None but Christ, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. A Reproofe of thoſe that know nothing of Ieſus Chriſt.
Vſe 1 IF this be ſo, that we ought to ſtudy to know nothing but Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified) then they are juſtly to be reproved that know nothing of Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified. There are five ſorts of them who know nothing (or very little) of Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified.
Firſt, the heathens, who are the greateſt part of the world, and of whom there are milions of milions at this day, who want the meanes of knowledge, and can never attaine ſalvation: for if our Goſpel be hid, it is hid to them that periſh. 2 Cor. 4. 3. And they are without hope. Eph. 2. 12.Qui cuiquam ſalutem promittit ſine Chriſto, neſcio utrum ipſe ſalutem habere poteſt in Chriſto. Aug. Acts 17. 31 Ir is true ſome conceive it is a ſinne in Heathens to want habituall knowledge of Chriſt, becauſe it was in Adam in innocency, and it had beene his duty ſo to have acted, if God had commanded him, as now he doth command all men: Therefore habituall knowledge of Chriſt ſeems ſtill to be required even of heathens; Yea and actuall applicatory knowledge, of all to whom Chriſt is revealed: becauſe the want is their ſinne, for which they ſhall be damned, John 16. 9. Mark 16. 16. But where the Goſpel is not revealed, (as among the Heathens) there it ſeemes not a ſinne; for we are not bound to act that which God never revealed to Adam nor ſince. There is Lex interna, id eſt, internus Deiconceptus, and externa or revelata: Now Gods ſecret will is not our Law, but his will revealed. Leges factae inſtituuntur cum promulgantur. Rayner. Panth.
Some indeed think the moralized heathens that walked by the light of nature, were ſaved (as Chryſ. Clemens Alexand. Eraſmus, Caſauhon, and others) but Chriſt tels us the contrary Act. 4. 12. Though in compariſon of us that have the meanes, they are ſaid to have no ſin, Ioh. 15. 22. I grant, whether it be a ſin or no, in the Heathens not to know Chriſt, to whom he was never revealed, is a queſtion; But of this I am ſure, if their negative infidelity be no ſin (being ignorantia privationis, or negativa) yet their poſitive fidelity is odious, in that they truſt to dumb Idols, to the ſtock of a tree, &c. when as the light of nature tels them that they themſelves are better then that they truſt in (by whichlight of nature they ſhall be judged, Rom. 2. 12.) yea light of nature tels them a living creature is better then the picture (as a lamb in the field or a bird flying in the aire. &c. are better then a picture of them) And yet ſaith one, ſi accepto ſpiritu occurrerent, ut monſtra haberentur.
2. The Turks that acknowledge God a father, yet deny Chriſt a Redeemer, though they heare of Chriſt, yet deſpiſe him, reject, abuſe him and his members, and prefer their Mahomet before him: whoſe ſin is greater, becauſe their own religion is ſo abſurd, fleſhly, and filthy, and his rewards all fleſhly, fitter for ſwine then men.
3. The poore ſcatter'ed Iewes, of whom and for whom Chriſt eſpecially came, to them ſtill Chriſt is a myſtery; they acknowledge Moſes law and the Prophets, but reject Chriſt as an impoſtor, & looke for a ſaviour to come, when Chriſt is ſo plainly preached in their own law; ſearch the ſcriptures ſaith Chriſt, for they are they which teſtify of me. John 5. 39. And yet they remain as judiciarily, ſo wilfully blind and ignorant (2 Cor. 3. 14.) as a juſt puniſhment of their own imprecation when they cryed, His bloud be on us and our children.
4. Papiſts who nouriſh ignorance, teaching it to be the mother of devotion, when as we know that ignorance is the cauſe of ſin. Matth. 22. 29. and puniſhment of ſin. Rom. 1. 21. Eſa. 6. 9. & ſurely that religion cannot be good which hateth the light; He that doth evill hateth the light John. 3. 10. Neither is it likely that that ſhould be the mother of devotion, that is the mother of Atheiſme, idolatry and ſuperſtition, as appeares Act. 17. 22. Pſal. 10. 4. Gal. 4. 8. But thus they pul out the peoples eyes, as the Philiſtims did Sampſons, and then they make ſport with them.
And further, though they know Chriſt to be a Saviour, yet they make him not the alone Saviour, but joyne with Chriſt their owne workes, and make themſelves at leaſt in part, their owne ſaviours: But if wee adde but one mite to Chriſts treaſure, we ſay Chriſt is not rich enough to ſave us, and ſo we make him no Saviour, Rom. 10. 3. Gal. 5. 4.
5. And laſtly, it reproveth all ignorantAn ignorant man little differs from a beaſt. Pſal. 32. Ier. 4. 22. Eſa. 1. 2. Eph. 4. 17. perſons among our ſelves; a man would wonder how they can make a ſhift or ſtudy to be ſo ignorant, who are even like the horſe and mule that have no underſtanding; As in the creation, Darkneſſe covered the face of the earth, ſo of their ſoules. Ask them what Chriſt is? They anſwer ſome of them, that he is a God, ſome a man, ſome an angel, a ſpirit, &c. Learned Maſter Pemble reports of a man dying, being asked what Chriſt was, he ſaid, he thought he was a towardly young youth, &c.
But let all thus groſly ignorant conſider, firſt their ignorance is inexcuſable, becauſe the Goſpell ſhines ſo clearly in their faces (The light ſhineth in the darkneſs, but the darkneſs comprehendeth it not, Joh. 1. 10.) There is a three-fold ignorance, 1. A privative ignorance, 2. A wilfull ignorance, 3. A negligent ignorance. Now their ignorance is not ignorantia privationis invincibilis, that is, negative or invincible ignorance; but firſt it is ignorantia pravae affectionis (as the Schoolmen ſpeak) That is wilfull from corrupt affection: It is one thing neſcire, not to know, and another thing nolle ſcire, not to be willing to know; And theſe are they that ſhut their eyes leaſt they ſhould ſee with their eyes, Math. 13. 15. Depart from us, ſay they, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes, Job. 21. 14. Or ſecondly, at leaſt it is ſupina ignorantia, ſupine, careleſs, or negligent ignorance, when men will uſe no meanes nor take any paines for knowledge; theſe are ſaid to hate knowledge, Prov. 1. 19. And this ignorance doth much aggravate their ſin, and make it without any cloake or colour of excuſe; if I had not come among you (ſaith Chriſt) you had had no ſin, but now you have no cloake for your ſin, John 15. 22. How ſhall you eſcape that neglect ſo great ſalvation? ſaith Paul Heb. 2. 3.
2. An ignorant heart is an evill heart;Iohn 9. 41. without knowledge, the mind is not good, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 19. 2. ſurely if the head be leprous, the body cannot be ſound; If the head be giddy, the body muſt needs ſtagger; If the eye be dark, all the body is dark. Matth. 6. 22.
3. All their workes are evill, and workes of darkneſſe; they can yeeld no obedience to God acceptably, becauſe it is brutiſh and not rationall ſervice; for how can we ſhun evill when we know not what is evill? Or do our duty when we know not our duty? The blind eates many a fly; and who ſo bold as blind Bayard? Ignorance made them lay violent hands upon Chriſt himſelfe; but had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
4. Fourthly, They can have no repentance; for how can we repent and be greived for our ſins untill we know them? and how can we cry for mercy when we ſee not our miſery? Ionas while he was aſleepe in the ſhip, feared not the tempeſt till awakened; the child in the dark womb cryes not, till it come into the light.
5. How full of feare are they that walkLight is ſweet, but darkneſſe terrible. in the dark? The Egyptians, when the plague of darkneſſe, was upon them, how uncomfortable was their condition? But what horrour will poſſeſſe thy darke ſoul in that hour of darkneſſe? how terrible will death be to thee? The Sun ecclipſed at the death of Chriſt, was dreadfull; but more dreadfull will it be when the face of God is ecclipſed toward thee.
6. Sixthly, Such have no part in Chriſt; for as in the creation, the firſt work God made was light, ſo in the regenerationIohn 17. 3. Iohn 4. 10. the firſt grace God gives is light. Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light, ſaith the Apoſtle. Eph. 5. 14. The Eagle tryes her young whether they be her owne, by this ſigne if they can endure to look upon the Sun, or elſe ſhe ownes them not (as they ſay) but caſts them upon the hard ſtones; And certainly thy ignorance, or knowledge, diſcovers thee to be a child of light, or a child of darkneſſe; for God hath ſworne an ignorant perſon ſhall never come into heaven; It is a people that do erre in their hearts, and have not knowne my wayes wherefore I ſweare in my wrath, they Hoſ. 6. 6. Ioh. 7. 49.ſhould never enter into my reſt. Heb. 3. 10. Neither will God ſhew them any mercy (which is uſually their excuſe) if they be ignorant, as appeares Eſa. 27. 11. They are a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them. Nay Chriſt hath ſaid he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that know not God. 2 Theſ. 1. 8. Ignorance will end in vengeance. Neither will voluntary or negligent ignorance excuſe a tanto but aggravate thy wrath, John 3. 19. this is condemnation; that is, this makes theirIgnorantia, minuit à peccato, quantum minuit à voluntario. Aq. 2. 2. Qu. 76. condemnation the greater, becauſe light is come among them, but they loved darkneſſe more then light; and therefore it is affected darkneſſe.
Queſt. What ſhould ignorant men do to come to the knowledge of Chriſt and their own ſalvation? I anſwer, Firſt I adviſe them to get a Catechiſme, and if they cannot get it by heart, yet let them read it over and over, againe and againe: and for poore ſervants, let this be a part of their Sabbath dayes work; I could wiſh likewiſe that Parents, Maſters, & Miniſters, would what they can, ſet upon this work; Catechiſing teacheth the firſt principles and fundamentals in religion, and makethHeb. 6. 1. & 5. 12. grounded Chriſtians, and would preſerve them from Schiſmes, errors, and hereſyes, and every wind of doctrine with which now ſo many are blowne away for want of being wel grounded, as a ſhip without Anchor is toſſed hither & thither with the winds, Eph. 4. 14. But a ſure foundation will make a firme building, as the houſe that was built upon a rock, the raine fell, the floods came, the winds blew, but it fell not, becauſe it was founded upon a rock, Mat. 7. 24.
2. let them uſe the meanes of hearing, reading, conference with other Chriſtians asking them queſtions. &c. Let us 2 Tim. 3. 16. Iohn. 5. 39.go (ſaid the people) to the houſe of the God of Iacob, and he will teach us his wayes. &c. Eſa. 2. 3. OnelyOnly come with an humble and teachable heart; If any ſeeme to be wiſe, let 1 Cor. 8. 2.him be a foole that he may be wiſe. 1 Cor. 3. 18.
3. Practiſe what you know already; for if any will do my will, he ſhall know whether Prov. 24. 13, 14. Rom. 1. 18. 21. 28.it be of God or no. John. 7. 17. But on the contrary, God will take away the knowledge we have, if we impriſon the truth in unrighteouſneſſe, as Maſters blow out the candle when the ſervants play with it. Rom. 1. 18. 21. 18.
4. Be much in Prayer; for Chriſt is our Prophet, and if we ſeeke it of him, he will teach us ſo much as is neceſſary to ſalvation. I councel thee to buy of me Eyeſalve. Iob 32. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 10.If thou cryeſt after knowledge, and lifteſt up thy voyce for underſtanding, ſaith Solomon; If thou ſeekeſt for her as ſilver, and ſearcheſt for her as for hid treaſures, then ſhalt thou underſtand the feare of the Lord, Ioh. 34. 32and finde the knowledge of the Lord Prov. 2. 3, 4, 5. Therefore pray with Job, Lord, what I ſee not teach thou me; and as David often, Teach me thy ſtatutes, as the naturally blind cried, Lord Jeſus that I may receive my ſight. The word is like a Dial that will not ſhew thee how the day goeth till the Sun ſhines upon it; So though there be a ſpirit in man, yet it is the inſpiration of the Almighty that giveth underſtanding.