may be considered either quoad formale externum in respect of the outward forme as it is a writing or quoad formale internum in respect of the inward sonne and sense of it as it is the Word of God Now in the latter sense Gods Word was alwayes before a Church because by the Word we are begotten againe and so made the Church Hence it is that Gods Word is more ancient then Churches and Fathers and this is the antiquity we should set up It is true the Church in regard of her Ministery and leading us to beleeve is before the Scripture but we never put forth a Divine holy Faith till the Spirit of God worke our assent to his Word because it is his Word so that to stay in the authority of the Church is to stay in Iohn Baptist that did beare witnesse of Christ and not goe to Christ himselfe Seeing therefore the Word of God is most ancient why should men presse us in faith or worship to go and see what was done 5. or 600. or a thousand yeares agoe and not rather goe to the Scripture which was before this But as the Owle and Thiefe cannot endure the light so neither can errour or superstition the Word of God Now take these Cautions First the Word of God is the onely rule In Popery they share with God in every thing to grace they joyne freewill to Christs merits their owne to God Angels and Saints to the Scriptures their traditions and Church authority and this is urged so precisely that if the Church doe determine an errour to be a truth yet they are bound to beleeve it yea that they doe mereri credendo merit by beleeving it even as it was among the Sadduces and Rabbins if their Elders said the right hand were the left or the left the right they must assent to it If we would be content with this that the Scripture were an halfe rule all would be well but as God is a perfect God so is his Word a perfect Word we must have no other Gods besides him so also no other Scripture or Word beside this Doe not then in matters of Religion make this thy Compasre to saile by What say others and what is the custome but What saith Gods Word Are not politique considerations a rule to many is not custome a rule to many Vae tibi flumen moris humani quis tibi resistet Woe to thee ô thoutorrent of custome who is able to resist thee cryeth Austin It is true if this be received here will appeare much nicety much singularity here must be loud cries for a Reformation which the world doth so much oppugne The world is not able to beare this exhortation Let the Word of God rule you let the Word of God reforme you 2. When we say its a rule it must be extended to that end for which it is a rule for as the Scripture is not a rule to Physicians or Mathematicians in their proper arts so neither doth it particularly tend to this or that individuall action for all essentials it is a rule and a generall rule for circumstantials Nor doth this detract from the perfection of the Scripture that it doth not command every circumstance because then a thing is imperfect when it wants some perfection that is due to it It is not an imperfection in the body that it s not every where because this is not requisite to the body so neither is it to be expected from the Scripture that all circumstantials must be by name commanded It s true the Church must take heed that under the name of circumstances she doth not bring in worship which hath beene alwayes the subtilty of Satan Thus Altar-worship and Image-worship were made but circumstances in mens bookes by distinctions but in their practise as much as Gods owne instituted worship Be sure to give enough to the Scripture Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae I adore the Scriptures
Bishops must look to it when we go to the Bishops they answer they cannot do any thing unlesse there were a publike Constitution of the Realme for it But when that publike Senate is called there are so many civill businesses to bee handled that the cause of Christ is alwayes neglected Therefore we the Ministers of Gods Word are like John Baptist a voice crying out to you Prepare ye the way for the Lord and that by his Word It was said of the people of Israel That there was an ounce of that calfe they made in every punishment that fell upon them And may not we say that the generall neglect of Discipline hath had a great share in all our sinnes and punishments O yee blessed Fathers who were afraid to use the word Trinity and the like because it was not in Scripture how could you lie still in your graves for these yeares past and not rather haunt us as ghosts who had so much of doctrine and of worship that had no Scripture for them Now there are other rules set up by men 1. Antiquity This is the Gorgons head that all superstitious men hold up thinking to silence all men immediately whereas indeed they deale as the Gibeonites did who came with their mouldy bread and old shooes which they had newly got as if they had enjoyed them a long while so it is with most of their old traditions and their mouldy inventions which they obtrude upon us But how many things are improved are not your states your revenues improved and shall not the light and gifts that God hath given be improved Is it not Austins observation that the Epistles of the Fathers were mended by Provinciall Councels and Provinciall by Vniversall and the first Vniversall by the latter mark that the first by the latter so that what is said of old age naturall may sometimes be true of ecclesiastique ipsa senectus morbus It was the observation of an acute wit That time was like the River of waters that bore up all the frothy and empty things but all the ponderous things sunk and were seene no more 2. Custome This a rule more then all Scriptures to many This we and our fathers have been used to doe Now how vaine is this for by the same reason Heathens and Pagans might plead for their Idolatry Yea Symmachus did when he intreated the Emperour not to bring in Christian Religion Oh saith he sequendi sunt parentes qui sequuti sunt feliciter suos contumeliosa est emendatio senectutis our fathers lived quietly doing thus and thus it is a reproachfull thing to be wiser then our fathers And this is the great mountaine in the way of Reformation Customes though never so ridiculous though never so dangerous yet they will stand for Austin tels us that he came into a City where the people had a custome upon one day in a yeare to meet together and to throw stones at one another whereby many were killed yet because it was a custome he could not make them leave it 3. Fathers Thus the Papists were the fathers of this new Religion now although it be true that our learned Divines do prove all our orthodox positions out of them yet withall we say they are no rules of faith Call no man Father saith our Saviour that is so as to rely and rest upon his authority And indeed there are none set forth the fulnesse of the Scripture more then they It was the insolent speech of that proud Heretique Dioscorus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I am cast out with the fathers so let any error any will-worship be cast out of the Church then the cry is this is cast out with the fathers The Fathers works are uncertain they contradict one another yea themselves sometimes and how then can they be rules 4. The name of a Church This is another rule to many they will be of that faith which the Church they live in doth professe and this hath been the Goliahs sword none like that It was Erasmus his speech as Gerhard cites him That the Church had so much authority over him and he gave so much to it that if she should conclude the Arian and Pelagian opinions to be the true faith hee would beleeve it What do you goe against the Church where if you askt what is the Church it would have been found to have been nothing but the will and resolution of a proud Pope for he is the Papists virtuall Church It is true the authority of a Church that is holy and true ought to work much upon men We saith the Apostle nor the Church of God have no such custome and therefore that is commendable Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturam nemo Christianus contra ecclesiam nemo pacisicus but then still provided that the Church shines with the Scripture light The authority of the right Church must not be a cypher and yet must not be all things To keep Church-government from tyranny and Christian liberty from a Socinian {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or doubting is very hard 5. Reason And this hath been much extolled by a Socinian party a ate but they confound the instrument and the rule together reason is the instrument applying not the rule it selfe and they are not reasons truths but Scripture truths As the Artificer that beats out his golden metall into such and such forms it is not the hammers Gold but only it is formed by it And as they argue against Scripture that one interprets it thus and another thus so we may say of Reason this is right reason to one that is not to another Tu haereticus mihi ego tibi Especially all reason severed from Gods Word is corrupt and carnall a very ill Iudge in the worship of God and our conversation 6. Universality To doe as the most doe this is a great rule they never consider what the Scriptures direct to but they will beleeve and worship and live as the most doe now God hath expresly forbidden this Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill They are but few to whom Christ revealeth himselfe The whole world lyeth in darknesse And as that mould of the earth which turneth into stones is farre greater then that which becomes metall and as the weeds are farre more then the flowers so are sinners far more then those that doe truly worship God This sect is every where spoken against say they of Christs way And you shall be hated of all men for my names sake But as hell is not the more comfortable because so many are there so neither ought the paths thither to be the more pleasant because there are so many companions which lead to destruction 7. Enthusiasme That is when men set up their private fancies and spirits against the meaning of God in his Word But because all the godly are traduced by following a private spirit and because that place of Scripture is
the manner of proving and the matter or proofe it selfe we will gather two Doctrines seasonable for these times Doct. 1. That Gods Word is the onely rule and principle in matters of Religion and Reformation It holds à majori ad minus if the Prophets that were acted infallibly would yet confirme their matter delivered by Scripture how much rather others 2. From the matter or argument and in that the duty pressed Doct. 2. That it is a speciall duty upon all to remove all impediments and to make way for Christ when he is comming to us We will begin with the first Doct. The Word of God is the onely rule and principle in matters of Religion or Reformation It hath the properties of a Rule which are these 1. It is known and easie Psal. 19. 78. It is compared to a light and a Lanthorn to our feet Nor will that evasion of the Papists serve their turnes that it is lumen or light in it selfe but not quoad nos as if the Scripture were a light under the bushell God should then doe that which our Saviour saith no man doth for that the Scripture is light effective as well as formaliter appeares by the addition giving understanding to the simple Besides to be a light in it selfe but not quoad nos is a kind of contradiction seeing the light it hath is for us It is true indeed there is a two-fold obscurity one of matter which sometimes is so excellent and perfect that our understandings cannot reach it and so in this sense it is said the naturall man perceiveth not the things of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a naturall man one that doth excolere animam such as Aristotle and Tully but this blame is to be cast upon our understanding not the Scripture for as we say Sol est maxime visibilis Deus est maxime intelligibilis the Sunne is most visible and God most easie to be known because the one hath the greatest motive of seeing which is light and the other of being understood which is verity so are these truths most full of light if our understandings were opened The second obscurity is of the phrase and that the Scripture useth not in things essentiall to salvation and commonly what is obscurely set down in one place is cleare in another and shall not the Spirit of God which giveth a cleare understanding and expressions unto men be cleare See the Papists folly they hold it possible to fulfill the Law but not to understand it for when we urge that place Deut. 30. 12. The Word is not hidden from thee and it is very nigh thee Oh say they this is to be understood of the fulfilling of the Law not the knowing it wee conclude then the holy Scriptures are the holy Ladders whereby we climbe up into heaven and know Gods meaning 2. It is infallible and certain The infallibility of it is witnessed by those places where Gods Word is compared to Gold seven times refined and where it is said Heaven and earth shall sooner passe away then one jot or tittle a And so thy testimonies are sure By all this it appeareth that the Word of God is a fixed Canon it cannot be wrested and wyer-drawn so as to approve one thing to day and the contrary to morrow It is hellish blasphemy to compare it to a nose of Wax and to say that it is to be interpreted secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae as the condition of the Church altereth so must the Scripture alter thereby they confirme that of Tertullian Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit God shall not be God unlesse man please If you say that the Apostle Peter speakes of some who did wrest the Scripture and put it upon the wrack This is to be granted concerning the words not the sence and matter of the Holy Ghost intended by those words That is invariable and cannot be a Reed shaken with every wind of interpretation and because Heretiques would flye to the words denying the sence therefore hath the Church of God been constrained to use new words to distinguish them by Irenaeus doth well compare Heretiques to the Beast Hyaena that imitates the Shepheards voyce and so by that meanes seduceth the Sheep into destruction Now this infallibility of the Word is so great that when some as Saul and Uzzah have gone against it as if their speciall considerations might give them a protection which were indeed faire and plausible yet they were severely punished by God 3. It is universall in regard of time place and persons so that he is the true and good Catholike that keeps to this Catholike rule The Word was ever a rule to declare unto the Church any thing besides that we have received nunquam licet nunquam licuit nunquā licebit Vinc. Lyr. Hence in the Old Testament Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this it is because there is no light in them Hence also the good Kings Hezekiah and Iosiah were guided by this pillar of fire when they set upon Reformation It was a rule in the New Testament therefore our Saviour often Luk. 10. 26. Psal. 11. 17. How readest thou and how is it written Paul when he would reform the abuses crept in the Church of Corinth about the Sacrament goeth to the first institution and as it was delivered from Christ And if wee consult with the Fathers we shall finde that this Scripture was the brook out of which they gathered those stones which they slung in the forehead of those Goliahs that oppressed the truth There was never any errour but it went up and down like Cain from one place to another fearing lest every place of Scripture that met it would kill it Then it is universall for all places as the Sun in the firmament is light for the whole world not for this Kingdome only or that but it is for Nations so is Gods Word a rule to England to Scotland to Rome to all where it is promulged Lastly it is universall to all persons for as the Psalmist saith of the Sunne there is nothing hid from the heat thereof so no person or persons are exempted from the Obligation of the Word there is none too great to have his faith and life controlled by it Hence it is able to make the man of God wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. 17. And not onely a Minister but an whole Councell yea this is a rule that binds Kings and Parliaments We must all stoop to his Word 4. It is Indivisible When we say a rule is indivisible the meaning is that nothing may be added to it or detracted from it and this the Scripture in the close of all Rev. 22. challengeth to it self how great a breach of this truth hath been made when the Apocryphall Book and many other traditions and Ceremonies have been equallized to Scripture and made as necessary as