consequence for priuate ends 1. First he begets in a mans minde a dislike of the word for it selfe This man esteemes preaching but follie he sees no good it doth to haue one pratling an houre or two in a Pulpit He is a parishioner to two parishes to the Congregation he liues with Quoad corpus to the Synagogue of Satan Quoad animam 1. Cor. 1. The preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God It is horrible when man dust and ashes meere follie shall censure the Wisedome of God Let them haue their wils be it in their account follie yet it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And without this they must liue in errour and die in terrour hell fire will make them change their opinions 2. Others are wrought to hate it onely for second and simister respects The Masters of that Damosell Act. 16. Possessed with a spirit of diuination seeing the hope of their gaines gone brought Paul and Silas to scourging and neuer left them till they saw them in prison When Demetrius perceiued the ruine not so much of the Ephesian Diana as of his owne Diana gaine and commoditie in making of siluer shrines he sets all Ephesus in a tumult The losse of profite or pleasure by the Gospell is ground enough of malice and madnesse against it Cannot a tyrant be bloudie cannot an oppressor depopulate an vsurer make benefite of his money a swearer braue with blasphemies a drunkard keepe his tavern-session but the Pulpets must ring of it Downe shall that Gospell come if they can subiect it that will not let them runne to hell vntroubled Non turbant Evangelium â—…um ab Evangelio non turbentur let them alone and they will let you alone But if you fight against their sins with the sword of the Spirit they will haue you by the eares and salute you with the sword of death You see the fires that the Deuill Kindleth It is obiected 1. Satan knowes that hee can do nothing but by the permission of God Ans. Therefore not knowing Gods secret will who are elect who reprobate hee laboures to destroy all And if he perceiue that God more especially loues any haue at them to chuse If he can but bruise their heeles O hee thinkes hee hath wrought a great spight to God 2. He knowes that though with his taile he can draw stars from heauen discouer the hypocrisie of great Professors yet he cannot wipe the name of one soule out of the booke of life which the Lambe hath written there Answ. It is the Devils nature to sinne against his owne knowledge Contra scientiam peccabit qui contra conscientiam peccavit 3. He knowes he shall receiue the greater damnation and the more aggravated torments And the Devill that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire brimstone where the beast the false prophet are shall be tormented day night for ever ever Ans. He sins alwaies with purposed malice of heart proudly against God and blasphemously agaynst the holy Ghost though he receiue the smart himselfe We perceiue now the Fire the Fewell and the Kindler let vs looke to The Smoke There goes lightly a Smoke before this Fire Reu. 9. He opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoake of a great fornace and the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit And there came out of the smoke Locusts vpon the earth When we see smoke wee conclude their is fire Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe for the smoke without shewes a sparke of faith within When Abraham saw the smoke of the countrey going vp as the smoake of a fornace He knew that the fire was begun in Sodom This smoke is the signe of persecution ensuing and it is either Publique or Priuate Publique is two fold 1. The threatning of Tyrants this smoke came out of the mouth of Saul Act. 9. And Saul yet breathing out threatnings Such were the Romish vaunts of the Spanish ships but God quenched that fire in water and it was but a smoke Hee that could forbid the fire to burne can also forbid the smoke to become a 〈◊〉 Onely the massacre at Paris was a fire without a smoke vnles it be smoke enough as indeed it is for Papists to liue among Protestants 2. Securitie is a publique Smoke when men cry Peace peace this is the smoake of warre The carelesse liues of the old world and Sodom were portentuous smoakes of their enkindled destruction Our secure and dead-harted conuersations are arguments of the like to vs. God both auert that and conuert vs. We feast reuel daunce sin and sing like swannes the prognostickes of our owne funerals We are not circumspect to looke vp on those which watch vs with the keene eyes ofmalice our sleepâ—… giues themhope our selues danger Neglect of defence hartens on a very coward enemie Our comfort only is He that keepeth Israel doth not sluÌ„ber nor sleepe The priuate Smoke particularly laid to a Christian is a gentler more soft teÌ„tation But if this Smoke preuaile not Satan coms with a fiery trial Ifhe cannot peruert Io seph with his tempting mistres a kind smoke he will trie what a Iayle can doe If the deuill can draw thee to his purpose with a twine threed what needes he a Cable rope If Sampson can be bound with greene withes the Philistines need not seeke for iron chaines But Sathan knows that some will not like Adam and Esau be wonne with trifles that some will sticke to Christ whiles the weather is faire and there is peace with the Gospell yet in time of persecution start away When he comes with tempests and flouds then the house not built on a rocke fals If our foundation be straw and stubble we know this fire will consume it but if gold it shall rather purge and purifie it He will not goe about that can passe the next way If a soft puffe can turne thee from Christ Sathan will spare his blustring tempests if a smoake can doe it the fire shall be forborne If Ioâ—… could haue beene brought to his bow with killing his cattell seruants children perhaps his bodie had beene fauour'd So that after gentle temptations looke for stormes as thou wouldst after smoake fire Inure thy heart therefore to vanquish the least that thou mayst foile the greatest let the former giue thee exercise against these latter as with wooden Wasters men learne to play at the sharpe Be thy confidence in him that euer enabled thee and affie his promise that will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue thy strength Onely handle this weapon with more heedfull cunning and when thou perceiuest the dallyings of the Deuill play not with his baites Corrupt not thy conscience with a little gaine
THE HAPPINES of the Church OR A Description of those Spirituall Prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her Considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. Chapter to the Hebrewes Together with certain other Meditations and Discourses vpon other portions of holy Scriptures the titles wherof immediatly precede the Booke Being the Summe of diuerse Sermons preached in S. Gregories London By Thomas Adams Preacher there 2. Corin. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend and be spent for your soules LONDON Printed by G. P. for Iohn Grismand and are to be sold at his shop neere vnto the little North dore of Saint Pauls at the signe of the Gun 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR HENRIE MOVNTAGVE the Lord Chiefe Iustice of ENGLAND my very good Lord. RIght Honourable my allegiance to the Almighty King necessitates my endeuours to glorify his Great Name My Profession hath imposed on me all ministeriall seruices My filiall dutie to our blessed Mother the Church hath taught me to help forward her cause both with tongue and penne My thankfulnes to your Lo. tyes me to seeke your honourable authorising of all these labours They run to you first as if they waited your manumission of them to the world If bookes be our children and the masculine issue of our braines then it is fit that your Lo. who haue the patronage of the father should also vouchsafe a blessing to the childrē Nor is this all there is yet a weightier reason why they should refuge themselues vnder your Lo s. protection The world is quickly offended if it be told of the offences men study courses practise them and if the Clergie find fault yea if we doe not iustify and make good what they magnifie make common they will be angry It is the most thanklesse seruice to tell men of their misdeeds Now a busines so distastfull requires a worthy Patron whose Patronage should I desire but your Lo s. whose I am and to whom I owe all duty seruice whose but your Lo s. who are in place to reforme vice and to encourage goodnes to make that practicall and exemplary which is here onely theoricall and preceptory God hath intrusted to your hands his Sword of Iustice draw it in his defence against the enemies of his Grace Gospel You sit at the common sterne and therfore are not so much your owne as your Countreys Helpe vs with your hands we will helpe you with our prayers The God of maiestie mercy sanctifie your heart rectifie your hand iustifie your soule and lastly crowne your head with eternall glory Your Lordships obseruant Chaplain Tho. Adams To the worthy Citizens of Saint Gregories Parish syncere louers of the Gospell present happinesse and euerlasting Peace I Owe you a treble debt of loue of seruice of thankfulnesse The former the more I pay the more still I owe. The second I will be ready to pay to the vttermost of my power though short both of your deserts and my owne desires Of the last I will striue to giue full payment and in that if it be possible to come out of your debts Of all I haue in this volume giuen you the earnest as therfore you vse to doe with bad debters take this till more comes You see I haue venturously trafficked with my poore talent in publike whilest I behold richer graces kept close at home and buried in silence liking it better to husband a little to the common good then to hoord vp much wealth in a sullen niggardice I censure none if all were writers who should bee readers if none idle Pamphlets would take vp the generall eye be read and applauded onely through want of better obiects If the graine be good it doth better in the market then in the Garner All I can say for my selfe is I desire to doe good whereof if I should faile yet euen that I did desire it and endeuor it shall content my conscience I am not affrighted with that common obiection of a dead letter I know that God can effectuate his owne ends and neuer required man to appoint him the meanes If it were profitable being spoken sure it cannot be vnnecessary being written It is not vnknowne to you that an infirmity did put me to silence many weekes whilest my tongue was so suspended from preaching my hand tooke opportunity of writing To vindicate my life from the least suspition of idlenesse or any such aspersions of vncharitable tongues I haue set forth this reall witnesse which shall giue iust confutation to such slanders If it be now condemned I am sure it is onely for doing well I very well know the burden of preaching in this Citie wee may say of it in another sense what Christ said of Ierusalem O thou that killest the Prophets Many a Minister comes to a Parish with his veines full of bloud his bones of marrow but how soone doth he exhaust his spirits waste his vigor And albeit there are many good soules for whose sake hee is content to make himselfe a sacrifice yet there are some so vnmercifull that after all his labor would send him a begger to his graue I tell you but the fault of some quitting your particular selues I speake not to diminish the credit of your bounty which I haue found and heere with a thankefull profession acknowledge it In testimony whereof I haue set to my hand and sent it you a token of the gratitude of my heart Receiue it from him that is vnfainedly desirous of your saluation and if he knew by what other means soeuer he might bring you to euerlasting peace would studie it practise it continue it whilst his Organ of speech hath breath enough to mooue it Your vnworthy Preacher Thomas Adams The Contents The Happinesse of the Church Hebr. 12. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion The rage of Oppression Psal. 66. 12. Thou hast caused men to ride ouer our heads The victory of Patience Psal. 66. 12. We went through fire and through water Gods house Psal. 66. 13. I will goe into thy House Mans Seed-time and Haruest Gala. 6. 7. Whatsoeuer a man sowes he shall reape Heauen-Gate Reue. 22. 14. And may enter in through the gates The Spirituall Eye-salue Ephe. 1. 18. That the eyes of your vnderstanding The Cosmopolite Luke 12. 20. But God said vnto him Thou foole The bad Leauen Gala. 5. 9. A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Faiths Encouragement Luke 17. 19. And he said vnto him Arise The Saints meeting Ephe. 4. 13. Till we all meet in the vnity of the faith Presumption running into despaire Reue. 6. 16. They said to the Mountaines Maiestie in misery Math. 27. 51. And behold the vaile of the Temple The Foole and his sport Prou. 14. 9. Fooles make a mocke at sin The fire of contention Luke 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth The Christians walke Ephe. 5. 2. Walke in loue Loues Copy Ephe. 5. 2. As Christ loued vs.
sayes there are many mansions But now whose Citie is this For it may be some poore decayed thing that hath onely some ruines of remaining monuments No it is the Citie of GOD. They are superlatiue things that haue attributed to them the Name of God Sauls sleepe vvas called Sâ—…por Domini a sleepe of God Rachel said With great wrastlings haue I wrastled Hebr. the wrastlings of God Thy righteousnesse is like the great Mountaines Hebr. the Mountaines of God Niniueh was an exceeding great Citie Hebr. a Citie of God This Hebrew dialect our Apostle followes to the Hebrewes and calls this excellent Citie the Citie of God Not that it is onely Gods â—…y way of asâ—…ription but euen by foundation and euerlasting possession but to vindicate it from any obscureneâ—…se it is the Citie of God But there were many conceiâ—…ed gods it may be this belonged to some Idol as Peorâ—…id â—…id to Paâ—…l and Ekron to Baalzebub No these were all â—…ead gods this is the Liuing GOD. The Psalmist calls â—…hem 〈◊〉 They did eate the sacrifices of the dead but this God is called Uiuens the Liuing and Deus viuentium the GOD of the liuing Well yet what is the name of this Citie Is it a Citie a Citie on a Mount a Citie of God and doth it want a name Not a great man but if he build a faire house hee will giue it some name Perhaps call it after his owne name The name is Ierusalem famous blessed Ierusalem a Citie of Peace But there was a Ierusalem on earth wherof we may onely say Fuit It was That was fulfilled on it which Christ foretold against it There shall not be left one store vpon another But this Citie is built with no other stones then Iaspers Saphirs Emeralds and Amathysts Reue. 21. 19. It is here distinguished from that terrene by the name of Heauenly aboue the wheele of changeable mortalitie it is not subiect to mutation The celestiall Ierusalem But yet though it be a Citie on a Mount though Ierusalem though heauenly yet the perfection of all may be empaired through the want either of Inhabitants or of good Inhabitants There be Cities eminent for situation glorious for building commodious for traffique yet haue all these benefits poisoned by euill Citizens When Alcibiades would sell a house among other conueniences for which he praised it he especially commends it for this that it hath a good neighbour Who bee the neighbours in this Citie Angels glorious excellent creatures the great Kings Courtiers heere our Guardians there our companions Yes you will say one or two Angels yea a company not like Dauids at Adullam nor Absolons in Hebron but innumerable Myriads of Angels Are there none in this Citie but Angels what habitation is there then for men Yes there is an Assembly of men not some particular Synode nor Prouinciall Conuocation nor nationall Councell but a Generall assembly What doe you call it The Church Of whom conâ—…sts it Ex Primogenitis Of the first borne But then it may seeme that younger brothers are excluded No the first borne of the world may bee a younger brother in Christ and the first borne in Christ may bee a younger brother in the world Be they younger or elder all that are written in heauen if their names bee in the Booke of life their soules are in the bundle of life All they none but they Then shall enter into it no vncleane thing but onely they which are written in the Lambes Booke of life But now is it a Citie so pleasant and peopled vvith such inhabitants and hath it no Gouernours Yes God Iudex vniuersorum 〈◊〉 Iudge of all But here is more matter of feare then comfort wee may quickly offend this Iudge so be quite cast out of this Citie the very name of a Iudge implies terror No for it is the part of a iust Iudge Parcere subiectis debellare superbos to punish obstinate Rebels and to protect peaceable and obedient subiects Somewhat was said of adopted Citizens such as were strangers borne and by grace naturalized What manner of creatures are they that GOD hath admitted to dwell there Spirits Why Diuels are spirits No spirits of Men. But many men haue wicked spirits and shall such dwell there No the spirits of Iust men Why Solon Aristides Phocion Scipio were iust men they were morally iust but not truely iustified not perfected These are iust spirits made perfect How came they to be thus perfect By Iesus vvho was deliuered for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification What is this Iesus A Mediator Man was guilty God was angry how should they be reconciled A Mediator must doe it For this purpose Apparuit inter mortales peceatores immortalem iustum mortalis cum hominibus iustus cum Deo Hee appeared betweene mortall sinners and the immortall Iudge mortall with men iust with God so was a perfect Mediator Whereof Noui foederis of the new Couenant The old was forfeited a new one comes by him that renues all Not Doe this and liue but belieue on him that hath done it for thee liue for euer How is this Couenant confirmed It is sealed with Bloud How is this bloud applyed Aspergendo by sprinkling as the dore-posts sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe caused the destroying Angel to passe ouer the Israelites So the aspersion of this immaculate Lambes bloud vpon the conscience shall free vs from the eternall vengeance But what 's the vertue of this bloud It speaketh better things then that of Abel That bloud cried for vengeance this cryes for forgiuenesse The voice of that was Lord see and iudge the voice of this is Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Thus briefely haue I paraphrased the Text. Now for methods sake in the tractation wee may consider generally these fiue points 1. There is a Citie Ierusalem the Citie of the liuing God 2. The situation whereon it is built Mount Sion 3. The Citizens who are Angels and men an innumerable company of Angels and spirits of iust men 4. The King that gouernes it GOD the Iudge of all 5. The Purchaser that bought it and gaue it vs Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant But now the situation hath the first place in the words therfore challengeth the same in my discourse And indeed on good cause should the foundation goe before the building we first seek out a fit ground and then proceed to edifie on it Mount Sion Not literally that Mount Sion whereon Salomon built the Temple and Dauid his Palace That locall Sion became like Shiloh first exceedingly and superlatiuely loued afterwards abhorred and forsaken like the Tabernacle of Shiloh the Tent that he pitched among men This was threatned to that sacred place as a iust punishment of their rebellious profanenesse Therefore will I doe vnto this house
despised him mercy to them that feared him Happy faith that shall not be ashamed at that day Abide in him that when he shall appeare we may haue confidence and not be ashamed before him at his comming The heauens shall be on fire the elements melt vvith the flame the earth be burnt Castles Cities Townes and Towers be turned to one pile the Deuils shall make a hideous noyse the reprobates shrieke and howle like Dragons all because this Iudges wrath is kindled But the faithfull shall reioyce I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you The musike of Saints and Angels shall be ioyned in one Quire and all sing Blessing honor glory and power be vnto him that sits on the Throne and to the Lambe for euer The Iudge This is his authority now there are certaine properties required in a iust Iudge some of them are found in some Iudges many in few Iudges all perfectly in no Iudge but this Iudge of all Iesus Christ. 1. Perspicacitas ingenij sharpenesse of apprehension and soundnesse of vnderstanding Ignorance in a priuate person is a weakenes in a Iudge a wickednesse Ignorantia Iudicis calamitas innocentis A Iudge ignorant makes wretched the innocent It was a curse I will giue children to be their Princes and babes shall rule ouer them that is Gouernors of a childish discretion It is a woe Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a childe Iustice was anciently painted blinde to shew that no fauour be giuen to persons but it vvas not meant so blinde as not to discerne causes It is vvofull when Iudges are so blinde that they are faine to feele the right No man vvould haue his body come vnder the cure of a foolish Physician nor his estate vnder an ignorant Iudge But this Iudge of heauen and earth is so wise that hee knowes the very secrets of mens hearts All things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom wee haue to doe The wicked can haue no hope that a bad cause flourished ouer should passe vnconstrued vncensured His eyes are as a flame of fire cleare to search and finde out all secrets Accordingly he hath now put in his interlocutory then will giue his definitiue sentence 2. Audacitas animi boldnesse of courage a timerous Iudge looseth a good cause In the fable vvhen the Hart is made Iudge betweene the Wolfe and the Lambe it must needs goe on the Wolfes side The feare of displeasing Greatnesse is a sore Remora to the vessell of Iustice. Therefore the poore complaine If the foundations bee cast downe what can the righteous doe Quis metuet offendere cum Iudex metuat abscindere Who will feare to doe mischiefe when he knowes the Iudge dares not punish him Therefore when GOD made â—…oshua Iudge of Israel obserue how he doubles this charge Iosh. 1. ver 6. 7. 8. 9. Be strong and of a good courage And the people againe ver 18. We will obey thee onely be thou strong and of a good courage But this Iudge will not be danted with faces of men The Kings of the earth the great men the rich men the chiefe Captaines and the mighty-men hid themselues in the dennes in the rocks of the Mountaines Those terrors of slaues and mirrors of fooles that made the vnderlings tremble hide themselues in caues now for all their puissance are glad to runne into a hole and cowardly shrowd themselues Adducetur cum suis stultus Plato discipulis Aristotelis argumenta non proderunt Heroâ—…is maiestas deijcietur cùm filius pauperculae venerit iudicatâ—…rus terram Then foolish Plato shall appeare with his scholers Aristotle shall be confuted with all his arguments Herodâ—… pompe shall be turned to shame when that Sonne of the Virgin shall come to iudge the world 3. Honestas conscientiae honesty of conscience The Iudge that will be corrupted dares corrupt the truth Wofull is that iudgement which comes from him who hath vaenâ—…lem â—…nimam a saleable soule Fâ—…lix was such a Iudge who hoped that money should haue beene giuen him of Paul Qui vendit iustitiam pro pecuniae perdit pecuniam cum anima He that sells iustice for mony shall lose mercy and his soule You afflict the iust you take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right They haue built them houses of â—…ewen stone ver 11. How By bribes What shall become of them They shall not dwell in them for fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery If any Iusticers thinke so to raise themselues it is but vt lapsu grauiore ruant that they may haue the sorer fall There are certaine rich stuffes forbidden by the Statute but to weare clothes cut out of bribes and laced with exactions is specially forbidden by the Statute of heauen When money can open the locke of Iustices dore the worst cause is first heard This pocket-key is fitted for all dores One spake vnhappily I haue a key in my pocket saith he that will passe me in all Countryes he meant his purse In Italie it can open the dore of life Doe you hate a man for mony you may haue him pistold or poysond In Frâ—…nce it can open the dore of loue lust you for such a vvoman money makes her your harlot In Spayne it opens the dore of Iustice the case shall goe on the rich mans side In England it can open the dore of honour mony makes a Gentleman and reputation swels with the Barnes In Rome it can open the dore of heauen for they sell Claues Altariâ—… Christum peace and pardon and heauen and Christ himselfe Graâ—…s lacerantur pauperes à prauis Iudicibus quà m à cruentissimis hostibus Nullus praedo tâ—…m cupidus in alienis quà m Iudex iniquns in suis. The robes of peace couering corruption are worse to the poore then hostile inuasion But this Iudge of heauen will take no bribes other Iudges may procrastinate put off or peruert causes Saepe non finiunt negotia quousque exhauriant marsupia they will often see an end of the Clyents money before the Clyents see an end of their cause They often determine to heare but seldome heare to determine But Christ shall iudge those Iudges Be instructed ye Iudges of the earth kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and ye perish At that day Plus valebunt pura corda quà m asâ—…ta verba conscientia bona quà m marsupia plena Pure hearts shall speed better then subtile words a good conscience better then a full purse Iudex non falletur verbis nec flectetur donis That Iudge will neither be mooued with our gifts nor deceiued with our shifts Happy soule that forsaking the loue of money hath gotten a pure heart to appeare before Iesus Christ. 4. Impartialitas Iustitiae impartiall Iustice. Tully tells vs of a Prouerbe Exuit
vpon good cause for who but he can so well plead his own righteousnes whereby he hath iustified vs Therefore the Apostle calls him there our Propitiation he that wil be our Aduocate must also be our Propitiation no Saints or Angels can be a Propitiation for vs therefore no Saints or Angels can be our Aduocates Augustine sayes that if S. Iohn had offered himselfe to this office he had not been Apostolus sed Antichristus We obiect further Christs promise Whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my Name he will giue it you Not in Maries or Peters but in my Name Bellarmine answers that there may be a Mediator between disagreeing parties three waies 1. By declaring who hath the wrong and so there is no controuersie for all agree that GOD is the party grieued 2. By paying the Creditor for the Debter so Christ is alone Mediator 3. By desiring the Creditor to forgiue the Debter and in this sense he saies Angels and Saints are Mediators But this distinction is no other then Bellarmines mincing who indeed seemes to be ashamed of the blasphemous phrases in their Missals As Maria mater gratiae Sancte Petre miserere mei salua me c. These saith he are our words but not our meanings that Mary or Peter should conferre grace on vs in this life or glory in the life to come Yet both their Schoole and Practice speakes more For Aquin sayes our prayers are effectuall by the merits of Saints that Christs intercession is gotten by the patronage of Apostles by the interuention of Martyrs by the bloud of Becket and merits of all Saints And the practice of the people is to hold Angels and Saints immediate Mediators able to satisfie and saue But as one hath well obserued if euery Saint in the Popes Calender be receiued as a Mediator we shall worship vnknowne men as the Athenians did vnknown gods For the best Papists doubt whether there were euer any S. George or S. Christopher But say they The Virgin is a knowne Saint she can and may by the right of a Mother command her Sonne Christ. Their whole Church sings O foelix puerpera nostra pâ—…ans scelera inre matris impera And Maria consolatio infirmorum redemptio captiuorum liberatio damnatorum salus uniuersorum They haue giuen so much to the Mother that they haue left nothing for the Sonne Ozorius the Iesuite saies Caput gratiae Christus Maria colluÌ„ Christ is the Head of grace but Mary is the Neck no grace can come from the head but it must passe through the necke They inuocate her their Aduocate but of Christs mediation the medium or better halfe is taken from him as if he were still a child in subiection to his Mother But as he is Mariae filius so he is Mariae Dominus the Sonne and the Lord of his Mother Therefore the first words that we read Christ euer spake to his Parents were rough and by way of reproofe According to Saint Luke these were his first How is it that yee sought mee Wist yee not that I must be about my Fathers busines According to Saint Iohn more sharply Woman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee Quanquà m locuta est iure matris tamen duriter respondet Where was then their Monstra te esse Matrem Though at the commaund of his Mother he spake yet hee spake roughly Whereas Gods kingdome consists of his Iustice and Mercy the Papists attribute the greatest part which is his Mercy to Mary making her as one noted the Lady high Chancelour Christ as it were the Lord chiefe Iustice. As we appeale from the Kings-Bench barre to the Chancerie so a Papist may appeale from the Tribunall of God to the Court of our Lady So they make her Domina fac totum when one flatteringly wrote of Pope Adrian Traiectum plantauit Louanium rigauit Caesar autem incrementum dedit Traiectum planted Louaine watered but the Pope gaue the increase one wittily vnderwrites Deus interim nihil fecit God did nothing the while So if Mary be the comfort of the weake the redeemer of captiues the deliuerer of the damned the saluation of all the Aduocate of the poore the Patronesse of the rich then sure Christ hath nothing to doe No beloued Abraham is ignorant of vs the blessed Virgin knowes vs not but the Lord Iesus is our Redeemer Prayer is not a labour of the lippes onely but an inward groning of the spirit a powring out of the soule before God Now Saints and Angels vnderstand not the heart it is the righteous God that tryeth the heart and the reynes Christ is the master of all Requests in the Court of Heauen there needs no porter nor waiter It is but praying Lord Iesus come vnto me and he presently answeres I am with thee Heare mee O Christ for it is easie to thy power and vsuall to thy mercie and agreèable to thy promise O blessed Mediator of the new Couenant heare vs. To the bloud of sprinkling Aspersionis Hebraico more pro asperso Two things are implyed in the two words Sacrificium and Beneficium Bloud there is the sacrifice of Sprinkling there is the benefite To the bloud To speake properly it is the death of Christ that satisfies the Iustice of God for our sinnes and that is the true materiall cause of our redemption Yet is this frequently ascribed to his bloud The bloud of Christ purgeth the Conscience from dead works Out of his pierced side came forth bloud and water As God wrote nothing in vaine so what he hath often repeated hee would haue seriously considered Non leuiter praetereat lectura nostra quod tam frequenter insculpsit Scriptura sacra There are some reasons why our saluation is ascribed to CHRISTS bloud 1. Because in the bloud is the life Flesh with the bloud therof which is the life therof you shall not eat Leu. 17. 14. The soule of a beast is in the bloud and in the bloud is the life of euery reasonable creature on earth The effusion thereof doth exhaust the vitall spirits and death followes In Christs bloud was his life the shedding of that was his death that death by the losse of that bloud is our redemption 2. Because this bloud answeres to the types of the legall sacrifices This our Apostle exemplifies in a large conference The first Testament was not dedicated without bloud Moses sprinkling the booke and all the people sayd This is the bloud of the Testament Almost all things are by the Law purged by bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission No reconciliation no remission without bloud All directed vs to this Lambe of GOD whose bloud onely vindicates vs from eternall condemnation Not that the bloud of a meere man could thus merite but of that man who is also God therefore it is called the Bloud of God 3. Because bloud is fitter for applyment to the heart of man who
publishing of his benefite Mark 1. to the Leper See thou say nothing to any man of it But he went out and began to publish it much to blaze abroad the matter I know diuerse Diuines by curious distinctions haue gone about to excuse the matter by making this an admonitory not an obligatory precept But I subscribe to Caluin and Marlorat who taxe it for an offence and manifest breach of Christs commandement And Ierome on that place sayes that Non erat necesse vt sermone iactaret quod corpore praeferebat His tongue might be silent for his whole body was turned into a tongue to publish it The act was good but not good at that time Disobedient he was be it granted yet of all disobedient men commend me to him Let not then any politicke or sinister respects tye vp our tongues from blessing him that hath blessed vs. Suffocate not the fire of zeale in thy heart by silent lips lest it proue key-cold But say with our Prophet My foot standeth in an euen place in the congregations vvill I blesse the Lord. We perceiue now the motiue cause that brought Dauid into Gods house I would take leaue from hence in a word to instruct you with what minde you should come to this holy place We are in substance inheritors of the same faith which the Iewes held haue in stead of their Tabernacle Sanctuary Temple Churches places set apart for the Assembly of Gods Saints Wherein wee receiue diuine Mysteries and celebrate diuine Ministeries which are said by Damascen Plus participare operationis gratiae diuinae There is nothing lost by the Gospell which the Law afforded but rather all bettered It is obseruable that the building of that glorious Temple vvas the maturity and consummation of Gods mercy to the Iewes Infinite were his fauours betwixt their slauery in Egypt and their peace in Israel God did as it were attend vpon them to supply their wants They haue no guide why God himselfe is their guide and goes before them in a pillar of fire They haue no shelter the Lord spreads a cloud ouer them for a Canopy Are they at a stand and want way The Sea shall part and giue them passage whiles the diuided waters are as walls vnto them For sustenance they lacke bread heauen it selfe shall powre downe the food of Angels Haue they no meat to their bread A winde shall blow to them innumerable Quailes Bread and flesh is not enough without drinke behold a hard rocke smitten with a little vvand shall powre out abundance of water But what is all this if they yet in the wildernesse shall vvant apparell their garments shall not waxe olde on their backes Doe they besiege Iericho walls shall fall downe before them for want of engines hailestones shall braine their enemies Lampes and pitchers and dreames shall get them victorie The Sunne shall stand still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon to behold their conquests Lacke they yet a Land to inhabite the Lord will make good his promise against all difficulties and giue them a land that flowes with milke and honey But is all this yet short of our purpose and their chiefe blessednesse They want a House to celebrate his praise that hath done all this for them behold the Lord giueth them a goodly Temple neyther doth hee therein onely accept their offerings but he also giues them his Oracles euen vocall oracles between the Cherubins I might easily paralell England to Israel in the circumference of all these blessings but my center is their last and best and whereof they most boasted The Temple of the Lord and the Law of their God To answere these wee haue the Houses of God and the Gospell of Iesus Christ. We haue all though all in a new manner 2. Cor. 5. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new They had an Old Testament we haue the New Testament They had the Spirit wee haue a new Spirit They had Commandements we haue Nouum mandatum the New commandement They had an Inheritance Canaan we haue a new Inheritance promised Vids nouum coelum nouam terram I saw a new heauen and a new earth To conclude they had their Temple we haue our Churches to which as they were brought by their Sabbath so we by our Lords day wherein as they had their Sacraments so we haue our Sacraments Wee must therefore beare the like affection to ours as they did to that We haue greater cause There was the shadow heere is the substance there the figure here the truth there the sacrifices of beasts heere of the Lambe of God taking away the sinne of the vvorld I finde my selfe here occasioned to enter a great sea of discourse but you shall see I will make but a short cut of it It is Gods house you enter a house vvhere the Lord is present the place where his honour dwelleth Let this teach vs to come 1. With Reuerence Ye shall hallow my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. The very mention of this Reuerence me thinkes should strike our hearts with our selfe-knowne guiltinesse How few looke to their feet before they enter these holy dores Eccl. 5. and so they offer the Sacrifice of imprudent and impudent fooles If they are to heare they regard Quis not Quid any thing is good that some man speakes the same in another triuiall If the man likes them not nor shall the Sermon Many thus contend like those two Germans in a Tauerne One said he was of Doctor Martins religion the other protested himselfe of Doctor Luthers religion and thus among their cups the litigation grew hote betweene them whereas indeed Martin and Luther was but one man Others when they come first into the Church they swappe downe on their seates clappe their hattes before their eyes and scarce bow their knees as if they came to blesse God not to intreat God to blesse them They vvould quake in the presence of an offended King who are thus impudent faced in the house of God But saith the Lord whose Throne is the heauen and the earth his footstoole I will looke to him that trembleth at my vvord So Iacob Gen. 28. was afraid and sayd Hovv fearefull is this place This is none other then the house of God and this is the gate of heauen Whereupon Bernard Terribilis planè locus c. A fearefull place indeed worthy of all reuerence which Saints inhabit holy Angels frequent and God himselfe graceth vvith his owne presence As the first Adam was placed in Paradise to keepe it so the second Adam is in the congregation of his Saints to preserue it Therefore enter not without Reuerence I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I vvorship toward thy holy Temple 2. With Ioy. None but a free-will offering is welcome to
res agitur c. When the next house is on fire thy cause is in question God hath smitten Israel that Iudah might feare Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Iudah offend Ephraim is ioyned to Idols let him alone When the plague knocks at thy neighbours dore it tells thee I am not farre off Gods iudgement on the Galileans and men in Silâ—…e is thus applied by Christ to draw others to repentance lest they likewise perish But what if thousands fall on the worldlings right hand ten thousands about him he dreames of no danger his own gold giues him more content then all this terror The Deuill hath hood-wink'd him with gaine and so carries him quietly like a hooded hawke on his fist without baiting to hell This Sermon is lost also 3. By crosses on himselfe and this Sermon comes a little neerer to him for it concernes his feeling The first was obiected to his eare the second to his eye this last to his sense But as the first Sermon hee would not heare the next not see so this he will not feele hee is stricken but he hath not sorrowed He imputes all to his ill lucke that hee loseth the game of his worldly desires he lookes no more vp to heauen then if there was none God is not in all his thoughts All these Sermons are lost But now God will be heard He said he spoke home a word and a blow He will be vnderstood though not stood vnder Uociferat vulnerat per dictum per ictum This is such a Sermon as shall not passe without consideration So he preached to Pharaoh by frogs flies locusts murraine darknesse but when neyther by Moses vocall nor by these actuall lectures he would be melted the last Sermon is a Red Sea that drownes him and his armie The Tree is bared manured watered spared in expectancie of fruits but when none comes the last sermon is the Axe it must be hewnâ—… downe and cast into the fire This kinde of argument is vnanswerable and cannot be euaded When God giues the Word innumerable are the Preachers if the lower voyces will not be heard death shall be fear'd God knocks long by his Prophets yea stands at the dore himselfe we will not open But when this Preacher comes he opens the dore himselfe and will not be denied entrance All the day long haue I stretched forth my hands vnto thee manum misericordiae the hand of his mercy it is not embraced Now therefore he stretcheth out manum Iustitiae the hand of his Iustice and this cannot be auoided All that long Day is past and novv the worldlings Night comes This night shall they require thy soule The Rich man must heare this Sermon there is no remedy But GOD said Wee are come from the Dooer to The Sufferer or Patient And his title is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou foole What If this had come from a poore Tenants mouth it had beene held a petty kinde of blasphemy Is the rich man onely held the wise man at all parts and doth God change his title with such a contradiction Is the worlds gold become drosse the rich Idoll a foole It is euen a maxime in common acceptation He is wise that is rich Diues and Sapiens are voces conuertibiles Rich and wise are conuertible termes imagin'd to signifie one thing When the rich man speakes all the people giue bare-headed silence and attention As if no argument could euince such a necessity as the chiefe Priests to Iudas Tantum dabo So much vvill I giue thee Tantus valor in quatuor syllabis Such force is there in foure syllables and but two words It is not only eloquence but enchantment and they that vse it preuaile like Sorcerers vnlesse perhaps they light vpon multis è millibus vnum a Peter Thou and thy money be damned together If he that can plead by the strongest arguments be the wisest man how doth God call the Rich man Foole If a man should trauell through all conditions of the World what gates would not open to the rich mans knocke In the Church surely Religion should haue the strongest force yet riches thrusts in her head euen vnder Religions arme and speakes her mind Money once brought the greatest Preacher of the Gospell euen the Author of the Gospell Christ himselfe to be iudged before an earthly Tribunall Now the Seruant is not greater then his Lord no wonder if money playes the rex still and disposeth places to men of the greatest worldly not the best heauenly gifts For a gift prospereth which way soeuer it goeth It were somewhat tolerable if money did only hinder vs from what we should haue but it vvrings from vs also what we haue In the Courts of Iustice Law should rule yet often money ouer-rules law and Court too It is a lamentable complaint in the Prophecy of Esay Iudgement is turned away backward and Iustice standeth a farre off for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter If there must be contention iudgement should goe forward and is it turned backward Iustice should lay a close eare to the cause of the distressed and must it stand a farre off Truth is fallen in the street O the mercy of God! in the street Had it fallen in the wildernesse it had beene lesse strange but in the street where euery body passeth by and no body take it vp miserable iniquity Equity cannot enter what not equity Are they not called Courts of Equity and must that which giues them denomination bee kept out Now all this peruersion euersion of Iustice is made by money This turneth Iudgement to wormewood poisons a good cause or at least into vineger as wine that stands long becomes sowre And you are beholding to that Lawyer that will restituere rem get you your right though he doth it cunctando by delayes There is many one of whom that old verse may be inuerted Talis homo nobis cunctando diminuit rem In the warres valour beares a great stroke yet not so great as money That Macedonian Monarch was wont to say He would neuer feare to surprise that City whose gates were but wide enough for an asse laden with gold to enter How many Forts Castles Cities Kingdomes hath that blowne vp before euer gunpowder was inuented I need name no more What quality beares vp so braue a head but money giues it the checke-mate It answereth all things saith Salomon A feast is made for laughter and wine maketh merry but Money answereth all things By all this it appears that Riches is the greatest wisdome but wee must take out a writte Ad melius inquirendum If wealth be witte what meanes Christ here to call the Rich man Foole yes good reason God hath made foolish the wisedome of this world If God calls him so he gets little to haue the world esteeme him otherwise Not hee that commendeth himselfe nor
through with reward Let the Philosophers stop their mouths Scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit Some guiltie men haue beene safe none euer secure This euerie eye must see Let adulterie plead that nature is encourager and directer of it and that she is vniust to giue him an affection and to barre him the action yet we see it plagued To teach vs that the sin is of a greater latitude then some imagine it vncleane fedifragous periured Broad impudence contemplatiue Bauderie an eye full of whores are things but iested at the committers at last find them no iest when God powres vengance on the body and wrath on the naked conscience Let drunkennes stagger in the robes of good fellowship and shrowdit selfe vnder the wings of merriment yet we see it haue the punishment euen in this life It corrupts the bloud drownes the spirits beggers the purse and enricheth the carcase with surfets a present iudgement waites vpon it He that is a theefe to others is at last a theefe also to himselfe and steales away his owne life God doth not euer forbeare sin to the last day nor shall the bloudy Ruffian still escape but his owne bloud shall answere some in present and his soule the rest eternally Let the Seminary pretend a warrant from the Pope to betray and murder Princes and build his damnation on their tetricall grounds which haue Parum rationis minus honestatis Religionis nihil Little Reason lesse Honestie no Religion Yet we see God reueales their malicious stratagems and buries them in their owne pit Piercies head now stands Centinell where he was once a Pioner If a whole land flow with wickednes it escapes not a deluge of vengeance For England haue not her bowells groaned vnder the heauy pestilence If the plague be so common in our mouthes how should it not be common in our streets With that plague wherwith we curse others the iust God curseth vs. Wee shall find in that Emperiall state of Rome that till Constantines time almost euery Emperour dyed by treason or massacre after the receiuing of the Gospell none except that reuolter Iulian Let not sinne then be made a sport or iest which God will not forbeare to punish euen in this life 3. But if it bring not present Iudgement it is the more fearefull The lesse punishment wickednes receiues here the more is behind God strikes those here whom he meanes to spare hereafter and corrects that sonne which he purposeth to saue But hee scarce meddles with them at all whom hee intends to beate once for all The Almond tree is forborne them who are bequeathed to the boiling Potte There is no rod to scourge such in present so they goe with whole sides to hell The purse and the flesh scapes but the soule payes for it This is Misericordia puniens a greeuous mercie when men are spared for a while that they may be spilled for euer This made that good Saint cry Lord here afflict cut burnt torture me Vt in aeternum parcas that for euer thou wilt saue me No sorrow troubles the wicked no disturbance embitters their pleasures But remember sayth Abraham to the merry-liu'ed rich man Thou wert delighted but thou art tormented Tarditas supplicij grauitate pensatur and hee will strike with iron hands that came to strike with leaden feete Tuli nunquid semper feram no their hell-fire shall be so much the hoter as God hath beene coole and tardy in the execution of his vengeance This is a Iudgement for Sinne that comes inuisible to the world insensible to him on whom it lights To be giuen ouer to a reprobate mind to a hard and impenitent heart If any thing be vengance this is it I haue read of plagues famine death come temperd with loue and mercie this neuer but in anger Many taken with this spirituall lethargie sing in Tauernes that should howle with dragons and sleepe out Sabboths and Sermons whose awaked soules would rend their hearts with anguish Fooles then onely make a mocke at sinne 4. Sinne that shall at last be laid heauy on the conscience the lighter the burthen was at first it shall be at last the more ponderous The wicked conscience may for a while lie a sleepe but Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the greatest storme The mortallest enemies are not euermore in pitched fields one against the other the guiltie may haue a seeming truce true peace they cannot haue A mans debt is not payd by 〈◊〉 bring euen while thou sleepest thy arrerages run on If thy conscience be quiet without good cause remember that Cedat iniustissima pax iustissimo bello a iust warre is better then vniust peace The conscience is like a fire vnder a pile of greene wood long ere it burne but once kindled it flames beyond quenching It is not pacifiable whiles sinne is within to vexe it the hand will not cease throbbing so long as the thorne is within the flesh In vaine he striueth to feast away cares sleepe out thoughtes drinke downe sorrowes that hath his tormentor within him When one violently offers to stoppe a sourse of bloud at the nostril it finds a way downe the throate not without hazzard of suffâ—…cation The stroken deare runs into the thicket and there breakes off the arrow but the head stickes still within him and rankles to death Flitting and shifting ground giues way to further anguish The vnappeased conscience will not leaue him till it hath shewed him hell nor then neither Let then this Foole know that his now feared conscience shall be quickned his death-bed shall smart for this And his amazed heart shall rue his old wilfull adiournings of repentance How many haue there raued on the thought of their old sinnes which in the dayes of their hote lust they would not thinke sinnes Let not then the Foole make a mocke at sinne 5. Sinne which hath another direfull effect of greater latitude and comprehensiue of all the rest Diuinam incitat iram It prouokes God to anger The wrath of a king is as messengers of death what is the wrath of the king of kings For our God is a consuming fire If the fire of his anger be once throughly incensed all the riuers in the South are not able to quench it What piller of the earth or foundation of heauen can stand when he will wake them Hee that in his wrath can open the iawes of earth to swallow thee sluce out flouds from the sea to drowne thee raine downe fire from heauen to consume thee Sodome the old world Corah drunke of these wrathfull vialls Or to goe no further he can set at iarre the elements within thee by whose peace thy spirits are held together drowne thee with a dropsie bred in thy owne flesh burne thee with a pestilence begotten in thy owne bloud or bury thee in the earthly graue of thy owne melancholy Oh it is a fearefull thing to
fall into the hands of the liuing God It is then wretchedly done thou Foole to iest at sinne that angers God who is able to anger all the vaines of thy heart for it 6. Sinne which was punished euen in heauen Angeli detruduntur propter peecatum 2. Pet. 2. God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell It could bring downe Angels from heauen to hell how much more men from earth to hell If it could corrupt such glorious natures what power hath it against dust and ashes Art thou better or dearer then the Angelles were Dost thou flowt at that which condemned them Goe thy wayes make thy selfe merry with thy sinnes mocke at that which threw downe Angels Vnles God giue thee repentance and another minde thou shalt speed as the lost Angels did For God may as easilie cast thee from earth as he did them from heauen 7. Sinne which God so loathed that hee could not saue his owne elect because of it but by killing his owne Sonne It is such a disease that nothing but the bloud of the Sonne of God could cure it He cured vs by taking the receits himselfe which we should haue taken He is first cast into a Sweat such a sweat as neuer man but he felt when the bubbles were droppes of bloud Would not sweating serue he comes to incision they pierce his hands his feete his sides and set life it selfe abroach Hee must take a potion too as bitter as their malice could make it compounded of vineger gall And lastly he must take a stranger and stronger medicine then all the rest he must die for our sinnes Behold his harmles hands pierced for the sinnes our harmefull hands had committed His vndefiled feete that neuer stood in the wayes of euill nailed for the errors of our pathes Hee is spitted on to purge away our vncleannesse clad in scornefull Robes to couer our wickednesse whipped that we might escape euerlasting scourges He would thirst that our soules might be satisfied the Eternall would die that we might not die eternally He is content to beare all his Fathers wrath that no pang of that burden might be imposed vppon vs and seeme as forsaken a while that we by him might be receiued for euer Behold his side become bloudie his heart dry his face pale his armes stiffe after that the streame of bloud had ran downe to his wounded feet O thinke if euer man felt sorrow like him or if he felt any sorrow but for Sinne. Now is that Sinne to be laughed at that cost so much torment Did the pressure of it lie so heauie on the Sonne of God and doth a son of man make light of it Did it wring from him sweat and bloud and teares and vnconceiueable groanes of an afflicted spirit and dost thou O foole iest at it Alas that which put our infinite Redeemer God and man so hard to it must needs swallow vp and confound thee poore sinfull wretch It pressed him so farre that he cryed out to the amasement of earth and heauen My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Shall he cry for them and shal we laugh at them Thou mockest at thy oppressions oathes sacriledges lusts frauds for these hee groaned Thou scornest his Gospell preached he wept for thy scorne Thou knowest not O foole the price of a Sinne thou must doe if thy Sauiour did not for thee If he suffred not this for thee thou must suffer it for thy selfe Passio aeterna erit in te si passio Aeterni non erat pro te An eternall passion shall be vpon thee if the Eternals passion were not for thee Looke on thy Sauiour and make not a mocke at Sinne. 8 Lastly Sinne shall be punished with Death you know what death is the wages of it not onely the first but the second death Inexpressible are those torments when a reprobate would giue all the pleasures that eâ—…er he enioyed for one drop of water to coole his tongue Where there shall be vnquencheable fire to burne not to giue light saue a glimmering ad ag grauationem vt videant vnde doleant non ad consulâ—…ionem ne videant vnde gandeant to shew them the torments of others and others the torments of themselues But I cease vrging this terrour and had rather win you by the loue of God then by his wrath and Iustice. Neither neede I a stronger argument to disswade you from sinne then by his passion that dyed for vs being enemies For if the agonie anguish and heart-bloud of Iesus Christ shed for our sinnes will not moue vs to repentance we are in a desperate case Now therefore I fitly leaue Pauls adiuration so sweetely tempered in your bosomes commending that to your consciences and your consciences to God I beseech yâ—… brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto GOD. THE FIRE OF CONTENTION OR The trouble that followes the Gospell Lvk. 12. 49. I come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be alreadie kindled BEfore I run vpon Diuision and yet Diuision is the subiect of my Text and for methods sake I must vse some diuision in my discourse I must let you vnderstand what this Fire is that is sent and how innocent our Sauiour is that sendeth it 1. There may be Dessention betwixt the good and the good and hereof is the Deuill the author It is the Enemie that sowes those Tares This is one of the abominations that the Lord abhorreth A false witnes that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren God is neuer the immediate cause of that which he abominates If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God To cleare Christ and his Gospell from causing this the tenour of all Scriptures admonisheth vs with Saint Peter Be ye all of one mind hauing compassion one of another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous Vnitie is the badge of Christianitie wee are all the members of one bodie The eye cannot say to the hands I haue no need of you c. We are all stones of one building therefore must not iarre one with another least we ruine the whole house Christ sayth that a kingdome diuided cannot stand The Souldiours would not diuide the vnseamed coate of Christ farre bee it from vs to rent his bodie There are three grounds of loue vertue pleasure profite Vertue all consent to be the surest and best That then which is grounded on the best vertue is the best vnitie and this is Faith Loue issuing from Faith is a bond able to tie God to man man to God and therefore man to man This knot is tyed so fast that the powers of hell cannot vndoe it All other vnities but the Communion of Saints may be broken There is no peace so indissoluble as the peace of faith So contrarily there
Numb 21. A fire is gone out of Heshbon and a flame from the citie of Sihon it hath consumed Ar of Moab and the Lords of the high places of Arnon But contention runs like wild-fire so furious a pace that nothing but bloud can extinguish it 4. As fire is prouerbially sayd to be an ill master but a good seruant so Anger where it is a Lord of rule is a Lord of mis-rule but where it is subdued to reason or rather sanctified to grace it is a good seruant That anger is holy that is zealous for the glory of God This is Diuision a raging fire and able whether it take hold of ciuilitie or religion of Burse or Church to ouerthrow the common good of both For ciuilitie the breaking of relatiues is the ruine of substantiues We stand not of our selues but vpon reference Want of iustice in magistrates of instruction in gouernours of obedience in subiects of charitie in neighbours destroyes the common wealth Some gather thus much from the fift Commandement by good consequence Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giueth thee For if Princes rule well and subiects obey well if masters command right and seruants doe right if Parents instruct children in the feare of God and children obey parents in that feare this happy harmonie shall preserue the land If this relation and reciprocall dutie be neglected all runs to ruine and the blessing of long life shall be with-drawne For it is not fit they should haue long life that rebell against those from whom they had and by whom they hold their life Begin with the least ascendently The ouerthrow of a house is Diuision When the husband and wife draw not euenly in the yoke when the one brings fire the other hath no water to-quench it when the children are refractarie the seruants wasters there must needes be a decay of this familie Whereof consists a Citie but of many housholds If the particulars be ruinated what will become of the generall When the members are gone where is the Bodie If the Magistrates are vniust the people disobedient if one profession quarrell with another and denie mutualitie the head refusing to giue guidance the eyes their sight the feete to walke the hands to worke the body of that Citie dissolues The dissolution of cities and townes must needs ruin the Kingdome When the members fell out with the stomach that it deuoured all and tooke noe paines hereon the eye would not see for it nor the hand worke for it nor the foote walke for it c. so the stomach wanting meate the eyes hands feet and all members faint and languish Tributes subsidies are but the dues and duties of the members to the Prince who as the stomach returnes all to their welfare and benefite Dissention in religion doth no lesse hurt doth more It diuides a house Here. Ver. 52. Fiue in one house shall be diuided two against three and three against two And Math. 10. A mans foes shall be they of his owne household It diuidesa citie How many cities haue beene destroyed by their owne mutinous distractions whome forraigne inuasions could not subdue It diuides a Kingdome whereof Fraunce hath long beene a bleeding witnesse neither hath England beene insensible Ac velut in magno populo cùm saepe coorta est Seditio saeuitque animis ignobile vulgus Iámque faces saxa volant furor arma ministrat It ouerthrowes propinquitie the mutuall succour of lending borrowing giuing relieuing is lost Yea it ouerturnes Nature it selfe setting children at variance against their owne parents There are three very neare Superiour equall inferiour Parent wife children yet we must separate from them rather then from Iesus Christ. Yea it is enough to extirpate all Regem legem grâ—…gem Prince law and people No wonder then if the busie deuill seekes so studiously to kindle this fire So Eusebius obserues The subtle Serpent when persecutions gaue the Church breathing space began to vexe her with her owne diuisions The Fewell Whereon this fire workes is the good Profession of the godly So the rulers against Daniell in causa Dei sui because of his Religion Psal. 59. The mightie are gathered against me not for my transgression nor for my sin O Lord. They persecuted vs not because they find euill in vs but because they cannot find euill in vs. They runne and prepare themselues against me without my fault Without fault it is fault enough in their iudgement because we serue the Lord. They speake euill of vs because we runne not with them to the same excesse of riot If we will not communicate with their vicious customes we shall participate of their raging cruelties Against Israel yea because it is Israel doe they consult Come let vs cut off them from being a Nation that the name of Israell may bee no more in remembrance For this cause was the Babilonian fire kindled against those three seruants of God and the same cause moued mysticall Babylon to burne our Martyrs in England If they would haue turned to Idols and Images the fire hadde beene put out We would not could not yeeld to their superstitions therefore the Fire burned But that which is the occasion of euill cannot be perfectly good Indeed that simplie and of it selfe causeth euill is euill it selfe But that may be good which indirectly and by consequence in mans corrupt nature occasioneth it The Gospell and integritie of professing it is not the efficient but accidentall cause or rather properly no cause but an occasion of this feud The bright Sun shining on mudde and filth is said to cause stench yet is not the Sun the true cause but the former putrefaction of the subiect reflected on when a corrupt vapour comes into the firie region it is soone enflamed Their rancorous filth had lyne quiet as mucke in a dunghill had not the Sun of the Gospell shone on it and stirred it now howsoeuer the Gospell is not the direct cause of this yet surely the occasion For Athens is quiet enough till Paul comes and till Christ is borne Ierusalem is husht in peace Many parishes sticke not to say we had rest and securitie enough before but now since preaching came in and the Pulpets haue beene warmed there is nothing but disturbation and vnquietnes How else could this Text be true that Christ came to send fire on the earth The deluge of sinne was vniuersall and the waters of iniquitie stood vntroubled and all was a Mare mortuum but when Christ puts fire to this water no maruell if they wrastle The deuill stirres not till God rowse him as the wild boare sleepes till he bee hunted Let darknesse couer mens impieties and their slumber is vnmolested produce them to the light and they cannot endure it The vlcerous side full of dead flesh feeles not till you touch the quicke But let
so shalt thou withstand more Thinke the easiest tentations a Porcpose before a tempest smoake before fire signes and prodigies of a fearefull conflict to come There remaines nothing now to be considered but the Bellowes that helpe to maintaine this fire The Bellowes Are double Passiue and Actiue Some blow because they cannot others because they will not auoid it 1. The Passiue Bellowes are the godly for they must haue no peace with wickednesse No fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse We must loue their persons and pray for them as Christ for his crucifiers But if they will not be conuerted if they cannot be suppressed we may desire either their conuersion or confusion as God willes none to perish as a creature but as a sinfull creature not of his owne making but of their owne marring So we must hate not virum but vitium reprouing and condemning euill works both by our lips and liues though our good conuersation be the passiue Bellowes to blow this fire 2. The Actiue are the wicked who doe profoundly hate the good in regard of both their actions and their persons To this their owne forwardnesse is helped by the deuils instigation If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spitte vpon it it shall be quenched and both these come out of thy mouth But all men loue good naturally No not all for some haue not onely extinguished the flames of religion but euen the very sparkes of nature in their hearts But some wicked men haue loued the godly True but not for their actions not for their persons not of their owne natures But 1. either because God snafles the horses and mules and curbes the malicious rage of Tyrants Or 2. conuerts them to the faith and obedience of his truth as he tooke Saul from his raging crueltie and made him readie to die for him whose seruants he would haue killed so turning a Wolfe into a Lambe Or 3. els they loue the good for some benefit by them and therein they loue not them so much as themselues in them So Ahashuerosh loued Hester for her beautie Nebuchadnezzâ—… Daniel for his wisedome 〈◊〉 Ioseph because his house prospered by him and for this cause did the former Pharaoh affect him But otherwise with bloud-red eyes and faces sparkling fire they behold vs as Haman did Mordecai They plot like Machiauels raile like Rabshace's and conspire like Absolons These are the Deuils Bellowes here to blow quarrels among men and shall be his bellowes in hell to blow the fire of their eternall torments A man that is great both in wealth and wickednesse cannot be without these bellowes Intelligencers Informers Tale-bearers Let these seditious spirits vnderstand their employment they are the Deuils bellowes and when their seruice is done they shall be throwne into the fire I conclude All this trouble and calamitie shall be but vpon the earth so sayth our Sauiour I came to send fire on the earth In heauen shall be no distraction to breake our peace We should be too well affected to the world if it had this priuiledge and exemption but in vaine we seeke it where it is not to be found In heauen onely we shall find it in heauen onely let vs seeke it Here we may haue desideriuâ—… pacis but there onely pacem desiderij here the desires of peace there peace of our desires Now then the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your harts and minds through Christ Iesus Amen THE CHRISTIANS WALKE OR The Kings high-way of Charitie EPHES. Chap. 5. Ver. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweete smelling sauour OVR blessed Sauiour is set forth in the Gospell not onely a Sacrifice for sin but also a direction to vertue He calleth himselfe the Truth and the Way the truth in regard of his good learning the way in respect of his good life His Actions are our Instructions so well as his Passion our Saluation He taught vs both Faciendo and Patiendo both in doing and in dying Both sweetly propounded and compounded in this verse Actiuely he loued vs Passiuely he gaue himselfe for vs. And so is both an ensample for vertue and an offering for sinne He gaue himselfe that his Passion might saue vs he loued vs that his Actions might direct vs. Walke in loue as Christ c. We may distinguish the whole verse into a sacred Canon Crucifixe The Canon teacheth vs What the Crucifixe How In the Canon we shall find A Precept It is partly Exhortatory Precedent Exemplary The Precept Walke in loue the Precedent or Patterne As Christ loued vs. The Precept holy the Patterne heauenly Christ bids vs doe nothing to others but what himselfe hath done to vs we cannot find fault with our example The Crucifixe hath one maine stocke He gaue himselfe for vs. And two branches not vnlike that crossepeece whereunto his two hands were nailed 1. An offering or Sacrifice 2. Of a sweete smelling sauour to God To begin with the Canon the method leads vs first to the Precept which shall take vp my discourse for this time Walke in loue Here is 1. The Way prescribed 2. Our Course incited The way is Loue our Course Walking Loue is the Way And that an excellent way to heauen Our Apostle ends his 12. Chapter of the 1. Corin. in the description of many spirituall gifts Apostleship Prophecying Teaching Working of Myracles healing speaking with toâ—…gues All excellent gifts and yet concludes Ver. 31. â—…ut couet earnestly the best gifts And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent Way Now that excellent more excellent Way was Charitie and he takes a whole succeeding Chapter to demonstrate it which he spends wholy in the prayse and prelation of Loue. I hope no man when I call Loue a Way to God will vnderstand it for a iustifying way Faith alone leaning on the merits of Christ doth bring vs into that high Chamber of Presence Loue is not a Cause to iustifie but a Way for the iustified There is difference betwixt a Cause and a Way Faith is Causa iustificandi Loue is Via iustificatâ—… They that are iustified by faith must walke in Charitie For Faith worketh and walketh by loue Faith and loue are the braine and the heart of the Soule so knit together in a mutuall harmonie and correspondence that without their perfect vnion the whole Christian man cannot mooue with power nor feele with tendernesse nor breath with true life Loue then is a path for holy feete to walke in It is A Cleare Way A Neare Way A Sociable Way Cleare There be no rubbes in Loue. Nec retia tendit nec laedere intendit It neither does nor desires anothers harme it commits no euill nay it thinkes no euill sayth our Apostle For passiue rubbes it passeth ouer an offence It may be moued with violence cannot be remoued
into this infinite and boundles Sea I will onely note foure sweete streames of life in his Loue. It was Holy Sine Merits Hearty Mode Kind Despectâ—… Constant Defectâ—… 1. Holy The Loue of Iesus to vs was Sancta sanctificans dilectio a Loue holy formaliter in itselfe and holy effectiuè in making those holy on whom it was set He gaue himselfe to vs and for vs and gaue vs a faith to receiue and embrace him Sine quo nec dilâ—…cti nec diligentes fuissemus Without whom wee neither could haue receiued loue nor returned loue Now his loue did not only extend to our bodyes health but to our soules blisse So he loued vs that he saued vs. Our loue should likewise be holy whole desiring not onely our brothers externall welfare but much more his internall his eternall blessednes He that pitties not a famished body deserues iustly the name of an vnmercifull man but he that coÌ„passionates not an afflicted conscience hath much more a hard heart It is an vsual speech of compassion to a distressed man Alas poore Soule but this same alas poore Soule is for the most part mistakeÌ„ Neither the pittier nor the pittied imagins the soule pittiable Very humanitie teacheth a man to behold an execution of theeues traytours with griefe that men to satisfie their malicious or couetous affections should cut off their owne liues with so infamous a death But who commiserates the endangered Soule that must then ventor and enter on an eternall life or death The story of Hagar with her Son Ishmael is set downe by so heauenly a pen that a man cannot read it without tears She is cast out of Abrahams house with her child that might call her Master father Bread water is put on her shoulder and she wanders into the wildernes a poore reliefe for so long a iourney to which there was set no date of returning Soone was the water spent in the bottle the child cries for drinke to her that had it not and lifts vp pittiful eyes euery glance whereof was enough to wound her soule vents the sighes of a dry panting heart but there is no water to be had except the teares that ran from a sorrowful mothers eyes could quench the thirst Downe she layes the child vnder a shrubbe and went as heauy as euer mother parted from her onely son and sate her downe vpon the earth as if she desired it for a present receptacle of her griefe of her selfe a good way off saith the Text as it were a bow-shoâ—…e that the shrickes yellings dying groanes of the child might not reach her eares crying out Let me not see the death of the child Die she knew he must but as if the beholding it would rent her heart and wound her soule she denyes those windowes so sad a spectacle Let mee not see the death of the child So she lift vp her voyce and wept Neuer was Hagar so pittifull to her Sonne Ishmael as the Church is to euery Christian. If any sonne of her wombe wil wander out of Abrahams familie the House of Faith into the wildernes of this world and prodigally part with his owne mercy for the gawdy transient vanities thereof She followes with intreaties to him and to heauen for him If he will not returne she is loath to see his death she turnes her backe vpon him and weeps He that can with dry eyes and vnrelenting heart behold a mans Soule ready to perish hath not so much passion and compassion as that Egiptian bond-woman 2. Hearty The loue of Christ to vs was hearty not consisting of shewes and signes and courtly complements but of actuall reall royall bounties He did not dissemble liue to vs when he dyed for vs. Exhibitio operis probatio amoris He pleaded by the truest and vndenyable argument demonstration I loue you wherein I giue my Life for you Tot ora quot vulnera tot verba quot verbera So many wounds so many words to speake actually his loue euery stripe he bore gaue sufficient testimony of his affection His exceeding rich gift shewes his exceeding rich loue This heartines must be in our Loue both to our Creator and to his Image 1. To God so he chalengeth thy loue to be conditioned with thy Heart with all thy heart And this saith Christ is Primum Maximum mandâ—…tum the First and the greatest Commandement The first Quasi virtualiter centinens reliqua as mainely comprehending all the rest For he that loues God with all his heart will neither Idolatrize nor blaspheme nor profane his Sabboths no nor wrong his creatures The greatest as requiring the greatest perfection of our loue This then must be a hearty loue not slow not idle but must shew it selfe Et properando operando in ready diligence in fruitfull working obedience There are many â—…otent to loue God alitle because he blesseth them much So Saul loued him for his kingdome These loue God Pro seipsis not Prae seipsis For themselues not before themselues They will giue him homage but not fealtie the calues of their lippes but not the calues of their stals If they feast him with venison part of their Imparked Riches which is deere to them yet it shall be but rascall deere the trash of their substance they will not feast him with the heart that is the best deere in their Parke 2. To man whom thou art bound to loue as thy selfe where say some As is but a Tam not a Tâ—…ntum As thy selfe not As much as thy selfe As for the maner not for the measure But this is certaine true loue begins at home and he cannot loue another soundly that primarily loues not himselfe And he that loues himselfe with a good heart with the same heart will loue his brother In quâ—… seipsum proptâ—…r quod seipsum In that maner for that cause that he loues himselfe This then coÌ„mands the same loue if not the same degree of loue to thy brother that thou bearest to thy selfe This hearty loue is hardly found More is protested now then in former times but lesse done It is wittilyob serued that the old maner of saluting was to take shake one another by the hand now we locke armes ioyne breasts but not hearts That old hand full was better then this new armefull Our cringes and complementall bowings promise great humilitic but the smootherd venime of pride â—…es within We haue low lookes and loftie thoughts There are enough of those Which speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts Whose smooth habites doe so palliate and ornamentally couer their poyson as if they did preserue mud in Chrystall The Romaynes vsually painted Friendship with her hand on her heart as if she promised to send no messenger out of the gate of her lips but him that goes on the hearts arrand Now we haue studied both textures of words and pretextures of
propitiate for sinne that were themselues guilty of sinne and by nature lyable to condemnation Wretched Idolaters that thrust this honour on them against their wils how would they abhorre such sacrilegious glory Not the riches of this world We were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold Were the riches of the old world brought together to the riches of the new world were all the minerall veines of the earth emptied of their purest mettals this pay would not be currant with God It will cost more to redeeme soules They that trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches Yet cannot by any meanes redeeme their brother nor Giue to God a ransome for him The seruant cannot redeeme the Lord. God made a man master of these things hee is then more precious then his slaues Not the bloud of Bulls or Goates Hebr. 9. Alas those legal sacrifices were but dumbe shewes of this tragedie the meere figures of this oblation mystically presenting to their faith that Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world This Lambe was prefigured in the sacrifices of the law now presented in the sacraments of the Gospell slaine indeed from the begining of the world Who had power Prodesse to profit vs before hee had Esse a being himselfe None of these would serue Whom Gaue he then Seipsum Himselfe who was both God and man that so participating of both natures our mortalitie and Gods Immortalitie he might be a perfect Mediator Apparuit igitur inter mortales peccatores immortalem iustum mortalis cum hominibus iustus cum Deo He came betweene mortall men and immortall God mortall with men and iust with God As man he suffered as God hee satisfied as God and man he saued He gaue himselfe Se Totum Himselfe Wholy Solum Onely 1. All himselfe his whole Person soule and body Godhead and manhood Though the deitie could not suffer yet in regard of the personall vnion of these two naturs in one Christ his very passion is attributed in some sort to the Godhead So Act. 20. It is called the bloud of God And 1. Cor. 2. 8. The Lord of glory is said to be crucified The Schooles distinction here makes al plaine He gaue Totum Christum though not Totum Christi All Christ though not All of Christ. Home non valuit Deus non voluit As God alone he wold not as man alone he could not make this satisfaction for vs. The Deitie is impassible yet was it impossible without this Deitie for the great worke of our saluation to be wrought If any aske how the manhoode could suffer without violence to the God-head being vnited in one Person let him vnderstand it by a familiar comparison The Sunne-beames shine on a tree the axe cuts downe this tree yet can it not hurt the beames of the Sunne So the God-head still remaines vnharmed though the axe of death did for a while fell downe the man-hood Corpus passum est dolore gladio Anima dolore non gladio Diuinitas nec dolore nec gladio His bodie suffered both sorrow and the sword his soule sorrow not the sword his Deitie neither sorrow nor the sword Deitas in dolente non in dolore The God-head was in the Person pained yet not in the paine 2. Himselfe onely and that without a Partner Comforter 1. Without a Partner that might share either his glory or our thankes of both which he is iustly iealous Christi passio adiutore non eguit The sufferings of our Sauiour need no helpe Vpon good cause therefore we abhorre that doctrine of the Papists that our offences are expiated by the passions of the Saints No not the blessed Virgin hath performed any part of our iustificatiō payed any farthing of our debts So sings the Quire of Rome Sancta virgo Dorothea tua nos virtute bea cor in nobis novum crea Wherin there is pretty rime petty reason but great blasphemie as if the Virgin Dorothy were able to create a new heart within vs. No but the bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne His bloud and his onely O blessed Sauiour euery drop of thy bloud is able to redeeme a beleeuing world What then need we the helpe of men How is Christ a perfect Sauiour if any act of our redemption be left to the performance of Saint or Angell No our soules must die if the bloud of Iesus cannot saue them And whatsoeuer wittie errour may dispute for the merits of Saints the distressed conscience cries Christ and none but Christ. They may sitte at Tables and discourse enter the Schooles and argue get vp into the Pulpits and preach that the workes of good men is the Churches treasure giuen by indulgence and can giue indulgence and that they will doe the soule good But lie we vppon our death-beds panting for breath driuen to the push tost with tumultuous waues of afflictions anguished with sorrow of spirit then we sing another song Christ Christ alone Iesus and onely Iesus Mercie mercie pardon comfort for our Sauiours sake Neither is there saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued 2. Without a Comforter he was so farre from hauing a sharer in his Passion that he had none in compassion that at least might any wayes ease his sorrowes It is but a poore comfort of calamitie Pittie yet euen that was wanting Is it nothing to you all yee that passe by Is it so sore a sorrow to Christ and is it nothing to you a matter not worth your regard your pittie Man naturally desires and expects if he cannot be deliuered eased yet to be pittied Haue pittie vpon me haue pittie vpon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Christ might make that request of Iob but hee had it not there was none to comfort him none to pittie him It is yet a little mixture of refreshing if others be touched with a sense of our miserie that in their hearts they wish vs well and would giue vs ease if they could but Christ hath in his sorest pangs not so much as a Comforter The Martyrs haue fought valiantly vnder the banner of Christ because hee was with them to comfort them But when himselfe suffers no reliefe is permitted The most grieuous torments find some mitigation in the supply of friends and comforters Christ after his monomachie or single combate with the deuill in the desart had Angels to attend him In his agonie in the garden an Angell was sent to cofort him But when he came to the maine act of our redemption not an Angell must be seene None of those glorious spirits may looke through the windowes of heauen to giue him any ease And if they would haue relieued him they could not Who can lift vp where the Lord wil cast downe What Chirurgion can
periudice But the poyson of the wicked dum alios inficit seipsos interficit Whilest it infects others kills themselues His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe Their owne wickednesse like poyson hath in themselues these three direfull effects It makes them Swell Swill Burst 1. It makes them swell with pride and blowes vp the heart as a bladder with a quill Quis est Dauid Who is Dauid and who is the Sonne of Iesse Yea Quis est Dominus Who is the Almightie that wee should serue him Thus the Spider a poysonous vermine Climes vp to the roofe of the kings pallace If he be in prosperitie nothing can hold him to a man Be hee but a Thistle he sends to the king of Lebanon for his daughter to be his Sonnes wife Though he be but a dwarfe in comparison he would swell to a son of Anak Sinne hath puff'd him vp he forgets his maker The Lord hath fed him to the full he rebells against him We haue then good cause to pray with our Church In the time of our wealth good Lord deliuer vs. 2. It makes them swill the poyson of sinne is such a burning heate within them that they must still bee drinking And the deuill their Physician holds them to a dyet-drinke they shall not haue the water of the Sanctuary that would coole them but the harsh harish ill-brewd drinke of damnation They shall tast nothing but sinne more poyson still Which is so farre from quenching their thirst that it enflames it Totis exquirit in agris Quas modo poscit aquas sitiens in corde venenum So a man puts out the Lampe by powring in more oyle and extinguisheth the fire by laying on fewel This may for a small time allay the heate as cold drinke to a burning feuer So Ahabs feruor was a litle delayed with a draught of wine out of Naboths vinyard But Satan holds his guests to one kind of lycour and that 's ranke poyson the mudde of sinne and wickednesse He allowes them no other watring place but this Puddle-wharfe 3. It makes them burst here be the three sore effects of sinne in the soule as of poyson in the body Frst it makes a man swell then it makes him drinke lastly it it bursts him Iudas is houen with couetousnes hee drinkes the money of treason and then he bursts Rumpuntur viscera Iudae he burst out This is the catastrophe of a wicked life Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringethforth forth death To others You see how fatall the poyson of the wicked is to themselues It doth not onely rumperese but corrumpere alios burst themselues but corrupt others It depriues their owne good it depraues others good The hurt is doth to others consists in Correptione Corruptione in outward harming in inward defiling them Outwardly Their Poyson breakes forth in the iniuries of all about them They spare neither forreiner nor neighbour There be litle snakes in Babilon that bite only forreiners and not inhabitants Pliny writes of Scorpions in the hill Caria that when they sting onely wound the naturall borne people of the Countrey but extraneos leuiter mordere but bite strangers gently or not at all These like fooles not onely strike them that are nearest but betweene their poyson in ruinam omnium to the ouerthrow of all Such a one cannot sleepe except he haue done mischiefe nay hee dyes if others doe not dye by him Et si non aliqua nocuâ—…sset mortuus esset A mans Land cannot scape the poyson of the depopulator nor his estate the poyson of the vsurer nor his children the rauisher nor his peace the contender nor his name the slanderer If their poyson cannot preuaile ad interitum hominis they will spend it ad interitum nominis If they cannot murder they will murmure They are the Deuills bandogs as one calls Parsons the Popes Cerbâ—…rus If they cannot come to bite they will barke If their sting cannot reach their mouth shall sputter out their venime Yea some of them doe not onely this mischiefe whiles they liue but etiam mortui euen dead As Herod that caused the noble Sonnes of the Iewes to be slaine post mortem suam after his death They write of some serpents that their poyson can doe no hurt except it bee shot from the liue bodies of them but these leaue behind them a still euill-working poyson As wee say of a charitable man that hee doth good after hee is dead his almes maintaine many poore soules on earth when his soule is in heauen Et quamvis ipse sepultus alit So these wicked sinne perpetually euen dead The incloser of commons sinneth after he is dead euen so long as the poore are depriued of that benefite He that hath robbed the Church of a tenth so leaues it to his heire sinnes after he is dead euen so long as God is made to loose his right Moriente serpente moritur venenum but here moriente homine viuit peccatum As one sayd of a Lawyer that resoluing not to be forgotten hee made his will so full of intricate quirkes that his executors if for nothing else yet for very vexation of law might haue cause to remember him Ieroboams sinne of Idolatrie out liued him The vniust decrees of a partiall Iudge may out liue him euen so long as the adiudged inheritance remaines with the wrongfull possessor The decrees of diuerse Popes as in curtalling the Sacrament forbidding marriage c. are their still liuing sinnes though themselues be dead and rotten Inwardly Their poyson doth most hurt by Infection their companie is as dangerous as the plague a man cannot come neere them but hee shall bee contaminated Like the weed called Gosses they make the ground barren wheresoeuer they grow Their Poyson is got Per Contactum Contractum Compactum Conspectum 1. By touching he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled It is dangerous to sport and dally with them dum ludunt laedunt He casteth firebrands and arrowes and death and sayth Am I not in sport As Solomon sayth Their very mercies are cruell so their very iest is killing earnest 2. By companying with them they hurt by sporting but worse by sorting Cast in thy lot among vs let vs all haue one purse They that will quarter themselues with the wicked must drinke of their poyson If you aske how happes it that their infection is not smâ—…lt Bernard answers Vbi omnes sâ—…rdent vnius minimè sentitur one is not smelt where all stinke 3. By Confederacie which is yet a higher degree of receiuing their poyson The first was alight dallying with their humours the next a societie with them in some drunken riots and disorders but this third is a conspiracie with them in their pernicious and deadly plotts Thus a Seminary comes from Rome and whistles together a number of traytors he brought poison
that this mourning for Gods absence is an euident demonstration of his presence 2. Of Reprehension to others that say they are sure of the purchase before they euer gaue earnest of the bargaine Presumption is to be auoided so well as despaire For as none more complaine that they want this assurance then they that haue it so none more boast of it then they that haue it not The fond hypocrite takes his owne presumption for this assurance he liues after the flesh yet brags of the Spirit This false opinion ariseth partly from his owne conceite partly from Satans deceite 1. From his owne Conceit he dreames of the Spirit and takes it granted that it euer rests within him but when his soule awakes he finds there no such manner of guest the holy Spirit neuer lodged there There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes yet are not washed from their filthinesse These pure people so vaunt theâ—… assurance of saluation that they will scarce change places in heauen with St. Peter or St. Paul without boote The infallible marke of distinction which the Apostle sets on the Sonnes of God is this they are led by the Spirit Rom. 8. So many as are led by the Spirit of God 〈◊〉 sonnes of God The holy Ghost is their God and their guideâ—… and this Spirit 〈◊〉 them into all truth and guides them into the land of righteousnes But these men will Spiritum dâ—…ere lead the Spirit They are not ductible they will not be led by the Spirit into truth and pence but they will lead the Spirit as it were ouer-rule the holy Ghost to patronize their humours Let them be adulterers vsurers bribe-corrupted sacrilegious c. yet they are still men of the Spirit But of what Spirit Nesâ—…tis we may say to them as Christ to hit two hote disciples ye know not of what Spirit you are It is enough they thinke to haue oculos in coelo though they haue manus in fundo animos in profundâ—… It is held sufficient to haue eyes fixed on heauen though couetous hands busie on earth and crafty minds deepe as hell This ouer-venturous conceite that heauen is theirs how base and debauched liues so euer they liue is not assurance but presumption 2. This ariseth from Satans Deceite who cryes like Corah Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the congregation is â—…ily euery one of them You are holy enough you are sure of heauen what would you more You may sit downe and play your worke is done Hereupon they sing peace and Requiems to their soules and begin to wrappe vp their affections in worldly ioyes But Tranquilitas ista tempestas est this calme is the most grieuous storme This is carnall securitie not heauenly assurance As the Iewes went into captiuitie with Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord c. in their lips so many go to hell with the water of Baptisme on their faces and the assurance of saluation in their mouthes 3. Of Instruction teaching vs to keepe the euen-way of comfort eschewing both the rocke of presumption on the right hand and the gulfe of desperation on the left Let vs neither be Tumidi nor Timidi neyther ouer bold nor ouer-fainting But endeuour by faith to assure our selues of Iesus Christ and by repentance to assure our selues of faith and by an amended life to assure our selues of repentance For they must here liue to Gods glory that would hereafter liue in Gods glory 3. In the next place obserue the meanes how we may come by this assurance This is discouered in the text Dic animae Say vnto my Soule Who must speake God To whom must he speake to the Soule So that in this assurance God and the Soule must meet This St. Paul demonstrates The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contestari to beare witnesse together Neither our spirit alone nor Gods spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring Not our spirit alone can giue this assurance for mans heart is alwayes euill often deceitfull At all times euill Euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely euill continually At some times deceitfull The heart is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked Who can know it Non noui animam meam sayth Iob. I know not my owne soule though I were perfect And Paul concerning his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified And if Dauids soule could haue made a sufficient testimony alone what needed he pray Dic animae say Thou to my soule Some haue a true zeale of a false Religion and some a false zeale of a true Religion Paul before his conuersion had a true zeale of a false Religion I was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers The Laodiceans had a false or rather no zeale of a true Religion I know thy works that thou art neither hote nor cold So that when about this certificate a man deales with his heart singly his heart will deale with him doubly No nor doth Gods spirit alone giue this Testimony least a vaine illusion should be taken for this holy perswasion But both Gods spirit and our spirit meeting together are Concordes and Contestes ioynt witnesses Indeed the principall worke comes from Gods spirit he is the primary cause of this assurance Now he certifies vs by word by deed and by seale By word terming vs in the Scripture Gods children and putting into our mouthes that filiall voyce whereby wee cry Abba Father By deed the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long-suffering c. By these is our Election made sure sayth Saint Peter By Seale Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whom you are sealed to the day of redemption Now our spirit witnesseth with him from the sanctitie of our life faith and reformation He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe 4. Lastly this is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life euen an heauen vpon earth to be ascertained of his saluation There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexfull studies striue to apprehend But without this he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Vnum necessarium this one thing is onely necessary whatsoeuer I leaue vnknowne let me know this that I am the Lords Qui Christum discit satis est si caetera nescit He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truely knows Iesus Christ. There is no potion of miserie so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a cofortable rellish When enemies assault vs get vs vnder triumph ouer vs imagining that saluation it selfe cannot saue vs what is our comfort Noui in quem credidi I know whom I haue beleeued I am sure the Lord will not forsake me Deficit
shall make them miserable that haue this preparation Agabus told Paul hauing first bound his hands and feet with his girdle Thus sayth the holy Ghost so shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle Hereupon the rest of the Saints besought him with teares not to goe vp to Ierusalem But obserue that blessed Apostles resolued answer Paratus sum I am readie What meane ye to weepe and to breake my heart I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus The account is past I am prepared Men that want this fore-resolution are like a secure citie that spends all her wealth in furnishing her chambers and furbishing her streets but le ts her bulwarkes fall to the ground Here is prouision for peace none for warre something for content of friends nothing for defence against enemies It is vsuall for young-men with wooden Wasters to learne how to play at the sharpe they are taught with foiles how to deale with points He is desperate that ventures on a single combate in the field and was neuer lesson'd at the Fence-schoole We shall be vnable to fight with euils themselues if we cannot well incounter their shadowes Mischiefes are like the Cocatrices eye If they see first they kill foreseene they die What our foresight takes from their power it addes to our owne it enervates their strength and corroborates ours For by this both they are made lesse able to hurt vs and we are more strong to resist them Since therefore we must passe through this fierie triall let vs first proue our strength in a gentle meditation as that martyr tryed his finger in the Candle before his bodie came to the fire 2. They must be made welcome when they are come Non vt hostes sed vt hospites admittendi They must not be entertained as enemies but as guests Their feete are beautifull that bring good tydings but crosses bring good newes They assure vs that we are no bastards If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sonnes But if you be without correction then are yee bastards Non timeas flagellari sed exhaeredari Feare not to be scourged but to be disinherited There is so much comfort in sorrow as makes all affliction to the elect Carmen in nocte a song in the night Aduersitie sends vs to Christ as the leprosie sent those Ten. Luk. 17. Prosperity makes vs turne our backes vpon Christ leaue him as health did those Nine Dauids sweetest songs were his lacrymae In misery he spared Saul his great aduersary in peace he killed Vriah his deare friend The wicked sing with Grashoppers in faire Weather but the faithfull in this like Sirens can sing in a storme It is a question whether the Sun or the Wind will first make a man throw off his cloke but by all consent the Sun will first vncloke him Imagine by the Sun the warme heate of prosperitie by the Wind the blustring cold of calamitie by the cloke Christs liuerie a sincere profession Now which of these will first vncase thee of thy zeale The boystrous wind makes a man gather his cloke closer about him the hote silent Sun makes him weary of so heauy a burden he soone does it off Secure plentie is the warme Sunne which causeth many to dis-cloke themselues cast off their zeale as it did Demas who left Christ to embrace this present world But the cold wind of afflictio gathers it vp closer to him teacheth him to be more zealous When a man cannot find peace vpon earth he quickly runs to heauen to seeke it Plutarch writes that Antigonus had in his armie a valiant souldiour but of a sickly bodie Antigonus observing his valour procured his Physitians to take him in hand and he was healed Now being sound he began to fight in some feare to keepe himselfe a good distance from danger no more venturing into the vanne or forlorne place of the battell Antigonus noting and wondring at this alteration asked him the cause of this new cowardice He answers O Antigonus thou art the cause Before I ventured nothing but a diseased corpes and then I chose rather to die quickly then to liue sickly I invited death to doe me a kindnes Now it is otherwise with me for I haue somewhat to loose A poore and afflicted life makes a man bold in his religio it is nothing to part with hunger thirst cold contempt But when prosperous fortunes flow vpon him he dares not sticke so constantly to Christ. Would you haue the rich Marchant find fault with Idolatrie stand to iustifie Gods truth No he hath somwhat to take to and although he ventures much he would be loath to bee a venturer in this Yet this somewhat is nothing in regard of what he looseth because he will not loose his riches Affliction sometimes makes an euill man good alwayes a good man better Crosses therefore doe not onely chalenge our patience but euen our thankes Thy soule is sicke these are thy Physicke Intelligat homâ—… Deum esse medicum sub medicamento positus vreris secaris clamas Non audit medicus ad voluntatem sed audit ad sanitatem Vnderstand God thy Physitian he ministers to thee a bitter but wholesome potion thy stomach abhors it thou lyest bound vnder his hand whiles he workes vppon thee thou cryest to be deliuered he heares thee not according to thy will but according to thy weale We are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Thou payest the Physitian of thy body though hee cannot heale thee wilt thou not thanke the Physitian of thy soule that hath healed thee The child cryes for the knife the parent knowes it can but hurt him though he weepe for it hee shall not haue it Such children are we to thinke God doth not vse vs kindly vnlesse he giue vs euery vanitie we affect In stead of these toyes that would make vs wanton God layes on vs the rod of correction to make vs sober Our flesh is displeased our soule is saued we haue no cause to complaine I come now from the Sufferance of the Saints to The Integritie of that Sufferance According to the will of God We haue sufferd enough except it be according to his will The manner commends the matter To goe no further this point is sufficiently directed by our Apostle Vers. 14. If ye bee reproached for the name of Christ happie are you for the Spirit of glorie resteth vpon you But let none of you suffer as an euill-doer For Chap. 2. 19. This is thanke-worthie if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully This our Sauiour taught vs. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake non qui patiuntur sed qui patiuntur propter iustitiam for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Non mortes sed mores faciunt martyres
onely runne but so runne that you may obtaine Schismatickes runne but they runne out of the Church they loue the truth but not in peace Secure people runne but they run beside the church they loue peace but not in truth Others follow the truth in peace but not for the truth Dum quaerunt cam non quaerunt ipsam They saile in their Sic they misse this same Well Prosunt alijs sibi neutiquam They doe good to others but not well to themselues But wee haue almost lost both Bonum and Bene Good and Well It is an ill disiunction that our fathers had so good workes and wanted our faith and wee haue the true faith but want their workes This Well is the very forme of a good worke and Forma dat esse rei it can not be good without it Let mee take here iust cause to reproue two sorts of people 1. Some there are that trust God with their soules and destroy their owne bodies But God will take no charge of the soule but in well doing Those virgins that would kill themselues to preuent rauishments are reproued by iust censure Satius incertum adulterium in futuro quà m certum homicidium in praesenti Better an vncertaine adulterie to be endured then a certaine selfe-murther to be acted How can they hope for Gods hand of mercie that lay on themselues a hand of crueltie Rhasis in the Maccabees falling vpon his owne sword and throwing himselfe downe from the wall yet committed himselfe to Gods keeping calling vpon the Lord of life and spirit c. The Text sayes twice with little credite to the owne Iudgement that it was done Manfully But it was magnè potius quà m benè factum done with desperate valour with more venture then wisedome temeritie then honesty This was that the Deuill left out when he cited Scripture to Christ In all thy wayes he made that a parenthesis which was essentiall to the Text. This the originall testified Psal. 91. 11. Custodient in vijs tuis but this was none of his wayes downe from the pinacle to shew the people a tumbling tricke and to breake his necke So the Deuill labours to secure men of Gods prouidence generally though they be quite out of the way He bids men be confident that God will keepe their soules howsoeuer they walke so vnder colour of Gods protection he brings them to destruction Hee tels a man of predestination that he is sure of an eternall election to life therefore may liue at his owne pleasure so from Gods decree drawes encouragement to a secure life He tels him of Iustification that he is acquitted by the bloud of Christ so emboldens him on the backe of presumption to ride post to Hell whereas Predestination Iustification are onely made knowne to vs by well-doing 2. It is impossible for a man of an ill life to hope that God will keepe his soule Hee that liues ill and hopes well teacheth his ignorance to deceiue his wickednesse and them both to deceiue his soule Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God But separate your selues from the vncleane thing and I will receiue you Take away the barre your sinnes breake off the partition by repentance then I will keepe you saith God Commit your soules to the Lordes trust in well-doing or not at all If Christ had come downe from the pinacle headlong and not by the staires he had neglected the way and so beene out of the compasse of Gods promise to keepe him It is an ouer-bold presumption to charge God to keepe thy soule whilest thou doest wilfully loose it Wilt thou clippe the wings of thy soule and then bid it flie to God It is all one as if thou shouldest cut off a mans legge and then send him on an arrand Our presumption is able to tie vp Gods armes that he cannot helpe vs. Hee that will walke in prophanesse and commit his soule to God is like him that throwes himselfe into a deepe pit to trie whether God will helpe him out and saue him from drowning Man is timorous where he should bee bold and bold where he should be timorous God bids vs cast our care vpon him for this life Take no thought for your life what you shall eate or what you shall drinke or wherewith you shall be clothed your heauenly Father knowes yee haue need of all these things Yet wee dare not trust God without a pawne vnlesse wee haue bread we thinke wee shall starue Here we feare where wee ought not God tells vs the bread of heauen must feed our spirits more necessary to maintaine life in the soule then is bread to preserue life in the body we neuer hunger after this yet presume we haue sound soules and trust God to keepe them Here wee doe not feare where wee ought Wee are so sottish that wee dare trust God with the soule the more precious part without well doing the meanes to haue it saued yet dare not trust him with our bodyes vnlesse we can see our barnes full or at lest our cupbords But in vaine thou committest thy soule to God except thou obeyest God There is still a Commaundement with the promise if thou keepe not the precept thou hast no interest in the promise If thou wilt not performe thy part God is discharged of his part if thou refuse to doe well hee will not keepe thy Soule The protection of God extends not to vs in lewd courses we are then out of our way and the Deuill may take vs vp as Vagabonds If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted if thou doe euill sinne lieth at the doore If thou doe euill Sinne is thy keeper not God There was a Temple called the Temple of Trust God will not be to them a Temple of Trust that had no trust in their Temples It is a good thing to haue God keepe the soule but the wicked cannot haue this hope He that hath money layes it vp in his coffers or if he sends it abroad like a sterne laylor he suffers it not to goe without a keeper sound bonds He that hath lands makes strong conueyances to his desired heires that they may bee kept If children he prouides to haue them safely kept He keepes his goods from the theefe his chickens from the kite his lambe from the wolfe his fawne from the hound his doue from the vermine yet he keeps not his soule from the Deuill O wretched man that must die and knowes not what shall become of his soule The world would haue it but hee knowes it must not himselfe would keepe it but hee knowes he cannot Sathan would haue it and he knowes not whether he shall he would haue God take it and he knowes not whether he will O miserable man that must part with his soule he knowes not whether We see what it is to lead an euill life and to bee a stranger to God He knowes his sheepe
immundus The world is mad that his dominion and damnation should be spoken against 2. Secretly he hinders the free preaching of the Gospell by corrupting their hearts that are deputed to that office And this he effecteth by infusion of these foure hellish ingredients Heresie against truth Schisme against peace Popularitie against simplicitie and couetice against Charitie 1. He poysons some hearts with hereticall poynts of doctrine which being lightly most pleasing to the flesh are drunke with thirstie attention Heresie is thus defined humanosensu electa Scripturae sacrae contraria palam docta pertinaciter defensa begot of mans braine contrary to the holy Scriptures openly taught and peremptorily defended By this so farre as the flesh in man preuailes against the Spirit Sathan preuailes against the truth So that if they must needs haue any of the pure gold of Gods word it shall be so sophisticated adulterate and mingled with the drosse of humane Traditions that they shall not be able to perceiue or receiue it 2. Those whom he cannot corrupt against truth he incenseth against peace Diuision shall accomplish that mischiefe which errour failed in Whom he cannot transport to Rome he ferries ouer to Amsterdam He will either keepe men on this side the truth or send them beyond it Errour on the right hand shall cast away soules if errour on the left cannot Some runne so farre from Babylon that they will not keepe neere Ierusalem as men that runne so eagerly from a Lyon that they refuge themselues in the hole of a Serpent The Schismaticke meets with the Romanist in superstition another way Thus Quibus nequit tollere veritatem negat permittere vnitatem It he cannot depriue vs of truth he will not permit vs peace 3. By perswading men to be temporisers and to catch at the fauours of great men Thus when a Preacher must measure his Sermon by his Lords humour the truth of the Lord of Hoasts is smoothered Against oppression he dares not speake because it is his Lords fault not against pride because it is his Ladies not against ryot because it is his young Masters nor against drunkennesse because they fauour it whom his Great-one fauours He must not meddle with those vlcers which he sees to sticke on his Patrons conscience That were the way to loose both present benefite and future benefice he dares not doe it Whiles he is their seruile chaplaine he must learne Turkie-worke to make thrum'd cushions of flatterie for their elbowes It seemes it was not Gods businesse that such a one made himselfe Minister for but his owne or worse He hath three Masters he serues his Lord hee serues himselfe hee serues the Deuill which of these will pay him the best wages Thus if Sathan can neither take away the truth nor peace yet he labours against simplicitie that for feare of men and hope of mens they forbeare to speake against wickednes What his kingdome looseth one way it recouers another 4. By infecting their hearts with couetousnesse and extending their desires to an insatiable wealth With this pill he poison'd Demas and Iudas before him and thousands after him The Chaire of Rome is filled with this pestilence England hath found it though many Princes will not find it When the reuenues of the Crowne amounted not to halfe the Popes yearly taxes But we are well eased of that vnsupportable burden Edward the 3. begun it for he first made the Premunire against the Pope and our succeeding Christian Princes haue quite throwne him out of the saddle God did not make his law so long but man might easily remember it comprising it all in ten Commandements But the Pope hath curtalled it made it far shorter abridging the ten commandements into two words Da pecuniam Giue money And for this the whole law shall be dispensed with Experience hath still proued that money was the Apostolicall arguments of Rome An Emperour paid for his absolution 120000. ounces of gold a deare reckoning for those wares that cost the Pope nothing In the raigne of Hen. 3. The Pope required the tenths of all the moueables in England Ireland Wales and because he feared that such moneys could not be speedily enough collected he sent ouer many vsurers into the land which were then called Caursini who would lend money to those of the Clergy that wanted but on so vnreasonable extortion that the debters were still beggar'd So that what by his violent exaction subtle circumuention by his owne vsurers for all they had was the Popes money he desired onely the tenth part but he got away also the other 9. And indeed the Pope had reason to maintain vsury for vsury maintained the Pope Neither is this infection bounded vp with that Bishop but dissipated among all his Clergie Not so much as the very Mendicant Fryers that professe wilfull pouertie but haue a wilfull desire to be rich They haue more holines in their hands then in their hearts their hands touch no money their hearts couet it But the great Belphegor somtimes giues them a purge Wherupon said W. Swinderby If the Pope may take from the Fryers to make them keepe Saint Frances rule why may not the Emperour take from the Pope to make him keepe Christs rule But whosoeuer gets the poore Laitie looseth all There was a booke called Poenitentiarius Asini The Asses Confessor wherein is mentioned this Fable The wolfe the foxe and the asse come to shrift together to doe penance The wolfe confesseth himselfe to the foxe who easily absolueth him The foxe doth the like to the wolfe and receiueth the like fauour After this the asse comes to confession and his fault was that being hungry he had taken out one straw from the sheafe of a Pilgrim to Rome whereof he was heartily repentant But this would not serue the law was executed seuerely vpon him he was slaine and deuoured By the wolfe is meant the Pope by the foxe his Cardinals Iesuites Priestes these quickly absolue one another how haynous euer their offences were But when the poore Asse that 's the Laitie comes to shrift though his offence be not the waight and worth of a straw yet on his backe must the law be seuerely executed and the holy Father the wolfe makes a great matter of it Immensum scelus est iniuria quam peregrinâ—… Fecesti stramen surripiendo sibi O the insatiable gulfe of that Sea God grant that none of that infection euer come ouer amongst the ministers of the Gospell There is nothing more absurd then that those which teach others to seeke the kingdome of heauen and to despise the world should be found to embrace the world with the neglect of heauen These are the generall fires this malicious Incendiary kindles There are also too particular and speciall which he enflameth in priuate mens hearts whereby he prepossesseth them with a preiudiciall disesâ—…mation of the Gospell for causes either direct or oblique Directly for it selfe or obliquely and by