nay it is most certaine if they be not renewed by faith and repentance they shall fall both the sorts of them into the pit of euerlasting destruction By all this it is plaine that if we transgresse the commaundements of God in committing of any sinne it is not ignorance that shall excuse For then would not the Lord haue commanded sacrifice to be offered for the same as he doth in the 4. cap. of Leuit. ver 2 and 3. in these words Speake vnto the children of Israel saying if any shall sinne through ignorance in any of the commandements of the Lord which ought not to be done but shall doe contrary to any of them If the priest that is annointed doe sinne according to the sinne of the people then shall he offer for his sinne which he hath sinned a young bullocke without blemish vnto the Lord for a sinne offering The which law is repeated also in the Epistle to the Heb. cap. 9. vers 7. And the prophet Abacuck maketh a solemne prayer for ignorances in the 3. cap. of his prophesie Furthermore the same is manifest in the whole course of the scriptures by the punishment that hath beene laid vpon such like offenders as we may perceiue by the 17. cap. of the second booke of the King where when the Lord had cast out the ten tribes of Israell with their king out of their owne country for their wicked abominations that Shalmaneser had caried them away captiue with him he sent other of his own natiue people to supply their roome in ludea who because they were Gentiles and had not beene brought vp in true religion therefore it is said in the 25 and 26. verses of the same chapter That at the beginning of their dwelling there they feared not the Lord therefore the Lord sent lyons among them which slew them wherefore they came to the king of Ashur saying the nations which thou hast remooued and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land whereupon the king commaunded to send vnto them a priest of the Israelites to instruct them as it followeth in the next vers of the same chapter And in the prophet Esa. cap. 5. vers 13. the Lord hath these words Therefore my people goeth into captiuity because they haue no knowledge Out of which two places we may note that the Lord doth not onely not hold guiltles those offendours which haue the greatest meanes of knowledge in religion as were the Israelites in times past as it appeareth by the 13. cap. of the Epistle to the Rom. where it is said by Saint Paul that to them were committed the oracles of God euen as the Gospel of Christ Iesus is now vnto vs Gentiles but also doth punish those to whome it is not graunted to haue such oportunity to learne And truely no maruaile For if we account it lawfull for an earthly prince to punish those whosoeuer which doe dwell within his dominion if they offend against his lawes being once set forth though they doe it of ignorance why should not the king of kings and Lord of Lords exact the like obedience vnto his lawes set downe in his holy word of all those whome it pleaseth him to place in his visible church and kingdome heere vpon earth For the Lord hath giuen vs his word as a law wherein he hath set down whatsoeuer he would haue done learned or beleeued and likewise what he would haue vs to eschew as the Apostle Saint Paul doth say in the 1. epistle to Tim. cap. 3. vers 16. 17. that the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes So that whatsoeuer God would haue vs to know or doe it is contained in the same Howbeit we must as our Sauiour Christ saith Iob. 5. cap. v. 39. search the scriptures It is not enough for vs negligently and carelesly and as it were superficially to read them but we must with all diligence reuerence humility study them and as the prophet Dauid did meditating therein day and night conferring of one place with another and considering the drift of the holy Ghost in euery of them and aboue all things vsing humble and hearty prayer vnto God that he would graunt vs his holy spirit which may so enlighten vs that we may see those wonderfull things which are contained in his lawes that we may conceiue aright of the truth in his sacred word For as Saint Peter 2. epist. cap. 1. vers 20. saith no prophesie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation that a man may expound it according to his owne mind and imagination but holy men of God did speake as they were directed and ledde by the holy Ghost as it followeth there in the next vers who as he is the onely author and inditer of the Scripture so he is the onely interpreter of the same as being alone priuie to his owne meaning And therefore the Euangelist Saint Iohn in his first epistle cap. 4. vers 1. doth bidde vs not to beleeue euery spirit but to try the spirits whether they be of God or not as if he should haue said There are many which will make a great shew of religion and godlinesse and will seeme as though they had warrant from God for all their dealings when as it is nothing so Wherefore beleeue note uery one vntill you haue first madetriall and examined their actions by the touch-stone of the scriptures whether God be the author of them or not The which precept if the prophet spoken of in the 13. cap. of the first booke of the King had obserued he had done well but because he did not so but beleeued the false tale of the old Prophet and came backe again contrary to the cōmandement of God and did eate and drinke in Bethel by his procuremēt when as the Lord had said vnto him that he should neither eate bread nor drinke water there Therefore the Lord said that his body should not come into the sepulchre of his fathers which came to passe presently for he was slaine of a lyon in the way as he returned home and so was brought againe to Bethel and there buried Whereas if hee had first examined the truth of the olde Prophets speech he had no doubt neuer fallen into that daunger For he had a sufficient warrant from God afore for that which he did vpon the which he might safely haue relyed if hee would haue gone forward according vnto the same and not haue hearkened to the deceitfull words of the said olde Prophet vnlesse the Lord himself had giuen him another contrary commaundement as otherwhiles he doth in particular cases as it may appeare by Genesis chap. 22. where after that God had giuen Abraham in charge to sacrifice his sonne Isaacke in the 2. verse of the same chapter afterward it is said that the angel of the Lord did bidde him not to doe it when he had prooued his faith and obedience therein till which time he could by no meanes be drawne from executing the former commaundement of God Euen so wee seeing that we are forbidden by the word of God to goe or seeke vnto any witches inchaunters charmers or any such like vaine and superstitious practisers and seeing that ignorance will not excuse vs as hath beene before declared it behooueth vs to trie and examine the dealings of euery one in this case whether they be of God or not by their calling in this behalfe by their meanes they vse and by the ende whereat they aime and by all other waies and meanes which it shall please God to minister by his holy spirit out of his word before wee giue credite vnto them whatsoeuer shew they make of religion and godlines in this point lest the Lord in his wrath lay vpon vs all those plagues punishments threatned in his word as hath beene said before against such persons There are many other things which might be fitly and profitably gathered noted out of this text which I haue willingly omitted both because they haue beene sufficiently handled at large by other men and also because it was my only purpose at the beginning to vtter that which I thought meetest concerning sorcery and such other like wicked vaine and diuellish abominations before spoken of It remaineth therefore now to exhort euery good Christian to consider diligently to make vse of it and to desire almighty God that he would make it profitable which hath beene said both to his owne glorie and to our eternall comfort in Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all honour praise and thanksgiuing now and euermore Amen FINIS
therefore say that Christians are altogether without faith God forbid that we should thinke so badly of God his people For they haue iustifying faith but that which they call the faith of miracles is alreadie ceased For seeing that the ende of working miracles was to confirme the word as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. cap. 14. vers 22. of the miraculous gift of languages that it was a token to them that beleeue not and not to them that beleeue to prepare and mooue their mindes to the imbracing of the Gospel which Gospel beeing now a great while since sufficiently prooued and the truth therof established by miracles what needeth the continuance of the said gift amongst vs And that the gift of working miracles was but for a certaine time at the beginning onely bestowed vpon his Church as diuers other spirituall gifts were which are rehearsed in the 12. chap. of the 1. Epist. Cor. it is very manifest because that all the rest of miraculous gifts there recited are ceased out of vse at this present Wherefore the wizzards of these our daies howsoeuer they colour their legerdemaine in this behalfe yet they are farre from the true practise of working miracles giuen and accepted of God by reason that the vse thereof is ceased with the end for which it was giuen and ordained Neither are we to thinke that the hand of the Lord is shortened therby no more then it was when Manna ceased among the Israelites But the Lord knoweth and doth alwaies that which is most conuenient and profitable both for his owne glorie and for our eternall comfort Yea by his prouidence he so moderateth the particular actions of all those vpon whome hee bestoweth this grace of working miracles that they doe nothing in this behalfe but onely as he doth direct and assigne them So Moses did his miracles alwaies at God his appointment and the disciples of our Sauiour Iesus Christ could not heale the lunaticke childe in the 17. chap. of Saint Matthew Howbeit at other times they did greater wonders And the Prophet Nathan in the second booke of Samuel cap. 7. because he was not first directed by God failed in giuing counsaile vnto Dauid to build the temple Neither may wee thinke that it hath beene otherwise in this case with any other of the seruants of God For albeit it bee not expressed alwaies in the scripture yet it is out of doubt that were inwardly ledde by the spirit of God to doe euery particular miracle that they wrought euen as the disciples of our Sauiour Christ were what they should speake in the 10. chapter of Matth. where our Sauiour Christ saith vnto them Take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that houre what ye shall say for it is not ye that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Wherefore our Sauiour Christ in the 9. chapter of the Gospel after Saint Luke findeth fault with his disciples because they would haue had fire to come downe from heauen vpon the Samaritans as Elias did procure to fall vpon the two fifties of men and their leaders in the 2. booke of the Kings cap. 1. saying that they knew not of what spirit they were as though he should haue said If that ye did know and consider as the truth is that Elias was mooued by the spirit of God to execute his iudgement vpon those men and that ye are onely ledde by your desire of reuenge ye would neuer haue motioned this matter for now ye aske ye wot not what But those that are counted cunning men amongst vs doe at no time looke for God his direction but for the opposition and coniunction of the planets with a sort of other vaine and wicked obseruations fitter for heathen men thē for those that beare the names of Christians which God hath flatly forbidden in the 18. chapter of Deuteronomy and Leuiticus cap. 19. vers 26. and by the Prophet Ieremy he saith cap. 10. Learne not the way of the heathen and bee not afraid for the signes of heauen though the heathen bee afraid of such for the customes of the people are vaine For the right vse of the starres and the motions thereof is set downe by God himselfe in the 1. cap. of Gen. vers 14 and 15. in these wordes And God said let there be lights in the firmament of heauen to separate the day from the might and let them be for signes and for seasons and for daies and yeares and let them be for lights in the firmament of heauen to giue light vpon the earth The like impietie is to be found in these men when they appoint and set downe vnto themselues and their disciples in what place such and such wonders are to be wrought As though the power of God were tied to one place more then vnto another Wherein they are like the Aramites in the 20. cap. of the 1. booke of the King when they say that the God of Israel is God of the mountaines and not of the valleies and therefore the Lord slew them with the edge of the sword Furthermore for euery particular miracle God directeth if it be done as it should be the meanes and manner how it should be wrought either outwardly by his word or inwardly by his spirit Thus the Lord when he did send Moses to worke miracles before Pharaoh Exod. the 7 8 and 9 chapters He instructeth and telleth him after what manner he should doe them So when he ledde the children of Israel ouer Iorden by the hand of Iehosuah cap. 3. he biddeth him to command the priests that did beare the Arke of the couenant that when they came to the brinke of the waters of Iorden they should stand stil in Iorden whereby the people went ouer that riuer dry In like manner in the 6. cap. of the booke of Iehosuah the Lord declareth vnto Iehosuah what he will haue done that the walles of the citie of Iericho might fall downe before the children of Israel the which being once done the wall sell flat downe so the people went vp into the citie euery man straight before him And they tooke the city So in the 1. booke of the Kings cap. 13. assoone as the man of God had vttered the word of the Lord against the altar it claue asunder and the ashes fell out But in the 2. booke of the King cap. 4. because that Elisha did presume of himselfe without the Lord his direction to deuise a course to raise the womans child being dead to life againe by laying the staffe vpon the childes face by the hand of Gehazi his seruant therefore it tooke no effect Neither ought we to imagine by this that God is tyed to these or any other meanes of like sort For he doth the selfe same sometimes by one meanes sometimes by another as in the 4. cap. of Exod. vers 9. he biddeth Moses to powre the water of the riuer vpon the
power to worke the same But his owne glorie as I said and the edification of his Church and therefore when the Apostles at any time sawe that the aforesaid kinde of miracles serued not so fitly for that purpose they tooke a contrarie course as appeareth in the Actes 5. chapter where it is said that Ananias and Saphira his wife fell downe dead at the speech of S. Peter when he tolde them of their wicked dissimulation and hypocrisie before God in selling of a certaine possession and bringing part of the price vnto the Apostles to the vse of the Church pretending that they had brought the whole By which example the people were mooued to glorifie God for his iust iudgement vpon these hypocrites and also were put in feare lest at any time the like offence should lay hold vpon them Whereas if he had not done thus it might haue bin a meanes to make them goe on still in their wickednesse and to haue encouraged others to haue done the like In like manner in the Actes 13. chapt when Saint Paul caused Bariesu to be stricken blinde for resisting the preaching of the Gospel by Saint Paul wee see what effect it wrought in the conuersion of Sergius Paulus For truely all the spirituall giftes of God giuen and graunted vnto his Apostles and ministers in regard of their said calling and function is for the edification of the Church and not for the destruction thereof as Saint Paul saith in the 2. Epist Cor. cap. 10. vers 8. in these words If I should boast of my selfe somewhat more of our authoritie or power which the Lord hath giuen vs to edifie and not to destroy it should not be to my shame Howsoeuer somtimes they seeme to doe otherwise yet it is but as the Physition or Chirurgion who doe not alwaies applie milde mollifying medicines but somtimes biting corrosiues according to the nature and condition of the disease yea somtimes they cut off a member for feare of infecting the rest as the Poet singeth Omnia tentanda sed immedicabile vulnus Enserescindendum est ne pars sincera trahatur So Paul in the 3. chap. of the 1. Epist. Cor. verse 5. deliuered the man that had committed incest vnto Satan as he saith to the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus But of this I haue spoken somewhat afore wherefore I will go forward to the particular discussing of the aforesaid two sorts of miracles And first of the miraculous gift of healing because that is first placed in the text And the diseases departed from them It is not heere particularly set downe what kinde of diseases were healed by the Apostle but it is certaine by the circumstance of the place that hee cured all whatsoeuer for curing whereof he sent napkins and partlets and it agreeth very well to the commission which our Sauiour Christ gaue to his Apostles in the 10. chapter of the Gospel after Saint Matthew verse 1. where it is said that he gaue power vnto his disciples to heale euery disease and euery infirmity that is all maner of diseases which the spirit of God did mooue them to take in hand and this is confirmed by their continuall practise throughout the whole new Testament wherein we cannot finde especially after the ascension of our Sauiour Christ that they euer failed in healing any disease whatsoeuer which they tooke vpon them to cure For this extraordinarie power of healing is not a naturall facultie but a diuine gift of God supernaturally inspired by his holy spirit to whome nothing is impossible and all and euery thing is of like easines yea that which to vs seemeth nay and is indeede most hard and difficult is soonest brought to passe when as God will haue his glorie shewed in a speciall manner thereby as in this kinde of healing Wherefore they which pretend this miraculous gift of healing and cannot or doe not cure all but some certaine of those diseases which they take in hand are greatly to be suspected of which sort are those which amongst vs are called wise and cunning folkes whereof some can cure but some one or a fewe particular diseases as for example they which haue a charme for the toothach a prayer or a blessing for a Fistula and such like Others doe professe the curing of all diseases and yet neither of them both doth alwaies and at all times performe that which they pretend in this behalfe no not in those diseases in curing wherof they would seeme to be most expert The reason is this when diseases cannot be cured by naturall meanes then are they past the diuells reach to heale and therefore his instruments must needes faile therein To make this more plaine wee must note that amongst all the diseases set downe by the Physitions in their treatises some are curable and some are vncurable I call those curable which nature either of her selfe alone or by the helpe of medicines is able to worke out and expell Of this sort we see many examples by daily experience which nature cureth if shee bee strong and the cause of the disease light or if shee be weake or the cause of the disease stubborne by the meanes of physicke Now these kindes of griefes the forcerers can and do heale and for as much as some diseases are more difficult then other yea some are so hardly cured as that fewe euen of the best sort of Physitions except God his especiall assistance can heale them whose cure notwithstanding is wrought by these forcerers Here therefore Satan in these his ministers is greatly honoured who in regard of the subtilty of his nature and his long experience as I haue said before doth more readily finde out the disease with all the circumstances thereunto belonging as also a fit remedie therof then most men can doe and yet for all that the disease by man if hee could hitte vpon the right methode and that by naturall meanes not vncurable for that disease is vncurable from which the partie grieued by no naturall meanes or medicines can be recouered of which kinde the Physitions doe account all deepe wounds in the braine heart or liuer also the deuiding of the sinewes asunder which are deriued from the braine or spirituall marrow to any limme or member of the body to giue sense and moouing thereunto whether it bee by a wound rupture or any such like causeth a palsie which is vncurable So is deafenes if it haue continued from the birth as also blindnes according to that which the blinde man saith to the Pharisies in the Gospel after Saint Iohn cap. 9. vers 32. Since the world beganne was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde The like may bee said of them that could neuer smell An vlcer or sore that is deepe in the liuer is counted vncurable and so is an absolute and exquisite hardnes without sense or feeling in
the word of God Wherefore whatsoeuer action it bee let men pretend what they will if it haue no warrant out of the scripture it is but a meere imagination of their owne braine springing either of their own corrupt nature or else of the suggestion of the diuell and therefore is wicked and sinnefull The which thing if it be so it followeth of necessity that the seeking vnto sorcerers charmers inchaunters and all such like wizzards albeit men beleeue neuer so much that they may lawfully do so yet because that it is not onely not allowed but also condemned in the word of God therefore this their beliefe is no true faith but a vaine diuellish presumption and most abominable in the sight of God Neither will ignorance which they pretend serue their turne to couer their offence herein albeit it may sometimes extenuate and lessen the fault as our Sauiour Christ saith in the 12. chapter of the Gospel after S. Luke vers 47. 48. That seruant which knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his wil shall be beaten with many stripes And he that knew not his masters will and committed things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with fewe stripes So that here wee see that there is no defence for ignorance but whosoeuer he be that sinneth whether it be of ignorance or of knowledge must needes bee punished for it For Cursed are all they which doe not continue in all the commandements of God as it is in Deuteronomy cap. 27. vers 26. And the Apostle Saint Paul saith in the 2. chap. to the Romanes vers 12. that as many as haue sinned without law shall be punished without law and as many as haue sinned in the law shall be iudged by the law Wherefore as dutifull seruants in those things which wee know wee ought to bee diligent to put the same in practise and if we be ignorant of any thing we ought to seeke and inquire what the will of God is out of his word and not to rush forth into those actions which we know not whether the Lord doth allow or not But if we seeke for knowledge in those matters no doubt but God wil instruct vs therein by his holy spirit by his word as our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew cap. 7. vers 7. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you And truely if we would vse zealous prayer and godly meditation comming vnto them with faith and humility and such like wee shall finde the scriptures not to be so hard and obscure to be knowne vnderstood as we take them to be but most plaine euident for our comfort and instruction both in this point concerning those vaine friuolous arts whereof I haue so much spoken and also in all other matters of faith good workes what we should follow and what we should eschew as God in the 30. chapter of Deuteronomy verses 11 12 and 14. saith This commaundement which I commaund this day is not hidde from thee neither is it farre off it is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it but the word is very neere vnto to thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart for to do it So that it is our own pride negligence contempt or such like sinister affections which is cause of this our ignorance and that in some more and in some lesse according to the outward meanes of knowledge and as they are inwardly mooued in this behalfe In so much that we may hereof gather two kindes of ignorance to be in men One is that which although it be not without the afore said euill affections yet they doe little appeare in their actions no not to the parties offending themselues and much lesse vnto others thinking that to be good which is euill and that to bee euill which is good And such was the ignorance of Saint Paul before he was illuminated by the spirit of god as he saith in the first Epistle to Timothie cap. 1. v. 13. that he was before-time a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressour but hee was receiued to mercy because hee did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe And yet notwithstanding for all this hee accounteth himselfe the chiefe of all sinners for the same and most worthily doth attribute his conuersion to the wonderfull and exceeding great mercy of God alone who had not onely forgiuen him this his sinne but also had made him a fit vessell to cary his name abroad and to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles whereas he had reiected other of his countrimen which offended of ignorance as well as he as it is in the 10. cap. of the Epistle to the Romanes vers 2. where speaking of the Iewes or Israelites he hath these words I beare them witnes that they haue a zeale but not according to knowledge The other kind of ignorance is that wherein malice and hatred doth preuaile as it did in the chiefe of the Iewes which crucified our Sauiour Christ as it is in the 15. cap. of Ioh. ver 22. in these words If I had not done those things among them which no other man did they should haue had no sin but now haue they seene and hated both me and my father And to say the truth not onely this latter kind but also all of vs before we are regenerate are by nature so corrupt that we cannot but bring forth most vile fruites of wickednesse and therefore we doe couet naturally rather to be ignorant of gods lawes and commaundements thereby thinking to couer the hainousnesse of our sinnes wherefore our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell after Saint Iohn cap. 3. vers 19. saith this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknes more then light because their deedes were euill Whereupon the Lord in his iust iudgement in times past seeing they regarded not to know him euen so he deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnesse and so forth as it is in the 10. cap. of the Epistle to the Rom. vers 28 29 and 30. Euen as he saith also of the Scribes and Pharises Math. cap. 15. vers 14. and in them to all other such like in these words Let them alone they are blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch As if he should haue said These men are void of the right knowledge of religion and true seruice of God and yet they wil be instructers of others so that by this meanes they are not onely wilfully ignorant themselues but endenour to bring those that will follow their doctrine into the same condition Wherefore let them alone let them goe on still therein and in the end you shall see