46 Cbp.x i. The endproves ChriftianReligion true. Introduát. ally in fuccceding Ages been altered and amended, fomthing abrogated, and fom- thing added. But in the Lawof God there hath been no fuch thing. For noneof the Prophets ever went about to corre ìthatwhichMofescommanded, or to add to it , but in all their writings they have confirmed and approved , what he- did. The laft way or argument to prove that Chriftianity is the true Religion , is a. From the end whereto it tends. Whatfoever Man produceth or bringeth forth ( asunregenerate ) it mutt needs havepropria! hominis pauses, the proper pallions of a Man, and they will delire and feck to haveMan their end. But Chration Reli- gion makes God theend , and acknowledgeth all things to come fromhim, as Saint jain, r, 17. lames fpeaketh, and therefore attributeth all honour toGod. Finis "acne Religionis, eß' boner Dei, the end of trueReligion is Gods honour, andprofeffeth, that as God is theAuthor ofall cffence, fo alfo of all good, therefore all honour is to be given to him, noneelfe mutt {hare with him in it.But fo doth noother Religion but the Chrifti- an, all other feekMans honour, either in whole, or inpart. a. The Poets and Philofophers have much flood upon the natural power and a- bilities of Mans free-will, and givenhim his ignicalos d- femina natura, fparks and feeds of Nature , and thereby make him Author of his ownperfection bycherilhing and encreafing what Nature hath beftowed on him. But our Religion acknowledg- eth nothing good to be Mans, but that all good comes fromGod, and mull be referred to him. Again, inGod there Inuit be an unity, therefore that Religion is falfe, that 1,,d. $ir. acknowledgeth any more Gods thanOne. And one of their own faith , that Mofes went out of ("Egypt meetly , becaufehe would worship but one God. The lurks, though they teemto hold that there is but one God inEffence , yet when it cometh to this but doth á theirMdiators'tothat &id,and fo onfquenymnyGods: but wehavebut 3. Now becaufe we hold, that there is an innate and natural darknefs in every one Mediator. unregenerate Man, therefore it cannot be, but that in the Religion prefcribed by Man, fomthing that is good is not commanded, and fomthing that is evil is not prohibited, and but that force lawful thingsarc ommitted, and force tnlbreach per- mitted: which we fee plainly among the Athenians : for with them , of Faith was of fo fmall account , that Graca fides the GreekFaith grew intoa Proverb. So likewife by that of Spartaneum furtum the Lacederhonians theft, we may gather the little regard they had to punifh that fin. And fo likewife by the Lupercalia, Floralia, andBacchanalia among the Romans , what liberty they took in wantonnefs and excels, may eafrly appear. No Nation of the Gentile; obferved the wholeDe- cologne , or indeed anyof the Commandments entirely; nay they were fo far from keeping that of Ne coneupifces, as that they thought ConcupifCent nofin: and forthe reft, though they had force particular Laws refpectively againft the breach of force Commandment, as againft Adultry, inceft,and the like, yet they difpenfed Ye,&let. with them, as.Perfons, time, and place, miniftred occafion to them. Whichwe may fee in the fiery of a King of Per/14, who being defirous to marry his own Sifter, and knowing that there wasa Law againft inceft , brake his mind to theMagi, clearing their opinions : they told him, that though there were fucká Law, yet there was ano ther, that the King might dowhat he would. Whereas our Religion is fo far from difpenfrng either with that, or other the Laws of God, that the Saints ofGod had ra- ther fuller death, than them to be broken; as in the cafe of ?obn Baptit, who told Mat. 14,4. KingHerod,Tibi non Beet it is not lawful forthee to have thy brothers Wife, though it colt him his Head for faying fo. at both it and the . Another Argument. to prove the truth of our Religigtr is > th Scriptures by which we are guided, go to theheart, whereas other Religionspierce not the skin. Thefe flop the ftreams, theirs make the Lufts of the Fleth, but affeti- ons , Adiaphora indifferent things to be avoyded or not, ours, by prohibiting Con- cupifcence, flop the Fountain of all fins. , 5. Again, it is a neceflary confequence, that, that which cannot come fromMau, comes fromGod. But thereare force things in Scriptures which are truly Metaphy- frcal , and mtcced the capacity ofMan , as that 5iebovals Elobim is one God and three Perfons,Trinity inUnity, that God fhould become Man : that God fhouid take upon m
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=