THE FORT-ROYAL OF CHRISTIANITY DEFENDED. OR, A demonstration of the Divinity of Scripture, by way of excellency called the Bible. WITH A Discussion of some of the great Controversies in Religion, about universal Redemption, , Original Sin, etc. For the establishing of Christians in truth in these Atheistical trying times. By THOMAS GERY, B.D. and Rector of Barwell in Leicestershire. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, &c 2 Tim. 3.16, 17. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world, 1 John 4.1. London, Printed by T.C. for Nathanael Web, and William Grantham at the sign of the black Bear in Paul's Churchyard, near the little North-door of Paul's, 1657. THE AVTHOR's Preface TO THE READER. THis plain and course Treatise, that was penned above 30. years since, at the motion of a great Earl of this * Francis Earl of Rutland. Land; (who asked of me this question, and desired a resolution of it in writing; namely, which way a man's conscience might acquire best assurance that the Bible is God's own Word) is now at last exposed to open view, through the encouragement of some persons that are fast friends both to the truth of Religion, and the Church of England: Who taking the pains to read it, and knowing that the very life & power of Religion consisteth in the firm belief of that point of Religion, which is here demonstrated, did entertain some hope that the publishing of it might conduce to the conviction and satisfaction of some men's consciences about this particular Article of Christian belief; and thereupon have prevailed with me to adventure this publication of it; though there be no worth in it, more than this, that it's rational and Orthodoxal. If this apology will not excuse my temerity herein, (the world being now so glutted, and ready to nauseate and surfeit with the superfluity of Printed papers) I humbly beg that my good intention herein, may excuse the rashness of the fact; who endanger to blemish myself, in hope to do others good. TO THE REVEREND, and his worthy Friend Mr. GERY, RECTOR of Barwell in Leicestershire. SIR, as I am rejoiced to see the late works of your reverend brother in law my honoured Friend, Doctor Sanderson; So for our mother Cambridge sake, I count it among my felicities to find our Countryman, Dr. Hall. and by much our elder brother in that Arcademy, (a modern right Reverend Father of the Church) still increasing his voluminous, sweet and pious writings, and like a true celestial plant, bringing forth more fruit in his age; And that comfort is increased by beholding you also (though constantly employed upon a Cure) so enabled to afford the world such a testimony as these papers present of solid Theology; amongst which after my perusal of the great pains and methodical clearing of that subject concerning our last resolution of faith divine, into Divine Scripture; and your collection to that end of so many and so convincing arguments, I could not refrain my Pen from gratulating to you this work, so highly conducible to the glory of God, in the exaltation of his holy Word; and to the edification of millions of souls, who shall enjoy the happiness of being much confirmed and comforted in their most precious faith, by those assistances in your Book: for the speedy Edition whereof I do not only hereby solicit, but charge you on the behalf of our only Lord and Master Christ Jesus, and of his Spouse the Church of God our dear Mother; assuring myself that as thereby you shall distribute blessings, so many blessings from others shall redound unto yourself, both in reputation and in their prayers, and thanksgivings to God for you. We deny not what they of the Roman persuasion say, That the tradition of the Church is a great testimony; yea, take the universal Church in all ages, including that of Christ and his Apostles, and plain reason and experiment will enforce all men to acknowledge that a Divine testimony. To which when that key hath let us in to the Scripture itself, we find a light which manifests both itself and other things, and so we have a second testimony internal and both Divine. The fallacy than is found in making the Churches inducing testimony to be the only or the principal, and then in affirming this attestation to the present Church of Rome; from whom we must (if they may prevail) receive these two things on trust. That first, theirs is the Catholic Church; (as mere a Bull as that Tiber is all Rivers, or a whole Palace is in one room.) And secondly, that he who must be the head of the Church (though sometime confessed to be no true member) is absolutely infallible. Concerning which pretended infallibility so long time contended for (though doubtless their learned men hold and know it a point ridiculous, for in time of three Antipopes at once, chairing themselves at Rimini, at Bologne, and Abignon, about 1429. to which head was then this biggen of Infallibility bound?) it hath now pleased God in this last age to produce amongst us such worthies, as have beaten down this Babel of papal pride, and levelled it with the ground. I mean this chief, by that monumental piece The conference of Bishop Laud with Fisher, and Mr. Chillingworth's Book against Knot, another of the Jesuits: On both which one made this Epigram; Two little Wills, Both understandings great, Did fond Infallibility defeat. That Supreme Sconce, called Fisher 's folly won Next Knot their gordian knot was quite undone And for a further manifest of this, I refer you to a book of Hugh Paulin de Cressie, once a Dean in Ireland, and Prebend of Windfor, who is gone over to Rome and published the motives of his conversion. I read his book newly extant in Essex, from the hand of a very worthy Matron, Ms. B. a zealous Papist, and shown her therein where he openly confesses That infallibility is a word unfortunate. That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated against it with too too great success. He wishes the Word were forgotten, or at least laid by: That we Prorestants have in very deed very much to say for ourselves when we are pressed unnecessarily with it; and advises his Romists, that we may never be invited to combat the authority of their Church under that notion; And professes no such word as Infallibility is to be found in any Council, etc. Magna est veritas etc. We and they must of force yield to that of St. Paul, Eph. 5.8. We were darkness (in the abstract) and all our light in Dom. are now light in the Lord. But how? Certainly that Oriens ab Alto; that great Bishop of all our souls, doth baptise all true believers with the holy Ghost, and with the celestial fires of his Grace: But since this Arch-prelate and universal Superintendent (for properly all cure of souls, all Baptism and confirmation is from that our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, and he) is in heaven, and his spirit must descend to and into us; which is the Aquaeduct, the ventiduct, the Luciduct; which way doth Christ in his spirit and graces convey this holy water; this gentle air, this blessed light to our spirits? Why, look back to the Creation; How came light at first? First the spirit moves and brood's o'er that which was a depth and darkness; and then his mighty Word, Fiat Lux. He spoke, and it was Light; then when all was dark, he made material light: and Christ Jesus is the word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; for as speech is the image of the mind, so he the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, Heb. 1.3. The immaterial and eternal light of light, that was never made. And the Divine spirit goes that way still, by the Word: His word is, and makes light. This world is God's great book, wherein as in a glass of wonders, we discern him. But his word is the true mirror of his mind: And as God engraved his form on his Son before all worlds, so what that Son is, and what the father is to us in him, the spirit proceeding from both delivers in the book of his word. The Sun guilds and enamels clouds and streams and hill tops with his rays, but thrusts his own pure light, his own living fires through the bodies of the stars; so other authors can but yield a faint reflection of that beam which here is native and direct; The very Law God styles a flaming light; the Prophecies a more sure word, to which we do well to attend as to a light shining in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the daystar arise in our hearts. But the Gospel is called his marvellous light: He brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1.10. And in Acts 26.16. I have appeared to thee, saith our Saviour to that choice vessel of his grace and name to make thee a Minister, and a witness, etc. And now I will send thee to the Gentiles: To what end? for a glorious end: To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light; from the power of Satan unto God. And acordingly speaks that Apostle, If our Gospel be hid (2 Cor. 4.3, & 4. verses) 'tis hid in them that perish, in whom the god of this world hath blinded their unfaithful minds, that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them. And in the 6. verse, he shows the walk and circuit of this light: God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, (there first, and then the casting of the beam) to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. Doth not S. Paul say, It is both the wisdom and power of God to salvation to every one that believeth? and is not that enough to give all men full satisfaction and acquiescense? what a large field lies open for the further clearing this truth, in those assertions in the fathers. Saint chrysostom calls the holy Scriptures Lamps of Verity before our eyes. Hom. 23. in mad. Serm de Temp. 237. And S. Austin, ad Lucernam Scripturae ambulaing. Gregory of Valentia a Jesuit confesseth as much and divers Pontificians in plain terms, as Holcoth and Bellarmine himself cries up the Scripture with a nihil notius, nihil certius; Bell. de verbo dei, lib. 1. c. 2. and cries him down for the veriest fool who believes not their testimony; and in the 2 cap of the same book is in his superlatives, with Scriptura certissima & Tutissima Regula credendi. He trouble you but with one more, but one instar omnium. 'Tis he that in a traitorous itch of wit, took on him purposely the wresting and profaning of Scripture, that so he might lewdly abuse our Princes and our Church? Yet mark, (as God compelled the Devil to testify of Christ) what he is forced to say, and sure 'tis worth our observation, The book is Latin & called the Queries. If I diminish him not in my English; There is in Scripture (saith he) an Invisible Majesty; an hidden splendour; a glory unperishable; a wisdom inexhaustible; the solace of humane and the beginning of a divine life; made by the holy spirit, and making our spirits holy; compared with which the Egyptian Sages will look pale and poor; the Chaldee impure; the Grecians blockish; Plato, no body; and Philosophy itself a fool; 'tis the print of Heaven on Earth; and if any where the joy of Paradise, or at least a brave resemblance of divine light be showed; it is in Scripture containing all that is severed from the actual vision of God himself: Again, The paper burns me not, yet am I all inflamed in reading it; 'tis no composure, no artificial tread the Scripture uses, yet am I drawn and wrapped to follow her, and she lifts me up beyond my nature; so that I am no more mine own, but with a sacred violence and new fire I am consumed, and compelled to acknowledge the voice of God that speaks therein. Thus far that Papist, and finally both Fathers, Schoolmen and later Pontificitians, freely confess a double means to know the authors of divine Scripture; one ecclesiastic, i.e. perpetual Church story, Hal. 3.978. m. 2. which introduces Faith, saith all, Hales, as the Seta doth the third; and the other totally divine, which * lib. 2. d. pt. divine leg. Junilius and * Institu. l. 1. c. 16. Cassiodor, reckon ipsius Scripturae veritas, ordo rerum, consonantia preceptorum, modus locutionis, etc. And Scotus of 10. arguments, takes divers from the internal matter and majesty of the Books. But Sir, I intended but a letter, and I find my style wandered into a little Homile. It is time to end with my apprecation for a blessing on your labours, and to let you find it under my hand, That I am Your Obliged Friend and fellow-Servant in the Gospel of Christ, THO. . From Leicester, Nou. 1. 1656. Errata. PAge 24. Line 20. for inseparable read insuperable, p. 94. l. 7. for bluts r. blunts, p. 102. l. 1. for of r. and, p. 104. l. 4. for and r. But p. 113. l. 13. for religionis r. religioni, p. 126 l. 2. for quod r. quam, p. 129. in the margin, for these r. Jesus. In the Title of the second Treatise, for decission r. decision. In the Preface to the Reader, before the same Treatise, a little after the middle of it, for falcyes r. fallacies. An Index or Table representing the Contents of this Treatise; the parts whereof are two. 1. A doctrine propounded and proved; which is this, That Scripture is God's own Word. 2. The application of it to certain special Uses. 1. Part. Scripture is proved God's Word by arguments drawn 1 From without itself which are 4. 1 By testimony out of the Church, page 3. 2 By miracles in the Church, page 18. 3 By the death of the Martyrs of the Church, page 24. 4 By the wonderful preservation of it against all adverse power that did rise up to abolish it, page 27. 2 From within itself, which are 8. 1 By the majesty of it, page 30. 2 By the purity of it, page 33. 3 By the profundity of it, p. 37. 4 By the harmony of it, p. 46. 5 By the prophecy of it, p. 48. 6 By the repugnancy of it with man's nature, page 56. 7 By the impartiality of the Penmen of it, page 58. 8 By the power of it which is manifested by four effects, p. 60. 1 By revealing thoughts, p. 60. 2 By terrifying consciences, p. 62. 3 By converting souls p. 63 4 By comforting souls and consciences in deepest misery p. 65 2 Part, The application consists of 2 parts. 1 of consequents deducted for information: which are two p. 76 1 That therefore no man may dare to dispense with any of the precepts of Scripture; because it's God's Word, page 76. 2 Therefore it's of supreme authority to the present Church-militant p. 78 2 of practical inferences, which are applied to 3 sorts of persons p. 82 1 To all in place of Magistracy to induce them to defend Scripture p. 82 2 To all in the office of the ministry to induce them to dispense it p. 88 3 To all of all sorts to induce them to these four duties. 1 To learn it p. 94 2 To believe it p. 105 3 To embrace that religion which holds best correspondence with it 110 4 To obey it p 131 THE FORT ROYAL OF CHRISTIANITY DEFENDED. IT's a confessed maxim, a known and received truth in Theology, that the seeds of all sins are transmitted and propagated into the nature of every son and child of Adam, who descends from him by the common way of generation, amongst which the seeds of Atheism are not the least predominant; whence it comes to pass that the heart of man is oft solicited to doubt, whether the books of Scripture be the very Oracles of God, or a humane invention to keep in awe such protervious refractory and unruly spirits, as without these would no more be awed by the laws of man then Job's Leviathan by the hook and line. To affront and discountenance this suggestion, and silence these whisper of incredulity about this particular, that all doubting spirits may gain plenary satisfaction in it, that will not wilfully shut the eye of their own reason, nor damp the light of their own understanding, against the Sunshine of this heavenly truth; I have selected or collected partly out of the writings of Orthodox Divines, but principally out of Scripture itself, these ensuing arguments. Some whereof are not only most probable, but (to a clear apprehension) demonstrative, and so undeniable reasons to prove the Bible to be Gods own book. And the structure of this discourse is framed and fashioned like to Jacob's ladder, to lift up the imagination of man from-Earth to Heaven: and to this end I have placed in it twelve arguments, as so many rounds or stairs, whereby the minds of rational men may be raised up by each step and gradation to a clearer speculation and view of that celestial splendour, which is diffused throughout the whole region of Scripture, till at the length (namely by such time as they have ascended to the top of this scale) they may be able to descry and discern here in open view such radiant beams of divine light, as will readily dispel and drive away all foggy mists of ambiguity and hesitation, that eclipsed and shadowed this light formerly from their sight. These twelve staves of this scale, or twelve arguments, are digested into this order. The four lowest (which are first s●t down) are drawn from without the Scripture; and the eight highest from within it. Those from without the Scripture are of two sorts, either from without the Church, or from within it. First, Argument. 1 From without the Church I find but one, and that is an argument inartificial, (as Logicians call it) but very energetical and valid; which is the suffrage and testimony that many of the Heathen, who were out of the visible Church, have afforded of the divinity of our Scriptures, and that both of the Old and New Testament. And first, for the divinity of the Old Testament; I find a notable testification thereof out of Josephus his History of the Antiquities of the Jews: and that from divers of the Heathen, with which therefore I shall content myself, and I hope the Reader also. This Author saith, (a) Joseph. Antiq. said lib. 12. cap. 2. in fine cap. That after the translation of the Books of Moses Law into the Greek Tongue, by the seventy two Elders of the Jews, was finished by the means, and at the cost and charges of Ptolemy Philadelph, King of Egypt, the said King was highly contented therewith, and took pleasure in reading the said Law; admiring at the deep conceit and wisdom of the Lawmaker: And thereupon began to question with one Demetrius, the Master of his Library, and the chief instrument by him used to obtain of the Jews this translation of their Law, what might be the reason that neither Poet nor Historiographer had made any mention thereof, considering that in itself it was so admirable? To whom Demetrius returned this answer, That no man was so hardy to touch that work, by reason that it was divine, and every way venerable; assuring him also that certain men who had attempted to set their hands thereto, had been punished by God: And thereupon acquainted him how one Theopompus an Historian, intending to reduce certain contents of that Law into his History, had been distracted in mind for more than thirty days; and that having some intermission of his fit, he appeased God by prayer; as having perceived this attempt to be the cause of his malady, and thereupon desisted from his foresaid intention. He likewise certified him further, That one Theodectes a Tragic Poet, intending to make mention in some of his Poems of a certain History written in the sacred Scriptures, was stricken blind; & acknowledging the cause thereof to proceed from his audacious presumption in that intent, was restored to his sight after that he had appeased God's displeasure; meaning by his repentance and desistence from his said purpose. He allegeth there also to the King, in the former part of the forementioned Chapter, a saying out of Haecateus Abderita, (who was a Philosopher, brought up with great King Alexander, and writ a Book of the Jewish Nation) who affirmed these Scriptures to be pure, and not to be uttered by impure lips. Hence we have clear testimony that the Scriptures of the Old Testament were at this time had in great reverence by the very Heathen, as sacred and divine; as there also Demetrius is said to have told the King several times. Secondly, For the Divinity of the Gospel; it may be proved from the atestation or testimony both of the Sibylls, and the Oracles of the Heathen, and from sundry of the Jews that were no Christians; who confessing Christ, do by consequence confess the Gospel to be divine; for if the Gospel be no fiction or humane invention in the principal matter and subject thereof, which is Jesus Christ; but that there was such a divine person upon earth indeed, as is therein described; then it follows by good consequence that the Story of Him (which is the Gospel) is also divine. About the Sibylls, its fit to declare first who and what they were, and then to rehearse their Testimony; which thereby will appear to be much more ponderous and important. Lactantius saith, (a) Lactant. lib. de ira dei, cap. 22. that the word Sibylla in the Greek Tongue is consignificant with Vates in the Latin, which signifies a Prophet or Counsellor to God; and that the Sibylls were Prophetesses, in number ten, living in divers Ages, and divers Countries among the Heathen▪ long before the incarnation of our blessed Saviour. One of them saith of herself, (a) Sibyl. Oracul. lib. 3. in fine. That she was daughter in Law to Noah, and also of his blood. These writ divers Poems, both historical, agreeing with Moses, and prophetical, agreeing with the Prophets of Scripture, in many particulars about Christ; and comprised in eight Books still to be seen. And these in all probability were inspired by God to foreshow Christ to the Heathen, (whose posterities were afterto be called to the faith of Christ) as the holy Prophets were sent to reveal and foreshow him to the Jews. And of this opinion was both Lactantius before named, and that prime propugner and propitious defender of the Christian faith, Constantine the Great, as he openly professed in an Oration, that he made to certain Prelates of the Church, which Eusebius hath rehearsed in the story of his life, (b) Euseb. de Vita Constan. lib. 4. cap. 19 in fine. Where likewise it appeareth that these Sibylls prophecies of Christ took deep impression in him, and were a means to confirm him further in the Christian faith. Justin Martyr also, a learned Father, and a Martyr, that lived in the next Age after the Apostles, was of the same opinion; affirming that these Sibylls Oracles seemed most near the doctrine of the Prophets, and that they were inspired from above. (a) Justin Mart. in Admonitor. gentium, lib. in fine. S. Augustine also mentioning and commending some verses of Sibylla Erythraea, doth affirm of her, that she seemed to be esteemed of the number of those that appertain to the City of God. (b) August. de Civit. dei lib. 18 cap. 23. Neither may this seem any whit improbable, that Almighty God should vouchsafe this divine illumination to these Heathen, considering we read in Scripture of his saving graces conferred upon divers of them; as the Egyptian Midwives, Rahab, Job, Naaman, before Christ came; and of divine revelations imparted to others of them at the birth of Christ; namely to the wise men that came from the east to worship him, Mat. 2.1, 2. verses. And this is the more likely both from the matter and the manner of the Sibylls verses; from the matter, in that it is sacred, and not at all scurrilous or profane; which induced St. Augustine to have that good esteem of them before mentioned, as appears in the said place of his works before named. And from the manner, in that they aver, and that sundry times, (as did the Prophets in Scripture) that they were inspired by God from above, to foreshow such occult and hidden things to come. Now the testimony which they give of Christ, is wonderful and strange; for they reveal many more particulars to be done by him then the Prophets did, and have therein jumped with the very words of the Gospels, which record the very same particulars to have come to pass. Amongst a rapfody of their Verses, I will rehearse the contents but of a few; for a drop of the sea water is enough to give us a taste of the whole Ocean. And because I would not vary a syllable from the Greek Copy itself, I will render them in prose. Thus one of them writeth. (a) Sibyl. Oracl. lib. n. in fine. When a voice shall come by the way of the Desert, crying unto men to make their paths strait, to cleanse their hearts, and baptise their bodies with water, that being born from above they may transgress no more; and that a barbarous man ensnared with dances, shall give this voice slaughtered for a reward of iniquity; then the good stone preserved shall come from Egypt, at which the Hebrew people shall stumble; but the Gentiles shall be led by his conduct, and come to know the highest God by him, for he shall show eternal life to men elect, but he shall add fire for ever to the disobedient. And then he shall heal the diseased, whosoever believe in him; the blind shall see, and the lame shall go; the deaf shall hear, and the dumb shall speak; he shall cast out devils, and there shall be a resurrection of the dead; he shall walk upon the floods, and in a desert place shall feed five thousand with five loaves and sea fish, and the remainders of these shall fill twelve baskets. These and many more specialties about Christ his death and resurrection, are added to the end of the book, agreeing in every particular with the Evangelical story. Another Sibyl called Erythraea (who lived in the sixth Age after the flood of Noah, as she reports herself) hath made a staff of Acrostic verses of these six Greek words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which Englished are, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, Cross; where there be so many verses as there are letters in these six words; and the first letters of all the verses read together in order, as they are placed one under another, make the aforesaid six words. And the subject of them is the description of Christ, most sweetly conspiring with holy Scripture: I will here set down only the two last verses, as which are sufficient for the present purpose, which are these. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, He who is now described in these Acrostic verses, is our God, an immortal Saviour, a King that must suffer for us. There remains one thing to make these testimonies authentical and creditable; and that is to make proof of these Sibylls verses, not to be adulterine forgeries, (as some have been of opinion) but to have had precedence before the Gospel, wherewith they so conspire and accord. And this is very evidently proved by the aforenamed Emperor Constantine, and cleared from all suspicion in his foresaid Oration; where he produceth as most sufficient witnesses hereof, sundry famous writers. As first, Marcus, Varro, a learned Roman, (who lived above a hundred years before the publishing of the Gospel) who makes frequent mention of them in his History; and withal how they were gathered from all parts of the world where they were heard of by the Romans, with great care and diligence; and were laid up in their Capitol, as writings most precious and momental. Secondly, the famous Orator Cicero (who lived in the time of Marcus Antonius, which was above forty years before Christ) mentioneth these Sibylls writings in divers places of his works. (a) Cicero, lib. 2. de divina. & lib. 1. Epist. ad Lent. Epist. 7. Yea, Constantine affirmeth that the former Acrostic verses were by Cicero translated into the Roman Dialect, and at that time to be seen in his works, when he made this Oration. Thirdly, the renowned Poet Virgil (who lived immediately after Cicero, in the beginning of the reign of Augustus Caesar) rehearseth divers verses out of Sibylla Cumaea, and records her very name. (a) Virgil, Eglog. 4. To these I will add but one record more, which is out of the learned Aristotle, who lived many years before any of these yet named; namely under the great Alexander of Macedony, who writes thus of one of the Sibylls, Cumae in Italia ostenditur quoddam (ut videtur) conclave subterraneum Sibyllae vatis; quam diutissimè vixisse, & virginem permansisse perhibent: quae esset Erythraea; said a quibusdam Melanchraena vocaretur. (a) Aristot. de mirabil. Narrat. At Cuma (saith he) in Italy, is showed a certain subterraneous conclave or cave in the earth (as it should seem) of a Sibyl Prophetess, which (men say) lived very long, and continued a Virgin; which should be Erythraea, but of some she was called Melanchraena. Plato also (who was Aristotle's Master) makes mention of this Sibyl. (b) Plato in Phaedro. And Justin Martyr (that ancient father before mentioned) reports that he was at this Cuma, and saw the Temple where this Sibyl uttered her predictions arithmetical; and therein (as a special monument of her) a brazen vessel, wherein were kept certain of her relics. (a) Justin Martyr in Admonitor. Gentium libro in fine. So that hence it's cleared from all doubt, that the Sibylls verses, (at least some of them which spoke of Christ, which is sufficient for the present purpose) were no forgeries, but prophetical Poems for certain written long before the Gospel, if any humane testimonies may be credited; and so are potent proofs of Christ, and consequently of the Divinity of the Gospel. It follows now to speak something of the Oracles likewise (which were nothing else but deluding Devils, speaking out of Heathen Images) and these also gave many attestations of Christ, especially that notorious one of Apollo at Delphos in Greece. And for proof hereof I will allege only one speech of Porphyrius a great worshipper of these Oracles, and an arch enemy of Christians, (Constantine called him The sworn adversary, and deadly foe of divine service) (b) Socrat. Histor. Eccle. lib. 1. cap. 6. who upon meditation of divers speeches uttered by the Oracles concerning Christ Jesus, breaketh forth into this confession; It is exceeding wonderful what testimony the gods (so he styled the Oracles) do give, of the singular piety and sanctity of Jesus; for which they avouch him to be honoured with immortality. (a) Porphyr. in Libr. de Laud Philosoph. So that the Scripture (we see) hath implicit testimony, and by consequence to be divine, from the most livid and professed enemies of it, according as we read also in the Gospel; where the devils themselves were oft enforced to confess Christ to be the holy one of God. Lastly, For the testimony of the Jews, which were no Christians, concerning Christ, I will produce only two, but those Classical writers, and most famous of all other of them for their learning; namely Josephus before mentioned (who was born, if not before our Saviour's passion, yet within a few years after) and one Philo, who was a Coaetan with our Saviour, and was sent Ambassador to Rome in behalf of the Jews the same year that our Saviour was baptised by John. Both these in sundry places of their Histories make mention of our Saviour Christ in such sort as giveth proof sufficient that what is written of him in the Scripture, is no feigned story, but a known and confessed and undoubted truth; for brevity's sake I will rehearse but one of their testimonies, but it is so punctual and illustrious, that it may stand in stead of many. Thus Josephus (a) Joseph. Antiq. Jud. Lib. 18. cap. 4. writeth of him; At that time was Jesus a wise man, (if it be lawful to call him a man) for he was the performer of divers admirable works, and the instructor of those who willingly entertain the truth: And he drew unto him divers Greeks and Jews to be his followers: This was Christ, who being accused of the Princes of our Nation before Pilate, and afterwards condemned to the Cross by him: yet did not those who followed him from the beginning forbear to love him, for the ignominy of his death; for he appeared unto them alive the third day after, according as the divine Prophets had before testified the same, and divers other wonderful things of him. And from this time forward the race of the Christians, who have derived their name from him, hath never ceased. This spontaneous, perspicuous and ample confession of Christ, proceeding out of the mouth of an adversary, (for he that is not with Christ, is against him,) (b) Luk. 11.23. speaks so peremptorily for the truth of the History (and so consequently for the divinity) of the Gospel, that it admits no exception. Thus much for the first argument, to prove the sacred authority of Scripture, which is the testimony that hath been yielded by many out of the Church, either explicitly or implicitly, of the divinity of it, which is not a contemptible argument, but very prevalent to sway the conscience of any intelligent man to a credence of this truth. Now follow those arguments which are drawn from within the Church, but from without the Scripture; which are three. First, Argument. 2 This truth is proved by the miracles wrought by our Saviour Christ, and the Penmen of Scripture for the confirmation of the divinity thereof; which miracles being acknowledged by the confession of adversaries is an argument of great validity, to convince the most incredulous person in this point, if he will but hear reason. Now confessions hereof we find exceeding many, from our professed adversaries in Religion. And first to begin with the miracles which Moses wrought in Egypt before Pharaoh; they are reported by divers Heathen Authors, as namely by one Demetrius and Eupolemus, two Greek Historiographers; and by one Artabanus, who writ a History of the Jews, wherein he speaks thus of Moses; (as witnesseth the noble French Author, in the Margin) (a) Morn. de Verita. Christ. Relig. cap. 26. This Moses, saith he, was occupied in continual prayer to God for the deliverance of the people; and one day as he was earnest in praying, there issued a fire out of the earth, where was no combustible matter; and a voice told him that he should deliver the Jews, and bring them into their Country: whereupon without raising any force, he (by the counsel of his wife's father) declared the will of God to the King of Egypt; who forthwith committed him to prison; but the prison doors were opened unto him by miracle, and he went to the King's bed side, and summoned him again to obey God: and when the King had asked him the name of the God, Moses told it him in his ear; whereat he fell into a swound: But Moses raised him up again by the hand; and the Priests that made a scoff at it, died incontinently. And afterwards this Author declareth how the King required signs, and that thereupon Moses turned his rod into a Serpent; and so in order recordeth almost all the wonders which Moses wrought in Egypt, that are mentioned in the Scripture. The miracles that were wrought by the prophet Elias, (as that of obtaining rain by prayer after a great drought, in the days of King Ahab, with some other) are reported by one Menander an Ephesian, in his Tyrian History (a) Mor. ibid. The miracles of our Saviour are avouched by a number, and that both in general and in particular. In general, both Josephus in the place before cited, and also Mahomet in his Koran, confess our Saviour to have wrought many miracles, though Mahomet denied him to be God, and affirmed that Christ had a check for it when he came to Heaven; as Mr. Parsons hath it in his book quoted here in the Margint. (a) Pason resolute. part 2. cap. sect. 2. consid. 3. In particular, first, the supernatural eclipse of the Sun at the passion of Christ, is recorded by an old Astronomer called Aeschylus, who proveth by the aspect and posture of the Sun and Moon at that time, that that eclipse could not be natural, because all natural eclipses of the Sun are precisely at the change of the Moon, and this was about the full; for it was two days before Easter: which solemn feast was always kept by the Jews in the full of the Moon, as both Scripture testifies, and that learned and credited Author before mentioned, Philo Judaeus. (b) Philo de Vita Moysis, lib. 3. Of the truth of this miracle also I find a pregnant proof in an Epistle of Dionysius Areopagita to Polycarpus, where Dionysius affirms that he and one Apollophanes being together in a City called Heliopolis, at the time of this eclipse, observed two supernatural occurrences in the same: First, they observed the Globe of the Moon to fall first upon that part of the body of the Sun which is toward the East, and to proceed to a total obfuscation or obscuration thereof, and then to withdraw itself back again, which it never doth in natural eclipses; but beginning to enter upon the Western surface of the Sun, procreds to the Eastern, where the eclipse ceaseth. Secondly, they observed again, that by nine of the clock at night, the Moon was withdrawn to a diametrous opposition to the Sun; which by course of nature could not possibly come to pass in that space of time, being but six hours. And this miracle Dionysius entreated Polycarpus to urge Apollophanes withal, to win him to the Christian faith, in regard himself was an eyewitness thereof. Again, the resurrection of Christ hath open acknowledgement, both from Josephus, in the place twice above mentioned; and from Pilate himself that put him to death, by a Letter that he writ to his Lord Tiberius, than Emperor of Rome; wherein he certifies him how the Soldiers (who were suborned and hired by the Jews to say that Christ's Disciples came and stole him away in the night) had confessed the plain truth unto him; namely, that Jesus was risen indeed to life again out of his Sepulchre; and withal he sent to Tiberius the particular examination of divers other persons, which he had taken about the same business, who avowed that they had seen and spoken with such persons as were risen from death at that time with Jesus; which said persons assured them also of his resurrection. This Letter of Pilat's was laid up amongst the records of the Romans; as witnesseth both Aegesippus in his History, (who lived in the next Age after the Apostles) and immediately after him Tertullian in his book against the Gentiles, where he professeth that upon his own knowledge such a Letter there was to be seen amongst the records of the Romans. This Tertullian might very well know, in regard he was a pleader of causes in Rome divers years before he was a Christian. (a) Parson. Resol. part. 2. cap. 4. sect. 2. I might hereunto add sundry other testimonies out of Authors of adverse professions to Christian Religion, to prove the truth of the miracles done by our Saviour and his Apostles for confirmation of the divinity of the Gospel; but these are abundantly sufficient. And therefore I hasten to the next argument of this sort, Argument. 3 which may be the infinite number of Martyrs that have laid down their lives, and shed their blood in defence of the holy Scriptures, and that with most admirable alacrity and cheerfulness, and with most inseparable courage and fortitude: For evidence hereof I will refer the Reader to these stories. First, For the Martyrs of the Old Testament, to a very short story of the Martyrdom of the Macchabees, written by the aforenamed Josephus, and usually annexed to his other books, agreeing with the 6. & 7th. Chapters of the second Book of the Macchabees, at the end of the Old Testament, a story it is worth the reading; perhaps it may extract some tears, (which I speak out of experience) but yet they may haply be sweetened with a mixture of gladness, like those which dropped from Joseph's eyes, at the sight of his brother Benjamin. I will rehearse but one speech of the first of nine Martyrs there mentioned, named Eleazar, who when he had told the savage Tyrant Antiochus (that instigated him to renounce Moses law) that no torment should make him forsake God's word, and his Religion, with undaunted courage and constancy, turns himself away from him, and addresseth his speech as it were to his Bible, after this manner, O sacred Religion, I will never violate thee; the foundation of my salvation, the defence of the believer; the ground of faith: Never will I lift up my hands contrary to thy precepts; never will I believe any thing to be just, which is repugnant to that which thou hast taught me. And whilst he spoke thus (saith the story) he was haled to the torments. For the Martyrs of the New Testament, they are numberless, and almost in every Ecclesiastical History; as in Eusebius, Socrates, Evagrius, Sozomen, and many others, who have recorded not only their sufferings, for their witness bearing unto the Gospel of Christ, but the manner thereof to have been in such sort, that is, with such innocency, hilarity, courage, patience, humility and comfort, that their blood in this manner shed in the Gospel's cause, seals unto us their successors the infallible certainty of the Divinity of it. It's not denied but that Heretics have dared to die for defence of their erroneous opinions; but never did any of them suffer with those apparent characters and impressions of God's divine Spirit upon them, that were now before mentioned, nor in that infinite number that the Martyrs of the Gospel have done; for they so shined throughout the world in their afflictions (saith Eusebius) (a) Euseb. Histo. Eccles. lib. 8. cap. 12. in fine. that the beholders wondered at their patience and noble courage; and that not without cause; for they expressed and showed forth unto the world special and manifest signs of the divine and unspeakable power of our Saviour working by them. I might here illustrate and amplify this point by innumerous instances of Martyrs, both out of all the forenamed Historians, and out of Mr. Fox his book of our own late English Martyrs, in the days of Queen Mary, who by the virtue and splendency of their divine graces in suffering, namely, innocence, alacrity, courage, patience, and humility, so blanked and amated their persecutors, that they converted many of them to the Christians faith; yea, so far forth they prevailed with some of them, that they induced them to suffer Martyrdom with them as Eusebius testifies (b) Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 9 & lib. 8. cap. 9 But I will spare this labour, as hoping it may be an allurement unto the Reader to peruse some of the now named Authors for further satisfaction in this point. I come now to the last external Argument, Argument. 4 which is the miraculous preservation of Scripture, against the iniquity and enmity of all times, which have been so malevolent and violent against it, that it could never have been preserved hitherto, but by the hand of Heaven; for all the impetuous power and policy of man; and the precipitant stream and strength, yea and fury of the whole world hath invaded it to extinguish and suppress it sundry times. Antiochus, a cruel Tyrant, and successor of great Alexander, getting domination over the Jews, cut in pieces and burned all the books of the Law, which he could find; and followed his intended mischief so malevolently and violently, that all those with whom any such books were found, were put to a most cruel death. (a) Machab. 1.59. & Joseph. Autiq. lib. 12. cap. 7. Dioclesian also Emperor of Rome, a savage and belluine persecutor of the Christians, sought by all means possible to obliterate and abolish the holy Scriptures; and for that end caused his Edicts to be published everywhere throughout his Dominions; in which it was commanded, That all the Christian Churches should be demolished and made even with the ground; yea, and the very foundations thereof to be digged up; and that the holy Scriptures should be all burned, and so be utterly extinguished. (a) Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 8. cap. 2. & 3. Which mischief hath been intended and attempted also by many other nefarious and wicked instruments of Satan often times: yet hath it ever been preserved whole and entire, and continued in the Church unto this day, yea, even in the original Tongues wherein it was first written, which is verily a miracle. And therefore we may fitly apply unto this miraculous preservation of it, that acclamation of the people, Great is the truth, and prevaileth. (b) 1 Esdras 4.41. And the words of the Psalmist, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (c) Psat. 118.23. I have done with the Arguments from without the Scripture, which may move any man's mind very prevalently, to entertain a belief of the Divinity of this book, and yet they have showed him but (as it were) the out side of it. Let me now lead the Reader a little higher and nearer to it; as namely to open it, and look within it, and then he shall see (as the Jew saith very truly) God's own hand, God's own characters, yea, God's own sign and seal, and subscription upon the paper: For as corporal light reveals to the bodily eye both other things and itself too; so doth Scripture, as a true spiritual and heavenly light, both reveal the way to Heaven, and make ostension also of itself to be a light of Heaven. Particularly there be to be discerned in it these eight sparks or beams of divine authority. First, Argument. 5 There is such an incomparable sublimity and majesty of style herein expressed, as doth so highly advance and exalt it above all humane writings, and makes it so transcendently glorious above them all; that (as was said of Christ, That never man spoke like him: (a) Joh. 7.46. Nor with that authority: (b) Luk. 4.32. So may be said of this Book of Christ) never book spoke like it; that is, in such a superlative and high strain of authority; there is such an august, majestical, and venerable state in the words, and such steps and prints of divine excellency displayed in it, as neither man nor Angel could or durst express, and such as never was nor will be found in any other writing; for it breathes divinely in every part and page. Let any man parallel this Book among humane Authors for heavenly majesty in the say and sentences thereof, and I will sample him the Sun amongst lucid bodies for radiant lustre in the light and shine thereof; for the Sun is not more gloriously lightsome above all other Stars, than this Scripture is divinely majestical and glorious above all other writings. To which purpose St. Augustine speaks thus, (a) August. de Civitat. Dei lib. 11. cap. 1. Scriptura summae dispositione providentiae super omnes omnium gentium literas, omnia sibi genera ingeniorum humanorum divinis excellens authoritate subjecit. The Scripture (saith he) being by the disposition of the highest providence above all the literature of all Nations, excelling in divine authority, hath stooped all kinds of humane wits unto itself: And as in many other Texts, so in Deut. 32.39, 40, 41, & 42. verses, there be such sublime and majestical expressions, as neither man nor Angel durst utter. For there we have these say uttered from the mouth of God, I, even I am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver cut of my hand. For I lift up my hand to Heaven, and say, I live for ever, etc. Thus no man nor Angel ever did speak, or dare speak. There have been indeed some men in former Ages, so advanced and exalted in their own thoughts, and transported with vain glory (having been mounted to the highest stair of honour and authority here upon Earth) that they have ambitiously affected to be called gods, and to be reputed to descend from more than humane race and parentage; yet never durst any of them personate the God of Heaven, to call themselves Jehovah, or Elohim. But this is oft the affirmation of the Author of Scripture, as is evident both from the Text last named, and from many other; of which I will rehearse but these four, Exod. 20.12. And God spoke all these words saying, I am Jehovah thy God. Isa. 52.6. Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth speak, Behold it is I. Ezek. 21.17. I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest, I Jehovah have said it. And again in the last verse of the same Chapter, Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land, thou shalt be no more remembered; for I Jehovah have spoken it. Whereas therefore the Author and Inditer of Scripture calls himself Jehovah, the true and very God, (which title no mortal man durst ever yet assume to himself) it's an undeniable inference, that therefore God was the Author of it, and no man on earth. Now as this celestial splendour and brightness, Argument. 6 which resulteth from the very phrase and style of Scripture, revealeth the divinity of it so also doth immaculate holiness and purity of doctrine therein contained; for such a description have we of God's word in Scripture; it's said that All the words of his mouth are righteous; there is no lewdness nor frowardness in them: (a) Prov. 8.8. And that his statutes are right, and his commandments pure: (b) Psal. 19.8. And like silver tried in the fire. (c) Psal. 12.6. So that if men will but acknowledge that there is a God, and that he hath revealed to man his will by word (which who saith not that is a Christian, nay, an intelligent man? for this is a thing needful, wherein God never faileth, as the Philosophers say of nature) and it cannot be denied but that this is that word of his; for there is no word written nor unwritten, that can so deservedly claim him for the Author; none that is (ex omni parte) every way, and so exactly quadrate and proportionate to his nature and holiness: For no picture can more lively express the portraiture, lineaments and feature of any man, than this word doth resemble the nature and properties of God; for (as is said of the substantial word of God, so may be said of this vocal and written word) it's the very character of his person; (a) Heb. 1.3. It's the very model, idea and graphical picture of his divine attributes; for it's no accepter of persons, regards not rich more than poor; is no willer of wickedness, nor doth any evil dwell with it: As it is said of God in the same Scripture, in the Texts quoted in the Margint. (b) Eph. 6.9. Job. 34.19. Psal, 5.4. So like God is no other word, neither written in paper, nor in the fleshly tables of man's heart; nor proceeding from the mouth of man, be he the holiest upon Earth; so impartially reproving sin, and in such an authoritative form of increpation, and in all sorts of persons, from the King that sits on the Throne, to the beggar that lieth on the dunghill; and so fully and fairly unmasking sin, and stripping it of those specious dresses of virtue, wherewith it usually vails itself, and displaying it in its own dusky infernal colours, that the u●ly shape thereof may be seen, and so abhorred. This of all other, either word written or continued by tradition, aims not at all in any part of it at sinister respects; but ascribes to God his due glory in all things; and discovers to man his sin & shame and just demerit; which attestation hath ever been confessed to be a divine truth; and that by the most callous and cauterised consciences that ever were; for an open confession of it we have from the most remarkable and notorious exemplar for obstinancy and obduration in ungodliness since the world began, from hard hearted Pharaoh himself; The Lord (said he (a) Exod. 9.27. is righteous, but I and my people are wicked. Again, this of all other delivers the most undoubted way to salvation, for it teacheth such a way thereto, as is most consonant and suitable to God's holiness, justice, and mercy, and yields best satisfaction to man's conscience. And no other hath so heavenly a subject, nor so heavenly an end; that is, God's glory, and man's salvation, so purely and sincerely set forth as this; and therefore this and no other is God's own Book, which only thus truly describes him, reveals to man the most certain and safe way to him; and ascribes to him his due glory in all points, without the least diminution thereof. In the third place, As the majesty and purity of this word argue the divinity of it; Argument. 7 so doth the inscrutable profundity of it also; for here be hid those deep things of God, which the Apostle Paul speaks of to the Corinthians. (a) 1 Cor. 2.10. And here also Abyssus abyssum invocat, (as the Psalmist speaketh (b) Psal. 42.7. One deep calls another, till there be so many deeps multiplied, that shallow man is easily absorbed and swallowed up in them. Of this Book (in this respect especially) may that be more truly and deservedly affirmed which Seneca said of Quintus Sextius his book which he affected, applauded, and admired; Vivit viget liber est supra hominem est. (c) Sen. Epist. 64. ad Lucil. The Scripture is a living Book, (or a Book of life, as it is called Revel. 21.27.) a Book of strong lines, a Book indeed, above the reason of man to understand, and above the reach of man to comprehend; for though in it God doth set before us wisdom and heavenly manna, and true treasure, yet all are hid; The wisdom is hid. (d) 1 Cor. 2.7. The treasure is hid. (e) Mat. 13.44. The manna is hid. (f) Rev. 2.17.3.16. For it's full of mysteries, yea, great mysteries. (g) 1 Tim. And therefore it is said of it in the same Book, That no man in Heaven nor in Earth was able to open the Book, nor to look thereon. (a) Rev. 5.3. And to it may be applied that which is said of widome; (b) Eccles. 7.26. It is a profound deepness, who can find it? This made the Apostle Paul cry out as one confounded and overwhelmed with the contemplation and meditation of those profundities; O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out? (c) Rom. 11.33. It's possible (if I be not mistaken) to canvas any mere man's writing so throughly, as to scrute it to the bottom; but here is no bottom to be found in this writing, no not by the Angels of Heaven themselves; as is colligible from that place of Peter; (d) 1 Pet. 1.12. where he tells us that the Angels had a desire to look into certain things of Scripture; namely, the accomplishment of the predictions of Christ's sufferings and glory; where the Original Greek word which he useth to express their introspection, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the genuine and proper sense signifies a stooping to behold some thing hid, which imports that they were ignorant of the full meaning of these prophecies, till they were fulfilled and revealed by the Gospel. And if to Angels the depth of this divine mystery be inscrutable, much more to man, who therefore is commanded very oft to read, study, and search the Scriptures, which precepts stand in force to the end of man's life, yea, to the end of this world; and therefore necessarily imply, that as there must be no end of searching, so neither can there be any end of finding, but that a man may find more where he hath found much before, and yet leave much unfound still, when he hath searched what he can. And to this truth the most accomplished Divines of former times have afforded their suffrage. St. Augustine saith, In ipsis sanctis Scripturis mul●ò nesci● plura quam scio (a) August. Epist. 119. in the holy Scriptures I am ignorant of much more than I know. And again he saith, Mira profunditas eloquiorum tuorum (Deus meus) mira profunditas; horror est intendere in eam, horror honoris, & tremor amoris (b) Aug. Confess. lib. 12. cap. 14. There is a wonderful profoundness in thy word (O my God) a wonderful profoundness, it makes a man quake to look upon it intentively; to quake for reverence, and to tremble for the love thereof. And a greater Divine than he saith (speaking to God himself thereof) Thy knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is so high that I cannot attain unto it (c) Psal. 139.6. And therefore prayeth to God in another place to open his eyes, that he might see the wonders of his Law (d) Psal. 119 18. Hence then I infer that if neither man nor Angel can wade into the depth of Scripture already invented and set forth; then neither man nor Angel could be the inventors and Authors of it but of necessity a superior intelligence to these, which can be no other but God himself. Neither let any here think that this argument any whit favours the tenet of the Church of Rome, which chargeth the Scripture with obscurity; for though it be replenished (and thereby indeed richly embellished and beautified) with variety of mystical difficulties, so as some things be hard to be understood, as St. Peter confesseth (a) 2 Pet. 3.16. yet is it apert and perspicuous also in many places, where the necessary way to life eternal is delineated and described; and in so many places perspicuous, as are sufficient fully to instruct men in all points of absolute necessity to be known and believed unto salvation. And agreeable hereto is that speech uttered by wisdom herself (b) Prov. 8.9. All the words of my mouth are plain to him that will understand, and strait to them that would find knowledge. So that in it is propounded both milk and strong meat; that for babes which are unexpert in the word of righteousness; and this for them that are at age; which through long custom have their wits exercised to discern between good and evil (c) Heb. 5.13, 14. And hence have sundry of the fathers compared it to a River, where there is a shallow ford for the Lamb to wade in, and a profound deep for the Elephant to swim in: And lest any should suspect our modern Divines to be coiners of this distinction, hear what the ancient Orthodox Fathers have taught us about it, even from primitive times. S. chrysostom thus speaks; Omnia clara sunt ac plana ex Scripturis divinis; quaecunque necessaria sunt, manifesta sunt. (a) Chrysost. in 2 Tessal. 2. All things are clear and plain out of the holy Scriptures; whatsoever things are necessary are manifest. S. Augustine thus; In his quae aperte posita funt in Scriptura, inveniuntur illa omnia, quae continent fidem, moresque vivendi, spem scilicet & charitatem (b) Aug. de doctr. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 9 Amongst those things which are apertly (or apparently) set down in Scripture, are all those things found, which contain faith and good manners, as namely, hope and charity: Irenaeus long before them thus, (as Chemnitius hath it, (c) Chem. exa. dear. Conci. Trid. part. 1. in loco de Epist. Apost. prope finem. Licet multa sunt obscura & parabolica Scripturae loca; regula tamen ipsa veritatis in Scriptures sacris in aperto posita est. Albeit there be many obscure and parabolical places of Scripture, yet the rule of truth itself is clearly set down: Nay, the Apostle Peter himself lays down the ground of this distinction in the place before cited (a) 2 Pet. 3.16. where he saith of Paul's Epistles, that in them some things are hard to be understood; for this of necessity implies that some things again be easy. I had now done with this Argument; but that meeting with Mr. Parson the Jesuit his approbation of it, as a most evident declaration that God was the Author of holy Writ; I thought I might do well to give notice of it. His words are these (as they are expressed by one Mr. Bunny, who published a Treatise of the said Jesuits about Christian Resolution) (b) Parson Resol. part 2. cap. 2. sect. 3. in 7. proof of Scripture. These Doctrines and many other contained in the Bible, being things above man's capacity to devise, and nothing agreeing with humane reason, most evidently do declare, that God was the Author and Inditer of the Scriptures; for that by him only and by no other, those high and secret mysteries could be revealed. Where it's to be noted that he affirms the mysteries of Scripture to declare, not only evidently, but most evidently that God was the Author of them. Which assertion infringeth the doctrine of the present Church of Rome taught by Bellarmine formerly, who affirmeth, That it cannot be sufficiently known from Scripture alone, that there is any divine Scripture (a) Bellar. de Verbo Dei lib. 4. cap. 4. arg. 4. And of late by one Mr. John Fisher a Jesuit, in the frontispiece of his book against Dr. White, dedicated to King James where he toils himself to prove, That the highest ground and final resolution of faith about this point is the tradition and testimony of the Church; which must needs be otherwise; if the high and hidden doctrines of the Scripture itself, do most evidently declare the same, (as Mr. Parson's there affirmeth very truly) for the most evident declaration of a truth, must needs be the highest ground thereof. I thought it not impertinent to mention this sentence of Mr. Parsons as speaking for the truth in this controversy between us and the Church of Rome, to be defended on our part, when so approved and applauded a Doctor of their own gives his suffrage with us; which I shall further and more fully manifest by other say of his, and those more punctual and express to this purpose, in the fift internal argument of this ensuing Treatise; whereby all devout Roman Catholics with us (who have many a smooth tale told them by Priests and Jesuits, of the unity and consent of all approved Doctors of the Church of Rome in all points of faith) may see apparently that this it a false ostentation, and a transparent untruth; discovering itself also in many other points controverted between us and them, and so may deservedly suspect them to be but seducers, or at the best but self-seekers in their pretence of the Catholic cause. I come now to a fourth evidence of the divinity of Scripture from within itself, Argument. 8 which is the admirable sympathy and consent, the heavenly harmony and agreement between all the books and say thereof, though penned by divers persons, and those both in several places and ages, and yet all conspiring together in delivering one and the same point of doctrine; to wit, That through the name of Christ all that believe in him shall receive remission of sins (a) Acts 10.43. And also the unanimity and concordance of all the amanuensis and Penmen thereof, being so many, and yet all yielding their suffrage and approbation each to other, as they succeeded one another, without either detraction from one another's persons, or confutation or contradiction of one another's writings. This heavenly harmony (I say) suggests to the ear of an indifferent man, that reads without prejudice, that these holy men of God (as S. Peter calls them) (b) 2 Pet. 1.21. the Penmen of Scripture were God's notaries, and both spoke and writ as they were actuated and moved by the holy Ghost, and that these their writings were the very dictates of that same spirit, that search●th the deep things of God (a) 1 Cor. 2.10. In which respect both Theodoret (b) In prefat. in Psalm. and S. Gregory (c) Grego. in prefat. in Psalm. have fitly termed the tongues and hands of all the writers of Scripture, the pens of the holy Ghost; for such an agreement was never heard of amongst several Authors writing of the same subject since the beginning of the world. But the contrary hath been most apparent among all sorts of humane writers, every one hunting after his own praise by another's disgrace, whereof I might produce numerous instances. Whereas here we have all the Canonical books of the Old Testament, namely, of Moses and the Prophets, and the Psalms, approving each other, as they follow in order; and all approved of in the New Testament, both by our Saviour, John Baptist, the Apostles, and the Evangelists, and all these also giving, testimony and approbation each to other at all times upon just occasion, as all, though but slenderly versed in the reading of the Scriptures undoubtedly know. Add hereunto (that which will drive this nail to the head) the miraculous agreement of all these books together, not only in the main point and drift of all, which is the salvation of mankind by the alone incarnation, death, and suffering of Christ; but also in all other points, yea, and in all circumstances; as many learned Divines have sufficiently declared, by clearing, solving, and reconciling all knotty doubts about this question, and seeming contradictions whatsoever throughout the whole Scriptures, that ever yet have been moved or mentioned. Fifthly, Argument. 9 The certain accomplishment of those many prophecies and predictions of holy writ concerning things to come merely causual and contingent, and no way depending upon natural causes, is an argument undeniable of the divinity of it; if it can be demonstrated that the said prophecies were uttered before the events, and were not any supposititious or counterfeit writings published since the events, to delude the world; which I shall undertake to clear by undoubted testimony; for that such prophecies must needs be truly divine, no man can deny; according to that in Isaiah, where God himself provokes the Idols of the Gentiles, to stand to their cause, and to declare things to come, that thereby they may be known to be gods (a) Isa. 41.23. Now the precedence of these predictions both in the Old Testament and in the New before their events, I thus demonstrate. First, For the Old Testament, I will omit those many predictions which were fulfilled within the time of its own durance and continuance, as not demonstrative to mere reason, that they were by divine inspiration; and insist only in the prophecies about our Saviour Christ's incarnation, miracles and passion, and the vocation of the Gentiles to the Christian faith, which were fulfilled in the time of the Gospel; which being proved to have been fulfilled a long time after their prediction by the Prophets, is an undeniable demonstration that they were uttered by inspiration from God himself. Now that they were fulfilled a long time after their prediction, and that the Books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets (where these predictions are recorded) were extant before the events, we have many pregnant proofs from the testimony both of Jews and Gentiles; and those such as lived in the very interval of tiem between the prophecies and their accomplishment; Amongst which the most remarkable and famous is the Septuagints Translation of the Old Testament into the Greek Tongue still extant; which was done by the means, and at the charges of Ptolemy Philadelph, a King of Egypt (as before hath b●en mentioned) near upon three hundred years before our Saviour Christ, and there laid up in the King's Library. The History whereof is set forth by one Aristaeus a learned Gentile then living, and highly in favour with the said King; and the book is still to be seen. Which Aristaeus together with one Demetrius Phalereus Master of the said King's Library, was an especial instrument for the procuring of the said Translation to be done by 72. Elders of the Jews, out of every Tribe six: Which was doubtless purposely brought to pass by God's all seeing and all-swaying providence, to take away all suspicion of contriving the prophecies of Scripture after the events. Another witness of this Translation is Philo Judaeus; (a) Philo de vita Moysis lib. 3. who lived in our Saviour Christ's time, as before hath been said. And a third witness is Josephus in his forenamed History of the Antiquity of the (b) Josep. Antiq. Jud. lib. 12. cap. 2. Jews. So that from these Author's testimony (besides a number more that I might produce) it's most apparent that the Old Testament, and so consequently the prophecies lapped up therein, were extant in their time, which was long before th●ir event, and therefore were not forged since. Now for the predictions of the New Testament, I shall make it most clear and evident, that they also did precede their event, so many of them as are fulfilled. And omitting many other for brevity's sake, I will instance in some few best known and confessed of all to be fulfilled. First, Our Saviour Christ foretold the siege of Jerusalem, and the destruction and subversion both of it and the (a) Luk. 19.43, 44. Temple; and the calamitous and distressed estate of the inhabitants of that City at that time, to come to pass before one generation should pass (b) Matth. 24.34. away; and the dissipation of the people of the Jews from thenceforth among all (c) Luk. 21.24. Nations. The former of these Josephus, a Jew before named and no Christian, reports that he saw come to pass with his own eyes, in a lamentable History which he hath written of the wars of the (d) Josep. de Bella Jud. lib. 7. Jews. And every Nation in Europe seethe likewise the fulfilling of the other, over all which, and many more Countries also, the Jews are all now dispersed and scattered. Our blessed Saviour also foretold, that the Gospel should be preached to all Nations before the final (e) Mark. 13.10. judgement. The accomplishment of which prophecy, having had its beginning in some measure in S. Augustine's time, is noted by him as a special mark and cognisance of the Divinity of Scripture; his words are these, Ex uno homine (quem primùm Deus condidit) genus humanum sumsit exordium secundum sanctae Scripturae fidem; quae mirabilem authoritatem non immeritò habet in orbe terrarum atque in omnibus gentibus, quas sibi esse credituras, inter caetera quae dixit, verâ divinitate (a) Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 9 in fine. praedixit. From one man (whom God first created) mankind derived its beginning, according to the testimony of the holy Scripture; which hath admirable authority in the world and among all Nations, and not without cause, in that among other things, which it hath divinely foretold, this is one, That all Nations should believe it. And we ourselves also see it to be daily fulfilled still more and more; for both the Indians from Spain, and the Virginians, and other barbarous people from England have of late years received the Gospel. The Apostle Paul prophesied of some that should teach doctrines of Devils by forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from (b) 1 Tim. 4.3. meats. This prophecy was fulfilled in the next succeeding age, about 90 or 100 years after; for than arose the Heretics, Martion, Tatianus, and Montanus (and divers others discipled by them) who taught that marriage was to be abhorred, and commanded abstinence from living creatures; that is, from eating (c) Iren. advers. Hear. lib. 1. cap. 30. & Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 27. flesh. Now that the New Testament was written, and so these prophesies extant before their accomplishment, we have a cloud of witnesses. As Clement S. Paul's disciple; Justin Marryr (of whom Tatianus had sometime been an auditor and disciple, who also writ a book against Martion) (d) Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 11. Aegesippus, Papias, Polycarpus, Ignatius, with many others, who writ books in their time, wherein they quote the Scriptures of the New Testament; and were all living in or before the time of the afore-named Heretics, which undeniably demonstrates the Gospel to be written, and so these predictions to have had precedence before the event. S. P●ul also foretold of the conversion of the Jews to the Christian faith, in several (a) Rom. 11.20. & 2 Cor. 3.16. places; now this (for aught we know) is not yet fulfilled, but undoubtly shall be in its due time; which when it comes to pass, shall cry down the incredulity of all such doubting spirits, as will not receive the knowledge and love of this truth of the divinity of Scripture, that they might be saved. I have been long in this argument, and yet I have not done with it; for now again Mr. Parson's applause of the prevalent force of this argument, as irrefragable and above all other for undoubted confirmation of the point in hand, comes in my way, and may not be omitted. Who in the place formerly mentioned (not very many lines intervening) speaks thus; This alone (meaning the accomplishment of prophecies in Scripture) doth convince most apparently (all proofs and reasons and other arguments laid aside) that these Scriptures are of God, and of his eternal and infallible (a) Pars. Resol. par. 2. cap. 2. sect. 3. in 7. proof of Scripture. spirit. And again, afterward he affirmeth, That these prophecies being fulfilled, are sufficient to establish any man's faith in the (b) Idem e●dem ca 4. Ser. 1. in 4. consid. world. These sentences of Mr. Parson's do give his fellow Fisher such an affront, for teaching the point formerly mentioned in the third internal Argument, that (I am confidently persuaded) the most acute, polite & refinedwits in all that Fraternity will never be able to reconcilethem Sixthly, Let the whole form and frame of the doctrine of Scripture, Are. 10 and the mould of man's natural disposition be compared together; and we may observe and discover such a repugnancy between them, as may induce us to believe, that no man would ever write the same; for it futits not at all with man's liking or desire; nor accommodates it self in any place to humour man and please his corrupt nature. But contrarily lays open the baseness of his birth, and the foulness of his sin and shame (which every man naturally desires to conceal and cover) crosseth his desires, frustrates his hopes, recordeth accusations, indictments and testimonies against him, & finally denounceth judgement & condemnation against him, in that way which seems good unto him, (a) Prov. 14.12. & in that course of life which he best likes and loves. Who then can imagine this to be man's devise, or composed by him? which is so derogatory from his estimation, whereof he is so tender, & so averse from his humour and disposition to which he is so indulgent, especially considering with what earnest and vehement asseverations the positions and doctrines of Scripture are a vouched and avoived to be divine truths. If indeed this book did seem to be composed but jocose, and not in earnest; as that doth which Erasmus writ in the praise of folly; or to be penned for ostentation of eloquence and ingenuity; like Craneades his second Oration, which he made before Cato the Censor in dispraise of justice; having made one the day before in the high commendation of it in the same place. Then there might be some ground for surmise and suspicion, that some man might be the Author of it: But seeing neither of these can be collected from the context, and that the whole scope and drift of the book throughout is truly and verily to abase and humble all men before God, it cannot probably be reputed to be any man's work. In the seventh place, Are. 11 the integrity and impartial fidelity of the writers of several books of Scripture, and their wonderful humility in conculcating their own glory, and confessing their own gross faults and delinquencies (when they have occasion to speak of themselves) that they may exhibit and ascribe all glory to God, manifesteth the divine authority of their writings; for we know it is otherwise in all other Authors. The truth hereof appears, first, from the books which Moses writ, wherein he hath reported not only the cruelty of his grandfather Levi, to the discredit of his own birth; but also openly confesseth his own sin, and how much the Lord was offended with him for it several times; so as he was therefore debarred the entrance into the Land of (a) Numb. 20.12. Canaan. This truth also appeareth from the Gospel of S. Mark; for there S. Peter's sin in he denial of his Master, is more expressly set forth and aggravated then in any of the other Gospels, and yet was it penned, if not by the dictation of S. Peter, (as some report) yet by his approbation at least, as saith (a) Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 15. Eusebius. Lastly, the Apostle Paul likewise rips up his own faults, and notifies them with aggravation; I was (saith he) a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an (a) 1 Tim. 1.13. oppressor. This argues strongly that these men were set on work by God, and guided by him, and not by their own fancies and affections; in that they were so far from flattery, connivance or partiality, that they spared not themselves at all, nor regarded their own disgrace and infamy, so that thereby glory might accrue to God. In the eighth and last place, Are. 12 the irresistible and supernatural power and efficacy of this word doth mightily declare it to be divine and heavenly, which it expresseth not by one or two acts, but by various operations, and those specifically distinct one from another, which ordinarily and frequently issue and proceed from it. More especially we may observe these four supernaturl effects of it, as demonstrative of its divinity. First, It's a searcher of the heart, and a discerner of the most secret thoughts, and intricate imaginations of it, and a revealer of the same; this appears from Psalm 14.1. where it speaks thus, The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. Which affirmation imports, that the Inditer of the Psalms was privy to some thoughts in the hearts of fools, which none but God himself can discern. Nay, Scripture reveals some such thoughts, as man himself without the light of it would searely ever have espied, as that All the thoughts and imaginations of man's heart are only evil (a) Gen. 6.5. continually. And that concupiscence is sin, which Paul confesseth he had not known, if the Law had not said thou shalt not (b) Rom. 7.7. lust. And therefore this word which pierceth thus deeply as to the rifling of the very cogitations of man's heart, must needs be of God, whose alone property it is to search the heart; and least through the propensity of man's nature, to slight those things which belong unto his peace, we should neglect or overslip the observation of this, as a note of the divine power of Scripture, itself rounds us in the ear in two places (if not more) and gives us intelligence and notice of it. In one place it tells us, That the word of God (speaking of this written word) is lively and mighty in operation, and sharper than a twoedged sword, dividing between the soul and the spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a disceruer of the thoughts and intents of the (c) Heb. 4.12. heart. And in another place it saith, That the illiterate unbelieving person, having the thoughts of his heart made manifest by prophecy (that is, by the word preached) will fall down on his face, and worship God, and report that God is in the (a) 2 Cor. 14.25. Preacher. Where it gives us to understand, that the discovery of men's thoughts by the preaching of the word, shall extort from them this open and ingenuous confession, that verily God speaks in them, and that the word is his which is published by them. Secondly, the supernatural power of Scripture appears, in that it shakes and terrifies the consciences of wicked men, even the greatest upon earth, of Kings and Princes, and that in such a sort, as is impossible for the word of any mortal to do. That it doth so, is clear from these instances in Scripture: It's said of Saul King of Israel, that he was so affrighted with the Prophet Samuel his reproof of him for his disobedience to God's word, that he confessed his sin to Samuel, which he had denied before; and sued to Samuel for favour with all (b) Sam. 15.24. submissness. It's said also of Felix (who was a Viceroy) that he trembled when he heard Paul preach of righteousness and the judgement to (c) Acts 24.26. come. Now that man's word should be thus formidable to Kings and Princes, it cannot be imagined, because no man hath coercive or compulsive power over the King; and where such power is wanting, menacies from thence are no more feared than the crack of a paper gun; at least not in that manner and measure that the affrighted consciences of men do fear the thunderings and threaten of the Law in Scripture. And therefore that word which strikes such deep horror and amazement into the hearts of men, yea of Kings, (who fear no man's word, because no man hath coercive power over them) must needs be more than humane. Thirdly, It usually prevails against the enemies and haters of it (such as all men are by nature) to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and to win them to a love and liking of itself, which is an effect proper only to divine power. That it doth produce this effect, I presume no Christians will deny; whence it testifieth of itself, that it converts (a) Psal. 19.7. souls; and is the power of God to (b) Rom. 1.16. salvation. And that it's mighty through God to cast down strong holds; casting down the imagination, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of (c) 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Christ. This is a supernatural effect, and wrought by the power of this word; and therefore it necessarily and concludingly follows, that it's not man's word; for that cannot work above the strength of nature of or by itself, neither can win the affection of him that hates it, without a change or variation of itself; which yet this word doth. If it be objected that it's not the power of the word, but the power of God's spirit that produceth this effect. I answer, that it's true indeed; that God's Spirit is the principal efficient cause hereof, but the word is the instrumental; and so the concurrence and cooperation of the Spirit of God with this word, speaks it to be his own ordinance, for else God would give no such blessing to it. Fourthly and lastly, It ministers comfort above the power of nature to a depressed and distressed conscience, in the greatest extremities and pressures of afflictions that are incident to this present life; yea, and in the very hour of death, against the fear both of death and hell, and condemnation, when all humane comforts shake hands with us and forsake us. And therefore extending itself beyond the power of nature also in this particular, it's apparently divine. That it doth minister comfort to wounded and distressed consciences needs no proof; it's confessed of all without contradiction, as having been proved by examples without number in all Ages: And that nothing else can either heal or comfort a wounded and perplexed conscience is as true too. Mirth and passime, with such like avooations, and the society of friends, may allay the smart of this wound for a time, but cannot possibly heal it. It's this balm of Gilead, this rod and this staff of God (which comforted (a) Psal. 23.4. David, and but for which he had perished in his (b) Psal. 119.92. affliction) which alone (and nothing else) comforteth all that make a right use of it, in their deepest misery. And this is one and a principal end for which this word was written; namely, that it might minister comfort to us in this present life, by breeding in us a steadfast hope of a better I●f● to come. This S. Paul teacheth, where he saith, that Whasoever things were written aforetime, were written for our instruction, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have (c) Rom. 15.4. hope. And now that I have led up the Reader to this highest stair of this gradation; whence he may contemplate the glorious beams of divine lustre bespread throughout the whole region of Scripture; I shall beseech him to stay here his thoughts and to demur and pause a while upon this last reason or Argument, drawn from the power of Scripture to prove the divinity of it; for it's a very valid and powerful argument indeed, a most evident eviction of the point in hand, making it conspicuous to the eye of reason itself; for here he may see God himself bearing witness of this Scripture to be his, by four visible seals which he affixeth unto it; which are these four supernatural effects now mentioned. Having therefore so many broad seals of Heaven appensed unto it, it must needs hold forth from itself, the highest and surest ground of credibility, that it is of God and not of man. I confess this hath sealed to my own conscience, both that the Scripture is God's true word, and that the Church of England is God's true Church, (I mean one member and branch of it) for in it I see (and so may all that are in it, if their eyes be not holden with prejudice) these wonderful and divine effects now mentioned, wrought ordinarily by the ministry of this Word in deed and in truth, and that without number; which could not possibly be so, if either the Word or the Church were not God's: For if the Church were his, and not the Word, the Church should receive a blessing from him, but not by the Word: And if the Word were his, and not the Church, the Word should be glorified, but the Church should not be blessed or bettered by it. If all such as now separate themselves from this Church, as if it were none of God's (whether Papists or Anabaptists) would mindfully consider this, and lay aside their prejudice; I cannot see what should withhold them from a speedy and joyful return to it again. And now I am in good hope, (the promises being well considered) that the Readers, who before took the Scriptures for God's word upon the credit of the Church's testimony will now (looking more inquisitively into them themselves then heretofore) say to the Church as the Samaritans said to the woman that told them of Christ, Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have seen it ourselves, (a) Joh. 4.42. and know that this is indeed God's own Word: Yet I would not here be mistaken, as if I meant that every one that looks into Scripture might presently espy this at the first sight; for I confess that the sight and certain knowledge thereof (which is to be attained by this introspection into it) is not obvious to every eye that looks upon it; but my meaning is, that this truth is evident in Scripture in itself, and to the humble intelligent and inquisitive Reader, whose mind is also prepared by the knowledge of the grounds & principles of the Christian faith, and in some measure enlightened from above. Neither do I here slight or undervalue the Church's testimony; for I acknowledge it to be very important and useful for this purpose, as being a prime inducer, and as it were a pedagogue to usher in and conduct us to the principal teacher of this truth, which (next after the spirit of God himself) is the heavenly light of Scripture itself; but it's neither last nor best, nor highest, nor surest ground and proof thereof: And therefore I desire the Reader to take notice, that though I have not alleged the Church's testimony by itself as a particular argument to prove this truth, (because the drift of this Treatise, is to show the Scripture itself best to do it) yet is it involved and lapped up amongst the external and less principal proofs, namely, in the second and third arguments. And whereas Papists glory much in that saying of S. Augustine's (which is oft set down in his works) Ego verò non crederem Evangelio, nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas: That is, I would not believe the Gospel, but that the authority of the Catholic Church moved me: As if this saying of his favoured their Tenet in this controversy between us and them: It appears clearly to the contrary from another saying that he hath in his Tractate upon the Gospel of S. John, where he speaks thus, upon those words before mentioned of the Samaritans to the woman; Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have seen it ourselves. Primò (saith he) per faeminam, posteà per praejentiam; sic agitur hodiè cum eis qui foris sunt, & nondùm sunt (a) Aug. in Joh. 4. Tract. 15. Christiani. That is, first by the woman, then by his presence; so fareth it now with them that are without, and are not yet Christians. And the words following in the same place show plainly his meaning to be this, That as the Samaritans believed in some measure that Jesus was the Christ, by the report of the woman; but afterwards more undoubtedly when they came to enjoy his presence, to have the sight of him, and conference with him: So the unbelievers which are out of the Church, are first induced to believe in some measure that Scripture is God's word, by the Church's enunciation and report; but afterwards they believe much more firmly and undoubtedly when they come to enjoy the sight and knowledge of the Scriptures themselves. So that the most that can be gathered from that speech of S. Augustine's is but this, That the testimony and tradition of the Church is usually the first inducement to men to give credit to the truth, and so consequently to the divinity of the Gospel, which is not denied. But then this credulity is afterwards corroborated and more fully settled and confirmed by more evident, certain and infallible groundsout of Scripture itself; discovered especially by the help of divine grace from the spirit of God; which of all other saith Amen to this truth, and sets the surest seal thereof upon the soul and conscience; as our Saviour gives us to understand, when he saith, If any man will do God's will, he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of (a) Joh. 7.17. God: That is, he shall know best and most assuredly; as having information and attestation thereof from the Spirit of God. Yet always God's spirit tells the conscience this out of Scripture; for as it suggested and dictated the Scripture at the first, so it whispers in the ear of the soul the same note still, and hath no discrepant voice or suggestion from it; but whatsoever it testifieth, it suggests the same not by any secret instinct and spiritual insusurration different from the written word (according to the vertiginous fancy and dotage of the Enthusiasts, the family of Love, (as they are phrased) and some other of the Anabaptistical sect) but by a still voice out of and according to the Scripture. Whence is that saying of St. chrysostom, Frustra jactat se Spiritum sanctum habere, qui non loquitur ex (b) Chrysost. de Popu. Antioch. Homil. 50. Evangelio. In vain doth he boast to have the holy Ghost, that speaketh not out of the Gospel. And therefore we read that when our Saviour enlightened his Apostles understandings, it was That they might understand the (a) Luke 24.45. Scriptures. And that when he promised to send the Comforter unto them to teach them all things, he addeth, Whatsoever I have said unto (b) John 14.26. you; which intimates that he should teach them no new doctrine. So that we are not to believe an Angel from Heaven, if he preach any other Gospel then that which the Apostles have (c) Gal. 1.8. preached; which we have written in the New Testament, And so it was said always of old, To the Law, and to the Testimony; If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in (d) Isa. 8.20. them. Thus than I conclude, That the conscience may be verily resolved, and a rational man compelled to acknowledge and believe with an acquired historical faith, that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are divine, by convincing arguments and evidences apparent even to reason, and that from Scripture itself especially. Nor am I single in this opinion; for I find in S. Augustine the like conclusion, who speaking of the Penmen of Scripture, delivers this sentence; Verè illos magnos & divinos fuisse, & legem illam Dei jussu & voluntate promulgatam esse credo; & id quamvis perpauca illorum librorum sciam, facilè persuadere possum, si mihi adhibeatur aequus & non pertinax (a) Aug. de Vtilita. tecredendi cap. 5. animus. Verily (saith he) I believe that they (the penmen of Scripture) were great and divine men, and that that Law was promulgated by the commandent and will of God; and this (though I knew but a few of those books) I am able easily to persuade, if I meet but with an equal-minded man, that is not pertinacious. But to believe this with a divine faith (without which it's never sound and perfectly embraced) must be a work of God's Spirit only, from whom alone all such faith proceedeth. And so I end the first part of this Treatise. The second part of this Treatise, which is an application of the Doctrine proved to certain special uses. HAving now laid a sure foundation of this truth (that Scripture is God's own word) which cannot be shaken; it behoves me to superstruct upon it, lest that aspersion be cast upon me, which the improvident builder is blemished withal in the Gospel; This man began to build, but was not able to make an (a) Luke 14.30. end. This doctrine than is useful both for theory and practice; both for information and for exhortation. First, For information of the understanding, two inferences or conclusions are deducible from it. First, That no man may presume to dispense with this word, because it's God's; for being his, none but he hath authority and power to exempt any man from obligation to it, or any part of it. This is a conclusion undeniable, and therefore speaks the practice of some late Popes of Rome, to be very culpable and inexcusable, who have presumed to grant dispensations for marriages within the degrees forbidden in this word of God; and to exempt subjects from obedience to their lawful Sovereign, strictly commanded in this word. This hath been practised by the Papal power of late years here in this Nation. And it's the more inexcusable, in that they undertake to justify it. This I find in Cardinal Bellarmine's works, who to prove the Pope's Supremacy, draws an argument from his power to grant dispensations; and then doth instance in a dispensation which Pope Gregory granted to the English about marriages within the degrees (a) Bellar. de Romano Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 19 forbidden. And I can here produce a credible Author, who affirms, that divers of the Church of Rome have not blushed to defend openly, and that under their hands, that the Pope hath power to dispense [Contra ius divinum, contra Apostolum, contra Novum Testamentum] against the law of God, against an Apostle, and against the New (b) Favor. Antiquit. cap. 6. paulo post medium. Testament. But I am persuaded that now (since the reformation hath detected many of their gross hallucinations) the wise and learned among them do distaft and disclaim all such blaspemous and unsavoury assertions. A second consequent or conclusion, that I deduce from this truth, That Scripture is God's own word, is this, That therefore it's of superior and greater authority than the present Church militant. And this I prove from hence by two reasons. First, Because the present Church Militant is holy and divine, but only in part, and after a sort; and in this regard is subject unto error; whereas the Scripture is simply and totally divine; for All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, saith (a) 2 Tim. 3.16. S. Paul; and therefore must needs be most authentical. A second reason is this; That which sanctifieth, is greater than that which is sanctified by it; so our Saviour himself argued against the Scribes and Pharisees; Ye fools and blind, whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold? But the word sanctifies the Church; so saith our Saviour, Sanctify them with thy truth, thy word is (b) Joh. 17.17. truth: And again, Now are ye clean through the word, which I have spoken unto (c) Joh. 15.3. you. And saith S. Fawl, Christ gave himself for his Church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, through the (d) Ephes. 5.20. word. The word therefore, communicating sanctity, and so therewith authority unto the Church, must needs precede and excel it in both. If any ask against whom I take up this weapon, seeing the Church of Rome seems to disclaim and disavow this Tenet: For the Rhemists in their Annotations on Gal. 2.2. affirm the disputation of this question to be superfluous, and the comparison to be altogether unfit to be made; I answer in the words of the Apostle, So fight I, not as one that beateth the (e) 1 Cor. 9.26. air. I do not with the foolish Africans called Psylli (as Gellius reports) take up Arms against the wind. For besides divers others hereafter mentioned, the said Doctors (who would seem to decline this opinion, and this unseemly comparison) do in the very same place depress the Scriptures, and make them inferior to the Church in four respects: 1. In respect of Antiquity; in that the Church was before them. 2. In excellence of nature; in that the Church is the Spouse of Christ, the Temple of God, and the proper subject of God and his graces; for which Church the Scriptures were, and not the Church for the Scriptures. 3. In power of judging; the Church having judicial power to determine of doubtful questions touching the sense of the Scriptures, and other controversies of Religion; of which judicial power the Scriptures are not capable. 4. In evidence; the definitions of the Church being more clear and evident than those of the Scriptures. Now if by the Church they understood the whole Catholic Church (and so included all the Patriarches, Prophets and Apostles, by whom the Scriptures were penned) the contestation between us and them would not be so irreconcilable. But their drift is to entitle the present Church Militant (which is but one small part of the whole Catholic Church) to those glorious prerogatives which belong not unto it. And that it's this Church which they so strive to advance above the Scriptures, it's more than manifest outof the writings of many of their Authors of special note amongst them; as namely out of Pighius, Melchior Canus, and Stapleton: All which in their writings quoted in the margin (a) Pig. de Hierar eccle. lib. 2. cap. 2. Can. loc. come. theolog. lib. 2. cap. 8. Stapl. Doctr. princip. lib. 9 cap. 12. here, attribute authority to the present Church Militant above the Scriptures. And Cardinal Bellarmine writes after their Copy; affirming That the strength of all ancient Counsels, and of all opinions in doctrine doth depend upon the authority of the present (b) Bellar. de effectu Sacram. lib. 2. cap. 25. in fine. Church. Whereas therefore the forenamed Doctors of Rheims, did one while affirm all comparison between the pre-eminence and authority of the Church and Scriptures, to be unfit to be made; and anotherwhile spin out a tedious comparison between them about the very same particular, they bewrayed both their personal weakness, and the weakness of the cause, which they intended to strengthen; by stating and discussing that question, which with their tongues or pens they had before disallowed to be disputed of. Hitherto of the Theological conclusions inferred from this principle, That Scripture is demonstratively divine. Now it follows to speak of some duties for practice, that may be raised and urged upon all sorts of persons from it; and namely, both upon Magistrates, Ministers and People. First, This challengeth from all Christian Kings and Princes (who are God's Viceroys upon Earth) all honourable respect, patronage and possble protection of this holy word of God, against all religions and opinions in Religion, which are repugnant unto it; and against all persons, that either in word or deed, doctrine or life, slight or dishonour it. For they sustaining the person of God here on earth (for which they are dignified with the title of gods themselves in this (a) Psal. 82.6. word) do owe this reciprocal respect to him whose Vicegerents and Ministers they are, to see (as much as in them lies) all due observance, honour and obedience to be exhibited to this his sacred Word. Thus did the good King Josiah; for when the Book of the Law (which was known to be God's Book) was found in the house of the Lord, and shown unto him, he presently summoned all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem to appear before him; and then himself rehearsed in their ears all the words of God's Book; and made a Covenant both for himself and all the people, that they should keep the Commandments, and accomplish the Covenant written in it; and suppressed all religions which did impunge it, and removed all occasions and instruments of Idolatry, and whatsoever else was adverse to the contents of (b) 2 Kin. 23. it. Yea further it's said, that he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to (c) 2 Chro. 34.32. it. And thus have all good and godly Princes ever done, both under the Law and the Gospel: And it's great reason they should, for the Sceptre of Christ's Kingdom (which is this word of his) is a Sceptre of (a) Psal. 45.6. righteousness: And a rod of (b) Psal. 110.2. strength. And when Kings Sceptres uphold it, than it defends them; like the roof of a building, either of wood or stone; and the walls or pillars thereof, which afford a reciprocal and mutual aid and benefit each to other; the pillars or walls support and uphold the roof; and the roof doth protect, consolidate, and corroborate them. Thus the Sceptre was never taken away from the Kings of Israel and Judah, so long as they swayed it for the defence of God's word; but while they were observant of it, God was propitious to them. Nor doth this duty lie solely upon the highest powers, but upon all secondary and subordinate Magistrates, both Counsellors of State, Nobles, Judges, and Justices, whom god hath advanced to such high places of honour, and put into their hands the sword of justice, for this very end primarily, that they might wield it according to his word, and for it; according to the directions and rules that he hath inscribed in it; and for the support of the honour and authority of it, by punishing and suppressing all impious scorners, prophaners, and transgressors thereof. And verily when they do thus execute justice by the word of God, and for it, and without connivance or partiality; then are they the very nerves and sinews of the body of the Commonwealth, and bring both strength and glory unto it. When Ptolemy King of Egypt enquired once of the Roman Ambassadors that came to his Court, about the estate and government of the great and famous City of Rome, he received this answer from them; That at Rome, the gods were honoured, Magistrates reverenced, the good rewarded, and the bad punished. This they spoke to magnify the glory and flourishing estate of their City. And indeed when the Chariot of a Christian Commonwealth is moved upon these four wheels, and they also turn upon the axletree of holy writ, we may fitly apply unto it that laudatory congratulation wherewith the Psalmist salutes the Church, Ride prosperously because of truth and meekness, and righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things; thine arrows shall be sharp in the heart of the King's (a) Psal. 45.4. enemies. For this verily comes to pass, when superior Powers make God's written word the rule and level of their Government, and the honour and observance of it the aim and end of the same. Whereas on the contrary, when such higher Powers slight God's word so far forth as to omit to execute justice by the right rules of it; and in room thereof dare substitute their own private thoughts and affections as the balance by which to measure it forth; then are they the very bane and blame, and shame of a Commonwealth; and like a canker in a tree, which both disgraceth the beauty of it, and also corrodeth to the utter mortification and destruction of the whole body of it, except it be pared away. I have read, that ever in the first and best Counsels (as in the Counsels of Chalcedon, Nice, and Ephesus) the holy Orthodox Fathers and Bishops were wont to have the Bible placed on a desk, or such like convenient supporter in the midst of the room before them, that by the sight thereof they might be put in mind to conclude and determine nothing against the honour and contents thereof. It were to be wished, that all in place of Magistracy and Judicature would be pleased so far forth to follow the example of these grave and reverend Fathers, as to have this Book of God, if not in their hands, or before their eyes, yet at least in their minds and memories at all times, when they are employed about the administration of justice and judgement; that it might be a remembrance unto them to do nothing against the contents of it, as they desire to escape the curses that are denounced in it against such as violate the sacred laws and rules of it. Secondly, As Princes and Rulers should protect, so Ministers should preach this word, because it's God's; yea, Be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and (a) 2 Tim. 4.2. doctrine. For If the Lord God have spoken, who can but (b) Amos 3.8. prophesy. When the chief Priests and Rulers of the Jews forbade Peter and John to teach any more the Gospel of Christ; they answered, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and (c) Acts 4.20. heard: The reason is premised in the precedent verse; namely, because they were so commanded of God. For Apostles and Ministers their successors, are Ambassadors for (d) 2 Cor. 5.20. Christ; And therefore may not unfaithfully conceal their embassy; but A necessity is laid upon them; and woe is unto them if they preach not the (e) 1 Cor. 9.16. Gospel. And they are disposers of the mysteries of God; and it is required of the disposers (saith S. Paul) that a man be found (f) 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. faithful. And great necessity there is of the faithful dispensation of this Word by the Ministers thereof; as in regard of their duty to God who sends them, so in respect of the good of men to whom they are sent. For it is the food and physic of their souls, by which the spiritual life of grace is first inspired, and ever after conserved in them. Hence is that speech of Moses to the Israelites, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do; all the words of this law: For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your (a) Deut. 32.46, 47. life. So that there is the same necessity of it to the conservation of the life spiritual, as there is of food and physic to the maintenance of the life natural: For though the words of men be but wind, and so can feed neither the body nor the soul; yet God's words are both spirit and (b) Joh. 6.63. life; and so have an occult and hidden power in them above all other words, enabling them to feed not the soul only, but even the body also, and that to life eternal; and therefore are compared both to (c) 1 Pet. 2.2. milk, and strong (d) Heb. 5.12, 13, 14. meat; fit food both for young and old. Whence also is that sentence of the wise man, The lips of the righteous feed (e) Prov. 10.21. many; that is, with God's word. And that saying in the Prophet Jeremiah, I will give you Pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and (f) Jer. 3.15. understanding. And for this cause both our Saviour charged Peter very strictly to feed his (g) John 21.15, 16, 17. sheep, meaning with God's word: and S. Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, Take heed (saith he) unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own (a) Acts 20.28. blood. And S. Peter also those Elders to whom he writ, Feed the flock of God which is among (b) 1 Pet. 5.2. you. And again, though the words of men cannot heal, yet God's word can and doth; so saith the Psalmist, He sendeth forth his word, and healeth (c) Psal. 107.20. them. Yea, The word of the Lord healeth all things, saith the wise (d) Wisd. 16.12. man. Which the Centurion believing said therefore to Christ, But speak the word only, and my servant shall be (e) Matth. 8.8. whole. I aim not here to prescribe one manner and measure of preaching to all; for some are endued with more ample and excellent gifts, for the performance of this work than others, and therefore have a greater task enjoined them than others; For unto whom much is given, of him shall be much (f) Luke 12.48. required. But this I urge with the Apostle Peter, Let every man, as he hath received the gift, minister the same one to another, as good disposers of the manifold grace of (g) 1 Pet. 4.10. God. For, Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord (h) Jer. 48.10. negligently. And the unprofitable servant (who hides his Lord's talon) shall be cast into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of (i) Mat. 25.30. teeth. I confess there be some such now in these times, as God himself complained of by his Prophet Jeremiah, who ran about this important business before they were (a) Jer. 23.21. sent; and so going without their errand, do ventilate their own fancies and dreams, instead of preaching God's word. To these my exhortation is not directed, as who need no spur to hasten them into God's house, but rather a scourge to drive them out; as our Saviour did with the money-changers, and such as bought and sold in the (b) John 2, 14, 15. Temple. But my desire is hereby to quicken both myself and other my fellow labourers in the work of the Ministry, about our heavenly Father's business. To which I will add but this one needful caution; which is, that we be careful and watchful to preach both verbo & vita, both ore & opere, as well by the example of our lives, as by the doctrine of our lips; according to the charge S. Paul gave to Timothy and Titus, two Bishops of his own ordination; his charge to Timothy was this, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in (c) 1 Tim. 4.12. purity. And such like was his charge to Titus, In all things show thyself a pattern of good (d) Tit. 2.7. works. This if we do not, we shall not only prefer and multiply new indictments against ourselves by every Sermon, (and so give the Lord numerous evidences and testimonies from our own mouths, whereby to condemn us) but shall bereave others also of the fruit and benefit of this divine ordinance; for who will not nauseate and despise the counsel of that man, who acts contrary to the advice and counsel that he gives unto another? And this our Saviour intimates, where he saith, How wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's (a) Mat. 7.4, 5. eye. It's out of question that the vigour and prevalence of preaching depends much upon the good life of the Preacher, as which sets an edge upon that sword of God's Spirit, and makes it more powerful to cut down the strong holds of sin. And so on the other side it's as true, that the lose life of some Preachers so dulls and bluts this sword, that it prevails little or nothing at all against our spiritual enemies, sin and Satan, against which its brandished, but rebounds back and hurts themselves, like arrows shot at the Sun, which wanting force to carry them to the mark intended, fall down again upon the heads of them that shot them. Thirdly, This doctrine urgeth upon all people in general a fourfold duty. First, Seeing this Word is God's; therefore all should be studious of it, and careful to learn it; for can we have a better teacher than God himself? or can any instruct with better principles than he? For, The Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding, saith the wise (a) Prov. 2.6. man. Hence is that commendation which Moses gives of God's Law to the Israelites, to induce them to the study of it, and obedience unto it; Behold (saith he) I have taught you Ordinances and Laws, as the Lord my God commanded me; keep them therefore and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people: For what Nation is so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this (b) Deut. 4.5, 6, 8. day? Hence did David learn to be wiser than his enemies, and to have more understanding than his (c) Psal. 119.98, 99 teachers. And hence are those earnest exhortations in it to the study of it; as that of our Saviour, Search the (d) Joh. 5.39. Scriptures. And that of the Apostle Paul, Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all (e) Colos. 3.16. wisdom; with many such like. But most ample and emphatical are the wise Solomon's descriptions of the excellency of this knowledge; and most plausible and powerful his reasons to allure all to the study of it; and most transcendently high his commendations that he gives of it, in the eight first Chapters of the Proverbs; which because the Reader may easily find forth of himself, I will omit to rehearse, and will allege only some reasons collected thence, and out of other passages of Scripture, to manifest the great necessity of learning and knowing this blessed Word of God, and to excite all persons of all degrees and conditions to the serious and sedulous study of it. First, Because this learning is the only true wisdom; for it, and only it, is able to make a man wise unto (a) 2 Tim. 5, 15. salvation. Nay, it is life (b) John 17.3. eternal; and there is no wisdom without it. For so saith the Prophet, The wise men are ashamed, they are afraid and taken; lo they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in (c) Jer. 8.9. them? Yea, all other wisdom is but foolishness to this; and all other learning without this doth but make men the more unhappy in the conclusion: Whereas this sanctifies all other wisdom and learning, teaching men a holy use of them both, and how to be bettered and benefitted by them. Hence is that profound saying of S. Augustine, Infaelix homo, qui scit alia omnia, te autem nescit; beatus autem, qui te scit, etiamsi illa nesciat; qui vero & te & illa novit, non propter illa beatior, sed propter te solùm beatus (d) Aug. Confess. lib. 5. est. He is a miserable man (saith he, speaking to God Almighty) that knows all other things, but knows not thee: But he is happy who knows thee, though he know nothing else. And he, who knows both thee and them, is not the happier for them, but is only happy because he knoweth thee. Secondly, Here is set up the Christians staff of comfort in the time of trouble and in the hour of death; and which can be met withal nowhere else. This is my comfort in my affliction, saith David speaking (a) Psal. 119.50. hereof: And again, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort (b) Psal. 23.4. me: By which is understood this written word. And saith the Apostle Paul, Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have (c) Rom. 15.4. hope. And hence is that advice of the Prophet Isaiah to the people, to suck the breasts of Jerusalem's (d) Isa. 66.11. cousolations: For these breasts of Jerusalem are the two Testaments, the Old Testament and the New; which are called the breasts of her consolation, because they yield consolation to all such as suck the knowledge of them by reading and meditation. And therefore as people would be comforted in poverty or persecution, or in any trouble of this life, especially in the hour of death, when it is most needful, it concerns them to be well versed in Scripture, for it's the only store-house of comfort; there is no true and lasting comfort to be found but in this well; for here are those wells of salvation out of which (it's said) we are to draw the waters of (a) Isa. 12.3. joy. Great need therefore have all Christians to be well acquainted with that which must be their only comfort, when they stand most in need thereof. Thirdly, Scripture is a Christians best piece of armour to defend him against all the assaults of his spiritual enemies, sin and Satan, and all his band of Heretics, and other nefarious and wicked men; For the Apostle setting down the panoply or complete armour of a Christian, (wherewith he had need to be at all times appointed) reckons up this as one principal part thereof; and calls it the sword of the (b) Ephes. 6.17. spirit. The wise man also in the Proverbs notably sets forth the usefulness of it in this respect; saith he, When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee; to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things, who leaves the paths of righteousness, to walk in the ways of (c) Prov. 2.10, 11, 12, & 13. darkness. Herewith our blessed Saviour foiled Satan sundry (d) Mat. ●. 4, etc. times. And herewith the Prophet David fenced himself against sin; so he saith himself, By the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the (e) Psal. ●. 4. destroyer. And again, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against (a) Psal. 19.11. thee. We therefore being in continual warfar, had not need to have this our principal weapon to seek; for what else makes many take the foil so oft? but because they are unskilful in the word of righteousness. Fourthly, By this Book we shall all be judged at the last day; and therefore it concerns us to be well acquainted with the principal contents of it. That we shall be judged by it, is affirmed by our Saviour; He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last (b) John 12. day. And by the Apostle Paul, At the day when God shall judge the secrets of men according to my (c) Rom. 2.16. Gospel. Lastly, Without some competent knowledge hereof, we can never have Christ, The daystar and Sun of righteousness (as he is (d) 2 Pet. 1.19. Mal. 4.2. called) arise in our hearts; for as before the Sun ariseth, it first sends up its bright beams of light, as the harbingers of its approach; so before Christ Jesus come into our souls, he first enlightens them with the glorious beams of the knowledge of his Word; according to that speech of Peter, We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your (a) 2 Pet. 1.19. hearts: And that also of S. Paul, God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus (b) 2 Cor. 4.6. Christ. The Scripture is full of proofs for this, that Christ's Word must first be in some measure learned of us and entertained by us, before he will condescend to dwell with us: It's therefore a most opacous error of an ungodly assertion, to affirm that ignorance is the mother of devotion; which in Scripture is so much condemned, and is made both the mother of error, Ye err (saith our Saviour to the Sadduces) not knowing the (c) Math. 22.29. Scriptures, and the mother of many other sins: For S. Paul affirmeth that his sins of blasphemy and persecution, and oppression of Christ's Church before his conversion, were the product and brats of his ignorance; I was (saith he) a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious: But I obtained mercy, because I did it (d) 1 Tim. 1.13. ignorantly: And he informs the Ephesians, that the Gentiles were alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that was in (e) Ephes. 4.18. them. And by experience it's found to be the mother both of will-worship and superstition. This Paradox some of the Church of Rome in former ages have not blushed to utter for truth; and though now of late they would seem to disclaim this irrational Paradox, yet covertly they adhere to it: For the Rhemists, in their front of their Preface prefixed before their translation of the New Testament, affirm it to be an erroneous opinion to hold that the Scriptures were ordained of God to be read indifferently of all: And therefore the Council of Trent took order, which was confirmed by supreme authority (say the same Doctors in the same place, within a few lines after) that the holy. Scriptures might not be read indifferently of all men, nor of any other than such as have express licence from their lawful Ordinary; Whereby it appears that they seek to detain the Scriptures from the vulgar people, purposely to keep them in ignorance: And to put a little gloss and colour upon this their in justifiable opinion and practice, the said Doctors afterwards yield this reason for it; Because presumptuous Heretics, mistaking or depraving in many places the true sense of Scripture, draw from thence many pernicious errors; and many other that are unlearned and unstable, pervert the same to their own destruction, as S. Peter (a) 2 Pet. 3.16. teacheth. And how weak a ground this is for them to presume from hence to restrain the common reading of Scripture, I declare these two ways. First, This Argument takes for granted, that the abuse of a good thing by some, nulls and takes away the lawful common use of it from others: But this is nothing so, for the word preached as well as read, is abused by many through their corruption; and so becomes the savour of death unto death unto (a) 2 Cor. 2.16. them; and an occasion of their greater sin, as our Saviour saith, (b) John 15.22. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. And yet this hinders not but that it must be preached unto all, as our Saviour hath commanded; Go ye (saith he to his Apostles) into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every (c) Mark 16.15. creature. If indeed the Church knew who would pervert the Scriptures, she might with better reason withhold them from such, but this she knoweth not, and therefore is tied to hold them forth indifferently unto all. Secondly, As all should learn, so all should believe this word, yea all this word, because it's God's; for therefore every tittle of it must be (d) John 17.17. truth; and hence is it oft called The word of truth, both in the Old Testament and in the (e) Psal. 119.43. & Prov. 22.21. & Eph. 1.13. & Col. 1.5. New: So that Till Heaven and Earth perish, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be (f) Mat. 5.18. fulfilled. The sons of men indeed are liars; so saith the Psalmist, Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance they are altogether lighter than (a) Psal. 62.9. vanity: So that there is neither any sure hold of their words, nor any certain truth in them, that we may securely rely upon: But in God's word we may trust, as altogether infallible; for it is impossible that he should lie or (b) Heb. 6.18. deceive. I will here omit the dilatation and enlargement of this point; which I might enter into by the quotation of those many Texts of Scripture, which yield very copious testimony to it, and will only endeavour to fasten this exhortation upon all, with these two reasons. First, we see by experience of the time past, that all things are fulfilled, and still come to pass daily according to this word, and agreeably to the voice and tenor of it; which therefore urgeth upon us a belief of the whole contents of it concerning things yet to come; for if the event hath proved it to speak truth in all things that it hath foretold should come to pass; then even common reason binds us to believe it to utter the truth in all things also that it foretells are yet to come: As (we see) experience of man's mortality by the extinction of former generations, makes all undoubtedly believe the truth thereof for all succeeding ages. Now that Scripture predictions have at all times come to pass in their seasons, I could produce numerous attestations both out of the Old Testament and the New; but because the most of them are well known of all, I will rehearse but only two of special note; one of Joshua, and another of King Solomon. Joshua in his time speaks thus to the children of Israel; Behold this day I am going the way of all the Earth; and ye know in all your hearts, and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed (a) Josh. 23.14. thereof. This Joshua spoke purposely to fasten upon them a stable belief of the fulfilling of such Scripture predictions as then were to come; as appears from his words following in the next verse, where he adds these words, Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God, promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until be have destroyed you from off this good Land, which the Lord your God hath given you. The like attestation here of gave Solomon in his time afterwards; Blessed be the Lord (said he) that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised; there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his (b) 1 Kin. 8.56. servant. Another reason that should urge all men to believe this Word is this, because he that believes it not makes God a liar, so much as in him lieth; in that hereby he denieth in his heart the truth of that which God hath spoken: So saith S. John, He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his (a) 1 John 5.10. Son. And this is a grievous sin by God's own testimony, The house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the Lord: They have belied the Lord, and said it is not (b) Jer. ●. 11, 12. he. Let men therefore take heed how they remain incredulous of this Word, or any part of it, seeing it's a sin so dishonourable and offensive to Almighty God: How weakly then do those men project for themselves, who believe so much of this word as they like, so much as is pleasing and plausible to their carnal desires and fleshly wisdom; namely all the gracious promises of mercy and forgiveness of sin; but as for the conditions of these promises (which are upon condition of repentance and faith in Christ, and new obedience) and the judgements threatened against impenitent sinners, (wherein the Scripture is very copious) which arride not their fleshly palates; these they reject, and put out of their belief: But I beseech all such to consider that hereby they do by consequence condemn themselves; for their apprehension and belief of the promises of mercy, are a silent confession of their credence, that Scripture is God's word; and this confession is a clandestine self condemnation for their incredulity of all the other parts thereof; for the Scripture being God's Word must necessarily speak truth in one part as well as another. Thirdly, Seeing we are sure that Scripture is God's word, it's wisdom for all persons to join themselves to that Society of Christian professors which most honours it, and holds best correspondence and agreement with it. Now because the main controversy is between the Roman and the reformed Christian professors, I will (as compendiouslly as I can, and as truly as I have read in approved Authors of both sides) open and declare which of these ascribes most honour and reverence to the Bible of God, and best accordeth and conspireth with it. And first, For the honour done unto it of both: The reformed Churches acknowledge it a most perfect and absolute rule of life, both for faith and manners; to which nothing may be added, and from which nothing may be detracted; according to the sentence of the holy Ghost in divers places of the same Book: Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from (a) Deut. 4.2. it. And again, Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a (b) Prov. 30.6. liar. And again, I testify to every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things which are written in this (a) Rev. 22.18, 19 book. Again secondly, They acknowledge it the supreme judge under the holy Ghost himself to decide and determine all doubts and questions in Religion; and give it pre-eminence above all other say, writings, books or traditions: And lastly, affirm it to be absolutely necessary in the Church, ever since the first writing of it by God himself; as being that foundation whereon the Church is built, as the Apostle teacheth the (b) Ephes. 2.20. Ephesians: And in these respects ascribe many glorious and magnificent (yet decent and deserved) titles to it, which they learn and gather out of it; some whereof I will mention: They call it, The Oracle of God; the Breath of the holy Ghost; the Sceptre of Christ's Kingdom; the Touchstone of truth; the Lantern of Israel; the Mystery of Godliness, and the Lamb's Book; with many other such like: Now by all this it appears that they give that due and condign honour, veneration and observance to the sacred Scripture, which becomes the true and sincere professors and defenders of it. See now on the other side, what honour the Romanists exhibit to it, and in what estimation they have it: Sometime they celebrate it with due veneration, and call it The true word of God, and a most certain and safe rule of faith; so Bellarmine speaks of it, and affirms it to be the mind of the Catholic Church, and the Council of (a) Bell. de verbo Dei, lib. 1. cap. 1. & 2. Trent: Sometime again they undervalue and depress it, and detract from its sublimity and excellence very indignly; and namely in these four particulars. First, They teach that the proper and principal end of Scripture was not to be the rule of faith, but to be a useful monitor (or remembrancer) to conserve and nourish the doctrine received by preaching: This is out of Bellarmine word for (b) Bell. de verbo Dei, lib. 4. cap. 12. word; And Pighius delivers this contumelious speech of Scripture to the same purpose; Apostoli quaedam scripserunt, non ut scripta illa praeessent fidei & religionis nostrae, sed potius ut subessent: The Apostles (saith he) have written certain things, not that their writings should be over our faith and Religion, but rather that they should be under (c) Pigh. Hierarch. lib. 1. cap. 2. them: This is strange new divinity; for of old the Scripture was held to be the rule, and Religion the thing ruled by it, both in the old (d) Isa. 8.20. Testament, and in the (e) Mat. 22.29. & 2 Pet. 1.19. New; and in the primitive times next after the Apostles, as were easy to demonstrate, both out of the Fathers and Church-Histories: And therefore to make Religion the rule, and Scripture to be ruled by it (as the Romanists now of late times would have it, as appears by the forementioned say, and many other such like, published by divers of them) is an uncouth contumely and an indigne disparagement to it, and an egregious derogation from the super-excellency and majesty of it, and hath indeed been the unhappy means of the suffocation of a great part of God's truth in that Church. Secondly, They affirm that the whole Christian doctrine, which is necessary to be known either for faith or manners, is not contained in the Scriptures; and that therefore there is required an unwritten word also beside the written word; that is to say, Divine and Apostolical traditions, to be added to the written word, to make it a perfect (a) Bellar de verbo Dei lib. 4. cap. 3. & 4. rule: And so they condemn the sacred Scripture of imperfection and insufficiency. This assertion is repugnant to several assertions in Scripture; for S. John saith, That so much is written in Scripture as is sufficient to work faith in us, and to bring us to everlasting life through the name of (b) John 20.31. Christ: and then surely there needs no more; for everlasting life is the highest degree of perfection, that any creature can attain unto. And S. Paul saith, That the Scriptures are able to make a man wise unto (c) 2 Tim. 3.15. salvation; and to make him perfect, throughly furnished unto all good (a) 2 Tim. 3.17. works; Whence it follows, that seeing they make men perfect, they must needs be perfect themselves; for no imperfect thing can perfect another: And our blessed Saviour himself hath denounced a dreadful judgement against any that shall go about to add unto it, as if it were not perfect; I testify (saith he) to every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book; If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this (b) Rev. 22.18. Book: as before was rehearsed. Thirdly, They equalise Traditions with the holy Scripture, and dignify them with the same authority and reverence, so teacheth the Council of (c) Concil. Trid. decr. 1. session, 4. Trent: And Melchior Canus saith, That Traditions have greater force to refel Heretics then the (d) Canus loc. common. Theo. lib. 9 cap. 3. Scriptures. And Eckius saith simply, That they are of greater efficacy, without any limitation to that particular (e) Eck. de fide &. justif. cap. 13. effect: And yet we find in Scripture, that all humane traditions are to be examined and tried by it, (as was declared before) and are all to be disallowed and rejected, which hold not correspondence with the same; as is evident from our Saviour's reproof of the Scribes and Pharisees, for presuming to dispense in some case with this written commandment, Honour thy father and mother; for thereupon saith our Saviour unto them, Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your (a) Mat. 15.6. tradition; and again he saith, In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of (b) Mat. 15.9. men: In both which sentences our Saviour gives the written word pre-eminence and authority above all traditions. Fourthly and lastly, Bellarmine denies the Scriptures to have been simply necessary or (c) Bell. de verbo Dei, lib. 4. cap. 4. sufficient: This if he had spoken in relation only to the time before the Law was written by God himself, we should not have contested with him; but by his further dispute about it, he declares his meaning to extend to the written word since that time; which he manifesteth by a saying that he uttereth afterwards, (which I have truly transcribed to a letter, without either addition, amputation or alteration of the least syllable thereof) Sanè (saith he) credere historias Testamenti veteris, vel evangelia Marci & Lucae esse canonica scripta, inno ullas esse divinas Scripturas, non est omninò necessarium ad (d) Bell. de Eccles. militant. lib. 3. cap. 14. salutem: Surely to believe the histories of the Old Testament, or the gospels of Mark and Luke to be canonical Scriptures, yea that there be any divine Scriptures, is not altogether necessary unto salvation. How dissonant this is from the voice of Christ and his Apostle in the Gospel, is to be discerned in many Texts, whereof I will recite but three. First our Saviour commands to search the Scriptures, because in them (or by them) men think to have eternal (a) John 5.39. life. This he spoke in approbation of men's esteem of the Scriptures as the means to bring them to everlrsting life. And S. John saith, These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his (b) John 20.31. name. And S. Paul saith, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God to salvation, to every one that (c) Rom. 1.16. believeth. From those Texts I reason thus, against the former affirmations of Bellarmine; The means ordained and designed by God to any end, are altogether necessary, in respect of us to the attaining of that end: But the Scriptures are the means ordained and designed by God of faith and salvation, as the former Texts declare; and therefore are altogether necessary in respect of us, unto faith and salvation, and so consequently necessary so to be believed of us; which refels the foresaid affirmations of Bellarmine, and declares them to be very contumelious to the blessed Bible of God. Now in and for all these forenamed respects, divers great and esteemed Champions and propugners of the Roman faith have not refrained to blemish the Bible with sundry inglorious and ignominious titles: Eckius calls it a black Gospel, and an incky (a) Eck. Enchir. cap. 4. Divinity. Pighius calls it a nose of (b) Pigh. Hier. lib. 3. cap. 3. wax; others a Lesbian, or leaden rule, an abbreviated word, the weak and false castle of holy (c) Brislow, Motive, 48. Scripture, with other such like indecent epithets: The●e the modern writers amongst them seek to varnish over (as knowing it must needs blemish the purity of their profession and verity of their Religion, thus to vilify God's most holy Word) but the colour and complexion which they daub them withal is so thin and transparent, that it cannot hid the indecency and unseemliness of them from a weak sight. Now if the truth of Christian Religion may be judged by the honourable respect yielded by the professors thereof to the rule of Christian Religion, which is the Scripture, (as the Romanists confess after a sort, as hath been already declared) then doth it appear by what hath been said and proved, that the Reformed Protestant Religion is the truest Religion, as which ascribes most honour thereunto: For as when two women claimed the motherhood of one child, wise Solomon quickly sifted out the truth, which was the true mother of it, by the tender love and affection which the one shown unto it more than the (a) 1 Kin. 3.27. other. So in like manner may any wise man find forth by the same rule, which is the true daughter of holy Scripture; whether the Roman or Reformed Religion, (seeing both of them claim it as their mother) namely, by the tender respect and due observance, wherewith it is followed by the one more than the other. In the next place; as the Reformed Religion is owned by the Scripture as the genuine daughter thereof, by the due reverence and honour which it exhibiteth unto it; so also and more especially, because it holdeth forth such doctrine as is most consonant and agreeable thereunto: For (to omit the disquisition of particular controversies between the said several professors, which would require vast volumes to lay open) the Reformed Churches refuse not to be tried by the splendent light of the written word, in any point of Religion whatsoever. And this our blessed Saviour makes a signal demonstration of the professors of the truth; for (saith he) He that doth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest, that they are wrought in (b) John 3.21. God: And that by light here our Saviour means the Scripture, many other Texts make it unquestionable, where this epithet is given unto it. David saith of it, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my (a) Psal. 119.105. path. Solomon saith, The commandment is a lamp, and the law is (b) Prov. 6.23. light. S. Peter saith, We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark (c) 2 Pet. 1.19. place. Now on the other side the Romanists decline the decision and determination of many points of Religion, that are controverted between us and them, by Scripture, and fly to Tradition: And some of their writers in plain terms confess, that some of their Tenets are such as cannot be defended by Scripture: So saith (d) Canis. Catechis. cap. 5. the precept. Eccles. Canisius; and of this sort he reckons up these, the worship of Images, set Fasts, Lent; the Mass, and Prayers and Offerings for the dead, with others more, which yet he doth not nominate: But some other of them, and by name Petrus a Soto (a famous Author of their party) in his book against Brentius, reheaseth sundry other; as the invocation of Saints, the primacy of the Bishop of of Rome, the seven Sacraments, communion under one kind, indulgencies and Purgatory; the beginning, author and original of which, he confesseth cannot be found in the sacred Scripture; as witnesseth the learned Doctor (a) Whittak. de Script. perfect. cap. 5. Whittaker. Now though they allege Scripture for some of these, lest they should seem too much to slight it; yet their chief ground for them is Tradition: Whereas therefore they decline the trial of some points of Religion, which they hold by the written word (which yet they confess to be a most safe rule of faith, as before hath been declared) it proclaims to the world that they are not such fast friends to it as they pre●end, nor hold such correspondence with it, as all true and right Churches ever have done; and so consequently that they are neither the only true Church of God, (as they vainly and most untruly boast) nor yet such a Church, wherewith it's safe to have communion. And as it's not safe to join hands with these, so neither with the newly upstart Sectaries the Anabaptists; for I will undertake to demonstrate (if my genuis fail me not) that both these sorts of Christian professors are express contradictors of Scripture affirmations in divers particulars: And I'll begin first with the Papists as the elder house. First, Our Saviour saith, When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to (b) Luke 17.10. do. They say, that a man may supererogate and do more than is commanded; (I need not quote any particular poof for this, for it's a common tenet among them) and how cross and contradictory this is to our Saviour's speech, every ordinary capacity may easily discern. Secondly, The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews saith, that Marriage is honourable in (a) Heb. 13.4. all: And S. Paul saith, It's better to marry then to (b) 1 Cor. 7.9. burn. Bellarmine saith, Vtrumque est malum, & nubere & uri; immo pejus est nubere, quicquid reclament adversarii; praesertim ei, quae habet votum (c) Bell. de Monach. lib. 2. cap. 3. sclenne. Both are evil (saith he) both to marry and to burn; yea its worse to marry, whatsoever the adversaries say to the contrary, especially for the person who hath made a solemn vow. That which the Scripture saith is good and honourable in all without exception, Bellarmine saith, is evil, and especially in some persons he condemns it as evil without exception, and with an aggravation of the evil of it in some persons. Thirdly, S. Paul calls concupiscence or lust sin; I had not known sin but by the law; for I had not known lust, if the law had not said, Thou shalt not (d) Rom. 7.7. covet: and four or five time more afterwards in the same Chapter he calls it sometime sin and sometime evil; and speaks so of it, with reference to himself then a regenerate person. The Council of Trent saith, Hanc concupiscentiam, quod aliquandò Apostlus peccatum appellat, sancta Synodus declarat, Ecclesiam catholicam nunquam intellexisse peccatum appellari, quòd verè & propriè in ren●tis peccatum sit; sed quia ex peccato est, & ad peccatum inclinat; Siquis autem contrarium senserit, anathema (a) Conc. Trident. de Peccat. origin. sess. 5. cap 10. sit. This concup iscense (saith the Council) which the Apostle sometime calleth sin, the holy Synod declareth that the Catholic Church did never understand to be called sin because it is truly and properly sin in the regenerate; but because it cometh from sin and inclineth to sin; If any man think the contrary, let him be Anathema, or accursed. By which decree they not only contradict the Apostle, but implicitly also gainsay themselves; for if concupiscence be the fruit of sin, (as they acknowledge) than it must needs be sin till it be wholly cleansed, (which cannot be done here on Earth) For a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good (b) Mat. 7.18. fruit. If these be not insalvable contradictions of holy Scripture, I shall ingenuously confess the shallowness and deficiency of my understanding and judgement, when any shall make it appear to the contrary. And as Papists, so likewise Anabaptists contradict Scripture in sundry points: And I will charge them with no more than what I have heard proceed from their own mouths. First, Scripture abundantly testifies that all men since Adam's fall, are by birth stained with sin, (Christ only excepted.) How can he be clean (saith Bildad) that is born of a (a) Job 25.4. woman? The wicked are estranged from the womb, saith (b) Psal. 58.3. David. And the house of Jacob is called a transgressor from the (c) Isa. 48.8. womb. They impudently deny it, and say that children are not born in sin. 2. The Scripture saith that faith is the gift of God; so saith S. Paul to the Ephesians, By grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of (d) Eph. 2.8. God: And to the Philippians, To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his (e) Phil. 1.29. sake. Where both faith and patience are affirmed to be given of God: This some of them cotradict, and say, Faith is not the gift of God. And to evade the contradiction, they distinguish between the habit of faith and the act of faith; and so say, That the habit of faith indeed is the gift of God, but not the act: But this distinction will not salve the contradiction; for the Apostle afterwards affirms both the habit and the act also of all grace to be given of God; It is God (saith he) which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good (a) Phil. 2.13. pleasure: And elsewhere he saith, There are diversities of operations; but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 1 Cor. 12.6. Thirdly, Scripture saith, Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my (b) Prov. 20.9. sin. And If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in (c) 1 John 1.8. us. Some of them say that a believer is free from all sin; which they affirm not only in respect of the imputation of sin (for that is agreeable to Scripture) but in respect of the inherency of it; which contradicts the former Scriptures, and many other And that they speak this of the inherency or stain of sin, one Mr. John Eton hath declared; who affirms, That he who beliveth that Christ hath taken away his sin, is as clean without sin as Christ (d) Hony-comb of free justific. by John Eton, cap. 3. himself. And also one Mr. Randal, who delivered in a Sermon the like blasphemous speech; namely, that it's as possible for Christ himself to sin, as for a child of God to sin; as it's attested by the whole body of the Ministers of (e) Testimony to the truth of these Chr. page 16. London. And myself heard one of that sect fay of himself, that he had no sin. I will wind up this point with a short advertisement, and a short advice. The advertisement is this, I shall desire all persons ●ence to take notice, how signantly and notoriously false that arrogant ostentation is, which both these now mentioned Sects blush not to ventilate; in calling themselves the only Saints and Church of God upon Earth; for it was never heard nor read that God's Church and Saints did gainsay and contradict his holy Word, as these do. The Devil was the first that did so, as we read in the book of (a) Gen. 3.1, 2, 3, 4. verses. Genesis; and some ungracious wretches in the Prophet Jeremiah's time did the like, They belied the Lord, and said it is not (b) Jer. 5.12. he. But God's Church and people in all ages and places have evermore assented and submitted unto it. The advice is this, That seeing Scripture is a most sure and safe rule of faith; and that by the confession both of Papists, and the greatest number and major part of Anabaptists; it's wisdom for all such as desire to walk by a safe rule, to decline and desert all association and communion with either of these Sects; as who gainsay and contradict it in divers points of their faith, as hath been demonstrated; and to adhere to the professors of the reformed Protestant Religion, and to hold communion with them; as who ascribe most honour and reverence unto it, and hold best correspondence and agreement with it, in all points of Christian belief. Fourthly and lastly, This is not all that's needful, to know, honour and believe Scripture, and profess the true Religion, which best agreeth with it; but we must sow the seeds of good works also in obedience to the precepts and commandments of it, because they are God's commandments; or all the former will be as fruitless unto us, as the husbandman's ground that's tilled and dressed, but never sown; or the garment that's made, but never worn; or the skill in humane arts and sciences, whether liberal or mechanical, that is acquired, but never used: This practical part of Religion is so abundantly and vehemently called for, as of absolute necessity to salvation in every leaf almost of the Bible; that I will rehearse but these th●●re Texts; Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven; saith our (a) Math. 7.21. Saviour. And Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls; saith (b) Jam. 1.22. S. James. And again, As the body without the spirit is dead, so the faith that is without works is (a) Jam. 2.26. dead. I might amplify and adorn this point by the accumulation of a number of elegant sentences to this purpose both out of Scripture, and out of the Fathers and Philosophers, which both illustrate and necessitate the sa●e. Such as these, Tantum scimus, quantum operamur; so much we know, as we practise; and Non incepisse, sed perfecisse virtutis est: its the office of virtue not to begin well only, but to perfect what she gins. And Aristotle could say, Virtus consistit in actione; virtue consists in action: And again he saith, That man was born and brought into this world for these two ends, Intilligere & agere; to understand and act; to understand what he should do, and to do that which he understands; intimating thereby that knowledge is the inchoation, and practise the perfection of the end of man's life; which drew from an Emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, this wise and gracious speech, That all his ambition after learning, was but to make him wise; and all his desire of wisdom, was but to make him good; meaning by the practice of it. But I know it's the rationality and solidity, the strength and not the length of a discourse, that best pleaseth, and most prevaileth: And therefore I will but only propound certain rules necessary to be observed, that our obedience may be an acceptable service to God, and profitable to ourselves, and so conclude; which I will reduce to these four heads. First, We must see that our obedience be universal, an obedience to all the commandments of God; this is everywhere called for, and inculcated both in the Old and New Testament, so that I need not allege any proofs; and the reason is, because all the commandments are so compiled and coupled together, and so intricately employed and involved one within another, that whosoever violates one, offers violence to all. So saith S. James, Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of (a) Jam. 2.10. all. For as in a ship, or a net, or a fence, or a City wall, one breach made is enough to endanger the loss of all that is contained in them, except it be forthwith repaired: So is it with God's commandments; if we break through one, we break out from God, and so rush into the snare of the Devil, who can hold us too fast with one trap. The common objection of an impossibility to keep perfectly all the commandments, is as commonly answered; that though legally we cannot, yet evangelically we may: For out of the evangelical part of Scripture we learn, that in and through Jesus Christ (by whom all our spiritual sacrifices are made acceptable unto God, as the Scripture (a) 1 Pet. 2.5. teacheth) the unfeigned purpose and sincere desire, and true endeavour, to observe and do all that God commands us, is accepted of God for perfect obedience; albeit we fail sometimes in some things beside our purpose, and of infirmity: For as he lays no more upon us, in his great mercy than we are able to bear, as the Apostle (b) 1 Cor. 10.13. teacheth; so he looks for no more from us, than we are enabled to do by the help of his assistant grace; but spareth us as a man spareth his own son that serveth (c) Mal. 3.17. him: who in his tender love to him, will require nothing from him above his strength: According to that of the Apostle, If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath (d) 2 Cor. 8.12. not. Secondly, As our obedience must be entire and universal, so it must be internal also and spiritual, as well as external and corporal; for God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and (a) John 4.24. truth: Humane laws look only at the external performance, and charge men no further; so as if the outward act of obedience be done, the intent of the doer is not questioned; as being made to rule only the outward man. But the divine Law of God (the Apostle tells us) is (b) Rom. 7.14. spiritual: and so requireth the obedience of the heart, and of every power and faculty thereof; as being made to order and moderate every motion of the soul, as well as to regulate every action of the body; of many proofs for this (that might be alleged) see these few. This day (saith Moses to the people) the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgements; thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart and with all thy (c) Deut. 26.16. soul. And saith Solomon, My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my (d) Prov. 3.1. commandments. And saith S. Paul, The weapons of our warfar are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of (a) 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Christ. Thirdly, Obedience must be spontaneous, a willing and cheerful service. It's a sentence of a learned Divine, Nemo invitus benè facit, etiamsi bonum est, quod facit: No man doth well, that doth any thing unwillingly, though that be good which he doth. We ourselves dislike grudged service either from our children or servants; and than God must needs be much more displeased with it from us; because we own him infinitely more obedience than we can here in this life perform unto him; and therefore that little which we yield him, had need be free and cheerful. We read in the Book of Exodus, that when God commanded the Israelites to contribute to the building of the Tabernacle, Moses was directed to take their offerings that gave them willingly with their (b) Exod. 25.2. hearts. This made David give this charge to his son Solomon, And thou Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing (c) 1 Chro. 28.9. mind: And himself to promise God, to sacrifice freely unto (d) Psal. 54.6. him: And to profess his delight in his (e) Psal. 119.143. commandments. This is oft required also elsewhere in the word of God; If ye be willing and obedient (saith the Lord) ye shall eat the good of the (a) Isa. 1.19. Land: And God loves a cheerful giver, saith the (b) 2 Cor. 9.9. Apostle. Fourthly and lastly, Obedience must be constant, continued unto the end without giving over, or it's frustrate and lost: so saith our Saviour, No man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of (c) Luke 9.62. God: For the righteous bring forth fruit in old (d) Psal. 92.14. age. Hence are th●se and many such like sentences of Scripture; Blessed are they that keep judgement, and do righteousness at all (e) Psal. 106.3. times: And He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be (f) Mat. 24.13. saved: And We are delivered out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our (g) Luke 1.74, 75. life. I will close up all with that exhortation of S. Paul to the Corinthians; Therefore my beloved brethren, be we steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and so our labour shall not be in vain in the (h) 1 Cor. 15.58. Lord. So be it. FINIS. A DISCUSSION AND DECISSION OF SOME GREAT CONTROVERSIES IN RELIGION: BEING An Antidote against some Erroneous Pamphlets. Published of late, to the suppression of God's Truth; The Contents whereof followeth in the next Page. By THO. GERY, B.D. and Rector of Barwell in Leicestershire. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false Prophets are gone out into the world, 1 John 4.1. LONDON, Printed for N. Webb and W. Grantham. 1657. The Contents. 1. Controversy. About God's election of men to eternal life and salvation; whether or no it be grounded upon the foresight of their faith and obedience. 2. Controversy. About the universality of Christ's Redemption. 3. Controversy. About the power of Man's freewill. 4. Controversy. About the Merit of good works. 5. Controversy. About Original sin. 6. Controversy. About Tithes. A Preface to the Reader. HAving a Pamplet accidentally put into my hands, twisted of inconsequences, incongruities, and misapplications and depravations of holy Scripture; entitled (The order of causes; Of God's foreknowledge, election and predestination; and of man's salvation or damnation) I thought I might do a charitable work to detect the impostures of it; Especially considering that it had gotten some entertainment with some persons within mine own charge and cure. For albeit there be little hope of prevailing with these false teachers (in these times especially, which have so long connived at their erroneous and seditious courses) to renounce their errors, though never so fairly and fully confuted; as who have resolved to hold the conclusion, whether the premises be true or false; (which every Novice in Logic knows to be an absurdity to be hissed at) yet may this detection of their falcies in some measure prevent the further diffusion and spreading of their pernicious errors; which is the foal end, wherefore these plain ensuing lines were hastily compiled and penned. And in this regard the courteous Reader is entreated to vouchsafe a candid and benevolent construction of them; as which, upon more mature deliberation, might either have been kept private, or appearing in public, might happily have been clad in a more sightly dress; which is the humble request of A Friend and Servant to all that follow the truth in love, THOMAS GERY. IT hath ever been the artifice and deceitful dealing of Heretics, to pick out some such Texts of Scripture, wherewith to cloak their errors, as by their false interpretation of them (in not comparing them with other Texts of Scripture treating of the same subject) might afford some colour and countenance unto them. Thus the old Serpent (the first deviser of this fallacy) dealt with our blessed Saviour, when he tempted him in the Wilderness; he alleged a piece of Scripture out of Psalm. 91.11. where it's said, He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee, and skips over the next words, in all thy ways, and so goeth to the 12. verse, as knowing that the words which he left out, would quite alter the Text from that purpose for which he alleged the same. And thus deal the Heretical Sectaries and Separatists that are of late started up; They allege some say of Scripture, which, (considered by themselves without any reference had to other Texts of Scripture, which afford light to the right meaning of them) seem at the first superficial view of them, to speak something for them, about some of their erroneous Tenets; whereas compared with other say of Scripture, where the same point is more fully and plainly expressed, they make nothing at all for proof of that for which they are alleged, as shall be discovered in some particulars in this ensuing Treatise. Amongst a Fardel of their palpable and prodigious Errors (some whereof are utterly unworthy the refutation, being manifest contradictions of holy Scripture; As their denial of Faith to be the gift of God; which I have heard to proceed out of the mouth of divers of no small esteem amongst them with incredible impudence, I have here undertaken the confutation of these six, (of which some are Popish) which I find in the fornamed book, and in another which I shall hereafter mention. 1. They affirm, That God's election of men to salvation, is from his foresight of their Faith and Obedience: Or (as some of them phrase it) from his foresight of their Sanctification and Good Works. 2. That Christ's Redemption is universal, extending itself to all men in the World, indiscriminatim, indifferently. 3. That men have to repent and believe, and so may be saved if they will. 4. That Good Works, or Obedience, are meritorious causes of salvation. 5. That children are not born in sin. 6. That the payment of Tithes to the Ministers of the Gospel, is not agreeable to Scripture. Now that these are false Tenants, not justifiable from Scripture, but repugnant unto it; I shall (I hope) make manifest to all that are not biased with prejudice. And because I am not to enter the Lists and contest with pertinacious Adversaries, who sometime will neither hear right Reason, nor yield to Scripture, but as they themselves shall expound it: It will be expedient for me to premise certain Theological conclusions or principles (which all Orthodox Divines, unanimously and univocally have acknowledged to be undoubted Truths) as Praecognita, and Canons to have recourse unto, for the decision and determination of any Controversy as need shall require; which if they deny to assent unto, they are not to be disputed with, as the proverb speaks, Contra negantem principia non est disputandum: There's no disputation to be held with him that will deny the principles of Art. The Principles I think fit to premise are these four: 1. That the Canonical Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, authentical and creditable of itself. 2. That there is no contradictions in the Canonical Scripture. 3. That the same makes (and so by consequence alloweth to be made) distinction between things that sometime in Scripture have the same denomination. This appears by many instances in Scripture, whereof I will name these three, Fear, Faith, and Sorrow. First, About Fear; the Scripture mentioneth a fear which is gracious and godly (which the learned have termed Filial;) and a Fear which is graceless (which the learned have termed Servile;) of this we have an example in 2 Kings 17.33, 34. where it's said of the Babylonians in the former verse, that they feared God; and then in the latter verse, that they feared him not. Whence it's evident that a distinction must be made of the fear of God; whereof some is a Gracious Fear, and some a Graceless; otherwise there would be a contradiction between the two verses, which Scripture admits not. Secondly, About Faith, The Scripture doth distinguish it into these two sorts, namely a Faith that hath Works, and a Faith that is without works, which it also calleth a dead faith, James 2.17. Faith, if it have no Works, is dead being alone. Thirdly, About Sorrow, The Scripture speaks of a godly sorrow for sin, and a worldly sorrow, in 2 Cor. 7.10. Godly sorrow worketh Repentance to salvation, but the sorrow of the World worketh death. Hereby it's clear, that a distinction is sometimes to be made betwixt things that have the same denomination. The fourth Principle which I shall premise is this, That seeming contradictions in Scripture are so to be expounded by help of other Texts (either speaking of the same point or otherwise) that they may symphonize and accord together. Which help the Scripture affords in one place or other. If our Adversaries will yield to be tried about the forementioned Controversies by these old Canons (which have been universally received for undoubted truths by all Christian Churches in primitive times, when the waters ran clearest from under the Threshold of the Sanctuary) I shall adventure to bear the disgrace, if I do not convince them of error about each Controversy, that I have before named. The first Controversy handled. About Election. THeir first Error that I shall undertake to confute, is their assertion, That God's election of men unto salvation, is grounded upon his foresight of their Faith and Obedience, or sanctification and Good Works; That is, that he electeth such and such men to life and salvation, because he forseeth that they will believe and walk in obedience to his Commandments. This Assertion I shall prove to be an error by these four Arguments. The first Argument. If men shall therefore believe, because they are elected and ordained to eternal life, than they are not elected and ordained to eternal life because they will believe. This consequence cannot be denied by any intelligent man. But men shall therefore believe, because they are elected and ordained to eternal life; and therefore are not elected and ordained to it, because they will believe. The Assumption I prove out of Acts 13.48. where it's said, That as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Here Faith is made the fruit and effect of election to eternal life, and therefore cannot be the cause of it; for nothing can be the cause and effect too, of one and the same thing. My second Argument is this. If men be elected or chosen that they may be holy, than their election must needs be the ground and cause of their holiness and sanctification. But men are elected that they may be holy; so saith the Scripture, Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. Therefore Election is the ground and cause of holiness or sanctification, and not holiness the ground and cause of election. The third Argument. If the good pleasure of God's will be the ground and first cause of men's election and predestination to salvation, than God's foresight of their Sanctification and Good Works, cannot be the first cause and ground thereof. This consequence is undeniable. But the good pleasure of God's will is the first cause and ground of men's election and predestination to salvation. Therefore, God's foresight of their sanctification and Good Works cannot be the first cause and ground thereof. The A sumption I prove from these two Texts of Scripture, (passing by many other to the same purpose) Rom. 9.11. S. Paul there affirms, That the purpose of God, according to Election, stands not of Works, but of him that calleth. Where works are denied, and Gods will affirmed to be the cause of election, And Ephes. 1.5. and again verse 11. the good pleasure of God's will, is made the ground and cause of men's election to salvation. The words in the fift verse are these; Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. And the words in the 11. verse are these; In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of his own will. If the Adversaries answer, that Election may be according to the good pleasure of God's will, and yet the good pleasure of his will may not be the cause of Election. To this I reply, That the Apostle makes it plain in the 11. verse, that he speaks of the good pleasure of God's will, as the cause of Election, by the addition of these last words in the verse, Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. For if he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, than Election is necessarily one of those things which he worketh after the council of his own will; and therefore the counsel of his own will must needs be the cause thereof. The fourth Argument is this, If Good Works be no causes of salvation, then neither of election unto salvation; this is plain, because Election is the cause of Salvation. But Good Works are no causes of salvation, and therefore no causes of Election. The minor Proposition or Assumption is proved by Ephes. 2.8, & 9, verses, where the Apostle saith, By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. And again, Tit. 3.5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost. The Advesaries answer, That these and such like Texts are spoken of works before regeneration. To which I reply, that in Tit. 3.5. the Apostle expressly nominates works of righteousness, and denies them to be any causes of salvation; but there be no works of righteousness before regeneration; for then an evil tree should bring forth good fruit, which our Saviour denies, Matth. 7.18. And therefore even good works after regeneration are in Scripture denied to be any causes of salvation. Hereof I shall have occasion to speak more largely hereafter; and therefore will not insist any longer in the illustration of it. Before I proceed to the next Controversy, I will display the weak argumentation of Mr. Henry Haggar, for defence of election from fore-seen sanctification; by his straining Scripture from its proper sense, and in not comparing it with other Scripture, where the genuine and proper sense is clearly explained. He toils himself to prove the said point, because it's said in 2 Thes. 2.13. that men are chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit; and therefore thence collects that they are not chosen before they are sanctified by the Spirit, which is a very inconsequent collection; for it doth not follow, that because men are choto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, that therefore sanctification of the Spirit is the cause of their election, or that therefore it precedes their election; but that therefore sanctification is a necessary antecedent, way and means, through which they must be brought to salvation, whereto they are elected: as the way to any place, is not the cause of a man his coming thither, but only a necessary requisite to be observed of him. And thus this Text fitly agrees with other Texts of Scripture, as that before mentioned, Ephes. 1.4. where it's said, That we are chosen, that we should be holy; which Text he hath waved and never mentioned at all; but as Satan alleged the words of the Psalmist, leaving out a part, as knowing it would disclose his wresting and perverting the true sense of the other Text which he alleged. And so he neglects the premised rule of expounding Scripture by Scripture; which is of necessity to be observed to find out the true sense and meaning of any Text that is ambiguous, or may be variously expounded. He allegeth also the 1 Pet. 1.2. where it's said, That men are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit; Whence he collects, that God knows mwn first before he doth elect them. To this I answer, First, That God's prescience or foreknowledge of men, and his election of them, are in him together, and one and the same act; for all his attributes are himself, and whatsoever is said to be in him is himself, as it hath ever been acknowledged by all learned Divines. But in humane apprehension of them, his decrees precede his prescience, for he doth not decree things to come, because he foresees them, but foresees them because he hath decreed them; as is colligible from S. Paul's speech before named, Ephes. 4.11. where he affirms that God worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own will; whence it's manifest, that his own will is the first cause of all his works, and not his prescience, though his prescience do concur with his will. Secondly, I answer, That the foreknowledge of God there mentioned is a foreknowledged with approbation; for the original word, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies fore knowledgement; (as all men of learning know) which implies a concurence of his election and approbation with his foreknowledge of men; and not any precedence of his knowledge before his approbation and election of them. And this affords an answer also to that place which is brought by some of the adversaries for defence of election from foreseen faith and holiness; in Rom. 8.29. where it's said, that whom God did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son; where the Greek verb, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly fore-acknowledged; which intimates an election either with it or before the foreknowledge; and besides the words following lead to this sense, in that the Apostle expresseth that the predestination which he mentioneth as a sequel of God's foreknowledge, is a predestination to be conformed to the image of his Son, that is, to be holy as Christ is holy. A predestination to holiness cannot be a predestination for holiness, as was showed before. He allegeth but one Text of Scripture more about this point (which is in the fourth Page of his discourse, and which he abuseth very sufficiently as he doth the two former) and that is Ephes. 1.11. and 12. verses; where the Apostle speaketh of himself and others, that they were predestinated, that they should be to the praise of God's glory, who first trusted in Christ. Whence he ridiculously collecteth, that they did first trust in Christ before they were predestinated. Whereas the priority or precedency of their faith there mentioned by the Apostle, hath no relation at all to their predestination in Grammatical construction; but to the faith of the Ephesians, that were Greeks or Gentiles, and called to the faith of Christ after Paul and the other Apostles that were Jews; as appears evidently by the next verse, where the Apostle adds, In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth. As if he should have said, In whom we trusted first, and then ye afterwards; which agrees also with other Scripture, as Rom. 1.16. where the Apostle saith, that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. The second Controversy. Of the Universality of Christ's Redemption. TO decide and determine this controversy, I must first state the question aright between us and the adversaries. To speak nothing of the word (All) which sometimes is put for all sorts of men, and sometimes for all particular men of all sorts. Seeing we acknowledge that Christ died not only for all sorts of men, but for all of all sorts, that do repent and believe. The controversy depends upon these three Queries. 1. Whether Christ died for unbelievers at all or not. 2. Whether he died for them in as full and ample sense as for believers. 3. In what sense he died for them; and in what sense he died not for them. To the first query or question, I answer affirmatively (for my part) that Christ died for unbelievers in some sense. To the second I answer negatively, scil. that he died not for unbelievers in as full and ample sense as for believers; which I prove from Scripture three ways. First, Because it's said sometime in Scripture, that he died for many as well as for all; as Isa. 53.12. He bore the sins of many. Matth. 20.28. He gave his life a ransom for many. Heb. 9.28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. Which expressions import, that he died not for all alike; but for many in one sense, and for all in another; or else the expression of his dying for many were needless, in that it is so oft expressed that he died for all. Secondly, Because it's oft said, that he died for his Church; as John 10.15. I lay down my life for the sheep. Eph. 5.25. Husband's love your Wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it. Which imports also that he died for all men in one sense, and for his Church in another. Thirdly, because the Scripture hath (in terminis) in express words, put a difference between his being a Saviour to all men, and his being a Saviour to them that believe; as in 1 Tim. 4.10. We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. From whence I argue thus; Christ died for all men, as he is a Saviour of all men; but he is a Saviour of all men in a different sense and sort; namely generally of the universality of men, and specially of his Church; (witness the distinction made by the Apostle in the forecited Text) Therefore he died for all men in a different sense and sort; namely in one sense and sort for the universality of men; and in another sense and sort for the particularity of his Church. To the third Quaery I answer; That he died for all wicked men and unbelievers, in these two senses according to Scripture. 1. As suffering a satisfactory punishment for the sins of all the men in the world, so as they are not left destitute of the means of remission of sins and of salvation, according to the words of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.6. There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, a testimony in due time. And again, Heb. 2.9. the Apostle saith that He tasted death for every man. 2. He died for them upon condition of their faith and obedience, according to these Scriptures, John 3.16. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And Heb. 5.9. He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. And so in like manner it's the affirmation of sundry other Texts of Scripture. But then he died not for them with an intention and purpose to give them grace to repent and believe, and so to bring them to salvation; which appears by Scripture to be a clear truth these two ways. 1. Because Scripture hath revealed abundantly God's purpose to the contrary, namely to save some men, but not all; The proofs whereof are so numerous, that I need not quote any. 2. Because if Christ died for all men, with an intention and purpose to save all, then either all shall be saved (which is contradicted by a hundred places of Scripture) or else Christ's purpose may be altered: But his purpose cannot be altered or disappointed; and therefore he died not for all, with a purpose to save all. That his purpose cannot be altered I prove, both because he can neither alter it himself, nor can any other altar it. That he cannot alter it himself is oft taught in Scripture, Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. Jam. 1.17. With him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Neither can any other altar it, for his purpose is immutable, and his will irresistible, Isa. 46.10. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. And 43.13. I will work, and who shall let it? And Rom. 9.19. Who hath resisted his will? Thus then from the premises already sufficiently proved, I conclude and determine the controversy thus: That Christ died for all the men in the world in these two senses. First, As paying by his death a sufficient ransom for the sins of them all; which the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a price of redemption several times. Secondly, That he died for them all upon condition of their faith and obedience; but died not for all men with purpose to bring all actually to salvation. And so the old distinction of Christ's dying for all men, either sufficientur or efficaciter, sufficiently or effectually (as it may be understood and applied) stands still upon its basis and feet; and challengeth all the desertors and rejecters of it to frame a more fit and proper distinction between Christ's dying for all men, and his dying for his Church. Seeing a distinction between them is to be made (as hath been already declared) by testimony of Scripture. The third Controversy, which is of all other the most difficult and knotty. WHether an unregenerate man hath power to repent and believe, and so be saved, if he will. Mr. Haggar answers hereto in the affirmative, in Page the 25. of his discourse. I answer to it in the negative; denying that a natural man hath power to repent and believe by the energy or strength of his own freewill, but needs the help of the special preventing grace of God, ere he can be converted, or he cannot convert himself. For the fuller opening and enodation of this controversy; and because therein I have more learned adverseries to deal with then Anabaptists, I will first speak out what the will of an unregenerate man is able to do towards his conversion, without the help of God's special efficacious grace, or preventing grace (as the learned call it.) And then secondly, How far it cooperates with God's grace in his conversion. About the first, notice is to be taken of a threefold liberty of Will; namely, The liberty of Nature, the liberty of Grace, and the liberty of Glory: Of which, though these two last we lost by Adam's fall, yet the first was not lost, but remains still; so as by virtue thereof the Will hath liberty to will or nill without compulsion or constraint, and that not only in natural and civil actions, but also in moral and ecclesiastical. In moral actions to practise virtue, as Justice, Temperance, Liberality, etc. And so to do some things commanded in God's Law, as both experience shows, and Paul testifies, Rom. 2.14. where be saith, That the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law. In Ecclesiastical actions an unregenerate man hath liberty also, namely, to perform the duties of God's worship and service for the outward act; as to come to Church, hear and read the word of God, pray, partake of the Sacraments, do works of charity, and confer about Religion and the doctrine of faith, as common experience shows; all which are good preparatives to, and ofttimes efficacious means of regeneration and conversion. Yet must this liberty of Will about all these actions, either of doing them, or leaving them undone, be understood with this caution; so far forth as God shall be pleased to afford both the concurrence of his general and divine providence, (which enableth all creatures to motion and action) and the concurrence of his common restraining grace, which in some measure, more or less, he affordeth promiscuously to all sorts of men, both regenerate and unregenerate. Thus far an unregenerate man is able to move and bend himself toward the work of his conversion by the natural liberty of his will. About the second, namely, How far forth man's will co●perates with God in his couversion: I will first rehearse the Adversaries assertion, (amongst which the Papists are chief, and leaders to the rest) and then the assertion of the Reformed Churches. The Papists say, That the will of man before regeneration can by the help of the exciting grace of God (though not without it as Pelugius said) will its own conversion; and either accept or reject God's grace of internal vocation; and so cooperates with the grace of God in the first act of conversion. So teacheth the Council of Trent, and Bellarmine in his book de gratia & libero Arbitr. lib. 6. cap. 15. This opinion the Reformed Churches disrelish and reject as dissenting from holy Scripture, and assert the point thus: That the will of man is a mere patient, and not agent at all in the first act of conversion; and God's grace is the sole efficient cause thereof; and the will but subjectum recipiens, the subject receiving the grace of conversion. But in all other good acts following the first, man's will so renewed cooperates with the grace of God. And this was the learned S. Augustine his assertion, as it's expressed (in the 17. chap. of his book, de gratia & libero arbit.) in these words, velimus, Deus sine nobis operatur; quum autem volumus, & sic volumus ut faciamus, nobiscum cooperatur. To will God works without us; but when we do will, and so will that we act, God co-works with us. That this latter assertion is the truth, I shall make it appear by these three Arguments. The first Argument. AS is a dead man in his Revivification or Restauration to life, so is a natural man to his Regeneration or Conversion; which is his Restauration to spiritual life. But a deadman can be no cause of his own Revivification or Restauration to life. And therefore a natural man can be no cause of his Regeneration, or Restauration to spiritual life. The assumption no man that hath reason can deny; for there is an impossibility that a dead man should cooperate to his own Revivification. The major, or first Proposition is justified by those many Texts of Scripture, where it's affirmed of men unregenerate, that they are dead in sin; as Luke 9.60. Let the dead bury their dead; id est, The dead in sin, their bodily dead. And Luke 15.24. This my Son was dead, id est, in sin. And Ephes. 2.1. You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. And Col. 2.13. And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. And this very argument (though not in the same words, yet to the same purpose and effect) Bellarmine useth against the Pelagians in his Lib. 6. & cap. 5. De gratta & Libero Arb adding only this clause to the Assumption, That a dead man neither doth nor can dispose himself to life, unless he receives some vital power from him that revives him; which (it appears) he therefore added, lest the argument should reflect, and so be retorted upon himself; who afterwards, in the 10. Chapter of the same book, attributes power to man's will to work with God in his first conversion: the will being but first aided and excited by the preventing grace of God; by which he means (as it's there very evident) a grace preceding the work of conversion. But that the argument, which he there useth against Pelagius, doth confute himself; in that the clause which he hath added to the Assumption, doth not turn away the edge of the argument from himself, I make it plain thus; A dead man can receive no vital power from him that revives him, till he have first received soul and life, because there can be no vital power but in a living subject; it being a proper adjunct of a living subject quarto modo. If then he must receive soul and life before he can have any vital power, then cannot his vital power cooperate to his revivification, but must of necessity be a consequent and an effect of his enlivening. And so in like manner the case is the same with a man spiritually dead: He must first be revived by God before he can have any vital power in him to work with the grace of God; and therefore can be no cause at all of his revivification and conversion, in respect of the first act thereof. The second Argument. IF all the powers of man's soul be so depraved, that even the chiefest of them, namely, his Wisdom (a power consisting both in the understanding and will) be opposite to the Will of God, and the Law of God; and so opposite that it cannot be made conformable and subject to the Law of God, while it is the wisdom of the flesh; that is, till it be renewed and changed from fleshly wisdom to spiritual wisdom; then can there be no power in man's will whereby to cowork with God in the first act of his conversion. But all the power and faculties of man's soul are depraved, etc. Therefore there can be no power in man's Will to cowork with God in the first act of his Conversion. The consequent in the first Proposition is clear to any intelligent person, for if the wisdom of the flesh (which leads and guides the Will) cannot conform and be subject to the Law of God, while it is the wisdom of the flesh; then cannot the will, which is guided by it, cooperate with the will of God while it is the will of the flesh; and therefore by undeniable consequence must be renewed before it can cooperate with his will. And the Assumption is the express affirmation of Scripture, Gen. 6.5. Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually. And Rom. 8.7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject unto the Law of God, neither indeed can be. The third Argument. MY third Argument shall be the quotation of those many Texts of Scripture, where the co-operation of man's Will with God's Grace in the first work of regeneration is clearly excluded; and the work attributed to God alone. For brevity sake I will quote but some of the clearest and most convincing proofs; and omit the rest, which are very numerous. John 1.13. The Spirit of God speaking there of regenerate persons, affirmeth that they are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. In which words the Spirit of God expressing a perfect distribution of all the powers and forces that are or can be in man, excludes them all from this work, and ascribes it to the alone will of God; for it neither proceedeth from the blood of man; that is, from any prerogative of natural propagation or generation, which was wont to be the Pharisees vain brag and ostentation, We are Abraham's peed; for a which they were sharply reproved by John Baptist, Matth. 3.9. Nor doth it proceed from the will of the flesh; that is, from the natural strength of man's corrupt will: nor yet from the will of man; that is, of such a man, whose corrupt will is corrected, bettered and amended, either by the help of the common grace of God, or by the acquisition of humane learning, or by his own wise observation and experience; (for this force the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carrieth with it, which is here used; and so in like manner doth the Latin word vir, by which it's also translated in the Latin) from none of these forces in man doth this work proceed (and these are all the forces in man's will) but they are all excluded, and God alone is made the Author and Procreant cause thereof. A second testimony that I shall produce for proof of this Truth, is in Ephes. 2.8, 9, & 10 verses, where the Apostle speaks thus to the Ephesians; By grace ye are sa●ed through faith; and that not of your selves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. In which words the Apostle strives to annihilate ourselves about this work, and to take away all pretences of our cooperation with God therein. For first, He saith, It's not of ourselves; and then he saith, It's not of works, lest any man should boast: but there were matter of boasting, if ourselves were co-workers with God herein. And then he addeth (to remove all scruple about it) that we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Where note, that he doth not say, his workmanship renewed or repaired (though that be true too) but his workmanship created. The Apostle (as it may seem) did pick out this word on purpose (which he again also useth, speaking of this work in the 4 Chapter following, and 24. v. his words are, Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;) that he might altogether exclude all cooperation herein with God on our part; for to create is the proper act of God; and no creature can have any hand therein. There be many other pregnant and punctual proofs of Scripture for this point: As Ezek. 36.26. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. If God make all new, and take away all the old, then is there none of the old left to help to make itself new. Philip. 2.13. It's God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Therefore the Will works not, till God first work upon it. 2 Cor. 3.5. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. If we be not sufficient of ourselves to think that which is good; than not to will it, for, Voluntas sequitur intellectum; the Will follows the Thought. Jam. 1.18. Of his good will begat he us by the word of truth: If of his own will, than not by help of our will. But to avoid prolixity and tediousness (which I ever disliked) I will rest satisfied with the quotation of those few proofs of Scripture which I have already cited, pretermitting a number more of like sort, as hoping they may satisfy the unprejudiced Reader, because they are so clear and convincing. I have not yet done with this Controversy, but have something more to say about it: And that is, to invalidate the main Argument or objection which is brought by them of the Adversary part against this truth, (for I read of no other of any force) which is this: It's said by them, That men are called upon in Scripture to turn to God very often; which if they have not power of themselves to do, the commandment is unjust and needless; for Nemo tenetur ad impossibile. To this I return a solution or answer. First, That though we have no power so to do now, as we are fallen in Adam; yet did God give us so much grace in our first creation, as would have empowered us hereunto, if we ourselves had not lost it: And therefore is it no severity or injustice for God to require that at our hands, which he once gave us power to do, though now we cannot do it, because we ourselves have made ourselves unable to do it, and not God. And here I desire the Reader to take notice, how unfit a comparison one of our Adversaries (in this point) hath used; (though cried up for a man of learning) who chargeth God with as great severity, bidding us to turn unto him, if we have not of ourselves now freedom of will so to do, as for a man to cut off another man's legs, and then bid him run; But by his leave (for all his great learning) the case is not alike, but varies and fails in the main point of all; which is this, In that God gave man legs to run the ways of his commandments before he bade him run; which he hath cut off himself. God gave man power to do all that he requires at his hand, and man hath bereft himself thereof. And therefore it's neither injustice nor severity in God to require of man what he once gave him power to do, though now he be unable; because he hath disabled himself. If God had made man unable, the comparison might have held; but seeing man made himself unable, the comparison halteth. Secondly, I answer, that God's commandments do not always import what we can do, but what we should; they do not always argue our ability, but our duty. As for example (to instance but in one particular of many) We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all the heart, and with all the soul, and our neighbours as ourselves: This we cannot do in that fulsse that the Law requires, yet it is not severity in God to require it of us, because he once empowered us unto it, namely, in our first creation. And the case is the same about our conversion. Thirdly, I answer, that God requires it, though we cannot of ourselves do it, that we may be put in mind to crave his aid, who only is able to make us to do it. This reason is given by S. Augustine in these words, Jubet Deus quae non possumus, ut noverimus quae ab illo petere debemus. God commands us what we cannot do, to intimate unto us what we ought to crave of him; namely, what we cannot do of ourselves. And hence are those many prayers of several sorts of persons in the Scripture; as Psalm 51.10. Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. And Jer. 31.18. Convert thou me, and I shall be converted. And Lament. 5.21. Turn thou us unto thee. O Lord, and we shall be turned. Fourthly, I answer, that God commands us this, though we cannot do it of ourselves, that we may be excited to use such means as are by God's ordinance and appointment conducible and available thereunto, and which we have of ourselves power to use, which are Prayer, the Word and the Sacraments; for his calling to us to repent and return unto him, is a provocation or calling to us, to use such means as he hath appointed to produce the same in us. Fifthly and lastly, I answer, That such commands aim not only at our first conversion, but at our secondary and subsequent returns to God; when after our first conversion, we prevaricate and digress from him; in which secondary return man's will cooperates with the grace of God, as formerly hath been said. And therefore God's invitation of men to these returns, wherein their wills have some ability to cooperate with his grace, is not vain or needless, but very efficacious to allure and induce them thereunto. Not to tyre the Reader with any further dispute about this controversy, I will close it up with the addition of these two reasons to the former Arguments, to induce all persons to adhere to this opinion as the safest, which I have here asserted, First, because this opinion makes a clearer reconciliation of those Texts of Scripture which hold forth a seeming contradiction about this point, than the other doth; for according to the other opinion, they are not reconciled without some scruple. Secondly, because this opinion ascribes most glory to God, to whom all glory belongs; wherein there is no danger, though men detract from themselves. For to detract from nature, and give to grace is no danger; but to detract from grace, and give to nature, cannot but be dangerous. This was the saying of Peter Lombard: and is of all acknowledged and owned for truth. The fourth Controversy. About the merit of good works. THe Papists opinion about this, and Mr. Haggar's, in affirming good works to be causes of salvation (which both they do and he also in the 9 page of his forenamed discourse) hath so little appearance of truth, that it deserves to be exploded, rather than refuted: And I have good ground for what I affirm. First, Because it's so apparently repugnant to Scripture; as to Ephes. 2.8.9. where it's said, By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any should boast. And Tit. 3.5. Not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. And whereas to salve up the discord between Paul's affirmation and theirs, they make a distinction of good works; of which some (say they) go before justification, and some follow after it: and St. Paul (they say) speaks of those that go before; but they speak of such as follow after; and therefore they do not contradict him; I have formerly declared (namely in my 4th. Argument; about the first Controversy, in page the 20.) that the Apostle speaks of the same good works which they speak of; namely, of good works after justification and regeneration: And therefore they are herein contradictors of holy Scripture. Another ground for what I affirmed before, is this, Because I never had conference with any Papist yet (and I have conferred with many in my time) but they all disclaimed the merit of their own works, when upon occasion of discourse I have charged them with this gross Tenet. I have yet a third ground for what I said; and that is, because I find Bellarmine their Arch champion, after his affirmation of the merit of good works, and that they are true causes of salvation, and that some confidence may be placed in them (in his book of Controversies, namely, Libr. 5. cap. 7. de Justificat.) to give men counsel, within ten lines after, to put no confidence in their merits, but in the alone mercy and benignity of God, as the safest way. So that there is no great necessity to confute this opinion of the merit of works, seeing themselves do distrust it, and after a sort desert it. But yet some short confutation of this palpable error I will deliver; which (I hope) shall sufficiently convince it: And the first Argument I frame thus. Argument 1. IF eternal life or salvation be God's gfit, than it is not merited by man's good works; so the Apostle argues, Rom. 11.6. If it be of grace, it is no more of works. But eternal life is God's gift; so saith our Saviour, Luke 12.32. Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom: where note, that it's said to be a gift, and from no other motive, but from his own good pleasure. And John 10.27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, & they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life. And saith S. Paul, Rom. 6.23. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore eternal life is not merited by man's good works. Argument 2. IF all the good works which possibly we can do, be due debt to Almighty God, then can they not merit Heaven at his hand; for merit and debt cannot stand together; a man cannot be said to merit by paying that which he oweth. But they are due debts; so our Saviour teacheth, Luke 17. ●0. When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do. Therefore they cannot merit. Argument 3. IF our good works be not properly our own, but proceed from the grace of God, which worketh them in us and by us, then can they not be said to merit from God, though they may merit from others; because we return no more to God, than what we have received from him; we give him but a cluster of grapes out of his own Vineyard, and water out of his own Fountain. If any man discern not the necessity of this consequent, it's for want of perspicacity in his own understanding, and not for want of truth in the consequence: And Bellarmine doth acknowledge it in Libr. 5. cap. 15. De Grat. & Lib. Arb. Good works are not properly our own, but proceed from the grace of God, which worketh the same in us and by us; so it's said, Isa. 26.12. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. And Phil. 2.13. It's God that gives to will and to work of his good pleasure. Therefore the conclusion is true. Argument 4. IF our good works be not every way responsible & suitable to the Law of God, which requires them at our hands; then can they not be meritorious; this is clear. But they are not so. Therefore they cannot merit. That they are not answerable and agreeable to God's Law, is most evident, because they are imperfect and defective; whereas the Law of God is perfect; as David affirms, Psalm 19.7. Now that they are imperfect and defective, it's divers times affirmed in Scripture, Isa. 64.6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Rom. 7.18. To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. And again in the 21. verse, When I would do good, evil is present with me. Argument 5. IF there be no analogy and proportion between eternal life and our good works, then cannot our good works merit eternal life. This consequence is a clear truth in reason; for a reward is to be adequated and proportioned unto the work. But there is no analogy and proportion between eternal life and good works; for the reward of eternal life is infinite, but man's good works are finite; and (finiti ad infinitum nulla est proportio) between a finite thing and an infinite there is no proportion. Therefore the Conclusion holds, That eternal life cannot be merited by men's good works. I will answer the main Argument for the merit of works, & so I will conclude concerning this Controversy. It's alleged for defence of the merit of works, That the Scripture affirms that they shall be rewarded with eternal life, and that very often, as Matth. 5.11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, etc. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, Luke 14.14. When thou makest a feast, call the poor, etc. and thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Heb. 11.26. It's said, That Moses esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, because behad respect unto the recompense of reward. And oft elsewhere eternal life is called a reward, which (say the Adversaries) imports the merit of good works, because (merces & meritum) reward and merit are relatives. To this I answer, That there is a double reward: 1. A reward of merit or debt; and 2. A reward of mercy or favour. And this distinction is not devised or coined by man's wit, nor hewn out of the quarry of his brain; but is framed by the holy Ghost himself, Rom. 4.4. where it's thus written, Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt; where he bathe made an apparent distribution of reward in these two sorts. 1. A reward of grace: and 2. A reward of debt. Now eternal life is a reward of grace, mercy, or favour; and not a reward of debt or merit, as the Texts before quoted demonstrate; scil. Luke 12.32. John 10 28. & Rom. 6.23. In all which places its called the gift of God: and a gift proceeding from his own pleasure, and therefore can be no debt that God oweth to men for their good works; for a gift and debt are so dissentaneous, that they cannot consist together, nor be predicated of one and the same subject. And hence it is, that though God hath oft promised to reward such as do good works with everlasting life, (that he may provoke all men unto them) yet it is nowhere said, that they shall be rewarded for them, (for that might have been interpreted to have intimated and imported some merit in them) but the Scripture in mentioning God's reward of good works, useth this phrase, That they shall be rewarded according to their works; which intimates the reward to be given of God's mercy, and not to be obtained by man's merits. Thus it's expressed Psalm 62.12. Unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy; for thou renderest to every man according to his works. Matth. 16.27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his Angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 2 Cor. 5.10. We must all appear before the tribunal seat of Christ, that every man may receive according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Rev. 20.12. & 13. verses: It's twice said of the dead, that they were judged according to their works; and in Chapter the 22 and verse the 12. Beheld, (saith Christ) I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be. This is the constant expression of Scripture in speaking of the reward of good works, to phrase it (according to works) and not where (for them) lest men should presume to ascribe some merit unto them. And this makes it evident, that the Popish distinction of the merit of condignity, and the merit of congruity, is but a mere jingle and shift to evade the force of the former Arguments against the merit of good works; for the merit of congruity (which they attribute to good works) proceeds from mercy (as they confess themselves) and therefore cannot properly be called merit; for mercy and merit are contradistinct and inconsistent, it's the very affirmation of Scripture, Rom. 11.6. If by grace, then it's no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace: but if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. Here the Apostle makes a flat opposition between grace and works; and there is the very same opposition between mercy and merit; which hath forced that confession from Bellarmine, (which hath oft dropped from his pen in his book of Controversies) Merita nostra sunt Dei munera. The like was S. Bernard his confession to Almighty God; Meritum meum est misericordia tua, my merit is thy mercy. Both which are agreeable to the sentence of S. Augustine in his Book of Homiles, (in Homil. the 14) Quum bona ●pera nostra remunerat Deus, non merita nostra, sed sua dona coronat; When God rewardeth our good works, he crowns his own gifts, and not our merits. From this premised discourse I deduct this corollary or capitulation of the causes of salvation, as they are in order manifested in Scripture. First, God's free grace and love is the primary and principal efficient cause of election unto salvation. This is justified by these Texts, (beside many other) Rom. 11.5. Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Ephes. 1.5. Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. And again in the 11. verse following of the same Chapter; In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Secondly, Christ's obedience, active and passive, is the meritorious cause of salvation, and of all the means conducting thereunto. So Colos. 1.14. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And 1 John 1.7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. And 1 Pet. 1.18, 19 Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; with many such like Texts. Thirdly, Faith is the instrumental cause, that is to say, the instrument whereby we receive Christ, and apply his merits to us; so John 1.12. As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And Ephes. 3.17. The Apostle saith, that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. And hence it is our righteousness is called, both the righteousness of faith, Rom. 10.6. And the righteousness, which is by faith, Heb. 11.7. And the righteousness which is of God by faith, Phil. 3.9. Fourthly and lastly, Vocation, and Justification, and Sanctification, and good works, and eternal life and salvation, are the joint fruits and effects of the aforenamed causes, successively following one another. Vocation, Justification, and Sanctification, and good works are the first fruits and effects of the foresaid causes brought forth here in this life, as numerous Texts of Scripture testify, which I need not recite, because they are familiarly known, and because I have mentioned divers of them formerly. And Eternal Life and Salvation is the last fruit, the consummation and ultimate end of all, as it's very often taught and testified. Rom. 6.22. Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto heliness, and the end everlasting life. And 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. These are the links of the golden chain of salvation, and the order of the causes thereof; as they are annexed and held forth to us in the word of God. And in Rom. 8.30. they are summed up together, though in fewer words: Whom he did predestinate, (saith the Apostle) them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. And hence is Mr. Haggar's gross error, in his concatenation of the causes of salvation, detected and confuted; In that he makes sanctification and good works causes of salvation; which are but fruits and effects of God's election, and the merits of Christ apprehended by faith, for they go before salvation only as necessary antecedents, and as the appointed way to lead us to salvation, and as preparatives for Heaven; (as hath been already declared) but not as causes thereof. 1. They are, Via regne, but not, causa regnandi. So that as the way to any place, is not the cause that brings any man to it, though he must needs pass through the way, to come to that place; but the cause of his coming to it, is his own will and motion. So sanctification and good works, though they be necessary antecedents to salvation, so that we cannot pass to Heaven, but through them; yet they are not the causes which brings us thither; but the causes thereof are the mercies of God, and the merits of Christ apprehended by Faith. And so I end this Controversy. If now I have not untied the Gordian knots of these long debated Controversies, so fully and openly as to give satisfaction to all whose thoughts have been formerly puzzled about them (as I believe I shall not) yet my labour will not be wholly lost in these regards: First, Because I have hereby declared my willingness to do the Church service to my power, by putting my hand to the supportation of the truth of the gospel; which these stormy times have so impetuously and vehemently shaken. Secondly, Because what I have delivered may happily give satisfaction to some, and let them lose out of the briers of their hesitation, that were doubtful before what opinion to incline to. Thirdly, Because this Essay may happily be an occasion to invite and induce some more Logical and Learned pen to publish a more Scholastic and plenary solution of them. The fifth Controversy. About Original sin. THat I may the more fully discover and confute this error, I will unfold these four points about the sin of our natures, the sin wherein we are conceived and born; which therefore all Orthodox Divines have fitly and properly called Original Sin. First, I will render a reason of the epithet, why it is called Original Sin. Secondly, I will give a definition of the Sin what is. Thirdly, I will allege some of the evident proofs of Scripture for the justification of it. Fourthly I will frame some irrefragable and convincing arguments drawn out of Scripture to prove it, by necessary and undeniable consequence. The first Point opened. THe sinful corruption or corrupt disposition of man's nature from the womb, hath many epithets or names given unto it in Scripture, which denote and declare that it hath its original and beginning with man's conception and birth; and therefore is fitly and properly termed Original Sin, and so ever hath been for above this thousand years, by all sound and learned Divines both ancient and modern. For though it be not in terminis, in these very words so called in Scripture; yet hath it divers other epithets and names there given it; which are consignificant, and import and imply the same sense and meaning, with these words Original Sin, amongst which take notice of these: Rom. 6.6. It's called, The old man, and the body of sin. 1 Cor. 5.7. It's termed, The old leaven. Rom. 7.17. The sin that dwelleth in us. Rom. 7.23. The law in our members. Rom. 7.24. The body of death. Gal. 5.16. The lusts of the flesh. Jam. 1.14. A man's own lust: In which Text in the next words following, it is punctually distinguished from all actual sins; as being expressly affirmed to be the procreant cause of all actual sin; for the cause and the effects cannot be one and the same. The second Point opened; what original sin is. ORiginal sin is a pravity, vitiosity, or vicious habit, or corrupt disposition of man's nature from his first conception; as a just punishment of all men's sin in Adam; whereby they are born the children of wrath, and become subject to death both of body and soul; and also become prone to commit all actual sins. Or thus, Original sin is a pravity of man's nature from his first conception; whereby he seems to be prone to all sin; as a just punishment of Adam's sin or transgression, whereof all men are guilty; and for which all men are exposed and subjected to death both corporal and eternal. Both these definitions have one and the same sense. And from them ye may observe that there be three things in Original Sin, or three parts of it. The first is the guilt of Adam's sin, whereof S. Paul speaks, Rom. 5.19. where he saith, By one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Secondly, There is the defect and want of original righteousness; whereof he speaks, Rom. 3.23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God; i.e. of God's image, which was in man's first creation stamped upon him. And for this exposition I have warrant from 1 Cor. 11.7. in that the Apostle there joined these together as synonimas, image and glory, when he saith, That man is the image and glory of God. Thirdly, There is the succession of a vicious habit and corrupt disposition in man's nature in place of his primitive righteousness, whereof we read Gen. 6.5. where God himself witnesseth, That the whole imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually. And Psal. 14.2, & ●. verse, David saith, That the Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy. And here I desire the Reader to consider how these three parts of this our native sin do produce and bring forth one another; the first, namely the guilt of Adam's sin, being the sole cause of the other two; as these Texts (beside many other) declare, Rom. 3.23. All have sinned (that is, in Adam) and come short of the glory of God; i.e. come short of that glorious image of God, by reason of that sin of Adam's, whereof all are guilty. And Rom. 5.19. By one man's disobedience many wert made sinners. By which one man, Adam is understood (as all acknowledge.) And so these two Texts make it clear, that children's want of Original or Primitive righteousness, and the inquination and depravation of their natures, do both flow from their guilt of Adam's sin, and are the sad consequents of it. The third point opened. The evident proofs of Scripture for it. BEsides the Texts already named, it's plentifully taught elsewhere, Gen. 5. the 1, & 3. verses compared: In the first verse it's said, that Adam was created in the likeness of God. And in the 3. verse it's said, that He begat a child in his own likeness, after his image; which imports that he begat not a child in the likeness of God, which consisted in holiness, but in the likeness of himself who then was stained with sin. Gen. 8.21. The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: Which Text is rendered by Junius and Tremellius, The imagination or frame of man's heart is evil from his childhood. Now children are free from actual sins; and therefore the evil of their hearts must need be Original; because all evil of sin is comprehended under one of these two sorts. Job 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Which is spoken in reference to man's birth, as it's there most apparent in the first verse. Job 15.14. What is man that he should be clean? or he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous. And again, chap. 25.4. How then can man be justified with God, or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? The interrogations in both these Texts imply an impossibility that any woman should bring forth a child free from the pollution and tincture of sin in the ordinary way of conception and parturition. Psal. 51.5. Behold, (saith David) I was shapen in iniquity. If David, than all others but our Saviour only, whose conception was not after the ordinary manner, but by the miraculous and incomprehensible operation of the holy Ghost. The Anabaptists (to avoid the repugnancy between their Tenet and this Text) have devised this shift. They say that David spoke this of his mother's sin in his conception, and not of his own fin. But this is so weak a subterfuge and evasion, and so dissonant from the scope and purpose of the Psalm, that I should think that any judicious man (that seeks the truth) should blush to own it; for this is one of David's penitential Psalms, wherein he makes humble confession of his own sins to God, and not of his mother's; and makes earnest request and supplication for the expiation of them, as all the precedent verses declare. And again, though the latter words in the verse might be wrested to be spoken of his mother's sin, as well as his own, because mention is made of her, yet the first words which are these, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, must of necessity be understood of himself, and can have no reference to his mother, without violence to the Text, and wilful wresting of it. Psal. 58.3. It's said, That the wicked are estranged from the womb. And the like place is in Isa. 48.8. where the Lord calls the house of Jacob A transgressor from the womb; which is as much to say as a sinner by birth. Ezek. 16.4, 5, & 6. verses, Jersalem's nativity is affirmed by God to be polluted; and he saith, That he saw her polluted in her own blood; which Text, though it should be granted to be allegorical (as some Interpreters would have it) yet inevitably concludes man's birth to be unclean. Joh. 3.6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh, saith our Saviour, that is, is sinful. For when the flesh is opposed to the Spirit (as it is here in this Text) it usually denoteth, and is put to signify the pravity or sinfulness of nature: as Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to another. Roman. 5.12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death pasled upon all men, for that all have sinned. If all have sinned, then have infants sinned as well as others; for we do not find them any where excepted. Now infants have no actual sin, while they are infants, and therefore that sin, which they are said to have, must needs be original; all sin whatsoever being comprehended under one of these two kinds, as was said before. The fourth Point opened, namely, Arguments drawn from Scripture to prove original sin by necessary consequence. Argument 1. IF children be not conceived and born in sin, then is there no need of their regeneration or second birth to their salvation, before they have made themselves sinners by actual transgression; for nothing hinders from salvation but sin. But children have need of a regeneration or second birth to their salvation, before they have committed any actual sin; as is clear from our Saviour's words, twice affirmed with vehement asseveration John 3.3. & 5. verses, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. And this is spoken without any exception of Infants, either there or in any other place of Scripture, and is also proved by our Saviour in the verse next following to concern Infants, as well as men of years; because whatsoever is born of the flesh (that is, of fleshly and sinful Parents) is flesh, that is, is fleshly and finful; for so we find in other places of Scripture, (as was said before) that where the flesh and spirit are opposed one to another, (as they are in this verse) there by spirit is understood the regenerate part in man, and by flesh the unregenerate part, as (beside the former Text quoted, Gal. 5.16, & 17. verses) is to be seen in Rom. 8. several times; verse the 5. They that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. And in the next verse, To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. And in the 9 verse, Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. And again in the 13. verse, If ye live after the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. In all which places (as also in most other in the New Testament where the Spirit and the flesh are set in opposition one to another) there by flesh is meant the unregenerate part in man; unless some circumstances in the context do necessarily require that such places should be otherwise understood. Hence therefore it follows undeniably, That children are conceived and born in sin; namely, because they stand in need of regeneration to their salvation. Argument 2. THey that are subject to diseases and death in their conception and birth, are in their conception and birth sinful; for these, namely, diseases and death, are affirmed to be the fruits and effects of sin in Scripture very frequently; Rom. 5.12. By one man sin entered into the World, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death. So that where we see death or sickness seize upon any young or old, there we may surely conclude, that sin hath gone before: But Infants are subject to diseases and death in their very conception and birth. Therefore they are in their conception and birth sinful. To evade the force of this argument, one of note amongst the Anabaptisie (namely one Mr. Brown, in a Treatise which he hath penned and published, entitled Scripturerede●ption freed from restraint, and in page the 7. of the said discourse) restrains the death mentioned in the forenamed Texts to a bodily death only; affirming that Adam by his sin exposed himself and his posterity, not to eternal or the second death; to the death of soul and body both; but to bodily death only. Yet lest he should seem to contradict Scripture (which affirms all sin to provoke God's anger, and to deserve death, and to bring forth fruit unto death) he confesseth, that any sin deserves death, but not every kind of death. His words are these, I grant (saith he) that the wages of sin is death, but the wages of any sin is not every kind of death. And so denies that Adam incurred any other death by his sin then the death of the body. Touching this answer and this exposition of the foresaid Texts of Scripture; I desire the Reader to take notice of these two failings and faults therein. First, it extenuates the heinousness of sin, and minceth and diminisheth that just demerit and penalty of it, which throughout the whole Scripture is denounced against it; which is death both of body and soul. Secondly, It's a concession and confession in effect, that children are by nature sinful, born with fin upon them, and in them; for if the wages of any be death (which is truth, and he ingeniously affirms it) then where there is any death, there must needs be some sin; or else the wages and penalty of sin should be inflicted where there is no sin. Whereas therefore some children suffer in their infancy some kind of death, namely bodily death; they must needs be guilty of some kind of sin, otherwise they should be punished with bodily death undeservedly (which to affirm were blasphemy) But they can have no actual sin (as is confessed of all men) and therefore the sin which exposeth them to death must needs be some latent sin, wherewith their natures are stained from the womb (as the Scripture speaks) which is that which we call original. And so ye may see that his answer to the argument is in effect a concession of the unaswerable force of it, and of that which he would seem to deny. But I will display Mr. Brown his gross error about this point yet a little further. He confesseth in the same place of his book, that actual sins in men deserve eternal death, though not origin all sin. Now I would know of him, whether Adam's first sin was not actual sin. This I am sure he cannot deny; Nay a very heinous actual sin it was, as might be laid open by many circumstances. This then being granted; I demand of him, why actual sins in us should be punishable with eternal death, and not this first heinous actual sin of Adam's? I dare answer for him, that he cannot tell. For if our actual sins deserve eternal death, much rather that of Adam's, as who had greater light, and more grace, and less temptations than we have. All which considerations are so many aggravations of his sin. Lastly, to trample this vile error yet once more under foot, that it may never lift up itself again, I demand of these Anabaptists whether Adam did not by his sin divest and disrobe himself of that glorious image of God after which he was made; which consisted especially in righteousness and true holiness; as the Apostle hath declared Eph. 4.22.23. and 24. verses; for there he exhorts to put of the old man; by which he means the vitiosity & sinfulness of our natures, transmitted and propagated into us by old Adam: and then to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness; which implies, that God's image, after which man was first created, did consist in righteousness and holiness. Now if they deny, that Adam by his sin deprived himself of God's image, consisting in righteousness and holiness; they must deny the 5. chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans to be Canonical Scripture, for there the Apostle affirms several times in the five last verses that by Christ we regain both righteousness, and life; which Adam lost. And again the word (renewed which the Scripture useth in speaking hereof) implies a deprivation of that which was before: for nothing can properly be said to be renewed, but where there hath been a precedent deprivation of that which is renewed. Again on the other side; if they confess that Adam by his sin deprived himself of God's image, than they confess (by conseqvence) that his sin brought upon him spiritual death; (which is a further penalty then corporal death, and so impugneth their tenet, that Adam incurred by his first sin no other death, than the death of the body) for as the soul gives natural life to the body, so the image of God, namely righteousness and holiness, gives spiritual life to the soul; and without which the soul is spiritually dead, as Ephes. 2.1. & Colos. 2.13. and divers other Texts of Scripture witness, where mention is made of a death in sin: You that were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened, etc. whence by undeniable consequence it follows, that where there is a deprivation of the spiritual life of righteousness and holiness, there must needs follow a spiritual death in sin. Now if they deny grace, righteousness and holiness to be the life of the soul, I refer them to the view of these three Texts of Scripture (omitting many other) where it's expreslly asserted, Prov. 3.21, 22. Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so shall they be life unto thy soul. And Rom. 8.6. To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life. And Rom. 8.10. The spirit is life, because of righteousness: that is, The soul is alive spiritually, because of righteousness. Argument 3. THey whom Christ came to save are sinners: So saith our Saviour himself, Matth. 9.13. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And S. Paul, Rom. 5.6. Christ died for the ungodly. And 1 Tim. 1.15. Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners. And this must needs be so in reason; for where there is no sin, there is no need of a Saviour. But Christ came to save Infants as well as men of years. Therefore they are sinners. Now that Christ came to save Infants as well as men of years, appears by Scripture these two ways. 1. Because he died for all men, as oft the Scripture affirms; 1 Tim. 2.6. He gave himself a ransom for all. Heb. 2.9. He tasted death for every man. For whether (all) in these and the like Texts of Scripture be taken for all sorts of men only, or for all of all sorts, Infants must needs be included amongst them, for they are one sort of men. 2. Because he invited children to come unto him, or to be brought unto him, as is said, Mark 10.14. which intimates, that he came into the world to save them, as well as men of years. I will add one argument more for proof of this point; to which the wit of man (though prompted by the cunning suggestion of the old serpent) cannot devise a satisfactory answer. Argument 4. THey which are by nature children of wrath, are by nature sinners. But all men are by nature children of wrath, so saith the Apostle, Ephes. 2.3. Therefore all men are by nature sinners; and so consequently Infants. The first proposition is all that I have to prove; (for the assumption is S. Paul's own affirmation) And I find it the constant doctrine of holy Scripture, both in the Old and New Testament, which evermore teacheth sin to be the only cause of God's anger and wrath; And this in reason must needs be so, because all things else were his own works; which were all good, yea, very good, (as we read in Gen. 1.31.) And sin only was the Devil's work, the enemy of God and all goodness; and therefore sin only is said to provoke God's anger, and wrath. The testimonies of Scripture are so numerous for this, that I will name but this one of a thomsand, Rom. 1.18. The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And how oft God is said in Scripture to have been provoked to anger by the sins of the people of Israel none can be ignorant. I will add but one thing more about this argument, and so I will conclude it. The forenamed Text in Eph. 2.3. with what is deducible from it (where it is affirmed, that we are all by nature the children of wrath) puzleth the Anabaptists not a little, and puts them to their shifts to frame such an exposition thereof as may not impugn their own false Tenet about original sin. This may appear from that exposition, which the forementioned Mr. Brown hath made of that Text, in the 6. page of his book that I named before, where he thus expounds it: By nature (saith he) is understood, first the matter and form of our bodies, which are good; and principally the light that God hath placed in man. Now that this is a novel, false, and irrational interpretation of this Text, I thus discover. If by nature here be understood nothing but what is good: namely, the matter and form of our bodies, and the light that God hath placed in us; then how can it make us the children of wrath, as here it's said of it? for nothing that's good can make us children of wrath. It's sin only, (which was first brought forth by Satan) and nothing else, that provokes God's wrath, as formerly was proved. By nature therefore in this place, of necessity must be understood something that is sinful (for else it could not make us children of wrath, as hath been showed) which can be nothing else but that vitiosity, pravity and corrupt disposition, which from our first birth and being is propagated into our bodies and souls by natural generation. For though it were granted, that by (nature) here be meant the substance of our souls and bodies; yet of necessity it must be also granted (as hath been now proved) that it's meant of them, not as pure and free from any sin; but as vitiated and depraved therewith from their first union and conjunction together into one individual. It remains therefore a sure and sacred truth, inviolable and infringible; and not to be contradicted, but by obstinacy or impudence itself, That children are born in sin. The sixth Controversy. About Tithes. THere is an obsteperous clamour raised against Tithes by the Anabaptistical teachers, who yet (for the most part) lay as heavy a burden upon their disciples, and put them to as great cost and charges as is equivalent to Tithes: And this (in all probability) they have broached and ventilated to get the better morsel for themselves. For this they find by experience, that the way to insinuate with the common people, and to wind themselves into their bosoms, is to preach pleasing things unto them; and especially such as sound for their profit, be it right or wrong. To stop their mouths, (if it may be) if not, yet to justify the practice of paying and receiving Tithes. I will first make it appear, that it stands with equity and justice, that Ministers of the Gospel have allowance and recompense for performing their work of the Ministry; and such an allowance as may afford them a competent and comfortable livelihood and subsistence. Secondly, I shall make it appear, That it stands with equity and justice, that they have Tithes for their allowance. 1. The former I shall prove both by Scripture and force of reason. By Scripture I shall prove it both in the Old Testament and in the New. First, In the Old Testament: God commanded that the Levites, who were the persons set apart to attend upon the service of God in those times under the Law, as the Ministers of the word are under the Gospel, should have allowance both by Tithes, and other emoluments and profits out of sacrifices and oblations; (as every one knows) and moreover they had given them by God's appointment 48. Cities with their suburbs, and land annexed and appropriated to every one of them, extending in quantity to 2000 Cubits of ground round about every City; as it's recorded in the 25th. Chapter of the Book of Numbers, and the first verse, and so forward. Secondly, In the new Testament, our Saviour Christ sending forth his 70. disciples to preach the Gospel, bids them take neither bag, nor scrip, nor shoes, but to eat and drink with those into whose houses they entered; for the labourer is worthy of his hire, Luke 10.4, 5, 6, & 7. verses. S. Paul also justifies this at large, and several times in 1 Cor. 9.9, 10, & 11. verses, He writes thus, It is written in the Law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for Oxen? or saith he it altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt this is written; that he that ploweth, should blow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? And then he addeth in the 23. verse, Do you not know that they which minister about holy things, live of the things of the Temple? and they which wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar? even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. Here is no ambiguity nor obscurity in this Text, but a plain and punctual affirmation, that they which preach the Gospel should have their maintenance and livelihood for preaching of it. But see yet further proof hereof (to beat down (if it may) that unreasonable and unjust desire that is in some niggardly people, who would have Ministers do all their work and labour for nothing) Gal. 6.6. The Apostle gives this precept, Let him that is taught in the word, communicate to him that teacheth, in all good things. And again, in 1 Tim. 5.17, 18. verses, Let the elders which rule well, be counted worthy of double honour; especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corn; and the labourer is worthy of his reward. Here then is plentiful proof of Scripture for the justification of this point. But now see it proved also by force of reason, which I have learned out of Scripture also; namely out of 1 Cor. 9.7, 8, 12. here the Apostle reasons after this manner, Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the Law the same also? And then in the verses following (rehearsed before) applies it to the Ministers of the Gospel. As if he should have said, Every vocation and profession, from the highest to the lowest, from the King to the day-labourer, affords some emolument and recompense to them that labour in them; this cannot be denied. And therefore, if all other men live by their functions and callings; it's just that Ministers also should also live by theirs. Again, I read in Scripture; namely, in 1 Tim. 3.2. That a Bishop should be hospitable. Now if people should afford him no allowance and compensation for his labour and pains, but rather subduct that which hath been formerly given both by God (as I shall make appear hereafter) and devout men, to the support of the Ministry; I demand, (which I know cannot be rationally answered) by what means a Bishop should maintain hospitality? So that very reason, equity and justice, claim an allowance to be yielded to the maintenance of the Ministry. 2. Now I shall prove, That it stands with equity and justice, That Ministers have Tithes for their allowance. And this I prove four ways, or by four Arguments. Argument 1. First, Because God himself appointed this payment of Tithes, first to his Ministers the Levites (as was mentioned before (in way of compensation for their work of the Ministry: And therefore it stands with equity and justice, because it hath him for the first Author, who doth all things justly. Argument 2. Secondly, Because the payment of Tithes hath been used and continued here in England many hundred years, by the appointment of the supreme Magistrates from time to time without any interruption, and hath been also confirmed and established by sundry laws under the Saxon Kings of this Realm long before the Conquest; and by many Acts of Parliament since in their several Ages, which never yet were repealed: Who herein have followed the pattern which God had set them; so that to charge them with injustice herein, is both against Reason, Religion, Duty and charity. From whence it's clear, that Beneficed Ministers of the Church of England, in their several respective Incumbencies, have as full, just, and legal title and claim to their Tithes, and as much right thereunto, as any Lord of a Manor, Freeholder, or other person hath to any of the Lands or Goods whereof he standeth possessed; to wit, Per Leges & Consuetudines Angliae. Wherefore seeing its evident out of the Chronicles and Histories of the Politic Government of this Nation, that Tithes have been so long alienated from the Laity, and dedicated and given to the maintenance of the Ministry, by those persons in supreme power, from whom laymen's title to their Lands, and to the other nine parts of the increase and fruits of the same was derived; it's therefore contrary to all equity and reason, that they should claim any property or interest in Tithes now, who have been so long time out of possession of them, and divested of all interest and property in them. Argument 3. Thirdly, Because Tithes are assigned to the Ministers in England by the people's own consent and Vote in Parliament: For the Parliaments Vote is their Vote, the Parliament being the Representative body of all the people in the Land. Furthermore it's also to be considered, for the defence of the justice of the people's payment of Tithes to Ministers; that seeing it's not nominated in the New Testament (where a compensation is allowed and enjoined for the work of the Ministry) what or how much this compensation or allowance shall be, therefore there was great equity that the supreme lawful Magistrate, and the Parliament should determine and appoint what it should be, as being the fittest intermediate Judges between the Ministers and the People: For it was neither fit that Ministers should have what they would demand, for then (its probable) some would have too much, nor yet that people should give them but what they pleased, for then (its more than probable) they would give too little. It remains therefore that the payment of Tithes to Ministers (as the case stands here in England) is both equal and just; as being justified both by the Law of God and man, and by the people's own assent and Vote in Parliament. And that therefore all Opposers of the same, are by necessary consequence Opposers both of the Law of God and the lawful Magistrate, and their own Vote. Argument 4. I come now to a fourth and last argument for proof of this point of the Clergies just title to Tithes; which (though it will be most cavilled at by Gainsayers, yet) to such as are truly religious, and not possessed with prejudice, it will be of very great force to bend and bind their consciences to a free and a full acknowledgement of this truth. I find in Scripture, by comparing one Text with another, that God himself, in his first general Grant to Adam and his posterity, of a Sovereignty over, and a free use of these inferior creatures (mentioned Gen. 1.28. did reserve a Tenth out of the fruits of the land to himself, which afterwards (namely when he had instituted a Ministerial and Sacerdotal function, for the performance of the public duties of his own worship and service) he gave to those that did officiate therein. And therefore to that Function they belong still, and are not alienable from it by any power on Earth, because annexed, appended and appropriated to it by a Divine Donation. To make good this Argument, I have two things to prove. First, that God reserved to himself a Tenth out of the increase and fruits of the Earth, when he conferred upon Adam a power and property over these things below. Secondly, that he assigned and gave the same Tenth to the Priesthood, for the support of his own Worship and Service. For proof of the former, I bring these three Texts of Scripture. The first is in Gen. 28.21, 22. Where I find the Patriarch Jacob vowing these two duties to God. 1. His faith and affiance in God, in these words, Then shall the Lord be my God. 2. His payment of Tithe to God, in these words; and I will surely give the tenth unto thee. By which latter speech it appears, that the Tenth of his increase was due to God. For if it be objected, that the payment of the Tenth to God might be a voluntary oblation, and not a due or duty formerly belonging unto God. To this I answer, that the former branch of his vow being a necessary duty which he did owe unto God; it's very probable that this latter branch (which is coupled with it) should be a voluntary oblation; but most probably that it was a duty of right appertaining to God as well as the other. The second proof of Scripture which I produce is in Levit. 27.30. Where the Lord himself speaks thus to Moses; All the Tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or the fruit of the tree, it is the Lord's, it is holy unto the Lord. Here we have a special and peculiar appropriation of Tithes to Almighty God signified from his own mouth. The third proof is in Mal. 3.8. where God again speaks after this manner; Will a man rob God? yet ye have rob me; but ye say, wherein have we rob thee? in tithes and offerings. This appropriation of Tithes to God in both these latter Texts, argues undeniably a more special and peculiar right and property in them, than appertains to him by his general right of creation, which (in all probability) was a reservation of them to himself; when he granted to man a Lordship and property in and over these sublunary and inferior creatures. And these he reserved (as appeared by his disposal of them afterward) for the maintenance and support of his own solemn worship and service, as foreseeing how penurious, tenacious and straithanded people would be in contributing to the support and furtherance of the same. And that this is so, may more clearly appear these two ways, or by these two considerations. First, Because this claim was made by God, before his institution of the Levitical function, to which he gave the Tithes afterwards; so that God could not then claim them in any reference to the Levites (as otherwise might have been supposed) because they were not appointed to their Sacerdotal office till afterwards, as is manifested by the story following in the first and third Chapters of the book of Numbers, where their first institution is recorded. 2. Secondly, Because God could not have claimed them as his own in this distinct way and sense from the rest, if he had given them before to Adam: And therefore this peculiar claim and property, which God challengeth to Tithes (which is in effect a denial of them to belong to man) speaketh his reservation of them to himself, when he first passed his original grant of all things here below to Adam. 2. Secondly, I have yet to prove that God gave these Tithes (which he had reserved to himself) to the Priests and Levites. And this I prove by three Texts of Scripture. First, I read in Gen. 14.18.19, & 20. verses, That when Melchizedek the Priest of the most high God, had blessed the Patriarch Abraham, he gave him Tithes of all; that is, Abraham gave Melchizedek the Priest the tenth of the spoils that he had gotten in a battle, as it's expressed Heb. 7.4. This we may not imagine to be done by Abraham without special warrant from God (though the Scripture makes no mention thereof) as who is so highly commended in Scripture for his faith and upright walking with God. And by this fact it appears, that God appointed Tithes to be given to his Priests; this being the first mention that is made of them in Scripture. Secondly, It's clearly proved by a manifest of God's donation of Tithes to the Levites, in Numb. 18 21, 24, 25, & 26. verses, where the Lord tells Aaron three several times, that he had given the tithe of the children of Israel to the Levites. Thirdly, It's affirmed by the Apostle, Heb. 7.5. where we find it thus written; And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the Priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law. Now from the premises I collect, that Tithes are due to God's Ministers by divine right; as who have a just title unto them by a special donation and grant from God himself, to whom they primitively belonged, as hath been demonstrated. And that therefore to alienate them from the Ministry, and to put them into the hands of the Laity, is apparent and manifest sacrilege. I will make a short answer to the ridiculous objections of some irrational, unjust and covetous people against the payment of Tithes, and so conclude. 1. Objection. First, Some say that Ministers should take nothing for their labour; because our Saviour said to his Apostles, Freely ye have received, freely give, Mat. 10.8. 1. Answ. To this I answer, 1. That our Saviour spoke these words to his twelve Apostles, to whom he gave commission and command to go and preach the Gospel to all the world, as it's recorded Mark 16.15. So that they could have no leisure to stay in any one place so long as to gather Tithes, having so great a journey to travel. 2. Answ. Secondly, I answer, That he bade them not only to preach, but to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils; and then said, Freely ye have received, freely give: because to do such miraculous works, as to heal their sick, and cast out devils, and raise their dead, he knew that the people would be hasty to give large moneys; and therefore he commanded his Apostles to do such miracles freely, lest through avarice they should abuse his free grace to their own private gain. And that he meant not to forbid them to take any reward for preaching (though they took nothing for working miracles) is apparent from the two next verses following, where he subjoins these speeches; Provide neither gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves; for the workman is worthy of his meat. By which speeches he approves of their receiving of meat and other such needful things before named, from such to whom they preached the Gospel; for otherwise he would not have forbidden them the provision of such necessaries, without which they could not subsist. 2. Objection. Some again object and say, That Ministers should not preach for money. 1. Answ. To this I return a double answer also. First, I say, that yet they are not bound to preach for nothing, unless they could live (like Chameleons without meat.) This I have sufficiently proved before. 2. Answ. 2. I answer, That in some sense they are not to preach for money; that is, as the only and chief end of their preaching; for the chief end of preaching is the glory of God, and the edification of the body of Christ, and the salvation of men, which every faithful preacher especially aims at. But yet in some sense again they may preach for money; that is, as deserving and expecting money, as a due reward of their pains, and the means of their maintenance and subsistence. Having now finished what I propounded to discuss and debate; I will tyre the Reader with no farther discourse, but wind up all with an apology for myself, in presuming to publish this plain and impolish canvise, and discussion of these old controversies, (now newly revived) which have been so largely and learnedly disputed and discussed by many great Scholars, and Divines of exquisite and profound learning in former ages. All that I have to plead for myself (besides that I premised in my Epistle to the Reader) is this, That by the mouth of more witnesses, every truth may still be more established. FINIS. Books Printed, and are now to be sold by Nathanael Web, and William Gratham, at the black Bear in St. Paul 's Church-yard, near the little North-door, 1657. Books in Quarto. MAster Isaac Ambrose, Prima, media & ultima, [First Middle, and Last things] in three Treatises, of Regeneration, Sanctification, and with Meditations on Life, Death, Hell and Judgement, newly published with large additions, in 4. Mr. Richard Vines A Treatise of the Institution, Right Administration and Receiving of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; delivered in twenty Sermons at St. Laurence Jury, in 4. Newly published. Mr. Nathanael Hardy, Several Sermons preached upon Solemn occasions, collected into one Volume, in 4. — [The first Ep. General of St. John] unfolded and applied, in 22. Sermons, in 4. 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[The Beacon flaming, with a non obstante against those that plead for Liberty of Printing and publishing Popish Books] in 4. [The Ranters Reasons resolved to nothing, or the Fustification, instead of the Justification of the mad Crew, etc.] in 4. Mr. Nath. Stephen's [A precept for the Baptism of Infants, out of the New Testament] in 4. Mr. Josiah Ricraft [A Nosegay of Rank-smelling Flowers, such as grow in John Goodwin's Garden, etc.] in 4. Dr. Sam. Anesly [The first dish at the Wiltshire Feast] a Sermon preached before many worthy Citizens of London, born in that County, in 4. [Communion with God] in two Sermons, preached at Paul's before the Lord Major of London, lately published, in 4. Mr. Edmund Calamy (The Monster of sinful Selfseeking Anatomised) A Sermon preached at Paul's before the Lord Major of London, lately published, in 4. Mr. John Warren of Hatfield-Regis in Essex [The Potent Potter] A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament, in 4. — [The unprofitable Servant] A Sermon preached at the Assize at Chelmsford in Essex, lately published, in 4. (Man's Fury subservient to God's Glory) A Sermon preached before the Parliament at Margaret's Westminster, Feb. 20. 1656. being a day of public Thanksgiving, newly published. Dr. Robert Gell, A Sermon touching God's Government of the World by Angels, preached before the Astrologers, in 4. Dr. Joh. Whincop [God's Call to Weeping and Mourning] A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament, in 4. Mr. George Walker, A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament, in 4. Richard Meggot [The Rib Restored] or the Honour of Marriage: A Sermon preached in Dionis Back-Church; occasioned by a Wedding the fifth of June, 1655. newly published. Mr. Valentine, A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Parliament, in 4. Mr. William Good [Jacob Raised] A Sermon preached at a Fast before the Lords in Parliament, in 4. Mr. Thomas Goodwin [The great Interest of States and Kingdoms] A Sermon preached before the Parliament, in 4. Mr. Samuel Kem [The King of Kings] His privy marks for the Kingdom's choice of new Members; A Sermon preached upon the choice of Burgesses for the City of Bristol, in 4. Mr. Ben. Hubbard [Sermo Secularis] Or, a Sermon to bring to remembrance the deal of Jehovah with this Kingdom of England, in 4. Mr. J. P. A Sermon preached upon Matth. 22.21. wherein is set forth the King's Due in part, and the People's Duty, in 4. Mr. Ambr. Stavely (judex Expurgatorius: Or, a short Examination of the doctrine of Purgatory) A Sermon lately published, in 4. Mr. Peter Sterry [The Clouds in which Christ comes] A Sermon preached before the Parliament, in 4. — [The teaching of Christ in the Soul] A Sermon preached before the Parliament, in 4. Mr. Robert wild (The arraignment of a sinner at the Bar of Divine Justice) A Sermon preached in St. mary's in Oxon, at an Assize there, the 5th. of March, 1655. newly published, in 4. Mr. Giles Firmin, Stablishing against shaking, or a discovery of the Prince of darkness (Scarcely) transformed into an Angel of light, powerfully now working in the deluded people called Quakers, in 4. Mr. Stephen Martial, The Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion vindicated. A Sermon preached before the first Parliament on a Monthly Fast day, newly published. Mr. Simeon Ash, Good courage discovered and encouraged. A Sermon preached before the Commanders of the Military forces of the City of London, in 4. In Octavo large. Mr. Robert Young (A Sovereign Antidote against all Grief, with the Victory of Patience) in 8. Mr. Ben. Needler (Expository Notes, with Practical Observations upon Genesis) lately published, in 8. Octavo small. Mr. George Hopkins (Salvation from sin by Jesus Christ) or the Doctrine of Sanctification, which is the greater part of our Salvation, founded upon Christ, who is both the Meritorious and Efficient cause of sanctifying Grace, purchasing it for working and perfecting it in his people, etc. newly published, in 8. Mr. John Thrap, Theologia Theologiae, the true Treasure, or a Treasury of holy Truths, touching God's Word, and God the Word, in 8. Bp. Davenant (An Exhortation to Brotherly Communion betwixt the Protestant Churches) in 8. Bp. Cooper (The Triumph of a Christian) in three excellent Treatises; 1. Jacob's wrestling with God, etc. in 8. The Beehive of the Romish Church) A work of all good Catholics to be read, and most necessary to be understood, in 8. Mr. John Simpson (The Perfection of Justification against the Pharisees, the Purity of Sanctification against the Stainers of it, the unquestionableness of Glorification against the Sadduces) in 8. Mr. Hall (The loathsomeness of long hair) A Treatise wherein the question is stated, many arguments agaimst it produced; with an Appendix against Painting, Spots, Naked Breasts, etc. lately published, in 8. — (Vindiciae Literarum, The Schools Guarded) or the excellency & usefulness of Arts, Sciences, Languages, History, & all sorts of Human Learning, in subordination to Divinity, with an Appendix in Answer to Mr. Webster, lately published, in 8. Mr. John Warren of Hatfield in Essex (Principles of Christian Practice) Illustrated with Questions and Scripture-answers; lately published, in 8. Mr. Daniel Evans (A Baptismal Catechism) showing unto what persons, whether of riper years, or as yet Infants, the Sacrament of Baptism ought to be administered according to the Scriptures, lately published, in 8. Twelve large. Mr. Thomas Gery, The Fort Royal of Christianity Defended: Or a demonstration of the Divinity of the sacred Scriptures, with a discussion of the great controversies in Religion, about universal redemption, freewill, original sin, etc. in 12. newly published. (The Practice of Christianity) or the Epitome of Mr. Roger's seven Treatises, in 12. Mr. Yhomas Jackson (The true Evangelical Temper) wherein Divinity and Ecclesiastical History are interwoven and mixed, etc. in three Sermons, in 12. Twelve small. Mr. Mullard (Celestial Soliloquies) composed of several divine Meditations and Prayers, drawn from the holy Scripture, in 12. Francis Thin Esq; (The perfect Ambassador) treating of the Antiquity, Privileges, and Behaviour of men belonging to that Function, in 12. FINIS.