Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 1
THe word of God by the prophet Dauid is called A lanterne to our feete, and a light vntounto our pathes. Psal. 119.105 2. Pet. 19And the Apostle S. Peter calleth the wordes of the Prophets a most sure word: to whom we shall do well if we shal giuegive heede, as vntounto a torch shining in a darke place. This lanterne and light lighteneth the whole house of God in the darke night of this worlde, like that same golden candlesticke which with her seuen branches light…ed the tabernacle of the lawe, which Aaron and his sonnes dressed from euening to morning before the Lorde, for a statute for euer vntounto their generations. And it discouers all the sleights of Sathan, that prince of darkenesse, and it is the onelie glasse of stéele to bewray him, the onelyonly sword to wound him, and nothing besides this, in truth he feareth or careth for.Ephes. 6.17 The edge and d…t of this sworde cutteth him to the quicke, as S. Paule teacheth. Therefore wouldest thou not stumble in this pilgrimage of …y life: neither in faith, nor in religion, nor in maners? follow this light: wouldest thou see sathans sleightes and auoide them? l…ke into this glasse (as S. Iames counselleth thee) and remember it well. Wouldest thou like Dauid, kill Goliah and win thereby p…e, not with king Saul, but with the king of all kings, euen God… selfe? then take this sword …n thy hande. Let it dwell in thy house, let it abide and remaine in thy hart, and thou shalt surelie …ke off his heade. It is the word of life,Phil. 2.16 1 Pet. 2.2 1 Tim. 6.3 it is the milke without deceipt, it is the doctrine of health, that maketh thy soule and with …und, it cannot hurt thee, feare not to taste,Psal. 58.5 to reade and meditate therein. Stop not thy eares at it, bee not like the deafe Ad…r, whereof the prophet Dauid maketh mention, which stoppeth …re …es at the voice of the charmer, charme hee neuer so wiselie. This is the wisedom of God and not of man: therefore giuegive good h… vntounto it, mark it wel. In that psalme it is the chiefe marke of the wicked, to stop their eares to Gods word. The church of God is thus euidentlie described by the prophet Esay cap. 26. v. 2. Open the gates, and a holy nation shall enter in, keeping (Aemunim) as it is in the hebrew, that is truthes, onlie kéeping and trusting to the worde of God, which our Sauiour with Amen hath ratified, Mat. 5.18. and S. Paul. 2. Cor. 1.20. 1. Tim. 1.15. & 4.9.
And as this word is sufficient to teach:2 Ti. 3.1…. so also it is sufficient to improue, as Saint Paul teacheth plainelie. It maketh manifest all sathans subtleties, and ouerthroweth all his deuises. And here the verie title of this Epistle, doth euidentlie proue the same. And whereas an Epistle may be called catholique for two considerations. Either because it is written generallie to the whole catholique church of Christ, as was S. Peters second epistle, and this of S. Iude: or else written but to some certaine people, as S. Peters first epistle, and that of S Iames, to the dispersed brethren, and yet containing doctrine necessarie for all christians to knowe. This epistle may seeme to be called catholique for both respects. The holie ghost did foresee, how sathan would goe about by the name of the catholique faith, to seduce many, and vnderunder this glorious title to beguile them. And therefore least any should be beguiled by him, the holie ghost in this epistle, doth plainly teach what is the catholique faith, which hee shall impugne. Let not the name beguile thée, but looke west into the thing. Copper is like gold, and the …ettle like Balme, and an Ape like a man. Beware thou bee not deceiued, vse the touchstone, and trie which of these is golde in déede, Smell well with thy nose, and taste, which is true balme: and c… reason to counsell, endued with Gods spirit, and iudge which is the man indéed. That faith, without all doubt, is the catholique faith, that is taught in this epistle. If the faith which thou accomptest catholique, be not agréeing herewith: without all doubt it is copper, it is a counterfeit faith, it is not the true catholike faith. And here least anie man should pleade ignorance, or lacke of iudgement, or lacke of leasure: the holie ghost hath most plainelie, and briefely, put downe this great and waightie matter, euen to the capacitie of the simplest. Wherefore I say to euerie one that hath eares to heare, let him heare. Of the great fruit and commoditie wee reape by hearing and reading the word of God,Ferus in cap. 20. Euan. secun. Iohan. see what Ferus a Papist writes, Christ shewes himselfe chiefely by his word, for otherwise although he be present he is not knowne, vnlesse he declare himselfe by his word. If therefore thou wilt see and know Christ, heare his word. For his face now thou canst not see. And of the same matter Philippus de Dies a Frier writeth thus. Blessed are they which heare the word of God. Conc. 2. Fest… B. Mar. ad Nines.As the apple comes of the seede; so blessednes comes of hearing the word of God: wherefore the Deuill takes such great care that men should not heare it, least hearing it they should obtaine this blessednes. Here marke whose ministers they are, that disswade thee from hearing the word of God. They are the diuels ministers by Philippus de Dies iudgement. As Eue accursed thee by eating the forbidden fruit, so eate thou this fruite againe if thou meane to be blessed. In the seed thereof is effectual blessednesse conteined. And of the great danger in not hearing it, see againe how the same Frier writeth. Also I say vntounto you, this godly affection towardes the diuine doctrine to bee a verie manifest signe of Gods predestination. Phil. de Dies conc. 1. assumpt.For as among other differences which are betwixt birdes and beastes, this is one, That if in the night a light or torch bee placed, before the eyes of birdes, they will all forthwith flie vntounto it: but contrariwise, if a light be set before beastes, they flie from it, and hide their countenances, because they cannot abide the brightnes of the torch. So likewise betwixt the predestinate and those whome God hath onelyonly foreknowne, this difference is found. For the word of God is a light shining in the middle of the night, of this world. As kingly Dauid saith, Thy worde is a lanterne vntounto my feete, and a light vntounto my pathes. And the birdes, that is the predestinate: seeing this light, which the preachers set before their eyes, runne after it: with their taste, affection and deuotion. But sinners like vntounto beastes, not being able to endure this light, by and by turne their backes and flie from it. Let euerie christian heere beware, how he turne awaie his eares from hearing Gods worde: séeing by a papistes owne iudgement, it is a manifest signe, of a reprobate. And let euerie one iudge what she was, that kept this light from the eies of our forefathers. They could not bee suffered to see it, to looke vponupon it: surelie she was not the spouse of Christ, but the sinagogue of Sathan, who is a prince of darkenes, and himselfe cannot abide this light. Let all true christians delight in this light: as in the light of the sunne. Let euerie christian marke, that same spirituall armour, which (as it were in a little bundle) the holie ghost prescribeth to eueryevery christian soldiour. There was a battell in heauen, Reu. 12.7.and the Dragon was ouercome, and the Diuel and his angels are now thrown down from heauen, by the power of Iesus Christ, that great Michael, who before accused our brethren in heauē before the maiesty of God, euen night and day. As there we may plainely read verse 10. and as we may see Iob 1. and 1. King. 22. verse 21. And he is now come downe into the earth with great rage, knowing hee hath but a short time. Against this fierce enemie this is the onelie victorie: (And they ouercame him by the bloud of the lamb, & the word of their testimonie.) By these two things and by nothing else. Where by the first is meant, that of al their deadly wounds and sinnes, which is this battell they should receiue, they were to be cured by the merits of the death and passion of Iesus Christ. And this place, seemeth to hauehave a resemblance,Exod. 2.22. with that of Exodus. Where the Israelites did with Isope strike the vpper posts of their houses with the bloud of the lambe; and so escaped the destroier. So must we with the Isope of repentance, taken in the hande of faith, sprinkle our soules with the precious blood of the lambe, that is Iesus Christ, and then shall we walke without feare, and escape the destroier.
Secondlie, the weapon to wounde this their enimie, is the worde of their testimonie. That is the word of God, whereof they are witnesses, of the trueth, sufficiencie, and certaintie of euerie …otte and tytle thereof, euen to the death. They which will ouercome sathan, must louelove the worde of God, must knowe it, nay must bee witnesses or martyrs, euen venturing their liues for it if occasion serue. For that the word (witnesse) signifieth. The word of God, must bee their profession, their testimonie; that it is the rule of lyfe, the touchstone of trueth, the ground worke of fayth, and the onelie roote of true religion. A witnesse must not onelie saie the truth, but sweare it, yea if néede be, dye for it. Such great zeale must all good christians hauehave to Gods worde. And such harnesse, such weapons, all those, that mind to ouercome sathan, must hauehave. This is plaine, this cannot be denyed. Therefore to be witnesses or martyrs principally for the church, or for the prerogatiue thereof, (for which manie heeretofore and now, do venter their liues) is not to be true witnesses or martyrs. They must ouercome sathan by the blood of the lambe, and by the worde of their testymonie, that will bee indeede true victors and conquerers of him. They must be witnesses and martyrs of the worde,Reue. 6. that will bee true witnesses and martyrs: and vnderunder the altar of God, amongst the other true witnesses and martirs.Deut. 28.14. Such a witnesse was Moses. Thou shalt not departe from the worde of God to the right hand nor to the left. Psal. 19.7.Such a witnesse was Dauid. The law of God is a perfect lawe conuerting the soule. Such a witnesse was Agur in the daies of Salomon. Pro. 30.6.EueryEvery worde of God is pure. He is a shield to those that trust in him, put nothing to his worde. There is no vntruth, no danger in his wordes. And it is sufficiente, put nothing to it:2 Tim. 3.16. it néedeth no addition. Such a witnesse was S. Paul. The worde of God is able to teach, to exhorte, to improue, to rebuke: that the man of God (both minister and hearer) may be perfect to eueryevery good work. Such a witnesse was Iames, Ia. 1.25.who calleth it the perfect lawe of libertie. If a perfecte lawe, then the commaundements of it onelie are to bee kept in matters of saluation; and of none other, neither of Angel, Apostle, Pope, Prince or potentate whosoeuer besides it, or against it.