concern the substance of Religion so the fourth wholly concerns the exercise of it and as the first Commandment teacheth us the duties of faith hope and charity towards God to believe in him to fear him and to love him with all our heart with all our minde with all our soul and with all our strength and the second and third to worship him to give him thanks to call upon him to honour his holy name and his word so the fourth commandment setteth us a time and other circumstances for the exercise of these duties teaching us to serve him truly in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life for it is a gross mistake of some who make the fourth commandment a limitation or a restriction of the first as if he that required our love with all our heart to shew that we ought sooner to be without our heart then without his love did require the publick profession of that love onely one day in seven no we must know and profess the contrary for it is impossible that the greater should be limited by the lesser and our Saviour himself hath told us that Thou shalt love the Lord is the first and great commandment Saint Mat. 20. 38. Wherefore all the rest which have their greatness from this cannot add any greatness to it much less can they take away any greatness from it and consequently the fourth commandment must needs lose its greatness if it be brought to oppose this that is to say to confine this love of God by restraining the exercise of Religion to the Sabbath as if Religion were made for the Sabbath and not rather the Sabbath made for Religion they who look upon Sunday as the onely Sabbath do in effect say That Religion was made for the Sabbath they who look upon other Festivals as Sabbaths also do in effect say That the Sabbath was made for Religion and without doubt they are of the surer side which is the drift we should aim at in all controverted points who say Days were made for duties and not duties for days for these men do say That the substance of Religion is above the exercise of Religion which God himself hath taught us in the very method of the commandments putting the greatest in the first place and that the exercise of Religion was ordained and appointed to preserve and maintain the substance of Religion but by no means to restrain or hinder the same Therefore it is safest explaining the fourth commandment not by way of limitation or restriction as if it limited and restrained the three former to it self which those men do seem to be guilty of who put down all other Christian Festivals as unlawfull and superstitious but by way of specification or application as shewing the necessity of exercising that Religion which is taught and commanded in the three former and not leaving it in our power to omit or neglect that exercise This being laid for a sure ground that we have Gods absolute command not onely for the substance but also for the exercise of Religion it must needs follow that they who regard not the exercise of Religion cannot regard the substance of it and consequently whosoever is unsetled in the exercise of Religion whether it be in the profession or in the practise thereof cannot be thought well grounded in the knowledge and love of God For Divinity is a science that teacheth man to live to God and therefore he that most lives to God is the best Divine the best scholar may be he that hath best ordered his study but the best Divine is he that best ordereth his life and this Divinity St. Paul requireth alike of all Christians who profess to believe in Christ that they have a life answerable to their faith a conversation answerable to their profession Rom. 6. 9. Knowing this that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more there 's the principle of faith and verse 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord there 's the duty of life He is the best Divine he hath the most Christian Logick that most makes such collections for Divinity treats onely of the spiritual life whereby man lives in to him by whom he lives And as the natural life hath two acts the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby it gives life the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby it gives motion so hath also the spiritual life two acts The first consists in the knowledge and love of God the second in the profession of that knowledge and in the practise of that love Of these two acts consisted Abrahams Religion of these two parts consisted his Divinity even of Faith in God as saith S. Paul and of Works according to that Faith as saith S. Iames and if we hope to get into Abrahams bosome we must first get into his study This was Davids Divinitie Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord there 's the knowledge and love of God for no man will trust him whom he doth not know and much less him whom he doth not love and do good there 's the profession according to that knowledge and practise according to that love and we must be men after Davids heart if we desire to be men after Gods own heart In a word This was the Divinity Christ left unto his Church S. Matth. 28. 19 20. First teaching all nations to know God then teaching them to observe his commands and we cannot be good Christians unless we be members of Christs Church and if we be good Christians our faith will make us live in Christ and our conversation will be according to our faith which was the admirable prayer of the ancient Church upon Ascension-eve and I cannot better conclude this discourse then with a prayer nor have I learned to reject a good prayer because I finde it in the Mass-Book no more then I may learn not to say Eli Eli that is my God my God with my blessed Saviour because some out of ignorance others out of malice will say This man calleth for Elias S. Matth. 27. 46. Praesta quaesumus omnipotens Pater ut nostrae mentis intentio quò Unigenitus Filius tuus Dominus noster ingressus est semper intendat quò side pergit conversatione perveniat Grant Lord we beseech thee that whither our Saviour is ascended we may also with heart and minde thither ascend and whither we ascend by our faith there we mayalso dwell by our conversation even in Heaven Amen CHAP. 5. The assurance we have of the substance of Religion in that it is spiritual and resembles God the authour of it in his incommunicable properties of Simplicitie and Infinitie as also in his Immutabilitie and Eternitie which are the two consectaries of Infinitie also in his Omnipotency All-sufficiencie and Omnisciencie which are the three consectaries of his Eternitie THat Religion is of a divine
the reconciliation would be easily effected as to what concerns Gods interest were it not impeded and hindred by our own Hence it is also that many under a pretence of settling and regulating Religion do indeed disturb and disorder it and in stead of rightly guiding the Christian do indeed misguide him whiles they stand so much upon ceremonals which are of their own making as that they much more neglect morals which are Gods undoubted commands and so desire to have their converts be some of Paul some of Appollos some of Cephas as they little regard and less care to see they be truly all of Christ. And yet amidst all these grand miscarriages of men which no Rhetorick can sufficiently express no repentance can sufficiently bewail though we finde much that may trouble us in the practise of Religion yet we finde nothing that can excuse us if we practise it not for there is matter enough uncontroverted on all sides to engage the whole soul of man if we would take notice of that engagement Satis ampla pietatis exercendae materia est in iis rebus de quibus utrinque convenit nam de side in Christum mortuum resuscitatum pro nobis collocandâ de charitate Deo proximo exhibendâ controversia nulla est at in his duobus capitibus pietatis summa consistit saith the most judicious and pious Cassander in his book De officio pii viri What pitie is it that there should be the greatest defect where is the least controversie amongst Christians This made the forenamed Authour profess that he was nothing at all satisfied with those men who pretended that the contentions of Christians hindred their progress in Christianity for saith he There is matter enough for the exercise of piety which is quite exempted from all controversie for all sides agree that we must be saved by faith in Christ crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification and by the love of God for his own sake and of our neighbour for Gods sake and in these two heads saith he of faith and charity is comprised the sum of all true Christianitie Saint Paul had said no less before him 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfained which Aquinas thus proves most substantially Omnes enim virtutes de quarum actibus dantur praecepta ordinantur vel ad purificandum cor à turbationibus passionum sicut virtutes quae sunt circa passiones vel saltem ad habendam bonam conscientiam sicut virtutes quae sunt circa operationes vel ad habendam rectam sidem sicut illae quae pertinent ad divinum cultum haec tria requiruntur ad diligendum Deum nam cor impurum à Dei dilectione abstr ahitur propter passionem inclinantem ad terram conscientia vero mala facit horrere divinam justitiam propter timorem poenae fides autem ficta trahit affectum ad id quod de Deo fingitur separans à Dei Veritate 22 ae qu. 44. art 1. All the vertues whose acts are commanded in the Law directly tend either to the purging of the heart from the disturbances of the passions as those vertues which teach us to order our affections or they tend to the getting and keeping of a good conscience as those vertues that concern our works and operations or they tend to the getting and keeping of a true Faith as those vertues which immediately concern the worship of God and all these three are required to the true love of God 1. A pure heart for that else will cleave to the earth by its impurity 2. A good conscience for that else will run from God because of its guiltiness 3. an unfained faith for that else will follow a fiction in stead of God and falsities in stead of his truth This being taken for granted which cannot rationally be denied the meanest man that is will finde little cause to be discouraged or disheartened in the Christian Religion by reason of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from all which S. Paul so exceedingly dehorts S. Timothy that there are amongst Christians so many strifes about words and so many vanities and novelties and emptinesses in those strifes for if he will have a diligent care of his own heart that it may be pure of his own conscience that it may be good and of his own faith that it may be unfained he will not dangerously neglect his duty either towards himself or towards his neighbour or towards his God but will always finde matter enough to busie his soul here and take a sure course to save his soul hereafter it is evident from the ensuing words that none but they who swerve from these three scil a pure heart a good conscience and a faith unfained do turn aside unto vain janglings And for this cause our blessed Saviour chides not onely the Scribes and Pharisees but also the meanest of the common people for not following and embracing the undoubted truth though there were at that time as great contentions in the Jewish as are now in the Christian Church S. Luke 12. 54 56 57. And he said also unto the people Ye hypocrites can ye discern the face of the sky and of the earth But how is it that ye do not discern this time yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right He chides them for being quick-sighted in matters of earth but as it were pur-blinde in the things of heaven that they could of themselves judge rightly of the seasons for their profit not so for their amendment and notwithstanding he professeth that he came not to give peace on earth but rather divisions such as should divide the nearest and dearest relations from and against themselves yet he gives no writ of ease to any man that he should leave off being a judge in matters of his salvation for if divisions hinder them not from judging what is right in husbanding their lands why should they hinder them from judging what is right in husbanding their souls To apply this to our present purpose since 't is not in our power to doubt either of Christian faith or Christian Charity as necessarily required and immediately conducing to salvation why should it be in our will to neglect them both for this is in effect to proclaim that we had rather with Martha be troubled about many things then with Mary choose that good part which shall not be taken from us it is in effect to declare that we will have a Religion rather to serve our selves then to serve our God rather agreeable with mens present humours then with Gods eternal truth otherwise our whole labour would be to conform our selves to that eternal truth in our understandings by faith in our wills by charity which two would make us
Eliah saith he was delivered after Eliah was ascended but the meaning is that the thing had been revealed by Eliah to one of the prophets who commanded him to write it in a book and give it to Iehoram tell him that it was a writing sent to him from Eliah that so Iehoram thinking the writing sent to him from heaven might humble his heart So will I here present our back-sliding age with a reproof from S. Paul that hath been so many years dead because I see that back-sliders do not regard the reproofs of their ministers who are now living and I cannot but hope if I have not willingly mistaken the Apostle that no cōsciencious godly man such as we all pretend to be will willingly mistake me We must then look on S. Pauls profession in this place as a true Christians profession because it is a profession of his Christian Religion consisting of two parts of his worship of his faith which are the two essential or substantial parts of Religion sides cultus faith in God and the worship of God though the faith be put last in the order of the words yet is it first in the order of nature for because S. Paul beleeved all things which were written in the law and in the prophets therefore did he worship the God of his fathers But before our Apostle shews the substance of his profession what it is he doth shew the necessity of it why it is for the necessity of his Christian profession is imported in these words But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresie as well as the substance of it in these words so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the law and in the prophets And indeed as it is the great duty so it should be the great labour of every Christian to keep his heart true unto his Saviour to keep his tongue true unto his heart to keep his heart true to Christ that he may be unmoveable in the love of his Religion and to keep his tongue true unto his heart that he may be unmoveable in the profession of that love and for both these we have here an excellent president So worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the law and in the prophets There his heart is true to his Saviour in the substance of Religion and before that but this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I There his tongue is true to his heart in the profession of it for he looks upon the profession of his Religion as a necessary duty not to be omitted for fear not to be dissembled for shame I unto thee hints both these I a prisoner at the bar to thee a iudge upon the bench for Saint Paul was here arraigned as a felon for his Religion which hath been allways the portion of the godly for the wicked presidents and princes could not but say we shall not finde any occasion against this Daniel except we finde it against him concerning the law of his God Dan. 6. 5. I say Saint Paul had been indicted and was here arraigned as a felon or a delinquent that in the midst of a general refusal or denial of Christ he durst own to be a Christian and would be constant in the profession of his Christianity and he shews that notwithstanding all the affronts offered him and the aspersions cast upon him yet his profession being truly Christian was such as he might not be afraid would not be ashamed of I unto thee is enough against the fear which they call heresie is enough against the shame Let us put on the armour of proof against the fear and we shall need of no mask or vizard against the shame And surely this Ego in the Text Saint Pauls example is warrant enough not to be afraid for so saith the holy Ghost by his mouth Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Every man is bound to follow his Church where that follows his Saviour but because this refractory age thinks it the nearest cut to go to Christ to run away from his Church it will not be amiss to shew how our blessed Saviours example did move Saint Paul that so both examples together may the more forcibly move us not to be afraid to make profession of our Religion For so it is recorded of our blessed Saviour that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession or a good profession 1 Tim. 6. 13. can we be called before worse tyrants then Felix and Pilate Can we look for better examples then Saint Paul and our blessed Saviour the one the teacher the other the King of Saints lo Saint Paul professed his Religion before Felix our blessed Saviour before Pilate and both them professed it when there was the greatest danger of that profession when they were in danger of their lives not onely of their livelyhoods for professing it if the tyranny cannot be greater why should the profession be less for so Saint Chrysostome sets down the profession of Christ before Pontius Pilate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came to be a witness to the truth or a martyr for it a witness to the truth in times of peace and prosperity a martyr for the truth in times of opposition and apostasie so should every Christian think and say that he was not born as a man much less new-born as a Christian for himself but for his Saviour to be a witness to he truth For if this principle of Religion were doctrinal in our hearts to beleeve it it would also be practical in our lives to perform it but we beleeve not the doctrine and therefore regard not the practise the faith is first dead then the work so saith the prophet He that beleeveth in him shall not make haste Isa. 28. 16. id est ex impatientiâ infidelitate ad res praesentes non confugiet saith Junius He that beleeveth in him shall not make such haste as out of impatience and infidelity to comply with the present occasions or opportunities more to keep his estate then to keep his conscience as those miscreants did v. 15. who said we have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves Iunius thus rightly explaineth their wicked meaning we are as secure as if we had made a covenant with death we have done as much as wise men can do and more then honest men will do to preserve our selves to make an agreement with those that are too strong for us we have cast up our banks against the overflowing scourge and though you call it lies and falshood which we have done yet we know it
by a gracious dependance on Gods truth and faithfulness and expecting in his good time a comfortable issue of his promises Such waiters whose God is the Lord Jehovah in whom they trust on whom they depend and whom they constantly obey not departing from his precepts when he seems to have forsaken them in their greatest distresses such men are the prime the onely Christians who have in their soul the seal of Gods grace to assure them of their future happiness O thou whose Name is the great Jehovah and rulest all things in heaven and earth send down from heaven the habitation of thy glory thine Holy Spirit into our hearts and so possess our souls with an awful fear of thy Majesty and a filial love of thee for thy goodness and mercy that we abhorring all things that may displease thee and obeying thy precepts may in the end of our days obtain the end of our hopes and the fruit of thy promises which is the salvation of our souls and eternal bliss through the merits of our blessed Redeemer our Lord Christ Jesus The tenth and last Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 schaddai by which God often stiled himself when he spake unto the Patriarchs to uphold their spirits and sustain their faith in the midst of their troubles Gen. 17. 1. the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto him I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the same words he bespake Jacob Gen. 35.11 hence it was that they also when they were to speak or make mention of God often used that Name or word Thus Isaac when he blessed Jacob Gen. 28.3 said the God whose Name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bless thee and make thee to encrease and multiply so Jacob said to Joseph the God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appeared to me in Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me As for the notion or meaning of the Name Galatinus l. 2. c. 17. out of R. Moses the Egyptian and Algazel determines it that it is a compounded term and made up of these two parts or particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in composition the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies sufficient and sufficiency so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the whole latitude or acception of it denotes the alsufficiency of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui in se à se sufficientiam abundantiam omnimodam habet it a ut nullius ope indigeat i. e. who in himself and from himself hath a sufficiency and abundance of all good things and needs not the help of any creature There is in God a fallness of power whereby he can do what he will his will being the onely rule and bound of his power therefore the Septuagint do often render this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Job 8.3 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that doth or worketh all things so in our English Translation doth the Almighty pervert justice As there is in many a man an empty fullness when bladder-like his soul is blown up with windy fancies of having what he hath not or of more knowledge then he truly hath so in God there is a fullness without any the least defect or degree of emptiness in God and Christ who is God and man in one person there is as the Schools speak Plenitudo repletiva and diffusiva or plenitudo abundantiae and redundantiae and abounding fullness because no good thing no gift nor grace is wanting in him and a redounding fullness because what gifts or graces soever be in us they are all derived to our souls from him the ever-living and overflowing fountain and spring of them from whom they slow into our souls per Spiritum tanquam per canalem through the spirit as it were a conduit-pipe without any loss of them in him or without any the least diminution and of his fullness have we all received Joh. 1. 16. a fullness without any want argues a great perfection quod plenè habetur perfectè totalitèr habetur Aquin Now if men through the door of faith opened by Gods blessed Spirit did see the fullness the excellency and alsufficiency of God it would so fill them with admiration joy and content that having a communion with God by his sanctifying spirit they would care for nothing else they considering what the Lord is and beholding his glorious face in the glass of his Attributes viz. his Wisedom Power and Justice c. upon this consideration they would say with the Prophet David The Lord is on our side or with us we will not therefore fear what man can do unto us Psa 118. 6. the Lord is ours therefore we can lack nothing that is good for us and if the Lord be thine then his Power is thine to sustain thee under any cross to redeem thee from troubles to help thee in distress to succour thee in the greatest needs and to support thy weakness in the performance of any duties his Wisedom too is thine thou hast an interest in it it is thy portion so that if thou desirest to be instructed in the knowledge of his word to understand those hidden mysteries which are contained in it if thou openest thy mouth to him in prayer he will open thine eyes that thou shalt see mirabilia leg is the wondrous things of his Law Psa. 119. 18. and be also wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. his Justice likewise is thine to vindicate thee when thou art injured if thou committest thy cause unto him and to clear thine innocency when thou art falsly traduced by the malevolent and to deliver thee out of the hands of the oppressour so for his Truth and Holiness the former is thine to make good his promises of blessings in this life and of happiness in that to come if by faith and full affiance thou dependest on him so the latter i. e. his Holiness is thine to sanctifie thy corrupt nature and to free thee as from the guilt so from the power of sin This is the portion of all the Sons and servants of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God al-sufficient who can and will do for us more then either we desire or deserve if we wholly rest and rely upon his goodness Happy is the man who is in such a case in so blessed a condition as to have a close union and near communion with the great God of heaven or to speak in the Prophet Davids phrase who hath the Lord for his God Psa. 144. 15. whose alsufficiency they atterly deny who worship any other God as did the Gentiles who multiplied Deities and sacrificed to more then one such are Polutheists who divide the glory of Gods excellencies amongst those petty Numens even as they are no other then practical Athiests and truly worship none who through infidelity question Gods alsufficiency for if he be God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alsufficient who by small or unlikely means can bring great or mighty things to pass they doubt of his being alsufficient who walk in uneven waies and use evil means to work out their ends and to effect their enterprises as did Ahaziah the son of Ahab who in his sickness sent messengers to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron to enquire of him whether he should recover of his disease 2 Kin. 1. the like did the wicked Saul 1 Sam. 28. when being in a great strait by the Philistines that warred against him he went to a woman that had a familiar spirit to know of her whether he should conquer his enemies but this did not holy David he apprehended God to be all-sufficient that having promised him the kingdom would in his good time effect what he promised wherefore he used no sinister or unlawfull means to accomplish his desires but waited on God for the performance of his promise he had many opportunities to have gotten the Crown oftentimes Saul fell into his hands so that he might have destroyed him but he would not do it he would not touch him to his hurt because he was the Lords anointed but committed himself to the will of God waiting his leisure so after a few years his desires were accomplished his grand enemy flain and he setled in the Throne of this holy frame of spirit was that good Jonathan the Son of Saul 1 Sam. 14. 6. when he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non est Jehovae impedimentum there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few so was Asa affected towards God his heart was possessed with high thoughts of his all-sufficiency 2 Chr. 14. 11. when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him with a thousand thousand men and three hundred chariots then saies the Text he cried unto the Lord his Lord and said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee the Lord heard his cry and did help him that huge host was overthrown in a moment this Victory he obtained by his faith in the Lord of Hosts who is all-sufficient The thinking of him not so to be is the cause of all those indirect courses which men take to accomplish their worldly designes as when they lie and dissemble swear and forswear to get riches or go to conjurers and witches such men put not their whole trust and assiance in God but rather conceive that God cannot do what they desire by himself or by his own power unless they help him with their crafty wiles and politick devices when Peter denied Christ was it not out of fear and from whence was that fear was it not because he did not apprehend God to be all-sufficient a strong buckler of defence so that without his lying and dissimulation he could have rescued him out of the Jews bloudy hands although he had own'd his Lord and Master Christ Jesus To conclude if this comfortable Name of God were throughly digested by faith in our souls if we did beleeve that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God almighty and all-sufficient we should walk before him or as in his presence as Enoch Abraham and David did with a perfect heart we should fear him for his all-commanding power and love him for his Goodness of which there is in him a transcendent fullness we should be chearfull in adversity being content with God alone and think our selves very rich and happy though we be poor when we have God for our possession we should then see an emptiness in the creatures here below through whom God shines so that whatsoever excellency or beauty whatsoever worth vertue or comfort is in them it is an high degree in God who gave them their being and all things that attend it the consideration of this would make us more to delight in God and not dote on them which are but shadows in respect of that everlasting Sun and all their excellencies or perfections but so many beams descending from the Father of Lights or as so many blossomes of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Goodness so that if we separate these particularities from that universal good and not admire God in them or be not thankfull to God for them all our affections spent on them would be unchaste and their embraces adulterous hence it is said in the Scriptures that men in regard of their blinde dotage on them are said to go a whoring after vanities or the creatures which are vain and empty if compared with their makers fullness Lastly if God be all-sufficient then let him be our onely stay and comfort Let us trust in him alone being perswaded of this truth that he can help and support us without the assistance of the creatures but not all these without his blessing and providence ever look at God through the creatures who subsist by him who is a present help in trouble and oft sends best success when we are at the lowest or in a sad desperate condition because we usually then relie upon him most and go to him alone by prayer and supplication and then may we expect great mercies when we have a great faith in the great God of Heaven who delights in them who by their affiance or whole dependency on his powerfull Goodness bring much glory to him to this great all-sufficient and Almighty God to the Father Son and holy Ghost be given and ascribed all honour praise dominion and power c. Amen Most gracious God who art all-sufficient in thy self and from the inexhausted Treasury of thy goodness conveyest all things for the use of our bodies and comfort of our souls give us we pray thee largeness of spirits sutable to thy bounty towards us O enlarge our hearts with love and thankfulness to thee and let both display themselves in large expressions of duty that our thankfull lips may ever praise and our holy lives glorifie thee and above all Lord give us thine own self in blessing all thy gifts unto us and give us withall thy Son Christ Jesus that he may be ours in the pardon of all our sins by the merit of his death and passion and in the saving of our poor souls and we his by serving him all our dayes in holiness and righteousness Grant this heavenly Father for his sake who died and now sits in heaven at thy right hand making intercession for us Amen FINIS ALLEGIANCE AND CONSCIENCE Not fled out of England OR THE Doctrine of the Church of England CONCERNING Allegiance and Supremacy As it was delivered by the former Authour upon the Occasion and at the Time of Trying the King by his own Subjects In several Sermons Anno 1649. on the words of Ecclesiastes Eccles 8. 2 3 4. By EDW. HYDE D. of Divinity Tert. ad Scap. c. 2. Colimus Imperatorem ut Hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem
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