word by the Churches enunciation and report but afterwards they believe much more firmly and undoubtedly when they come to enjoy the sight and knowledge of the Scriptures themselves So that the most that can be gathered from that speech of S. Augustines is but this That the testimony and tradition of the Church is usually the first inducement to men to give credit to the truth and so consequently to the divinity of the Gospel which is not denied But then this credulity is afterwards corroborated and more fully setled and confirmed by more evident certain and infallible groundsout of Scripture it self discovered especially by the help of divine grace from the spirit of God which of all other saith Amen to this truth and sets the surest seal thereof upon the soul and conscience as our Saviour gives us to understand when he saith If any man will do God's will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of (a) Joh. 7.17 God That is he shall know best and most assuredly as having information and attestation thereof from the Spirit of God Yet always God's spirit tells the conscience this out of Scripture for as it suggested and dictated the Scripture at the first so it whispers in the ear of the soul the same note still and hath no discrepant voice or suggestion from it but whatsoever it testifieth it suggests the same not by any secret instinct and spiritual insusurration different from the written word according to the vertiginous fancy and dotage of the Enthusiasts the family of Love as they are phrased and some other of the Anabaptistical sect but by a still voice out of and according to the Scripture Whence is that saying of St. Chrysostome Frustra jactat se Spiritum sanctum habere qui non loquitur ex (b) Chrysost de Popu Antioche Homil 50. Evangelio In vain doth he boast to have the holy Ghost that speaketh not out of the Gospel And therefore we read that when our Saviour enlightened his Apostles understandings it was That they might understand the (a) Luke 24.45 Scriptures And that when he promised to send the Comforter unto them to teach them all things he addeth Whatsoever I have said unto (b) John 14.26 you which intimates that he should teach them no new doctrine So that we are not to believe an Angel from Heaven if he preach any other Gospel then that which the Apostles have (c) Gal. 1.8 preached which we have written in the New Testament And so it was said always of old To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in (d) Isa 8.20 them Thus then I conclude That the conscience may be verily resolved and a rational man compelled to acknowledge and believe with an acquired historical faith that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are divine by convincing arguments and evidences apparent even to reason and that from Scripture it self especially Nor am I single in this opinion for I find in S. Augustine the like conclusion who speaking of the Penmen of Scripture delivers this sentence Verè illos magnos divinos fuisse legem illam Dei jussu voluntate promulgatam esse credo id quamvis perpauca illorum librorum sciam facilè persuadere possum si mihi adhibeatur aequus non pertinax (a) Aug. de Vtilita tecredendi cap. 5. animus Verily saith he I believe that they the penmen of Scripture were great and divine men and that that Law was promulgated by the commandent and will of God and this though I knew but a few of those books I am able easily to perswade if I meet but with an equal-minded man that is not pertinacious But to believe this with a divine faith without which it 's never soundly and perfectly embraced must be a work of God's Spirit only from whom alone all such faith proceedeth And so I end the first part of this Treatise The second part of this Treatise which is an application of the Doctrine proved to certaine special uses HAving now laid a sure foundation of this truth that Scripture is God's own word which cannot be shaken it behoves me to superstruct upon it lest that aspersion be cast upon me which the improvident builder is blemished withal in the Gospel This man began to build but was not able to make an (a) Luke 14.30 end This doctrine then is useful both for theory and practice both for information and for exhortation First For information of the understanding two inferences or conclusions are deducible from it First That no man may presume to dispense with this word because it 's God's for being his none but he hath authority and power to exempt any man from obligation to it or any part of it This is a conclusion undeniable and therefore speaks the practice of some late Popes of Rome to be very culpable and inexcusable who have presumed to grant dispensations for marriages within the degrees forbidden in this word of God and to exempt subjects from obedience to their lawful Soveraign strictly commanded in this word This hath been practised by the Papal power of late years here in this Nation And it 's the more inexcusable in that they undertake to justifie it This I find in Cardinal Bellarmine's works who to prove the Popes Supremacy draws an argument from his power to grant dispensations and then doth instance in a dispensation which Pope Gregory granted to the English about marriages within the degrees (a) Bellar de Romano Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 19. forbidden And I can here produce a credible Author who affirms that divers of the Church of Rome have not blushed to defend openly and that under their hands that the Pope hath power to dispence Contra ius divinum contra Apostolum contra Novum Testamentum against the law of God against an Apostle and against the New (b) Favor Antiquit cap. 6. paulo post medium Testament But I am perswaded that now since the reformation hath detected many of their grosse hallucinations the wise and learned among them do distaft and disclaim all such blaspemous and unsavoury assertions A second consequent or conclusion that I deduce from this truth That Scripture is God's own word is this That therefore it 's of superior and greater authority then the present Church militant And this I prove from hence by two reasons First Because the present Church Militant is holy and divine but only in part and after a sort and in this regard is subject unto error whereas the Scripture is simply and totally divine for All Scripture is given by inspiration of God saith (a) 2 Tim. 3.16 S. Paul and therefore must needs be most authentical A second reason is this That which sanctifieth is greater then that which is sanctified by it so our Saviour himself argued against the Scribes and Pharisees Ye fools
THE FORT-ROYAL OF CHRISTIANITY DEFENDED OR A demonstration of the Divinity of Scripture by way of excellency called the Bible WITH A Discussion of some of the great Controversies in Religion about universal Redemption Free-will Original Sin c. For the establishing of Christians in truth in these Atheistical trying times By THOMAS GERY B.D. and Rector of Barwell in Leicestershire All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God c 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4.1 London Printed by T.C. for Nathanael Web and William Grantham at the sign of the black Bear in Paul's Church-yard neer the little North-door of Paul's 1657. THE AVTHOR's Preface TO THE READER THis plain and course Treatise that was penned above 30. years since at the motion of a great Earl of this * Francis Earl of Rutland Land who asked of me this question and desired a resolution of it in writing namely which way a mans conscience might acquire best assurance that the Bible is God's own Word is now at last exposed to open view through the encouragement of some persons that are fast friends both to the truth of Religion and the Church of England Who taking the pains to read it and knowing that the very life power of Religion consisteth in the firm belief of that point of Religion which is here demonstrated did entertain some hope that the publishing of it might conduce to the conviction and satisfaction of some mens consciences about this particular Article of Christian belief and thereupon have prevailed with me to adventure this publication of it though there be no worth in it more then this that it 's rational and Orthodoxal If this apology will not excuse my temerity herein the world being now so glutted and ready to nauseate and surfeit with the superfluity of Printed papers I humbly beg that my good intention herein may excuse the rashnesse of the fact who endanger to blemish my self in hope to do others good TO THE REVEREND and his worthy Friend Mr. GERY RECTOR of Barwell in Leicestershire SIR as I am rejoyced to see the late works of your reverend brother in law my honoured Friend Doctor Sanderson So for our mother Cambridge sake I count it among my felicities to find our Country-man Dr. Hall and by much our elder brother in that Arcademy a modern right Reverend Father of the Church still increasing his voluminous sweet and pious writings and like a true celestial plant bringing forth more fruit in his age And that comfort is increased by beholding you also though constantly employed upon a Cure so enabled to afford the world such a testimony as these papers present of solid Theology amongst which after my perusal of the great pains and methodical clearing of that subject concerning our last resolution of faith divine into Divine Scripture and your collection to that end of so many and so convincing arguments I could not refrain my Pen from gratulating to you this work so highly conducible to the glory of God in the exaltation of his holy Word and to the edification of millions of souls who shall enjoy the happinesse of being much confirmed and comforted in their most precious faith by those assistances in your Book for the speedy Edition whereof I do not only hereby solicite but charge you on the behalf of our only Lord and Master Christ Jesus and of his Spouse the Church of God our dear Mother assuring my self that as thereby you shall distribute blessings so many blessings from others shall redound unto your self both in reputation and in their prayers and thanksgivings to God for you We deny not what they of the Romane perswasion say That the tradition of the Church is a great testimony yea take the universal Church in all ages including that of Christ and his Apostles and plain reason and experiment will enforce all men to acknowledge that a Divine testimony To which when that key hath let us in to the Scripture it self we find a light which manifests both it self and other things and so we have a second testimony internal and both Divine The fallacy then is found in making the Churches inducing testimony to be the only or the principal and then in affirming this attestation to the present Church of Rome from whom we must if they may prevail receive these two things on trust That first theirs is the Catholick Church as meer a Bull as that Tiber is all Rivers or a whole Palace is in one room And secondly that he who must be the head of the Church though sometime confessed to be no true member is absolutely infallible Concerning which pretended infallibility so long time contended for though doubtlesse their learned men hold and know it a point ridiculous for in time of three Antipopes at once chairing themselves at Rimini at Bologne and Abignon about 1429. to which head was then this biggen of Infallibility bound it hath now pleased God in this last age to produce amongst us such worthies as have beaten down this Babel of papal pride and levell'd it with the ground I mean this chiefly by that monumental piece The conference of Bishop Laud with Fisher and Mr. Chillingworth's Book against Knot another of the Jesuits On both which one made this Epigram Two little Wills Both understandings great Did fond Infallibility defeat That Supreme Sconce call'd Fisher 's folly won Next Knot their gordian knot was quite undon And for a further manifest of this I refer you to a book of Hugh Paulin de Cressie once a Dean in Ireland and Prebend of Windfor who is gone over to Rome and published the motives of his conversion I read his book newly extant in Essex from the hand of a very worthy Matron Ms. B. a zealous Papist and shewed her therein where he openly confesses That infallibility is a word unfortunate That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated against it with too too great successe He wishes the Word were forgotten or at least laid by That we Prorestants have in very deed very much to say for our selves when we are prest unnecessarily with it and advises his Romists that we may never be invited to combate the authority of their Church under that notion And professes no such word as Infallibility is to be found in any Council c. Magna est veritas c. We and they must of force yield to that of St. Paul Eph. 5.8 We were darknesse in the abstract and all our light in Dom. are now light in the Lord. But how Certainly that Oriens ab Alto that great Bishop of all our souls doth baptize all true believers with the holy Ghost and with the celestial fires of his Grace But since this Arch-prelate and universal Superintendent for properly all cure of souls all Baptism and confirmation is from that our Lord and Saviour Christ
Jesus and he is in heaven and his spirit must descend to and into us which is the Aquaeduct the ventiduct the Luciduct which way doth Christ in his spirit and graces convey this holy water this gentle air this blessed light to our spirits Why look back to the Creation How came light at first First the spirit moves and broods o're that which was a depth and darknesse and then his mighty Word Fiat Lux. He spake and it was Light then when all was dark he made material light and Christ Jesus is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as speech is the image of the mind so he the brightnesse of his Father's glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 The immaterial and eternal light of light that was never made And the Divine spirit goes that way still by the Word His word is and makes light This world is God's great book wherein as in a glasse of wonders we discern him But his word is the true myrror of his mind And as God engrav'd his form on his Son before all worlds so what that Son is and what the father is to us in him the spirit proceeding from both delivers in the book of his word The Sun guilds and enamels clouds and streams and hill tops with his rays but thrusts his own pure light his own living fires through the bodies of the stars so other authors can but yield a faint reflexion of that beam which here is native and direct The very Law God styles a flaming light the Prophesies a more sure word to which we do well to attend as to a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts But the Gospel is called his marvellous light He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 And in Acts 26.16 I have appeared to thee saith our Saviour to that choice vessel of his grace and name to make thee a Minister and a witnesse c. And now I will send thee to the Gentiles To what end for a glorious end To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan unto God And acordingly speaks that Apostle If our Gospel be hid 2 Cor. 4.3 4. verses 't is hid in them that perish in whom the god of this world hath blinded their unfaithful minds that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should not shine unto them And in the 6. verse he shews the walk and circuit of this light God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts there first and then the casting of the beam to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Doth not S. Paul say It is both the wisedome and power of God to salvation to every one that believeth and is not that enough to give all men full satisfaction and acquiescense what a large field lies open for the further clearing this truth in those assertions in the fathers Saint Chrysostome calls the holy Scriptures Lamps of Verity before our eyes Hom. 23. in mad Serm de Temp. 237. And S. Austin ad Lucernam Scripturae ambulaing Gregorie of Valentia a Jesuit consesseth as much and diverse Pontificians in plain terms as Holcoth and Bellarmine himself cries up the Scripture with a nihil notius nihil certius Bell. de verbo dei lib. 1. c. 2. and cries him down for the veriest fool who believes not their testimony and in the 2 cap of the same book is in his superlatives with Scriptura certissima Tutissima Regula credendi He trouble you but with one more but one instar omnium 'T is he that in a traiterous itch of wit took on him purposely the wresting and prophaning of Scripture that so he might lewdly abuse our Princes and our Church Yet mark as God compelled the Divel to testifie of Christ what he is forced to say and sure 't is worth our observation The book is Latine called the Queries If I diminish him not in my English There is in Scripture saith he an Invisible Majesty an hidden splendor a glory unperishable a wisedome inexhaustible the solace of humane and the beginning of a divine life made by the holy spirit and making our spirits holy compared with which the Egyptian Sages will look pale and poor the Chaldee impure the Grecians blockish Plato no body and Philosophy it self a fool 't is the print of Heaven on Earth and if any where the joy of Paradise or at least a brave resemblance of divine light be shewed it is in Scripture containing all that is severed from the actual vision of God himself Again The paper burns me not yet am I all enflamed in reading it 't is no composure no artificial tread the Scripture uses yet am I drawn and wrapt to follow her and she lifts me up beyond my nature so that I am no more mine own but with a sacred violence and new fire I am consumed and compelled to acknowledge the voice of God that speaks therein Thus far that Papist and finally both Fathers Schoolmen and later Pontificitians freely confesse a double means to know the authors of divine Scripture one ecclesiastick i.e. perpetual Church story Hal. 3.978 m. 2. which introduces Faith saith all Hales as the Seta doth the thrid and the other totally divine which * lib. 2. d. pt divine leg Junilius and * Institu l. 1. c. 16. Cassiodor reckon ipsius Scripturae veritas ordo rerum consonantia preceptorum modus locutionis c. And Scotus of 10. arguments takes divers from the internal matter and majesty of the Books But Sir I intended but a letter and I find my style wandred into a little Homile It is time to end with my apprecation for a blessing on your labours and to let you find it under my hand That I am Your Obliged Friend and fellow-Servant in the Gospel of Christ THO. PESTEL From Leicester Nov. 1. 1656. Errata PAge 24. Line 20. for inseparable read insuperable p. 94. l. 7. for bluts r. blunts p. 102. l. 1. for of r. and p. 104. l. 4. for and r. But p. 113. l. 13. for religionis r. religioni p. 126 l. 2. for quod r. quam p. 129. in the margent for these r. Jesus In the Title of the second Treatise for decission r. decision In the Preface to the Reader before the same Treatise a little after the middle of it for falcyes r. fallacies An Index or Table representing the Contents of this Treatise the parts whereof are two 1. A doctrine propounded and proved which is this That Scripture is God's own Word 2. The application of it to certain special Uses 1. Part. Scripture is proved Gods Word by arguments drawn 1 From without it selfe which are 4. 1 By testimony out of the Church page
We read in the Book of Exodus that when God commanded the Israelites to contribute to the building of the Tabernacle Moses was directed to take their offerings that gave them willingly with their (b) Exod. 25.2 hearts This made David give this charge to his son Solomon And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing (c) 1 Chro. 28.9 mind And himself to promise God to sacrifice freely unto (d) Psal 54.6 him And to professe his delight in his (e) Psal 119.143 commandements This is oft required also elsewhere in the word of God If ye be willing and obedient saith the Lord ye shall eat the good of the (a) Isa 1.19 Land And God loves a cheerful giver saith the (b) 2 Cor. 9.9 Apostle Fourthly and lastly Obedience must be constant continued unto the end without giving over or it 's frustrate and lost so saith our Saviour No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of (c) Luke 9.62 God For the righteous bring forth fruit in old (d) Psal 92.14 age Hence are thâ—se and many such like sentences of Scripture Blessed are they that keep judgement and do righteousnesse at all (e) Psal 106.3 times And He that shall endure to the end the same shall be (f) Mat. 24.13 saved And We are delivered out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve God without fear in holiness and righteousnesse before him all the days of our (g) Luke 1.74 75. life I will close up all with that exhortation of S. Paul to the Corinthians Therefore my beloved brethren be we stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord and so our labour shall not be in vain in the (h) 1 Cor. 15.58 Lord. So be it FINIS A DISCUSSION AND DECISSION OF SOME GREAT CONTROVERSIES IN RELIGION BEING An Antidote against some Erroneous Pamphlets Published of late to the suppression of God's Truth The Contents whereof followeth in the next Page By THO. GERY B.D. and Rector of Barwell in Leicestershire Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4.1 LONDON Printed for N. Webb and W. Grantham 1657. The Contents 1. Controversie About God's election of men to eternall life and salvation whether or no it be grounded upon the fore-sight of their faith and obedience 2. Controversie About the universality of Christ's Redemption 3. Controversie About the power of Man's free-will 4. Controversie About the Merit of good works 5. Controversie About Original sin 6. Controversie About Tithes A Preface to the Reader HAving a Pamplet accidentally put into my hands twisted of inconsequences incongruities and misapplications and depravations of holy Scripture entituled The order of causes Of God's foreknowledge election and predestination and of mans salvation or damnation I thought I might do a charitable work to detect the impostures of it Especially considering that it had gotten some entertainment with some persons within mine own charge and cure For albeit there be little hope of prevailing with these false teachers in these times especially which have so long connived at their erroneous and seditious courses to renounce their errors though never so fairly and fully confuted as who have resolved to hold the conclusion whether the premises be true or false which every Novice in Logick knows to be an absurdity to be hissed at yet may this detection of their falcies in some measure prevent the further diffusion and spreading of their pernicious errors which is the fole end wherefore these plain ensuing lines were hastily compiled and penned And in this regard the courteous Reader is intreated to vouchsafe a candid and benevolent construction of them as which upon more mature deliberation might either have been kept private or appearing in publique might happily have been clad in a more sightly dresse which is the humble request of A Friend and Servant to all that follow the truth in love THOMAS GERY IT hath ever been the artifice and deceitfull dealing of Hereticks to pick out some such Texts of Scripture wherewith to cloak their errors as by their false interpretation of them in not comparing them with other Texts of Scripture treating of the same subject might afford some colour and countenance unto them Thus the old Serpent the first deviser of this fallacy dealt with our blessed Saviour when he tempted him in the Wildernesse he alledged a piece of Scripture out of Psalm 91.11 where it 's said He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee and skips over the next words in all thy ways and so goeth to the 12. verse as knowing that the words which he left out would quite alter the Text from that purpose for which he alledged the same And thus deal the Heretical Sectaries and Separatists that are of late started up They alledge some sayings of Scripture which considered by themselves without any reference had to other Texts of Scripture which afford light to the right meaning of them seem at the first superficial view of them to speak something for them about some of their erroneous Tenets whereas compared with other sayings of Scripture where the same point is more fully and plainly expressed they make nothing at all for proof of that for which they are alledged as shall be discovered in some particulars in this ensuing Treatise Amongst a Fardle of their palpable and prodigious Errors some whereof are utterly unworthy the refutation being manifest contradictions of holy Scripture As their denial of Faith to be the gift of God which I have heard to proceed out of the mouth of divers of no small esteem amongst them with incredible impudence I have here undertaken the confutation of these six of which some are Popish which I find in the fornamed book and in another which I shall hereafter mention 1. They affirm That God's election of men to salvation is from his fore-sight of their Faith and Obedience Or as some of them phrase it from his fore-sight of their Sanctification and Good Works 2. That Christ's Redemption is universall extending it self to all men in the World indiscriminatim indifferently 3. That men have Free-will to repent and believe and so may be saved if they will 4. That Good Works or Obedience are meritorious causes of salvation 5. That children are not born in sin 6. That the payment of Tithes to the Ministers of the Gospel is not agreeable to Scripture Now that these are false Tenents not justifiable from Scripture but repugnant unto it I shall I hope make manifest to all that are not byassed with prejudice And because I am not to enter the Lists and contest with pertinacious Adversaries who sometime will neither hear right Reason nor yield to Scripture but as they themselves shall expound