terms who was sent to curse and yet in conclusion blessed altogether Numb 24.10 It is hard to say whether that hand which desires to be lifted up against Error and Heresie with success had more need of softness or strength Few mens Errors finde access to their judgments but by the way of their affections He that will the Judgment win With th' Affections must begin Nor will it be easie for men to come at them to dethrone them but by making their approaches the same way I mean by making friends of their affections that they may not side with their Judgments against them I have not met with any Author comparable to this now in thine hand for a Christian genius and dexterity in teaching that desireable and happy Art as well of composing differences in matters of Judgment as far as a composure in this kinde may with the honor of Truth be admitted as of opposing that which is not meet to be admitted to composition He intituleth his Book Stratagemata Sathanae Satans Stratagems He might as properly with respect to the matter of it have stiled it Stratagemata Christi the Stratagems of Christ inasmuch as the wisdom which is revealed from Heaven for the countermining of Satan in his attempts upon the precious souls of men by errors and heresies is here drawn out in such happy directions and instructions for that purpose that had they their weight and worth in practise and due obedience the Kingdom of Error and Heresie would soon be shaken If any man listed in this warfare being of Iehu's complexion cannot endure to march against his Enemy with a sober pace and had rather be tossing Firebals of Granado's then weilding the Sword of the Spirit this Author is like to find smal thanks from such a person ten to one but he wil * Ier. 8.18 smite him with the tongue To such an one I would make no other Answer but that of the man that had been healed of blindness to the Pharisees concerning our Lord Whether he be a sinner or no I know not one thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see Whereas I was ignorant in many things which it concerned me to know about opposing Errors and Heresies I now understand them Reader though I am none of those that are facile * Prov. 6.22 26. to strike hands or become surety for debt yet thus far I dare engage for the Treatise in thy hand that if thou wilt diligently peruse it it shal recompence thee with a better thing then Repentance for thy pains The Father of lights and God of Truth according to the unsearchable riches of his Grace in Christ break up at last all the fountains of the great deep of Truth and open the windows of Heaven that knowledg may fil the Earth as waters cover the Sea keep thee and me from the danger and defilement of Error and Heresie and vouchsafe us the honor of being instruments in his hand for the preservation of others also from the same misery Thine to serve thee in the Faith and Love of Jesus Christ J. GOODVVIN From my Study Colemanstreet LONDON Feb. 9. 1647. The Testimonies of the famously learned Petrus Ramus a French Protestant Martyr slain in the Massacre of Paris for the witness of Iesus and of Mr Commâ—nius a learned and godly German Writer now liviâ—g and of great fame for his labors in the Reformation of Learning concernâ—ng the Worth of our AUTHOR THe name of Jacobus Acontius hath now of a long time been fameously known to the world by the excellent Monuments of his Wit I took great content to hear tel of the Humanity and Grace together with the various and profound Arts of Jacobus Acontius P. Ramus in an Epistle to our Author being in England which is extant in a Collection of Epistles and Orations of P. Ramus Aud. Talaeus in 8o. Scripturientis nostri aevi cacoethe offensus Jacobus Acontius Vir excellentissimus provideri posse optabat c. that is Jacobus Acontius a most excellent man offended at the scribling sickness of our Age wished that order might be taken c. Johan And Commenius in the Preface to his Idea or Epitomie of Nat. Philosophy at the beginning The Testimony of certain most eminent French Divines concerning this Treatise WIth the reading of Acontius his Book of the Stratageâ—s of Satan I was not only my self exceedingly refreshed but having commended the same to the reading of some of our Divines of greatest Reputation and Learning they exceedingly approved both the modesty of the language and the Prudence of the Discourse it self I am possessed with an earnest longing to know and peruse all Acontius his writings Pet. Ramus in Epistola ante citatâ A Letter of the learned and judicious Mr DURY one of the Assembly of Ministers to Mr SAMUEL HARTLIB touching the Author Dear Friend I Am heartily glad that some body hath taken the pains to translate into English Acontii Stratagemata in these times of strife and confusion The Author was an excellent man and throughly knowing in many Sciences his excellency did lie in the depth and solidity of his Judgment in every thing and in the Piety and Moderation of his spirit in Matters of Religion At the breaking forth of the Gospel when he did live many that were convicted of the errors of the Church of Rome were staggered at the Truth and the profession thereof by the Reformed Churches because of the manifold disputes and the disorders found amongst them and ever since continued by the subtilty of Satan who not being able to hinder the breaking in of more light doth endevor to make it either ineffectual or hurtful to the salvation of mens souls As it was then so it is now at every Period of our Reformation he doth make every Truth a Matter of Strife and what he cannot suppress by the power of ignorance he endevors to pervert by the evil use that men make of knowledg to disappoint them of the end for which God hath given it This wise man in his time did discover Satans aym and warned his Generation faithfully and chiefly the Watchmen of the grand adversaries design against them But how much this Admonition is laid to heart doth appear by the Distempers of all places whereof both the Causes and Remedies are here discovered and offered to the Churches but minded almost by none However some there are at all times wil be who wil be affected herewith and God is able by their means to qualifie the spirits of others and to cast Satan under the feet of his Elect and Faithful servants in his own time Therefore it is very useful that such Testimonies as these should be extant and now to us they are very seasonable although perhaps in haste we shal see no great fruit thereof But our comfort is that although the Kingdom of Heaven is as a grain of mustard seed yet it groweth at last to be a mighty
destruction I would only say thus much to them that when they have sufficiently lamented their own maladies I wil give them free leave to recreate themselves with laughing at ours Let them turn over the ancient histories and see if the Church of God were ever in so good an estate but that there were therein many things which might deserve the grief of every good man and finding the condition of the Church to have been always such what cause is there for them to wonder if we are not in every part sound But let them laugh that list Our endeavor should be by removing all just cause of reprehension not so much to suppress their laughter as by all excellency of examples to invite them together with us to come unto Christ And that thou maist not fear any sharpness of language in this Discourse know that we endeavor no other thing so much in all this work of ours as to reduce all those which handle any points in the Church whether by word or writing to the greatest mildeness and gentleness that may be How unseemly therefore and how unjust a thing would it have been if I had refused to be subject to that Law which I had set to others How justly might that proverb be laid in my dish Physician heal thy self But to come to the paine In this Treatise Reader we present thee with those Stratagems whereby Satan lies in wait to overthrow the Kingdom of Christ and in such sort to root it up as it were out of the world that it might never be again repaired and to set up a Kingdom of his own and to maintain the same if not all of them for that were an impossible thing yet I am perswaded the most principal And that thou maist wonder shal I say or rejoyce the more thou shalt find them marshalled in such order and method that thou shalt find them to make a certain kind of Art We have added cautions for the avoyding of them and they are such as if I am not mistaken whosoever shal not slight them may have good ground to hope that though Satan plot never so much yet he shal but lose his labor In some cases peradventure when the caution seemed manifest enough of it self by the rule of contraries we have forborn to put our selves to unnecessary labor Some things indeed there are which for want of examples may seem somewhat obscure which exam les were therefore omitted because such as we found ready to our hand could not as we conceived be alledged without the offence of some men Which thing lest our labor might be fruitless to them ward we were carefully to shun in some cases we could not conveniently feign examples in others though we might have done it yet we feared lest they might occasion new contentions which I wish we have not too much occasioned notwithstanding all our care to the contrary But if thou shalt read the Discourse frequently and attentively there wil be nothing which thou shalt not at length understand even without examples Some wil wish that this Argument had been handled more largely and that not without just cause to such all that I shal answer is this that I have done what the time would permit me if I would have deferred the impression the work might have appeared to the world at least more polished and exact but forasmuch as I conceived that it greatly concerned the common good of all Christians that these Stratagems should see the light with all possible speed I was wiling rather to set at nought mine own reputation then to defer the Edition the least moment If the Lord shal afford me any leasure I shal endeavor that they may hereafter come forth more compleat and better adorned In the mean time gentle Reader take in good part this abortive birth and joyn thy godly prayers to mine that the Lord would be pleased to furnish me with somewhat beter and more profitable then what for the present I am able to present Satans Stratagems The first Book The Argument THe end Satan aimes at in all his Stratagems The Nature of Man since the fall how fit for Satan to work upon The ways and means Satan uses to attain his end How true opinions concerning religion come to be changed into false Deceitful and invalid Arguments Passions and Affections of the mind A good opinion of those that are erronious An evil opinion of those that hold the truth lying signs and wonders what force they have to change mens Judgments from truth to Error Satans devices to make disputes and debates intended for the clearing of truth to serve his own ends in the advancement of Error Many prime persons Pillars of the Church whiles they Zealously as they think maintain the cause of Christ do drive on and advance Satans designs A passionate indiscreet opposition a great encreaser of Sects No unnecessary Controversy ought to be raised An opinion ought not to be condemned for appearing new but must be examined by the word A very hard thing to embrace Truth when it hath the appearance of an Error To reject what ever savours of Novelty wil cause that remaining errors shal never be purged out of the Church How erronious persons are to be prepared to receive a sight of their errors What caution is to be used that we oppose not truth under the name of error What ought to be accounted knowledg what opinion What Man is most like to find the Truth Most men suppose they are led by the word and spirit to think as they do in matters of Religion whiles their Judgments are biased by Antiquity estimation of mens learning Multitudes of those that judg so or so c. He that would have his Judgment swayed by Gods spirit must pray earnestly for the spirit and cast out of his consideration whatsoever is not of God nor his word as if there were no such thing in the world He that hath attained to a clear and perfect knowledg cannot suspect himself of error in that point Before a man oppose a tenet as erronious and impious he ought seriously to consider what assurance he hath of the error and impiety of the said point A man may pray long for the knowledg of the Truth before the wisedom of God may think fit to discover the same unto him God is free to discover the truth to a man when and by whom he pleases yea by him whom he opposes as a seducer In controversies of religion Sathan can play the part both of opponent and defendant in respect of one and the same tenet We must first hear and examine a point before we condemn it and never say it is an old Error and hath bin oft confuted for it may have bin an old truth ill defended Controversies soon raised hardly laid Before we oppose an error we must consider of what moment it is Vain questions and tenets not to be confuted but avoided Satan labours to perswade
less then flesh and eggs Or lastly the arguments may be such as may seem to prove much when indeed they prove just nothing such as the Arguments of Sophisters use to be As if a man should thus reason No Christian man ought to marry a Christian woman because every Christian woman is his sister and for a man to marry his sister is utterly unlawful Now the motions of mens minds which give occasion to change true opinions into false are divers whereof some are referred to the teachers of truth some to the teachers of error and the rest to the Doctrine it self whether true or false The doctrine of truth is apt to be hated because it accuses a man forbids him such things as he is delighted with and commands such things as he must do against his wil. Now that doctrine which a man hates he wil easily forsake Contrarily men are apt to love false doctrine because it gives reyns to their sinful pleasures It begets an ill opinion of the professors of the truth when they appear to give little credit to what themselves teach which comes to pass when their life opposes their Doctrine and they seem to be acted rather by their own commodity and false interests then any love to Religion it self Likewise the teachers of truth loose their credit when God seems not to like of their doctrine by loading them with calamities and afflictions but this is only with such as estimate things rather by their own natural judgment then the rule of Gods Word The Contrary to these beget a good opinion of erronious teachers As for false signs they are such as are either reported falsly or being the contrivances and jugglings of men or divels are thought to be wrought by God himself Furthermore such considerations as make men alter their opinions must either come into mens minds of their own accord or there must be some few seducers which propound them to the rest as it usually falls out otherwise impossible it is any notable change should happen Now seducers do either teach openly against the doctrine received or privately with or without any opposition But that any should be able publiquely to contradict the doctrine received without any resistance it is requisite that there be no difference of wits among the people which is impossible And if so be that those which oppose such a teacher prove more potent then the favourers they wil be an hinderance to the seducer Neither is it to be doubted but that when as the true worship of God is amongst a People if any one shal spread false tenets there wil be more opposers then favourers unless haply the whole multitude be very ill-affected and the seducer use much cunning to that effect as if he shal first gain a great opinion of his own wisedom or holiness or shal abuse the Authority of such as are so accounted of which was the practise of those of old who brought unto the Churches letters pretended to be sent by the Apostles or thrust upon them other writings with lying titles and by such impostures seduced the simple Of this sort was the Gospel of Nicodemus the Travels of S. Peter and the like Nor were whole books alone fathered upon those that had no hand in them but many were occasioned to complain that their own proper writings were depraved So among the writings of Augustine and many famous men besides many bastard tracts are foisted in and many places of their own works are corrupted Yea such was the impudence of some that even whilst the Authors were living they inserted into their works such tenents as themselves would have to be beleived which was Origens Lot as himself complains Otherwise it appears not how errors can be spread abroad at first save among a few and that privately And though some seducer may privily turn away a few from the Doctrine received yet can he not so do by many without being discovered whence it comes to pass that a sensible mutation cannot be made without Controversies Now they that oppose a seducer do it either by Reason or by Authority by Reason when a man by word of mouth or writing maintains the doctrine received and resists the new using to that end either arguments or testimonies by Authority when those that are the overseers of the Churches or the Churches themselves do by common vote condemn that same new doctrine as impious and repugnant to the word of God and when the Magistrate shal under penalty forbid the same to be taught or maintained Now look as if seducers be in a right way resisted all the Councels of Sathan are frustrate so most like it is that hereabout Sathan imploies all his crafts and makes use of his utmost subtilty to cause that whatsoever shal be done by way of opposition shal not only not hinder his designs but help forward and promote them exceedingly Wherefore it wil be labour wel bestowed to understand by what stratagems he endeavours to bring this to pass First therefore in regard of Reason which uses to be opposed to seducers by way of disputation either face to face or by writing certain it is that such reasoning is then of force to resist the false doctrine when it doth aptly lay open both the weakness of those foundations upon which it is built and the strength of the grounds which uphold the Doctrine received as also when those who are dealt with shal with a quiet mind and uncorrupted judgment diligently weigh the same Unless therefore the Reasons be such as we have said and the speech of the Arguers shal have power to reduce the adversaries to that same tranquillity of mind and soundness that I may so speak of judgment aforesaid if it be such as shal rather work the contrary effects so far shal such reasoning prove from resisting that it wil in a wonderful manner favour the designs of Sathan Now to weigh and measure out what kind of reasoning is suitable to the adversaries genius and judgment and what not no man is able unless he himself have his mind composed and serene remembring withal that he is bound and that withal diligence to make such enquiry Since therefore it is requisite to this purpose that the opponent be calm and composed in his spirit we must not omit to shew what things they be that use to trouble the mind of such an one And for the most part he wil be in a passion if it stand with his private interest that there be no change made in the doctrine received which is true concerning all that execute the office of Teachers For a change of Doctrine cannot be effected but their dignity and estimation must suffer an eclipse as though they had taught falsities yea and their profit wil be much impaired Again his love to his own doctrine wil make him scarce of ability patiently to endure a contradictor and look how likeness of manners studies opinions prevail much to beget love
quiet and composed minds hear such as differ from them and diligently examine the force of their Reasons as those that whatsoever they think of themselves may possibly be in an Error it wil fall out that the greater part wil be withdrawn from their Errors and that therefore it is that they abide so obstinate in them because they cannot so much as suspect any Error so that whosoever would teach contrary to their judgment they judg him to be presently suppressed not once having his cause heard Who sees not therefore that it is good advice for such men not presently to reject what ever they hear different from their own perswasions but to pause a while and think every man with himself to me indeed such things seem true which I have hitherto with the multitude beleeved but what if that befall me which betides very many that I should most err in that whereof I seem to be most certain Why may I not heare the man first why should I not weigh what he saies Pauls precept is Despise not Prophesies prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5. Now I would very fain know of thee who ever thou art that certainly thinkest thy self free from all Error do I say thinkest yea rather who seest and feelest as much which way thinkest thou may persons erring be brought to suspect that they are in an Error that so they may be more attentive to such as would deal with them I suppose thou wilt grant by this Reason that very many men do err and they not only of the unlearned vulgar sort but very learned persons which the almost infinite number of Controversies agitated amongst them witness so that while they think themselves to be undoubtedly in the right they may be notwithstanding involved in greatest Errors that they are wise who remembring that they are men and may be deceived as soon as any others though they know not themselves to erre yet as being in a possibility of Error do give diligent eare to such as profess to teach them better and that so as not to allow of any thing without diligent search and imploring the help of Cod to that effect Go to then with whom wouldst thou that this Reason and instance should be of force with them that think aright I suppose thou wilt not say so but with them that erre But this is that I would know viz. how thou canst make this Reason more prevalent with those that err then with such as err not canst thou do it by alleadging that they are in an error they cannot think it possible that they should err and that is it which the Reason produced aimes at to bring them into some suspition of Error if so be then that those who err do think themselves to be as far from Error as they that think aright yea verily for the most part are more confident of the two for a fool as the wise mean speaks is delighted with his own reasonings but a wise man asks counsel truly I can see no other way in case Error be in the Church to make it to be acknowledged then to make this general conclusion that forasmuch as it is a property of Mankind to err no one person that is but a meer man ought to be so confident as to perswade himself he cannot err and that what ever come into Controversie he should but in vain give eare to what any man shal say concerning the same But we must not wilt thou say doubt in the Doctrine of Religion but know assuredly what to hold So say I too and therefore this knot is very hard to unty To resist the Truth and not to acknowledg and reject an Error if there be any that can make it appear is a very great evil But impossible it is that he which errs should acknowledg his Error before he come to think it possible that he may err whereby he should be content to give eare to any that would convince him and yet a man must not waver in the Doctrine of Religion which way now and by what thrid shal we get out of such an intricate labyrinth Let us not despair yet we must and wil find a way out Thus much we have concluded upon that truth is never to be opposed and that he which errs whiles he is in an Error cannot understand he errs likewise that it hinders much the acknowledgment of the truth for any one to perswade himself strongly that he is in no Error and that the right way and first step to the acknowledgment of an Error is to have a suspition thereof Shal we then allow a perpetual hesitation in matters of Faith That we wil not neither I conceive it rather our duty to endeavour to attain to the most certain knowledg that may be had What other course shal we take For as much as a man may concerning a point be either wel perswaded believing as the thing is or ill beleeving otherwise then the thing is and for as much as he that is wel perswaded may be either perfectly perswaded which befals him that hath obtained a certain and clear knowledg or imperfectly perswaded which is seen in them who imbrace the truth indeed but are led only by opinion not being able to give a sure reason why they so think certain it is that man who hath so sure a knowledg as to be able to render true constant and infallible causes of his judgment cannot be brought to doubt or to be seduced concerning the point Whence it follows that whatever coūsel you cā give him that he suspect himself of error it can noway hinder him in respect of those things wherof he hath such knowledg much less can it hurt him that is tainted with ill opinions For he that so errs as to suspect himself of error doth not now altogether err but inclines partly to error partly to truth It remains then that we consider what we may think of such as imbracing true opinions have not however attained to the perfect science of the things themselves In such persons truly suspition of error is no other then a certain approach to error which in it self we cannot but judg naught howbeit for a man falsly to arrogate unto himself knowledg when he hath only an opinion is an error Now as error cannot be good so it is an evil thing to be in danger of any pernicious error But he that is led by opinions only and is not sure of what he holds may possibly be led into error He is then in danger lest it may so fal out whereas the best way is to be free from all danger Wherupon like a◠though all pain be reckoned among evils yet if it be undergone for the removing of some grievous disease it appears in the notion of a great good so opinion being an infirm feeble knowledg and if not a disease yet a constitution of the mind neer approaching to a
Lord hath a true humane body and yet that the same body maybe in divers places at one thesame time Forasmuch therefore as they believe and that most strongly that Christ is true man the Son of God and raised from the dead and all other things which the Scripture holds forth as necessary to be believed what reason hast thou to deny that they may be saved even in this their Error It is clear therefore that as wel those which hold Christs body to be in the Sacramental bread as those which deny the same although it must needs be that one side err yet are they both if otherwise conscionable observers of our Lords commands in the way of Salvation In which regard they are bound to love and reverence one another as brethren the servants of God and members of Christ If they shal mutually vex one another with revilings reproaches cursings if they shal go on to exercise enmity one against another they shal not escape the just judgment of God Wherefore I pray and beseech both parties by Christ Jesus that laying aside all hatred and rash judgments they would strive to go beyond one another in offices of Love Let us abandon bad language scoffs contempt so wil it certainly fall out that such as err shal at the length be brought to acknowledg the Truth If we shal but once be united in heart and affection the Lord wil not deny us any favour or success neither wil he ever suffer that such as out of true love endeavour to draw their bretheren out of Error shal reap no fruit of their labour Now look how we have discussed these two points viz. the Error of Sabellius and the Controversie about the corporal pre-presence in the Sacramental bread it wil be easie for any man in like manner to judg of what ever other points shal come into Controversie For concerning what ever Error shal be questioned we must enquire whether or no the person so erring may not believe all such things as to the belief whereof Salvation is promised that in case he may we may perswade our selves that he errs not in a point necessary to be known unto salvation but if not that he errs in a necessary Doctrine Howbeit whosoever would condemn any man for any Error ought to consider again and again what assurance he hath that such an Error cannot stand with salvation Do but consider when as our Lord says come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I wil give you ease Shal any man be so fool-hardy as to dare to pul back him that is coming and of his own head to say to him Oh! do you hear it wil be in vain for you to go unto Christ who do not believe this or that point Who art thou that wilt hinder another mans servant from coming at his Masters call With what confidence takest thou upon thee to divine at the wil of God not being very clearly manifested unto thee Must you according to your fancy set bounds to the goodness mercy and kindness of God He unto whom it belongs to give life calls all unto him and wilt thou by I know not what exceptions of thine own devising limit those graces which he promiseth but limits not What dost thou in so doing Doubtless as much as in thee lies thou robbest a man of his life not of this life which is rather a death then life but of eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven adjudging him to eternal torments neither is it to one alone thou art so injurious but to thousands haply Thou maimest Christ in so many members thou rendest the Church into Sects and pavest a way to infinite mischiefs And if our Lord so severely menace such as offend the least what thinkest thou shal become of them who by their rash judging have drove men to make Sects without any necessary cause so requiring Wo unto them And if so be the way which we have set down to distinguish between points necessary to be believed and not necessary seem not to be sufficient do thou if thou canst produce a better one more sure firm and constant If thou wonderest that among such points which we have reckoned up as necessary to be known thou dost not find certain other points of Religion very highly accounted of Read over diligently the whole Old and New Testament and search throughly by what Texts thou canst prove that those points are so necessary to be known that he that understands them not cannot be saved Consider what knowledg the People of Israel could have of them from the Old Testament who were notwithstanding to be saved by the same faith that we are Consider again what the thief could know when it was said to him this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Or the Eunuch when Philip baptized him Or that woman to whom when she had washed our Lords feet it was said thy faith hath saved thee Or she that was wasted away by the bloody issue or the Palsied man with many others whose sins were forgiven them meerly upon their confessing the name of the Lord. It is also observable what the reason should be that whereas these points which we have set down as necessary are so frequently repeated in Scripture and required of necessity to be known those points which some men so highly account of are not in like manner required If those books had bin written by the wit of man which we account as indeed they are sacred we should say that honest Homer had took a nap and forgot himself But they are indicted by the Holy Spirit This therefore is not come to passe by chance but by the sure counsell of God who had he intended that those points should have been of like estimation he would at least in some one place plainly have signified his mind Which since he hath not done what is man that he should be able to conjecture Gods mind These things ought not to be measured by our wit or judgment but by the wisdom of God revealed unto us from heaven it alone must be regarded what ever reason may dictate But if so be any one shall erre in a point that ought necessarily to be known and cannot be reduced to a right judgment no man ought to question but that such a person may be justly condemned and cast out of the society of the godly And that not only if being admonished he shall go on to seduce others but also though he will be silent for what participation can the Church of God have with him unto whom eternal life is not promised But if the point about which some man erres be not in the number of those that must needs be known in this case I conceive we must use a distinction For if he that thinks amisse and cannot be reduced shall likewise endevour to seduce others having been often admonished to desist I see no reason but that he may and
himself hath seduced others shal not have his Error clearly demonstrated unto him he which takes upon him to oppose shal not understand what the seducer affirms and so shal not refute it but what himself by a false suspition hath imagined and shal defend the doctrine received not with such reasons as he ought to do but with such silly ones as rashness and a mind madded with anger could collect which may be easily refelled and the erroneous person shal have cause to think himself not vanquished but with many and grievous injuries after an insolent manner abused such disputes however they may seem intended to resist the Devil yet are they so far from frustrating any of his plots as that nothing could be invented more expedient to promote his designs For they do not fight against Errors but make them invincible they do not pluck them up but spread them abroad they do not destroy but propagate them and that in a wonderful manner They render Errors invincible because when the person erring finds it easie to avoyd the dint of such arguments as are brought to oppose him it gives him great occasion to think that there cannot any thing more strong be objected against him and when he shal see confuted not his own reasons but I know not what other arguments such as he never so much as once thought of he may very wel think the cause to be that not having any thing they could oppose against his arguments and yet desirous to seem to have answered them they have cavilled at and mis-interpreted his words Hereupon he is altogether compelled to conclude with himself that not he but his opposites are in the Error And if there be joyned sharp insolent and injurious language yea and it may be threats too and such like what can he do other but strongly perswade himself that his adversaries being unable to defend their cause by dint of Argument have guarded and fortified themselves meerly with force and insolence And since hatred is bred of injuries what is there that can settle Errors with greater pertinacy And when a man shal leave his posterity heirs both of his Errors and his Hate it comes to pass that they can never be rooted up out of the minds of men Thus is the people divided into Sects which hate one another with deadly feud abstaining from no kind of injuries and taking the more liberty unto themselves in this kind in that men do not observe how in so doing they obey their own passions but think they very much please God whereas in the mean time by this means they incur the wrath of God daily more and more and become enveloped with thicker clouds of darkness Such disputes do spread Errors abroad because the clamours there made the brawls thence arising afford much occasion of discourse to many people and according to the diversity of mens minds and Judgements matters are very variously both reported and resented And it is wont to fall out that if many dislike the Error yet some wil approve of it yea and some wil as much disapprove of the means used to resist the Error viz. insolence reproaches and the like as of the Error it self and wil thereupon begin less to like of those that set themselves to oppose the Error whence it may come to pass that they may the more easily admit some other Error afterwards He that likes the Error can hardly refrain in his narrations to favour that part he approves so as to add leave out change many passages at his pleasure and thus by a kind of Contagion the evil is spread far and near In a word by controversies ill-managed errors are propagated and bred divers ways For first he that opposes himself against an Error can hardly avoid but that he himself shal fall into some Error either because as the Proverb speaks while he shuns Charybdis he slips into Scylla ignorant to keep the mean as that man should do who in opposing those that attribute all to the Word of God and the reading thereof not marking the necessity of the Spirit of God to be their guide and interpreter to the right understanding should endeavour to reduce the minds of such men to the meer inspirations of the holy Ghost whereas the spirit is so far to be looked at as that the written word be not contemned and lose its dignity as if it were a matter of humane invention and not of divine tradition or because he wil grant somewhat to the Adversary not to be granted which some of the ancient Fathers peradventure did who in such a manner resisted the Philosophers as that they defiled the purity of Christian tenets with Philosophical ratiocinations Likewise it may fall out that whiles thou thinkest to express that Doctrine which thou holdest for truth with more significant and clear expressions then it is in Scripture expressed and better to shun occasion of cavil for the wit of man wil ever be more wary and wiser then God thou wilt use such words or forms of expression as from whence another less true and godly tenet may sometimes be collected Furthermore whereas on both sides they are wont to produce many allegations each for his own judgment as the case requires if it fall out that striving shal sharpen and inflame their minds you shal soon see on both sides many matters affirmed and denied which in a calm mood they would never have affirmed or denied as the Poet spake Furor arma ministrat Rage weapons doth afford Every dart accidentally offered is caught hold on fury suffers not a man to mark what an one it is and what ever hath rashly scap't a man especially in the interim of the dispute Pride wil have it ratified and firm and thereupon new controversies arise and new errors in like manner without end Yea it is seen that by disputes both the matters themselves and mens wits are confounded truth is lost and many are brought to that pass as to perswade themselves that nothing can be certainly concluded and so to cast away all care of Religion Yea and it seems impossible to fall out but that whiles men are perpetually wrangling about some one point of Religion they wil slight and forget many others and they perhaps of the chiefest note and it wil grow to a custome that a godly man shal be distinguished from an ungodly by this one thing be his life what it wil in that he seems to abhor and exceedingly loath that Doctrine which in some one or two points is accounted heretical O that we could but see at one view how many and how great overthrows Sathan hath given to the Kingdom of Christ what desolations he hath made by this one weapon of Controversies he must be a man of iron that could chuse to weep Nor do I now complain of those fanatical spirits the emissaries of Sathan who never cease sowing curious vaine and impious controversies for from them what other could a
labor to assure our selvs what to hold but this condition must be adjoyned that there be not other points that wil easily supply the defect thereof That this is so appears because it being necessary that we should beleeve that Jesus is the Messiah the Savior foretold by the Prophets and to this end all the miracles which he did were directed that thereby it might be known who he was yet were they not all committed to writing but such and so many as were sufficient that men might readily know who he was So that if so be any should content that our Lord wrought some miracle not mentioned in those books which we have of his life and doings it would not be worth the while to search out the truth of that matter or to make Controversie thereabout forasmuch as though it should be found to be true there could be no other profit reap'd thereby but that Jesus should be prov'd to come from God and to be the man he pretended himself to be which thing many other miracles do so fully witness which are out of question that greater certainty cannot be desired on the contrary though we had no assurance of any such miracle the Authority of other miracles recorded in Scripture by the holy pen-men thereof is not a jot thereby diminished Whereby it would come to pass that whether we shal beleeve that miracle or beleeve it not we should neither win nor lose by the means And forasmuch as in case Christian Doctrine should seem to contain any absurdity or to maintain contradictions it would hinder those that are unconverted from imbracing the same whatever tends to the removing of such absurdities and to reconcile such contradictions cannot but be profitable Unless happily such reconciliations cannot be accomplished without great stirs Controversies and dissentions By such like ways then it seems easy to know profitable questions from vain and unprofitable provided that mens judgments be not before hand disturbed with partiality and the heat of contention and before they have already begun to contend about the point in question as about some weighty matter but when men are once bewitched as it were with the opinion hereof their inbred pride hatred indignation custome in Error and Sathan suffer not their judgment to execute its office Who amongst us at this day doth not admire that the ancient professors of Christianity did contend with such heat and earnestness of mind about the day on which Easter as they call it was to be celebrated and about other matters of very light concernment whereas in those times they were thought very weighty points we looking upon them with unbiassed judgments plainly perceive what an unworthy thing it was for the Church of God to be divided into sects upon so slight occasions My advise therefore is that as soon as thou shalt perceive somewhat untrue to be taught before thou set thy self to contradict it thou consider if it be not a matter of little or no weight and if it be that thou make no contention about it or according to that opportunity which the time place thine own person and his thou shalt deal with may afford that thou do only exhort the man to leave such speculations and apply himself to more weighty matters and I would have thee do it as artificially as may be so as not to put him into any passion But the true way of bringing men from vain questions is this if those whose place it is either to teach the people or to read divinity in the Schools and those that apply themselves to write omitting curious questions and abandoning vain ostentation of wit would insist upon and urge only such points as tend to the confirmation of faith to the exptirpation of vice to instil the fear of God cherish piety comfort the afflicted and keep them from desperation to keep such as would be counted Christian brethren in brotherly love with a sweet harmony of affections and the like Neither are these Subjects such as are to be slighted for their commoness For in the first place though the heads themselves of such Doctrine are not very many yet they are of very large extent and then all weary somness in the auditor may be taken away by the variety of handling them especially if the preachers of the Gospel shal mark what Doctrines at every season the people most stand in need of As in case they be lift up by prosperity and give the reyn to luxury let them fear them by the prophetical threatnings and so reduce them into order If affliction lye heavy upon them let them be comforted If they languish with sluggishness let them be stirred up to honest imployments If they seem too intent upon the world let them be admonished of the shortness of this life and diverted from too much care for worldly things and thus let them insist upon such Doctrines as are most suitable to every season Neither see I cause why we should count those arguments too common which can never sufficiently be imprinted in our minds So that time wil always be wanting for such arguments so far shal we be from wanting matter to take up the time though we keep within the bounds prescribed Now this is that which may often give occasion to start vain questions if in expounding the holy Scriptures to the people a man shal as it were make a Law to himself to dwel long upon every word without distinction which seems now to be the common practise For when they cannot always find profitable matter to discourse of they are forced to give way to curiosity Such men there be haply who being ful of matter and abundant in wit and therefore able to take an occasion of discoursing upon what Subject they please from any text or word may handle largely any Scripture without just cause of reprehension But this is not every mans Lot as it is in the Proverb Non omnibus datū est adire Corinthum They that are not so wel stored shal do much more discreetly if they wil suit their endeavors to their abilities Where many things profitable to be heard suggest themselves let them insist long if the text afford not many things let them not be ashamed to put a little shoo on a little foot and to proceed in their explication the faster For what matters it if having made twenty Sermons upon some one Chapter of the Gospel thou shalt go over the next in one discourse The holy Ghost would not teach all things in every place but one in one place another in another Neither let they knowledg be all powred forth upon one place though thou mightest do it handsomely enough much less be thou so absurd and unreasonable as to desire rather to descend to foolish commentations or to inculcate such matters as all thy auditors eares are already ful of then to be thought not to have made many Sermons upon the explication of every word Some offend
greatest of sinners especially by so cruel and bloody a death Oh had we but the least suspition concerning any man that he should hereafter be a King yea the best of Kings suppose his present condition to be never so mean and obscure how far would we be from contemning such a man And what I pray you is the dignity and soveraignty of a King compared with that dgnity and lustre which is laid up for Gods elect And shal we account that man unworthy of our humanity and good wil who for ought we know is born to this glory Again it wil be very effectual to move thee to a gentle opinion concerning such a man if entring into thine own heart thou shalt take a diligent and strict survey of all thy actions of thy whole life and cogitations and examine them by the Law of God And if so be thou shalt find thy self tainted in the presence of God with many and great sins and yet dost comfort thy self that he wil not deal severely with thee nor punish thee according to thy deserts but rather carry himself towards thee as a tender God and Father why mayst thou not hope that he shal be partaker of the like gentleness And since in regard of this hope of thine thou lookest upon thy self as one no ways to be despised what reason is there thou shouldest not judg the same of another Further with such meditations as these we must ioyn frequent and fervent prayers to God that he would soften our heart and would plant therein with his own hand a true and living charity which wil direct us unto such apt and convenient ways of dealing with our brother that it wil be a miracle if we do not shortly reclaim him And whereas no man can understand the things of God but by the spirit of God before we begin any dispute let us wrastle with God by prayer taking to our assistance some other godly persons that he by his spirit would be present with the person erring and open his heart and eyes that he may acknowledg the truth yea and we ought to exhort him to make the like prayer to God in his own behalf As for demonstrations they wil be then available to manifest the truth when God is their Author as it is writen I wil instruct you with such a tongue and such wisdom that no body shal be able to resist you And again as the rain and snow descend from heaven and return not thither again but do moisten and soften the earth making it to bud and bring forth and yeeld bread to sustain the life of man so my word that proceeds out of my mouth shal not return to me fruitless but shal accomplish all my will shal prosper towards those to whom I shal send it Here then we see that prayers are again necessary unto the Lord that he would not only open the heart of the person erring but also suggest unto us such words as maybe most fitting to demonstrate the truth And if it shal not seem absurd to allow some place for such arts which though they be termed humane yet if a man shal no other ways use them then as knowing that while he plants and waters it must be God that can give the encrease and putting all his confidence in him no man can deny but they are the gifts of God I shal further add that those demonstrations have power to perswade which taking their rise from things evidently known and from such places of Scripture as are most clear and uncapable of different interpretations in a due order and with a perpetual connexion no medium being overpast or misplaced do arrive unto the point in controversie or else which shal begin at the Tenet to be disproved and some other point out of all question inferring by degrees until such time as the party erring shal be brought to some great absurdity which when by no means it can be maintained it is impossible but the party dealt with shal confess that somewhat untrue hath bin laid down especially if this shal be done with words and expressions noways obscure doubtful or intricate but plain clear and familiar Howbeit to say the truth few there are that can thus do and the reason is because there are very few that had not far rather be writers and speakers then Meditators Now it is not enough if the argument which thou shalt bring shalt seem unto thee to the purpose but it ought to be accommodated to the wit and judgment of him that is to be perswaded therewith As for example if thou haply shalt so prize the Authority of Origen as to think thou oughtest to credit what ever he says and shalt alleadg some place of his writings wherein he seems to take thy part this may seem to thee to make much on thy side but if he with whom thou hast to deal shal give little or no credit to Origen this Testimony wil stand thee in no stead and as little shalt thou prevail if having to deal with a Turk or some other enemy to Christianity thou shalt make use of Testimonies of Scripture Thus likewise it will come to pass if dealing with reasons thou shalt take such things for grant which howbeit to thee they seem out of question yet thy Adversary is not perswaded of their truth For thou oughtest to assume such things as are true not only in thine own but in his account also As if thou shalt say we must not confess our sins to a Priest because God hath not commanded it and there stop for he which doth not as yet know or at least for the present remembers not that we ought to observe nothing but what God himself shal command wil not a whit be moved with that reason There is a like but more obscure passage in Tullies book called Laelius the words are these Scipio denied that any speech could be more contrary to friendship then his that said a man ought so to love as remembring that he may hate where he loves neither could he perswade himself that as it is believed Bias should utter any such thing who was accounted one of the seven wise men but that it came from some base ambitious spirit from a man that would reduce all things to his own power For how is it possible any man should be his friend to whom he conceives he may become an enemy Yea he must of necessity desire and wish that his friend may frequently offend that he may give him the more occasions to reprehend him Again he must of necessity be vexed greived and moved to envy by the wel-doing and profit of his friends So far Loelius Now a man wil wonder how these absurdities should follow from the speech of Bias whereas haply had the Argumentation bin compleat all occasion of mervail would have bin taken away And that thou mayst understand what the way of prevailing in this case is what reasons wil move thine
in case it fall out that by means of the dispute thou come to know that thou wast ignorant of before beware thou shame not to acknowledg it never care who it is thou must give way unto Know thou that it is a most honourable thing to be taught of God be it by what instrument soever Let them be ashamed that wil not learn If thou art ashamed of him whom God shal use as his instrument assure thy self it is not man but God whom thou contemnest whose severe vengeance thou shalt not escape unless with a reverent mind thou embrace his proffered favour And to the end thou mayst do this the more easily when oâ—casion shal require it wil be much to the purpose if thou shalt avoid such things as encrease the difficulty to practise the same such as these to averr any thing with great confidence so as often to protest that thou wilt account it a great offence an heinous crime yea meer madness for any man to contradict thee to call him a block that cannot understand it and the like For it wil afterward seem very grievous to appear to have shot so wide of the mark so that it is far better to speak warily at all times not so as to seem always to doubt for that were not commendable but barely to affirm what thou conceivest to be the truth and in like manner to deny such things as thou conceivest to be false and to alleadg Arguments and Testimonies on the one side or on the other only abstain from such expressions as these what an impious thing is this What rashness What impudence to affirm so or so and the like The Mathematitians use most sure demonstrations and infallible yet shal you never hear them utter such a word for such speeches add nothing to the certainty and clearness of the demonstrations If it may be free for us to assent unto the Truth when ever it shal be made known unto us and to imbrace a more true opinion then what for the present we hold why should we by means of such rash speeches bind our selves as it were by a Law with great obstinacy to adhere unto a false one Pertinent hereunto seems that advice of Solomon Take heed thou intangle not thy self in contention least proving over weak thou be ashamed and at a non-plus And forasmuch as we cannot know what things those are wherein we err that in speaking of them our discourse may be circumspect as it ought to be in such matters we shal never use this caution when there is need unless we shal accustom our selves what ever matter we reason about to avoid such kind of expressions as most dangerous rocks Again the aforesaid difficulty is much increased if we shal greatly despise our Adversary so that it wil be much more civil and discreet with whomsoever we have to deal to contain our selves within the bounds of modesty and to abstain from all signification of contempt And forasmuch as do what we can we shal hardly obtain the power to seem vanquished without great reluctation we ought to arm our minds against this assault as firmly as we can with some prevalent reason by frequent meditation deeply imprinted in our mind nor do I know any more forcible then this to call to mind that this whole life of ours lasts but for a moment being like a stage-play where Princes Kings Serving-men Ladies Waiting-women are brought upon the stage when the play is done the players casting aside those persons they acted are either all equals or he peradventure which was King of the play is now of a more base condition then he that plaid the part of a servant Now in case some one of the players should find himself much agrieved to act that part which seems dishonourable and had rather offend him by whose favour he shal be raised out of the dust and by whose displeasure he shal become miserable all his life time wil not all men account him out of his wits who shal prize more the vain ostentation of an houre then so many commodities of life And is there not here the same or far greater madness Be thou the Conqueror or Conquered how long wil the glory or the disgrace endure And in case thou shalt wittingly oppose the Truth and by so doing shalt make God thine Enemy what wil become of thee wretched man that thou art By thy obstinacy it may fall out that the Truth shal remain oppressed and an innumerable company of people by this means perish which wil be so many accusers against thee at the last day Who would not tremble every joynt to think of this Away then with all such kind of peremptoriness and let every man resolve with himself to make no account of his own reputation in this case but to make it his whole desire that in all disputes Christ may have the better neither let him care to become the off-scouring of the world so that in all things the name of God may be honoured Thou art netled perhaps that he should get the victory whom peradventure thou didst ere while lightly esteem in comparison of thy self And is it so indeed Hast not thou another much greater combat with Satan He hath singled thee out as it were a certain Fort which by all engines and endeavours he wil endeavour to Conquer and thou standest upon thy guard Now if so be thou shalt oppose the Truth known through the pride of thy mind Shalt thou not dishonourably surrender thy self unto thine enemy to such an enemy Shalt thou not betray thy Fort And this in the sight of thy general from whom nothing is hid Is there nothing in this case that may vex and afflict thy mind Consider again and again the choyce thou art put unto There is a double fight in which thou art ingaged thou canst not in both be Conqueror If thou art resolved to become victor on that side by the oppression of Truth most sure it is thou shalt be overcome in this other duel with Satan But if so be thou canst not be content to be vanquished here of necessity thou must strike sail and submit thy self in the former Which that thou mayst do with a more contented mind consider with thy self that thy giving way wil not seem so shameful to others as it doth unto thy self for who knows not that nothing is more proper to mankind then to err And that in every Controversy it is expected that the one side wil be vanquished So that it wil not be much wondered at if thou shalt be overcome rather then thy adversary and though it be a disgrace to be vanquished yet is it a thing very praise-worthy and that which is apt to procure great good wil from all good persons if thou shalt be so ingenious as willingly to give place to the Truth being once manifested So that in case any loss be sustained in respect of thy fame and reputation in point of learning it
case Now in the first place this ought to be layd down for a sure rule that if we shal depart from the Divine Oracles contained in the holy Scriptures there is nothing whereto we may safely trust there is nothing but what is liable either to fraud or Error Gods Testimonies are only sure they only are of that worth that the Conscience of a man may rest upon them and quiet it self And doubtless if there shal be such a Cuntroversy about any point of Religion as that some shal say it is a point so necessary to be resolved about and to know the Truth of as that he which shal not understand and close with it cannot be saved possibly others though they are of the same judgment for the point it self shal yet deny that it is of such weight and rather conceive that such as judg amiss thereabout may attain salvation and ought notwithstanding to be reputed members of the Church In case I say such a Controversie arise when both sides cannot be said to judg according to Truth the one or other must of necessity err Wherefore to be certainly informed which part thinks aright wil be to know some what even as to be at a stand and doubt herein wil be to be ignorant of somewhat whence it must be concluded that we cannot come to certain knowledg in this point unless there be some word of God extant to guide us Now we must be sure to mark in this place that a point of Religion and the judgment which is made concerning the weight and consequence of that point are very different things As it is one thing to say A Christian ought not to be Circumcised another thing to say if ye be Circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing For he which had heard how that a Christian must not be Circumcised might yet think that though a Christian should not be Circumcised yet if a man iudg that he ought to be Circumcised it were not much material But having heard that other word If you be Circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing he wil now understand the matter to be of fargreater importance And inasmuch as a Doctrine is one thing and the iudgment and estimation of the weight of that Doctrine is another if it shal be put to the question concerning any Tenet whether or no it be a point which ought of necessity to be known as for example that it is lawful to swear before the Judg it wil be nothing to the purpose for a man to bring many Texts to prove that an oath in point of judicature ought not to be refused for it wil be said by one or other that I grant neither do I any ways make scruple thereof but I would be resolved concerning the weight of the thing whether it be a matter of such consequence as that in case any man shal be perswaded that he ought not in any case to swear and shal remain in that Error there is no hope of his salvation So that such proofs are in this case requisite not which evince that a man ought to swear before the Bench for that is not the thing in question but which prove that he which is perswaded he ought not to swear shal be damned such as there is concerning the not retaining of Circumcision Now a point is then to be accounted proved by divine Testimony when the Testimony or Text cannot be true unless the point in question be true which may come to pass both when the Text shal contain the very thing which it is brought to prove as also when it shal lay down that which being granted the other must of necessity follow as for example we are to prove that a man is accounted just by beleeving and not by the works of the Law we alledg the words of Paul We judg therefore that by faith a man is iustified without the works of the Law This Testimony expresses the very thing which we would prove But suppose it were to be proved that a man is iustified only by faith and one did thus reason Unless there were only one way of Justification and that by Faith the Apostle had foolishly inferred that forasmuch as the iust should live by faith and that works were not faith therefore no man living is just by the works of the Law but it cannot without great wickedness be charged upon the Apostle that he reasoned foolishly there is therefore righteousness in faith alone and so a man is justified only by faith Now this Testimony of Scripture cannot be said to contain that which it is brought to prove but yet it affirms such things as being granted the point in question must needs follow But if so be that which is brought as a Testimony may be true while the thing it is brought to prove may be false that thing cannot be said to be proved by such a Testimony so that if a man to shew that the Pope hath Authority to make new Laws wherewith to bind the Consciences of men shal cite that place what ever thou shalt bind on earth shal be bound in heaven it wil be therefore denyed that that place proves the point in question because power of binding might be given to Peter and yet no power be given to the Pope to make new Laws Now a thing may be expressed either by comprehension under general terms or word for word for when as the general term Law comprehends as wel those Laws concerning Conversation as those concerning religious Ceremonies as wel Divine Laws as Humane that Christ shal not profit him who shal place his Righteousness in keeping the moral Law is in general terms comprehended in that speech of the Apostle where he denys that they have any share in Christ who place their Righteousness in the works of the Law And that a man is justified by Faith is in so many words comprehended in that passage of the same Apostle We iudg therefore that a man is iustified by Faith without the works of the Law Furthermore as concerning our present occasion I find that one thing may follow from another two manner of ways One is when a matter is laid down as necessary to be known which cannot yet be understood and believed unless some other thing shal be first understood and believed for in such a case the latter is to be reckoned among such things as are of necessity to be known Thus inasmuch as it is necessary that we believe that Christ is rifen from the dead and we cannot believe that unless we shal likewise believe that he died it is altogether necessary that we believe he died The other way is this if we find expresly set down that a matter more doubtful then the point in question whether it ought of necessity to be known is to be known necessarily yea if it be notless doubtful for that which is less doubtful or at least not more doubtful must be as necessary as the other But some
may demand whether in case it be apparent that such a thing must needs be or such a thing ought to have bin done it ought therefore to be j dged that such a thing must necessarily be known by us I wil explain my meaning by a comparison Physitians cure him that is sick of an hot disease by cooling medicines neither is it any matter though the Patient be ignorant of the faculties of such medicines provided he make use of them We in like manner were sick of a certain disease being liable to death by sin many things may be reckoned up which that we might be saved ought both to be and to be performed As that our sins were to be abolished and that by a Man void of all sin and of infinite vertue and power and he therefore to be the son of God yea God himself and the like But let us lay down among the rest that it was altogether necessary that he should be accused and in a iudicial way sentenced to suffer death Some man I say may demand whether or no that look how necessary it was that our Lord should die being condemned to death by a Judg it should be as necessary for a man to know not only that he died of any fashion but as one accused and judicially condemned or whether we may not as wel be ignorant of that circumstance as a man sick of an hot disease may without prejudice be ignorant of the faculty of such medicines as are administred unto him as also whence and how they were provided Doubtless that it may evidently appear to us that these things are likewise necessarily to be known either we must have a plain Text of Scripture that shal pronounce whatsoever is necessary to be done that also to attain salvation must necessarily be believed or we must conclude that because it is said in Scripture that such a thing was necessarily to be done it therefore follows that it must necessarily be known But there is no Testimony of Scripture that I know which pronounces that what ever ought to be done ought to be believed and whether or no because a thing is pronounced necessary to be done it therefore follows that it must necessarily be believed we may thus resolve our selves suppose it is thus written in Scripture It was altogether necessary for the taking away of the sins of men that Christ should be condemned by the Judg and so suffer death if he had died otherwise then in a judicial way his death would not have profited mankind Now some man would by this Testimony prove that unless one believed that Christ suffered death being condemned to die he cannot be saved The question therefore is whether that Testimony do prove any such thing or no. But it is apparent that no such thing is by this Testimony proved forasmuch as the Testimony may be true while that which it is brought to prove it is false that speech which is contradictory to that which is to be proved being not contradictory to that which is used as a Testimony For since it is one thing that Christ ought to die in a judicial way another thing to believe that he ought so to die he that says that man may be saved who was ignorant that Christs death was in a judicial way contradicts not him that says it was necessary that Christ should die being condemned and there is nothing to hinder but that both those propositions may be true Which being so we cannot conceive that this Testimony proves that he which shal not believe that Christ died being condemned in judgment cannot be saved Whence it follows that to prove that something ought of necessity to be done or to be is no Argument that such a thing ought of necessity to be believed Some may further demand whether in case it appear from Scripture that a Doctrine ought of necessity to be known we should account whatsoever may be collected from that Doctrine by necessary inference to be in like manner needful to be known in which ease we must observe that look how as we said before a Tenet is one thing and the estimation of that Tenet is another thing so it is one thing for a point or Doctrine to follow from another point another thing for a speech to follow expressing the weight of that Doctrine now this latter kind of consequence ought not to be doubted of For since it is written Christ shal profit you nothing who place your Righteousness in the Law and Circumcision is an Ordinance of that Law if any one should say that it is possible for him who places his Righteousness in Circumcision to receive profit by Christ he should contradict the very words of Paul But our question is concerning such inferences as are the Consequences of some Doctrine it self which ought of necessity to be known Inasmuch therefore as to grant the Antecedent and deny the Consequent is to affirm contradictions he which denys that which necessarily follows from a Doctrine that ought to be known he may not seem truly to believe the said Doctrine and therefore not in a possibility of salvation But I answer seeing that I grant the Antecedent point which is necessary to be known though I deny that which seemeth unto thee necessarily to follow therefrom why shouldest thou not as wel say that I do not in truth deny that which I seem to deny Since I say to grant the Antecedent and deny the Consequent cannot stand together why should the denying of the Consequent rather seem a denying of the Antecedent which I confess to be true then the affirming of the Antecedent should seem to be an affirming of the Consequent which I affirm to be false for it is as true that the affirming of the Antecedent affirms the Consequent as it is that the denyal of the Consequent denies the Antecedent Now it is cicar that he which understands that such a thing follows from such a thing cannot possibly affirm the one and deny the other And if so be any man conceiving the Antecedent to be true wil not admit of the Consequence the reason hereof is that he doth not discern that the one follows from the other for to see that this follows from that and to account that true and this false were no other then to see it and not to see it which is impossible Now that it may fall out that what necessarily follows from some Tenet may not by some man be discerned so to follow is so certain as nothing more for how many things are there both in the Methematicks and other Arts which being undeniably demonstrated to be true are yet both unknown and unbelieved by many men which understand not their Demonstrations As for example that the body of the Sun is by many parts greater then the whole Earth And if so be any man shal affirm things contrary to what are demonstrated as that the Sun is greater then the Earth he shal
affirm things contrary to propâ—sitions so evident and certain as it is impossible any man shâ—uld not understand them to be true to wit those maximes out of which the said things are demonstrated But therefore it is that those maximes to some men are evident and firm who wil not believe such things as follow from them by necessary consâ—quence because they are not aware of that streight tie and fiâ—m connexion which is between the said maximes and such things as follow therefrom otherwise since no man is ignorant of the truth of those principles from whence the Demonstrations are raised every body would know the truth of such things as might be demonstrated and so we should have all men Geometricians Arithmeticians all men Musitians and Astrologers And because it may fall out that what follows from some other thing may not be discerned by some man to follow the same and he may therefore believe the former and not the latter doubtless it is no proof that because a man denyes a necessary Consequence he must therefore deny the Antecedent being a point which ought of necessity to be known especially if he shal be so strongly perswaded of the truth of the Antecedent that rather then he wil deny the same he wil allow of the Consâ—quent for Truth But in case he would rather deny the Antecedent then allow of the Consequent the case is dâ—fferent So to do were at least not fiâ—mly to believe the Antecedent It is manifâ—st therefore that such Testimonies of Scripture as prove a point ought necessarily to be known do not prove that such things as necessarily follow are of like necessiâ—y to be known This part of our discourse is subtile and acute requiring that the reader give great heed to the end he may understand the same howbeit it is very necessary to be known for the taking away of rash judgments by means whereof the Church is torn in pieces into Sects These things being thus cleared we are in the next place to enquire what those points be which are propounded unto us in the Scripture as so necessary to be known and believed that he which shal not know and throughly understand them ought not to be accounted one of Gods servants or a member of his Church and whosoever shal believe them all may be judged capable of Salvation though he very much err in all other points Concerning which question I would much rather hear the judgments of other men then propound mine own to the rash and haply irreligious censures of many howbeit the hope of procuring the Tranquillity and peace of the Churches of Christ hath more prevailed with me then any private respect of mine own We do not prescribe any thing to any man as a decree from which he may not dissent but look what the Lord hath vouchsafed to discover unto us we thought good in such wise to propound as to be ready with a very good wil to give credit and place to him that shal propound matters of greater certainty Our endeavour truly is not by all means possible to obtrude our own judgment upon men and to make that it may be of authority but rather that Truth it self may be brought to Light For look as it often comes to pass that a musician that could not be intreated by any means to play a lesson if some unskilful person shal be his untoward fingering of some in-it-self excellent instrument grate and vex his ears with his rude scraping wil take the instruments in hand and begin to play even so our hope is that in case we shal seem to have said little to the purpose in a matter which without all Controversie is of the greatest moment that can be we shal at the least provoke some man of greater spirit and wisdom to accomplish with good success what we had unhappily undertaken In the mean time we do again again beseech all pious and good men that what ever they shal think of our judgment here delivered they wil notwithstanding take in good part our care to preserve peace and concord and that not of any kind but such as may become Christians and that they wil joyn with me by fervent prayers to beg of him who is the only Author as of all other good things so likewise of peace that he would at the length bestow the same upon his Churches to the praise and glory of his own name Let us weigh then and examine such places of Scripture wherein Salvation is either promised or denyed because of believing or not believing Our Lord says Be ye sure of this he that hears my words John 5. and believes in him that sent me he shal enjoy eternal life and shal not come into Judgment but is passed from death to life Again John 6. This is the wil of him that sent me that whosoever hath seen the son and hath believed on him shal obtain eternal life And again Go ye through the whole world preaching the Gospel unto all be that shal believe and be baptized shal he saved he that believes not shal be condemned Which places and their like it may be questioned how they ought to be understood For some man wil a k what it is to believe in the Son of God or his Apostles for even he doubtless believes who is perswaded that the person speaking ought to be credited as one that speaks only the Truth although he undeâ—stand not what it is he says In which sense there is no Christian not one but so far believes the word of God as not to doubâ— but whatsoever is conteined therein is true there is not in the mean time one perhaps there never was who understands the true sence of every place Much more may that man be said to believe who being peâ—swaded of the Truth of the speaker doth likewise understand that which he speaks Now I conceive it is out of Controversie that every man ought to hold for Truth whatsoever the Son of God hath taughâ— either by himself or by his Apostles For these things cannot stand together that any man should believe that Jesus is the Sonn of God and nor pâ—rswade himself that what ever he says is true and that he is adorned with all kinds of vertue But whether or no it be likewise necessary to Salvation to know what ever our Lord commanded as wel in person as by his Apostles and rightly to understand the same so as to imbrace the same not only with a confused that is to say a general but with a distinct and particular faith this is that which may be questioned Now it is altogether necessary that either whatsoever things are set down in Scripture are all necessary to be known so that a man may not be ignorant of or mis-understand any of them under pain of damnation or that such things are of a different nature so that some of them are altogether necessary to be known and highly to be accounted
men should rend themselves one from another vex disgrace and account one another as enemies Howbeit it is not necessary that I should in this place discover my self of what side I am only I shal so far profess my self to be of both parts inasmuch as I make no question but that both belong to the true Church of God Now I shal deal with each side by it self apart and though I may grant that both parties do otherwise say right and truly interpret the words of Christ yet I shal shew that neither party ought to condemn the other or account it guilty of an Heresie Come on then to begin with you who admit of no Trope in our Lords words but judg they ought to be understood according to their plain natural meaning you do not only say that such as account our Lords words tropical do mis-interpret the same but you seem to judg of them as of persons the most erronious in point of Religion that can be you think you cannot find words bad enough to express your hatred against them according to their deserts Put the case that with this their so great Error they may notwithstanding obtain Salvation and belong to the Church of God How can they wil you say who account the Son of God himself either to be a lyar or a vain speaker foolishly uttering contradictions and such things as are quite contrary to all sense and reason Alas miserable men that we are how far doth hatred springing from our differences transport us If men question the interpretation of some words must they needs make Christ a lyar Which of those men whom you account Adversaries in this point did ever deny that either in these or any other words Christ should be believed Did such a conceit ever enter into any of their minds as once to suspect such a thing Could they fear that he should be a lyar for whose name they would suffer the most greivous torments which Tyrants could inflict Away with such a peevish and altogether unjust interpretation the Controversie is concerning the meaning not the truth of the words then which they willingly confess nothing is more true But you wil say the words are so clear so plain and manifest that it is impossible for a man not to understand their meaning To you that understand them they are plain and clear to him that otherwise understands them they are not so clear or if they be it is in that sense in which he takes them Wherefore of necessity thus much must be granted that the difference is only about the meaning and not about the Truth of the words Thou therefore that sayest that such as deny the corporal presence of Christ in the Lords Supper are Hereticks and cannot be saved by what Testimonies of Scripture canst thou prove what thou sayest Our Lord himself promises eternal life to all that call upon his name who believe that he is the Sonne of God who place the hope of their salvation in him alone not in the works of the Law or any other thing This faith this hope those constantly profess whom thou callest Hereticks by what Testimonies of Gods Word art thou induced by thy judgment to deny them salvation Produce one word out of the holy Scriptures which says that such persons shal not enjoy eternal life Thou mayst not pronounce so from thine own head dost thou think haply that it is impossible for that man to call upon the name of the Lord and to put all his confidence in him who cannot understand nor consequently believe that his body really present is distributed in the Sacrament What should hinder him But if thou wilt contend that he that believes not the latter cannot believe the former I would very fain hear how thou canst prove what thou sayest But in case that faith unto which our Lord doth promise salvation may stand without the confession of his bodies presence in the Sacrament and yet thou ceasest not to account persons so believing to be no members of the true Church of God consider with thy self again and again if thou dost not really pollute thy self with that same crime of making Christ a lyar which thou art accustomed falsly to charge upon others I come now to those who say the words are tropical who because it is affirmed that the body of Christ is present in the bread at the same time in very many places do gather many very great absurdities but especially this That such a position denies the humanity of Christ Wherefore inasmuch as this point concerning the Son of God his being made man and raised from the dead is necessarily to be known and believed they deny that such as affirm such a presence of Christs body can be saved unless they shal repent Such absurdities as they gather from the affirmation of Christs body whether they err or not in so doing experience doth manifest that they can by no means be induced but to think that they really follow from the said position Let us grant therefore that such absurdities do all of them undoubtedly follow the foresaid presence But supposing all this must they therefore that hold the real presence needs be Aliens from Christ They must needs sayst thou for that condition which they attribute to the body of Christ that it can be in many places at one and the same time overthrows the humanity of Christ so that he which says Christs body may be in divers places at the same time doth as good as say that Christs body is no body and if Christ hath not a true body he is not true man and if he be not now true man either he was never made man or if he were he arose not from the dead both which Doctrines we before shewed are necessarily to be believed Wherefore since no man can believe contradictories they not believing the Humanity and Resurrection being necessary points cannot be saved Those men truly press the matter vehemently howbeit let us make tryal if we cannot make it appear that hope of Salvation may stand with such gross Errors Whereas therefore they say that it is impossible for men to believe things that contradict one the other that is then true as we shewed before when they see the contradiction between them For I confess that a man cannot believe both that Christ hath a true humane body and that he hath not Howbeit such things as are truly opposite one to the other may notwithstanding seem unto many men void of any such opposition And in case they are not discerned to be contradictory the one to the other nothing lets but that men may believe them to be both true so that though it be granted that these Tenets oppose one the other and cannot stand together that there should be a true body which notwithstanding may be in divers places at one and the same instant yet may they seem not to be opposite so that men may believe that our
not to Pastors alone but to every one that intends to be saved The restoring of that ancient custom prophesying one by one in the Congregation would be an exceâ—â—â— means to discover corruption of Doctrine Objections agaiâ—â—t the use of prophesying answered If prophesying were restored there would be less need of such mercenary Teachers as make a trade of the Ministery This practice of prophesying was used in the Jewish Church Our Lord at twelve yeers of Age was suffered to teach among the Doctors having no Office and unknown by the priviledg of prophesying The use of prophesying was continued in Christian societies till the time of Constantine at the least How prophesying ought to be regulated Every one ought to submit to the judgment of the Congregation and how far Whether Councils are to be called and what Authority they have They may not make new Laws nor institute new Worships Men are not bound to submit to their determinations in matters under dispute Yet there is use of them An Objection answered The difference between the Councils of the Apostles and of those that pretend to succeed them The determination of a Council must not rashly be rejected Who ought to sit in Councils LIB IV. WHen the Doctrine of Religion shall be depraved that yet no change be discernable there are many causes of which some are in the doctrine it self others in the manner of the mutation Some respect those which teach others those which are taught In the doctrine it self there seem to be these First that it is an heap as it were of many things very unlike one to the other like so many grains so that a change may be made by the smallest parts For look as if out of some great heap thou shalt daily take certain grains and put others in their rooms the heap will seem to continue as it was though by little and little it be changed and begin to be another kinde of heap from what it was even so forasmuch as the doctrine of Religion consists of many sentences and doctrines very unlike one to the other though conspiring together and tending to the same end Whiles now this doctrine now that shall be changed and corrupted the body of doctrine it self that I may so speak seems to retain the same figure though it be not indeed the same but in part altered Yea verily one onely sentence may be of such weight that it being depraved and altered though no such thing appear the whole doctrine of Religion may notwithstanding be by that means corrupted Forasmuch as without that sentence all the rest of the doctrine may become unprofitable and of no value Such an one is that sentence that By the blood of Christ alone shed for us and his sacrifice offered for our salvation upon the Cross all our sins are expiated which sentence if thou shalt so change as to say That our sins are done away by the merits of our good works or the intercession of Saints of a Christian doctrine thou wilt make one altogether Antichristian Neither is the doctrine of Religion in regard that it consists of divers unlike parts subject to secret mutation onely by changing and depraving the sentences as we have said but also by adding some sentences and taking away others I do not say that this depravation can be made secretly in such maner as to corrupt the Scriptures For if that were done the deceit would be manifest But that in speaking and writing false sentences may be uttered instead of true and depraved sentences instead of such as are incorrupt Now by how much the heap shall be greater by so much the harder it will be in case there shall be a change to observe the same In which respect the inlargement of the doctrine helps much to hide any mutation in the same Now the doctrine of Religion is inlarged whiles it is variously handled whiles it is drawn forth into many different questions which sprout one out of another and are propagated infinitely The cause of which mischief is the over-great curiosity of men their rashness arrogance and ambition with which diseases of the minde being madded we must print and publish whatever we dream of Yea verily if we want matter to write we unrip other mens discourses and sew them together after a new fashion and had rather do that which is done to our hand then be thought to do nothing Now this is a thing which tends much to the hiding of corruption of doctrine when as those false sentences which shall be put into the place of the true shall have the appearance and shew of truth though indeed they are far from any acquaintance therewith Which is occasioned divers ways The first is when some true sentence in Scripture shall be expressed in such words as admit divers interpretations which cannot all be true and another sentence shall be composed agreeable to those words misunderstood for by this means while a very different thing is spoken the same thing which is in the Text seems to be said without any change In like maner when a Text is figurative so that one thing is meant indeed another thing seems to be meant and a man shall take it in the seeming sense without any regard to the figure As if a man should say That in case any mans sight be an occasion of sining he ought to pluck out his eyes and wholly blâ—nde himself because it is written If thine eye shall offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee For these words do at the first sight seem to say as much whereas their sense is very different viz. Whatsoever may slacken or stop a mans progress in the way of the Gospel he ought to abandon that thing forthwith for that it is better to be without that thing then being thereby hindered in such a course to lose the Kingdom of Heaven and to be adjudged to eternal tortures In like manner if when the meaning of a Text shall be according to the letter the words are so expounded as if they meant otherwise As is practised upon these words Go and shew thy self unto the Priest from which this sentence is drawn Every man must confess his sins to a Priest Another means whereby a false sentence seems to be true is when in the true sentence there is somewhat contained either expresly or implici ely and the false sentence shall be expressed in such terms as exclude that thing so contained The thing we speak of so contained is either an exception or a condition or a circumstance or some explanatâ—on Or some condition or exposition suiting not with the Text shall be added Those words of the Apostle have questionless an exception or a condition Be not deceived neither whoremongers nor idolaters shall attain the Kingdom of Heaven for we must understand that condi ion unless they repent Now if any man should say That the sin of uncleanness could not be pardoned he should speak that
there onely two or three that prophesied according to what the Apostle said but to all was given to speak so that the wish of Moses seems rather to have been fulfilled in them when he said Would God all the people might prophecâ— There was no spleen no envy the gifts of God were dispensed every one according to his ability contributing his assistance for the confirmation of the Church And all was done with love in such sort That they strove mutually to honor each other and every one to prefer another before himself But to the end this common prophesying may be profitable to the Church we must diligently mark what the Apostle advises For a sure thing it is that the pride of man is so great that whatever hath once fallen from him he will by any means have it stand for a Truth neither can he suffer that any man should infringe the same So that if he might be pâ—rmitted to judg that last spake it will be a miracle if a man in his life-time should see any one give way to him that contradicts him What is Pauls advice therefore in this case Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge He will not therefore have the same persons to be parties and judges And he adds a little after And the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of dissention but of peace So that as soon as any man hath spoken his own mind he ought to rest himself satisfied with the judgment of the rest and not obstinately to make no end of contending if this be not done a sure thing it is there will be no end of strife But what if any man will not be content to submit to the judgment of the rest Verily I would avouch that being sharply admonished that he disturb not the Congregation and that he go not against the command of the Apostle or rather of our Lord commanding the spirits of the Prophets to be subject to the Prophets he ought to be cast out of the society though he should hold the prime place in the Congregation The people likewise must frequently be admonished that liberty for any one to speak in the Congregation is not therefore granted by the Apostle to the end every one should speak what comes to his tongues end as if he were in a market but whereas he gives liberty to him to speak to whom any thing is revealed he would have all rashnesse and impudence to be laid aside He that reverences not the Church of God let that man know he despiseth the Spirit of God who is President there and shall be sure not to escape unpunished Before a man propounds any thing to the Church he ought to consider again and again how sure a manifestation he hath of that thing and what ever the matter be let him be sure not to forget a sober modest bashful behavior without which vertues doubtles no good can be effected But here we must attentively consider both how far a man ought to submit to the judgement of the Congregation and who may deservedly be accounted a troubler of the Church Verily I conceive a man ought so far to give way as that after I have alledged what I had to say for my opinion if yet the rest shall not allow of my judgment I ought to give over defending of it and cease to be troublesome to the Congregation concerning the same But I ought not to be compelled to confesse that I have erred or to deprecate any fault whiles I do not yet understand that I have erred for so I should sinne against God He therefore is a troubler of the Church that will not so far as we have expressed submit to the judgment of the Church but goeth on to be troublesome but especially that man who would exact of another that which he ought not to do viz. to recant being not perswaded that he is in an error But those men are commonly reputed troublers of the Church who refuse to ratifie what ever shall any wayes fall out of the Pastors mouths Again in this place it may reasonably be demanded whether when that a matter hath been once or twice debated and some man knowing the judgment of the Congregation would again reduce it into Controversie he ought to be heard or enjoyned silence and take the matter for determined But of this we shall in another place more conveniently dispute That which remains therefore is that we wrastle with God by daily prayers to grant that we may have the use of this so soveraign and saving liberty so profitable to the Church and that thereby we may reap aboundance of fruit And that he would to that end tame and break our spirits with his Spirit and render them milde and gentle and not suffer what he hath ordained for the confirmation and establishment of his Church to be by the stubbornnesse and perversness of our wits and minds turned to the mischief and destruction thereof Now it hath been frequently practised that when some difficult point hath been to be decided not only one particular Church should judge but a Councell of that Province or of the whole Christian world hath been called Which whether it ought to be done or no and what ought to be the Authority of Councels may be by some demanded That the custom of calling Councels ought to be retained seems clearly to me to be taught by the example of the Apostles For if it were requisite for men endued with so great a measure of the Spirit to confer together about matters of Religion in controversie It seems that it ought much more to be practised by those that have not such a portion of the spirit Neither ought we to make light account of our Lords promise who hath engaged himself that where two or three shall be gathered together in his Name there he will be the in midst of them But the question moved concerning the authority of such a Councell is harder And for as much as I have not now to deale with Papists but with such as would have the truth of the Gospel restored I shall not need with many words to demonstrate that no Councel hath authority either to make new Lawes or to ordain new worships But what shall we say concerning controversies of Religion which are raised about interpretation of Scripture Whether or no hath a Councel authority in such cases to determine what ought to be held And if a Councel cannot do thus much at least what other use there can be of Councels beside And whether there be any difference between the Councel of the Apostles and those of their successors If as certain as it is that our Lord will always perform what he hath promised so certain it were that such as meet to consult would evermore refer all their cogitations to the glory of God and place all their hope of discovering the Truth in the promises
when the Congregation justly rejects it does not therefore justly reject because the man will not embrace its tenets or stand to its judgment But because he rejects the doctrine which came from God and that doctrine of such consequence That it ought of necessity to be known to salvation Likewise when a particular Congregation allowes of one tenet disallowes of another it does not impose a law upon any mans belief but onely declares its own faith to the end That he which is not of the same minde at least in the more principal points of doctrine may know that he belongs not to that society for there must of necessity be some kinde of Government that the Congregation may not be forced to communicate in Religious Services with that man of whom she is perswaded that he is not any ways related to the Church of Christ neither hath any right to the priviledges thereof Hence we may easily understand and in one word express what difference there is between the Councel of the Apostles and those who make themselves their successors be they who they will Forasmuch as it was apparent that the Apostles were by name chosen by our Lord himself to the office of Apostleship it was manifest that they were endued with a large measure of the holy Ghost which Spirit would lead them into all truth Now there is no testimony of any such concerning any of their successors We are left onely to conjecture what they are by their words and actions which are subject to counterfeiting and fraud In the Councels of the Apostles men were not to minde so much what was judged and determined as by whom it was so determined So that they needed not with many words to render a reason why they so ordained Contrariwise in the Councels of their successors it matters not so much who they are that decree a thing as what that thing is which they so decree what testimonies they produce from Scripture how clearly and manifestly those testimonies do teach the point determined So that doctrine of Luther That we are saved onely by the merits of Christ is embraced by us yet do not we look upon Luther but upon those testimonies which are by him cited from Scripture which also the holy Ghost that internal Expositor witnesses to our spirits that they teach the same Otherwise be they never so many let them be pious learned holy yea verily let them be angels of heaven unless thou shalt perceive that what they affirm is proved by the Word of God there is no reason for thee to suffer thine eyes to be dazled with the splendor and pomp of a Councel Howbeit fitting it is to attribute so much authority to a Councel unless it be of such as are manifestly enemies to truth as not rashly to reject the judgment thereof but let every man diligently weigh the same desiring earnestly the assistance of God that he may judge aright Hence likewise we may conjecture who ought to be admitted to a Councel For since they do not meet to make any laws of Faith but rather to pray for the holy Ghost by whom they may be led into all truth and in a word to learn It will not be necessary that he that must be admitted should be a Bishop or an Archbishop or a Pope nor yet that he should be famous for learning nay rather no reason there is why any man should be excluded that appears to be possessed of any measure of piety and of the holy Ghost So we see in that same decree of the Apostolical Councel after the Apostles and Elders the whole Church is named For inasmuch as the holy Ghost is not tied to any dignity or to any certain kinde of persons Who knows by whom God will chuse to discover the Truth And forasmuch as we are not to regard any number of voices but onely what that is which is said although some foolish indiscreet person or a man that makes onely a shew of godliness shall be admitted they cannot do much hurt for we must count every man to be such as his speech shall declare him to be And thus we have declared by what means the doctrine of Religion comes to be corrupted and what cautions we are to use when it is pure to keep it so FINIS ERRATA PAge 2. l. 6. is not God p. 3. l. 6. is to take into l. 27. disobeys the command p. 6. l. 32. yet is their strength p. 8. l. 31. self interests p. 18. l. 10. like wise men l. 22. it is no small p. 22. l. 5. any time come into p. 30. l. 8. should contend p. 31. l. 9. the time place p. 36. l. 18. to that end p. 37. l. 1. shal set upon the another way p. 45. l. 15. wonderful example is that p. 46. l. 31. best of shepheards l. 33. to thee weak p. 55. l. 24. be so ingenuous p. 58. l. 1. 2. one whole sentence ere his mouth be wel open l. 23. a benefice p. 65. l. 38. betide others as p. 74. l. 20. shal by his 22. the instrument p. 75. l. 37. accounted of others howbeit p. 78. l. 33. of our Lord. p. 82. l. 24. ingenuously l. 38. a couple p. 83. l. 17. is not to p. 93. l. 7. hereticks in the. p. 99. l. 10. to vanquish an Apostate l. 16. means of them the. p. 102. l. 35. that when he p. 108. l 4. and will attempt p. 135. l. 2. 3. no such testimony concerning any successors