saluation are staires to heauen 1. If thou beest not a member of the Church and abidest in the ship thou canst not be saued Act. 27.31 2. If beeing ouerrunne with the disease of sinne thou waitest not at the poole wherin and when the Spirit mooueth and stirreth the waters thou canst not be cured Ioh. 5.4 Refuse the word and Sacraments thou perishest 3. If God haue shewed thee oh man what is good and what he requireth of thee surely to do iustly to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and walk with thy God if thou cast thy selfe off these staires into iniustice vnmercifulnes pride and profanenesse by this fall thou doest breake the neck of thy soule So when the Lord affoards many gracious means within a man and without without the exhortations and precepts of his word and the warnings of his correcting hand then 1. suffer the word of exhortation gladly let the word rule thee sinne not against the word by which thou art to be iudged 2. let the rod open the eare that was sealed and correction be thy instruction it is a note of blessednesse to be chastened and taught in Gods law The Lord is glad to adde this meanes to let in the former and if men still fall backe more and more the Lord casts such persons off So when he inwardly vseth either checks of conscience or else the motions of his Spirit sinne not against them for 1. the voice of thy conscience must thou heare one day therefore suffer it not to goe on in accusing thee but still it by casting out the core of sinne that makes it so restlesse and painfull 2. quench not the motions of Gods spirit for this grieues him and makes him goe away in displeasure and then all thy sound comfort is gone with him II. In temporall things sinne not against the meanes He must eate that must liue he must worke that will eate sow to reape he that would auoid a strange woman must loue his owne wife all the souldiers and people in the shippe must come safe to land but then must they not cast them into the sea but abide in the shippe Isa. 37.33 the Prophet in the Lords name tells Hezekiah that Senacherib shall not enter into the city but if hereupon Hezekiah should haue bid them set the gates open would not the Prophet haue told him he had betrayed the city For a rich man to bee an vsurer or an oppressor is a greater sinne then it is taken for because it is against the meanes yet who are vsurers else who oppressors else who grinde the faces of the poore who detaine the wages of poore seruants but they For a man to breake the Sabbath for gaine is a great sinne as appeareth in the poore man that went out to gather stickes but how great then is it in rich men who need not hauing much meanes beyond the present necessitie and yet they or their seruants and workemen must bee gathering stickes to burne themselues withall in hell Who sees not the malice of the deuill here who will haue the Lords day worldly and wickedly spent wherein God hath set vp the speciall meanes to draw men from it For it is written HAuing spoken both of the ground of this assault and also of the scope and matter of it we come to the third consideration in it namely The enforcing or vrging of it by a testimony of Scripture Satan had perswaded the Sonne of God to a most foolish practise would any mad man or foole cast himselfe downe from an high place and pash himselfe all to peeces at any mans perswasions and cannot now the Sonne of God the wisedome of his Father discerne danger in this motion Satan is too blacke here and laies his snare in vaine before the eye of that which hath wing But to hide his blacknes he drawes a faire gloue ouer a foule hand and assayes to make the case without all danger or absurdity he hath that to say which the Sonne of God cannot refuse he hath Scripture to perswade him for no reason is comparable to this to assure the Sonne of God who must heare the word of his Father that there is neither danger nor vnreasonablenesse in this motion nay there is much good in it 1. he shall shew himselfe to be the Sonne of God 2. he shall shew his affiance in his Fathers word which hath fully assured him of his Fathers protection as if he should say Thou beeing the Sonne of God mayest without danger cast thy selfe downe hence but doe not take it on my word which perhaps thou mayest suspect but take it on thy Fathers word If that hath any truth in it there is no danger in my motion And because thou shalt not thinke that I speake without booke it is written in thy Fathers booke If I had a Psalter here I could shew it thee that he hath giuen his Angells charge ouer thee to keep thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone and though thou cast thy selfe downe they shall beare thee vp and saue the harmelesse And if they should faile of their duty thou beeing the Sonne of God canst sustaine thy selfe by thine owne proper power and vertue Here consider two things 1. the generall consideration of the allegation It is written 2. the speciall matter of it He will giue his Angells charge ouer thee c. The deuill can and doth alleadge Scripture to further his wicked purposes as here In his tempting of Eue he made the ground of his temptation Gods word Hath God indeed said ye shall not die In the deluding of Saul he tooke the help of Samuels prophesie 1. Sam. 28.17 The Lord hath done euen as he spake by mine hand So his instruments the false Prophets pretend the word of the Lord as Hanani Ier. 28.2 The reasons why Satan alleadgeth Scripture are these 1. To hide his person and to transforme himselfe into an Angel of light here he counterfeits Dauids voice nay the voice of the Spirit of God speaking in the written word He would faine perswade Christ that he is a louer of the truth and vnder a testimony of Scripture would hide his hornes 2. As hereby himselfe dissembles holines so he would colour the matter to which he tempts vs to be iust and lawfull for is not that lawfull which the word allowes seeing it is the rule of faith and manners 3. He frames himselfe according to the disposition of parties with whom he is to deale Christ stood much vpon Scripture and would doe nothing without Scripture and if he cannot draw him by Scripture he shall preuaile nothing and thus he deales daily with tender consciences he can bring them to any thing by a Scripture of his owne misshaping 4. This comes to passe by reason of his malice 1. against the Scripture which he seekes to abuse to a contrary end seeing the Scriptures are written that we might not sinne 1. Ioh. 2.1 2. against
without excuse but not without witnesse Is not thy owne mouth thy iudge who professest so much knowledge and so little grace loue practise To sinne wilfully and presumptuously against the light is an extraordinarie conformity with Satan Rules of reading and hearing the word religiously 1. Consider the excellencie of the word aboue all precious things and how dangerous it is to take Gods name in vaine which is then when the word is frustrate of his right end 2. They are called holy Scriptures not onely in regard of that holy truth contained in them but because they are instruments by which the elect are sanctified and made holy Ioh. 17.17 and therefore are neuer to be vsed without holy affection nor without endeauour to grow vp in holines 3. They are the word of faith therefore we must mingle the word with faith and lay vp the precepts and promises thereof to beleeue it 4. The Scriptures being the rule of life we must submit our whole man to the obedience practise of it with all sinceritie and constancie Hereby we shall goe beyond the knowledge of the word in deuills and vngodly men NOW for the place it selfe we must consider it two wayes 1. As abused by Satan in his allegation 2. As we find it holily set downe by the Spirit of God In Satans abuse of this Scripture we may see many particulars 1. He wrongs the words of God when he vrgeth them spoyled of the right sense of the holy Ghost 2. He peruerteth the right order of Gods spirit in his allegation for whereas Gods spirit first suggests the word and then frames the heart to obedience of it for the propertie of the sheepe of Christ is first to heare the voice and then to follow Ioh. 10.27 Satan first will haue men to conceiue opinions or attempt practises pleasing to him and themselues and then afterwards seeke out some Scripture to iustifie them Thus Iohanan and the captaines were resolued to goe into Egypt but sent for Ieremy to see if they might haue the word of God to goe with them Ier. 42.3 compared with verse 20.3 He wrests the right end for whereas all Scripture is written that wee might not sinne 1. Ioh. 2.1 he abuseth this part of it to draw Christ to sinne â—nd whereas all the precious promises of God should hold vs in the awe and feare of God this promise must occasion Christ to prâ—sume vpon an vnlawfull action 4. He willingly mistakes the persons for whereas that Psalme and the great promises of it hold true in Christ our Head yet notwithstanding it wâ—s principally written for the godly members of Christ and the adopted sonnes of God neither can euery thing in that Psalme be so fitly referred to Christ in himselfe as in his afflicted members Besides that the Angels minister otherwise to Christ himselfe then to his members Christ by his owne power beaâ—es vp himselfe and Angels and all things Hebr. 1.3 5. He falsifies the text by adding partly to the words partly to the sense To the words he addes least at any time which addes no small strength to the temptation including euen that time wherein he should bee iumping betweene the pinacle and the pauement To the sense thrusting his dart into the sense of the place as if that place said so much in effect to him Cast thy selfe downe which Chrysostome hath well obserued saying Cast thy selfe dâ—wne was not written but was the poyson of the serpent cunningly mingled with the sweet comfort of the Scripture 6. He puts out and conceales that which most makes for Christ and against himselfe namely those words in all thy waies which most warreth against this headlong casting downe of himselfe for it is not the way of a man to cast himselfe from such an height but to seeke the staires oâ— the ordinarie way And these words were not vnawares omitted but maliciously and purposely for if Christ shall heare him speake of his wayes and consider that this casting downe of himselfe pertained not to his way one peice of his owne argument had ouerthrowne the whole 7. In thâ— allegation he commits the fallacie of diuision intending Christs ouerthrow by disioyning the things which God hath coupled together for whereas the words of that text in the right sense consists of two parts namely 1. a promise of protection and preseruation 2. the condition of keeping a mans selfe in his wayes without which condition no promise of God belongs vnto vs for godlinesse hath the promise of this life and the life to come Satan reiects the condition wholly and diuorceth it from the promise This is Mr. Iunius his obseruation 8. From euery part and word of a most excellent text he can vrge his most hellish temptation and make all faire weather when he intends nothing lesse as if he should say If thou be the Sonne of God cast downe thy selfe I do assure thee nay the written word assures thee of protection and safety for in such a Psalme namely the 91. verse 11. thou hast the word of thy Fathers promise yea in one promise a number of promises for 1. If thou wilt knowe the parties that shall support thee they bee Angels creatures swift mighty and powerfull 2. If thou doubtest of their will they must doe it they can neither will nor chuse it is their charge they are commaunded so to doe 3. If thou aske the manner how they must beare thee vp that if thou wouldst thou canst not fall 4. If thou doubtest of their chearefulnesse or willingnes or diligence there is no feare for they must doe it as mothers or nourses as the word signifies who out of their tender loue beare and carie or lead the infant with great watch and circumspection that it fall not and so come to hurt 5. If thou thinkest there is any limitation of their commission there is none for they must beare thee vp at all times 6. To take away all suspition of feare from thee they must saue thee not onely from great danger as breaking thy bones or necke but from the least danger thy foote the lowest and basest part shall not stumble or be hurt much lesse thy head thy selfe Thus subtilly intending to hold with the hound and run with the hare Satan hath prickt out a place which seemeth forcible enough to perswade any reasonable man to his purpose Hence note that A principall wile of Satan is to assay if he can by no meanes else to ouerthrow men by the ouerthrow of Scriptures Gen. 3.1 Hath God indeed said ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden It were strange and maruellous he should say so seeing he knows it would better your estate In this his first temptation of all other he chuseth to make Gods word a meanes of their and our ouerthrow thinking it not an easie thing to destroy Gods image in the soule vnlesse he could first destroy the word of God out of their
heart 1. Sam. 28.15 when the deuill would delude Saul â—nd hasten his death he layes the ground of it in Gods word and taking on him the person of Samuel saith The Lord hath done euen as he spake by my hand abusing alleadging that Scripture in 1. Sam. 15.28 The Lord will rent the Kingdome from thee this day and hath giuen it to thy neighbour who is better then thou Mar. 1.23 the deuill comes to Christ and tells him he knowes him well enough Thou art Iesus of Nazareth euen that holy One of God that holy One that was promised figured and expected euen that Redeemer and holy One of Israel Isa. 41.14 euen that holy One foretold by the Angell Luk. 1.35 And all this was by Scripture to ouerthrow both Christ himselfe and the faith of beleeuers as though there were some secret compact and familiarity betweene him and them and perhaps hence arose that speach By Beelzebub he casteth out deuills 1. Satan knowes that Scripture is the will of God reuealed and hath sway in the conscience as beeing inspired by the holy Ghost as the onely rule of faith and life and if he can turkiâ— the Scripture out of his right sense and shape he peruerts iudgment and holds the conscience in errour and these errours are dangerous and neare of kinne to obstinacy For till the truth of God come to his place againe in the conscience it will stiffen it selfe in errour euen to the death So as by this stratageme Satan vsurpes the conscience which is Gods right and so leads men at his pleasure 2. His malice sets him cleane contrary to God in his proceedings God hath giuen his Scripture to saue men by and therefore it is called a word of saluation now Satan would herein crosse the Lord in peruerting the word to mens condemnation The Scripture is in the Church as a law to the Common-wealth to containe men in the compasse of faith and godly life whence it is called Statutes and precepts and iudgements But Satan seekes to enforce it as a law to thrust men from faith and obedience The Scripture is a word of truth of holines of wisedome euery way resembling God the author Satan therefore beeing the greatest enemie to Gods image is the greatest enemie to the Scriptures and desireth to peruert them by establishing by them errours heresies false doctrines wicked and foolish opinions and practises 3. His subtilty and pollicie is not inferiour to his malice for 1. He hath a speciall slight and tricke of his owne by pretending truth to impugne it and with Scripture to fight against Scripture which he hath taught his speciall factors heretikes and seducers for why else did Christ forbid the deuill to witnesse to him but that euen that truth he speakes euer tends to destroy the truth And in the text why cites he the truth but to draw Christ into an errour 2. He will gaine to himselfe some credit by this practise for seeing speaches and testimonies depend much vpon the credit of the speaker by his quoting of Scripture he would be taken as if the truth of Scripture depended vpon or needed his witnes 4. Satan must doe thus if he will preuaile against Christ or his seruants for Scripture in the true sense of it is no patrone of sinne nor euer stands on the deuills side Of all tempâ—â—tions beware most of them which come armed with Scripture for hardlier can we espie the subtilty and danger of these then those which are directly against the Scripture And by temptations of this kinde Satan mightily preuaileth in points both of doctrine and practise which it shall not be amisse to giue some tast of and in both we shall obserue how Satan doth not so much vse as abuse Scripture I. In matters of doctrine 1. For the establishing of the Headship of the Church in the Pope the ordinary Papists haue found a Scripture in Ioh. 21.16 where Christ saith Feed my sheep I answer first that place speakes not of any headship or spirituall gouernment but of feeâ—ing by the word and Sacraments which the Pope neuer doth secondly it is a commaundement not giuen to Peter alone but to all the Apostles who were equally Apostles with him but applied to Peter specially not to note any Primacie but secretly to checke him for his threefold deniall whereby he made himselfe vnworthy to be a Disciple Obiect But Peter saith he hath two swords and therefore the Pope hath both spirituall and temporall iurisdiction Sol. This is a place of Satans alleadging when that which is spoken literally is wrested into a figuratiue sense And where Peter is commaunded Act. 10.13 to kill and eatâ— the Pope may kill and slay and eate vp whom he will or can Prince with people But this is a place literally to be taken and one part of the argument hangs with another as the dreame of a sicke man for the Pope if he be Peters successor must feed the sheep not feed on them But Bellarmine who would make the world beleeue his wit is thinner hath deuised a farre more sufficient place 1. Pet. 2.6 Behold I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious that is the Pope In his preface to the controuersie De Rom. Pontif. and lib. 4. cap. 5. But what may we thinke to reape from him that dares beginne his controuersie with so high a blasphemy and least we should thinke it fell inconsiderately from him he takes it vp againe For doth not both Paul and Peter teach that this stone can be meant of none but of Christ doth not both of them adde He that beleeueth in him shall not bee ashamed must we now beleeue in the Pope And who is this liuing stone that giues life to all that are built vpon him besides Christ himselfe None can arrogate it to himselfe or attribute it to another without high blasphemie Therefore I conclude this point boldly affirming that the deuill could not more impiously abuse this place then hath blasphemous Bellarmine 2. For the point of iustification by workes is alleadged that place of Iames 2.21 wherein they adde vnto the text 1. a false glosse by workes of the law 2. a false distinction saying that they iustifie as causes whereas we graunt that as effects they iustifie that is declare a man to be iustified so did Abrahams workes declare him to be iust and this is not the iustification of the person which is onely by faith but of the faith of the person which is manifestly dead without them 3. In that great sacramentary controuersie they alleadge This is my body wherein Satan hath taught them to abuse Scripture in taking that literally which is figuratiuely spoken as often to writhe that â—nto a figure which is spoken literally and whereas they exclaime against vs for denying the words of Christ as heretikes we are far from denying Christs wordâ— but disclaime their false meaning which destroyes the Scripture seeing Scripture
beware of wronging the children of God euen because they haue the protection of the Angels To rise vp against any of them is to rise vp against the Angels their keepers Offend none of these little ones for their Angels behold the face of their heauenly Father and thou prouokest the Angels against thee If the Sodomites rise vp against Lot the Angels will saue him and destroy them If Balaam will goe to curse Gods people he shall haue an Angell against him with a sword drawne readie to kill him 4. Learne wee to giue God the honour of our saluation and safety when we haue auoided any danger publike or priuate It is not by chance nor by our prouidence and policie but Gods charging his Angels to saue and keepe vs. Daniel did rightly ascribe his deliuerance to God by the ministery of the Angell chap. 6.22 My God saith hee sent his Angell and shut the lyons mouth 5. To be partaker of all this comfort these meanes are to be vsed 1. Become a godly man Psal. 34.9 The Angell of the Lord pitcheth his tent round about them that feare the Lord Hebr. 1.14 They are ministring Spirits to the heyres of saluation 2. Hold on in a godly course keepe thee in thy wayes in the duties of thy calling generall and speciall for thus long the charge of the Angels stands in force 3. Pray not to Angels but to the God of heauen to send his Angell before thee to direct and assist thee in thy duties and waies For what God hath promised we must pray for Gen. 24.7 Abraham tells his seruant that God will send his Angell before him to take a wife for his sonne and this Angell prospered his iourney v. 40. And that this was the practise of the Church of Egypt appeares by Moses his message to the King of Edom Numb 20.16 Beeing ill intreated in Egypt we prayed to the Lord and he sent an Angell and brought vs out of Egypt I doubt not but this dutie were it more faithfully practised would bring home much more successe and comfort then many men finde in their labour who scarce knowe whence or how their prosperitie commeth vnto them Obiect If God should send his Angels in humane forme and as familiarly to conuerse with vs as aunciently they did with the Patriarkes we should beleeue this doctrine but now there is certainly no such thing Ans. 1. Christ is now in heauen where our conuersation ought to be by faith rather then by the visible apparition of Angels 2. The beginnings of the Church needed such heauenly confirmation but now the word is sufficiently confirmed by the Sonne himselfe from heauen 3. The Scriptures are perfect and fully and plainly reueale vnto vs Gods will in euerie particular as if the Angels should come and teach vs daily 4. The blessed Spirit is more abundantly giuen in our hearts and supplyeth their absence in bodily shape and apparition 5. We must labour to get the eyes of our soules open and then we shall with Elishaes seruant see their comfortable presence notwithstanding they take no bodies to appeare in VERS 7. Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God NOW followeth the repulse of our Sauiour to this second temptation wherein are two things 1. his resistance 2. his reason drawne from a testimony of Scripture I. Christ resisteth and yeeldeth not albeit he heareth Scripture alleadged Why If yee were of God saith Christ yee would heare his word neither doth Scripture speake any thing in vaine But the reason is 1. because our Lord perceiued that the word was wrested and abused by Sathanâ— and 2. that Scripture abused binds not to obedience 3. that Scripture turned out of his right sense is not Gods word but carries something in it besides Scripture and then if an Angel from heauen should bring it we must be so farre from receiuing it as to hold him accursed 4. for our example that wee should not take all allegations hand ouer head but as Christ here trie whither they tend if to cast vs downe refuse them II. Christ resisteth but not without reason but by Scripture and opposeth Scripture to Scripture not as repugnant one to another but by way of collation and conferring one with another that the right vse of one may ouerthrowe the abuse of the other not in way of contrarietie but of commentarie Quest. But why did not our Sauiour shut his mouth by telling him how wickedly he had abused the text he had alleadged by adding detracting and wresting it to a contrarie ende and meaning Answ. This might indeed haue confounded him sufficiently but our Sauiour his combate is not only victorious for vs but exemplarie and therefore we are herein trained in our fight and encounter 1. To hold close to the Scripture in answering the deuill It is written againe which word of our Sauiour noteth how he buckled the Scripture to him both as a buckler to defend him and as a sword to foyle and wound his enemie and so must we who are not so able to dispute with Satan about the true meaning of a place as our Lord was 2. To informe vs that the best and onely way to discouer the abuse of Scripture is Scripture it being the onely rule and iudge of it selfe and all the controuersies rising out of it And therefore the deuill no sooner heard this testimony but his mouth was shut as well knowing how the wisdom of his Father had discouered his subtiltie The best commentarie of Scripture is Scripture euery man is the best interpreter of himselfe and so the Author of the Scriptures is the best interpreter of them 3. To let vs see that although Satan had abused the Scripture yet he nor we must ouercome by no other weapon and that the abuse of a thing takes not away the right vse of it nor good things to be reiected because they are abused by them that can vse them aright If Christ had been of the Papists minde he would haue condemned and shut vp the Scriptures from common men because the deuill had abused them for so doe they because heretiques his instruments doe abuse them the Laitie may not meddle with them But it is plaine that in things necessarie no abuse in one takes away the right vse in another As for example A murderer vseth a sword to kill a man may not another vse a sword or that sword in his owne defence And are not the Scriptures the sword of the Spirit more necessarie A drunkard a glutton a proud person abuse meat and drinke and apparell to surfeting drunkennesse riot and excesse shall we therefore cast away meat drinke apparell and refuse the necessarie vse of it And is not the word a more necessary food Because a wolfe comes in sheeps cloathing must the sheepe cast away their fleece No the Prophets did not refuse the word of the Lord because the false Prophets did say The word of the
ancient Fathers is that plenaria Concilia vniuersall and Oecumenicall councells may erre and be mended by latter Councells 3. There was a true sense and interpretation of Scripture in the Church before any of these generall Councells The first generall Councell was the Nicene wherein were 318. Bishops gathered by Constantine the Great against Arrius but this was not till the 328. yeare after Christ and was there not all that while the gift of interpreting and iudging of Scripture that now we must seeke a new meanes erected so many hundreth yeares after the Apostles 4. The Councells themselues determined by the Scriptures of the Scriptures as the first Nicene generall Councell where Constantine enioyned and accordingly they determined all according to Scripture It seemes in those daies the Scriptures were aboue Councells and since Councells and decrees of men got wings to flie aboue the Scriptures it was neuer well as one of them selues speaketh Well may we now say with Nazianzene who therefore auoided all meetings of Bishops quòd nunquam vllius Concilij bonum foelicem exitum vidisset yet he had seene some which the Papists stand vnto And we also seeing the grosse errours of Councells as that ancient Councell of Carthage vnder Cyprian appointing rebaptization to such as were baptized by heretikes the 2. Ephesin Councell in which were more then 300. Bishops is called by Leo himselfe liuing in Theodosius his time conciliabulum latronum a den of theeues the 2. Nicene Councell appointed images made by mans hand to be worshipped a most grosse error and idolatry The Romane Councell vnder Pope Stephanus condemned Pope Formosus and all his decrees and the Councell of Rauenna condemned Stephanus and restored Formosus One of them must needs erre The Councell of Constance appointed a number of grosse errors as that the cup should be taken from Laikes that faith giuen to Protestants vnder the Emperours promise and seale is not to be kept c. and it condemned a number of Iohn Hus his articles which were orthodoxe and consonant to Scripture The Councell of Trent was a sincke of all Antichristian errours now we I say seeing such grosse errours of Councells may not or ought not we with the auncient Fathers appeale from Councells to the holy Scripture Ierome on Galat. 2. saith The doctrine of the holy Ghost is that which is deliuered in Scripture contra quam si quid statuant concilia nefas duco If Councells determine any thing contrary thereunto I account it abhominable And Augustine beeing pressed by the authority of the African Councell at which Cyprian was present appealed from it to the Scripture with this reason We may not saith he doubt of the Scripture of all other wee may doubt Nay Panormitan the great Popish Canonist and Lawyer saith plainely Plus credendum est simplici laico scripturam proferenti quà m toti simul Concilio We must more beleeue one poore simple lay-man that bringeth Scripture then a whole Councell I will adde nothing of the Romish tricke of falsifying the bookes of Councells and corrupting changing adding and detracting from the Canons which makes them yet more vncertaine and insufficient to rule the Scriptures by this might be instanced in the Nicene and Mileuitan Councell and others but the further dispute hereof belongs to the schooles The fourth iudge to decide all controuersies is the POPE himselfe for they haue but fumbled all this while and now they deale plainely for when they pretend the Catholike Church Doctors Councells they meane all Romish for with the Rhemists the Catholike and Romane faith is all one Gregory de Valentia saith By the Church we meane her head the Romane Bishop Bellarmine hath these words The Pope himselfe without any Councell may decree matters of faith And the Canon Law saith that all his rescripts and decrees are Canonicall Scripture and that he may dispense 1. against Gods Law 2. against the law of nature 3. against an Apostle 4. against the New Testament Now that the Pope cannot haue authoritie at his pleasure to iudge the Scripture is plaine 1. Because a Councell is aboue the Pope as the most and auncientest of Papists beleeue and two generall Councells of Constance and Basil decree and that the Councell hath power to restrain yea and depose him and so hath done And yet a Councell as we haue seene wanteth this authoritie ouer the Scriptures Bellarmine would not beleeue or approoue it but for the obseruation of the Church and common opinion Now the Sorbonists of Paris denie it 2. Because we know the Pope can erre in his chaire in matters of faith and interpretation of Scripture As for example Rom. 8.8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God Pope Syricius thus interpreted it To be in the flesh is to be married therefore the Priests must not marrie Ioh. 6.53 Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you Pope Innocent 1. thence determined the absolute necessitie of the Eucharist to saluation and therefore it must be giuen to infants Luk. 22.38 Behold two swords here Pope Boniface 8. interprets it of the temporall and spirituall sword deliuered to the Pope Nay they haue not onely erred many of them but been grosse and wicked heretikes Liberius Pope about the yeare 350. was an Arrian and subscribed to the vniust condemnation of Athanasius and afterwards as an obstinate heretike was deposed Honorius the 1. ann 626. was a Monothelite held that Christ had but one will and so but one nature and for this heresie was condemned in three generall Councells In the yeare 1408. at a Councell held at Pisa consisting of a thousand Diuines and Lawyers two Popes were deposed as once to wit Gregory 12. and Benet 13. the tenor of whose depriuation calls them notorious scismatikes heretikes departed from the faith scandalizing the whole Church vnworthy the Papacie cut off from the Church What must we obey in error scandall and heresie or can the Pope alter the nature of that which is false and make it true 3. When there were two or three Popes at once and none knewe which was the right Pope or the cheife Pastor whither should men go for their determination of controuersies in religion or when themselues disagree in interpreting Scripture how can we know which of them to leane vnto See an example Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church some Popes vnderstand it of Peters person some of Peters chaire which they say is at Rome some of Peters confession We haue all vnerring Popes maintaining these seueral interpretations how shall we chuse the best what vpon a Popes word euery one of them hath that Therefore there must be a superiour interpreter and more infallible namely the Spirit of God in the Scriptures 4. How know we he hath any authoritie ouer any other Bishop seeing the Scripture giues him none How may we knowe he is
the senses laid together were well safe-guarded Can the heart or market-place of a towne or citie be safe froÌ„ the siege of the enemie if the gates be cast open or the walls demolished or the ramparts bared of their fence and munition Why did Iob make such couenants with his eyes but that he knew that without such a fence euery obiect would be as a snare to entrappe his soule Iob. 31.1 Nay let an heart neuer so seasoned with grace suffer the senses to leake the soule is in danger of shipwracke Was there euer heart of ordinary man or woman more innocent or more filled with grace then Eues in her innocencie And yet when as Sathan set vpon her senses hee sent in by them such poyson as wrought death vnto all her posterity Rules for the ordering of our senses aright 1. Beware of the life of sense which is a bruitish life 2. Pet. 2.12 the Apostle speaketh of men lead by sensualitie euen as the bruit beasts who follow sense and appetite without all restraint Thus did the Gentiles who were therefore giuen vp to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.24 And the danger of this estate Salomon noteth Eccles. 11.9 when he bids the young man walke in the sight of his owne eies and after the lusts of his heart but withall Remember that for all this he must come to iudgement Let such thinke hereon that thinke it is free to giue vp their senses to feed themselues vpon euery obiect themselues please 2. Consider that God made the senses to minister to a right ordered heart and not the heart to follow the senses and therefore the heart must be watched that it walke not after the eie which is to inuert Gods order And what a deluge of sinne ouerfloweth the soule when the vnderstanding is buried in the senses and the heart drowned in sinfull appetites Dauid giues his eye leaue to wander and looke lustfully after Bathsheba and what waues of miserie one ouertaking another did he bring into his soule And what maruel then if naturall men neglecting their dutie in taking off their eyes from vnchast obiects neuer rest till they come to haue eies full of adulterie 2. Pet. 2.14 not ceasing to sinne according to our Sauiours speach Matth. 6.23 If the eie be euill all the bodie is darke yea and the soule too 3. Keepe the parts of Christian armour vpon thy senses that thou lie not open there A valiant captaine knowing that the enemy is easier kept out then beaten out of a citie hath great care to plant his garrison about the gates and walls there he sets his most faithfull watch and ward there he plants his cheife munition and ordnance Had Dauid kept his armour on his eie he had not been so foyled by Bathsheba If on his eare he had not been so iniurious to Mephibosheth by meanes of slandring Ziba 2. Sam. 16.3 4. Salomon wisheth vs Not to looke vpon the colour of the wine in the cuppe that is with too much pleasure to stirre vp desire Hee would haue vs keep our fence vpon our eares not to giue eare to a flatterer or whisperer but brow-beat him and driue him away with an angry countenance The Apostle Paul would haue our eares shut against euill and corrupt words which corrupt good manners Daniel desires not to tast of the Kings dainties nor will pollute himselfe with them chap. 1. v. 8. And so we must fence our whole man as we may not touch any vncleane thing and yeeld nothing to the course of waters 4. Feed thy senses with warrantable obiects 1. God 2. His word 3. The creatures 4. Thy brethren 5. Thy selfe First our eies are made to see God himselfe here below as we can in his backe-parts hereafter as we would face to face And therefore a base thing it were to fixe them vpon the vain pleasures and profits of this life This is fitter for bruit beasts that haue no higher obiect Againe what fairer or fitter obiect can we choose for our senses then himselfe that made them with all their faculties and giues vs so much comfort by them Pro. 20.12 The hearing eare and seeing eie God made them both and both of them as all things else â—e made for himselfe Further where can we better place our senses then vpon him from whom all our help commeth how ought our eies to be continually lifted vp in holy and feruent prayers and praises considering both our continuall necessities and supplyes So Dauid I lift vp mine eies vnto the hills from whence my saluation commeth Psal. 121.1 and As the eie of the handmaid is lifted vp to the hand of her Mistresse so are our eies vnto thee Psalm 123.1 Lastly how can we place our senses better then vpon him who is the most pleasant and durable obiect To see God in Christ reconciled to heare and know him become our father is so rauishing a sight as the Saints haue runne through fire and water to apprehend it And for the continuance it will feed the senses euerlastingly yea when the senses themselues decay and waxe dull this obiect shall feed them and be neuer the lesse sweet And therefore as Salomon aduiseth Eccles. 12.1 while thou hast thy senses fixe them vpon this obiect Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before they be darke that looke out at the windowes c. If a man set his senses and feed them vpon any outward obiect wealth honour pleasure buildings and the like we may iustly say to him as our Sauiour to his disciples when they gazed vpon the beautifull workemanship of the Temple Are these the things your eies gaze vpon verily the time comes when one stone shall not be left vpon another vndemolished The like may be said of all earthly obiects whatsoeuer Onely this obiect shall grow more and more glorious and desireable Secondly God made our senses to be exercised in his holy word which leades vs to himselfe Heb. 5.14 the Apostle requires that Christians should haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senses exercised in the word Pro. 2.2 let thine eare heare wisedome 1. Hence comes faith which is by hearing 2. Hence we draw the comforts of the Scriptures which are the consolations of God in our trouble 3. Hence are we admonished directed and wholesomly corrected Pro. 15.31 The eare that heareth the rebuke of life shall dwell among wise men 4. The danger of neglect is great 1. he that turnes his eare from hearing the law his prayer is abhominable 2. vncircumcised eares resist the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 3. itching eares that turne from the truth doe by Gods iust iudgement turne vnto fables 2. Tim. 4.3 5. It is a signe of a man that hath giuen his heart vnto God for he that giues his heart will giue his senses too knowing that God requires both Pro. 23.26 My sonne giue me thy heart and let thine eyes that is thy senses delight in my wayes And our Sauiour saith Hee that hath an
things shall be neat and conuenient at home no care how Gods house lies When base trifles are preferred before Gods word and the good setling of it as stage-playes and enterludes When Gods Sabbaths and time must giue place to our callings or recreations or are passed away in Gods worship more heauily then holy-daies or worke-daies Here is a man affected more with his owne sinn then the highest causes of Gods glorie III. The reason of our Sauiours deniall For it is written Thou shalt worshippe the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Our Sauiour had sharply reprooued Satans impudence in his bold on set this third time but yet because it is not sufficient to thrust off an aduersarie with heat of words and sharpe reproaches vnlesse there be added also a direct answer and satisfaction to the matter in hand he therefore most fully answereth by the Scriptures euen the deuill himselfe not contenting himselfe by his power to repell him which Satan now beginneth to feele vnles also by the power of the word he conuince him and thereby award the dart and breake the temptation into peices Which must be our rule in dealing with vaine and iangling aduersaries not to answer them according to their foolish disposition or prouocation nor to be like them in frowardnes or stifnes in heat and peruersnes but to answer them with words of wisdom with sound matter and moderation both to conuince them and beat downe selfe-conceit in them which is the meaning of those two precepts Prou. 26.4.5 which seeme contrarie but are easily reconciled by the due respect of persons places times and other circumstances Euer remember one rule that no aduersarie suppose the deuill himselfe is to be answered by affection or passion but by iudgement and sound reason Yea if we haue no hope to winne our aduersarie or doe him much good as Christ had none of the deuill yet we must testifie to God and his truth for the confirmation of our selues and others The testimonie alleadged is out of Deut. 10.20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God thou shalt serue him and Deu. 6.13 An vniuersall and affirmatiue precept by which euery creature is bound to his Creator and him alone to performe diuine worship vnto him And it is aptly applyed by Christ to this dart of Sathan For it implyeth 1. That he himselfe as now standing in this conflict with Sathan is a creature of God as he is man though otherwise as God he be equall to his Father As man he is subiect to the law and to this precept among the rest 2. That Satan is not God as he pretendeth by his vniust claimes nor any way equall to God 3. That therefore neither must he beeing a creature giue the least diuine worship from God nor he that thus claimes it can by any meanes be capable of it 4. That the Scriptures of God reserue vnto God his due worship and forbid that any creature shall share with him Christ stands not to dispute whether the sight presented were a shadow or substance nor whether he would giue it him or no but holds him to the Scripture which vpholds his Fathers right Quest. But why doth our Sauiour change and adde to the text of Scripture as not regarding that terrible woe denounced against such as adde or take away from the word and contrary to that in Deut. 12.32 Here our Sauiour 1. changeth Moses saith Thou shalt feare Christ saith Thou shalt worship 2. addeth for Moses hath not the word onely which is of Christs putting to that text Answ. 1. Here is some difference indeed in words but not in sense and therefore it is no corruption of the text nor letting out the life of it which stands not in the words but in the true sense 2. Our Lord both in great wisedome changeth the word feare into worship and iust cause for 1. Moses vseth feare which is a generall word in which is contained all such diuine duties as godly men ought to performe vnto God and our Sauiour mentions one speciall which is included in that generall which thing Moses speakes as well as hee in the generall as he that commaunds a whole commands euery part inward and outward 2. Hereby our Sauiour aptly meetes with Satans temptation If thou wilt worship me he vseth the same word not tying himselfe to Moses his words but keeping the sense but to Satans word and 3. He noteth the nearenesse and vndiuidednes of Gods feare and his worship as where the cause is there will be the effect so true feare and worship goe together where one is there will be the other and for this cause one is put for the other not here onely but elsewhere as Esa. 29.13 their feare toward mee was taught by the precept of men Christ alleadging it Matth. 15.9 saith You worship me in vaine As for the word onely added which is not in the law it no way addeth any contrary or diuerse sense to Moses but onely expoundeth or giueth a fit commentarie to the text and speaketh that plainely in one word which Moses doth in more as Deut. 2.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and walke after no other gods which is all one with our Sauiours Thou shalt serue him onely As he that saith The King is the supreame gouernour and none but hee saith in effect The King is the onely supreame gouernour 3. Christ and his Apostles had a priuiledge in alleadging Scriptures without errour and were infallible expounders as well as alleadgers 4. This alteration of words is made by Christ to warrant vs that Scriptures alleadged by teachers according to their right sense although with alterations and additions are to be taken as true expositions and allegations we beeing not tyed so strictly to words as to sense For otherwise all our sermons and expositions which serue to beat out the true sense of Scriptures and apply it to seuerall vses might be condemned as idle additions to Scripture which is blasphemous 5. To warrant vs that principles of religion expounded by warrant of Scripture are truely interpreted though the Scriptures in so many formall words expresse them not As for example In the doctrine of iustification by faith we say we are iustified by faith onely before God here the Papists exclaime on vs as accursed heretikes because we read not the word onely in all the Scripture But we read it in effect and in true sense Rom. 3.28 and Eph. 2.8 by faith without workes which exclusiue is all one as to say onely by faith as our Sauiour interprets the exclusion of other gods by the word onely As if I should say I did such a thing without help is it not all one to say I onely did it If Christs interpretation be true and warrantable so must ours in the point of iustification And if the deuill himselfe had not yeelded to Christs allegation he might haue said Thou thrustest in the word onely and addest to
is not repugnant to the analogie of faith or true interpretation of other Scriptures But that Satan should come bodily or assume a shape is not against the scripture but confirmed in the example of Eue and Samuel If it be further asked in what bodily shape he came here I am with the scripture silent Onely he came not in a Monkish habit as the grosse Papists say because there was no such in vse in the world then nor many hundred yeares after And yet it is obseruable that themselues thinke this habit the fittest for the deuill as indeed it hath beene since prooued for neuer did the deuill in any habit so preuaile against Christ in his members as in this Antichristian weed 1. Note hence what mooued Satan thus to come namely his owne voluntary motion and will he came vnsent for Christ comes not but led of the spirit Satan comes of himselfe And the same difference is to be obserued betweene them that are led by the spirit of God and by this vnclean spirit Those that are led by Gods spirit whatsoeuer they be about they will looke to the motion what warrant they haue for it whence it is and whether it tends whether they be led or vndertake things of their owne head they looke whether the thing be good in it selfe whether good in them whether conuenient in circumstances whether it belong vnto them and hence they do it chearfully and with a blessing on it Whereas whom Satan caries they looke for no warrant they set themselues on worke and execute their owne lusts humours and desires yea in the things they doe best they looke for no warrant and therefore if it be in any thing that is good euery thing is begun as with a left hand they are without blessing and protection See this difference betweene Ahab and Iehoshaphat 1. King 22. Ahab saith Let vs goe vp to Ramoth Gilead but Iehoshaphat said I pray thee let vs aske counsell of the Lord and was there not as much difference in the issue yes Ahab was strangely slaine a mighty man by chance drawing a bow hit into a ioynt of his armour and slew him but Iehoshaphat was marueilously deliuered And therefore look to your warrant in your actions aske your hearts whether you be led by the spirit or come of your selues and then you come of your selues when either you haue no word or attempt any thing against the word seeing Gods spirit and word crosse not one another and one neuer directs but by the other So if you be crossed in your actions or attempts cast an eye backe to that which mooued you to it or whether you went by warrant or vpon your owne head If you haue gone and the spirit not leading you what could you expect but to be crossed Looke on the 7. sonnes of Sceua who would take in hand to cast out deuills in the name of Iesus but beeing not led by the spirit the euill spirit tooke aduantage on the want of their commission and ranne vpon them and ouercame them preuailed against them so that they fled out naked and wounded 2. Note Obserue the impudencie and boldnes of the deuill that thus visibly comes against Christ. Had he not heard the voice from heauen or had he forgot it whilest it yet sounded no he begun all his temptations thus If thou be the Sonne of God Or did he doubt that he was the Sonne of God no the deuills confesse him so to be Matth. 8. and he knew by all the prophesies and accomplishments that Christ was he the scepter was gone from Iudah he was borne of a Virgin at Bethlehem whom Iohn went before in the spirit of Elias he knew the shepheards testimony yea the Angels at his birth he knew well he was the Son of God Quest. What could it stand with his policie so visibly to assaile the Sonne of God Answ. 1. God in iustice besotted him that against his knowledge he should encounter Christ for his owne ouerthrow 2. Though â—e knew that Christ was he that should breake his head and that he could not preuaile against him yet his malice made him fearelesse he would set vpon Christ whatsoeuer should be the issue himselfe could be but condemned 3. He would against his knowledge shew his malice to God in molesting and troubling his blessed Sonne for here and daily he sinneth the sinne against the Holy Ghost 4. God hauing him in chaines so ouerruled his malice as it should be turned against himselfe and be a meanes to proclaime Christ in all ages the promised seed who had broken his head He which thus emboldned himselfe to come against Christ wil not feare to come to thee be thou as iust as Iob yea wert thou as innocent as the Lamb of God It is Gods great mercy that hee comes not so bodily and visibly to vs as to Christ we know if God giue him leaue he can possesse euen any of our bodies as appeares in all those demoniaks he can assume a body also to terrifie or delude vs withall if God suffer him as we see in Sauls example So in Gods iust iudgement when men giue vp Gods seruice and vndertake to bee agents for Satan he giues power to the deuill to come to them in a bodily shape for his better familiarity with them as to witches and the like It is Gods mercy that he comes not thus as he did to Christ so ordinarily as he hath done in ignorant and Popish times and we must pray that euen in visible shapes he may neither terrifie nor delude nor grow familiar with vs. But the light of the Gospell hath forced him to come to vs more secretly and spiritually by wicked motions and suggestions partly from himselfe immediately and partly mediately from others And seeing we cannot hinder his comming to vs we must be so much the more watchfull that when he comes he may find vs prepared against him For as we cannot hinder birds from flying in the aire but we may hinder them from making nests on our heads so we cannot hinder the flying motions of Satan but we neede not suffer them to settle in vs. Quest. How shall I know when the tempter comes Answ. By obseruing these two rules 1. Whensoeuer thou art perswaded to any thing that is euill then thou mayest know the tempter comes Sometimes he perswades to sinne by extenuating it why it is but a little one a grain as light as a feather now comes the tempter Gods spirit neuer perswades that any sinne is little Sometimes by the vtility commodity of it Oh it is profitable by one oath or lie thou maiest be a great gainer and why shouldest thou be so nice but now the tempter is come for the holy Spirit commaunds thee not to sweare at all nor to lie for Gods greatest aduantage much lesse thine owne and what profit is it to winne the world with the losse of ones soule Sometimes from
shrines of their forefathers that often they can spend their goods and liues for it as though it were the onely truth Let vs labour to auoid these common darts these falsly concluded conclusions which Satan seeks to haue vs assent vnto It is a great subtilty of the deuill by which he ouerthrowes many and must the more circumspectly be watched against See some instances of this his stratageme in matters of faith and of practise I. In matters of faith 1. In the Scripture it is a frequent ground that God is mercifull true therefore saith Satan be bold in sinne and deferre thy repentance thou mayest repent when thou list Here is a wicked inference indeede for there is mercie with God that he may be feared and Knowest thou not that the long suffering of the Lord should lead thee to repentance 2. It is a true ground that Christ died and that for all .i. elect and beleeuers But Satan saith Therefore what needest thou care why shouldest thou be so precise is not Christ a sufficient pay-master Yes but hee paied for none but for those that walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. v. 1. 3. It is a true ground that a man must prouide for himselfe and his family or else he is worse then an infidell Hence Satan collects Thou maiest be couetous thou maiest scrape and scratch together any thing an infidell is the worst in the world and so he perswades a man that all is fish which comes to net and any winde good that brings gaine with it II. In matters of practise many wayes 1. Thou art the Son of God then make these stones bread thou mayest be a little bolder then other God will not be so angry with thee Here see a plaine Satanicall inference For the child of God must honour his Father Mal. 1.6 and feare to offend him If I by profession draw neere vnto God I must the more sanctifie my selfe and grace my profession 2. If thou beest a man a gentleman a man of valour do not put vp this wrong but reuenge this quarrell els euery one will point at thee for a dastard Here is another deuillish conclusion for a man must not step into the place of God who saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay and a Gentleman must be of gentle behauiour not sauage fierce and cruell a man of valour must passe by offences It is the glory of a man to passe by an offence Pro. 16.32 3. If thou beest an honest fellow drink sit bare vpon the ground and pledge so much to such and such a freind drinke a health to that and the other boone companion But the inference is like the former it warres with honestie and ciuilitie to drinke and swill till health bee drowned and reason banished and the partie sorted with the bruit beasts 4. If thou beest a good Catholike a true Romanist defie these heretikes die for the Romish religion but before thou diest kill thy Prince cut the throat of thy countrey blow vp the Parliament-house so shalt thou be a Martyr presently But a true Catholike cannot be a limbe of Antichrist cannot be a traytor cannot be the deuils martyr though a false Catholike a false-hearted Romanist may be a foxe a Faux an incendiarie a Clement a Rauilliac a Catholike villaine or vniuersall mischeife 5. But thou art now in danger therefore now deny thy profession forsweare thy religion abiure Christ at least cast one graine into the fire at the Emperours commandement Here is an other deuillish conclusion vpon a true premise for God bids mee in danger drawe neare vnto him and not renounce him or go further from him Christ did not by any euill meanes auoid danger for me and he hath said he will denie him before men and angels that shall denie him in this world And the further from God the nearer to danger 6. Thou art a man of learning and in a populous place why shew thy learning sometimes and preach aboue the peoples capacitie thou canst speake tongues do so and studie to be more eloquent Here is Sathans Sophistrie and learning vpon the learned the ground is often true the inference false and dangerous the Apostle Paul was a man of learning and in a populous place at Corinth but he thought nothing worthy to be known but Christ and him crucified neither stood his preaching in the enticing speach of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the spirit and in power and that for good reason 1. Cor. 2.2 â—6 And can I thinke that Satan hath any care of edifying my people 7. Thou art a man of knowledge and vnderstanding why doest thou heare sermons so diligently seeing thou knowest enough yea as much as the Preacher can tell thee A wicked inference of the Prince of darkenesse for true knowledge empties the heart of pride and presumption and the more I knowe the more I had need be stirred vp to practise that my stripes be not the more 8. Thou art an ignorant man thou vnderstandest not sermons why then doest thou follow them or read the Scriptures A wretched conclusion the more ignorant I am the more I need vse the meanes of knowledge the lesse I vnderstand the more I had need be taught But this ignorance is one of the cheife pillars of Satans kingdome Obiect These Preachers agree not among themselues and therefore I will beleeue neuer a one of them Ans. Thou must search for wisedome as for siluer and for vnderstanding as for gold 9. Thou art a man of good conscience of much integrity aboue other Christians and if thou beest so then separate thy selfe from these mixed companies of godly and profane Come out from among them my people least yee partake of their plagues separate from their preaching and prayers from their fellowship and companie from ciuilitie and salutation thou maiest eat their meate but say not grace with them pray for them not with them Ah but if my conscience be good I must not forsake the fellowship as the manner of some is Hebr. 10.25 as knowing that such pure assemblies cannot be found vnder the whole cope of heauen And if we would fence our selues against these wicked inferences of Satan we must carefully obserue these rules 1. Beleeue not euery spirit but prooue the spirits whether they be of God 1. Ioh. 4.1 as goldsmiths separate gold and drosse and examine euery peice of gold by the touchstone 1. Thess. 5.18 Trie all things 2. Compare doctrines and the reasons of them with the Scripture if a doctrine disagree from any part of the word it is erronious and dangerous as namely that of the reall presence which impugnes the article of Christs ascension 3. Hold fast that which is good 1. Thess. 5.18 When we haue considered and knowne truths we must with Mary lay them vp in our hearts to be readie to serue our vse Commaund these stones to be made bread We haue considered the
the Lord are truth and Ioh. 17.17 thy word is truth to shew that so long as we hold to the word we are sufficiently armed against all falshood and error both in iudgement and practise And the like may be concluded from that it is called light discouering and chasing before it all mists and darknes 4. The word is a complete armour couers euery part of the soule giues fence and direction to the minde vndeestanding memory thoughts all the affections and all the faculties of the soule it couers euery part and member of the body teacheth the eye to looke the eare to heare the tongue to speake the feet to walke it directs vs in all our conuersation and actions of life towards God and men euen to all conditions of men superiours equalls inferiours poore and rich further it guideth vs in all conditions of life in all times in all places in all ages prescribing rules to children and men young and old in all exercise and vse of things indifferent as meat drinke apparell recreation in a word in all things concerning this life or the life to come So as here is a sufficient defence for all occasions 5. Neuer did any man receiue any hurt from Satan or his own corruptions or from this euill world but either because he did not draw out this sword or did not rightly vse it What other was the cause of the deadly wound of our first Parents and ours in them but that they drew not out this sword of Gods word but suffred the serpent to wring it out of their hands How could Peter haue beene so grieuously wounded in the High Priests hall but that he forgat the word of Christ which had admonished him of it the power of which was such as it healed his wound as easily as it had done Malcus his eare which he had struck off and therefore wanted no power to haue preserued him if he had remembred it What a sâ—â—refull wound befell Lots wife because shee cast off this armour and forgate the word charging her she should not looke backe The like of Salomon all his wisedome could not fence him if he cast off the word of God which had charged him not to meddle with outlandish wiues but neglecting that must fall by them This is a confutation of Romish teachers who disarme men of the Scriptures and wring this speciall weapon out of the peoples hands common people may not haue the Scripture in their vulgar tongue for this saith Harding is hereticall But this place is sufficient to prooue the contrary whence I conclude thus The weapons whereby people are fenced from Satans temptations are not to be taken from them but the Scriptures are the weapons of defence against Satans temptations and againe If all the common people be assaulted and wounded and all haue to doe with Satan then all haue need of this fence and couer against this most capital and deadly enemie But the assaulâ— is made against all and Satan seekes without exception whom he may deuoure and therefore all without exception need the fence of the Scriptures And further Whosoeuer turne the people naked vnto all Satans temptations and disarme them so as they cannot but be ouercome are guiltie of all the wickednesse of the people to which Satan draws them and also of their destruction vnto which they bee drawne But Popish teachers by destituting the people of the Scriptures turne them naked into temptation and disarme them and therefore are guilty of all their sinne and damnation But this practise of theirs is 1. Against the Scriptures for God would therefore haue the Scriptures written and commended to men in their owne language not onely for the learned but vnlearned also that it might be familiar to all sorts of men Deut. 31.11 12. Thou shalt read the words of this Lawe before all Israel that they may heare it and learne to feare the Lord and he names their men and women children and strangers Obiect But this belongs to the Iewes alone Answ. No the reason is perpetuall all of all ages must feare the Lord and therefore haue the meanes the word of God Ierem. 36.6 Ieremie commaunded Baruch to read the word of the Lord in the hearing of all Iudah and in the audience of the people Iob. 5.39 Search the Scriptures Obiect Christ spoke to the learned the Scribes and Phâ—risies Answ. But the reason of the precep belongs to all who desire life eternall Col. 3.16 Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you and 1. v. 9. hee prayeth they may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding now all the Colossians were not Clergie-men And how doth the Lord encourage all his people to vnderstand and obey the words of the law Deut. 4.6 Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding c. 2. It is against the example of Christ and the Apostles Christ taught in a knowne tongue so the Apostles were endued with diuerse tongues to preach to euery nation in their owne tongue and all the writers of holy scriptures did write them in the tongue best known most vulgar common whereby it might more easily come to euery ones knowledge for whatsoeuer was written was written for our learning that we by patience consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope so our Sauiour saith These things are written that ye might beleeue so as whosoeuer must haue faith hope patience comfort must be acquainted with the Scriptures and if these be entailed onely to learned men so may they 3. It is against common sense and as if one should aduise another who is to meet his enemy in the field that if he would driue away his enemy and get the victory he must lay downe his weapon or leaue it behind him Obiect But the Popish Doctors put other weapons into their hands to fight with as crosses holy-water charmes and coniurations wherewith the ruder sort yet content themselues Answ. These are weapons of the deuills owne forging the Leuiathan of hell accounts of these speares but as straw and laughes at them as if a man beeing to encounter a most furious and furnisht enemie should couer himselfe with a cobwebbe and thinke he were well furnished No no Satan puts these into mens hands to keep them from the word which is the onely charme the onely crosse the onely hallowed water that can coniure him which our Lord by his blessed example hath taught vs to vse 4. It is against the auncient Fathers Augustine saith Deus in Scripturis quasi amicus familiaris loquitur ad cor doctorum indoctorum The Lord in the Scripture speaketh familiarly to the conscience of the learned and vnlearned Irenâ—us saith Hac omnia contulit 〈◊〉 Scripturarum Dei ignorantia The Valentinians fell into all their heresies through their ignorance of the Scriptures But how should Papists beleeue Irenaeus when they will not
captaine of the Lords host appeared vnto him chap. 5.15 1. Whatsoeuer was in the law separated to God and his seruice was called holy the Sabbath was holy the Priests garments holy Exod. 28. Thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother Holy both because they were peculiar to the holy Priesthood for none else might put them on and because they were to be vsed in the holy place for when they came forth of the Tabernacle they must put them off and thirdly consecrate to holy vses and to be an holy type of Christs righteousnes a precious robe wherein all our sacrifices are offered The flesh was holy which was offered to the Lord in sacrifice Hagg. 2.13 For places Bethel was an holy place when Iacob saw the vision of the ladder there and the Temple was holy For people the Iewes were called an holy nation and Christians an holy Priesthood and Saints by calling 1. Pet. 2.9 For persons some are sanctified in the wombe to some speciall seruice as Ieremie cap. 1.5 and Iohn Baptist. Yea euery faithfull mans heart is as it were an Arke of God in which are kept the Tables of the Law yea the Tabernacle of God and the Temple of the holy Ghost where he pleaseth to dwell And thus was Ierusalem an holy citie so long as it continued in the true worship of God 2. This appeares by the contrarie seeing this holinesse was no further annexed to this place then God tyed his presence to it for when as the Iewes had crucified the Lord of glorie both the Temple and City as profane were destroyed and deliuered into the hand of the Romans and are now in the hands of the Turke a nest of vncleane and idolatrous beasts most sauage enemies of Christ and Christian profession 3. That place must needs be holy where the Lord dwelleth as a Master in his house teaching ordering and supplying all necessaries where Christ the holy Sonne of God walketh in the midst of the seauen golden Candlesticks beeing conuersant among the flockes of shepheards where the holy Spirit of God is present to powre out his treasures of wisedome and grace by meanes of the word and Sacraments which are his chariot and which not accompanied with the Spirit are but dead and ineffectuall to regeneration where the holy Angels are present to assist the ministery to repell hinderances to behold our order but especially desirous to looke into the mysteries of our saluation where the holy Saints vpon earth are met together to seek and see the face of the Lord ioyning together in all the parts of his pure and holy worship in hearing his holy word receiuing his holy Sacraments preferring publikely their holy prayers greatly by this meanes glorifying God and enriching their owne selues Surely this is Bethel the house of God and the gate of heauen This teacheth vs not to despise our assemblies nor to think our Churches vnholy for some corruptions Looke vpon Ierusalem Matth. 23.37 you shall see the eleuen tribes were Apostates there were in it dumbe dogges Isa. 56.10 there were Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites nay at this time the doctrine of the law was corrupted by the false glosses of the Pharisies and the Temple almost a denne of theeues full of buyers and sellers Yet for all this the Euangelist calls it the holy Citie euen when it had more corruptions in it then the Church of England hath at this day Why 1. Because there was the seruice of the true God set vp in the Temple the word preached and sacrifices offered and the meetings of the Church of God 2. Because as yet they had not receiued a bill of diuorcement Haue not we the word truely preached and the Sacraments for substance truely administred And for discipline I will say I wish we had the execution of so much as the Church alloweth Or when did the Lord giue vs a bill of diuorce or what Church hath conuinced vs that we cannot be acknowledged for a true Church If they say they of the Separation haue I answer 1. They haue laboured to discouer some errors but none fundamentall in vs nor without as many in themselues 2. Wee may well doubt whether they be a Church or no seeing by the profession of some of their teachers they will not ioyne themselues to any Church at this day vpon the face of the earth and so renounce all Communion with all the parts of the Catholike Church in the world But we must not thinke much if some vnstable persons forsake our communion seeing in the golden and flourishing age of the Apostles themselues some such there were Heb. 10.25 As for our selues we may strengthen our selues against them by these conclusions 1. We know that the word of truth is truly preached amongst vs which appeareth by the daily conuersion of thousands whereas neuer was man conuerted by a word of error Iam. 1.18 2. We know that our Ministers are of God because by them so many are begottē to God Our Sauiour thought this a good reason when he said Beleeue me that I came out from the Father for the workes sake The blind man had good insight into this matter Ioh. 9.30 saying If this man were not of God he could doe nothing and a wonderfull thing it is that ye know not whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eyes So may I say to the Separatist Doest thou not know whence that Minister is who hath opened thine eyes 3. We know that our meetings are holy meetings 1. our people is outwardly called by an holy calling and to an holy ende 2. they professe faith in Christ which is an holy profession and in charity if we see no open raigning sinne are to be iudged Saints 3. congregations are called holy in Scripture from the better part not from the greater as an heap of wheat mingled and couered with chaffe yet is called wheat 1. Cor. 6.11 Now ye are sanctified washed and iustified but in epist. 2. cap. 12. I feare that when I come among you my God will humble mee and I shall bewaile many of them that haue sinned and haue not repented of their vncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they haue committed Diuerse other abuses there were yet among Saints and beloued ones 4. mixt congregations are holy in Gods acceptation esteeming them not as they are in themselues but as members of Christ. When Israel was at the best it was a rebellious and stiffenecked people yet Balaam said He saw no iniquity in Iaacob nor transgression in Israel not that there was none but that none was imputed 4. We know that we haue no warrant to separate from holy things neither for some defects cleauing to them nor for ill men either handling them or communicating in them The Prophets neuer made any separation in times of greatest corruption euen when they cried out of their wickednes 1. Sam. 2.24 Doe so no more my sonnes said Eli ye make the people trespasse
meanes and end together Wee must conceiue all this doctrine of Christs temptations aboue an ordinarie historie not onely relating a thing done but belonging also to vs to make our vse of it as of other Scripture And hence let vs learne to beware of these temptations to presumption which are many wayes darted against vs both in things spirituall and temporall I. In spirituall things 1. When men cast aside the knowne word of God they dare sweare and curse and blaspheme they dare aduenture to breake the Sabbath dare lie and be vniust against their conscience they dare doe any thing against the iustice of God though they know his will to the contrarie and all because they presume of Gods mercy which in their conceit hath eaten vp all his iustice But in Ioh. 19.11 Christ inlargeth the sinne of the Iewes and Iudas because it was against their conscience He that deliuered me hath the greater sinne he was warned he heard my doctrine saw my miracles and so did you And thou that knowest thy Lords pleasure and darest goe against it shalt knowe how fearefull a thing it is to fall into his hands If thy conscience condemne thee God is greater then thy conscience 2. Others are perswaded that Christ died for all therefore they may be the bolder in their sinnes grace hath abounded what though sinne abound much more Christ hath blood enough and merit enough what need they feare But here is presumption without warrant For in Christs death before it can be fruitfull to vs there must be two things 1. an actuall accomplishment 2. an effectuall application to the soule in particular Physicke though neuer so soueraigne if it be in the pocket vnapplyed doth the patient no good And if the death of Christ be applyed to thee it worketh the death of thy sinne Christ died to abolish sinne and destroy the workes of the deuill 3. Many others are carried along in their presumption by a deceitfull supposition that they can come out of their sinne and repent when they list But here is a vaine hope without warrant or els bring me a word that promiseth repentance to morrowe if this day thou neglect it this is thy day thou knowest not what the morrow may bring foorth Now thou hast life health the word ministerie and memorie perhaps this is the last day thou shalâ— enioy all these Oh but I hope to repeâ—t But shewe thy warrant els Satan hath thee in the bands of presumption Besides it is iust with God that he who will not take Gods time should neuer come to his owne And dangerous it is to put our soules to aduenture till the last houre 4. Others feed a conceit that howsoeuer God deale with others he will not grow into such displeasure with them they are further in his bookes then so as Satan here intimates that Gods Sonne may doe what he list But it is a practise of wicked men to make couenants with death and secure themselues that when the sword passeth through the land it shall not come neere them and to crie Peace Peace when the trumpet hath sounded war Again tell me thou that presumest so farre to sinne art thou further in Gods books then Adam in Paradise yea then the Angels in heauen Doest thou excell in holinesse those Worthies of the world Moses Aaron Dauid Hezekiah yet these could not escape when they sinned Shall the whole world sinning be drowned and shalt thou auoid the deluge No no the highest mountaines in the world shall not saue theee nay if thou couldst climbe into heauen the Angels were cast thence 5. Others presume of the end and flie ouer the meanes hope for saluation but neglect the meanes the Word Sacraments and Prayer Oh but they vse meanes they know God and their duty as well as the best But it is a presumptuous knowledge they thinke they need no more they professe they know God but in their workes deny him Tit. 1. vlt. Yea they beleeue all the Articles of Christian faith if wee beleeue them but it is a dead and vaine faith without works of piety and charity such as shall professe great acquaintance with God in the day of iudgement but to whom he shall say Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Yea but they come to Church and pray to God as others doe and hope to be saued in their religion what euer it is so long as they meane well and what need men be so precise and curious But these praiers are presumptuous and abhominable if thou turne thine eare from hearing the law and so long as thou liuest in thy lusts and walkest not precisely with God in all his commaundements though thou fast and pray and afflict thy selfe neuer so much God will not heare nor helpe Therefore neuer presume of an haruest without a seede-time as a man soweth so shall he reape 6. Others and a common presumption it is thinke themselues in the high way to saluation their names are written in the booke of life neuer to be rased out they are beloued of God and therefore they may do what they will and leaue vndone what they list they may enioy their pleasure and libertie their saluation dependeth not vpon their workes but vpon the election of God that shewes mercie And thus out of a vaine presumption they are idle and vnfruitfull in the worke of the Lord and sometimes grow Libertines and scandalous and still God is the same they say and loues them But what can be a more euident note of Gods displeasure then to be giuen vp to such a delusion as if the goodnes of God would not lead his to repentance or as if mercy were not with him to bee feared But thou out of the hardnesse of thy heart which cannot repent treasurest vp wrath against the day of wrath II. In things of this life Satan preuailes exceedingly with this temptation of presumption 1. When men conclude of Gods loue by temporall things all which are common to good and bad By which sorcerie when they are most cursed they thinke themselues the happiest men vnder the Sunne Whereas none knoweth loue or hatred by any thing before him and as God beginneth his loue at things within faith feare vprightnesse of heart and the like so must we beginne the knowledge of it And if we compare Diues estate with Lazarus Pharaohs with Moses Simon Magus with Simon Peter who said Money and gold haue I none we shall easily see what little ground the Scripture affoardeth for such presumptuous conceits 2. Many of our great men venture to trauell into places of idolatrie and think themselues strong enough against any such temptations as they meet withall but 1. Were there zeale indeed there would be also a witnesse-bearing against such horrible idolatrie whereas if they doe not act idolatry they consent to those that doe We read of some noble and Heroicall spirits stirred vp by the motion of God to disgrace and witnesse with
the godly to ouercome them with no other then their owne weapons Christ had made the written word his shield his sword he will therefore assay with his owne weapon to wound him and so he deales with his members 5. Here is not onely Gods permission but his ouerruling power for hereby the father of lies against his heart and nature giueth witnesse to the truth and strongly argues it to be the strongest weapon that hath strongest power ouer the conscience Quest. How doth Satan alleadge Scripture Answ. Hee is Gods ape and as God alleadgeth Scripture three wayes 1. by his Spirit and inward motion as to Abimelech in a dreame Gen. 20.3 2. by his Ministers and seruants Angels or men 3. by his owne liuely voice as to Adam So can Satan 1. by suggestion 2. by his Ministers who transforme themselues as if they were the Ministers and Apostles of Christ. 2. Cor. 11.13.14.15 not onely deliuering the word but also truely 3. by voice in some assumed body as vndoubtedly he did to the first Adam and here to the second Seeing then this wicked spirit can and doth alleadge Scripture against vs it behooues vs to trie the spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Ioh. 4.1 not to beleeue euery one that can alleadge Scripture for so we might beleeue the deuill himselfe 1. Thess. 5.22 our commaundement is to prooue all things and hold onely that which is good Our president is in Act. 17.11 the Bereans when they heard the Apostles searched whether the things spoken were so We take no coine without due tryall Quest. How shall I trie the spirit that brings a sentence of Scripture Answ. 1. By diligent study and reading of Scripture diligently searching out the truth for the determination of euery truth must be by Scripture and though Scripture seeme to be opposed to Scripture we must not with Papists draw determination of matters from Scripture so saith the Apostle in Eph. 4.14 Let vs not be carried about as children with euery winde of doctrine how should we doe other but follow the truth in loue Examine the places circumstances antecedents and consequents conferre with other Scriptures to all which it must agree 2. Follow and frequent the ministery as not content with the knowledge of the Scriptures without the true vnderstanding of them for they consist not in the bare letters but in the pithie sense said the Father And this true vnderstanding will help vs to lay it to the analogie of faith whereunto it must be agreeable and will make our senses exercised in the word 3. Adde hereunto prayer which procureth the Spirit to lead vs into all necessary truth Dauid neuer ceased to pray to be taught as we may see through the whole 119. Psalme 4. Consider the end scope of the Scripture alleadged If it lead thee into an action condemned by the law of nature or against other direct Scriptures or principles of religion it is of the deuill the father of lies for Gods Spirit neuer alleadgeth Scripture but to lead vs into the knowledge and practise of some truth This is Moses his rule Deut. 13.1 If a false Prophet rise vp see what he aimeth at if it be to draw thee from the Lord his worship or word take heed of him so if Satan by any instrument of his shall bring the word and pretend great zeale if the end be to draw thee to superstition idolatry or Popery beware of him his scope discouers him If a doctrine or Scripture be alleadged to nourish any fleshly delight or to hold men in sinne though the words be Gods the allegation is the deuills as At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth c. and the theefe was saued at the last houre and therefore if thou canst say two or three good words at thy death all shall be well here is the deuill saying It is written for all Scripture truely cited by Gods Spirit aimes at mortification and the furtherance of repentance If a Scripture be alleadged and vrged to threaten and discourage such as feare God and shew forwardnes in good wayes or to animate the sinner promising him peace and life it is Satans allegation for if Gods spirit alleadge Scripture that word is good and comfortable to him that walkes vprightly and the threats of the law are fit prouision for impenitent persons This teacheth vs not to content our selues to know the Scripture and be able to speake of it or to alleadge it for the deuill knowes the word and can alleadge it readily yea he is expert in it Many men deceiue themselues in their estate and thinke themselues sure of saluation if they can get a little knowledge of the Scripture aboue others as though Satan could not alleadge it or as though the wicked could not preach it as Iudas did or vngodly men professe it who take the wâ—rd into their mouth and hate to be reformed Psal. 50.16.17 But let vs take heed we come not behinde the deuill himselfe while we thus highly coÌ„ceit our selues for 1. Are there not a number of ignorant men almost as ignorant as if the Scriptures had neuer beene written and shall not the deuill condemne these who hath gained so much knowledge in the word which containeth not one word of comfort for him but iudgement that makes him tremble Yet these whom they would make wise to saluation and to whom they offer the ioyes and comfort of life eternall are vtterly ignorant of them 2. Many read the Scripture but as Satan not to informe or reforme themselues nor to make themselues better but both themselues and others farre worse as not onely heretikes and learned Papists who bend all their knowledge to suppresse and hide the truth but all such as by the Scripture seeke to maintaine their owne errors and sinnes which they will not part with And these are no better then the deuill 3. Others will reade Scripture and heare and know it but without all speciall application and grace in the heart wherein they should differ from the deuill and wicked men who know the word but affect it not doe it not nay cannot abide the speciall application of it to do them good and this doth nothing but increase sinne and iudgement sinne Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe well and doth it not it is sinne a great sinne without excuse or cloake Ioh. 15.22 iudgement for such shall be beaten with many stripes 4. Others bragge of their knowledge they read the Bible at least Dauids Psalmes and they know as much as any Preacher can tell them But stay the deuill reades the Psalter as well as thou and can quote Dauids Psalmes more readily then thou he can read the Bible he knowes as much yea more then any Preacher can tell him what sayest thou more of thy selfe then the deuill can do of himselfe and more truely And what hast thou gained by all this challenge but thine owne conuiction of great sinne
against vs and for their power they are called the Angells of God power farre stronger then the wicked Angells and powers that are against vs. And when we shall consider that God hath giuen a charge and that not to one or two Angels but to the whole blessed company of them ouer euery godly man how can we but assure our selues that we shall be defended and protected If a man were to passe by shippe ouer a dangerous sea full of gulfes sands rocks and robbers if the King should giue him â—etters of safe conduct it would much comfort him and helpe him through his voyage but if this King should send a great nauie to conduct him ouer yea and should not onely goe in his owne person but call out all his men of warre to see him safely arriued this were so comfortable as he could not wish more But thus doth the Lord with his children not onely himselfe going with them through the world but guarding them with his holy Angells who willingly affoard their ministery because of their loue to man but in respect of Gods word and charge much more willingly that of Gods Angells they become our Angells Matth. â—8 10 What an vnspeakeable comfort is it that when we loose the watch ouer our selues many wayes through sleep of soule or body the Angells watch ouer our safety Matth. 2.13 Ioseph was asleepe and thought not of that danger which was euen vpon him by meanes of Herods cruelty but euen in that sleep the Angell watched and admonished him by a dreame both of the danger and the meanes to escape How great a comfort is it that when we see such difficulties betweene vs and our desires as we can neuer ouercome then we haue Gods Angells present to doe it to our hands Mark 16.3 when the good women that came to embaulme Christs body were very much troubled how to come to his body and asked who shall roule away the stone for it was a very great one when they looked they saw the stone rolled away it was done by the Angel as Matth. hath it Gods Angels roll away all stones and impediments and make our way smooth to all good duties No lesse comfort is it that when Satan beginnes to insult and makes as if hee would trample vpon vs we haue a stronger guard about vs any one of the Angells beeing as able to shut the mouth of this roaring lyon as they were to shut the mouths of those hungrie lyons into whose den Daniel was cast And for the further strength of our faith and comfort in this doctrine the Scripture notes three things further concerning Angells worth obseruing 1. Their wisedome and prouidence in pitching about vs so as we lie open no where Ex. 14.19 when Israel was gone out of Egypt the Angell of the Lord who went before them to lead them out now remooued and went behinde them because now Pharaoh and his people pursued them The power of the Angell was no lesse if he had staied before them as he was beeing Christ himselfe but for the comfort of Israel and our instruction the Angell changeth his place and stoppeth betweene them and the danger 2. Their vniting of themselues and strength for our safety one of them readily will help another in helping vs Dan. 10.13 one Angell beeing resisted by the Prince of the kingdome of Persia Michael one of the cheife Princes came to help him who whether he were an Angell or as it is more likely the Prince and Lord of the Angells euen the Angell of the great couenant Christ himselfe it is euery way full of comfoâ—t 3. Their patience towards vs who if they should be gone from vs aâ— often as we by sinne prouoke them we should perish euery moment But as God is long-suffering so hath he charged his Angells to be and therefore they wait still for our returne and reioyce in the repentance of sinners Luk. 15.10 and abide in their charge and ministery still Againe this doctrine is a ground of manifold instruction 1. Hath God affoarded vs the ministery of Angells then note the priuiledge and preheminence of Gods children whose nature beeing assumed by the Sonne of God giues it dignity aboue the Angells who are the ministers of our humane nature in the head and members Angells are indeed called the sonnes of God but thaâ— is by creation Christ neuer gaue them this honour to call them brethren Nay there is a nearer coniunction between Christ and vs then betweene Christ and the Angells which coniunction doth priuiledge vs with their attendance 1. By reason of his conception and incarnation taking on him the seed of Abraham and not of the Angells by which he becomes flesh of our flesh 2. By reason of his spirituall contract taking vs to be one with himselfe by which we become flesh of his flesh and so nearely set into him as the Angells cannot be who are not members of this Head as the elect be Christ indeed may be called their head but as a Lord and commander not by such spirituall vnion as is between Christ and the Christian. Herein we may see the loue of God in setting his Angells to be our keepers The more noble potent numerous and diligent the custody is the more is the care and loue of the thing kept How great thanks therefore owe we vnto our God who notwithstanding he is daily offended with our sins yet affoards vs the ministry of hiâ— Angells Who and what am I that God is so mindfull of me that he should giue so many glorious creatures charge ouer mee that he should giue me such a priuiledge that euen the holy Angels whose dwelling is in heauen and see the face of God who are all spirit and no flesh who are free from all sinne and misery should so narrowly attend mee a lump of earth a peece of flesh compassed with so many sinnes and miseries as I can looke no way either before or behinde them Dauid in the 8. Psalme burst out into the praise of God when he considered that God had affoarded man the vse of birds beasts and fishes O Lord faith he what is man that thou arâ— so mindefull of him and hast preferâ—ed him ouer the workes of thy hands How much more should we when we see our happines by the ministery of the glorious Angells 2. Let vs learne hence to looke to our conuersation because of the Angels 2. Cor. 11.10 for they are our keepers and obseruers they see all the good and bad we doe and we doe nor speake any thing without many witnesses Sinne makes God take away our hedge Isa. 5.5 it greiues the Angels of God and layes a man naked to all his iudgements Shall we willingly offend them from whom vnder God we receiue so great and daily comforts If we did beleeue or weigh this doctrine we would not but because we see not God nor his Angels we loue neither nor feare to offend either 3. Let vs
yet are maintained by Romanists 3. We hold that the Orthodoxe and true Church is 1. A witnesse and keeper of the Scriptures but a iewel hath his price and excellencie from it selfe not from the keeper 2. Hauing the Spirit of Christ the Church can discerne true Scripture from false and supposititious writings but this by the helpe of Scripture as a goldsmith by the touch-stone can discerne gold from other mettells but he makes it not gold but onely tries it so to be 3. It is to publish and declare the truth of Scripture without adding or diminishing as an Herald or cryer manifests the Kings pleasure but it receiues no authoritie from him 4. The true Church is a ministeriall interpreter as hauing the gift of prophesie but tyed to interpret and iudge of Scripture by Scripture Christ is a magisteriall interpreter But that the Church on earth should haue authority ouer Scriptures is too vnreasonable 1. It is to preferre mens voice and testimony aboue Gods 1. Ioh. 5.9 If we receiue mans testimony the testimony of God is greater Ioh. 5. vlt. If yee will not beleeue Moses his writings how will ye beleeue my sayings as if he should say If ye beleeue not Scriptures my testimony will doe you no good True it is that our Sauiour said I receiue not testimony from man that is I need no mans testimony for Iohn gaue witnesse to Christ no more doth the Scripture in it selfe For Christ was the light whether Iohn witnessed to it or no so is the Scripture the word of God whether the Church be witnesse or no. But we admit the Church to giue witnesse but not authority see it in a familiar example A man owes me money I haue a bond and witnesses he denies it I produce the bond and the witnesses that cleare the matter and affirme the bond to be his act and lawfull doe these now make the bond true or the debt good or onely cleare it so to bee for if they should not witnesse the debt and bond were true Euen such is the witnesse of the Church to the Scripture 2. The voice of the spouse is inferiour to the voice of the bridegroome and howsoeuer a man may be mooued by the Church to heare the Scripture if he be vnconuerted as Augustine beeing a Manichie yet a man endued with Gods Spirit and the gift of faith esteemes the Scripture for it selfe aboue all the words of all men as Christ himselfe at length was of farre more authority then the woman of Samaria when the men thereof said to her Now we beleeue not for thy word but because our selues haue heard him So as when we haue the Papist asking vs as if euery one of them doth when the word hath put them to their shifts But how doe you know Scripture to be Scripture but by the Church we must answer by the Scripture taking with vs the help of the Church and especially by the Spirit of God reuealing the truth vnto vs for the sheep of Christ heare his voice and follow him And when we aske the Papists how they know the Church to be the Church or where it is some say it is here some there some hold vs off with one marke some with another but at last they come to know the Church by Scripture and that is the Church which the Scripture saith is the Church so in all other questions that must be the determination which the Scripture determines 3. The Church cannot be iudge because it must be iudged by Christs voice and not be a law vnto it Common-wealths must receiue lawes from the Prince and not the Prince from his people and as it is in bodies politike so in the mysticall body of Christ. And as in the naturall body the head ruleth the members not contrarily so is it here 4. How absurd is it to affirme that that which is subiect to error must be iudge and superiour to that which is free from it But the Church may erre euen the true Catholike Church on earth may erre and doth when it departeth neuer so little from the Scripture although it cannot depart from the foundation nor incorrigibly erre for euery man may erre and therefore that which consists of euery man euen the Apostle was compassed with infirmity Besides the maine difference between the Church militant and triumphant is that one may erre the other is quite freed from error The second iudge and decider of controuersies appointed by the Church of Rome are the Doctors and Fathers but how corruptly for 1. They consent not among themselues and sâ—eldome agree in the same sense 2. They borrow all the light and truth they haue from the Scripture as the starres from the sunne 3. All their doctrine must be iudged of by Scripture and onely so farre receiued as they agree with it 4. They all present their writings to be examined by Scripture and so many things in them are truely iudged erroneous euen in the best of them If I speake let none heare mee but if God speake woe to him that heares not It must not goe for currant This saith Augustine or that saith Donate but This saith the Lord. 5. The interpreter of Scripture must be diuine and infallible as it selfe is and certaine but the interpretation of Fathers is humane infirme sometime according to passion or contention so as often euen by Bellarmines often confession they spake minùs cautè the best of them wrote retractations and other things beeing old then they did beeing young Seeing therefore there is no stability in Doctors let Christ be acknowledged of vs the cheife Doctor of his Church Matth. 23.8 One is your doctor euen Christ. Their third iudge and decider of controuersies are Councells which say they is the Church representatiue but these are as vnfit to be Iudges of Scripture as the former for 1. Euen the generall Councells disagree among themselues in interpreting Scripture as might be seene in a number of places 2. The Popes Canon law it selfe affirmeth that all the Councells except the foure generall namely the Nicen anno 332. Ephesine anno 450. of Chalcedon anno 456. and of Constantinople anno 386. may erre and although it blasphemously equall the foure Councells to the foure Euangelists yet we know that euen these haue erred For that Nicene Generall Councell determined there should be at any case but one Bishop in one city which is against the Scripture Act. 20.28 Philip. 1.1 The twelft Canon of that Councell condemned all kinde of warre among Christians The 13. Canon holds the necessity of the Eucharist as the necessary viaticum or prouision of a Christian at his departure Also it erred in the matter of ministers marriage stayed by Paphnutiuâ— And the Constantinopolitan Councell gaue all equall honour and authority to the Bishop of Constantinople with the Bishop of Rome which the Papists themselues generally hold to be a great error and yet perhaps was none And the consent of
not carried by affection seeing he is a partie in the Churches Controuersies and by Canon cast out from beeing a Iudge How know we no appeales lie from him seeing the Fathers haue appealed from Councels which are aboue him How can we know that he sits in Peters chaire vpon earth seeing the Father hath taught vs That hee sitteth in heauen who inwardly teacheth mens hearts Therfore we renounce all such corrupt Iudges and leane to the vncorrupt Scripture Secondly seeing the Scriptures are the best Commentaries of themselues and the Iudge and decider of all doctrines and controuersies Ministers that would stablish truth of doctrine must be carefull to prooue and iustifie all their collections of doctrine out of Scripture for thereby they setle the faith of their people vpon a sure ground of faith and manners all other foundations are sandy all other proofes liable to exceptions Why then should Protestant-Preachers who defend against Papists the sufficiencie of Scripture to make Gods people perfect and hold it the rule and square of all doctrine crosse their iudgement by their practise for euery place of Scripture alleadging a dozen or twentie testimonies of Doctors Fathers Councels nay profane Poets and heathens all which are darkenes it selfe and without light further then they borrow from the Sunne in the Scripture I am not so nice as that I thinke not there may be a sparing and sober vse of humane testimonies in Sermons sometimes in cases of Grammar sometimes in matters of great controuersie to shew the consent of the auncient Church especially dealing with an aduersarie that will claime all antiquitie for him sometime by way of conuiction to shame Christians by the heathen as the Lord did the Iewes by Chittim and Kedar and the sluggard by the pismire Neither am I an enemie to learning but would haue a man well seene in naturall Philosophy in humane literature in the writing◠of Fathers and Schoolemen and be as a good housholder stored with things new and olde But needlesly and for ostentation to giue tongues vnto dead men and in the message of God to put to silence the voice of God speaking in the Scripture to set vp Hagar the handmaid aboue Sarah her mistresse is a feareful sinne against God and his word and a crying sinne of these dayes wherein for a man to tie himselfe close to the Scripture without such flourishes and to scorne to send a rich Iewell to the painter is to bring a blot on himselfe that he is a man of no learning For what meaneth else that common crie that no man is against this manner of preaching but they that cannot vse it Well hath he learned his art that can most hide it here that God may haue all the glory for he is not commended here whom men praise but whom God alloweth The Apostolicall teaching of Christ was not in words which mans wisedome teacheth but Gods he is the best scholler that can teach Christ plainlyest and for my part if I would set my selfe to be idle I would chuse that kind of Preaching which is counted so laborious The same I say for disputations and controuersies in the Church and Schooles neuer can we looke for an ende of them till we tie the determination of them to the Scripture alone the right Iudge A stratageme of Satan for Antichrist to flie the Scripture which should soone end controuersies and hide his poyson in the infinite windings of Fathers Councells traditions c. Well I know that God hath a secret worke in punishing the vnbeleeuing world by the continuance of the man of sinne till his time come but hauing well thought of the props on which he standeth yet in the dayes of such light there is none that doth him more seruice then this hiding of his mysterie in such a thicket of vncertainties wherein it is impossible to come to any end or issue We may follow the fox frō one burrrow to another and from hole to hole because we are forced But whosoeuer lookes to come to an ende of controuersies by following him from Father to Father from Councell to Councell from one Decree to another from one Tradition to another with infinite labour examining and scanning the words and syllables of auncient and later times hee shall fall short of his expectation For all this while the determiner of the controuersie is not present but set aside And what other reason can be giuen that wheras the chase and pursuit of that beast of Rome hath been continued with extraordinarie speed and strength for aboue these hundred yeares last past and he hath been followed into euerie hole wherein he hid himselfe yet the controuersies so beaten and canuased are in mans eie as farre from composition or determination as at first not one of them yeelded vp on either hand I say no other better reason can be giuen but that we are not agreed of the Iudge of the cause and so long as they can hold them off the Scriptures they wil not be set downe by any other authoritie Thirdly this doctrine must prouoke vs to the diligent reading and study of the Scriptures for hereby we shall come to be stablished in the truth and able to discerne the abuse of Scriptures by conferring them with themselues this is the best way to keepe vs from errors and sects and to finde out the true sense of Scripture Obiect But doe not our aduersaries read the Scriptures as diligently as we and are not they as skilfull to compare Scriptures and yet abide in error and heresie Answ. Here we must consider 1. the person that must read 2. the rules to be obserued in reading The person must be a religious and rightly affected person that must read the word with vnderstanding Obiect So the Papists say that onely religious persons ought to read the Scriptures Answ. Euery Christian ought to haue the booke of the law with him as the Iewes had before their eyes and in their hands continually Deut. 6.10 euery Christian ought to haue the word of Christ dwell plenteously in him Coloss. 3.16 euery one ought to be ready to giue a reason of the faith he professeth to euery one that will aske 1. Pet. 3.15 euery one ought to attend to the sure words of the Prophets and Apostles as a light shining in a darke place for so the Apostle Peter writeth to all Christians and not onely the Clergie Yet no Christian ought to read vnprepared neither can euery one read to profite but such as are qualified 1. With humility in the sense of our owne simplicity and infancie in heauenly things becomming fooles in our selues that we may subscribe to Gods wisedome in the Scripture and captiuating all our own thoughts to the obedience of Christ. Psal. 25.9 God teacheth the humble Matth. 11.25 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and reuealed them to babes And what is the reason that heretikes Sophisters and Papists of great learning read the
Scripture but vnderstand not but because they giue not vp their reason and humane wisedome which is enmity to God and scorne to be children deliuered to be taught and formed by our heauenly Master 2. With desire and loue of Christ and his truth the scope of all the Scripture is Christ and thou must desire to know and aduance nothing but Christ crucified Pro. 4.13 Loue wisedome and shee shall keep thee When men come prepossessed with opinions to set vp mens deuises and traditions and wicked opinions according to which they must interprete Scripture and not examine them by the Scripture or if they bring a purpose to magnifie the Pope and aduance his religion in stead of Christs no maruell if like the images they haue eyes and see not read and vnderstand not They loue not Christ nor will haue him to rule ouer them but his Vicar neither loue they the truth in the Canonicall Scripture further then it will stand with their Popish Canon law Or if a man come to read out of custome and coldly without feruencie and loue experience will tell him though thus he read much his profite shall be but small 3. With repentance and faith and a good heart 2. Cor. 3.14 when the heart of Israel shall be conuerted to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away this vaile is naturall ignorance and infidelity Where the former is no maruell if the word read and knowne be not vnderstood as a blinde man cannot see the sunne shining in his strength Where faith is absent and is not mingled with the word it must needs become vnprofitable Impossible it is that the wisedome of God can dwell in a wicked heart no man puts precious licour into a fustie caske This is the cause that men of great learning want sound vnderstanding because they want sound conscience Hos. 14.10 The wayes of God are right but the wicked fall in them 4. With a purpose not onely to know but to practise Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe my will he shall know whether my doctrine bee from heauen The scope of the Scripture is not onely to beleeue in the Sonne of God but to walke in the obedience of faith Now if men read ouer all the Bible an hundred times either for knowledge onely or for vaineglory or to aduance themselues into preferments or to oppose the truth as heretikes and Papists doe no maruell if they neuer attaine the true sense of them 5. With prayer for the Spirit to lead vs into all truth because the Scriptures were inspired by Gods Spirit at first and the same Spirit is onely able to acquaint vs with his owne meaning If any man want wisedome he must aske it of God Iam. 1.5 so did Dauid Psal. 119.18 Open mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law Is it any maruell that they who flie the iudgement of Gods Spirit and stand to the Church Pope Councells and only swallow that sense which they giue and neuer looke after Gods Spirit should misse of the true meaning of the holy Ghost and fall into and tumble in a number of errours and heresies To these might be added meditation diligence keeping of order and time speciall application and the like These things let them be brought to the reading of Gods word and no man shall loose his labour he shall be taught of God who hath promised to reueale his secret to them that feare him So much of the qualification of the person Now follow some rules which a person thus qualified must learne and keepe by him to trie when a Scripture is wrested or no. The first is that in our text conference of Scripture there the Spirit of God by plaine places expoundeth those which are more difficult Thus Nehem. 8.8 Ezra opened the Scripture by comparing it with it selfe and so made the people to vnderstand as Iunius noteth out of the originall So the Bereans hauing heard the doctrine of the Apostles searched the Scriptures that is compared their doctrine with the doctrine of the old Testament Thus the Apostles themselues teaching Christs resurrection Act. 2.16 prooue it out of the old Testament viz. Psal. 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption And to prooue that those words cannot be meant of Dauid himselfe he appeales to another testimony in 1. King 2. where it is said that Dauid slept with his fathers and lay buried in his sepulchre and so saw corruption This is a speciall way whereby the Scripture giueth wisedome to the simple Psal. 19.7 And for this purpose the Lord hath in great wisedome tempered the Scripture with some hard places to exercise mens senses and trie their diligence in comparing of Scripture whereof there were no need if there were no hard places How comes it that many peruert the Scripture to their owne destruction but because they conferre not one part with another which would lead them into the right sense How come the Arrians when they heare Christ say The Father is greater then I and other such sayings to hold to the death that Christ is not true God coessentiall and coequall with his Father but that they doe not compare this with other places as Ioh. 1.1 That word was God Philip. 2.6 He thought it no robbery to be equall with God Rom. 9. which is God blessed for euer And consequently that the former place speakes of his humane nature the latter of his diuine nature How could the Papists suffer shipwracke of faith and heretically erre in the foundation of religion teaching iustification by the workes of the law out of Iam. 2.21 Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes but that they conferre not other places to help them into the right sense as Rom. 4.2 and 3.20 Wee are iustified by faith without the workes of the law and Tit. 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his grace he saued vs. Which places beeing compared shewe that one speakes of iustification before God as Paul the other of iustification before men as Iames the former of iustifying the person the latter of iustifying the faith of the person When they read such places as these Awake thou that sleepest and Turne you turne you O house of Israel hence they conclude man hath free-will in his owne conuersion Whereas would they compare these with other places as Gen. 6.5 The whole imagination of mans heart is onely euill continually and it is God that workes both the will and the deed c. the reconciling of such places would force them to see that till God worke vs we are meere patients and after that acti agimus beeing mooued we mooue for his grace must not be idle in vs. The lewd and disordered Libertine when he reads that we are iustified by faith without workes casts off all care of his conuersation What can his workes doe what need they But he could not thus peruert the Scripture to his
destruction if he compared it with such Scriptures as say that faith without workes is dead and that faith workes by loue The reconciling whereof would teach them that although works be excluded from iustification yet not from faith they must be in the person iustified though not in the iustification of his person This conference of Scripture is either in places parallel and like or in such as seeme to be opposed and vnlike The conferring of like places bringeth great light to the reader As for example 1. Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and vncircumcision is nothing If we would vnderstand what is meant by this nothing compare we it with Gal. 5.6 In Christ Iesus neither vncircumcision auaileth any thing nor circumcision where nothing is to auaile nothing and is not referred to circumcision or vncircumcision it selfe but to the person it is nothing to his saluation So Psal. 110.1 Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstoole If we would know whom this is meant of compare it with 1. Cor. 15.25 For Christ must raigne till he haue put all his enemies vnder his feet Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee this place is explained by the like Heb. 1.5 For to which of the Angells said he at any time Thou art my Sonne c. Psal. 97.7 Worship him all yee Gods what is meant by Gods and whom must the Gods worshippe see Hebr. 1.6 When hee brought his first borne into the world he said Let all the Angells of God adore him Concerning vnlike places we haue this rule That they speake not either of the same thing or manner or time and by wary obseruation of the circumstances this will easily appeare in examples Ioh. 16.13 the Apostles after the gift of the Spirit were led into all truth and freed from errour Yet Peter greatly erred after that Gal. 2.11 Answ. The Apostles were led into all truth of doctrine and erred not but were not free from all error in life and conuersation now Peters error was not directly in doctrine but in conuersation with the Gentiles So as the opposition is not in the same thing Isa. 59.21 My word shall not depart from thee nor from thy seedes seed for euer saith the Lord yet Matth. 21.43 the kingdome shall bee taken from you Answ. The Prophet speaketh of the whole true Church of God which shall be perpetuall vpon earth our Sauiour of the nation of the Iewes So as the seeming opposition is not in the same Luk. 17.19 Thy faith hath made the whole here faith is greater then charitie but in 1. Cor. 13.13 charitie is greater then faith Ans. They speake not of the same faith the former place speakes of iustifying faith considered with his obiect Christ which not absolutely as a qualitie but relatiuely as apprehending Christ is greater then charitie the latter of miraculous faith which is lesse Rom. 7.22 Paul delights in the Lawe of God yet v. 23. Paul resisteth the Law of God Answ. This is indeed an opposition in the same person but not in the same part Paul stands of spirit and flesh according to the former part he delights in the law according to the latter he rebelleth against it Luk. 10.28 Life is promised to the worker This doe and liue Rom. 4.3 not to him that worketh but to him that beleeueth is faith imputed to righteousnesse Answ. Both speake of the word but not of the same part of the word which standeth of two parts the law and this promiseth life to the worker and the Gospel which promises life to the beleeuer Ioh. 5.31 If I giue testimonie to my selfe my testimony is not true Ioh. 8.14 If I testifie of my selfe my testimonie is true Answ. Consider Christs testimonie two wayes 1. As the testimonie of a singular man and thus considering himselfe as a meere man he yeilds to the Iewes that his testimony were vnfit and not sufficient in his owne cause because by the law out of the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must stand but 2. Consider him as a diuine person comming from heauen and hauing his Father giuing witnesse with him thus his testimonie is infallible not subiect to passion or delusion And of this the latter place speaketh Matth. 10.8 Freely yee haue receiued freely giue Luk. 10.7 The workeman is worthy of his wages Answ. The places speake of the same persons but not of the same workes the former of miraculous workes which are not to be bought and sold for money the vse of them being onely to forward their ministerie the latter of the function of preaching and labour in building the Church equity requires that he that laboureth in the ministry should receiue recompence for his labour Gal. 6.6 Hos. 13.9 God is not the author of euill Amos 3.6 There is no euill in the citie which the Lord hath not done Answ. It is not the same euill but that the euill of fault this the euill of punishment Prou. 20.9 Who can say my heart is cleane Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart Answ. 1. A man absolutely considered in himselfe is all impure so the former place speaketh but relatiuely considered in Christ he is pure so the latter 2. No man is pure in respect of the presence of corruption but the godly are in respect of the efficacie and rule of it Mark 16.15 The Apostles must goe out into all the world Matth. 10.5 They must not goe into the way of the Gentiles Answ. Distinguish times and the Scripture will be consonant enough the former place is meant of preaching after Christs time the latter while he was liuing on earth Both are true because the times are diuerse Ioh. 3.17 God sent not the Sonne to iudge the world Ioh. 5.27 The Father hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne Answ. The time of his abasement at his first comming when he came not to iudge but to be iudged must be distinguished from his second comming in glory and maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead of this the latter Exod. 20.15 Thou shalt not steale chap. 11.2 Robbe or spoyle Egypt Answ. A speciall commandement of God neuer opposeth a generall but is onely an exception from it So of Abrahams mentall slaying of his sonne If a man of himselfe should steale or kill it is sinne but if God bid it is not Malac. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not yet it seemes he is changeable Ier. 18.7 Answ. The Scripture speakes not in the same respect God changeth not in himselfe but in respect of vs hee is changed as the schooles speake non affectiuè sed effectiuè in respect of his work not of his affection for so there is no variablenes or shadow of change in him Psal. 18.20 Iudge mee according to my righteousnesse Psal. 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Answ. There is a twofold righteousnes one of the cause another of the person by this latter he will not
be iustified by himselfe but in the other he desires to be iustified his cause was good there was no such thing as they laid to his charge If Iob would dispute with God his owne cloathes would make him vncleane but when he dealeth with his calumnious friends he saith I will neuer let goe mine innocencie till I die Luk. 1.33 of his Kingdome there shall be no ende 1. Cor. 15.24 He shall deliuer vp the Kingdome to his Father Ans. Luke speaketh of Christs Kingdome in respect of it selfe the Apostle in respect of the administration of it In the former respect it shall neuer be abolished Christ shall alwaies haue a people to rule alwaies a Lordship and Headship but he shall giue vp his Kingdome in respect of the manner and meanes of administring it he shall not rule as now he doth by Magistrates Ministers the Word Sacraments and other ordinances Isa. 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as filthy ragges Ephes. 5.27 The Church is called glorious not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish Both are true the Prophet speakes of the Church militant the Apostle of the Church triumphant Act. 15.10 Circumcision and such like rites are called heauy yoakes which neither the Apostles nor their Fathers were able to beare 1. Ioh. 5.3 To them that loue God his commaundements are not greiuous and his yoake is an easie yoake Matth. 11.30 Answ. They were intolerable in respect of the rigor wherein Moses propounded them to be fulfilled but not in respect of imputation of Christs righteousnesse inchoation of inherent righteousnes and acceptation God accepting the will and faith for the deed Christ stood between those heauy burdens and vs and carried away the curse of the law Act. 15.27 Circumcision is abrogated yet Paul circumcised Timothie chap. 16. v. 3. Answ. True it was taken away as a Sacrament but it was not yet honourably buried and therefore it remained onely as a ceremoni e. Matth. 9.6 The Sonne of man hath power to forgiue sinnes Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them they know not what they doe why prayes he thus to his Father if himselfe might forgiue them Answ. Though all the Persons in Trinitie forgiue sinnes yet not in the same manner the Father bestowes the Sonne merits the holy Ghost sealeth vp and applyeth remission of sinnes Ioh. 10.29 None of my sheep no elect shall perish none shall plucke them out of my hands Iudas was elected Matth. 10.4 and yet perished was the Sonne of perdition Ioh. 17.12 Ans. Election is twofold either to life eternall whereof Iohn speaketh chap. 10.29 and so Iudas was not elected or to the office of Apostleship and from this he fell Ioh. 1.8 He was not that light Ioh. 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light Answ. It speakes not of the same light Iohn Baptist was not the Sunne of righteousnesse the Messias that light that brought light in the world but he was a light and gaue a notable testimonie to that light Mic. 5.2 Bethlehem was little among the thousands of Iudah Math. 2.6 Thou art not the least Answ. The Prophet speakes of it as it was in his time in it selfe as it was of a little circuit and compasse but the Euangelist as it brought forth Christ the Sonne of God the Messiah in this respect it was great which in it selfe was but of small estimate Gen. 2.18 God said It is not good for man to be alone Paul saith It is good for a man not to touch a woman 1. Cor. 7.1 Answ. God speaketh so 1. ratione medij because of propagation 2. remedij to auoid fornication and wandring lusts 3. mysterij because marriage should be a type of the vnion between Christ and the Church 4. adiutorij because man wanted a fit helper But the Apostle speakes not simply but comparatiuely it is not so good as not to touch a woman or it is good that is commodious in these times of persecution when all the world raged against Christians not to touch a woman it is not fit to haue the burthen of a family in such times Againe he speakes of such as himselfe is such as haue the gift of continencie Ioh. 10.27 Reach hither thy finger and thy hand and thrust it into my side yet ver 17. he saith to Marie Touch me not Why so Answ. Because Thomas must beleeue and haue his faith helped who professed he would not beleeue vnlesse he might touch him but Marie beleeued and did not neede this indulgence shee would hold him with her and haue the comfort of his bodily presence Rom. 14.9 that hee might bee the Lord of the dead and liuing Matth. 22.32 God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Can God bee the God of the dead and not the God of the dead Ans. Christ speakes not simply as the Apostle doth but in the sense of the Sadduces and by an hypothesis of their surmise as if he should say God is not the God of such dead as you surmise shall neuer rise againe but because they are indeede to rise againe God is their God Another rule to be obserued in reading to get the true sense of Scripture is this If any place seeme to vphold sinne directly it must be expounded by a figure as 1. King 18.27 Cry aloud for hee is a God either asleepe or in a iourney or pursuing his enemies Here is a manifest Ironie Matth. 26.45 when Christ tooke his Disciples asleepe the second time after he had commaunded them to watch he saith Sleepe on which was a sharpe reprehension of their dulnesse The like may be said of these places Iudg. 10.14 1. King 22.15 Eccles. 11.9 Mark 7.9 In all doubtfull places let vs euer receiue that exposition which is according to the analogie of faith Rom. 12.6 If any man prophesie that is haue a gift of interpreting let him interpret according to the analogie of faith so that if the letter of a Scripture crosse the analogie of faith that is agree not with the summe of the doctrine of faith contained in the Decalogue Creed and Lords prayer it must be vnderstood by a figure As for example Where the text saith This is my body seeing the literall sense fighteth with the Article of faith by which we beleeue that Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God till he returne to iudge the quicke and the dead it must be vnderstood in the figure vsuall to Sacraments by which the thing signified is put for the signe and contrariwise So Luke 7.47 Many sinnes were forgiuen her for shee loued much to gather hence merit of remission for our workes of charity with the Papists is against the ground of faith by which we beleeue remission of sinnes which is directly opposite to merit Great diligence must be vsed to discerne the right scope of the place doubted of which beeing neglected makes way to manifold errours See an instance The
receiuing the diuine honour from the most grorious Angells To this great Michael who euen without his Angells hath in pitcht battell ouercome the great red dragon and all his Angells be ascribed all power might victory and triumph of all men Saints and Angells in earth and in the highest heauens for all eternity Amen Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE ALPHABETICALL Index or Table pointing to the principall points in this Exposition A IN Christs lowest Abasement sparkles of Diuinity flie out sundry instances pag. 363 Actions brought forward by bad meanes to be supected sundry instances 312 Accusers mouthes how to be stopped foure rules 30 Against false accusation 7. rules 26 Aduersaries must bee ouercome rather with patience then power 112 Adoption called into question by Sathan for present aduersitie 5. reasons 89 Allegories must not bee stucke too fast vnto 264 Christs Allegation of Scripture with some addition and change of words 5. reasons 338 Angels called Gods Angels 3. reas 235 Angells tender keepers of the godly three reasons 237 Concerning Angels 3. obseruations 239 Angels come not in vnto Christ before the deuill is gone from him 4. reas 401 Angels cannot be in two places at once why 402 Angels haue bodily shapes by way of 1. description 2. dispensation 403 Angels minister vnto Christ how 409 Christ was more Angry in the last temptation then in the two former 4. reasons 333 Apochryphall bookes not authenticall 4. reasons 133 In the Arke were three things kept 162 Assemblies in the Church of England holy meetings 4. reas 166 Auoid signifieth three things 332 B BAd causes are thrust on by bad means 4. reas 311 Behold signifieth 5. things in Scripture 4â—0 Blame thy selfe sinning more then the deuill 216 Blessing more desirable then meanes 138 Blind and bloody battels for the holy land more for the Popes profit then Gods glorie 177 Boasters resemble the deuill 315 To get Bread out of stones 3. waies 10â— Gods way to get Bread contrarie to the deuills in three things 109 C TO liue out of a lawful calling wickeâ— 3. reasons 14â— Calling to be well carried two rules 150 Speciall Calling requires the practise of 4. vertues 151 Christ was locally carried to the pinnacle 4. reasons 190 In Christ Satan would haue cast downe all mankind 206 Satan would haue vs cast down our selues why 215 Causes of God must affect vs aboue our owne 5. reasons 333 Changes here good for vs 5. reasons 395 To be chearefull in trialls 4 motiues 15 Chaire of Rome a friuolous pretence 177 Christ subiect to temptations notwithstanding his perfection of 1. nature 2. grace 3. power 7 Christ chose to be tempted in the wildernes 4. reasons 19 Christs going into the wildernes no ground for Popish Eremites 4. reas 22 Christ would be tempted 4. reas 35 Christ by beeing tempted succoureth vs 4. waies 36 Christ safer among wilde beasts then wicked men 44 Christ not so rough with Sathan as with some wicked men no or with his owne disciples 4. reas 113 Christ reuealeth himselfe onely to such as will make right vse of his knowledge 4. reas 116 Christ as able to defend vs as himselfe from wilde beasts and deuills 45 Christs priuiledge aboue all creatures in the ministerie of Angels 3. reas 410 Christs combate exemplary as victorious 243 Christians must be reasonable euen to most vnreasonable aduersaries 3. reas 110 Church no competent Iudge of controuersies 246 Church hath no authoritie ouer Scripture 4. reas 247 Church of England not to bee separated from for some corruptions 4. conclusions 166 Comforts for weake Christians in temptation 4. grounds 7 Circuit of Sathan is the compasse of the earth 20 Comforts from Christs being tempted 4. grounds 37 Comfort of the creatures a greater blessing then the creatures themselues 139 Comfort in that Sathan cannot ouercome him who is not willing to be ouercome 216 Comforts from the custodie of Angels 238 Comforts of God hid for a time but aâ— length shine out vpon his children 4. reasons 404 Bad companie worse then solitarinesse 23 Comforts when temptations come thicke on vs three 280 Compacts with Satan 1. open 2. sâ—cret 317. c. Meanes to auoid Satans compacts 5. 320 Conference of Scriptures beateth out the true sense of them see instances as large 256 Counsells no competent iudges of controuersies 4. reas 249 In the inner court of the Temple were 4. things of note 161 D DAy of sickenesse and death most 〈◊〉 to resist Satans temptations three reas 66 Death enters the soule by the windowes of the senses 4. reas 291 Deuill is not driuen away by holy water reliques nor the naming of Iesus 10 11 DiffereÌ„ce between the loue of God as God and of God as a Father 92 Directions for the fortifying of faith three 86 Distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 silly 2 ignorant 3. nouell 347 Doctors and Fathers no competent Iudges of Scripture 5. reas 248 Doing of what God commandeth not alwaies a signe of true grace 3. reas 385 God draweth neere his Saints in trouble 3. wayes 94 E EFfects of the spirits assured gouernance in troubles three 17 Eminent persons must be so much the more watchfull 288 Ends and means must be tied together 277 Equiuocation a Iesuiticall tricke discouered 233 Three estates Sathan especially would cast men from 1. of innocencie 2. regeneration 3. office in Church or common-wealth 206 Euill men cleane one to another because all of them hate Christ. 160 Excellency cannot exempt a man from Satans temptations 3. reas 8 How to auoide Satans extremities three rules 200 F FAmily-worshippe of God stands in fiue things 172 Fasting the kinds 1. ciuill 2. religious 3. miraculous 47 Fasting of Christ differeth from Popish in 8. things 49 Christ fasted his fast for 4. causes 50 Fast of Christ no longer or shorter then forty daies 5 reasons 51 Fortie nights of Christs fast expressed two reasons 51 Fasting a necessarie Christian duty 3. reasons 52 Motiues to fasting 11. 53 Faith his actions about the meanes of safetie if present 3.46 if absent 3. ibid. Ouerthrowe of faith the aime of all Satans temptations 5. reas 83 Faith must be so much the stronglyer fortified as Satan more furiously assayleth it 86. Faith his excellency in 4. things 86 The least faith can pray for more 88 Properties of faith in want of means 3. 98 Faith how it demeaneth it selfe towards the word of Gods prouidence 3. rules 145 Faithfulnesse in promises enforced by fiue reasons 309 G COmmon Gamesters liue by no word of God 150 Generallitie of obedience in 4. things 389 Gifts of Gâ—â— differ from the deuill in fowre things 319 Glorie of God must be preferred aboue all the world 6. reas 327 Motiues to promote the glorie of God 5. 350. To glorifie God in good measure meanes 4. 331 God glorifieth himselfe in our trialls fowre waies 396 Glory of the world falsly claimed
stands not in words but in sense 4. To establish the false doctrine of free-will they furnish themselues with that place in Ier. 17.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is But what doe they else but imitate the deuill in cutting off that part of the text which makes against them for in the next verse it followeth The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things who can know it shewing that man in himselfe is vtterly destitute of all grace 5. For the Iesuiticall tricke of equiuocation or mentall reseruation they haue Scripture and Example Ioh. 1.21 they asked Iohn if he were a Prophet he said No whereas he was one for Zachary called him the Prophet of the Highest and Christ said that there was not a greater Prophet then Iohn therefore Iohn equiuocated Answ. Whatsoeuer was the true meaning of the question that Iohn answered plainely vnto If they meant to aske him if he were that singular Prophet whom they fancied to come together with their Messiah he truely answered no. If he were any of the auncient Prophets who were long before Christ he truely answered in that sense no. If he were a Prophet by his proper office he truely answered no. For howsoeuer he was by grace and power a Prophet beeing sent of God to reprooue and conuert sinners yet by ordinarie office he was no Prophet neither did he prophesie But what is this to those mentall reseruations Are you a Priest Garnet No saith he meaning not a Priest of Apollo or Iupiter Were not you in England at such a time No not as the Sunne in the firmament or as a King in a Kingdome A strange madnesse that men professing knowledge zeale should so dally with lies and oaths which tricks of theirs were they iustifiable and sound we should haue little vse of Magistracy or tribunalls especially where matters are determined by mens oathes he were a verie blocke that would suffer any thing to be fastened vpon him The murderer might sweare he neuer slew man namely with the iaw-bone of an asse as Sampson did The drunkard might sweare hee drunke neuer a droppe if he can inwardly conceiue of water or aqua â—oelestiâ— or the Poets nectar or what he can faigne The adultrâ—â—â—e might sweare she was neuer touâ—ht if she can inwardly conceiue of any creature as of a Bull or a Swanne as the Poets faigne of Pasâ—phâ—e and Laeda And were is lawfull to dally with God and mens consciences after this manner we could pay them home in their owne kind for suppose a man were in their Inquisition and were asked if the Pope were Supreame ouer all Kings if a man were disposed to equiuocate be might say and sweare yea reseruing his secret meaning not by right but onely in his owne proud and ambitious desire and thus delude them II. In matters of practise you shall haue no sinner but he hath a Scripture reached to him to lie safe vnder in the holding of his sinne but robbed and turned out of the right sense The Atheist that cares for no Scripture yet hath one text for himselfe Eccl. 7.18 Bâ—e not iust ouermuch nor ouerwise and so he hath enough to cast off all care of knowledge and conscience The image-munger hath a text to let nothing be lost he hath a good vse for his images if they cannot serue to worship they may serue for ornament The swearer hath a text in Ieremie Thou shalt sweare in truth righteousnesse and iudgement therefore he will sweare so long as he sweareth nothing but that which is true The Sabbath-breaker hath his text The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath The murderer and adulterer thinke themselues safe seeing they finde Dauid in both these sinnes and yet commended of God The drunkard hath his lesson Drinke no longer water but a little wine for thy stomacke and often infirmities sake The couetous person knows that he that prouides not for his family is worse then an Infidell which through many mens wickednesse is a ground of much couetousnesse The lazie Protestant hath his text We are saued by grace and iustified by the blood of Christ freely what can his workes doe what need they The idle person hath his text Care not for to morrowe let the morrowe care for it selfe The vsurer hath his plaine place Matth. 25.27 that I might haue receiued my owne with vsurie The theefe hath the theefe on the crosse repenting at the last The carnall Gospeller cares not what sinne he venture on because where sinne hath abounded there grace hath abounded much more The carelesse Libertine is predestinated to life or death doe what he can and doe not what he list he cannot change Gods decree and so he will doe what he list The obdurate and hardned sinner saith At what time soeuer a sinner repents God will put all his sinnes out of his remembrance and therefore he will not repent till he be dying Lastly the vniust person he hath his rule in the vniust steward who was commended by Christ who was indeed commended for his prouidence not for his iniustice In all these thou mayest hold this for a good rule It is the deuills diuinitie to confirme thy selfe in any sinne by whatsoeuer thou hearest or readest in Gods Booke all which in Gods meaning is direct and the onely preseruatiue against all sinne NOw we are to consider this comfortable Scripture in the holy vse of it not as we haue it wrested and mangled by Sathan but as we finde it set downe by the holy Ghost Psalm 91.11 For hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone In which words the godly are secured and assured of safetie in danger not onely because the Lord himselfe is become their refuge and protection as in the words going before but in that to his owne fatherly care and prouidence he hath added a guard of Angels to whose care also he hath committed the godly Wherein for explication we will note these particulars 1. What is the ministerie of the Angels namely to be the godly mans keepers 2. Who sealeth their commission He hath giuen them charge 3. The limitation of it In all thy wayes 4. The manner they shall beare thee vp in their hands 5. The end least thou dash thy foot against a stone Which is a borrowed speach taken from mothers or nurses who lead or carrie their tender children in their hands that they stumble and fall not to hurt or endanger themselues The word Angell is a name not of nature for so they be spirits but of office ministring Spirits to God to Iesus Christ and to Gods elect His Angels that is the good and elect Angels called his 1. By creation for they had not beeing of themselues 2. By more immediate ministerie they assist him and stand before his face whereas