Effdhof Swprurc. /2 .Booke. . . Ca(eJ ofConfcienr:e. 55 lfliOuld Gmlbe al iullice,wlthout mero1e.Now A and fpecially in the Gofpcl, is contrary to the becaure he hath reuealcd lumfclfc eo be as corrupt namrc of man. Whereupon PaHI well merc1full, ashe is iult, reaIon concludes, (aith,Rom.8.7.Thewif-J,meof rheflefh iunmi· there 1 sa Rcdccrner.Againc,th41t this Redcc:- tiettg,in/fGod. And ycrrhefame word,beeing m•r fb ould be God anj mao,isaboue reafon; preached by the Mmifler appointedbyGod, ye; not again!i ir. Fur reafon r:.acbct_ll, h_e. conuerterh nature, and turncs the heart of mull be God 1 tharhc might farisfic the m6mt 1 man vmo it, in ftJchfort, asin thislall age it iullice ofGodfor lione; which nonebut God hach wonne agreat part ofthe world, to the can do:.Ag,ainc,thlt he mufl beman:becaufe embracing thereof. Now in reafon this is imman hauioglinned,man muG be pun101ed for potlible, that a thing which is Co flat again(! the Gone ofman. manscorrupr narure,lhould notwithClanding Thirdly' in the Scripture there are rundry preuaile With it fo farre' ., to caufe man to prcJidions mlde before-hand par!iclllarly, lilleand dieio theprofetlion & maintenance which norwich{hnding were notrococue ro thereof.We arewonttoreieChhewritingsof patfe,cillan roo,loO,JOo,ycarcs after,and all men,ifthey pleafcnot our humors; whereas rhe(e predictions in thcfamemanncrasrhey thisword ofGod, is of force to mooue and haue becnc forctold,haue bceoofulfilled. B inclineouralfections,rhough neuer fa much l•"f, in his vVdl foretold, that the (cepter cen(ured,crolfed,and controlled by it. And Owuld notdeparrfrom Iudah till S1loh, that this lhewesrhar God isrhe aurhour thereof, is, cheMdfta~ came. Thiswasvertfied>cucn from whome the wordofcreation came, to as it was foretold. Fora little before Chrilts which euery thing a11he firCl yeelded obedibirrh, rhe (ceptcr wastaken from rh: le\~C<;, ence. aod rraoOared vnto rl~e Romane Em;-.re. I I. The word ofGod bath this effect, to And Herod pur the IV bole Colledge of the beableto mmiltcrcomfimand rehefe, in all Ie~ves , called che1r S::mtdrim, to the fword,m ditlrelfcsofbodie or minde, yea in the greawhich Colledge wasrhe heireapparent ofthe relt and molt defperate troubles, and vexati· kings blood. ons ofrhecoo(cienc~. And when the helpes .Againe,Balaam,Num.z4 z4,foretold that ofhumanelearningand Philofophie (which Ktttim,that is,thcGrcciansand cheR0manea areofgreat vfcand force 10 other cafes) haue lhoul<i (u~dueE6er , the people of the Ealt, done all that they can, to the very vtmall, and thatalfo was afterward venfied. For the 1vithout elfetl or fuccelfe: euen then the fweet Hcbrewctand the Alfyrians, were afterward promifosoftheGofpell, will rcuiue and raife ouercome bytheGrccians,and C1hcians. , C vp the heart and giuc !C full contentment and Ti1cApollleP.ml in hisrirne foretold the farisfad1on. Experience lhcwes this to bea Jellrutl'ion ofchc Romane Empire, and the confclfcd truch in particular cafes :and it tea. rcuealmgofAociclmlt, z. Theif. z. 7, S. &c. cherh,whenc<>and from whom th10 word prowhichprophelicwasOIOrtlyofrcrfultillcd.For ccederh, whercm rhefe promifesareconraiAr.richri(! gre•·from thoferimcs by litleand ned,narncly,from God. For when hefetsrhe little ,rill at len~rh he came to Ci11n the Emconfcicnce vpon the racke,theWord thatre· perours throne; Men indcedc may foretell lccueth and rcfrelheth thefame, muCl needes things to come;but things fowold by them proceode,and come from him alone. arc prefcnt in their caufes, andfo they know and foretell them, nor otherwi(~: bur God Sef1. 4· foretcllerblimply,aod the Scriptures foretell The fourth rcafon is taken from the pro- Propertieo fimply,thereforerhey are rhe1vord of God. perties ofScripturc.I will namconely two. of Scrip· Fourthly,the Law,a part of the Scripture, The fir(t is antiquitie,which moO plaioely ru«. isprdpounded moCl purely &perfedly with· D appearesin the hiltory, though the doctrine our exception or limitation. Whereas in all itfdfc be 35. ancienr. The Scriptllre containcs me·mJawes fo~ne finncs arecondemned, but aconrinued.hiflo:r1e,from age to age, for the fome bc tolerated and permitted:bur in Gods fpacc of4ooo.years beforeChriCl,euen from Jaweuerylinncis condemned, and none cirhcbcginning. Hull1anch!Hories,thatare of ther forborne or cxcufcd. any ccrtentjeor continu~.nce , beginneondy Laaly, the Clylcand fpeech of rhe Scrip· about rhcrimcof Ezra, and Nehemiah. As turc is plarneand fimplc wnhouratfectarion, fOrrho(e wh1ch were written before, they are and yet full ofgraceandmaidhe. For in that oncly fragmcnts 1 andofno certcnrie. Gmpie Clyle,itcomrnaunderh the whole man, The (econd property, is Confenr with it body and foule; it threatn<th encrlaOillg felfe,in ail parrs, both for the matter, fcope, dcarh,aod promifcrh euerlaamg lite ' andir and end. The wtitings of men doe ditfent dorh morcatfctl rhe heart of man, then all from themfelues, by rea(on of ignorance, rhc~vrJtings iu thevmrldwhatfocuer. and forgctfulnetfe itJ the aurhours. But the St[/ 3· wbrd of God agrees with it fcifemolt exact· The third rcafon to induce \o·s to rcceiue ly,and the places that fceme ro difagrce, m;ty the Scriptures, astheword ofGod, israken ealily bereconc.iled; 111hich O>ewesthatholy from theEffcCls:whereofl noteonely two. men,by.whomc Jt waspenned,werc nor gui· I. Tnedo&rtneof Scripture ln tbcLa,v, dedthercin bythcJrowncpriuateiudgcment, E 4 but
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=