must only be owing to such divine Revelations Before we speak of which particularly we shall in the next place give some account of the three main branches of our present Methode SECT II. A brief description of the Illuminative Purgative and Vnitive way in Religion 1. THE seeds of Religion being sown in the heart by God himselfe and some smaller and dimmer strictures cast into man by the same hand directing man to God it is the duty of every one to improve the same by orderly progressions to the measure of the stature of Christ as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. To this end Antiquity not without competent grounds in Holy Scripture hath pitched upon three more considerable states of a Christian and ascents of the Soul towards God by Religion though not absolute yet necessary to Salvation For Saint Johns words 1 Epist 12 13 14. seem to tend to this distinguishing little Children Young Men and Old Men or Beginners Proficients and Perfect not so absolute as God may not finde fault with yet so as before man they may be irreprehensible and allowable by God according to the scantlings and infirmities of Flesh and Blood. And agreeable to this Cassian in his Collations with some others have observed that Solomon wrote three Books One for instruction and illumination in wisdome which we commonly call the Book of Proverbs initiating young beginners in the knowledge and fear of God which is there called the beginning of Wisdome and good understanding laying the foundation to eternal Life The other Book of Solomon called Ecclesiastes represents to the eye and understanding the vanities of the world and the pollutions of earthly joyes with a tacite disswasion from the use of them to the dishonour of God which performed introduceth a man to the third and last degree of perfection in this world contemplation of God and divine matters whereby such a sensation of the divine goodness is so far wrought in the Soule that it becometh united more entirely with God which we call the Vnitive way and seems to be figured out to us by that Song of Songs called commonly Solomons And this threefold Cord binding the Soule to God seemeth to have some little insinuation made to us from the wisdome of the world the Ancient Pythagoreans teaching three manner of wayes of attaining happinesse Labour and Action about Vertue Meditation conducting to Knowledge of God and Love of God which is the true conjunction of the Soule with God. 2. Such concurrence then there being of divine and humane wisdome to justifie such a partition of Religion no wonder that the reputed Dionysius the Areopagite took hold of such an occasion given to him to commend this tripartite doctrine of the Illuminative Purgative and Unitive way of serving God in which many have imitated him and much and perhaps too far advanced it From whom I take the libertie so far to varie as to make Illumination the foundation and first step to all regular ascent to Godward as proceeding from that faith which is the foundation of all Christian graces For by it we come to have the eyes of our understanding opened and judge our selves and purge our selves and fit our selves for an higher and neerer conjunction with God as will appear more fully hereafter SECT III. Of the necessitie and use of Illumination and of Faith with its subordinate graces properly conducing thereunto 1. FAmous is the distinction of St. Paul of Theologicall Vertues into Faith Hope and Charitie as of them upon which all other Christian duties and vertues are founded and move towards that perfection competible to believers in this life Faith illuminating Hope purging and Charitie or love of God uniting us unto God. For the naturall man is blinde and cannot see afar off as St. Peter teaches us And naturally we all lye polluted in our blood and so naturally are aliens from God and unreconcileable by any other name or meanes but that of Christ Jesus in whome to believe is to know God and our selves For as the Wise man saith Proverbs 19. 2. That the soule should be without knowledge is not good Faith with Christians begetteth knowledge properly divine in Christians being the light and eye both of the soule regenerate So that as it is not possible for the blinde man to work any curious work without the use of his eyes but every act tending that way must be a fault and errour For how can it be expected that any man should sew well that cannot thread his needle so they on whom the light of the Gospell shineth not who are not enlightened The first thing that God produced in creating the world was light not that he absolutely needed it but that the creatures did and to intimate unto us the order of true Regeneration that it must begin with Illumination And therefore God who more immediately of old revealed himselfe to his chosen servants did in following ages set up and fix a light in his Church the written word of God which received by faith should become a constant Guide to our Feet and Lanthorne to our Pathes passing through this dark Vale towards the Mount and true City of God. 2. For without this the Philosophers of this world professing themselves as St. Paul speaks Rom 1. 22. wise became fools erring in the very first step and prime principle of divine knowledge which teaches the only true God they for their part in groping after God changing the glorie of the incorcorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible man as St. Paul allso observeth v. 23. which is much the same as to turne the image or very substance of man into God. But when it pleased God that the Day-star should arise in our hearts as St. Peter speaks which is Christ revealed to the world and minds of men and when as St. Paul speaks 2 Corinth 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ then did the shadowes of darknesse and ignorance flee away Holy David having foretold of this when he said Psalm 36. In thy light shall we see light So that as Christ saith of himselfe He that gathereth not with me scattereth in like manner may it truly be said Whoso enlighteneth not with by and from him darkeneth as it happened to those subtile and wise disputants Jobs Friends Job 38. who darkened counsell by words without knowledge 3. And too near do they approach to the like errour who darkening of late the doctrine of Faith and the use of it imagine the strong perswasion they have of the goodnesse of God and Grace of Christ sufficient to the great end of light and salvation and that the Instrument whereby they should work is the work it self to be performed by them and such in which a man might acquiesce as having fulfill'd the whole Will of God and thereupon entertain such a perswasion
of himselfe that infallibly he shall be saved while he remains very deficient in the common and known duties of a true Christian mistaking the true notion and office of Faith which is not so much to teach us what we are our selves but what God is and what is his Will and what our dutie is to him and the effects of obedience and holy life prescribed by him So that justifying and saving faith is Godliness in the power of it and Godlinesse in the power of which St. Paul speakes is a Confluence of all Christian Graces and Vertues the principall of which are reckoned up by St. Peter where he counselleth 2 Epist 1 5 6. to Adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and to brotherly kindnesse Charitie And having profited so far as to be possessed of such Graces to strive as the same Apostle hath it to abound in the same which having competently attained unto gives the best assurance of the good purpose of our heavenly Father to give us the Kingdome promised to them that believe 4. But the presumptuous and preposterous faith whereby men are prone to phansie themselves into the highest favour of God before they have passed through the discipline of Faith which is laboursome and uneasie to Flesh is that which leadeth men into blindnesse of minde and perhaps perdition in the midst of strong perswasions of the contrary our Saviour Christ teaching us so much where he saith Luke 17. 7. Which of you having a servant plowing or feeding cattle will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field Goe and sit down to meat And will not rather say unto him Make ready wherewith I may suppe and gird thy selfe and serve me and afterward thou shalt eat and drink Which teaches us that it sufficeth not presently to take up our rest of assurance of our salvation by faith speciall so soon as we are called home to God from the wide and wild conversation in the field of this world but must yet farther attend the service God hath for us to doe and then to expect his farther favour of an eternall rest 5. And because amongst various acceptations in holy Scripture of the word Faith it is sometimes used for the Grace of faith and sometimes for the works and fruits of faith every prudent and pious Christian must be very carefull that he puts not such a fallacie upon himselfe as to inferre to himselfe the whole vertue of faith taken in its full latitude upon some particular branch thereof found in him crouding all duties of pietie into one and that rather a preparation unto true religious life than the principall part of it such as knowing and believing and the meanes thereunto tending reading and hearing of Gods holy word For being well initiated in those necessarie principles and helps of devotion there so to stop or in them to improve that acts of faith hope and charitie should be neglected overthrowes the whole design of faith it selfe whereof no small part is to confesse our sins to repent heartily and thorowly to attend to good works and acts of mercie to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and not to think to commute with God that when he requires private or publique worship we should think it as well and perhaps better to read certain Chapters in the Bible or to be present and heare a Sermon and when God calls to performe good deeds of Charitie in visiting the sick and being at charges for the relief of the poor to exceed in reading and praying supposing such cheaper parts of splendid profession will answer all obligations to God and our necessitous neighbour Whereas it is one principall point of true Christian Illumination by faith to understand what it teacheth us by the Apostle saying Coloss 4. 12. Stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God to the effecting whereof Faith is ordained and given us by God as a tool and Engine not as the work it selfe 6. And therefore the ancient and more experienced Father we read of handsomely and truely reproved the mistakes of three well inclined novices in the sounder part of Piety when the First declaring the course of his Life said with expectation of applause I have got the Old and New Testament by heart Then said the Old man thou hast poured out many words into the air intending he should understand that all that was to very small purpose without proportionable acts of holinesse And the Second said I have wrote over all the Old and New Testament with mine own hand Then said the ancient Father thou hast filled thy windowes with store of paper And the third glorying that the grasse grew on his hearth implying how much cold and hunger he had suffered was answered by the same person Then hast thou driven away hospitality intimating that no man abounding in some good duties must perswade himselfe that he shall thereby make compensation for such defects in other graces willfully neglected being better informed from St. Paul that knowledge and the Scriptures themselves were entrusted with us by God that the man of God may be perfect and thorowly furnished unto all Good workes 2 Tim. 3. 17. And as Davids practice was to have an eye to all Gods commands without exception or limitation Psal 119. 6. 7. Against this if it chances to be objected what vulgarly is said that there is no perfection in this world we may answer without great difficulty That perfection there is in the Scriptures themselves and Christian Religion above what is to be found in any other Authours Sciences or Religions There is a perfection of integritie or of parts which St. Paul to Philemon ver 6. calleth Communication of faith becoming effectuall by the acknowledging of every good thing so that not one vertue or dutie prescribed to a true Christian must be wanting to the true believer however the degrees of those vertues may be and generally are imperfect And yet again having in some degree been initiated into all Christian vertues we are not there to rest as if we had alreadie attained the end of Religion but must prosecute those mean yet good beginnings till we arrive to that pitch which God hath not revealed unto us that he will accept to our justification and salvation but only have a sound firme and comfortable Hope of the Favour of God which some are pleased in these last ages to call Faith justifying But faith properly so called hath for its object truth and that as relating to all men but Hope hath for its object Good and that as pertaining to particular persons of which nature is the perswasion we have of the foresaid Good as truely belonging unto us and thereby as St. John speaks 1 Epist 3. 19. We assure our hearts before him SECT IV. That Faith and not naturall Reason improved is the only
that which is naturall to them there is but small hopes a man should be able or so much as willing to help himselfe out of that evill state The wisest Physicians admit of Counsell and assistance from others when they are in any languishing condition And some Sores or Wounds there may be of the Bodie which a mans one hand cannot come at to dresse or cleanse and therefore needeth the applications of others And this is the case of the corrupted Soule by Nature This is thy wickednesse saith the Prophet Jeremie Cap. 4. 18. because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart It is every mans case Thou hast destroyed thy selfe but of me is thine help God must and doth prepare us to a new life and salvation by his own Counsell and Hand and a Laver of Regeneration a Sacrament of Baptisme hath he ordained to the cleansing of our originall defilement and purging our inward man which no outward ministry not ennobled with Divine Vertue can reach or remedie This was prophesied and promised by God in Ezekiel Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Hierusalem for sin and uncleannesse And this we to our wonderfull satisfaction and comfort finde accomplished in the pure water of Baptisme the force and effect whereof we are well taught by our English Catechisme which sayes Being by nature borne in sin and the Children of wrath we are hereby made the Children of Grace And Children of Grace we are not made but by such purification which proceedeth from the blood of Christ shed for the expiation of our filthinesse and offences And the Blood of Christ is no otherwise effectuall to our cleansing than as applyed by that which represents it Baptisme So that the Apostle 1 Corinth 6. 10 11. having described the lamentable and foule state of the naturall man in Fornication Idolatrie Adulterie Effeminatenesse abusings of Mankinde Thefts Covetousnesse Drunkenesse Extortions whereof whoever is guilty shall not enter that spot and guilt remaining into the Kingdome of Heaven addes to our humiliation and comfort at the same time And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified by the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God which plainly directs us to Baptisme Washing and Sanctifying from all uncleannesse of Nature And therefore none were ever admitted into the number of Christs flock or holy Fold the Church but such as were so sanctified contrarie to the frequent errours of the Moderne Divinity which denies the power of spirituall mundification to Baptisme and of pardoning sins restraining its vertue to significations only of remission of sins by Christ and the Incorporation of us into the Church which is the Body of Christ Which Doctrine as very new and contrary to the faith of the Ancient Church and so many clear and expresse places of Scripture ascribing a power of cleansing and pardoning unto that Sacrament I wonder how men of Learning and Conscience could readily maintain And that is all I shall at present say against that Dogme avoiding here all contentions and pursuing the plain trueths usefull for our edification 2. And this leads us to another effect of Baptisme upon the Soule which concernes actuall transgressions as well as originall sin removed thereby For not only is that sin actuall and originall which we bear about us purged away at the time of Baptisme but by vertue of the Covenant God makes with us then we are in a capacitie to purge our selves Gods grace alwayes supposed as concurring with us and to obtain remission of sins and reconciliation to Allmighty God by repentance whose efficacie to that purpose depends absolutely on preceding Baptisme so that Repentance inward attended by change of heart and life can ordinarily be of no power to reconcile us to God but as we are before baptized into Christ whatever God may doe by his extraordinary and unrevealed Will not to be relied upon without adding sin unto sin and that of presumption tending to a new provocation 3. And the manner of so expiating sin committed after Baptisme is yet farther improved from the Sinners serious reflection upon the solemne Vow made in Baptisme between God and himselfe of forsaking the World Flesh and Devill and all sinfulnesse occasioned by them For what ingenuous Christian calling to minde what God hath in that Holy Sacrament done for him or what he hath vowed to God but will farther bethink himselfe how to demean himselfe agreeable to such Covenants and consequently apply himselfe to those Duties incumbent upon him And to this St. Paul would argue us Galat. 3. from the established Custome among men saying Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereto According to the generall Law of Nations it is base and dishonest and very dangerous to break the Agreement made or to invent and forge new termes never condescended to by the other Party And how can we thinke but God should make good what he threatens his own people viz. Avenge the quarrell of his Covenant Levit. 26. 25. So that God having thus freely premised his pardon of our sins and washed us with pure water and moreover furnished us with such a Fund of Grace then given us and following us with actuall Graces superadded to the generall what should more prevaile upon us than to improve them all as well to the clearing us from our former evills as resisting the manifold temptations occurring in our Christian warfare For by Baptisme and the Vow made therein hath God put a word into our Mouthes of trueth and holinesse whereby we may confound sin and Satan he hath put a Sword into our hands wherewith we may strike through the Loins of the Old Man he hath made us more than Conquerours and more than clean in that Naaman-like a Miracle is wrought upon us by the true Jordan-streams in renewing our leprous and foule flesh to its pristine puritie and granting unto us that we may so preserve our selves when we happen to fall into the mire of sin by vertue of an efficacious Repentance made so by Baptisme of which in the next place we are briefly to speak SECT V. Of the Grace and Power of Repentance in Cleansing the Soule 1. O Divine O Blessed Repentance How like our Blessed Saviour art thou despised indeed and rejected of men a Ladie of sorrowes and acquainted with griefs How doe we despise thee as one of no beautie that we should desire thee Isaiah 53. How beautifull art thou in the Eyes of God How powerfull in the presence of God For as God seeth not as man seeth so loveth he not as man loveth With vain man that person is lovely and enamourring which hath a well featur'd face a fresh look a ruddie Complexion bright and sprightly Eyes and such like
Christ hath set us 6. Secondly The speciall care that God taketh of him who careth least for his own will but committeth the management of it into the hands of his most Wise and Gracious Father 'T is true To have ones own will and to doe as we are impelled by it is the preciousest Pearle in the world to the naturall man nothing so deare to him as that and that when it is really evill in it selfe and hurtfull though pleasing to himselfe But man having so little skill how to use such a dangerous instrument were it not much better to resigne it into the hands of him that careth for us more than we doe for our selves and is wiser for us than we for our selves As we see it in Children When a thing of great value is bestowed upon them by some Friend the Parents have the keeping of it least it should be lost spoiled imbezel'd or hurt the young owner till he comes to yeers of discretion So our Godfather properly so called God himselfe bestoweth upon us that great Jewell of Freewill and Choice which he denies to inferiour Creatures but with this tacit condition that we should committe it to his custodie and by his wisdome and direction only use and exercise the same till we come to yeers of true discretion which is only in Heaven and not in this life Then shall we have the full and absolute use of it because then there is no feare that we should use it amisse as here we doe And this is that which holy David adviseth Psalm 55. 22. saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved This is it which St. Peter allso exhorteth unto 1 Ep. 5. 6 7. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you And more expressely and particularly Christ himselfe counselleth thus his Disciples Matth. 6. Take no thought for your life c. For Which of you by taking care can adde on cubit to his stature The trueth is no man exalts himselfe so highly as he who secluding or not considering God followes the will of himselfe and the greatest of all humiliation is by the subjecting of our wills to Gods and the next and readiest way to true preferrement or exaltation And take no thought saith Christ not commending supinenesse sloth or lazinesse in any but none without God none not directed and regulated by his Will and Prescripts none without consulting him and submitting the event with all confidence aed calmenesse to his all-disposing most wise most just most gracious Providence and in suffering as well as doing his Will For it is a Maxime or Rule berter becoming a Heathens mouth than a Christians Every man is master or maker of his own fortune not but that every man hath a hand in and contributes towards Good or evill events befalling him but that the Architectonicall or Over-ruling Power of all is in God whoe doth not allwayes give the Battle to the strong nor the Race to the swist nor bread to the wise to teach us that he is Lord paramount of all according to the Divine acknowledgement of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou allso hast wrought all our works in us And therefore it seems to me a thing as very memorable so more worthy the mouth and practice of a Christian what is written of Muhamed Olbarsalanus the Great Prince of Bagdet or Babylon a Saracen who being wounded to death in a Battle which he fought as he died said I never before this once fought but first I desired Gods blessing I would all Christians would doe so and have so much confidence in God in all matters especially of importance that they would first implore Gods aid and then depend on him for the successe which if it be favourable he must be humbly thankfull if improsperous in like manner patient as the effect of Gods Divine and wise Providence requires 7. Thirdly The Scripture both by Example and Precepts directs us to this reasonable as well as religious resignation of our wills unto Gods Will when it sets before our eyes the practice of earthly Parents and Children as Hebr. 12. 9. We have had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be patakers of his holinesse Fathers of our flesh may take a cruell pleasure rather than intend any reall profit or benefit unto Children in chastising them but 't is not to be imagined that God can transgresse the mean or erre in the end of any Dispensation severe or unpleasant to us therefore much rather should we be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live a more easie safe and comfortable life here than otherwise can be expected and a most happie life hereafter where all things be perfectly subject to the Father as Saint Paul speaks 1 Corinth 15. that he may be here allso as well as hereafter All in All. 6. Fourthly This Selfe-deniall is the true Holocaust or absolute Sacrifice we can give to God and most acceptable imposed upon us as true Believers according to Saint Paul Rom. 12. 1. saying I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of the spirit of your minde that ye may prove what is that good and perfect Will of God. Sacrifices came alive to Gods House and Altar but were not accepted till they were slain so it is with the spirituall or reasonable Sacrifice of our selves especially our naturall wills so long as they live cannot please God but they must be crucified as Christ was crucified for us And as the same Apostle advises Rom. 6. we must reckon our selves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. He that is dead ceaseth from willing and so from sinning He that denieth himselfe and his will is dead indeed unto sin and liveth by the life of the Son of Man and is acted by the Will of God. And surely if it be our Dutie our Wisdome our Righteousnesse to committ our very Soules and life into Gods hands and disposall shall we stick to render that one faculty of our Soule our Wills into his hands That doth Saint Peter exhort us unto 1 Epist 4. 19. Wherefore let them who suffer according to the will of God committ the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour Let God then have the keeping of our Wills as he hath of our Lives as he had of Christs
that as Pride is the beginning of all sins and wickednesse the contrary Vertue Humilitie is the mother of all Christian Vertues This foundation then must be laid here allso otherwise all repairs of the ruinous Soule will be frustrated For where Humility is wanting a thousand false phansies of our perfections and merits will swell the minde above its proper height and largenesse so that every little thing will stand in its way and offend it For men suspecting themselves undervalued by others as they doe and needs must who overvalue themselves presently the vindicative Spirit falls to work by word and deed to satiate it selfe upon detractours as it accounts them mistakenly childishly and madly at the same time 9. Where therefore true Humility is found Meeknesse will not be far distant nor long absent And where Meeknesse dwells Madnesse and Choler will have but cold entertainment And to the Spirit of Meeknesse doe much conduce a Discipline and cohibition imposed on the outward man. It is often alledged by the riotous minde I cannot bear that abuse or this affront or such contempt or disobedience or neglect I cannot be so advised as I should be But no man can say that professes manlinesse and humanity but he can move or hold his hand and can speak or keep silence or compose the outward parts of his body or suffer them to break out into disorders which Regiment when he hath obtained over himselfe outwardly and for a time practised he shall finde a considerable change in his inward man in due time and the heat allayed and a wonderfull calme and tranquillitie with admiration that he should heretofore be hurried away in a storme frivolously occasioned And as it is observed that too hot mettall'd Horses which are apt to run away with their Riders are no wayes better tamed and taken off their courage than by accustoming them to walk a foot-pace so modest and moderate actions outwardly will in time qualifie the impetuousnesse of the minde It were therefore well worth a mans labour attendance and time to bend his minde resolutely for tryall of his strength and what Mastery he hath of himselfe to act though an unwilling part of patience and to prove how impregnable he is against wonted provocations and having some few times hardened himselfe against such provokings it will become easie to doe and suffer the same in earnest even when the like caution and attendance are not used 10. But because there are certain junctures and causes which doe allmost naturally dispose to anger such as are Sicknesse and Pampering the Bodie making it thereby more than one way resty immoderate Cups and even Fastings rarely used and such as the Bodie is not accustomed to and some other which justle as it were nature out of its Rode and so offends it Great circumspection is in such cases to be used And in trueth such excesses are wholly and absolutely to be avoided as they which blinde the eyes of Reason inslame the Blood precipitate the Spirits to act violently And Abstinences or Fastings themselves stand in need of watchings over a mans disposition For as all things are molested inwardly by denyall of wonted food and naturally complain so the Body of man being disappointed of its ordinarie supply and refreshment is apt to be murmuring discontented and querulous untill it be better acquainted with such changes and fretting and pinchings within will goe nere to vent themselves outwardly upon such as shall stand in their way and converse with them Care therefore is to be taken not as some may inferre to shun fasting but to bridle at such times especially the sharp humour which may stir up strife or discontent lest the good be evill spoken of or a scandall brought upon a Christian Dutie by some misbehaviour consequent thereunto 11. And to the better preventing of such ebullitions of the Spirit it is requisite a man should carefully avoid such Passion when it seems to carrie much innocencie and veniallnesse with it For it seems to divers no offence allmost to be angrie as Balaam was with his Beast to be in Choler against Dogs that will not hunt and Hawks that will not flie against Horses that will not goe according to our mindes and some think themselves excusable when their Choler is high only against their Servants but all with a dangerous errour For as much as libertie being allowed to a mans selfe in such cases Flesh and Blood will not long contain themselves in those bounds but being accustomed to such heats and perturbations will transgresse where perhaps they never intended For by such usances tolerated men become easily inflameable and their blood afore they are aware is as it were sowr'd and disposing to other excesses and that upon occasions lesse warrantable 12. And upon the same reason circumspection is to be had how a man is offended and angrie with himselfe for some men have held it verie laudable so to be and some have been religiously vindicative upon themseves by severe Penances for their follies and offences against God and others which must not be disallowed when governed by Christian prudence which many times being wanting a man punishes one sin by another and offers unnaturall violence to himselfe which is worse than to doe the same to another So that herein is requisite the Counsell and conduct of others no lesse than in Controversies of trespasses against a mans Neighbour to whome he would seldome doe justice if he were Accuser Judge and Executioner too And so not rarely men transported with a religious Passion against themselves as it may seem offend in punishing offences And this is seen in cases extra-religious men fretting and storming and raging that matters under their hands succeed not according to their mindes and merits They will miscall themselves complain of themselves and be enraged as if no man had so ill luck as they or did so ill as they and this doing hold themselves very excusable because none but themselves suffer hereby But there is herein commonly a double errour For first they who give way to any exorbitances against themselves prepare a way to be injurious and furious against others much more and that upon the reason here given But secondly what seemeth to be seldome is really so And men fretting and in a tosse against themselves to outward appearance are in trueth incensed against Gods Providence or perhaps their tutelarie Angells not doing their parts toward them in giving better events to their good actions For no man as Saint Paul saith ever hated his own flesh or himselfe naturally and no man that is supernaturally or by Grace vindicative upon himselfe can lightly fall into such passions and therefore inconsiderately accuses others of his mistakes and miscarriages who can be no other than the mentioned whether he intends so much or not Some instances may make this more probable as When he misses a thing he had in his hand a little before and cannot suddenly finde it for