for every man to believe to the end he may be saved viz. That he acknowledg the one only true God and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ his Son being made man and that he believe that God hath raised him from the dead and that by his name he shal obtain salvation and that he place not his righteousness in the works of the Law But that he be verily perswaded that there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved Now let us make enquiry what other thing there is that being inferred from these may be in like manner necessary to be known And forasmuch as the Scriptures teach that every man is liable to the severe judgment of God as being by reason of the fall of Adam born in sin and of such a natural constitution that he continually offends God and consequently guilty of eternal punishment and since they further teach that this world at length coming to an end all persons shal be raised at the last day the just unto eternal happiness the unjust and wicked unto eternal torments No man can understand what it is to be saved neither consequently what it is he should believe unless he have some tollerable knowledg both of his own condition of the Law of God and of Gods purpose to judg the quick and the dead For the Apostle declares that from the Law springs the knowledg of Sin and he should not have known Sin but by the Law But it follows not from what we have laid down that such a degree of knowledg either of the Law of God or of mans natural condition is necessary as that if any man shal err in the interpretation of some Commandment of God or in judging of the nature of man and the abilities thereof he cannot be saved Thus much only follows that a man ought to believe that he is liable to eternal condemnation and to trust he is freed therefrom by Christ and by his benefits ordained unto eternal blessedness Again seeing Paul says that they have no title to Christ who place their righteousness in the Law in the Law I say of God What shal we say of them who place their righteousness in the Laws mandates and inventions of men They may doubtless much rather be said to have fallen from the righteousness and benefits of Christ Semblably since the Scriptures teach that by the name of Christ alone we must hope for salvation it follows that he that shal hope for salvation by the name of the blessed Virgin or Peter or Paul or any Saint whatsoever hath no share in Christ Likewise it being a thing necessarily to be believed to salvation that Christ was raised from the dead and it cannot be understood that any is raised to life that was not first dead it follows that it ought of necessity to be believed that he dyed In a word forasmuch as our Lord hath commanded that all be taught the Gospel and baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Spirit whose work this Faith is inasmuch as he opens our hearts and reveals unto us this goodness of God towards us both this command ought to be known and that it is the holy Spirit by whom we believe and by whom God dwels in us and whom we ought by incessant prayers to begg of God that he would bestow him upon us I confess ingeniously I cannot find any other points that I can from Scripture demonstrate and prove to be of necessary knowledg to the attainment of salvation If any man can shew any more there is nothing that I would sooner wish then to understand what ever other points there are over and above what we have laid down and to heare those Texts by whose authority we are obliged to acknowledg them for matters that ought of necessity to be known Now for us to reckon up particularly all such points as we judg not necessary to be known to the end a man may be saved there is no necessity neither were it convenient and it would be an endless work A right line is the measure both of right and crooked Only to the end that it may be the better understood when any points comes into question how it may be manifest to be either of necessity to be known or not of necessity we wil examine and couple of Doctrines to the end that as we shal try these all other may be tryed Sabellius as Vigilius Martyr Bishop of Trent relates did so acknowledg the Father Son and holy Spirit as that he would not have it to be understood that the Father was one person the Son another But he said that he who was the Father filled the womb of the Virgin and in that man whom he assumed is termed the Son when as not two persons but one Father is understood by both termes And he that thus understands the matter worships but one God Some man may therefore enquire whether or no this point be of such concernment as that it is necessary for him that would be saved not to err therein that is to say whether Sabellius holding such an Error could be saved or whether he ought absolutely to be reckoned for an Heretick as hitherto he hath bin ever accounted We have already proved that it is necessary that men should believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God But to believe that he is the Son of God is no to pronounce these words nor yet in thought to give unto Christ the title of Son of God but rather by a sincere faith to attribute unto him that which these words signifie Now the word Son signifies not any such thing I say the notion of that word is not such as that any person may be understood to be his own Son neither can the term Father be so understood as that any one should be his own Father but he is called a Son who hath for Father not himself but some other person and he a Father who hath for Son not himself but some other Forasmuch then as Sabellius did confound the Father and the Son and denied that they were two distinct persons it is very plain that he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God which it was altogether necessary for him to believe By which example we are taught that concerning such points as are propounded unto us by God as necessary to be believed we ought diligently to examine what the words signifie least retaining only a certain vain shadow of words we come to deny the things themselves by those words intimated let us labour to understand the words that we may sincerely embrace the things themselves Having examined this Tenet let us consider another point which as these times go is perhaps no less worthy of our knowledg There hath been a long and very Tragical controversie about the interpretation of those words Take this is my Body Let us consider therefore whether this be a matter of such consequence that therefore
but from God So Martha after that our Lord had told her that he was the Resurrection and the Life and that if any man beleeved in him though he were dead yet he should live and all that should live and beleeve in him should never dye She made answer I beleeve that thou art the Messias the Son of God who wer 't to come into the world And to the Thief who begged of Lord that he would remember him when he came into his Kingdom he gave this answer Luke 23. This I promise thee that thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise And the Eunuch after he had confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God Acts 8. he was baptized Likewise when four men carrying the pulsied man and endeavoring to bring him to be cured were not able to come near for the press but let him down in his bed through the roof into the midst before Jesus Jesus knowing their so great faith said unto the man Son thy sins are forgiven thee By which place we may conjecture what was the faith of that palsied person For he beleeved in all probability that that same man whose name was Jesus came from God and was in favor with God and therefore he hoped that by his means he might recover his health But that he knew all those things which the Church hath for a long time accounted as articles of Faith necessary to be beleeved to Salvation how likely a matter it is I leave it to every man to judg There are likewise many other texts to the very same purpose For to that same unclean woman that washed our Lords feet with her tears it was said Thy Faith hath saved thee The same was spoken to that other woman having the flux of blood who hoped If she might touch the hem of his garment she should be healed The same was done to that one of the ten cleansed lepers who returned thanks to God And Iohn says Hereby ye shal know the Spirit of God whatever spirit shal confess that Iesus Christ is come and that he is made man that Spirit is of God and again Whosoever shal confess that Iesus is the Son of God God abides in him and he in God Also Paul denies That any can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit And forasmuch as Abraham is called the Father of Beleevers and we are taught chiefly by his example that Righteousness consists in Faith Truly it wil be labor wel bestowed to consider what that was which when he beleeved it was counted unto him for righteousness He was promised that he should be the Father of many Nations he was promised that happiness should betide to all the Nations of the world by his seed Finally he had the Land of Canaan promised to him and very great prosperity But of those points of Religion which it is judged every body is bound to know upon pain of damnation we read not a word Yea and the mystery of Salvation it self by his seed is very closely and obscurely promised And truly these are the only points which I find in the Scriptures recorded as necessary to be beleeved for the attainment of Salvation Let us now consider who they be unto whom in Scripture Salvation is denyed in respect of unbelief Unto the Apostles it was said in general terms Go ye through the whole earth publishing the Gospel to all persons he that shal beleeve and be baptized shal be saved but he that shal not beleeve shal be condemned Which words as is manifest by what we formerly said are not so to be understood as if he had said He that shal not rightly understand whatever you shal teach but shal in some point mis-interpret your words shal be condemned but by the word Gospel we must understand that same blessed message of redemption by the name of Christ He that shal beleeve that by the name of Christ he shal be saved he shal be saved he that shal not so beleeve shal be condemned In the same manner are those words of Paul to be expounded Gal 1. If any shal teach you different from what you have learned let him be accursed as if he should have said If any shal teach you that you must obtain salvation by any other way then by faith in the name of Christ let him be accursed Howbeit whosoever shal teach any thing otherwise then the Apostles taught although it be none of the principal heads of Religion yet is he so far forth to be accursed in as much as all false doctrine comes from none but the Devil the father of lyes But it is not presently to be concluded that such a person is quite out of the way of Salvation for our Lord rebuking Peter himself because he dehorted him from suffering death calls him Satan Iohn 6. More particularly our Lord says Vnless you shal both eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man ye shal not obtain life Which imports as much as if he had said Unless ye shal beleeve that I am the Son of God and that I am sent from God my Father and that you shal obtain Salvation by my Name you shal not obtain life And again Vnless ye shal beleeve that I am he ye shal dye in your sins 2 Iohn 2. 1 Iohn 4. And John says Who is a lyar but he that denies Jesus to be the Son And hereby shal you know the Spirit of Goâ— whatever spirit confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God But whatever spirit shal deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh Gal. 5. the same is not of God Paul adds If you be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing And a little after Ye have no part in Christ who lace your righteousness in the Law ye are fallen from Grace And Peter there is no other name among men under heaven Acts 4. by which we can be saved By which testimonies of Scripture we are taught that such places as witness that he which beleeves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God shal be saved are not so to be understood as that if a man shal so beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as he beleeves that Iulius Caesar was the first who brought the Roman Commonwealth into bondage and made himself Emperor of Rome or any other matter wherein himself is not concerned that he shal be saved but that he truly beleeves that Jesus is the Son of God who beleeves it as a thing that concerns himself that is to say who beleeves that he whom we call Jesus is the Son of God his Jesus and his Christ that is his Savior and his King in whom alone he places all the hope of his Salvation Unless we shal admit of this interpretation neither Pauls nor Peters words will hang together These very few points are all that we can find expressed in Scripture as being necessary
himself hath seduced others shal not have his Error clearly demonstrated unto him he which takes upon him to oppose shal not understand what the seducer affirms and so shal not refute it but what himself by a false suspition hath imagined and shal defend the doctrine received not with such reasons as he ought to do but with such silly ones as rashness and a mind madded with anger could collect which may be easily refelled and the erroneous person shal have cause to think himself not vanquished but with many and grievous injuries after an insolent manner abused such disputes however they may seem intended to resist the Devil yet are they so far from frustrating any of his plots as that nothing could be invented more expedient to promote his designs For they do not fight against Errors but make them invincible they do not pluck them up but spread them abroad they do not destroy but propagate them and that in a wonderful manner They render Errors invincible because when the person erring finds it easie to avoyd the dint of such arguments as are brought to oppose him it gives him great occasion to think that there cannot any thing more strong be objected against him and when he shal see confuted not his own reasons but I know not what other arguments such as he never so much as once thought of he may very wel think the cause to be that not having any thing they could oppose against his arguments and yet desirous to seem to have answered them they have cavilled at and mis-interpreted his words Hereupon he is altogether compelled to conclude with himself that not he but his opposites are in the Error And if there be joyned sharp insolent and injurious language yea and it may be threats too and such like what can he do other but strongly perswade himself that his adversaries being unable to defend their cause by dint of Argument have guarded and fortified themselves meerly with force and insolence And since hatred is bred of injuries what is there that can settle Errors with greater pertinacy And when a man shal leave his posterity heirs both of his Errors and his Hate it comes to pass that they can never be rooted up out of the minds of men Thus is the people divided into Sects which hate one another with deadly feud abstaining from no kind of injuries and taking the more liberty unto themselves in this kind in that men do not observe how in so doing they obey their own passions but think they very much please God whereas in the mean time by this means they incur the wrath of God daily more and more and become enveloped with thicker clouds of darkness Such disputes do spread Errors abroad because the clamours there made the brawls thence arising afford much occasion of discourse to many people and according to the diversity of mens minds and Judgements matters are very variously both reported and resented And it is wont to fall out that if many dislike the Error yet some wil approve of it yea and some wil as much disapprove of the means used to resist the Error viz. insolence reproaches and the like as of the Error it self and wil thereupon begin less to like of those that set themselves to oppose the Error whence it may come to pass that they may the more easily admit some other Error afterwards He that likes the Error can hardly refrain in his narrations to favour that part he approves so as to add leave out change many passages at his pleasure and thus by a kind of Contagion the evil is spread far and near In a word by controversies ill-managed errors are propagated and bred divers ways For first he that opposes himself against an Error can hardly avoid but that he himself shal fall into some Error either because as the Proverb speaks while he shuns Charybdis he slips into Scylla ignorant to keep the mean as that man should do who in opposing those that attribute all to the Word of God and the reading thereof not marking the necessity of the Spirit of God to be their guide and interpreter to the right understanding should endeavour to reduce the minds of such men to the meer inspirations of the holy Ghost whereas the spirit is so far to be looked at as that the written word be not contemned and lose its dignity as if it were a matter of humane invention and not of divine tradition or because he wil grant somewhat to the Adversary not to be granted which some of the ancient Fathers peradventure did who in such a manner resisted the Philosophers as that they defiled the purity of Christian tenets with Philosophical ratiocinations Likewise it may fall out that whiles thou thinkest to express that Doctrine which thou holdest for truth with more significant and clear expressions then it is in Scripture expressed and better to shun occasion of cavil for the wit of man wil ever be more wary and wiser then God thou wilt use such words or forms of expression as from whence another less true and godly tenet may sometimes be collected Furthermore whereas on both sides they are wont to produce many allegations each for his own judgment as the case requires if it fall out that striving shal sharpen and inflame their minds you shal soon see on both sides many matters affirmed and denied which in a calm mood they would never have affirmed or denied as the Poet spake Furor arma ministrat Rage weapons doth afford Every dart accidentally offered is caught hold on fury suffers not a man to mark what an one it is and what ever hath rashly scap't a man especially in the interim of the dispute Pride wil have it ratified and firm and thereupon new controversies arise and new errors in like manner without end Yea it is seen that by disputes both the matters themselves and mens wits are confounded truth is lost and many are brought to that pass as to perswade themselves that nothing can be certainly concluded and so to cast away all care of Religion Yea and it seems impossible to fall out but that whiles men are perpetually wrangling about some one point of Religion they wil slight and forget many others and they perhaps of the chiefest note and it wil grow to a custome that a godly man shal be distinguished from an ungodly by this one thing be his life what it wil in that he seems to abhor and exceedingly loath that Doctrine which in some one or two points is accounted heretical O that we could but see at one view how many and how great overthrows Sathan hath given to the Kingdom of Christ what desolations he hath made by this one weapon of Controversies he must be a man of iron that could chuse to weep Nor do I now complain of those fanatical spirits the emissaries of Sathan who never cease sowing curious vaine and impious controversies for from them what other could a
disease he that shal cast into a mans mind a suspition of error by instancing in so many men that while they dream'd of nothing less did yet walk in greatest darkness to the end he may shew him the way to attain to a sure and stedfast knowledg we ought to judg this man not to give pernicious but healthful and very necessary counsel To the end therefore that thou mayst not oppose at any time and trouble a man that would teach the Truth either thou must of necessity attain unto a certain firm knowledg of what ever may at any come time into Controversie in the Church which what a piece of work it wil be any man may judg or certainly if at any time thou shalt hear any matter which sounds new in thine ear before thou condemnest it thou must pause a while and think with thy self what kind of knowledg thou hast of that thing And lest thou be deceived taking a vehement perswasion for certain science let us consider what we are to account science and what opinion and this it becomes us to do not as Philosophers but as the Disciples of Christ There is nothing more certain then that we in point of Religion can hold nothing for certain but from the testimony of Gods Word This many texts of Scripture witness let these few serve in stead of many David himself King of Israel and a famous Prophet when he had resolved to build a Temple to the Lord yet could he not divine the mind of God in that point Neither did Nathan a great Prophet likewise come neerer the mind of God in his exhorting David to perform his purpose for by him God forbad David to build any Temple which is a considerable instance Now of Joshua the successor of Moses it is written that he was indued with the spirit of wisdom and that God promised to be with him perpetually yet is he commanded to have regard to fulfil the Law which he had received from Moses and not to turn from it to the right hand or to the left and the reason why is added that thou mayst know saith the Lord what thou oughtest to do Whence we may understand that then we are sure of thing if we have a Word of God for it But how plainly have we this in another place My thoughts are not like your thoughts Isaiah saith the Lord neither are my reasons like your reasons but look how much the Heaven is higher then the Earth so much are my thoughts above your thoughts and my reasons above your reasons Neither is it sufficient in any sort to build upon the divine Scriptures on any fashion but it is needful that we attain the knowledg of them by the interpretation of the holy spirit for as much as we see so many differing judgments in matter of Religion even amongst the most learned and most exercised in the reading of holy Scriptures For Paul testifies that only the Spirit of God knows the things of God 1 Cor. 2. neither doth mans sense understand the things of the Spirit neither can he understand them for they seem to be foolishness unto him but the spiritual man judgeth all things Whereupon James exhorts him that wants wisdom to ask it of God From all which it is gathered that he hath the knowledg of divine things who both depends only on the Word of God and hath attained the true understanding thereof by help of no other interpreter but the Spirit of God himself And all this wil they willingly grant to whom we now address our speech But here is coucht a great difficulty For many perswade themselves that they can prove what they hold from testimony of Gods Word that the spirit of God is their guide and teacher to furnish them with the understanding thereof who notwithstanding err monstrously They suppose they begged of God for his Spirit and that they have placed all their confidence in his assistance who are not aware in the mean while that their trust hath been in any thing rather then in him But before thou canst conclude of a surety that thou hast obtained his Spirit and learned any thing by the guidance thereof what ever thing there is which might move thee to think so or so or confirm a perswasion taken up such as is an opinion of thine own or anothers knowledg judgment spirit holiness likewise the multitude of those that think as thou thinkest or of those which praise thee admire thee depend upon thy judgment also the long while that the opinion opposed hath been in repute finally whatsoever is not God or his Word from it thou oughtest to withdraw thine eyes thy mind and all thy thoughts no less then if there were no such thing in the world and then all other hope and confidence being cast away to fix thine eyes and mind on God alone to depend only upon him and thus affected in this posture to ask his Spirit Thus if thou shalt do if frequently if seriously if believingly thou shalt do it then mayst thou with good reason conclude that thou art not possessed with any pernicious Error or in case thou art possessed with any that it shal be made known to thee But these things are such as we can with much more facility express them in words then in deeds so liable is the disposition of man to Error yea so apt naturally is he to put trust in any thing rather then God In a word so sly so industrious so wel furnished is Sathan with divers Arts to deceive that when thou hast done all thou canst it wil be an hard matter in some point or other not to be overseen Which I would not have any man think I therefore speak as supposing there can be no certainty in divine matters which conceit I am as far from as he that is farthest But this is that which I would by no means suffer that he which as yet is arrived unto no certainty and is peradventure plunged as yet in false opinions should arrogate unto himself knowledg but I would have him endeavor to get it indeed and endeavor as he ought to do He that hath once attained clear and certain knowledg exhort him as long as you wil and let him endeavor as much as he can to suspect himself of Error yet shal he never be able to entertain any such suspition of himself Such kind of exhortations then can move suspitiō only in them who either err or have not yet attained firm and constant knowledg but may attain the same as yet to whom whiles the right way of attaining thereto is shewn and they are admonished of what blocks and trapps in their way they ought to take heed truly I cannot see but that the counsel we give them is very safe and profitable Wherefore that a man may not any ways offend by opposing the Truth either in publick or private by word of mouth or by writing I would perswade him by
be conversant in before we begin a dispute to the end we may neither our selves be moved nor move our adversary to passion A mans nobility Wealth Authority Reputations are the weapons wherewith Satan fights against him The grand combate in all disputes is with Satan The main quarrel is not so much the point in question as the Peace and Tranquillity and safety of the Church of Christ A disputant must take heed of being too wise in his own eyes No vice so hardly rooted out of a mans spirit as Arrogance A medicine against arrogance The top of humane wisdom to suspect a mans own wisdom and seek Counsel We cannot dispute with any person so despicable but look how much we think our selves wiser then him by so much he takes himself to be wiser then Vs The use of this Observation LIB II. IN the former book we have discoursed concerning unprofitable questions how they may be distinguished from profitable ones and how they ought to be avoided it follows now that we should declare what may befit a godly man to do if it shal appear that the business in Controversie be a matter of great weight And here doubtless if thou wilt give eare to Satan he wil endeavour to advance his designs exceedingly by thy means So that some error shall not be extirpated but spread abroad far and neer yea and become as it were the seed of many other errors so that contentions discords variance sects devastations and mighty hurliburlies shall thence arise and to the end he wil labour might and main that no moderate circumspect grave counsel may take place but that all things be transacted rashly without advice confusedly What now shal a Christian and prudent spirit do in this case Shal he think of obeying Satan and furthering his counsels Wil he make him his Counsellor and Captain Wil he not rather with all diligence of mind provide that all things be managed with the greatest discretion possible So that not a word as neer as may be shal pass which is not exactly fitted by reason and polished Wil he not weigh with himself again and again what is needful to be done Here here indeed is need of prudence resist the beginnings whiles the flame is yet smal if thou shalt let it alone a little while and give fuel to it likewise who shal be able to quench the Fire These things I say are to be foreseen in time If thou shalt hear any impious Doctrine what thinkest thou wil the speech of Satan be in thy heart He wil try peradventure if he can bring the Error in credit with thee also but if he find the doors shut on this side and shal thee another way O abominable wickedness wil he say O this fellow deserves that the Earth should open its mouth and swallow him up quick that durst once speak such abhominable words t is pity he were not burnt with fire from Heaven The basest and wickedest fellow that ever the Earth bare Is it possible that any man should so much as once think of such things much less account them true If thou give way to such thoughts as these what canst thou do or say which wil not occasion a thousand mischiefs Perswade thy self that the Spirit of God is not author of such councels but Satan Such thoughts are not fit to take away the evil but to increase it more and more and render it uncapable of all cure Somewhat else there is to be done to remedy this evil And first how knowest thou but that this man haply what ever he may seem to be is one of Gods elect whom God indeed hath suffered to fall out of some secret but most wise and loving purpose of his own that he may raise him again with much more glory whom did'st thou but know to be such an one could'st thou entertain any inhumane thoughts against him who is ordained to the possession of the glory of the Elect and to be an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven against thy brother against a member of Christ against a servant yea and a son of God But thou wilt say by this reason the Magistrate must suffer theeves robbers cut-throats and other criminal offenders for as much as all such may be of the number of the elect such as may in time be reclaimed I answer a godly and wise Magistrate when he punishes such like offenders he doth it not to satisfie his own hatred but executes that office whereunto he is called of God knowing that he is bound to obey Gods revealed wil whatever his own reason may notwithstanding prompt him unto Even as Abraham was ready at Gods command to offer his most beloved and most innocent son Isaac And in the mean time he omits no office of humanity towards such as are to be put to death But thou wilt say further Can the ears then oâ— that man which loves God hear accursed speeches against God and be no more moved then if they nothing concerned him I answer and grant that a man ought to be moved and vehemently moved in such a case but would not allow that motion to be a rash head-long zeal but a zeal guided by the most accurate reason not of Satans but of the Spirit of Gods begetting If thou hadst a brother or a son rather whom thou exceedingly lovedst thou couldst not see him catch a dangerous fall but especially in case he were therewith grievously wounded thou wouldst be much moved but with what kind of motion or affection So as to inveigh against him with harsh language to overwhelm him with revilings and reproaches Yea rather thou wouldst run to him and raise him up as gingerly as thou canst Thou wouldst bid him be of good cheer and leave nothing undone which might free him from or at least mitigate his pain Thou wouldst spare no pains and watch with him whole nights together And in case the anguish of his wound shal make him froward thou wilt nevertheless remit nothing of thy great tenderness over him Such would I have the motion of thy mind to be to be grieved at the fall of thy brother to be grieved that God is offended to be grieved for their sakes whom he hath mis-taught so a that they are in danger to lose their salvation But let the effects of thy griefs be that thou endeavor with all thy might either wholy to remove or to lessen the evil and that thou take heed again and again as in a business wherein thou canst not err without great danger that thou neither do or speak any thing which may increase the same nor of which thou canst not foresee some certain hope of profit and that thou wilt so order thy self that in case thou shalt at any time observe that what thou didst to a good end had a bad issue thou wilt be content with the hazard of thy reputation to correct thine Error Furthermore three things seem to require our consideration what course
Lord hath a true humane body and yet that the same body maybe in divers places at one thesame time Forasmuch therefore as they believe and that most strongly that Christ is true man the Son of God and raised from the dead and all other things which the Scripture holds forth as necessary to be believed what reason hast thou to deny that they may be saved even in this their Error It is clear therefore that as wel those which hold Christs body to be in the Sacramental bread as those which deny the same although it must needs be that one side err yet are they both if otherwise conscionable observers of our Lords commands in the way of Salvation In which regard they are bound to love and reverence one another as brethren the servants of God and members of Christ If they shal mutually vex one another with revilings reproaches cursings if they shal go on to exercise enmity one against another they shal not escape the just judgment of God Wherefore I pray and beseech both parties by Christ Jesus that laying aside all hatred and rash judgments they would strive to go beyond one another in offices of Love Let us abandon bad language scoffs contempt so wil it certainly fall out that such as err shal at the length be brought to acknowledg the Truth If we shal but once be united in heart and affection the Lord wil not deny us any favour or success neither wil he ever suffer that such as out of true love endeavour to draw their bretheren out of Error shal reap no fruit of their labour Now look how we have discussed these two points viz. the Error of Sabellius and the Controversie about the corporal pre-presence in the Sacramental bread it wil be easie for any man in like manner to judg of what ever other points shal come into Controversie For concerning what ever Error shal be questioned we must enquire whether or no the person so erring may not believe all such things as to the belief whereof Salvation is promised that in case he may we may perswade our selves that he errs not in a point necessary to be known unto salvation but if not that he errs in a necessary Doctrine Howbeit whosoever would condemn any man for any Error ought to consider again and again what assurance he hath that such an Error cannot stand with salvation Do but consider when as our Lord says come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I wil give you ease Shal any man be so fool-hardy as to dare to pul back him that is coming and of his own head to say to him Oh! do you hear it wil be in vain for you to go unto Christ who do not believe this or that point Who art thou that wilt hinder another mans servant from coming at his Masters call With what confidence takest thou upon thee to divine at the wil of God not being very clearly manifested unto thee Must you according to your fancy set bounds to the goodness mercy and kindness of God He unto whom it belongs to give life calls all unto him and wilt thou by I know not what exceptions of thine own devising limit those graces which he promiseth but limits not What dost thou in so doing Doubtless as much as in thee lies thou robbest a man of his life not of this life which is rather a death then life but of eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven adjudging him to eternal torments neither is it to one alone thou art so injurious but to thousands haply Thou maimest Christ in so many members thou rendest the Church into Sects and pavest a way to infinite mischiefs And if our Lord so severely menace such as offend the least what thinkest thou shal become of them who by their rash judging have drove men to make Sects without any necessary cause so requiring Wo unto them And if so be the way which we have set down to distinguish between points necessary to be believed and not necessary seem not to be sufficient do thou if thou canst produce a better one more sure firm and constant If thou wonderest that among such points which we have reckoned up as necessary to be known thou dost not find certain other points of Religion very highly accounted of Read over diligently the whole Old and New Testament and search throughly by what Texts thou canst prove that those points are so necessary to be known that he that understands them not cannot be saved Consider what knowledg the People of Israel could have of them from the Old Testament who were notwithstanding to be saved by the same faith that we are Consider again what the thief could know when it was said to him this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Or the Eunuch when Philip baptized him Or that woman to whom when she had washed our Lords feet it was said thy faith hath saved thee Or she that was wasted away by the bloody issue or the Palsied man with many others whose sins were forgiven them meerly upon their confessing the name of the Lord. It is also observable what the reason should be that whereas these points which we have set down as necessary are so frequently repeated in Scripture and required of necessity to be known those points which some men so highly account of are not in like manner required If those books had bin written by the wit of man which we account as indeed they are sacred we should say that honest Homer had took a nap and forgot himself But they are indicted by the Holy Spirit This therefore is not come to passe by chance but by the sure counsell of God who had he intended that those points should have been of like estimation he would at least in some one place plainly have signified his mind Which since he hath not done what is man that he should be able to conjecture Gods mind These things ought not to be measured by our wit or judgment but by the wisdom of God revealed unto us from heaven it alone must be regarded what ever reason may dictate But if so be any one shall erre in a point that ought necessarily to be known and cannot be reduced to a right judgment no man ought to question but that such a person may be justly condemned and cast out of the society of the godly And that not only if being admonished he shall go on to seduce others but also though he will be silent for what participation can the Church of God have with him unto whom eternal life is not promised But if the point about which some man erres be not in the number of those that must needs be known in this case I conceive we must use a distinction For if he that thinks amisse and cannot be reduced shall likewise endevour to seduce others having been often admonished to desist I see no reason but that he may and
disputants beyond what was necessary to express the sence of the Hebrew and Greek and all those tenets which men by their own wits do collect and infer from the Scriptures Now of what concernment this will be we may gather by this instance The Papists think it one and the same thing to say The Church cannot erre and to say in the words of our Lord Wheresoever two or three shall be gathered together in my name there will I be in the midst of them Yet is the difference very great which may thus appear forasmuch as in case any one shall conceive the Church to be the Pope Cardinals and Bishops anointed by the Pope he hearing the aforesaid sentence will judg that whatsoever they shall decree ought to be of force But if he shall rather minde the words of our Lord and shall consider that those kinde of men do regard nothing but their own commodity wealth and dominion he will be so far from so understanding them that peradventure not being able to allow the deeds and practises of these men he will come to hope from those words That if himself with some other good men loving God with their whole heart shall come together and unanimously implore the assistance of God shall be better able to determine what it is that ought to be believed and practised for the attainment of salvation then if they should persist to put their confidence in such Pastors Now this rule That the words of the Scripture ought to be used rather then any other is then especially to be observed when any thing is delivered as a certain and tryed truth or as a rule of faith or life or out of which any other thing is to be inferred For in expositions and explanations as there is need haply of greater liberty so is there less danger if it be taken For when as the word of God and the exposition thereof are at one and the same time both together in view as it were there no man can be ignorant that the exposition is the word of man so that he may reject it in case it seem impertinent And look by what means a man may hinder the doctrine of Religion from being changed by the self same he may finde whether it be changed or no. Now every man ought to compare the doctrine of that age wherein he lives with no other doctrine then that which was out of question spotless which is the doctrine of the Apostles Wherefore notwithstanding that in our age the Gospel is as it were revived yet ought not any man thus to think That he ought to examine whether the Gospel hath lost any of that purity wherunto it had at this time arrived he ought rather to look again and again whether some corruption do not yet remain whether it be not in some part as yet not sufficiently restored to its ancient purity and lustre and confidently perswade himself That he cannot be that I may so speak sufficiently superstitious in rejecting every word which is not in the Scriptures Forasmuch as man will ever be more wise and wary then the holy Spirit and can very hardly forbear to mingle somewhat from his own head so that whatever comes from man can never be sufficiently suspected And because a thing will be so much the better preserved by how much the greater is the number of those that keep it the people ought often to be put in minde That both the reading of the Scriptures and the care of Religion belongs not to the Pastors of the Church onely but that every one that would be saved ought to make diligent search whether any corruption be already or is for the future like to be introduced and this to do no less carefully then if he were perswaded that all beside himself were asleep and whatsoever is wont to take the common people off from such studies care must be taken that that thing be wholly taken away Concerning which matter we shall more conveniently discourse anon Now forasmuch as the profit will be small if some private man shall observe that an error is introduced unless he discover the said error and lay it open there must of necessity be some way how this may conveniently be done Now there cannot be a more fiting way then that which Apostle propounds to the Corinthians Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judg 1 Cor. 14. and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by let the former be silent For ye may all prophecy one by one that all may learn and all may be exhorted If some one person shall always speak in the Church and no man at any time may contradict him it will be a very strange thing if that one man be not puffed up if he do not fall into such a conceit of himself as to think that he is the onely man that he onely hath understanding he alone is wise that all the rest are a company of brute animals as it were who ought to depend onely upon him and to do nothing but learn of him And if any man shall think that himself likewise hath some ability to teach he will account that man an hainous offender But what says the Apostle to this Did the word of God come from you or came it unto you onely If any seem to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledg what I write unto you to be the commands of the Lord. But if any one be ignorant let him be ignorant Wherefore brethren labor that ye may prophecy and forbid not to speak with tongues let all things be done decently and in order It is exceedingly to be lamented That this custom and the practice of this command of the Lord is not again restored into the Churches and brought into use But some men may say Such is the rashness of this age of ours such the boldness such the impudence That if it were allowed to every one to speak in the Congregation there will be no end of brawls and contention Why so Is a man another kinde of creature now then what he was of old Thou wilt say he is For mankinde hath continually degenerated grown worse and worse and seems now to have attained the top of corruption Is it so indeed But suppose it to be so Thou that art the Teacher of the people art not thou also thy self made of the same mold Art not thou born in the same age Inasmuch as this ordinance principally was intended to keep Pastors within the bounds of modesty that they may understand That they are not the authors of the Word of God that they have not alone received the Spirit by how much the more mankinde hath degenerated by so much the greater need is there thereof for that there is now more rashness arrogance pride then of old this is true as well of the Pastors and Teachers as of the rest of the people Art thou a Prophet hast thou any
portion of the Spirit If thou hast not so unfiting it is that thou alone shouldest speak in the Congregation that there will hardly be found any that desires rather to be silenc't then thy self But if thou art a prophet if thou hast the Spirit mark what the Apostle says Acknowledg quoth he that those things which I write are the commandments of the Lord. Go to then On the one side we have the judgment of our Lord willing that prophecy for this is a word that we are obliged to use should be common to all and that not for the destruction but the salvation of the Church On the other side we have thy judgment who fearest lest that may breed contentions and confusion whose iudgment now ought we rather stand to If thou shalt conceive we must stand to thine consider what thou assumest unto thy self and what will become of thy modesty Our Lord it should seem understood not what a kinde of creature man was he wanted thy wisdom bâ—like to admonish him of the danger or haply he thought not upon that corruption which should befal mankinde whereby such a Liberty might prove unprofitable But Paul answers thee That God is not the author of contention but of peace Who well knowing what might move contentions what beget peace and not loving nor willing to have contention but peace willed that this liberty of prophesying should be in the Church What canst thou say to the contrary what hast thou to objâ—ct against God himself wilt thou accuse him of indiscretion No man hath so wicked a tongue as to dare to do it Yet if thou shalt diligently search thine heart thou shalt finde there a certain disposition ready to contend even with God himself Which motion of thy heart must by no means be hearkened unto but sharply repressed and wholly subjected to the Spirit of God It may seem peradventure an absurd thing That after some very learned person hath spoken some contemptible person shall be allowed to contradict him Can such a person so do without great rashness and temerity Were I to speak according to the judgment of man verily I could not deny it But if we be really perswaded That the knowledg of matters divine ought not to be attributed to our watching studies wits but to God and to his Spirit wherewith he can in a moment endue the simplest person in the world and that with no more labor or difficulty then if he were to give him unto one that had spent Nestors age in study What reason is there for me to judg that this man does rashly and unadvisedly if he shall arise and contradict Is not the spirit able to reveal somewhat to him which he hath hidden from thee Now if the spirit have revealed somewhat to him and to that end revealed it that he might contradict that by his means the thing may be revealed to the Church shall I say that he hath done rashly in obeying the holy Ghost And if thou think otherwise verily thou art not perswaded that the Spirit is the Author and Teacher of this Knowledg but that all the praise thereof is due to studies watchings and the wits of men And if this be thy judgment I tell thee again That thou art not onely unworthy to be the sole speaker but worthy rather to be the onely person not permitted to speak in the congregation And that thou mayst the better understand that the most unlearned ought to be allowed to speak consider God will have himself to be acknowledged the Author of his own gifts he will not have his praise attributed unto our studies or wits but unto himself But if the man that hath spent all his life in study speak wisely it is not attributed to God but to study In word perhaps it may be attributed to God yet not without a vehement reluctancy of our judgment and this is that which I say God will not abide But if so be thou shalt hear a wise word come out of the mouth of some unlearned person thou must needs whether thou wilt or no aâ—knowledg God to be the Author thereof So when God was minded to give unto Israel a victory against the Midianites under the conduct of Gideon and Gideon had gathered together Thirty thousand men lest the Israelites should boast that they had gotten the victory by their own strength and not by the assistance of God which might have been conceived if Gideon had fought with so numerous an Army he would not suffâ—r him to have above Three hundred that it might appear that he was the cause of the victory and not the number or valor of those that fought Now besides the glory of God hereby great profit does accrue to the Church For if the people shall see now one man now another endued with the spirit beyond all expectation many will thereby be encouraged to hope for the same gift if they shall ask it many will learn and profit and it will thereby come to pass that when occasion shall be to choose a Minister the Church shall not need to call strange and unknown persons to that office but she may have of her own such as are fit to be chosen men whose conversation and manners are sufficiently known And when the number of such as are able to prophecy shall be great the Church will not be forced to use such Pastors as from their very childhood have proposed to themselves such offices as the reward of their studies and addicted themselves to the study of Scripture and Religion no otherwise then they would have done to some Trade whereby they meant in time to get their living So that a man can expect but very few of them to prove other then mercenary or hireling Pastors Now â—hat it was the custom of the Jewish Church that all might thus prophecy we may hence conjecture in that it is upon Record Luke 4. Luke 4. how our Lord upon the Sabbath day according to the custom came into the Synagogue took a book and expounded a place of Esay and how being twelve yeers of age he sate at Jerusalem in the temple among the Doctors and did dispute For he could not so do by vertue of any ordinary office forasmuch as his age was uncapable neither did the Doctors know who he was Yea rather our Lord in so doing must needs make use of the power which was granted to every one to speak It remained in the Christians Congregations until the times of Constantine at the least Forasmuch as we have these words of Eusebius Eccle. hist lib. 9. the Writer of Church-affairs to that effect If any man inspired by the grace of God should speak unto the People they all with great silence fixing their eyes upon him gave such attention as if he had brought them some errand from heaven So great was the reverence of the hearers such order was seen among the Ministers One after another another after him Neither was
when the Congregation justly rejects it does not therefore justly reject because the man will not embrace its tenets or stand to its judgment But because he rejects the doctrine which came from God and that doctrine of such consequence That it ought of necessity to be known to salvation Likewise when a particular Congregation allowes of one tenet disallowes of another it does not impose a law upon any mans belief but onely declares its own faith to the end That he which is not of the same minde at least in the more principal points of doctrine may know that he belongs not to that society for there must of necessity be some kinde of Government that the Congregation may not be forced to communicate in Religious Services with that man of whom she is perswaded that he is not any ways related to the Church of Christ neither hath any right to the priviledges thereof Hence we may easily understand and in one word express what difference there is between the Councel of the Apostles and those who make themselves their successors be they who they will Forasmuch as it was apparent that the Apostles were by name chosen by our Lord himself to the office of Apostleship it was manifest that they were endued with a large measure of the holy Ghost which Spirit would lead them into all truth Now there is no testimony of any such concerning any of their successors We are left onely to conjecture what they are by their words and actions which are subject to counterfeiting and fraud In the Councels of the Apostles men were not to minde so much what was judged and determined as by whom it was so determined So that they needed not with many words to render a reason why they so ordained Contrariwise in the Councels of their successors it matters not so much who they are that decree a thing as what that thing is which they so decree what testimonies they produce from Scripture how clearly and manifestly those testimonies do teach the point determined So that doctrine of Luther That we are saved onely by the merits of Christ is embraced by us yet do not we look upon Luther but upon those testimonies which are by him cited from Scripture which also the holy Ghost that internal Expositor witnesses to our spirits that they teach the same Otherwise be they never so many let them be pious learned holy yea verily let them be angels of heaven unless thou shalt perceive that what they affirm is proved by the Word of God there is no reason for thee to suffer thine eyes to be dazled with the splendor and pomp of a Councel Howbeit fitting it is to attribute so much authority to a Councel unless it be of such as are manifestly enemies to truth as not rashly to reject the judgment thereof but let every man diligently weigh the same desiring earnestly the assistance of God that he may judge aright Hence likewise we may conjecture who ought to be admitted to a Councel For since they do not meet to make any laws of Faith but rather to pray for the holy Ghost by whom they may be led into all truth and in a word to learn It will not be necessary that he that must be admitted should be a Bishop or an Archbishop or a Pope nor yet that he should be famous for learning nay rather no reason there is why any man should be excluded that appears to be possessed of any measure of piety and of the holy Ghost So we see in that same decree of the Apostolical Councel after the Apostles and Elders the whole Church is named For inasmuch as the holy Ghost is not tied to any dignity or to any certain kinde of persons Who knows by whom God will chuse to discover the Truth And forasmuch as we are not to regard any number of voices but onely what that is which is said although some foolish indiscreet person or a man that makes onely a shew of godliness shall be admitted they cannot do much hurt for we must count every man to be such as his speech shall declare him to be And thus we have declared by what means the doctrine of Religion comes to be corrupted and what cautions we are to use when it is pure to keep it so FINIS ERRATA PAge 2. l. 6. is not God p. 3. l. 6. is to take into l. 27. disobeys the command p. 6. l. 32. yet is their strength p. 8. l. 31. self interests p. 18. l. 10. like wise men l. 22. it is no small p. 22. l. 5. any time come into p. 30. l. 8. should contend p. 31. l. 9. the time place p. 36. l. 18. to that end p. 37. l. 1. shal set upon the another way p. 45. l. 15. wonderful example is that p. 46. l. 31. best of shepheards l. 33. to thee weak p. 55. l. 24. be so ingenuous p. 58. l. 1. 2. one whole sentence ere his mouth be wel open l. 23. a benefice p. 65. l. 38. betide others as p. 74. l. 20. shal by his 22. the instrument p. 75. l. 37. accounted of others howbeit p. 78. l. 33. of our Lord. p. 82. l. 24. ingenuously l. 38. a couple p. 83. l. 17. is not to p. 93. l. 7. hereticks in the. p. 99. l. 10. to vanquish an Apostate l. 16. means of them the. p. 102. l. 35. that when he p. 108. l 4. and will attempt p. 135. l. 2. 3. no such testimony concerning any successors