But our Church God bee thanked is farre from any such impious presumption and hath sufficiently e Constit. c. Can. 74. Art 20 Act for vniformitie and Treat of Ceremonies prefixed to the Book of Common Prayer declared her selfe by solemne protestation enough to satisfie any ingenuous impartiall iudgement that by requiring obedience to these ceremoniall Constitutions she hath no other purpose than to reduce all f Without preâ—udice to the libertie of other Churches See Praef. to Commun Booke her children to an orderly vniformitie in the outward worship of God so farre is she from seeking to draw any opinion either of diuine g The Church ought not to enforce any thing besides the holy Writ to be beleeued for necessity of saluation Artic. 20. necessitie vpon the Constitution or of effectuall holinesse vpon the ceremony And as for the preiudice which seemeth to be hereby giuen to Christian libertie it is so slender a conceit that it seemeth to bewray in the obiecters a desire not so much of satisfaction as cauill For first the liberty of a Christian to all indifferent things is in the Minde and Conscience and is then infringed when the Conscience is bound and streitned by imposing vpon it an opinion of doctrinall Necessitie But it is no wrong to the Liberty of a Christian mans Conscience to bind him to outward obseruance for Orders sake and to impose vpon him a Necessitie of Obedience Which one distinction of Doctrinall and Obedientiall Necessitie well weighed and rightly applyed is of it selfe sufficient to cleere all doubts in this point For to make all restraint of the outward man in matters indifferent an impeachment of Christian Liberty what were it else but euen to bring flat h See Conference at Hampton Court p. 70.71 Anabaptisme and Anarchy into the Church and to ouerthrow all bond of subiection and obedience to lawfull Authority I beseech you consider wherein can the immediate power and authority of Fathers Masters and other Rulers ouer their inferiours consist or the due obedience of inferiours be shewne towards them if not in these i In rebus medijs lex posita est obedientiae Bernard Epist. 7. Indifferent and Arbitrary things For things k De huiusmodi quippe nec praeceptor expectandus nec prohibitor auscultandus est Bernard de praec dispensat See Agell 2. Noct. Attic. 7. Bernard Epist 7. absolutely Necessary as coÌ„manded by God we are bound to doe whether humane Authority require them or no and things absolutely Vnlawfull as prohibited by God we are bound not to doe whether humane Authoritie forbid them or no. There are none other things left then wherin to expresse properly the Obedience due to superiour Authority than these Indifferent things And if a l See Sam. Collins Sermon on 1 Tim. 6.3 pag. 44. c. Father or Master haue power to prescribe to his child or seruant in Indifferent things and such restraint be no way preiudiciall to Christian Liberty in them Why should any man either deny the like power to Church-Gouernours to make Ecclesiasticall Constitutions concerning indifferent Things or interpret that power to the preiudice of Christian Liberty And againe Secondly Men must vnderstand that it is an Errour to thinke Ceremonies and Constitutions to be things meerely Indifferent I meane in the generall For howsoeuer euery particular Ceremony bee indifferent and euery particular Constitution m Artic. 34. arbitrary and alterable yet that there should be some Ceremonies it is necessary Necessitate absoluta in as much as no outward worke can bee performed without Ceremoniall circumstances some or other and that there should bee some Constitutions concerning them it is also necessary though not simply absolutely as the former yet ex hypothesi and n See Caluin li. 4. Instit. cap. 10. §. 27. necessitate conuenientiae Otherwise since some Ceremonies must needes be vsed euery Parish nay euery o Quot capita tot Schismata Hieronym Man would haue his owne fashion by himselfe as his humor led him wherof what other could be the issue but infinit distraction and vnorderly confusion in the Church And againe thirdly to return their weapon vpon themselues If euery restraint in indifferent things be iniurious to Christian Liberty then themselues are iniurious no lesse by their negatiue restraint from some Ceremonies p Like that Col. 2.21 Touch not taste not handle not Weare not Crosse not Kneele not c. than they would haue the world beleeue our Church is by her positiue restraint vnto these Ceremonies of wearing crossing kneeling c. Let indifferent men iudge nay let theÌ„selues that are parties iudge whether is more iniurious to Christian Liberty publike Authority by mature aduice commanding what might be forborne or priuate spirits through humorours dislikes forbidding what may be vsed the whole Church imposing the vse or a few brethren requiring the forbearance of such things as are otherwise and in themselues equally indifferent for vse or for forbearance But they say §. 12. And the purpose and practice of our Church herein iustified our Church maketh greater matters of Ceremonies than thus and preferreth them euen before the most necessarie duties of preaching and administring the Sacraments in as much as they are imposed vpon Ministers vnder paine of Suspension and Depriuation from their Ministeriall Functions and Charges First for actuall Depriuation I take it vnconforming Ministers haue no great cause to complaine Our Church it is well knowne hath not alwayes vsed that rigour shee might haue done Where she hath bin forced to proceed as farre as depriuation shee hath ordinarily by her faire and slow and compassionate proceedings therein sufficiently manifested her vnwillingnesse thereto and declared her selfe a Mother euery way indulgent enough to such ill-nurtured children as will not be ruled by her Secondly those that are suspended or depriued suffer it but iustly for their obstinacie and contempt For howsoeuer they would beare the world in hand that they are the onely persecuted ones and that they suffer for their consciences yet in truth they doe but abuse the credulitie of the simple therein and herein as in many other things iumpe with the Papists whom they would seeme aboue all others most abhorrent from For as Seminary Priests and Iesuites giue it out they are martyred for their a Pro inficiatione pontificatus foeminei Aqui. pont in resp ad Sol. de Antichristo Thes. 15. speaking of the Priests executed in the Raigne of Qu. Elizabeth religion when the very truth is they are b See Donnes Pseudo-Martyr per totum especially c. 5. c. iustly executed for their prodigious Treasons and felonious or treacherous practices against lawfull Princes and Estates So the Brethren pretend they are persecuted for their consciences when they are indeed but iustly censured for their obstinate and pertinacious contempt of lawfull authoritie For it is not the refusall of these Cerimonies they are
the spirit as euery other sensible effect is a manifestation of its proper cause §. 9. By spirituall gifts Wee are now yet farther to know that the Gifts and graces wrought in vs by the holy spirit of God are of two sorts The Scriptures sometimes distinguish them by the different termes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although those words are sometimes againe vsed indifferently and promiscuously either for other They are commonly known in the Schooles and differenced by the names of a V. Aquin. 1.2 qu. 111.1 Gratiae gratum facientes and Gratiae gratis datae Which termes though they be not very proper for one of them may be affirmed of the other whereas the members of euery good distinction ought to be opposite yet because they haue beene long receiued and change of termes though happely for the better hath by experience beene found for the most part unhappy in the euent in multiplying vnnecessary booke-quarrels wee may retaine them profitably and without preiudice Those former which they call Gratum facientes are the Graces of sanctification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to doe acceptable seruice to God in the duties of his generall Calling these later which they call Gratis datas are the Graces of edification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to doe profitable seruice to the Church of God in the duties of his particular Calling Those are giuen Nobis Nobis both to vs and for vs that is b Duplex est operatio sancti spiritus operatur enim in nobis aliud propter nos aliud propter proximos Bernard in paruis Serm. 53. chiefly for our owne good these Nobis sed Nostris to vs indeed but for others that is chiefly for the good of our brethren Those are giuen vs geminae operationis experimentum Vnius qua nos primò iâ—tus virtutibus solidat ad salutem alterius qua foris quoque muneribus ornat ad lucrum Illas nobis haec nostris accepimus Bernard in Cant. Serm. 18. ad salutem for the sauing of our owne soules these ad lucrum for the winning of other mens soules Those proceed from the speciall loue of God to the Person and may therefore be called Personall or speciall these proceed from the generall loue of God to his Church or yet more generall to humane societies and may therefore be rather called Ecclesiasticall or Generall Gifts or Graces Of that first sort are Faith Hope Charity Repentance Patience Humility and all those other holy graces and a Gal. 5.22 fruites of the spirit §. 10. What is here not meant which accompany saluation Wrought by the blessed and powerfull operation of the holy Spirit of God after a most effectuall but vnconceiuable manner regenerating and renewing and seasoning and sanctifying the hearts of his Chosen But yet these are not the Gifts so much spoken of in this Chapter and namely in my Text Euery branch whereof excludeth them Of those graces of sanctification first wee may haue indeed probable inducements to perswade vs that they are or are not in this or that man But hypocrisie may make such a semblance that we may thinke wee see spirit in a man in whom yet there is nothing but flesh and infirmities may cast such a fogge that wee can discerne nothing but flesh in a man in whom yet there is spirit But the gifts here spoken of doe incurre into the senses and giue vs euident and infallible assurance of the spirit that wrought them here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifestation of the spirit Againe secondly those Graces of sanctification are not communicated by distribution b 1 Cor. 7.7 Alius sic alius verò sic Faith to one Charity to another Repentance to another but where they are giuen they are giuen all at once and together as it were strung vpon one threed and linked into one chaine But the Gifts here spoken of are distributed as it were by doale and diuided seuerally as it pleased God shared out into seuerall portions and giuen to euery man some to none all for c Vers. 8. to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge c. Thirdly those Graces of sanctification though they may and ought to bee exercised to the benefit of others who by the d Math. 5.16 shining of our light and the sight of our good workes may be prouoked to glorifie God by walking in the same paths yet that is but vtilitas emergens and not finis proprius a good vse made of them vpon the bye but not the maine proper and direct end of them for which they were chiefly giuen But the Gifts here spoken of were giuen directly for this end and so intended by the giuer to be employed for the benifite of others and for the edifying of the Church they were giuen to profit withall It then remaineth §. 11. and what is to vnderstand this Text and Chapter of that other and later kinde of spirituall Gifts those Graces of Edification or Gratiae gratis datae whereby men are enabled in their seuerall Callings according to the quality and measure of the graces they haue receiued to be profitable members of the publique body either in Church or Common-wealth Vnder which appellation the very first naturall powers and faculties of the soule only excepted which flowing à principijs speciei are in all men the same and alike I comprehend all other secondary endowments and abilities whatsoeuer of the reasonable soule which are capable of the degrees of more and lesse and of better and worse together with all subsidiary helpes any way conducing to the exercise of any of them Whether they be first supernaturall graces giuen by immediate and extraordinary infusion from God such as were the gifts of tongues and of miracles and of healings and of prophecie properly so called and many other like which were frequent in the infancie of the Church and when this Epistle was written according as the necessitie of those primitiue times considered God saw it expedient for his Church Or whether they be secondly such as Philosophers call Naturall dispositions such as are promptnesse of Wit quicknesse of Conceit fastnesse of Memory clearenesse of Vnderstanding soundnesse of Iudgement readinesse of Speech and other like which flow immediately à Principijs indiuidui from the indiuiduall condition constitution and temperature of particular persons Or whether they bee thirdly such as Philosophers call Intellectuall Habits which is when those naturall dispositions are so improued and perfected by Education Art Industry Obseruation or Experience that men become thereby skilfull Linguists subtile Disputers copious Orators profound Diuines powerfull Preachers expert Lawyers Physitians Historians Statesmen Commanders Artisans or excellent in any Science Profession or Faculty whatsoeuer To which we may adde in the fourth place all outward subseruient helpes whatsoeuer which may any way further or
the weary to drinke and thou hast with holden bread from the hungry But as for the mighty man hee had the earth and the honourable man dwelt in it Thou hast sent widowes away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse hast thou broken Being thus shamefully indeed shamelesly §. 2. Scope vpbraided to his face without any desert of his by those men a Etsi ego dignus hac contumeliâ At tu indignus qui faceres tamen Terent. who if he had deserued it should least of all haue done it his b Psal. 55.12 14. neighbours and familiar friends can you blame the good man if to remoue such false aspersions hee doe with more than ordinary freedome insist vpon his owne integritie in this behalfe And that hee doth in this Chapter something largely wherein he declareth how he demeaned himselfe in the time of his prosperitie in the administration of his Magistracy farre otherwise than was layed to his charge When the eare heard mee then it blessed mee and when the eye saw mee it gaue witnesse to mee Because I deliuered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon mee and I caused the widowes heart to sing for ioy in the next immediate verses before these And then he goeth on in the words of my Text I put on righteousnesse and c. It seemeth Iob was a good man as well as a great and being good hee was by so much the better §. 3. Summe by how much he was the greater Nor was he only Bonus vir a good man and yet if but so his friends had done him much wrong to make him an Hypocrite but hee was Bonus Ciuis too a good Common-wealths-man and therefore his friends did him yet more wrong to make him an Oppressour Indeed he was neither one nor other But it is not so vsefull for vs to know what manner of man Iob was as to learne from him what manner of men wee should bee The grieued spirit of Iob indeed at first vttered these words for his owne iustification but the blessed Spirit of God hath since written them for our instruction to teach vs from Iobs example how to vse that measure of greatnesse and power which hee hath giuen vs be it more bee it lesse to his glory and the common good So that in these words we haue to consider as layed downe vnto vs vnder the person and from the example of Iob some of the maine and principall duties which concerne all those that liue in any degree of Eminencie or Authoritie either in Church or Common-wealth and more specially those that are in the Magistracie or in any office appertaining to Iustice. §. 4. and Diuision of the Text. And those Duties are foure One and the first as a more transcendent and fundamentall dutie the other three as accessorie helpes thereto or subordinate parts thereof That first is a Care and Loue and Zeale of Iustice. A good Magistrate should so make account of the administration of Iustice as of his chiefest businesse making it his greatest glory and delight Vers. 14. I put on righteousnesse and it cloathed mee my iudgement was a robe and a diadem The second is a forwardnesse vnto the workes of Mercy and Charity and Compassion A good Magistrate should haue compassion of those that stand need of his helpe and be helpfull vnto them vers 15. and part of 16. I was eyes to the blinde and feete was I to the lame I was a father to the poore The Third is Diligence in Examination A good Magistrate should not be hasty to credit the first tale or bee carryed away with light informations but he should heare and examine and scan and sift matters as narrowly as may bee for the finding out of the truth in the remainder of verse 16. And the cause which I knew not I searched out The Fourth is Courage and Resolution in Executing A good Magistrate when hee goeth vpon sure grounds should not feare the faces of men bee they neuer so mighty or many but without respect of persons execute that which is equall and right euen vpon the greatest offender Vers. 17. And I brake the iawes of the wicked and plucked the spoyle out of his teeth Of these foure in their order of the first first in these words I put on righteousnesse c. This Metaphore of cloathing is much vsed in the Scriptures in this notion §. 5. The Opening of as it is applyed to the soule and things appertaining to the soule In Psalme 109. Dauid vseth this imprecation against his enemies a Psal. 109.29 Let mine aduersaries be cloathed with shame and let them couer themselues with their owne confusion as with a cloake And the Prophet Esay speaking of Christ and his kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof chap. 11. thus describeth it b Esay 11.5 Righteousnesse shall bee the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes Likewise in the New Testament St. Paul in one place biddeth vs c Rom. 13.14 put on the Lord Iesus Christ in an other exhorteth women to d 1 Tim. 2.9 c. adorne themselues instead of broydered haire and gould and pearles and costly aray with shamefastnesse and sobriety and as becommeth women professing godlinesse with good workes in a third furnisheth the spirituall souldier with e Eph. 6.14 c. shoes girdle brestplate helmet and all necessary accontrements from top to toe In all which and other places where the like Metaphore is vsed it is euer to bee vnderstood with allusion to one of the three speciall ends or vses of apparell For we cloath our selues either first for necessitie and common decency to couer our nakednesse or secondly for security and defence against enemies or thirdly for state and solemnitie and for distinction of offices and degrees Our cloakes and coates and ordinary suites wee all weare to couer our nakednesse and these are Indumenta knowne by no other but by the generall name of Cloathing or Apparell Souldiers in the warres weare Morions and Cuiraces and Targets and other habiliments for defence and these are called Arma Armes or Armour Kings and Princes weare Crowns and Diadems inferiour Nobles and Iudges and Magistrates and Officers their Robes and Furres and Hoods and other ornaments fitting to their seuerall degrees and offices for solemnitie of state and as ensignes or markes of those places and stations wherein God hath set them and these are Infulae Ornaments or Roabes It is true Iustice and Iudgement and euery other good vertue and grace is all this vnto the soule seruing her both for couert and for protection and for ornament and so stand both for the garments and for the armour and for the roabes of the soule But here I take it Iob alludeth especially to the third vse The proprietie of the very words themselues giue it so for he
Dutie with the Reasons and extent therof I was eyes to the blinde and feete was I to the Lame I was a Father to the poore Followeth next the third Duty in these words The cause which I knew not I searched out §. 12. The opening of Of which words some frame the Coherence with the former as if Iob had meant to cleare his Mercy to the poore from suspition of Partiality and iniustice and as if he had said I was a father indeed to the poore pitifull and mercifull to him and ready to shew him any lawfull fauour but yet not so as a Ne crederetur quòd faueret eis nimis in preiudicium iustitiae subditur â—ausam Lyran. hîc in pity to him to forget or peruert Iustice. I was euer carefull before I would either speake or doe for him to bee first assured his cause was right and good and for that purpose if it were doubtfull b Ne fortè motupietatis in discretae condescenderem ei in praeiudicium iustitiae Lyran hîc I searched it out and examined it before I would countenance either him or it Certainely thus to do is agreeable to the rule of Iustice yea and of Mercy too for it is one Rule in shewing Mercy that it be euer done salvis pietate iustitiâ without preiudice done to pietie and iustice And as to this particular the Commandement of God is expresse for it in Exod. 23. c Exod. 23.3 Thou shalt not countenance no not a poore man in his cause Now if we should thus vnderstand the coherence of the words the speciall duty which Magistrates should hence learne would be Indifferency in the administration of Iustice not to make difference of rich or poore far or neare friend or foe one or other but to consider only and barely the equity and right of the cause without any respect of persons or partiall inclination this way or that way This is a very necessarie dutie indeed in a Magistrate of iustice §. 13. The Magistrates third Duty Diligence to search out the truth and I denie not but it may bee gathered without any violence from these very words of my Text though to my apprehension not so much by way of immediate obseruation from the necessitie of any such coherence as by way of consequence from the words themselues otherwise For what need all that care and paines and diligence in searching out the cause if the condition of the person might ouerrule the cause after all that search and were not the iudgement to bee giuen meerely according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the cause without respect had to the person But the speciall dutie which these words seeme most naturally and immediately to impose vpon the Magistrate and let that bee the third obseruation is diligence and patience and care to heare and examine and enquire into the truth of things and into the equitie of mens causes As the Physitian before he prescribe receipt or diet to his patient will first feele the pulse and view the vrine and obserue the temper and changes in the body and bee inquisitiue how the disease began and when and what fits it hath and where and in what manner it holdeth him and enforme himselfe euery other way as fully as he can in the true state of the body that so he may proportion the remedies accordingly without errour so ought euery Magistrate in causes of Iustice before he pronounce sentence or giue his determination whether in matters a Omnia iudicia aut distrabendarum controuersiarum aut puniendorum male ficiorum causâ reperta sunt Cic. pro Cecinna iudiciall or criminall to heare both parties with equall patience to examine witnesses and other euidences aduisedly and throughly to consider and wisely lay together all allegations and circumstances to put in quaeres and doubts vpon the by and vse all possible expedient meanes for the boulting out of the truth that so he may do that which is equall and right without errour §. 14. with some instances A dutie not without both Precept and President in holy Scripture Moses prescribeth it in Deut. 17. in the case of Idolatrie a Deut. 17.2 c. See also Deut. 13.14 If there be found among you one that hath done thus or thus c. and it bee told thee and thou hast heard of it and inquired diligently and behold it bee true and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought in Israel Then thou shalt bring forth that man c. The offender must be stoned to death and no eye pitie him but it must be done orderly and in a legal course not vpon a bare hearesay but vpon diligent examination and inquisition and vpon such full euidence giuen in as may render the fact certaine so farre as such cases ordinarily are capable of b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. 1. ethic 1. certaintie And the like is againe ordered in Deut 19. in the case of false witnesse c Deut. 19.17 c. Both the men between whom the controuersie is shall stand before the Iudges and the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition c. And in Iudg. 19. in the wronged Leuites case whose Concubine was abused vnto death at Gibeah the Tribes of Israel stirred vp one another to doe iustice vpon the Inhabitants thereof and the method they proposed was this first to d Iudg. 19.30 consider and consult of it and then to giue their opinions But the most famous example in this kind is that of King Salomon in 3. King 3. in the difficult case of the e 3. King 3.16 28. two Mothers Either of them challenged the liuing child with a like eagernesse either of them accused other of the same wrong and with the same allegations neither was there witnesse or other euidence on either part to giue light into the matter yet Salomon by that wisdome which he had obtained from God found a meanes to search out the truth in this difficultie by making as if he would cut the child into halfes and giue either of them one halfe at the mentioning whereof the compassion of the right mother betrayed the falshood of her clamorous competitor And wee reade in the Apocryphall Storie of Susanna how Daniel by f Dan. 13.61 examining the two Elders seuerally and apart found them to differ in one circumstance of their relation and thereby discouered the whole accusation to be false Iudges for this reason were anciently called Cognitores and in approoued Authors g Si iudicas cognosce Sen. in Med. 2.2 Cognoscere is asmuch as to doe the office of a Iudge to teach Iudges that one chiefe point of their care should bee to know the truth For if of priuate men and in things of ordinarie discourse that of Salomon be true h Prou. 18.13 See Sirac 11.7 8. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is folly and shame vnto him certainly much more
periphrasis of bribery or sixtly guilty of the same transgressions hee should punish or of other as foule Neuer a man of these is for the turne not one of these will venture to breake the iawes or tuskes of an oppressing Tygar or Boare and to plucke the spoyle out of his teeth The timorous man is affraid of euery shadow and if hee doe but heare of teeth hee thinketh it is good sleeping in a whole skin and so keepeth aloofe off for feare of biting g Iam. 1.8 The double minded man as S. Iames saith is vnstable in all his wayes hee beginneth to doe something in a sudden heate when the fit taketh him but before one iawe can bee halfe broken hee is not the man hee was he is sorry for what is done and instead of breaking the rest falleth a binding vp that which he hath broken and so seeketh to salue vp the matter as well as hee can and no hurt done The vaine man that will be flattered so hee get faire words himselfe he careth not who getteth foule blowes and so the beast will but now and then giue him a licke with the tongue he letteth him vse his teeth vpon others at his pleasure The depending creature is charmed with a letter or a message from his Lord or his honourable friend which to him is as good as a Supersedeas or Prohibition The taker hath his fingers so oyled that his hand slippeth off when he should plucke away the spoyle and so he leaueth it vndone The guilty man by no meanes liketh this breaking of iawes he thinketh it may be his owne case another day §. 24. in some mediocrity You see when you are to choose Magistrates here is refuse enough to be cast by But by that all these be discarded and throwne out of the bunch possibly the whole lumpe will be neere spent and there will be little or no choyse left Indeed if we should looke for absolute perfection there would be absolutely no choise at all a Psal. 14.3 there is none that doth good no not one We must not be so daintie in our choyse then as to finde one in euerie respect such as hath beene charactered We liue not b dicit enim tanquam in Platonis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non tan quam in Romuli faece sententiā de Catone Cic. 2. ad Attic. 1. in Republica Platonis but in faece saeculi and it is well if wee can finde one in some good mediocritie so qualified Amid the common corruptions of mankinde he is to be accounted a tolerably good man that is not intolerably bad and among so manie infirmities and defects as I haue now reckoned we may well voyce him for a Magistrate not that is free from them all but that hath the c vitiis nemo sine nascitur optimus ille est Qui minimis vrgetur Hor. 1. serm Sat. 3. fewest and least And we make a happie choyse if from among those we haue to chuse of wee take such a one as is likely to proue in some reasonable mediocritie zealous of iustice sensible of the wrongs of poore men carefull to search out the truth of causes and resolute to execute what he knoweth is iust That for Direction I am next to inferre from the foure Duties in my Text a iust reproofe §. 25. The second Inference of Reproofe and withall a complaint of the common iniquitie of these times wherein men in the Magistracie and in offices of Iustice are generally so faultie and delinquent in some or all of these dueties And first as for zeale to iustice alas that there were not too much cause to complaine It is griefe to speake it and yet we all see it and know it there is growne among vs of this land within the space of not manie yeares a generall and sensible declination in our Zeale both to Religion and Iustice the two maine pillars and supporters of Church and State And it seemeth to be with vs in these regards as with decaying Merchants almost become desperate who when Creditours call fast vpon them being hopelesse of paying all grow carelesse of all and pay none so abuses and disorders encrease so fast among vs that hopelesse to reforme all our Magistrates begin to neglect all and in a manner reforme nothing How few are there of them that sit in the seate of iustice whose consciences can prompt them a comfortable answer to that Question of Dauid Psal. 58. a Psalm 58.1 Are your mindes set vpon righteousnes ô ye congregation Rather are they not almost all of Gallio's temper Act. 18. who though there were a foule outrage committed euen vnder his nose in the sight of the Bench yet the Text saith b Acts 18.17 he cared for none of those things as if they had their names giuen them by an Antiphrasis like Diogenes his man Manes à manendo because he would be now and then running away so these Iustices à iustitia because they neyther do nor care to doe iustice Peraduenture here and there one or two in a whole side of a countrey to be found that make a conscience of their duetie more than the rest and are forward to doe the best good they can Gods blessing rest vpon their heads for it But what commeth of it The rest glad of their forwardnesse make onely this vse of it to themselues euen to slip their owne neckes out of the yoake and leaue all the burden vpon them and so at length euen tyre out them too by making common packhorses of them A little it may be is done by the rest for fashion but to little purpose sometimes more to shew their Iusticeship than to doe justice and a little more it may bee is wrung from them by importunitie as the poore d Luke 18.4.5 widow in the parable by her clamarousnesse wrung a piece of iustice with much adoe from the Iudge that neyther feared God nor regarded man Alas Beloued if all were right within if there were generally that zeale that should be in Magistrates good Lawes would not thus languish as they doe for want of execution there would not be that insolencie of Popish Recusants that licence of Rogues and wanderers that prouling of Officers that enhaunsing of fees that delay of suits that countenancing of abuses those carkases of depopulated townes infinite other mischiefes which are the sinnes shal I say or the plagues it is hard to say whether more they are indeed both the sinnes and the plagues of this land And as for Compassion to the distressed is there not now iust cause if euer to complaine If in these hard times wherin nothing aboundeth but pouerty and sinne when the great ones of the earth should most of all enlarge their bowels and reach out the hand to relieue the extreme necessity of thousands that are ready to sterue if I say in these times great men yea and men of Iustice are as throng
death and not leaue or change them vpon any consideration whatsoeuer is not the thing our Apostle meaneth by abiding in our Callings The word importeth diuers other Christian dueties concerning the vse of our Callings I will but touch at them and conclude The first is contentednes that we neither repine at the meannes of our owne nor enuy at the eminence of anothers Calling a Vers. 21. hic Art thou called being a seruant care not for it saith this Apostle but a little before my Text. All men cannot haue rich or easie or honourable Callings the necessity of the whole requireth that some should drudge in baser and meaner offices b 1. Cor. 12.17 If all the body were Eye where were the Hearing And if there were none to grinde at the Mill there would soone be none to sit vpon the Throne Salomons Temple had not beene reared to this houre if there had not been c 3. Kin. 5.15 burden-bearers and labourers as well as canibus workers in stone and brasse and gold There should be no shame in that whereof there can be no want nay d 1 Cor. 12.22 much more those members of the body which seeme to be more feeble are necessary Grudge not then at thine owne lot for not the meanest Calling but hath a promise of Gods blessing neither enuy an others lot for not the greatest Calling but is attended with worldly vexations Whatsoeuer thy Calling is therein abide be Content with it The second is Faithfulnesse §. 48. 2. Faithfulnesse and Industry and Diligence What is here called Abiding in it is at vers 17. called a ves 17. hic Walking in it and in Rom. 12. Waiting on it b Rom 12.7 Let him that hath an office waite on his office c 1 Cor. 4.2 It is required in stewards that a man be found faithfull and euery man in his Calling is d 1 Pet. 4.10 a Steward He that professeth a Calling and doth nothing in it doth no more abide in it than hee that leaueth it or he that neuer had it Spartam quam nactus es orna Whatsoeuer Calling thou hast vndertaken therein abide bee painfull in it §. 49. 3. Sobrietie The third is sobriety that wee keepe our selues within the proper bounds and limits of our Callings For how doth hee abide in his Calling that is euer and anon flying out of it or starting beyond it like an extrauagant souldier that is alwayes breaking ranke a 2 Sam 6.6 Vzza had better haue ventured the falling than the fingering of the Arke though it tottered It is neuer well when the b Ne Sutor ultra crepidam v. Plin. 35. Nat. hist. 10. Cobler looketh aboue the Ankle nor when Lay-men teach vs what and how we should teach them The Pope should haue done well to haue throwne away his keyes as they say one of them once did before he had taken the sword into his hands and Midwiues well to c Math. 28.19 goe teach all nations before they baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Let it be the singular absurdity of the Church of Rome to allow Vicars to dispose of Crownes and Woman of Sacraments As for thee whatsoeuer thy Calling be therein abide keepe within the bounds of it But yet abide with God §. 50. The abiding therein with God requireth 1. a Conscience of the duties of the Generall Calling That clause was not added for nothing it teacheth thee also some duties First so to demeane thy selfe in thy particular Calling as that thou doe nothing but what may stand with thy generall Calling Magistrate or Minister or Lawyer or Merchant or Artificer or whatsoeuer other thou art remember thou art withall a Christian. Pretend not the a jam illa obijci solita vox Non habeo aliud quo viuam Tertull. de Idolol cap. 5. v. ibid. cap. 12. pulchrè necessities of thy particular Calling to any breach of the leaâ—t of those Lawes of God which must rule thy generall Calling God is the author of both Callings of thy Generall Calling and of thy Particular Calling too Doe not thinke he hath called thee to seruice in the one and to liberty in the other to Iustice in the one and to Cousenage in the other to Simplicity in the one and to Dissimulation in the other to Holinesse in the one and to Prophanenesse in the other in a word to an entire and vniuersall Obedience in the one and to any kind or degree of Disobedience in the other It teacheth thee secondly §. 51. 2. a Care of the exercises of Religion not to ingulfe thy selfe â—o wholly into the businesses of thy particular Calling as to abridge thy selfe of conuenient opportunities for the exercise of those religious duties which thou art bound to performe by vertue of thy generall Calling as Prayer Confession Thankesgiuing Meditation c. God alloweth thee to serue thy selfe but he Commandeth thee to serue him too Bee not thou so all for thy selfe as to forget him but as thou art ready to embrace that liberty which he hath giuen thee to serue thy selfe so make a conscience to performe those duties which hee hath required of thee for his seruice Worke and spare not but yet pray too or else worke not Prayer is the meanes to procure a blessing vpon thy labours from his hands who neuer faileth to serue them that neuer faile to serue him Did euer any man a Iob. 1.9 serue God for nought A man cannot haue so comfortable assurance that he shall prosper in the affayres he taketh in hand by any other meanes as by making God the Alpha and Omega of his endeauours by beginning them in his name and derecting them to his glory Neither is this a point of Duty only in regard of Gods command or a point of Wisecome onely to make our labours successefull but it is a point of Iustice too as due by way of Restitution We make bold with his day dispence with some of that time which hee hath sanctified vnto his seruice for our owne necessities It is equall we should allow him at least as much of ours as we borrow of his though it be for our necessities or lawfull comforts But if wee rob him of some of his time as too often we doe employing it in our owne businesses without the warrant of a just necessitie we are to know that it is theft yea theft in the highest degree sacriledge and that therefore wee are bound at least as farre as petty theeues were in the Law to a b Exod. 22 1. 2. Sam. 12.6 fourefould restitution Abide in thy Calling by doing thine owne part and labouring faithfully but yet so as Gods part be not forgotten in seruing him daily It teacheth thee thirdly to watch ouer the speciall sinnes of thy particular Calling §. 52. 3. Watchfulnesse against the speciall sinnes of the Calling Sinnes I meane not that cleaue necessarily to the Calling for then the very Calling it selfe should be vnlawfull but sinnes vnto the temptations wherof the condition of thy Calling layeth thee open more than it doth vnto other sinnes or more than some other Callings would doe vnto the same sinnes and wherwith whilest thou art stirring about the businesses of thy Calling thou mayest be soonest ouertaken if thou dost not heedefully watch ouer thy selfe and them The Magistrates sins Partialitie and Injustice the Ministers sinnes Sloath and Flattery the Lawyers sinnes Maintenance and Collusion the Merchants sinnes Lying and Deceiptfulnesse the Courtiers sinnes Ambition and Dissimulation the Great Mans sinnes Pride and Oppression the Gentlemans sinnes Ryot and Prodigality the Officers sinnes Bribery and Extortion the Country mans sinnes Enuy and Discontentednesse the Seruants sinnes Tale-bearing and Purloyning In euery State and condition of life there is a kind of oppertunity to some speciall sinne wherin in if our watchfulnesse be not the greater mainly to oppose it and keepe it out we cannot abide therin with God §. 53. The conclusion All that I haue done all this while in my passage ouer this Scripture is but this I haue proued the Necessitie of hauing a Calling layed downe directions for the Choyce and tryall of our Callings and shewed what is required of vs in the vse of our Callings for the abiding therein with God And hauing thus dispatched my Message it is now time I should spare both your eares and my owne sides God grant that euery one of vs may remember so much of what hath beene taught as is needfull for each of vs and faithfully apply it vnto our owne soules and consciences and make a profitable and seasonable vse of it in the whole course of our liues euen for Iesus Christs sake his blessed sonne and our alone Sauiour To whom c. FINIS