force of assimilating them unto the paterns of godly and religious mens Souls represented herein yea even of transforming them into the similitude of that Image wherein they were first created The Idaeas of Sanctity and Righteousnesse contained in this Spiritual Glasse are the causes of our Edification in good life and Vertue as the Idaea or Platform in the Artificers head is the cause of the Material House that is builded by it SECT II. Of Experiments and Observations External answerable to the rules of Scripture CAP. VII Containing the Topick whence such Observations must be drawn 1 IF the Books of some Ancient rare Author who had written in sundry Arts should be found in this Age all bearing the Authors name and other commendable Titles prefixed a reasonable man would soon be perswaded that they were His whose name they bore but sooner if he had any positive arguments to perswade himself or their Antiquitie or if they were commended to him by the authoritie or report of men in this case credible But besides all these if every man according to his Experience or Skill in those Arts and Faculties which this Ancient writer handles should upon due examination of his Conclusions or discourse find resolution in such points as he had alwayes wavered in before or be instructed in matters of his Profession or observation whereof he was formerly ignorant this would much strengthen his Assent unto the former reports or traditions concerning their Author or unto the due praises and Titles prefixed to his Works albeit he that made this trial could not prove the same truth so fully to another nor cause him to Believe it so firmly as he himself doth unlesse he could induce him to examine his writings by like Experiments in some Facultie wherein the examiner had some though lesse Skill And yet after the like trial made he that had formerly doubted would Believe these works to be the supposed Authors and subscribe unto the Titles and commendations prefixed not so much for the Formers Report or Authoritie as from his own Experience Now we have more certain Experiments to prove that the Scriptures are the word of God then we can have to prove any mens works to be their supposed Authors for one Author in any Age may be as good as another He perhaps better of whom we have heard lesse We could in the former case only certainly Believe that the Author whosoever was an excellent Scholler but we could not be so certain that it was none other but he whose Name it did bear For there may be many Aristotles and many Platoes many Excelllent men in every Profession yet but One God that is All in All whose Works we suppose the Scriptures are which upon strict examination will evince him alone to have been their Author 2 The meanes then of establishing our Assent unto any part of Scripture must be from Experiments and Observations agreeable to the rules in Scripture For when we see the reason and manner of sundrie events either related by others or experienced in our selves which otherwise we could never have reached unto by any Natural Skill or generally when we see any effects or concurrence of things which cannot be ascribed to any but a Supernatural Cause and yet they fully agreeing to the Oracles of Scriptures or Articles of Belief This is a sure Pledge unto us that he who is the Author of Truth and gives being unto all things was the Author of Scriptures 3 Such Events and Experiments are divers and according to their diversities may work more or lesse on divers dispositions Some may find more of one sort some of another none all Some again may be more induced to Believe the truth of Scriptures from one sort of Experiments some from others Those observations are alwayes best for every man which are most incident to his Vocation With some varietie of these observations or Experiments we are in the next place to acquaint divers Readers CAP. VIII That Heathenish Fables ought not to Prejudice divine Truth 1 NOthing more usual to men wise enough in their generation then for the varietie or multitude of false reports concerning any Subject to discredit All that are extant of the same And all inclination unto diffidence or distrust is not alwayes to be misliked but onely when it swayes too far or extends is self beyond the limits of its proper Circumference that is matters of Bargain or secular Commerce As this diffident temper is most common in the cunning managers of such affaires so the first degree or propension to it were not much amiss in them did they not Transcendere à genere ad genus that is were not their Mistrust commonly too generally rigid and stiff For most men of great dealings in the world finding many slipperie companions hold it no sin to be at the least suspitious of all Others being often cozened by such as have had the name and reputation of Honest men begin to doubt whether there be any such thing indeed as that which men call Honestie and from this doubting about the real nature of Honestie in the Abstract they resolve undoubtedly That if any man in these dayes do not dâ—… ill with others it is onely for want of sit opportunitie to do himself any great good But as Facilitie in yielding Assent unless it be moderated by discretion is an infallible Consequent of too great simplicitie and layes a man open to abuse and wrong in matters of this life so General Mistrust is the certain forerunner of Insidelity and makes a man apt enough to cozen himself without a tempter in matters of the life to come though otherwise this is the very disposition which the great Tempter works most upon who for this reason when any notable truth of greater moment fals out labours by all means to fil the world with reports of like events but such as upon examination he foresees wil prove false for he knows well that the Belief of most pregnant truths may be this means be much impaired as honest men are usually mistrusted when the world is full of knaves And to speak the Truth It is but a very short Cut betwixt general and rigid Mistrust in worldly dealings and Infidelity in spiritual matters which indeed is but a kind of diffidence or mistrust and he that from the experience of often cozenage comes once to this point That he will trust none in worldly affairs but upon strong securitie or legal assurance may easily be transported by the varietie or multitude of reports in spiritual matters notoriously false to Believe nothing but upon the sure pledge and Evidence of his own Sense or natural Reason This is one main fountain of Atheism of which God willing in the Article of the Godhead In this place I onely desire to give the Reader notice of Satans Policy and to advertise him withall that as there is a kind of Ingenuous Simplicity which if it match with sobâ—ieâ—ie and serious
Delusions and Appearances as well as the true their divine Illuminations whence the Contention amongst the professed Prophets themselves was as great as any now amongst the learned Interpreters of Prophecies or other Scriptures And from this Contention amongst the Prophets the unlearned or rather all in that people not Prophets were by the Romanist Objections against us were they pertinent to waver and halt between the contrariety of Illuminations and Visions professed as well by the false Prophets as the true Nor will any Jesuite I think be so bold as to deny lest every man might perceive him to deny more then possibly he could know that those lying Spirits in the mouthes of Ahabs Prophets were then as cunning in imitating true Revelations as now in counterfeiting Orthodoxal Interpretations of Truth revealed Or if this they cal in question let them resolve us why Idolatry in those Ages wherein true Prophets flourished most should be as frequent and various as Heresies in later times wherein the preaching of the Gospel is most plentiful The true Reason whereof as we suppose is this These lying Spirits were alike apt to imitate Gods several manner of speaking whether by means ordinary or extraordinary in divers Ages At all times if we compare either their native Capacity or acquired skil with our own though in matters wherein we have been most conversant if to their sagâ—…y we adde their malicious Temper and eager Desires of doing ill which alwayes adde an Edge unto Wit in mischievous Invention In all these they so far exceed the sons of seduced Adam that unlesse the Almighty did either 〈◊〉 us by his Holy Spirit or restrain them in the exercise of their skil especially in Spiritual matters wherewith the natural man hath no acquaintance who could in any Age be able to discern their Jugling much less to avoid their snares alwayes suited to the present season Notwithstanding most evident it is that in Ahabs as in all other times tainted with the like or a quivalent Sins the Almighty gives them leave to do their worst to practise with such cunning in every kind as leaves men so disposed as these false Prophets were until they amend no more possibility of distinguishing Devilish Suggestions from Divine Oracles then Ahab had without repentance to escape his doom read by Elias and Michaiah For he had not fallen unlesse his Prophets had been first seduced Their Errour therefore was by Gods just judgement as Fatal as his Fall both absolutely inevitable upon supposition of their obstinate Disobedience to the undoubted Mandates of Gods written Law Thus no one tittle of our Adversaries Objections how the learned should be sure of their interpretations when others as learned as they are as strongly perswaded to the contrary but is as directly opposite unto the Certainty of true Prophets Revelations seeing many yea most of that Profession and in the judgement of man men of better gifts and places then such as proved true Prophets were otherwise perswaded usually such as the people esteemed best strangeliest deluded 3 That from this Variety of Opinions amongst the Prophets about their Illuminations others not endued with the gift of Prophesie were in the self same case the unlearned people throughout the Christian world are in wheresoever or whensoever Dissentions arise amongst the learned admits no question but amongst wranglers For albeit the excellent Brightness of Divine Truth did necessarily imprint an infallible Evidence in their apprehension to whom it was immediately by Means extraordinary revealed yet could they not communicate this Evidence or Certainty unto the people but by preaching the Word revealed after the self same manner we do Yea sometime it was only communicated unto them by the Ministery of others no Prophets Here let any Jesuite or other Patron of the Romish Churches Cause answer me to these Demands First whether the People were not bound to believe the true Prophesies either delivered by the Prophets own mouthes or read by others or directed to them in writing to be the Word of GOD and to reject the contrary Doctrine of false Prophets as Delusions Secondly whether if the ordinary People of those times could by any Christians though private men in later may not by the same Means distinguish the Word of God being in like sort read or expounded or preached unto them from the Word of Man The Word remains stil the same the Truth of it better confirmed unto the World by the continuance of it in power and strength throughout all Ages intermediate wherein Gods Spirit by which it was first manifested to the Prophets and written in the Peoples hearts hath been more plentiful then before especially since the Revelation of the Gospel most plentiful in this present if I may so speak the second time of Grace Our Argument then stands good A fortiori If every private man amongst GODS People of Old might and ought Believe and believing Obey his Word revealed to others only read or expounded unto him rejecting all contrary or erroneous Doctrines the People of this Age must do the like and all Objections possible against the judgement of modern private Spirits conclude as much against all private persons of Ancient times For their Means of knowing the Prophets Illuminations or Visions were ordinary such as we have now liable to all exceptions that can be made against our knowledge or perswasion of the true Sense of Scripture But neither theirs nor our Imbecillity in knowing or Facility of erring was or is any just Exception why the Scripture should not be a Rule to both Albeit all the Papists Arguments might be urged with far greater probability against them who were to Believe Prophetical Writings first For more easie it is to Assent unto Particulars contained in a general Canon already established by the approbation of former Ages and confirmed by joynt consent of Parties most adverse and contrary in the interpretation of several parcels then to admit the general Canon it self for the undoubted Word of GOD or yield obedience to the Particulars therein contained Yet were the Ancient people bound to admit the Prophesie of Isaias Jeremiah as the undoubted Word of God albeit unknown to their Ancestors but only in the generality of Moses doctrine much more as we conclude may Christians now living assent unto the true expositions or particular contents of these Prophesies or other Scriptures of whose absolute Truth in general they do not doubt and of whose 〈◊〉 articulars they may now behold the sundry Opinions and Expositions of divers Ages 4 To presse the former Arguments more fully parallel'd to our present Controversie a little farther I would demand of any Jesuite whether the Word of God taught by the Prophets who were to win credit by their skil not presumed skilful for their Authority in the Church or credit in Common-weal or the definitive sentence of the High-Priests or others in eminent place were to be the Rule of Israels Faith Whether the
of their vanity dispose our minds to embrace the stability of Gods Word with greater stedfastnesse We know the vertue and benefit of the Sun not so much by looking upon it self continually or directly as by the variety of other objects or colours all pleasant with it to the eye but altogether invisible or indistinguishable without it so for mine part I must professe that such historical narrations poetical fictions or other conceits of Heathens as they themselves knew little use of nor should I have done had I been as they were being compared with this heavenly light of Gods Word did much affect me even in my best and most retired meditations of sacred mysteries their observation as it were tied my soul by a new knot or fest more surely unto that truth which I knew before to be in it self most sure most infallible Yea even in points wherein my heart unto my seeming was best established it much did nourish augment and strengthen belief already planted to observe the perfect consonancie of profane with sacred Writers or the occasions of their dissonancie to be evidently such as Scriptures specifie that of many events wondred at by their Heathenish relators no tolerable reason could be given but such as are subordinate to the never-failing rules of Scripture And whosoever will may I presume observe by Experiment the truth of what I say There is no motive unto belief so weak or feeble but may be very available for quelling temptations of some kind or other either in speculation or practise oft-times such as are absolutely more weak or feeble more effectuall for expelling some peculiar distrust or presumption then others farre more forcible and strong for vanquishing temptations of another kinde in nature most grievous Many half students half gallants are often tempted either to distrust the commendations of this Eden which we are set to dress or distaste the food of life that grows within it from delights suggested by prophane books wherewith commonly they are first acquainted and hence much affect the knowledge their Authors profer as likely to Deifie them in the worlds eies Our proneness to be thus perswaded is a witness of our first parents transgression and these suggestions as reliques of Satans baits whereby he wrought their bain But what is the remedy not to tread in any heathenish soil lest these serpents sting us rather the best medicine for this malady would be a confection of that very flesh wherein such deadly poyson lodged Other arguments may more perswade the judicious or such as in some measure have tasted the fruits of the spirit But none the curious artist better then such as are gathered from his esteemed Authors Even such as are in faith most strong of zeal most ardent should not much mispend their time in comparing the degenerate fictions or historical relations of times ancient or modern with the everlasting truth For though this method could not add much encrease either to their faith or zeal yet would it doubtless much avail for working placid and milde affections The very pencilmen of sacred writ themselves were taught patience and instructed in the waies of Gods providence by their experience of such events as the course of time is never barren of not alwaies related by Canonical Authors nor immediately testified by the spirit but oft times believed upon a moral certainty or such a resolution of circumstances concurrent into the first cause or disposer of all affairs as we might make of modern accidents were we otherwise partakers of the spirit or would we mind heavenly matters as much as earthly Generally two points I have observed not much for ought I know if handled at all by any writer albeit their fruit and use would fully recompence the best pains of any one mans life-time though wholly spent in their discussion whose want in my mind hath been the bane of true devotion in most ages The first is an equivalencie of means in the wisedome of God so proportioned to the diversity of times as no age could have better then the present howsoever they may affect the extraordinary signs and wonders of former generations Of this argument here and there as occasion shall serve in this work elsewhere at large if God permit The second is an equivalencie of Errors Hypocrisie Infidelity and Idolatry all which vary rather their shape then substance in most men through ages nations and professions the ignorance of God remaining for the most part the same his attributes as much though in another kind transformed by many in outward profession joyned with the true Church as in times past by the Heathen The truth of which assertion with the original causes of the error and means to prevent it are discussed at large in the article of the God-head Many likewise for ought their conscience because not rightly examined will witness to the contrary are strongly perswaded they love Christ with heart and soul and so detest as well the open blasphemy or professed hatred which the Jew as the secret enmity the Jesuit or other infamous Hereticks bear against him when as oft times the onely ground of their love to him is their spite to some or all of these as they are deciphered to them in odious shape the onely original of their despite to these the very dregs of Jewish Popish or other Heretical humours in themselves by some light tincture of that truth which they outwardly profess exasperated to more bitter enmity against them with whose internal temper they best agree then otherwise they could conceive as admission to place of credit or authority makes base minds conscious of their own forepast villanies more rigid censurers of others misdemeanors or cruel persecutors of such malefactors as themselves in action have been and in heart yet are were all occasions and opportunities the same then any moderate or sincere man in life and action could be Of the original of this disease with the crisis and remedy as also the tryal of faith inherent in the articles concerning Christ and remission of sins From the manner of Jerusalems progress to her first destruction and discovery of the Jews natural temper the principal subject of my subcisive or vacant hours from these meditations and other necessary imployments of my calling I have observed the original as well of most states as mens miscariages professing true religion to have been from presumption of Gods favour before dangers approach and distrust of his mercy after calamities seiz upon them The root of both these misperswasions to be ignorance or error in the doctrin of Gods providence whose true knowledge if I may so speak is the fertil womb of all sacred moral truths the onely rule of rectifying mens wils perswasions and affections in all consultations or practises private or publick Unto this purpose much would it avail to be resolved whether all things fall out by fatal necessity or some contingently how fate and contingency if compatible each
of such particular places of Scripture as teach the Articles of our Creed expresly will come more fitly into the unfolding of the Articles themselves The second general part of the first Book SECT I. Of Observations internal or incident unto Scriptures without Reference to any relations or events other then are specified in themselves ALthough the Experiments confirming the truth of Scriptures be as I have said many and divers yet all may be reduced into these general heads or kindes They may be found either in the Stile or Character of these writings themselves the Affections or dispositions of their Writers or in Events or Experiments whatsoever the course of times affords answerable to the Rules set down in Scriptures CAP. IV. Of Historical Characters of Sacred Writings TO any man indued with reason not perverted the Books of Moses give more perfect proof of matters done and acted then any other Historie in the World can possibly do albeit we set aside the secret Characters of Gods Spirit speaking in them which we suppose can be discerned of none but such as have the mark of the Lamb answerable to it engraven upon their hearts But now we seek such inducements to Belief as may perswade the natural unregenerate man of the Historical truth of these sacred Volumes 2 The prejudices arising from the strangeness of matters related by him the Reader shall finde mitigated in the next discourse In the mean time I must request him to suspend his judgement of them and onely to intend the lively Characters of Historical truth in other relations of matters neither strange nor incredible in themselves Either Moses wrote a true Historie or else his words are but a Fiction either Poetical to delight others or Political to advantage himself or his successors Let such as doubt of their Historical truth duly examine whether many things related by him can possibly be referred to any of these two ends As for example if these relations Gen. 4. 1. and the 25. had not been either real Adjuncts of some Famous Truth then sufficiently known or else appointed by God to be notified for some special purpose to posteritie how could it possibly have come into any mans thought or to what end should it have gon thence into his Pen to shew the reason why Evah should call her first son Cain or her third Seth 3 He that would set himself to contradict might reply Moses his invention was so copious as to forecast that those insertions might make his History seem more probable or that he spake unawares according to the Custom of the times wherein he lived But why then should he omit the like in all the generations from Cain and Seth unto Noah the reason of whose name given him by his father he likewise specifies Genesis 5. 29. Genesis 5. 29. Then Lamech begat a son and called his name Noah saying This same shall comfort us concerning our work and sorrow of our hands as touching the earth which the Lord hath cursed It was doubtless from some diversity in the matter presupposed unto this work not from the workmans choice or invention why the reason of these three mens names should be specified as afterwards will more plainly appear For the positive notes or sure tokens of a true Historie they are most plentiful in the stories of Abraham Jacob and Joseph Each part of which the Divine Providence whereof these are the most Ancient most perfect and most lively patterns would have set out with such perspicuitie of all circumstances that the Reader might be an eye-witness of their Historical Truth The subject and issue whereof is in it self so pleasant as will ravish sober and attentive mindes and allure them to follow the main current of Divine Mysteries which flow from these Histories mentioned as from their first Heads or Fountains To point at some few rather than handle any particulars 4 If we may judge of the truth of mens writings by their outward form or Character as we do of mens honestie by their looks speech or behaviour what Historie in the World bears so perfect resemblance of things done and acted or yeelds without further testimonie then its own so full assurance of a true narration as the stories of Abrahams departure out of his Land his answers to God Sarahs distrust upon misconceit of Gods promises her seeking to fulfil it by giving her Maid to Abraham the manner of her speech upon her Maids contemning her the debate and issue of her controversie the Dialogue between the Angels of God and Abraham with Sarahs Apology for laughing at their Message Abrahams journey to Mount Moriah his servants expedition to Aram Naharim with his Commission to provide his young Master a Wife There appears not in any of these the least surmise of any Political respect not any signe of affected delight or Poetical representations seeing this Author falls immediately into other matters and relates every thing though many of most diverse natures with such natural specification of every circumstance as unless our hearts were prepossest with Belief that he had writ them by his direction who perfectly knoweth all things as well sore-past as present or to come we would be perswaded that most of them were relations of such as acted them uttered to their familiar friends immediately upon the fact whilest all circumstances were fresh in memory 5 How others are affected I cannot tell me thinks when I reade that story Genesis 34. I am transformed into a Man of the Old World and become a neighbour of old Jacob over-hearing him and his sons debating the slaughter of the Sichemites The old man complains Ye have troubled me and made me stink among the inhabitants of the land as well the Canaanites as the Perizzites and I being few in number they shall gather themselves together against me and so shall I and mine house be destroyed and they answered and said Shall he abuse our Sister as a Whore 6 Or if this description though issuing as naturally out of the real disposition of the true no fained parties described as brightness out of the body of the Sun yet because but short may seem more imitable by Art I will propose a longer Dialogue betwixt this old man and his sons for a pattern of which fairest colours that Art or Invention can put upon any fained Subject will come as far short as Solomons gawdy but artificial attire did of the native beauty of wild Lillies or any dy that Art can give of the natural splendor of finest Pearls the Onix or other more precious stone The storie is is Genesis 42. from the 29. unto the 15 verse of the 43 Chapter The circumstances which I would especially commend unto the Readers consideration are first The old mans jealousie v. 36. upon his sons relation what had befallen them in their journey and the Governours desire of seeing Benjamin v. 31 32 33 34 35. His peremptorie reply v. 33. to Reubens answer
this noble Historiographer hath said of this Event Id malum Divinum potius quam Humanum fuit this was a Calamity more then Humane in which the Finger of God was Evidently seen And as it was a Type of the last Day so may it and the like following confirm the truth of Sodoms Destruction Nor did God speak onely once in this Language to the Roman to omit other wonderful works of God in these times to be recounted in their proper place The like fearful Earthquakes with other Prodigious Concomitants fell out in Trajans time at Antioch But the harms not terminate within her Territories or the Cities about her herewith destroyed For abundance of Souldiers and multitudes of other people did repair from all quarters to the Emperour Wintering there some in Embassages some for Suits some upon other Businesses some to see Plays and Pageants Whence the dammage as this Author saith did redound to all that were Subject to the Roman Empire This out of question was the Lords doing That all the world might Hear and Fear his Wondrous Works and wondering enquire after the true Causes and meaning of them Thus Antioch as well as Edom and Babylon is overtaken with the Psalmists curse for Rejoycing in the Day of Jerusalem Besides â—he Massacres of the Jews there committed when Titus came unto that City â—he Inhabitants after their Insinuating Gratulations petitioned with all Humility and Policy that the Reliques of this People for whom there was no place left in their own land might be Extirpate thence comprising the Christians no doubt under this Name 6 Many particulars then known are not registred by such Heathen writers â—…s now are extant many Signs of those Times not regarded by any Heathen all which might witnesse the Truth of our Saviours Predictions and exâ—…ound their meaning were they as well known to us as to the Faithful then â—…ving whose Meditations it seems were so wholly taken up with these Contemplations that they had no leisure to leave their Comments in writing â—…o Posterity That dreadful Wo directed against the women of Hierusalem with child and giving suck did take these Antiochians at the rebound Women in such cases could not die but a double death and yet how many such â—…re slain none can tell Of an infinite company of all sorts starved by their â—…se imprisonment in houses whose foundations were sunk the roof remaining Onely one woman was found alive which had sustained her self and her child by her milk Another child found in the like concavity alive sucking his deceased mothers Duggs In fine saith the Author there was no kind of violent Disaster which did not at this time befal men For the Earthquakes being caused by the Divine Power mens Wits were not their own nor knew they what Medicine to seek for these Miss-haps Such as were on the House-tops had no List to descend to fetch any thing out such as were in the Field had no Mind to return back to fetch their clothes Trajan himself was drawn out at a window by no Mortal Creature as this writer thinks so astonished with this disastrous Sight that for many dayes after the Earthquake had ceased he durst not come into any House See Dion l. 68. 7 Neither of these strange Signs of the Son of Man fell out in any corner of the world but the one in the Chief the other in the Second City of the Empire at that time the Emperours Court so that the whole Worlds Representative as we may so speak was in Danger and all men at least men of all sorts at their Wits End by their terrors all mankind had publick warning to prepare themselves against That terrible and dreadful Day These being such Types of it as the First Destruction of the Holy City and Temple by Nebuchadnezzar was of the Second by Titus so as that which is truly said of the one may in an higher degree be truly avouched of the other 8 Of these times again was that of the Prophet meant I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth Bloud and Fire and Pillars of Smoak the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into Bloud before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come But whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved If we rightly observe the Prophets Method in this place it will both Justifie and Illustrate the former Interpretations of Jeremy and our Saviours Prophecy First he speaks none can deny of Christs coming in the Flesh and Effusion of the Holy Ghost upon all people I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh By The Spirit the Gospel was to be communicated to all Nations and thus as the Evangelist witnesseth at the first descending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles there were resident at Hierusalem men that feared God of every Nation under heaven and all these at their Baptism received the gift of the Holy Ghost whereby they might manifest the Power and Vertue of the Gospel unto the Countries where they lived If we compare the generality of Saint Lukes speech in that fifth verse with our Saviours Mat. 24. 14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse unto all Nations and then shall the End come We cannot doubt but our Saviours prophecy was verified before the Destruction of Hierusalem which was the End he meant should come But why should the Prophet Joel immediately after his description of the time of Grace adde in the second place I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoak Doth he call the people of God again unto Mount Sinai to fire blackness darkness and tempest unto the sound of Trumpets the voice of words which they that once had heard should not desire to hear any more No but he would have the world understand That after the Gospel was once proclaimed throughout It the Lord would shew himself as terrible a Judge to all such as did not embrace the Glad Tidings thereof as he had done before to the Israelites at the promulgation of the Law Both that fearful sight in Mount Sinai and those other Prodigious Appariti in Italy and Syria were Types and representations of That Dreadful Day The former was seen and testified by the Israelites onely because the Law was onely revealed to them the horrors of the later are registred by Heathen Writers known and felt by the principal Nations of the World and from them diffused to all others as Earthquakes which begin at the Centre leave their Effects upon the whole Surface of the Earth because the Gospel was at that time communicate to all the inhabited or frequented Parts of the World Those Prodigious Signs then which the Prophet Joel describes and the Heathen witnesse to
some whose Belief unto Divine Oracles hath been confirmed by Experiments answerable unto them 1 THe Method is such as the Simplest Christian may easily learn and the greatest Professors need not to contemn For S. Peter himself that great Doctor of the Circumcision did profit much by this Practise He had often heard that God was no Accepter of Persons This truth was acknowledged by Elihu who had never heard nor read the written law of God He accepteth not the person of Princes and regardeth not the rich more then the poor for they be all the work of his hands The like hath the Wise man from the same reason He that is Lord over all will spare no person neither shall he fear any greatnesse for he hath made the small and great and careth for all alike The same in substance is often repeated in the Book of Life and no man could denie it that had heard it but once proposed if he did acknowledg God for the Creator of all Notwithstanding the fresh Experiment of Gods calling Cornelius to Christian Faith comfirmed S. Peter in the right Belief of Divine Oracles to this effect and as it seems taught him the true meaning of that place Deut. 10. 16. Circumcise therefore the fore skin of your heart as if he had said Glorie not in the circumcision of the flesh and harden your necks no more for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords a great God Mighty and Terrible which accepteth no persons From this place alone the proud Jews might have learned that the Lord was God of the Gentiles as well as of Them and from the Abundance of his inward Faith enlarged by the forementioned Experiment S. Peter burst out into these Speeches Of a truth I perceive that God is no accepter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him is accepted with him 2 The same Method the Lord himself hath commended unto us in many places of Scripture wondering oft times at the dulnesse of his peoples hearts that could not from the Experiments of His Power Might and Majestie shewed in them or for them acknowledge those Principles of Faith which Moses commended unto them in writing O saith he that they were wise then would they understand this they would consider their later end how should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight except their strong God had sold them and the Lord had shut them up And again Eehold now for I am He and there is no Gods with me Why should they Believe this They were to take none for gods but such as could do the works of God What were these Such as God avoucheth of himself in the next words I kill and I give life I wound and I make whole neither is there any that can deliver out of my band These and like Effects specified in the former place often manifested amongst this People might have taught them the truth of the former Oracle albeit Moses had been Silent For so the Finger of God manifested in Naamans the Syrian Generals cure which was but one part of the former effects appropriated unto God did write this divine Oracle as distinctly in his heart as Moses had done it in the Book of the Law For after he was cleansed from his leprosie he turned again to the man of God he and all his company and came and stood before him and said Behold now I know there is no God in all the world but in israel And again thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offering unto any other God save unto the Lord. This was as much as if he had said Behold now for the Lord is He and there is no other Gods with Him He woundeth and he maketh whole 3 If the cure of Leprosie contrary to Humane Expectation could so distinctly write this divine Oracle in an uncircumcised Aramites heart without any patern or written Copie whence to take it out how much more may the Lord expect that the like Experiments in our selves should imprint his Oracles already written by Moses and other his Servants of old in our hearts and consciences that have these paterns of Naaman and others registred to our hands admonishing us to be observant in this kind But alas we are all by nature sick of a more dangerous leprosie then Naaman knew and yet the most of us far sicker of Naamans Pride then of his leprosie If Gods Ministers shall admonish the curious Artists or Athenian wits of our times as Elisha his Prophet did Naaman they reply with Naaman in their hearts We looked they should have called upon the name of the Lord their God and made us New Men in an Instant and now they bid us wash our selves again and again in the water of life and be clean Are not the Ancient Fountains of Greece that nurse of Arts and Mother of Eloquence and the pleasant Rivers of Italy the School of delicate modern Wits better then all the waters of Israel Are not Tullie and Aristotle as learned as Moses and the Prophets Thus they depart from us in displeasure 4 But if the Lord should command us greater things for our temporal Preferment or for the avoidance of corporal Death or torture would we not do them How much rather then when he saith unto us Wash your selves often in the Holy Fountain the Well of life and ye shall be clean even from those sores which otherwise will torment both body and soul eternally Yea but many read the Scriptures again and again and daily hear the word Preached publickly and yet prove no purer in life and action then their Neighbours The reason is because they hear or read them negligently not comparing their Rules with Experiments daily incident to their course of life their preparation and resolution are not proportionable to the weight and consequence of this sacred Businesse their Industrie and alacritie in observing and practizing the prescripts commended to their Meditations by their Pastors do in no wise so far exceed their care and diligence in worldly matters as the dignitie of these Heavenly Mysteries surpasseth the pleasures or commodities of this brickle earthly life and not thus Prepared to Hear or Read the Scriptures to Hear is to Contemn to Read is to Profane them even the often repetition of the words of life without due reverence and attention breeds an insensibility or deadnesse in mens souls Yet should not such mens want of Sense breed Infidelitie in others rather this Experience of so much hearing and little doing Gods will may confirm the truth of his word concerning such Teachers and Hearers Many in our times not Monkes and Friars only but of their stern Opposites not a Few Having a 〈◊〉 of godliness but denying the power thereof crept into houses and lead captive simple Women laden with sins and lead with divers lusts ever hearing and never able to come to
Studies whose Principal End is delight can under go long toyl and great pains never attaining to exact Knowledge but by Believing their Instructors and taking many Theoremes and Conclusions upon Trust before they can make Infallible Trial of their Truth and yet in matters of their Salvation which cannot be exactly Known but only Believed in this life and whose Belief must be got by Practise not by Discourse demand Evidence of Truth and infallible Demonstration before they will vouchsafe to Believe or adventure their pains on their Practise and finally so Demean themselves in speech and resolution as if God Almightie should think himself highly graced and our Saviour his Son much beholden to them that they should Deign to be his Scholars sooner then Mahomets or Machiavels But we that are his Messengers must not debase His Word nor Disparage our Calling by Wooing them upon such Terms or professing to shew them the Truth before they be willing to learn it One first Principle whereof is this That such as will seek may find starting holes enough to run out of Christs Fold and escape his Mercies profered in his Church And as many reasons are daily brought sufficient to perswade a Right-disposed understanding of the Truth of Scriptures so no Argument can be found of force enough to convince a Froward Will or perswade perverse Affections These are they which make a many altogether uncapable of any Moral most of all of any Divine Truth and must be laid aside at the first Entrance into the School of Christ and continually kept under by the Rod of his Judgements and Terrours of that Dreadful Day Unto such as account these Consequents lesse dreadful or their dread lesse probable then that they should for a time at least lay aside all Perversitie of will or Humour of Contradiction to make sure trial of those divine Oracles for their Good we can apply no other Medicine but that of Saint John He that is Filthy let him be Filthy still Rev. 22. 11. 2. Thus much of general Inducements to Belief In the Observation and Use of all these and others of what kind soever we must implore the Assistance of Gods Spirit who only worketh True and lively Faith but ordinarily by these or like means These Scriptures are as the Rule or Method prescribing us our Diet and Order of life these Experiments joyned with it are as Nutriment and the Spirit of God digesteth all to our Health and Strength Without It all other means or matters of best Observation are but as good Meat to weak or corrupt Stomacks With It every Experiment of our own or others Estate taken according to the rules of Scriptures doth nourish and strengthen Faith and preserve our spiritual Health Many in our dayes uncessantly blame their Brethrens Backwardnesse to Entertain the Spirit or rely upon it only being more Blame-worthy themselves for being too forward in Believing Every Spirit and seeking to discern Canonical from Apocryphal Scriptures by the Spirit and again to Trie True from False Spirits by the Scriptures without serious Observation and setled Examination of Experiments answerable unto sacred Rules Such mens fervent Zeal unto the Letter of the Gospel is like an hot Stomach accustomed to light meats which increase Appetite more then Strength and fill the body rather with bad Humors then good Bloud 3 The Spirit no doubt speaks often unto us when we attend not but we must not presume to understand His Suggestions by His immediate Voice or Presence only by His Fruits and the inward Testimony of an appeased Conscience which he alone can work must we know him He that seeks as †Ignatius Ignatius Loyola taught his sons to discern Him without more ado by his manner of breathing may instead of him be troubled with an unwelcome Guest alwayes ready to invite himself where he sees preparation made for his Better and one I am perswaded that hath learned more kinds of Salutations then Loyola knew of able to fill empty Breasts or shallow Heads unsetled in Truth with such pleasant mild and gentle Blasts as are apt to breed strong perswasions of more then Angelical Inspirations 4 God grant the carriage of ensuing Times may argue these Admonitions needlesse which further to prosecute in respect of times late past and now present could not be unseasonable but thus much by the way must now suffice me purposed hereafter if God permit to Treat of the Trial of Spirits and certain apprehension of inherent Faith about the general means of whose production and establishment the Question most controversed in these days â—s Whether beside the Testification of Gods Spirit which as all agree must by these late mentioned or other means work Faith in our hearts the Testimony or authority of others besides our selves be necessary either for ascertaining our Apprehension of the Spirit thus working or for assuring the truth of Experiments wrought by it in our Souls or if no other besides the testimony of Gods Spirit and our own Conscience be necessary either after their Sentence given or whilest they give it How far the Authoritie or Ministery of men is necessary or behoveful either for bringing us acquainted with the Spirit of God or for the assistance and direction of our Conscience in giving right Sentence of the Truth or true meaning of Gods word Of these questions and others subordinate to them we are to dispute at large in the Books following How far the Ministry of Men is Necessary for PLANTING True Christian Faith and retaining the Unity of It PLANTED The Second Book of Comments upon the CREED AS in the first Intention so after some Prosecution of this long work my purpose was to refer the full Examination of the Romish Churches pretended Authoritie in matters Spiritual unto the Article of the Catholick Church Which with those three others of the Holy Ghost Communion of Saints and forgivenesse of Sins for more exact Methods sake and continuation of matters in nature and sacred writ most united I have reserved for the last place in this Frame of Christian Belief annexing the Articles of the Bodies resurrection and Everlasting life unto that of Final Judgement whereon these Two have most Immediate and most direct Dependance 2 But after the Platform was cast and matter for Structure prepared upon evident discovery of the Jesuites Treachery in setting up the Pope as a secret Competitor with the Blessed Trinity for Absolute Soveraignty over mens Souls and for this purpose continually plotting to have the Doctrine of their Churches Infallibilitie planted as low and deep as the very first and Fundamental Principles of Belief albeit in laying the former Foundations I had come to ground firm enough if free from undermining to bear all I meant to build upon it I was notwithstanding in this place constrained to Bare the whole Foundation and all about it unto the very Rock on whose strength it stands lest this late dismal Invention concerning the Popes
annexed to any peculiar Men or Company of Men distinct from others by Prerogative of Place Preheminence of Succession and from him or them to be derived unto all others set apart for this Ministerie or whether the Ministerie of any men of what Place or Societie soever whom God hath called to this Function and enabled for the same be sufficient for the begetting of true Faith without any others Confirmation or Approbation of their Doctrine 9 Secondly it is questioned how this Ministery of Man which is necessarily supposed ordinarily both for knowing the Word of God and the true Meaning of it becomes available for the begetting of true Belief in either point In whomsoever the Authoritie of this Ministerial Function be the Question is whether it perform thus much only by Proposing or Expounding the Word which is Infallible or by their Infallible Proposal or Exposition of it that is whether for the attaining of true Belief in both Points mentioned we must relie infallibly upon the Infallible VVord of God only or partly upon it and partly upon the Infallibility of such as expound it unto us Or in other words thus whether the Authoritie or Infallibilitie of any Mans Doctrine or Asseveration concerning these Scriptures or their true Sense be as infallibly to be Believed as those Scriptures themselves are or that Sense of them which the spirit of God hath wrought in our Hearts by sure and undoubted Experience 10 These are the principal Roots and Fountains of Difference between us concerning our present Controversie whence issue and spring these following First Whether Christ whose Authoritie both acknowledge for Infallible hath left any Publick Judge of these Scriptures which both receive or of their right Sense and Meaning from whose Sentence we may not appeal or whether all to whom this Ministrie of Faith is committed be but Expositors of Divine Scriptures so as their Expositions may by all faithful Christians be examined Hence ariseth that other Question whether the Scriptures be the Infallible Rule of Faith If Scripture admit any Judge then is it no Rule of Faith If all Doctrines are to be examined by Scripture then is it a perfect Rule 11 Our Adversaries especially later Jesuites Positions are these The Infallible Authoritie of the present Church that is of some visible Companie of living Men must be as absolutely Believed of all Christians as any Oracle of God and hence would they bind all such as proâ—esse the Catholick Faith in all Causes concerning the Oracles or Word of God to yield the same Obedience unto Decrees and Constitutions of the Church which is due unto these Oracles themselves even to such of them as all Faithful Hearts do undoubtedly know to be Gods written Word 12 The Reasons pretended for this absolute Obedience to be performed unto the Church or visible Company of Men are drawn from the Insufficiency of Scripture either for notifying it self to be the Word of God or the true Sense and Meaning of it self Consequently to these Objections they stifly maintain That the Infallible Authority of the present Church is the mosâ— sure most safe undoubted Rule in all Doubts or Controversies of Faith or in all Points concerning these Oracles of God by which we may certainly know Both without which we cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true Sense and Meaning of such as are received for his Oracles one of the especial Consequents of these Assertions is That this Churches Decisions or Decrees may not be examined by Scriptures 13 Our Churches Assertions concerning the knowledge of Gods Word in general is thus As Gods Word is in it self Infallible so it may be infallibly apprehended and Believed by every Christian unto whom he vouchsafeth to speak after what manner soever he speak unto him Yea whatsoever is necessary for any man to Believe the same must be infallibly written in his heart and on it once written there he must immediately relie not upon any other Authoritie concerning it 14 Or if we speak of Gods written Word our former general Assertion may be restrained thus 15 We are not bound to Believe the Authority of the Church or visible Companiâ— of any living men either concerning the Truth or true Sense of Divine Oracles written so stedfastly and absolutely as we are bound to Believe the Divine written Oracles themselves Consequently to this Assertion we affirm 16. The the Inâ—allible Rule whereupon every Christian in matters of written Verities absolutely and finally without all appeal condition or reservation is to relie must be the Divine written Oracles themselves some of which every Christian hath written in his Heart by the finger of Gods Spirit and Believes immediately In and For themselves not for any Authoritie of Men and these to him must be the Rule for examining all other Doctrines and trying any Masters of Faith But because most in our daies in Matters of Faith and Christian Obedience misse the Celestial Mean and fall into one of the two extreams It shall not be amisse while we seek to divert their course from Sylla to admonish lest they make shipwrack in Charybdis CAP. IV. Shewing the Mean betwixt the two Extremities the one in Excesse proper to the Papists the other in Defect proper to the Anti-papist 1 IT is a Rule in Logick that Two contrary Propositions for their form may be both False And hence it is that many Controversers of our times either in love to the Cause they defend or heat of contention not content only to Contradict but desirous to be most Contrarie to their Adversaries fal into Errour with them No Controversie almost of greater moment this day extant but yields Experiments of this Observation though none more plentiful then this in hand concerning the visible Churches Authoritie or Obedience due to Spiritual Pastours 2 The Papists on the one side demand Infallible Assent and illimited Obedience unto whatsoever the Church shall propose without examination of her Doctrine or appeal which is indeed as we shall afterwards prove to takeaway all the Authority of Gods Word and to erect the present Churches Consistorie above Moses and S. Peters Chair On the other side sundrie by profession Protestants in eagernesse of opposition to the Papists affirm that the Church or Spiritual Pastors must then only be Believed then only be Obeyed when they give Sentence according to the Evident and Expresse Law of God made evident to the Hearts and Consciences of such as must Believe and Obey them And this in one word is to take away all Authoritie of Spiritual Pastors and to deprive them of all Obedience unto whom doubtlesse God by his written Word hath given some special Authoritie and Right to exact some peculiar Obedience of their Flock Now if the Pastor be then only to be Obeyed when he brings evident Commission out of Scripture for those particulars unto which he demands Belief or Obedience
common reason and cannot but command the Assent of every sanctified Mind That such Men are most likely to have the Meaning of Gods Spirit which walk according to Gods Spirit and seek not their own Gain Glory or pleasure but Christs Glory his Will and peoples Good and such again are most likely to use greatest sincerity in delivering the Truth which they know without partiality or respect of persons Again men are bound caeteris paribus to Believe them best and Obey them most of whose skil and sincerity in dispensing the Mysteries of faith they have had most comfortable and spiritual Experience For the Article of Gods providence binds us hereto and wils us to reverence our Fathers in Christ either such as by his Word first begot faith or nourished it in us more then others Thus much concerning this point I have thought good to insert in this place because the true and sincere Practise of Obedience according to that measure of Truth or Belief which men have though but imperfect is the excellentest Means for attaining the clear sight of Divine Truth and that perfect Measure of sanctifying Belief which in this life can be looked for as shall God willing afterwards appear CAP. X. Wherein this Conditional Belief differeth from the Romans implicite Faith That the one is the other not subordinate to Gods Word or Rule of Faith 1 AS this Opinion of conditional Assent unto Divine Truthes not absolutely known for such holds the Mean betwixt the two Extreams or contrary Errours above mentioned So is this conditional Assent it self a Mean betwixt that absolute Belief which all acknowledge to be necessarie in some principal Points of Christian Faith and that implicit Belief which the Romish Church exacts in all points whatsoever Our Assent unto many Articles of Faith is actually and expresly absolute The implicit Belief of the Romanists is but potentially or rather vertually and implicitely absolute This conditional Belief hitherto mentioned not so much as potentially much lesse implicitely or virtually absolute That properly is Believed by an implicite Faith which is not actually and expresly Assented unto in the particular but yet is so essentially and immediately contained in some general Article or Point of Faith absolutely or expresly Believed that this Particular likewise is Assented unto in grosse whilest we Assent to it and may be as absolutely as expresly and distinctly Assented unto as the General when it is once explicated and unfolded In this Sense we say the Conclusion is implicitely contained in the Premisses the Corollarie in the Theorem or the immediate Consequent in his necessarie Antecedent For he that grants One of these absolutely must upon the same terms grant the Other at the first proposal of it unto him But this conditional or reservative Belief may be of such Points as are not certainly and infallibly contained in any Principle of Faith absolutely expresly actually or infallibly acknowledged much lesse so essentually and immediately contained in any that a man cannot absolutely grant it but he must absolutely Believe them And albeit off-times they may be infallibly deduced from known undoubted Principles of Faith yet is not the deduction so immediate as can be made clear and evident to all Capacities at least not at the first sight without any further increase of Knowledge in Spiritual Matters And before the deduction be made as evivident and apprehended asinfallible as are the general Articles whence they are deduced the Particulars deduced from them may not be so infallibly and absolutely Believed as the Generals are The Papists besides their Explicit Belief of some few main Points demand an Implicit Belief of as many Particulars as the Church shall propose so as whatsoever the Church shall propose with them once proposed admits no conditional Belief all must be Absolute albeit the parties Believing cannot discern any necessary or probable deduction of the particulars from general Points absolutely and expresly believed It is enough that they know them to be proposed by the Church For once Believing Whatsoever the Church saith is most Infallible which is the main Article of Roman Faith no man can denie any particular proposed by it to be infallible more then he can deny the Conclusion for certain after he hath granted the Premisses for such Consequently to these Positions they make the Visible Church the Rule and Mistresse of mens Faith as they speak For albeit a man at this present think otherwise of many Points of greatest Moment then the Church or Pope doth or though he think not at all of many things which they in time may propose unto him yet after they have proposed either a contrarie Opinion to that which his Conscience tels him is Gods Word or a new and strange Position which he never thought of he must without more ado Believe both absolutely and expresly and so finally retract extend enlarge abridge direct and frame his Faith according to that Rule or Standard which they shall set him Hence God willing shal appear the Madness of some great Schollers among them who holding the Church to be such a Rule of Faith would perswade us if we would be so simple that their last Resolution of Faith is not into the Churches Authoritie but into the Scripture For nothing can be resolved beyond it rule to make the Churches authority such an absolute authentick unquestionable rule of faith as the Papists do and withal to seek the resolution of any point of faith further then it or to derive it from Scripture doth argue such a medley of Folly Impietie as if some gullish Gentleman desirous to prove the Antiquitie of his House should draw his Pedigree from Adams great Grandfather and yet hold the Records of Moses for most undoubted and true which affirm Adam to have been the first Progenitour of all Mankind Whether they seek to resolve their Faith into the Scriptures acknowledged by us and them or into other Unwritten Revelations pretended for Divine Truths their Folly will still appear the same so long as they hold that impious and blasphemous Opinion making the Churches Authoritie such a Rule of Faith as hath been said Their Injuries and Contumelies unto Gods written Oracles as hath heretofore been intimated are especially Two First they deny them to be any intire Rule for the number of Precepts Secondly they make those very Precepts which are acknowledged for Divine insufficient for the establishment of true Faith unto themselves without the Churches Authority We acknowledge them every way sufficient for the Edification of Christs Church in Faith and Manners and consequently both to our Positions and the Truth we teach that all Matters of Faith must be finally resolved into these Divine written Verities which for this reason we acknowledge the only Infallible Rule of Faith The Meaning of which Assertion is here to be further explicated that so the Truth may be maintained against their Objections CAP. XI In what Sense we
by meer Natural precepts For we suppose what afterwards wil manifest it self that all Truths necessary for men to Believe have a distinct relish from all falshood or other unnecessary or superfluous Truths and may be known by their fruit so men wil be careful to preserve the Sincerity of their Spiritual Taste 4 Gods written Word then is the only pure Fountain and Rule of Faith yet not such immediately unto all as it is written but the Learned or Spiritual Instructors only whose Hearts and Consciences must be ruled by it as in all other spiritual duties so especially as they are Instructors in this That they may not commend any Truths or principles of faith unto the illiterate but such as are expresly contained in Gods written Word or at least are in substance the self same with these written Truths If the Unlearned through Gods just Judgement absolutely admit of other principles and equalize them with these such shal lead them into Errour and pervert their faith If they doubt of any mans Doctrine whether it be truly Spiritual or consonant to the foundation of faith they may appeal to Scriptures as they shal be expounded to them by others Finally they are tied to no visible Company of men whom they must under pain of damnation follow but for their Souls Health they may trie every Spiritual Physitian If they wil be Humorous they may but at their own peril both for Temporal Punishment in this life and for Eternal in the life to come 5 For conclusion the Scripture according to our doctrine and the general Consent of Reformed Churches is the only Infallible rule of faith in both respects or conditions of a Perfect Rule First in that it contains all the principles of faith and points of salvation So that no Visible Church on earth may commend any doctrine to others as a doctrine of Faith unlesse it be commended to them for such by the Scriptures by which every ones doctrine that acknowledgeth God for his Lord must be examined as by a Law uncontrollable Secondly in that these principles of faith are plainly perspicuously and distinctly set down to the Capacities of all that faithfully follow their practical rules most plain most perspicuous and easie to all capable of any rule or reason So that this Sacred Canon needs no Associate no Addition of any Authoritie as equally infallible nor more perspicuous then it self to supply what it wants only the Ministery of men skilful and industrious in the search or Exposition of it is to be supposed And all these be they never so excellent and wel conversant in them are unto Scriptures but as the ordinary Expositors of Classick and Authentick Books are unto the chief Authors or Inventors of the science contained in them Supposing that the first Authors were men of extraordinary and infallible skil and their Expositors as they usually are but of ordinary Capacity or Experience in those faculties 6 Finally the Books of Scriptures are to be reputed a more absolute Rule for all Matters of Faith and Divine Mysteries then any Books or Writings of men are for natural sciences or secular professions as in sundrie other Respects so in This that they give as more facile so more infallible directions for finding out their true Sense and Meaning then any other Writings do or Writers could have done who though present could not be so fully Assistant but cannot so much as affoord their presence to their Expositours in the search of Truths rather professed then fully conceived much lesse infallibly taught by them whereas the Spirit of Truth which first did dictate is every where present alwayes Assistant to such as seriously and sincerely seek the Truth contained in these Divine Oracles conducting them from Knowledge to Knowledge both by all such Means as Artists have for increasing their skil and by other Means extraordinary such as none in any other Faculty can have nor any may hope for in the Search of Scriptures but only such as Delight in and Meditate upon them Day and Night SECT II. That the pretended Obscurity of Scriptures is no just Exception why they should not be acknowledged the absolute Rule of Faith which is the Mother-Objection of the Romanist CAP. XII How far it may be granted the Scriptures are Obscure with some Premonitions for the right state of the Question 1 IT is first to be supposed that these Scriptures for whose Soveraignty over our Souls we plead against the pretended Authority of the Romish Church were given by God for the Instruction of all succeeding Ages for all sorts of Men in every Age for all Degrees or divers Measures of his other Gifts in all several sorts or Conditions of Men. This diversitie of Ages and Conditions of Men in several Callings who so wel considers may at the first sight easily discover our Adversaries Willingnesse to wrangle in this point whose usual practise as if they meant to cast a Mist before the weak-sighted Readers eyes is to pick out here and there some places of Scriptures more Hard and difficult then Necessary or requisite to be understood of Every man perhaps of Any man in this Age. The Knowledge of all or any of which notwithstanding those that live after us though otherwise peradventure men of far meaner gifts then many in this present Age shall not therefore need to give for lost or desperate when they shall be called unto this Search For God hath appointed as for every thing else so for the Revelation of his Word certain and peculiar Times and Seasons Daniel though full of the Spirit of Prophecie and one that during the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar and Balthasar his son had as it were continually travelled of Revelations concerning the Estate of Gods Church and the affairs of forrain Kingdoms for many generations to come yet knew not the approaching Time of his peoples deliverance from Captivity until the first year of Darius son of Ahashuerosh And this he learned by Books even in the first year of his Raign I Daniel understood by Books the number of the years whereof the Lord had spoken unto Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem And of his own Revelation he saith And Daniel was commanded to shut up his words and seal up his book unto the end of the Time or as some read unto the appointed Time and then many shall run to and fro and Knowledge shall be increased For at the Time appointed as he intimates in the words following others though no Prophets were to know more of this Prophecy then the Prophet did himself Then I heard it but I understood it not then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things And he said Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the end of the Time 2 The Prophets of later Ages did see Revelations of matters which had been hid from the Ancient
intreat the Christian Reader to consider well upon whom their usual Objections of Scriptures Obscurity are most likely to fall Upon us for whose good they were given Or upon God the Father who gave them his Son that partly spake them his Holy Spirit who only taught them his Prophets Apostles Evangelists or other his blessed Ministers which wrote them CAP. XV. The Romanisis Objections against the Scriptures for being Obscure do more directly impeach their first Author and his Messengers their Pen-men then us or the Cause in hand 1 THat these Scriptures which our Church holds Canonical and we now maintain to be the Rule of Faith were given for the good of Christs Church or Multitude of faithful men throughout the World our Adversaries wil not deny or if they would the Scriptures which expresly to deny they dare not bear evident Testimony hereof Infinite places are brought to this purpose by such as handle that Question Whether the written Word contain all Points necessary to Salvation 2 Saint John saith he wrote his Gospel that we might Believe By what Authority did he undertake by whose Assistance did he perform this Work Undertaken it was by Gods appointment effected by the assistance of his Eternal Spirit to the end we might Believe the Truth what Truth That which he wrote concerning the Mysteries of mans Salvation But how far did he intend this our Belief of such Mysteries should be set forward by his pen Unto the first Rudiments only or unto the midway of our Course to Heaven Questionlesse unto the utmost Period of all our Hopes for he wrote these things that we might Believe yea so believe in Christ as by Believing we might have Life through his Name Was he assisted by the Eternal Spirit who then perfectly knew the several tempers and capacities of evey Age And did he by his direction aim at the perfect Belief of succeeding Ages as the end and scope of all his Writings And yet did he write so obscurely that he could not be understood of them for whose good he wrote Out of Controversie his desire was to be understood of all for he envied no man Knowledg nor taught he the Faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons He wished that not the great Agrippa's or some few choice ones only but all that should hear or read his Writings to the Worlds end might be not almost but altogether such as he was Faithful Believers From his fervent desire of so happy an end as the Salvation of all he so earnestly sought the only correspondent Means to wit Posterities ful instruction in the Mysteries thereto belonging And for better Symbolizing with the ignorant or men as most of us are of duller capacity in such profound Mysteries his Paraphrase upon our Saviours speeches is oft-times so copious as would be censured for polixity or Tautology in an Artist But seeing the common salvation of others not his own Applause was the thing he sought he disdains not to repeat the same thing sometimes in the same otherwhiles in different words becoming in speech as his fellow Apostle was in Carriage All unto all that he might at leastwise of every sort gain some oft-times solicitous to prevent all occasion of mistaking our Saviours Meaning though in matters wherein Ignorance could not be deadly nor Errour so easie or dangerous as in those other Profundities of greatest moment which he so dilates and works upon as if he would have them transparent to all Christian eyes 2 Do not all the Evangelists aim at the same end do they not in as plain 〈◊〉 as they could devise or we would wish divulge to all the world the true Sense and Meaning of our Saviours Parables which neither the promiscuous Multitude to whom he spake nor his select Disciples or Apostles themselves until they were privately instructed understood aright as they themselves testifie so little ashamed are they to confesse their own so they may hereby expel or prevent like ignorance in others Tell me were not our Saviours Parables expounded by his blessed mouth as plain Rules of Life as may without prejudice to his all sufficiency be expected from any other mans Are not his similitudes wherein notwithstanding are wrapt the greatest Mysteries of the Kingdom drawn from such matters of common Use as cannot change whilest Nature remains the same for the most part so plain and easie as wil apply themselves to the attentive or wel-exercised in Moralities Strange it seemed unto our Saviour that his Disciples should not at the first proposal understand them Perceive ye not this Parable how should you then understand all other Parables Yet happy were they that they were not ashamed to bewray their Ignorance by asking when they doubted though in a point of little Difficulty This good desire of progresse in their course begun brought them within the Hemisphere of that glorious light whereby they were enabled afterward to discern the greatest Mysteries of the Kingdom And unto their Question concerning the meaning of that great Parable of the Sower which is one of the Fundamental Rules of Life Our Saviour immediately replies To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but unto them that are without all thing are done in Parables that they hearing may hear and not understand lest at any time they should turn and their sins should be forgiven them 4 Had our Evangelists only set out the Text and concealed the Comment it might have ministred matter of suspicion whether all Christians throughout all generations whilest this Gospel shal endure should be taught of God from the greatest to the least of them or whether Christ had not appointed some great infallible Teacher as his Vicar general to supply the same place successively in the Church that he himself had born amongst his Disciples One on whose living Voice all the Flock besides were in all Doubts or Difficulties to rely as the Apostles did on Christs in the unfolding of this Parable But seeing they have plainly revealed to us in writing what was revealed to them concerning the Meaning of this and other Parables of greatest Use from our blessed Saviours Mouth Their written Relations of these mysteries with their Expositions must be of the same Use and Authority unto us as Christs living Words were unto them And as they were not to repair unto any other but their Master alone for the Word of Eternal Life not to omit any other infallible Teacher for declaration of his Meaning so may not any Christian to this day infallibly rely upon any mans Expositions of his Words already expounded by himself and related by his Apostles these laid up like precious seed in our hearts the diligent labours of Gods ordinary Ministers only supposed would bring forth the true and perfect Knowledge of other Precepts of life in abundance competent to every man in his rank and order 5 For seeing what
heard or learned from his godly Ancestors doth but trace out the Print of Moses footsteps almost obliterate and overgrown by the sloth and negligence of former Times wherein every man had trod what way he liked best And though the same Prophet descend to later Ages as low as Davids Yet he proceeds still by the same Rule relating nothing but such Historical Events or Experiments as confirm the Truth of Moses divine Predictions such as are yet extant in Canonical Scriptures So perfect and absolute in his judgement was that Part of the Old Testament which then was written to instruct not only the Men such as he was but every Child of God that he presumes not to know or teach more them in It was written And thus much this people should have done by Moses Precept without a Prophet for their Remembrancer And these Words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thâ—… liesi down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a Sign upon thine hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine eyes Also thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and upon thy gates And again Sâ—t your hearts unto all the Words which I command you this day that you may command them unto your children that they may observe and do all the Words of this Law For it is no vain Word concerning you but it is your Life and by this Word you shall prolong your dayes 2 Questionlesse they that were bound to observe and do this Law were bound to know it and yet Moses refers them not to his Successor as if it were so obscure that it could not possibly be known without his Infallibility but on the contrary he supposeth it so plain and easie that every Father might instruct his Son in it and every Mother her Daughter It was their own daily Experience of the fruits and benefits in Obeying of their harms and plagues in Disobeying his Precepts which was to seal their Truth unto their Consciences For without such Observation without squaring their Lives and comparing their Thoughts and Actions unto this streight and plain Rule all other Testimonies of men or Authorities of their most infallible Teachers were in vain The Miracles which they had seen to day were quite forgotten ere nine dayes after Nor could their Perswasions or conceit of Moses Infallibility serve them for any Rule when they had shaken off these inward Cogitations and measured not the Truth of his Predictions by Experiments In their Temptations they were as ready to disclaim Moses as alwayes they were to distrust God whose mighty Wonders they had seen To what use then did the sight of all Gods Wonders or of Miracles wrought by Moses serve Motives they were necessary and excellent to incline their stubborn hearts to use this Law of God for their Rule in all their Actions and proceedings and to cause them set their hearts unto it as Moses in his last Words commands them For this Law as he had told them before was in their Hearts 3 Would any man that doth fear the Lord or reverence his Word but set his heart to read over this Book of Deuteronomy or the one hundred and nineteenth with sundry other Psalms but with ordinary Observation or attention that so the Character of Gods Spirit so lively imprinted in them might be as an Amulet to prevent the Jesuites Inchantments It would be impossible for all the wit of Men or Angels ever to fasten the least suspicion on his thoughts whether the Ancient Faithful Israelites did take this Law of Moses for their Infallible Rule in all their proceedings For nothing can be made more evident then this Truth is in it self That the Israelites Swarving from this Rule was the Cause of their departure from their God and the Occasion or Cause of their Swarving from it was this devilish Perswasion which Satan suggested to them then as the Jesuites do unto the Christian People now That this Law was too Obscure too Hard too Difficult to be understood no compleat Rule for their actions without Traditions or relying upon their Priests or Men in chief Authority This Hypocrisie Moses did wel foresee would be the beginning of all their Miseries the very Watch-word to Apostasie For which Cause he labours so seriously to prevent it Deut 30. 14. For this Commandment which I set before thee this day is not hid from thee neither far off but the Word is very near unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart to do it How was it in their Mouthes and in their Hearts when it was so obscure and difficult unto them after Moses Death It was in their Hearts and in their Posterity too had they set their hearts to it But as it is true Pars sanitatis est velle sanari It is a part of Health to be willing to be healed so was it here Pars morbi nolle sanari more then a part of this their grievous Disease their Blindnesse of heart was their pronenesse to be perswaded that this Word or Doctrine which Moses here taught was too Obscure and Difficult for them to follow They first began as the Jesuites do to pick Quarrels with God for which their Stubbornnesse he gave them over to their hearts desire And this his Sacred Word which should have been a Lantern unto their feet and a Light unto their paths as it was to Davids became a stumbling Block and a Stone of offence 1 Cor. 1. 23. What was the reason By their swarving from this plain and straight Rule their wayes became crooked and their actions unjust And it is the Observation of the wise Son of Sirach As Gods wayes are right and plain unto the just so are they stumbling Blocks unto the wicked Not Moses himself had he been then alive could have made this or any other true Rule of Faith plain unto these Jews whilest they remained perverse and stubborn And had they without Moses or any infallible Teachers help cast off this Crookednesse of heart Moses his infallible Doctrine had stil remained easie streight and plain unto them For it was in their Hearts though hid and smothered in the Wrinkles of their crooked Hearts In our Saviours time they wil not assent unto the Word written nor unto the Eternal Word unto which all the Writings of the Prophets gave Testimony unlesse they may see a Signe What was the Cause They had not laid Moses Commandments to their hearts For had they from their hearts Believed Moses they had Believed Christ For all whose Miracles wrought for their good in their sight and presence they cannot or wil not see that his Words were The Words of Eternal Life as Peter confesseth John 6. 68. Nor would any Jesuite
adventure Thus might Divines dispute without any danger to 〈◊〉 Souls if the Romanists had not been so lavish in coyning matter for Contention rather then in searching Scriptures for Edification of Christs Church Or if the Laitie would be as carefull of their Spiritual as Bodily Health and not take their Physick blind-fold at such Mountebanks hands as Jesuites Priests and Seminaries be who minister none but such as either shall intoxicate the Brain or inflame the Heart with preposterous zeal Nor should variance in Points of Doctrine amongst Divines breed any danger or disturbance to Common-weals if they would not be Statists or Underminers of States as the Jesuites be If their Contentions were for the manner uncivil or bitter as are all contentions which the Jesuites breed the Supreme Magistrate whether Ecclesiastick or Civil might bind their Tongues and Pens to good abearance were it not for these Romish Wolves which in Sheeps cloathing convey themselves into the Fold of Christ and once crept in will admit of no triall but in the Lions Den unto which they are sworn Purvevors for whose maintenance like their Master that great Accuser of Gods Children they compasse Sea and Land and fetch their range about the World 10 Who can imagine any other Cause besides this their insolent challenge of Soveraigntie over all others Faith why the Scripture might not be admitted Judge over all Controversies of Divinitie much better then Hypocrates or Galen of all Controversies in Physick without any infallible Physitian perpetually resident in the World to give sentence viva voce It is no Paradox to hold that God which made us these Souls and gave the Scripture for their Health did much better know what was necessarie for them then either Hippocrates or Galen did what was good and wholesome for mens Bodies one hair of which they neither made black or white Even what they best knew they knew not otherwise to communicate unto Posteritie then by these dumb Characters or atramentarie instructers Whatsoever our Adversaries can urge to the prejudice of Scriptures Sufficiencie or Abilitie of Gods Spirit is true of these great Authours and their Writings all other Means of teaching though their dearest Schollers died with them now not able either to strengthen or consolidate the weak or shallow brain or illuminate darkned understandings they cannot so much as take notice of their Followers towardly pains and industrie or reward such as are most devoted to their Memorie and use their Aphorismes as infallible Rules of Bodily life and health with any blessing of Art or Nature But our God lives for ever and knows best who are his alwayes ready to Reward such as love him And as there is none living but hath received some Gift or other from him so hath he promised to give more and more unto all such as well Use what he hath already given If Nature be dulled so it be not slothfull withall in good courses he can sharpen it by Art though both be defective yet can he so inflame the heart with Zeal as it shall pierce more deeply into the Mysteries of mans Salvation then the acutest unregenerate Wit that Nature yeelds or Art can fashion His Spirit cannot be bound but bloweth where he listeth and giveth life to whom he pleaseth and can inlighten our mindes to see that Truth now written which he taught others to Write for our good 11 Physitians look not Hippocrates or Galen should stand on earth again Vessalius like to read Anatomy-Lectures upon their Followers live-tongues or other instruments of breath and speech abused to debate and strife or blowing the coals of bitter Dissention about their Meaning But we all look if we Believe aright that Christ Jesus who hath left us these his Sacred Lawes and Legend of his most blessed Life as a Patern whereby to frame our own free from contention peaceable humble and meek will one day after which shall be no more exact a strict accompt of every idle Word much more will he punish such Tongues or Pens as have been continually set on fire by Hell with the everlasting flames of that brimstone lake 12 Were our exorbitant Affections brought within compasse by hope and fear answerable to the Consequences of the former sweet Promises made to such as rightly use and terrible Threats against all such as abuse the good Means ordained by God for knowing his Will his infâ—… wordâ— from whose mouth soever uttered yea though but privately read with attentive silence would instruct us how to demean our selves in the search of Truth inform us how to direct fasten or inhibit finally how in all Mysteries of our Salvation to moderate our Assent much better then this supposed infallible Authoritie residing usually in men most like to Heathen Idols Though Mouthes they have as they pretend infallible yet fearce speak they once in two ages whose words when they are uttered portend more danger to the Christian World then if brute beasts should speak like men 13 No Christian Common-wealth but either hath or might have good Lawes for composing Contentions or establishing Unitie in the studie of Truth To see what should be done is never hard would strength of Authoritie be as willing to enforce men unto a Civil and orderly observation of Means known and prescribed Our Statutes are much more absolute and complete then Israels were when it was a sin to enquire after other Means either more easie or effectual for their conduction unto that true Happinesse whereat all States aim but onely such shall light on as put these Sacred Lawes in execution It is the common Errour of all corrupted mindes to seek that far off which as the Lord told his people is within them even in their Hearts and in their Mouthes so they would be Doers not Hearers onely of the Law Many Heathens have used such diligent care and unrelenting Resolution for just execution of their defective erroneous Laws as would the coactive Power every where resident where Christianity is professed use the like for establishing an uniform and unpartial though but an external and civil Practise of the ten Commandements and other Sacred Moral Precepts of whose Truth no Christian doubts about whose Meaning nor Protestant nor Papist nor any Sect this day living do or can contend fallible Judges might effect what the Papists pretend as infalliblie as if every particular Congregation had such a true infallible Teacher as they falsely deem or fain their Pope to catechise them ex cathedra thrice a week For who could better resolve us in all Points of Moment or retain our hearts in Unitie of Faith then Truth it self once clearly seen or made known unto us yet is it in it self much brighter then the Sun we daily see which it likewise herein exceeds That whilest Gods Word endures amongst us it still remains above our Horizon and cannot set onely grosse and foggie Interpositions raised from exhalation of such foul Lusts and reeking sins as
sinister Pretences or humorous though strong Perswasions of Conscience counselling us to the contrary our Punishment in this life is just whose present smart should teach us to beware of far more grievous in the life to come But whether offend or swerve more from the Rules of Scripture prescribed for their several Christian Carriage Superiours in commanding wrongfully or Inferiours in disobeying just commands cannot oft-times if we speak of particular Actions be infallibly known in this life but must be referred unto that day of Final Judgement The dread of which should in the mean time inforce every Superiour daily to consult his own Heart and strictly to examine his Conscience whether it be not likely then to give Evidence against him for imposing too heavy burthens upon his Inferiours And so must every Inferiour again use the like diligence in the daily examination of his Conscience whether it be likely or no to convince him before the Judge of quick and dead of Disobedience to such as he had set in Authority over him or of such sinister Pretences for using the Libertie of Conscience as Conscience it self never sought after but were suggested onely by Humour Popularitie or other Desires whose maintenance have either inforced him to obey Man against God or not to obey Man commanding for God 4 Our Partialitie it is towards our selves or rather to our sensual delights or pleasures that makes us so ignorant in all things which concern our Weal For would we truly and unpartiallie Judge our selves we should not be judged Not the best experienced Justice in this Land can by examining ordinarie Malefactors discern what issue their Cause shall have before an unpartiall Judge better then we by this strict pre-examination might foresee what finall Sentence were prepared for us good or bad according to the diversitie of our Actions and Course of Life To this end hath Christ left every mans Conscience in full Authoritie during his absence to examine reprove convince and sentence the desires of his own heart of which would we daily in sobriety of Spirit and fear of his last Judgement ask counsel and patiently expect Gods Providence we should by this ordinary Means discern who commanded aright who otherwise as clearly as others heretofore have done by Means most extraordinary For even the most extraordinary miracles did ascertain the Ancient of Divine Truth and confirme them in the practise of Christian Obedience not immediately as part of their Rule of Faith whereon finally to relie but by enforcing them to look into their own Souls and Consciences in which Truth was already written if they had urged it to confession If our examination without Miracles were as strict our Beliefe would be as firm Spiritual Governours commands as Christian-like and Inferiours Obedience in all points as sincere as was theirs 5 For Conclusion I would give the Christian Reader a present Antidote against all the poisonous inchantments of Romish Sorcerers The Medicine is very brief and easie onely to think every morning next his heart or at other seasonable hours That there is a Divine Providence in this life to guide us and after this life ended a fearful judgement to passe upon all such as here abjuring the Guidance of it follow either the Wayes of flesh and blood in breeding or of carnal Wisdom in composing strife and dissention about matters Spiritual He that will seriously ruminate on these matters in his vacant well composed thoughts calling the Adversaries Arguments home to the Point which they must touch ere they can wound us let me have onely his dying curse in recompence of all my pains if any Difficulty any Jesuite or other learned Papist either hitherto hath or ever shall be able to bring do trouble his mind Whatsoever can be brought either to countenance their unchristian Doctrine or disparage our Orthodoxal Assertions either presuppose a secret denial of Gods peculiar Providence and inward calling of men or else proceed from want of consideration that there is a final Judgement wherein all Controversies must be taken up all Contentious and rebellious Spirits punisht according to their deserts Indeed if the Authors or Abetters of Schisme and Heresie might escape for ever unpunished or Christian Modestie and Humilitie be perpetually over-born by Impudencie Scurrilitie and violent Insolencie the Inconveniences objected by the Romanists might as much trouble us as the wickeds thriving did the Heathen that knew not God nor his Providence But whilest we acknowledge him and It the best Arguments our Antagonists bring wil appear as improbable as they are impious TO THE RIGHT REVEREND Father in God and my Honourable Lord WILLIAM By Divine Providence Lord Bishop of DURHAM Grace and Peace be multiplied RIght Reverend Father the sweet refreshing your Honourable Favours did yield to such of my labours as hitherto enjoy the light when a suddain uncomfortable blast had sorely nipt them in the very setting makes these last gatherings of that spring seek that comfortable warmth under your benigne Protection which the unconstant frowning season would hardly afford them in their growth Besides these and other my personal Obligements that Famous and worthy Founder of this Attick Bee-hive of whose sweetness would God I had been as capable as I have been long partaker had never allotted any Cell therein for me or other Countryman of mine but with particular relation to that seat of dignity which he sometimes did â—…r Lordship now doth and to the encrease of Gods gloâ—… good of his Church long may enjoy Seeing this our â—… Foster-Father is now ignorant of his childrens deâ—… and knows not me it shall be my comfort to have â—… honourable successors witnesses of my care and industry to fulfil his godly desire whose religious soul in his life time as his written Laws do testifie did detest nothing more then idleness in the Ministry specially in his adopted-Sons The matters I here present unto your Lordships and the worlds view are sometimes in themselves so harsh and hard to be concocted as he that would strive to make them toothsome unto nice tastes should put himself to excessive pains unless his judgement be much riper his wit readier his invention pleasanter his opportunities better and his leisure greater then mine are But it is one and the same point of judgement not to require exact Mathematical proofs in discourses of mortality or a smooth facile Rhetorical stile in Logical or Scholastick conflicts And as by the Statutes of that Society wherein I live I am bound to avoid barbarisme so my particular inclination moves me in controversies especially to approve his choise that said Fortia mallem quam formosa If any professed enemy to the truth we teach will answer me from point to point or attempt not as their custom now is onely in scoffing sort but seriously to avert those unsupportable but deserved imputations I lay upon the foundation of his Religion I shall I trust be able to answer him the better by
labours every Academick may in part perceive but more fully if he would vouchsafe to lift more of their arguments then in these short transeursive disputes I could Nor would I disswade any Artist well grounded in Arislotle from perusing the most learned works any romanist hath written in this argument In most other controversies betwixt us and them it is dangerous I must confesse even for well grounded Artists to begin with their writings not so in this For I protest in the sight of God and his holy Angels that as farre as I can remember the inclinations of my youth or by them prognost eate how afterward I might have been affected I never was I never should have been so throughly possessed with such great dislike of Romish Antichristianisme in this point by hearing the most famous Preachers in this Land or reading all the Learned Writers in Reforme Churches as I was by examining the labours of Bellarmin Valentian and others of best note amongst them seriously addressed to this purpose comparing them onely with the known Principles of Christianity and such passages of sacred Writ as every Christian Artist should be acquainted with For the principles whereon I proceed I have been onely beholden to the Canon of Scriptures for deducing of such blasphemous consequences from them as I charge the adversary with onely to that small measure of knowledge in Aristotelian Philosophy where-with my God hath blessed me whiles I was bound by local statutes to the study of Arts purposely abstaining from other writings which with their informations of my understanding might have bred prejudice in my affection Since that time although the years of my Ministry hardly exceed the space of ordinary apprentiships yet have I often wished the discussion of these points had been then imposed upon me by some experienced Divine that would onely have given me right hold of their assertions Upon this consideration I would beseech the flourishing Artists of these famous Academies whom God hath furnished with all store of munition necessary for this service not to neglect opportunities present Let them defer if so they please the fruits of their labours in other points though this be the fault of our English until the Autumn of their age But the mark I now propose unto them being the evident resolution of Jesuitical Positions into those gross and palpable blasphemies whereto they tend which they onely seek to hide by Sophismes and artificial tricks of wit Academical wits might displume them of these figtree-leaves manifest their nakedness to the world much better in the spring whiles their skill in arts were fresh and flourishing whiles the strength and vigour of their invention would more easily bend this way then in the Autumn when their leaves begin to fade and their sap retire to the root as their pleasant grapes grow ripe Many towardly plants in this nurcery now able to match the stoutest Jesuit living at his own weapon whilest in his mature age multo jam fractus membra labore more fit to be a leader then a Combatant in these encounters he shal look back on his former labours or calls to mind his wonted dexterity in school disputes may take up old Nestors complaint Tunc ego debueram capienda ad Pergama mitti Tunc poteram magni si non superare morari Hectoris arma meis sed in illo tempore nullus Aut puer Hector erat nunc me mea deficit aetas The school Jesuit in these studies is like the Ivy alwaies green because not set to bring forth fruit unto salvation but rather to choak and strangle the plants of life And for such instruments of the Romish Church as this land usually yields this wrangling faculty is all the skill they care for or for the most part make profession of Yet such is the brittleness of the matter they are to work upon in this controversie that were all the Priests and Jesuits harbored within the confines of great Brittain at this present day but enjoyned to write all they could to any purpose in defence of their Mother some few Artists of those Universities which out of their pride they seem to vilifie amongst the ignorant would I dare not say make them blush for sooner might they make a Black-moors face of the same colour with his teeth but as many of their favourers of this Kingdom as have not sworn allegiance to the Church of Rome and are able to examine an argument to be ashamed on their behalf even to acknowledge that for ought these Mountebanks could say or write in their defence the Positions maintained by their Masters forraign Jesuits were indeed idolatrous and blasphemous howbeit the Church it self we must believe could never be vanquished because no man can tell where or in what shape to find it Nor need young Artists fear the countenance of antiquity in this point from which their enemies supplies are so slender that would they come to open tryal and bring onely such of the Fathers for the seconds as lived within five hundred years of Christ or before the mixture of Romish Religion with Heathenism not fully effected till a little after that time the paucity of those whose aid they durst solicit in respect of that great army which is as resolute as we against them would make them instantly either yield themselves or forsake the field Nor have they been hitherto able to address any answer but to their shame to the Worthies of the English Church whose labours have made the conquest in this quarrel easie to any of their successors that will adventure to follow their steps Nothing remains but what best becomes the exercise of young wits to exceed the sophistical disputes of Jesuites against the truth in copiousnes of irrefragable demonstrations That the allegeance they seek to establish unto the Romish Church is solemn Apostasie from Christ that the belief of it is the very Abstract of Sorcery the utmost degree of Antichristianism that can be expected These and like points being fortified by strength of argument in the time of your Regency or farewel to the study of Arts might be polished at your better leisure afterwards to be revised and published at the appointment of authority Or if the zeal of Gods glory thus mightily eelipsed by this foul idol of the Romish Church do not as yet so fully move you yet that indignation which first wrought a desire in me of giving this onset should work me thinks in every heart that bears any sparkle of love unto his native countrey For what indignity is it to think that whilest our gracious Soveraign is a most zealous Professor and Defendor of the truth we teach so many of his natural subjects our countrimen brethren should be won unto the Romish faction especially by importunate inculcating two Heresies of all maintaind by that Church in themselves most sottishly improbable and yet apparently most damnably idolatrous in their consequences if erroneous I mean This concerning
The â—esuits unwillingnesse to acknowledge the Churches proposal for the True Cause of his faith Of differences and agreements about the final Resolution of faith either amongst the adversaries themselves or betwixt us and them 464 27 That the Churches proposal is the true immediate and prime cause of all absolute Belief my Romanist can have concerning any determinate divine revelation 468 28 Discovering either the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolved into the Churches veracitie or infallibility that possibly it cannot be resolved into any branch of the First Truth 471 29 What manner of causal dependance Romish belief hath on the Church that the Romanist truely and properly believes the Church onely not God or his Word 478 30 Declaring how the first main ground of Romish faith leads directly unto Atheisâ— the second unto preposterous Heathenism or Idolatry 484 31 Proving the last assertion or generally the imputations laid upon the Papacie by that authority the â—esuites expreslie give unto the Pope in matters of particular Fact as in the Canonizing of Saints 495 32 What danger by this blasphemous doctrine may accrew to Christian States that of all heresies blasphemies or idolatries which have been since the world began or can be imagined 〈◊〉 Christ come to judgement this Apostasie of the Iesuites is the most abominable and conâ—…ous against the blessed Trinity 499 BLASPHEMOUS POSITIONS OF JESUITES And other Later ROMANISTS Concerning the Authority of their CHURCH The Third Book of Comments upon the CREED SECT I. Containing the Assertions of the Romish Church whence her threefold Blasphemy springs HAving in the former dispute clearly acquitted as well Gods Word for breeding as our Church from nursing Contentions Schisms and Heresies we may in this by course of common equity more freely accuse their injurious calumniators And because our purpose is not to charge them with forgery of any particular though grossest Heresies or Blasphemies though most hideous but for erecting an Intire Frame capacious of all Villanies imaginable far surpassing the Hugest Mathematical Form human fancy could have conceived of such matters but only from inspection of this real and material patern which by degrees insensible hath grown up with the Mysterie of Iniquity as the Bark doth with the Tree Such inconsiderate passionate speeches as heat of contention in personal quarrels hath extracted from some one or few of their private Writers shall not be produced to give evidence against the Church their Mother whose trial shall be as far as may be by her Peers either by her own publick determinations in this controversie or joynt consent of her authorized best approved Advocates in opening the Title or unfolding the contents of that Prerogative which they challenge for her 2 Our accusations are grounded upon their Positions before set down when we explicated the differences betwixt us The Position in brief is This That the infallible authority of the present Church is the most sure most safe undoubted rule in all doubts or controversies of faith or in all points concerning the Oracles of God by which we may certainly know both without which we cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true sense and meaning of such as are received for his Oracles whether written or unwritten 3 The extent of divine Oracles or number of Canonical books hath been as our Adversaries pretend very questionable amongst the Ancient though such of the Fathers as for their skil in antiquity were in all unpartial judgments most competent Judges in this cause were altogether for us against the Romanists and such as were for their opinion were but for it upon an errour as thinking the Jews had acknowledged all those books of the old Testament for Canonical Scripture which the Churches wherein they lived received for such or that the Christian Church did acknowledg all for Canonical which they allowed to be publickly read Safe it was our adversaries cannot deny for the Ancient to dissent one from another in this question or to suspend their assent till new probabilities might sway them one way or other No reasons have been produced since sufficient to move any ingenious mind unto more peremptory resolutions yet doth the Councel of Trent bind all to an absolute acknowledgement of those Books for Canonical which by their own confession were rejected by S. Hierom and other Fathers If any shall not receive the whole Books with all their parts usually read in the Church and as they are extant in the old vulgar for sacred and Canonical Let him be accursed So are all by the same decree that wil not acknowledg such unwritten traditions as the Romish Church pretends to have come from Christ and his Apostles for divine and of authority equal with the written word 4 So generally is this opinion received so fully believed in that Church That many of her Sons even whilest they write against us forgetting with whom they have to deal take it as granted That the Scriptures cannot be known to be Gods word but by the Infallible authority of the present Church And from this supposition as from a truth sufficiently known though never proved they labour in the next place to infer That without submission of our faith to the Churches publick spirit we cannot infallibly distinguish the orthodoxal or divine sense of Gods Oracles whether written or unwritten from heretical or human 5 Should we admit written Traditions and the Church withal as absolute Judge to determin which are Apostolical which not little would it boot us to question with them about their meaning For when the point should come to trial we might be sure to have the very words framed to whatsoever sense should be most favourable for justifying Romish practises And even of Gods written Oracles whose words or characters as he in his wisdom hath provided cannot now be altered by an Index Expurgatorius at their pleasure That such a sense as shall be most serviceable for their Turn may as time shall minister occasion be more commodiously gathered the Trent Fathers immediately after the former decree for establishing unwritten Traditions and amplifying the extent of divine written Oracles have in great wisdom authorized the old and vulgar translation of the whole Canon Which though it were not purposely framed to maintain Popery as some of our writers say they have as frivolously as maliciously objected yet certainly as well the escapes and errors of those unskilful or ill-furnished interpreters as the negligence of transcribers or other defects incident to that work from the simplicitie of most ancient the injuries or calamities of insuing times were amongst others as the first heads or petty springs of that raging sloud of impiety which had well nigh drowned the whole Christian world in perdition by continually receiving into its chanel once thus wrought the dregs and filth of every other error under heaven
as an infallible prophet of things past which cannot approve himself a true foreteller of things to come were to invert Gods ordinance and mock his word For it hath been a perpetual law of God that no man should ever be believed more then man or by any faith more then humane though in matters present whereof he might have been an eye witness unless he shewed his participation of the divine spirit by infallible prediction of things to come or evidency of miracles fully answering to the prediction of Gods word already written as shall be shewed at large in the next Section 11 If we put together the first elements of Romish faith as they have been sounded apart they make no such compound as the simple and ignorant Papists who in policy are taught to read this lesson as little children untaught wil by guessing at the whole in grosse without spelling the parts believe they do First their prerogatives they give to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to prove that their Popes succeed as full heirs to all Peters prerogatives are ridiculous Whence it must needs follow that their faith is but a compost of folly and blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they have that the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alledged for her infallibility and their belief of their infallibility in such expositions the only security their souls can have that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate Host of communicating under one kind they do not contemptuously disobey Gods principal laws mangle Christs last Wil and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselves confesse the places brought by us against their decrees to be divine and we have demonstrated that mens belief of that infallible authority in making such decrees to be meerly humane the former Conclusion is most firm that whilest men obey these decrees against that natural sense and meaning which the former passages of Scripture suggest so plainly to every mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would ever question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane laws more then divine and much better believe the traditions of humane Fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gain there be strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especial points of their own salvation 12 Or if unto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures we adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoever possibly may be pretended to prove the present Popes authority it must stil be supposed greater and better known then all that can be brought for it or against it as wil appear if we apply our argument used before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must be tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controversie whether about the Canon or sence of Scriptures over those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority of unwritten traditions whether about the lawfulnesse of Councels or their Authentick interpretations in one word his determinations are Monarchical and may not be examined as S. Austin or others of the ancient Fathers writings may by any law written or unwritten So Bellarmin sutable to the Trent Councel expresly avoucheth The Fathers were only Doctors or expositors the Pope is a Judge What then is the difference betwen a Judge and an expositor To explain as a Judge there is required authority to explain as a Doctor or expositor only learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to be followed but only so far as reason shall counsel us but a Judge proposeth his sentence to be followed of necessity Whereof then wil the Pope be Judge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmin it must albeit we see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope neehs not except he wil nor may we exact it of a Judge So he adds more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as we do of Emperours declarations Austin and other Fathers in their Commentaries suppy the places of Teachers but the Councel and Popes exercise the function of Judges whereunto God hath designed them But how shal we know that God hath committed all judgement unto them seeing we have been taught by his word that he hath committed all judgement unto his son Because all men should honour the son as they honour the father We read not of any other to whom the like authority is given by God or his son yet of one whose very name shal import the usurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar general unto whom the Son as must be supposed doth delegate the same judiciary power the Father delegated unto him 13 But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subjects Yes though in civil matters it may so far as it concerns their conscienqes as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their souls to suffer what it inflicts upon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle countermand or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary civil power subjects may not But for any but man to usurp such dominion over his fellow creatures souls as earthly Princes have over their subjects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchical more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianism And what I would commend unto the Reader as a point of especial consideration This assertion of Bellarmin concerning the Popes absolute authority directly proves him as was avouched before to be a supream head or foundation of the self same rank and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensive perfection but only in the extent of absolute soveraignty For greater soveraignty cannot be conceived then this That no man may examin the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately derived from it though immediately concerning their eternal joy or misery No Prince did ever delegate such soveraign power to his Vice-gerent or deputy nor could he unlesse for the time being at least he did utterly relinquish his own supream authority or admit a ful compeer in his kingdom Bellarmins distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministerial and principal head of the Church may hence be described to be but meer stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Jupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Divisum imperium cum
for after a long and various deliberation used by the Councel Caiaphas who now sate as chief being the High-Priest pronounced that sentence where unto almost all at the least the major part agreed It is expedient that one die for the people and that the whole nation perish not upon which speech the Evangelist forthwith addes This he spake not of himself but being High-Priest for that yeer he prophesied Whence it follows faith Canus that our Prelates lives and actions may perhaps be contrary to our Lord Jesus but their judicial decrees or sentences such as are confirmed by the Pope who must be president in their Councels as Caiaphas was shall prove true and profitable unto Christians as instituted by God for the peoples good yea they shall proceed from the Holy Ghost for the reason which we have learned of the Evangelist to wit because such as give them are Prelates of Christs Church And this is all I have to say unto the second Argument 12 It is easie indeed for them thus to answer to whom it is most easie and most usual to blaspheme That the Popes aswell as Caiapha's prophecies may in the Event prove true and profitable to Christs Church we do not doubt because unto such as love God or are beloved of him all things even Sathans malice that had suborned Caiâ—phas and his brethren against Christ and his members turn to the best But he that had taken this High-Priest whilest he uttered this sentence for an infallible Prophet of the Lord had been bound in conscience to have done so to our Saviour at his as the people did to Baals Priests at Elias's instigation If our adversaries will permit us to interpret the Trent Councels Decrees as the faithfull of those times did Caâ—aâ—bus prophecie we will subscribe unto them without delay It is expedient we grant and profitable with all unto the Church that there should be such Decrees whereby the faith of others might be tried But as it was not lawfull for the people to imbrue their hands in Christs bloud though the greatest benefit that ever befell the world was by his death so neither is it safe to admit the Trent Canons though a wonderfull blessing of God they should be set forth because they so clearly testifie the truth of his word concerning Antichrist Canus said more in this then was needfull according to his supposed principles in his answer to the next argument But God who ruled the mouth of Caiâ—phas and made him speak the truth when he intended nothing lesse dâ—â— also direct Canusâ—s pen to vent what upon better consideration he would have concealed Yet herein he wrote but out of the abundance of his own and most of his fellows hearts who hold that the Priests and 〈◊〉 â—â—re onely in a matter of Fact not in any point of Faith when they 〈◊〉 Christ For conclusion of this consider with me Christian Reader how great cause we have to thank our gracious God that the sâ—â—t of 〈◊〉 or â—abble of Predicants were not founded in our Saviours daveâ— for thâ—… doubâ—â—e the Devil had picked a traitor out of that crue whose impudenâ— sophistical Apologies for open Blasphemie and unrelenting perseverance 〈◊〉 traitâ—rous plots might have outfaced the world that the delivering of Chriâ—… into his enemies hands had been no â—uch sin as Jâ—… testified it waâ—… his pâ—nitent speech and desperate end CAP. XIV What it would disadvantage the Romish Churâ—h to â—eny the infallâ—…lity of the Synagngue THat any visible company of men before our Saviour Christs time dâ—… challenge such absoluâ—e authority over mens faith as the Pore doth would be very hard for them to prove and no question but the high-Pâ—… and â—…ers amongst the Jews did oftentimes challenge more then they had If the Rom mist should say that they had no such infallible authority in deciding all controversies as their Church now challengeth the assertion would be as improbable in it self as incongruous to their positions For unto any indifferent man such Infalliâ—ilitie in the Watch-Tower of Sion mâ—… quisite during the time of the Law then since thâ— promulgation of the Gospel â—e it granted the points to be expresly believed of the anâ— ent people were but few yet even such of them as were most necessary to salvation were more enigmatically and mystically set down then any in the new Testament aâ—e and the measure of Gods Spirit upon every sort of men the vulgar especially in thâ—se times much lesse For this câ—use God raised uâ— Prophets to instruct them whose authority though it was not such as the Roman Church now challengeth but given to supply the ignorance and negligence of the Church representative in those dayes yet much greater thâ—n is ordinarily required in the light of the Gospel by which as the doctrine of salvation is become most conspicuous in it self so is the illumination â—… Gods Spirit more plentifull then before it had been And since the Prophets have been so clearly expounded by the Apostles and the harmony of the two Testaments so distinctly heard the ordinary Testâ—… of â—esuâ—â—… 〈◊〉 to the spirit of Propheâ—ie Allowing then these infinite ods on our pâ—rts that enjoy the labours of former ages with the ordinary preaching of the Gospel an infallible oecumenical authority is much 〈◊〉 needfull now then it was in the Law 2 Or if our adversaries will be so wayward as to deny the like infallibility to have been requisite in the ancient Jewish Church they shall hereby thwart evidently themselves disanull their chief title and utterly disclaim the main plea hitherto used for their own infallibilitie Foâ—… them do uâ—ge Gods promises made unto that Church to prove aâ—… of 〈◊〉 a like authority in theirs And if these promises made to the Jews admit any distinction condition or limitation whereby tâ—… absolute infallibilitie as they suppose it may be impaired then may all the promises made or supposed to be made unto their Church admit the same or like But besides the weakning of their title by debarring themselves of this plea drawn from the example of the ancient Jewish Church no man that reads their writings can be ignorant that all their chief and principal arguments wherewith they carry away most simple souls and importune such as almost neither fear God nor man to give sentence for them and their Church against us are drawn from these or the like Topicks unlesse God had ordained one supreme Judge or infallible Authority that might decide all controversies in matters of faith viva vâ—ce he had not sufficiently provided for his Church yea which were most absurd he had left it in worse estate then civil Estates are for ordinary matters for they besides their written Laws have Judges to determine all cases or controversies arising And seeing that Monarchical Government is of all others the best and in any wise mans judgement most available for avoiding all dissention and keeping the unity of
to possesse it then shalt thou put the blessing upon Mount Gerâ—…m and the curse upon Mount 〈◊〉 And elsewhere Moses chargeth the People saying These all sons of the free-woman shall stand upon Mount Geriâ—… to 〈◊〉 the peâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—e passe over Jordan Simeon and Levi and Judah and Iâ—â—aâ—har andâ—oseph â—oseph and Benjamin and these sons of the bond-woman shall stand 〈◊〉 Mount Eâ—al to â—urse Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulon Dan and Nephtali 〈◊〉 the Levites shall answer and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voyce Cursed c Nor was this rehersall more strictly enjoyned by Moses then faithfully performed by Iosuah And all Israel and their Elders and Officers and their â—…ges stood on this side of the Ark and on that side before the Priests of the Levites which bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord as well the stranger as he that is born in the Countrey half of them were over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before that they should blesse the children of Israel Then afterward he read all the words of the Law the blessings and cursings according to all that is written in the book of the Law There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Josuah read not before all the Congregation of Israel aswell before the women and children as the stranger that was conversant among them The like solemnity was to be continued every seventh yeer as Moses commanded them saying Every seventh yeer when the yeer of freedom shall be in the feast of Tabernacles when all Israel shall come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall 〈◊〉 thou shalt read this Law before all Israel that they may hear it Gather the people together men and women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and keep and observe all the wordâ— of this Law and that their children which have not known it may hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possesse it 5 Children were to be instructed first privately then publikely that the solemnity of the spectacle might work in them a modest fear and reverence without whose precedent impression true faith hardly findes entrance into the heart of man And without miracles it seldom takes but where the seed of it have been sowen in tender yeers nor doth it usually sink into younger breasts unlesse sucked in with admiration All that Moses all that Josuah all that Priests and Levites all that Parents or other Instructers private or publick could do to such all they aimed at was to propose the infallible word in such sort as might stir up their hearts to receive it with attention and admiration and afterwards to make sure triall of it alwayes sufficient to prove it self by their practise No instructer in that people ever taught his hearers either finally or jointly to rely upon the infallibility of his proposals 6 But the Jesuites heart though his mouth will not utter it thus indictes Did all this stir these Scripturians would seem to make or tatling parents daily invitation of their children to strict observance of this rule take such effect as Moses dreamed of in posterity No. But the reason why it did not was because they sought not in time to supplie the defect or raritie of miracles in latter with more frequent and solemne memorial of such as had happened in former ages or with more abundant meditation upon their written law and diligent observation of their ordinary successe alwayes correspondent thereunto Take heed to thy self saith Moses and keep thy soul diligently that thou forget not the things thine eyes have seen and that they depart not out of thine heart all the dayes of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy sons sons forget not the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will cause them to hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the dayes that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their children The necessity of this and like premonitions was too well manifested by the event The people saith another Pen-man of the sacred Canon had served the Lord all the 〈◊〉 of Josuah and all the dayes of the Elders that out-lived Josuah which had seen all the great works of the Lord that he aid for Israel Not the avouchment or presence of infallible teachers but their sure experience of Gods power and mercy did more surely fasten this peoples assent unto the truth of that which Moses had left written then Moses live-personal proposal could do their Fathers to his words uttered in their audience But after that generation with whom Josuah had conversed was gathered unto their fathers and another generation arose after them which neither knew the Lord nor yet the works he had done for Israel then the children of Israel did weekenly in 〈◊〉 sight of the Lord and served Baal Whence it came to passe that whithersoever they went out the hand of the Lord was sore against them as the Lord has said and as the Lord had sworn unto them so he punished them sore Notwithstanding the Lord raised up Judges which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors yet when the Iudge was dead they returned and did worse then their fathers in following others gods to serve them and worship them they ceased not from their own inventions nor from their rebellious way What rule then was left to reclaim them the infallible proposals of their Priests Though these or an Angel from heaven should have proposed any other Doctrine then what was consonant to their written law whose true meaning in this respect every one of them should have known Moses curse before mentioned had overtaken them following it So much were they addicted unto Baals Priests proposals that Angels could scarsly be heard though suggesting nothing but what their Law-giver had taught though assuring them by their presence of such assistance from their mighty God as he had promised Thus when the general of these heavenly souldiers sought to encourage Gideon The Lord is with thee thou valiant man He replies ah my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this come upon us and where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of and said Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites As if he had said I will not deny but the Lord hath done of old as our fathers have declared unto us Moses story I distrust not but am sure he hath
much as is intimated in the words following was their inordinate desire of having an earthly King that might rule the nation with an iron rod. ‖ When Jesus therefore perceived by their forwardnesse to professe the former truth that they would come and take him to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone for the same cause no doubt which the Evanâ—elist speciâ—… the former place But Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew them all and had no need that any should testifie of man He knew such as upon these glimpses of his glory were presently so stifly set to believe in him upon hopes of being fed with dainties or mighty protection against the Heathen would be as violently â—eâ—t against him even to crucifie him for a seducer â—tter they had discovered his constant endeavours to bring them both by life and doctrine unto conformity with his cross mortification humility contempt of the world patience in affliction with other like qualities despiseable in the worlds eyes yet main principles in his school and elementary grounds of salvation so his country-men of Nazareth sodainly admiring the gratâ—ous words which proceeded out of his mouth after he begun to upbraid them with unthankfulness as speedily attempt to throw him headlong from the top of the hill whereon their City was built By this it may appear that of the â—ewish people in ancient times some did sin in being backward others in an immature forwardnesse to believe prophetical doctrines But the fountains or first heads whence these swift motions of life were depraved in the one was inordinate assection or intrinsick habitual corruption the root whence such deadnesse was derived into the actions of the other was hardnesse of heart precedent neglect of Gods word and ignorance of his wayes thence ensuing Which presupposed the parties so affected did not amisâ—e in not believing the true Prophets without examination but in not abandoning such dispositions as disenabled them for believing all parts of truth proposed with constancy and vniformity making them fit instruments to be wrought upon by seducers Hence saith our Saviour I come in my fathers name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own name him will ye receive How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honâ—â—r that cometh of God alone Nor Prophetical nor Aposâ—olical nor Messiacal much lesse could Papal authority make them believe the doctrine of life intirely and sincerely whilest their hearts were hardned whose hardnesse though might easily have been mollisied by laying Moses law unto them while they were young and tender 4 It is a rule as profitable for our own information in many points as for â—â—â—utâ—tion of the adversary that The commendation of necessary meâ—ns is alwayes included in the commendation of the end which how good or excellent soever it be our desires of it are preposterous all earnest endeavours to attain it turbulent unlesse first addressed with proportionable alacrity to follow the means that must produce it Sober spirits alwayes bound their hopes of accomplishing the one by perfect survey of their interest in the other as minds truly liberal determine future expences by exact calculation of their present revenews Even in businesses of greatest importance though requiring speediest expedition a wise man will moderate his pace according to the quality of the ground whereon he goes otherwise the more haste may cause worse speed The Jews were as we are bound to believe truths proposed without delay but both for this reason most strictly bound to a continual uniformity of practising divine precepts already known without dispensing with this or that particular though offensive to our present disposition without indulgence to this or that special time without all priviledge sought from the pleasure or displeasure of men Both bound so to frame our lives and conversations as to be instantly able to discern the truth proposed not by relying upon their authority that propose it but for it self or from a full and lively though a quick and speedy apprehension of immediate homogeneal consonancy between the external and the internal word For if any part of Gods word truly dwel in us though secret it may be and silent of it self yet wil it Eccho in our hearts whilst the like reverberates in our ears from the live-voice of the Ministery Thus had the Jews hearts been truly set to Moses law had their souls delighted in the practise of it as in their food they had resounded to the Prophets call as a string though untouched and unable to begin motion of it self wil yet raise it self to an unison voice or as the fowls of heaven answer with like language to others of their own kind that have better occasion to begin the cry In this sense are Christs sheep said to hear his voice and follow him not every one that can counterfeit his or his Prophets Call 5 The issue of all that hath been said is that none within the prâ—cincts of these times whereof we now treat from the Law given unto the Gospel were bound to believe Gods messengers without examination of their doctrine by the precedent written word Only this difference there was such as had rightly framed their hearts to it did make this trial of Prophetical doctrines as it were by a present taste which others could not without interposition of time to work an alteration in their distempered affections For this reason do the Prophets alwayes annex Mosaical precepts of repentance to their predictions of future events as knowing that if their hearts to whom they spake were turned to God their sight should forthwith be restored clearly to discern the truth For further manifestation of the same conclusion it appears sufficiently from sundry discourses in the former book that Israels incredulity unto their Prophets was finally to be resolved into their neglect their imperfect or partial observance of Moses precepts Wherefore not the live-voice of them whose words in themselves were most infallible and are by the approbation of time with other conspicuous documents of Gods peculiar providence preserving them in divine estimation so long become an undoubted rule of life unto us but the written word before confirmed by signs and wonders sealed by the events of times present and precedent was the infallible rule whereby the prophetical admonitions of every age were to be tried and examined 6 The words of the best while they spake them were not of like authority as now written they are unto us nor were they admitted into the Caâ—on but upon just proof of their divine authority That one speech which Fsay uttered was an Axiom so well known as might bring all the rest to be examined before admission To the Law and to the Tescimony if they speaâ— not according to this word it is because there is no light in them For Gods Wil already known and
it did alwayes necessarily concur with miracles for distinguishing true professors from seducers When the controversie was betwixt Moses Pharaohs Enchanters the Lord confutes his adversaries by an ocular demonstration of his power yet further ratified by their confession whose words were the best Oracles which that people knew These fair warnings concurring with the Egyptians consciousnesse of their mercilesse practises against poor Israel stil thriving in despight of policy could not but witnesse even to the most unnatural men amongst them that the God of Jacob and his seed was a Father to the fatherless an Help to the helpless a God of mercy and a God of strength willing and able to right such as suffered wrong to succour all in distresse that with faith and patience commended their cause unto his patronage The most devoutly superstitious or idolatrous might at the least more then probably have gathered that the God of Moses was greater than any they or their cunning Magicians worshipped But it is a curiosity incident to superstitious hypocrites at their first entrance into Gods school scrupulously to demand full satisfaction in all doubts or difficulties than can be suggested and as if they sought to obtain mercy by way of bargain not by faith or favour to have their assurance precisely drawn and fully sealed before they surrender up the least part of their interest in any pleasure commodity or custome long enjoyed though never so destitute of reason As in this case imagin some Romish Schoolman or Jesuite had been in such favour in Pharaohs Court as that crew is now in too many Princes what other collections could we imagin he would have made but these How do these wonders prove the God of Israel to be so great a God as Moses boasts of He hath more skil we see in these particulars then the Gods adored by us Egyptians therefore in all or more in these then the Gods of any other nation Thesewere stranger works indeed then we expected such poor silly fellows could have wrought but may not others by the same reason work more strange hereafter And to speak the truth more that victory Moses had over the Egyptians could not prove unto the natural man so long as he considered the wonders only in themselves without any concurrence of other circumstances or truth presupposed then that this God of Israel was greater then any other he yet knew of not greater then any that might manifest himself hereafter Notwithstanding these few Documents or Essaies of his power compared with the End and occasions for which they were exhibited were so fully conformable to those natural notions even the heathen had of the Deity that no man free from passion or prejudice of their main estate for whose good the cunningest were thus foiled at their own weapon and the mightiest among the Egyptians plagued but might have seen The Finger of a good a just and merciful God in all their troubles had he in sobriety of spirit seriously consulted his own heart And who so sincerely had glorified his name according to this measure of knowledge or apprehension of his justice to him no doubt more had been given daily of this bread of life 4 The Jews I am perswaded could have given as instances of Devils cast out by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils as might have defeated any Induction gathered from the manifold practise of such works considered alone to prove the divine powers assistance Most apparently most malicious not withstanding was their application of such instances to our Saviour whose usual manner of dispossessing wicked spirits of those mansions wherein they have revelled most did abundantly witnesse he wrought by the Finger of God who only was greater then that strong man whom he vanquished bound and spoiled of his goods servants and possessions For though Devils sometimes suffer themselves to be commanded by men neither of greatest wisdom best place nor fashion yet this they do as any wel instructed in Gods law or illuminated with the notions of good and evil wil easily discern alwayes with purpose to bring men unto a perpetual acknowledgment of some divine power in them or to performance of some Magical service unto them no otherwise then cheating mates or cunning gamesters can be wel content to suffer bunglers beat them the first or second Set in hope to entise them to hold play longer or for greater wagers On the contrary the only Fee our Saviour demanded for all his admirable cures in this kind was the parties should give such glorie unto God alone as that infernal crew most detested but which the law of Moses so highly esteemed by his calumniators did purposely require in defiance of Beelzebub and all the powers of darknesse The end of every particular dispossession was such and the multitude of legal consessions sincerely uttered by poor souls set free so many as his bitterest adversaries own consciences could not but witnesse against themselves that all the chief Titles of Satans wanted triumphs over Gods people were utterly overthrown that he could not urge them either unto such blasphemies against God or outrages against themselves or their neighbours as he most delighted in Besides few or no instances could I think be brought of Devils cast out in any Magicians name in Christs they were and as it seems by such as had better acquaintance or more alliance with his accusers then with himself Thus much our Saviour in my conjecture intimates in that speech By whom then do your children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges Which words I neither would refer to Christs Disciples as some good Interpreters do nor as others unto such Exorcists as those mentioned Acts 19. 15. which attempting to throw out this strong man were overthrown in their own play but unto such as John complained of Master we saw one casting out Devils in thy name which followed not us and we forbad him This man though no Disciple was neither so ill disposed in himself nor so malitiously affected to our Saviour as these Jews were as appears by our Saviours answer unto John Forbid him not for there is no man that can do a miracle in my Name that lightly speaks evil of me for whosoever is not against us is on our part In the same words he concludes his disputation against the Jews in the fore-cited place 5 Such as this man was none of Christs followers but rather a friend as seems of his accusers yet using Christs not Beelzebubs name to cast out Devils were competent witnesses of his heavenly vertue and his adversaries malitious partiality Many other circumstances wel known then not now especially the long want of miracles more then prophesies before his coming did manifest their malice to be more impudent and shamelesse then we in such distance of time can discern That Finger of God from such Signs of the Time as we in general may suppose far more apparent in his victories
met them as live-like as they themselves were Was he to them a Prophet mighty in word and deed and yet not able to perform what he had constantly spoken But what was the chief matter of their just reproof That they had not believed his words nor given due credence to his works Dull no doubt they had been in not esteeming better of both unwise in not learning more of Him that taught as never man taught but as in them he teacheth us most dul and most unwise even Fools and slow of heart in not believing all that the Prophets had spoken Ought not Christ to have suffered these things as if he had said Is it possible your ignorance in them should be grosse as not to know that Christ was thus to suffer and so to enter into his glory 2 You wil say perchance they did not wel in giving so little attention and credit to the Prophets whose light should have led them unto Christ but now that they have light on him in person without their help only by his seeking them shall not he who was the end and scope of all prophetical writings teach them all He will but not by relying only upon his infallible authority This Edifice of Faith must be framed upon the Foundation laid by the Prophets For this reason happily our Saviour would not bewray himself to be their infallible teacher until he had made them by evidence of Scripture by true sense and feeling of his spirit believe and know the truth which he taught to be infallible He had opened their hearts by opening the Scriptures unto them before their eyes were open to discern his person for he began at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him Stedfast Belief then of any mans authority must spring out of the solid Experience of his skil and truth of his doctrine These two disciples might now resolve their hearts that this was he who John said should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire when by the working of his spirit their hearts aid burn within them whiles he talked with them and opened the Scriptures unto them Though before they had received John Baptists witnesse of the truth as a Tie or Fest to stay their fleeting Faith yet now they would not receive the record of man there is another that beareth witnesse of him the spirit of truth which hath imprinted his doctrine in their hearts 3 Would the Pope who challengeth Christs place on earth amongst his living members and requires we should believe his words as wel as these Disciples did Christs but expound those Scriptures unto us which Christ did to them with like evidence and efficacy could he make our hearts thus burn within by opening the secret mysteries of our salvation we would take him for Christs Vicar and believe indeed he were infallibly assisted by the Holy Spirit But seeing he and his followers invert our Saviours method by calling the certainty of both Testaments in question telling us we cannot know them to be Gods word unlesse it shal please this Roman God to give his word for them or confirm their truth seeing this his pretended confirmation is not by manifesting the mysteries of our salvation so distinctly and clearly as Christ did unto these Disciples nor by affording us the true sense and feeling of the spirit in such ardent manner as they enjoyed it and yet accurseth us if we believe not his words as wel as they did their Redeemers we may hence take a perfect measure of that mouth of Blasphemies spoken of by S. John according to all the three dimensions contained in the three assertions prefixed to the beginning of this Section Nor can the reader imagin either any other forepassed like unto it or yet to come likely to prove more abominable if it shal but please him to survey the length and breadth of it but especially the profundity 4 The length of it I make That assertion The Pope must be as well believed as either Christ was whilst he lived on earth or his Apostles after his glorification The breadth His absolute authority must be for extent as large and ample as Christs should be were he on earth again or as that commission he gave unto his Disciples Go Preach the Gospel to every creature his directions must go forth throughout all the earth and his words unto the ends of the world The depth is much greater then the space between heaven and hell For if you would draw a line from the Zenith to the Nadir through the Center it would scarce be a gag long enough for this monstrous mouth so wide as hell cannot conceive a greater The depth I gather partly from the excesse of Christs worth either arising from his personal union with the Godhead his sanctity of life and conversation or from his Hyperprophetical Spirit and abundant miracles For look how much he exceeds any but meer man in all these by so much doth the Pope though supposed as not obnoxious to any crime make his authority and favour with God greater then Christs which is the Semidiameter of this Mouth of Blaspemies The other part equal hereunto in quantity but for the quality more tainted with the dregs of Hell ariseth from that opposition the Popes spirit hath unto Christ or from the luxury and beastly manners of the Papacy erected by Satan as it were of purpose to pollute the world with monstrous sins and to derogate as much from mankind as true Christianity doth advance it finally to make the Christian world as much more wicked as Christs Disciples Apostles and faithful followers are better then the heathen Nor doth the Pope exact Belief only without miracles or manifestation of a prophetical spirit but contrary to all notions of good and evil common to Christians and Heathens and as it were in despight of the Prophesies that have deciphered him for Antichrist What heathen Philosopher could with patience have endured to hear that a dissolute luxurious tyrant could not though in matters of this life give wrong sentence out of the seat of Justice The Jesuites teach it as an Article of faith that the Pope albeit a dissolute and ungracious tyrant Mankinds reproach the disgrace of Christianity cannot possibly give an erroneous sentence ex Cathedra no not in mysteries of religion But as if it were a small thing thus impudently to contradict nature and grieve the souls of ingenuous men unlesse they also grieve their God seeking as it were to crosse his spirit by holding opinions not only contradictory but most contrary to his sacred rules they importune the Christian world with tumultuous clamours to take that which the spirit hath given as the demonstrative Character of great Antichrist the old serpents chief confederate for the infallible cognisance of Christs Vicar the very signet of his beloved Spouse Nor wil they I know
be so authentick in his doctrine Is it not the pretended priviledge of the same spirit which exempts the Pope from privatenesse and makes his authority oecumenical and infallible Whosoever then by participation of this spirit understands the Prophesies either immediately or expounded by others whomsoever his conceit of them or their right interpretation is not private but authentick And Canus though a Papist expresly Teacheth That the immediate ground or Formal Reason of ours and the Apostles Belief must be the same both so immediately and infallibly depending upon the testimony of the spirit as if the whole world beside should teach the contrary yet were every Christian bound to stick unto that inward testimony which the spirit hath given him Though the Church or Pope should expound them to us we could not infallibly believe his expositions but by that spirit by which he is supposed to teach so believing we could not infallibly teach others the same for it is the spirit only that so teacheth all The inference then is as evident as strong that private in the fore-cited place is opposed to that which wants authority not unto publick or common The Kings promise made to me in private is no private promise but wil warrant me if I come to plead before his Majesty albeit others make question whether I have it or no. In this sense that interpretation of scriptures which the spirit affords us that are private men is not private but authentick though not for extent or publication of it unto others yet for the perfection of our warrant in matters of salvation or concerning God For where the spirit is there is perfect liberty yea free accesse of pleading our cause against whomsoever before the Tribunal seat of justice especially being wronged in matters of the life to come To this purpose saith our Apostle But â—e that is spiritual discerneth all things yet he himself is judged of no man In those things wherein he cannot be judged by any he is no private man but a Prince and Monarch for the freedom of his conscience But if any man falsly pretend this freedom to nurse contentions or to withdraw his neck from that yoak whereto he is subject he must answer before his supream Judge and his holy Angels for framing unto himself a counterfeit licence without the assured warrant of his spirit And so shal they likewise that seek to command mens consciences in those matters wherein the spirit hath set them free This is the height of iniquity that hath no temporal punishment in this life but must be reserved as the object of fiercest wrath in that fearful day the very Idea of Antichristianism CAP. XXIV That S. Paul submitted his doctrine to examination by the Words before written That his doctrine disposition and practise were quite contrary to the Romanists in this argument 1 SAint Paul as wel as other Apostles had the gift of miracles which amongst Barbarians or distressed souls destitute of other comfort likely to be won to grace by wonders he did not neglect to practise but sought not to enforce belief upon the Jews by fearful signs or sudden destruction of the obstinate albeit he had power to anathematize not only in word but in deed even to deliver men alive unto Satan When he came to Thessalonica he went as his manner was into the Synagogue and three Sabbath dayes disputed with his country-men by the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must have suffered and risen again from the dead and this is Jesus Christ whom I preach to you These Jews had Moses and the Prophets and if they would not hear them neither would they believe for any miracles which to have wrought amongst such had been as the casting of pearls before swine What was the reason they did not believe because the Scriptures which he urged were obscure but Saint Paul did open them Rather they saw the truth as Papists do but would not see it They rightly believed whatsoever God had said was most true that he had said what Moses and the Prophets wrote and yet Saint Paul taught nothing which they had not foretold But that was all one these Jews had rather believe Moses and the Prophets meant as the Scribes and Pharisees or other chief Rulers of their Synagogues taught then as Paul expounded them albeit his expositions would have cleared themselves to such as without prejudice would have examined them But the Beroeans were of a more ingenuous disposition so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports they were not vassals to other mens interpretations or conceits but used their liberty to examin their truth They received the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures whether these things were so or no. If they believed in part before their practise confirms the truth of our assertion that they were not to believe the infallibility of Paul but of his doctrine albeit they were wel perswaded of his personal authority If they believed neither in part nor wholly before they saw the truth of his doctrine confirmed by that Scripture which they had formerly acknowledged their ingenuity herein likewise confirms our doctrine and condemns the Papists of insolent blasphemy for arrogating that authority unto the Popes decrees which is only due unto Gods word already established 2 I would demand of any Papists whether the Beroeans did wel or ill in examining Saint Pauls doctrine if ill why hath the Spirit of God commended them if well why is it not lawfull and expedient for all true Christians to imitate them Unlesse the Reader bite his lip I will not promise for him he shall not laugh at Bellarmines answer albeit I knew him for another Heraclitus or Crassus Agelastus who never laughed in all his life save once when he saw an Asse feed on thistles Surely he must have an Asses lips that can taste and a swines belly that can digest this great Clerks Divinity in this point I answer saith he albeit Paul were an Apostle and could not preach false doctrine thus much notwithstanding was not evident to the Beroeans at the first nor wore they bound forthwith to believe unlesse they had seen some miracles or other probable inducements to believe Therefore when Paul proved Christ unto them out of the Prophetical Oracles they did well to search the Scriptures whether those things were so If Saint Paul had thought miracles a more effectuall means then Scriptures for begetting faith in such as acknowledged Moses and the Prophets no doubt he had used miracles rather then their authority Or if the Pope cannot expound the Scriptures as effectually and perspicuously as Saint Paul did why doth he not at the least work miracles are we bound absolutely to believe him and is he bound to do neither of these without which the people of Beroea were not bound as Bellarmine acknowledgeth to believe Saint Paul But if his reason be worth belief Christians which know the Church
Aristotles forge so the fire be out of us when we come into the Sanctuary But just in this manner doth the Mimical Jesuite reply to the former truth I demand saith he whether the Doctour would approve this consequence Paul preaching to the Athenians confirmed his Doctrine with the testimony of the Poet Aratus and the Athenians had done well if they had sought whether Aratus had said so or no therefore all Doctrines must be judged by Poets But what if the Beraeans practise considered alone or as Jesuites do Scriptures onely Mathematically do not necessarily inferre thus much The Learned Doctors charitable mind would not suffer him to suspect any publick Professor of Divinity as Sacroboscus was could be so ignorant in Scriptures as not to consider besides the different esteem of Prophets and Poets amongst the Jews what Saint Paul had Acts 26 22. expressely said I obtained help of God and continue unto this day witnessing both unto small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Unlesse he could have proved Christs resurrection and other Articles of Christian faith out of Moses and the Prophets the Jews exceptions against him had been just For they were bound to resist all Doctrines dissonant to their ancient Ordinances especially the abolishment of Rites and Ceremonies which Paul laboured most knowing the Law-giver meant they should continue no longer then to the alteration of the Priesthood but in whose maintenance his adversaries should have spent their bloud whiles ignorant they were without default of the truth Paul taught as not sufficiently proved from the same Authority by which their lawes were established Nor was any Apostle either for his miracles or other pledges of the Spirit that he could communicate unto others to be so absolutely believed in all things during his life time as Moses and the Prophets writings For seeing the gift of miracles was bestowed on hypocrites or such as might fall from any gifts or graces of the spirit they had though the spectatours might believe the particular conclusions to whose confirmation the miracles were fitted yet was it not safe without examination absolutely to relie upon him in all things that had spoken a divine truth once or twice In that he might be an hypocrite or a dissembler for ought others without evidence of his upright conversation and perpetuall consonance to his former Doctrine could know he might abuse his purchased reputation to abet some dangerous errour Nor do our Adversaries though too too credulous in this kind think themselves bound to believe revelations made to another much lesse to think that he which is once partaker of the Spirit should for ever be infallible Upon these supporters the forementioned Doctors reason which the Jesuite abuseth to establish the Churches Authority stands sirme and sound I absolutely believe all to be truâ—… that â—od saith because he saith it nor do I seek any other reason but I dare not as 〈◊〉 so much unto man lest I make him equall to God for God alone and he in whom the Godhead dwelleth bodily is immutably just and holy Many others have continued holy and righteous according to their measure untill the end but who could be certain of this besides themselves no not they themselves alwayes And albeit a man that never was in the state of grace may oft-times deliver that Doctrine which is infallible yet were it to say no worse a grievous tempting of God to rely upon his Doctrine as absolutely infallible unlesse we know him besides his skill or learning to be alwayes in such a state Though both his life and death be most religious his Doctrine must approve it self to the present Age and Gods providence must commend it to posterity Nor did our Saviour though in life immutably holy and for Doctrine most infallible assume so much unto himself before his Ascension as the Jesuites give to the Pope For he submitted his Doctrine to Moses and the Prophets writings And seeing the Jesuites make lesse account of Him then the Jews did of Moses it is no marvell if they be more violently miscaried with envious or contemptuous hatred of the Divine truth it self then the Jews were against our Saviour or his Doctrine These even when they could not answer his reasons drawn from Scriptures received though most offensive to their distemperate humour were ashamed to call Moses and the Prophets Authority in question or to demand how do ye know God spake by them Must not the Churches infallibility herein assure you And if it teach you to discerne Gods Word from mans must it not likewise teach you to distinguish the divine sence of it from humane This is a strain of Atheisme which could never find harbour in any professing the knowledge of the true God before the brood of Antichrist grew so flush as to seek the recovery of that battail against Gods Saints on Earth which Lucifer their Father and his followers lost against Michael and his holy Angels in Heaven CAP. XXV A brief taste of our Adversaries blasphemous and Atheistical assertions in this argument from some instances of two of their greatest Doctours Bellarmin and Valentian That if faith cannot be perfect without the solemne testification of that Church the rarity of such testifications will cause infidelity 1 FOr a further competent testimonie of blasphemies in this kind where-with we charge the Church of Rome let the Reader judge by these two instances following whether the Christian world have not sucked the deadliest poison that could evaporate from the infernal lake through Bellarmines and Valentians pens Valentian as if he meant to out-flout the Apostle for prohibiting all besides the great Pastor Christ Jesus for being Lords over mens faith will have an infallible authority which may sit as Judge and Mistresse of all Controversies of faith and this to be not the authoritie of one or two men deceased not peculiar to such as in times past have uttered the divine truth either by mouth or pen and commended it unto posterity but an authority continuing in force and strength amongst the faithfull thorowout all ages able persptcuously and openly to give sentence in all Controversies of Faith Yet as these Embassadours of God deceased cannot be Judges shall they therefore have no Say at all in deciding conroversies of faith You may not think a Jesuite would take Jesus Name in vain he will never for shame exclude his Master for having at least a finger in the government of the Church Why what is his office or what is the use of his authority registred by his Apostles and Evangelists Not so little as you would ween For his speeches amongst others that in their life time have infallibly taught divine truths by mouth or pen may be consulted as a witnesse or written law in cases of faith but after a certain sort and manner either to speak the truth or somewhat thereto not impertinent
proposition must finally be resolved Every conclusion of faith as is before observed out of Bellarmine must be gathered in this or like Syllogisme Whatsoever God or the first Truth saith is most true But God said all those words which Moses the Prophets and the Evangelists wrote Therefore all these are most true The Major in this Syllogisme is an Axiom of Nature acknowledged by Turks and Infidels nor can Christian faith be resolved into it as into a Principle proper to it self The Minor say our Adversaries must be ascertained unto us by the Churches authority and so ascertained becomes the first and main principle of faith as Christian whence all other particular or determinate conclusions are thus gathered Whatsoever the Church proposeth to us for a divine Revelation is most certainly such But the Church proposeth the Books of Moses and the Prophets finally the whole volumes of the old and new Testament with all their parts as they are extant in the vulgar Roman Edition for divine revelations Therefore we must infallibly believe they are such So likewise must we believe that to be the true and proper meaning of every sentence in them contained which the Church to whom it belongs to judge of their sence shall tender unto us 2 For better manifestation of the Truth we now teach the young Reader must here be advised of a Twofold Resolution One of the things or matters believed or known into their first parts or Elements Another of our Belief or perswasions concerning them into their first Causes or motives In the one the most general or remotest cause In the other the most immediate or next cause alwayes terminates the resolution The one imitates the other inverts the order of composition so as what is first in the one is last in the other because that which is first intended or resolved upon by him that casteth the plot is last effected by the executioner or manual composer In the former sence we say mixt bodies are lastly resolved into their first Elements houses into stones timber and other ingredients particular truths into general maximes conclusions into their immediate premisses all absurdities into some breach of the rule of contradiction Consonantly to this interpretation of final resolution The First Verity or divine infallibility is that into which all Faith is lastly resolved For as we said before this is the first step in the progresse of true Belief the lowest Foundation whereon any Religion Christian Jewish Mahometan or Ethnick can be built And it is an undoubted Axiom quod primum est in generatione est ultimum in resolutione when we resolve any thing into the parts whereof it is compounded we end in the undoing or unfolding it where nature begun in the composition or making of it But he that would attempt to compose it again or frame the like aright would terminate all his thoughts or purposes by the end or use which is farthest from actual accomplishment Thus the Architect frames stones and timber and layes the first foundation according to the platform he carries in his head and that he casts proportionably to the most commodious or pleasant habitation which though last effected determines all cogitations or resolutions precedent Hence if we take this ultima resolutio as we alwayes take these termes when we resolve our own perswasions that is for a resolution of all doubts or demands concerning the subject whereof we treat A Roman Catholicks faith must according to his Principles finally be resolved into the Churches infallibility For this is the immediate ground or first cause of any particular or determinate point of Christian faith and the immediate cause is alwayes that into which our perswasions concerning the effect is finally resolved seeing it onely can fully satisfie all demands doubts or questions concerning it As for example if you ask why men or other terrestrial Creatures breath when fishes do not to say they have lungs and fishes none doth not fully satisfie all demands or doubts concerning this Subject For it may justly further be demanded what necessity there was the one should have lungs rather then the other If here it be answered that men and other perfect terrestrial creatures are so full of fervent blood that without a cooler their own heat would quickly choak them and in this regard the God of nature who did not make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or give them life in vain to be presently extinct did with it give them lungs by whose respiration their naturall temper should be continued This answer doth fully satisfie all demands concerning the former effect For no man of sense would further question why life should be preserved whose preservation immediately depends upon respiration or exercise of the lungs and is therefore the immediate cause of both and that whereunto all our perswasions concerning the former subject are lastly resolved Or if it should be demanded why onely man of all other creatures hath power to laugh to say he were indued with reason doth not resolve us for a Philosophical wit would further question Why should reasonable substances have this foolish faculty rather then others A good Philosopher would perswade us the spirits which serve for instruments to the rational part are more nimble and subtle and so more apt to produce this motion then the spirits of any other creatures are But this I must professe resolves not me for how nimble or subtle soever they be unlesse man had other corporeal Organs for this motion the spirits alone could not produce it and all organical parts are framed for the operation or exercise of the faculty as their proper end Whence he that would finally resolve the former Problem must assigne the true final cause why reasonable substances more then others should stand in need of this motion Now seeing unto reason onely it is proper to forecast danger and procure sorrow and contristation of heart by preconceit of what yet is not but perhaps may be it was requisite that our mortality through reason obnoxious to this inconvenience should be able to correct this contristant motion by the contrary and have a faculty to conceive such pleasant objects as might dilate the heart and spirits that as man hurts his body by conceited sorrow whereto no other Creature is subject so he might heal it again by a kind of pleasance whereof he alone is capable 3 Answerable to this latter acception of final resolution if you demand a Roman Catholick why he believes there is a Trinity there shall be a resurrection or life everlasting his answer would be because God or the First Verity hath said so but this doth not fully satisfie for we might further question him as he doth us why do you believe that God did say so Here it sufficeth not to say This truth is expresly taught in Canonical Scriptures for the doubt whereby he hopes to stagger us most is this Why do you believe
purpose in whose will or pleasure the finall cause of any natural effect alwayes consists And seeing nothing in Nature can preoccupate his will no cause can be precedent to the finall This consideration of naturall effects tending as certainly to their proposed end as the arrow flyes to the mark caused the irreligious Philosopher to acknowledge the direction of an intelligent supernatural agent in their working the accomplishment of whose will and pleasure as I said must be the finall cause of their motions as his will or pleasure which bestows the charges not the Architect unlesse he be the owner also is the final cause why the house is built Finally every End supposeth the last intention of an intelligent Agent whereof to give a reason by the Efficient which onely produceth works or meanes thereto proportioned would be as impertinent as if to one demanding why the bell rings out it should be answered because a strong fellow puls the rope 7 Now that which in our Adversaries Doctrine answers unto the cause indemonstrable whereinto final resolution of Natures works or intentions of intelligent agents must be resolved is the Churches Authority Nor can that if we speak properly be resolved into any branch of the first Truth for this reason besides others alledged before that all resolutions whether of our perswasions or intentions or of their objects works of Art or Nature suppose a stability or certainty in the first links of the chain which we unfold the latter alwayes depending on the former not the former on the latter As in resolutions of the latter kind lately mentioned imitating the order of composition actual continuation of life depends on breathing not breathing on it breathing on the lungs not the lungs mutually on breathing so in resolutions of the other kind which inverts the order of composition the use or necessity of lungs depends upon the use or necessitie of breathing the necessitie or use of breathing upon the necessity or use of life or upon his will or pleasure that created one of these for another Thus again the sensitive faculty depends upon the vital that upon mixtion mixtion upon the Elements not any of these mutually upon the sensitive faculty if we respect the order of supportance or Natures progresse in their production Whence he that questions whether some kinds of plants have sense or some stones or metals life supposeth as unquestionable that the former have life that the second are mixt bodies But if we respect the intent or purpose of him that sets Nature a working all the former faculties depend on the sensitive the sensitive not on any of them For God would not have his creatures indued with sense that they might live or live that they might have mixt bodies but rather to have such bodies that they might live to live that they might enjoy the benefit of sense or the more noble faculties 8 Can the Jesuite thus assigne any determinate branch of the First Truth as stable and unquestionable before it be ratified by the Churches authority Evident it is by his positions that he cannot and as evident that belief of the Churches authority cannot depend upon any determinate branch of the First Truth much lesse can it distinctly be thereinto resolved But contrariwise presse him with what Divine precept soever written or unwritten though in all mens judgements the Churches authority set aside most contradictory to their approved practises for example That the second Commandement forbids worshipping Images or adoration of the consecrated Host he straight inverts your reason thus Rather the second Commandement forbids neither because the holy Church which I believe to be infallible approveth both Lastly he is fully resolved to believe nothing for true which the Church disproves nothing for false or erroneous which it allowes Or if he would answer directly to this demand To what end did God cause the Scriptures to be written He could not â—â—sonâ—â—t to his tenents say That we might infallibly rely upon them but rather upon the Churches authority which it establisheth For Gods Word whether written or unwritten is by their Doctrine but as the testimony of some men deceased indefinitely presumed for infallible but whose material extent the Church must first determine and afterwards judge without all appeal of their true meaning Thus are all parts of Divine truthes supposed to be revealed more essentially subordinate to the Churches authority then ordinary witnesses are to royal or supreme judgement For they are supposed able to deliver what they know in termes intelligible to other mens capacities without the Prince or Judges ratification of their sayings or expositions of their meanings and judgement is not ordained for producing witnesses but production of witnesses for establishing judgement Thus by our adversaries Doctrine Gods Word must serve to establish the Churches authority not the Churches authority to confirm the immediate soveraigntie of It ever our souls 9 Much more probably might the Jew or Turk resolve his faith unto the First Truth then the modern Jesuited Papist can For though their deductions from it be much what alike all equally sottish yet these admit a stabilitie or certainty of what the First Truth hath said no way dependant upon their authority that first proposed or commended it unto them The Turks would storme to hear any Mufti professe He were as well to be believed as was Mahomet in his life time that without His proposal they could not know either the old Testament or the Alcoran to be from God So would the Jews if one of their Rabbines should make the like comparison betwixt himself and Moses as the Jesuite doth betwixt Christ and the Pope who besides that he must be as well believed as his Master leaves the authority of both Testaments uncertain to us unlesse confirmed by his infallibility But to speak properly the pretended derivation of all three heresies from the First Truth hath a lively resemblance of false pedegrees none at all of true Doctrine and resolutions Of all the three the Romish is most ridiculous as may appear by their several representations As imagine there should be three Competitors for the Roman Empire all pleading it were to descend by inheritance not by election all pretending lineal succession from Charles the Great The first like to the Jew alledgeth an authentick pedegree making him the eldest The second resembling the Turk replies that the other indeed was of the eldest line but long since disinherited often conquered and enforced to resigne whence the inheritance descended to him as the next in succession The third like the Romanist pleads it was bequeathed him by the Emperors last Will and Testament from whose death his Ancestors have been intit'led to it and produceth a pedegree to this purpose without any other confirmation then his own authority adding withall that unlesse his competitors and others will believe his records and declarations written or unwritten to be most authentick they cannot
on Him Accidents have a kind of existence peculiar to themselves yet cannot so properly be said to exist as their subjects on whom they have such double dependance Nor can the Moon so truely say my beauty is my own as may the Sun which lends light and splendor to this his sister as it were upon condition she never use it but in his sight For the same reason That for which we believe another thing is alwaies more truely more really and more properly believed then that which is believed for it if the one belief necessarily depend upon the other Tam in facto esse quam in sieri from the first beginning to the latter end For of beliefs thus mutually affected the one is real and radical the other nominal or at the most by participation only real This consequence is unsound Intellective knowledge depends on sensitive therfore sensitive is of these two the surer The reason is because intellective knowledge depends on sensitive onely in the acquisition not after it is acquired But this inference is most undoubted We believe the conclusion for the premisses therefore we believe the premisses the better because belief of the conclusion absolutely depends upon the premisses during the whole continuance of it This is the great Philosophers Rule and a branch of the former Axiom And some justly question whether in Scholastick proprietie of speech we can truely say there is a belief of the conclusion distinct from the belief of the premisses or rather the belief of the premisses is by extrinsical denomination attributed unto the conclusion This latter opinion at least in many Syllogismes is the truer most necessarily true in all wherein the conclusion is a particular essentially subordinate to an universal of truth unquestionable As be that infallibly believes every man is a reasonable creature infallibly believes Socrates is such Nor can we say there be two distinct beliefs one of the universal another of this particular for he that sayeth All excepteth â—one If Socrates then make one in the Catalogue of men he that formerly knew all knew him to be a reasonable Creature all he had to learn was what was meant by this name Socrates a man or a beast After he knows him to be a man in knowing him to be a reasonable creature he knows no more then he did before in that uniuersal Every man is a reasonable creature The like consequence holds as firm in our present argument He that believes this universal Whatsoever the Church proposeth concerning Scriptures is most true hath no more to learn but onely what particulars the Church proposeth These being known we cannot imagine there should be two distinct Beliefs one of the Churches general infallibilitie another of the particular truths or points of faith contained in the Scripture proposed by it For as in the former case so in this He that from the Churches proposal believes or knowes this particular The Book of Revelations was from God receives no increase of former belief For before he believed all the Church did propose and therefore this particular Because one of all 4 The truth of this Conclusion may again from a main principle of Romish Faith be thus demonstrated Whatsoever unwritten traditions the Church shall propose though yet unheard of or unpossible otherwise to be known then onely by the Churches asseveration all Romanists are bound as certainly to believe as devoutly to embrace as any truths contained in the written word acknowledged by us the Jews and them for divine Now if either from their own experience the joynt consent of sincere antiquitie or testimony of Gods spirit speaking to thâ—m in private or what means soever else possible or imaginable they gave any absolute credence unto the written word or matters containd in it besides that they give unto the Churches general veracitie the Scriptures by addition of this credence were it great or little arising from these grounds peculiâ—r to them must needs be morefirmly believed and embraced then such unwritten traditions as are in themselves suspicious uncapable of other Credit then what they borrow from the Church For in respect of the Churches proposal which is one and the same alike peremptory in both Scriptures and traditions of what kind soever must be equally believed And if such traditions as can have no assurance besides the Churches testimony must be as well believed as Scriptures or Divine truths contained in them the former conclusion is evidently necessary That they neither believe the Scriptures nor the truths contained in them but the Churches proposal of them onely For the least belief of any Divine Truth added to belief of the Churches proposal which equally concerns written and unwritten verities would dissolve the former equality But that by the Trent Councel may not be dissolved Therefore our adversaries in deed and verity believe no Scriptures nor Divine written Truth but the Churches proposal onely concerning them And Sacrobosous bewrays his readâ—ness to believe the Church as absolutely as my Châ—istian can do God or Christ though no 〈◊〉 of the New-Testament were extant Foâ— â—hat the Church cannot erre was an â—…led by God proposed by the Church â—… by the thâ— faithful before any part of the New â—estament was written Now he that without 〈◊〉 Dâ—ctrines of Jesus Christ would believe the Doctrines of faith as sirmly as with it believes not the Gospel which now he hath but their authorities onely upon which though we had it not he would as absolute rely for all matters of Doctrine supposed to be contained in it 5 Of further to illustrate the truth of our conclusion with this Jesuites former comparison which hath best illustrated the Romish Churches Tenent That Church in respect of the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof is as the light is to colours As no colour can be seen of us but by the light so by his Doctrine neither the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof can be known without the Churches testimony Again as removal of light presently makes us lose the sight of colours so doubt or denial of the Churches authority dâ—prives us of all true and stedfast belief concerning Gods Word or any matter contained in it God as they plead hath revealed his will obseurely and unto a distinct or clear apprehension of what is obscurely revealed the visible Churches declaration is no less necessary then light to discernment of colours The Reason is one in both and is this As the actual visibility of colours wholly depends upon the light as well for existence as duration so by Jesuitical Doctrine True belief of Scriptures wholly depends on the visible Churches Declaration as well during the whole continuance as the first producing of it By the same reason as we gather that light in it self is more visible then colours seeing by it alone colours become actually visible so will it necessarily follow that the Churches Declaration that is the Popes priviledge for not
punishment 427 Spirit of God not to be known but by his fruits 150 Betwixt the Spirit of God and that of the Papacy the opposition is Diametral 449 c Christ would not suffer unclean spirits to publish the Gospel 354 Spirit of Antichrist 355 Spirits see Triall Proper sorcery in Jesuiticall doctrine 502 Sodom Straboes report of it 50. Circumference sixty furlongs Thirteen populous cities in that soyl destroyed by earthquake sayes he ib. Lots sons in law their wives Lots other daughters probably all destroyed in Sodom 49 Salt-sea might season the Atheist 50 Scriptures truth hath greater and surer tradition then any other Writings 10 Incitement to search the script 9 Madness not to search the script 9 Scripture miracles proved true 11 Script divine truth proved by its prevailing without outward help 11 Script confirmed by the solid marks of Historical truth 13 ad 17 Script divine truth proved by harmony of sacred Writers 17. script divine truth proved from its drift and scope 17 Script Authority proved from the vehemency and sincerity of spirituall affections 19 ad 25 Script truth proved by Poeticall fables 27 ad 30 Some scripture relations confirmed by the apparition of Heathen gods 34 ad 37 Scripture truths transformed into Poeticall fables 46 ad 57. scriptures relation of the Suns standing still misapplied to Atreus 48 Scripture relation of the fiery serpents changed into Cadmus his Dragon ib. Scripture relation of Sodom and Gomorâ—ha proved true by reason and sense 50 Scripture genealogies agree with the names of Nations 52. scriptures relations of the first inhabited parts how proved 53 Scriptures truth proved by Gods proceeding with the Iews 61 ad 90 Scriptures proved by the Iews desolation 137 Scriptures truth how to be confirmed by experiments in our selves 140 ad 145 Scriptures how to be read and heard 142 Many good qualifications required in Readers of scriptures that they may understand them 210 to 219 223 to 229 233 c. 248 256 258 c 261 264 270 Scriptures why so ineffectual in their Readers and Hearers 142 script ineffectivenesse in some no derogation to their power 142. script truth confirmed by the consent of Papists Protestants Jews 146. scripture truth to be known by practise 150. scriptures how unreasonably neglected and distrusted ib. script writ by Moses a perfect rule to the Israelites 229 to 233 255 263 Agreements and Differences betwixt Papist and Protestant about script 163 Obscurity pretended by Papists hinders not script from being that Rule 201 How Protestants grant ' script obscure 201 to 206 Unto what men and for what causes scriptures be obscure 206 to 210 Roâ—ish objections against perspicuity of script flye at God and the Pen-men of holy Writ as much as us 219 220 to 222 S. John and other Evangelists intended plainnesse 220. Pretences of Obscurity are vapours of fleshly corruption 223 233. Bellarmins darkning Lucerna 223 224 225 211. and Valentians 225 m. 226 c. yet this qualified 234. m. He sets a Candlestick upon the light 228 Papists sometimes made the holy Bible the holy Mount that might not be touched 229 m. But now may 257 upon condition m. ib. The Devil made the Jews depart from God by perswading them that Gods Law was too Obscure 230 What Protestants mean by scripture is the Rule of Faith 198 206 268 282 283. See Faith Scripture a rule of Faith even to the unlearned 199 Two Romish objections against scripture being Rule of Faith 155. The former answered 156 c Their other objections Hereticks urge scripture The Learned differ about sence of scripture private spirits uncertain answered 235 c Prove aut nihil aut nimium 266 c conclude against all science as much as against us 266 c See Hereticks Devil and Hereticks cunning in scripture Christ â—…inger and more ready to help 241 Scripture a slumbling block and snare to the unwise so Valent. 248 256. m Difficulty of scripture is the Jews vail so Valent. 209 252 Sufficiency of scripture 254 to 260. sine schola Simonis 259. m Christ submits his doctrine to scripture 255 Scriptures teach the remedy for the danger in reading scriptures 259 c The Objection Protestants permit all to use scripture and to take what sence they please ergo they have no means to end Controversies answered and retorted 271 Script must be understood by the same spirit by which they were written Bell. confesses this 286 Scripture supreme judge of Controversies in what sence 302. Councell of Trents Decree about interpreting scriptures 311 Scripture hath a Ruled Case for the successe of all State Business on foot in the World 144 About the Canon of scripture 146 T TAcitus his spleen against the Iews 70 c Against Christians 114 Tacitus objections against the Iews confuted 70 to 72. Tacitus a Tatler 76 Talmud seems to justifie the condemnation of Christ 396 Iesuites Tempt God 497 Templum Domini Templum Domini the Church the Church 374 422 508 Under the second temple no Bood added to the Canon Providence in it 59 Second Temple see Urim When the Temple was fired Titus kills the priests saying No need of them that being burnt 91 Tithes why so unwillingly payed 144 Titus dying expostulates with God 85 Tiberïus calls a Council about Pan 31 Ten Kings give power to the Beast 505 The word therefore imports not alwayes a cause of the thing but of our instruction to be taken from it 130 131 Testimony of Jesus spirit of prophesie 366 398 Testimony of Iews and papists usefull about Canon of scripture 146 147 c Thamous Egyptian 31 Thunder thought the Pythagoreans made to terrifie them in Hell 54 Turk partner with Ishmael in Circumcision A proselyt of Istmael Heir adopted to that promise Gen. 17. 20. 110 Turk signifies a wild man 110. Turks mad Historians Make Job and Alexander the Great Officers to Solomon 46 47. Under Turks and Saracens Christians suffer as Jews did under Greeks and Asiaticks 110 Tradition of parents how good for children 411 Traditions by Trent decree equal'd to script 487 Trajan in an earthquake drawn out at a window by miracle 96. Trajan shot in the shoulder 108 Trajans Army plagued with storms and flies 108 Traian pursues the Jews Enacts that if a Jew though driven by tempest set foot in Cyprus he is condemned ipso facto 111 Transubstantiation 328 Translation vulgar partly Lucians partly S Jeroms partly Theodotions the Heretick partly anothers may have scribe sâ—ps in it sayes Bellarm. yet no errata in iis quae ad Fidem mores pertinent 300 Forerius his defence and dealing for the vulgar translation 301 Trent decree for the vulgar translation 311 Tryall of spirits 150 c. 265 354 Christians in every Age tryed in tryall of spirits and in their love to God 265 Ignat. Loyola's way of tryall of spirits 151 Tryall of prophesies 434 c S Thomas Moors Jest 192 Ren. Tudelensis his visi ing and relation of the Jews his Countrey-mens
mulierum exercendis illorum impietas 〈◊〉 â—o processisset ut pro communi omnium incolumitate expediret tanti vim morbi celeri remedio coercere omnino 〈◊〉 tejiciendos ex civitatibus decrevit Hieron Rubeus lib. 11. hist Raven Of the â—… some â—… which â—… Moses and the Prophets Such speeches do not import an Absolute Cause of the thing but of our instruction or perswasion concerning it A comparison of the â—… Jews â—… with the stedfastnesse of Abrahams faith Deut. 29. 19. * Vide Socratem lib. 7. cap. 16. Krantzium lib. 10. Wandalorum c. 18. PapiriuÌ„ Masson lib. 3. p. 335. ex Villaneo Vide Hollinshead An. 40 Hen. 3. alibi At Prage in the year 1240. or thereabout they crucified a Christian Die Sacra Parasceves Krantzius lib. 7. Wandalorum c. 40. Vide Ezah 6. * Vide 〈◊〉 cap 〈◊〉 â—â—gr 〈◊〉 Gods Favours to the Ancient Israelites Parallel'd by like Blessings upon the Gentiles Exod. 25. 40. Heb. 8. 5 †Matth. 16. 3. Luke 12. 54. The Jews 〈◊〉 is an especial Light unto the Gentile Rom. 11. 25. â—…4 〈◊〉 Esay 5. 4 6. The Desolation of the Jews the most Effectual Sign for confirming Christian Faith Levit. 16. 44. A Parallel of the Israelites deliverance from Egyptian and Ours from Rome Babrlonish Ihraldom * Interim si Pontificii omnino cum Judaeis signuÌ„ habere velint accipiant hoc quod nos suâ— rhi miraculi loco habcmus unicum virum eumque miserum Monachum absque omni mundana vi Romanorum Pontificum tyrannidem quae tot seculis non tantùm potentissimis Regibus sed Toti Orbi Formidabilis fuit oppâ—gnasse superesse prostravisse juxta Elegantissimos versiculos Harmon Evangel cap. 59. ‖ Dolebat sanctissimo viro non solum vitam eorum quibus religionis confessio mandata erat nefariis sceleribus inquinari sed serpere etiam in religionem maximos errores Ideò de illis everteÌ„dis plurimum laborabat Sed quod tandem â—dcsct râ—pae authoritatem quousque processisset diffideret ne unos homo tanto negotio par esset de seipso spem â—… opravit ut omnes docti viri conjunctis studiis papam in ordinem redigerent Idem dixit quum paulo ante â—… infâ—â—â— us Lutheri propositiones de indulgentiis vidisset Lurherum in bonam causam ingressum esse sed unius â—… vires nihil valere ad tantam pontificis potentiam infringendam quae nimium invaluifâ—eâ— Et lectis approâ—… propofitionibus Luthâ—â—i exclamasse fertur Frater c. Johan Wolf in prafat ad Kranizii opera S. Peters Belief of known Orâ—dâ—â—â—nsâ—meâ—â— Eâ—pâ—… Jâ—â— 34 19. Wisd 6. 7. Acts 10. 34. Deut. 32. 29 30 39. Naaman without the written word by Experiment confirmed in the truth of what was written in the word 2 Kings 5. 15. Verse 17. 2 Tim. 3. 5 6 7. Beâ—… effects of Experiments lesse wonderful in Anna. 1 Sam. 2. 2. * De Prophetiâ Hannae vide AugustinuÌ„ lib. 17. de Civ Dei c. 4. Different Operations of like Experiments in diverse parties with their causes †1 Kings 20. vers 23. General directions for the right making of Experiments in our selves The causes why so many in â—ur dares have little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Experience of the truth of divine 〈◊〉 * The testimonies of the Ancient Israelites and modern Jews for the Canon of the old Testament is most Authentick For even those Aâ—… Fathers which our adversaries alledge to ackknowledg some more Books for Canonical then our Church doth did it only upon this Errour that they thought there had been more in the Canon of the Hebrew upon whose testimonies they relied as will be made clear against the Papists 〈◊〉 â—…at Mâ—… 11. 1◠〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 phâ—…â—â—â—nem c. That is their writinâ— wâ—re the complâ—at 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and infallible means of salvaâ—ion until John Yet can it not be proved that any Book held by our Church for Aâ—…al 〈◊〉 contained either undeâ— thâ— Law 〈◊〉 Proâ—â—â—ts 〈◊〉 the Historical books of the Hebrew Canon are Evident it is that the bâ—â—ks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mâ—…s were writ since Mâ—lâ—chies time from whom till John no Prophet was to be expected â—ut Mosâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 recorded in Histories and prophetical commentaries till Malachies time Inclusive was to be the immediat◠〈◊〉 for dâ—…ning the Great â—rophâ—â— See Lib. 2. c. 17. numb 3. 4. l. 1. c. 17. ‖ The divine Authority of Some Books in the new Testament especially the Apocalypse doubted of by the Ancient brought to light in later times Wherein the Testimony of the Rimish Church in discerning some Canonical Books is most available †How our firm Assent to some Principal mat ters revealed in Scriptures 〈◊〉 our Faith unto their whole Canon * This is that Circle which the Adversary 〈◊〉 as a Counterâ—… to us whilest we seek to overthrow their Circular â—… The Objects 〈◊〉 may justly be 〈◊〉 upon the Enthusiast but not on Our Church as shall appear in the 〈◊〉 Section of the Second Book †Proficiâ—â—tibus ut admonet P. noster Ignatius L. Exercit de dignosc spirit Spiritus malus se dure implacide violenter quasi cum strepitu quodam ut imber in saxa decidens infundit Bonus vero iisdem leniter placide suaviter sicut aqua irrorat spongiam Illis vero qui in deterius proficiunt experientia docet contrà evenire Delrius disquisit Magic lib. 4. cap. 1. q. 3. sect 6. 2 Tim. 3. 16. The Romanists 1. Objection set down here is answered in the next Chap. c. * This 〈◊〉 is answered Chap. 19 â—…c 〈◊〉 2. †This is R◠〈◊〉 and an sâ—… Chap. â—… ‖ Answered Chap. 12. * Tot verò traÌ„slationes mutationes sinc gravissimo periculo incoÌ„modo non fierent Nam non semper inveniun cur idonei in terpretes atque ita multi errores coÌ„mitterentur qui non possint postea sacilè tolli Cum neque Pontifices neque Concilia de tot linguis judicare possint Bellarm lib. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 15. in Fin. * Were their Objections against us pertinent not the Popes Infallibilitie but the Priests and Jesuites Honestie or Fidelity should be the Rule of mose Lay Papasts Faith †Concil Trident Sessione quarta Granting the Pope to be as infallible as God himself yet were not his Decrees related by his messengers to be so much believed as Gods written Word received by us them because it is more free from suspition of Forgerie then they can be harder to be Counterfeited then they are †A brief Answer to the Objection concerning the Illiterate In what Sense the Scripture or written Word may be said to be the Rule of their Faith-see chap. 11. parag 3. and 4. How far such are to rely upon their Instructors Authority see chap. 8. ‖ See chap. 16. * The want of skill in sacred tongues in former ages was for their ingratitude towards God and loving of Darknesse more then