thence he is confident God will helpe him now Wherfore when his men rage chafe and forget all faith in God and respect to their Captaine Dauid is quiet and Comforts himselfe in the Lord his God as in verse 6. The like strength of Confidence we find in the same holy man in his combat with the Philistiâ—n 1 Sam. 17. where from experience of Gods helpe in time past defending him in his lawfull calling against the Beare and the 〈◊〉 yon he confidently assures himselfe of the like assistance victorie in that his rightâ—ous quarrell against the vncircumcised Philistim v. 36. The same course takes the Psalmist in Psal. 77. where being in great affliction and tentation he strengtheneth himselfe in hope of comfort by the consideration of Gods workes of old and all his mercies heretofore shewed vnto his people Thus experience breeds Confidence and we readily trust him whom we haue once thorowly tried Where let me commend vnto you a point of Christian wisedome the practise whereof will cause a singular increase of Faith in vs. It is this that we would carefully giue our minds to obserue all such experiments of Gods mercies or iudgements on our selues or others as we can take notice of comparing the particular euent that we see with the promises or threatnings that are generally deliuered in the Scriptures Looke ouer all the passages courses of thy life marke wherein God hath done vnto thee according to his Word Thou praiedst such a time seruently and he heard thee in such or such a businesse then committedst thy way to him and he brought it about according to thy desire beyond thy expectation thou wast cast vpon this or that extreamitie and God when thou soughtest to him deliuered thee beyond all hope such a Grace thou didst want or such a Sin thou wouldâ—t faine be freed of God helped thee to the one and against the other when thou didst follow such directions as his Word prescribed thee at one time thou sinnedst and as God had threatned so wast thou plagued at another time thou didst some good worke receiuedst a blessing according to the promise Againe looke abroad and see how God deales towards others See in one place a Kingdome plagued for Idolatry in another a Countrey professing true Religion yet vndone by the wicked liues of the Inhabitants see here a Vsurer Briber Oppressour and cruell incloser that hath raysed his fortunes by all vniust dealing it may be whilst he liues himselfe and family turned out of all a begging or in his third heire all this wealth blowne away his name and posteritie rooted out or left for a curse and reproach vpon the face of the earth There behold a murderer pursued at the heeles by stronge vengeance that neuer leaues him till his blood be shed that hath shed the blood of another See else-where an Adultorer eaten vp by the secret curse of God which deuoureth all his substance no man knoweth how One the other side marke how God blesseth Kingdomes Families priuate persons wherein by whom Religion Iustice discipline ciuilitie sanctitie are professed and in truth maintained If we would vse diligent obseruation in this kind it would quickly appeare vnto vs that God is most constant in his courses That the Scriptures do containe in them a perpetuall infallible rule that hold true in all times ages of the world according to which God euer hath and alwaies will order his prouident administration of all things We should see the same punishment still attending vpon the same sins the like rewards to be still bestowed vpon the like vertues that God is as neere to helpe vs now as euer he was and also as swift strong to plague as he hath bin towards men of old time This would proue of singular vse for the strengthening of our Faith when wee shall euidently see the euent of things to answer in iust proportion the reuelations made touching them in the Scriptures The grosse neglect of this hath bred in the world those monstrous sins of Atheisme and Infidelity wherewith this age is infected as much as any We haue indeed praysed bee God the Word read and preached vnto vs plentifully but where shall we find the man that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walke exactly by this rule Making the precepts of the Word the ground-plot of all his practise as the Apostle would haue vs Gal. 6. 16. When they behold many strang accidents in the world doe they thinke you iudge of them by the Scriptures searching into them for the reason and cause of those things thence concluding with the Iewes in Zach. 1. 6. As the Lord of Hostes hath determined to doe vnto vs according to our own waies according to our workes so hath he dealt with vs. Nothing lesse they haue no such thought come into their minds as this Loe here how true the Lord is such a promise or such a threatning set downe in such a place of the Scriptures So likewise for the getting vsing of wealth honour friends learning health or other good things of this life for the generall dispach of businesse in mens callings for the auoiding of troubles that come vpon them thinke you that men do call the Word to counsell as Dauid did and doe they out of the Scripture take a platforme of all their proceeding applying the generall rule to cuerie particular occasion and thence obseruing the Euent accordingly No they thinke of no such matter it seems a strange motion to them that you will offer to perswade them to loue by the Booke They follow no such rules the good they onloy or the euill they escape they thanke God for it in Complement but are indeed beholding to their wits friends and good fortune it was their direction they tooke thought of nothing further Thus for the greatest part of men God is not in all their wayes their eyes are neuer towards heauen to consider the works of God and to regard the Operation of his hands their thoughts are neuer vpon the Word to obserue how euerie prescription thereof hath its Probatum est written vnder it in visiblâ— characters of euerie dayes experience Let vs not my brethren walke as fooles but as wise hauing our eyes in our heads to take notice of all such occurrences as haue vpon them a character of Gods speciall worke of Prouidence If they be abroad in the world learne thereby that conclusion of faith which Ps. 58. 11. is gathered from the like obseruation Verely there is a reward for the righteous Verely he is a God that iudgeth the Earth If they be priuate that concerne thee in particular take such exact notice of all passages of thy life that thou maist be able to declare vnto another and say Come and heare all ye that feare God and I will declare what things the Lord hath done for my soule Ps. 66. 16. This experimentall obseruation of
VINDICIAE GRATIAE A PLEA FOR GRACE MORE ESPECIALLY THE GRACE OF FAITH OR Certain LECTURES as touching the Nature and Properties of GRACE and FAITH Wherein amongst other matters of great use the maine sinews of ARMINIUS doctrine are cut asunder DELIVERED BY THAT late learned and godly man William Pemble in Magdalen Hall in Oxford AUG de Grat. lib. Arbitr cap. 16. Certum est nos velle cum volumus sed ille facit ut velimus bonum Certum est nos facere cum facimus sed ille facit ut faciamus praebendo vires efficacissimas voluntati LONDON Printed by R. YOVNG for I. BARTLET at the golden Cup in Cheape-side 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull Nathanael Stephens Esquier Grace and Peace from Iesus Christ. SIR BOokes are more necessary in a state than arms Arms are to defend us from the invasion of foes bookes are to preserve us from the infection of errors enemies can but kill the body errors endanger the soule There are crept into the Churches a number of false opinions some that oppugne others that obscure the grace of God The earth is of it selfe prone enough to bring forth weedes but should one withall sow tares we should have much ado at harvest Our hearts are ranke enough to breed errors and our wits cunning enough to defend them but the scripture tells us that the envious man comes and sows the tares of false opinions and of weedes tares are the very worst sith therefore errors are so plenty bookes cannot but be very necessary T is true there bee many and it may bee according to the complaint too many bookes abroad already because many bee to little purpose some little to the purpose but of good and learned bookes bookes fitted to the errors and diseases of the time as this is there neither be nor well can bee too many Many errors require many bookes Nay I may safely say that many bookes are more necessary now than ever for that wee are fallen into the very age of the Church wherein as diseases in the body so errors the sicknesse of the soule doe and must abound For errors are necessary evills in the Church that they that are approved may be made manifest saith Saint Paul And this is all that Satan hath gotten by stirring up the corrupt witts and pens of many abroad and some at home to write they care not what Now wee doe begin to see that Truth is the daughter of time Truth is never new but let an old Truth be newly proposed and at first wee suspect it let it settle a little and in time truth gains ground and wins upon the judgement and consciences of men but erroneous opinions just like new fashions when they are first on foote many doate upon them give them but some time and they grow stale and vaine so now what by the decrees of Synodes and the writings and preachings of the learned Time hath brought it so about that there are few Schollars or others that minde these matters but doe begin to see thorow the conceipts of the Arminians Though then this treatise might have beene abroad sooner yet I dare promise that it comes not in too late for hee that reads it with judgement shall soone see that in the doctrine of Arminius there is more wit than truth I doe here commend it to your reading as to one whom the Lord hath made willing to learne and able to judge as also under your name unto the good of the Church to stand as a testimony of my duty and love unto you and of your zeale and love unto the truth Yours in the Lord Iesus RICH CAPEL To all that love and desire the grace of God and the glory of his grace in IESUS CHRIST MY deare and beloved brethren in Christ who are sensible of the dangers of these dayes and of the misery of this sinfull age wherein the heresies of the old condemned hereticke Pelagius that notable profest enemy of Gods grace are againe revived and raised up out of the bottomlesse pit by the malice and subtiltie of the restlesse enemy of mankinde that old Serpent the Divell working powerfully in and by that new upstart sect of Arminians the Wolves of this age who comming abroad in sheepes clothing and bearing the name of Protestants yea professing themselves Preachers of the Gospel in the reformed Churches are indeed Pelagian heretickes and disciples also of blasphemous Servetus and Socinus yea and also have joyned hearts and hands in many maine fundamentall errors with the Papists our enemies of the Romish Religion and faction I doubt not but that as you grieve and sorrow in your soules to see this smoake of pestilent heresies ascending upon the face of our land obscuring the light and eclipsing the glory of our Church so you do in your hearts earnestly desire to be made partakers of such worthy works painful labours of Gods faithful Ministers as are in all probability like to prove by Gods grace and blessing most powerfull and effectuall meanes both for the establishing of your hearts in the love of Gods truth and in the knowledge of the true doctrine of his grace and also for the confirming of your minds that they may neyther be daunted with the reproachfull calumnies and slanders nor troubled and entangled with the deceitfull cavils and carnall reasons which these subtile Sophisters have devised against Gods sacred truth in our Church professed And therefore I doe presume to commend unto you this ensuing Treatise which I having occasion to peruse it while it was under the Presse doe perceive to be as most necessary for these times so also most excellent and profitable for your purpose For I finde in it first the doctrins of truth concerning the grace of God and the powerfull worke of grace in the effectuall calling conversion and regeneration of the elect most plainly propounded and strongly proved out of the sacred Scriptures Also true saving and justifying Faith most accurately described unfolded with the whole nature and all the speciall properties of it by which it may be distinctly knowne and discerned from common fading hypocriticall Faith Secondly the maine errors of Arminians and Papists and their most grosse absurdities about universall grace and mans free-mill and power in working his owne salvation truly related their calumnies and slaunders of our Churches doctrine detected and discovered and their principall arguments carnall reasons and objections with wonderfull brevitie and singular dexteritie answered and refuted Thirdly by the way the authority perspicuity and certainty of the holy Scriptures strongly maintained and Popish errours about the uncertainty and obscurity of them beaten downe by strength of reason and by the Word of God as by a hammer that beates the rockes in pieces Though the style and maner of handling be somwhat Scholasticall sitted and applyed to the place and persons where and among whom these Exercises were first performed to wit in one of the Schooles of the
tho Reasonable Creature is the Subiectum quod of Faith but we may yet more particularly enquire of the Subiectum quo in which Facultie of the Reasonable Creature Faith is resident In euerie Intellectuall nature there are vsually made two Distinct Faculties First The Vnderstanding Secondly The Will The Obiect of that is Truth The Obiect of this Goodnesse Now then Faith being an assent to the Truth and Goodnesse of Diuine reuelations we must see in which of those Faculties it is resident or whether in both Our Aduersaries teach that the Assent of Faith is an act of the Vnderstanding onely not of the Will This opinion we reiect as erroneous because Diuine Reuelations are essentially as Good as they be true nor hath their truth any prerogatiue aboue their goodnesse and so Faith is giuen but by halues vnto one part of the Obiect where there is not as well an Election and Approbation of the Goodnesse of it by the Will as an ascent to the truth of it in the Vnderstanding Wherefore we affirme that this Assent of Faith is an act of the Vnderstanding and of the Will both together approuing and allowing the truth and goodnesse of all Diuine things In which assertion you are to note that we doe not make the Habit of Faith to be inherent in two diuers subiects nor this act of Assent to come from two diuers Principles or two seuerall Faculties of the mind but we affirme the subiect is but one and the same namely the intellectuall Nature For I take it with diuers of the Learned yet as they doe vnder correction of the more Learned that those Speculations about the reall distinction of Faculties in such Spirituall Substances as are the Angels and soules of men are but meere subtleties of the Schoole without any true ground in natuâ—e it selfe He that shall in an vnpartiall search after Truth and Full Satisfaction thoroughly examine the same Distinction of Faculties in the Sencitiue Soule that the Common Sence Phantasie and Memory are three powers of it really distinct as in Nature so in place let him but examine the weakenesse of the ground of this distinction and the inexplicable difficulties that doe accompanie it he shall find vpon study of the point that it is no Heresie in Philosophy to hold that our grand Master hath herein affirmed more then will be euer vnderstood or thoroughly iustified by any of his Disciples As in these materiall Formes so much more in those Spirituall Essences Faculties haue beene multiplyed beyond necessitie and that thought to be done by more that may be performed by fewer helpes Our Sences haue in this case deceiued our Reason and because we find in Compounded bodyes diuers actions and motions to flow from diuers qualities we haue therefore imagined that in Simple Spirituall Substances the case must be alike and there is no remedy but we must Vnderstand by one Facultie Will or Nill by another Remember by a third Whereas all these seuerall actions flow immediately from the liuely and actiue essence of such a Spirituall Substance without any such distinct faculties that need come betweene the Agent and the Action For our purpose it appeares that the Vnderstanding and Will are not distinct Faculties that haue distinct actions Thus First The Vnderstanding essentially includes the Will For the Vnderstanding hath a naturall inclmation to Truth as the Will hath to Goodnesse It abhors Falshood as that doth Euill This desire and loue of Truth is 〈◊〉 this refusall and hatred of Falshood is Nolitio and so Velle and Nolle are actions euen of the Vnderstanding too and this proposition Intellectus vulirerum non 〈◊〉 salsum is most true and proper Secondly The Will essentially includes the Vnderstanding For to will or nill any thing good onâ—uill is an action either of knowledge or of ignorance If of ignorance then the Will in reasonable nature shall be an vnreasonable Facultie which is blindly carried to the embracing or refusing of that which it selfe knowes not at all but only it is knowne to another facultie the Vnderstanding But this were an absurd imagination to make the Will Facultatem non-intelligentem and to appropriate vnto it such a motion as is destitute of knowledge like a blind man that is led by the seeing he knowes not whither So should the Doctrine of Free-will in any kind whatsoeuer fall to the ground For how is the Will free but because it may choose this or that How can it make choyce vnlesse it doe also vnderstand campare aduise and deliberate about the nature and consequences of things offered vnto its choyce Wherefore it is manifest that Intelligere and Iudicare are actions belonging vnto the Will also and that this proposition Voluntas intelligit bonum aut malum is true and proper Thus in regard of the actions Valends and Intelligendi we haue no reason to make a distinction of Faculties where the actions are common and indifferently agree to each of them If one facultie can doe both what reason is there to make two And if the Philosopher be in the right denying a distinct facultie for the Memorie in the reasonable soule because the Vnderstanding sufficeth to that for as much as eiusdem est seruare Habitus â—â—s vti we haue the same reason to hold the Vnderstanding and Will to be no distinct Faculties seeing eiusdem est intelligere velle Thirdly The Obiect of the Vnderstanding and Will are one and the same For Truth and Goodnesse are essencially the same thing In Naturall things it is most plaine that their Truth and Goodnesse is all one Their goodnesse is nothing but the Truth of their Being in their perfect conformitie to Gods vnderstanding and will when their Essence and Qualities are perfectly the same which they had by their creation When the Creature is as it was made then it is both True and Good so farre as any part of truth is lost so much of goodnesse is gone And this appeares by the contrarie Malum and â—alsum in the creature opposed to this naturall goodnesse and truth of it are both but one thing namely any Defect or Excesse in the parts or degrees of their Essenâ—e and Qualities otherwise then according to the Truth of their Creation Such defects and excesses we call Errors Vntruths and Euils in nature So that if we consider Truth and Goodnesse in the nature of things themselues it is not possible to make any reall distinction between them What things are in our opinion it matters not much Our conceit we haue of them makes them not either true or good Nor is gold and precious stones any iot the better or worse because ciuill nations haue them in greatest account or Tartars and other Sauadges despise them as toyes and vnnecessarie to mans life Where the Essence of any thing is entire and perfect there is Truth and goodnesse though all thinke nothing or thinke otherwise of it And let vs thinke as long as we
things past will fill the heart with boldnesse confident expectation of the like successe for the time to come And so much touching the three grounds of Certaintie and Strength in the Assent of Faith I come now to the second point proposed touching this Assent or the diuers degrees of it and those essentiall differences whereby sauing faith in Gods Elect is distinguished from that Faith which is in others We haue shewed you that faith may be in all reasonable creatures and the Scriptures testifie that there is some kind of faith in the Diuels and wicked men We must therefore enquire what their faith is and what the faith of Gods Elect is by what essentiall difference they are distinguished You are therefore to obserue that this assent by which generally all Faith was defined is two-fold 1 Generall to all Diuine Reuelations as good and true whilst barely considered in themselues or as they haue no opposition to our desires being applyed to ourselues 2 Particular when assent is giuen to all Diuine Reuelations as most true and good in regard of our selues when they are applyed to all our particular occasions and compared with all contrarie desires and prouocations Herein lies a substantiall difference of this assent of Faith there being a great Diuersitie betweene an Assent vnto the truth goodnesse of things taken in the generall and an Assent vnto the truth goodnes of the samethings particularly applied as you shall see in the progresse of this discourse The former is but an inferiour degree of Faith and only a step vnto that faith which is true and sauing It is commonly called by two names 1 Historicall Faith synecdochically from one part of the obiect of because it beleeues the Letter of the Scriptures whether Histories or doctrines that are expressed therein 2 Temporarie Faith from the Euent issue of it because it perseueres not vnto the end but failes in time of Temptation It is but one and same degree of faith that hath these two names which assenting to things in grosse flies off and disallowes when it coms to particular application Such a general assent there is in the Diuels who know the Scripturs to be of God and acknowledge the things contained in them to be in themselues true good because from God though mean-while they hate both the one other bitterly The truth of God his Word Essence Attributes works vpon their vnderstandings a deep apprehension of its certainty excellency euen when they with vnspeakable hatred and horrour thinke of it According Iames saith They belieue tremble Such a Faith there is in thousands of Hypocrites reprobates who being inlightened and conuinced of the Truth of the Word yeeld a generall assent vnto it for the time as in those Luk. 8. â—3 Who receiue the Word with ioy but they haue no root which for a while beleeue but in time of temptation goâ— away In those Heb. 6. 4 5 Which were inlightened tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost And haue tasted of the good Word of God and of the Powers of the world to come are salue away In those Many that beleeued in Christs Name but yet Christ would not trust them because he knew them all that they were not found at heart Ioh. 2. 23 24. In those many againe that at another time beleeued in him but Christ giues them a caueat that they looke their faith be â—ound 〈◊〉 ye continue in my Word ye are verely my Disciples Ioh. 8. 30. 31. Such a faith was in Simon the Witch Act. 8. 13. who beleeued the Apostles preaching and was baptized euen whilst yet he remained in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie i. a â—ierce enemie to that truth which he seemed to beleeue and professe and fast bound vnto the loue of those sinnes that he seemed willing to forsake verse 23. Such a conception of Faith there was in Falix who trembled when he heard Paul dispute of righteousnesse temperance and the iudgment to come Acts 24. 25. He beleeued and like the Diuels trembled But Faelix was not temporate his wife Drusilla was another mans wife Felix was vnrighteous and couetous and looked for a bribe and this likes him not that Paul should come so close to him wherefore he hath a shift and put him off in complement to a more conuenient season which Faelix will take at leasure The same imperfect faith there was in King Agrippa who hearing Pauls Apologie could haue found in his heart to haue beene a Christian had it beene a thing in fashion with Kings at that time Acts 26. 28. So was the Case with Herod who heard Iohn Baptist gladly and reuerenced him as a Iust man and holy and did many things willingly Marke 6. 20. But if Iohn be so bold with Hâ—rod as to tell him of his Incest He shall to prison for it and for all that he is a Prophet yet he shall dye if Herod did not feare the multitude more then he reuerenced Iohn Matth. 14. 5. And thus it is with many men still who knowe the Scriptures and assent to the truth of such things as they containe but this goes no further then generalities whilst they approoue and allowe of such things as they know to be good and excellent considered abstractiuely and in the Vniuersalitie and as they doe not crosse them in any of their maine desires and delights And so long they seeme to bee as forward in faith and practise as the best The Causes of this Kinde of Faith in men are many as 1. That common grace of the Spirit whereby men are inlightened in the knowledge of heavenly things Which grace God bestowes upon the unregenerate and unsanctied more for others than their owne good Some light shines upon them whereby they may know and assent unto divine truths for a common good of the Church that others may be instructed by their teaching For Christ in the building of his Church doth also use the helpe and ministery of such men according as Salomon did in the building of the materiall Temple who imployed not the naturall Israelites but the reliques of the Cananites and strangers that lived in the land to be bearers of burdens and hewers of stone and overseers of the worke 2 Chron. 2. 17. And these men though unsanctified and such as doe not themselves heartily esteeme and affect that which they know yet in the generall they beleeve it and willingly teach it to the benefit of the Church Againe 2. Authority of men in high account for their knowledge and wisedome The esteeme that the people had of Iohn the Baptist to bee a great Prophet made Herod reverence him the more and the fame that went of Christ drew many to hearken to his doctrine And so t is still with hundreds whose faith in matters of religion standeth or falleth with their admiration or disesteeme of mens persons The same effect
doth not teach that 't is honest to beleeve him Can any thing be more senselesse or will not every man in the world excepting a Iesuite confesse that the very light of nature teacheth him to acknowledge that it is a very good and honest thing to beleeve Gods authority let him reveale his will unto us which way hee please But t is the fashion of these writers to dorre their readers with a distinction and so to leave them with a prius conceditur posterius negatur distracted and confounded rather than any whit satisfied This of the first reason That a man may beleeve without the helpe of Gods grace the second followes which also confirmes the former viz. 2. That is no act of Iustifying Faith which is found in Divells Heretickes Hypocrites and Reprobates But this assent unto divine Revelations because of Gods authority is in those both divells and men Ergo It is no act of Iustifying Faith The major is agreed upon that the acts of Iustifying Faith are found onely in those who are justified which cannot be said those persons mentioned The minor is likewise evident That Divells Hereticks Hypocrites and Reprobates may and doe assent unto such propositions as God reveales and that because of Gods authority who doth reveale them This hath beene formerly shewed unto you in the explication of the nature of a generall Faith and t is so cleere by Scriptures and experience that our adversaries cannot deny it The forenamed Schoole-man grants it manifestly as concerning Hypocrites and wicked livers who yet professe the Catholicke Faith for disputing Cap. 8. de Habit. Fidei touching that vertue which is infused into the Will whereby it may if it list command the Supernaturall assent of the Vnderstanding heetelleth us that this Vertue is a distinct vertue from all others and is neither Charity nor Obedience § 10. in conclus and that it is perfect in it selfe though it be without them according as other morall habites of justice temperance c. are Whence hee tells us § 11. in plaine termes Potest esse sinâ— charitate ut patet in Christiano peccatorâ— qui Fidem habet siue gratia charitate A Christian that is a sinner may have Faith without grace and charity What Iustifying Faith yea according to the Romish Divinity for he may beleeve the truth of the articles of Religion because of Gods authority who hath revealed them and to do this is a Supernaturall assent and the proper act of Iustifying Faith as these men teach Now touching the Divells and Heretickes the man is a little more coy He will not confesse that the Divels yeeld that assent of Faith he speakes of They doe not beleeve the mysteries of Religion Per assensum supernat uralem i. e. because of Gods authority but Per assensum quendam naturalem qui non oritur ex pio affectu sed ex vi pondere argumentorum quibus intellectus illorum convincitur cap. 11. quaest 2. § 4. We grant willingly that they doe not assent out of any good affection nor is that needfull to make their assent supernaturall for in hypocriticall impenitent and reprobate Catholickes there 's no pious affection moving them to beleeve and yet if wee beleeve their Doctors there is in them a supernaturall assent of Faith But for that other thing That the divells beleeve onely ex vi pondere argumentorum t is utterly false seeing it cannot be doubted but that they beleeve the truth of many future contingents wherof they are not convinced by any force of argument from the things themselves but from authority of Gods Revelations in his Word or otherwise Which infallible truth of God in all his revelations is so cleerely apprehended by these damned Spirits that it makes them to acknowledge the truth and goodnesse of that which otherwise they abhorre Wherefore that comparison which hee makes betweene the faith of 〈◊〉 and wicked Christians is most vaine and erroneoâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…ith hee you consider the faith of either of them wâ—…â—egard to the Object there 's par ratio both being â—…d about the same things But if you take it with râ—â—ard 〈◊〉 honesty of the act so the assent of the Divells is farrâ—… 〈◊〉 than that of bad Christians who have faith anâ—â—…rkes But wherein He tells us The Faith of Châ—… Supernaturalis Voluntaria Honesta The Faith of Divells is Naturalis Coacta pravis circumstantijs vitiata All which are false For the Faith of Divells is Supernaturallas much as that of wicked Christians seeing both beleeve propter authoritatem Dei revelantis which is formalis ratio of Supernaturall assent Againe the Faith of divells is as voluntary as that of wicked men for it cannot bee wrought in either by compulsion simply and if the Majesty of Gods infallible truth command the assent of Divells to that which they love not doth not the same cause also prevaile with ungodly men who beare as little true affection to God and Goodnesse as the divells doe Lastly the Faith of Divells is as Honest as that of wicked men For let any man speake Is it not as Honest a thing for wicked angâ—lls to beleeve what God saith as it is for wicked men If not wherein lies the dishonesty of that act in the angells or wherein stands the honesty of that act in men Can there be named any circumstances which make the Divels Faith dishonest but that the same or as bad may bee alledged against the honesty of the Faith of wicked Christians Sure I am what everthese men conceit of the Honesty of Faith without workes in men Saint Iames is plaine in his comparison that t is no whit better than the Faith of Divells Iames 2. 19. Thou beleevest that there is one God thou doest well the Divells also beleeve it and doe not they doe well too Yes haply better than thou for they beleeve and tremble which thou doest not To conclude in the last place we object that Heretickes have such a kinde of Faith as the Romanists call Iustifying For though they erre in some articles of Faith yet others they assent unto because of Gods authority revealing them This Becanus denies telling us that Heretici qui veâ— in uno articulo sunt infideles omnem fidem amiserunt cap. 11. quaest 3. § 4. which answer hee makes upon this ground That the Habite of Faith is lost by any one act of infidelity § 2. and therefore whereas Heretickes beleeve many things t is but upon a kinde of custome and by a humane faith We reply and say that that position One act of infidelity destroyes the habit of Faith is false and contrary to reason and Scriptures as hereafter I shall have occasion to shew speaking of the opposites of Faith For the point we grant that He who is a persevering Heretick though but in one fundamentall article he hath no justifying faith not because he hath lost it but because he never had it But
the temper and disposition of this mans soule bring but the word of God unto it and you shall see it presently Lay upon these sinnes the censure of the Word in a faire ingenuous and direct reproofe without scossing and bitter gybing presse it upon the conscience once and againe lovingly and sharpely and see now what strange entertainment Gods word shall finde at such a mans hands The blood begins to be warm'd with wrath and choler the stomacke riseth and the gall of unchristian malice overslowes the conscience and powers of the soule are of purpose turmoyld that the water being troubled their owne image may not appeare in it the head is presently imployed in all cunning tricks and distinctions to avoide the stroke of the Word the tongue is ready with an apologie to defend it and if the hand hold from violence t is well Now whence is all this frowardnesse Hence because the heart is resolved let God say what hee will yet in this point not to beleeve that it is better to follow his counsell than our owne desire In which case t is strange to see with what rage and unmercifull fury the Prophets of old Christ and his Apostles in their times were persecuted by those to whom they preached in all meekenesse and demonstration of good will towards their soules The like fiery opposition have the Ministers of the Gospell and faithfull Preachers of Christ crucisied found ever since at the hands of their people when once they have beene touched where they would not bee medled withall Straightway a whole Parish will be in an uproare durt and scorne is hurld in the face of the Minister and his doctrine all froward courses taken to worke him woe and shame and all this done by those that wil yet be counted obedient and beleeving Christians But are they so indeed they doe not deserve so much as the name A Faith indeed they have but not that which is true and rightly planted For know this that True Faith and a constant wilfull refusall to be guided by God in any one particular whether the doing of a duety or leaving of a sinne are as incompetible as Christ and Bâ—â—â—al For aske a man that is thus partiall in his courses You say you firmly beleeve the promises of the life to come that God will pardon your sinnes and save your soule why do you not as firmly beleeve the promises of this life but are altogether caring and distrustfull in your affaires You beleeve verily that God is offended with murder adultery c. and therefore you leave them why doe you not beleeve also that hee is as much angry at swearing lying drinking and such like disorders You beleeve God hath forbidden stealing and you are perswaded t is nought why doe you not beleeve that usury bribery or idlenesse in a mans calling are as bad being as much forbidden You beleeve that t is a good thing to seeke unto God in time of adversity and when a man 's old sick and now neer unto death then to pray fast do all good works and live religiously is excellent why doe you not beleeve that the same courses of Piety and Holinesse are as acceptable to God as much required of us in time of health youth and prosperity sâ—â—ing God hath equally commanded them at all tiâ—… Aske a thousand such questions he connot answer you to onâ— For is it from a through consideration of Gods tâ—uth wisâ—â—ome power revealed in the Word that he is moved to beleeve such and such things If that were the cause why doth hee not equally beleeve all when Gods authority is the same in all Is it from true love to God and Goodnesse that he is content to be ruled in such things If that were the cause t is certaine he that loves goodnesse for its owne sake would love all things that are good and love alwayes in a good matter as the Apostle speakes What is it then I le answer for him t is that which the Apostle speakes of Heb. 3. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evill heart full of unbeleefe that having embraced certaine truths not prejudiciall to it selfe upon vaine and worldly considerations in others slips the collar and departs away from the living God refusing to accept of his counsell The truth of this is most certaine from that excellent rule of S. Iames Chap. 2. 10. 11. Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet faileth in one point he is guilty of all For he that said Thou shalt not commit adultery said also thou shalt not kill Now though thou doest none adultery yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the Law What is it equall that he who transgresseth the Law in one point should be held guilty of the breach of all the Commandements Yea it is most equall and just for Gods Soveraigne Commandement is the same in all Hee therefore that for conscience sake obeyes in one will obey in all Hee that breaks one wilfully and customarily keepes none at all for conscience sake and if all things hit aright he will be as ready to transgresse in the rest as in that one Wherefore God judgeth him according to the disposition of his heart that he is a transgressour of the whole Law So in our obedience of â—aith Gods truth is the same in every part of his Word he that hath spoken this he hath spoken that also he therefore that upon right grounds beleeves in one point will for the same beleeve in another if Gods authority cannot prevaile with him in one that is not the motive which makes him assent to others and therefore if occasion serve such a one will dissent alike from all according to which Habituall disposition of the soule he is rightly to be judged an Vnbeleever He that rejects Gods command in one thing doth not much regard it in any thing hee that willingly slights Gods authority and truth in this point makes as little account of it in another You have now here my brethren opened unto you that Master-veine wherein runnes all that corrupt bloud of Hypocrisie and secret Infidelity wherewith the greatest part of men professing Christianity are infected This is that bitter roote of mens Apostasie and back-sliding from Piety to profannes or from a true Religion to a false Even this partiall and ill directed Faith is that which one justly calls the greatest part of the Divells Iudiciall Astrology whereby he prognosticateth the downfall of many who yet seem Saints in the Church zealous professors of Religion Oh when he sees a man take a dispensation without asking God leave craving pardon with a God be mercifull unto me in this and so standing out in this or that knowne evill practice he now knowes what to judge of such a man he sees a prey within the reach of his snares which thereupon he sets so artificially fitting his temptations to his humors till in the end he catch his heele in the grin
in what respect said to be quenched 37 How infallibly victorious in the maine acts of repentance and loue 555 TRuth and goodnesse one and the same in naturall things 203. 204 VNiuersalitie of assent in true faith in respect both of obiect and time 146 Vniuersall grace how maintained by Arminians 53. c. Their grounds and arguments for it confuted 58 Vnderstanding of things necessary to beleef of them 192 Vnderstanding and Will doe mutually include one another 202. 203 Vocation outward and inward 42 Inward may be in Infants 43 VVIll of God approuing and effecting 108 Will regenerate is not neuter betweene sin and grace but constantly and altogether inclined to obey God 149. All power of resisting taken from it by the Spirit 150 It wills necessarily yet freely 156 Will of man vnregenerate vitious in quality 133 It hath no freedome to chuse spirituall good 133. c. Word of God onely a passiue instrument of regeneration 96 How it workes grace 98 VVhen heard as Gods Word 116 Not preached with purpose to damne men 111 Worke of the Spirit by the VVord how it is 97. 112 Worke of grace preuenting and assisting 35 The first makes vs good trees the other makes vs to beare good fruit 35 Workes of naturall men how far approued of God 83 Workes of regenerate men are their owne though performed by the assistance of the Spirit 32 Worship due from man to God in the state of innocency was wholy Spirituall 73 FINIS THE PREFACE UPON HEB. 6. VERS 1. 2. 3. TO speake without some Preface where wee owe duety and respect is not lesse unmannerly than it is on the other side tedious and unpleasant to vse long Apologies Vnto my apprehension such Prologues how euer sleeked ouer doe yet seele rough and uneuen and smell ranke of Lying or Flattery when they are most seasoned with artificiall and trim conveiance but of all most unhandsomely doth this Rhetorick suite with such as pleade Gods cause before mortall men who if they will acknowledge their alleageance must yeeld attention upon a Sic dicit Dominus without further intreaty For your selves dearely Beloved and duely respected in our Lord Christ Iesus I verily suppose there is none among you who respects to heare his owne praises if there be I come not hither to give satisfaction to such their desire And touching my selfe I say onely thus much 'T is the vainest thing in the world for Albinus a Romane to write a booke in Greeke and present it to Cato with an Epistle Apologeticall hee 'l surely censure him for a foole one Qui maluit excusare culpam quà m non committere who had rather doe ill and get a pardon for it by an Apologie than be faultlesse and stand in need of neither And so I have done with persons give mee leave yet to make way vnto our after discourses by a necessary and reall introduction whereby we shall all learne somewhat of our dueties and you my purpose and intention in this exercise Wherein to give way to custome more than necessity in this case I will confine my discourse to that of the Apostle Heb. 6. 1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us goe on vnto perfection not laying againe the foundation of Repentance from dead workes and of Faith towards God 2. Of the doctrine of Baptisme and of Laying on of hands and of Resurrection of the dead and of eternall judgement 3. And this will we doe if God permit THe holy Apostle having in the first second Chapters discoursed of the Divinity of Christ and the glorious dignity of his person together with the excellent vertue of his Priesthood in tasting death for all men that so hee might bring many children unto glory enters thereupon into a large Declaration of the effect which these things should worke in the Iewes viz. Repentance and Obedience to the voice of the Messias This is prosecuted with much variety of exhortation and argument in the second third and fourth Chapters after which the Apostle resumes his former argument of Christs Priesthood in the fift Chapter shewing the similitude and disparity that was between it and the Leviticall Priesthood The Priests after the order of Aaron were 1. Men 2. Men ordained for men in things pertaining to God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sinnes 3. Men compassed with infirmities the more feelingly to compassionate and pitty their brethren 4. Men called to this office not intruders without lawfull election And hitherto Christs Priesthood and Aarons agree He also was 1. the sonne of man the man Iesus Christ. 2. the Mediator betweene God and man 3. a man of infirmities and sorrowes consecrate through afflictions 4. lastly a man that tooke not the honour to himselfe but hee that called him said vnto him Thou c. But now see the difference 1. Aaron was a man and no more Christ the Sonne of God too 2. Aaron a sinnefull man that must sacrifice for himselfe also aswell as others Christ touched with a feeling of our infirmities and tempted in all things like us but without sinne 3. Aaron but a typicall Minister Christ a reall author of salvation to all that obey him 4. Aaron a temporall Priest a Priest onely and no Prince a Priest after an inferiour and successive order but Christ an eternall high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec wherein there is neither change nor succession wherein Crowne and Mitre Kingdome and Priesthood meet together in the person of Christ. Other differences there are but the Apostle falling upon the mention of Melchisedecs Priesthood a point of a high nature and hard understanding he breakes off his dispute and on the sudden runnes into an excellent digression whereby to prepare the minds of the Hebrewes more heedfully to marke what was after to bee spoken This digression from the 11. vers of the 5. to the end of the 6. Chapter consists of three parts 1. A tart reproofe of their ignorance and uncapablenesse of divine mysteries from 11. vers to the end of the 5. Chapter The Apostle tells them they were dull of hearing but that 's not all their ignorance was affected they might for their time and meanes have beene teachers and yet now they must be taught and which is strange the very principles of the Word of God Notorious truants growne old in ignorance and age but our Apostle is plain with them they were but children and of the youngest size too babes infants sucklings and if they take snuffe to be thus disgraced he will prove it to be so like a wise Nurse hee knowes what fits their diet they must bee fed with milke and that 's childrens food i. e. plaine and easie doctrine for vongue beginners who are unexpert in the word of righteousnesse not with strong meate of harder and higher mysteries of religion which are for men of age which through long custome have their wits exercised to discerne both good
at all or Nothing else but that Habituall Faith which wee maintaine to be given us as a principall part of our regeneration These mistakings of the Nature of our Conversion hath utterly confounded our Adversaries in their opinions and writings about this point They speake of Sufficiency of Grace to produce the acts and operations of Faith and other vertues when the Question is meant of the Sufficiencie of Grace in producing the Habit of all Inherent Holinesse Now as in the former example of the sicke man it is one thing to enquire whether the Health and strength Christ gave him was sufficient to cause him to walk another thing to demand what vertue of Christ was sufficient to give him that health and strength so in this case t is one thing to aske whether the grace of Spirituall health or Sanctification be sufficient for the producing of the actions of a Sanctified man another thing to aske what grace is sufficient to worke in the soule the grace of Sanctification it selfe Wherefore in this matter we affirme that as Health when it is in a man is sufficient to every Naturall action though alwaies it be not effectuall because wee make not use of our strength at all times but to worke Health in a sicke man no vertue is sufficient but that onely which being applied proves effectuall to restore it So where Sanctification is it is alwaies sufficient to every gracious action if it be duely exercised thereabouts but may sometime bee ineffectuall through our default in not applying it aright but now to worke Sanctification in the heart that hath it not there is no other gift whatsoever sufficient but the onely vertue and power of the Holy Ghost the immortall seede of our Regeneration and wheresoever this onely and all-sufficient vertue worketh in the heart of any man there it is alwayes infallibly effectuall To dreame of any other inherent quality in the soule given to man as sufficient to Sanctifie the soule and yet after t is given ineffectuall to performe it is a fancy never thought of till of late times wherein mens hearts are strangely embittered in fierce opposition against the glory of Gods free Grace This of the first Conclusion the second followeth and it is this That sufficient grace for Sanctification is not given unto all This is a necessary consectary of the former for seeing Sufficient and Effectuall are all one in this case seeing t is apparant that this grace is not Effectuall in some who are never Sanctified it follows necessarily that such Sufficient grace is not given unto all This were enough to have beene said against this opinion of Sufficiency of Grace given to all within the Church But yet ex abundanti for our better satisfaction I desire your patience and attention in the further examination of this second Conclusion The truth of it will be cleered by considering what the grace is which is given to those that are within the Church Now this grace is twofold 1. The Externall Declaration of Gods will made unto all men in common by the Preaching of the Word the ordinary consequent whereof is Knowledge or Illumination And this is termed our Externall Vocation by the Word 2. The Inward gracious worke and vertue of the Holy Ghost immediately exercised upon the Vnderstanding Will Affections and whole Man The constant effect whereof is Regeneration And this is called our Internall Vocation by the Spirit In the explication of the Nature Distinction and Sufficiency of these two unto the worke of Sanctification consists the further cleering of this troublesome controversie The Orthodoxe sentence which hath beene held touching this matter agreeably to the Scriptures is this There are two things which are ordinarily wrought in men living under the Ministery of the Word 1. Illumination of the Vnderstanding 2. A touch or motion of the Will and Affections These two because they are the fountaine of all Outward actions we onely consider in this businesse letting passe such effects as are visible in mens conversations Now both these are each of them of two different sorts Illumination is either 1. Common and Naturall when a man in hearing or reading conceives the litterall sense and meaning of the Scriptures in most points of Christian Religion so that he is able to discourse dispute and write of them I call this knowledge Common because t is bestowed on reprobates as well as others I call it also Naturall because although the object thereof bee Supernaturall and Divine nor could be knowne but by revelation yet being revealed the manner of apprehending it in such a one is meerely Naturall and Carnall and that light which the Spirit affords to such a one is but some more eminent degree of that common assistance which hee gives to all that seeke after knowledge in any learning for a publicke benefite For the case is plaine enough a learned Schollar unregenerate knowes and studies Divinity in the same manner as he doth any other Art and as in them so in this hee may attaine excellent knowledge by a speciall but no sanctifying gift of the Spirit perfecting his Naturall reason but not making it Spirituall 2. Proper and Spirituall when a man by a singular gift of the Spirit of grace is inabled to judge of Heavenly things in a Spirituall manner according to their truth and goodnesse represented to the understanding in their native beauty and excellency I call this Proper because it belongs onely to the Elect and Spirituall because the Sanctified understanding judgeth of them Spiritually Thus for knowledge next touching the Motions which are wrought in the Will they are likewise double 1. Naturall when upon the understanding of threatnings or promises the Will is touched with some kinde of affections towards those things as they which are naturally hurtfull or beneficiall to it as to love hope desire feare or hate such or such a good or evill thing spoken of in the Word I terme these affections Naturall being proportionable to that first sort of knowledge that bred them For when an unregenerate man shall heare it plainly and amply declared what happinesse belongs to the Saints what comfort is in Gods favour what glory in heaven what horrour in Hell and a bad conscience hee will be easily stirred up with many desires of enjoying the one and escaping the other But this he doth in no other manner than as every man by instinct of Nature will wish and seeke for that good which he knoweth to be proportionable to his nature and also shunne the Contrarie 2. Spirituall when upon the thorough apprehension of all Spirituall Good and Evill known beleeved by Faith the Will is strongly inclined with all Constant and Vehement affections of Love and Hatred earnestly to embrace the one and detest the other above all things else whatsoever How great difference there is betweene these Illuminations and Motions in the regenerate and unregenerate I shall by Gods grace shortly have
shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe But yet here they urge further How can God in justice command unto a man by his Word the Performance of that which cannot be done by him without the inward helpe of the Spirit and yet in the meane time God denies this inward grace unto him I answer Gods justice will herein be as free from accusation of tyranny as before his truth was from falshood and collusion God may without blemish to his justice Command man to performe his dutie although hee have now no strength to doe it because once hee had strength and he hath now lost it Yea will they say that were true did not two things hinder 1. Man indeed had strength and hath lost it but how himselfe did not decoquere wastefully spend his Patrimonie and by the Act of his sinning abolish the Image of God within him but God for a punishment of his fault did by an immediate act take away his originall abilities And it is then as great injustice in God to command us Conversion Faith and Repentance when himselfe hath taken away our abilities whereby wee should performe it as for a Iudge after he hath put out an offenders eyes yet to command him under paine of further punishment to read such a booke If hee had put out his owne eies the case had beene otherwise the Iudge being not bound to take notice of that his fact To which we answer that t is true God for our sinne hath deprived us of his image so that we cannot doe his will without new strength restored unto us yet we must remember though this deprivation be an act of God yet it happens through our merit by reason of our sinne and in this case how harsh soever it may seeme to us yet God the Iudge of the world doth not unjustly To command us the doing of that which wee cannot performe without those abilities restored which himselfe for our transgression hath taken from us and will not give us againe This is proved by that one instance beyond all exception The perfect obedience to the Morall Law is required of all and yet t is madnesse to affirme that God gives or is bound to give unto all that strength to doe it which they had in Adam without which it cannot bee done Further that God may justly command what man cannot performe is manifest by Gods commanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites goe which yet Pharaoh could not doe for God himselfe hardened his heart that hee should not be willing to let them depart 2. When God commands man to beleeve the Gospell here 's a duety injoyned that man never had strengh in Adam to performe And therefore if God doe require a new duety he is bound to afford new strength because by that which he had and lost he was never inabled to doe it To which we answer that it is an errour to affirme that Faith which is the condition of the new Covenant is not commanded in the Morall Law Legall and Evangelicall or the Faith of Adam in innocency and of man since his Fall is for the substance of the grace one and the same viz. Credence and Confidence of and in all things whatsoever that God shall reveale unto man The difference is onely in the Vse and in the particular object as we shall see in the handling of that point of Faith Now Adam being commanded in all things to beleeve his Creator whether revealed or to be revealed and having ability so to doe so that if God had told of him the mystery of the Gospell he would have beleeved it we also are bound by the Law of our Creation and so the Morall Law to beleeve in Christ as soone as God reveales vnto us this thing to be beleeved and God may require it of us because wee had power once to doe it and what is lost God is not bound to restore 2. Reason If the Word at any time be destitute of the quickning Spirit it will follow that the Word shall be of it selfe a dead letter and the â—avour of death because it is destitute of the Spirit which only puts life unto it But this is not to be affirmed for as much as it is only our fault that the Word proves the â—avour of death c. To this we answer That the Word is never of it selfe the â—avour of death no not then when it is without the vertue of the Spirit and we reject those assertions as utterly erroneous That the Word should bee preached unto some to damne them or with this intent to make them inexcusable The Gospell is not published with any such purpose at all for the judgement of our English Divines in the Synod is â—ound that those who being called refuse to convert should be made more inexcusable Neque enim ea singi potest homines reddere inexcusabiles per Verbum Spiritum vocatio quae eo tantum Fine exhibetur ut reddat inexcusabiles No there 's no such matter The end of the VVord preached is to shew unto man what is that good and that acceptable will of God which he requires man should performe and the declaration of the will of God to man is alwaies in it selfe most good and excellent nor doth it vary in its owne nature whether the vertue of the Spirit goe with it or no. For as I touched before the power of the Spirit doth not worke upon the VVord to put life into it but it workes upon our soules to put life into them So that whether our hearts be sanctified or not sanctified t is all one to the VVord it makes no alteration in the nature of that All the difference lies in the Effect where the heart is sanctified there the VVord is heard with obedience where t is not sanctified there t is heard and disobeyed But the cause of this difference is meerely in the disposition of mans heart not any jot from the VVord the preaching whereof is good and to a good intent but unto some it becomes hurtfull not because the VVord hurts them but they hurt themselves by their owne sinnefulnesse leaving themselves inexcusable in their fault and aggravating their damnation by wilfull disobedience The VVord is neither dead nor deadly in it selfe but wee are dead and by our sinnes against the VVord slay our selves 3. Reason If the preaching of the VVord be sometimes destitute of the vertue of the Spirit it will follow that men should bee condemned for not beleeving and being converted by that which hath no power to cause them to beleeve and convert as the VVord without the Spirit hath not But that were injustice so to doe c. Ergo. To this slight argument we answer that the default of mens not beleeving and converting is not through want of any thing in the VVord which is onely to tell them what God requires of them and this the VVord doth fully and sufficiently If they obey not
yet But that assertion of our Divines That the true desire of grace is from true grace and a part of true grace shall stand fast as founded on Scripture and sound Reason when all Arminianisme shall lie in the dust If these Motions in an unregenerate man bee not True but False Counterfeit then have they made much adoe to little purpose preparing a man to that Faith and Conversion which is true by counterfeit and hypocriticall meanes But they will say that these desires and affections though they are not Spirituall yet in their kinde they are true and not counterfeit because they are true Morall or Naturall desires To which I answer that the rule to judge of the truth of our desires is this Wee must compare our affections with the Nature of those things that wee doe affect if our affections towards them be such as the Quality of the things themselves require then are they right and good if not they are false and evill as to make it plaine by an instance or two When a husband loves his wife but only as his whoore to satisfie his lust this love though it may be very â—ervent and not dissembled yet t is a false love because it is not Matrimoniall agreeable to the qualitie of a Wife the object thereof When Balaam desired the death of the righteous no question but hee spake as he thought without dissembling but yet this his desire was false because he desired it not according to the true nature thereof as it requires a sanctified life to bring us to a happy end which Balaam would none of When a Turke hopes for heaven that there hee may live in carnall pleasures according to Mahomets beastly â—aw 't is true that hee hopes but 't is false that he hopes truly because he mistakes the qualitie of Heavenly joyes which are spirituall not carnall So in like manner generally when Spirituall things are affected spiritually in such a manner as is conformable to their nature and qualitie then are our affections rightly and well moved towards them as to love goodnesse because it is of God to hate sinne because 't is contrary to the holinesse of Gods nature and law to desire grace to the end that it may correct the corruption of nature to wish for heaven that we may have communion with God in the beholding of his glory and our constant worshipping of him These affections are true but they are such as never arise in the heart of man till it be purified and made Holy by the Spirit of Grace But on the contrary when Spirituall things are affected only as things that are Naturally or Morally good or evill such affections are false and of no worth as if a man desire grace because t is a commendable qualitie or redemption because t is good to be free from miserie or heaven because t is a pleasant thing to be at ease such affections are as farre from truth as the eye is from right seeing when it mistakes greene for yellow or a man for a post And such in a man unconverted are all his Affections about Spirituall things Wherefore when they tell us of a true Love of goodnesse a true Hatred of evill c. in a man unregenerate they speake strange paradoxes against reason and Scripture affirming that they who have not the Spirit are naturall men Iud. ver 19. and that the Naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit and cannot Spiritually discerne and therefore not Spiritually desire them 1 Cor. 3. and againe that whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. Albeit therefore we denie not but that there are ordinarily many Preparations whereby God brings a man to grace and that the Word workes many effects both upon the Heart and lives of men even whilest they are as yet destitute of true Grace yet as for those affections which our Adversaries place in mâ—n unregenerate we affirme that they are not antecedents but consequents and parts of true Conversion For can hee that is dead in sinne bewaile his Spirituall death Can he that is in the flesh and so an enemie to God yet greve for displeasing of him Can he truly desire the Spirit of regeneration that is of the world and cannot receive the Spirit because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Can a man thirst after righteousnesse and yet not be blessed nor satisfied Can a man hate evill who yet loves not the Lord Can hee love God that is not borne of him Can he be humble that hath not the sanctifying Spirit one fruite whereof is meeknesse and humblenesse of minde May a true prayer be made without the helpe of the Holy Ghost Will there ever be a true Confession in the mouth when there is not Faith and Repentance in the heart How can that heart be a new heart a contrite and broken heart sensible of sinne which is not yet changed out of stone into flesh Can hee have a full purpose of heart to amend his life and cleave unto the Lord whose heart is not yet touched with sanctifying Grace Whatsoever shadow of these things may appeare in an unregenerate man it is certaine none can be done in truth but by those only in whom the Holy Ghost hath begun the worke of true Sanctification I might stand upon the further proofe of every particular were it needfull but I passe on to their fourth Error which is concerning mans Will 4. That the Will of man is not capable of any Habituall qualities inherent in it whether of grace or corruption Only a meere liberty it hath to Will or Nill any thing and besides this liberty there never was is nor can be in it any other quality Whence it followes that the Will is not to be termed good or evill from any inward disposition of it selfe but onely from the actions of it according as it is lead or mis-led by the light or darkenesse of the understanding and by the rectitude or depravation of the affections Of all the issues of Arminius braines this is one of the most deformed that the Will of man hath not in it eyther grace or corruption any vertuous or vitious inclination of it selfe a bare liberty to choose or refuse that it hath and nothing else Against which strange noveltie we have to oppose these reasons 1. The Image of God consisting in righteousnesse and holinesse was in every part of mans soule and therefore in the Will as well as the Vnderstanding And if so then besides the liberty of the Will there was in it a righteous and holy inclination towards God and Goodnesse in the first creation of it Which Habituall disposition to goodnesse is corrupted and a perverse inclination to evill come in place thereof If they deny that righteousnesse and holinesse is in the whole soule it will trouble them much to tell unto what part it must be restrained 2. The constant tenour of Scriptures
it unlesse himselfe had been acquainted with the like Revelations But this is certaine God-where he comes makes himselfe knowne and such were the lively characters of heavenly majesty brightnesse and cleernesse imprinted on those Revelations that mortall mindes were infallibly ascertained of their Divinity Yea Balaam himselfe though he could have wished with all his heart not to have knowne or beleeved those revelations that so unkindly crost his hope of preferment yet when once the Spirit of God comes upon him he utters his parable with this preface Balaam the son of Beor hath said and the man whose eies are open hath said Hee hath said which heard the words of God which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eies open He that was at other times driven by the divell into furious motions of mind procured by spells inchantments is now as forcibly moved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or borne away by the power of the holy Ghost who in this revelation makes so cleere a discovery and strong impression of divine truth in the minde of Balaam that the Wizard cannot but speake what he knowes and beleeves though it quite undoe his owne desire of Greatnesse and Balacks hope of Victory Whence also this rule followes generally true That where the revelation is infallibly knowne to be of God there will be a firme assent to the truth of the things revealed Now we are further to note that upon such immediate revelations and suggestions of the Spirit is grounded that Faith which is usually stiled the Faith of working miracles A gift proper to the primitive times of the Church bestowed then on many for the better establishment of the Gospell among unbeleeving Gentiles or Iewes Though the words of the Promise runne largely Marc. 16 17. yet it seemes not likely that every private true beleever had this priviledge but rather that it was bestowed on such as were Preachers and Publishers of the Gospell for confirmation of their doctrine And amongst them t was given not onely to the truely faithfull beleever but to others also as appears by Iudas to whom this power was given as well as to the rest of the twelve Matt. 10 1. and in many other reprobate Matt. 7. 22. Lord Lord have wee not by thy name prophesied c The proper ground of this faith and assurance of working some miraculous effect was the speciall and particular suggestion of the spirit Other motives there were further off as the generall perswasion of Gods omnipotency the beliefe of that promise which Christ made to his Disciples Matt. 17. 20. Verily I say unto you if yee have Faith as a graine of mustard-seed yee shall say unto this mountaine remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you but more specially that larger promise hee made at his Ascension Mark 16. 17. 18. And these signes shall follow them that beleeve in my name they shall cast out divells they shall speake with new tongues They shall take up Serpents and if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recover But these grounds were not sufficient to give assurance of performing this or that miraculous act without a speciall and particular suggestion of the Holy Ghost informing them inwardly both touching the time when and matter wherin they should worke a Miracle For as all beleevers had not that power so such as had it could not doe wonders when and in what kinde they pleased but were to expect a speciall warrant and direction from the Spirit like unto Peter who though a faithfull beleever yet durst not venture upon a miraculous attempt of walking dry-shod upon the water without a speciall word from Christ bidding of him come unto him in that manner Matt. 14. 28. 29. In these times wherein this speciall direction ceaseth and also miracles have no use unlesse for conversion of a Countrey where the Gospell hath never beene preached this gift also is ceased Thus much of the first sort of Revelations to bee beleeved the other followes 2. Some Mediate delivered from God by others unto us Such were the answers Sermons which the Prophets and Apostles made by word of mouth unto the people such is now unto us the whole written word of God which is now the only ordinary object of our Faith Now touching the Scriptures wee are to enquire how farre things revealed in them may be knowne how farre they must bee beleeved You have heard before the difference betweene Knowledge and Beliefe that is an assent to things evident this to things not-evident therefore seeing those things that are written are generally the object of our faith wee must diligently examine what evidence there is to bee found in these things or whether any at all that so wee may know what to judge of that assertion of our adversaries the Papists who make obscuritie one essentiall property of Faith In the opening of this question Whether things revealed in Scriptures be evident to Mans understanding let these distinctions be observed in the first place 1. The Scriptures containe in them matters of three sorts viz. 1. Precepts and Declarations of the doctrines of Religion whether in the higher mysteries thereof as of the Trinitie Incarnation of Christ c or in other inferiour points of Sanctification Piety and morall Practice And unto this head may be referred all such discourses of naturall things as are found in the Scripture as of the windes thunder c. 2. Histories of matters of Fact past and gone as of the Creation Fall of Man the Floud c. 3. Predictions of things to come hereafter whether they be meerely Propheticall or withall doe containe some speciall Promise or Threatning concerning those to whom the prediction is made 2. There is a twofold Evidence 1. One of the Narration when it is made in Words and Sentences so plaine perspicuous that the Vnderstanding conceives cleerely what the Speaker or Writen meanes 2. Another of the thing it selfe that is related when either our senses doe plainely perceive it if it be a thing sensible or our understandings doe manifestly behold the truth and reason of it if it bee only intelligible This distinction is most manifest in all discourses and specially in Mathematickes where the meaning of a Proposition or Probleme may be cleerely understood what is to bee knowne or done before one jot of the Demonstration be understood how and wherefore it must be so 3. Wee must distinguish of Mans understanding in a twofold estate 1. Of Naturall corruption as it attaines no further light of knowledge than that which may be gotten by the ordinary gift of God in the course of a learned education and painefull studie of Humanity and Divinity for such ends as men propose unto themselves 2. Of Grace and Regeneration when the Vnderstanding is inlightened and
the eyes of the minde opened to discerne of spirituall things according to their spirituall nature Herein also lies a great difference because all things that are inevident to a man unregenerate are not so to the regenerate These things thus distinguished let us set downe the truth touching this point in some few conclusions which follow 1. All things revealed in the Scriptures whether they be Doctrinall Historicall or Propheticall may be knowne in the evidence of the Narration not only by such as are truly sanctified but by those also who remaining unregenerate enjoy only the benefit of common illumination This conclusion is to be observed against that injurious accusation wherewith those of the Romish Church have standered God and his written Word that the Bible is an obscure booke not to be understood A fond and impious conceit if ever any were The Scriptures are obscure say they but to whom trow yee To their learned Clergie and illuminated Doctors No they can understand them well enough they are able to reconcile all seeming contradictions to reduce all tropes and figures to their plaine meaning to note the various acceptions of words to dive into all hidden mysteries of the text and over and above the just meaning finde out many spirituall senses of it that the author never thoughton This they can doe and for witnesse of it we have of their owne writing infinite volumnes both of Controversed Divinitie decided if wee beleeve them by Scripture rightly understood and also of Commentaries upon the text which testifie unto us as no small painfulnesse in searching out so much peremptorinesse in defining the true sense of the most Difficult places of Scriptures And surely well they may bee confident having besides their owne and others wits the helpe of the Popes infallibilitie in which respect one would thinke they should now make an end of writing or at least of jarring one with another in their opinions and interpretations For may we not thinke that the Popes are very uncharitable who being endued with an infallible Spirit doe not sitting at ease in their chaire compile at last an absolute Commentary upon the Bible after which no Iesuite of them all should dare to vent his owne private opinions or it may bee t is bashfulnesse in the Friers not to trouble his Holinesse about so small a triâ—â—e as is the right meaning of Scriptures unlesse we say that the Romish Apollo is not at leisure to utter Oracles from his trivet unto every poore Frier that intends to trouble the world with a new booke Here questionlesse is a great fault but let them take it among them meane while wee see their owne practice confuting their owne opinion of the Scriptures obscurity unlesse they will give us leave to thinke that all their preaching disputing and writing hath beene about they know not what But say they the Scriptures for all this are obscure to the Laity And are they so whose fault is that but the Clergies whose duty it was if pride and lazinesse would have given leave to have seene their people better instructed If Scriptures are plaine unto themselves why did they not make them plaine unto others or must we in earnest speak that of the Romish Clergy which Iob doth of his friends in derision No doubt but they are the people and wisedome shall die with them as for the poore snakes the Laickes they simple soules have not wit enough to understand the meaning of plaine words To such their proud contempt of Gods people we may with indignation oppose that of Iob Even these have understanding as well as they yea are not inferior unto the greatest part of them unlesse they could give the world better proofe of their deeper wisdomes But what if they be inferior are the Scriptures obscure because some things are hard to be understood by the ignorant and unstable mindes So we might say of the plainest book that ever was written of Logick that t is obscure because a fresh man doth not understand it It is no prejudice to the cleernesse and perspicuity of the Declaration that there be some things in it which are hard to be conceived by some men at some times We doe not account the prophecy of Esay touching Christ which the Eunuch read to be a darke and obscure prediction but we know t was cleer and plaine enough though the Eunuch a raw proselyte understood not the meaning of it T is much we cannot be as charitably minded of the Scriptures as we are of other bookes in our ordinary studies wherin when we find some things difficult we can suspect our selves rather than the author when afterward we understand him we doe not censure him of obscurity but blame our owne dulnesse that could not apprehend things plainely enough expressed And me thinkes the Iesuites might be content to give God Almighty leave to write but even as men of greatest understanding do namely to comprise much matter in few words They might know that in such writing and such is the stile of all the Scripture things may be expressed very distinctly and properly which yet cannot â—â—ply be understood at first reading but after some study In which case t were a reasonable thing for our adversaries to perswade the world that the Bible were at least as easie a book as some humane author and that the abundant riches of knowledge in it did by the least deserve as much paines in the search of it as a piece of Aristotle some hard Poet on some intricate crabbed scholasticall discourse of some Iesuite Did they not greatly mistrust the discovery of their owne errors by such an insinuation of Scriptures facility they would never discourage their disciples from them and yet exhort them to the study of many an obscurer author For our selves we have learned better things than to bring God in suspicion with man of envie and fraud as if hee had caused a word to be written for instruction of men which they should not understand and in it had laid a snare to intrappe mens soules in Heresie and false opinions by perverting the Scriptures to their owne perdition No against such calumnies we oppose Christs censure of his owne words for such are the Scriptures Prov. 8. 8 9. All the words of my mouth are in righteousnesse there is nothing froward or perverse in them no danger of Hereticall infection They are all plaine to him that understandeth and right to them that find knowledge nor intricate obscurity that no man can tell what to make on 't Yea we dare avouch that did the simplest of people use but halfe that diligence that they ought in attaining Christian knowledge and would take but as much paines to understand the Scripture as they doe of the Evidences of their Landâ— or the Statute booke or such like experience would quickly tell them that the Scriptures are not so farre above the reach of their understandings as now generally all men
will we cannot conceiue any naturall thing as true but we must conceiue as Good too Witnesse all I ogicke rules Philosophy Mathematickes there is no conclusion how vnpleasant soeuer it seeme to be but if it be apprehended as True it also affects the vnderstanding with ioy delight and contentment in the goodnesse of it It delights because it is true and so Truth quatenus Truth is good So that vnto such as aske wherefore are the Mathematickes good I answer Because they are True a part of Gods created truth of which it is blasphemy to hold and affirme that any the least part is euill and nought worth nor deseruing a mans study All Truth is amiable like God the Authour of it and goodnesse is so essentially incorporated together with Truth that they cannot be seuered in our knowledge or affection Now in morall and Diuine things the case is much more plaine That their Truth consists wholly in their Goodnesse nor can it be imagined how vertue should be said to be true but onely because it is good or what the Truth of Grace is but onely the Goodnesse of it Wherefore generally that rule is Cortaine Bonum Verum conuertuntur and their praedication each of other is not onely in the Concrete Verum est bonum but also in the abstract Verâ—… est bonitas ò cont◠〈◊〉 And so the Scripture takes these two indifferently as Gen. 1. 31. When God had created all his workes he looked on them and saw that they were Very Good They were true as well as good but one includes both And Iohn 8. 44. it is said touching Satan that He abode not in the Truth that is in that perfect and good condition wherein God created him for he fell from his goodnesse as well as from his Truth By this it appeares that this distinction which is made betweene the truth and goodnesse of things is not from their Nature but from our esteeme and conceit of them We measure the goodnesse of things by our owne ends and the vse we haue of them such things as fit our purposes are proportionable to our necessities those we account good and Such things we make the Obiect of our wils because wee desire them with a more notable degree of Constancy and vehemency Other things though very good in themselues yet because they touch vs not and our desire of them is slight and vanishing we make them the obiect of our vnderstanding only as if wee apprehend in them nothing but bare Truth As for example he that shall discourse vnto an intemperate man in his temperate moode how shamefull and vnseemely a thing it is for a Christian to be ouercome of drinke to be a seruant to his appetite to wallow in filthy pleasures to bee seene in base company and hase places and shall tell him how comely and commendable a vertue sobriety is how gracious an ornament of a man how necessary a duty in euery Christian when you tell him of these things he vnderstands you and assents not only to the truth but to the goodnesse of what you say But heere is the mischeefe his resolution stands otherwise sottish delights preuaile against all sober aduise and the stronger desires of pleasures drowne those faint affectious towards Temperance How in this case the truth and goodnesse of the vertue commended is but one thing and the intemperate man did aâ—t that same time apprehend and approue of both in generall wishing that it were with him as it should be and is with other men But now when anon after he comes to put in practise what he thus knowes and allowes of long Custome and ill perswasions doe so farre darken his former apprehension of the Goodnesse of the thing that now there seemes to be nothing left in his head but a generall notion of the Truth of that which he heard at such a time So then Truth and Goodnesse are not two seuerall things nor apprehended by two seuerall faculties but one and the same thing knowne and desired by the same facultie The difference lyes onely in the diuers degree of our apprehension which varies according as the things apprehended seeme to haue more or lesse agreement with our particular vses and necessities Where matters fit vs in particular there our desires are Strong and Constant When they agree to vs onely in the generall then our Generall Desires not well rooted are choked and stisled by contrarie affections in the particular performance It fares with men as it did with Shimei Salomons commandement of not Departing the Citie is Good till Shimei haue a Seruant take his heeles and run to Gath and then Shimeis beliefe of Solomans threatning must giue way to his Couetous desire of recouering his runnagate Seruant So in matters of Religion men know and approue of their truth and goodnesse in generall wishing that themselues had all the grace and pietie which is so much spoken of but when after they compare it with their more pleasing contentments in this or that kind they renounce the Goodnesse of Religion and hold it onely as a Truth Of which diuersitie in assenting to the goodnesse of things in generall and in particular more shall be spoken hereafter in the next point For conclusion of this point touching the subiect of Faith we doe not appropriate faith either to the Vnderstanding or the Will nor yet refer it to both as vnto two distinct faculties but we place it immediately in the whole intellectuall Nature whether of mans soule or of Angels In which wee follow the sentence of the Scriptures that seate Faith in the whole heart as Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man belieueth vnto righteousnesse and Acts 8. 37. If thou belieuest with all thine heart Now it is a thing manifest that in Scripture the heart is taken for the Whole soule with all its powers and operations as of vnderstanding 1 King 3. 9. Salomon asketh of Godan vnderstanding Heart of Willing and Choosing Act. 7. 29. In their harts they went backe to Egypt 1 Cor. 7. 37. He that stâ—nâ—â—th firme in this Heart i. in his purpose and resolution Againe of the Affections Mat. 6. 21. Where the treasure there is the Heart also i. Loue for Rom. 1. 24. of the memory Luk. 1. 16. They did those words in their hearts so Luke 21. 14. We need not goe seeke on t any trouble some distinction of faculties wherein to place faith seeing the Scriptures speake simply of the whole soule and neither Nature nor Scriptures do intimate any necessity at all of malâ—ing such a difference Wee come now to the third and last point proposed in the definition or the Genus vnder which it is comprehended that is Assent about which wee must enquire after two things 1 The Certainty of this Assent of Faith 2 The Diuers Degrees and Essentiall Differences whereby the assent of Faith in Gods Elect is distinguished from all other Faith The Certainty and strength of
our assent vnto Diuine Truths springs from these three fountaines 1 From the Infallible Authority of the Reuelation 2 From the excellent greatnesse and worth of things Reuealed 3 From the manifest experiment of some part of their Truth knowne vnto vs. Of these in order The first and chiefest ground whereon is built the Certainty of faiths assent is The Infallible truth and Authority of Diuine Reuelations I call this the chiefest ground because it is that whereunto finally all our Beliefe is resolued For aske the question wherefore do you firmely belieue the Articles of the â—reed The answere is Because God hath reuealed them in Scriptures to be belieued The reason of which answere is this because What euer God saith istrue Now this is a principle in Nature aswell knowne to the reasonable creature as that they haue reason it is grauen deepe vpon the conscience of euery one which tels him That God is so infinitely Wise that hee can be ignorant of nothing that none can circumuent and ouer each him And againe that he is so infinitely good holy and Iust that no â—ie can come of this truth as Iohn speaketh Iohn 2. 21. Wisedome it selfe cannot bee deceiued Truth it selfe cannot deceiue and God is both Wherefore none but a Iesuite like Becaâ—… whose wits haue serued an apprentiship in the mystery of lying and aequiuocation vnder the Father of â—ies would haue affirmed that the Prophets and Apostles though they knew it was God that reuealed heauenly mysteries vnto them yet they knew not Euidently whether God was not deceiued himselfe or would not deceiue them Alying surmise much like that of the Serpent when hee tempted the Woman Yea saith he hath God indeed said so Yes the woman answeres God hath said so and we know it But Satan replies Are you sure that God spake true when hee said it The Diuell then denyed it and Becanus staggers at it as a thing very doubtfull telling vs that when God speakes man cannot be euidently certaine whether he speaks true or false But we reiect with abomination such a suggestion to Infidelity that strikes at the roote of all Christian Faith and shakes the lowest foundation-stone in all that building we know and are euidently assured That God is truth and in him or of him there is no Lie From this first ground of faith in Gods Essentiall truth wee draw another that whersoeuer any Reuelation is certainely known or belieued to be of God there the reasonable creature doth fully assent to the truth of things reuealed Whence all the holy Pen-men of Scriptures did for themselues most certainely belieue the truth of all things they deliuered though sometimes they vnderstood but darkely what was the meaning of that which they spake and wrote because they knew that they were taught them immediatly from God Yea the diuels themselues when they know as they doe these reuelations to be from God howeuer they tempt men to distrust and out of malice raises vp lies and slanders vpon Gods truth yet in the meane time are themselues cleerely conuinced of this truth and doe assent vnto it in their consciences The diuell knew well that Gods threatning to Alam was a certaine truth euen whilst he perswaded him it was but a lie And when he inspired the Pharisies to call Christ. Samaritan Belzebub a possessed Daemoniacke a Deceiuer and all to nought euen then himselfe could not but confesse that he was that Christ Iesus the Sonne of the most high God Mar. 5. 7. But this is the malice of Hell to sight against the Light and furiously to oppose what we cannot but acknowledge to be truth Well Thus far then our Faith goes vpon a sure ground That whatsoeuer God saith is true And againe When wee know euidently that God sayes it wee are ready to belieue it without further question But here in the next place is all the doubt How know wee infallibly that God is the Author of the Scriptures and that such things as therein are proposed for vs to belieue are reuealed by God himselfe This is a fundamentall Question wherein it greatly behoues euery Christian to be rightly informed It would require a large discourse to bee prosecuted through euery particular I shall but onely touch vpon the generall and giue occasion to each one carefully to bethinke himselfe that his faith be built on the rocke and not vpon the Sand. The Question is How is it knowne certenly that the Scriptures are the very word of God it hath two braÌ„ches 1 Toaching each seuerall part of Scripture as it was reuealed and giuen to the Church of God How did the People of the Iewes know that what was deliuered by Moses and other Prophets after him from time to time was the word of God To which I answere they knew the writing and Preaching of Moses and the Prophets to be of diuine Inspiration partly by the holinesse of the Doctrine which they taught the liuely power and worke whereof the hearts of the godly then felt partly by the miracles which they wrought for confirmation of their propheticall office partly by the certaine and infallible accomplishment of all their prophecies Of which triall of Prophets and their prophesies wee haue a generall rule set downe Deut. 18. 18. c. I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee and will pur my words in his mouth and hee shall speake vnto them all that I command him 19. And whosoeuer will not hearken vnto my words which hee shall speake in my name I will require it of him 20. But the Prophet that shall presume to speake a word in my name which I haue not commanded him to speake or that speaketh in the name of other gods euen the same Prophet shall die 2â— And if thou thinke in thine heart How shall wee know the word which the Lord hathnot spoken 22. When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to passe that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously thou shalt not so be afraid of him By the same meanes were the preaching of Christ also the preaching and writing of the Apostles knowne in their times 2 Touching the whole Scripture as it is now compleatly deliuered vnto vs in writing How can it euidently and infallibly appeare vnto vs that what wee finde written in the Bible is of diuine inspiration the very oracles of God not mans Inuentions In the solution of this Question our aduersaries of the Romish and wee of the Reformed Churches differ irreconcileably Wee affirme that the Scriptures are knowne to be of God by themselues they maintaine that we cannot bee certaine of the Scriptures Diuinity by any other argument then the testimony of the Church which say they doth infallibly propose vnto vs what is to be belieued what is not to be belieued So that ask a Roman Catholike Wherfore do you
certainely belieue such and such Articles of Faith His answere will bee Because the Church which can discerne what is what is not of God hath infallibly decreed such and such things to be belieued Against which impious doctrine we except and say That by this meanes our Faith is resolued either into nothing at all or at the furthest but only into humane Authority 1 That is resolued into iust nothing but runs round in a Circle like a mill-horse For aske a Roman Catholike why doe you belieue the Pope cannot erre His answere is because the Scripture saith so Tues Petrus c. and Orauipro te ne deficiat sides tua and Sum vâ—b scum ad consummationem saculs with such other places But how know you that those places are Scripture and that that is the right meaning of those places He answeres because the Councell of Trent and the Pope say so Yea but how know you infallibly they doe not erre in saying so Hee answeres Because the Scripture affirmes they cannot erre for Thou art Peter vpon this rocke c This is the Fayries dance wherein men smitten with the spirit of giddinesse are led round in a ring being neuer able to free them or finde any resting place whereon to fixe the assurance of their Faith 2 That at best their faith is resolued finally into Mans Authority Which appeares thus aske a Papist Why doe you belieue Purgatory He will say Because God in his word hath reuealed it as an Article of Faith Zach. 9. 11. I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water i. out of Purgatory and Luke 16. Lazarus was carried into Abrahams bosome i. into Purgatory with such like Well but why doe you infallibly belieue that this is Gods word and that this is the meaning of it Hee sayes Because the Church i. Counceis and Popes say so Hee can goe no further vnlesse hee will runne round Here then hee must stay resting his Faith on mans Testimony and Authority Which hee doth manifestly forasmuch as it appeares not by any argument from the Scriptures themselues that such a doctrine as Purgatory is contained in them and therefore he assents to the truth of it finally and onely because the Church for sooth hath conceiued the meaning of those places to be such Now this is not to belieue the Scriptures but to belieue the Opinion of the Church that is to say of men like our selues Heere Becanus helpes at a dead lift by a schoole distinction thus Fidesresoluitur Formaliter in Deumprimam veritatem reuelantem Directiuè in EcclesiaÌ„ propter infallililitateÌ„ proponeÌ„dt The shift of a Sophister What Faith is it that is thus resolued Theologicall or Humane Neither saith hee Theologicall Faith is resolued into Gods authority Humane is resolued into mans authority as to belieue an Article because Caluiâ— or Lutber teach it or say wee because Pope Paul the fift Gregory the 13. or any other Pope Cardinall Bishop or Bishops teach it What saith is it then which is resolued into the Churches authority It is saith the Iesuite neither saith neque purè diuina neque purè humana sed quasi media inferior is cuinsdam ordinis Iust so I take it men vse to speak when they cannot tell what to say It is Quasi and Aliquomodò and Alicuius generis c. It is something if they could tell what But be it what it may be if it be not a diuine Faith What shall become of the vulgar sort in their Church must they bee saued by such a middle kinde of Faith betweene Diuine and Humane This is a new way to heauen of the Iesuiâ—es inuention wherein it will bee a matter beyond his skill so to conduct a poore vnlearned Catholike that he step not aside leaning too much vpoÌ„mans authoriti whereon he should not trust at all and too little on Gods on whom he should altogether relie Plaine folke haue no skill in such nice distinctions of belieuing God Formaliter and the Church Directiuè and it will trouble the authors of them to giue a reasonable meaning of them For what is it to belieue the Church Directiuè is it to be drawne by the Churches direction in the ministeriall Preaching and application of the Scriptures vnto beleefe of the Articles of Faith Wee grant such a resolution of our faith into the Churches authority as a motiue to induce and persivade vs to belieue But Becames denies that the Church is to be reckoned inter motiua fidei and therefore he must needs account it inter formales rationes fidei as a case of reason and proper foundation of our faith whereinto it is resolued formaliter And so it is for there is neuer a Papist that wil belieue any thing that God saith but onely for this reason because the Church allowes of it It is not the light and Euidence of Gods word by it owne selfe Euincing its owne Diuinity and Interpreting its owne meaning t is not this they rest vpon if they did what need they goe further but it is meerely formally and directly the Testimony and Opinion of men whether Fathers Councels Popes or whomsoeuer they please to style the Church This impiery is horrible and so maine an errour in the foundation of Faith that it makes the whole frame to â—otter fastening the consolation and Hope of man vpon the vncertainty of another mans testimony therby throwing him into inextricable difficulties and doubts besides offering intollerable indignity vnto God in giuing such authority vnto his seruant and vassall as tends to the contumely of the Lord and Master For so it is when a few men met together in a Councell-house or one poore sinfull illeterate Pope shal be deemed of power sufficient and iudgement infallible to set themselues downe vpon the bench and to call that word which shall iudge them at the last day vnto the bar and there to interpret ratifie or nullifie what and how themselues best pleaseth Wee might wellbe ashamed of our religion when wee dispute with Athiests and infidels if wee had no better reason to confirme our Religion but our owne testimonie because we say it is the truth and the Romish Church might blush when she pleads for her infallibilitie from those places formerly mentioned yet in sine hath no other warrant from them but onely this it is so and it shall be so because shee her selfe hath decreed that onely to bee the true meaning of those Scriptures But to leaue these absurdities blasphemies and come to the truth that which we maintaine touching the Certaintie of the Scriptures Diuine authoritie is this viz. That we are infallibly ascertained of the Scriptures Diuinitie by the Scriptures themselues I or as in other Sciences there are alwayes some principles Per se not a indemonstrabiliâ— whence other things are proued so in Diuinitie all conclusions in point of Beliefe and Practise are proued by the Scriptures but for the Scriptures they
hath the generall custome and consent of the times and Church wherein wee live whereby men are they know not how nor upon what firme grounds drawne to beleeve those things which they see others hold and maintaine fortruth Lastly 3. Some extraordinary worke or event confirming the truth of Religion So did Miracles in the time of Christ and his Apostles perswade many to beleeve who were notwithstanding farre from being true beleevers as Ioh. 2. 23. Many beleeved in his name when they saw the miracles which hee did but t was not good crediting of them that beleeved only upon miracles therefore Christ would not commit himselfe to them ver 24. And thus the Magitian when he saw the signes and great wonders which were done by the Apostles he beleeved and wondred when yet his heart was not right in the sight of God Act. 8. 13. 21. By these and the like meanes is this imperfect and generall kinde of Faith wrought in men destitute of all inward grace and holinesse Such motives as these cause this assent but there is no Internum principium no roote in themselves as our Saviour speakes Mat. 13. 21. whence this beliefe springeth no thorough sanctification of the soule conforming all the powers thereof unto the puritie and holinesse of divine things and inclining the affections to a constant embracing thereof These men like Religion well and commend it as men doe costly Iewells set forth to sale but when it comes to the point that this Good Pearle of great price is to be bought then if God will let them have it at their owne rates there 's a match made they 'le beleeve and be religious if God withall will spare them the use of some sinnes and pleasures they love well but if it must be purchased at Gods price with the sale of all that they have they are no merchants for such a hard bargaine with the yongue man they shrinke away sorrowfull that heaven cannot be had at a cheaper rate Thus when it comes to the proofe in particular application and practice this kinde of faith vanisheth away and comes to just nothing Thus you have the explication of this first degree of Faith withall you see that this faith falls greatly short of that perfection which is required unto that saith which is saving and justifying Neverthelesse our Adversaries of the Romish Church maintaine that this assent is that justifying Faith whereof the Scriptures speake Their opinion touching this point is sufficiently declared by Becanus who followes the rest of that rabble Hee Theol. Schol. Tom. 3. cap. 8. q. 1. disputing of the act of justifying Faith rejects the Lutherans opinion who place Faith in the will and make it to be Fiduciam de misericordia Dei propter Christum and saith that the doctrine of the Catholikes is this that faith belongs to the understanding and is nothing else but Credere sive assentiri eis quae à Deo revelata sunt Thence hee setteth downe this Conclusion § 6. Actus fidei consistit in assensu quo quis assentitur alicui propositioni à Deo revelatae propter authoritatem revelantis In this definition there are two parts 1. the Object of this assent Propositions revealed by God 2. The essentiall difference of this act taken à formaliratione credendi and that is to beleeve propter authoritatem revelantis By this saith Becanus Cap. 8. q. 2. § 2. assensus fidei constituitur in sua specie essentiall that is the assent of Faith is made supernaturall and justifying when wee beleeve things because God hath revealed them for saith he if articles of faith be beleeved upon other motives as upon mans authority c. then this assent of faith is naturall as in Heritickes and Divells So then according to Popish doctrine that faith which justifies us is nothing but a bare assent of the minde to such things as God reveales because of Gods authority that revealed them Than which explication of the nature of justifying faith nothing can be poorer and more below the majestie of so high a grace as faith is I will trouble you but with two reasons proving that this kinde of assent is not that faith whereby wee are justified 1. The act of justifying faith must needs be supernaturall such as cannot bee done without the aide of speciall grace of Gods spirit But unto this assent there is required no such speciall grace therefore it is not an act of justifying faith The Major is evident and granted by the Schooleman Cap. 8. 4. 4. that something there is in faith above nature requiring a supernaturall cause whereto the Scriptures plainely inforce him Eph. 2. 8. By grace yee are saved thorough Faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given for Christ that not only yee should beleeve in him but also suffer for his sake So Ioh. 6. 45. Wherefore § 3. he teacheth that this act of assent must be supernaturall partly in regard of the Object id est divine revelations and partly in regard of the principium or cause by which it is produced id est non per solas naturae vires sed per auxilium gratiae Wee agree then in the Proposition For the assumption That there needes not any speciall grace of the Spirit to worke this bare assent unto the truth of divine revelations this wee prove out of the same Schoolemens doctrine who teach that the Vnderstanding assents not unlesse the Will command it because say they the act of beleeving is absolutely in our treewill Cap 8. q. 5. Well be it so But now say wee the Will may without the helpe of grace command the assent of the Vnderstanding which wee prove thus Whatsoever the Vnderstanding by the only light of Nature judges to be honest that the Will can desire by the only strength of nature But by the only light of Nature the Vnderstanding judges that it is an honest thing to beleeve Gods authority revealing any thing to us therefore the Will by the only strength of Nature may desire this act of beleeving and so consequently there 's no need of Grace to move the Will to command the Vnderstanding T is Becanus owne argument against himselfe cap. 8. q. 5. § 9. Whereto he would faine giue an answer if hee could tell how Something he sayes to that Minor proposition whereof he thus distinguisheth The Vnderstanding by the only light of Nature judges it a thing honest to beleeve Gods authority when hee reveales any thing Via ac modo naturali not when he reveales any thing Via ac modo supernaturali Beleeve it a rare distinction and full of mystery Divine Revelations are of two sorts supernaturall and naturall Againe when God reveales his will to us by naturall meanes then the very light of Nature teacheth us that 't is honest to beleeve his authority But if hee reveale things to us by supernaturall meanes the light of nature
wee affirme that for that other generall faith in assenting to the truth of divine things because of Gods authority this faith as he had when hee was a Catholike so hee still hath it in part now he is an Hereticke and by the same faith he beleeved matters of Religion before his Heresie by the same he beleeves them afterward And those that are Heretickes indeed or such whom wee stile by that name let them bee asked why they beleeve such and such points of religion they 'le answer truly and resolutely they beleeve them because of Gods authoritie that hath revealed them in his Word and for such things wherein they dissent could they be perswaded the Scripture did teach the contrary they would for the same authority sake beleeve the contrary The Iesuite is yet urgent upon us and tells us that no Calvinist or Lutheran beleeves Gods authority but doubts of it Wee tell him againe that 's a foule slander and more than hee can make good yes that he will by a distinction too Gods authority considered Abstractivè in it selfe so indeed we doubt not of But Gods authoritie considered practicé in respect of the Church as it is proposed unto us by the Pastors of the Church so we doubt of it because wee admit not the judgement of the Church but follow our owne phantasie ibid. § 7. To this we answer that we passe very little to be judged Infidells upon such a ground because wee call in question the supposed infallibility and authority of the Romish Church We finde in Scriptures no such straight relation betweene her authority and Gods authority that if wee call hers in question wee must needs doubt of his Wee doubt not of the authority of Scriptures but we denie that the Romish Church hath any infallible authority of judging and interpreting them No one man nor all men ought to usurpe such authority over our faith And let the truth be judge who be the greater Insidells Calvinists and Lutherans that beleeve the Scriptures authority for its owne sake or popish Catholikes that will not beleeve but for mans saying Thus you have this second reason somewhat largely that Faith which our Adversaries call Iustifying is in Divells and ungodly men therefore it is not that justifying faith which the Scriptures speake of and appropriate unto the Elect Tit. 1. 1. Here it is but a vaine shift our Adversaries make to runne unto that poore distinction of Fides Formata and Informis namely that Faith may exist two wayes 1. Vt est conjuncta cum charitate ut in homine iusto and then Faith is called formata viva because Charity is Vita animae In this case Faith can Elicere operationes vitales seu aeternae vitae moritorias Gal. 5. 6. Faith worketh by Charity 2. Vt est separata à charitate quod fit in homine peccatore qui amissa per peccatum mortale charitate retinet fidem quamdin Catholicus est This Faith is called Informis mortuâ— nec potest habere operationes vitales seu meritorias Iam. 2. 17. Faith if it have no workes is dead in it selfe and ver 26. as the body without the spirit c. Becan tom 3. cap. 10. § 4. 5. 6. Thus they would have the quality and proper act of justifying Faith to be in reprobate men and divells but yet it doth them no good because t is without Charity Faith without Workes may be in its nature justifying Faith because t is an assent to the articles of Religion upon Gods authority but yet it justifies not because t is without workes Hereunto we reply that in this distinction there is not a syllable of sound doctrine nor yet of reasonable sense Thus much we grant that there is according to St. Iames. a kinde of â—aith without Workes namely a generall assent unto the truth of divine things but we denie that this kinde of Faith is for the substance one and the same with that Faith which is properly called Iustifying Faith without workes is of one kinde Faith with workes is of another not onely in regard of consequent because one hath workes the other hath not but in regard of their proper nature because the quality and acts of the one differ from the quality and acts of the other Wherefore in vaine doe they tell us that the same Faith is sometime with sometime without Charity Iustifying Faith is never without Charity and that which is is not Iustifying Vnto that conceit that Charity is the forme of Faith wee say t is Metaphysicall and such as no good construction can be made of it He saith Charity is Vita animae hee would say Vita fidei but take his meaning Faith lives by Charity as the body by the forme or soule Here 1. T is absurd to make one habite of the minde the forme of the other wee may as well say that Temperance is the forme of Liberality Each habite of the minde is distinguished by its proper object and actions and this the Schooleman cap. 18. quaest 2. § 3. grants in the strict sense 2. How doth Faith live by Charity We say it lives with Charity as its fellow-grace not by Charity as its soule We say without Charity it is dead yet t is not Charity that gives it life The Iesâ—it saith it doth for being joined with it Faith can elicere vitales operationes performe vitall acts Yea but what are these actions Faith hath but two acts 1. proper and immediate viz. Credere seu Assentiri 2. by consequent Iustificare Neither of these comes from Charity even by these mens owne doctrine Not the first for Catholickes without Charity may assent to the articles of Faith for Gods authority sake Not the second for to Iustifie in the Popish sense is to Sanctifie of a bad man to make a good Now how absurd is it to say Faith by Charity Iustifies i. e. Faith by the love of God and our neighbour sanctifies us or taking Charity for the Act not the Habite Faith by good workes of prayer fasting almes-deeds c. sanctifies us Both these are senselesse propositions for t is manifest that hee who hath Charity i. e. loves God and his Neighbour and doth good workes is not as yet to bee sanctified and made good of bad but is thereby sanctified already T is true that Faith is one part of our sanctification or inherent grace and Charity is another but neither doth Faith sanctifie by Charity nor Charity by Faith but we are sanctified by both together If there by any other vitall acts of Faith they should have beene named The glosse which the Iesuit addeth whereby he interpreteth what hee meaneth by vitall operations viz. aeternae vitae meritorias such as deserve eternall life carrieth with it as absurd a sense as the other Thus Charity is the forme and life of Faith i. e. Charity makes the acts of Faith to be Meritorious sâ—il our love of God and man or our good
plunging him into some abominable practice to his owne destruction and the disgrace of his Religion Who could have thought that many Starres in the Church shining bright in all outward holinesse could have fallen from Heaven their light bin put out in utter darknesse had not after times discovered that they alwayes lived in some secret ungodly practice For our selves if wee will duely consider the state of our soules it wil be easie hereby to make a prognostication unto our selves what will become of us hereafter Hee that can shift and distinguish and put off from himselfe be content to give God the hearing yet choose to think and doe what hee lists let not his forward faith and zeale in something deceive himselfe as it doth the world but let him write downe himselfe for a counterfeit whose Faith will certainely â—aile when it shall bee assaulted by stronger temptations Now on the other side that Faith which is true and sound hath alwaies this essentiall marke that it doth assent Vniformely to all Gods revealed will It makes not choise of some where it must embrace all it knowes God must have all or he will have nothing and therefore it divides nothing to times and seasons and private respects it beleeves what it likes not as well as that which contents it as well that that brings disadvantage as where there 's likelihood of honour or profit It compares all things within and within us on the one side with Gods truth and goodnesse on the other so reckoning the worst it finds Gods anger to be worst of all forecasting the best it beleeves Gods favour to be better than it Then it resolves let God say what he wil to beleeve that that is good honest profita and excellent to bee followed at all times in all places above all things that can be set against it This is that temper of the soule which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith without faining 1. Tim. 1. 5. this is faire sincere hearty plain dealing This is to ascribe glory to God and give him his full due setting our seale unto his truth ratifying it by a most willing absolute subscription to all Such hath beene the Faith of the Saints That of Abrahams is admirable conflicting with so many yet conquering all oppositions being throughly grounded upon the infinite truth goodnesse and power of God If God bid him leave all his friends his fathers house the land of his nativity to goe into a strange countrey upon hopes of great matters he is upon his journey straight and no intreaty can stay him in Mesopotamia When hee is in Ganaan where bee now his great possessions Hee hath not so much as a foote of land given him Act. 7. 5. not so much as his grave without a purchase from the Hittites But shall his seede enjoy it yea they shall but is a long time first some three hundred yeares after Abraham is dead when the wickednesse of the Cananites is full But where 's the seed it selâ—e that shall enjoy it Abraham waits a hundred yeares before hee have Isaack Now hee hath him shall hee live in Gods sight No Abraham must goe and cut his owne sonnes throate and Isaack the hope of Abraham and of the world must dye by the hand of his old Father Who but Abraham would not here have quarrelled with God and laid slacknesse falshood unjustice and cruelty to his charge But Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubts nothing all this while let God command or promise the most strange unlikely unpleasing unreasonable thing in the world hee will not question it t is God that saith it and therefore hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully assured that hee which hath promised is able to doe it Rom. 4. 21. Moses had a faire way to preâ—erment he was learned wise a proper person brought up at the Court beloved as the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter every way a man of singular hopes to become Great in AEgypt This would have made a Courtier of these times to have borrowed many a point of Law and Conscience and strained hard to conceale his Religion denie his Nation and turne AEgyptian at least his head would have beene hammering upon a piece of pollicy that the poore Hebrewes might have beene much releeved by him being a great man with Pharaoh But Moses hath no such thoughts his Faith turnes his eyes another way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Recompence of Reward and then Moses comparing the adversitie of Gods people with the pleasures of Pharaohs Court the rebuke of Christ with the riches of AEgypt hee concludes that it is better to bee a bond-man among the Hebrewes than a revelling Courtier among the AEgyptians that its farre farre better to bee poore and religious for Christs sake though rebuked and scorned of the world than to be great and ungracious Heb. 11. 24 25. 26. In a word reade that whole chapter once and againe and see what is the practice and power of Faith in the Saints of God you shall behold in them an absolute Vniforme and constant resolution to beleeve God above and against all that can bee opposed when temptations come on every side reproaches bonds imprisonment banishment the sword the fagot the gibet and a thousand difficulties present themselves their faith makes way thorough all and come what 〈◊〉 come they are resolved to Follow the Lambe whithiâ— soever hee goes Rev. 14. 4. For Conclusion of this point let me intreate you to be exhorted each one to looke unto this matter to trie how his heart stands affected in point of religion and to remember as long as you live this most pretious and certaine truth That true faith is uniforme and equally respecteth the whole revealed will of God without limitation to this or that particular without reseruing to our selves such or such a wicked resolution without all provision that no inconveniences accrew unto us Hee whose faith is thus patched up and dawbed with untempered morter let him know for certaine that in a frost t will shatter all to peeces and when temptations beates upon it the whose building will runne to ruine Take therefore I beseech you that counsell of Christ which hee gives in this matter Luk. 14. 25. seq Great multitudes then as now did runne after Christ very forward to heare and beleeve his doctrine Christ turnes unto them and tells them that t is another manner of matter than they are aware of to bee his disciple Hee that will be so must hate his father and mother and wife and Children and brethren and sisters yea his owne life for his sake forsaking all taking up his crosse and following him Doubt yee not but this seemed to them a harsh doctrine a very rough and unpleasant religion But t is neither better nor worse and therefore our Saviour bids them bethinke themselves what they have to doe like wise builders to cast up their charges aforehand like provident warriours