Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	faith_n	know_v	revelation_n	1,335	5	9.6714	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46699	A second part of The mixture of scholasticall divinity, with practical, in several tractates: wherein some of the most difficult knots in divinity are untyed, many dark places of Scripture cleared, sundry heresies and errors refuted ... Whereunto are annexed, several letters of the same author, and Dr. Jeremy Taylor, concerning Original Sin. Together with a reply unto Dr. Hammonds vindication of his grounds of uniformity from 1 Cor. 14.40. By Henry Jeanes, minister of Gods Word at Chedzoy in Somersetshire.	Jeanes, Henry, 1611-1662.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1660 (1660)	Wing J508; ESTC R202621	508,739	535

incentives unto sinne 2. Charity towards others should put a restraint upon the use of our Christian liberty in things indifferent and make us to forbeare all indifferent things whatsoever that may destroy the soules weaken or wound the 〈◊〉 of others 1 Cor. 8. 12. Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5. 13. Where the Antithesis implied in the particle but plainly sheweth that we use our liberty for an occasion unto the flesh if we do not by love serve one another in the exercise thereof Knowledg 〈◊〉 up but charity edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. that is a firme and full knowledg of our liberty in things indifferent ifit be separated from Charity is apt to swell the mind with pride and make men to despise or set at naught weak doubting and scrupulous Brethren But Charity edifieth that is it is carefull to build up others as living stones in the spirituall house of God the Church It inclineth to promote their graces and gracious practises and to avoide whatsoever is of a destroying nature unto their soules that is every thing that may occasion their fall into sin Now that indifferent things may sometimes be of an unedifying and destroying nature the Apostlè affirmeth 1 Cor. 10. 23. All things are lawfull for me but all things edisie not do not build up our brethren in truth faith and holinesse do not farther them in their Religion charity and justice for that the Apostle speaks of the edification of others is plaine by what followeth in the next verse Let no man seek his own that is only but every man anothers wealth that is spirituall the edification and salvation of anothers soule And therefore indifferent things are to be forborne in case of scandall when they prove to be of a destructive nature unto the soules of men when they weaken their graces hinder their duties and lead them into sin This course the Apostle prescribes unto the Romanes in the case of things legally uncleane before the coming of Christ. Those that were strong in the faith among them well instructed in the doctrine of Christian liberty knew very well that the legall uncleanesse of meates and drinkes all Jewish festivalls and fasts were removed by Christs death and that nothing was now of it selfe uncleane but all things indifferent and lawfull yet the Apostle would have them in the use of this point of Christian liberty not to scandalize those that are weak in the faith that is such as being newly wonne from Judaisme to Christianity were as yet uninstructed about the cessation of Ceremonialls Rom. 14. 13. Judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brothers way that is in the use of meats and drinkes that were before the Gospell Levitically uncleane and neglect of Jewish Festivalls and fasts the observation of which was for a while indifferent untill the interrement of the Ceremoniall law 〈◊〉 however the words run generally yet if we look to the coherence backwards the foregoing part of the chapter speaks onely of such things meates drinkes and daies and if we look to the coherence forwards it speaks onely of such things meats and drinks vers 15. Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ died ver 17. for the kingdome of God is not meat and drinke v. 20. for meate destroyes not the worke of God it is evill for that man who eateth with offence It is 〈◊〉 not simply in it selfe but accidentally by scandall And therefore I shall conclude that the place is in a speciall manner appliable against scandalizing by abuse of liberty in things indifferent Interpreters ghesse at three things wherein the practise of the strong amongst the Romanes might scandalize the weake 1. It might unsettle them in and distast them against the Christian Religion for they might hereupon think it to be contrary unto the Law of Moses which they so highly reverenced and so at last it might occasion their relapse unto Judaisme 2. It might embolden them to sinne against their consciences by eating that which they thought to be uncleane And 3dly it might grievously exassperate them and provoke them to powre out many a bitter uncharitable and sinfull censure upon the actions and state of those that were strong in the faith In vers 21. The Apostle proceedeth to inlarge his doctrine touching this particular beyond the controversy that occasioned this his discourse for as Estius well noteth He teacheth that to avoid the scandall and offence of our Brethren we are to abstaine not onely from things prohibited by the law but also from things not prohibited from flesh wine and any indifferent thing whatsoever It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weake It is good that is it is morally good 1. Good in regard of God a thing very acceptable and pleasing unto him 2. Good in regard of our Brethren profitable and conducing unto their edification 3. Good in regard of our selves a duty that God requireth of us And from this we may inferre that the contrary hereof is by the rule of contraries morally evill it is displeasing unto God hurtfull unto the soule of thy Brother and sinfull in thy selfe In vers 22. The Apostle prevents an objection of the strong Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe before God He speaks not of a faith saith Chrysostome that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of doctrines and tenets to wit such as are fundamentall and necessary unto salvation but of a faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the subject matter here handled meats and dayes things indifferent a beliefe touching their lawfulnesse the strong amongst the Romans might be ready to obiect that their knowledg and perswasion of their Christian liberty in the matter controverted amounted unto a Divine faith for it was built upon a divine Revelation Each of them might say as Paul did above vers 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is uncleane of it selfe The Lord Jesus hath taught me this liberty now is it not fit that my practise should be agreeable unto my beliefe that I should exercise my knowledg and act according unto my judgment seeing it is so well grounded why should I forbeare the doing of that which I know to be lawfull Unto this the Apostles answer is that they should not make a vaine ostentation or unseasonable discovery of their faith that is knowledg and perswasion unto the offence of their Brother the hazard of his soule but rather in such a case conceale it and content themselves with Gods knowledg and approbation of it who seeth in secret and will reward openly Matth. 6. Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe before God This prudent and charitable management of Christian liberty the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians unto in their carriage towards their Brethren touching things offered unto Idols 1

utrumque indifferens ambulare capitis naribus purgamenta projicere sputis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc nec bonum nec malum est sivè enim feceris sivè non feceris nec 〈◊〉 habebis nec injustitiam Aristotle and Sextus Empyricus give in their verdict for the truth of this assertion whose sayings the reader may peruse at large in Raynaudus moral disciplin distinct 4. quaest 1. Art 3. num 39. pag. 550. There is but one Considerable 〈◊〉 which I shall briefly propound and answere Whatsoever agreeth unto the species the sort or kind of a thinge agreeth unto all individuals contained under it And therefore if there be humane actions that be indifferent secundum speciem according to their kind the Individuals of such actions are indifferent too which will be opposed in a third Conclusion That which doth agree unto a thing 〈◊〉 se the opposite thereof cannot agree unto it either per se or per Accidens And therefore if some actions are per se of themselves indifferent it is impossible for the Individuals of such actions to be morally good or evill Unto this obiection Durand answereth by 〈◊〉 of a twofold sense of this expression An act is indifferent secundum speciem according to it's kind The sirst is that indifferency is of the specifick nature of such an act And this sense which is the sense of the objection is false for then it 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any individuals of such an act not to be indifferent But now there is a second sense of the expression that the specifick nature of such an action doth not involve or imply in it's notion morall either goodnesse or ilnesse But is equally and indifferently abstracted from both And this sense is true It is not of the specificke nature of many actions to be determinately good or determinately evill though they may be either by circumstances As for the confirmation which is added The answer unto it is usually as followeth A thing may be said to agree unto another per se either positively 〈◊〉 negatively 1. 〈◊〉 when it is predicated in primo or secundo modo 〈◊〉 per se when it is either an essentiall predicate or proper passion And thus it agreeth unto man to be a sensitive creature to be indued with the powers of understanding willing laughing c And in this sense indifferency doth not agree per se unto any humane voluntary actions for then it would agree unto them alwaies and in all places so that it would be utterly impossible for the individuals of such actions to be morally either good or bad 2. Negatively When a thing of it selfe is not such although by accident it may be such And thus we may say of a man that per se he is not white he is not blacke he is not tawny he is not of an olive colour or the like because each of these colours considered separately are accidentall unto the nature of man considered in the generall and in it selfe And yet the individuals of the nature of man may some of them be white some blacke some tawny some of an olive colour or the like Even so we may say of divers voluntary rationall actions of man that per se considered as devested from all circumstances they are indifferent morally neither good nor bad because morall goodnesse and badnesse is accidentall unto the nature of such actions considered in themselves and yet the individuals of such actions are all of them either good or evil 〈◊〉 shall be cleared by the next conclusion unto which before we proceed let us make some application of this second conclusion Against this doctrine of Indifferency there are two failings one in the 〈◊〉 Another in the excesse There are First some that faile in the defect who know not the full extent of indifferency and so either impose as necessary or condemne as sinsull things that are in their owne nature indifferent Thus in the primitive Romish Church there were some new converts who abstained from swines flesh and other meats prohibited by the ceremoniall law as unlawfull The use of which yet was indifferent and lawfull under the Gospell I know and am perswaded saith Paul by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing uncleane of it selfe Rom. 14. 14. Thus also amongst the Corinthians there were some weake Christians that branded for Communion and fellowship with Idolaters all eating of things offered unto idols Though bought in the market or eaten at private meetings In both which yet Paul pronounceth in generall there was no unlawfulnesse 1. Cor. 10. 25 27. Amongst us there are divers persons that are doubtlesse well affected in matters of Religion and yet are too rigid in censuring as sinnes divers innocent and harmlesse recreations This is an errour in and consequently a blemish unto the understanding Paul calls it a weaknesse in the faith Rom. 14. 1. that is an imperfection in point of knowledge and that privative or blameable For the faith and conscience of indifferent things is never indifferent we are never to judg a thing indifferent to be either sinfull or necessary Our Saviours command John 7. 24. Judge righteous judgment may be extended unto things and actions as well as persons Therefore as we are not to call good evill or evill good so neither are we to call things indifferent either evill or necessary This is injuriously to straiten the grand Charter of our Christian liberty and presumptuously to make the narrow way to heaven narrower then ever God made it Besides it openeth a gappe unto many mischiefes it filleth the Church of God with needlesse and endlesse disputes it perplexeth the minds of many conscientious people with unnecessary and unprofitably scruples it causeth many bitter and uncharitable censures and occasioneth many dangers In the believing Jewes that lived in the Church of Rome in Pauls time there was but a little mistake touching things indifferent meats and daies but how pernicious was the sequele hereof Hereupon the strong despised the weake and the weak judged the strong Rom. 14. And this was a great disturbance unto the peace of the Church and a great hinderance unto the comfortable communion of the Saints 2. Against this doctrine of indifferency there are some secondly that faile in the excesse who make things necessary or sinfull to be but indifferent There be some that hold observation of the Lords day preaching of the word in distinction from meer reading of it to be no ordinances of God but things meerly indifferent Erastians affirme that Church Government and Ecclesiasticall censures are onely matters of indifferency The Heathens in the Apostles times generally ranked fornication amongst things indifferent The like estimate some of the Corinthians had of eating things offered to Idols in the midst of an Idols temple at a religious feast of that Idol which was a palpable communicating with Devils and therefore a fact in it's own nature unlawfull And some Travailers that professe themselves Protestants have as

time wherin Christ shall passe publique and universall judgment upon not only mens actions considered in themselves but also of all the fruits and effects which have from their actions redounded unto others and that both in their life and after their death that so the wicked may have a full measure of wrath according unto the full measure of their sins considered in themselves and according to the full measure of their harmfull scandalous and mischivous effects and that the Godly may have a full and ample reward as for their faith and good workes in themselves so for the happy fruits of them for the glory that by them hath accured unto God and for the benefit and edification that from them hath arisen unto the Church Suarez in tertiam partem Tho. To 2 dis 53. 〈◊〉 1. assigneth two reasons or causes why the effects of actions after the death of their agents should conduce unto the universall judgment of them First they contribute if not unto the essentiall yet unto the accidentall and accessory reward of the Godly as also accidentall and accessory punishment of the wicked First unto the accidentall and accessory reward of the Godly for unto them it cannot but afford matter of unspeakable joy and triumph to behold the blessed fruits of their exemplary faith profession obedience patience labours for the publique c. in that by them they have perhaps won many a soule unto God Confirmed weaklings Confounded adversaries furthered any in the way of salvation in the building up of their soules in either knowledge or holinesse Secondly they conferre unto the accidentall and accessory punishment of the wicked in that they cannot but be amazed and confounded at the view of the many dismall effects of their accursed sins as in others so particularly in the wives of their bosomes fruits of their loines their dearest intimates O! what a cutting consideration will it be unto them at the day of judgment that by their sins as they have damned themselves so also they have been the guilty occasion of sin and consequently of damnation unto others who have been seduced and perverted by their Frrors and heresies or misguided and misled by their evil counsell corrupt discourse and advice and scandalized by their sinfull example A second reason assigned by Suarez is because effects show the naughtinesse or goodnesse of the works whence they spring that therefore all those things being both propounded and examined the equity of Gods judgment may more evidently be manifested it is very meet that after all the actions and all the effects of the actions of all mankind in this life are once quite consummated there should be a universall judgment in which all things may be most exactly weighed Before I leave this argument I shall intreat you totake notice of Suarez his limitation of it who understands it not of such effects as are meerly accidentall which cannot probably be foreseen nor have any naturall connexion with the actions themselves but of such effects which are or may be some way or other foreseen and are in some regard conjoyned with the actions so that they are contained in them as in a seed or root With this Consideration of mens actions in regard of their effects wee may connex another in regard of the fame that goeth of them of the iudgment opinion and estimate that men passe upon them here mens actions are misjudged misinterpreted misconstrued grosse villanies are many times so coloured and made so specious as that they carry away a generall applause and the most laudable actions meete with most disgracefull and reproachfull aspersions And as mens actions so consequently mens persons are misjudged two The rankest and grossest Hypocrites passe many a times for glorious saints and the best of Saints are reproached as the worst of men Hannah was censured for a drunkard David for a traitor 〈◊〉 for the troubler of Israel Paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition amongst the Jewes through out all the world there must there fore be a second and universall judgment wherein all actions and persons that have been misjudged shall have righteous judgment passe upon them so that mens now shining sins shall their be unmasked and displaied in their proper colours and on the Contrary the prosession of the power of Christianity all pious aactions which are now so discountenanced and despised shall then receive a publique not only approbation but reward and that from God himselfe and then for mens persons God will put a difference between the wheat and the chaffe the Corne and the tares the empty formalist that hath only a forme a powerles shew of Godlinesse and the sincere Christian that hath the power of Godlinesse the vitals of religion flaming in his heart and life then the Lord will to allude unto the words of Moses in another case Numb 16. 5. shew who are his and who is holy and will cause him to Come neare unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whome he hath chosen will he cause to Come neare unto him Lastly that Gods judgment of man is not compleate before the last judgment is to be manifested 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 Consideration of man to wit as he is a private and particular person and as he is a part of the Universe that is whole mankind this by Suarez is thus cleared up it is not only necessary unto the manifestation of Gods justice to Consider the sins of particular men secundum se as they are in themselves but also in reference unto others in order unto the government of the whole world in reference to that universall and speciall providence which God hath both in respect of the whole Universe and in respect of particular men and therefore God will not only judge privately particular men but he will also publiquely judge the whole Universe to wit of mankind by way of one entire politicke body all whose good and evill actions shall be brought unto a most severe triall and that Considered according to all their respects and references whatsoever Hereupon it followeth that although on Gods part this generall gathering or assemblie of all be not necessarie unto him to passe judgment on every particular person yet in regard of men themselves 't is after a sort necessary both for the publique manifestation of Gods justice as also that a certaine speciall kind of retribution proceeding either from publique praise and honour or else publique shame and confusion may have place for this kind of retribution necessarily results from such a manner of publique and universall judgment not from the private judgments of particular persons judge nothing before the time untill the Lord Come who will bring to light the hidden things of darknes and will make manifest the Counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God to wit publique praise and honour and this also is imported by the resemblance of the reward of the Godly at the last

world his most private whispers and that in the closet shall become audible to all the world shall be as it were proclaimed upon the house tops he respecteth the manner of the Jewish buildings which were slat rooft whence they might speake to multitudes in the streets the bookes of mens consciences that were here perhaps clasped and tyed shall then be open'd Rev 20. 12 and the contents of them shall be plainly legible by men and Angeis Ottocar King of Bohemia refused to doe homage to Rodulphus the first Emperour till at last chastised with war he was content to doe him homage privately in a tent which tent was so contrived by the Emperours servants that by drawing one Cord it was all taken away and so Ottacar presented on his knees doing his homage to the view of three armies in presence Thus God at last shall uncase the closet dissembler to the sight of men Angels and 〈◊〉 having removed all vailes and pretences of piety no goat in a 〈◊〉 's skin shall steale on his right hand at the last day of judgment 〈◊〉 relates a story of a counterseit who pretended that he was 〈◊〉 the Son of Herode he was saith he so like unto Alexander that they who had seen Alexander and knew him well would have sworne he had been Alexander himselfe but he could not deceive Augustus who by the hardnesse of his hands and roughnesse of his skinne soone found out the Imposture it is no difficult matter for hypocrites to cheate men with Semblances of piety but let them not be deceived for God will not in their day of tryall be mocked but will clearly evidence their hypocrisy unto all by the hardnesse of their hearts and brawninesse of their consciences the most discerning eye can hardly peirce into the hypocrisie of some Professors they may be Virgins incorrupt and sound in point of doctrine and opinion they may be Virgins true and faithfull unto Christ by dedication in Baptisme as also by their voluntary Covenant nay they may be 〈◊〉 like in respect of their externall conversation and untainted with the grosser pollutions of the world they may have lamps of outward and visible profession and they may trimme these their lampes they may pretend to wait for the coming of the Bride groome and be reputed to doe so by even the wise Virgins themselves but the coming of the Bridegroome will make an evident and through discovery that they were but foolish Virgins that they had no oile in their vessels no saving grace no sound faith no unfeigned repentance in their hearts they had not received an unction from the 〈◊〉 one 1 〈◊〉 2. 20 and hereupon they will be excluded the celestial Bride-chamber and be disowned by the Bridegroome Cajetane observeth that they had oile in their lamps but not in their vessells they could produce as a testimony of their goodnesse and sincerity the blaze of outward good workes But alas this will never passe with God in the day of judgement as long as there is wanting in their hearts and consciences the inward testimony of uprightnesse and that is wanting in them they have no oyle in their vessells for God is not the formalis Ratio the ground and principall inducement of their good workes and duties they are not performed for his sake from a love of him in obedience to his command and out of respect unto his glory Lastly the day of judgment is a strong and powerfull incentive unto Constancy and perseverance and that both in faith and obedience 1. In faith and the profession thereof Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gath ring together unto him that ye be not soone shaken in mind or judgment or from your mind judgment 2 Thes. 2. 1 2. The Apostle speakes of a particular errour concerning the day of judgment but we may inlarge what he saith unto instability of judgment in all matters of faith whatsoever shall glosse the words by these following Scriptures Eph. 4. 14. Be not children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of 〈◊〉 and cunning crastinesse whereby they lye in waite to 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 23 Let us hold fast the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 faith without wavering Heb. 13. 9. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace But you will demaund why he adjures them hereunto by the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him The reason is because when the Lord Jesus Christ commeth when we shall be gathered together unto him we shall all then come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man Eph. 4. 13 then we shall all attaine a firme immobility in the truth and for this not only a revolt or dissent from but even a doubting or unsetlednesse in any part of the doctrine of faith meritoriously unqualifieth Christ promiseth when he cometh to make him that overcometh a pillar in the 〈◊〉 of his God Rev. 3. 12 and for such a place in the Heavenly structure how unfit are those that by every blast of false doctrine are transported from the truth of the Gospel for every storme of persecution slip anchor and 〈◊〉 cable he that denyeth any parcell of Evangelicall doctrine doth in part deny Christ and how can such expect but to be disowned by Christ when he cometh to judgment how esfectually this meditation wrought with à Persian Eunuch one Usthazanes that had been Governour unto Sapores King of Persia in his minority you may reade in Sozomene lib. 2. cap. 8 this man for feare denyed the Christian faith and worshipped the Sun but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a strange providence Simcon Arch-Bishop of Seleucia and 〈◊〉 was for his constany in the faith drag'd unto 〈◊〉 by the Court-gates where Usthazanes then sate who though he durst not make any profession of Christianity yet he could 〈◊〉 but arise and expresse his reverence unto the aged Arch-Bishop iu a respective and an honourable salutation but the zealous good-man frowned upon him and turned away his face from him as thinking him for his Apostacy unworthy of his notice and acquaintance this forthwith stroke Usthazanes unto the heart and 〈◊〉 from him store of teares and groanes and thus he 〈◊〉 with himselfe Simeon will not owne me and can I expect any other but that God should disclaime me when I appeare before his tribunal Simeon will not speake unto me will not so much as 〈◊〉 upon me and can I 〈◊〉 for so much as a good word or a good look from Christ whome I have so shamefully betraied and denyed hereupon he threw off his rich and courtly garments and put on mourning apparrell and profissed himselfe a Christian so of a Cowardly 〈◊〉 he became a resolute aud glorious Martyr 2. The day of

and sweeten our 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 with meeknesse moderation Gal. 6. 1 if a man be overtaken in a fault 〈◊〉 which are spirituall restore such a 〈◊〉 in the spirit of 〈◊〉 considering thy selfe 〈◊〉 thou also be tempted here spirituall is taken in opposition not unto the unregenerate as 't is used 1 Cor. 2. 15 but unto weake Christians babes in Christ and so 't is understood chap. 3. vers 1 by spirituall persons then are understood those that are strong in the faith of full age who by reason of use have their senses 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 both good and evill Heb. 5. 14 now the Apostle to induce these spirituall persons unto 〈◊〉 and gentlenesse in their reproofes propounds unto them the consideration of their own frailty and obnoxiousnesse unto surprisall by sinne considering thy selfe lest thou also be 〈◊〉 as if he should have said suppose thou art spirituall an eminent Christian one extraordinarily gifted with the gifts of both edification and sanctification yet if thou wilt duely consider the depravation of thy nature thou must needs be sensible that it is no impossible thing for thee to be tempted drawne and inticed by thy own lust into the very same faults with which thy weaker brethren are overtaken and for which they are now under the lash of thy censures thy lust may conceive and bring forth the same sins meditation upon this would take of much from the rigor severity and unclemency that usually is in our reprehensions which makes them to be mistaken for railings and deemed to proceed from an hostile and not fraternall affection it would incline us to reprehend our falling and failing brethren with such tendernesse as a Chirurgion handles his patients and so much may be imported by the word here translated restore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to set a bone that is broken or out of joint and this is or should be done with a tender hand and 〈◊〉 heart Ecclesiastes 7. 29. Lo this only have I found that God hath made man upright but they have sought out many inventions IN the verse foregoing Solomon complaines of the generall depravation of mankind one man among a thousand have I found but a woman among all those have I not found in the words there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 so that the words one and none are here taken for few and fewer as 't is observed in the Dutch Annotations if ye take the words properly the last clause is to be limited unto his outlandish wives and concubines that seduced him unto Idolatry who are said to be a thousand 1 Kin 11. 3 seven hundred wives three hundred concubines amongst all these there was not so much as one prudent and good woman now lest any should hereupon throw the blame of this upon God for giving man so depraved a nature he cleareth God by laying downe two conclusions The First concerning the state of man by creation God made man upright The second concerning the state of man by his apostacy and defection from God but they have sought out many inventions Unto these two Conclusions he premiseth a preface Lo this only have I found wherein we have three things remarkable First the importance of these two conclusions implyed in the note of attention Loe Secondly the meanes by which he came to the knowledge of them diligent search and study into the word and will of God this have I found Thirdly a comparison of them with other points he found them only First here 's the weight and importance of these two conclusions implyed in the note of attention Loe and the weight and concernment of them may be gather'd First from the influence of them upon practise being well studyed they will make us thankfull unto God humble in and watchfull over our selves charitable unto others in admonishing of them and praying for them Secondly from the pronenesse that is in men to justify themselves and accuse God for the corruption of their natures let no man saith James say when he is tempted I am tempted of God James 1. 13 this prohibition implyeth that men are apt to say that they are tempted by God Secondly we have the meanes by which Solomon came to the knowledge of these two points diligent search and study into the word and will of God this have I found to wit by inquiring after divine revelations the light of nature and reason can never discover that Adam was made upright as the representative of all mankind and that his fall from this uprightnesse was imputable and derivable to all mankind indeed the Lord of Plessie Marlie in his worke intituled the truenesse of Christian religion chap 26 proveth by naturall reasons that man's nature is corrupted that man is falne from his first originall and for it also chap. 27 he alleadgeth the testimonyes of diverse antient Philosophers indeed by the woefull effects they had a confused knowledge of the 〈◊〉 that there was a great confusion and disorder in the soule of man but first however they knew it to be vitium a blemish or infirmity of nature yet doubtlesse the generality of them was ignorant that it was peccatum a fault or sinne Secondly reason though never so much improved could never attaine unto so much as a glimmering of it's 〈◊〉 the cause whence it came it fared with them as with Rebecca Gen. 25. 22 two children strugled together within her wombe and 〈◊〉 said if it be so why am I thus so they by dayly experience find contrary appetices strugling within them but they cannot ghesse at the cause of this unnaturall war and therefore they say as shee if it be so why are we thus and unto this demand 't is impossible to have any satisfying answer unlesse they doe as shee did in the close of the verse shee went to inquire of the Lord. This then may discover the true reason why Papists Socinians and Arminians have been at such a losse touching originall righteousnesse and originall sinne they have not taken such a course as Rebecca here they have not gone to inquire of the Lord they have consulted reason only and not scripture they have followed Aristotle not Paul for their guide Thirdly we have a comparison of these conclusions with other pointes of doctrine shinted in the particle only this only have I found this and nothing else But sounds not this very strangely was Solomon such a truant such a sorry proficient in the study of divinity as to know only two heads thereof originall righteousnesse and originall sinne sure then he was not gifted or qualified for the office of Ecclesiastes the Preacher for he had been unable to declare all the counsell of God For Answer unto this First this particle only is to be taken not simply but secundum quid in relation unto that depravation of man-kind spoken of in the foregoing verse this only have I found to wit as touching the cause