a Phil. 1 27. the Gospell of Christ And this of the first generall knowledge of God CHAP. VIII Shewing that there is one onely true GOD against Idolatry THe second generall knowledge of God is to 2 To know that there is one onely true God Acknowledging the Vnity of the Godhead and Trinity of persons know and acknowledge that there is one God and three persons in the God-head to acknowledge the vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of persons the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and that euery one of these three persons is God to know and acknowledge that God the Father is of himselfe from euerlasting that the Sonne is begotten of the Father by eternall generation and that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne to beleeue that God the Father created the world that God the Sonne redeemed mankinde and that God the Holy Ghost sanctifieth the Elect. This is the generall knowledge of the one onely true God And this generall knowledge of the true God is attained vnto not by the lâ—ght of Nature nor by the works of the Creation but by the Scriptures The knowledge of the true God commeth by the knowledge of the Scriptures for the Scriptures doe shew vnto vs both the Vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of persons That there is one God Moses sheweth saying a Deut. 6. 4. Heare ô Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. Dauid also speakes thus b 1 Chro. 17. 20 O Lord there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee And S. Paul saith c 1 Cor. 8. 4. Wee know that an Idoll is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one And concerning the Trinity of persons S. Iohn saith d 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There are three that beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one The consideration of this generall knowledge of Vse God to know the one onely true God serues to reprooue Against Idolatry the Worshippers of Idols who though they know and acknowledge that there is a God yet doe not either know the true God or knowing the true God doe not worship him aright but worship false Gods and giue vnto creatures the worship which belongeth to the Creator Wherefore Chrysostome vpon those words of our Sauiour Christ e Joh. 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God Hath these words f Solum verum Deum ad eorum qui Dij non sunt dâ—fferentiam inquit Chrys in Joh. Hom. 79. Two-fold He saith the only true God to put a difference betweene the one onely true God and those which are no Gods Let vs take a view of the kindes of Idolatry and then wee shall see plainely who are heere iustly to be reprooued Idolatry is twofold The one externall The other internall Externall or outward Idolatry is also two-fold 1 Outward Idolatry Two-fold The one is that open manifest and grosse Idolatry of the Gentiles of Heathen men which knew not God and therefore worshipped Idols false gods instead of 1 Open plaine Idolatry the true God For rather then any Nation would be altogether without a God they would worship those which were no Gods as S. Paul describes the Idolatry of the Gentiles g Rom. 1. 23. And changed the glory of the vncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and foure-footed beasts and creeping things And a-againe he saith h Verse 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie worshipped and serued the creature more then the Creator who is blessed foreuer Whether the Gentiles did worship false gods or the image of their false gods or any similitude or image of the true God all was Idolatry Of the false gods of the Heathen Dauid saith i Psal 96. 5. All the gods of the Nations are Idols but the Lord made the Heauens And of all the images of the false Gods Dauid also saith k Psal 115 4 5 6 7 8. The Idols are siluer and gold the worke of mens hands they haue mouths but they speake not eyes haue they but they see not They haue eares but they heare not noses haue they but they smell not c. They that make them are like vnto them so is euery one that trusteth in them And as for the making of any image or picture of the true God it is plainely forbidden for Moses straightly chargeth the children of Israel that they make no similitude of God l Deut. 4. 15 16. Take good heede vnto your selues for yee saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire lest yee corrupt your selues and make you a grauen image the similitude of any figure c. The other kinde of externall or outward Idolatry is 2 Close Idolatry a more close and couered Idolatry pretending the worship of God this is the Idolatry of the Church of Rome the Idolatry of Papists who although they know and acknowledge the true God and worship the true God yet because they do not worship him after a right manner but otherwise then God hath appointed in his Word they commit Idolatry The truth of this I confirme by the consideration of the manner of Gods worship apointed vs both in generall and particular Touching the first The Rule of Gods worship prescribed vnto vs in generall is that m Ioh. 4 23 24. The true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth But the Romish Church howsoeuer it may pretend the true worship of God in spirit truth yet they of that Church haue deuised strange worship no where commanded in Gods Word neuer approoued of God and that is to bow downe before an Image made for religious vse which is a plain breach of the second Commandement And it helpes them nothing to say that they worship Obiect not the Image but God in the Image for this was the Idolatry of the Heathen they worshipped their Heathen Answ gods and their Images but the Heathen were not so foolish as to thinke that the Image of Iupiter was Iupiter himselfe but they worshipped Iupiter their god in his Image so the Israelites who had learned Idolatry of the Gentiles worshipped God euen the true God in the image of the golden Calfe for they sayd n Exod. 32 4. These be thy gods â— Israel which brought thee vp out of the land of Aegypt Now the Israelites were not so voyd of vnderstanding to thinke that the golden calfe which Aaron had made was the God of Israel but they worshipped God in the golden calfe The truth is there 's little difference of Idolatry whether wee worship the Idoll or God
faith is p. 14. 2. Titles giuen therunto 4. 1. Precious faith ibid. 2. Sauing faith ibid. â— Iustifying faith ibid. 4. Faith of Gods Elect. ibid. 3. Properties belonging vnto it 3 1. Knowledge of the Word of God p. 15. 2. Assent vnto the Word of God ibid. 3. Perswasion of the Mercy of God ibid. Vse 1. Against implicite faith p. 16. Vse 2. To labour for a particular faith p. 17. Vse 3. Consolation to them which haue the true faith p. 19. 4. Wherein true Faith consisteth Chap. 7. True Faith consisteth in two things 1. In the right knowledge of the true God pag. 20. two-fold 1. The generall knowledge of God two-fold 1. To know that there is a God which is discerned by 1. The light of nature pag. 21. 2. The works of the creation ibid. Vse Against Atheists which deny God three wayes 1. In heart pag. 22. 2. In words pag. 24. 3. By their deeds p. 25. 2. To know that there is One onely true God Cha. 8. Acknowledging 1. The vnity of the God head p. 26. 2. The Trinity of persons ib. Vse Against Idolatry two-fold 1. Outward two-fold 1. Open plain p. 28. 2. Close couered p. 29 2. Inâ—ard or spirituall p. 31. 2. The particular knowledge of God And what it is chap. 9. wherin foure things are to bee considered 1. How necessary it is For 1. God requireth it p. 34. 2. God complaineth of the want thereof ibid. 3. It s better then sacrifice p. 35. 4. Without it wee cannot bee saued ibid. 2. How profitable it is For 1. It maketh peace amongst men of contrary dispositions ibid. 2. Eternall life commeth thereby p. 36. 3. How dangerous the want thereof is For it causeth 1. Mourning and desolation ibid. 2. A reprobate minde ib. 3. Punishment p. 37. 4. Meanes whereby wee may come to the right knowledge of the true God Two fold By 1. The Scriptures that by 1. Reading the Scriptures p. 38. 2. Hearing the Word ibid. 3. Meditating vpon the Word ibid. 4. Praying for a blessing vpon the meanes ibid. 2. The Spirit of God ibid. Vse To reprooue 1. Those who content themselues with a generall knowledge of God p. 39. 2. The Romists who will not suffer the people to read the Scriptures in a language which they vnderstand ibid. 3. Those who wilfully liue in ignorance p. 41. 2. In the knowledge of the mistery of the Incarnation of Christ chap. 10. And in the knowledge of Christ consider 2 things 1. The sorts and kindes of it two-fold 1. Externall and visible p. 43. 2. Internall spirituall two-fold 1. Generall ibid. 2. Particular p. 44. 2. The Necessity thereof three-fold 1. Hee that wanteth the knowledge of Christ is ignorant ibid. 2. In regard of the knowledge of Christ all things else are but base pag. 45. 4. Without it wee cannot bee saued ibid. Vse Against those that denie Christ by 1. Infidelity as Infidels Pagans Turkes Iewes p. 46. 2. Heresie denying 1. The Natures of Christ his 1. Godhead p. 47. 2. Manhood ibid. 2. His offices of 1. King p. 48. 2. Priest p. 49. 3. Prophet p. 50. 3. Apostasie or falling away 2-fold 1 Particular 1. Into sinne ibid. 2-fold A falling 2. From the profession of Christ through 1. Infirmity p. 51. 2. Security ib. 2. Vniuersall two-fold A falling away 1. From a mans former righteousnesse holinesse to prophanesse and wickednesse p. 52. 2. By sinning against the Holy Ghost Where foure things 1. What it is to sinne against the Holy Ghost p. 52. 2. Why so called ibid. 3. The nature and quality of it shewed in six things p. 54. 4. The punishment thereof three-fold 1. Finall impenitency ibid. 2. Neuer forgiuen ibid. 3. A fearefull end p. 55. 5. Who are partakers of the true Faith chap. 11. Shewed 2 wayes manifesting 1. Who haue not true Faith and that two wayes 1. In generall Reprobates p. 57. 2. In particular 1. The Enemies of the Gospell ibid. 2. Prophane people ibid. 3. Hypocrites ibid. 2. Who haue the true Faith and that two wayes 1. In generall the Elect. p. 58. 2. In particular 1. They that are effectually called ibid. 2. The Regenerate p. 59. 3. They that call vpon God ibid. 4. They that shew their faith by their workes ibid. Vse 1. Not to maruell that vnregenerate men are so wicked for they haue not faith p. 58. Vse 2. Consolation to them that haue true Faith for they are of Gods Elect. pag. 60. 6. The necessity of hauing the true faith ch 12. For 1. Faith is the life of the soule p. 60. 2. Without faith nothing can please God pag. 61. 3. Without faith wee cannot bee saued pag. 62. Vse To get faith into our hearts ibid. 7. The benefits of true faith cha 13. and they are seuen 1. Iustification p. 64. 2. Adoption p. 66. 3. Purifying the heart ibid. 4. A happy life p. 67. 5. Victory ouer the world p. 68. 6. Victory ouer the Deuill ibid. 7. Saluation ibid. Vse To vse all possible meanes to obtaine the true sauing faith p. 69. 8. How true sauing faith may bee obtained chap. 14. By two meanes 1. The efficient cause of faith the Spirit of God p. 70. Vse Against mans free-will in spirituall good things p. 71. 2. The instrumentall cause of faith The Word of God pag. 72. two-fold 1. The Law p. 72. 2. The Gospell p. 73. Vse Against those who boast of their faith and yet lightly regard the Word of God the ordinary means of obtaining faith pag. 74. 9. Meanes wherby true faith is increased and preserued Chap. 15. they are three 1. The Word of God that by 1. Reading the Scriptures p. 75. 2. Hearing the Word of God p. 76. 3. Meditating vpon the Word p. 77. 4. Conference about the Word ibid. 2. The vse of the Sacraments which 1. Nourish the soule ibid. 2. Confirme the promises of the Gospell p. 78. 3. Prayer pag. 79. Vse Diligently and conscionably to vse these meanes whereby faith is increased and preserued p. 79. Quest Whether may true saith be so preserued that it may continue for euer and not vtterly faile Chap. 16. 1. The decree of Gods election is sure pag. 82. 2. They are built vpon a rocke ibid. 3. They are ingrafted into Christ ibid. 4. They haue Gods promise not to fall away for euer ibid. 5. Christ hath prayed for the Elect that they may perseuere to the end p. 83. 6. They are within the golden chain of Saluation ibid. Answ They that haue the true faith their faith cannot altogether faile nor they vtterly fall away For Vse 1. To make our calling and election sure pag. 87. Vse 2. Consolation to the children of God because their faith shall not vtterly faile pag. 88. 10. Signes of true faith chap. 17. two-fold 1. Inward 5. 1. The witnesse of the Spirit p. 89. 2. A feeling of grace p. 90. 3. A Desire to obey Gods commandements ibid. 4. Deuout prayer ibid.
Pet. 2. 20. 21. 22. If after they haue escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouer come the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy Commaundement deliuered vnto them But it is happened vnto them according vnto the true prouerbe the dog is turned to his owne vomit againe and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire This is a very dangerous falling away but yet heare and consider of a more dangerous backsliding and a more fearfull falling away The second vniuersall falling away is when a man 2 By sinning against the holy Ghost What it is to sinne against the holy Ghost hauing beene inlighted by the holy Ghost with the knowledge of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ and hauing made a profession of Christ doth afterwards deny the truth against his owne knowledge and conscience doth maliciously oppose himselfe against the knowne truth and euen persecute those that professe the truth This is properly called the sinne against the holy Sinne against the holy Ghost why so called Ghost not because sinne can be so committed against the holy Ghost but it is also against the Father and the Sonne and when the holy Ghost is offended the Father is offended and the Sonne is offended for the Godhead is one But it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost because this sinne is committed against the proper and immedrate working of the holy Ghost which is to inlighten the minds and vnderstandings of men with the true knowledge of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ Now when the holy Ghost hath inlightned any one with the true knowledge of Iesus Christ and afterwards he so fall away from the truth that he deny Iesus Christ and malicously persecute the knowne truth this is to sinne against God and against Iesus Christ but properly and after a speciall manner it is to sinne against the holy Ghost inasmuch as he sinneth against the immediate inlightning of the holy Ghost Of this sinne against the holy Ghost with the fearfull state of those which fall into this sinne the Scripture euidently speakes the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith i Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. It is impossible for those who were once inlightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renue them againe vnto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame Againe he saith k Heb. 10. 26. 27. 28. 29. If we sinne wilfully after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes But a certaine fearfull looking for of iudgement and fieric indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries He that despised Moses law died without mercie vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden vnder-foote the Sonne of God and hath counted the bloud of the couenant wherewith he was sanctified an vnholy thing and hath done despite vnto the Spirit of Grace From which words of the Apostle two things may be gathered Two things herein to be considered The one is the nature and quality of the sinne against the holy Ghost The other is the punishment due to the same First the nature and qualitie of this sinne is set forth by sixe things 1 The nature qualitie of the sinne against the holy Ghost shewed in sixe things They that sinne against the holy Ghost are 1 First inlightned with the knowledge of the truth 2 Secondly they haue a taste of the heauenly gift 3 Thirdly they are made partakers of the holy Ghost 4 Fourthly they haue had a taste of the good word of God 5 Fiftly they haue had a taste of the powers of the world to come 6 Sixtly after all this they so fall away that they crucifie the Sonne of God afresh they trample and tread vnder foote the bloud of the Couenant and count it an vnholy thing and doe despite vnto the Spirit of Grace Heer 's the Sinne. The second thing is the punishment which vsually 2 The punishment of them that sinne against the holy Ghost befals those that sinne against the holy Ghost and that 's three-fold The first is finall impenitencie they that sinne against the holy Ghost are stricken with a marueilous hardnes of heart so that they cannot repent they are past repentance 1 Finall impenitencie wherefore the Apostle saith l Heb. 6. 4. 5. 6. it is impossible for those who were once inlightned c if they shall fall away to renue them againe vnto repentance The second is neuer to be forgiuen they that sinne against the holy Ghost can haue no remission no forgiuenesse 2 Neuer forgiuen of sinnes they can haue no mercie shewed them m Mat. 12. 31. 32. All manner of sinne and blasphemie shall be forgiuen vnto men saith our Sauiour but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen vnto men And whosoeuer speaketh a word against the sonne of man it shall be forgiuen him but whosoeuer speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him nether in this world nor in the world to come And in St Marke it s said n Mar. 3. 29. he that shall blaspheme against the holy Ghost hath neuer forgiuenesse This second punishment followeth vpon the first one is the cause of the other they that sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenesse because they haue not grace to repent true it is the mercie of God is great aboue all our transgressions and God denieth mercie to no sinner that doth truly repent and therefore if a sinner whosoeuer or whatsoeuer he be haue grace to repent him truly of his sinnes to beleeue the remission of his sinnes and to call and cry to God for mercy he may haue mercie but he that sinneth against the holy Ghost his heart is so hardned that he cannot repent but dies without repentance and therefore cuts himselfe off from mercie and forgiuenesse and so is the cause of his own damnation The third is a miserable and fearfull end They that 3 A fearfull end sinne against the holy Ghost vsually die a fearfull and shamefull death We haue two memorable examples hereof the one is of Iudas Iscariot one of the twelue who was inlightned with the knowledge of Iesus Christ he was the Disciple of Christ he preached Christ and wrought myracles in the name of Christ and yet afterwards fell away and that fearefully for he betrayed Christ for money but what was his end He came to a shamefull end for when
saith therefore 1 Mourning and desolation shall the land mourne c. Againe he saith q Verse 6. My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge Secondly where the knowledge of God is not men are giuen ouer to a reprobate minde to doe things that 2 A reprobte minde are not conuenient This S. Paul sheweth speaking of the Gentils r Rom. 1. 28 29. Euen as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being filled with all vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnesse full of enuy c. Thirdly to them that know not God there remaines 3 Punishment nothing but iudgement punishment and euerlasting destruction as saith the Apostle Å¿ 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from Heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power The fourth thing concerning the knowledge of God 4 Meanes wherby we may come to the right knowledge of the true God is the meanes whereby wee may come to the true knowledge of God That there is a God may be knowen as hath beene already shewed by the light of Nature and by the book of the Creatures and that there is one true God is manifest by the Scriptures the Word of God reuealeth the Vnity of the God-head and the Trinity of Persons but to the attaining to the right knowledge of the one only true God by a particular knowledge to know him to be God vnto vs to acknowledge the one onely true God to bee our Lord and our God as hath beene formely more fully declared there is required more then the light of Nature more then the booke of the Creatures and more then bare knowledge of the Scriptures for this particular knowledge of God is attained vnto partly Two by the Word of God and partly by the Spirit of God the one being an outward the other an inward 1 By the Scriptures meanes to teach vs the true knowledge of God The true knowledge of God then is attained vnto First by the Scriptures and that both by the Law and the Gospell For t Per Legem cognitiopeccati nostri per Enangelium cognitio gratiae Dei Zanch. de Natu. Dei lib. 3. cap. 3. By the Law as one saith wee come to the knowledge of our sinnes and of our misery by the Gospell we come to the knowledge of the grace and mercy of God shewed vs in Christ Iesus According to that saying of S Iohn u Ioh. 1. 17. The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And to the end that wee may come to the true knowledge of God by the Scriptures there are foure things necessarily required at our hands And that by First that we diligently read the Scriptures concerning 1 Reading the Scriptures which our Sauiour Christ hath sayd x Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee This was the practise of those noble Bereans who hauing heard Paul preach vnto them Iesus y Aâ—ts 17. 11. searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Secondly that wee carefully and attentiuely heare 2 Hearing the Word of God the word of God preached Eor * Rom. 10. 17. Faith as saith the Apostle commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Our Sauiour saith z Ioh. 17. 8. I haue giuen vnto them the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that thou didst send me In which words he sheweth three things first he gaue them his Word secondly they receiued it and thirdly by the Word of God they knew God and Iesus Christ whom hee had sent Thirdly that wee seriously meditate vpon the Word 3 Meditating vpon the Word of God which we haue read or heard Dauid saith a Psal 119. 99 I haue more vnderstanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation By meditating vpon the Word of God he got vnderstanding and attained to the true knowledge of God Fourthly that we ioyne vnto all these deuout praier 4 Praying for a blessing vpon these meanes crauing the blessing of God in reading and hearing the Word and meditating vpon the same Thus the knowledge of God is attained unto by the Scriptures Secondly the true knowledge of God is attained vnto 2 By the Spirit of God through the gracious working of the Spirit of God in our hearts for God must first put it into our hearts to know him before wee can know him As the Lord speakes by Ieremy the Prophet b Jer. 24. 7. I will giue them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. Againe hee saith c Ier. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Our Sauiour Christ saith d Ioh. 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall bee all taught of God This is called e Cognitio per gratiam Tho. 1. q. 12. ar 14. knowledge by grace or gracious knowledge because it is wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of God the Worker of grace as the Apostle also saith f 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10. We speake the wisdome of God in a mystery euen the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world vnto our glory Which none of the Princes of this world knew c. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither haue entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his Spirit This of the particular knowledge of God Now the consideration of the great necessity of the Vse knowledge of God and the benefit thereof with the danger of the want thereof and the means of obtaining it serues for reprehension and it reproues First those who content themselues with the generall 1 Against those that content themselues with a generall knowledge of God knowledge of God that there is a God that there is one God that God made all things that God is to bee worshipped c. but are not carefull to come to a particular knowledge of God to know God to be their God and so to know God as to beleeue in him to feare him and to loue him to trust in him and to depend vpon him But if we would be saued and come to euerlasting life we must labour to attaine to a particular knowledge of God for the bare generall knowledge of God will not saue vs for
kinds of it Two-fold knowledge of Christ The knowledge of Iesus Christ is two-fold The one corporall and externall The other spirituall and internall The corporall and externall knowledge of Christ was the visible seeing and knowing of Christ when he 1 Externall and visible knowledge of Christ was vpon the earth when he went about doing good and preaching the Gospell of the kingdome Which outward seeing and knowing of Christ of it selfe alone was not sufficient to saluation without the spirituall seeing and knowing of Christ by Faith The Rulers among the Iewes and elders of the People the Scribes and Pharisies saw Christ in his humane shape and knew him by his outward appearance they had his bodily presence amongst them yet few of the Pharisies and Rulers beleeued on him as appeareth by the words of the Pharisies to the Officers of the chiefe Priests c Ioh. 7. 48. haue any of the Rulers or Pharisies beleeued on him such was the corporall externall and visible knowledge of Christ The spirituall and inward knowledge of Christ is to 2 Internall and spiritual knowledge of Christ see and know him after a spirituall manner to see him by Faith to see him and know him with the eye of the vnderstanding Which spirituall knowledge of Christ is also two-fold Two-fold Generall and Particular The generall knowledge of Christ is to acknowledge 1 Generall that the second person in Trinitie is the Sonne of God and that the Sonne of God became the sonne of man to acknowledge according to the Scriptures that the d Ioh. 1. 14. word was made flesh and dwelt among vs. That c Gal. 4. 4. when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman To acknowledge that f 1. Joh. 4. 2. Iesus Christ is come in the flesh That he was conceiued by the holy-holy-Ghost borne of the virgin Marie that he suffered death that he rose againe c. Further to acknowledge his two Natures his Godhead and Manhood that he is true God and perfect man to acknowledge his offices that he is CHRIST that is anointed to be a King a Priest and a Prophet in a word to acknowledge that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of the world and the Redeemer of mankind all which is but a generall knowledge of Christ Beside this there is a particular knowledge of Christ 2 Particular by which we doe assuredly beleeue and certainly know that Iesus Christ is sent of his Father not onely to be the Sauiour of the world and of all that beleeue in him but that he is a Sauiour to Vs that he is the g 1. Ioh. 4. 10. propitiation for our sinnes That he was h Rom. 4. 25. deliuered for our offences and raised againe for our iustification That he hath i Reu. 1. 5. loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloud By this particular knowledge we acknowledge that there is k Act. 4. 12. no saluation in any other and that there is no other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued Yea hereby we so know Christ as that euery true beleeuer doth assuredly beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour to him and may say in his owne behalfe for himselfe as Paul said for himselfe l Gal. 2. 20. The Sonne of God loued me and gaue himselfe for me This is the right knowledge of Iesus Christ this is that sauing knowledge that brings life eternall Now for the necessitie thereof 2 The necessitie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ The knowledge of Iesus Christ is so necessarie that First whosoeuer wants the true knowledge of Iesus Christ he is ignorant and knowes nothing that is profitable for his soule although he haue the knowledge of all arts and tongues and whosoeuer hath the true knowledge 1 He that wanteth the knowledge of Christ is ignorant of Iesus Christ is happie and blessed he knowes sufficient to make him euerlastingly blessed though he be vnskilfull in Languages and haue but small knowledge in humane learning When the Rulers of the people and the Elders had called before them Peter and Iohn the Apostles of Christ and m Acts 4. 13. saw the boldnesse of Peter and Iohn and perceiued that they were vnlearned and ignorant men they marueiled and they tooke knowledge of them that they had beene with Iesus Peter and Iohn were not brought vp in learning yet because they had beene with Iesus and had knowne Iesus Christ they had better knowledge and more true learning then all the Scribes and Doctours of the Iewes so that they were able to reason and dispute with them and ouercome them through the knowledge of Iesus Christ S. Paul saith to the Corinthians n 1. Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Certainly Paul was learned for he was o Act. 22. 3. brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the Fathers Ho p 2 Cor. 11. 5. 6. was not a whit behind the chiefest Apostles neither was he rude in knowledge Yet notwithstanding when he comes to preach the Gospell he doth not seeke his own prayse and commendation by affected eloquence and ostentation of humane learning but so preacheth Christ Iesus as though he knew no other learning but Iesus Christ and him crucified Secondly In regard of the excellent knowledge of Iesus 2 In regard hereof all things else are base and contemptible Christ all things else whatsoeuer are to be esteemed base and contemptible So saith St Paul q Phil. 3. 7. 8. What things were gaine to me those I counted losse for Christ Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue suffered the losse of all things and doe count â—hem but dung that I may winne Christ Thirdly without the knowledge of Iesus Christ we 3 Without it we cannot be saued cannot be saued Our Sauiour saith r Ioh. 10. 14. I am the good Shepheard and know my sheepe and am knowne of mine Againe he saith Å¿ Ver. 27. 28. my sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish So that the elect of God the true beleeuers which are marked knowne for the true sheepe of Christ doe know Christ they know his voice and heare his voyce and obey his Word yea they so know him as to follow him And to them that so know Iesus Christ he giueth life eternall and they shall neuer perish The consideration of this knowledge of Iesus Christ Vse both generall and particular together with the necessity Against those that deny Christ thereof serues to reprooue those who deny Iesus Christ But is there any so wicked and blasphemous to deny