and stabble And indeed they fed them with no better as they basely glosse upon that text in Job The Oxen that is the Priests were plowing and the Asses Tu et Asinus unum estote Disci de temp ser 121. that is the People were feeding by them feeding hungerly upon thistles and huskes and fainting at the head of every street The children asked bread but no man brake it unto them Lam. 4.4 for bread they had stones for fishes scorpions Acts and Monuments fol. 1109. Thyrraeus de Daemon cap. 21. What a Devill made the to meddle with the Scriptures said Steven Gardner to Marbeck and of another they tell us that by reading the Bible he became possest with a Devill A very strange businesse Athanasius saith that evill spirits are expelled and driven away by that 68. Psal Exurgat Dominus c. But this is true of the whole book of God one part as wel as another Father Abraham sends the rich mans brethren to Moses and the Prophets for defence against the Devill and our blessed Saviour when he beat the Devill on his own dunghill as it were made the Word his only weapon chusing out of that one book of Deuteronomy and almost out of one chapter thereof as out of a preciously purling current all those stones wherewith hee prostrated the Goliah of hell Now if there be so much sufficiency in one book in one chapter what may we conceive of the whole But it will haply bee here objected If Moses his writings were so full Object 1 what needed any addition thereto of the Prophets and Apostles I answer Answer Not to perfect that which till then was defective and incompleate For the five bookes of Moses yea that one book of Genesis was sufficient to the salvation of such as then lived The Prophets were added for explanation of the Law the New Testament for clearing and applying them both Those things that were there more darkly delivered are here more plainely and plentifully set forth Hab. 2.2 so that a man may even runne and reade them Now we have a more cleare and perfect direction than they had under the Law Thence their light is compared to the light of a candle that shines in a dark place ours to the day-light 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Cor. 3.18 Now wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. But how is it then that the Scriptures are yet stil so obscure and difficult Quest yea perplex and ambiguous Sublime they are Answer but not dark in themselves sith they came from the Father of lights and are lighted up to bee our candle in this world saith S. Austin Tract 35. in Iohan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 protreptic p. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 3. de Laza. that we walk not in darknesse a common light that shineth to all saith Clemens Alexandrinus so that every man of himselfe by reading them may learn the things therein delivered saith Chrysostome This is to bee understood of the doctrinall foundation of Faith and Manners in setting down whereof the Scripture is most plain and easie Bellarmine himselfe is forced to say De verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. Scripturis nihil notius Nothing is more manifest than the Scriptures Esay 8.1 Inclinavit Scripturas Deus ad insantium tactentium capacitatem In Psal 8. Write saith God in the roule with a mans pen that is clearely that the simplest may conceive so much as concernes him to Salvation God hath fitted the Scriptures saith Austin to the capacity of the meanest So that if our Gospell bee hid it is hid to them that perish If men understand it not the veile is not drawn over it but over their hearts 2 Cor. 3.15 which the Lord doth more and more remove dispell and disperse the darknesse of the minds of his elect by his holy Spirit The book was open in the Angels hand Rev. 10.8 It had been shut and sealed but S. John had got it open by his prayers and teares and by his more diligent search and seeking to the Angell to instruct him Gods Spirit in his servants is heroick they are whetted on by difficulty to a more diligent enquiry as Sampson bound with new ropes went out and shook himself Prov. 26.13 A Lion in the way may fright a sluggard not a Sampson or an Alexander who meeting with a hard encounter said Iam par periculum animo Alexandri This is an enterprise worthy of great Alexander It cannot be denied but that the Scripture in many places is dark and difficult and the pen-men thereof as in some things like those Angels in Jacobs vision they descend to the â—â—â—plicity of the mâ—â—â—est so in other things they transcend the sublimity of the learnedest Mare est Scriptura divina habens inse sensus profundos Ambros Ep. 44. agnus peditet elephantus natet Ep. ad Leand. The Scripture is a great Sea saith Ambrose the Lamb may wade the Elephant may swim in it saith Gregory And there is such a depth therein saith Austin that a man may dayly profit in the knowledge thereof Si eas sotas maximo otio summo studio meliore ingenio conarer addiscere Epist 3. ad Volusian though he studied nothing else all the dayes of his life yea as long as the dayes of heaven shall last without any intermission or remission of his utmost indeavour And in another place Not only saith that Father in innumerable other things am I guilty of much ignorance Multo plura nescio quam scio Epist 119. c. 21 Iob 26.14 but in the Scriptures also my profession and chiefe study there are many more things that I know not than that I know How little a thing doth man understand of God saith he in Job the greatest part of our knowledge is but the least part of our ignorance Nondum hoc scio quod nihil scio This only I know said the wisest of the Philosophers that I know nothing Another comes after him and addes neither know I yet so much as that that I know nothing Natures best secretaries cannot with all their skill give us a convincing reason of the perennity of Rivers of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea of the colours of the Rayne-bow of the heat in the stomack that consumeth all other things and yet not the parts about it Pythagoras assignes no other cause of earth-quakes Conventus mortuorum Aelian lib. 4. ridicule than the meeting together of those that are dead Pliny wonders at the Gnat so small a creature and yet making so great a buzze Nat. hist. lib. 11 cap. 9. Hee also mentions one that spent threescore and eight yeares in searching out the nature of the Bee and yet fell short of his desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.9
pleased or displeased with divine errands GOD that sends us on them must not bee displeased But hee hath excluded the fearefull and will not employ a white-livered Souldier so far as to breake a Pitcher or to beare a torch Thou therefore as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ suffer hardship do the work of an Evangelist Galat. 1.10 Rev. 21.8 Iudges 7.3 2 Tim. 2.3 doe it throughly do it boldly do it sharply if need be rebuke them cuttingly that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chirurgos misericordes esse non oportet It is a metaphor from Chirurgions who must not be mercifull saith Celsus but have Lions hearts least their mercy prove as great cruelty as his that should forbeare to draw a drowning man out of the water for feare of pulling off some part of his haire Great is our charge to declame against sin yea to proclaime hell-fire against it if men amend not upon every opportunity to use all importunity for the rousing of sinners out of that dead Lethargy whereinto Sathan and an evill custome hath cast them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.13 Cry aloud saith the Lord cry in the throte Esay 58.1 Ier. 1.17 spare not lest I confound thee before them lift up thy voyce like a trumpet Cast away the inverse Trumpets of Furius Fulvius which sounded a retrait when they should have sounded an alarme It is a treacherous slattery to sooth men up in their sinnes and to make all faire weather before them when the storme of Gods heavie displeasure is ready to burst out upon them such a storme as shall never bee blowne over If Ministers must bee mannerly in the forme yet in the matter of their message they must be resolute It is probable Ioseph used some preface to Pharaohs Butler in reading him that destiny Genesis 40 19. Chap. 4.19 such as was that of Daniel My Lord the dreame be to them that hate thee c. or as Philo brings him in with a Vtinam tale somnium non vidisses c. I would thou hadst not dreamt such a dream But for the matter he gives him a true though sharp interpretation Bitter truths must be told however they be taken If men hate us they doe it with as good justice as if some fond people should punish the Herald or accuse the trumpet as the cause of their war If they exclaim against us they shew as much madnesse as if the widdow of Naims son should have raild upon our Saviour for offering to raise him from the dead If they deride our message and command us ad quercum dicere Livy se interim alia acturos as a Governour of the Aequi in Italy bad the Roman Ambassadours to speake to the walles they have somthing else to do then to regard us we must take the boldnesse to answer them againe as they did him Et haec sacrata quercus audiat saedus a vobis violatum Let these stones of the wall and beames out of the house-sides yea let Heaven and earth witnesse your intolerable contempt wherein ye have not despiled man but God 1 Thes 4 8 What are we that ye have murmured against us saith Moses your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord Exod. 16 7 8 who wil justly punish it Thus must Ministers contest against the raging world and contend for the doctrine of faith once receaved not loving their ease no not their lives unto the death Acts 20. that they may fulfill their course with joy Itching eares would have clawing Preachers and these are the times foretold by the Apostle 2 Tim. 4 3. wherin men cannot abide wholesome doctrine Briars and thornes be with thee saith God to Ezekiel such as a man can hardly handle hee that toucheth them must bee fenced with iron and with the staffe of a speare 2 Sam. 2 6 But feare them not nor bee dismaid thogh they be a rebellious house And that he might not behold the spirit tooke him up and he heard behind him a voyce of a great rushing saying Blessed bee the glory of the Lord from his place Ezek. 4.12 Hereby his heart was fortified against all affronts of the people and afflictions of the world whether they would heare or whether they would forbeare yet hee should find there was a reward for the righteous a God that judgeth in the earth and pleades for his faithfull servants when they little think of it in the hearts of their greatest enemies Ieremy 9.3 A godly man that is valiant for the truth and refuseth to praise the wicked but when he hath cause will contend with them and not be like a troubled fountaine or a corrupt spring well hee may for the time receive ill words from the wicked but their hearts are afraid of him and their Consciences admire him Prover 24.25 28.4 Saint Paul standing before Faelix who had more regard to gaine then Iustice and Drusilla a Iewesse yet married against the Law to an uncircumcised person taketh occasion in a certaine kind of grave wisdome joynd with great liberty of speech to discourse and dispute afore them of Iustice Temperance and the judgement to come till Faelix trembled Acts 24.25 and could heare him no longer The like spirit was found in Athanasius that eye of the World as one calls him Of whom Nazianzen reports that he was Magnes Adamas In Encom Athanas a loadstone in his sweet gentle drawing nature and yet an Adamant in his resolute stout carriage against those that were evill Pueris illa terriculamenta proponenda sunt sc exilia supplicia c. Greg Naz. de laud Baesiâ—ij were they never so great And how did Saint Basil despise the menaces of Valens the Arrian Emperour and so daunted him with his presence that hee reeld and had fallen had he not been upheld by those that stood next him Who hath not read or heard how freely Ambrose dealt with Theodosius Tripar hist lib. 9. cap. 30. B. Ridley offering to preach before the Lady Mary and receiving a repulse being brought by Sir Thomas Wharton her servant to the Dining place hee was desired to drinke Which after he had done he paused a while looking very sadly and suddainly brake out into these words Surely I have done amisse Why so quoth the Knight For I have drunk said he in that place where Gods word offered hath beene refused Whereas if I had remembred my duty I had departed immediately and shaken off the dust of my shooes for a testimony against this house These words were by the said Bishop spoken with such a vehemency Fox Martyr fol. 1270. that some of the hearers afterwards confessed the haires to stand upright on their heads So Archâ— Grindall by cunning practises of his adversaries lost the Queens favour because he had condemned an unlawfull marriage of Iulio an Italian Physitian
of spoile as Ahimaaz that alwaies brought good tidings When ever therefore you take up the Bible and open it cry Psal 119. Lord open mine eyes that J may see the wondrous things of thy Law When you are reading thinke you see written over every line Zach. 14.20 Sancte liber venerande liber liber optime salve Holinesse to the Lord and lift up some good requests As when you shut the booke againe say Lord who am I that thou shouldst shut up thy mysteries in such an earthen vessell O animae nostrae Biblia dimidium put such a precious pearle in a leatherne purse commit such a rich talent to me who am of saints the least of sinners the greatest Thus as Moses prayed devoutly both when the Arke removed and likewise when it rested againe And as Paul begins continues and concludes his Epistles with holy prayers Hoc primum repetas opuâ— hoc postremus omittas so must we our reading of the Scriptures if we meane to make any thing of it No sacrifice was without incense so must no service be without prayer Mar. 9.24 Yea let us pray with teares as he in the Gospell did and sped They are effectuall Oratours with Christ who found time to looke upon the weeping women when he was in the midst of his agony and in his way to the tree Jacob wrestled with him and prevailed by prayers and teares The Prophets usually received their Revelations besides rivers Esay 62.4 Cant 1.15 Cant. 4.1 The Spouse Christs Cheptsibah is said to have doves eyes glazed with teares John the beloved Disciple wept and so obtained that the booke should be opened Revel 5.4 Like as when Gods bottle was filled with Hagars teares he opened her eyes and sent his Angell to shew her where she might fill her bottle with living water Luther that great instrument of Gods glory for the bringing of life and immortality to light by the Gospell was a man of prayer 2 Tim 1.10 and so ardent therein that as Melancton writeth they which stood under his window where he was praying might see his teares falling and dropping downe Scultet Annal. George Prince of Anhalt though he saw something by Luthers light yet being not throughly convinced of divers points then in controversie besought God with many teares to bend his mind to the truth using often those words of David Psal 119.124 Deale with thy servant according to thy mercy and teach me thy statutes This was the first and the onely Prince of Germany that himselfe taught his subjects the way to Heaven Ibid. both by lively voice by printed bookes and by his daily prayers for his people that he might save himselfe and those that heard him Luk. 6.12 Our Saviour when he was to send forth his Apostles spent a whole night in prayer with strong crying and teares for a blessing on their Ministery and was heard in that he requested The harp yeelds no sound till toucht by the hand of the Musitian nor can Paul prevaile with Lydia till God open her heart Rebeccah may cook the venison but it is Isaac that must give the blessing Paul may plant c. but God gives increase The cause why the Word workes no more upon many mens hearts when they reade of heare it is because they rest too much upon it as that Idolatrous Micah who said Iudg 17. J know God Will be mercifull unto me because J have got a Levite and cry not earnestly to God to come himselfe unto them in the fullnesse of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ Rom. 15.29 to strike a holy stroke by his powerfull Spirit to give us right judgement and understanding that we may approove things that are excellent Pray therefore with S. Paul Phil. 1. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory would give unto us the Spirit of Wisdome and revelation the eyes of our understanding being enlightned c. Ephes 1.17 18 Rev 3. Rev. 5. Pray him that hath the key of David and was found only worthy to open the seven seales to open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of his Law to irradiate both Organ and Object to give us sight and light not that outward light onely that is in the Scriptures themselves but that inward also of his Spirit the light of faith in our hearts Aug de Civ Dei The Platonists could say that the light of our mindes whereby we learne all things is no other but God himselfe the same that made all things say therefore with David Psal 119.12 Blessed be thou O Lord teach me thy statutes And with Zuninglius I beseech Almighty God to direct our waies Deum O. M. precor ut vias nostras dirigat ac sicubi simus Beleami in morem veritati pertinaciter obluctaturi c. Epist lib. 3â— fol. 118. and if Balaam-like we shall wilfully withstand the truth to send his holy Angell who with the dint of his drawne sword may so dash this Asse our blindnesse and boldnesse I meane to the wall that we may feele our feet that is our carnall affections to be crusht and our selves kept from speaking ought amisse of the God of Heaven Omnipotent sempiterne ac miâ—ericors Deus cujus verbum c. Scultet Annal p. 328. His publike Lectures on the Bible he alwaies began with this prayer Almighty everlasting and mercifull God whose Word is a lanterne to our feet and a light to our pathes be pleased to open and enlighten our minds that we may both understand these thine Oracles piously and holily and also be transformed into that we rightly understand so that we may not in any thing displease thy Majesty through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. 5. FOurthly conferre with those that are better able propound to them your doubts and seeke satisfaction as the Disciples did Joh. 16.16 and the Eunuch Acts 8.34 and the Corinthians 1 Cor. 7. But ever doe this with a desire to be resolved and to yeeld to the truth revealed Not like that None-such Ahab 2 Chron. 18.14 or those perverse Pharisees Ioh 18.38 Mar. 8.12 or Pilate that asked what is truth but cared not to heare an answer or Herod who was desirous of a long season to see our Saviour Luk. 23 8. as hoping to have seene some miracle done by him as by some base juggler but would never stirre out of doores to fee him Ier 42.19 Not like Jeremies hearers that had made their conclusion before they came to enquire of him and were resolved upon their course nor like those tatling women in Timothy 2 Tim 3.7 that are ever learning but never knowing the truth Luk. 24. But with an humble and honest heart as those two going to Emaus for such shall know all Christs mind as they Such shall be of his Court and Counsell Gen. 18.17 as
to be got by the Gospel if a man reade it cursorily and carelesly but if he exercise himselfe therein constantly and conscionably hee shall feele such a force in it as is not to be found againe in any other booke whatsoever Humane writings may shew some faults to bee avoided but give no power to amend them but the feare of the Lord is cleane Nemo adeo fâ—rus est qui non micascere possit Si modò culturae patientem accommodet aurem Hor. saith David and Now are ye cleane by the word that I have spoken unto you saith our Saviour Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth Philosophy may civilize Abscondit vitia non abscindit Lactan. Siresipuit à vino suit semper tamen temu'entus sacrilegio Ambr. de Elia jejunio cap. 12. not sanctifie hide some sins not heale them cover not cure them barb and curb them not abate and abolish them Ambrose saith well concerning Poleme who of a drunkand by hearing Xenocrates became a Philosopher Though hee forsooke his wine-bibbing yet he continued drunke with superstition Porphyry saith it was pity such a man as Paul should be cast away upon our religion Plato came thrice into Sicily to convert Dionysius the tyrant to morall Philosophy and could not But Peter by the foolishnesse of preaching converted his thousands Hieron de clar scriptorib and Paul his ten thousands And as Scipio was called Africanus Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus maledicus effraenotus paucissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quà m ovem reddam Da cupidum avarum tenacem jam tibi eum libera'em dabâ— c. Da libidinosum crude'em injustum continuò aequue castus clemens c. Nunquis haec Philosophorum aut unquam praestitit aut praestare potest Lactant. lâ—b â— Inst t. cap. 86. another Numantinus a third Macedonicus from the countries they conquered so had this worthy Warriour his name changed from Saul to Paul for a memoriall likely of those first spoiles hee brought into the Church of Christ not the head but the heart of that noble Sergius Paulus After whose conversion he beganne to be knowne by the name of Paul and not till then Act. 13.9 So then the efficacy and vertue of the Scripture to produce the love of God and our enemies to purifie the heart to pacifie the conscience to rectifie the whole both constitution and conversation of a man to take him off from the delights of the world and flesh to make him glory in afflictions sing in the flames triumph over death all these and more doe necessarily conclude the divine authority of the Scriptures What words of Philosophers could ever make of a Leopard a Lamb of a Viper a Childe of a leacher a chaste man of a Nabal a Nadib of a covetous carle a liberall person Isay 23.18 Tyrus turning to God and receiving the Gospel leaves hoarding and heaping her wealth and findes another manner of employment for it viz. to feed and cloath the poore people of God Two or three words of Gods mouth saith that Father worke such an evident and entire change in a man Pauca Dei praecepta sic tâ—tum hominem immutant ut non cognoscaâ— eundem esse Lactant ubi supra that you can scarce know him to be the same as in Zacheus Paul Onesimus and others Neither need we wonder hereat considering that Dei dicere est facere Gods words where he pleaseth to speake home to the heart are operative and carry a vertue in them together with his Word there comes forth a power as his bidding Lazarus arise and came forth caused him to doe so And as in the Creation he said Let there be light and there was light so in the new creation see 2 Cor. 4.6 As there the spirit moved upon the face of the waters and there-hence hatched the creature so here he spake unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 1.2 and at the same time breathed on them the holy Ghost Job 20.22 It is said Luke 5.17 that as Christ was teaching the power of the Lord was present to heale the people so is it still in his Word and Ordinances As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit which is upon thee Isay 59.21 and my words which J have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever The Word and Spirit runne parallell in the soule as the veines and arteries doe in the body The veines carry the blood and the arteries carrie the spirits to beat forth and to quicken the blood Hence 2 Cor. 3.6 spirit is put for the Gospel in and with which it worketh and grace in the heart is elsewhere often likened to seed in the wombe because it is first formed there by an admirable coition of the Word and Spirit till Christ be formed in us It is the worke of the Spirit to make the seed of the Word prolificall and generative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 1.21 to make it an inbred Word as Saint James calleth it not onely able but effectuall to save the soule Surely as the earth is made fruitfull when the heavens once answer the earth Hos 2.21 Rom. 7.4 so are our hearts when the Spirit workes with the Word causing us to bring forth fruit to God And this doubtlesse is that reall testimony given by the Spirit to the Word that it is indeed the Word of God Neither is he wanting in his vocall testimony that inward divine testimony above-mentioned which yet is heard by none but Gods own houshold is confined to the communion of Saints whose consciences he secretly perswadeth of this truth and sweetly seales it up to them This is promised Esay 52.6 They shall know in that day that I am he that doth speake behold it is I. And Joh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe And as it is promised so is it performed too for he that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Iohn 5.10 Cant. 2.8 Cant. 5.2 1 Cor. 2.15 1 Iohn 2.20 27. Isay 53.1 Matth. 13.11 so that he can safely say It is the voice of my beloved that knockes The spirituall man discerneth all things for he hath the minde of Christ and an unction within that teacheth him all things to him is the arme of the Lord revealed and to him it is given that which is denyed to others to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven So that he no sooner heares but he beleeves Eph 1.13 and is sealed with that holy spirit of promise whose inward testimony of the truth and authority of the Scriptures is ever met by a motion of the sanctified soule inspired by
Now if in finding out Natures secrets the accutest are so sand-blind and cannot see far off what marvell is it if further than wee are all taught of God wee see no farther into the sense of the Scriptures Legumobscuritates non assignemus culpae scribentium sed inscitiae non assequentium Sex Cecil apud Gell. If refusing to plow with his heyfer we understand not his riddles Riddles they are not in themselves but to our shallownesse The obscurities of the Law saith that Civilian are not to bee imputed to the fault of the writers but to the ignorance of the Readers How much more is this true of Gods Law We many times unskilfully lay the blame where we should not as shee in the holy History that laid the death of her child to the presence of the good Prophet Or rather as shee in Seneca Fatua subitò videre desiit nescit essècoe cam ait domum essè tenebrosaÌ„ Senec. Epist 50. that bad open the windows at noone day when her selfe was smitten with a sudden blindnesse What we cannot conceive wee should admire and say of the Bible as Socrates of a worse book That I understand is good so I beleeve is that I understand not Plaine places are for our nourishment hard places for our exercise or these are to be masticated as meat for men those to be drunk as milk for babes by the latter out hunger is staid by the former our loathings Some things in Gods Word are folded up in obscurity to tame the pride of our natures and to sharpen the edge of our industry in searching the Scriptures and seeking out the sense by comparing one place with another This those holy Levites Neh. 8.8 red and gave the meaning of the Scripture by the Scripture as Junius renders it Thus also S. Paul is said to have confuted the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 9.22 by laying one Scripture to another A Metaphore saith Beza from hand-crafts-men that being to frame and fit one part of their work to another coÌ„pare peece with peece that all may be brought to a suitablenes and uniformity The Lapidary brightens his hard diamond with the dust shaved from it selfe so must we cleare hard Scriptures by parallell Texts which like glasses set one against another cast a mutuall light Thus for a taste Luk. 18.19 compared with John 3.19 Ephes 4.9 with Psal 139.15 Math. 16.19 with John 20.22 23. 1. Pet. 4.8 with Prov. 10.12 And this is so cleare a truth In Apocalips Not. 4. cap. 14. and beyond all exception that Ludovicus Alcasar a Spanish Interpreter is forced to confesse that in S. Peters Epistles are many difficulties that ought to bee explained out of the Epistle of Saint Jude Note this against other Popish Doctors who deny that Scripture is to bee interpreted by Scripture but loft to the judgement of the Church Whereas the Lord when he dwelt between the Cherubims he set the candlestick on his right hand and the table with shew-bread on his left Weemses exercitat to teach us saith one that the Scriptures are to be preferred still to the Church their excellency and authority being above all both men and Angels Gal. 1.8 It was the Spirit of the Lord and none other that anoynted and appointed Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament to preach the Gospell Luk. 4.18 out of Esay 61.1 Our Saviours text at Nazareth Now that the preaching of the Gospell is the immediate effect of the holy Ghost doth greatly serve to set forth the incomparable excellency authority certainty and sufficiency of the Gospell Had it proceeded from the incorrupt and unerring humane nature of Christ only this had been a high commendation how much more now that it comes from it no otherwise than it was dictated thereunto by the holy Ghost Had Adam continued in his integrity yet had he beene no fit man to give divine Laws to the Church because a man Nay that the very Angels were not meet for such a businesse appeareth in that they stand amazed at the mystery of Christ and looke intently into it wondering 1 Pet. 1.12 as the Cherubims in the Law did into the propitiatory Christ the Law-giver was for wisdom able and for love to his people willing to set them down a plaine and perfect direction And albeit hee obscure himselfe in some passages and make darknesse his pavilions yet this is but among other reasons to make us make higher account of those men of God the Ministers whose office is to expound and apply the holy Scripture 1 Tim. 3. ult whereby they themselves are perfected thoroughly furnished unto all good works it selfe must therefore needs bee much more perfect Sect. 5. FIfthly are the holy Scriptures of God this may fitly informe us of their verity and integrity sith the Author of them is Amen the faithfull Rev 3.14 1 â—et 2.22 and true witnesse as he stiles himselfe neither ever was the least guile found in his mouth Hence we may and must have a full assurance both of understanding Coloss 2.2 and also of assent Luke 1.1 upon Gods bare Word and sole authority without doubting or reasoning against the same because he will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile Psal 89 33. nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth God is All-sufficient most perfect As he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolute and independent and as none can contribute to his being so neither to his truth If he have said a thing t is proofe sufficient t is surety and security enough For this is a principle grounded upon the light of Nature let a man but grant a God and he must needs grant his authority to be authentike and that absolute credence is to bee yeelded unto him Hence those Heathen Law-givers would needs seeme to derive their lawes from some Deity from such a god or goddesse as the story reports of Numa Lycargus Mahomet c. so the false Prophets and Impostors when once they could make shew of some relation to God and entitle their fancies and fopperies to him it went for currant that they uttered For God is true and every man a lyer Rom. 3.4 Vpon this ground Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.3 And he that thus beleeveth not God 1 Ioh. 5.10 hath made him a lyer because hee beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son sith these things were purposely written that men might beleeve Ioh. 20.31 and that beleeving they might have life through his Name Hence that of S. Peter Iohn 6.69 we beleeve and have known that thou art that Christ And that of S. Paul we beleeve know the truth 1 Tim. 4.3 Beleeve and know A man would think this were a preposterous course In other sciences we first know and then beleeve but here t is otherwise We
holy and just and good founded upon so much right reason that if God had not enjoyned it yet had it been our best course in selfe-regard to have observed it Howbeit by accident and through our singular corruption this good Law irritates naughty nature and makes bad men worse as the message of dismission did Pharaoh The waves doe not beate or roare any where so much as at the banke which restraines them nor would the vapour in a cloud make that fearefull report if it met not with opposition Corruption when checkt growes mad with rage and askes who is the Lord Let us breake his bonds say they Psal 2. and live by the lawes of our owne lusts Let us eate and drinke and rise up to play Exod. 34. for as for this Moses we cannot tell what is become of him and as for his Man Luke 19.14 we will not have him to rule ouer us neither will we submit to the lawes of his kingdom But who art thou O man that thus chattest against GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex adâ—erso responsus Rom. 9.20 and quarrellest with his word Gods will therein revealed is the supreme rule of right the Kings standard as it were and the Kings beame and is not therefore to be regulated or corrected by any other but to determine and over-rule all But these Yokelesse Belialists snuffe at it as over-strict and say in effect to it as the Sodomites to Lot Base busie stranger comest thou hither thus Controller-like to preach and prate to us Sylvesters Du-Bartas There is in Peter Lombard this sentence cited out of Austin de vera innocentia cap. 56. The whole life of an Infidell is sinne neither is any thing good without the chiefest good At this truth Ambrose Spiera a certaine postiller shooteth his fooles bolt saying Crudelis est illa sentencia This is a cruell sentence The like censure passeth many a wicked Atheist upon the righteous Oracles of God imputing to them falshood unlikeliehood iniquity extremity what not warding off as well as they can Gods blow motting themselves up against his fire not suffering his terrours to seise upon their soules like Lots sonnes in Law till at last all too late they feele them sticking in their soules and flesh Iob 6.4 Psalme 15.5 as so many venomed arrowes of the Almighty throughout all eternity Section 6. ANother intolerable abuse in daily practise offered to Gods holy word is In hisVltimis pessimis temporibus Bern. when profane persons take liberty to jest at it or out of it a course too too common in these last and loosest times of the world Scurrility and foolish jesting in any kind is flatly forbidden by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arislot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellaâ— Ephes 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. as unseemely for a saint reckond among those things that are not convenient or conduce not to the maine end How much lesse lawfull is it to frame jests out of Scripture Sith the greater any good is the greater the abuse and the heavier will be the doome when the Righteous Iudge shall be reveald from Heaven with thousands of his Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to convince the ungodly to set them down and stop their soule mouthes as the word signifies of all their hard speeches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 15. dry wipes slye taunts bitter jeares and salt jests that ungodly sinners have utterd against him and his truth This was that that Henoch the seventh from Adam preached of old to those spirits now in prison then in jollity 1 Peter 3. that jeared when they should have feared like those in Ezechiel that scoffed at Gods threats and said Let the word of the LORD come that wee may see it And of the same stampe were their nephewes in Noahs time He as a Preacher of Righteousnesse spared for no paines in foretelling the floud but to little purpose They looked upon him as one drownd in a deepe melancholy they said sure he dreamt not of a dry summer but of a wet Winter Many a bitter flout they give the good old man whilest hee is building his Arke and aske what this madde fellow meanes to make such a vessell whether he intended to saile on the dry land or to make a Sea when hee had made his Shippe They held him in that worke no wiser than the Prior of Saint Bartholmewes in London Hollinshead in Anno 1524. who upon a vaine prediction of an idle and addle-headed Astrologer went and built him an house at Harrow on the Hill to secure himselfe from a supposed floud that that Astrologer foretold And therefore though hee clapped and called early and late proposing their danger and pressing them to provide for their owne safety Psalme 1.1 yet being now sate downe in the seate of the scornefull they stird not a whit neither abated an ace as they say of their loose and lewd living But they ate they dranke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asyn deton â—legâ—ntiss Luke 17.27 they married they gave in marriage they remitted nothing but passed without intermission from eating to drinking from drinking to marrying from marrying to planting and providing for posterity and would know nothing that is would take no knowledge of any thing but lay buried in deep and desperate security till the very day saith our Saviour that the flood came and buried them all in one universall grave of waters Then might the old Preacher had he had any mind to it as fitly have sat and gibed at them as they once foolishly did at him Now Jubal let 's heare one of your merry songs Now Iubal whether is the wiser work the building of Tents or the building of an Arke Now sirs you that are such men of renowne you that were the brave gallants of the earth now tell me who is the foole and who is the Wiseman now By this time from the tops of the mountaines they descry the Arke and behold that with envie which they erst beheld with scorne Surely Prov 3 34. GOD scorneth these scorners that spend their biting girds and bitter jests upon holy things GOD himselfe will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1. â—6 Plaime 52.6 and mocke when their feare commeth The righteous also shall see it and feare and laugh at such as they did in Iulian the Apostates time that notable scoffer that would smite Christians in contempt on the one cheeke and bid turne t'other also Hee resused to heare their complaints of injuries because Christ bad them patiently suffer nor would hee pay them their wages that they might be poore in spirit â—ibanius sophista and so sitted for the kingdome of Heaven One of his bosome-birds tauntingly asked of them what the Carpenters sonne was now in framing whereunto they replied Septem libros in expeditione Parthica adversus Christum evomuit Et Galilaeum statim in praelio sensit