countrey if upon imposed crimes by an appellant the defendant shall yeeld or be overcome in battell b Vâ—imo supplicio punietur cum poena gravi vel graviori secundum criminis qualitatem cum exhaeredatione haeredum suorum omnium bonorum amissione He shall be put to death with a grievous or more grievous pain according to the qualitie of the crime with the disinheriting of his heirs and losse of all his goods Furthermore though he were slain yet the formality of the Common-law proceeding adjudgeth him to capitall punishment that thereby his posterity may suffer the grievous concomitancy of his deserved infamy saith that most learned M. Selden my most courteous and loving friend in his Duello or Single Combat pag. 30. 5. But let us come from the sword where things are cut out with more rigour if not crucltie unto matters Ecclesiasticall and so more civil and peaceable Did not S. Peter stand in stead of all the Apostles when Christ said to him Joh. 21.15 16. Feed my lambes Feed my sheep And again Feed my sheep vers 17. Likewise when Christ said to him Matth. 16.19 I will give unto thee the keyes of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And when this promise to Peter was promised to the rest of the Apostles also Matth. 18.18 and when both these promises were fulfilled and accomplished as they were after Christs resurrection and not before and authoritie given and by a solemne ceremony exhibited by Christ not onely to S. Peter but to all and every of the Apostles saying Joh. 20.21 c. As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sinnes ye retain they are retained Did not the Apostles represent the whole body of the Ministery unlesse you will fable that in the Apostles dayes they had more need of remission of sinnes then we have now or that Christ loveth not his Church now nor affordeth the like means of pardon and reconciliation as he did in those times But by the same deceitfulnesse of cavillation you may say as well that when Christ brake bread and gave it to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my body and gave the cup to them saying Drink ye all of it none but they might eat or drink the Supper of the Lord. But it is undeniable that when Christ said to his twelve Apostles Luk. 22.19 This is my body which is given for you Do this in remembrance of me he spake it to them as representours of the whole Priesthood onely who onely have power to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord. Indeed Hierome saith c Quid facit Episcopus exceptâ Ordinatione quod Presbyter non facitâ— Epist 85. ad Euag. What doth a Bishop except Ordination which a Priest doth not as if the Apostles represented the Bishops in that point onley and the Centuriatours acknowledge that the first Bishops after the Apostles were made Bishops by the Apostles and they say no more then is confirmed 1. Timothy 5.22 and Titus 1.5 Act. 20.28 But other Fathers extend the comparison between the Apostles and Bishops to other matters appropriating to the Bishops above the Presbyters the power of Confirmation and divers other things All which though we grant yet no man will deny but for preaching baptizing and especially for consecrating of the Eucharist and Sacerdotall Absolution or Ministeriall Remission of sinnes the Apostles represented not the people in any wise nor the Bishops onely but the universall body of Christs Ministers And do not among us the Right Reverend Arch-bishops and Bishops and the Clergy assembled in the Convocation represent the whole Church of England are not they our Nationall Councel do not their Articles of Religion binde in conscience all and every one of the Church of England as much if not more then Civill laws Nor is there the like humane authority on earth for the setling of our consciences in matters of Scripture or Scriptures controverted or to be controverted as the externall publick breathing voice of a true Oecumenical Councel of the Patriarchs Bishops and choice Divines of the Christian world The essentiall universall Church of Christ is and we must beleeve it is the house of God the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 It never erred it cannot erre its iudgement is infallible The Spirit leadeth this Church into all truth Joh. 16.13 Of the Church of God consisting of the faithfull in any one age or time I dare say it never did erre damnably or persisted in smaller errours obstinately but alwayes some truly maintained things necessary to salvation and unto this fluctuant militant part of the Church Christ hath promised to be with it to the end of the world Matt. 28.20 The whole visible Church at no time can fall into heresie but some seek after the truth and embrace it and professe it Subject it is to nesciency of some things and perhaps to some kinde of ignorance but it cannot erre in things necessary nor in lesse matters schismatically with obdurate pertinacy Of the representative Church of Christ in Councels this may be said truly and safely viz. Of the first six Generall Oecumenicall Councels not one de facto erred in any definition of matters of faith Of other lawfull general Councels that may hereafter be called though I will not deny but they may possibly be deceived as they are men and therefore are not free from errability but if such Councels may erre or pronounce amisse cannot coblers yet there is least likelihood of their erring Such Oecumenical Councels have the supremest publick externall definitive judgement in matters of Religion if any oppose them they may not onely silence them but censure them with great censures and reduce them into order Private spirits must sit down and rest in their determinations else do the Councels lose operam oleum What S. Ambrose Epist 32. said of one general Councell d Sequor tractatum Niceni Concilii à quo me 〈◊〉 mors nec gladius 〈◊〉 separare I follow the decision of the Nicene Councel from which neither death nor sword shall be able to separate me I say of all true and generall Councels and of the major part of them who binde the rest without which issue the gathering of Councels yea and of Parliaments also would be ridiculous For though it were a true and just complaint of Andreas Duditius Quinquecclesiensis Episcopus That in the Conventicle of Trent the voices were rather numbred then well weighed yet he doth not he cannot finde fault with that course in a just and lawfull Generall Councel but directeth his complaint against the tyrannicall power of the Pope
who made unlearned men Bishops as many as served his turn and more would have made if more need had been Bishops e Pompaticos ostensionales pompaticall and onely for shew as Lampridius said of Perseus his souldiers namely titular Bishops void of learning void of Churches void of good consciences and mercenary parasites Concerning our Nationall Church till a lawfull General Councel may be celebrated both Pastours and people of England are to obey her Decrees Injunctions Articles Homilies and our approved last best Translation above Coverdales Tindals or any private ones Therefore Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 And you are to follow their faith ver 7. 6. The Devil brought not a more dangerous Paradox into the Church of God this thousand yeares then this That every one illiterate man or woman at their pleasure may judge of Scripture and interpret Scripture and beleeve their own fancies of the Scripture which they call the evidence of the Spirit and the contradicting them though with truth they esteem as the not convincing nor clearing of their conscience So that Nationall Councels are of no esteem Generall Councels not of much the sheep will not heare the Pastours voice but to their pleasure censure them for All may erre The Spirit from heaven as they suppose doth as well dictate the sense to them as it did sometimes the words to the holy Pen-men thereof Let such seduced ones know They have the cart without the horses and horsemen whereas the Prophet Eliah was called and other Church-governours may be called the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2. Kings 2.12 They have the words with the Eunuch but want both Philip to be their guide and the humblenes of the Eunuch who was willing to be instructed Act. 8.30 Though they have the letter yet they may misse the true literall sense which is not in divers places to be measured by the propriety of the words onely or principally as in proverbiall parabolicall and mysterious sentences The literal sense is the hardest to finde f Simplicem sequentes literam occidunt Filium Dei qui totus sentitur in Spiritu They that follow the bare letter do kill the Sonne of God who is wholly perceived in the Spirit saith Hierome of some men on Matt. 26.21 Presumptuous and illiterate Expositours are like the Carriers or Posts hasting between Princes having letters of truth in their packets but sealed up so that they cannot see nor know them while their mouthes are full of leasings false rumours and lies They have the spirit of self-conceit and pride These men little think that they who wrested some hard places in S. Paul as they did also the other Scriptures wrested them to their own destruction 2. Pet. 3.16 What shall become of those who wrest easie places These dream not that g Ejusdem penè auteritatis est interpretari cujus condere it belongs almost to the same authority to interpret and to make That they are to rest on the Generall Commission given to the Priest Teach all nations therefore others must learn That the Priests lips must preserve knowledge and the people must fetch the Law from their mouth That an implicite belief in depths beyond their capacity is better then adventurous daring to take from the holy word of God that divine sense which it hath and to fasten their own false sense upon it Tertullian saith h Tantum veritati obstrepit adulter sensus quantum corruptor stylus De Praescript advers hętet cap. 17. 38. The truth of the Scripture may be depraved as well by a false glosse as by corrupting the text Hierome thus i Non est in verbis Evangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum foliis sed in radice rationis Comment in Galat. 1. The Gospel is not in the words but in the sense not in the outside but in the marrow not in the leaves of speeches but in the root of reason Irenaeus 2.25 k Melius est nihil omnino scientem perseverare in dilectione Dei quae hominem vivificat nec aliud inquirere ad scientiam nisi Jesum Christum Filium Dei pro nobis crucifixum quà m per quaestionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietates cadere It is better for the ignorant to continue in the love of God which quickneth a man and to seek no other knowledge but Jesus Christ the Sonne of God crucified for us then by subtilties of questions and much talking to fall into impieties And Augustine Serm. 20. de verbis Apost l Melior est fidelis ignorantia quà m temeraria scientia A faithfull ignorance is better then a rash knowledge Again S. Hierome ad Demetriadem speaketh of unlearned men m Quum loqui nesciunt tacere non possunt docéntque Scripturas quas non intelligunt priùs imperitorum magistri quà m doctorum discipuli Bonum est obedire majoribus parere praesectis post regulas Scripturarum vitae suae tramitem ab aliis discere nec praeceptore uti pessimo scilicet praesumptione suâ Knowing not how to speak they cannot hold their peace but will needs teach the Scriptures which they understand not and be masters of the ignorant before they be disciples of the learned It is good to obey our elders to submit to those that are set over us and next to the rules of the Scriptures to learn of others how to live and not to be led by our own presumption the worst guide of all others Excellent is the counsel of Gregory Nazianzen to these fanaticall giddy-brain'd private spirits Ye sheep presume not to lead your Pastours c. If a Jew a Turk a Devil convince thy conscience thou must follow it shall the governour of thy soul have no other power over thee then Jew Turk or Devil Or was the Ministery ordained in vain In vain indeed it was ordained if every one be his own judge or a peremptory judge of his guide If great learned men may be deceived may not the ignorant man much more I dare truely avouch that the unlearned single-languaged-interpreting-lay-man hath all the faults whatsoever learned men have and some other especially such as are the offsprings of ignorance That wise Historian Philip de Commines in his 3. book 4. chap. reckoneth it as an unseemly thing to reason of Divinity before a Doctour The world is turned topsi-turvey the great and most learned Archbishop of Canterbury was confronted by a cobler yea confounded if we will beleeve that monster of men that incarnate devill Martin Marre-Prelate who thus sung of his Idol Who made the godly Cobler Cliff For to confound his Grace I warrant you the spirit the private spirit by which the fool presumed that he was guided Sleidan Comment 22. fol. 266. saith it was one of
to the bodie Thirdly what say you to pride of heart and secret Atheisme Is the proud mans and Atheists bodie and bloud infected with these prodigies Again If such people be wholly forgiven and their sinnes by repentance blotted out are they now in their bodie seed and bloud which are wiped out of their soul and suppose he beget a sonne between the Atheisme and repentance shall his childe be damned while the repentant Atheist is saved should not he rather communicate his later repentance then his former Atheisme But let us weigh the words a little nearer f Peccatorum quae aliquis parens committit labes ceu contagium redundat in ejus corpus sanguinem per ejus sanguinem semen in filios The blot and as it were contagion of sinnes which the father commits redounds upon his bodie and bloud and by his bloud and seed to the sonnes What bloud is corrupted all or onely that which was made seed and of seed what seed all seed or onely that which is fruitfull Suppose a father begets a sonne with the seed which was in his bodie yer his sinne was committed how doth his sinne viciate his bloud or his bloud the preformed seed If seed and bloud be properly vicious then any ejaculation of seed or letting of bloud should emptie people of their sinnes or stains in them inherent and sinne should no longer be a privation but a positive thing Moreover when they say That by the fathers bloud and seed the blot and as it were contagion is transfused into the sonnes they speak without reason or sense For the blot and as it were contagion are transfused if transfused at all into the wombe of their mother which hath a preexistence and not into the children themselves who have no preexistence The vessell is before any thing can be poured into it how then can sinne be yoted by the fathers bloud seed into the childe that had no being The last passage is this The childrens bodies are first infected by these stains or actuall sinnes their souls after defiled by their bodies If by the word infected they mean really truly properly and actually infected I remit them to the place where I have proved that the Embryo without a reasonable soul is not cannot be sinfull If they would be expounded of a pronitude to evil or inclinations tending that way when the soul is united they have made much ado about nothing a meer logomachy retaining the old sense and using noveltie of terms Again if I should yeeld That the seed of one man is proner to one vice then an other according to the vivid strength and able disposition of the parents as they say bastards are more healthie and more salacious then other people as retaining part of that spiritfull vigour in which they were begotten yet is originall sinne the same in every one alike in all parts and every way and the likenesse to the parents in wickednes is most remotely ascribed to the seed but properly to originall sinne as to the inward cause and to the parents ill breeding them or to bad companie or custome or to the remembrance of their parents sinne which is a powerfull president in corrupt nature as to the outward cause For a wicked childe is as like a thousand other wicked men if not more like in behaviour then to his father yet this proceedeth not from their seed but from originall sinne But to the more distinct handling of this point this seventh and last Proposition First I will prove That the personall sinnes of all our forefathers are not derived to us Secondly That not the sinnes from the third and fourth generation are propagated Thirdly That the personall sinnes of our immediate parents are not transfused And so it will arise of it self that no personall sinnes are communicated In the second place I shall bring to light the authorities on our side But before I begin either let me briefly remove an objection Bucer and Martyr teach saith Zanchius that by this doctrine the transfusion of originall sinne is more confirmed I answer That Gods truth hath no need of mans lie to uphold it Cicero said well g Perspicuitas argumentatione elevatur Perspicuitie is lessened by argumentation For what is more beleeved more known to Christians then that originall sinne is traduced Weak arguments do often prejudice a good cause and while Bucer and Martyr would seem to confirm that truth which neither Jew Turk nor Christian doubt of let them take heed lest when they say actuall sinnes are traduced they give occasion to the world to think that humane souls are not created but traducted so by consequent bring in the mortalitie of the soul For it hath been confidently averred by learned men That if the souls be traducted they are mortall But of this hereafter Concerning the first branch these arguments confirm it If the actuall sinnes of all our forefathers be communicated to their posteritie then they that are the more ancient are still the better and the last people of this world shall absolutely by nature be worst But it is not so for Pagans and Infidels now should be many thousand times worse then the first infidels which is not so as is seen by experience Secondly then we might truely say O happy Cain happier by nature then Abel the righteous since Adam and Eve did manifoldly sinne between Cains and Abels generations yea happier then Abraham and the Patriarchs just Job and the Prophets the Apostles and Evangelists since thou hast fewer sinnes to answer for then any in the world Happier is all the drowned world in this regard then the dayes since Christ But to say so is new Divinity Therefore all sinnes of actually transgressing parents are not communicated Secondly God dealeth not so rigourously with mankinde as he did with the devils Verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but took on him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 whereby he magnifieth Gods mercy to man above that to the rebellious spirits but he should or did deal worse with mankinde at least with the damned then with them if all the personall sinnes of our progenitours be communicated to all us For each of them bare onely but their own sinnes and none did beare one anothers sinne further then they actually partaked with it And this can not be otherwise for both their sinne was pride and their nature uncapable of propagation or communication of sinne unlesse it be by reall and present consenting or partaking Lastly They all fell together the second or third instant of their creation saith the School Suddenly the devil of Lucifer became Coluber of Oriens Occidens of Hesperus Vesper He abode not in the truth Joh. 8.44 Satan fell from heaven like lightning where lightning is not said to fall from heaven but he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10.18 Satan falling as suddenly from heaven as
ad lyram * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that learns must beleeve saith Aristotle I abhorre that monstrous opinion of Tolet and others in the Papacy That it is meritorious in simple men to be misled by their Pastours And yet all truth is not at all times to be published to all alike Christ forbad the Apostles to reveal the truth to the Gentiles and Samaritanes who were then in an indisposition to beleeve Matth. 10.5 Give not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is holy unto dogs and cast not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your pearls before swine Matth. 7.6 By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he meaneth the Gospel saith S. Augustine De adulterinis conjugiis 1.27 Again Matth. 16.20 our Saviour charged his Disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ namely for some time which yet himself published as he saw occasion John 5.18 and 10.30 and 18.37 and died for the publishing of it sealing the truth with his bloud Mark 14.62 1. Tim. 6.13 Yea Christ himself concealed divers things from his own Apostles and from some Apostles more then from others Peter James and John did see more then the rest of the Apostles and were commanded to conceal the Transfiguration even from the rest of the Apostles Tell the vision to no man untill the Sonne of man be risen again from the dead saith Christ to them Matth. 17.9 and yet the knowledge of the Transfiguration was none of the necessary points to salvation Christ at first taught obscurely as it were by shadows and resemblances both his death by the amphibolous words Destroy this Temple Joh. 2.19 and his resurrection and ascension by instancing in the type of the brasen serpent lifted up Joh. 3.14 For Christ was lifted up or exalted both by men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When you have lift up the Sonne of man Joh. 8.28 and by the right hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2.33 Yea God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superexaltavit eum highly exalted him Philip. 2.9 After he spake more plainly and he began to teach his Apostles of his sufferings and resurrection Mark 8.31 and that openly ver 32. which is confirmed by specializing of the time Matth. 16.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From that time forth began Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to demonstrate insomuch that his Disciples said unto him Lo now thou speakest plainly and speakest no proverb or parable Joh. 16.29 And the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.1 2. acknowledgeth that he fed them with milk because they were not able to bear strong meat insomuch that he could not speak unto them as unto spirituall but as unto carnall as unto babes in Christ Could not that is could not conveniently could not to their good or edification A young man is not a fit hearer of morall Philosophie saith Aristotle Briefly thus All religions under heaven the true and the falsely called religion have had their arcana their secrets and mysteries the patefaction whereof was not promiscuously imparted to every one of the vulgar or illiterate sort who sometimes hir upon a good belief and by it may rapere coelum take heaven by force in the phrase and sentence of S. Augustine whiles learned men may be thrust to hell but indeed know little with the perfection of knowledge It must be confessed that it was the accursed policie of our adversaries to nuzle up the people in ignorance but Buy the Bible saith S. Chrysostom Search the Scriptures saith Christ John 5.39 Let all the people daily reade or heare them meditate on them and labour to follow them let them who have any learning interpret them according to the competency of their gifts and in their own families instruct the more unlearned What said King Henry the eighth Decemb. 24. in the 37 yeare of his reigne as it is in Stows Chronicle enlarged by Howes pag. 590 and to whom said he it Be not judges your selves of your own phantasticall opinions and vain expositions For in such high causes you may lightly erre And though you be permitted to reade holy Scriptures and to have the word of God in your mother-tongue you must understand it is licensed you so to do onely to inform your consciences and to instruct your children and families and not to dispute and make Scripture a railing and a taunting stock against Priests and Preachers as many light people do Queen Elisabeth also shewed her dislike in Parliament March 29. in the 27 yeare of her reigne in Stows Chronicle pag. 702 saying I see many overbold with God Almighty making too many subtile scannings of his blessed will as Lawyers do with humane testaments The presumption is so great that I may not suffer it nor tolerate new-fanglednesse So she Humilitie and subjection of spirit ought to be in every Prophet to the Prophets and shall the unlearned take up presumption as a buckler and arm himself with obstinate singularity which is a branch of pride as with a sword As I would not have the people with the Papists as it were to hoodwink and cover their eyes that they may be led by others and glory in blinde obedience which little differeth from wilfull and stupid ignorance but advise them to unmuffle their heads and open their own eyes and judge of things which they do or can know are skilfull to judge but z Ignorantia in Jadice aequiparatur dolo Ignorance in a Judge is as bad as injustice and a simple unlearned Judge is a mischief as intolerable as unheard of so do I wish the people to avoid the other extream of Separatists who thinking they know all things though they have no heavenly inspiration will seem wiser then their teachers and taking up opinions for truth and malepert obstinacy for humble constancy disrepute their Pastours disregard all authority and ascribe nothing to that sovereigne generall commission He who heareth you heareth me which is enough to seal up their mouthes and captive their thoughts unto their learned Pastours in things which themselves cannot apprehend and their Pastours can well judge of Oh but men are men and as men may erre I hope the unlearned people are not Angels nor more free from errour then the learned Yet we must be led by our consciences True and your consciences even therefore ought the rather to be well grounded and founded not upon the slippery sand of self-conceit but on knowledge as on a sure and safe rock And in whom should knowledge reside if not in your Pastours But in Queen Maries daies should a man have been led by his Pastours when themselves were at ods and the greatest part awry Or how should a true Protestant and now a subject of Spain in Spain behave himself How much is left to his power of discretion when the whole Estate both Ecclesiastick and Civil runneth with a torrent the contrary way If he be led by his conscience and oppose them
Solomon himself by the meer strength of Nature could from thence draw saving knowledge without saving grace The question is not Whether the Scripture or Church shall be Judge but Whether the Clergie or Laitie shall be Interpreters of this dead word and unprofitable without further illumination We bid not the people to pluck out their eies that they may be led by us as the Jesuites and Popish Priests do neither do we like the other extream of the people presuming that they can give better answer then the Ephod the Urim and the Thummim and over-see the Seers who ought by the expresse commandment of God himself to have the oversight of them Heb. 13.7 But they are to rest contented with the generall Commission given to the Ministerie He that heareth you heareth me especially in things as most things are above their capacitie But the people will expound Scriptures contradict their Pastours censure their labours judge their Judges even in matters of such speculation as they may most safely be ignorant of and under pretence of desire to have their consciences well informed will not be informed at all in any thing against their humours and fancie but monopolize the Spirit to themselves and yeeld no more in this point to the ordinance of God who hath committed to us the word of reconciliation then to the very devils whom they are bound to beleeve and follow in all things wherein their consciences are well informed My former task recalleth me Bezaleel and Aholiab both did and could work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuarie according to all that the Lord had commanded Exod. 36.1 Had God more care of his Sanctuarie then of the Church of Christ Or could God command an untruth when he guided the Apostles and Evangelists as powerfully if not more then ever he did the workmen of his Sanctuarie Or had the Pen-men lesse grace or goodnesse then the workmen Certainly they had if they swarved in writing from what was commanded by God Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle See saith God that thou makest all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount Hebr. 8.5 which the Apostle borrowed from Exod. 25.8 c. where God giveth this charge Let them make me a Sanctuarie according to all that I shew thee after the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof even so shall ye make it So and no otherwise not so much as a little nail or peg shall make any difference And shall we think that the Evangelists and Apostles might swarve in writing from what was delivered unto them That Christ himself could and did reade is proved Luk. 4.16 That he could and did write is plain John 8.6 c. That he ever wrote any part of his doctrine of the Law of Grace of our Scripture is not evident for though Baronius ad annum Christi 31. saith That many of the Ancients beleeved that our blesved Saviour wrote an epistle unto Abagarus or Abgarus Prince of Edessa yet since Salianus wholly balketh this storie which he would not have done if there had been either truth or likelihood in the matter because of the miracles mentioned by Baronius wrought by the image of our Saviours face which himself sent to the same Prince let us esteem it as a thing unworthy of belief That whatsoever Christ did he did both well and conveniently and whatsoever he omitted he also omitted well and conveniently I take for most certain and yet if he had done something which he omitted I dare say he had also done well and conveniently and I should be afraid to say That it was not convenient for Christ to write any part of Scripture therefore because personally he wrote none It was convenient for others and not for Christ himself to write his own doctrine saith Aquin. 3. part quaest 42. art 4. for the excellencie both of the Teacher and of the doctrine which he confirmeth thus The most excellent way was to imprint his doctrine in their hearts So did Christ teach As HAVING POWER Matth. 7.29 and Pythagoras and Socrates the excellentest teachers among the Gentiles would write nothing For the Scripture is ordained to imprint doctrine in the hearts as to an end Moreover if Christ had written his own doctrine q Nihil altiùs de ejus doctrina bomines aestimarent quà m quod Scriptura contineret men would never have had an higher esteem of his doctrine then of that which might arise from things contained in Scripture Those are the words of Aquin. Much of this is but meer froth and the shadow of reason unfitting the pen of so Angelicall a Doctour who remembred not that God himself wrote the Law and that God did write the Law in some mens hearts as well as in stone Hebr. 8.10 and so might Christ in both if he had pleased As for Pythagoras and Socrates if they wrote nothing yet their words made no deeper impression upon the hearts of their auditours then the writings of many other men have done upon the hearts of their readers Moreover some have thought that Pythagoras and Socrates were not the excellentest teachers among the Gentiles Aristotle and Plato are esteemed their equals and some have preferred Hermes Trismegistus and Homer before both of them Indeed the Scripture was ordained to imprint doctrine in the heart was it therefore inconvenient that Christ himself should write His speech was ordained to imprint his doctrine in their hearts as to an end yet was not his speech inconvenient no more inconvenient had been his writing yea rather more convenient if so it had pleased him because many of his words reached but to a few but his writings might have reached to many millions of places and persons more and might have been everlasting To conclude If the Jews looked through the vails types and shadows of Moses Law to the more spirituall things of Christ then certainly if Christ had writ his doctrine we would not esteem of him according to the letter onely of that doctrine but we would think as we ought that either he wrote not all or wrote onely such things as were fit for us to know or as we could understand reserving more secret deep and divine things to himself For reasons best known to himself he baptized not any no not his own Apostles For reasons best known to himself he wrote not immediately any part of Scripture To say it was not convenient because Christ did it not inferreth that Christ was bound to do all things convenient yea and which man judgeth convenient and what he did not do was not convenient God might have bettered and may yet better some of his own works though they be very good Shall we conclude that because he did not therefore it was not fit he should have done so God did not say at the end of the second dayes work particularly and expressely It was
one hundred yeares he is taken with a seeming incurable disease and is as it were in an ecstasie then growing better redit redivivus returneth young lively and lusty to the state of thirty yeares After Christs death he was baptized by Ananias who baptized S. Paul and was called Joseph he is reputed to be a man of a most austere and continent life humble and patient and liveth in both the Armeniaes among Clergy men Thus farre Matthew Paris who was a Monk of Saint Albans at that time And in the like words the storie is reported by Thomas of Rudbourn a Monk of Winchester in his Chronicle which is a manuscript as the great searcher of antiquities Mr Selden my very worthy friend assured me If this Joseph redit redivivus he hath not died twice onely but very often I have recounted these narrations for their pleasant varieties perhaps I may say rarities But as S. Augustine branded the former storie and the beleevers of it saying e Multùm mihi mira est hae◠opinantium tanta praesumptio The great presumption of these opinionists makes me much marvell So I will not be afraid to tax the latter of imposture both because of the varietie of Names by which he is called as you may finde in the learned Mr Seldens illustrations on Polyolbion pag. 15. where he also citeth the incredible fable of Ruan which is cousin-german to the relation of the Eastern Cartaphilus and because the Armenians as well as the Romans have their holy frauds as was seen by our men laught at by the Turks and beleeved by the silly Laicks of Armenia whilest their Priests would strive to fetch false fire from Christs sepulchre on Easter even See Mr Sands in his third book pag. 173. Lastly if this storie of the Armenian could be an undoubted truth the Greek Church would ere this have produced him to justifie the practise and opinions of the Eastern Church against the Western wherein they dissented But no such thing was ever attempted And therefore let this be cast into the number of fables Soli DEO gloria FINIS MISCELLANIES OF DIVINITIE THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I. 1. Many Papists are very peremptorie that all and every one must die Melchior Canus is more moderate The words are onely indefinite not universall 2. Objections brought to prove that universally all shall die Their answers Generall rules have exception Even many learned Papists have acknowledged so much The point handled especially against Bellarmine 3. Indefinites have not the force of universals Even universals are restrained 4. Salmeron bringeth many objections to prove an absolute necessitie that every one shall die All his objections answered Mans living in miserie is a kinde of death THe third question is Whether Adam and his children all and every one of them without priviledge or exception must and shall die It ariseth also from the same fountain from which the two former questions did proceed It is appointed unto men to die The answer consisteth of three parts That there may be an exception of some That some have been excepted That others shall be excepted And so the answer is returned with the negative thus All and every one shall not die For though it be appointed for men to die yet the appointment may be hath been and shall be reversed Neither fear I the saying of Aquinas part 3. quaest 78. artic 1. a Est communior securior sententia Theologorum Vnumquemque moriturum It is the more common and more safe opinion of the Divines That every one must die And this opinion is maintained with stiffe and peremptory obstinacie by our adversaries the Papists Bosquier in his Terror orbis Salmeron upon the 1. Thessal 4. Gregory de Valent. with others are resolute That none can be dispensed withall but all mankinde and every childe of Adam must die But Melchior Canus is more moderate b Locorum Theologic 7.2 Num. 3. Though it be appointed for all men to die saith he yet that one or two out of that generall law by priviledge be exempted is not so against Scriptures that it may not be questioned And Locor Theol. 7.3 Numer 9. he proveth that it is no way against Scripture That the thrice-blessed mother of our Lord may by singular priviledge be exempted he had erred if he had said Is priviledged from the universall law of all being born in sinne and further confirmeth it by this instance Because the Scriptures say in generall Exod. 33.20 NO MAN SHALL SEE ME AND LIVE and John 1.18 NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME yet Moses and Paul saw God And though ordinarily there is no return from death to life and the Saints come not back again from heaven to dwell on earth yet Augustine saith in lib. de Cura pro mortuis Cap. 15. c Mitti quoque ad vivos aliquos ex mortuis ut Mosem ad Christum sicut è contrario Paulus ex vivis in Paradisum rapius est Divina Scriptura testatur The Scripture witnesseth that some from the dead have been sent to the living as Moses to Christ and on the other side Paul being living was carried into Paradise Again I say the words of the Apostle are onely indefinite not generall it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is appointed to all men but It is appointed unto men whether all or onely some is not here determined Now because this place wants its strength and nerves to prove that point and neither in the Greek nor Vulgat nor Syriack is the universall expressed the Jesuits have amassed up together many places of Scripture to confirm their opinion 2. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Psal 89.48 In Adam all die 1. Corinth 15.22 Death is the house appointed for all living Job 30.23 Death passed upon all men Rom. 5.12 He shall be brought to the grave and remain in the tombe The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him Job 21.32 MORTE MORIERIS Thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 was threatned to Adam and all his and therefore God who cannot lie will see it accomplished To the last place I answer first It is well rendred and expounded Mortalis eris Obnoxius eris morti Thou shalt be mortall and subject to death as Lyra and Vatablus have it Beda on Genes 2. Morti deputatus eris Thou shalt be condemned to death Chrysostom on John Homil. 27. d Adam mortuus est si non Re tamen Sententiâ Adam died by guilt and judgement though execution was suspended And to say truth In the midst of life we are in death Man is dying till he be dead Infirmities and sicknesse pursue men till they perish Deuteronomie 28.22 The wicked shall finde no ease nor rest but shall have trembling hearts fayling of eyes and sorrow of minde verse 65. Thy life shall hang in
as Hierom styleth them will hardly beleeve 3. Bellarmine de Rom. Pontif. 3.6 draweth the second and third part of his third demonstration from two places of Ecclesiasticus The first is Chap. 48. vers 10. Who wast ordained for reproofs in their times to pacifie the wrath of the Lords judgement before it brake forth into furie and to turn the heart of the father unto the sonne and to restore or establish the tribes of Israel First I may answer Ecclesiasticus is not held Canonicall but Apocryphall even by such as for the many divine and admirable things in that book could wish if it were no sinne to wish that it were truely Canonicall And Apocryphals are not held sufficient to settle a point of controversie Secondly it may be also said that Jansenius maintaineth this place evinceth not that Elias shall come personally because Ecclesiasticus wrote according to the received opinion of those times which from the words of Malachi beleeved that Elias was to come in his own proper person Bellarmines reply upon Jansenius is shallow in this point saying d Si it à est ut Jansenius dicit sequitur Ecclesiasticum errâsse falsa scripsisse If Jansenius saith truth it followeth that Ecclesiasticus hath erred and writ some false things as if he who writeth the opinion of others may not relate an errour and write false things though he erre not himself nor beleeveth the false things S. Matthew chap. 2.6 wrote what the Jews said concerning the place of Christs birth the things were miscited and yet no errour or fault in S. Matthew The Spirit of truth hath written that The fool hath said in his heart There is no God Because the fool thought foolishly and untruly God forbid that we should turn fools also and think that the holy Ghost did erre because he truely recordeth an untrue opinion or an untrue thing true onely in the relation This have I said to defend both Jansenius and Ecclesiasticus against Bellarmine Thirdly I might answer Onely these last words have the shadow of an argument To restore or to establish the tribes of Israel which because John did not do Elias must do hereafter For indeed it is but a shadow since as John the Baptist did turn the heart of the father unto the sonne as was before proved so he may be also said to establish or restore the tribes of Israel not to any temporall kingdome which cannot be proved to be intended by Ecclesiasticus for in Malachi there is altum silentium not a word spoken concerning this point but to the true service of God from which they were fallen for he preached unto some of all sorts of the two tribes of the ten tribes yea of the Gentiles There went out unto John Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan Mat. 3.5 and Jordan divided Galilee from Judea yea Christ himself came from Galilee to John to be baptized Matth. 3.13 And he taught both Publicans and Souldiers and Herod and some of all sorts thereabouts Luk. 3.13 14. c. and thus did he restore or establish the tribes of Israel The Bishops Bible hath the controverted words thus To set up the tribes of Israel So Coverdale Vt constitueres tribus Jacob saith Tremellius according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated also by the Interlinearie ad constituendum or as Vatablus ad constituendas tribus Jacob to establish the tribes of Israel Many are the significations of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no where doth it signifie to restore unto a dispersed people their lost kingdome which is the hope of the Jews or the exposition of the Jewishly affected nor is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so expounded otherwhere either in the Septuagint or in the New Testament or in any classicall Authour It is rendred usually by constituere Restituere is a black swan But mine own opinion is that Ecclesiasticus prophesieth not what should be thereafter viz. after the day of his writing either concerning John or Elias but onely relateth what was past and it is an Eulogie and laudatorie of Elias his worth as appeareth by the antecedent and consequent narratives where all runnes in terms designing out times passed and gone none touching at the present tense or time much lesse at the future and so it can be no prophesie concerning Elias personally to come hereafter especially since there is never a passage in Ecclesiasticus concerning Elias which Elias did not accomplish before his assumption and more particularly he reconciled God to his children the Israelites and turned their hearts to him Thus did he restore or establish the tribes of Israel in his time for 1. King 18.21 Elias said unto all the people that were gathered out of Israel How long will ye halt between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him And then by miracle under God he established them or restored the tribes to the right religion from which they were fallen by idolatrie the fall of all falls fowlest Even Bellarmine himself expounds Restituerunt they restored by Converterunt they converted in this very chapter thus farre truely proving that Zuinglius and Luther were not the Enoch and Elias prophesied of because Elias was to convert the Jews and indeed converted many as I proved before which neither Luther nor Zuinglius did for ought that I have read 4. The second place insisted upon by Bellarmine is Ecclesiasticus 44.16 Enoch was translated being an example of repentance to all generations The Septuagint have it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translatus est exemplum poenitentiae generationibus He was translated being an example of repentance to following generations saith the Interlinearie Nationibus to the nations saith Vatablus Vt det Gentibus sapientiam that he may give wisdome to the Gentiles saith the Vulgat edition printed by Petrus Santandreanus 1614 and it hath in the margin Poenitentiam repentance But to leave that varietie the Vulgat is not properly translated for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gentibus to the Gentiles as opposed to the Jews but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Posteris or Generationibus to future posteritie And if it were Gentibus as Bellarmine readeth it yet it maketh the more against him who would have Enoch and especially Elias do greater things for the Jews then for the Gentiles Lastly it is not so much as intended by any word of Ecclesiasticus that Enoch shall hereafter appeare in the flesh personally and then die and be an example of repentance to the Nations for after he had so long pleased God and walked with God in this world and after he was taken by God from amongst men and no doubt much more then pleased God and walked with God if he should come again into this world here to live should he sinne again that he might be an example of repentance The conceit is vast harsh and improbable if the