would first entertaine the true religion as by those many ceremonies enioyned might more specially appeare and by Iacob we may iudge of the other Patriarkes who would not giue Dinah to Hemors sonne vnlesse the whole family were circumcised Secondly it must be considered whether the partie be an absolute Papist or onely Popishly affected in some points as namely whether he or shee erre in maine and fundamentall points of faith or in lesse dangerous opinions If the partie prooue tractable and erre onely in smaller points as suppose some superstitious obseruations of daies meates foolish and rash vowes or such like suckt in by reason of corrupt education although I would wish a man to make a better match for himselfe yet I cannot condemne it as vtterly vnlawfull neither in this question commeth such a one vnder this commandement of the Apostle But if the partie be a limbe of the Pope drinking in with greedinesse the poysoned cuppe of his heresies and such a one as is turned off the foundation by holding iustification by workes freewill to good Popish traditions of equall authoritie with Scripture and such like here the precept holdeth A Protestant may not marrie with such a partie The reasons are these 1. The nature of marriage much more then of friendship is a communion and fellowship in diuine and humane things Now what communion can be betweene truth and falsehood Secondly Gods example who in the beginning ioyned not two of diuerse religions besides the commandement is not to be vnequally yoked and to marrie alwaies in the Lord not against him And if a Christian may not by bodily coniunction become the member of an harlot much lesse of an idolater who goeth an whoring from God after many lovers Thirdly marriage is called the couenant of God both because he maketh it in heauen and watcheth how it is entred and carried by married persons in the earth Now how can he thinke his marriage to be made by God who hath a limbe of Satan and Antichrist laid by his side or rather that himselfe hath not wilfully profaned the name and couenant of God as Iudah did by marrying the daughter of a strange God Malac. 2.11 Fourthly there is certen danger of seduction by such a partie and therefore it is a presumptuous tempting of God to match with â—â—ch a one And can there be a stronger reason giuen then this which is the Lords owne for the strengthening of his owne prohibition Deut. 7.3 Thou shalt not make marriages with them for they will cause thy sonnes to turne away from mee and the same reason is rendred in renewing the precept Iosh. 23.11 Plentifull is the Scripture in examples to this purpose Salomon to whom the Lord appeared many times fell by meanes of his outlandish wiues to idolatrie and who thinketh himselfe wiser then he Ioram at the instigation of his wife forsooke the Lord he had the daughter of Ahab to wife and he did euill in the sight of the Lord. But most pregnant is that example of Israel who marrying with Moab was presently ioyned to Baal Peor and for this sinne were slaine in one day fowre and twentie thousand Num. 25.9 And let him that thinketh himselfe to stand on the surest ground consider whether his disposition be not such as standeth in neede of such a companion as may rather further him in pietie then any way alienate him from the wayes of God Fifthly ordinarily the Lord followeth such matches with visible plagues sometimes without the family sometimes within according to that threatning by his Prophet that he wil cut off master and seruant that shall doe this A publicke execution hereof we see in the flood which for this sinne drowned the olde world Gen. 6.2 and Ezra confesseth with weeping mourning and renâ—ing his haire that for this sinne especially Master and seruant We our Kings and our Priests haue beene deliuered into the hands of the Kings of the lands vnto the sword into captiuitie into spoile and into confusion of face And within the family by Gods iustice it often commeth to passe that the wiues of Esau the daughters of Heth were not more grieuous to Iacob and Rebecca then the persons so vnequally yoked are betweene themselues Sixtly such persons as thus contract themselues bewray 1. That they more regard other vaine things as wealth beautie friends then the feare of God and practise of pietie which onely hath the promise of prosperitie 2. That they want that godly affection which delighteth in the godly and abhorreth the familiar conuerse and much more mariage societie with the wicked and proclaime to all men howsoeuer they would seeme to be what indeed they are 3. That they are destitute of godly zeale which professeth hatred to idolaters and idolatrie yea of all other most hateth that sinne and the appearance of it as the Lord himselfe doth 4. That they want wise consideration and due respect of themselues in not caring to whome they become one what a griefe and burden is it to think that the husband or wife is as yet the child of the deuill that I am a member of this person who is not a member of Christ 5. The Church of God is little beholding vnto them for bringing in an idolater among them and so polluting the bodie of Christ and blemishing the congregation of God among whom such a thing should not once be named as becommeth the holy and vndefiled spouse of Christ. 6. If that be true which our Church affirmeth that vsually spirituall and carnall fornication goe together let him blame himselfe who finding vnfaithfulnes in the couenant of marriage did not duely consider whether euer that partie would be true to him who playeth false with God or whether the faithfulnesse and loue to God should be the breeder and nurse of true loue and faithfulnesse to himselfe Obiect But all this while you compare the Papists with the heathen or Cananites betweene whom there is no comparison Answ. The Popish idolatrie is as grosse as euer was any for they worship the wodden crosse and peices of bread with religious worship and why is Rome called Egypt Sodome Babylon but because it is a source into which all heathenish idolatrie runneth and why is it called an hibitation of deuils if any thing can be spoken worse of any heathenish idolatrie it shall not be the worst 2. Our danger is more from them then any or all the heathen 3. The endes of avoiding them are the same with any other heretike namely to preuent infection and seduction Obiect But the Papist professeth the same faith with vs. Answ. In word he doth but in deed he renounceth the whole foundation of religion and this is a more reall deniall Obiect But so doe many hypocriticall Protestants and yet you dare not say but we may match with them Answ. Many there are who as we haue heard professe they knowe God but in their
inconueniences which necessarily follow his aduersaries false positions Now alas how farre are readers and dumb men from this one part of the dutie of a Minister how dangerous are they in their places seducers may come and doe with open mouthes into their parrishes they cannot stop their mouthes nay in truth they are as the keyes to open them and vnlocke them Well were it or much better with our Church if Theophylactus his rule were obserued that he who in some competencie could not doe these things should neither be admitted nor permitted in the Ministerie Vse 2. Hence we further see that it is rather to be wished then hoped that all Ministers should be of one minde and accord in the truth and at peace among themselues For seeing it is the constant condition of the Church to haue many daubars with vntempered morter many vaine talkars deceiuers of mindes enemies to the crosse of Christ and the libertie of it what must now in this case all the world sit still and be at rest must Christs Ministers be silent and the Pastors haue neuer a voice to driue awaie wolues from the Lords foldes must hurtfull doctrine be winked at and suffered still to creepe in to the destruction of many No no there must now be opposition and strong dissention among the Ministers themselues Ieremie must set himselfe as well against Preists as Princes and people The Ministerie of the Apostles did spend much of it selfe against the false Apostles that serued not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies Christs owne Ministerie though the Prince and author of all our peace bent it selfe most against the cheife teachers of that age who sought glorie and praise of men and thus must his faithfull Ministers tread in his holy steps If Paul had not strongly opposed himselfe against many learned teachers Act. 15.2 where had the saluation of the Church of that age laid Let men learne therefore to be wise hearted and get knowledge whereby they may rather iudge of doctrines then take offence at the diuersitie of iudgements and practises of Ministers But if any one be sunke downe so deepe that he voweth to beleeue none of them all neither will follow any religion till they be all agreed among themselues to him I will say that this rocke was laid to breake the necke of his soule vpon and a fearefull signe it is that Christ himselfe is to him a stone to stumble at For came not Christ to make debate in the earth came he not to send fire desiring nothing more then that it should be kindled came not he with his fanne in his hand to diuide betweene the chaffe and the wheate the which shall neuer be wholly seuered till the haruest And meanest thou to be a looker on till the wheate and chaffe become one or hast thou well ridde thy selfe by beeing till then iust of Gallio his religion who cared nothing for these things I assure thee who wilt looke on whilest other contend for the faith thou shalt be a looker on too whilest other goe into heauen and haue lesse to doe in that businesse then thou desirest because thou desiredst it not when thou mightest yea when thou wast gratiously invited and desired to enter Which subuert whole houses In these words is contained the second dangerous effect of these false teachers declared by two arguments 1. by the instrumentall cause namely false doctrine for they teach things which they ought not 2. by the ende of it for filthie lucres sake The danger appeareth in three things 1. in that they subuert that is quite ouerturne the saluation of men 2. they subuert houses in the plurall number 3. whole houses The first of these sheweth that these deceiuers not onely shake men in the foundation of religion but vtterly ouerthrowe them and doe as a man who not onely beates downe a windowe or a bay or the side of an house but diggeth vp the foundation or as one who not only loppeth a tree or heweth it down by the ground but diggeth it vp by the roots and quite supplanteth it so doe these deceiuers quite destroy the faith of men and turne it vpside downe that is not onely lead men away from the simplicitie of the Gospel but wholly and altogether from euerie part of the sauing truth Thus is the word vsed among the heathen whereby they expresse such a raging of the sea as casteth vp and causeth to floate that filth and mire which lay at the bottome Quest. But how did they ouerturne mens faith and saluation Ans. By teaching iustification by circumcision that is the works and rites of the lawe But will some say could this beeing but one point subuert all I answer that fundamentall truthes are such and so linked and knit together as breake one and many fall yea some are such as being denied all of them fall to the ground A man that pulleth downe an arch of the Church endangereth the whole but yet the Church may stand but he cannot digge vp the lowest stones of the foundation but all commeth to ruine Of these the Apostle mentioneth two like the two pillars which Sampson pulling downe the whole house fell the one that of the resurrection which beeing denied all preaching and all faith is in vaine the other is this of seeking righteousnes elsewhere then in Christ who is Iehovah our righteousnesse for this makes grace no more grace and Christ to haue died in vaine Whence by the way note the dangerous estate of such as liue and die essentiall members of the Church of Rome who by their doctrine of merit and iustification by works are subuerted and plucked vp by the rootes and turned of their saluation Quest. But if this be so whether may a man be saued that erreth in a fundamentall point of religion or in such a one as by consequent raseth the foundation Ans. The things which all Christians are bound to beleeue may be reduced to two heads The former are such principles as make the rule of faith so neerely touching the matter of saluation as that a man cannot be saued vnlesse he knowe and beleeue them for all will confesse that he that must be ordinarily saued must in some measure knowe the causes the matter the obiect the manner the end and meanes of it If God I say ordinarily saue him he must knowe the platforme of Christian religion As for example 1. God in vnitie of dietie and trinitie of person for vnlesse he knowe God in Iesus Christ there is no life euerlasting 2. himselfe in the guiltines and vnder the curse of sinne seeing Christ came to call none but sinners to repentance and hunger after the meanes of deliuerance for the waters of the well of life are giuen onely to such as thirst after them 3. The meanes as that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinne and consequenly that the Sonne of God must take the nature of
iustification of the person himselfe before God but of the faith of the person before men for if any worke iustifie before God of necessitie it must bee a perfect worke and proceede from a person perfectly iustified and sanctâ—fied as Abraham himselfe when he offered his sonne was not the true meaning of that place is this Abraham was iustified by workes that is he restified by his workes that he was by faith iustified in the sight of God Vse 2. We learne hence further where our righteousnesse is laid vp for vs Isai. 45.24 In the Lord I haue righteousnesse and strength the whole seede of Israel shall be iustified and glorie in the Lord. Of ouâ— selues we are desperate bankrupts and haue not one farthing to make straight withall which the Lord seeing he dealeth with vs as with those two debters who had nothing to pay he forgiueth vs all Behold then the Sonne of God set out thy propitiatorie Rom. 3.25 get the lintels of thy soule sprinkled with the blood of this immaculate lambe and thou shalt escape the stroake of the reuenging angel cast away thine owne ragges and if euer thou wouldst get the blessing wrap thy selfe in this garment of thy elder brother and when thy father shall sauour the smell of thy garments he shall blessâ— thee and say Behold thâ— smell of my sonne is 〈◊〉 the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed feare not to be compleat in him this long white to be needeth no eeking neâ—deth no paâ—ching say with that holy Martyr and liue and die with it in thy mouth onely Christ onely Christ. Vse 3. Seeing here falleth to the ground whatsoeuer can be ioyned in the worke of iustification with the merit and obedience of Christ as any matter or meanes demeriting the sauour of God we must beware of euer ioyning with the Popish religion who by their doctrine of merits and humane satisfactions abrogate the death of Christ and are abolished from him see Gal. 5.2.4.11 If we can any way iustifie our selues or satisfie for our selues the death of Christ was vaine It is therefore as safe ioyning with the Turkish religion as theirs If it be said the difference is not so great as you make it I answer that we differ not in circumstances but in such a fundamentall point as if the Apostle may be iudge one of vs must needes be fallen from Christ and haue no part in him what then will it availe to professe the articles of faith and to be the Church of God vnlâ—sse that can be a true Church which is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace Should be made heires according to the hope of life eternall In these words is laid downe the second ende of that newe condition into which beleeuers are brought In which for the meaning two parts must be considered 1. The right and priuiledge of beleeuers who beeing once iustified by faith are made heires of life eternall 2. their present tenure of this their inheritance by hope For the former The word heire in the first and proper signification betokeneth a lot and is vsed sometimes in the new Testament with allusion vnto the twelue tribes whose portions were deuided and distributed vnto them by lot as Eph. 1.11 whence that people was more peculiarly called the lines and heritage of the Lord as whom himselfe made partakers of all the good things of that land and by proportion those also who by faith laid or shall lay hold vpon his couenant for all those spirituall and eternall good things shadowed out thereby But commonly it signifieth those who after a mans death succeed him in his goods and possessions especially children whose right it is to inherit their fathers lands and possessions and thus must we become heires by becomming the sonnes and children of God Now whereas children are either naturall or adopted our title to this inheritance commeth in by the grace of adoption seeing Christ is the onely naturall sonne as we confesse in our Creed and the phrase of the text is obseruable which saith we are made heires but not so borne so as this inheritance belongeth properly vnto Christ the naturall sonne the heire and first borne of many brethren and consequently through him communicated vnto vs who are sonnes by adoption Ioh. 1.12 whosoeuer receiued him to them he gaue power that is right title prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God Now if we would distinctly knowe the manner and meanes of our title in a word this it is All the right of our sonneship is by Christ for the foundation of it is Gods loue embracing men in his beloued who beeing the naturall sonne of God must become our brother by taking our flesh that therein we beeing vnited vnto him might also after a sort be vnited vnto the Father and the blessed spirit the which vnion because it could neuer be knit so long as our sinnes were in sight necessarily in our flesh must the Sonne of God giue himselfe vp vnto the death to satisfie the iustice of his Father to remooue all the guilt and curse of our sinne and to giue vs beleeuing in him perfect righteousnesse that thus beeing iustified we might become heires no otherwise then if we had beene borne of God himself and that thus by Iesus Christ beeing set againe into the liberty of sonnes the inheritance might as certainely belong vnto vs as it doth to himselfe beeing the naturall Sonne Thus we see how we come to be heires now if we would knowe of what we are heires the text telleth vs of life eternall which what it is because it standeth in immediate fellowship and coniunction with God we are not able to conceiue for it neuer entred into the heart of man This we know of it that beeing the state of the elect with God hereafter that beleeuers haue a right vnto it yea and by faith haue entred into some part and degree of it alreadie hauing receiued as it were a turfe to assure them of the possession of the whole It is called life which is the most pretious thing a man can desire farre aboue goods and lands or any other comfort Satan said that skinne for skinne and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his euen naturall life And eternall Heb. 9.15 of the eternall inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 an inheritance which is immortall vndefiled it hath indeede in regard of the godly a beginning but it hath no ende for it fadeth not away but is reserued in the heauens neuer was there such an inheritance vpon earth for as it falleth not by the death of our father as others doe so it faileth not vs by our owne death but wee are thereby rather put into more full state of it And because if it were an vncomfortable life the continuance of it were the greatest miserie of it therefore elsewhere the Scripture calleth it Paradise a place of all delight and pleasure yea where the Saints
such doctrine as Ministers may not teach Nature desireth to change pasture often and the eare so farre as vncircumcised is Athenian itching after nouelties children would be in newe lessons before the old be halfe learned so Christians cannot away to dwell in that pure doctrine which would lead them in true godlinesse whereby often by the iudgement of God they forfeit their faithfull Pastors and in Gods wrath haue hirelings set ouer them that feede them with wind they desire fine words and profound matter and are wearie of plaine doctrines and they haue a pickt language and vaine speculations they aske and haue But no sooner is Manna loathed but quailes are rained but with vengeance it is flesh but a meat that rotteth in the mouth euen betweene the teeth Vse 3. In priuate conferences man with man auoid these vaine questions that all our priuate cōmunication may tend to edification fathers must teach their children with Abraham in Gods wayes children must depend vpon their fathers and aske them of such things see Psal. 44.1 Mothers must teach their young children the Scriptures as Eunicha did Timothie Masters of familyes should make their families petty schooles and nurseries of diuinitie we reade how Apollos a great man proceeded a doctor in Aquilaes house our priuate houses should be Churches or Chappels therefore such idle and vaine questions should find neither time nor place in these our priuate Churches Vers. 10. Reiect him that is an heretike after once or twise admonition 11. Knowing that he that is such is peruerted and sinneth beeing damned of his owne selfe The fittest dependance of these words with the former I conceiue to be this Paul hauing exhorted Titus both to teach the truth according to godlinesse as also to resist all such foolish and vaine doctrine as might do hurt in the Church of God Titus might obiect This indeede is my dutie wherein I entend to exercise my selfe with diligence but when I haue laboured and done all I can many there are who will not yeeld to the truth nor submit themselues to this ordinance of God how am I to carrie my selfe toward such Ans. The Apostle carefull to preuent all such things as he foresaw might be hurtfull to the Church giueth direction in these two verses how to proceede in this businesse also The former giuing direction and laying downe the dutie and the latter enforcing the same by moment of reason In the former are three things to be considered 1. the persons against whom Titus is to deale here called heretikes 2. The direction how he is to behaue himselfe towards them reiect them 3. The orderly manner of proceeding after once or twise admonition The latter verse containeth the reason of this seueritie because such persons are incurable and incorrigible which is prooued by two arguments 1. such a one is subuerted that is turned or cast off the foundation 2. he sinneth against his owne conscience beeing damned of his owne selfe that is he wittingly and willingly spurneth against that truth of which his conscience is by the former admonition convinced For the first who is an Heretike Answ. He that professing Christ yet inuenteth or maintaineth any errour against the foundation of religion and that with obstinacie For the opening of which description three things are to be noted First that an heretike must professe Christ. For Iewes Turkes or Pagans cannot properly be Heretikes although they fight against Christ and all religion in all the foundations of it These are more properly called Heathens Infidells and Atheists without God in the world But the person whom Titus hath here to deale withall is one within the Church and cast off from a foundation vpon which he seemed to stand Secondly he must maintaine an error in doctrine for if men erre in practise they are rather hypocrites and profane wretches and this error must be fundamentall that is ouerturning some ground or article of our faith for it will not make a man an heretike not to beleeue the fables of Saint Francis although Pope Benedict 4. so determine Nay if a man should hold something wherein the Scriptures are his aduersarie as that an oath is not to be taken and warre is not to be made by Christians such a one were in a grosse error but not presently sunke into heresie But if any man shall maintaine iustification by works a daily sacrifice for satisfaction for sinne or any other righteousnesse or worke to stand before God in besides Christ the defence of this will easily prooue heresie And hereby the Popish doctrine is clearely prooued hereticall Thirdly this error must be willfully and obstinatly mainteined for he must reiect admonition and striue after conuiction and this properly maketh an heretike For euery one that holdeth an hereticall opinion is not an heretike a man may by simplicitie leuitie or rashnes or gentlenes of nature be drawne into such an opinion but if admonished of his error he contend not but is readie to yeeld vp himselfe to the perswasion of truth he is no heretike For these three things make vp an heretike 1. error 2. conuiction 3. obstinacie or weddednes to his opinion Hence first note by the way what an heauie thing we charge him with whom we brand with the title of an heretike for we charge him to be one who resteth not in the wholsome word but maintaineth such an error as hath turned him off his foundation one that contemneth the iudgement of the Church despiseth wholsome admonitions continueth in his damnable opinion against the light of his minde against the check and accusation of his conscience and beeing condemned of himselfe heapeth vp sinne vpon sinne All which censure if we shall hastily passe we shall hardly auoid rash iudgement for if euery error in diuinitie presently made an heretike the Apostles themselues had beene no other then heretiks who at first were so erronious and ignorant in many things of the greatest moment in religion What a false witnesse then hath that Apostate Church of Rome passed against ours and all the reformed Churches whose teachers in all their sermons and writings stile vs by no other name then heretikes whereas they cannot shew wherein they haue conuinced vs to haue departed from the Catholike and Apostolike faith and much lesse that we haue with pertinacie and against our owne consciences maintained any falsehood Indeed if our rule be their Canon law which iudgeth him an heretike who speaketh against the Romish Church or obeyeth not whatsoeuer the Pope decreeth we cannot auoid that name Or if we should teach as they doe and that after conuiction that the Saints in heauen are mediators by their merit and prayer that prayer is to be made to Saints and dead men that we can be iustified by the merit of our workes by fasting prayer pilgrimage or any such obseruance that concupisence is no sinne in the regenerate that a man can perfectly fulfill the law that Saint Dominike