1440. pag. 1441. said that he was a right Scripture man and would haue nothing but Scripture and his Chaplaine said he would haue nothing but his little pretie Gods Booke and is it not sufficient saith Master Hawkes for my saluation Yes saith he it is sufficient for our saluation but not for our instruction Master Hawkes answered God send me the saluation and you the instruction And surely it is sufficient not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for if it sufficeth for saluation how can it bee insufficient for our instruction therefore the Apostle Saint Paul teacheth vs both the one and the other saluation and instruction by the Scriptures for first he saith d 2. Tim. 3.15 the holy Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus Behold here the Scriptures are sufficient for our saluation and not onely for our saluation but also for our instruction for he saith able to make vs wise vnto saluation that is to instruct vs to saluation yea in the next verse he saith that the e vers 16.17 Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect Behold the Scriptures sufficient and profitable for our instruction and not onely profitable to the man of God to the Doctor the Minister and the learned but also profitable to the ignorant simple and vulgar sort for f Psal â—9 7 it maketh wise the simple and therefore the reading thereof appertaineth as wel vnto the ignorant and vnlearned as vnto the learned for if it appertaine but vnto the learned to reade the Scriptures it appertaineth then vnto none to reade them for no body is learned before he haue read them we reade not the word of God because we are learned but to become so And therefore the Papists doe wrong the people of God depriuing them of the reading of the Scripture lest say g Hosius in loc Com. they the Porters Coblers Bakers should be Prophets farre vnlike to Moses h Numb 11.29 who wisht that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them but very like the Bâ—silidians whose steppes they follow who as i Jrenae lib. 1. cap. 23. Ephiph haeres 24 Irenaeus and Epiphanius write did hide their doctrines We are men said Basilides all the rest are hoggs and dogges * Matth. 7.6 Cast not therfore said he your pearles before swine nor giue that which is holy vnto doggs which was to confesse openly * Bernard in Cant. serm 65. At istud apertè faâ—eri est se non esse de ecclesia qui onmes qui de ecclesia sunt canes censet porcos that he himselfe was not of the Church calling all those that are of the Church swine and dogges Yea in hindering the people of God to enter into this sweete Paradise of holy Scripture they are like the Scribes and Pharisees their forefathers against whoÌ„ our Sauiour Christ pronounceth this woe k Matth. 23.13 Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites for ye shut vp the kingdom of heauen against men for ye neither goe in your selues neither suffer yee them that are entring to goe in Besides as they haue detracted from the Scripture by their blasphemous reproches accusing it of insufficiencie and imperfection so haue they also added vnto it l Cicero orat 44. in Anton. Philip secunda Is Caesaris leges easque praeclares euertie For as Marcus Antonius did abolish the excellent Laws of Caesar m Testamentum irrituÌ„ fecit Ibid. and made void his Testament n Ibid. Acta Caesaris pacis causa confirmata 〈◊〉 à senatu quâ—â— quidem Caesar egisset non eâ— quae Caesarem egisse dixisset Antonius c. yea when the Senate had ratified the Actes of Casar hee added to Caesars Actes what hee listed and would haue it to stand as sure as if Caesar himselfe had enacted it So these haue indeuoured to abolish the Law of God to make void the Testament of our onely Caesar and Sauiour Christ and haue added to his Testament what they listed and will haue them to stand as sure as if Christ had enacted them yet they would make vs beleeue that they doe o Ibid. Et tu in Caesaris memoria diligens tu illum amas mortuum much in remembrance and honour of Christ and that they loue him for first they adde vnto the Canonicall books of the Scripture other books that are not Canonicall but Apocrypha because they finde in those bookes many things to serue their turnes for the maintaining of their heresies which they cannot shide at all in the Canon of the Scripture Secondly because this is not sufficient they adde their traditions and determinations yea their gospels wheras all addition of Gospels to the onely true Gospell is execrable Some as the begging Friers disciples of Saint Dominick and Saint Francis inuented and published forth a booke ful of horrible blasphemies which they named the Gospâ—ll of the holy Ghost or the euerlasting Gospell full of their own â—ables and abominable errors teaching that Christs Gospell was not to be compared vnto it and that the Gospell of Christ should bee preached but â—â—â—â—ie yeeres so they opposed the Gospell of their holy Ghost to the true Gospell of the holy Ghost their eternall Gospell 〈◊〉 that Gospell which is called p 〈◊〉 14.6 the euerlasting Gospell to be prâ—â—ched vnto them that dwellâ—â— the earth and to euery Nâ—â—ion and kindred and tonguâ— and â—â—ple and that euen unto the ende of the world whâ—â—â—â— their gospell was of the Deuill that impure spirit was not an euerlasting Gospel but was soon refuted by Guiliâ—â—â—â—â— de â—â—â—ctâ— Amâ—re condemned by the Pope secretly burnt Others call the Determination of the Church the Gospell some â—â—â—â—taining that the Popes Decrâ—â—all Episties are to bee counted among the Canonicall books and made equall with the Scripture Some making their humane ordinances equall with the Scripture in authoritie Others pâ—â—â—eâ—â—ing them before it and maintaining that the authoritie of Ecclesâ—â—sticall tradition hath more force and â—fficâ—cie to assure â—ur faith in all câ—â—â—trouersies then the Scripture Thus the heretiâ—â—es in q Irenae lib. 3. cap. 2. Non pâ—ssiâ— ex hijs iâ—â—euiri veritâ—â— qui â—esciâ—â—â— traditianeÌ„ Nâ—â—â—â—im per literas tra 〈◊〉 sed per 〈◊〉 vocem Ireâ—â—â—â—s time maintained that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by such as were ignorant of tradition and the great mysteries of faith were noâ— by the Apostles committed to his Disciples but by word of mouth and not by writing r Epiph. heres 48 August haeres 26 Moutanâ—â— confessed that he admitted all the Scripture yet hee seined ouer and besides that the Comforter was come to perfect that which was but begunne and so did adde vnto the doctrine of the old and new Testament cerâ—aine other obseruations of his
opinion that it is not expedient that all reade the Scriptures Innocentius 3. did forbid the reading of the Scriptures vnto Lay or Secular men saying g Extra de Haereticis cap. Cum ex coniuncto ex Antonij Contij restitutione Rectè fuit in lege diuina statutum vt bestia quae montem tetigerit lapidetur vt videlicet simplex aliquis indoctus praesumat ad subtilitatem sacrae Scripturae pertingere It hath been well enacted and decreed in the Diuine Law that the beast which touched the Mount Sinai should be stoned to death to the ende the simple and vnlearned presume not to attaine vnto the subtiltie of the holy Scripture So hee compares ignorant Christians to beasts and although hee was not ignorant h Thomas in Beet de Trinit that arguments may not bee drawne from allegories hee transformes beasts into men and the i Exod. 19.24 mountaine of Sinai into the holy Scriptures which were not then and considers not that there the Priests also were forbidden to approch or touch the mount which were notwithstanding the guarders and keepers of the Scriptures and that Ioshua himself durst not approach the mount l Joshua 1.8 vnto whom notwithstanding the reading and meditation of the holy Scriptures was expressely commanded But why is it not expedient to reade the Scriptures III. m Bellar. de verbo dei lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 5. They were neuer read say they indifferently of all persons but we find faithful witnes euidence yea of as qualified and great men who conformably to the holy Scriptures say the contrarie and do shew euidently that the Iewes did apply put their children n Claud. Espensaeus in 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. in illa verba quia ab infantia sacras literas nosti to the Bible at the age of fiue yeeres and in the teaching of their children they gaue the first place to the sacred letters beginning with that the which the Iewes did obserue ex prisca consuetudine according to their ancient custom saith Eusebius vntil his time If we do reade the history of the Iewes we shall find there that God commanding them to write his Law commanded thē also to reade the same vnto all without exception of sexe of age of condition saying by Moses to the Priests o Deut. 31.11.12.13 Thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel in their hearing gather the people together men women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of this Law and that their children which haue not knowne any thing may heare and learne to feare the Lord your God And lest they should reply that this commandement is giuen to the Priests and Leuits to reade and to the people to heare onely and to learne it we finde there ouer and besides that the same commandement is giuen to all for thus saith the Lord by his seruant Moses p Deut. 6.6.7.8.9 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou fittest in thine house and when thou walkest abroad by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp and thou shalt bind them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes and thou shalt write them vpon the posts of thy house and on thy gates q Deut. 4.6 Keepe therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the nations which shall heare all these Statutes The like may wee see in Deut. 15.18.19.20 He that said r Numb 11.29 Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them did not enuie nor grudge at the peoples reading and vnderstanding of the Scripture which is the rule of prophesie and the powerfull instrument by the which God giues his Spirit to his people In Christs time they read the Scriptures indifferently for Christ saith to them ſ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures In Saint Pauls time they read the Scriptures for the Iewes of Berea t Act. 17.11 searched the Scriptures daily and are commended for that they did examine the Apostles doctrine by the Scriptures And Timothie euen from u 2. Tim. 3.15 a childe knew the holy Scriptures Aquila and his wife Priscilla though by their occupation poore tent-makers were so skilfull in the Scriptures that x Act. 18.24.26 Apollos an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures did not disdaine to goe to their schoole and to learne of them who expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectly What is the condition of Christians impared and made worse by Christ that hee hath forbidden that which was not onely permitted but also commanded to the Iewes God forbid for the promises of the new Couenant appertaines to vs y Jer. 31.34 They shal all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them saith the Lord. All of vs then must reade the Scriptures without which Scripture were cannot attaine vnto any knowledge of God neither can we beleeue in Christ z Iohn 20.31 For these things are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God nor resist the diuell for to resist him we must take a Ephes 6.17 the sword of the Spirit which is the word God neither can wee bee comforted in our afflictions b Rom. 15.4 for whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope nor saued c Iohn 5.39 for in them and by them we haue eternall life In asmuch as the ende of the Scriptures is to bring and leade vs to faith in Christ that d Iohn 20.31 by beleeuing we may haue life through his name for this cause Saint Paul directs and sends his Epistles to the Churches composed of persons of all sexes ages and conditions that they might bee read of all of them euen as all reade those letters that are directed and addressed vnto them as hauing interest to know the cōtents of thē This is that that Saint Gregory did aduise the Phisitian Theoderus who did neglect contemn the daily reading of the words of his Redeemer e Greg. 1. Theodorice medico indict 13. lib. 4. cap. 84. Quid est autem scriptura sacra nisi quadam 〈◊〉 omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam c. What is the holy Scripture but a certaine letter and epistle of the Almight is God to his creature surely saith he if you were any where and receiued the writings of an earthly Prince you would not cease you would not rest you would not steepe before that you knew what this earthly Emperour writes vnto you
sinner but that the wicked turne from his way and liue they turne from their euill waies and returne to God by a true amendment of life and so be saued I should want time if I would make a catalogue of all the benefits that Christians obtaine by the reading of the holy Scriptures If some haue thence taken occasion to sowe and disperse their heresies If others haue made a rampier or fortresse a retraite and place of refuge for their sinnes it hath beene their fault the ficklenes and inconstancie of their braine their ambition and the malice of their harts not the fault of the Scripture And yet they for the most part yea almost al haue been of the learned sort and not ignorant and simple e Alphons de Castro lib. 1. â—eraetic cap. 13. Pauci fuerunt idiotae heraesiuâ— authores of whom few haue been authors of heresies but how many thousand millions haue been instructed in the true faith reformed and saued by the reading of the Scripture By them f Matth. 4.4 Christ refuted the diuell and made him fire thence the Church hath alwaies tooken stones with the which she hath stoned the heretickes that indeuoured to defend themselues by the same Scriptures the abuse of the wicked not hauing the power to hinder the vniuersalitie of the Church from vsing them aright for if that we ought to abstaine from good things for the scandall of the wicked Christ ought not to haue preached because the people said g Iohn 8.48 he had the diuell and were often scandalised and offended at his words and the Gospell should not be preached because h 2. Cor. 2.16 it is the sauour of death vnto death to them that perish and to speake of humane things we should forbid men the vse of wine because it is the drinke of many drunkards CHAP. III. I. The Scripture is perspicuous and plaine to be read of all II. How we ought to vnderstand that there are obscure and difficult things in the Scripture III. The perspicuitie and plainenesse of the Scripture prooâ—ed by the Fathers IIII. An answer to the first allegoricall obiection taken from the Scriptures V. Answere to the second allegoricall obiection taken out of the same Scriptures VI. Answere to the words of Saint Hierom alleaged against the reading of the Scriptures VII All ought to reade the Scriptures according to Saint Hierome VIII Which is proued by reason BVt the a Bell de verbo Dei lib. 2 cap. 15. 16. lib. 3. cap. 1. Scriptures are so obscure that the vnlearned lay-men cannot â—â—â—erstand them O impietie that Christ who is the b Malacb 4.2 Sun of Iustice and c Iohn 8.12 the light of the world should be accused either of ignorance for that he could not speak plainely or of malice in that he would not speake so and that the witnesse which he hath giuen to his word calling that of the old Testament d Psal 119.105 a lampe vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths e 2. Pet. 1.19 and a light that shiueth in a darke place and that of the new Testament the light of the Church f 2 Cor. 4.3.4 which is not hid but to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine vnto them that so the Sonne of God should bee made so weake and vnable and be so belied by the calumnies of men O intolerable blasphemy II. Notwithstanding it is true that there are some very difficult things and deepe points in the Scripture to vnderstand as the mysterie of the Trinitie Christs Incarnation the Resurrection of the flesh the last Iudgement to come but the words by which these points are described in the holy Scripture are as plaine and perspicuous as the Sunne all the obscuritie and darkenesse is in men of whom they that are g Ephes 5.8 without Christ are nothing but darkenesse h 1. Cor. 2.14 receiue not and perceiue not the things of the Spirit of God neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned They that are in Christ i Ephes 5.8 are light in the Lord and therefore doe comprehend and apprehend them according to the measure of the enlightning some more some lesse all but in part witnesse the Apostle writing of himself and of all like him k 1. Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophecie in part and notwithstanding all sufficiently to saluation III. l In Mat. cap. 4. contra Celsum The Scriptures saith Origen are the fountaine of Iacob The learned drinke as Iacob and his children and the simple and ignorant also as the cattell of Iacob m Gegor 1. They are saith another a riuer wherein an Elephant may swimme and a Lamb may wade ouer A third saith n Isidorus lib. 1. de summo bono cap. 〈…〉 That the Scripture is like Manna common to the perfect ones and to the young ones and doth accommodat her selfe to euery one according to the capacitie of euery ones vnderstanding and iudgement o Fâ—â—â—gent Serm. de confess A fourth compares it vnto a rich banquet wherein are meats for all ages milke for the sustenance of babes and strong meate for them that are of full age and so speake all the Fathers Seeing therefore that all are called to the reading of the Scriptures as to a great feast where the rich man hath prepared meates for all ages surely they that would exclude them and depriue them thereof are mortall enemies of Gods glory and of mans saluation vnto whom will sort well the sentence of execration pronounced by Dauid and Paul but badly applied by the Author of the Pastorall letter p Psal 69.23.24 Rom. 11.9.10 Let their Table become a snare before them and that which should haue been for their welfare let it become a trap let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loynes continually to shake Or rather we may apply that vow vnto them that is to say the curse denounced by our Sauiour Iesus Christ against their Grand-fathers for the like matter q Mat. 23.13 Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut vp the Kingdome of heauen against men for ye neither go in your selues neither suffer yee them that are entring to goe in IIII. The Pastorall letter produces Pag. 4. and brings forth allegories against all this not hauing learnt of r Thomas in sum part 1. quaest 1. artic 10 Omnes sensus fundantur super vnum scilicet literaleÌ„ ex quo solo potest traâ—i argumentum non autem ex his quae secundum allegoriam dicuntur Thomas who learned of S. Austin that arguments are onely drawne from the literall sense and not from that which is said by allegorie It presupposeth that which is true That we must reade the Scriptures
20.3 Till the thousand yeeres should be fulfilled Who would now suffer himselfe to be swaied and caried away with this error should with good reason bee held and condemned for an heretick Doth not Stapleton tell vs y Staplet lib. â— de authorit Scripturae c. 2. §. 5. that Clement the Roman Tertullian Origen Irenaeus Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact Ambrose Bernard were of opinion that the soules doe not enioy the vision of God before the day of iudgement Another adds to these z Senens lib. 6. annot 345. Iustine Martyr Lactance Victorinus Prudentius Arethas Iohn Pope of Rome Is not this an horrible errour VI. a Canus locorum Theolog. lib. 7. c. 1. num 1. §. Sancti namque Canus expounding S. Pauls words b Rom. 5.12 In whom all haue sinned saith that from these words All the Saints doe affirme with one consent that the Virgin Marie was conceiued in sinne Chrysostome Eusebius Remigius Ambrose Austin Bernard Bede Anselme Erardus Martyr Saint Antonie Doctor Bonaâ—enture Thomas of Aquin Vincentius Hugo de Sancto Victor why then doth not he himselfe follow this consent and opinion Let he himselfe say why Although no author hath contradicted it Infirmumest tamen ex omnium patrum consersu argumentum The argument notwithstanding taken from the consent of all the Fathers is weake and the contrarie opinion is more probably and holily held and maintained Of late then and newly haue they left and forsaken the vniuersall beleefe of all the Saints the space of 1400 yeeres and c Salmeron Iesuit in Rom. c. 5. disp si §. Deinde Salmeron the Iesuite tells vs that we must answere to this whole multitude that which one alleages and obiects that which is written of Gods word d Exod. 23.2 Exod. 23. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill neither shalt thou speake in a cause to decline after many to wrest iudgement Let this suffice for an answere to those that say we may not speake of the Scripture but onely as the holy Fathers expound it for if it were so we ought and should be Millinaries with many of the holy Fathers we should beleeue against all Scripture that the soules of the faithfull departed see not God vntill the vniuersall resurrection with the Fathers wee should race out of the catalogue of festiuall dayes that of the conception of the Virgin Marie the mother of Christ and hold with the Scripture that she was conceiued in sinne for so all the holy Fathers haue held VII The Romish Church should giue vnto the people the Eucharist vnder both kindes for so haue they beene instituted and giuen by the Master receiued and recommended by the Apostles celebrated by all the Fathers and of the whole Christian Church the space of 1400 yeeres wee ought to detest the new Fathers of Constance who haue presumed against Christs institution the doctrine of the Apostles the practice of the whole Church for so many ages to take away the cup to bereaue and depriue the Christians of the Sacrament of the bloud which the Sonne of God hath shed for them in the remission of their sinnes VIII To crie out alwaies the Fathers the Fathers to make great shew of the Fathers to relie on them to shelter themselues vnder the exposition of the Fathers and yet not follow the Fathers is to doe like e Matth. 26.49 Iudas which betraied Christ in speaking to him with great reuerence and kissing him or like the souldiers f Mat. 27.18.30 who hauing clothed our King and Sauiour Christ with a scarlet Robe and giuen him in his hand a Reede in stead of a Scepter they bowed their knees before him made a shew to adore him but forthwith did spit vpon him tooke the Reede and smote him on the head with it CHAP. VII I. What opinion wee are to haue and what iudgement to make of the Fathers in what and how farre they are to be beleeued II. The Author of the Pastorall Letter tyes and bindes the exposition of the Scriptures vnto the Pastors and Doctors hauing lawfull succession III. What is their authoritie charge and dutie IIII. They are not to bee heard vnlesse they speake according to the Scriptures V. Many vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell High-Priests Bishops and Popes hauing succession haue been Idolaters Hereticks Sorcerers VI. The obiection taken from the words of Malachie is contrary to the opponent I Doe not pretend to abate or diminish in any wise the authoritie of the Fathers I say that they haue been great men of God that they haue serued God and his Church in their time with great profit that their writings are of great vse and that by the reading of them a man may become wiser and holier And I hold for certaine that they are bound in the bundle of life and doe raigne in heauen with Christ Iesus their King for whose sake God hath been mercifull vnto them But when men make a buckler of their errors and when men say that we may not speake of the Scripture but as they are interpreted by them we are inforced to say the truth that first they all were men and not God secondly they were all disciples of the truth and not Author of the same all Interpreters of the law not Law-giuers all our fellow-Brethren and fellow-Seruants and not our Masters Thirdly that we ought to beleeue them in matters of fact or of things done in their time and that which they assuredly know when they speake of things not by heare-say but which themselues haue seene and knowne these certain things Fourthly that in matters of faith they are not to bee beleeued if they proue not their doctrine by the bookes of faith because as a Canus cent 3. sequent c. 4. Canus saith All the Saints those onely excepted who haue digested and committed vnto writing the Canonicall bookes haue spoken by human spirit and haue sometimes erred in things which appertaine to faith The reason is b 1. Cor. 13.9 They knew onely in part and prophesied in part c Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh in in them as well as in vs. The Apostles onely were priuiledged with an extraordinarie measure of the holy Ghost to leade them without any imperfection d Iohn 16.13 in all truth Fifthly that the Spirit of Christ Iesus is not dead with them but is as yet in his Church enlightning it in the truth and sanctifying her by the truth in so much as although there were no writings of the Fathers the people of God for all that should not leaue to know vnderstand the Scriptures to know the voyce of Christ and follow it Sixthly that the writings of the Fathers are as much or more obscure then the holy Scriptures if it might bee said without blasphemy that there were obscurenesse in those bookes which were dictated by him e Iohn 1.9 Who is the light
then as the seede of God remaines in him that is borne of God hee commits not sinne but in as much as there are tares and darnell in him he sinneth In like manner Saint Austin We are saith he the children of God and the children of this world n August de Peccator merit lib. 2. c. 8. Per quod filij dei sumus per hoc peccare omnino non possumus per quod adhuc filij saeculi sumus per hoc peccare adbuc possumus By that whereby wee are the children of God wee cannot sinne after a sort c. By what wee are the children of the world we can yet sinne In another place hee expounds this sentence by another where the same Apostle saith o 1. Iohn 4.7 Loue is of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God p August de gratia Christi contra pro lib 1. Cor. 2.1 According to this loue saith hee this sentence may bee better vnderstood He that is borne of God doth not commit sinne and thinkes not on euill Therefore when a man sinnes he sinnes not according to charitie and loue but according to lust according to which he is not borne of God Their resolution and answere is that man as he is regenerate cannot sinne and sinnes not as he is not regenerate he sinnes VI. We adde a second answere He sinnes not malitiously and with a full and whole consent of the will he makes not a trade of sinne q Psal 1.1 He walkes not in the counsell of the vngodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull The Scripture termes such as spend their dayes in wickednesse r Mat. 7.23 workers of iniquitie Å¿ Prou. 4.16.17 They sleepe not except they haue done mischiefe and their sleepe is taken away vnlesse they cause some to fall for they eate the breade of wickednesse and drink the wine of violence The man that is borne of God is no such man for the seede of God the gift of regeneration that is in him preserueth him from sinnes committed by insolency and arrogancie that he neuer withdrawes himselfe from Gods loue and from faith His sinnes are sins of infirmitie and he commits them vnwillingly ouercome by some sudden passion of the flesh as it happened to Dauid and Saint Peter when the one committed adulterie and murder the other denied his Master and Sauiour for the spirituall man warring against the flesh it oftentimes borne downe but the blowes he receiues makes his courage to swell so that he riseth vp incontinently and returnes to the combat armed with flame and fire hee buckleth and grapleth with his enemie and angrie with himselfe to haue been thus foiled he beates his brest and cries Haue mercy vpon me miserable sinner as Dauid did he goes speedily out of Caiphas house and weepes bitterly and returnes with the Saints as Saint Peter did he is like vnto that braue Romane Captaine Marcellus who though often beaten did alwaies returne to the combat could not endure to be ouercome neuer gaue ouer neuer left his enemie in rest till he had ouercome him The seede of God that is in him giues him alwaies courage and strength After this manner saith Saint Iohn t 1. Iohn 5.18 We know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not CHAP. XIII I. The seuenth Obiection All God workes are perfect II. The first Answere That which God doth perfectly man comprehends it imperfectly III. The second Answere God perfectth not our regeration but successiuely and by degrees IIII. The third Answere All the workes which God makes alone are perfect but he makes good workes in vs and by vs. V. The last Obiection If good workes are sinnes we must not doe good workes VI. We must doe good workes and for what cause VII Good workes are not sinnes VIII Notwithstanding are not perfectly good because they are tainted and soiled by the flesh XI God forgiuing the regenerate man the imperfection of them accepts of them for Iesus Christ his sake X. According to his mercie and not for our merit THis should content the most contentious but because they seeke themselues and not the truth of God in their disputations nothing can content and satisfie them Obiection 7 And therfore they obiect againe that all Gods workes are perfect as it is written a Deut. 32.4 He is the rocke his worke is perfect Regeneration and the good workes that flow from thence are workes of God they are therefore perfect and if perfect then they which doe them keepe perfectly the Law II. I answere to this obiection three manner of waies First that which God doth perfectly is imperfectly comprehended of vs we are alwaies children alwaies disciples and do learne imperfectly and with great difficultie the perfect lesson of our Master The documents and precepts of Iesus Christ were perfect b Iohn 15.15 All things saith he that I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne vnto you but the Apostles could not conceiue and vnderstand them but successiuely by little and little one after another and had neede after their regeneration that the c Luk. 24.45 Lord should open their vnderstanding a new that they might vnderstand the Scriptures and that yet after all he should send the comforter which saith he is the holy Ghost d Iohn 14.26 he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you e Iohn 16.13 and will guide you into all truth III. Secondly although that which God doth is perfect in his degree ranke and that our regeneration is perfect in regard of the perfection of parts he works but successiuely by degrees in vs because that being a free agent he doth al things in all men according vnto the counsell of his good will To be borne deformed blind crump-shouldred a cripple c. is a defect an imperfection in comparison of Moses that was f Acts 7.20 borne exceeding faire yet notwithstanding he which is so borne is the worke of Gods hands and a perfect worke in that perfection which the eternall wisedome of God hath intended to conferre and giue him God who created our first father created him a perfect man in the full measure of age and stature but he hath determined that all they which descend from him should be borne babes and should grow from age to age vntill they came to mans estate the first age being imperfect in comparison of the second and so consequently vnto the declining age g Eccles 12.3 When the euill daies come and the yeeres draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Notwithstanding euerie age is perfect in his degree Euen so it fareth with vs in regard of our spirituall new birth h 1. Pet. 2.2 First
Heathens in their Antichristian proceedings worthie of for not onely refusing to enter into this spirituall Paradise of holy Scripture but also for defacing and burning it Surely they deserued to bee shut out of the heauenly Paradise their names to be defaced out of the booke of Life and they to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and there to burne for euer and euer For if any y Reuel 22.19 man take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie which is not so much as to deface or burne the whole booke God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy Citie Neither were these alone for others reiected the booke of God either in whole or in part though not with such contempt and contumely z Epiph. lib. 1. tom 2. haeres 21. Omnem vero qui veteri Testamento credit mortem subire Simon Magus with the Simonians his disciples Cerdon Carpocrates Basilides a August de bono Perse lib. 2. c. 11. Maniches and Marcion with their Sectatores reiected all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament b Epiphan lib. 1. tom 2. haeres 33. The Prolemaits refused the fiue bookes of Moses The Sadducâ—s receiued onely the fiue bookes of c Caluin in harm Euang. Ioseph Antiquit lib. 18. c. 2. Paulus Eber. de Relig Repub. Iudaeor Moses so did the d Epiph lib. 1. tom 1. haeres 9. Samarits though e Cyril catech 18 some hold they receiued the Prophets also whereas the e Cyril catech 18 Apelleans reiected both the Law and the Prophets The Nicolaitaus reiected the booke of Psalmes some of the Rabbins denied the booke of Iob. Porphiry despised Daniel the Anabaptists refuse Ecclesiastes and the booke of Canticles f Tertul. aduers Iudaes Againe the Iewes condemned the whole new Testament The g Irenae lib 1. c. 26. Solo eo quod est secundum Mathaeum Euangeliâ— vtuntur Ebionites of the Euangelists embraced onely the Gospell of Saint Matthew Câ—rinthâ—â— receiued none but Marke h Tertul lib. de praescrip haeres c. 51. Irenae lib. 3. c. 11 Cerdon and Marcion onely Luke The i Ibidem Valentiniâ—â—s the Gospell of Saint Iohn onely k Epiphan lib. 2. tom 1. haeres 51. The Allogians of all other hated Saint Iohns Gospell The Tatians accepted onely the Acts of the Apostles which booke of all others the l Eusebius Seâ—eriâ—â— hereticks reiected and the m August lib. de vtilit credendi Manichees refused so did n Tertul. de praescript hares Cerdon The Ebionits o Irenae lib. 1. c. 26. Apostolum Pâ—ulum recusant Apostatam eum legiâ— dicentes could not away with any of S. Pauls workes p Epiph. lib. 2. tom 3. hâ—â—res 42. The Marcionits receiued but ten of Saint Pauls Epistles reiecting those vnto Timothie Titus and the Hebrewes q Irenae lib. 1. c. 29. defacing also those places both in Saint Luke and the Epistles which they embraced that concerned either the Diuinitie or Humanitie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which r Tertul. aduers haeret c. 51. Solum Euangelium Lucae nec tamen â—â—tum recipit Apostoâ—â— Parliâ—â—que â—â—â—â—es neque totas Epistolas sumit Cerdon his Master practised before neither embracing al Saint Pauls Epistles nor wholly those he embraced Others reiected S. Iames Epistle and S. Iude others the two last Epistles of S. Iohn yea some all Saint Iohns Epistles with his booke of Reuelations as Å¿ Epiphan â—â—m 1. lib. â— haeres â—1 the Aâ—â—ogians which booke t Tertul. 〈…〉 Cerdon also reiected On the otherside others haue added vnto the booke of God other bookes as necessarie vnto saluation The Gospels of Iames Peter Andrew Barnabas Nicodiums the Canons of the Apostles the Acts of Paul Peter Philip Andreas Thomas * Epiphan haeres 61. which two last bookes the hereticks called Apostolici did vse very much and did take from thence their heresies The Reuelations of Peter Paul Philip Thomas Steuen the Reuelations Doctrines Manifestations Mysteries Traditions of Montanus Marcion Maniches Valentinian Ebion Apâ—lles and such like hereticks and so diuers haue added diuersely vnto the Word of God their owne words and traditions whereas the Lord saith u Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not adde vnto the Word which I commaund you x Reuel 22 1â— for if any man adds vnto these things God shall adde vn-him the plagues that are written in this booke Notwithstanding as the ancient hereticks haue delt impiously with the Scripture by their additions traditions as also by their substration and detraction so doe the moderne hereticks namely the Papists deale with the Scripture detracting from it and adding to it for as Saint y Hyeron apolog contra Ruff. c. 11. Istae machinae haereticorum i. magistrorem tuorum sunt vt conuicti de prefidia ad maledictase conferunt Ierome saith this is the practice of hereticks that when they are conuinced of trachery they betake themselues to railing so these wranglers perceiuing themselues conuinced by the Scripture doe as they of whom z Jrenae lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus speakes set vpon the Scripture it selfe taxing it of ambiguitie and as hauing no authoritie intending as Saint a August lib. 2. de nuptijs concupisc c. 33. Turrianus lib. 1. cont sadeel pag. 99. Ekcius in Enchir loco commun Pighius lib. 1. Eccles histor c. 2. Mortuum atramentum Euangelium nigrum theologia atrameniraria Res nauimis muta nasus cereus regula lesbia Delphicus gladius O Quantum nâ—bis profuit fabula ista de Christo Austin saith no other thing then to bring the authoritie of the Scripture to naught therefore they called the Scripture dead inke a certaine bare letter a dead letter that killeth the blacke Gospell and inkie Diuintie a dead and dumb thing an vncertaine mutable mute and dumbe Iudge a nose of waxe a leaden ruler Sphinxes riddle a sword in a mad-mans hand the apple of discord yea a Fable by Pope Leo the 10 O what aduantage hath this Fable of Christ brought vs being of no more credit and authoritie then the Fables of Aesop without the approbation of the Pope and of the Church And these reproches and blasphemies are not maintained by the vulgar â—ort onely but also yea especially by their Diuines Popes Bishops Cardinals for Cardinall Bellarmine and Cardinall du Perron haue written against the sufficiency and perfection of the Scripture the one spending a whole Chapter the other a small Treatise to proue the insufficiencie and imperfection thereof whereas it is the All sufficient word of God the true and perfect rule of our vnderstanding the pillar of our faith the firme and sure anker of our hope and saluation sufficient both for our saluation which some Papists doe confesse and for our instruction which they denie witnesse Bâ—â—â—â— who examining that glorious Martyr Master Hawkes Fâ—x pag.
pretended Paracler which might be such an holy Ghost as Å¿ Epâ—ph here 's 2â— that of Simon Magâ—â— was or such a one as was carried in poste in a cloke-bagge from Rome to Trent The Heretickes t Terâ—â—â— de â—â—retâ— 50. Nâ—â—â—â— heresâ—â—â—â— Alphabâ—â—â— Grâ—â—â—rum compâ—sâ—â—runt c. Marcus and Câ—lâ—barsuâ— did 〈…〉 new heresie out of the Greeke Alphabet maintaining that the truth could not bee found out without these characters and that the fulnesse perfection of 〈◊〉 wâ—â— contained in these letters for which cause Christ said I am 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 The Hereticks 〈…〉 Apelles Mareâ—â—â— â—â—thsuch like did boast that they had receiued many doctrines and 〈◊〉 without scripture u Euseb bist lib. 5. c. 28. Eusebius â—els vs that the Hereticke Aâ—â—â—mâ—â— did beast that his doctrine was 〈◊〉 from the Apostolike 〈◊〉 x Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 lib. 7. 〈…〉 did glory in that he had a certain Glaucus for his teacher who had serued as an interpretor to S. Peter that Valentine did vaunt to haue been Saint Pauls auditor that the Marcionites did brag that they were the disciples of them that had seene and heard the Apostle Matthias of whom they held obserued and teached their doctrine In a word as the Scribes and Pharisies esteemed the traditions of the Elders the Râ—bbines their Cabala the Moutanists the new Comforter these Hereticks their reuelations and traditions to be necessary to saluation without the which the truth could not bee learned out of the Scripture So the Papists doe maintaine that the sacred and Canonicall Scripture is not sufficient to prooue matters of faith and charity and therefore haue recourse vnto traditions and the vnwritten word which are necessary to saluatioÌ„ But as the holy Fathers did accuse that iustly Samosateâ—us y Euseb hist lib. 7. cap. 30. because that departing from the Canonicall bookes hee had been author of an hereticall doctrine and had not followed the Apostolicke doctrine Euen so may wee accuse the Papists who haue corrupted the word of God by their traditions and fables and straying from the Scripture haue strayed from the truth And surely it is no maruell if they erre so long as they forsake the sea-manâ— compasse without the which all things are to vs vncertaine yea rather it were a wonder yea more then a wonder if without that compasse they could hold their course and not suffer ship wracke against the rockes the sands and the vnknowne shores of humane traditions For as z Plutar. in vita Thesei in princip Plutarke saith The Histriographers which doe set â—ooâ—th the description of the earth in figure are wont to place in the lowermost part of their mappes the farre distant regionâ— vnknowne vnto them and to marke in the margent such like notes and reasons as these beyond these countries are nothing but deep dry sands without water full of soule ill fauoured venomous beasts or much mud vnnauigable or Scythia forsaken for cold Euen so say wee The Scripture is a map containing a description of the place of our soiourning here in this vale of misery of our iourney to our heauenly Ierusalem containing all thinge necessary for vs in this our pilgrimage both for our instruction and saluation Beyond the Scripture and without the mappe there of as in the lowermost parts and borders of mappes there is nothing but â—â—rra incognita vnknowne land and dry deâ—â—res full of barres sands of humane traditions nothing but stinking pooles full of venomous and cruell beasts that is to say of false opinions and detestable heresies nothing but vnknowne and doubtfull waies the mother of all kind of errors Beyond this Scripture there is nothing but scriptura incognita the vnknowne and vnwritten word and traditions dangerous gulphes and whirle-pooles where the anker of our faith can haue no hold where all our sounding plummets are found too short and where wee must of necessity make shipwrack of our faith and therefore wee keepe our selues within the mâ—ppe and compâ—sse of the Scripture the sea-mans compasse the rule of our sobriety the bridle of our discourse the limit of our faith for our safety lest wee should bee tossed and cast vpoÌ„ some vnknowne coasts so perish a August Hypognost articul 6. Sede in portu fidei catholicae vbi te nuâ—â—a possit fluctuosae curiâ—sitatis tempestas turbare vel mergere we rest our selues in the hauen of the Catholicke faith where no tempest of troublesome â—â—â—â—sity 〈◊〉 either trouble or drowne vs. If then they aske vs why we retaine not their doctrine their determinations decrees Councels and traditions we answere that we receiue them not because they are not described nor contained in the mappe of the holy Scripture if they accuse vs b Matth. 15.2.3 Marke 7.5.7 as the Pharisies and Scribes did the Disciples of Christ because wee walke not according to the traditions of the Elders but transgresse them wee will answere them with Christ Why doe you also transgresse the commandement of God by your tradition In vaine doe ye worship God teaching for doctrine the commandements of men If they reproue vs because we c Fox pag. 1441 Boner will haue no more then Scripture teacheth but euen as Christ hath left it bare we will answere d Thomas Hawkes He that teacheth vs otherwise wee will not beleeue him If they call vs Hertickes wee will confesse with Saint Paul that e Act. 24.14 after the way which they call hereâ—ie so worship we the God of our fathers beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Nay they themselâ—es are Heretickes because they doe not beleeue all the things that are written in the Law and the Prophets f Fulke against the Rhemists Tit. 3.10 but doe obstinately defend grieuous errours against the manifest authority of the holy Scriptures and detract from them and adde vnto them teaching another doctrine another Gospell and therefore are accursed for it g Gal. 1.8 any man preach another Gospell vnto you then â—hat which you have receiued let him be accursed And h Reuel 22.18.19 if any man adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke If any man shall take away from the words of this booke God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this booke But the Romanists doe not only detract from Scripture and adde vnto it but they peruert it also by their false glosse and irregular expositions which they i 2. Pet. 3.16 wrest vnto their owne destruction as S. Peter saith witnesse the point of Euangelical Counsels which they display to set forth their workes of supererogation the supererogation of their workes placing them aboue the perfection of the Law the Law of perfection though some of them denie any perfection in them and maintaine that they doe auaile but instrumentally
ye might haue life through his name In a word art thou desirous willing to to know al the Counsell of God touching thy saluation b Acts 20.27 I haue not shunned to declare vnto you all the Counsell of God saith Saint Paul to the Pastors of Ephesus and of Miletus but we haue not heard Saint Paul wilt thou say as they haue heard him but a little patience and heare him making this solemne protestation c Acts 26.22 witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come and confessing himselfe to haue been d Rom. 1.1.2 put apart to preach the Gospell of God which he had promised afore by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures Thinke now with thy selfe and vpon these two true reasons and arguments of Saint Paul inferre and make this true conclusion All that which Saint Paul hath preached touching saluation hath been written by Moses and the Prophets Now that which Saint Paul hath preached is the Gospell yea all the Counsell of God therefore all the Gospell all the Counsell of God hath been written by Moses and by the Prophets and if by them how much more by the Euangelists and by the Apostles who haue written downe the accomplishment and fulfilling of all those things that the Prophets had foretold and prophesied of and that with more perspicuitie and plainenes Let vs therefore conclude that the holy Scripture is all true all necessarie all perfect in all her parts both essentiall and integrall all sufficient for him that liues in this world concerning those things that hee must beleeue that hee must hope for and that he must doe and in a word in and for all things that are requisite to attaine to saluation And therefore in all matters of faith and of manners wee must alwaies aske counsell at the mouth of the Lord speaking to vs at this time in the holy Scriptures by his Sonne which Scripture saith c Athan. de interpr Psal Diuina scriptura est magistra vitae verae fidei Athanasius is the Schoole-mistres of vertue and of true faith f Idem cont Idol Sufficiunt per se sacrae diuinitùs inspiratae scripturae ad veritatis indicationem and so sufficient of it selfe for the demonstration of the truth it being holy and diuinely inspired g Idem ad Seraph solum ex sacris literis condiscas that we neede studie no other thing then that The Author of the Pastorall letter hath seene it and being conuicted in his soule and conscience is constrained to vnderprop and sustaine his pretended counsels on certaine places of the holy Scripture in the producing and alleaging whereof is happened vnto him that which wrongfully he chargeth those withall who grounded on the Law of God and of Nature doe cancell and annull the vowes made by their children without their knowledge and approbation and that which Saint Peter condemnes in those that depraue the Epistles of Saint Paul saying h 2. Pet. 3.16 that the vnlearned and vnstable wrest them as they doe also the other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction CHAP. II. I. The Preface of the Pastorall letter forbids the Vulgar the reading of the Scriptures II. By the words of the Preface it is proued that all ought to reade the Scriptures III. The same is verified and iustified by the Scriptures IIII. A refutation of the blasphemie of those that maintaine the reading of the Scriptures to bee dammageable and dangerous BVt before he comes to the point he makes a preface in the which he handleth three points first to whom it appertaines to reade the Scriptures Secondly with what spirit they must be read Thirdly vnto whom the expounding and interpreting of the Scriptures appertaine And all to this end that hauing giuen them to vnderstand beleeue that it is not for all men to reade the Scriptures and that they must receiue the interpretation and sense of the Scriptures of those whom hee calles Our spirituall Fathers Pastors and Doctors wee beware to imitate the couragious men of Berea who hauing heard the preaching of Saint Paul a Acts 17.11 receiued the VVord with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so and that so wee may liue on the faith of our Curats as the prouerb is and ground all our beliefe on the speculations of men whereas Saint Paul writes that b Hab. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.12 Heb. 10.38 the iust shall liue by his faith and the same is said to bee grounded and c 1. Cor. 2.5 to stand not in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Notwithstanding let vs examine his words and if they are accompanied with reason let vs follow them if not let vs shun them and follow reason II. Concerning the first point Pag 4. he writes that the Scriptures may be compared to a wedding banquet they that will come vnto it and enter in must bee called and those that haue not the wedding garment who throng and thrust in themselues too impudently are to be thrust out and reiected That which he saith touching the wedding garment sheweth that he makes allusion to the banquet of the marriage of the Lambe whereof S. d Matth. 22.2 Luke 14.16 Matthew and Saint Luke make mention but all were inuited and bidden to this feast the poore and the maimed and the halt and the blind good and bad Now if we apply this similitude and comparison it will follow that euen as all were inuited to that feast Iewes and Gentiles poore and rich the learned and the ignorant men and women great and small in a word all are inuited and bidden to the reading of the Scripture without any exception of qualitie condition name calling sexe or age And againe euen as the great King published that they that would not come vnto his supper were not worthie pronounced that none of those men should taste of his supper and destroyed those murderers of his Seruants euen so they that refuse to reade the Scriptures and vse spitefully those that do inuite them to the reading of them shall neuer taste of the conlations contained in them but shall miserably perish hee that was cast into vtter darkenesse was not reiected and thrust out for his entring and comming in for he was inuited and called with the rest but he was reiected because he brought not with him a wedding garment according to the Kings words c Mat. 22.12.13 Friend how camest thou in hither not hauing a wedding garment bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenesse Loe how that which Eliphas said to Iob is happened and befallen vnto Cardinall Sourdis Arch-Bishop of Bourdeaux f Iob 15.6 Thine owne mouth condemneth thee and not I yea thine owne lippes testifie against thee He did not thinke so his intention was to maintaine their common
The Emperour of heauen the Lord of Men and of Angels hath sent his Patent to saue thy life and notwithstanding honoured sonne thou makest no account to reade it with diligence studie therefore I pray thee and meditate daily the words of thy Creator learne to know Gods heart by Gods words that you may the more earnestly sigh after heauenly and eternal things that your vnderstanding may be inflamed with a greater desire of the heauenly Kingdome c. This is according to that that the Apostle exhorts the Colossians vnto f Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedome and that said he g Espencaeus comment in Tit. ca. 2. to all the faithfull vnto whom he wrote exhorting them to ' haue h Hieron in Col. 3.16 not onely sufficiently but also plentifully the knowledge of the Scriptures and to this ende i Chrysost in Col. 3.16 Occum ibidem to reade them not sleightly and negligently but with great diligence Hence we conclude that the Scriptures were indifferently read of all before Christs time in Christs time and in the dayes of the Apostles wee could proue the same in the time of the ancient and Primitiue Church many ages after the Apostles by the proofes and euidences of the sentences of the Fathers who did exhort the Secular the Lay-people as they cal them al men and women to buy the Bible to reade the holy Scriptures and complaine of them and blame them for that they did not reade them And surely with good reason for it is not of holy writers as of a Plato or an Aristotle these haue written but to a few persons those haue k Espencaeus commint in 2. Tim. cap. 3. Non scripser unt pane is sed vninersâ— populâ— written to the whole multitude to all ages l 1. Iohn 2.1 12 13 14. to young babes to little children to young men to fathers vnto all whom Saint Iohn writes VVhat are wee not men like them Christians like them Gods children like them guided and gouerned by the holy Ghost that is to say true Christians as well as they why therfore may not we reade the Scriptures as well as they IIII. For feare say they m Bellar. deverbo Dei lib. 2. cap. 15. § 28. Quid. lest in stead of profiting wee receiue hurt and dammage for we should easily take occasion of erring both in regard of the doctrine of faith as also in regard of the rule of life and manners all heresies being sprung vp from the Scripture not wel vnderstood for if the rude ignorant people should reade or heare read in the vulgar tongue of Dauids adultery Thamars incest Iudiths lie either he would contemne and despise the holy Patriarchs or els he would imitate their vices O blasphemy God hath said that n Iohn 20.31 faith is conceiued and engendred by the Scriptures and men say that heresies are engendred by them God hath said that o Iohn 5.39 in them and by them we haue life eternall and men say that by them wee haue eternall death God saith that p Rom. 15.4 they haue been giuen vs to teach vs and to comfort vs and men say that they serue to peruert and destroy vs God saith that q Deut. 31.13 by them we may learne to feare him and men say that by them wee learne to offend him God saith r Psalm 119.9 a young man shall cleanse his way by taking heede thereto according to Gods word and men say that if hee take heede to the Scriptures they will misleade and peruert him and make him to become incestuous an adulterer a drunkard yea that he is danger to beleeue nothing and to become an Atheist God saith that Å¿ 1. Cor. 15.33 euill communications and speeches corrupt good manners and men say that good words the words of God the words of the euerlasting God t Psalm 12.6 that are pure words as siluer tried in a furnace of earth purified seuen times withdrawes men from godlinesse and drawes them to vice And that is the reason why they instruct their children in the knowledge of euill discourses of men reade vnto them a Martial a Catullus the incests fornications contentions and all the fables of the false Gods of whom God hath said u Exod. 23.13 You shall make no mention of the names of other Gods neither let it be heard out of thy mouth And Dauid accordingly to that x Psal 16.4 I will not take vp their names into my lipps On the other side they forbid them to reade the words of God vnto the which God himselfe hath giuen this testimonie and witnesse declaring that y Psal 1.2 Blessed is that man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord and meditates in his Law day and night And concerning that part of the Scripture which is the most obscurest he saith z Reuel 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this prophecie and keepe those things that are written therein It is not the Scripture but the ignorance of the Scripture that breedes heresies a Hieron in Mat. 22.29 as Christ saith to the Saddâ—ces great hereticks yee doe erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God And Saint Chrysostome b Chrysost in praesat ad epist ad Rom. conformably to this truth of God saith Innumerable mischiefes are sprung vp from the ignorance of Scriptures thence commeth the great plague of heresies thence the dissolute life thence vnprofitable toyle and labour for euen as those that are depriued of this light cannot goe aright so they that haue no regard vnto the reasons of diuine Scriptures are compelled to fall immedâ—atly many waies like them that walke in palpable darkenesse There the ignorant shall finde what to learne the man of little faith wherewith to stirre vp himselfe to vertue the sinner wherewith to call him to repentance the theeues shall finde there the examples of Gods iudgements executed against Achan the fornicators affrighted by the example of the Israelites they which couer bad things will learne there to mortifie their flesh they see there the sinnes of holy men that they may know that all haue sinned and that they haue been saued by the mercies of God in Christ Iesus and therefore doe not trust in and to their owne merits by pride but humbly seeke their whole saluation through the all perfect merit of Christ Iesus In a word the greatest sinners shall see there Dauid a murtherer and an adulterer repenting of his sin and entreating pardon of the same the sinful woman weeping and obtaining mercy the thiefe on the crosse crying to Christ for grace Christ answering him c â—â—ke 23.43 Verily I say vnto thee today shalt thou be with me in Paradise that so they being instructed and taught by these examples that the d Ezeâ—h 33 1â— Lord takes no pleasure in the death of a
of the Roman Clergie meddle with the reading of the Scriptures What haue they gone vp to the mountaine with Moses Haue they succeeded Moses Are they yet â—cere Sinai Doe they not thinke that they are as yet come vnto the mountaine of Sion to the heauenly Ierusalem VI. Mens Allegories are vncertaine so are their opinions when they are not conformable to the truth and certaintie of the Scriptures For mans reason cannot be a principle of that faith that I must haue in God and notwithstanding this man destitute of places of Scripture hath imagined and presumed to disâ—wade vs and withdraw vs from the reading of that Epistle that God hath sent directed to vs by I know not what most impertinent allegories out of the fabricâ—e of Pope Innocent and being vncertaine of the good successe of them he strengthens them with a sentence of Saint Hieroâ—â— a man I hope and not an Angell not an Apostle not such a one in whose writings there may or cannot be nothing omitted or desired and therefore not such a one as whose writings ought to giue law to the Church concerning what she ought to doe and eschew This we say to testifie that the holy Scripture doth onely binde the consciences of the faithfull who are the seruants members brethren of Christ redeemed of him and not of men not by men Besides we feare not S. Hieroms words that are contrarie to the intention of the Author that cites the place h Hieron in epist ad Paulinum No men saith hee presume in any occupation to teach that which they neuer learned the Artificer meddleth with his owne Trade the Physitian with his owne Science only the art of Scripture is that which euery man challengeth this the chatting old wife this the doting old man this the brabbling Sophister this on euery hand men presume to teach before they learne it A complaint surely that serues for vs for by it we learne that in Saint Hieroms time all did handle and reade the Scriptures the which he condemnes not but reproues onely the saucines and boldnesse of those which presumed to teach before they had learned them Docent saith he antequam discant for we haue heretofore seene l Hieron in Coloss 3. that he approues Lay-men should haue the knowledge and vnderstanding of the Scriptures not onely sufficiently but also plenteously And we may see by one sentence amongst an hundred which we will here set downe in counterchange of his sentence that he recommendâ— the study of holy Scriptures to women also VII For thus he exhorts Laeta a holy woman to bring vp and instruct her daughter in the reading of the holy Scripture k Idem ad Laetam That first of all she anow and approue of the Psalter and withdraw her selfe by those Canticles that she be instructed to liue in the Prouerbs of Salomon that in the Ecclesiastes shee enures her selfe to defie the world and trample it vnder her feete That shee follow the examples of vertue and patience in Iob that from thence she passe and go to the Euangelists and neuer let them part from her hands that with all her heart and desire she drinke of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles and when she hath enriched the coller of her soule with these â—rnameÌ„ts deckt it with these riches let her coune the Prophets and learne without booke the fiue bookes of Moses the bookes of the Kings and the Chronicles the volumes of Esaras and of Ester and at last she may learne without danger the Canticle of Canticles and let her abstaine from all Apocriphall bookes He that gaue this counsell to a maide did not contradict himselfe in making a complaint against those that follow it he blames onely the ignorant that made a trade to teach that which they did not know The like complaint would he make if he liued in these daies in the which the ignorance of Cardinals Bishops and Curats that make profession to teach the holy Scriptures the which they neuer learnt their ignorance I say is so great that the Iesuites haue beene absolutely necessarie to supply this want and defection euen by the proper confession of the Author of the Pastorall Letter VIII Vniustly therefore doth he complaine l Pag. 39. Pag. 6. that there is none but that speakes freely of the points of Religion of Precepts and Euangelicall Counsels c. For if euery Artificer speakes without blame of his Trade as Saint Hierome hath said heretofore who can blame the Christian speaking of his The Trade of a Christian is a Religion pure and sporlesse his vocation is to obey the precepts of his God to follow the counsels of his Sauiour What ill doth the religious to speake of his Religion to make enquirie of it to learne it to the ende hee may the better practise it doth the seruant offend that ponders diligently his Masters commandements to put them in execution and the Christian can hee exercise himselfe better then in a diligent search and serious inquisition of the Counsels of Christ Iesus his Head and Lord to conforme himselfe to them And is it not said in the Pastorall letter Pag. 6. that all the Scripture is giuen of God for our instruction and what is that to say I pray you but that wee must reade it meditate it turne ouer and ouer the leaues of that booke speake of it day and night at all times in all places amongst all sort of persons All what is giuen of God for our instruction ought to be read of vs and we ought to speake of it vncessantly all the Scripture hath been giuen vs by God for our instruction saith the Author of the Pastoral letter after Saint Paul all the Scripture therefore ought to be read of euery one of vs. This is a very peremptorie reason and therefore wee may well change the complaint and grieue and moane with anguish of minde that they haue taken the vse and reading of the Scripture from the people that amongst them of whom they complaine there are few or none that reade the Scripture that know why the Sonne of God became Man what is the vertue of his death and the efficacie of his resurrection contrariwise there are an infinit number of those that beleeue â—ables forged and deuised artificially to be Gospell and that goe out of this world ere they haue learnt why God did place them in it IX Good Chrysostome exhorted in his daies all Christians to reade the Scriptures and did blame those that did not reade them and did exclame against them m Chrysost hom 16. in Ioan. Turpe est si quilibet artifex artissuae rationem reddere posset Christianus autem suae professionis non posset O what a shame is it that euery Artificer can render a reason of his Trade and that the Christian can giue no reason of his profession and now the Romish Bishops exhorts them to leaue the Scriptures and
complaines of those that reade and speake of them Let them defend them and forbid them with threatnings I will not feare what man can doe to me but knowing that the word of God is of such vertue n Psal 119.130 that the entrance of his words giueth light and giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple I will loue it I will put it close to my heart I will take in it all my delight and pastime his words shall be folkes of my counsell I will alwaies adhere and sticke fast vnto them that I may say in good conscience vnto my God with Dauid o Psal 119.97 O how loue I thy Law it is my meditation all the day CHAP. IIII. I. The Scripture is to be read with the same Spirit wherewith it was written II. The proofes which the Pastorall Letter alleageth are nothing to the purpose III. The Philosophers iustly blamed by Saint Hierome for that they did frame and apply the places of Scripture vnto their sense and opinions IIII. This blame pertaines and belongs vnto the Author of the Pastorall Letter V. Two true reasons why the Scriptures cannot be vnderstood but by the same Spirit they haue been indicted with VI. The Spirit of God is in the Church in generall and in euery member of the same according to the measure of the gift and grace of Christ. SAint Peter speaking of the writings of the Prophets saith that the a 2. Pet. 1.21 prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy 〈◊〉 of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Out of these words of Saint Peter the Author of the Pastorall Letter inferres that we must reade the Scriptures with the same spirit that they were written by which is the Spirit of charitie a pure Spirit a cleane Spirit we adde to this that b Iohn 15.16 he is the Spirit of truth and so we say Amen to this doctrine II. But not to the proofes thereof that are allegoricall or false or corrupted and peruerted That which is said of the commandement giuen vnto him that preacheth the Gospell that he should gâ—â— vp to the mountaine of vertue is allegoricall and repugning to the sense of the Scriptures In like manner that which is added that no beast way approch vnto this mountaine that is to say no carnall sense or meaning and that haue we seene in the Chapter going before The second proofe taken from c Genes 6.3 that of Genesis is false God saith there My Spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he is also flesh and the meaning is that God will no longer beare with the malice of men because they are nothing but flesh that is to say finne and corruption but hee will destroy them from the face of the earth if they repent not in the space of an hundred and twentie yeeres Here is therefore no question of the abode of Gods Spirit in men but of the strife that God hath with men obstinatly hardned and not harkning vnto his admonitions but taking occasion by his blessings to liue according to the flesh The third proofe is mained and defectiue Saint Paul saith that d Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope In the Pastorall Letter these words are thus changed Pag. 6. cut off and falsified The whole Scripture is giuen of God for our instruction that so by the example that we imbrace in seeing the recompence of the verâ—â—ous and the punishment of the wicked we comfort our selues in hope to attaine vnto the inestimable goods that are promised there So that whole comfort of the Scriptures is falsely referred and applied to the example that we take of the recompence of the good and the punishment of the wicked whereas it doth altogether consist in the death and passion of Christ Iesus in whose blood al those good men e Reuel 7.14 haue washed their long robes hauing all of them been iustified and graciously saued by the blood of him on the crosse and not by the merit of any vertue that was in them Whence the Lord is called f Luke 25. the Consolation of Israel namely of all the Saints the peace comfort and ioy of whom is wholy limited and stinted in him and to the witnesse that Gods Spirit beareth to their spirit and consciences by the holy Scriptures that God hath reconciled them to himselfe in him not imputing to them their sins where with ioy they crie out with the Prophet Dauid a man according to Gods heart g Psalm 32.1.2 Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiuen whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie But not being of a subiect and matter to examine this place any more I doe approue the conclusion that is drawne from hence for seeing the Scripture hath been giuen vs for our instruction and consolation we ought not alter it or diuert it to our destruction III. Neither ought we to imitate those of whom Saint Ierome complaines h Hieron that comming to the holy Scriptures after the studie of the Sciences of this world doe imagine that all that they say is the Word and Law of God and take not the paines to search and examine diligently what the Prophets and Apostles haue said but doe frame vnto their sense the places of Scriptures which haue no resemblance agreement or relation vnto it being like the Israelites in this who made a golden Calfe of the treasures they brought out of Egypt whereas they that vse holily humane Sciences making them serue and attend on Diuinitie are like those that did imploy the iewels and riches of the Egyptians towards the building of the Tabernacle and entertainement of Gods seruice IIII. But when they say Pag. 7. that parents which binde their children to the obedience of the commandement they giue them to stay with them to serue them and not to enter into such or such a cloister are like those first that they doe subuert all order imagine they ought to preferre their commandement before Gods commandement their wills before the Euangelicall Counsels against the expresse Texts of the Gospell the example of Saints the interpretations of all the Fathers and the decisions of the holy Canons They charge them with a false blasphemie wherewith the Author of the Pastorall Letter shall finde himselfe touched and tainted who takes violently by the haires as we say the places of Scripture and the interpretations of the Fathers and frames them after his owne imagination wherewith they haue no resemblance or relation as we shall see in the Chapters following V. Notwithstanding this remaines as true that the same Spirit which hath indicted the Scriptures and giuen it to bee written ought and doth vnfold and giue vs the sense and meaning thereof The reason is in them or in vs In them their
6.44.45 man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God euery one therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth vnto me They that thus heare and learne thus of the Father doe not stand to their owne sense nor are not wedded to their owne humours but are directed by the holy Spirit to the sense and meaning of the Scripture as much as is necessarie for them that they suffer themselues not to be distracted and with-drawne from the saluation which is in our Lord Iesus by the deceit of men II. The Pastoral Letter vnderstands not so the words of Micah and acknowledgeth none to be the mountaine of Sion Pag. 7. but the ancient Fathers and those of these times Pastors and Doctors there is difference saith he betweene one heretick and another which interprets the Scripture according to his sense the one with more the other with lesse obstinacie and wilfulnesse but both of them are alike in error To be like an hereticke is to make himselfe like the diuell and to beare his image This is his argument they are hereticks which do interpret the Scripture according to their owne sense wee ought not to resemble hereticks wee ought not therefore and must not interpret the Scripture according to our senses The Canon Law defineth an heretick thus g 24. q. 3. Can. 27. Haeresis quicunque aliter scripturam intelligit quà m sensus spirituâ— sancti flâ—gitat quo scripta est licet de ecclesia non recesserit tamen haereticus appellari potest Whosoeuer vnderstandeth the Scripture otherwise then the sense of the holy Spirit by the which it hath been written requireth although he hath not with-drawne himselfe from the Church he may be cald an hereticke is to be vnderstood if he be obstinate and being conuicted of error by the truth will not leaue his error to embrace the truth h 24 q. 3. can dixit For they which maintain and defend their false and peruerse opinion without any stubbornes and obstinacy being ready willing to be corrected are not to be reckoned amongst hereticks but i 24. q. 3. can 31. Qui in ecclesia they which being in the Church of Christ haue any contagious and peruerse opinion if being reproued of it that they may knâ—w and acknowledge that which is sound and right they resist with stubbornnesse and contumacie and will not reforme and correct their pâ—stilent and mortall opinions and doctrines but persist to defend and maintaine them they become heretickes And if we will know who are they which haue a bad and peruerse opinion and doctrine Leo the first will tell vs that k 〈◊〉 epist 10. ad FlauianuÌ„ est 24. q. 3. can 30. quid autem those fall into this furie and madnesse who being hindred by some obscurenes and darkenes to know the truth haue not their recourse to the voice of the Prophets to the Epistles of the Apostles and to the authorities of the Gospell but to themselues and therefore are masters of errors not hauing been disciples of truth All these conditions being put and laid together hee is an hereticke who despising all admonitions doth maintaine obstinatly an error contrary to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles contained in the holy Scriptures Of such a one the Apostle faith l Tit. 3.10.11 A man that it an herericke after the first and second admonition reiect knowing that he that is such is subuerted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe I desire the Reader to marke and remember this definition to the ende he may iudge by the same of the truth and false-hood of the matters debated in our writings and finde and hold for an hereticke the one of vs who being an Idolater of his owne sense and opinion defends with obstinacie a sense contrary to the holy Scripture For as Tertullian saith m Tert. de praes aduers haeret cap. 38. Inde scripturarum expositionum adâ—lteratio deputanda est vbi diuersitas inuenitur doctrinae There is the corruption of the Scriptures and of Expositions where the diuersitie of doctrine is found and else where The n Ibidem ca. â—2 Hereticorum doctrina cum Apostolica comparant ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronunciabit neque Apostoli alicuius authoris esse neque Apostolici doctrine of heretickes compared with that of the Apostles will pronounce by her difference and contrarietie that she hath not for her author any Apostle or any Apostolick person The Pastorall Letter will not haue nor permit vs to make this comparison of the writings of men with those of the Apostles but binds vs to depend altogether on that which the holy Fathers and our spirituall Fathers which haue lawfull succession will tell vs and reach vs. III. Pag. 7. The Christian saith the Letter ought per omnia assimilari Christo in all things be made like vnto Christ who for our example said in Saint Iohn o Iohn 7.16 Mea doctrina non est mea sed eius qui misit me My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me In another place p Iohn 15.15 Omnia quaecunque audiui à patre nota feci vobis Al things that I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne vnto you euen so you ought not to speake of the Scriptures but sicut audiui à patre as the holy Fathers doe expound This reason may be reduced to this forme The Christians ought to be like vnto Christ in all things but Christ hath said nothing but that which he hath heard of his Father therfore we ought not to say any thing of the Scripture but that we haue heard of our fathers or as they expound it Who seeth not that here are foure termes as Schoolemen speake and that the conclusion sayes more then the premise doe afforde let vs make a new this Syllogisme All Christians ought to be like vnto Christ in all things but Christ hath said nothing hath done nothing but that which his Father hath told him and commaunded him the maiden daughters therefore of whom the question is ought to say nothing to doe nothing but that which their father hath told them and commanded and consequently they ought not nor may not enter into the new religion and religious House or Cloister of Saint Vrsula the Virgin because their father hath told them and commaunded them not to doe it Let vs make it of another fashion All Christians must be like vnto Christ in all things but Christ hath spoken of all those things which he hath heard of his Father who is God the true One and holy One Therefore we must hold all that we haue heard of our Fathers of whom he most holy is but man and not God is a sinner q 1. King 8.46 for there is no man that sinneth not and a lyer
Iudge must bee present and visible we answere that that is not necessarie How often doe Emperours decide controuersies new sprung in their Prouinces by the authoritie and Iurisdiction of the Soueraigne Court without budging from their place How often haue the Popes remaining in Rome or in Auignon ended the differences of Christians a great distance from them by their Decreâ—all Epistles and doe as yet make knowne their will vnto al the world by their Bulls without stirring from their seate The King whom God preserue and blesse with all temporall and spirituall blessings for his glory is the supreme and Soueraigne Iudge of all this Kingdome although he be visibly and corporally but in one place of the same at one time from the place where hee is hee signifies by his Proclamation what his pleasure is vnto the which all his subiects must yeeld and agree A King who is but a man hath such a power and shall not the King of Kings haue it a mortall man absent in body shall bee acknowledged of all his good subiects for supreme Iudge and his will declared in writing shall bee a Law vnto them and shall not the Lord Iesus God-Man and Man-God be accepted of for Soueraine Iudge nor his writings for lawes vnlesse he make and shew himselfe visible and present What impietie But God be thanked our Iudge conteined indeede in heauen in regard of his bodie Acts 3.21 is alwaies euery where with his Church in regard of his Deitie and God-head alwaies present in the same in common and generall and in euery member of the same in particular by his holy Spirit by his grace by his vertue by his counsell by his helpe and assistance by his conduct and guiding and by his holy and wholesome word so farre forth that hee saith m Matth. 28.20 Lâ—e I am with you alwaies euen vnto the end of the world for * Matth. 18.20 faith he where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them It is he then that iudgeth vs by his word which is his voice which all they that are his sheepe heare which they know and follow n Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voice saith Christ and I know them and they follow me And doe not thinke that he speakes there onely of his sheepe of then or that time when he fed them with the foode and refection of his mouth he speakes of all those that shall be gathered together vnder his Sheepe-hooke vntill the ende of the world according to that he said before vers 16 Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepheard They that are not contented with this voice and heare it not they would not onely not heare our Lord Iesus although he should returne here in the flesh but also they would crucifie him againe as the Priests Scribes Pharisees and the Elders of the people did for if that so he should returne here on earth hee would say no other thing then that which he hath said alreadie and would not speake more plainely and perspicuously then he hath spoken in the holy Scriptures Therefore according as he hath commanded vs to call none our Doctor o Matth. 23.10 For one is our Doctor and Master euen Christ we will adhere and sticke fast vnto him alone and will say vnto him with Saint Peter and the other disciples Iohn 6.68 Lord to whom shall wee goâ— thou hast the words of eternall life and wee beleeue and are sure that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God V. The publike ministeriall Iudge is he which hath a publike and lawfull calling and authoritie from God to iudge not of the Scripture nor of the sense thereof for being immediatly from God the Law of the supreme Iudge and the most perfect rule of all godlinesse whereby all men are iudged and ruled it cannot be iudged of men by any meanes but of the doctrines of men the which he examines by the touchstone of the Scriptures and by them markes and considers if they are of God or no such are Pastors and Doctors considered apart in their Schooles and Churches and together in the Presbyterie Synods Councels Nationall and Occumenicall whose whole authoritie is limited by the holy Scriptures against and besides which they may not ordaine any thing Gal. 1.8 being to speake properly and fitly Clerks Truch-men Heralds Messengers and Ambassadours of God towards their brethren and not Iudges their iudgement being of seruice not of soueraigntie of direction not of authoritie compelling p Ephes 2.20 For we are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and not vpon the hand of humane opinions Wherefore if Christ Iesus himselfe hath confirmed his doctrine by the Scriptures q Luk. 24.27 beginning at Moses and all the Prophets r Act. 15.16.17 If the Apostles assembled together in Ierusalem refuted by the Scripture the heresie of those which mingled the Law with the Gospell If Saint Paul Å¿ Act. 17.2.3 Act. 26.22 Act. 28.23 proued his Gospell by the writings of Moses and of the Prophets surely they that are not furnished with such authoritie are bound to iustifie their doctrine by the Scriptures without the which t Orig. in Hierem â—om 1. our sense meanings and interpretation are not faith In regard of which the Apostle saith that the Spirit of Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14.32 And u Gerson de exam doctri Consid 5. num 17. Gersâ—â— saith That we must giue more credit and beleeue soeuer a simple man not authorized excellently skilled in the Scriptures then the declaration of the Pope for it is certaine that we must soâ—â—er beleeue and rather giue credit vnto the Gospell then vnto the Pope x Panerm in cap. significat extra de electiâ— Panâ—rmus saith In matters which concerne our faith the saying of a prâ—â—ate man is to be preferred before the Popes saying if it be confirmed with the best reasons of the old and new Testament Another most excellently and euidently y Picus Mirand de fide â—rd cred Theâ—re 6. A simple peasant or swaine a childe an old woman are more credible and 〈◊〉 to her beleeued thou the grand Prelate or Pope and a thousand Bishops of these speake contrary and against the Gospell those for and according to the Gospell The reason is verie good the Gospell is of the Master and ought to bee receiued with all obedience of faith by whomsoeuer it is preached the Pope and the Bishops are but seruants in the Masters house where they haue no other charge then to serue the children of the house according to the will of the heauenly Father comprehended in the Scriptures otherwise they are no Pastors but Impostors VI. As the publike ministerial iudgement is without proportion and measure inferior to
that of God reuealed in the Scripture so the priuate iudgment is inferior to the ministerial for it comes not out in publike with a publike calling and authoritie but keepes and containes it selfe in the conscience for her rest and peace and doth not extend or spread her selfe further then the calling of him which hath receiued this gift of God This is common to all true Christians who being all spirituall man haue receiued and had of God the eyes eares taste heart and iudgement of the spirituall man to see heare taste know iudge loue and affect the things of God z 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man faith the Apostle discerneth and iudgeth all things euery Christian is spirituall he which is not spirituall is no Christian for to be a Christian is nothing else then to be spirituall euery Christian therefore knoweth and discerneth the things of his saluation Christians are the sheepe of our Lord Iesus As therefore a naturall sheepe can by the principle of nature make choise of that herbe which is the most wholesome to her and in feeding passe by that which is contrary to her nature so the spirituall sheepe by the principle of grace can iudge betweene the true passages and places vnto the which she is brought and led by her true shepheard and the bad pasture wherewith the stronger would infect and poyson her This doctrine is of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles Christ hath said that a Iohn 10.4.5 the good shepheard putteth forth his owne sheepe and goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voice and a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voyce of strangers The Apostle requires of all men that b Heb. 5.14 they haue their senses exercised to discerne both good and euill he exhorts them saying c 1. Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in vnderstanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in vnderstanding be men d 1. Thess 5.20 Proue all things hold fast that which is good Saint Iohn tells them that it is their dutie e 1. Iohn 4.1 Beloued beleeue not euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world They will not place the particulars in the pulpit to preach but they place them at the chaires foote to heare with iudgement and discerne between the true Doctor and the false seducer to follow that man and to take heed of this man according to Christs admonition f Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wâ—lues yee shall know them by their fruits He presupposeth therefore that they shall haue iudgement to know them but this iudgement being a gift of God a gift grace not of nature a gift proper vnto the spirituall man vnknowne to the naturall the Apostle prayes to God to giue it vs g Phil. 1.9.10 I pray that your loâ—â— may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may approue things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ VII Iudge we then of what spirit are they which of spirituall sheepe would deforme vs and transforme vs into brutish sheepe and destituted of reason doe prohibit vs to speake of the things of our God Creator Father and Sauiour but as they list Let vs compare their spirit with that of Christ and of the Apostles Christ would that we should iudge of him by the Scriptures and not simply by his saying said vnto the people h Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures And these would haue vs to iudge of them by their bare saying and not by the Scriptures do blame and condemne vs for the diligent search of the Scriptures The Apostle said to the Corinthians i 1. Cor. 10.15 I speake as to wise men iudge yee what I say These feare nothing so much as vnderstanding men to keepe and deteine the world in ignorance they crie out it is not for you to iudge of what we say If the spirit wherewith Christ and the Apostles were guided â—â—d led was the holy Ghost what manner of spirit can this be which leader these men A spirit which would make vs like to painted clouds in a Church or like vnto those little court-cupbord gods of whom it is written k Ps â—15 5 â— They haue months but speake not eyes haue they but they see not they haue eares but they heare not noses haue they but they smell not they haue hands but they handle not feete haue they but they walke not neither speake thâ—y through their throat they that make them are like vnto them so is euery one that trusteth in them And therefore the spirit of darkenesse who detaines the Christians in darkenesse to the ende he may draw and bring them to the gulfe of outward darknesse with himselfe as it is written l Io. 3.19 20. 21 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darkenesse rather then light because their deeds were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Let him therefore that will walke in darknesse As for vs that m Ephes 5.8.11 were sometimes darknesse but now we are light in the Lord we will walke as children of light and will haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reproue them reioycing and taking pleasure in the light of the Scriptures without and in the direction and conduct of the holy Spirit within vs vntill n Iames 1.17 the father of lights who by his grace o Col. 1.13 hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne p Phil. 1.6 finishing that good worke which he hath begun in vs q Col. 1.12 make vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light r 1. Iohn 3.2 where wee shall bee like to him and shall see him as he is Amen The ende of the first Booke OF EVANGELICALL COVNSELS The second Booke CHAP. I. I. The Iewish Church hath been of old troubled by false prophets who pretended the name of the word of God and laid claime to it in their false lies II. Saint Peter prophesied that the like should happen vnto the Christian Church by false doctors III. Of this number are they which exalt with puffing words the Monasticall life IIII. Making the people beleeue that it is grounded vpon Euangelicall Counsels whereas there is no such Counsell in the whole Scripture THe Church of the Iewes was very much troubled abused and seduced in her time by the false prophets They saith God
kept it perfectly or else he accuseth the most Iust of great malice That cannot he doe for he which keepes perfectly that which God commands him in this life is without sinne sinne being no other thing then the transgression of Gods commandements all which doe meete at one ende and abut vpon charitie b Hieron ad Rusticum epist 44. c. 4. Now there is none that is pure from sinne though his life had been but for a day saith Saint Ierome The Apostle himselfe doth openly confesse that he and all the Saints are tied to this vnauoidable necessitie of c Aug. de tempore serm 47. sinne saith Saint Austin and that doth hee confesse in the seuenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans as wee shall see in the fourth argument There is none then that keepes perfectly that which God commands him yea that can keepe himselfe all being tied to this necessitie of sinning by the flesh lusting against the Spirit and by the Law of their members warring incessantly against the Law of their minde and bringing them into captiuitie to the Law of sinne which is in their members d Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 as the Apostle speaks This is more perspicuously set before our eyes by death which is saith the Scriptures e Ioshua 23.14 the way of all the earth f Heb. 9.27 it being appointed vnto men once to die It is therefore a manifest conclusion that all are sinners and by consequent all transgressours of the Commandements of God g Rom. 6.23 for the wages of sinne is death and the effect of death in the faithfull is the death of sinne h Rom. 6.7 for he that is dead is freed from sinne which made the holy Apostle to sigh and call after death i Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Now Bellarmine not being able to name any one Saint who hath been in his life pure from sinne and saying notwithstanding that they can perfectly keepe Gods Commandements hee accuseth and chargeth them with a notorious malice for what is the cause that they haue not kept the Commandements was it ignorance that was in them Noe for they knew the Commandements was it impotencie that was in them No for Bellarmine saith that they could keepe the Commandements The salt was then only in their will for three things concurre together in the reasonable creature to the producing and bringing forth of a good worke knowledge will power Now to know and to be able to doe good and not to will the doing of it is the propertie of a malicious and peruerse spirit it is a malice altogether condemned as it is written k Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sinne Let this be farre from Saints And therefore we will correct the saying of Bellarmine and say that the Saints and faithfull haue the wil to keepe perfectly the Commandements of God but they haue not the power and strength to doe them and that will we verifie by Saint Paul saying of himselfe l Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not And of vs all m Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would Lastly because that all which Bellarmine writes touching the diuers degrees of perfection commanded in the Law is maintained by him for the cause and defence of the Monkish state and life which he termes n Bellar. de monach c. 2. the state of perfection I would willingly aske Bellarmine himselfe or the most holiest Monke or Frier if seeing he thinkes he can keepe the Commandements of God he hath euer kept them If he saies that he hath kept them he is a lyar For hee that keepes the Commandements hath no sinne o 1. Iohn 1. â— Now if we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If he confesseth that he hath not kept them he confesseth himselfe to be a wicked and malicious man in that hee would not doe that which he could and by his owne confession is doubly the childe of hell p Luk. 12.47 For that seruant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes VII The third argument is this If a man could keepe the Law he should haue no neede of a Mediatour q Gal. 2.21 For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine They answere that Christ indeede should haue died in vaine if man could keepe the Law by his naturall strength and power but it is by grace that Christians keepe it and this grace hath been giuen them through the merit of the obedience and death of Christ which for this cause is not frustrate nor in vaine An answere iniurious to Christ and altogether false For if it were so our righteousnesse and saluation should be immediately of the Law and not of Christ and Christ should not be our Sauiour but onely an instrument by the which we are ayded and enabled to keepe the Law and by the obseruation of the same made our owne sauiours What blasphemie against the Sonne of God r 1. Cor. 1.30 Who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption In as much as Å¿ 2. Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him We are then righteousnesse as he is sinne he is sinne t August Encherid cap. 41. not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs euen so are wee righteousnesse not our owne but that of God not in our selues but in him And marke he hath beene made vnto vs righteousnesse by God it is not written that we are made righteousnesse by him Againe we are the righteousnesse of God in him it is not said that we are the righteousnesse of God by him as by an instrument So doth the same Apostle write that u Col. 2.10 we are complete in him and not complete in our selues by him he felt it so when being as then renewed hauing been alreadie yea a long time an Apostle and neere vnto death when hauing fought a good fight kept the faith and finished his course he writes from prison vnto his Philippians that x Phil. 3.8.9 he counted all things but lesse and dung that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ to wit the righteousnesse which is of God by faith He would haue vs to thinke and feele it so when he wrote to vs in the person of the
marriage doth well but he that giueth her not in marriage doth better Item the widdow is happier if she so abide IF therefore these Counsels are giuen by God 7 7. Obiection Pag. 10. who will make difficultie to ioyne his Counsell with that of the eternall wisdome saith the Pastorall Letter grounding a false conclusion vpon a false exposition of Christs words a Mat. 19.12 There hee Eunuches which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake He that is able to receiue it let him receiue it b Mat. 19.21 Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore We will therefore correct this conclusion and say If these Counsels are not giuen by God as it appeares sufficiently by the exposition of the foresaid places A Bishop one that esteemes himselfe Gods Ambassadour who therefore should counsell nothing say nothing but that which he hath heard of God should haue made difficultie yea should haue abstained from giuing Counsell in a matter that is not of his Commission Moses being asked touching things that God had not reuealed vnto him c Leuit. 24.11 as the punishment of the blasphemer d Numb 27.5 the succession of daughters in their fathers goods and possession where no male children are and such like things would neuer giue his iudgement and aduice much lesse giue any Counsell yea and much lesse ordaine any thing before he had asked Counsell of the Lord. The Prophets lesson is e Ezech. 3.17 Heare the Word at my mouth f Ierem. 1.7 whatsoeuer I command that thou shalt speake and their prophecying was nothing else but a repetition of the lesson of their God word by word to the people The Apostles lesson was g Mat. 28.19.20 Goe and teach all Nations teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Their practice was h 1. Cor. 11.23 I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you Their instruction to others was i 1. Pet. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God and these words say wee are wholly contained in the holy Scripture wherein there is no mention at al of Monkish Counsels and notwithstanding they that are not Prophets nor Apostles vsurping more then hath been permitted euen to the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists doe counsell vs to follow their Counsels doe exhort vs yea vrge vs to the obseruation thereof without God without Christ without Scripture pretending therein notwithstanding the Scripture and the name of eternall wisedome surely not without infolding themselues in impietie in cloaking with the name and title of eternall wisedome a doctrine which is altogether sensuall and earthly and calling the Counsell of God an intollerable yoke wherewith men haue charged the consciences of Saints set at liberty by our Lord Iesus Christ A Counsell notwithstanding that our Cardinal ioyneth with that of God and that if we beleeue him after the imitation of Saint Paul who speaking of virginitie saith II. 1 1. Cor. 7.25 Consilium autem do Pag. 10. tanquam misericordiam consecutus Yet giue I counsell as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord. But Saint Paul confesseth that he hath not ioyned his Counsell vnto any counsell comming from the Lord writing these words which goe immediatly before Now concerning virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord. Wherefore hee ioyneth not his Counsell to Gods Counsell according to Saint Pauls imitation Hee will say that it sufficeth that he imitates Saint Paul and that Saint Paul saith I giue Counsell c. But I answere him that Saint Paul hath written in Greeke and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say I giue my iudgement and not I giue Counsell His iudgement which he authorizeth by his fidelitie in the seruice of God by the mercy he hath obtained of the Lord to be faithfull by the Maiestie of the holy Ghost by whose inspiration he giues it l 1. Cor. 7.25 I giue my iudgement saith he as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull III. An aduice therefore that he giues not as a priuat man neither also as one of the troupe of Pastors but as he that hath obtained mercy of God to be an Apostle and very faithfull in his charge as he who was according to the Lords promise guided by the holy Ghost into all truth to bee not able to erre in his aduice and iudgement m 1. Cor. 7.40 Now saith he I thinke also that I haue the Spirit of God n Arist ethic ad Nicomach lib. 6. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduice is a right iudgement of that which is seemely and right is that which is of a true man Among men who more true and vpright then an Apostle guided and inspired by the holy Ghost which is the Spirit of truth yea the truth it selfe Let them now shew me if a good and vpright aduice and iudgement giuen by an Apostle faithfull in his charge and office hauing authoritie of the Lord Iesus to bee heard without replying as guided by the holy Ghost into all truth can be reiected without punishment I argue therefore after this manner That which can not be reiected with impunitie is no Euangelicall Counsell according to that we haue heard heretofore that A Counsell not obserued hath no punishment Now the iudgement of the holy Ghost giuen by the mouth of a faithfull Apostle is such a one as that it cannot bee refused without punishment therefore such a iudgement is no Euangelicall Counsell But let it bee a Counsell it is a good Counsell giuen by the good Spirit of God to man to his creature to the work of his hands by the heauenly Father to his childe that is earthly IIII. A Counsell properly is of the inferiour to his superiour or of a man to his equall the superiour armed with power and authoritie counselleth not but commandeth that which hee iudgeth to bee right and good and if he vseth words of Counsell his meaning is that they take and keepe them as Commandements yea all the world knoweth that the prayers and intreaties of great men are commandements to all them that are vnder their power and authoritie Now God is the great of great ones the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings o Isa 40.22.23 It is he that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie It is he that is our Father and we are his children p Jsa 64.8 wee are the clay and thou our potter saith the Church vnto him and we all are the worke of thine hand He is our Lord and we his seruants our Shepheard and wee his sheepe our Redeemer and wee are q 1. Pe. 1.18.19 those whom he hath redeemed from our vaine conuersation receiued