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defeat doth so disaffect us, that we could wish this story were not so true as the other.

But how unpleasant soever the annals of Edward the Second be to some English, yet we never observed any of this age to weep at the reading of them; whereas in some provinces of this kingdom the battle of Pannierehugh, the rebellion in the north, and that less disaster in the year following that rebellion upon the English borders, could not have been mentioned or 572 seriously related within our memory, without many tears of such auditors as had no other knowledge of the events save only from histories or from traditions, which can produce no better belief than historical.

4. Some cases then there be, in which although the authority of the historian be the same, and albeit the matters related by them be for weight or substance the same, yet shall they not make the same impression upon our hearts or affections; yea, matters (in themselves considered) of small moment will sometimes sway double as much as others of more than double weight unto them, although the historical belief of both be equal. The circumstances from which historical truths of lesser weight, simply considered, receive these extraordinary degrees of gravitation, are specially three: vicinity of place; recency of time; and peculiar references to ourselves, to our country, to our friends or allies. The true reason why the history of Christ's death (in some degree, I suppose, believed by all) doth work so little or so successlessly upon most men's affections, is because they consider his death, though in itself a matter of greater consequence, yet as a matter past a thousand and some hundred years agone, or as a matter done by the Jews more than two thousand

miles from our coast. And thus they consider it without any peculiar reference to themselves as the cause of it, or no more concerning themselves than as they are pars quota humani generis, some little parcels or grains of mankind, or of the human nature which he redeemed, these being more innumerable than the sand on the seashore.

5. But how firmly soever we apprehend the truth of Christ's death and passion for the substance, yet this apprehension cannot produce a true complete historical belief of his death, unless our apprehension of the substance be seconded with the like apprehension of such circumstances as are peculiar to this history above others. What circumstances are these? Although he suffered but once, and that far off and long ago, yet whatsoever he then suffered or did, doth as nearly and as immediately concern every man this day living in what place soever, as it did those that were living when he died, either such as were sorrowful spectators of his death or actors in it. For albeit he were offered but once, and that but in one place, (without the gates of Jerusalem,) yet this one offering was of value truly infinite, and for efficacy everlasting. And being such, it must be equally appliable to all persons, times, and places. In his death, in his infinite and everlasting sacrifice, every one hath a peculiar interest, not pro rata, but in solidum: by virtue of that atonement which he made, by that redemption which he purchased once for all, he hath an entire absolute right of dominion over every one of us, and every one of us hath as entire an interest in his death, as if whatsoever he did or suffered in the days of his humiliation he had done and suffered all for us alone. But this last consideration, perhaps, is more pertinent to the

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knowledge of Christ and of him crucified, than unto the historical belief of his death or cross.

CHAP. III.

Whether such Knowledge of God and of Christ as the Scriptures teach, be a Science properly so called.

ADMITTING the objects of our belief might be as certainly and as evidently known, (at least by some,) as the subjects of sciences properly so called are; whether this knowledge and our belief of the same objects may be coincident, that is, whether it be all one so to know them and to believe them, I will not dispute; for this would occasion a controversy about the use of words, unfitting for a professed divine to entertain, much more to invite. But that there is a knowledge of Christ even in this life, which, if not for perspicuity, or evidence of truth, yet for the excellency of the truths known, exceeds all other knowledge, we have our apostle's peremptory sentence for us; for, writing to his converts of Corinth, which then abounded with all kind of knowledge secular, he saith, I esteemed or determined to know nothing amongst you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Cor. ii. 2. He therefore determined to know nothing besides, because he had no other knowledge in any esteem in comparison to this. And what good Christian would desire any other, but as it is subservient to this knowledge? This comprehends all that we can desire either to know or to enjoy; all that we can esteem or love; even eternal happiness itself, as the Author and Fountain of all happiness instructs us, John xvii. 3: This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. But whether our Saviour in this speech, or his apostle in the former, do use the word

knowledge in a strict or in a vulgar sense may be questioned. And this question resolves itself into another, more general; as, whether theology, that is, knowledge of God, be a science properly so called, or whether many conclusions of faith may be clearly demonstrated?

2. Two sorts of men there be, who, for the support or securing of their unreasonable conclusions, have some reason to deny this queen of sciences, this mistress of arts, and supreme governess of all good faculties, to be a science properly so called-the agents for the Romish church, and their extreme opposites; whether mere enthusiasts, such as deny all use of scriptures; or mixed enthusiasts, men that acknowledge the use of scriptures, but abuse them more than such as reject them, by using them too much, or to no good purpose, or mingle them with the secret inspirations of their private spirits, or wrest them to their own fancies. First, if the conclusions controverted betwixt us and the Roman church may be one way or other demonstrated, as, either to be altogether true or altogether false, or so sublime that in this life they cannot be punctually or absolutely determined; then are we not absolutely bound to believe every proposition, which that church shall commend unto us as a doctrine of faith, with the same confidence as if it were expressly delivered in scripture or in the articles of our creed. Nor should every applauded book or sermon, albeit their bulk or substance consists for the most part of scripture sentences, be acknowledged to be that word of God to which all owe obedience, if once it were acknowledged that there is a faculty or science 574 of divinity which hath the same authority to approve or disprove doctrinal conclusions or their uses, which other arts or sciences have to examine the works of all

pretenders to them. If divinity be a science, then he which is a divine, or a master of his profession, might censure the professors of other arts, faculties, or sciences, which take upon them to resolve theological controversies, or to teach doctrines which the church (wherein they live) never avouched, with the selfsame liberty which the professors of other arts usually do divines, if they take upon them to teach or practise within the precincts of their profession.

Besides these two sects of men, and some other men which cannot be comprehended under any sect or faction, but have the same temptation to desire that there might be no true knowledge of God or of Christ, or no demonstration of the Spirit, that the atheist or desperate sinner hath to wish there were no God, or no Judge of quick and dead, I cannot conceive what reason any man or any sort of men have to deny theology to be a true and proper science. Yet to give the ingenuous reader, if not full satisfaction, yet some hints (at least) whereby he may satisfy himself, it will be no digression from our present argument (at least no long digression) briefly to shew wherein that knowledge of God and of Christ which may in this life be obtained doth differ from sciences properly so called, and wherein they do agree.

Now all the differences or concordance that can be betwixt any sciences, arts, or faculties, do either concern the maxims and principles, or the conclusions and the subjects of such faculties.

3. The maxims or principles of all other sciences may be clearly apprehended and firmly assented unto by the industrious search and light of common reason, without illuminations supernatural; so cannot the principles or maxims of divinity; there must be a light or illumination more than natural before we can have either

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