of the Christian Religion, we are therefore to have our hearts and mouths filled with the highest praises of God, because we have it in the purest, that is, the Protestant way, which allows the people in general a free use of bibles in their native language, In sundry parts even of Europe it is far otherwise, particularly in Spain, where the bible in their vulgar tongue is reckoned among prohibited books,* and sufficeth to bring him that reads it into danger of the Inquisition. Wherefore let such as list make their boast of other things which England is said to be famous for, as beautiful churches, bridges, women, &c. If I were asked what advantage have Englishmen, and what profit is there of living in that Island, my answer should be, much every way; but chiefly, because to them are committed the oracles of God, and liberty to read their father's mind in their mother tongue.

* In Hispania in indice librorum prohibitorum regula sexta sic habet. Prohibentur Biblia in vulgari lingua cum omnibus suis partibus. Azor. Instit. moral, Tom, 1. lib. 8, cap, 26. page 714.

+ Anglia, mons, pons, sons, ecclesia, fæmina, lana,

APHORISM III.

Scripture-oracles, supposing it sufficiently clear by the light of nature, that there is a God, make a further discovery of what he is in his essence, subsistence and attributes.

EXERCITATION 1.

1 Corinth. xv. 34. expounded. Opinionists compared to sleepers and drunkards. Three observations from the end of the verse." What knowledge of God is unattainable in this life. What may be had. be had. The knowledge we have concerning God distinguished into Natural, Literal, and Spiritual.

§ 1 AWAKE to righteousness and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame.* These are the apostles express words to his Corinthians. Which will be better understood, if we consider,

I. That there was a time, when of all the nations in the world Greece was held the most licentious, and Corinth of all the cities in Greece; insomuch as in common speech revellers were said to play the Grecians, and fornicators to play

* 1 Cor. xv. 34.

the Corinthians. Also that after the grace of Christ (who came to call sinners to repentance) had appeared there in planting Christianity, this riotous humour was notably fed in false brethren by the false teachers, who opened a gate to all profaneness by denying the resurrection.

and calleth upon verse to awaken

II. That of such teachers and professors Paul speaks in this chapter," How say some among you that there is no resurre tion ?" them in the beginning of this unto righteousness, because the many and gross vapours that ascended from this heresy had cast them into a deep sleep, wherein all their spiritual senses were bound, Heretics may perhaps pretend to the highest strains of devotion, and make their boast of strongest assurances: yet all this is but like the talking or walking of men in their sleep, or like the quick and nimble phantasms of dreaming students. Their devotion is but a dream of piety, their assurance will prove but a dream of happiness.

§ 2. III. That the word 'Exmare there used by the apostle is very emphatical, and properly signifies an awaking out of such a sleep as hath been occasioned by too much drink. Thus Noah awoke from his wine, and "awake ye drunkards saith Joel." Neither will it be difficult to discern in a sensual opinionist the symptoms of a * Pregræcari. KogirdiaGeodai. + Verse 12. eve, Gen. ix. 24. xvers, Joel. i. 5.

drunken man. You may see him reeling to and fro, now entertaining this odd conceit, to-morrow that, and the next day a third, unstable in all: well if not vomiting too and casting out scornful reproaches upon all that are of a contrary judgment, as upon dark and low-spirited men, You may perceive him full of tongue, as drunkards commonly use to be, prating, and venting his own apprehensions every where; yea perhaps boasting of himself and his party as too many, too hard for all their opposites. So one drunkard, our proverb saith, is forty men strong. Who só attempts to reason with him will easily find him as incapable of conviction, as Nabal was of Abigail's narration till his wine was gone out of him.*

IV. That the cause was manifest why such men had a charge given them not to sin, awake unto righteousness, saith the apostle, and sin not. For that the desperate opinion they had embraced was a high-way to abominable courses. The denial of a resurrection hath a natural tendency to looseness of life, inclining men to say, as they did, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die." And the more licentious any man is, the more willing to close with such an opinion. Accordingly among the Jews, whereas most of the common people adhered to the Pharisees, who professed strictness, and amused them with

* 1 Sam. xxv. 37.

1

† 1 Cor. xv. 32,

outward forms of godliness, the gentry and such as gave themselves most to voluptuousness became followers of the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection. Such men (saith Theophylact)* are not so easily persuaded of a resurrection, because they are afraid of punishments in another life, if any be.

§ 3. V. That these especially were the persons whom Paul there censureth for gross ignorance, such as they had just cause to be ashame ed of. He had said before in the twelfth verse, "Some among you say there is no resurrection," in the thirty-fourth verse speaking still of the same men, "Some have not the knowledge of God." Only whereas in case of personal affronts to himself and his fellow preachers he had appeared much more mild in the fourth chapter, "I write not these things (saith he there) to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you." Here he setteth an edge upon his rebuke, and telleth them he spake it to their shame; becausė the heresy he striketh at, struck at the root of all religion, and became an inlet to epicurism, yea to atheism.

VI. That from the latter part alone, “Some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame," three observations may be raised

Οι γάρ ἑαυτοῖς συνέδοτες κακαὶ εἰ πείθονται είναι ανάτασιν διὰ τῶν Roxar Theophyl, in 1 Cor. xv.

+1 Cor. xv. 12.