those to whom the spirit hath suggested them how wicked and detestable soever otherwise they may bee So that the question is brought to matter of fact to witte who proposeth that which is contained in the Scripture which question is cleared in examining the Doctrine proposed by the Scripture as the proportion of a building is knowne by applying of the square and levell For example the Iewes of Boerea did not directly and à priori inquire whether Saint Paul when hee preached vnto them was inspired of the holy spirit or no it had beene an impossible thing for them seeing it is the property of God alone to bee the searcher of hearts But they made inquirie for all that whether Saint Paul did speake according to the Scriptures and hauing by conferring of Saint Pauls doctrine with the Scriptures discovered the conformity and how they answered the one to the other they judged truly as indeed it was to wit that Saint Paul spake not of himselfe but by the holy spirit Yea the Ancients themselues hauing to do with heretickes who made shew to hold the Scripture for their rule haue not refused to dispute before a Pagan Iudge who although by reason of his vnbeliefe hee was not capable to judge whether of two parties maintained the truth pronounced neverthelesse and very happily which of the two concluded most conformably to the Scripture which both the one and the other alleaged for their purpose but the same sufficeth vs at this day in our controversies for if it be apparant who speake according to the Scriptures no man who maketh profession of Christianity doubting of the Scripture the conclusion will bee plaine and evident that whosoever hee be speakes according to truth and by the spirit of truth There is much difference betweene beleeuing the Principles of Christian Religion and judging who teach most conformably to those principles To the first faith and the illumination of the holy spirit are absolutely necessary for the second common sense is sufficient To beleeue that the Scripture is true when it teacheth vs that there is but one God that the Father is God the Sonne God and the holy Ghost also that the Father is not the Sonne nor the holy Ghost neither the one nor the other for this faith onely is required But to inferre from thence that the nature of God is one in number that the persons of the Trinity are distinct yet not divided that they communicate in one and the same nature for this I say common sense alone sufficeth which cannot deny the consequent the truth of the antecedent once granted which without all doubt cannot bee comprehended but by faith It is then in vaine to aske who shall judge of the consequences as if a man hauing learned in a historie how many companies and how many souldiers in every company were in an army how many troopes of horse and how many horsemen in every troope one should demand who shall judge whether the number of the souldiers of which the army did consist be rightly collected frō thence In like manner if we can proue by the Scripture that that which Christ gaue to his disciples was bread broken and if wee proue by the same Scripture that the body of Christ is not broken in the Eucharist and that yet much lesse the bread brokē is Christs body to demād here who shall judge whether a man may inferre from hence that the Lord gaue not vs externally his own body in the Eucharist is all one as to aske who hath common sense Likewise when the Apostle sayth that wee are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should Boast If it bee asked here who shall judge whether it can be gathered from hence that wee are not saved by the merit of our workes but by faith wholly relying vpon this grace without hauing merited it our selues by any workes of ours is not this to aske how a man might know that hee is in his senses But if the consequence bee so obscure that it is harde to judge of it this is an argument that there is no consequence at all the nature of which is such that in a manner it forceth our vnderstanding to yeeld vnto it and to allow of it albeit we had studied in no other logicke then that of nature CHAP. 16. The verifying of the second meanes of Nullity against the eight allegation by declaring the vntrueth thereof BVT if wee proceede so farre as to demand how we may know whether the Scripture bee the coppy of the declared will of God since a man cannot know neither who hath nor whether hee himselfe hath the spirit of God or no the answere is very easie hee who knoweth not whether he hath the spirit or no belongs not to Christ and therefore it is not strange if he knowes not the voyce of Christ but all those who belong to Christ are made partakers of his spirit If any man hath not the spirit of Christ hee is none of his As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God they haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but the spirit of adoption which cryeth Abba Father in their hearts The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to their spirit that they are the children of God They are sealed vntill the redemption of the purchased possession hee is vnto them a spirit of wisdome and reuelation They are the sheepe of Christ they heare and know the voyce of their sheepheard They follow him and the voice of a stranger they will not follow but will flie from him for they know not his voyce The Father driues them to Christ they are taught of God they haue learned of the Father they are spirituall and therefore comprehend the things that are of God because the spirit hath revealed thē vnto them they are spiritually discerned They haue receiued the anoynting by the holy spirit and know all things God hath written his lawes in their hearts Christ dwels there by faith Their bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost And those who are adorned and enriched so sumptuously can they bee ignorant of the excellencie of the diamond and the magnificencie of the riches which they possesse Those who are enlightened with such a light vpon whom the Lord causeth the day to spring from on high to shine and the light of his countenance to airse to whom he is the sun and buckler the sunne of righteousnesse bearing health vnder his wings whose eyes hee hath enlightened can they doubt whether they walke in his light Shall the naturall man by his reason comprehend that he discourseth and the spirituall man shall not hee discerne by the spirit that hee hath the spirit And here some man may say vnto vs But how many may bee found who boast nay who thinke verily they haue the spirit
powerfull if wee regard what they expresse and teach we heare not at this day the voyce of Demosthenes nor of Cicero neverthelesse when wee read their writings it seemes vnto vs that wee heare them The instructions of an Ambassadour the testament of a Father the sentence of a Iudge the letter of a friend the authentique coppie of a contract do they not expresse the pleasure of the King the will of the Father of the Iudge of a frtend of such as haue made any contract after the same manner as the vocall word and liuely voice And shall not wee make the same account of the instructions of the Testament of the sentence of the letters of the authentique coppie of the contract which our King hath giuen to his Embassadours our heavenly Father hath left to vs his children the Iudge of the whole world hath pronounced the bridegroome hath written to his spouse and which the mediator betweene God and men the Lord Iesus hath sealed with his blood For had yee beleeued Moses sayth the Lord ye would haue beleeued mee and neverthelesse Moses then spake not but in and by his writings They haue Moses and the Prophets sayd Abraham to the rich glutton if they heare not Moses and the Prophets speaking of the rich mans brethren neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead And yet who doubteth but that in those dayes Moses and the Prophets were not liuing in the world nor spake vnto the world any other way but in and by their writings so true it is that he who imparts to vs his minde by writing doth speake and converse with vs albeit we heare not his voyce And therefore since we haue as wee acknowledge on both sides the writings not only of Moses and the Prophets but also of the Evangelists and Apostles Why should not we hearken vnto Moses and the Prophets vnto the Evangelists and Apostles why shall wee say vnder a pretext that they are dead that they speake no more Do they not speake all at this day in the same manner as Moses and the Prophets did when Abraham willed that we should giue eare vnto them And since it is most true that the Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God that it is not of private interpretation why should not we receiue it with the the same reverence which wee would yeeld vnto it if wee should heare him delivering it by word of mouth vnto the Prophets and Apostles the letter and the word change not the signification neyther the force and efficacy of it like as the voyce and sound with men of vnderstanding addeth little or nothing vnto it But yet if we so much desire the sound noyse of the voyce let vs heare this word propounded let vs heare it preached let vs heare it red But as we heare the Cryer Sargeants proclaime the ordinances and decrees of the Court when they put them in execution without attributing for all that vnto them the title honour of Iudges yea if we find but the coppie of them fixed in our absence on our doores we read it with reverence and readily obey it so that there is no neede of the personall presence of the Iudge who is sufficiently enough present when he speaketh vnto vs by his decree Let vs then at least beare the same respect towards the coelestiall Iudge and his holy decree which wee do towards an earthly Iudge towards humaine ordinances although we haue but the coppy of it let vs read it with humility let vs obey it with zeale let vs not require that the invisible should make himselfe otherwise visible vnto vs that the dead should rise from the graue yea let vs rather meditate on this trueth wee haue Moses wee haue the Prophets if wee heare not them to wit speaking in their writings wee should not a jot sooner be perswaded if they should rise againe from the dead and speake vnto vs. CHAP. 10. The verification of the second meanes of Nullity against the the second allegation WITH as little reason do they accuse the Scripture of obscurity for if they speake of the matter handled in the Scriptures truly it surmounteth humaine sense and vnderstanding in what manner soever it bee considered either as it is proposed in the Scripture or published in the Church it being altogether impossible to proue it by demonstrations or to sette it downe by way of conclusions and principles as in other sciences But this obscurity is easily resolued by the light of the spirit which wanting in the heart it is no more possible to judge of the truth whether it be considered as written delivered in the Scripture or heard as preached by the Church thē it's possible for a blind man to judge of colours and of the light of the sunne or a foolish and madde man of true wisdome Whence it appeareth that it is not the sentence of an externall Iudge which can order this rebellion of humaine vnderstanding against the trueth of God seing question is made of convincing the conscience which is the proper worke of God leading by the force of his spirit every thought captiue vnder the obedience of Christ. As neither it is the authoritie of the earthly Iudge in civill causes which canne conuince the partie in his conscience but the acknowledgement and feeling that hee hath in his soule of the equity and justice of the sentence of the which as long as it remaineth vnknowne vnto him hee cannot bee satisfied though hee may bee constrained externally to obey it In matter therefore of Religion when men goe not about to constraine but to perswade not to stoppe the mouth by violence but to convince the heart no question is to be made in this case of hauing an externall Iudge determining by definitiue sentence but rather of an internall Doctor perswading the heart For no man comes to mee saith our Saviour except the Father draw him alleaging to this purpose the Scripture speaking of the Prophets and saying that they shall bee all taught of God But if they speake not of the obscurity of the matter which is handled in the Scripture but of that of the phrase and manner of speaking and of that of the wordes vsed by the holy spirit in expressing of it without doubt they accuse the holy spirit eyther of inability or vnwillingnesse to expresse himselfe intelligibly But neither the one nor the other canne bee sayd of him without detracting either from his wisdome or his goodnes Certainly that law of which Dauid speaketh which he magnifieth so much for it's light that he calleth it a lanthorne to his feete and a light vnto his path making wise the simple was a written law was the Scripture which giueth by this reckoning vnderstanding not only to the Prophets and great ones but also to the most simple and ignorant this was the Scripture of which the Apostle speaketh when he sayth that
she confesseth to be set downe in dumbe words obscure ambiguous applyable to every sense and which may be produced and vrged against her selfe How will the Atheists laugh at this how alas will the consciences of them bee shaken that beleeue and receiue this opinion of the obscurity ambiguity and insufficiencie of the Scriptures Let vs consider in the second place that their ayme is to cast all Christians into incertainty striuing to proue by these allegations that a man in what concernes Religion ought to mistrust his owne judgement which being once granted how shall a man know whether hee deceiues not himselfe in beleeving that there is a Church Here the Scripture cannot succour or helpe for it is presupposed that it cannot afford any certainty It is laid for a foundation that a Christian hearing reading meditating on the Scripture may coozen and deceiue himselfe Neither can a man in this straight haue recourse to the testimony of the holy Ghost for the allegation presupposeth that it cannot be knowne neither who hath neither whether a man himselfe hath the holy spirit or no. And as for the authority of the Church it cannot bee alleaged for question may bee made whether there be any Church at all As then to him who should doubt whether there ought to be a Pope in the world it would seeme strange far frō the purpose to alleage the testimony of the Pope for to perswade him that there ought to bee one Even so when we are to proue that there is a Church it is in vaine to alleage the testimony of the Church If then Christian Religion hath no foundation either in the Scripture or in the testimony of the holy Ghost or in the authority of the Church as it followeth from the allegation where shall shee seeke where shall shee finde where-vpon to vphold her selfe shall it bee in Philosophie there much lesse for if a Christian man cannot judge whether there be a Church by the spirit as not being able to assure himselfe whether hee hath the spirit much lesse able shall hee be to do it by his reason which without the spirit is starke blinde in spirituall things Let vs in the third place consider that in the disputes touching the markes and notes of the Church it is questioned what they are one is of one opinion another of another whence may a certaine knowledge of them bee had shall it bee from the Scripture but the allegation presupposeth that it is impossible shall it bee from the Church never the nearer for it so litle appeares which is the Church that it is controversed what are her markes by which she is knowne Let vs in the fourth place consider that grant wee had found the markes of the Church according to the allegation which casts men into incertitude it could not be discerned to what congregation to apply them amongst so many and divers assemblies who challenge them for it is supposed as granted according to the allegation that the Scripture cannot here guide vs that wee may deceiue our selues in making the choyce and the testimony of the Church can as little helpe vs if first of all it bee not presupposed that it hath the markes of the Church which is the point in question for wee seeke in what Church the markes of the Church are to bee found and to rely herein vpon the testimony of the Church doth presuppose that wee know already in what Church the markes of the Church are found Let vs in the fift place consider that according to the allegations there is no meanes how a man converted to the Church canne bee assured of his Religion For if hee hath not beene convinced by lawfull arguments neither his profession which followed the conviction of his conscience shall be lawfull It is very certaine that if the foundation of his faith who hath beene converted bee the authority of the Church the foundation of his conuersion hath not beene lawfull for there was no meanes to perswade him that the Church hath any such authority in alleadging to him the testimony of the Church And the allegation of Scripture and of reason according to their supposition is not a lawful meanes to resolue the conscience Having bin then brought to acknowledge the authority of the Church founded vpon these arguments it cannot be but weake and vnlawfull and consequently the beleefe of all that hee hath beleeued as depending vpon the authority which hee giveth vnto the Church And indeede if such a one whom wee would convert doth question the authority of the Church shall we proue vnto him that whereof he doubteth by alleaging vnto him that whereof hee maketh likewise doubt the argument then of his conuersion to the acknowledgment of the Church cannot haue beene the authority of the Church If then no man can bee assured of the foundation of his conversion no more neither can hee bee which is builded vpon the foundation In the sixt place let vs obserue that the Church which is called Catholique never speaketh by word of mouth they are the particulars that are her Heralds It may bee demanded then by what meanes a man may bee assured that they discharge their place faithfully since they may erre in proposing doctrine contrary to the meaning of the Church This cannot bee by the Scripture for according to the allegation truth and falsehood cannot be discerned by it no nor by the testimony of the Church for he speaketh not but by particular men of whom it is doubted whether they haue faithfully reported the determination of the Church In the Seaventh place let vs consider that if the authority of the Church bee the foundation of faith every one shall beleeue because his companion hath beleeued and so christian religion shall bee made ridiculous for seeing the Church is a congregation of persons in which every one grounds his faith vpon the authority of the whole congregation of which they are Members it will necessarily follow that every one of them shall beleeue apart because all haue beleeued together In the eight place let vs weigh this horrible inconvenience that we shall not beleeue the mysteries of the Trinit of the incarnation of the redemption of mankinde but by heare-say because our Ancestours our Parents our fellow burgesses haue beleeued so and shall not beleeue that they haue beene the Church of God but because they haue left this testimony of themselues which the Iewes may vsurpe with the like appearance of right if we renounce the authority of Scriptures Now haue wee verified this last meanes of Nullity not to incense any God is our witnesse but to shew if it bee possible into what and how many execrable absurdities some amongst them vnadvisedly precipitate themselues who by the meanes of these allegations endeavour to draw vs from the judgement of God speaking in the Scripture to the judgement of men pretending the title of the Church being most certaine that he who vrged principally this