Chpií." OftheLaw ingeneral. Introdu, `andto defire to be believed upon their bareword, but only oncondition, thatthe fenfe they `'stowgive be novafeigned fenfe, but fuch an one as bath been beforegiven by our Fa- ' theta, and fore-runners in the Chiftian faith. Say I thisof myfelt(faith the Apaflle `faithnot the Law fo too, give I thisfenfe of mine ownHead, bath net Chrifts Churchhere. `'tofore given the like t whichone courfe, if it were ftriEly held, wouldridour Church ofma- ' ny fond imaginations, whichnow areflawped dayly, becaufe everyman upon hts ownTingle Bond is trufted to deliver themeaning of any Scripture, which is many timesnought elfebut ` his own imagination. This is the difeafe of our age. Thushe. The tail way theyprefcribe is that of the Popes. And that they may err in their in- terpretationmay appear in that many of them were not found'inthe faith. St. 7erome faith that Damafus Pope, did confent ad fubferiptionem herefeos to the fubfcription of herefytandAmbrdfe reproveth thatLiberius the Pope,though for a while he was ortho- doe, and for not fubfcribingto the condemnation of Athanaftuhe was banifhed into Thrace, but fhortlyafter he became anArrian, and atone of their Counfels fubfcribed tóherefy. Honorius the firft, after his death was accurfed and condemned, in the thirteenth Aftion of the fixth general Council of Conftantinople, held. anno680. un- der Cois antinus Pogonatua the Emperour,kuia impia dogmata confirmavit,for confirming wicked opinions : which were thofe of the Monothelitcs. But to (hift off theft things, they havenothing to fay, but thhatthe Counfels were corrupt, and not only they but the writings of Berta (hall hecorrupt. So that we fee that noneof thefe rules leve- rally are infallible, Let us fee them a little together. In theadminiftration of the Sacrament ofthe Lords - fupperto infants, we may fee they fail: St. Augnf ine againft }udian, and molt of the Fathers upon john. 6. 53. affirm r Con tr. z8 . u, fodóth the Mileritan counfel, and Pope Innocent confirmed it, yetnow this is ge- nerallyrejeoted, For St. Paul faith, Let a man examine himfelf, and fo ear, &c. which a Child cannot do, And in this and other things wherein they fail, they areforced to fay, Webelieve not the Fathers, becaufe they fay it, but becaufe they fay it actor. ding to rules. And if they believe it in refpe h of the perfonthat fpeaketh, not the quid, the reality of the thing, they err much, thongh Stapleton fay, that the interpre- tationofa Bithop, though unlearned, is to be prefer'dbefore that of a learned Divine, becaufe of hisoffice and authority. Andradius yet faith, The Fathers areto be be- lieved; notin whatfoever they fay, but in whatfoever they fay according to their rules : and fo fay we. And thus much for the Preface. CHAP. XIIII. Chrifian Religion divided into the Lawand the Gold. Additions about the ufe of the Law. Thatthe Lawof Chril ispart of the fecond Covenant, &c. The judgment of the Authorout of his other Books. That the Cdosfèl is Lex ;Chrifli. The Law band. ledfirft. Realns for thisorder. What the Law teacheth: andwhat the Gos'fel. Summa Relioionis. 1 N the next place, we are to treat of the Sumof Chriftian Religion it fell in it Pelf. And this according to the ancient divifion conhfts of, Addition 4. r. The Law. a. The Gofpel. thatthe mo- The Law that is, themoral Law, as it is explicatedand enlarged by Çhrif , isa part raiLaw is an of the conditionof the fecond covenant, and therefore an effential part of the Gosfel effential part whichconfiils not barely of promifes, but of precepts too, and thole more high and per. of the otfeco 1Cofea then any before ChriSt, and therefore is the Golfe! in the Scripture often called the venant. Law ofChril, andfoufually .Riled inall antiquity. The moral Law, as it (hewsmen their fns, and fo convinces them of the necefty of Civil b, fo the knowledge of it may be needful before the Marineof Faith : but as it is the rule of. Chrifian obedience, and a conditionof the fecond covenant, whichis theme proper confìderation of it , fo it ought to follow the doEtrine of faith, and fo it Both in themol authentickCatechfm of this Church, viz. That in the Common.Trayer.Book, It i? true that, Luther and after him many Promitant Divines in their heat again( the Church of Rome about the matter ef'fulifcation i fee» to make the Goffel a Doe/rine confit ?ing meekly of prámsfes
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