divides it self into two branches 1. Schisme 2. Heresse which ends in Apostacy 1. The cui non oportet is Idolatry whether it be by giving divine honour and worship or ascribing any part of Gods office to any creature as S. Augustine speaks within which comes dealing and covenanting with the Devil or trusting to his instruments Sorcerers Charmers Dreamers and other Inchanters So if a man yeeld any of the former affections and vertues as love fear c. to the Devil if he fear the stars or attribute any thing to dreams inchantments ligatures lots characters c. it is comprehended within this God telleth us by the Prophet that none can foreshew things to come but himself not meaning things known by natural causes but where there is causa libera a free cause Therefore if divine honour be attribute to any of these a part of Gods peculiar offices is taken from him and the most of them are reckoned up by Moses and God threatens to punish them In the 〈◊〉 Jeremy there is a plain commandment against the ascribing any thing to stars So 〈◊〉 against Wizards and divination Saul enquired of the Witch of Endor and you see Gods anger towards him for it And Ahaziah using the like means to recover his sicknes was reproved by Elijah Is it not because there is no God in Israel that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron Though the Witch at Endor foretold Sauls death and spake truth yet Sauls act is condemned 1. Chronicles 10. 13. And though the Pythonist in the Acts confessed that the Apostles were servants of the living God yet S. Paul rebuked the spirit that was in her and made him come forth Yea though a Prophet foretell a truth and yet saith let us go after other gods he shall be put to death 2. The other quantum non oportet to give too much honour is commonly referred to superstition The second Council at Nice erected images and their principal reason was because God could not be remembered too much but that was no good argument for then there could be no superstition Tully shews how the word superstition came first up There were certain old Romanes that did nothing but pray day and night that their children might outlive them and be superstites whereupon they were called superstitious In this respect we also condemn the Euchytes It is true as the Fathers say that for quantitas absoluta the absolute quantity if we were as the Angels there were no 〈◊〉 but for as much as in man there is but quantitas ad analogiam or ad propartionem and thereby he hath no absolutenes but ex conditione we must do that whereby we may continue and go forward to the glorifying of God and because of his weaknes for a man to spend himself in one day maketh a nimium in religione and consequently superstitition 2. For the other extreame Parum when we give too little and that either 1. cui non oportet or non quantum the fi st is commonly called Prophanent 〈◊〉 which was a punishment from the beginning that a man should be such a one that he should not come intra sanum within the Church but to stand extra which many now a dayes count no punishment nay it is to be feared that it hath a reward and that such people are the better thought of Too many of this fort are in these times that value religion and Gods worship no more then 〈◊〉 did his birth-right 2. The second part of this extreame is when we give not quantum oportet so much to God as we ought when we will not rest or acquiesce in what God hath by his Church prescribed and delivered to us but affect novelties and desire new and strange things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore that God might make novelties the more odious to us he hath made it a name for those things he most hateth Nadab and Abihu are said to have offered strange fire to the Lord and the wiseman calleth an harlot a strange woman Jacob commands his family to put away strange gods It is called in Deut. for 〈◊〉 post deos alienos This being bewitched with the desire of novelties and new devises hath changed the pure doctrine of the Primitive religion and marred this religion where it is predominant Thus the Galatians were bewitcht Galat. 3. 1. and none but the Attica ingenia which is spoken of in the acts are given to it Academick doubting spirits Scepticks in Religion There are three degrees in novelty 1. Schisme 2. Heresy 3. Apostacy In which one makes way for another 1. Schisme is the high way to superstition as also to prophanenesse And it is so called properly when a man upon unjust dislike either of government or worship or doctrine professed or for some indifferent rites withdraws from the communion of the Church in publike duties and refuses to submit to his spiritual governours the Bishops and Pastors of the Church and so will make a rent in and from the whole body whereas the Apostles counsel is that all would speak one thing and that there be no dissentions but be knit in one minde and in one judgement and in another place not to forsake the fellowship we have among our selves 2. Heresy is as S. Augustine defines it Dum scripturae bonae intelliguntur non bene quod in 〈◊〉 non bene intelligitur etiam temere audaciter asseritur when good Scripture is not well understood and that they affirm that rashly and boldly that they understand not well S. Jerome goes further Quicunque alias scripturam intelligit quam sensus spirious S. flagitat quo conscripta est licet de ecclesia non recesserit tamen haereticus appellari potest he that makes another interpretation of Scripture then according to the sense of the holy Ghost although he depart not from the Church yet may be called an Heretick This must not be understood of every errour but of sundamental errours and such as are wilfully held when there are sufficient means to convince one of the truth Acts 5. 17. 3. Apostacy is a general defection or falling from all points of religion The means to finde out true religion are besides the publike and general means Hearkening to the voice of the Church to whom Christ hath entrusted the truth and which is therefore called by S. Paul the ground and pillar of truth 1. The Eunuchs means reading the Scripture He read the Prophet Esay 2. Cornelius meanes prayers almes and fasting and that which is strange being a Heathen before he was called he was said to be a man that feared God But the Fathers resolue it well why he was said to be so quia non detinuit veritatem in injustitia he withheld not the truth in unrightousnesse as the Apostle speaks and did not abuse his natural light and therefore
and which follows thereupon a greater assistance of the spirit and the best means as where many learned and pious men meet from diverse parts of the world to know what the judgement of all the Churches is in the matter in question and what hath been the received sense which from time to time hath been delivered to the Churches now it is a received rule among the Casuists that in things doubtful after diligence used one may safely and ought to acquiesce in the judgement of the major part of pious and learned men Reginald prax lib. 12. n. 90 91. l. 11. n. 25 26. Besides this the Church is in possession of her authority and therefore ought in things doubtful to be heard for in dubiis melior cst conditio possidentis but if the contrary be evident then the case is not doubtful So Thom. cajet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. 104 105. and after him all the Casuists Those that would be satisfyed in these points may read them learnedly and acutely handled by Baron late Professor at Aberdene in his Book de objecto fidei formali Tract 5. In Bishop Bedels letters Chillingworths safe way c. cap. 2 c. and others The fundamentals of Religion which are absolutely necessary for all to know and practise are plainly set down in Scripture and of them there is no controversy in matters doubtful the safest way is to submit to the judgement of the Church yet not neglecting other means as prayer reading meditation conference c. especially practising what we know fol. 7. 17. and so we are sure to be kept from all damnable errours In all other professions common reason teaches if any doubt arise to submit to the judgement of the skilful in those professions as in Law Physick c. although they have no such special promises as the Church hath from Christ of being lead into all truth and if this be not observed in the Church it must needs prove destructive to all order and overthrow the being of a Church taking away that distinction which Christ hath set between pastor and people when all shall presume to interpret and to be as wise as their teachers as we see now by woful experience We submit to the judges in point of law yet no man thinks them therefore infallible and so may and ought we to submit to our Bishops and Pastors in point of Religion so as not to oppose their determinations but reverently to receive what they deliver when the contrary shall not evidently appear I say evidently for in doubtful things if their judgement may not turn the scale when it hangs in aequilibrio either there is some fault in the beam or their authority is very light And therefore external obedience is required at least so as not to oppose publikely in things we assent nor to This agrees with what our learned Authour hath left in his other works composed in his riper years when his judgement was fully setled by which this and what else he delivered in his younger time ought to be expounded and corrected In his sermon on Matthew 6. 17. p. 223. he tells us that no man hath God to be his Father that hath not the Church to be his Mother and that once and twice order is taken in the Proverbs as to keep to the precepts of our father so not to set light by the laws of our mother Proverbs 1. 8. 17. 25. Ira patris dolor matris are together in one verse he that grieves her angers him and he cannot but grieve her that little sets by her wholsom orders but now she erres or at least is said to erre at every bodies pleasure c. Now come to the particulars 1. For the fathers It is a vain speculation to beleeve that the fathers concurre all in one exposition of all places of Scripture And if we must take them where they all agree we shal finde many places which they do not expound alike yet where they all agree as in articles of faith and matters fundamental wherein we finde a joynt harmony their exposition ought to be received for therein they deliver the sence of the whole Catholick Church derived from the Apostles which in such points is by Christs promise free from errour otherwise Christ might have no Church 2. In their expositions they did not usually keep the literal sense except in point of controversies which fell in their times for in their Homilies they followed the tropological or figurative sense drawing from thence diverse necessary doctrins and applications necessary and tending to good life and manners So saith S. August contra Julian that in controversies which fell not in their times they spake more carelessely 3. Again Basile saith of Dionysius a Father that he spake many things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disputationis gratia by way of disputation not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 definitive positively against against the Heretiques of his time and therefore in many things the fathers must be taken to have spoken per modum contradicendi non docendi by way of contradiction and not positively 4. Cardinal Cajetan affirmed in the Councel of Trent that if he knew a true and sound exposition upon any place of Scripture not vsed by the fathers he would hold and maintain it contra torrentem omnium Doctorum Episcoporum against the current of all Doctors and bishops And Andrad saith as much and all of them vse to deny the fathers in their schools And now in regard that the fathers often dissent they lean to that which the greatest part of the fathers say 5. There was a controversy between Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome whether Saint Pauls reproof of Saint Peter were real or not Jerome maintaining that Saint Paul did it onely pro forma formally and Augustine that he did it simply and from his heart And though Jerome quoted the opinions of divers fathers to strengthen his yet Augustine would not alter holding this among other rules that we are not to regard quis but quid not who but what any man speaketh And Jerome himself in his own exposition of the Psalms saith that he had delivered diverse thing contrary to the tenet of those times that is in matters praeterfundamental wherein liberty of dissenting may be indulged 6. Lastly the Papists themselves reject the exposition of many of the Fathers upon this text Tu es Petrus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church many of the Fathers holding that it was meant of Saint Peters faith not his person As also they leave all the rest of the Fathers and adhere to Saint Aug. onely in the division of the commandments for the current of the Fathers divide them as we do but they following Saint Augustine make but one Commandment of the first two and divide the last into two but these were not matters of faith But S. Augustine was carried away in this by a conceit
And Saint Chrysostome Manifesta sunt que sunt ad mores fidem necessaria c. those things are apparent which are necessary to faith and manners and Mclchior Canus saith that there are diverse places of which none can give any other then the literal sense or can wrest them except he have a minde to wrangle And Ireneus saith that the plain places make the principles by which all other of dubious understanding must be judged Now the means to finde out the true sense of the Scriptures are many but may be reduced to six 1. Some means there are wherein all agree as namely there is pietas diligentia adhibenda goodnesse and diligence must be used And in the first place Prayer S. Augustine saith Oratio postulet lectio inquirat meditatio inveniat contemplatio degustet digerat let us ask by prayer seek by reading finde out by meditation tast and digest it by contemplation 2. The second means is by conference of places Saint Augustine saith that the lesse plain place in Scriptures is to be referred to that which is more plain and the lesse in number to the more in number 3. The third seemeth to be according to the counsel of the holy Ghost Inspectu fontium the better to discern the signification of the words to consult with the Original tongue with the Hebrew for the Old Testament and with the Greek for the New 4. To be acquainted with the phrase of the holy Ghost and this is to be gotten by the knowledge of the Dialect Idiome or Stile of the holy Spirit as the Apostle speaks by use to discerne it as the crucifying of the flesh mortifying the concupiscence c. for sometimes the holy Ghost in Greek sends us to the holy Ghost in Hebrew And these three last are for understanding of words the two next are for understanding of sentences and chapters 5. The first is that which the fathers call Oculus ad scopum to have an eye to the intent as what was the intent of giving the law in setting down such a prophecy doing such a miracle and the like as Saint Paul to Timothie reasoneth from the end of the law against those that made evil use of the law So saith Hilary Ex causis dicendi habemus intelligentiam Doctorum we finde out the meaning of the learned by finding out the cause why a thing was spoken 6. The last is that which the wise men among the Jewes say we must look round about us behinde and before us that is we must well weigh the Antecedents and Consequents and every Circumstance to understand any sentence and chapters whereof we doubt To these may be added those of Ireneus and Augustine That every one of these rules serve not for every thing but to diverse things diverse wayes and means may be applyed for the true understanding of words and sentences in the Scripture And therefore Stapleton committed an errour 1. Because he perceiving that some of these rules were not necessary to all concluded that it was not necessary at all 2. Because we attribute not the interpretation of the true sense of every place to each one of these but to all together he therefore concludeth that they were not sufficient at all Now besides these means and those of prayer and diligent study wherein they agree with us they propound these four following as is before said and hold them infallible 1. The interpretation of Scriptures by the fathers 2. The exposition of them by Councils 3. The practise of the Church 4. The definitive sentence of the Pope Concerning the first and second of these in general we say that as there may arise some doubt or scruple in some places of Scripture so may there also in their expositions And for the two last a question may be made whether the Chuch they mean be a true Church and whether the Pope may not erre in his sentence Again as we unfeignedly hold and acknowledge that some of their means are commendable yet we say that they are not allowable where they are evidently contrary to our rules or without them And if ever they took the right course it was by using our means and if they erred it was by relying wholly on theirs and excluding ours But take their means without or against ours and they may erre As the word of God is the rule and ground of faith so it cannot be denied but that the expounding and applying hereof is in ordinary course left by Christ to the Church to whom he hath committed the feeding and government of his Flock for Christ commands all to hear the Church and the Prophet tells us the Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and they shall seek the law at his mouth Mal. 2. and if the duty of the Church be to teach and instruct her children no question but it is their duty to learn of her and to submit their judgements to hers yet this makes her not infallible in her determination but gives her this priviledge that she ought to be heard and beleeved unlesse it appear evidently that for some corrupt and sinister end she prevaricates from the truth It is not possibility of erring but actual erring which makes our faith uncertain for otherwise one that beholds the sun could not be certain that he sees it for there is a possibility of error in the sense in judging an object It is sufficient therefore to make our faith certain if the rule be infallible and that it be applied with moral evidence so that the propounder do not then actually erre though he be subject to a possibility of errour and that after the use of moral diligence fit in so great a matter there appears no probable cause why we should not assent nor any reason why in prudence we should doubt so Suarez himself Dsp. de fide 5 sect 1 num 5. non requiritur infallibilitas permanens in proponente sed sufficit quod actu non erret licet errare potest Obedience to the Churches decrees doth not necessarily infer her infallibility for then the civil magistrate natural parents and all superiours must be infallible because obedience is due to them by divine law and yet we know they ought to be obeyed unlesse the thing commanded be evidently unlawful And therefore none ought upon probable reasons to reject the determination of the Church or of a lawful Councel for besides that the command from God of hearing the Church is cleer and evident and therefore we ought not upon reasons that are doubtful or not evident to reject her doctrine but follow that rule tenere certum dimittere in certum besides this I say the Church and her governours have more and more certain means of finding out the truth then any private persons have as the prayers of the pastors their fastings disputations their skill in divine things wherein their senses are exercised
Lastly we have a set form of prayer composed by our Saviour upon the petition of the disciples 2. The other Thanksgiving We see it vsed also before the flood by Abrahams servant when he had finished his busines successefully And we finde this duty commanded by God himself afterwards Moses had a set form of thanksgiving after the deliverance of the people from the Egyptians And King David in many places commends this part of prayer highly and penned a set form of it in a psalm which he entituleth a 〈◊〉 or song for the sabbath day Solomon his son in the time of the first Temple practized it and so did the people vsing one of King Davids psalms the burden whereof as we may so speak was for his mercy endureth for ever Ezra also vsed it after the building of the second Temple together with the priests and people So did our Saviour I thank thee o father c. In the time of the Gospel they sung a psalm Lastly it was not onely practized by the Apostle as you may see in many places I thank God through Jesus Christ and thanks be to God c. but commended by him to others speak to your selves in psalms and Hymns c. as unto the Philippians where he joyns both 〈◊〉 of this duty in one verse in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God And to omit many others in the Epistle to the Hebrews giving thanks i called the sacrifice of praise 3. As the word is Gods speech to us and Invocation ours to him so the sacraments are the Covenants between God and us Such are the type of circumcision instead whereof Baptism succeded and the type of the Passeover instead whereof we have the Lords supper And these two only we receive as sacraments generally necessarily for all But for our justification in thispoint S. Augustine saith upon the words of Saint John cited out of the institution of the Passeover A bone of him shall not be broken vnus emilitibus c. A souldier with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came out of it water and blood which are the two Sacraments of the church our mother And in another place Quedam pauca pro multis c. The Lord and Apostilical doctrine hath left to us a few in stead of many and those easy to be kept most excellent to the understanding and most pious to be observed the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the body and blood of the Lord. 1. The first Baptisme is so necessary a Badg for a Christian that he cannot be without it Saint Augustine saith sic accipiendum est c. That which the Apostle saith is thus to be understood that by the lavacre of 〈◊〉 and the word of sanctificational former sinns of the regenerate are cleansed and healed and not onely all sinns are remitted in Baptisme but those also which are afterward contracted by humane ignorance and infirmity and in another place Dimittitur eis regeneratione spirituli quod traxerunt ut 〈◊〉 dixi ex adami generatione carnali By this spiritual regeneration as I have often said whatsoever they have drawn from Adams carnal generation is forgiven them And this Sacrament is a service of faith For though children baptized cannot be properly said to beleeve of themselves by reason of their minority yet are they beleevers by their fidejussores or Godfathers and Godmothers and parents who present them and desire to have them baptized in the faith of Christ and received into the Church as were the Jews children by circumcision Inter credentes saith Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 populos baptizatos 〈◊〉 nec judicare aliter ullo modo audebis si nonvis esse apertus haereticus Thou art to repute little children that are Christened among beleevers nor must thou dare to judge otherwise if thou wilt not be an open heretick And in the same place Absit ut dicam non credentes infantes c. God forbid that I should call Infants unbeleevers I have disputed it before They beleeved by another and offended by another It is said They beleeve and it is enough to make them of the number of the faithful that are baptized This hath the authority of the Church and the Canon founded upon the truth obtained 2. The other the Lords supper is a substantial part of our servicetoo For in it is a whole Oblation of our selves souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice to God as we acknowledge in our liturgy In it we acknowledge confesse bewaile and repent us of our sinnes which cost our Saviour his most precious blood to make attonement for them And in it we professe that we are in love with God and our Neighbours which is the fulfilling of the Law Herein is a commemoration of that sacrifice which Christ offered for us upon the Crosse in which respect it may be called a sacrifice for as our reverend author else where speaks The Eucharist ever was and by us is considered both as a sacrament and a sacrifice A sacrifice is onely proper and appliable to 〈◊〉 worship c. In a word we hold with Saint Augustine de Civit. lib. 17. Chap. 20. Hujus sacrificii caro et sanguis ante adventum Christi per victimas similitudine promittebatur in passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur post adventum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur Answer to Card. Perron p. 6. 7. And lastly by it we offer a most acceptable sacrifice and service to God of thanksgiving this Sacrament being called Eucharistia which signifies so much for bestowing so great a blessing upon u whereby every faithful Communicant is strengthened in the faith of Christ. Therefore Accedens debet esse plenus sanctitate he that comes to it ought to be as holy as he may for all our services to God are to be done in purity which is true internal worship and with decency which is external and both these make that compleat holinesse which becometh Gods house 4. The last part of the substance in the external wórship of God is Discipline by which men are regulated in the fear and service of God This we finde commanded Mat. 18. 15. 16. c. John 20. 22. Executed extraordinarily Act. 5. 4. By Saint Peter ordnarily 1 Cor. 5. 3. By S. Paul and Rules set down for the ordering of it 1 Tim. 5. It is as Barnard saith the yoke to keep us within the bounds of Order and as Cyprian Custos spei et retinaculnm fidei a preserver of hope and stay of faith Saint Augustine affirmes that it brings delinquents to repentance whereby they recover that which they had lost by their 〈◊〉 For it is sure enough that the Church of God hath in it of all sorts
help concoction Physick is to be applied something must be given from without to comfort and help nature So we must conceive in teaching every one hath not thos enatural parts which are sufficient nor is every mans supernaturally and extraordinarily inspired and qualified by God but must have teaching and instruction by the ministrie of man from without every man must not look to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught immediatly of God but must in ordinary course have a teacher which doth not adde any thing to the soul but minister to it and help it as Physick doth not adde to nature but ministers to it to comfort and strengthen it though indeed they that are instructed by men may be said to be taught of God as they are said to be healed of any infirmity by him which are cured by Physick And in this we say that the natural light workes which is lume n naturale and that lumen infusum is supplied and holpen by the teacher of whom we are to conceive that he is not the giver of infused light but the minister that supplies matter as oyle whereby the light burns which he doth partly by making things plain by similitudes and examples and sometimes by Antithesis And not onely so but being able to see how every conclusion depends upon the premises and how the medium ought to be disposed with the subject and praedicate in every proposition is able in the same course whereby he learnt to shew others how to bring things into method and order In which two things 1. by making dark things known and discerned Secondly by a perspicuous disposing and ordering of things confused teaching cheifly consists and by these the light is holpen whether it be naturally or supernaturally given This being premised we will come to mutual duties or qualities of teacher and hearer 1. The first is they must be perswaded as Saint James saith That every good gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights and therefore that this light of knowledge cannot be had but desuper from above as John Baptist told his schollers A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven Neither knowledge nor any good thing els can be had but from God and therefore we must be thus perswaded That all the light we can have is from Gods light as the Psalmist hath it in thy light we shall see light we have no light of our own but as the Apostle speaks God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in 〈◊〉 hearts to give the light of knowledge and by this light being supernatural we shall be able to see further into mysteries then by the natural 1. The first means to attain to this light is by prayer To pray to God as the Apostle directs to enlighten the eyes of our understanding King David by praying to God to be his teacher attained to this praestantiam rationis scientiae this excellency in skill and knowledge that he professed himselfto have more understanding then all his teachers 2. Another means to come to this light is to attend to the word and statutes of God which as the psalmist saith giveth light to the eyes Hereby he professeth that he got understanding they were a light to his path And not onely to him that was a man after Gods own heart but to them also that were naturally ignorant they gave light and understanding to the simple We finde this true by experience for since the light of the Gospl came and was received into the world learning and knowledge did never so flourish either among the Grecians or Romans as it hath done in the christian Church The greatest lights that ever were in the world for all learning divine and humane have been christian Bishops and the truth is there is no excellent thing worthy to be known to be found in any Heathen Authors but the same or something more excellent may be had from the word of God 3. The third means is to follow the Apostles counsel Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light And what this sleeping is the same Apostle tells us in another place it is high time to awake out of sleep that is out of sinne If we mean to have this light we must forsake our evil wayes And indeed as the Book of wisdom speaks in malevolo intellectu sapientia 〈◊〉 habitabit wisdom will not enter nor dwell in a malicious soule Sinne must be removed This makes the difference between us and the fathers of the primitives times for albeit we have more means of knowledge then they yet they being holy men had this light more plentifully bestowed upon them then we have and far exceeded the wisest and learnedest among us Having thus shewen the mutual duties that concern both Teacher and Scholar for attaining of knowledge we are to proceed to that first duty of instruction already mentioned as it concerns the Teacher alone and the manner how he must instruct which may be gathered out of Solomons words Have I not written to thee three times so the vulgar Latine reads in counsels and knowledge that I might make them know the certainty of the words of truth Where we see he made all known to them that is by reading to them and not onely so but also did write the same for them and that not once but often and not onely declared unto them what they must learn but counselled them also that is gave direction how to profit by hearing and reading so that the Teacher must both read to his scholers and write and give counsail and direction how to learn More particularly in his manner of teaching three things are to be observed 1. Facilitas to explain and make easie to them what he delivers Thus our Saviour that his doctrine might be better understood taught by parables And being thus prepared that as Saint Augustine saith Magister sit intus our master is within us we shall heare a voice behinde us as the prophet speakes saying this is the way walke in it when ye turne to the right hand and 〈◊〉 ye turne to the left This being done we shall know that it is not the teachers labour alone his building and watching is in vain his teaching without this lumen infusum is to no purpose and that the schollers study except God gives a blessing availes nothing and with his blessing dabit in somno he will give it in sleep In the first place therefore as we said before we must pray and that instantly that he will vouchsafe this lumen infusum that he will enlighten us 1. Our Saviour taught by parables which practise had been 〈◊〉 from Balaams and Moses time shewing things above sense by sensible things 2. Methodus order we see when Christ was to make it plain
coherence of this with the foregoing Commandement and the dependance thereof upon it Some give this reason That whereas in the former all unjust wayes of getting are forbidden amongst which lying and false speaking is one For the Heathen man said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where a lye must be made let it be made And where must a lye be made he answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when any gain is to be got by it Therefore to meet with this common 〈◊〉 of men God restrains all lying and false testimony in this Commandement And this reason of the dependance hath some shew in it 〈◊〉 conceive that as God establisht authority in the fifth Commandement for the good of humane society and in the three next gave order for promiscuous duties which are common to all so here in this if there should be any breach of those three last whereby men must have 〈◊〉 to Judges and make use of their authority because those in authority must proceed upon evidence and proof by witnesses Therefore God sets this Commandement in the next place wherein he takes order for witnesses to speak the truth and not to give false testimony against any This seems to have 〈◊〉 from several places of Scripture for if any should violate the sixth Commandement the Elders of the City were to examine the matter and sentence was to bee given upon him by the testimony of witnesses So for the seventh If any man should 〈◊〉 his Wife the Elders of the City must judge of the matter and the father and mother of the woman shall witnesse of her virginity And for the eighth the like order is taken 〈◊〉 goods deposite stollen out of a mans house if 〈◊〉 thief could not be found the master of the house must be brought before the Judges to speak whether he put out his hand to the stollen goods So that we see for the rectifying of whatsoever is amisse in those three Commandements this was added It is not enough to have authority and Judges c. but there must be witnesses to prove matters of fact And therefore under the Law God gave special 〈◊〉 both for giving witnesse and for receiving the testimony of witnesses Others upon the comparison which the holy Ghost makes between credit or good name and wealth preferring that before this and because that honesta fama an honest report or good name is alterum patrimonium another patrimony therefore they give this reason of the coherence that because order was taken for other patrimonies in the next before this therefore here he takes order for the preserving of a good name which is that secundum or alterum patrimonium a second patrimony But the second opinion is most probable to which the best Expositors incline For the Prophet Esay reproving the people for departing from God by lying and uttering words of falsehood addes that judgement was turned backward and justice stood afar off because this was Germanus effectus the proper and natural effect of false witnesse to pervert justice and judgement and therefore it is that false testimony is abomination to God For lying lips saith the Wiseman are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore God took order that if a false witnesse should arise against any man to testifie falsely concerning the breach of any of the other Commandements the Judges should enquire and punish him with the same punishment whether pecuniary or corporal which the party wrongfully accused should have suffered Now for the scope and purpose of the Lawgiver in this precept it is four fold 1. In respect of himself his own glory which is manifested by truth for in himself God is truth and his Spirit is the spirit of truth his Mercy Justice and other Attributes are manifested by his truth and fidelity God therefore would have truth preserved truth in Religion makes for his glory Therefore Christ who aimed in all things at the glory of his Father saith For this cause he was born to bear witnesse of the truth and so by proportion it is the end for which every man is born to bee a witnesse to Gods truth If any shall speak or preach any falsehood or untruth as from God they dishonour him and therefore the Apostle saith that if Christ were not risen from the dead himself and others who had preached the same would be found false witnesses against God by preaching an untruth And not by truth in matters of Religion but also in civil judicatures God is honoured by speaking the truth And therefore when Achan was questioned about the 〈◊〉 Joshua sayes My sonne give glory to God when hee would have him for to confesse his fault So that confession of the truth brings glory to God as well in judicial matters as in matters of Religion 2. In respect of the Church saint Peter speaks of some as he cals them Magistri mendaces lying Masters or false Teachers who endangered the souls of them that heard them For besides the dishonour of Gods Name by false Teachers there is also a hazard of the peoples soules by their false Doctrine Quis est mendax nisi qui negat Jesum esse Christum saith Saint John Who is a lyar but he that denies that JESUS is the CHRIST He that affirms any Heretical false Doctrine is a lyar and by his lyes endangers the soules of the people The preserving of truth then not onely in regard of Gods glory but also for the safety and good of the Church is another end of this Commandement 3. In respect of the Common-wealth that 〈◊〉 and Peace might bee preserved by witnessing the truth Abraham called the Well which he had digged Beerjheba the Well of the Oath and that he might peaceably enjoy it gave Abimelech seven Lambs to witnesse that the Well was his and that Cumulus testimonii that heap of witnesse was a heap of stones placed as a witnesse of the covenant between Jacob and Laban that they would live at peace as friend and allyes So under the Law all proceedings of justice were to be establisht by truth which must be by the testimony of witnesses and therefore all publick acts 〈◊〉 justice were to bee grounded upon the truth of some witnesses Save onely in the case of Jealousie 4. In respect of every private man this Commandement is the fence of every mans name and credit which is of much worth For a good name fastneth a mans bones saith the Wiseman It doth him much good within and so it doth without also for it casts a sweet savour and therefore is compared to a sweet ointment poured forth and if it come to be prized it passeth gold and silver For a good name is rather to be chosen then great riches and loving favour rather then silver and gold as Solomon saith And indeed it is the cause of both especially of the latter
good So his conclusion is that neither for safeguard of bodily life or for the soul must a lye be spoken And this 〈◊〉 hath been generally held since by the Fathers and by the most and best of late Writers This is called the Midwives lye but improperly for I like not the racking of places of Scripture to make more faults in the Fathers and others then they were guilty of All the Midwives say is that the Hebrew women were so strong that they were delivered before the Midwife came which is likely to be true of many of them as we see there are divers such among us That they spake then may be said to be onely occultatio veritatis the concealing of some truth rather then the uttering of an untruth This kind of lye may more fitly be called Rahabs lye Who hid the Spies and yet said they were gone for in her as S. Augustine saith there was rather virtutis indoles a good disposition then 〈◊〉 virtus perfect 〈◊〉 as appeared by this act For that other which they call Jocosum a merry lye the Prophet makes it a fault to make the King merry with lyes and if a man may not speak the truth to please men as the Apostle saith much lesse may he uttera a lye to please them And though a pernicious lye be worse then this yet as S. Aug. saith it is no good argument to say this is good because the other is worse no more then it is to say because one man is worse then another therefore the other is good Therefore he condemns all three as evil and though these two last are without any great fault yet not without any sault But though we must in no case speak 〈◊〉 to the truth yet there are some cases wherein we seem to go against but do not 1. When things are spoken in parabolical and figural speeches as where in Jothams parable the trees are said to go and choose a King So when our Saviour taught by parables such speeches are not lyes nor here prohibited for what in them is propounded is not res sed figura rei not as a real truth but onely as a figure of some thing that is true This is lawful in speech as painting is lawful to represent things the better to the 〈◊〉 and thus hyperbolical speeches are lawful because neither in the intention of the speaker nor in the sense of the hearer they are contrary to the truth 2. When part of the truth is concealed but no untruth uttered As when 〈◊〉 told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister which she was according to 〈◊〉 Hebrew phrase for she was his brothers daughter but denied not that she was his wife but 〈◊〉 that so when Samuel went to anoint David King and the Elders of the City asked him what he came about he told them he came to sacrifice to the Lord which was true for that was one end of his coming though he had another end also which he concealed 3. When a question may have two sences or meanings and the answer is true in the one but not in the other a man may answer it in his own sence which is true though it be false in another sence As when Christ was asked by 〈◊〉 Whether he were a King he answered that he was and that truly viz. A spiritual King though he had no temporal kingdom which was that that Pilate meant So Jacob might truly say to his father Isaac that he was his eldest son in one sence viz. because hee bought his brothers birth-right though otherwise hee were not So our SAVIOUR expounds that prophesie of Malachy concerning Elias saying that Elias was then come meaning not Elias in his own person but one in the power and spirit of Elias 4. When the thing is changed in circumstances a man may 〈◊〉 contrary to what he said and yet not be guilty of an untruth the Angels said to Lot they would not 〈◊〉 in but would lodge in the streets s. Peter said Christ should not wash his 〈◊〉 and s. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come to 〈◊〉 and yet the Angels came and lodged in Lots house Peter suffered Christ to wash his feet and S. Paul did not come yet none of them were guilty of a lye because the circumstances were changed The Angels had not come in if Lot had not importuned them S. Peter would not have had his feet washed if he had not been better informed and Paul would have gone to Corinth if Satan had not hindred him All these speeches were to be understood 〈◊〉 sic stantibus but not if there were an alteration in the circumstances 〈◊〉 often change moral actions besides that the promises of a good man in moral matters ought to be conditional In these 〈◊〉 both the elder Church and 〈◊〉 Schoolmen have resolved there is nothing against the truth Having spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lye in words we are now to proceed to mendacium 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 in our actions for as S. Augustine saith Non refert utrum quis dicto 〈◊〉 aut facto it is all one to lye in our actions and in our words For truth is nothing else but an evennesse or an equality 1. Between the thing in its nature and the imagination we have of it in our heart and if they be even then there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Between the conceit we have in our mindes and the expression of it by our words or deeds If the tongue and heart agree then there is 〈◊〉 oris truth in our speech and if our actions agree with both then there is 〈◊〉 facti truth in our actions for that Facta deeds or facts may be signes as well as words appears by that of our Saviour when he saith that men shall be knowne by their fruits that is by the actions as fignes of what is in their hearts and by that question of the Pharisees who 〈◊〉 of him a signe that is some act to testifie his greatnesse and power as also for that as good is done to edification and hurt to give offence by words or precepts so good or evil is done by fact or example for which cause God hath taken order that both by our deeds and by our words the truth should be confirmed and that there should not be Simulatio dissimulation which is the vice we here speak of when men make shew by their actions of what they are not For if the Factum the fact or deed be not commensurate or equal to the thought and heart this is simulation Yet as we said before a man may conceal some part of the truth in words and is not bound to utter all he knows so here in his actions he is not bound to signifie or declare all his minde but that onely which without sin cannot be kept close God himself was the author of an ambushment to Joshua when he made shew of flying