such as seeke to be saued and iustified by their owne workes our Sauiours answere is If yee will enter into life Matth. 19. 16. viz. by this doore keepe the Commandements but to all such as inquire and desire to enter into life by the right doore they must looke to the answere giuen by the Apostle to the Iaylor demaunding how he should be saued Beleeue said he in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshould that Act. 16. 31. ioyne with thee in the true faith So Saint Peter to the same demand Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the Name Act. 2. 38. of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost So our blessed Sauiour himselfe The Kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Now Mar. 1. 15. what this Gospell is that Christ himselfe first preached in Iury and commanded his Apostles to preach to the whole world The Apostle Saint Paul sheweth saying God hath made Iesus 2 Cor. 3. 21. Christ sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In all the which Testimonies we are giuen to vnderstand that we haue great cause to repent vs for all our workes which are nothing else but sinnes which are so odious to God and so dangerous to our owne soules that vnlesse Christ had made himselfe a sacrifice for them we could not haue beene freed from death and damnation and as concerning that righteousnesse vnto the which euerlasting life was due that we could not find in our selues but Christ was to performe it for vs also otherwise wee could not bee partakers of life euerlasting For there must be a due and an equall proportion betweene the satisfaction and the debt and betweene the price and the thing purchased if in iustice the one and the other shall discharge and deserue the one and the other But there is no equall proportion between the sufferings and righteousnesse of a meere man and betweene sinne and the loue of God and aeternall happinesse consisting therein but onely betweene the sufferings and righteousnesse of our blessed and glorious Immanuel God and Man For the effect proceeding from the cause cannot exceed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 2. c. 1. vertue and power thereof seeing the dignity and worth of the one ariseth out of the worth and dignity of the other Now the workes of Christ proceeded from his humane nature personated in his Diuine and both his natures did concurre in effecting the most gracious and glorious work of the redemption of man whereas the faithfull are not personally vnited to the Sonne of God or to the Holy Ghost nor haue the spirit aboue measure but haue the remnants of originall sinne still staying in them and stayning their best workes and therefore not the workes of Christ wrought in vs by his Spirit but those that he performed in his owne person for vs are fully satisfactory for all our sinnes and absolutely meritorious of the Crowne of Glory QVEST. V. The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the Body and Bloud of Christ Bread and Wine in their natures and substances are the visible signes and the materiall parts of the Eucharist and therefore are not transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood Aug. de Consecra dist 2 hoc est quod dico of Christ neither in truth can they be without the destruction of the Sacrament it selfe For as Saint Austin saith euery thing while it subsisteth retaineth the nature and truth of those things whereof it consisteth At the first institution of the holy Eucharist the Euangelists and the Apostle doe testifie that 1 Cor. 11. 24. our blessed Sauiour tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes brake it and gaue it to them saying Take eate this is my Body which was giuen for you Doe this in remembrance of mee It was Bread then in nature and substance that our blessed Sauiour tooke at that time and it was the very selfe-same thing that he consecrated by thankesgiuing and brake and gaue to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my Body that is this is that I ordain to be the Sacrament or sacred signe of my Body For the word comming to the Element doth not abolish it but consecrate it to an holy vse and so maketh it to be a Sacrament seeing it doth not change it in nature and substance but in vse And verily as S. Ambrose saith If there be such force in Ambros dâ— Sacra l. 4. c. 4. the words of the Lord Iesus that the things which were not at his very word begun to be how much more can it worke this that they shal be the same in substance that they were and yet be changed into another thing in vse For this Bread saith Chrysostome is counted worthy to be called the Lords Câ—rysâ—st ad Caesar Monach. Body albeit the nature of the Bread remayneth Yea as the Diuine and Humane natures in Christ being vnited together by personall vnion remaine in their proper essence and substance Gelas cont Eutich without being confounded or changed the one into the other Euen so as the ancient Fathers haue taught in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the visible Elements Theodor Dialog 2. mystically ioyned vnto the inuisible grace do not depart from their former nature and substance For he that honoured the signes which we see with the names of his Body and Bloud did not change the nature of the signes but did adde grace to nature And therefore the Apostle did often call it by the same name of Bread after it was consecrated to be the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. of his Body But for that our Romanists doe so presse the bare words of our blessed Sauiour we may iustly demaund of them in what words of our Lord shall we find that he tooke Bread either to abolish the substance of it and to make the bare and naked shewes thereof to be the outward signes in the Sacrament and and to bring his body into the place of it or to turne the whole substance of it into the substance of his Body Yea where shall we find in these words This is my Body that this doth signifie either Christs Body it selfe or an Indiuiduum vagum that is an vndetermined particular or else as their owne glosle grosly affirmeth nothing at all And verily the words of Christ and explications thereof taken out of other like places of holy Scripture are nothing with them for that vnlesse they be sowly wrested and turned they will nothing at all further their turne QVEST. VI. The righteousnesse of the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnesse whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnesse which is said to be obtayned by the obseruation of Popish Vowes The morall Law is Gods
Gospell it selfe for the working out of the conversion of any Because this word of Christ is not rightly receiued nor doth worke in any one effectually but where it 1 Thess 2. 13 is receiued for it's own sake And verily concerning the power of miracles and of the Church which is a multitude of such as professe the truth they are not able to convert an Infidell but to prepare him make him ready to embrace the Gospell which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16 Aug. de utilitntâ— credendi c. 16 to saluation to all that belieue Men saith S. Austin that are not yet able to discerne the heauenly truth that they may bee lifted vp to it and suffer themselues to be purged from their impurity hindring them from it haue the benefit of direction of authority which standeth vpon two things whereof the one is the greatnes of miracles and wondrous workes done the other is the multitude of such as beleeue Verily God would haue all men saued and come thereto by the knowledge of the truth But this knowledge of the truth is learned out of the 1 Tim. 2. 4 Ioh. 8. 32 Col. 1. 5 Gospel the word of truth And therefore did the Lord cause so many strange signes and wonders to be done by the first publishers and preachers thereof that the doctrine of the same Marc. 16. 20. Hab. 2. 4. might bee embraced as diuine and heauenly whereunto the Lord himselfe did giue such testimony For the which purpose also the Lord caused so many diuine graces to shine in the liues and such admirable courage and comfort in the deathes of such as were the first Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitiue Church that that doctrine might be receiued as diuine heauenly which wrought such diuine and heauenly effects The which were so euident and apparent that the very enemy was forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holy profession which bringeth forth such an holy conversation this is a ioyfull comfortable faith which breedeth such ioy and comfort amidst the very terrours of death O vndonbtedly great is the God of the Christians Their light did so shine before men that they seeing their Mat. 5. 16. good workes did glorifie God the Author thereof So likewise why doth the Lord sometimes cause the sweet dewes of his temporall blessings to distill downe vpon his beloued Vineyard and sometimes againe smite it with the sharpe stormes of his coâ—rections but that thereby he might prepare it to yeeld a fruitfull and a plentifull Vintage And why doth he suffer the Field of his Church sometimes to lye ley and vnbroken vp and to be at rest and againe at another time doth breake it vp and fallow it but that he might make it fitter to receiue and nourish the Lord's seed and in the end yeeld a better haruest Yea as a wise and prudent Schoolemaster dealeth with his young and tender Scholler sometimes speaking him faire and giuing him an apple or a fig that so he may winne him vnto his will and sometimes not only threatneth him but vseth also the rod that so he may force and compell him thereunto so dealeth Christ our heauenly Master and Teacher with vs his dull disciples and Schollers sometimes seeking to allure vs with a liberall largesse of his temporall blessings carefully to hearken to the holy instructions of his Word and sometimes seeking to compell vs thereto by his sharpe corrections the which yet Psal 106. 45 Luc. 14. 23 are neither our Schoole nor our Schoolemaster but the rod rather in our Schoolemasters hand The Church is our Schoole-house and Christ himselfe is our Schoolmaster and the Bible is the Booke whereby we be taught corrections are the rod in Christs hands whereby we are forced to giue an attentiue eare to the instructions of his word by the which we are made wise and learned Christians Prosperity ordinarily breedeth security and choaketh the Mat. 13. 22. Exod. 6 9. Eccle. 7. 9 Iob. 3. 3. Ier. 15. 10. good seed and maketh it vnfruitfull So aduersity maketh many to murmure against God and to stop their eares against all good admonitions yea it maketh a wise man mad as it may appeare by holy Iob and Ieremie who were thereby occasioned euen to curse the day of their nativity And therefore it is a speciall blessing of God when by prosperity we are stirred vp to thankfulnes and by aduersity to repentance and to take better heed to the wholesome instructions of God's most holy word Blessed is the man said Dauid whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest in thy Law that thou maist giue him patience in Psal 94. 12. time of adversity vntill the pit be digged for the vngodly And verily when in our aduersity the Lord doth teach vs out of his Word the vse and end of afflictions and maketh vs seriously to lay it to our hearts then is our adversity made profitable vnto vs by the blessing of God I heard Ephraim saith the Prophet lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe convert thou me and I shal be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented and after I was instructed I smote vpon Ier. 31. 18. my thigh In which words we may perceiue that corrections of themselues cause the professed seruants of God to kicke with the heele and that vntill God by his word instruct them they are not effectually moued by their corrections vnto repentance and amendment of life Wherefore when the Lord openeth the eares of any of his Seruants by their corrections it is by sending vnto them a Messenger one of a thousand to declare vnto them the Lord 's most exact righteousnes and seuerity euen against the sinne of his Elect which cannot be satisfied for the same but by the precious Bloud of their Sauior Christ that thereby they might be brought to Faith and Repentance For then will the Lord haue mercy vpon them and say Deliuer them that they goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Iob 33. 24. So then it is still the power of the Gospell of Christ sounding in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers that is able to worke the conversion of a sinner afflictions may cause vs more carefully to giue attendance to the Word as in like manner may paines penalties inflicted by the Magistrates which are the Lord's Lieutenants ordained to this purpose that they should by their penall statutes euen force their subiects to harken diligently to the commandements of God Not that any can be forced to faith and repentance by any manner of penalty or paine whatsoeuer but by inforcements they may be driuen to come to the Assemblies of the Saints where the Fishers of men cast out the net of the Gospell that at
for him by Christ being in particular his Redeemer and Sauiour who hath tendred to God a full satisfaction for the discharge of his sinnes So protesteth the mother in the name of all her children My beloued Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his and whom may we ioyne next to the mother but her best and deerest daughter My soule saith Luk 1. 47. he doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour So Iob I am sure that my Redeemer liueth So Dauid Iob 19 25. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So Saint Paul I liue by the faith of the Gal. 2. 20. Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me So an ancient Peere of the Church whose workes haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesi O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For the which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold
victorious against Antichrist and all his impious Heresies For where Truth is clearely demonstrated and rightly apprehended it cannot otherwise be but that it 1 Esd 3 12. will mightily preuaile Our most wise and learned Solomon hath already by his penne begun this regall and Princely worke and hath iustified by cleare and demonstratiue arguments that the supreme authority to command aswell in Ecclesiasticall as in ciuill causes resteth in the ciuill Magistrate in his own Dominions and Countries and hath sent his Booke to all Christian Princes the which no doubt shall preuail at that time when he that hath the hearts of all Kings in his own hand shall know it to be most fit And why should it not then highly please especially the Ecclesiastick Peeres of his Kingdomes to follow so worthy supereminent an example in causing all Theologicall doctrines in this our renowned Church to be confirmed by cleare and demonstratiue arguments iustificable by all the rules of sound reason and the sophismes opposed against them reduced to the elenches as in part they haue bin already by that famous late publike Professor in Cambridge Doctor Whitaker And if worthy ensamples of famous men of their own ranke be not to be neglected herein haue they not to be their Precedents the singular Patrons of the Christian Faith that liued in the Primitiue Church that penned their learned Apologies and deliuered them vp into the hands euen of the Heathenish persecuting Emperours And albeit that reprobate Iulian did say of these Apologies I haue read them vnderstood them and despised them yet the learned Bishops were not dismaide therewith but gaue him this answere thou hast read thē Zozom l. 5. c 18. perhaps but thou hast not vnderstood them for if thou hast vnderstood them thou wouldst not haue despised them And verily whereas the vpholders of the Kingdome of Antichrist come with strong delusion and with all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse why should not all such as are set in the defence of the Gospell of Christ striue earnestly as the Apostle St Iude exhorteth for the maintenance Iude 4. of the Faith which was once giuen to the Saints yea why should they not striue for truth euen vnto death and defend Iustice for life seeing if they doe so they shall Eccl 4. 28. haue God to fight for them against their enemies Meroz hath a double curse for omitting this duty and Iael hath a double blessing for performing the same pronounced by an Angell of God from Heauen Curse yee Meroz Iud. ◠22. said the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not out to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mighty Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women dwelling in tents for she put her hand to the naile her right hand to the workemans hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera yea she smote off his head after that she had woūded and pierced his temples So let the words of the wise which are like goads and Eccl. 12. 11. like nailes fastned by the masters of the assemblies which are giuen by one Pastour bee as it were driuen into the heads of all spirituall Siseraes that all Heresie and Idolatry may be pierced and wounded and in the end vtterly destroyed And so now also let all thine enemies perish O Lotd and let all that loue thee and thy Truth be as the Sun when he riseth in his might And let all true Christian hearted Englishmen continually pray that the Sunne of righteousnesse would neuer goe down vnder the Horizon of this our Church of great Brittaine but that he would alwayes shine ouer it by the bright beames of his glorious Gospell and blesse it with the heauenly influence of his holy Spirit holding still the starres thereof in his right hand and preseruing the Candle of his Word in the Candlesticke thereof vnto the world's end Thine in the Lord IOHN TERRY THE QVAESTIONS THAT are handled in the first part of this Treatise 1 The Gospell is the onely proper and immediate cause of true faith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the holy liues and comfortable deaths of the dearest seruants of God nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man 2 The Word and Sacraments doe not profit vnlesse the sense and vse of either be rightly conceiued and vnderstood 3 The meanes whereby wee are to come to the right vnderstanding of the word of God is the light of true reason For the opening of the truth whereof these positions following are explained 1 All quaestions humane and diuine are to be determined by the rules of right reason 2 The testimony of no author humane or diuine is further to bee approued then as it agreeth with the grounds of true reason 3 The holy Scriptures doe teach and demonstrate the greatest mysteries of godlinesse by arguments and reasons 4 The Law and the Gospell are founded vpon most forcible reasons yea the permission of the fall of Adam by transgressing the Law of God being the occasion of mans recouery which is openened in the Gospell is grounded vpon most forcible reasons 5 The Professors of euery Religion alleage reasons for the iustifying of their seuerall devotions 6 The soundnes and substance and as it were the very quintessence of all diuine reason is most plentifully to be found in the canonicall Scriptures 7 No truth in Philosophy is contrary to any truth in Diuinity 8 Testimonies may be taken out of Philosoyhy to giue witnesse vnto truths in Diuinity and reasons may be produced out of the booke of Nature to open and cleare the doctrines of the booke of Grace 9 Where there is no reason apprehended that may perswade to Faith there ordinarily is no Faith 10 Where there is a clearer apprehension of the reasons that perswade to Faith there is the more setled assent and the stronger Faith 11 The doctrines of Faith and Godlines are often repeated and the reasons and motions that perswade thereunto are inculcated and vrged again again in the Bookes of the Old and New Testament that we may thereby vnderstand that the clearer fuller apprehension of them doe beget a clearer and fuller Faith 12 Wee may by supernaturall reason ascend aboue the reach of naturall reason 13 That Faith is not the best and strongest that hath the lesse number of reasons and the lesse perspicuous arguments to stay it vp but rather that which hath the greater number and the more perspicuous 4 Sauing Faith is diuine wisdome or a certaine knowledge and a setled assent adhaerence to all diuine verities necessary to saluation especially to the Couenant of grace as to the meanes of the highest happines and the chiefest good 5 A sauing Faith is alwaies accompanied with all other sanctifying
God that maketh him to will or to worke for then God should not be the first mouer and the first cause of all things but therefore he willeth Rom. 9. 19. because he willeth And yet farre be it from any Religious heart to thinke that the most wise God willeth any thing without good and sufficient reason or that he speaketh any thing idlely or in vaine The Word of the Lord is the Fountaine Eccles 1. 5. of Wisedome and therefore openeth all Divine truthes by their right and proper reasons And all the workes of God are done in number weight and measure he hath giuen to euery severall creature according to it's kinde it 's seuerall nature with properties qualities fitted thereunto And he hath ordained euery thing to cōsist of such such causes faculties powers as were best agreeing to such such things most powerfull to enable them to produce such and such effects for the producing whereof they were ordained by God The which causes and effects powers and faculties qualities and properties when they are found out then there is a right knowledge of the things themselues Now what are causes and effects powers qualities and the like but reasons and arguments whereby all things are made open and manifest and so are rightly apprehended and knowne Looke we into the sacred Scriptures and we may see therein how the Lord doth lay open vnto his people the mysteries of godlinesse yea euen that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh being the principall subiect of those divine bookes by assigning his efficient cause God the Father Matth. 3. 17. and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary the daughter of David the King Luk. 1. 31. His materiall causes his Divine and humane Natures Matth. 1. 23. His formall cause the vniting of his humane nature by personall vnion vnto his divine Ioh. 1. 14. his finall cause the working out of mans redemption Gal. ◠4. His effects our reconciliation to God Ephe. 2. 18. with our deliuerance out of the bondage of sinne and Satan and our translation into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Ioh. 8. 36. His attributes according to his Divine nature infinite wisedome holinesse righteousnesse and the like Col. 2. 3. and according to his humane nature such a measure of all divine and heauenly graces as are farre aboue the perfections of any other creatures Ioh 1. 19. The time when he was borne euen when the Scepter was taken away from Iudah and all regall authority was in the hands of strangers Luc. 2. 1. The place where he was borne Bethlehem Matth. 2. 5. The place whither he fled into banishment Aegypt Matth. 2. 13. The place where he was brought vp Naezareth Matth. 2. 23. The places where he liued preached wrought his miracles and dyed Galile Samaria Iury and Ierusalem Luc. 13. 24. The place where his body was laid after his death a Sepulcher that was in a Garden wherein neuer any body was laid before Ioh. 14. 42. The place whither he ascended after his resurrection and where he sitteth at the right hand of God and from whence he shall come to iudge both quicke and dead the highest Heauens Act. 2. 32. Diuers things from him all creatures in their defects and imperfections Ioh. 1. 23. Things like vnto him all creatures in their good properties and gifts Gen. 1. 26. especially typicall persons as Melchisedecke Heb. 6. 2. Isaack Gen. 17. 16. Sampson Iud. 16. 30. Ionah Matth. 12. 40. and all the high Priests Heb. 9 9. Typicall things the brasen Serpent Ioh. 3. 14. The mercy seat Hebr. 4. 16. Especially the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testaments 1 Cor 10. 4. His description Heb. 1. 2. His distribution by his Propheticall Priestly and Kingly offices set down in the greater part of that Epistle the interpretation of hi◠Name Iesus a Sauiour Matth. 1. 21. Of his Name Christ annointed Cant 1. 2. Of his Name Emmanuel God with vs Matth. 1. 23. His Conjugates a Sauiour bringing saluation to all that are saued Act. 4. 14. His testimonies of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost 1 Ioh. 5. 7. Of the Angels Luk 2. 11. Of all the Prophets Act. 10. 4e And of his greatest enemies euen the Diuels themselues Matth. 8. 23. The principall parts of the Word of God are the Law and 2 Cor. 4. 2. Gospel both of which are grounded vpon the evidence of reason and truth Law saith Cicero is the higest reason The Cic. l. 1. de leg which if it be true of the wise Lawes made by wise men much more is it true of the most wise and righteous Lawes made by Deut. 4. 8. the most wise and righteous God And verily it is the reason of the Law that is the life of the Law and bindeth the conscience to yeeld obedience For if the Law be contrary to reason it bindeth such as are subiect thereunto onely to endure the penalty thereof and not to performe the thing therein commanded For as Tertullian saith if a Law will not be tryed Tert. in Apol. Quod ad omnes attinet ab oinnibus debet approbari it is iustly suspected and if it being not tryed and approued yet is forced vpon any it is wicked seeing no Law doth owe to it selfe the iustifying of the equity thereof but to them of whom it doth require obedience And therefore wise and moderate Princes doe vse to call together a generall assembly of all the States and Commons of their Kingdomes that vpon iust causes and reasons duely weighed and examined both hurtfull Lawes may he taken away and holsome Statutes enacted for the generall good of their Kingdomes and Countries The which Statutes when they are published are many times set forth barely without their reasons least happily they might grow into too great a Volume But it is not so with the Lawes of God especially with those of the first Table for they haue sundry reasons adioyned to them as lights to make manifest the aequity of them and as Orators to perswade obedience thereunto And verily there was great reason why it should be so seeing by the fall of Adam the true knowledge of them is greatly defaced in all his posterity Whereas the Lawes of the second Table which concerne our duty towards our neighbour are for the most part barely deliuered because they are knowne by their owne light and that to the most barbarous people that liue on the face of the whole earth As it may appeare by the History of the West-Indinas who are reported presently to haue approued and embraced the aequity of those Lawes when they were at the first proposed vnto them And yet behold how behoouefull it is euen for the faithfull themselues to haue many reasons set downe before their eyes for the procuring of ready obedience to be yeelded euen vnto these commandements in that the Spirit of God hath caused the Prophets and
abused by riot and pride and to the beautifying of the Temples of their false gods And verily Moses being learned in all the wisdome of the Aegyptians was thereby made mighty in words and deeds or at the least was not a little holpen thereby in all his great and weighty affaires As Daniel being instructed in all wisedome Dan. 1. 17. and being taught the tongue and learning of the Caldeans became ten times wiser than all the Inchanters and Astrologians of Babylon and was also strengthened and stablished in the feare and seruice of the true God more than any other that liued in his time And did not our Sauiour Christ giue to his Apostles the first Preachers and Publishers of his Gospell in all the world by the immediate worke of his Spirit Act. 4. 13. for they were by education simple and vnlearned such a Luke 21. 15. mouth and wisdome that all their aduersaries were not able to resist And did he not also giue to the first renewers and reuiuers of the Gospell in these latter dayes such knowledge in the tongues and in all manner of Diuine and humane learning by blessing their great labours and paines in the diligent vsing of the meanes for the obtaining thereof that thereby they became most notable lights throughout all the Countreys and Kingdomes of Christendome For they which haue the greatest light in themselues are the fittest persons to lighten others and they that best apprehend the grounds and reasons of all humane and diuine verities can best informe and confirme others in all manner of doctrines both humane and diuine As it may appeare by the parable of the Talents where Matth. 25. 16. it is assumed that he that receiued fiue Talents went and occupied with them and gained other fiue as he that receiued two gained other two And yet it may not be denied but that it may come to passe that he that hath the meaner gifts may doe the more good and sometimes perswade with more fruit As in the Councell of Nice when all the learned Bishops could not Ruff. hist eccles lib. 1. cap. 3. preuaile with the Philosopher with all their pithy Orations and perswasions an vnlettered Layike with a plaine Narration caused him to giue ouer his former errours and to yeeld his assent to the mysteries of faith But this was an extraordinary Zozo li. 1. ca. 13 worke of the Spirit of God opening the vnderstanding of the Philosopher at the plaine declaration of the vnlettered person and leauing him before in his naturall blindnesse and infidelity all the time that the learned Bishops reasoned with him For as all the lights in the world cannot direct vs in our way if we our selues be blinde and want our sight or as all the medicines in the world cannot restore health if that our diseased stomackes will not receiue them so the light of Gods word be it neuer so cleerely and neuer so directly set before vs cannot guide vs to God as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnesse and shut our eyes against the same Neither can all the balme of Gilead cure our spirituall Iere. 8. 22. sores if that we will not indure to haue it applied vnto them All meanes are nothing be they neuer so good without the speciall blessing of God as on the contrary side when it 1 Cor. 3. 7. shall please God to blesse the meanes they shall preuaile be they neuer so meane And verily as in bodily wars it is as easie with God to saue with few as with many albeit ordinarily the strongest army the best furnished winneth the field and getteth the victory so in our spirituall warfare against infidelity superstâ—ion and idolatry men of meane gifts by the Lords special blessing may more preuaile then such as are indued with greater graces And yet as the better meanes are the better blessings of God so ordinarily by his disposition and prouidence they doe obtaine the better effect As it is manifest in the Apostles who for that they were indued with the greatest measure of all diuine and heauenly wisedome conuerted more to the faith of Christ then any other of their successours As did likewise those principall men which were in these last dayes raised vp by God to be the reuiuers of his gracious Gospell spread abroad in a short time the bright beames thereof in many countreys of this West and North parts of the world Daniel and his fellowes may be better nourished with course poulse then some other with a good portion of finer food brought vnto them from the Kings owne table and so some persons may be better edified with a plaine declaration of truth lightened with one or two testimonies out of the word of God then by a great cloud of the same witnesses and by many strong forcible demonstrations but the cause hereof is either in the weaknesse of the spirituall stomacke vnto the which milke doth better agree then strong meat and in the dimnesse of the spirituall eye which can see better with a little light then with a great or in the extraordinary worke of God For ordinarily the greater number and the bigger lights doe giue the greater and bigger light as the better and stronger food doth yeeld the better and stronger nourishment Wherefore the Preachers of the word of God being the Lords stewards and the disposers of the mysteries of God who are therefore set ouer the Lords house that they should giue to euery one their portion of food in due season had need to prouide good store of spirituall graine to be laid vp before hand in the baines of their inlarged hearts that therewith they may feed the Lords people to the full As likewise for that they are the Lords Captaines to marshall his bands and companies against the Lords and their owne enemies they ought to be furnished with all manner of spirituall armour that so they may be able to furnish other And verily for any one to take vpon him to discourse and reason without sound and apt reasons and to argue without substantiall and sufficient arguments is to take vpon him to feed without food to fight without weapon to lighten a thing without light and to build without morter timber and stone Wherefore the most wise God hath most prudently prouided for the most plentifull instruction both of Priest and people not only by setting downe in his two bookes of nature and grace all doctrines necessary for their saluation with great variety of all manner of reasons and arguments for the better clearing and confirming of the same but also by often repeating and inculcating of them yea by vrging them againe and againe he hath giuen them a plaine admonition that they should be most diligent to learne those thing ouer againe and againe which he hath beene so carefull so often to teach Verily if we were such as we should be it should be sufficient for vs that the Lord did
mercy the glory of Gods goodnesse and loue he being neuer more glorious then in the same with open face in respect of the reuelation thereof made in former times vnder obscure types and shaddowes and by this cleere fight of the Lords most glorious loue in Christ we are renewed into his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse according as it pleaseth the Lord to begin the same by his Spirit and to inlarge it also Now concerning the other effect of faith the Apostle describeth true faith by it also saying faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene That is faith is such a gracious gift as enableth the faithfull euidently to behold the inuisible things of God and especially his vnspeakable goodnesse and loue and giueth them also in him a sure ground-worke for the assurance of their full glorification which as yet they inioy but in hope Now in this Chapter we are to intreate of the definition of faith and of the singular effects in the two next following Assent doth follow apprehension and therefore as a slight and a light apprehension begetteth opinion which is an vnsettled and an vnstable assent so a sure and certaine assent of the mysteries of godlinesse ingendereth faith that is a resolute and settled perswasion For a settled assent proceeding from a well grounded knowledge is all one with sauing faith and diuine wisedome As it may appeare in that when the Word of God is said either seuerally to giue the knowledge of saluation to the Lords people Luke 1. 77. or to giue faith Rom. 10. 17. or to giue wisedome vnto the simple Psal 19. 7. or ioyntly to bring to the vnity of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. Tit. 1. 2. Iob. 6. 60. 7 8. 1 Ioh. 4. 16. or to bring the vnderstanding of wisedome and knowledge Prou. 1. 2. 9. 10. Col. 1. 9. Iac. 3. 13. or to make wise to saluation by faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. one and the selfe-same effect is deliuered vnder these diuers names Which may also further appeare in this that the Spirit of God which calleth this diuine gift the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. calleth it also the full assurance of the vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. The minde and the vnderstanding is the eye of the soule and a sure and settled knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse or sauing faiâ—h or diuine wisedome is the right sight of this eye And hereof it is that our blessed Sauiour not onely in his owne person calling men to repent and to beleeue the Gospell is said to preach recouering of sight to the blinde Luke 4. 18. But also sending out his Apostles to goe into the whole world and to preach the Gospell to euery creature is said to send them out to open their eyes that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they Act. 26. 18. might receiue remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him And therefore the opening of the eyes of the faithfull whereby they truly apprehend the mysteries of godlinesse is called Vision as the Spirit of God which worketh this vision is called Prou. 19. 18. Iohn 2. 20. 1 Sam. 9. 9. an eye salue and as the Reuealers of this doctrine in old time were called Seers And verily the true fight apprehension and knowledge of the Couenant of grace and of all other diuine doctrines of the word of God is as Origen saith a speciall gift of God proper to such onely as are predestinated to this euen to walke Orig. lib. 7. cont Celsum worthy of God who hath made himselfe knowne vnto them To theÌ„ only it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen to others it is not giuen For they seeing do see and Matth. 13. 11. do not perceiue and hearing do heare and not vnderstand lest they should returne so be healed The vaile of corrupt opinions 2 Cor. 3. 14. is not taken from their eyes but onely from theirs which are effectually called and turned to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell For they all bohold as in a mirrour the glory of God with open face the vaile or couer being taken from their eyes Now if the faithfull be those vnto whom God hath reuealed Iohn 9. 39. himselfe and hath opened their eyes and hath made them to see by giuing to them a true faith then faith is a true sâ—ght apprehension and knowledge of God and of his goodnesse and loue in Christ and of all other diuine verities which are necessary to the saluation of a faithfull man And so was Faith defined by the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine as Doctor Benfield testifieth in his third Chapter concerning sauing Faith The Deuils and all obstinate and impenitent sinners as they haue neither sauing Faith nor diuine wisedome so neither haue they any such sight apprehension and knowledge of the diuine verities of Gods most holy Word as causeth them to yeeld a sure and certaine assent thereunto The Deuils in their creation were Angels of light and were sanctified with the cleere knowledge of all diuine verities but now they haue lost Iohn 17. 17. Chrys hom 19. in Psal 118. sanctity by falling away from God the Father thereof and from truth the mother and nurse of the same The Deuill saith our Sauiour abode not in truth but is a liar and the father of lies he made choice to misconceiue of God that he Iohn 8. 44. was vniust hard and cruell and he is so blinded and hardened therein that he cannot nor will not be remooued from the same As it may appeare in that he refused to stand to the censure of our Sauiour Christ laying euer to his charge iniustice and cruelty saying What haue we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment vs before the Matth. 8. 29. time And verily from that which preserued at the first and still preserueth the elect Angels as Isidore testifieth that is from the vision and contemplation and settled perswasion of all those diuine perfections that be in God especially of his infinite and endlesse goodnesse and loue the reprobate Angels fell and wholly depriued themselues thereof and therefore doe not now know and acknowledge that God is righteous gracious and good nor honour him by ascribing vnto him these glorious perfections Now as the old Serpent hath thus inuenomed himselfe so hath he with the same poison infected the nature of Adam and Eue of al vs which by ordinary generation descend from theÌ„ For he perswaded our first parents not only that God was not good vnto them for that he forbad them the vse of the fruit of one of the trees of Paradise and withheld from them the knowledge of good and euill lest thereby they should become as Gods but also that
faith by calling it the knowledge of the Tit. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 16. truth which is according to godlinesse for that it is the fruitfull mother thereof As he calleth the Diuine doctrine of the Gospell the mysterie of godlinesse because it is the powerfull instrument of God to procreate the same For it openeth the vnspeakable vnsearchable riches of the loue and goodnesse of God in Christ and giueth light and sight to apprehend the same and thereby begetteth true godlinesse The cause procreating and preseruing of all holinesse and happinesse both of Angels and men either in this life or in the life to come is the Vision contemplationâ— and Apprehension of the Lords vnspeakeable goodnesse and loue The plaine and euident revelation and manifestation thereof in the Gospell openeth the eyes of a blinded sinner and giueth to him the sight of a true Christian sauing saith whereby he turneth from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan to God and Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 3. 18. worketh in him a reuerent feare to offend the Lord and a louing care to performe all duties that doe belong to piety and godlinesse Behold saith Saint Iohn what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God For this cause the world knoweth vs not because it knowoth not him Dearely beloued now we are the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for wee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. shall see him as hee is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure In which words the Apostle auoucheth that the Lord making himselfe knowne by the doctrine of the Gospell not to the world but to his Elect and causing theÌ„ therby not onely faithfully to beleeue and embrace his great loue whereby hee hath adopted them for his sonnes in Christ but also by hope firmely to expect their full and finall glorification at his comming to iudgement doth thereby purge euery one of them from the pollutions of sinne and so doth reforme and renew them The which reformation because it doth begin in the minde and from thence proceedeth to the whole man is called a renewing or a changing of the minde and a returning to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resipiscentia wiser course For when the vnderstanding is truely rectified and reformed by the sure and certaine knowledge and apprehension of heauenly things it will master and ouer-rule the will and the affections and cause them to be imployed about Coll. 3. 2. heauenly actions The illumination of the minde saith a learned Author Morton of the three fold estate of man being the first part of regeneration is the cause of all the rest of that holinesse that is to be seene in the regenerate man euen as our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth saying The light of the Mat. 6. 22. body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light but if thine eye be wicked all thy bodie shall be darke So likewise if the minde which is the eye of the soule Coll. 3. 10. be truely sanctified and renewed with knowledge there followeth holinesse in all the faculties of the soule but if it be darkened with blindnesse and ignorance there is nothing but sinne in the whole man Neither can it be otherwise For as it is impossible that a man should either trust or hope in God loue feare and obey him or performe any other duty of holinesse to God whom hee doth not know in his loue mercy goodnesse power iustice and the rest of his attributes so it is no lesse impossible that a man should know and be fully perswaded that God is true in his promises mercifull gratious and iust and not be affected to him accordingly He that knoweth thee O God saith Austin loueth thee more then himselfe August soliloq cap. 1. and leaueth himselfe that he may come vnto thee and delight in thee Wherefore if any one make profession of true wisedome and Iac 3. 13. knowledge we may will him with Saint Iames to make demonstration thereof by his good conversation and by his workes performed in meeknesse of wisedome or which is all one if he make profession of the true Christian Faith we may say vnto him Shew mee thy faith by thy workes and I will Iac. 2. 26. shew thee my faith by my workes seeing that faith that is without workeâ— is not a liuing but a dead faith For a liuing faith doth engraffe vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees Rom. 11. 19. which cannot be without good fruit And verily so farre forth Mat. 7. 17. Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. ad Quirit Tantum diligimus quantum credimus Orig. in Eze. hâ—m 22. 1 Ioh 2. 4. Qui non facit bonum non credâ—t bonum Isa 11. 6. Pro. 2. 10. as the grace of God enableth vs to beleeue so farre it enableth vs also to worke and so farre forth as it enableth vs to apprehend Gods loue towards vs so farre forth it enableth vs to loue God and to make the same euident and manifest by our carefull endeauour to doe such things as are well pleasing in his sight He therefore that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him For he that doth not well beleeueth not well and he whose knowledge bridleth not in some good measure his brutish affections he hath not attained to that wisedome and knowledge which the Spirit of God fore-told should be in all true and sincere Christians For when wisedome entreth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way Of the infallible certainty and truth whereof Lactantius was so throughly perswaded that he was bold to make this challenge to any that would except against the same by instancing in the most vnbridled affections of all Giue me saith hee Lact. diuâ—n Instit l. 3. c. 26. a wrathfull man and a slanderer and one that is of vnbridled affections and with a few words of God I will make him as weake as a Lambe Giue me a greedy and a couetous pinch-penny and I will make him liberall giuing out his money with whole handfuls giue me one that is afraid of griefe and death and he shall presently contemne the Gallowes and the fire and the Bull of Phalaris also giue me a libidinous and an adulterous person and thou shalt see him straight way sober chast and continent giue me a cruell and a blood-thirsty person and presently his fury shall be turned into mercy giue me an vniust person and an vnwise and a sinner and by and by he shall be made iust prudent and innocent and with one washing all his sinfulnesse shall be
not mistake herein it is manifest by the testimony of God himselfe set downe by the Prophet Ieremie in most direct words to that purpose I will Ier. 32. 40. saith the Lord make an euerlasting Couenant with them meaning his faithfull ones vnder the time of grace that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So then now vnder the Couenant of grace diuine grace is not so offered to the faithfull that they may either chuse or refuse it if they will but thereby they are made both willing to receiue it at the first and resolute also to perseuere therein constantly euen to the end and therefore by the Spirit of God they are called trees which shall not cease from yeelding fruit Ier. 17. 8. Whereby it is manifest that grace lightning the vnderstanding with a true faith doth sanctifie the will with all other vertues and establish it also with constancy and perseuerance Wherefore a well-grounded knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse diuine wisdome and sauing faith doe neuer goe alone but take their traine with them and are alwaies accompanied with all other diuine and heauenly vertues And thus much concerning the necessary combination of sauing faith with all other diuine vertues Now it remaineth that we make manifest what comfortable assurance of Gods fauour and loue faith also giueth to all that truly beleeue CHAP. IIII. The diuine doctrine of the Christian faith doth giue to the sincere imbracers thereof a sauing faith and an assurance thereby of Gods fauour and loue and of eternall happinesse and blessednesse THat which all erronious professions doe promise that the Gospell of Christ doth performe euen a sure faith and a faithfull assurance of the fauour and loue of God and of eternall happinesse and blessednesse For herein is reuealed the Couenant of grace grounded vpon a strong foundation euen vpon him that is Immanuell God with vs a most powerfull Reconciler of men vnto God and a most gracious procurer of Gods fauour and loue For mans sinne being committed against the infinite maiesty of the most glorious Deity could not be done away but by an infinite satisfaction and Gods loue and euerlasting happinesse consisting therein being blessings of an inualuable worth could not haue beene purchased but by an inualuable price Now this infinite satisfaction and inualuable price could not haue beene tendred but by such an one that was true man ioyned in one person to the true God that so he might be a meet Mediatour betweene God and man And so he himselfe testifieth saying I am the way the truth Iohn 14. 6. and the life no man commeth vnto the Father but by me It is then by Christs meanes that wee beleeue in God and haue an assurance of his fauour and loue For to him God gaue after his shamefull death which he suffered for our sins a glorious resurrection as an ample testification of his full satisfaction made for them all and of his victorious conquest ouer death that so we might haue faith and hope in God Wherefore if 1 Pet. 1. 21. God hath plainly opened vnto vs the worke of our redemption and reconciliation wrought by Christ which is the foundation of the Couenant of grace wherein God offereth himselfe to be a gracious God and a louing Father to all such as imbrace it with a true faith it cannot be but if that with a true faith we apprehend this gracious Couenant we should rest thereby throughly perswaded of the Lords inestimable fauour and loue towards vs. Now that the vndoubted truth therof may euidently appeare let vs obserue these three circumstances First the time when this assurance is giuen Secondly the meanes whereby it is wrought Thirdly the witnesses that giue euidence to the certainty and infallibility thereof Now concerning the first when God by the light of the Gospel doth open our eies make vs to behold the light of his couÌ„tenance shining vnto vs in Christ Iesus and thereby doth not only informe our vnderstanding but also reforme our will and affections euen then in some measure he giueth vnto vs this comfortable assurance that he hath admitted vs among the number of his children and hath matriculated vs into the Vniuersity of his Saints and hath entred our names into his booke of life For that which our blessed Sauiour auouched of Zacheus when he willingly receiued by loue Christs person into his house and his doctrine by faith into his heart This day is saluation come to this house for as much as this man is become Luke 19. 9. the sonne of Abraham that is to be auerred of all persons whatsoeuer that readily imbrace the faith that was in Abraham seeing all such as haue their hearts purged by faith are Rom. 4 12. Gal. 3. 26. 2 Tim. 2. 21. vndoubtedly thereby made the sonnes of God and vessels of honour sanctified and meet for the Lord. Now saith Saint Iohn we are the sonnes of God euen as many as by an 1 Iohn 3. 2. effectuall calling are brought to a wise and vnderstanding faith and to an holy and vpright life So Saint Bernard At Bern. â—p 107. the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse at our iustification that is when we are made inberently iust and righteous for so he taketh the word in this place the secret that was hidden from the beginning concerning those that are predestinate and shall be blessed beginneth to appeare out of the depth of eternity whilest a man called by the feare of God and framed to righteousnesse by loue presumeth that he is of the number of the blessed knowing that whom he hath iustified them also he hath glorified In the which very place that we may come to our second circumstance Saint Bernard aduiseth the person that is made an holy and iust man to take for the opener of this mystery of his saluation the Spirit making him righteous and iust and thereby testifying to his spirit that he is the child of God For saith he who is a iust man but he that being beloued of God loueth him againe Which commeth not to passe but by the Spirit of God reuealing by saith the eternall promise of God for his saluation to come the which reuelation that is the ground or meanes of the which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by the which the deedes of the flesh are mortified and the man that hath it is prepared to the kingdome of heauen together receiuing by one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is beloued and loueth againe So then when the Apostle auoucheth that the Spirit of God beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the children Rom. 8. 16. of God that he doth saith Saint Bernard by nothing else but by the infusion of spirituall grace whereby the deedes of the flesh are mortified and the man of God is
God by the which testimonies of the 1 Iohn 2. 29. Apostle it is manifest that the faithfull knowing that they are indued with the true knowledge of Christ and with true loue and with true righteousnesse know thereby that they are of God and that they are his elect and chosen children For as a true friend among men doth bestow such fauours and gifts vpon him whom he intirely and tenderly loueth as the receiuer vnderstandeth what they are and their worth also that so by manifesting his great kindnesse he may winne mutuall and reciprocall loue so God the friend of friends giueth his spirituall graces vnto all those whom he hath loued in Christ and chosen in him before the foundation of the world and maketh them to vnderstand what these his principall blessings are and the end why he giueth them euen to assure them of his fatherly fauour and loue Yea he maketh them sensible of this gracious worke of his Spirit in their owne hearts when he effecteth the same by the powerfull operation of his owne holy Spirit and worketh a true sense and feeling thereof in the receiuers themselues as it hath already beene declared in the opening of the second question of the first part of this treatise and shall bee further cleared also in the second part hereof For that the faithfull should not doubt of Gods loue toward themselues he giueth his owne sanctifying Spirit and their owne sanctified spirits to testifie the same that against the sufficiency of their testimonies no man can take any iust Rom. 8. 16. exception In the Law saith our Sauiour it is written that the testimony Iohn 8. 17. of two men is true Of what an vndoubted truth then is that thing which is witnessed by a sanctified conscience whereas the testimony of conscience without this qualification Conscientia mille testes is in stead of a thousand witnesses Now if the witnesse of a sanctified conscience be of such validity which yet is but an humane testimony what is the witnesse of God himselfe Now this is the witnesse of God saith the Apostle that not 1 Iohn 5. 9. onely he hath giuen vnto vs eternall life but also that he hath by his Spirit giuen vnto vs our faich to testifie the same to our owne soules and that to this end that we might know that we haue eternall life and that we might beleeue viz. by a faith daily growing stronger and stronger in the name of the Sonne of God The which thing cannot be but effectually wrought if the faithfull would daily and duly consider that the promise of blessednesse made by Christ to all that beleeue was by God deliuered not onely by word of mouth but also by an oath Iohn 5. 24. and after the same maner was redeliuered to Christ and that to this end that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible Heb. 6. 17. that God should lie we might haue strong consolation and not only so but also was set downe vnder his own hand againe and againe in all the bookes of the old and new Testament and further yet was ratified and confirmed by many feales of diuers Sacraments Wherefore no maruell though the faithfull in former ages haue often openly made profession of this their comfortable assurance of Gods loue publishing and proclaiming that God was their God and they his seruants and that Christ was their Christ in particular and that by his Bloud shed precisely for themselues they were iustified from all their sinnes O my soule saith Dauid thou hast said and said it againe and Psal 16. 2. againe vnto the Lord thou art my God for so it followeth in the same Psalme and in diuers others The Lord is the poâ—tion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot my lot is fallen vnto me in a very good ground I haue a goodly heritage So Psal 18. I will loue thee deerely O Lord my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God and my strength in whom I will trust my shield and the horne also of my saluation So Esay O Lord thou art my God So Thomas My Lord my God Esay 25. 1. Ioh. 20. 28. Hos 2. 23. So all the faithfull since the comming of Christ in the flesh I will say vnto them that were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God And verily as when Ahab said to Benhadads seruants Is my brother Benhadad yet 1 Kings 20. 33. aliue they tooke aduantage thereby saying thy brother Benhadad so whereas God calleth himselfe in particular the God of the faithfull and them in like manner his people and his seruants why may not the faithfull call not God only their God but themselues also his seruants after a speciall maner making thereby a thankfull confession of their own high dignity which the Lord their God hath bestowed vpon them It was not pride then and presumption but a thankfull and dutifull acknowledgement of Gods most singular goodnesse towards himselfe that made Dauid sound out with a loud voyce and double the same againe and againe Behold Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds that is thou hast deliuered me from the bondage of sinne and Satan and hast made me the seruant of righteousnesse and therefore I may safely assure my selfe that I am thy seruant So old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Luke 2. 29. seruant depart in peace according to thy word So Elias O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel let it be knowne 1 Reg. 18. 36. this day that thou art the God of Israel and that I am thy seruant that I haue done al these things at thy commandement So the Apostles Simon Peter a seruant and an Apostle of Iesus 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iac 1. 1. Iude 1. Rom. 1. 1. Christ Iames a seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ They knew that they serued Christ faithfully in the preaching of the Gospell and in all other duties inioyned to Act. 27. 23. them by Christ and therefore they were bold to publish and proclaime themselues to be his seruants and Christ himselfe to be their Lord. So Tertullian writing in the defence of the Tert. in Apol. Christian faith against the Gentiles The religious saith he among you seeke for safety where it cannot be had c. but I cannot pray for it but to him of whom I know that I shall obtaine it because it is hee that is able to doe it and I am the party to whom it is to be granted because I am his seruant and doe worship him alone Now as euery faithfull man knoweth that God is â—is God in particular and that he himselfe is Gods seruant so he knoweth the same blessing to be wrought
the Apostle hath Cura quasi cor vreas painefulnesse and it brâ—edeth that care that burneth and scorcheth the heart and â—ormenteth the soule and it hastneth those Apoc. 21. 8. that willingly entertaine it towards the horrours of hell and excludeth them from the ioyes of Heauen How then ought all the sincere Professors of the Gospell to be thankefull to God for that he hat sent his Gospell vnto them and hath opened theeir eyes thereby so to apprehend his vnspeakeable loue in Christ reuealed therein that therby they are effectually stirred vp to loue God especially seeing as the Apostle saith there is no feare in loue but perfect loue 1 Ioh. 4. 18. casteth out feare For as a chast spouse is not iealous of her kind husband and a dutiful sonne is not so fearefull as to think that his tender-hearted Father will withdraw his loue froÌ„ him so the true Church of Christ being his beloued Spouse and her legitimate children being the children of God will not be fearefull distrustfull whether God will change his kind affection towards them with-draw from them his tender loue Nay vndoubtedly the true Church is alwayes ready to professe and say My beloued is mine and I am his he is my beloued and still loueth me and therefore I will continually loue him and reioyce for euer in his constant loue And so vndoubtedly the legitimate children of the true Church are ready and willing to confesse with their elder brother Saint Paul We liue yet not we now but Christ liueâ—h in vs and in that we now liue in the flesh we liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. And verily such a confession is set downe by the Wiseman in the name of all the Saints Though we sinne say they all Sap 15. 2. yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not knowing that we are thine In which words foure remarkeable points of doctrine are deliuâ—red vnto vs First that the Saints in this life auouch that they are the Lords in his fauour and in his loue and that we may vnderstand how certainly they are assured thereof they double the same asseueration saying that they doe not goe by guesse or stand vpon blinde hope but that they know indeed that they are the Lords Secondly the meanes are â—et downe whereby they know that they are Gods euen because he hath giuen to them a true knowledge of himselfe We are thine say they for we know thy power Thirdly they auouch that their sinnes of ignorance and infirmity doe not take from them this assurance of their faith For say they though we sinne yet are we thine Fourthly they auouch that this assurance of Gods loue is a most powerfull meanes to keepe them that they doe not willingly giue themselues ouer to sinne For say they we sinne not knowing that we are thine And therefore herein also the iudgement of the Church of Rome is contrary to the plaine and direct euidence giuen in by all the Saints in that they affirme that the assurance of Gods loue is a spurre to sinne whereas the Saints auouch and that no doubt vpon their owne experience that it is a bridle to restraine from the same Grace concealed from such as are left to their owne headstrong affections may be an occasion that many are carried headlong into sinne but grace reuealed giueth grace reuoketh from sinne and prouoketh vnto all good workes The grace of God saith the Apostle that bringeth Tit. 2. 11. saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue iustly and soberly and godly in this world Wherefore in that the Church of Rome not onely willeth coÌ„mandeth her followers to doubt of their saluation and to feare whether they be in the estate of grace but also disgraceth the security of saluation giuen to the faithfull by the Gospell of Christ being the powerfull instrument of God to worke faith grace it is euident that she is the mother of infidelity and not of faith and that she leadeth her disciples to hellish horrours and terrours the iust reward of fearefull infidelity and not to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious the happy fruit and 1 Pet. 1. 8. issue of a confident Christian faith as Saint Peter testifieth And thus haue I shewed in the clearing and demonstrating of these three last propositions what manner of knowledge that is which I affirme to be all one with sauing faith as first Phil. 1. 10. a wise discerning knowlege wher by we so apprehend Gods loue in Christ reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell as that we esteeme and embrace it as ouâ— highest happinesse and our chiefest good Secondly a sanctifying knowledge whereby we are not onely set in a right course but also are guided to walke constantly in all holy wayes that so we may be made Tit. 1. 1. meete to be partakers of Gods loue And thirdly a comforting and chearing knowledge whereby we haue a certaine assurance of Gods fatherly loue in this present life albeit not Rom. 8. 15. without many conflicts with distrustfull feares and shall at the last be brought to the quiet and peaceable possession 1 Ioh. 5. 19. thereof in the life to come CHAP. VII The vtility and dignity of faith and the great difficulty to attaine thereunto THe vtilitie and dignitie of faith doth hence appeare in that it causeth the faithfull to behold in Christ as in a miraculous mirrour of Gods matchlesse mercy an incomparable treasure of his vnspeakeable loue and to cleaue constantly to it as to their highest happinesse and chiefest good and maketh them desirous from the very bottome of their hearts to make manifest their thankfulnesse vnto him by their sincere obedience to all his Commandements and bringeth also peace of conscience vnto them by giuing them an assurance of the pardon of their sinnes and of their receiuing into grace and fauour with God And not only so but also for that it causeth them continually to fight against their spirituall enemies that would make them to breake their Couenant with God and in the end giueth them a full conquest ouer them al. This is saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 4. speaking to the faithfull the victory that is the principall weapon whereby the victory is gotten and the world ouercome euen your faith And therefore it is not without cause that the Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the faithfull that aboue all they should take vnto themselues the shield of faith because thereby they Ephes 6. 16. might quench all the fiery darts of the Deuill And verily faith is the first and the chiefest of all those diuine and heauenly graces that are wrought in the hearts of Gods children by the holy Ghost and it is the fountaine and root of all the rest and therefore in diuers places where they are
named together it is first named and hath the primacie and as it were the right hand of all the rest by faith Christ doth dwell in our hearts by whom God and all his blessings are made ours 2 Pet. 1. 5. 1. Thess 3. 6. Ephes 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 23. Faith saith Saint Austine is Christ in vs and that heauenly Sunne is impaired or increased according to our faith Aug. in Psal 1 2â— And againe Faith is the very soule of the soule and the life thereof Aug. in Ioh. hom 49. Because it ioineth vs to Christ the Author of life and bringeth with it all other diuine graces wherein our spirituall life consisteth Aug. de Praedest sanct cap. 7. And hence it is that the whole Law is said to appertaine to faith if a true faith be vnderstood Aug. de Fide Oper. cap. 22. And in this sense faith may be called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 3. For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in â—p ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole world might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and to be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be penned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrought a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euen to the worlds end Wherefore without all doubt faith is a most singular gift of God seeing â—e hath ordained such singular meanes for the effecting and working thereof yea it is a most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where these singular meanes are best vsed euen there ofâ—ntimes appeareth little fruit When Esayas more like an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people what was his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but this Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord renealed Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. blocke to the Iew and foolishnesse to the Grecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without all controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to
aeternall and vnchangeable righteousnesse it commandeth vs to loue the Lord with all our heart soule and strength and our neighbour as our selues which are duties most righteous and iust To the singular excellency of the which Law Moses the first pen-man thereof beareth witnesse saying What Nation is so great that hath Deut. 4. 8. Lawes and Ordinances so righteous as is all this Law that I set before you this day And to the righteousnesse that is obtayned by the perfect obseruation thereof he likewise beareth witnesse saying This shall be our righteousnesse euen before the Deut. 6. 25. Lord our God if we take heed to keepe all these Commandements which he hath commanded vs. As to the most ample reward obtained thereby not onely the Apostle beareth witnesse saying Doe this and thou shalt liue but also our Sauiour Christ Rom. 10 5. Matth. 19. 17. himselfe If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements But this blessing is not promised but to the totall and continuall obseruation thereof seeing the failing in either bringeth Deut. 2. 29. Gal. 3. 10. the contrary curse Wherefore when all the Posterity of Adam was disabled by his fall fully to keepe all these Commandements Our most blessed Sauiour came in our nature to fulfill them for vs Gal 4 4. that so he might procure vnto vs righteousnesse and life And so our blessed Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying I came not to Matth 3 31. destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them For by the Gospell the Law is not made voyde but established For if our Rom 3 31. Sauiour Christ had not throughly fulfilled for vs that righteousnesse that is required in the Law vnto the which the promise is made he had not procured for vs righteousnesse and life Wherefore intollerable is the pride and presumption of the Founders of the Religious Orders of the Church of Rome which teach that their rules lay open a way to a more perfect righteousnesse then is contayned in the Law of God and that their superstitious Votaries can thereby not onely merit for themselues euerlasting life but also doe many workes of supererogation auaileable for the saluation of other men QVEST. VII We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law of God which are wrought by our selues but by those which were wrought for vs by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person and are imputed to vs and made ours through faith Moses saith the Apostle describeth the righteousnesse that Arguments drawne from the formall cause is of the Law that the man that doth these things shall liue therein But the righteousnesse that is of faith speaketh on this manner Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend it to heauen for that is to fetch Christ from aboue Or who shall descend into hell for that is to bring Christ from the dead but what saith it The Rom. 10. 5. word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart and this is the word of Faith which we preach For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to saluation For the Scripture saith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be confounded In which words is set downe the diuersity that is betweene the Law and the Gospel in prescribing the meanes whereby we are deliuered from death and made partakers of euerlasting life Doe saith the Law that which is prescribed in me and thou shalt liue and doe it in that manner that thou neuer transgresse and then thou shalt be free from all feare of death Whereas the Gospell saith Beleeue that Christ dyed and descended into Hell for thee to assure thee of thy deliuerance and that he hauing performed all righteousnesse for thee ascended into Heauen the place where righteousnesse is rewarded and crowned to take possion thereof for thee and thou shalt be deliuered from the horrours of Heil and be made pertaker of the ioyes of heauen So when the Iaylor demanded of Paul and Silas what he should doe that he might be saued they answered Beleeue in the Act. 16. 30. Lord Iesus that he fulfilled all righteousnesse both in suffering and obaying for the saluation of all that rightly beleeue and thou shalt be saued And verily whereas there is but one manner and forme of obtayning Iustification and Saluation for all that are iustified and saued seeing children dying in their Infancy and all such as are not effectually called vntill the end of their liues cannot be iustified and saued by the workes of righteousnesse wrought by themselues but by the righteousnâ—sse of Christ performed for them and imputed vnto them by a true faith therefore all the residue of the faithfull seruants of God are iustified and saued after the same manner And so our blessed Sauiour teacheth in the parable of the Husbandman that went Matth. 20. 9. out and sent labourers into his Vineyard whereof some were sent at the first houre some at the third some at the sixt and some at the last houre and yet they all receiued the same wages The which parable Saint Ambrose expounding saith Ambros de vocat Gent lib. 1. cap 5. that such as were hyred at the last houre represent such as are called to the Lords seruice at the end of their liues whom hee hath chosen without workes and vpon whom he doth rather powre forth the riches of his Grace then yeeld a reward vnto their labours that they also who haue laboured and sweat the whole day and continued their whole life in the seruice of God and yet receiue but their Penny with the other may thereby understand that they also rather receiue a gift of grace then a wages of hire due to their workes Now if it be replyed that Infants and such as are called at the end of their liues are iustified and saued for the workes they would haue done if that they had liued a longer time the answere is made by S. Austin that rewards and punishments Aug. de bono perseuerant cap. 9 cp 15. And de Praedestin Sanctorum cap. 12. are not rendred to workes that men would or could doe but to such as are actually done For otherwise Tire and Sidon yea all the damned should be saued seeing at the day of iudgement they would all repent if they might and if their repentance would then serue the turne Wherefore if we seeke for righteousnesse by the workes of the Law performed by our selues as the Iewes did and as the Romanists still doe we shall assuredly faile therein as they did but if with the Gentiles we imbrace righteousnesse and life by faith in Christ then vndoubtedly we shall attaine to both QVEST. VIII The forme and manner to attaine to Sanctification is not to receiue the holy Word of
double keyes and swords giuen in their Armes and carried before them and so it was really acted by Boniface the eight who one day shewed himselfe vnto the people in his Papall attire and the next day in the robes of an Emperour And it hath a long time been practised by them all and is still defended by most of their followers as a soueraignty that iustly belongeth vnto them And was not this most plainly fore-told by the Apostle that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God not in the Temple of God at Ierusalem seeing that was vtterly to be destroyed and neuer to be built againe but in the Temple of God seated in the greatest City of his Antichristian Dominion that is in Babylonish Rome and that he should exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God and worshipped that is aboue all ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours of whom it is written I haue said yee are Gods Yea and that he should sit in the Temple Ioh. 8. 34. of God as God that is as Gods Lieutenant Generall and Christ Vicar vniuersall not onely in earth but also in Purgatory and in heauen also as it is signified by his triple Crowne And doth he not by his Indulgences take vpon him to open the doores of Purgatory at his pleasure And by Canonizing of Saints doth hee not take vpon him to giue greater or lesser dignities in the Kingdome of Heauen No maruell then that he taketh vpon him to dispose of temporall Kingdomes and earthly crownes and to possesse and dispossesse Kings of their Regalities at his owne will For this great Antichrist in his transcendent pride will not content himselfe with the honour and dignity of a great starre as all the ancient Bishops of Rome were wont to doe but he will aduance himselfe into the throne of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse that all the greatest starres both in the ciuill and also in the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment may take their light and authority from him For if wee will beleeue his Parasires his supremacy is so much greater then the Emperours as the Sunne is greater then the Moone QVEST. XXV The word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credite to it selfe and doth cause it selfe to be beleeued and imbraced as the word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrines contained therein and not onely for the bare testimony of the Church Behold saith Moses I haue taught you ordinances and Arguments drawne from the attributes or adiuncts Deut. 4. 5. lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that yee should doe euen so in the land whether ye goe to possesse it Keepe them therfore and doe them for it is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people that shall heare all these ordinances and say onely this people is wise and vnderstanding and a great Nation For what Nation is so great that hath Ordinances and Lawes so righteous as all this Law is that I haue set before thee this day In which words Moses prooueth that his doctrine which hee deliuered vnto the children of Israell was of GOD because it was a wise and a righteous doctrine able to iustifie it selfe to be so euen in the iudgement of the Heathen themselues which did rightly vnderstand and apprehend the same And verily as it was foretold by Moses so it came to passe many ages following For euen then when the children of Israel had lost their worldly estate glory and countrey it selfe for their transgressing of this most wise and righteous Law of their most wise and righteous God and had made themselues vile and contemptible in respect of their vile and base designes yet these vile and base captiues gaue Lawes to such of their glorious Conquerours as did labour to vnderstand the wisedome and righteousnesse of their Lawes In so much that they being Aliens vnto them in Nation yet became Proselytes and Allies Victi victoribus leges dabant Aug de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. 11. vnto them in their holy profession Yea the further degenerate posterity of this people who had heartened and hardened themselues to transgresse these wise and holy Commandements of God that they might obserue their owne absurde Matth. 15 3. Luk. 4. 22. and sottish traditions did wonder at the gracious words that proceeded out of our Sauiours mouth when he opened vnto them the high wisdome and holinesse of those diuine doctrines that were deliuered vnto their Fathers by Moses and the Prophets and gaue this testimony vnto him Neuer man spake Ioh. 7. 46. as this man speaketh No maruell then that when the Apostles were sent by our blessed Sauiour to open these wise and righteous counsels of God to all creatures they soone subdued the whole world and brought some of all conditions and callings therein vnto the obedience of the faith of Christ In truth the strange Miracles that were wrought by their Ministery gaue testimony to the doctrine that was preached by them that it was diuine and so procured audience thereunto but it was the word of faith it selfe that bred faith Miracles were meanes to bring many to the outward court of the Temple of God and to the doore of Christs Church but it was the key of the knowledge of the diuine mysteries themselues Luke 11. 52. that vnlocked the Church doores and opened an entrance vnto them into the house of God For it is the heauenly wisedome and righteousnesse of the Diuine doctrines of the Word of God that can cause vs to receiue the vision for 1 Thess 2. 13. the vision it selfe and to embrace the word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God The holy and religious behauiour of the teachers and professors of the truth may with the woman of Samaria bring many vnto Christ and perswade them to hearken to the doctrine of faith but the holinesse and equity of the doctrine it selfe will cause all such as rightly apprehend the same to professe with those conuerts of Samaria and to say Now we beleeue not any longer by reason of the bare words of the Teachers and professors of truth for we heard it our selues and haue felt such a diuine power therin that we willingly subscribe thereto for that most sufficient euidence that it giueth to it selfe And so doth Stapleton auouch concerning all the faithfull Stap. doct princ lib. 8. cap. 22. that they being at the first induced to beleeue for the voyce of the Church and lightned with the bright lustre of diuine inspiration do not any longer beleeue for the voyce of the Church but for the diuine light it selfe And verily all such as are once brought to the faith and setled therein ought not as Austin Aug. de Catechis rud cap. 25. teacheth measure religion by the professors thereof but by the equity and sanctity of the doctrine it selfe neither ought they to iudge of the doctrine by the persons that professe the same but of
they are to be honoured for imitation but not to be adored for Religion And againe we worship the Saints with charity but not with seruice neither doe we build temples vnto them For according vnto the censure of the Synode of Ments the Saints which haue shut vp the course of their liues with a blessed end ought worthily to be honoured of vs as the worthy members of Christs body but not with that honour which is due vnto God but with that reuerent regard of society and loue wherewith holy men may be honoured of vs here in this life The like is to be said concerning the worship of Angels I fell said Saint Iohn confessing his owne double fall at the Angels feet to worship him but he said vnto me See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus Apoc. 19. 10. câ— 22. 9. worship God By which words of the Angell vttered once and againe we Seruus est domini seruus may iustly collect that seeing a seruant among men is a seruant of his Lords only not of any one of his fellow seruants and is bound to serue the one onely and not the other therefore seeing all the faithfull haue but one Lord all Angels and Saints being their fellow seruants they ought to deuote themselues Eâ—hes 4. 5. 2. 29. onely to the Religious seruice of God and not vnto the seruice of any Angell or Saint We take it to be a great absurdity and indignity also for one that is admitted into the family of an earthly King to betake himselfe to the seruice of a subiect and is it not a greater indignity for one that by baptisme is admitted into the family of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to betake him to the seruice of an Angell or Saint In Oxford wee are sworne Non suscipere gradum Simeonis that is when we haue taken an higher degree of dignity in the Schooles not to take a lower degree And shal we then when we haue receiued this high degree of honor to be admitted among the seruaÌ„ts of the Almighty Creator of heauen earth shall we I say debase our seâ—ues so low as to seeke for admission into the seruice of a weake creature Let the Romanists then if they list deuote themselues vnto the seruice of the Saints and giue to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuine worship but let the true seruants of God be carefull to giue diuine seruice onely to God QVEST. XXXIX The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them If by the disobedience of the first Adam many were made Arguments drawen from things that haue the same proportion of reason Rom. 5. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 34. sinners why by the obedience of the second Adam may not many be made righteous If our sinnes were imputed vnto Christ when hee was pure from all sinne why may not his righteousnesse be imputed vnto vs albeit we be stayned with all sinne If Christs sufferings and death are made ours and we thereby are deliuered from condemnation Why may not his righteousnesse as well be imputed vnto vs that wee may thereby obtaine our Iustification especially seeing he was 1 Cor. 1. 30. made as well righteousnesse for vs as he was redemption Nay may not his righteousnesse which was subiect to the Law Gal. 4. 4. for vs be imputed vnto vs by the Lords endlesse goodnesse and mercy that we may be made righteous thereby as well as the surplussage of the righteous workes of the Saints who yet were not crucified for vs may bee imputed by the Popes 1 Cor. 1. 13. Pardons and Indulgences to all such as will pay well for them QVEST. XL. The faithfull may as well know themselues to be indued with true loue as with true faith Doctor Bishop auoucheth that the faithfull cannot so well know themselues to be indued with true loue as with true faith for that faith is seated in the vnderstanding which is the lighter and loue in the will which is the darker part of the soule As if the spirituall soule had situation of parts as well as the materiall body Or as if the distinct powers of the soule were not therefore said to be placed in the distinct members of the body because in them there are diuers originalls of her manifold Organicall instruments whereby she produceth her manifold and different operations whereas shee her-selfe is wholly in the whole body and in euery part thereof But be it so that the soul as wel as the body may be coÌ„pared to an house or Temple in the which there may be Roomes some lightes and some darker yet may not the same cleare Candle of Gods word lighten our will as well as our vnderstanding and so make knowne vnto vs our loue as well as our faith Yea whereas the will is reasonable by participation from the vnderstanding the vnderstanding hiding nothing from the will whereof it hath notice it selfe why then is not the will lightened with that selfe-same lustre as the vnderstanding it selfe is nay whereas the light of naturall reason addeth her axiomes to the instructions of the word of God for the opening of the nature of loue rather then of faith why Dilectic est simul viuendi fruendique electio Anima est non vbi animat sed vbi amâ—t Prou. 14. 10. should not loue be better known then faith The heart saith Solomon knoweth the bitternesse of his soule and the stranger shall not intermeddle with his ioy The heart of a man knoweth what it loueth and ioyeth in as well as what it hateth and is offended withall Verily if our Sauiour Christ had not well vnderstood that Simon Peters owne heart was well witting to it selfe of his great loue that he bare vnto him he would not haue demaunded of him againe and againe Simon Iohannah louest thou me Ioh. 21. 15. more then these neither would Peter haue so confidently answered him Lord thou knowest that I loue thee So if the Church had not knowen and felt euen the vehement paâ—gs of her loue towards her Bridegroome shee would not haue sent word vnto him by her Messengers that she was euen Cant. 5. 8. Aug in Ps 49. sicke of loue There is saith Saint Austin a kinde of glorying in the conscience when thou knowest that thy faith is sincere thy hope certaine and thy loue without dissembling In Saint Austins iudgement then our hope and loue may be knowne as well as our saith seeing otherwise wee could not reioyce in them When Abraham was ready at the commandement of GOD to haue slaine his sonne Isaacke Gen. 22. 12. GOD calleth vnto him saying Now I know that thou fearest mee viz. with a filiall feare that proceedeth from loue seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely Sonne GOD saith Saint Austin knoweth all things
is applied to a most wicked and vngodly vse be thereby sanctified and not grieously prophaned QVEST. XLIV The sinnes of the faithfull shall not after death be punished in the fire of Purgatory A true friend that howsoeuer he endanger himselfe will Arguments drawne from the greater proportion of reason to the lesse stead his deare friend that relieth vpon him in his great extremity will not faile him in a case of lesse danger Neither will our Sauiour Christ the fastest friend to his faithfull ones that possiby can be hauing by his owne death deliuered theÌ„ froÌ„ the euerlasting torments of hell fire suffer them to be tormented in the fire of Purgatory if there were any such fire Neither will God that for Christs sake doth freely pardon his faithfull the summe of 10000. talents cast them into a most horrible dungeon for the small debt of an 100. pence Vndoubtedly he that freely pardoneth them their sinnes which are the greater euils will not retaine the punishment which is the lesse And what manner of pardoning were this to forgiue the fault but not to remit the punishment Yea what manner of iustice were this to punish where there is no fault but a fault pardoned is no fault Wherefore seeing our most mercifull God in Rom. 3. 25. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Christ doth presently in this life giue to all faithfull and penitent sinners the free remission of all their sinnes for Christs sake vndoubtedly after their deaths he will not punish them in the fire of Purgatory QVEST. XLV The Sacraments doe not conferre grace by the worke wrought vnlesse their vses be vnderstood The word of GOD is a more principall instrument of grace then the Sacraments are For otherwise our most wise and holy Sauiour while he conuersed in this world would not haue wholly omitted the administration of Baptisme and Ioh. 4. 2. Luke 4. 16. 43. 1 Cor. 1. 17. haue giuen himselfe continually to the preaching of the word and testified also that he was sent for the dispatch of that businesse Neither would he haue sent forth his Apostles not so much to Baptise as to preach the Gospell vnlesse the preaching of the word had been the principall worke best befitting his principall Ministers Neither would the Apostle Saint Peter after that he himselfe had so effectually preached to Cornelius Act. 10. 42. and his company that the Holy Ghost fell on all that heard the word haue commanded them to be baptized and that in all likelihood by some inferiour Minister in the name of the Lord but would haue baptized them himselfe And verily the Sacraments were added to the word for the further strengthening of the weake faith of the Beleeuers and not for the confirming of the authority of the word seeing from it they receiue their power and efficacy when their right vse is made knowen thereby For how commeth it to passe that the water in Baptisme toucheth the body and cleanseth the soule but by the working of the word Neither are the Sacraments so forcible instruments to bring Christ to vs as the word is The Gospell saith Saint Hierome is the Body of Christ and Hieron in Psal 147. these words of our Sauiour Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drinke his Bloud yee shall haue no life in you may be more rightly vnderstood of the receiuing of Christ in the Word then in the Sacraments And verily how was the whole world perswaded to imbrace Christ by the preaching of the Gospell or by the administration of the Sacraments The truth is that our most louing and gracious God by his Euangelicall couenant made with Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in him with all his spirituall seed doth giue vnto them Christ Iesus their Sauiour and in him eternall life and blessednesse and doth open and manifest the same by causing this his graunt to be set downe in the Gospell written in the bookes of the Old and New Testament as in the authenticall euidences thereof and to be sealed by the Sacraments as by his owne seales the which he hath ordained to be deliuered to his people as his owne deedes by the hands of his faithfull and painfull Ministers Now which is the chiefe instrument to ratifie vnto the faithfull this gracious graunt the deeds and euidences themselues or the seales annexed thereto that is the Word or the Sacraments Vndoubtedly the Word seeing without the graunt written the seale added to a blancke is nothing worth And yet the word it selfe doth not profite vnlesse it be mixed with faith the true sense thereof being rightly Heb. 4. 2. apprehended and a setled assent yeelded thereto and so neither can the Sacraments profit vnlesse the vse of them be rightly 1 Cor. 11. 29. apprehended and discerned by a true saith Moreouer heere also we may perceiue who in the execution of their Ecclesiasticall function come nearer to Christ and to his Apostles whether the Ministers of the Gospell in their painfull preaching or the Popish Priests in their continuall saying of Masse QVEST. XLVI No Images are to be worshipped with diuine worship If any images and representations of God are to be worshipped with diuine worship then the best and truest images of God euen such as were framed by God himselfe were so to be worshipped but men which are the best and truest images and representations of God made and framed by God Gen. 1. 26. himselfe are not to be worshipped with diuine worship much lesse any images of God made by man The Church of Rome maketh images of three faces to represent thereby the glorious Trinity but the Apostle teacheth that we which are the generation of God viz. in our soules rather then in our bodies Act. 17. 29. ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like to gold or siluer or stone grauen by the art or inuâ—ntion of Man Wherefore the Church of Rome which worshippeth such Images doth not therin so much as worship the Image of God but the inuentioÌ„ and fiction of her owne braine Now if the Images of God are not to be worshipped with Diuine worship much lesse the Images of any men Nay if holy men themselues may not be worshipped with Diuine worship much lesse may their Images and Pictures be QVEST. XLVII The word of God is not to be read vnto people in an vnknowne tongue Such as in the Primitiue Church vttered Diuine Mysteries in strange tongues which were giuen them by the miraculous working of the Holy Ghost were commanded by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 28. to be silent in the Church vnlesse the meaning of the words were presently expounded that so the hearers might receiue instruction and edification thereby much more now such are to be silenced in the Church which vtter Diuine mysteries in an vnknowne tongue which they haue not receiued by the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost where there is no exposition thereof QVEST. XLVIII In all matters
is a double iustification The first by grace and the second by the merit of our owne workes But his doubling is flat contrary to the simplicity of the Gospell For the Apostle plainly auoucheth that not onely at the first we are reconciled vnto God by Christ and are brought into his fauour and loue and are iustified and saued by his Bloud but much more that we are brought to the end of our saluation and to our full and finall glorification by the very same meanes God saith the Apostle setteth out his loue toward vs seeing while wee were yet Rom. 5. 8. sinners Christ dyed for vs much more then being iustified by his bloud we shall be saued frō wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life In the which words of the Apostle it is manifestly and distinctly set downe that as it is the grace of God in Christ whereby we are reconciled vnto God and iustified at the first so it is the very selfe-same grace of God in Christ that doth saue vs at the last And Greg. Moral lib. 2. cap. 4. so a Bishop of Rome it selfe in her better times hath taught saying The first grace begat me in faith being naked and the very self-same grace shall saue me being naked take me vp into glory Wherefore if we desire to be partakers of the fruit of our redemption wrought for vs by Christ let vs not so meanly thinke thereof as if he should haue begun it onely by his obedience and left it to be finished by our selues Let vs not imagine that he paid but a part of our ransome and a parcell of the price that was to be tendred to God for the full purchase of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen and left it to our selues to discharge the rest Or if we cannot but confesse that he paid the whole summe and the full price let vs not impute to the God of all mercy and the most excellent Patron and Patterne of all Pitty such an hard and vniust kind of dealing as if he should exact againe a new payment at our hands for that which was fully purchased and paid for before Vndoubtedly if our title to the heauenly inheritance by the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ be sufficient good why should we seeke after any other title Seeing Law and reason teacheth vs this that that thing Quod semel neum est non potest ampliue fieri meum Quisemel factus est dominus non potest ex alia causa fieri dominus Quia nomo potest acquirere dominium rei suae which is once iustly mine cannot be made more mine And he that is once made a right owner of a thing cannot againe by another title be made owner of the same thing seeing no man can get againe the Dominion of that which was his own before If then our first title to our Iustification and Saluation by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ be good and sufficient then we cannot afterward lay any claime thereunto by the broken and forged title of our owne workes QVEST. LIII The going on pilgrimage to see or to touch the true reliques of the Holiest of the Saints doth not bring any sanctification at all The seeing and touching of holy persons themselues doth not sanctify any much lesse the seeing or touching of their reliques They that receiue Christ by faith are made the Sonnes Ioh. 1. 12. of God and are renewed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse and not such as imbrace and kisse him with their bodily hands and mouthes for then Iudas the Traitor should haue been made a Saint Wherefore if we desire to haue any benefit by visiting the Saints we ought daily and diligently to visite the Scriptures wherein the pictures of their piety are most liuely painted out that so we may be rauished with the admiration thereof and be stirred vp to follow them by an holy imitation And so concerning the Saints which liued since the Apostles times if we be desirous to visite them also wee ought to get their learned bookes which are the best Images of their Almās speech is the image and glasse of his minde Erasm in praefat Hieron ad Guili Warramum holy soules that by their sound and Orthodoxe doctrines which are set downe therein we may be directed in the right way of piety and godlinesse But so it is saith Erasmus complayning of the superstitious folly of many of his time we kisse the shooes of the Saint and their handkerchers albeit loathsome for filth but as for their Bookes which are their best reliques we relinquish hauing little regard of them Their Coat or Shirt we lay vp in a chest adorned with gold and precious stones but as for their writings vpon the which they bestowed much labour and in the which still liueth here with vs that which is in them their chiefest good we leaue them to be consumed with wormes and rust QVEST. LIV. The faithfull that are sanctified by Regeneration may and ought to assure themselues of their full and finall glorification If God was found of the faithfull when they sought him not and made himselfe manifest vnto them when they asked Rom. 10. 20. not after him much more when they turne vnto him hee will turne to them when they draw nigh to him he wil draw nigh Iac. 4. 8. Matth. 7. 7. to them when they seeke him he will be found of them For if when they were enemies they were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more may they rest assured of his loue being reconciled vnto him and made his stedfast friends If God for Christs sake offered them a pardon being Traitors and Rebels and standing vp in armes against him certainly he will suffer them to enioy the benefit of that pardon when they haue humbly submitted themselues and are become his loyall subiects If God doth forgiue vnto his all their grieuous sinnes which they willingly and wittingly committed before their effectuall Calling to the estate of grace will he not forgiue their sinnes of infirmity which they afterward commit against the resolute purpose of their owne hearts if he did deliuer them from domineering and raiguing sinnes will he not in the end deliuer them fully from all such sinnes whose power and strength are already in part weakened by their daily repentance and stedfast faith The Lord said Dauid that deliuered 1 Sam. 17. 37. me out of the hand of the Lyon and the Beare will also deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistin Vnto the which words happily the Apostle alluding saith of himselfe And I also was deliuered out of the hand of the Lion And thereupon was confident that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and would preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome
and safely kept And the testimony of this record is as sure as is the testimony of a thousand witnesses Hereby euery one may well know and bee assured that hee vnderstandeth that which he vnderstandeth that he willeth that which he willeth that he loueth that which he loueth and that hee hateth that which he hateth The faithfull then hauing by the light of the Gospell the eye of their vnderstanding opened so to behold and apprehend the infinite loue and goodnesse of God in Christ offered therein that they esteeme and desire it aboue all other things and are thereby vnfainedly stirred vp to loue God and to cleaue vnto him and to be sorrowfull for offending of him and to be wary and Wherefore as the Wiseman saith A wise heart getteth Pro. 18. 16. knowledge and the care of the wise seeketh learning For wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding Yea right vnderstanding is wisedome it selfe and is one of Wisedomes proper names For the wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 14. 8. Pro. 14. 15. his way whereas the folly of fooles is deceit And why A foole beleeueth euery thing and is carelesse to try his owne standing and therefore his footing must needs faile and his fall is without all hope of recouery but the prudent will consider his steppes and see sure ground before hee will set forward one foot And so the Apostle aduiseth saying Take heed that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time and for that it is a matter of great moment so to doe he doubleth his exhortation saying Wherefore be yee not vnwise but Eph. 5. 17. vnderstand what the will of the Lord is That if any will not yet be aduised hereby but will blindfully goe on in such wayes that he knoweth not he may iustly blame his owne folly when he falleth into the pit of his owne destruction QVEST. LXXXI The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne Sinne is as it were a shooting awry from the marke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Ioh. 3. 4. God hath set vp vnto vs in his commandements wherevnto we ought to ayme in all our actions or it is a passage ouer those bounds and limits that God hath set out vnto vs to keep vs within our compasse in performing those duties that he requireth at our hands but Popish vowes are not commanded by God neither in the Old nor in the New Testament but are the ordinances of Frier Francis Dominicke Loyola and the like therefore the breach of them is no sinne QVEST. LXXXII Popish Monkes as now for a long time they haue demeaned themselues are no Monkes That is Monkes are such as liue solitarily and apart from all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 company but our Popish Monkes liue not solitarily but in great Citties and dwell together in great troupes and companies And hereof it was that S. Ierome writing to Paulinus that tooke vpon him the profession of a Monk thus reasoneth with him If thou desirest to be indeed that which in name thou art Si Monachi cur tot si tot iam quomodo soli O turba ◠solis quae simulas monadem called a Monke that is one that liueth alone why dost thou dwell in Citties which are not habitations of solitary men but of many that liue together Therefore seeing that popish Monkes liue not alone they cannot be true Monks QVEST. LXXXIII All the faithfull are saued by meere mercy through the redemption that is in Christ Seruants as S. Austine saith had their names at the first for that they were saued aliue in warre by the meere mercy of the Aug. de Civ dei lib. 19. cap. 15. Servus quasi in bello servatus Conquerour when as by the Law of armes they might haue beene iustly slaine Wherefore all men by nature being Gods enemies fighting vnder the banner of Satan against God iustly deserued to be destroied by the sharp sword of the Lords iustice And therefore seeing the faithfull when they were worthie to be destroyed were not only spared by Christ but also ransomed with the losse of his owne life they must acknowledge themselues by a double right to be his servants and must ascribe the whole glory of their saluation only to him QVEST. LXXXIV The faithfull are well witting to themselues both of Gods loue and fauour towards themselues and of their owne faith and loue towards God Friendship as Aristotle defineth it is a mutuall beneuolence Arguments drawne from the definition or description of a thing Amicitia est mutua benevolentia non latens not lying hid For true and sincere friends doe communicate Counsells shew kindnesses bestowe gifts each vpon other as testifications and prouocations of their mutuall and reciprocall kindnesse and loue each to other Wherefore sith God doth vouchsafe to enter into a league of amity and friendship with all his true and faithfull seruants being fully reconciled vnto them in Christ doth become their intire fast friend therefore hee doth make manifest his loue and good will towards them by opening vnto them all his counsells and by bestowing vpon them the manifold gifts and graces of his spirit that thereby he may kindle in their hearts reciprocall loue cause them to make manifest the same by their faithfull acceptance of so great fauours and by their carefull performance of that diuine worship and seruice which they knowe to bee acceptable in his sight And verily all such as sincerely loue are most carefully busied about this euen how they may make their good will and loue surely and certainely knowne to them whom they loue And here of it is that our Sauiour Christ speaking vnto his disciples in them to all his faithfull seruants saith Hence forth call I you not Seruants for the seruant knoweth not what his master Ioh. 15. 16. doth but I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made manifest vnto you Now if Christ doth make manifest vnto the faithfull all things especially that belong to the confirmation of their faith and to the strengthning of their loue and obedience then vndoubtedly he doth make knowne vnto them their election to eternall life their sanctification wrought in them by his Spirit and Word and the certaintie of their glorification in the life to come For otherwise they cannot trust in God and loue him vnlesse they first feele in their owne hearts the sure and certaine pledges of Gods loue towards themselues So the Apostle Saint Iohn We loue him because he loued vs first and haue 1 Ioh. 4. 16. 19. knowne and beleeued his loue towards vs. QVEST. LXXXV The bare testimony of the Church cannot make knowne vnto the people any doctrine of Faith To know a thing is to vnderstand the causes and reasons Scire est per causas