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
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
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
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
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
continuance for herein Gamaliel spake as the oracle of God if this counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought Acts 5. 38. If the counsel be to serve our own ends the work is so to and then both counsel and work are of men of perverse and refractory men and being of men it will come to nought and God forbid but so it should All this while here is a certainty of nothing but onely of the good seed It is most sure the seed which God sowes is good and yet neither hypocrites nor profane nor perverse men are fully assured of its goodness because they have but an assurance of speculation not of affection such an assurance as swims onely in the brain to convince them by way of information not such an assurance as sinks down into the heart to convert them by way of reformation making them out of love with their own errours much less by way of confirmation making them really in love with Gods truth for this latter assurance belongs onely to those who follow St Peters advice laying aside all malice or wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is against the profane persons and all guile and hypocrisies that is against the hypocrites and envies and evil speakings that is against the perverse as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby 1 S. Pet. 2. 1 2. not grow rich or powerfull or honorable in this world but grow pious and religious and devout prepared for a better world for such men only receive that heavenly seed in good ground which is like to bring forth encrease such men only receive the word in an honest and a good heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a heart that is honest and free from hypocrisie in a heart that is good and free from wickedness that will not let the man be profane in a heart that is good and free from refractoriness that will not let the man be perverse for even Aristotle's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requires a man to be good in all these three respects without hypocrisie in his intention without profaneness in his action without perverseness in his affection and therefore surely Christs school will not admit of any other scholar and if any other scholar be admitted he will be but little benefitted by his learning for he that doth not thus receive the word of grace hath not yet tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 S. Pet. 2. 3. Nor is it requisite here to insist upon the impediment of ignorance amongst us who say we live in the sun-shine of the Gospel and that our eyes are open to see more then all our fathers before us or all our neighbours about us or all our brethren with us for in truth we cannot justly complain of ignorance whom God hath so effectually called to the knowledge of his truth and faith in him by placing us in a Church which is able to protest with St. Paul and indeed every true Christian Church being the grand Apostle of its nation ought to make good this Apostolical protestation Ye know how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly testifying repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ Acts 20. 21 22. I say we cannot justly complain of ignorance who have our eyes open to see the truth but we may and must complain of our detestable unthankfulness which hath filled us with hypocrisie and profaneness and perversness but especially with perversness for whiles our eyes are open our hearts are shut shut faster then the iron gate that lead unto the city was shut against St Peter because we generally defie those whom God hath called his Angels Apoc. 1. 20. for whiles they did go along with us and we with them the iron gate which leadeth unto the City of God the true Jerusalem did open to us of its own accord like Acts 12. 10. we had no difficulty in Religion which we were not able to conquer But now we have gotten very many difficulties which we shall never be able to subdue till we have conquered that which caused them all our own perversness Indeed we have gotten almost as many Religions as men and yet as many difficulties as Religions for having turned our Jerusalem into Babel God hath justly divided our languages and which yet is far worse hath also divided our minds that since we would not all speak the same thing we should not be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. so far are we now from enjoying Gods blessing because we have been far from obeying his command for the command hath not the weaker obligation because it is uttered by way of benediction but ought rather to have the stronger influence Rom. 15. 5 6. Now the God of all patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one minde and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We would not glorifie God with one mouth when we were thereunto called and now we cannot glorifie him with one minde that it is more then evident whiles we have pretended to thrust out the Papist we have let in the Atheist and that in the most dangerous kind of Atheism if we be not overcome by it but the most damnable if we be the perverse Atheisme For it is a misery which may be lamented but cannot be denied that though all the world cannot make one and the same person more then one man yet he may make himself no less then three Atheists an Atheist in his Understanding by not knowing God an Atheist in his Will and Affections by not loving and regarding him and an Atheist in his Life and Conversation by not honouring and obeying him The first you may call the ignorant or blind Atheist the second the perverse the third the profane Atheist the heathen had most of the ignorant but the Christian hath most of the perverse and of the profane Atheist and if you will ask which of these two is the worser there is no Divine but must be unwilling to answer you because he cannot be willing to countenance either but yet you may take this observation in part of payment till you have a fuller answer to discharge the reckoning That our blessed Saviour whiles he lived on the earth converted many Publicans and sinners which were in the number of profane but very few Pharisees and hypocrites which were in the number of perverse Atheists CHAP. 3. Of the Substance and the Exercise of Religion and the difference betwixt them in regard of the Authority Certainty and Immutability THere are two substantial parts of the Christian Religion The first is conversant in the knowledge The second in the worship of God in Christ so that the substance of the Christian Religion
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
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
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
nature and therefore partaketh of Gods properties both incommunicable and communicable may be thought an impertinent discourse by some because it deals in speculatives and perchance an impious discourse by others because it may seem to destroy practicks and so joyn hands with the sacrilegious profaneness of this age which trades wholly in destructives not onely in regard of man but also of God himself Yet since the end of Religion is to bring man to God it cannot be amiss to see how near the work thereof conduceth to that end and it may be proper if not necessary to shew the excellencies of Religion that mens eyes being dazled with the admirable beauty their hearts may be inflamed with the divine perfections of holiness For Holiness and Religion are one and the same thing essentially though they are different in our apprehensions therefore S. Peter calling upon us to be religious calleth upon us in these words 1 S. Pet. 1. 15 16. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy where it is evident that we are called upon for holiness from the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of God the holy Ghost not onely by the authority of God the Father For it is written and by the example of God the Son But as he which hath called you is holy but also by the communion of God the holy Ghost Be ye holy for I am holy as if he had said Holiness can have no fellowship with impurity therefore unless you will be holy you must not onely renounce the authority of God commanding the example of God conducting but also the fellowship of God conversing and communicating with you For the force of the argument consists in the proper nature of God and our relation to and with God Accordingly I cannot better shew the excellencies of Religion then by shewing how near its holiness comes to the very nature and essence of God himself and then none will doubt but the Angelical Doctour did rightly say Nomen sanctitatis duo videtur importare Munditiem firmitatem that holiness imports two things purity for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one far removed from the corruptions of the earth and constancie for so sanctum or sancitum lege firmatum are all one and there is an absolute necessity of both these in that man that will be truly religious for he that will be joyned to the most High must be far removed from the things below there 's the purity and he that will be joyned to the first Beginning and last End which is wholly immoveable must be firm and immoveable in his conjunction there 's the constancy Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 38. Certus sum quòd neque mors neque vita separabit me à charitate Dei I am sure and certain not onely I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate me from the love of God He that knows it is all one to love Religion and to love God will never be separated from its love and he that knows Religion to be the service of God will easily acknowledge that such as is the master such is his service And therefore all Divines agree in this that one and the same true Divinity but some have likewise said that one and the same commandment making the first and second but one doth teach us the true knowledge of God and of Religion the proper service of God for Religion is nothing else but the immediate worship of God Religio distinctiùs non quemlibet sed Dei cultum significat saith S. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 1. If we say Worship we may possibly mean a civil or a moral worship but if we say Religion we can mean no other but Divine worship or the immediate worship of God And therefore there is no one attribute of God but shews in some sort the nature of the true Religion for such as God is in Himself such also is the Religion that serveth and pleaseth Him I will accordingly endeavour with Gods grace to shew the nature of Religion from the very nature of God yet with such a method as shall not seek to satisfie the curious by its exactness but onely to establish the conscientious by its godliness always remembring that when God shews a mortal man his glory as he did to Moses Exod. 33. 23. though he may see much yet much more there is which cannot be seen nor can any Divine whatsoever see so much of God as he doth desire nor can he express so much as he doth see It is enough therefore if I draw such a scheme of Gods attributes as is fittest to instruct my self and others in the nature of true godliness God is a Spirit and so is his service altogether spiritual S. John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth There must be nothing in his worship of carnal inventions and much less of carnal affections for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Rom. 8. 6. wherein we have described in few words the true and the false Religion the one is spiritual the other carnal they are both described 1. In themselves to be minded for religion calls for the soul whether we serve God or Mammon 2. In their causes the cause of the one is flesh of the other spirit 3. In their effects the effect of the one is life and the assurance of it peace the effect of the other is death Religion then it self is to be minded it always engageth the soul and the true Religion is to be spiritually minded eagaging the soul according to the dictates of Gods holy Spirit And indeed Religion hath the chiefest properties of a spirit For 1. A spirit is invisible and imperceptible by the sense so is the true Religion the natural man perceives it not 1 Cor. 2. 14. and S. Paul calleth the things of Religion spiritual things Rom. 15. 27. The Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things and 1 Cor. 9. 11. If we have sowen unto you spiritual things Take heed then of a carnal eye in Gods worship that loves to look upon an image but much more of a carnal affection that loves to look upon it self 2. A spirit hath life in it self and giveth life unto the body so Religion hath life in it self and giveth life to those that are religious S. John 17. 3. This is life eternal that they may know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The true knowledge of God in Christ which cannot be without a practise answerable to it is the true Religion and that is life eternal both formally in it self and effectually in regard of us Christ is not onely the truth
to the earth with them 't is because they have not yet seen the light of Christ nor heard his voice saying I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9. But we shall the more clearly see the splendour of this Omnipotency if we do seriously consider how suddenly the light of the Gospel notwithstanding all oppositions and persecutions did shine to the remotest corners of the earth insomuch that Polidore Virgil saith lib. 2. Hist. Ab initio orti Evangelii Britanniam fidem recepisse That Great Britain received the Faith from the first preaching of the Gospel and yet Britain was looked upon as divided from all the habitable world penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos many years after Christ. But Gildas saith more expresly De excidio Britan. in Biblioth Patrum Tom. 5 Tempore ut scimus summo Tiberii Caesaris c. We know that Britain received the faith towards the latter time of Tiberius now the very last year of Tiberius was the year of our Lord 38 in Baronius his account so that it is evident if Gildas say true and he was worse then mad if he produced his scimus to broach a lie That Britain received the Christian Faith within five years after the resurrection of Christ and therefore sure not from the Church of Rome for that Church did not it self receive that faith till the 45 year of the Lord that is at least ten years after the resurrection of Christ as saith the same Baronius that in the year of Christ 45 on the 15 of the Calends of Febr. that is the 17 of our January the Church of Rome was instituted by S. Peter and the Popes chair erected there and on that day this prayer was used in ancient rituals Omnipotens sempiterne Deus qui ineffabili sacramento Apostolo tuo Petro principatum Romae urbis tribuisti unde se Evangelica Veritas per tota mundi regna diffunderet Praesta quaesumus ut quod in orbem terrarum ejus praedicatione manavit Universitas Christiana Devotione sequatur Bar. Anti-Christ 45. nu 1. And surely if the truth of the Gospel did go into all the world from Rome and came not to Rome till the 45 year of Christ there were at least ten whole years from the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ wherein the truth of the Gospel did lie as it were hid in a corner but this was certainly far otherwise and Baronius his old prayer must therefore be accounted a new invention and might easily from the very stile of it be so proved for sure very few parts of the now Christian world did stay so many years for the Christian Faith And if the Church of Rome were so unhappy to stay so long for Christianity that she might get Supremacy she may still be so unhappy for ought we know as to keep the Supremacy and lose the Christianity however certain it is that innumerable other Churches and amongst the rest this of Britain received the Christian Faith long before that time the Sun of Righteousness breaking forth like the Sun in the firmament not unto any one place or people alone but unto all What providence brought Joseph of Arimathea or any other Apostolical man to England before St. Peter came to Rome might perchance be accounted a curious but would certainly be a vain dispute 't is enough for the proof of the Omnipotency of the Christian Religion That the Saviour of the world who died for all did not suffer the distance of place to keep or intercept from any the speedy knowledge of his salvation The second branch of Eternity is All-sufficiency and therefore God as he is eternal is likewise all-sufficient as he is eternal of himself so he is all-sufficient in himself which all-sufficiency consists of these three parts 1. That he hath an absolute perfection 2. That he hath this perfection in and from himself 3. That this perfection is not onely sufficient for himself but also for all things besides himself First God hath an absolute perfection not onely of essence or being but also of operation or working for even in that grand Objection That the wicked do flourish and the righteous are oppressed appears a three-fold perfection of Gods operation First in the variety of his providence that he dispenseth both prosperity and adversity Secondly in the justice of his providence that he punisheth sinne in his own servants who though they can say their adversities are greater then other mens yet can they not say they are so great as are their own sins Thirdly in the mercy of his providence that he punisheth them onely temporally therein shewing his mercy to be greater then either their adversities or their sins And so also true Religion hath an absolute perfection both in its being and in its working that is both in its substance and in its exercise and what defects or faults are to be found in the exercise of it among any sort of Christians belong to the men not to the Religion Some will needs kneel to Images that were of their own making others will not kneel to God their Maker the one may go for the exercise of Superstition the other for the exercise of profaneness but neither can go for the exercise of Religion Secondly God hath his perfection in and from himself For who hath first given unto him and it shall be recompensed unto him again Rom. 11. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath given first unto him We may and do and must give unto God O give thanks unto the Lord saith the Psalmist there 's our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our giving unto him but even in this is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his giving first to us for he gives us the grace before we give him the praise we give but he gives first for he hath his perfection in and from himself we have ours in and from him And so hath Religion its perfection in and from it self whence it is called the beauty of Holiness Psal. 96. 9. The Christian Religion is the Beauty of earth even as Christ the Authour of it is the Beauty of Heaven And the Beauty of Holiness which is in Religion consists not in our adorning of Churches or in outward pomp and Ceremonies but in its own internal harmony and congruity to and conformity with him who is the very Beauty of Heaven the proper place of Holiness as being the habitation of the Holy One If thou come to worship thou receivest beauty from the holiness not the holiness beauty from thee thy soul is beautified thereby and made the Love of God and Angels but Religion was so of it self ever before as it is said Psal. 93. 6. Holiness becometh thy house for ever the holiness of Gods House is a becoming holiness and it is a holiness for ever a holiness that was before the creation of the world and a holiness that shall be after the end thereof Therefore outward ornament may not be pleaded for as matter
man should be wiser then his enemies for none are enemies to good men that have not first lost their wits as well as their honestie therefore he addeth further I have more understanding then all my teachers v. 99. And lest we should still object That the teachers are not always the wisest especially if they teach too soon before they have been diligent learners he addeth yet further I understand more then the ancients v. 100. that is then those that have been longest learners before they became teachers That 's the most profitable wisdome which makes a man wiser then his enemies for it keeps him from being circumvented that 's the most honourable wisdome which makes a man wiser then his teachers for it gives him a preeminence of understanding far above his condition that though he is called to be a learner yet he is enabled to be a teacher Lastly that 's the most infallible wisdome which makes a man wiser then the ancients for that gives him a preeminence of understanding above the condition of mortality which can attain to no greater wisdome then such as is gained by long travel of study confirmed by longer experience of years so that if we desire that wisdome which is most profitable most honourable and most infallible we must do as this holy man did converse more with God then with men for so he professeth v 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding we may see that understanding is to be gotten by studying the precepts of men but we cannot get it savingly but by studying the precepts of God for the prophet Daniel saith The light dwelleth with God Dan. 2. 22. and S. John saith He that loveth his brother abideth in the light what is this light but the truth or the true Religion which hath these two properties of light that 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it enlightens and reproves it enlightens the understanding by the knowledge of God it reproves the will the affections and the actions for the practise of evil Secondly Religion is in effect Omniscient because it makes us know all things besides our selves that is all things that are proper and profitable for us to know things wherein are the true comforts of this life the true blessings of the next so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 15. The spiritual man judgeth or discerneth all things the more he is spiritual the more he is able to discern the more he increaseth in Religion the more he increaseth in true wisdome and knowledge as the man in the Gospel when his eyes were first opened mistook men for trees but afterwards when he was perfectly cured he could distinguish both aright so the spiritual man at his first conversion hath but a confused knowledge of the things necessary to his salvation but afterwards he comes exactly to judge and to discern them all nor will his faith whereby he knows in part leave him till he come by degrees to a clear vision Let several knowing men all rejoyce in the excellencies of their several knowledges but let this be the priviledge onely of the religious man That he alone knows whom he hath beleeved and whom he may trust for he alone is able to know how God disposed of him before his life and how he will dispose of him after his death 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 IT is the special priviledge of the good Christian that the same Religion doth make him imitate God here which will make him enjoy God hereafter for the same God who is the Authour of Religion is also the best pattern of it because Religion resembles him not onely per modum vestigii but also per modum Imaginis not onely as having his footsteps for so every creature represents the Creatour but also as having the exact lineaments and pourtraitures of his very Image so that Gods Service is best known by the knowledge of himself and the Properties of the true Religion are best declared by declaring the Properties of God The Incommunicable Properties have been already spoken of his Simplicity Infinity Immutability Eternity and the three branches or adjuncts thereof his Omnipotency All-sufficiency Omnisciency I now come to the communicable Properties of God which are especially these three Truth in his Understanding Goodness in his Will and Activity in his operative faculty answerable to his Truth and Goodness for the Intellective faculty is vain without the Affective the Affective without the Operative and therefore according to the proportion and perfection of the one is also necessarily the proportion and perfection of the other God first knows then wills then works As he knows so he wills not Irrationally As he wills so he works not Ineffectually And so is Religion very Intellective and very Affective and very Active or Operative these three properties are all joyned together Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do for this is your wisdome and your understanding where we have wisdome for the Intellective keeping or observing for the Affective and doing for the Operative faculty of the soul Accordingly Divines tell us there are some vertues that are Catholick or Universal belonging to the whole worship of God in general and having alike influence upon all the Commandments or upon all the duties of Religion whether they concern God immediately in himself or mediately in his Image and these Catholick vertues are Wisdome and Prudence in the Understanding Integrity Alacrity and Constancy in the Will and Zeal and Perseverance in the action that Election Affection Action may all joyn together to glorifie him who is the first Truth to direct our Election the last Good to satisfie our Affection and the chiefest Excellency to excite and provoke our Action Wherefore it is the property of Religion to make a man more judicious more affectionate and more industrious then he was before though he had never so piercing a Judgement never so strong and vehement Affections never so industrious an Action For the soul of man though it consist of these three faculties the Intellective or knowing the Affective or desiring the operative or working the Intellective faculty whereby it knows what is to be done the Affective whereby it desires to do it and the Operative or Active whereby it sulfils that desire in doing yet this very soul doth not cannot rightly know or desire or do till it be throughly instructed exalted and quickned by Religion nay on the contrary all the while it continues irreligious it is stupid in knowledge perverse in affection and sluggish in action for though there is in all spirits a power of knowing what is true of desiring what is good and of effecting what they desire yet we cannot but acknowledge that these three faculties in all men who have their spirits clogged with sinfull flesh are very much weakened by sin and consequently must
will not throw away both justice modestie can pretend it to be a work of Religion and righteousness unless there be a Religion and Righteousness without or to speak more plainly and more truly both together against the Text. And as it was before Christs time so ever since till of late years there was the same Supreme in Church and Commonwealth where the Commonwealth was Christian according to that golden rule of Theodosius in the Acts of the first Ephesine Council sacrâ ad Cyrillum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You must know that the Church and the Commonwealth are so knit together that both do make but one body and therefore can admit but one head and when the Donatists in S. Augustines time thought much that the Civil magistrate should interpose in matters of Religion the good Father Epist. 50. alledgeth the text against them Psal. 2. 10 11. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings serve the Lord with fear and gives this gloss upon it Aliter Rex Domino servit quia homo est Aliter quia etiam Rex est Quïa homo est ei servit vivendo sideliter quia verò etiam Rex est servit leges justa praecipientes contraria prohiben'es convenienti vigore sanciendo sic servivit Hezekias lucos templa idolorum excelsa destruendo c. A King serves God otherwise as he is a man and otherwise as he is a King as a man he serves him by living faithfully but as a King he serves him by making and executing pious laws to propagate and defend his service so did Hezekias so did Josias serve him nay so did the King of Nineveh serve him in commanding a fast upon Jonahs preaching so did Darius serve him in allowing Daniel to break the image and casting his enemies into the lions den so did Nabuchodonosor serve him forbidding his subjects to blaspheme his Name In hoc ergo serviunt Reges Domino in quantum sunt Reges quum ea faciunt ad serviendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges Then do Kings serve God as Kings when they do those things for his service which none can lawfully do but Kings This saith he could not be in the Apostles times when the Kings of the earth did stand up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his Christ but now that text is fulfilled all the Kings of the earth shall worship him Quis mente sobrius Regibus dicit nolite curare in regno vestro c. Who but a mad man will say to Kings Do not you look after the Church what is it to you whether the people be Religious or sacrilegious and again Epist. 48. he answers the same objection concerning the Apostles times and since their times till some late centuries of years 'T is most evident that Christian Kings and Emperours did call all the general councils confirm their canons and order the chief matters of Religion Eusebius goes so far as to say that holidays were appointed by the Emperour Constantine Euseb. de vita Const. lib. 4. and that himself did once say to the Bishops when he had invited them to a feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You are appointed Bishops or Overseers of Gods service within the Church but without the Church God hath appointed me to be a Bishop you must perform the Divine Service but I must see it performed The like is evident concerning all the ancient Councils The first general Council was called by Constantine and he gives this reason for it because it much concerned him to see that truth and peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be preserved in the Church The second was called by Theodosius the first and the Fathers of that Council in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Emperour do first make this profession that they were gathered together by his writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then make this petition that their decrees might be confirmed by his authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third by Theodosius the second and Valentinian The Monks petition them not to neglect the Church of God adulterated by Hereticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to call a Council to suppress them and the Council it self professeth they were gathered together by the Emperours Edict 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calling them for their pains Most Relgious Emperours Lovers of Christ and beloved of God Democratical frensie had not yet so poisoned Religion as to teach Church-men to speak irreverently of Kings much less to act disobediently against them and Pope Celestine in his Epistle to Theodosius tells him plainly Major vobis fidei causa debet esse quà m regni ampliúsque pro pace Ecclesiarum clementia vestra debet esse sollicita quà m pro omnium securitate terrarum You ought 't is not courtesie but duty You ought saith he to set a higher estimation upon your faith then upon your Crown and to be more sollicitous for the peace of the Church then for the peace of your kingdom and he gives an irresistible reason for this undeniable truth Pro vestri enim imperii salute geritur quicquid pro quiete Ecclesiae vel sanctae Religionis reverentiâ laboratur for the same consultations which establish peace and purity in the Church do establish peace and safetie in the Commonwealth The fourth general Council was called by the Emperour Martian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the words of the Fathers in the second Action and in the sixth Action they call him plainly a Defender of the Faith a new Constantine a new David nay a new Paul too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They thought a Religious King in some sort equal to an Apostle though not for preaching the Gospel yet for propagating it much like unto that gloss of Aben-Ezra upon Lam. 2. 6. The Priest is to teach the law and the King is to defend the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the law is committed to them both The fifth general Council was called by Justinian and the Bishops with one acclamation say unto him Zizania tu ejecisti Ecclesias tu emendâsti in collat 4. ad sinem 't is you have thrown out the tares 't is you have reformed the Church and himself in his form sent to the Council to be read before they opened the Synod saith he called this Council as his Predecessours had the other before him Constantine that of Nice Theodosius the first that of Constantinople Theodosius the second that of Ephesus and Martian that of Chalcedon and saith that Constantine Theodosius and Martian did very much assist the Bishops in their several Councils for the recovering either of the veritie or unitie of the Church The sixth general Council was called by Constantinus Pogonatus his own Edict directed to Pope Domnus but by reason of his decease delivered to Agatho professeth as much wherein he requires him to send some of his Church not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉