Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A03590
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Of the lavves of ecclesiasticall politie eight bookes. By Richard Hooker.; Ecclesiastical polity. Books 1-4
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Hooker, Richard, 1553 or 4-1600.; Spenser, John, 1559-1614.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 13713; ESTC S120914
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286,221
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214
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of place where On the other side the later giuen after and neither written by God himselfe nor giuen vnto the whole multitude immediatly from God but vnto Moses and from him to them both by word and writing the later tearmed Ceremonies Iudgements Ordinances but no where Couenants finally the obseruation of the later restrained vnto the land where God would establish them to inhabite The Lawes positiue are not framed without regard had to the place and persons for the which they are made If therefore Almightie God in framing their Lawes had an eye vnto the nature of that people and to the countrey where they were to dwell if these peculiar and proper considerations were respected in the making of their Lawes and must be also regarded in the Positiue Lawes of all other Nations besides then seeing that Nations are not all alike surely the giuing of one kinde of positiue Lawes vnto one onely people without anie libertie to alter them is but a slender proofe that therefore one kind should in like sort bee giuen to serue euerlastingly for all But that which most of all maketh for the cleering of this point is that the Iewes who had Lawes so particularly determining and so fully instructing them in all affaires what to do were notwithstanding continually inured with causes exorbitant and such as their lawes had not prouided for And in this point much more is graunted vs then wee aske namely that for one thing which we haue left to the order of the Church they had twentie which were vndecided by the expresse word of God and that as their ceremonies and Sacraments were multiplied aboue ours euen so grew the number of those cases which were not determined by any expresse word So that if we may deuise one lawe they by this reason might deuise twentie and if their deuising so many were not forbidden shall their example proue vs forbidden to deuise as much as one lawe for the ordering of the Church Wee might not deuise no not one if their example did proue that our Sauiour hath vtterly forbidden all alteration of his lawes in as much as there can be no lawe deuised but needs it must either take away from his or adde thereunto more or lesse and so make some kind of alteration But of this so large a graunt we are content not to take aduantage Men are oftentimes in a sudden passion more liberall then they would be if they had leysure to take aduise And therefore so bountifull words of course and franke speeches we are contented to let passe without turning them vnto aduantage with too much rigour It may be they had rather be listned vnto when they commend the Kings of Israell which attempted nothing in the gouernement of the Church without the expresse word of God and when they vrge that God left nothing in his word vndescribed whether it concerned the worship of God or outward politie nothing vnset downe and therefore charged them strictly to keepe themselues vnto that without any alteration Howbeit seeing it cannot be denied but that many thinges there did belong vnto the course of their publique affaires wherein they had no expresse word at all to shew precisely what they should do the difference betweene their condition and ours in these cases will bring some light vnto the truth of this present controuersie Before the fact of the son of Shelomith there was no law which did appoint any certaine punishment for blasphemers That wretched creature being therefore deprehended in that impiety was held in ward till the mind of the Lord were knowne concerning his case The like practise is also meÌ„tioned vpon occasion of a breach of the Sabboth day They find a poore silly creature gathering stickes in the wildernes they bring him vnto Moses and Aaron and all the congregation they lay him in hold because it was not declared what should be done with him till God hath sayd vnto Moses This man shall dye the death The Law required to keepe the Sabboth but for the breach of the Sabboth what punishmeÌ„t should be inflicted it did not appoint Such occasions as these are rare And for such things as do fal scarce once in many ages of meÌ„ it did suffice to take such order as was requisite when they fell But if the case were such as being not already determined by law were notwithstanding likely oftentimes to come in question it gaue occasion of adding lawes that were not before Thus it fell out in the case of those men polluted and of the daughters of Zelophhad whose causes Moses hauing brought before the Lord receiued lawes to serue for the like in time to come The Iewes to this end had the Oracle of God they had the Prophets And by such meanes God himselfe instructed them from heauen what to do in all things that did greatly concerne their state and were not already set downe in the Lawe Shall we then hereupon argue euen against our owne experience and knowledge Shall we seeke to perswade men that of necessity it is with vs as it was with them that because God is ours in all respects as much as theirs therefore either no such way of direction hath beene at any time or if it haue bene it doth still continue in the Church or if the same do not continue that yet it must be at the least supplied by some such meane as pleaseth vs to accompt of equall force A more dutifull and religious way for vs were to admire the wisedome of God which shineth in the beautifull variety of all things but most in the manifold and yet harmonious dissimilitude of those wayes whereby his Church vpon earth is guided from age to age throughout all generations of men The Iewes were necessarily to continue till the comming of Christ in the flesh and the gathering of nations vnto him So much the promise made vnto Abraham did import So much the prophecy of Iacob at the hower of his death did foreshewe Vpon the â—afety therefore of their very outward state and condition for so long the after-good of the whole world and the saluation of all did depend Vnto their so long safety for two things it was necessary to prouide namely the preseruation of their state against forraine resistance and the continuance of their peace within themselues Touching the one as they receiued the promise of God to be the rocke of their defence against which who so did violently rush should but bruse and batter themselues so likewise they had his commaundement in all their affaires that way to seeke direction and counsell from him Mens consultations are alwayes perilous And it falleth out many times that after long deliberation those things are by their wit euen resolued on which by tryall are found most opposite to publique safety It is no impossible thing for states be they neuer so well established yet by ouersight in some one acte or treatie betweene them
vppon the word of God yet not commaunded in his word because without breach of any commaundement hee might do otherwise Secondly whereas no man in iustice and reason can be reproued for those actions which are framed according vnto that knowne will of God whereby they are to bee iudged and the will of God which wee are to iudge our actions by no sound Diuine in the world euer denied to bee in parte made manifest euen by light of nature and not by scripture alone if the Church being directed by the former of these two which God hath giuen who gaue the other that man might in different sort be guided by them both if the Church I say do approue and establish that which thereby it iudgeth meete and findeth not repugnant to any word or syllable of holy scripture who shall warrant our presumptuous boldnes controwling herein the Church of Christ But so it is the name of the light of nature is made hatefull with men the starre of Reason and learning and all other such like helps beginneth no otherwise to be thought of then if it were an vnluckie Comet or as if God had so accursed it that it should neuer shine or giue light in things concerning our dutie any way towardes him but be esteemed as that starre in the Reuelation called wormewood which beeing fallen from heauen maketh riuers and waters in which it falleth so bitter that men tasting them dye thereof A number there are who thinke they cannot admire as they ought the power and authoritie of the worde of God if in things diuine they should attribute any force to mans reason For which cause they neuer vse reason so willingly as to disgrace reason Their vsuall and common discourses are vnto this effect 1. The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he knowe them because they are spiritually discerned 2. It is for nothing that Saint Paule giueth charge to beware of Philosopâ—ie that is to say such knowledge as men by naturall reason attaine vnto 3. Consider them that haue from time to time opposed themselues against the Gospell of Christ and most troubled the Church with Heresie Haue they not alwayes bene great admirers of humane reason Hath their deepe and profound skill in secular learning made them the more obedient to the truth and not armed them rather against it 4. They that feare God will remember how heauie his sentences are in this case I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse Seeing the world by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue beleeuers 5. The word of God in it selfe is absolute exact and perfect The word of God is a two edged sword as for the weapons of naturall reason they are as the armour of Saule rather cumbersome about the souldier of Christ then needefull They are not of force to doe that which the Apostles of Christ did by the power of the holy Ghost My preaching therefore sayth Paule hath not bene in the intising speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the spirit and of power that your faith might not bee in the wisedome of men but in the power of God 6. If I beleeue the Gospell there needeth no reasoning about it to perswade mee If I doe not beleeue it must bee the spirit of God and not the reason of man that shall conuert my heart vnto him By these and the like disputes an opinion hath spread it selfe very farre in the world as if the way to bee ripe in faith were to bee rawe in wit and iudgement as if reason were an enemie vnto religion childish simplicitie the mother of ghostly and diuine wisedome The cause why such declamations preuaile so greatly is for that men suffer themselues in two respects to bee deluded one is that the wisedome of man being debased either in comparison with that of God or in regard of some speciall thing exceeding the reach and compasse thereof it seemeth to them not marking so much as if simply it were condemned an other that learning knowledge or wisdome falsely so tearmed vsurping a name wherof they are not worthy and being vnder that name controlled their reproofe is by so much the more easily misapplied and through equiuocation wrested against those things wherunto so pretious names do properly and of right belong This duly obserued doth to the former allegations it selfe make sufficient answere Howbeit for all mens plainer and fuller satisfaction first concerning the inhabilitie of reason to search out and to iudge of things diuine if they be such as those properties of God and those duties of men towards him which may be conceiued by attentiue consideration of heauen and earth we know that of meere natural men the Apostle testifieth how they knew both God and the lawe of God Other things of God there be which are neither so found nor though they be shewed can euer be approued without the speciall operation of Gods good grace spirit Of such things sometime spake the Apostle S. Paul declaring how Christ had called him to be a witnesse of his death and resurrection from the dead according to that which the Prophets and Moses had foreshewed Festus a meere naturall man an Infidell a Romane one whose eares were vnacquainted with such matter heard him but could not reach vnto that whereof he spake the suffering and the rising of Christ froÌ„ the dead he reiecteth as idle superstitious phancies not worth the hearing The Apostle that knew them by the spirit spake of them with power of the holy Ghost seemed in his eyes but learnedly mad Which example maketh manifest what elswhere the same Apostle teacheth namely that nature hath need of grace wherunto I hope we are not opposite by holding that grace hath vse of nature 2. Philosophie we are warned to take heed of Not that Philosophie which is true and sound knowledge attained by naturall discourse of reason but that Philosophie which to bolster heresie or error casteth a fraudulent shew of reason vpoÌ„ things which are indeed vnreasonable and by that meane as by a stratagem spoileth the simple which are not able to withstaÌ„d such cunning Take heed least any spoile you through philosophie and vain deceit He that exhorteth to beware of an enemies policie doth not giue counsell to be impolitique but rather to vse all prouident foresight and circumspection least our simplicitie be ouerreacht by cunning sleights The way not to be inueigled by them that are so guilefull through skill is thorowly to be instructed in that which maketh skilfull against guile and to be armed with that true and sincere philosophy