of God The Second head from whence offences are taken is the doctrine of the Church grounded on the word of God The offences hence taken are manifold first from a supposed newnesse of our doctrine this is taken of the Papists and especially of our owne Recusants for they say our doctrine is but of fourescore yeares continuance since the daies of Martin Luther auouching also that for the space of fourteene hundred yeares we cannot bring record of any Church that held and professed the doctrine which we now teach and hold Now for the auoiding of this offence two points must be remembred I. that the doctrine of our Church for the substance thereof is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Act. 2. 42. the doctrine taught by the Apostles concerning Christ is made the foundation of the Church and looke where this doctrine is rightly helde and confessed there it is an infallible note of a true Church Againe the Apostles to iustifie their doctrine had recourse to Moses and the Prophets as we may see in the Acts of the Apostles in sundrie places now the doctrine touching Christ held and receiued in our Churches is confirmed by the testimonies of the Prophets and Apostles and therefore for substance and doctrine is theirs Secondly we must knowe that for the ground and foundation of Religion our Churches agree with the Churches after Christ which continued for the space of sixe hundred yeares for wee doe not onely allow of the Apostles Creede but of the foure generall Councells and of their Confessions and Creedes and that in the same manner and sense which they did so as the religion of our Church is vniustly slaundered to be new The second offence taken from the doctrine of our Church is from the supposed strictnesse and rigour thereof we teach indeede that a Christian man must wholly denie himselfe his owne will and desires and resigne himselfe wholly vnto Christ to be guided by his spirit according to the direction of his word Now hence some would gather that our doctrine permits not a man to laugh or be merrie or to doe any thing for his owne delight and hereupon they grow to contempt of Religion counting the profession and practise thereof precisenesse and therefore will not be bound vnto it but liue as they list and this is common among vs. The way to cut off this occasion of offence is twofold 1. we must know that by the doctrine of our Church it is lawfull for a man to be merrie so it be in the Lord Philip. 4. 4. Reioyce in the Lord alway saith the Apostle againe I say reioyce Psal. 104. 15. God causeth wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oyle to make his face to shine and bread to strengthen his heart Againe God doth put most glorious colours and delightsome smells into the flowers of the field no doubt for this ende that man might take his delight therein yea besides the skill of musicke God hath giuen to many a man a voice more sweete and pleasant then is the sound of any musicall instrument which were to no ende if a man might not therewith cheere vp his heart in a moderate delight nay laughter it selfe is the gift of nature which was in Adam before his fall and therefore is lawfull But yet I say mans reioycing must be in the Lord to cut off many abuses of delight for first there be many that cannot be merrie but in the practise of some sinne if there be a thought of God or of his word all their mirth is quasht But we must endeauour our selues so to reioyce that God may approoue thereof Againe I say in the Lord because sinne will soonest preuaile with a man when he giues himselfe to delight and pleasures This Iob knew well and therefore while his sonnes feasted each other he offered sacrifices for them particularly euery day for saith he it may be my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts The second way to preuent the taking of this offence is to resigne our selues wholly vnto God that he may doe his whole will in vs and vpon vs so Christ said to his Disciples If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse and follow me that is wholly resigne himselfe to be guided by me and Math. 13. 46. he that would get the pretious pearle must sell all that he hath and buie it Rom. 12. 1. We are desired by the mercies of God to giue vp our selues both soules and bodies vnto God whereby we may see that we haue iust cause to bewaile the case and condition of all such as count religion precisenes for they are like vnto Ananias and Saphyra who brought part of the sale of their possession vnto the Apostles and said it was all so these men looke to be saued by Christ they heare his word and receiue his Sacraments and therin make as high a profession as any can doe namely that they will giue themselues wholly to Christ but when they are out of the assemblies they shew themselues to haue dissembled with God for they practise no such thing as they made shew of and therefore they may iustly feare least that befall them in their soules which befell Ananias and Saphyra in their bodies euen sudden death for they are lyers vnto God himselfe Thirdly others take offence at the crosse which accompanies the syncere profession of true Religion many like well of the doctrine of our religion but yet they are loath to imbrace and to professe the same least they should be reproached for it in the world The way to cut off this occasion of offence is this we must remember that the crosse endured for the Gospel sake especially if we profit by it is an infallible marke of a child of God Heb. 12. 17. If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whome the father chasteneth not In reason we finde this to be true for say that two children be fighting in the streete and there comes a man who taketh one of them and beateth him but the other he lets alone will not all men say that the man is father to the child whome he beateth euen so the Lord for our nurtering will send crosses vpon vs when we imbrace his Gospel now if we shall profit by his corrections and learne thereby to humble our selues vnder his mightie hand then we begin to receiue assurance of his fatherly dealing towards vs his sonnes and daughters and therefore we must be so farre from beeing hindred in the course of our holy profession by reproches and crosses that they must be meanes to incourage vs therein Iam. 1. 2 3. As from the doctrine of the Church in generall so from the parts thereof doe many both learned and ignorant take occasion of offence as first from the doctrine
conioyned in the whole course of our liues and conuersation both before God and man No worke in man but faith is required to his Iustification though in God there be respect to his owne free mercie and to Christs merits but in our liues faith and works must goe hand in hand together Now that these may thus be well distinguished I shew it plainely In the fire is both heate and light yet in the warming of the bodie the heate hath force onely and not light though to many other vses it serue necessarily euen so in a child of God are required both faith and workes but to iustifie him faith onely is required though works be necessarie thorough his whole life for they iustifie vs before men and winne vnto vs a testimonie of our iustification before God not onely in our owne hearts but from the Lord Iam. 2. 21. and therfore we must not content our selues with a faith in speculation voide of workes but within the compasse of our callings doe what good we can for Gods glorie and the comfort of our brethren The Third head from whence offences are taken is the state of the Church first in regard of the wants that be in the Church and namely in this our Church Hence sundrie men take occasion to condemne our Church as no Church our Sacraments as no sacraments our Ministers as no Ministers and our people as no Christians and therefore doe seperate themselues from our Church as beeing no true members of the Church of God To preuent this occasion of sinning three Rules must be obserued first that to beleeue and confesse the doctrine of saluation taught and deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles is an infallible and inseparable note of a true Church of God for Gods Church is nothing els but a companie of Gods people called by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles vnto the state of saluation This doctrine is the seede of regeneration whereby men are begotten vnto Christ and it is that sâ—ncere milke whereby they are fedde and nourished vnto eternall life Now I say that this our Church of England through Gods mercie doth maintaine beleeue and professe this doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles for the proofe hereof let him that doubteth haue recourse to our English confession and to a booke intituled the Articles of Religion established in the Church of England in which are set downe the foundations of Christian Religion allowed and held by all Euangelicall Churches And further to shew that this our profession is not in hypocrisie but in truth this our Church is readie to maintaine and confirme the same doctrine by the shedding of their blood against all foes whaâ—soeuer and this thing indeede hath beene the onely cause of all our disseâ—tions with the Church of Rome whereupon wee see there is iust cause our Church should be reputed the true Church of God and a good member of his Catholike Church Secondly obserue the practise of Christ and his Apostles towardes the Church of the Iewes which in their time without all doubt was exceedingly corrupt for the office and place of the high Priest was bought and sold and through ambition and couetousnes became annuall yâ—a there were two high Priests together at one time all which were against Gods ordinance Againe the Scribes and Pharisies which were the Doctors of that Church erred in some fundamentall points of doctrine teaching Iustification by workes and withall they greatly corrupted the law of God both by their doctâ—ine and traditions and the Temple became a denne of theeues and yet for all this Christ did not separaâ—e from that Church neither taught his Disciples so to doe but was present at their sacrifices and assemblies and kept his Passeouer with them and so did his Apostles till they saw them of obstinacie and malitiousnes refuse the grace of God offâ—red vnto them in the ministerie of the Gospel Now their example must teach vs that so long as our Church holdeth Christ wee must esteeme it to be the Church of God and not for some wants thereof depart from it Thirdly all the reformed Churches in Europe doe with one conâ—ent honour our Church as a true Church of Christ now their iudgement is not slightly to be regarded but to be preferred farre before the rash opinions of priuate men for the Church hath a gift of discerning in waightie maâ—ters shee can iudge of bookes of Scripture which be authenticall which not shee can iudge of spirits and of doctrines and therefore also can iudge what companie of men is a true Church and what is not and this their iudgement also must confirme vs in this truth that this our Church is a true member of Gods Catholik church Now whereas some alleadge the wants of our Church to make it no Church I answer though I will not excuse any default in it wherein iâ— is wanting to that which Gods word requireth but rather desire that the righteousnes thereof may breake forth as the light and saluation thereof as a burning lampe yet this may be saide in behalfe of our Church that the wants thereof are not such as doe anyway rase the foundation of religion or of Gods holy worshippe and so can not make it to cease to be a true Church and therefore none ought to separate from it for such wants and yet this hindereth not but that Gods seruants may in a godly manner desire the Reformation of things that be amisse for a good Church may be bettered and we ought to striue after perfection The Second offence taken from he Church is from the dâ—uersitie of opinions that be therein for hence many reason thus learned men be of so many opinions that we know not what to follow and therefore we will be of no religion till the truth be established by some generall Councell and all agree in one For the auoiding of this offence we must know that though men disâ—er in sundrie opinions in the true Church of God yet they all agree in the Articles of faith and in the foundation of Gods worship their difference is in matters beside the foundation and therefore it must hinder none from receiuing and embracing true religion Againe it is Gods will that there should be diuersities of opinions yea scismes and heresies in his Church that men might be prooued whether they hold the truth in synceâ—itie or not as we may see 2. Cor. 11. 19. Deut. 13. 1 2. Now in this â—ase Ieremias direction must be obserued Stand in the parting of the waâ—es saith hee and inquire for the olde and auncient way â— that is the doctrine of the Prophets what God willeth and commandeth by them and by his Apostles and that we must follow with all good conscience This Christ intended wheÌ„ he bade the Iewes to search the Scriptures which testified of him and this we must sanctifie by earnest praier as Cornelius did Act. 10. 1
rauished with a glimpse of Gods glorie in his transfiguration that they would needs abide there still Oh then what glorie is it to see him as he is doubtlesse this sight of God is true happinesse But then will some man say the diuels shal be happie for they shall see him at the last day Answ. Their sight shall be their sorrowe for they shall see him as a terrible iudge not as a Sauiour with apprehension and approbation of his loue and mercie which is the sight here meant as the Apostle saith wee shall see face to face and knowe as wee are knowne So then the meaning of these words is this they shall see God by his effects in this life and perfectly in the world to come with approbation of his loue and mercie This gratious promise must be obserued as a ground of special comfort to all Gods children for they that endeauour after puritie of heart shall suffer much contempt and reproach in the world but they must not be dismaied for God will looke vpon them and shewe himselfe fauourably vnto them he will appeare to their ioy and their aduersaries shall be ashamed therefore they must say with Dauid I will not feare what man can doe vnto me Secondly is it true happinesse to see God then in this world wee must striue to come as neere vnto God as possible we can for the neerer we come vnto him the more we see him and the neerer we are to our perfect happinesse Now that we may come neere vnto God wee must set God alwaies before our eies that is wheresoeuer we are and whatsoeuer we doe wee must perswade our hearts that we are in his presence this was Dauids practise Psal. 16. 8. I haue set the Lord alwaies before me this perswasion will make vs to walke with God as Enoch did who for this is said to please God Thirdly this must allure our hearts towards all those meanes wherein God shewes himselfe vnto his children the Lord reuealed himselfe in his sanctuarie vnto his people and hereupon Dauid was rauished with desire to Gods courts see Psal. 27. 4. and Psal. 48. 1 2. And the like affection must we haue to Gods word and Sacraments therein he shewes his beautie as in his sanctuarie and therefore we must labour therein to see the goodnesse and mercie of God towards vs vsing them as pledges of his grace and loue in Christ yea we must endeauour to see him in all his creatures as his wisdome power and goodnesse to vs wards this is a notable steppe to our perfect blisse Verse 9. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Here is the seauenth Rule and precept of Christ touching true happinesse wherein obserue first who are blessed secondly wherein this blessednesse consists The parties blessed are Peace-makers By peace we must vnderstand concord and agreement betweene man and man Now peace is two-fold Good or Euill Good peace is that which stands with good conscience and true religion This was among the conuerts in the Primitiue Church who liued together and were all of one heart and one soule Euill peace is an agreement and concord in euill as in the practise of any sinne against Gods commandements in a word euill peace is such as cannot stand with true Religion and good conscience Hereof Christ spake saying I came not to send peace but the sword that is diuision by meanes of the doctrine of the Gospel Now in this place good peace is the qualitie of those parties that be blessed Further by Peace-makers two sorts of men are to be vnderstood first all such as haue care so much as in them lieth to haue peace with all men good and bad secondly such as not onely themselues be at peace with others but also doe labour to reconcile parties at variance and to make peace betweene man and man both these sorts are blessed that is they are in a happie state and condition because this gift of Peace-making is a grace of Gods spirit in them alone who are blessed for where Gods spirit worketh peace of conscience towards God in Christ there the same spirit doth mooue the partie to seeke peace with all men as also to make peace betweene those that are at variance so farre forth as it may stand with Religion and a good conscience Yet here are certaine questions to be scanned touching peace which will giue great light to the better vnderstanding of this Rule Quest. I. Seeing Peace-makers are blessed why should they be blamed which seeke to make peace betweene Papists and Protestants by reconciling these two religions Answer Because this is not good peace for there is no more concord betweene these two religions then is betweene light and darkenesse Whereas it is said they differ not in substance but in circumstances both hauing the same word the same Creede and Sacraments we must knowe that notwithstanding all this yet by necessarie consequent of their doctrine and religion they doe quite ouerturne the foundation of the Bible of the Creede and Sacraments as in the points of Iustification by workes of humane satisfaction of worshipping Saints and Images and their massing sacrifice and Priesthood may soone appeare But they haue the same Baptisme with vs Answ. Baptisme seuered from the true preaching of the word is no sufficient note of a true Church for the Samaritans had circumcision and yet the Lord saith they were not his people Againe they hold the outward forme of Baptisme but they ouerturne the inward power thereof by denying Iustification by faith alone in Iesus Christ. Thirdly Baptisme is preserued in the Church of Rome not for their sakes but for the hid Church which God hath kept to himselfe euen in the middest of all Poperie so that if they returne to vs we shall accord otherwise we may not goe to them lest we forsake the Lord. Quest. II. If Peace-makers be blessed how can any Nation with good conscience make warre Answ. The Lords commandement to haue peace with all men doth not binde men simply but with this condition if it be possible and as much as in vs lieth but when there is no hope of maintaining peace then the Lord alloweth a lawfull warre such as is for iust defence or claime of our needfull due and right for herein the case standeth with the body politicke as it doth with the naturall body while there is hope of health and safetie the Physition vseth gentle meanes but when the case is desperate then he vseth desperate meanes and sometimes giues ranke poyson to trie if by any meanes life may be saued And so may the fafetie of a State be sought by warre when Motions of peace will not take place Quest. III. How can suit in law be maintained with good conscience seeing it can hardly stand with this blessed peace Ans. So long as meanes of agreement other waies may be had between
had they who were the first restorers of true religion vnto vs in this our age for they were by profession either Popish Priests or Schoole doctors I answer their calling was partly ordinarie and partly extraordinatie for in the ministerie of a Prophet there be two things his office and the vsing or exercise of his office Our first ministers that restored the truth vnto vs had but an ordinarie office beeing either Readers in Schooles or publike preachers also they had their outward calling thereto from the church of Rome so as if there bee any part of good calling in that Church then was their calling good which may serue to stop the mouthes of all Papists that carpe at our Church as though our ministers had no calling But for the vsing of their office they were extraordinarily raised and stirred vp to doe that which they did in regard of the manifolde abuses wherewith the ministerie of the Church was generally corrupted in their time for God gaue vnto them grace and knowledge to discerne to teach and to maintaine the right and true vse of the ministerie And that they were thus extraordinarily stirred vp by God may appeare by the extraordinarie gifts and graces where with they were endued for God that hath alwaies a care ouer his Church when he saw the same so fearefully corrupted by Antichrist did stirre vp these men to reforme the same and besides their singular gifts of knowledge and wisdome he gaue them extraordinary graces of true pietie whereby they were inabled to seale and confirme with their own blood the truth of that doctrine which they did prosesse teach which was an euident argument they were called of God Now opposite to this wee must make the first note of a false Prophet namely to come on his owne head and to preach not beeing sent And by this marke are false Prophets noted Ier. 14. 14. I haue not sent them neither did I commaund them yet they prophecie in my name And no lesse do these words of Christ import when he saith here they come vnto you that is of themselues without a calling from God though they pretend a calling which is one of their cloakes and therefore by Saint Iude vers 4. they are said to creepe into the Church as also Acts 20. 29. grieuous wolues shall enter in among you without calling from God or from the Church Here some may aske how shal we iudge of such and know that they haue no calling Answ. For this purpose I adde a second note of a true Prophet which is the most principal it standeth in the right wholsome haÌ„dling of the Scriptures of God This is the propeâ— fruit of a true Prophet 1. Cor. 14. 3. He that prophecies speakes vnto men edificatioÌ„ exhortation comfort 2. Tim. 2. 15. Shew thy selfe a good workman by diuiding the word of God aright 2. Tim. 3. 16 17. the scripture vsed in teaching coÌ„â—incing correcting instructing vnto righteousnes serues to make a man fit to euery good worke of a Prophet Now this wholesome handling of the word stands in two things in a right interpretation and opening of the true sense of scripture and in a due and sound collection of wholesome doctrine from the fame for the edifying of the Church both in sound iudgement and Christian life On the contrarie the second fruit of a false Prophet is to deliuer and maintaine corrupt doctrine contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of holy Scripture and by this principally hee is to be knowne for a false Prophet that intrudeth himselfe For the better conceiuing of this note we must know that in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles there are two things principally to be considered the scope the parts thereof the scope of all their doctrine tendes to maintain Christ Iesus God man the alone perfect Sauiour of the Church And indeede he which teacheth any doctrine tending to ouerthrow Christ either in regard of his natures or of his offices the same is a false Prophet 1. Ioh. 4. 3. Euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God The parts of Propheticall Apostolike doctrine are the commaÌ„dements of the Law and the promises of the Gospel he which ouerturnes either directly or by iust consequent any commaÌ„dement of the the Law or article of faith must needes bee a false Prophet so that a false Prophet must be tried by the analogie of faith coÌ„prised in the articles of the Apostles Creed and in the Decalogue which containes the summe of all the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and he which goeth against them is a false Prophet The 3. fruit of a true Prophet is noted by our Sauiour Christ namely in his ministery to seeke Gods glory Ioh. 7. 18. Where also he noteth out a false Prophet who in teaching and preaching seeketh not Gods glorie but his owne The same note doth Paul giue Phil. 3. 19. calling them earthly minded seeking their own honour wealth glory not the things of God and they serue not the Lord but their own bellies Thus we see the notes of a false Prophet among which the second is the principall whereby he is to be tried as wee may see plainely Deut. 1â— 4. If a false Prophet come and worke a true signe yet hee must die If by his false doctrine he seeke to withdrawe Gods people from the true God So when the Iewes asked Christ by what authoritie he did those things that is what warrant and calling he had to doe as he did hee answers them by another question touching Iohns ministerie thereby shewing that that which hee did was warranted by the testimonie of Iohn and Iohns testimonie was true because his calling was from God and his calling he iustifies because his doctrine signified by his baptisme was from God So Galat. 1. 8. He which teacheth otherwise then they had learned out of the Prophets from the Apostles let him bee accursed though he were an angel from heauen And thus much for the meaning of this rule Uses 1. From this rule wee haue to answer the Papists and all popish persons who vse to plead in defence of their religion after this sort If our religion be false shewe vs the time when it was corrupted the man that corrupted it and the manner howe it was corrupted for once we had the pure religion Wee might answer them by the like that a man might say as well of a shippe that is sunke on the sea that it is not sunke because no man can tell where and when and by what meanes it tooke water But yet further wee haue here to answer that though wee knewe not when their religion was corrupted and by whom yet seeing their teachers and people haue in them and among them the necessarie fruits of Antichristian Prophets and people wee can thereby assure our selues they are corrupt and