thing which is to teach commanded also the manners of teaching which are to preach with liuely voice and to set forth the doctrine in writing both of them being fit for teaching and this latter most fit for to continue and to transferre doctrines and instructions vnto posterity Daniel Chamier in his Panstratia Tomo 1. Lib. 1. c. 21. num 6. To teach comprehendeth as well the liuely voice as writing So Paul preached the Gospell vnto the Romanes no lesse by writing an epistle vnto thē then teaching them by liuely voice out of the prison And it is the solemne custome of the Fathers when they cite any thing out of the Apostles writings to expresse it in these words The Apostle teacheth yea St Paul ascribeth vnto the Scriptures that they make a man wise Ibid num 7. All men know that a thing may be related two waies both by liuely voice and by writing For as those things which are in the voice are signes of those things which are in the minde so those things which are in the writing are signes of those which are in the voice And therefore the same is both waies equally signified or related Ibid. cap. 22. num 2. Because the liuely voice is vsed to no other end saue to expresse the meaning of the speaker and Scripture doth evidently expresse the meaning of God speaking vnto vs therefore in this respect it is false that the Scriptures are dumb For we no lesse vnderstand that a man is justified by Faith when wee read it in Paul then when Paul himselfe pronounced it with his liuely voice Lib. 6. cap. 5. num 7. The written word is distinguished from the word preached by no substantiall difference For they differ neither in specie nor in genere nor in number but only in accident So for example that Sermon which first S. Peter made vnto the Iewes after the gift of the holy Ghost differeth not from that which we read Act. 2. related by S. Luke saue only as writing is not a liuely voice yet because writing is no other then the image of a liuely voice so little difference letteth not but that I may affirme the Sermon which I there read to bee the same which S. Peter then made Wherefore if it be the same Sermon in number why may not the same bee affirmed of the same and I truely avouch it to bee read in S. Luke Hauing heard these things they were pricked in heart These things I say which both Peter then deliuered by liuely voice and now S. Luke representeth vnto vs. Ibid. cap. 18. num 8. Vergerius an Italian Bishop who had negotiated many businesses for the Pope against Luther vndertaking to write a booke against the Apostates of Germanie for so he tearmed them and diligently seeking out their arguments to confute them was himselfe so overcome by the strength of them that rejecting his Bishopricke and the hope of a Cardinalship hee vtterly renounced all Popish tyranny Ibid. lib. 7. cap. 9. num 17. The meditation of the Scriptures is doubtlesse an Ordinary meanes ordained by God to procure Faith For these things are written that yee might beleeue Ioh. 20. Ibid. lib. 10. cap. 6. num 11. To preach comprehends not only the liuely voice but also writing so that those words Preach the Gospell are thus to be vnderstood intimate the Gospell vnto all nations by what meanes soever it may be rightly intimated whether it bee by liuely voice or by writing D. Davenant B. of Sarumon Coloss. 1.9 pag. 64. They are not carried by an Apostolicall but Antichristian spirit who deny vnto Laicks the Ordinary meanes of begetting wisdome spirituall vnderstanding namely Reading and vnderstanding of Gods word For the law of the Lord is immaculate converting soules the testimonie of the Lord is faithfull giuing wisdome to the simple Psal. 19-7 Psal. 119.130 in English meeter When men first enter into the word They finde a light most cleare And very Idiots vnderstand When they it read or heare Phil Melancthon Enarrat Symboli Niceni In conversion these causes concurre the holy Ghost mouing the heart by the Gospell the voice of the Gospell weighed and considered either when it is heard or when it is read or in godly meditation and the will of man not resisting the voice of God but assenting although with some trepidation Ainsworth Counterpoison p. 116. The Gospell noted to bee the meanes of our calling 2. Thes. 2.14 hee maketh knowne vnto his people outwardly by his word 2. Cor. 5.19 spoken Act. 5.20 and written Ioh. 20.31 and inwardly by his holy spirit Neh. 9.20 1 Cor. 2 10.12 FINIS IOH. 17.1 c. These things spake IESVS and lift vp his eyes to Heaven and said c. ALL holy writ simply and in it selfe considered is of equall worth and dignity the Author the Matter and the Manner being in every part alike Divine Howbeit considered respectiuely and in relation vnto vs one Scripture without impeachment or derogation may iustly be preferred to another For as touching the Matter some Scriptures are more importing vs as containing doctrines of Absolute necessitie to bee beleeued whereas others are so only in the Disposition and Preparation of the Minde And as for the Manner whereas others are darkly and obscurely deliuered some are so attempered and proportioned vnto the weaknesse of our capacity that they are more easie and available for our instruction and edification In both these Respects this seventeenth Chapter of the Gospell after S. Iohn seemeth to me among all other to be the most eminent For if you regard the Matter it containes Doctrines of highest nature and consequence as being the very foundation of the Churches happinesse and the anchor of all her hope If the For me it is so heavenly and divine so powerfull and perswasiue that he must needs be destitute of all spirituall sense and tast whosoeuer with the naked and bare reading thereof is not extraordinarily ravished and affected The serious and due consideration of all which together with the vnspeakable benefit that might grow to the people of God by the right dividing and handling thereof hath at length ouercome and perswaded me to vndertake at times the interpretation of this whole Chapter in this place That so if it please God before I sing my nunc dimittis I may with these treasures satisfie some part of the debt I owe therevnto both for my birth breeding And because these first words now read seeme vnto mee not vnfitting the present occasion or to succeed what I haue already deliuered vpon the like occasions I haue thought good at this time to make entrance therevpon so as it is in the proverb Vnâ fideliâ duos dealbare parietes to dispatch two businesses at once For hauing heretofore vindicated the Dignitie of the Ministrie from the Contempt whereto it is subject by prescribing a soueraign Remedie Defensatiue against it as also hauing demonstrated the power and efficacie of Preaching
by more waies then by Sermons Howbeit I deny not but in some sense it may be truely said where vocall Preaching is not there the people perish not for that they want the Ordinary meanes as long as they haue the written word but because of their negligence and retchlesnesse who of themselues will not search the Scripture nor seeke the truth vntill others bring it home vnto them Thirdly they object that of the Apostle It pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue them that beleeue where say they Faith and Salvation are tied vnto Preaching But first I deny that Preaching is here the making of a Sermon for it is not in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports not the act of Preaching but the object or thing preached Hence Whitaker expresseth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is preached and Zanchy yet more manifestly by Doctrina Evangelica the doctrine of the Gospell And this indeed seemes foolishnes vnto the naturall man yet being knowne by what way soeuer it worketh Faith and is the power of God to â—alvation Secondly suppose that preaching of Sermons were here meant yet what consequence is this Sermons breed Faith ergo Reading doth not For both may This is their solemne errour they labour to shew what vertue sermons haue but never shew that such vertue belongs to Sermons only Lastly they obiect that of S. Paul to the Romans How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a Preacher Here Invocation is chained to Faith Faith to Hearing and Hearing to Preaching This is their Achilles and therefore will wee endeauour to giue it full satisfaction First then graunt that Faith dependeth vpon such Preaching as may bee heard yet this lets not but it may be the effect of reading for when the word is publikely read I hope it is heard also But I answere secondly and more roundly to the purpose that Hearing in this place betokeneth not onely the outward act or as Philosophers call it passion of the eare but whatsoever else is analogicall and proportionable therevnto as namely Reading and Seeing and the like And herein least any should thinke me singular or to maintaine a strange Paradoxe it may please you to knowe that I am warranted both by the language of holy Scripture and the judgement of our best Divines In scripture the heavens and the firmament are said to haue a speech and when by seeing and contemplating them we learne the invisible things of God wee are said to heare their voice The word written hath in like manner a mouth a voice a speech giuen vnto it whereby it speaketh it cryeth it testifieth and when we looke vpon it or read if for our instruction we are said to heare They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them saith Abraham in the Parable and S. Paul Doe yee not heare the Law Scriptum enim est for it is written And if as Cyprian saith When we read God speaketh vnto vs how can it bee but that in reading we heare the voice of God When we receaue a letter from our friend wee are said to heare from him why not from God also when wee read his letter For so the Fathers stile the Scriptures Certainely our worthiest Divines conceaue of hearing no otherwise in this place Learned Iunius It will bee said Faith commeth by hearing the answer is ready Hearing is of the word whether it be spoken or written And againe As the word spoken and written differ only in this that the one is sounded in the ayre the other is apparelled in white paper and garded with blacke lines to the end one may see it and hold it by the coat which pronounced only would fly away so hearing and seeing in regard of the effect is all one Writing to speaking and seeing the booke to Hearing is analogicall So Iunius Zanchie Legendo Scriptur as audimus In Reading we heare the Scriptures Dr Fulke S. Paul did preach the Gospell also by writing and the people did heare by reading D. Whitaker writing is the imitation of speech auditur ergo therefore it is heard And the same D. Whitaker interpreting these very words Faith commeth by Hearing limiteth it not vnto the outward eare but extendeth it thus ex auditu id est ex sensu Scripturae rectè percepto by Hearing that is by vnderstanding the right meaning of Scripture by what way soever This exposition Wotton approuing he further addes that it is not the Apostles purpose to disable the word Read but partly to shew that the meanes of salvation proceed from God alone partly that no man might excuse himselfe by ignorance God hauing sent his servants into all the world without which sending none might preach either by word or writing and without which preaching no man could beleeue And thus haue you both the true meaning of this place and a full answere vnto the objection Other passages besides these doe they vrge but being either of the same nature or of lesse moment I will not trouble you with them Now it remaineth breefly to resolue and confirme the truth Wherein to the end it may appeare that what I haue often maintained in private I am neither afraid nor ashamed publikely to professe in pulpit I here openly proclaime and confidently affirme that Reading is an ordinary meanes to beget Faith and convert a soule Which that I may the more clearely and distinctly demonstrate giue me leaue in few words to open the tearmes meaning of the Proposition First then by Faith I vnderstand not only that whereby wee yeeld assent vnto Scripture the Principle of Faith that it is Gods word to all those articles of Faith specially fundamentall established by this principle which we call Historicall or Dogmaticall Faith but that Faith also whereby we are justified and by which we accept Christ to be our Mediator King Priest and Prophet together with the effects thereof Repentance from dead workes and new obedience All this I comprehend vnder the name of Faith Secondly by Meanes I vnderstand such middle or secondary causes as come betweene the first cause and the effect for the producing of it And these meanes if they be praeter ordinem besides the perpetuall order placed in things there being no coherence betweene them and the effect or no aptnes in them to produce the effect then doe we call them Extraordinary and such was the feeding of Elias by Ravens and the curing of the blinde man by dawbing clay vpon his eyes But if they be secundum ordinem according to the perpetuall order established in things having in them an aptnesse and fitnesse to produce the effect then are they called Ordinary and such is the nourishing and sustaining of
man by bread Now the soveraigne prime cause of Faith is God God worketh it by his word The word worketh as a Doctrinall or Morall instrument by way of argument perswasion Before it can perswade it must be revealed God therefore revealeth it and that sometimes without meanes by an immediate impression of light and grace vpon the soule as he did vnto the Apostles on the feast of Pentecost and to S. Paul in his iourney towards Damascus But generally and for the most part he revealeth it mediately and by the intervention of meanes The Ordinary meanes is that which is setled and established to continue in the Church for ever That is the Ministerie of the Church whose office is by all meanes to publish the word whether by Writing or by Speaking and this againe whether by Reading or Interpreting All which if they haue in them an ability and fitnesse vnder God to convey into our hearts the knowledge of his word then vndoubtedly are they all Ordinary meanes to beget faith And such an ordinary meanes among the rest doe I affirme Reading to be Which hauing thus fully explained the tearmes I now come to demonstrate and first in that faith whereby we yeeld assent vnto the Scripture that it is the very word of God The last and highest principle whereinto Faith is resolued and wherevpon it finally stayeth it selfe is the Scripture yet is it not so vnto vs vntill we be perswaded that it is the word of the eternall verity which can neither erre nor lead into errour But how come we to bee perswaded hereof By Sermons I deny not but Sermons are vnder God a sufficient meanes to perswade it But when did you ever heare a Preacher treat of this argument or goe about to proue it Or if any haue done it did they not perswade you to that whereof you were already perswaded Yes questionlesse For besides the testimonie of the Church in the publike reading of the Scriptures as the word of God there shineth forth in them such a Majestie and divinenesse as is not to be found in other writings and when by Reading yet take notice of so many oracles and miracles and predictions and sundry other things farre exceeding the power of nature doth not reason it selfe tell you saith Whitaker that they must needs bee of God The same saith D. Iohn White Many times Pagans and Atheists without the Ministery come to Faith by only Reading whence but being convinced by Scripture it selfe If then the very Reading of holy Scripture may bring vnto our knowledge such remonstrances and arguments as convince the minde that it is the word of God certainely it is an ordinary meanes to beget this faith for what can be more ordinary then arguments and demonstrations But the former is true as we haue proued therefore the latter also If so then much more is it apt and fit to beget that Faith whereby we yeeld assent to those articles which are built vpon Scripture especially if two things may be granted first that it is perfect secondly that it is facile easie to be vnderstood That it is all-sufficient and containeth whatsoeuer is necessary either to bee beleeued or done vnto saluation none but a Papist will deny And surely if it be defectiue either it is from God or from the pen-men Not from the pen-men for they were but hands and could not but write what the head indited to them If from God then either because he could not or because he would not perfect it To say he could not is to derogate from his wisdome and power to say hee would not is to detract from his loue and to taxe him of envie But what need mee to spend more time in this point seeing I now deale against those who challenge vnto it such a perfection that nothing may be done no not to the taking vp of a straw without warrant from it The Scripture then is perfect is it also facile and easie to bee vnderstood Aristotle saith of his Acroamaticks that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 published in that they were writtē not published because of their darknesse In the books of Heraclitus there was so great obscurity that he was therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscure May wee iustly say the same of the Scriptures and the pen-men thereof Surely it cannot be denied but that some things are difficult yet as there are deepe places where the Elephant may swim so there are shallow where the Lamb may wade and as there is harder meat which the strong man may chew so there is milk also which the infant may suck And I boldly affirme that all fundamentall points and duties necessary to salvation are in Scripture so clearely delivered that if they were written with a sunbeame they could not bee more cleare God hath spoken so that not a few but all may vnderstand saith Hierom. Hee speaketh to the heart both of learned and vnlearned saith Augustin Scriptures are so plaine as they need not to be expounded saith Iustin Martyr They exceed no mans capacity saith Cyril of Alexandria They are easie not to the wise onely but women and boyes saith Chrysostome And againe They are easie to bee vnderstood to the Servant to the Countryman to the widow to the stripling to him that is very simple The same say all our Divines against Papist The Scripture saith Whitaker may easily be vnderstood of any if he will And Zanchie will a Father speake obscurely to his children in things concerning their salvation that they shall need to seeke interpreters No verily But God being wise was able to expresse himselfe and being good he would and it was necessary to speake plainely in things so necessary If then to come to a conclusion Scripture containe all what is necessary and that in such plaine tearmes that whosoeuer readeth may easily vnderstand how can it be but Reading should be an apt and fit meanes and consequently an ordinary meanes to beget this Faith For if once we beleeue that Scripture is the word of God we cannot but yeeld assent vnto those verities that are so plainely deliuered therein and which we knowe to bee witnessed by the truth it selfe The same doe I also affirme of that Faith which wee call iustifying and of the fruits thereof Repentance and New obedience that the Reading of Scripture is an apt fit meanes to beget that also For it presenteth vnto vs store of strong motiues to perswade sweet promises to allure terrible threatnings to affright notable examples to imitate and the like then which there cannot be a better outward meanes and there needs no more but the inward concurrence of Gods spirit to worke a perfect conversion Read among other places the 28 of the book of Deuteronomie and then tell mee whither the Sermons of any man nay whither the tongue of men and Angels be able to perswade more effectually Sermons you
effectuall to conversion the like efficacie cannot reasonably bee denied vnto the Reading of that written word which now we haue Lastly say they this was extraordinary for Ieremie was in prison and could not come to preach It is vntrue that Ieremie was now in prison for then the Princes would not haue said vnto Baruch Goe hide thee thou and Ieremie and let no man knowe where yee be And whereas Ieremie saith I am shut vp I cannot goe into the house of the Lord the best Expositors vnderstand it of some other impediment and not imprisonment But bee it that Ieremie was in prison yet is the Reading of his prophecies no more extraordinary then the Reading of any other booke of Scripture nor the Reading of these lesse effectuall then of them To let passe sundry other passages of Scripture I vrge in the last place that of Saint Iohn These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Here writing is made the meanes of beleeuing as beleeuing is made the meanes of life everlasting But Writing without Reading is void and of no effect the meaning thereof is as if he had said These are written to the end that by reading them yee may beleeue For to restraine it thus These thing are writen to the end that a Preacher by discoursing or making Sermons vpon some parcells of them may worke Faith in you is too absurd and shamelesse although I deny not that Sermons are an excellent meanes to beget faith also Vnto the authority and testimony of Scripture I adde the consent of ancient Fathers who although they be but little reckoned of by some children of these times yet haue euer beene of great credit with those that are wise and learned Tertullian in his Apologeticum wishes the Gentiles to search for the Seventies translation in Ptolemies library or if they will not take the paines to goe into the Synagogues of the Iewes that are among them there to heare the same translation read To what end that so they may finde the true God and beleeue S ◠Basill affirmeth that the Scriptures are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common Apothecaries shop as it were of the soule and that every one may be a Physitian to himselfe and take from thence what he needs according to the nature of his disease St Ambrose saith Sacrarum Scripturarū lectio vita est the reading of the Holy Scripture is life according to that of our Sauiour Iesus Christ verba quae ego loquor spiritus sunt vita the words which I speake are spirit life Saint Hierome Frequenter evenit vt homines saeculares mystica nescientes simplici lectione pascantur It oftentimes cometh to passe that lay men ignorant of the mysteries of religion are fed and nourished by bare reading St Augustine Ama Ecclesiasticas literas legere c. Accustome thy selfe to read the letters of the Church that is the Scriptures and thou shalt not finde many things to demand of me but by reading and meditating if also with pure affection thou pray vnto God the giver of all good things thou shalt learne all things that are worthy to be knowne or certainely the most things rather by his inspiration then any admonition of men Finallie Iohn Bishop of Constantinople the noblest Preacher of all the Fathers and stiled for his eloquence Chrysostome that is Golden mouth and whom for his pregnant speeches to this purpose I haue reserued to the last saith as followeth All thinges necessarie are in Scripture so manifest and open that wee need nor Homilies nor Sermons were it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through our owne sluggishnesse and negligence And againe If you will studiously and diligently read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee shall need no other thing for he is true that saith Quaerite invenietis seeke and yee shall find And againe Neque moreris alium doctorem c. Neither stay thou for other Doctors thou hast the oracles of God none can teach thee better then Dr Peter or Dr Paul And yet againe The Apostles and Prophets as the generall Schoolemasters of the world haue made their writings so plaine to all that every one of himselfe only by reading may learne and yee need nothing else but read And yet againe lastlie why say they should I goe to the Church if there be no Sermon there right the language of some of our time This saith he is it that hath corrupted and overthrown all For what need is there of a Preacher This necessity comes through our own negligence For what need sermons All things are cleare and plaine in holy Scripture whatsoever things are necessary are manifest But because yee are nice auditors and seeke to haue your eares delighted therefore doe you call for sermons Thus farre Chrysostom and thus the Fathers With whom agree our moderne Divines both forraine and domesticall who perhaps are more gracious with our adversaries then the Fathers And here I might alledge many passages out of P. Martyr Musculus Aretius Zanchie Piscator and others of whom one sweareth that whosoeuer diligently readeth shall at length be taken another affirmeth that God would haue the Bible read of all thereby to know the truth and to be saued and all of them though not in direct yet in equivalent tearmes avouch my conclusion But I will content my selfe with these few following Francis Iunius I beleeue because I haue read and read it written and againe Faith is wrought by hearing and by reading also Dr Fulke By reading of the Scriptures ignorant men may learne to haue true knowledge and wild wicked fellowes to become more staid in their wits Dr Whitaker by the reading and study of Scripture Faith is learned by the ordinary way to learne faith Againe Faith is cherished by reading saith Tertullian now faith is nourished and cherished ex quibus existit by the same meanes that bred it And yet againe Reading is the ordinary meanes of edifying and God is effectuall by reading giueth the Holy Ghost thereby Wotton Wee doubt not many haue wee are sure they might and may attaine to the same faith what if I say to iustifying faith too without any Preaching by the reading of Scripture For since it is partly the matter that must argue the Scripture to be the word of God partly the maiesty which any man may discerne in the manner of writing vnlesse it can be proved out of the Scripture that the Holy Ghost will not worke by these vpon the heart of him that readeth but only of him that heareth a man expound this word vnto him I see no sufficient reason why faith may not be had by reading where Gods ordinance of Preaching is only wanting and not wilfully neglected Dr Nowell in his Chatechisme appointed by authority to be
Reading gathered by the Author since the Preaching of this Sermon Babington on the second petition TWo extremities there are which of all Gods chosen are to be eschewed the one is an estimation of Reading so great as that being had wee feele no want neither thinke it a want never or seldome to haue any Preaching The other is so farre to extoll Preaching as that wee vtterly contemne Reading yea exclude it from all power in the blessing of God to worke faith in vs or any The meane betwixt both which is a right and true conceit both of Reading and Preaching Know we therefore that in the word they are both commended yea commanded and ordained of the Lord as meanes to erect this kingdome of his in our hearts for which wee pray and of which we now speake And first for reading to name but a few places of a number marke what the Lord saith in his law laid downe for all his people Deut. 31.9 Act. 13.15 Luc. 4.16 Ier. 36.6 See and marke both the warrant of Reading and a profit hoped for by it of the godly So farre were they ever from either contemning this meanes or from denying it power in Gods blessing to worke Faith and repentance in the hearers Also a little after Let no Harding therefore in the name of all blasphemous Papists call reading of the Scripture to the people in the Church a spirituall dumbenesse and a thing vnprofitable but let vs euer with the chosen of the Lord receiue the good of it and blesse God for our liberty Dr Davenant B. of Sarum vpon the Epist. to the Collâ—ssians pag. 522. They erre who deny that the reading of the Scriptures doth not availe to the edifying of Christian people in Faith and Charity vnlesse at the same time there bee ioyned therewith an enarration or explication of them by a Preacher God forbid that we should extenuate the vtility or necessity of preaching yet wee affirme with the Psalmist touching the word of God studiously and devoutly read that the law of God is immaculate converting soules the testimony of the Lord is faithfull giuing wisdome to the simple Psal. 19.7 Dr Fulke against Heskins Pag. 6. The force of Christs word is as great by his spirit in the Scriptures which this dogge calleth the dead letters as it was in the voice when it was vttered Pag. 25. This to wit that the people must be taught and learne hard cases of the Priests shall be granted to the vttermost so that you will allow the people to Learne such things as are easie not only of the Priests but also of their owne reading studie and conference with them that are no Priests Dr Googe in his whole armour of God Pag. 217. Quest. Whether is the word preached only or the word read also a meanes of working Faith Ans. It may not be denyed but the holy Scriptures themselues and good commentaries on them and printed Sermons or other bookes laying forth the true doctrine of the Scripture being read and vnderstood may by the blessing of God worke faith But the speciall ordinary meanes and most powerfull vsuall meanes is the word Preached This is it which the Scripture layeth downe Rom. 10.14 1. Cor. 1.21 Mayer on Iames cap. 1. v. 18. Pag. 183. Quest. But is it necessarie that the word should bee Preached to the engendring of faith in vs or will it not suffice to read it Ans. It is not to be doubted but a man may be converted by the word read For Luther by reading was turned from Popery and Iohn Huske by reading of Wickliffes bookes And in the margent he noteth that Saint Augustine saith he was converted by reading Confes. lib. 8. cap. 12. whatsoeuer is set forth in Preaching the same is read also and the reading of the word in a large sence as Preaching is put for publishing Gods will to the hearer is said to be Preaching Act. 15.21 and such as read are pronounced blessed Rev. 1.3 yet notwithstanding when the word is preached as preaching in a more strict sence signifieth expounding teaching and exhorting out of the word of God it is more effectuall Wheatly in his new birth Pag. 17. There may be a question made whether the word of God read only may become effectuall to regenerate or whether it must want this efficacy vnlesse it be Preached as well as Read To which question mee thinkes that this should be a true answer that the instrumentall power of regenerating cannot bee denied to the Scriptures barely read though Preaching be not ioyned withall For why seeing the doctrine of the Gospell is called the ministration of the spirit and it is the doctrine of the Gospell when it is offered to the vnderstanding by bare reading therefore it must follow that in such case also it may become the power of God vnto salvation and the instrument of the spirit vnto regeneration The same precepts promises and threats are by reading delivered to the mind of the man that readeth or heareth the word read And why then should wee thinke that the Holy Ghost either cannot or will not worke together with them Yea doubtlesse hee can doe it when he will and will doe it then whensoeuer he doth not as oftentimes he doth not afford to men a possibility of enioying any other helpe then reading Vnlesse the not being preached could make the word not to be the law of God I see no reason that it should be thought vnable to convert soules without being preached And a little after It will not at all follow that because the word read is able to beget Faith either the Ministers may content themselues vsually to read it without preaching or the people vsually content themselues to heare it so and not be carefull to seeke for the preaching of it Amies in his Medulla Theologiae lib. 2. cap. 8. Numb 5. Hearing therefore in this place is any Perception whatsoeuer or comprehension of the words of God whether they be communicated by Preaching or reading or by any other meanes Numb 6. This word therefore of Hearing is not so narrowly and strictly to be vnderstood that either principally or necessarily it should alwaies include the outward sence of hearing but that it should denote any perception of the will of God Tilenus in his defence of the Perfection of Scripture Pag. 5. Let vs see this enthymeme or imperfect argument of Pyrrhonian Logicke The Apostles first taught by liuely voice Ergo they pretended not to teach by their writings which succeeded their preaching The consequence is as good as who should say one eateth first for to nourish himselfe therefore drinke serueth nothing to nourishmeÌ„t A non distributo ad distributum c. And a little after Wee know that to preach and to write are things very accordant and which are comprehended in one and the same commandement giuen to the Apostles teach all nations which yet to this day they teach by their writings He which commanded them the
Ad locum communem ignobilem reijci to be rejected vnto a common and base place Lastly say you it is something to bee the King of Englands Porter for the place may be worth better then twenty pounds by the yeare much more to bee a Porter in Gods house Well then now I see that twenty pounds by the yeare is something and I neuer thought till now that a Portership yearely worth so much had been such a worshipfull preferment But is it weightie enough for a lot Yea marry is it and so is a matter of much lesse weight too If so then games and recreations are not vnfit for it neither for there are many Gentlemen of good fashion who value their play in a farre greater summe then that comes vnto Howbeit I must doe you to wit that it was not determined by lots who should be Porters as you say but only who should attend at what gate Eastward Westward Northward or Southward which could bee no great matter N. N. Secondly there is no necessity of Lots in light matters Which being so it may also be otherwise determined And me thinks it is too much boldnesse to presume to trouble the King with every vaine businesse when there be so many petty Courts and Officers to censure in matters of lesse moment DEFENCE A doughtie Argument That whereof there is no necessity may not be vsed But there is no necessity of Lots in light matters Ergo in light matters Lots may not be vsed The Minor which you knew no man would deny you proue because such matters may otherwise be determined but the Maior which is palpably false you proue not at all and I marvell with what forhead a man of vnderstanding can affirme it What Nothing to be done but that is necessary What then shall become of things indifferent May not they be vsed neither For necessary I am sure they are not Why then doe you eat flesh For you may be otherwise fed Why weare you linnen seeing you may bee otherwise clothed And why play you at Chesse at the Philosophers game at Bowles seeing you haue Ouranomachie Metromachie the long Bow where with to recreate you Yea but it is Presumption to trouble the King with every vaine businesse What of that Forsooth it is more so to trouble the King of Kings But how doe wee trouble him By solliciting his Providence What Providence That which is Immediate and Extraordinary Indeed so to doe would be too presumptious But wee doe not so for we consult not with God nor looke we for any Extraordinary worke from him Our businesse is not such as needs so speciall a presence and assistance of God a casual event is sufficient to determine it Wee inquire not what it is that God would haue to be done or not to bee done that without speciall command or instinct were Sorcerie or Divination by Lots But wee doe that which God vnder himselfe hath enabled vs to doe expecting no issue from him saue only by Ordinary meanes which as in other our actions so in this I hope we may doe with out troubling the king as you imagine In a word the maine errour is you fancie in all lots an immediate extraordinary providence which is euer denied and neither is nor even can be proued by you N. N. Thirdly there is no warrant from Gods word to meddle with Lots in sleight matters neither from expresse commād nor from any approued example nor from any reasonable cōsequence from any part of Gods word And whatsoeuer is done not by vertue of one of these warrants is sinne Rom. 14.23 DEFENCE This argument is thus to be formed That which is not warranted from Gods word may not be medled withall Lots in sleight matters are not so warranted Ergo Lots in sleight matters are not to be medled withall The Maior you confirme by that of S. Paul Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The Minor for that it is not warranted nor by expresse command nor approued example nor reasonable consequence To all which I answer and first to the maior by denying it and withall affirming that S. Pauls words proue it not For by Faith he meanes nothing but Plerophorie or certaine assurednesse that what we goe about is lawfull to be done Now this Assurance in many things may be gotten not only by the supernaturall light of revelation contained in the Scriptures but also by the naturall light of reason imprinted in our hearts For the Moral law is naturall vnto vs and was by the finger of God written in our minds before it was grauen in tables of stone And the rule of this law is a sufficient warrant of our actions as for example of honouring our parents and doing the workes of iustice by giuing vnto every one his due although wee never knew the Scriptures Neither need wee to seeke any farther proofe hereof then from our owne Consciences which naturally checke and controle vs whensoever wee swarue and decline from it and also cleare vs when wee yeeld obedience therevnto The Minor also I deny for lots in sleight matters and consequently in Gaming are warranted not only by the law of Nature but also by Scripture How so will you say By expresse commandement Not so for then they should be necessary and if nothing should bee lawfull but that which is so commanded neither should any thing be indifferent and left vnto vs free and arbitrary By any approved example then Nor so for the Scriptures were not written to record the games and playes of men but to a more serious end How then By iust consequence thus That which in Scripture is neither commanded nor forbidden is indifferent and consequently lawfull But lots in light matters as namely in games are neither commanded nor forbidden Ergo they are indifferent and consequently lawfull N. N. Fourthly wee haue no example that ever any good man vsed the Lot about any thing in which it was not lawfull to pray God to direct and dispose of it Now no man will say or thinke that it is lawfull or convenient to pray to God so or so to direct or dispose of the Cards or Dice that such a man may haue such a Card or such a one throw such a cast at Dice it being a matter at the best hand but of Recreation For albeit there be warrant to recreate our selues yet wee haue neither command nor warrant to pray God to direct vs in the determination of any thing about our Recreations by Lot DEFENCE Your fourth Argument standeth thus That lot wherein it is not lawfull nor convenient to pray God to direct it is vnlawfull but in light matters as Cards and Dice it is vnlawfull and inconvenient to pray God to direct the Lot Ergo a lot in such matters is vnlawfull The Maior you proue because we read not of any good man that vsed the lot in any thing wherein hee might not pray for direction of it the Minor because at
of names only insteed of the Whole ranke of Fathers bearing witnesse and giuing evidence for you I hope as it ought so it will proue a sufficient Retentiue against your Motiue This that it may yet more plainely appeare giue me leaue before I conclude to recapitulate what hath beene said and as it were in a briefe Synopsis to lay before your eyes the weaknesse and impertinence of all your allegations First you vouch the authority of some who are vehemently suspected even by your owne Rabbies not to bee the men whose names they beare and therefore cannot bee very authenticall Such are Ignatius Cyril of Hierusalem in his Catechismes Ambrose de Sacramentis my sterijs initiandis Eusebius Emissenus Cyprian de coenâ Domini the Canon of the Councell of Nice and Magnetes Againe some you alleage who by reason of their nonage deserue not to be reckoned in the number of the Fathers and so are too young to beare witnesse in these businesses Such are Damascen Theophylact Euthymius Nicephorus and Rupertus who besides his minority was also in this point little better then an Heretike Thirdly among the true Fathers some affirme the Sacraments of the old Testament to be Figures of ours Yet thereby they acknowledge no more Transubstantiation of bread into the Eucharist then of Water in Baptisme Fourthly others affirm that Christs true body is in the Sacrament and we affirm the same also But that hee is there corporally in such sort as you imagine they affirme not Fiftly they say that the bread is changed and made the body of Christ wee say the same with them But that it is done by a substantiall change of bread into body they say not Sixtly they forbid vs to doubt of Christs words to enquire the manner How We doubt not of them thinke the manner to be inexplicable But they say not that to reiect your grosse and Capernaiticall manner is to doubt of Christs truth Seauenthly some of them say it is not common Bread nor only a Figuration of Christs body and we readily yeeld vnto it But they say not that whatsoeuer is sanctified and more then figureth is therefore transubstantiated Lastly some say that the Vnion and Coniunction betweene Christ and vs is reall naturall and bodily We hold the same that we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh But they say not wee are so vnited by receaving Christs flesh into our mouthes nor deny but that it may be done by Faith without euer partaking of the Sacrament And this is the full summe of all whatsoeuer your witnesses testifie for you besides which they say nothing at all Whereby you may now easily perceaue how sleight and impertinent your Motiues are and how little cause of comfort your Catholikes haue in beholding them Rather you haue great cause to be ashamed confounded that haue suffered your selfe thus to bee deluded by your Author who to proue the subsistence of Accidents without subiect hath brought you nothing else but meere Shewes without substance But alas we poore Protestants are so farre from having the consent of all expositions and the whole ranke of Fathers standing by vs that wee haue not so much as one authority nor can produce any one at this day that expresly saith that Christs Real body is not in the sacrament or that it is only a Figure Signe or Token thereof I beseech you Sir and can you Papists produce any one of the Fathers that expressely saith Bread is transubstantiated into Christs body If you cannot and yet thinke it sufficient to vouch that which you conceaue to bee equivalent why doe you so vrge the word Expressely vpon vs doe not leaue vs that liberty which you assume vnto your selues But to leaue this advantage we freely confesse we cannot produce any one Father who either expresly or by consequence saith so Nay we farther say that they affirme the cleane contrary namely that Christs Real body is in the Sacrament and that it is not only a Figure Signe or Token thereof But be it knowne vnto you that wee affirme the same together with them and it is but your dreame to imagine otherwise For as oftentimes you haue heard we deny not the Presence of Christs Body but that manner of Presence which you obtrude vnto vs. Neither doe wee say that it is only a Figure for besides signification wee acknowledge that it also exhibiteth Christ Iesus himselfe and sealeth vp all his Promises vnto vs. As for those impertinent peeces of some Fathers speeches which you say we now and then pretend to alleadge I hope you shall by by finde them so pertinent and direct that your Author who ever he be with all his learning and skill shall never be able to satisfie them For now hauing fully answered and dispatched all what you haue said for your selfe in behalfe of Transubstantiation it remaineth that I performe the promise made you in the beginning and demonstrate that this Doctrine of yours first crosseth the truth of Scripture secondly overturneth the Articles of Faith thirdly destroyeth the nature of a Sacrament fourthly gainesayeth the perpetuall consent of antiquity and lastly implieth in it infinite contradictions I will finish all in as few words as I can First it crosseth the truth of Scripture I instance only in the words of institution which you so often vrge against vs This is my body Wherein I demand what that is wherevnto the article This hath reference For it must either be something or nothing If nothing as some of you say then is the Proposition thus to bee supplied Nothing is my Body then which what can be more palpably absurd If something I demand what Your common sort of Catholikes answer that which is contained vnder this But so the speech would bee Tropicall the Continent being put for that which is contained which hitherto you could never endure And I thinke neither in Scripture nor in any other writer whether sacred or prophane shall you be able to shew the like example where This is put for that which is vnder This. Yet he it so Then I againe demand what that is which is vnder this If you know it not then neither doe you knowe what it is that is turned into Christs Body If you knowe it let me entreat you to expresse it Certainely it must either bee Christs Body or Bread Christs Body it is not for that is not made vntill the last syllable of those words be spoken and therefore not assoone as the word This is vttered To say nothing that then the Proposition would be very ridiculous This is my Body that is My body is my body It is bread therefore and though your side for the most part will not haue it so yet will they nill they the meaning is and must be this This Bread is my Body for they cannot name at hird This may yet farther be demonstrated by the circumstances of the Text. For
Scripture vnto all which I briefly answer thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I looked that they should punctually conclude Ergo Reading is no kind of Preaching but they insteed hereof substitute another conclusion Reading is not all that Preaching that is required in a Minister which who denies For wee freely confesse more is required then ability to Read except only then when sufficient Ministers or there where sufficient maintenance cannot be had In such a case better a Reader then none to publish Gods word to baptize children to administer the Communion and to performe other necessary duties which but by a Minister may not be done As for the descant vpon this plainsong what did Christ command no more then to come with a book in ones pocket and to read fairely from what spirit it proceeds I will not say sure I am it is a stale popish iest Thinkest thou saith Stapleton vnto Whitaker when Paul preached vnto the Gentiles to convert them hee deliuered them the booke of the old Testament or recited and read the same vnto them But besides testimonie of Scripture they vouch the authority of the booke of Homilies and Canons whereof the one distinguisheth Readers from Preachers which were great wrong vnto them if they be Preachers The other forbiddeth Ministers to preach in private whereby I may not so much as read a chapter in my house if Reading be Preaching This argument I thinke themselues make as little reckoning of as they doe of the authority whereon it is grounded For it is a plaine fallacy of Equivocation and they must needs be very blinde if they discerne it not For when our Church putteth a distinction betwixt Readers and Preachers shee vnderstandeth Preaching in the strict and speciall signification for one kinde of Preaching namely interpreting or making of Sermons And in this sense it is most true Reading is not Preaching and very simple must he be that holdeth bare Reading to be the making of a Sermon But when we say Reading is Preaching we vnderstand Preaching in a more large and generall signification as by and by you shall heare wherevnto because they speake not they speake not to the purpose Furthermore this doctrine say they is a maintainer of Idlers and dumb dogs and soule murtherers what not Pax mifrater good words I pray you for these are but the evaporations of a hot braine Farre be it from vs by any meanes to maintaine any such kinde of Cattle Wee wish with all our hearts that not only all Ministers but all the people of God could prophecie Howbeit were there not an idler nor dumb dog nor soule-murtherer as these men are pleased to tearme them in our Church yet if publicke Reading continue and I hope it will continue so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth Reading will ever bee a kinde of Preaching In the meane season I could wish that they who are so eager against dumbe dogges would sometimes remember to turne the edge of their tongues against bawling curres also with whom the Church of God is as much pestered as the other those I meane who behaue themselues so audaciously confidently in the pulpit yet haue neither the learning nor the wisdome to speake humbly discreetly and to the purpose One argument yet remaines Preaching was before the word written but before writing Reading could not be Reading therefore cannot be Preaching Pardon me my brethren if I call a spade a spade and in plaine English say this is a meere Popish argument For in like manner reasoneth Charron a French Papist to proue that Faith is not taught by Writing or Reading The Scripture saith he came but late into the world and the world had beene without it for the space of two thousand fiue hundred yeares namely all the time from Adam to Moses If then in the meane while the Faith was published to the world and receaued by it it could not bee by the word written or read which then was not but onely by the word preached and heard But in the same sort as Francis Iunius confronteth Charron so will I answere these men First although before Moses no part of the Canon was written yet happily there might be other godly and holy bookes penned out of which the true faith might be learned Secondly grant that at that time nothing at all was written yet the argument followeth not The world was a long time without Scripture Ergo neither now is it the purpose of God to teach by Writing or Reading For contrarily seeing it hath pleased God of his goodnesse at length to commit his word vnto writing it is manifest that he now intends men should learne the knowledge thereof even by Reading also Wherefore I conclude that as before Writing there was happily but one kinde of preaching namely speaking to the eare so now since the time that Gods word hath beene written there are more kindes then one namely speaking to the eye too Thus hauing remoued these rubs as it were out of our way let vs proceed in Gods name to maintaine the truth propounded that Reading is a kind of Preaching wherein I must intreat you againe againe not to mistake me as if I held bare Reading to be all that Preaching which is required in a Minister or that it is the making of a Sermon that is the expounding of a Text deducing of doctrines and particular application of the same by way of exhortation Farre be such vanitie and folly from mee What then Surely by Preaching generally I vnderstand the publishing or notifying or making knowne of Gods word Which seeing it may be done by sundry waies meanes as inwardly outwardly publikely privately by word by writing by speaking by reading by Catechizing by conference and the like I boldly affirme that there are diverse kinds of Preaching and that Reading is one of them And least any man should thinke I stretch the word Preaching too farre bee it knowne vnto you that I doe no more then Martin Bucer sometime Divinity Reader in Cambridge as he is cited by D. Whitgift hath long since done before me for as he granteth that there are sundry sorts of Preaching so among them he reckons Reading for one And whatsoever some punies avouch to the contrary I dare engage all the poore skill I haue in languages vpon it that the originall words vsually translated Preaching as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new are not in Scripture no nor in other writers restrained vnto the mouth or scholying vpon a Text but are of far larger extent and capacitie even such as wee haue aboue deliuered So that to come to an issue when we say reading is a kinde of preaching our plaine meaning is that it is a way or meanes by which the word of God is pubâ—lished and made knowne Which being so what is it my bretheren that so much offendeth and angreth you Is it the inconvenience of the
tearmes or the vntruth of the proposition For indeed I finde you so variable and vncertaine that I know not well where to finde you Is it the language that seemeth so harsh and jarring to your eares It seemed not so vnto the ancients who made no scruple to speake so Learned Hooker who carefully inquired into this businesse hath obserued to my hands divers passages The Councell of Vaux saith If a Presbyter or Minister cannot through infirmity preach by himselfe he may preach by his Deacon reading some Homily of the Fathers Where note by the way that if reading an Homily bee Preaching Reading of Gods word is much more The Councell of Toledo also calleth the Reading of the Gospell Preaching So doth Isidor and Rupertus likewise the reading of a Lesson in the Church And a right learned Lawyer of our own country hath obserued it also in the Law Quae Prophetae Vaticinati sunt populis praedicare id est legere to preach that is to read vnto the people what the Prophets haue foretold Thus they But if it be so inconvenient to say Reading is Preaching why doe you yourselues call Preaching Reading For doe you not in ordinary speech call your Preachers Lecturers And what is that but Readers And when you would knowe who preaches is it not your manner to aske who reades And the Sermons of a Preacher doe you not style them his Lectures or Readings But to leaue descanting besides that the Originall words as we haue said include both Reading and Sermoning let it in particular be observed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Scripture indifferently vsed for either As namely in one place of Esay it is said The book is deliuered to him that is not learned saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Read this I pray thee but in another place the Lord hath annointed me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach or proclaime the acceptable yeare Neither is it to bee neglected that from the selfe same root commeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scripture Thus the ancients sticke not to call Reading Preaching Neither sticke they to call Writing Preaching Iustin Martyr saith that the very writings of the Gentiles preach iudgement to come Clemens of Alexandria Ambo verbum praedicant c. Both preach the word one by writing the other by voice and the science of Preaching availeth both waies whether it worke by the hand or by the tongue S. Augustine also They who vnderstand these things produnt ea caeteris notific or preach the same vnto others either by speaking or writing Vnto these ancients our moderne writers agree Duplex est praedicandi modus Sermo Scriptio there is two sorts of Preaching Speech and Writing saith Iunius And againe who dare say S. Paul preached not when as he wrote vnto the Corinthians woe is me if I preach not the Gospell Dr Fulke S. Paule did preach the Gospell also by writing Dr Whitaker The Apostles were commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach or make Disciples tum voce tum scripto both by voice and writing Dr Iohn Reynolds I who now cannot with my voice as heretofore through the infirmitie of my body evangelizo manu ac scriptione preach yet with my hand and writing as well as I can Gomarus There are two kinds of Preaching Enuntiation and writing Zanchie not only approueth it but proueth it too Goe teach all nations saith Christ here is a dutie commanded Lo I am with you to the end of the world this is a promise annexed With whom is he with the Apostles How long vnto the end of the world Therefore must they preach to the end of the world They cannot by word of mouth for they must die By Writing therefore Finally the booke of Homilies and the learned Translators of our last Bible affirme the same The booke of Homilies in the Law written with his owne finger that in the first table in the beginning thereof is this doctrine against Images not briefly touched but at large set forth and preached The Translators The seaventie Interpreters prepared the way for our Saviour among the Gentiles by written Preaching as S. Iohn Baptist did among the Iewes by vocal And thus if either ancient or later Divines knew how to speake fitly it cannot be inconvenient or scandalous to call Reading or Writing Preaching What then Is there vntruth in the proposition If so then haue all those worthies aboue cited spoken not only inconveniently but vntruly also But I beseech you my brethren doe you indeed thinke Reading is no way a publishing or making knowne of Gods will I can hardly beleeue it When God first commanded the law and afterward the Sermons of the Prophets and successiuely the whole Canon of Faith to be written the old Testament in the vulgar language of the Iewes the new in the tongue that then was most generally vnderstood what was his intent and purpose therein Was it not to endoctrinate his Church that we through patience comfort of the Scripture might haue hope When the Septuagint by the speciall providence of God translated the bookes of the old Testament out of Hebrew into Greek and the whole body of Scripture vnder Christianity was so carefully turned into all languages was not the one done for the information of those Iewes that were Hellenists and vnderstood not Hebrew and the other for the instruction of such Christians as knew no other but their mother tongue Doubtlesse it was For translation say our last learned translators is it that openeth the window to let in the light that breaketh the shell that wee may eat the kernell that putteth aside the curtaine that wee may looke into the most holy place that remoueth away the couer of the well that we may come by the water Furthermore what is the reason that so many graue and learned men haue in all ages published so many excellent bookes and that Preachers also not content to haue spoken by word of mouth vnto their auditory cause their Sermons to be set forth in print vnto the world Is it not that they who never knewe nor heard them may yet reape benefit by their writing True it is that neither Originall nor Translation nor any booke whatsoever can availe if it be locked vp in a chest or laid on a deske and never be opened or looked into God therefore commanded in the old Testament that the law should be read both publikely privately and Christ hath ordained the same in the new And S. Paul when he wrote his Epistles meant not that they should lie still vnder seale but saith he when this Epistle is read among you cause that it bee read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that yee likewise read the Epistle from Laeodicea And againe I adiure you by the Lord that this Epistle be read vnto all the holy
say ordinarily beget Faith work Repentance and breed sanctity and newnesse of life not so Reading May it please you then to tell vs for our better satisfaction what such coherence there is betwixt Sermons and Faith which is not betwixt it and Reading And what that intrinsicall and proper quality of Sermons is whereby Faith is begotten which is not also to be found in Reading Is it in the doctrine and matter of Sermons It is the very same which wee read Is it in the arguments and motiues whereby they perswade We read either the same or as forcible in the Scripture What then Is it in the vtterance voice gesture behauiour or credit of the Preacher Much lesse for then should we be beholding for our Faith to accidents more then substance to the plausible inticements of humane wisdome rather then the evidence demonstration of the spirit Wherein then lies the vertue Forsooth in Gods blessing for Preaching is the ordinance of God and he hath promised to blesse it But stay my bretheren is not Reading Gods ordinance also And doth God having imprinted in it such an aptnesse and fitnesse ordinarily to beget Faith either curse his owne ordinance or suspend the operation of it so as it shall never worke but only extraordinarily What shall I say When they haue answered what they can vnto the question the summe of all as Hooker obserueth will be this Sermons are and must be the only ordinary meanes but why and wherefore we cannot tell And so I passe from the first argument drawne from the aptnesse and fitnesse of Reading to produce all these kindes of Faith Now in the second place I dispute ex concessis from that which is yeelded and granted by the adversarie First it is granted by Hieron and we haue proued it by the testimonie of M. Fox to be true that many of our forefathers in the blinde time of Popery were converted to the true Faith by reading only This say they was extraordinary but I infer that therfore it was ordinary For if reading be excluded sermōs be the only ordinary means it will follow that the Church at that time was without the ordinary meanes for wholsome Sermons then were not to bee had But it is a strange point in Divinity that the Ordinary meanes should at any time fayle in the Church and I presume when that fayleth the Church of God will fayle also If so then is there some other ordinary meanes besides Sermons and what can that bee but the written word and the Reading thereof It is further granted and that rightly that whosoever readeth the Scriptures or heareth them read is therevpon bound to beleeue And this is so cleare a truth that Whitaker could not forbare to charge his adversary Stapleton with much folly for holding the contrary Sic tu planè desipis saith he Art thou so very a foole as to thinke that the word of God hath no authority or bindeth no man to beleeue but then when it is preached Certainely if the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was to be beleeued when it was deliuered by them in their Sermons it is as much now to be beleeued when it is convayed vnto vs by way of writing and reading Wherevpon saith Caluin Although the Apostles be dead yet their doctrine liueth flourisheth and it is our dutie to profit by their writing as much as if themselues were now publikely speaking before our eyes Vnlesse therefore Gods word cease to bee his word when it is read an obligation in reading is laid vpon vs to yeeld all credence and obedience vnto it Now God bindeth not but by a commandement He commandeth therefore to beleeue by Reading What Doth he command vs to beleeue by a meanes that is vtterly vnable and vnfit to worke beleefe And doth hee daily and hourely tye our Faith vnto that which hee meanes not to blesse vnto that end but once as it were in an age and extraordinarily Questionlesse seeing God hath ordained that his holy Scriptures be ordinarily read both in publike and private and hath bound vs all to beleeue whensoeuer we either read them or heare them read it cannot be but that Reading is an ordinary meanes to beget faith and that God will alwaies vouchsafe to blesse his owne ordinance to the same end In the third place I vrge the testimonie and authoritie of holy writ But happily so doing I may be counted in the number of those vile men who like venomous spiders suck poyson out of the sweetest flowres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the die is cast and angry speeches may not hinder me from maintaining truth by the word of truth When all Israell saith Moses is come to appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse thou shalt read this law before all Israell in their hearing Gather the people together men and women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of his Law Here in expresse tearmes the Reading of the law is commanded and it is particularly commanded to this end that men may learne thereby What the feare of God and obedience to the Law God therefore hath appointed Reading to be an Ordinary meanes of conversion It is answered that such Reading is meant as was accompanied with interpretation So they dreame indeed but in the text there is no mention of interpretation Neither is it likely seeing now the whole law was to be read at once as is aboue said and the scantling of time would hardly beare any exposition Howsoeuer sure I am the holy Ghost ascribeth the effect vnto Reading and I thinke hee both knewe and meant what hee said In the Prophecie of Ieremie God commandeth the Prophet to write all his Prophecies in a booke that all the house of Iudah might heare them read for it may bee saith God that hearing they may returne every man from his evill way that I may forgiue their iniquity and their sinne According to this commandement Ieremie dictates all the Prophecies vnto Baruch Baruch writes them and being written reads them in the house of the Lord. Here againe Reading is commanded by God and to the same end that the people thereby might bee moued to repentance To this they answer first that God speaketh after the manner of men True when he saith it may be as if he knewe no more then man what the effect would bee Yet is it plainely intimated that Reading is an ordinary meanes of repentance Secondly say they Ieremie had preached the same before and so they are Sermons that are commanded to be read Be it so Yet then the very Reading of Sermons may worke Repentance which the Preaching of them could not To say nothing that these Sermons written were Gods word both for matter and manner so that if the Reading of them might be
taught in all schooles By what way or meanes is the knowledge of Gods will declared in his word to bee attained By diligent reading and meditating of Gods word or by attentiue hearing the same read and purely expounded by others The booke of Homilies affirmeth that the reading of Scripture breedeth knowledge turneth illuminateth comforteth incourageth and againe expressely The ordinary way to attaine the knowledge of God and our selues is with diligence to heare and read the holy Scripture Finally if the iudgement of the chiefe governours of our Church and the publike authorizing of bookes for the maintenance hereof be a sufficient argument I dare bee bold to say that this is the very doctrine of the Church of England Sure I am that the reverend father of this Diocesse who best should know it gaue expresse commandement that it should publikely in this pulpit bee acknowledged that reading is an ordinary meanes to beget Faith and not Preaching only as they tearme it Thus our latter Divines I haue but one thing more to say in this point and it is this that howsoever these men may differ from Papists in other opinions yet I see not how they can cleare themselues from Popery in this For to omit all consequences which necessarily follow vpon it thus in plaine termes say the Iesuits of Rhemes Faith cometh ordinarily of preaching and hearing and not of reading and writing And Bellarmine Scripture was not given to this end to be a rule of Faith but to be a certaine profitable commonitory to preserue and nourish that doctrine which is receaued by preaching And Stapleton Reading is not via ordinaria the ordinary way to Faith and againe Scripture binds not a man to beleeue neither is Faith to be had by it but only as it is preached by the Church Lastly Charron Faith is by the word Preached and pronounced by voice not written or read Againe Thou beleeuest because thou readest thou art no Christian for the Christian beleeueth afore reading and without And againe Faith got by Reading is acquisite humane studied not Christian and he that hath it is no Christian his Faith must haue another name Iump almost with that ere while quoted out of Hieron ordinarily knowledge so gotten is but vaine iangling and swimmeth in the braine but renewes not the heart Thus Papists against whom our men mainely oppose themselues herein And thus haue I at length resolued the three Questions in the beginning propounded and as I trust maintained the truth of God and that as becommeth the truth with the spirit of meeknesse and sobriety Withall as I suppose I haue made a sufficient Apologie both for my selfe and other my reverend brethren who in the general vnderstanding of the ordinary auditory of this place haue beene publikely censured as Seducing Spirits for holding that which I haue now maintained Reason would that he who seemed to lay this scandall vpon vs should haue made publike amends and either haue interpreted himselfe if he were mis-vnderstood or acknowledged his rashnesse if he did so censure But seeing it will not be and so much charity cannot be found in the heart yea over and aboue seeing I haue since that time beene braued to my face and as I am credibly informed often insulted vpon behinde my back as if I durst not publikely shew my face in these points though otherwise I could haue beene content to hold my peace for the peace of the Church yet now I could doe no other then I haue done and pardon me I beseech you for herevnto haue I beene forced and constrained Sooner perhaps would I haue discharged my selfe of this burthen if sooner I could haue met with so fit an auditory For who can better testifie of what I say or are fitter to be iudges and vmpires in such a businesse then you my reverend and beloved bretheren of the Cleargie To you therefore and to your graue censure doe I referre both my selfe whatsoever I haue said duly remembring that of the Apostle Paul the spirit of the Prophets is subiect to the Prophets And now giue mee leaue to addresse my speech vnto you my beloued bretheren of the Laitie specially you that are the ordinarie auditory of this place Let mee intreat you all not again to mistake me as if by what I haue said I went about any way to derogate from Sermons I say mistake me not againe for once already haue I beene either ignorantly or wilfully misconstrued Preaching some while since in this place on Luc. 20.34.35 and enquiring as my Text occasioned me who they were that should be accounted worthy to obtaine the next world and the resurrection from the dead I affirmed first in generall that it was not semblance only or shew of religion that could make a man worthie and then in particular that a man might be a frequent auditor of Sermons might goe two three foure more miles to heare them all the while might looke the Preacher starke in the face afterward returne with ioy call to minde talke conferre and repeat the same and yet for all this still be counted vnworthy And fearing least I should bee mis-vnderstood I then intreated you not to mistake me as if I misliked Sermons or the going to them Nay I exhorted you to goe provided you went not with contempt of Divine Service at home nor departing from your owne Minister how meane a Preacher soever none I thinke being so meane but is able to teach you more then you knowe provided also that you passe not through the Church-yards of as reverend and learned men as these parts afford any to go a mile further to heare a novice and when you are returned that your repetitions bee not vaineglorious with such a rumble and after the manner of a riot but modest and severally in your owne houses and lastly that the fruit of your often hearing be not a demure looke onely and a prating tongue but true humility charity which best conformeth vs vnto IESVS CHRIST These things I then said and for ought I yet see said not amisse yet am I censured as an enimie to Sermons as one that greeues the hearts of Gods Saints and lash the faults of Hypocrites on the backes of Gods children Wherefore you see I haue reason now to be warie of my selfe and to prevent the like danger that I bee not the second time mistaken as if I spake in derogation of Sermons Sermons I acknowledge to be the blessed ordinance of God as learned Hooker saith they are the keyes to the kingdome of heauen wings to the soule spurres to our good affections food to them that are sound and healthy and vnto diseased mindes physicke Whatsoever any can truely say in honour of them withall our hearts we subscribe vnto it If comparison be made betweene Reading and Sermons wee readily yeeld the precedencie to Sermons For although it be the same word which is read
treated vpon yet the manner which is or should be vsed in Sermons by explaining that which is hard deducing of doctrines and applying them home vnto the conscience doth more speedily and easily informe the vnderstanding and beget Faith as he that is taught by one that is his crafts master shall sooner attaine to knowledge then he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hath no other helpe then his owne industrie I adde farther that whosoever neglecteth or contemneth Sermons neglecteth and contemneth the ordinance of God and consequently God himselfe neither may such a one looke for a blessing from God vpon his Reading or whatsoever other meanes hee vseth So that my desire is by all meanes to encourage all and by no meanes to disharten any from the frequent hearing of Sermons Howbeit I may not so advance Sermons but that I must giue Reading the due also Never more need Among Papists the Stewes passe vnpunished but to read privately in the Bible is death their publike reading is in a tongue vnknowne whereby they make God a Barbarian to the people Smith a Puritan a Brownist an Anabaptist a Se-baptist what not saith that Reading is but a ceremonie and that our Saviour read indeed to fulfill all righteousnes but when he had done shut the book to put an end to the ceremonie Hee saith farther that Reading is the Ministerie of the letter so of death and that it is vnlawfull in worship to hold a booke before the eye Our brethren of the faction haue not only said it but also printed it that Reading is not feeding but as evill as playing on a stage and worse too And is it not the manner of many neglecting publike Service and Reading to send their servants or children to see whether the Preacher be ready to goe into the pulpit For till then they list not come and so according to the Frenchiest turne all Gods worship into a meere preachment To say nothing that they tie your Faith vnto the Preachers mouth and deny vnto Reading all power to beget it the contrarie whereof you haue now heard sufficiently as I am perswaded demonstrated vnto you Behold therefore blessed bretheren behold the largenesse of Gods bountie and goodnesse in making the meanes of your saluation so facile and easie vnto you He hath made every one of you capable of reading there is none but may learne to read if he will It is as easie as to learne to play at tables or cardes and a little of the time which some spend in Alehouses and idle exercises would soone make them perfect schollers therein But were it difficult to read yet haue you eares and you may daily heare Gods word both publikely and privately read vnto you in your mother tongue if so you please It is hid from none but those that will not seeke it saith Chrysostome and it is exposed and made obvious to every one least any should perish for want of ability to finde it It is not so high aboue thee as Moses saith that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring it to vs Neither is it so farre from thee that thou shouldest say who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it vnto vs But the word is very nigh thee if thou wilt but open thy eyes thou maist read it at thy pleasure or if thou wilt but lend an eare thou maist when thou wilt heare it read vnto thee Let no man thinke himselfe abandond of God or destitute of all meanes as long as hee hath free liberty to read or heare the written word Neither yet let any man say vnto mee what need Sermons if reading be sufficient For it is as if he should say what need two eyes if a man may see with one No my brethren God is more bountifull and liberall then so and as he hath provided more kinde of stuffes for our backe then one and more kinde of meats for our belly then one so hath hee ordained more meanes of Faith and Salvation then one Among them if you will let Sermons bee the principall yet is it not the only meanes but reading is a meanes also For as St Hierome saith The Scriptures of God teach the people not only by the eares but by the eyes also and hee that sanctified sounds and words vnto the eares hath also sanctified letters and characters to the eye and blessed be the name of God for both Courage therefore Christian brethren courage buy you bibles and read them diligently and when they are publikely read vnto you listen vnto them carefully It can not be but so doeing yee shall reap wonderfull benefit Iosephus writeth of the Iewes that they were all generally very skilfull in the text of Scripture It is reported of Alphonsus the wise and learned King of Arragon that hee had read ouer the whole Bible fourteene times besides the Glosse and other commentaries vpon it Yea diverse women as Gorgonia sister to Gregory Nazianzen Paula Eustochium Salonia Celantia with others by frequent reading became marvelous ripe in Scripture And Gregory the great tells vs of a man vtterly vnlearned that could not so much as read who notwithstanding bought himselfe a bible and entertained one in his house to read vnto him whereby saith he iuxta modum suum plene didicit Scripturas according to his measure he perfectly learned the Scriptures though otherwise he were a man altogether vnlettered Courage therefore againe Christian brethren courage search the Scripture as our Saviour counselleth delight in the law of God meditate therein night and day with David and you shall vndoubtedly aspire to the same degree of sauing knowledge that they haue done before you Be you men be you women be you learned be you vnlearned be you of what trade or condition of life soever God will deny his gratious assistance to none of you vnlesse you bee defectiue to your selues Only as he that will reape true comfort by the holy communion must come with due preparation therevnto so must you also come to the reading of the word in praeparatione animi with a ready disposition to loue and embrace the truth when it shall be discouered vnto you For vnto those that receiue not the loue of the truth God will send strong delusions that they shall beleeue lies Wherevnto if you adde your humble and devout prayers vnto God according to Gregory Nazianzens counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray and search and shall say with David Aperi oculos Lord open mine eyes doce me iustificationes tuas teach me thy statutes then will the lambe of the tribe of Iudah come and open the booke that is sealed by it giue vs such a measure of sanctifying knowledge grace as may suffice to bring vs to the state of eternall blessednesse and glory which the Lord grant vs all for his Christs sake TESTIMONIES OF SVNDRY moderne writers touching the efficacy of
there vndoubtedly is spirituall life If it be in semblance only and shew yet are wee still to iudge the best For as in matters of Faith we are to thinke and speak according to Scripture which only is infallible so in things concerning charity wee are to thinke and speake according to probabilitie Which howsoeuer it may deceaue yet is it not through any fault or with danger of him who thinkes better of another then he deserueth but only of the hypocrite who is farre other then hee seemed to be But as touching our selues because we are privie to the truth and sincerity of our owne hearts we may certainely conclude of our selues that we are spiritually aliue that by the certainty of Faith For all conclusions are of Faith which are deduced though but from one proposition contained in Scripture if the other be any way known to be true He that operateth spirituall actions is spiritually aliue is a proposition verified by Scripture But I operate spirituall actions is a proposition not contained in Scripture but testified to me by my conscience Ergo I am spiritually aliue is the conclusion issuing from both and of Faith because of the Major grounded on Scripture Secondly it sheweth how impotent and incongruous the speech of those is who pretending to liue this spirituall life yet when they taxed of their infirmities as suppose too much distemper in passion or impatience in wrongs or the like presently cry out they can doe no otherwise and who can endure it But stay my brother if thou be spirituall thou art not vnfurnisht of ability What if I should say of a kinde of Omnipotencie For so the Apostle through Iesus Christ strengthning me I am able to doe all things Why then saiest thou I cannot To bee without spirituall power is to be without spirituall life and they only can doe nothing who are out of Christ. If therefore thou liue say no more I cannot Nolle in causa est non posse praetenditur thou pretendest inability but the cause is thou wilt not There is a sparke within thee doe but quicken that vp and vse thy best endeavour and through Christ strengthning thee thou shalt bee able to master any infirmitie Thirdly and lastly seeing the spirituall life is the only happy and truely comfortable life why study we not aboue all things to liue this life With out it to win the whole world and to enioy all the pleasures thereof will proue but poore gaine For what is it to the losse of the soule which vnlesse it liue spiritually must needs die eternally And when this life is obtained striue we by all meanes to keepe and preserue it Much power and glory must Christ haue before he can giue it and shall we hauing by gift receaued it bee carelesse and negligent to retaine and hold it Skinne for skinne said he who knew it well and all that a man hath will hee giue for his life If for his naturall life how much more pretious should his spirituall life be vnto him This rather then they would loose the holy Martyrs of God were content to part both with life and liuehood Let the same preparation of mind be in vs for it is the very life of our life And thus much of the first point Quid what the gift is It is Life The second is Vnde whence it is It is from the sonne and that by way of gift For so saith my Text that hee may giue First therefore it is from the Sonne Which yet must not be vnderstood exclusiuely as if it were not from the Father and the holy Ghost also For the holy blessed Trinitie is the author of all life both naturall and spirituall This appeareth plainely For to giue life is an extrinsecall action and according to the old rule actiones ad extra sunt indivisae such actions as stay not within but issue forth from the Deity are common to all three persons Hence touching Naturall life it is said In him that is in God we liue and moue and haue our being And you know who it was that first breathed the breath of life into Adam even the wholy trinity who had said Come let vs make man And concerning spirituall life hence is it that it is called Vita Dei the life of God and that Moses saith of Israell Ipse est vita tua He to wit God is thy life Howbeit wee are further to know that although God be the fountaine of all good yet is he to vs in regard of spirituall grace vntill we be in Christ but fons obsignatus a fountaine sealed vp In Christ hee is a fountaine opened not otherwise For he passeth no grace but by a mediator Him therefore hath he made the Principle of all good and to this end hath hee filled him with the fulnesse of grace that of his fulnesse wee might all receiue even grace for grace And in this sense is it that wee say Spirituall life is from him Whence also it is called the life of Christ Christ himselfe is called the Lord giver of life yea and said to be our very life But how this life is derived from him vnto vs let vs enquire a little farther And because out of naturall Philosophy we haue hitherto proportioned the spirituall life for the substance thereof with the Naturall giue me leaue a little to reflect againe vpon the same Science to proportion out the manner of conveying it also First therefore vnto life a Soule is necessary for without it nothing can liue Secondly it is as necessary that the Soule haue life in it selfe or else how can it giue life for nothing giueth that which it selfe hath not Thirdly the Soule must not only haue life in it but also a power to quicken and make aliue For as Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soule is the cause and principle of life to the liuing body Fourthly notwithstanding this life and quickning power of the Soule it is necessary for the conveyance of life vnto the body that it be first infused and hypostatically vnited therevnto For before God breathed the Soule into Adam his body though otherwise organized and formed lay but as a dead lumpe breathlesse and lifelesse But no sooner was the soule powred into him but forthwith he began to liue the life of a man For fiftly vpon the vnion of soule and body riseth the constitution and being of man For neither is the soule nor the body severally and asunder called Man but the whole ioyntly composed together vpon which constitution and being of Man resulteth in the sixt place the naturall life of man and continually remaineth vntill the dissolution betwixt Soule and Body And lastly vpon this naturall life proceede ' those humane and connaturall operations of which aboue Now let vs as briefly apply all this vnto our present purpose First that which in the conveyance of this spirituall life is
meane season I answer by distinguishing of that tearme the Servants of God For by it you may vnderstand either all those holy men of God who haue beene since the creation downe vnto this present instant or onely those few Saints of God whom the Scripture maketh mention of If you take it in the former sense the Assumption is manifestly false that none of the Servants of God vsed lots in gaming at any time but only in weightie matters For I thinke there is no man so vncharitable as to say that all those who haue or doe sometime play at Cards Tables are vnregenerate and no seruants of God If you take it in the latter sense then is the Major false that what those few mentioned in scripture never did we may not doe For as their actions without a precept binde vs not to imitation so their omissions without a prohibition lay not vpon vs an obligation of forbearance If they did then might we not play at Chesse or the Philosophers game or bowles or the like because those Servants of God for ought we knowe neuer vsed any of them But let vs see how you proue that Gods Seruants neuer vsed lots but in serious matters Thus you proue it They vsed lots in serious matters Ergo they vsed them only in serious matters A sillie Consequence and neere a kin to that protrite Enthymeme The sunne shines in heauen Ergo the staffe stands in the bench corner But to satisfie the reader more fully I answere three things First where to proue your Antecedent you affirme among other things that Priests were chosen by lot you are fouly mistaken For Aaron and his posterity without intervention of a lot by the immediate voice of God were perpetually appointed to the Priesthood Secondly these lots here mentioned were all of them Extraordinary whence if your reason be good it would follow that none but Extraordinary lots may be vsed or rather that now adaies no lots at all may be vsed considering that God hauing not promised the like Extraordinary assistance it would be but tempting of God to expect an Extraordinary working from him in a lot Thirdly lastly it followeth not Wee read not in scripture that the Saints vsed lots in light matters Ergo they vsed them only in weightie For it is a meere Fallacie to dispute from authority negatiuely in a case of Fact In a question of Faith the sequele is good We read it not in scripture Ergo it is not a matter of Faith the reason because scripture containeth all matters of Faith But in questions of Fact it is not so because it was not the purpose of the holy Ghost to register downe in the Scripture all whatsoeuer his Servants had done much lesse their sports and recreations Had it beene his purpose so to doe hee would neuer haue said so often in the booke of Kings The rest of the acts of such or such a King are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah For to vnderstand these words of those two bookes of Chronicles written as it is thought so long time after by Ezra were in the iudgement of learned Iunius very ridiculous N. N. But it may be obiected some matters of small moment haue beene determined by Lots as for example who should be dore keepers of the Temple of Ierusalem I answere that was no light matter First it was Gods command expresly in his word which is neuer light or meane to Gods seruāts Secondly Dauid belike had a reverend respect of this office when he said that hee had rather bee a dore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse And is it nothing to be one of the King of Englands Porters Many a man if it should be tried had rather haue that office then twenty pounds by the yeare and that is a matter if it were of much lesse weight in which we may lawfully vse a Lot Now much more might the dore-keepers of Gods house be warranted from reason suppose they had no speciall command to cast Lots or to haue Lots cast vpon them to determine who should supply that worthy office DEFENCE As a pound compared to a scruple is weightie but light compared to a talent so the Porters office in regard of the Nethinims hewers of wood and drawers of water might be of some reckning but very meane in respect of the Priesthood So that a man may safely say the Porters office was but a low place and the lots were vsed in no very high matter But whether high or low it is not greatly materiall seeing the sinewes of your Argument are cut already Yet let vs heare what you say First it was Gods command and his command is neuer light True yet this letteth not but God may giue command touching light things as he did when he tooke order for every petty and small matter that the hearing and determining of them should bee referred vnto the inferiour officers And if his Providence reach euen to the smallest matters what impeachment can it be to his honour to giue commandment touching them also The Pins of the Tabernacle and the beesoms of the Temple were no great matters yet God disdained not to giue order for them And as in a building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great stones can never bee well laid without the lesse so also in the gouernment of the world for the better ordering of the greatest things God takes care of the smallest also Secondly say you David so honoured the Office that he had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of God then to dwel in the tents of wickednesse But what if David in that place spake not of Dore-keepers What then is become of your argument The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could wish rather to threshold it Iunius translates it limen frequent are often to passe ouer the threshold of Gods house and to be conversant in the Church which may belong vnto any other of the people of God aswell as the Porters But be it that he meane them inasmuch as the Psalme is inscribed to the Korhites who were Dore-keepers yet doth it not argue such dignitie in the office If a man should say I had rather be a Sexten or Dog-whipper in the poorest parish in England then the great Caliph of Egypt or Pope of Rome would any therevpon say hee spake reverendly of a Sextens or Dog-whippers place Nay verily but that he doth the more abase the Caliphat or Popedome Even so Dauid preferring a Porters place vnto the tents of wickednesse doth not so much intend to honour that as to avile these And hence is it that the Septuagint renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be laid as an abiect at the threshold and the vulgar translation Elegi abjectus esse in domo deimei I haue chosen to bee an abject in the house of my God and Calvin
the preaching of the Church as touching the Proposition of things to be beleeued but not as the reason of beleeuing For they who propound the doctrine of Faith withall admonish that that doctrine is revealed from God and that God not themselues is to be beleeved And what Is not the holy Catholike Church it selfe an Article of the Creed If it bee why should the rest of the Articles need to be sustained by an higher Principle more then it For if you may be bold to question any of them vntill it be resolued by the Churches authoritie I hope I may be as bold to question the Churches authoritie vntill it be warranted by some farther Principle I demand therefore why you beleeue the Church Because forsooth her authority is infallible And how know you that it is infallible Here of necessity you must either vouch her owne testimonie or betake you to some other thing To stick vpon her testimonie without farther enquirie is absurd For seeing her voice is not the first veritie that being the Prerogatiue of him only who is from all eternity her veracity must needs bee as doubtfull as her infallible authority And indeed this as a very learned Divine exemplifieth it were as if one whose authority is questioned taking vpon him to bee a law-giuer should first make a law and thereby giue himselfe power and afterward by vertue of that power exercise authority over others But if to establish the Churches authority you seek out of her to some other thing as suppose the Scriptures for so I remember you answered me being demanded the same Question then haue I obtained what I would namely that the Church is not the first ground of Faith because by your owne confession there is a former to wit the Scripture Neither is it true that Catholike men hold the Churches authority to be the first Ground For although some pretended Catholikes those I meane who call themselues Roman catholikes may so conceaue of their Church vnderstanding by the Church the Roman church yet neither are they true Catholikes neither is the Roman church the Catholike church neither doe any true Catholikes ground their Faith so True catholikes they are not because they hold a new Faith not that which Catholikely hath beene held in all ages as appeareth by those twelue new Articles lately added to the Creed vnknown vnto the purer times of the Primitiue church Neither is the Roman church the Catholike Church Not in regard of time for Christ had his Church when Rome was not yet Christian. Nor in respect of place for Catholike is Universall Roman Particular that the Church of the whole world this of one Citie or Diocese only Nor lastly in regard of her authority ouer al other Churches for that which she challengeth is but vsurped the Church of Africk in a Councell of two hundred and seuenteene Bishops of whom S. Augustine was a principall with much indignation reiected it and the Greeke church hitherto could never be drawne to acknowledge it And as for those that are true Catholikes they build not their Faith vpon so weake a Ground but rest both it and the Church her selfe vpon the Scriptures The Apostle S. Paul buildeth the whole Houshold of God vpon no other foundation then that of the Prophets and Apostles Knowe thou saith Origen that Christ alwaies appeareth on the mountaines and hills to teach thee that thou seeke him no where but in the mountaines of the Law and Prophets And the Auhor of the imperfect worke on Mathew The Lord knowing the confusion of things that would happen in the latter daies commandeth that such Christians as will receaue assurance of faith fâ—ie to no other thing but the Scripture And Tertullian Take from Hereticks that which they haue common with the heathen that they be content to stint all questions by the scriptures only and they cannot stand And S. Hierom The church of Christ hath for her cities the Law the Prophets the Gospell Apostles she passeth not beyond her limits that is the holy scriptures S. Augustine in the scriptures we learne Christ in the scriptures we learn the Church And againe I say not if we but if an Angell froÌ„ heauen shall deliuer any thing of Christ or his Church or of faith manners besides that which ye haue receiued in the Scriptures of the Law and Gospell let him be accursed And againe he affirmeth that the Church is to be proued by the Canonical bookes of Scripure and nothing else and that they only are the Demonstration of our cause the very foundation and ground plot whereon we are to build N. N. For proofe of this ground Saint Augustine handleth this matter in a speciall booke to his friend Honoratus deceiued by the Manichees as himselfe also sometimes had bin and he entituleth his booke De vtilitate credendi His discourse is this Suppose that wee now first of all did seeke vnto what Religion we should commit our soules to bee purged and rectified Without all doubt wee must begin with the Catholike Church for that shee is the most eminent now in the world there being more Christians in her this day then in any other Church of Iewes Gentiles put together And albeit among these Christians there be Sects and Heresies and all of them would seeme to be Catholikes and doe call others besides themselues Hereticks yet all grant that if wee consider the whole Body of the World there is one Church among them more eminent then all other and more plentifull in number and as they which know her doe affirme more sincere also in the truth But as concerning truth wee shall dispute more afterward now it is sufficient for them that desire to learne that there is a Catholike Church which is one in it selfe wherevnto diverse Heretickes doe faine and devise divers names whereas they and their Sects are called by peculiar names which themselues cannot deny Whereby all men that are indifferent and not letted by passion may vnderstand vnto what Church the name Catholike which all parts desire and pretend is to bee given Thus St Augustine c. I. D. So maine a point as is the last resolution of faith ought to haue beene better warranted then by the single authority of one Father who how eminent soever hee was in his time yet is not his sole word of strength enough to beare vp such a weight Why did you not vouch the testimony of Saint Paul or Saint Peter or some other of the holy penmen of Gods booke which cannot deceiue you then Saint Augustine or any other of the antient Fathers who both haue erred themselues and may mislead you But thus it is with Papists the more the shame the bare name of a Father swayes them more then the clearest passage of holy writ Howbeit this I say not as if we feared the triall of the Fathers for be it known vnto you wee haue more
Body And wee are stedfastly to beleeue that the Humane nature was so assumpted by the Deity that although they both constitute but one Person yet they still remaine two distinct Natures and each of them retaineth its Essentiall Properties If then as the Apostle saith Christ be made like vnto vs in all things sinne only excepted and our Bodies cannot bee without Dimension of length breadth and depth together with circumscription proportion and Distinction of parts one from the other and the like then neither can the Manhood of Christ be without them Neverthelesse you fancy vnto Christ in the Eucharist such a Body as is vtterly deprived of them all For thus saith your Angelicall Doctor and what he saith is the generall Tenent of the Church of Rome In the Body of Christ in the Sacrament there is no distance of one part from another as of the eye from the eye or the head from the feete as it is in other organicall bodies For such distance of parts is in the true Body of Christ but not as it is in the Sacrament for so it hath not dimensiue quantity O miserable Christ that art driven into such narrow straits that the whole bulke of thy Body should be emprisond and as it were frapt together in every little crum and point of the hoste And more true and seasonable may the complaint now be then it was of old that the Sonne of man hath not so much as a place wherein to rest his head But seeing as Thomas saith The true body of Christ hath distance of parts and the Body of Christ in the Sacrament hath not distance of parts I marvaile what should let but that I may boldly inferre the conclusion Ergo the Body of Christ in the Sacrament is not his true body Againe it is an Article of the Faith that Christ being ascended into Heauen hath quitted the earth and now sitteth at the right hand of his Father This the Scriptures testifie The poore saith Christ yee shall haue alwaies with you but mee yee shall not alwaies haue And I leuae the world and goe vnto the Father And againe Now am I no more in the world but these are in the world and I come vnto thee Hence saith St Peter The heauens must containe him vntill the time that all things bee restored And then as the Angell said This Iesus that is taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come againe as you haue seene him goe into Heauen The Fathers saith the same Origen According to his divine nature he is not absent from vs but he is absent according to the dispensation of the Body which he tooke As man shall he be absent from vs who is every where in his divine nature For it is not the manhood of Christ that is there wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in his name neither is it his manhood that is with vs at all times to the end of the world nor is his manhood present in every congregation of the faithfull but the Divine vertue that was in Iesus Tertullian In the very pallace of Heaven to this day sitteth Iesus at the right hand of his Father Man though also God flesh and bloud though purer then ours neverthelesse the same in substance and forme wherein he ascended Ambrose Neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh are wee to seeke thee if wee will find thee Augustine Mee shall you not alwaies haue He spake this of the presence of his Body For touching his Maiesty providence vnspeakable and invisible grace it is true that he said I am alwaies with you to the end of the world But as for the flesh which the word tooke which was borne of the virgin fastned to the crosse laid in the graue you shall not alwaies haue mee with you And why Because hee is ascended into heauen and is not here there hee sitteth at the right hand of the father Cyril of Alexandria He could not be conversant with his Apostles in the Flesh after hee was once ascended to his Father And Notwitstanding he be absent in the flesh yet by that only meanes the power of his Godhead he is able to saue his Finally Gregory the Great The word incarnate both remaineth and departeth he departeh in Body and remaineth in his divinity Thus the Fathers And hence is it that so often in their writings they exhort vs not to settle our thoughts here on earth but to send vp our Faith into heauen and thither to follow him in heart whither wee beleeue him to be ascenâ—â—d in body Now what you The cleane contrary that the Body of Christ is still present with vs here on earth and as ordinarily as he is aboue in heauen Nay more then so For there he is confined circumscribed to one place as also he was here in the daies of his Flesh when he liued among the Iewes but now by your Doctrine he may be and is in more then a thousand places at once even when and where you will For you haue power to reproduce him as often as you list then to keepe him with you as long as you please at least vntill the mouse devoure him or he begin to corrupt and putrifie But is it impossible will you say for the Manhood of Christ to be present in many places at once Impossible if we may beleeue the Fathers neither can you produce any one of them that saith the contrarie If the argument of the Fathers aboue quoted be good Hee is in heauen Ergo he is not in earth then can hee not at one time bee both here and there too And doth not St Cyril expresly say he could not be coÌ„versant with his disciples in the Flesh after he was once ascended to his Father St Augustine likewise Christ according to his bodily presence could not be at once in the Sunne and in the Moone and on the crosse And againe The Body of Christ in which he rose againe can bee but in one place but his truth is every where diffused Vigilius a blessed Martyr and Bishop of Trent The flesh of Christ when it was in the earth was not in Heaven and now because it is in hauen certainly it is not in earth And by and by Forsomuch as the word is every where and the flesh of Christ is not every where it is cleare that one and the same Christ is of both natures that is every where according to the nature of his divinity and contained in a place according to the nature of his humanity Finally Fulgentius One and the same sonne of God having in â—â—m the truth of the divine and humane nature lost not the properties of the true Godhead and tooke also the properties of the true Manhood one and the selfe same locall by that he tooke of Man aâ—d infinite by that he had of his Father
later shorter and taller broader and narrower thicker and thinner greater and lesser then himselfe and such like of the same garbe But I study to be briefe it is high time to remoue my hand as they say from the Table Onely I must forewarne you that if being vnable to vntie these knots you shall attempt to cut them asunder with the sword of Gods Omnipotence you shall but loose your labour For if they be contradictions as vndoubtedly they are your Angelicall Doctor can tell you that they fall not within the compasse of Divine Power So that of force you must either demonstrate that these things are not contradictorie which I am sure you can neuer doe or as becommeth Christian ingenuity you must for ever bid farewell to Transubstantiation and yeeld vnto the truth discouered vnto you And thus at length by Gods assistance haue I finished the taske you haue laid vpon me fully answered whatsoeuer here you haue alleaged in maintenance of your Reall Presence My desire now is that laying aside all prejudice you will but with indifference read what I haue replied therevnto Which if you shall vouchsafe to doe I perswade my selfe it will make you to remit much of that confidence you had in this cause when first you sent this Schedule vnto me Especially if withall you consider that the wittiest and subtlest heads amongst you could never finde it so clearely and strongly grounded either vpon Scripture or Fathers as you pretend Scotus sirnamed the subtle Doctor affirmeth that there is extant in Scripture no place so expresse as without declaration of the Church can evidently constraine a man to admit of Transubstantiation And this saith Bellarmine is not altogether vnprobable For although the scripture may seeme vnto vs so clear as it may constraine a man that is not froward yet it may iustly be doubted whether it be so seeing most learned and witty men such as Scotus specially was haue thought the contâ—ary The same Scot farther saith that were it not for the authority determination of the Roman Church the words of Christ and of the Fathers might more simply plainely truly be vnderstood and expounded Nay hee yet farther addeth and your Cardinal Bellarmine confesseth it that before the Lateran Councell Transubstantiation was not a doctrine of Faith and he wondreth that being no principle article and such as exposeth the Christian Faith to contempt it could be receaued and beleeued The Cardinall of Cambray also doubteth not to avouch that that manner which supposeth the substance of Bread still to remaine is possible neither is it contrary to reason or the authority of scripture Nay it is easier to conceaue and more reasonable then that which saith the substance doth leaue the accidents And of this opinion no inconvenience doth seeme to ensue if it could be accorded with the Churches determination And he addeth that the opinion which holdeth the substance of Bread not to remaine doth not evidently follow of the Scripture nor to his seeming of the Churches determination Cardinall Cajetan is as peremptory that there appeareth nothing in the Gospell that can force a man properly to vnderstand these words This is my body and that were it not for the interpretation of the Roman Church they might very well admit another sense as that of the Apostle the Rocke was Christ. To these Cardinals may wee ioyne another Cardinall though happily he neuer ware the Cap I mean Fisher Bishop of Rochester who expresly averreth that in that place of Mathew where the institution of the Sacrament is recorded there is never a word whereby it may bee proued that there is made in the Masse the true presence of the flesh and bloud of Christ. Gabriel Biel also The Scriptures may be salved and expounded after a more easie vnderstanding And Occam This doctrine that the substance of bread remaineth is subiect to lesser inconveniences and is not so repugnant to reason the Scriptures And Durand It is great rashnesse to say that the body of Christ cannot by divine power be in the Sacrament but by converting bread into it Howbeit if that way which supposeth bread to remaine were indeed true many doubts which meet vs holding it not to remaine were dissolued The Master of the Sentences also freely confesseth that if it be demanded what that conversion is whether formall or substantiall or of another kinde he is not sufficient to define From these your Iesuits swarue not very much Gregory de Valentia saith that the Fathers spake of Transubstantiation somewhat obscurely simply as thinking they could not be vnderstood of Catholikes but Catholikely and least they should haue exposed the mystery to be laughed at of Infidels if in their popular Sermons they should haue vnfolded their minds Your Secular Priests affirme that it was concluded among the Fathers of the Societie and what Catholike would not beleeue them that the Fathers haue not so much as touched the point of Transubstantiation Finally not to muster vp any more it is well knowne that divers of your Priests being demanded if after sentence of death pronounced vpon them that very morning when they were to be executed they might haue leaue to say Masse to the intent they might be certaine of their owne intention to consecrate and not doubtfully depend vpon anothers whether after consecration for the confirmation of our Faith in the point of Transubstantiation they durst to say thus vnto the multitude Vnlesse that which is now in this Chalice whose Accidents you see be the very selfe same bloud which issued out of the side of Christ hanging on the crosse let mee haue no part either in the bloud of Christ or in Christ himselfe for ever and so with these last words bid farewel vnto the world being I say demanded whether they durst adventure to doe so they all with one voice denied it And Father Garnet in a conference with the Deanes of the Chappell Pauls and Westminster being in particular asked the like answered very perplexedly not daring to hazard his saluation therevpon All these testimonies duly pondered and considered you must needs acknowledge vnlesse you see better then these quick-sighted Eagles that you haue not so strong hold either in Scripture or Fathers or right reason as you imagined and that not only the name but the Doctrine also of Transubstantiation hath beene but of late created an article of your Faith It remaineth that I entreat you these things vndoubtedly being thus that you suffer not your selfe any longer to be beguilded with novelties vnder pretence of antiquitie but rather that you open your eyes and stretch forth your armes to embrace the truth now that she offereth her selfe so manifestly vnto you And this I intreat the more earnestly because of the great danger that followeth vpon this errour For if Christ bee not present in the Sacrament in such sort as you hold there
for Titius as well as for Seius I assume but many Papists allow the sense I giue This if I would follow your course I might easily proue by all those Popish writers who acknowledge those words of the Fathers which we obiect against you without mentioning any of their Answers But so doing I should shew my selfe as ridiculous and vnconscionable as your Author Thus therefore Scotus Cameracensis Caietan Roffensis Biel Occam Durand Peter Lombard with some Iesuits and the Canon Law professe some of them that they could not finde Transubstantiation in the Scriptures and some that they could not in the Fathers Their expresse words you haue in mine Answere whether I referre you for it would be too long to transcribe them If so and all these were grand Papists I haue no reason to beleeue you or your Author rather then them nay great reason haue I to cleaue the faster vnto my opinion as better according both with Scripture Fathers N. N. Your second reason There are amongst vs differences even in many essentiall and fundamentall points as namely betweene Protestants and Puritans whatsoever D. Abbat Doue Willet Powel Sr Edward Hobby Rogers others say to the contrary And this you proue by Rogers Covel Ormrode Parks Willet Powel and sundry others I. D. That there are differences and dissentions amongst vs is too true and cannot bee denied This therefore wee grant But the Consequence which you inferre therevpon Ergo you may not yeeld vnto my iudgement or any of our side I deny For to make this follow you must of necessitie hold that where there are dissentions there you may not harken to any side A dangerous and desperate Position and the very Objection of the Iewes against Christianitie We may not beleeue because of your distractions By which reason as you may not heare vs so may not we you nor Turks and Infidels any of vs all how Orthodoxe soeuer because the Christian world is still full of contentions A man would thinke that diversitie of opinions especially in matters concerning soule and Salvation should rather quicken and stirre vp the minde diligently among all to search which is the truest then to cause it sit still and forbeare assent vntill all sides be accorded Neither let any pretend inabilitie for as Chrysostome saith Seeing we acknowledge the scriptures which are so true and plaine it will be an easie matter for to iudge And tell me hast thou any wit or iudgement For it is not a mans part barely to receaue whatsoever hee heareth Say not I am a learner and may be no iudge I can condemne no opinion this is but a shift c. And Gerson rendreth the true reason hereof The triall and examination of doctrines concerning Faith belongeth not only to the Councell Pope but also to every one that is sufficiently learned in the scriptures because every man is a sufficient iudge of that hee knoweth But ô yee miserable servitude and slauery of you the common sort of Papists your eyes are puld out of your heads neither are you allowed the vse of common sense and reason The Scriptures by which you should see are wrested out of your hands as a dangerous booke If you will see it must be by another mans eyes Your Faith must depend vpon the warrant of some equivocating Priest And whatsoever is said to the contrary though never so soundly proued you may in no case harken to it for why there are dissentions among you This reason being thus fully answered I might without more adoe passe on to the next but that I see by your spinning it to such a length you make great store of it Let vs therefore bestow a word or two more vpon it There are say you dissentions amongst vs. True And was there ever or will there ever be a Church so happy as to be altogether free of them If not why doe you vpbraid them vnto vs Is it because notwithstanding them we count one another brethren members of the same Church That is an Argument of our charity and that we dare not cut off and condemne as Hereticks every one that differeth though never so little from vs in opinion whereas you presently condemne to the pit of Hell all Christians whatsoever wheresoever and how many soever that will not vaile bonnet vnto the Popes Miter and beleeue all to bee true that hee resolues vpon But what May not brethren disagree and yet continue brethren Or doth every quarrell exclude out of the Church of God I trow not For then Paul and Barnabas Peter and Paul Victor and Polycrates Cyril and Theodoret Chrysostome and Theophilus Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome and Ruffin and sundry others should not be brethren Nay the East and West Churches dissenting about Easter and the Roman and African about Rebaptization should be no true Churches Yea but our differences are not in pettie matters but essentiall fundamentall points And such were also in the Churches of the Corinthians and Galathians for in the one they differed about the Resurrection of the dead in the other about the necessary observation of the law of Moses together with the Gospell And yet saith Bellarmine they were true Churches and they that so erred if they were ready to learne the truth and to beleeue it being taught were true members of them also But by your leaue sir your Author overlashes when he saith we differ in points Essentiall and Fundamentall neither doe our Divines only say it as you beare vs in hand but clearely demonstrate it also And indeed all the quarrell is rather about the shell then the kernell that is the outward gouernment ceremonies of the Church rather then the Faith of the Church or at the most it is rather about some deductions and conclusions in Divinitie then the Principles themselues and those truths that are necessary vnto salvation For as for the Article of Christs descent into Hell though your Author would insinuate the contrary yet there is not one of vs but willingly subscribes vnto it and acknowledgeth that Christ hath spoiled Hell and triumphed over Principalities and Powers and all the enimies of our salvation But whether he did this by descending locally in soule into the Hell of the Damned or Virtually and by the power of his Godhead is all the Question amongst vs whereby for ought I see we neither overturne the Article nor dissolue brotherhood And your selfe must needs confesse so much vnlesse you will disclaime brotherhood with Durandus and condemne him of a Fundamentall errour together with vs. For hee held that the soule of Christ descended into Hell not in the substance thereof but by certaine effects And heare the resolution of Suares the Iesuit touching this Article If by an article of faith saith he we vnderstand a truth which all the faithfull are bound explicitly to knowe and beleeue so I doe not thinke it necessary to reckon this among the Articles
els would not Calvin haue cavilled at those words Vnlesse a man be borne againe of Water c. Is not the doctrine of the blessed Sacrament necessary Yet how many expositions of this is my Body So is that of Iustification yet twenty expositions of Scripture about the formall cause thereof So also is the doctrine of the Trinity and of Christs Divinity and humanity yet Ebionits Arians Nestorians Eutychians Valentiâ—ians Monothelites and Apollinarists holding heresies against them proue them all to their thinking out of Scripture Ergò Scripture is not so easy as I make it For where all things are plaine there men commonly agree I. D. The truth is being demanded the rule of Faith I named the Scripture and being farther demanded a rule whereby to know the sense of Scripture I answered two things First that all things necessary to salvation are so expresly and plainly set downe that there needs no farther rule secondly that those places which are more obscure are to be expounded by those that are more plaine and that sense which disagreeth is to bee reiected that which agreeth may safely be admitted Safely I say for although haply it may not be the right yet dangerous it cannot be as long as it accords with the Analogy of Faith This I declared somewhat at large in the writing sent to Mr Bayly which I perceaue hath come to your hands also yet satisfies not Otherwise you would not thus dispute against it But know you against whom you dispute Certainly not against me only but the ancient Fathers who affirme the same that I doe For touching the Perspicuity of Scripture in things necessary thus St Augustine In those things which are openly laid downe in Scripture are to be found all things which containe Faith and manners of liuing to wit Hope and Charity And St Chrysostome All things necessary are open and manifest so that there needed not homilies or Sermons were it not through our owne negligence And Cyril of Alexandria To the end they might be knowne to all both small and great he hath delivered them vnto vs in such familiar speech that they exceed no mans capacity So the rest And this is so true that your Gregory of Valentia confesseth it Such verities saith he concerning our faith as are absolutely and necessarily to be knowne and beleeued of all men are plainly taught in the Scriptures themselues So Sixtus Senensis also and others of your side As touching the interpretation of darker places by the plaine thus Saint Basil those things which seeme to bee ambiguous and obscurely spoken in some places of holy writ are enlightned by those which in other places are open and perspicuous And St Augustine There is nothing almost among these obscurities but in other places one may finde it most plainly delivered And St Chrysostome The Scripture every where when it speaketh any thing obscurely interpreteth it selfe againe in another place And this is the common voice of all the rest So that the answere I gaue you being no other then that wich I had learned of the Fathers you cannot reiect it but you must reiect the Fathers with all But let vs heare your reason The Doctrine say you of Baptisme of the Eucharist of Iustification of Christs two natures are necessary yet some texts vpon which they are grounded be litigious Grant it be so yet some againe are clear and evident That Christians are to be baptized what more plaine then that Goe teach all nations Baptizing them That the Eucharist is to be administred and receiued is clear by the institution of our Saviour and the practise of his Apostles That wee are iustified by Faith without the workes of the law wee haue the evident testimony of Saint Paul That Christ is God the very first words of Saint Iohns Gospell testifie In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God And lastly that hee is Man also what more expresse then those words of Saint Paul There is one God and one Mediator betweene God men the Man Christ Iesus If other places be not so plain they are to be expounded by these or the like But it may be your Doctrine of Baptisme is the absolute necessity thereof vnto salvation If so then certainely that place of S. Iohn is not cleare enough for it For it is not necessary it should be vnderstood of Christian Baptisme which was not yet instituted or it must be meant of those that are Adulti such as Nicodemus was to whom our Saviour spake In like manner if your doctrine of the Eucharist be Transubstantiation neither is that other place plaine enough for it For it is manifest both by the circumstances of the Text and the testimonie of the Fathers that the Relatiue This hath reference to Bread Now Bread in proper speech cannot bee Body as your owne men confesse Then is it so tropically and consequently no Transubstantiation The same doe I say of the errours about Iustification which should particularly haue beene shewed if you had quoted any particular place As for those Hereticks they were such as the Prophet speaketh of who in seeing saw and yet perceaued not hauing closed their eyes that they might not see And therefore it is a foule fault in you to excuse their obstinacy by charging the Scriptures with obscurity That Rule is sufficient which is able to convince the Conscience and satisfie all those who loue the truth and are ready to acknowledge it when it is made known though it stop not the mouths of refractary stubborne Hereticks This perhaps your living judge by vertue of fire and fagot may bee able to effect but the other if evidence of Scripture cannot nor he nor his Church will ever be able to performe More of this see in the Treatise sent to Mr Baylie N. N. If as I write to M. Baylie you may not relye too much on the authority of the Fathers because of their differences in opinions much lesse may you vpon the authority of our men being worse divided For they differ not in essential points we doe They wrote not so bitterly one against another as we doe Lastly they differed in matters as yet vndefined by a generall Councell and so not dangerous but wee haue no Councells nor any other meanes to decide our causes So that you cannot knowe which of vs giueth the true sense of Scripture I. D. That the Fathers are no way a sufficient ground of Faith I haue so strongly proued vnto M. Baylie that me thinkes none of you is in hast to answere it Among the rest of my reasons this I confesse was one that they varied so much in opinion one from another yea and are now made to vary from themselues through your intolerable abusing of them This I declared at large wherevnto for farther evidence I now adde an example or two S. Ambrose or whosoever is author of
the bookes de Sacramentis was wont to say thus If there bee so great force in the speech of our Lord Iesus that the things which were not began to be how much more operatiue is it that things still be what they were and yet bee changed into another things But now because that clause that things still bee what they were make sore against Transubstantiation in the Roman Edition and that of Paris an 1603. that clause is cleane left out and S. Ambrose must no longer say so S. Chrysostom or the Author of the imperfect worke vpoÌ„ Mathew was wont to haue these words If it be so dangerous to transferre vnto private vses those holy vessels in which the true body of Christ is not but the mystery of his body is contained how much more c. But what is become of them now In the edition printed at Antwerp by Ioannes Steelsius anno 1537. at Paris by Ioannes Roigny 1543. and by Audoenus Parvus 1557. not a syllable of those words in which the true body of Christ is not but the mystery of his body is contained appeares Why Because they make so strongly against your Reall Presence So likewise where he vsed in the elder impressions to say the sacrifice of bread and wine now in these latter editions hee is forced to change his language and to say the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ. More examples I might easily produce but these are sufficient to shew that Vincentius Lirinensis had good reason when hee gaue this Caveat But neither alwaies nor all kind of heresies are to bee impugned after this manner but such only as are new and late when they first arise while by straightnesse of time it selfe they be hindred from falsifying the rules of the ancient Faith and before that their poison spreading farther they attempt to corrupt the writings of the Ancient But farre spread and inveterate heresies are not to be set on this way forasmuch as by long continuance of time a long occasion hath layne open vnto them to steale away the truth But returne we againe to the matter from which we haue a little digrest The Fathers say you differed not in points essentiall True Neither doe we as is aboue shewed yet by your leaue their differences were not alwaies in petty matters vnlesse Rebaptization Communicating of infants the Popes vniversall iurisdiction and the like bee of small consequence with you Their differences were not so bitter as ours No were When they proceeded not only to curse one another but to fire bloudshed and banishment also And when casting off the rule of pietie they did nothing but increase strife threats envy and quaâ—rels every man with all tyranny pursuing his ambition whereby as S. Basil saith the Church of God was vnmercifully drawne in sunder and his flock troubled without all care or pittie Lastly say you they differed in matters vndecided by a generall Councell What then No danger No danger Then belike a man may safely beleeue all he lists before a Councell determine it The very high way to Atheisme For so the very Articles of the Creed during the first three hundred yeares after Christ should be but disputable points and not necessary For vntill Constantine the great there were no generall Councels By the same reason your Adoration of Images was no matter of Faith till the second Councel of Nice about 800 yeares after Christ nor Transubstantiation till the Councell of Lateran some 1200 yeares nor Merit nor Iustification by workes nor the most of your Tenents till the Trent Councell aboue foureteene hundred yeares after Christ. If they were I require you to shew what generall Councell had before determined them If you cannot then are you but novellers and hold not the ancient Faith The truth is Councells cannot make that an Article which was not but whether they decree or not decree whatsoever God affirmeth in his word as soone as it commeth to our knowledge is absolutely and vpon paine of damnation to be beleeued And it is horrible sacriledge and impiety to thinke that it is not necessary to beleeue God vnlesse a Councell of the Pope say Amen vnto it Yea but say you we nor haue nor can haue generall Councels No more can you nor any Church in Christendome without the generall consent of Christian Princes Synods of our owne Churches we may haue and haue had by the indulgence of our Princes More then this you cannot haue For you are but a handful of the Christian world and the greatest part thereof neither is nor will bee subject vnto you When you can get the Greek Church and that in Prester Iohns countrey with the Armenians and others to submit themselues vnto the Popes omnipotent and vbiquitaâ—y power then may you peradventure haue hope to call a generall Councell But that I think will be at the Greek Kalends that is in plaine English at Nevermasse Howsoever say you if you may not relie on the Fathers because of their differences neither may you on vs because of ours If this be a sound reason as I confesse it is neither may you rely on the Church of Rome because of theirs But you mistake the matter much if you thinke wee require men to relie on our bare authoritie That privilege belongs vnto Christ only and vnder him to those holy Pen-men of the Bible that wrote by inspiration To vs appertaineth to proue what we say by their authoritie and when wee haue so done to require assent and not before If Scripture and sound deduction from it according to the art of reasoning together with the proofe of the sense thereof by the circumstances of the place and the analogie of Faith will not moue you we can but pittie your wilfulnesse and leaue you vnto God till he turne your heart and haue mercy vpon you For certainely miserable is the case of that man who knowing the Scriptures to be Gods word and hauing the vse of right reason shall refuse triall both by the one and the other preferring therevnto the authoritie of man which may erre it selfe and lead others into errour N. N. Your conclusion is you meane not to forsake the religion taught in that Church which is descended from Christ and his Apostles by succession but with Litinensis to preferre it before all things That you will follow vniversality Antiquitie and consent in your beleefe that faith which hath beene held from time to time in all places in all seasons by all or the most Doctors of Christianity That Church which as S. Augustine saith had her beginning by the entring of nations got authority by miracles was increased by charity and established by continuance and hath had succession from S. Peters chaire to our time That church which is knowne by the name of Catholike both to friends and foes even Heretikes tearming her so calling themselues for distinctions sake Reformers Illuminates Vnspotted brethren In
warrant it By Scripture You haue barred your selfe from all hope of succour thence For it is obscure equivocall ambiguous every way vncertaine By Naturall Reason The Articles of Faith are aboue Reason and the Naturall Man is not capable of them By the Spirit then That is the thing you so much jest at in others And if by your doctrine you cannot assure your selfe that you are in the present state of Grace neither can you know whether you haue the spirit of God or no. What then may be your last refuge The testimony of the Church touching her selfe Ridiculous for no mans testimony may be admitted in his owne cause And what a reasoning is this You beleeue the Articles of Faith Why Because the Church biddeth you doe so How followeth this Because shee cannot erre And how proue you that Because she saith shee cannot erre If this bee not to expose the Christian Faith vnto the laughter of Atheists and prophane men I know not what it is Will you nill you when you haue said all you can say either you must haue no certaine ground at all for your Faith or you must rest vpon the Scriptures as the finall resolution thereof Returne therefore I beseech in the feare of God returne vnto the sure anchor-hold of your salvation Abandon those frothie generalities of your seducing authors which at the best are but coniecturall and labour to stablish your Conscience vpon the testimony of him that will not that cannot deceiue you Pray vnto him fervently and proceed in a syncere loue of the truth and you shall surely finde that if you be not defectiue to your selfe God will never faile you For my part I haue done what belongs to mee I haue planted I haue watered it is God that must giue the increase And to his mercy in Christ Iesus I commend you An advertisement to the Reader Vnto the Section of Pag. 27. I there freely confessed I could not certainly answere for want of Doctor Mortons booke Since that time I haue met with it and thereby I perceaue that though I answered only by conâ—ecture yet I coniectured not amisse Yet now farther be pleased to vnderstand first that the Doctor citeth not Bibliander as my adversary vntruly chargeth him but only answereth a passage quoted by his adversary Breerly out of him And he answereth in effect as I doe saue that he bringeth in Bellarmine confessing that which to my good man seemeth so strange namely that all Protestants acknowledge in the Eucharist a Sacrifice Eucharisticall or of thanksgiuing Secondly touching those Rabbins R. Cahana R. Iudas and R. Simeon hee belyeth the Doctor it is Breerly that cites them not hee Neither doth he Positiuely say that their testimonies make directly for Transubstantiation But conditionally if they were such Now that they are not such hee proueth For consulting with D. Smith D. Layfield and M. Bedwell very learned Hebricians about this matter they after their painfull and industrious search into the cited places returned vnder their hands this answere R. Cahana in that booke on the 49 of Gen. is not cited nor hath hee there any thing to that purpose R. Iudas in that booke on the 25 of Exod. hath no such thing nor in the whole Parasha Terumah R. Simeon wrote no booke carrying the title of Revelatio Secretorum And thus you see while simple Papists will beleeue nothing but what their guides tell them what pretty tales of Robin Hood they devise for them O that God would be pleased to soften the seared consciences of the one and to open the blindfolded eyes of the other Farewell IOHN DOWNE FINIS A Testimony taken from M. Perkins on Heb. 11. v. 7. to be added to those annexed to the first Sermon But how doth God worke this faith By his word For as God is the author and worker of Faith so God hath appointed a meanes whereby he workes it and that is his word which word of God is the only ordinary outward meanes to worke faith And that word of God is two wayes to be considered either as revealed by God himselfe as to Noah here or else being written by God is either preached by his Ministers or read by a mans selfe in want of preaching and these are all one and are all meanes ordained of God to worke faith and that not only to beginne it where it is wanting but to augment it where it is begunne END So much doth the originall word beare and therefore our last translators haue set it in the Margent M. Smith Preacher at Barstaple Ezech. 14.14 and 28 3. Ver. 1. V. 2. Ioh. 5.28.29 1 Chron. 28.9 ver 13. V. 14. V. 15. V. 16. V. 17. V. 18. 1. Tim. 4 16. Phil. 2.15 psal 34.5 Prov. 4.18 Math. 13.43 43.20 148 36. 2. Cor. 4.17 1. Pet. 5.4 1. Cor. 9.25 Act. 15.5 vers â— vers 4.6 vers 7. c. vers 13.14.15 vers 19.20 Num. 25.1 c Lev. 17.10 In Preachers plea. In Baron â—1 16. n. 23. Duplic cont Stapl. l. 1. c. 6. Act. 13.27 Deut 33.10.11 2 King 23.2 Nâ—h 8.3 Elias Levita Ben. Maimon Apol. against T.C. Eccles. Polit. l. 5. Hom. 1. p. 1. Marâ— 16.15 2. Cor. 2.16 2. Tim. 4.1.2 Defens eccles author l. 3. c. 7. Trois verites l. 3. c. 4. par 3. Confront ibid Canon 4. Can 11. In ans to the Abstract Esa. 29.12 Id. 61.1.2 Paraen ad Gentes l. 17. Strom. l. 1. p. 1. Doct. Christ. Prol. Cont. Bellar. contro 1. Confront l. 3. c. 4. In Rhem. Test Ro. 1. 15. Cont. Bellar. con 1. q. 6. c. 9. De Idol Eccl. Ro. ep ded Advers Cost de Script De S. script Against peril of idol p. 1. Preface to the Reader Rom. 15.4 Preface to the Reader Deut. 13.11 17.1 6.6 Ioh. 5.39 Col. 4.16 1 Thes. 5.27 Act. â— 27.15.21 Mat. 24.15 Eph. 3.4 Confes. l. 8. c. 12. Cont. Lindâ—n In vita sua Acts Mon. Preach plea. Def. of AdmoÌ„ Preach plea. Act. 2.41 Iob. 33.23.24 Contra Char. l. 3. c. 4. Prov. 29.18 Esaiah 1.1 1. Cor. 1.21 Duplic cont Stapl l. 2. c. 10 De S. Script Rom. 10 13.14 Ps. 19.1.2.3 Rom. 1.20 Deut. 17.11 2. Thes. 2.8 Act. 13.27 Rom. 10.8 Ioh. 19.37 Rom. 3.19 Heb. 12.5 Rom. 9.27 Ioh. 5.39 Heb. 4.12 Luc. 16.29 Gal. 4.21.22 Confront l. 3. c. 4. Ibid. De verb. scrip In Rhem. Test. Rom. 1.15 Dupl contr Stapl. l. 2. c 10. De script q. 5. c. 8. arg 2. Cont. A.D. c. 9 1. King 17.6 Ioh. 19.6 Act. 2.4 Act 9.3 c. Gal. 1.12 Dupl cont Stap. l. 2. c. 6. In the way to the true Ch. In Ps. 26. Ep. 3. Dial. cum Try phon L. 7. in Iulian Hom. 1. in Ioh De Script q. 2. c. 14. arg 5. De verb. scrip â—ut 28. Cor. 2.4 Dupl contr Stapl. l. 1. c. 9. 2. Pet. 1.15 Deut. 31.11.12 Ier. 36.2 c. V. 19. V. 5. Ioh. 20.31 Cap. 18. Comment in Psal. initio Ser. 35. Iohn 6.63