bondage 5 To whome we gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you Paul had said before that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised now he addes For all the false brethren that is though the false brethren did what they could to the contrarie Here then Paul sets downe who were the cause that Titus was not circumcised namely certaine persons at Ierusalem and them he sets forth by two properties they are false brethren and they crept into the Church Touching the first by it we learne that the Church of God vpon earth euen when it is at the best hath wicked men and hypocrites in it In Adams family there is Cain in the Arke there is Cham in Christs family or schoole there is Iudas In the Church of Ierusalem planted and gouerned by the chiefe Apostles there be false brethren The true sheepe be often without and wolues within Therefore we may not so much as dreame of a perfection of the Church of God vpon earth so long as wicked men be mixed with true beleeuers Againe these aduersaries of Paul are called false brethren because they ioyned Circumcision with Christ as a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation Hence it followes that the Church of Rome is a false Church because it ioynes workes with Christ in the case of our iustification and that as meritorious causes Their second propertie is that they crept into the Church which I conceiue on this manner The Church of God is as a sheepefold or house Ioh. 10. 1. Christ is the onely dore Now Pastours that teach Christ aright are saide to enter in by this dore they which teach any other way of saluation are said to clime in an other way and they which teach Christ ioyning some other thing with him in the cause of saluation are said to Creepe in because in appearance they maintaine Christ and yet because they adde something to Christ they neither enter nor continue in the true Church with any good warrant from God In this they are like the serpent Liuing creatures were all placed in Eden and Man was placed in the garden of Eden called Paradise and so were not beasts How then comes the serpent in why in all likelihood it crept in And so doe false brethren into the Church Hence I gather that false brethren are not true and liuely members of the visible Church though they be members in appearance For if they were in their right place they should not be said to creepe in The true members of the Church creepe not into the mysticall bodie but are built and set vpon the foundation by God It may be alleadged that they are baptised and thereby made members of the Church I answer that faith makes vs members of Christ and consequently of the true Church and baptisme doth but seale our insition into Christ and serues as a meanes of Admission into the outward societie of the congregation and the outward washing doth not make any man a member of Christ. Againe it followes hence that false brethren are not members of the Catholike church For the visible church is part of the Catholike and therefore they which are not reall members of the true visible church are not members of the Catholike Againe in that false brethren creepe into the congregation hence it appeares that no man can set downe the precise time when errours had their beginning For the authors thereof enter in secretly not obserued of men The enuious man sowes his tares when men be asleepe Math. 13. It sufficeth therefore if we can shew them to be errours by the word though we cannot designe the set time when they began The time when a shippe sinketh we often obserue but the time when it first drew water we doe not Let the Papists thinke vpon this Paul hauing thus declared who were the causes that Titus was not circumcised goes on and shewes how they were causes The effect and summe of his declaration is this They vrged the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law as necessarie and hereupon we resused to circumcise Titus First therefore Paul sets downe how they vrged circumcision and that by three degrees First they come in priuily Secondly they spie out their libertie Thirdly they labour to bring them into bondage Againe Paul sets downe the manner of their refusall in three things We gaue not place for an houre We gaue not place by subiection We gaue no place that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you The first degree or steppe in their vrging of circumcision was that They came in priuily that is they ioyned themselues in fellowship with the Apostles in shew pretended the furtherance of the Gospel yet indeed meant nothing lesse though their fraud wickednes was not perceiued Here then the foūdation they lay of all their naughtie dealing is their dissēbling which Paul here notes condemns On the contrarie our dutie is to be indeed that which we professe our selues to be to professe no more outwardly then we are inwardly and to approue our hearts to god for that which we professe before mē The second steppe or degree is that they spie out the libertie vvhich Paul and the rest had by Christ that is they conferre with the Apostles and inquire of them what libertie they haue by Christ in respect of the Ceremoniall lawe of God and this they doe not of a minde desirous to learne but for aduantage sake There be two kinds of spying one lawefull the other vnlawefull Lawefull as when in iust and lawefull warre we inquire into the counsells and doings of our enemtes Numb 13. 1. Vnlawefull when men prie into any thing or matter to finde a fault Thus hypocrites spie faults in the persons and liues of men that they may haue somwhat whereby to disgrace them Math. 7. 4. Thus Atheists prie into the scriptures that they may confute them Thus sundrie hearers come to sermōs that they may carpe Thus our enemies inquire into our religion that they may finde as they suppose exceptions vntruthes and contradictions And in the Church of Ierusalem false brethren inquire how farre Christian liberty extends that they may ouerthrow it This kind of spying is a common fault we must take heede of it and apply the eie of our minde to a better vse First we are to be spies in respect of our owne sinnes and corruptions to spie them out Lam. 3. 40. Let us search our waies and inquire and turne againe to the Lord. Again we are to plaie the spies in respect of our spirituall enemies that we may finde out the temptations of the flesh the world and the deuill Thirdly we must be as spies in searching of the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. that we may vnderstand the words of the lawe of God and find comfort to our soules The third and last degree of vrging is that the false brethren seeke to bring the Apostles in bondage
Paul saith It is written In the testimonie I consider three things the condition of two Churches the change of the condition the ioy that is vpon the change The condition of the Church of the new Testament in these words Barren that bearest no children thou that trauelest not the desolate Barren The Christian Church is so called because by the vertue and strength of nature it beares no children to God no more then Sara did to Abraham Ioh. 1. 13. 1. Cor. 3. 7. Secondly it is so called in respect of the beginning thereof when the Iewish church was yet standing till the spirit of God was powred forth vpon all flesh after the ascension of Christ and before this the number of them which were conuerted to God was very small and therefore Christ himselfe complained that he spent his strength in vaine Isai 49. 1. Thirdly it is so called in respect of the latter times of the church in which Christ shall scarce finde faith vpon the earth Luk. 18. 8. Further that the church is barren it is declared by the signe because she neither brings forth child nor beares Desolate that is without husband in appearance by reason of the crosse and affliction and without children because at the first the christian church was constrained to hide herselfe in the wildernesse Reuel 12. 14. It may be demanded howe the catholike church should be desolate Answ. The estate of the church is twofold inward or outward The inward estate stands in the true knowledge of God in Christ in comfort touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting in the hearing of our praiers in protection and deliuerance from all spirituall enemies in the gifts of the spirit faith hope loue c. In respect of this estate the church is all glorious within and neuer desolate Psal. 45. 13. The outward estate of the Catholike church stands in visible assemblies in the publike Ministerie of the word and sacraments in a gouernment according to the word of God In respect of this second estate the Church may be in desolation This was the condition of the Church in paradise vpon the fall of our first parents of the Israelites at Mount Horeb when they worshipped the golden calfe and in the daies of Elias Rom. 11. 3. and afterward 2. Chron. 15. 3. When Christ suffered the sheapheard was smitten and the sheepe were scattered After Christs ascension all the earth worshipped the beast Reu 13. 12. Hence it followes that the Catholike church is not a visible estate or companie of men vnder one visible head because in respect of her outward estate shee may be for a time in desolation And as this is the estate of the church so is it also of the meÌ„bers thereof They shall be hated of all men Luk. 21. 17. Men shall thinke they doe God good seruice when they kill them Ioh. 16. 2. And Christ himselfe was a man without forme or beautie Isai. 53. 2. Hauing an husband in these wordes the condition of the Iewish church is set forth that shee is married or espoused to God who is her husband Ezech. 16. 8 9. Ose. 2. 19. The like may be said of any other church and namely of the church of England The vse This must teach vs to dedicate our bodies and soules to God and Christ and to giue the maine affections of our hearts vnto him as our loue and our ioy c. Secondly we must adorne and trimme our selues with grace that we may please our husband Psal. 45. 12. Thirdly we must be the glory of Christ as the wife is to her husband 1. Cor. 11. 7. and that is by subiecting our selues to Christ and his lawes Againe if we beâ—roath our selues to Christ indeed we may assure our selues that Christ is our Christ and that he hath giuen himselfe vnto vs and consequently that he will sanctifie vs Ezech. 16. 9. protect vs as an husband doeth his wife Gen. 20. 16. and indowe vs with all things needfull for this life and the life to come Ezech. 16. 10 11. The second point is the change of the church of the newe Testament because shee shall cease to be barren and bring forth many children This is the promise of God and hereupon Paul concludes that the church is a mother of all beleeuers both Iewes and Gentiles Obserue that the promise of God is of infinite vertue in his time and place In the beginning God said let there be this or that and it was so Of like vertue is Gods promise if we can waite his leisure God promised that after 430. yeares the Israelites should be deliuered out of Egypt presently when the time was expired nothing could hinder the promise Read Exod. 12. 41. Therefore our dutie is to rest on Gods promises in all times both in life and death The third point is the ioy vpon the change Reioyce Here are two things to be considered The first who must reioyce Answ. The church Gods kingdome is the place of ioy Rom. 14. 17. Reioycing belongs to the people of God Psal. 68. 3. 106. 5. The musicke of the Temple was typicall and figured the ioy of the Catholike Church where is the assurance of remission of sinnes and life eternall The second point is in what must the church reioyce Ans. In the redemption of Christ and the fruit thereof the conuersion of sinners to god For the prophet had shewed at large the passion and sufferings of Christ Isai 53. and hereupon he saith Reioyce thou barren The Israelites were commanded to feast and to be merrie before the Lord Leuit. 23. 40. 1. Chron. 29. 32. that is before the Lords Arke which was the pledge of his presence Now this Arke was a figure of Christ and the myrth before the Arke signified that the foundation of all our ioy lies in our Reconciliation with God in Christ. The angels in heauen greatly reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner and at the returne of the prodigall sonne the fat calfe is killed The vse It is false that religion breeds Melancholie and cuts of all mirth It doeth not abolish mirth but rectifie it nay it brings men to true and perfect ioy Our first and principall ioy must be that we are in Gods fauour reconciled to God by Christ Luk. 10. 20. In Dauid the head of his ioy was the good estate of the church Psal. 137 6. And all other pettie ioyes must flow from this and be sutable to it Breake forth this signifies that the church vpon earth is as it were pent in with present greife Our ioy in this life is mixed with sorrow The paschall lambe was eaten with sowre hearbes to signifie that we feele no sweetnesse in the blood of Christ till we feele the smart of our sinnes We here must reioyce in trembling Psal. 2. 11. Ioy is sowne for them that are vpright in heart Psal. 97. 12. Crie in our earthly ioyes we must be moderate and sparing we must not eate to much hony
of the Apostles 2. Tim. 3. 14. Hence it appeares to be a fault in sundrie priuate persons when they read the Scriptures to gather priuate opinions to broch them to the world This practise hath beene the foundation of heresies and schismes in the Church Secondly Paul writes with consent that he might the better mooue and perswade the Galatians to receiue his doctrine which he is nowe to deliuer Hence it appeares that the Consent of Pastors and people is of great excellencie For the better conceiuing of it and the meaning of the text I will handle three points The first is what is the force of consent wherein stands it and where it is nowe to be found For the first Consent is of force to prepare the heart and to mooue it to beleeue as Augustine saith I had not beleeued the Gospell except the authoritie of the Church had mooued me And this is all it can doe For it is the word that is the obiect and the cause of our faith the word it selfe workes in vs that faith whereby it is beleeued And Paul in this place vseth consent not to worke a faith in the Galatians but onely to stirre vp a liking of his doctrine Two errors of the Church of Rome must here be auoided One that Consent is a certaine marke of the Church It is false for Consent may be among the wicked in the kingdome of Antichrist Reuel 13. 16. In the kingdome of darkenesse all is in peace Againe dissention may be among the godly as betweene Paul and Barnabas Paul and Peter in the church of Corinth there were schismes 1. Cor. 11. Consent therefore simply vnles it be ioyned with true faith and true doctrine is not of force to declare vnto vs the true Church The second errour is that the catholike consent of beleeuers in pointes of religion is the true and liuely scripture and that â—he written word is but a dead letter to it and to be iudged by it for his sense and meaning But all is contrary For the written word is the first perfect pattern of the mind and will of God and the inward consent in the hartes of men is but a rude and imperfect extract and draught of it The second point is wherein standes this consent it must haue his foundation in Christ thence flow to the members as the oile from Aarons head to his garments Psal. 133. and it standes in three things consent in one faith and doctrine consent in affection whereby men be of one hart Act. 2. 47. consent in speach 1. Cor. 1. 10. The third point is where it is now to be found The Papists say that they haue true and perfect consent among themselues and that fathers and Councells be on their side and that we haue no consent among our selues I answer first that they haue not the coÌ„sent which they pretend for the proper points of Popery were not known to the apostles nor to the Apostolicall churches but were taken vp in the ages following by little and litle Secondly such doctrines as the papists make articles of faith are but opinions and coniectures in the fathers and Councles Thirdly the things which the Papists hold are the same peraduenture in name but they are not the same indeede with that which the fathers hold neither are they holden in the same manner as for example the purgatory which the fathers hold is a thing far different from the purgatory of the papists and so all the rest Of consent they may bragge but they cannot shew it As for our selues we all consent in the foundation of religion There is difference about the descent of Christ into hell The thing we all hold namely a descent the difference is in the manner whether it be vertually or locally There is difference about the paines of Christ in his agony and passion yet all acknowledge the infinite merit and efficacy of the death of Christ. There is difference about the gouernement of the visible church on earth For the substance of gouernemant all agree but for the manner of execution and administration they doe not That Christ is present in the Eucharist that his body and blood is there to be eaten and drunken all our churches agree and the difference is only touching the manner of his presence namely whether it be spirituall or locall And this is the mercy of God that in all our differences the foundation of religon is not rased Let vs pray for the continuance and increase of this consent Thus much of the persons that write now follow the churches to which the Epistle is sent to the churches of Galatia At this time the Galatians had made a reuolte and were fallen from iustification by the obedience of Christ so as Paul was affraid of them Chap. 4. and yet he called them churches still vsing great meekenes moderatioÌ„ His example must we follow in giuing iudgement of churches of our time And that we may the better doe this and the better releeue our consciences marke three rules The first is that we must rightly consider of the faultes of churches Some are faultes in manners some in doctrine If the faults of the Church be in manners and these faults appeare both in the liues of ministers and people so long as true religion is taught it is a church so to be esteemed and the ministers must be heard Math. 23. 1. Yet may we seperate from the priuat company of bad men in the church 1. Cor. 5. 11. and if it be in our liberty and choise ioyne to churches better ordered If the errour be in doctrine we must first consider whether the whole church erre or some few therein If the errour be in some and not in all it remaines a church still as Corinth did where some denied the resurrection because a church is named of the better part Secondly we must consider whether the church erre in the foundation or no. If the errour or errours be beside the foundation of religion Paul hath giuen the sentence that they which build vpon the foundation haie and stubble of erronious opinion may be saued 1. Cor. 3. 15. Thirdly inquiry must be made whether the church erre of humane frailty or of obstinacie If it erre of frailty though the error be in the foundation yet it is stil a church as appears by the example of the GalatiaÌ„s Yet if a church shall erre in the foundation openly and obstinately it seperates from Christ and ceaseth to be a church and we may seperate froÌ„ it may giue iudgement that it is no church When the Iewes resisted the preaching of Paul and had nothing to say but to raile Paul then seperated the Church of Ephesus and Rome from them Act. 19. 8. 28. 28. It may here be demaunded why Paul writes to the Galatians as brethren and calls them Churches seeing they haue erred in the foundation and are as he saith vers 6. remooued to another
will to beleeue with an honest heart desire to be reconciled to God and constantly vse the good meanes to beleeue For God accepts the will to beleeue for faith it selfe and the will to repent for repentance The reason hereof is plaine Euery supernaturall act presupposeth a supernaturall power or gift and therefore the will to beleeue and repent presupposeth the power and gift of faith and repentance in the heart It may be obiected that in the mindes of them that beleeue in this manner doubtings of Gods mercie abound Ans. Though doubtings abound neuer so yet are they not of the nature of faith but are contrarie to it Secondly we must put difference between true apprehension strong apprehension and strong apprehension If we truly apprehend though not strongly it sufficeth The palsie-hand is able to receiue a gift though not so strongly as an other The man in the Gospel said Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe Mar. 9. 24. that is helpe my faith which by reason of the smalnes thereof may rather be called vnbeleefe then faith This is the common faith of true beleeuers For in this world we rather liue by hungring and thirsting then by full apprehending of Christ and our comfort stands rather in this that we are knowne of God then that we know God The highest degree of faith is a full perswasion of Gods mercie Thus saith the holy Ghost that Abraham was not weake through vnbeleefe but strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. But wherein was this strength In that he was fully perswaded that God which had promised would also performe it This measure of faith is not incident to all beleeuers but to the Prophets Apostles martyrs and such as haue beene long exercised in the schoole of Christ. And this appeares by the order whereby we attaine to this degree of faith First there must be a knowledge of Christ then followes a generall perswasion of the possibilitie of pardon and mercie whereby we beleeue that our sinnes are pardonable An example whereof we haue in the prodigall child Luk. 14. 18. After this the H. Ghost worketh a will and desire to beleeue and stirres vp the heart to make humble and serious inuocation for pardon After praier instantly made followes a setling and quieting of the conscience according to the promise Math. 7. 7. Knocke it shall be opened seeke ye shall finde aske ye shall receiue After all this followes an experience in manifold obseruations of the mercies of God and loue in Christ and after experience followes a full perswasion Abraham had not this full perswasion till God had sundrie times spoken to him Dauid vpon much triall of the mercie fauour of God growes to resolution and saith Psal. 23. 6. Doubilesse kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life This distinction of the degrees of faith must the rather be obserued because the Papists suppose that we teach that euery faith is a full perswasion and that euery one among vs hath this perswasion Which is otherwise For certentie we ascribe to all faith but not fulnes of certentie Neither doe we teach that all men must haue a full perswasion at the first The vse If that be the right faith which apprehends and applies Christ vnto vs then is it a poore and miserable faith of the Papist to be baptized and withall to beleeue as the church doth when it is not knowne what the Church beleeues Of the same kind is the faith of the multitude amōg vs whose faith is their good meaning that is their fidelitie and truth in their dealings Lastly if that be faith which truly apprehends Christ there is little true faith in these last daies For though the merit of Christ be apprehended by faith yet is not the efficacie of his death and that appeares by the bad and vnreformed liues of them that professe the Gospel Indeede many say they haue and euer had a strong perswasion of Gods mercie but in the most of them it is but a strong imagination for their faith was conceiued without the word praier sacraments and it is seuered from Good life We are then all of vs carefully to seeke for this true and liuely faith And the rather because faith and repentance are possible to all that by grace doe will it Nay they which will to beleeue and repent haue begunne to beleeue and repent God accepting the will for the deede Luk. 11. 13. And hauing attained to a measure of true faith we must goe on and seeke to iustifie our selues but yet as S. Iames teacheth c. 2. iustifie our faith by good workes and then shall our faith be a meanes to iustifie vs in life and death The second point to be considered concerning faith is the manner how it iustifieth The Papists teach that it iustifieth because it stirreth vp good motions and good affections in the heart whereby it prepareth and disposeth man that he may be fit to receiue his iustification againe because it beeing an excellent vertue meriteth that God should iustifie But this is false which they say For if faith iustifieth by disposing the heart then there must be a space of time betweene iustification and iustifying faith but there is no space of time betweene them For so soone as a man beleeues he is presently iustified For euery beleeuer hath the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting Againe in the case of iustification Paul opposeth beleeuing and doing faith and workes of the law faith therefore doth not iustifie as a worke or as an excellent vertue bringing forth many diuine and gratious operations in vs. Nay the proper action of faith which is Apprehension doth not iustifie of it selfe for it is imperfect and is to be increased to the ende of our daies Faith therefore iustifieth because it is an instrument to apprehend and applie that which iustifieth namely Christ and his obedience As the Israelites stung of fierie serpents were cured so are we saued Ioh. 3. 16. the Israelites did nothing at all but onely looke vpon the brasen serpent so are we to doe nothing for our iustification and saluation but to fixe the eye of our faith on Christ. The bankrupt paies his debt by accepting the paiment made by his suretie It is the propertie of true religion to depresse nature and to exalt grace and this is done when we make God the onely worker of our saluation and make our selues to be no more but receiuers of the mercie and grace of God by faith receiuers not by nature but by grace reaching out the beggers hand namely our faith in Christ to receiue the gift or almes of mercie The last point is that faith alone iustifieth For here Paul saith that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the law and that is as much as if he had said by faith alone Some Papists to helpe themselues translate the words of Paul thus Knowing that a man is not iustified by the workes of
the word stands in three things The first is true and proper interpretation of the Scripture and that by it selfe for Scripture is both the glosse and the text The second is sauorie and wholesome do ctrine gathered out of the Scriptures truly expounded The third is the Application of the said doctrine either to the information of the iudgement or to the reformation of the life This is the preaching that is of power Let all the sonnes of the Prophets thinke vpon these things and studie to be doers of them Furthermore two questions are here resolued The first is whether Images be necessarie in the congregations of the people of God Ans. There are Christian Images and Pictures and they are very necessarie And these Images are Sermons of Christ and the Right administration of the sacraments For in them Christ is described and painted out vnto vs. As for the painted and carued images of the Papists we vtterly detest them as Idols They alleadge that they are lay-mens bookes but Habakuk saith they are doctours of lies Hab. 2. 18. And where the liuely preaching of the word is there is no neede of them And therefore Images were not established in Churches in these West parts till after 700. yeares As long as the church had golden teachers there were no wooden images but when golden teachers did degenerate and become wooden teachers then came both golden and wooden Images It is further said why may not we paint Christ in our churches with colours as with wordes in sermons Ans. The one the Lord alloweth namely the description of Christ in speach But the caruing or painting of images in churches and that for religious vse he condemneth Exod. 20. 6. The second question is Whether there be now in the church of God any sacrifice or oblation of Christ Ans. There is after a sort For there is a liuely representation of the passion of Christ in the Preaching of the word and in the administration of the Lords supper as if Christ were yet in crucifying and as though his blood were now distilling from his hands sides As for the sacrifice of the Masse it is an abomination and a meere mockerie For there the Priest when he saith Accept these gifts c. is become a Mediatour betweene Christ and God and the bodie and blood of Christ is offered in an vnbloodie manner that is blood is offered without blood and the Priest when he hath offered Christ eates vp all that he hath offered Yet for this damnable oblation many stand and the reason is because they are bewitched and inchanted with pretended shewes of Fathers Councells Antiquitie Succession c. Lastly here we learne what is the dutie of all beleeuers namely to behold Christ crucified Cant. 3. 11. O daughters of Sion behold your king But where must we behold him Not in Roodes and Crucifixes after the Popish manner but we must looke on him as he propounds himselfe vnto vs in the word and sacraments For thus is he the true obiect of our faith And how must we behold him by the eye of faith which makes vs both see him feele him as it were crucified in vs. Here note that implicit faith which is to beleeue as the Church beleeues is a blind faith for by it we cannot contemplate and behold Christ. And the common fault is here to be noted whereby men neglect and passe by this contemplation of Christ. There is among vs the euill eye that deuoureth all it seeth there is the adulterous eye but where is the eye of faith to behold Christ where is the force of this eye to be seēe which maketh the thing which it beholdeth to be ours and vs like vnto it We loue to tricke and paint our bodies and some to set fine complexions on their faces and therefore complexions at this day are made a kind of marchandise but away with such vanities If ye loue to be painted I will tell you what ye shall doe The office of the Ministers is to describe and paint out Christ vnto vs let them paint Christ crucified in the heart and set vp his image there and then shalt thou haue a fauourable complexion in the eye both of God and man That this contemplation of Christ by faith may take more place and be the better practised consider the vse of it First by beholding Christ crucified we see our miserie and wickednes For our sinnes are the swords and speares which haue crucified him Zach. 12. 10. Secondly this sight brings vs true and liuely comfort for beholding Christ crucified we see Paradise as it were in the midst of hell we see the handwriting against vs cancelled Coloss. 2. 14. we see the remission of our sinnes written with the heart blood of Christ and sealed with the same Thirdly this sight of Christ makes a vniuersall chaunge of vs. The Camelion takes to it the colours of the things which it seeth and are neere vnto it and the beleeuing heart takes to it the disposition and minde that was in Christ crucified by viewing and beholding of Christ. This sight makes vs mourne and bleede in our hearts for our offences when we consider that Christ was crucified for them and it makes vs loue Christ when we consider the loue of God in Christ crucified Lastly this thing must be a terrour to all the vngodly For they haue no care to behold Christ but by their leud liues they crucifie him and for this cause in the day of iudgement they shall see with heauie hearts Christ to be their iudge whome they haue pearced Reuel 1. 7. Better therefore it is now in the day of grace to behold him with the eye of faith to our comfort then now to despise him and then to behold him to our euerlasting shame with the eye of confusion 2 This onely would I learne of you Receiued ye the Spirit by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith 3 Are ye so foolish that after ye haue begunne in the spirit ye would now be made perfect by the flesh The sense of the words When Paul saith this would I learne of you he meets with the conceit of the Galatians who thought themselues wise and the effect of his speech is this I haue called you fooles but it may be that you thinke your selues wise and me foolish well let it be so then with all your wisdome teach me and let me learne but one thing and that is by what meanes ye receiued the Spirit Touching the phrase Receiued ye the Spirit three things must be obserued The first that the Spirit sometimes signifies the essentiall spirit of the Father and the Sonne as 1. Cor. 12. 4. There is a diuersitie of gifts but one spirit Sometimes againe it signifies the effects operations or gifts of the spirit as namely when flesh and spirit are opposed as in this text And further when it signifies gifts yet then the presence of the spirit is not excluded
which there is a sorrow for vnbeleefe a will and defire to beleeue in Christ with care to vse good meanes and to increase in faith Strong faith is that which preuailes against doubting and it is a full perswasion or resolution of the loue and mercie of God in Christ. This second degree of faith follows iustification vpon the obseruation and experience of the prouidence and goodnes of God but the first degree of speciall faith before named for order goes before iustification and for time is together with it The second question is when faith beginnes first to breede in the heart Ans. When a man beginnes to be touched in his conscience for his sinnes and vpon feeling of his owne spirituall pouertie earnestly hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes aboue all things in the world Christ saith I will giue to him that thirsteth of the well of the water of life freely Reuel 21. 6. This promise declares that in thirsting there is a measure of faith To eate and drinke Christ the bread and water of life is to beleeue in him and to hunger and thirst hauing as it were a spirituall appetite to Christ is the next steppe to this eating and drinking Therefore this must be remembred that professours of the Gospel yea teachers of the same that want this sense of their vnworthines and this thirsting are farre wide what gifts soeuer they haue For they are not yet come to the first steppe of true faith The third question is how faith in Christ is reuealed in the heart Ans. It is not faith to conceiue in minde a bare perswasion that Christ is my Sauiour and thereupon to thinke to be saued But faith in Christ is conceiued in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance When I see mine owne sinnes and Gods anger against me for them by the law when I see mine owne guiltines I draw my selfe into the presence of God making confession of mine offences and praier for the pardon of them and in this praier I striue against mine vnbeleefe I will desire and endeauour to assent to the promise of God touching forgiuenes and withall I purpose with my selfe to sinne no more This is my daily practise and thus is faith truly conceiued and confirmed Againe faith is conceiued in the vse of holy meanes namely the Preaching of the word and Sacraments For in hearing receiuing the Lords Supper to meditate vpon the promise of mercie and in meditation to applie the said promise to my selfe is the right way to conceiue true faith Therefore it must be remembred that faith conceiued without the exercises of inuocation and repentance or conceiued without the vse of the word and Sacraments as commonly it is is not true faith but an Imagination or fiction of the braine which will faile in the ende The third point to be considered is the signe or the outward meanes of Adoption and that is Baptisme It may be demanded how Baptisme can be a marke or signe of the child of God considering all sorts of men are partakers of it Ans. Baptisme alone is no marke of Gods child but baptisme ioyned with faith for so must the text be conceiued All ye Galatians that beleeue are baptised into Christ. For Paul had said immediatly before Ye are the sounes of God by faith Againe the Scripture speaking of baptisme comprehends both the outward and the inward baptisme which is the inward baptisme of the spirit Math. 3. 11. and 1. Pet. 3. 21. And thus is baptisme alwaies an infallible marke of the child of God It may further be demanded what are the markes of the inward baptisme Ans. The new birth whereby a man is washed and cleansed by the spirit of God hath three speciall markes The first is the spirit of grace and supplications Zach. 12. 10. that is the spirit of regeneration causing men to turne to God and withall to make instant praier and supplication for mercie and forgiuenes of sins past The second is to heare obay the voice of god in all things Ioh. 8. 47. 10. 27. The third is not to sin that is not to liue in in the practise of any sinne after this new birth is begunne 1. Ioh. 3. He that is borne of God doth not commit sinne He may faile in this or that speach and doe amisse in this or that action but after his calling and conuersion the tenour and course of his life shall be according to the commandements of God And this is a speciall marke to discerne the inward baptisme Some alleadged that hauing long agoe beene baptised with water yet they feele not the inward baptisme and therefore they feare that they are not the children of God Ans. If there be in thee a sorrow for thy corruptions and sinnes past if thou hast a purpose to sinne no more if thou auoidest the occasions of sinne and fearest to offend if hauing sinned thou liest not in thy sinne but recouerest thy selfe by new repentance thou art verily borne of God and baptised with the baptisme of the holy Ghost Others alleadge that although they haue bin baptised yet they feare they haue no faith and therefore they thinke they are not the children of God Ans. If there be in thee a sorrow for thine vnbeleefe a will and desire to beleeue and a care to increase in faith by the vse of good meanes there is a measure of true faith in thee and by it thou maist assure thy selfe that thou art the child of God Others againe alleadge that they haue long made praier vnto God and that according to his will and yet their praiers haue not bin heard and therefore they often doubt they are not Gods children Ans. If thou canst pray though thy praier be not heard according to thy desire content thy selfe For the praier of the heart is the marke of the spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 16. 26. And by it thou maist know that thou art the child of God Thus then we see what is the infallible marke of the child of God namely baptisme ioyned with true faith in Christ or the outward baptisme ioyned with the inward baptisme of the spirit The vse Many auouch the present Church of Rome to be the true Church of God and that because they say in it there is true baptisme which is a marke of the church of God But they are deceiued for baptisme in the church of Rome is seuered from true faith or from the Apostolike doctrine and the outward baptisme is seuered from the inward baptisme For they of that Church ouerturne iustification by the meere mercie of God which is the principall part of the inward baptisme Againe the ten Tribes retained circumcision after their Apostasie yet for all that condemned to be no people of God Ose. 1. 9. The light in the lanthorne pertaines not to the lanthorne but to the passengers in the streete euen so the Confession of faith in the Symboll of the Apostles and
borne anew by the holy Ghost Againe I answer that if the words be meant of baptisme they carrie this sense The kingdome of heauen doth not signifie life eternall but the Church of the new Testament and that in his visible estate Mark 9. 1. and baptisme makes men visible members of the Church and regeneration by the spirit makes them true and liuely members Here then baptisme is made necessarie not in respect of eternall life but in respect of our admission and entrance into the Church whereof it is now the onely meanes The seauenth point is touching the Circumstances of baptisme which are fiue The first concernes the persons which are to administer baptisme of whome I propound foure questions The first is whether not onely Ministers of the word but also lay-persons as they are called or meere priuate men may administer baptisme Ans. Ministers of the word onely For to baptize is a part of the publike Ministerie Matth. 28. 18. Goe teach all nations baptizing them And marke how preaching and baptising are ioyned together and things which God hath ioyned no man may separate Againe he that must performe any part of the publike Ministerie must haue a calling Rom. 10. 14. Hebr. 3. 5. but meere priuate persons haue no calling to this busines And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne now the Administration of baptisme by priuate persons is without faith For there is neither precept nor fit example for it in the word of God The example of Zippora is alleadged Exod. 4. 28. who circumcised her child Ans. The example is many waies discommendable For shee did it in the presence of her husband when there was no neede shee did it in hast that shee might haue preuented her husband shee did it in anger for shee cast the foreskin at the feete of Moses And it seemes shee was no beleeuer but a meere Madianite For shee contemned circumcision when shee called her husband a man of blood by reason of the circumcision of the child v. 26. and in this respect it seemes Moses either put her away or shee went away when he went downe to Egypt Againe it is obiected that priuate persons may teach and therefore baptize Ans. Priuate teaching and Ministeriall teaching are distinct in kind as the authoritie of a master of a familie is distinct in kind from the authoritie of a Magistrate A priuate person as a father or master when he teacheth the word of God he doth it by right of a master or father and he is mooued to doe it by the law of charitie but Ministers when they teach are mooued to teach by speciall calling and they doe it with authoritie as Embassadours in the roome and stead of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Againe though a priuate man might dispense the word alone yet doth it not follow that he may administer both the word and the seale thereof both which are ioyned in baptisme and ioyntly administred The second question is whether baptisme administred by a wicked man or an hereâ—â—ke be indeede true baptisme Ans. If the said partie be admitted to stand in the roome of a true pastour or minister and keepe the right forme in baptising according to the institution it is true baptisme The Scribes and Pharisies the chiesest doctours of the Iewes were not of the tribe of Levi but of other tribes and they were indeede euen the best of them but herelikes and Apostataes and consequently to be deposed and excommunicate neuertheles because they were in the place of good teachers and fate in Moses chaire that is taught sundrie points of Moses doctrine therefore Christ saith heare them Math. 23. 1. And to this effect was the conclusion of the Churches in Africa against Cyprian Vpon the same ground the same answer is to be made if it be demanded whether baptisme administred by him that cannot preach be of force or no It were indeede to be wished that all Ministers of holy things were preachers of the word neuerthelesse if such as preach not stand in the roome of lawfull pastours and keepe the forme of baptisme it is baptisme indeede The third question is whether an Intention to baptise be necessarie in him that baptiseth Ans. If the word of Institution come to the Element it is a sacrament whatsoeuer the minister intend Paul reioyced that Christ was preached though many preached him of enuie or contention intending no good Phil. 1. 16. And the Priest in the Masse pronouncing the words of consecration if he intend not to consecrate in Popish learning there is no consecration and thus the bread eleuated is meere bread and not the bodie of Christ and consequently the people adore not Christ but an idol The intention therefore of the minde is not necessarie so be it the Institution be obserued And the efficacse of the sacrament depends not on the will of man but on the will of God The last question is what is the dutie of the Minister in baptising Ans. He stands in the roome of God and what he doth according to the Institution it is as much as if God himselfe had done it with his owne hand from heauen And therefore wheÌ„ the Minister applieth water which is the signe pledge of grace to the body he doth withall applie the Promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to the partie baptised And that is as much as if God should say to the partie calling him by his name I freely giue vnto thee the pardon of thy sinnes and life euerlasting vpon condition thou keepe the order set downe in baptisme which is to turne vnto me and to beleeue in Christ. Here we see a ground of speciall faith for if God for his part by the hand of the Minister applie the promise of mercie vnto euery particular beleeuer euery particular beleeuer is againe by a speciall faith to receiue the promise Againe the consideration of this which God hath done for vs in baptisme must mooue vs seriously to turne vnto him according to all his lawes and by faith of our hearts to apprehend his mercifull promises and to rest on them For when God shall speake vnto vs particularly and as it were assure vs of his mercies with his owne hand and seale we must needs be much mooued and affected therewith The second circumstance is concerning the persons to be baptised and they are all such as be in the Couenant in likelihood or in the iudgement of charitie For the seale may not be denied to them that bring the tables of the couenant And they are of two sorts Men of yeares and Infants Men of yeares that ioyne themselues to the true Church are to be baptised yet before their baptisme they are to make confession of their faith and to promise amendment of life Act. 2. 38. and 10. 38. And thus places of Scripture that require actuall faith and Amendment of life in them that are baptised are to be vnderstood of men of yeares Infants of beleeuing
parents are likewise to be baptised The grounds of their baptisme are these First the commandement of God Matth. 28. 18. Baptize all nations c. in which wordes the baptisme of infants is prescribed For the Apostles by vertue of this commission baptised whole families Act. 16. 31. and 38. Againe circumcision of Infants was commanded by God Gen. 17. 14. and Baptisme in the new Testament succeedes in the roome of Circumcision Col. 2. 11. therefore baptisme of infants is likewise commanded The second ground is this Infants of beleeuing parents are in the couenant of grace for this is the tenour of the couenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seede Gen. 17. 7. It may be said that this promise was made in this sort onely to Abraham because he was to be the father of the faithfull Ans. It pertaines to all beleeuing parents Exod 20. God promiseth to shew mercie to thousands of them that loue him Act. 2. 39. Peter saith to the Iewes that heard him preach The promises belong to you and to your children Paul saith If the parents beleeue the children are holy 1. Cor. 7. 14. If holy then are they in the Couenant now they are holy because we are in the iudgement of Christian charitie to esteeme them all as regenerate and sanctified secret iudgements in the meane season left to God Now then because infants are in the couenant they are to be baptised For this is the reason of S. Peter To whome the promises belong to them belongeth baptisme but to you and your children belong the promises therefore you and your children are to be baptised Act. 2. 38 39. It may be obiected that we cannot tell whether infants be indeede the children of God or no and if they be not children of God we may not baptize them Answer The same may be said of men of yeares for we knowe not whether they be indeede the children of And therefore we may by the like reason exclude them from all sacraments Againe we are to presume in all likelihood that infants of beleeuing parents are the children of God because in their conception and birth God begins to manifest his election shewing himselfe a God not onely to the parents but also to their seed Secondly it is obiected that infants haue no faith and consequently that baptisme is vnprofitable vnto them Ans. Some thinke they haue faith as they haue regeneration that is the inclination or seede of faith Others say that the faith of the parents is also the faith of their children because the parents by their faith receiue the promise of God both for themselues their children And thus to be borne in the Church of beleeuing parents is in stead of the profession of faith To this second opinion I rather incline because it is the auncient and receiued doctrine of the Church Thirdly it is alleadged that infants know not what is done when they are baptized Ans. For all this baptisme hath his vse in them for it is a seale of the couenant and a meanes to admit them into the fellowship of the visible Church whereof for right they are members A father makes a Purchasse for himselfe and his children at the time of the sealing the children know not what is done and yet the purchasse is not made in vaine for them It may be demanded whether the children of Turkes and Iewes are to be baptized Answ. No because the parents are forth of the couenant Secondly it is demanded whether the children of professed Papists are to be baptized Answ. The parents are persons baptized in the name of the father sonne and holy Ghost And though the Papacie be not the church of God yet is the church of God hidden in the papacie and to be gathered out of it and for this cause baptisme remaines still in the Church of Rome For this cause I thinke that infants of professed Papists may be baptized two cautions obserued the first that the foresaid parents desire this baptisme the second that there be sureties which promise the education of the child in the true faith Thirdly it may be demanded whether the children of wicked Christians that is of such as hold in iudgement true religion and denie it in their liues may be baptized Ans. They may for all without exceptiō that were borne of circumcized lews whereof many were wicked were circumcised And we must not onely regard the next parents but also the auncestours of whome it is said If the roote be holy the branches are holy Rom. 11. Vpon this ground children borne in fornication may be baptized so be it there be some to answer for them beside the parents And there is no reason that the wickednesse of the parent should preiudice the childe in things pertaining to life eternall Lastly it may be demanded whether the children of parents excommunicate may be baptized Answ. Yea if there be any beside the parents to answer for the child For the parents after excommunication remaine still for Right members of the Church hauing still a right to the kingdome of heauen out of which they are not cast absolutely but with condition vnlesse they repent and in part that is in respect of communion or vse of their libertie but not in respect of right or title euen as a freeman of a corporation imprisoned remaines a freeman though for the time he hath no vse of his libertie The third Circumstance concernes the time Here one question may be mooued How oft baptisme is to be administred Answ. but once for the efficacie of baptisme extends it selfe to the whole life of man and we are but once borne againe and once ingrafted into Christ. Here let it be obserued that the gift of regeneration is neuer vtterly extinguished for if a man be the second time borne againe he must be baptized againe and againe because baptisme is the sacrament of insition It may be said that a man may remain stil ingrafted into Christ by his own wickednesse make himselfe a dead member I answer that all the members of the mysticall bodie of Christ are liuing mēbers The spirituall temple is made of liuing stones 1. Pet. 2. 5. And marke what Paul saith all the bodie of Christ increaseth with the increasing of God Col. 2. 19. and Eph. 2. 21. Beleeuers are of the bone and flesh of Christ nowe there is no part of the bone and flesh of Christ that dieth The last Circumstance is touching the place that is the publike assemblie or congregation of the people of God Because baptisme is a part of the publike Ministerie and a dependance vpon the preaching of the word of God Secondly the whole congregation is to make profit by the enarration of the institution of baptisme and lastly the said congregation is by praier to present the infant baptized vnto God and to intreat for the saluation thereof the praier of many beeing most effectuall The eight and last point followes concerning the vse
c. In these words the Apostle sets forth the greatnesse of the Apostasie of the Galatians by the effect thereof which was to cause him to feare least he had bestowed labour in vaine amōg them First the occasion of the words must be considered and that is expressed in the former words ye obserue daies and moneths And hereupon he saith J am in feare of you And thus Paul teacheth that workes set vp as causes of saluation with Christ make void the Ministerie and grace of God It may be said this is meant of ceremoniall workes and so it is true I answer it is indeed spoken of ceremoniall workes but it must be inlarged to all workes without exception For Paul saith c. 5. v. 3. If ye be circumcised ye are bound to fulfill the whole lawe Hence then it followes that the doctrine of iustification by workes is an errour in the foundation and beeing distinctly and obstinately maintained there is no hope of saluation Againe here we see the fidelitie of the Apostle Paul and it stands in two things the first is his painefull and wearisome labour to gaine the Galatians to God The second is his care that the foresaid labour be not in vaine And in this example of his we learne three things The first that they which are or desire to be dispensers of the word must doe it not for the bellie or for lucres sake or for the praise of men but simply for this ende that they may gaine soules to God The Scribe that would haue followed Christ for gaine was repelled with this answer that Christ had not so much as a place where to lay his head Math. 8. 20. and to preach for by-respects is to make a marchandise of the word of God 2. Cor. 2. 17. The second is that ministers after the example of Paul must be labourers indeed 1. Cor. 3. 9. and workemen 2. Tim. 2. 15. And they must shewe themselues to be so by their care and industrie in winning soules to God And it is not sufficient now and then to make a discourse vpon a text Thirdly Ministers of the word must be watchmen Ezech. 3. 14 and Heb. 13. 17. their office is not onely to gaine and call men to God but also to preserue and keepe them in Christ which are alreadie called Thirdly here we see the condition of the Church of Galatia and of all other visible Churches vpon earth that they are subiect to Apostasie It may be said how can this be considering true beleeuers cannot fall away Ans. In the visible church on earth there are foure kinds of beleeuers The first are they which heare the word without zeale and they are like the stony ground The second are they which heare knowe and approoue the word The third are they which heare knowe and approoue the word and haue a taste of the power thereof and accordingly yeeld some outward obedience The fourth are they which heare knowe approoue and keepe the word in that they beleeue it and are turned into the obedience of it The three first may fall quite away the fourth cannot And by this meanes it comes to passe that visible Churches vpon earth may fall away because of them that professe the faith three to one may vtterly fall away The vse This must teach vs that are members of the visible Church to feare and to suspect our selues and not to content our selues because we haue some good things in vs but we must labour to be sealed vp to the daie of our redemption and to lay vp a good foundation against the time to come 1. Tim. 6. 18. By seeking to haue in vs such good things as are proper to the Elect as vnfained faith in Christ and conuersion to God from all our sinnes It may be demanded how Pauls labour should be in vaine Ans. It was in vaine in respect of his owne desire and affection to saue all the Galatians secondly it was in vaine in respect of the whole bodie of that Church wherof many were hypocrits It was not in vaine in respect of the elect nor in respect of the counsell of God Isa. 55. 11. Againe it may be demanded what must be done when the labours of our callings are in vaine Ans. We must follow the calling and commandement of God whether we haue good successe or no and whatsoeuer come of it Paul feares least his labour is in vaine and yet he still labours When Peter had laboured all night and caught nothing he saith at the commandement of Christ In thy word will I cast out my net Luk. 5. And thus to doe whatsoeuer follows is true wisedome and the feare of God For it must suffice vs that the worke we take in hand is pleasing vnto God And though it be in vaine in respect of men it is not so before God Isa 49. 4. and 2. Cor. 2. 18. This must euery man remember in his place and calling for the establishing of his minde against all euents V. 12. Be you as I for I am euen as you I beseech you brethren ye haue not hurt me at all The words in this verse to the 16. verse are an answer to an obiection The obiection is this we see now by these sharpe reproofes that Paul hath changed his minde toward vs and that he hath turned his loue into hatred The answer is be as I I am as you the speech is very effectuall and significant and it is like the common prouerb Amicus alter ego alter idem that is a mans friend is all one with himselfe The sense of the words is Be as I looke that your minds be not estranged from me but tender me euen as your own selues for I Paul am the same that euer I was I respect and tender you euen as mine own selfe And least the Galatians should say see ye not how Paul commands imperiously be ye as I therefore he addes I beseech you brethren I command you not In the next words he addes a reason of his answer thus Hatred presupposeth a hurt or wrong to be done ye haue done me no hurt or wrong therefore ye may not thinke that I hate you When Paul saith be as I I am as you we learne that there must be a speciall and mutuall loue betweene the teachers and the people Paul saith that he did inlarge his heart for the Corinthians and he requires the like of them 2. Cor. 6. 11. 13. Teachers must shewe their loue by tendering the saluation of the people by all meanes euen as their own soules Paul could haue found in his heart to haue beene accursed for his countrimen the Iewes Rom. 9. 〈◊〉 He desired that he might be offered vp as a drinke offering vpon the sacrifice of the faith of the Philippians Phil. 2. 18. When the Israelites had sinned Moses stands in the breach as it were in the face of the Canon betweene the wrath of God and them by his praier to stay the iudgement of
dispēsation of the word Secondly whereas Paul saith not of men but of Christ I gather that euery lawefull calling is of God and not of men as authors thereof and that the Right to call belongs to God The father thrusts forth labourers into the vineyard the sonne giues Pastors and teachers the Holy Ghost makes ouerseers It may be alleadged that the Church hath authoritie to call and ordaine ministers I answer that the Churches authoritie is no more but a ministerie or seruice whereby it doeth testifie declare and approoue whome God hath called Thirdly whereas Paul thus proclaimes his calling Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ I gather that the callings of the Ministers of the Gospell must be manifest to their owne consciences and the consciences of their hearers And that for diuers weightie causes First they are imbassadours instruments and the mouth of God and for this cause they are to speake in the name of God and this they cannot doe vnlesse they knowe themselues to be called Secondly that the calling of the Ministerie may tend to edification there is required the assistance of Gods spirit in the teacher the protection of him and his ministerie the effectuall operation of the spirit in the hearts of the hearers And he that wants the assurance of his calling cannot pray to God in faith for these things neither can he apply the promises of God to himselfe Thirdly the knowledge of our callings breeds conscience of our duties diligence and the feare of god Lastly knowledge of our callings in the consciences of the hearers breeds a reuerence in their hearts and obedience to the ministerie of the word Vpon this some may demaund howe they may knowe that they are called of God to the ministerie of the word Answer they may knowe it if they finde three things in themselues the first is the testimonie of their consciences that they entred not for praise honour lucre but in the feare of god with a desire to glorifie him and to edifie the Church The second is a facultie to doe that to which they haue a desire and will In this facultie are two things knowledge of God and his waies and aptnesse to deliuer that which they knowe The third is the Ordination of the Church which approoues and giues testimonie of their will and abilitie He that hath these things is certainely called of God Nowe put the case a man wants the first of these three because he entred with euill conscience beeing carried with ambitious and couetous desires then I answer that his calling still in respect of the Churh is good and lawefull and when he repents of his bad conscience it is also accepted of God The fourth point to be obserued is that Paul makes three kinds of callings in the Church One is when men are called by men and not by God and thus are all false teachers called The second is when men are called of God by the ministerie of men thus are all ordinarie ministers of the word called The third is when men are called not by men but by Christ immediately And Paul here signifieth that he himselfe and the rest of the Apostles were called according to this third way And in this respect he puts a difference betweene the Apostles and all the Ministers of the newe Testament For in that they were called immediately they were also taught by immediate inspiration and also aided by the infallible assistance of Gods spirit And of all this they had promises Math. 10. 19. 20. Luc. 10. 16. Hence we may gather the certenty of our religion The essentiall note of the Church is faith faith stands in relation to the word of God and the word of God is no word vnto vs vnlesse we knowe it to be so and we knowe it to be so because it was written by the Apostles who in preaching and writing could not erre Secondly hence I gather that the doctrine of the Apostles it the immediate word of God because it was giuen by inspiration both for matter and words whereas the doctrine of the Church in sermons and the decrees of councels is both the word of God and the word of man The word of God as it agrees with the writings of the Apostles Prophets the word of man as it is defectiue and as it is propounded in tearmes deuised by man It may be obiected that Paul spake some things of himselfe and not from the Lord 1. Cor. 7. 12. Not the Lord but I. Answer the meaning is not the Lord by any expresse commaundement but I by collection and interpretation of Scripture and that by the assistance of Gods spirit v. 40. Seeing then the writings of the Apostles are the immediate and meere word of God they must be obeyed as if they had beene written without man by the finger of God Lastly seeing it is the propertie of an Apostle to be called immediatly by Iesus Christ hence it follows that the authority office and function of Apostles ceased with them and did not passe by succession to any other Therefore it is a falshood that the Pope of Rome succeedes Peter in Apostolicall authoritie and in the infallible assistance of the spirit when he is in his consistorie And where paul saith he was called by Iesus Christ and not by man that is meere man he giues a pregnant testimonie that Christ is both God and man And whereas Paul was called by Christ raised from the dead hence I gather the dignitie of the Apostle Paul aboue all other Apostles in that he was called after the resurrection of Christ when he was entred into his kingdome The Text. 2. And all the brethren that are with me to the Churches of Galatia The Exposition By brethren we are to vnderstand such as seperated themselues from the Pagans and receiued the faith of Christ 1. Cor. 5. 11. And here more specially such as taught and professed the faith that is both pastors and people whether of Antioche as some thinke or of Rome as others And Paul writes his Epistle as well in their names as in his owne and with their consent for two causes One was that he might not be thought to deliuer any priuate doctrine deuised of his owne head And this care he had alwaies and therefore taught nothing but that which was in the writings of Moses and the Prophets Act. 26. 22. And this was the care of Christ who saith My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me Joh. 7. 16. And at this daie this must be the care of the Ministers of the Gospell to deliuer nothing of their owne First therefore their doctrines must be founded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and secondly that they may be sure of this they must haue the consent of the true Church specially of such as haue beene the Restorers of the gospell in this last age This rule Paul giues Timothie to continue in the things which he had learned of Paul and the rest
that of Paul because there is but one but it is an inuention of the brame of man But there be some that is but I plainely perceiue the cause of your reuolt that some trouble you and seeke to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. In these words two points are to be considered The first is the manner which Paul vseth in reproouing the Galatians He tenders their good and saluation and seeks by all meanes their recouerie And therefore in his reproofe he doth two things First he reprooues them with meekenesse and tendernesse of heart following his owne rule Gal. 6. 1. for he might iustly haue said ye may be ashamed that ye are remooued to another Gospell but he saith onely I maruell that is I was well perswaded of you and I hoped for better things but I am deceiued I wonder at it Secondly he frames his reproofe with great warinesse circumspection for he saith not ye of your selues doe remooue to another Gospell but ye are remooued and thus he blames them but in part and laies the principall blame on others Againe he saith not ye were remooued but in the time present ye are remooued that is ye are in the acte of Reuolting and haue not as yet altogither reuolted And hereby he puts them in minde that although they be in a fault yet there is nothing done which may not easily be vndone According to his example we are in all Reproofes to shewe loue and to keepe loue to shewe loue to the partie reprooued and to frame our reproofe so as we may keepe his loue The second point is the fault reprooued and that is the Reuolt of the Galatians which was a departure from the calling whereby they were called to the grace of Christ. If it be demaÌ„ded what kind of Reuolt this was I answer there be two kinds of reuolt particular and generall Particular when men professe the name of Christ and yet depart from the faith in some principall points thereof Of this kinde was the Apostacie of the tenne tribes and such is the Apostacie of the Romane Church A generall reuolt is when men wholly forsake the faith name of Christ. Thus doe the Iewes and Turkes at this day Againe a reuolte is sometime of weakenesse and humane frailtie and sometime of obstinacie Nowe the reuolt of the Galatians was onely particular in the point of iustification and of weakenesse and not of obstinacie and this Paul signifies when he saith they were carried by others Of this Reuoâ—t 4. things are to be considered The time so soone from whome or what from the doctrine of Paul consequently the grace of Christ. To what to another Gospell By meanes of whome but some trouble you c. Touching the time it was short They were soone carried away This shewes the lightnesse and inconstancie of mans nature specially in matter of religion While Moses tarried in the mount Aaron and the people set vp a golden calfe and departed from God Osea saith The righteousnesse of the Israelites was like the morning dewe which the rising of the sunne consumeth chap. 6. 4. Iohn was a burning light the Iewes reioyced in this light that is well but marke what is added for an houre or moment Iohn 5. 35. They which cried Osanna to the sonne of Dauid shortly after cried Crucifie him crucifie him The crosse and persecution will make men call the Gospell in question if not forsake it Luk. 8. 13. The multitude of people among vs are like waxe and are fit to take the stampe and impression of any religion and it is the law of the land that makes the most imbrace the Gospell not conscience That we may constantly perseuere in the profession of the true faith both in life and death first we must receiue the Gospell simply for it selfe because it is the Gospell of Christ and not for any other by-respect Secondly we must be mortified and renewed in the spirit of our mindes and suffer no by-corners in our hearts where secret vnbeleefe secret hypocrisie and spirituall pride may lurke and lie hid from the eies of men Heb. 3. 12. Thirdly we must not onely be hearers of the word but also doers of it in the principall duties to be practised of faith conuersion and newe obedience To come to the second point when Paul saith the Galatians were remooued from him that called them that is himselfe he shewes Christian modestie because speaking things praise-worthie of himselfe he speaks in the third person from him that hath called c. The like he doeth 2. Cor. 12. I knowe a man taken vp into the third heauen that is himselfe And Iohn saith the disciple that leaned on the breast of Christ whome Christ loued asked whome he meant Ioh. 13. 23. After this practise we are to giue praise to God and to his instruments but neither to praise nor dispraise our selues This is Christian ciuilitie to be ioyned with our faith Secondly when he saith who hath called you in the grace of Christ we learne that the scope of the Gospel is to bring men to the grace of Christ. To this very ende God hath vouchsafed vs in England the Gospel more then fourtie yeares And therefore our words and deedes and liues should be seasoned with grace and sauour of it and shew forth the grace of God Secondly we owe vnto God great thankfulnes and we can neuer be sufficiently thankefull for this benefit that God calls vs to his grace But it is otherwise the sunne is a goodly creature yet because we see it daily it is not regarded and so it is with the grace of God Thirdly the Galatians are remooued not onely from the doctrine of Paul but also from the grace of God And the reason is because they ioyned the workes of the law with Christ and his grace in the cause of their iustification and saluation Here it must be obserued that they which make an vnion of grace and workes in the cause of iustification are separated from the grace of God Grace admits no partner or fellow Grace must be freely giuen euery way or it is no way grace Hence it followes that the present Church of Rome is departed from the grace of God because it makes a concurrence of grace and workes in the iustification of a sinner before God and we may not make any reconciliation with that Church in religion because it is become an enemie of the grace of God The third point is To what thing the Galatians reuolt to another Gospel that is to a better gospel then that which Paul taught compounded of Christ and the workes of the law And this forged gospel the false apostles taught and the Galatians quickly receiued Here we see the curious nicenes and daintines of mans nature that cannot be content with the good things of God vnlesse they be framed to our minds and if they please vs for a while they doe not please vs long but we must haue new
kingdome of the Messias was an earthly kingdome and with this opinion the Disciples of Christ were tain â—ed IV. They held that the keeping of the morall lawe stood in externall obedience as appeares by the speeches of Christ reforming their errours Math. 5. 6. 7. chap. V. They maintained a naturall freedome of the will in the obseruing of the law Luk. 18. Lord I thanke thee saith the Pharisie I doe thus thus VI. They held a iustification by the workes of the lawe without the obedience of the Messias Rom. 9. 3. VII Beside the written word and law of Moses they had many vnwritten traditions which they obserued precisely and the obseruation of them was accounted the worship of God Math. 15. 3. 9. Other points they held but these are the principall It may further be demaunded how the Iewes could hold such hereticall damnable opinions and yet be the people of God Answer They had for their parts forsaken God but God had not forsaken them because the Temple was yet standing and the sacrifices with the outward worship yet remained among them In this regard they were still a reputed people of God Againe they are called a people of God not of the bigger but of the better part and the better part was a small remnant of them that truely feared God and beleeued in the Messias Of which sort were Ioseph Marie Zacharie Elizabeth Simeon Anna Ioseph of Arimathia Nicodemus Againe it may be demanded howe the Iewes beeing such a people of God should fall away to so daÌ„nable a religion Answer They neither loued nor obeyed the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets and therefore God in iudgment left them to the blindenesse of their owne mindes and the hardnesse of their own hearts Isai. 6. The like may be our case If we loue and obey not the Gospel more then we haue done our religion may ende in ignorance superstition and prophanenesse as theirs hath done The second thing in Pauls example is his conuersation whereby he liued and conuersed according to his religion The like should be in vs. For the profession of the faith and godly conuersation are to goe together Phil. 1. 27. Faith in the hart is a light and workes are the shining of this light Math. 5. 16. Christ hath redeemed them that beleeue from their vaine conuersation 1. Pet. 1. 18. Heere many of vs doe amisse disioyning faith and good life And this fault is the greater because it is an occasion to our aduersaries to mislike and reiect our religion Pauls conuersation hath two partes his persequution of the church and his profiting in his religion Persequution properly is the afflicting of the people of god for their faith and religion In this we are not to follow Paul but to doe the contrary that is by all meanes to seeke the good of the church After Gods glory immediatly we are to seeke the comming and aduancement of the kingdome of God Now this kingdome is a certen estate and condition of men whereby they stand subiect to the word and spirit of God And this subiection to God and Christ is the propertie of them that be members of the church of God All both rich and poore conferred something according to their abilitie to the building of the Temple which figured the church of God The fault of our times is that we build our selues and our worldly estates and little respect the common good of the church In the persequution of the church by Paul two pointes are to be considered the manner and measure or accomplishment The manner is that he persequuted the church extreamely or aboue measure That which Paul did in his religioÌ„ we must doe in ours The good things that we are to doe we must doe them with all our might Eccles. 9. 10. our dutie is to keepe our hartes in the feare of God and we must doe it with all diligence Prou. 4. 24. It is our duty to seeke gods kingdome and we must take it with violence To enter into life is our duty and we must striue to enter To pray is our duty and we must wrastle in praier Rom. 15. 30. Iosias turnes to God with all his harte The law requires that we should loue God with all the powers of body and soule and with all the strengh of all the powers In earthly things we must moderate our thoughtes cares but spirituall duties must be performed with all our might The accomplishment of persequution is that Paul wasted the church and made hauocke of it Here I consider 2. points what is wasted who is the waster For the first it is the church Here 2. questioÌ„s may be demaÌ„ded the firist is how the church can be wasted Answer In respect of the inward estate thereof which standes in election faith iustification glorification it cannot be wasted In respect of his outward estate it may be wasted that is in respect of mens bodies and in regard of the publike assemblies and the exercises of religion The second question is why God suffers his enemies to wast his owne church Answer Iudgement beginnes in Gods house and his iudgements sometime are very sharpe whether they be inflicted for triall or correction of sinnes past or for the preuenting of sinnes to come As in the bodie sometime there is no hope of life except armes and legges be cut off euen so is it in the church Hence it appeares that there shall be a last iudgement and that there is a life euerlasting in heauen because the wicked man florisheth in this world and the godly are often oppressed The waster of the church is Paul By whome we learne that sinne where it takes place giues a man no rest till it hath brought him to a height of wickednes Hatred hauing entred into Caines heart leaues him not till it haue caused him to imbrue his hands in his brothers bloud Coueteousnes makes Iudas at length to betray his master and hange himselfe Blind zeale makes Paul not only to persequute but also to wast the church Therefore it is good to auoide the first beginnings yea the very occasion of sinne The second part and point in Pauls conuersion is that he profittes in his religion Thus should we profit in the gospell of Christ. It is gods commandement be ye perfect as your heauenly father is perfect that is indeuour to come to perfection All the faith we haue or can obtaine is little enough in the time of temptation Iob that said in his affliction though the Lord kill mee I will still trust in him saith also that God wrot bitter things against him and made him to possesse the sinnes of his youth It is a token that a man is dead in his sinnes when he doth not growe or increase in good things 1. Pet. 2. 2. In this regard great is the fault of our daies for many are wearie of the gospell many stand at a staie without profiting many goe backward The cause
obedience is that Paul did not communicate with men that is conferre and consult with them touching his doctrine and calling And this he amplifies by a comparison thus He did not consult with any man no not the Apostles of Hierusalem And he addes a reason of his doing because they were but flesh and blood in respect of God and indeede it is vnmeete to consult with men touching the matters of God Hence I gather that Gods word whether preached or written doth not depend on the authoritie of any man no not on the authoritie of the Apostles themselues it is sufficient to authorize it selfe Christ receiues not the testimonie of man Iohn 5. 34. And it is an errour to thinke that the Church doth authorize the word and religion in the consciences of men For the Church it selfe is founded on the word The Church cannot consist without faith nor faith without the word Secondly hence I gather that there is no consultation or deliberation to be vsed at any time touching the holding or not holding of our religion He that will followe Christ may not put his hand to the plough and then looke backe againe to his friends to see what they will say Luke 9 61. He that would be wise must denie his owne wisdome and become a foole 1. Cor. 3. 18. The three children would not consult touching the worshipping of the image but said be it knowne to thee O king that we will not worship thy gods Dan. 3. When the iudge gaue Cyprian the martyr leaue to deliberate a while whether he would denie his religion he answered that in diuine matters deliberation is not to be vsed By this I gather that the Schoolemen haue done euill which haue turned all diuinitie into Questions and haue made of the articles of our faith a questionarie diuinitie Secondly by this we are taught that in the day of triall we may not consult of the change of religion but we must be resolute and tread vnder foote the perswasions of flesh and blood Thirdly our obedience to God must be without consultation We must first trie what is the will of God and then absolutely put it in exequution leauing the issue to God Abram is called of god to forsake his countrie kindred Gen. 12. he derectly then giues attendance to the commandement and goes as it were blind fold he knowes not whither God promised him a childe in his old age he beleeues God without any reasoning or disputing the case with himselfe too or fro Rom 4. 20. But the common manner is though we knowe the will of God to dispute the case and to consult with our friends and to practise according to carnall counsell Eue listens to the counsell of Satan and neglects Gods commandement Saul beeing forbidden to offer Sacrifice in Gilgal till Samuel came to doe it consults with himselfe whether he may doe it or no and followes his owne reason against Gods commandement and lost his kingdome for it And this kind of deliberation whereby mē consult what is to be done is the cause of the manifold rebellions of men in the world In that man is tearmed here flesh and blood we are taught not to put confidence in man we are taught to humble our selues before God we are taught euery day to prepare our selues against the day of death and the day of iudgement yea to account euery new day as the day of death because we are but flesh and blood The third point is where Paul first preached namely in Arabia and Damascus Arabia is a region of the world where Mount Sina standes and where the children of Israel wandered 40. yeares The inhabitants thereof were of two forts some more ciuill and some barbarous Ciuill as the Israelites Amalechites Madianites c. Yet were they professed enemies of the people of God Barbarous as the Easterne part of Arabia to ward Babylon For the inhabitants dwelt in Tents and liued like wilde and sauage men by robbing and stealing and consequently by killing Isai. 13. 20. Ierem. 3. 2. Here we see Pauls estate and condition when he first begins the exequution of his Apostolicall function God then laies vpon him a sharpe and waightie triall For he goes alone into Arabia and he must become a teacher to his owne professed enemies yea to a sauage generation of whose conuersion he had no hope in mans reason And this hath bin an vsuall dealing of God with his owne seruants When Moses was called to deliuer the Israelites and was in the way the Lord for a defect in his family comes against him to destroy him Exod. 4. 24. Da uid is annointed king of Israel and withall Saul is raised vp to persecute him and to hunt him as men hunt Partridges in the mountaines Ionas is called to preach to Niniue and withall God forsakes him and leaues him to himselfe so as he is cast into the sea and deuoured of a fish and after this beeing deliuered he must goe preach at Niniue When Christ was in his baptisme as it were inaugurated the Doctor of the Church presently after before he begun to preach he is carried into the wildernesse to be with wild beasts and to be tempted of the deuill Mar. 1. v. 12. And the reasons of this dealing of God are manifest by this meanes sinnefull men are made fit for the office of teaching For the saying is true Reading praier and temptation make a Diuine Againe by this meanes they are caused to depend on the prouidence and protection of God and they are made fit for the assistance and presence of Gods spirit who dwels onely with them that are of humble and contrite hearts Nowe then let not them that in any notable change of their liues finde notable temptations be discouraged for this is a condition that befalls them by a wise and speciall prouidence of God For it was the spirit of God that led Christ into the wildernesse to be tempted after his baptisme Againe here we are taught to acknowledge three things in God His power in that he sets vp his kingdome where it is most oppugned and raignes in the middest of his owne enemies namely the wicked and sauage Arabians according to that in the Psalme 110. v. 2. His goodnes in that he sends Paul to preach repentance to the people that are in the snare of the deuill at his will 2. Tim. 2. 26. His trueth in that he nowe fulfils things foretold by Dauid Psal. 72. 10. The kings of Sheba Saba shall bring gifts that is Ethiopians and Arabians 18. Then after three yeares I came againe to Ierusalem to visit Peter and abode with him fifteene daies Paul hauing prooued before that he learned not the Gospel of any man no not of the Apostles at Hierusalem goes about nowe to answer exceptions that might be made against his reason And first of all it might haue beene obiected that he was seene at Hierusalem sundrie times and therefore in all likelyhood
God are imperfect in this life and therefore they are ioyned with many frailties and actions of faith are mixed with sundrie defects and sinnes Now then we are to be exhorted to make a conscience of lying and to speake the trueth from our hearts And there be many reasons to induce vs to the practise of this dutie First it is Gods commandement Iam. 3. 14. Secondly lying is a conformitie to the deuill and by truth we are made conformable to God who is truth it selfe Thirdly we are sanctified by the word of truth Ioh. 17. 17. and guided by the spirit of truth and therefore we are to detest lying and deceit Fourthly truth is a fruit of Gods spirit Gal. 5. and a marke of Gods child Psal. 32. v. 2. he hath the pardon of his sinnes in whose spirit there is no guile and Psal. 15. 2. he shall rest in the mountaine of God who speakes the truth from his heart Lastly destruction is the lyers reward Psal. 5. 6. God will destroy them that speake lies and they must haue their portion in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Reuel 22. 15 Thus much of the answer to the obiection now followes the confirmation by oath before God Here it may be demanded how these words can be a forme of swearing Ans. In an oath there be foure things The first is an Asseveration of the truth The second is Cenfession whereby the partie that is to sweare acknowledgeth the power presence and wisdome of God in searching the heart and that he is both witnes iudge of all our doings The third is Invocation of God that he would be a witnesse with vs and to vs that we speake the truth The last is Imprecation that God would be a iudge to take reuenge vpon vs if we lie Now then the forme of an oath is a certen forme of wordes in which not all but some of the principall parts of an oath are expressed and the rest concealed and yet to be vnderstood Ierem. 4. 2. there is the forme of an oath The Lord liueth and here onely confession is expressed The forme of swearing I call God to witnesse to my soule 2. Cor. 1. 23. expresseth the third part namely inuocation The words Ruth 2. 17. The Lord doe thus and thus vnto me is an Imprecation The common forme The Lord thee helpe through Iesus Christ is partly praier and partly imprecation And the forme in this place is directly a confession that God is present to witnes and iudge the truth Thus commonly in all formes of oaths one part is expressed and the rest are infolded Here first we learne that the forme of an oath is to be plaine and direct in the name of God and not indirect or oblique in the name of the creatures Gods name concealed And it is the flat commandement of God Math. 5. 34. It is alleadged that Paul 1. Cor. 15. 31. sweares by his reioycing in Christ. I answer the words of Paul by my reioycing are not an oath but an obtestation for the meaning of his wordes is this that his sorrowes and afflictions which he indured for Christ would testifie if they could speake that he died daily Thus Moses called heauen and earth to witnes without swearing for in an oath the thing by which he sweares is made not onely witnes but also iudge Neuerthelesse it is not vnlawfull to name the creatures in the forme of an oath if they be considered as pledges presented vnto God that he should punish vs in them if we lie Thus Paul sweareth I call God to witnes to or vpon my soule Here they are to be blamed whose common fwearing is by the creatures as by their faith by their troth by the Masse Marie by this bread by this drinke c. Secondly here we learne to vse an oath onely in the case of extremitie namely when a necessarie truth is to be confirmed whē this cannot be don by any reason or proofe to be foūd among men vpon earth then may we flie vnto heauen for proofe and make God our witnes Thus Paul confirmes his owne calling when all other proofes failed And it must further be obserued that in extremities he vseth an oath but seldome This seemes to condemne their wickednes that crie at euery word in their common talke before God before God Thirdly before we sweare we are to vse great meditation consideration and preparation and therefore Paul in swearing vseth a word of attention and saith Behold I speake it before God This condemnes the rash and customable swearing of men in their common talke who also in that they commonly and rashly sweare commonly forsweare themselues In that Paul confirmes his writings by oath it appeares that they are of God For if he had sworne falsly God would haue taken reuenge vpon him and his writings before this which he hath not done Whereas Paul saith Before God I speake it he teacheth vs after his owne example to bring our selues into the presence of God to walke before him as Enoch did Gen. 5. 22. and as Abraham was commanded Gen. 17. 1. and to doe whatsoeuer we doe as in the sight and presence of God and to be afraid to sinne because of his presence This is the true feare of God and this is the right practise of religion 21 After that I went into the coasts of Syria and Cilicia and I was vnknowne by face to the Churches of Iudea which were in Christ. 22. But they had heard onely some say He which persequuted vs in times past now preacheth the faith which before he destroied 23 And they glorified God in me Here Paul answers an other obiection which may be framed thus Though Paul learned not the Gospel of the Apostles at Ierusalem yet might he happily learne it of them in other Churches of Iudea To this Paul answers three things The first is that he went from Ierusalem into Syria and Cilicia The second that he was not knowne in person to the Churches of Iudea but onely by hearsay and he sets downe the report that went of him The third is that the Churches of Iudea did not disgrace and slander him but they glorified God for him Of these in order For the first that Paul went from Ierusalem straight into Syria and Cilicia the regions of the Gentiles there be two causes One because Paul was ordained specially to be the Apostle of the Gentiles Act. 9. 15. Rom. 15. 16. The second because Cilicia was his owne countrey for he was borne in Tarsus a towne in Cilicia and his loue to his countrey no doubt was great For in the like case he could haue wished himselfe to be accursed for his countrimen the Iewes From this first answer I gather two things First if any Apostle aboue the rest be the Pastour and vniuersall Bishop of the Church ouer the whole world it is Paul and not Peter because he specially was ordained to teach and conuert the nations The second is
that Pauls often and daungerous iourneies must teach vs to attend on our callings with care and diligence and not to be dismaied with the troubles that shall befall vs. The second answer that Paul was knowne to the Christian Iewes not by face but by hearsay this may seeme strange considering Paul was at Ierusalem and trauailed through Iurie into Syria and Cilicia but it is the truth and the reason of it is plaine The office of an Apostle is not to build vpon the fouÌ„dation of an other or to succeede any man in his labours but to plant and found the Church of the new Testament where Christ had not bin preached or named Rom. 15. 20. In this the Apostles differ from all the Ministers of the new Testament whatsoeuer And this is the cause why Paul was not knowne to the Churches of Iudea And here we see that Succession which the Papists magnifie is not alwaies a note of the true Church and the true Ministerie For the ministerie of the Apostles and the Apostolicall Churches wanted it And this is for the greater commendation of them Againe it is said that Paul was not knowne to the Churches of Iudea which were in Christ. Where let it be obserued that 4. yeares after the ascension of Christ the Apostles had gathered and planted sundrie Christian Churches in Iudea This greatly commends the efficacie and power of the Gospel For hardnes of heart had ouerspread the nation of the Iewes and they had reiected and crucified the Lord of life And thus that is verified which Christ saith that his Disciples beleeuing in him should doe greater things then he had done Ioh. 14. 12. for he by preaching did not conuert multitudes of the Iewes and range them into Churches as the Apostles did Here againe we see that the Gospel by means of the corruption of man is an occasion of diuisions For after the gospel was preached by the Apostles there arose a diuision of Churches among the Iewes Some were Churches in Christ and some out of Christ namely the Synagogues which refused Christ. We may not therfore nowe a daies take offence if schismes and dissentions followe where the Gospel is preached it is not the fault of the Gospel it is the fault of men That Paul might the better shewe that he was known to the Churches of the Iewes onely by heare-say he expresses the report that went of him Hence I gather it is not vnlawfull to tell and heare reports or newes so be it they be not to the preiudice of the trueth of the glory of God and the good name of men Nay it is commendable to report and heare newes that concernes the increase of Gods kingdome and the conuersion of wicked men In the report two things areÌ„ set downe what Paul did He once persecuted vs and destroyed the faith what he now doth He preacheth the Gospel By this we see that verified which Isai foretold that the lyon the wolfe the lambe c. should peaceably liue togither Againe here we see that all things vpon earth are subiect to change and alteration so as it may be said heretefore it was thus and thus but nowe it is otherwise Therefore in miseries we may not be ouer-much grieued for they are changeable and in earthly things we may not reioyce ouer much because they are mutable and subiect to daily alterations Our speciall care must be to auoide eternall and vnchangeable euils as death and the cause of death namely sinne and to purchase to our selues the good things which are euerlasting namely the fauour of God and euerlasting life Furthermore the thing which Paul aimed at in persequuting the Church is to be considered and that was that he might destroy the faith By faith we are to vnderstand the doctrine of the Gospel and with all the vertue or gift of faith whereby it is beleeued for the deuill his instruments seeke the ouerthrow of both Christ saith Satan desired to sift his Disciples that is to sift all their faith out of their hearts and to leaue nothing in theÌ„ but chaffe Luk. 22. 32. Here then it may be demanded whether faith may be lost specially in the children of God in the time of temptation and persecution I answer thus There be three degrees of faith The first consists in two things knowledge of the Gospel and Assent to the trueth of it This faith the deuils haue and it may be lost and beleeuers by this faith may quite fall away The second kind of faith containes knowledge assent a taste or ioy in the goodnesse of God a zeale to the word of God and apparent fruits of holinesse This faith also beeing better then the former may be lost in the daies of persecution and beleeuers by this faith may fall quite away Luk 8. 13. The third faith called the faith of the Elect containes three parts knowledge of the Gospel assent to the trueth of it and apprehension whereby we doe receiue and apply Christ with his benefits to our selues or the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting This faith may be greatly wasted for things appertaining to it may be lost as boldnesse to come vnto God the sense or feeling of spiritual ioy and such like Againe it may be buried for a time in the heart and not shew it selfe either by fruits or any profession and in respect of the measure of it it may be lessened and maimed and if we respect the nature of it it is as apt to be lost as any other grace of God for there is nothing by nature vnchangeable but God Neuerthelesse where this faith is in trueth it is neuer by affliction and temptation put out or exstingnished because God in mercie confirms it by newe grace Christ saith to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luk. 22. 32. And this priuiledge haue all the godly for God promiseth that they shall not be tempted aboue their strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. Indeede persecutors are said to destroy the faith because this is their intent and they indeauour to doe what they can but God preuents their desires by establishing true faith that it may not vtterly faile It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner The child of God may faâ—l into persecution and denie Christ by this fall he is guiltie of a grieuous offence beeing guiltie he hath not pardon of his offence and beeing without pardon he is without faith Touching guiltinesse I answer thus The child of God when he falls is indeed guiltie but howe Guiltie in respect of himselfe or as much as in him lies because he hath done that which is worthy of death and he hath done all he can to make himselfe guiltie But he is not guiltie to condemnation because God on his part doeth not breake off the purpose of adoption and adiudge him to wrath Secondly touching the pardon of his offence I answer thus In pardon there be foure degrees the degree
concerning faith and good life is inseperably annexed to his person and in it are we to rest The principall voice of the iudge and the definitiue sentence is the written word And the office of the Church is no more but to gather declare testifie and pronounce this sentence It is obiected that when a question is propounded the scripture cannot speake nor Christ in the Scripture but the Church onely I answer againe that God ascribes to the written word a voice or speech Rom. 3. 19. and the scripture speakes sufficiently to the resoluing of any mans conscience in all matters pertayning to saluation Again they alleadge that the Church is before the scripture and therfore it beeing most auncient must be the Iudge I answer that the Church was before the writing of the word but not before the word which is written For the church presupposeth faith and faith presupposeth a word of God Vpon this our doctrine they further vpbraid vs that we wil be tried by nothing but by the scriptures euen as the malefactour that will not be tried by the Quest but by the euidence I answer for the satisfying of our aduersaries we submit our selues to the triall of the Church and Councels so be it the three cautions before remēbred be duly obserued specially that all things be iudged and tried by the written word and by reasons gathered thence Againe the Papists hence gather that the scriptures are to be approoued by the Church Ans. Thus much we graunt yet so as we hold that the principal approbatiō of the word wherby we are mooued to beleeue and obey is in the word frō the word and not from the church For the scripture hath his euidence within itselfe which is sufficient to make vs beleeue the word to be the word though the Church should say nothing The third point is concerning the persons with whome Paul conferred namely with them that were the cheife that is with them that were in price and account as Peter Iames c. Here we see what is the honour and worshippe that is due to excellent men namely a pretious and reuerend estimation Thus the name of Dauid was in price in Israel for his vertues 1. Sam. 18. last And thus with the Papists are we content to honour the Saints Again here the Papists gather that they are hereticks that after Pauls example will not go vp to Rome to Peter and his successour to haue their doctrine and religion tried and examined I answer first we are content to be tried by the writings of Peter Iames Iohn Paul c. And this is the commandement of God in doubtfull cases To the Law and the testimonie Isai 8. Secondly I answer that we haue a commandement not to goe vp to Rome at this day to haue our religion tried Reuel 18. Come out of Babylon my people Thirdly I answer that the Bishop of Rome is Peters successour not in teaching but in denying Christ. And the learned Papists confesse that for this succession they haue but a humane faith grounded vpon humane historie The fourth point is the Ende of the conference Least I should runne that is least I should preach or had preached in vaine These words of Paul are not simply to be taken For the Ministerie of man and euery sermon brings forth the fruite which God hath appointed And whether it be vnto the hearers the sauour of life or the sauour of death it is alwaies a sweet sauour vnto God The words therefore carrie this meaning Least my preaching should be of lesse vse and profit or againe least I should preach in vaine in respect of that good which is looked for at the hands of an Apostle And this Paul speakes because a rumor went abroad that his doctrine in many things was contrarie to the other Apostles And by this meanes many were kept from receiuing the Gospell and the faith of weake beleeuers was quenched Now then the ende of the conference was to stay this false report that the Ministerie of Paul might haue passage and that with greater profit Hence the Papists gather that the doctrine of Paul was vncerten and vnprofitable till it was approoued by Peter I answer that Paul sought the approbation of his doctrine at the hands of Peter and the rest not because it was vncerten and vnprofitable but because it was slaundered and the slaunder was that he taught otherwise then Peter did Nowe to cut off this slander he vseth meanes to manifest his consent with Peter and therefore seekes approbation at his hand Againe when Paul saith Least I should runne in vaine he giues vs to vnderstand that the Ministerie of the word is not a worke of ease or pleasure but a labour nay a continued labour like to the running in a race It were therefore to be wished that ministers of the Gospel would so labour and walke in this calling that they might be able to say with Paul I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course c. 2. Tim. 4. Thirdly hence it appeares that all beleeuers should haue a certen knowledge of their faith and religion The procuring of this was the thing that Paul aimed at in this conference with the Apostles at Ierusalem We must not be as children carried away with euery winde of doctrine Eph. 4. 14. Gods word requires faith in vs and faith presupposeth certen knowledge The first and second commandements require that we knowe God and his will distinguish him from false gods and his worshippe from false worshippe Here comes the fault of our times to be considered most men among vs doe not knowe their religion neither can they distinguish it from errour and false religion A foule negligence We take paines to learne trades and occupations that we may haue wherewith to preserue this temporall life what a shame then is it that we learne not better to know the doctrine of true religion whereby our soules are to be saued Lastly here we learne that the office of the Minister is not onely to teach and preach but also to studie and take care howe by preaching he may doe the most good 3. But neither yet Titus which was with me though he were a Grecian was compelled to be circumcised After the Conference followes the Approbation which was giuen to Paul It stands in foure things The first that the Apostles did not compell Titus to be circumcised v. 3. The second that they added nothing to his doctrine v. 6. The third that they gaue him the hands of fellowship v. 7. The laste that at his departure they required of him nothing but the giuing of Almes v. 16. For the first the words And Titus was not compelled to be circumcised carrie this sense I for my part was readie to circumcise Titus if there had beene a meete occasion false brethren would haue imposed a necessitie vpon vs then I and Titus refused and the Apostles did not vrge me to circumcise him Here it may
be demanded howe this text can well stand with Act. 16. v. 3. for there Paul circumciseth Timothie a Grecian and here he refuseth to circumcise Titus though he were a Grecian I answer thus Circumcision was at this time a thing indifferent From the first institution to the comming and specially to the death of Christ it was a thing commanded a Sacrament and a part of Gods worship Againe after the planting of the Church of the newe testament it was vtterly abolished and a thing in respect of vse vtterly vnlawfull In the middle time that is while the Gospel was in publishing to the world and the Church of the newe Testament was yet in founding it was a ceremonie free or indifferent It may be obiected that the whole Ceremoniall law was abolished in the death of Christ I answer it was so and circumcision was abolished in respect of faith and conscience yet so as the vse therof was left to the libertie of the people of God for a while Circumcision at this time was as a corps that is dead yet vnburied and onely laid out and so it must remaine for a time that it may be buried with honour It may againe be obiected that baptisme was come in the roome of circumcision and that therefore circumcision was but an idle and emptie ceremonie I answer it was not vsed as a Sacrament at this time or as a part of Gods worship or as a matter of necessitie but onely as a free ceremonie and that onely then when it tended to the edification of men Beeing then a thing indifferent it might as occasion serued be vsed or not vsed Therefore Paul condescending to the weaknes of the beleeuing Iewes circumcised Timothie and that he might not offend the godly and hinder Christian libertie he refused to circumcise Titus Here a great question is answered whether we may vse things indifferent as oft as we will and howe we will The answer is No. Things are not called indifferent because we may vse them indifferently or not vse them when we will and how we will but because in themselues or in their owne nature they are neither good nor euill and we may vse them well or ill we may againe not vse them well or euill Furthermore there be two things which restraine the vse of things indifferent the lawe of charitie and the lawes of men The lawe of charitie is this Things indifferent in the case of scandall cease to be indifferent and are as things morall that is either forbidden or commanded Paul saith if to eate flesh be to the offence of his brother he will eate no flesh while the world stands 1. Cor. 8. 13. And though he circumcised Timothie yet would he not circumcise Titus least he should offend the godly and by his example hurt Christian libertie Likewise the good lawes of men whether ciuill or Ecclesiasticall tending to the common good and seruing for edification restraine the vse of things indifferent so that they which shall doe otherwise then these lawes command with a contemptuous or disloyall minde are guiltie before God yet here two cautions must be remembred One that the lawes of men doe not chaunge the nature of things indifferent for it is the propertie of God by willing this or that to make it good or euill Neither doe they take away the vse of things indifferent For libertie graunted by a soueraigne power cannot be reuersed by an inferiour power Therefore humane lawes doe no more but temper and moderate the ouer common vse of things indifferent The second caution is That when the ende of a law ceaseth when there is no contempt of the authoritie that made the law when no offence is giuen a thing indifferent remaines in his free vse without sinne or breach of conscience Againe here we learne that a thing indifferent when it is made necessarie to saluation as Circumcision was is not to be vsed This conclusion serues to ouerthrow the Popish religion For it stands in the obseruation of things indifferent as meates drinkes apparell times c. And the vsing or the not vsing of them is made necessarie euen in regard of mans saluation For the abstinence from things that are by nature indifferent is made a part of Gods worship and meritorious of eternall life For example to marrie or not to marrie is for nature a thing indifferent and therefore when abstinence from marriage is made necessarie as it is in diuers orders of men and women the nature of the thing is changed which God hath left free and it is a doctrine of deuills which is taught Here againe we learne to make difference of persons Some are weake some are obstinate Weake ones are such as hauing turned vnto God and carrying in their hearts a purpose in all things to please God neuerthelesse doe sundrie things amisse vpon simple ignorance or badde custome till they be better informed Of these Paul saith that he became all to all that he might saue some 1. Cor. 9. 22. and for their sakes he condescended to circumcise Timothie And if we that haue scarce a drop of mercie in vs must thus beare with them that are weake much more will God doe it who is mercie it selfe The good shepheard brings home the stray sheepe vpon his shoulders he carries his lambs in his bosome Isa. 40. 11. He will not quench the smoaking flaxe Isa. 42. he spares them that feare him as a father spares his child Malach. 3. 17. This beeing alwaies remembred that weake ones truly turne to God and carrie in their hearts an honest purpose not to sinne against his lawes at any time wittingly and willingly Obstinate persons are such as professe the faith and yet hold and practise bad things of wilfull ignorance and of malice These persons are not to be borne with nor to be respected and in respect of them Paul would not circumcise Titus Lastly in that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised it may be demanded whether Recusants may be compelled to the exercises of religion I answer yea for exercises of religion are not things indifferent as Circumcision was Iosias made a couenant with the Lord and he caused all his subiects to stand to it 2. Chron. 34. 32. The king at the marriage feast of his sonne saith of the guests Compell them to enter in Luk. 14. 23. It is obiected that men may not be compelled to beleeue I answer it is the commandement of God prooue the spirits 1. Ioh. 4. 1. and this commandement pertaines to all persons Therfore though men may not be compelled to beleeue yet may they be compelled to come to the congregation to heare our sermons and therein the reasons and grounds of our doctrine that they may trie what is the truth and cleaue vnto it For this is their dutie 4 For all the false brethren that crept in who came in priuily to spie out our liberite which we haue in Christ Iesus that they might bring vs into
pray for this gift at Gods hand For power to suffer is the gift of God Phil. 1. 29. and we must obserue the commandement of God not to feare the terrours of men Reu. 2. 10. 1. Pet. 3. 14. And for this cause we must as Peter saith sanctifie God in our hearts beeing assured by our faith of the presence protection and prouidence of God When Paul saith Haue ye suffered so many things he shewes that we must endure manifold miseries in this life Iacob said to Pharao his daies were few and euill Many are the afflictions of the righteous Psal. 34. 20. Christ saith Take vp thy crosse euery day Luk. 9. 23. and thereby he signifies that euery new day that comes ouer our heads we must looke for a new crosse And for this cause it is not enough to be patient for a fit but we must shew all patience and long suffering and that with ioyfulnes Col. 1. 11. When Paul saith Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine he signifies that our sufferings are of great vse vnlesse our sinnes be the hindrance It may then be demanded what is the vse of our sufferings The Papists answer that in our baptisme or first conuersion Christ sufferings doe all abolish the whole fault and punishment but if we sinne after our conuersion then they say Christs sufferings abolish the fault and the eternall punishment and our owne sufferings abolish the temporall punishment But this doctrine leslens and obscures the mercie of God and it must be obserued that Paul holds all their sufferings to be in vaine that seeke remission of sinnes or iustification in any thing out of Christ. Now we for our parts make fiue other vses of our sufferings First they serue for triall of men that it may appeare what is hidden in their hearts Deut. 8. 2. Secondly they serue for the correction of things amisse in vs. 1. Cor. 11. 23. Thirdly they serue as documents and warnings to others specially in publike persons thus Dauid suffers many things after repentance for his murther and adulterie Fourthly they are markes of adoption if we be content to obey God in them Heb. 12. 7. Lastly they are the troaden and beaten way to the kingdom of heauen Act. 14. 23. When Paul saith If they be in vaine we are to obserue his moderation He reprooues and terrifies the Galatians yet so as he is carefull to preserue the hope of mercie in them and the hope of their amendment in himselfe The like hath bin the practise of the Prophets Ionas preacheth yet fourtie daies and Niniuie shall be destroied but withall he addes It may be the Lord will repent and turne from his fierce wrath Ion. 3. 9. Peter saith to Simon Magus Thou art in the gall of bitternes but withall he addes Pray God that the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee Act. 8. 21. See the like Ioel 2. 14. and Amos 5. 15. And thus are Ministers of the Gospel to delay and qualifie their reproofes and censures 5 He therefore that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith These words are a repetition of the second verse whence the exposition must be fetched The words and worketh miracles among you are added and they carrie this meaning That God gaue to the Galatians not onely the spirit of adoption but also other extraordinarie gifts of the spirit as to speake with strange tongues to cure diseases and such like Repetitions in Scripture are not idle but of great vse and signifie vnto vs the necessitie of the thing repeated and the infallible certentie of it The substance therefore of this verse must carefully be remembred and that is this Ye receiued the spirit by my doctrine therefore it is true and of God The argument is of great vse For by it we come to an infallible assurance of the Certentie of the Scriptures and of true religion deriued thence The Galatians are now reuolted from Pauls doctrine and they erre in the foundation and yet Paul saith in the time present He that ministreth the spirit vnto you Hence it appeares that falls of infirmitie in the child of God doe not vtterly extinguish the spirit but onely grieue or make sadde the spirit Againe Paul here teacheth that God is the onely and proper author of miracles For he that ministreth the spirit worketh miracles namely God A miracle is a worke aboue the strength of natureâ— therefore it can be effected of none but the author of nature It may be obiected the Apostles Prophets and others had a gift to worke miracles Iosua commanded the sunne to stand Ios. 10. 12. and Elias commanded fire to come downe from heauen 2. king 1. Ans. God neuer gaue to any man power to worke and effect a miracle either mediately or immediately The gift was the faith of miracles The faith was grounded vpon reuelation and the reuelation was that God himselfe would worke such or such a miracle when they praied commanded or imposed hands Men therefore properly are but the mouth of God and messengers to signifie what he will doe Againe it may be obiected that the deuill can worke miracles Ans. He can worke a wonder or things extraordinarie in respect of the ordinarie course of nature Thus he caused fire to fall from heauen and he caused vlcers to arise in the bodie of Iob and that true vlcers And this he did by the force of nature better knowne to him then all the world But as for a true miracle that exceedes the strength of nature he cannot possibly doe it no not Christ himselfe as man though he be exalted aboue all men and angels By this we see that they are deceiued who thinke that the deuill can make raine thunder and lightning Indeede when the matter of raine and thunder is prepared by God he can hasten it and make it more terrible but raine and thunder he cannot make for that is indeede as much as any miracle Againe it is a falsehood to thinke that Alchimists are able to turne baser mettals into gold For it is a worke of creation to turne a creature of one kind into a creature of an other kind It is also as foolish to imagine that witches by the power of the deuill are able to turne themselues into catts and other creatures None can doe this but God that made the creature Here againe we see the vse of miracles that is to confirme doctrine in the Apostolike Churches That their vse is further to confirme doctrine euen at this day it cannot be prooued Lastly here in the Galatians we see what an easie thing it is to fall from God from our faith and allegiance to him They were taught by Paul they had receiued the spirit of adoption they were enabled to worke miracles and yet for all this they fall away to an other Gospel They must be a looking glasse to vs. In peace we
the sacrament is administred And that it may conferre grace some say that the saide action hath vertue in it for this purpose which passeth away when the action is ended others say it hath no vertue in it but that Gods vsing of the action eleuates it and makes it able to conferre grace But this doctrine is a fiction of the braine of man Iohn the Baptist Math. 3. 11. makes two baptizers himselfe and Christ and he distinguisheth their actions his owne action is to wash with water and the action of Christ is to wash with the holy Ghost This distinction he would not haue made if he by the washing of water had conferred the holy Ghost Paul saith Christ sanctifieth his Church by the washing of water through the word Eph. 5. 26. Baptisme therefore doth not conferre grace because the bodie is washed with water but because when it is washed the word of promise is beleeued and receiued The Apostles are called fellow-workers with God 1. Cor. 3. 9. and yet in the worke of regeneration and in giuing of life they are not any thing v. 7. Peter saith directly that the washing away of the filth of the flesh doth not saue but the stipulation that a good conscience makes to God 1. Pet. 3. 21. The worke of creation is from God immediatly and onely now regeneration is a worke of creation and therefore it is of God immediatly and not immediatly from the sacrament and mediatly from God The flesh of Christ is eleuated and exalted aboue the condition of all creatures neuertheles vertue to giue life is not in the flesh of Christ but in the godhead much lesse then shall the sacraments haue vertue in them to conferre grace Faith is said to iustifie yet not by his owne vertue for it doth not cause our iustification but serue as a meanes to apprehend it when it is caused by God how then shall the sacraments cause iustification Lastly if the outward washing of the bodie be eleuated aboue his naturall condition in the administration of baptisme then so oft as the outward element is vsed in any sacrament there is a miracle wrought and Ministers of sacraments are workers of miracles which may not be said Againe their doctrine is erronious in that they teach that the outward act in the Sacrament performed by the Minister cōfers grace where there is no gift of faith to receiue that which is conferred contrarie to that saying Ioh. 1. 12. As many as receiued him he gaue this power to be the sonnes of God Indeed they say there must be faith and repentance to dispose the partie but this disposition serues onely to take away impediments and not to inable vs to receiue that which God giueth The vse We must not thinke it sufficient that we come to the Church heare Gods word and pray contenting our selues in the worke done For thus shall we deceiue our selues but in doing these acts of religion we must in our hearts turne vnto God and by faith imbrace his promises otherwise the best actions we doe shall be vnprofitable vnto vs. Heb. 4. 2. Againe if the vsing of the element in the sacrament doe not conferregrace then be assured that charmes and spells be the words neuer so good haue no vertue in them to doe vs good but by diabolicall operation The last question is whether baptisme imprint a Character or marke in the soule which is neuer blotted out Ans. In scripture there is a twofold marke of distinction one visible the other inuisible Of the first kind was the blood of the paschall lambe in the first passeouer for by it the first borne of the Israelites were marked when the first borne of the Egyptians were slaine Of this kind is baptisme for by it Christian people are distinguished from Iewes Turkes and infidels The inuisible marke is twofold The first is the eternall Election of God 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knowes who are his By vertue of this Christ saith I know my sheepe Ioh. 10. And by this the Elect of all nations are marked Apoc. 7. and 9. The second is the gift of regeneration which is nothing els but the imprinting of the image of God in the soules of men and by this beleeuers are said to be sealed Eph. 1. 13. 2. Cor. 1. 22. And baptisme is a meanes to see this marke in vs because it is the lauer of regeneration The Papists haue deuised another worke which they call the Indeleble character and they make it to be a distinct thing from regeneration and they say it is imprinted in the soules of all men good and bad and remaines in them when they are condemned What this marke should be they cannot tell some make it a quality some a relation but indeed there is no scripture for it the truth is it is a meere fiction of the braine of man The sixt point to be handled concernes the Necessitie of baptisme Here we must put difference betweene the Couenant of grace and baptisme which is the confimation or seale of the couenant To make couenant with God and to be in the said couenant is absolutely necessarie to saluation for vnles God be our God and we the seruants of God we cannot be saued Baptisme it selfe is necessarie in part first in respect of the commendement of God who hath inioyned vs to vse it secondly in respect of our weakenes who haue neede of all helps that may confirme our faith Yet baptisme is not simply necessarie to saluation for the want of baptisme when it canbe had doth not condemne but the contempt of it when it may be had and the contempt is pardonable if men repent afterward for the children of beleeuing parents are borne holy 1. Cor. 7. 14. and theirs is the kingdome of God and therefore if they die before baptisme they are saued The theese vpon the crosse and many holy martyrs haue died without baptisme and are in the kingdome of heauen It is obiected that the male child which is not circumcised must by God commandement be cut off from the people of God Gen. 17. 14. and therefore he that is not baptised must also be cut off Ans. The text is spoken and meant not of infants but of men of yeares who beeing till then vncircumcised despise the ordinance of God and refuse to be circumcised And this appeares by the reason following for he hath made my couenant void now infants doe not this but their parents or men of yeares Secondly the speach of Christ is obiected Ioh. 3. 5. Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ans. Christ alludes to the washings of the old testament Ezech. 36. 25. and withall giues an exposition of them on this manner Thou art a Pharisie and louest much washing but if thou wouldest enter into the kingdome of heauen thou must be washed with cleane water that is
till the comming of the Messias and now the Catholike Church is in the roome of the sanctuarie in it must we seeke the presence of God and the word of life therefore it is called the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Fourthly in Ierusalem was the throne of Dauid Psal. 122. 5. and in the Catholike Church is the throne or scepter of Christ figured by the kingdome of Dauid Reu. 3. 7. Fiftly the commendation of a cittie as Ierusalem is the subiection obedience of the citizens now in the Catholike Church all beleeuers are citizens Eph. 2. 19. and they yeild voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their king Psal. 110. 2. Isai 2. 5. Lastly as in Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register so the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reu. 20. 15. Hebr. 12. 23. Againe the Catholike Church dwelling here belowe is said to be aboue in heauen for two causes First in respect of her beginning which is from the Election and grace of God and from Christ the Mediatour of whose flesh and bone we are that beleeue Eph. 5. 30. The iustice whereby we are iustified is in Christ our holinesse and life flowes from the holinesse and life of Christ as from a roote Secondly the Church is said to be aboue because it dwels by faith in heauen with Christ for the propertie of faith is to make vs present after a sort when we are absent Heb. 11. 2. The vse This beeing so we are admonished to liue in this world as Pilgrimes and strangers 1. Pet. 2. 11. and therefore we must not set our loue vpon any earthly thing but our mindes must be vpon the countrie to which we are trauelling And whatsoeuer is an hinderance to vs in our iourney we must cast it from vs that we may goe lightly and if we haue any wrongs done vs either in goods or good name we must the rather be content because we are out of our countrie in a strange place and hereupon we must take occasion to make haste to our iourneys end that is to our own citie and last abode Thus did the Patriarches Heb. 11. 13 15. Secondly we must carrie our selues as Burgesses of heauen Phil. 3. 20. And this we shall do by minding seeking affecting of heauenly things by speaking the language of Canaan which is to inuocate and praise the name of God Lastly by leading a spirituall life that may beseeme the citizens of heauen Many faile in this point when they come to the Lords table they professe themselues to be citizens of the citie of God but in their common dealings in the world they play the starke rebels against God and his word and liue according to the lusts of their blinde and vnrepentant hearts Thirdly when Paul saith that Ierusalem which is aboue is free c. he shewes that the Catholike Church is one in number no more Cant. 6. 8. My doue is aboue and the onely daughter of her mother Ioh. 10. 16. One sheepefold There be many members but one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 12. Fourthly hence we gather that the Catholike Church is invisible For the companie of them that dwell in heauen by their faith cannot be discerned by the eie Iohn saw the heauenly Ierusalem descending from heauen yet not with the bodily eye but in spirit Reuel 21. 10. The things which make the Catholike Church to be the Church namely election vocation iustification glorification are inuisible The papist therfore erreth when he teacheth that the Catholike Church is a visible companie vnder one Pastour namely the Pope And the places which they bring to prooue the visibilitie of the vniuersall Church concerne either particular churches or the churches which were in the daies of the Apostles or againe they speake of the inward glorie and beautie of the Church Free that is redeemed from the bondage of death and sin and so from the curse of the lawe Of this freedome I will speak more afterward The mother of vs all shee is called a mother because the word of God is committed to the keeping of the Church which word is seed 1. Pet. 1. 23. and milke 1. Cor. 3. 2. and strong meat Heb. 5. 14. And the church as a mother which by the ministery of the said word brings forth children to God after they are borne brought forth shee feeds them with milke out of her owne breasts which are the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament Here a great question is to be propounded namely where we shall find this our Mother For it is the dutie of all children to haue recourse vnto their mother and to liue vnder her wing The aduocates of the Popish Church Priests and Iesuits say we must be reconciled to the Church and See of Rome if we would be of the Catholike church To this purpose they vse many motiues I will here propound seauen of them because heretofore they haue bin scattered abroad among vs. The first motiue The Church of Rome hath meanes of sure and certen interpretation tradition councels fathers we haue nothing but the priuate interpretation of Luther Melancthon Caluin c. Answ. Scripture is both the glosse and the text And the principall meanes of the interpretation of scripture is scripture it selfe And it is a means when places of scripture are expounded by the Analogie of faith by the words scope and circumstances of the place And the interpretation which is sutable to all these is sure certen and publike for it is the interpretation of God Contrariwise the interpretation which is not agreeable to these though it be from Church Fathers and Councells is vncerten and it is priuate interpretation Now this kind of interpretation we allow and therefore it is false that we haue onely priuate interpretations and that all the interpretations of the Church of Rome are publike Secondly I answer that we are able to iustifie our Interpretations of Scripture for the maine points of religion by the consent of Fathers and Councells as well as they of the church of Rome The second motiue We haue no diuine and infallible authoritie to rest on in matter of religion but they of the church of Rome haue Ans. In the Canonicall scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles there is diuine and infallible authoritie for they are now in the new Testament in stead of the liuely voice of God And this authoritie we in our Church acknowledge Secondly I answer that the church hath no diuine and infallible authoritie distinct from the authoritie of scriptures as the Papists teach but onely a Ministerie which is to speake in the name of God according to the written word The third motiue We haue no limitations of opinion and affection but they of the church of Rome haue I answer first we suffer our selues to be limited for opinion by the Analogie of faith and by the written word and so doth
will be iustified by one act of the law is bound to performe the rest for his iustification Abolished from Christ that is Christ is become an idle and emptie Christ vnto you Whosoeuer are iustified by the law that is are of opinion that they are to be iustified by the workes of the law For indeede a sinner cannot be iustified by the law but onely in his owne false opinion Grace that is the loue and fauour of God The resolution The third verse is a confirmation of the reason in the second verse and it may be framed thus He which is bound to keepe the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law therefore he which is circumcised hath no part in Christ. The 4. verse is a repetition of the second verse with a declaration therof for he shewes what he meanes by circumcision namely iustification by circumcision and consequently by the whole law And therefore when he had said If ye be circumcised he changeth his speach saying Whosoeuer is iustified by the law Againe least men might thinke it a small matter to be abolished from Christ he shewes that it is indeede to fall from grace The vse These verses are as it were a thunderbolt against all Poperie And first of all I vrge the argument of Paul against the Popish Church and against the Popish religion If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ and fallen from Christ. Answer is made that the words are to be vnderstood of such workes of the law as are from nature and goe before faith and not of such workes as are from grace and follow faith for such workes they say are from Christ and stand with him I answer the words of Paul are to be vnderstood of all workes of the law whether they be from nature or from grace For this Epistle of Paul was written about sixe yeares after the conuersion of the Galatians therefore they were and had bin long regenerate persons now men regenerate looke not to be iustified by works of nature but by good workes which are workes of grace And Paul saith Eph. 2. 10. We are not saued by workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in and these are the best workes that are or can be Againe Tit. 3. 5. Of his mercie he saued vs and not of workes of righteousnes By this text we further see that we and the Papists differ not about circumstances vnlesse Grace and Christ be circumstances Againe we see that the Church of Rome is indeede no Church because by maintaining iustification by works it is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace Againe I vrge Pauls argument against them on this manner He which is debter to the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is iustified by workes is debter to the whole law therefore he which is iustified by workes hath no part in Christ Let them answer if they can I turne the same argument another way thus He which is iustified by workes is bound to keepe the whole law but no man can keepe the whole law therefore no man can be iustified by workes They answer to the minor by making a double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come and both in their kind perfect The fulfilling of the law for the time of this life they say it is to loue God aboue all creatues in truth and that he which doth thus much fulfills the law and is no offender Hereupon they inferre that works may be answerable to the law and be opposed to the iudgement of God And for this doctrine they alleadge S. Augustine I answer againe that Paul in this place takes it for a confessed truth that no man can fulfill the law and he vrgeth it as a great inconuenience that any man should be bound to keepe the whole law And before he hath said He which is of the workes of the law is cursed Gal. 3. 10. which could not be if there were a fulfilling of the law for the time of this life As for Augustine it is true he makes two fulfillings of the law and one of them for the time of this life but this he saith is imperfect and this imperfection he makes to be a sinne whereas the Papists of our time teach that men may fulfill the law for the time of this life without sinne Where Paul saith If ye be circumcised marke how the false Apostles abuse circumcision It is by diuine institution a seale of the righteousnes of faith and they make it a meritorious cause of saluation It is indeede rather Gods worke then our worke and they make it their owne worke and that meritorious before God Like doe the Papists at this day Baptisme is a signe and seale of Gods mercie by diuine institution and they turne it into a physicall cause which containes and conferres grace In like sort they turne the workes of the spirit almes praier fasting contrition yea their owne traditions confession satisfaction and such like into meritorious causes of iustification and life And this is the fashion of deceiuers to retaine the names of holy things but not to retaine the right vse of them As here we see Circumcision was an obligation to the keeping of the whole law in the old Testament so is baptisme in the new an obligation or bond whereby we haue bound our selues to liue according to all the lawes of God Matth. 28. 19 20. This discouers the Atheisme and vnbeleefe of persons baptised in these our daies for few there be that thinke vpon and performe this obligation We are further to obserue the condition of the law It is wholly copulatiue All the parts of it are linked one to another He that is bound to one commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2. 10. he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offered will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation and change according to the whole law of God and containes in it the seedes of all good duties Christ saith He that is washed is all cleane Ioh. 13. 10. Iosias turned to God according to the whole law Zacharie and Elizabeth walke in all the commandements of God without reproofe Luk. 1. Dauid saith He shall not be confounded when he hath respect to all the commandements of God Psal. 119. 6. On the contrarie he which hath many excellent things in him if he liue in the manifest breach of some one commandement is sound in none nay indeede he is guiltie of all Herod did many good things and yet all was nothing because he liued in incest Mark 6. 20. The deuill is able to bring a man to perdition as well by one sinne as by many Whereas Paul saith
If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ First I gather that the Law and the Gospel are not one in substance of doctrine as the Papists teach for they say the Gospel is nothing but the law made more perfect and plaine which if it were true a man might be iustified both by Christ and the law which Paul saith cannot be Secondly I gather hence that it is a meere deuice of mans wit to say that Christ by his death and passion merited that we should merit by our owne workes our iustification and saluation For if this were true that the merit of our workes were the fruit of Christs passion Paul would not haue said that iustification by the law should abolish Christ vnto vs. For the cause and the effect both stand together whereas Christs merit and the merit of our works agree euen as fire and water And no maruell For the reason why Christ meriteth is the Personall vnion of the Godhead with the manhood which vnion because it is not to be found in any meere man neither is there any true and proper merit to be found Whereas Paul saith Ye are fallen from grace some gather that the children of God may fall quite from the fauour of God Ans. Men are said to be vnder grace two waies First in the iudgement of infallibilitie and thus onely the Elect are vnder the grace of God Secondly in the iudgement of Christian charitie and thus all that professe Christ though indeede hypocrites are vnder the grace of God And in this sense Paul saith that the whole Church of Galatia is vnder the grace of God And they are said to fall from grace not because all were indeede vnder the fauour of God and at length cast out of it but because God makes it manifest to men that they were neuer in the fauour of God Thus Christs enemies are said â—o be blotted out of the booke of lifâ— Psal. 69. 28. when God makes it manifest that their names were neuer written there Secondly I answer that Paul speakes this not absolutely but vpon condition If ye will be iustified by the law And therefore v. 10. he saith that he is perswaded better things of them Lastly here we see it is false that euery man shall be saued by his religion for he that is abolished from Christ is quite out of the â—auour of God And therefore no religion but that which is truly Christian saueth 5 For we in the spirit by faith waite for the hope of righteousnes 6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue The meaning We I Paul the rest of the Apostles and all other Christian churches In spirit that is in the powers of the soule sanctified and renewed In this sense Paul saith that the true circumcision is that which is in the heart in spirit Rom. 2. 29. and Christ saith that true worship of God is in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. And that spirit is here taken in this sense it is manifest because it is opposed to circumcision which is in the flesh By faith we wait Faith apprehends the promise and thereby brings forth hope and faith by meanes of hope makes them that beleeue to waite Hope of righteousnes that is saluation or life eternall which is the fruit of righteousnes Tit. 2. 13. or againe righteousnes hoped for Righteousnes indeede is imputed to them that beleeue and that in this life yet the fruition and the full reuelation thereof is reserued to the life to come when Christ our righteousnes shall appeare and when the effect of righteousnes namely sanctification shall be accomplished in vs. Rom. 8. 23. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. The sense then is this All the Apostles and Christian churches with one consent in spirit by meanes of their faith waite for the full reuelation of their imputed righteousnes and for euerlasting life whereas the false Apostles place their righteousnes in circumcision of the flesh and looke to haue the fruition of it in this life v. 6. In Christ that is in the Church kingdome or religion of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any be in Christ that is if any be a Christian he is a new creature Vncircumcision that is the condition and workes of men vncircumcised Auaileth any thing is of no vse respect or acceptation with God Faith working faith effectuall in duties of loue The resolution These wordes containe a second reason where Paul confirmes the former conclusion and it may be framed thus That thing which makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes that iustifies not circumcision but faith makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes therefore not circumcision but faith iustifies The proposition is omitted the minor is in the 5. verse And it is confirmed by two arguments The first is the consent of all Churches We waite The second is taken from the propertie of faith in the sixt verse thus It is faith and not circumcision that auailes before God therefore faith and not circumcision makes vs waite Againe in these two verses Paul meetes with an Obiection which may be framed thus If ye abolish circumcision and the ceremoniall law ye abolish the exercises of religion The answer is in stead of them we haue other exercises in our spirit namely the inward exercises of faith hope and loue The vse In the 5. verse foure things are to be considered The first is who waites Paul saith we waite Before he hath iustified his doctrine by the Scriptures now he addes the consent of the Churches Here then we see what is the office of all faithfull dispensers of the word namely to declare such doctrines as are founded in Scriptures and approoued by the consent of the true Church of God Paul an Apostle that could not erre respected consent much more are all ordinarie Ministers to doe it Againe it is the office of all Christian people to maintaine and defend all such doctrines and opinions as are founded in the Scriptures and ratified by the consent of the true churches of God and no other This to doe is to walke in the way of vnitie and peace and to doe otherwise is to walke in the way of schisme and heresie The second point is what is waited for Paul saith the reuelation of righteousnes and eternall saluation Here I obserue that there is no iustification by the obseruation of the law and I prooue it thus The righteousnes whereby a sinner is iustified is apprehended by faith and expected by hope but if righteousnes were by the law men should haue the fruition of their righteousnes in this life and consequently the hope thereof should cease Secondly here is comfort for the godly They complaine of the want of sanctification but they are to know that in this life they shall neuer feele righteousnes as they feele sinne here they must hunger and thirst after righteousnes liuing in some want of it If we haue the first
fruits of the spirit the hatred of our owne sinne the purpose of not sinning the feare of God and such like we must content our selues and waite for the fruition of further grace till the life to come Thirdly we must become waiters for the mercie of God and for life euerlasting Gen. 49. 18. Iud. v. â—1 For this cause we must doe as they doe which waite attend for some great benefit we must daily stand with our supplications knocking at the mercie gate to the death and we must daily prepare our selues against the day of death and it must be welcome vnto vs for then is the ende of all our waiting and attending The third point is by what are we to waite Paul saith We waite by faith Hence it followes that faith brings with it a speciall certentie of the mercie of God and of life euerlasting For men vse not to waite for the things whereof they are vncerten Waiting presupposeth certentie The Papists therefore that make speciall hope should also make speciall faith The last point is where is this waiting Paul saith in spirit Here obserue that all the exercises of Christian religion are to be in the spirit God must be worshipped in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. Rom. 1. 9. The heart must be rent and not the garment Ioâ—l 2. The inward motions of the spirit are of themselues the worship of God whereas our words and deedes are not simply but so farforth as they are founded in the renewed motions of the heart Men in our daies thinke they doe God high seruice if they come to Church heare Gods word and say some few praiers Indeede these things are not to be condemned yet are they not sufficient vnlesse withall we bring vnto God a renewed spirit indued with faith hope â—oue In the 6. verse Paul propounds three conclusions The first is this that externall and bodely priuiledges are of no vse and moment in the kingdome of Christ. Paul saith 1. Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little and that godlines is profitable for all things It was a great priuiledge to be familiarly acquainted with Christ and to haue eaten and drunke with him yet is it of no vse in the kingdome of Christ. For of such Christ saith Luk. 13. 26. Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie It was a great priuiledge to be allied to Christ in respect of blood yet in the kingdome of Christ it is of no vse and therefore Christ saith He that doth the will of my father is my brother sister and mother Mark 3. 33. To conceiue and beare Christ was a great honour to the virgin Marie yet was shee not by this meanes a member of the kingdome of Christ but by her faith in him And if shee had not borne him in her heart as well as shee bare him in her wombe shee had not bin saued To prophecie or preach and that in the name of Christ is a great dignitie and yet many hauing this prerogatiue shall be condemned Matth. 7. 22. It may be alleadged that some outward exercises as baptisme and the Lords supper are of great vse in the Church of Christ. I answer the outward baptisme is nothing without the inward Not the washing of the flesh but the stipulation of a good conscience saueth 1. Pet. 3. 18. Circumcision is profitable if thou keepe the law Rom. 2. 35. By this we are taught not to esteeme of mens religion by their riches and externall dignities For the fashion of the world is if a man haue riches and honour to commend him for a wise vertuous and godly man This is foolishly to haue faith in respect of persons Iam. 2. 1. Secondly by this we are taught to moderate our affections in respect of all outward things neither sorrowing too much for them nor ioying too much in them 1. Cor. 7. 30. The second conclusion Faith is of great vse and acceptation in the kingdome of Christ. By it first our persons and then our actions please God and without it nothing pleaseth God It is the first and the greatest honour we can doe to God to giue credence to his word and from this flowes all other obedience to all other commandements Hence we learne First that we must labour to conceiue faith a right in our hearts by the vse of the right meanes the word praier sacraments as also in and by the exercises of spirituall inuocation and repentance This beeing done we must rest vpon the bare word and testimonie of God without and against sense and feeling and quiet our hearts therein both in life and death Secondly faith in Christ must raigne and beare sway in our hearts and haue the command ouer reason will affection lust And by it whatsoeuer we doe or suffer specially the maine actions of our liues are to be ordered and disposed Lastly it is a thing to be bewailed that the common faith of our daies is but a Ceremoniall faith conceiued without the ordinarie meanes and seuered from the exercises of inuocation and repentance The third conclusion is that true faith workes by loue Hence the Papists gather that loue is the forme and life of faith not because it makes faith to be faith but because it makes it to be a true faith a good faith a liuely faith But this their doctrine is false and erronious For faith is the cause of loue and loue is the fruit of faith 1. Tim. 1. 5. Loue out of a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained Now euery cause as it is a cause hath his force and efficacie in it selfe and receiues no force or efficacie from his effect Secondly true faith is liuely and effectuall in it selfe and hath a peculiar forme of his owne and that is a certen power to apprehend Christ in the promise For in faith there are two things knowledge and apprehension which some call application or speciall affiance which affiance because the Papists cut off they are constrained to make a supplie by loue Thirdly the operation of faith according to the doctrine of the Papist is to Prepare and dispose a sinner to his future iustification Now if this operation be from loue then loue is before iustification and that cannot be because as they teach iustification stands in loue Loue therfore is not the forme of faith They alleadge for themselues this very text in hand where it is said faith worketh by loue or as they translate it faith is acted and mooued by loue Ans. The meaning of the text is that faith is effectuall in it selfe and that it shewes and puts forth his efficacie by loue as by the fruit thereof And it cannot hence be gathered that faith is acted and mooued by loue as by a formall cause Againe they alleadge Iam. 2. 26. As the bodie is dead without the spirit so is faith without workes Ans. 1. The soule of man is not the forme of his bodie but of the whole man 2. Spirit may as well signifie breath or
teaching admonishing exhorting and by example of good life A particular calling whereby men are called to some estate of life in the familie Church or common wealth And according to the seuerall conditions of particular callings must euery man in his place doe the good he can The magistrate must vse his office first for the maintenance of the Gospell and then for the execution of iustice The minister must preach sound religion in loue of the soules of men The master of the familie must cause his househould to imbrace the Gospell and frequent the exercises of religion Lastly euery man that is in a trade or office must apply himselfe to the vttermost of his power to do all he can for the good of his countrie and he must so deale that he may be helpefull to all with whome he deales and hurtfull to none We are or should be trees of righteousnes our fruite must be meate for others and our leaues for medecines We must be as candles that spend themselues to giue light to others 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word which is this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Fulfilled comprised Rom. 13. 9. One word One precept for the H. G. calles precepts words It may be demanded how the whole law should be fulfilled in the loue of our neighbour Ans. The loue of God and the loue of our neighbour are ioyned together as the cause and the effect and the loue of God is practised in the loue of our neigbour For God that is inuisible will be loued in the person of our neighbour whome we see and with whome we conuerse And the first commandement of the law must be included in all the commandements following and thus the loue of God is presupposed in euery commandement of the second table he therefore that loues his neigbour loues God also Thou shalt loue vnderstand both the affection and the duties of loue Thy neighbour any one that is neare vnto vs in res 〈…〉 t of mans nature Isai. 58. 7. though he be our enemy yet i◠by any occasion he be offered vnto vs of God he is our neighbour As thy selfe these wordes signifie not the measure of our loue as though we should loue our selues in the first place and thē our neighbour in the second place for there are some cases in which we are to loue our neighbour more thē our selues As for example we are more to loue the soule of our brother then our temporall life and a good subiect is more to loue the life of his prince then his owne life here then the H. G. signifies what must be the manner of our loue the word as signifies not quantitie but qualitie and that we are as truly and earnestly with loue to imbrace our neighbour as our selues The scope The words cōtaine a reason of the second Rule which may be framed thus to serue our neighbour in duties of loue is the keeping of the whole law therefore this seruice must carefully be performed The vse Here we see that the end of a mans life is to serue God in seruing of man for this is the summe of the whole law Seruants are commanded in seruing their masters to serue god and to do whatsoeuer they doe as vnto God Col. 3. 23. And so euery man in his place in dealing with men must so deale as if he were to deale with God himselfe Therefore most men prophane their liues when they make the scope and drift therof to be the getting of riches and honours And though they haue great charges that is no excuse for the principal end of our liuing here is to performe seruice to men and in this seruice to do homage to God for which homage God will giue the honour and riches which he sees to be conuenient for vs. Secondly here we may obserue what is true religion and godlines namely to loue and serue God in seruing of man He that saith he loues God and yet hates his brother is a lier 1. Ioh. 4. 20. And here it followes that to liue out of all societie of men though it be in praier and fasting after Monkish fashion is no state of perfection but mere superstition for that is true and perfect loue of God that is shewed in duties of loue and in the edification of our neighbour Againe the hypocrisie of sundrie Protestants is here discouered If they come to the Church and heare sermons frequent the Lords 〈◊〉 they thinke they may do afterward what they will and many such are frequenters of tauernes and alchouses and are giuen to riot and licenciousnes But it is not inough for thee to be holy in the Church thou maiest be a Saint in the Church and a Deuill at home True religion is that which shewes it selfe in thy priuate house priuate dealings and in the course of thine owne life such as thou art in thy particular calling such art thou indeed and truth what showes soeuer thou makest before men 15. If ye bite and deuoure one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another The sense If ye bite Here Paul alludes to the fashiō of wild beasts as lions wolues c. And by biting we are to vnderstand all iniuries in words as railing cursing slandering bacbiting c. Deuoure here Paul vnderstands all iniuries in deed or violence euen to the shedding of blood Take heed lest here Paul signifies that contentions dissentions breed the destruction and desolation of the Church The scope These wordes are a second reason of the second rule drawne from the dangerous effect of the contrarie thus Contentions breed the desolation of the Church therefore do seruice one to an other by loue The contents In the words Paul deliuers 3 things The first is that there were greeuous contentions in the Church of Galatia The like also were in the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 3. The cause of the former contentions were differences in points of religion Some of the Galatians no doubt withstanding circumcision and the most of them standing for it For herevpon great were the dissentions of the Churches in Iudea Act. 15. 2. Obserue then that vnitie is not an infallible and an inseperable marke of the Church of God Vnitie may be out of the Church and dissention in the Church as here we see It may be obiected that there is peace in the kingdome of God and that there the wolfe and the lambe dwell together Isai. 11. Ans. This is but in part verified in the kingdome of grace vpon earth and it is fully accomplished in the kingdome of glorie in heauen Againe it may be alleaged that the Church is the companie of them that truly consent in one and the same faith Ans. That is properly meant of the Catholike Church but the case is otherwise in particular Churches where true beleeuers are mixed with hypocrites wherevpon ariseth much dissention And of true beleeuers some are more carnall then spirituall and
that is another cause of dissention 1. Corint 3. 3. The second point concernes the qualitie of these dissentioÌ„s When Paul saith if ye bite and deuoure c. he signifies that they were fierce and violent And such commonly are dissentions for religion as appeares by the persecution in Queene Maries daies the heate whereof nothing could slake but mans blood Againe he signifies in these very wordes that they were bruâ—ish and beastlike more beseeming wolues lions dogges then men This must teach vs to detest railing cursing euill speaking fighting vnles it be in the case of necessarie defence for by these actions we degenerate to the condition of beastes and repell from vs the worke of grace for Christ of lions wolfes beares hath made vs his sheepe and lambes Isai. 11. The third point is touching the effect of contention that is the ruine desolation of the Church The diuision of the members among themselues is the dissolutioÌ„ of the whole bodie Differences in points of religion breed doubting doubting hinders faith and inuocation and the free course of the Gospell and where these be hindred the Church goes to decay And by reason of the dissentions that be in these last daies many liue as Atheistes and will be of no religion By this we are to be admonished to studie and to vse all meanes to maintaine Christian peace and concord Eph. 4. 3. To this end we must remember one generall rule Rom. 12. 18. haue peace with all men And withall we must obserue the cautions which Paul addes one is if it may be with good conscience for there are some with whome there is no peace vnles we sooth them in their vices or denie our religion either in whole or in part The second is If it lie in you for sometime men are accused and must of necessitie defend themselues These two cautions obserued peace must be had with all men It may theÌ„ be demanded why do not the Protestans make a Pacification with the Papists Ans. we are content so to do in respect of ciuill societie but not in respect of religion We haue a commandement to the contrarie Reuel 18. 4. come out of Babylon my people and touch no vnclean thing where a pacification is made both the partes must yeeld somewhat but we may not yeeld in any point of our religion to the Papists In an Instrument of musick the stringes out of tune are set vp or set downe to the rest and the strings that are in tune are not stirred Euen so the Papists are to turne to vs we are not to turne to them our religion beeing the doctrine of the prophets Apostles Peace is three-fould Church peace Ciuill peace Houshould peace All these are to be maintained Touching Church peace I giue 3 rules The first is that for the ending of differences in religion there must be conferences in a free or christian councell the spirits of the prophets is subiect to the prophet 1. Cor. 14. â—2 when there arose differences in the Churches of Iudea the Apostles and elders came together to inquire of the matter Act. 15. 6. And this is a thing much to be desired in these daies specially in these Westerne partes of the world It may be demanded why did not the Protestants ioyne with the Papists at the councell of Trent Ans. from the first session it was more then 6 yeares before any safe conduct was giuen to the Protestants and at their appearing in the councell exception was taken against their letters and they dismissed And when they appeared the second time vpon new safe conduct the councell was the next day reiorned for 2 yeares And when safe conduct was giuen the 3 time the Protestant princes refused to send their diuines because they had bin twice mocked Moreouer the councell was not a free councell because the Pope himselfe was both partie and iudge The second rule There must be a christian toleration one of an other Eph. 4. 2. here that we mistake not I propound 2 questions One is in what must there be a toleration Ans. A toleration presupposeth an errour or defect in our brother An errour is either in iudgement or manners An error in iudgment is either in the foundation of religion or beside the foundation in lighter matters if the errour be in the foundation there is no toleration of it If it be in some lesser matter a toleration is to be vsed according to the rule of the Apostle if ye be otherwise minded God will reueile it Phil. 3. 15. when others see not that which we see we must not preseÌ„tly coÌ„demne them but tolerat their ignorance till God reueile his truth vnto them Againe errors in manners be of 2 sortes some without offence as hastines frowardnes vaine gloriousnes c. these we must tolerate Pro. 19. 11. and others with open offence and such admit no toleration 1. Cor. 5. 11. The second question is to what ende must we tolerate the infirmities and ignorances of our brethren Ans. Toleration must tend to the good and edification of men Rom. 15. 2. We must not so tolerate as that we approoue of the least vice or betray the least part of Gods truth It may here be demanded whether there may not be a toleration for Poperie Ans. No. The toleration of two religions in one kingdome is the ouerthrow of peace Againe Poperie is a religion both hereticall and schismaticall It may be said that faith and conscience is free I answer though faith in the heart and conscience in it selfe be free in respect of mans authoritie yet is not the publishing of faith and the profession of conscience free in like sort but it stands subiect to the power of the Magistrate The third rule Euery man in his place specially teachers must set themselues to build the Church Iud. v. 20. Eph. 4. 12. Indeede the truth is to be defended but marke how The truth must be confessed when time and occasion serues without opposition this done all contentions laid aside we must set our selues to build the Church And the rather Ministers of Gods word in England must remember this because while we are striuing among our selues in sundrie points of difference the Papist our common enemie gets ground Touching ciuill peace it must be remembred that the peace and good estate of Ierusalem stood in this that it was made the seate of Gods sanctuarie and the throne of iustice Psal. 122. When the Arke was in the house of Obed-Edom all things prospered with him Now in the new Testament the preaching of the Gospel inuocation of Gods name with the vse of the Sacraments come in the roome of the Sanctuarie Ciuill peace then is maintained when men yeeld subiection to the Gospel of Christ which brings peace to all that receiue it Touching houshold peace I giue two rules One is that gouernours of families must vrge and compell all vnder them to admit at the least outwardly the practise of
be admonished by Magistrates and Ministers to relinquish their superstitious practises and that vpon a double ground I. Nothing hath efficacie but by the Ordinance of God And this efficacie was either put into the thing in the creation or since by some new Institution in the word And the efficacie of things that comes by any other meanes is by Satanicall operation II. Charmes inchantments and spells whatsoeuer haue no force vnlesse we beleeue that they can doe vs good Now this faith is a false faith and the seruice of the deuill For we must beleeue nothing hope nothing doe nothing without or against the word of God If these two rules be obserued not onely charming but all witchcraft shall be banished out of the world Againe it may be demanded what are the signes that serue to discouer a witch Ans. This discouerie is very hard For witches doe their feates in close manner not onely by foule and open cursing but also by faire speaking and by praising of things And hereupon we haue a fashion in England when we praise any thing withall to blesse it as to say it is a goodly child God saue it that our speach may not be suspected of witchcraft Neuerthelesse there are fiue speciall things that serue to discouer a witch One is the free confession of the accused or suspected witch The second is the confession of the associats of the witch The third is Inuocation of the deuill For that is to renounce baptisme and to make a league with the deuill The fourth is Euidence that the partie hath intertained a familiar spirit in the forme or likenes of some visible creature The fifth is Euidence of any action or actions that necessarily presuppose a league made with the deuill As for example if the partie shew a mans face in a glasse though he professe angelicall holines he is in league with the deuill by whose meanes the feate is wrought There are besides these other signes but they are either false or vncerten A man is sicke he suspects that he is bewitched he takes it on his death that such a partie hath bewitched him All this is nothing but the suspition of one man and therefore no proofe Likewise the testimonie of some wizzard is but the testimonie of one and it is the deuills testimonie and therefore not to be receiued Againe neighbours fall out threatnings are vsed in anger afterward the partie threatned is either sicke or he dies hereupon the partie that vsed threatning words is accused of witchcraft And this is the common course But great circumspection must be vsed for sicknesse and death may arise of any other causes Lastly markes in the bodies of men and women are vncerten signes of witches All this I note the rather because if a iudgement befall a man in his familie presently according to the common fashion he saith he is hurt by euill tongues and challengeth some one or other of witchcraft whereas his owne ignorance vnbeleefe contempt of Gods word and Sacraments c. are the onely witches that hurt him and pull downe Gods iudgements vpon him Heresies The word heresie generally signifies any opinion either good or bad More specially it signifies any errour in religion Thus Ecclesiasticall writers take it For they condemne for heretikes such as erred in smaller points holding the foundation as Vigilantius Novatus c. And the very Opinion that there are Antipodes was condemned for heresie though it be a matter of small moment Yet most properly Heresie may be thus defined It is an errour in the foundation of Christian religion taught and defended with obstinacie Thus Paul saith Tit. 3. 11. that an heretike is peruerted that is put beside the foundation and condemned of himselfe in his sinne that is to say he erres obstinatly euen against his owne conscience I say that heresie is an errour in religion to put a difference betweene an errour in Diuinitie and an errour in Philosophie which is not tearmed heresie and againe to put difference betweene schisme and heresie for heresie is in doctrine schisme in manners order regiment Againe I say heresie is an errour in the foundation of religion to distinguish it from errours that are in smaller points of Diuinitie Some teach that Abraham was borne the 70 of Terah some the 130 of Terah Both cannot be true yet neither of them are heresie Some teach that Daniels weekes begin straight after the returne out of captiuitie others teach that they must begin 80 yeares after both cannot be true yet neither opinion is heresie So there are sundrie opinions touching Ophir Tarshish to which Ionah fled Decapolis in the Gospel all cannot be true yet they are not heresies because they concerne onely times and places and other circumstances of the Bible Lastly I say that heresie is maintained with obstinacy to distinguish heresie a single error For there are three things in heresie an error in the maine doctrine conuiction of the partie touching his error and obstinacie after conuiction The vse In that heresie an error in the minde or vnderstanding is made a worke of the flesh hence it followes that the word flesh signifies more then sensualitie namely the corruption of the higher powers euen of the minde and conscience though Papists teach otherwise Againe if heresie be a worke of the flesh our dutie is to detest and eschew heresies And that we may for euer preserue our selues from them three rules must be obserued I. We must propound vnto our selues the right Principles of religion For as euery Art hath his confessed principles so hath Diuinitie The head and chiefe Principle whereof is this All Scripture of the Prophets and Apostles is giuen by inspiration of God This is the foundation of all true faith here is the highest stay and stoppe This principle is the demonstration of all doctrines and conclusions and it hath no principle aboue it selfe whereby it is to be confirmed As for humane reason it is no principle of religion For it is imperfect and erronious and serues onely to make men without excuse Indeede in the minde of man there are certaine naturall conclusions that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped c. but the certentie of these is in the written word We can by reason dispute of the creation of the world but a full certentie we haue not by reason but by faith in the word Hebr. 11. 3. Againe the Papist makes the authoritie of the Church a principle For that is the first ground which they lay downe that we must captiuate our senses to the authoritie of the Church But this is no principle in religion For we cannot imagine a Church without faith and faith cannot be without the word of God It may be saide that Scripture is the sense of the written word and this sense must be from the Church Ans. Scripture it selfe is both the glosse and the text Scripture is the best interpreter of it selfe And
others Lastly in that spirituall men especially the holy men of God and ministers of his word are the Lords surgeans to bind vp the broken and raise those that are fallen as also his physitians to restore those that are in a spirituall consumptioÌ„ of grace we ought to make great account of theÌ„ haue them in singular loue for their worke sake 1. Thes. 5. 19. For if we must honor the bodily Physitian as Syracides saith Eccles. 38. vers 1. who cureth but the diseases of the bodie how much more ought we to honour spirituall physitians which cure the spirituall maladies of our soules The fourth and last point is the manner how we must restore laid downe in these words in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenes is the setling or quieting of the minde freeing it from perturbation especially in repressing the reuengeful affection A meeke and quiet spirit are ioyned together 1. Pet. 3. 4. A notable example hereof we haue in Moses who beeing prouoked in stead of anger shewed meekenes It further makes a man to yeeld of his right and not to prosecute the matter in rigour and extremitie and so it is opposed to seueritie 1. Cor. 4. 21. Shall I come vnto you with arodde or in loue and the spirit of meekenesse Hence ariseth another propertie it bridleth the tongue and the outward man either by silence as Christ being prouoked waâ— dumme and opened not his mouth Isay 53. 7. was silent and answered not a word Luk. 23. 9. or by a soft and gentle answer which asswageth wrath Pro. 15. 1. There is great reason why men should restore their brethren in all meekenesse for without it there is nothing but swelling and faction but troubles and tragedies Againe as meekenesse is necessarie for euery Christian Coloss. 2. 12. Tit. 3. 2. so it is most necessarie for him that would fruitfully and effectually reprooue Hence it is that the Apostle commands vs to Instruct theâ— in meekenesse that are contrarie minded 2. Tim. 2. 25. Motiues to inforce this dutie are these First the exhortation and example of Christ to be followers of him 1. Cor. 11. 1. who was lowly and meeke Math. 11. 29. for he waâ— ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter and like a lambe dummâ— before his shearer so opened he not his mouth Isa. 53. 7. When he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not 1. Pet. 2. 23. as it may appeare by that meeke answer If I haue euill spoken beare witnesse of the euill but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me Ioh. 18. 23. Paul hath no stronger argument to exhort the Corinthians then by the meekenesse and gentlenesse of Christ. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Secondly it is a vertue which God doth make great account of 1. Pet. 3. 4. A â—eeke and quiet spirit is before God a thing much set by Thirdly God hath made excellent promises to them that are of a meeke and humble spirit that he will guide them in iudgment and teach them his waies Psal. 25. 9. That they shall be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 2. 3. That they shall inherit the earth Math. 5. 5. Fourthly consider the comfortable effects the good that comes thereby A soft meeke and milde answer turneth away wrath Prou. 15. 1. Meeke and gentle behauiour heapeth coles of fire vpon our enemies head Rom. 12. 20. A soft toâ—gâ—e breaketh the bones Prou. 25. 15. See the example of Gideon appeasing the Midianites Iudg. 8. 1. c. and Abigail pacifying Dauid 1. Sam. 25. Fiftly without meekenesse we cannot sauingly heare the word either read or preached Iam 1. 21. It is further said we must restore in the spirit of meeknes The word spirit is added because it proceeds from the spirit of god who is both the worker and continuer thereof as on the contrarie the spirit of iealousie Numb 5. 14. the spirit of errour 1. Ioh. 4. 6. the spirit of vncleanesse Zach. 13. 2. the spirit of giddines Isa. 19. 14. the spirit of slumber Isa. 29. 19. are so tearmed because they proceede from a wicked spirit So quicke motions sudden perturbations strong affections proceeding either from the spirit of God or of SathaÌ„ are tearmed by the name of spirit Hence we learne that the holy Ghost is author not onely of meeknes but of all sanctifying graces and therefore is called the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strength the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord Isa. 11. 2. Secondly this teacheth vs that all true vertues are wrought onely by the operation of Gods spirit in vs for though there be diuersities of gifts yet it is the same spirit 1. Cor. 12. 4. and therfore the vertues of the Heathen are but glittering sinnes Thirdly that when we see the gifts or graces of God in our selues or others we returne all the praise and glory to God from whome they proceede ascribing nothing to our selues Fourthly this shewes to whome we must haue recourse in our neede namely not to the virgin Marie nor any Saint who stand in as great neede of the fauour of God as our selues but to God alone who is the fountaine of grace Ierem. 2. 13. Lastly in that the spirit is set before meekenesse it shewes that the spirit of God is present with his graces to inspire them to cherish and increase them Therefore the commandement Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. is to be obeyed if we will retaine the graces of God Thus much of the dutie The reasons vsed by the Apostle to enforce this dutie follow to be considered they are two The first is implyed in the word Brethren which is of great force to perswade vs to vse moderation lenitie and gentlenesse Abraham could vse no stronger argument to pacifie Lot then this Let there be no strife betweene thee and me for we are brethreÌ„ Gen. 13. 8. Moses vsed it as a motiue to accord two Ebrewes Sirs yâ— are brethren why doe you wrong one to another Act. 7. 26. For it is a shame that those whome nature hath so neerely conioyned should be so farre disioyned in affection But the reason beeing taken from spirituall brethren such as are not onely brethren in the flesh but also in the Lord hauing the same God for their father the same Church for their mother Christ for their elder brother beeing begotten by the same immortall seede washed by the lauer of one newe birth conglutinate by the sinewes of the same faith nourished by the milke of the same word is so much the stronger by how much grace is a straiâ—er bond then nature therefore Paul would haue vs restore one another in the spirit of meekenesse because we are brethreÌ„ Nay persons excommunicate are not to be accounted as enemies but to be admonished as brethren 2. Thess. 3. 15. The reason why men vse no more mildnesse in their reproofes is because they forget themselues to
that may be simply to euery one to hinder all euill whereas to the nature of the generall or vniuersall good 〈◊〉 things appertaine First that all things should be good in some measure of goodnes Secodly that some things should be better then others Thirdly that those things that are defectiue in goodnes that is euills should be ordayned to the common good as in a well ordered house all the parts thereof are good in their kind Secondly some better then others as Paul saith In a great house there are vessells of gold and siluer of wood and stone some for honour and some for dishonour 2. Tim. 2. 20. Thirdly those that are destitute of goodnes as sinkes draughts and other like places seruing for base though necessarie vses are ordained to the common good of the whole house which it cannot want And therefore if the master builder to preuent these particular euills should leaue them out of his building he should preiudice the common good of the whole house which cannot be without them Thus much of the first part namely the duty Now I proceede to prosecute the second which shews first to whome we must do good and secondly the order to be obserued therein We must do good vnto all but specially to those which are of the houshould of faith Touching the first It may seeme that some among the Galatians were of the Pharises mind who thought they were bound to loue their friends but not their enemies or of this perswasion that they were not bound in coÌ„science to do good vnto the healthen amongst whom they liued as being professed enemies of Christ opeÌ„ persecutors of his Church But Paul teacheth theÌ„ vs another lesson wheÌ„ he coÌ„mands vs to do good vnto all sutable to that of our Sauiour Christ loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that hurt you and persecute you Matth. 9. 44. Let vs consider the good Samaritans practise Albeit there was mortall hatred betwixt the Iewes and the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 6. Yet he seeing his deadly enemie wounded and halfe dead had compassion vpon him powred wine and oyle into his soares bound vp his woundes set him on his owne beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him the like ought we to doe euen to our enemies as occasion shall serue Luk. 10. 30. For if we must doe good to our enemies beast his oxe or asse going astray in bringing him home againe Exod. 23. 4. Much more ought we to doe good to our enemie himselfe For the more beneficiall and communicatiue we shewe our selues to be the greater goodnesse we shewe to be in vs as the fountaine which powreth forth his streames vnto all and the candle which standeth vpon a candlestieke shineth vnto all and not to it selfe being couered with a bushell The reasons why we ought to doe good vnto all euen to our enemies are principally foure The first may be taken from the grounds of loue and beneficence which are in all men euen in the wicked themselues nowe the grounds of loue are specially three the first is the image of God which beeing in all men yea euen in prophane persons in part ought to be the loadstone of loue to draw our affection vnto it The second is communion and fellowship in the same nature and therefore we ought to be beneficiall vnto men because they are men though we will not doe good homini yet we must doe it humanitaâ—i as the Philosopher said The third is participation in the death of Christ in that all men haue part in Christ as well as we for any thing we knowe Secondly God whose example we are to followe as hath beene said is good and bountifull vnto all causing his sunne to shine as well vpon the badde as the good and his â—aine to fall as well vpon the ground of the vniust as of the iust beeing kinde vnto the vnkind and to the wicked Thirdly we must doe to others as we would they should doe to vs. Therefore if we beeing in distresse would be glad to receiue good at the hand of a wicked man we ought in the like case to doe good vnto him Fourthly our profession and the reward which we looke for require this at our hands for if we doe good vnto them onely that doe good vnto vs or if we be friendly to those onely that are friendly to vs what singular thing doe we for euen the Publicans doe the like and so hauing our reward here in this life we can expect none other after this life Matth. 5. 47. The second point which containeth the order to be obserued in doing good is laid downe in these words Let vs doe good to all but specially to those which are of the houshould of faith By them of the houshold of faith we are to vnderstand those which by faith are of the same familie with vs namely of the same Catholike church vpon earth the house of God beeing often put to signifie the Church of God as 1. Tim. 3. 15. The house of God is called the Church of God the ground and pillar of trueth Ebr. 3. 2. Moses was faithfull in all Gods house that is his Church and thus this phrase is expounded Eph. 2. 19. Ye are no more strangers and forrainers but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God So that by them of the houshold of faith we must vnderstand onely the faithfull Indeed among men not onely children but also man-seruants and maide-seruants are counted to be of the family but God accounts them onely to be of his house that are Saints by calling and sonnes by faith The rest are bastards and not sonnes they are it may be in the house but not of the house for true sauing faith doth characterize those that are of the familie of faith euen as fanaticall dreames fantasticall opinions allegorizing of the literall sense of the scripture denying the resurrection of the flesh doe characterize those that are of the familie of loue Hauing the meaning coÌ„sider the dutie which is to do good principally to the faithfull the Saints seruants of god that is we must do good vnto theÌ„ before others more theÌ„ to others which are not of the same familie as Dauid saith My well-doing reacheth not to thee but to the saints that are in the earth them that excel in vertue Psal. 16. 2 3. For it is alone as if the Apostle should haue said As it is fit and conuenient that they that are of the same familie should be helpefull and beneficiall one vnto another rather then to those that are of another family So it is requisite that those which are members of the same bodie nay sonnes and daughters brethren and sisters hauing the same God for their father the same Church for their mother Christ for their elder brother begotten of the same immortall seede nourished with the
flesh and had their senses restored so when the spirit of God like the fauonian winde bloweth vpon vs it reuiueth vs againe giuing vs a new life new senses a new heart new wills and affections for all old things passe away and all things become new 2. Cor. 5. 17. For it openeth the eyes of our vnderstanding making vs discerne of things that differ Eph 1. 18. Philip. 1. 10. it boareth a new eare of obedience in vs Psal. 40. 6. and giueth vs a new tast not to sauour the things of the flesh but of the spirit Rom. 8. 5. Further this serues to detect the naturall Poperie of the multitude and of our owne hearts when we perswade our selues though falsely that though we goe on in our sinnes yet that we can repent when we list When as the Prophet saith O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe and Paul saith that it is as great a worke to create a new heart as to create a new world for regeneration is a new creation 2. Cor. 5. 17. Augustine saith well He that will grant pardon to him that repents will not alway giue repentance to him that sinnes Againe in the sense that Paul calleth the image of God a new creature or the new man and corruption the old man we graunt that our religion is new and Popish religion is old For as the new men is the restored image of God in which Adam was first created though afterwards defaced by his owne inuentions Eccles. 7. 31. So our religion is the restored or reformed doctrine first taught by the Apostles which afterward was corrupted by mens deuices Albeit in Tertullians sense ours is the old religion and theirs the new as the image of God is the old man and corruption the new Vse If we be not changed in our liues but remyane old Adams still euen the same men we were before in minding willing affecting earthly things and fashioning our selues to the guise of the world we are no new creatures though we promise and protest neuer so much we are but hypocâ—â—tes deceauing others and our selues also For where this new creature is there is a change in all the faculties and powers of soule and body the mind is not set vpon the world but mindeth heauenly things the will affections and conuersation of the whole man is in heauen Philip. 3. 20. For the spirit of regeneration is like the leauen which a woman tooke and bid in 3. pecks of meale till all was leauened for after the same manner by a secret operation it altereth the mind will affections If any be in Christ saith the Apostle he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become newe If therefore we be new creatures why lead we not a new life if we be changed in affection why are we not changed in conuersation But by this we may perceiue that all which are christians in profession are not christians in conuersation all that are washed with the outward Element of water are not washed with the inward baptisme the lauer of regeneratioÌ„ as first those that are as good fellowes that is as badde as euer they were before and make no conscieÌ„ce of sinne Secondly such as are no more but ciuill honest men like those honest women which raysed persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts Act. 13. 50. Thirdly worldly wise men which sauour of nothing but the world Lastly such as haue some loue and liking of the word and are in some sort outwardly conformable thereunto hauing some legall sorrow for sinne arising from legall terrors but haue no thorowe change nor renouation Lastly we may not maruell if the world hate maligne those that are new-creatures seeing they neither mind nor affect the same things For there can be no true loue where there is contrarietie of iudgements wills affections which hath beene is and wil be betwixt those that are borne of the flesh and those that are borne of God Gen. 3. 15. v. 16. And as many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God Here Paul commends this glorying in the crosse of Christ and studie of pietie in becomming a new creature as the onely rule of faith and manners which all teachers and heareâ—s were to obserue and follow Enforcing the keeping and obseruing of this double dutie by the fruit and benefit that comes thereby specified here by peace and mercy In the words two things are generally to be considered First the duty of walking in these words As many as walke according to this rule Secondly the reason of motiue to the practize thereof in these Peace shall be vpon them and mercy which is amplified by the generalitie thereof that is shall light vpon as many as walke according thereto and vpon the Israel of God The dutie is that we walke according to this canon or rule the word translated walke signifieth not simply to walke but to walke warily and circumspectly as it is expounded Eph. 5. 15. or to walke by rule in order and measure without treading aside but making straight steps to our feete Hebr. 12. 13. Pauls rule which we must walke by is faith in Christ called here glorying in the crosse of Christ repentance towards God called regeneration or the new creature which is rightly called a â—â—le of faith and manners of things to be beleeued and practised because by it all doctrines and actions are to be examined nay the Scripture is therefore called Canonicall because it seâ—tes downe an exposition of this rule there beeing nothing from the first chap. in Gen. to the last words in the Apoeal which aimeth not at one of these two either repentance towars God or faith in Christ Here all ministers are taught what rule to follow in preaching the word or building the church of God namely faith repentance the doctrine of the crosse and conuersion or the new creature And all â—earers according to what rule to order their liues and actions For this metaphor of walking and that by a rule or line shewes that we are trauellers or pilgrimmes that this world is a strange countrey that we are to goe to another that the world is an endles labyrinth in which we shall for euer lose our selues except we be guided by this rule And here we see that there is a certen rule for the regulating of all things apertaning to faith and manners though we cannot apply it nor vse it as we should The fault is in vs not in the rule Whereas Paul saith as many as walke according to this rule he shews that Christians haue but on onely rule which they are to follow and according to which they must frame their liues for the Apostle exhortes vs that we all proceede by on rule Phil. 3. 16. Therefore the Papists doe notoriously offend not only in
of canonicall Scripture 655. 20 Reasons why we must prouide for the poore 100. 35 The Gospell must be preached though all men be offended 396. 15. Preaching containes foure ministeriall actions 54. 17 Effectuall and powerfull preaching of the word stands in two things 160. 39. Preaching must be plaine 160. 11 Necessarie for all men 165. 20 The word must be dispenced in the infirmitie of mans flesh for diuers causes 323. 7 The benefits of preaching 326. 27 Prayer to Saints and Angels is carnall prayer 299. 29 Pray onely to God ibid. 300. 14 The right manner of seeking the praise of men 455. 1 Primacie is 2 of order of power 60. 18. Authoritie of the Church no principle 433. 39. Externall and bodily priueledges are of no moment in the kingdome of Christ. 382. 1 Gods promises lie as voide till the particular time of their accomplishment 204. 20 The promise made to Abraham is a couenant or testament and how 211. 30. Christ is the foundation of all the promises of god partly by merit partly by efficacie 313. 2 Why beleeuers are called children of promise 360. 8 Prouerbiall sentences are not at all times true in euery particular 550. 36. Gods prouidence vseth euill things well 348. 22 Subiectiō to punishment hath three parts 365. 13 There are seuerall degrees of punishments in hell 555. 556 R The workes of redemption exceed the works of creation 14. 19 Of the redemption of man from vnder the law 288. 19. c. Christ the onely redeemer 311. 9 Three markes of regeneration 241. 40. The gift of regeneration is neuer vtterlie extinguished 262. 29 What true regeneration is 377. 35 The workes of the regenerate are mixed with sinne and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnation obiections remooued 419. 9. 15. Of the reioycing of the Church vide Church Two groundes of reioycing vide glorying Reioyce signifying to glorie 517. 11 Obiection against reioicing in ones selfe vide glorying VVhat rules are to be obserued in the reioycing in the testimonie of a good conscience vide glorying False reioycing wherein it confisteth 519. 13 Reioycers are of foure sorts 519. 16 To reioyce in a mans selfe what 517. 18. The cheife principle in religion what 433. 24 Whether it be lawfull to compell men to imbrace religion 614. 5. The Magistrate may compell obstinate recusants to professe true religion ibid. 8. Obiections to the contrarie answered ibid. 25 Pauls manner in reproouing 18. 8 Libertie in reproouing with three caueats 103. 13 Why we vse not in preaching personall reproofes as Iohn Baptist did 393. 16 The manner of reproofe vide Restore He that is iniuried is fitter to reprooue him that offered the iniurie then any other 474. 39 Reproofes must not be deferred 460. 22. No wonder that sinners be loth to be reprooued 460. 37 A treatise of Christian reproofe 469. 31. Who are to be reprooued ib. 35 Reproofe belongs not to those that are out of the visible Church 470. The greatest Princes are subiect to reproofe 471. 15 Onely open skorners and persecuters of the word are not to be reprooued 472. 10 Men are to be reprooued for any sinne knowne ibid. 10 And for wrongs offered vs. 474. 20 Obiection against reproofes answered 47◠12 Who are reprooued 477. 1. 37. In fiue cases we are not bound to reprooue others offending 478. 13. In what manner are men to be reprooued set downe in ten rules 579. 37. The bitternesse of reproofe is to be allaied foure waies 483. 17 A man may reproue another foure waies 484. 8 In fitting our reproofe to the offence committed we must put a difference betwixt sinne finne 484. 28. In three cases we are not priuatly to reprooue but publikely to detect offenders 487. 15 The Pastour ought to be resident with his Hocke for two causes 337. 10. Restitution vide Satisfaction As oftē as our brother falls we must restore him 461. 5 Who are to be restored ibid. 17 Spirituall men are more for to restore those that are fallen then any other 463. 3 The manner how we must restore 464. 28. Reuelation is of two sortes 36. 11. Extraordinarie reuelation is foure waies 36. 15 The reuelation which Paul had is extraordinarie 36. 22 Reuolt what and the kindes thereof 18. 29 Remedies against reuenge 445. 8 Reward is double of honour and of debt 569. 37 Reward presupposeth not alwaies debt 571. 14 God giueth rewardes foure waies 571. 29. The phrases of speech of rewarding double or seuen fold what they signifie in the Scripture 552. 31. Pauls rule what it is 641. 33 The Papists rules Lesbian rules 642. 20. Monkish rules vaine and wicked 642. 28. We must be runners in the race of God 386. 19 We must runne well and to the end 387. 7. 22. S Of the institution of the Sabbath 315. 9 20. Sacraments conferre not grace by the worke wrought 254. 21 whether there be now in the church of God any sacrifice or oblation of Christ 161. 29 Whether the Saints may fall away totally and finally 586. 20 There is but one way of saluation 22. 5. Preuision of faith and good workes no cause of saluation 47. 20 The saluation of beleeuers is most sure 47. 27 The manner and way of our saluation 229. 21 The sanctification of the name of God hath two parts 72. 10 There is a double sanctification 193. 21. Satisfaction must be made for wrongs done 98. 39 Who must satisfie 99. 21 To whome 99. 28 What 99. 38 When 100. 9 In what order and manner 100. 15. Schisme and heresie differ vide Heresie The Papists schismatikes and not we 437. 21 For the auoiding of schisme and sedition two rules ibid. 29 Slanders vse to be raised vpon euery light and vniust occasion 395. 18. Scripture is both the glosse and the text 352. 36. 434. 3 Scripture hath sundrie senses according to the Papists 345. 35 When the Scriptures speakes figuratiuely and when properly 346. 30. The Scriptures by themselues are sufficient to saluation 24. 24 The Scriptures are as certen as if they had beene written by God 27. 5. The authoritie of the Scripture dependes not vpon the testimonie of the Church 27. 20 It is necessarie that men should be assured that the Scriptures are of God 31. 30 The testimonies whereby this assurance may be obtained 31. 35 In Scriptures there is diuine and infallible authoritie 353. 15. The meanes to decide controuersies 356. 29 Bookes of Scripture in the new testament haue a threefold difference 608. 9 Bookes of Scripture why called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also Kethubim by the Iewes 659. 25 The Scriptures why called Canonicall 641. 38 Seditions what 435. 15 The separation of Paul from the wombe what it is 46. 35 To make a faire shewe in the flesh signifieth foure things 610. 33 Simulation what and the sorts 105. 36. Sinne where it takes place giues a man no rest till it hath brought him to a height of wickednes 43. 39. What a sinne of
A COMMENTARIE OR Exposition vpon the fiue first Chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians penned by the godly learned and Judiciall Diuine M. W. PERKINS Now published for the benefit of the Church and continued with a Supplement vpon the sixt Chapter by RAFE CVDWORTH Bachelour of Diuinitie ALMA MATER CANTA BRIGIA HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of CAMBRIDGE 1604. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable right vertuous and most truly religious Lord ROBERT Lord RICHE Baron of Leeze c. Grace and peace THE holy Scriptures Right Honourable giuen by diuine inspiration and penned by the holy men of God Prophets Apostles and Apostolike writers not by priuate motion but as they were guided by the holy Ghost are not onely commended by God and left vnto the Church as a pretious depositum carefully to be kept in their integritie for which cause the Church is called the ground and pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. nor to be defended onely by the sword of the Magistrate against Heretikes Schismatikes and men of scandalous life in which respect he is called and that truly Custos vtriusque tabula But also to be the piller and foundation whereon to rest our faith the touch-stone of truth the shoppe of remedies for all spirituall maladies an anker in the blasts of Temptation and waues of affliction a two edged sword to foyle and put to flight our spirituall enemies the onely Oracle to which we must haue recourse and whereat we are to enquire the will of God In a word the bread and water of life whereon our soules are to feede vnto eternall life Therefore we are commanded to search the Scriptures as for siluer and to seeke in them as for treasures to read in them continually to meditate of them day and night to vse them as bracelets vpon our armes and frontlets betweene our eyes to teach them to our posteritie and to talke of them when we are in our houses and when we walke by the way when we lie downe and when we rise vp And great reason there is of this commandement seeing that as an ancient writer saith Quicquid in cis docetur veritas est quicquid praecipitur bonitas est quicquid promittitur foelicitas est that is Whatsoeuer is taught in them is truth it selfe whatsoeuer is commanded is goodnes it selfe whatsoeuer is promised is happines it selfe They beeing of such perfection that nothing may be added vnto them nor any thing taken from them of such infallible certentie that heauen and earth shall sooner passe away then one title fall to the ground so pleasant and delightfull that they exceede the honie and the honie combe and so profitable that no treasures may be compared vnto them seeing they are able to make vs wiser then our enemies then the aged then our teachers to make vs wise vnto saluation to giue vs an inheritance among them that are sanctified nay able to saue our soules Which beeing so I cannot sufficiently wonder that any calling themselues Christians should make lesse account of the booke of God then the Romanes in old time did of their twelue Tables and other Heathens of their Rituall bookes or then the Iewes at this day doe of their Talmud the Turkes of their Alcoran the Aethiopians of their Abetelis especially that those which professe themselues Diuines should so distast the holy Scripture that leauing it the cleare fountaine of the water of life they should betake themselues to the troubled streames of mens deuises and digge vnto themselues pittes which will hold no water Wherein the Schoolemen I meane the Sententiaries the Summists and Quodlibetaries are chiefly if not onely to be censured who setting aside the Scriptures haue vanished away in vaine speculations in their Questions vpon Lombard the Master of the Sentences and vpon Thomas their new Master So that had it not beene for some fewe Glosses which notwithstanding like the glosse of Orleans doe often corrupt the text Nicolaus de Lyra Hugo de S. Charo and Peter Comestor whom I should haue named first beeing so good a text man that as his name importeth he did eate vp the text as the poore mans horse dranke vp the moone we should not haue had among such a multitude of writers one poore comment vpon the Bible for diuers hundred yeares And no maruaile seeing it is an ordinarie thing for young nouices in Popish Vniuersities and I would it were but there onely not to lay the foundation of their studie in Diuinitie vpon the rocke but vpon the waters that is not vpon the Scripture but vpon Aquinas or some such Summist and to reade the Scripture no further then they giue them light for the vnderstanding of their Schoole-Doctours Witnesse one of their owne writers who testifieth of himselfe that he had studied Schole-diuinitie and the Canon Law for the space of 16. yeares and yet neuer so much as saluted either the Scriptures or the Fathers Which course they take either because they presume to vnderstand aboue that which is writtē cōtrarie to the cōmandemēt of the Apostle Rom. 12. 3. or for that they iudge the Scriptures too simple and shallow for them to wade in as not affording them sufficient matter for their witts to worke vpon Not considering that whilst they contemne the simplicitie of the Scriptures looke beyond the Moone in the meane time with Thales they fall into the ditch and that whilst they striue with the winges of their wit to soare aboue the cloudes of other mens conceyts they sincke into a Sea of absurdities and errors Nor yet remembring that the Scripture hath great maiestie ioyned with simplicitie and as great difficultie mixed with plainnes and facilitie and therefore not vnfitly resembled by S. Gregorie to the main Ocean in which the lamb may wade the Elephant may swim For the spirit of God hath in wonderfull wisdom so tempered the Scriptures that they are both obscure perspicuous in some places like a clasped or sealed booke Isay 29. 11. in other places like a booke that is opened Apoc. 5. 5. beeing both easie difficult Easie in that the enterance into the word giueth light and vnderstanding so the simple Psal. 119. 130. Difficult in that some things are hard to be vnderstood 2. Pet. 3. 16. and hard to be interpreted Ebr. 5. 11. Easie to inuite vs to reade and learne thē Difficult to exercise vs lest we should cōtemne them From the easie and plaine places are gathered principles of religion both articles of faith rules of good life which we call Catechismes The difficult places require interpretation the Cōmentaries of the learned Both which are necessarie in the church of God Catechismes haue a necessarie vse both in regard of the simple who are to be fed with milke beeing but babes in Christ and of the learned who are strong men
in Christ that they may haue some rule whereby to trie the spirits consonant to the analogie of faith and the doctrine of the orthodoxe Fathers of the Church which Paul calleth the forme of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. and The forme of doctrine Rom. 6. 17. and a patterne of wholesome wordes 2. Tim. 1. 13. which formes of doctrine were in vse in the primatiue church in the Apostles daies as it is manifest Heb. 6. 1. where the Apostle sets downe the principall points of the Catechisme calling them the doctrine of the beginning of Christ. And after the Apostles we find that they were vsed by the learned Fathers both of the Greeke and Latine Church Clement Alex. had his Pedagogue Cyril of Ierusalem his Catechisme and Mystagog bookes Origen that famous Catechist his books of principles Theodoret his Epitome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lactantius his Institutions Augustine his Enchiridion Hugo de S. Victore his books of the Sacraments or mysteries of christian religion And it were greatly to be wished that as in other reformed churches beyond the Sea they haue a set Catechisme which all men follow and in the church of Rome one approoued by the Councell of Trent so there were an vniforme Catechisme inioyned by publick authoritie to be vsed in all Families Schooles and Churches in this land that we might all with one mind and one mouth iudge and speake the same thing Now as Catechismes gathered out of plaine and easie places are necessarie for the simple so Commentaries are as necessarie for the vnderstanding of such places as are more abstruse and difficult Our Sauiour Christ the great Doctor of the Church hath by his owne practise giuen vs a president hereof in expounding the lawe Matth. 5. in expounding all hard parables to his disciples a part for the text saith that he vnfolded or expounded them vnto them Mark 4. 33. That he interpreted vnto them in all the scriptures the things which were written of him Luk. 24. 27. That he opened vnto them the scriptures v. 32. And they haue bin alwaies so accounted in the Church of God For the Iewes as we know had their Perâ—shim the Greeke church their Scholia the Latin Church their Glosses with other Paraphrases Expositions Neither was it euer called in question by any saue by the phantasticall Anabaptists who rest onely vpon immediate reuelations And some preiudicate Papists who hold the consent of all Catholikes to be the true Scripture both the glosse and the text the written word but inkie Diuinitie and a dead letter And certaine arrogant spirits who with Nestorius skorne to read any Interpreters But how Commentaries ought to be written it is not so easie to define there beeing such difference as well in regard of the manner of writing as of the measure For besides that the Popish writers make foure seuerall senses of the Scripture commending Ierome to excell in the Literall Origen in the Allegoricall Ambrose in the Anagogicall Chrysostome in the Tropologicall they haue aboue fiftie seuerall waies of expounding the Scripture as their owne writers doe record In the measure we finde some too tedious as the two Alphonsi Tostatus and Salmeron who vpon euery small occasion digresse from the text or rather take occasion to enter into infinite friuolous questions which breede strife rather then godly edifying which is by faith For there is not so short a Chapter in the Bible vpon which the former mooueth not aboue eight score questions whereupon his volumes growe to that bignesse that one contracting his Commentarie vpon S. Matth. and drawing it into an Epitome yet could not so abridge it but that it contained aboue a thowsand pages in folio in the largest volume smallest character The other is so short with his 12 volumes vpon the Euangelists that he might well haue contracted leaues into lines and lines into letters Which tedious discourses and impertinent excursions from the text serue for no other ende but to cast a mist before the eyes of the reader and drawe as it were the vaile of Moses ouer his face so that he cannot see the meaning of the holy Ghost Others on the contrarie are too short and compendious offending as much in breuitie as the former in prolixitie by name Emanuel Sa the Iesuit whose Commentaries vpon the Bible are shorter then the text it selfe like to those of Apollinaris of whome Ierom writeth that a man which readeth them would thinke he red Contents of chapters rather then Commentaries But as for the manner the literall sense which our author here followeth is the onely sense intended by the Spirit of God the Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall beeing but seuerall vses and applications thereof For the Scripture consisting in the sense not in the letters is profitable to teach and improoue as Paul saith whereas from the Allegoricall sense no necessary argument can be taken as their owne doctors confesse either to confirme or confute any point of doctrine therefore much lesse from the Tropologicall or Anagogicall And as for the measure in regard of breuitie or prolixity the golden meane hath alway beene iudged by the learned to be the best which is not onely to giue the bare meaning paraphrastically but to make collection of doctrine and application of vses yet breefly rather pointing at the cheife heads then dwelling long vpon any point Some are of opinion that a Commentor is onely to giue the literal sence of the place without making further vse of application or instruction To which I could easilie subscribe if all the Lords people could prophesie or if all were able to handle the word of God the sword of the spirit For as to an expert Musitian who is acquainted with the concords or rules of discant it is as good a direction to haue onely the ground as if he had euery point pricked out vnto him beeing inured to the diuision vpon euery point as it falleth out in the ground So to him that is acquaynted with the word of God a short and concise handling of the Scripture may be as good a direction as if euery point were discoursed at large But because all readers are not strong men in Christ some beeing but babes who must haue euery thing minced and cutt small vnto them before they can receiue it Neither all teachers expert prompt Scribes like to Ezra nor mightie in the Scripture as Apollos such as are able to diuide the word a right and applie it fitly as they ought Some beeing deceitfull worckmen peruerting it to their owne destruction in pressing the two dugges of the Scripture the Ould and New Testament that in steed of milck they sucke nothing but blood Others vnskilfull casting wild Colloquintida into the pott of the children of the prophets beeing too hastie to learne and too ignorant to know of them selues what they should haue gathered Therefore to help the
is the time when in these words then after fourteene yeares Here two questions are to be demaunded The first is of which of his iourneies must this be vnderstood for he made fiue iournies to Ierusalem The first from Arabia the second when he and Barnabas were sent by the Church of the Gentiles to carrie almes to Ierusalem the third when he went to the Councell at Ierusalem the fourth when he went vp for the keeping of his vowe the last is mentioned Act. 19. 21. Answ. These words are not spoken of the first for that was but three yeares after his conuersion neither can they well be vnderstood of the second because Paul then was sent by the Church and therefore he went not by reuelation And they cannot well be vnderstood of the third for then Paul would here haue mentioned the Councell of Ierusalem whereof he was a principall member specially seeing he hath occasion so to doe and it serued much for his purpose The fourth fifth iourneys were after a longer time then fourteene yeares It is likely therefore that this iourney here mentioned and described by Paul is none of the fiue mentioned by Luke but some other The second question is When these fourteene yeares must beginne Ans. It is vncerten Some thinke they must beginne at his conuersion some three yeares after when Paul went first to Ierusalem and either may be a truth None must here take offeÌ„ce For though circumstances of time and place beeing things of lesse moment cannot alwaies be certenly gathered yet histories for their substance and doctrines pertaining to saluation are plainly set downe And here we are put in minde to be content to be ignorant in some things because the spirit of God hath more darkly expressed them or againe because we cannot by reason of our blindnes gather them The third point is concerning the companions of Paul in this iourney namely Barnabas and Titus And Paul takes them with him that they might be witnesses to the Iewes of the doctrine he taught among the Gentiles and againe to the Gentiles of the consent that was betweene him and the rest of the Apostles For the law of God is that euery matter shall be established by the testimonie of two or three witnesses Hence we learne that if a question arise of the doctrine which is deliuered in the publike Ministerie then the hearers that are able to iudge must be witnesses and the triall is to be made by them Thus saith Christ in the like case Why aske ye me aske them that heard me Ioh. 18. 21. Therefore great care and circumspection is to be had of things publikely deliuered Againe whereas Paul makes Barnabas a Iew and Titus a Gentile his companions we are taught to imbrace with a brotherly loue not onely the men of our owne countrey but also such as be of other nations specially if they beleeue For then they are all children of one father and pertaine all to one familie and there is no difference of nations now It is a fault therefore that men of one nation carrie in their hearts a generall dislike and hatred oftentimes of them with whome they deale and conuerse and that because they are of such or such countries The fourth point is the cause of his iourney in these words and I went by reuelation Here we are taught that for the iournies we make we are to haue some good and sufficient warrant though not a reuelation yet a commandement or that which counteruailes a commandement as when we trauaile by vertue of our callings When Noe had made the Arke he enters into it at Gods commandement he abides in it and when the earth was in part dried he presumes not to goe out till the Lord bad him Here three sorts of men are to be blamed Pilgrimes that trauell to Ierusalem or other countries in way of merit or religion For they haue no warrant Secondly trauellers that goe from countrey to countrey and out of the precincts of the Church vpon vaine curiositie to see fashions Such when they trauell from their own countries yet they trauell not from their vices but rather goe deeper into them and come home againe with many bad and corrupt fashions The last are beggers Rogues that passe from place to place that they may'l ue in idlenes vpoÌ„ the sweat of other mens brows Thus much of the iourney now followes the Conference in these words and I communicated c. Here generally I gather that Conferences both priuate and publike are laudible and to be maintained specially when they tend to the maintenance of vniâ—ie and consent in doctrine The Papists blame vs Protestants for condemning Conferences as they say and Councells But they doe vs wrong Indeede the Councell of Trent we reiect and condemne For in it against all equitie the Pope was both partie and iudge In it there was no libertie to make triall of truth For nothing was propounded but by the liking and consent of the Pope Againe the whole Councell consisted of such as were of the Italian faction whose faith was pinned on the Popes sleeue Neuerthelesse we allow all Christian Councells lawfully gathered and we desire there might be a Generall Councell for the triall of truth and for the staying of vnsetled minds these three caueats beeing remembred One that the Councell be gathered by Christian Princes to whom the right of calling a Councell belongs The other that the Pope be no iudge but a partie The third that Christ in his word be the iudge and that the Delegates in the Councell be but as witnesses determining all things by the written word In this conference we are first to consider the manner of conferring which was vsed Paul saith he communicated with them that is he laid downe vnto them and expounded the Gospel which he preached and this he did priuatly that is with the Apostles one by one in plaine and familiar manner as one friend doth with an other Therefore for the maintaining of this conference there was no assembly made neither was there any disputation held Onely Paul declares his doctrine and they giue assent Hence it appeares that Paul doth not submit the truth of his doctrine to triall For he was resolued of it and he accursed him that taught otherwise but his intent was to seeke the approbation of the Apostles that he might stop the mouth of his aduersaries The second point is the matter of the conference and that is the Gospel which Paul preached Here the Papist gathereth that the Church is the iudge in all questions pertaining to religion and the word because it is here the thing that is iudged I answer first that they gather amisse For Paul doeth not here submit the Gospel which he preached to the iudgement of the Church of Ierusalem And it is false which they teach for the soueraigne Iudge of all questions and controuersies in religion is Christ alone The power to determine and resolue in cases
the sense which is agreeable to the words of the text to the scope of the place to other circumstances and to the analogie of faith in the plainer places of Scripture is the proper and infallible sense of Scripture Thus fetching the sense of Scripture from it selfe we shall keepe our selues within the limits of Scripture and in the matter of our saluation haue certentie of faith which we shall neuer haue if we listen to reason tradition and the authoritie of men II. Read the Scriptures be a doer of them in the exercises of inuocation faith repentance then shalt thou neuer be a heretike It is Gods promise Ioh. 7. 17. If ye will obay ye shall know whether my doctrine be of God or no. Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him Marke them that make Apostasie and become Papists they are such as neuer had a minde to loue and obay the religion in which they haue bin baptized and brought vp III. Col. 2. 8. Let no man spoile you through Philosophie Paul doth not condemne the Philosophie of the Gentiles but he puts a caueat that it be vsed with circumspection as Marchants vse the sea to wit in eschewing rockes and sands and pirats So students may vse the Philosophie of the Gentiles but they must take heede lest their mindes be corrupted with the errors thereof which are to be considered Naturall Philosophie giues too much to nature or to second causes and too little to God It puts downe principles flat against the word as the eternitie of the world and the mortalitie of the soule Morall Philosophie placeth happinesse in ciuill vertue out of Christ it teacheth that vertue is a meane or mediocritie of affection whereas in true vertue there is not onely a restraint or moderation of affections but also the renouation of them by regeneration It teacheth that Vrbanitie in iesting frumping is a vertue Paul saith no Eph. 5. 4. It teacheth that Magnanimitie whereby a man thinkes himselfe worthie of great honour is a vertue but it is contrarie to Christian humilitie Psal. 131. 1 2. Lastly it teacheth that man hath a freedome of will in good actions which doctrine applied by the Schoolemen to matters of religion is false and erronious The third head of sinnes are such as are against Charitie and they are in number eight The first is Enmitie of it I consider three things The first is whether it be a sinne or no for somewhat may be obiected to the contrarie Obiect I. Psal. 139. 21. Doe not I hate them that hate thee Ans. Dauid here speakes of the hatred whereby he hated Gods enemies not in respect of their persons but in respect of their sinnes whereby they were enemies of God And this hatred is commendable and not here to be vnderstood Obiect II. Luk. 14. 26. He that will be a disciple of Christ must hate father and mother and his owne soule Ans. This hatred is not simply commanded but only in a certaine respect namely as father and mother and a mans owne soule are in comparison opposed to God and Christ in regard of whome they are vtterly to be despised Obiect III. Rom. 9. God chose Iacob and hated Esau and we must be like vnto God Ans. We are to be like vnto God in holines and the duties thereof and not in the soueraigntie and Lordship ouer the creatures whereby he either loues or hates them Obiect IV. It is the vniuersall nature of all creatures to flie their contrarie therefore men may hate their enemies Ans. Man and man are not contrarie in nature or naturall properties but are all one flesh the contrarietie that is is by reason of the corruption of nature The second point is what is this Enmitie Ans. It is a peruerse disposition of minde whereby men remember iniuries discourtesies and vnkindnesses and carrie about them a purpose and desire to requite like for like when time and place shall serue Thus did Esau hate Iacob Gen. 27. 41. and Absolom his brother Amnon 2. Sam. 13. The third point where is this Enmitie Ans. Euery where among vs. For we daily see person diuided against person familie against familie and Corporation against Corporation This shewes that we are carnall and that Gods kingdome takes no place among vs as it should For in it the lambe and the wolfe quietly dwell together Isa. 11. The remedie of this Enmitie is That all be of one mind desire and affection in the receiuing and furthering of the Gospel of Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 11. If in the maine point there be a concord in leffer matters the agreement will be easie Debate It is a contention in words whereby men striue who shall shew most courage who shall get the victorie and who shall carrie away the last word no respect had of equitie or truth In this respect crying or lifting vp the voice in reasoning is condemned Eph. 4. 31. Emulations There is a good emulation and that is when men striue to be like to them that excell in vertue or to goe beyond them And it is commanded by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 14. 12. and it were to be wished that it were more common then it is Beside this there is a carnall emulation whereby men that excell in any thing grieue that any should be equall to them or goe beyond them The vse If to grieue at another mans Excellencie be a worke of the flesh then it is our dutie to reioyce in the excellencie of others Thus did Moses when Eldad and Medad prophecied Numb 11. 29. And Iohn the Baptist when Christ increased and he decreased Ioh. 3. 29 30. And Paul gaue thankes as well for the graces bestowed on the Churches as for gifts bestowed on himselfe Anger Of it I consider three points The first is whether there be any lawfull anger Aus Yea. Christ in whome was no sinne was angrie Mark 3. 5. When there is a iust cause of anger then is anger iust When there is a manifest offence of God there is a iust cause of anger therefore anger is then iust The second is when is anger a sinne Ans. When men are hastie to be angrie Eccles. 7. 11. and are offended at euery thing that goes against their mindes Or againe hauing a iust cause to be angrie yet they keepe no measure in their anger The third point is the Remedie And that is here set downe Hastines is a worke of the flesh or of corrupt nature and it barres men from the kingdome of heauen and therefore it is to be auoided Contention There are sundrie kinds of lawfull contention as contention with the enemie in iust warre contention at the barre with an aduersarie in a iust cause contention in disputation with an heretike contention in Schoole disputation for exercise and trialls sake Contention is carnall and finnefull in respect of matter and manner In matter when men contend for things for which they should not contend as the