§. Sect. 2 That not Gods secret but re∣uealed will must be the rule of our liues and actions.
Now whereas I say that we must please God in all things by doing his will, I doe not heereby vnderstand his secret will, which being vnknowne to vs we cannot obey. Neither doth this will appertaine to vs, according to that, The secret things belong vnto the Lord our God, but those things which are reuealed, belong vnto vs and to our children for euer, that wee may doe the words of this Law. Nor doth it need our indeuour to bring it to perfor∣mance: for who hath resisted this will of the Lord? What wisedome or vnderstanding can crosse his counsell? Seeing he who is infinite in power, and immutable in truth, hath said, My counsell shall stand, and I will doe all my pleasure. Yea this will is done by wicked men and the deuils themselues whether they will or no, and when they most seeke to resist it, they ac∣complish and bring it to passe. Neither are we with Euthusiasts and Fa∣milists to expect that the will, which must be the rule of our obedience, should be made knowne vnto vs by new reuelations: for the Lord hath once spoken vnto vs by his Sonne, the true and onely Prophet of his Church, and by him hath perfectly reuealed vnto vs his will and pleasure, with all things that are necessary for our saluation. All which is contained fully in the Booke of holy Scriptures which were indited by his Spirit, and written by holy men inspired thereby to this purpose, that reuealing per∣fectly the will of God, they might for euer serue to bee vnto the whole Church and euery faithfull member of it, the sole rule and squyre of all their actions, from which they are inioyned vnder that great penaltie of Gods curse, not to swarue, either on the one side or on the other. So by Moses the Lord commandeth, that the people should hearken vnto his Sta∣tutes and Iudgements to doe them, and that they should adde nothing to the words which he commanded them, nor diminish ought from them; and restrai∣neth them from their owne will in his seruice: Ye shall not (saith he) doe af∣ter all the things that we doe heare this day, euery man what is right in his owne eyes: whatsoeuer thing I command you, obserue to doe it; you shall not adde vnto it, nor diminish from it. So Iosuah is commanded to doe according to the Law, and not to turne from it, to the right hand, nor to the left. So Hierome speaketh to the same purpose; All things (saith he) are directed according to the rule, which sheweth whether they be crooked or straight. And so the doctrine of God is a certaine rule of speech, which iudgeth betweene things iust and vniust, which whoso followeth, shall haue peace in him∣selfe, that passeth all sense and vnderstanding; and with it the mercy of God which is aboue all.