So I dare lay it on the same God that he in his providence is so with the Church of the Gentiles that they have and do preserve the Greek Text uncorrupt and clear As for some scapes by Transcribers that comes to no more then to censure a book to be corrupt because of some scapes in the printing and 't is certaine that what mistake is in one print is correctin another A second Proposition is That God never did suffer his Church to be without a sufficient Rule and there can be no rule but translations to the Vulgar Therefore I make no question but the sweet providence of God hath held the hearts and hands and pens of translators so in all true Churches in all times that the virnacular and popular translation into mother tongues have beene made pure without any considerable tincture of errour to endanger the soules of his Church For what if Interpreters and Translators were not Prophets yet God hath and doth use so to guide them that they have been are and shall be preserved from so erring in translating the Scriptures that the souls of his people may have that which will feed them to eternal life that they shall have sufficient for their instruction and consolation here and salvation hereafter This is the opinion of Bellarmine himselfe albeit he appropriates it to their vulgar Translation yet I think the eye of providence provides for all vulgar and vernacular translations in their mother tongue for all true Churches in the world Translations are sufficient with all their mistakes to save the Church I will deliver this in the words of Master Baine Faith cometh by hearing of the word from a particular Minister who by confession of all is subject to errour As God hath not immediately and infallibly assisted Ministers that they cannot erre at all so we know that he is in some measure with them that they cannot altogether erre A Translation that erreth cannot beget faith so farre forth as it erreth The word Translated though subject to errour is Gods Word and begetteth and increaseth faith not so farre forth as man through frailty erreth but as he is assisted through speaking and translating to write the truth So he This gives full satisfaction to me and I hope it will to others The maine Conclusion for a ground of all is the evidence and seale of the Spirit of God which perswadeth us of the saving truth in the Translation and by way of Ministry to come to saving faith by the preaching of the Word by our several Ministers Papists cry up the inerrable and infallible authority of the Church and yet they themselves deny not but their particular preachers whom they heare are as subject to erre as any of ours are I know no authority the Church hath whatever the Church doth is but Ministerial The Papists and we agree in this That Translations Originals Reading Preaching is of no saving effect without the Revelation and Testimony of the Spirit Canus I rather choose to mention him the oftener because Dr. John Rainolds saith that he was of better minde and sounder judgement then Popish Doctors are the most of them It is a great errour saith he in them who think they can either understand or interpret the Scripture without the peculiar gift of the holy Ghost And againe The last resolution of our faith must be in the inner efficiency of God moving to beleeve We believe not for that John or any man else saith it but because God hath revealed it Now that God hath revealed his minde we do immediately believe it by special instinct And again The formal reason of our assent is the light of God which God doth infuse into us and for this he cites Aquinas Lect. 2. ad Rom. 10. And as the understanding in us discernes of natural things and the taste in matters of sense so when the minde of a man is inlightened by the Spirit we are inabled to discerne doctrines necessary to salvation from errours which are not of God This his resolution is often up and down in his book Bellarmine is for the same conclusion A man cannot saith he without the special illustration of God believe the mysteries of faith And again Faith cannot arise in the heart but by divine revelation which is either immediately from God alone or by the instrument of the Word reade or preached I think it hath truth in it which Canus observes That Peter had heard the Testimony of John Baptist when with open voice he proclaimed Christ to be the Son of God John 1. 84. and had moreover with his own eyes seene many miracles of Christ yet after all these Christ doth ascribe Peters confession of his saith to none of of these but onely to divine revelation So then Protestants and Papists we and they concurre in this That at last we must sit down by the evidence and sealing testimony of the Spirit but with this difference They say The Spirit gives light and evidence to the authority of the Church we say To the Sovereignty of the Scriptures Nothing can be seene without some light or other Things of Reason cannot be conceived without the light of reason nor things of the Spirit without the light of Faith and of the Spirit Though Wotton hath cast an unhappy stone or two at translations yet when he comes to answer Fisher who said That the Spirit of God teacheth and perswadeth men to believe the Church Are you saith Wotton they who mock at private spirits and yet are glad to flie that help Is it not as likely the Spirit should teach men which is the Scripture as which is the Church and assure them of a translation as of this or that mans Ordination and Priesthood So he thus at last he is for the divine authority of translations But is not this to fall upon private revelations No such matter for we call not in for the Testimony of revealing of the Spirit to teach us any thing but what is revealed in the word that wer to bring in privat revelations But because none doth or can know the secrets of God but the Spirit of God therefore we say that we are made to see the evidence of truth first revealed in the Word and then by that light which the Spirit kindleth in our hearts both the Scripture to be the Word of God and the minde of the Sripture is not onely revealed but confirmed to us by the Testimony of the Spirit in us and to us So here is no use of the Spirit to reveal new lights but to shew us the evidence of these truthes which are in the Word A private spirit is to lead us from this is to lead us to the Word And all this is done by illightning our understandings and sanctifying our wills to discern and to approve the evidence of truth which is in the Scripture and no other They
tempests be tender of that that might be in such stead for poore trembling hearts in a stormy day Get to God then as thou canst sad distempers be upon our people Spiritual judgments be the sorest judgments What if thou hast but the a self-same words The song of Moses was a b new song tendered to God with new affections What if the petitions be c broken confused This poore d man cried saith the Text when he was in a poore case indeed like a e bedlam and yet he was heard The lesser lisping children some-whiles have the grant when those that be of greater maturity seeme to be fet aside Whilest Moses his hands were up though in a poor way Israel had the better Who can tell what God may do Abraham left asking ere God left granting even for a filthy Sodome Remember Latimers f once-again once-again tugg and wrastle We may come to see and our people may be made to know that their heart is g turned back-again to the God of their fathers For the soundnesse and settlednesse of his judgement He pitcht at first upon a good foundation and being h nourished up in the words of faith He continued in the things he had learned and beene well assured of knowing from whom he had received them He was with Socrates an a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} grounded in his opinion one that stood like a brazen wall as firme as a very rock with Virgils b Latinus in the midst of all the dashings and clashings of tempestuous times He saw with a cleare eye thorow all the painted glosses of those that were given to change and therefore was not moved at all with any thing said or done in that kinde He was true to his Religion and clave close all along to his first principles holding fast the faith that was c once and as he himself would often expresse it but once delivered to the Saints He lived and died a true Orthodox Divine according to the knowne doctrine of the Church of England He knew full well for all the great talk of the Gosspel as though it were but newly dropt out of the clouds that there is not any other Gosspel then the everlasting Gospel that was preached before unto Abraham and hath been entertained all along still by Gods faithful people and shall be so continually to the worlds end But some there be no mean pretenders to the Gospel that be in great danger of perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ This stable man was set up as a sure Sea-mark Stand to his steps though we stand alone God and a good conscience be very good company Elijah was but one yet did very good service One d Athanasius in the East one Hilary in the West was of mighty great use in a staggering time What if we meet with stormes 'T is but a poore Religion that 's not worth suffering for 'T will turn to a a testimony When the wilde humour is spent men will look home againe A Mercuries statue will be lookt upon then Those poor silly souls that be tossed to and fro and b whirl'd about and about again with every winde of doctrine will be glad of such a sight in the day of their visitation Whereas if they that know or should know more of God be not steady in their steering but varying their course poor bewilder'd hearts will be at their wits ends not knowing which way to turne nor to whom to goe nor whom to walke after As there is but one God so there is but one Faith one Baptism c one way to eternal life one Rule for us all to walk by Why be we not then all of one heart all in one tract so many men as we see so many mindes there be Every e moneth almost a new faith 'T is easie to swim with the tyde to perswade the heart of the rectitude of that that 's turn'd up trump by the times and yet to pretend still 't is from more light We may talk of the Spirit but f Schism is a fruit of the flesh The old way is the good way he shal stumble and hamper his feet that swerves from the g ancient pathes What 's got by gadding men itch for change still There 's no rest but with our first a husband 'T is good to be all of one minde in God Where 's not unitie in judgement there 's scarcely unity in affection Too fierce we be against such as close not with our notitions It was b Bell Book and Candle once 't is not much better now Wild-fire flies amaine We cannot all cut to a thread there will be some variation in the compasie but whilest we aime at the white the c oddes is to be passed by without bitternesse Why should there be such huge rents and divisions in the Church Where 's our forbearance We have not yet learnt our lesson well to wait one for another till God shall reveale Phil. 3. 15. Whilest we be so sharp in our contests Satan makes his Markets d Religion goes to wrack our differences e widen Some be ready to give up all seeing there's no better harmony others could wish themselves well out of the world that they may be delivered as Melanchthon saith from the d implacable differences even of some Divines Hearken to God He would have the truth g followed but in love If the Word will not sway the crosse will come and set an h Hooper and a Ridley to the embracing of one another Fall upon that one and only solid way of God and stick there Be we stedfast men It was once the Martyrs a stile it will ever be the good mans glory Get we then to God he can stablish the shuttle heart 2 Cor. 1. 21. See the judgement be so rightly set Is 33. 6. and the heart so firmly knit to God and his Truth he that b loved his Master would not leave his Master Tamper we not with opinions 2 Pet. 3. 17. nor with opinionative c men Rom. 16. 17 18. nor yet with books that scatter Tares This grave d Divine himself gives very good caution to this purpose from famous e Mr. Dod a man of that vast experience An honest heart may be sorely puzled with a forked Argument The Martyr could die for Christ that could not f dispute for him Some pretend they must trie all things but they speak besides the g book Who will try Ratsbane or a sharp sword whether it will pierce into his bowels Some think to withdraw when they see danger but Satan is subtile venome will get in we know not how and errour will h stick and eate What gets the flie that goes whisking by the Candle They that nibble at the bait shall hardly ' scape the hook Again gingle not with termes that be
since the Apostles there are no men in the world but are subject to deceive and to be deceived All infallibility in matters of this nature having long since left the world Again too like unto this is that of Master Wotton who cantell saith he what the signification of the Hebrew and Greek words is even in the Bible but by the report of men And to the like purpose is that observation That the two Tables written immediately by Moses and the Prophets and the Greek Copies immediately penned by the Apostles and Apostolical men are all lost or not to be made use of except by a very few And that we have none in Hebrew or Greek but what are transcribed Now transcribers are ordinary men subject to mistake may faile having no unerring spirit to hold their hands in writing These be terrible blasts and do little else when they meet with a weak head and heart but open the doore to Atheisme and quite to fling off the bridle which onely can hold them and us in the wayes of truth and piety this is to fill the conceits of men with evil thoughts against the Purity of the Originals And if the Fountains run not clear the Translation cannot be clean The best is this doth concern the learned who can best get out of such scruples as these it being made plaine to them by the Jewes themselves no friends to Christian Religion That the Hebrew Text is curiously preserved by them in its integrity For if the Oracles of God were as they were Rom. 3. 2. committed them it deeply concernes the Providence of God to look to it that the Jewes should keepe the Oracles of God not onely safe but pure not onely from not being lost but also from not being corrupted It 's out of question that the same God who committed the Oracles to the Jews did also take care that they should preserve them safe and sure uncorrupt and pure It is the use of Saint Paul much to follow the Greek translation which doth use to use the Greek word translated Oracles to meane the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets And what if there be scapes in some Copies yet other Copies runne clear But sith this concernes the Learned whom I much look not after from the Originals let us turne to the businesse of the Translations As for other matters about the Greek and Hebrew which it is and what is the meaning of the words I passe as a meere excrement of wit sith this is cried downe by all the learned world whither Christian or unchristian and therefore is not like to take to doe any hurt unto the soules of any 2. As touching Translations IT is granted that translators were not led by such an infallible spirit as the Prophets and Apostles were In the Councel of Trent after much debating by witty and learned heads they concluded That Translators were not Apostles but very near unto them The greatest Papists are of the same mind onely Sixtus Senensis is of opinion the seaventie two Translatours of the old Testament into Greeke were infallible Some are so quite another way that they like not any translations at all Smith the Se-baptist is utterly against reading translations in times of worship Amongst his Reasons two are the chiefest One is that we must worship God with the best we have Translations are not the best but the Originals Yet I hope they that know not the Originals Translations are the best they have If this were true then none can worship God in and by reading of the Scriptures but such as understand the Originals nor is that currant in reason or Divinity that we must serve God with the best There is good there is better there is best of all So that if one do that which is good he sinnes not though he do not that which is better if he do that which is better he sinnes not though he do not do that which is best of all He sinnes not who keepes within the circle of that which is good albeit he do not do that which is better or that which is best of all Againe a thing may be absolutely better in it self yet a lesse good thing in it selfe may be better in some respects and circumstances As simply in it self marriage is simply better then a single life yet in some respects Paul shews that a single life is better then marriage and this is Pauls Divinity Though a man do not that which is better nor that which is best yet as long as he doth do that which is good he sins not His other reason is That we must worship God with our owne gifts not with anothers As Translations are not our doing but made by the gifts and paines of others To this we say that 't is true we must worship God with our owne gifts but it is not true that in the worship of God with the help and by the meanes of that which is anothers we do not exercise our owne gifts The maine of the worship of God is That we worship him in and with the Spirit and truth in the inward parts and so we must and may doe and do do when we make use of Translations When we reade translations we must reade them with Faith and with the Spirit which are our inward gifts and graces else our reading is not to profit our selves withal and what hinderance the translation is to the use of Faith and the Spirit they do not they cannot prove So we are said to sing with the Spirit and yet we sing with the Spirit the better for that and to pray with the Spirit and yet the book is no hindrance to that neither Others gifts as long as they rather further then hinder the use of our own gifts can be no blur in the worship of God The same man doth wrangle with the originals too not denying them but denying the use of the book in the originals themselves in worship for that the Prophets and Apostles wrote books but did never divide their books into Chapters and Verses till Henry Stephens but the other day first made the verses of the New Testament which being man invention is not saith he to be used in the worship of God But whether Stephen Langton Arch-bishop of Canterbury did it first for chapters or Robert or Henry Stephens for the New Testament did it into verses is not material sith we place no Religion in it and this provision is known to be a great helpe to men in the worship of God We passe by this as a giddinesse of a weak braine in this Sebaptist He grants Translations are of good use but not in the worship of God and if of good use elsewhere why not there Saint Paul exhorts the Collossians That the Word of God might dwell in them richly in all wisdome They being Grecians I take it for granted that the most of them were not skilled in the
say their Church cannot erre in matters of Faith And why forsooth Because it is infallibly guided by the strait line of the spirit We say The true Church cannot so erre in matters of faith or life as to fall away from Christ and so to fall into damnation And why Because besides other helps the true Church is guided by the certain and infallible direction of the spirit the vicar general to our Lord Jesus Why then may not we twit them rather then they do us with the private spirit Aquinas the first through-Papist that ever was It is Dr. John Rainolds censure of him shall speak last for this point All holy learning is proved out of the Scriptures onely necessarily out of all other authors only probably For our faith doth rest on the revelation made to the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the Canonical Books and not on any other revelation if any be made to other Doctors So he and he was preferred by Innocent the Pope before all Writers next to the Scriptures well might the Pope so do saith the same Dr. Rainolds for that he deserved better of the Papacy then all the Fathers These things are so plaine that to argue more were to weaken them As I have read it to be the observation of Tully That things perspicuous and clear are much obscured by much arguing I hope the Papists for shame will give over fooling against us that we run after private Spirits and revelations since Aquinas the flower of the Papists speaks out as much as we do as touching the sealing of the Spirit The Application of all I have made a long and tedious discourse about the Originals and Translations because I find by my self that things let fall in Print by learned men and great reformers as touching the Originals that none can say this is the Hebrew that the Greek but because Linguists and learned men say so and they may erre Nor that this is the English of the Hebrew or of the Greek which we say is but men subject to trip do so say That the Originals transcribed into many Copies might erre and mistake and for the translations that there be flaws in them too since the transcribers and translators were no Prophets but men though not willing perhaps yet subject to speak and write besides the matter that translations are not the Word of God nor our rule These and such things as these I doubt not do stagger the thoughts of weak of strong Christians too and drive a many towards Atheisme And now saith a sick soule What shall a poore feeble-hearted Christian do My counsel is that when he is come to be certain without actual doubting by reasons arguments consent of times of the Church that our Bible is the Word of God that he would in all humility and sincerity apply himselfe to read it to hear it read to heare it preached and he may promise to himself that by the use of the word the Spirit of God will infuse inspire divine saving faith into his soul and free him not only from all actual but possible doubting that the Bible translated is the word of God And if the translation then the Originals For what ever is the instrument to convert the soul must needs be the pure word of God Some are firme that God never works a miracle but to confirme truth This is past question that the Spirit of God doth never work this miracle to convert the soule but by Gods word So say Now I know that it is the pure word of God for that it is a means to convert my soul so Psal. 19. 7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul By this then I know that it is without dispute the perfect Law of the Lord because it doth not only evince and convince me but convert my soul St Austine saith that he was converted by reading the last verse of the thirteenth to the Romans and that did prove to Austine that it was the perfect Law and word of God It is storied that Cyprian was converted by reading the Prophet Jonas And Iunius in his life written by himself saith that he was converted by reading the first Chapter of the Gospel of Iohn For Austine Cyprian I think neither of them had much skill in the Originals no nor Iunius neither at that time wherefore it is plain enough that they were converted by reading translations When then a man doth finde that by reading or hearing translations read or preached upon it hath pleased God to warme thy heart to turn and change thy poor soul to convert thee into a new creature go thy ways doubt nothing its an argument past answer that the Bible even as translated is the Word of God Go on look on it as Gods word read on still be diligent to hear it with the best ears thou hast and thou shalt finde it more and more to convert and sanctifie thee and so by consequence to assure thee by an undoubtful and divine faith inspired and infused into thy poor soul by the Spirit of God that this book no other is the very Word of God By this you see where and how the poor crazy soul may find rest and it is to rest on the translated Word of God waiting therein on the line of the sweet providence who by the use of the word will breath into his soul divine faith infused by the sure influence of the Spirit of God which spirit brings a light with it by which we know that what we know this is done by a divine faith not by humane conjecture being wrought in us by a special providence of God perswading and drawing us to acknowledge the contents therein to be of Divine authority Nor is this as I said to make our private spirit the rule of our faith but we lay all at the foote of the divine providence to put light into our minds and then to work in us a firm assent to the Word of God that it is indeed and truth the very Word of God And none of this is done otherwise then by the Word of God itself and the spirit joyning with the Word In a word nothing can work saving grace in any man to the conversion of his soule but the very Word of God But this the word translated hath wrought in me therefore I know by this that the Scripture translated is the word of God sith nothing but Gods word can turne and convert the soul Make the most of that which some call universal tradition it can bring us no farther then an humane belief little better is it then that which the Papists call the authority of the Church The Ministry of the Church we grant needful and useful but for the authority of the Church we acknowledge none Thus the Jewes are for their Rabbines and their universal tradition So did the Saracens like as the Gentiles
whilest they heard him winding and turning a point of Divinity like a workman that needed not to be ashamed Whereas now-a-dayes whilest some of our best Divines seeme to be too much taken up with quaint and historical flourishes there 's a sensible decay in the power of godlinesse amongst us An Exotick tongue in the publick Congregation whatever men think of it is set out as a e signe of displeasure It feeds such humours as would be purged it had no good effect in the Church of Corinth Mens wits will wax wanton when they be not over-awed by the plaine power of Gods Word When Preachers keep not close to the very f words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine that is according unto godlinesse but love to be tampering with another g doctrine though not with another in the maine but even in the manner of the delivery onely as when it savours too much of the pomp of humane Eloquence saith h Calvine when it differs from the stile of the holy Ghost saith i Danaeus the people be in danger of turning aside to vain jangling to perverse disputings desiring to be teachers and such like matters The gilt upon the pill may please the eye but it profits not the patient The paint upon the glasse may feed the fancy but the room is not well lighted by it The sword of Gods Spirit can never wound so deep till it be pluckt out of these gaudy scabbards k Nakednesse deforms too too many in these days but it is the best garnishing truth can have A sober dresse best becomes a grave Matron There be l words as well as things which the holy Ghost teacheth The Arrows fetcht out of Gods own quiver will pierce the deepest and make the people fall the soonest under Christ The weaknesse of God is stronger then men Pauls weapons were mighty The sincere milk of the Word will make Gods babes to grow best This curious age is too too much given to affectation of Words as a m good friend of mine hath well observed And Doctor Sibs was wont to say that great affectation and good affection seldome go together The swelling words of vanity may tickle the eare tip the tongue please in matters of discourse but when it comes to push of pike they afford but little comfort This grave Divine had another manner of wisdom then that of Words He was made an able Minister of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit that hath given n doth give and will give life Having this hope then he used great plainnesse of speech and by the manifestation of the truth He commended himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God and hath so well seasoned the country that I hope the fruit will remain and be seene many a yeare hence 3. For the livelinesse of his prayers He was a man that had a very large measure of that spirit of grace that is the spirit of supplication He was so well fitted for the opening of his minde to God as if with holy a Bradford he had been almost ever upon his knees he could tell his own errand or any other mans at the Throne of grace with as good freedome and to as good purpose as any man living He would not be rash with his mouth when he came before God nor set out what he had to say there with painted eloquence or court-like complement but his mouth should be filled with such savoury arguments as very well became an humble suppliant He would be farre from those battologies and miserable extravagancies that the greatest part of us be so sorely haunted with He would poure out his soul to God at all manner of times upon all manner of occasions with all manner of prayer and supplication and with that admirable variety of all sorts of quickning and feeling meditation that it would even ravish their hearts that could be so happy as to partake with him Yet for all this He was clear in his opinion for the lawfulnesâ—e of the use of set formes according to the tenet of all the best Divines that ever I met with that were in their cold blood and much heed is not to be given to what any man saith that 's in the height of his sick fit and according to the practice of all Churches even the best reformed saith c Master Rogers now and ever saith d Mr. Hildersam nay e Mr. Smith himself saith who was warping at that very time and afterwards wandered farre in the wayes of the separation it was the practice of the ancient Church and of all the reformed Churches in Christendome of the Church immediately after the Apostles nay saith he of the Church in the time of the Apostles as may probably be gathered out of 1 Cor. 14. 26. this hath been the practice also of the very best f lights that ever were set up in the Churches of Christ 'T is very well known that the flower of our own Divines went on in this way when they might have done otherwise if they had pleased in their prayer before their g Sermons Nay Mr. Dod his own self as I have been often told by this great Divine would seldome end his devotions in his own family but with the use of the Lords prayer Nay yet more h Mr. Cartwright thinks it very ptobable that Christ his own self made use of a set-form at meals 'T is not good to cast stones of offence before our weak brethren that be of meaner parts wanting in ability memory or audacity that they be not taken off from or disheartened in this necessary service Nor may we lay a trap for our own feet Who knowes what times may passe over him If God plunge us in the ditch and leave us labouring in the noose the loftiest of us all may be faine to take relief from these poor contemptible props and crutches as some do deeme them When the soul 's so troubled that it i cannot speak but chatter onely like a Crane or Swallow when 't is so full of grief that it can no more then sigh and groane and k make a confused noise 't will be glad to catch at any thing to give it self vent by Dr. l Harris tells us of a second Bradford that in time of his distresse was fain to adopt Mr. Bradfords words and to spread them before God as his own because he had said more for him as he thought then he could say for himself I knew a rare and eminent Divine indeed that would be as often upon his bended knees as any man that ever I conversed with that would sometimes be in such dumps that he had no more to set before God â—o give his heart ease by then the words of David in the one and fiftieth Psalm Well might then this knowing Divine of ours that had been so tossed with
this mans patterne together with brave a Cranmers be pasted up before our faces T is not for us to fill the Houses Congregations places where we come with combustion nor to cast them into broiles by bitternesse When we have the repute of Lambs abroad we must not be lions at home God hath called us to peace The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men The words of the wise will be heard in quiet more then the cry of him that rules among fooles 'T is better to be of an humble spirit with the lowly then to divide the spoile with the proud All our things are to be done in charity and none thorough strife nor vain-glory This prudent man b mindes us more then once or twice in the ensuing Tract that there 's no such power in the Church as some look after seeing all the power the Church hath as Church is rather Ministerial then authoritative 'T was once lookt upon as an hateful crime to be Lording it over Gods heritage We may not come nigh that that hath such an ill resent By soaring too high we have lost our selves too much already We are brought to the dust and laid full low and must all of us now learn to beare the shame of it Holy Bradfords old medicine is the best hope that 's left us c Repent repent It will strike the stroke if we repent in deed and repent in truth and repent of that that hath let in the storme upon us But there 's little of that in sight yet Hezekiah humbled himself and found it a fit salve for such a disease as ours is If we can hit it right to humble our selves under the mighty hand of God we shall be exalted in the true and due time 1 Pet. 5. 6. Here 's a taste and but a little taste in this that is thus set forth of the precious liquor that was poured into this earthen vessel If I should mention the quicknesse of his apprehension the strength of his memory His sense of the publick evils his passing by offences his special regard to such as loved their wives and Ministers and the like where should I end that have exceeded already These and his other eminencies would be laid in oyle and lime by him that hath a better pencil I have collected some scattered fragments onely for mine owne and some others use and have assayed to shew those that be more remote that we had more in his life then they had in his writings Towards his latter end he met with some pinching griefs which he bare with invincible fortitude he would submit because it was Gods will to have him so exercised All of us must look to drink of the self-same cup our last dayes commonly be our worst dayes a as Mollerus observes the clouds will be returning then after the rain We must be taught to speak it out that we be but pilgrims We must be more truely taken off from the World more ripen'd and mellowed and season'd for God and be made more serious in all our undertakings Melanchthon would say a if he had no cares he would have no prayers The comfort is the time is but short the most and best of our treasure is gone before our hope is laid up in Heaven Get we more communion with God more faith more patience and put on the whole Armour of God and we shall be able to stand and withstand in the evill day This knowing man lookt upon storms impending râ—joycing he should be in his grave before their fall whether he came according to the b ascending of a shock of corne in his season The Sabbath day was the last day of his life The strict observation whereof I have heard him presse He would say we should go to sleepe that night with meat in our mouths as it were That same c Lords day he preached twice taking his leave of the world with pressing faith in God He repeated both his Sermons that night in his Familie somewhat more largely then usually He read his Chapter also went to prayer and to bedd and died immediately by that time the words were well out of his mouth None of us must choose his own death but who can desire to die better then calling upon God as Stephen did He would often say if God saw it fit one had better die of a quick then of a lingring death suiting to Caesars speech The suddennesse of the stroke was great trouble to some of us at the first but since we have collected our thoughts We must needs say Gods way is the best If he had had time he would have been apt to dispute and so to have been too hard for us all Justus Jonas Luthers great friend had much adoe at his death to fasten upon any manner of comfort It hath beene the case of many a choice man God prevented it here This present Tract is his last and best I am sure of most use 'T is but a piece of what was intended as appears by the paper that was last tackt up for it whereof the fourth part is not written But he had the justest excuse as Vrsine for his inchoate Comment upon Isaiah being taken off by death If he had lived to review it it would have beene more polite But blessed be the Lord we have it as it is Who can sufficiently admire the wisdome of God in setting of this able penne to work upon such an useful subject for the laying a firm foundation for a trembling heart to ground it selfe upon when it may see it clearly made good that it may safely pitch upon that Translation of the holy Scripture that 's set before it in its native tongue God stirred up the Spirit of this great Disputer to put in a seasonable and a substantial barre in a needful time when some curious and quaint heads opened the door so dangerously against all Translations Other opinions overthrow the faith of some few but this strikes at the root and endeavours to destroy the faith of all that are not skill'd in the Original Tongues * Dr. Sibbs that worthy Divine mine ancient acquaintance and loving friend hath a pretty observation God hath raised up men saith he and gifted them proportionably to the times to fence his truth when it hath been opposed by men of stronger wits as the ancient Fathers to deal with the Pagans and proud Hereticks and Austin to vindicate Gods Predestination and free Grace out of the hands of the enemies of Grace and Flatterers of Nature So here he moved the heart of this man of sublime parts that could â—rapple with the strongest and argue with the subtillest to clear this point about Translations so fully that there 's no colour of scruple left now for the poor soul that 's willing to close with the eternal Truth of God set before it in its own Mothers Tongue So that I
do the work till they come to the testimony of the spirit They may and do work and acquire in us an humane faith which may stand free from actual hesitation and doubting but not from possible dubitation for lay them all together yet they may deceive or be deceived Canus disputes strongly against Scotus Durand Gabriel and others who rested themselves on the authority of the Church by an acquired faith first before they come to an infused faith This saith he were to sit down by the Authority of man not of God and the formal reason of our infused faith would be other then the increated truth of God whereas the difference of faith gotten by helps may erre but faith infused by God cannot erre So that when we have all done and got all the help we can to rest on the Scriptures the work is not done till we by the Spirit of God have this sealed by infused faith in our souls that these books which we have translated are the very words of God Smith himself that grand backbiter of translations confesseth at last that if the translations of the Word of God do agree with the Originals that then they are the Word of God nor are they the Translations except they do and as far as they do concord w with the Originals If an Ambassadour deliver his minde by an Interpreter and the Interpreter do relate things right else he is not an Interpreter then his words are the speeches of the Ambassadour Well then though all humane reasons the consent of all the world will not help us to that faith in the Word which will help us to heaven yet they are a preparation and such a preparation to this faith infused that we cannot ordinarily look for faith infused but by the way of this faith which is gotten by the arguments reasons considerations convictions and helps wrought by the Argumentations and considerations proposed by men which do work as most often it doth in us an acquired humane faith free from actual though not from possible mistake and doubting This may be and is a faire meanes to bring us to look on the Scripture without any actual question made of it as the Word of God And then by the use of the Word to attain to a Divine faith which is infallible by reason of the Divine infallible truth rightly conceived and believed by it For it is out of question that by the Ministry of men who are not simply infallible both we may and do attain unto that faith in the divine Revelations of the Word which are or is infallible It s no Paradox to hold that a thing not infallible may by way of Ministry lead us to that certainty which is infallible For my part I hold universal tradition as far as it looks onely on the votes and vices of men to be of all reasons the weakest For the arguments from the authority of God be the strongest yet conclusions from the authority of men is an unartificial argument the weakest However what Arminius saith is true that this humane faith built on such an universal tradition may be a fit preparation to that other faith which is built on the Authority of God I am farâ—e from once thinking that in universal tradition men do once dreame to make the last resolution of their faith into the veracity of any such universal tradition For our faith must rest on the same that the Apostles and Prophets did rest their faith on But they did resolve their faith onely on truth uncreated and divine and not on the votes of the Church or any universal tradition Canus speaks the truth when he saith that the authority of the divine Scriptures is not to be sought from the reason or authority of men For the assent to a conclusion cannot be more certain then the assent to the premisses and proofs of that conclusion Now if our infused faith did rest onely or chiefly on the credit of the Church or universal tradition then our infused faith could go no higher then an humane and created truth I mean onely or chiefly on the voices or reasons of men and not on the voice and authority of God But what is this to translations Much every way I argue thus The end of the Church and people of God is that they should be saved Now if God set down the end he will provide the means of their salvation and that is faith and faith is not built on the authority of the Church or of universal tradition all which are the voices of men but on the Word of God Now this Word of God cannot concerne common people but onely as translated Now what shall a poore unlearned Christian do if that he hath nothing to rest his poore soul on the originals he understands not if he did the first Copies are not to be had and he cannot tell whether the Hebrew and Greek Copies be the right Hebrew or the right Greek or that which is said to be the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek but as men tell us who are not Prophets and may mistake Besides the Transcribers were men and might erre These considerations may let in Atheisme like a flood To help all this we will deliver our mind in some Propositions I. That God as I shewed did lay up the Hebrew Copies to be kept by the Jewes who were ordered by God to be faithful notaries to keep these Records and a world of places are cited out of the Old in the New Testament according as they are nowe in the Hebrew Copies and the Old Testament hath in it the life and soule of the New Testament Moses and the Prophets wrote of Christ The New Testament is but a cleare and infallible counter-part of the Old It s cleare that the Hebrew of the Old Testament stood cleare and uncorrupt without any breaches made in them by transcribers or otherwise till the time of the publishing of the New Testament as appears by the manie places cited in the New out of the Old chiefly where Hebrew words are kept and repeated as Hosanna Golgotha Eli Eli Lamasabachthani Mat. â—7 sutable unto the places whence they are taken out of the Old chiefly in Saint Matthews Gospel who was most punctual in applying and suiting the Prophesies of the Old Testament of all the holy penmen of the New Testament And it is easie to be proved that Matthew wrote after that was done which Luke wrote in the Acts of the Apostles Doctor Jackson saith a long time after Peter made that Sermon Act. 1. Saint Matthew addes and saith saith he it was called the field of blood unto this day Which argueth that he wrote his Gospel a long time after St. Peter made his Comment upon the Psalmist Acts 1. 15 16 17. Well then as God committed the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament to the Jewes and did and doâ—h move their hearts to keep it untainted to this day