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
surely that we may farther see the absurditie of this Pride wee can vse no better meanes for the begetting of Humility then the consideration of those excellencies on which the Flesh vsually begetteth Pride For doest thou enioy a great measure of Gods chiefe Graces Doe but as Iacob did Take but one of the least of these Graces and set them in one balance and thy selfe in the other and the voice of Humility cannot but break out of thy mouth Lord I am lesse then the least of thy blessings If with Dauid in one sight thou beholdest thy own naturall corruption misery and the great workes which God hath wrought both in thee and for thee Humility must speake out of thy mouth as it did out of Dauids Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou regardest him And thy Psalme shall beginne and end not in thy owne excellence but in the excellence a Psal. 8. of God Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Surely if thou takest a true account of what thou hast receiued of God thou hast taken a true account of what thou owest him now the more thou hast receiued the more thou owest and the more thou owest I hope thou wilt not bee the more proud but the more humble Though God alloweth thee enioying of his graces yet thou owest him the seruice glory of them therefore think as well of the greatnesse of thy obligement as of the greatnesse of thy exaltation by them The more graces thou hast receiued the more seruice doth God exspect and a larger account And though the man that sits downe and swells in Spirituall excellencies seemes to be at his Rest and iourneys End yet be not thou emulous of him for hee hath taken his reward before his time The true and kindly reward of Spirituall graces is a Spirituall happinesse which being put ouer to another life which also is Spirituall he is altogether short of it who in this life indeauours to find it Hee that in Spirituall graces aymes at temporall rewards as his chiefe ends this man makes the Spirit a drudge to the Flesh he makes the Israelite to build Towers for the Egyptian he hath begunne in the Spirit and ends in the flesh and woe be to him whose end is worse then his beginning 2. Pet. 2.20 But let Spirituall honour and aduancement be vsed and employed by the same Graces by which they were gotten and let Grace then florish and fortifie most when it is most manured dressed and encouraged The higher Grace is aduanced and rewarded the more power and the more matter it hath for good workes A man truly Spirituall knowes his owne dignitie and nobililie that he is a sonne of God a Citizen of Heauen an inheritour of a kingdome and hee doth not value any worldly honour equall with this Therefore for any outward additions hee will not abate his inward excellence neither will he giue away the greater for the meaner But he sayth to outward dignities as God sayd to the Prophet Let them returne to thee but returne not thou to them He will haue outward things by a Spirituall vse to become Spirituall but he will not suffer himselfe who is Spirituall by Carnall things to be made carnall If Religion beget wealth he will not suffer the daughter to eat vp the mother but the mother commands the daughter keepes her in obedience to that which bare her otherwise it were a most notable sacriledge to take the things of the Spirit from the Spirit and to giue them to the flesh and the very prophanenesse of Belshazzar to drinke carnall carowses in the spirituall Vessels of the Temple But let vs remember the hand of God was against him on the Wall and the hand of God was quickly vpon him with a finall ouerthrow Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord let vs striue to please him let vs feare to offend him and this shall wee doe if we follow our Sauiours counsell by giuing the things of God vnto God Neyther let any man thinke it an easie thing in outward aduancements to continue inwardly spirituall or to vse outward things in a spirituall manner For prosperity hath bin found a most dangerous temptation and it requires great care and a strong spirit rightly to mannage it There is ancient league betweene our flesh and the World the knot where of though it bee cut by the Circumcision of the spirit yet the smiles and glances which the World casts on vs in outward glory and prosperity doe easily awake the loue that was layd to sleepe and entise the flesh to renew her first Friendship with the World Therefore hath hee need of the faith of Moses that will refuse the pleasures of sinne and change them for the coldnes and abstinence of Mortificatiō But let him with Moses haue an eye to the recompence of the reward and that sight will make him resolute Let him remember the good Seruant who the more Talents hee receiued of his Master the more hee increased not to himselfe but to his Master And the more Talents he increased to him the more Cities he receiued of him Let him with Saint Paul not looke on the things that are seene but on the things that are not seene because the things seene are but temporall but the things not seene eternall and then if hee be wise hee will vse things temporall for the aduancement of things eternall and not lose things eternall by a carnall fruition of things temporall To conclude if the man that hath inward Graces by those Graces haue gotten a spirituall Eminence that hee shines as a greater Starre from which the lesser differ in Glorie let him indeauour to preserue and increase his excellence as well as to obtayne it This shall he doe if hee adde one Grace more to the rest of his Graces and that is Humility For Humility is a Grace that is the keeper of Graces yea it is an increaser of them So a Christians chiefe way of aspiring is by Humility and by lownesse to be exalted On the otherside if Grace be followed by Pride Pride lessens that wherein it seekes to fasten her rootes so that the more proud a man is of Grace the lesse cause of Pride he is likely to haue for Grace will lessen as Pride increaseth Againe hath thy inward excellence receiued the addition of some outward Dignitie let the spirit that got it command it doe thou make it spirituall and let it not make thee carnall Doe not thou lose that which thou art for that which thou hast but bee thou still thy selfe and let the things of Nature bee the seruants of Grace Be thou still spirituall in thy affections in thy actions for if thou abide in the spirit thou abidest in thy excellence and if thou goe from the spirit to the flesh thou goest downe really though thou mountest imaginarily for the top of the flesh is too bad
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
of Adam to bee voluntarily certain As for Necessity there is not a Necessitas actina and therefore if there bee any it must be Necessitas ociosa and surely it seemes idle to talke of an idle Necessitie For as causa sine qua non is called stolida causa so I see not why Necessitas per quam non may not bee called stolida Necessitas Seuenthly God is free to make Adam free euen to leaue him in an aequilibrious estate with a possibilitie to bee ouerâ—eighed by temptation is hee listed Hee might by his free-will haue taken the Tree of Life and Stability as well as the Tree of Death and Apostasie and so he was thereby as neere to Happinesse as to Miserie But that God should stablish him as he doth the Elect he was not bound for he that binds God must giue first vnto God now the Creature cannot giue first vnto the Creator for he must be before he can giue and euen that being which is mans first hee must first receiue from his Creator So is hee first a Debter in his very being and a man by one Debt cannot make title to another Eightly though God is said to harden yet hee doth it not by influence of corruption or supply of vice but God herein is most absolutely cleere for hee doth it by not-doing And if God doe not in sinne how can hee be accused of doing sinne if God will that Pharaoh shal be hardned let him but keep in his breath euen his blessed Spirit by which hearts of stone are made hearts of flesh and then fleâ—h will of it selfe and by the helpe of Satan turn into stone God is not the cause of sin no more then the Sunne is the cause of Ice The Sunne is properly a destroyer and dissoluer of Ice and God is a dissoluer of the sinfull workes of the Deuill But when the Sun withdrawes his beames by his nightly and winterly departures the cold hardens the waters which the Sunne forsakes So where God hideth his face and contracts his spirit there temptation hardens He doth not put the hardnes into the heart but hee leaues the heart and hath nothing to doe with it and then where God doth nothing to soften there will quickly enough be done by sinne and Satan to harden Therefore when we are hardened Let vs rather complaine that God doth nothing then that he doth something in vs. Ninthly though the Children of Adam be necessarily sinfull yet they may be iustly punished because necessary sinning came from voluntary sinning For this necessitie of sinning came not from God but from their owne Father but this free-will brought vpon them this necessity And surely if they had beene in his place they would likewise haue done the same for Adams Children would haue beene no better then their Father the print no better then the stampe When God gaue a power of leauing a righteous seede hee may call into Iudgement the seed which he finds vnrighteous and he may be angry with sinne wheresoeuer he findes it because he gaue a power that there shold bee no sinne at all Wee doe the same and allow the same and yet question what we doe and allow In a Snake and Toade we make no question whither they could chuse but bee venomous but without any question we kill them only for being venomous neyther may we excuse it because we made not their venome for neyther did God make the venome of sinne And surely sinne is like poison in the sight of God and wee may rather wonder how his mercy can indure it in so many then how his Iustice should punish it in any A Traytors children are impouerished by Lawes for the offence of his parents and when wee see an oppressor murderer or extortioner we exspect it as a necessary piece of Diuine Iustice That his third heire inioy not his estate This is the summe God is pure and righteous Man is sinfull without Gods partaking a Righteous God may punish sinfull men whose sin he hath nothing to doe with but he findes it contrary and offensiue to him Lastly in these and the like depthes of God let no man wade aboue his stature Euery Man should vnderstand according to sobriety that is according to the measure which he contayneth Let not the Homer teare it selfe in pieces by stretching it selfe to be an Ephah but let euery member for the members are different aspire to his proper fulnesse and though they reach not to such Mysteries they may conuerse in poynts of more absolute necessity to saluation and larger edification as our graffing into Christ Iesus by Faith and our growth in him by Loue the stablishing of our hearts in the hope suggested by the earnest and testimonie of the sanctifying Spirit These things are maine generall and absolutely necessary imployments and concernments in our way to Heauen and in them especially must wee spend our meditations And for the rest no doubt to their vnderstanders they are full of edification yet all men cannot ceceiue them Therefore let euery man receiue that which is meet for his measure according to that which hee hath not according to that which he hath not nor cannot haue Miserable it is to see as I haue seene it a man possessed by pieces of this secret rather then possessing them and so vttering his distractions rather then resolutions that one might pitty his amazement sooner then conceiue his meaning But I haue shewed you a more excellent way CHAP. VIII Of the small health and great vnhealthinesse of the Romish Church wherein most conspicuous is a Wenne growen to the likenesse of a Head WHosoeuer doth consideratly behold the mayne body of the Romish Church may finde therein three sorts of Religion The first may bee called Religio Curialis the Religion of the Court which is indeed nothing else but Pollicy paraphrasing Diuinity and an vnkindly froward Alchymie by which grosse things are drawne out of pure things the flesh is limbecked out of the Spirit and worldly pompe and supremacie is extracted out of a doctrine that preacheth sufferings patience and humility An inconsequent conclusion and farre vasutable to the premisses and like though contrary to the ancient Centones wherein out of the Heathen workes of Virgill is gathered the Christian story of our Sauiours incarnation and passion But these contrarily though in the same way out of the Christian and Spirituall Doctrine of the Gospell draw a Heathen Secular and Carnall Empire euen a perfect story of a Man of sinne and of one that sitteth as God in the Temple of God The Pope hath gotten a Monopoly of of heauen and earth and none may trade in eyther without some tribute to his supremacie Thus is the Scripture brought to speake the Language of Babell by a most cruell racke it is forced to deny it selfe Christ is set on worke to set vp Antichrist And whereas it is openly sayd Vos autem non sic by distinctions metaphors and
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
to be the footstoole of the spirit But if thou abide constant in the spirit thereby art possessor of thy owne soule and a commander of things transitorie thy sowing to the spirit shall make thee to reape of the spirit and thy Haruest shall bee life euerlasting Thou shalt also stop the mouthes of them that speake euill of Dignities and for the abuse would take away the vse Thou shalt bee called a builder of Sion and a repayrer of the breaches of Ierusalem But on the otherside They that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption They that build vp a Babell shal be stricken with confusion They that partake with the Harlot in her sinnes shall partake with her in her plagues and * Reuâ— 18 7 8. one of her chiefe sinnes is Pride and her plagues are Mourning Famine Death and Fire Their soules shall be banished from the Tree of Life which is the extremity of hunger They shall be sent into weeping and gnashing of teeth which is the most bitter mourning and to the second Death where the Worme dyeth not and the fire neuer shall be quenched CHAP. XIII A double fault in teaching one that fretteth the whole flesh the other nourisheth the proud flesh one thinkes to saue men by angring despising them the other will not saue them rather then offend them OVr Sauiour CHRIST sayth Wâ— to you when all men speake well of you and Saint Paul sayth I seeke to please all that by all meanes I may winne some In these two Sayings there is a shew of Contrariety between the Master and the Seruant Christ accounts them accursed with whom all are pleased and yet Paul striues to please all though those with whom all are pleased bee accursed And according to the misinterpretation of these two places haue risen two Errours the one of them that thinke their Ministery neuer well set on worke or sufficiently confirmed vntill it hath stirred vp the whole World against them The other of them that thinke it the chiefe discretion of their Ministery not to speake any thing which by a reproofe of euident sins may hazard the loue of any of their hearers But Verity being euer the Companion of Vnity and Christ and Paul speaking both infallible Verity they are certainly at Vnity Now this Verity like a right Line will plainly shew the crookednes of both these Errours and this Vnity will condemne their contentiousnesse that fal out about the defence of Errours Christ speakes not to this end that the Ministers should labour for hatred or striue that men should speake ill of them but he sayth That the ill speeches of men are ordinary consequents of a faithfull Minister yea a faithfull man Hee doth not tell the Ministers that they should follow hatred but he tels the Ministers that hatred will follow them Hee doth not set the Minister by the eares with the World but hee saith the World will take the Minister by the eares Hee is of Saint Pauls minde that he would haue the Minister in all indifferent things to please all but yet he denounceth that though such courses be taken of pleasing yet the very exercise of the Ministery will mostly get displeasure And heereof no better example then Paul himselfe with whom though striuing to please all yet the most of all were much displeased So that both these Sayings may bee harmoniously contracted into one sentence Striue to please all that you profit some yet striuing to please all be ye sure that some will bee displeased For the Seed of the Serpent will hate Seed of the Woman and the World that only loues her own will hate them that are not of the World But that we wander not on eyther hand into these diuers Errors let vs find out the right paths of truth euen the true Lawes of pleasing and displeasing In pleasing let this bee the first Law That Ministers are to propose a good end in their pleasing they must not please men to their damnation nor please them to Gods dishonour nor for their owne vaine glory but they must please them to saue them and to bring them to serue and glorifie their Creator Secondly they must please them in things lawfull euen in things good or at least indifferent They may not please them in euill that good may come thereof neyther may they sooth them in their sinnes which is to edifie the Kindome of Satan but if there bee at anytime a conniuencie at no hand may there be a combination nor incouragement it must bee for the more profit euen to watch a better oportunity And still be it prouided that no perfect peace by any meanes be made with sinne Aboue all let a Minister striue to please in holinesse of life for the beautie thereof hath often stolne away the hearts of the gain-sayers and gained their affections euen against their wils Yea let his Gesture haue an amiable comelinesse befitting one that is a Man of God And such is a graue Humility euen without Pride or Basenes not carnally but spiritually both confident and humble Thirdly let them please them in the wisdome and discretion of their Dispensation Let them giue the great Ones their Honours and Respects let Festus be called Noble and let King Agrippa haue his commendations of beleeuing the Prophets for this is not to giue Titles or to call good euill but to speake truth and to giue honour to whom honour belongeth A wicked Man may be outwardly honorable and thou mayst not rob him without because hee is alreadie robbed within Thou mayst cast him downe by spirituall iudgement but not degrade him of his temporall dignity thy weapons are spirituall not carnall and thy Masters Kingdome is not of this World If thou doe otherwise rayle on the Pope as much as thou wilt thou art surely a limbe of him for he robs men wholy of temporall honour for spirituall offences and thou robbest them in part Eccl. 12.12 But thou shalt prooue thy selfe an ill Fisher for soules if thou wilt not bayte thy doctrine or behauiour with that sweetnesse or ceremony by which the fish will byte the better and be the sooner caught In summe know the estate of thy Flocke in particular to bee to euery one a seuerall Man in thy priuate conuersation and still one man in the publike Be that to euery Man by which thou mayest winne him most For thou must bee all for gaine a true Worldling but of another World Thirdly in indifferent things as lawfull and decent recreations allow them yea sometimes therein ioyne with them God that filleth vs with food and gladnesse allowes these blessings especially to his blessed ones the rest haue it by stealth Let vs not make the gate of Heauen narrower then God hath made it neyther let vs make Religion a ghastly thing by vnnecessary opposing of Nature for the businesse of Religion is not to crosse Nature created but Nature corrupted euen our Corruption not our
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
liue one by another and that for one man to fret out all others and to liue by himselfe is in humane That Charity in one sight regards the benefit of another with her owne That in Vsury vsually the benefit goes most if not all of one side yea sometimes the benefit of the one riseth out of the losse of the other Now where these things are there such lending is the cause of fretting and vndoing So it remaynes they must eyther grant what they first denyed that men may fret and vndoe one another or else they must condemne their lending which is so fretfull and iniurious In briefe let vs first worke vpon mens Iudgements by informing them and not presently at the first sight flye on their wills and affections to racke and force them Againe where there are great and little faults to bee amended let vs not bee more busie for the little then the great nor equally importune an amendment of all together For verily I beleeue good occasions of Reformation haue beene lost because too many faults haue beene brought together to amendment yea little and doubtfull faults and such as might be healed with a good construction haue beene brought in equally vpon the File with those of greater moment And what doth this course doe but magnifie the tediousnesse of the worke and increase the difficulty of it What doth it but bring this answere to vse That changes are dangerous and euills well setled are better then much vnsetling by much amending What doth it but bring a doubt that nothing will satisfie since faults seeme more to be sought then found But I wish that alwaies there might bee an aduised and temperate demand in matters of Reformation and though it bee vnaduisedly demanded yet there may be giuen a iust and solide answere and such as might regard to please God by mayntayning the purity of his Spouse the Church rather then to satisfie or vnsatisfie the indiscretions of men Let Gods cause euer be maintayned whether proposed or opposed by our owne enemies A third fault of indiscreet Zeale is That it is censorious and passeth easily into condemnation both of things persons Not to speake of indifferent things too often censured I say some men and some matters are condemned eyther not heard or not vnderstood and yet the Heathen Romanes vsed not to condemne any before hearing and much more wee that are Christians ought to know those things whereof wee affirme There are heights of Dispensation which meane vnderstandings reach not vnto and yet for such sometimes they despise dominion and speake euill of Dignities Christ is censured for being among the sicke yet a Physician for the waste of a precious Oyntment yet going to buriall So the blame which belongs to their owne incapacity they cast on that which deserueth commendation and that which is in it selfe good is by them called euill only because they are not wise enough to see the goodnesse of it Againe there are many good actions of good men that by censorious Zeale are taxed as euill and yet are only knowne in some out-side of probability but the inside wherein the life of the action lyes is not knowne The Iewes were in a rage with Peter for going to the Gentiles yet when the cause was knowne his fault was found to bee a Vertue The Reubenites Gadites and halfe Tribe of Manasseth were indicted of Apostasie for building an Altar but that which was thought to bee Apostasie was indeed a memoriall and meanes of cleaning to the true God Wherefore let vs not be hastie to iudge according to apparances but let vs take time to iudge righteous Iudgements For if thou iudge another rashly and falsly GOD shall iudge both him and thee truly He shall iudge ouer the matter againe and shall acquite him whome thou condemnest and shall comdemne thee for condemning him So thy iudgement of another shall returne vpon thy selfe And surely in this point Let euery good Conscience comfort it selfe in it selfe and passe little to be iudged by another in that which another knowes not for thou standest to the Iudgement Seat of the Highest Wisdome and Mercie and not to the Barre of humane Ignorance or Malice Fourthly indiscreet zeale is often in the flesh when it thinkes it is in the Spirit yet will not beleeue it and so will not be cured First I noted that by following heate to farre it outgoeth the Spirit and runs out into the flesh And now I obserue that it being gotten into the flesh it still beleeues it selfe to be spirituall and so in steed of retyring it fortifies it selfe there Hence it comes that many fleshly contentions are mayntayned by Scriptures yea Sermons and Scriptures are fitted to passions not passions to Scriptures So flesh and bloud fights carnally with spirituall Weapons yea which is fearefull turnes spirituall Weapons into carnall Malice sometime rayleth in Scripture Phrases and beateth his Enemies with Diuinity and thinkes it may speake what it will so it bee in the words of Scripture if it haue a seeming opposition of vice it cares not how angry it bee though indeed Pamphlets of that kind be no other then Libels and Sermons then Philippickes Yet this abuse of Diuinitie shall bee maintayned by Diuinitie and so she is miserably forced to iustifie and continue her owne wrongs But let Baal plead for himselfe let not God be forced to speake for Baal nor the Spirit for the flesh Adde not sinne vnto sinne It is a sinne great enough to come out of the Spirit into the flesh and to turne the busines of God into a Quarrell with men doe not adde this other sinne of abusing the spirituall Word vnto the mayntenance of thy fleshly contentions so by the Spirit to fight the battayles of his Enemy the flesh But to draw to a Conclusion Let all true Christians striue that their Workes bee the true Issues of Zeale maâ—ryed with Discretion for such Workes are the acceptable Salt and sauoury Sacrifices of Wise-men and not the loth some Sacrifices of Pooles Let them know that the fire of the Spirit the Mother of all true Zeale hath light in it aswell as heate and the heate should follow the light and not goe before it otherwise if the heate goe before the light or without it it may set on fire where it should but warme and so may breed a Confusion whereas the businesse of it is edification Let vs by ioyning the wisdome of Serpents with the innocencie of Doues become those excellent and perfect Stewards whom the Lord commends both for being wise and faithfull whose faithfulnesse giues meate to the Seruants and whose Wisedome doth it in season euen in fitnesse of manner measure and order And farre bee it from any sound Christian to put a Diuorce betweene that incomparable payre whose Marriage was in Heauen Zeale and Discretion or to thinke that one alone of them can bee a sufficient Parent of good Workes Much lesse let any man if hee find these separated by wretched Diuision seeke to bring them together in a more wretched Contention The parting of so louely a couple is lamentable but a malicious meeting of them is far more dolful For by their own good nature they incline to loue and vnity and therefore cursed is that Malice that changeth into Enmity the most excellent Vnity Hee that sets Vertues by the eares is as he that sets Brethren by the eares yea as one that makes Quarrels betweene Men and their Wiues Surely if the Peace-makers be blessed being the Children of the most High then such Quarrel-makers bee accursed and are the Children of the Lowest euen the most infernall spirit To conclude Let vs as the new borne sonnes of the Spirit lay aside all Maliciousnesse and lust of Contention which are the vices of the old man and expresse the true Vertues of a godly Nature receiued with the new man euen Charity Peace and Vnity Let not the difference of Education or Complexion or the vnkindly opposition of Zeale Discretion bee powerfull to a separation where the Vnity of one and the same Spirit hath made a coniunction But let the Spirit bee more followed leading vs to loue then the flesh prouoking to hatred And surely if wee bee not in loue wee are not in the Spirit for whosoeuer is in the Spirit is in loue yea hee is in loue with loue And as loue is commended by the Author of it which is the Spirit so it is also praysed by the excellent fruit of it called Edification for by loue the members of Christ cherish each other and by that cherishing increase in their growth Besides as Sion inwardly prospereth by loue so by the loue of Sion Babylon decayeth For the more Loue and Vnity in Sion the more strength the more strength in Sion the more terror yea the more ruin of BabyloÌ„ WheÌ„ the Banners are brought into the Vnion of an Army then they are terrible Cant. 6. And when Israel ioynes together in the Vnity of a Shoute then are the wals of Iericho most neere to their Downfall CYPRIAN de Vnitate Ecclesiae Pacificos esse oportet Dei filios corde mites sermone simplices affectione concordes fideliter sibi vnanimitatis nexibus coherentes Et post Erant perseuerantes omnes vnanimes in oratione ideo efficacibus precibus orabant ideo impetrare cum fiducia poterant quodcumque de Domini misericordia postularunt FINIS
lusts or of present pleasures or of naturall apprehensions The man of the spirit is Iaacob a spirituall discerner a heauenly Citizen of a sanctified reason of a diuine or godly will of affections set on high But the wretched Antiquity of this contrariety and contention reacheth beyond Rebecca euen to the beginning of dayes when Time it selfe was not a weeke olde For euen in Paradise it was enacted as a punishment on the sinne of Man euen the trouble and vexation of a perpetuall Enmity Therefore as it was early in Antiquity beginning in the beginnings of Time so it is like to be laâ—e in continuance and to indure to the end of Time And no doubt these last Remnants of Time are likely to haue most of it for in them loue doth waxe cold and as loue waxeth cold contention groweth hote Therefore let euery Christian take to himselfe a twofold care One is that the more euill the dayes are the more hee striues to redeeme both his time and himselfe from the euill of the dayes As the Infection increaseth so is it fit hee should increase his Preseruatiues A second is That since in contention of two parts there is but one part that hath the Right hee must striue to bee on that part which hath the Right The Flesh hath no right to hate the Spirit much lesse to persecute it for therein Darknesse persecuteth Light Corruption Cleannesse an earthly and sensuall grossenesse a Diuine and Spirituall Puritie But good right hath the Spirit to hate the Flesh for no man can forbid Light to chase away Darknesse Purity Grosnesse Cleannesse a spotted Corruption Yet so giddie is man growne by his Fall that the Flesh iustifies it selfe in the Opposition of the Spirit and the Spirit is condemned for opposing the Flesh. And as this is done by those that are without against those that are within so is it done by those that are within one against another and in that degree of heate which is proportionable to the degree of the Flesh that possesseth eyther their Iudgements or Affections For euen within the visible church the flesh possesseth the Iudgements of many and fasteneth Errors vpon them and the flesh the whiles takes it selfe for the Spirit and therefore will erre by Authority Yea this counterfeit spirit fighteth with the true Spirit and by Religion would condemne Religion and vnder the shew of Truth striueth against Truth it selfe And if you will ghesse only by heate and vehemence you will hardly find out which is the Truth yea sometimes you shall haue the more heate with the lesse Truth For Error hath many times the oddes of contentious Egernesse which shall the lesse deceiue vs if wee carry about vs Saint Pauls little note That the true Churches of God haue no such custome as contention Yet my businesse at this time is to find out such within the pale of the visible Church not medling with those that are without and to search for them in that Dragge-Net which taketh vp both good and euill And I wish that by my finding them they may learne to find themselues that so finding themselues carnall they may striue to bee spirituall and so by beeing once found in the flesh they may euer hereafter bee found in the Spirit A first way by which the flesh becomes extremely Religious and by the Extremity of Religion extremely quarrelsome is custome For too true it is that many are Christians and this or that sort of Christians by custome and anticipation Christians I call them because they are such in the opinion of themselues and others yet must I needes tell them that true Christianitie is not fastened to the heart by custome and preiudice but it is knit vnto it by the Spirituall bands of illuminating and sanctifying Grace True it is that man hath in him by Nature an Instinct of Religion euen an Inclination to feare serue some Higher Power and this generall Inclination is coÌ„monly specificated by Birth and Education which by Custome knit a Religion to this Instinct which knot of Nature is many times mistaken for the knot of Grace Now this Religion so taken in by Nature is commonly violent peremptory and dangerous strongly opiniated of it selfe and as strongly hating all Religions different or opposite The Reasons of the violence of this Bastard Religion is diuers First because the Religion it selfe being naturall the affections and passions which are mooued by it are also natural now it is truly obserued that the motions of nature are commonly more vehement I am sure more tempestuous turbulent then those of grace Quicquid agit Natura valde agit Nature marcheth furiously in the execution of her purposes and the satisfaction of her desire But grace is little like a graine of Mustard-seed or shee is by her difference from Nature forsaken of it in her actions and affections so that the body often either tarries behind or comes slowly toward her for the seconding of her purposes or she is more orderly peaceable and temperate which is indeed the Character of her in S. Iames 3.17 A second reason of this violence may be because custome is a thing strongly rooted in the heart and the sinewes by which it is fastened are extremely sensible Therefore if you would cut away a custome you cut the heart it selfe and if you will pull it vp you pull out the heart and all with it Thence it was that Alexander could not perswade the Indians to bury their Parents hauing still vsed to incorporate them Neither could hee perswade the Graecians to swallow downe their Parents being euer vsed to interre them And heere by the way an Answer fitly ariseth to a twofold Obiection of ancient or * char moderne Pagans One is That it is a fearfull thing to see the strong diuersity of Religions in the World mayntayned by equall constancie and assurance from which eyther is inferred or deduced by the Master or Scholler that where there are so many and euery one denyed by all the rest they may bee all false because all are seuerally denyed But this followes not for first I haue shewed a reason of the manifold diuersity of Religions and the equall violence in their Professors As many Religions as Custome hath deliuered to Mankind so many are vsually retayned strongly maintayned But yet the diuersity of Errours cannot annihilate the vnity of Truth but Truth which is indeed but one may and shall stand iustified by her selfe and her children though the numberlesse variety of Errours may bee iustly confuted and ouerthrowne Though the Heathen haue as many Gods as Cities and not one of them true yet this hinders not but that there may bee one true God that made Heauen and Earth which euen by diuers Heathens hath beene confessed A second Obiection is this That Religion hath beene the Authour of many cruell outrages Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Que peperit saepe seelerosa asq impia facta But henceforth
let the Obiector cease from this Language for here I haue brought him to the Damme of these Monsters This customary naturall vnnaturall Religion is the very Mother of them For Nature hauing receiued a Religion by custome this Religion like a Spirit possesseth it and driues it headlong like the Gadaren Swine into desperate actions Nature growes mad vpon a Religion knit by custome to her instinct and in her violence shee thinkes the Extremity of Deuotion to be the very Marke of Perfection Therfore shee goes furiously onward and ouerthrowes all that stands in her way thinking then shee pleaseth God best when she is most furious in his seruice and therefore sometimes she will do Massacres and Murders that shee may bee sure to haue serued him sufficiently So mad and brutish is this carnall Deuotion that it thinkes to please the Iudge of the World by those cruelties which a iust man doth lothe and detest And detestable as it is to good men so much more to true Religion which is the Doctrine of Goodnesse and hath beene before described to be peaceable and temperate Therefore farre bee it from any man to accuse true Religion of that which it selfe doth accuse But let this Brat bee brought to the true Dam of it and that shall be found to be the flesh but neuer the Spirit The Spirit maketh Sheepe and not Wolues 〈◊〉 hath armed many with Patience to suffer Tyranny but hath taught none to bee Tyrants Quem videris gaudentem sanguine Lupus est Whosoeuer delights in bloud for conscience sake is a Limbe of Antichrist the great Wolfe of of the Church the Flocke of Christ. But let vs hasten from this diseased Religion and seeke out a Remedy euen a Remedy for this Deuotion of Custome which Custome is an equall Nurse to all Religions A Nurse it is to all Religions a like Mother of most vnlike Children The vnity of the Mother cannot reconcile the Differences of the Children but like the Earth shee nourisheth all Herbes euen of contrary qualities But this while the Contention of these Children is most foolish for each striueth to be right heire when not one of them is lawfully begotten Therefore a first Remedy for these Bastard Religions is to know the Whoredome of their Mother and a second to know the true Father of true Religion The falshood of the Mother hath been already expressed but it must be known as well as told they must take notice of it as well as heare of it And let them take this for an assured signe of a Whorish Mother of Religion when they finde the same and no other Fountaine of Religion but that which will serue to beget a Religion contrary to that which is held If thou holdest thy Religion because thou art accustomed to it for carnall Reasons and by a common hand thou holdest not Religion truely yea though thou hold the true Religion But because Truth best reproueth Falshood and Rightnes Crookednesse I will set forth the true Father of true Religion that the Adulterous Mother may the better bee knowne and auoyded God is a Spirit and therefore the Religion that pleaseth God must be spirituall But man is carnall defiled by a carnall Generation and therefore can neyther know nor giue vnto God a spirituall Seruice Therefore is it needâ—ull that the supreme Spirit teach this carnall man a spirituall seruice which his Carnality cannot find out Yea farther it were 〈…〉 giue him a spirituall Vnderstanding to discerne and approue a spirituall Seruice being â—aught vnto him which flâ—sh and bloud cannot doe So wee see there is need of a spirituall Doctrine and a spirituall Mind Man hath nothing in him to please God withall Hee is all Darknesse and Pollution therefore God must send from Heauen thaâ— which hee will haue man to send acceptably vnto Heauen Man that is now most contrary to God must be conformed to him before hee can receiue from God and returne to God a Seruice conformable vnto God So it remaynes that true Religion must bee a spirituall Doctrine taught by God vnto Man and the true meanes of receiuing a spiritual Doctrine is a spiritual Mind This is the right hand of Religion and Nature is the left and these right-handed Men are the only true receiuers of true Religion For a spirituall Minde meeting with a spiritual Religion by Vniformity grow to an Vnity they kisse imbrace and claspe one another and the gates of Hell cannot plucke them asunder The Spirit that gaue the Word seasons the Heart and the Heart meeting the Word borne of the same Spirit with it selfe ioynes it selfe to it in a brotherly Affection and Vnity Now this only true admittance of true Religion hath notable Priuiledges annexed to it which are both markes of Excellence Difference aboue and from other false meanes of receiuing Religion One excellent and necessary Prerogatiue is this That the spirituall Man hath God for his Teacher hee learnes the counsels of God of that Spirit which only knoweth Gods Counsell and only acknowledgeth it Hee holdeth diuine things by a Diuine hand and receiues them from the Deity it selfe Though his outward Man receiue Elements and Rudiments of Religion by Birth or Education yet his inward man receiueth them by Heauenly inspiration the same Spirit which mooued holy men to speake moouing holy men to heare and beleeue For in the Saints the Spirit of God is the last resort rest and Pillar of Truth and how can they but beleeue when a spirituall Mind plainly discerneth the Truth of spirituall things It hath also a second priuiledge of safetie and in that safety a third of rest and quietnesse For a Religion being once â—ruly discerned approued knit to the heart by the Spirit the Spirit which leades vs into the Truth doth stablish vs in the Truth by the same Light by which it shewes vs the Beauty of Verity it discouers the deformity of Errour yea it will ioyne hands with no Religion but that which is kinne to it Shew the Spirit the whole Millaners shop of Religions which Mountebanke Satan hath set to sale in the world none of them wil fit his hand though neuer so much flourished ouer with the imbrodery of humane wit and earthly Glory The Spirit which gaue the Word will acknowledge no other but the Word of the Spirit My Sheepe sayth Christ heare my voyce but a strangers voice they will not heare Iohn 10. And now what an admirable priuiledge of rest and quietnesse is hereunto annexed The carnall man if he escape the Restinesse gotten by Custome or imposed by Authority hee runneth like the dispossessed spirit through all places both wet and dry seeking rest for his Religion And how can hee finde rest since there is no true rest but in the Truth and that Truth being hidden from flesh and bloud all other Religions that appeare are but Errors and who can blame a man to run from an Error as soone as hee hath found it This