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
with such sacrifices God is pleased This is the fast which God requires to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burden and to let the oppressed goe free to take off euery yoke and on the other side to breake thy bread vnto the hungrie to bring the poore that wanders into thine house and to couer the naked c. And because this dutie is so necessarie and excellent I will propoūd certaine Rules to be obserued for our furtherance herein First wee must exercise three of our senses seeing hearing and feeling in other mens miseries for seeing we must bee very warie it grieue vs not to looke vpon our poore brother but wee must see and behold his miserie and distresse whether it bee in soule or bodie This is the Lords practise Israel is oppressed in Egypt and the Lord saith I haue surely seene the trouble of my people and the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them And we must be followers of God as deare children and learne to visit them that be in miserie either through sickenesse imprisonment pouertie or such like for sight will stirre vp in a man a sense and compassion of others miseries Hence it is said that when Iesus saw a great multitude hee was mooued with compassion towards them And who can see a poore distressed person to lie in strawe or on the ground without needfull releefe as many a one would not suffer his dogge to lie and not be mooued with compassion Secondly if wee cannot come to see a mans miserie then we must bee content to heare of it and giue heed and credit to the true reports that others make thereof vnto vs. Thus did Nehemiah hearing of the affliction of the residue of the captiuitie he wept and mourned fasted and praied and sought for releefe for them at the Kings hands Thirdly for feeling if the Lord shall afflict our bodies with sicknes or our soules with temptations we must be willing to suffer the same patiently that thereby we may be fitted to take more compassion vpon others in like case and to comfort them the better Paul saith of himselfe and Timothie that in Asia they were pressed with affliction aboue measure passing strength so as they altogether doubted of life and yet he saith the Lord dealt mercifully with them that they might be able to comfort others which were in any affliction with the same comfort wherewith God had comforted them Secondly we must make our particular callings wherein we liue the instruments of mercie and in doing the duties thereof shew forth compassion towards others This Rule is of great vse and therefore it will not be amisse to shew the practise of it in particular The Magistrate must rule and gouerne in mercie and the Minister must preach in mercie euery sermon must be a worke of compassion towards the people not onely for the matter which it containeth but for the manner of his deliuerie and in the scope and drift which he aimeth at he which preacheth otherwaies doth barre himselfe of all mercie euen then when he intreates of mercie vnto others There is a carnall and humane kinde of preaching which now adaies takes place wherein nothing is so much regarded as the vaunting of wit memorie and learning by fine contriued sentences multiplicitie of quotations varietie of allegations of Fathers Schoole-men and other learning but herein is no mercie nor compassion to the poore soule It is said indeede that none condemne this kinde of preaching but they that can not attaine vnto it But the truth is God will haue his word deliuered not in the enticing speech of mans wisdome but in the plaine euidence of the spirit and of power and therefore a man can not with good conscience applie himselfe to such kind of preaching els no doubt a man of meane gifts might finde it more easie to attaine vnto then to the true preaching of Christ crucified Thirdly euery priuate man must make the duties of his calling works of mercie the rich man must know himselfe to be not a lord but a steward of Gods blessings and therefore must imploy and dispence the same in mercie by giuing and lending vnto the poore freely as God shall minister vnto him iust occasion The trades man must buie and sell in mercie dealing iustly with the rich and shewing liberalitie to the poore The master must thus in mercie vse the labour of his seruant and the seruant thus in mercie doe seruice to his master for conscience towards God And happie were it with all estates if this rule of mercie were obserued the want whereof is the bane of all societies Thirdly for the more chearefull practise of mercie we must lay aside some part of our goods for the releefe of them that be in miserie The Iewes were commanded to set apart the first fruits of their corne and cattell for the Lords altar but in the new Testament the altar is ceased and the poore come in stead thereof and therefore we must now bequeath some thing for their releefe Many are giuen to great excesse in fare and in artire but they may doe well to abate some part thereof and bestow it on the poore for hereby will the rest be sanctified to their more free and comfortable vse nay in case of necessitie we ought to sequester some part of our owne necessaries for the refreshing of the poore so did the Church of Macedonia euen beyond their power giue to the releefe of the afflicted brethren Men are exceeding cold in charitie and one maine cause thereof is want of obseruing this Rule in setting apart some thing according as God shall blesse vs in our callings for the releefe of the poore The second point to be considered in this rule is wherein this blessednes doth consist namely in the obtaining of mercie he that shewes mercie shall finde mercie both with God and man Where first we may see the errour of the Church of Rome in their doctrine of merits for they make a speciall part of humane satisfaction to consist in Almes deedes and releeuing of the poore teaching that a man may hereby merit eternall life but they or to grossely for then Christ would not haue said blessed are the mercifull for they shall finde mercie but rather thus they shall finde iustice for that which comes of merit is due by right Secondly hereby we may see what to thinke of our Church and Nation in respect of true Title to Gods mercie for onely the mercifull shall finde mercie Now it were easie to goe through all orders and conditions of men among vs and therein to shew abundance of vnmercifulnes and crueltie so as we may be iustly called a cruell people and therefore can not looke for mercie at Gods hands for to the mercilesse shall be iudgement without mercie This is euident by the Lords dealing with his owne people for all their sacrifices
of heart and therefore it standeth vs in hand to make conscience of euery gesture of our bodie of the casting of our eyes of our laughter and of all passionate words lest thereby we shew any contempt or anger towards our brethren If it be saide how can euery gesture expressing rash anger or contempt be murther seeing the law permits a widow to spit in the face of her husbands brother or next kinseman euen before the Elders of the citie if he refused to raise vp seedâ— vnto his brother Ans. First the Lord might command her so to doe thereby to manifest his great dislike of want of loue in him towards his dead brother Secondly I answer the words may as fitly be translated thus and spit in his sight that is spit on the ground before his face that he might see her and that seemeth to be the true meaning of that place for it was very vnseemely for any one much more for a woman so publikely to spit in a mans face And in that sense is the word vsed in the same booke Deut. 4. 37. where God is said to bring Israel out of Egypt in his face that is in his sight Secondly vnder this branch of murther by signe of contempt are many abuses of the tongue most iustly condemned as first bitternesse of speech when men that be at variance giue out hard and grieuous words one against an other these are as pricks of swords as the wise man saith and therefore the holy Ghost chargeth vs that all bitternes anger and wrath be put away from vs. Secondly all wrangling and contentious speech betweene parties disagreeing when as neither will yeild but each one thinks to haue the last word Philip. 2. 14. Doe all things without murmuring and reasoning for that springs of choler and stout stomacke cleane contrarie to meekenes and patience a fruit of the spirit Thirdly crying also is here forbidden whereby men or women beeing at variance in priuate speeches doe through choler and malice lift vp their voices that they may be heard a farre off This is a fruit of raging anger and surie Fourthly threatning speeches are also here condemned when as men from an inward dislike and rage in their owne priuate cause doe giue out menacing words against others Eph. 6. 9. Masters are forbidden thus to deale with their seruants much lesse then may one brother thus threaten an other Fiftly all kind of girding and taunting others by priuie and close nipps is here condemned although there be no open rayling for thereby men seeke to disgrace their brethren and to glad their owne hearts by grieuing others which is more then to say Raca The third degree of murther is in Reviling tearmes calling our brother foole or such like this also is a sinne against the ninth commandement by robbing him of his good name for one sinne in diuers respects may be against many commandements It is a breach of this sixt commandement in that hereby we grieue and trouble our neighbour and so farre as a reproach can goe make him wearie of his life Vpon the ground of this degree of murther be all grieuous practises of men against their brethren iustly condemned for bloodie practises As first Usurie whereby men binde their brethren to returne gaine for the bare lone of money or other goods which naturally yeild no increase without all respect to their necessitie or to the successe of the imploying of it Hereby many are brought to great pouertie reuiling tearmes doe nothing so much pinch the poore as this oppression Secondly the hoarding vp of corne till times of dearth that thereby they may gaine the more these men make a priuate gaine of Gods common iudgement vpon the poore Indeede it is not vnlawfull in time of plentie to lay vp stoare against a time of dearth but to doe it with the hurt of the poore is to sucke their blood and to eate vp Gods people as when men keepe their garners full and suffer the poore to starue the peoples curse lies on such Prou. 11. 26. Thirdly fighting and striking by priuate persons or by others in their priuate causes for they wound or weaken the bodie of their neighbours which is more then to grieue him by reuiling speeches Fourthly the detaining the foode of the soule by those that cannot or will not preach is a damage against eternall life and therefore Paul to cleare himselfe from blood in this behalfe said He kept nothing backe Act. 20. 26 27. Fiftly to giue offence by word or deede whereby others are occasioned to fall this is vncharitable walking Rom. 14. 15. whereby we doe as much as in vs lieth destroy him for whome Christ died As this is cruell in all so especially in publike persons as Magistrates Ministers Parents Masters and such like because their practises are Rules to their inferiours They are like lights in an hauen which guides the shippes that saile by night which standing amisse leade the shippes vpon rockes and sands and so cause shipwracke Hauing seene the true meaning of this Law expounded by Christ let es here further obserue how he restoreth the true vse thereof We must not thinke that he did onely here intend the rectifying of our iudgements for vnderstanding and not also strike at the reformation of our hearts and liues for practise Touching the vse of this law therefore Christ here teacheth vs two things first to descend into our owne hearts and there to search how we haue broken this commandement as whether we haue borne in our hearts any malice against our brother and whether we haue expressed the rash anger of our hearts by speech or gesture or haue any way wronged him by reuiling tearmes or other iniuries against his life if we haue Christ tells vs we are murtherers Secondly Christ setting downe the curse to euery degree of murther teacheth vs vpon due examination of our hearts fuiding our selues guiltie in any degree to cast downe our selues before the Lord to accuse and condemne our selues crying out that all shame and confusion belongs vnto vs this we must doe that by the view of our miseries we may be mooued more earnestly to sue for mercie And indeede if we examine our hearts and our behauiours throughly we shall finde that we are all murtherers For though we may be free from actuall killing yet our consciences will tell vs that the motions of wrath and malice and the signes of vnaduised anger haue broken forth both in our wordes and gesture for who can say he neuer snuffed at an other by way of contempt or dislike who can cleare himselfe from deriding and disgracing others now these things and such like make vs guiltie of sinne against the law and so subiect to the wrath and curse of God which must needes be fulfilled though heauen and earth should passe away This
not so strictly to be takeÌ„ but indifferently for any diuers garments for in Luke they are thus set downe And him that would take away thy cloake forbid not to take thy coate also And Christs meaning is this If one vniustly contend with thee to take from thee one garment let him haue another also whether coate or cloake or such like thing And yet this commandement is not simply but comparatiuely to bee vnderstood to wit rather then a man should seeke priuate reuenge he must not onely suffer the losse of one garment but of moe and so of other temporall goods Out of this example wee may learne these Instructions First that Christians must be quiet and patient and not giuen to contend whether it be priuately or openly by suite at the law This contention Paul reprooued in the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3. 3. and chargeth the Philippians that nothing be done among them by contention Philip. 2. 3. which is a notable rule for though men be at difference yet there ought to be no contentions either in word or deede all things ought to bee done in loue and so strife shall cease that wrangling spirit is not of God wherby men striue to put downe others in words when a man hath spoken his minde hee ought to cease for multiplying of words is against Christian ciuilitie and euery where condemned in the holy Scripture Secondly here is condemned not the lawfull but the common vse of lawing whereby men for euery trisle will trouble the Courts This argues a contentious spirit and a minde that is giuen to reuenge which beseemeth not Christians as Paul sheweth 1. Cor. 6. 1 2 5 6. and yet it is the common practise in these our daies from whence come such vnchristian speeches as this I will be reuenged on him or else I will spend all that I haue But the truth is that rather then a man should goe thus to law he ought to suffer a double and treble losse Thirdly here Christ teacheth that in all our dealings we must haue a principall regard vnto charitie and rather seeke to maintaine this grace in our hearts then our outward worldly goods Fourthly we are here taught to preferre our owne peace and quietnesse before our temporall goods yet not simply but in this respect that hereby wee may haue fitter time with quietnesse to imploy our selues in the worship of God and to edifie our selues in holinesse and pietie this dutie concerneth them especially which haue much dealing in the world and thereupon many occasions of anger and vexation for such vnruly passions make a man vnfit for Gods seruice it is the meeke and lowly heart that receiues the blessing from the Lord Matthew 11. 29. Lastly in this example is set downe vnto vs a second propertie of euil men namely to be giuen to wrong their brethren in their goods either priuately or vnder colour of law such a one was Zacheus before his calling when he gathered tribute and custome for the Romane Emperour he vsed forged cauillation for his own gaine and these our daies abound with those that eurich themselues by pilling and polling of their brethren but all such are vniust and euill persons by the iudgment of our Sauiour Christ. Verse 41. And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine Here Christ propounds the third example of wrong doing by Superiours towards their inferiours wherein the partie wronged is likewise forbidden to make resistance by way of priuate reuenge For the vnderstanding whereof wee must knowe that as in this our common wealth we haue Post masters so in other countries especially in Persia there were the like officers who by authoritie froÌ„ their Kings or Emperours might take mens cattel nay men themselues and vse them for trauell carriage at their pleasure and it is like the Iewes had got this custome among them after their captiuitie as may in part appeare by their coÌ„pelling Simon of Syrene to beare Christs crosse when they met him Now Christ speakes here of the abuse of this authoritie saying That if a maÌ„ compell thee wrongfully vnder colour of the Magistrates authoritie to go with him one mile goe with him twaine that is â—ather then by resisting thou shouldest reuenge thy selfe goe with him two miles whence hee giues to all inferiours a commandement to beare patiently the wrongs that are done vnto them by their Superiours and rather to suffer a double wrong then seeke to reuenge themselues by priuate resistance Here then we see a iust ground of â—eproofe of inferiours for sundrie practises of impatience towards their superiours as first when a man is attached by an Officer to make violent resistance This practise swarueth from the Rule of Christ for say thou art attached wrongfully yet thou oughtest to acknowledge Gods ordinance in Magistracie and to obey the same without offering priuate reuenge Secondly it often falls out that Land-lords and men of wealth oppresse the poore by inclosing of common lands and such like now hereupon the poorer sort vse to raile against them and to curse them but this practise is also here forbidden by our Sauiour Christ for albeit the rich men sin grieuously in oppressing the poore yet the poore must suffer rather a double or treble wrong then by cursing speeches seeke priuate reuenge Againe in this example we may see a third kinde of wicked men to wit all such as beeing superiouts doe wrong and violence to their inferiours as cruel Magistrates oppressing Land-lords cauelling officers vsurers such like these are here called euill ones by our Sauiour Christ and therefore they must learne to shew mercie and leaue off wrong violeÌ„ce if they look to escape to be iudged as euil ones at the last day Thus we see the three particular examples of wrongs wherein men may not reuenge themselues priuately Now from them all ioyntly considered we may note two points First that the calling of a Christian is a state of suffering 1. Pet. 2. 20 21. If ye take it patiently when yee suffer wrong for well-doing this is praise worthie for yee are hereunto called therefore if wee would declare our selues to bee the true members of Christ wee must shew forth patience in bearing wrongs without seeking reuenge This was Christs lesson to his Disciples for hauing tolde them of afflictions to come hee bids them to possesse their soules with patience so when the spirit of God sets downe the afflictions of the Church he addes this as an Item here is the patience of the Saints We therefore must labour to repell all malice and rancour when we suffer vniustly remembring this rule of Christ that rather then wee offer priuate reuenge we must suffer the doubling and trebling of the wrong It is true indeed this is hard for flesh and blood to doe but if wee bee but flesh that is naturall men why doe
25. 21. If thine enemie bee hungrie giue him bread to eate â—f he thirst giue him drinke See the practise hereof in â— Elisha when God deliueâ—ed them into his hands that sought his life he brought them to Samaria and when the king of Israel would haue slaine them hee forbade him nay he caused the King to refresh them with bread and water and so sent them to their owne master For praying for our enemies wee haue the example of the Propheâ—â— of â—our Sauiour Christ and of Steuen who praied for those that put him to death Obiect â— It will be said the Scripture else-where seemes to make against thiâ— as Psal 139 21 22 Do not I hate them O Lord saith Dauid that hate thee and doe I not earnestly contend with them that rise vp against thee I hate them with an vnâ—ained hatred wherby it seemes that in some cases a man may hate his enemies Answ. First we must put a difference betweene our enemies cause and his person their euill causes and their sâ—â—â—â—s must be haâ—â—â— and we must giue no approbation thereso but yet their persons beeing Gods creatures and be a â—â—ng his image in some sort must bee loued Againe enemies bee of two sorts priuate and publike a priunte enemie is he that hateth a man for some priuate cause in himselfe or concerning his affaires and such a one we must loue and not hate as Christ here commandeth A publike enemie is he that hates a man for Gods cause for religion and the gospels sake and these publike enemies be of two sorts curable and incurable If our publike enemies be curable we must praie for their conuersion hating their conditions If they bee incurable and wee haue plaine signes of their small impeniâ—â—â—â—e theâ— we may hate them for so we hate the deuill So Paul saith If any man loue not the Lord â—esion Anâ—thema Maraâ—â—tha let him bâ—e finally and wholly accursed And yet this we must knowe that wee ought to direct our hatred to their sinnes and for their sinnes hate their persons and no otherwise Now Dauid in that Psalme speaketh not of priuate but of publike enemies who hated not onely him but God also in his religion and were also incurable Obiect 2. But the practise of Gods children seemes to bee otherwise for Dauid often curseth his enemies and praieth for the destruction of them and â—heirs Psal. 109. 6 9 10. And Peter wisheth that Simon Mâ—gus may perish with his money and Paul praieth the Lord â—o reward Alexander the copper-smith according to his 〈◊〉 2 Tim. â—4 14. How can this stand with the iâ—â— Answ. There bee â—â—â—â—n interpretations of these shots Some say which 〈◊〉 that in Dauids Psalmes his curses are in proper sense propheâ—ies of the destruction of publike incurable enemies of Gods Church and are onely propounded in the forme of praiers Againe Dauid Peter and Paul were enlightened by Gods spirit and saw into the small estate of these their enemies whom they cursed and therefore doe they wish for their confusion not for their owne cause in way of priuate reuenge but vpon a desire of the furtherance of Gods glorie in the execution of his iustice vpon them whom he had forsaken And it is not vnlawfull for Gods children to praie that God in iustice would glorifie his name in the iust punishment of impenâ—â—ent sinners that be cruel enemies to his Church Obiect 3. God gaue commandement to his people the â—ewes to destroy the Canâ—â—nites and to râ—â—â—e out their enemies 〈◊〉 of the Land now how could they loue them whom they must so cruelly kill Ans. We must onely loue the Lord absolutely and others in God and for God that is so farre forth as it standeth with his pleasure and therefore when he commandeth to kill wee may lawfully kill And this wee may doe by way of punishment appointed by God not onely without hatred but in loue both forgiuing the wrong which concernes vs and also praying for grace and mercie for the partie if hee belong to God 4. Obiect There be some that sinne a sinne vnto death for whom we are forbidden to praie 1. Ioh. 5. 16. and therefore wee may not alwaies pray for all our enemies Ans. Christs commandement to pray for our enemies admitteth this exception vnlesse they sinne a sinne vnto death but that sinne is hardly knowne of the Church of God therefore priuate mâ—n must not in a conceit thereof surcease this dutie to pray for their enemies Thus then is this Text to be vnderstood Loue your enemies that is your priuate enemies and doe good vnto them vnlesse God commaund you otherwise and praie for them if they sinne not that sinne vnto death Here is confuted the old receiued doctrine of the Church of Rome touching the loue of our enemieâ— as comming neere to the doctrine of these Pharisies They teach that a man is bound alwaies not to hate his enemies but for louing them in good vsage outwardly a man is not bound saue in two cases First when our enemie is in necessitie and danger of life then he must be relieued and helped Secondly in the case of scandall when as by not helping or releeuing him wee giue offence vnto others but out of these two cases to shew kindnesse to an enemie is a matter of counsell and of perfection But this doctrine is damnable flat against this Text and the practise of Gods seruants expressed in his word and therefore we must renounce it and acknowledge that we are bound in conscience on euery occasion to shew our loue in word and deed vnto our priuate enemies Secondly hereby is condemned the commoÌ„ practise of men in these daies which is to wrong their priuate enemies any way they can by word or deedâ— some will raile vpon them as Shemei did on Dauid and as Rabshekah did on Hezekias and the people of God yea on God himselfe This is a damnable practise flat against this commandement of Christ and his holy practise 1. Pet. 2. 23. Nay Michael the Arch-angel durst â—â—t blamâ— the deuil with cursed speaking when he stroue against him Iude 9. Thirdly that fruit of rancour is here likewise reprooued whereby men will professe they will neuer forget their enemies though they do forgiue them It is indeed agreeable to our corrupt nature to keepe a grudge long in minde and to reuiue old wrongs but this commandement of Christ condemneth this practise and bindeth vs both to forgiue and forget and therefore we must labour to beate downe this spirit of reuenge and endeauour to loue our enemies in word and deed Fourthly here also see that it is not lawfull to professe enmitie to any mans person for we should loue euery man But how can wee loue him to whom we professe our selues enemies Christianitie and priuate enmitie cannot stand together and therefore we must labour to abandon out of
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