Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but this wisdom of God in a mystery was hid from them 1 Cor. 2.7 and because they knew him not nor the words of the Prophets which were read every Sabbath day they fulfilled them in condemning him Acts 13.27 But if all things necessary to salvation are plainly set down in holy Scripture as both Chrysostom a Greek Father and Austin a Latine Father have concurrently delivered what are we the worse for the obscurity of the same 2. But suppose all were obscure yet are there not degrees of obscurity Amongst Writers in all Languages there is this difference some write more obscurely some more clearly as amongst the Greeks what difference between Chrysostome and Epiphanius this way among the Latines between Tertullian and Cyprian yet who doubts but even Tertullian may be understood and that by Cyprian who was wont to call for him in these terms Da mihi Magistrum so amongst School-Divines Aquinas and Durand are perspicuous and clear not so with Scot or Cajetan so Alvares fair and clear Navarrettus à Dominicanto but all along labours of obscurity as a man doth of the Gout whether he understood himself or no I know not sure I am he torments his Reader yet by pains and intention of study the difficulty may be overcome as I have found in part but I do not think any knowledge in him worthy to be redeemed with the like labour never any thing tormented me more unless it were the construing of Dr. Jacksons English yet no where els that I know save in treating of the Divine Essence Prov. 14.16 Now the Word of God hath taught us that knowledge is easie to him that will understand If thou callest after knowledge and criest for understanding If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God Prov. 2.3 4 5. especially as touching all things necessary unto salvation 2. But suppose it were very obscure throughout is not God the Author able to instruct us in his own meaning and make us assured of it And hath not our Saviour assured us that if earthly Fathers know how to give good things to their children much more shall the heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him The holy Apostle teacheth us this saying 1 Joh. 2.27 That annoynting which ye received of him dwelleth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you all things Hereupon Nider a Papist in his Consolatorium timoratae Conscientiae acknowledgeth that every childe of God hath the direction of the Spirit to lead him into all truth necessary to salvation And certainly the truth of Gods Word is infallible Cui non potest subesse falsum As for the certainty ex parte Scientis 1. That God can work in such a measure as he pleaseth 2. Yet we know in the best there is the flesh lusting against the Spirit and that swayes to infidelity but the better part masters it 3. And as for doubting that is rather on the part of fiducia than of fides and those doubts are mastered and that is the best faith that masters doubts and overcometh tentations Thus I presume the sober Reader may observe the rotten condition of this Discourse throughout yet we have spoken nothing of the Scripture in comparison to other means of assurance which this Author subdolously or simply conceals because to leave Scripture and to seek forth for assurance elswhere he perceives that this would manifestly appear in the end to be no better than to leave the fountain of living water and to dig unto our selves pits even broken pits that can hold no water Jer. 2. For consider shall we fly to the voyce of the Church consider the voyce of God it is the voyce of the Church and more 1. It is the voyce of the Church yea of the best Church and purest Church namely the voyce of the Propheticall and Apostolicall Church For Deus loquitur per Prophetas Apostolos And this is that Church into whose voyce the last resolution of our Faith ought to be made in the opinion of Durand then it is more than the voyce of the Church for holy men speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. ult You will say but all the question is about the meaning of it I answer 1. May there not be as much question about the meaning of the voyce of the Church as about the meaning of Gods Word Where doth the Church speak more authentically than in generall Councills See the Councill of Trent the Pope was unwilling to confirm it Hist of the Councill of Trent till Cardinall Bon Compagio Bishop of Befirice urged him thereunto upon this ground That withall he should publish an EDICT forbidding all men to take upon them the interpretation thereof and commanding them to seek that from him and then saith he let us alone to devise a convenient interpretation of it without prejudices to the advantages of the Court of Rome 2. Again Generall Councills may erre as Austin observes the former have been corrected by the later in some things 3. Such Councills never went about to write Commentaries upon the Scripture if they should Cajetan confesseth an interpretation may be given congruous to the Text yet different from the Torrent of Doctors notwithstanding which we ought to receive it 4. Lastly after what sense soever I interpret Scripture in any Argument if I am not able to make it good by convincing arguments to every sober conscience let my proofs be rejected but withall let him look to it after what manner he resists the evidence brought as he will answer for it at the day of Judgement according to that of our Saviour Joh. 12.48 He that refuseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken it shall judge him at the last day 5. It were easiy to produce variety of testimonies even of Papists acknowledging the last resolution of our faith ought to be made into the VVord of God and that the true Church and the power which it hath is not known but by the Word of God 2. Or will they say the Pope is to resolve us as touching the meaning of Scripture To this I answer 1. That I care not who interprets Scripture to me so he performs the part of an Interpreter indeed and make it appear to be the meaning of it 2. And if I doe not so I am content to suffer the loss of that Argument whatever it be 3. Then it hath been a very rare thing for Popes to set themselves to interpret Scripture 4. It is well known that Liberius Pope of Rome subscribed to Arianism Honorius was a Monotholite Pope John the 22. denied that the souls of men lived after separation from the body like to
years A very absurd thing it is to say we shall never be able to confute any Religion with the objection of fore-conceived opinions For this may be objected to them that are in the right way as well as to them that are in a wrong way and undoubtedly the true way may be imbrac'd in a wrong manner For they are not all Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9. God threatens sometimes to visit the circumcised with the uncircumcised and the reason why the Lord gave the Christian world over to illusions to believe lies was because they received not the love of the truth As for civill learning surely there wanted not both civill and naturall knowledge among the Gentiles more than enough for this made them esteem the Cross of Christ foolishness which yet to them that are saved is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will cast away the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness For seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.18 18 19 20 21. And shall we now think that civill learning and naturall ingenuity prefers men to the grace of God or makes them the more fit to receive the Gospell Of Princes who more famous for naturall parts learning wisdom ingenuity than Trajan and Mareus Antonius of inferiour condition than Plinie the second the Officer of Trajan who speaks in commendations of the innocency of Christians yet neither of these became a Christian nay both these Princes were persecutors of the Church of God and at Athens for all their learning which made them renowned throughout the world who were converted by Pauls preaching there but Dionysius and Damaris and some other Act. 17. last Papists are great Scholars undoubtedly not in Logick and Philosophie onely and that in all kindes but in Divinity also and that in the most learned way Aquinas a great Divine his Sums I have heard Doctor Reynolds call it that absolute Body of Divinitie but his wit served him to serve that Churches turn in those days and in maintaining Idolatry he is the most shamefull Writer that ever was for he will have the Image worshipped with the same honour that is due to the thing represented by it and that by an Argument drawn out of Aristoile Dememoria reminiscentia opposed herein by Durand and Picus Mirandula and others I remember what Cicero said of the Grecians Do illis eruditionem do Doctrinam filem Religionem nunquam Coluerunt yet I will not say so of the Church of Rome though one sometimes did I know it was renowned for faith all the world over in the dayes of S. Paul but a degenerate time came and as at the first preaching of the Gospell men turned from Idolls to to serve the living God so in after Ages even Christians and Roman Christians as much as any if not more turned from the living God to serve Idolls and the Whore of Babylon who made all Nations drunken with the blood of Gods Saints is clearly the Church of Rome as it is at this day and hath been for many generations whatsoever their learning be the greater advantage they have for the countenancing of their Errors Heresies Superstitions and Idolatries which yet we nothing fear The Apostle hath taught us to esteem no knowledge but this even of Christ and him crucified Si Christum descis nihil est si caetera nescis si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis And if we fear not their learning much less have we cause to fear their wit or wisdom either or whatsoever projects of theirs likewise none of these should in common reason commend their Religion God usually infatuating the wisdom of the wise They have all furtherance I confess beyond us yet God hath not tied himself to annex his truth to these furtherances least of all if they be imployed not indifferently to the investigation of truth but prejudicately to support their own cause the madness whereof hath been in these later dayes made known to the world more than ever The triall whereof we make by the Touch-stone of Gods Word according to the counsel of God himself To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light in them Esai 8. Yet we study Scriptures and Fathers too as well as they and we have them amongst us that yeeld to them not a jot nay do we not study their writings too much more than our own I willingly profess I have done so all along that I might come acquainted with their best strength and fastness in all which I find nothing but illusions in the maintenance of those Tenets wherein we differ from them As for interpreting of Scriptures it is well known they have been brought unto it per force so was Cajetan in his old years after he had tasted of Luthers course who would admit of no other Authority in dispute but the Word of God And their Commentaries for the most part are but a Mass of Collections out of others yet I despise them not I am content to use them as soon as any of our own not so much to learn by them as to observe how they strain their wits to quench that light of truth which in most places breaks forth to the discovering of their Errors Well they may talk of bringing no sense to the Scriptures but their practice is nothing answerable Discourse But perhaps God hath not granted them his Spirit and his grace I answer God being sought unto and solicited to by prayers denies to no man his Grace and Spirit of Truth Now men of other Religions crave of God the enlightning of their minde and direction in a right way no less than our selves nay as far as we can discern perhaps with a greater fervency and zeal neither are we to think that they ask it out of hypocrisie and with dissimulation and that so they would mock God therefore it is to be taken for granted that the Spirit is where the fruits of the Spirit are found of which none ought to boast above others Nay more the knowledge of understanding the Scriptures is a peculiar gift of the Spirit which is granted no less to others than to us It is true indeed that he onely understands the Scriptures which hath the Spirit that dictated them and as it is in worldly laws no Doctors interpretation or deciding doth justifie till the Law-giver approve that deciding Yet he that boasteth of such approbation of the Spirit is bound to shew it unless he will be counted but an ordinary Doctor Consid We are bid to try the spirits whether they be of God Now we have no other triall of the Spirit of
erring Consciences men may perplex themselves and raise doubts causlesly and erre in this and this error will be the greater when after all this they pretend perplexity and doubts made unto them when they are onely the mists which themselves have raised to blear their own eyes and such a work I think is never more inauspiciously performed than when they set their wits on work to dispute themselves out of the Lords verge and circle within the compass whereof alone he useth to charm all his Elect after they have run their wilde race and compass and bring them home like the prodigal child to his father so them to their heavenly father and therewithall to the sobriety of their wits and integrity of their senses that they may say Oh what love have I to thy Law all the day long is my study in it the Law of thy mouth is deerer to me than thousands of gold and silver by this I have more understanding than my Teachers Indeed the Law of the Lord is a perfect Law converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom to the simple yea and such wisdom as maketh wise unto salvation and what should we desire more Disc But could so many Divines of former Ages be ignorant of this Have there not so many Wars been undertaken for this cause Could those learned men suffer so many thousands of men to run headlong hoth by doing and suffering into the hazard of body and soul for Religions sake and so many unspeable mischiefs to arise whenas it is possible for a man to be saved without the Controversies of Religion But if this be the command of God under the pain of temporall and everlasting punishment to fight for those Controversies how can we excuse those shuffling arguments of Faith Religion and Gods Worship A Servant may not abate any thing of his Lords due Consid Be ignorant of this of what That Controversies are not necessary to salvation how doth that appear they deserved any such censure but let 's not please our selves in confusion of things that deserve to be distinguished A man yea an whole Nation may live in peace without war but if they are not suffered to live in peace but some enemy or other invades them as Aram before and the Philistins behinde ready to devour us with open mouth shall we sit still with our hands in our bosome till these monsters devour us one after another as Polyphemus intended to deal with Vlysses and his souldiers though he shewed him this favour that he should be the last that should go to pot This is the condition of Gods Church and hath been from the very dayes of the Apostles inclusively the mysteries of godliness being now revealed in Gods word Many there be that cannot digest these mysteries and submit unto them by faith but though they imbrace the truths of the Gospell in som particulars yet they resist it in others or pretending to imbrace it they pervert wrest it by corrupt interpretation In this case are not the Orthodox driven to hold their own and as S. Jude exhorts them to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints and to indeavour to kill error rather than to suffer errour to strangle the holy truth of God open the truth of God which is according unto godliness rather to root out weeds than to suffer them to over-grow the good corn Thus we are cast upon Controversies whether wee will or no yet this is not a dutie that belongs to all many yea most shall be saved without it like as when an enemy invades us we gather an Army against them to oppose them and drive them out the rest pray for their fellow-brethren but do not fight yet by this war they may have as great an interest in the desired peace as those that fight for it Thus Chamayar of the French Church hath written his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bella Domini the Wars of the Lord against the Philistines the Antichristian Philistines of the Church of Rome scarce one hath done the like yet many sons of that honourable Church have done valiantly but Chamayer hath surmounted them all every one doth not gird himself with the sword upon the thigh at all but onely those who are the Lords Naunchan his instructed ones for these who are overseers and keepers of the Tower of David built for defence a thousand shields hung therein and all the Targets of the strong men Cant. 4.4 and these are well acquainted with them and know how to use them yea and to handle the sword too as expert in war and in this holy war they will be content to hazard their life as S. Paul professeth saying and now I go bound to Jerusalem in the Spirit not knowing what things shall come unto me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every like saying that bonds and afflictions abide me but I pass not for these things neither is my life deer unto me so I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God As for the shuffling Arguments here spoken of when I know them I shall upon due consideration pass my judgement on them as I see cause A man may sophisticate I confess in making Arguments but shuffling courses commonly have place in shifting them off by an undue solution Wee know what Pauls course was he fought with Beasts at Ephesus and Stephens fortunes too when certain of the Synagogue which were called Libertines and Cyrenians disputed with Stephen did not he also dispute with them The Text saith expresly they were not able to resist the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spake If Lam offered up saith Paul upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I rejoyce therein and will joy Dis Let this thing be considered seeing it is so intricate and lead me and many others into disquiet of minde for which perplexities of Conscience none will deny that a remedy is to be sought at the hands of those that have Christian fellow-feeling and might be found if all the Divines of those sides that have left Popery would vouchsafe to afford me a wise milde and solid Answer in writing not savouring of partiality prejudice or passion Consid When Boste was taken by the States there was seen in the wall a Bishop sometimes of that town painted with Christ and his blood on the one side and the Virgin Mary and her breasts sprouting milk on the other side and the devout Bishop was represented there in the gesture of a man in great perplexity and ambiguity not knowing well which to prefer whether Christs blood before Maries milk or Maries milk before Christs blood and this expressed in Latine Verses and one of the Martialists as it were to put him out of his mood and perplexity Why thou Sott quoth he get thee to Gott Who I pray was
Religions there were amongst them he might as well profess that the Papists amongst themselves the Lutherans amongst themselves and the Calvinists amongst themselves are of different Religions 3. We acknowledge different opinions between Lutherans and Calvinians so no doubt there are different opinions among the Lutherans themselves and the Calvinians themselves but we utterly deny there are different Religions The Lutherans we hold to be true Churches agreeing with us in the fundamental points of faith and likewise in being free from Idolatry for albeit they have Images in their Churches which we conceive to be a very dangerous thing yet they doe not worship them and although they hold reall Presence in the Sacrament yet they do not adore it So that albeit we think some of their opinions are contrary to the Scripture and they think the like of some of ours yet neither we say of their Religion nor they of ours I trow that it is contrary to the Scripture much less that it is condemned in Scripture But come we to the main scope of this Authors Discourse which is to prove that the Scriptures are obscure and from thence to infer that we can have no assurance of the true meaning of it To this we answer 1. By denying the consequence which is this Divines differ in the interpretation of Scripture therefore the Scripture is obscure And I prove the absurdity and untruth and weakness of it 1. It is weak for at the uttermost it proves that it is obscure but in some places For this difference of interpretation is but of some places as I have shewed and the force of the proposition I have shewed to be no greater than the force of a particular 2. It is absurd for by the same reason I may proue that the Scripture is clear thus That Scripture is clear in the interpretation wherein men of different opinions and different Religions doe agree But men of different opinions and Religions do agree in the interpretation of divine Scripture therefore the divine Scripture is clear and indeed it will be found that we agree in the interpretation not of some onely but of many places of holy Scripture Now what absurd a course is it for a Disputant so to dispute as that his Argument may be retorted with as good force against him yea and much more For when men of different opinions are found to differ about the interpretation of a Scripture it may be this ariseth from the love of their own opinions which makes the Scripture seem to sound the same way but when they agree in the interpretation of Scripture notwithstanding their other differences this argues the Scripture to be clear enough Nay we know Bellarmine will dislike an opinion and Maldonate an interpretation of Scripture for Calvins sake striving to differ from such as they hate though without all just cause and to wrest the Scriptures to serve their turns 3. Lastly the Consequence is as untrue as it is weak and absurd for the cause of this difference may be in the darkness of their understanding who take upon them to interpret it rather than in the darkness of the Scripture it self which whether we consider the Law or the Gospell each of them is termed light by the Spirit of God Thy Law is a Lanthorn to my feet and a light unto my pathes saith David Psal 119. And of the Gospell our Saviour speaks Light came into the world but men loved darkness rather than light Joh. 3. the greater will be their condemnation And as for the instance proposed to prove the Consequence of two Physicians 1. The particular proposed is most inficete and a meer fiction without all colour 2. Yet I doubt not but Galen and Hipocrates in divers places may admit different interpretations Therefore I answer 1. This also may arise not so much from the obscurity of the Text as from the fault of the Interpreter 2. It is a most alien course to compare the Word of God and the word of Man together for man may contradict himself God cannot man may forget one time what he delivered at another God cannot 3. There is a vast difference between the things of men and the things of God so that whereas naturall reason and naturall instruction may be sufficient to inable a man to understand the writing of another man yet onely supernaturall illumination is sufficient to inable a man to discern the things of God yet I confess on this particular some judicious reader may think to find a flaw yet I presume that upon serious consideration that attempt will prove but vain and none but a Socinian will oppose in this who denies all fides infusa and acknowledgeth none but acquisita faith naturall and shrewd suspicions that way are betrayed by Mr. Chillingsworth as if he acknowledged no faith but faith naturall 2. But be it granted that the Scripture is obscure 1. Consider the force of this proposition it is but an indefinite and the matter is apparently contingent for undoubtedly it was at the good pleasure of God to speak after what manner he thought good Hence it followeth that the force hereof is but the force of a particular proposition as much as to say that the Scripture in some places is obscure or some places of Scripture are obscure And indeed Gregory of old hath professed that the holy Scripture is like unto a ford wherein a Lamb may wade and an Elephant may swim and before him S. Paul tells us that it contains both milk for babes and strong meat for men there is enough and that plain enough to satisfie the hungry and there is also enough and that obscure enough to prevent non-sealing especially in the Prophecies for the times to come The first promise of the Covenant of Grace was this the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Here is a double mystery in general notions carried the one the mystery of Christs Person expressed by the seed of the woman but implied to be somewhat more yea much more even such a one as should break the Serpents head the other the mystery of his Office carried onely in this generall notion of breaking the Serpents head In this time of grace we know this to have been brought to pass by his dying for our sins and his rising again for our justification Had this been known to Satan as now it is to us is it credible that hee would have perswaded Judas as he did to contract with the high Priests to betray him into their hands that were Judas like after he had betrayed his Master to goe forth and hang himself For we know that upon the Cross he spoiled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly and triumphed over them The day of Christs Resurrection undoubtly was a day of extreme confusion to the Devill and all his Angells of darkness So the Jewes had they known this mystery of his Person they would not have crucified the