in the Eucharist the most ignorant understand sufficiently that the flesh of Christ therein is presēted unto us as meat and not only in this respect but as meat of sacrifice for it is properly in this quality that it is offered unto us And the termes of our Lord carry a manifest allusion to the flesh of sacrifices which they gave to eat to those for whom it had been sacrificed A meat which the Jewes because of its importancy preferred before all other aliments But you must know they did not participate but of the Eucharisticall sacrifices for the people eat not the flesh of the sacrifices of expiation although that they were offered for them the sacrificers onely did participate thereof Nay more a sacrificer when he offered for his own sins had no part in the sacrifice but was to burn it intirely And which is more in the solemne expiation in which the blood of beasts was carried into the tabernacle for the universall remission of sinnes no man might tast of the flesh of the sacrifice the law commanding that it should be carried out of the camp far from the people and there consumed in fire In brief it was a maxime in the law that none of those for whom the sacrifice of expiation was offered should eat thereof But our Lord by a disposition new and unknown to the law presents us to eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of expiation the body which hath been delivered for our sinnes For the law forbidding those which were culpable to participate of the expiations shewed the nullity of them and taught that those sacrifices were unprofitable seeing that those in whose favour they were offered had no nourishment by them But Jesus Christ shews that his sacrifice is fruitfull seeing that sinners participate thereof marking in evident tearmes the difference which we see between the blood of the new alliance given for drink and the bloud of Legall sacrifices whose participation was rigorously forbidden the law forbidding to drink any blood gives this reason that the blood was shed for the expiation of sinnes and so ought not to be imployed for nourishment to the contrary our Lord invites us to drink his blood because that it is shed for the remission of sinnes Imploying for to oblige us to the participation of blood the same reason for which it was interdicted in the law This consideration may furnish many others whereby to comprehend the subject of the Eucharist CHAP. III. Of the distinction conjunction and Aranging of points of religion THe beasts which divide not the hoose are uncleane by the Law The religion of a man which knowes not how to distinguish the points thereof cannot be pure Distinctions which consist in vain subtilties in divisions and foolish subdivisions to the cleaving of a haire who under colour of narrowly sifting them reduce the most solid matters into dust and atomes which in stead of clearing the sight gathers up nothing but dust to cast into the eyes of the simple overturning the soundest propositions under colour of upholding them which under pretext of directing the spirit shewes it so many different paths that it knowes not which to resolve on these distinctions tend not to our end On the other side the vulgar scornes many distinctions the ignorance of which is subject to a thousand errors An idiot which knowes little or nothing of the difference between Faith and Charity cannot understand the point of Justification for if Faith and Charitie are but one selfe-same thing we are then justified by Charity which is a pernicious consequence But if one should aske why Charity cannot justifie as well as Faith the reason is manifest to him who knowes how Faith and Charity are distinguished The property of Faith is to receive The property of Charity is to give By Faith we receive God giving himselfe to us with all his benefits By Charity we offer our selves unto him and all that is in us Now God would not have us justified by giving to him for then grace would be no more grace and mans boasting should not be excluded but by the only receiving and acceptation of the righteousnesse which he presents us and this receiving is an act of Faith of which Charity is incapable The common people also confound the legall righteousnesse with the Evangelical sanctification with justification not taking heed that in the contexture of the same passage there is found a word of the Law and a word of the Gospell chained together but which ought to be carefully distinguished As in these words of Jesus Christ If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements this was the Law which spake and not the Gospell nay the promises of the Law are mortall to whomsoever accepts the condition He who transgresseth one point of the Law transgresseth the whole Law As he which strikes the heart only or the lungs only or the braines only doth for all that give a mortall attaint to the body So all the parts of faith make but one undivided body and he which is ignorant only of one is ignorant of all the others In the meane time he who would examine the popular spirits should find few who know their religion intirely few there be whose knowledge is not deficient in some point but the knowledge it selfe of all the parts of religion doth not as yet serve to a true intelligence thereof if one knowes not their conjunctions their relations and their correspondencies All the points of religion are relatives Sometimes a point considered in the conjunction of another carries asence contrary to that which it had being separated The Law contemplated apart is a letter which kills joyned with the Gospell is a Restaurative to the soule Faith in its absolute essence is a part of Sanctification and in this quality justifies not a sinner in its relation to Christ it is the instrument of our Justification Besides the relation which the parts of Religion have the one to the other each one of them and altogether have relation to one Totall as members to a body whose structure results from their composition proportions ligaments and order But many know all the parts of religion who understand nothing in the totall because they see all the pieces thereof only in detaile but not in their conjunction A man who should know the number of all the kindes of creatures the essential forme of each one of them their proper causes the particular end and the effect to which they serve the ranke and place which they hold in the world would reade as in a booke for each creature is as a character having its forme and its distinct propriety and altogether being ranged in divers places produce such a frame of words which are intelligible by us if our ignorance confound them not He that knoweth the points of Religion but is ignorant in what order he ought to ranke them resembleth an ideot who understandeth the found of every Letter of the
certaine Prophets told Paul that bonds did attend him at Jerusalem but the counsell they gave him not to goe thither was a motion of their owne particular spirit proceeding from their humane affection All the dreames which came to the Prophets were not propheticall they had markes by which they discerned the celestiall visions from naturall impressions to which they were subject as well as other men In the same manner as the divine providence of God hath separated that which was writ by their particular motion from that which was transmitted unto us by divine inspiration The Spirit which dictated the letter of David written with the bloud of poore Uria was quite contrary to that which indited the Psalmes Nathan counselling the building of the Temple seemed speaking like a godly man but the consequence shewes he spake not like a Prophet It is most true that neither sagacity nor humane affections reduced into a just temper are not incompatible with spirituall wisdome contrarily they serve for a helpe to our weaknesse All the articles of our faith are equally true but our beliefe embraces them not with equall facility We have lesse trouble to believe a divine Essence then a Trinity of Persons the immortality of the soule then the resurrection of the body The reason is that in the one we have nothing but a supernaturall revelation for the ground of our beliefe and in the other we are moreover sustained by humane reason which strengthens this faith So our obedience is more voluntary in things to which wee have besides the commandement of God some naturall or personall inclination then in those which are repugnant to our affections I doubt not but Abraham obeyed more joyfully when it was bidden him not to lay his hand upon Isaac then when he was commanded to slay him But in this concurrence namely of the Spirit of God with our spirits wee must marke these two principalls the one of which is alwaies regular and the other hath still some spice of obliquity A man addicted to his sence and that adores his owne opinions will very hardly give place to the Spirit of God Ordinarily Prophecies and Revelations came unto men then when they were asleep where God sent them those extasies whilst they lasted they were as if deprived of all sence which was because the soule is then dis-intangled from many functions and freed from an infinity of thoughts and of objects which possessed it waking being then lesse glued to their naturall judgement and so more susceptible of the influencie of heaven and more capable to receive the impression thereof CHAP. IIII. Concerning the Sences and of the imaginations vulgar meditations matters which seeme better in Painting then in the words of the holy Scripture Why the corporall figure of our Saviour is not delineated in the Gospell Why the sight of the places esteemed holy takes away the admiration thereof REligion contains divers matters which for a simple historicall knowledge are intelligible to the externall senses The starre which appeared to the wise men the manger at Bethlehem the crown of Thornes the punishment of the Crosse the Sepulchre of Christ and his comming out thereof the scarres of his Wounds his Ascension to Heaven are objects perceptible to the imagination Nay we cannot conceive the truth of the naturall body of Christ but under an imaginable and sensible forme But the internall forme of all these theologicall truths which is as it were the soul of Religion is not apprehensible but to the intellect The divinity resident in Christ the personall union of the two Natures the merits of his Death the efficacie of his Intercession the interest of the justice of God in this satisfaction The eternall Election the interiour Vocation Justification the essence of the Faith the regeneration are matters purely intellectuall In every narration principally in each article of faith which lies in the Historie there is ever two things requisite to the intelligence thereof 1. The action with its circumstances Secondly the causes and the consequences thereof Now the first point is better studied and more sought into by the common people as being more delectable to the imagination and far easier to bee conceived then the other which touches not the senses and requires a more spirituall and more laborious exercise of the understanding from whence it comes to passe that the science the conception the proofes and meditations of the vulgar are more imaginative then intellectuall A Deaths head the spectacle of a carkasse or of a dying man will represent our humane fragility more lively then can doe all the sentences of the Bible But the supernaturall causes of this corruption and the consequences thereof from whence results the true intelligence of our mortality they are not read in such characters A picture may give knowledge of an action but the reasons and the motives in which lyes the importance of the story askes another Pensill A Crucifix tells us not why Jesus Christ died Never man was yet converted by the sight of a picture If that were Painters and Sculptors would be the greatest Theologians After the same manner the sufferings of Christ reduced into a Tragedy and elevated by the highest colours of Eloquence what teares soever it may draw from the auditors will never suffice for a saving knowledge If the true pourtraict of Jesus Christ representing his naturall face were to be found in the world I would never blame the curiosity of those who would seek the possession and who all superstition set apart would preserve it as one of the most precious jewels that the eye of man can behold Many have thought that they have the originall in an Epistle of Lentulus to the Senate of Rome of which I will say no more but that it is no Roman stile Some others have drawne the Copy from the Monument of a fabulous history which speaks of a Statue erected in memory of our Saviour Howsoever it comes to passe it is a strange thing that the Scripture which paints forth the stature of Saul the haire of Absalom the colour and visage of David expresses not any figure of our Saviour We find not therein the least Idea nor any lineament neither of his face colour aspect stature or yet of his voyce But that by which he was discernable from other men consisted not in his visible forme or in any extraordinary difference of Lineaments otherwise Judas had not needed a signe to make him to be known so that the representation of him at this day to the eye of flesh would make him contemptible to him that would not conceive a divine Majesty under a common and indifferent appearance Or it would be a Patron of Idolatry which would not faile to multiply under so favourable a pretext Our humane vanity would have added there to some frivolous and impertinent speculations of Phisiognomie Or superstition would cast its sight upon each man who should have some seeming resemblance of such a
of Indian Idolaters Their Martyrs will never goe peere with ours When a man suffers death under an opinion that it will be meritorious I am afraid he is a Martyr of his owne merit rather then that of Christs the punishment gives him no higher a tytle then that of his beliefe or of his profession There is as yet one point more which we may as yet remarke To the question where the Church was before the last Reformation we ordinarily answer that it was in Poperie as if Poperie were all the world whereas it holds but one little corner As if the Church could not be in Africa or in Asia where Popery was not In effect we deprive our selves of a very easie answer and doe a great injury to an infinity of Grecian Arminian and Abissin Churches and others in which the Church of God resided Churches who confesse the Trinitie of Persons the Verity of the two Natures in Christ and all the points of Mediation Churches which seek their justification by faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely Churches which practise the same Sacraments with us and admit no other eating of the body of Christ but that which is spirituall Churches in which nothing is wanting that is essential to the faith but if corruptions have made them deformed 't is not so exorbitant but that the Church might as well subsist therein as in the Roman which held nothing but on part of the West CHAP. 17. The conversion of a Romane Catholick is now more difficult then in the beginning of the Reformation THE Reformed Church had in times past enough to open the doore to Empires and to whole nations who presented themselves in crowds to enter in at this day it is a wonder to heare of any one Proselyte Mens judgements vary upon the causes of so great a difference That novelty provoked the spirits to harken to this Religion so full of admirable Paradoxes whereas now use hath brought in the disgust That the Reformation came when the Vatican insolently tyrannised the Potentates and the people glad to shake off the yoke and that the behaviour of the first reformed had a lustre which rendered his Religion amiable That their zeale which let this Religion at so high a prise alighted in many a violent passion to seeke this treasure That persecution whose antiperistasis redoubled their zeal hath more augmented the Church then prosperity the most triumphant Like the Ark which did more miracles whilst that it wandered in the wildernesse under a pavilion of goates hair more then after when it was placed under the wainscot of Cedar laid over with plaites of Gold That the miraculous subsisting of the Church among so many powerfull opposirions ravished the eyes of all the world seeing a burning bush and yet remain unconsumed That the voice of the Martyrs shook the prisons and the tribunalls the fires in which they were sacrificed served for lights to show many the way to heaven And finally God which makes the winds blow in such places and seasons as seems good to him hath bounded the course of his grace and forbidden his word to passe further But to this one may adde that the prudence of the Romane Clergy hath choaked divers abuses and sent to the Assise many blasphemies which made the most stupid to abhorre them And above all time hath furnished them with many sleights unknown to their forefathers being buried in ignorance of learning for to shun the most manifest truths and give a colour to opinions the most absurd suspending the judgements of the clearest sighted between the miracles of Moses and the cunning of the inchanters Finally they had many principalls and interpretations which they have left acknowledging that they were contrary to themselves in times past they were content to make the Scripture their judge at this day they accuse it of incompetency and decline its juridiction This principall being rejected it is more difficult to reduce a Romane Catholick to the Orthodox Religion CHAP. 18. Why the conversion of a Jew at this day then it was at the beginning of Christian Religion THese reasons are also those in part of the pertinacity of the Jews if ever this nation ought to render it self to the obedience of the faith it is at this day that it ought to be a dispersion of more then 1500 yeares far longer then all precedent calamities and in which they have neither had temple nor sacrifice to expiate their sinnes The vain expectation of their pretended Messias so oftentimes frustrated since the prefixed tearme of his coming of which they know not what to think The confusion happened in their genealogies so great that namely when their Messias should come they cannot know him not being able to mark any family that 's desended from David These testimonies I say of their foolish hope ought to make them leave their stubbornnes more then ever And notwithstanding their obstinacy was never so great Nay it is now harder to convert a Jew then in times past before so long a lapse of time which as yet makes them requoil farther from their pretensions The weaknesse of their cause hath made them ingenious to strengthen themselves therein Since the subversion of their Republick some yeares after the ascention of our Lord perceiving that the time belied their hope and being ashamed not to see some glimpse which might promise them the effect on the other side seeing that Christianity spread it self farre and near principall under the Empire of Constantine the great they sought all the meanes they could imagine to retain their nation still in their blindnesse Now in as much as that they were condemned in their own Maximes and namely by the interpretation of their Rabbins They took counsell how to abrogate them and to substitute ohers of a contrary opinion to them so then so that where a passage of the ancient Testament speaking of the Messias was taken in its true sence by the ancient Jewes the Modern have changed the exposition Our Lord for to prove Christ to be more then man alledgeth that David called him Lord alledging to this purpose Psalm 110. this passage was not then in dispute For the Jews then of that time confessed that those tearms could not have relation but to the Messias But those at this day overthrow this interpretarion which their forefathers did agree unto without reply so that upon all those passages which the Apostle cited in favour of Christ the Jews disputed the application rather then the explication but now they contest both having charged their principalls There is another trick which they use to make Christian religion to be suspected both to their nation and also to all others hath been to seek out all the passages of the new Testament which seemes to differ from the ancient in some historicall circumstances as in the date of yeares in the names of places in the numbring of persons and such like pretending by this difference to
popular reasons such as are similitudes and arguments of this kind Those which are found in Scripture are not of this rank for the authority thereof makes them become demonstrations and undoubted proofs But all others have no other vertue thē to clear being besides uncapable to prove notwithstanding the vulgar will sooner believe for one bare comparison which maketh no proof then for a reason well concluding This is it that similitudes particular examples and the like arguments have an appearance manifest to the sense and therefore move beyond essentiall reasons which are not perceiveable but by the understanding Notwithstanding this faith is not more solid The man which conceives a point under the sole resemblance of truth and not in the proper essence thereof understandeth it not as he ought This is to have a true opinion but not a true knowledge And more deceive themselves by this meanes presuming they have the knowledge of a point instead whereof they have but the opinion It sufficeth not to say their opinion is conformable to the truth For truth is not known by opinion Whosoever desires the knowledge thereof ought to endeavour the understanding rather of one concluding and formall reason then ten thousand Arguments which have but a bare resemblance of truth CHAP. VIII Of whose who perswade themselves of the truth by false reasons Of those which falsely accuse themselves IT comes to passe that many believe a truth which is grounded on Scripture but conceive it under a false reason He believes the truth which holds we are justified by faith and not by works But if he believe that faith hath a prerogative because it is more excellent then works this reason is false For though faith be more excellent then works the excellency thereof is not the true cause why it justifies rather then works All the vulgar spirits know how to maintain a truth in expresse tearmes of Scripture But in that which the Scripture saith they often imagine a reason either false or impertinent So the friends of Job did maintaine Gods cause his power prudence wisdome and justice but by false presupposition And scarcely could one have said that they err'd if God himselfe had not interposed his judgement in the dispute So some to exalt the grace of God towards them accuse themselves to be the greatest sinners in the world imitating the Apostle S. Paul who speaketh of himself in this manner although that Judas and those that had crucified the Prince of glory were without doubt more guilty Now Saint Paul ranketh not himself simply amongst the greatest sinners but amongst them which had not sinn'd but through ignorance 'T is true that Originall sin is equall naturally in all men and 't is the grace of God which restrains many therein But that to amplifie this grace a man should accuse himself of actuall sinnes which he never committed this is a foolish sort of falshood The water of sprinkling which purified the unclean did defile those which were clean If we would exalt the mercy of God we have enow true arguments without searching imaginary for it If we would justify his severity we find enow true crimes in our life without imposing false ones upon us Whosoever will speak of God ought to speak according unto God that is to say according to the truth otherwise it is to speak against God To maintain truth with false reasons is to imitate the proceeding of Rebecca who to the end the Oracle might be found true had recourse to an abusive means using a fraudulent superstition There is nothing wherein one ought to be so circumspect as in speaking for the truth He that undertakes to maintain it is subject to a grievous censure if he acquits not himself thereof pertinently CHAP. IX Of points whereof one ought to know the causes Many matters of Religion are ridiculous without their causes The understanding whereof decides many questions From whence come the greatest part of errours THe matters of Religion are known principally either by their causes or by their effects The Deity as being the highest cause of all is not demonstrable but by its effects Whose decrees ought also to be sought rather in their effects then in their causes But the other points which are subordinate are represented to us with their causes which teach us the true reasons of every one of them And in this the learned differ from the common people For the vulgar sees not the quality or truth of a point but in the effects and streames But to comprehend it well it behoves to see it in the spring Many matters of Religion are ridiculous without their causes All the ceremoniall law if one knows not the reasons thereof is nothing but a heap of unprofitable burdens The Temple but a shambles and the priesthood but a vaine occupation In lieu thereof considering them in their causes every thing there is important even to the least circumstances VVhosoever shall remember that Jesus Christ suffered out of the City of Jerusalem will admire the providence of this Law which ordained that the sacrifices of oblations whereof the blood ought to be carried into the holy place should be consumed out of the compasse of the Camp or of the City We know that our Lord in the dayes of his flesh was environed with sorrow and feare But if we know not the cause thereof we make him inferiour to many martyrs who bare a smiling face amidst their punishments The Jew understands nothing in the Ceremoniall Lawes for although he knowes the number thereof all their particular forms he is ignorant of the cause thereof not knowing that they were given to serve onely till the coming of Christ The true meanes to well understand a point is to learn the causes thereof and the understanding of them is a soveraign eye-salve to cleare ones self of many difficulties Saint Paul sheweth by the finall cause of the Law that it is uncapable to justifie men for saith he the Law came because of transgressions to wit to discover not to cover them And indeed they which think to be justified by the works of the Law know not why it was given The Law was never given to justifie Gal. 3.21 on the contrary its office is to condemne men A great part of errours which wast Religion and likewise of them which trouble it at this day proceeds from this that the cause is taken for the effect or the effect is taken for the cause Instead that the Sabbath is made for man Pharisaisme concluded that man was made for the Sabbath Instead that meats were not unclean but because they were forbidden superstition believed them to be forbidden because they were uncleane Instead than the alter sanctified the offering they would by their Maximes that the offering did sanctifie the alter Instead that the Scripture sanctifieth the Church it is maintained that the Church sanctifieth the Scripture Instead that justification produceth works they hold that works produce justification
And 't is likwise disputed whether faith depend on election or election depend on faith This turning topsie turvy is ordinary amongst the ignorant who believe that the person is acceptable for his works instead that the works are acceptable for the person CHAP. X. Of the ignorance of the vulgar who believe that one ought not to search nor give any other reason of the points of Religion then the will of God IF t were not the will of God that we should know why and how he worketh we could not know how our Lord could be born of a Virgin yet notwithstanding this is one of the prime Articles of our faith He hath not said why instead of causing the Hebrews to passe when they came out of Egypt by the Philistines country which was the straight way to enter into Canaan he led them by a great circuit full of wandrings and inconveniences Nor why having given to Abraham the land of the Amorites his posterity ought not to have possessed it but at the end of 400 yeares Gen. 15. Nor why the bill of divorce was permitted the Jewes Nor why he disapproved Davids designe touching the building of the Temple And a thousand other effects of his providence whereof he would have us know the causes Many think they know enough thereof when they referre all things simply to the will of God which they say sufficeth for all reason and that in every point be it historicall or dogmaticall when one asks why it is so one ought to content himself with saying that God would have it so or hath so ordained This Maxime teacheth ignorance under the shaddow of modesty By this meanes there 's no question but may be avoided in two words and the veriest idiot shall be capable to give a solution thereof 'T is true the will of God is the soveraigne cause of all things and the onely reason of a great part thereof But this answer suffiseth not for all questions nay in many matters it is impertinent When one asketh how Abraham was justified this would be an absurdity to answer that he was justified by the will of God instead of saying it was by faith An absurdity to shew the first cause when the second is demanded An absurdity to produce the will of God when the question is of the formall or instrumentall cause An absurdity to name the Architect instead of the matter This is to annihilate the dispensation which God hath established in his works and to breake downe those steps by which he would have us climb up unto him To think to leape over all at one leape is extreme folly A man that alledgeth nothing but the will of God upon a Subject proposed understands not what this will of God is For to understand it 't is necessary to know wherein it consisteth and how it concerns the matter in question Now the understanding of this point presupposeth the knowledge of second causes by which the will of God worketh He that alleadgeth the second causes and gives reasons thereof alleadgeth the will of God For God hath willed that such things should be so for such reasons and these reasons are one part of his will When the Disciples asked why they could not deliver the man possessed the vulgar answer would import because it pleased not God But our Lord notes their incredulity as a cause of this inability and shewes fasting and prayer as the meanes necessary to the expulsion of the Devill When Saint Paul was buffeted by Sathan he did not simply understand that such was the will of God but that his power was accomplished in weaknesse When we search the causes of our salvation This would be a dangerous proceeding to desire to mount up to Election without passing by the middle meanes The will of God is the first reason but the last answer one ought to give to a question CHAP XI Objections of the vulgar touching the reasons Scripture expresseth not and how we may know them THe Scripture is full of Lawes and mysteries whereof we know not the reasons We read of divers ceremonies divers points of history and doctrine the particular reasons whereof are not yet found out But oft times we abuse our selves by believing that the Scripture discovers not the reason thereof under colour that our ignorance hindreth us from seeing them This is a common objection in the mouth of the vulgar when they heare men reason upon any matter to alleadge that this reason is not at all exprest in Scripture Certainly the Scripture expresseth not why the Law permitted Homicides confin'd within the Cities of Refuge to return to their houses after the death of the high Priest And notwithstanding besides politick reasons which may be given for this Law It is impudence to deny that it meant to represent the efficacy of Christs death But to produce an example more formall to this purpose the reason for which our Lord was put in a new sepulchre wherein never any one was buried is notwithstanding lesse exprest Yet notwithstanding we say that the wisdome of God would prevent the malice of the Jews who not able to deny the truth of his resurrection might have disputed the cause thereof pretending that he had recovered life by touching the bones of some Prophet as he that was raised in the grave of Elisha This reason is not grounded but upon conjecture but of so great appearance that it were a shame to reject it In many things the very effect shews its cause If any man ask why Jesus Christ trusted Judas with the bag whose covetousnes he knew rather then another of his disciples the reason thereof is evident to him that considers that the convenience of this office rendered his treason so much the more inexcusable VVhen the Scripture tells not at all why God permitted sinne why he would harden Pharaoh why he suffers the vessells of wrath the effects which proceed thence shew that sin is the cause thereof CHAP. XII Of the prudence that is requisite in the examination of points where the cause is uncertaine Of a Ly. Whether Satan made Pilates wife speak for the innocence of Jesus Christ IT is true that one ought carefully to take heed of those causes and reasons which are not plain unto us but by a conjecturall appearance for the consequences thereof may be foolish and dangerous Some have thought that Jacob in all the proceedings he made to gaine his fathers blessing was inspired by the spirit of God But the consequence thereof sounds very ill For then it must be that the Holy Ghost had dictated the deceitfull words which came from Jacobs mouth Now God is an enemy of lies He may command to kill but not to pronounce a falshood although a barely be not so bad as manslaughter The reason thereof is that man slaughter may be sometimes an act of Justice but a ly can never be truth And therefore God himself may kill but he can never ly On the