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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	holy_a	scripture_n	6,955	5	5.9774	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79473	Chillingworthi novissima. Or, The sicknesse, heresy, death and buriall of William Chillingworth. (In his own phrase) Clerk of Oxford, and in the conceit of his fellow souldiers, the Queens arch-engineer, and grand-intelligencer. Set forth in a letter to his eminent and learned friends, a relation of his apprehension at Arundell, a discovery of his errours in a briefe catechism, and a shorr [sic] oration at the buriall of his hereticall book. By Francis Cheynell, late fellow of Merton Colledge. Published by authority.	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing C3810; Thomason E36_7; ESTC R13256	46,148	66

Reason in the chaire in stead of Antichrist is dead and gone publish it not in the streets of Askelon that he who did at once batter Rome and undermine England the Reforming Church of England that he might prevent a Reformation is dead lest if you publish it you puzzle all the Conclave and put them to consider whether they should mourne or triumph If any man enquire whether he hath a Tombe-stone as well as an Elegy let him know that we plundered an old Friar of his Tombe-stone and there is roome enough for an Epitaph if they please to send one from Oxford if not give us leave to say we have provided a Sepulchre and it is your fault if you doe not provide a Monument for as Laurentius Valla the master of Elegances observes a Monument is nothing else but a speaking Sepulchre Vixque Monumentum dixerim nisi literae aut alii tituli appareant quae si desint magis sepulchrum quàm monumentum erit Laur. Vall. Elegant lib. 4. cap. 75. If there be any man yet unsatisfied that this great Philosopher Mathematician Oratour and any thing but what he pretended to be a Divine hath had no more honour at his death then a plaine Tombe-stone and such a song of lamentation as was taken up for Saul let him read this following Catechisme and if he be either Papist or Protestant he will be satisfied if he be true to his owne principles A Prophane Catechisme collected out of Mr Chillingworths Works Question HOw shall I be able to prove to an Atheist that there is a God and that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the word of God Answ. When Protestants affirme against Papists that Scripture is a perfect rule of Faith their meaning is not that by Scripture all things Absolutely may be proved which are to be beléeved for it can never bée proved by Scripture to a gain sayer that there is a God or that the Book called Scripture is the word of God for as he saith a little before nothing is proved true by being said or written in a Book but only by Tradition which is a Thing credible of it selfe chap. 1. p. 55. Sect. 8. the first Edition approved at Oxford Doubtlesse the Atheists and Papists will give him hearty thanks for this answer which doth preferre Tradition which the Atheist vilifies before Scripture which the Papists vilifie he hath pleased them both The Papists will bee well pleased to see this doctrine licensed by the Protestants of the University of Oxford that Tradition is more credible then Scripture for Tradition is credible for it selfe but the Scripture when it is to be proved a perfect Rule to us is credible only by Tradition in Mr Chillingworths conceit pag. 96. and where shall we meet with this universall Tradition 2. But I finde another answer pag. 53. Tradition may be helped out by naturall Reason Controversies wherein the Scripture it selfe is the subject of the question cannot be determined saith Mr Chillingworth but by Naturall Reason the only principle beside Scripture which is common to Christians cap. 2. sect. 3. And in his marginall observations on a passage of Mr Hookers he layes downe this as a Rule Naturall Reason then built on principles common to all men is the last Resolution pag. 65. Nay Reason is in some sort Gods word see his answer to the Preface pag. 21. How then will the Atheist say is Reason credible for it selfe since Mr Chillingworth saith that Gods word is not credible for it selfe Surely these answers will never bring a man to divine faith for to rely upon Tradition is but to rely upon Humane testimony and such as the testimony is such is the faith if the testimony which is the ground of faith be humane then the faith cannot be divine Againe naturall Reason is not infallible nor is it able to judge of truths which are above Reason now it is cleare that supernaturall truths are above naturall Reason Finally faith is not grounded upon Reason but upon Authority He gives a third answer chap. 1. pag. 36. God hath confirmed the doctrine of the Scripture by miracles but then he saith we have nothing to assure us of the truth of those miracles but Tradition and therefore we are not got one steppe nearer faith or Heaven by that shift and if he flie back to Reason then consider what he saith pag. 117. God hath no where commanded men to beleeve all that Reason induceth them to beleeve Qu. But if this great point must be tried by Reason what Reason can you produce to prove the Scripture to be the word of God An. There is as good reason for it as there is to beléeve other stories or matters of Tradition He requires men to yeeld just such a kinde or degree of assent to the Gospel of Christ as they yeeld to other stories or matters of Tradition chap. 1. pag. 37. for God desires us only to beleeve the conclusion as much as the premises deserve ib. sect. 8. p. 36. And the Chronicle of England joyned with the generall tradition of our acquaintance deserves as much credit in Mr Chillingworths conceit as the Gospel of Christ for his words are these chap. 2. sect. 159. p. 116. 117. Wee have I beleeve as great reason to beleeve there was such a man as Henry the eighth King of England as the Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate The Lord rebuke that spirit of errour which moved the great men of Oxford to license this blasphemy What have I no more reason to beleeve the three persons in the holy Trinity speaking in their glorious Gospel to my heart and conscience then I have to beleeve Stowes Chronicle or the generall tradition of my owne acquaintance or some such other fallible testimony Qu. But what if I cannot be assured that any part of the Scripture is the word of God may I be saved without beleeving this weighty point An. Yes saith Mr. Chillingworth chap. 2. sect. 159. if a man should beléeve Christian Religion wholly and entirely and live according to it such a man though he should not know or not beléeve the Scripture to be a Rule of faith no nor to be the word of God my opinion is he may be saved Excellent Divinity indeed what is not this a principle of Christianity that Scripture is the word of God and rule of faith and if it be how then is it possible for a man to beleeve the Christian Religion wholly and entirely and yet not beleeve this principle Yes I may beléeve the Scripture as I doe Augustins works pag. 114. Qu. But if I am assured that some Scripture is the word of God how shall I know what books are Canonicall and what not An. By universall Tradition I must receive those books for Canonicall of whose Authority there was never any doubt or question in the Church pag. 148. I may then it seems doubt of the Epistle of James the second of Peter

owne obedience in stead of relying upon Gods authority and Christs obedience can be saved by the Covenant of Grace let all true Christians judge Qu. What other condition is required of us Answ. A true sincere and cordiall love of God Answer to the Preface p. 20. Qu. How may a man be raised to this love Answ. By the consideration of Gods most infinite goodnesse to us and our own almost infinite wickednesse against him Gods Spirit cooperating with us may raise us to a true sincere and a cordiall love of God in the same page Qu. Wherein doth this infinite goodnesse of God manifest it selfe Answ. 1. In creating us of nothing 2. In creating us after his own image 3. In creating all things for our use and benefit 4. In streaming downe his favours on us every moment of our lives 5. In designing us if we serve him to infinite and eternall happinesse 6. In redéeming us with the pretious bloud of his beloved Sonne 7. By his patience towards us in expecting our conversion 8. In wooing alluring leading and by all meanes which his wisdome can suggest unto him and mans nature is capable of drawing them to repentance and salvation I have picked out the marrow of his notions the best Divinity his works afford but observe 1. We are saith he designed to eternall happinesse if we serve God which is perfect Popery shall I say or Socinianisme here is a conditionall decree and the condition is works 2. God expects our conversion I thought he had effected our conversion if God stay till we will turne off our selves or cooperate with his Spirit in the first act of our conversion we shall never be converted Sure I am this Implicite faith grounded on unsanctified reason and fallible tradition will rather resist then cooperate with the holy Spirit The Scripture tels us that we do never love God in good earnest till we doe beleeve Gods love to us compare the 16. and 19. verses of the 1 Iohn 4. And faith is not wrought in us by our cooperation with the Spirit but by the Almighty power of God who quickens us whom he finds dead in trespasses and sinnes unto a lively faith as is evident in the two first chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians Qu Is it possible for a man that lives and dies a Papist to be saved Ans. Yes very possible in the iudgement of Master Chillingworth 1 Because the Papists do not erre in Fundamentals chap. 3. Sect. 56. pag. 164. For the only and main reason saith he why we beleeve you not to erre in Fundamentals is your holding the Doctrine of Faith in Christ and Repentance The worst sort of Papists who have means to find the Truth but will not use them may be saved if they die with a generall repentance for all their sinnes knowne and unknowne because the Truths which they hold of Faith in Christ and repentance are as it were an Antidote against their errours and their negligence in seeking the truth Especially seeing by confession of both sides we agree in much more then is simply and indispensably necessary to salvation Chap. 3. Sect. 12. pag. 133. And truly I doe beleeve if the worst of Papists and the worst of Protestants did agree in fewer things then they doe there would be more hope of the salvation of Papists Qu. What is the best way to bring Papists and Protestants into one communion Ans. The framing and proposing of a Liturgy which both sides hold lawfull p. 132. This was perchance the great stratagem aimed at in the framing of that Liturgy which was sent into Scotland and this is a point which deserves the consideration of the pretended Parliament or Assembly at Oxford Qu. Is the Spirit absolutely promised to the succession of Bishops Answ No for many of them have beene notoriously and confessedly wicked men men of the world whereas this Spirit is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because he seeth him not neither knowes him p. 146 147. Whether this be not as true of some Popish Prelats in England as of the Bishops of Rome let the learned determine Qu. What if a Church maintaine an errour contrary to Gods Revelation knowne by that Church to be a divine Revelation Ans. The Church that doth so is no longer a Church p. 137. Qu. Doth not Master Chillingworth sometimes contradict himselfe and call the Roman Church the Catholique Church Answ. He seemes to do so p. 132. His words are these We beléeve the Catholique Church cannot perish yet that she may and did erre in points not Fundamentall and that Protestan● were obliged to forsake these errors of her Church as they did though not the Church for the errours for that they did not but continued still members of the Church Observe that the question is about forsaking the Church of Rome and he talkes of the Catholique Church 1. The Catholique Church did not erre with the Roman the Greek Church did forsake the errours of the Roman 2. Those Protestants who did protest against the Church of Rome were a considerable part of the Catholique Church 3. Those Protestants did not continue members of the Roman Church but did renounce her communion because of her errours 4. His distinction which followes betweene the Catholique and Roman Church makes his former observations non-sence at least 5. He saith they separated from the Roman Church only in things which they conceived superstitious or impious and he saith they were obliged to doe this under paine of damnation Not saith he as if it were damnable to hold an errour not damnable p. 132. Did those Protestants rightly conceive the practises of Rome to be superstitious and impious or did they not if they did conceive aright then superstion and impiety are in Master Chillingworths judgement not damnable if they did conceive amisse why doth Master Chillingworth justifie our separation from the Church of Rome Sure Master Chillingworth was no fit man to maintaine the common cause of Protestants against Papists Qu. May not a man bee damned by maintaining errours which are not in themselves damnable Ans. Yes because it is damnable outwardly to professe and maintaine and ioyne with others in the practise of that which inwardly we do not hold for this is as he confesses damnable dissimulation and hypocrisie p. 132. Men may do well to take notice that Mr Chillingworth doth account something damnable and I note this the rather at this time because men are so apt to professe one thing in one place and another thing in another in these dayes of liberty and to joyne with others in the practise of that which they inwardly dislike Yet Mr Chillingworth saith that if in him alone there should have met a confluence of all the errours which all the Protestants in the world have fell into out of humane frailty he would not be so much afraid of them all as to ask pardon for them because to ask pardon for them were

abroad some hard opinions that he had of Iesus Christ and wisht him to deale candidly and plainly to the world in that point He answered for those things he was setled and resolved and therefore did not desire to be further troubled Being demanded what course should be taken for his interment in case God should take him away in this place he replied that where ever God should please to take him he would there be interred and if it might be obtained according to the custome of the Church of England if not the Lords will be done And further said hee because the world will be apt to surmise the worst of things and there may be some inquiry made after my usage in this place I must testifie and declare to all the world that I have received both of Master Golledge and his wife abundance of love care and tendernesse where I deserved it not and that I have wanted nothing which might be desired of them and I must in all conscience and honesty doe them this right to testifie the truth to the world or to that effect Anthony Edmonds And for my part I beleeve that in the course of nature hee might have recovered had he not neglected and distrusted an able Doctor who freely offered himselfe onely because hee was Physician to Sir William Waller sure I am that jealousie was more deadly then his disease Yet Master Chillingworth did when it was too late discover and confesse his errour and we perswaded the Doctor to visit him afterwards and he was in an hopefull way of recovery but then his spirit was much dejected because his friends neglected or delayed to send him some good newes from Oxford his heart was so set upon his release and his head was still working and projecting how he might be exchanged or ransomed and therefore certainly the Newes of his friends active endevours for his release was the onely Cordiall which could possibly revive his spirits and for want of such a Cordiall his heart was even dead within him before he died I entreated him to plucke up his spirits and not to yeeld to his disease but I perceived that though Reason be stout when it encounters with faith yet reason is not so valiant when it is to encounter with affliction and I cannot but observe that many a Parliament-souldier hath been more chearfull in a prison then this discoursing Engineer and learned Captive was in a Palace Beleeve it Reader beleeve it that neither gifts nor parts nor profession nor any thing else but faith will sustaine the spirit of a man in spirituall straights and worldly encombrances when without there are fightings and within there are fears Another reason there was which as I conceive was very destructive to this Man of Reason he was disrelished and I beleeve abused by most of the great Officers who were taken Prisoners in Arundell-castle they looked upon him as an intruder into their councells of warre and as one of them whispered the Queens intelligencer who was set as a Spie over them and all their proceedings When Major Molins came to treat hee spake very coldly for Master Chillingworth and a greater Commander then he told me that they were bound to curse that little Priest to the pit of hell for he had been the ruine of them all I replyed in his behalfe that I wondered much that they should make so weake an Apology for I could not beleeve that Master Chillingworths single Vote could turn their Councell of warre round and make them giddy The ingenious Gentleman made use of the liberty of his judgement and replyed Sir Master Chillingworth hath so much credit at the Court and the Court-councell hath so much influence into our military Councell that we were even over-awed and durst not contradict Master Chillingworth for feare lest our owne resolutions might succeed ill and then his counsell would have been esteemed the better I told the Gentleman that I thought Master Chillingworth wanted experience for the ordering of military affaires and therefore could not well apply the generall rules of reason aright and bring them downe to practise in cases which were difficult because unusuall The Gentleman replyed Sir Master Chillingworth is so confident of his great wit and parts that hee conceives himselfe able to manage martiall affaires in which hee hath no experience by the strength of his owne wit and reason Sir quoth I you may forgive him for though I hope to bee saved by faith yet Master Chillingworth hopes that a man may be saved by reason and therefore you may well give him leave to fight by reason Sir saith that witty Gentleman I confesse it is a sad objection which I know not how to answere and so in stead of an answere we went to dinner But I did examine the businesse impartially afterwards and perceive that these great Commanders have grossely abused Master Chillingworth in laying all the blame upon him as if he were guilty of losing the out-workes the Towne the Castle and all and therefore I shall doe Master Chillingworth so much right as to offer some considerations which may tend to his excuse or vindication For what though Master Chillingworth were the grand-Engineer at Glocester and Arundel and both projects failed the fault might be in the Officers and Souldiers and not in the Engineer Put the case the Lord Hopton Baron of Stratton Field-Marshall-generall of the West promise to bring three thousand men and the Engineer make a line of Communication which cannot be defended with fewer then two thousand but the field-Marshall doth in the mean time forget himselfe and quarter his men in three or foure Maniples but his enemy being a more wary and prudent Commander keeps his men in a contracted and compact body which is too strong for the best of his Maniples and falls upon one of the field-Marshals Quarters takes and kills neare upon a thousand men and the field-Marshall by such an unexpected blow is utterly disabled for the fulfilling of his promise of sending three thousand nay is not able to send above 1500 men shall the Engineer or the field-Marshall be blamed in such a case Nay what if the enemy advance before the Engineer hath quite finished his workes yet if he hath made them defensible against any sudden onset and the Souldiers which should defend the works quit their Trenches and runne all away before any one man be slaine in the Trenches shall the Engineere be blamed in such a case or the Souldiers who were stricken with feare when there was no considerable cause of feare Finally if the Lord of Hosts who did strike a terrour to the very heart of the Souldiers doe shew himselfe a God of wisdome and infatuate the counsels of the grand Achitophels nay shew himselfe a sin-revenging God and smite the Souldiers in the Castle with deadly diseases with one Pox more then they carried in with them with the Flux the Calenture the spotted Feaver and the like

the second and third Epistles of John the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of Jude the book of the Revelation the books of Job Esther Ecclesiastes c. He saith he cannot in reason so undoubtedly beleeve those books to be Canonicall which have beene questioned as those which were never questioned At least I have no warrant to damne any man that shall deny them now having the example of Saints in Heaven either to justifie or excuse such their deniall chap. 2. sect. 38. pag. 67. Surely here is a pretty tempting excuse for if not a justification of those Libertines who question these books and may upon Mr Chillingworths principles question all the rest if they acknowledge one of the Gospels that containes as much as all the rest Ergo that is sufficient pag. 93. 101. But if they beleeve no booke to be Canonicall and therefore will not assent to any book of Scripture they doe not commit a sinne of derogation from Gods perfect and pure veracity for he onely gives God the lye who denies some book or point which he himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God chap. 3. sect. 15 16 17. Now it is impossible that a man should know one thing to be true and beleeve the contrary or know it and not beleeve it sect. 18. Whither these and the like principles which frequently occurre in his writings tend let the most sober and charitable men judge The only Fundamentall Errour in Mr Chillingworths judgement is to deny something which the party himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God and therefore in his judgement none but downe-right Atheists erre fundamentally cap. 2. p. 135. 136. Atheisme then as the Jesuites and Arminians conceive is the formality of an Heretick p. 100. for it is down-right Atheisme for any man to deny that to be true which he acknowledges to be spoken by the God of truth Qu. But if I doe beleeve the Scripture to be Gods word is it necessary to beleeve that controversies are to be decided by that Word An. No saith Mr Chillingworth this is no Fundamentall point his words are full I say that this position Scripture alone is the rule whereby they which beleeve it to bee Gods word are to judge all controversies in faith is no Fundamentall point chap. 2. pag. 115. His intent is by this assertion to make good a dreame of his that some controversies in faith need not be judged or determined at all Mr Chillingworth pretends that he holds the Scripture to be a perfect rule of faith and yet he saith it is not necessary to judge all controversies and those no small ones because they are controversies in faith by that perfect rule It is a perfect rule but we need not be ruled by it in all points of faith Qu. But is there then any other way to decide controversies which hath any colour of probability from the Scripture An. Yes nine or ten severall meanes of agreement offered themselves to Mr Chillingworth upon the sudden and haply more might have beene thought on if he had had time and these that are offered have as much probability from Scripture as that which Papists obtrude upon us And truly he was such a ready blasphemer that he could vent extemporary blasphemies yet such as the Licentious men at Oxford approved chap. 3. pag. 130. 131. First he saith we could if we would try it by lots whose Doctrine is true and whose false for which he cites Prov. 16. 33. It may be this Sophister did cast lots for his Religion and it was his hard lot to draw Popery first then Arminianisme and then his doctrine run lower and lower till it came almost to the very dregs of Socinianisme Secondly we could referre it to the King Prov 16. 10. and 21. 1. Mr Chillingworth might make merry with his owne prophane doctrine but I admire that he should dare to sport himselfe with the Majesty of Scripture and the Majesty of the King But truly I am afraid that some are so indifferent in point of Religion that they are content not only to referre it to the King but to the Queene It were proper for them to vent such Doctrine who have as the old Tradition and proverbe hath it taken an oath to be of the Kings Religion Thirdly to an Assembly of Christians assembled in the name of Christ Math. 18. 20. Let them not then blame the Parliament for consulting an Assembly of learned and pious Christians and most of them Ministers of the Gospel assembled in the name of Christ Fourthly to any Priest Malach. 2. 7. This makes well of the Queens side Fifthly to any Preacher of the Gospel Pastour or Doctour Math. 28. 20. Sure Mr Chillingworth was more independent then they that are commonly so called Sixthly to any Bishop or Prelate why not then to the Bishop of Rome for it is written Obey your Prelates Heb. 13. 17. Mr Chillingworth since his pretended conversion was very apt to be seduced by the vulgar or Rhemish translation or some version received at Saint Omers but this was a voluntary and devised meanes as he saith in the same page Seventhly to any particular Church of Christians seeing it is a particular Church which is called the house of God a pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. and seeing of any particular Church it is written He that heareth not the Church let him be unto thee an Heathen Matth. 18. Mr Chillingworth is sometimes Prelaticall and sometimes Congregationall Eighthly we might referre it to any man that prayes for Gods spirit for it is written every one that asketh receives this is one steppe beyond the Brownists Matth. 7. 8. James 1. 5. Lastly we might referre it to the Jewes for without all doubt of them it is written My spirit that is in thee c. Isaiah 59. 21. And why not to the Socinians they have naturall reason a very competent Judge in Mr Chillingworths conceit What wonder is it that so many blasphemies and quibbles for every quibble upon Scripture is a blasphemy should be licensed by grave and learned Professours of Divinity what if Papists take liberty to blaspheme and put the Scripture upon the rack to force it to confesse what makes for their turn must Protestants or such a one who undertakes the common Cause of Protestants though he was no Protestant bee permitted to blaspheme by the Licence of an University Repent deare Doctors once more repent and I will proceed Qu. But how shall I know the true sense of Scripture there being such variety of conceits which passe for Interpretations Answ Here help mee Reason again and Implicit Faith For the last Resolution of my Faith in his conceit must be into Reason page 65. 96. and still he labours to prove that Reason is Judge and he frequently jeares at Knot for accounting it an absurdity for every man and woman to rely upon their Reason in the interpreting of Scripture p. 98. Reasons drawn

sinne in which the life and power of repentance doth consist A man may live and die in his sinnes and be saved by an universall sorrow Men are damned saith he who die in wilfull errours without repentance but what if they die in thir errours with repentance Answer to the Preface p. 20. That is a contradiction saith the Iesuit and he saith true but it appeares by that speech that Master Chillingworth conceived that an universall sorrow for sinne without any hatred of or turning from sinne was saving repentance Qu. What other condition is required in the Covenant between God and man in Christ Answ Sincere obedience Answer to the Preface p. 18. This indeed is the prime condition he meanes when he saith p. 134. That to beleeve in Christ is to expect remission of sinnes from Christ upon the conditions he requires This is pure Socinianisme to beleeve that we shall be pardoned upon our obedience or as the Socinians expresse it and justified according to the Covenant by our owne obedience not as we say by the obedience of Christ and freely pardoned for the al sufficient satisfaction of Christ made in our stead and put upon our account Besides if a man neglect never so many duties live in never-so many errors and commit never so many grosse sinnes he conceives that an Implicite Faith and a generall Repentance of all sinnes knowne and unknowne are sufficient Antidotes and his Obedience shall passe for sincere Obedience as you may clearly see in those places which have beene already alleadged If a man be not convinced that Christ is God by his principles an Implicit Faith and generall Repentance will serve the turne though that truth hath beene sufficiently propounded to him and it is meerly his own fault that he is not convinced for in his conceit as long as this man remains as he saith unconvinced but as we say obstinate so long he doth not derogate any thing from Gods veracity or truth His words are these But if the proposall be only so sufficient not that the party to whom it is made is convinced but only that he should but for his own fault would have beene convinced of the divine verity of the doctrine proposed The crime then is not so great for the beliefe of Gods veracity may well consist with such an errour Yet a fault I confesse it is and without Repentance damnable if all circumstances considered that is mens passions hindrances c. considered as above said the proposall be sufficient p. 18. of his answer to the Preface Now what he meanes by repentance hath beene shewen a generall sorrow for all sinnes knowne and unknowne such a repentance as will consist with a mans obstinate deniall of a truth for he may die in this errour with Master Chillingworths repentance and neither the errour nor the obstinancie shall be imputed to him because he is sorry for he knowes not what and remained unconvinced of his errour though it was meerly his owne fault that he was not convinced This is a ready way to save Iewes Turkes Socinians Papists Infidels and all for he doth meerly retaine the names of faith repentance sincere obedience without the substance life and power of them The Faith he talkes of leaves the will at liberty he starts at the Apostles phrase the obedience of faith You saith he to Knot say there is some merit in faith we some obedience in it which can hardly have place where there is no possibility of disobedience as there is not where the understanding doth all and the will nothing p. 329. Sure I am the Devill hath such a saith an assent without obedience his faith is no faith because grounded meerly upon probabilities he only saith that the precepts of Christianity are most likely to come from God p. 36. chap. 1. but the Spirit of God being implored by devout and humble prayer and sincere obedience may and will by degrees advance his servants to an higher certainty p. 36. 37. But this certainty is a reward given to beleevers so then men are beleevers before the Spirit gives them any certainty that the Christian religion did proceed from the fountaine of goodnesse Now he who only beleeves the Christian religion of all other religions to be most likely to be true is not very likely to implore the Spirit very earnestly either by prayer or obedience for who will obey the precepts of Christianity till he be assured that they and the promises are divine But saith Master Chillingworth men may talke their pleasure of an absolute and most infallible certainty but did they generally beleeve that obedience to Christ were the only way marke that the onely way to present and eternall felicity but as firmly and undoubtedly as that there is such a City as Constantinople nay but as much as Caesars Commentaries or the History of Salust I beleeve the lives of most men both Papists and Protestants would be better then they are chap. 6. pag. 327. Sure Christs obedience for us is the way to happinesse therefore our obedience is not the only way 2. It is certaine that all true Protestants do beleeve the Gospel more firmly then Caesars Commentaries or Salust prophane Histories 3. Such a Faith as this will not implore the Spirit by devout and humble prayer or by sincere obedience 4. I appeale to all indifferent men what kind of obedience is like to spring from an implicite faith in unsanctified reason a faith that is a bare assent without obedience the faith of Devils not the faith of Christians 5. The repentance of obstinate men I meane in sensu composito as Master Chillingworth means a generall sorrow which he cals repentance that is humiliation without reformation repentance of sinnes which I love and live in and damnable errours which I die in is not that repentance from dead works which Christ requires sure Heresie in the language of the Apostle is a work of the flesh and therefore as dead a work as any other we may then safely conclude that an implicite faith in unsanctified reason or fallible tradition and a generall sorrow for I know not what sinnes and errors though grosse enough for to be known such sinnes and errours as the party doth love live and die in and never so much as confesse to be sinnes or errours because he is so obstinate that he will not be convinced of them I say safely conclude that this faith and this sorrow are both unchristian if not Antichristian He that hath an implicite faith in his owne unsanctified reason makes himselfe a Pope Sanctified reason sees but in part and therefore unsanctified reason is spiritually blind it cannot see any thing which is spiritually discerned Besides I feare that he conceived there was some merit of congruity in the lame obedience of this blind beleever because he saith the sincere obedience of such a beleever doth implore the Spirit Now whether a man that relies upon his owne reason and his