2 Peter 3:16

Rev. 12.1. WE read of a great wonder in Heaven: A woman cloathed with the Sunne, and the Moone under her feete, and upon her head a crowne with twelve Starres. In Heaven are many wonders: wondrous joy, wondrous sanctity, wondrous glory: all wonders to us that live in this darke grove of morrality. But the Heaven here spoken of, is upon the Earth: and the woman is the Church in her militant condition. This Woman is cloathed with the Sunne: that is a wonder: who can imagine a garment for any creature, to bee cut out of the whole peece of the Sunne? Not onely cloathed with his beames, and rayes, and light: For so Men and Plants, the Earth and all things upon it, are cloathed with the Sunne: in that sense, the Sunne cloathes whatsoever it shines upon. But this Woman is cloathed with the Sunne it selfe: the very body of that great Luminary is become her vesture. The proudest Lady, and the highest Princesse of the world; though the riches of nature be ravished into their wardrobes, and their silken garments bee interwoven with gold, and embroidered with Pearles and Diamonds; cannot shew such a sute. The Sunne is Christ: the garment wherewith this Sunne cloathes his Spouse, is his owne righteousnesse: thus covered, shee appeares just, pure, and amiable in the sight of God. The Moone is under her feete: Her location must needs be high, even above the Moon. The Moone governes the Sea; than the Sea and the Moone, there is nothing more inconstant: both are emblemes of the world. This Moone the Church treads under her feete; despising the vanity of all transient things. Vpon her head was a crowne of twelve Starres: a wonderfull rare crowne, that was made of Stars. Gold is the principall materiall of a crowne: but what needs she weare gold upon her head, that tramples it under her feete? The twelve Starres, are the twelve Apostles: these are the armes of this glorious Queene: Rev. 1.16. but she beares them with a difference from her Lord and King. For Christ hath them in his hand, as his servants: but his Spouse, on her head, as her chiefe ornaments.

To our purpose: The Sunne gives to the Starres all the light they have: so the Apostles receive all their illumination and wisedome from Christ, by the holy Spirit: as a lanthorne hath no light of it selfe, but what is put into it. Of these Starres, thus inlightned, some are fixed in the Firmament; others wandring. Iud. ver. 13. The Apostles were to range abroad, by their commission: not after Saint Iudes meaning, who calls false teachers, wandring Starres: For in that sense, the Planets themselves are not wandring, but keepe a direct and constant course in their Orbes. But those that Iude speakes of, are Meteors; shooting or gliding starres: which can neither guide Travellers by land, nor Mariners by Sea. But these Starres of Christ are stable, bright, glorious: we acknowledge their light and influence: they are our faithfull Sea-markes, and directions to the Port of blessednesse. But in these Starres, my Text notes, there are some things hard to bee understood: as the variety of their motions and magnitudes, but especially of their influences: in the Doctrine of the Apostles, quaedam difficilia, Therefore as the Astronomers have framed, to their imagination, Eccentrickes, and Epicycles, and a strange engine of Orbes, out of the Heavens: So the schoolemen have devised a world of paradoxes, problemes, improper positions and conclusions, out of the Scriptures: all to save the Phenomenon of Popery. Yea, which is worse, as Astrologers have impiously gathered the prediction of futurities, the calculation of nativities, the alteration of States and Kingdomes, and the event of all contingent fortunes, out of the Starres: perverting the sober use of those Heavenly bodies, to magicall purposes: So Heretikes have violently forced errors, and schismes, and factions, and hellish tenents, out of the sacred Doctrine of the Apostles; wresting the Scriptures to their owne perdition. The full view of whose profane and sacrilegious proceedings, wee have in this verse: As also in all his Epistles, &c.

Wherein there bee two generall occurrences; a Virgine, and a Rape. The Virgine is faire Truth, the Holy Scripture: The Rape is a wresting of it; which is foule violence done unto it. For the former; three things commend a Virgine: unspotted beauty, uncorrupted vertue, and modest retirednesse: Answerable whereunto we finde in the Scripture in generall, and in this parcell of it, Pauls Epistles in particular, First, for vertue, a sufficiency: In act, and every peece of all, there is full satisfaction. Secondly, for beauty, an harmony, and agreement: it speakes the same thing: there is no contradiction. Thirdly, for retirednesse, a difficulty: some things are hard to be understood; they surpasse our apprehension. For the other part, which is the Rape. First, here is an indictment of the ravishers; and that under two titles, as it were their names; Illiterati, Instabiles. They are unlearned; their booke cannot save them: they are unstable; no man will speake for them: who will plead for the inconstant? Secondly, here is the fact whereof they are indicted, and that is the rape of a Virgine; wresting the Scripture, violation of the sacred Truth. Thirdly, their execution followes: they shall die for it: they meant it for their owne defence; it shall turne to their owne destrustion.

In all his Epistles. It was a materiall point which our Apostle here urged, and in which he sends us unto Paul to bee confirmed; even so great that our salvation lies upon it. Therefore it is not lightly or rarely touched, in some one Epistle; but ponderously and frequently insisted upon in omnibus Epistolis. Out of which premisses ariseth this conclusion: The fundamentall points of religion are repeated often: thc Prophets did not more labour in the explanation of the Law, then the Apostles in the application of the Gospell. There is no leafe, almost no line, which doth not inculcate this; and that without any wearisome tautologie or needlesse repetition, but by a sweet way of amplification. How carefull was Saint Paul to speake home? Act. 20.27. I shunned not to declare unto you all the counsell of God. He had rather write one thing twice, than have it passe unobserved, or vanish unremembred. Phil. 3.1. To write the same things unto you is not to mee grievous, but for you safe. Such is the All-sufficiency of the Scriptures, without any need to bee peeced up with traditions. Iam. 1.21. It is able to save your soules: And who would aske more? 2 Tim. 3.15. They can make a man wise unto salvation: and I would never desire to bee wiser. Paul cals it, The Counsell of God: the Romish Traditions then are none of the counsels of God. If they must challenge a corner, yea, halfe the roome in our faith; Why then doe wee entitle the New Testament, The Gospell; when as it were but of a part of the Gospell? Or, The new Testament, when as it were but a part of Christs Testament; and Traditions a schedule to bee annexed to it?

Let no man presume above that which is written: That mans faith hath a Dropsie, which the Epistles of Paul cannot satisfie. The Papists call the Scripture, a dumbe Rule; because it hath no sound: How should a paper speake? Doe they make it an Idoll, that have a mouth and speakes not? Indeed, they are not willing to heare it speake: as Marius could not heare the lawes, for the noise of armes: so they cannot heare the Scriptures, which are the Lawes of God, for the noise of Traditions. But they shall heare it one day when their awaked conscience shall convince them of wilfull sacriledge: for the contempt done to Kings Proclamation that cannot speake, redounds to the Person of the King that can speake. The Orbe of Christian faith is the Scripture: if we be fixed starres, wee content our selves within our owne orbe. The Israelites tooke in unto them some of the Heathens: but first they must bee circumcised, and so become Israelites. Wee admit some traditions of the Ancients, and make use of the very learning of Pagans: but first we circumcise it; we doe as it were Christen it in the Font of Trueth. And if any Tradition shall grow sawcy, and offer to confront the Word of God, being so opposed by a Sectary; we soone excommunicate it: as Ismael must bee turned out of doores, when he once fals to jeering of Isaac. Our God and Saviour hath written his Will to us, by his Evangelists and Apostles: to them we adhere. There is Light enough to enforme our understandings, Truth enough to satisfie our knowledge, an holy Covenant and precious Promises to excercise our faith, glory and eternall life to feed our hope, the rules of Sanctimony to direct our life: What can we require more of God? What should be done more for us, but onely this? To fill our hearts with his grace; that wee may understand what Hee teacheth, and beleeve what Hee promiseth, and doe what He commandeth. In every Epistle God shewes us the way, how we should serve Him, how He will save us. Lord, we seeke no fartther than to thy Word, wee aske no more than thy selfe: Guide us by the one, and satisfie us with the other.

Speaking of these things] The Pontificians say the Scripture is a dumbe Rule: but sure, Saint Peter was of another minde: For making mention of Pauls Epistles, which were his Writings, hee attributes the facultie of Speaking to them. Saint Paul writes; and yet Saint Peter saies, hee speakes. Their Images have mouthes, but they speake not: Gods Word doth speake, yet it hath no mouth. They speake, by signifying unto us what God hath spoken: and to take this honour from the Canonicall Writing, is an injury done to the Author of that Doctrine.

These things] What are they? The Mercy of God, that is; and the Thankfulnesse of man, that should bee: Christ dying for us, our faith beleeving on Him: the one performed by Him, the other required of us: the lenity of his Patience, the necessity of our Repentance. These things Paul speakes of, and in all his Epistles he speakes of them. Eadem, not aliena; no heterogene, forraine, or wandring things: much lesse Contraria, things thwart and opposite to the first principles: but Eadem; for matter and forme, for weight and fashion, the same: like so many lines tending to one center; the Gospell of Christ.

The Conclusion that ariseth from it, is this: There is no repugnancy in the divine Scriptures. Evangelist doth not crosse Prophet: nay, rather the History verifies the Prophecy, with a Sic impletur. Apostle doth not crosse Apostle: but Peter and Paul, Iames and Iohn and Iude; they all preached, they all wrote the same Trueth. Some atheisticall spirits have searched narrowly, to finde contradictions in them: but the spirit of contradiction was in them that went about it. O that wee could all as well agree with them, as they agree with themselves. But while they are at peace in the Doctrine, wee are at warre in the Interpretation. As hee that tumbles in a calme bed, hath his tempest within: so they that picke quarrels out of the articles of peace, seeke more the praise of their wits, than the profit of their soules. A father makes a Will, and bequeathes divers Legacies: the children come to demand their portions: but brangling Lawyers finde out unnecessary cavils: one interprets a clause of it to this sense, another to that: so the Orphans patrimony becomes the Lawyers booty. The Gospell is Christs Will: and Hee hath left all his Children blessed Legacies: but Heretikes, like contentious Advocates, mis-interpret the termes, and wrangle about words: and though they get nothing by it, but the fame of singularitie on earth, and the penalty of damnation in hell; yet they set the Christian world in an uprore: and the poore children by this meanes are coozened of their portions, even their patrimony in heaven. Let us acknowledge, that all the Evangelists and Apostles were but so many severall Engrossers of our Fathers Will; that they all write in the same tenour: Let us humbly trust upon his Riches, thankfully receive our portions, and carefully obey his rules and precepts, and we are blessed in Iesus Christ.

In which are some things hard] Difficilia quae pulchra: What excellency is obtained without difficulty? Wisedome is an excellent grrace; but it is no inheritance: wee were not borne wise. Wee may thinke our selves wise betimes; (and he is no foole that doth not thinke so) but God, time, and industry must concur to the making up of wisdome. The Kingdome of Heaven is a most excellent place; yet it will not bee obtained without violence. The Scripture is divinely excellent; no flowers so sweet, no jewels so precious: no wonder than if it be understood with some Difficultie. Yet the Apostle here qualifies the matter; Quaedam non omnia; Some things are hard, not all. If all the will of God were enigmaticall, mysticall, and abstruse; (like the jugling Oracles of false prophecy) there were some excuse for our ignorance, and by reason of that for our disobedience: but they are onely some things.

From which we may inferre this conclusion; that both in Pauls particular Epistles, and in the generall scope of the Scriptures, there is a plaine and evident demonstration of Gods good will towards us. Quaedam does not onely oppose it selfe to omnia: Some, therefore not all; but also to Plura; Some therefore not the most. Two of a thousand places, are some; but scarce a number: yea, ten of a hundred are some: but comparatively very few. Some necessarily implies a lesse part: Quaedam difficilia; therefore the greater number are facilia. The quaedam are but some few hillockes in a large plaine: some few strange herbes in a familiar garden. Herbes they are certainly, though wee know not their, names, of their vertues. As children, well entred into reading, runne away with the chapter currently; untill they light upon a hard word, which puts them to their spelling: there they make a stoppe; and unlesse they skippe it over, they must consult their Master, ere they can goe any farther. We are all schollars, both catecumenoi, and Catechistae: and when we come to study St. Pauls writings, with many divine rules we goe away roundly: in some faire measure we understand them, and much sweete comfort we find in them: But here and there we light upon a sentence, that puzzleth our dull intellect: there we pawse, we meditate, we ruminate: we ponder the sense: we compare the precedent with the subsequent wordes: And if the wings of our apprehension cannot soare so high as this reverend mysterie, then with the wings of our zealous prayers we mount up to the throne of Majestie; we consult our great master in heaven; that most holy Spirit: there we have the 1. Ioh. 2.27. ointment that cleares our eyes: there we finde a 1. Cor. 2.10. revelation of these deepe secrets.

They are but Quaedam then, that are in danger of this difficultie: and among multitudes of plaine and facile rules, we may allow some to be hard. Especially seeing that without these Quaedam we may be saved. At some royall feast, among many dishes of delicate and easily digestible viands, there may be some solid and stronger meate: while a good stomach falls to that, the nicer and weaker appetites need not fast: for if the other be more nutritive, they are lesse digestive. Hebr. 5.14. Strong meat belongeth to them that are of perfect age. We are riding a journey, and there be diverse monuments set up as markes for our direction, with inscriptions upon them: Most of them tell us plainely and familiarly, This way you must take: here and there we find a stately pillar, meant for a guide too; but the characters are in so curious a language, that though we can read them, we do not fully understand them: we fixe not there, but passe by them with reverence, to the next of a plainer indication. Or in our travell we are driven to crosse a river, as the Israelites did Iordan to their Canaan: this river in some places is very deepe, but in most places foordable: they that like elephants; are strong in understanding, may swimme over: the feebler, like poore lambes, yet may wade over: It matters not, as from Pauls shipwrackt vessell, which way; whether the skilfull by swimming, Act. 27.43. or the rest by other helpes; so they all get to shore. In the sacred writte there be depths, for the deeper Iudgements to sound: and for the weaker passengers there be shallowes. There be mountaines of learning, for the higher wittes of the Schoole: and there are pleasant valleys, for the walkes of humbler soules. There is milke for babes, and harder meate for abler stomachs. If some things will not downe with us, yet there is choice enough among the rest to nourish us to everlasting life.

This trueth then must be undenyably granted, maugre all the cavills of Rome; that the most places and passages of the Scripture are intelligible enough, and containe in them the manifest doctrine of our salvation. So In 2. Thess. 2.15. Chrysostome; All those things that are necessary, in the holy Scriptures are cleare and plaine. In Psal. 95. And, when we say any thing without the Scripture, the thoughts of our auditory are uncertaine. I deny not, but there are some places of difficultie in St. Paul: as 1. Cor. 11.10. and chap. 15.28.29. To be short in this enumeration, though Tom. 13. Disp. 2. Salmeron was long enough: for he pretends to have found out no lesse than fifty difficulties or obscurities in Pauls Epistles. Captious critickes scarce turne over those sacred leaves, for any other ends. I confesse, that I have not used to looke upon Gods booke with such eyes: I desire not to feed my fancie with scruples, but my soule with comforts.

Some have ventured to alledge reasons, why Paul is so full of difficulties. Irenaeus. lib. 3 cap. 7. Ob Velocitatem Sermonum suorum, sayes one: Origen in Epist. ad Rom. Princ. Propter impetum Spiritus, elocutiones habet minus explicitas, saith another. Hieron. Ep. 50. Profundos sensus Graeca lingua non satis callebat. He had his Idiotismes and phrases peculiar to himselfe: whereof Tract. in. 1. Cor. 15. Nyssen, with Ierome and Chrysostome, give some instances. Thomas Anglicus, quoted by Lorinus, hath a strange suspition; that Paul wrote obscurely on purpose; to hide his doctrine from heretickes: And that the simple might understand him, he sent his Epistles by his Disciples, that they might expound them to the Churches. Lorin. in Loc. The principall cause was multitudo, & altitudo rerum quas tractat. Tom. 13. Disp. 7. Salmeron gives diverse other reasons of his obscure writings, and prescribes certaine rules for their explication. Some thinke that this Difficultie ariseth from the multitude of Interpreters upon St. Paul writings: no Author having such abundance of expositors as he.

But Paul was not more hard in his writings, than these men are in their censures of him. They would speake further, if they durst, to the disabling of so glorious a witnesse. Sure, there is something wherein he hath galled them; or else they would not thus kicke against him. We dare not be so bold with that blessed Saint: for we know, he wrote nothing, but what the holy Ghost dictated to him; Divine trueth, all. As David patiently bore all his afflictions, Quia Dominus fecit, because it was the Lords doing. so we faithfully and thankfully embrace all St. Pauls writings, Quia Dominus dixit, because it was the Lords saying. What if, Baptising over the dead, were a hard saying? 1. Cor. 15.29. yet that the dead shall rise againe; this is a plaine saying: that the dead in Christ shall rise to glory; this is both a plaine and a comfortable saying. What if, Heb. 6.6. It is impossible for those that were once enlightened &c. If they fall away, to be renewed againe by repentance; be a hard saying? Yet that 1. Tim. 1.15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; this is a true saying. What if, Rom. 9.11. Before the children had done either good or evill, the purpose of God upon them must stand; be hard to understand? Yet that 1. Tim. 2.4. God would have all men to be saved; this is easy to understand. If we know not the meaning of that; Rom. 11.32. God hath concluded them all in unbeelefe: Yet Rom. 8.1. there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus: we know the meaning, the comfort, and the assurance too of that.

Beloved, we need care for no more than to be saved: and the meanes to that, is plainely and punctually declared to us by the Apostle Paul. If there be some things hard, yet these plaine things are the most: though we doe not reach the other, we cannot misse these. If profounder wittes will venturously dive into this ocean, to fetch up deeper mysteries; yet we have enough to serve our turnes. There is sufficient store of comforts affoorded us, to make us blessed: and who would aske more? Yea we have a faire portion, a goodly heritage, and the lines are fallen unto us in plaine and pleasant places. Let us content our selves with it, and be thankfull to him that gave it, that we may be saved by it:

Hard to be understood. These two, Difficilia intellectu; must be read in sensu composito. For if there was no fault in our understanding, there could be no difficultie in the word of God. It is a principle in nature; Quicquid recipitur, secundummodum recipientis recipitur: Shall the little viall be angry, because it cannot containe all the water of the fountaine? Or a subject, being allowed to take his full burden out of the kings treasurie, become pettish with himselfe that he cannot carry away all the gold? No sober guest at a banket, desires to eate more than his stomach will beare. Because we cannot devoure all, will we fast? Pliny writes of the hedge-hog, that when he hath loden himselfe with nuttes and fruites, and is going to disburden them in his storehouse; if but the lest filberd chance to fall off, he will fling downe all the rest in a peevish humour, and beate the ground for anger. Many sweet and heavenly comforts we lay up in our consciences, derived out of the treasurie of the Scriptures: perhaps there is some one Iewell that we prise above all the rest, though we understand not the full value of it; some one sentence like a mine of gold, too deepe for us to come at: shall we vilipend all the rest, because we cannot be the Masters of this? Shall we fling downe all the fruites we have, because there is one in some toppe-branch, too high for us to reach? Is our language so ambitious, as Totum aut nihil? All, or none? The rules of our faith and life are manifest enough: O that we would enough study them, enough practise them. The mysterie which is above us, is not that unum necessarium: Let us not feare it; we may be saved without the knowledge of it. I feare the want of my diligence, to attaine that I may know: I feare the want of my obedience, to follow that I do know: I doe not feare the defect of my capacitie, in not comprehending what I cannot know. My nescience in such things is pardonable, my curiositie may be dangerous.

Let this therefore be the conclusion: The mysteries of salvation be hard, but to our understanding: the difficultie is not in their owne nature, but in our capacitie. The word of God is instar lampadis; no dimme taper, but a bright shining light; excelling the Sunne in his glory: But we are thicke-sighted, and can receive this light but according to our owne measure. The obscuritie is not in the object but in the organ. Shall the Lumine luscus, the blind man blame the Sunne for shining no brighter? As some rurall Inhabitant, being admitted into a royall Palace, admires the building, and is transported with the rarenesse and magnificence of it; and much of it he understands: when he comes into the hall, he knowes that that is a place for feeding: when into the gallerie, he knowes that to be a place for walking: when into the bedchamber, he knowes that to be a place for sleeping: But into some roomes he is brought, no whit inferior to the former, for state and pleasure; the use whereof he knowes not: will he now censure the Architect, for making of such unnecessary and superfluous places? or not rather lay the blame, where it is, upon his owne ignorance? The Scripture is a goodly edifice, the Almighty kings Palace; wherof Paul was one of the Master-builders: when we read his Epistles, we are surveying the roomes and receptacles: some whereof we easily apprehend: As that 1. Tim. 1.15. Christ came into the world to save sinners: we know this for the common Hall to all beleevers: Or that Rom. 8.1. there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ: we conceive this to be a sweet repository or lodging chamber for the conscience: Or that we must follow the things that are Phil. 4.8. true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report: this we take to be the gallerie, and walke of the Saints: Or that we must 1. Thess. 5.17. pray without ceasing: we looke upon this, as the Chappell, the oratory, or house of prayer: But searching farther, we light upon some uncouth and curious roomes; bearing as much arte and majestie in them as the rest; but more obscure, and mysticall, and vailed with the curtaine of awfull secrecie: Such are certaine doctrines of St. Paul: we are not forbidden to view them, and review them, to study, and meditate on them: but if we cannot perfectly understand them, farre be it from us to taxe St. Paul of obscuritie: no, let us impute the fault to our owne simplicitie? Rom. 11.33. O the depth of the riches of the knowledge of God! His wisedome must not come under the censure of man: but the folly of man must be submitted to the censure of his wisedome, that in all things he may be justified. Thus many things in the Scriptures, at the first blush, appeare difficult; which being better considered, are easily reconciled. I will instance but in two, which now offer themselves to my memorie; and two may give us the tast of all.

1. Christs testimonie of Iohn the Baptist, recorded by St. Matthew: Matth. 11.14. This is Elias which was for to come: Compared with the Baptists owne denyall of this, recorded by St. Iohn; Ioh. 1.21. I am not Elias. Here appeares not onely difficultie, but even contrarietie. But neither, indeed; as St. Augustine easily composeth it: Iohn was Elias in Spiritu, non in Persona; in Spirit, not in Person. Mark. 4.5. I will send you Elias the Prophet, before the comming of the great day of the Lord: upon this promise the Iewes depended; still looking that Mark. 9.11. Elias should first come; and not for the Messias without that precursion. To satisfie this scruple, Christ calls Iohn Elias: and so he was in diverse resemblances. First, In regard of the corrupt times wherein either of them was borne: Elias in the greatest declination of Israel; Iohn Baptist, of Iudah. Secondly, Their comming into the world was suddaine and unexpected: Elias, without mention of his parents: Iohn; of parents superannuated, past expectation of a child. Thirdly, In regard of their habite and dyet: of a singular austeritie, both of them. Fourthly, In respect of their habitation, in desarts: they were no Hermites, yet their generall abode was in the wildernes. Fifthly, In respect of that burning zeal, and powerfull spirit, wherwith they preacht: both shining lamps. 6. In their boldnes to reprove Kings and Queens: which is incident to none but great Prophets. 7. In regard of persecution for the Truth: so Herod was such another as Ahab, and Herodias very like to Iesabel, both in life & death. So then, when Iohn sayes, I am not Elias, he speaks properly, in regard of the dimensions of his body, and individualitie of his person: in that sense he was not Elias. And Christ speakes as truely, though figuratively, when he sayes that Iohn is Elias; not in the person, but in the power and spirit of Elias: and so is the difficultie soon removed.

2. Take one Instance more. Matth. 17.44 Matthew and Mark. 15.32. Marke say, that the theeves which were crucified with him, reviled him: the number was but two, and both of them are accused. Yet Luke sayes, that one of them Luk. 23.40. rebuked his fellow for that contumelie cast upon Christ; prayed, and was saved. This is a difficultie; how shall we understand it? Some answere, that at first both the theeves railed on Christ: but one of them, observing the patience of the sufferer in his extremitie, the wonderfull miracles, and the compassion of nature it selfe: the Sunnes darkening, the earths shaking, the stones rending; was converted; and did salve his former exprobration of Christ, with an humble confession of him. Hieron. Chrys. But against this may bee objected. First, These miracles were the effects of Christs death, and begun when he ended: but the theefe was then in articulo mortis, and could not be sensible of them. Secondly, When he reproved his fellow for reproching of Christ, why did he not reply; Thou hast also reviled him. Thirdly, It is the custome of the sacred story, when it hath disgraced a man for sinne, not to conceale the honour of his repentance, if ever he had remorse. St. Matthew therefore had done the malefactor some wrong, to set downe his offence, and not his penitence. The most and best expositors flie to this, with Augustine; that it was Enallage numeri: as, Mat. 26.8. The Disciples are charged to say, Why is this waste? When Saint Iohn chargeth onely Iob. 12.4. Iudas with it. So, Psal. 2.1. The Kings of the earth set themselves against Christ: yet literally, no king but Herod: so Peter quotes it, and so expounds it; Act. 4.26.27. Herod and Pilate against Iesus; now Pilate was but a Iudge, no king. So, Hebr. 11.33.37. They were stoned, sawen asunder, wandred about in skinnes: and before, they stop’t the mouthes of Lions: In the plurall, They: yet none stop’t the Lions mouths but Daniel; none sawen but Esay, and that but by tradition: none wandred in skinnes but Elias. So Beza observes upon that of Iohn, Ioh. 6.•5. It is written in the Prophets: yet none expressely saith so but Esa. 54.13. Esay: albeit indeed Ier. 31.34. Ieremie hath something to the same sense. When a gentleman lights among clownes, and receives some injurie by one of them; he is ready to say, looke how these clownes abuse me; when one onely did it. A father that is displeased with one of his children, will say, See how unruly these children are; when as but one onely offended him. Indeed St. Matthew and Marke mind onely Christs humiliation, and looke to that, St. Luke also intended the theefes conversion, and to shew that miracle of mercie. By these two Instances you may guesse at the rest: for all of them fall under one of these kinds; Doctrinall, as the former: or Historicall, as the latter.

Let us take this for one especiall rule in the clearing of these difficulties: To supply Scripture with Scripture. For Non planè ac plenè vbique loquitur Scriptura, quia alibi loquitur. Howsoever the Evangelists wrote the same story; yet some passages of that story are set down by one or two of them, not by al: and by some of them more obscurely, more apertly by the rest: That they might not seeme to write by any compact or collusion, but meerely by the inspiration of the holy Ghost. Chrys. Let this consideration, that all things in the Scriptures are perspicuous in themselves, and some obscure to us, only by the occasion of our owne blindnes; so far humble us; that we both admire the excellencie of the Divine trueth, and confesse the basenes of our understanding. Sin at first was the cause of ignorance; now ignorance is the cause of sin. Ioh. 9.41. You say, we see, therefore your sin remaineth. So long as we thinke we see, we continue blind: when we once perceive our owne blindnes, then we begin to see. There be some that runne away with the interpretation of Scripture, as fast as if they had been at the making of it: rare Musitians that can sing the hardest notes at the first sight. They no sooner read a Text, but they have Gods meaning by it, straight: There is nothing hard to them; but I can hardly beleeve them. There may bee some speciall Reasons given of this great Difficultie.

1. The imperfect knowledge which wee have upon Earth. Howsoever our Iustification may bee perfect, our Sanctification is not so. In the best militant Saints, as their affections cannot bee wholly regenerated, so nor is their understanding wholly enlightned. Cor. 13.12. Wee see through a glasse, and wee know but in part. If we did not know in part, wee were miserable strangers: if wee did fully know we were glorified Saints. The man starke blinde (in the Gospell) presents to us our state by nature: his eyes being opened so farre as to see men walke like trees, is our state of grace: seeing clearely, our state of glory. In Heaven we shall know as we are knowne: there shall be the fulnesse of knowledge, as well as the fulnesse of joy: yea, there could bee no fulnesse of joy, without the fulnesse of knowledge. There, all problemes and questions shall be resolved, dissolved; and we shall perfectly understand the trueth of those things, which strong wits so argue here below. Now our eyes are dazzled with looking upon the Sunne: there we shall see the Sonne of God face to face; and in that infinite Glasse of the Deity, behold enough to satisfie us for ever.

2. The figures and metaphors of the Scripture may a little retarde the pace of our understanding. There be such peregrinations to fetch in remote and significant figures: such an heightning and elevation of stile: such powerfull hyperbolees, such mysticall allusions, such majesticall imparatives: such spreadings and curtaines of allegories, such third Heavens of eloquence: such commanding perswasions, such perswading commandements, such patheticall abjurations: such sinewes in Gods milke, expressions of reservednesse even in familiarity. All prophane Authours seeme to be of the seed of the Serpent, that creepes: the holy Ghost is the Dove, that flies. No words but his owne, can expresse the texture and composition of his Word. So doth Hee enforme the weakest, that the highest Iudgements are rapt with admiration: so doth Hee excercise the strongest, that the weakest are filled with consolation. Hierome and Augstine confessed one to another in their muturall Letters, that there are some places of Scripture which they thought they did not understand: And yet both those Father call upon old women and young virgins to read the Scriptures; all the Scriptures, without confining them to some certaine places: and yet they knew them to be of weaker judgement than themselves.

As the Lord gives us the same earth, to labour on, and to lie in; to be unto us both an house, and a grave: So He gives us the ame Word, for our satisfaction, and for our inquisition; for our instruction, and for our admiration too. The argument that bindes one mans faith to beleeve it, is the reverend simplicity of it: that which bindes another, is tha awefull Majesty of it. So that of two men, equally pious, meeting; the one wonders that all men should not understand it: and the other wonders as much that any man should understand it. When these mysteries fall into the way of wrangling wittes, they suffer much injury: for Vnusquisque abundat sensu suo: which might bee well, so long as they keepe the analogy of faith, and impound their straying fancies within the bounds of sobriety. But when birds of sicke feathers will emulate the Sunne in their soaring; soone doe their wings flagge, and witnesse to the earth the shame of their proud undertakings. Lord, where wee doe see, give us an humble knowledge: and where we cannot see, a contented ignorance: in all a beleeving patience, a patient faith. Clausis oculis sequendus est Deus: Our eyes must be shut to the world, least it withdraw us: yea, shut to humane reason; that though we cannot reach the why of Gods command, to understand it; yet wee may know the what of his command, and in sincerity of heart obey it. Take now some helpes for our understanding.

1. Conference with others; especially with them whose lippes preserve knowledge. It was the Eunuchs reply to Philip Act. 8.31. How can I understand, except some man should guide me? But now we all thinke that we know the way to Heaven so perfectly, that we need not aske Iohn 16.5. I goe my way, saith Christ, and none of you asketh mee whither goest thou? Nay, wee will scarce aske, Lord, which way shall wee goe after thee? How shall we come unto thee? Heb. 3.13. Exhort one another dayly, saith the Apostle: Edefie one another in the holy faith. But wee take these for superfluous counsells: every man knowes enough to serve his owne turne. While these two Disciples Luk. 24.15. communed together, and reasoned, Iesus himselfe drew neere, and went with them. While they were talking of Iesus, Iesus presented himselfe to them. Our talke is of vanity, and vanity is with us. If Christ could be kept in our mouths, we should alwayes have him in our hearts.

2. Constant reading of the Scriptures, and meditation upon them. The good man doth Psal. 1.2. Meditate on the Law of God day and night. The Pontificians beate off the people from this common Treasury, by objecting this supposed difficulty. O the Scriptures are hard to be understood: do not you trouble your heads about them: we will tell you the meaning of them. They might as well say: Heaven is a blessed place, but it is a hard way to hit: doe not you trouble your selves, we will goe thither for you. Thus in the great day of triall, when they should be saved by their booke; alas they have no booke to save them. In stead of the Scriptures they can present images; these are the Laymens bookes: as if they were to bee tried by a jury of Carvers and Painters, and not by the twelve Apostles. Be not you so cossened: but study the Gospell, as you looke for comfor by the Gospell. He that hopes for the inheritance, will make much of the conveyance.

3. Humility and a devout reverence to those sacred monuments of Truth. Psal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him, and he will shew them his covenant: Those leaves are too holy, to be turned over with profane fingers. Pride is a barracado against all graces, therefore against knowledge: it makes the heart uncapable of goodnesse, as cold iron cannot bee wrought to any fashion. A heart full of pride, is but a vessell full of aire: this selfe-opinion must be blowne out of us, before saving knowledge be powred into us. Humility is the knees of the soule; and to that posture the Lambe will open the booke. But pride stands upon tiptoes; as if she would snatch the book out of Christs hand, and unclasp it herselfe. The first lesson of a Christian is humility: and he that hath not learnd the first lesson, is not fit to take out a new. Humble eyes are most capable of high misteries.

4. Prayer, when all failes, this will doe it. Why did God write his minde to us in so mysticall a dialect? We answere, The obscurity is not in his dialect, but in our intellect. Why does not hee that made the will, make us also to understand it? Wee say againe, Ideo non intelligimus, quia intelligere non petimus: Iam. 1.5. Wee want wisedome, because we doe not aske it. But many have prayed for knowledge, whereby they might apprehend these high mysteries, and yet have not obtained it? It may bee they begged it, Non ex simplicitate cordis, sed ex effectu singularitatis: They would bee made wiser, not holier by it. It is their owne honour they seeke, not the honour of Christ. If they may bee thought great Rabbi’s, deepe scholars, this is the height of their ambition: though neither the Church bee beneficed, nor God glorified by it. Scire volunt, ut sciant: that is all. If any man lacke wisedome, let him aske it of God? If, there does rather ponere than supponere; Ponere in natura, then Supponere in argumento. If any lacke: Who, does not lacke wisdome? How should hee get it? Postulet a Deo, that fountaine of Wisedome; And it shall bee given him: there is promise; hee shall bee sure of it, But let him aske ‘in Faith; that is, Modus adipiscendi, Iam. 1.6. the way of obtaining: that God may be honoured by it; that is finis adepti; the end of enioying it. As the grace of God is the fountaine, from which our wisedome flowes: so the glory of God is the ocean, to which our wisedome runs. It is derived from the one, and must be directed to the other.

St. Augustine was so bold as to beg of God, that Moses might come, and tell him what he meant by some places of Genes. We dare not doe so: but yet we may begge of the spirit of God, who opens darke things, settles in the trueth, and keepes the key of the Scripture; to informe our hearts what Paul meant by some passages of his writings: The grammar whereof we know; that such is the signification of the wordes: but the Logicke or the Retoricke we understand not; nor what is the full meaning of those words.

Prayer is the remedie; the cure of all obscuritie: sepecially being accompanied with fervour and frequencie. Though we have fished all night and caught nothing; yet let us cast out the nette againe; pray still. Paul with exhortation, ever joyned Invocation: Let us bedeaw the seed of the word with our prayers and teares; so will it grow in our hearts. Christ loves thy prayers; Non ut ipsi manifestes, quod ipse non novit: non ut ipsi des, quod ipse non habet: sed ut ab eo accipias, quod ipse promisit. It was a feeling complaint, seconded with a hearty prayer; I beleeve; Lord helpe my unbeleefe: So in praise to God for what I have, and in prayer to God for what I want; Let my soule confesse, I understand a little; Lord, helpe my ignorance.

Which they that are unlearned, and unstable, wrest.] These be the ravishers. It was for the honour of dead Patroclus, that two armies fought for his corpse: And it was for the glory of dead Moses, that two Spirits, a good and a bad, an Archangel and the devill, strove for his body. And it is some dignitie for the Scripture, that it is contended for by the two Churches; the Christian true Church, and the Antichristian Synagogue. But as when the two mothers contested for the child before Solomon, the pretending mother (upon the kings sentence) was content to have it divided; but the naturall mother would not endure it: vel totum illi, vel totum mihi: hurt not the child: So the malignant Church could well enough brooke, that the written word were hacked, and slashed, and torne in pieces; because she knowes it is none of her owne; and doth rather prejudice than further her cause: But the Protestant and reformed Church, like the true mother, is carefull to have it preserved sound, and entire, and untouched with the fingers of corruption. When the Pharisees and the Sadducees strove for Paul, Act. 23.10. the chiefe Captaine fearing least he should be pulled in pieces, commanded his souldiers to take him from them all: So if the Scripture be not taken from heretickes and Sectaries, they will even teare it in pieces. For rather than they will beleeve as the Scripture speaketh, they will wrest the Scripture to speake as they beleeve: It must say as they say, or hold the peace. Yea more, as seven cities strove for the honor of the birth of Homer: Or as the Sadducees in their intent to appose Christ, bring in seven husbands challenging one wife: whose mouths Christ soone stoppes; that in heaven there is no wife at all: Or as it is storied of a woman, of such admirable beautie, that all the gallants courted her; quarrelling in troupes, and making bloudy mutinies for her: at last, because every one could not enjoy her, they tore her in pieces, that so never a one might enjoy her. So innumerable sects, and schismes, and heresies lay claime to the Scriptures, till they even dilacerate and rent in sunder those sacred leaves: and that which is written for their instruction, they wreste to their owne destruction.

They are unlearned.] Learning is the ornament of a man, the oile to the lampe of his understanding, which maintaines the light living. The soule would grow rusty without it; like a sword that is never scowred. Eloquence is good, and memory is good: but if these be without learning, they are but like the rocke and the spindle, without ever an inch of yearn. There may be learning without eloquence; which is like a handsome body lapp’d up in ill fashioned cloathes. There may be eloquence without learning; which is like rich embroidery upon base stuffe. There may bee both eloquence and learning without discretion: mens actions doe expresse their knowledge better than their words. A meere scholar is but a live booke; and it is wisedome that sets forth a man, yea, that constitutes a man, more than literature. It is easie and usuall for a man to be without learning; and it is not rare, to find learning without a man. To speake sentences, is farre easier than to speake sense; yea, and a sensible discourse is easier than a rational carriage. There may be learning, eloquence and discretion too, yet without honesty. We may sooner get acquaintance with the 9. Muses, than with the 3. Graces. Learning, discretion, and honesty, are three degrees of comparison: the last is Summus gradus. The other may make a man eminent in the world, the third brings him nerest to heaven. Our perfection in this life is vertue; in the next knowledge, when wee shall read the glory of God in his owne face. Hee that wants learning, hath an imperfect head: but he that lackes honesty, hath a defective heart. This is one of their characters, that are heere indicted for enforcing the virgin, Trueth; Christs royall and immortall daughter: They are unlearned.

These unlearned men are aptest to pervert the Scriptures: out of which we gather this undenyable conclusion: That Ignorance, or the want of learning is no wayes a helpe to devotion; but rather a ready way to damnation. This is plainely delivered by St. Peter: The unlearned wrest the Scripture to their owne destruction. The principall columne, whereby both the Turke and the Pope uphold their Soveraigntie, is by keeping the people in a helpelesse ignorance. The Pope will allow his subjects no divine learning: the Turkes denies to his, any learning at all. Indocti, all of them: yea, and Indociles, some of them. The latter such as cannot be taught for want of meanes; that is their infelicity: The other, such as refuse to be taught, for want of will, that is their obstinacy. There is not one tackle in all the Barke of Papacy, for which the Devill is more beholden to the Bishop of Rome; than the doctrine of ignorance. Give him but darkenesse in any man, and hee is never from home. This is the maintenance, the revenues of both their crownes; as strong as an oth of allegiance to both their kingdomes. Neither is this unlearnednesse peculiar to the laity of Rome; but it is entertained into their Cloistures, and incrocheth upon the Clergy. That of Melchizede Gen. 14.18. rex Salem, to render Salem, salt: or to interpret Gen 1.10. Maria, the Seas; for Maria the blessed virgine were but easie mistakes. To read, Luk. 15.8. Domum evertit, for Domum everrit; might bee the falt of transcription. But to turne Pauls Hereticum devita, into Tolle de vita; was a wicked misprision. But enough of that: it is not their ignorance of Gods Law, which we so much blame; as their law of ignorance; their paradoxicall praise of ignorance. For so they commend it, as if Christ had bequeathed ignorance for a legacy to his Church. Love he commended, and Faith he commended, Peace and obedience hee commended; yea, and knowledge he commended: Iohn 17.3. This is life eternall to know God and Christ: these blessed legacies he left us; either praecipiendo, or prabendo: But that any way; by insinuation, toleration, or dispensation, he should be a friend to ignorance, it were blasphemy to thinke. The servant that knoweth not, shall bee beaten. And it was not his charge to the Apostles onely, but to the Iewes, and in them to all men; Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures. Meddle not with them say the Romists: Search them throughly, saith Christ. But unlearned men, say they, when they come to the Scriptures, are apt to misunderstand them. But why then say we, are they not bred up in the Scriptures, that they might learne them? First, they deny them to read the Word of God, wherein they might be learned: and then because they are unlearned, they shall not read the Word of God. A young man is not suffered to come into the river, whereby hee might learne to swimme: and then in his able yeares, because he cannot swimme, hee may not be suffered to come into the river. Hee hath a very grosse and dull eye, that does not discerne this juggling. There is a myst of darknesse, a mystery of iniquity in it.

To leave them; our Apostle peremptorily concludes, that unlearned braines are apt to mis-interpret these sacred Rolles: And, O how happy had it been for the Church, if the exposition of them had never been intrusted into the hands of ignorance! But whose feete doe so nimbly carry them up into the Pulpit, as theirs that have the least matter to say when they come their? Yet who dare be so bold as they? Who so tedious? They are able to speake more with ease, than any man can endure to heare with patience. I censure no man: yet I could wish for the credite of the Gospell, that some whose Congregations are numerous enough, would either study more, or speake lesse. But like will to like: unlearned Hearers will resort to unlearned Teachers. They care not for matter in their discourses, but store of words; as if they would tell us that their very profession was all words, no matter. As one said of a poore Apothecaries shop; that hee could finde no drugges, for the pots and boxes: so it may bee said of those that pretend to Religion, and no farther; we cannot perceive good deeds, for words. Or as when Iacob looked for Ioseph, hee found nothing but his coat: so whiles we looke for honest men, wee see nothing but their cloake: onely a cloake of a good nappe, and a faire glosse of profession: that is all. I would it were not almost the religion of these dissembling and wanton times.

But for you, Beloved; though you cannot bee profound Clerkes, yet you may be honest men. Holinesse is not tyed to literature: Doctor, and Saint, are not convertible termes. For then hee that knowes his masters will, could not chuse but doe: and so there had beene a needlesse threatning of greater stripes. But as you cannot conclude upon us; because our life is bad, therefore our Doctrine cannot be good: for that were an harsh Non sequitue: So neither doe we conclude upon you; because your knowledge is little, therefore your goodnesse is lesse: for that were a false argument. Indeed, first men must know, before they can doe: yet your conscience will tell you, that you doe not doe all the good you know. Illumination, and sanctification, are two severall things; and differ as a light, and a perfume: Put a candle into a lanthorne, and it will make it light, but it will not make it sweet: some perfume must doe that. Divine knowlege doth make us understand the Gospell: but it is divine grace which makes us live according to the Gospell. Therefore what you want in great learning, supply with good living: I love Preaching, and I love practising: and I had rather heare one Sermon in a day, and doe three good workes; than heare three Sermons in a day, and doe never a good worke, else Fransciscus Petrarcha, Scholarium Tetracha, was famous in his time; yet could not escape censure. Foure men undertooke to sit upon him: one had no learning, the second a little, the third not much, the fourth somewhat, but intricate and perplexed: (Good man! Hee was not tryed by his Peeres) All their opinions were summed up in this sentence: Petrarcham sine literis, virum bonum. The King stormed at this censure, the Nobles fretted, his friends were vexed, and almost all men threatned revenge upon such sawcy Iudges. But Petrach himselfe appladed their judgment: O utinamhoc unū verè dixerunt: The end of all which study, was to be a good man: if learning came in upon the by, I did not refuse it: But now seeing that by their sentence, without learning I may have goodnesse; What a comfort is this to mee, and to thousands more of no better knowledge? I had rather, of two unhappy disjunctions, see an honest man without learning, than a learned man without honesty.

Doctrina, Salina; learning is a salt-pit; from whence wee have the seasoning of all our actions: But virtus, venustas; virtue is the beauty, which makes them all lovely. Learning is but the sowing of the ground: an holy and virtuous life is the harvest. Knowledge in the soule is but for breed: when it is once married to Grace, they will bring forth a glorious issue, a race of heavenly fruites, a posterity of good workes. Abraham begate Isaac, Isaac begate Iacob; and so by a lineall descent, downe to Christ: So faith begets virtue, and virtue begets knowledge; and so by a lineall ascent, up to Christ. Faith is a second Mary, the Mother of Christ; to beare Him: and good workes, another act and office of the same Mother; to nurse Him. For the former; Faith: it doth againe incarnate the Sonne of God: so Mary, that blessed Virgine, Non minus credente mente, quàm pariente ventre, exultavit. For the latter; good workes: they doe still nurse the Sonne of God, with a charitable indulgence. This Himselfe acknowgeth: Matth. 25.35. I was hungry, and yee gave mee meat. And if in a modest humility they seeme to put it off; Lord, when saw we thee an hungred? He both satisfies others, gratifies them: In doing it to my brethren, yee did it unto mee. This is that milke of charity, and nourishment of pious deeds, that will make Christ batten within us. The woman joyned them both together in a naturall sense; Luke 11.27. Blessed is the wombe that bare thee, and the pappes which thou hast sucked: acknowledging them both to belong to the same Mother: And Christ ioynes them both together in a spirituall sense; Blessed are they that heare the Word of God, and keepe it: knowledge and faith come by hearing; and so is Christ borne in our soules: The effect of faith and knowledge is obedience and doing good, and so is Christ nursed in our lives. Heare therefore, that you may learne: Learne, that you may know: Know, that you may doe. And though you cannot attaine to so much learning, as may become great Scholars: yet at least get so much, as may make you honest men, and good Christians. So farre make sure to bee learned, that you may bee saved. It followes;

They that are unstable] Stabilis, a Stando: the unstable man is one that cannot stand: like a Drunkard, he reeles from place to place. He hath put so much intoxicating scrupulosity into his head, that he cannot stand on his legges. A Drunkard indeed; not so much for excesse, as change of liquours: for his soule doth affect variety of Doctrines, more than the intemperate body doth variety of drinkes. Now hee suckes the Grape of Orleance, anone that hoter fruit of the Canaries: then hee is taken with the pleasant moisture of the Rhemish plants: sometimes the juyce of the pressed Aples and Peares delight him; which hee warmes with the Irish Vsquebah, and then quencheth all with the liquour made of English Barley. So the unstable soule takes a draught of religion from every countrey: so much of Anabaptisme, as may make him a Rebell: so much of that loving Family, as may make him an Adulterer: so much of Rome, as may make him a Traitor or Idolater: so much of Arianisme, as may make him a Blasphemer. Onely he will stand in nothing, as the Drunkard can stand to nothing. As a foole or childe, that hath an aire in his head, thinkes that the bels (then ringing) goe to the same tune: and rather frames the sound of the bels to his imagination, than his imagination to the sound of the bels. So when a fond opinion is got into unstable head, hee conceives all places of Scripture to tend unto that purpose: and will not bring his owne doctrine to the Rule, but rather bends the Rule to his owne doctrine. So, because he hath a crooked position, he wrests the Scriptures, to make them as crooked as his position as himselfe.

The unstable man partly knowes what he hath beene, he knowes not what he will be, nay he knowes not what he is. He runs through as many Religions, or rather Sects and Schismes, as Saint Paul did through perills: Perills of waters, 2 Cor. 11.26. perills of robbers, &c. He finds watry perills, by lighting among the Anaeaptists, with their second Immersion in the waters of Baptisme: Perills by his owne Countreymen, by ioyning with them that murmure against Order and Discipline: Perills by the heathen, in partaking of their prophanesse and superstition: Perils in the city, by siding into singularity and faction: Perils in the wildernesse, by following the brethren of the Separation; leaving the Church for private conventicles: Perils on the sea, by offering to found that inscrutable depth of predestination: Perils among false brethren; while they pretend to bring him to the true Mother, the Church of Christ: they lead him to Rome, that unnaturall stepdame, the Strumpet of Antichrist. No perils could overwhelme Paul, because he stucke to his God: the unstable soule waves God, and therefore is subject to all perills.

Opinions in the minde, and diseases of the body are alike infinite. The masters of that Physicall arte can scarce number or name all sicknesses. Whatsoever disorders a faculty, and the function of it, is a sickenesse. Let the eye bee distempered, yea let but the finger ake, it is a sickenesse. Some names they derive from the place affected; as the Pleurisie: some from the effect of the disease; as the falling sicknesse. From what it does, or from where it is, they devise how to call it. And yet because all these will not serve, they are faine to extort names from what it resembles, what it is like: so they have the Wolfe, and the Canker, and the Polypus. But certainely, opinions and tenents in religion, which are diseases of the minde, doe for number out-vie all the diseases of the body: nor are there names enough for them. Therefore as the Papists call diverse of their orders, by the names of their founders; the Dominicans of Dominicke, the Franciscans of Francis; of Austen, the Augustines; of Bennet, the Benedictines: So Schismatickes are faine to borrow apellations from their ring-leaders, of Browne to be called Brownists, of Arminius Arminians: as once of Arius Arians; of Donatus Donatists: and yet still they lacke names. It hath beene a question, whether there be more names or things: but in this instance it may bee easily resolved; for certainly in religion, there are more sects than names: and so farre are many from knowing how to denominate their opinions, that they must even let them passe with the bare name of opinions.

1 Thess. 5.21. Prove all things: hold fast that which is good. Saint Paul gave great liberty; Omnia probate: but with all good counsell; Quod bonum est tenete. These unstable men will take the liberty, omnia probare, to proove all religions; but not the counsell for they commonly chuse that which is worst. The unstable man, is a live weather-cocke; that turnes with every puffe of vaine doctrine: onely the dead one does more good, because it tells which way the winde blowes. If hee cheats that old Serpent in any thing, it is in this, that he is in so many minds, the Devill knowes not where to have him. Yet at last death takes him up for a vagrant, and delivers him over to the next Sessions, where he is indicted for plurality of wives: for he hath married himselfe to aboundance of errors, and Psal. 106.39. Gone a whoring with his owne inventions and is cast by that Statute: Mat. 24.26. If they shall say, Hee is is the desart, goe not forth. Hee is in the secret chambers, beleeve it not. Hee that is Multivolus, will surely be Malevolus. He is Mat. 11.7. a reed shaken with the winde: to day the reed bends to the South, to morrow to the North: Now the head lookes Eastward, by and by Westward: never upright, but when the winde is downe. Alas, that ever a trembling reed should bee the embleme of any Christian. Let us not be such; but rather Rev. 2.25. Hold fast that which wee have. The Lord hath enriched us with his saving trueth: Let us stand in it, stand to it, stand for it, against all assaults. Eph 3.14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. What weighty sute had that devout Client to the Throne of Grace, that he does not onely put himselfe into such a posture, ver. 16. but also tels us of it: That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man: All is for Stabilitie in the truth, for our perseverance in grace. Lord, reclaime the obstinate, recall the wandering, establish the wavering, raise up them that are fallen, and confirme those that stand: that wee may all live to thee, and die in thee, and dwell with thee for ever.

They wrest the Scriptures to their owne destruction.] We may say of the Scriptures, which are Gods spirituall nettes to catch our soules; Luk. 5.6. as of that nette which had inclosed such a multitude of fishes; Their nette brake. Rumpebatur rete, & non rumpebatur: in nature it was broke, but by Divine power kept whole. So Temeratur Scriptura sacra, & non temeratur: It is ravished by these Impostors from the pure and virgin-Innocencie; and yet it is not ravished. They wrest and pervert it, to themselves: but still the word of God remaines sound and intire. Figmentis suis lacerant, & tamen integra manet. So apostates Hebr. 6.6. crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God; to themselves: yet Christ is safe and glorious in heaven. As he that lustfully desires to defile a virgin, hath committed adulterie in his heart: the virgin remaines spotlesse, but he is polluted. So these mis-interpreters of Gods Booke, in their intention of mischiefe, can make a shift to befowle themselves: but the maiden honour of the Scripture is undefiled. Fooles throw dirte at the moone; yet she needs no charitable hand to make her cleane againe. A naturall fountaine may be so poisoned; that all his springs cannot worke it out: but no such injurie can be suffered by the supernaturall fountaine of Trueth. Swearers are said to teare Christ in pieces, and blasphemie to wound the Majestie of God: yet still is the Deitie out of the reach of this impious violence. As the will to doe God acceptable service, is as acceptable as if it were indeed service: So the intent and offer of wrong, shall be judged for wrong in the Court of Iustice. These men wrest the Scriptures; not to the prejudice of that sacred Canon, but to their owne destruction. This is done many wayes.

1. By admitting no more of the Scriptures, then will make for their owne turnes. This course that old Father of lies tooke; when with a Bible under his arme, and a Text in his mouth, he did set upon Christ: Mat. 4.6. It is written, He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee &c. He that durst touch the blessed body of Christ with his hand, will venture to touch the holy word of God with his tongue. But here was subtletie mixed with presumption: What can be a more authenticall weapon than the Scripture? But that the devill should fight with it, is the wonder. He cites it indeed, but with mutilation, with distortion: by wronging the words, by wresting the sense. It comes not out of his mouth, but maimed and perverted. The Text quoted is this: Psal. 91.11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. One piece of it is left out, all mis-applyed by Satan. The promise of preservation is with a limitation; In all thy wayes: But to fall downe from the pinnacle, was not the way. So much as served Satans turne, to tempt Christ, to tempt God, he cites readily: The Angels shall keepe thee: But that they should keepe him in his wayes; this he leaves out, for it would have made against him. His way of descending, was by the staires, not by a precipitation. It is easy to see from what Schoole they come, and where they learnt their divinitie, that wrest and mangle the Scripture, to their owne purpose. As Marius tooke so much of the Romane lawes, as would serve for his ambitious ends: the rest he left out as superfluous. It is a common practise of the Pontifician writets, in their quotation of Scriptures or Fathers, onely to cull out here and there an Eunuched and maimed authoritie, for the better colour of their schismes: but that which makes against them, is ever past over in silence. And yet they keepe a noise, as if the Scriptures and they were good friends. The devill did say as much; and yet he was never the nearer to the Trueth. Let us take the word from the Author, not from the usurper.

2. By adding that to the Scripture, for which they have no warrant: with Apocryphall shreddes patching up the sacred Canon. This is the censure of that Antichristian Synagogue, concerning the holy Scripture: They call it an unperfect rule, an inky Divinitie, flexible to every humour, without the complement of their Traditions. They have a booke called Protevangelion, fathered upon St. Iames, full of strange stuffe. As that when Christ (an Infant) was carried into Egypt, and assaulted by theeves; one theefe withstood all his fellowes, and would not suffer them to lay hands upon Ioseph; desiring the child Iesus to remember this good turne: and that this was the very theefe whom he remembred upon the crosse. That Christ in his minoritie, working with his father Ioseph in the trade, had bene corrected by him for cutting a piece of tymber too short: but that miraculously with his hands he pulled it out to the full length. Is not this goodly stuffe, to be put upon our faith? Thus out of the vanitie of their wittes, they devise all varietie of tales, whereby they may lead mens minds from the written word, to a beleefe of strange fictions. From hence grow those voluminous Legends, and infinite fabulous inventions, and dreames of the ancient heretickes. With these delusions do they stuffe their Sermons and Postills; turning the holy story into a meere Comedie, with their severall hints, and actors, and entrances. No sooner have they singled out a Text from the Bible, Like a flower out of the garden, but they dresse it with such new termes of arte, that the Gardiner can scarce know it againe. There be such mysteries, and parables, such metaphores and allegories, forced out of plaine propositions; that as they wonder how we should not receive them, so we wonder more how they could find them. But a sober ignorance is better than a drunken knowledge.

3. By distinguishing the Scripture, till (in a maner) they extinguish the light of it. Heb. 9.28. Christ was offered up once for all: This they distinguish, telling us of a Sacrifice Bloudy and unbloudy: the one, once on the Crosse; the other, daily in the masse. Mat. 26.27. Drinke ye all of this: They distinguish of All; and would have it to be meant onely of All the Apostles, not of All Christians. Hebr. 13.4. Marriage is honourable among all men: That is, say they, among all them that are not bound by a vow to the contrary. 1. Tim. 2.5. There is one Mediator, Christ: this they distinguish; He is the onely Mediator of Redemption, not so of Intercession. Againe; that he is Mediator both in regard of nature and office: the Saints are mediators in regard of office, not of nature. So, say they, Christs satisfaction is in vertue sufficient, but not efficient in act, unlesse it be applyed by our satisfaction. To take away all opinion of merite, Christ chargeth us, when we have done all we can, to hold our selves unprofitable servants: To establish merites, they elude this with a distinction; we are unprofitable to God not to our selves. When we prove that diverse Popes have erred, and bene Heretickes; they answere that the Pope may erre, Quatenus homo, non quatenus Papa: But when the man did erre, where was the Pope all the while? Be not these pretty distinctions, whereby they mangle the word, and delude the world? upon this file hang all those dusty cob-webs of Rome; where in they catch soules like flies, and prey upon them with their poysonous breaths. Upon this drumme beate all the Schoolemen, making a harsh clattering with their subtle questions, and idle disputations. By this last kind of enigmaticall Divinitie, the witte and capacitie of man is fettered and intangled: By the next, which is their historicall figments, it is fondly trained on, and inveigled: By the first way, it is inchanted and astonished: by every one of them it is cozened and fowlly abused.

4. By mis-alledging the Scripture, to the defense of their Schismaticall tenents. If you will take an Inventory of Poperie, what can you light upon, but such notorious distortions and mis-applications of holy writte? What the Evangelist testifies of Christ; that Ioh. 20.30. he did many other signes, which are not written in this booke: That the booke of Conformities applyes to S. Francis; Multa quidem & alia signa fecit Franciscus, quae non sunt scripta in hoc libro. To St. Agnes they ascribe that; Cant. 4.7. Thou art all faire my love, and there is no spot in thee. To St. Lucie, that; Ioh. 1.5. Dormi secure. The light shineth in darknes, and the darknes comprehended it not. Be not these impudent profanations? Gen. 1.16. God made two great lights: the Pontificall, to rule the day of the Spiritualtie; the Regall, to rule the night of the laitie: and this latter is lesse than the other by 57. degrees: saith a Glosser, Like some skilfull Astronomer. Psal. 91.13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder: Pope Alexander the 3. applyed this to himselfe, when he trampled upon Fredericke the Emperors necke. Certaine Ambassadors Lying in such a posture, under the Popes feete; were taught to cry; Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nostri. They fetch the like ground for it out of the Psalme: Psal. 8.6. Thou hast put all things under his feete: The fowles of the aire, which are, say they, the Angels in heaven: The beasts of the earth, Christians in this life: The fishes of the sea, the soules in Purgatory. What honour doth the Scripture attribute to Christ, with which the Pope hath not made himselfe bold. Esa. 28.16. A sure foundation, a precious corner stone: Esa. 49.23. Kings and Queenes shall bow downe to thee, and licke up the dust of thy feet: Hos. 1.11. They shall appoint themselves one Head: Mat. 28.18. All power is given unto mee in heaven and in Earth. It was said of Pope Leo; Ecce Leo de tribu Iudah. Of another; Lux venit in mundum. He is called the Great Shepheard of the flocke, the Bridegroome, the Lambe. Christ hath no royall Robe, but the Pope fittes it to his owne backe: about which sacrilegious worke, the Iesuites are his cunning Taylors. Because Christ contradicted not Petres speech; Ecce duo gladii: this was warrent enough for Boniface the 8; to chalenge the power of both swords, Temporall and Spirituall. Mat. 17.27. Peter was charged to pay tribute both for his Master and himselfe: therfore is Peter the chiefe over the rest of the Apostles, because none of the rest payed: as if paying of tribute were a signe of preheminence, and not rather of subjection. Act. 10.13. Rise Peter, kill and eate: was not this a goodly foundation for Baronius to build on, that the Pope might excommunicate the Venetians. Mark. 13.34. A man is taking a farre journey, who left his house, and gave authoritie to his servants, and to every man his worke, and commanded the porter to watch. This man, say they, is the Soule: going into a far countrey, departing out of this world: the authority left with his servants, is his charge to his executors What must they do? with his good they must procure the prayers and suffrages of the Church, to free him from Purgatory: the watching of the Porter, is the Dutie of his Pastor; daily to sacrifice for him by saying Masse: were not these deft interpretations? What is, if this be not wresting of the Scriptures? They have yet one way more to abuse them.

5. By raising strange and unnaturall conclusions out of them. One proves that Peter had no skill at his weapon; because he did but slice off Malchus his eare, when he should have strucke off his head. Another, that the King is inferior to the Priest; because Peter was an Apostle that smote, and Malchus signifies a king that was smitten. Another, that Ecclesiasticall dignities are not to be conferred in regard of kinred but of merite: because Christ gave the Keyes to Peter, and not to Iohn; though Iohn were his Cosin, and not Peter. Be not these marvellous proper collections. They can tell you how many thornes were in Christs crowne: and what he wrote on the ground, when he absolved the Adulteresse: and what speeches passed betweene the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost in Paradise about the Incarnation of Christ. Such metaphysicall speculations swarme in the braines of our Pontifician Doctors: such frothy inferences boile out of their unskimmed wittes. God hath ever bene jelous of his word, as of his owne Honour: His Name is but that whereby he signifies his Nature to us: and his word is but that whereby he signifies his will to us: They that take either of them both in vaine, shall not be hold guiltlesse.

This latter is the reverend and impartiall Iudge of all controversies: and whatsoever contradicts it, is not an Illumination of the Spirit, but an Illusion of Satan. Hierome by those Rev. 4.4. foure and twenty Elders, understands the foure and twenty bookes of the law, as they are divided by the Hebrewes: Clothed in white, because therein is no lye to be found: and on their heads crownes of gold, because of their victorie over sinne and Satan. The Antichristian synagogue labours to bereave the Scripture of this honour: as the Title or office of a Iudge; because the Church is ancienter than the Scripture. But if this were a good reason, than Magistrates could not be Iudges of the people, because the people are ancienter than the Magistrates: nor should the lawes have authority over them, because they are ancienter than the Lawes. If we do not understand by the Scripture, the paper and print onely; but the doctrines therein contained: then all that is there said of the nature and properties of God, of his eternall counsels, and of the worlds creation, must needs be ancienter than the Church. Iohn 12.48. The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge them in the last day, that receive not my words. This shall be judge, when all the world, even these perverse judges themselves shal be brought to judgement. Luk. 16.29. They have Moses and the Prophets, let them heare them. If Moses and the Prophets were sufficient to instruct the brethren of Dives, how much more able is the addition of the Gospell and Epistles to bring us to salvation? Christ lives now, Marlor. Coster. non solum inter nos, sed etiam intra nos. In this Evangelicall glasse, we can behold him crying in the cradle, and dying on the crosse, buried in his grave, and rising from the dead, ascended far above all Heavens, and there sitting as an Advocate to plead our cause. Who then shall lay violent hands on this sacred Canon, with impunity? To take off God from his owne meaning, and to father upon him a bastard sense, is intolerable blasphemy. Yet wee know where such wresters dwell; that offer to wring Gods weapon out of his hand, and impiously returne the point upon his owne bosome.

The summary conclusion is this: Imposters and perverters of these sacred Records, are in the state of damnation. They that will give God a new tongue, shall feel his old hand. Detorquent, they put the text to the rack, the Scripture to the torture: first, they conceive an opinion, and then screw the Word of God to the maintenance of it. They will not so conceive as he speaks, but they will have him so speake as they conceive. First, they conclude, thus it shall be: then they force the Scripture to consent with them, that so it is. As when lustfull Amnon could not win Thamar by fair meanes, he defloures her by force. A litle flourish of words, is with them a main advantage: lik raging wild beasts, that when they cannot come at the person, Cyril. they rend in pieces his garment. But as a man, so the Bible consists of a body and soule: the sound of the letter is but the body, the sense is the soule. The seed is the Word of God: they that corrupt it, as hereticks: or choke it, as hypocrites: or keepe it downe forcibly from growing, as tyrants: or thrust other seed into it, as Papists; shall have just vengeance for their pains. For as God gave pure seed, so he wil require pure corne. Mat. 4.10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: this is pure seed. To worship Angels or Saints, or the crucifix, or images: this is sophisticate seed; God did never sow it: it is the enemies supersemination of tares. Christs feed was left in the garners of the Prophets and Apostles: they that adulterate it before it be sown, or nip it when it does spring, or cut it downe before the Lords harvest; shall bee indicted of this felonious rape, the wresting of Scriptures. When all their fond allusions, shal be found illusions: and as they have attempted to make God speake against himselfe, so their owne tongues shal be their own accusers, & condemnd they shal stand by their own cōsciences.

Here let us tak 2. cautions; as marks to know them, and meanes to avoid them.

1. We may discern them: as the cunning of an Imposter cannot keep him from a discerning eye. 2 Cor. 5.13. Whether we be besides our selves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause: this is the best tēper of Gods faithful workman; his cariage towards God is ful of zeale; not without grones, agonies and raptures. But his conversation towards men is ful of mildnes; of a soft, sweet, cool & affable demeanor: hipocrits and impostors deal otherwise for in the Church, in the Pulpit, they seeme to be men inspir’d with holy furies; like burning Seraphim, rapt with extasies, and amazing all their hearers: tak them into their chambers, in their solitary and separate meditations, whereunto God only is privy: view their life, as it is abstracted from the publike eye: they are not only calme and tepid, but even fowle and wicked: sober enough to God, and transported only towards men. As hypocrits with their dissembling holinesse towards God, doe palliate their injuries done to men: so heretickes by their morality and faire deportment towards men, make a way for their blasphemies against God. The former is like a meteor, which burnes cleare upward to Heaven, but hath a squalid taile dangling to the Earth: The other like the Moone, is then lightest towards the Earth, when she is darke to. Heaven. Roaring profanenesse makes too much noise for Imposture: that is the Devils suite when he goes a whoring: it is the language he speakes amongst ruffians and strumpets: He hath another garbe for the brethren of singularity. Iniquity is a coard or cable; a grosse bungerly sinne: but hypocrisie is a fine spun threed, scarce discernible. If you see a man that hath nothing but Heaven in his mouth, and yet nothing but the world in his hand, you may suspect that hee hath a Devill in his heart. They that mingle the respect of themselves with the sacred Truth, have not the Scripture for a Text, they may have it for a pretext. But such as minde only their Masters glory, with trembling and innocent hands turne over their Masters booke; and interpret it as it is meant, to direct us the way to Heaven, and to bring us to salvation.

2. We may auoid them; by cleaving to that word, which they are still cleaving a pieces. Thou shalt protect them in thy Tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues, saith the Psalmist. Out of the Tabernacle of God, wee meete with the contradictions of the World, with a world of contradictions: which way so ever we turne our selves, there is no end of controversies. That as in the burning of some danke and sobby fewell; we cannot see the fire for the smoake: So the light of the Scriptures is dusked by the vapours of controversies. Whilest green wits range abroad into the woods and thickets of Schoolemen, that wilde Forrest of Polemicall Divinity; they cannot escape vnscratched. Those bryars and brambles plucke of the wooll of the sheepe. They that love such intricate and perplexed walkes, had need of iron-shooes, for they tread upon thornes. I deny not but there may be a sober use of those abstruse questions; but then they must be read with sober eyes: otherwise there is more danger in being snared with difficulties, than hope of benefit to our saving knowledge. The Dove that keepes her close in her nest, those Cant, 2.14. clefts of the rocke, is not troubled with these wilde flutterings. Adhere to the Church, and therein to the Scripture, whereof the Church is the depositary, not the Iudge. In the tabernacle was the Arke, and in the Arke the Testimonie. The Tabernacle was but the huske, the Testimony was the kernell. Never tell mee of the huske without the kernell; of the Tabernacle, without the Testimony. The Tabernacle was ordained for the keeping of the Law: and the custody of the Gospell is also intrusted to the Church. But as the Testimony was the life of the Tabernacle, so the life and soule of the Church is the Gospell. On this blessed covenant let us rest our faiths, and it shall bring rest to our soules.

They wrest the Scriptures to their owne destruction.] That which is said of Tapers; quod me alit, me extinguit: or of the creatures, that Nutrimenta may be made Nocumenta: so also of the Scriptures; that verbum vitae, the Word of life may bee so distorted from vita verbi, the life of the word, till it becomes Esca mortis to us. Like an over-charged Cannon, it may recoile upon us, and braine us with the splinters. That which God gave us for a spirituall Sword, wherewith to wound out enemies; may be so wrested out of our hands, that it becomes a sword for our enemies, wherewithall to wound us. As the Taper is put out by an inversion of it: the fire should be above the oile, and so it burnes; but if the oile gets above the fire, so it drownes. Or as the creatures are noxious only by the abuse: meat nourishes, excesse of meat suffocates: wine chears the heart, too much wine overheats and endangers a Surfet. So it is with the Scriptures; Take them in their pure, proper, naturall, and genuine sense; they are the Bread of life, and the Waters of life, and the immortall Seed of life: there is nothing but life in them. But as Paul said of the Law; Rom. 7.10. The Commandement which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death: So Heretikes may say of the Gospell; What God meant for our life, that we have abused to our owne death: yet still the Covenant, no lesse than the Commandement, is Rom. 7.12. holy, and just, and good. Ex perperam intellecta Scriptura natas haereses. Hilar. August. in Psalm. 67. Tertul. de Resur. c. 40. Iren. l. c. 1. Heresies are raised out of the Scriptures, though they be revincible by the same letters. Irenaeus cals it Imaginem confictam & refectam, ex regiâ (quae est in eâ) Divinâque Imagine dissoluta. Wicked men will build errors upon the Pillar and Ground Trueth. Foure Observations are here offered to us.

1. Hypocrites and Imposters never meddle with the Scriptures, but to wicked purposes. This project they learned of their father: Matth. 4.6. Cast thy selfe downe, for it is written, He shall give his Angels charge over thee. Hee knew the baite that Christ would soonest bite at: that he relyed upon nothing so much as the voice of his Father: If any stratagem can prevaile, it must be a pretence of Scripture. Therefore he drawes out his Scriptum est; dealing with the sharpe, and blading it out with the Word of God. He, forsooth, is a lover of the trueth; and will perswade Christ to nothing, but what he hath Scripture for. Hee does not alwaies shew his hornes, but sometimes vaile them with holinesse. What an honourable testimony was given by that Maiden, possessed with a spirit of Divination? Act. 16.17. These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Who would looke for the Devill, under the habite of such good counsell? He is the father of lies, And will hee beare witnesse to the trueth? He knew Paul to bee a sworne enemy to his kingdome, and yet he rings the Bell to his Sermon, and gathers a great audience about him. But he had another drift in all this: he made a shew to underprop the trueth, but he meant to undermine it. By the maids repeating and clamorous noising of it, hee hoped to worke a suspition in the hearers, that Paul and the Devill had compacted together. Hee hath Scripture for Christ; and a faire testimony for Paul: yet Matth. 4.7. Christ strucke him downe, and Act. 16.18. Paul threw him out. So his Factors, to prove their hereticall tenents, make bold with the Scriptures: as, in the Fable, the Foxe never praised the Law, but when it might make him a way to his booty.

2. This is the cause of many mens irresolution, the dissonant interpretation of the Scriptures: in that all men, of all Religions, doe alleage it. The places seeme to contradict one another: Christ alleadgeth it, the divell alleageth it: what shall we doe? Which way soever we take, it may be the wrong. Therefore some lie downe, like Issachar, betweene both the burdens, and sue out a writ of ease for their consciences; thinking it best to let all alone. Must we needs be either Gnostickes, or Sceptickes? Because we cannot know all, shall we examine nothing? To leave the war, wherunto we are lawfully pressed, till we have disputed the cause, which belongs not to us, is but a base tergiversation and flinching. Because our enemy hath recovered some of our Artillery, and plaies upon us with our owne Ordnance, Shall we therefore quite abandon all the rest of our Munition? Because we cannot reconcile both parts, Shall we be so civill and manerly as to displease neither part? Though one side be false, wee must not shift our selves from all inquiry of the trueth. We might as well feare to eat, least we should be choaked: or leave watching, and set the gates wide open, because the enemy will hardly be kept out. Let us not turne that to security and idlenesse, which God hath made the matter of our excercise. Wherefore serve those Promises: Matth. 7.7. Seeke, and ye shall finde: Ioh. 7.17. Hee that would doe the will of God, shall know his Doctrine. If wee bee not prepossessed with prejudice, our heavenly Schoolemaster will teach us. And if wee understand not so much as will make us learned, yet shall wee understand enough to make us blessed.

3. The foreknowing that doubts will arise, should make us more skilfull in the way to cleare them. It is written, saith Christ: It is written, saith the Devill: If they bee written, they are both true: If true, How are they contrary? And contrary they must bee, being cited by Enemies. The Text cannot speake: What resolution then is there for the Conscience? Shall we make the Scriptures like Waxe, susceptible of any impression? Or like Bels, tunable to the eares of the Hearer? Though the printed letter cannot speake; and they that wrote it are in Heaven: yet there are meanes to come by their meaning. First, Prayer; that it is a Key to those heavenly Mysteries. Qui docuit orare, dabit & intelligere. He that gives us the understanding to pray, will also give us the understanding that wee pray for. O Lord, Teach mee thy Statutes. Secondly, examination of the words; what they, bee in the Text, what in the Context: whether proper or figurative. Hee that makes a propriety of speech of a figure, is like him that tooke the curtaine for the picture. Thirdly, the drift and scope of the place must be weighed. To the Ruler that asked what hee should doe to inherit eternall life, Luke 18.20. Christs answere was a direction to keepe the Commandements. Not that Christ meant, the way was by the workes of the Law; as the Papists gather from it: but to confute his opinion that thought so, when as hee could never fulfill it. Rom. 4.3. Wee are justified by faith, saith Paul: Iam. 2.21. wee are justified by workes, saith Iames: Saint Iames dealt with them that stood too much upon faith without workes: Saint Paul dealt with them that stood too much upon workes without faith. The one a Iustice of Acceptation with God, the other a Iustice of Approbation before men. Fourthly, Scripture must be conferred with Scripture: it is Index both Sui and Obliqui. Compare that of Saint Peter; 1 Pet. 4.8. Charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes: with that of Solomon; Prov. 10.12. Love covereth all sinnes: then we shall finde, that it doth not cover sinnes before God, as the Papists would have it: but qualifies and hides them from men, as God would have it. Fifthly, that which is not proportionable to the Analogy of faith, and agreeable to the rule of trueth, is a wrested Interpretation. This is my Body, If I take it for the substantiall flesh of Christ, as it was upon earth; this crosseth a Commandement, Thou shalt not kill; yea, it crosseth my Creed, which bindes me to beleeve that Hee is in Heaven. I know that in Scripture some things are not expressed, which are yet implyed: Scriptura non dicit, sed non contradicit. If it crosse not the rule of faith, it may bee received: the honest and beleeving heart shall be instructed.

4. This is no disgrace to the Scriptures, that they are depraved by Heretikes: nor is it a wonder, to heare Hypocrites quote that authority, which Satan himselfe hath not spared to cite. Though Scripture bee opposed to Scripture, yet this must not withdraw the determination of matters from the Booke of God: for none can better trie the trueth, than the Spirit of Trueth. When the Devill had abused that place; Psal. 91.11. by enforcing the promise contrary to the Commandement; making that absolute, which in it selfe was but conditionall: as if the Lord, who would protect him in his waies, would also protect him out of his wayes: which was to adulterate the Scripture: yet this detracts nothing from the glory of it, because Satan and his Impes meddle with it. Nay, this rather graceth it; for their very allegation it a secret acknowledgement of the honour due to it. Matth. 4.7. Christ therefore did not throw away his weapon, but striketh with the same sword, wherewith He was stricken: and makes an holy use of that to his Fathers Glory, which to his dishonour was abused by the Adversary. The Word of God is not the worse, because these men have depraved it. The Bee gathers hony on the same stalke, from which the Spider suckes poison. Some have been poisoned by their meats and drinkes; yet either these things must nourish us, or nothing. Though the bloudy Hel-hound slay a man with his weapon; yet the Souldier may layfully gird a sworde to his side. Ioh. 11.50. It is expedient that one man should die for the people: A Caiaphas spake it; must not we therefore beleeve it? Numb. 23.10. Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end bee like his: Though this were the wish of an inchanter, yet the prayer will doe well in the mouth of an honest man. Act. 16.17. These men shew us the way of salvation, sayes the Pythonesse: yet Paul will not deny himselfe to be a Preacher of saluation, because she affirmes it. And if the Devill transforme himselfe into an Angell of light, shall therefore the good Angels forgoe their light? The intemperance and surfet of an epicure, does not make our sober appetites out of love with our dinner. It may bee the Devill by alleaging of Scripture, meant to make Christ weary of his weapon: as the fashions of apparell, when they are taken up by the base, are cast off by the great. And it was one cause, why Christ afterward forbad the Devill even to confesse the truth, because his very mouth was a slander.

It is Satans old tricke, to counterfeit an Imitation of the sonne of God: Christ alleageth a Scripture to him, and hee re-alleageth Scripture to Christ. What one act ever passed the hand of God, which Satan did not apishly attempt to second? they that quote Gods Word against the Authors meaning, are the heires apparant to Satan. If we seeme to follow Christ in the outward action but with contrary intentions, we doe indeed but follow the Devill in following Christ. It is not possible for Impostors, to finde out a better colour for their heresies, than out of the Scriptures. Therefore with that Heavenly gold, they guild over their base metall, that it may passe current. The Prince of darkenesse will not scorne to borrow so much of an Angell of light, as to seeme godly for a mischiefe. If hypocrites deceive us with the glorious lustre of holinesse, wee see where they have learned those projects. Yet is not our Saviour distasted with the Scripture, because the Devill mis-layes it in his dish: but rather he snatcheth the sword out of that impure hand, and beates him backe with that usurped weapon. It is not the letter of the Scripture, that can carry it, but the sense: while we separate these two, we profane both. The Scripture is one, as that God whose it is: where it shewes any appearance of difficulty or inconvenience, it needs no light to cleare it, but what it hath in it selfe. All doubts that may arise from it, are fully answered by collation. It is not the glorious flourishes of hypocrisie, but the easinesse of our slothfull credulite, that abuseth us.

I know indeed, that many soules are betrayed by corrupting that truth, whose vertue is soveraigne and saving. There is no Devill so dangerous, as the religious Devill. Yet as David would not doubt to eate of that sheepe, which hee pulled out of the mouth of the Beare or Lion: so let it be no scruple unto us, to fetch our owne patrimony out of the hands of the Philistines: and to seeke for salvation in that Arke, which they joyned with their Dagon. Good meate put into a stomach corrupt, feverish, or hydropicall, doth not more nourish nature, than the disease: yet we doe not thereupon forbeare utterly to feed: but rather strive to purge out those bad humours, which cause the offence. The Lord hath given us light; let us beseech him also for cleare and sound eyes, that wee may take comfort in the light hee hath given us. Let not the divine Table of Christ bee made a snare to our soules. The Word of God is holy, O that our hearts were so: then should we finde that word not more true, than cordiall. And after all these depravations and cloudes of darkenesse cast before that blessed light; wee shall see it as plainely, as the Sages did the Starre, and it shall bring us directly to Iesus Christ. It followes.

To their owne destruction.] They make a faire businesse of it; so wresting the booke of Grace, that they quite wrest themselves out of the Booke of Life. To say nothing of those sacrilegious Poets, that have turned the sacred story into playes and enterludes; and presented that on the Stage, which was ordained for the Pulpit. But if a man playes with God, hee shall finde God in earnest with him. Two causes of this perversion are principally here assigned by the Apostle: the want of knowledge, and the want of sobriety: unlearned, unstable.

What innumerable absurdities have sprung from the former, Rome can give you a large Inventory. Ignorance passeth among them for one of the Graces, (I had almost said) for one of their Sciences. The mother of devotion they call it: the blinde mother of as blinde littor: superstitious devotion, the daughter of mopish indiscretion. Ye worship ye know not what: Iohn 4.22. well may they worship they know not what, that are religious they know not how. Laymen are esteemed as hogges; and must not bee allowed those precious pearles. In 1. Tit. pag. 105. Espencaus relates the speech of a noble Italian Bishop: Our countreymen are terrified, saith he, from the study of Divinitie, with feare of incurring heresie: as if error sprung from the knowledge, and not rather from the ignorance of the Scriptures. When an old Priest of theirs heard a young man alledge Scripture out of the new Testament, he wondred at it: and protested that he had bene a Priest fifty yeares, and yet never knew what the new Testament was. The prohibition of the Bible was so strictly urged, that it was more danger to be found reading a chapter of it, than counterfeiting the Kings coine. This appeares by that ancient law in our kingdome; that in many criminall offenses, he that could but read a Psalme in Latine, though he understood never a word of it, should be exempted from the secular power, as being fitte to make a Clerke of. This law is still continued; not that all such as can read, are fit to be made Priests, but to mitigate the rigour of the law in petty offenses. Now they have translated the Booke of God into diverse vulgar Languages: but still, as they have corrupted it with false glosses, so they teddar it up within certaine limits. It is not permitted, but to such as have a dispensation from their Ordinary, or that by their yearly revenewes can dispend such a sum of money: As if heresie could fasten upon none but beggars: or the rich only, and not the poore, stood in need of comforts. Thus the Title which Epiphanius gives to all heretickes, belongs principally to them; Lucifugae, the lovers of darknesse.

For the other cause, the want of sober judgements, how shall wee doe to excuse our selves. We have too many of those that wrest the Scriptures.

1. Reprove a sensuall gallant for his voluptuous life, shared out into play, dalliance, drinke and sleepe, and he hath Scripture to defend it. Eccl. 2.24. There is nothing better for a man, than to eate and drinke, and make his soule enjoy good in his labour. God would have a man to enjoy good in his labour; but what is this to them that never labour in good? There is a particular calling; follow that, there is a generall calling, to labour in the vineyard of salvation; Phil. 212. worke out that: When you have done both these, if there be any spare time left, you may goe play. But it is a sacrilegious impiety, to make that word the buckler of sinne to defend it; which is given for a spirituall sword, to kill and mortifie it. Such men wrest it to their owne destruction.

2. Rebuke a worldling for his scraping rapacity: tell him that Covetousnesse is idolatry; that it brings on a catalogue of curses: He contradicts you with Scripture: 1 Tim. 5.8. That man is worse than an infidel, who provides not for his Family. As if men must needs provide for their owne, by taking away other mens: and could have nothing to leave their children, but that which they purloyne from the children of God. Hee that buyes a patrimony for his childe, with the losse of his owne soule, hath but a deare purchase, a very hard bargaine. There is a true story of a rich oppressor, who had stored up a great masse of wealth for his only sonne: This man falling into sickenesse, and thereby into some remorse, called his son to him, and told him how aboundantly he had provided for him: withall asking him, whether he did truely and really love him. The sonne answered, that nature (besides his paternall indulgence) bound him to that. The father being now in his sicke bed, farther puts him to it; how he would expresse this love to him: the sonne said in any thing that he should command him. Hereupon, his father chargeth him to hold his finger in the burning candle, but so long as hee could say one Pater-noster, without removing it. The sonne attempted it, but could not endure it, Yet sayes his father, to get thee wealth and a large estate upon Earth, I have hazarded my selfe to Hell; for the welfare of thy body, I have ventured my soule: Thou canst not suffer the burning of a finger for mee, I must burne body and soule for thy sake: Thy paine is but for a minute; mine must be unquenchable fire, even torments for ever. By this consideration, being melted into repentance; he restored all the gaines of his unjustice, made the poore partakers of his riches, abandoned all worldlinesse, and was recovered both in body and soule to the Lord. As hee hath many followers in his base avarice, so I would to God he had some in his gracious repentance. Little doe gripulous fathers, that what was forty yeers a gathering, should be spent in one Christmasse-revelling.

3. Reprehend a dissolute liver for his inordinate courses: perswade him to a seasonable repentance: tell him that hee hath no promise of forbearance: that many are cut off by suddaine death in the midst of their sinnes; or justly delivered over to hardnesse of heart, and finall impenitency: yet hee can prolong his sensuall pleasure, by a warrant of Scripture: Ezek. 18.27. At what time soever a sinner repents, &c. Thus, what is written for his consolation, he tutnes to poyson: of his physicke and restorative, hee makes a drinke of intoxicating desperatenesse. Alas, why did God give us his Word, but that we might be saved by it? Why are we not left in blindnesse, like the Heathen; but that the Lord intends this gracious light for our conversion? Shall we make that our encouragement to bee evill, which God hath ordained to bring us to goodnesse? The Gospell is our Fathers will; shall we dare to interline it? To get a false legacy, shall wee forfeit the true? It is our Charter; the covenant that God hath made with us, to save our beleeving soules in Christ: shall wee subtilly picke words and cavils out of our evidence, to overthrow our owne inheritance O why should we wrest that to our owne destruction, which is meant for our salvation? There bee sayings, by which a profane soule heartens himselfe on to lewdnesse: and yet even those, the tender conscience takes for motives to repentance. There bee sentences, from which a too late repenter will sucke desperation: and yet they that seeke the Lord earely shall receive from them his morning deaw, his seasonable mercy, his sweet compassion. In a word, let us neither extenuate those places that make against our sinnes, nor misconstrue those that make for the peace of our soules. So whiles we doe no way wrong the Scripture, it shall every way comfort us in Iesus Christ, Amen.