another vrina est sana the water is a sound or healthful water in that it sheweth the partie whose vrine it is to be both healthful sound so likewise in our soules the spirit and word of God is the health of our souls in that by these blessings our soules health is procured and preserued to vs. But our words and works they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they also may be said to be sound and healthfull as far forth as they be signes of the soundnesse of the heart and frutes of the spirit working by loue And in the whole church and gouernment thereof as confusion and disorder be signes of distempered humours so conformiâ—iâ— and good order be in these indifferent externall things manifest signes of the eucrasie and good healâ—h of the Church Neither onely are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes in vs of the grace of God but they may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others by the good spirit of God woorking together in their harts Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your father which is in heauen Thus is your licet to be limited with coÌ„ducit your lawfull to be accompanied with profitable I might set out this point by another similitude of the getting keeping and shewing foorth of riches As first the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficient cause of riches is the gift of God The blessing of God maketh rich the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping of them is in the wisedome of man by the blessing of God but the signe of riches be liberall actions and workes which shew and set foorth the riches of anie man both inwardly and outwardly more then anie bragges or boastes of riches whatsoeuer and the holy Ghost seemeth in the Scripture to haue an ayme at this similitude where he saith Be rich in 1. Tim. 61 good works that is as S. Iames aduiseth vs to shew or set forth faith by works that Iames 2. 1 they may be both expedient to your self in the growth and increase of faith and profitable to others to stirre them vp to newnesse of life and edification which is the second point towardes which I haste onely thus much by the way Caiphas tooke a wrong course that applied licâ—t to expedit it is lawfull because expedient when rather he should haue limited licet by expedit first haue considered whether it were lawful that one man should die for the sinnes of the people and then haue brought in his plea of expedit it is expedient that one man should die that the whole nation perish not The like impious sentence was that of the Pope of Rome when he adiudged the Templars to sodaine destruction Etsi non licet per viam iustitiae licet auteÌ„ per viam expedientiae Although saith he it be not lawfull by the way of iustice to destroy them yet notwithstanding it is lawfull by the way of expediencie a most senslesse sentence and altogether not beseeming his holinesse as though any thing could be expedient that is not iust and lawfull many things are iust and lawfull which are not expedient not any otherwise But I come to the second limitation Sed non omnia aedificant But al things edifie not This is the second limitation and it raiseth the state of Christianitie a step higher for licet without expedit lawful and not profitable is good law but naughtie policie expedit without aedificat profitable not edifying is good policie but naughtie diuinitie licet expedit aedificat lawfull profitable and edifying is good law policie and diuinitie So that the true Christian must neither let his cause hang in licet the common pleas where is all law and not so great respect of conscience nor in expedit the Kings bench where is both law and profite but small regard of religion but he must bring it to aedificat the court of conscience or Chancerie where both law and profite be tempered by charitie I might also compare these three words to the three parts of the Bible the Law the Prophets the Gospell licet est legis vocabulum lawfull is a law terme expedit est Prophetarum vox profitable is the Prophets voice but aedificat but edifying is the Gospels speech but this may suffice of this point only I wil adde this that aedificat edification is both finis legis veritatis the ende of the law of truth in this verse and also principium regulae charitatis the beginning of the rule of charitie in the next that as words of truth must tend to edification so all workes of charitie begin from edification and therfore vpoÌ„ this principle of truth is grounded and followeth this precept of charitie Let no man seeke that which is his owne but euery man anothers wealth Nemo quaerat quod suum est c. Let no man seeke that which is his own This 24. verse I said was regula charitatis the rule of charitie and that I will now proue by conferring the two parts of this verse with two other places of Scripture The first is in the 13. Chapter of this first Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s Charitie seeketh not those things that be her owne what else saith the Apostle here Let no man seeke that which is his owne but onely he applieth that here by particular exhortation which before he deliuered in vniuersall doctrine The second place is in the first to the Corinthians 8. 1. Charitas aedificat Charitie edifieth What else meaneth he in this place by the affirmatiue pâ—â—t when he willeth vs that euery man should seeke that which is anothers but that we should endeuour to edifie one another Nemo quaerat quod suum est Let no man c. This lesson is too much and yet not enough learned of worldly men too much in one sence in that there be some kind of men that because the Apostle forbiddeth euerie man that he should seeke his owne and no man can call any thing suum properly his own but sinne transg ession corruption shame sua peccata sua fraus suum scelus sua iniquitas their sinnes be their owne theiâ— deceipts their wickednes and their iniquities therfore they will hudwinke them selues wilfully that they may not see and seeke to find out their owne sinne and wickednes that they may heale them these mistaking the marke do ouer-shoote it on the left hand But if you do dextrè intelligere rightly vnderstand it the whole world cometh short of it Let no man to wit in the vse of Christian liberty seeke his owne that is quod ipsi licet libet for as it was the speech of an incestuous moÌ„ster si libet licet to make lust a law so quicquÌ„id licet libet to do whatsoeuer we may do by law is the part of a libertine Christian We must somtimes decedere de iure nostro depart from our owne right euen as Christ Iesus being the sonne of God
they be lawfull and when vnlawfull But the especial point of these three Chapters which concerned the Corinthians especially was the reproofe of the abuse of diuerse straying Christians amongst thē who although they had giuen their names to Christ yet did they keepe company with idolaters they did eate drinke with them euen those meates which were the remainders of beasts sacrificed to idols whereby the weake consciēces of many of their brethren were grieuously offended We will stand vpon that doctrine which shall be agreeable to our times and most profitable for this auditorie following the generall doctrine in my exposition touching all indifferent things externall which compriseth vnder it the particular doctrine of meates and the speciall as concerning things sacrificed to idols and this exposition wil be most profitable for you to heare most easie for me to speake of Now therefore that I may come to my text these two Verses containe two rules the first is lex veritatis the law rule of truth in the 23. verse the second lex charitatis the true rule of charitie in the 24. verse More plainely thus first here is a directiue explicatiō or a direction by way of explication which setteth downe verum the truth in the 23. verse then here is an exhortatiue application or an exhortation to applie rightly the directions vnto our selues in the course of our liues squaring of our actions accordingly which implieth verum bonum both true and good In the direction there be two parts the first a maxima or generall rule Omnia mihi licent All things are lawfull to me which although it be simplex single and but one in deede and sence yet verbis duplex it is twise iterated in this place Omnia mihi licēt sed non omnia conducunt All things are lawfull to me but all things prosite not and againe Omnia mihi licent sed non omnia adisicant All things are lawfull to me but all things edisie not Secondly a caution or limitation of this generall rule and that is two fold For although all indifferent things simply in themselues considered without regard of circumstances be simply lawfull yet if either in regard of our selues they be not expedient or profitable to vs or in respect of our neighbors and brethren they tend not to the edification of our brethren but rather to their hurt then be they to vs vnlawfull Omnia mihi licen sed non cōducunt But al things be not profitable vnto me this is the first caution Omnia mihi licent sed non omnia adificant But all things do not edifie this is the second So thatin these indifferēt matters which may be either done or not done we must briefly cōsider these two points First whether it be expedient for vs to do thē or not secondly whether they tend to the edifying of our brethren or not if both these concurre then are they to be done if both or either repugne then are they not to be done but to be auoided The rule of charitie by way of application both in regard of the matter and maner is two fold For the matter it either respecteth our selues or our neighbours for the maner it is either affirmatiue or negatiue it regardeth our selues negatiuely Nemo querat quod suum est Let no man seek that which is his owne it respecteth our neighbour affirmatiuely Sed quisque quaerat quod alterius est But let euery man seeke that which is anothers Omnia All things First for remouing of all doubt and clearing of my text in all points from all ambiguitie this question commeth euen now into my minde how this may be that all things should be lawfull seeing that manie and almost innumerable things be altogether vnlawfull and vtterly forbidden If this were the rule and thus roughly to be vnderstood then were it lawfull to sweare with the swearer to drink with the drunkard to steale with the theefe and to be a partaker with the adulterer and such like To this I answer first that we must learne of this our author to make account of vnlawfull things as of sinne priuatiuè priuatiuely and not positiuè positiuely calling sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the law or as Anselmus defineth originall sinne to be nothing else but carentia originalis iustitia a want of originall iustice so is all sinne nothing else nor all vnlawfull things anie thing else but a want of iustice a meere want and therefore a meere nothing and so Iustine Martyr telleth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for euil and vnlawful things saith he by an euill vnreasonable vse and not by nature are made euill and if they be nothing in nature then are they worse then nothing in grace All vnlawfull things therefore and all sins quatenus quamdiu so far forth and so long as they are such both in nature law and grace they are nothing Secondly I answer that it is a common rule well knowne in schooles vniuersales voces non esse vltra terminos causae de qua agitur extendendas that is no vniuersall voices or words are to be stretched beyond the confines of their causes of which they are spoken and so in this place in that he saith that all things are lawfull vnto me the meaning is thus to be vnderstood and not otherwise all dayes diets and meates all indifferent things are lawfull to me This is the state of the things now followeth the case of law Licent are lawfull There is a licet necessitatis a licet of necessitie and a licet libertatis a licet of libertie For things may be said to be lawfull either absolutae nécessitatis of absolute necessitie and these include but one part of the contradiction as to honor thy father is lawfull but not to honor thy father is vnlawfull to worship God is lawfull but not to worship him is altogether vnlawfull On the other side not to steale lawfull therefore to steale vnlawfull c. Or else things are called lawfull permissiuae libertatis of libertie permitted these include vtramque contradictionis partem both the parts of the cōtradiction both the affirmatiue and negatiue part as to obserue and not obserue a day is both alike to eate meate is lawful and not to eate meate is not vnlawfull to weare some kind of apparell is lawfull and not to weare some kind of apparell is likewise lawfull c. And this is the licet which our Apostle speaketh of here the licet of libertie of permission or permitted libertie in matters indifferent This is the priuiledge of the new Testament aboue the old libertie aboue law and law aboue law the law of libertie aboue the law of feare The Law saith to touch a dead carkas defileth a man and maketh him vncleane Deut. 14. But libertie saith Omnia munda Nu 19. 1 mundis All things are cleane to the cleane Tit. 1. 15. The law of feare saith as the
Abraham If you were the sonnes of Abraham you would do the worke of Abraham Ioh. 8. 39. 40. 41. Stellae coeli the starres of â—om 4. heauen saith the promise the sonnes or citizens of heauen saith the practise Nostra conuersatio est in coelis Our conuersation is in heauen saith S. Paule Phil. 3. 20. These be the attendants and this is the attendance that this king requireth not the dust of the earth for they were the Pharises but the stars of heauen for they be the faithfull and yet both the seed of Abraham The next point that cometh in and offereth it selfe to be considered in this place is the coronation of this great king wherein a principall matter as you know in euerie coronation it is materiall is vnctio the annointing of the king this annointing is described vnto vs in the 45. Psalme verse 7. first in the author and act of annointing because God euen thy God hath annointed thee and secondly in the qualitie of the oile with the oile of gladnesse and thirdly in the quantitie thereof aboue thy fellowes In all which points is pointed out vnto vs nothing else but the spirituall annointing of Christ with grace which is there called the oile of gladnesse and that the oile of gladnes is grace and signifieth grace in that place it is plaine by the effect which is set downe in the first wordes of that verse to be the loue of righteousnesse and hatred of wickednesse and all this is the worke of grace And that Christ was and is annointed with this spirituall oile the speciall grace of God that is plaine both by his conception Luke 1. 35. The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest shall ouershadow thee and also by his life Luk. 2. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was filled with wisedome and the grace of God was with him And further that hee was annointed with spirituall oile the speciall grace of God aboue his fellowes that is easily declared in three points The first grace of God that Christ had aboue all his fellowes all the children of God is gratia capitis he hath grace to be the head whereof the whole Church is the bodie Ephes 5. 23. Col. 2. 19. The second grace thâ—t Christ hath aboue all his fellowes is gratia originalis tustitiae the grace of originall righteousnes we all are conceiued and borne in originall sinne but he without sinne in originall holinesse and righteousnesse and therefore he is called in the first of S. Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy thing which shall be borne of thee borne holy and doth liue holy for euer in which sence he is called by Dauid Deus iustitiae the God of righteousnesse of Paule is he said to be Homo iustitiae 1. Cor. 1. 30. who of God is made vnto vs wisdom righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption The third wherein Christ surpasseth all his fellowes all Christians who through his grace are made also the children of God is gratia hypostaticae vnionis the grace of his hypostaticall vnion whereby God and man are made one Christ hauing vnited in one person the two in some respect otherwise contrarie natures of the Godhead and the manhood Phil. 2. 6. 7. Gratiâ capitis in the grace of the head gratiâ originalis iustitiae in the grace of originall iustice and gratiâ hypostaticae vnionis in the grace of hypostaticall vnion in these three annointings in these three graces Christ excelleth all Christians and all kings Christians and others And the reuersion of these three graces and the ouerplus of these three ointments of Christ addeth or implieth three essentiall points in the office of all kings First as Christ is the head of the Church so vnder God the king is supreme head of his kingdome in all causes Secondly as Christ hath originall iustice so all the offices of iustice all the ministers of iustice and all the acts of iustice in the whole realme be originally in the king and come originally from the king Thirdly as in the person of Christ both the natures be vnited so in the office of the king both estates be combined and he himselfe being the Lieutenant of God in his office after a sort may iustly be said to be ioyned vnto God The second thing that is done at the coronation of this king is the proclamation or title proclaimed and that is not Rex Franciae the king of France nor Rex Asiae the king of Asia nor Rex terrae the king of the whole earth but Rex magnus super omnes Deos a great king aboue all Gods Psal 95. 3. Rex regum Dominus dominantium that is blessed and Prince onely king of kings and Lord of Lords 1. Tim. 6. 15. Nay when he is crowned the trumpets of heauen nay the Angels of God nay the Spirit of God giueth him this title Rex gloriae the king of glorie and Dominus exercituum the Lord of hosts Psal 25. There be two gifts of God which in a summe or in an epitome do set downe vnto vs all God his gifts the one is the gift of God his grace the other of his glorie Grace is present at the coronation of Christ our king but glory is the crown it selfe which lasteth for euer Now if anie desire to know this and to see this he desireth an excellent thing but let him not be too busie for seare his eyes be dazled for feare of presumption and so of confusion One there is that seemeth to set downe twelue things or marks whereby the greatnesse of the glorie of the Saints in some sort may be vnderstood but we will acknowledge our owne weakenesse shallownes and vnworthinesse and not seeke to be wiser or seeme to see more then the Apostle Paule though caught vp into the third heauen could euer attaine vnto for he confesseth the things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him And if for all them that loue him these incomparable good things be prepared then how much more for his owne only begotten Son in whom he is well pleased be these infinite incomprehensible glorious good things not prepared onely but also powred out vpon and this in generall though what they be our shallow braine and weake capacity cannot comprehend is the crowne of glorie fitted to the king of glorie and by him bestowed likewise vpon the vessels of gloric Iustine Martyr rather telling what it is not then what it is in fower priuatiue words doth as neare as another set out this crowne of glorie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first depriueth vs of passion the scond of corruption the third of sorow the fourth of mortalitie For this letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a priuatiue in euery one of these words but yet a priuatiue of our priuations