trembling but as we have out-passed those ten Lepers in our uncleanness so we may not come short of them in their holy fear and faith for as their fear made them stand afar off so their faith made them lift up their voices and say Jesus Master have mercy on us S. Luc. 17. 12 13. then will he give us such a purity as will not onely make us shew our selves to the Priest but also to our God such a purity as will wash our eyes to see him and much more our hearts to love him for so saith S. Peter Act. 15. 9. purisying their hearts by faith not a faith which costs the purse no alms the body no fasting the soul no praying for no true Israelite will ever offer that unto the Lord which cost him nothing 2 Sam. 24. 24. but a faith which so purifies the soul by knowing the truth as much more by obeying it for so saith the same Apostle Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 S. Pet. 1. 22. this is the purity of the true Religion it purifies the soul not onely by faith but also by obedience and by love which yet are now generally farthest from many men who would fain be thought to come nearest Purity Thus we have seen Gods truth in his understanding his goodness in his will and his purity in his action it still remains that we consider his Liberty as belonging to them all for Liberty being nothing else but the dominion and power of action must needs be originally in the understanding which alone is able to judge and deliberate of what is to be done what not formally in the will which resolves to do or not to do but effectually 't is onely in the action which is the product of the said deliberate resolution this liberty is now briefly to be handled First as it is in God and then as it is in Religion for being the service of God Gods Liberty is seen in five respects in that he is free from sin free from misery free from obligation free from servitude and free from coaction which is the reason that he can both will and do what and when and where himself pleaseth I need not insist on the proof of these for to name them is to prove them nor can any man deny Gods Liberty in any of these respects but he must deny him to be God and in all these same respects we may see and must acknowlege the Liberty of Religion and to deny it to be free in any of these is to deny it to be Religion that is to say the service of God and to make it to be state policy that is to say the service of men First Religion is free from sin for the superstition and faction and profaneness and other sins that are so rife among Christians to the dishonour of Christ and the reproach of Christendome is a rust that cleaves to the men who are little better then iron not to the Religion which is as pure as the Refiners fire and therefore it is not safe nor fit to say of any order or kinde of Christians that their Religion is rebellion and their faith is faction though we cannot deny of too too many orders and kindes of men who profess Religion that they are both rebellious and factious Secondly Religion is free from misery ask the three children in the fiery furnace they will say their Religion had made them persecuted they will not say that it had made them miserable they profess that they were delivered into the hands of lawless enemies most hatefull apostates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning sure those of their own brethren which had renounced the Law of Moses and their Religion and helped the Babylonians to persecute and infest Jerusalem and to an unjust King and the most wicked in all the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus those blessed Martyrs will tell you they were in persecution the greatest that ever was but they will not tell you they were in misery nay it seems they told the quite contrary for none else could have told it but from their mouths that the angel of the Lord came down into the oven and smote the flame of fire and made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind but you will say these men were partial witnesses in their own cause therefore ask their persecutors they will tell you the same for the Princes Governours and Captains and the Kings Counsellours being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them nay ask Nebuchadnezzar himself who was the authour of the persecution and he will tell you that though he had caused these holy men to be so much afflicted yet he could not cause them to be miserable for at that instant when he had thought they had been burnt to ashes he heard them sing in the flames as saith the Greek Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that probably made him look about to see whence that melody proceeded and finding so sweet a breath to come from the blast of his fire he was astonied and rose up in haste and went to the mouth of the furnace which before bade him keep his distance in that it consumed his officers and called forth the holy and blessed Martyrs who having been delivered from a present death could not be looked on but as men newly risen from the dead Thirdly Religion is free from obligation there is no greater humane obligation then that of nature and there is no greater natural obligation then that which we owe to our Parents yet that may not be alledged to keep us from serving God so Aquinas determines the case Si ergo cultus parentum abstrahat nos a cultu Dei non jam esset pietatis parentum insistere cultui contra Deum ideo in tali casu dimittinda sunt officia pietatis in parentes propter divinum Religionis cultum 22 ae qu. 101. art 4. If our duty to our Parents take us away from our duty to our God as if the Father should command his son to turn rebel or Idolater or the like we must forsake our parents and cleave to God and shew the prevalency of that duty we owe to God by being undutifull to our parents in such a case again there is no civil obligation greater then that we owe to our Governours yet if they command us to sin against God by not speaking nor teaching by not praying nor preaching in the Name of Iesus we have our answer put into our mouths and God put it into our hearts lest atheism get possession there in stead of Christ whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken
that call evil good and good evil Isa. 5. 19. here is truly the reprobate minde in its sin for it calls evil good and good evil and in its punishment for it is under a curse Wo unto them So again Prov. 17. 15. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just whether Person or Thing or Action for the adjunct is put without any one of these particular subjects to shew it belongs alike to all even they both are an abomination to the Lord Their sin is in their own false judgement their punishment in Gods true judgement who judgeth them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing profane unclean abominable not to be endured by God or man Let me then pray that I may cordially and sincerely study not onely the knowledge but also and much rather the practise and exercise of the true Christian Religion lest the neglect of the practise and exercise bring me to the dislike and contempt of my Religion and I begin to finde fault with my Church when I should finde fault with my self all men being apt to condemn that which they do neglect that they may justifie their own neglects for to finde fault with the true and laudable exercise of Religion is to call good evil which was all we did at first and then it will be just with God to deliver me over to so much Irreligion as to call evil good which is that we do now CHAP. 2. The certainty of Religion may be without the assurance of it by reason of our Hypocrisie profaneness and perversness though scarce by reason of our ignorance and that perversness is the way to the worst kinde of Irreligion or Atheisme REligion may be sure in it self and yet may not be sure to us It is in it self the certainty of all certainties yet it is often in too too many men the more is the pity if against their will the more is the shame if with their will one of the greatest uncertainties in the world For there may be a certainty of the object or of the thing when there is little or no certainty of the subject or of the person that is in plain English the certainty may be great yet the assurance little or none at all and so it is in this case for Religion hath without doubt the greatest certainty of the object or or of the thing because that wholly depends upon Gods immutabilitie or unchangeableness there is the greatest certainty but it hath ofttimes the least certaintie of the subject or of the person because of mans great hypocrisie and greater inconstancy there is the least assurance for this is the common bane of Religion that men do profess it hypocritically and therefore cannot profess it constantly they seek a Religion that will rather save their estates then save their souls and consequently will more settle their conditions then their consciences thus they are first hypocrites and then they cannot stick to be apostates for there is in hypocrisie Simulatio sanctitatis defectus sanctitatis saith Aquinas first the pretence of Religion and then also the defect or want of it for what is meerly in pretence is certainly not in being and Religion could not be pretended were it not wanting onely in hypocrites the pretence appears first but at last also the want or defect of godliness so that were their Religion unfeigned it would not be inconstant but because they have hypocrisie so far as to profess religion out of custome they cannot have constancy so far as to persist in their profession out of conscience we have the pattern of both kinds of professours real and formal in the first chapter of Ruth The one in Ruth the other in Orpah For the pleasure the delight of this world saith unto us all as Naomi said to her two daughters in law Go and return each to her mothers house and the formal professours do as Orpah did leave their mother the Church the onely true Naomi because she is Gods delight when she is in distress Orpah non Religione sed humanitate socrum secuta est saith Iunius Orphah followed her mother not out of Religion but meerly out of common courtesie therefore she turns back again so do all those that are of any Christian Church rather for good manners then for a good perswasion rather for custom then for conscience but the real professours who have followed Religion out of conscience and therefore have their consciences established in Religion are ready to say to their Church as Ruth said to her mother Naomi Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God As if she had said I will never leave the land of Israel nor the communion of the God Israel for so Aben Ezra glosseth her words Thus she resolves verse 16. and she strengtheneth her self in this resolution verse 18. for so it is in the Hebrew she strengthened her self which we fitly translate she was stedfastly minded for they who most strengthen themselves in good resolutions are most stedfastly minded and will not be guilty of unstedfastness and thus do all they strengthen themselves who have not onely a speculative but also an affective knowledge of Religion who do not onely know what they do in the worship of God but also love what they know They taste and see that the Lord is good Ps. 34. 8. and by that spiritual gust know themselves to be in the way of blessedness and consequently will not be diverted or turned out of that way Thus we see there may be a certainty of Religion without an assurance thereof but if there be so the fault is our own that we are Hypocrites or formal professours looking after the outside rather then the inside of Religion that is looking more after the form then after the power of godliness for the form of godliness may happily direct us to a conformity with men which is like to be as changeable as their humours but it is the power of godliness alone that directs us to a conformitie with Christ and makes us as it were unchangeable conforming us with our Saviour and confirming us in our selves that is to say in our own consciences wherefore from the form we must go to the power and that will make us pass from conformity to conscience not so as to loose the conformity but so as to keep the conscience for which cause the school Divines do teach that divinity is not onely a speculative science in teaching the knowledge of God there 's for the conscience but also a practical science in commanding and ordering the actions of men there 's for the conformity and as it is a science so it hath in it self that certainty which belongs to sciences nay it hath a greater certainty saith Alensis then any other science whatsoever for asking this question An modus sciendi in Theologiâ sit certior quà m in
therefore they revile reproach that as if it were impious against God fitter to infect souls then to save them seditious against the State fitter to make factions then to compose them and ignominious in it self fitter for Nazareth then for Jerusalem and rather to be called a Sect then a Religion but he knows it to be the onely way of sanctification of peace of glory and will not be discountenanced in it by their reproaches and much less driven from it by their menacies which is the resolution of every one that desires to be a man after Gods own heart and the performance of every one that is so Psal. 119. 61. the bands or the companies Hebr. the ropes the cables that are so twisted together as not to be unravelled and much less to be broken the bands of wicked men have robbed me have made a prey of me but I have not forgotten thy law If neither fear could drive Saint Paul nor shame could keep him from the profession of his Religion it is evident that he thought it necessary by a double necessity the necessity of command and the necessity of means conducing to the end necessitate praecepti necessitate sinis First the profession of our Religion is necessary in regard of the precept for we have the command of Christ for it S. Mat. 10. 32. whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven But you will say this onely concerns his person and who is such a reprobate as to deny his Saviour therefore see S. Mar. 8. 38. you will finde it doth also concern his doctrine whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels If godly and devout and efficacious forms of prayer be not Christs words shame upon his Church for obtruding them if they be Christs words shame upon schismaticks for rejecting them if the apostles Creed be not Christs word how came it to be universally received and professed in Christs Church if it be how may it be disused or despised by any Christians Lastly if Christs own most holy prayer be not his words let us leave it out of the text if it be how can we leave it out of our prayers nay how dare we multiply cavils and blasphemies in stead of arguments or objections against the use of it for all pretence of excuse is here taken away let the adulterous and sinfull generation be ashamed of it but let not the righteous and the faithfull servants of Christ be so Though the whole generation adulterate the truth in corrupting the doctrine of it yet we must keep it undefiled though the whole generation bid defiance to the truth by neglecting and reviling the practise of it yet we must continue in our uprightness though the whole generation be adulterous and sinfull going a whoring after their own inventions and turning away from Christ yet that is not ground enough for us to bear them company For it is equally necessary for every Christian to profess the true Religion when he is thereunto called and to abandon idolatry and superstition that idolatrous decree might no more be obeyed which forbad Daniel to pray to the true God then that which commanded the three children to worship a false god In this case the omission is dangerous as well as the commission for the omission denies God whom it doth not worship as the commission blasphemes God by false worshipping and therefore we ought not to be terrified from the true Religion for fear of the lions ready to devour and break us in pieces no more then we ought to be terrified into the false Religion for fear of the fiery furnace ready to burn us to ashes And this Divinity we may learn not onely from the prophet Daniel in the captivity but also from the prophet Jeremy before it who of purpose to forewarn and forearm the Jews against the temptations of their bondage did put down that verse in Syriack Jer. 10. 11. whereby they were to reprove the Babylonians for their idolatry whereas all the rest of his prophecy is in Hebrew so little were the Iews to be ashamed or afraid of owning their Religion and their God in Babylon that they were to reprehend the Babylonians for their idolatry even in their own language and in their own territories and dominions and we that look upon the Scripture as a perfect rule of Faith and Life must look upon these prophets as teaching us how to behave our selves in persecution or adversity no less then we look upon the rest as teaching us how to behave our selves in peace or prosperity For so Kimchi himself tells us upon the fore-named verse of the prophet Ieremy that it was writ in Syriack to the intent the Iews might be ready to answer the Babylonians in their own language if in their captivity they should tempt them either to serve false gods or to deny the true for saith he this saying of God did the prophet Ieremy send to the children of the captivity that they might have it ready to answer the Chaldeans Secondly the profession of our Religion is necessary in regard of the end not onely in regard of Gods command but also in regard of our own salvation for we cannot have Christ without it so saith the Apostle Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The inference must be this if we hold not fast our profession it is because we have not yet this High Priest to make intercession for us and without his intercession we cannot come boldly to the throne of grace the same exhortation he repeats again Heb. 10. 21 22 23. and reenforceth it with the same reason not for want of variety to express himself for he was called Mercury because he was the chief speaker Act. 14. 12. but to keep us from variety or rather inconstancy in our profession wherefore thus he argueth we cannot draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith unless we hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for the words are spoken consequenter by way of consequence and from the eversion of the consequent the argument is undeniable to the eversion of the antecedent Therefore they who are not true to themselves holding fast the profession of their faith cannot easily be true to their Saviour by drawing near to him with a true heart in full assurance of faith and accordingly he saith not Let us hold fast our faith which is onely internal but Let us hold fast the profession of our faith which is external It is not enough to say that we keep the one unless we also can shew that we keep the other And what then can be
with us so that the best way to serve him cordially is to serve him with eye-service considering that he always looks upon us and therefore we ought always to act as in his presence Excellently the Casuist Reiginaldus Adjumenta operandi bonum in ordine ad nosipsos sunt consider are Christum ut mandantem spectantem adjuvantem The main helps that encourage any man in regard of himself to do that which is good is the consideration of Christs presence as if he were actually standing by him to command to observe and to assist him that he commands me to obey observes me in my obedience and assists me in obeying whosoever truly hath this consideration of Christ cannot but have his heart full of true Christianity and he that hath his heart full cannot have his mouth or his hand empty for out of the aboundance of the heart not onely the mouth speaketh but also the hand acteth and worketh But Gods Infinitie though it most appear to us in his Omnipresence yet is it the immediate property of his essence which being a pure act or form admits of no materiality to limit and to confine it and so also are the duties of Religion in some sort infinite in their very essence for nothing is proportionable to God but what is infinite and like himself and therefore it is said Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect St. Mat. 5. 48. God justly requires a perfection of degrees in all duties of Religion though he graciously accepts a perfection of parts it is well for us that the truth and sincerity not the measure and degree of our faith or repentance puts us in the state of salvation for else we should not onely be always doubtfull of that state but also very often come short of it and yet in truth our faith and repentance and obedience is infinite as it is in Gods acceptance though not as it is in our performance for though it be performed in much unrighteousness yet it is accepted in an infinite righteousness even the righteousness of the eternal Son of God 3. Communicatione essentiae Thirdly and lastly God may be said to be infinite in the communication of his essence which he hath communicated in an infinite variety to infinite sorts of creatures which all have their being onely from him So also Religion is infinite in this respect that it can never be enough communicated he that is truly converted himself will make it his whole work to strengthen his brethren according to that advice of our blessed Saviour St. Luke 22. 32. which having been given to St. Peter in his own person cannot but more peculiarly belong to all his successours then many things else that are more zealously claimed by most of them and how then may the Scriptures be denied to the people in a tongue they know or prayers be obtruded to them in a tongue they know not since the Scripture communicates Religion from God to man and prayer expresseth the desire of that heavenly communion Wherefore that of the Trent Council Sess. 22. cap. 8. Nè tamen oves Christi esuriant pastores frequenter aliquid in missâ exponant c. Least the flock of Christ should be hunger-starved the priâ—st ought often to expound the missal is in effect a tacit Confession that though Religion ought to be effectually communicated to the people to feed their souls unto the full yet they are resolved it must not be so but that they shall still wholly depend upon the priests for a little broken bread whereas all that know good to be naturally diffusive of it self most willingly acknowledge that Religion the greatest good of this world and the onely practise of the next the more it hath of goodness the more it ought to have likewise of the diffusion The third incommunicable property of God is his Immutability for as God changeth not in his essence I AM hath sent me unto you Exo. 3. 14. so he changeth not in his government or dominion of souls I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. he changeth not as our Lord and we cannot pretend to change as his servants for Religion hath also its share in this Immutability in which sense I perswade my self Iustin Martyr called Abraham a Christian and Socrates too though a heathen yet observing some of that righteousness all which we Christians do or should observe and he proves that the Christian Religion is that whereby God was then and is now truly worshipped and glorified what the heathen had of idols they had of Paganisme what of moral duties or of reasonable service they had of Christianity for there is no reason why the martyrs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not agree with the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 1. So likewise the Iews and the Christians have the same Religion in substance though not in ceremonies or circumstance or the old Testament could not be brought so appositely to prove the doctrines of the New or Moses have been said to bear the reproach of Christ Heb. 11. 26. and so likewise all Christians have one and the same Religion though they have many different professions the Christian Religion being altogether unchangeable one and the same in all places and at all times and what is otherwise will be found either to be superstition or faction or matter of order but in no case matter of Religion it being impossible that what is truly Christian in one place or time should be made either Antichristian or Unchristian in another And this property of Immutability Religion partakes in a higher degree then the sublimest spirit in the highest order of Angels for they are all changeable by a power without them though not by a power within them but Religion is not so God himself cannot make another Religion or service of himself then that which he hath already made I mean as to the substantial and internal nature of holiness consisting in the immediate duties of Religion Aliquid dicitur mutabile dupliciter uno modo per potentiam quae in ipso est altero modo per potentiam quae est in altero Aquin. par 1. qu. 9. what is absolutely unchangeable cannot be changed by any power either within or without it self so is God so is the service of God Religion which God cannot change no more then he can change himself that is no more then he can change his truth that taught it his justice that prescribed it his excellent majesty that still requireth it his infinite mercy that still accepteth it for it was Gods own Spirit that spake those words by the mouth of Gamaliel Acts 5. 38 39. If this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it and upon serious examination we shall finde it most true in our Christian Religion what hath been either in the doctrine or practise thereof meerly the counsel
THE TRUE CATHOLICKS TENURE OR A good Christians certainty which he ought to have of his Religion and may have of his salvation By EDVVARD HYDE D. D. Sometimes Fellow of Trinity Colledge in CAMBRIDGE and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. EPHES. 5. 1. Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University 1662. To the Right Honourable EDWARD Earl of Clarendon Viscount Cornbury Baron of Hindon Lord High Chancellour of England and Chancellour of the Universitie of OXFORD My Lord YOu will pardon the boldness of this Dedication from one who is unknown to your Lordship when you have considered the consanguinitie or near relation of the Authour of the ensuing work to your most Noble person If we add to this a forcible tie or obligation of love his Autonomy his bearing the same name with your Lordship both as man and Christian likewise his assimilation or likeness to your Honour in the high accomplishments of Nature and Grace he being for his steadie loyalty to his King his fidelitie to the Church and stupendious science in all kinde of learning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may say of him what S. Chrysostome saith of another a prodigie amongst men admired by the most and beloved of all good Christians weighing all these particulars in the balance of my private thoughts I from them drew this conclusive perswasion that if my deceased dear Friend were now living and to put the ensuing Treatise the childe of his brain out to nurse he would have ventured upon your Lordships patronage who may style this learned work your own and it justly own you for its parent as being the copy of your soul and picture of your life what is delineated and set down in it by way of doctrine or precept your Lordship hath drawn out in the lines of your life by practice for it contains a lively pourtraiture of a good Christian and loyal Subject A Separatist may deceive himself by dividing these two and flatter his deluded soul with a perswasion that though he bears not in his heart a respectfull love to his Sovereign he may scale heaven upon the ladder of a bare title or with the outward badge of an empty name in that he is called Christian and challengeth Christ as his with his daring tongue Let such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-deceivers peruse without partiality or prejudice the following Treatise and they will learn a better lesson it will inform them of this truth that loyaltie and Christianitie like that Eros and Anteros in the Fable are so twisted and linked together that as one cannot live or be without the other so he that is false to his King cannot be true to Christ our Saviour who in his word enjoyns us to be good Subjects in obeying our Kings just commands whom God hath set over us as he requires of us to act the parts of good Christians which is to imitate him in humilitie and charitie in sobrietie and meekness in pietie and Patience in love and obedience in brotherly kindness to all even to those that are under us That this holy frame of spirit may be wrought in the hearts of all his Majesties Subjects as it is in your Lordships it is and ever shall be the hearty prayer of Your Lordships most humble Servant R. Boreman To the Christian Reader GReat is the impietie yet greater if possible is the inconstancy of this our age God justly delivering us over to inconstancy because we have delivered our selves over to impietie The whole book of God tells us but of one Ahab that sold himself to work wickedness but our own sad experience if not our guilty Consciences must needs tell us of many thousands that are now riding Post to that market They chose new gods then was war in the gates Judg. 5. 8. expresseth the least part of our present sin and future punishment for we are daily choosing new gods to increase our sin and there are daily new wars raging amongst us nay within us to increase our punishment wars not onely in our gates to waste our estates but also in our hearts to waste our Consciences we have been a long time forsaking our God and now we are labouring to forsake our selves we would not when we might follow the dictates of Religion and now we cannot if we would follow the dictates of Reason or the directions of common sense we were at first perverse and would not know Gods minde we are now become stupid and do not know our own of this fancie to day of another to morrow and as it was in Jobs messengers The last is the worst or as it is in the outragious billows of the tempestuous waves the first do toss and shake but the last do drown and sink us and all is from fancy in stead of certainty in matters of Religion I say from fancy for the humour that is now most predominant settles not deep enough to be called perswasion stays not long enough to be called a resolution Good Lord is this to be Reformed Christians not to be firm not to be real Christians for they alone are the Real Christians all others are merely fantastical who sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts and are ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear 1 S. Pet. 3. 15. There is not one word in all this text but drives at the certainty of Religion 1. It must be fixed in the heart not slaunting in the head 2. It must sanctifie the Lord God who as Lord changeth not and as God loves not those who are given to change especially for the worse 3 It must put us in a readiness to give an answer to every man that shall ask a reason of the hope that is in us which cannot be effected without great judgement and deliberation in the choice of our Religion and greater constancy and resolution in the practice of it for we must not onely answer every man that shall ask us but also answer by giving a reason of our hope that is we must answer by convincing him that asks us if he gainsay our hope or at least by confirming our selves against all his gainsayings for in vain do we talk of an hope of salvation that is in us from the belief and practise of our Religion if our Religion be so unsettled as to be shaken by the storm of a persecution or so uncertain as to be blown away by the breath of an argument the hope of salvation which we have or may have from the true Religion is a hope so fixed as to make us withstand persecutours much more to withstand sophisters for though it fills us with meekness in regard of our own infirmities and with fear in regard of our own impieties yet it fills us with
with Martha you do make the greater noise for Christ learned by preaching if at all so to be learned onely sills the head and ofttimes unsettles the brain but Christ learned by praying fills the heart and never fails to establish it he that is come to this establishment is the onely true Christian for he is sure that he doth God good service and leaves it to others onely to think that they do so he that hath but a putâram for the ground of his doings can have but a nonputâram for the Apology of his misdoings If a man do but onely think that he is in the right he can onely say for himself I did not think I was in the wrong and that in ordinary matters is the apology of them that want wit but in matters of Religion it is the apology of them that want common honesty for what is imprudence in regard of the world is impiety in regard of God there it is unwise to be under an uncertainly or mistake but here it is unconscionable there it is insipiency but here it is irreligion For what shall we say Are those taxed by our Blessed Saviour for want of discretion or rather for want of Conscience who by killing Gods servants think they do God service S. John 16. 12. Since therefore it may be so dangerous onely to think we do God service let us in the first place make sure of it especially then when we more particularly profess to serve him for if indeed and in truth we do him true and laudable service we shall have the comfort of his servants here the joy of his salvation the reward of his servants hereafter the enjoyment of his kingdom this is that which he desires to preach to you but much more to pray for you who is Your Brother and Servant in our Common Saviour EDVV. HYDE The Contents of the several Chapters in the Ensuing Treatise CHAP. I. The assurance of our Religion in the order of Nature is before the assurance of our salvation and that the Apostles endeavour was to beget in all Christians the assurance of Religion against Heathenisme Judaisme mixture of Judaisme and depravation of Christianity What we want of Religion we want of salvation The neglect of Religion ends in Irreligion CHAP. II. The Certainty of Religion may be without the Assurance of it by reason of our Profaneness Hypocrisie and Perversness though scarce by reason of our Ignorance And that perversness is the way to the worst kinde of Irreligion or Atheisme CHAP. III. Of the Substance and the Exercise of Religion the difference between them in regard of the Authority Certainty and Immutability CHAP. IV. That though the Substance and the Exercise of Religion be different in themselves yet they ought not to be accounted so now in our Profession much less made so in our Practice for that whosoever is not sure of the Exercise of his Religion will not much regard the certainty that is in the Substance of it CHAP. V. The Assurance we have of the Substance of Religion in that it is spiritual and resembles God the Authour of it in his incommunicable properties of Simplicity and Infinity as also in his Immutability and Eternity which are the two consectaries of Infinity and also in his Omnipotency All-sufficiencie and Omnisciencie which are the three consectaries of Eternity CHAP. VI. The Assurance that we have of the Substance of Religion in that it resembles God in his communicable properties as Truth Goodness Purity and Liberty CHAP. VII The Assurance we have of Religion for that it resembles God in his Attributes of Justice Grace and Mercy CHAP. VIII The Assurance we have of Religion in that it makes us reverence and fear God ascribing the honour due unto his name and of the ten proper names of God collected by S. Hierome CHAP. I. The certainty of our Religion not to be gotten by Speculation but by Practice That the Apostles endeavoured to beget in all Christians a certainty of the Christian Religion against Heathenisme Judaisme mixture of Judaisme and depravation of Christianity What we want of Religion we want of Salvation The neglect of Religion ends in Irreligion THe certainty of salvation in the judgement of those who most earnestly contend for it even with more earnestness then discretion may be desired but cannot be attained without the certainty of Election and the chief proof of our Election is from our perseverance in Religion Thus the Apostle proves that God had not cast off his people whom he did foreknow from this Answer of his to Eliah I have reserved to my self seven thousand men which have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal that is to say who have not been guilty of Apostacie in this general defection of the Jews of which thou complainest but do still persist and persevere in the true Religion If God would have his prophets know he had Elected the Israelites because they had not fallen from his worship shall we think we can be otherwise assured of our Election then by making sure of our Religion Therefore whosoever hath bowed the knee unto Baal cannot rightly conclude that God hath Elected him but rather that God will cast him away because he hath first cast God away And will ye know what is this Baal let Beza tell ye Baal Patronum significat vel eum in cujus aliquis est potestate Baal signifieth a Lord and Master that hath power over any man so then a Religion that pleaseth my Master on earth but not my Father in Heaven is a bowing unto Baal He that will be Gods servant must acknowledge no other Master but onely God both for the Rule and the Practice of his Godliness and this man alone will be sure not to fall away from Gods service wherefore the best assurance we can have that God will not forsake us is that we do not forsake him for none can be assured of his goodness but they that continue in it his own Spirit thus attesting But towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Rom. 11. 22. For Religion is as the way salvation is as the journeys end and a man must first make sure of his way before he can make sure of his journeys end I am the way the truth the life saith our blessed Saviour S. Joh. 14. 6. And he gives this reason of that saying No man cometh to the Father but by me As Christ is the way to his Father so the true Religion is the way to Christ we must all first come to Christ before we can come to God and we cannot come to Christ but by the true Christian Religion for though Religion in general is a knitting of the soul to God yet the Christian Religion which we must look to be saved by is a knitting of the soul unto God in and through our Saviour Christ. For since the great distance made
aliis scientiis whether the manner of knowing divine truths be more certain in Divinity then the manner of knowing natural truths is in other sciences he answers it is more certain and he gives these three admirable reasons for his answer 1. Quia certior est modus sciendi per inspirationem quà m per humanam rationem because the way of knowing by divine inspiration is much more certain then the way of humane ratiocination or collection since the one is subject to errour the other not and all divine truths are made known to us by inspiration as appears 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness I may not take any doctrine for an instruction in righteousness which I cannot prove was first taught by inspiration of God and if it be taught of God it may be found in the Scripture which is Gods word 2o. Certius est quod scitur testimonio Spiritûs quà m quod testimonio creaturarum That is more certain which is known by the testimony of Gods Spirit then of the creature But all that we know in Divinity is known by the testimony of Gods Spirit as saith S. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 21. For the prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost in Divinity we appeal to the undoubted testimony of God the holy Ghost and can say Veni Creator whereas in all other sciences we can go no higher then the testimony of the creatures 3o. Quia certius est quod per modum gustûs quà m quod per modum visûs A man is more sure of that which he discerns by his taste then of that which he discerns onely by his sight for what he discerns by his sight he knows onely speculatively and perchance to his great discontent but what he discerns by his taste he knows also experimentally and if the thing be good not without great delight and from these premises he proceeds to this dogmatical conclusion or determination Est certitudo speculationis est certitudo experientiae vel est certitudo secundùm intellectum secundùm affectum vel quoad hominem spiritualem quoad hominem animalem Dico ergò quòd modus Theologicus est certior certitudine experientiae quoad affectum quia est per modum gustûs Psal. 118. Quà m dulcia faucibus meis eloquia tua quamvis non certior quoad speculationem intellectûs quae est per modum visûs item certior est homini spirituali quamvis incertior animali 1 Cor. 2. Animalis homo non percipit ea quae Spiritûs Dei sunt There is a certainty of speculation and there is a certainty of experience there is a certainty that proceeds from the understanding there is a certainty that proceeds from the will and affections Lastly there is a certainty of the spiritual man and there is a certainty of the natural man I answer then that the manner of knowing Theological or Divine truths is more certain then the manner of knowing any other truths if we look upon the certainty of experience which proceedeth from the will and affections because that certainty is by way of tasting Hence the Psalmist saith How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honey to my mouth although it be less certain if we look upon the certainty of evidence which proceedeth from the understanding because that certainty is onely by way of seeing And none of us all is so quick-sighted in spiritual as in natural things and hence it is that this certainty of divine truths which is very great in the spiritual man is little or none at all in the natural man Because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. The sum of all is this The certainty that is to be had of the Christian Religion is greater then the certainty that is to be had of other truths but it must be in a subject rightly qualified that is First in a man of holy affections who lives not after the flesh but after the Spirit else his profaneness will beguile him Secondly In a man of holy resolutions that desires not to satisfie his curiosity but his conscience not to provide for his temporal but for his spiritual interest else his hypocrisie will deceive him Thirdly in a man of holy intentions that steers not his course to heaven by the Cynosure of his own reason and much less of his own humours but is wholly guided by Gods authority for none but Gods authority ought to sway in Gods cause else his perversness will defraud him of his certainty for those men that are guilty of hypocrisie come short of it those that are guilty of profaneness go beside it those that are guilty of perversness go against it for as it is concerning Religion it self so is it also concerning the certainty that accompanies it the profane person goes beside it the hypocrite comes short of it the perverse person goes against it onely the sincere meek good man obtains it he that is sincere without hypocrisie meek without perversness good and honest without profaneness and debauchery The same seed is sown in several grounds but from some the sower hath not so much as his seed again from other he hath great increase The spiritual seed is the word of God the rule of Religion And as for this word some of it falls by the way-side that is among profane and vicious persons such as are in the high-way of perdition where it is troden under foot and the fowls of the air irregular and extravagant fancies and desires devour it some of it falls upon a Rock where it can have no root nor moisture for onely the mere out-side is earth the rest is all stone that is among hypocrites and dissemblers who hear the word with joy and for a time beleeve but in time of temptation fall away for temporary beleevers as they beleeve with the times so also they beleeve but for a time and soon fall away from their belief Lastly and some of it falls among thorns that is among perverse and refractory men for such are called briers and thorns Ezek. 2. 6. men of a wilfull Religion and therefore in truth men of no Religion since Religion depends not upon mans but upon Gods will and here the word must needs be choaked for a man that gives himself to be governed by his own will cannot possibly submit himself to Gods will or at least not for Gods sake but onely for his own sake and a Religion that is not for Gods sake is certainly not of Gods making and consequently though it may be of a great growth as we find by sad experience yet it cannot be of a long
is nothing else but that doctrine and practise which is made up of these two integral parts the knowledge and the worship of God in Christ the one uniting our understanding to the first truth the other uniting our will to the chiefest good both together perfecting the communion of the soul with God so that of these two parts consists het substance of Religion But because Religion in the general doctrine of it may onely fill the head with empty speculations all tending to fancy and to curiosity not the heart with holy affections and heavenly desires which may tend to the sanctification of our sinfull souls here and the salvation of our sanctified souls hereafter It is most necessary that all Christians make sure of a profession of Religion agreeable to their doctrine and of a practise agreeable to their profession and these two will compleat the exercise of Religion which is no other but the application or accommodation of the substance thereof to Time Place and Person that is to say the profession of the knowledge and the practise of the worship of God And this difference we may observe between the substance and the exercise of Religion First the substance of Religion is all immediately from God but the exercise of Religion in many things depends upon the authority of man Sacrificare est de lege naturae determinatio sacrificiorum ex institutione saith Aquinas that men should offer sacrifice to God is of the law of nature but that they should offer these kinds of sacrifices or in these places or in these set times or after this set form and manner depends wholly upon institution either Divine as among the Jews or Humane as among the Gentiles But we may not shoot at Rovers in so narrow a compass the law of nature is not sufficient to teach us the substance of Religion but we must learn that from the law of God For though it be the dictate of natural reason that men should exhibit worship to God as their first beginning and last end yet the true determinate worship that God accepts depends wholly upon Gods own institution and revelation So Aquinas 22 ae q. 81. art 2 Cultum aliquem Deo exhibere est de dictamine rationis at determinatum verum exhibere pendet ab institutione divini juris That man should worship God is the dictate of natural Reason but that he should worship him rightly and truely depends wholly upon supernatural revelation the one is matter of Instinct the other is wholly matter of divine Institution And surely though many men now adays make very bold with God yet there is scarce any petty master of a private family amongst us who would not take it in high disdain that any but himself should teach his family how to serve him Let us then not think but the great Lord of Heaven and earth alone teacheth his servants to do unto him true and acceptable service for fear we fall under the sentence of that condemnation S. Mat. 15. 9. But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men If the Saviour of the world reject thy Religion how canst thou hope to be saved by it and surely he rejects that Religion as altogether vain and unprofitable which takes mans institutions and inventions for any part of Gods worship or he would never have added that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vain to the words of the Prophet for whereas Isaiah saith Their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men Isa. 29. 13. our Saviour thus explains his saying by way of addition In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men And truly although in the exercise of Religion the outward order and decency depends much upon the constitutions of men yet is that outward order and decency no substantial part of the Religion nor may it so be taken unless we will profess and say that we have a Religion of our own making and then what remains but that if we have made our Religion we should also make our God It is to be confessed that great is the liberty of Christian Churches in matter of ceremony but those who will make ceremonies matter of Religion do in effect take away that liberty by turning it into a necessity and do change the nature of indifferency by supposing it indispensable if not making it so But herein Aquinas his observation is very judicious In lege novâ quae est lex amoris vel libertatis dari tantum praecepta de operibus quae cum gratiâ necessariam habent convenientiam vel repugnantiam caetera verò quae non habent relicta esse determinationi humanae arbitrio superiorum si ad communem utilitatem pertinent c. That in the Gospel which is the law of love liberty God hath given precepts only concerning those works which have a necessary conveniency or repugnancy with grace that is works which immediately concern either sin or righteousness but other things that do not immediately concern either sin or righteousness are left to the determination and disposition of man for if they be of publique interest they are left to the judgement of our superiours either Ecclesiastical or Civil if they be of private interest they are left to the judgement of every mans own private reason Itaquè non ut de Sacramentis it a de Sacramentalibus hoc est de dispositionibus ad Sacramenta vel conficienda vel suscipienda lex nova habet praecepta divina sed determinatio ipsorum est Ecclesiae relicta à Christo. Therefore though we have in the Gospel explicit and direct commands about the Sacraments themselves yet have we not so about the Sacramentals that is about those Rites and dispositions which are necessary either to the giving or receiving of them but the determination of such Rites and Ceremonies is left by Christ unto his Church The Iew indeed was confined by the text in the manner of exercising his duty towards God by the Ceremonial Law and towards his neighbour by the Iudicial Law but the Christian is not so he hath documents only concerning the substance or matter not concerning the form or manner of his duty either to God or man for such determinations hath Christ left wholly to his Church as not belonging in themselves to Vertue and Religion but onely to Decency and Order Non enim ad orationem prout est actus virtutis Religionis de se pertinet ut fiat tali certo loco vel tempore aut cum illâ certâ corporis dispositione neque ad restitutionem quae est actus virtutis justitiae pertinet ut fiat in duplum vel in quadruplum sic de similibus As for example It belongs not to prayer as it is an act of Vertue and Religion that it be performed in such a certain place or time or with such or such a posture of the body and it belongs not
to restitution which is an act of justice that it be either twofold or fourfold Therefore the duties themselves are onely commanded in the Gospel but the manner of their performance is not under command And this is the first distinction or difference betwixt the substance and the exercise of Religion that the substance of Religion is all immediately from God but the exercise of Religion in many things depends upon the authority of man Secondly The substance of Religion requires an infallible or a Theological certainty grounded onely upon the word of God but the exercise of Religion is contented with a moral certainty depending upon the testimony of man Which being a proposition of great extent yet of greater consequence shall accordingly be first divided and then explained I say therefore The substance of Religion that is any thing of Faith Hope or Charity requires an infallible or Theological certainty grounded onely upon the word of God Here Dubius in fide infidelis est is a sure rule he that doubts in the faith is an infidel and again Certitudo unius partis tollit probabilitatem alterius is another excellent rule The certainty of one part takes away the probability of the other As the certainty of Christs institution of both kinds in the holy Eucharist takes away the probability of receiving in one kinde after his institution the certainty of praying in faith to God the Father Son and holy Ghost takes away the probability of praying in faith to any but the blessed Trinity But the exercise of Religion is often content onely with a moral certainty nor indeed can we have any other certainty either of times places or persons but meerly moral and humane Here the rule is good Non est opus infallibili certitudine sed sufficit moralis humana quae secum patitur haesitationem suspicionem de contrario In such cases there is no need of a Theological or infallible certainty but it sufficeth that we be guided by a moral or humane certainty which allows of many doubts and suspicions to the contrary as for example that God is to be praised for the nativity of his Son is grounded upon Theological certainty for the angels sang praises to him for it S. Luke 2. But that he is to be praised for it on the twenty fifth day of December is grounded onely upon moral certainty because antiquity hath accounted that for the very day of his nativity And it is no wonder that we can have no better assurance of Christmas day since we can have no better of the Lords day which we are sure is of apostolical imitation if not of apostolical institution for we cannot be otherwise assured that we keep not the second or third or fourth day in stead of the first day of the week but onely from humane testimony and yet he that should have no better assurance of the resurrection of Christ whereon is grounded the duty of the day would scarce deserve to be thought or called a Christian. Time place and person may admit of doubts but faith hope and charity admit of none the reason is these latter are of the pure substance the former belong onely to the exercise of religion Thirdly the substance of religion is unchangeable but the exercise of Religion hath passed under a great and notorious change it was the same faith hope and charity that saved the Jew which now saveth the Christian but the way of exercising all three of them was much different in the Jewish and in the Christian churches Aquinas in his 22 ae q. 2. ar 7. determines this question affirmatively Utrum explicitè credere mysterium incarnationis Christi sit de necessitate salutis apud omnes whether explicitely to beleeve the mystery of the incarnation of Christ be necessary to salvation in regard of all men and he thus demonstratively proves his determination Illud propriè per se pertinet ad objectum fidei per quod homo beatitudinem consequitur via autem hominibus veniendi ad beatitudinem est mysterium incarnationis passionis Christi Dicitur enim Act. 4. Non est aliud nomen datum hominibus in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri ideo mysterium incarnationis Christi aliqualiter oportuit omni tempore esse creditum apud omnes That properly and of it self belongs to the object of faith by which a man obtains eternal blessedness but the way for a man to come to bliss is the mystery of the incarnation and passion of Christ for so it is said Act. 4. 12. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved therefore the mystery of Christs incarnation was to be beleeved in some sort at all times and of all men that were to be saved And he tells us that the Romane histories make mention of a man taken out of his grave in the time of Constantine the great with a plate of gold upon his breast wherein these words were engraven Christus nascetur ex virgine ego credo in cum O Sol sub Irene Constantini temporibus iterum me videbis Christ shall be born of a virgin and I do beleeve in him O Sun in the time of Irene and Constantine thou shalt see me again This he brings as a proof that such of the Gentiles as were saved did beleeve in Christ. The proof perchance may be questionable but the doctrine cannot be so for even Adam in his innocency had an explicite faith in the incarnation of Christ as the onely means to bring him to the consummation ofglory though happily not till after his fall he had an explicite faith in the passion and resurrection of Christ to deliver him from the guilt and punishment of his sins And if the explicite belief of the mystery of Christs incarnation be so necessary to salvation we are little beholding to those men who forbid the commemoration of that mystery and the testification of that belief but however thus we see Omnes sideles usque ab Adamo re quidem ipsâ Christianos fuisse saith Eusebius lib. 1. cap. 1. That the Christian Religion was always the same in substance though not in exercise and the same Religion both of Jew and Christian Ratione objecti formalis non ratione objecti materialis in regard of the formal though not in regard of the material object of faith the same God worshipped by them both if they were true worshippers and with the same acts of faith hope and love to beleeve in him to trust in him and to obey and serve him but yet a far different form and manner of profession of faith and exercise of worship And thus Justin Martyr cleareth the truth of the Christian Religion to Tripho the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We do not think you had one God and we have another nor do we trust in any other God but yours for there is no other even the God of Abraham of
Isaac and of Jacob onely we trust in him not by Moses nor according to the law but by Christ and according to the gospel for the law which was given in Horeb is now antiquated for it was given onely to you Jews but the law which we serve God by is a law given to all nations of the world and is to abide to the worlds end for Christ is given unto us as the law and as an everlasting law his Testament as a faithfull Testament to remain for ever after which no law no commandment is to be expected or may be received Thus far Justin Martyr to the Jew because thus far the Apostle had stated the question to the Martyr and indeed to all Christians in the epistle to the Hebrews the sum whereof is briefly this that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God coequal and coessential with the Father and the holy Ghost is perfect God and perfect man in the unity of the same person and is that onely eternal King Priest and Prophet which God in the fulness of time gave unto his Church to govern instruct and sanctifie it for ever and this he proves by the promises before the law by the types and figures under the law and by the general consent of all the prophets And therefore in this same Christ the Christian Church hath already a perfect knowledge of God in this world and shall have a perfect enjoyment of him in the world to come and therefore may expect no other Doctrine either for sanctification here or for salvation hereafter Now in that the old Testament is alledged to prove and confirm the New it is evident that the substance of Religion is one and the same in both Testaments unless we will suppose the Spirit of God to have made use of unfit and unproper proofs a thing not agreeable with the spirit of a prudent man who gains his knowledge by succession of time and much less agreeable with the Spirit of the omniscient and onely wise God who seeth all things at once in the looking-glass of eternity and if the Spirit of God confirm the new Testament by the old and hath left both the old and the new Testament to confirm us then it is evident that no Christian can seek to weaken or diminish the authority of either Testament but he must be an enemy to his own confirmation in the Christian faith Wherefore among all the contestations contentions that have been in the Church of Christ that controversie doth least become Christians and doth most shake the foundation of Christianity which doth seek to undervalue the authority of the word of Christ for if there be no infallible certainty in the word of Chrst it is impossible there should be any infallible certainty in the Christian Religion therefore they are the greatest enemies to the certainty of the Christian Religion who seek to add to the Church by detracting from the Scripture for if the Scripture hath not a most undoubted authority the Church can have none at all for sure we are the Scripture was delivered to the Church without any faults or corruptions and therefore we are bound not onely in common charity but also in common prudence and justice to beleeve that the Church hath so kept it because all the faults of the Text are to be layed upon the Church to whose care and trust God did commit the keeping of the text for God requireth two things of his Church first to be a faithfull keeper then to be a faithfull interpreter of his word and if we will needs say she hath not been faithfull in the keeping how can we choose but say she may be as unfaithfull in the interpreting of the word of God So that they are the greatest schismaticks that ever were who under pretence of extolling the authoritie of the Church do question nay debase the authoritie of the Scriptures for these men have begun an everlasting schisme which must needs last as long in the Church as there shall be any Christians so well perswaded of Gods truth as to think it was worth the registring and of the books wherein it was registred as to think them worth the keeping And Cassander himself seems to be of this opinion in his consultation of Religion in the chapter of the Church I cannot deny but the chiefest cause of this calamitie and distraction of the Church is to be ascribed to them who being puffed up with an empty kinde of pride of ecclesiastical power did contemn and repel those who rightly and modestly admonished them wherefore I think there is no firm peace to be hoped for unless they begin the reconciliation who began the distraction that is unless they who are set over the ecclesiastical government do remit somewhat of their excessive rigour and do yield somewhat to the peace of the Church and hearkening to the instruction and advice of many pious men do correct some manifest abuses according to the rule of Gods word and of the ancient Church from whence they have lately swerved I will set down the words in Latine for their sakes who do understand the Authour as well as I have the sense of them in English for their sakes who do desire to understand their Religion Non negarim praecipuam causam hujus calamitatis distractionis Ecclesiae illis assignandam qui inani quodam fastu ecclesiasticae potestatis inflati rectè modestè admonentes superbè fastidiosè contempserunt ac repulerunt Quare nullam firmam pacem sperandam puto nisi ab iis initium fiat qui distractionis causam dederunt hoc est nisi ii qui ecclesiasticae gubernationi praesunt de nimio illo rigore aliquid remittant Ecclesiae paci aliquid concedant multorum piorum votis monitis obsequentes manifestos abusus ad regulam divinarum literarum veteris Ecclesiae à quâ deflexerunt corrigant Cassander in consult de Rel. ad Ferdin 1. Max. 2. Imp. cap. de Ecclesiâ His judgment is plainly this that the Scripture is to rule and govern the Church and that to advance the authority of the Church against the authority of the Scripture much more above it is to give the occasion of a calamitous if not of a remediless schisme and distraction a distraction not possibly to be remedied till this irreligious tenent which is the cause of it be renounced and it is high time though the tenent it self be yet scarce one hundred years old for all good Christians that wish better to Christs interest then their own to renounce it and leave raising objections against the holy Scripture thinking to set up the Church by pulling down the word of God for besides that both Scripture and Church by their joynt authorities can never make us too sure of our Religion it is not possible for the Church to stand if the Scripture fall but they must needs both fall together Whereas let the Church not be
Eliah saith he was delivered after Eliah was ascended but the meaning is that the thing had been revealed by Eliah to one of the prophets who commanded him to write it in a book and give it to Iehoram tell him that it was a writing sent to him from Eliah that so Iehoram thinking the writing sent to him from heaven might humble his heart So will I here present our back-sliding age with a reproof from S. Paul that hath been so many years dead because I see that back-sliders do not regard the reproofs of their ministers who are now living and I cannot but hope if I have not willingly mistaken the Apostle that no cōsciencious godly man such as we all pretend to be will willingly mistake me We must then look on S. Pauls profession in this place as a true Christians profession because it is a profession of his Christian Religion consisting of two parts of his worship of his faith which are the two essential or substantial parts of Religion sides cultus faith in God and the worship of God though the faith be put last in the order of the words yet is it first in the order of nature for because S. Paul beleeved all things which were written in the law and in the prophets therefore did he worship the God of his fathers But before our Apostle shews the substance of his profession what it is he doth shew the necessity of it why it is for the necessity of his Christian profession is imported in these words But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresie as well as the substance of it in these words so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the law and in the prophets And indeed as it is the great duty so it should be the great labour of every Christian to keep his heart true unto his Saviour to keep his tongue true unto his heart to keep his heart true to Christ that he may be unmoveable in the love of his Religion and to keep his tongue true unto his heart that he may be unmoveable in the profession of that love and for both these we have here an excellent president So worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the law and in the prophets There his heart is true to his Saviour in the substance of Religion and before that but this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I There his tongue is true to his heart in the profession of it for he looks upon the profession of his Religion as a necessary duty not to be omitted for fear not to be dissembled for shame I unto thee hints both these I a prisoner at the bar to thee a iudge upon the bench for Saint Paul was here arraigned as a felon for his Religion which hath been allways the portion of the godly for the wicked presidents and princes could not but say we shall not finde any occasion against this Daniel except we finde it against him concerning the law of his God Dan. 6. 5. I say Saint Paul had been indicted and was here arraigned as a felon or a delinquent that in the midst of a general refusal or denial of Christ he durst own to be a Christian and would be constant in the profession of his Christianity and he shews that notwithstanding all the affronts offered him and the aspersions cast upon him yet his profession being truly Christian was such as he might not be afraid would not be ashamed of I unto thee is enough against the fear which they call heresie is enough against the shame Let us put on the armour of proof against the fear and we shall need of no mask or vizard against the shame And surely this Ego in the Text Saint Pauls example is warrant enough not to be afraid for so saith the holy Ghost by his mouth Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Every man is bound to follow his Church where that follows his Saviour but because this refractory age thinks it the nearest cut to go to Christ to run away from his Church it will not be amiss to shew how our blessed Saviours example did move Saint Paul that so both examples together may the more forcibly move us not to be afraid to make profession of our Religion For so it is recorded of our blessed Saviour that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession or a good profession 1 Tim. 6. 13. can we be called before worse tyrants then Felix and Pilate Can we look for better examples then Saint Paul and our blessed Saviour the one the teacher the other the King of Saints lo Saint Paul professed his Religion before Felix our blessed Saviour before Pilate and both them professed it when there was the greatest danger of that profession when they were in danger of their lives not onely of their livelyhoods for professing it if the tyranny cannot be greater why should the profession be less for so Saint Chrysostome sets down the profession of Christ before Pontius Pilate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came to be a witness to the truth or a martyr for it a witness to the truth in times of peace and prosperity a martyr for the truth in times of opposition and apostasie so should every Christian think and say that he was not born as a man much less new-born as a Christian for himself but for his Saviour to be a witness to he truth For if this principle of Religion were doctrinal in our hearts to beleeve it it would also be practical in our lives to perform it but we beleeve not the doctrine and therefore regard not the practise the faith is first dead then the work so saith the prophet He that beleeveth in him shall not make haste Isa. 28. 16. id est ex impatientiâ infidelitate ad res praesentes non confugiet saith Junius He that beleeveth in him shall not make such haste as out of impatience and infidelity to comply with the present occasions or opportunities more to keep his estate then to keep his conscience as those miscreants did v. 15. who said we have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves Iunius thus rightly explaineth their wicked meaning we are as secure as if we had made a covenant with death we have done as much as wise men can do and more then honest men will do to preserve our selves to make an agreement with those that are too strong for us we have cast up our banks against the overflowing scourge and though you call it lies and falshood which we have done yet we know it
the reason that so many men daily fall from the profession of the faith but meerly a twofold ignorance though they pretend to knowledge one of themselves another of their Saviour They are ignorant of themselves know not their spiritual state or condition know not when they are on the mount when they are called to the state of grace and therefore say not with Saint Peter Lord it is good for us to be here And they are ignorant of their Saviour acknowledge him not as the Captain of their salvation or they would never forsake his colours they look no further then the outworks of Religion look not into the foundation of it for if they did they would be unmoveable the foundation moves not no more can he be moved that sticks and cleaves to the foundation O thou which art the way the truth and the life the way wherein we should walk the truth to direct our goings and the life to reward us at our journeys end Forgive us our strayings and straglings out of thy way direct us in thy truth and never leave directing us till thou bring us to everlasting life to bless praise thee our most mercifull Redeemer with the Father and the holy Ghost world without end Amen Thus we see the necessity of being constant in our Christian profession if we will either hear St. Pauls doctrine or follow his example Let us in the next place observe the substance of that profession that we may be unshaken and unmoveable in our constancy For Religion is best when it comes nearest God as having holiness from his purity and peace from his unity so also having duration and perseverance from his enternity Accordingly St. Pauls Religion depends altogether on God and therefore in the profession and practice of his Religion we are sure to meet with nothing but with unquestionable true godliness for the substance of his profession is twofold professio cultûs professio fidei a profession of worship so worship I a profession of faith beleeving all things c. Concerning his worship it is evident he had the true Religion for he worshipped God and he had also the ancient Religion for he worshipped the God of his fathers His Religion was the true Religion in modo colendi in objecto cultûs in the manner of his worshipping and in the object of his worship First in the manner of his worshipping for it was with great fear and reverence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he which is a word derived from much trembling but whether it be so in the word or no is not material it must be so in the thing for it is the very nature of true Religion to fear God and therefore the one is expressed and explained by the other Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him if there be no fear there can be no service if there be no reverence there can be no Religion Unless the Centurion and they that were with him had feared greatly they had never honoured Christ by saying truly this was the Son of God S. Mat. 27. 54. A Religion without fear cannot pierce the heart to make room for God much less open the mouth to glorify him and therefore the prophet Jeremy calling upon the Jews to return to their Religion labours to fill their hearts with the fear of God Jer. 5. 22. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence Secondly St. Pauls Religion was also the true Religion in objecto cultûs in the object of his worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I worship God Divineiy S. Aug. Quod colit summus angelus id colendum ab homine insimo what is worshipped by the highest angel that is to be worshipped by the lowest man angels then are fellow-worshippers with men not objects of their worship And as it is with Adoration so also with Invocation for they both alike tend to the acknowledgement of the Supremest excellency the one by Deed the other by Word the one by bowing to his Majesty the other by calling upon his Mercy And Bellarmine himselfe confesseth That the Invocation of Saints was no part of the Old Religion in the Old Testament because saith he the Patriarchs and Prophets before Christs death were not admitted immediately into glory In carceribus inferni detinebantur But is it not safer to say that Invocation being the highest honour we can give may not be given save onely to the most Highest by the Religion either of the old or of the new Testament for there is neither precept nor example nor promise for the Invocation of any but of God alone in all the book of God so that we cannot Invocate either Saint or Angel in Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And if our Prayers be turned into sin which was a curse prophetically intended onely against the person of Iudas for betraying our blessed Saviour Psa. 109. v. 7. nor can we have share in the curse unless we have a share in the treachery I say if our prayers be turned into sin what shall we do to pray for the forgiveness of our sins if so be that we still sin in praying So neerly doth it concern all Christians to be sure that their Religion be as St. Pauls was true in the Object of their worship And by the same reason that his Religion was the true it was also the ancient Religion Doceant Adamum Sabbatizâsse was an excellent challenge against those who maintained the morality of the Jewish Sabbath Let them shew it was a part of Adams Religion or they will never be able to prove it ought to be a part of ours for the same religion that saved him must save us if it be the truest it will appear to the first so is it here with S. Pauls religion as it was the true so was it also the ancient Religion for he worshipped the God of his fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patrio Deo meo saith the vulgar Lat. My Fathers God and my God whereby he had both the credit and the comfort of his Religion First S. Paul had the credit of his Religion that it had been tryed by so long experience for so many years together and had justified it self in that tryal Religion like an aged-man requiring our esteem by being gray-headed and that practice of godliness being most venerable which is likest God in being the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. And we of this Church of England can have no better plea for our selves and ought not to use a worse then to say that our Religion is the same Religion with our Fathers though not the same Superstition with it wherein they had left their first Fathers the Apostles and the Primitive Christians therein onely have we left them for we profess with those Holy men Ezra 5. 11. We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and build the house that
was builded these many years agoe we desire not to lay one stone more nor one stone less then was anciently laid onely we are not willing to mistake a false for a true Antiquity Id verum quod primum that is the truest which was the first And it was our Blessed Saviours own way of reasoning Non sic fuit ab initio It was not so from the beginning and yet it had been so for a very long time before Secondly S. Paul had the comfort of his Religion in that he worshipped the God of his Fathers for his Religion entitled him to the same God his Fathers had before him who had shewed great mercy to them and had promised to shew mercy to their children for their sakes the Jews had comfort in their Fathers when they had not in themselves Moses useth three Arguments why God should not destroy the children of Israel for their Idolatry Exod. 32. 11 12 13. The first was his former benefits lest they should seem to be lost and thrown away The second was his own glory lest that should be obscured and his Name blasphemed and neither of these two Arguments prevailed his former goodness had been too much abused his after glory might be otherwise repaired But then follows his third Argument his Promises to the Fathers and that prevails then immediately saith the Text And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people ver 14. Gods veracity is indispensable and must be indisputable And thus Jarchi glosses upon this third Argument If they have sinned against all thy Ten Commandments yet remember Abraham was upright in his Ten Temptations let Ten go for Ten nay more If thou hast purposed to burn them or kill them or banish them yet remember Abraham and Isaac and Israel thy servants thou wilt not do it Remember that Abraham at thy command exposed himself to burning when he went to Ur that is Fire in the Chaldeaens Isaac exposed himself to killing Jacob exposed himself to a long Banishment to a wearisome Pilgrimage And thus God himself comforted Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears Is. 38. 5. So willing so ready is God to shew mercy that he will find a cause to shew it to the Children for their Fathers sake when he cannot for their own doubtless it is to teach them not to trust in their own righteousness if they be righteous nor to distrust his mercy when they have been captivated under the dominion of sin unrighteousness And thus much concerning the worship of God the first substantial part of S. Pauls Religion The second substantial part thereof still remains undiscussed and that is his Faith Concerning which we may observe two things First That it was the Catholick Faith Secondly the Proof that it was so First That his Faith was the Catholick Faith Beleeving all things A Christians Faith may be called Catholick in a two-fold respect either essentially or accidentally essentially in the substance of it when he beleeves all those Christian Truths that God hath revealed as necessary to salvation and beleeves them because of Gods Revelation for as the second Epistle of Saint Iohn is called a Catholick Epistle though writ to a private person because it is Catholick or universal in its Instructions though it be onely particular in its occasion so is the true Faith the Catholick Faith though it may be continued onely among some few true Beleevers for what hath been already may be again and this case hath been in the days of Athanasius because it is universal in its Obligation though perchance almost singular in its Profession And in this sense the Catholick Faith and the Christian Faith are both one whence Athanasius calls that the Catholick which others have called the Christian Faith although he insist most upon the true doctrine concerning the Blessed Trinity even as the Imperial Edict cited in the Code in the Title de summâ Trinitate Fide Catholicâ gives the name of Catholicks to those Christians who had a right belief concerning the holy and undivided Trinity not onely as we may suppose because the chiefest hereticks of those daies had erred in that doctrine but also because they who erred not in it could not easily erre in denying any Fundamental of the true Christian Faith And thus Aquinas very briefly and plainly tels us what is this Christian or Catholick Faith even that Faith which brings us here to the saving knowledge and will bring us hereafter to the blessed enjoyment of our Saviour Christ. Credibilia de quibus est Fides secundum se quae directè ordinant ad Vitam Aeternam Nam Fides est principaliter de his quae videnda speramus in patriâ Heb. 11. 1. Ut Incarnatio Christi Trinitas At alia sunt de quibus non est Fides secundum se sed solum in ordine ad priora sc. ad manifestationem eorum ut quòd Abraham habuerit duos silios 22 ae qu. 1. Those truths do properly and of themselves belong to the Christian Faith which do immediately and directly order and dispose the beleever to eternal life for Faith is principally of those things which we hope to see and enjoy in heaven Heb. 11. 1. such as are the Incarnation of Christ and the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity But there are other truths which do not properly and of themselves belong to the Christian-Faith but onely in order to these to wit as far as they conduce to the manifestation of them as that Abraham had two sons As for the first of these they are to be explicitly beleeved of all Christians alike As for the second it sufficeth if they be implicitly beleeved by those who have not the means of an explicit Faith concerning them so that we may thus gloss S. Pauls words Beleeving all things that are written viz. either explicitly or implicitly all things explicitly that are revealed to me and all things implicitly that are revealed in the Text For every good Christian hath a preparation of his soul to beleeve whatsoever is contained in the whole word of God and a resolution of his soul to beleeve it as soon as it shall appear to him to be so Thus again the same Angelical Doctour Nam Fidei objectum per se est per quod homo heatus es sicitur per accidens autem secundariò omnia quae in sacrâ Scripturâ Divinitus traditâ continentur 22 ae qu. 2. art 5. The object of Faith essentially in and of it self is that which brings a man to the beatifical Vision for Faith is to end in Vision as Hope in Comprehension and Charity in Fruition But the object of Faith accidentally and secondarily is whatsoever is contained in the holy Scriptures that have been delivered to us from God As for the first every Christian is bound to beleeve them by an actual and
two sorts of Bibles in their Synagogues and accordingly did they deliver both sorts down to the Christian Church the one in Hebrew the other in Greek but though they delivered down a double text of Scripture yet they delivered not down a double Canon of Scripture as Iosephus himself doth testifie lib. 1. contra Appionem quoted by Eusebius Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 10. who affirmeth That the Church of the Jews had but twenty two books for the ground of their faith the Masorites say twenty four books counting Ruth apart from Iudges and the Lamentations apart from Ieremy and those that accounted Samuel Kings and Chronicles each two books made the number of the Canonical books of the Old Testament full out twenty seven and these books saith he were all written before the time of Artaxerxes and as for those which were written after that time as all that we call Apocrypha he tells us they had not the same authority with the others because when they were written there was not so undoubted a succession of the prophets as had been ever before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that though those other books came down in the Greek Bibles if at least they were in them at that time which is very questionable yet they came not down as a part of the Canon for that was the peculiar priviledge of those books alone which had been written in Hebrew or Chaldee and deposited in the ark by the prophets And indeed we do not read that the Jews would hazard their lives for any one book of all the Apocrypha but towards the Canon they were so zealously affected that as they embraced it for the Book of God so they would not be divorced from it by any terrours of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. l. 3. c. 10. It is inbred in all the Jews from their very nativitie to account their Testament the word of God to stick close to it and if need require willingly to dye for it To this Canon of Scripture it is that St. Paul here appeals calling it the Law and the Prophets for so Christ himself had called it before Saint Mat. 11. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until Iohn and again S. Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until Iohn that is they were the Canon of the Scripture until John but after that time there was to be another accession to the Canon it is clear that neither under the Law nor under the Prophets did our blessed Saviour comprize any of the Apocryphal books because none of them is quoted in all the New Testament as prophesying of Christ a truth not denied by those who stand most upon the credit of the Apocrypha for even in the Greek Bibles printed at Paris by the authority of Pope Sixtus Quintus at the end of the second volume there is an Index of all the testimonies alledged in the New out of the Old Testament and not one of them is taken out of any part of the Apocrypha But you will say if this division be good of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets what is become of the books of the Kings Chronicles Iob the Psalms and all Solomons works even of that whole third part of the Canon called by the Masorites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in Gen. 16. 5. The Masor a divides the whole Testament into three parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the holy writings I answer They are included in these for it is not imaginable that Saint Paul left them out of his Bible although here he doth not expresly name them and indeed the whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely sometimes the Prophets onely sometimes both together the Law and the Prophets 1. The Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely as Neh. 8. 8. so they read in the book in the law of God distinctly where by the Law must be meant the whole Testament unless we will say that the Jews in their captivity had contracted the heresie of the Samaritans whom they so much hated to admit onely of the five books of Moses for their Bible 2. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Prophets onely as 2 Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper his Prophets that is his word as it is recorded in his Book 3. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called both together the Law and the Prophets as Saint Luke 16. 29. They have Moses the pen-man of the Law and the Prophets that is they have the written word of God or Canon of the Text. And those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those other books of the Bible are no less comprised in these two by Saint Paul then they had been by our Saviour Christ before him for indeed this was the most usual way of citing the Old Testament to call it the Law and the Prophets and there is but one place in the New Testament that seems to confirm the Masorites division of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets and holy writings and that we finde Saint Luke 24. 44. where our Blessed Saviour saith That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning him where the Psalms are put for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof they were but one though a principal part The sum of all is this there is a difference betwixt the substance and the exercise of Religion that they may be separated in themselves but the difference is not so great that they may prudently and justly be separated by us either in our profession or in our practise for we see plainly that St. Pauls profession and practise contain in them the very substance of Religion so that it is impossible for any man that disesteems the exercise of Religion to have any high regard or esteem of the substance of it and it is observable in the first table of the Decalogue which wholly concerns our duty towards God that as the three first Commandments concern the substance of Religion so the fourth concerns the exercise of it The substance of Religion is nothing else but the knowledge and worship of God for Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God Rom. 4. 29. whereby we may see and must confess that faith and consequently hope and charity do glorifie God as well as worship though perchance not so publickly yet sure as cordially for they glorifie God in the inner as worship and thanksgiving do glorifie him in the outer man wherefore in these consists the substance of Religion whose work it is to glorifie God either inwardly which is commanded in the first or outwardly which is commanded in the second and third commandments I say that as the three first commandments
concern the substance of Religion so the fourth wholly concerns the exercise of it and as the first Commandment teacheth us the duties of faith hope and charity towards God to believe in him to fear him and to love him with all our heart with all our minde with all our soul and with all our strength and the second and third to worship him to give him thanks to call upon him to honour his holy name and his word so the fourth commandment setteth us a time and other circumstances for the exercise of these duties teaching us to serve him truly in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life for it is a gross mistake of some who make the fourth commandment a limitation or a restriction of the first as if he that required our love with all our heart to shew that we ought sooner to be without our heart then without his love did require the publick profession of that love onely one day in seven no we must know and profess the contrary for it is impossible that the greater should be limited by the lesser and our Saviour himself hath told us that Thou shalt love the Lord is the first and great commandment Saint Mat. 20. 38. Wherefore all the rest which have their greatness from this cannot add any greatness to it much less can they take away any greatness from it and consequently the fourth commandment must needs lose its greatness if it be brought to oppose this that is to say to confine this love of God by restraining the exercise of Religion to the Sabbath as if Religion were made for the Sabbath and not rather the Sabbath made for Religion they who look upon Sunday as the onely Sabbath do in effect say That Religion was made for the Sabbath they who look upon other Festivals as Sabbaths also do in effect say That the Sabbath was made for Religion and without doubt they are of the surer side which is the drift we should aim at in all controverted points who say Days were made for duties and not duties for days for these men do say That the substance of Religion is above the exercise of Religion which God himself hath taught us in the very method of the commandments putting the greatest in the first place and that the exercise of Religion was ordained and appointed to preserve and maintain the substance of Religion but by no means to restrain or hinder the same Therefore it is safest explaining the fourth commandment not by way of limitation or restriction as if it limited and restrained the three former to it self which those men do seem to be guilty of who put down all other Christian Festivals as unlawfull and superstitious but by way of specification or application as shewing the necessity of exercising that Religion which is taught and commanded in the three former and not leaving it in our power to omit or neglect that exercise This being laid for a sure ground that we have Gods absolute command not onely for the substance but also for the exercise of Religion it must needs follow that they who regard not the exercise of Religion cannot regard the substance of it and consequently whosoever is unsetled in the exercise of Religion whether it be in the profession or in the practise thereof cannot be thought well grounded in the knowledge and love of God For Divinity is a science that teacheth man to live to God and therefore he that most lives to God is the best Divine the best scholar may be he that hath best ordered his study but the best Divine is he that best ordereth his life and this Divinity St. Paul requireth alike of all Christians who profess to believe in Christ that they have a life answerable to their faith a conversation answerable to their profession Rom. 6. 9. Knowing this that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more there 's the principle of faith and verse 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord there 's the duty of life He is the best Divine he hath the most Christian Logick that most makes such collections for Divinity treats onely of the spiritual life whereby man lives in to him by whom he lives And as the natural life hath two acts the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby it gives life the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby it gives motion so hath also the spiritual life two acts The first consists in the knowledge and love of God the second in the profession of that knowledge and in the practise of that love Of these two acts consisted Abrahams Religion of these two parts consisted his Divinity even of Faith in God as saith S. Paul and of Works according to that Faith as saith S. Iames and if we hope to get into Abrahams bosome we must first get into his study This was Davids Divinitie Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord there 's the knowledge and love of God for no man will trust him whom he doth not know and much less him whom he doth not love and do good there 's the profession according to that knowledge and practise according to that love and we must be men after Davids heart if we desire to be men after Gods own heart In a word This was the Divinity Christ left unto his Church S. Matth. 28. 19 20. First teaching all nations to know God then teaching them to observe his commands and we cannot be good Christians unless we be members of Christs Church and if we be good Christians our faith will make us live in Christ and our conversation will be according to our faith which was the admirable prayer of the ancient Church upon Ascension-eve and I cannot better conclude this discourse then with a prayer nor have I learned to reject a good prayer because I finde it in the Mass-Book no more then I may learn not to say Eli Eli that is my God my God with my blessed Saviour because some out of ignorance others out of malice will say This man calleth for Elias S. Matth. 27. 46. Praesta quaesumus omnipotens Pater ut nostrae mentis intentio quò Unigenitus Filius tuus Dominus noster ingressus est semper intendat quò side pergit conversatione perveniat Grant Lord we beseech thee that whither our Saviour is ascended we may also with heart and minde thither ascend and whither we ascend by our faith there we mayalso dwell by our conversation even in Heaven Amen CHAP. 5. The assurance we have of the substance of Religion in that it is spiritual and resembles God the authour of it in his incommunicable properties of Simplicitie and Infinitie as also in his Immutabilitie and Eternitie which are the two consectaries of Infinitie also in his Omnipotency All-sufficiencie and Omnisciencie which are the three consectaries of his Eternitie THat Religion is of a divine
but also the life S. John 14. 6. And so also are his words S. Iohn 6. 63. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life no parting Christs words from Spirit nor Spirit from life and again verse 68. Thou hast the words of eternal life Let nothing go for Christs word which is not spirit and life and so spirit as to give life wherefore if you see a Religion a fraught with beads pictures crucifixes and such outward ordinances be afraid of it for these and the like are mens carnal inventions meer carnal images this is not Religion but superstition Again if you see a Religion fraught with envy malice hatred uncharitableness spiritual pride perversness profaneness licentiousness disobedience novelty singularity be afraid of it for these and such like are mens carnal practises carnal imaginations this is not Religion but faction such as the Apostle casteth down 2 Cor. 10. 5. And the prophet seems to prophesie against Ier. 43. 13. For what are the images of the house of the sun amongst us but the humorous imaginations of those that abuse the light of the Gospel And this trial or proof of the true Religion is substantial it concerns the very nature and essence of it even as to be a spirit is the very nature and substance of God there are other proofs that are also essential proofs of the true Religion though they be not taken from the substance of God but from his properties and so that is the truest Religion whose properties come nearest to the properties of God I will give you a short scheme of both together that seeing God himself in your Religion you may love it with all your soul with all your minde and with all your strength because so you are bound to love your God God cannot be known any further in his substance then that he is a Spirit and so accordingly is the substance of the true Religion wholly spiritual But the greatest knowledge we have of God the onely eternal Spirit is by his properties and by his attributes his properties are internal perfections belonging to him as a Spirit meerly in regard of himself as Simplicity Immutability and the like his attributes are as it were external perfections belonging to him in regard of his creatures as he is the God of the spirits of all flesh as Mercy Justice Liberality and the like or if you desire not to distinguish between Gods properties and his attributes you may say that the properties of God are either such as remove from him all kinde of imperfection that is in the creature as Simplicity which removes from him composition Immutability which removes from him Changeableness Immensity and eternity which remove from him Circumscription or Confinement the one of place the other of time and these are called incommunicable properties because they are not communicable to any creature Or the properties of God are such as do assign to God all manner of perfection First in his understanding as Wisdome and Truth Secondly In his will as Goodness and Liberty Thirdly In his power of action as Omnipotency and these are called communicable properties because they are communicated to the creature and are to be found in the creature though in a proportion and perfection infinitely short of what is in the Creatour God blessed for ever Thus angels and men have Truth and Goodness and Power though not an Unerring truth not an All-sufficient goodness not an Almighty power but they have not Simplicity Infinity Immutability Eternity which are the incommunicable properties And herein consists the supereminencie of the true Religion above any creature whatsoever that it shareth even in these incommunicable properties of God even in his Simplicity Infinity Immutability Eternity And first it shares in his Simplicity now the Simplicity of the divine essence is such that it admits of no composition at all neither Physical composition of matter and form nor Logical of subject and accident nor Metaphysical of act and power whereas the purest spirits that are admit of Logical and Metaphysical composition though not of Physical God onely excepted who admits of neither So Aquinas pr. part qu. 40. Propter divinam Simplicitatem est duplex identitas in divinis eorum quae in rebus creatis differunt quia enim illa excludit compositionem subjecti accidentis quicquid attribuitur Deo est ejus essentia quia autem excludit compositionem formae materiae in divinis idem est abstractum concretum Because of the simplicity of the divine essence there is a twofold identity in God which is not in any creature First an identity of essence and attributes because there is in him no composition of substance and accident Secondly an identity of abstract and concrete because there is in him no composition of form and matter and all action proceeding from form it is evident that he who is the agent in and of himself can be nothing else but a pure form without any mixture of any matter Nam quod est primò per se agens patet quòd sit primò per se forma 1 par qu. 3. art 2. So likewise Religion admits of no compositiou but must still remain in its own Simplicity for 1. There is in Religion no Physical composition of matter and form some will make Decency the accidental form of Religion others the Evangelical counsels the essential form and perfection of it but both are mistaken for the same holiness is the Religion of the Christian that was of the Jew though not the same beauty of holiness There is no separating the essential matter of Religion from the essential form of it and what is not intrinsecally holy that is both materially and formally cannot properly be said to be a substantial part of Religion Some look upon faith hope and charity as the formal part upon the other duties of the Decalogue as the material part of Religion but indeed such considerations are meerly notional they are not real for no man can reject an article of faith but he must also reject a commandment nor can any man wrong any commandment but he must also wrong an article of faith thus can you not expunge or deprave any commandment that contains your duty towards God but you must expunge or deprave some article of faith concerning him so also of the second table he that depraves any one of those commandments depraves those articles of faith that concern the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints Lastly he that denies or depraves that part of Gods law which concerns himself without any relation to his neighbour doth also deny or deprave some of those articles of faith that concern himself as The forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting As for example you cannot think that any common drunkard or unclean person doth so much as seriously consider much less truly believe the Resurrection of his body
or work of men hath in every age of the Church come to nought and so will to the worlds end but the counsel and work of God in the Christian Religion never yet was never shall be overthrown for the gates of hell might prevail against the Church of Christ could they prevail against the Christian Religion that upholds the Church But since chopping and changing in the profession and practise of Religion is now the great sin of many that would be thought the best Christians I will endeavour to shew that it should be also their shame no less then it is their sin for in vain is the pretence of Godliness in changing that which God hath ordained should partake of his own unchangeableness indeed in every respect that God himself is unchangeable Religion is so too now God is unchangeable in three respects essentiâ voluntate loco in his essence in his will in his place and Religion would fain also have this immutability First God is immutable in his essence Rev. 1. 4. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come from him who always was always will be the same that he now is as if he had said From him that is wholly immutable in his essence that is from God for no man is the same either that he was or that he shall be and no Angel is the same that he was for there was a time when he was not and the first Council of Nice thought it a sufficient proof of the judgement of the Catholick Church concerning the Divinity of Christ in that they said she anathematized those who said There was a time when he was not which is all one as if they had said concerning him That he was God who was and is and is to come for God alone may be said to have an unchangeable Being who hath his Being from himself all creatures whatsoever have once changed from a not-Being to a Being and would again change from a Being to a not-Being did not the same hand which at first made them still preserve them for it is proper onely to the Creatour who alone is of himself to be alone unchangeable in himself and so is Religion unchangeable in its essence for being the service of God it must be like its master since by the rule of Relatives Change in the service cannot but proceeed from change in the master at lest from some change in his will if not in his nature and therefore the argument rather pleads against the worship of Angels which is alledged by Bel. l. ◠de beat can San. c. 14. then for it where he thus argues the Angels were worshipped before Christs incarnation by Abraham and Lot Gen. 18 and 19. but the Angel forbad St. John to worship him Rev. 19. 10. and 22. 9. ob reverentiam humanitatis Christi for the reverence he did bear to Christ now in the nature of man I answer That reason is more forcible against invocation which humbles the soul then it is against adoration which humbles the body since Christ took upon him as well the soul of man as his body and consequently if we may not adore the Angels without disparaging the humane nature in Christ much less may we invocate them without fear of that disparagement But because this answer doth not satisfie the argument but rather invert it if not retort it I answer secondly That therefore the worshipping of Angels cannot be made good Religion because it was not as good Religion in S. John as it is supposed to have been in Abraham For if it had been once good Religion it would have been so still and must needs be so for ever since it concerns the very object of worship which must be unchangeable and not the manner of it which may in some respects be capable of change For Religion is Gods service and knows no more how to change it self then how to change its master else serving the time would come to be good Divinity instead of serving the Lord which now is taken for a false reading of the text Rom. 12. 11. occasioned by short writing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being enlarged by vowels might easily be turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore we must say that the same religious worship is commanded in Genesis and in the Revelation in the first and in the last book of Gods word and if the Angel might not lawfully be worshipped by S. Iohn he might not lawfully be worshipped by Abraham or by Lot that is to say not with a religious worship and therefore we must confess that their worship if religious was directed onely to the Son of God who then frequently appeared with the Angels as it were preluding to his own incarnation If not religious but either a civil or a moral reverence in acknowledgment either of the Angels government or of their excellency 't is improperly alledged as an act of Religion for if worshipping of Angels had been a duty of Religion either to Abraham or to Lot it must also have been so to S. Iohn and then the Angel would not have said See thou do it not but See thou do it And this is proof enough That worshipping of Angels is no part of Religion because it self is confessed to be a changeable worship but Religion cannot be denied to be an unchangeable service in its own nature and essence even as the God is whom it serves Secondly God is immutable or unchangeable in his will Vult mutationem non mutat voluntatem as saith Aquinas par 1. qu. 19. He wills a change but changeth not his will and accordingly God threatning destruction to the Ninivites and yet not destroying them may not be said to have changed his own will but to have willed their change For though in Promises and in Precepts Gods revealed will is a declaration of his secret will yet 't is not so in Threats or comminations of vengeance there God doth not so much declare what himself wills as what we deserve therefore threats may not be fulfilled and yet Gods will still be the same not so Promises or Precepts for God would not promise if he did not intend to perform nor would he command if he did not intend we should obey from his Promise we have an interest in his mercy for all good is clamable from his Precepts his Justice hath an interest in us for all evil is punishable and all transgression is evil so that God cannot promise or command what is not according to his will unless he should dispence either with his mercy or with his justice but in predictions of vengeance the case is otherwise God doth often threaten what he doth not will and therefore may change his threats and yet not change his will fór his threats shew not so much his will or his intent as our deservings that mischief is
of Religion but onely as matter of decency for decency hath much of its perfection from men but Religion hath all its perfection in and from it self and as God is proved to be all-sufficient from himself because he made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4. for even the wicked though without the order of particular yet are within the order of universal providence For God wills himself and his own goodness onely as the end but all other things as ordered to that end that is for himself and in relation to his own goodness So is it with Religion it admits of Ceremonies not for theirs but for its own goodness and thereby appears to be sufficient of it self without them If the shadow grow longer then the substance 't is an argument the Sun is yet either not at its heighth or past it so where Ceremonies are more looked after then piety and godliness it argues in men a defect of Religion and goodness God using the creature as an instrument doth not so use it for the want of vertue but for the abundance of his goodness non propter defectum virtutis sed propter abundandam bonitatis saith Aquin. par 1. qu. 22. So Religion using the ordinances of men doth it not for want of sufficiency in it self but to impart some excellencie to those ordinances Ut dignitatem causalitatis communicet to communicate to them so much vertue as to make them though not the essential yet the accidental causes of devotion in us and therefore we may no more reject such Ordinances then we may reject the helps of devotion Thirdly Gods perfection makes him not onely All-sufficient for himself but also for all things else besides himself Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield a sun to give life and a shield to preserve it The Lord will give grace and glory grace to our sanctification glory to our salvation that is a full sufficiencie for this life and for the next And no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly that is he hath already given all good things that we were able to receive and when we shall be able to receive the rest he will give them too for he will withhold none according to that of the same Prophet Psal. 145. v. 16. Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing scil whether it be living in earth or in heaven So is true Religion not onely sufficient in and for it self but for us also for what other reason can be given why so many men are contented to lose all that they may keep their consciences but onely this That Religion wants no perfection in it self and brings them that follow it to enjoy the perfection that is in God The third branch of Eternity is Omnisciency and God in that he is Eternal is also Omniscient Now the Omnisciencie of God consists in these two things First in that he fully knows himself Secondly in that he fully knows all other things in and by himself First God fully knows and understands himself the whole compass of his own minde and intentions what they are have been or ever shall be because eternitie is present to its self hence it is said Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. and this is a propertie not belonging to the Angels and much less to men the Angels know what their intentions have been and still are but not what they shall be for ever because then they could comprehend Infinity which cannot be in the understanding where it is not in the essence but as for us men we know not what our intentions have been Remember not the sins of my youth Psal. 25. 7. q. d. I have forgot them O do not thou remember them nor what they are Jer. 17. 9. The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and indeed never more deceitfull then when it labours to deceive it self nor what they shall be the best way concerning those is to say with the Psalmist Keep thy servant Psal. 19. for he that cannot tell what he shall resolve to morrow can less tell what he shall resolve all his life but God knows all his intentions from the beginning to the end so that he alone fully understands himself Secondly God fully knows all other things in and by himself this is a truth acknowledged by the father of lies though therefore acknowledged that it might be abused as truth is still by all the devils instruments Gen. 3. 5. Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil that is all things for they were either good or evil the looking-glass of eternity in it self representing all things to it self Good things by their proper forms and resemblances Evil things by the contrary good Bonum in se per speciem malum non per privationem in se existentem sed per bonum oppositum Aquin. par 1. qu. 14. Thus the Lord is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2. 3. as fully knowing himself and as fully knowing all other things in and by himself So also is Religion a thing of great knowledge cares not for an implicite faith in the knowing no more then in the assenting part cares not for a faith which doth not know for it self no more then for a faith which doth not assent for it self and so is in effect omniscient because it makes us know our selves and know our God that is in the serpents words Know good and evil for we know evil in knowing our selves and we know good in knowing our God First Religion is in effect omniscient because it makes us know our selves nothing else cares to look after the deceitfulness of the heart but sure nothing else can finde it out no man knows so much of himself as he that is religious he knows his own heart his own thoughts what they have been exceeding sinfull what they are very penitent and in some sort what they shall be very perseverant for upon supposition of Gods grace he can promise to himself a perseverance in the way of godliness This you will say is a comfortable doctrine and I doubt not but if you addict your self wholly to your devotions to have a constant communion with God but you will finde it as certain as 't is comfortable For if natural reason makes men very knowing that well improve it though it be but the dim light of men how much more doth Religion make men knowing that rightly use it since it is no other then the glorious light of God so that to live but one day according to the rules of piety and devotion will make a man more truly wise then study without piety will make him though he be a constant student very many years The prophet David tells us this Psal. 119. v. 98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser then mine enemies but lest any should say That may easily be that a good
labour that they may be strengthened by piety and godliness yet will I not enter upon a particular enumeration of Gods communicable Properties I have been too long already upon this argument much less upon a particular explication of them for it will be sufficient for my purpose which is the advancement of the true Religion in the hearts and lives of men if I briefly insist onely upon these three to which all the rest may be reduced and they are Truth in his Understanding Goodness in his Will and Purity in his Action for we cannot better consider Gods Activity then in the Purity of his Action unto which we must also annex a short discourse of Liberty as belonging to all three that is to say to Understanding and Will and Action And these three Properties of Truth Goodness Purity as they are eminently in God and evidences of his perfection so are they also eminent in Religion the service of God And first of the Truth of God and of Religion God is true by a metaphysical and by a moral Truth First By a metaphysical Truth as having the true knowledge of all things Psa. 139. 2. thou understandest my thoughts long before God understandeth our thoughts before they are the angels not when they are and therefore they are defective in truth because defective in understanding for Truth metaphysically is a conformity of the thing with the understanding and accordingly our blessed Saviour is particularly called the Truth as being the Omniscient Wisdome of God and the eternal Understanding of the Father even as the holy Ghost is the eternal Love both of Father and Son Secondly God is True by a moral Truth as having his Affection Expression Action agreeable to his knowledge and that in three respects 1. As Truth is opposed to Falshood for God neither wills nor speaks an untruth 2. As Truth is opposed to Dissimulation for God neither dissembleth nor deceiveth 3. As Truth is opposed to Inconstancy for God changeth not his judgement in truths declared or determined he changeth not the event in truths foretold or prophesied for in promises he keeps his word and his truth if man perform the conditions in threats he may not keep his word and yet keep his truth because they are but conditional And as for deceiving the Prophets Ezek. 14. 9. and 1 King 22. 23. we generally and truly answer Tradit diabolo decipiendos he delivereth them over to the devil to be deceived by him so saith the Text Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes. 2. 10 11 12. a text that gives us a fearful but yet a full account of all those strong delusions among men which led directly to the Father of lies the first step was a voluntary unrighteousness in not loving the truth the second step is a strong delusion in beleeving a lie the third step God keep them from treading in that who have trodden in the two former is a necessary damnation both for not loving the truth and for having pleasure in lies but still God is true though every man be a liar for God deceiveth the Prophet Ez◠14. 9. as he hardeneth the heart Exod. 10. 1. permissivè non efficienter permissively no◠efficaciously by not inhibiting or not purging those ill qualities that are already is the heart not by infusing any ill qualities into it and therefore though he saith I have hardened Pharaohs heart yet he saith unto us Harden not your own hearts and accordingly he threatneth in Ezekiel to destroy such a prophet from the midst of his people whose heart was hardned so fa◠as to deceive himself and others whereas he could not in justice destroy him onely for being that which himself had made him nay this permission is most plainly set forth in that parable of 1 Kin. 22. for all that God doth there is onely to let the evil spirit go forth that is not to inhibite him from going and deceiving not to send him down from heaven For it is evident that the evil spirit never did and never can come into heaven again since he was first thrown down from thence And thus briefly God is True Metaphysically and Morally Metaphysical truth consisting in the right apprehension of things as they are in themselves Moral truth in the right affection and profession of things as they are apprehended and this profession is either in word by veracity or in action by sincerity or in continuance of action by constancy so that moral truth is opposed to falshood because 't is the same with reality to dissimulation because 't is the same with sincerity and to wavering and floating because 't is the same with certainty And this same metaphysical and moral truth is also in Religion passing from the Master into his service for the Father seeketh such to worship him who worship him as he is that is who worship him in spirit because he is a Spirit and who worship him in truth because he is the Truth S. John 4. 23 24. The worship in spirit points at the metaphysical truth of Religion which requires a true apprehension of God the worship in truth points at the moral truth of Religion which requires an Affection Profession Action agreeable to that true apprehension and for both these hath our own Church taught us to pray Collect 7th Sunday after Tri. Graff in our hearts the love of thy Name Increase in us true Religion nourish us with all goodness and of thy great mercy keep us in the same Do you look for the metaphysical Truth of Religion 'T is in the knowledge of Gods Name which must be presupposed before the love of it since no man can love what he doth not know that you know God by his true Name such as himself hath proclaimed Exod. 32. 5 6 7. or that you apprehend God as he is not set up to your self an idol in stead of God as do all those who worship not the Father by the Son in the unity of the Spirit Again do you look for the moral truth of Religion 'T is in the love of Gods Name that you love him according to your knowledge or that you have your affection agreeable to your apprehension for to know God and not to love him is in effect to proclaim you do not truly know him since the same God is the first Truth and ground of our knowledge and also the last good and cause of our love and you may here likewise finde this moral truth of Religion in all respects First in its Reality for it is the very true Religion opposed to falshood or superstition 't is indeed Gods Name Secondly in its Sincerity or Fidelity for it is all Goodness not onely in the tongue but also in the heart
execution of justice yet is it from the affection of charity not the affectation of tyranny for the Church desires it not for her own sake but for their sakes who indeed want it and are in danger of perishing eternally for the want of it men that either have sinned notoriously or at least are inclined so to sin whilst they use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. or for a cloak of maliciousness 1 Pet. 2. 16. and 't is most evident that such men ought to be punished out of justice but are punished clearly out of charity for they are therefore put to open penance and punished in this world that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord and that others admonished by their example might be the more afraid to offend But the less the Church can now exact this penance of us the more ought we to exact it of our selves and the rather because every notorious offender wrongs three together his God his neighbour and himself his God by his disobedience his neighbour by his disturbance himself by his distemper so that it matters not which he most condemns in himself whether his injustice or his irreligion since the same two integral parts of justice are also the two integral parts of Religion viz. to flee evil and to do good as Religion challengeth all the soul both in its intellective part to embrace God as the first Truth in its affective part to cleave to God as the last good so also doth justice challenge all the soul it challengeth the understanding to know which is the right way it challengeth the will to follow it Justitia quoad legem regulantem est in ratione seu intellectu sed quoad imperium quo opera regulantur secundùm legem est in voluntate saith Aquinas Justice as it propounds or prescribes the rule is seated in the reason or in the understanding but as it commands our obedience to the rule prescribed so it is seated in the affection or in the will whence it comes to pass that few are the number of the just as also of the religious because none can be either truly just or religious but he alone whose whole soul is sanctified but he alone who is rectified both in his reason and in his affection both in his understanding and in his will and it is no less then the work of a whole age both for Gods grace and for mans industry to rectifie either and hence it is that God is specially called the God of the just ex speciali curâ cultu from the special care he hath of them to protect them here and to reward them hereafter and from the special worship or service he hath from them none doing him service but the religious and none being religious but the just But whence then so much injustice among Christians even too much for the heathen that know not God to practise and for the infidels that beleeve not God to profess I answer merely from the want of Religion in which want they are too too often the greatest sharers who are or might be the onely possessours for Pagans can have but a negative want of godliness such as they could not compass not having the true light of God to shew it but Christians have moreover a privative want of godliness such as they might and should have compassed had they not bid defiance to that light which shewed it which makes the Spirit of God pronounce a severe sentence against them from the mouth of S. Peter saying It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness or the way of justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the way of Religion then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them they are in a very bad condition who know not the way of righteousness but they are in a far worse who do know it but will not follow it they are under a fearfull doom who never turned to the holy commandment but their judgement will be intolerable who have wilfully turned from it and it is to be feared that God will ere long take from some Christians their Religion if he do not speedily give them more justice for he will not long endure that men should speculatively honour his Name but practically blaspheme it wherefore it is to be supposed that he will either make such Christians as regard not justice more just in their actions or less religious in their protestations that he will make them either afraid to violate the commands of Christ or ashamed to pretend to the profession of Christianity The next attribute we are now to consider in God is his Grace whereby he freely gives what is wanting to his creature for Grace is the participation of the divine nature and therefore above the condition of every man that hath it and much more above his deserts unless we will needs say that men may deserve to partake of the divine nature because they have corrupted and abused their own and this grace as it is in God is the actual communication of his goodness whereby he diffuseth himself to the sons of men as they are capable to receive him and never leaves to derive into them heavenly influencies till he hath instated them in the eternal bliss of heaven which goodness of God is more particularly revealed unto us in that covenant of Grace which God freely and favourably made with us when we were his enemies and therefore will certainly fulfill now we are his friends Ero Deus tuus seminis tui I will be thy God and thy seeds after thee for which promise there was no reason but his own undeserved grace though now his promise be a good reason of his performance and yet still his grace will approve it self to be free grace though we acknowledge that his promise hath made him a debter and where there is a debt there may seem to be matter of justice not of grace for we may not limit this universal proposition Promissum cadit in debitum A promise becomes a debt by distinguishing upon him that makes the promise and saying 'T is to be understood of the promises of men but not of God Promissio creaturarum non Dei as saith Paraeus in Ursinum pag. 158. for in truth Gods promise is more truly and universally a debt then the promise of any creature whatsoever because his promise is always of that which is really good for us and therefore undoubtedly claimable by us whereas the creature may promise what is not really good and consequently what we may not care to claim as for example All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me was a large promise but yet could not be made a debt because it could not be made worth the claiming whereas Gods promise to Abraham but onely of one small corner of those
kingdoms was taken for a good debt and a sufficient title to the land of Canaan which was from thence called The land of promise wherefore we may say safely with great confidence with greater comfort that Gods promise obligeth him not less but rather more then our promises can oblige us for we may promise in materia indebita or modo indebito in an unwarrantable matter or after an unwarrantable manner so that either he that hath made the promise may be bound to recall his word or he to whom it is made may be bound not to claim it either of which is enough to disannul the justice of a debt but we are sure God cannot promise any thing not really and compleatly good in the matter and in the manner and therefore his promise must needs be laid hold on as a debt worth claiming and more worth the having so that we cannot but look upon him as obliged to a most substantial and real performance of all his promises And yet still here is nothing but mere Grace not so much as merit of congruity for though a promise becomes a debt in God no less then in man yet that debt is a debt onely of favour not of justice and God is obliged to pay it onely in faithfulness which he oweth to his own truth not in justice which he oweth to our works or to our deservings Wherefore let a promise of Grace go for a debt but let it go for a debt of Grace not for a debt of justice that God may be bound onely to himself and not to us for as it was onely his own mere grace that first made him give us bond so it is onely the same grace that at last makes him keep it a grace that ought rather to supply us with arguments for devotion then for disputation for since it is evident that being enemies we could never have reconciled our selves it cannot be obscure that now we are friends we ow to him more then to our selves both the enjoyment and the continuance of our reconciliation And this is the most comfortable doctrine that can be preached to those who have rather wounded hearts then itching ears that would rather hear sound then pleasing divinity for such men must needs be desirous to have God more magnified then themselves and are contented to expect their salvation from him as well as with him for seeing themselves unable to make satisfaction for the least of their sins they dare not hazard their salvation upon the greatest of their righteousness but are willing to say with S. Paul For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. It was the death of his Son that wrought our reconciliation and it is the life of his Son that worketh our salvation by grace we are saved and this grace is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ because purchased by him derived from him and continued through him but yet this grace cannot so well be known by it self for so it is like God the authour of it altogether invisible as by its effects and they are five according to Aquinas Sunt autem quinque effectus gratiae in nobis quorum primus est ut anima sanetur secundus ut bonum velit tertius ut bonum quod vult essicaciter operetur quartus est ut in bono perseveret quintus est ut ad gloriam perveniat 12ae q. 111. art 3. There are five effects of grace in us the first is that it heals the soul of its natural maladie or distemper whereby it is prone onely to evil the second that it makes us will what is good the third that it makes us do the good which we have willed the fourth that it makes us persevere in doing that good the fifth that it brings us to glory to enjoy God the fountain of goodness so that in short where we finde most goodness both in the will and in the deed there we may be sure is most grace and where least goodness least grace and where no goodness no grace And this is also the truest touchstone of Religion whereby we may discern gold from dross which oftentimes glitters as much in the shew but yet stil comes far short in the value the glory may be alike in both but the goodness is far different That Religion which makes the best men will upon this account be found the best Religion and that made S. Augustine so zealous to describe the manners of the true Church as himself professeth lib. 1. Retract cap. 7. Jam baptizatus cùm Romae essem Manichaei jactarent de falsa fallaci continentia vel abstinentia quâ se ad imperitos decipiendos veris Christianis praeferunt scripsi duos libros unum de moribus verae Ecclesiae alterum de moribus Manichaeorum When the Manichees did brag of their false and fallacious continence or abstinence and upon that pretence did much deceive the ignorant people as if they forsooth had been the onely true Christians I thought it high time to write two books one of the manners of the true Church the other of the manners of the Manicheans his drift was from the good manners to finde out the good Religion whether it were in the Manichees or in the Church and he tells us that the Manichees did extoll themselves among the ignorant multitude chiefly by these two dâ—vices by crying down the Scriptures and by crying up themselves and their own great continencie Their first device was to cry down the Scriptures as if they had found a more perfect way of Religion then the word of God had taught them and concerning this the Father gives his definitive sentence lib. de moribus Eccl. Cathol cap. 9. Convictorum hominum ultima vox That this is the last plea of men that are convinced but will not be converted And again he saith the same in effect by way of interrogation which before he had said by way of definition Nescitis quantâ imperitiâ lacessitis libros quos soli reprehendunt qui non intelligunt soli intelligere nequeunt qui reprehendunt Are you indeed so ignorant as not to see what a madness it is to revile those books which onely they reprehend who do not understand and onely they cannot understand who will needs reprehend them August lib. de moribus Eccl. cath cap. 25. Their second device was to cry up themselves and particularly their own continency that though their auditores their common sort had wives yet their electi their choice ones had none and concerning this the same Father answers thus lib. de mor. Manichaeorum cap. 19. Vidi ipse plures quam tres Electos simul post transeuntes nescio quas foeminas tam petulanti gestu adhinnire ut omnium trivialium impudicitiam impudentiamque superarent that even their elect ones did pretend to much more
continency then they did observe but concerning this the world would more willingly leave men to the judgement of their own consciences how to serve God with the most purity and with the least distraction if they did but answer to themselves this Question whether it is better that they which have wives be as though they had none 1 Cor. 7. 29. or that they which have no wives be as though they had them for what is best is doubtless in this as in other cases the determination of Religion for that labours to make men like God both in their bodies and in their souls in their bodies by sobriety temperance and chastity either virginal or vidual or conjugal in their souls by holy meditations and more holy affections and where men do most truly express this holiness in their lives and conversations 't is not to be doubted but there is the best and the purest Religion although it is often seen that where is the best and the purest Religion there men do not alwaies express the same in their lives and conversations which made the same S. Augustine declare this as a dogmatical sanction ex malorum Christianorum moribus non vituperandam esse Ecclesiam Aug. lib. de mor. Eccl. Cath. cap. 34. that the Church is not to be blamed for the misdemeanours of some men that live in her communion since she her self condemns those misdemeanours and labours to correct them The upshot of all may be this that not the practical but the doctrinal miscarriages of men are to be imputed to the Church and where are fewest of such miscarriages there is most of truth and goodness where is most of these there is most of the pure Religion for as manners make the man so Religion makes the manners and it is little other then the doctrine of devils that saith hell is full of moral honest men though it pretend to set up faith for S. Paul plainly shews that faith alone was the cause of all moral honesty in the Jews Heb. 11. so that 't is too much for any man to doubt much more to deny but that faith alone is the cause of all true moral honesty in the Christians whence our blessed Saviour preacheth onely moral duties S. Luk 21. 31. take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life c. he bids them be temperate sober and content watch and pray and what is all this but moral honesty yet if this rightly done and 't is rightly done onely in true beleevers proceed not from faith we must infer that we may stand in judgement without faith for so it follows v. 36. that ye may stand before the Son of man nor would Christ have thus taught daily in the temple v. 37. had this not been the right way of preaching true faith in Christ and what he prescribes in his doctrine he performs in his practise for his nights were spent in praying as his days in preaching and therefore to say that hell is full of moral honest men is to say that hell is full of true beleevers and consequently to blaspheme that precious faith in Christ which could not sanctifie the hand in working did it not first sanctifie the heart in beleeving and we cannot but say that Noahs preparing the Ark and Abrahams offering his son was materially an act of obedience that moral honest vertue which this world cares not to profess much less to practise though it was formally an act of faith and so we may say concerning those other examples there cited by S Paul wherein some vertue that belongs to the catalogue of moral honesty will come in for the material part though faith alone may happily challenge the formal part of the performance and Aquina's distinction of actus virtutis imperatus câ—â—â—tus will reconcile the difference for all vertuous acts truly so called are the acts of faith imperativè as commanded by it whence S. Augustine stiled the best works of unbeleevers but gilded or glittering sins though onely the peculiar acts of beleeving and confessing be the acts of faith elicitive as immediately and directly flowing from it for faith is in the soul as the soul is in the body and as all motion in the body is by redundancy from the soul so all good motion in the soul is by redundancy from faith and hence it is there is so great an influence of our words upon our manners and of our manners upon our doctrine and consequently upon our faith for as evil words corrupt good manners so also evil manners corrupt good words it having been the fate of Religion first to decay in mens lives then in their doctrines first in their works then in their faith so that irreligion first gets into our conversations then into our catechismes and the miscarriages of Churches have first been practical and after that dogmatical men being generally more zealous for their credit in labouring to justifie their errours then for their innocency in confessing that they have erred The third and last Attribute we are now to consider in God is his Mercy whereby he freely forgives what is due unto himself For as the act of grace is most clearly evidenced in freely giving what was not due unto the creature so is the act of mercy most conspicuous in freely forgiving what is due from it Aquinas makes Gods Mercy the foundation of all his works of distributive justice even in rewarding the righteous then much more is it the foundation of his not working according to his vindicative justice in the punishment of our unrighteousness 'T is a heavenly contemplation of his and such heavenly contemplations are very frequent in the angelical doctour opus divinae justitiae semper praesupponit opus misericordiae in eo fundatur 1 Par. qu. 21. ar 4. the work of Gods Justice alwaies presupposeth the work of his Mercy and is founded in it for the creature can have nothing due to it but for some thing that is in it and the creature hath nothing in it which did not flow immediately from the goodness of the Creatour therefore that goodness alone must be looked upon as the ground and foundation of all that the creature is capable of which alone put the same into a capacity of any thing at all Et sic in quolibet opere Dei apparet misericordia quantum ad primam radicem ejus cujus virtus salvator in omnibus consequentibus etiam vehementius in eis operatur sicut causa primaria vehementius influit quam causa secunda words that deserve to be engraven with letters of gold and much more to be engraven in our hearts and this is the meaning of them there is no work of God but mercy is the ground and root of it and this ground is preserved in all the building this root is seen in all the fruits that grow from it nay it hath a great efficacy of working above them