x. 33.

effectually do by the virtue of obedience; nevertheless it may be perhaps a question, whether St. Paul did mean, that we sin as oft as ever we go about any thing without an express intent and purpose to obey God therein. He saith of him1 Cor. self, "I do in all things please all men, seeking not mine own commodity, but rather the good of many, that they may be saved." Shall it hereupon be thought, that St. Paul did not move either hand or foot, but with express intent even thereby to further the common salvation of men? We move, we sleep, we take the cup at the hand of our friend, a number of things we oftentimes do only to satisfy some natural desire, without present, express, and actual reference unto any commandment of God. Unto his glory even these things are done which we naturally perform, and not only that which morally and spiritually we do. For by every effect proceeding from the most concealed instincts of nature, his power is made manifest. But it doth not therefore follow, that of necessity we shall sin unless we expressly intend this in every such particular. But be it a thing which requireth no more than only our general presupposed willingness to please God in all things, or be it a matter wherein we cannot so glorify the Name of God as we should, without an actual intent to do him in that particular some special obedience; yet for any thing there is in this sentence alleged to the contrary, God may be glorified by obedience, and obeyed by performance of his will, and his will be performed with an actual intelligent desire to fulfil that Law which maketh known what his will is, although no special clause or sentence of Scripture be in every such action set before men's eyes to warrant it. For Scripture is not the only Law whereby God hath opened his will touching all things that may be done; but there are other kinds of Laws which notify the will of God, as in the former Book hath been proved at large; nor is there any Law of God, whereunto he doth not account our obedience his glory. 1 Cor. 1. "Do therefore all things unto the glory of God (saith the Apostle), be inoffensive both to the Jews and Grecians, and the Church of God; even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own commodity, but many's, that they may be saved." In the least thing done disobediently towards God, or offensively against the good of men, whose benefit we ought to seek for as for our own, we plainly shew that we do not acknowledge God to be such as indeed he is, and

31--33.

ii. 12.

consequently that we glorify him not. This the blessed Apostle teacheth; but doth any Apostle teach, that we cannot glorify God otherwise than only in doing what we find that God in Scripture commandeth us to do? The Churches dispersed amongst the Heathen in the East part of the world are by the Apostle St. Peter exhorted to have their " con- 1 Pet. versation honest amongst the Gentiles, that they, which spake evil of them as of evil-doers, might, by the good works which they should see, glorify God in the day of visitation." As long as that which Christians did was good, and no way subject unto just reproof, their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the Heathens' conversion unto Christ. Seeing therefore this had been a thing altogether impossible, but that Infidels themselves did discern in matters of life and conversation, when Believers did well and when otherwise; when they glorified their Heavenly Father, and when not; it followeth, that some things wherein God is glorified, may be some other way known than only by the Sacred Scripture; of which Scripture the Gentiles being utterly ignorant, did notwithstanding judge rightly of the quality of Christian men's actions. Most certain it is, that nothing but only sin doth Rom. dishonour God. So that to glorify him in all things, is to do nothing whereby the Name of God may be blasphemed ; 1 Cor. nothing whereby the salvation of Jew or Grecian, or any in the Church of Christ, may be let or hindered; nothing Rom. whereby his Law is transgrest. But the question is, Whether only Scripture do shew whatsoever God is glorified in ?*

ii. 24.

x. 32.

ii. 23.

third

ture

i Tim.

3. And though meats and drinks be said to be "sanctified The by the Word of God, and by prayer,"+ yet neither is this Scripa reason sufficient to prove, that by Scripture we must of proof; necessity be directed in every light and common thing which iv. 5. is incident into any part of man's life. Only it sheweth that unto us the Word, that is to say, the Gospel of Christ, having not delivered any such difference of things clean and unclean, as the Law of Moses did unto the Jews, there is no cause but that we may use indifferently all things as long as we do not (like swine) take the benefit of them without a thankful acknowledgment of His liberality and goodness by whose providence they are enjoyed. And therefore the Apostle

[Rom. xii. 2.]

66

And that which St. Paul said of meats and drinks, that they are sanctified unto us by the Word of God, the same is to be understanded of all things else whatsoever we have the use of." T. C. lib. i. p. 27.

iv. 3-5.

gave warning beforehand to take heed of such as should 1 Tim. injoin to "abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving, by them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. The Gospel, by not making many things unclean, as the Law did, hath sanctified those things generally to all, which particularly each man unto himself must sanctify by a reverend and holy use: which will hardly be drawn so far as to serve their purpose, who have imagined the Word in such sort to sanctify all things, that neither food can be tasted, nor raiment put on, nor in the world any thing done, but this deed must needs be sin in them which do not first know* it appointed unto them by Scripture before they do it.

The

fourth

4. But to come unto that which of all other things in Scrip- Scripture is most stood upon; that place of St. Paul, they proof; say, "is of all other most clear, where speaking of those xiv. 23. things which are called indifferent, in the end he con

ture

Rom.

T.C. lib. i. p. 27.

xix. 8.

Арос.

iii. 14.

i. 18.

cludeth, That whatsoever is not of faith, is sin;' but faith is not but in respect of the Word of God; therefore whatsoever is not done by the Word of God, is sin." Whereunto we answer, that albeit the name of Faith being properly and strictly taken, it must needs have reference unto some uttered word as the object of belief; nevertheless, sith the ground of credit is the credibility of things credited, and Psalm things are made credible either by the known condition. Apoc. and quality of the utterer or by the manifest likelihood of 2 Cor. truth which they have in themselves; hereupon it riseth, that whatsoever we are persuaded of, the same we are generally said to believe. In which generality, the object of Faith may not so narrowly be restrained, as if the same did extend no further than only to the Scriptures of God. "Though (saith our Saviour) ye believe not me, believe my works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.” "The other Disciples said unto xx. 25. Thomas, We have seen the Lord;" but his answer unto them was, "Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into them, I will not believe." Can there be any thing more plain, than that which by

John x. 38.

John

*["Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James iv. 17.]

lib. i.

these two sentences appeareth; namely, that there may be a certain belief grounded upon other assurance than Scripture; any thing more clear, than that we are said not only to believe the things which we know by another's relation, but even whatsoever we are certainly persuaded of, whether it be by Reason or by Sense? Forasmuch therefore as it is granted that St. Paul doth mean nothing else by Faith, but only "a full persuasion" that that which we do "is well done;"* against which kind of faith or persuasion, as St. Paul doth count it sin to enterprise any thing, so likewise some of the very Heathen have taught, as Tully, "That nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest, [De Off. whether it be right or wrong;' whereby it appeareth that cap. 9.] even those which had no knowledge of the Word of God, did see much of the equity of this which the Apostle requireth of a Christian man;”+ I hope we shall not seem altogether unnecessarily to doubt of the soundness of their opinion, who think simply that nothing but only the Word of God can give us assurance in any thing we are to do, and resolve us that we do well. For might not the Jews have been fully persuaded that they did well to think (if they had so thought) that in Christ, God the Father was, although the only ground of this their faith had been the wonderful works they saw him do? Might not, yea, did not Thomas fully in the end persuade himself, that he did well to think that body which now was raised, to be the same which had been crucified? That which gave Thomas this assurance was his sense; "Thomas, because thou hast John seen, thou believest," saith our Saviour. What Scripture had Tully for his assurance? Yet I nothing doubt, but that they who allege him, think he did well to set down in writing a thing so consonant unto truth. Finally, we all believe that the Scriptures of God are sacred, and that they have proceeded from God; ourselves we assure that

XX. 29.

*"And if any will say, that St. Paul meaneth there a full persuasion and Tλnpopoplav that that which he doth is well done, I grant it: but from whence can that spring but from Faith? And how can we persuade and assure ourselves that we do well, but whereas we have the Word of God for our warrant?" T. C. lib. i. p. 27.

"What also that some even of those Heathen men have taught, that nothing ought to be done, whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrong. Whereby it appeareth, that even those which had no knowledge of the Word of God, did see much of the equity of this which the Apostle requireth of a Christian man: and that the chiefest difference is, that where they sent men for the difference of good and evil to the light of Reason in such things, the Apostle sendeth them to the School of Christ in his Word, which only is able through Faith to give them assurance and resolution in their doings." T. C. lib. ii. p. 60.

we do right well in so believing. We have for this point a demonstration sound and infallible. But it is not the Word of God which doth or possibly can assure us, that we do well to think it his Word.* For if any one book of Scripture did give testimony to all; yet still that Scripture

* [" The Reverend Fathers of our Church, to avouch our forsaking of the antichristian Synagogue of Rome, and cleaving to the Scriptures of God, do so far make the judgment of the Scriptures above the Church, that with the ancient Fathers they say, In time of dissention it is most behoveful for the people to have recourse unto the Scriptures' (Reply of Jewel against Harding, art. 15. p. 537); and that we may in no wise believe the Churches themselves, unless they say and do such things as be agreeable to the Scriptures: 'The trial of Scriptures is necessary to discern the true Church from all false Congregations, which all boast of the Spirit of Truth, as much as the true Church' (Rejoind. to Brist. Reply by Fulke, p. 84); and Only Scriptures are a sufficient warrant to every Christian to try what is the Word of God, and what is the word of man, &c.' (ib. p. 99.) But you, Master Hoo, do say, 'It is not the Word of God which doth or possibly can assure us, that we do well to think it his Word,' Book II. sect. 4: and again, 'By experience we all know, that the first outward motive leading men so to esteem of the Scripture, is, the Authority of God's Church:' and a little before, 'Scripture teacheth us that saving truth which God hath discovered unto the world by Revelation; and it presumeth us taught otherwise, That itself is divine and sacred,' Book III. sect. 8. Here we beseech you, Master Hoo, that if as our Reverend Fathers affirm, we may no otherwise believe the Churches themselves, but as they agree to the Scriptures, and that by them the true Church is to be discerned, &c.; and that only Scriptures sufficiently warrant the trial of God's Word; what certainty of Salvation we can have in any presuming or motive by the Church, if the Scripture cannot assure us that it is the Word of God? Are not these contradictory? Tell us therefore if your meaning be not, that the Authority of the Church must do that which the Scripture cannot do; namely, to assure us that they are the Word of God: And our Reverend Fathers say, The Church cannot so assure us, unless we try it first to be the true Church by the Scriptures: are not these contradictory? They say, Only Scriptures warrant us what is the Word of God; you say, they cannot assure us of the Word of God, but presume us to be taught that thing otherwise: are not these contradictory? Have we not here good cause to suspect the underpropping of a Popish principle concerning the Church's Authority above the Holy Scripture to the disgrace of the English Church? If not, then reconcile your assertion unto theirs, and shew mercy and truth unto our Reverend Fathers. And therewithal we pray you to expound either by experience or otherwise, Whether the Word of God was received in the world and believed by men, by the virtue and authority of the witnesses, either Prophets or Apostles, or the Holy Church; or that such witnesses were not esteemed for the Word's sake; and the Church alway approved both by God and faithful men, as the same was described, commended, and ordered by the Rule of Holy Scripture? What think you of the Beautiful feet that bring glad tidings,' and of the kings, who for reverence stopped their mouths at it,' Isaiah lii. 7, 15; the people 'pricked in heart' at Peter's preaching, Acts ii. 37; and the men of Berea' searching the Scriptures,' Acts xvii. 11: whether that in all these, the testimony of man, as Prophet, Apostle, or Church, did Authorize the Word of God that it was believed; or the 'demonstration' of the Spiritual power of the Word itself? 1 Cor. ii. 4. And was not this the meaning of St. Paul, when rejecting Letters of Commendation, he affirmeth that the Corinthians were his Epistle written in their hearts, which is understood and read of all men ; &c.? 2 Cor. iii. 1, 2. Doth he not prefer the power of the Word, testifying of itself, by the conversion of the heart (Psalm xix. 7), before all other motives, and by it he himself was Authorized in their consciences, and not it by him? Lastly, shew us where you find that the Scripture presumeth us taught otherwise, &c.' What think you, Is it of man, or by man; or of God, that it so presumeth? Or do not you presume against the Word of God, to set up man's testimony, when we know that the testimony of God is greater?' 1 John v. 9. When the Jews and the Gentiles did both oppose themselves against the Gospel, what did it presume upon? Was it not of itself the two-edged sword, piercing into the marrow of the bones,' Heb. iv. 12; the rod of iron' to crush in pieces the nations, Psalm ii. 9; and the armour Spiritual to bring in subjection every thought into the obedience of the knowledge of God?' 2 Cor. x. 4, 5."-A Christian Letter, p. 8.]