b Rom. 8.14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God but c Rom. 8. â— if any man haue not the Spirit of God he is none of his Therefore the infidels the hypocrites and all vnregenerated Christians of what religion soeuer they be being destitute of the first qualitie and condition required in a good worke wee may say of them that which our Sauiour Christ said of the Pharisees their companions d Mat. 12.34 O generation of Vipers how can yee being euill speake good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh V. The second condition of a good worke is that it be wel done whereunto is required first that it be conformable vnto the word of God in all things so that he which hath done it may protest with Dauid e Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path If it declines or swarues neuer so little the workeman of the same is accursed by this sentence and decree f Deut. 27.26 Gal. â— 10 Cursed bee hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them Now as God is a Spirit g Rom. 7.14 so the Law is spirituall and is giuen first and principally to the Spirit and is the rule not onely of outward actions but also of the most hidden and secret thoughts of the heart It is not enough that a man lay not violent and bloudy hands on his brother h Mat. 5.22 If he be angrâ—e with his brother without a cause i 1. Ioh. 3.15 if he hate his brother the Scripture sayes he is a murtherer Hee that hath not actually coÌ„mitted adulterie with his brothers wife if he looks on her to lust after her Christ Iesus sayth k Mat. 5.28 he hath committed adulterie with her already in his heart Which of the Heathen knowes that the Law hath beene written in his heart to the ende it might rule his thoughts which of them hath thought that hidden lust was a vice which of them hath emptied and purged his heart of it what doe wee speake of Infidels How great is the number of our Christians that know not the ten Commandements although there are but ten how few are there of them that know them which thinke on them to conforme their liues according to them To tell them of lust or concupiscence and to condemne it as a sinne is so strange a paâ—â—doxe vnto them that if God himselfe should come downe from heauen to tell them of it they would not beleeue it so ignorant are they in the knowledge of the true and lawful vses of the Law how then can they order and square their actions by the same This is also the priuiledge of the regenerate to make a benefit of the Law for the direction of his life because God hath ingrauen it in his heart by his holy Spirit which the vnregenerate man knoweth not l Ier. 31.33 I will saith the Lord put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts m Ezech. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and yee shall keepe my Indgements and doe them This hath made Lombard to write after Saint Austin Prosper and other Fathers that n Lombard lib. 2. dist 41. â—t A. where the knowledge of the eternall truth is wanting there vertue is false although the manners and fashions are very good VI. In the next place A worke to bee a good worke well done must be done in faith o Rom. 14.23 for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne They which are not renued in the spirit of their mind may be enlightned so farre that they may know the truth and make profession of it and take pleasure in it for a time as Simon Magus and Iudas who beleeued by a temporarie faith but they haue not the iustifying faith p Ephes 3.17 by the which Christ dwelleth in their hearts q Joh. 1.12 Iohn 3.16 which receiue the Lord Iesus r Gal. 3.14 and all the blossing of Abraham through Christ and the promise of the Spirit through faith applying and appropriating it vnto themselues as Thomas which said vnto him Å¿ Ioh. 20.28.29 My Lord and my God That this is the true faith without equiuocation it appeareth for that the Lord answereth him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued blessed are they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued And by the words of the Aposile t Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who LOVED ME and gaue himselfe for ME. A man shall know by her effects if hee haue this faith u Acts 15.9 Faith purifies the heart x Gal. 5.20 workes by loue y 1. Tim. 1.5 for charitie proceedes out of a pure heart and from a good conscience and of faith vnfained They that are not renewed can seele that they haue not this faith for they feele z Tit. 1.15 that their minde and conscience is defiled and therefore they may resolue and conclude with themselues that God detests and abhorrs them and all that they doe because a Heb. 11.6 it is impossible to please him without faith Witnesse among others Cain who offered sacrifice vnto God and was reiected not because the sacrifice was naught but because hee offered it without faith as it is written b Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered vnto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain The Fathers haue acknowledged the same when they said that c Prosper in lib. Epigram epigrammate 81. Lombard lib. 2. dist 41. lit A. The whole life of Infidels is sinne For that also though a man d 1. Co. 13.1.2.3 could speake with the tongues of Angels and had the gift of prophecie and vnderstood all mysteries and all knowledge and though he had all faith so that he could remoue mountaines and though he bestowed all his goods to feede the poore and though he gaue his body to bee burned and hath not charitie he is as sounding brasse or a tinckling cimball he is nothing and all that profiteth him nothing VII The last condition of a good work is that it be done for a good ende e Aug cont Iulian lib. 2. c. 3. The vertues are discerned from the vices non officijs sed finibus not by the outward duties but by their ends saith Saint Austin The ende of euery worke must bee the glory of God who hath giuen vs vertue wifedome and direction for to doe it It ought to be the end of naturall works also f 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether saith the Apostle ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God How much more ought it to bee the ende of our
complaines of those that reade and speake of them Let them defend them and forbid them with threatnings I will not feare what man can doe to me but knowing that the word of God is of such vertue n Psal 119.130 that the entrance of his words giueth light and giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple I will loue it I will put it close to my heart I will take in it all my delight and pastime his words shall be folkes of my counsell I will alwaies adhere and sticke fast vnto them that I may say in good conscience vnto my God with Dauid o Psal 119.97 O how loue I thy Law it is my meditation all the day CHAP. IIII. I. The Scripture is to be read with the same Spirit wherewith it was written II. The proofes which the Pastorall Letter alleageth are nothing to the purpose III. The Philosophers iustly blamed by Saint Hierome for that they did frame and apply the places of Scripture vnto their sense and opinions IIII. This blame pertaines and belongs vnto the Author of the Pastorall Letter V. Two true reasons why the Scriptures cannot be vnderstood but by the same Spirit they haue been indicted with VI. The Spirit of God is in the Church in generall and in euery member of the same according to the measure of the gift and grace of Christ. SAint Peter speaking of the writings of the Prophets saith that the a 2. Pet. 1.21 prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy 〈◊〉 of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Out of these words of Saint Peter the Author of the Pastorall Letter inferres that we must reade the Scriptures with the same spirit that they were written by which is the Spirit of charitie a pure Spirit a cleane Spirit we adde to this that b Iohn 15.16 he is the Spirit of truth and so we say Amen to this doctrine II. But not to the proofes thereof that are allegoricall or false or corrupted and peruerted That which is said of the commandement giuen vnto him that preacheth the Gospell that he should gâ—â— vp to the mountaine of vertue is allegoricall and repugning to the sense of the Scriptures In like manner that which is added that no beast way approch vnto this mountaine that is to say no carnall sense or meaning and that haue we seene in the Chapter going before The second proofe taken from c Genes 6.3 that of Genesis is false God saith there My Spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he is also flesh and the meaning is that God will no longer beare with the malice of men because they are nothing but flesh that is to say finne and corruption but hee will destroy them from the face of the earth if they repent not in the space of an hundred and twentie yeeres Here is therefore no question of the abode of Gods Spirit in men but of the strife that God hath with men obstinatly hardned and not harkning vnto his admonitions but taking occasion by his blessings to liue according to the flesh The third proofe is mained and defectiue Saint Paul saith that d Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope In the Pastorall Letter these words are thus changed Pag. 6. cut off and falsified The whole Scripture is giuen of God for our instruction that so by the example that we imbrace in seeing the recompence of the verâ—â—ous and the punishment of the wicked we comfort our selues in hope to attaine vnto the inestimable goods that are promised there So that whole comfort of the Scriptures is falsely referred and applied to the example that we take of the recompence of the good and the punishment of the wicked whereas it doth altogether consist in the death and passion of Christ Iesus in whose blood al those good men e Reuel 7.14 haue washed their long robes hauing all of them been iustified and graciously saued by the blood of him on the crosse and not by the merit of any vertue that was in them Whence the Lord is called f Luke 25. the Consolation of Israel namely of all the Saints the peace comfort and ioy of whom is wholy limited and stinted in him and to the witnesse that Gods Spirit beareth to their spirit and consciences by the holy Scriptures that God hath reconciled them to himselfe in him not imputing to them their sins where with ioy they crie out with the Prophet Dauid a man according to Gods heart g Psalm 32.1.2 Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiuen whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie But not being of a subiect and matter to examine this place any more I doe approue the conclusion that is drawne from hence for seeing the Scripture hath been giuen vs for our instruction and consolation we ought not alter it or diuert it to our destruction III. Neither ought we to imitate those of whom Saint Ierome complaines h Hieron that comming to the holy Scriptures after the studie of the Sciences of this world doe imagine that all that they say is the Word and Law of God and take not the paines to search and examine diligently what the Prophets and Apostles haue said but doe frame vnto their sense the places of Scriptures which haue no resemblance agreement or relation vnto it being like the Israelites in this who made a golden Calfe of the treasures they brought out of Egypt whereas they that vse holily humane Sciences making them serue and attend on Diuinitie are like those that did imploy the iewels and riches of the Egyptians towards the building of the Tabernacle and entertainement of Gods seruice IIII. But when they say Pag. 7. that parents which binde their children to the obedience of the commandement they giue them to stay with them to serue them and not to enter into such or such a cloister are like those first that they doe subuert all order imagine they ought to preferre their commandement before Gods commandement their wills before the Euangelicall Counsels against the expresse Texts of the Gospell the example of Saints the interpretations of all the Fathers and the decisions of the holy Canons They charge them with a false blasphemie wherewith the Author of the Pastorall Letter shall finde himselfe touched and tainted who takes violently by the haires as we say the places of Scripture and the interpretations of the Fathers and frames them after his owne imagination wherewith they haue no resemblance or relation as we shall see in the Chapters following V. Notwithstanding this remaines as true that the same Spirit which hath indicted the Scriptures and giuen it to bee written ought and doth vnfold and giue vs the sense and meaning thereof The reason is in them or in vs In them their
that of God reuealed in the Scripture so the priuate iudgment is inferior to the ministerial for it comes not out in publike with a publike calling and authoritie but keepes and containes it selfe in the conscience for her rest and peace and doth not extend or spread her selfe further then the calling of him which hath receiued this gift of God This is common to all true Christians who being all spirituall man haue receiued and had of God the eyes eares taste heart and iudgement of the spirituall man to see heare taste know iudge loue and affect the things of God z 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man faith the Apostle discerneth and iudgeth all things euery Christian is spirituall he which is not spirituall is no Christian for to be a Christian is nothing else then to be spirituall euery Christian therefore knoweth and discerneth the things of his saluation Christians are the sheepe of our Lord Iesus As therefore a naturall sheepe can by the principle of nature make choise of that herbe which is the most wholesome to her and in feeding passe by that which is contrary to her nature so the spirituall sheepe by the principle of grace can iudge betweene the true passages and places vnto the which she is brought and led by her true shepheard and the bad pasture wherewith the stronger would infect and poyson her This doctrine is of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles Christ hath said that a Iohn 10.4.5 the good shepheard putteth forth his owne sheepe and goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voice and a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voyce of strangers The Apostle requires of all men that b Heb. 5.14 they haue their senses exercised to discerne both good and euill he exhorts them saying c 1. Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in vnderstanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in vnderstanding be men d 1. Thess 5.20 Proue all things hold fast that which is good Saint Iohn tells them that it is their dutie e 1. Iohn 4.1 Beloued beleeue not euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world They will not place the particulars in the pulpit to preach but they place them at the chaires foote to heare with iudgement and discerne between the true Doctor and the false seducer to follow that man and to take heed of this man according to Christs admonition f Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wâ—lues yee shall know them by their fruits He presupposeth therefore that they shall haue iudgement to know them but this iudgement being a gift of God a gift grace not of nature a gift proper vnto the spirituall man vnknowne to the naturall the Apostle prayes to God to giue it vs g Phil. 1.9.10 I pray that your loâ—â— may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may approue things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ VII Iudge we then of what spirit are they which of spirituall sheepe would deforme vs and transforme vs into brutish sheepe and destituted of reason doe prohibit vs to speake of the things of our God Creator Father and Sauiour but as they list Let vs compare their spirit with that of Christ and of the Apostles Christ would that we should iudge of him by the Scriptures and not simply by his saying said vnto the people h Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures And these would haue vs to iudge of them by their bare saying and not by the Scriptures do blame and condemne vs for the diligent search of the Scriptures The Apostle said to the Corinthians i 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake as to wise men iudge yee what I say These feare nothing so much as vnderstanding men to keepe and deteine the world in ignorance they crie out it is not for you to iudge of what we say If the spirit wherewith Christ and the Apostles were guided â—â—d led was the holy Ghost what manner of spirit can this be which leader these men A spirit which would make vs like to painted clouds in a Church or like vnto those little court-cupbord gods of whom it is written k Ps â—15 5 â— They haue months but speake not eyes haue they but they see not they haue eares but they heare not noses haue they but they smell not they haue hands but they handle not feete haue they but they walke not neither speake thâ—y through their throat they that make them are like vnto them so is euery one that trusteth in them And therefore the spirit of darkenesse who detaines the Christians in darkenesse to the ende he may draw and bring them to the gulfe of outward darknesse with himselfe as it is written l Io. 3.19 20. 21 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darkenesse rather then light because their deeds were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Let him therefore that will walke in darknesse As for vs that m Ephes 5.8.11 were sometimes darknesse but now we are light in the Lord we will walke as children of light and will haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reproue them reioycing and taking pleasure in the light of the Scriptures without and in the direction and conduct of the holy Spirit within vs vntill n Iames 1.17 the father of lights who by his grace o Col. 1.13 hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne p Phil. 1.6 finishing that good worke which he hath begun in vs q Col. 1.12 make vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light r 1. Iohn 3.2 where wee shall bee like to him and shall see him as he is Amen The ende of the first Booke OF EVANGELICALL COVNSELS The second Booke CHAP. I. I. The Iewish Church hath been of old troubled by false prophets who pretended the name of the word of God and laid claime to it in their false lies II. Saint Peter prophesied that the like should happen vnto the Christian Church by false doctors III. Of this number are they which exalt with puffing words the Monasticall life IIII. Making the people beleeue that it is grounded vpon Euangelicall Counsels whereas there is no such Counsell in the whole Scripture THe Church of the Iewes was very much troubled abused and seduced in her time by the false prophets They saith God
Bellarmines words whence it followeth that we ought first to exercise our selues in the obseruation of the Commandements to obtaine the reward and auoide the punishment and that done and not sooner to proceede on to the keeping of Counsels seeing that the not keeping of them is not dammageable and hurtfull to vs by the inflicting and imposing of any punishment and the obseruing of them is not profitable to vs but by the impression of that which they terme Aureola in illa parte II. Now if wee make all them see that haue eyes in their heads that there is no man liuing in this world neuer was any but Iesus Christ the iust neuer shall bee any without some would of conscience hauing a pure heart and without spot thoughts without vice affections without passion and a life in all points innocent none by consequent that euer hath kept or that euer can during his soiourning in this flesh of sinne keepe the Commandements of God Wee will sufficiently proue against Thomas and him which hath translated his little booke that men do toile and labour in vaine after a diligent seeking and inquisition of a greater glorie in the obseruation of Counsels not being able to attaine vnto the first degree of glory by the keeping of precepts that most vainely they seeke perfection in that which is arbitrarie not being able to performe and perfect that which is necessarie for them In a word they abuse themselues in the expectation hope of an vncertain reward for hauing done more then they ought not being able to auoide the certaine punishment for not hauing done that which they ought to haue done And that will we proue not to make men carelesse and negligent but to make them humble not to prouoke them to euill but to make them see and know their disease and miserie to the ende they may seeke their cure in Christ Iesus who Å¿ Isa 61.1 came to binde vp the broken-hearted III. Man is to be considered in this life two waies out of Christ and altogether such a one as he is by nature not called effectually not iustified in the blood of Christ not sanctified by by the Spirit of God In Christ called iustified sanctified liuing in Christ and hauing Christ liuing in him We need not bring in here the ancient Heathen wee neede not take the paines to goe to the Turkes or search and ransack the Synagogue of the Iewes or transport our selues ouer to those other Nations which haue neuer heard of Christ or which hate Christ and scoffe at his Gospell to finde there men of the first kinde Christendome is full of them the Monasteries are filled with them the priuate houses doe swarme with them As our Sauiour Christ speaking of his Church said t Mat. 20.16 Many be called but few chosen Euen so it is There is an infinite number of Christians u 2. Tim. 3.5 hauing a forme of godlines but denying the power thereof x Tit. 1.16 they professe that they know God but in workes they deuie him being abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate They that are such not hauing the Spirit of Christ Iesus are not his although they are called by his name for such doth he hold them and as to such will he say to them in the last day y Luke 13.27 Matth. 7.23 I tell you I know not whence you are I neuer knew you All they which are of this kinde and stampe in the Church of God as all they also which are out of the Church and know not Christ wee say they cannot doe nor make any good worke yea though they were in the Church Pastors Doctors Bishops Monkes and out of the Church had all the vertues of Soloâ— Platâ— Aristides Epaminâ—ndas Phociâ—n Fabriciâ—â— Camilla and if there were any other among the Heather commendable and praise-worthie for his prudence continencie iustice temperance modestie and other vertues which make men to be admirable among their fellow-companions and to be admired of them In a good worke three things are necessarily required of which the man not regenerate bee hee Christian or Heathen is vnfurnished and destitute A good Author a good course manner and forme a good ende If any of these conditions be wanting he which worketh makes not a good worke hee transgresseth the Law hee taints himselfe with preuarication he binds himselfe to the curse and makes himselfe the childe of hell IIII. The first condition is that hee which doth a good worke be good himselfe Christ our Master hath taught it so when he said z Mat. 12.33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is knowne by his fruit a Mat. 7.18 for a good tree cannot bring forth euil fruit nor a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Hee compares men vnto trees and saith that they must be first good trees before they can bring any good fruit To be a good tree is to be pleasing and acceptable vnto God that man which thinks and desires to doe a thing that God accepts of and is pleasing vnto him must be first assured that he himselfe is pleasing and acceptable vnto God for it is not the worke that makes the person acceptable vnto God but it is the person which obtaines of God mercie and fauour towards his worke as we reade of Abel and Caine b Gen. 4.4.5 that the Lord had respect vnto Abel and to his offering but vnto Caine and to his offering hee had no respect hee had respect first vnto his person and in the second place to the worke of his person Now man is not a good tree by nature he is by nature c Rom. 11.24 a wilde oliue tree God said of all men considered in their owne nature d Deu. 32.32.33 Their vine is of the vine of Sodom of the fields of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of Dragons and the cruell venome of Aspes Hee describes them as being nothing worth as starke naught and willing no good thing being able to do nothing as being not onely insufficient and vncapable of good but also most capable of euill vnable and vncapable to thinke say doe the things according vnto God inclined and addicted to things which are displeasing and offensiue to him It is saith he e Isai 9.2 a people malking in darkenesse f Ephes 4.18 hauing the vnderstanding darkened yea a people that is nothing else but darkenesse g Ephes 5.8 ye were sometimes darkenesse saith the Apostle Is there any light in darkenesse which is a ‡ riuation of the light nothing lesse h 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned This is to describe it both priuatiuely or by