denied unto such but upon great and weightie Motives and serious Examination of such Reasons as move us to think that their Edicts are contrary or opposite to Gods Laws Otherwise we should prefer a conjectural Conceit or Surmise of Obeying God rather then Man before a greater Probability of Obeying God by Obeying Man For it is certain in general that men in Spiritual Authority should be Obeyed and that in Obeying Them we Obey God but uncertain and conjectural according to our Supposition whether in this particular they should be disobeyed and therefore uncertain whether God by our denial of Obedience should be Disobeyed or Obeyed 6 Albeit I must confess there must a difference be put betwixt the immediate and direct disobeying of Gods express Laws resulting from Obedience unto Mans Laws that are opposite unto them and the disobeying of Gods Laws mediately or by consequence that is by disobeying Mens Laws whose Authoritie is derived from them As if a private man should Obey a publick Magistrate commanding him or his Pastor perswading him under some fair pretence to tell a lie or prejudice his neighbour by false reports he doth immediately and directly Disobey the ninth Commandment by thus Obeying Man And this Sin may justly seem greater then his that should deny Obedience to publick Authoritie in such Matters as are by it commended unto him for Good and as much tending unto Gods Glorie as the former did to his Dishonour but yet such as the partie denying Obedience is not so perswaded of nor hath any such particular expresse or immediate Law of God for doing this as the other had for not doing the former This later then disobeyes Gods Law which commands Obedience to Authoritie in lawful matters but not so directly and immediately as the former did the ninth Commandment Wherefore the former Sins are worse in their kind the worst of them is worse then the worst of the later the least of the former worse then the least of the later kind but in what degree or proportion they are worse is hard to define therefore a very difficult point to determin what degrees of probabilities or what Measure of Fear lest we should disobey Gods Laws immediately and directly by Obeying Man 's that seem opposite unto them should oversway our general certainty that Gods Deputies on earth are to be Obeyed or our Habitual Inclination to Christian Obedience grounded hereon Most certain we are that they must be Obeyed in al lawful cases or where their Laws are not opposite unto Gods and if we were certain that theirs were contrary to Gods Laws we are as certain by the Doctrine of Faith that they should be disobeied But when we doubt whether their degrees be against Gods Laws we cannot but doubt and doubting Fear lest we should disobey God directly in Obeying them And by the former Reasons it is evident that if the doubt were equal on both sides that is were it as probable that their Commands are against Gods as not we were bound in Conscience not to Obey them because we should commit a greater Sin in Obeying them if they were indeed opposite then we should in disobeying them supposing they were not opposite or contrary to Gods Laws For in the one Case we should Disobey Gods laws directly and immediately in the other only mediately and by consequence Now of two Evils equally probable the lesse must be adventured upon and the greater more eschewed 7 Yet oft-times again it may fall out that the things commanded by publick Authoritie may be in themselves very Good and commanded at least in their universal by some particular Law of God As if a Spiritual Governour should in the name of Christ command or adjure a man otherwise backward and fearing the face of great men to witnesse the truth for his poor Neighbours Good If Obedience in this Case were denied both Gods particular Commandment should be immediately and directly transgressed and that general Law also be transgressed by consequence which commands Obedience to Gods Ministers or Embassadours And it is all one whether the matter enjoyed be actually known for such as I have said unto the Partie denying Obedience or might have been known upon due examination and supposal of his former Obedience to his Pastor in other points The further prosecution of these matters I leave unto the learned that purposely write of Jurisdiction Whereof by Gods assistance according to the talent which God hath given us in the Article of the Catholick Church It may suffice for our present purpose to have shewed that it is not every Doubt or Scruple of the Unlawfulnesse of Superiours Commands that can warrant denial of Obedience to them and that all Inferiours are bound to a sober diligent and unpartial Examination of their own Hearts and Consciences to a resolute denial or abandoning of their own Affections or desires that they may be more fit to discern the Truth it self and more sincerly weigh the Consequence of their Superiours Admonitions before they can plead the Liberty of Conscience for rejecting them or appealing from them 8 Whether any such Opposition as I have spoken of can probably be found between any expresse Law of God and our Churches publick Injunctions of such Rites and Ceremonies as many painful Labourers in Gods Harvest have made scruple of or whether such scruples have been first conceived upon probable discovery of such Opposition after such serious and due Examination I leave it to their Consciences that have made or do make them beseeching God for the Good of his Church and his Glory sake to inspire many of their Hearts but with this Cogitation Whether were more likely That they themselves should commit any Act of Insidelity or Popery by continuance in their Pastoral charge upon such tearms as many of their religious and learned Brethren do or whether Atheism and Insidelitie should increase abundantly throughout this Land by their silence Many of them I know have held the things injoyned not absoutely evil but suspicions occasions of evil And could we in such Cases unsually take but half that pains in seeking to prevent the particular evils which publick Acts we fear may occasion as we do in censuring them for inconsiderate or occasions of evil or finally as we do in breeding Jealousies of their Unlawfulnesse the evils which we fear would not fall out half so fast as by this means they do besides that the Unity of Faith should alwayes be faster kept in the stricter Bond of Loue and true Obedience in things essentially Good and necessary for the preservation of Gods Church would be more plentiful and cheerful 9 But my Purpose in this place was only to search out the Limits of true Obedience unto Spiritual Authority in general so far as it concerns the rectifying of their Faith or edification in Manners who are to be governed and instructed by it None of them can justly pretend ordinarily any scruple of such
the hands at least or Dazel if not darken the Eyes of the Industrious Reader The One is That his Stile is obscure The Other That his Doctrine is Arminian The second part of this Preface will endeavour with humility and Reason to satisfie them And to the former of these I answer His Stile is Full and deep which makes the Purity of it seem a kind of Blacknesse or darknesse and though it abound in substantiall adjectives yet it is more short then other Authours in Relatives in Eeking and helping particles because he writ to Schollers His stream Runs full but alwayes in it own Channel and within the Banks if any will yet say it overflows He must give me leave to tell him It then inriches the Ground His Pen drops Principles as frequent as ordinary mens do sence His matter is rare His Notions uncouth parcels of Truth digged 〈◊〉 profundo and so at first Aspect look like strangers to the Ordinary Intellect but with Patience and Usance will cease to be so And the Reader shall assuredly find this most certain token of true Worth in Him that the more he is acquainted with the better he shall like Him The probability of this proof I gather from one of those Responsa prudentum which long since I read in Plutarch A professed Orator had made a speech for One who upon the first reading went about the conning of it with much cheerfulnesse and contentment but after 2 or 3 dayes familiarity and Repetition had begot a Fastidium he came to the Orator and told him Sir at the first or second reading I liked this Oration very well but now I am quite of another mind to say the truth I loath it heartily Well sayes the Orator how oft mean you to speak this Oration to the People any more then Once No said he But once onely Go your way then They will like it as well as you did at first Time I warrant you But Reader if thou wilt believe above twenty yeers Experience or Conversation with this Author Thou wilt find at every return new matter both of Observation and delight in Him Now for the second Objection It will be found a meer Noise The phansie of a prejudicate mind The Reader must in justice Examine the particulars before he passe his judgement and then in wisdom not suffer himself to be deprived of a rich Treasure upon poor Pretences It would fret a son of Valour to find himself Robbed by a weakling and a Coward that had first possessed his phansie that some Visors supported with stakes in the Twilight were stout Fellows ready to come in if he did not deliver his Gold 2 I may with modesty averre That there is not one word in this Volume that to my thinking can possibly be so forced or wrested by the dissenting as to take offence thereby 3 I find him through the whole Body of his Writings most Religiously Carefull to give unto God the Things that be Gods even the glory of his Grace his most Gratuitous Grace in Christ preventing exciting furthering and making to persevere in all works or courses of Christianity and that so requisite and intrinsecall to every holy Action that all our sufficiency is from it By the Grace of God we are what we are and do what we do And surely had the great Goodnesse of the Lord been Taught and tendered in such manner as this Author sets it forth This Age had felt it self better Thriven in Christianity and in the power of godlinesse then it now is Sin had not so abounded but Grace had superabounded and reigned through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 4 Nor can any man think I produce one passage that intimates much lesse inferrs any inordinate prelation of The strength of Nature He making the chief use of that poor Remnat of Free-will left in us sons of Adam to consist not in meriting or preparing but in our not being so untoward patients as we might possibly be in not doing that evil which is in Our power to do 5 Nor will any man speak evil of Him but he that himself narrows the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and engrosses that plenteous ransome he paid for all the sons of Adam to some small number of such he conceits himself to be Finally if the worst be Given that this Objection pretends to The offence will be much asswaged if the ordinary Reader do but know That the Lutheran i. e. A considerable part of the Reformed Church is of that opinion and that the other name is used mostly to inflame the Odium In summe This Man of God knew he might not Strive nor multiply questions to gender strife therefore he demands but two postulata of the dissenting man 1 That God hath a True freedom in doing good 2 That man hath a True freedom in doing evil From him that agrees with him in these two he wil not dissent in other points But from such as teach That all events are so irresistibly decreed by God that none can fall out otherwise then they do Or That nothing can be amended that is amisse He justly differs For besides that the Tenets be Turkish being pressed they yield a morbid bitter juice and put out a Forked sting Their Consequent being that either There is no morall evil under the Sun or That the Fountain of Godnesse who is Ultor intentator malorum his will is the cause of such evil I beseech the Readers Pardon that I come but now to the last part the most proper Business of the Preface to give account of the Designe dispatched and cum Bono Deo intended This Great Author having framed to himself an Idaea of that compleat Body of Divinity which he intended for his own more Regular proceeding and our better understanding did direct all his lines in the whole Peripherie of his studies unto the Heads conteined in the Creed as unto their naturall Centre He published in his Life time Nine Books of Comments upon the Creed Viz. These Three now Reprinted 4 Justifying Faith 5 A Treatise of Unbelief 6 Of Gods Essence and Attributes 7 Of The knowledge of Christ 8 The Humiliation of Christ 9 The Consecration of Christ Together with some other Treatises and Sermons Appendices to the former which indent with and like Tallies owne the Treatises to which they Relate very appositely viz. A Treatise of the Holy Catholick Church which is part of the twelfth Book of Comments intended Christs Answer to Saint Iohns Disciples Diverse Sermons preached before the King Two Sermons Bethlehem and Nazareth And The Woman a True Comfort to Man He left unpublished according to the Account following The tenth Book of Comments Ready for the Presse Conteining the Manner how sin found Entrance into the World Of the nature of sin Of our first servitude to it Of that poor Remnant of Free-will left in the sons of Adam with direction to use it aright And how we
with other stand mutually affected how both subordinate to the absolute immutability of that one everlasting decree Want of resolution in these points as far as my observation serves me hath continually bred an universal threefold want of care and vigilancie for preventing dangers in themselves avoidable of alacrious indeavors to redeem time in part surprized by them of patience of hearty submission to Gods will and constant expectation of his providence after all hope of redemption from temporal plagues long threatned by his messengers is past For here we suppose what out of the fundamental principles of Christian religion shall in good time be made evident that in all ruinated states or forepast alterations of religion from better to worse there was a time wherein the possibility of misfortunes which afterwards befel them might have been prevented a time wherein they might have been recovered from eminent dangers wherewith they were encompast a time after which there was no possibility left them of avoyding the day of visitation never brought forth but by the precedent fulness of iniquity but alwaies necessarily by it In the discussion of these and other points of like nature because more depending upon strict examination of consequences deduced from the undoubted rules of Scripture then upon authorities of antiquitie skill in the tongues or any other learning that required long experience or observation I laboured most whilest those Arts and Sciences which are most conducible to this search were freshest in my memory And could I hope to satisfie others in all or most of these as fully as I have long since done my self I should take greatest pleasure in my pains addressed to this purpose But would it please the Lord in mercy to raise up some English writer that could in such sort handle these points as their use and consequence or necessity of present times requires succeeding ages I am perswaded should have more cause to bless the day of his nativity then of the greatest States-mens or stoutest Warriors this land hath yielded since the birth of our Fathers this day living It shall suffice he to begin the offering with my mite in hope some learned Academicks for unto them belongs the conquest of this golden fleece will employ their Talents to like publick use What I conceive shall be by Gods assistance unfolded in as plain and unoffensive terms as the nature of the subject will bear or my faculties reach unto partly in the Article of Gods providence partly in other discourses directly subordinate unto it Lastly for the full and perfect growth at least for the sweet and pleasant flourishing of lively Faith one of the most effectual means our industry that can but plant or water attains unto would be to unfold the harmony betwixt Prophetical predictions and Historical events concerning the Kingdom of Christ and time of the Gospel a point for ought I know not purposely handled by any modern writer except those whose success cannot be great until their delight in contention and contradiction be less Notwithstanding whatsoever I shall find good in them or any other without all respect of persons much more without all desire of opposition or occasion of contention a matter alwaies undecent in a Christian but most odious and lothsom in a subject so melodious and pleasant I will not be afraid to follow intending a full Treatise of the divers kindes of Prophecies with the manner of their interpretations before the Articles of Christs Incarnation Passion and Ascension These are the especial points which for the better confirmation of true Christian faith and rectifying perswasions in matters of manners or good life are principally aimed at in these meditations The main obstacle the Atheist stumbles at is the Article of the bodies resurrection Whose passive possibility shall by Gods assistance be evidently demonstrated against him by the undoubted rules of nature whose Priest or Minister he professeth himself to be That de facto it shall be the Scriptures whose truth ere then will appear Divine must assure us Nature cannot though thus much were in some sort known and believed by many natural men from traditions of the ancient or suspected from some notions of the law of nature not quite obliterated in all sorts of the heathen as shall in that Article God willing be observed But why our Assent unto this and all other Articles in this Creed being in good measure established the momentary hopes or transitory pleasures of this world should with most in their whole course of life with all of us in many particular actions in private and secret temptations more prevail then that exceeding weight of glory which Christian hope would fasten on our souls to keep unruly affections under hath often enforced me to wonder and wonderment hereat first moved me to untertake these labors if by any means I may attain unto the causes of this so grievous an infirmity or find out some part of a remedy for it Doubtless had the heathen Philosophers but known or suspected such joyes as we profess we believe and hope for or such a death or more then deadly torments as after this life ended we fear their lives and manners would as far have surpassed the best Christians now living as their knowledge in supernatural mysteries came short of the most learned that are or have been in that profession and yet whatsoever helps any Christian or heathen had for encreasing knowledge or bettering manners are more plentiful in this then any precedent age so that the fault is wholly in our selves that will not apply medicines already prepared as shall God prospering these proceedings be declared in the last Article of this Creed For controversies betwixt us and the Romish Church besides such are directly opposite to the end and method proposed I purposely meddle with none of that rank some as that of the Churches infallibility undermine the very foundation others as the doctrine of merit and justification the propitiation of the Mass unroof the edifice and deface the walls of Christian faith leaving nothing thereof but altarstones for their idolatrous sacrifices For this reason have I built with one hand used my weapon with the other laying the positive or general grounds of Faith against the Infidel or Atheist in the first Book and gaurding them in the second by the sword of the Spirit against all attempts of Romish Sanballats or Tobiahs who still labor to perswade our people the walls of Christs Church here erected since our fore-fathers redemption from captivity unless supported by their supposed infallibility are so weak That if a Fox should go upon them he should break them down In the third which was at this time intended but must stay a while to bring forth a fourth I batter those painted walls whose shallow foundations are discovered in the second The other controversies about the propitiatory sacrifices of the Mass Merits and Justification I prosecute in the Articles of Christs Passion and
Authoritie of some Books it rather ought to confirm his Faith that men disagreeing so much in many opinions so opposite in their affections should so well agree about the number of no fewer then two and twentie Canonical Books of the old Testament Had their authority only been Human or left to the choice of men whether they should be allowed or rejected many that now admit them would reject them because opposite Religions did embrace them That all sorts of Protestants Papists and Jews do receive them is an infallible Argument that he who is Lord of all did commend them to all Nor doth our Church so disclaim all which the Romans above these two and twenty admit as if it were a point of faith to hold there were no more it only admits no more into the same Rank and Order with the former because we have no such warrant of faith or sure Experiments so to do Many of them discover themselves to be Apocryphal and albeit some of them can very hardly or not at all be discerned for such by their Stile Character or dissonancie to Canonical Scriptures yet that none of them indeed are or can be admitted for Canonical without manifest tempting of God is evident from what hath been observed before concerning Gods unspeakable providence in making the Blinded and Perfidious Jews Christ's and our bitterest enemies such trusty Feoffees for making over the Assurances of Life unto us For seeing by them he commended unto us only so many Books of the old Testament as our Church acknowledgeth this is an intallible Argument that His will was we should admit no more Had any more been written before the re-edifying of the Temple by Zerubbabel no doubt the Jews would have admitted them into their Canon For all such as should be written after the Prophet Malachie who is the last of their Canon had left this caveat in the last words of his prophecie for not admitting them Remember the law of Moses my servant which I commanded to him in Horeb in all Israel with the statutes and judgments as if he had said You must content your selves with His Writings such as you have already Consonant to his for any others of equal Authoritie you may not expect until the Expectation of the Gentiles come For no Prophet shall arise untill that time as he intimates in the last words Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the coming of the great and fearful day of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest 〈◊〉 come and smite the earth with cursing The Ministery of others for converting souls he supposed should be but ordinarie by the Exposition of the Law and Prophets and the Authoritie of such writ they as much as they listed could not be Authentick or Canonical 3 Some others again of reformed Churches in these our times have from the example of Antiquitie doubted of the authoritie of some Books in the new Testament as of Jude of James the second of Peter and some others Which doubt is now diminished by their continuance in the sacred Canon so long time not without manifest documents of GODS providence in preserving â—hem whose pleasure it may seem was to have these Books of whom the Ancients most doubted fenced and guarded on the one side by S. Pauls Epistles and other Canonical Scriptures never called in question by any but absurd and foolish Hereticks whose humorous opinions herein died with themselves and on the other by the Book of the Apocalypse of whose Authoritie â—hough many of the Ancient for the time being doubted yet He that was before all times did fore-see that it should in later times manifest it self to be â—…is work by Events answerable to the Prophecies contained in it And albeit many Apocryphal Books have been stamped with Divine Titles and obâ—…uded upon the Church as Canonical whilest she was in her Infancie and the sacred Canon newly constitute yet the divine Spirit by which it was written hath wrought them out as new wine doth such filth or grossenesse as mingle with it whilest the grapes are troden S. Johns Adjuration in the conclusion of that Book hath not only terrified all for adding unto or diminishing it â—elf but hath been as it were a Seal unto the rest of this Sacred Volume of the new Testament as Malachies prophecie was to the old the whole Canon it self consisting both of the Old and New continues still as the Ark of God and all other Counterfeits as Dagon 4 Were not our Roman adversaries Doctrine concerning the general principles of Faith an Invention devised of purpose by Satan to obliterate all print â—r impression of Gods providence in governing his Church out of mens hearts how were it possible for any man endued with reason to be so far overgrown with Phrensie as not to conceive their own folly madnes in avouchâ—…g we cannot know what books are Canonical what not but by the Infallible Testimony of the present Romish Church But of those impieties at large hereafter I wil now only infer part of their Conclusion which they still labor but never shall be able to prove from Premises which they never dreamt of For 〈◊〉 profess among others this is not the least reason I have to hold the Apocalypse for Canonical Scripture because the Romish Church doth so esteem it Nor could reformed Churches Belief of its Authority be so strong unless that Church had not denied but openly acknowledged it for Canonical Scripture As the same Beams of the Sun reach from heaven to earth and from one end of the world to another so do the same raies of Gods power extend themselves from generation to generation alwaies alike conspicuous to such as are Illuminate by His Spirit for who thus Illuminate can acknowledg his providence in making the Jews so careful to preserve the old Testament and not as clearly discern the same in constraining the Romish Church to give her supposed infallible Testimony of the Apocalypse Doubtlesse if that Book had been the work of man it had been more violently used by that Church of late then ever the new Testrment hath been by the Jewish Synagogue or any Heretick by the Romanists seeing it hath said far more against â—hem then any whom they account for such ever did But God who â—ade Pharaohs Daughter a second mother unto Moses whom he had apâ—…ted to bring destruction afterwards upon her Fathers house and Kingâ—â—m hath made the Romish Church of old a Dry Nurse to preserve this Book whose meaning she knew not that it might bring desolation upon her self 〈◊〉 her children in time to come For by the breath of the Lord shall she be destroyed her doom is already read by S. John the Lord of late hath intangled her in her own snare whilest she was drawing it to catch others Her childrens Brags of their mothers
Infallibility might prove as a Powder-plot to blow up the whole Edifice of Christian Faith as it certainly will if men suffer it to be once planted in their Hearts and Consciences The Jesuites speculative Positions of their Churches transcendent Authority are as the Train the Popes Thunderbolts as the Match to set the whole World on Combustion unlesse his Lordly Designes though in matters of Faith and greatest moment be put in execution without Question or demur as shall God prospering these proceedings most clearly appear in the sequel of this discourse Wherein are to be discussed 1 Their Objections against us the Points of Difference betwixt us with the Positive Grounds of Truth maintained by us 2 The Inconveniences of their Positions Erection of tripple Blasphemy by the overthrow of Christianitie 3 The Original Causes of their Errour in this and such erroncous Perswasions as held by them in other Points not descried by us prove secret Temptations for others to follow them or serve as previal Dispositions for their Agents to work upon 4 The possible Means and particular Manner how Orthodoxal may be distinguished from Heretical Doctrine or the Life-working Sense of Scriptures from Artificial Glosses These Points discussed and the Positive Grounds of Christian Faith cleared as well against the open Assaults of the professed Atheists as the secret Attempts of undermining Papists we may with better security proceed to raise the Foundation laid in the first general Part of the first Book to the height intended SECT I. What Obedience is due to Gods Word what to his Messengers THe whole Scripture saith the Apostle is given by inspiration of God and is profitable to Teach to Reprove to Correct and to Instruct in Righteousnesse that the Man of God may be absolute being made perfect unto all good works What or whom he means by The Man of God is not agreed upon by all that acknowledge his words in the sense he meant them most Infallible and Authentick Some hereby understand onely such men as Timothy was Ministers of Gods word or Prophets of the new Testament and so briefly elude all Arguments hence drawn to prove the sufficiency of Scriptures for being the Absolute rule of Faith at least to All as well unlearned as learned Yet should they in all reason might Gods Word rule their Reason grant them to be such unto all such as Timothy was publick Teachers men conversant in or consecrated unto Sacred Studies but even This they deny as well as the Former the former in their opinion be more absurd for us to affirm especially holding the Hebrew text only Authentick Briefly they charge us with debasing Peter for advancing Paul or rather for colouring or adorning our pretended sense of Pauls Words that is for giving too little to Peters Successors or the Church too much to Scriptures too little to Spiritual too much to Lay men 2 These are plausible Pretences and sweet Baits to stop the mouthes and mussle the pens of Clergy-men in reformed Churches unto most of whom as they object besides the Spiritual Sword little or nothing is left for their just defence against the Insolencies of rude illiterate profane Laicks And yet who more earnest then they in this Cause against the Church against themselves yet certain it is that no man can be truly for himself unlesse he be first of all for Truth it self of which he that gains the greatest share what other detriment or disparagement soever in the mean time he sustain in the end speeds alwayes best And seeing To Lie or teach amisse is a matter altogether impossible to Omnipotencie it self to be able and willing withall to defend a Falshood or set fair colours on foul Causes is rather Impotencie then Abilitie Hence was that quicquid possumus pro veritate possumus Seeing by Truth we live our Spiritual Life to weaken it for strengthning our Temporal Hopes can never rightly be accounted any true effect of Power but an infallible Argument of great and desperate Imbecillitie 3 For these Reasons since I consecrated my labours to the search of Divine Truth my mind hath been most set to find it out in this present Controversie whereon most others of Moment chiefly depend And as unto the Romanist it is though falsly termed the Catholick so should it be unto us to all that love the Name of Christ The very Christian Cause a Cause with which the Adversaries Fortunes our Faith their Temporal our Spiritual Estate and Hopes must stand or fall a Cause whose Truth and Strength on our part will evidently appear If we first examine what the Antichristian Adversary can oppose against it CAP. I. The Sum of the Romanists Exceptions against the Scriptures 1 THeir Objections against Scriptures spring from this double Root The One that They are no sufficient Rule of Faith but Many Things are to be Believed which are not taught in Them The Second that albeit they were the compleat Rule of Faith yet could they not be known of us but by the Authority of the Church so that all the former Directions for establishing our Assent unto the Scriptures as unto the Words of God Himself were vain seeing this cannot be attained unto but by relying upon Christs visible Church The former of these two Fountains or Roots of Errour I am not here to meddle with elsewhere we shall That the Scriptures teach All Points of Faith set down in this Creed they cannot denie or if they would it shall appear in their several Explications So that the Scripture rightly understood is a competent Rule for the Articles herein contained Let us then see whether the Sense or Meaning of these Scriptures which both They and We hold for Canonical may not be Known Understood and fully Assented unto Immediately and in themselves without relying upon any visible Church or Congregation of men from whose Doctrine we must frame our Belief without distrust of Errour or Examination of their Decrees with any intention to reform them or swarve from them 2 That the Scripture is not the Rule whereon Private Men especially Unlearned ought to rely in matters of Faith from these general Reasons or Topicks they seek to perswade us First admitting the Scriptures to be Infallible in themselves and so consequently to all such as can perfectly understand them in the Language wherin they were written yet to such as understand not that Language they can be no Infallible Rule because they are to them a Rule only as they are Translated but no Unlearned man can be sure that they are translated aright according to the true Intent and meaning of the Holy Ghost for if any man do infallibly Believe this and build his Faith hereupon then is his Faith grounded upon the Infallibilitie of This or That mans Skill in Translating whereof he that is Unlearned can have no sufficient Argument neither out of Scripture nor from Reason Nay Reason teacheth us that in matters of ordinarie capacitie most men are
And may not we I pray you say as much if thus much would serve for us Might not we by the self same Reason teach the People to admit of Translations but only Conditionally as far forth as they shall be perswaded that this was the Meaning of the Scripture or the Word of God For Questionlesse it is more certain that God cannot Erre then that the Pope cannot And it is more necessary unâ—o Christian Belief to hold that God the Father Son and Holy Ghost neither can nor will speak a Lie then that the Pope cannot or will not teach us amisse That the Pope and his Cardinals do arrogate thus much unto themselves is more then the Lay and unlearned People can tell but only by yours and others Relation But that the God of Heaven neither can nor will Teach amisse is a Principle not controversed by any that thinks there is a God 4 Let it then first be granted That God is freer from Errour from Deceiving or being Deceived in Points of Faith or matters of Mans Salvation then the Pope is although he speak ex Cathedra From this Position it followes most directly and most immediately that if the Lay unlearned People of this Land have as good Means and better to know that these Books of Scrpture are Gods own Words then they can have to know that this or that Canon in any Councel was confirmed by the Popes teaching ex Cathedra then must the same People Believe the One more stedfastly then the Other to wit Gods Word as it is read unto them in our Church more stedfastly then the Popes Interpretations Injunctions or Decrees Let us compare the Means of knowing Both. First if the Popes Decrees be a certain Means of knowing any Truth they are as certain a Means of knowing those Scriptures which our Church admits to be Gods Word as of any thing else for the Pope and his Councel have avoucht Them for Such although they adde some more then we acknowledge 5 If the worst then should fall out that can be imagined as if we had Reason to despair of all other Translations save onely of the Vulgar yet that it were the Word of God we might know if by no other Means yet by Consent of the Romish Church and all the People of this Land might be as certain of this Decree as of any the Pope can give But take the same Scripture as it is Translated into our English the People may be as certain that it is the Word of God as they can be that the Trent Councel was Lawfully called or by the Pope confirmed yea much more certain The Jesuites may tell them that these very words being first englished were spoken in the Trent-Councel and confirmed by the Pope Why should they believe it Because they avouch it seriously whom they think able to understand Latin Suppose not only one or two or three but the whole Assembly of our Clergie tels the same People that these reciting the Points of our Salvation are the very Words of God Himself and are for Substance all one in the Hebrew Greek Latin and English What Difference can you here imagine That the Trent-Councel decreed thus the modern Jesuites have it but from Tradition of this Age That God spake thus we have the Consent of all Ages Yea but it is easier to render the Trent-Councels Meaning out of Latin then the Meaning of Gods Word out of Hebrew or Greek Whether it be so or no the unlearned People cannot tell but by hearsay yet if we would take the Vulgar Latin this foolish Objection were none for It is as easie to be Rendred as the Trent-Councel and if the Trent-Councel be true It is the Word of God All then is equal concerning the Difficulties that may arise from the Skill or Ignorance of the Translators of the one or other the Popes Decrees or Scripture Our Ministers know to Render the Meaning of Scripture as well as yours do the Meaning of the Councels Let us now see whether it be as likely that our Ministers Fidelitie in telling them as they are perswaded and as they Believe themselves be not to be presumed as Great To call this in Question were extream Impudencie and Uncivilitie especially seeing we Teach that the people should be throughly instructed in the Truth whereas you hold it for good Christian Policie to hold them in Ignorance Our permitting the free Use of Scriptures to all doth free us from all suspition of Imposture of Guile of which in the Jesuite or learned Papist the denail of like Libertie is a foul Presumption Further let us examin whether from the Matter or Manner of the Popes Decrees there can be any Argument drawn to perswade the People that these are his Decrees and no other Mans more then can be gathered from the Matter and Manner of Scripture Phrase to perswade a man that these are Gods and can be no Mans Words And Here certainly we have infinite Advantage of you For no man of Sense or Reason but must needs suffer himself to be perswaded that it is a far easier matter to Counterfeit the Decrees of the Lateran or Trent-Councel or the Popes Writs Interpretations or Determinations then Artificially to imitate the Invincible and Majestical Word of God either for the Matter or the Manner 6 The Sequel is this that if the Scriptures received by us be obnoxious to any the least Suspition of being Forged then from the same Reasons much more liable to the same Suspition are those which we account the Popes Decrees and therefore in respect of us much lesse to be Believed although otherwise we should grant the Pope Decrees which without controversie were his Decrees indeed to be as Infallible as the Eternal and Immutable Decrees of the Almightie Gods Word oft-times unto Atheists hath discovered it self by the Majestie of Stile and Sublimitie of Matter to be more then Human and therefore Divine not able to imitated by any lying Spirit If any Jesuite will deny this let him make trial of Imitation in the Prophecie of Isaias the Beginning of S. Johns Gospel the Relation of Joseph and his Brethrens Dialogues the Book of Job c. The Majestie of Speech and other Excellencies which appears in them especially if we consider the Time wherein most of them were written doth argue a Divine Spirit in whose Imitation the most accurate Writers of later Ages albeit no man writes excellently but from some Beam of Divine Illumination in the Facultie are but Apish if we read the same Scriptures in the Tongue wherein they were written or in sundry modern Tongues capable of the Divine Splendor which shines in the Original with which the Latin especially in Prose hath greatest Disproportion of all Learned or copious Tongues As for the Popes Decrees they bewray themselves both for the Matter and Manner to be only Human and therefore easie to be imitated by the Spirit of Man subject to many Errours Nor
the Holy Ghost did write we answer briefly That the Language Tongue or Dialect is but the Vesture of Truth the Truth it self for substance is one and the same in all Languages And the Holy Spirit who instructed the first Messengers of the Gospel with the true sense and knowledge of the Truths therein revealed and furnished them with Diversity of Tongues to utter them to the capacitie of divers Nations can and doth throughout all succeeding Ages continue his gifts whether of Tongues or others whatsoever are necessarie for conveying the true sense and meaning of saving Truth already taught immediately to the Hearts of all such in every Nation as are not for their sin judged unworthy of his societie of all such as resist not His Motions to follow the Lusts of the Flesh And as for men altogether Illiterate that cannot read the Scripture in any Tongue we do not hold them bound nor indeed are any to Beleive absolutely or expresly every Clause or sentence in the sacred Canon to be the Infallible Oracle of Gods Spirit otherwise then is before expressed but unto the several Matters or substance of Truth contained in the principal Parts thereof their souls and Spirits are so surely tied and fastned that they can say to their own Concences Wheresoever these men that teach us these good Lessons learned the same themselves most certain it is that Originally they came from God and by the gracious Providence of that God whose Goodnesse they so often mention are they now come to us Such are the Rules or Testimonies of Gods Providence the Doctrines or real truths of Oriâ—…il Sin of our Misery by Nature and Freedom by Grace Such are the Articles of Christs Passion and the Effects thereof of the Resurrection and Life everlasting Unto These and other Points of like Nature and Consequence every true Christian Soul indued with Reason and Discourse gives a ful a firm and absolute Assent directly and immediately fastned upon these Truths themselves not tied or held unto them by any Authority of Man For albeit true and stedfast Belief of these Fundamental Points might be as scant as the true Worship of God seemed to be unto Flias in his daies yet every Faithful Soul must thus resolve Though all the World besides my self should worship Baal and follow after other Gods yet will I follow the God of Heaven in whom our Fathers trusted and on whose Providence who so reâ—…es shal never fall So likewise must every Christian both in Heart resolve Cutwardly profess with Peter but with unfaâ—â—ed praiers for better Succesâ—… diligent Indeavours by his Example to beware of all Presumption Though the World beside my self should abâ—ure Christ and admit of Mahomet for their Mediator yet would not I follow so great a Multitude to so great an Evil but always cleave unto the cruciâ—ied Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer who I know is both Able and Willing to save all such as follow him both in Life and Death So again though all the subtiltie and wisdom of Hell the World and Flesh should joyntly bend their Force stretch Invention to overthrow the glorious Hope of our Resurrection from the dead yet every Faithful Christ an must here resolve with Job and out of his Believing Heart profess I am sure that my Redeemer liveth and he shal stand the last on the earth and though after my skin this Body be destroyed yet shal I see God in my Plesh whom I my self shal see and mine eyes shal behold and none other for me Job 19. 25. As we hope to see Christ with our own eyes immediately and directly in his Person not by any other mens eyes so must we in this life stedfastly believe and fasten our Faith upon those Points and Articles which are Necessarie for the aâ—taining of this sight of Christ In and For Themselves not from any Authoritie or Testimonie of Men upon which we must relie for this were to see with the eyes of others Faith not with our own 12 Many other Points there be not of like Necessitie or Consequence which unto men specially altogether unlearned or otherwiâ—e of less capacity may be proposed as the Infallible Oracles of God unto some of which it is not lawful for them to give so absolute and firm irrevocable Asâ—ent as they must do unto the former because they cannot discern the Truth of them in it self or for it self or with their own eyes as it is supposed they did the Truth of the former CAP. III. The general Heads of Agreements or Differences betwixt us and the Papists in this Argument 1 Aâ—… the Diâ—â—iculties in this Argument may be reduced to these Three Heads First How we can know whether God hath spoken any thing or no unto his Church Secondly What the Extent of his Word or Speech is as whether All he hath spoken be VVritten or some Unwritten or how we may know amongst Books written which are written by Him which not Likewise of Unwritten Verities which are Divine which Counterfeit Thirdly How we know the Sense and Meaning of Gods VVord whether VVritten or Unwritten 2 These Difficulties are common to the Jews Turks Christians and all Hereticks whatsoever All which agree in this main Principle That whatsoever God hath said or shall say at any time is most undoubtedly and infallibly True 3 But for this present we must dismisse all Questions about the Number or Sufficiencie of Canonical Books or Necessitie of Traditions For these are without the lists of our proposed Method All the Professours either of reformed or Romish Religion agree in this Principle That certain Books which both acknowledge do contain in them the undoubted and infallible Word of God 4 The first Point of Breach or Difference betwixt us and the Papist is concerning the Means how a Christian man may be in Conscience perswaded as stedfastly and infallibly as is necessarie unto Salvation That these Books whose Authoritie none of them denie but both outwardly acknowledge are indeed Gods Words 5 The second Point of Difference admitting the stedfast and infallible Belief of the former is concerning the Means how every Christian man may be in Conscience perswaded as infallibly as is necessary to his Salvation of the true Sense and Meaning of these Books joyntly acknowledged and stedfastly believed of both 6 In the Means or Manner how we come to Believe both these Points stedfastly and infallibly we agree again in this Principle That neither of the former Points can ordinarily be fully and stedfastly Believed without the Ministerie Asseveration Proposal or instructions of men appointed by God for the begetting of Faith and Belief in others hearts both of us agree that this Faith must come by Hearing of the Divine Word 7 Concerning the Authority of Preachers or men thus appointed for the begetting of Faith the Question again is Twofold 8 First whether this Authority be primarily or in some peculiar sort
concerning this Point That happily may be yet Objected which hath alwayes bred greatest Scruple for yeelding Obedience in doubtfull Cases For our Apostle saith Whatsoever is not of faith is sin But whilest men Obey Spiritual Governours in those particulars for which they shew no Scripture This Obedience is not of faith for Faith is alwayes Ruled by the Word Ergo this Obedience is sinfull even in this respect alone that it hath not the Word for its Warrant but much more if we doubt whether the things enjoyned be Good or Bad for Doubting breeds Condemnation as our Apostle in the same place gathereth He that Doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not of faith 2 Unto the former part of this Objection the Answer is easie and brief Seeing Gods Word Commands Obedience in general unto Spiritual Pastors and that in most expresse termes It doth warrant our Obedience in particulars which are not forbidden by the same Word But for clearing of the later Objection because this place of Saint Paul is as often urged to as little purpose as any other in the whole Book of God besides it shall not be amisse to consider First in what Sense it is true Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Secondly what manner of Doâ—bt it is that makes a thing to be not of faith in that sense which our Apostle means 3 A thing may be said to be of Faith three wayes First strictly and properly That is said to be ex Fide of faith which is an Act or exercise of the Habit or Vertue of faith as to beleeve in God in Christ or to Assent unto any Article in the Creed In this Sense no man I think doth urge this place of our Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sin For then all Deeds of Charity should be sinfull seeing they are no Acts or exercises of the Habit of Faith but of Charity which is a distinct Habit from Faith according to best Divines nor can we properly say that such works flow from Faith as the fruit doth from the root seeing Charitie is no branch of faith but a Coaeval stemme of infused sanctifying Grace the common Root to both Such Acts then may be said to be of Faith onely because the Doctrine of Faith enjoyns them and the Habit or Vertue of Faith inclines the Soul unto them and moves Charity unto the exercise of them And this is the second Sense or Meaning of the speech ex fide of faith that is those things are said to be of faith or to proceed from faith which are commanded by the Doctrine of faith or unto which we are inclined or moved by the Habit or Vertue of Faith But neither is it alwayes true Whatsoever is not of faith in this sense is sinne For so no Recreation no Merriment not Eating and Drinking with many other Works both of Reason and Nature generally nothing meerly Indifferent could be truly of faith at the least at this or that Time How then are not all these sinfull seeing they are not of faith in none of the former Senses being neither Acts of Faith nor enjoyned by the Doctrine of Faith This necessarily enforceth us to seek a third Signification of the former words 4 Thirdly then that is said to be not of Faith whatsoever is not warrantable by the Doctrine of faith whatsoever Conscience or the Vertue of faith being consultâ—… countenance or allow but rather disswade And in this Sense all that may be said to be ex file of faith whatsoever is warrantable by the Doctrine of Faith whatsoever Faith Conscience or the Law of Reason and Nature can approve or allow of either Absolutely or at that Present whilest they are undertaken albeit they do not enjoyn them or impell us unto them at the least for that Season As for example If a man free from necessary Imployments of his Calling should ride half a score of miles to be merry with his honest friend this were neither an act of faith nor an exercise enjoynea by faith and yet truely of faith in our Apostles Sense and no way Sinfull because warrantable by the Doctrine of faith Neither Faith nor Conscience nor Law of Nature would condemn him for so doing But if his dearest Friend lay on his Death-bed and did expect some comfort by his Presence his Absence upon such light Occasions would be sinfull because it could not be of Faith Neither the doctrine of Faith nor the Law of Reason could countenance such an Action Such resolutions may properly be said Not of Faith because they cannot proceed but from some Inclination or disposition opposite to the Habit of true Faith and the dictates of Natural well disposed much more of sanctified Conscience Suppose some mans Conscience were so scrupulous as to doubt whether he might ride so farre to be merrie with his friend when he had no urgent Occasions to withdraw him and another so confident and fully persvvaded in his mind as to make no question whether he should meet his friend in a Plaguie house or when his own Father lay a dying The Question is whether of these two doth sinne the more or if both do not sin whether of them is freed from sin and by what means The former as is supposed doubts of the Action and yet doth it the other doth the like but worse and doubteth not If that Journey which in it self is Lawfull supposing the former Case becomes unlawfull to the one because he doubts it is Unlawfull then may the others confident Perswasion make his expedition Lavvfull unto him although in it self supposing the Case above mentioned it were Unlawfull For who can give any Reason why Confidence of Perswasion may not as well legitimate what otherwise is Unlawfull as Doubt or Scruple illegitimate that which otherwise were Lawfull and Warrantable So that according to these Grounds the former party above mentioned should Sin not the Later And our Apostles Speeches unlesse they admit some restraint will infer thus much I Know and am Perswaded through the Lord Jesus that there is nothing Unclean of it self but unto him that Jâ—ageth 〈◊〉 anything to be unclean to him it is unclean And again This man esteemeth one day above another day another man counteth every day alike let every man be fully persuadâ—…d in his Mind as if he added and then there is no danger And yet if we should but consult natural reason who could deny that he that made an idle Journey whereby he might endanger his own or neglect his Fathers life did â—n most grievously albeit he were most fully Perswaded to the contrary yea the stronger his Perswasion were the greater his Sin On the contrary he that should undertake the like Journey having no serious Occasions to withdraw him if the Truth be rightly scanned did not Sin at all unlesse perhaps in Doubting whether he Sinned or no. For every Doubt of what we do doth not make our Action sinful
eating simply when they Doubted but in eating Such Meats when they doubted Other meats they might have eaten with little or no Offence albeit with more Uncertainty whether it had been better for them to eat or no. Nor was it so much a positive Doubt as rather a Ra hnesse or want of setled Resolution in many of them which made them Sin as may appear from the Circumstance of the Place yet was this eating not only a Sin but a most Grievous Sin in all that did eat such Meats without a constant and wel-grounded Resolution Both the Sin and the extraordinarie Grievousnesse of it did hence arise they had eaten of things sacrificed to Idols or other Meats in their Judgement accursed by the Law which they suspected not only to be Unlawful to be eaten but Doubted whether in eating them they should not be partakers of the Table of Divels initiated to the Sacraments of Idolatrie or separated from the Israel of God or finally become Apostata's from Faith and the Holy Doctrine As on the one side the evil which they feared was extraordinarily grievous and the Reasons of their fear such as could not easily be cast off but would be alwayes likely to breed Despair after the Action were past albeit many of them did shake off all doubt for the present so on the other part there was not quid pro quo not the least possible Surmise of performing any degree of any good or acceptable Service in the sight of God by their eating For as Saint Paul in the same place notes The Kingdom of God is not Meat or Drink but Righteousnesse and Peace whosoever in these as if he had said not in eating and drinking Serveth Christ is Acceptable unto God and is Approved of Men. Those then of whom he there spake accounting it a chief part of their Righteousnesse to abstain from all Unclean things their danger in eating was in Quantitie exceeding Great and for the Qualitie Spiritual their Losse in abstaining from such meats being provided of others was in Quantitie as Nothing and for the Qualitie meerly Corporal Wherefore thus to have eaten with the least Scruple of such grievous Danger was worse then Esau ' s alienating of his Birth-right for a Messe of Pottage And albeit they had Doubted today and grown Resolute tomorrow upon no better Motives then the bare examples of others or in an Humour or Braverie because they would not Doubt any longer but use their Libertie as others did yet had such Resolutions been deadly For Opinions of this nature may not be cast off in a Moment nor may a man adventure upon a Doubt of such fearful Consequence but upon great Motives of some Spiritual good the Probabilities of attaining which may countervail the evil feared or upon serious deliberation and perspicuous discovery of their former Errour and causelesse Scruple From these grounds did our Apostle infer that exhortation Let every man be fully perswaded in his Mind He exacteth not this Fulnesse of Perswasion in Matters of ordinary Consequence Too much Curiositie in them alwayes occasioneth less Diligence or Circumspection then were requisite for establishing our minds with true Faith in Points of greatest Moment nor did he mean such Fulnesse of Perswasion hot Spirits usually enforce upon themselves without mature and sober deliberation For such Resolutions albeit they may seem most strong as indeed they are for the time exceeding stiff yet are they easily to be undermined by Satan the inward Temptations of the Flesh or other Occurrents and after once they begin to fail such as lean most unto them fall so much the more Headlong into deepest Despair by how much they have been stronger or higher Pitcht as it seems some of these to whom he writes had been too bold in eating and were afterwards tortured by the Sting of Conscience The end of our Apostles Exhortation was This Seeing their Perswasions concerning the Unlawfulnesse of such Meats had been as it were bred up with the parties Doubting they should in no Case adventure upon the contrary Practise but upon long and wel-setled Resolution grounded upon a sincere and clear Manifestation of their former Errour For as the Physitians of our Bodies do not alwayes apply such Medicines as they know most forcible to expel the present Disease if the same be contrary to our former long accustomed Diet for vitiosae Consuetudini indulgendum est there must a caâ—e be had that a Custom though depraved be not too violently thwarted or too sodainly broken off so likewise must skilful Physitians of the Soul not seek so much to expel inveterate Opinions though Erroneous by present force of strongest Arguments or eager Exhortations but rather suffer them to wear out their strength by little and little never infusing contrary Perswasions but miâ—igated and qualified and that sparingly as Opportunity shall serve Otherwise what one saith of Nature her self Expellas furcâlicet usque recurret Though with strong hand she be out-thrown She still repairs unto her own will prove true of that altera natura inveterate Custom It sodainly expulsed will one time or other retire as violently and so shall the Relapse be much worse then the Disease it self 8 For these Reasons did they also offend most grievously who by their Example or Instigation did cause their weak Brethren to eat such Meats as they made this Conscience of for so they caused them for whom Christ Jesus died to perish for their Meats sake as it is vers 15. Whereas the losse of Meat or Life it self should by the Rule of Charity be accounted Gain in respect of our Brethrens inestimable Danger which may ensue upon such Actions Better it were we should suffer our selves to starve for Meat and so procure our own Corporal then occasion their Eternal Death by our Example so saith our Apostle If Meat offend my Brother I will eat no Meat while the world standeth that I may not offend my Brother It were better for me to die then that any man should make my rejoycing vain Nor did our Apostle in this place speak Hyperbolically or more then he meant to have Performed if he had been called to such a trial of his Resolution as some of his Forefathers had been So we read when Antiochus's Officers out of great love as they esteemed it unto the good old man had permitted Eleazar one of the principal Scribes to make choice of such flesh as he would and might safely eat by his Countrey Laws only requesting him to dissemble by his silence As though he had eaten the things appointed by the King even the Flesh of his Idols Sacrifices Albeit he might have had Life upon this condition yet he confidently answered and willed them straight wayes to send him to the grave For it becometh not our Age said he to dissemble whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar being fourscore years old and ten were now gone to another Religion and so
hold the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith 1 WHen we affirm that the Scriptures are the only infallible Rule in matters of Faith and Christian Obedience we understand such a Rule in those matters as Aristotles Organon may be said of Logick supposing it were sound and free from all suspicion of Errour in every point and contained in it all the general and undoubted Principles from which all true Forms of Argumentation must be deduced and into which all must be finally Resolved To illustrate this Truth by a known Practise Our younger Students are bound to yield their absolute Assent unto Aristotles Authoritie in matters of Logick but not unto any Interpreter that shall pretend it save only when he shall make evident unto them that this was Aristotles Meaning And while they so only and no otherwise yield their Assent they yield it wholly and immediately unto Aristotle not to the Interpreter although by his Means they came to know Aristotles Meaning which once known without any further confirmation of other Testimonie or Authoritie commands their Obedience and Assent But ere they can fully Assent unto this great Master or throughly perceive his Meaning they must conditionally Assent unto their private Tutors or other Expositors and take his Sense and Meaning upon their Trust and Credit In like manner say we in all Matters Doctrines or Controversies of Faith and Christian Obedience we are bound to yield our Assent directly absolutely and finally unto the Authoritie of Scriptures only not unto any Doctor Expositor or other whosoever he be that shall pretend Authoritie out of Scripture over our Faith save only when he shall make it clear and evident unto us that his Opinion is the true Meaning of the Scripture And thus yielding our absolute Assent unto the Truth explained by him we yield it not to him but unto the Author of Truth whose Words we hold to be Infallible in whose Mouthes soever and once known to be His words they need not the Testimonie or Authority of him that did bring us to the true Knowledge of them And before we be brought to see their Truth with our own eyes and feel it by our sense by the effects or experiments of it upon our own Souls we are to limit our Assent and Obedience as it is set down before according to the Probabilities or unpartial Inducements which we have of the Expositors Skill and Sincerity in dispensing Divine Mysteries And these Motives or Inducements which we have of his Skill and Sincerity must be framed according to the Rules or Precepts of Scripture not according to our Affections or Humours we may not think him most to be Believed that is in highest Place or hath the greatest stroke in other Affairs For as the Faith of Christ so must our Perswasion of the faithful Dispensers or skilful Seeds-men of Faith be had without respect of persons 2 If we yield Assent or Obedience unto any Expositor or other otherwise then upon these Conditions and Limitations then as we said before whilest we yielded absolute Obedience unto his doctrine that perswaded us to true Belief because we perceived that which he spake to be the Word of God we did not yield it unto him but unto Gods Word delivered and made known unto us by him so here again by the same Reason only inverted it will evidently follow that if we Believe any mans Doctrines or Decisions to be the Word of God because he speaks it or because we hold his Words to be infallible we do not truly and properly Believe the Word of God suppose his doctrine were the Word of God but his Words and Infallibilitie onely Hence again it follows that if we yield the same absolute and undoubted Assent unto his Authoritie which we would do unto Gods Word immediately known in it self and for it self or relie upon his Infallibility in expounding Gods Word as fully as he doth upon the Word which it is supposed he knows immediately in it self and for it self by doing thus we rob God of his Honour giving that unto Man which is only due to Him For the Infallibility of this Teacher hath the same Proportion to all that thus absolutely Believe him as the Infallibilitie of the Godhead hath unto him his Words the same Proportion to all other mens Faith that Gods Word hath unto his Gods Word is the Rule of his and his Words must be the Rule of all other mens Faith Or to speak more properly God must be a God only to him and he a God to all other men 3 Here it will be demanded how men altogether Illiterate can examin any Doctrine by Scriptures If they cannot Read them how shall they Examin any thing by them not examining the Points of Faith by them how can they be said to be the Rule of their Faith In such a Sense as Aristotles Works supposing them only Authentick and all his Opposites counterfeits or new-fangles may be said to be the Rule of Blind-mens Logick for albeit they cannot read his works yet are they capable of his general and undoubted rules seeing they have as well as other men a natural faculty of discerning Truth from Falshood and can distinguish betwixt rules derived from the pure Fountain of Truth in that kind and Precepts drawn from conjectural erroneous and corrupt Surmises of shallow Brains if both be distinctly proposed unto them And the rules of Truth once fully apprehended and embraced serve as a Touchstone to discern all Consequences and Conclusions which shall be suggested unto them by others so as they wil admit of nothing for sound true Logick but what may be resolved into the former or some other Principles which they can perspicuously and immediately discern to have been drawn from the Fountain of Truth by the same natural Facultie or Ability by which they did discern the former for the faculty will still be like affected with all Principles of like Nature Use and Perspicuity In like sort must the first and general Principles of Faith be derived from Scriptures the only pure fountain of Supernatural Truths unto all illiterate hearts by the Ministery of the learned For Hearts though Illiterate once illuminated by Gods Spirit are as apt to discern Spiritual Principles from falshood or carnal Conjectures as the natural Man is to discern natural Truths from Errours of the same kind And these general and fundamental Principles of Faith engrafted in their hearts serve as infallible rules for discerning the Consonancie or Dissonancie of such Particulars as shal be suggested unto them as shal God willing hereafter be declared nor may they without Injury to Gods Spirit or inward Grace admit any other precepts into the same rank or society with these but either upon evident and distinct deduction from them or sure Experiments of their like Spiritual fruit and Use for the amendment of Life and procuring that peace of Conscience which no Natural Man can conceive much lesse can it be caused
men in all points They would judge it damnable presumption for the most learned amongst their Laitie to professe as great skil in the Canons of their Church as their Cardinals Bishops Abbats or other principal Members of it either have or make shew of a great presumption of Heresie in any of their Flock to discusse the Meaning of their Decretals as accurately as their Canonists or sift other Mysteries of their Religion as narrowly as the Casuists do Should one of their greatest Philosophers that were no Clergy-man or profest Divine professe he knew the Meaning of that Canon in the Trent-Councel Sacramenta conferunt gratiam ex opere operato as wel as Soto Valentian or Vasques did Suarez or other their greatest School-men in Spain or Italy now living do it would breed as dangerous a Quarrel in their Inquisition as if he had entred comparison with a Rabbin in a Jewish Synagogue for skil in expounding Moses Law 9 That the Scriptures therefore may be said a sufficient Rule of Faith and Christian Carriage to all sorts or Conditions of Men it is sufficient that every Christian man of what sort or Condition soever may have the general and necessary Points of Catholick Faith and such Particulars as belong unto a Christian and Religious Carriage in his own Vocation perspicuously and plainly set down in them And no doubt but it was Gods Wil to have them in matters concerning one calling not so facile unto such as were of another Profession that every man might hence learn Sobriety and be occasioned to seek if not only yet principally after the true Sense and Meaning of those Scriptures which either necessarily concern all or must direct him in that Christian Course of life whereunto his God hath called him But shal this Difficulty of some Parts which ariseth from the Diversitie of Vocations be thought any hinderance why the whole Canon of Scripture should not be a perfect Rule to all in their several Vocations Suppose some universal Artist or compleat Cyclopedian should set out an absolute System or Rule for all secular sciences it would be ridiculous exception to say his Works could be no perfect Rule for young Grammarians Rhetoricians Logicians or Moralists because he had some difficult Mathematical Questions or abstruse Metaphysical discourses which would require a grounded schollers serious Pains and long search to understand them throughly and if he should admonish young students to begin first with those common and easie Arts and not to meddle with the other until they had made good trial of their Wit and Industrie in the former this would be a good token of a perfect Teacher and one sit to rule our Course in all those studies which he professeth And yet the Scriptures which the Jesuites would not have acknowledged for the rule of Christian Life besides all the infallible rules of Life and salvation common to all admonish every man to seek after the Knowledge of such things as are most for Edifying or most besitting his particular Calling 10 And even in S. Pauls Epistles which are the Common Places of our Adversaries invention in this Argument after he comes to direct his speeches as in the later end of them usualy he doth unto Masters of Families servants or the like or generally where he speaks of any Christian dutie either private or publick his Rules are as plain and easie to all men in this Age as they were to those Housholders or servants or the like unto whom they were first directed So plain and easie they are unto all Ages and so familiar especially to men of meaner Place that I much doubt whether the Pope himself and all his Cardinals were able in this present Age to speak so plainly unto the Capacitie or so familiarly to the Experience of men of their Qualitie unto whom he wrote For setting aside the absolute Truth and Infallibilitie of his Doctrines his manner of delivering them is so familiar so lowly so heartily humble so natural and so wel befitting such mens disposition in their sober thoughts as were impossible for the Pope to attain unto or imitate unlesse he would abjure his triple Crown and abstract himself from all Court state or solace unlesse he would for seven years addict himself unto Familiaritie with such men in a Pastoral Charge It was was an excellent Admonition of one of their Cardinals if I mistake not and would to God our Church would herein be admonished by him to begin alwayes with the later end of S. Pauls Epistles For once well experienced in them we should easily attain unto the true sense and meaning of the former Parts which usually are doctrinal and therefore more difficult then the later Yet the true reason of those difficulties in the former Parts containing doctrine is because he wrote them against the disputers of that Age especially the Jews Even in this Age they are only seen in matters that concern learned Expositors of Scriptures not necessary for private and unlearned persons to know And the especial reason why his doctrine in some Epistles as in the Epistle to the Romans seems obscure difficult and intricate is because learned men of later Times have too much followed the Authorities of men in former Ages who had examined S. Pauls doctrine according to the rule or Phrase of those Arts or Faculties with which they were best acquainted or else had measured his Controversie with the Jews by the Oppositions or Contentions of the Age wherein they lived Were this Partialitie unto some famous mens Authoritie which indeed is made a chief rule in expounding Scriptures even by many such as in words are most earnest to have Scriptures the only rule of Faith once laid aside and the rules of Faith else-where most perspicuously and plainly set down by S. Paul unpartially scan ned his Doctrine in that Epistle would be so perspicuous and easie unto the Learned as it might by them be made plain enough and unoffensive to the Unlearned For the light of Truth elsewhere delivered by this Lamp of the Gentiles might it be admitted as a Rule against some Expositions of that Epistle would direct mens steps to avoid those stumbling Blocks which many have fallen upon But to conclude this Assertion their Difficultie take them as they are is no just Exception against this Part of Scripture because it remains difficult stil even for this reason that it is held generally for difficult and is not made a rule indeed for our directions but other mens Opinions or Conjectures concerning it are taken for an Authentick Rubrick by whose level only we must aim at our Apostles Meaning from which we may not without imputations of Irregularitie swerve in the decision of Points to say no worse as now they are made hard and knottie 11 Thirdly from the diversitie of Capacities or different Measure of Gods Gifts in men of the same Profession we may safely conclude that the difficulty of the same Portion
in all Points necessary to salvation without any such infallible Authority For it is a matter of far lesse Difficulty for any man of sense and reason to deduce particular Conclusions from general and evident Principles then to finde out the general and fundamental Principles by natural Notions or other Principles And therefore more easie for any such man to resolve his Conscience in particular Points of Faith or Christian Obedience after he hath found out the Foundation of Christian Faith to wit Chrâ—… Jesus crucified raised from the dead and other general Dictates of Faith in the Apostolical Writings then to come unto the acknowledgement and Belief of these fundamental Points themselves from the broken knowledge such as the Jews have of the Old Testament And thus it evidently follows that if the Old Testament be a Rule unto the Jews for finding out the Truth of the New much more may the New once acknowledged by them and admitted of equal Authority with the Old be a perfect Rule for them in matters of Salvation And if these Scriptures are or may be a Rule to the Jews if they will believe them then must they be a Rule to all Christians that Believe them No Christian I hope wil deny but that the Old Testament is the Rule of the Jews For the unbelieving Jews shal be condemned in what part of the world soever for not following this Rule which God hath commended and made known unto them not for not acknowledging the Popes Infallibility of which many of them never heard And if the Old Testament be such to them much more must the whole Canon be unto us such a Rule and if we die in misbelief or infidelity we shall be judged by this Rule of Gods Law and Gospel which we transgressed not by the Popes Decrees or Expositions of it That many Christians by profession erre in Points of Faith or mistake the true Sense and Meaning of it or pervert it to their Destruction proceeds from their Ingratitude towards God that gave it and for their delight in Falshood Which is the reason why these Jews mistake the true Meaning of the Old Testament 9 If any of our Adversaries here demand how chanceth it so many Jews erre in the Foundation of Faith if the Scripture be such an infallible Rule he must be content to resolve me in the like Question How chanceth it so many Jews live unconverted in Spain and Italy and other places either in the Popes Dominions or where his Authority is established if the Infallibility of his Authority or their Church be such an excellent Rule If they reply the Jews might believe all Points of Roman-Catholick Faith aright so they would admit their Church as Judge or Mistresse of Faith the Jews might with as good reason rejoyn so might the Romans believe all Points of Judaism would they acknowledge this supposed Infallibility of Doctrine to be in their Rabbinical Expositions not in the Popes Determinations But the Romanist I suppose would desire a Sign ere he believed them herein and are we lesse bound by the Rule of Faith to desire some tolerable satisfaction to these reasons following ere we believe them in this Point as prejudicial in our judgement to Religion in general as Subscription to Rabbinical Doctrine is unto Chistian Verity 10 The Jews admit the Old Testaments Authority as undoubtedly as the Jesuites do the Popes yet it enlightens not their hearts What is the Reason Because that Part of Scripture is so obscure So Valentian and such as follow him in all congruity must say yea he hath said it That Veil which Saint Paul saith is put before the hearts of Jews that they cannot behold the Glory of the Gospel as the Apostle there argues is woven for the most part of the Difficulties of Scriptures Nor do the Jews only deny the New Testament to be infallible but bitterly inveigh against it as erroneous and contradictory to the Old What is the Cause Is it not that which Valentian elsewhere assigns The Scripture alone that is in his language without the infallible Avouchment of their Church is so far from ending all Controversies of Faith that it rather occasions Controversies and Dissentions in Doctrines of Faith If to the Jew through his default the Writings of Moses and the Prophets be so obscure adde your infallible Key to open his heart to them or them to it If by this obscurity they minister matter of Contentation or their Sense mistaken exasperate Jewish malice against Christians Interpose your Humane Authority inspired from above to allay the fervency of their distempered Zeal 11 You acknowledge this Obscurity and other objected Insufficiencies disinabling the Scripture for ruling or judging mens Faith to arise from the frailty or viciousnesse of Humane Nature and hence you plead your Churches Infallibility as necessary and al-sufficient to supply these defects incident unto Scripture not in it self but in respect of us Your Churches Authority then at the least adjoyned to Scripture should make men otherwise subject to the former Infirmities or vitious Dispositions capable of Heavenly Doctrine Tell us then distinctly Can it or can it not make all or most or such as the Scriptures do not Believe aright If this it cannot do adjoyning to Scriptures it is by your own Objections against them a Rule as unsufficient as you would make them without it If it can make all or most or such as Scripture alone doth not Believe aright this it must effect either by removing or not removing those Diseases or Infirmities of Humane Nature which Scriptures without it cannot cure 12 First if it could remove that Temper which makes the Jew a more unprofitable Hearer of Scripture then young Gallants are of stoical moral discipline your Church is guilty of wilful malice and murther of souls that will not apply this infallible Key able of it self to open that Veil of Adamant wherewith the Jews hearts are so masked that neither the light of Mosaical Prophetical Apostolical or Evangelical Writings can find entrance unto them Secondly albeit this supposed infallible Authority could remove the former Veil yet were it not in this respect to be acknowledged an infallible Rule of Faith but rather an ordinary necessary Means such as we acknowledge the lawful Magistracy or Ministry to be for squaring or proportioning mens frail or exorbitant Affections the better to parallel with Gods word the most exact inerrable and al-sufficient Rule of Faith even by your consent were it not for this Infirmitie or vitious Disposition of mans Nature which as you likewise acknowledge is the sole Cause why the Scriptures are Obscure and minister matter of Contention 13 But our Adversaries attribute not any such vertue to their infallible Rule as to make a fool wise the lascivious chaste the drunkard sober a knave honest the impudent modest or ambitious lowly for even the Pope himself in whose bosome this Rule lodgeth may harbour these and like vices in his
Understanding and to moderate Affection which makes us blind 2 The same Method our Saviour useth in a like dispute with the last Clause whereof if we compare the Romanists Doctrine in this Controversie ' it may appear in some sort the same Theirs is our Saviours indeed but quite inverted truly Antichristian They teach we cannot know Mosaical or other Scriptures but by the Popes infallible Proposal The great infallible Teacher tels the Jews they could not Believe him or know his Doctrine though Proposed by him mouth to mouth because they had not Believed Moses Writings If ye beleeve not his Writings how shall ye beleeve my Words yet Christs Words registred by his Apostles and Evangelists must be at the least of like force and use to us as Mosaical Writings were then to the Jews Our Conclusion therefore is invincible If Moses Doctrine alone were a Rule to trie Christs Controversies with the Jews then must it and Christ conjoyned be the Rule whereby all Christians Controversies must be tried From the Opportunitie of this place the judicious Reader though not admonished would observe that our Adversaries unlesse possessed with Jewish phrensie or phantastick madnesse diseases causing men usually misdeem other for such as they most are but least think themselves could not possibly account it a part of folly in us to make the WRITTEN WORD sole Umpire in all Controversies of Religion though not impossible to be thus perverted by these Jews or others of Jewish disposition as are all Hereticks more or lesse For we will give their imaginations a yeers respite to rove about upon condition they will then return an answer what Rule either written or unwritten can possibly be imagined which would not be perverted what Authoritie either living or dead which would not be either disclaimed abused or contemned by men so minded as these Jews who in the live presence of the Son of God the heir of all things by whom the world was made and must be judged thus sought to Patronage the Murther of his Royall Person by the Authoritie of his Fathers Word unto whose Sence they thought themselves as strictly tied as any Papist to the Councel of Trent The Hereticks with whom Saint Augustine had to deal strangely wrested his words against a plain and natural meaning Though so they had done the Bishops of Rome or any others then living not disdaining to call God his Lord their practise had not seemed strange to this reverend Father for he knew the Servant was not above his Master and therefore could not expect his or any mans should be free from any such wrong or violence which he saw offered to Gods Word 3 Our Saviour in the fore-cited Controversies saw well how earnestly the Jews were set to pervert Scriptures for their purpose how glad to find any pretence out of them either to justifie their dislike of his Doctrine or wreak their malice upon his Person Reason he had as great to distast their practise herein as the Pope himself can have to inveigh against Hereticks for the like Neither is there any person now living against whom any intention of Harm can be more heinous then the intention of Murther against him nor any sort of men unlesse the Jesuites Spanish Inquisitors or such as they suborn so cruelly bent as these Jews were to seek blood under a shew of love to pure immaculate Religion Yet doth not our Saviour accuse the Scriptures though capable of so grievous and dangerous misconstruction of Obscurity or Difficultie or of being any way the Occasion of Jewish Heresie or his persecution thence caused nor doth he disswade those very men which had thence sucked this poisonous Doctrine much lesse others from reading but exhorts them in truth and deed not in word and fancie onely to relie on Scriptures as the Rule of Salvation Search the Scriptures for in them ye think and that rightly to have Eternall Life Joh 5. 9. Not intimating the least necessity of any external Authority infallibly to direct them he plainly teacheth it was the internal distorture of their proud affections which had disproportioned their minds to this straight Rule and disinabled them for attaining true Belief which never can be rightly raised but by this square and line 4 It was not then the reading of Scriptures which caused them mistake their meaning and persecute Him but the not reading of them as they should Erre they did not knowing the Scriptures and know them they did not because they did not read them thorowly sincerely searching out their inward Meaning And thus to read them afresh as our Saviour prescribed them laying aside ambitious desires was the onelie Remedie for to cure that distemper which they had incurred by reading them amisse It were a mad kind of counsel better befitting a Witch or cunning woman then a wise man to disswade one from vsing Medicines prescribed him by men of skill because he had incurred some dangerous disease by taking the like out of his own humour or in a fancie either without or contrary to the prescript of professed Physitians yet such and no better our Adversaries advice heretofore hath been and the strength of all their Arguments in the Point now in hand to this day continues this We must not make Scriptures the Rule of Faith because many Heresies have sprung thence and great Dissensions grown in the Church whiles one follows one Sence and another the contrary Whereas in truth the only Antidote against Contentions Schismes and Heresies is to read them attentively and with such preparation as they prescribe as not to be desirous of vain glory not to provoke or envie one another To lay aside all malicionsnesse guile dissimulation and evil speaking like new born babes desiring the sincere milk of the Word whereby we must grow not fashioning our selves according to this present world c. 5 These were delivered as soveraign Remedies against all Epidemical diseases of the Soul by Physitians as Both acknowledge most Infallible For better unfolding and more seasonable applying of these and infinite other like Aphorismes of life we admit varietie of Commentators but are as far from suffering any of whose spirit we have no proof especially any not ready to submit the trial of his Receits unto these sacred Principles and Experiments answerable to them to trie what Conclusions he list upon our souls as the Pope would be from taking what Potions soever any English Emperick should prescribe though disclaiming all examinations of his prescripts by Galen Hippocrates Paracelsus or any other Ancient or Modern well esteemed Physitians Rules 6 If since this late invention of the Popes Infallibilitie our Adversaries do not now as heretofore condemne all Reading Scriptures simply what marvell For as Sathan after once God had spoken to the world by his Son began to change his old note and sought to imitate the Gospels stile by writing his Heresies as God did his new Covenants
in mens hearts So in later Ages since the Almightie gave his Word in every language and the number of Preachers hath been greatly multiplied the old Serpent permits the Jesuits and his other Instruments to translate expound and Preach the Gospel to the ignorant And in opposition to the practise of Reformed Churches the lay Roman Catholick may now behold yea read the Words of Life What difference then can any make betwixt theirs and our Doctrine in this Point such as in times past was betwixt true Miracles wrought by the singer of God and Diabolical Wonderments all which later were usually wrought to idle purposes and by some apish trick or other bewrayed their Authors sinister intendments So doth the cunning restraint of this Libertie late granted to the Roman Laicks great in shew bewray who was the Authour of this Plot and what his purpose Some merry Devil sure is minded to make Hell sport by putting this gull upon the learned Papist his Instrument to put the like upon the ignorant who now at length may read the Scriptures but with absolute submission of their Interpretation to his Instructors who may not take any receit thence but according to their supreme Infallible Physitians prescripts which may not be examined by any Rule of Gods written or unwritten Word nor may any man call his skill in question much lesse condemn him of Imposture by the lamentable issue and dismal successe of his Practises Should men upon like termes be admitted to read Galen or Hippocrates and yet the Monopoly of Medicines permitted to some one Emperick or Apothecarie not liable to any account whether his confections were made according to the Rules of Physick Art or no They might be in greater danger of poysoning then if these grand Physitians had never written for that might be prescribed them by such an authentick Mountebank as a Cordial which the other had detected for Poyson So should the Christian World might the Jesuites plea prevail be continually at the Popes Curtesie whether they should embrace that Sense of Scriptures which Christ and his Apostles have condemned for the Doctrine of Devils as the Oracles of the living God and food for their Souls 7 But some man more indifferent would here perhaps interpose Though theirs be bad do you prescribe us any better Method of Health Your former counsel to practise the Apostles Rules is as if a man should say to one sick of a dangerous disease Expel the bad humour and you shall be well Yet as we said before Est pars sanitatis velle sanari To desire the exâ—…pation of such Affections as hinder our proficiencie in the School of Christ or knowledge of his precepts is a good step to health The Scriptures are the words of life containing Medicines as well as Meat and must purge our Souls of carnal Affections as Physick doth the body of bad Humours They teach withall what Abstinence must be used ere we can be capable of that spiritual Welfare which they promise to the Soul of such as follow their Prescriptions And because our natural Corruption cannot be asswaged much lesse expelled but by their force or vertue which is not alwayes manifested upon the first Receipt we are to come unto them with such reverence as the Moralist did to Meditations of Vertue Vacua sobria mente in sobrietie of Spirit not in the heat abundance or actual motion of such Affections as hinder their operation upon our Souls as men usually take Physick upon a fasting and quiet stomack although Pestered with bad humours which yet cannot be extirpate but by Physick nor by Physick if ministred in the actual motion heat or raging of such humours If a man have but this desire to be rid of such Affections as breed this distemper in his Soul or work a distast of the Word of Life he is capable of that Promise Habents dabitur and shall in good time see his desire augmented whose encrease will bring forth greater fervencie in prayer and prayers if fervent though in men subject to such infirmities avail much and shall in the end be heard to 〈◊〉 full And as well in thankfull duty to the Redeemer of Mankind for his gracious Promises as in hope of being further partakers of the Blessings promised Every one that heareth Gods Word ought and such as hear it a right will as oft as they seek recovery of their spiritual Health by it or such Means as it prescribes abstain from all occasions and occurrents that may encrease provoke or strengthen such Affections as hinder the operations of it upon their Souls For even Nature taught the Cynick to account surfetting and intemperate diet madnesse in the Heathen whiles they sacrificed for Health If any have erred in hearing Gods Word amisse or in the unseasonable applying of Sacred Prescripts these Errors must be recalled by further consultation with their dispensors by more diligent search and better instruction in other parts of this Method of Life 8 Saint Peter knew many ignorant and unstable Souls had perverted some haâ—d places of S. Pauls Epistles as they had other Scriptures to their own destruction Did he therefore advise them to whom he thus wrote not to seek their Salvation out of Saint Pauls Epistles but with absolute submission of their judgement to his and his successours Prescripts Or doth he not seek to establish them in that Doctrine which Saint Paul had taught according to the wisdom given him in all his Epistles Or can any endued with reason doubt whether Saint Paul himself did not expect his Writings should be a Rule of Faith to all that read them without continuance either of his own or others actual Infallible Proposal of them He had protested once for all Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach unto you otherwise then that we have preached unto you let him be accursed He had said before and yet saith he now again If any man preach unto you otherwise then ye have received let him be accursed For he had taught them as their own Conscience might witnesse the Doctrine of God and not man as he intimateth in the next words 9 Either Saint Paul is not Authentick in this protestation or else all stand accursed by it that dare absolutely admit any Doctrine though from an Angels mouth but upon due examination and sure triall whether consonant or contrary to what Saint Paul hath left in writing His meaning notwithstanding in many places as his fellow-Apostle witnesseth was much perverted And seeing what was past could not be amended it seemed necessary to Saint Peter to admonish others lest they should be intangled in like errour But what means had he left to prevent this perverting of Scriptures in them Either none besides or none so good as diligent Reading or Hearing the written Word For such was this Epistle which for their Admonition he now wrote and was desirous questionlesse all of them should with attention hear or read
circumstances of the time were such as required an extraordinary Medicine which whilst we administer without mixture of like Ingredients or not upon the same Occasions we may chance to poyson both our selves and our Patients Others of us again are so much accustomed to politick Observation that we commonly make no other trial of Divine Truths then by some such forinsecal form of proceeding as is used in secular Inquisitions wherein determinations go by calculation of most Voices But unlesse the Lord did suffer us to have plausible shews and goodly inducements in the worlds sight for Believing that which is contrary unto Truth our Faith should not be sincere nor as an Armour of proof to resist all temptations seeing there is no man almost but is apt by Nature to follow a multitude to do that which publick Laws have judged evil much more to think or Believe as most men or men most esteemed do On the contrary if we look into our Calling Not many wise men after the flesh not many noble are chosen of God Such as are His ought to be like Him in this that they see not as men not as Natural men be they never so many see nor judge not as they judge 7 The stay whereupon they as in all other Difficulties so especially in this Trial of Spirits must rely is his Providence which in time wil bring the Truth to light and daily diffuseth the odour of life able were not our Senses dull or prepossessed with the fragrant Smel of earthly Pleasures to lead us to that invisible Truth which in this life we must follow not by View but by Faith Yet not by Faith if we take the Jesuites for our Guides who in this present Controversie play false Huntsmen alwayes seeking to bring us from the Prints of Gods Providence unto the Pathes and foot-steps of Men that have corrupted their wayes casting the form of secular Proceeding before our eyes so to withdraw us from following him who hath sweetned the 21 wherein we breath with the words of Eternal Life If men would be so mad as to frame their lives according to their Doctrine Hell it self could not wish a more Devilish Means to make men Christians in conceit and At heists or Infideis in heart And yet besides the Impiety of all other kinds of Heresies or Infidelities that are or have been this of theirs is the most palpably absurd and most contradictory to the Rules of Reason and Principles of Arts received by all For if the Arguments they bring against us conclude any thing at all they conclude as much against all Certainty of secular or natural Sciences 8 And because whether purposely or as meer Instruments managed by Satan to what use they know not they still labour to make civil Modesty but a mask for Infidelity rightly judging though to a wrong end ingenuous Humility and mens lowly conceipts of their own worth the fittest disposition whence utter distrust of Gods Favour towards such poor Creatures as men so minded deem themselves can be wrought and if once wrought and deeply planted in soft minds or humble hearts the only sure Foundation whence they can hope to raise their Blind Implicit Faith It shall not be amiss whilst we prosecute the second Branch of their immoderate Folly last mentioned to discover withall and partly dissolve The Snares which they have set for the Simple and Ingenuous CAP. XXV How far upon what terms or grounds we may with Modesty dissent from the Ancient or others of more excellent Gifts then our selves That our Adversaries Arguments impeach as much the Certainty of Human Sciences as of private Spirits 1 LEt it be granted that many Places of great Moment are diversely expounded by learned men what will hence follow That not the greatest Schollars in reformed Churches can be as sure of their true Sense and Meaning as the Pope Not unlesse you first can make it evident that Learning or Subtility of wit is the only Means whereby the true sense of Scriptures can be found out And this being proved you must assure us that the Pope is alwayes better learned then others otherwise he may fail as wel as they Or if you admit not Learning for the only Means of distinguishing Doctrines as indeed it is not yet must you secure the world that the Pope hath all those other good Qualifications whose want caused the learned to erre Or if you require neither one nor other of these you must prove that the best Gifts of God the peculiar Attribute of whose Glory is to be no Respecter of persons are infallibly entailed to a certain succession of men without all respect of Learning Wit or Honesty Lastly you must prove that the Holy Ghost was a Private Spirit and might erre when he said The Lord giveth Grace to the Humble Or the Law of the Lord Wisdom unto the Simple And that our Saviours words Ventus spirat ubi vult did not import as he meant that his Spirit might enlighten whom he pleased For if all these and that Deus cujus vult miseretur be true who can hinder Him or His Spirit to open the eyes of some less learned to behold clearly the true Sense and Meaning of that Scripture wherein many excellent Writers have either erred or been overseen or who can hinder God if these places be true to reveal his Will to little ones and keep it secret from the wise and mighty because it is his pleasure so to do and that for this end that men should learn to rely upon his Mercy and Providence not upon the Authority or Skill of Men. Or who can hinder his Omnipotency even in this Age to make his Power seen in our Weaknesse If this his Power be not limited now then may he stil both reveal the true Sense and Meaning of his Word in some points unto men of lesse Capacity in others and furnish them with ability too for demonstrating by Evidence of Argument and surest Grounds of Reason unto others that this sense must needs be the true sense and that all other Interpretations given of the same places by men otherwise excellent for their Learning and Skill in Scripture cannot stand with those Principles of Christian Faith which all sorts of Believers stedfastly Believe Must such a man or those to whom God reveals the Truth by his Ministry doubt of the Evidence of the Truth revealed and mistrust Gods Word because others as learned or more learned then either he that hath the Truth revealed unto him first or they that take it from him are of another mind He must verily by this Objection For a Jesuite would say Why should he not think others as likely to have the Spirit as himself Let him esteem of them as far better Scholars and men indued with as great or greater Measure of Gods Spirit then himself for so the Scripture teacheth us not to be wise in our own conceipt but to think better of others then
such as dissented from your Church as a â—opting or pruning to cause ours flourish and hath at length set the Israel of God at libertie from Aegyptian Slavery 3 But supposing this violent Course upon great exigence of circumstances either in the Matter Manner or Times of Contentions to be both lawfull and expedient yet could not the ordinarie Practise of it be more effectuall to restrain men from contradicting then it might be to enforce them to oppugne the Truth It might according to the diverse dispositions of such as manage it be a Means one way or other alike forcible either to retain men in Heresie Idolatrie and Infidelitie or in the Unitie of true and livelie Faith albeit Fear alone may make men perfect Hereticks or Infidels but not inwardly or sincerely Faithfull 4 And as for our Church albeit she search not so narrowly into the secrets of every mans conscience nor be so tyrannically jealous of every Word that might be ill interpreted nor so outragiously cruel in punishing known dissention from her or discovered Errour yet God be praised she hath Pauls Sword as well as yours which our Magistrate bears not in vain but can unsheath it when need requires against such as are open and evident abetters of Contentions unlesse perhaps you will except that it hath not been so much exercised in cutting you off from amongst us who are the Ringleaders of all division debate and Trouble in our Church as it might be according to your Doctrine If in the Practise of this coactive Authoritie over contentious Spirits there be any fault God amend it for in our Churches Doctrine concerning this Point there is none and God grant our Magistrates may Practise as our faithfull Pastors teach whose Doctrine is that this External as well as the Internal Power is given for Edification not for destruction and must be directed by the same Rule that the Use and Practise of it must be limited by the End that the End of it is by Injunction of things Good and Prohibition of Evil to proportion mens Actions and Conversations to the Rule of Faith and Law of God that so every member of the Common-wealth thus wrought and fashioned by the coactive Power may be more easily transformed into a member of Christ as being more apt and pliable for the Word of Life to work upon Nor are we so precisely wedded to any determinate course for quelling or preventing contentious Schismes or Heresies but we may admit what other soever time shall detect more effectual for attaining the former End unto which our love is such as will not suffer us dislike any Means allied to it though having affinitie with your Church Part of whose external discipline we are not ashamed to use unto good because by you abused to bad and wicked Purposes But for your Churches Practise in the use of your best Means for avoiding all Contentions you plead no Infallibilitie therein you may fail as well as we and the Question now is about our Doctrine 5 Out of that which hath been said our Means for punishing such as we know to be contentious appears as good as yours whose use so far as we like it is as free for us as for your selves let us now see whether we have Means as good or as infallible as yours to discerne who are contentious 6 For the Popes Infallibilitie whether it be any or no we are anone to enquire and we may not in this place give you leave to prejudice our Church with the supposal of it Nor do your selves make this discretion of contenâ—ous Spirits any essential part thereof 7 None of you that I have read doth attribute any Prophetical Spirit to the Pope in this Case as if he could descrie the storms of Contentions which might cause shipwrack of Faith before they arise as far off as Eâ—… did the Rain when it first began to gather into a cloud like a mans hand The excellencie of his Infallibilitie by your own Positions if I mistake not consists in the decisions of Controversies brought unto him not in the discovery or finding out of such as breed Contention But doth he vouch safe to decide all Controversies that arise in his Dominions albeit brought unto him Vix vacat exiguis rebus adesse Jovi The exercise of this Dominus Deus vester plenarie Power is much like the use of the Heathen Gods upon the old Roman Stage Nec Deus intersit nisi nodus vindice dignus Inciderit Unlesse it be to loose some Gordian knot The Popes decision is not eas'ly got And where it is got it goes no farther then to the just and infallible censure of the Opinion it self in punishing the Authors or abetters of adjudged Heresies or Schismes he may erre as well as we because herein he goes but by the Information of private men who neither are so absoluteâ—y Holy but they may prove partial nor so Wise and skilfull alwayes but they may erre in their Information especially where it goes successively from ear to ear and from one Countrey Dialect to another as drink from vessel to vessel always losing some part of its proper and native Sapor so that it may relish otherwise to his Holinesse mouth then it did at the first setting abroach by the Authour 8 And seeing the best Means to avoid Contention is the just punishment of them that causelesly cause them your Churches Authority being herein so much more obnoxious to Errour and Misinformation as her Diocesse is larger lesse uniforme or more remote is liable to many Exceptions from which such little ones as she out of her greatnesse contemns are free Nor is the Question as you bear the simple in hand betwixt Publick and Private Spirits but between your private men and ours as whether yours can better discâ—â—â— who are contentious thorowout your vast Precincts then ours who are such amongst us at home That no man should dissent from the Doctrine of the Catholick Church you all agree Some of you dissent from it as most of their fellows think who yet will not professe but rather seek to cloak their dissent either with colours of Consonance or pretended reasons of no Repugnance unto Catholick Tenents Catharinus will defend the Councel of Trent and yet hold Certainty of Salvation Soto and Bellarmin reprove him but how could either of them discern whether Catharinus had the true Meaning of the Trent Councel or not Catharinus I take it had a Suffrage in making those Decrees whereof neither Soto nor Bellarmin were allowed much lesse Authentick Interpreters for the Popes Bull confirming that Councel prohibits all private Interpretations of it yet hath not the Pope or any Publick Authoritie since that time condemned Catharinus for this dissention How knew Maldonate that Jansenius Hesselius and others which deny that Christs Words in the sixth of John are to be understood of Sacramental eating did varie from the received Doctrine of your Church and jump
all though different in their particular Natures and peculiar Properties uniform for the transmission of Light But after the dissolution of the Christian Empire and the constitution of several States and Soveraignties throughout Europe all compleat within themselves and different one from another in Laws and Customes the transfusion of such an absolute Ecclesiastick Authoritie through all would be unequal and make Christendom like a Monster compact of many several entire Bodies made up in one or like some uglie living creature that had many Heads and but one Heart or Soul CAP. XXX That the final Trial of this Controversie must be by Scriptures That the Jesuites and modern Papists fierce oppugning all certainty of private Spirits in discerning the Divine Truth of Scriptures or their true Sense hath made the Church their Mother utterly uncapable of any plea by Scriptures for establishing her pretended Infallibility 1 BUt what Christian heart could have suspected that any man acknowledging the infinite Majestie of an Omnipotent God filling every place with his Presence ruling all things by his Power and having every least Creature of the World a world of Witnesses of his inconceivable Wisdome and unspeakable Providence over the Works of his own Hand durst once have presumed to think much lesse have opened his mouth to utter least of all have imployed his pen to proclaim such foul Impietie to the world as that a Power so infinite could not sufficiently provide for his Church in deciding matters of Faith surpassing all reach of Reason unlesse he had ordained some one Supream Tribunal Seat on earth the Judges whereof should be but mortal men whose Bodies can be but in one place at once whose Voices cannot reach without the precincts of their Consistories whereas the Law of this our God unto whose sentence in matters of Faith we appeal is or might be but for these our Antiscripturian Adversares importunitie every where throughout the Christian World dispersed and besides the external helps of an ordinary Ministerie or Magistracie alike common to all Nations the Holy Spirit is every where assistant to all such as seek him in the written Word by him revealed whose live-characters are as the prints or footsteps of his wonted Motions in Gods Prophets or Apostles hearts by which the faithful may discern his approach or Presence in their own Nor wil the Jesuites be so wilful I hope as to denie that this Holy Spirit who did dictate the Word to such as wrote it in these material Tables having first written it in the fleshly Tables of their Hearâ—ts is able now also to write the same immediately in the Hearts of all such as with fear and reverence prepare themselves for his fit and decent entertainment That this was possible to be performed by the Almighty Wisdom of God they would not I know deny were this 〈◊〉 direct and plain termes made the main Controversie betwixt us Albeit as much as we have charged them withall will most necessarily follow from their absurd and lavishly blasphemous Speeches which in the heat of contention have distilled from their pens in this present Controversie But of the Possibilitie of Gods immediate teaching every Christian Heart or rather of the Probabilities which may induce all to relie immediately hereupon we shall have occasion to discourse hereafter Let us now in sobrietie of Spirit rather dispute of Gods Will then his Power As whether there be any sure Argument to perswade us that it was his intent or purpose either to instruct men in the true Sense of Scriptures or to take up all Controversies in matters of Faith by this supposed Infallibilitie of some visible Church All this and somewhat more our Adversaries in this Point seriously avouch and earnestly contend for Let us therefore briefly see whether or no Gods Spirit hath taught thus much That the Sense of Scriptures cannot be had without the Assistance or working of Gods Spirit both jointly acknowledge They must be understood and interpreted saith Bellarmin by the same Spirit which wrote them as he very well gathers out of Saint Peter Whence likewise he well collects that the whole difficultie in this Question about taking up Controversies and finding out the true Sense of Scriptures consists in this where this Spirit is and where the distressed Soul and doubtfull Conscience ought to seek it In the Visible and Catholike Church saith Bellarmin and all the Modern Roman Catholicks that is as they interpret it in the Consistorie of the Pope and Cardinals or in the Assemblie of Bishops or as the Modern Jesuites will have it in the Pope alone speaking ex Cathedra 3 Every man say we ought to seek the Spirit of God in his own Soul and Conscience being directed and ruled by the Sacred Word which was revealed and uttered by the same Spirit This Word directs them in this search and the Spirit once found out or rather finding them thus seeking him establisheth their Assent unto the Word already revealed and written by imprinting the same invisible Word or the true Sense and Meaning of it in their Hearts 4 Why this Spirit should be infallibly present to the Visible Church all our Adversaries uncessantly urge Scripture I will not abuse the Readers patience with allegation of the Places which have been very fully answered by many of our Church That which I intend at this time is First to debar them by their own Grounds of this Plea of Scriptures by shewing their Absurditie and folly in urging any Scripture at all for the proof of their Aâ—lertion And secondly to overthrow the Assertion it self by manifest proofs that either their Churches transcendent Authoritie as it is now taught must fall or Christianitie cannot stand To make way for our dearer passage in the former 5 They generally hold That this Infallibilitie of the Visible Church consists directly in this That the Holy Ghost is infalliblie present to it and gives it the true Sense and Meaning of Scriptures which he doth not give to private persons whom in their judgements he will not vouchsafe immediately to instruct so that his Dictates already revealed cannot be a Rule unto them because they want his infallible Assistance for their Exposition and for the same reason Certain they cannot be without the Churches Authority that they understand the Scripture aright 6 This their Assertion being two-fold for their Churches infallible Expositions and against all private Interpretations is grounded upon these two Principles They are to be Believed in exposition of Scriptures fide divina whom the Holy Ghost infallibly assists They are not so to be Believed whom the Holy Ghost doth not so assist Whence what he said before will follow that no man besides the Pope may believe his own interpretations of Scriptures His or the Churches all must nay all men must believe fide divina that the Church or Pope is in all Determinations infalliblie assisted by the Holy Ghost For if we were not bound to
Believe their Infallibilitie most infallibly it could be no Rule of Faith but might be rejected till we see it evidently proved whereas they contend it should be the Rule of Faith unto all and by their own confession a main Article of their Creed but according to their Positions as we shall hereafter prove the onely Article of Christian Faith How destitute these their Assertions are of all Grounds of Reason or Rules of Nature hath been made evident There remain onely Two Pillars possibly imaginable for supporting this pretended Infallibilitie Tradition and Scripture Against Tradition all the Arguments they can heap against the Certainty of Scriptures stand good as shall hereafter God willing be shewed That no Argument can be drawn from Scripture to their succour albeit the later Jesuites have earnestly sought to scrape a many for better then Scrapings are not the very best they bring we are now to prove 7 That our Belief of Scriptures Truth and their true Sense by what Means soever we attain thereto must be infallible Both agree The Means that must infalliblie ascertain or prove their Divine Truth and true Meaning unto us say our Adversaries is the Churches Infallibilitie which likewise must be infallibly Beleeved otherwise it could not be the Rule of Faith or Belief infallible It shall suffice here once for all to admonish the Reader That as often as we mention Belief of Scriptures or the Churches infallibility in this Dispute we mean not any kind of Belief but that only which is infallible so likewise whiles we mention the Means or Proofs of either we understand onely Means or Proofs infallible whereon Faith may immediately relie as upon a Rule most sure and certain In all these we demand nothing but what our Adversaries most willingly grant From their grant we argue thus 8 If either the Scriptures can thus ascertain or prove the Churches Infalibilitie or It the infallible Truth of Scriptures to our Souls we must of necessity either Believe the one of these before the other The Churches Infalibility before Scriptures or Scriptures before It or both together without all prioritie of Belief or praeexistent knowledge of the one whence the Belief or knowledge of the other must spring The members of the Division are in the Proposal actually two but in the Disquisition will prove three To begin with the first 9 If they say we must believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God before we 〈◊〉 believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Church they overthrow their own and est ablish 〈◊〉 Postions For thus they make the Scripture a Rule of our Faith at the least In this one Article of the Catholick Churches Infallibilitie which by this Assertion we may and ought infallibly to believe because the Scriptures which we first infallibly believe do teach and prove it Hence private men should be taught by the Holy Ghost first to believe the Truth of Scriptures and for it the Churches Infallibilitie Wherefore the Scripture must be the immediate Rule of their Belief in the Article of the Churches Infallibility which to them is the generall Rule of Faith and so by consequence the Scriptures which to us are onely the Rule of Earth must be more then so to them even the Rule of their Rule of Faith But if the Scriptures may be the immediate and insallible Rule of their Belief in this one Article of the Churches Infallibility what reason possibly can be imagined why they should not be the infallible and immediate Rule of their Faith in all other parts or Articles of their Creed For I call Heaven and Earth Men and Angels to witnesse bâ—…xt ours and the Romish Church whether the Articles of Christs Incarnation his Death his Passion his Burial his Resurrection his Aseension his Intercession for us the Resurrection of the dead and Life everlasting c. be not to any mans Capacitie in the World much more plainly set down in sundry places of Scripture then the Infallibilitie of the present Romish Church in these words Peter feed my sheep Peter to thee 〈◊〉 give the â—…s of Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us or in any place her sonnes can challenge for it Wherefore if the Holy Ghost teach us this Article of the Churches Infallibilitie immediately without the Churches infallible Authoritie which as we now suppose must be proved from the Scriptures first infallibly Believed then questionlesse he may and will immediately teach us the other Articles of our Creed and whatsoever necessary to Salvation which are more plainly and perspicuously set down in Scriptures without the help or assistance of the Churches infallible Authority which it is supposed to teach by places more doubtfull 10 Or if our Adversaries will hold it no Absurdity to say that the Holy Ghost may teach us the true Sense and Meaning of the fore-mentioned places of Scripture which seem to make for the Infallibility of the Romish Church as Petre pasce oves c. immediately without the help or assistance of the Churches Infallibilitie which is here the lesson supposed to be taught and refers all other Points of Faith or matters of Doctrine unto the Churches teaching immediately they are bound in Reason to shew a Scripture for this Assertion And besides they must perforce make the same comparison betwixt the Holy Ghosts immediate teaching and the Church or Popes immediat teaching which our Saviour Christ made between the Holy Ghosts extraordinary teaching which was to ensue his Glorification and his own immediate teaching before his Passion and as soon as the Holy Ghost hath once taught us the Meaning of these places which make for the Churches Infallibilitie that may be applied unto him in respect of the Popes Supereminencie in teaching which our Saviour Christ spake of himself and his own personall Instructions in the dayes of his Humility in respect of that 〈◊〉 â—ed Comforters Illuminations to be bestowed in abundant measure upon his Apostles immediately upon his Ascention For thus by their Assertions that Holy Comforter after that Lesson once taught Tues Petrâ—… should take his leave of faithfull hearts in the same termes our Saviour there did of his Disciples I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away For if I go not away the Comforter that Infallible Teacher on whose Authority your Souls must rest will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and again I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot hear â—oem now howâ—eit when He is come that hath the Spirit of Truth your infallible Teacher whose Tongue while he speaks ex Cathedra I must attend he will lead you unto all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear be shall speak he shall glorifie me for he shall receive of me and shew it unto you These words I say might be
at least which this Counterfeit exacts to be Believed as true to wit that he himself is a man of excellent parts and one that wil use Fidelity as wel in his Doings as Sayings and in a word one whose proposal in matters of State or War is as infallible as the Popes in matters of Faith Yet notwithstanding that this Counterfeits Proposal or Asseveration which must be Believed from the Princes commendation of him which must be believed again from his Proposal Non habent unum idem objectum sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have not one and the same Object yet is the former resolution â—… and so is Valentians resolution of his Catholick Faith most ridiculously impious For what other issue of such dissolute resolutions can be expected but that men who know no better should hereby be driven to suspect the Scriptures for Counterfeit and the Catholick Church if the Roman were only the Catholick Church of villanous Forgery at the least in those places of Scripture which she pretends for Proof of her own Infallibilitie 19 As for Valentians later Exception why his Resolution should not be Circular it is more ridiculous then the former most ridiculously false to omit other points in this one that he dare deny the Churches proposal by their Doctrine to be the Cause why we Believe the Divine Revelation or rather that these Scriptures which we have are Divine Revelations For by their Positions we cannot assure our selves that the Scriptures are the Word of God by any other cause or reason besides the Churches Authoritie and therefore by their Doctrine the infallible Authoritie of their Church is the only Cause why we Believe this Sacred Canon of Scriptures which we enjoy to be Divine Revelations although it be no Cause by their Doctrine why we Believe that in general Divine Revelations are true For this is a dictate of Nature not controversed betwixt us and them or betwixt any who acknowledge a Divine Power And Valentian himself directly implies that which he impudently denies in the self-same period For he granteth that Propositio Ecclesiae est ratio credendi divinam revelationem ratio eredendi the Reason or Rule of Believing must needs include in it a precedent Cause of Belief it cannot be only a Condition annexed thereto but of this point God willing hereafter 20 Sacroboscus who hath followed Bellarmines and Valentians foot-steps as faithfully as any â—rish Foot-man could his Master though sometimes taking a more compendious and smoother way likely to entice pedestria ingenia wits either by nature dull or novices in Arts and smatterers in School-learning to follow him sooner then those great ones hath taken upon him to answer to this Circle in effect as Valentian doth save only that he hath put more Tricks of Art upon it either to confound the judicious or deceive the sample Reader Which here we shal not need to examin because we purpose to unrid his mystical Evasions in the next Dispute In the end of his tract in defence of Bellarmin he frames his Objection against both Valentian and his own Resolution Whether in Believing the Church by Scriptures and Scriptures By the Church the Belief of the one must in nature if not in time go before the other He thinks it not necessary that the one should be before the other Nam actus fidei fertur in suum objectum modo simplici ut visus in suum And therefore as we see colours per species visibiles by the visible shapes or resemblances which flow from them not by seeing the visible shape before the colours so do we Believe the Scriptures by the Church albe it we do not expresly and formally Believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo In the former part of this his discourse the Visible Church was unto Scriptures as the Light was unto Colours now it is unto Scriptures as visible Shapes are unto Colours What then Do we not see visible shapes before Colours nor Colours before them no. For we see no visible shapes at all but by them Colours only are brought into our sight and we cannot see one before the other if the one we see not at all And in like sense it were true that we should not Believe the Church before Scriptures not Scriptures before we Believe the Church if we were not bound to Believe the one at all But if we see one thing by another which we likewise see we must needs see that first by which we see the other and so if either we Believe the Scriptures by Believing the Church or Believe the Church by believing Scriptures we must of necessitie Believe the one before the other For that by which we Believe a thing is the Means of Belief and the Means of Belief must needs in nature and order go before Belief it self And if the Church be the Means of believing only in as much as we believe it or to speak more distinctly if the believing the Church be the very Meanes of believing the Scriptures then must we needs believe the Church before we believe the Scriptures If our Adversaries affirm that their Church is the only infallible Means of believing Scriptures in any other sort then by believing it let them in the name of God assign by what Means they wil she can make us believe the Scriptures we shal not much contend so they wil not bind us to believe this their Churches Decisions Sacroboscus his comparison of the Visible Church and visible Shapes we admit thus far for good that as unlesse there were such visible Shapes no Colours could be seen so likewise unlesse God had some Visible Church on earth men ordinarily could not see the Light of the Gospel For it is not ordinarily communicated to any but by the Ministery of others but being communicated we believe it in it self and for it self not by believing others as we see Colours in themselves and for themselves not by seeing the visible Shapes by which they are presented or communicated unto our eyes But whether there be any Propriety between the belief of these two Church and Scriptures according to our Adversaries Doctrine or whether the belief of the one be the cause of the Belief of the other or in what sort the cause and what Inconveniences wil follow thereon we shal dispute hereafter 21 Let them in the mean time illustrate the Manner how we believe Scriptures by the Church as they please Let it have the same proportion to Scriptures which the Light or visible Shapes have unto Colours they themselves make the belief of Scriptures most uncertain and for this reason seek to establish the Infallibility of their Church for to assure us of the Truth of Scriptures We demand how â—… of their Churches Infallibility can possibly be proved By Reason that is impossible as you heard before By Tradition of whom of such as may erre that is
they become their chief accusers That opinion which at first brought in neglect of the Chalice and as the Trent Councel presumed would have warranted them in making this decree doth most condemn them for the measure of their iniquity could not have been so fully accomplished unlesse they had held a transubstantiation of the wine into Christs bloud 19 What part of Scripture can we presume they wil spare that dare thus countermand the most principal of all Gods Commandments what reckoning may we think they make of our Saviour Christ that adventure thus shamefully to disanul and cancel his last wil and testament defrauding almost the whole Christian World of half their Lord and Masters royal allowance partly without any shew of Scriptures either to restrain or otherwise interpret these Soveraign precepts partly upon such idle and frivolous allegations as may further witnesse their sleight estimate of Gods Word save only so far as it may be wrested to serve their turns 20 But grant the places there alledged by the Councel did so mitigate either the form of the institution or the peremptory manner of our Saviours speeches in the sixth of John as to make it disputable in unpartial judgments whether they did plainly injoyn any necessity of communicating under both kinds the former decree notwithstanding would manifestly infer an usurpation of Soveraignty over Gods word quite contrary to the general Analogie of faith reason and conscience by all which in cases doubtful and for the speculative form of truth disputable with equal probability affirmatively or negatively we are taught to frame our choice when we come to practise according to the difference of the matter or of consequences which may ensue more dreadful one way then the other alwayes to prefer either a greater good before a lesse or a lesse evil before a greater though both equally probable Suppose then these two contradictory propositions The denial of the Cup is a mutilation of Christs last will and testament the denial of the Cup is no mutilation of Christs last will and Testament were for their speculative probabilities in just examination equipendent yet the doctrine of faith delivered in Scripture reason and conscience without contradiction instructs us that to alter abrogate or mutilate the son of Gods last Will and Testament is a most grievous most horrible most dreadful sin but to permit the use of the Chalice hath no suspition of any the least evil in it Had the Trent Fathers thus done they had done no worse then our Saviour then his Apostles then the Primitive Church by their own confession did This excesse of evil without all hope of any the least compensative good to follow upon the denial should have swaied them to that practise which was infinitely more safe as not accompanied with any possibility or shew of danger although the speculative probability of any divine precept necessarily injoyning the use of the cup had been none Thus peremptorily to adventure upon consequences so fearful whereto no contrary fear could in reason impel nor hopes any way comparable allure them thus imperiously to deprive the whole Christian World of a good in their valuation testified by their humble supplications and frequent embassages to that Councel so inestimable without any other good possible to redound unto the deniers save only usurpation of Lordly Dominion over Christs heritage plainly evinceth that the Church is of far greater authority with them then GODS Word either written in the Sacred Canon or their hearts then all his Laws either ingrafted by nature or positive and Supernatural For 21 Admit this Church representative had been fully perswaded in conscience rightly examined and immediately ruled by Scripture that the former decree did not prejudice the institution use or end of this Sacrament yet most Christians earnest desire of the Cup so publickly testified could not suffer them to sleep in ignorance of that great scandal the denial of it needs must give to most inferiour particular Churches Wherefore the rule of charity that moved the Father of the Gentiles to that serious protestation If meat offend my brother I will eat no flesh while the world standeth that I may not offend my brother should in all equity divine or humane have wrought these Prelates hearts to like profession If want of their spiritual drink offend so many Congregations and such a multitude of our brethren we will rather not use our lawful authority acknowledged by all then usurp any that may be offensive or suspicious unto others though apparantly just unto our selves for they could not be more fully perswaded this decree was just then Saint Paul was that all meats were lawful to him 22 But may we think these Prelates had no scruple of conscience whether the very form of this decree were not against our Saviours expresse command Bibite ex hoc omnes drink ye all of this For mine own part whiles I call to mind what else-where I have observed that the Jews were never so peremptory in their despightful censures of our Saviours doctrine nor so outragiously bent against his person as when their hearts were touched in part with his miracles or in some degree illuminated with the truth he taught The Councels extraordinary forwardnesse to terrifie all Contravenaries of this decree makes me suspect they were too conscious of their own shallow pretended proofs to elude Gods word whose light and perspicuity in this point had exasperated their hardned hearts and weak-sighted faith to be so outragious in the very beginning of that session as if they had meant to stifle their consciences and choak the truth lest these happily might crosse their proceedings or controul their purposes if this cause should once have come to sober and deliberate debatement For as theeves oftentimes seek to avoid apprehension by crying loudest Turn the Thief so these wolves hoped wel to smother their guilt and prevent al notice taking of their impiety by their grievo us exclamations against others monstrous impious opinions in this point interdicting all upon penalty of the causes following ere they had determined ought to teach preach or believe otherwise then they meant to determin 23 Yet though the Councel accurse all that hold communication under both kinds as a necessary doctrine it doth not absolutely inhibit all use of the Chalice but leaves it free unto their Lord the Pope to grant it upon what Conditions he please either unto private men or whole Nations Upon what conditions then may we presume wil it please his Holinesse for to grant it upon any better then Satan tendred all the Kingdomes of the Earth unto our Saviour For this fained servant of Christ a true Gehazi repining at his Lord and Masters simplicity that could refuse so fair a profer made after Satan in all haste saying in his heart I wil surely take somewhat of him though my Master spared him and pretending a message in his name to whom all power was
to the right hand or to the left Was he to take all this pains only that he might learn to execute the Priests indefinite sentence This any heathen might have done But the Kings of Israel albeit they were not to meddle in the execution of the Priests office were not withstanding to be so well skilled in Scriptures as to be able to judge whether the Priest did according to that Law which God had set him to follow and to controle his definitive sentence if it were evidently contrary to Gods word which both were absolutely bound to obey 5 It may perhaps here be objected that the King had no such assurance of infallibility in judgement as the Priest had and therefore it was requisite he should rely upon the Priests definitive sentence What construction then can any Jesuite make of these words A divine sentence shall be in the lips of the King his mouth shall not transgress he saith not in execution of judgement given by the Priests but in judgement given by himself seeing it is an abomination to Kings to commit wickednesse for the throne is established by justice And again ‖ Righteous lips such as the Priests should and might have been but usually were not are the delight of Kings and the King loveth him that speaketh right things This place if we respect either the abstract form of precept or plenitude of Gods promise for abiliment to perform it is more plain and peremptory for the Kings then any can be brought for the High Priests infallibility in giving definitive sentence yet doth it not necessarily infer Kings shall not but rather shews that they should not or that they might not at any time erre in judgment so they would stedfastly follow those rules which God hath prescribed them For when God saith A divine sentence shall be in the lips of Kings this speech doth no more argue a perpetual certainty in giving righteous sentence then if he had said A corrupt or erroneous sentence shall not be in the lips of the King or his mouth shall not transgresse in judgement For as that which God saith shall not be done oft-times is done so may that which God saith shall be done be oft-times left undone Who is he then would make this collection God saith Thou shalt not steal that is no man shall steal ergo there can be no thieves no theft committed yet is our adversaries collection as foolish The Priests lips shall preserve knowledge Ergo they cannot erre in giving definitive sentence as again The spirit shall lead you into all truth they shall be all taught of God therefore the Church shall be infallibly taught by the spirit and shall as infallibly teach others live they as they list 6 These places shew what should be done and what God for his part will infallibly perform so men would be obedient to his word but neither do these or any of like nature include any infallibility of not erring without performance of due obedience in practise of life nor do they necessarily conclude that men alwayes shall perform such obedience The most which they infer is this that Governours by duty are bound to perform that performing such obedience in practise of life they might be freer from errour in their doctrine or difinitive sentence And it was abstinence and integrity of life that was to preserve sincerity of judgement in Princes as well as Priests lips for which reason Princes had their precepts of temperance answerable to those rules prescribed for the Priests So Solomon teacheth kings Give not thy strength unto a woman nor thy wayes this is to destroy Kings it is not for Kings O Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for â—rinces strong drink lest he drink and forget the decree and change the judgement of all the children of affliction This place evidently shews that if their Princes were of riotous or intemperate lives they had no promise that they should not pervert the judgement of the children of affliction The conclusion hence arising is all the places that can be brought either for the King or Priests authority rather shew what manner of men they should be both in life and judgement then â—…ure them of any infallibility of judgement if they be dissolute in life This was a point never dreamt of by any before the Popes notoriously infamous lives did discredit the Titles of sanctity and infallibility which from a concert of their predecessors integrity they have usurped and inforced their parasites to frame a distinction of sanctity in doctrine separated from sanctity in life 7 It is questionable where both Priests and Princes of Judah had not an extraordinary priviledge above all other nations both for being infallible in their definitive sentences whilest they lived according to the laws which God had given them and also for their more then ordinary possibility of living according to such laws Gods blessings as is most probable in both thâ—se respects were extraordinary unto their Princes and Priests yet not so mâ—nitely extraordinary that either of them might without presumptuous blasphemy hope for ordinary integrity such as the more civil sort of heathens had much lesse for any absolute infallibility if they were extraordinarily wicked in their lives or unfaithful in their other dealings Even the peoples wickednesse did impair the force and vertue of these extraordinary blesings promised to their Kings and Priests God gave them Priests as well as Princes in his anger such as should be pliable to their humor not such as should infallibly direct them against the suggestions of the world and flesh for their spiritual good So that these gracious promises both for their spiritual and temporal governours sincerity in judgement did depend in part upon the condition of this peoples life 8 The usual Proverb was most true though the words thus inverted Like people Like Priests Thus did the wise Son of Sirach interpret Gods promises both to Priest and Princes †Because Phineas ofâ—leazar â—leazar had zeal in the fear of the Lord and stood up with good courage of heart when the people were turned back and made reconciliation for Israel therefore was there â—…venant of peace made with him that he should be the chief of the Sanctuary and of his people and that he and his posterity should have the dignity of the Priesthood for ever And according unto the covenant made with David that the inheritance of the kingdom should remain to his son of the Tribe of Judah so the heritage of Aaron should be to the only son of his son and to his seed God give us wisdom in our heart to judge his people in righteousness that the good things that they have be not abolished and that their glory may endure for their posterity 9 From what we have said it is most evident that the precepts injoyning obedience unto civil Magistrates are as large and ample as any can be found for obedience unto spiritual
another manner then the Lacedâ—monians did Lycurgus laws were from Apollo For when the Law which enjoyns the worship of one God was given unto the people it did appear as far forth as the divine providence did judge sufficient by strange signs and motions whereof the people themselves were spectators that the creature did perform service to the Creator for the giving of that Law But we must believe as firmly as this people did Moses that all the Popes injunctions are given by God himself without any other sign or testimony then the Lacedemonians had that Lycurgus laws were from Apollo Yet is it here further to be considered that the Israelites might with far lesse danger have admitted Moses laws then we may the Popes without any examination for divine seeing there was no written law of God extant before his time whereby his writings were to be tried No such charge had been given this people as he gives most expresly to this purpose Now therefore hearken O Israel unto the ordinances and to the Laws which I teach you to do that ye may live and go in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you Ye shall put nothing unto the word which I command you neither shall ye take ought there from that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you But was the motive or argument by which he sought to establish their belief or assent unto these commandments his own infallible authority no but their own experience of their truth as it followeth Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-Peor For all the men that followed Baal-Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed every one from among you but ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day so gracious and merciful is our God unto mankind and so far from exacting this blind obedience which the Pope doth challenge that he would have his written word established in the fresh memory of his mighty wonders wrought upon Pharaoh and all his host The experiment of their deliverance by Moses had been a strong motive to have perswaded them to admit of his doctrine for infallible or at the least to have believed him in his particular promises When the snares of death had compassed them about on every side and they see no way but one or rather two inevitable wayes to present death and destruction the red sea before them and a mighty host of bloud behind them the one serving as a glasse to represent the cruelty of the other they as who in their case would not cry out for fear He that could have foretold their strange deliverance from this imminent danger might have gotten the opinion of a God amongst the Heathen yet â—… confidently promiseth them even in the midst of this perplexity the utter destruction of the destroyer whom they feared Fear ye not stand 〈◊〉 and behold the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom you have seen this day you shal never see again The Lord shal fight for you therefore hold you your peace Notwithstanding all this Moses never enacts this absolute obedience to be believed in all that ever he shall say or speak unto them without farther examination or evident experiment of his doctrine For God requires not this of any man no not of those to whom he spake face to face alwayes ready to feed such as call upon him with infallible signs and pledges of the truth of his promises For this reason the waters of Mâ—rah are sweetned at Moses prayer And God upon this new experiment of his power and goodnesse takes occasion to re-establish his former covenant using this semblable event as a further earnest of his sweet promises to them If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel unto the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear unto his commandments and keep all his ordinances then wil I put none of these diseases upon thee which I brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee As if he had said This healing of the bitter waters shal be a token to thee of my power in healing thee Yet for all this they distrust Gods promises for their food as it followeth cap. 16. Nor doth Moses seek to force their assent by fearful Anathema's or sudden destruction but of some principal offenders herein For God wil not have true faith thunder-blasted in the tender blade but rather nourished by continuance of such sweet experiments for this reason he showres down Manna from heaven I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel tell them therefore and say At evening ye shall eat flesh and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God For besides the miraculous manner of providing both Quails and Manna for them the manner of nourishment by Manna did witnesse the truth of Gods word unto them They had been used to grosse and solid meats such as did fill their stomacks distend their bellies whereas Manna was in substance slender but gave strength and vigour to their bodies and served as an emblem of their spiritual food which being invisible yet gave life more excellently then these grosse and solid meats did So saith Moses Therefore he humbled thee and made thee hungry and fed thee with Manna which thou knowest not neither did thy Fathers know it that he might teach thee that man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 6 Yet in their distresse so frail is our faith until it be strengthned by continual experiments they doubt and tempt the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst us or no Nor doth Moses interpose his infallible authority or charge them to believe him against their experience of their present thirst under pain of eternal damnation or sufferance of greater thirst in hell such threats without better instruction in Gods word and the comfort of his spirit may bring distrusts or doubts to utter despaire and cause faith to wither where it was wel nigh ripe they never ripen and strengthen any true and lively faith Moses himself is fain to cry unto the Lord saying What shall I do unto this people for they be almost ready to stone me As the Papists would do to the Pope were he to conduct them thorow the wildernesse in such extremity of thirst able to give them no better assurance of his favour with God then his Anathema's or feed them only with his Court-holy-water or blessings of wind But even here again God feeds Israels faith with waters issuing out of the rock making themselves eye-witnesses of all his wonders that so they might believe his words and promises nay himself from their own sense
since to take universality as a sure note of the Church traditions and customs of the Elders for the rule of faith and which is the undoubted Conclusion of such premisses to follow a multitude to any mischief So mightily did the opinion of a major part being all men of the same profession sway with the superstitious people of those times that Ahabs Pursevant conceived hope of seducing Micaiah whilst they were on the way together by intimating such censures of schisme of heresie of peevishneâ—â—e or privacy of spirit as the false Catholick bestows on us likely to befal him if he should vary from the rest The best answer I think a Roman Catechism could affoord would be to repeat the conclusion which Bellarmin would have maintained All the rest besides were Baals Prophets They were indeed in such a sense as Jesuites and all seducers are but 〈◊〉 not by publick profession or solemn subscription to his rites as may partly appear by jehosaphats continuing his resolution to go up to battel against Micaiahs counsel which questionlesse he would rather have died at home then done had he known Micaiah only to have belonged unto the Lord and all his adversaries unto Baal partly by that reverent conceit which even the chief of these seducers entertained at that time of Elias whose utter disgrace Baals servants would by all means have sought for his late designs acted upon their fellows Yet as Josephus records the chief argument used by Zidkiah to diminish Micaiahs credit with both Kings was an appearance of contradiction betwixt his and Eliahs prediction of Ahabs death the accomplishment of both being apprehended as impossible lesse credit as he urged was to be given to Micaiah because so impudent as openly to contradict â—o great a Prophet of the Lord as Elias at whose threatnings Ahab King of Israel trembled humbling himself with fasting cloathed in sackcloth And is it likely he would so shortly after entertain the professed servants of Baal for his Councellors yet seeing the event hath openly condemned them for seducers and none are left to plead their cause it is an easie matter for the Jesuite or others to say they were Baals Prophets by profession But were not most Prieâ—… and Prophets in Judah and Benjamin usually such yes and as afterward shall appear did band as strongly with as joynt consent against Jeremy and Ezechiel as these did against Micaiah The point wherein we desire resolution is by what rule of Romish Catholick Divinity truth in those times might have been discerned from falshood before Gods judgements did light upon the City and Temple He is more blind then the blindest Jew that ever breathed who cannot see how such as professed themselves Priests and Prophets of the Lord as wel in Judah as in Israel did bewitch the people with the self same spels the Papist boasts of to this day as the best prop of his Catholick faith Yet such is the hypocrisie of these proud Pharisees that they can say in their hearts Oh had we lived in the dayes of Jezabel we would not have been her inquisitors against such Prophets as Elias and Micaiah were When as in truth Jezabels impiety towards them was clemency in respect of Romish crueltie against Gods Saints her witchcrafts but as venial sins if we compare them with Jesuitical sorceries But of this errour more directly in the Chapter following of their sorceries and impieties hereafter 3 Unto our former demand whether the society of Prophets were the Church representative whether the people were bound without examination to believe whatsoever was by a major part or such of that profession as â—â—re in highest or most publick place determined What answer a learned Papist would give I cannot tel Then this following better cannot be imagined on their behalf That this supream authority which they contend for was in the true Prophets only that they albeit inspired with divine illuminations and endued with such authority as the Jesuite makes the Popes â—mana divinitas inspirata did notwithstanding permit their declarations for the hardnesse of this peoples heart to be tried by the event or examined by the law not that they wanted lawful power would they have stood upon their authority to exact belief without delay seeing readinesse to believe the truth proposed is alwayes commended in the sacred Story And no doubt but the people did wel in admitting the true Prophets doctrine before the false at the first proposal the sooner the better But were they therefore to believe the true Prophets absolutely without examination Why should they then believe one of that profession before another seeing seducers could propose their conceits with as great speed and peremptorinesse as the best Nor did reason only disswade but the law of God also expresly forbid that people alwayes and in all causes to trust such as upon trial had been found to divine aright of strange events Yet grant we must that hardnesse of heart made this people more backward then otherwise they would have been to believe truths proposed that oft-times they required signs from their Prophet when obedience was instantly due from them to him that oft-times they sinned in not assenting immediately without interposition of time for trial or respite to resolve upon what terms belief might be tendered Thus much we may grant with this limitation if we consider them absolutely or so wel disposed as they should and might have been not as the Prophets found them For in men inwardly ill affected or unqualified for true faith credulity comes nearer the nature of vice then vertue a disposition of disloyalty a degree of heresie or infidelity rather then a preparation to sincere obedience or any sure foundation of true and lively faith Assent perchance men so affected may more readily then others would unto sundry divine truths yet not truly not as they are divine and consonant to the rule of goodnesse but by accident in as much as they in part confort with some one or other of their affections And the more forward men are upon such grounds to believe some generalities of Christian duties the more prone they prove when opportunity tempts them to oppugn others more principal and more specially concerning their salvation For credulity if it spring not out of an honest disposition uniformly inclining unto goodnesse as Sucâ—… from some unbridled humor or predominant natural affection will alwayeâ— sway more unto some mischief then unto any thing that is good Many 〈◊〉 in Jesus saith Saint John when they saw his miracles It pleased them weâ—… had turned water into wine That he had given other proofs of his power 〈◊〉 driving buyers and sellers out of the Temple did minister hope unto proud hearts he might prove such a Messias as they expected as elsewhere upon the like occasion they said †This is of a truth the Prophet that should come intâ— the world The ground of this their aptnesse to believe thus
much as is intimated in the words following was their inordinate desire of having an earthly King that might rule the nation with an iron rod. ‖ When Jesus therefore perceived by their forwardnesse to professe the former truth that they would come and take him to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone for the same cause no doubt which the Evanâ—elist speciâ—… the former place But Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew them all and had no need that any should testifie of man He knew such as upon these glimpses of his glory were presently so stifly set to believe in him upon hopes of being fed with dainties or mighty protection against the Heathen would be as violently â—eâ—t against him even to crucifie him for a seducer â—tter they had discovered his constant endeavours to bring them both by life and doctrine unto conformity with his cross mortification humility contempt of the world patience in affliction with other like qualities despiseable in the worlds eyes yet main principles in his school and elementary grounds of salvation so his country-men of Nazareth sodainly admiring the gratâ—ous words which proceeded out of his mouth after he begun to upbraid them with unthankfulness as speedily attempt to throw him headlong from the top of the hill whereon their City was built By this it may appear that of the â—ewish people in ancient times some did sin in being backward others in an immature forwardnesse to believe prophetical doctrines But the fountains or first heads whence these swift motions of life were depraved in the one was inordinate assection or intrinsick habitual corruption the root whence such deadnesse was derived into the actions of the other was hardnesse of heart precedent neglect of Gods word and ignorance of his wayes thence ensuing Which presupposed the parties so affected did not amisâ—e in not believing the true Prophets without examination but in not abandoning such dispositions as disenabled them for believing all parts of truth proposed with constancy and vniformity making them fit instruments to be wrought upon by seducers Hence saith our Saviour I come in my fathers name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own name him will ye receive How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honâ—â—r that cometh of God alone Nor Prophetical nor Aposâ—olical nor Messiacal much lesse could Papal authority make them believe the doctrine of life intirely and sincerely whilest their hearts were hardned whose hardnesse though might easily have been mollisied by laying Moses law unto them while they were young and tender 4 It is a rule as profitable for our own information in many points as for â—â—â—utâ—tion of the adversary that The commendation of necessary meâ—ns is alwayes included in the commendation of the end which how good or excellent soever it be our desires of it are preposterous all earnest endeavours to attain it turbulent unlesse first addressed with proportionable alacrity to follow the means that must produce it Sober spirits alwayes bound their hopes of accomplishing the one by perfect survey of their interest in the other as minds truly liberal determine future expences by exact calculation of their present revenews Even in businesses of greatest importance though requiring speediest expedition a wise man will moderate his pace according to the quality of the ground whereon he goes otherwise the more haste may cause worse speed The Jews were as we are bound to believe truths proposed without delay but both for this reason most strictly bound to a continual uniformity of practising divine precepts already known without dispensing with this or that particular though offensive to our present disposition without indulgence to this or that special time without all priviledge sought from the pleasure or displeasure of men Both bound so to frame our lives and conversations as to be instantly able to discern the truth proposed not by relying upon their authority that propose it but for it self or from a full and lively though a quick and speedy apprehension of immediate homogeneal consonancy between the external and the internal word For if any part of Gods word truly dwel in us though secret it may be and silent of it self yet wil it Eccho in our hearts whilst the like reverberates in our ears from the live-voice of the Ministery Thus had the Jews hearts been truly set to Moses law had their souls delighted in the practise of it as in their food they had resounded to the Prophets call as a string though untouched and unable to begin motion of it self wil yet raise it self to an unison voice or as the fowls of heaven answer with like language to others of their own kind that have better occasion to begin the cry In this sense are Christs sheep said to hear his voice and follow him not every one that can counterfeit his or his Prophets Call 5 The issue of all that hath been said is that none within the prâ—cincts of these times whereof we now treat from the Law given unto the Gospel were bound to believe Gods messengers without examination of their doctrine by the precedent written word Only this difference there was such as had rightly framed their hearts to it did make this trial of Prophetical doctrines as it were by a present taste which others could not without interposition of time to work an alteration in their distempered affections For this reason do the Prophets alwayes annex Mosaical precepts of repentance to their predictions of future events as knowing that if their hearts to whom they spake were turned to God their sight should forthwith be restored clearly to discern the truth For further manifestation of the same conclusion it appears sufficiently from sundry discourses in the former book that Israels incredulity unto their Prophets was finally to be resolved into their neglect their imperfect or partial observance of Moses precepts Wherefore not the live-voice of them whose words in themselves were most infallible and are by the approbation of time with other conspicuous documents of Gods peculiar providence preserving them in divine estimation so long become an undoubted rule of life unto us but the written word before confirmed by signs and wonders sealed by the events of times present and precedent was the infallible rule whereby the prophetical admonitions of every age were to be tried and examined 6 The words of the best while they spake them were not of like authority as now written they are unto us nor were they admitted into the Caâ—on but upon just proof of their divine authority That one speech which Fsay uttered was an Axiom so well known as might bring all the rest to be examined before admission To the Law and to the Tescimony if they speaâ— not according to this word it is because there is no light in them For Gods Wil already known and
Ariadna's thread as now it is thought to guide us through the Labyrinth of errors Such was S. Peters love to truth that he would have so fastned it to all faithful hearts as none should ever have failed to follow it in following which he could not erre Doubtlesse had any such conceit lodged in his breast this discourse had drawn it out his usual form of exhortation had been too mild his ordinary stile too low This doctrine had been proclaimed to all the world with Anathema's as loud and terrible as the Canons of any Papistical Councel report 2 But he followed no such deceitful Fables when he opened unto them the power and coming of Christ whose Majesty as he had seen with his own eyes so would he have others to see him too But by what light By Scriptures What Scriptures Peter feed my sheep Nay but by the Light of Prophesie That is a Light indeed in it self but unto private spirits it is no better saith Valentian then a light put under a bushel unlesse the visible Church do hold it out Where did the visible Church keep residence in those dayes In S. Peter I trow How chances it then he saith not fix your eyes on mine that have seen the glory of the Lord and the Prophets light shal shine unto you If by his commendation and proposal it were to shine he had said better thus Ye do well in that you give heed unto me as to your only infallible teacher that must confirm you in the truth of Prophetical Writings and cause them shine in your hearts but now he saith 2 Pet 1. 19. Ye do well in that ye take beed unto the Prophets as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day-star arise in your hearts This light of Prophets illuminated the eyes of Peters faith albeit with his bodily eyes he had seen Christs glory For speaking comparatively of that testimony which he had heard in the Mount he adds We have also a surer word of the Prophets That the Lord hath been glorified in the Mount his Auditors were to take upon his Credit and Authority nor could he make them to see this particular as he himself had done but that Christ Jesus whom he saw glorified in the Mount was the Lord of Glory he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a surer testimony then his bodily sense the light of Prophets This then was the commendations of his flock that they looked upon it which shined as wel unto them as him to all without respect of persons that take heed unto it able to bring them not to acknowledg Peters infallibility but to the day-star it self whole light would further ascertain them even of the truth the Prophets and the Apostles taught For Christ is in a peculiar manner the first and the last in the edifice of faith the lowest and the highest stone in the corner refused by the master builders or visible pillars of the Jewish Church their faith was not grounded up on the Prophets whose words they knew not and not knowing them they knew not him but unto such as raise their faith by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true square and line Chist is both the Fundamental Rock which supporteth and the chief corner stone that binds the whole house of God and preserves it from clefts and ruptures 3 But lest his followers might look amisse upon this prophetical light rightly esteemed in the general S. Peter thought it necessary to advertise them not to content themselves with every interpretation or accustomary acknowledgment of their truth grounded on others relations reports or skill in expounding them or multitude of voices that way swaying This had been as if a man that hath eyes of his own should believe there was a Moon or stars because a great many of his honest neighbours had told him so A thousand witnesses in such a case as this were but private testimonies in respect of that distinct knowledge which every one may have that list That the Lord should preserve light in Coshen when darknesse had covered the whole face of Egypt besides seems unto me lesse strange but more sensibly true then before whilest I consider how in this age wherein the light of his countenance hath so clearly shined throughout those parts of Europe whence the Gospel came to us Ingolstade should still sit in darknesse environed with the shadow of death That her great professor Valentian born I take it within these fourscore years should grope at noon day as if he had been brought forth in the very midnight of Popery or died welnigh three hundred years ago Scarce Scotus himself not Ockam questionlesse though shut up in a prison where no light of any expositor had ever come could have made a more dunstical collection of the Apostles words then he hath done Saint Peter meant one of these Three First that there can be no certain or probable way of expounding Scriptures by our proper wit or industry or Secondly that one or other place of Scripture cannot be rightly expounded by human wit or industry but so compared they rightly may or Thirdly that the Scriptures cannot certainly and infallibly be expounded every where without the sentence of some other common infallible authority which in this respect is to be held as judge of faith in the Church The Apostle he infers did not mean the first or second ergo the third So as the force and wisdom of the Apostolical admonition is this No man by his private industry or study howsoever imploied either he thought not of the holy Ghosts direction or assistance or did not except it no not by any search of Scripture it self can certainly and infallibly understand the doctrine of Scriptures in controversies of which S. Peter in that place speaks not one word but it is necessary he learn this of some other publick authority in the church by which the Holy Ghost speaks publickly and teacheth all His reason follows more dunsticall then the collection it self For the Apostle straight subjoyns As the holy men of God did speak in Scriptures not by human authority but divine so likewise cannot the Scriptures be possibly understood by any human or private industry of this or that man but by some other authority likewise divine by which the holy spirit which is the Author of Scriptures may be likewise the most certain interpreter of Scriptures 4 Had another read thus much unto me and bid me read the Author or his works wherein it was found I should presently have named either Erasmus Moriae Encomium Frishlins Priscianus Vapulans or some such like Comedian disposed in merriment to pen some old Dunces part Cannot the Sun of righteousnesse infuse his heavenly influence by the immediate operation of his spirit or doth his influence want force without conjunction with this blazing Comet or falling star Was it not the authority of this spirit which made S. Peter himself to
Aristotles forge so the fire be out of us when we come into the Sanctuary But just in this manner doth the Mimical Jesuite reply to the former truth I demand saith he whether the Doctour would approve this consequence Paul preaching to the Athenians confirmed his Doctrine with the testimony of the Poet Aratus and the Athenians had done well if they had sought whether Aratus had said so or no therefore all Doctrines must be judged by Poets But what if the Beraeans practise considered alone or as Jesuites do Scriptures onely Mathematically do not necessarily inferre thus much The Learned Doctors charitable mind would not suffer him to suspect any publick Professor of Divinity as Sacroboscus was could be so ignorant in Scriptures as not to consider besides the different esteem of Prophets and Poets amongst the Jews what Saint Paul had Acts 26 22. expressely said I obtained help of God and continue unto this day witnessing both unto small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Unlesse he could have proved Christs resurrection and other Articles of Christian faith out of Moses and the Prophets the Jews exceptions against him had been just For they were bound to resist all Doctrines dissonant to their ancient Ordinances especially the abolishment of Rites and Ceremonies which Paul laboured most knowing the Law-giver meant they should continue no longer then to the alteration of the Priesthood but in whose maintenance his adversaries should have spent their bloud whiles ignorant they were without default of the truth Paul taught as not sufficiently proved from the same Authority by which their lawes were established Nor was any Apostle either for his miracles or other pledges of the Spirit that he could communicate unto others to be so absolutely believed in all things during his life time as Moses and the Prophets writings For seeing the gift of miracles was bestowed on hypocrites or such as might fall from any gifts or graces of the spirit they had though the spectatours might believe the particular conclusions to whose confirmation the miracles were fitted yet was it not safe without examination absolutely to relie upon him in all things that had spoken a divine truth once or twice In that he might be an hypocrite or a dissembler for ought others without evidence of his upright conversation and perpetuall consonance to his former Doctrine could know he might abuse his purchased reputation to abet some dangerous errour Nor do our Adversaries though too too credulous in this kind think themselves bound to believe revelations made to another much lesse to think that he which is once partaker of the Spirit should for ever be infallible Upon these supporters the forementioned Doctors reason which the Jesuite abuseth to establish the Churches Authority stands sirme and sound I absolutely believe all to be truâ—… that â—od saith because he saith it nor do I seek any other reason but I dare not as 〈◊〉 so much unto man lest I make him equall to God for God alone and he in whom the Godhead dwelleth bodily is immutably just and holy Many others have continued holy and righteous according to their measure untill the end but who could be certain of this besides themselves no not they themselves alwayes And albeit a man that never was in the state of grace may oft-times deliver that Doctrine which is infallible yet were it to say no worse a grievous tempting of God to rely upon his Doctrine as absolutely infallible unlesse we know him besides his skill or learning to be alwayes in such a state Though both his life and death be most religious his Doctrine must approve it self to the present Age and Gods providence must commend it to posterity Nor did our Saviour though in life immutably holy and for Doctrine most infallible assume so much unto himself before his Ascension as the Jesuites give to the Pope For he submitted his Doctrine to Moses and the Prophets writings And seeing the Jesuites make lesse account of Him then the Jews did of Moses it is no marvell if they be more violently miscaried with envious or contemptuous hatred of the Divine truth it self then the Jews were against our Saviour or his Doctrine These even when they could not answer his reasons drawn from Scriptures received though most offensive to their distemperate humour were ashamed to call Moses and the Prophets Authority in question or to demand how do ye know God spake by them Must not the Churches infallibility herein assure you And if it teach you to discerne Gods Word from mans must it not likewise teach you to distinguish the divine sence of it from humane This is a strain of Atheisme which could never find harbour in any professing the knowledge of the true God before the brood of Antichrist grew so flush as to seek the recovery of that battail against Gods Saints on Earth which Lucifer their Father and his followers lost against Michael and his holy Angels in Heaven CAP. XXV A brief taste of our Adversaries blasphemous and Atheistical assertions in this argument from some instances of two of their greatest Doctours Bellarmin and Valentian That if faith cannot be perfect without the solemne testification of that Church the rarity of such testifications will cause infidelity 1 FOr a further competent testimonie of blasphemies in this kind where-with we charge the Church of Rome let the Reader judge by these two instances following whether the Christian world have not sucked the deadliest poison that could evaporate from the infernal lake through Bellarmines and Valentians pens Valentian as if he meant to out-flout the Apostle for prohibiting all besides the great Pastor Christ Jesus for being Lords over mens faith will have an infallible authority which may sit as Judge and Mistresse of all Controversies of faith and this to be not the authoritie of one or two men deceased not peculiar to such as in times past have uttered the divine truth either by mouth or pen and commended it unto posterity but an authority continuing in force and strength amongst the faithfull thorowout all ages able persptcuously and openly to give sentence in all Controversies of Faith Yet as these Embassadours of God deceased cannot be Judges shall they therefore have no Say at all in deciding conroversies of faith You may not think a Jesuite would take Jesus Name in vain he will never for shame exclude his Master for having at least a finger in the government of the Church Why what is his office or what is the use of his authority registred by his Apostles and Evangelists Not so little as you would ween For his speeches amongst others that in their life time have infallibly taught divine truths by mouth or pen may be consulted as a witnesse or written law in cases of faith but after a certain sort and manner either to speak the truth or somewhat thereto not impertinent
Without the help or ministerie of man We maintain as wel as they God is not a father to such as will not acknowledge the Church for their Mother Notwithstanding thus we conceive and speak of the Church indefinitely taken not consined to any determinate place not appropriated to any individual or singularized persons Now to verifie an indefinite speech or proposition the truth of any one particular sufficeth As he that should say Socrates by man was taught his learning doth not mean the specifical nature or whole Mankind but that Socrates as others had one man or other at the first to instruct him The same Dialect we use when we say Every one that truly cals God father receives instructions from the Church his Mother that is from some in the Church lawfully ordained for planting faith unto whom such Filial Obedience as elsewhere we have spoken of is due The difference likewise between the Romanists and us hath partly been discussed before In brief it is thus We hold this Ministery of the Church is a necessary condition or mean precedent for bringing us to the Infallible Truth or true sense of Gods word yet no infallible Rule whereon finally or absolutely we must rely either for discerning divine Revelations or their true meaning But as those resentâ—â—ances of colours which we term Species visibiles are not seen themselves though necessary for the sight of real colours so this Minisiery of the Church alâ—… in it self not infallible is yet necessarily required for our right apprehension 〈◊〉 the Divine Truth which in it self alone is most infallible yea as infallible to us as it was ‖ to the Apostles or Prophets after it be rightly apprehended The difference is in the manner of apprehending or conceiving it They conceived it immediately without the Ministery or instruction of man so cannot we This difference elsewhere I have thus resembled As trees and plants now growing up by the ordinary husbandry of man from seeds precedent are of the same kind and quality with such as vvere immediately created by the hand of God so is the immediate ground of ours the Prophets and Apostles Faith the same Albeit theirs was immediately planted by the finger of God ours propagated from their seed Sown and cherished by the daily industry of faithful Ministers 3 Neither in the substance of this assertion nor manner of the explication do we much differ if ought from Canus in his second book where he taxeth Scotus Durand and others for affirming the last resolution of our faith was to be made into the veracity or infallibility of the Church The Apostles and Prophets saith he resolved their faith into truth and authority divine Therefore we must not resolve our faith into the humane authority of the Church For the faith is the same and must have the same Formal Reason For better confirmation of which assertion he adds this reason Things incident to the object of any habit by accident do not alter the formal reason of the object Now that the Articles of faith should be proposed by these or these men is meerly accidental wherefore seeing the Apostles and Prophets did assent unto the Articles of faith because God revealed them the reason of our assent must be the same Lastly he concludes that the Churches authority miracles or the like are only such precedent conditions or means for begetting faith as sensitive knowledge exhortations or advise of Masters are for bringing us to certain knowledge in demonstrative faculties Had either this great Divine spoken consequently to this doctrine in his 5th Book or would the Jesuites avouch no more then here he doth vve should be glad to give them the right hand of fellowship in this point But they go all a wrong way unto the truth or would to God any way to the truth or not directly to overthrow it Catharinus though in a manner ours in that question about the certainty of salvation saith more perhaps then they meant whom Canus late taxed Avouching as Bellarmin cites his opinion that divine faith could not be certain and infallible unlesse it were of an object approved by the Church Whence would follow what Bellarmin there infers that the Apostles and Prophets should not have been certain of their Revelations immediately sent from God until the Church had approved them which is a doctrine wel deserving a sharper censure then Bellarmin bestows on Cathirinus Albeit to speak the truth Bellarmin was no fit man to censure though the other most worthy to be severely censured Catharinus might have replied that the Prophets and Apostles at least our Saviour in whom Bellarmin instanceth vvere the true Church as wel as they make the Pope Nor can Valentia's with other late â—esuites opinions by any pretence or thew hardly Bellarmins own be cleared from the same inconveniences he objects to Catharinus as will appear upon better examination to be made hereafter CAP. XXVII That the Churches Proposal is the true immediate and prime cause of all obsolute belief any Romanist can have concerning any determinate divine Revelation 1 WHereas Valentian and as he sayes Caietan deny the Churches infallible proposal to be the cause why we believe divine Revelations This speech of his is Equivocal and in the equivocation of it I think Valentian sought to hide the truth The ambiguity or Fallacy is the same which was disclosed in Bellarmins reply unto us objecting that Pontificians make the Churches authority greater then Scriptures In this place as in that the word of God or divine revelations may be taken either indefinitely for whatsoever God shall be supposed to speak or for those particular Scriptures or Revela tions which we suppose he hath already revealed and spoken Or Valentian may speak of the object of our belief not of belief it self If we take his meaning in the former sense what he faith is most true For the Churches infallibility is no cause why we believe that to be true vvhich vve suppose God hath revealed nor did vve ever charge them with this assertion This is an Axiom of nature presupposed in all Religions yet of which none ever knew to make so great secular use as the Romish Church doth But if we speak of that Canon of Scripture which vve have or any things contained in it all which vve and our adversaries joyntly suppose to have come from God the only cause vvhy vve do or can rightly believe them is by Jesuitical doctrine the Churches infallibility that commends them unto us 2 If that Church which Valentian holds so infallible should have said unto him totidem verbis you must believe the books of Maccabees are canonical even for this reason that your holy Catholick Mother tels you so he durst not but have believed as wel the reason as the matter proposed To wit That these Books were Canonical because the Church had enjoyned him so to think albeit his private conscience left to Gods grace and
jointly believe for God speaking either in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should have asked him why he did or how possibly he could infallibly believe that God did speak all the words either contained in the Bible or in their traditions he must have given either a womans answer because God spake them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly avows the Books of Canonical Scripture need not be believed without the Churches proposal whose infallible authority was sufficiently known before one tittle of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had never been he plainly confesseth withal that he could not believe the Scriptures taught some principal Articles of faith most firmly believed by him unless the Churches authority did thereto move him against the light of natural reason Now if for the Churches proposal he believe that which otherwise to believe he had no reason at all but rather strong inducements to the contrary as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibility must be the true and only cause both why he believes the mystery proposed and distrusts the natural dictates of his conscience to the contrary In sine he doth not believe there is a Trinity for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but he believes that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it think they believe the Church because God speaks by it when it is evident they do not believe God but for the Churches testimony well content to pretend his authority that her own may seem more Soveraign Thus make they their superstitious groundless magical Faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoever God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagin as wil better appear hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their Tenents the same Divine revelations may be asâ—ented unto by the Habit either of â—heologie or of Faith both which are most certain but herein diâ—ferent That tâ—e former is discursive and resembles science properly so called the later not so but rather like unto that habit or faculty by which we perceive the truth of general Maxims or unto our bodily sight which sees divers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of private spirits their arguments suppose Divine revelations must be believed by the Habit of Theologie which is as a sword to oâ—â—end us Whiles we assault them and urge the unstability of their resolutions they slie unto the non disâ—ursive Habit of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blows as the Habit of Theologie cannot bear off 6 Not here to dispute either how truly or pertinently they deny â—aith infused to be a discursive habit the Logical Reader need not I hope my adâ—onition to observe that faith or belief whether habitual or actual unlesse discursive cannot possibly be resolved into any preexistent Maxim or principle From which grant this Emolument wil arise unto our cause that the Churches authority cannot be proved by any divine revelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of Faith and must be believed â—odâ—m intuâ—â—u with that Scripture or part of Gods Word whether written or unwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceived by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say We beleeue the divine revelation because we believe the Church nor do we see colours because we see the light but We may truly say that the objects of our faith divine revelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of belief because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus's whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whitakers Objections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath been delivered by Bellarmine and other late Controversers hath enforced him clearly to unfold what Bellarmine Stapleton and Valentian left unexpressed but is implicitely included in all their Writings But ere we come to examine the full inconveniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to observe that as oft as they mention Râ—solution of faith they mean the discursive habit of Theologie For all resolution of Belief or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely avoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equivalent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day living it will appear that Valentian was either very ignorant himself or presumed he had to deal with very ignorant Adversaries when he denied that the last resolution of Catholick faith was into the Churches authority which comes next in place to be examined CAP. XXVIII Discovering either the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Jesuite in denying his Faith is finally resolved into the Churches veracity or infallibility That possibly it cannot be resolved into any branch of the First Truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Cajetan saith Valentian hath well observed if one should ask another why he believes the First Truth revealing For the Assent of Faith is finally resolved into the First Truth It may be Cajetan was better minded towards Truth it self first or secondary then this Jesuite was which used his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposal by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction between belief it self and it object often confounded or between Gods Word indefinitely and determinately taken if well observed will evince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man saith he can give any reason besides the infallibility of the Revealer why he beleeves a divine Revelation It is true no man can give nor would any ask why we believe that which we are fully perswaded is a divine Revelation But yet a reason by their positions must be given why we believe either this or that truth any particular or determinate portion of Scripture to be a divine Revelation Wherefore seeing Christian Faith is alwayes of desinite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine saith and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposal is the true and proper cause why we believe them to be infalliblie true because the onely cause whereby we can believe them to be divine revelations so must it be the essential principle into which our Assent or Belief of any particular or determinate
purpose in whose will or pleasure the finall cause of any natural effect alwayes consists And seeing nothing in Nature can preoccupate his will no cause can be precedent to the finall This consideration of naturall effects tending as certainly to their proposed end as the arrow flyes to the mark caused the irreligious Philosopher to acknowledge the direction of an intelligent supernatural agent in their working the accomplishment of whose will and pleasure as I said must be the finall cause of their motions as his will or pleasure which bestows the charges not the Architect unlesse he be the owner also is the final cause why the house is built Finally every End supposeth the last intention of an intelligent Agent whereof to give a reason by the Efficient which onely produceth works or meanes thereto proportioned would be as impertinent as if to one demanding why the bell rings out it should be answered because a strong fellow puls the rope 7 Now that which in our Adversaries Doctrine answers unto the cause indemonstrable whereinto final resolution of Natures works or intentions of intelligent agents must be resolved is the Churches Authority Nor can that if we speak properly be resolved into any branch of the first Truth for this reason besides others alledged before that all resolutions whether of our perswasions or intentions or of their objects works of Art or Nature suppose a stability or certainty in the first links of the chain which we unfold the latter alwayes depending on the former not the former on the latter As in resolutions of the latter kind lately mentioned imitating the order of composition actual continuation of life depends on breathing not breathing on it breathing on the lungs not the lungs mutually on breathing so in resolutions of the other kind which inverts the order of composition the use or necessity of lungs depends upon the use or necessitie of breathing the necessitie or use of breathing upon the necessity or use of life or upon his will or pleasure that created one of these for another Thus again the sensitive faculty depends upon the vital that upon mixtion mixtion upon the Elements not any of these mutually upon the sensitive faculty if we respect the order of supportance or Natures progresse in their production Whence he that questions whether some kinds of plants have sense or some stones or metals life supposeth as unquestionable that the former have life that the second are mixt bodies But if we respect the intent or purpose of him that sets Nature a working all the former faculties depend on the sensitive the sensitive not on any of them For God would not have his creatures indued with sense that they might live or live that they might have mixt bodies but rather to have such bodies that they might live to live that they might enjoy the benefit of sense or the more noble faculties 8 Can the Jesuite thus assigne any determinate branch of the First Truth as stable and unquestionable before it be ratified by the Churches authority Evident it is by his positions that he cannot and as evident that belief of the Churches authority cannot depend upon any determinate branch of the First Truth much lesse can it distinctly be thereinto resolved But contrariwise presse him with what Divine precept soever written or unwritten though in all mens judgements the Churches authority set aside most contradictory to their approved practises for example That the second Commandement forbids worshipping Images or adoration of the consecrated Host he straight inverts your reason thus Rather the second Commandement forbids neither because the holy Church which I believe to be infallible approveth both Lastly he is fully resolved to believe nothing for true which the Church disproves nothing for false or erroneous which it allowes Or if he would answer directly to this demand To what end did God cause the Scriptures to be written He could not â—â—sonâ—â—t to his tenents say That we might infallibly rely upon them but rather upon the Churches authority which it establisheth For Gods Word whether written or unwritten is by their Doctrine but as the testimony of some men deceased indefinitely presumed for infallible but whose material extent the Church must first determine and afterwards judge without all appeal of their true meaning Thus are all parts of Divine truthes supposed to be revealed more essentially subordinate to the Churches authority then ordinary witnesses are to royal or supreme judgement For they are supposed able to deliver what they know in termes intelligible to other mens capacities without the Prince or Judges ratification of their sayings or expositions of their meanings and judgement is not ordained for producing witnesses but production of witnesses for establishing judgement Thus by our adversaries Doctrine Gods Word must serve to establish the Churches authority not the Churches authority to confirm the immediate soveraigntie of It ever our souls 9 Much more probably might the Jew or Turk resolve his faith unto the First Truth then the modern Jesuited Papist can For though their deductions from it be much what alike all equally sottish yet these admit a stabilitie or certainty of what the First Truth hath said no way dependant upon their authority that first proposed or commended it unto them The Turks would storme to hear any Mufti professe He were as well to be believed as was Mahomet in his life time that without His proposal they could not know either the old Testament or the Alcoran to be from God So would the Jews if one of their Rabbines should make the like comparison betwixt himself and Moses as the Jesuite doth betwixt Christ and the Pope who besides that he must be as well believed as his Master leaves the authority of both Testaments uncertain to us unlesse confirmed by his infallibility But to speak properly the pretended derivation of all three heresies from the First Truth hath a lively resemblance of false pedegrees none at all of true Doctrine and resolutions Of all the three the Romish is most ridiculous as may appear by their several representations As imagine there should be three Competitors for the Roman Empire all pleading it were to descend by inheritance not by election all pretending lineal succession from Charles the Great The first like to the Jew alledgeth an authentick pedegree making him the eldest The second resembling the Turk replies that the other indeed was of the eldest line but long since disinherited often conquered and enforced to resigne whence the inheritance descended to him as the next in succession The third like the Romanist pleads it was bequeathed him by the Emperors last Will and Testament from whose death his Ancestors have been intit'led to it and produceth a pedegree to this purpose without any other confirmation then his own authority adding withall that unlesse his competitors and others will believe his records and declarations written or unwritten to be most authentick they cannot
that here he maks That the sence of Scriptures is the sword of the spirit This is as much as we contend that the sence of the Scripture is the Scripture Whence the inference is immediately necessary That if the Romish Church bind us to believe or absolutely practise ought contrary to the true sence and meaning of Scriptures with the like devotion we do Gods expresse undoubted commandements she prefers her own authority above Gods Word and makes us acknowledge that allegiance unto her which we owe unto the spirit For suppose we had as yet no full assurance of the spirit for the contradictory sence to that given by the Church we were in Christian duty to expect Gods providence and invoke the spirits assistance for manifestation of the truth from all possibility whereof we desperately exclude our selves if we believe one mans testimony of the spirit as absolutely and irrevocably as we would do the manifest immediate testimony of the spirit yet Sacroboscus acknowledgeth he believes the mysterie of the Trinity as it is taught by their Church onely for the Churches authority and yet this he believes as absolutely as he doth yea as he could believe any other divine Revelation though extraordinarily made unto himself 3 In both parts of Belief above mentioned the causal dependance of our faith upon the Churches proposals may be imagined three wayes either whilest it is in planting or after it is planted or from the first beginning of it to it full groweth or from it first entrance into our hearts untill our departure out of this world How far and in what sort the Ministery of men in the Church is available for planting faith hath been declared heretofore Either for the planting or supporting it the skill or authority of the teacher reaches no further then to quicken or strengthen our internal tast or apprehension of the divine truth revealed in Scriptures or to raise or tune our spirits as Musick did Elishahs the better to perceive the efficacy of Gods spirit imprinting the stamp of those divine Revelations in our Hearts whose Characters are in our Brains The present Churches proposals in respect of our Belief is but as the Samaritan womans report was unto the men of Sichar Many saith the Evangelist believed in him for the saying of the woman which testified he hath told me all things that ever I did But this Beliefe was as none in respect of that which they conceive immediately from his own words For they said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed The Christ. The 〈◊〉 saith Job trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meats Consonant hereto is our Churches doctrine that as our bodily mouthes taste and trie meats immediately without interposition of any other mans sense or jugement of them so must the ears of our souls trie and discern divine truths without relying on other mens proposals or reports of their rellish No external means whatsoever can in either case have any use but only either for working a right disposition in the Organ whereby trial is made or by occasioning the exercise of the faculty rightly disposed How essentially faith by our adversaries doctrine depends upon the Churches authority is evident out of the former discourses that this dependance is perpetual is as manifest in that they make it the judge and rule of faith such an indefectible rule and so authentick a Judge as in all points must be followed and may not be so far examined either by Gods written law or rules of nature whether it contradict not it self or them 4 It remains we examin the particular manner of this dependance or what the Churches infallibility doth or can perform either to him that believes or to the object of his belief whence a Roman Catholicks faith should become more firm or certain then other mans It must enlighten either his soul that it may see or divine revelations that they may be seen more clearly otherwise he can exceed others only in blind Belief The cunningest Sophister in that school strictly examined upon these points wil bewray that monstrous Blasphemy which some shallow brains have hitherto hoped to cover We have the same Scriptures they have and peruse them in all the languages they do What is it then can hinder either them from manifesting or us from discerning their Truth or true meaning manifested Do we want the Churches proposal we demand how their present Church it self can better discern them then ours may what testimony of antiquity have they which we have not But it may be we want spectacles to read them our Church hath but the eyes of private men which cannot see without a publick light Their Churches eyes are Cat-like able so to illustrate the objects of Christian faith as to make them clear and perspicuous to it self though dark and invisible unto us Suppose they could Yet Cats-eyes benefit not by-standers a whit for seeing colours in darkness albeit able themselves to see them without any other light then their own The visible Church saith the Jesuite is able to discern all divine truth by her infallible publick spirit How knows he this certainly without an infallible publick spirit perhaps as men see Cats-eyes shine in the dark when their own do not Let him believe so But what doth this belief advantage him or other private spirits for the clear distinct or perfect sight of what the Church proposeth Doth the proposal make divine Truths more perspicuous in themselves Why then are they not alike perspicuous to all that hear read or know the Churches testimonie of them Sacroboscus hath said all that possibly can be said on their behalf in this difficultie The Sectaries albeit they should use the authoritie of the true Church yet cannot have any true belief of the truth revealed If the use of it be as free to them as to Catholicks what debars them from this benefit They do not acknowledge the sufficiencie of the Churches proposal And as a necessary proof or medium is not sufficient to the attaining of science unless a man use and acknowledge it formally as necessary so for establishing true faith it sufficeth not that the Church sufficiently proposeth the points to be believed or avoweth them by that infallible authority wherewith Christ hath enabled her to declare both what books contain Doctrines Divine and what is the true sense of places controversed in them but it is further necessary that we formally use this proposal as sufficient and embrace it as infallible 5 The reason then why a Roman Catholick rightly believes the Truth or true meaning of Scriptures when a Protestant that knows the Churches testimonie as well as he rests in both points uncertain is because the Catholick infallibly believes the Churches authority to be infallible whereof the Protestant otherwise perswaded reaps no benefit by it but continues still in darkness
on Him Accidents have a kind of existence peculiar to themselves yet cannot so properly be said to exist as their subjects on whom they have such double dependance Nor can the Moon so truely say my beauty is my own as may the Sun which lends light and splendor to this his sister as it were upon condition she never use it but in his sight For the same reason That for which we believe another thing is alwaies more truely more really and more properly believed then that which is believed for it if the one belief necessarily depend upon the other Tam in facto esse quam in sieri from the first beginning to the latter end For of beliefs thus mutually affected the one is real and radical the other nominal or at the most by participation only real This consequence is unsound Intellective knowledge depends on sensitive therfore sensitive is of these two the surer The reason is because intellective knowledge depends on sensitive onely in the acquisition not after it is acquired But this inference is most undoubted We believe the conclusion for the premisses therefore we believe the premisses the better because belief of the conclusion absolutely depends upon the premisses during the whole continuance of it This is the great Philosophers Rule and a branch of the former Axiom And some justly question whether in Scholastick proprietie of speech we can truely say there is a belief of the conclusion distinct from the belief of the premisses or rather the belief of the premisses is by extrinsical denomination attributed unto the conclusion This latter opinion at least in many Syllogismes is the truer most necessarily true in all wherein the conclusion is a particular essentially subordinate to an universal of truth unquestionable As be that infallibly believes every man is a reasonable creature infallibly believes Socrates is such Nor can we say there be two distinct beliefs one of the universal another of this particular for he that sayeth All excepteth â—one If Socrates then make one in the Catalogue of men he that formerly knew all knew him to be a reasonable Creature all he had to learn was what was meant by this name Socrates a man or a beast After he knows him to be a man in knowing him to be a reasonable creature he knows no more then he did before in that uniuersal Every man is a reasonable creature The like consequence holds as firm in our present argument He that believes this universal Whatsoever the Church proposeth concerning Scriptures is most true hath no more to learn but onely what particulars the Church proposeth These being known we cannot imagine there should be two distinct Beliefs one of the Churches general infallibilitie another of the particular truths or points of faith contained in the Scripture proposed by it For as in the former case so in this He that from the Churches proposal believes or knowes this particular The Book of Revelations was from God receives no increase of former belief For before he believed all the Church did propose and therefore this particular Because one of all 4 The truth of this Conclusion may again from a main principle of Romish Faith be thus demonstrated Whatsoever unwritten traditions the Church shall propose though yet unheard of or unpossible otherwise to be known then onely by the Churches asseveration all Romanists are bound as certainly to believe as devoutly to embrace as any truths contained in the written word acknowledged by us the Jews and them for divine Now if either from their own experience the joynt consent of sincere antiquitie or testimony of Gods spirit speaking to thâ—m in private or what means soever else possible or imaginable they gave any absolute credence unto the written word or matters containd in it besides that they give unto the Churches general veracitie the Scriptures by addition of this credence were it great or little arising from these grounds peculiâ—r to them must needs be morefirmly believed and embraced then such unwritten traditions as are in themselves suspicious uncapable of other Credit then what they borrow from the Church For in respect of the Churches proposal which is one and the same alike peremptory in both Scriptures and traditions of what kind soever must be equally believed And if such traditions as can have no assurance besides the Churches testimony must be as well believed as Scriptures or Divine truths contained in them the former conclusion is evidently necessary That they neither believe the Scriptures nor the truths contained in them but the Churches proposal of them onely For the least belief of any Divine Truth added to belief of the Churches proposal which equally concerns written and unwritten verities would dissolve the former equality But that by the Trent Councel may not be dissolved Therefore our adversaries in deed and verity believe no Scriptures nor Divine written Truth but the Churches proposal onely concerning them And Sacrobosous bewrays his readâ—ness to believe the Church as absolutely as my Châ—istian can do God or Christ though no 〈◊〉 of the New-Testament were extant Foâ— â—hat the Church cannot erre was an â—…led by God proposed by the Church â—… by the thâ— faithful before any part of the New â—estament was written Now he that without 〈◊〉 Dâ—ctrines of Jesus Christ would believe the Doctrines of faith as sirmly as with it believes not the Gospel which now he hath but their authorities onely upon which though we had it not he would as absolute rely for all matters of Doctrine supposed to be contained in it 5 Of further to illustrate the truth of our conclusion with this Jesuites former comparison which hath best illustrated the Romish Churches Tenent That Church in respect of the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof is as the light is to colours As no colour can be seen of us but by the light so by his Doctrine neither the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof can be known without the Churches testimony Again as removal of light presently makes us lose the sight of colours so doubt or denial of the Churches authority dâ—prives us of all true and stedfast belief concerning Gods Word or any matter contained in it God as they plead hath revealed his will obseurely and unto a distinct or clear apprehension of what is obscurely revealed the visible Churches declaration is no less necessary then light to discernment of colours The Reason is one in both and is this As the actual visibility of colours wholly depends upon the light as well for existence as duration so by Jesuitical Doctrine True belief of Scriptures wholly depends on the visible Churches Declaration as well during the whole continuance as the first producing of it By the same reason as we gather that light in it self is more visible then colours seeing by it alone colours become actually visible so will it necessarily follow that the Churches Declaration that is the Popes priviledge for not
suffice to have waded thus far in these unpleasant passages for discovering the enemies weaknesse in his new Fortifications or Repalliations rather of such breaches as our ancient Worthies have made in their imaginary Rock of strength Now as my soul and conscience in the sight of God and his holy Angels can assure me these imputations of blasphemy sorcerie and preposterous Idolatry I have laid upon this fundamental point of Romish faith aâ—e most true though much lesse exaggerated then it deserves so again I must confesse it hath in some sort over gone against my conscience publickly to discipher or display her abominations For my little experience of this present ages temper too well instructs me what great offence is oft-times hereby given to men as weak in faith as strong in their perswasions of it to flatter themselves in their hypocrisie or make them seem unto themselves men rightly religious or throughly sanctified whilest they measure their love to true religion by their hatred unto this doctrine of Devils or compare themselves with Priests and Jesuites as they are painted out in their native colours by eloquent and learned Pastors But his iniquitie be upon his own head that thus perverts my labours undertaken for his good unto his harm For unto a quite contrary purpose have I set forth this survey of Romish blasphemie in a larger volume then first I meant it even to stir up my self and every Professor of true Religion unto serious amendment of our lives to hold fast our faith by holding up hands pure from bribery and corruption by lifting up hearts and mindes void of all guile and hypocrisie ardently zealous of every good work unto the Lord our God continually lest such swarms of Caterpillars and Locusts as have chosen Beelzebub for their God devour this land Mortis modus morte pejor To think such should be the instruments of our wo will unto most of us I know far surpasse all conceit of any other wo it self or misery that in this life can befall us And yet whilest I consider what God hath done of old to Israel his first-born and Judah his own inheritance the overplus of our ingratitude towards him for all his goodnesse especially our wilfull continual abusing these dayes of peace more and more sweet and gracious then Jerusalem it self the vision of peace did ever see so long together without interruption I am and have been as my publick meditations can testifie for these few yeers of my ministerie possessed with continuall dread lest the Lord in justice enlarge his threatnings denounced against Judah upon this Land Fearfull was that message unto Hierusalem I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses but more terrible is our doom if this sentence be gone out against us I will plague you by the wickedst amongst the Christians by men more cruel proud and insolent then Babylonian Turk or Infidel or any other enemie of Christs Church hath been or could be unlesse Christians or Jesuites in name or shew they were meer Antichristians or Bariesus in heart and affection Such titles we readily give and willingly hear given unto Loyolaes infamous brood But if our wayes shall continually prove as odious unto our God as these termes impâ—rt that Societie is unto us what have we done Surely tied our bodies to the stake of justice by the wickednesse of our hands and proud imaginations of our polluted hearts whiles our tongues in the mean while have set our cruel executioners hearts on fire more grievously to torment to consume and devour us 11 But though likelihood of their prevailing against us be without our repentance great and their cruelty if they should prevail more then likely to be most violent yet this their hope it cannot be long Tu quoque Crudelis Babylon dabis impia poenas Et rerum instaâ—iles experiâ—re viâ—es The Lord in due time will turn again the captivity of his people and the now living may live to see these sons of Babel rewarded as they have long sought to serve us Their shamelesse Apologies for aequivocation and this old charm of Templum Domini which like unluckie birds alwayes flocking or frogs croaking against ill weather they have resumed of late with joint importunate cries albeit with these they bewitch the simple and choak the worldling or careless liver that accounts all serious thoughts of Religion his greatest trouble sound unto hearts setled in grace or mindes illuminated with the spirit of truth but as the last cracklings of Lucifers candle sometimes shining in the Roman Lanterne as the morning-star or an Angel of light but now so far spent and sunk within the socket that it recovers it wonted brightness but by flashes nor can his nostrils that is able with the least breath of his displeasure from heaven in a moment to blow it out any long time endure the smell Even so O Father for thy Son Christ Jesus sake even so O Christ for thine Elect and Chosens sake impose a period to our grievous sins against thee and our enemies malice against us infatuate their policies enfeeble their strength and prevent them in their Devillish purposes that seek to prevent thee in thy judgements by setting the World in combustion before thy coming Amen The continuation of matters prosecuted in the first BOOK THe ingenious Reader I trust rests fully satisfied that for planting true and lively Faith in every private Christians heart Experiments answerable to the Rules of Scripture without absolute dependanâ—e upon any external Rule thereto equivalent are sufficient the assistance of the Holy Spirit whose necessity for the right apprehension of aivine truths revealed the Romanist nor doth nor dare denie being supposed That Valentians heart did tell him thus much and secretly check him for his ridiculous curiosity to make way unto his Circular resolution of Faith * before refuted his diffident speeches immediately thereto annexed upon consciousnesse no doubt of it insufficiencie will give the Reader though partiall just cause of suspition If a man saith he be yet further questioned seeing as well the divine Revelations as the Churches infallible Proposal are obscure and inevident what should impel him to enter into such a Labyrinth of Obscurities as to imbrace the doctrine of Faith by the former Method to wit Believing the Revelation for the Churches Proposal as for a condition unto Relief requisite and the Churches Proposal again for the Revelation being the cause of his Belief then let him come unto the second processe or method and expound the reasons and clearer motives whereby he was and every discreet man may be induced to imbrace Faith though of it self inevident and obscure Thus do they traduce the Grace of God as if there were no difference betwixt mid-day-light and mid-night-darknesse as if the dawning of that Day-star in our hearts or light of Prophets our Apostle speaks of 2 Pet. 1. 19. were not a mean betwixt that more
the Obscuritie or Difficulty of Scriptures cannot be meant of all Scriptures in respect of all Ages or all Men. â—…rs degrees of Scriptures Perâ—… arising from the Diversity of mens Conditions or Callings * ‖ Scripture more or lesse difficult to men of the same Profession from the different Measure of their natural Capacities or Gods Gifts bestowed upon them * This is a Point to be obsâ—…ved because the Weaknesse and 〈…〉 of all our Ad 〈◊〉 Ar 〈◊〉 will 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—all 〈◊〉 by the particulars in this and the next Section * Prov. 3. 34. James 4. 6. 1 Pet. 〈◊〉 5. †〈◊〉 29. 14. 1 Cor. 1 19. 1 Cor. 3. 19. †* Esay 29. 9 10 c. ver 13. * Velamen quod ipse Paulus 2. Cor. 3. 15. assiâ—mat usque in hodiernum diem cum legitur Moses esse positum supra cor Judaeorum profecto textum ut ita dicam bona ex parte est ex difficultate Scripturarum illarum Valent. tom 3. in Aquin disp 1. quaest 1. punct 7. parag 4. He addeth immediately Hoc enim ut antea monuimus est scripturam essedifficilem ejusmodi eam esse tam multa ut illa intelligatur requâ—ri ut proclive fuerit Judaeis 〈◊〉 aliis omnibus non percipere veram ejus sententiam quod quia dare nobis coguntur velint nolint sâ—ctaâ—ij rectè ac 〈◊〉 inde concludimus communem illam regulam magistram fidei quam necesse est esse propositam fidelibus 〈◊〉 non esse scripturam cum non sit cognitu facilis ipsis hominibus Huc illud Isaiae 29. pertinet †So our Saviour expoundeth it Matth. 15. verse 8 9. O Hypocrites Esaias prophesied well of you saying This People c. using the words before cited out of the 13. verse of Esay cap. 29. Out of both places it appears that their Hypocrisie and disobedience is the Truth known caused this Blindnesse and what the Prophet threatned ver 14. our Saviour ratifieth Mat. 15. ver 12 13 14. For when his Disciples said unto him Perceivest thou not that the Pharisâ—es are offended in hearing this saying He answered Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch So the Prophet had said in the 14. ver The wisdom of their wise men to wit the Pharisees shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid and in the 9. verse They are blind and make you blind For this cause our Saviour in the fore-mentioned place calleth not them as be did the multitude to hear and understand verse 10. Nor expounds the Parable unto them as he did to his Disciples verse 15. * Jâ—hn 7. 17. * Our Saviour fully confirmeth this Truth unto us which the Psalmist had before in effect delivered Psal 25. ver 14. The secret of the Lord is revealed unto them that fear him and his Covenant to give them understanding and vers 9. Them that be Meek will he guide in judgement and teach the Humble his way vide etiaÌ„ vers 10. 12. This evidently confuteth their folly who think or rather say our Saviour spake in this place of his own peculiar Doctrine and Authority Albeit Canus amongst others might be excused by such as would salve his credit by the common Answer non locutus est ex sua sententia as appeareth by the manner of his replie Lib. 2. de Loc. Theol. cap. 8. †Non hoc dicit Dominus ut ostendat omnes viros bonos per se intelligere posse omnia loca Scripturarum sed ut doceat viros probos carere quibusdam impedimentis propter quae alij quidem nec per se nec per alios fidei veritatem intelligere possunt ut Johan 5. 44. Luke 16. 14. Bellarm. Tom. 1. Lib. 3. cap. 10. Canus in his first Answer to this place seems willing to assent unto the Truth Concediâ—us inquit liberaliter doctrinam cusque in sua vita statu necessariam illi fore perspectam cognitam qui fecerit voluntatem Dei. Sicut enim gustus bene affectus differentias saporum facilè discernit sic animi optima affectio facit ut homo doctrinam Dei ad salutem necessariam discernat ab errore contrario qui ex Deo non est Quae vero Ecclesiae sunt communia nec ad judicium nec ad fidem spectant singulorum ea non à quovis discerni judicari possunt quantumcunque is Dei faciat voluntatem In his second Answer he bewrayes a willingnesse to dissent from us or perhaps a fear not to say somewhat against us and therefore to such as will not be satisfied with the former he gives a second Answer in effect the same with Bellarmines We â—ay admit both their Conclusions without harm to our Cause From that which Canus granteth of private men both in his Answer to the second and third Argument we may conclude against him thus As God giveth them the Spirit of discerning true from false Doctrine in Points necessary to Salvation without all respects of persons so likewise will be by his Providence direct the learned or spirituall Overseers in every Nation without respecting Person Place or other Pâ—…gative for discerning Apocryphal from Canonical Books Nor is there any more Reason to appropriate their Discretion to the Pope or Clergie of Rome more then to appropriate the gift of discerning Truth from Falshood in Points reâ—… to Salvation to their Servants V. Can. Lib. 2. de Loc. Theol. Cap. 8. Responsione ad secundum terâ—… * Râ—m 12. 2. Vâ—â—n which place He whom Bellarmin â—… laterâ—… â—… saith thus Per 〈◊〉 â—â—vationem â—… per â—idem in Christum accepistis â—… ut sic â—eddamini apâ—… quid à vobis 〈◊〉 per toâ—… at Deus Quid gratum sit beneplaâ—… Deo Simile quiddam dâ—cet â—… Prebantâ—s quid sit 〈◊〉 placitum Deo â—… cupiditates caâ—nis noâ—â—â—ae â—… nâ—i ut in actionibus nostris inâ—… voluntas Dei sed quod nostro â—… aâ—rider interpâ—… in id esse voâ—… Dei Sâ—… in 〈◊〉 â—… Vide annotat â—… Beâ—a ad paragraph 5. * * Denique quòd Honorius nonnulli alii Pontifices in errorem lapsi fuisse dicuntur quanquam de nullo prorsus satis compertum est pertinaciter erravisse id quidem utcunque res habeat non nisi ad privatum attiner personarum vitium atque adeo nihil nobis obstare potest ut qui non tam ipsas personas quà m authoritatem illam Apostolicae sedis in definiendo defendimus siâ—… supra Augustini etiam exemplo respondebamus Valent. Tan. 3. Disp 1. Quaest 1. Punct 7. Paragr 41. Casu 11. ‖ Valentianus loco citato Ad fidelitatem Dei erga Ecclesiam speciat ut impediret in eo casu quo minus per Pontificem illum controversia
a prophet of things to come †See Chap. 11. The present Popes authority is greater then history traditions or councels or ought that can be pretended for it * Aliud est interpretari legem more doctoris aliud more judicis ad explicationem more doctoris requiritur cruditio ad explicationem more judicis requiritur authoritas Doctor enim non proponit sententiam suam ut necesâ—ariò sequendam sed solum quatenus ratio suadet a judex proponit ut sequendam necesaâ—io Aliter accipimus glossas Bartholi Baldi aliter declarationem Principis Augustinus igitur caeteri Patres in Commentariis fungehantur officio Doctorum at Concilia Pontifices funguntur officio judicis a Deo sibi commisso Bellar. de verbi Dei interpret lib. 3. cap. 10. respon ad 16. †Joh 5. 22 23. * Cap. 8. 〈◊〉 17 c. Bellarmin to prove the Pope is absolutely above the universal Church useth these words Omnia nomina qâ—ae in scripturis tribuanum Christo â—nde constat eum esse sâ—pra Ecclesiam cadâ— omnia tribuuÌ„tur Pontitici Bellar de Conciliorum auct Lib. 2. cap. 17. 〈◊〉 †Christum caput esse Ecclesiae universae libentissime confitemur neque ullum hominem ac ne angelum quidem â—…quamus quod esset propriè duo capita in Ecclesiae corpore constituere at quin sub Christo capite summo Vicarius ejus in terris caput ut sic dicam ministeriale non principale rectè nominetur negari nullo modo potest Siquidem ut in republica temporali caput omnium principale Rex est sub Rege deiude capita sunt Provinciarum ii qui dicuntur Proâ—… sub Proregibus capita sunt urbium singularum certi quidam Praetores sub praetoribus quaelibet familia suum â—…caput ipsum videlicet Patrem familias c. Ita quoque in Ecclesia Dei summum caput omnium hominum Angelorum Christus est sub Christo in terris caput omnium Christianorum est Ponti sex maximus sub illo Episcopi sub Episcopis Parochi capita sunt Christianae multitudinis Bellar. in Appendice ad libros de summo Pont. cap. 24. His similitude 〈◊〉 in this that they admit of no appeal from the Pope to Christ no examination of his decrees by Gods word Nor is the Pope by 〈◊〉 doctrine subordinate in such sort unto Christ as all other Bishops are to the Pope †Lib. 2. cap. 16. parag 8. Antichrst must not be a professed or open enemy but a secret underminer of true Religion The Pope and his followers have good reason to magnifie Christs authority in words or outward shew for their own gain and glory could not otherwise be so great * Chap. 〈◊〉 21. The same plea the 〈◊〉 maâ—… the Poper absolute â—…â—im 〈◊〉 might use with as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… in 〈◊〉 place Roâ—iâ—h Positions â—… must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 * Exod. 23. 3◠†Joseph 3. cap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Siculus L. 1. c. 3. And a linle after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas ex meeâ—â—o quodâ—… 〈◊〉 re haec resert saith Fagius Ephod inquit 〈◊〉 â—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 braeum quod si interpreters significat iâ— aâ—… aâ—t redemptionem Vides autem eum authorem ex quo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exscripsit Hebraeae linguae ignarum suisse Ephod â—… aliud significat Fortaâ—â—is pro Ephod dicere voluit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erat autem forma ejus textuâ—a almaris vario artificio 〈◊〉 pectoralis ex aureis filis consecta Ac in medio haâ—… 〈◊〉 stellam omnino auream Ex utraque autem paâ—te duâ—…dos in quorum unoquoque sculpta â—rant se◠〈◊〉 vidâ—… duodecim nomina Tribuum Israel Porro iuter Smaragelos 〈◊〉 tinebat lapidem Adamantem Cum ergo Sacerdos sciscitaâ—… erat de re quadam oraculum à Deo ligabat Ephod in supeâ— humerali ad medium pectoris subjiciebat manus suas sub ipâ—um quas cum retraheret deprehendebat eas quasi colore quodam inâ—ectas Peteâ—ar autem à Deo responsum deâ—ixis in â—phod 〈◊〉 Iâ—aque si Deus annuebat ad id quod peâ—ebatur consesâ—… micabat lapis Adamas Si autem negâ—bat nâ—hil ad 〈◊〉 num proprium lapidis â—ulgorem accedebat Quod si Deus voluit populum subjicere gladio Lapis reddehaâ—… eâ—uentus Si autem â—…nebar mâ—rs lapis â—…at 〈◊〉 â—…gius in caâ—ut 〈◊〉 Exod. ubi plura Vide de Rationali vid. Delâ—ium Disâ—…sit Magic lib. 4. cap. 1. quaest 2. Sect. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 21. 1 Sam. 2◠〈◊〉 1 Saâ— 3◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * * * Malach. 2 v. 1 2. Universall Propositions in Scripture are to be limitted by they proper Subject the End of the Precept or other Circumstances * Exod. 20. 10. The Precept concerning the Sabbath then which none can be more universal did not extend to all manner of works * Luke 6. 〈◊〉 * 1 Mac. 2 36 c. * 1 Mac 2 41. Conditional obedience of two sorts In what acts absolute obediencets due to Pastors * Luke 1â— 16. * Philo de specialibus legibus Precepts of obedience unto masters or parents though most universal for their Form are limitted by their subject Vide Bellar. l. 2. de Monac cap. 21. * Sâ— Aquinas expounds it as Bellarmin acknowledgeth it Quod vero D Paulus air Col. 3. Filii obedite patentibus per omnia vel ita intelligi debet ut illud per omnia significat per omnia ad quae se extendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut rectè docet Sanct. Thom. in 2. 2. qeast 〈◊〉 4 ar 5. quen admodum si quis diceret opâ—â—tere milites obedire Impeatori per omnia exponendum esset per omnia quae ad militiam pertinent vel certè renentur filii per omnia parentibus obedire sed dum parvuli sunt Bellar. l. 2. de Monach. c. 21. That universal absolute obedience us to men is incomâ—… with â—… unto Christ * Deut. 17. 8 c. * ‖ The Law â—… temporal causes either onâ—… †Deut. 17. 18. ‖ Prov. 16. 10. That the infallibility of kings may be defended with as great probability of Scriptures as the infallibility of priests Prov. 16. 13. * Prov 31. 3 4 5. This law of Deut. doth justifie our English laws for executing priests and Jesuites of all such as acknowledge the Pope supream Judg in causes Ecclesiastical 1 Sam. 28. * â—… dâ—â—tâ—â—â—arum 〈◊〉 â—eteribus â—… à Mose aâ— Propâ—… qâ—o◠〈◊〉 â—… Sâ—…dum quod opiâ—… judâ—… ut in Sâ—riptuâ—a loâ—is enarâ—… qua ad oâ—…t 〈◊〉 quo 〈◊〉 â—… qâ—… ob â—â—m sub prâ—ore templo â—… aâ—…s poâ—… tâ—nta câ—ncordia Judaeoâ—… rata â—it donâ—…m magnum â—… â—… câ—â—to deâ—…ta â—ummo 〈◊〉 â—… Dâ—inde in sâ—ntâ—ntia â—â—â—enda â—… de lege â—… coâ—jectâ—â— is coâ—â—ixi â—… â—… quâ—d â—ic â—rat proâ—…ciatum pâ—o lege â—… Tâ—…us quod â—â—atâ—â—â—t ultra legâ—â— qu◠〈◊〉 deâ—… 〈◊〉 objâ—cto sepimento