God cannot properly be referred neyther to the honestie of maners nor to the tructh of faith must be knowne to be figuratiue Moreouer the ancient Fathers long agoe the Schoolemen of late time and the Popish writers at this day do teach that there be diâ—ers senses of Scripture And although all of them preferre the hystoricall and litterall sense yet Sixâ—â—s Senensis and Bellarmine doe make it double eyther proper and simple according to the first and naturall signification of the words or metaphoricall and figuratiue when the wordes are translated from their naturall signification to another and that there bee so many kindes of this sense as there bee kindes of figures Now what is preaching but expounding of Scripture and deliuering the true sense of it As appeareth by the practise of Ezra Nehe. 8.8 and the Leuites who reade the Lawe of God distinctly and then gaue the sense and caused the people to vnderstand what was read Those then who in their Sermons deliuer the true sense of the word written according to those seuerall kindes of expositions must needes deliuer the worde of GOD cuen the selfe same worde that is written Againe not onely the things expresly set downe in the Scriptures but likewise such thinges as by sound and necessarie consequence bee collected thence are taken for written truthes and not vnwritten traditions Aeonsus Viruestus a Popish Bishop and a bitter enemie to Luther Adners Luther doginat philippi c. 9. p. 147. acknowledgeth so much For hee saith That things may bee conteyned in the Scripture eyther formally and expresly or materially being drawâ—â— by a necessary collection from the contents And this he saith is called Virtualis continentâ—a To denie this saith hee is not Christian wisedome but Iewish superstition And then teacheth that wee are as much bound to giue assent to those thinges that be materially conteyned and drawne thence by a lawfull collection as to those that be formerly and expresly conteyned Bellarmine cannot deny but that Scoties taught De Eucharist lib. 3. c. 23 there was not any expresse place of Scripture to proue Transubstantiation without the declaration expositioÌ„ of the Church Neyther dare the Cardinall reiect that assertion but saith Quia colligitur ex scriptura diuina that Transubstantiation belongeth to the Catholicke faith because it is collected out of the diuine Scripture In his iudgement then that is a written trueth which is collected from the Scripture as well as that which is expressely set downe in the Scripture If therefore Preachers deliuer no other doctrines in their Sermons if they confute and condemne no other errors if they teach no other duties if they reproue no other sinnes if they minister no other consolations and if they vrge no other exhortations then they haue warrant in the written worde of God eyther by expresse testimonies or by necessary collections the worde which they preach is the very same in kind in nature and substance with the word written And so there is not one word written and another word preached as the Doctor woulde beare men in hand but one and the same word diuersly vsed So absurd is this his obseruation so voyde of reason so destitute of proofe and so discrepant from the doctrine of his owne Church that it may well bee thought that rather malice against vs then any warrant from the text caused him to set it downe And heere behold how farre malice doth carry your teachers euen to forsake their owne companions and to ouerthrow the coÌ„mon and receiued doctrine of their owne Church that so they may crosse and condemne vs. And to conclude with him hee that will regard what be writeth in the latter end of his obseruation may easilie perceiue how hee ouerthroweth his owne note obserued in the beginning For he produceth the Apostle Peter as an indifferent witnes in this case who saith that the Worde of God endureth for euer and this is the worde which is preached among you whose testimonie doth euidently prooue that the worde written and the worde preached then by the Apostles and other Ecclesiasticall persons was the very same worde For it is apparant by that verse which hee alleadged that the worde of God which endureth for euer and the worde which then was preached were one and the selfe same worde Now what was the word that endureth for euer was it not the worde written If anie will denye this let him reade the former verse in Peter and compare that verse and this Isaiah 40.6.7.8 with the wordes of the prophet Isaiah and hee shall finde it to be the worde written by the Prophet So as Peter maketh the worde written by the prophet and preached by the Apostles to bee the same Againe this great Doctor saith * Immutabile est in natura substancia sua etâ—i propagatione explicatione variâ— the Word is the Seede because it is vnchangeable in it owne nature and substance though diuers in explication and proueth it out of Basil and Vincentius Lyrenensis who make that agreemeÌ„t betweene the word written and the word preached that they are both one in substaÌ„ce for they preached nothing but what was written yet the word writteÌ„ was made fruitfull by preaching SECT III. BVt to leaue the Docter and his obseruation It may be some others will acknowledge contrarie to his minde that whosoeuer preacheth nothing but such doctrines as are either expresly taught or necessarily gathered from the scriptures preacheth nothing but the written word And yet will likewise contradict me because they hold that there is another word of God besides the written word Bellarmine (1) De verho Dei nonscript lib. 4. c. 1. saith there is verbis Dei scriptrÌ„ verbum Dei non scriptum A word of God written namely the bookes of the old and new Testaments And a word of God not written namely the traditions of the Church which be not written in the scriptures Gregory de Valentia (2) Refutat falsar causar Herbrand cap. 1. holdeth it for a most certaine thing that the word of God is not onely conteyned in written letters as it pleaseth him to tearme the scriptures in way of disgrace but is also put in the voyce of the Church and there doth sound Coster the Iesuite speaketh more plainely and peremptorily (3) Et anteÌ„ scriptura ecclesiae catholicae consensies concors omnium Christianorum per tot uÌ„ terrarum orbem doctrina Huius scripturae praestantia multis partibus super scripturas quas nobis in membranis Apostoli reliquerunt Encherid cap. 1. So also saith Hosius Quod ecclesia docet expressum Dei verbum est De expresso Dei verbo fol. 119. in 106. That the consent of the Catholike Church and the consonant doctrine of all Christians throughout the world is the scripture And in many points excelleth the scriptures which the Apostles haue left vs in parchments And this he maketh the first and
chiefest kinde of scripture which now we haue vnder the Gospell and saith that is a scripture penned with their owne hands The scriptures penned by the Apostles and Euangelists he placeth in the second ranke And addeth that a scripture of the third kind is in the decrees of generall Councells The decrees whereof if a man respect truth if he respect the seale and confirmation of the holy Ghost or the presence of Christ haue the same waight and moment So also saith â—lâ—sies Quod Ecclesia docet expressum Dei verbum est De expresso Dei vâ—rbo fol 119. 〈◊〉 16. that the holy gospells of God haue And so whereas Bellarmine made but two words of God he maketh three and two of his three are neither of the Cardinalls two Now those who depend on such teachers as these wil hold that albeit the seed be the word of God and Preachers must teach nothing but the worde yet they may preach the traditions of the Church and the canons of councells as well as the contents of the written worde because these be the word of God as well as the written word Wherevnto I answere that if the Traditions of the Church the worde put in the mouth of the Church and the decrees of Councells bee eyther expresly taught in the written word or may be warranted thence by iust and lawfull consequence we will acknowledge them to be the worde of God But if they be praeter verbum besides the word written hauing neiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 any warrant thereby they 〈…〉 to be preached as the worde of God but to be taken as the word of man And if they be contrary to the worde written they are so farre from being the word of God as they must rather bee reputed to be the word of the diuell I neede not to stand on the first and last kinde For wee acknowledge the first as well as the papists and the papists doe in generall condemne the last as well as wee though they iustifie some in particular All the doubt is whether such traditions and canons that bee praeter verbum are to be taught to the people as the true word of God and be that seed which was sowed by the sower and is able to make the receiuer fruitfull in all good workes and heire of saluation in heauen To that which I deliuered in the sermons I will adde more for your satisfaction to proue them not to be Gods word nor to be taught by the preachers of the Gospell 1. Christ himselfe when hee was vppon the earth was a Sower and a principall sower when hee preached the word as is acknowledged by (4) Athanas Chrysostâ—m Hieronym Tho. Aquin. Ludolph Hugo Cardi all writers in the parable Looke then what word hee preached that onely was the true word of God there called Seede and no other what hee taught not that was not the word of God For hee called his Disciples (5) Ioh. 15.15 friends because he had made known to them all things which hee heard from his Father Now it is most euident that Christ neuer taught any Traditions of the church nor decrees of couÌ„cels he often (6) Matt. 5.21.27 Matth. 15.2.3.9 condemned the decrees of the Elders and the traditions of the Pharisies And tolde them that in vaine they worshipped God who taught for doctrines mens precepts But himselfe neuer taught any such He receiued his doctrine immediately froÌ„ his Father And therefore he said (7) Ioh. 7.16 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent mee The things that I heard of him Ioh. 8.26.28 those speake I to the worlde As my Father hath taught mee so I speake these things Will they say that Doctrine receyued immediately from God and presently taught to people is at the first teaching of it a tradition Then all the visions of the prophets and all the reuelations of Saint Iohn were traditions They holde onely those to be traditions which being not written are conueyed from one man to an other Againe though Christ receiued his doctrine from his Father euen as the Apostles did from him yet was it no other then that was taught and written in the bookes of the olde Testament eyther by Types or Precepts or Prophecies or Promises And therefore he bad the Iewes (8) Ioh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures because they testified of him And (9) Ioh. 5.46.47 tolde them that Moses accused them For had they belieued Moses they would haue belieued him But if they belieued not Moses writings they could not belieue his wordes His Sermons were (10) Matt. 5. expositions of the Lawe and the Prophets Hee (11) Luk. 4.17 tooke Texts to expound Hee alleadged Testimonyes out of the Olde Testament to prooue his Doctrine And (12) Ioh. 7 38. that both in his publicke Sermones (13) Luk. 24.27 and in his priuate conferences Whereas hee preached pardon of sinne to all that belieued in him Peter tolde Cornelius and his companie (14) Acts. 10.43 To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his Name all that belieue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Angustine said pereÌ„ptorily (15) IncotaÌ„ta predicatio praenunciatio noui testamenti est vâ—nulla in euangelica atque apostolica diâ—â—plira repâ—riunâ—ur quâ—â—â—â—ts â—â—iam 〈◊〉 veteribus dâ—sâ—nt Contr. Adiâ—â—â—nt cap 3. there was in the olde Testament so great preaching and fore-shewing of the Newe Testament that nothing are found in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall discipline which be wanting in those olde Bookes Yea he found so great consent of doctrine betwixt the two Testaments that he affirmed (16) Quast â—â—er Exod 〈◊〉 73. that in the Old the New was hid and in the Newe the Old was reuealed Let the papists name any one doctrine taught by Christ which they take for a tradition and I will vndertake to proue it out of the olde Testament Moreouer what Christ taught the Apostles afterward did write thogh not euery worde yet the summe and substance of all Luke did (17) Luk. 13 perfectly search out all things from the beginning to write thereof from point to point And said (18) Act. 1. he made the treatise of his gospell of all that Iesus began to doe and teach vntill the day that he was taken vp (19) Beda Lyra Hugo Cardinal in Act. 1. Expositors hold that the Euangelists wrote all his wordes and deedes which he thoght worthy and fitte for the office of his dispensation Augustine (20) De con sensu Euang lib 1. ca. 35. saide whatsoeuer Christ would haue vs to read of his deeds and sayings he commanded them to write And althogh any one of the Euangelists did not of himselfe make a perfect narration of all Christs doctrines and deede Yet all of them together haue don it For they who wrote lest tooke a viewe of those things which the former had written by direction of the spirit added such things as they had omitted It is testified by
(21) Euseb â—yst libâ— â— c. 2â— Epiphan hâ—resâ— 51. Hâ—ron Catâ—loâ—â—â—riptâ—r in loâ—â—â— most Authors 〈…〉 that when Iohn pereceyued how other Euangelists wrote onely the things of one yeare euen the yeare after Iohns imprisonment 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 5. cap 8. hee approued those and in his Gospell added the things done and taught in the former yeares And because some Heretickes denyed the God-head of CHRIST Sixt Senens Biblioth lib. 1. in Ioh vp 18. lib. 7. haerâ—sis 5. p. 583. he considering that other Euangelistes did at large describe his Humanitie but spake little of his God-head did in his Gospell write such thinges as proued him to be GOD. And added those Sermons which the rest had omitted And therevppon Sixtus Senensis (22) Exomnibus simul coniunctis cosonantissima ac perfectissima salutis nostrae hystoria resulâ—â—t lib. 7. haresis 5. saide against the Alogan Heretickes That from them all ioyned togetherâ— there ariseth a most Consonant and most perfect Hystorie of our saluation It is then to be examined whether the Euangelistes haue written that Christ taught any traditions receyued from men If they write no such matter it is certaine that hee taught none at all Let our Aduersaires runne thorough the whole Newe-Testament and they shall not bee able to finde any one of theyr Traditions recorded by the Euangelistes as a doctrine taught by Christ Seeing then Christ taught no traditions why should wee presume to teach any must wee not receiue from him the matter of our Doctrine and imitate him in the manner of teaching Saide not Ambrose well (23) Nos nona omnia quae Christus non docuit iurè damnamus quia fidelibus via est Christus Si igitur Christus non docuit quod docemus etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus De virginib li. 3. that wee doe iustly condemne all newe things which Christ hath not taught because Christ is the way to Belieuers If therefore Christ haue not taught that which wee teach euen we doe iudge it to be detestable 2. Againe the Apostle Paul was a painefull Sower and did sowe all the worde of God And therefore could (25) Act. 20 26. protest to his hearers that hee had kept nothing backe from them but had shewed them all the counsell of God Now what word taught he Did hee teach traditions and mans ordinances Did he not teach oâ—ly writteÌ„ truths Did he (26) Acts. 17.2 not proue his doctrine by the scriptures Did he not in his apologie before Festus (27) Act. 26 22. auouch that hee taught none other things then those which the Prophetes and Moses did say should come And how could the (28) Acts 17.10.11 Bereans haue examiâ—â—d his doctrine by the Scriptures if hee had deliuered anie thing not taught in the Scriptures Yea Saint Paul was so fâ—rre from preaching any other Doctrine then that which was wirtten (29) Galath 1.8.9 that hee denounced him to be accuâ—sed whether hee were man or Angell that should teach otherwise I knowe Bellarmine would elude that place by two seuerall answeres yet all in vaine First (30) De ver bo Des non script lib. 4. cap 10. he saith that the Apostle speaketh not onely of the word written but of euery word whether it be written oâ—â—t be by tradition But besidâ—â— that hee beggâ—th the question be hath the wordes of the Text and the testimonies of the â—athers and of 〈◊〉 Popish writers against him For the Apostle speaketh of that wâ—â—de which hee and the rest of the Apoâ—â—â—â— preached and therefore he saith If was or 〈◊〉 Angell preach otherwise then that which wee haue preached And what worde hee preached I haue proued before not any traditions but the written word If it be true which Ireneus and Niâ—â—phâ—râ—s doe write Iren. li. 3. c. 1. Niâ—eph hist lib. 2. c. 34. that what the Apostles preached at first was afterward by the will of God set downe in the scripturâ—s it must be acknowledged that they preached no traditions seeing we can finde no traditions penned by theÌ„ in their Epistles And though they had bene traditious when they were preached yet they ceased to be traditions when once they were written by them Againe the Fathers restraine the words of the Apostle to the scriptures as if he were accuâ—sed that would preach any thing not coÌ„tained in them Vobis annâ—ciâ—â—erit preterqu quod inscripturâ—â—â—â—galâ—bus euangâ—licis accepiâ—tis anathâ—na sit Augustine is most plaine therein Whether concerning Christ or concerning his Church or any other thing that pertâ—ineth to our â—aith or life I will not say â—fâ—râ—e for we are not to be compared to him who 〈◊〉 weâ— but euen as he going forward added If â—n Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you besides that which ye haue receiued in the scriptures of the lawe and the Gospell let him be accursed Basill likewise teacheth Cont. lit Petilian lib. 3. cap. 6. that hearers who be skilfull in the scriptures ought to examine those things which bee deliuered of their teachers Sum. morea sum 72. cap. 1. And to receiue those things which be agreeable to the scriptures and to reiect those that be not And produceth this testimonie of the Apostle to proue it which had bene an impertinent proofe if the Apostle had spoken as well of a word not written as of a word written The Cardinall mentioneth both these testimonies Bellarm. de verbo dei non script lib. 4.10 and would auoyd them by saying that they doe not of purpose expound this place but doe proue by this place that it is not lawfull to auouch any thing contrary to the scriptures Yet caÌ„not he deny but that they doe alleadge this place of the Apostle And I hope he will not say but that they doe deliuer the true sense of it and doe alleadge it according to the true meaning of the Apostle Doth the Cardinall thinke that such learned fathers would giue one sense of it when purposely they expound it and another sense when they alleadged it to prooue a point which they haue in haÌ„d This were to wrest the scripture to make it serue their present turne I hope he will not so iudge of such reuerend men And to say that they onely proue thence that it is not lawful to auouch any thing contrary to scripture is to alter and inuert their words Doth not Augustine say Praeterquam quod accepistis besides that which you haue receiued but of that afterward And if by that place they proue that nothing must be taught contrary to the scriptures then must they not hold with the Cardinall that the Apostle speaketh of each word as well written as not written but onely of the written word And so the Cardinall maketh them to confute him In Galal 1. Chrysostome purposely expounding the place saith Paul preferreth the scriptures Si vel paulum euangeli zauerint praeter euangelium quod
dies thought that gâ—msters players and dancers sirned more â—â—â—not for and should be purashed more grâ—â—uotsâ—r then he who gathered suckes and then the Iewes who gathered manna or that day At gusine tought (6) In pial 32 â—01 câ— 1 In Ioh tâ—acâ— 3 De decem choid cap 〈◊〉 that it was better for men toâ—ig and delue and for women to card and spin then to dance wantonly on the Sabboth which be ment not of the Iewish Sabboth oncly but also of the Christian Sabboth because in the same places he exhorted christiaÌ„s to keepe their sabboth spiritually and not carnally as the Iewes did by idlenes and dancing The councell of Toledo (7) Toletan câ—â—ciâ— 3.1 Canon 22. forbad that custome of the common people on thâ—ir holy daies And charged Priests and Iudges to supprâ—sse that bad custome in all their prouinces Leo 4. with 67. Bishops in a Synode at Rome decreed (8) Can. 35. Vides Flac. Illyas catâ—leg test vetit in Lâ—o 4 that priests should admonish men and women not to gather companies together on their holy daies after the maner of Pagans to dance and sing filthie songs And that those who were admonished and would not cease should be suspended from the Communion Yet the greatest part of our people spend more then the one â—alfe of the Sabboth in as want on and lasciuious dancing as euer was vsed by any The ancient Christians would not celebrate the solemne dares of the Emperour with bone-fires publike dancings and drinkings And were defended (9) Verae religionis homines erâ—iam soleonis coâ—um conscientia potius quà m lasâ—â—ris celebrát c. Siccine exprimiâ—ur publicum gaudâ—um pet publicum de deâ—us haeccine solennes dies principâ—um decept quae alios dies non decent Apologet cap. 35. by Tertullian for that their refusall because they would celebrate those daies rather by conscience then by wantonnes because that were to expresse a publike ioy by a publike shame And those things which were not seemely on other daies were not seemely on the Emperours solemne daies Chrysostome (10) Sozom nist 1.8 c. 20. would not suffer the people to set vp the image of the Empresse with pubâ—â—ke dancings and stage-playes Neither would (11) In Genes 24 homil 47 in fine homil 55. iniâ—â—o he tollerate any pyping and dancings at weddings The councell of Laodâ—cia (12) Can. 53 54. forbad dancing at weddings and enioyned Cleargiâ— men to depart from meetings where it was vsed Yet our people iudge iâ— an honest and lawfull keeping of the Lords Sabboth to pype and dance all the afternoone And who are greater mâ—â—ntâ—â—nâ—rs of this impâ—etie then our recâ—â—â—â—â—â—s and new communicants Their pursâ—s are euer open for the hyring of the pyper their children and seruants alwaies ready to lance after him and themselues seldom sayle to be spectatâ—rs By this meanes they keepe the people from the Church and so continue them in their popery and ignorance Though we often preach against this abuse though we let them knowe that the best learned in the Roâ—â—sh Church (13) Ludou vâ—ues de â—rstitut faem lib. 1. c. 11. Catech. Rom part 3. cap. 7. p. 351. Ludolph de vita christi part 1. c. 66. A. Tho Aquin. Hâ—go cardiâ— Feâ—us in Math 14. Iansen concord euangel cap 59. haue condemned it as a tricke of wantonnes as a prouocation to lust as a breach of the seuenth commandement and an exercise (14) Polydor vitgil de â—oucut lib 5. c 2 â— 8 Vaux catech cap 3 vnfit for the Sabboth yet sturdo canimus They will not forbeare it because they are not restramed by authoritie Augustine witnesseth (15) Notum ist omnâ—bus nugaces turpes saltâ—tiones ab episcopis solere compesci Contriepist Parmen lib 3 cap 6. that the Bishops of his time were accustomed to suppresse such vaine and filthie dancings As your Lor doth treade in their steps by painefull preaching so if you would imitate them by reforming this great disorder you might greatly further the fruit of our ministery The papists of our time and countrey doe esteeme so little of the authoritâ—e of the Canonicall scriptures and ascribe so much to humane writings that though we proue our doctrine by most pregnant places of for â—â—â—e yet they will not beleeâ—e is vnles tâ—ey be assured that the old Fathers and their owne late writers haue taught the same Therein dissenting from the ancient Fathers who would try and (16) Hiero. nim epist Tranquilin Augustin epist 19 coÌ„ Crescon lib. 2 câ—p 31 32 Dionyl Alexandr pud Enseb hist lib. 7 cap. 23. indge of mens words and writings by the Canomicall scriptures but would no. iudge of the doctrine of the scriptures by humane writings I haue therefore added vnto the sermons a Post-script to papists to let them vnderstand that what we preach in the pulpit against them is not onely warranted by the dauine scriptures but is also witnessed by the fathers and some of their owne Church Quis te non vide at in me apâ—â—tum iactare conuitium de illis occultum quidem sed tamen simile habere iudicium contr And therefore if they condemne vs as heretikes for teaching such doctrine we may say to them as Augustine said to Iulian the Pelagian condemning him for teaching the same doctrine touching originall sinne which other Father 's taught Who seeth not that openly you condeme vs and secretly you condemne them Iulian. lib. 1. cap. 2. yet haue you the same iudgement both of them and vs. These sermons together with the Postscript I now offer vnto your Lordship not as if the matter of them were worthy your reading but rather that they being approued by your iudgement and protected by your authorâ—â—e may better escape the spitefull censures of enuious and superstitious persons As also that I might thereby testifiâ— my thankefulnes to your Lordship who not onely from time to time hâ—â—e much countenanced and greatly furthered my poore munisterie in these barkeward partes but also of late considering my long labours and small me ones of maintenance did procure the continuance of that Pension which was graunted vnto inâ— by the royall gift of two famous Princes when as some vpon stinister pretences and by indirect meanes went about to abridge me of a great part thereof Thus presuming of a pardon for this my boldnes I humbly commit your Lordship to the mercefull protection of Almightie God who long continue your health arâ—ll aâ—pie estate and make you ablessed â—isâ—rement of much good vnto his church Your Lordships in all dâ—tie to be commanded WILLIAM HARRISON THE DIFFERENCE OF HEARERS Or an exposition of the parable of the Sower Luk. 8. vers 11.12 11. The parable is this The seede is the word of God 12. And they that are beside the way are they that heare afterward commeth the diuell and taketh the word out of their hearts least they should beleeue
barne vnthrashed or as seede laid vp in the garner but the word read and expounded preached and applyed to Gods people is as seede sowne in a field And preachers be the sowers of it for albeit Christ doth not expresly declare who be the sowers yet that is apparant from other circumstances for if the word be the seede sowne then they who preach the word are the sowers And if they who heare the word taught be the ground in which the seede is sowne then the persons who teach them and whom they heare are the sowers So Christ by preaching the word was a sower yea the chiefest of all others the ground was his the seede was his he like a good husbandman with his owne hands did sowe his own seede in his owne field Athanas de sement So the Apostles were likewise sowers Christ was a sower to the Iewes onely they also to the gentiles he in the little field of Iudea they in the large field of the whole world 1. Cor. 9.11.1 Cor. 3.9 Wherfore S. Paul said If we haue sowme vnto you sperituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things as also we together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandry And so all those who preach the same word which they did are sowers for as the sower filleth his hand with seede and casteth it abroad among the furrowes of the field not setting it seede by seede or choosing a peculiar place for euery seede but lets it lye as it lighteth So the preacher disperseth and dispenseth the word in a mixt people not able to guie it successe but as it pleaseth God to giue a blessing and as the hearts of the hearers are prepared for it Hence then wee may learne the necessitie of preaching no sowing no reaping As you cannot in any field reape a crop of corne at haruest vnles it were sowne with good seede at the seede time no more can any fruits of grace or any good works bee found in the Church or children of God vnlesse the seede of the worde bee sowne among them Indeed there may be sometimes good sowing and little good fruit to be reaped Esai 5.4 Luk. 13.7 As the Lord did all that could bee done to his Vineyard and yet it brought forth nothing but wild grapes but if there be no sowing it is impossible to gather any fruit at all Christ therefore sayd Ioh. 12.24 Except the wheat come fall into the ground it abideth alone Our hearts are the ground they must be sowne with the seede of Gods worde otherwise they will bee altogether barren or else bring forth nothing but briars and brambles thornes and thistles Experience may verifie this Looke into those places and Parishes where the worde is neuer taught or to those persons who will not heare though they might and you shall find nothing among them but Athesme Popery and prophanenesse Yet in those places where it is taught and heard wee may finde the frutes of holinesse and righteousnesse If not among all yet among mary Vse 1 The consideration whereof should mooue the Ministers of the Gospell to bee instant in season and out of season as Paul exhorteth them The lesse they preach the lesse shall they profite the people The more seede they cast into the furrowes of the peoples hearts the greater plenty of fruit may they expect We should follow Salomons aduise Feele 11. who sayth Inthe morning sow thy seede and in the euening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall bee alike good What shall wee answere to the Lord our Maister and owner of the fielde if through our negligence in sowing his fielde of the Church yeelde him not such store of fruit as otherwise it might haue done Vse 2 And you people should likewise apply this to your selues and learne from hence to heare often If you contemne the word will not suffer your hearts to bee sowne with the seede of it you shall bring forth no good fruit but remaine as a barren Heath Doe you not remember what the Apostle saith Heb. 6.8 That the ground which beareth thornes and bryars is reprooued and is neere vnto cursing whose ende is to bee burned Fearefull is their case who are such ground yet no better can they bee who refuse to heare As you are content to haue your fieldes sowne yeerely that so you may reape a croppe at Haruest So must you bee content to haue your hearts cōtinually sowne with this heauenlie seede that so you may be fruitfull in all grace and godlines though your fields be sowne but once a yeare yet must your hearts be sowne continually because you should yeeld and beare fruit continually As we are content to bestowe our paines in sowing this seede continually though it be as toylesome a labour as you finde in your seede-time so be ye willing and readie to receiue this seede into the furrowes of your hearts continually that so you may from time to time abound in fruit for Gods glory and your owne comfort But whose word is it that is this spirituall seede It is not the word of Angell or of man but the word of God Ioh. 7.16 This seede did Christ sowe and none else And therefore he said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me As my Father hath taught me so I speake Ioh. 8.28 This seede did the Apostles sow none else For when Christ sent them abroad Mat. 28.20 he bad them teach all Nations to obserue all things which he had commanded them All those thinges must be taught yet nothing else And lest they should forget what those things were hee promised to send the Holy Ghost who should bring all thinges to their remembrance Ioh. 13.26 which he had told them who should lead them into all trueth Ioh. 16.13 Because as hee sayd hee shall not speake of himselfe but what soever he shall heare that shall be speake And so carefull were the Apostles to sow this seede onely as they did confidently protest 1 Cor. 11.23 that they receined of the Lord that which they deliuered to their hearers And if they Gal. 8.9 or an Angell from heanen or any man preach otherwise then they had receined let him be accursed And no other seed must we sow if we will make the people fruitfull Christ and his Ministers sow none but good seede in his field If bad seede Mat. 13.24.25 as Tares or Cockle be sowne it is done by the enuious man the Diuell and his instruments As there be doctrines of God so there bee doctrines of Diuels namely errors and heresies those be as tares among wheate and doe greatly hinder the fruitfulnesse of the good seede There be also doctrines of men as the inuentions of their owne heads vnwritten verities Decrees of Popes Canons of Counsels traditions of the Church which wanting the
ground which noteth vnto vs a third kind of hearers And those also are bad hearers This ground is full of thornes There is some reasonable depth of soyle yet the sâ—ede and the corne sprouted is choaked by thornes and bryars that come vp among it so as it yeeldeth no good crop at haruest In like sort there be some hearers whose hearts are not so hard as the former and who are not tryed by tentation and persecution as they were whose hearts seeme to be mâ—ch mooued and deepely pâ—eâ—ced with tâ—e word and liue in such peaceable times and places that they are neuer called to suffer for the word and yet all is afterwarde maâ—red by coâ—ruâ—t affections which are not yet mortifyed bâ—t still liue and raigne in their hearts Aâ—â— so these hearers differ much from both the former kindes The first sort were hindered in their fruitfulnesse by the Diuell who tooke the worde out of their hearts The second sort were hindered by other men who persecuted them for the Gospell But this sort are hindered by their owne carnall and worldly lustes They differ from the first kind because those vnderstood not the word but these vnderstand it and would haue embraced and obeyed it but that it crossed their corrupt affections which they coulde not brydle They differ from the second sort because they fall away in time of tribulation and persecution These fall away in time of peace and prosperitie those were vrged by externall meanes comming from others these are drawne away by internall meanes proceeding from themselues Those were hindered in their perseuerance and fruitfulnesse through the waÌ„t of good these through the hauing of euill euen sinfull lusts and bad affections in their hearts which like thornes choake the worde which they heare Those renounced their profession these keepe their profession and yet are vnfruitfull These hearers are not all alike for though the word be choaked in them all yet it is not choaked in all by the same causes meanes In some it is choaked by worldly care in others by the deceitfulnesse of riches and in the rest by voluptousnesse And therefore touching these hearers wee may obserue some thinges in generall which concerne them all ioyntly together and some thinges in particular which concerne them seuerally The things in generall which concerne them all are two whereof the one respecteth the time of their choaking the other respecteth the causes of their choaking 1. The time of their choaking for it is sayd of them That when they haue heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are departed or gone their way they are choaked c. They are not choaked while they are in hearing but rather afterward when they are departed from the Semons and goe about their worldly affayres then are they choaked by those things whereon their hearts were set As thornie ground may haue some good moyst mouldes and depth of soyle and cause the seede sowne in it to sprout and come vp but afterward will not suffer it to prosper the thornes in time will choake it So may a man heare the word reuerently and attentiuely marke it carefully and receiue it willingly yea hee may take it to be the word of God indeede and the onely word that must saue his soule hee may wish that hee were able to follow it and haue a purpose to follow it and yet afterwarde bee hindered in the obedience of it by the corruptions of his owne heart As Pharaoh was huÌ„bled while the hand of God was heauy vpoÌ„ him but became as hard as he was before when it was remoued And as some are Sea sicke while they are on the water but wel again whoÌ„ they come to land And as the hardest Mettals are hot soft and pliable while they are in the fire but become colde hard and stiffe when they are taken out of the fire So are some hearers much moued while they are in the Church and so long as they heare and yet afterward when they are gone away and betake themselues to their worldly affayres loose the efficacy of the worde and become transgressors of it These are vnprofitable hearers the worde which they heare will not saue their soules Men may often heare after this maner and yet neuer come to heauen Doe not therefore content your selues with these present motions while you are in hearing but let them continue and shew their efficacy after you haue heard when occasion is offered in your liues Let not the word onely moue your affections but also mortifie them And let it not onely stirre vp your affections while it is hard but direct them and ouer-rule them in your conuersation afterward Let not any thing in the worlde or any affections in your owne hearts hinder your obedience to the worde You know that the Sonne who being commaunded by his Father to worke in his Vineyatd Mat. 21.30.31 did promise and purpose to goe and went not was condemned for not fulfilling the will of his Father And doe you thinke that you shall be taken for dutifull children to God Almightie if while you heare his word you loue it and like it and purpose to follow it and yet afterward by some sinister occasions be hindered in the obedience of it Know this that God will neuer accept of good purposes without good performance nor of good motions in your mindes without good maners in your liues There be some couetous and voluptuous persons farre worse then these of whom Christ heare speaketh for these doe heare and receiue the word willingly for the presâ—nt they are choaked afterward But there be some couetous worldlings and voluptuous Epicures who will not heare at all or not with any patience They will not receiue the seede at all and doe choake it as soone as they receiue it Luk. 16.14 Such were the Pharisies who mocked Christ when he taxed their couetousnes Such were the Iewes Isa 30.11 who would not heare the Lawe of the Lord but sayd vnto the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering thinges vnto vs Prophecie errors Micha 2. Who would haue none to be their Prophet but hee that would lie falsly would prophecie to them of wine and strong drinke And such be those in our dayes who cannot endure to heare any thing spoken to curbe them of their carnall pleasures or abridge them of their worldly profites who raile against the Preacher and hate him as Ahab did Michaiah and heare him with no more patience and liking then the Iewes heard Stephen Act. 7.54 when their hearts brast for anger and when they gnashed at him with thrir teeth But if these hearers who giue reuerent attention to the worde when it is deliuered haue some good liking of it and a purpose to obey it would obey it but that it doth crosse their pleasures and profites are reckoned in the number of vnfruitfull hearers What may be thought of
he that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it Mat. 13.19 And although the first sort of bad hearers are sayd to heare and not vnderstand Yet the other two fortes are insinuated to haue vnderstood for how could they receiue the word with ioy vnlesse they vnderstood it How could cares of the world the deceitfulnesse of riches and voluptuous liuing choake the word after it was heard vnlesse it had beene vnderstood So that as the vnderstanding of the word is not sufficient to make you good hearers so on the other side the want of vnderstanding declareth you to be bad hearers All good hearers vnderstand the word though not onely they Good hearers must practise that which is taught them But how can they practise that which they vnderstand not 3. They agree in their affection to the word Those that be as stony grouÌ„d receiue the worde with ioy So also doe these good hearers though the thing it selfe be not expresly meÌ„tioned The Gospell is glad tydings and reioyceth the hearts of all that embrace it There is no commendable propertie in the reprobate and vnprofitable hearers but it is found in the elect and profitable hearers and that in a more excellent manner And therefore those who are nothing mooued nor comforted by the word are worse then some bad hearers and must not be reckoned in the number of good hearers Notwithstanding in this description of these good hearers wee may perceiue that in diuers other things they differ much from all the former hearers and therein doe greatly exceede and excell them all They are described by three properties and by them all they differ from the rest 1. By the manner of receiuing the word They receiue it with an honest and good heart 2. By the maner of reteyning it They keep it 3. By the maner of practising it They bring forth fruit and that with patience and plentie Touching the first propertie 2. things may bee noted The one more genenerall and that is the instrument of hearing it is with the heart The other more speciall and that is the qualitie and disposition of their heart it is an honest and good heart 1. Concerning the former we may hence obserue that those who will be profitable hearers of Gods most holy word must heare it with their hearts not onely with their eares to harken vnto the sound of it while it is vttered nor onely with their heads to vnderstand that which is deliuered but likewise with their hearts to keepe it and obey it Deut. 6.6 The Lord required of the Iewes that the words which he commanded them should be in their heart The wise man thus exhorted his sonne Proâ— 3.1.3 Forget not thou my law but let thine heart keepe my coÌ„mandements binde them on thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart And for this cause when Lydia went to heare Paul Act. 16.14 the Lord opened her heart that so she might attend to the things which Paul spake If her hart had bene shut so as the word could not enter in she had bene an vnprofitable hearer but God opening her heart that shee might receiue the word into it shee became a profitable hearer And there is great reason why al profitable hearers should receiue the word with the heart and into the heart 1. For the reformation and direction of the heart Gen. 6.5 by nature mans heart is corrupt yea all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are onely euill continually And out of the heart remayning corrupt come euill thoughts Mat. 15.19 Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts false Testimonies Slaunders such like sins which defile the man as Christ teacheth Now the worde is an Instrument of sanctification Ioh. 15.3 Christ said his Disciples were al clean through the word which he had spokeÌ„ to them And praâ—ed to his Father Ioh. 17.17 Sanctify them with thy trueth Ephe. 5.26 thy word is the trueth And the Apostle teacheth that GOD doth sanctify the Church clense it by the washing of the water through the word Now theÌ„ the plaister must be applyed to the place that is wounded or sore If it be applied to any other place it will do no good If the disease come froÌ„ the hart or inward parts it is in vain to lay the plaister to the head to the eare to the hand or to the foote so long as the heart inward parts are not cured they will minister new corrupt matter to the outward parts If then our hearts be corrupt we must not onely be content to apply the word to the eares by hearing it to the head by vnderstanding it to the tongue by talking of it but also to the heart for the purging of it at the first and for the guiding of it alwaies afterward 2. Againe the heart is the seate of the affections you must therefore receiue the word into your hearts that so it may worke on your affections both to sanctifie them as also to stirre them vp vnto good Thou must loue the word trust in the word and reioyce in the word or rather thou must loue God trust in God and reioyce in God because of his word as was shewed before in the example of Dauid Thou canst not doe this vnles thou receiue the word with thy heart As meate cannot nourish thy body vnles it be receiued into thy stomacke And as seede can neuer sprout nor come vp vnles it be cast into the furrowes and clods of the earth no more will the word profit thy soule vnles it be receiued into by heart 3. Moreouer the heart is the commander of the whole man and sets all on worke according to the disposition of it selfe Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh as saith our Sauiour Math. 12.34.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things As the primuâ—â— mobile doth turne all the other inferiour orbes round about with it And as the watch wheele of a clocke guideth all the other wheeles If it stand they stand if it goe they goe if it goe slowly they goe slowly if it go swiftly they go swiftly So doth the heart of man rule and order all the senses and parts of his body either to good or euill they are exercised as it is affected Those then that would be obedient hearers of the word must needes receiue and embrace it with their hearts that so their hearts louing and lyking and beleeuing it may set all their senses and all the parts of their bodies on worke to practise it 4. Lastly the heart is the safest place for it As sowne corne if it lye on the top of the furrowes may easily be deuoured by the fowles of the ayre but if it be hid and couered is free from that danger so the word which thou hearest if it goe
all things spoken and written against the Doctrine of your moderne Priestes If you vouchsafe to reade our writings you commonly giue no more fauourable Censure of them then Iulian the Empetour gaue of the ancient Fathers bookes who thus said of them Soâ—â—◠〈…〉 I read I vnderstood I condemned And we might iustly answere you as Basil and other Learned Byshops answered him Thou hast reade but not vnderstood 〈…〉 for if thou hadst vnderstood thou wouldest not haue condemned Some of you are like those men whereof the Apostle Iude spake who condemne those things which they knowe not Ibid. Others of you knowe and vnderstand more Iude. 10. yet reiect all things as erroneous and hereticall which you knowe to be contradictorie to the positions of your popish priests Yea many of you be such vnequall iudges that although you canot but approue almost all points in the booke yet if there bee but one only thing which you distaste you presently condemne all the rest for it And take it to be as a leafe of Coloquyntis which marreth a whole messe of pottage and as a dead Flye that spoyleth a whole boxe of oyntment In regard whereof I may iustly feare your sharpe and bitter censures of these my Sermons now put foorth to open sight I can expect no more indifferencie and fauour at your hands theÌ„ others my betters haue formerly found NotwithstaÌ„ding as often heretofore I haue laboured by many meanes to giue you satisfaction in your doubtes and demandes both by priuate conference with diuers of the Layetie by seuerall answeres made to the writings of the learned on your side and also by open disputations with your priests as some of you cannot denie if you would testifie truth So would I now giue you full contentment if any reasonable thing will content you for all such exceptions which I thinke you wil take against these Sermons Whereas the learned on your side doe charge vs that in our sermons and writings we interpret the Scriptures according to our owne fancies and priuate conceits and not according to the vniforme sense giuen by the Fathers and the common exposition of the Church and thervpon would perswade you not to heare or reade or belieue any thing which wee proue by the scriptures I will make it apparant that in those points of controuersy touched in these sermons and confirmed by seuerall texts of scripture I haue the consent of the ancient Fathers and also of manie of your owne late wryters Cardinall Bellarmine acknowledgeth that before the Pelagian heresie arose the Fathers did not exactly handle the question of Praedestination by grace Degra lib. arbur libâ—â— cap. 11. initâ—o but onely when occasion was offered did briefly set down their opinions And that Chrysost did not plainly preach preueÌ„ting grace because at that time they were not risen vp Ibid. lib. 6. cap. 6. which denyed it As if the Fathers did speake and write plainely fully of those poynts onely which were controuerted and impugned in those dayes Now it is certaine that few of those poyntes which I mentioned were called into question in their dayes There were many controuersies de co quod creditur non de co quo creditur as the M. of Sentences Lumb sent lib. 3. dâ—st 23. c. out of Augustine distinguisheth of the things to bee beleeued or of the obiect of faith yet not of the habite of faith or of the gift or qualitie whereby wee beleeue And therefore the trueth is not to be gain-sayed though we could not produce very pregnant and plentifull testimonies out of their writings touching the nature and kindes of faith Nowithstanding they haue not left themselues without witnes in that they do vpon occasions declare their iudgements therein which serue to confirme the trueth on our side These testimonies of theirs and the testimonies of your owne Doctors I did forbeare to recite in the Pulpit or write in the copie of the Sermons that so I might auoyde tediousnes Yet hauing diligently perused them and hoping that they would be of force with some that duly consider them I thought good to set them apart by themselues and to adde them as a postcript after all SECT II. WHereas I taught that the word of God is the spirituall seede which must bee sowne in our heartes to make vs fruitfull in all good workes And that Preachers ought to teach and people ought to heare and receiue nothing but the word and did limit the word to the word written I know it crosseth the doctrine of some in your Church and therefore may perhaps be misliked by you First your countrey-man Doctor Stapleton Promptuar in Dominica sexagesim writing a Postill for the instruction of Popish Preachers could not finde in all this Parable any poynt to bee obserued against vs but onely this that the word is the seed And will haue To the same effect the Rhemists not the worde written but the worde preached to be the seede Yea he maketh two words of God the one written write Aâ—â—ot on 1. 〈◊〉 2 1◠〈◊〉 2. the other preached and therby would confute vs who hold that nothing is the word of God but that which is written in the Scriptures of the Olde and New Testaments But theâ—in that great Doctor declared himselfe neither to know what the Scripture is nor what true preaching is noâ— what we hold to be the word of God â—ast what is the Scripture or written word of God It is not the letters and â—illables that be written in bookes but rather the true sense and meaning of them 〈…〉 1. â—â—româ— sayd Nâ— putemus in verbâ—â— scripturatrum esse euangelium sed in sensiâ— Let vs not thinke the Gospel consisteth in the Scriptures but in the meanne Non in 〈…〉 in medvlla non in sermonum folus sâ—d in radice rationis Not in the outward 〈…〉 but in the marrow not in the◠〈◊〉 of beech 〈…〉 4 〈◊〉 4. but in the roote of reason Cardinall Bellarmine woulde haue vs mark that there be two thinges in the Scripture the words written and the sense in them included the wordes are as the sheath the sense is the sword of the spirit As it is a rule among Lawyers that not the bare wordes but the meaning of the wordes is the Law So is it a rule among all Diuines that not the bare words but the true meaning of the words is the Scripture And the reason is Quicquid in duâ—â—â—o sermine neque ad morum honestatem neque ad sideâ— veritatem proprie referrâ— potest â—iguratum esse cognoseas De Doctr. chr lib. 3. cap. 10. Sixt. Biâ—â— other lib. 3. 〈◊〉 Bellar. deverlo Dâ—t lib. 3. cap. 3. because the very words taken properly after their naturall and Grammaticall signification may sometime breede error and then they are not to bee taken properly but figuratiuely According as Augustine well taught That whatsoeuer in the word of
accâ—pistis before angels comming from heaueÌ„ As also that Paul doth not say if they preach contrary things or if they subuert the whole Gospell but if they preach but euen a little beside the Gospell which ye haue recâ—â—â—ed let them be accursed Thomas Aquinas their Angelicall Doctor Quam illud quod conâ—inetur in euangâ—l 〈◊〉 apostolâ—s in sacra scripturaam â—â—ite vel expresse Thom. in Gal. 1. professedly expouÌ„ding that place doth write that nothing is to be preached but that which is conteyned in the Gospells and in the Epistles and in the holy scripture implâ—â—â—ely or expresly Will they say that their Traditions are conteyned in the scriptures either expresly or by way of implication or consequent then are they not vnwritten verities as they tearme them A second answere of the Cardinall is this that the Apostle by Praeter vnderstood Contra. And therefore did not forbid new doctrines and precepts which were besides those that were deliuered but onely doctrines and precepts contrarie to the former Yet will not this serue his turne For in matters of faith and religion prâ—ter and contra are both alike Whatsoeuer is taught as necessarie to saluation if it be besides the scripture must be condemned as well as that which is contrarie to the Scriptures The reason is because the Scriptures conteyne all thinges which Ministers are to teach as necessary to saluation And therefore Paul told Timothie 2. Tim. 3.15.10.17 that they were able to make him wise vnto saluation And were profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse Two of which respect mens mindes what they are to know and â—â—â—eeue as the trueth and what they are to reiect as errors Two of them respect their maners what sinnes they are to auoyde what dutâ—es they are to performe Is there any things needfull to bee taught the people but these things And because the Cardinall answereth that the Scriptures are profitable for all these things but not sufficient Consider the wordes of the Apostle following where hee declareth the end of this profitablenes namely Verse 17 that the man of God may be absolute bâ—ing made perfect to all good works By the man of God he meaneth the Minister of the Gospell That tytle had he in his former Epistle giuen vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 6.11 And Lyra saith 1. Tim. 6.11 Homo dei 1. ad diuinum officium ordinatus qualis estu Lyra in 2. Tim. 3. the man of God was one ordeyned to the diuine office such a one as Timothie was If then the Scripture being profitable for those foure vses will thereby make a Minister of the Gospell absolute and perfect for each good worke belonging vnto him he is not to teach any things ouer and besides the Scripture Theophylact thus writeth on the former place In Gal. 1. Hee doth not inferre if they onely preach contrary things but if they preach that which is beside that which we haue preached that is if they shall adde any thing that is but a very little more they are subiect to the curse And indeed it may seeme strange that the Papists are so earnest to haue vnwritteÌ„ traditions as wel preached as written truthes seeing the things written are more cettaine more excellent and necessary and require a long time to bee all taught and learned They are more certaine because all men are more certainely assured that the Scriptures the doctrines conteyned in them bee the word of God then that vnwritten traditions be his worde De verbo Dei lib 1. cap. 2. Bellarmine confesseth that nothing is better knowne nothing more certaine then the sacred Scriptures which bee conteyned in the writings of the Prophets Apostles that he must needes be most foolish who denyeth that they are to be beleeued And produceth 5. inuincible and infallible proofes that they are the very word of God De verbo Dei noÌ„script lib. 4. cap. 5. WheÌ„ he commeth to speake of traditions he alleadgeth no such proofes but onely goeth about to prooue by 4. places of Scripture which haue bene long agoe answered that there are some traditions though neyther he nor any of his fellowes can tell what they are nor can make a perfit Catalogue of them so vncertain are they Indeede hee deliuereth fine rules De vero Dei noâ— srâ—pt liâ— 4. cap. 9. Ibib. lib. 4. cap. 2. whereby true traditions may bee discerned from false and counterfait traditions yet those rules are grounded on the authoritie of men and do not infallibly proue them to bee the word of God Yea he teacheth that al traditions haue not the like authoritie some haue diuine authoritie some haue Apostolical some ecclesiastical And therfore all of them cannot haue the same authority with the written word which himselfe before proued to haue diuine authoritie And how do they know any thing to bee a tradition but by humane writings and histories which as the Cardinall confesseth De effect suram lib. 2. cap. 25. sine can breede but humane beleefe wherein may be falshood Neither are they so necessarie and profitable as the Scripture It is able â—o make a man wife to saluation It iâ—â— the seede of regeneration It is the foode of our soules It is the sword of the spirit to defend vs from the Diâ—â—ell In bringeth vs to faith and saluation as before I proued Can such profite bee reaped from traditions Did eueâ— any approued authour ascribe such â—â—â—tue and efficacy to them Did â—uer any Christian obteyne these benefites by them Moreouer the thinges taught in the Scripture are not easily learned Augustine wrote that the profunditie of the Scripture is so great Epâ—st 3. that hee might hee might dayly prosâ—â—â—e in them if from the beginning of his childhood to his crooked old age be should with greatest leisure chiâ—fesâ— studie and better wit endeuour himself to learne them onely The Papists will not gain-say this seeing they hold the Scripture to be very obscure Pambo confessed that in 19. Socrat. hist. lib. 4. c. 18. yeeres hee had not learned to practise one lesson taught him out of Psal 39. to refraine his tongue from euill How many yeeres then may our people requiâ—e to learne the meaning and the practise of al things written in the Olde and New Testament I would therefore wish our Popish Priestes and people first to learne how to vnderstand and practise all thinges that bee written and when they haue learned all those then to begin with traditions It is no wisedome to contend much and busie themselues greatly about traditions before they haue learned and practised all things written which be farre more certaine more necessarie and profitable If they would take this course I am assured that there is not any one of them though he liued to be as old as Methuselah that would euer trouble eyther himselfe or vs with traditions Si rusticus â—redat suo epiâ—copo
5. annot 36. Est fides qua creditur quicquid credendum est baec est virtus theologica Altera quae considâ—nua quâ—dam est seiliâ—â—t qua credimus quod denâ— it dominus â—i quod ab co petimâ—s Stollain Luc. 5. to cap. 145. whereby we beleeue and doe assent to the doctrines reuealed and propounded by the Church to be beleeued which Cyrill called a dogmaticall faith There is another kinde of faith whereby we doe not onely assent to the doctrines but also doe beleeue that the things which we aske to be done shall be accomplished by God which we call an assurance Stella also as plainely maketh two kindes of Faith There is a faith saith he whereby we beleeue whatsoeuer is to be beleeued and this is a theologicall vertue There is another faith which is a certaine confidence to wit that whereby we beleeue that the Lord will giue vs that which we aske of him I could produce more witnesses speaking to the time purpose but I spare them till I come to speake of the seuerall kindes by themselues yet consider that not onely the ancient Fathers but likewise some great Clearkes in the late Romish Church haue made diners kindes of faith Why then should we be condemned as Heretikes for teaching the same SECT VII LEt vs now come to the seuerall kinds of faith in particular And let vs first coÌ„sider a little touching iustifying faith It may be you will mislike two things in that description oâ—â—t which I set downe in one of the precedent sermons The one respecteth the nature of it the other respecteth the persons that be endued with it because some of your side teach contrary therevnto 1. Touching the nature of it I shewed that by it a Christian doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promiâ—â—s of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for his present iustification and for his future saluation I know it as well as you that many of your learned meÌ„ teach the contrary and therefore I â—eare that you will râ—â— or beleâ—ue them then â—â— The Rhemists say Annot. on Rom. 3. Sect. 7. that to apprehend Christs rightâ—ousnes by faith is a 〈…〉 apprehension of that which is not And that it is a false faith And afterward Annot. on Hebr. 11. Secâ— 6. that the Apostle 〈◊〉 not speciall faith the forged faith of Protestants whereby euery one of these new Sect-maâ—â—ters and their followers as it pleaseth them in the meeknes of their spirit to tearme vs beleeue their sinnes are remitted and themselues shall be saued Annot. on Iam. 2.26 Sect. 1. And else-where that a speciall faith is a forged faith that nâ—ther Paul nor Iames nor any other sacred writer euer knewe or spake of any such faith Cardinall Bellarmine maintaineth that Faith is neither Fiducia De iustificat lib. 1. cap. 5.6.7 an issurance of Gods mercie or the Pardon of a Man 's owne sinnes nor yet Notitia acknowledge of such thinges but but onely a firme and certaine assent to the truth of those things which God hath propounded to be deliuered Promptuar catholan feriaâ— 5. hebdâ— 1. Quadragesâ— Doctor Stapleton calleth them Heretickes who place the whole nature propertie vertue and greatnes of faith in a particular applicatiâ—n of Gods generall promises to Belieuers Indeed that which they say is true if there were no other faith taught in the word not wrough in the hearts of Christians then that which is generally taught and found in the present Romane Church But they which vnderstand the word aright and are iustified by Faith do know and feele another kinde of faith farre surpassing that Bellarmine doth much wrong vs and more trouble himselfe in this point then needed Haeretici restringunt ad solâ—m promissionem miserecor diae specialâ—s De iustif lib. 1. cap. Sect. Itaque tribus He saith that they differ from vs in the obiect of iustifying faith because we whom he commonly calleth by the name of Heretickes doe restraine it to a sole promise of a speciall mercy And afterward spendeth many chapters in prouing that the obiect of a iustifying faith is not a speciall mercy De iustificat lib. 1. cap. 8.9.10 but all things which God hath reuealed For we doe not hold that the promise of a speciall mercy to a man in particular is the obiect of a true iustifying faith vnder the new testament we finde none such made to any of vs The generall promises of mercy in Christ are the material obiects which being indefinitly propounded it is an acte of faith to make a true Christian to apply them particularly to himselfe But to come to the matter now in question It may easily be proued that a iustifying faith is not onely an assent to the truth of things reuealed in the word but likewise an apprehension and particular applying of the generall promises of Gods mercies and Christs merits for the remission of sinnes In the scriptures faith is called a receiuing of Christ Ioh. 1.12 Gal. 3 14. And a receiuing of the promise Can there be a receiuing of a thing without application was Christ receiued generally of all together for all together and not particularly by euery one for himself When Thomas saide to CHRIST My God and my Lordâ— Did not he especially and particularly applye Christ and his benefites to himselfe who was GOD and Lorde to all true Christians Yet Christ gaue it the name and Tytle of Faith Ioh. 20.29 saying vnto him Because thou â—â—st â—â—ene nice thou belieuest And maketh that his saith the very same with their faith who were blessed for belieuing Gentiasidem prâ—at â—t 〈◊〉 commendat 1 Ioh. 20. Tract 121. Gaâ—â—â—â— 20. when they had not seene Yea with the faith of Gentiles For Augustâ—â— thâ—nked he did thereby preach and commend the faith of the Gentiles When Paul saide Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Did hee not applye particularly to himselfe Christ and his benefites yet this hee did by that faith whereof hee spake immediately before euen by that faith in the Sonne of God whereby he then liued Is not Christ that bread which must nourish our soules and is not Faith the eating of him as himselfe declare that large loh 6. Whervpon * Quid paras dente ventrem crede maducasti 〈◊〉 tract 25 Crâ—dere in Christum est 〈…〉 pani vt 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ct 26. Augustine said What preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly belieue thou hast eaten And can there be any eating vnlesse there be be a speciall Application of the meate to the person that is fedâ— Doth not euery one pray in particular for speciall mercie And is not euery one to belieue that what he asketh he shall obtaâ—ne And certaine it is that whosoeuer doth worthilie by Faith receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper hee doth by faith particularly receiue Christ and all his benefites and particularly applyeth all the
warrant of Gods word are but as chaffe to the wheate Ier. 23.28 and beeing taught in the Church will yeeld no more fruit then chaffe that is sowne in a field Leuit. 19.19 Vnder the Lawe God woulde not permit the Iewes to sow the same field with mingled seede And shall we thinke Secpectfortis Secl 3. that now vnder the Gospell he will permitte vs to teach for doctrines mens traditions to mingle trueth with error and his diuine Oracles with humane inuentions Vse 1 Wee therefore that bee sowers must see that our seed be good As the Husband-man against seed-time will not onely prouide good seede but will also winnow it fanne it and try it that so he may neither sow chaffe nor light corne nor darnell but pure graine which is like to fructifie So wee before wee come to the Pulpit must try and examine our doctrine that it bee sound and that we deliuer nothing but that which will edifie the hearers And because Non owins fort omnta tellus Each grounde will not beare each kinde of graine Wee must like wise and carefull Husband-men sow that seed which is fittest for our ground and deliuer such doctrines as are most fitting for the capacitie and present condition of the Auditorie that will yeeld the best encrease Vse 2 And you Christian people as you must take heede how you heare so also take heede what you heare It is the word of God not the word of the Diued It is the word of Christ not the word of Antichrist that must make you fruitfull As you haue great care that your ground be sowne with sound and cleane seede so be carefull that your soules bee instructed with sound and wholsome doctrine 1. Ioh. 4.1 Beleeue not euerie spirit but try the spirits whether they bee of God 1. Thes 5.21 Despise not Prophesying but try all things and hold that which is good Act. 17.11 With the Noble-men of Berea search the Scriptures daylie whether those thinges bee so which are taught you What you finde contrary thereto that reject as tares what is not warranted thereby blowe away as chaffe what is proved thereby that receiue as good seede into the furrowes of your heartes I know the Popish Seminaries will not suffer you to trye their seede you must trust them and take in vpon theyr word but we allowe and require you to trye ours If two men offer you Seede to sowe your ground and the one bid you trye it and view it well the other tell you of it but keeps it in his sacke you must not viewe it whether dealing would you like better whether seede would you receiue If theyr seede were good if they taught Gods worde they would not refuse tryall Vers 12. And they that are beside the way are they that heare IN the formerverse you haue heard the exposition of the seede Now see the exposition of the ground in this verse and the reft There were 4. sortes of grounds mentioned CHRIST sheweth that by them hee meant 4. sortes of hearers some good some bad Before wee come to speake of them seuerally and particularly we may note one thing in generall froÌ„ them all That as the same seed sowne in diuers kinds of ground doth not fructify in all alike in some it yeeldes little or no fruite at all in some both good and plentifull fruit So the same doctrine taught to diuers people doth not profit all alike It may profit some nothing at all others verie much Thoâ—â—h seed bee neuer so good yet badnes of ground may spoyle it and cause the sower to lose both labour and cost Euen so though the doctrine wee teach bee neuer so good and profitable yet through the ill disposition of the hearers it may become vnfruitfull This seede doth fructify or not fructify according to the qualitie disposition of the ground into which it is cast If the ground be bad the seed perisheth if the ground be good it encreaseth And because some mens hearts be as a barren ground and other mens harts be as a fertile soile in some it yeeldeth no fruit at all in some it yeeldeth great abundance This difference may by seene in each mixt company and populous congregation to which wee preach It was found among Christs hearers it was founde among the Apostles hearers and may also be found among ours The consideration whereof serues for the instruction both of Preachers people 1. Of Preachers to comfort thâ—m and to encourage them in their labours when they see them vnprofitablâ— vnto a great number Christ spake this Parable especâ—â—â—y of him selse and of his hearers He taught the true word of God in the best maner that might be yet did he not profite all his hearers he had 4. sorts whereof three were vnprofitable one onely was profitable The Disciple must not be better then his Master if hee be no worse let him be well content It doeth not a little grieue the Ministers of the Gospell to take great paines in teaching the truth and that in a good manner and yet see most of their hearers to receiue little or no profit at all but still remaine after many yeares teaching non sâ—mnaâ—tâ—â—sed susâ—â—pientis â—â—lpâ— as ignorant as Popish and prophane as they were at the first Yet let them not be dismayed it was Christs owne case the fault is in the hearers not in the teachers Châ—â—s in Mâ—t. 13. hom 45. God wil reward thee for thy paineful preaching though few doe profit by it Let not their fault hinder vs in our dutie but let vs instruct with meck nesse them that be contrarie minded 2. Tim. 2.25 prouing if any time God will gâ—ue them repentance They who be vnurofitable hearers now may proue profitable hereafter Till the time of bearing fruit doe come wee know not which will proue good ground which will proue bad 2. This also seruâ—th for the instruction of hearers Seeing that these 3. kinds of bad grounds do paint out 3 sorts of bad hearers who neuer receiue profite to their foules by the word which they heare You must know that you may be receiuers of this heauenly seede You may be hearers of Gods most holy word and yet be neuer the better for it neuer come to heauen by it Three parts of Christs hearers were bad as appeareth by this Parable And he telleth vs that many shall say Luk. 13.26 Wee haue caten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast tâ—ught in our streetes but he shall say I know you not depart from mee all yee workurs of imquitie And the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 2.16 Wâ—e are to some the sanour of death vnto death and vnto other the sweete sanour of life vnto life Euery kinde of hearing will not saue your soules It must be good and profitable hearing with good hearts to vnderstand beleeue and obey what you heare Yea not onely they who wilfully refuse to heare but