nature and therefore partaketh of Gods properties both incommunicable and communicable may be thought an impertinent discourse by some because it deals in speculatives and perchance an impious discourse by others because it may seem to destroy practicks and so joyn hands with the sacrilegious profaneness of this age which trades wholly in destructives not onely in regard of man but also of God himself Yet since the end of Religion is to bring man to God it cannot be amiss to see how near the work thereof conduceth to that end and it may be proper if not necessary to shew the excellencies of Religion that mens eyes being dazled with the admirable beauty their hearts may be inflamed with the divine perfections of holiness For Holiness and Religion are one and the same thing essentially though they are different in our apprehensions therefore S. Peter calling upon us to be religious calleth upon us in these words 1 S. Pet. 1. 15 16. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy where it is evident that we are called upon for holiness from the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of God the holy Ghost not onely by the authority of God the Father For it is written and by the example of God the Son But as he which hath called you is holy but also by the communion of God the holy Ghost Be ye holy for I am holy as if he had said Holiness can have no fellowship with impurity therefore unless you will be holy you must not onely renounce the authority of God commanding the example of God conducting but also the fellowship of God conversing and communicating with you For the force of the argument consists in the proper nature of God and our relation to and with God Accordingly I cannot better shew the excellencies of Religion then by shewing how near its holiness comes to the very nature and essence of God himself and then none will doubt but the Angelical Doctour did rightly say Nomen sanctitatis duo videtur importare Munditiem firmitatem that holiness imports two things purity for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one far removed from the corruptions of the earth and constancie for so sanctum or sancitum lege firmatum are all one and there is an absolute necessity of both these in that man that will be truly religious for he that will be joyned to the most High must be far removed from the things below there 's the purity and he that will be joyned to the first Beginning and last End which is wholly immoveable must be firm and immoveable in his conjunction there 's the constancy Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 38. Certus sum quòd neque mors neque vita separabit me à charitate Dei I am sure and certain not onely I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate me from the love of God He that knows it is all one to love Religion and to love God will never be separated from its love and he that knows Religion to be the service of God will easily acknowledge that such as is the master such is his service And therefore all Divines agree in this that one and the same true Divinity but some have likewise said that one and the same commandment making the first and second but one doth teach us the true knowledge of God and of Religion the proper service of God for Religion is nothing else but the immediate worship of God Religio distinctiùs non quemlibet sed Dei cultum significat saith S. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 1. If we say Worship we may possibly mean a civil or a moral worship but if we say Religion we can mean no other but Divine worship or the immediate worship of God And therefore there is no one attribute of God but shews in some sort the nature of the true Religion for such as God is in Himself such also is the Religion that serveth and pleaseth Him I will accordingly endeavour with Gods grace to shew the nature of Religion from the very nature of God yet with such a method as shall not seek to satisfie the curious by its exactness but onely to establish the conscientious by its godliness always remembring that when God shews a mortal man his glory as he did to Moses Exod. 33. 23. though he may see much yet much more there is which cannot be seen nor can any Divine whatsoever see so much of God as he doth desire nor can he express so much as he doth see It is enough therefore if I draw such a scheme of Gods attributes as is fittest to instruct my self and others in the nature of true godliness God is a Spirit and so is his service altogether spiritual S. John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth There must be nothing in his worship of carnal inventions and much less of carnal affections for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Rom. 8. 6. wherein we have described in few words the true and the false Religion the one is spiritual the other carnal they are both described 1. In themselves to be minded for religion calls for the soul whether we serve God or Mammon 2. In their causes the cause of the one is flesh of the other spirit 3. In their effects the effect of the one is life and the assurance of it peace the effect of the other is death Religion then it self is to be minded it always engageth the soul and the true Religion is to be spiritually minded eagaging the soul according to the dictates of Gods holy Spirit And indeed Religion hath the chiefest properties of a spirit For 1. A spirit is invisible and imperceptible by the sense so is the true Religion the natural man perceives it not 1 Cor. 2. 14. and S. Paul calleth the things of Religion spiritual things Rom. 15. 27. The Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things and 1 Cor. 9. 11. If we have sowen unto you spiritual things Take heed then of a carnal eye in Gods worship that loves to look upon an image but much more of a carnal affection that loves to look upon it self 2. A spirit hath life in it self and giveth life unto the body so Religion hath life in it self and giveth life to those that are religious S. John 17. 3. This is life eternal that they may know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The true knowledge of God in Christ which cannot be without a practise answerable to it is the true Religion and that is life eternal both formally in it self and effectually in regard of us Christ is not onely the truth
man should be wiser then his enemies for none are enemies to good men that have not first lost their wits as well as their honestie therefore he addeth further I have more understanding then all my teachers v. 99. And lest we should still object That the teachers are not always the wisest especially if they teach too soon before they have been diligent learners he addeth yet further I understand more then the ancients v. 100. that is then those that have been longest learners before they became teachers That 's the most profitable wisdome which makes a man wiser then his enemies for it keeps him from being circumvented that 's the most honourable wisdome which makes a man wiser then his teachers for it gives him a preeminence of understanding far above his condition that though he is called to be a learner yet he is enabled to be a teacher Lastly that 's the most infallible wisdome which makes a man wiser then the ancients for that gives him a preeminence of understanding above the condition of mortality which can attain to no greater wisdome then such as is gained by long travel of study confirmed by longer experience of years so that if we desire that wisdome which is most profitable most honourable and most infallible we must do as this holy man did converse more with God then with men for so he professeth v 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding we may see that understanding is to be gotten by studying the precepts of men but we cannot get it savingly but by studying the precepts of God for the prophet Daniel saith The light dwelleth with God Dan. 2. 22. and S. John saith He that loveth his brother abideth in the light what is this light but the truth or the true Religion which hath these two properties of light that 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it enlightens and reproves it enlightens the understanding by the knowledge of God it reproves the will the affections and the actions for the practise of evil Secondly Religion is in effect Omniscient because it makes us know all things besides our selves that is all things that are proper and profitable for us to know things wherein are the true comforts of this life the true blessings of the next so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 15. The spiritual man judgeth or discerneth all things the more he is spiritual the more he is able to discern the more he increaseth in Religion the more he increaseth in true wisdome and knowledge as the man in the Gospel when his eyes were first opened mistook men for trees but afterwards when he was perfectly cured he could distinguish both aright so the spiritual man at his first conversion hath but a confused knowledge of the things necessary to his salvation but afterwards he comes exactly to judge and to discern them all nor will his faith whereby he knows in part leave him till he come by degrees to a clear vision Let several knowing men all rejoyce in the excellencies of their several knowledges but let this be the priviledge onely of the religious man That he alone knows whom he hath beleeved and whom he may trust for he alone is able to know how God disposed of him before his life and how he will dispose of him after his death CHAP. VI. The assurance that we have of the substance of Religion in that it resembles God in his communicable Properties as Truth Goodness Purity and Liberty IT is the special priviledge of the good Christian that the same Religion doth make him imitate God here which will make him enjoy God hereafter for the same God who is the Authour of Religion is also the best pattern of it because Religion resembles him not onely per modum vestigii but also per modum Imaginis not onely as having his footsteps for so every creature represents the Creatour but also as having the exact lineaments and pourtraitures of his very Image so that Gods Service is best known by the knowledge of himself and the Properties of the true Religion are best declared by declaring the Properties of God The Incommunicable Properties have been already spoken of his Simplicity Infinity Immutability Eternity and the three branches or adjuncts thereof his Omnipotency All-sufficiency Omnisciency I now come to the communicable Properties of God which are especially these three Truth in his Understanding Goodness in his Will and Activity in his operative faculty answerable to his Truth and Goodness for the Intellective faculty is vain without the Affective the Affective without the Operative and therefore according to the proportion and perfection of the one is also necessarily the proportion and perfection of the other God first knows then wills then works As he knows so he wills not Irrationally As he wills so he works not Ineffectually And so is Religion very Intellective and very Affective and very Active or Operative these three properties are all joyned together Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do for this is your wisdome and your understanding where we have wisdome for the Intellective keeping or observing for the Affective and doing for the Operative faculty of the soul Accordingly Divines tell us there are some vertues that are Catholick or Universal belonging to the whole worship of God in general and having alike influence upon all the Commandments or upon all the duties of Religion whether they concern God immediately in himself or mediately in his Image and these Catholick vertues are Wisdome and Prudence in the Understanding Integrity Alacrity and Constancy in the Will and Zeal and Perseverance in the action that Election Affection Action may all joyn together to glorifie him who is the first Truth to direct our Election the last Good to satisfie our Affection and the chiefest Excellency to excite and provoke our Action Wherefore it is the property of Religion to make a man more judicious more affectionate and more industrious then he was before though he had never so piercing a Judgement never so strong and vehement Affections never so industrious an Action For the soul of man though it consist of these three faculties the Intellective or knowing the Affective or desiring the operative or working the Intellective faculty whereby it knows what is to be done the Affective whereby it desires to do it and the Operative or Active whereby it sulfils that desire in doing yet this very soul doth not cannot rightly know or desire or do till it be throughly instructed exalted and quickned by Religion nay on the contrary all the while it continues irreligious it is stupid in knowledge perverse in affection and sluggish in action for though there is in all spirits a power of knowing what is true of desiring what is good and of effecting what they desire yet we cannot but acknowledge that these three faculties in all men who have their spirits clogged with sinfull flesh are very much weakened by sin and consequently must
Ipse omnibus major est dum solo Deo minor est 1 Sam. 26. 6. Fear God and Honour the King CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University MDCLXII TO THE READER Whether Christian Un-Christian or Anti-Christian ALlegiance and Conscience are both joyned together in the Title of this Book because they are both joyned together in the true Christians heart nor is that man able to lay fast hold on conscience who is ready to shake hands with his allegiance whether he be a Jesuited Papist or a Jesuited Protestant it matters not if he hath bid farewell to his Allegiance he cannot keep company with his Conscience tell me not of your Communion with me against Anti-Christ if you will not keep my communion with Christ I desire not to be your fellow-Protestant in those things wherein I cannot be your Fellow-Christian If Rebellion be in your Reformation though it be never so pure in other things yet it still needs to be reformed in this that Rebellion is in it as therefore you say in that your Reformation hath Reformed Religion to the Creed you have a pure faith so I say must Religion reform your Reformation to the Commandments that you may have an unspotted life and give me leave to tell you that though in pretence you may be a brother of the second perhaps in time of the third or fourth Reformation yet in purity you come far short of the first as much as a Rebel comes short of a good Christian your Reformation hath thrown you out of your Religion you do not embrace the Gospel unless it be such a Gospel as the Cainites heretofore embraced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan haer 18. such a Gospel as was taught by Judas that betrayed his master that Christian Religion which was taught by all the rest of Christs Apostles teacheth Allegiance unto Kings Christ in his own example practised it and by paying tribute would rather part with his own right then seem to oppose or question theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Athanasius de Incarn Christi most divinely how can you then look to be thought or called good Christians if you neither regard the word of Christ for your instruction nor the works of Christ for your imitation and the same Father in his Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tels us what manner of Church-men they are which run this way saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are Spies to look into other mens livings and patrimonies and beleeve it many of them amongst us have in this kind used most exact prospectives not Bishops to look over their life and doctrine for they cared not saith he in their Ordinations to hear S. Pauls words to Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop must be blameless which words the Church still retaineth in ordination of Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely think and speak high against Christ and no matter then for thy Christianity I know he speaks the words of Christ our Saviour and against the Arrians yet since the Lords anointed is rendred by the 70 Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Christ and that Translation is justified by the Apostles Act. 4. 26. 't is manifest that one who truly loves Christ cannot hate the Lords Anointed whether written in Text or in short-hand whether ruling in his Son or in his servant whether he be Christ in heaven or Christ on earth and therefore I may well take Athanasius his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lords anointed on earth and say they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which poison mens souls with such venemous tenents against Kings they cannot be of the true Church whilest they belch out such impure blasphemies despising dominion and Speaking evil of dignities offering that defiance to their King which S. Michael would not offer to the devil and bringing railing accusations in stead of Arguments and yet S. Michael had not onely a fitter object but also a better ground for railing because his dispute was with the devil and it was about real Idolatry which he would have caused the people to commit in worshipping the body of Moses theirs with their King and Church onely about imaginary Idolatry which was and is not to be found but in their own fears and jealousies it stands not with a true Church no more then it stood with S. Paul since every true Church is but one grand Apostle or Doctor of the Gentiles of that Nation where it is to appeal to the people that 's a way to introduce though not a many-headed yet a many-hearted Religion not a many-headed Religion but rather a no-headed for such as would have no Bishops were anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without heads Niceph. l. 18. c. 45. and the Council of Ments c. 22. gives them monstrous heads if any at all saying they are Hippocentauris similes nec equi nec homines they have too much of the mans understanding to be horses and they have too much of the horses kicking and wincing to be men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are either such as have no head or as bad as though they had none but surely 't is the way to introduce a many-hearted Religion witness our own late divisions which have produced as many Religions as men our Christian unity and verity being both banished together this is the excellent Divinity you have of late read to your disciples which is able to dash the very venome of Popery out of countenance and throw it in your own faces this is the new way you have taught the people to Truth and Peace by which they shall be sure never to come to either for if they may innovate in Forms of Religion without their King why not in forms of Law If they may change Law without him why not against him if against him why not against his life and consequently why not murther him with the sword of pretended Iustice whom God commands to honour See the High Court of Justice erected in your assembly this is your new way to truth and if the people may deal thus with their King where he is supreme why not with all other supremes whatsoever and consequently by succession and with success for ought we know why not rise against their Magistrates till the last Resurrection and put them to death till death it self shall be swallowed up But I return this placing dominion in the people for appealing to them is no less teacheth them to think they need not Christ in his Kings to rule and govern them they can govern themselves they need him not in his Priests to intercede for them they can pray for themselves they need him not in his Prophets to instruct them they can preach to themselves Was ever Christ so reviled and so opposed in all his three Offices together before Is not this fully to act Anti-Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. 4. to sit
who will not shame his Religion here nor himself hereafter must with the Psalmist have respect unto all the Commandments Psal. 119. v. 6. then shall I not be a shamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments or so shall I not be confounded neither internally in mine own conscience nor externally before the world nor eternally before the dreadfull tribunal of Christ and this threefold confusion cannot possibly be avoided by any Christian Church or man but by having respect unto all Gods Commandments To all 1. In toto universali in their full number 't is as Anti-Christian to leave out the fifth as to leave out the second Commandment as heretical to leave out the thirteenth as to leave out the ninth Chapter to the Romanes 2. In toto Essentiali in their full Obligation there is as great an obligation upon the fifth as upon the fourth though the one may chance be cryed up to pull down the other 3. In toto Integrali in the several particular duties that depend either upon their number or upon their vertue and obligation of which we must observe our Saviours Diuinity in the mouth of his Apostle S. James 2. 10. whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point i e. impenitently by not repenting of his sin or doctrinally and magisterially by justifying it is guilty of all the reason is because he keeps the rest for his convenience not for his Conscience his convenience the great cynosure of this new Reformation and it is no less an Evangelical then 't is an an Angelical Truth uttered by Aquinas 22 ae qu. 5. art 3. that 't is impossible for him who pertinaciously disbeleeves one Article of faith to beleeve any of the rest though with his mouth he may confess them all Nam caeteros omnes non tenet per sidem simpliciter veritati primae inhaerendo sed propriâ voluntate judicio 'T is so in the Decalogue as 't is in the Creed a willfull belief is no true faith a willfull Religion is no true Religion for true Religion depends wholly upon Gods not upon mans will but least some mens furious zeal should chance over-rule S. James his Epistle the same divinity hath also proceeded from our Saviours own mouth and his mouth must instruct us or his bloud will not save us S. Mat. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven he that shall thrust a Commandment out of his life not onely personally but also doctrinally shall teach men so shall be thrust out of heaven for his pains he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven call your selves what you will the godly the faithfull the well-affected the Saints Christ will call you the least in his kingdom if you thrust Allegiance out of your Church which is not one of the least but one of the greatest Commandments the first of promise with God though the last of performance with you Allegiance that respects so many Commandments that 't is impossible but it should most nearly respect the Conscience Wherefore I must needs be most heartily sorry that I cannot say with S. Paul Act. 28. 19. I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar not that I had ought to accuse my Nation of for I have too much to accuse my Nation of in the High Court of Justice that I cannot appeal unto Caesar the poor Church of England in whose behalf I speak this was not long since calumniated to be a Mary Magdalene for her devils but now sure there is great reason she should be so for her tears having little else left her to do though yet more to suffer but to mourn and weep and if any say unto her Woman why weepest thou she is ready to answer as that Mary once did because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him S. Joh. 20. 13. I have been wholly excluded from all their consultations and actions both concerning his death and burial they have taken away my Lord my Lord the King a King that understood Divinity more exactly then the most learned expressed it more appositely then the most eloquent witness that heavenly piece which shews him to have been more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more truly golden in his mouth then in his Crown and practised it more strictly then the most conscientious amongst his best Divines a King which infinitely propagated the true Christian Faith by his life but much more justified it by his death for shew me all ye Christian Churches in the world since you have learned to mix man with God your own Interest with his in your Religion which of you all have had the happiness to have such a King live in your Religion I am sure none of you all have had the honour to have such a King if you have had a King to dye for it be his death never so much the sin and reproach of the Nation 't is such a sin such a reproach as not all the Ocean that surroundeth us can wash away yet 't is the Justification and glory of the Church that he confirmed that same true Protestant Faith by his death which he had ever professed and defended in his life as Christ did Christianity in its first plantation so did he in its best Reformation seal it with his bloud the greatest conquest the Church of England can ever get over its enemies so far is she from being conquered by them in contriving it for as that wrangling Disputant whom no arguments could convince was quite silenced by him that said though I cannot dispute for my Saviour yet I can dye for him So hath King Charles silenced all the enemies of this poor Church many indeed by disputing but many more by dying Reason enough why in common gratitude beside special duty we should not easily forget our Allegiance much less disclaim it least of all renounce it but there are yet more particular reasons which immediately concern the Conscience and those you may gather from the ensuing discourse which is a collection of diverse Sermons that were once truly a word in season though now they are not or may seem not to be at least in their opinions who will needs be too much judicious and too little consciencious but the Apostle will justifie the Authour in the press as well as in the Pulpit having his out of season for the one as well as his in season for the other 2 Tim. 4. 2. though he desire rather to justifie his Church then himself and condemn himself for all save onely for the integrity of his affection to God and his Church to the King and his People that the infatuated sons of the earth may no longer so scuffle to possess this world as ever to hazard the quiet possession of it and that they may no longer so