serued and glorified and our selues beautefied thereby Ioh. 6. 29. but also that so we may stop the mouthes of our adversaries For among al the most slanderous imputations that they lay to our charge this is not the least that they avouch that wee teach a bare and naked faith without the fruit of all good workes in that wee affirme that faith is alone in the worke of our iustification The which is as true as if they should say that wee hold that the eye is alone in the body without the residue of the other senses seeing that wee avouch that the eie is alone in the apprehension of all such things as are subiect vnto sight And yet for this cause we must be called Solâ—fidians as if wee reiected all other fruits of the spirit with the practise exercise of all good works Nay let vs make no lesse vse hereof then Philip did of those slanders the which the Athenians had raised vp against him I am much said he beholding to the Athenians for that by their slanderous reports I am made the more careful to look to my waies that I may hold a right course that so I may confute them both by my words and workes So likewise whereas our doctrine is that the true Christian saith is accompanied with all manner of divine and heauenly graces and is fruitfull in all good workes let vs giue all diligence to confirme the same by an holy life and conversation that so we may confute them by our deeds also And so we may bee bold to retort vpon them iustly and truly that which they vntruely charge vs withall For in that they avouch that the true Christian faith may not only be in the reprobate but even in the very divels themselues thereby they teach that it may be alone without the company of any vertue without the practise of any good worke And therefore they may be truely tearmed not onely Solifidians but Implijfidians ' Diabolifidians also Vndoubtedly hereby they make it manifest to the whole world that they hold not the true Catholike faith seeing thereby in the iudgement of S. Austine the iust are discerned from the vniust Aug. ad Bomf l. 3. c. 5. Whereas by that faith which themselues hold to be Catholike they cannot be discerned from the very Divels themselues Now if they bee not severed from the Divels in their faith neither can they bee seuered from them in their workes seeing faith is the root works are the fruits and such a root such a fruit Now if they bee severed from the Divell neither in their faith nor workes how can they bee severed from him in their punishments Wherefore let them disgrace this gracious gift of faith which haue no part nor portion in the reward thereof But as for vs which acknowledge it to be a principall part of true sanctitie and holinesse let vs most carefully obserue the meanes whereby it is coliated by God set downe in these words of our text Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Wherein we are to obserue these two points First that God doth sanctifie his by the truth secondly that this truth is contained in Gods word even in that word of God which is delivered vnto vs by the Prophets and Apostles Concerning the first which is that truth is the true meanes whereby we attaine to an holy faith and to all the residue of the graces of sanctification it is manifest in this that truth doth rectifie our vnderstanding will affections in the vprightnesse of the which our whole and totall sanctification doth consist And therefore by S. Austine truth is tearmed The virginitie of the soule and the chastitie of the mind As falsehood and vntruth is the adulterous pollution of them all insomuch that all such as in Gods service embrace lyes either taken by tradition from their ancestors or sucken out of their owne heads are iustly charged by the spirit of God to goe a whoring after humane inventions Num. 15. 39. Here of it is that men of al professions lay claime to the truth and for proofe thereof make a shew to deriue the pedegree of their doctrine from God the author of truth and from his word the authenticall and vndeniable evidences thereof As it may appeare by Celsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who as Origen reporteth entituled his bookes The word of truth which yet hee wrot against the truth Wherefore as the Apostle exhorteth we are not to beleeue every spirit but to trie the spirits whether they are of God or no and wisely to examine the grounds of all doctrines before that we make them Articles of our Creed that so we may imbrace the knowledge of the truth whereby we may bee saved and reiect the strong delusion of Satans lies which are the venome and poison of our soules 2. Thess 2. 10. Now the word of God which our blessed Saviour the wisdome of God Prov. 8. revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is this word of sanctifying and sauing truth For if we continue in the same We shall knowe the truth the truth shall make vs free Ioh. 8. 32. And how doth truth make vs free but by sanctifying vs with al divlne and heavenly vertues For a true vertuous man is the only free man Let vs then come to the second point and take a true view of such proofes as may be produced to make manifest that the word of Christ revealed by his spirit to the Prophets and Apostles is only the rich treasury of that pretious truth whereby all the elect of God are brought to a sanctifying and sauing faith The which thing that we may effect let vs first search and enquire where and what truth is that so truth may speake and manifest it selfe Truth is either in things or words Truth in things is the fit and apt agreement of the causes with their effects and the effects with their causes of the accidents with their subiects and subiects with their accidents and so of all other arguments and reasons with the things whereof they are argumeÌ„ts reasons Vera est propositio quaÌ„do praedicatum convenit subiecto Tum praedicatuÌ„ coÌ„venit subiecto cum est genus c. So truth in words is when true reasons which agree with the things whereof they are reasons are accordingly set downe in the words which are deliuered to expresse the same Hence then we thus conclude that if all true reasons whereby the true God and true Godlinesse may be knowne and embraced are rightly set downe in the doctrine revealed by Christ to the Tum veritas est in verbis quando ita est in rebus quemadmodum verbâ— significant Prophets and Apostles and by them registred and enrolled in the Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament then this word is the word of God and the word of truth But in these bookes are set downe all manner of most forcible and
truth And verily vnlesse the holy Scriptures were furnished with all varietie of arguments and reasons to convince all errors and to confirme all truths how could the professors of the Christian faith be enabled thereby to convert or confound all heathenish persons and all heretickes and schismatikes and to instruct and strengthen the faithfull themselues For if we will deale with Ethnikes we must not produce the bare testimonies of the Prophets and Apostles as of witnesses immediatly instructed sent into the world by God to giue an vndeniable evidence to truth for that were to begge that as granted which is by them not only questioned but also peremptorily denied but they must be dealt withall by arguments and reasons as being a plea allowed by all as are or thinke themselues to be indued with right reason And among the great varietie of arguments and reasons where by all questions are handled and discoursed of wee must not at the least principally vse such of them as most prevaile with the affections and will but rather such as doe instruct the vnderstanding and the minde For as Tertullian saith Truth perswadeth by teaching that veritas dâ—câ—ndâ— suadet is it teacheth the vnderstanding so prevaileth with Falsitas suadendo docet the affections and will Whereas Falsehood doth teach by perswading that is perswadeth the affection will and so moueth the mind to assent vnto error The truth of both which positions is verified by the experience of all ages For what prevaileth most with the affections but the ensamples of our Ancients custome a good intent and an outward peace and plentie of all temporall blessings And haue not these beene vsed as principall arguments by Schismarikes Heretikes Idolaters and Ethnikes Our Fathers said the schismatical Samaritans worshipped in this mount Ioh. 4. 20. I haue so receaued from my Progenitors was the plea of that infamous heretike Eutiches In this faith was I borne and consecrated to God and in this I desire to die Concil Chalced. act 1. So Dioscorus in the same place I doe find the doctrine of the ancient Fathers not cursorily deliuered but handled of set purpose in their bookes I am reiected with them So the Idolatrous Iewes said that they would doe whatsoever went out of their owne mouthes as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke offerings to her as they had done both they and their fathers their Kings and Princes in the cities of Iudah in the streets of lerusalem for then said they they had plentie of victuals and were well and felt no evill Ier. 44. 17. So the hereticall and idolatrous Papists cry out both generally for the Fathers the Fathers the Church the Church Antiquitie Vnity Vniversalitie particularly vnto his Maiestie your holy progenitors your deare mother were professours of our Romane religion Lastly so the old Idolatrous Ethnikes That which is more ancient cannot be false Aug. de Civ Dei l. 39. But how did the ancient Fathers themselues reply herevnto What wilt thou doe quoth Lactantius writing in defence of the Christian faith against the Idolatrous Ethnikes wilt thou follow thine Ancestors or reason rather Lact. de vero Dei simulachro cap. 20. So Cyprian ep 7. cent Quint We are not to prescribe by custome but to coÌ„vince with reason So Tertullian We are not to esteeme of faith by the persons but of the persons by the faith Yea this kind of reasoning reason it selfe hath taught even the naturall wise men I am thus resolued said Plato in Nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri Critone not now but alwaies that I am not to enthral my iudgement vnto any of my freinds but to reason yea to that reason which by discord appeareth to bee best Whose opinion was seconded by the chiefest of all his schollers Plato is my friend but truth is more my friend Arist. Mor. l. 1. c. 3. For the efficacy of reason is better then all authorities Zalm in c. 5. ep ad Otherwise why doe all learned men of all professions call for a generall disputation that they may iustifie all their positions by logicall syllogismes Yea why doth God himselfe call the Idolatrous Ethnikes standing in defence of their heathenish Gods to this manner kind of triall as Isa 41. 21. 22. 23. Stand to your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the God of Iacob Let them bring them forth and let them tell vs what shall come let them shew the former things what they be that wee may consider them and knowe the latter end of them either declare vs things to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that wee may knowe that yee are Gods Yea doe good or doe evill that we may declare and behold it together In which wordes are set downe two reasons whereby the true God may be discerned whereof the one is the doing good or evill The other the declaring of things past and of things to come And verily the true God is goodnesse it selfe and hath declared himselfe to be so by the creation of the world and by communicating some portion of his owne goodnesse to every creature therein And therefore as Pythagoras said if any besides one God say I am God let them shew a world like to this and say thereof this is mine For the creation of this one world is so sure an evidence to proue that there is but one God that this one God willeth his people to say to the Ethnikes that shall stand in defence of their Idoll Gods The Gods that made not the heavens the earth shall perish from the earth and from vnder the heavens Ier. 10. 11. And verily the Gods of the heathen are but Idols for it is the Lord that made the heavens Psal 96. 5. Now if the heathenish Gods shall assume to theÌ„selues the glory of this great worke of the creation then saith the Lord in the place before alleaged Let them shew it to be so either by revealing things passed froÌ„ the beginning of the world or things that are to come to passe even to the end For vndoubtedly knowne vnto God are all his owne workes from the beginning of the world Act. 15. 18. and as certainely hee knoweth what shall become of them to the end yea what shall come to passe for ever and ever As it is vndoubtedly true that the heathenish Gods cannot tell what shall come to passe in time to come concerning such things as are to be effected by such causes as are set on worke by their owne wills and therefore are no true Gods For if it be replyed that the Priests and Prophets of their heathenish Gods haue declared such things before hand as namely their Prophetesses called Sybillae haue set down some as distinct particulars concerning our Saviour Christ and the works of redemption wrought by him as were foretold by Moses and the Prophets wee answer that as Plato did
Moizare that is deliver many doctrines set downe by Moses for that hee had taken them out of him So these Sybille did Prophetizare because they had receaued these prophesies either out of their books or by tradition from the old Patriarks For as Sampson said vnto his guests that were at his wedding when they gaue him the right sense of his riddle which lie had proposed vnto them If yee had not plowed with my heifer yee could not haue found out my riddle Iud. 14. 18. So may wee as truely say that if the heathenish Prophets and Prophetesses had not consulted with our Prophets they could not haue delivered these Oracles The which is evident by this that when they were consulted by their greatest friends concerning events that were presently to come to passe they deliuered their Oracles in doubtfull sentences which might be expounded divers waies for that they were not able to deliver any certaintie thereof As Aio te Aeacides Romanos vincere posse And Craesus halim penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Whereas our Prophets not only delivered the certaintie of the events of divers battles when they were ready to bee vndertaken as Iud. 4. 9. and 7. 9. 1. Sam. 30. 8. 1. Reg. 20 13. But also many other events many hundred yeares before they fell out As namely the deliverance of the Iewes out of the captivitie of Babylon and the particular king by whom it should bee accomplished even Cyrus king of the Medes Persians Isa 44. 45. The which prophesie as Iosephus reporteth Antiq. Iudaic. l. 11. c. 1. Cyrus reading and perceauing himselfe to be named therein some 200 yeares before he was borne and appointed to such a worke gaue liberty to the Iewes to returne to their-owne country and to build their temple and he gaue them backe the vessels thereof which had beene carried away by the king of Babylon For he vnderstood that the God of the Iewes was the true God because he had foretold such an event a long time before it was to come to passe As it may appeare by his owne words Ez. 1. 2. Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia the Lord God of heauen hath given me all the kingdomes of the earth and hath commanded mee to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with whom his God is Let him goe vp to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the house of the Lord God of Israell he is the God which is in Ierusalem Here then wee may perceaue by evident reason set downe in the Scriptures that the heathen haue and therefore still may be convinced to acknowledge him to be the true God who hath revealed himselfe in those bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and that those bookes are the authenticall word of the true all seeing and well working God And verily even the most profoundest mysteries of those bookes may bee iustified by evident reason to the heathen themselues to be the doctrines of truth proceeding from the true God as it may appeare by the bookes of these notable lights in the Church of Christ ' D. de Plessis de veritate Christianae religionis Zeged in locis com Keckerm in Syntagm Theolog. Neither must the doctrines of our Christian religion bee by reason evicted against the Gentiles but also against all Schismatiks Heretiks For albeit all these or at the least the most of them acknowledge the holy Scriptures to proceed from God yet seeing this word of God consisteth not in the letters but in the sence not in the reading but in the vnderstanding not in the leaues of the speech wherein it is delivered but in the root of the reason whereon it is grounded and seeing all Schismatikes and Heretikes be the words that are produced against them never so plaine and pregnant yet peruert and corrupt the right sense and meaning of them how can the right sense be iustified against all such persons but by cleere and evident reasons For if one testimonie bee produced to cleere another they will pervert the sense of the one as well as of the other And if the testimonies of the ancient Fathers yea of generall Councels bee alleaged against them either they will pervert the meaning of them aswell as they did the meaning of the Scriptures or else they will flatly refuse to subscribe to their autoritie The truth hereof was fully knowne vnto S. Austin who for his learned confuting of many heretikes was called the Hammer wherewith heretikes were knocked Malleus haereâ—â—corum in the head For hee writing against Maximinus the Arrian l. 3. 1. 14. saith I will not alleage the Councell of Nice to preiudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to preiudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the autority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the autoritie of the Scriptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both Let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason bee compared together let that prevaile which is the stronger and weigh most wherein there is the most weight And verily there is no other meanes to cleere the meaning of all testimonies humane and divine then by the light of cleere arguments and reasons Wherefore seeing that the power of the word of God consisteth in the right sense and meaning thereof which cannot be cleered without the light of reason without the sure apprehension thereof the people of God themselues cannot be edified therefore cleere arguments and reasons must bee produced for the cleering of all doctrines of faith and an holy life by all such teachers as seeke after the edification of the people of God The truth whereof is plainely confirmed by the vsuall practise of all preachers of the word of God Among whoÌ„ it is most ordinary after the doctrines deduced out of their texts to cleere the same with varietie of reasons and then to drawe out the vses there of which are nothing else but particular doctrines by evidence of reason collected and gathered out of the generall And verily the true Christian faith is not an ignorant credulitie but an vnderstanding assent grounded vpon a sure knowledge even such a faith as was in the Apostles themselues the which they were to preach through out the whole world Luk. 1. 77. For of this their faith our Sauiour himselfe testifieth in this very chapter saying I haue giuen them the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and haue beleeued that thou hast sent me v. 8. The truth where of is plainly confirmed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of S. Peter Ioh. 6. 69. Thou hast the wordes of eternall life we beleeue knowe that thou art the very Christ the sonne of the liuing God Neither is this vnderstanding faith proper
and peculiar to the teachers of the truth but to all the godly professors of the same For none come to salvation but by the knowledge of the truth 2. Th. 2. 10. 11. In which place knowledge and faith are ioined together as inseparable companions as Ignorance is set downe as a separatist from faith salvation in the former chapter of the same Epistle Now to knowe a thing is to knowe the reasons thereof Scire est per cau sas scire Wherefore the true Christian faith grounded vpon knowledge doth no otherwise worke in the faithfull a right assent to the severall doctrines of faith then by grounds thereof This truth is manifestly proued throughout the whole body of the sacred Scripture which teacheth that the true Christian faith is a wise and holy not foolish and wicked a seeing and not a blind a cleere and not a darke a manly and not a childish a reasonable and not a brutish perswasion Faith is a wise assent grounded vpon the wise doctrines of the word of God which are able to make vs wise to salvation by faith in Christ 2. Tim. 3. 15. And what is wisdome but a right apprehensiō of truth the reasons thereof by the testimonies of divine humane autors I haue saith Solomō the wise compassed about both I mine heart to knowe and inquire and to search wisdome reason Eccl. 7. 27. by the which manner of annexing the one to the other hee giueth vs to vnderstand that the one ariseth out of the other So Aristole the wisest of all Philosophers Prudence is an habit ioyned with right reason So Tully one of the wisest of all Orators Hee that doth best apprehend truth in every thing the reasons and grounds thereof is worthely to bee esteemed the most prudent and wise of all other Wherefore our Christian faith being a wise apprehension and assent vnto truth must needs apprehend the reasons whereon it is grounded The wisdome of the prudent saith Solomon is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit Prov. 14. 8. That is wisdome lightning the vnderstanding by meanes of true reason doth sanctifie it with truth as folly darkning it with ignorance leadeth it into errour both in matters of faith and of life and conversation For the foolishnesse of a man perverteth his waie Prov. 19. 3. for folly is the mother of wickednesse Eccl. 7. 27. Wherefore such as bee foolish shall not stand in Gods sight for he hateth all such as worke wickednesse Ps 5. 5. But the wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament Dan. 12. 3. The foolish Virgins could not enter into the marriage because their lamps were gone out Mat. 25. 10. That is they made profession of the word of God which is a lanthorne to our feet and a light to our paths without the vnderstanding thereof For what is the word not vnderstood but a lampe without oile or a candle without light But the wise that had oile in their lamps that is rightly vnderstood the doctrines of Gods word were admitted into the marriage For they that truely knowe God shall bee Visio iustificans Visio glorificans knowne of him and they that now see him with the eye that iustifieth shall hereafter see him with the eye that glorifieth But they that knowe not God shall not be knowne of God 2. Thess 1. 8. Hos 4. 6. Prov. 1 22. And all such as see him not with the eye of faith shall never see him with the eye of glory Prov. 29. Fooles mad men may be Saints with foolish and mad Mahomet but the children of wisdome Mat. 11. 19 are the chil dren of the most wise God such as haue their minds and affections sanctified by wisdome are his Saints in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coll. 2. 3. Now if faith be a wise assent then it is not blind and darke but eyefull and cleere I saw saith Solomon the wise that there is more profit in wisdome thē in folly as the light is more excellent then darknesse Eccl. 2. 13. for a wise mans eyes are in his head but a foole walketh in darknesse Wisdome and faith are the sight of the eye of the mind and truth rightly apprehended and assented vnto is the light that leadeth in the' right way Morio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto God Ps 43. 3. But a foole vnbeleeuer is a blind and a darke man 2. Pet. 1. 9. For infidelitie and folly is the blindnesse of the mind and where these lead the will and affections there is a wandring from God seeing he that walketh in darknesse woteth not whether hee goeth Ioh. 12. 35. and there is a falling into the pit of all errors and sinnes seeing where the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch Wherefore blessed are their eies who seeing see and doe perceaue hearing heare and doe vnderstand and so are converted so are saved Mat. 13. 16. And blessed are all not some but all beleeuers because they all behold as in a myrror the glory of God with open face are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of God 2. Cor. 3 18. Neither doth our wise Christian faith bring onely sight and light to all that beleeue but also a behauiour fit for men indued with sound and right reason and de liuereth them from childishnesse brutishnesse also It is the propertie of a child to doe childishly When I was a child saith the Apostle I spake as a child I vnderstood as a child but when I was a man I put away childishnesse Non qu◠eundū sed quo itur 1. Cor. 13. 11. So it is a propertie of a brute beast to goe not whether they should goe but whether others goe But the faithfull should not be children in vnderstanding but of a ripe age 1. Cor. 14. 20. Neither should they bee like the horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding Ps 32. 9. For children are childish and are led with such motiues as most prevaile with the affections and brute beasts are brutish and follow sense but the wise Christian beleeuer will take especially notice of such inducements as soundly informe the vnderstanding and are powerfull to rule direct the affections and senses in a right course Now by all these properties and effects of a true Christian faith it is evident that whosoever desireth to attaine therevnto must labour to vnderstand the severall reasons whereon the severall doctrines of faith are grounded that so he may bee enabled thereby to stand vpon the iust defence of his owne faith Thus much is Bellarmine himselfe forced to confesse in that hee maketh sanctity of doctrine which is the wisdome and reasonablenesse thereof to be a note of the true Church and of the right faith professed therein vpō that ground taketh exception against our
effectuall arguments and reasons for the rooting vp of all errors and vntruths for the opening confirming of all doctrines of faith and godlinesse and for the edifying of the spirituall Scriptura est â—ons rationalis temple of God Let vs saith S. Hierome ascend into the reasonable mount and seeking of the testimonies of Scripture choice and fit timber for every severall point of doctrine let vs cut it downe and there with build the house of wisdome Hier. in Hagg. Neither doth this word of God minister choice timber onely for the building vp of the Lords Temple but all maner of wholsome food also for the sustenance of all such as are of the Lords houshold For in it there is both milk for children strong meat for such as are men Heb. 5 12. The principles of this word are the childrens milke which is by S. Peter called a doctrine standing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon so sure and sound reason that hee that rightly apprehendeth the same cannot bee deceaued 1. Pet. 2. 2. whereby he doth distinguish it from the principles of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 1. 16. all other religions which being not Logicall but Sophisticall as happely hauing in them a shew but not the substance of sound reason cannot but deceaue and destroy all such as drinke downe the venomous poison thereof Now if the first rudiments of the word of God stand vpon such sound reason that they cannot deceaue then the stronger meat thereof which is all such reasons and arguments which are set downe for the further lightning and strengthning of these principles must needs bee of greater light and strength And so no doubt they are seeing they are of power to make the meÌ„ of God which are long exercised therein able so throughly to discerne betweene good evill errour and truth that they can both purely and zealously performe vnto the Lord that reasonable service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is acceptable vnto him Rom 12. 1. The which reasonable service what is it else but the puritie of a true saith and of all oather divine vertues with all holy workes that issue from them all Ioh. 6. 29. 1. Tim. 6. 11. Now faith as the Apostle defineth it Heb. 11. 1. is the ground of things hoped for the demonstration of things not seene which principally are the vnspeakable loue and goodnesse of God demonstrated not onely in the worke of the creation Rom. 1. 20. but especially in the worke of the redemption 2. Cor. 3. 12. For this is such a demonstration of Gods vnspeakable goodnesse and loue that as Austine saith it doth convince the iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after a sort force the minde to yeeld her assent thereto Aug. in Ioh. hom 79. 95. So God loued the world saith out blessed Saviour that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Ioh. 3. 16. So Saint Iohn In this appeared the loue of God towards vs in that God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that wee might liue through him Ioh. 4. 9. And againe Herein is loue not that we loued God but that God loued vs gaue his Sonne to be an attonement for our sinnes And againe in the very next verse If God so loued vs c. As if hee would haue vs throughly to vnderstand that such a person giuen for such persons to worke such a worke is such a demonstration of Gods loue that the like is no where to be found no not in all the Bookes of Aristotles Demonstrations When I was here a scholler I heard a most reverend Father namely Mr. Fox preaching on these words of the Apostle If one bee dead for all then we were all dead 2. Cor. 5. 14. say here is such an ergo that all the Schooles cannot shew the like And yet this ergo demonstration whereof we now speake is a more forceable ergo a more compelling demonstration as the same Apostle teacheth in the former part of the same verse For verily if we could attaine to all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to knowe the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. Then we should attaine to the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. even to the full assurance of Gods loue If wee were able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length depth and height of the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge then should wee bee filled with all fulnesse of God Eph. 3. 18. In the meane season all such as haue attained to some measure of this faith which is grounded vpon so strong demonstration are called by S. Chrysostome hom 9. in Epist ad Coll. sheepe indued with reason for that they are or should bee able to giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answer to every one that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them 1. Pet. 3. 15 And verily all such Christians as rightly vnderstand the grounds of their faith are esteemed by the Apostle to bee worthie of the name of reasonable men whereas all that doe not are by him branded with the note of men wicked and vnreasonable Furthermore saith he bretheren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a full current be glorified as it is with you and that we may be delivered from vnreasonable and evill men for all men haue not faith 2. Th. 3. 1. Neither is this first and principall part of Gods seruice only grounded vpon most sure sound reason but also the other part thereof consisting in the exercise of all holy works proceeding from al the divine graces and gifts of the holy spirit of God For if they be not done after that manner and by the inducement of such reasons as God in his word requireth Deus non exigebat quae siebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. 1 3 cont Marc. them to be performed they are not allowed and approued of Christ Mat. 6. 1. 1. Cor. 13. 1. For that may bee said of all good workes which Tertullian avoucheth of the Iewes sacrifices Viz that God did not in them require the thing done but the reasons for the which they were to be done so God doth not require our bare workes but will haue them done vpon such reasons and motiues as they ought to be done So then the very rudiments and principles of this word of Christ are reasonable milke the service therein prescribed is a reasonable service and the faith therein commanded is grounded vpon a most strong demonstration and the workes therein required are squared by the squier of exact reason and the persons that embrace this faith are only and alone esteemed to be endued with right reason therefore we rightly conclude that this word of Christ set downe in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets Apostles is the only vnerring word of
doctrine and chargeth it to be vnreasonable and absurd and so vnholy therefore not the doctrine of the true Church and of the right faith professed therein For the proofe whereof he giueth instance in fiue points And first he beginneth with iustification by faith and against the truth thereof maketh this weake and childish Sophisme If faith saith he iustifieth and assureth the faithful of his iustification then either it findeth him iust before he beleeueth or maketh him iust after he beleeueth But this division is insufficient and should be made in this maner If faith iustifieth either it is before or when or after it is giuen But faith iustifieth both when and after it is given and doth never find any man iust before he hath obtained a right faith And so the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated saith the Apostle them be called viz. effectually by giuing to them a true faith and whom he called them he iustified viz. at that present instant of time For saith doth presently ingraff the beleeuer into Christ so giueth him present interest in his sufferings and righteousnesse and there by doth presently iustifie him Wherefore in this first instance reason faileth in this sophisticall confuter and not in the doctrine which he would confute His secoÌ„d instance is this If faith giueth assurance of the pardon of sinne then it suffereth him not to say that petition of the Lords Prayer forgiue vs our sinnes seeing it is an absurd thing to pray for that whereof he hath good assurance that he hath it already But God giueth forgiuenesse of sinnes but to such as in their dayly prayers make confession of them vnto him and faithfully pray for the forgiuenesse of them I said saith David Ps 32. 6. I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sin Therefore shall every one that is godly make his prayer vn to thee in the time when thou maist be found That is seeing God is sound of all them that seeke him in truth granteth mercy and pardon of sinne to all that humbly and faithfully seeke for pardon in Christ Therefore every one that is godly will in his daily prayers sue seeke for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes in Christ that so he may obtaine the assurance thereof What Had not that man assurance of the pardon of his sinnes to whoÌ„ Christ said man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Luk. 5. 20. And did this man absurdly if he said the Lords praier Had not the Apostles themselues assurance of the pardon of their owne sinnes which were to preach and to proclaime the pardon of all sinnes to all beleeuers And did they cease to pray yea to pray after that manner as Christ commanded them to pray forgiue vs our sinnes Matt. 9. 9. What doth the holy father the Pope who in his plenary pardons and indulgences or all his Friers and Priests who in the sacrament of penance giue assurance of the pardon of all sinnes to such as confesse theÌ„ are contrite and sorrowfull for them doe they I say forbid the saying of the Lords prayer and the asking therein of the pardon of their sinnes Surely the holy Father himselfe and all the principall persons of his Church are absurd men or else it is no absurditie to assure the faithfull of the full forgiuenes of all their sins and yet to will them to pray daily for the same The Cardinals third instance is the Anabaptists hold faith to be an assurance of Gods loue who yet can haue no assurance thereof therefore saith is not the assurance of Gods loue As if heretikes and reprobates might not hold some right opinions in matters of faith But the Anabaptists say that they themselues haue an assurance of Gods loue and are accepted of him And what of that Did not the Laodiceans say that they were rich and increased with goods and wanted nothing Ap. 3. 17. And yet it was nothing so So some mad men will say that they are Lords of such and such Mannours vea Soveraignes of such and such kingdomes and yet they may be strake beggars Now the Anabaptists as all other heretikes are after a sort mad men and baue lost a sound mind and therefore they may thinke that they haue faith and the assurance of Gods loue when they haue it not indeed The evidences wherein divers men doe seeke for the assurance of Gods loue are diverse The Pharises had such an high conceit of their owne workes that they did thinke themselues iust thereby and accepted with God as being such in their owne proud opinions as did demerit no lesse at Gods hand So many that haue intended the vâ—â—er overthrowe of Prince and people hauing receaued absolution from their Priests and a pardon from the Pope haue iudged themselues to haue had all their sinnes pardoned and themselues greatly beloued of God So the Anabaptists deeming and dreaming their owne fancies to bee the immediate revelations of the spirit of God may happely presume hereof that they are right deare vnto God and such as may bee fully perswaded of his loue But the faithfull to whom God by his word and sacraments doth so reveale his covenant of mercy in Christ Iesus that thereby they are effectually called and brought vnto God to trust in this his vnspeakable goodnesse and to place their chiefe happinesse therein and to loue God for the same aboue all things whatsoever here by are rightly assured that they are in Gods loue and are effectually called to the estate of grace to obtaine salvation in Christ Iesus Wherefore albeit the assurance of the Anabaptists and of all other of the like ranke may be false and vaine for that it is built vpon a sandy false ground yet the assurance of the faithfull is most firme and certaine for that it is founded vpon a rocke Fourthly Bellarmine chargeth Luther with an absurd position for that he avoucheth that children being baptised may haue faith Why doth not our Saviour himselfe testifie that some at the first houre of the day of their life are called to worke in the Lords vineyard Mat. 20. 1. and therefore indued with a sanctified faith which worketh by loue And doth not the Scripture also in plaine words and not in parables teach that some are sanctified froÌ„ their mothers womb and therefore not only indued with an holy faith but also with all other graces of sanctification Ier. 1. 5. Why doth not Bellarmine himselfe thinke that infants descending from faithfull parents being baptised and dying before they come to yeares of discreation are Gods children and heires of his kingdome Now how are they Gods children vnlesse they are reformed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse there fore indued with a true faith which is a principall part of true holinesse and the very root whereout all other graces sprout and growe Wherefore it is no absurdity to thinke that children may be
supplication to a Prince and not vnderstand what is contained in his supplication much lesse should he doe it to the king of kings vnlesse he looke to be reâ—ected as a foolish and an absurd companion yea as a frantike mad man Thirdly is it not absurd to pray to Saints for such blessings as cannot be giuen but by God alone seeing it is all one as if one should seeke for that of a subiect which is only in the hands of a king to giue Fourthly were it not absurd when thou hast the kings eldest and dearest sonne to be thy mediator to his father to request some meane persons of the court to be thy mediators also as if the mediation of such a person were not sufficient So is it farre more absurd to ioine the Saints to the Sonne of God in the worâ—e of mediation whereas his intercession with the father is 10000000000 times more respected of God then is the intercession of all Angells and Saints Lastly is it not absurd to make the Saints mediators to Christ when be himselfe calleth thee promiseth to heare and helpe thee also whensoever thou by thy selfe shalt come vnto him in faithfull and humble prayer Mat. 11. 28. For hee loueth his faithfull servants better then any creature can loue him and therefore they ought to come rather to him then to any other I come with more comfort said an ancient autor to my Iesus then to any of the Saints For this cannot be the saying of S. Austine because he renounceth Dulcius ad meum Iesum accedo quam ad queÌ„vis sanctorum all other mediators but Christ and saith more over that if S. Iohn himselfe should take vpon him to bee our Mediator he should shew himselfe thereby to be a very Antechrist Aug. cont ep Parm. l. 2. c. 8. Last of all concerning faith they teach most absurdly of all other For where as our commoÌ„ Creed containing the summ of our Christian faith teacheth vs to beleeue in God that is to be fully perswaded that God is our God and louing father in Christ and hath taken vs for his adopted children even all and every one of vs vnto whome he hath giuen a true faith how can this faith taught in our common Creed stand with that of the church of Rome which commandeth vs still to stand in doubt of Gods loue Why is not Gods loue towards his faithfull and obedient children greater then is the loue of any earthly father to his And would not an earthly Father who hath declared his great loue toward his louing child in giuing him the best education that hee can and the greatest portion the largest inheritance take it very vnkindly at his childs hand if for all this he should make but the least doubt of his so entire and tender affection and loue Now our heauenly father giueth to all that are adopted sonnes by faith in Christ a farre better education greater portion and larger inheritance then all earthly parents can giue and that to this end to testifie vnto them the vnsearchable riches of his goodnesse towards them and to giue them full assurance of his vnspeakable loue And yet shall they be commanded still to make doubt thereof yea whereas all professions in the whole world bee they heathenish Iewish Haereticall or schismaticall doe make solemne protestation that they will giue assurance albeit vpon most false and deceauable grounds to their Disciples and followers that if they will rightly embrace their rules and put in practise their commandements they shall thereby be brought neare vnto God haue assurance of his favour and loue And shall our christian profession which only delivereth the true grounds of our reconciliation and peace with God and of his good will and loue towards the faithfull even by the testimonies of a multitude of heavenly Angels Luk. 2. 14. yet be counter commanded herein that by that Church which vaunteth her selfe to bee the only pillar and rocke of faith Vndoubtedly as that person is no chast wife nor true mother that willeth the children still to stand in doubt of the kindnesse of their carefull and louing father so the church of Rome hereby shew eth her selfe neither to bee the chast spouse of Christ nor the naturall mother of the faithfull but the whore of Babylon the mother of all abominations in that shee commandeth the faithfull which are the children of God still to stand in doubt of the loue of God their heauenly father Wherefore to conclude as on the one side we are to pray vnto God our heavenly father that he would still deliuer vs from the wicked doctrines of evill and vnreasonable Papists because they be not the doctrines of faith and truth so we are on the other side still to pray vnto him that he would cause the doctrine of the Gospell to be published more and more that he would giue it a full current and cause it to be glorified throughout the whole earth And let vs also pray that the Lord our God by the ministerie of one Haggei or other would lay open the ends and vses of such gentle corrections which of late yeares our land hath bin visited withal againe and againe stirre vp the spirits of our Zorobabels and Ioshuahs to haue a care first to build the temple of the Lord before the care of building of their own houses And that our wise Solomon would not only haue a care first to build the temple of God before the building of his owne pallace but also haue a greater care for the one then for the other that so of him it might be truely said Behold a greater then Solomon is here Yea that God would more and more settle in the heart of our David King Iames this serious meditation which so throughly possessed the soule of king David Behold I dwel in an house of Cedar trees and the arke of the Lord in divers places of my kingdome dwelleth vnder curtaines by the want of skilfull builders to build it a Temple that so not only our Nathans may say vnto our King Goe doe all that is in thine heart for God is with thee but also his God may say vnto him hast thou such a care to build an house vnto me Behold in lue there of thine house shall bee established and thy kingdome before thee for ever even thy throne shall be established for ever 2. Sam 7. 16. even so oh faithfull Amen say Amen and confirme this thine owne decree that it may be as the decrees of the Medes and Persians that cannot bee altered And say againe and againe of our King Iames and his kingdomes as thou didst once of David his Sion I haue chosen great Brittaine and loued to dwel in it saying This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I haue a delight therein I will blesse her victuals with increase satisfie her poore with bread I will cloth her Priests with health and her Saints shall reioice and sing Here will I make the horne of Iames to flourish I haue ordained a lanthorne for mine annointed And as for his enimies I will cloath them with shame but vpon his head shall the crowne flourish Ps 132. And let every faithfull Britaine crie out to his companion in faith country saying O pray for the peace of London they shall prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy wals and plentie within thy pallaces For my bretheren and companions sake I will wish thee now prosperitie yea because of the house of the Lord our God I will seeke to doe thee good Ps 122. Lastly to conclude let every faithfull soule wheresoever after this or the like maner commend his owne soule and salvation into the hands of his redeemer Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit which is thy due for why thou hast redeemed it O Lord my God most true Send out thy light that is thy truth and lead me with thy grace which may conduct mee to thine hill and to thy dwelling place One thing of thee I doe require that thou wilt not deny for which I pray and will desire till thou to me apply That I within his holy place my life throughout may dwell to see the beauty of thy face and view thy Temple well The greater sort craue worldly goods and riches doe imbrace but Lord grant mee thy countenance thy favour and thy grace For thou thereby shalt make mine heart more ioyfull and more glad then they that of their corne and wine full great increase haue had In peace therefore lye downe will I taking my rest sleepe for thou only wilt me O Lord alone in safetie keepe The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost bee with vs all Amen Yea thou that art God to be blessed for ever so in grace vouchsafe to be with vs that thou blesse the continuall ministerie of thine holy word and heavenly Angels to our continuall sanctification and preservation in this life and to our full and finall glorification in the life to come Amen FINIS