also led by Nature to ioyne the worship of their owne Idols to the seruice of the true God The same doe wee too much at this day we haue giuen our names to God wee will needs be Citizens of of the new Ierusalem and be Pilgrims to the heauenly Canaan yet wee striue to build houses in Egypt and spend our mayne strength for the things of that world wherein wee professe our selues to bee strangers So doe wee ioyne two incompatible ends together as our marke and scope East and West God and the World wee ioyne together what God hath put asunder which is as bad as to put asunder what God hath ioyned together And as those Inhabitants of Iudea which serued God and Idolls did neyther serue God nor Idolls so these men seruing God and the world yet cannot be perfect seruants of both For true is that of our Sauiour No man can serue two Masters But of these men which weare a double badge of a two fold seruice there are diuers degrees One is the palpable and grosse professor that weareth the badge of the world on the right side and the badge of God on the left This man in his heart writes the world first and God after yet as long as they two goe one way hee will walke on among the foremost He will heare and pray and say as other Christians doe I meane outwardly as long as Iobs hedge which the Deuill spake of is safe and sound or as long as the glorie and wealth which the Deuill offered to Christ doe not call him aside But if the hedge be broken vp and the wild beasts of crosses or losses rush in vpon him then he falls to the language of Iobs Wife Curse God and dye or to that of the King of Israel Why shall I serue God any longer and the keyes of Peter euen of Deuotion being cast into the riuer the sword of Peter euen of a carnall wit cutting and hewing with shifts and deuises is drawen and brandished forth or if that hedge remayning strong the Deuill doe but take him vp into his Mountayne of wretched preferment and there shew him this mans liuing or that mans goods which may bee had with a little straying from the path of Holinesse he presently takes leaue of his Master and steps aside to fetch the two Talents of gold and the two changes of Rayment and eftsoones comes againe wipes his mouth like an Harlot and stands before his Master as afore-time Miserable Creature that he is being contented with the bare shew of happinesse but though it please him to bee contented with shewes yet substantially really and without dissimulation to him belong all the woes pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisies Hypocrites Yet this benefit hee doth the Church that he can hardly scandal her to any man of vnderstanding For his workes bewray him that he is not of vs and his prickles being very sensible make it knowne that hee is a Thorne and therefore a Vine though growing by him cannot well in a slander be ioyned with him But let such a one bee assured that betweene his two Masters hee shall be without a Master for his chiefe Master the World will turne him out of seruice and then God his pretended Master will not receiue him Death shall strip him of the Worlds fauour and aduancement and God shall strip him of his shew and vizard of Religion and so being starke naked poore and miserable hee shall be thrust out of the gates of the Citie and shall haue his portion with Hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth A second sort is of those that in earnest propose to themselues the seruice of God yea they thinke not to serue the World but yet they study and striue how to serue God most thriftily and to please him as good cheape as they can These men indeauour mightily to finde out the vtmost Confines of good and to see how farre honestie may possibly be brought to reach For they haue resolued not to doe euill though they may get by it but they are resolued to goe for gayne as neere euill as they can possibly and misse it So can wee outwardly perceiue Gods badge on their sleeue yet I must needs say that in the lining and inwards of the same there is a secret badge of the World And surely I doubt the World is their chief end and only that they make some reuerence to God as they passe by Him to the World Toward the discouery hereof let vs lay the rule or leuell to this doubtful man If wee looke on a face of perfect proportion and presently behold another though but of a little disproportion wee shall soone finde the fault by the comparison So let vs here behold the beauty of a sanctified Man of a man crucified to the World of a man of Heauen and then shall wee find euen the lesser blemishes of a man of Earth The man truly renewed hath his treasure in Heauen There is his Rest there is his Happinesse there is his Countrie This heauenly Man looks vpon his earthly Gods and casts with himselfe how much hee may in good spirituall Husbandrie lawfully returne for Heauen how much hee may fitly giue vnto God and lay vp in the hands of his Sauiour and being a good Steward though like that vniust one by all lawfull diminutions he prouides for the increase of his welcome and wel-fare in the place of his last and eternall Residence Therefore doth this Man also seeke out the bounds of goodnesse but it is to another end euen to finde how farre he may righteously conuert his temporall Riches to the glory of God and aduancement of his Soule Hee casts with himselfe how much hee may well spare for holy and charitable vses and withall not bee worse then an Infidell that prouides not for his Familie Now hauing found out the right purpose of this Man thereby as by a Rule may wee find the crookednesse of the other Whereas the man of heauen hath God for his main end and therefore leuells the World vnto God studying to conuert the world to the most glory and pleasure of God the other mainly studies and intends the World desiring to haue Gods good will towards the most obtayning of the World One striues to returne as much as hee may for Heauen the other striues to returne as little as hee may so hee doe not wholly lose Heauen one indeauours most to please God the other rather not to offend him then to please him In summe one striues how much good hee may doe by a lawfull conuersion of his riches into good workes the other striues how much he may purchase how much riches hee may increase by a lawfull diminution of his good workes Now the man striues to that increase in riches rather then good Workes can hardly be that good Christian whose duty is to bring forth much fruit Iohn 15.8 Besides Experience shewes that such as stretch their
and mighty Language Hee doth what we should do euen make sweetnesse to wayte vpon strength not make strength to melt it selfe away into sweetnesse Let the Bees come vnto Samsons Lion but let not the Lion spend his strength in running after Bees Now the vse which hence I would gather is a double Medicine for a twofold Disease The one is for the Readers or hearers disease For many of these are sick of iudgement and will not reade or heare any but those that are short and sweet euen such as conuey Religion into them by Pils and not by Potions They are like chicken that cannot eate bread except it be in crummes But let such get vnto them the true appetite of a true Christian and then spirituall matter deliuered spiritually that is with euidence force will be very good if not the best food to their soules And I would wish them to condemne their owne stomackes and to seeke to amend them when they condemne or neglect a sound and Apostlicall deliuery of the Word For certainly that Soule is not very spirituall in her appetite that rellisheth not spirituall Doctrine deliuered in it owne that is in a spirituall manner For true in this it is also That Like loues his Like and on the otherside where there is no loue there is no likenesse but that which loues not is vnlike to that which is not loued So the appetite that loues not a spirituall kind of teaching is to be suspected that it selfe is not spirituall and that want of likenesse is the true cause of the want of loue And if it be so then let men looke into themselues for the fault and not out of themselues and after let them looke themthemselues to the Physician of our soules Christ Iesus praying him to touch their hearts as hee did the heart of Lydea with his opening Spirit and then no doubt shall they bee attentiue hearers of the man that speakes spirituall things in spirituall words The other is for the Writers or Speakers disease and this very often is affectation Euery man must be of the fashion and so if this Language of pieces be the fashion that must bee affected But the affectation heereof is vicious both because it affects a vice in speaking and likewise because it marres the naturall ability in which the Affectator would haue better excelled and whereby hee would haue beene more perswasiue So haue I seene a good Trotter make a bad Ambler and fall into a Racke which is neyther of them both Wherefore to draw all to a summe Let edification be the end of speaking and hearing writing and reading that it may bee so spirituall things must be fitted with a spirituall Language The excellence and moouing of diuine Musick is then chiefest when the Tune speaketh like the Ditty So if the light and power of the Spirit vtter themselues in words of light and power it speakes most mouingly to our soules Wherefore let spirituall words haue in them spirituall euidence and spirituall feruor for so doe they best speake to the Vnderstanding Will and Affections And let the whole matter haue a sufficient allowance of words for so doth it best speake to the memory Yet this wee may know that with a large and full expression a sententious definitious and comprehensiue Position is often a very good Companion The largenesse giues a full appearance of the matter to the vnderstanding and workes a full impression of it into the memory then the breuity becomming the modell and pith of the largenes makes it more portable and ready for vse And we may see a string which by the sudden turne of a Key hath broken by a leisurable winding hath risen beyond the degree where it brake Lastly if with the Preacher to the words of Truth and an vpright writing there arise pleasant words let euery man make vse of his Talent to the profit of the lender Instruction pointed with delight pierceth the more sharply and sticks the more stedfastly And these bee the very Nayles of Salomon the fastning of which he commends in the Teachers But let euery man serue God in his owne place and not breake his ranke to doe some strange Exployt For as there is not an expectation of doing God seruice where God hath not giuen ability so neyther is there an acceptation of that seruice which is done without an abilitie giuen of God 1. Pet. 4.11 For such a Worke is not the fruit of the power but of impotence and it cannot please him because it is done without him For as euery good thing comes from God so that which comes not from God is not good and that which is not good can neuer please God CHAP. XVIII That the Vse of the Keyes is an excellent Remedie for the Diseases of the Church if it selfe be not diseased and that it is not to bee taken for a priuiledge to bee free from Remedies and not from Diseases WHen I reade a Cyprian Epis. 10.11.55 de â—aâ—â—s the practice of Penitence in the Times of the first Loue it reioyceth mee greatly to see the beauty of the Church which could not chuse but shine in a notable fairenesse when the spots were so duely and carefully taken away the faces of the spotted being throughly washed by the teares of repentance Open Sinners were not admitted into the Communion of Saints neither was the bread of the Children giuen vnto dogges neyther by an equall bounty to the godly and the wicked was there an equall incouragement to godlinesse and iniquity But a separation was made betweene the sicke and the whole and this separation had no other intent but edification euen an edification of the Spirit by the destruction of the Flesh. So could men finde no fault with the dispensers of this power hauing nothing to complaine of but that their liues thereby were sought to bee amended and their soules to bee saued I confesse the cause was weighty for which the gates of Heauen were to be locked great in matter or great in manner great in the thing done or great in the wilfulnesse of the doer And this not without reason for the doome is heauy and fit for the backe of a strong mighty Euill It was a short damnation a temporall Hell a measured deliuery vnto Satan man being shut out of Heauen vpon Earth euen the company of Saints and shut out of Heauen in Heauen euen the ioyes and comforts of the Spirit of Consolation Neither could it but bee an excellent Remedie because it was so fitted to the Disease A degree of Presumption is incountred with a degree of Despaire the Scorpion is made a medicine against the Scorpion and Satan is set on worke to take him downe by Terror vnto Saluation whom before he animated and puffed vp to destruction Hee that sayd at first Sinne boldly for yee shall not die at all now he changeth his voyce and sayth Thy sinne is greater then can be forgiuen thee But
his matter only striues to take away his sinne this Inferiour hath in nothing disgraced the Superiour for in the manner he hath giuen him respect and in the matter hee offers him Amendment So vpon the whole hee hath not disgraced but graced him in respectiue words and in profitable matter And surely a man so reproued may if he please be more honorable after reproofe then hee was before if by the reproofe he become better then he was before Naaman was an honourable man but a Leper and at first hee tooke exceptions to the Prophet because he came not out to him but sent him health in a manner that distasted him But if Naaman had continued in his anger he had continued a Leper whereas by hearkning vnto the Prophets direction hee returned honourable as hee was before and healthy which hee was not before Surely euery man though neuer so honourable hath a spirituall Leprosie and if a Prophet aduise him to wash and be clean by refusing it hee may continue an honourable Leper but by obeying it hee may haue spirituall health added to his temporall honour Wherefore let euery man doe that for the health of his soule which this mighty man did for the health of his body let him wash according to the words of the Prophet Christs businesse is to wash vs in this world that he may present vs spotlesse to his Father in another world As hee washeth vs chiefly by his owne Bloud Spirit so he washeth vs ministerially by his Word by his Sacraments by his Keyes for by these the Bloud and Spirit which wash vs are more neerly applyed and more fully communicated Therefore loue and embrace the outward meanes of thy inward puritie and take willingly not one but all the helpes that may beautifie thee Some thinke it too much to bee hearers of the Word of Christ and cry out that preaching indeed a foolishnesse to such but a foolishnesse that saues others hath turned the world vpside downe Act. 17.6 Another can indure preaching because hee can indure to sit at his ease while the preacher takes paines in vttering that for which before hee tooke paines in gathering but the Sacrament he will take but once in the yeere and not once except his Charitie fall out right with the time of the yeere A third will indure both Word and Sacrament and with Herod will doe some things gladly but if hee bee threatned with a binding in Heauen for vnlawfull Lust Iohn Baptists head must dance from his shoulders But ô thou man whosoeuer thou art that desirest to see the face of God giue leaue vnto God to sit thee for his presence by all his meanes of washing and clensing For there is nothing purer then our God of purest eyes and there is nothing fouler then a man of naturall corruption therefore thinke no washing too much to bring the most defiled thing on earth to the purest Essence in Heauen Beleeue that Christ knew the glory of God sufficiently for he came from it immediatly to vs and that he knew sufficiently the filthinesse of Man for hee came to wash it with his bloud and therefore let no man thinke that hee hath prescribed any thing too much to bring vs from so great a filthinesse to so infinite a Glory Wherefore let no man limite the Highest and tell him the Word and Sacraments might haue serued for his clensing but yeeld to his Wisedome which hath thought chastisement sometimes as necessary as food Therefore bee thou like Dauid and be not better then he who was both a Saint and a King and then shalt thou say with Dauid That Gods rod and his staffe doe comfort thee as well as that hee maketh thee to lye downe in greene pastures and leadeth thee by the still waters So to summe vp all Let the dispensers of Christs ordinances and his spirituall Stewards giue to all his seruants due meat in due season Let them take the Towell and the Basin wherewith once Christ washed and wiped his Disciples feet and at this day wash the feet euen the spots of his blessed spouse Hee hath told you that he did it to giue you an example if yee follow not his example you goe about to make his giuing of it in vaine Wash them with the Word for Christ hath testified Now are yee cleane by the Word Wash them with the Sacraments for the bloud of Christ and the Spirit of Christ the chiefe meanes of our Spirituall clensing are thereby communicated to vs. Wash them with the rod of censure and chastisement which purgeth out the euill by the blunesse of the wound and by the destruction of the Flesh saueth the Spirit in the Day of the Lord. 1. Cor. 5.5 And let the Flocke of Christ striue for the vtmost cleannesse and not for priuiledges of vncleannesse for as they are purified they shall bee glorified the more white wee are here in Grace the more bright wee shall bee in Glory And let euery man though outwardly great seeke to make himselfe as much within as hee is without and to that end let him incourage his spirituall father freely to tell him the sinnes that binde in Heauen that hee may bee freed from them whiles hee is here on Earth And let euery great one that meanes to bee saued account it an especiall benefit if he meet with a messenger of God Iob 33.23 which may by wholsome admonition take from him those sinnes which may loose or lessen his saluation For it is a certaine Trueth that as the more purity the more glory so the more spots the lesse glory and the greater damnation Now vnto him that hath loued vs Reuel 1. and washed vs from our sinnes in his own bloud and hath made vs Kings Priests vnto God his Father To him be glory and dominion for euer and euer CHAP. XIX The Discouery of some mayne Causes of Warres and Wounds in the Church and the meanes of their Cure THat the Church and Rebecca are alike and that the Wombe of both is lamentably peruerted into a place of wrestling griefe though vnwilling canâ—ot but confesse it because Contention is so violent that it will not suffer it to bee hidden Therefore a question as fitly ariseth from the Church as from Rebecca if it be so why am I thus Though she desired to be fruitfull yet shee loued not to bee a breeder of quarels and therefore preferred a quiet sterility before a coÌ„tentious fruitfulnesse And to this question of both there is fitted an Answer for the satisfaction of both There are two Nations in thy Wombe and two kind of people come from thy bowels one visible Church one woÌ„be and the same bowels yet two sorts of people and not two only in distinction but two in contrariety of disposition The difference of their inclinations makes a diuision in their affections and this diuision is inflamed into opposition and contention The man of flesh is Esau a strong Hunter of carnall
I doubt was the Disease of Montagne who professeth that hee continued in the Romish Religion because if he left that hee beleeued he should run through all and neuer bee at rest So hee kept that Religion it seemes for his owne sake and not for the goodnesse of the Religion because he would find rest not because hee had found the Truth But much better doe they that by the Spirit imbrace true Religion because by the Spirit they discerne it to be true Such men seeke Truth rather then rest for hauing found Truth they know rest comes in vpon the Bargaine They follow that truth which is followed with rest but they by no meanes will follow that rest which is diuorced from Truth They seeke for Truth and Truth giues them rest but the other seekes for rest though rest hold him in Error So he is resolued to be sure of his rest though he be not sure of his Religion But as this is a Bastard holding of Religion so is it a bastard rest for it is a wrong rest that is grounded on Error and Truth only giueth a true rest By the same reason might a Pagan or Mahometane stablish himselfe in Paganisme and Mahometisme because Custome hath giuen each of them a Restinesse in their Religions But let that man who desireth by a right hand to recâ—â—ue the Truth and from the Truth to receiue rest and with that rest safety from Errour Let him I say lift vp his eyes on high Beccause he hath his Chaire in Heauen who teacheth the hearts on Earth Let them vehemently intreat God that by the Spirit which only knoweth his counsels he will reueale his counsels that by the Spirit which gaue the Word to the Speaker hee will fasten the Word in the Hearers and that by a spirituall and heauenly minde they may discerne and hold Spirituall and Heauenly Truth And this let them doe importunately and vnâ—essantly Importunately both in regard of the weight of the Petition for the very weight of our Saluation lyes on this spirituall receiuing of Religion and in regard of the efficacy of Importunity to which Christ hath promised the holy Ghost Luke 11.8 13. Vncessantly because God may delay thee yet hopeful that he wil not finally deny thee He calleth some at al houres it is to no purpose to goe from him for hee only hath the words of eternall life and hee only can giue them to thee and settle them in thee A second reason of difference in Religion is difference of Complexion for many times that is called a Warre of Religion which is but a War of Complexion And surely pitty it is That the Religion of many or at least the zeale of it is but their Complexion and yet they thinke themselues to excell all others in the zeale of Religion when they doe but exceed them in the heate of Complexion And yet vnder this forged Banner of Religion they combate boldly with other Complexions yea sometimes with the Spirit it selfe the true and only roote of true Religion For indeed it fals out that Complexions being different by their difference they fall into discord and not so only but they are at difference with the Spirit it selfe both because the Spirit is of no Complexion and because the Spirit vpon occasion maketh vse of any Complexion which when it doth it gaines the displeasure of that Complexion which is contrary to that whereof it makes vse So by seuerall turnes euery Complexion combateth with the Spirit in those whose Religion is Complexion and whose Complexions are not commanded by the Spirit the true Author of Religion This in patternes will more euidently appeare Set before you a man of Choler his humour is hote and this heate being applyed to Religion hee calleth Zeale Then hee inferres the more heate the more Zeale the more Zeale the more Religion Hence he blowes that fire of his flesh vntill hee hath kindled in himselfe some flame of Intemperance or perchance hath set the House of God on fire about his Eares On the otherside behold a Phlegmatick His Complexion preacheth to him that Religion consists all in Quietnesse and liuing peaceably among his Neighbours Therfore he prayseth Moderation so much that his Religion takes cold and hee loues an easie Ignorance more then a diligent Knowledge He is dully patient in dishonour done to God hee is contented with quiet prophanenesse and well setled Superstitions Whence I guesse this man to haue beene the first father of this Position Malum bene positum non debet moueri But now as wee haue seene these two asunderâ— so bring them together and you shall presently see a battaile But the Cholericke man is first in the coâ—baâ—e and hath the Phlegmaticke by the coller â—re hee be aware At the first â—low he denounceth damnation to him for key-coldnesse â—or doing Gods worke negligently for his vngodly Patience for man-pleasing for temporising and at last he cals him Formalist On the other side the Phlegmaticke when he is awaked by the clamour of the Cholericke cals him an angry Gospeller a Fyer-flinger a Schismatick a Sower of dissention and perchance a Puritan though that word sometimes bee also bestowed on the very grace of the Spirit Besides if the Phlegmaticke be throughly spurred by the Cholericke so that hee arise to any height from the cushion of his Flesh hee will then looke ouer into the life of the Cholericke and tell him his discoueries Hee will say that all his heat is not zeale because hee is as hote in his owne quarrels as in the quarrels of God yea in matters of Earth as much or more then in matters of Heauen that he will sooner bee reconciled when God is offended then when himselfe is touched that his heat is not spirituall because it hath Pride ioyned with it and that out of Pride hee pretends to pull downe Pride and that hee is angry with dignities because he hath them not and that if hee had them he would presently bee at friendship with them Thus doe we see these two in a miserable and vehement conflict where it is pitty to leaue them long But another spectacle calls vs aside from which being returned I shall desire to part them by that Spirit of Loue which puts asunder those that come together in combates and brings together by Loue those that went asunder in Hatred The first Man that I take notice of in this new spectacle is of a Sanguine Complexion This man being of a pleasant constitution will haue a pleasurable Religion He thinkes that the Text Reioyce continually is to be taken litterally and strictly and hee will not endure any doctrine that may not manifestly arise from this Text. He likes wel pastimes recreations on the Sundayes though Seruice be the shorter and he sayes That some Ales with a little spice of Drunkennesse maintayne Loue. Hee vnderstands not the word Mortification but thinkes it is killing of a mans selfe and he is neuer in
to bee found of an vpright euen a spirituall conuersation and their followers should wee bee that so follow the followers of Christ. Neyther must that backward reasoning be heard among Christians to argue from their own apprehensions or vertues therby to proue what is Truth and Goodnesse which is to reason from themselues to Christ but they must reason from Christ to themselues they must say This Christ did therefore I must doe so and not this I do therefore Christ did so For that were to make thy selfe Christ and Christ a Christian. Yet this many doe and from their owne inclinations fashion the shapes of paternes to themselues not themselues to them And as we must conforme our selues to the deeds of the Spirit so we must to the words of the Spirit and to doe both wee our selues must be spirituall euen the freemen of God Vpon which is grounded the third Rule which is this That euery Saint and sonne of God by the ayde of the Spirit inwardly freeing him and outwardly teaching him must striue to haue an vniuersall libertie of soule free and inclinable to the approouing of all Truthes and to the loue and practice of all goodnesse I say this is a great and glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and of them alone that their soules being liâ—ted vp from the hinges of the flesh and new fastned to the spirit thereby they haue a freedome to mooue whensoeuer the Spirit moues and to loue whatsoeuer the Spirit loues All Truthes are gladly receiued all Goodnesse is highly esteemed bee it in a Complection different yea contrary For this Freeman of God must haue the liberty both of his Iudgement and Will hee will be bound Prentise to no Sect partiality or piece of Truth or Goodnesse but will bee as large as Truth and Goodnesse it selfe And if you will know his Sect the truth is he is only of the Sect of Truth and Goodnesse And that is no Sect. For these he approues wheresoeuer he finds them in what Complexion Religion or Nation soeuer and it seemes Saint Peter himselfe was of this Sect yea God himselfe fauoureth it for Saint Peter saith that of a Truth he perceiued That God in all Nations accepted those that feare him and worke Righteousnesse Therefore henceforth Let no man tye himselfe to a part by some corporeall likenesse or preiudice of birth or education and so separate himself from the whole but let euery true Christian bee a true Catholike euen an vniuersall thing entertayning Truth and Goodnesse in all persons and Complexions yea entertayning all persons and Companies if there bee Truth and Goodnesse in them For let the great and little Sectaries Romanists and Separatists know That the name of Catholicke is most properly his whose iudgement is free to the receite of all Truths but especially and actually of the Fundamentals of Saluation and whose will is free to the imbracing of all persons indued with sanctified Goodnesse issuing from the knowledge of Truth The true Saint is a louer of all sanctifying Truth and a louer of all that are sanctified by the Truth This Saint Iohn testifies when he boldly assumes That the elect Lady was loued in the Truth of all them that loue the Truth Therefore let men boast of singularity and separation that is fearfull to mee which is to them preeminence For they that cut off Saints from them cuts themselues off from the Communion of Saints Yea let not a difference in small Truthes make separation It may bee that Complexion hath only made this difference and hath made him or thee I know not which too straite or too large but take heed that thou doe not for a difference in Complexion separate thy selfe from thy owne Brother The great and certaine Truth and mayne Goodnesse that are in him are more strong to bind thee to an vnion then the difference in small Truths and Duties be to make a Diuision Yea that great Goodnes that is in him except with the Pharisies thou thinke better of thy selfe then others may make thee to suspect thy selfe rather then him And suspect thy selfe and spare not if thou dost not finde in thy selfe this vniuersall liberty of soule which approues all solid truth and sanctified Goodnesse in any person yea loues the persons of that Truth and Goodnesse Let not the flesh part what the Spirit hath ioyned together let not the difference of bodies put a-sunder what the vnity of Grace hath conioyned neyther doe thou know men hereafter according to thy owne flesh but according to Gods Spirit But if thou wilt try whether thou doest make a true spirituall discord see whether thou dost equally make it with men of thy owne Complexion Constitution if they be voyd of Truth and Goodnesse and whether thou dost loue and entertayne any Truth and Goodnesse though he be neuer so much outwardly different that professeth it But if thou sticke at eyther of these thou art not yet a Freeman of the Spirit but a slaue of thy flesh thy loue and hatred are thy owne and not Gods And surely so it appeares in many of this kind for a spirituall hatred dwels in a spirituall heart and a spirituall heart is a charitable heart and a charitable heart euen where it hates there it wisheth that it might haue cause to loue Accordingly these spirituall and charitable haters of Vice rather then Person seeke the amendment of those that they hate they striue as much as is lawfull and possible to liue in peace with all men they attend if at any time they may recouer them from the snare of the Deuill But the Complexionary Zelots think more of Confusion then Conuersion they seeke out Reasons to maintayne a Rent and Difference and to account men of Infirmitie Enemies rather then Brethren and except a man will presently bee saued they will presently damme him But wisdome is iustified of her Children this is the wisdome of the Spirit euen to vnlade our selues of the flesh to free our selues from all the preiudice burden and bondage of it and to dwell in that pure peaceable and vniuersall spirit which entertayneth gladly all Truth and loueth willingly all Goodnesse yea where they are not it wisheth they may bee and expecteth vntill they be But before I leaue this subiect I must both magnifie and pitty the Man truly spirituall He ought to be magnified because hee that is mighty hath magnified him and hath set him in a high degree The Knife of the Spirit hath ript off the flesh from his soule and the flesh doth no more command him but he is a spirituall Freeman His soule is free from darknesse by a maruelous euen a Celestiall Light and his will is free from the bands and chaines of the flesh by a seuering cutting and absoluing Spirit Hee is taller then the sonnes of men and as much higher then they as the Spirit is higher then the flesh and by that step of aduantage hee lookes into Heauen which
they see not Hee is inwardly and really more noble for he hath a free large and emancipated soule which they haue not Hee is more powerfully valiant for hee fighteth the battailes of the Lord against spiritual powers and against the whole Kingdome of darknesse But with this honour that is to be magnified is adioyned a misery to be pittyed For as he fighteth for God against the World and the Prince of the World so the World with all the Complexions thereof yea with the Prince thereof fight together against him His Sword is against euery man and euery man against him and though hee be not euill but a true Israelite in whom is no guile yet therefore the euill World hateth him because hee is not like them Surely the quarrell of the World with the sonnes of God is not because they are naught but because they are vnlike and vnlikenesse is to them as sufficient a cause of debate as wickednesse Yea where there is an vnlikenesse there false wickednesse shal be imputed that which of it selfe is faultlesse may seeme iustly to be condemned as being guilty of that which is truly faulty Because they are vnlike they are hated and because they are hated they must be accused To say truth they are not hated because they are wicked but they are made wicked because they are hated Now this slanderous odiousnesse arising from vnlikenesse is thus hatched Eyther because a man beleeuing fully his owne rightnesse makes himselfe a rule vnto others condemnes them when they swerue from this Rule or because viewing his owne crookednesse in a comparison with a goodmans righteousnesse he finds this comparison of righteousnesse to bee a checke and reproofe to his crookednesse But whatsoeuer the cause is Too true it is That vnlikenesse hath made many Quarrels betweene them and these Quarrels of vnlikenesse too often flow from the opposition of Complexion against Sanctification The sanctified man beeing free from all Complexions yet sundry times vpon sundry occasions serues himselfe of sundry Complexions then commonly hee is censured by the seruants of those Complexions that are contrary to those that are his Seruants For indeed the spirituall man is the Lord of Complexions but the carnall is their seruant Hence as they fight among themselues so most commonly they fight all with him For the spirituall being of no faction nor seueraltie but affecting vniuersall Goodnesse serues himselfe of the goodnesse of each Complexion and refuseth the vices and extremities of it So by reason son of his different temper from all hee hath Enemies of all being Virtus in medio vitiorum Hence the Stiptick and hide-bound or angry Christian when he sees the spirituall man conuersing with Sinners though perchance with hope of edification and cure or some euidence of smoking grace hee cryes out against him and cals him good-fellow an eater with Publicans and Sinners If hee see him vsing some lawfull comfort recreation he cals him a Glutton a Drunkard a Libertine If he see him conuersant with men of the contrary Faction or excusing a Ceremony for the loue of Peace he doubts of his Saluation and holds him to bee fallen from the Faith and takes him for little lesse then one of the damned If the sociable sanguine and neighbourly Christian see the spirituall man with a notable difference to affect those that excell in Vertue to condemne the Drunken meetings of carnall Feastings the lasciuious gestures of dancing prouocations the beastly mirth of Tongues tipt with filthinesse the prophanations of times consecrated to diuine vses the contempt of Gods Word and the carelesse burying it in fleshly recreations He cryes out vpon his purity and defies it and sayes too much Religion hath made him madde If the Lazie Phlegmaticke heare the right Christian cry aloud to the sleeper in security Away thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead if hee see him painfull in studie abstinent in fasting not slothfull in seruice but zealous to good workes angry with Sinners and reprouing them for their amendment he accounts him a busi-body one that hates his owne quietnesse and hee sayth as Acts 17.6 These men that haue turned the World vp-side downe are come hither also Lastly your melancholy man he is angry also with the Communion of Saints with the Physicians beeing among the sicke with the peace of the godly if their Coates bee not all of one fashion or if one haue a dust on his Coate which the other hath not He condemnes the spirituall man for being at Feasts of Loue for drinking a little Wine though hee haue an infirmity in his stomacke and hee is angry with any visible glory of the visible Church If the true Christian receiue any preferment he holds him a Demas and one that hath forsaken Paul and hath imbraced the World and if hee conuerse with any that are lesse hide-bound then himselfe though perchance more honest hee takes him for a Formalist and a Time pleaser So the spirituall man scapes not his blowes neyther and thus hee is beaten of all sides But though this to many be a great disheartning to bee as Ieremy a man against all men and all men against him yet to the Children of Wisdome it is a Testimoniall and incouragement That is indeed true Wisdome which is contrary to the corruption of all humours and by reason of this contrariety is refused of all both piping merily and mourning dolefully Carnall mirth hateth spirituall sadnesse and carnall sadnesse hateth spirituall mirth yet the wisedome of of the Spirit is still true Wisedome euen the Wisedome of God and is iustified still both by the Father and the Children Therefore stand thou strong in the path of the Spirit and let this opposition on all sides bee vnto thee a testimony and approbation that thou art on no side but in the midst Thy businesse is to turne neyther to the right hand nor to the left though terrours assayle thee both on the right and on the left keepe thou the narrow way of Verity that leadeth to Eternity Thou art going to Canaan looke aswell for vnkindnesse of thy Cousin the Edomite a seeming professor as of thy Enemy the prophane Amalakite Thou artfighting a good fight for the Crowne of Righteousnesse expect to be in perils not only by Robbers but in perils by false Brethren the Crowne when it comes will pay for all Lastly I note one Combate of the flesh yet seeming to bee of the Spirit and that is the Combate betweene Zeale and Discretion A Combate I confesse which I grieue to speake of for it is the falling out of Brethren or rather of Man and Wife I had much rather to contemplate how blessed is the Marriage and vnity of these two and how faire and beautifull is their issue Surely the fruits of this Vnion are farre more glorious then the Apples of Gold with Pictures of Siluer For it is the absolutenesse of each holy Worke when it is fashioned by the Zeale of