it is this a very good one too viz. That when we are to try the Doctrines we should duly examine them whether they be according unto Godliness yea or no. Our Saviours direction for the discovery of false Prophets Mat. 7. is to this very purpose Ex fructibus Ye shall know them by their fruits Meaneth he it trow you of the fruits of their lives in their outward Conversation Verily no not only no nor principally neither perhaps not at all For Falshood is commonly set off by Hypocrisie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next following verse here Shews of Sanctity and Purity pretensions of Religion and Reformation is the wool that the woolf wrappeth about him when he meaneth to do most mischief with least suspicion The Old Serpent sure is never so silly as to think his Ministers the Ministers of darkness should be able to draw in a considerable party into their communion should they appear in their dismal colours therefore he putteth them into a new dress before he sendeth them abroad disguising and transforming them as if they were the Ministers of righteousness and of the light Our Saviour therefore cannot mean the fruits of their lives so much if at all as the fruits of their Doctrines that is to say the necessary consequents of their Doctrines such Conclusions as naturally and by good and evident discourse do issue from their Doctrines And so understood it is a very useful Rule even in the Affirmative taking in other requisite conditions withal but in the Negative taken even alone and by it self it holdeth infallibly If what is spoken seem to be according to Godliness it is the better to like onward and the more likely to be true yet may it possibly be false for all that and therefore it will be needful to try it farther and to make use of other Criterions withal But if what is spoken upon examination appear to have any repugnancy with Godliness in any one branch or duty thereunto belonging we may be sure the words cannot be wholsom words It can be no heavenly Doctrine that teacheth men to be Earthly Sensual or Devilish or that tendeth to make men unjust in their dealings uncharitable in their censures undutiful to their superiors or any other way superstitious licentious or prophane 32. I note it not without much rejoycing and gratulating to us of this Church There are God knoweth a-foot in the Christian World Controversies more than a good many Decads Centuries Chiliads of novel Tenents brought in in this last Age which were never believed many of them scarce ever heard of in the Ancient Church by Sectaries of all sorts Now it is our great comfort blessed be God for it that the Doctrine established in the Church of England I mean the publick Doctrine for that is it we are to hold us to passing by private Opinions I say the publick Doctrine of our Church is such as is not justly chargeable with any Impiety contrarious to any part of that Duty we owe either to God or Man Oh that our Conversations were as free from exception as our Religion is Oh that we were sufficiently careful to preserve the honour and lustre of the Truth we profess by the correspondency of our lives and actions thereunto 33. And upon this point we dare boldly joyn issue with our clamourous adversaries on either hand Papists I mean and Disciplinarians Who do both so loudly but unjustly accuse us and our Religion they as carnal and licentious these as Popish and superstitious As Elijah once said to the Baalites that God that answereth by fire let him be God so may we say to either of both and when we have said it not fear to put it to a fair trial That Church whose Dostrine Confession and Worship is most according to Godliness let that be the Church As for our Accusers if there were no more to be instanced in but that one cursed position alone wherein notwithstanding their disagreements otherwise they both consent That lawful Soveraigns may be by their Subjects resisted and Arms taken up against them for the cause of Religion it were enough to make good the Challenge against them both Which is such a notorious piece of Ungodliness as no man that either feareth God or King as he ought to do can speak of or think of without detestation and is certainly if either St. Peter or St. Paul those two great Apostles understood themselves a branch rather of that other great mystery 2 Thes. 2. the mystery of Iniquity than of the great mystery here in the Text the mystery of Godliness There is not that point in Popery besides to my understanding that maketh it savour so strongly of Antichrist as this one dangerous and desperate point of Iesuitism doth Wherein yet those men that are ever bawling against our Ceremonies and Service as Antichristian do so deeply and wretchedly symbolize with them The Lord be judge between them and us whether our Service or their Doctrine be the more Antichristian 34. I have done with the former Inference for the trial of Doctrines there is another yet behind for the bettering of our lives For sith Christianity is a mystery of Godliness it concerneth every Christian man so to take the mystery along with him that he leave not Godliness behind That is whatsoever becometh of doubtful Controversies to look well to his life and to make conscience of practising that which without all Controversie is his Duty I know Controversies must be looked into and it were well if it were done by them and by them only whose Gifts and Callings serve for it For Truths must be maintained Errors must be refuted and the Mouths of gain-sayers must be stopped All this must be done it is true but it is as true when all this is done still the shortest cut to heaven is Faith and Godliness 35. I know not how better to draw my Sermon towards a conclusion than by observing how the great Preacher concludeth his Eccles. last After he had taken a large and exact survey of all the travels that are done under the Sun and found nothing in them but Vanity and Vexation of Spirit he telleth us at length that in multitude of Books and much reading we may sooner meet with weariness than satisfaction But saith he if you will hear the end of all here it is this is the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole business of man upon which all his care and employment in this world should be spent So I say we may puzzle our selves in the pursuit of knowledg dive into the mysteries of all Arts and Sciences especially ingulph our selves deep in the studies of those three highest Professions of Physick Law and Divinity For Physick search into the Writings of Hippocrates Galen and the Methodists of Avicen and the Empyricks of Paracelsus and the Chymists for Law wrestle through the large bodies
of the sense of her pressures letteth all complaints sometimes as if she were forsaken But Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Isa. 49. 14. But she complaineth without cause it is a weakness in her to which during her warfare she is subject by fits but she is checkt for it immediately in the very next verse there Can a woman forget her sucking Child c. Yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee 21. Again their Love may be alienated by needless jealousies or false suggestions and so lost But his Love is durable he loveth his own unto the End He knoweth the singleness of their hearts and will receive no accusation against them Quis accusabit Who dare lay any thing to the charge of his Elect when he standeth up for their Iustification They alass are negligent enough unthankful undutiful children nay confest it must be other while stubborn and rebellious But as Davids heart longed after Absolom because he was his Son though a very ungracious one so his bowels yearn after those that are no ways worthy but by his dignation only to be called his Sons Forgiving all their by-past miscariages upon their true repentance receiving them with gladness though they have squandered away all their portion with riotous living if they return to him in any time with humble obedient and perfect hearts and in the mean time using very many admonitions entreaties and other artifices to win them to repentance and forbearing them with much patience that they may have space enough to repent in And if upon such indulgences and insinuations they shall come in he will not only welcome them with kind embraces but do his part also to hold them in when they are even ready to fly out again and were it not for that hold would in all likelihood so do So as unless by a total wilful renouncing him they break from him and cut themselves off nothing in the world shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 22. Yet again Parents affections may be so strongly byassed another way as we heard that in the pursuit of other delights they may either quite forget or very much disregard their Children But no such thing can befal our heavenly Father who taketh pleasure in his People and in their Prosperity whose chiefest delight is in shewing mercy to his children and doing them good The Lord had a delight in thy Fathers to love them Deut. 10. And whereas the Church as we also heard is apt to complain that she is forsaken and desolate The Lord by the Prophet giveth her a most comfortable assurance to the contrary Isa. 62. Thou shalt no more be called forsaken c. But thou shalt be call'd Hephzibah It is a compound word and signifieth as much as My delight is in her and so the reason of that appellation is there given For the Lord delighteth in thee That for his Love the first Attribute 23. His Wisdom is the next Fathers and Mothers through humane ignorance cannot perfectly understand the griefs of their Children nor infallibly know how to remedy them if they did But God who dwelleth in light nay who is light knoweth the in most recesses the darkest thoughts and secrets of all mens hearts better than themselves do He perfectly understandeth all their wants and what supplies are fittest in their respective conditions with all the least circumstances thereunto belonging When all the wits and devices of men are at a loss and know not which way in the world to turn them to avoid this danger to prevent that mischief to effectuate any design the Lord by his infinite wisdom can manage the business with all advantage for the good of his children if he see it behoveful for them bringing it about suaviter fortiter sweetly and without violence in ordering the means but effectually and without fail in accomplishing the end 24. Which wisdom of his observable in all the dispensations of his gracious providence towards his children we may behold as by way of instance in his fatherly corrections As the Apostle Heb. 12. maketh the comparison between the different proceedings of the fathers of our flesh and the Father of Spirits in their chastisements They do it after their own pleasure saith he that is not always with judgement and according to the merit of the fault but after the present disposition of their own passions either through a fond indulgence sparing the Rod too much or in a frantick rage laying it on without mercy or measure But it is not so with him who in all his chastisements hath an eye as to our former faults such is his Iustice so also and especially to our future profit such is his mercy and ordereth all accordingly His blessings are our daily food his corrections our Physick Our frequent surfeiting on that food bringeth on such distempers that we must be often and sometimes soundly physickt or we are but lost men As therefore a skilful Physician attempereth and applieth his remedies with such due regard to the present state of the Patient as may be likeliest to restore him to a good habit of body and consistency of health so dealeth our heavenly Father with us But with this remarkable difference The other may err in judging of the state of the body or the nature of the ingredients in his proportions of mixture in the dose and many other ways But the Lord perfectly knoweth how it is with us and what will do us good and how much and when and how long to continue c. and proceedeth in every respect thereafter 25. Thirdly whereas our earthly Parents have a limited and that a very narrow power and cannot therefore do their children the good they would our heavenly Fathers power is as his wisdom infinite Not limited by any thing but his own blessed will quicquid voluit fecit as for our God he is in heaven he hath done whatsoever pleased him Not hindred by any resistance or retarded by any impediments Quis restitit Who hath resisted his will Rom. 9. Not disabled by any casualities occurrences or straitness of time adjutor in opportunitatibus Psal. 9. Even a refuge in due time of trouble That is his due time commonly dominus in monte when it seemeth too late to us and when things are grown in the eye of reason almost desperate and remediless The most proper time for him to lay to his hand is when to our apprehensions his Law is even quite destroyed when Men have fallen upon most cursed designs trampled all Laws of God and Men under their feet and prospered And here indeed is the right trial of our faith and whether we be the true children of faithful Abraham If we can hope beyond and against hope That is if we can rest our faith intirely upon
have bestowed also upon the Ceremonies the Epithet of Superstitious Which is a word likewise as the former of late very much extended and standeth in need of a Boundary too and a definition as well as it But howsoever they do with the words I must needs set bounds to my discourse lest I weary the Reader The point of Superstition I have had occasion to touch upon more than once as I remember in some of these Sermons and proved that the Superstition lyeth indeed at their door not ours They forbid the things commanded by the Church under the obligation of Sin and that Obligation arising not from their forbidding them but from the things themselves which they judge to be unlawful and thence impose upon all men a necessity of not using them which is Superstition Whereas the Church requires obedience indeed to her Commands and that also under the obligation of Sin but that obligation arising not at all from the nature of the things themselves always held and declared Indifferent but immediately from the Authority of the Superior commanding the thing and originally from the Ordinance of God commanding Obedience to Superiors as already hath been said and this is not Superstition For further satisfaction therefore in this matter referring the Reader to the Sermons themselves I shall only by way of addition represent to the Objectors St. Paul's demeanor at Athens Where finding the City full of Idols or wholly given to Idolatry he doth not yet fall foul upon them nor exclaim against them in any reproachful manner no nor so much as call them Idolaters though they were such and that in a very high degree but tempering his Speeches with all lenity and condescension he telleth them only of their Superstition and that in the calmest manner too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the comparative degree in such kind of speaking being usually taken for a diminuent term How distant are they from his Example with whom every thing they mislike is presently an Idol Christmas day an Idol the Surplice an Idol the Cross after Baptism a great Idol the Common-Prayer Book an abominable Idol When yet if the worst that can be said against them were granted the most it could amount to is but Superstition and till that be granted which must not be till it be well proved it is more childish than manly to cry out Superstition Superstition § XVII Their next is a Suspicion rather than Objection and that upon no very good ground But Charity is not easily suspicious nor without cause Wherein I have somewhat to say in behalf of my self and other my Brethren and somewhat by way of return to them For my self I had a desire I may truly say almost from my very Childhood to understand as much as was possible for me the bottom of our Religion and particularly as it stood in relation both to the Papists and as they were then stiled Puritans to inform my self rightly wherein consisted the true differences between them and the Church of England together with the grounds of those differences For I could even then observe which was no hard matter to do that the most of mankind took up their Religion upon trust as Custom or Education had framed them rather than choice It pleased God in his goodness to afford me some opportunities suitable to that my desire by means whereof and by his good blessing I attained to understand so much of the Romish Religion as not only to dislike it but to be able to give some rational account why I so do And I doubt not but these very Sermons were there nothing else to do it will sufficiently free me from the least suspicion of driving on any design for Rome As for those other regular Sons of the Church of England that have appeared in this Controversie on her behalf how improbable and so far forth uncharitable the suspicion is that they should be any way instrumental towards the promoting of the Papal Interest may appear amongst other by these few Considerations following 1. That those very persons who were under God the Instruments of freeing us from the Roman Yoke by casting Popery out of the Church and sundry of them Martyred in the cause those very Persons I say were great favourers of these now accounted Popish Ceremonies and the chief Authors or Procurers of the Constitutions made in that behalf Hae manus Trojam erigent 2. That in all former times since the beginning of the Reformation our Archbishops and Bishops with their Chaplains and others of the Prelatical Party many of them such as have written also in defence of the Church against the Puritans were the Principal I had almost said the only Champions to maintain the Cause of Religion against the Papists 3. That even in these times of so great distraction and consequently thereunto of so great advantage to the Factors for Rome none have stept into the gap more readily nor appeared in the face of the Enemy more openly nor maintained the Fight with more stoutness and Gallantry than the Episcopal Divines have done as their late learned Writings testifie Yea and some of them such as beside their other sufferings have lain as deep under the suspicion of being Popishly-affected as any other of their Brethren whosoever 4. That by the endeavours of these Episcopal Divines some that were bred Papists have been gained to our Church others that began to waver confirmed and setled in their old Religion and some that were fallen from us recovered and reduced notwithstanding all the disadvantages of these confused times and of each of these I am able to produce some instance But I profess sincerely as in the presence of God and before the World that I have not known at least I cannot call to remembrance so much as one single Example of any of this done by any of our Anti-Ceremonian Brethren whether Presbyterian or Independent § XVIII But I have somewhat to return upon these our Brethren who thus causelesly suspect us Possible it will not please them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I must speak it out both for the truths sake and theirs To wit that themselves are in truth though not purposely and intentionally whereof in my own thought I freely acquit them yet really and eventually the great promoters of the Roman Interest among us and that more ways than one These three among the rest are evident First by putting to their helping hand to the pulling down of Episcopacy It is very well known to many what rejoycing that Vote brought to the Romish party How even in Rome it self they sang their Io-â—aeans upon the tydings thereof and said triumphantly Now the day is ours Now is the fatal blow given to the Protestant Religion in England They who by conversing much with that Nation were well acquainted with the fiery turbulent spirits of the Scottish Presbyterians knew as well how to make their advantage
thereof and handled the matter with so much cunning by fomenting their discontents under-hand till they had framed them and by their means some of the same party here to become the fittest Instruments for the carrying on of their great design And this I verily believe was the very Master-piece of the whole Plot. They could not but fore-see as the event hath also proved that if the old Government a main Piller in the Building were once dissolved the whole Fabrick would be â—ore shaken if not presently shattered in pieces and ruined things would presently run into confusion distractions and divisions would certainly follow And when the waters should be sufficiently troubled and muddied then would be their opportunity to cast in their Nets for a draught Some who have undertaken to discover to the World the great Plot the Papists had of late years for the introducing of Popery in the several parts of it might have done well to have taken some little notice of this also I wonder how they could look beside it being so visible and indeed the fundamental part of the Plot. Without which neither could the sparks of Errors and Heresies have been blown to that height nor that Libertinism and some other things therewith mentioned have so soon overspread the whole face of the Land as now we find they have done Secondly They promote the Interest of Rome by opposing it with more violence than reason Which ought not to seem any strange thing to us since we see by daily experience the like to happen in other matters also Many a man when he thought most to make it sure hath quite marred a good business by over-doing it The most prudent just and in all likelihood effectual way to win upon an adversary is by yielding him as much as with safety of truth can be yielded who if he shall find himself contradicted in that which he is sure is true as well as in that which is indeed false will by a kind of Antiperistasis be hardned into more obstinacy than before to defend all true and false with equal fierceness It hath been observed by some and I know no reason to question the truth of the observation that in those Counties Lancashire for one where there are the most and the most rigid Prebyterians there are also the most and the most zealous Roman Catholicks Thirdly they promote the Interest of Rome and betray the Protestant Cause partly by mistaking the Question a very common fault among them but especially through the necessity of some false Principle or other which having once imbibed they think themselves bound to maintain Some of them especially such as betook themselves to Preaching betimes and had not the leisure and opportunity to look much into Controversies understand very little as it is impossible they should much of the true state of the Question in many controverted points and yet to shew their zeal against Popery are forward enough to be medling therewithal in the Pulpit But with so much weakness and impertinency not seldom that they leave the Question worse than they found it and the Hearer if he brought any doubts with him to go from Sermon more dissatisfied than he came The rest of them that have better knowledge are yet so bound up by some false Principle or other they have received that they cannot without deserting the same and that they must not do whatsoever betideth them treat to the satisfaction of a rational and ingenuous adversary Among those false Principles it shall suffice for the present to have named but this one That the Church of Rome is no true Church The disadvantages of which assertion to our Cause in the dispute about the visibility of the Church besides the falseness and uncharitableness of it their Zeal or Prejudice rather will not suffer them to consider With what out-cries was Bishop Hall good man who little dreamt of any peace with Rome pursued by Burton and other Hot-spurs for yielding it a Church Who had made the same concession over and over again before he was Bishop as Iunius Reynolds and our best Controversie-Writers generally do and no notice taken no noise made of it You may perceive by this one instance where the shooe wringeth § XIX In their next that they may not appear so uncharitable as to suspect their Brethren without cause they tell us Upon what grounds they so do viz. these two The endeavours of Reconciliation in the Sixth and the pressing of Ceremonies in the Seventh Objection As to the former First All endeavours of Peace without loss of Truth are certainly commendable in the undertakers prove the event as it will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. is every mans warrant for that If any particular private man have made overtures of peace in this kind upon other terms than he ought let him answer it as he can what is that to us Admit Secondly which I fear is too true that there is little hope scarce a possibility of reconcilement if we well preserve as we are in Conscience bound the truth and purity of our Religion yet ought not that fear to hinder any man fitted with abilities and opportunities for it from such Endeavours whereof whatsoever the success be otherwise these two good effects will follow It will be some comfort to him within his own bosom that he hath done what was his duty to do to his utmost power And it will appear to the world where the business stuck and through whose default most the Endeavour proved fruitless Thirdly though there be little hope and since the Trent Council less than before of bringing things to a perfect agreement yet methinks it should be thought worth the while Est quadam prodire tenus si non datur ultra to bring both sides to as near an agreement and reduce the differences to as small a number and as narrow a point as may be That if we cannot grow to be of the same belief in every thing we might at least be brought to shew more Charity either to other than to damn one another for every difference and more Ingenuity than to seek to render the one the other more odious to the World than we ought by representing each others opinions worse than they are § XX. The Seventh Objection containeth the other ground of their said former suspicion to wit the vehement pressing of the Ceremonies Wherein First they do not well in calling them Popish and Superstitious but that having already fully â—leared I shall not now insist upon Secondly by requiring to have some Command or Example of Scripture produced to warrant to their Consciences the use of the Ceremonies They offer occasion to consider of that point wherein the very Mystery of Puritanism consisteth viz. That no man may with a safe Conscience do any thing for which there may not be produced either Command or Example from the Scripture Which erroneous Principle being
in reproving sin should not allow those that come amongst them that liberty and plainness against themselves and their own sins I dare appeal to your selves Have you never been taught that it is the Ministers duty as to oppose against all errors and sins in the general so to bend himself as near as he can especially against the apparent errors and sins of his present auditory And do you not believe it is so Why then might I not nay how ought I not bend my speech both then against a common error of sundry in these parts in point of Ceremony and now against the late petulancy or at least oversight of some misguided ones The noise of these things abroad and the scandal taken thereat by such as hear of them and the ill â—ruits of them at home in breeding jealousies and cherishing contentions among Neighbours cannot but stir us up if we be sensible as every good member should be of the damage and loss the Church acquireth by them to put you in mind and admonishâ— you as opportunities invite us both privately and publickly Is it not time trow ye to thrust in the sickle when the fields look white unto the harvest Is it not time our Pulpit should a little echo of these things when all the Country far and near ringeth of them For my own part however others censure me I am sure my own heart telleth me I could not have discharged my conscience if being called to this place I should have balked what either then or now I have delivered My Conscience prompting me all circumstances considered that these things were pro hic nunc necessary to be delivered rather than any other If for any outward inferiour respect I should have passed them over with silence I think I should have much swerved from the Rule of my Text and have done a great evil that some small good might come of it But many thousand times better were it for me that all the world should censure me for speaking what they think I should not than that my own heart should condemn me for not speaking what it telleth me I should And thus much of things simply evil I should proceed to apply this Rule We must not do evil that good may come unto evils not simply but accidentally such and that both in the general and also in some few specials of greatest use namely unto evils which become such through Conscience Scandal or Comparison In my choice of the Scripture I aimed at all this and had gathered much of my provision for it But the Cases being many and weighty I foresaw I could not go onward with my first project without much wronging one or both either the things themselves if I should contract my speech to the scanting of time or you if I should lengthen it to the weight of the matter And therefore I resolved here to make an end and to give place as fit it is to the business whereabout we meet The Total of what I have said and should say is in effect but this No pretension of a good end of a good meaning of a good event of any good whatsoever either can sufficiently warrant any sinful action to be done or justifie it being done or sufficiently excuse the Omission of any necessary duty when it is necessary Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Now to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit c. AD CLERUM The Third Sermon At a Visitation at Boston Lincoln March 13 th 1620. 1 COR. XII 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal IN the First Verse of this Chapter S. Paul proposeth to himself an Argument which he prosecuteth the whole Chapter through and after a profitable digression into the praise of Charity in the next Chapter resumeth again at the fourteenth Chapter spending also that whole Chapter therein and it is concerning spiritual gifts Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren I would not have you ignorant c. These gracious gifts of the holy Spirit of God bestowed on them for the edification of the Church the Corinthians by making them the fuel either of their pride in despising those that were inferiour to themselves or of their envy in malicing those that excelled therein abused to the maintenance of Schism and Faction and Emulation in the Church For the remedying of which evils the Apostle entreth upon the Argument discoursing fully of the variety of these spiritual gifts and who is the Author of them and for what end they were given and in what manner they should be imployed omitting nothing that was needful to be spoken anent this subject In this part of the Chapter entreating both before and after this verse of the wondrous great yet sweet and useful variety of these spiritual gifts he sheweth That howsoever manifold they are either for kind or degree so as they may differ in the material and formal yet they do all agree both in the same efficient and the same final cause In the same efficient cause which is God the Lord by his Spirit ver 6. Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all And in the same final cause which is the advancement of Gods glory in the propagation of his Gospel and the edification of his Church in this verse But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal By occasion of which words we may inquire into the nature conveyance and use of these gifts First their nature in themselves and in their original what they are and whence they are the works of Gods Spirit in us the manifestation of the Spirit Secondly their conveyance unto us how we come to have them and to have propeâ—ty in them it is by gift it is given to every man Thirdly their use and end why they were given us and what we are to do with them they must be employed to the good of our Brethren and of the Church it is given to every man to profit withal Of these briefly and in their order and with special reference ever to us that are of the Clergy By manifestation of the Spirit here our Apostle understandeth none other thing than he doth by the adjective word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first and by the substantive word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last verse of the Chapter Both which put together do signifie those spiritual gifts and graces whereby God enableth men and specially Church-men to the duties of their particular Callings for the general good Such as are those particulars which are named in the next following verses the word of Wisdom the word Knowledge Faith the gifts of healing working of miracles prophecy discerning
and scope of our Saviour in this place Doctrinals as well as Morals that is to say as well those that prescribe unto our Iudgments what we are bound to believe or not to believe in matter of Opinion as those that prescribe unto our Consciences what we are bound to do or not to do in matter of Practice Although the special occasion whereupon our Saviour fell into this discourse against the Pharisees and the special instance whereby he convinceth them do withal shew that the Morals do more principally properly and directly fall under his particular intention and scope therein In the full extent of the word then all those prescriptions are to be taken for the Commandments of men wherein any thing is by humane Authority either enjoyned or forbidden to be believed or done especially to be done which God in his Holy Word hath not so enjoyned or forbidden Ionadab's command to the Rechabites that they should not drink Wine they nor their Sons for ever and the Pharisees tradition here that none should eat with unwashen hands were both the commandments of men 5. This is clear enough yea and good enough hitherto if there were no more in it but so For you must observe or else you quite mistake the Text and the whole drift of it that it is no part of our Saviours meaning absolutely and wholly to condemn all the Commandments of men For that were to cut the sinews of all Government and Order and to overturn Churches Kingdoms Corporations Families and all other both greater and lesser Societies of men none of all which can be upheld without some positive Laws and Sanctions of mans devising We do not therefore find that either Ionadab was blamed for commanding the Rechabites not to drink Wine or that they were blamed for observing his commandments therein But rather on the contrary that God well approved both of him and them yea and rewarded them for their obedience unto that command though it were a command but of mans devising and had no more than a bare humane Authority to warrant it And therefore those Men are very wide that vouch this Text against the Ecclesiastical Constitutions or Ceremonies with such confidence as if they were able with this one Engine to take them all off at a blow not considering that it is not barely the Commandments of men either materially or formally taken that is to say neither the things commanded by men nor yet mens commanding of them but it is the teaching of such Commandments for Doctrines that our Saviour here condemneth the Pharisees for What that is therefore we are next to enquire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men 6. In the 29. of Isa. the substantives have a Conjunction Copulative between them in the Septuagint and they are read in the very same manner and order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by St. Paul alluding thereunto in Col. 2. But in the Greek Text in all Copies extant both here and in Mark 7. where the same History is related they are put without the Conjunction by Apposition as the Grammarians call it The meaning is the same in both readings only this latter way it appeareth better and it is in effect this Whosoever shall endeavor to impose upon the judgments of Men in credendis or in point of faith any thing to be believed as a part of Gods holy truth or shall endeavour to impose upon the Consciences of men in agendis or in point of manners any thing to be observed as a part of Gods holy will which cannot be sufficiently evidenced so or so to be either by express Testimony of the written Word of God rightly understood and applyed or by clear natural and necessary deduction therefrom according to the Laws of true Logical discourse is guilty more or less of that Superstition our Saviour here condemneth in the Pharisees of teaching for doctrines the commandments of men 7. And a fault it is of a large comprehension It taketh in all additions whatsoever that are made to that absolute and all-sufficient Rule of Faith and manners which God hath left unto his Church in his written Word In what kind soever they are whether in Opinion Worship Ordinance Injunction Prohibition Promise or otherwise From what cause soever they proceed whether from Credulity Ignorance Education Partiality Hypocrisie Mis-govern'd Zeal Time-serving or any other For what end soever they may be done whether those ends be in truth intended or but in shew pretended say it be the glory of God the reformation of abuses the preventing of mischiefs or inconveniences the avoiding of scandals the maintenance of Christian liberty the furtherance of Piety or whatever else can be imagined If they have not a sufficient foundation in the sacred Text and yet shall be offered to be pressed upon our Iudgments or Consciences in the name of God and as his Word they are to be held as chaff fitter to be scattered before the Wind or cast out to the dunghil than to be hoarded up in the garners among the Wheat alas what is the chaff to the wheat or as Hay Wood or Stubble meeter to become fewel for the Oven or Hearth than to be coffered up in the Treasures among Gold and Silver and precious Stones And he that bringeth any such Doctrine with him let his Piety or parts be otherwise what they can be should he in either of both or even in both match not only the Holy Apostles of Christ but the ever blessed Angels in Heaven yet should we rather defie him as a Traytor for setting Gods stamp upon his own Bullion than receive him as his faithful Embassadour and salute him with an Anathema sooner than bid him God speed Especially if the Doctrine be apparently either false or ungrounded and yet positively and peremptorily delivered as if it were the undoubted word and will of God 8. I may not now descend to particulars But thus much it will concern us all to know in the General that whosoever teacheth any thing either to be absolutely unlawful which God hath not forbidden in his Word or to be absolutely necessary which God hath not required in his Word he teacheth for doctrines the commandments of men and so far forth playeth the Pharisees part in burthening the Consciences of Gods people with the superstitious fancies of his own brain But otherwise the enjoyning of something for a time which God hath not forbidden or the forbidding of something for a time which God hath not required by those that are endued with lawful Authority in any Ecclesiastical Political or Domestical Society so as the same be not done for Conscience sake towards God or with any Opinion of worship merit or operative holiness but meerly out of prudential considerations and for the reasons of order decency expedience or other like respects of conveniency and accomodation is a thing no ways justly chargeable with Pharisaism superstition or
weeping and therefore his blood warmed with an holy zeal he starteth up forthwith maketh to the Tent where these two great Personages were and as they were in the act of their filthiness speedeth them both at once and naileth them to the place with his Javelin And the next thing we hear is God well-pleased with the zeal of his Servant and the Execution of those Malefactors is appeased towards all his people and withdraweth his hand and his plague from them And of that deliverance my Text speaketh Then stood up Phinees and executed judgment and so the Plague was stayed The Person the instrument to work this deliverance for Israel was Phinees He was the Son of Eleazar who was then High-Priest in immediate succession to his father Aaron not long before deceased and did himself afterward succeed in the High-priesthood unto Eleazar his Father A wise a godly and a zealous man employed afterward by the State of Israel in the greatest affairs both of War and Embassy But it was this Heroical Act of his in doing execution upon those two great audacious Offenders which got him the first and the greatest and the lastingest Renown Of which Act more anon when we come to it In his Person we will consider only what his Calling and Condition was and what congruity there might be between what he was and what he did He was of the Tribe of Levi and that whole Tribe was set apart for the service of the Tabernacle And he was of the Sons of Aaron and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Family and Linage of the High-Priests and the Priests Office was to offer Sacrifices and to burn Incense and to pray and make atonement for the People Neither Levite nor Priest had to intermeddle with matters of Iudicature unless in some few causes and those for the most part concerning matters either meerly or mixtly Ecclesiastical but neither to give sentence nor to do execution in matters and causes meerly Civil as by any right or virtue of his Levitical or Priestly Office The more unreasonable is the High-Priest of Rome to challenge to himself any temporal or Civil Iurisdiction as virtually annexed to his spiritual power or necessarily derived thence Templum and Praetorium the Chair and the Throne the Altar and the Bench the Sheephook and the Scepter the Keys and the Sword though they may sometimes concur upon the same person yet the Powers remain perpetually distinct and independant and such as do not of necessity infer the one the other Our Saviours Vos autem non sic hath fully decided the controversie and for ever cut off all claim of temporal Iurisdiction as by any virtue annexed to the Keys If the Bishops of Rome could have contented themselves to have enjoyed those Temporalities wherewith the bounty of Christian Emperours had endowed that See whether well or ill whether too much or no I now inquire not but if they could have been content to have holden them upon the same terms they first had them without seeking to change the old tenure and to have acknowledged them as many of their fellow-Bishops do to have issued not at all by necessary derivations from their spiritual Power but meerly and altogether from the free and voluntary indult of temporal Princes the Christian Church had not had so just cause of complaint against the unsufferable tyrannies and usurpations of the Papacy nor had the Christian world been embroyled in so many unchristian and bloody quarrels as these and former ages have brought forth Yet the Canonists and they of the Congregation of the Oâ—â—tory like downright flatterers give the Pope the Temporal Monarchy of the world absolutely and directly as adhereing inseparably to his See and as a branch of that Charter which Christ gave to Peter when he made him Head of the Church for himself and his successors for ever The Iesuites more subtil than they not daring to deny the Pope any part of that Power which any other profession of men have dared to give him and yet unable to assert such a vast power from those inconveniences which follow upon the Canonists opinion have found out a means to put into the Popes hands the exercise of as much temporal power as they bluntly and grosly give him and that to all effects and purposes as full and in as ample manner as they yet by a more learned and refined flattery as resulting from his spiritual Power not directly and per se but obliquely and indirectly and in ordine ad spiritualia The man himself though he pretend to be supreme infallible judge of all Controversies yet heareth both parties and taketh advantage of what either give him as best sorteth with his present occasions and suffereth them to fall foul each upon other these accounting them gross flatterers aud they again these wicked Politicians but dareth not for his life determine whether side is in the right lest if he should be put to make good his determination by sufficient proof both should appear to be in the wrong and he lose all which whilst they quarrel he still holdeth It is a certain thing The spiritual Power conferred in Holy Orders doth not include the Power of Temporal jurisdiction If Phinees here execute judgment upon a Prince of Isarel it is indeed a good fruit of his zeal but no proper act of his Priesthood Let it go for a non sequitur then as it is no better because Phinees a Priest or Priests son executes judgment that therefore the Priestly includeth a Iudicatory Power Yet from such an act done by such a Person at least thus much will follow that the Priesthood doth not exclude the exercise of Iudicature and that there is no such repugnancy and inconsistency between the Temporal and Spiritual Powers but that they may without incongruity concur and reside both together in the same Person When I find anciently that not only among the Heathens but even among Gods own people the same man might be a King and a Priest Rex idem hominum Phoebique Sacerdos as Melchisedec was both a Priest of the most high God and King of Salem When I see it consented by all that so long as the Church was Patriarchal the Priestly and the Iudicatory Power were both setled upon one and the same Person the Person of the first born when I read of Eli the Priest of the sons of Aaron judging Israel 40 years and of Samuel certainly a Levite though not as some have thought a Priest both going circuit as a Iudge itinerant in Israel and doing execution too with his own hands upon Agag and of Chenaniah and his sons Izharites and Hashabiah and his brethren Hebronites and others of the families of Levi appointed by King David to be Judges and Officers not only in all the business of the Lord but also
account him no wiser than he should be that sluggeth in his own business or goeth heartlesly about it It is the Kings business who hath entrusted you with it and he is scarce a good subject that slacketh the Kings business or doth it to the halves Nay it is the Lords business for Ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the cause and in the judgment and Cursed is he that doth the Lords business negligently That you may therefore do all under one your own business and the Kings business and the Lords business with that zeal and forwardness which becometh you in so weighty an affair lay this pattern before your eyes and hearts See what Phinees did and thereby both examine what hitherto you have done and learn what henceforth you should do First Phinees doth not post off the matter to others the fervency of his zeal made him willing to be himself the Actor He harboured no such cool thoughts as too many Magistrates do Here is a shameful crime committed by a shameless person and in a shameless manner pity such an audacious offender should go unpunished My heart riseth against him and much ado I have to refrain from being my self his executioner rather than he should carry it away thus But why should I derive the envy of the fact upon my self and but gain the imputation of a busie officious fellow in being more forward than others A thousand more saw it as well as I whom it concerneth as nearly as it doth me and if none of them will stir in it why should I Doubtless my Uncle Moses and my father Eleazer and they that are in place of Authority will not let it pass so but will call him to an account for it and give him condign punishment If I should do it it would be thought but the attempt of a rash young fellow It will be better discretion therefore to forbear and to give my betters leave to go before me Such pretensions as these would have kept off Phinees from this noble Exploit if he had been of the temper of some of ours who owe it to nothing so much as their lukewarmness that they have at least some reputation of being moderate and discreet men But true zeal is more forward than mannerly and will not lose the opportunity of doing what it ought for waiting till others begin Alas if every man should be so squeamish as many are nothing at all would be done And therefore the good Magistrate must consider not what others do but what both he and they are in conscience bound to do and though there should be many more joyned with him in the same common care and with equal power yet he must resolve to take that common affair no otherwise into his special care than if he were left alone therein and the whole burden lay upon his shoulders As when sundry persons are so bound in one common bond for the payment of one entire sum conjunctim divisim every one per se in toto in solidum that every particular person by himself is as well liable to the payment of the whole as they all together are Admit loose or idle people for who can hold their tongues shall for thy diligence say thou art an hard and austere man or busiest thy self more than thou hast thank for thy labour First that man never cared to do well that is afraid to hear ill He that observeth the wind saith Solomon shall not sow and the words especially of idle people are no better Secondly He maketh an ill purchace that fore-goeth the least part of his duty to gain a little popularity the breath of the people being but a sorry plaster for a wounded conscience Thirdly what a man by strict and severe execution of Iustice loseth in the breadth he commonly gaineth it all and more in the weight and in the length of his Credit A kind quiet man that carrieth it for the present and in the voice of the multitude but it is more solid and the more lasting praise to be reputed in the opinion of the better and the wiser sort a Iust man and a good Patriot or Commonwealths-man Fourthly if all should condemn thee for that wherein thou hast done but well thy comfort is thine own conscience shall bestead thee more than a thousand witnesses and stand for thee against ten thousand tongues at that last day when the hearts of all men shall be made manifest and every man that hath deserved well shall have praise of God and not of man Secondly Phinees as he did not post off this execution to other men so he did not put it off to another day Phinees might have thought thus We are now in a religious work humbling our selves in a publick solemn and frequent assembly before the face of God to appease his just wrath against us for our sins Et quod nunc instat agamus It would be unseasonable leaving this work now another time may serve as well to inflict deserved punishment upon that wicked miscreant But zeal will admit no put offs it is all upon the spur till it be doing what it conceiveth fit to be done There are no passions of the mind so impetuous and so impatient of delay as Love and Anger and these two are the prime ingredients of true zeal If any man should have interposed for Zimri and taken upon him to have mediated with Phinees for his reprival I verily think in that heat he might sooner have provoked his own than have prorogued Zimri's exécution Delays in any thing that is good are ill and in the best things worst As Wax when it is chafed and Iron when it is hot will take impressions but if the Seal or Stamp be not speedily put to the hear abateth and they return to their former hardness so the best affections of the best men if they be not taken in the heat abate and lessen and die In the administration then of Iustice and the execution of Iudgment where there is Zeal there will be Expedition and the best way to preserve Zeal where it is is to use Expedition I am not able to say where the want is or where specially but certainly a great want there is generally in this Kingdom of Zeal to Iustice in some that should have it if that complaint be as just as it is common among men that have had sutes in the Courts that they have been wronged with far less damage than they have been righted there have been so many frustratoriae and venatoriae dilationes as St. Bernard in his time called them so many lingring and costly delays used And for Executing Iudgment upon Malefactors if Phinees had suffered Zimri to have lived but a day longer for any thing we know the plague might have lasted also a day longer and why might
and obedience other fruits of grace in some good and comfortable measure it is a good sign of grace and sanctification in the heart But if thou hast these things only by fits and starts and sudden moods and art sometimes violently hot upon them and other sometimes again and oftner key cold presume not too much upon shews but suspect thy self still of hypocrisie and insincerity and never cease by repentance and prayer and the constant exercises of other good graces to physick and dyet thy soul till thou hast by Gods goodness put thy self into some reasonable assurance that thou art the true child of God a sincere believer and not an hypocrite as Ahab here notwithstanding all this his solemn humiliation was Here is Ahab an Hypocrite and yet humbled before the Lord. But yet now this humiliation such as it was what should work it in him That we find declared at vers 27. And it came to pass that when Ahab heard these words c. There came to him a message from God by the hand of Eliah and that was it that humbled him Alas what was Eliah to Ahab a silly plain Prophet to a mighty King that he durst thus presume to rush boldly and unsent-for into the presence of such a potent Monarch who had no less power and withal more colour to take away his life than Naboth's and that when he was in the top of his jollity solacing himself in the new-taken possession of his new-gotten Vine-yard and there to his face charge him plainly with and shake him up roundly for and denounce Gods judgments powerfully against his bloody abominable oppressions We would think a Monarch nusled up in Idolatry and accustomed to blood and hardened in Sin and Obstinacy should not have brooked that insolency from such a one as Eliah was but have made his life a ransom for his sawciness And yet behold the words of this underling in comparison how they fall like thunder upon the great guilty Offender and strike palsie into his knees and trembling into his joints and tumble him from the height of his jollity and roll him in sackcloth and ashes and cast him into a strong fit of legal humiliation Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me And here now cometh in our second Observation even the power of Gods Word over the Consciences of obstinate sinners powerful to Cast down strong holds and every high thought that exalteth it self against God That which in Heb. 4. if I mistake not the true understanding of that place is spoken of the Essential word of God the second person in the ever blessed Trinity is also in an analogy true of the revealed Word of God the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles that it is Quick and powerful and more cutting than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Jer. 23. Like a soft fire to dissolve and melt the hearts of relenting sinners and true Converts but like a strong hammer to batter and break in pieces the rocky and flinty consciences of obstinate and hardened offenders Examples hereof if you require behold in the stories of the Kings Saul whining when Samuel reproveth him in the books of the Prophets Ninevites drooping when Ionas threatneth them in the Acts of the Apostles Felix trembling when Paul discourseth before him in the Martyrologies of the Church Tyrants and bloody Persecutors maskered at the bold consessions of the poor suffering Christians in this Chapter proud Ahab mourning when Eliah telleth him his sin and foretelleth him his punishment Effects which might justly seem strange to us if the Causes were not apparent One cause and the Principal is in the instrument the Word not from any such strength in it self for so it is but a dead letter but because of Gods Ordinance in it For in his hand are the hearts and the tongues and the ears both of Kings and Prophets and he can easily when he seeth it good put the spirit of Zeal and of Power into the heart of the poorest Prophet and as easily the spirit of fear and of terrour into the heart of the greatest King He chooseth weak Instruments as here Eliah and yet furnisheth them with power to effect great matters that so the glory might not rest upon the instrument but redound wholly to him as to the chief agent that imployeth it We have this treasure in earthen Veslels saith St. Paul that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4. We say words are but wind and indeed the words of the best Minister are no better as they are breathed out and uttered by sinful mortal man whose breath is in his nostrils but yet this wind as it is breathed in and inspired by the powerful eternal Spirit of God is strong enough by his effectual working with it not only to shake the top branches but to rend up the very bottom-root of the tallest Cedar in Lebanon Vox Domini confringens Cedros Psal. 29. The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon Another Cause is in the Object and that is the force of Natural Conscience which the most presumptuous sinner can never so stifle though he endeavour all he can to do it but that it will be sometimes snubbing and stinging and lashing and vexing him with ugly representations of his past sins and terrible suggestions of future vengeance And then of all other times is the force of it most lively when the voice of God in his Word awakeneth it after a long dead sleep Then it riseth and Sampson-like rouseth up it self and bestirreth it self lustily as a Giant refreshed with Wine and it putteth the disquieted patient to such unsufferable pain that he runneth up and down like a distracted man and doth he knoweth not what and seeketh for ease he knoweth not where Then he would give all Dives his wealth for A drop of Water to cool the heat he feeleth and with Esau part with his birth-right for any thing though it were never so little mean that would give him but the least present refreshing and preserve him from fainting Then sack-cloth and ashes and fasting and weeping and mourning and renting the garments and tearing the hair and knocking the breast and out-cries to heaven and all those other things which he could not abide to hear of in the time of his former security whilest his conscience lay fast asleep and at rest are now in all haste greedily entertained and all too little if by any means they can possibly give any ease or asswagement to the present torment
other person that should but touch them So not only our Fathers Sins if we touch them by imitation but even their Lands and Goods and Houses and other things that were theirs are sufficient to derive God's Curse upon us if we do but hold them in possession What is gotten by any evil and unjust and unwarrantable means is in God's sight and estimation no better than stollen Now stollen Goods we know though they have passed through never so many hands before that man is answerable in whose Hands they are found and in whose Custody and Possession they are God hateth not Sin only but the very Monuments of Sin too and his Curse fasteneth not only upon the Agent but upon the brute and dead Materials too And where theft or oppression or Perjury or Sacrilege have laid the foundation and reared the house there the Curse of God creepeth in between the walls and ceilings and lurketh close within the stones and the timber and as a fretting moth or canker insensibly gnaweth asunder the pins and the joynts of the building till it have unframed it and resolved it into a ruinous heap for which mischief there is no remedy no preservation from it but one and that is free and speedy restitution For any thing we know what Ahab the Father got without justice Iehoram the Son held without scruple We do not find that ever he made restitution of Naboth's vineyard to the right heir and it is like enough he did not and then between him and his Father there was but this difference the Father was the theif and he the receiver which two the Law severeth not either in guilt or punishment but wrappeth them equally in the same guilt and in the same punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And who knoweth whether the very holding of that vineyard might not bring upon him the curse of his father's oppression It is plain that vineyard was the place where the heaviest part of that Curse overtook him But that which is the upshot of all and untieth all the knots both of this and of all other doubts that can be made against God's justice in punishing one for another ariseth from a third consideration which is this That the children are punished for the fathers sins or indefinitely any one man for the sins of any other man it ought to be imputed to those sins of the Fathers or others not as to the causes properly deserving them but only as occasioning those punishments It pleaseth God to take occasion from the sins of the fathers or of some others to bring upon their children or those that otherwise belong unto them in some kind of relation those evils which by their own corruptions and sins they have justly deserved This distinction of the Cause and Occasion if well heeded both fully acquitteth God's justice and abundantly reconcileth the seeming Contradictions of Scripture in this Argument and therefore it will be worth the while a little to open it There is a kind of Cause de numero efficientium which the learned for distinctions sake call the Impulsive Cause and it is such a cause as moveth and induceth the principal Agent to do that which it doth For example a Schoolmaster correcteth a Boy with a rod for neglecting his Book Of this correction here are three dictinct causes all in the rank of Efficients viz. the Master the Rod and the Boys neglect but each hath its proper causality in a different kind and manner from other The Master is the Cause as the principal Agent that doth it the Rod is the Cause as the Instrument wherewith he doth it and the Boy 's neglect the impulsive Cause for which he doth it Semblably in this judgment which befel Iehoram the principal efficient Cause and Agent was God as he is in all other punishments and judgments Shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. and here he taketh it to himself I will bring the evil upon his house The Instrumental Cause under God was Iehu whom God raised up and endued with zeal and power for the execution of that vengeance which he had determined against Ahab and against his house as appeareth in 4 Kings 9. and 10. But now what the true proper Impulsive Cause should be for which he was so punished and which moved God at that time and in that sort to punish him that is the point wherein consisteth the chiefest difficulty in this matter and into which therefore we are now to enquire viz. Whether that were rather his own sin or his Father Ahab's sin Whether we answer for this or for that we say but the truth in both for both sayings are true God punished him for his own and God punished him for his fathers sin The difference only this His own sins were the impulsive cause that deserved the punishment his fathers sin the impulsive cause that occasioned it and so indeed upon the point and respectively to the justice of God rather his own sins were the cause of it than his fathers both because justice doth especially look at the desert and also because that which deserveth the punishment is more effectually and primarily and properly the impulsive cause of punishing than that which only occasioneth it The terms whereby Artists express these two different kinds of impulsive causes borrowed from Galen and the Physicians of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be excellent and full of satisfaction if they were of easie understanding But for that they are not so especially to such as are not acquainted with the terms and learning of the Schools I forbear to use them and rather than to take the shortest cut over hedge and ditch chuse to lead you an easier and plainer way though it 's something about and that by a familiar Example A man hath lived for some good space in reasonable state of health yet by gross feeding and through continuance of time his Body the whilst hath contracted many vicious noisom and malignant humours It happeneth he had occasion to ride abroad in bad weather taketh wet on his feet or neck getteth cold with it cometh home findeth himself not well falleth a shaking first and anon after into a dangerous and lasting Fever Here is a Fever and here are two different causes of it an antecedent cause within the abundance of noisom and crude humours that is Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the evident cause ab extra his riding in the wet and taking cold upon it and that is Galen's causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us go on a little and compare these causes The Physician is sent for the sick man's friends they stand about him and in cometh the Physician among them and enquireth of him and them how he got his Fever They presently give him such Information as they can and the Information
on your own time and suspendeth the judgments your sins have deserved for a space as here he did Ahab's upon his humiliation but be assured sooner or later vengeance will overtake you or yours for it You have Coveted an evil covetousness to your house and there hangeth a judgment over your house for it as rain in the clouds which perhaps in your sons perhaps in your grand-childs days sometime or other will come dashing down upon it and overwhelm it Think not the vision is for many descents to come De malè quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres seldom doth the third scarce ever the fourth generation pass before God visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children if he do not in the very next generation In his sons days will I bring the evil upon his house Secondly if not only our own but our Fathers sins too may be shall be visited upon us how concerneth it us as to repent for our own so to lament also the sins of our forefathers and in our confessions and supplications to God sometimes to remember them that he may forget them and to set them before his face that he may cast them behind his back We have a good president for it in our publick Letany Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our forefathers A good and a profitable and a needful prayer it is and those men have not done well nor justly that have cavilled at it O that men would be wise according to sobriety and allow but just interpretations to things advisedly established rather than busie themselves nodum in scirpo to pick needless quarrels where they should not What unity would it bring to brethren what peace to the Church what joy to all good and wise men As to this particular God requireth of the Israelites in Lev. 26. that they should confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their Fathers David did so and Ieremy did so and Daniel did so in Psal. 106. in Ierem 3. in Dan. 9. And if David thought it a fit curse to pronounce against Iudas and such as he was in Psal. 109. Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be done away why may we not nay how ought we not to pray for the removal of this very curse from us as well as of any other curses The present age is rise of many enormous crying sins which call loud for a judgment upon the land and if God should bring upon us a right heavy one whereat all ears should tingle could we say other but that it were most just even for the sins of this present generation But if unto our own so many so great God should also add the sins of our forefathers the bloodshed and tyranny and grievous unnatural butcheries in the long times of the Civil wars and the universal Idolatries and superstitions covering the whole land in the longer and darker times of Popery and if as he sometimes threatned to bring upon the Iews of that one generation all the righteous blood that ever was shed upon the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias so he should bring the sins of our Ancestors for many generations past upon this generation of ours who could be able to abide it Now when the security of the times give us but too much cause to fear it and regions begin to look white towards the harvest is it not time for us with all humiliation of Soul and Body to cast down our selves and with all contention of voice and spirit to lift up our prayers and to say Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins Spare us good Lord spare the people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with us for ever Spare us good Lord Thirdly Since not only our fathers sins and our own but our Neighbours sins too aliquid malum propter vicinum malum but especially the sins of Princes and Governours delirant reges plectuntur Achivi may bring judgments upon us and enwrap us in their punishments it should teach every one of us to seek his own private in the common and publick good and to endeavour if but for our own security from punishment to awaken others from their security in sin How should we send up Supplications and prayers and intercessions for Kings and for all that are in authority that God would incline their hearts unto righteous courses and open their ears to wholesom counsels and strengthen their hands to just actions when but a sinful oversight in one of them may prove the overthrow of many thousands of us as David but by once numbring his people in the pride of his heart lessened their number at one clap threescore and ten thousand If Israel turn their backs upon their enemies up Ioshua and make search for the troubler of Israel firret out the thief and do execution upon him one Achan if but suffered is able to undo the whole host of Israel what mischief might he do if countenanced if allowed The hour I see hath overtaken me and I must end To wrap up all in a word then and conclude Thou that hast power over others suffer no sin in them by base connivence but punish it thou that hast charge of others suffer no sin in them by dull silence but rebuke it thou that hast any interest in or dealing with others suffer no sin upon them by easie allowance but distaste it thou that hast nothing else yet by thy charitable prayers for them and by constant example to them stop the course of sin in others further the growth of grace in others labour by all means as much as in thee lieth to draw others unto God lest their sins draw God's judgments upon themselves and thee This that thou mayest do and that I may do and that every one of us that feareth God and wisheth well to the Israel of God may do faithfully and discreetly in our several stations and callings let us all humbly beseech the Lord the God of all grace and wisdom for his Son Iesus sake by his holy Spirit to enable us To which blessed Trinity one only Wise Immortal Invisible Almighty most gracious and most glorious Lord and God be ascribed by every one of us the kingdom the power and the glory both now and for ever AD POPULUM The Fourth Sermon In St. Paul's Church London Nov. 4. 1621. 1 COR. VII 24. Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God IF flesh and blood be suffered to make the Gloss it is able to corrupt a right good Text. It easily turneth the doctrine of Gods grace into wantonness and as easily the doctrine of Christian liberty into
less of the two viz. to say there were two Gods a good God the Author of all good things and an evil God the Author of all evil things If then we acknowledge that there is but one God and that one God good and we do all so acknowledge unless we will be more absurd than those most absurd Hereticks we must withal acknowledge all the Creatures of that one and good God to be also good He is so the causer of all that is good for Every good gift and every perfect giving descendeth from above from the Father of lights as that he is the causer only of what is good for with him is no variableness neither shadow of turning saith St. Iames. As the Sun who is Pater luminum the fountain and Father of lights whereunto St. Iames in that passage doth apparently allude giveth light to the Moon and Stars and all the lights of Heaven and causeth light wheresoever he shineth but no where causeth darkness so God the Father fountain of all goodness so communicateth goodness to every thing he produceth as that he cannot produce any thing at all but that which is good Every Creature of God then is good Which being so certainly then first to raise some Inferences from the Premisses for our farther instruction and use certainly I say Sin and Death and such things as are evil and not good are not of Gods making they are none of his Creatures for all his Creatures are good Let no man therefore say when he is tempted and overcome of sin I am tempted of God neither let any man say when he hath done evil It was God's doing God indeed preserveth the Man actuateth the Power and ordereth the Action to the glory of his Mercy or Iustice but he hath no hand at all in the sinful defect and obliquity of a wicked action There is a natural or rather transcendental Goodness Bonit as Entis as they call it in every Action even in that whereto the greatest sin adhereth and that Goodness is from God as that Action is his Creature But the Evil that cleaveth unto it is wholly from the default of the Person that committeth it and not at all from God And as for the Evils of Pain also neither are they of Gods making Deus mortem non fecit saith the Author of the Book of Wisdom God made not death neither doth he take pleasure in the destruction of the living but wicked men by their words and works have brought it upon themselves Perditio tua ex te Israel Hosea 13. O Israel thy destruction is from thy self that is both thy sin whereby thou destroyest thy self and thy Misery whereby thou art destroyed is only and wholly from thy self Certainly God is not the cause of any Evil either of Sin or Punishment Conceive it thus not the Cause of it formally and so far forth as it is Evil. For otherwise we must know that materially considered all Evils of Punishment are from God for Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. 6. In Evils of sin there is no other but only that Natural or Transcendental goodness whereof we spake in the Action which goodness though it be from God yet because the Action is morally bad God is not said to do it But in Evils of Punishment there is over and besides that Natural Goodness whereby they exist a kind of Moral Goodness as we may call it after a sort improperly and by way of reduction as they are Instruments of the Iustice of God and whatsoever may be referred to Iustice may so far forth be called good and for that very goodness God may be said in some sort to be the Author of these evils of Punishment though not also of those other evils of Sin In both we must distinguish the Good from the Evil and ascribe all the Good wheresoever it be Transcendental Natural Moral or if there be any other to God alone but by no means any of the Evil. We are unthankful if we impute any good but to him and we are unjust if we impute to him any thing but good Secondly from the goodness of the least Creature guess we at the excellent goodness of the great Creator Ex pede Herculem God hath imprinted as before I said some steps and footings of his goodness in the Creatures from which we must take the best scantling we are capable of of those admirable and inexpressible and unconceivable perfections that are in him There is no beholding of the body of this Sun who dwelleth in such a a Glorious light as none can attain unto that glory would dazle with blindness the sharpest and most Eagly eye that should dare to fix it self upon it with any stedfastness enough it is for us from those rays and glimmering beams which he hath scattered upon the Creatures to gather how infinitely he exceedeth them in brightness and glory De ipso vides sed non ipsum We see his but not Him His Creatures they are our best indeed our only instructers For though his revealed Word teach us that we should never have learned from the Creatures without it yet fitted to our capacity it teacheth no otherwise than by resemblances taken from the Creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul calleth it Rom. 1. the whole Latitude of that which may be known of God is manifest in the Creatures and the invisible things of God not to be understood but by things that are made St. Basil therefore calleth the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very School where the knowledge of God is to be learned And there is a double way of teaching a twofold method of training us up into that knowledge in that school that is to say Per viam Negationis and per viam Eminentiae First Viâ Negationis look whatsoever thou findest in the Creature which savoureth of defect or imperfection and know God is not such Are they limited subject to change composition decay c Remove these from God and learn that he is infinite simple unchangeable eternal Then Viâ Eminentiae look whatsoever perfection there is in the Creature in any degree and know that the same but infinitely and incomparably more eminently is in God Is there Wisdom or Knowledge or Power or Beauty or Greatness or Goodness in any kind or in any measure in any of the Creatures Affirm the same but without measure of Godâ—â— and learn that he is infinitely wiser and skilfuller and stronger and fairer and greater and better In every good thing so differently excellent above and beyond the Creatures as that though yet they be good yet compared with him they deserve not the name of good There is none good but one that is God Mar. 10. None good as he simply and absolutely and essentially and of himself such The creatures
of the Church among Christians of all sorts Weak and Strong He that was strong in the Faith and knew the liberty he had in Christ to eat indifferently of all kinds of Meats flesh as well as herbs did eat of all indifferently and gave God thanks for all The weak Christian too who made scruple of some kinds of flesh or other Meats and contented himself with herbs and such like things yet gave God thanks for his herbs and for whatsoever else he durst eat He that eateth eateth to the Lord saith he there at vers 6. for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks too Notwithstanding they differed in their judgments and opinions and consequently in their practice concerning the lawful or unlawful use of some meats yet they consented most sweetly and agreed both in their judgment and practice in the performance of this religious service of Thanksgiving So then giving of thanks for our meats and drinks before and after meals in an outward and audible form is an ancient a commendable an Apostolical a Christian practice ordinarily requisite as an outward Testimony of the inward thankfulness of the heart and therefore not to be omitted ordinarily neither but in some few cases There being the like necessity of this duty in regard of inward thankfulness as there is of vocal prayer in regard of inward Devotion and of outward Confession in regard of inward belief and look what Exceptions those other outward duties may admit the very same mutandis mutatis and in their proportion are to be admitted here But not only meats and drinks but every other good Creaturè also of God whereof we may have use ought to be received with a due measure of thankfulness And if in these things also so often as in good discretion it may seem expedient for the advancing of Gods glory the benefiting of his Church or the quickening of our own Devotion we shall make some outward and sensible expression of the thankfulness of our hearts for them we shall therein do an acceptable service unto God and comfortable to our own souls For for this cause God instituted of old among his own people divers solemn feasts and sacrifices together with the sanctifying of the first fruits and of the first born and divers other ordinances of that nature as on the other side to be fit remembrancers unto them of their duty of thankfulness so to be as well good testimonies and fit expressions of their performance of that duty But if not always the outward manifestation thereof yet God ever expecteth at least the true and inward thankfulness of the heart for the use of his good Creatures Whatsoever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks unto God and the Father by him Col. 3. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God Phil. 4. Bless the Lord O my soul saith David in Psal. 103. and all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Forget not all his benefits as much as to say by an ordinary Hebraism forget not any of all his benefits He summoneth all that is in him to bless God for all he hath from him he thought it was necessary for him not to receive any of the good Creatures of God without Thanksgiving Which necessity of Thanksgiving will yet more appear if we consider it either as an act of Iustice or an act of Religion as it is indeed and truly both It is first an Act of Iustice. The very Law of Nature which containeth the first seeds and principles of Iustice bindeth every man that receiveth a benefit to a thankful Acknowledgment of it first and then withal Ability and Opportunity supposed to some kind of Retribution The best Philosophers therefore make Gratitude a branch of the Law of Nature and so account of it as of a thing than which there is not any Office of Vertue more necessary as nor any thing on the contrary more detestable than Ingratitude You cannot lay a fouler imputation upon a man nor by any accusations in the World render him more odious to the opinions of all men than by charging him with unthankfulness Ingratum dicas omnia dixeris do but say He is an unthankful wretch you need say no more you can say no worse by any mortal creature Verily every benefit carrieth with it the force of an Obligation and we all confess it if we receive but some small kindness from another we can readily and complementally protest our selves much bound to him for it Indeed when we say so we often speak it but of course and think it not but yet when we do so we speak more truth than we are aware of For if it be in truth a kindness in him we are in truth and equity bound to him thereby The common saying is not without ground Qui beneficium accipit libertatem vendidit Some men therefore refuse kindnesses and courtesies at other mens hands because forsooth they will not be beholden to them Which though it be a perverse and unjust course and indeed a high degree of unthankfulness for there is unthankfulness as well in not accepting a kind offer as in not requiting a good turn and therefore also a high degree of folly for it is a foolish thing for a man out of the bare fear of unthankfulness one way to become wilful unthankful another though I say it be a fond and perverse course in them yet it argueth withal in them a strong apprehension of the Equity of that principle of Nature and Iustice which bindeth men that receive benefits ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a necessity of requital and retribution Truth it is to God our Heavenly Father first and then to our Earthly Parents none of us can reddere paria none is able to make a full requital to to either of them especially not to God But that freeth us not from the debt of thankfulness as not to our Parents so neither to God it rather bindeth us the faster thereunto The same Law of Nature which teacheth us to requite a good turn to the utmost where there is wherewithal to do it and withal a fair opportunity offered teacheth us where there wanteth either ability or opportunity to endeavour by the best convenient means we can to testifie at least the thankfulness of our hearts and our unfeigned desires of requital Which desire and endeavour if every ingenuous man and our earthly Parents do accept of where they find it as of the deed it self can we doubt of Gods acceptation of our unfeigned desire herein though infinitely and without all proportion short of a just requital and retribution David knew right well that when a man
my Brother in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this That is his Plea Now God replieth of which Reply letting pass the remainder in the next Verse which concerneth the time to come so much of it as is contained in this Verse hath reference to what was already done and past and it meeteth right with Abimelech's Answer Something he had done and something he had not done he had indeed taken Sarah into his House but he had not yet come near her For that which he had done in taking her he thought he had a just excuse and he pleadeth it he did not know her to be another mans Wife and therefore as to any intent of doing wrong to the Husband he was altogether innocent But for that which he had not done in not touching her because he took her into his house with an unchast purpose he passeth that over in silence and not so much as mentioneth it So that his Answer so far as it reached was just but because it reached not home it was not full And now Almighty God fitteth it with a Reply most convenient for such an Answer admitting his Plea so far as he alledged it for what he had done in taking Abraham's Wife having done it simply out of ignorance Yea I know thou didst this in the integrity of thine heart and withal supplying that which Abimelech had omitted for what he had not done in not touching her by assigning the true cause thereof viz. his powerful restraint For I also withheld thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her In the whole Verse we may observe First the manner of the Revelation namely by what means it pleased God to convey to Abimelech the knowledge of so much of his Will as he thought good to acquaint him withal it was even the same whereby he had given him the first information at Verse 3. it was by a dream And God said unto him in a dream and then after the substance of the Reply whereof again the general parts are two The former an Admission of Abimelech's Plea or an Acknowledgment of the integrity of his heart so far as he alledged it in that which he had done Yea I know that thou didst it in the integrity of thine heart The latter an Instruction or Advertisement to Abimelech to take knowledge of Gods goodness unto and providence with him in that which he had not done it was God that over-held him from doing it For I also withheld thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her By occasion of those first words of the Text And God said unto him in a dream if we should enter into some Enquiries concerning the nature and use of Divine Revelations in general and in particular of Dreams the Discourse as it would not be wholly impertinent so neither altogether unprofitable Concerning all which these several Conclusions might be easily made good First that God revealed himself and his Will frequently in old times especially before the sealing of the Scriptures-Canon in sundry manners as by Visions Prophecies Extasies Oracles and other supernatural means and namely and amongst the rest by Dreams Secondly that God imparted his Will by such kind of supernatural Revelations not only to the godly and faithful though to them most frequently and especially but sometimes also to Hypocrites within the Church as to Saul and others yea and sometimes even to Infidels too out of the Church as to Pharaoh Balaam Nebuchadnezzar c. and here to Abimelech Thirdly that since the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles were made up the Scripture-Canon sealed and the Christian Church by the preaching of the Gospel become Oecomenical Dreams and other supernatural Revelations as also other things of like nature as Miracles and whatsoever more immediate and extraordinary manifestations of the Will and Power of God have ceased to be of ordinary and familiar use so as now we ought rather to suspect delusion in them than to expect direction from them Fourthly that although God have now tied us to his holy written Word as unto a perpetual infallible Rule beyond which we may not expect and against which we may not admit any other direction as from God yet he hath no where abridged himself of the power and liberty even still to intimate unto the Sons of men the knowledge of his Will and the glory of his Might by Dreams Miracles or other like supernatural manifestations if at any time either in the want of the ordinary means of the Word Sacraments and Ministry or for the present necessities of his Church or of some part thereof on for some other just cause perhaps unknown to us he shall see it expedient so to do He hath prescribed us but he hath not limited himself Fifthly that because the Devil and wicked Spirits may suggest Dreams probably foretel future events foreseen in their causes and work many strange effects in Nature applicando activa passivis which because they are without the sphere of our comprehension may to our seeming have fair appearances of Divine Revelations or Miracles when they are nothing less for the avoiding of strong delusions in this kind it is not safe for us to give easie credit to Dreams Prophecies or Miracles as Divine until upon due trial there shall appear both in the End whereto they point us a direct tendance to the advancement of Gods Glory and in the Means also they propose us a conformity unto the revealed will of God in his written Word Sixthly that so to observe our ordinary Dreams as thereby to divine or foretâ—l of future contingents or to forecast therefrom good or ill-luck as we call it in the success of our affairs is a silly and groundless but withal an unwarranted and therefore an unlawful and therefore also a damnable Superstition Seventhly that there is yet to be made a lawful yea and a very profitable use even of our ordinary Dreams and of the observing thereof and that both in Physick and Divinity Not at all by foretelling particulars of things to come but by taking from them among other things some reasonable conjectures in the general of the present estate both of our Bodies and Souls Of our Bodies first For since the predominancy of Choler Blood Flegm and Melancholy as also the differences of strength and health and diseases and distempers either by diet or passion or otherwise do cause impressions of different forms in the fancy our ordinary dreams may be a good help to lead us into those discoveries both in time of health what our natural constitution complexion and temperature is and in times of sickness from the rankness and tyranny of which of the humours the malady springeth And as of our Bodies so of our Souls too For since our Dreams for the
the Church is Besides these that do it thus by open Assault I would there were not others also that did by secret underminings go about to deprive us of that liberty which we have in Christ Jesus even then when they most pretend the maintenance of it They inveigh against the Church Governors as if they lorded it over Gods Heritage and against the Church Orders and Constitutions as if they were contrary to Christian liberty Wherein besides that they do manifest wrong to the Church in both particulars they consider not that those very accusations which they thus irreverently dart at the face of their Mother to whom they owe better respect but miss it do recoil pat upon themselves and cannot be avoided For whereas these Constitutions of the Church are made for Order Decency and Uniformity sake and to serve unto Edification and not with any intention at all to lay a tye upon the consciences of men or to work their judgments to an opinion as if there were some necessity or inherent holiness in the things required thereby neither do our Governours neither ought they to press them any further which is sufficient to acquit both the Governours from that Lording and the Constitutions from that trenching upon Christian liberty wherewith they are charged Alas that our brethren who thus accuse them should suffer themselves to be so far blinded with prejudices and partial affections as not to see that themselves in the mean time do really exercise a spiritual Lordship over their disciples who depend in a manner wholly upon their judgments by imposing upon their consciences sundry Magisterial conclusions for which they have no sound warrant from the written Word of God Whereby besides the great injury done to their brethren in the impeachment of their Christian liberty and leading them into error they do withal exasperate against them the minds of those that being in authority look to be obeyed and engage them in such sufferings as they can have no just cause of rejoyceing in For beloved this we must know that as it is injustice to condemn the innocent as well as it is injustice to clear the guilty and both these are equally abominable to the Lord so it is superstition to forbid that as sinful which is in truth indifferent and therefore lawful as well as it is superstition to enjoyn that as necessary which is in truth indifferent and therefore arbitrary Doth that heavy woe in Isa. 5. appertain think ye to them only that out of prophaneness call evil good and nothing at all concern them that out of preciseness call good evil Doth not he decline out of the way that turneth aside on the right hand as well as he that turneth on the left They that positively make that to be sin which the Law of God never made so to be how can they be excused from symbolizing with the Pharisees and the Papists in making the narrow ways of God yet narrower than they are teaching for Doctrines mens Precepts and so casting a snare upon the consciences of their brethren If our Church should press things as far and upon such grounds the one way as some forward spirits do the other way if as they say it is a sin to kneel at the Communion and therefore we charge you upon your consciences not to do it so the Church should say it is a sin not to kneel and therefore we require you upon your consciences to do it and so in all other lawful yet arbitrary Ceremonies possibly then the Church could no more be able to acquit her self from encroaching upon Christian Liberty than they are that accuse her for it Which since they have done and she hath not she is therefore free and themselves only guilty It is our duty for the better securing of our selves as well against those open impugners as against these secret underminers to look heedfully to our trenches and fortifications and to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free lest by some device or other we be lifted out of it To those that seek to enthral us we should give place by subjection no not for an hour lest we be ensnared by our own default ere we be aware For indeed we cannot be ensnared in this kind but merely by our own default and therefore St. Paul often admonisheth us to take heed that none deceive spoil or beguile us as if it were in our power if we would but use requisite care thereunto to prevent it and as if it were our fault most if we did not prevent it And so in truth it is For we oftentimes betray away our own liberty when we might maintain it and so become servants unto men when we both might and ought to keep our selves free Which fault we shall be the better able to avoid when we shall know the true causes whence it springeth which are evermore one of these two an unsound head or an unsound heart Sometimes we esteem too highly of others so far as either to envassal our judgments to their opinions or to enthral our consciences to their precepts and that is our weakness there the fault is in the head Sometimes we apply our selves to the wills of others with an eye to our own benefit or satisfaction in some other carnal or worldly respect and that is our fleshliness there the fault is in the heart This latter is the worst and therefore in the first place to be avoided The most and worser sort unconscionable men do often transgress this way when for fear of a frown or worse displeasure or to curry favour with those they may have use of or in hope either of raising themselves to some advancement or of raising to themselves some advantage or for some other like respects they become officious instruments to others for the accomplishing of their lusts in such services as are evidently even to their own apprehensions sinful and wicked So Doeg did King Saul service in shedding the blood of fourscore and five innocent Priests and Absalom's Servants murdered their Masters brother upon his bare command and Pilate partly to gratifie the Iews but especially for fear of Caesar's displeasure gave sentence of death upon Iesus who in his own conscience he thought had not deserved it In such cases as these are when we are commanded by our superiors or required by our friends or any other way sollicited to do that which we know we cannot do without sin we are to maintain our liberty if we cannot otherwise fairly decline the service by a flat and peremptory denyal though it be to the greatest power upon earth As the three young men did to the great Nebuchadnezzar Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up And the ancient Christians to the heathen Emperours Daveniam Imperator tu
what we lawfully may but we ought also to bear one anothers burdens and to forbear for one anothers sakes what otherwise we might do and so to fulfil the Law of Christ. St. Paul who hath forbidden us in one place to make our selves the servants of any man 1 Cor. 7. hath yet bidden us in another place by love to serve one another Gal. 5. 13. And his practice therein consenteth with his doctrine as it should do in every teacher of truth for though he were free from all and knew it and would not be brought under the power of any yet in love he became servant to all that by all means he might win some It was an excellent saying of Luther Omnia libera per fidem omnia serva per charitatem We should know and be fully perswaded with the perswasion of faith that all things are lawful and yet withal we should purpose and be fully resolved for charity's sake to forbear the use of many things if we find them inexpedient He that will have his own way in every thing he hath a liberty unto whosoever shall take offence at it maketh his liberty but a cloak of maliciousness by using it uncharitably The fourth and last way whereby we may use our liberty for a cloak of maliciousness is by using it undutifully pretending it unto our disobedience to lawful authority The Anabaptists that deny all subjection to Magistrates in indifferent things do it upon this ground that they imagine Christian liberty to be violated when by humane Laws it is determined either the one way or the other And I cannot but wonder that many of our brethren in our own Church who in the question of Ceremonies must argue from their ground or else they talk of Christian liberty to no purpose should yet hold off before they grow to their conclusion which to my apprehension seemeth by the rules of good discourse to issue most naturally and necessarily from it It were a happy thing for the peace both of this Church and of their own consciences if they would in calm blood review their own dictates in this kind and see whether their own principle which the cause they are engaged in maketh them doat upon can be reasonably defended and yet the Anabaptists inference thence which the evidence of truth maketh them to abhor he fairly avoided Yet somewhat they have to say for the proof of that their ground which if it be sound it is good reason we should subscribe to it if it be not it is as good reason they should retract it Let us hear therefore what it is and put it to trial First say they Ecclesiastical Constitutions for there is the quarrel determine us precisely ad unum in the use of indifferent things which God and Christ have left free ad utrumlibet Secondly by inducing a necessity upon the thing they enjoyn they take upon them as if they could alter the nature of things and make that to become necessary which is indifferent which is not in the power of any man but of God only to do Thirdly these Constitutions are so far pressed as if men were bound in conscience to obey them which taketh away the freedom of the conscience for if the conscience be bound how is she free Nor so only but fourthly the things so enjoyned are by consequence imposed upon us as of absolute necessity unto salvation forasmuch as it is necessary unto salvation for every man to do that which he is bound in conscience to do by which device kneeling at the Communion standing at the Gospel bowing at the name of Jesus and the like become to be of necessity unto salvation Fifthly say they these Constitutions cannot be defended but by such Arguments as the Papists use for the establishing of that their rotten Tenet that humane Laws bind the conscience as well as Divine Than all which premisses what can be imagined more contrarious to true Christian liberty In which Objections before I come to their particular answer I cannot but observe the unjust I would we might not say unconscionable partiality of the Objectors First in laying the accusation against the Ecclesiastical Laws only whereas their Arguments if they had any strength in them would as well conclude against the Political Laws in the Civil State and against domestical orders in private Families as against the Laws Ecclesiastical yet must these only be guilty and they innocent which is not equal Let them either damn them all or quit them all or else let them shew wherein they are unlike which they have not yet done neither can do Secondly when they condemn the things enjoyned as simply and utterly unlawful upon quite other grounds and yet keep a stir about Christian liberty for which argument there can be no place without supposal of indifferency for Christ hath left us no liberty to unlawful things how can they answer this their manifest partiality Thirdly if they were put to speak upon their consciences whether or no if power were in their own hands and Church-affairs left to their ordering they would not forbid those things they now dislike every way as strictly and with as much imposition of necessity as the Church presently enjoyneth them I doubt not but they would say Yea and what equity is there in this dealing to condemn that in others which they would allow in themselves Fourthly in some things they are content to submit to the Ecclesiastical Constitutions notwithstanding their Christian liberty which liberty they stifly pretend for their refusal of other some whereas the case seemeth to be every way equal in both all being enjoyned by the same Authority and for the same end and in the same manner If their liberty be impeached by these why not as much by those Or if obedience to those may consist with Christian liberty why not as well obedience to these in allowing some rejecting others where there is the same reason of all are not they very partial And now I come to answer their arguments or rather flourishes for they are in truth no better That first allegation that the determining of any thing in unam partem taketh away a mans liberty to it is not true For the liberty of a Christian to any thing indifferent consisteth in this that his judgment is throughly perswaded of the indifferency of it and therefore it is the determination of the judgment in the opinion of the thing not the use of it that taketh away Christian liberty Otherwise not only Laws Political and Ecclesiastical but also all Vows Promises Covenants Contracts and what not that pitcheth upon any certain resolution de futuro should be prejudicial to Christian liberty because they do all determine something in unam partem which before was free and indifferent in utramque partem For example if my friend invite me to sup with him I may by no
the edification of his Church and the promoting of any one soul in Faith and Holiness towards the attainment of everlasting salvation I shall have great cause of rejoycing in it as a singular evidence of his underserved mercy towards me and an incomparably rich reward of so poor and unworthy labours Yet dare I not promise to my self any great hopes that any thing that can be spoken in an argument of this nature though with never so much strength of reason and evidence of truth should work any kindly effect upon the men of this generation when the times are nothing favourable and themselves altogether undisposed to receive it No more than the choisest Musick can affect the ear that is stopt up or the most proper Physick operate upon him that either cannot or will not take it But as the Sun when it shineth clearest in a bright day if the beams thereof be intercepted by a beam too but of another kind lying upon the eye is to the party so blinded as if the light were not at all so I fear it is in this case Not through any incapacity in the Organ so much especially in the learneder part among them as from the interposition of an unsound Principle which they have received with so much affection that for the great complacency they have in it they are loth to have it removed And as they of the Roman party having once throughly imbibed this grand Principle that the Catholick Church and that must needs be it of Rome is infallible are thereby rendred incapable to receive any impressions from the most regular and concluding discourses that can be tendred to them if they discern any thing therein disagreeing from the dictates of Rome and so are perpetually shut up into a necessity of erring if that Church can err unless they can be wrought off from the belief of that Principle which is not very easily to be done after they have once swallowed it and digested it without the great mercy of God and a huge measure of self-denial Even so have these our Anti-ceremonial Brethren framed to themselves a false Principle likewise which holdeth them in Errour and hardneth them against all impressions or but Offers of reason to the contrary 8. All Errors Sects and Heresies as they are mixed with some inferior Truths to make them the more passable to others so do they usually owe their original to some eminent Truths either misunderstood or misapplied whereby they become the less discernable to their own Teachers whence it is that such Teachers both deceive and are deceived To apply this then to the business in hand There is a most sound and eminent Truth justly maintained in our own and other Reformed Churches concerning the Perfection and Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures Which is to be understood of the revelation of supernatural Truths and the Substantials of Gods Worship and the advancing of Moral and Civil duties to a more sublime and spiritual height by directing them to a more noble end and exacting performance of them in a holy manner But without any purpose thereby to exclude the belief of what is otherwise reasonable or the practice of what is prudential This Orthodox Truth hath by an unhappy misunderstanding proved that great stone of offence whereat all our late Sectaries have stumbled Upon this foundation as they had laid it began our Anti-ceremonians first to raise their so often renewed Models of Reformation but they had first transformed it into quite another thing by them perhaps mistaken for the same but really as distant from it as Falshood from Truth to wit this That Nothing might lawfully be done or used in the Churches of Christ unless there were either Command or Example for it in the Scriptures Whence they inferred that whatsoever had been otherwise done or used was to be cast out as Popish Antichristian and Superstitious This is that unfound corrupt Principle whereof I spake that root of bitterness whose stem in process of time hath brought forth all these numerous branches of Sects and Heresies wherewith this sinful Nation is now so much pestered 9. It is not my purpose nor is this a place for it to make any large discovery of the cause of the mistake the unsoundness of the Tenent it self and how pernicious it is in the Consequents Yet I cannot but humbly and earnestly entreat them for the love of God and the comfort of their own souls as they tender the peace of the Church and the honour of our Religion and in compassion to thousands of their Christian Brethren who are otherwise in great danger to be either misled or scandalized that they would think it possible for themselves to be mistaken in their Principle as well as others and possible also for those Principles they rest upon to have some frailties and infirmities in them though not hitherto by them adverted because never suspected that therefore they would not hasten to their Conclusion before they are well assured of the Premisses nor so freely bestow the name of Popish and Superstitious upon the opinions or actions of their Brethren as they have used to do before they have first and throughly examined the solidity of their own Grounds finally and in order thereunto That they would not therefore despise the Offer of these few things ensuing to their consideration because tendered by one that standeth better affected to their Persons than Opinions 10. And first I beseech them to consider how unluckily they have at once both straitned too much and yet too much widened that which they would have to be the adequate Rule of warrantable actions by leaving out Prudence and taking in Example Nor doth it sound well that the examples of men though never so Godly should as to the effect of warranting our actions stand in so near equipage with the commands of God as they are here placed joyntly together without any character of difference so much as in degree But the superadding of Examples to Commands in such manner as in this Assertion is done either signifieth nothing or overthroweth all the rest which is so evident that I wonder how it could escape their own observation For that Example which is by them supposed sufficient for our warranty was it self either warranted by some Command or former Example or it was not If it were then the adding of it clearly signifieth nothing for then that warrant we have by it proceedeth not from it but from that precedent Command or Example which warranted it If it were not then was it done meerly upon the dictates of Prudence and Reason and then if we be sufficiently warranted by that Example as is still by them supposed to act after it we are also sufficiently thereby warranted to act upon the meer dictates of Prudence and Reason without the necessity of any other either Command or former Example for so doing What is the proper use that ought to be made of Examples is touched
nothing against Conscience 37 38 2. Get the mastery of thine own Will 39 43 3. Beware of Engagements to Sin 44 45 4. Resolve not to yield to any Temptation 46 The Conclusion Sermon X. Ad Aulam I. Ser. on PHIL. iv 11. Sect. 1 4. THe occasion Scope 5 Paraphrase and 6 Division of the Text. 7 12 Four Observations from the Apostles Protestation 13 14 The Nature of Contentment gathered from the Text in three Particulars viz. 15 16 I. That a man be content with his own Estate without coveting that which is anothers 17 19 Illustrated by Examples both ways 20 21 and proved from Grounds both of Justice 22 and Charity 23 Not all desire of that which is anothers forbidden 24 but the Inordinate only Whether in respect 25 26 1. Of the Object of the Desire 27 29 2. The Act or of the Desire 30 31 3. The Effects of the Desire 32 The Inference thence 33 II. That a man be content with his present Estate 34 Because 1. That only is properly his own 35 2. All looking beyond that disquieteth the mind 36 3. The present is ever best 37 38 The Duty pressed 39 40 and the misunderstanding of it prevented 41 III. That a man be content with any Estate 42 44 with the Reasons thereof 45 c. and Inferences thence Sermon VI. Ad Aulam II. Serm. on PHIL. iv 11. Sect. 1-3 THe Art of Contentment 4 1. Not from Nature 4 2. Institution 6 3. or Outward Things 7 But from God who teacheth it us 8 1. by his Spirit 9 2. by his Promises 10 c. 3. by the Rod of Discipline 12 Inferences I. Where this learning is to be had 13 II. Sundry motives thereunto 14 III. The Trial of our proficiency therein by Six Marks 15 1. The despising of unjust gain 16 2. The moderating of worldly Desires and Care 17 3. The careful using and of what we have 18 4. the charitable dispensing of what we have 19 5. The bearing both of wants with patience 20 c. 6. and losses with patience 22 Seven Helps to further us in this Learning 23 24 1. A right perswasion of the Goodness and Truth of God 25 2. A through sense of our own unworthiness 26 3. Thankfulness for what we have 27 4. A prudent comparing of our Estates with other mens 28 5. To consider the vanity of all outward things 29 30 6. Sobriety in a frugal and temperate use of the Creature 31 7. To remember that we are but Pilgrims here Sermon VII Ad Aulam on ISA. lii 3. Sect. 1. THe Sum and Division of the Text. 2 4 Part I. Mans Sale 5 Inferences thence To take knowledge 1. of our Misery therein 2 2. and Presumption therein 7 The Materials of the Contract viz. 8 10 I. The Commodity and therein our Baseness 11 15 II. The Price and therein our Folly 15 18 An Objection by way of Excuse removed 19 24 III. The Consent and therein our Inexcusableness 25 PART II. Mans Redemption wrought 26 I. EFFECTUALLY Wherein are considered 27 1. The Power of the Redeemer 28 2. The Love of the Redeemer 29 3. The Right of the Redeemer 30 And thence Inferred a threefold Duty viz. 1. of Affiance relatively to his Power 31 2. of Thankfulness relatively to his Love 32 3. of Service relatively to his Right 33 II. FREELY As to us who payed nothing towards it 34 37 But yet a valuable price payed by our Redeemer 38 Inferences thence To exclude Merit 39 But not Endeavours 40 The Conclusion Sermon VIII Ad Aulam on ROM xv 5. Sect. 1 2 THe Scope and Division of the Text. 3 5 THE FORMALITY of the Prayer Observations thence viz. I. Prayer to be joyned with Instruction 6 9 II. God the only Author of Peace 10 III. Concerning the Style FIVE ENQUIRIES viz. 11 13 1. Why the God of Patience 14 16 2. Why of Consolation 17 19 3. Of the Choice of these two Attributes 20 4. Their Conjunction 21 5. and Order 22 In the matter of the Prayer three Particulars 23 I. THE THING prayed for viz. Like mindedness 24 26 Opened 27 and Pressed upon these Considerations 28 1. That we are members of the same Body 29 2. and of the same Family 30 3. That it forwardeth the building up of Gods Church 31 33 4. but the want of it giveth Scandal to the Enemies thereof 34 35 II. The FORMER QUALIFICATION importing an agreement 1. Universal 36 38 2. Mutual 39 40 III. The Later QUALIFICATION importing an agreement 1. according unto Truth and Godliness 41 42 2. after The Example of Christ. 43 The Conclusion Sermon IX Ad Aulam on 1 TIM iii. 16. Sect. 1 4. THe Occasion Scope and Division of THE TEXT 5 6 Of the word Mystery 7 I. POINT The Gospel A GREAT MYSTERY Because 8 9 1. it could not have been known 10 13 2. had it not been revealed and 14 15 3. being revealed cannot be perfectly comprehended 16 17 INFERENCES thence I. Reason not to be the measure of Faith 18 19 II. Disquisition of Truth to be within the bounds of Sobriety 20 21 III. Offence not to be taken at the difference of Opinions among Christians 22 23 II. POINT Christianity a Mystery of Godliness In regard 24 26 1. both of the general Scope thereof 27 2. and of the special Parts thereof 28 3. and the means of conserving it 29 31 INFERENCES thence I. for the trial of Doctrines 32 33 with application to the present Church of England 34 II. For the ordering of our Lives 35 The Conclusion Sermon X. Ad Aulam on PSAL. cxix 75. Sect. 1. THe Division of THE TEXT 2 6 What is meant by the Judgments of God 7 POINT I. The righteousness of Gods Judgments 1. as proceeding from him 8 9 2. as deserved by us 10 INFERENCES thence 1. Not to murmur against the ways of Gods providence 11 2. but to submit our wills to his 12 14 Davids many troubles 15 17 and God the causer thereof 18 POINT II. That God causeth his servants to be troubled it is out of his faithfulness whether we respect 19 1. his Promises 20 22 2. or their Relations 23 The Inference thence To bear troubles chearfully 24 25 POINT III. The faithfulness of God in sending troubles evidenced from 26 30 1. The End he aimeth at therein 31 34 2. The Proportion he holdeth therein 35 36 3. The Issues he giveth thereout Sermon XI Ad Aulam I. Ser. on 1 COR. x. 23. Sect. 1 2. THe Scope and Division of the Text. 3 4 All things meant of Indifferent things only 5 What things are Indifferent 6 8 POINT I. The Liberty we have to indifferent things 9 10 The Error of those that over-much restrain this Liberty 11 14 blamed as 1. unrighteous in it self 15 22 2. Dangerous in the Consequents 23 With some APPLICATION to this Church 24 The chief Causes of that Error discovered 25 27 viz. 1. Ignorance 28 30 2. and Partiality 31
which he suffereth their enmity to continue But it is more certain thirdly that we please him but imperfectly and in part even as those Graces wherewith we please him are in us but imperfectly and in part And therefore no marvel if our peace also be but imperfect and in part Possibly he will procure our peace more when we please him better 28. But where none of these or the like Considerations will reach home it will sufficiently clear the whole difficulty to consider but thus much and it is a plain and true answer that generally all Scriptures that run upon temporal promises are to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as universally but as commonly true Or as some Divines express it cum exceptione crucis not absolutely and without all exception but evermore with this reservation unless the Lord in his infinite Wisdom see cause why it should be good for us to have it otherwise But this you shall ever observe withal and it infinitely magnifieth the goodness of our gracious Lord and God towards us that where he seeth it not good to give us that blessing in specie which the Letter of the Promise seemeth to import he yet giveth it us eminenter that is to say if not that yet some other thing fully as good as that and which he well knoweth though perhaps we cannot yet apprehend it so to be presently far better for us than that Say he do not give us Wealth or Advancement yet if he give us a contented mind without them is it not better Say he do not speedily remove a temptation from us whereunder we groan which was St. Paul's Case yet if he supply us with a sufficiency of grace to encounter with it is it not better So in the present Case if he do not presently make our Enemies to be at peace with us yet if he teach us to profit by their Enmity in exercising our faith and patience in quickning us unto prayer in furthering our humiliations or encreasing any other grace in us is it not every way and incomparably better Now will any wise man tax him with breach of Promise who having promised a Pound of Silver giveth a Talent of Gold Or who can truly say that that man is not so good as his Word that is apparently much better than his Word 29. From the Words thus cleared may be deduced many profitable Inferences for our further instruction but that the time will not suffer us to enlarge them As first We may hence know what a blessed and desirable thing Peace is not only that inward peace with God and in our own breasts which passeth all understanding but even this outward peace with men When the Holy Spirit of God here in the Text useth it as an especial strong inducement to quicken us up the rather to the performance of that with chearfulness which we are in Duty bound to perform howsoever in seeking to please the Lord. We may learn hence secondly if at any time we unfeignedly desire peace by what course we may be likeliest to procure it Preposterous is the course which yet most of men take when to make their Peace with mortal men they hazard the disfavour of the Eternal God The right and ready way is chalked out in the Text First to make our peace with God by ordering our Ways so as to please him and then to commit our Ways to his ordering by leaving the whole success to him and so doing it is not possible we should miscarry Those that are now our Enemies either he will turn their hearts towards us so as to become our Friends if he seeth that good for us or else he will so curb and restrain them that with all their Enmity they shall not be able to do us any harm if he see that better for us or if by his just sufferance they do us harm one way and yet he will not suffer that neither unless he see that absolutely best for us it shall be recompensed to us by his good providence in a far greater comfort another way We may learn hence Thirdly how hateful the practice is and how wretched the condition of Make-bates Tale-bearers Whisperers and all those that sow dissention among Brethren Light and Darkness are not more contrary than are Gods Ways and theirs He is the Author of Peace and lover of Concord they are the Authors of Strife and lovers of Discord It is his Work to make a mans enemies to be at peace with him It is their business to make a mans friends to be at odds with him We may learn hence Fourthly if at any time our Enemies grow to be at peace with us to whom we owe it Not to our selves it is a thing beyond our power or skill to win them Much less to them whose Malice is stiff and will not easily relent But it is principally the Lords own Work He is the God of Peace which maketh men to be of one mind in an house it is he that causeth wars to cease in all the Earth and that giveth unto his people the blessing of peace And therefore the glory of it and the thanks for it belong to him alone 30. But I willingly omit all further enlargement of these inferences that I may somewhat the longer insist upon one other inference only very needful to be considered of in these times which is this We may hence learn Fifthly if at any time we want peace probably to guess where the fault may partly be and that by arguing from the Text thus I read here that when a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him I find in mine no relenting but an utter averseness from peace I am for peace but when I speak to them thereof they make them ready to battel I have cause therefore to fear that all is not right with me either my heart is not right or my ways are not right I will examine them both throughly and search if I can see any way of wickedness in me for which my God may be justly displeased with me and for which he thus stiffneth mine Enemies still against me 31. Thus to be jealous over our selves with a godly jealousie would not only work in us a due consideration of our ways that so we might amend them if there be cause but would be also of right use to prevent two notable pieces of Sophistry two egregious fallacies wherewith thousands of us deceive our selves The former fallacy is that we use many times especially when our Enemies do us manifest wrong to impute our sufferings wholly to their iniquity whereof we should do wiselier to take some of the blame upon our selves Not at all to excuse them whose proceedings are unjust and for which they shall bear their own burthens But to acquit the Lords proceedings who still is just even in those
and ready upon all occasions to do good as to all men generally and without exception so especially to their Brethren that are of the same houshold of faith with them 35. Lastly we are Brethren by Partnership in our Fathers estate Co-partners in the state of Grace all of us enjoying the same Promises Liberties and Priviledges whereof we are already possessed in common and Co-heirs in the state of Glory all of us having the same joy and everlasting bliss in expectancy and reversion For being the Sons of God we are all heirs and being brethren all joynt-heirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one and the same glorious inheritance reserved for us in the heavens which St. Iude therefore calleth the common salvation It argueth a base wrangling spirit in us having such goodly things in reversion enough for us all so as heart can wish no more to squabble and fall out for such poor trifles as the things of this world are We that have by Gods goodness competent sustenance for our journey and full Sacks to open at our coming home as Iosephs Brethren had when they came out of Egypt to return to their own Land shall we fall out among our selves and be ready to mischief one another by the way 36. Having all these Obligations upon us and being tied together in one Brotherhood by so many bands of unity and affection I presume we cannot doubt de jure but that it is our bounden duty thus to love the Brotherhood There remaineth now no more to be done but to look to our performances that they be right wherein the main thing we are to take heed of besides what hath been already applied is Partiality I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality It was St. Pauls charge to Timothy in another business but may suit very well with this also 37. Not but that we may and in most cases must make a difference between one brother and another in the measure and degree of our Love according to the different measures and degrees either of their goodness considered in themselves or of their nearness in relation to us those two considerations being as you heard the grounds of our Love So David loved Ionathan as his own soul his heart was knit to him both because he was a good man and had withal approved himself his trusty friend Yea our blessed Saviour himself shewed a more affectionate Love to Iohn than to any other of his Disciples the Disciple whom Iesus loved for no other known reason so much as for this that he was near of kin to him his own mothers sisters Son as is generally supposed No reasonable man among us then need make any question but that we may and ought to bear a greater love unto and consequently to be readier to do good unto Caeteris paribus our Countrey-men our Neighbours our Kindred our friends than to those that are strangers to us and stand in no such Relation And so no doubt we may and ought in like manner upon that other ground of Goodness more to love and to shew kindness sooner to a sober discreet judicious peaceable humble and otherwise orderly and regular man caeteris paribus than to one that is light-headed or lazy or turbulent or proud or debauched or heretical or schismatical 38. But still that Proviso or Limitation which I now twice mentioned caeteris paribus must be remembred for there may such a disparity arise by emergent occasions as may render a meer stranger a heathen a notoriously vicious person a fitter object of our compassion help or relief pro hic nunc than the most pious Christian or our dearest friend or allye In cases of great extremity where the necessities of the party importune a present succour and will admit no delay Câ—dat necessitudo necessitati the former considerations whether of Nearness or Goodness must be waved for the present and give way to those Necessities He is most our Neighbour and Brother in a case of that nature that standeth in most need of our help as our Saviour himself hath clearly resolved it in the case of the wounded Traveller in the Parable Luke 10. Nor doth this at all contradict what hath been already delivered concerning the preferring the brethren before others either in the affection of love or in the offices which flow therefrom For the affection first it is clear that although some acts of compassion and charity be exercised towards a stranger yea even an enemy that hath great need of it rather than towards a friend or brother that hath either no need at all or very little in comparison of the other it doth not hinder but that the habit or affection of love in the heart may notwithstanding at the very same time be more strongly carried towards the brother or friend than towards the enemy or stranger as every mans own reason and experience in himself can tell him And as for the outward acts and offices of love it is with them as with the offices of all other vertues and gracious habits or affections which not binding ad semper as the graces and habits themselves do are therefore variable and mutable as the circumstances by which they must be regulated vary pro hîc nunc And therefore the rules given concerning them must not be punctually and mathematically interpreted but prudentially and rationally and held as we use to say in the Schools communiter but not universaliter that is to say ordinarily and in most cases where circumstances do not require it should be otherwise but not absolutely and universally so as to admit of no exception 39. This rub then thus removed out of the way it may yet be demanded where is this partiality to be found whereof we spake Or what is it to have the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ with respect of persons If this putting of a difference in our love between brother and brother which we have now allowed of be not it I answer It is no partiality to make such a difference as we have hitherto allowed so long as the said difference is taken from other peculiar and just respects and not from the very condition of Brotherhood it self or any distinction made therein But here is that evil partiality we are to take heed of when we restrain the Brotherhood to some one party or society in the Church such as we think good of and exclude the rest as if they had no part nor fellowship in this Brotherhood nor consequently any right to that special affection wherewith we are to love the Brethren Which Partiality hath indeed been the very bane of the Churches unity and peace and the chiefest cause both of the beginning and continuance of most of the schisms under which Christendom hath groaned from time to time 40. Not to
two distinct Natures in one Person That Virginity should Conceive Eternity be Born Immortality Die and Mortality rise from Death to Life That there should be a finite and mortal God or an infinite and immortal Man What are all these and many other more of like intricacy but so many Riddles 16. In all which that I may from the Premisses infer something of Use we should but cum ratione insanire should we go about to make our Reason the measure of our Faith We may as well think to grasp the Earth in our fists or to empty the Sea with a Pitcher as to comprehend these heavenly Mysteries within our narrow understanding Puteus altus the Well is deep and our Buckets for want of Cordage will not reach near the bottom We have use of our Reason and they are unreasonable that would deny us the use of it in Religion as well as in other things And that not only in Agendis in matters of Dâ—ty and Morality wherein it is of a more necessary and constant use as the standard to regulate our judgments in most cases but even in Credendis too in such points as are more properly of Faith in matters Doctrinal and Dogmatical But then she must be employed only as an handmaid to Faith and learn to know her distance Conferre and Inferre those are her proper tasks to confer one Scripture with another and to infer Conclusions and deduce Instructions thence by clear Logical Discourse Let her keep within these bounds and â—he may do very good service But we mar all if we suffer the handmaid to bear too great a sway to grow petulant and to perk above the Mistress 17. It hath been the bane of the Church and the Original of the most and the most pernicious Errors and Heresies in all Ages that men not contenting themselves with the simplicity of believing have doted too much upon their own fancies and made Reason the sole standard whereby to measure both the Principles and Conclusions of Faith It is the very fundamental error of the Socinians at this day No less absurdly than as if a man should take upon him without Mathematical Instruments to take the just dimensions of the heavenly bodies and to pronounce of Altitudes Magnitudes Distances Aspects and other appearances only by the scantling of the Eye Nor less dangerously than as if a Smith it is St. Chrysostoms comparison should lay by his tongs and take the Iron hot from the Forge to work it upon the Anvil with his bare hands Mysteries are not to be measured by Reason That is the first Instruction 18. The next is That forasmuch as there are in the Mystery of Christianity so many things incomprehensible it would be safe for us for the avoiding of Errors and Contentions and consequently in order to those two most precious things Truth and Peace to contain our selves within the bounds of Sobriety without wading too far into abstruse curious and useless speculations The most necessary Truths and such as sufficed to bring our fore-fathers in the Primitive and succeeding times to heaven are so clearly revealed in Scripture and have been so universally and constantly consented unto by the Christian Church in a continued succession of times as that to doubt of them must needs argue a spirit of Pride and Singularity at least if not also of Strife and Contradiction But in things less evident and therefore also less necessary no man ought to be either too stiff in his own private opinion or too peremptory in judging those that are otherwise minded But as every man would desire to be left to his own liberty of Iudgment in such things so should he be willing to leave other men to their liberty also at least so long as they keep themselves quiet without raising quarrels or disturbing the peace of the Church thereabouts 19. As for example Concerning the Entrance and Propagation of Original sin the Nature Orders and Offices of Angels The Time Place and Antecedents of the last judgment The Consistency both of Gods immutable decrees with the contingency of second Causes and of the efficacy of Gods grace with the freedom of Manswill c. In which and other like difficult points they that have travelled farthest with desire to satisfie their own curiosity have either dasht upon pernicious Errors or involved themselves in inextricable difficulties or by Gods mercy which is the happiest loose from such fruitless studies have been thereby brought to a deeper sense of their own ignorance and an higher admiration of the infinite Majesty and wisdom of our great God who hath set his Counsels so high above our reach made his ways so impossible for us to find out That is our second Instruction 20. There is yet another arising from the consideration of the greatness of this Mystery That therefore no man ought to take offence at the discrepancy of opinions that is in the Churches of Christ amongst Divines in matters of Religion There are men in the world who think themselves no babes neither so deeply possest with a spirit of Atheism that though they will be of any Religion in shew to serve their turns and comply with the Times yet they are resolved to be indeed of none till all men be agreed of one which yet never was nor is ever like to be A resolution no less desperate for the soul if not rather much more than it would be for the body if a man should vow he would never eat till all the Clocks in the City should strike Twelve together If we look into the large Volumes that have been written by Philosophers Lawyers and Phisicians we shall find the greatest part of them spent in Disputations and in the reciting and confuting of one anothers opinions And we allow them so to do without prejudice to their respective professions albeit they be conversant about things measurable by Sense or Reason Only in Divinity great offence is taken at the multitude of Controversies wherein yet difference of opinions is by so much more tolerable than in other Sciences by how much the things about which we are conversant are of a more sublime mysterious and incomprehensible nature than are those of other Sciences 21. Truly it would make a religious heart bleed to consider the many and great distractions that are all over the Christian world at this day The lamentable effects whereof scarce any part of Christendom but feeleth more or less either in open wars or dangerous seditions or at the best in uncharitable censures and ungrounded jealousies Yet the infinite variety of mens dispositions inclinations and aims considered together with the great obscurity that is in the things of God and the strength of corruption that is in us it is to be acknowledged the admirable work of God that these distractions are not even much more and greater and wider than they are and that amid so many Sects as are in the world there should be yet such
and estate And it should in all reason secondly quicken the hearts of all loyal and well-affected Subjects by their prayers counsels services aids and chearful obedience respectively rather to afford Princes their best assistance for the comfortable support of that their weighty and troublesom charge than out of ambition discontent popularity envy or any other cross or peevish humour add unto their cares and create unto them more troubles 15. David you see had troubles as a man as a godly man as a King But who caused them Sure in those his first times when as I conjecture he wrote this Psalm Saul with his Princes and followers was the chiefest cause of most of his troubles and afterwards crafty Achitophel caused him much trouble and railing Shimei some and seditious Sheba not a little but his rebellious Son Absolon most of all He complaineth of many troubles raised by the means of that Son in Psal. 3. Domine quà m multiplicati Lord how are they encreased that trouble me Yet here you see he over-looketh them all and all other second causes and ascribeth his troubles wholly unto God So he did also afterwards in the particular of Shimei's railing Let him alone saith he to Abishai Let him curse on for God hath bidden him Even as Iob had done before him when the Sabeans and the Chaldeans had taken away his Cattle and Goods he scarce took notice of them he knew they were but Instruments but looked at the hand of God only as the chief and principal cause Dominus abstulit The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Neither did David any injury at all to Almighty God in ascribing it to him for God also himself taketh it all upon himself I will raise him evil out of his own house and I will do it before the sun 2 Sam. 12. 16. How all those things wherein wicked men serving their own lusts only in their own purpose do yet unwittingly do service to God Almighty in furthering his wise and holy designs can have their efficiency from causes of such contrary quality and looking at such contrary ends to the producing of one and the same effect is a speculation more curious than profitable It is enough for us to know that it neither casteth any blemish at all upon him that he maketh such use of them nor giveth any excuse at all to them that they do such service to him but that all this notwithstanding he shall still have the whole glory of his own wisdom and holiness and they shall still bear the whole burthen of their own folly and wickedness But there is another and that a far better use to be made hereof than to trouble ourselves about a mystery that we shall never be able in this life to comprehend and that is this that seeing all the troubles that befal us in any kind whatsoever or by what instruments soever come yet from the hand of God we should not therefore when at any time we meet with trouble rage against the second causes or seek to vent our spleen upon them as of our selves we are very apt to do but laying our hands upon our hearts and upon our mouths compose our selves to a holy patience and silence considering it is his will and pleasure to have it so to whom it is both our duty and wisdom wholly to submit 17. We may learn it of holy Iob. His wife moved his patience not a little by moving him to impatience Thou talkest like a foolish woman saith he shall we receive good things at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil also Or we may learn it of good old Eli. When he received a message from the Lord by the mouth of young Samuel of a right heavy judgment shortly to fall upon him and his house for his fond indulgence to his ungracious Children he made no more reply but said only It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Or to go on further than our Prophet David we may learn it sufficiently from him I was dumb saith he and opened not my mouth Quoniam tu fecisti for it was thy doing This consideration alone Quoniam tu fecisti is enough to silence all tumultuous thoughts and to cut off all farther disputing and debating the matter that it is God that causeth us to be troubled All whose judgments are not only done in righteousness as we have hitherto heard but towards his children also out of much love and faithfulness as we are next to hear I know that of very faithfulness thou hast caused me to be troubled 18. In the former part of the verse where he spake of the righteousness of God he did it indefinitely without mentioning either himself or any other person not particularly Thy judgments upon me but indefinitely I know O Lord that thy judgments are right But now in this latter part of the verse where he cometh to speak of the faithfulness of God he nameth himself And that thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled For as earthly Princes must do justice to all men for Iustice is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man may challenge it and there must be no respect had no difference made of Persons therein but their favours they may bestow upon whom they think good so God will have his justice to appear in all his dealings with all men generally be they good or bad that none of them all shall be able to say he hath done them the least wrong but yet his tender mercies and loving kindnesses those he reserveth for the Godly only who are in special favour with him and towards whom he beareth a special respect For by faithfulness here as in sundry other places of Scripture is meant nothing else but the speâ—ial love and favour of God towards those that love and fear him whereby he ordereth and disposeth all things so as may make most for their good 19. And it is not unfitly so called whether we respect the gracious promises that God hath made unto them or those sundry mutual relations that are between him and them First faithfulness relaâ—eth to a promise He is faithful that hath promised Heb. 10. Truly God is a debtor to no man that he doth for us any thing at all it is ex mero motu of his own grace and goodness merely we can challenge nothing at his hands But yet so desirous is he to manifest his gracious love to us that he hath freely bound himself and so made himself a voluntary debtor by his promises for promise is due debt insomuch as he giveth us the leave and alloweth us the boldness to remind him of his promises to urge him with them and as it were to adjure him by all his truth and faithfulness to make them good But what a kind of promise is this may some say to promise a man to trouble him It
only to the manners of men but almost to common sense also they gave occasion to the Wits of those times under a colour of making themselves merry with the Paradoxes of the Stoicks to laugh even true vertue it self out of countenance 22. Lastly for why should I trouble you with any more These are enow by condemning sundry indifferent things and namely Church Ceremonies as unlawful we give great scandal to those of the Separation to their farther confirming in that their unjust Schism For why should these men will they say and for ought I know they speak but reason why should they who agree so well with us in our Principles hold off from our Conclusions Why do they yet hold communion with or remain in the bosom of that Church that imposeth such unlawful things upon them How are they not guilty themselves of that luke-warm Laodicean temper wherewith they so often and so deeply charge others Why do they halt so shamefully between two opinions if Baal be God and the Ceremonies lawful why do not they yield obedience chearful obedience to their Governours so long as they command but lawful things But if Baal be an Idol and the Ceremonies unlawful as they and we consent Why do they not either set them packing or if they cannot get that done pack themselves away from them as fast as they can either to Amsterdam or to some other place The Objection is so strong that I must confess for my own part If I could see cause to admit of those principles whereon most of our Non-Conformers and such as favour them ground their dislike of our Church-Orders and Ceremonies I should hold my self in all conscience bound for any thing I yet ever read or heard to the contrary to forsake the Church of England and to fly out of Babylon before I were many weeks older 23. Truly Brethren if these unhappy fruits were but accidental events only occasioned rather than caused by such our opinions I should have thought the time mis-spent in but naming them since the very best things that are may by accident produce evil effects But being they do in very truth naturally and unavoidably issue therefrom as from their true and proper cause I cannot but earnestly beseech all such as are otherwise minded in the bowels and in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ and by all the love they bear to Gods holy truth which they seem so much to stand for to take these things into their due consideration and to lay them close to their consciences Aud as for those my brethren of the Clergy that have most authority in the hearts of such as byass too much that way for they only may have some hope to prevail with them the rest are shut out by prejudice if I were in place where I should require and charge them as they will answer the contrary to God the Church and their own Consciences that they would approve their faithfulness in their Ministry by giving their best diligence to inform the judgments of Gods people aright as concerning the nature and use of indifferent things and as in love to their souls they are bound that they would not humour them in these their pernicious errors nor suffer them to continue therein for want of their rebuke either in their publick teaching or otherwise as they shall have opportunity thereunto in private discourses 24. But you will say if these things were so how should it then come to pass that so many men pretending to Godliness and thousands of them doubtless such as they pretend for it were an uncharitable thing to charge them all with hypocrisie should so often and so grievously offend this way To omit those two more universal causes Almighty God's Permission first whose good pleasure it is for sundry wise and gracious ends to exercise his Church during her warfare here with Heresies and Schisms and Scandals And then the wiliness of Satan who cunningly observeth whether way our hearts incline most to looseness or to strictness and then frameth his Temptations thereafter So he can but put us cut of the way it is no great matter to him on whether hand it be he hath his end howsoever Nor to insist upon sundry more particular causes as namely a natural proneness in all men to superstition in many an affectation of singularity to go beyond the ordinary sort of people in something or other the difficulty of shunning one without running into the contrary extreme the great force of Education and Custom besides manifold abuses offences and provocations arising from the carriage of others and the rest I shall note but these two only as the two great fountains of Error to which also most of the other may be reduced Ignorance and Partiality from neither of which God 's dearest Servants and Children are in this life wholly exempted 25. Ignorance first is a fruitful mother of Errors Ye err not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. Yet not so much Gross Ignorance neither I mean not that For your mere Ignaro's what they err they err for company they judge not at all neither according to the appearance nor yet righteous judgment They only run on with the herd and follow as they are led be it right or wrong and never trouble themselves farther But by Ignorance I mean weakness of judgment which consisteth in a disproportion between the affections and the understanding when a man is very earnest but withall very shallow readeth much and heareth much and thinketh that he knoweth much but hath not the judgment to sever truth from falshood nor to discern between a sound Argument and a captious Fallacy And so for want of ability to examine the soundness and strength of those principles from whence he fetcheth his Conclusions he is easily carried away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle elsewhere speaketh with vain words and empty arguments As St. Augustine said of Donatus Rationes irripuit he catcheth hold of some reasons as wranglers will catch at a small thing rather than yield from their opinions quas consider antes verisimiles esse potius quam veras invenimus which saith he we found to have more shew of probability at the first appearance than substance of truth after they were well considered of 26. And I dare say whosoever shall peruse with a judicious and unpartial eye most of those Pamphlets that in this daring age have been thrust into the World against the Ceremonies of the Church against Episcopal Government to pass by things of lesser regard and usefulness and more open to exception and abuse yet so far as I can understand unjustly condemned as things utterly unlawful such as are lusorious lots dancing Stage-plays and some other things of like nature When he shall have drained out the bitter invectives unmannerly jeers petulant girding at those that are in authority impertinent digressions but above all those most bold and perverse
eaten or not for neither if we eat nor if we eat not are we much either the better or the worse for that But the Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost It consisteth in the exercise of holy graces and the conscionble performance of unquestioned duties Sincere confession of sin proceeding from an humble and contrite heart constancy in professing the true faith of Christ patience in suffering adversity exemplary obedience to the holy Laws of God fruitfulness in good works these these are things wherein God expecteth to be glorified by us But as for meats and drinks and all other indifferent things inasmuch as they have no intrinsecal moral either good or evil in them but are good or evil only according as they are used well or ill the glory of God is not at all concerned in the using or not using of them otherwise than as our Faith or Temperance or Obedience or Charity or other like Christian grace or vertue is exercised or evidenced thereby 23. I have now done with the first thing and of the most important consideration proposed from the Text to wit the end it self the Glory of God The Amplifications follow the former whereof containeth a description of the party to be glorified That ye may glorifie God If it be demanded Which God For there be Gods many and Lords many It is answered in the Text God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Of which Title there may be sundry reasons given some more general why it is used at all some more special why it should be used here First this is Stilo novo never found in the Old Testament but very often in the New For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Eph. 3. The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ knoweth that I lie not 2 Cor. 11. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. As the Old Covenant ceased upon the bringing in of a new and better Covenant so there was cessation of the old Style upon the bringing in of this new and better Style The old ran thus The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob proclaimed by God himself when he was about to deliver the posterity of those three godly Patriarchs from the Bondage of Aegypt But having now vouchsafed unto his people a far more glorious deliverance than that from a far more grievious Bondage than that from under Sin Satan Death Hell and the Law whereof that of Aegypt was but a shadow and type he hath quitted that Style and now expecteth to be glorified by this most sweet and blessed Name The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Exchanging the name of God a name of greater distance and terror into the Name of Father a name of more nearness and indulgence And taking the additional title or denomination not from the parties delivered as before who were his faithful servants indeed yet but servants but from the person delivering his only begotten and only beloved Son It is first the evangelical Style 24. Secondly this Style putteth a difference between the true God of Heaven and Earth whom only we are to glorifie and all other false and imaginary titular Gods to whom we owe nothing but scorn and detestation The Pagans had scores hundreds some have reckoned thousands of Gods all of their own making Every Nation every City yea almost every House had their several Gods or Godlings Deos topicos Gods many and Lords many But to us saith our Apostle to us Christians there is but one God the Father and one Lord Iesus Christ his Son This is Deus Christianorum If either you hope as Christians to receive grace from that God that alone can give it or mean as Christians to give glory to that God that alone ought to have it this this is he and none other God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. It is a Style of distinction 25. These two Reasons are general There are two other more special for the use of it here in respect of some congruity it hath with the matter or method of the Apostles present discourse For First it might be done with reverence to that Argument which he had so lately pressed and whereof also he had given a touch immediately before in the next former verse and which he also resumed again in the next following verse drawn from the example of Christ. That since Christ in receiving us and condescending to our weaknesses did aim at his Fathers glory so we also should aim at the same end by treading in the same steps We cannot better glorifie God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ than by receiving one another into our charity care and mutual support as Iesus Christ also received us to the glory of his heavenly Father 26. Secondly since we cannot rightly glorifie God unless we so conceive him as our Father If I be a Father where is mine honour Mal. 1. That they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Mat. 5. it may be the Apostle would have us take knowledge how we came to have a right to our Son-ship and for that end might use the title here given to intimate to us upon what ground it is that we have leave to make so bold with our great Lord and Master as to call him our Father even no other but this because he is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only Son of God by nature and generation and through him only it is that we are made the Sons of God by grace and adoption As many as received him to them he gave power to be made the Sons of God Joh. 1. If we be the Sons of God we are made so but he is the Son of God not made nor created but begotten I go to my Father and to your Father saith he himself Ioh. 20. mine first and then and therefore yours also He is medium unionis like the corner stone wherein both sides of the building unite or like the ladder whereon Iacob saw Angels ascending and descending All intercourse 'twixt Heaven and Earth God and Man is in and through him If any grace come from God to us it is by Christ If any glory come from us to God it is by Christ too Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus Eph. 3. And this shall suffice to have spoken concerning the former Amplification briefly because it seemeth not to conduce so much nor so nearly to the Apostles main scope here as doth that other which now followeth respecting the manner with one mind and with one mouth 27. Wherein omitting for brevities sake such advantages as from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be raised for farther enlargement observe first that whereas he nameth two
poor He shall deliver their souls from falshood and wrong and dear shall their blood be in his sight And the like instructions to those of his Father he received also from his Mother Bathsheba in the Prophecy which she taught him with much holy wisdom for the matter and with much tenderness of motherly affection for the manner What my Son and what the Son of my Womb and what the Son of my Vows Prov. 31. where she giveth him this in charge vers 8 9. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction Open thy mouth judg righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy 6. For the further evidencing of the necessity of which Duty that so we may be the more effectually quickened to the chearful and conscionable performance of it there are sundry important whether reasons or inducements or both for we shall not now stand so much upon any nice distinguishing of the terms but take them togetherward the one sort with the other very well worthy our Christian consideration Some in respect of God some in respect of our selves some in respect of our Brethren and some in respect of the thing it self in the effects thereof 7. To being with the most High we have his Command first and then his Example to the same purpose First His Command and that very frequently repeated both in the Law of Moses and in the Psalms and in the Prophets I shall the less need to cite particular places since that general and fundamental Law which is the ground of them all is so well known to us even that which our Saviour maketh the second great Commandment that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Iames calleth it that Royal Law Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Oh how we can stickle in our own Cause◠and solicite our own business with unwearied diligence How active and provident and vigilant we can be in things wherein our selves are concerned or when our own lives or livelihoods are in jeopardy Not giving sleep to our eyes or slumber to our eye-lids till we have delivered our selves from the snare of the Oppressor As a Roe from the hand of the hunter or as the Bird from the snare of the fowler Now if we can be thus fiery and stirring when it is for our selves but frozen and remiss when we should help our neighbour how do we fulfil the royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 8. Let no Man think to put off this duty with the Lawyers question Luke 10. But who is my neighbour Or with the Pharisees evading Gloss Mat. 5. Thou shalt love thy neighbour My neighbour True but not mine enemy Or with Nabal's churlish reasoning 1 Sam. 25. Shall I put my self to pains and trouble for Men whom I know not whence they be For in all the cases wherein the offices whether of Iustice or Charity are to be exercised every Man is every other Man's neighbour All Men being by the Ordinance of God so linked together and concorporated one into another that they are not only all members of the same body of the same civil Body as they are Men and of the same mystical Body too if they be Christians but even members also one of another Eph. 4. yea even every one one anothers members Rom. 12. So that if any Man stand in need of thy help and it be in the power of thy hand to do him good whether he be known to thee or a stranger whether thy friend or thy foe he is a limb of thee and thou a limb of him He may challenge an interest and a propriety in thee as thy poor and thy needy Deut. 15. Yea more as thine own flesh Isa. 58. Thou mayest not therefore hide thy self from him because he is thine own flesh For thy flesh thou art bound tho not to pamper yet to nourish and to cherish it by affording all convenient succour and supply to the necessities of it 9. God then hath laid upon us his Royal Command in this behalf Nor so only but he hath also laid before us a Royal Precedent in his own blessed example Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poor to help the fatherless and poor unto their right that the Man of the earth be no more exalted against them Psal. 10. saith David for the time past and for the time to come Psal. 140. Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor and maintain the cause of the helpless If you would hear it rather from his own mouth take it from Psal. 12. Now for the comfortless troubles sake of the needy and because of the deep sighing of the poor I will up saith the Lord and will help every one from him that swelleth against him and will set them at rest You see which way your heavenly Father goeth before you Now be ye followers of God as dear children It is the hope of every good Christian that he shall hereafter be like unto God in glory and happiness it should therefore be his care in the mean time to be like unto God in grace and goodness in being merciful as his heavenly Father is merciful in caring for the strangers and defending the fatherless and widow in helping those to right that suffer wrong and in doing works of Piety and Charity and Mercy The duty concerneth all in general 10. But Princes Iudges Magistrates and all that are in authority are more specially engaged to follow the example of God herein sith God hath been pleased to set a special mark of honour upon them in vouchsafing to put his own Name upon them and so to make them a kind of Petty Gods upon earth Dixi Dii I have said ye are Gods Psal. 82. Not so much be sure for the exalting of their Power and to procure them due honour esteem and obedience from those that are under them though that also no doubt was intended thereby as to instruct them in their Duty and estsoons to remember them that they are very unworthy the glorious title they bear of being Gods if they do not imitate the great and true God by exercising their Godships if I may so speak in doing good and protecting innocency Flatterers will be ready enough to tell you You are Gods but it is to evil and pernicious purposes to swell you up with conceits of I know not what omnipotency You are Gods and therefore may do what you will without fear in your selves or controul from any other They that tell you so with such an intention are liers and you should not give them any countenance or credit or so much as the hearing But when the God of Truth telleth you Ye are Gods he telleth you withal in the same place and as it were with the same breath what you are to do answearably to that Title
blood by Man shall his blood be shed And that Iudges should be very shy and tender how they grant Pardons or Reprievals in that case he established it afterwards among his own people by a most severe sanction Num. 35. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a Murderer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death And there is a reason of it there given also For blood saith he defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed from the blood that is shed therein but by he blood of him that shed it Read that passage with attention and if both forehead and conscience be not harder than the neither milstone thou canst not have either the heart or the face to glory in it as a brave exploit whoever thou art that hast been the instrument to save the life of a Murderer 20. Indeed all offences are not of that hanious nature that Murder is nor do they cry so loud for vengeance as Murder doth And therefore to procure undeserved favour for a smaller offender is not so great a sin as to do it for a Murderer But yet so far as the proportion holdeth it is a sin still Especially where favour cannot be shewn to one Man but to the wrong and grievance of some other as it hapneth usually in those judicial controversies that are betwixt party and party for trial of right Or where favour cannot be shewn to an offender but with wrong and grievance to the publick as it most times falleth out in criminal causes wherein the King and Commonwealth are parties Solomon hath taught us that as well he that justifieth the wicked as he that condemneth the just are an abomination to the Lord. Yea and that for any thing that appeareth to the contrary from the Text and in thesi for circumstances may make a difference either way in hypothesi they are both equally abominable In doubtful cases it is doubtlesly better and safer to encline to Mercy than to Severity Better ten offenders should escape than one innocent person suffer But that is to be conceived only when things are doubtful so as the truth cannot be made appear but where things are notorious and evident there to justifie the guilty and to condemn the innocent are still equal abominations 21. That which you are to do then in the behalf of the poor is this First to be rightly informed and so far as morally you can well assured that their cause be just For mean and poor people are nothing less but ordinarily much more unreasonable than the great ones are and if they find the ear of the Magistrate open to hear their grievances as is very meet it should be they will be often clamorous and importunate without either cause or measure And if the Magistrate be not very wary and wise in receiving informations the Country swain may chance prove too cunning for him and make him but a stale whereby for himself to get the start of his Adversary and so the Magistrate may in fine and unwares become the instrument of oppression even then when his intention was to vindicate another from it The Truth of the matter therefore is to be first throughly sifted out the circumstances duly weighed and as well as the legal the equitable right examined and compared and this to be done with all requisite diligence and prudence before you engage in the poor Man's behalf 22. But if when this is done you then find that there is much right and equity on his side and that yet for want of skill or friends or means to manage his affairs he is in danger to be foiled in his righteous cause Or if you find that his Adversary hath a legal advantage of him or that he hath de rigore incurred the penalty of some dis-used statute yet did not offend wilfully out of the neglect of his known duty or a greedy covetous mind or other sinister and evil intention but meerly out of his ignorance and inexperience and in the simplicity of his heart as those two hundred Israelites that followed after Absalom when he called them not knowing any thing of his conspiracy had done an act of treason yet were not formally traitors In either of these cases I say you may not forsake the poor Man or despise him because he is poor or simple But you ought so much the rather to stick by him and to stand his friend to the utmost of your power You ought to give him your counsel and your countenance to speak for him and write for him and ride for him and do for him to procure him right against his Adversary in the former case and in the latter case favour from the Iudge In either case to hold back your hand to draw back your help from him if it be in the power of your hand to do him any help is that sin for which in the judgment of Solomon in the Text the Lord will admit no excuse 23. Come we now in the last place to some reasons or motives taken from the effects of the duty it self If carefully and conscionably performed it will gain honour and estimation both to our persons and places purchase for us the prayers and blessings of the poor yea and bring down a blessing from God not upon us and ours only but upon the State and Commonwealth also But where the duty is neglected the effects are quite contrary First do you know any other thing that will bring a Man more glory and renown in the common opinion of the World than to shew forth at once both justice and mercy by doing good and protecting the Innocent Let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart so shalt thou find favour and good understanding or acceptance in the sight of God and Man Prov. 3. As a rich sparkling Diamond addeth both value and lustre to a golden Ring so do these vertues of justice and mercy well attempered bring a rich addition of glory to the Crowns of the greatest Monarchs Hoc reges habent magnificum ingens Prodesse miseris supplices fido lare Protegere c. Every Man is bound by the Law of God and of Charity as to give to every other Man his due honour so to preserve the honour that belongeth to his own person and place for Charity in performing the duties of every Commandment beginneth at home Now here is a fair and honest and sure way for all you that are in place of authority and judicature or sustain the persons of Magistrates to hold up the reputation both of your Persons and Places and to preserve them from scorn and contempt Execute judgment and justice with wisdom and diligence take knowledge of the vexations of those that are brought into the Courts or otherwise troubled without cause be sensible of the groans and pressures of poor Men in the
Man from whom the provocation cometh Such curses as they proceed from the bitterness of the soul of the grieved person in the mean time so they will be in the end bitterness to the soul of him that gave cause of grievance And if there were not on the other side some comfort in the deserved blessings of the poor it had been no wisdom for Iob to comfort himself with it as we see he did in the day of his great distress The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widows heart to sing for joy Job 29. 28. But say these poor ones should be so charitable as very seldom they be as not to curse us when we have despised them or so unthankful as seldom they are otherwise as not to bless us when we have relieved them yet the Lord who hath given every Man a charge concerning his brother and committed the distresses of the poor to our care and trust will take district knowledge how we deal with them and impartially recompense us thereafter Doth not he consider And shall not he render to every Man according to his works The last words of the Text. If therefore you have done your duty faithfully let it never discourage you that unrighteous and unthankful Men forget it They do but their kind the comfort is that yet God will both remember it and requite it God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love saith the Apostle Heb. 5. He will remember it you see And then saith David Psal. 41. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble He will requite it too He that for God's sake helpeth his poor brother to right that suffereth wrong he doth therein at once first an act of mercy because it is done in the behalf of a distressed Man and an act secondly of Iustice because it is done in a righteous cause and thirdly being done for the Lord's sake an act of Religion also Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the father is this to visit the fatherless and widow in their afflictions Jam. 1. And is it possible that God who delighteth in the exercise of every one of them singly should suffer an act to pass unrewarded wherein there is a happy concurrence of three such excellent vertues together as are Iustice Mercy and Religion The Prophet Ieremy to reprove Iehoiachin's tyranny and oppression upbraideth him with his good father Iosiah's care and conscience to do justice and to shew mercy after this manner Did not thy father eat and drink and do judgment and justice and then it was well with him He judged the cause of the poor and needy then it was well with him was not this to know me saith the Lord But now on the contrary He shall have judment without mercy that sheweth no mercy He that stoppeth his ears against the cry of the poor he shall also cry himself but shall not he heard c. Many other like passages there are in the Scriptures to the same effect 29. Nay moreover the general neglect of this duty pulleth down the wrath of God not only upon those particular persons that neglect it but also upon the whole nation where it is in such general sort neglected O house of David thus saith the Lord execute judgment in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings Jer. 21. Brethren we of this nation have cause to look to it in time against whom the Lord hath of late manifested his just wrath though tempered as we must all confess with much clemency yea and his hand is streched out against us still in the heavy plagues both of dearth and death Though the Land be full of all manner of sins and lewdness and so the Lord might have a controversie with us for any of them yet I am verily persuaded there are no other kinds of sins that have overspread the face of the whole Land with such an universal contagion as it were of a Leprosy as the sins of Riot and Oppression have done Which two sins are not only the provoking causes as any kind of sins may be in regard of the justice of God but also the sensible instrumental causes in the eye of reason and experience of much penury and mortality among us 30. Surely then as to quench the fire we use to withdraw the fewel so to turn away the heavy wrath of God from us we should all put to our helping-hands each in his place and calling but especially the Minister and the Magistrate the one to cry down the other to beat down as all sins in general so especially these of Riot and Oppression Never think it will be well with us or that it will be much better with us than now it is or that it will not be rather every day much worse with us than it is never look that disorders in the Church distempers in the State distractions in our judgments diseases in our bodies should be remedied or removed and not rather more and more encreased if we hold on as we do in pampering every Man his own Flesh and despising every Man his poor brother So long as we think no pleasures too much for our selves no pressures too heavy for our brethren stretch our selves along and at ease upon our Couches eat of the fat and drink of the sweet without any touch of compassion in our bowels for the afflictions of others we can expect no other but that the rod of God should abide upon us either in dearths of pestilences or if they be removed for God loveth sometimes to shift his rods in greater and heavier judgments in some other kind 31. But as to the particular of Oppression for that of Riot and Intemperance being beside the Text I shall no farther press my humble request to those that are in place of authority and all others that have any office or attendance about the Courts is this For the love of God and of your selves and your Country be not so indulgent to your own appetites and affections either of Ease as to reject the complaints or of Partiality as to despise the persons or of filthy Lucre as to betray the cause of the fatherless and friendless Suffer not when his cause is good a simple Man to be circumvented by the wiliness or a mean Man to be over powred by the greatness of a crafty or mighty Adversary Favour not a known Sycophant nor open your lips to speak in a cause to pervert judgment or to procure favour for a mischievous person Turn not judgment into wormwood by making him that meant no hurt an offender for a word Wrangle not in the behalf of a contentious person to the prejudice
Divin nomin 2. b Marlorat in Enchirid. 3. c Acts. 15. 9. d Joh. 1. 12. Galat. 4. 26. e Rom. 3. 28. 5. 1. f Hab. 2. 4. Gal. 2. 20. g Rom. 15. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 8. h Rom. 5. 1. i Acts 16. 34. Ephes. 1. 8. k Si quis dixerit opera omnia quae ante justificationem fiunt verè esse peccata Anathema sit Con. Trident. Sess. 6. Can. 7. 4. 5. 1. 2. l Though S. August sometimes applyeth it also to prove that all the actions of infidels meaning c be sin Rhem. annot in Loc. m Et omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est ut sc. intelligat justitiam infidelium non esse justitiam quia sordet natura sine gratia Prosper in Epist ad Rufin Vid. etiam eundem contra Collat. n Extra Ecclesiam Catholicam nihil est integrum nihil castum dicente Apostolo Omne quod non c. Leo serm 2. de jejun Penitent 6. o T. C. l. 1. p. 59 c. apud Hooker lib. 2. p Rom. 10. 17. q T. C. l. p. 27. apud Hooker lib. 2. Sect. 4. 7. r Job 13. 7. 8. s I say that the Word of God containeth whatsoever things can fall into any part of mans life T. C. lib. 1. p. 20. apud Hooker lib. 2. §. 1. 9. t Rom. 4. 15. u Rom. 2. 15. x Rom. 2. 15. y Tertul. de coron milit cap. 4. 10. 1. 2. 3. z Matth. 7. 12. a 1 Cor. 14. 40. II. 12. b Ver. 4 10 13. 13. c verse 3. 14. * It is indeed fully handled by M Hooker in his second book of Eccles Policy but few men of that party will read his works though written with singular learning wisdom godliness and moderation d Pet. Blesens Epist. 131. e Delicata satis imo nimis molesta est ista obedientia c. Bern. de praecept dispens f Infirmae prorsus voluntatis indicium est statuta seniorum studiosiùs discutere haerere ad singulae quae injunguntur exigere de quibusque rationem male suspicari de omni praecepto cujus causa latuerit nec unquam libenter ordire nisi c Bern. Ibid. 15. g Esay 40. 1 2. h Esay 61. 1 3. i Rom. 8. 15. k 1 Tim. 1. 7. l Psal. 45. 7. m Psal. 30. 11. 16. n See Articles of the Church of England Artic. 6. 17. o Himing in Rom. 14. 1. p Piscat Ibid. q Joh. 3. 36. Acts 14. 1 2. r Hic Verse 2. 2. s Verse 14. 3. t Verse 22. 4. u Verse 23. 18. 19. 1. x Respectus non mutant naturam y Opinio nostra nobis legem facit Ambr. de Paradis 2. z Joh. 16. 2. a Acts 26. 9. b 1 Tim. 1. 13. c Acts 23. 3 4. Phil. 3. 6. 3. 20. 1. 2. 3. Ubi est suspicio ibi discussiâ— necessaria Bernard Ep. 7. d Ratio in rebus manifestis non inquirit sed statim judicat Aquin. 1 2. qu. 14. 4. ad 2. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist. 1. Mag. Moral 18. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. 2. Eth. 5. 21. g Verse 5. hic plene certus sit Heming h Quasi plenis velis feratur Piscat in Schol. ad Rom. 14. 5. i Luke 9. 50. k 1 Cor. 14. 40. l 1 Tim. 4. 4. m Tit. 1. 15. n Rom. 14. 14. o 1 Cor. 6. 12. 22. p Herodot in Clio Senec. 3. De Ira 21. 23. q Qui agit contra conscientiam qua credit Deum aliquid prohibuisse licet erret contemnit Deum Bonavent 2. sent dist 39. r Menand s Pres. Satyr 5. t Jam. 4. 17. u Quod sit contra conscientiam aedificat ad gehennam c. 28. qu. 1. Omnes Sect. ex his x Rom. 14. 22. y Dan. 3. 16 18. z c. 11. qu. 3. Qui resistet ex Augustino 24. 25. a animo nunc huc nunc fluctuat illuc Virg. Aeneid 10. b Jam. 1. 8. 1. c Ibid. d Eph. 4. 14. 2. 3. 4. 26. 1. 2. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. 3. Ethic 4. 3. f 1 Cor. 7. 36. g Non tibi imputabitur ad culpam quod invitus ignoras Aug. de nat grat 27. h Nil faciendum de quo dubites sit necne rectè factum Cic l. 1. de offic 28. h Is damnum dat qui jubet dare ejus ver ê° nulla culpa est cui parere necesse sit L. 169. F. de div Reg. jur i Bernard â—e praecept dis-pens l Rom. 13. 1. 1 Peâ— 2. 13. 29. m Rom. 15. 6. n Isidor o Dubius incertus quasi duarum viarum Isid. 10. Etym. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p Plus est standum praecepto praelati quà m conscientiae Bonav 2. â—sen distinct 39. 30. q Gregor 31. 32. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solon apud Stob. Serm. 3. 33. 1. 2. 3. 34. Luk. 12. 1 Matth. 16. 12. 1 Cor. 5. 8. Percuâ—it illos atrociore recriminatione Eras. in Paraph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. Hom. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. ibid. Isa. 29. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 5. Luk. 16. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 2. 1 Thes. 5. 21. 1 Joh. 4. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Mark 10. 19. Luk. 18. 10. Jer. 45. 6. Jer. 35. 18 19. Abridgm Linc. p. 44. Per appositionem Eras. Bez. Jer. 23. 28. 1 Cor. 3. 12 15. Gal. 1. 8. 2 Joh. 10. Mat. 15. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 12. 15. Andradus Multò maxima pars Evangelii pervenit ad nos traditione perexigua literis est mandata Hos. Confes. c. 92. Egenum elementum Hosius Plumbea regula Pighius c. a V. Chamier Tom. 1 Panstrat Lib. 9. c. 16. Jewels defence 2. c. 9. b Non male comparari Pharisaeos Catholicis Serarius apud Hal. Seron Mat. 5. 30. c Sadoc discipulus Antiqui Sochaei author sectae Sadducaeorum secundum Rabbinos V. El. Tisb in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schindler in Lexic Pentagl Sed hoc ut Commentum Rabbinicum exigit Montacutius qui Sadducaeorum originem ad Dositheum quendam refert ex authoritate Epiphanii aliorum eosque Sadducaeos dictos confirmat à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia ob mores austeros in judiciis severitatem V. Montacut Appar 7. sect 49. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ios. 13. Antiq. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. in Ptol. Iustin. Nuell 146. alii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. Hom 51. in Mat. Mox subsecuta est corruptela Calvin in loc Exod. 8. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 8. Rom. 13. 5. 20. Every particular or National Church hath authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies c. Art 34. a The Ceremonies that remain are retained for Discipline and Order which upon just causes may be altered and changed and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with Gods law Pref. of Cerem b The Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies but it ought not besides the
those latter words of the verse The Lord taketh me up 16. The primary signification of the Hebrew Verb here used is together and so it might allude to that whereunto our Saviour in the Gospel resembleth his compassion towards the Jews of a Hen gathering her Chickens under her wings But it is here rather translated by taking up as the word very usually signifieth 1. And it seemeth to resemble the state of young infants by the unnatural Parents exposed to the wide world as we read Cyrus and Romulus and some others both in Fables and Histories to have been where they must have perished if some good body had not taken pity of them and taken them up 2. Or the state of some impotent neglected Cripple like him that lay before the Pool of Bethesda and had neither limbs to put himself into the water nor any friend to help him in 3. Or the traveller in the Parable Luke 10. that lay in the high-way wounded by thieves half dead where he must have died out-right if the Samaritan Passenger had not taken him up and taken order for his tending and recovery 17. The plain meaning is that though our Fathers and Mothers forsake us though all other friends and comforts fail us because they either cannot or will not help us yet our heavenly Father never doth nor will fail or forsake those that put their trust in him Yea rather then is his providence nearest and his help readiest when we are most forsaken of others and left most destitute of all worldly succour Whence it is that so often in the Psalms to procure readier help from God David alledgeth it as a forcible argument that he was a desolate and forsaken man The poor committeth himself to thee for thou art a helper of the friendless O go not far from me for trouble is nigh at hand and there is none to help me O be thou our help in trouble for vain is the help of man and many the like And how often doth the Lord himself whose general providence watcheth over all men yea even all creatures profess himself yet in a more special manner to be the father of the Fatherless and to have a special care of the widow the poor and the stranger above others as being more destitute of worldly succour and friends than others are In three Psalms together you have passages to this purpose In the 145th The Lord upholdeth all those that fall and lifteth up all those that be down In the 146th The Lord helpeth them that are fallen the Lord careth for the stranger he defendeth the Fatherless and Widow In the 147th he feedeth the young ravens that call upon him The observation is common that he instanceth in the raven rather than in any other bird because of all other birds the ravens are observeth soonest to forsake their young ones Whether the observation hold or no it serveth to my purpose howsoever for if God so sufficiently provide for the young ravens when the dams forsake them will he not much more take care of us when our Father and Mothers forsake us Are not we stampt with his own image much more valuable with him than many ravens 18. But dictum factum These are but words are there producible any deeds to make it good Verily there are and that to the very Letter When Ishmaels Mother despairing of his life had forsaken him and laid him down gasping his last for ought she knew or could do to help it in the wilderness the Lord took him up He opened a new spring of water and opened her eyes to see it and so the child was preserved Gen. 21. When Moses his Parents also had forsaken him for they durst not stand by him any longer and laid him down among the rushy flags the Lord took him up too He provided him of a Saviour the Kings own Daughter and of a Nurse the Child 's own Mother and so he was preserved too Take but two Examples more out of either Testament one David and St. Paul both forsaken of men both taken up of God How was David forsaken in Psal. 142. 5. when he had looked upon his right hand and saw no man that would know him he had no place to fly unto and no man cared for his soul. But all the while Dominus à dextris there was one at his right hand though at first he was not aware of him ready to take him up As it there followeth ver 6. I cried unto thee O Lord and said thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living And how St. Paul was forsaken take it from himself 2 Tim. 4. 16. At my first answer no man stood with me but all forsook me A heavy case and had been heavier had there not been one ready to take his part at the next verse Nevertheless the Lord stood by me and strengthened me c. What need we any more witnesses In ore duorum In the mouth of two such witnesses the Point is sufficiently established 19. But you will yet say These two might testifie what they had already found post-factum But David in the Text pronounceth de futuro before-hand and that somewhat confidently The Lord will take me up As he doth also elsewhere Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor and maintain the cause of the helpless Psal. 140. But is there any ground for that Doubtless there is a double ground one in the nature another in the promise of God In his Nature four Qualities there are we take leave so to speak sutably our own low apprehensions for in the Godhead there are properly no Qualities but call them Qualities or Attributes or what else you will there are four perfections in God opposite to those defects which in our earthly Parents we have found to be the chiefe causes why they do so oft forsake us which give us full assurance that he will not fail to take us up when all other succours fail us Those are his Love his Wisdom his Power his Eternity all in his Nature To which four add his Promise and you have the fulness of all the assurance that can be desired 20. First the Love of our heavenly Father towards all mankind in general but especially towards those that are his Children by adoption and grace is infinitely beyond the love of earthly Parents towards their Children They may prove unnatural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their bowels may be crusted up against the fruit of their own body But the Lord cannot but love his people He can as well cease to be as to love for he is love If he should deny that he should deny himself and that he will not do because he cannot and that he cannot do because he will not Potenier non potest It is impossible for him to whom all things are possible to deny himself The Church indeed out