milk before Christs blood and this expressed in Latine Verses and one of the Martialists as it were to put him out of his mood and perplexity Why thou Sott quoth he get thee to Gott Who I pray was the cause of this mans perplexity was it not his own extreme superstition most abominable If the Author of this Discourse had proposed any thing on the other side to the Scripture and pretended ambiguity and perplexity which of them he preferred according whereunto to order his faith that Martialists resolution of the doubt might have been congruous enough But onely concerning the Scripture-doubts are here proposed how a man should ground his faith thereupon what he is I know not and whether this be res gesta or ficta I am to seek for the present world is full of jugling But when wee make such doubts unto our selves do we well consider the goodness and wisdom of God in giving us his holy Word to direct us in the wayes of everlasting life if still there were just cause to complain of a perplexed condition whereinto we were cast not knowing whether we shall take hold of it or run away from it as Moses did from his rod when it was turned into a Serpent But do we finde any the like Metamorphosis here yet when the Lord bid Moses take the Serpent by the tail he was bold to do it surely Gods Word is no Serpent but we rather and his Word alone hath power to charm us and make us vomit all our poyson of erroneous and unholy ways and the Lord Christ hath bid us to take hold of them saying Search the Scriptures yet if any thing in this my Answer seem amiss and not answerable to the Authors expectation but savouring as hee thinks of partiality prejudice or passion I confess prejudice against such discourses as these accompting them most vile and nothing becomming an understanding and godly Christian but as for the rest let him impute it to my ignorance that know not so much as what is the way of his passion for he seems to me to be neither Lutheran nor Calvinist and would not seem to bee a Papist though I am most prone to conceive it to be the trick of some Papist least of all doe I know his person or Countrey But let every sober Christian consider well and inquire whether that since the beginning that Gods Word was committed to writing there were at any time any such questions moved untill this last and worst Age of the world when Cajetan the Cardinall a great School-Divine first encountred with Martin Luther and found that no Authority prevailed with him but Scripturall hereupon hee was moved to study Scripture and wrote Commentaries upon it in his old age But Silvester Prierius of Rome he thought that way too far about and therefore took a shorter course and maintained that the Scriptures contained not all things necessary to salvation and therefore the rule of faith to be made compleat must be pieced up with the unwritten Word added to the written Word which unwritten Word they called Traditions Since that the Papists have strengthned themselves with the Authority of the Church yet confess the true Church cannot bee known to be a true Church nor the Authority thereof known but by the Scriptures and the issue of the resolution of the Church must bee the resolution of the Pope concerning the true interpretation of Scripture shamefully obtruding upon us that we make the resolution of our faith into our own private spirit whereas we to the contrary extend the testimony of the spirit onely to each private mans best satisfaction and teach no other herein than the Papists themselves acknowledge to be most true as touching the resolution physicall of our faith as I am able to prove by variety of pregnant evidences ready at hand without any more adoe than the bare transcribing of them Now this light being not of a nature communicable unto others we meddle not with it in disputing upon any other point of Divinity with Papists or any other But therein walk in all our disputations by way of Resolution Logicall either into some confessed principles as concerning the Attributes Divine or into express passages of holy Scripture the meaning whereof if it be excepted against we are ready to justify it by rationall discourse against any adversary nothing doubting but we shall either convict him of obstinacy in shutting his eyes against the clear evidence of truth and make him condemned in his own conscience or at least in the conscience of all sober Christians being well assured that whosoever resisteth the evidence of Gods Word upon pretence of inevidence that Word shall be found of evidence enough to judge him at the last day ¶ This Jesuiticall Question was sent out of Germany when the Assembly of Divines were sitting at Westminster and was translated out of High-Dutch FINIS
THE Doubting Conscience Resolved In Answer to a pretended perplexing QVESTION c. Wherein is evidently proved That the holy Scriptures not the Pope is the Foundation whereupon the Church is built OR That a CHRISTIAN may be infallibly certain of his Faith and Religion by the holy Scriptures By WILLIAM TVVISSE D.D. Prolocutor of the Assembly of DIVINES Written at the desire of Samuel Hartlib Esquire for the satisfaction of his Friends beyond the Seas and now divulged in print for more publick Edification LONDON Printed for Thomas Mathews at the Sign of the Cock in St Pauls Church-yard 1652. SIR I Have read this learned and satisfactory Answer to the Perplexing Question and Doubtfull Case of Conscience in the life time of D. Twisse and if you shall please to give it your Imprimatur I think it may be advantageous in this juncture of time I rest Yours Ja. Cranford May 3. 1652. Imprimatur Edm. Calamy THE APPROBATION OF That Reverend Father of the Church Joseph Hall Bishop of NORWICH In a Letter to his worthily respected friend Mr. W. S. Worthy Sir I Return you many thanks for the favour you have done me in affording me the view of this solid and seasonable piece of Dr. Twisse in full answer to this pretended Questionist who under the colour of a Perplexing Case of Conscience from a Preacher of the Gospell sends forth a foolish kind of challenge to all Protestant Divines Had you not named the Author of the satisfactory Answer and seconded it by anothers attestation I could both have known and avouched him There is a face of a style by which we Scholars know one another no less than our persons by a visible countenance whosoever hath read the witty accute exercitations of this Author upon the writings of Doctor Jackson will easily finde him in this Tractate both for form and matter This sculking and disguised Chalenger could not have met with a meeter Combatant a man so eminent in School-Divinity that the Jesuits have felt and for ought I see shrunk under his strength in their Scientia Media and whom the States of the Netherlands out of the fame of his worth would fain have tempted away with large profers to a Publick Professorship in one of their Universities I onely wish he had met with a more able Adversary For certainly as I intimated to you in my last this Beagle whosoever he be whether out of misprision or craft hunts counter and runs all the while upon a wrong ground vainly supposing that differences in points not fundamentall make a diversity of Religions and weakly conceiving that because there are many false claims to Truth in the world God hath not left us means enough in his revealed Will to distinguish Truth from Error as if because there are store of counterfeit coyns abroad it could not be safe for a man to receive or possible to discern currant money whereas if his wit would have served him he might have considered that all both Agenda and Credenda necessary to salvation which only can difference Religion are clearly laid down in the sacred Oracles of Scripture with which if any refractory soul will unjustly quarrell he may by those helps which God hath left to his Church be either convinced or shamed in the mean while it is no reason that his absurd obstinacy should cast any blemish upon the clear face of truth or be any prejudice to others who are blessed with better apprehensions whose not-forestalled souls out of that judgment of discretion which God hath endowed all wise Christians withall upon due search may by those good means which God hath held forth to us give himself so ful satisfaction in all important Truths as wherein he may securely rest with a resolute defiance of all oppositions Had this Questionist but consulted with learned Bishop Davenant's irrefragable Discourse De judice ac norma fidei he had forborn the blurring of his Paper and spared the labor of this his perplexed and shuffling proposall of his pretend edly-perplexing Question which in very truth is no other than a stale and often exploded Cavill newly furbushed over with a false colour of a tenderly-conscientious irresolution The man will finde himself here over-answer'd and receive too much honour from such an Antagonist in that it may be said of him Aeneae magni dextrâ cadis Now since you are pleased to desire my Opinion of the whole work to speak freely One or two passages I confess to meet with in this learned and weighty Discourse as concerning the name and number of the Apocalypticall Beast 666. which doe not altogether carry my assent That Mysterie must and will lye still close after all the scanning of the sharpest Wits and Judgements But for all the Doctrinall points I cannot but applaud them as worthy of the Authour and satisfactory to the Reader and convictive of the Adversary Farewell from your much devoted Higham April 29. 1652. J.H.B.N. A Perplexing Question OR A doubtfull Case of CONSCIENCE Of a certain Preacher of the GOSPEL OVR Religion is our Faith Faith either saves or condemns justly ought we therefore to be able to understand and prove our Faith But now there ariseth a great doubt to me and other of the simpler sort of Christians Whether it be possible for us to have an infallible certainty of our Faith out of the holy Scriptures and so consequently to rely on and trust to this faith as to an unshaken foundation The reason of our doubting is this Both Papists and Calvinists holding contrary opinions do maintain and prove by the holy Scriptures as they suppose the contrary to that which the Lutherans hold seriously affirming that in the Scriptures the Lutheran Religion is condemned and theirs confirmed Which thing no man will deny to be an evident Argument of the obscurity of the holy Scriptures If there be two Physicians of equall learning and of the same intent in curing the sick that is alike desirous to cure the disease and if these Physicians should out of one and the same Book gather the one that a Fever is cured with wine and the other that wine is as bad as poyson to them that have the Fever how I pray shall we know which of these two to take part withall A man can gather nothing but that the remedy for that disease is obscurely expressed in that Book Some may object The Sects doe not follow the Scriptures onely but they add their traditions the Calvinists add their reason the Anabaptists their dreams I answer They do so in those things which are not cleerly taught in the holy Scriptures but in the controversies between them and Lutherans they proceed not so but by Scriptures they fight against Lutheran Tenents which are confirmed by the Scriptures and indeavour by the help of the Scriptures to sight for and defend their own which the Lutherans by Scriptures doe condemn Nay more there are some viz. the Anabaptists that urge the
the world by Divines After all this I say that a Preacher of the Gospell should be brought upon the Stage to propose such a Question as Whether any Christian can bee certain of his faith by the holy Scriptures nor propose it onely but to call it A Perplexed Question and a Doubtfull Case of Conscience is so unshamefast a course as in my judgment it becometh none but such an one as hath a mores forehead and cannot be ashamed Yet I consider the condition of these present times in Germany where the Antichristian Congregations have confederated themselves and taken counsell against Gods Secretaries and as Pharaoh pursued the Israelites thinking to overtake them and that their lust should be satisfied upon them so these have not onely thought so but done so it is not impossible but that some weak Preacher of the Gospell may fall into their hands and be so charmed with fears or hopes or both as to be drawn unto their lure and brought to do them this piece of service as to propose such a Question and name the child after this manner For these times are the very hour and power of darkness and Satan is not yet bound though we trust his binding is not far off And it is not strange that men should be given over to believe lies and to become some Jesuits Proctor calling men to relieve a scrupulous and perplexed conscience and to intreat all Christians especially the Calvinists Divines and Preachers with all due respect to give a Solution to this proposed Question and this in Dutch whereas I had thought that this Question had neither being life or motion in any other part of the Christian world but onely in this our England Well let us consider wherein the perplexity of this Question consists or what it is that makes it Disc Our Religion is our Faith Faith either saves or condemus justly ought we therefore to be able to understand and prove our Faith Cansid The first proposition That our Religion is our Faith is brought in to no purpose the Argument here used subsists well enough without it such as it is The faith that saves is an act in man but that which is to be proved is no act in man but the object of that act the thing believed what conscience the Author of this discourse had I know not but I doubt he will appear to be but of little wit Disc But now there ariseth a great doubt to me and others of the simpler sort of Christians Whether it be possible for us to have an infallible certainty of our Faith out of the holy Scriptures and so consequently to rely and trust to this faith as to an unshaken foundation Consideration Let my Faith be never so certain and my Repentance and good works never so sincere I trust neither to the one nor to the other Christ is the Rock and foundation whereupon Gods Church is built upon which we are built by the knowledge of Christ and faith in Christ and in him alone I trust both for the keeping of me in this knowledge and faith of Christ and for the bringing of me thereby unto salvation as Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.20 I know whom I have trusted and I know that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him And 1 Cor. 1.30 God hath made him unto us wisdom and righteousness sanctification and redemption Who so doubts whether it be possible to have any certainty of faith out of the holy Scriptures I demand of him whether he doubts of the possibility for a man to have any certain faith at all or no if he doubts whether this be possible who seeth not that it is more fit this Question should be proposed in the first place and upon the solution thereof and not afore to proceed to inquire by what this certainty may be had if he doubts not but that this is possible let him shew us how or by what means he is assured hereof as namely whether by naturall reason or by the word of the Pope or by the word of an Angell And indeed if the Question were proposed indifferently and fairly with distinction we should soon perceive how little cause there is to call this a Perplexed Question or a Doubtfull case of Conscience though these forms savour of no learning nor judgement for the perplexity that is found in this Argument is not in the Question if it be it is the meer fault of the propounder exhibiting it in perplexed terms the meaning whereof cannot be easily unfolded but rather in finding out the truth thereof and that is onely in case the reasons be of equall moment on both sides wherewith the truth is incombred so that the light and convincing evidence thereof cannot easily break forth and appear Then as for a case of Conscience that is a very alien notion and ill applied in this place for cases of Conscience are onely touching what we ought to doe in a certain case but this is onely touching possibility of assurance as Whether we can have any certain faith by the holy Scriptures But let us proceed distinctly And 1. Let us inquire Whether a man can have any certain faith at all I answer 1. They may for many have had it as it is defined by S. Paul Heb. 11. to be the evidence of things not seen the ground of things hoped for and there the Apostle reckons up a Catalogue of many that had such a faith I presume the propounder of this if he be a Christian makes no question hereof And that Abraham the Father of the faithfull Rom. 4.18 19 20. was such a one who against hope believed in hope and being not weak in faith he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and that all the true children of Abraham have the like faith as Abraham had 2. But then let us distinguish when we treat of possibility this may be understood either in reference to the power of Nature or in respect of the power of God and according to this distinction I answer That it is utterly impossible to believe this by power of Nature Mat. 16. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceives not the things of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And Esa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of God been revealed And Joh. 12.39 Therefore they could not believe because Esaias saith again he hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them And Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God and consequently they cannot have faith for surely by faith we please God But then on the other side it is most
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceived them that dwelt on earth by the means of his miracles This is that Man of Sin St. Paul speaks of whose comming was in the effectuall power of Satan in signs and lying wonders and in all deceivableness of unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.9 10. and by his cunning practices got at length as many heads to his body and horns to his head as the Dragon had and got him a mistress too like himself the Whore of Babylon whom John saw Rev. 17.6 drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Witness the slaughters made and barbarous outrages committed upon the Waldenses who first proclamed to the world that Rome was the Whore of Babylon and the Pope Antichrist But in these later days the Lord hath blasted that Man of Sin with the breath of his mouth and broken off many horns of the Beast which hath provoked those Antichristian Generations in a very high degree Rev. 12. and the Devill undoubtedly hath now greater wrath than ever because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Now of late yeers his greatest Proctors the Jesuits have not spared to profess despair of prevailing in their cause by disputation as appears by Westons Preface to his Book De triplici hominis statu The Gordian knot of Controversies in Religion must be cut assunder by some Alexanders sword Belike this sect was privy to some intentions on foot for the raising of such Meteors as at length have broken forth into those storms which since have exercised all Germany if not all Christendom in the West And I have read a discourse written by one who was sometimes Secretary to the Pope discovering the practices of those times and relating a counsell for the propagating of Religion erected and instituted by Clemens Octavus that whining Pope thereby concealing the bloody and barbarous intention of his heart some say that for all his whining he was as impure as bloody Now these courses wherewith they travelled many years being now brought forth unto the light I wonder not a little that they persist in their motive learning which of all others is of the basest allay and hath more of the nature of a charm than of a medicine to cure Error in a rationall way For I cannot be perswaded otherwise but that some vile Jesuite hath an hand in this Argument to style himself a Preacher of the Gospell for though he holds the Pope to be Judge of Controversies yet I presume when he preacheth he doth not take his Text out of the Popes Canons but out of the Word of God and we know there are Dutch Jesuits as well as Spanish Jesuits and I have heard that when the Arminian quarrells were rife in the Netherlands some Jesuits have insinuated themselves amongst them and preached in their Congregations to promote the Arminian cause though not known to be any other than their own Ministers This Preacher of the Gospell shapes his discourse at pleasure calling it a Perplexing Question or a Doubtfull Case of Conscience whereas it contains nothing but a threed-bare and old worn-out Argument he was ashamed to say that it proceeds concerning the Scripture lest the conscience of every sober Christian should rise against it therefore he balks that and shapes it to proceed Concerning the foundation of the Religion of the Protestants and others which have made a separation from the Pope Now this foundation is no other than the Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles which S. Paul calls the foundation whereupon the Church is built And the Perplexing Question and Doubtfull Case of Conscience comes to this Whether the Scripture or the Pope be the foundation whereupon the Church is built I do not well understand what he means by distinguishing those who have made a separation from the Pope into Protestants and others for none separate from the Pope but by reason of the corruptions they finde in the Church of Rome in the way of Error and Heresie Superstition and Idolatry and their bloody and barbarous disposition against all those that cannot brook her abominations and Protestants have their name from their protestation against these their courses As for the Question Whether any Christian bee altogether and infallibly certain of his Faith and Religion by the holy Scriptures and safely rely upon it against all tentations and objections Is this the Perplexing Question Is this the Doubtfull Case of Conscience It is now above 1600. years since Christs Resurrection and the comming down of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost who ever was known to make question of this in the Church of God untill this last hundred years wherein so great and generall a separation hath been made not from the Church of God but from communion with the Church of Rome After Christs practice in incountring Satan and that after a manner competent to every simple Christian not discovering the Devills adulterating the Text Psal 91. He shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes which last clause in all thy ways the Devill omitted but replying Mat. 4. It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God and reprehending the Sadduces for not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God imputing their error to this their ignorance and shewing how little need there is that any man should rise from the dead to tell men of that place of torment in case they have Moses and the Prophets and that who so will not believe Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though a man rise from the dead Luk. 16. and counselling the Jews to search the Scriptures Joh. 5. and justifying them in their opinion thinking them to be sufficient to direct them unto everlasting life Afterwards the Apostles submitted their Doctrine to be examined by the Word of God The Bereans being commended for this Act. 7. and professing that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 3.15 After the antient Fathers have called the triall of Controversies to the Word of God and Constantine at the Councill of Nice referred all the Bishops there assembled to proceed according to this and both Chrysostome and Austin have professed that all things necessary to salvation are clearly set down in Scripture and in the Controversie between Hierome and Austin about Pauls reproving Peter whether it were done seriously or in pretence onely Hierome pleading variety of Fathers for his way and Austin opposing the clear evidence of the Text against them all And Papists themselves many of the more ingenious sort of them having been found to confess that the last resolution of our faith ought to be made into the Word of God and the contradictory nature of the Popish Tenet in proving the true Church by the Scriptures and the Scriptures by the Church having been made manifest to
yet what Christian is found to be so impudent and immodest as to lay to their charge that they differed in Religion and look how many different interpretations of Scripture were found amongst them so many different Religions there were amongst them he might as well profess that the Papists amongst themselves the Lutherans amongst themselves and the Calvinists amongst themselves are of different Religions 3. We acknowledge different opinions between Lutherans and Calvinians so no doubt there are different opinions among the Lutherans themselves and the Calvinians themselves but we utterly deny there are different Religions The Lutherans we hold to be true Churches agreeing with us in the fundamental points of faith and likewise in being free from Idolatry for albeit they have Images in their Churches which we conceive to be a very dangerous thing yet they doe not worship them and although they hold reall Presence in the Sacrament yet they do not adore it So that albeit we think some of their opinions are contrary to the Scripture and they think the like of some of ours yet neither we say of their Religion nor they of ours I trow that it is contrary to the Scripture much less that it is condemned in Scripture But come we to the main scope of this Authors Discourse which is to prove that the Scriptures are obscure and from thence to infer that we can have no assurance of the true meaning of it To this we answer 1. By denying the consequence which is this Divines differ in the interpretation of Scripture therefore the Scripture is obscure And I prove the absurdity and untruth and weakness of it 1. It is weak for at the uttermost it proves that it is obscure but in some places For this difference of interpretation is but of some places as I have shewed and the force of the proposition I have shewed to be no greater than the force of a particular 2. It is absurd for by the same reason I may proue that the Scripture is clear thus That Scripture is clear in the interpretation wherein men of different opinions and different Religions doe agree But men of different opinions and Religions do agree in the interpretation of divine Scripture therefore the divine Scripture is clear and indeed it will be found that we agree in the interpretation not of some onely but of many places of holy Scripture Now what absurd a course is it for a Disputant so to dispute as that his Argument may be retorted with as good force against him yea and much more For when men of different opinions are found to differ about the interpretation of a Scripture it may be this ariseth from the love of their own opinions which makes the Scripture seem to sound the same way but when they agree in the interpretation of Scripture notwithstanding their other differences this argues the Scripture to be clear enough Nay we know Bellarmine will dislike an opinion and Maldonate an interpretation of Scripture for Calvins sake striving to differ from such as they hate though without all just cause and to wrest the Scriptures to serve their turns 3. Lastly the Consequence is as untrue as it is weak and absurd for the cause of this difference may be in the darkness of their understanding who take upon them to interpret it rather than in the darkness of the Scripture it self which whether we consider the Law or the Gospell each of them is termed light by the Spirit of God Thy Law is a Lanthorn to my feet and a light unto my pathes saith David Psal 119. And of the Gospell our Saviour speaks Light came into the world but men loved darkness rather than light Joh. 3. the greater will be their condemnation And as for the instance proposed to prove the Consequence of two Physicians 1. The particular proposed is most inficete and a meer fiction without all colour 2. Yet I doubt not but Galen and Hipocrates in divers places may admit different interpretations Therefore I answer 1. This also may arise not so much from the obscurity of the Text as from the fault of the Interpreter 2. It is a most alien course to compare the Word of God and the word of Man together for man may contradict himself God cannot man may forget one time what he delivered at another God cannot 3. There is a vast difference between the things of men and the things of God so that whereas naturall reason and naturall instruction may be sufficient to inable a man to understand the writing of another man yet onely supernaturall illumination is sufficient to inable a man to discern the things of God yet I confess on this particular some judicious reader may think to find a flaw yet I presume that upon serious consideration that attempt will prove but vain and none but a Socinian will oppose in this who denies all fides infusa and acknowledgeth none but acquisita faith naturall and shrewd suspicions that way are betrayed by Mr. Chillingsworth as if he acknowledged no faith but faith naturall 2. But be it granted that the Scripture is obscure 1. Consider the force of this proposition it is but an indefinite and the matter is apparently contingent for undoubtedly it was at the good pleasure of God to speak after what manner he thought good Hence it followeth that the force hereof is but the force of a particular proposition as much as to say that the Scripture in some places is obscure or some places of Scripture are obscure And indeed Gregory of old hath professed that the holy Scripture is like unto a ford wherein a Lamb may wade and an Elephant may swim and before him S. Paul tells us that it contains both milk for babes and strong meat for men there is enough and that plain enough to satisfie the hungry and there is also enough and that obscure enough to prevent non-sealing especially in the Prophecies for the times to come The first promise of the Covenant of Grace was this the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Here is a double mystery in general notions carried the one the mystery of Christs Person expressed by the seed of the woman but implied to be somewhat more yea much more even such a one as should break the Serpents head the other the mystery of his Office carried onely in this generall notion of breaking the Serpents head In this time of grace we know this to have been brought to pass by his dying for our sins and his rising again for our justification Had this been known to Satan as now it is to us is it credible that hee would have perswaded Judas as he did to contract with the high Priests to betray him into their hands that were Judas like after he had betrayed his Master to goe forth and hang himself For we know that upon the Cross he spoiled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly and triumphed over them
The day of Christs Resurrection undoubtly was a day of extreme confusion to the Devill and all his Angells of darkness So the Jewes had they known this mystery of his Person they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but this wisdom of God in a mystery was hid from them 1 Cor. 2.7 and because they knew him not nor the words of the Prophets which were read every Sabbath day they fulfilled them in condemning him Acts 13.27 But if all things necessary to salvation are plainly set down in holy Scripture as both Chrysostom a Greek Father and Austin a Latine Father have concurrently delivered what are we the worse for the obscurity of the same 2. But suppose all were obscure yet are there not degrees of obscurity Amongst Writers in all Languages there is this difference some write more obscurely some more clearly as amongst the Greeks what difference between Chrysostome and Epiphanius this way among the Latines between Tertullian and Cyprian yet who doubts but even Tertullian may be understood and that by Cyprian who was wont to call for him in these terms Da mihi Magistrum so amongst School-Divines Aquinas and Durand are perspicuous and clear not so with Scot or Cajetan so Alvares fair and clear Navarrettus à Dominicanto but all along labours of obscurity as a man doth of the Gout whether he understood himself or no I know not sure I am he torments his Reader yet by pains and intention of study the difficulty may be overcome as I have found in part but I do not think any knowledge in him worthy to be redeemed with the like labour never any thing tormented me more unless it were the construing of Dr. Jacksons English yet no where els that I know save in treating of the Divine Essence Prov. 14.16 Now the Word of God hath taught us that knowledge is easie to him that will understand If thou callest after knowledge and criest for understanding If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Prov. 2.3 4 5. especially as touching all things necessary unto salvation 2. But suppose it were very obscure throughout is not God the Author able to instruct us in his own meaning and make us assured of it And hath not our Saviour assured us that if earthly Fathers know how to give good things to their children much more shall the heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Apostle teacheth us this saying 1 Joh. 2.27 That annoynting which ye received of him dwelleth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you all things Hereupon Nider a Papist in his Consolatorium timoratae Conscientiae acknowledgeth that every childe of God hath the direction of the Spirit to lead him into all truth necessary to salvation And certainly the truth of Gods Word is infallible Cui non potest subesse falsum As for the certainty ex parte Scientis 1. That God can work in such a measure as he pleaseth 2. Yet we know in the best there is the flesh lusting against the Spirit and that swayes to infidelity but the better part masters it 3. And as for doubting that is rather on the part of fiducia than of fides and those doubts are mastered and that is the best faith that masters doubts and overcometh tentations Thus I presume the sober Reader may observe the rotten condition of this Discourse throughout yet we have spoken nothing of the Scripture in comparison to other means of assurance which this Author subdolously or simply conceals because to leave Scripture and to seek forth for assurance elswhere he perceives that this would manifestly appear in the end to be no better than to leave the fountain of living water and to dig unto our selves pits even broken pits that can hold no water Jer. 2. For consider shall we fly to the voyce of the Church consider the voyce of God it is the voyce of the Church and more 1. It is the voyce of the Church yea of the best Church and purest Church namely the voyce of the Propheticall and Apostolicall Church For Deus loquitur per Prophetas Apostolos And this is that Church into whose voyce the last resolution of our Faith ought to be made in the opinion of Durand then it is more than the voyce of the Church for holy men speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. ult You will say but all the question is about the meaning of it I answer 1. May there not be as much question about the meaning of the voyce of the Church as about the meaning of Gods Word Where doth the Church speak more authentically than in generall Councills See the Councill of Trent the Pope was unwilling to confirm it Hist of the Councill of Trent till Cardinall Bon Compagio Bishop of Befirice urged him thereunto upon this ground That withall he should publish an EDICT forbidding all men to take upon them the interpretation thereof and commanding them to seek that from him and then saith he let us alone to devise a convenient interpretation of it without prejudices to the advantages of the Court of Rome 2. Again Generall Councills may erre as Austin observes the former have been corrected by the later in some things 3. Such Councills never went about to write Commentaries upon the Scripture if they should Cajetan confesseth an interpretation may be given congruous to the Text yet different from the Torrent of Doctors notwithstanding which we ought to receive it 4. Lastly after what sense soever I interpret Scripture in any Argument if I am not able to make it good by convincing arguments to every sober conscience let my proofs be rejected but withall let him look to it after what manner he resists the evidence brought as he will answer for it at the day of Judgement according to that of our Saviour Joh. 12.48 He that refuseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken it shall judge him at the last day 5. It were easiy to produce variety of testimonies even of Papists acknowledging the last resolution of our faith ought to be made into the VVord of God and that the true Church and the power which it hath is not known but by the Word of God 2. Or will they say the Pope is to resolve us as touching the meaning of Scripture To this I answer 1. That I care not who interprets Scripture to me so he performs the part of an Interpreter indeed and make it appear to be the meaning of it 2. And if I doe not so I am content to suffer the loss of that Argument whatever it be 3. Then it hath been a very rare thing for Popes to set themselves to
interpret Scripture 4. It is well known that Liberius Pope of Rome subscribed to Arianism Honorius was a Monotholite Pope John the 22. denied that the souls of men lived after separation from the body like to the Socinians of these dayes whose opinion was cried down at Paris and openly proclamed hereticall by the sound of a Trumpet 3. Or shall the Rule of interpretation of Scripture be the congruity of it to naturall reason as the Socinians make it This is most shamefull and unreasonable considering 1. That our naturall reason is much corrupt by the sin of Adam The things of God seem foolishness to the naturall man 1 Cor. 2.14 naturally we are all darkness 2. In the state of innocency do we think that Adam by naturall reason was able to find out or justifie the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Deitie We say God may be known by light of Nature Quod attinet ad Vnitatem naturae but not known quod attinet at Trinitatem Personarum God hath set the world in mans heart saith Solomon yet can he not finde out the works that he hath wrought from the beginning to the end Eccl. 3. and if he cannot finde out the works of God is he able to find out the nature of God himself we know he is said to dwell in a dark cloud Disc Obj. Some may object The Sects do not follow the Scriptures onely but they add the Papists their Traditions the Calvinists their Reasons the Anabaptists their Dreams I answer They do so in those things which are not cleerly taught in the holy Scriptures but in the controversies between them and Lutherans they proceed not so but by Scriptures they fight against Lutheran Tenents which are confirmed by the Scriptures and indeavour by the help of the Scriptures to sight for and defend their own which the Lutherans by Scriptures doe condemn Nay more there are some viz. the Anabaptists that urge the Scriptures in the very Letter more than the rest The Calvinists use their reason and out of the Scriptures draw Arguments which thing the Lutherans also doe never suffering any of theirs to reason against the Scriptures Consid This Author will have the making of his own bed and shapes his Reader at the first encounter to yeeld acknowledging the uncontradictable nature of his former one onely Argument which yet I have shewed to be both very weak very ridiculous and very untrue But we keep our ground professing to the world that the Scriptures alone being the Word of God are the rule of our faith and no word of man Papists add Traditions which yet they account the Word of God unwritten we abhor to make any thing the rule of our faith but the written Word of God It is falsly said that Calvinists add their Reason they rather suppose Reason than add it the Word of God being given to none but reasonable creatures Neither doe we make this Reason of ours a rule of faith added to Gods Word but it is that light which God hath given us wherewith to search into the meaning of his Word and by studious inquisition and observation to discover it and make it known to others and by good reason out of the Text to convict others of the truth And doth this Authors reason go to bed and sleep when he comes to read and studiously to consider the Word of God If it doth he will prove no better than a drowsie Student and I know no reason but such a one may be in love with dreams as well as Anabaptists 1. In his Answer he carrieth himself most absurdly and ridiculously For 1. Most insipidly he supposeth that the Controversies amongst Protestant Divines are about such things as are clearly taught in Scripture as if they agreed in those things which are not clearly set down in Scripture and differ onely about things which are clearly delivered there 2. He supposeth that Calvinists do not use reason in the controversies between them and the Lutherans but onely in other things which is most untrue and absurd withall for controversies cannot possibly be mannaged without reason both as touching the proof of their own Tenet and touching the disproof of the Tenet oposite And this must needs be the guise of the Lutherans also It is false which he saith of Anabaptists that they urge the very letter of Scriptures more than the rest For both Calvinists and Lutherans insist wholly upon the literall sense of Scripture and more than the Anabaptist in case they as formerly by this Author said did depend in dreams for so doe not Protestants but on Scripture only and that according unto sense literall not at all according to sense mysticall save onely in case the sense mysticall be expounded by some Apostle and thereby made literall 2. But herein this Authors ignorance discovers its self that hee confounds sense literall with the proper sense of the words We acknowledge sense literall to comprehend sense Metaphoricall as well as proper and to stand in contradiction onely to sense mysticall But in case we take that in a metaphoricall sense which our adversaries in any point take in a sense proper if we doe not prove the sense wherein we take it and disprove theirs by convincing Arguments we will allow the liberty to reject our Tenet and follow their own for we desire to make our faith evident to the consciences of all opposites and if they can make their Tenets in like manner evident to us we will renounce our own and imbrace theirs 3. And this Author speaks at random and he knows not what when he would have his Reader believe the Calvinists permit any to reason against the Scriptures for by reason to clear the meaning of Scripture is not I trust to reason against it but for it rather especially considering that by reason of Scripture onely we dispute the meaning of any place Disc Object 2. If it be objected unto them that they wilfully and against their consciences do condemn the Lutheran Tenets and confirm their own they will answer Ans This were a very grievous sin and that men ought not to presume that they would falsifie and corrupt the Letters and Commands of their Lord to his sons and subjects much less that they do maliciously erre and lead themselves and others into the dauger of their salvation and to say the truth it is not likely that so many hundred thousands of men would come to that pitch of malice though one should especially seeing they dare confirm their honest meaning with an Oath wherefore unless they be convicted of maliciously wilfull error we shall seem injuriously to slander them Consid I see no reason why such a censure should be passed upon the Calvinians more than upon the Lutherans more speciously it should be passed by them that are Orthodox upon them that are not though I justifie not this censure whosoever makes it and certainly there is no just cause to pass it upon them
and the Gentiles shall have their eyes opened and be brought out of darkness into light and from the power of Satan unto God though blindness come upon Israel as they have been held under it now for 1600. years A very absurd thing it is to say we shall never be able to confute any Religion with the objection of fore-conceived opinions For this may be objected to them that are in the right way as well as to them that are in a wrong way and undoubtedly the true way may be imbrac'd in a wrong manner For they are not all Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. God threatens sometimes to visit the circumcised with the uncircumcised and the reason why the Lord gave the Christian world over to illusions to believe lies was because they received not the love of the truth As for civill learning surely there wanted not both civill and naturall knowledge among the Gentiles more than enough for this made them esteem the Cross of Christ foolishness which yet to them that are saved is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will cast away the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness For seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.18 18 19 20 21. And shall we now think that civill learning and naturall ingenuity prefers men to the grace of God or makes them the more fit to receive the Gospell Of Princes who more famous for naturall parts learning wisdom ingenuity than Trajan and Mareus Antonius of inferiour condition than Plinie the second the Officer of Trajan who speaks in commendations of the innocency of Christians yet neither of these became a Christian nay both these Princes were persecutors of the Church of God and at Athens for all their learning which made them renowned throughout the world who were converted by Pauls preaching there but Dionysius and Damaris and some other Act. 17. last Papists are great Scholars undoubtedly not in Logick and Philosophie onely and that in all kindes but in Divinity also and that in the most learned way Aquinas a great Divine his Sums I have heard Doctor Reynolds call it that absolute Body of Divinitie but his wit served him to serve that Churches turn in those days and in maintaining Idolatry he is the most shamefull Writer that ever was for he will have the Image worshipped with the same honour that is due to the thing represented by it and that by an Argument drawn out of Aristoile Dememoria reminiscentia opposed herein by Durand and Picus Mirandula and others I remember what Cicero said of the Grecians Do illis eruditionem do Doctrinam filem Religionem nunquam Coluerunt yet I will not say so of the Church of Rome though one sometimes did I know it was renowned for faith all the world over in the dayes of S. Paul but a degenerate time came and as at the first preaching of the Gospell men turned from Idolls to to serve the living God so in after Ages even Christians and Roman Christians as much as any if not more turned from the living God to serve Idolls and the Whore of Babylon who made all Nations drunken with the blood of Gods Saints is clearly the Church of Rome as it is at this day and hath been for many generations whatsoever their learning be the greater advantage they have for the countenancing of their Errors Heresies Superstitions and Idolatries which yet we nothing fear The Apostle hath taught us to esteem no knowledge but this even of Christ and him crucified Si Christum descis nihil est si caetera nescis si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis And if we fear not their learning much less have we cause to fear their wit or wisdom either or whatsoever projects of theirs likewise none of these should in common reason commend their Religion God usually infatuating the wisdom of the wise They have all furtherance I confess beyond us yet God hath not tied himself to annex his truth to these furtherances least of all if they be imployed not indifferently to the investigation of truth but prejudicately to support their own cause the madness whereof hath been in these later dayes made known to the world more than ever The triall whereof we make by the Touch-stone of Gods Word according to the counsel of God himself To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light in them Esai 8. Yet we study Scriptures and Fathers too as well as they and we have them amongst us that yeeld to them not a jot nay do we not study their writings too much more than our own I willingly profess I have done so all along that I might come acquainted with their best strength and fastness in all which I find nothing but illusions in the maintenance of those Tenets wherein we differ from them As for interpreting of Scriptures it is well known they have been brought unto it per force so was Cajetan in his old years after he had tasted of Luthers course who would admit of no other Authority in dispute but the Word of God And their Commentaries for the most part are but a Mass of Collections out of others yet I despise them not I am content to use them as soon as any of our own not so much to learn by them as to observe how they strain their wits to quench that light of truth which in most places breaks forth to the discovering of their Errors Well they may talk of bringing no sense to the Scriptures but their practice is nothing answerable Discourse But perhaps God hath not granted them his Spirit and his grace I answer God being sought unto and solicited to by prayers denies to no man his Grace and Spirit of Truth Now men of other Religions crave of God the enlightning of their minde and direction in a right way no less than our selves nay as far as we can discern perhaps with a greater fervency and zeal neither are we to think that they ask it out of hypocrisie and with dissimulation and that so they would mock God therefore it is to be taken for granted that the Spirit is where the fruits of the Spirit are found of which none ought to boast above others Nay more the knowledge of understanding the Scriptures is a peculiar gift of the Spirit which is granted no less to others than to us It is true indeed that he onely understands the Scriptures which hath the Spirit that dictated them and as it is in worldly laws no Doctors interpretation or deciding doth justifie till the Law-giver approve that deciding Yet he that boasteth of such approbation
there no book at all written or Sermon preached in any point of Controversies or difference between us yet Papists should be Papists still and not Protestants and Protestants should be Protestants still and not Papists and the Whore of Babylon should bee the VVhore of Babylon still and no Spouse of Christ and Antichrist a false Prophet still and no true Prophet For the faith and profession of a Papist makes him a Papist whether hee writes Controversies or no the smallest part of them being able to perform the task so the Protestants profession and protestation against the corruptions of the Church of Rome makes him a Protestant tho' he never set pen to paper to contend for the Faith once given to the Saints though this be a duty I confess but no common duty belonging unto all but peculiarly appertaining to the man of God able not only to exhort with wholesome doctrine but also to convince them that say against it For Articles of Faith and their profession of them Lay-men have suffered with great constancy and patience but not for controversies though they have been ready to give a reason of their Faith to all that asked it and witness a good confession of it as our Saviour did before Pilate as the Book of Acts and Monuments recordeth of them and S. Paul of our blessed Saviour Doctor Bergius is acknowledged to say as much confessing the Controversies are not very necessary to salvation which I interpret thus not necessary to the being of the Church but onely to her well-being when the Christian Faith is oppugned by Heretikes Between Lutherans and Calvinists we acknowledge there is no difference in fundamentalls as appeareth sufficiently at the Conference at Leipsich Disc This I am perswaded is very true that had the Holy Ghost judged those Controverted Questions necessary to salvation it would have expressed and propounded them in the holy Scripture clearly and plainly seeing those Epistles were sent to simple and Lay-men especially Nor doth it seem likely to be true that ever there were so many Articles of Faith drawn out of them as are now to be read in the Catechisms Common-places and Compounds of Divines As yet there is no certain number of them determined seeing some Divines have propounded more and some fewer and some Religions have in process of time either added or abated whole Articles and after many miseries indured for the defence of some of them entring a way of moderation they have determined that for tolerable and indifferent which before they thought damnable But howsoever there are so many of them that a man may deservedly call in question the precise necessity of them and this seems the best Solution to disintangle and appease perplexed doubtfull and erring Consciences Consid It is a very uncouth speech proceeding from a wilde conceit to say that God would have expressed and appointed Controverted Questions plainly and clearly if they had been necessary It is not the proposition of Controverted Questions though never so plainly and clearly delivered that sets an end to Controversies but the clear and substantiall solution of them for herein that which hath any shew of being necessary is not the proposing of them but the deciding of them and it were a very preposterous course to talk of deciding Controversies before there were any Controversies moved right as if a Physitians wisdom and goodness shoud move him to heal a man before he is wounded rather hee should take care to preserve a mans health that he might not fall into sickness And so Gods wisdom and goodness hath sufficiently provided for the health of his Church through the integrity of Doctrine delivered in his VVord and that in a manner sufficiently intelligible and plain to them that come with honest hearts and studious desires to seek after truth and to imbrace it But S. Paul tells us of oppositions to the truth made by men of corrupt mindes plainly giving us to understand that they came with corrupt mindes to the reading of Gods Word and so pervert it as Peter speaks and thereby pervert themselves first and afterwards they speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrested things to the corrupting of others and hinder them from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be found in the faith Tit. 1.13 S. Peter exhorts us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 And S. Paul would not have us stand at a stay but grow forward unto perfection There is a plerophory and fulness of faith that we should strive unto and of knowledge as well as of holiness For this life is our way to heaven and still we must draw neerer thitherwards by knowing all that we can know by the Word Deut. 29.29 It is revealed to that purpose and it is able to make the man of God perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 3. last Add unto vertue knowledge saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.5 and Paul prayes on the behalf of the Colossians that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of Gods Will in all wisdom and spirituall understanding Col. 19. that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God v. 10. Why then should we take offence at the multiplying of Articles In all professions men that delight in knowledge are never satisfied nothing is more congruous to our intelligent natures than light of knowledge while we live here on earth we shall never come to ripeness of age in Christ therefore we must be growing still and edifying our selves and one another in our most holy faith the body of Christ must be edified till we come to fulness of age and as we must increase in knowledge so being obnoxious to error it behoves us to labour for the discovery of it more and more That error in taking the number of the Beast 666. to denote onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath indured ever since the dayes of Ireneus that is from the next age after the Apostles and it is now lately discovered and the true meaning substituted in the place thereof as never the like before and it is commendable for men to see their former errors much more to confess them Of all Austins works there are none more tending to his honour and renown than his Retractations wherein he retracts the errors of his Faith and his Confestions where hee acknowledgeth the errors of his life and this is most Christian ingenuity and I think never was any man more renowned in this kinde than he It is necessary for every Christian to strive forwards unto perfection necessitate Praecepti by necessitie of Commandment but if he fail through negligence this is a very pardonable sin upon our confession of it As for things necessary to salvation they are but few but the knowledge of God and the things of God is so sweet to a regenerate tast having already tasted how bountifull the Lord is that he
will be carried as naturally to desire the sincere milk of the Word that he may grow thereby as new born babes do desire the milk of their mothers breasts 1 Pet. 2.1 As for perplexed and doubting and erring Consciences men may perplex themselves and raise doubts causlesly and erre in this and this error will be the greater when after all this they pretend perplexity and doubts made unto them when they are onely the mists which themselves have raised to blear their own eyes and such a work I think is never more inauspiciously performed than when they set their wits on work to dispute themselves out of the Lords verge and circle within the compass whereof alone he useth to charm all his Elect after they have run their wilde race and compass and bring them home like the prodigal child to his father so them to their heavenly father and therewithall to the sobriety of their wits and integrity of their senses that they may say Oh what love have I to thy Law all the day long is my study in it the Law of thy mouth is deerer to me than thousands of gold and silver by this I have more understanding than my Teachers Indeed the Law of the Lord is a perfect Law converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom to the simple yea and such wisdom as maketh wise unto salvation and what should we desire more Disc But could so many Divines of former Ages be ignorant of this Have there not so many Wars been undertaken for this cause Could those learned men suffer so many thousands of men to run headlong hoth by doing and suffering into the hazard of body and soul for Religions sake and so many unspeable mischiefs to arise whenas it is possible for a man to be saved without the Controversies of Religion But if this be the command of God under the pain of temporall and everlasting punishment to fight for those Controversies how can we excuse those shuffling arguments of Faith Religion and Gods Worship A Servant may not abate any thing of his Lords due Consid Be ignorant of this of what That Controversies are not necessary to salvation how doth that appear they deserved any such censure but let 's not please our selves in confusion of things that deserve to be distinguished A man yea an whole Nation may live in peace without war but if they are not suffered to live in peace but some enemy or other invades them as Aram before and the Philistins behinde ready to devour us with open mouth shall we sit still with our hands in our bosome till these monsters devour us one after another as Polyphemus intended to deal with Vlysses and his souldiers though he shewed him this favour that he should be the last that should go to pot This is the condition of Gods Church and hath been from the very dayes of the Apostles inclusively the mysteries of godliness being now revealed in Gods word Many there be that cannot digest these mysteries and submit unto them by faith but though they imbrace the truths of the Gospell in som particulars yet they resist it in others or pretending to imbrace it they pervert wrest it by corrupt interpretation In this case are not the Orthodox driven to hold their own and as S. Jude exhorts them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints and to indeavour to kill error rather than to suffer errour to strangle the holy truth of God open the truth of God which is according unto godliness rather to root out weeds than to suffer them to over-grow the good corn Thus we are cast upon Controversies whether wee will or no yet this is not a dutie that belongs to all many yea most shall be saved without it like as when an enemy invades us we gather an Army against them to oppose them and drive them out the rest pray for their fellow-brethren but do not fight yet by this war they may have as great an interest in the desired peace as those that fight for it Thus Chamayar of the French Church hath written his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bella Domini the Wars of the Lord against the Philistines the Antichristian Philistines of the Church of Rome scarce one hath done the like yet many sons of that honourable Church have done valiantly but Chamayer hath surmounted them all every one doth not gird himself with the sword upon the thigh at all but onely those who are the Lords Naunchan his instructed ones for these who are overseers and keepers of the Tower of David built for defence a thousand shields hung therein and all the Targets of the strong men Cant. 4.4 and these are well acquainted with them and know how to use them yea and to handle the sword too as expert in war and in this holy war they will be content to hazard their life as S. Paul professeth saying and now I go bound to Jerusalem in the Spirit not knowing what things shall come unto me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every like saying that bonds and afflictions abide me but I pass not for these things neither is my life deer unto me so I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God As for the shuffling Arguments here spoken of when I know them I shall upon due consideration pass my judgement on them as I see cause A man may sophisticate I confess in making Arguments but shuffling courses commonly have place in shifting them off by an undue solution Wee know what Pauls course was he fought with Beasts at Ephesus and Stephens fortunes too when certain of the Synagogue which were called Libertines and Cyrenians disputed with Stephen did not he also dispute with them The Text saith expresly they were not able to resist the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spake If Lam offered up saith Paul upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I rejoyce therein and will joy Dis Let this thing be considered seeing it is so intricate and lead me and many others into disquiet of minde for which perplexities of Conscience none will deny that a remedy is to be sought at the hands of those that have Christian fellow-feeling and might be found if all the Divines of those sides that have left Popery would vouchsafe to afford me a wise milde and solid Answer in writing not savouring of partiality prejudice or passion Consid When Boste was taken by the States there was seen in the wall a Bishop sometimes of that town painted with Christ and his blood on the one side and the Virgin Mary and her breasts sprouting milk on the other side and the devout Bishop was represented there in the gesture of a man in great perplexity and ambiguity not knowing well which to prefer whether Christs blood before Maries milk or Maries