treatise touching outwarde temptations he now proceedeth to the third place in this first Chapter handled which is concerning internall and inwarde temptations of the mind whereby men are pricked forward and mooued to euill proceeding from Satan who by our owne concupiscense and carnall desires solliciteth vs to mischiefe wickednesse The summe whereof is this men may not impute their euill temptations to God neither make him the authour thereof seeing our owne desires do tempt vs and carie vs away to wickednesse and we beare about in our owne bosomes naturall corruption which snatcheth and catcheth euery occasion of comitting euil wherehence all sinne groweth and buddeth as from a stocke and roote and death ensueth and followeth sinne at the heeles as the reward and wages Rom. 6. thereof 1 The first thing in these wordes and this discourse is the proposition of the place whereby their errour is confuted and condemned who hold and affirme that when they are prouoked pricked to euill they are thereunto prouoked and tempted by God which lay the cause of euill concupiscense corrupt affections wicked temptations yea and of sinne it selfe vpon God and say God prouoked and stirred me vp to this euil God seduced and led me into this temptation God mooued and sollicited me to this sinne This the Apostle remouing as an horrible errour from the hearts and mindes of men giueth them this aduice in this present proposition Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God When pleasure prouoketh when pride pricketh whē malice boileth when couetousnesse assaulteth when reuenge kindleth when feare discourageth or any other thing tempteth vs to euil we may not impute this to God and therby thinke our selues excused Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God is not the cause of this temptation neither may our sinnes be referred vnto him The trueth of this proposition shall the better be vnderstood and knowen if we consider that there are specially three kindes of temptations in holy Scripture mentioned thus distinguished in the regard of the ends of euery one of them 1 One temptation is called the temptation of proof because the ende thereof is the proofe of men that thereby there may be had a triall of our faith patience constancie with other vertues in vs whatsoeuer And it is thē when either some worke is commanded vs of God which is harde and grieuous vnto the flesh as was that temptation of Abraham who from God was willed to offer and sacrifice Gen. 22. vp his onely and deare sonne Isaac whom he had begotten in his olde age in whom onely was the hope of the accomplishment of all Gods promises vnto him the heire of his goods the seede of his posteritie the very ioy of his heart which thing was commanded for the triall of his faith patience and obedience that he thus tried might be knowen and manifested to the world and his vertue and obedience an example and patterne to all posteritie to imitate and follow for euer Or els when some heauie crosse great miserie strange affliction is laide vpon vs for the triall of our hearts whether from an vnfeyned faith we loue God or no as was the temptation of Iob Job 1. 2. ◠whose crosse was heauie whose miserie was great whose afflictions strange that thereby his patience being tryed he might be thereof an example to all the Saints Thus was he tempted his children destroyed sodenly his goods taken from him violently his body diseased strangely his wife vpbrayding him wickedly his friends rebuking him sharpely What greater crosse could bee laid vpon man bereft of children spoiled of goods abused by his wife cōdemned by his friends sore in body sick in minde what miserie herewith is to be compared yet al to prooue him Like temptation was that of Tobias who sleeping vnder Tob. 2. the wall of his house his face vncouered the dongue of Swallowes fell into his eies and he lost his sight therewith tempted for triall God saith Moses tempted his people fortie yeares leading them vp and downe the wildernes Deut. 8. to humble their hearts to trie their faith to prooue their patience and so make triall of them whether they loued the Lord their God or no. Or finally this temptation is when God sendeth heresies false doctrines errors among men thereby to trie the true Saints of God and the vnfeyned seruants of Iesus Christ This end almightie God respected in the temptation of Israel vnto whom hee sent false Prophets working miracles and shewing also wonders among men thereby to trie his people To which Deut. 13. purpose the holy Apostle affirmeth that therefore heresies 1. Cor. 11. must needes bee among men that they which are proued might be knowen Thus the Church of Christ hath alwaies been tempted In the time of the Apostles many false teachers and sundrie damnable heresies were sproong vp among them as both Paul in sundrie his Epistles and Peter in like maner 1. Cor. 15. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 2. aboundantly doe testifie After the time of the Apostles in the succeeding ages how many heresies sproong vp whereby the Church was tempted and tried who is conuersant in the writings of the auncient Fathers who is occupied in the turning ouer of Ecclesiasticall stories who is seene in the Chronicles of all times which knoweth not Our time not voide of like temptations for now the Libertines are reuiued the Anabaptists are raked out of hell againe the familie of loue a masse of all mischiefe a world of all wickednes a confusion of heresies is fresh in our daies Papists Seminaries Iesuites newe sectes of popish heresie swarme in euery corner of our Countrey euen among our selues and as it were out of the bosome of the churchmen arise speaking peruerse things drawing Acts. 20. vnder colour of religion and godlines many Disciples after them wherby the peace of Hierusalem is disturbed which to vs also as to other commeth to passe for the triall of the Saints and the proofe of the godly God then sēding these or like things vnto men doth it not to solicite stir or moue them to any euil defectiō or falling from the faith but to trie them to make them know them selues to exercise their vertues to cause them more immouably to cleaue vnto him that they being constant and patient vnder all manner temptations may finally attaine to eternall saluation In which temptations how so euer the instruments thereunto vsed by God be wickedly affected yet in all thinges respecteth he that which tendeth most vnto his owne glorie and the benefite of his Church and so is he neuer to bee charged as the cause of wickednesse among men 2 Beside the temptation to proue there is a temptation also of presumption whereby men are moued to Rom. 2. tempt God too much presuming of his goodnes abusing his patience despising the mercie and long suffering of God flattering
fearefull iudgements of God vpon them which haue afflicted and cruelly persequuted his Church and Saints in all times This might easily asswage and mitigate all griefe and sorowe of out hearts Cain for persequuting and murthering Abell was Gen. 4. punished with a desperate minde all the dayes of his life with eternall torment of conscience in the kingdome of satan for euer Ismael for persequuting Isaac the seede of Gen. 21. Gal. 4. the promise was therefore caste out of the house of Abraham which was the ripe of the church of God Pharao and the Egyptians hauing a longtime afflicted the people Exod. 14. of God were therefore finally ouerthrowen in the redde sea and so prince and people horse and man perished The Philistines Amalachites Madianites Babilonians Assirians and others for like persequution were also punished Achab king of Israel persequuted the prophets 3 Kings 22. afflicted the saints of God and slew them to whom his bloudy wife Jesabell blew the bellowes of cruel tyrannie therfore he perished in the battle in Ramoth Gilead by the Syrians and the dogges licked his bloud in the poole of Samaria and shee was caste downe at a windowe 4. Kings 9. her braines being dasht out and her bodie deuoured of dogges When Antiochus the king of Siria had raised great persequution against the people of God hee himselfe was grieuously punished by God for not onely Maccab. 1. 6. 2. 9. c. his armie was greatly wasted of Iudas Maccabe but also when he purposed to haue made Hierusalem a coÌ„mon sepulchre for the Iewes he was stroken with a grieuous and incurable disease of his bowels and scrawling of wormes in his bodie and such a filthie stincke as that no man could abide it so that he was forced to waÌ„der in the mountaines and so ended his daies in miserie Haman afflicted Ester 7. Mardocaie and the people of the Iewes for which cause God caused him to fall into the disfauour of Assuerus who caused him to be hong vpon the gallowes he had prepared for Mardecay Herod called the great persecuting our sauiour Christ in the infaÌ„ts of Bethlem the coast therof Mat. 2. whom from two yeares olde and vnder hee caused to be murthered for the same was stroken with the fearefull disease of Antiochus and after vnspeakeable tormentes thereby ended his life most wretchedly as both Iosephus Ioseph lib. 17 c. 9. Antiquis 1. lib. c. 8. 9 writeth and Eusebius recordeth in his Ecclesiasticall historie Herod called Antipas the sonne of Herod the great caused Iohn to be beheaded in prison at the request of Herodias for that he had said It was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife For which thing Herod was punished of God His father in lawe Aretas the king of Arabia ouercame and slewe his armie and he fled to Lugden in Fraunce whether his incestuous harlotte folowed him where in miserable banishment he and she both perished What punishments the cruell Iewes suffered for Ioseph 18. lib. c. 20. Antiq. De bello Iudaico persecuting Christ and his Apostles it is at large in seuen bookes shewed by Josephus who shewed the great miserable warre the Romane Captaines Titus and Vaspasian had against Ierusalem and the wonderfull distresse the Iewes were driuen vnto thereby as is apparant and our Sauiour before had threatened Herod Agrippa as he imitated Luke 19. Mat. 23. Luke 21. 23. Actes 12. the persecution of his Grandfather Herod the great so was he punished as he was For hauing slaine Iames and cast Peter into prison making an oration to the people for which they gaue him the name of God is this the voice of God not of a maÌ„ he chalenging the same was stroken by the angell of God wormes scrawled also out of his bodie and so he died Nero the Emperour persecuted Paul and Peter and the Saintes but he fell by his owne handes and became his owne butcher Domitian the persecuting Emperour was slaine of his Subiects and buried without honour Like punishment befell like persecutours Finally many who haue afflicted priuate men haue beene themselues also greeuously afflicted and punished by God whose iust reward if wee did consider it shoulde cause vs in our afflictions to be patient and to settle our mindes as we are here exhorted partly therefore by the promises of our deliuerance and partly by the experience and trial of the power of God in that behalfe partely by the hope we haue of our glorious reward if we continue patient and finally that almighty God doth seuerely punish the wicked who haue persecuted his Church or any member thereof in our afflictions our hartes must be quietted and setled according to the doctrine of the Apostle be yee therefore patient also and settle your hearts 3 The third and laste thing in the similitude is the 3. Reason reason annexed the Saintes of God must be patient and settle their heartes because the comming of the Lorde approcheth Though the Lorde seeme to â—aâ—ie long yet wil he come and not tarie The prophet Abacuc shewing Abacuc 2 that both the enimies of Gods elect shal be destroied and the Saints certainely deliuered so that the issue of both shal be assuredly at the appoynted time though not alwaies according to our rash headie and hastie affection faith that the vision thereof that is of the deliuerance of the Saints and the punishmeÌ„t of the wicked is for an appointed time but at the laste it shall speake and shall not lie though it tarie waite for it shall surely come and not stay Which Saint Paul applying to the coÌ„ming of Christ Heb. 10. as a feare full auenger against the wicked and a plentifull rewarder of the patience of the righteous therefore telleth the Hebrues that they haue neede of patience that after they haue done the will of God they might receaue the promises For yet a little vvhile and hee that shall come will come and not tarrie Our Sauiour Christ in the holy Reuelation speaking of his comming which he Reuel 22. vvill not prolong but rather hasten for the elects sake sayth vnto his Church beholde I come shortly blessed â—at 24 is hee that keepeth the wordes of the Prophesie of this booke Seeing therefore the Lords comming to reuenge his elect and punish their enemies is at hand draweth neere the saints ought not to thinke the time of their afflictioÌ„ loÌ„g but to settle their harts endure with patieÌ„ce Which is the reason of the Apostle in this place to moue vnto patience Which reason if it might perswade men in the time of the Apostles to be patient and to endure the time of their triall because the comming of the Lorde for their full deliuerance drewe neere how much more effectuall is it to moue vs to endure the time of our trial seeing the time of Christes comming is so much shortened And if the comming of the Lord
of the earth The kingdome of the Persians and Medes a mightie kingdome hauing besides Sidrach Misach and Abednego 120. princes and gouernours yet it was measured by it limits and bounds it reached not through the whole worlde The Grecians the Romans the Babylonians and other people had mightie Monarches Dominions and Empires yet none of them but had their bounds on earth which they did not passe but the kingdome of Christ is infinitely spread vpon the face of the earth and runneth through the whole worlde Psal 72. for his dominion is from sea to sea and from the riuers vnto the end of the land They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and his enemies shall licke the dust the kings of Tharsis and of the Iles shall bring him presents the kings of Sheba and Saba shal bring him gifts Yea all kings shall worship him all nations shall serue him This kingdome reacheth from East to West from whence men shall arise to encrease this kingdome for which cause our Sauiour saith to the vnthankefull Mat. 8. Iewes that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in his heauenly kingdome which kingdome Saint Iohn describing and shewing who were as heires sealed vp therevnto saith After these things I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds people Reuel 7. and tongues stoode before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes palmes in their hands and so after the 144. thousand of the Iewes he referreth an innumerable multitude also of the Gentiles to the kingdome of Christ whereby it appeareth it is infinite and vniuersally diffused and scattered vppon the whole earth whereunto all the elect of God wheresoeuer dispersed appertaine as in the writing of Iames to the twelue tribes dispersed appeareth 2 Besides this in that Saint Iames writeth vnto the twelue tribes dispersed it teacheth vs that the Church of Christ is tied or bound to no place neither so fastened to Hierusalem but it may be remoued but is alwayes there where the true saints of god are The church was somtime in paradise whē our prime parents were there resident in their righteousnes but not so immoueably but that it was afterward els where in Abell The Church was in Mesopotamia in Abraham but not there tied but afterward it was here and there with him now in Aegypt now in Caldea now in Canaan now here now there with Isaac Iacob and Ioseph with Dauid the Princes the Prophets Christ the holy Apostles as the stories witnesse Now in the countries of the Gentiles in the dispersed Iewes to whom S. Iames here writeth Absurdly therefore do our aduersaries the Papists tie the Church of Christ to the Chaire of Peter in Rome Seeing in all times it hath remoued with the faithfull and is there where the worde is professed Sacraments duly administred discipline in some measure practised and exercised 3 Now that Saint Iames mencioneth onely the twelue tribes of Israel as the persons to whom he writeth we may not gather that this doctrine appertaineth not to vs nor to other Churches as well as to the Iewes and scattered tribes to whom it was chiefly and first sent For such is the nature of God that when he speaketh to one man or one people yet then must all men and all people heare him Wherefore when he gaue his law to Israel onely yet it concerneth all men and condemneth all that are guiltie Exod. 20 thereof Saint Paul rehearsing the punishments which God inflicted vpon the Iewes for their horrible sinnes 1. Cor. 10 shewing that the same appertaine vnto all concludeth that such things came vpon them for examples but were written to admonish vs vpon whom the endes of the world are come And generally speaking of the whole scripture that it is not written to any one people but that Rom. 15. it concerneth others in like maner saith Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning that we through patience and consolation of the holie scripture might haue hope Whatsoeuer then in scripture tendeth either to doctrine or to instruction reprehension correction or consolation it after some maner also pertaineth vnto all Whether then the Saints write to whole Congregations and Churches as Paul to the Romans Corinthians Galathians Ephesians Philippians Collossians Thessalonians and other Churches or els to speciall persons as Paul to Timothie Titus Philemon Iohn to the elect Ladie to Gaius beloued in the Lord or other persons they in some maner concerne all men and something therhence may be gathered which concerneth not those places and persons only but all in generall Though therefore Saint Peter write to the Saints being 1. Pet. 1. 1. straungers which dwelt here and there throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia and S. Iames here sendeth this Epistle to the twelue tribes of Israel dispersed and scattered yet may we not thinke that it concerneth them onely but all men also albeit for the circumstance of time place and person they wrote vnto certaine Neither is this marueilous or strange The Philosophers and prophane writers as Plato Cicero Aristotle Xenophon Seneca and others haue written to seuerall and certaine persons chiefly yet their precepts concerned all the Gentiles who thought themselues bounde to obey them Shall humane Philosophie dedicated to certaine persons binde all to obey it and shall not the heauenly and diuine Philosophie of Gods worde though it thiefly be sent to some one yet bind all men to obedience This Epistle was sent to the twelue tribes dispersed yet it concerneth all men Wherefore of the Grecians it is called Catholike of the Latins Canonicall of vs others Generall because it concerneth all people in generall Neither doth it follow it was writ first to the Iewes therefore it appertaineth not to vs Gentiles for the whole law of God and the whole doctrine of the Gospell was Exod. 20. Mat. 10. Act. 13. Matt. 28. first deliuered vnto the Iewes and then afterwarde vnto the Gentiles Thus much is necessarie herehence to know for vs Who easily will turne the Iewes vnto obedience to the scriptures and liue as we lust our selues as if these things concerned not vs but them onely The persons to whom this Epistle was written were the 12. tribes dispersed and after them the doctrine bindeth vs all to holy obedience In the title the third and last thing is the greeting he 3. Salutation sendeth Touching greetings salutations which amōg all men haue at all times been vsuall wee need not curiously to consider seeing it cānot be denied but that both godly and profane persons haue vsed it and both profane writings and the holy Scripture also deliuer and set down sundry formes thereof Plato disputeth of the salutations and gteetings of the Gretians whose common salutatiōs 3. Epist Dionisio were three To wish ioy
hypocrites thinke their counterfeite hoâ—ynesse to bee true holinesse wherefore they embrace it they brooke it they delight therein they loue it as if it were sincere and perfect integritie And thus they may bee compared vnto fooles looking into glasses who heare the worde awd looke into the law being carelesse to obey it The other part of this similitude is who so looketh into the perfect law of libertie hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worde shall be blessed in his deede In which member we see the lawe is called perfect and a perfect law of libertie 1 Perfect which addition Dauid also giueth vnto the law The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule Psal 19. therefore so called because whatsoeuer appertaineth to faith and godlinesse is therein aboundantly set downe and deliuered so that neither in doctrine neither in maners we ought to seek for any other thing whatsoeuer S John entreating of the perfection of the newe lawe which is the Gospell confesseth that therein all things which Iohn 20. our Sauiour did were not written yet sufficient things to be written which men beleeuing might thereby liue wherefore he saith Many other signes and tokens did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke but these things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Saint Paul writeth that he kept not backe any thing from the Church of Ephesus but hath shewed them all the Acts 20. counsels of God Tertulian crieth out that that Church is happie to which the Apostles haue powred out all the Tertulian doctrine of God euen with their owne bloud Our Sauiour promiseth the Church a Comforter which should Iohn 16. bring them into all truth What truth is it that the holy Ghost did not teach the Church But yet least wee should thinke there were other truthes beside such as were preached by Christ and penned by the Euangelists it is added that that Comforter should teach them whatsoeuer Christ had taught them before Wherein was enough to saluation as Iohn witnesseth Saint Paul sheweth the excellencie of the worde of God and how perfect it is in all poynts affirmeth that all Scripture is inspired 1. Tim. 3. from aboue and is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God might be perfect instructed to euerie good worke Vnto this truth the fathers reuerendly subscribe Saint Tract 49. vpon Iohn Augustine sayeth that where as Christ had done manie things which were not written yet such things were chosen to bee written which the writers thought sufficient for the saluation of them which beleeued Saint Cirill Lib. 12. vpon Iohn hath almost the same wordes All things that were done by Christ were not written but those things onely which seemed sufficient both to maners and to doctrine that men shining through true faith and good workes might come to the heauenly kingdome by Iesus Christ our Lorde Chrysostome vpon Matthew not once and Vpon Mat. 22. 4. hom vpon the Epistle to Titus in like manner sheweth that all things necessarie are in Scripture reuealed therefore concludeth he that they are perfect Athanasius finally affirmeth that the Scriptures inspired froÌ„ aboue is sufficient for instruction in all vertue And this is true in the whole lawe of God but most manifest in the doctrine of the Gospel The lawe which by Moises ministerie was giuen the people was so perfite that almightie God forewarned them that they should neither adde nor diminish therefrom end howe seuerely he punished that malapert and Deut. 4. 12. Prou. 30. sawsie boldnesse in the Israelites which aduentured to adde any thing either to the doctrine or the ceremonies so many sermons of the Prophets the interpreters of the lawes so many testimonies of holy Scripture the holy sacred diuine histories our Sauiour Christ himselfe witnesseth most plainly Shall we thinke more basely now of the Gospell which is a doctrine more excellent then the â—awe Shall wee thinke God had lesse carefull consideâ—ation of his church in the daies of his son being on earth â—nd afterward then he had in the time of Moises Or shall â—e dare to imagin the Prophets to haue left a more perâ—ect doctrine then the apostles taught by the very mouth â—f Christ and ledde into all truth by the holy Ghost according to the promise Wherefore if the lawe were perfect so that the people durst adde thereto or detract therefro nothing which who tempted were punished shall not the Gospel containe a most perfect doctrine whereunto nothing may be added from which nothing may be detracted This the Angel acknowledged wheÌ„ in Reuel 22. the shutting vp and concluding of the Gospel he protesteth that if any man adde to the wordes of that booke God should adde the plagues in that booke written vnto him and if any should diminish any thing therein God would diminish and take away his name from out of the booke of life Thereby therefore is the perfection of the Gospel concluded Which thing the holy Apostle here to expresse vnto vs calleth the worde of God the perfect law For this cause the Scripture hath the name of a Canon giuen it and is called Canonicall because it is the onely perfect rule line leuell and square whereby all doctrines and all maners must be meet measured examined and prooued as by that which is most sufficient and perfect which suffereth no addition nor detraction for then the rule and measure faileth This being true as most true it is not onely by the infallible worde of God but by the manifest testimonies of the reuerend fathers then Ambrose 3. de virgini all inuentions dreames doctrines traditions vnwritten verities must fall to the ground and be condemned as counterfet adulterie and sacriligious which are not warranted out of the perfect law of the Gospel as Saint Ambros affirmeth The Gospel here hence then is proued to be perfect 2 As it is perfect so is it a law of libertie not that it bringeth men into carnall freedome to do what they lust 1. Pet. 2. whereunto the wicked abuse it for a cloake of wickednesse but because it setteth vs at libertie in our consciences from Satan sinne and death which we obtainie by Christ Iohn 8. who freeing vs we are free in deede He therefore calling vs to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and the Gospel preaching this libertie of conscience vnto men is called the law of libertie 3 In this law must we continue herein must we looke continually herein must we meditate day and night herein must we spend our dayes Some thinke it enough Psal 1. to looke into this law once in their liues Some thinke it much to looke into it once in a yeare two three or seuen Some perswade
Aristotle the Philosopher and heathen sending Calisthenes the Philosopher to Alexander the great king of Macedonia Aristotle oftentimes admonished and commaunded him to speake more rarely and most pleasantly to the King because he carried life and death in his tongue The which the wiseman foreseeing saith He that keepeth his mouth Pro. 21. and his tongue keepeth his soule from trouble And in another place comparing a man whose tongue is vnbrideled to a City vnwalled affirmeth As a citie lying open Pro. 25. and vncompassed with walles euen so is a man that cannot refraine his tongue Which when holy Dauid rightly weyed and aduisedly Psal 141. considered he praieth the Lord to set a watch before his mouth and to keep the dore of his lippes And the sonne of Sirach to the like purpose crieth out Who shall Ecclus. 22. set a watch before my mouth and a seale of wisdome before my lips that I fall not sodenly by them and that my tongue destroy me not Thus men thinking themselues to haue an absolute libertie to prate and prattle what they lust without hurt or danger by their saucie pratling and brabling by the euill of their tongues they greatly endanger themselues and so deceiue their owne hearts Neither that onely but by much talke they thinke to attain to the opinion of wisdome with men who onely speaking would be thought to haue all knowledge but hereby they shewe their greater follie and so deceiue their owne hearts The wise man shewing that it is great follie not to bridle and moderate the tongue saith That the voice of a foole is in the multitude of words and elswhere to like Eccles. 5. purpose A wise man concealeth knowledge but the harts of fooles publish foolishnes The same writeth that wise Pro. 12. men vse fewe words then it followeth that such as vse many words are fooles Wherefore when by much talking Pro. 17. we thinke to obteine opinion of wisdome then most of all we descrie our owne follie and thereby we deceiue our own hearts and therefore we ought to refraine our tongues Finally we thinke our tongues to be geuen vs to prattle at our owne pleasures but they are geuen as instruments to set foorth the mightie and manifolde power of God his miracles and wonderous works which he doth towards the children of men abusing then our toungs at our own pleasure we deceue our own harts Seeing therefore by not moderating our tongues we thus deceiue our selues and our owne hearts we ought with all carefulnes to bridle moderate our tongues by the word of trueth As not moderating our tongues we deceiue our own hearts so we descrie our hypoctisie we corrupt and defile our religiō and make it vaine before God therfore ought we to moderate and refraine our tongues whose speach is not good their religion cannot be acceptable Wherefore vnlesse we refraine our tongues our religion is frustrate and in vaine Now the euils and faults of our tongues frō which they not refrained deceiue our heartes and make our religion vaine are sundrie 1 Vaine talke idle friuolous seruing to no profit to no purpose prating and pratling where there is no neede Mat. 12. for which we shall geue account to God as Christ witnesseth protesting that we shall geue accounts vnto GOD Ephes 5. for euery vaine and idle word proceeding from vs. Saint Paul exhorteth the Saints to put from them all vaine and foolish talke as a thing not becomming them From this euill if we refrain not our tongues our religion is in vain For if any man among you seem religious and refraineth not from this this mans religion is in vaine 2 Another euil to be restrained in men is when we talk of god of his word of his law religion not desirous to reforme our liues according vnto his cōmandements This is a great euil and point of halting hypocrifie wherby our religion is frustrate and in vaine For to talke of Gods word and not to walke in his will profiteth or preuayleth nothing to religion therefore almighty GOD shewing their religion to be but in vaine which talked of him in their mouthes but folowed him not in their harts crieth out This people draweth neare vnto me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me worshipping me in vaine teaching doctrines precepts of men Dauid in Gods person telling the hypocrites that their talking of his couenants was in vaine in as much as Psal 50. they would not be reformed in their conuersations saith What hast thou to doe to declare my ordinances and to take my couenants in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my words behind thee Our blessed Sauiour intimateth and witnesseth vnto men that to Mat. 7. call vpon him in their wordes maketh them but hypocrites and sheweth their religion to be vaine when they doe not that which he commaundeth therefore he saith that not euery one that saith vnto him Lord Lord shall therefore enter into his kingdome but such as did the will of his father Finally Saint Paul accounting their religion as 1. Tit. vaine which talke of God in their mouthes but obey him not in their deedes condemneth them as hypocrites who say they know God in word but deny him in deedes being abhominable disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate From this vanitie and foolish prating if wee refraine not our tongues though we seeme neuer so religious yet deceaue wee our selues and our religion is in vaine And yet this is our religion in these daies consisting in lip-labour and talking of God and his commandements but not liuing according as in his lawes he chargeth vs and therefore are we not better then very hypocrites For if any man among vs seem religious refraineth not his tongue from this vanity also surely this mans religion is in vaine 3 As from these euils our tongues must be refrayned so from rash iudgement of our brethren when vpon surmised suspitions we condemne them for this also maketh Mat. 9. our religion vaine Therefore our Sauiour to remoue it farre from the Saints his Church forewarneth them not to iudge least they be iudged not to condēne least they be condemned To whom the Apostle agreeth Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who 1. Cor. 4. shall lighten things that are in darkenes and make the counsels of the heart manifest In which kinde they sinne which by euentes iudge and condemne their brethren accounting them for most wicked vppon whom the hand of the Lords chastisement lighteth The wicked iudged Christ condemned of God Isai 53. Wisd 3 5. chap. Job 4. Psal 41. 8. because he was chastened of the Father The vngodly condemned the Saints for despised because they were subiect to affliction in the world The frends of Job iudged Iob wicked because hee was so many waies plagued of God The people condemned the Galileans those
calleth Lot his brothers sonne brother Let there be no strife betweene vs and our heardmen for we are brethren Thus the cousins of Christ after this phrase of the Hebrewes are called his brethren When our Sauiour Luke 8. Mat. 12. Christ was preaching within the house to the people there came newes to him that his mother and brethren stoode without desirous to speake with him they which were there called his brethren were Iames Ioses Simon and Iudas the cousins of Christ and the sonnes of Marie Cleopha sister to the blessed virgin as in the next place Chapter of the Euangelist is recorded who reporteth Mat. 13. that the Iewes seeing the wonderfull workes and myracles which he did in murmuring and disdainfull manner spake of him and his kinred and said Is not this the Carpenters sonne is not his mother Mary are not his brethren James and Ioses Simon and Judas These were not his naturall brethren neither the sonnes of Mary the virgin but his cousin 's germane and the sonnes of Alpheus the husbande of Mary Cleopha the sister of the blessed virgin S. John calleth Christes kinsmen who in reproachfull John 7 manner willed him to depart from them and to goe into Iudea to shewe himselfe vnto his Disciples by the name of brethren wherefore he said that in the feast of Tabernacles his brethren said vnto him Depart hence and goe into Iudea that thy Disciples may see the workes thou doest calling his kinsfolke by the name of brethren according to the speech of the Hebrewes Iacob comming Gen. 29. to Rachell the daughter of Laban telleth her that he was her fathers brother and the sonne of Rebecca Rebecca was sister to Laban and Laban vncle to Iacob yet when he properly speaking should haue said I am thy fathers nephewe he saith I am his brother which was common to the Hebrewes And Laban himselfe beating a price with verse 15. Iacob what he would take to serue him calleth Iacob brother after the same manner though thou be my brother yer shalt thou not serue me for nought Thus both in the old and also in the new testament the holy Ghost vsing the phrase of the Hebrewes calleth such as are but kinsfolke and of kinde as cousins by the name of brethren vsing the word Brother much more largely 4 To come nearer vnto the Apostle in the whole booke of God both the olde and also the new testament they are often called brethren which were of the same religion which serued the same true and liuing God which were of the same profession After which acception of brethren the Hebrewes in the olde lawe and the Christians vnder the Gospell are brethren Moses therefore seeing Exod. 2. Acts 7. two Hebrewes contend and striue together to reconcile them and to stay the contention asketh them why they stroue together seeing they were brethren yet brethren onely in respect of their religion wherein they agreeing were called brethren Which is also the meaning of the lawe which willed the Israelites when they came Deut. 15. into the land of Canaan if therin any of their brethrē fel into pouertie and decay they shoulde helpe him releeue him succour him whereunto almighty God respected Deut. 25. when for a time for the hardnes of their harts he forbidding the people to take of their brethren suffered them to take vpon vsurie of strangers accounting all the Iewes as brethren because they serued the true and liuing god but the Nations and people of other Countries as strangers because they agreed not with them in their religion In which sence the lawe speaketh when it either forbiddeth or permitteth this or that to bee done vnto the brethren The newe testament following the old herein and the Apostles holy men of God in the primitiue church imitating the examples of the Saintes in the time of the law and Prophetes call in like manner those brethren which are of the same religion and profession of the Gospell Wherefore Saint Peter immediately after Christes ascension speaking to the Disciples and professors of the Acts 1. Gospell made this oration vnto them Men and brethren this Scripture must needes haue beene fulfilled which the holie Ghost by the mouth of Dauid had spoken before of Judas which was guide to those which tooke Iesus Acts ◠Men and brethren Not long after speaking vnto the people after the discension of the holy Ghost wherewith they being replenished were thought to haue bene drunk with new wine in his sermon then made he crieth out Men and brethren I may boldly speake vnto you of the Patriarke Dauid c. The twelue Apostles ordayning Acts 6. Deacons in the Church speaking to those which professed the Gospel say in this maner wherefore brethren looke you out among you seuen men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and of wisedome whome we may appoint to this businesse Saint Paul in his Sermon Acts 13. at Antiochia in Pisidia giueth this appellation to the professours Men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluation sent and a litle after Be it knowne vnto you therfore men and brethren Verse 38. that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes Thus must we take brethren when in their Epistles the Apostles call the Saints brethren as Paul almost in euery Epistle S. Peter and S. John happily not rarely vse it reputing them for brethren who professe the same faith and religion of Christ In which sense our Apostle is to bee taken also who in this proposition noting the persons whom he admonisheth calleth them his brethren My brethren And this is the holy and spirituall brotherhoode whereinto we are knit in Christ in whom and by whom we are the sonnes of God and an heauenly and holy brotherhood among our selues The Saints of God may well here be called brethren 1 Because they haue one spirituall ghostly and heauenly father which is God who is father of vs all of whom 1. Cor. 8. are all things and we in him Which Paul vseth as an argument to pricke and prouoke vs vnto loue there is one Ephes 4. God and father of all which is aboue all and through you all and in you all therefore our Sauiour maketh God his father and the father of all the Saints I ascend to my father Iohn 20. and your father my God and your God 2 As because we haue one spirituall father we are brethren so because we haue one spirituall mother we are brethren nowe as God is our ghostly Father so is the Church our mysticall mother that most chaste spouse of Christ which hath brought vs forth by a newe birth in whose sweete bosome we are noursed into whose happie lappe we are gathered with whose fruitfull breasts we are fed who dayly cherisheth vs for hir owne with the sincere
they shewe their riches wherewith they are indued This seemeth to haue been cōmitted by mē in their publique meetings in S. Iames his time wherein they measured esteemed Christian religiō the faith of Christ Iames 2. according to the outward appearance of men reputing those that caried greatest pompe and shew the most religious By which meane the poor which were religious in deede became vile contemptible and disdained Which euil hath ouerwhelmed our church countrey for now in these times wherein Lady money Queen riches raigne ouer men as it neuer did more in the worlde euery man is so much esteemed and regarded how much he is worth and as he is great in honor and so according to his riches and honor so is his estimation be they otherwise murtherers extortioners oppressors caterpillers vsurers couetous adulterers epicures blasphemers drūkerds or what soeuer Thus the wicked for riches and worldly pompe are regarded the poore for their basenes are contemned thrust to wall ouerruled be they neuer so honest Whereby it commeth to passe that seeing all thinges now are measured and esteemed by riches glorie and worldlie pompe and no regard of honestie no rewarde for vertue no place for religion therefore all men geue themselues to heaping and hoording vp of riches to brauerie of apparrell to hunting after honor and worldly preferment that for the one or the other they may be esteemed amōg men Thus couetousnes pride ambition and vainglorie is fostered nourished and chearished greatly vertue religion true honestie is depressed and cast downe Thus to measure esteem the religion and faith of Christ by outward appearance and in Christian assemblies and publicke meetings to preferre the rich wealthie honourable and pompous persons with the contempt and disdaine of the poore brethren is one way wherby the faith of Christ is had in respect of persons 2 Moreouer men haue the faith of Christ in respect persons when in the Sacraments of the Church we haue respect to mens persons as by ministring the Sacramēts with greater reuerence and care to the rich then to the poore when at the Lords table we disdaine to ioyne the the poore and the rich together The Sacraments equally belong to all like reuerence ought to be vsed in ministring them to the poore as to the rich the Lords table is common to all whereat saith Saint Chrysostome the subiect differeth not from the Souetaigne and Prince neither 2. Cor. hom 18. the Priest from the people To parte them therefore in the administration of Sacraments and to preferre the rich with the contempt of the poore is also to haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons which is here condēned Thus the rich mightie and honourable who disdain herein their poore Christian brethren sinne thus such ministers as herein please and delight the humors of the wealthie with discountenancing of the godly brethren offend also 3 Professors and hearers haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons when they heare the word of God only for the mans sake not for the words sake or when they heare it of this man and not of another because of his person Wherein many greeuously offende in our dayes Such as wil heare none but those that haue taken degrees of schoole Which thing though it be worthely accounted of among all wise men yet therefore contemning others which haue not like degrees yet happely equall talents is respect of persons Such as will heare this man because he is formall and not another because hee refuseth some ceremonies in the Church or this man because he refuseth and not another because hee admitteth these indifferent things they also haue the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons Such as heare this man because hee is euer inueying against Bishops pluralities two liuinges Albeit they scarce make one and contemne such as haue the liuinges and therein labour as learnedly as painfully as fruitfully as others they in like manner haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons Thus they heare the word nowe not for the wordes sake but for the mans sake thus they decline from the thing to the person and so are partiall in their hearing For the word is the word whether a Doctot of diuinitie preach it or a man learned yet not graduat whether one subscribing to ceremonies or not subscribing whether one with one liuing or with two liuings whether this mā As they term small charges or benefices or that man preach it Wherefore not indifferently to heare it of al but for this or that respect to heare it of one not of another is to haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons and a sinne worthely condemned euen in them which in outward shew pretend greatest holines perfitest religion most feruent zeale to the word which vnlesse they leaue therof vnfeynedly repent I protest vnto thē in the feare of God that they doe against duetie that they flatter themselues in their owne follie that their religion is not pure and vndefiled before God that they haue the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons and therfore are guilty of great iniquitie and vngodlines beefore the Lord euen of peeuish curiositie The Paschall Lamb was commanded to be eaten the quarters the head the feete the purtenance it had been great peeuishnes and vaine Exod. 12. curiositie for the people to haue said Wee will chuse this peece and we that we the quarters and we the head wee the feete and so euery one what him lusted where all were commaunded to eate all Euen so is it peeuishnesse for vs to chuse what wee will heare or of whom when we must heare al the will of God and that of all Preachers Finally in this kinde they sinne before God most horribly who therefore will not heare their owne or other Prechers because they inueigh sharply against their pride their brauerie their flaunting ruffes their coloured haire their diuersitie of starches their borowed frilles such like vanities against their vsuries extortions couetousnes blasphemies and all manner iniquitie This is also a great point of vngodlines a manifest token of counterfet religion a plaine argument of halting hypocrisie and the hauing of the faith of Christ in respect of persons by the Apostle no doubt as other kindes condemned To Heb. 13. heare one with disgrace of another to heare straungers with disdainfull contempt of our owne Preachers to run Acts 20. 28. 1. Pet. 5. 2. and hurrie after new men and let our ordinarie Pastors whom the holy ghost hath placed ouer vs to preach and speake to the walles is not onely discredite to them and great discouragement so that they labour not with ioye but with great greefe which is a thing vnprofitable to the Heb. 13. people but also disobedience to the lawes rebellion against God neglect of duetie a point of resistance vnto the holy Ghost by whom they are placed ouer vs. 4
witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuie murthers c. In another place exhorting Rom. 13. the Saints to walke vprightly the Apostle setteth downe certaine couples of vices as enimies and hinderers of the honest conuersation of the Saints In which number enuy is reckoned Therfore saith he walke honestly as in the day time not in dronkennes and surfetting nor in chambering and wantonnes neither in strife and enuying 1. Pet. 2. Finally S. Peter informing those that were regenerate and borne againe not of mortall but of immortall seed of 1. Pet. 1. the word of god to cast from them the works of their former conuersation to embrace those things which were according vnto godlines geueth them this exhortation Wherfore laying aside all maliciousnes al guile dissimulation enuie and euil speaking as new borne babes desire that sincere milke of the word that you may growe thereby Infinite are the testimonies of holy Scripture whereby this euill is condemned To the originall and beginning whereof if wee look it is from Sathan the deuill who enuying the prosperitie of man in the beginning not onely to sequester them from their pleasant aboade in Paradise but to alienate them from the fauour of God and expell them from all happines tempted to tast of the forbidden fruite contrarie Gen. 3. to the commaundement whereby hee plunged both himselfe and his posteritie into perdition Gen. 4. Whose eldest sonne Cain the runnagate and reprobate by the example of the deuil his father enuied his brother Abell for that God accepted the sacrifice of his brother proceeding from a sincere affection but not his proceeding from a double and dissembling minde with GOD through which enuy he followed him neuer leauing him he had laied his cruell clubbe vpon the innocent head of his brother Children of the same father were the Philistims Gen. 26. enuying the flocks of sheepe and heads or heards of cattle whereby Isaac was enriched by sundrie waies from time to time molested crossed and ouerthwarted the holy Patriarke Saul a twigge of the same tree a brāch of the same roote a childe of the same parent enuied the 1. Kings 18. vertue and glorie of Dauid who for slaying the Philistim Goliah hauing farre greater praise then Saul Saul hath slaine his thousand but Dauid his tenne thousande was therefore all the daies of Sauls life enuied and sought to haue beene destroied The Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of the people of the Iewes pursuing our blessed Sauiour Mat. 26. 27. with like hatred and enuie for the wonderful miracles and works he shewed among the people neuer lefte him before they had suborned false witnesses to accuse him a corrupt iudge to condemne him and cruel persons to crucifie him Such are finally in our daies such as grieue at enuie and sorowe at the riches honour estimation welfare and euery good thing in their brethren of which wickednes if they repent not they shall shewe themselues the sonnes of Sathan the slaues of sinne the children of perdition the heires of death and endlesse damnation Of which euill least the Saints should be partakers Saint Iames forewarneth them setteth it against meeknes of wisdome a speciall ornament in the chosen of God And this enuie hath this epithite or addition bitter because the heart of man therewith once infected turneth all things into bitternesse Nowe as enuie is opposite to meekenesse so is strife Strife and contention Strife or contention is stirred vp when men are addicted to themselues defending their owne opinions and actions not onely stoutly but stubbornely in nothing submitting themselues to the authoritie of others but as wise aboue all others they will censure and iudge all but bee iudged of none wherehence great disdaine discorde and disturbaunce ariseth among men both in the common wealth and in the Church of God VVhich the holy Apostle carefully considering hath disswaded it as a thing pernicious and daungerous in the Rom. 13. Saintes and seruaunts of GOD. This is in those couples which are enemies to holy conuersation mencioned before Walke honestly as in the day time not in drunkennesse and surfetting not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying This Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. condemned as a token of carnally minded men when he sayeth to the Corinthians Where as there is among you enuying and strife and diuisions are you not carnall and walke after the flesh And admonisheth the Philippians Philip. 2. that they doe nothing through contention or vaine-glorie but that in meekenesse of minde euerie Rom. 1. one esteeme another better then himselfe This is reckened for one of the workes wherewith the wicked Gentiles were infected This is a woorke of the flesh Gal. 5. whereby the life of man is corrupted This is a mischiefe which bringeth great miserie to the Church common weale of Christians The contention betwixt Haimo and Haniball the Carthagenians was the ouerthrow of their famous Citie The contention and strife betwixt Lacedemon and Athens the two lights of Grecia was the ruine of their whole countrie The cōtention betwixt the Numantians was the onely cause they were ouercome by Scipio who asking Tyretius the captaine general what was the reason that in former times it was inexpugnable thē ouercom vāquished was answered that their cōcord caused their continuance their contention bred their destruction The contention betwixt Anthonie and Augustus burst into open warres to the great damage of the Romanes Betwixt Caesar and Pompei Silla and Marius and other the Romanes was cause of great hurt to the state of Italie The contentions in our owne countrey betwixt men of the noblest houses what hurt it caused who was so blind that sawe not who was so malicious that lamented not who was so happie that rued not In priuate families contentions betwixt father and childe mother and daughter maister and seruaunt husband and wife cause both continuall disquietnesse and dayly sorrowe and decrease of state and many mischiefs besides as experience in manie too euidently doth teach vs so that there is not a more pernicious thing either in the common wealth or in priuate estates then is strife and contention among men In the Church it is no lesse pestilent and pernicious The contention and strife betwixt Eusebius the Bishop of Caesarea and Basill the great betwixt Arius after his repulse concerning the Bishoprike of Alexandria and others in the Church haue done much hurt contentions striuings and brawlings in our times about white or blacke rounde or square and the like things of no weight haue and doe cause great hurt in the Church of Christ as wofull and lamentable experience teacheth So that in the common wealth in priuate states in the Church it selfe great hurt commeth through contention Wherefore with all carefulnesse it ought to bee shunned of the Saints of God VVherein wee must beware least through flying of contention
other Gods but me To the obseruing wherof blessing and life is promised to the breach thereof death and cursing Deut. 28. 30. Deut. 27. Leuit. 26. is threatned This is that law which onely geueth definitiue sentence and iudgement peremptorie vpon all men In the whole course of the lawe and Prophets it is witnessed that the lawes of life and death which presse the hearts and consciences of men are only the Lordes and that he onely according thereunto iudgeth so that men may not take vpon them to drawe all others after their tailes and leade them at their pleasures which wheÌ„ they refuse theÌ„ also to speake euil of theÌ„ iudge theÌ„ The holy Prophet Isai subscribeth hereunto The Lord is our Isai 33. Lawe geuer the Lord is our king he will saue vs saith the Church by the mouth of the Prophet It was the Lorde Psal 147. which gaue this law vnto his own people Israel the Lord shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and his ordinances to Israel he established a lawe in Jacob and ordeyned a testimonie in Israell which he commaunded our fathers to teach their children saith Dauid the holie Prophet And this concerning the moral preceptes thereof is euerlasting vniuersall and to all the world giuen Therefore he is to be reputed the law giuer and the iudge only which gaue it first vnto Israel his people Who being the onlie geuer of the lawe can thereby either saue or destroye condemne or iustifie pardon or punish wherefore this must men leaue to him alone which if they do not but wil condemne their brethren after their wills then challenge they to themselues the right of God then thrust they him from his heauenly throne of iudgement therin endeuour they as it were to rise vp in his rome and giue that sentence which only belongeth vnto him then which arrogancie and pride what can be greater It is the Lord that searcheth the hearts and raines it is he who perceth into the cogitations of men and seeth that they are but vaine he knoweth only who are his and he alone can tel when and whom to saue or condeÌ„ne to discharge or destroye this prorogatiue we take from God of this priuiledge we spoile him of this preferment of iudging and condemning of making and setting lawes of life and death to the consciences of men we then bereue God when we in the pride of our hearts speake euil and condemne our brethren vvhen they displease vs and our humours Thus men challenge to themselues that vvhich is Gods and Christs only thus take they sentence of iudgement out of the mouth of God and take the povver of geuing lavves to the Church out of his hands hovv great is this blasphemous presumption hovv hainous is this extreame vngodlynes For as it is not only doting and foule follie but horrible impietie and vvickednes in the highest degree for men to take vppon them to repele the eternall lavves of God geuen by him to the Church and all posteritie for euermore So is it likewise no lesse vngratiousnesse an louer bolde and presumptious rashnes â—o make other lawes contrarie to his as if we would teach him wisdome and thereby to iudge our brethren Christ is our king hee onely is the head ouer his Church therefore as vnto the king and chiefe head of his Church it belongeth of right to geue lawes to the saints Was it euer heard among earthly Princes that loyall subiects either could or would either repell or change the lawes of their Princes or doe they at any time take vpon them to make lawes of their owne heads without their Princes in their owne kingdomes or can there be greater treason and rebellion then to endeuour to seeke such lewde libertie doe the Princes and Peeres of Common-weales call Parlements set downe lawes without the authoritie of their Kinges and Emperours were not this great conspiracie and shall men take vpon them in the church which is the royal seat of Christ and the very septer of his kingdom to establish lawes without his licence were there euer lawes proclaimed in any kingdom but in the name of that king which there raigneth shall men proclaim lawes of their own deuising in christs kingdom vnder any other name or authoritie then by the name authoritie of Iesus Christ wherefore we deny Christs soueraintie ouer vs when without him we will make lawes to others and we refuse God to be our law geuer when besides his lawes we will proclaime lawes to binde our brethren Which thing as grosse sollie and great impietie the Apostle condemneth testifying that God only is our law-geuer and iudge in whose power it is to saue and destroy and therefore men ought not to challenge that to themselues in any wise Of this euill how many are now giltie is not euery one readie to prescribe lawes of the liues of their brethreÌ„ and sisters If we see any either in the habite of apparrell or in the talke of the tongue or in the gesture of the bodie either in the course of his Common life or in the religion and worshippe he perfourmed to God or any other thing which walketh not according to our pleasures and agreeth not in all things to our life and ruie how soone speake we euill of him how proudly doe wee iudge him how peremptorilie doe wee condemne him Thus one man dealeth with another one woman thus iudgeth another thus the people condemne the pastors the pastors the people thus the Cleargie speake euill of the Temporaltie and they of the Cleargie thus one preacher of another one laie man of another and almost euery one of his neighbour Is not this to vsurpe that which belongeth vnto god is not this to take the scepter of iudgement out of the hande of Iesus Christ This is reprooued by Saint Paul who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master what hast thou to Rom. 14. intermeddle where thou hast not to doe This is condemned by this Apostle who ascribeth prescription of lawes and pronouncing of iudgement to God onely who can saue and destroy but thou ô man canst saue none therefore by thy proud iudgement condemne and destroye none yet condemnest and destroyest as much as in thee lieth thy brother when because hee liueth not after thy pleasure thou speakest euill of him And this is the third argument of the Apostle The fourth and last reason why we should not speake The fourth reason euill or rashly condemne our brethren is from the frailty of our owne common state and condition For all men are subiect to infirmities therefore ought we not one of vs rashly to condemne another And this reason that it might be more forcible it is proposed in the manner of an interrogation Who art thou which iudgest another art not thou a man subiect to like infirmities why doest thou so proudly then iudge thy brother who art thou that iudgest
in the apostles time was nie how much more ought euerie one of vs to prepare our selues to be in a readines to enter in with our bridegroome Christ and look continually for his appearance For if Saint Paul could truely say of himselfe and 1. Cor. 10. the Saints of his time that they were they vppon whome the endes of the world were come If Saint Peter coulde 1. Pet. 4. perswade the Church of Christ to be sober and to watche vnto praier because then the ende of all thinges was at hand If Saint Iohn could say truely vnto the faithfull of 1. Iohn â— his time Babes it is the last houre and as you haue heard that Antichrist should come euen now are there many Antichristes whereby we know it is the last time If Saint Iames here could moue the afflicted Saints of God to acquite themselues patient because the day and comming of the Lord approached how much more truely may we affirme the same seeing since their time so many yeares are finished that it cannot be but that his comming is aâ— the doore and very neerely approaching Which careful consideration should make vs both with greater quietnes to settle our mindes in the dayes of our affliction and with greater carefulnes to waite and watch day and night for his approaching and glorious appearing This day many forgette and not a fewe thinke it to be yet for a long time and season to come wherfore they liue in all carelesse securitie and wallowe and welter in all iniquitie But that cannot be possiblie farre off the signes tokens whereof altogether are finished for whether we Mat. 2â— take that of Christ that before the end of the world their charitie shall waxe colde in men and their iniquitie shall abound is it not manifest Was euer lesse loue seene among men when euerie one goeth about to eate vp and deuoure his neighbour Was euer sinne at a higher flow or in fuller measure then when pride possesseth all degrees of men and adulterie is counted as no sinne couetousnes reputed as nothing blasphemie and cursed swearing is in the mouth of euery man and childe then when lying is the trade of mens liuing deceate and crafte common among vs slaunder and backbiting vsual in al men oppression and vsurie practised of high and lowe noble worshipfull citizen and gentleman then when dronkennes and riotousnes ouerfloweth the land murther and manslaughter is committed and left vnpunished when treasons and trecheries are euery where intended and all loyaltie and Subiect like duetie troden vnder feete in the world when euery man violateth the lawes of the realm and with venemous tongues speake euill of such as excell 2. Pet. 2. Iude. 8. in dignitie Or whether we looke to earthquakes and rumors of warres are they not finished hath not GOD not long since shaken the earth and doeth not the flagge of defiance stande out almost in euerie Countrey are not our neighboures vp in armes rounde about vs and is there not preparations for warres almost in euery land kingdome Or whether we cast our eyes vpon false Prophetes and deceauers impostors and seducers of the people is it not clearer then the sunne at noone daie that the worlde swarmeth with such The secte of the Libertines and Anabaptistes reuiued Papistes Iesuites Seminaries and Schismatickes multiplied the foule familie of loose and licentious loue encreased diuerse grosse and new-fangled opinions crept out of the professours themselues of the glorious gospell and infinite other like Spirites of errors Phiâ—ip 3. 1. Tim. 4. â— Tim. 3. wherof S. Paul in sundrie places hath foretolde and prophecied Or whether we look to the working of the misterie of iniquitie whereby there shal be a falling away and defection from the faith which begunne to worke in the Apostles time worketh now and so shall continuallie to the ende is it not apparant how great a fall there is from the faith euen of the countreyes where the gospell was first and most purely preached how many haue reuolted and fallen to barbarous idolatrie Ierusalem Constantinople Ephesus Corinth and innumerable the like places cities townes and countreies how great a parte of Reuela 17. Christendome hath left the puritie of Christes religion and is become dronken with the dregs and drosse of Popish superstition out of the cuppe of the great whore of Babilon Where is the Gospell preached sincerely without mixturâ— of mans vanitie but in Englande and Scotland a handfull of Christendome And euen among our selues how many be they which haue brought in damnable 2. Pet. 2. Jud. v. 10. heresies by whom the way of God is euill spoken of How many haue risen euen as it were out of the bowels and bosome of the Church which speake peruerse things to bring Disciples after them which haue al made a defection from the faith Thus the man of sinne by Act. 20. 2. Thess 2. whom the defection shal be made frist receaued life in the time of Christ and his Apostles and shall not vtterly die before Christ come in glorious maiestie when he shal destroy him with the breath of his mouth So that now nothing hindereth in the knowledge of man wherefore the comming of Iesus Christ shoulde not now be at the dore and euen present This comming in the eternall purpose and councell of God draweth neere in whose power are all thinges who ruleth times and seasons at his pleasure before whoÌ„ all times are present to whom a thousand yeares are as 2. Pet. 3. one day and one day as a thousand yeares So that albeit God doe not execute his purpose according to the hastines of our vaine affections yet are the issues of his iudgements certaine and in their appointed times shal be shewed to the confusion of the enemies of the Saints and the eternall comfort of the church which drawing neer and approaching the Saints in all their afflictions must be patient and settle their hearts according to the doctrine of this Apostle be ye therefore patient settle your minds for the commming of the Lord to iudgement draweth neere 3 In this treatise of patience the third thing is the handling of the place by the contrarie you must be patient and not murmure which is proper to worldlings and wicked men who in their miseries afflictions and troubles through impatiencie breake out into murmuring In the setting down of this contrarie there are two things to be obserued 1 The contrarie it selfe murmuring 2 The reason Wee must be patient and not murmure for the Lorde is at hande to rewarde vs in free mercie if we be patient or to punish vs in seuere iustice if we murmure in our afflictions Murmuring is not here generally taken for euery grudging and groyning either against God or man as Murmuring what it is whereof in other places of Scripture is spoaken but particularly for that murmuring which is against men therefore saith he grudge not one against
not all then vnder this condemnation Let as many then as haue any feare of God before their eies any care of their owne saluation any desire to escape endlesse condemnation any remorce of conscience for their sinne in this behoofe cōmitted any sparcle of grace any feeling of the Spirite of God whereby they are sealed vp to the day of redemption Ephes 4. repent themselues of this wickednes correcte this grieuous sinne in their manners reforme and refraine their lippes from all vaine swearing and blasphemie that thereby they fall not into condemnation but may liue for euer If condemnation be threatened to the vaine swearing of men how much more subiect thereunto are they which geue themselues to horrible periuries and false swearings Which thing almightie God reseruing finally to be punished in eternall torments of hell fire yet to shew how greatly hee detesteth this wickednes euen in this life in some measure he punisheth it When Iosua Josua 9. the Princes of Israel had made a faithfull othe to the Gibeonites Saul afterward violated it almightie God in the 2. King 21. daies of Dauid punished it with three yeares famine thorow out Israel till the seuen sonnes of Saul were geuen to the Gibeonites to bee slaine When Mataniah named by Nabuchodonosour Zedichiah had sworne subiection to the 4. Kings 24. 25. King but afterward forswearing him sealfe and rebelling the Lorde punished his periurie by the King of Babylon who tooke him prisoner slue his sonnes before his eies then put out both his eies and caried him bounde into Babylon where he was kept in perpetuall miserie I neede not say that therefore none of the posteritie of Edward the fourth came vnto the possessiō of the crowne of England because he solemnely swore at Yorke to holde him sealfe contented with his owne duke dome and to performe loyall obedience to the King Duke Elphred conspiring against King Adelstane for swore him sealfe in his purgation therefore at Rome wherefore almightie God stroke him presently in Saint Peters church there and so hee died Earle Godwine hauing treaterously slaine Alphrede brother to King Edward the third thereof charged by the King at table at a certaine time the Earle tooke breade in his hand and swore desiring that the bread might choake him if he were there of giltie which breade hee eating was there with all sodenly choaked that hee fell downe and died To be shorte one may stande for many which is notoriously knowen that a woman which in the yeare 1575. for alittle flaxce forswore her selfe in wood-streate in London therefore was presently stroken and miserably died with great torture tormentes and terrour Infinire like exampls of the iuste iudgements of God in this behalfe are exstant and albeit God doe not alwaies strike all persons in like manner offending yet that it might appeare how greatly he detesteth this wickednes he giueth men a taste of his anger and wrathfull indignation euen in this life present shewing thereby how much more sharpely they shal be punished in the world to come And thought in great patience he beareth with this intollerable sinne of men for a long time and season yet shall they not be vnpunished for euer Truely in this thing therefore saith the poet Tibullus Though that periurie be at the first couered yet at length punishment commeth without noyse secretely And Homer in like manner saith Albeit God foorthwith punish not periuries yet doeth hee at length whereby most grieuous punishments falle on the authour his companion and children which hath committed them Which thing seemeth to haue beene fulfilled in Philip king of Macedonia his children whom Pausanias recordeth to haue fallen into so many miseries calamities and troubles because he violated his othes and falsified his promises so often Wherfore howsoeuer either vain swearers or periured persons doe here escape the reuenging hand of God yet shall they vndoubtedly be subiect to eternall condemnation vnlesse they both leaue their wickednes and speedely repent themselues of their sinne embrace the councell of the Apostle who correcteth this euil Let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fal into condemnation This reason drawen from danger not temporal only but eternal rather might be a sufficient stop and stay to keep our lips from this wickednes from which refraining we are so far that we pretend excuses to our vanity 1 Some therefore say I am forced to sweare men otherwise will not beleeue me Shall man force thee to blaspheme and shal not Gods word drawe thee to obedience shall man make thee to doe more in transgressing then Gods word in obeying Is there any necessitie to force thee to doe that which doing thou fallest into condemnation yea is not thy owne vanitie thy inconstancie in thy words thy falshood in thy promises thy periurie in thy othes thy often swearing not vainly only but vntruely also cause that no man giueth thee credit if in al thing◠thy deedes were agreeable to thy words thy performāces according to thy promises if thou wert thy words master and neuer protestedst but the trueth if thy tongue were geuen to simplicitie and thy lippes not defiled with lies then shoulde thy worde be beleeued as well yea rather better then thine othe but because thy wordes are but wind and in thy speaches there is no hold because thy promises are without perfourmance in thy saying there is no faith because in thy tongue there is no trust and in thy talke there is no trueth therefore thou swearest yet thou art not beleeued The law saith He that is once presupposed and taken for an euill man is alwaies so presupposed and he that is taken once for faithlesse vntrustie is alwaies so presupposed Aristotle as Laertius writeth or Demetrius as other affirme being asked what Laertius de vitaphilo profite men gate by their lies falshoode and vntrueths in them answered this onely that oftentimes whē they tell the trueth yet men will not beleeue them The fault therfore redoundeth vpon thy owne head that thou art not beleeued so farre therefore is this pretence from excusing thy swearing that it rather encreaseth thy offence 2 If we pretend our custome doeth this excuse our sinne Nay doeth not custome of doing euill aggrauate the wickednes that seruant that is accustomed to rob his master and doeth it therefore more commonly is more punishable thē he that hath once done it so hath done The childe that by vse and custome groweth to be disobedient deserueth with more seueritie to be chastened then he that once offendeth and so leaueth Euery wickednes how much more commonly it is done so much more hainous is it The man more accustomed to adulteries is the more filthie whoremonger the wife that hath more vsually prostituted her selfe to others is the more detestable harlot the theefe that by custome robbeth deserueth more iustly to be hanged the more vsually any euill is committed the more haynous
lawfull vnto him for his blessings bestovved vpon vs which is the matter here by the Apostle mētioned though sometimes our godly songes may containe some other argument as the songs Psalmes of Dauid vvere for sundry purposes and of manifold matters Yet here I say S. Iames speaketh of singing praises vnto God Concerning the manner how we must sing though curious and deuided musike in our priuate houses for the exercise of our skill for the attaining to perfection of that arte cannot be condemned yet in our songes and exercises to GOD moste chiefely in the face of the church and in the middle of the holy congregation vve must sing in most plaine and modest manner and so as shall serue beste for edification that vvee haue regarde not so much to the sound as to the sense of that which is songe Singing in the best times and among the most holy men of God hath had and now may also haue three ends or opportunities when and wherein it is lawfull and laudable to sing 1. To recreate our heauie and sorowfull heartes with some holy and godly songe and Psalme The princely prophet Dauid oftentimes in the sorow and heauinesse of his heart song to solace recreate his sorovvfull spirite before God Christians in like manner in the anguish of their spirites the troubles of their hearts the vexations of their mindes the griefes of their soules may sing for their godly recreation songes and Psalmes vnto God that thereby they may be lightened and comforted 2. Another ende vse and occasion of singing is the testifying of our thankefulnes vnto God for his immeasurable mercies bountifull benefits gratious goodnes towards vs. Wherin Miriah the sister of Moses with the damsels Exod. 15. and daughters of Israell is an example vvho after the destruction of Pharao and his armie in the redde sea to testifie their gratefull memorie and thankefull hearts for so vvonderfull a deliueraunce songe as followeth I vvill singe vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously c. When Barak by the counsell and pricking on of Deborah had armed the people against Sisera the captaine of Iudges 5. the hoste of Iabin king of Canaan and had confounded discomfited his armie and chased him to the tents of Iael who slew him so deliuered the people frō the slauery of Iabin for so vnlooked for a victory for so glorious a conquest mighty deliuerance Deborah and Barake in token of their thankefulnesse song the same day saying prayse ye the Lord for the auenging of Israell and for the people that offered themselues so willingly When litle Dauid so victoriously had triumphed ouer the prowde Goliah of 1. King 18. the Philistines the daughters of Israell met Saul the king and Dauid his seruaunt singing and playing vpon their timbrels violes and other instruments and in token of thanks giuing said Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand Dauid being marueilouslie preserued from his infinite enemies and at the length by the mightie power of Psal 18. God brought to sitte on the throne of Israel in signe of his thankfulnes to God therefore euen at the entring in to his kingdome he singeth a psalme of praise vnto God I will loue thee dearely ô God my strength the Lorde is my rock and my fortresse and he that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne also of my saluation and my refuge When almightie God had heard the humble suite 1. Kings 2. of Anna the mother of Samuel who being barren desired that she might haue a childe at her request he had geuē her Samuel her sonne to testifie her thankfulnes to God for the same song a song of praise therefore vnto GOD. When the Lord had looked to the humilitie of the blessed Virgin and made her the vessell of Christes conception for that blessing she brake out and sang My soule Luke 1. magnifieth the Lord and my spirite reioiceth in God my Sauiour Zacharie and Simeon in like manner the one after the birth of Iohn Baptist his sonne the other after he had receaued Luke 1. 68 Luke 2. 29. Christ into his armes according to the promise of the holy Angell song in token of their thanksgeuing the song of the former is Benedictus Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel the song of Simeon is Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Whereby and by the like examples it is not only lawful but laudable also in the Saints of God either for benefites blessings either of victory against our enemies or of deliuerance out of trouble or for the fruits of the earth receaued in due seasō or for what thing soeuer we haue mercifullie receaued at his hand to sing to God and so be thankful 3 The third vse and ende of singing is to aduaunce thereby the glorie of God to stirre vp men to zeale to his worde feruencie in praier and earnestnes of perfourming all laudable seruice vnto him Whereunto the example of Elizeus may be referred who at the request of Iehosaphat 4. Kings 3 called for a minstrell who playing singing psalmes to God thereby was stirred vp to pray and prophecie Dauid prouoked himselfe by all meanes forwarde more earnestly to pray to God and to praise him for his Psal 57. mercie wherefore he saith Awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake early I will praise thee among the people ô Lord I wil sing vnto thee among the nations Thus by all possible meanes as by playing vpon instruments and by singing the Prophet stirreth vp himselfe to the aduaunancement of Gods glorie And to this ende he brought in sundrie instruments of musick diuine kindes of songs and psalmes varietie of tunes and harmonies into the church of God The old Hebrewes toke vp and set downe the arke of God with singing this was vsed in the time of the Apostles Saint Paul saith I will pray in the Spirite I will pray with the vnderstanding also I wil sing with the spirit I wil sing with the vnderstanding also wherunto he exhorteth 1. Cor. 14. all the Saints be filled with the Spirite speaking vnto your selues in psalmes and himnes and spiritual songs Ephes 5. 19 Col. 3. 16 singing and making melody in your hearts vnto God geuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the name of Iesus Christ This vse the beleeuing Iewes afterward retained as both Plinie his answere thereof to Traian the Emperour and Tertullian in his Apologetico aboundantlie recordeth Lib. 10. Epist Tertul. apolog 2. ca. who both auouch of them that they rose vp early to sing songs and psalmes to God Saint Augustine writeth that Saint Ambrose brought the same manner into the Church of Mediolanum where Lib. confis 9. c. 7. he was Bishoppe Whom the other of the west Churches followed
and affirmeth that in Africa it was receaued to the ende that men might thereby bee the more stirred vp to zeale to Gods worde feruencie and earnestnesse in praier al other laudable seruices to God And this was in such moderation as that the note carried not away nor lib. 2. retrac confounded the dittie neither the sound the sence of the thing Whereof Saint Augustine being afraide desired the vse of Athanasius in the Church of Alexandria who caused his Reader to stande and sing with so little inflection Lib. 10. confis 23. of the voice and so great moderation and modestie that it was more like the sounde of one pronouncing then singing and yet singing in that modest manner Such like singing therefore whether it bee in our priuate houses or whether it be in the face of the Congregation is commendable And this is the kinde of singing in our exercises to God whether they be priuate or publicke that may be iustified Saint Iames requireth in our priuate gratulations and thanksgeuing for benefites to almightie God that we should in this wise sing Is any merrie let him sing To sing therefore in the modestie and moderation of our affections in the manifolde ioyes and blessinges of this life in token of our thankefull hearts to GOD for the blessinges and benefits from him so plentifully receaued is here commended by the Apostle Is any man mery let him sing In the generall afflictions therefore of our life the best remedie is praier here by Saint Iames prescribed whereof there is vse both in sorow and in ioy in aduersitie and prosperitie according to the doctrine here deliuered Is any among you afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Thus are we here taught generally when we are either moued by affliction or merrie in minde by occasion of Gods blessings what to doe which is the first parte of this treatise 2 As men in their afflictions generally are here Remedie in particular affliction of Sickenes taught to commend their causes and cases to GOD by praier so in the next second place he teacheth vs what particularly in sicknes we should doe shewing to what remedie we must runne to what Physicion we must seeke to in our extremitie of sicknes a particular affliction wherof thus saith Saint Iames Is any sicke among you Let him sende for the Elders of the Church and let them praie for him c. The elders of the Church must be our chiefe Physicions Ecclus. 38 9. 10. 11. 12 their praiers vnto God for vs must be the first remedy we must seeke after in our sicknes according to the doctrine of the Apostle By Elders here are vnderstoode the graue godlie wise and discreete brethren they chiefly of the ministerie as most conuenient it shoulde be as vnto whom this excellent gift and power was geuen with other of the people as oftentimes iust occasion serued for them and so often both together as was most profitable such as were able in errour to instruct in griefe to comfort in sorowe to solace and in sicknes to aduise the patient To them not to sorcerers inchaunters witches wise-womē or wise men are we commanded by Saint James in our sicknes to flie To the Saints and Elders of the Church in the Apostles time was the gift of healing sicknes and bodilie infirmities geuen according as our Sauiour Christ had promised his Disciples whom sending foorth Christ encourageth them from the effect their preaching shoulde 〈◊〉 16. take and from the graces which shoulde be geuen them which beleeued through their preaching Goe ye into al the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature hee that shall beleeue and be baptized shal be saued but hee that will not beleeue shal be condemned And these tokens shall followe them which beleeue In my name they shall cast out deuils and shall speake with new tongues and they shall take away serpents and if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurte them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer This gift was therefore promised the faithfull and the brethren in the second sending foorth of the Apostles into the world Of which gift the Apostles in their first sending out were partakers Therefore Saint Marke thereof speaking saith They cast out many deuils and annointed many that Marke 6. Mat. 10. 8. were sicke and they were healed The Apostle S. Iames speaketh of this matter as it was in his time wherein the Saints and brethren had the gift of healing Saint Paul reckoning vp the gifts of the holy Ghost in his time poured out vpon the Church mentioneth there-among the gift of healing To one is geuen the word of wisdome to 1. Cor. 12. another is geuen the word of knowledge by the same spirite to another is geuen faith by the same spirite to another the gift of healing by the same spirite The signe of this gift of healing was annointing with oile in the name of the Lord therefore Saint Iames here exhorteth that the Elders of the Church be sent for that they pray that they annoint the sicke in the name of the Lord. Whilest then the gift of healing being but a tēporall gift to continue for a season was in the church so long the signe thereof which was annointing with oile continued the gift shortly after the apostles time ceasing the signe ceased also Notwithstanding our aduersaries the Papists by an apish and eluish imitation of the Apostles contrarie to their meaning retaine the signe the thing ceasing And albeit healing be taken from the Church yet doe they anoint still which also they make a Sacrament and call it extreame vnction which they minister to the sick not in signe of health and recouerie as the Apostles did but whē there is no hope of life in them then annointe they men and women as a goodly remedie and helpe against sinne satan death and damnation Whose erronious opinion hath no sure foundation no certaine ground no true establishment in the Scriptures And for those places which they vse and alleadge for the same they helpe no whit at all Where they alleadge out of Marke that the Apostles did annoint with oile and so healed it is true Let them therence reason Marke 6. and their reason is absurd The Apostles annointed such as were thereby healed therefore we will vse to annoint such as are readie to die What sequence or following is there in this reason The Apostles did it to such as recouered they doe it to none but such as they geue ouer to death and haue no hope of their life The Apostles did it in token of health they doe it as a sure aide against satan sinne death and damnation holding that who so in that extremitie is so annoynted shal be out of danger of Satan and death This continued but for a time and these men would haue it to remain as a sacrament for euer How
health are in the power of God alone and not in the hande of mortall man Men are meanes praiers are instruments but it is God that saueth yea which healeth Another effect of praier is that through the faithfull praiers of the Saints their sinnes are forgiuen the sicke If saith Saint Iames hee hath committed sinne it shall be forgiuen him Whereâ—â—â—o Saint Iohn condiscendeth if any man see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto 1. Ihon. 5. death let him aske and hee shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death As therefore the faithfull prayers of Gods Saintes are not causes but instruments of obtayning health so are they also meanes of obteyning remission of our sinnes at the handes of God Matt. 6. Therefore our Sauiour in that fourme of prayer which he woulde to bee vsed for our selues and for our brethren also willeth that wee shoulde praye for forgiuenesse of sinnes not in our selues onely but in our brethren also VVherewith Christ mooued prayed for the Luke 23. Iewes and Steuen for forgeuenesse of those men which persecuted him Seeing therefore that the prayers of the Acts 7. Elders hath this double effect they ought not to be neglected of men Nowe where the Apostle witnessed that the sinnes of the sicke shoulde bee remitted and forgiuen by the praiers of the Elders it sufficiently refuteth the sharpe and rigorous censure of the Nouatian heretikes and their horrible blasphemie who denie pardone of sinne to such as anie wise sinne after their conuersion to the Gospell and the knowledge of the trueth Saint Iames affirmeth that if anie of the brethren any of the professed Christians anie of the Church after the profession of Gods trueth shoulde commit sinne after their conuersion and the Elders prayed for it it should bee forgiuen Salomon confesseth that the righteous offendeth seuen times a day and is a gaine restored Dauid sinned Pro. 24. after he knewe God and his sinnes though notorious and grieuous yet were forgiuen as to him vpon his confession and repentance Nathan promised Iames our Apostle 2. King 12. speaking of the professours of the Gospell confesseth that in manie things they all sinne If there were no Iames 3. remission of sinne after the profession of the Gospel and the knowledge of the truth why doth Saint Paul will Gal. 6. the brethren of Galatia that if any offended of infirmitie they should restore him in the spirit of meekenesse considering themselues least they also were tempted why doth S. Iohn speaking to those that knew the truth say that if any of them sinned they had an aduocate with 1. Iohn 2. the father who was the propitiation for their sinnes euen Iesus Christ the righteous Palpaple therefore is this heresie of the Nouatians and refuted by these and like places of Scripture Moreouer that here the Apostle mencioneth sinnes in mens sickenesse it intimateth and giueth vs to vnderstande Deut. 28. that sinnes are for the most part the causes of our sickenesse and bodily diseases The Lorde threatneth sickenesse pestilence and diseases against such as sinned and transgressed his commaundements God brought vpon Aegypt botch blaine boile and sore Exod. 9. diseases vpon the people for their churlish crueltie towardes the Israelites their shamefull contempt of the Prophets the abusing of the pacience of God Meriah Num. 12. the sister of Moises was stroken with the leprosie for murmuring agaynst her brother the Lordes minister Abimelech and the Philistins were stroken with diseases in their Gene. 20. secrete places for taking away the wife of Abraham Gehesie was plagued with the leprosie of Naaman the Assirian 4. King 5. for his couetousnesse and receyuing of gifts Dauid confesseth that Gods heauie hande of sickenesse was vpon him for his sinne from toppe to toe so that hee had Psal 38. no rest in his bones by reason of his iniquitie Saint Paul recordeth to the Church of Corinth that many of them 1. Cor. 11. were diseased for the abuse of the Lords supper Our Sauiour Christ healing him which was diseased eight thirtie Iohn 5. yeares willed him to sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto him noting thereby that the cause of his disease was his sinne And no doubt the cause of our newe sickenesses whereof wee taste euerie yeare is the newe sinne which we dayly encrease our newe adulteries New sinnes procure new sickenesses oure newe deuised pride our newe extorcion couetousnesse and oppression our newe crueltie and iniquitie which we multiplie continually against the Lord. VVhich thing Saint Jamee to teach vs telleth vs that if the sicke haue committed sinne it should be forgiuen by prayer and this is the first remedie against bodily infirmities both generall and particular as the Apostle hath prescribed The seconde remedie in particular affliction as 2. Remedie sickenesse is mutuall confession ioyned with prayer so that prayer againe is annexed and ioyned as a remedie whereby that we might helpe one another the better there is required mutuall confession and free conferring one with another touching offences giuen Acknowledge ye your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may bee healed For the prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent Helias c. In which words these things may be obserued 1 Mutuall confession with praier is required 2 To what ende to the ende we might be healed 3 The force of the righteous mans praier 4 Howe that force is shewed by example of the praier of Elias Concerning mutuall confession and conferring one Mutuall confession with another about offences giuen done it is very necessary to the recouerie of health in sicknes for God soonest heareth such as haue put away al malice hatred out of their hearts and are at peace and loue with their brethren this is chiefly done where brotherly we confer one with another touching offences and trespasses committed which done we can best helpe one another with our mutual praiers As therfore meÌ„bers al of one body ought Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. to helpe one another so Christians being all members of one body ech of them meÌ„bers of ech other ought by mutuall helpe to assist and aide one another in sicknesse Wherefore to this purpose as in sicknes he willed that the Elders of the church should be sent for and assembled to praie for the sicke so a second remedie and helpe in sicknes is that the brethren thus assembled should conferre mutually touching offences committed that mutually confessing and mutually forgiuing God might the better heare their mutuall praiers of loue for those which were sicke among them To which purpose this place serueth acknowledge your faultes one to another open that which grieueth you that a remedy may be sought and found out for it the better This mutuall confession and acknowledging one to another wherein one of vs hath offended another the sacred
their amendement or touched with the extremitie whervnto the innocent and sillie people were subiect he prayed vnto God againe and the Lorde heard him and it rayned and the earth brought fruite Thus at his prayer the heauen was shutte for a time and opened againe whereby it euidently appearerh that earnest and feruent prayers of the righteous are of greate force But leaste any man should say Elias in deede was a great prophet in high fouour with God therefore it is no merueile that his prayer so greatly preuailed but far vnlike him are we He raysed the deade he caused fire to come downe from heauen he therefore might thus preuaile but all are not like him The Apostle answereth not with standing his great graces yet was he a man as we are and subiect vnto passions infirmites and sinnes as other men are yeat God heard him euen so though we be sinners yet if wee serue God according to the measure of his grace geuen vs wee shal be accepted when we pray And if God heard the praier of one man so that thereat heauen was shut opened how much more wil he heare the praiers of the Church the societie of the Saints congregation of the faithfull when in assured hope strong faith vnfeined loue and perfect vnitie they call vpon him And thus much touching remedies in bodily diseases and infirmities Now let vs pray c. Iames Chap. 5. verses 19. 20. Sermon 28. Verse 19. Brethren if any of you haue erred from the truth and some man hath conuerted him 20 Let him know that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shal saue a soule from death and shall couer a multitude of sinnes AFter the remedies to bodily diseases set downe generally and particularly generally in affliction to pray particularly in sickenesse to sende for the Elders of the Church that they might pray for the diseased and annoint them with oile in the name of the Lord which in that time was in force though not now and also that they should acknowledge their sinnes and offences priuately committed one to another and pray one for another that they might bee healed The Apostle discendeth to the remedie of inwarde infirmities and diseases in the errours of mens Remedie of inward infirmities as errours mindes whereof greater care ought to be taken so that whether they erre in manners and conuersation or in faith and opinion touching religion the Saints and brethren ought to seeke by all meanes their conuersion Which in this place Saint James here commendeth vnto vs who therewith endeth and shutteth vp his Epistle as with a most golden sentence and graue exhortation for the conuerting of others and leading them into the way of truth that they may bee saued then which there is no dutie no deed no action more precious pleasant or pleasing vnto God These two verses containing this argument and matter haue two things to be noted namely 1 The counsell trauaile and endeuour to call such as go astray vnto the way of truth 2 The reward of them and the benefite which by reclayming and calling from errour other men they shall receyue which thus call and conuerte their brethren Concerning then this exhortatioÌ„ touching inward diseases and infirmities of the minde it followeth verie orderly vpon the former For seeing inward diseases as errours of our mindes either in manners life or in opinion and faith are oftentimes causes of our outwarde infirmities and diseases of the bodie and the Apostle hath before spoken of bodily infirmities it followeth directly that hee speake some thing touching diseases of the minde and errours howe they also ought to bee dealt withall which thing in the last place and last wordes is prescribed Therein two things obserued thereof the firste is what the Saintes ought to doe when their brethren erre and goe astray they muste doe their endeuour and giue all diligence to reclayme conuert and call home such as go out of the way and erre Double error Now seeing men erre and go astray two wayes either in false opinion concerning faith or in corruption touching life in both these must the Saints of God trauell for the conuersion of such as therein wander of whose errour this is the onely remedie to seeke their connersion and drawing into the way of truth This is a diuine labour this is a holy exercise this is a heauenly trauaile the labour and trauaile to purchase and get soules and winne them to Gods holy trueth whereunto as vnto a most needefull point of loue the holy Scriptures exhort vs. Wise Salomon speaketh of this excellent labour of loue when he saith that the fruite of Prou. 11. the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth soules is wise To winne soules in this place is to bring them to the knowledge of God and his holy truth and as the Apostle speaketh the conuerting of a sinner from going astray out of his way Our blessed Sauiour seemeth to Matt. 1â— haue aimed and shot as it were hereat when in the Gospel he would haue the Saints by telling the offending brethren of their priuate offences committed and warning them thereof to endeuour to conuert them from their errour which if priuate admonition could not effect then they should make two or three acquainted therewith if that coulde not preuaile they shoulde tell it vnto the Church leauing no meane or way vnattempted for their conuersion Where he speaketh of offences and errours in life and manners Saint Iude teaching the Saints what Iude v. 22. 23 loue they should haue of their brethren and what care should presse their hearts for their conuersion willeth that they should haue compassion vppon some putting difference and that they shoulde saue other with feare plucking them out of the fire Not onely teaching men this duetie to seeke the conuersion of the brethren which goe astray and wander but also teaching them howe therein they shoulde behaue themselues to make this godly choise therein that they seeke to winne some by gentle meanes and in mercifull compassion others by terrour and godly seueritie thus by all possible meanes must we seeke the turning and conuersion of our brethren Did not God intimate that in his lawe when hee Exod. 23. Deut. 22. 1. 4. v. biddeth that when we see our neighbours oxe or asse or beast whatsoeuer readie to fall into a ditâ—h and daunger wherein he might perish then wee should holde them from hurte keepe them from perishing and plucke them out of daunger Hath God care of oxen and not much more of men Shall wee drawe an oxe out of the pitte wherein hee might perish and shall we not drawe our brethren out of their errours wherehence if they bee not reclaymed they shall bee plunged into the bottomlesse pit of perdition When God likewise willeth in his lawe that if wee see our neighbours beast going astray wee should bring Exod. 23.