Annotutaons on Chap. 7. V. From vet'. 37. many unjutlly commend ablolute Vows of Calibate; which is tomake a Law ro God, that he lhall not bring them into Neceffrty by any Change, and ro make Snares and felfbinding Laws for rhemfelves, as if they were their own Rulers, when Godhachmade them Work enough, and for ought they know, may bring them under a neceffity to marry. VI. On the other fide, by a blindoppolition to this Extreme, thoufandsrandy run intoMar- riage, without confidering the Difficulties, Cares, Sufferings, Troubles, and Temptations that attend it: And being fhrprized unprepared, li e accordingly in worldly Cares, Impatience, and Difcortent. CHAP. VIII. OW as touching things of- fered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Know- ledge pulfeth up, but charity edifieth, r. As to your Cafe about things offered to Idols, they that, to defend their licentious Pre- dice herein, pretend to know more of their Liberty than we do, muff underifand, that we have Knowledge as well as they ; and Know- ledge without Charity is not an Excellency to be boatied of; it doth but puff Men up with Pride and Self-conceitednefs: but Charity is ne- ceflary to true Edification, 2, And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth no- thing yet as he ought to know, z. And this Conceitednefh of their great Knowledge and Wifdom, proveth that they know nothing at all as they ought. If they knew tltemfelves, or Man, they would know the wcaknefs of Man's U'ndertlandiog, and how little they know, if they knewGod, or any of his Works, they would know their Lt- comprelaenfiblenefi. Indeed though we know fcmewhar of Gad, and his Works, and Word, we have uo adequate knowledge ofany thing in the World; we know not the whole of any thing, but Come part of it. And to be ignorant of our Ignorance, is a double Ignorance. It is this falfe Conceit, That Men know more than indeeçl they know, which is the grand caufeof all the Pernicious Rirouts of the World ; And confident Errour is far more dangerous and hurtful than meer Nefcience. 3. But if any man love God, the fame is known ofhim. 3. But he that bath fuck Knowledge as ha- bituateth his Soul to the true Love of God and Holitaefs, is one that God owueth and know- eth as his own, and attaineth the true End of Knowledge: For our 1Iappinefs is better fecu- red by God's loving benificent Knowledge of us, and all our Concerns, than by our own Wifdom. 4.As concerning therefore the eat- ing, of thole things that are offered in facrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other Godbist one. 4. And as to the Cafe ofeating things of- fered to Idols, we know, as well as theme Pre- tenders togreat Wifdom, that Idolsare nothing but Fitions of deceived Men, and that there is no God butone. 4. For though there he that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there he gods many, and lords many) 6, But tous there is but one God, the Father, ofwhom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jelùs Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by him 5, 6. For though the Worldloath feignedma- ny Deities, Supreme and Subordinate ones, as Mediators; yet we know that there is but One God the Father, of whom all Creatures have all their Beings, and For and towlaom we and all thingsare ; and One Lord Jefus Christ, by whom all things were at fidt created, and or- dered, and by whom we are redeemed, and whoonly is ourMediator with thisOne God. (Nate) That this Text, which the .Arians greatly boaftof, andmiltakeasifitexpreflycon- fined the Deity to the Father, as diflini from Chrift, is varioully expounded againit them by two Sorts of Expofrtors, 1. The ordinary Ex- pofirion is, I. That though there be but One God the Father, the fame Gori is alto the Son. z. But more (as Fandamentura Trinitatis, as the Schoolmen fpeak) is oft put for the Deity. as Mich, comprehending -the Three Perlons. II. Theirs that hold three Natures in Chrift, viz, i. TheSecond Perfon in the Divine Nature. z. Unitively producing the firft ofCreatures, a Superangelical Being, by whom he made all o- ther Creatures, and who appeared to the Fa- thers of old. And, 3. The Humane Nature af. fumed into Personal Union by the SuperangeIi- cal and Divine. There fay, that Chriftiscaliect [One l vt', iy whom are all things] as in his firth created Sup(rangelicalNature, diftin4 from one God the Father, but divided from him. But befrdes PeterSterry, and tome fuch of lane, few have entertained this.) 7. Howbeit there is not in every Cc3 man
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