dealt Satan with Eue he made shewe that hee had some good thing to tell her whereby their state might be bettered but it turned to theirs and our destructiō So did the foure hundred false Prophets of Baal contrarie to the true Prophet Michaiah prophecie good successe to Ahab in his war against the Aramites but his harkning to them cost him his life And so dealt Hananie with the Iewes when they were besieged by the King of Babels armie contrarie to Ieremies counsell he prophecied peace and safetie but it turned both to his owne and to their destruction Ier. 28. 1 2. c. The 7. pretence is boldnesse and constancie in suffering for their opinions for a man in obstinacie may liue and die for errour as well as the childe of God may doe for the truth Constancie in opinion is no sure note whereby to iudge a true Prophet for many heretikes haue suffered death confidently for the maintenance of their damnable heresies Thus we see the pretences of false Prophets now hereto wee must adde this second point to wit that for all this they bee but wolues because by their damnable doctrine they seeke to poison and corrupt the soules of simple men If it be said they haue no such intent they themselues thinke it to be the truth I answer that may be true in some but this cleareth them not from beeing wolues for the deuill that hath deluded them who is their Lord and master doth by them dangerously delude and deceiue the simple The Vse 1. Considering this danger of false Prophets we must practise Christs lesson Mat. 10. 16. Be simple as doues that is bee innocent and harmelesse thinking euill of none neither intending euil or offence to any in thought word or deede and yet we must be wise as serpents who haue great subtiltie in sauing and defending their head from harme so must euery one that lookes to be saued labour for so much wisedome whereby hee may preserue himselfe from the hurt of false prophets Now the beginning of this wisedome is to feare God in hi◠word beleeuing his promises obeying his commandements The true feare of God is not without knowledge and therefore euery one must labour to be instructed in the principles of religion for without knowledge we cannot feare God and so shall want true wisdome to eschew false Prophets II. In that the false teacher by so many faire shewes seekes to bring in false doctrine it is euery mans dutie in his place to labour to preserue wholesome doctrine and the puritie of true religion This dutie is necessary for we must be as forward for the truth as the enemie is for falshood and doe as much for God as they doe for the deuill Againe no poyson is more deadly to the body then false doctrine 〈◊〉 to the soule therefore seeing God hath long blessed vs with his truth let vs esteeme it aboue all outward blessings and by seeking to preserue the puritie thereof shew our selues thankfull to God for the same Verse 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles This verse those which follow to the 21. containe the third point which Christ laieth down concerning false prophets namely the means whereby we may discerne and iudge of them And herein he obserueth this order First he giues vs a notable rule to direct vs in iudging of false prophets Ye shall know them by their fruits Secondly hee explanes the same rule by a similitude drawne from trees Doe men gather grapes of thornes c. For the rule that we may vnderstand it the better wee are to search what is meant by the fruits of false Prophets A false Prophet must bee considered two waies First as he is a man taking vpon him the name profession of Christ for so false Prophets vse to do and secondly as he is a false prophet in both these respects hee hath his fruits As he is a man taking vpon him the profession of Christs religion hee may bring forth many outward duties of external obedience vnto the moral law but these fruits are not here meant for a false Prophet may dissemble much goe farre in the outward duties of religion so as he cannot be discerned by his generall profession or by the works of his ciuil conuersatiō There be other fruits which come frō him as he is a false prophet by them must he be discerned these therefore are to be considered Now we shall know them the better by searching out the fruits of a true Prophet 〈◊〉 he is a man of God appointed to teach Gods people The fruits of a true Prophet be principally three I. He teacheth and preacheth in the name of God by vertue of calling from God and otherwise dares not presume to teach Rom. 10. 14. How shall he teach vnlesse he be sent and the author to the Hebrewes saith Christ tooke not the honour of beeing the high Priest and Prophet of the Church to himselfe but was called thereto by his father Heb. 5. 5. And this stands with reason for euery true Prophet and teacher stands in Gods roome and is Gods embassadour to deliuer his will to his people which thing none can doe but he whome God calleth and sendeth for that purpose Yet the calling of Prophets and teachers by God is diuers Some are called by voice from God immediatly as were Abraham Moses and Samuel and all the Apostles in the new Testament by the immediate voice of Christ for Paul was called by the voice of Christ from heauen Act. 9. 4 5 6. Againe others haue their calling from God by the speciall message of some Angel or some men Thus was Aaron called by Moses Elisha by Elias and Philip by an Angel to preach to the Eunuch Act. 8. 26. Thirdly others be called by the instinct and motion of Gods spirit so Act. 8. Philip was by ordinarie calling a Deacon but by extraordinarie instinct he became an Euangelist and a preacher of the Gospel for the building of Gods Church These three kinds of calling men into the ministerie were extraordinarie and are now ceased and not to be looked for neither are they to be regarded which say they are thus called at this day A fourth way whereby God now calleth Prophets and teachers into his Church is by his Church for God hath giuen to particular Churches a particular ministeriall power and seruice whereby they may designe a place vnto the teacher and also make manifest that God hath called him Now this authoritie is but ministeriall to designe and manifest whome God hath called for the principall calling is from God for Act. 20. 28. the Elders of the Church of Ephesus are said to be made ouerseers by the holy Ghost when as they were designed thereto by men And by one of these foure waies are all true Prophets and Teachers called Here some may demaund what kind of calling
thinketh on them though heauen be Gods throne and the earth his footstoole yet will hee looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit yea the Lord will dwell with him that is of a contrite and broken heart Christ came to preach the glad tidings of the Gospel to the poore yea the Lord filleth the hungrie that is the poore and hungrie soule with good things but the rich he sends emptie away Let these and many such fauours with God which they enioy prouoke vs to become poore in spirit Secondly are they blessed that be poore in spirit then here all poore and wretched persons in the world may learne to make good vse of their wants and distresses they must consider them as the hand of God vpon them and thereby be ledde to the viewe of their sinnes and by the consideration of their sinnes be brought to see their miserie in theÌ„selues the true ground of this spirituall pouertie Now when they are once poore in spirit they are in a blessed state in the iudgement of Christ. If a man bleed dangerously at the nose the best way to saue his life is to let him blood else-where and so turne the course of the blood another way euen so when a man is oppressed with worldly calamities hee cannot finde any comfort in them for in themselues they are Gods curses yet if thereby he can bee brought to see his spirituall pouertie then of curses they become blessings vnto him and therefore when we are in any distresse wee must not onely fixe our eies vpon the outward crosse but by meanes of that labour to see the pouertie of our soules and so will the crosse lead vs to happinesse Thirdly they that abound with worldly wealth must hereby learne to become poore if they would be saued Poore I say not in goods but in soule and spirit this indeed is hard to flesh and blood for naturally euery rich man blesseth himselfe in his outward estate and perswades himselfe that God loues him because he giues him wealth but such conceits must he striue against and learne of God to reioyce in this that he is made lowe Iam 〈…〉 Fourthly on this saying of Christ that the poore are blessed the Popish teachers obseruing the word translated poore to beâ—oken outward pouertie goe about to builde their vowe of voluntarie pouertie whereby men renouncing their wealth and possessions of this world doe be take themselues to some Monasterie there to liue a poore and solitarie life But their voluntarie pouertie will not agree with this text son Christs poorâ— here pronounced blessed are such as by reason of their pouerty are miserable and wretched wanting outward comforts as we shewed oâ—t of Luke where Christ opposeth them to the rich who abound with all worldly delights but to vndergoe the Popish vow of voluntarie pouertie is no estate of miserie or distresse for who doe liue in greater â—ase or enioy more freedome from the crosses and vexations of this life then their begging Friers Againe if their vowed pouertie had any ground in this text then Christ should pronounce such poore blessed as made themselues poore but that he doth not for then in the next verse he should pronounce such mourners blessed as voluntarily cause themselues to mourne for that verse dependeth on this as a more full explanation of this first rule But no man will say that they that mourne without a cause are there called blessed and therefore Popish vowed pouertie hath no ground on this place And thus much of the persons II. Point Wherein the blessednes of these poore consists namely in hauing a right to the kingdome of heauen For theirs is the kingdome of heauen By kingdome of heauen for the better conceiuing of this blessednes we must vnderstand a state or condition of man whereby he is in Gods fauour and hath fellowship with God The truth of this description is euident by the tenour of the new Testament Now this estate of man is called a Kingdome because herein God rules as king and man obeies as Gods subiect for no man can be in Gods fauour nor enioy his fellowship vnlesse God be his King ruling in his heart by his word and spirit and he Gods subiect resigning himselfe to be ruled by him for this happie estate consists in Gods gracious ruling of man and mans holy subiection vnto God Indeede fewe doe see any great happines in this estate but the truth is mans whole felicity stands herein Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Here the Apostle teacheth vs three things namely that when Gods spirit rules in a mans heart then first he is iustified there is righteousnes secondly he hath peace with God euen that peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding thirdly the ioy of the holy Ghost which is all vnspeakable comfort passing all worldly ioy whatsoeuer And these three doe notably set out the state of an happie man which will yet more plainly appeare by their contraries in Iudas who beeing a wretched sinner vnrighteously betraied his master and thereupon fell into the miserie of a guiltie accusing conscience which was the cause of his desperate death and also that his bodie burst asunder and his bowells gushed out now if an euill conscience be so fearefull then â—ow blessed an estate is the peace and ioy of a good conscience which a man then hath when God by his word and spirit ruleth in his heart Againe this estate is called the kingdome of heauen because that man in whom Christ 〈…〉 by his word and spirit is alreadie himselfe in heauen though iâ— bodie he be yet on earth for heauen is like a citie with two gates thorough both of which a man must passe before he obtaine the full â—oyes thereof now so soone as God by his word and spirit rules in any mans heart he is alreadie entred the 〈…〉 te of grace which is the first gate the other remaines to be passed thorough at the time of death which is the gate of glorie and then he is in full possession Doth true happines consist in this estate where Christ ruleth and man obeies then here behold the errour of all Philosophers and wise men of this world touching happines for some haue placed it in pleasure some in wealth and others in ciuill vertue and some in all these But the truth is it stands in none of these A naturall man may haue all these and yet be condemned for the ciuill vertues of the heathen were in them but glorious sinnes Our Sauiour Christ hath here reuealed more vnto vs then all the wise men of the world did euer know and hereby we haue iust occasion to magnifie the bookes of Scripture farre aboue all humane writings because they doe fully set out vnto vs the nature and estate of true felicitie which no humane
and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. whereof we haue spoken before all which we must labour to finde in our hearts and to expresse in our liues else this kingdome shall be taken from vs we shall neuer see the glorie of it Thirdly hence we must learne to bee contented in all estates of this life whatsoeuer the hope of the glory of this kingdome which we pray for must swallow vp all the sorrowes that earthly calamities can bring vpon vs This it was that made the Patriarks to walke contented in the state of Pilgrimes and Strangers here on earth Hebr. 11. 13 14. Yea this renues the inner man it cheeres the heart and keepes it from fainting though the outward man perish to looke after the ioyes of this kingdome which are the things not seene and therefore Christ herewith comforts his Disciples against the sorrow of afflictiō saying Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luk. 12. 32. Fourthly wee must all labour in our places and callings to bring one another into this kingdome one neighbour another one friend another Ezek. 18. 30. Returne saith the Lord to the house of Israel and cause one another to returne This the Prophet Isay noteth as a practise of the subiects of this kingdome that they shall say one to another come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord Isay 2. 3. But masters of families especially must looke to the practise of this dutie and labour to bring Gods kingdome into their families for this ende they must see to these things First that there bee no manifest or open sinne permitted in their families ridde thy house of such a person if thou canst not reforme him Psalm 101. 7. Secondly instruct thy familie in the way of the Lord that they may know to liue righteously and vprightly both before God and man Thirdly set vp and maintaine the priuate worship of God in thy familie ioyne thou with them in holy duties especially in daily calling vpon the name of God In regard of these and such like duties it is that the Scripture ascribes saluation to a familie where the master or the gouernour of the house is conuerted to the faith And for the practise hereof the holy Patriarkes are commended to all posteritie God saith of Abraham I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord and Iacob commands his family to put away their strange gods and to clense themselues and Ioshuah prosessed publikely that he and his familie would serue the Lord. Fiftly hence wee must learne euery day to prepare our selues to die for by death our soules enter into the glorie of this kingdome which we pray may come vnto vs and therefore we must be ready to receiue it euery day that whensoeuer our King commeth vnto vs either by death or in the last iudgement wee may passe from grace to glorie And indeede wee cannot with comfort make this petition vnlesse wee bee in some measure prepared for death and that euery day Now beeing prepared wee must waite as Iob did euery day till our changing come Looke how the godly in the olde Testament looked for our Sauiour Christs first comming in the flesh so must we waite for his comming to vs either by death or iudgement neither must any thing dismay vs in this waiting no not death it selfe for the sooner we die the sooner wee may enter into glorie And here wee may take a viewe of the monstrous hypocrisie of the world for who will not say these words Thy kingdome come but yet the most men neglect to prepare themselues for entrance into this kingdome nay many contemne the word and praier which are the meanes whereby we haue admittance into the state of grace and are prepared for the kingdome of glorie Sixtly wee may here learne of our Sauiour Christ the practise of humilitie and in all things to giue all glorie to God for though this kingdome pertaine equally to him as hee is God with the father yet because he hath it from the father as he is the son therfore he will haue it wholly attributed vnto him for he teacheth vs to say Our father thy kingdome come Lastly here obserue the necessitie of this petition in respect of our outward estate for the comming of this kingdome to any estate is a speciall cause of prosperitie and happinesse vnto it for where this kingdome is Gods hand of blessing and protection is in a speciall manner here the Lord raigneth and his glorious and blessed Angels which are mightie in strength and power keepe watch and guard in that kingdome and about that people who haue the Lord for their King and God Hence it is that this our Kingdome hath so long enioyed peace and protection from many dangerous assaults because we embrace and professe the Gospel which is the scepter of Gods kingdome and if wee could doe it in sinceritie and walke worthie of the Lord our King our prosperitie should bee as the stoods and our peace as the Sunne and Moone in heauen And therefore they that loue the peace of this kingdome must embrace and obey the Gospel and pray for the happie and flourishing estate thereof for therein standes our peace Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen The Coherence This petition dependeth on both the former thus as a meanes whereby wee doe that which wee desire in the first petition for Gods name is glorified when his will is done and as a manifestation of that which wee desire in the second petition for there wee pray that Gods kingdome may come vnto vs and hee rule in our hearts by his word and spirit now here we craue that we may doe his will and so testisie our selues to be his loyall subiects The meaning This petition is propounded in a comparison which naturally standeth thus As thy will is done in heauen so let thy will bee done in earth And it hath two parts The first respects the grace of obedience which wee pray for Thy will be done in earth The second shewes the right manner of performing it as it is in heauen For the first Thy will c. Gods will is onely one considered in it selfe as God is one yet for our vnderstanding it may be thus distinguished It is either absolute or reuealed Gods absolute will is the will of his good pleasure whereby according to his eternall counsell hee determines of all things what shall be done or what shall not be done and in what manner This absolute will extendeth ouer all creatures and ouer all their actions Ephes. 1. 11. Wee are predestinate according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Roman 9. 19. Who hath resisted his will Matth. 10. 26. Without this will
condition of man in this life whereby in Christ he enioyes the fauour of God and hath right to euerlasting life This very estate of man is in Scripture called the kingdome of God and the kingdome of heauen because whosoeuer is in this estate hath sure right and interest to Gods glorie in heauen and God here rules in him as a king ruleth in his kingdome The kingdome of God is onely one and yet it hath two degrees the first in grace and the second in glorie The kingdome of grace is that spirituall regiment which God exerciseth in man or in his Church by his word and spirit in this life and it is the first step or entrance into Gods heauenly kingdome The kingdome of glorie is the full fruition of immediate fellowship with the blessed Trinitie by meanes of Iesus Christ in the highest heauens after this life Now both these degrees are here vnderstood by the kingdom of God The second thing to be thus sought for is his righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse of God and not as some translate it the righteousnesse thereof that is of Gods kingdome for the wordes will not beare that translation And the seeking of Gods righteousnesse is here added for speciall cause to let vs see by way of explication when we haue obtained for our selues the kingdome of God for Gods kingdome standes in righteousnesse and then doth God rule in man when hee makes him partaker of his righteousnesse Now by righteousnesse of God wee must here vnderstand the obedience which Christ our mediatour performed for vs in fulfilling the law and in his sufferings This is the very ground-worke and foundation of Gods kingdome among men hereof Paul speaketh oft Rom. 1. 17. For by it that is the Gospel the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith and Rom. 3. 21 22. Now is the righteousnesse of God made manifest c. and 2. Cor. 5. 21. God made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him And it is so called for diuers respects First because it is freely giuen vs of God to be our righteousnesse in his sight and man cannot attaine vnto it of himselfe by any worke of nature or of grace without the gift of God Secondly because God will accept this obedience of Christ at the day of iudgement for his elect as satisfying his iustice and the rigour of the law which no righteousnes of man can doe Thirdly because it is the righteousnesse of that person who is God for Christ is both God and man and though he obeyed the law and suffered death as he was man yet that obedience was performed by that person who was also God Adams righteousnesse by creation was in himselfe but he lost it by his fall but our righteousnes is in Christ out of vs and therefore he is said to be made righteousnesse vnto vs of God But how should we get this righteousnesse seeing it is in Christ Answ. It is made ours by imputation for when wee truely repent of our sinnes and beleeue in Christ God accepts the obedience of Christ for vs as if wee had perfectly satisfied his iustice and done his will in our own persons Now with this imputed righteousnesse wee must vnderstand and ioyne the fruite hereof in vs which is sanctification or renued holinesse whereby we are enabled to walke before God in new obedience bringing forth the fruits of righteousnesse for these two are neuer seuered whom God iustifies by the righteousnesse of Christ them he sanctifies by his spirit The full meaning then of Christs commandement here is this First seeke c. that is aboue all things in this world let your principall care bee to procure vnto your selues the kingdome of God that is that state of grace whereby you may enioy Gods fauour in Christ being iustified by his obedience and sanctified by his spirit whereby you walke in good workes The vse First by this commandement of Christ to seeke Gods kingdome we may gather that by nature we are all out of Gods kingdome destitute of the grace and fauour of God and indeed vnder the power of Satan and in his kingdome of darkenesse This the holy Ghost shews in calling Satan the god of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. and the prince of this world Ioh. 12. 31. because all the world naturally are vassals vnto him yeelding him homage in the workes of sinne and therefore is he called the prince that ruleth in the aire that workes in the children of disobedience And this naturall miserie is iustly come vpon vs for seeing we refuse to yeeld subiection vnto God in his kingdome are we not worthily left to the power of Satan to bee made his slaues and drudges Now that men liue naturally out of Christs kingdome may appeare by the course of their liues for howsoeuer most men can bee contented to beare the badge of Christ in outward profession hearing the word and receiuing the sacraments yet in heart and life they doe homage to the deuill for they pull their neckes from the yoake of Christ and runne with greedinesse to the workes of sinne they account a strict endeauour after morall obedience to be curiositie and precisenesse and when they be dehorted from vnlawfull gaine and vaine pleasures they wil not heare not consent whereby in effect they say to God with wicked men in Iob Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies and with the wicked citizens wee will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. Secondly here Christ would teach vs that our principall care aboue all other things must be to win for our selues the kingdome of God I shall not need to prooue this to be our dutie seeing it is the onely thing which Christ here intends to commend vnto vs and that by expresse command But some will aske how we shall win and get for our selues the kingdome of God Answ. We must doe three thinges for the obtaining of it First we must come to the place where this kingdome is to be found Secondly we must then enter into it Thirdly we must waite for the full possession of it For the first This kingdome is not to be found in all places but there onely where God doth manifest and reueale the same to the sonnes of men and that is in the assemblies of the Saints where the publike ministerie of reconciliation is dispensed for there God holds out his scepter and offers himselfe to bee a Lord and king vnto men and therefore Dauid calls this ministerie of the word the rod or scepter of Gods power Psal. 110. 2. and in the parable of the sower Matth. 13. 19. the Gospel preached is called the word of the kingdome because hereby God reueales this kingdome vnto men and translates them into it Colos. 1. 13. And for the same cause in the parable of the
the written word to be right Scripture and the ground of that which is in the heart for the word written carries a most certen sense beeing both text and glosse whereas their inward Scripture varieth as men doe vnlesse it be grounded on the written word II. Use. The certentie of Scripture must teach vs to beleeue Gods word and not to feare to rest our selues vpon it The Author of Scripture by his prouidence preserues his owne word so as all the men in earth for substance cannot corrupt the same and therefore whatsoeuer it saith we neede not doubt but it is the will of God III. Point From this reason we may also gather the Authoritie of Canonicall Scripture for we must doe as we would be done to because the law and the Prophets say so and hence it followes that the law and Prophets haue an high soueraigne and absolute authoritie This authoritie of Scripture stands in two things I. in power to giue iudgement II. in the all-sufficiencie thereof in and of it selfe and both these are noted here by our Sauiour Christ in this reason For the first the power of giuing iudgement is that whereby Scripture doth fully and absolutely determine of all things needfull to saluation concerning faith and maners and for this cause the laws of God are oft in Scripture called iudgements There be diuers iudgements ascribed to sundrie sorts of persons in Scripture First it giues a iudgement to euery priuate man The spirituall man discerneth or iudgeth all things and Saint Iohn biddes the beleeuers in the Church pâ—â—â—â—â— the spirits that is trie by iudgement the doctrines deliuered Secondly the Scripture giues iudgement to publike persons as to Pastors Ministers and to the gouernours of the Church Let two or three propheciâ— and the rest iudge 1. Cor. 14. 29. and the spirit of the Prophets is subiect to the Prophets v. 32. Thirdly Iudgement is ascribed to the Prophets Apostles in Scripture Act. 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs and this is an high Iudgement which befals not any priuate man or any ordinarie minister or general Councel ordinarily but is peculiat to extraordinarie Prophets that were the pen-men of holy Scripture And these three kindes of Iudgements must be distinguished the two first kinds are inferiour ministeriall kinds of Iudgement depending on an higher and more soueraigne Iudgement for priuate men and ordinarie ministers and Councels giue Iudgement yet not of themselues but by their rule which is the word of God and this Iudgement is nothing else but a ministerie pronouncing and declaring the meaning of the will of God reuealed in his word But besides this there is a soueraigne kind of Iudgement you câ—safed to the Prophets and Apostles determining absolutely in matters of faith conscience what is to be done what is not and this is the Iudgement of God himselfe whereupon the Apostles might say It seemâ—th good to the holy Ghost and to vs Act. 15. 28. And that this their Iudgement is absolute appeares by Scripture He that heareth you heareth me saith Christ to his Apostles he that refâ—sâ—th you refuseth me Luk. 10. 16 and Paul deliuering the Gospel of Christ to the Galatians bids them hold him accursed that teacheth theÌ„ otherwise Gal 1. 7. and the promise of sending the spirit of truth Ioh. 16. 13. was directly intended to the Apostles and onely in them fully accomplished For our better conceiuing hereof wee haue a resemblance of this soueraigne iudgement in the common wealth the high Court of Parliament giues iudgement of matters in law and so doe Lawyerâ— and Iudges in common Courts but yet there is great differenâ—e betweene these two the court of Paliament makes the lawe and determines absolutely in ciuill matters without controlement what must be done and what not but the Lawyers make not the law but pronounce the meaning of the law vnto men Now the Scriptures the Prophets and Apostles they are like to the courâ— of Parliament in giuing iudgement priuate men and ordinarie ministers giue iudgement like vnto the Lawyers which is not absolute but ministeriall depending on an higher iudgement Vses 1. If the Prophets Apostles haue soueraigne power to giue absolute iudgement in matters of faith and manners then we must here learne to make choice of a right Iudge for vnto one must wee appeale in matters of faith and conscience and this right Iudge is Gods word which wee must sticke vnto and to none other The commandement is plaine for matters of difficultie that concerne the conscience Isay 8. 20. To the law and to the testimonio and our Sauiour Christ referres vs to Scripture for all matters that concerne saluation Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scripture If you would know what is true in religion what is erroneous what is equitie in any matter of conscience wee must haue recourse to Scripture It will be said Scripture is an vnfit Iudge it cannot speake I answer It speakes sufficiently to determine of all matters of faith and conscience wee see in common experience a man may resolue his friend in matters of doubt as well by letter as by word of mouth why then may not the word of God sent from heauen vnto his Church resolue mens consciences in all matters of doubt for faith and manners And indeed let any man come in humilitie seriously search the Scripture and he shall finde resolution therein for any matter of conscience whatsoeuer Vse 2. By this authoritie of Scripture in giuing soueraigne iudgement we are taught to take heed of an incompetent Iudge which men for many hundred years haue set vp in their hearts to relie vnto in matters of faith and conscience and that is to put the Church in roome of the word for soueraigne iudgemeÌ„t The Church of Rome teacheth that the Church must iudge of the Scripture yea without Scripture giue soueraigne determination in matters of conscience as hauing more authoritie then Scripture because it giues authoritie thereunto but this is the ground of Atheisme and heresie and the path way to Popery the true Church of God must haue the honour of Christs spouse but yet the authoritie of soueraigne iudgement must not bee giuen to her but onely to the word of God himselfe The second part of the authoritie of Scripture is that euery part of Canonicall Scripture is Authenticall that is of sufficient authoritie of it selfe though it bee not confirmed by any other testimonie for Scripture is the word of God and the testimonie of Scripture is the testimonie of God himselfe then which none can be greater as Saint Iohn saith If wee receiue the testimonie of men the testimonie of God iâ— greater 1. Ioh. 5. 9. For the better conceiuing of this point conferre all the bookes that are or euer were together and thereby it will appeare that the Scripture is of it selfe Authenticall There be three sorts of