them Yes there was and is still great need we should make this Prayer now the Gospell is revealed to the Church yet to pray for the Spirit of Revelation to reveale it to our hearts and to inlighten the eyes of our minde not only to understand the literall sense of the Word by the helpe of that Common light of the Spirit which shineth ordinarily in the Church but to comprehend with all Saints the height depth and largenesse of Gods love the riches of his glorious inheritance the pretiousnesse of the promises of Grace the power and saving vertue of the Gospell the rare excellencie and amiablenesse of all divine truth Which none can doe without the speciall worke of the Holy Ghost changing the Vnderstanding from Naturall to Spirituall by an immediat infusion of such a qualitie as inables it to discerne aright of Spirituall things I conclude this point with one reason more If to the understanding of spirituall things there bee no other illumination required but only the cleere evidence of the object plainely represented to the understanding without any further worke of the Spirit upon the Vnderstanding it selfe infusing into it a speciall strength to apprehend the things that are proposed to it then it would be knowne whether these men thinke that our intellective Facultie hath got any hurt and defect by Adams fall yea or no. It is manifest that they thinke that mans fall hath not brought any defect and weaknesse upon the power of mans understanding no not in Spiritualibâ—…s For marke it when Divine things are in a plaine and lively manner declared to the understanding is there any defect in the facultie that must be first amended by the Spirit before it can have the perfect knowledge of those things No say they so therebe the common assistance of the Spirit preserving unto us the right use of reason and judgement we may without any supernaturall worke of the Spirit understand spirituall things when they are plainly expounded unto us Why then here 's all the difference betweene Adam and Vs His Vnderstanding was perfect and happy because he had both the Power to conceive of things hee was yet ignorant of when they should be cleerely revealed to him and also the Actuall knowledge of wonderfull varietie in all things Our understanding is imperfect and unhappy because by our fall wee want the Actuall knowledge of almost all things especially Spirituall but yet we still retaine the same power that we had in Adam to understand any spirituall thing when it is once cleerely discovered unto us So that according to Arminius schoole the understanding of man since the Fall is like unto our Eyes in the darke the eye is well and without blemish needing no cure of any defect in it selfe yet it sees nought because the Object is not inlightened so soone as light shines on that causing a cleere discovery of it the eye without further adoe can easily perceive it But this is yet the very pride and gall of an Hereticall spirit secretly accusing the whole mystery of Gods revealed wisdome whether in the booke of nature or of Scripture as if it were wrapped up in Obscurity and Darknesse Wee forsooth have eyes and we need not that God should restore unto us the Faculty of Seeing only wee are in darknesse because things that are to be knowne are in darkenesse if God will take away obscuritie from them and make them evident to be knowne there 's no such infirmity in us but wee may know them if wee be attentive Let us from our hearts detest this odious popish imputation of obscurity laid upon Nature and Scripture as if the cause of all our ignorance were not now in the weaknesse of our Vnderstanding but in the darknesse of Gods revealing himselfe to us And let us detest that opinion which leads us upon this absurdity and learne we to confesse our blindenesse to pray that God will give us eyes and restore our understanding to its first perfection else though the light shine round about us making all things wherein God is to be knowne most appparant and visible yet wee may still lie in darkenesse and perish in our ignorance This is their first error touching the Vnderstanding of which I shall have occasion to speake more in handling the parts of Faith I now proceed to the second touching the affections which is this 2. That even in Divine things the motions of the Affections necessarily follow upon the illumination of the Vnderstanding So that when the understanding is rightly informed and thoroughly convinced the affections are presently excited in all motions conformable to the things knowne It is very strange that men of so deepe learning should yet professe so much ignorance in the estate of Mans corrupt nature as to dreame of a Correspondency and dutifull subjection of our Passions unto our Reason so that when this is rightly taught they will be truly affected even in Spirituall things Nothing more could be said of Adam in his innocency and to affirme this touching Man corrupted is to give the lie to Reason Authority and all Experience which speake the contrary The truth is this as wee are falne out with God so are we at oddes with our selves and our affections are not more often mis-led by our erroneous understanding than our understanding and right judgement is haled aside by our vitious affections What man in the world that knowes himselfe but will confesse that even in naturalibus and moralibus much more in spiritualibus he may often say with Medea Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor Wherefore we reject this Opinion that there is no vitious inclination properly inherent in the affections besides that which is brought upon them per tâ—nâ—bras mentis through the error of the understanding wee detest this assertion as a fond and false imagination and we confesse with the Apostle that even when we know allow of consent unto the goodnesse of the Law and delight in it in part yet then wee cannot alwayes doe what we would but through the Law of Sinne in our corrupt wills and affections are led captive to disobedience Their third error is this 3. That the affections may be excitati stirred up and quickened with true love of goodnesse and hatred of evill before such time as a man be converted The Arminians are wonderfull obscure in explicating unto us their new invented opinion concerning the Excitation of the Affections which they make the second worke of Grace preceding mans true Conversion They tell us not in plaine termes what affections they meane nor yet what kinde of Excitation and Vivification it is they would have Wherefore we are more particularly to enquire of both For Affections or Passions in man they are of two sorts 1. Sensuall belonging to the Sensitive Appetite and directed by the phantasie these are common to brute beasts with us and arise from one like temper and constitution in both The object of these
ascribes unto mans Heart corruption and grace as much nay more than to any other part of man That the Heart of man is the root of all evill workes out of it come evill thoughts murders adulteries and such other things as defile a man Mat. 15. 18 19. That the Heart is deceitfull and wicked above all things Ier. 17. 9. That in regeneration the Heart must bee renued made cleane softened of stony made fleshy That the Heart is the seate of all Spirituall gifts as Vprightnesse Purity Goodnesse and Honesty Faith Lowlinesse and many more spoken of in every chapter of the Bible almost In which places by the Heart to understand our Sensuall and brutish affections were most absurd And if as it is the Soule of man be there meant it cannot be but a nice subtilty beyond the intention of Scriptures to exclude the Will from having any part in that good or evill which is attributed to the Heart as if by the Heart were meant only the understanding part of the Soule 3. Wee preferre the uniforme judgement of all the learned hitherto above the opinion of one Arminiâ—â— and his followers who as they make the Vnderstanding the seate of all speculative Habits so for all practicall Habits whether Morall or Theologicall they place them in the Will With whom agreeably to Scripture and sound reason we maintaine that there was in Adams will besides the liberty thereof an Habituall holy inclination to all that was good though with a possibility of embracing evill again there is in our wills since the Fall besides some kind of liberty an Habituall vitious quality making them averse and froward in choosing the good prone and inclinable to embrace the â—vill so that man now doth naturally drinke iniquity like water Iob 15 16. and make a pastime of doing evill Prov. 2. 14. And therefore as Adams will was truly good not onely in the actions but in the inward qualities thereof so our will is truely and properly corrupt not onely in its evill actions but also the inward vitious disposition thereof This is the fourth errour the fifth is but a consectary of the former namely 5. That the wll of a man Vnregenerate hath a naturall freedome to choose any Spirituall good thing as soone as it is made knowne vnto him For say they the Will of man hath no other property but onely liberty when man fell and lost other good qualities his will had no hurt but retained its liberty perfect and entire So that an Vnregenerate man after once hee knowes any Spirituall good thing offered unto him hath naturally as much freedome of will to embrace it even as Adam had in his Innocency or as any man can have after his Conversion But this opinion falls to the ground with the former upon which it is built presupposing that there is no vitious quality in the will drawing it to evill But we know that to be false and therefore we confesse that untill such time as God doe heale that disease and replant in our wills their primitive integrity they are utterly dead in sinne captives and bond-slaves of corruption So that however they have some liberty in Naturall Civill or Externall Spirituall things yet in regard of true Grace and Holinesse they have no liberty at all to will and choose that but are wholly enthralled unto sinne according to that of the Apostle Rom. 6 20. When yee were the servants of sinne yee were free from righteousnesse and Rom. 8. 7. The carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeede can bee Doe they not then manifestly give the Scripture the lie that affirme a man in the state of unregeneration who without doubt is if any be a servant of sinne and carnally minded is notwithstanding free unto righteousnesse and may be even of his owne naturall power subject to the Law of God commanding him faith and obedience There are yet other errors the sixth therefore is this 6. That mans Conversion begins in the Act of Beleeving not in the Habit of Faith infused I have heretofore touched upon this point in shewing the falshood of that assertion of theirs That Conversion begins in some worke that we do not in a worke that God first doth Here you are further to note whereto tends this opinion and that is to establish their other opinion of Falling away from grace For seeing Conversion is nothing but the Act of Beleeving this Act is freely in our power as not to do it at first so when it is once done not to repeat it often for the continuance of our Conversion it follows thence that as it was in our power not to become Converts by not doing that Act so being Converted t is in our power to relapse by not continuing to doe it For which purpose they deny that there is any such thing as the grace of Faith infused into the heart yea that there is any constant habit of Faith at all and that a man is not termed a Beleever from the Habit but from the Acts of Faith which being transient and vanishing Faith ceaseth when they cease So that belike when a godly man is asleepe he hath no faith when Noah and all his Family were asleepe in the Arke then Faith ceased in the Church and seeing by faith we please God men asleepe or dying in a Lethargy doe not please God T is wonder but these men will deny all other Habits too and say that David had no skill in Musicke but that his right hand had forgot her cunning as soone as he had layd his Harpe aside They may aswell denie the one as the other both are alike ridiculous There is yet one Error more and that is this 7. That mans Conversion is properly nothing but the Act of Beleeving the Promise of Grace This restraint of our Conversion unto so narrow a compasse as first to bring it from the Habit of Faith to the Act of Beleeving and then to appropriate it to that Act without so much as once mentioning any other graces this narrow conceit touching our Conversion is that which hath filled the writings of many learned about this point with much darknesse and confusion They so speake and write of Conversion as if it began in that one and only Action of mans will Consenting to the promise of mercy in Christ. But this is without all ground To convert is not only to beleeve but to repent to love God and our Neighbour to abstaine from every evill way to practise all duties of Piety and Goodnesse these acts are as proper and immediat parts of true Conversion as Faith Nor doth the Scripture so much as intimate any such limitation as to appropriate our Conversion to the Act of Faith nay t is manifest that the Scriptures when they speake of manâ— Turning unto God doe joyne repentance and other godly Acts together with Faith as appeares by that solemne invitation of
shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe But yet here they urge further How can God in justice command unto a man by his Word the Performance of that which cannot be done by him without the inward helpe of the Spirit and yet in the meane time God denies this inward grace unto him I answer Gods justice will herein be as free from accusation of tyranny as before his truth was from falshood and collusion God may without blemish to his justice Command man to performe his dutie although hee have now no strength to doe it because once hee had strength and he hath now lost it Yea will they say that were true did not two things hinder 1. Man indeed had strength and hath lost it but how himselfe did not decoquere wastefully spend his Patrimonie and by the Act of his sinning abolish the Image of God within him but God for a punishment of his fault did by an immediate act take away his originall abilities And it is then as great injustice in God to command us Conversion Faith and Repentance when himselfe hath taken away our abilities whereby wee should performe it as for a Iudge after he hath put out an offenders eyes yet to command him under paine of further punishment to read such a booke If hee had put out his owne eies the case had beene otherwise the Iudge being not bound to take notice of that his fact To which we answer that t is true God for our sinne hath deprived us of his image so that we cannot doe his will without new strength restored unto us yet we must remember though this deprivation be an act of God yet it happens through our merit by reason of our sinne and in this case how harsh soever it may seeme to us yet God the Iudge of the world doth not unjustly To command us the doing of that which wee cannot performe without those abilities restored which himselfe for our transgression hath taken from us and will not give us againe This is proved by that one instance beyond all exception The perfect obedience to the Morall Law is required of all and yet t is madnesse to affirme that God gives or is bound to give unto all that strength to doe it which they had in Adam without which it cannot bee done Further that God may justly command what man cannot performe is manifest by Gods commanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites goe which yet Pharaoh could not doe for God himselfe hardened his heart that hee should not be willing to let them depart 2. When God commands man to beleeve the Gospell here 's a duety injoyned that man never had strengh in Adam to performe And therefore if God doe require a new duety he is bound to afford new strength because by that which he had and lost he was never inabled to doe it To which we answer that it is an errour to affirme that Faith which is the condition of the new Covenant is not commanded in the Morall Law Legall and Evangelicall or the Faith of Adam in innocency and of man since his Fall is for the substance of the grace one and the same viz. Credence and Confidence of and in all things whatsoever that God shall reveale unto man The difference is onely in the Vse and in the particular object as we shall see in the handling of that point of Faith Now Adam being commanded in all things to beleeve his Creator whether revealed or to be revealed and having ability so to doe so that if God had told of him the mystery of the Gospell he would have beleeved it we also are bound by the Law of our Creation and so the Morall Law to beleeve in Christ as soone as God reveales vnto us this thing to be beleeved and God may require it of us because wee had power once to doe it and what is lost God is not bound to restore 2. Reason If the Word at any time be destitute of the quickning Spirit it will follow that the Word shall be of it selfe a dead letter and the â—avour of death because it is destitute of the Spirit which only puts life unto it But this is not to be affirmed for as much as it is only our fault that the Word proves the â—avour of death c. To this we answer That the Word is never of it selfe the â—avour of death no not then when it is without the vertue of the Spirit and we reject those assertions as utterly erroneous That the Word should bee preached unto some to damne them or with this intent to make them inexcusable The Gospell is not published with any such purpose at all for the judgement of our English Divines in the Synod is â—ound that those who being called refuse to convert should be made more inexcusable Neque enim ea singi potest homines reddere inexcusabiles per Verbum Spiritum vocatio quae eo tantum Fine exhibetur ut reddat inexcusabiles No there 's no such matter The end of the VVord preached is to shew unto man what is that good and that acceptable will of God which he requires man should performe and the declaration of the will of God to man is alwaies in it selfe most good and excellent nor doth it vary in its owne nature whether the vertue of the Spirit goe with it or no. For as I touched before the power of the Spirit doth not worke upon the VVord to put life into it but it workes upon our soules to put life into them So that whether our hearts be sanctified or not sanctified t is all one to the VVord it makes no alteration in the nature of that All the difference lies in the Effect where the heart is sanctified there the VVord is heard with obedience where t is not sanctified there t is heard and disobeyed But the cause of this difference is meerely in the disposition of mans heart not any jot from the VVord the preaching whereof is good and to a good intent but unto some it becomes hurtfull not because the VVord hurts them but they hurt themselves by their owne sinnefulnesse leaving themselves inexcusable in their fault and aggravating their damnation by wilfull disobedience The VVord is neither dead nor deadly in it selfe but wee are dead and by our sinnes against the VVord slay our selves 3. Reason If the preaching of the VVord be sometimes destitute of the vertue of the Spirit it will follow that men should bee condemned for not beleeving and being converted by that which hath no power to cause them to beleeve and convert as the VVord without the Spirit hath not But that were injustice so to doe c. Ergo. To this slight argument we answer that the default of mens not beleeving and converting is not through want of any thing in the VVord which is onely to tell them what God requires of them and this the VVord doth fully and sufficiently If they obey not
Scriptures and experience of all the Saints in their prayers purposes desires to obey their joy when they could doe it their griefe when they could not Let thy kingdome come thy will be done is the prayer of every faithfull soule not standing upon quarrelsome termes of yeelding or refusing but wholly submitting it selfe and suing for obedience Oh faith David that my waies were directed that I might keepe thy testimonies Vnite my heart unto thee that I may feare thy name Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies with a thousand such prayers of that holy man shewing the firme resolution of a sanctified soule only ayming at obedience Lord increase our faith prayed the weake Disciples Lord I beleeve helpe mine unbeliefe that new convert in both we see an earnest desire not an indifferent deliberation That prayer of the whole Church is excellent Psal. 68. 28. Lord confirme that which thou hast wrought in us and more fully Cant. 1. 2. Draw mee we will runne after thee Here 's no resistency no hanging backe or standing aloofe off in a doubtfull devising what to doe but as soone as these Virgins in the first verse have smelt the favour of the pretious oyntments of Christs grace poured out into their soules they love him him onely him entirely they 'le goe they 'le run after him and whereas corruption clogges them in their course they still shew their readinesse to come by their willingnesse to be drawne And such is the temper of every regenerate man His obedience is his Hearts joy and desire and there is nothing that grieves him more than when he is carried away by his carnall will and unsanctified part against his spirituall and gracious resolutions as may appeare for all by that bitter complaint of the Apostle Rom. 7. the latter end of the Chapter Wherefore the regenerate Will stands not Newter betweene sinne and grace but takes part with grace against sin in a constant resolvednesse to hold with God and Goodnesse against all things that are contrarie to them according to that of Christ The Spirit indeede it willing but the Flesh is weak and that of the Apostle They that live after the Spirit savour the things of the Spirit Now this is that most blessed worke of the Spirit of grace in the regeneration of mans will namely the taking away of that resistency which our adversaries so stiffely and odiously stand for against us and the truth They say that grace leaves the will in indifferency so that it hath power to resist we maintaine the contrary that the proper worke of grace in sanctifying our will is to determine and incline the motions of it onely to obedience and to take away all power of resisting or disobeying Which appeares thus To disobey and not to beleeve is an act of the greatest sinfulnesse that can be To be able to commit this act comes not from power and strength but from weakenesse and infirmity Perfect strength and liberty is to have no power nor will to commit any sinne at all as it is in God and the blessed Spirits and Christs humanity to bee able to doe that which is evill is from weakenesse from corruption Now in the sanctified will this corruption is in part done away by grace so that so farre as the will is made Spirituall it neither doth nor can resist and be disobedient it doth not because it cannot it cannot because it will not it will not because by this new infused grace and holinesse it is made alwaies willing to obey But this point is cleered by the late worthy Bishop of Salisbury The second conclusion is this 2. That a man regenerate so far forth as bee is carnall doth alwaies resist the worke of grace being unwilling and backward to performe any holy action This is manifest by that of the Apostle Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh savour the things of the flesh and againe Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit In experience nothing is more certaine even the best men in their best workes and best temper doe sensibly feele many twinges of a froward heart crossing and interrupting their cheerefull performance of holy dueties From which rebellion of the Law in our members against the Law in our mindes the most sanctified man in the world is not free but as long as he lives he hath cause to complaine with the holy Apostle When I would doe good I am thus yoaked that Evill is present with mee In this opposition of two contrary principles of all our good and evill actions we have to observe these two things 1. The necessity of the concurrence of Gods cooperating grace in all holy actions to bee done after our first Conversion For if God should give unto us a power only to doe well by the infusion of Habituall grace and then should leave us unto our selves for the exercise of the Act it is apparant that we should never bring this power into Act by our own strength For wheras we are sanctified but in part and there remaines in every faculty a corrupt inclination to evill as well as an holy disposition to good did not the Spirit of God constantly powerfully assist us in well doing Corruption would prevaile against Grace lead us captive unto the Law of sin that is in our members Not that Corruption is stronger than Grace but because we without the aide of Gods Spirit should be more ready to follow the sinfull motions of our corrupted nature than the sanctified inclinations of grace And if Adams will being only mutable but not as yet tainted with any inward corruption neverthelesse wanting the effectuall assistance and support of Gods grace was so easily seduced by temptation much more our Wills that are holy but in part would quickly bee enticed and drawne away by the deceiveablenesse of inward concupiscence and by the subtilty of Sathans temptations if the Spirit of God did not worke mightily in us repressing the motions of sinne and ayding us against all outward provocations to disobedience 2. The true cause and roote of that irregularitie which is found in the obedience of a regenerate man Which is not that indifferencie or freedome our Adversaries contend for whereby t is in the power of a man regenerate at all times to choose whether he will doe good or evill but it is that opposition which the Flesh maketh against the Spirit by reason whereof a regenerate man when by Grace he constantly desires to obey is by Corruption hindered in the performance This is plaine by that of the Apostle Rom. 7. 19. 20. I doe not the good things which I would but the evill which I would not that doe I Now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in me And againe Gal. 5. 17. The flesh and spirit are contrary one to the other so that yee cannot doe the same things that yee would Whence it
things past will fill the heart with boldnesse confident expectation of the like successe for the time to come And so much touching the three grounds of Certaintie and Strength in the Assent of Faith I come now to the second point proposed touching this Assent or the diuers degrees of it and those essentiall differences whereby sauing faith in Gods Elect is distinguished from that Faith which is in others We haue shewed you that faith may be in all reasonable creatures and the Scriptures testifie that there is some kind of faith in the Diuels and wicked men We must therefore enquire what their faith is and what the faith of Gods Elect is by what essentiall difference they are distinguished You are therefore to obserue that this assent by which generally all Faith was defined is two-fold 1 Generall to all Diuine Reuelations as good and true whilst barely considered in themselues or as they haue no opposition to our desires being applyed to ourselues 2 Particular when assent is giuen to all Diuine Reuelations as most true and good in regard of our selues when they are applyed to all our particular occasions and compared with all contrarie desires and prouocations Herein lies a substantiall difference of this assent of Faith there being a great Diuersitie betweene an Assent vnto the truth goodnesse of things taken in the generall and an Assent vnto the truth goodnes of the samethings particularly applied as you shall see in the progresse of this discourse The former is but an inferiour degree of Faith and only a step vnto that faith which is true and sauing It is commonly called by two names 1 Historicall Faith synecdochically from one part of the obiect of because it beleeues the Letter of the Scriptures whether Histories or doctrines that are expressed therein 2 Temporarie Faith from the Euent issue of it because it perseueres not vnto the end but failes in time of Temptation It is but one and same degree of faith that hath these two names which assenting to things in grosse flies off and disallowes when it coms to particular application Such a general assent there is in the Diuels who know the Scripturs to be of God and acknowledge the things contained in them to be in themselues true good because from God though mean-while they hate both the one other bitterly The truth of God his Word Essence Attributes works vpon their vnderstandings a deep apprehension of its certainty excellency euen when they with vnspeakable hatred and horrour thinke of it According Iames saith They belieue tremble Such a Faith there is in thousands of Hypocrites reprobates who being inlightened and conuinced of the Truth of the Word yeeld a generall assent vnto it for the time as in those Luk. 8. â—3 Who receiue the Word with ioy but they haue no root which for a while beleeue but in time of temptation goâ— away In those Heb. 6. 4 5 Which were inlightened tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost And haue tasted of the good Word of God and of the Powers of the world to come are salue away In those Many that beleeued in Christs Name but yet Christ would not trust them because he knew them all that they were not found at heart Ioh. 2. 23 24. In those many againe that at another time beleeued in him but Christ giues them a caueat that they looke their faith be â—ound 〈◊〉 ye continue in my Word ye are verely my Disciples Ioh. 8. 30. 31. Such a faith was in Simon the Witch Act. 8. 13. who beleeued the Apostles preaching and was baptized euen whilst yet he remained in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie i. a â—ierce enemie to that truth which he seemed to beleeue and professe and fast bound vnto the loue of those sinnes that he seemed willing to forsake verse 23. Such a conception of Faith there was in Falix who trembled when he heard Paul dispute of righteousnesse temperance and the iudgment to come Acts 24. 25. He beleeued and like the Diuels trembled But Faelix was not temporate his wife Drusilla was another mans wife Felix was vnrighteous and couetous and looked for a bribe and this likes him not that Paul should come so close to him wherefore he hath a shift and put him off in complement to a more conuenient season which Faelix will take at leasure The same imperfect faith there was in King Agrippa who hearing Pauls Apologie could haue found in his heart to haue beene a Christian had it beene a thing in fashion with Kings at that time Acts 26. 28. So was the Case with Herod who heard Iohn Baptist gladly and reuerenced him as a Iust man and holy and did many things willingly Marke 6. 20. But if Iohn be so bold with Hâ—rod as to tell him of his Incest He shall to prison for it and for all that he is a Prophet yet he shall dye if Herod did not feare the multitude more then he reuerenced Iohn Matth. 14. 5. And thus it is with many men still who knowe the Scriptures and assent to the truth of such things as they containe but this goes no further then generalities whilst they approoue and allowe of such things as they know to be good and excellent considered abstractiuely and in the Vniuersalitie and as they doe not crosse them in any of their maine desires and delights And so long they seeme to bee as forward in faith and practise as the best The Causes of this Kinde of Faith in men are many as 1. That common grace of the Spirit whereby men are inlightened in the knowledge of heavenly things Which grace God bestowes upon the unregenerate and unsanctied more for others than their owne good Some light shines upon them whereby they may know and assent unto divine truths for a common good of the Church that others may be instructed by their teaching For Christ in the building of his Church doth also use the helpe and ministery of such men according as Salomon did in the building of the materiall Temple who imployed not the naturall Israelites but the reliques of the Cananites and strangers that lived in the land to be bearers of burdens and hewers of stone and overseers of the worke 2 Chron. 2. 17. And these men though unsanctified and such as doe not themselves heartily esteeme and affect that which they know yet in the generall they beleeve it and willingly teach it to the benefit of the Church Againe 2. Authority of men in high account for their knowledge and wisedome The esteeme that the people had of Iohn the Baptist to bee a great Prophet made Herod reverence him the more and the fame that went of Christ drew many to hearken to his doctrine And so t is still with hundreds whose faith in matters of religion standeth or falleth with their admiration or disesteeme of mens persons The same effect