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A19308 A religious inquisition: or, A short scrutinie after religion Wherein the large cope of true religion is narrowly inquired. By Iohn Cope, of Grayes-Inne, Esquire. Cope, John, of Gray's Inn. 1629 (1629) STC 5722; ESTC S118371 36,759 136

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which euery man must do Secondly God might vse this meanes of the Word to let man know his infinit loue vnto him in sending his Beloued Sonne Iesus Christ into the world to suffer for man and our instruction in this point is the scope of the whole Scripture which Passion of our Sauiour had not needed if God had suddenly settled man in his former vprightnesse Thirdly God may take this course that a man may haue some comfort to himselfe in working out his owne Saluation by the meanes And this saluation is the end of Religion not that a man doth exercise any power of his owne in the worke either of Religion or saluation farther then to apply and subiect himselfe to the meanes but God would haue man to see the deprauation of all parts inward and outward and worke them through the efficacy of the Word to incline to Grace so to temper them as to yeeld to the impression of Religion with which the Holy Ghost is sealing him vp to eternall life This cannot but bring a great deale of sweete comfort to the heart of man which would otherwise be lost Fourthly God may haply the rather worke by his Word because man might exercise all those good gifts which God gaue him in his creation as meditation discourse affection and practice for the vse of all which a man shall receiue direction out of the Word whereas if a man had beene made perfect againe he should haue had onely a willing and a diuine contemplation and obedience and neuer haue needed the bent or intention of his minde as now he doth Fifthly Gods end in ordaining the chiefe meanes of a mans saluation to bee his Word wherein man must labour all the dayes of his life may be that man may bee brought to a higher esteeme of Heauen Sixtly God may doe this to expresse his Iustice that those who wilfully perish hauing the meanes of the Word offered them may be left without excuse and their destruction may be on their owne heads Worship the materiall cause of Religion Now it hath beene declared that God alone is the efficient and the Word the instrumentall cause of Religion The next cause is Worship the materiall cause of Religion the materiall cause of Religion and that is Worship The Psalmist sayes Psal 145.17 The Eyes of all things looke vp and wayte vpon thee and in another place Psal 148.1 calls vpon the Heauens and all the creatures to praise the Lord which waiting and praising may be taken as part of the worship of God but as for vnsensible creatures they only are said to praise God because they set forth his praise for sensible creatures as in many things they seeme to haue that reason which is onely in a man in chusing or refusing good or euill for themselues yet this is nothing but an inward instinct without the discourse of the mind In these creatures there is a kinde of expectation frō God of good things and an inward cheerefulnes which is a kinde of acknowledgement or thanksgiuing for good things receiued and likewise a patient mourning or humiliation as a man may say vnder the hand of God when they want his gifts wherein they may condemne many men that are ready to murmur vpon the withdrawing of the least of Gods mercies yet because they do not this by the direction of reason it cannot be properly called worship There are diuers words which haue sometimes and in some places as well in Scriptures as other writers an equiualent or promiscuous signification and in other places a more distinct construction as the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Greeke tongue more properly signify worship and honor and seruice are vsed all of them oftentimes and in seuerall places to expresse one and the same thing and each of them signifies the same that any one of them does as in the Worship of God is vnderstood and comprised his Honour and Seruice and in his Honour his Worship and Seruice and in his Seruice his Worship and Honour Now this matter of Religion which is Worship or Honour is found to be ascribed to man to Angels and to Idols To man when the same words are vsed to set forth the reuerence or respect a child oweth to his Parents or an inferior to a superior or any man to another for any extraordinary gift that are vsed to expresse the Honour of God The words of the commandement are that a child should honour his Father and Mother and in the Poem of Phocilides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children are exhorted in the first place to honour God and in the next place their Parents Paul in his Epistle to Timothy 1. Tim. 5.17 willeth that the Elders that rule well should be accounted worthy of double honour And Xenophon sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Rulers vnder Cyrus worshipped him or reuerenced him as a Father Lib. de beata vita Virtutem vt Deos eius professores vt antistites colite Seneca would haue men to worship vertue as the gods themselues and the Professors of it as the Antistites which were the chief Priests of the Temples and were ouerseers and disposers of all things that did belong to the worship of the gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Pithagoras is required a worship or worthy esteeme of the vnmarried intimating an extraordinarie kinde of reuerence to bee giuen to them that had either such a gift of continence or power to keepe themselues in a chast course of life vnmarried This worship is likewise ascribed to Angels as a worthy Writer hath not long since obserued Beza 2. Cap. ad Colos Est forma Religionis quae ex speculationibus c●riosis tamen reconditae cuiusdam sapientiae specimen habentibus oritur cruusmodi est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a worship saith he which ariseth out of curious speculations which yet makes a shew of certaine hidden wisedome of which sort is the worship of Angels And Iohn in the Reuelation is said To offer worship to the Angel Lastly this worship or seruice is attributed to Idols as the word Idolatry will teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the worship of Idols The first of these acceptions of worship or honour a it is applied to a man is allowable the other two acceptions as worship is attributed to Angels Idols the former of them requires a cautelous construction lest it proue derogatorie to Gods Worship and implies a worthy regard of them for their excellent nature and imployment the latter is absolutely sinfull and directly forbidden by God himself Whence may be gathered a threefold distinction of worship which is either a reuerend and respectfull esteeme of some creature out of any duty belonging to them or any speciall excellency in them which may be expressed in a mans outward carriage or such an application of a mans seruice to an
Idoll as that he sets it in the place of God or lastly the worship which God challengeth to himselfe and thus worship or honour may be said in generall to be giuen as well to the creature as to the Creator But it is the forme of euery thing that giues it being The truth of worship to God-ward the formall cause of Religion Now the forme of this Religion may be taken to consist in two things In the Worship of God and in the truth of that Worship Here is not meant that forme spoken of by Paul to Timothy 2. Tim. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which a man may haue and yet deny the power of Religion but that forme which is powerfull to make a man truly religious must informe a man what Religion is So that he that will be religious must worship God and that in Trueth First he must worship God And what is God Himselfe tels vs that his Name is Exod. 3.14 I AM and Christ in the Gospell of S. Iohn Ioh. 8.58 being asked of the Iewes whether he had seene Abraham being not yet fifty yeers old does not answer them That before Abraham was I was but said vnto them before Abraham was I AM. And what is he That I AM saies God and that is All and that All is All. Let a man mount vpon the wings of cogitation which is swifter then any flying bird into the highest Heauen which is the Seate of Gods incomprehensible Maiestie and there imagine an vnimaginable glory that He is let him come downe into the Firmament and if he can without dazeling looke vpon that orient Ruby and that splendent Diamond the bigger and lesser light round beset with the sparkling Starres all which doe as much excell in operatiue vertue the most precious Stone the Earth affoordes as there is distance betweene heauen and earth and that He is Let him passe thorow the element of fire and there make a little stay where he shall stand in the middest of fire and not burne nor be sensible of the heate if hee were bodily there which fire sets on fire all other bodies and that He is Let him make a step lower into the element of Aire and there hee shall finde such a friendly discord as that neither moisture shall quench heate nor heate dry vp moisture without temperature no liuing creature could breathe and that He is Let him take a iourny to the vttermost parts of the earth and where-euer he comes inquire of God and there hee shall here of Him for the earth and the fulnesse thereof is the Lords Psal 24.1 Let him discend into the Store-house of the earth and search the seuerall Cabinets of Gods Iewels and the whole Treasury of his Riches and there hee is to be found Psal 104.5 For he hath laid the foundation of the earth Let him go downe into the deepes of the water and there take view of Gods creatures which are for number incredible and many of them for shape proportion and condition accounted Monsters and likewise thinke vpon that common benefit which all liuing creatures receiue from this element of water without which they could not subsist and there he shall vnderstand of Him they are the words of the Psalmist Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in the heauen and in the earth and in the sea And when a man hath taken a sight of the Mycrocosme or great world and receiued some apprehension of God therein let him cast his eye vpon that Mycrocosme or little world himselfe wherein is as much contracted and compacted as is conteined in the whole Vniuerse and see if there hee can receiue any farther information of God There a man shall see as it were the Sunne and Moone vnderstanding and sence placed in the vppermost and sphericall part of his body The opinion of the Naturalist is that the Sunne and a man generate a man Sol homo generāt hominem which in this fabricke is true that the sunne of vnderstanding working vpon the terrene and elementary parts of a man makes vp a man and withall this glorious and Heauenly Planet sends forth light and influence whereby the whole man is continually directed and preserued Here likewise may bee obserued the Quotidian motion of this Planet which daily visiteth the whole man with sweete comfort and illumination and the annuall motion like vnto that yeerely progresse of the Sunne wherein it takes a more particular and serious view of all the parts of the Earth And indeed it is a good yeeres worke for the swiftest contemplation to take an exact consideration of all the faculties and parts of a man and that inward and estimatiue sence which is called by some the common sence and represents the Moone receiues all the light it hath from the vnderstanding whence commeth the Eclipse as may be said of this Moone within a man when the earthly carnall and externall parts of a man are interposed betweene sence and the light of the vnderstanding and the like eclipse is there of the Sunne which is resembled by the vnderstanding when sence interposeth it selfe betweene a man and true reason Let a man looke into the firmament of thoughts and cogitations which are in number and quality like the twinkling Starres of Heauen whereof some are fixed but most wandering and hee shall easily discerne a similitude betweene the things compared which is likewise to be found in the whole bodie of a man The shape of a man as long as he is conteined in the round wombe of his Mother is Globary till that diuine part of him be infused which requires a maiestike and commanding stature since God hath subiected all the creatures vnder his gouernement which is liuely expressed by Ouid the Poet who hauing set forth the Creation of the world with the creatures inhabiting therein proceeds with words to this purpose There was yet wanting saith hee a more perfect and sacred liuing creature that should bee capable of transcendent knowledge Ouid. Metamorph lib. 1. Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caetera posset Natus homo est Proraque cùm spectent animalia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit coelùmque videre Iussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus and might beare rule ouer all other things Man was borne and whereas all other creatures were framed with their eyes cast downe vpon the earth God gaue man a lofty countenance and an vpright and stately proportion commanding him to looke vp to heauen from whence he came But the elements retaine the same qualities and opposition in the body of a man which they had before this composition for heate and coldnesse and moisture and drinesse are in continuall strife which shall haue the predominancy and which is a strange thing this discord is a cause both of the conseruation and destruction of the same
subiect for ●ithout all the elements there is no body could subsist and yet this warre amongst the elements is the ruine of euery body in which warre they are all conquerers and yet all ouercome for the fire dries vp the water and the water quenches the fire the aire moulders the earth and the earth expels the aire and yet they haue a mutuall concord for the fire and aire agree in heate the aire and water agree in moistnes the water earth agree in coldnesse and the earth and fire agree in drienesse they all agree in this that none of them will depart the field till they haue destroyed the subiect of their contention which is the body of a man and in this is to be admired the wonderfull workmanship of God But yet for all this search the knowledge of God is not to bee found for he is incomprehensible and how can a man comprehend an incomprehensible He is a Spirit and how can flesh and bloud apprehend a Spirit God is infinite not to be limited in time he is euery where and yet no where either circumscriptiuely or definitiuely how can a man circumscribed within two yards receiue a notion of him that fils all things and all places He is omnipotent and how can the weake braine of a man conceiue what He is He is onely good and how can a man that is onely euill be able to vnderstand what He is that is all good He is Wisedome Strength Iustice Fortitude and all Vertue diuine and morall yea in Him are comprehended all Arts and Sciences what man is He is what any other liuing creature is He is yea what is in heauen and earth He is for euill it is a priuation and therefore is not nor cannot haue any being in him and this is all the knowledge man can haue of God that what he himselfe or any other creature is not that God is yea God onely is and man is nothing but what he is in God God is in man and yet no part of mā man is in God and yet no part of God yea God is absolute without man man is nothing without God and this knowledge of God as imperfect as it is is yet sufficient to direct man to worship God in whom he liues moues and hath his being But how shall man worship him whom he hath not knowne The manner how to worship God which is part of the forme of Gods worship is in truth Seneca a heathē man could make a distinction betweene Religion and Superstition or Idolatry Religio Deos colit superstitio violat when he sayes That Religion is an obseruation of God in his Worship whereas Superstition is a violating of his Worship in drawing it from truth and sincerity but what the true Worship of God is man can no way come to the knowledge of but from God himselfe because no man doth in any degree of perfection know what God is Now there are two Bookes that God hath giuen man to study vpon the Booke of Nature and the Booke of the Word In the Booke of Nature although man may reade sufficient to condemne himselfe yet there he shall finde nothing but what will confound him In the Booke of his Word God hath beene graciously pleased more at large to open himselfe vnto man and thereout to affoord him not onely instruments to frame him fit for his Worship but directions how to worship him aright Euery naturall man walkes in darkenesse as is wrriten by the Prophet Isaiah ●saiah 9.2 The people that walked in darkenesse haue seene a great light that is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ The Word sayes the Prophet in the Psalme Psal 119.105 Is a Lampe or a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Dauid sheweth how he got vnderstanding and was growne to a hatred of false-hood and errour namely by the Precepts and Word of God Salomon or Christ is said to ride vpon the Word of Truth Psal 45.5 as one that would ride in triumph ouer all Heresie Now euery man is content to haue some forme of Religion but this true worship doth so strictly tie the conscience to that forme and practcie of Religion which is taught out of the Word of God as that a man is ready to frame to himselfe any kinde of Religion whereby he might haue some dispensation for his euill course of life rather then to be held to so hard termes and hence it comes to passe that so many fall to Popery who when they are loth to deny and crosse themselues in the lusts of the flesh and yet are desirous to go to heauen they imbrace this Religion wherein they beleeue that though they commit neuer so great sinnes yet if they can get Pardons of Indulgences from the Pope or absolution from the Priest or do some workes of Charity or such as are meritorious in their owne opinion or procure some intercession of Saints or some prayers to be made for them after they are dead they thinke God to be well satisfied for their sinnes and well pleased with them Nay such is their grosse stupidity as that they thinke the sprinkling of a little holy water to be salutary for soule and body which appeares plaine in those conjuring words spoken by the Priest in diuine Seruice In Manual ad vsum ecclesiae Sarisburiensis Exorcise te creatura salis per Deum ✚ viuum Sis omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animae carporis effugiat atque discedat ab eo loco quo aspersum fuerit omnis nequitia I exorcise or conjure thee O creature of Salt that thou beest to all that shall partake of thee sanitie of soule body and that all euill shall depart from that place where thou art sprinkled And farther he saith I exorcise or coniure thee O creature of water that thou mayest serue to the casting out of Diuels Exorciso te creatura aquae in nomine Dei Pa●●ris vt fias aqua exorcisata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici c. Ad abijciendos daemones morbósque pellendos vt quicquid in domibus vel in locis fidelium haec vnda respersit careat omni immunditiâ liberetur à noxa non illîc resideat spiritus pestilens non aura corrumpens c. to the expelling of diseases that vpon whatsoeuer thou art sprinkled in any house of the faithfull it may haue taken from it all vncleannesse it may be freed from all obnoxitie that no pestilent spirit may remaine vpon it nor any corrupt ayre Let all the trecheries of the hidden enemy depart and if there be any thing aduerse to the health or quiet of the inhabitants let it be chased away by the aspersion of this water And then the Priest casts the salt into the water crosse-wayes after the manner of the Crosse and sayes priuately Let there bee an equall cōmixture of salt and water And thus is their Holy water made and