Ghost in whomsoever THe next in order as the immediate question from this former is who must interpret this Rule because as is objected there are many darke places in it hard to be understood Vnto vvhich we answer The two Witnesses shall be the onely interpreter thereof which are the vvord of God contained in the same Scriptures and the Spirit of God so are they called Ioh. 15.26.27 Act. 5.32 First for the Scriptures themselves although some doctrine in some places be darke and obscure as Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 3.16 yet the selfe same doctrines in other places are plaine and manifest For all the words of the Lord are plaine to them that will understand and straight to them that would finde knowledge Prov. 8.9 And knowledge is easie to him that will understand Prov. 14.6 Secondly the Spirit of God so saith the Apostle 1. Ioh. 5.6 It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for the Spirit is truth and Ioh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And Ioh. 16.13 Howbeit when hee is come which is the Spirit of Truth hee will leade you into all truth for hee shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoever hee shall heare hee shall speake and he will teach you of the things to come And 1. Cor. 2.10 For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deepe things of God and vers 11. For the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God And 1 Ioh. 2.27 But the annointing that ye have received of him dwelleth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you you shall abide in him And 1 Ioh. 3.24 Hereby we know that hee abideth in us even by the Spirit that hee hath given us And 1. Cor. 12.8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisedome and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit The Scriptures be so plaine in this that the greatest adversaries thereof doe acknowledge the truth hereof Onely in this lyeth the difficultie who it is that hath the Spirit of God to interprete the Scriptures which is that sure Rule which in the next place is to be handled CHAP. III. That the Spirit of God to understand and interpret is given to all and every particular person that feare and obey God of what degree soever they be and not to the wicked DEut. 4.5.6 Behold J have taught you Ordinances and Lawes as the Lord my God commanded me that you doe even so c. Keep them therefore and doe them for that is your wisedome and understanding in the sight of the people c. who shall say onely this people is wise and of understanding c. Psal 25.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach the way that he shall chuse and vers 14. The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that feare him and his covenant to give them understanding And Psal 107.43 Who is wise that he may observe these things for they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Dan. 12.10 None of the wicked shall have understanding but the wise shall understand for God will doe nothing but he revealed his secrets to his servants Amos 3.7 And he that keepeth the Law is a child of understanding Prov. 28.7 Luk. 21.15 For I will give you my Disciples that obey me and suffer for my sake a mouth and wisedome And Luk. 12.12 And the Holy Ghost shall teach you what yee shall say For Mat. 10.20 it is not you that speake but the Spirit of my father that speaketh in you And Mark 4.11 to you my followers is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to them that are without all things are in parables And Ioh. 14.15 Jf ye love me keep my commandements and I will pray the Father and hee shall give you the Spirit of Truth And Ioh. 7.17 Jf any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. And Act. 5.32 Yea and the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to all that obey him And Psal 119.99 c. David had more understanding then all his Teachers and then all the Ancients because he kept Gods precepts Hence is plaine to whom the Spirit of God is given Even to everie particular Saint of God and it is no Private spirit but even the Publique Spirit of God which is in him which enableth him to understanding and so to declare the things given him of God For that is a private spirit that is not of God though it be in multitudes but the Spirit of God though but in one Saint is not Private Gods Spirit is not private for it is not comprehended onely within one place person or time but is universall and eternall so is not mans Spirit Therefore mens is private though in many persons Gods is publique though but in one person CHAP. IV. Those that feare and obey God and so have the Spirit of God to search out the mind of God in the Scriptures are commonly and for the most part simple ones poore despised c. OVr Saviour saith Mat. 11.5 The poore receive the Gospell and vers 25. J thank thee Father Lord of heaven earth because thou hast opened these things to Babes It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such And the Apostle James 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren Hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and Heyres of the Kingdome c. And the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 1.26 c. Brethren you see your Calling that God hath chosen the foolish of this world the weake of this world the vile of this world and despised and which are not For Gods dealing is to give unto the simple sharpnesse of wit and to the child knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 The Spirit bloweth where it listeth Ioh. 3.8 and is not tied either to learning or multitudes Poore persecuted Michaih had the truth against 400. of King Ahabs Prophets 1. King 22. so had Ieremy Ier. 37. against all the Priests and Prophets of Israel The Lord of life himselfe in his fleshly being what was hee but a man full of sorowes In his birth laid in a cratch because there was no roome for him in the Inne Luke 2.7 A Carpenter by trade Mark 6. having not a hole to rest his head in Mat. 8. and in his death contemned and despised His Apostles in like manner what were they but meane men Fishermen Tent-makers and such like having no certain dwelling place in so much as the worldly wise Scribes and Pharises took notice of it and reproachfully said Ioh. 7.48 Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeve
of your Majestie your Highnes your Honors your Worships to take pitie on us our poore wives and children or his heavenly Majestie release us by death Will not succeeding ages cry out against these cruell courses of the Protestants as well as they crie out against the crueltie of the Iewes and Papists Yes we are assured they will as many millions doe in other Nations at this day The Scriptures declare the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Iewes was Not the obscurity of the Scriptures but that they winked with their eyes lest they should see and lest their honour and profite should decay and come to nothing Ioh. 11.48 and because their feare towards God vvas taught by mens Precepts and because they looked to their own vvay and to their owne advantage and had rejected the word of the Lord and because they builded their Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie and sought their own Honour and not Gods So the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Papists in denying the Scriptures to be the onely rule of faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but they receiving not the love of the Truth God hath given them up to strange and strong delusions and the cause of their not receiving the love of the truth being all those afore-named in the Iewes And the Protestant well observeth that the causes why the Papist deny the Scriptures onely sufficiencie and strive so much for their Churches Authoritie are two First That they might make themselves Iudges in their own cause For vvho seeth not that if the Church be the rule of faith and theirs be the Church which way the verdit will goe Next For that the greatest points of their Religion have no foundation on the Scriptures So that take away the Scriptures and establish their Religion but establish the Scriptures and their Religion vanisheth and that Mother of whoredomes that glorified her selfe as a Queene shall be consumed for her Merchants that are wexed rich through her pleasure and profites shall waile and weep The which they now seeing shut their eyes lest they should see that that should bring them from those Honours Profites and Pleasures In like manner it may easily be judged by everie indifferent heart that the cause why the learned of this land will be blind in not ceasing to constraine men to practise that in Gods worship in which they have not faith nay vvhich is contrarie to the light of their consciences is Not the obscuritie of the Scriptures But their winking with their eyes lest they should see that that would take away their honours profits and pleasures For if Bribes blinde the eyes of the wise Deut. 16.19 then honours profits and pleasures much more For who seeth not if none should be compelled to practice any thing in Gods worship but what they have faith in which will make them read willingly and worship holily then the Honours Profits and Pleasures of the learned men in respect of Spiritualty would decay although your Majestie might lawfully give them what temporall Honours Profits and Pleasures your Highnesse liked of These are the true causes of the blindnesse of the learned For so Christ saith Ioh. 5. How can yee beleeve when yee seeke honour one of another and seeketh not the honour that is of God And how can men but be blind in Gods mysteries vvhen they look to their own way for their own advantage and for their own purpose For having rejected the word of the Lord what wisedome is in them they have no answer of God that build up their Syon for so they account their Churches or professions vvith bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie If these learned could free us from the Lords wrath or that they might answer for us and we be free it were safe for us to submit our selves and captivate our judgements and practise to them but seeing they cannot so much as deliver their own soules and that if the blind leade the blind both must fall into the ditch Mat. 15. and everie one give account of himselfe to God Rom. 14. and be judged by his own workes done in the flesh 2. Cor. 5. and that the soule that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. vvee dare not follow any mortall man in matters of salvation further then wee know him to agree vvith Gods meaning in the Scriptures Paul the holy Apostle of Iesus Christ taught that we should follow him no otherwise then he followed Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 yea Christ himselfe sent men to the Scripture to try his doctrine Ioh. 5. The Apostles suffred their doctrine to be tryed and commended them that tryed it Act. 17.11 And the Protestants confesse White pag. 127. This doctrine was never misliked till a Church arose up whose silver being drosse and whose milke poyson could not endure the tryall which being true that we may trie why may we not also judge and practise according as Gods Spirit shall direct us in our tryall If a man should drinke poyson and know it to be poyson were he not in a worse estate then hee that should doe it ignorantly not knowing thereof even a murtherer of himselfe in the highest degree so he that drinketh spirituall poyson knowing it for so it is unto them they not having faith in it he is in a worse estate even a murtherer of his owne soule in the like degree And therefore that Church or those learned that vvill suffer their doctrine to be tryed and yet constraine men to receive it and practise it when upon tryall their consciences are convinced of the falshood thereof are worse and doe more highly sinne then they that constraine a blind conscience though both be evill Wee despise not learning nor learned men but doe reverence both it and them according to their worthinesse onely when it is advanced into the seat of God and that given unto it which apperteineth to the Holy Ghost which is to leade into all truth then ought all as Hezekiah did unto the brazen serpent detest it and contemne it CHAP. VI. Persecution for Religion is against the Law of Christ FIrst himselfe commanded Mat. 13.30 vvith 38. Let the Tares and wheate grow together in the world untill the end of this world Secondly the same Christ our Lord commandeth Mat. 15.14 that they which are blindly led on in false Religion and are offended at him for teaching true Religion should be let alone deferring their punishment unto their falling into the ditch Thirdly hee reproved his Disciples vvho would have had fire to come downe from heaven and devoured those Samaritanes that vvould not receive Christ saying Yee know not of what spirit yee are the Sonne of man is not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9.54.55 which plainely proveth that Christ vvould have no man hurt for Religion although they be refusers of him Fourthly the Holy Ghost teacheth the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all men suffering the evill
in him vers 49. but this people that know not the Law are cursed The truth of this is as plaine as may be that the Scriptures being the rule of Faith perfect and absolute and that the plainenesse of them is such as that by the Spirit of God they may easily be understood of those that feare and obey God but of none else and that such are most commonly the poore and despised For if any want wisedome be he never so simple let him come unto God and hee will give him Iam. 1.5 which is also confirmed by humane testimonie The Protestants confesse that in the Primitive Church the doctrines and severall points of Religion were known and discovered by the most meane of the people and rhe Bishops exhorted them therunto c. Whits way pag. 7. And that this rule is of that nature that it is able to direct any man be he never so simple yea the most unlearned alive may conceive and understand it sufficiently for his salvation pag. 9. And they relate the sayings of the Ancients in this time First Clemence Alexandrinus The word is not hid from any it is a common light which shineth to all men and there is no obscuritie in it c. pag. 32. Next Augustine God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacitie of babes and sucklings that when proud men will not speak to their capacitie yet himselfe might After him Chrisostome The Scriptures are easie to understand and exposed to the capacitie of every servant and Plowman and widow and boy and him that is most unwise therefore God penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicanes Fishermen Tent-makers Shepherds Neatherds and unlearned men that none of the simple people might have any excuse to keep them from reading and that so they might be easie to be understood of all men the Artificer the Housholder and Widow woman and him that is most unlearned Yea the Apostles and Prophets as Schoole-masters to all the world made their writings plaine and evident to all men so that every man of himselfe onely by reading them might learne the things spoken therein Next Iustine Martyr saith Heare the words of the Scripture which be so easie that it needs no exposition but onely to be rehearsed And this the Protestants say was the perpetuall and constant judgement of the ancient Church c. And further he alledgeth pag. 21. Theodoret who writ of his times You shall every where see these points of our faith to be knowne and understood not onely by such as are Teachers in the Church but even of Coblers and Smiths and Websters and all kinde of Artificers yea all our women not they onely which are booke-learned but they also that get their living with their needle yea mayd-servants and wayting-women and not Citizens onely but Husbandmen of the Country are very skilfull in these things yea you may heare among us Ditchers and Neatherds and Wood-setters discoursing of the Trinitie and the creation c. The like is repeated by others And say the Protestants His doctrine that was President in the Trent Councell That a Distaffe was fitter for a woman then a Bible was not yet hatched c. Oh! it were well if the contempt of these pious practises were paled onely within the Romish profession and were not practised in and among those that professe themselves to be separated therefrom As what is more frequent in the mouthes of many learned Protestants then these and such like words Must every base fellow Cobler Taylor Weaver c. meddle with the exposition or discoursing of the Scriptures which apperteyneth to none but to the learned Yea doe they not forbid their owne Ministers to expound or discourse of the Scriptures Read the 49. Canon which is No person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Dioces or not licenced as is aforesayd for a sufficient and convenient Preacher shall take upon him to expound in his owne Cure or elsewhere any Scripture or matter or doctrine but shall onely studie to read plainly and aptly without glosing or adding the Homilies alreadie set forth or hereafter to be published by lawfull Authoritie c. So that not onely Iesus Christ and his Apostles who are alive in their doctrine though not in their persons are forbidden all exposition of holy Scriptures or matter or doctrine not being licensed by the Bishops but also their owne Ministers who have sworne Canonicall obedience to them Yet when they are put to answer the Papist who practise the same thing they take up both Scriptures and ancient Writers to confute it CHAP. V. The learned in humane learning doe commonly and for the most part erre and know not the Truth but persecute it and the professors of it and therefore to be no further followed then we see them agree with the Truth THe next in order is That seeing the Lord reveileth his secrets to the humble though wanting humane learning That we now prove that on the contrarie God usually and for the most part Hideth his secrets from the learned and suffreth them to erre and resist the Truth yea so far as to persecute it and the professors of it And first let us beginne with the learned Heathen who were behind none in humane learning The wise men of Egypt how did they resist the powerfull truth of God delivered by Moses yea they resisted it with such signes and lying wonders as the heart of Pharaoh and all his people was hardened against it Exod. 7.11.12.18 8.7 And what was the cause of the destruction of Babel but the trusting in the learned Esa 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels c. And Esa 44.25 I destroy the tokens of the Southsayers and make them that conjecture fooles and turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse The things of Gods dealing none of the learned of Egypt or Babel could interpret but Ioseph and Daniel Next come to the learned Priests and Prophets of the Iewes whose lips should have preserved knowledge and at whose mouth the people should have sought the Law But saith the Lord Mal. 2.7.8 They are gone out of the way they have caused many to fall by the Law c. Also Esay 29. Stay your selves and wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not by strong drinke for the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes the Prophets and your chiefe Seers c. Therefore the Lord said Because this people come neere unto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from me their feare towards me was taught by the precepts of men Therfore behold I will againe doe a marveilous worke in this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be