so they must needs be very contrary and if contrary no marvell they should so ill agree although God had not proclaimed an enmity between them For there can be no amity where there is no sympathy no reconciling of the Wolfe and the Lambe the Windes and the Sea no neighbourhood no alliance no conjunction is able to make the cursed Seed of the Serpent and the blessed seede of the Woman ever agree for Fire and Water Light and Darknesse Heaven and Hell are not more contrary One bloud one belly one house one education could never make Cain and Abel accord Iacob and Esau Isack and Ishmael at one yea though they be Man and Wife Parent and Childe yet if they be not like they will not like 2 Cor. 6.14 15. And indeed what is the corporal sympathy to the spiritual antipathy Can there be such a parity between the Parent and the Childe the Husband and the Wife as there is a disparity between God and Satan No certainly SECT 47. A Wicked man can agree with all that are wicked be they Papists or Turkes or Atheists profane and loose persons civil or moral men for all these agree with him in blindenesse and darknesse as who feeles the smart of their tongues or hands not the Idolater or vile person not the professed Atheist the Canker-fretting Arminian or State-betraying Jesuite for with all these they are Haile fellow well met but with sincere Christians and Practicers of piety he can never agree the religious shall be sure of opposition because their light is contrary to his darknesse grace in the one is a secret disgrace to the other Yea let wicked men be at never so much odds one with another yet they will concurre and joyne against the godly as for Example Edom and Ishmael Moaâ— and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon Amalek and the Philistims the men of Tyre and Assur had each several gods yet all conspired against the true God Psal. 83 5. to 9. Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses but both against Iudah Heâ—od and Pilate two Enemies will agree so it be against Christ they will fall in one with another to fall out with God The Sadduces Pharisees and Herodians were Sectaries of divers and adverse Factions all differing one from another and yet all these joyne together against our Saviour Matth. 22. The Libertines Cyrenians Alexandrians Cilicians and Asians differ they never so much will joyne in dispute against Stephen Acts 6.9 Herod neither loved the Iewes nor the Iewes Herod yet both are agreed to vex the Church I cannot think of a sitter Emblem of a naturall man than Lime which agreeth well with all things that are dry and of it's own nature but meeting with Water a thing directly opposite it breakes burnes â—welles smokes crackles skips and scatters so Nature will give a man leave to be any thing save a sound Christian and agree with all others â—e their conditions never so contrary provided they agree in the main are all Seed of the same Serpent But let the natural man meet with one that is Spiritual they agree lik heat and cold if one stays the other flies or if both stay they agree like two Poysons in one stomacke the one being ever sicke of the other be they never so near allyed As how many a Wife is so much the more hated because a zealous Wife How many a Childe lesse beloved because a religious Childe How many a Servant lesse respected because a godly Servant And no marvell for though they dwell in the same house yet they belong to two several Kingdomes and albeit they both remain upon earth yet they are governed by two severall Lawes the ones Burguship being in Heaven Philip. 3.20 And the other being a Denizon belonging to Hell as Irish-men are Dwelleâ—s in Ireland but Denizons of England and governed by the Statutes of this Kingdome SECT 48. NEither is this of theirs an ordinary hatred but the most bitter exorbitant unlimited and unplacable of all others No such concord no such discord faith one of the learned as that which proceeds from Religion My name â—aith Luther is more odious unto them then any thiefe or murâ—herer as Christ was more detestable to the Iewer then Barrabas Behold saith David mine enemies for they are many and they â—ate me with a cruell hatred Psal. 25.19 yea so cruell that it makes their teeth gnash and their hearts burst againe Act. 7.54 which made the Truths adversaries give Saint Paul stripes above measure 2 Cor. 11.2 3. And the Heathen Emperours to devise such cruell torâ—ures for all those which but profest themselves Christians Yea agreement in some poynts when there are differences in the maine does but advance hatred the more Witnesse the Reigne of Queen Mary and the Butchery over al France of above two hundred thousand Protestants besides the many thousands of late yeares Yea aske from East to West from one Pole to the other search all Records under Heaven if ever there was the like of the intended Powder-Plot You cannot anger a wicked man worse than to do well Yea he hates you more bitterly for this and the credit you gaine thereby than if you had cheated him of his Patrimony with your owne discredit But that there is no hatred so virulent and bitter as that which is occasioned by vertuous living and professing of Christs Name our Saviour himselfe proves copiously Matthew 10. Luke 21. SECT 49. Quest. WHerein consists their unlikenesse and contrariety Answ. Chiefly in foure particulars though indeed there bee more differences between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil than there are betweene men and beasts First they exceedingly differ in their judgements touching Wisdome 1 Cor. 1.18.20 23. and 2.14 and 4.10 Luke 6.27 to 36. Acts 26.24 Wisd. 5.4 Gen. 41.8 Iob 5.13 Prov. 28.11 Ier. 4.22 1 Cor. 3.19 Exod. 1 10. Iosh. 9.4 Titus 3 9. Prov. 10. ver 18. Rom. 16. ver 19. Happinesse Luke 6.26 and 8.13 Ia. 4.4 Mark 16.16 Iob. 3.16 18. and 8.34 36. Rom. 6.16.18.22 Psal. 2.3 4. and 10.3 and 21.4 2 Tim. 2.26 Mal. 3.15 Revel 3.17 1 Thes. 5.3 Fortitude Prov. 28.1 2. Rev. 13.6 7. and 12 13 17 Mar. 13.9 Acts 7.52 Mat. 10.28 Gal. 4 29. Ioh. 16.2 Sinne Luke 16.15 Prov. 13.19 Marke 7.5 11 12 13 Luke 7.33 34. Matth. 7.14 1 Pet. 4 18 Psal. 35.13.16 Holinesse Acts 26.9 Exod. 8.26 1 Cor. 4.10 and 2.14 Prov. 13.19 Psal. 14.1 Ier. 44.16 to 19. Yea they are of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons Isa. 5.20 and so speak thinke and doe all by contraries like Heliogabalus who wore shooes of Gold and Rings of Leather Or the Black-moores who judge of beauty by contraries Wherefore read their words as Scholars doe Hebrew backward and you have the meaning for instance do they call thee Puritan as nothing more frequent in their mouths understand
THE Cause and Cure of Ignorance Error Enmity Atheisme Prophanesse c. OR A most Hopefull and Speedy way to grace and salvation by plucking up impediments by the roote Reduced to Explication Confirmation Application tending to Illumination sanctification devotion By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in ESSEX They call evill good and good evill c. They justifie the wicked and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him Isai. 5.20.23 Wherefore slew Cain his brother but because his own works were evill and his brothers good 1 Joh. 3.12 I was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1.13 Printed at London by R.I. for N. Brook at the signe of the Angel in Cornhill MDCXLVIII Courteous Reader HAving perused this Cause and Cure of Enmity Prophanesse c. we finde it to containe a lively description of the worlds envy and hatred to the godly Together with a perspicuous discovery of the originall Continuance Properties and Causes of the same In which also the Ignorance Atheisme and Prophannesse of most men are pithily pathetically painted out the remedies of either prescribed with many forcible inducements to a pious life and religious conversation saving knowledge and true wisdome soundly described and distinguished from their counterfiets with the meanes to attain both The necessity of repentance c. prest home All which is laid down pithily orderly and ellegantly with much both sinuous strength of argument and variety of gracefull and delightfull illustration which may draw on the Reader to his no small benefit and through Gods blessing prove of much use to all sorts that shall reade the same whether for information or direction diswasion from evill or confirmation in good as tending much to the comforting of beleevers in their sufferings and to the reclayming or at least the convincing of such as any way oppose the way of truth So that whatsoever time labour or dilligence thou shalt spend in often reading the same we doubt not but the profit wil recompence thy paines abundantly George VValker Edm. Calamy Joseph Caryll An Advertisement to all such as speake evill of the way of truth and of the things which they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 MY brethren many of you to my knowledge have read this Cure and highly approvâ—d of it but for want of acquaintance with your owne hearts you thinke it concernes others not you As David thought of Nathans parable 2 Sam. 12.1 to 8. And Ahab of the Prophets 1 King 20.39 to 43. when it concerned no lesse then his owne life So that these lines to you for want of application are but as so many characters written in the water which leave no impression behind them For you are the same men â—till as bitter malignants to the power of godlinesse and as much forestalled with prejudice against the religious as you were before Though I did hope better things both of you and it that upon good probability For it cannot be denyed but I have said sufficient in this and the succeeding parts which sundry of you have read also if not to convert yet at least to convince all gainsayers and consequently to stop the mouth of iniquity which is set so wide-open To quench those tongues which are set on fire from hell And to charm the mouth of the most envious Momus that ever hell did hatch from barking at professors and practisers of piety Which makes mee feare that what this will not effect no ordinary meanes are like to doe As what can bee further expected No glasse can more lively represent your faces than this booke does your hearts Onely this is the misery as when a child beholds his owne face in a glasse hee thinkes hee sees another child's face and not his owne So fares it with you Which is the sole cause that in the middest of so much means so few are converted for otherwise the word of God is so powerfull and the Gospel so ravishing that the World could not stand before it without submitting to it Whereas for want of applying it to their owne consciences every one can evade whatsoever their Ministers can speak to them out of the word I have shewne you what God in his word speakes and proved that your condition is no whit better then the condition of Caine and Ishmael and Hamman and Eliab aâ—d Goliah and Michal and Doeg and Shemei and Rabshekah and Tobia and Sandballat and Pashur and Zedekiah and Herod and Saint Paul before his conversion and Ananias the high Preist and Demetrius the Silver-smith and Alexander the Copper-smith and Elimas the Sorcerer What doe you looke that Christ Iesus himselfe from Heaven should call to you severally by name as he did to Saul and say ho Ishmael such an one Or ho Elimas such an one Why doest thou persecute me I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Acts 9.4 5. And this booke is an Epistle which I have caused to be writ unto thee therefore see thou bee warned by it and perswaded to repent or I will come against thee shortly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth except thou amend Rev. 2.6 3.20 And yet if Christ himselfe should doe so I question whether you would bee any more warned or reclaimed by it than Hazaell was when the Prophet told him what abominable wickednesse hee should commit 2 Kings 8.12 13. c. Abraham tels Dives as much in effect Lu. 13.31 I know you thinke well of your selves and so did Hazaell which made him answer the Prophet what is thy servant a Dog that I should doe this great evill though hee afterward did it and was worse then any Dogge Yea you call your selves Christians and will face us downe that you are the servants of God and that the word may prove your baine the prophanest of you can snatch the comfort of every promise you hear as belonging to you witnesse my Sovereign Antedote in which there is not one word of comfort for or intended for you that are scoffers but for such as suffer reproach for the name of Christ and for well-doing Yet it is admirable to consider how you comment upon those comforts and apply every passage therein to your selves against the godly In which case it is hard to say whether your applying the promises in that and such like books and sermons or your not applying the threats and precepts in this and the like will most occasion your finall impenitency And whether it best pleases Satan that you thus read and heare Gods word or that you neither reade nor heare it at all Oh the many wayes that Satan hath to gull and delude carnall men and how willing and apt they are to gul delude themselves But consider Hath God made any promise to Scoffers Or can the Crosse of Christ save them that continue
Scribes and Pharisees Yea though Ahab be told from the Lord that if he go to War he shall perish yet be goeth and speeds accordingly SECT 4. Quest. BVt how should weak Christians know the mystery of this iniquity shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and feare in which Satan for the present holds them Answ. Search the Scriptures and they will so cleare your judgement and cure your Prejudice that in some measure you shall be enabled to quench those fiery darts Ephes. 6.16 I meane the reproaches of those evill tongues which are set on fire from Hell Iames 3.6 for Virgil most excellently and profoundly couples the knowledge of cause and the conquest of all feares together First for the informing of your judgement our Saviour Christ and his Apostles hath abundantly foretold the same Of a multitude of predictions I 'le only instance three or foure All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Not some but all and what all but even all that will live godly Now methinkes if there were no other texts in the Bible but this one it were omnisufficient to take away Prejudice and wonder touching the Worlds hatred and calumny but the Scriptures are full of the like Ye shall be hated of all men and Nations saith our Saviour for my names sake Math. 10.22 24.9 Not of a few but of all Men and Nations that is all naturall men or the greatest part of men in all Countries and Nations yea and for no other cause but for professing of Christs Name Neither is Christ a signe to be spoken against of many in Babylon or Assyria but of many in Israel Luke 2.34 where Religion is profest publickly Yea when sincerity is wanting the nearer the line with any opposition the greater Eclips The Gadereans but besought Christ to depart his own Country men drave him out and cast him down headlong Luk 4.29 Yea who was his greatest enemy but his greatest friend even one of his houshold-Chaplains And who but Ieremies familiars watched for his haulting Againe saith our Saviour The servant is not above his Master Iohn 15.20 But Christ having suffered so much if we should rest the Servant were above his Master which were senslesse to thinke For could not his wisdome innocency and holinesse fence him from these scornes and can thine fence thee Besides that ancient prediction must bee fulfilled I will put emnity between the seed of the Serpent and the seede of the Woman Gen. 3.15 But if there bee no war betweene the men of the World and the children of God if they should not hate and persecute us this Prediction were not fulfilled Yea all the former predictions of Christ and many that I omit should bee false which were blasphemy once to thinke Wherefore marvell not my bretheren though the world hate you as Saint Iohn speakes 1 Iohn 3.13 Neither count it strange as Saint Peter hath it concerning the fiery tryall which is among you to prove you as though some strange thing were come unto you 1 Pet. 4.12 for Christ and his crosse are unseparable Luke 14.27 Whence that definition of Luther that a Christian is a crosse-bearer Againe search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned without mention of something hee suffered from ungodly men as it were easie to instance how Abel Lot Noah Righteous men Abraham the Father of the faithfull Isaac Iacob Ioseph Patriarches and Fathers of the Church meek Moses upright Samâ—â—l holy David wise Solomon all the Lords Priests Prophets Apostles yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himselfe did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men yea never man came to Heaven but first hee passed through this Purgatory God had one Sonne without sinne but never any one without suffering which makes our Saviour say Woe be to you when all men speake well of you that is when evill men speake well of you for so did the Iews of the false Prophets Luke 6.26 Whereas hee pronounceth them blessed which heare ill for well doing Mat. 5.11 Which leads mee to the second point SECT 5. SEcondly For Scriptures to confirme comfort and strengthen weake Christians against the worlds hatred and calumny these would be applyed which follow Blessed are they saith our Saviour which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.10 And againe Bâ—essed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you anâ— say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you ver 11.12 And Saint Peter Rejoyce inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed yee may bee glad also with exceeding joy for if yee be reproached for the name of Christ happy are yee for the spirit of glory and of Goâ— resteth upon you Which on their part is evill spoken off but on your part is gloryfied 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Loe here is reward enough for all that men or divills can do against us And what will not men undergoe so their reward may be answerable This hath made thousands even ambitious to imbrace the flames Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors for the harder wee are put to it the greater shall our reward bee in heaven It is to my losse said Gordius the Martyer if you bate mee any thing of my sufferings But yet further what saith Saint Paul In nothing feare your adversaries whose malice is to them a token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Phil. 1 28. Yea in the same Chapter ver 29. He preferreth the gift of suffering before the gift of beleeving And in his Epistle to the Church of Thessalonica peremptorily concludeth that they are elect of God from this ground That they received the word in much affliction with joy in the holy Ghost They that dwell where Sathans seate is holding fast Christs name without denying his faith are Protestants indeed Revel 2.13 Examine these Scriptures againe and againe for every word of them is ponderous and consider of whom and by whom they were spoken then certainly thou wilt confess that if their be any Nectar in this life 't is in sorrows wee indure for Righteousnesse And methinks when I heare goodnesse calumniated I beare it the easier because the servants of vice do it SECT 6 Quest. WHat is the original ground of the worlds hatred Ans. That Proclamation which God himselfe made in Paradise Gen. 3.15 where hee saith unto the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seedâ— and her seed hee or it shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Quest. As to the building of an house it is needfull first to lay a good
persecutions as from God afflictions And well may hee work good by evill Instruments when every Prince or Magistrate hath the feat to make profitable Instruments aswell of evill persons as of good And each Physitian can make poyson medicinable SECT 10. Q. This rub being removed and the passage made cleere proceed in the wayes of your Text and shew me the time of this Enmity Ans. First I will make a distinction and then give the Answer The circumstance of time is twofold the time when it was proclaimed And the time that it is to continue 1. If wee consider the time when it was first proclaimed It was immediatly after the fall when Adam had newly sinned not long after the Creation even when time it self was not a week old as is probably conjectured by the learned 2. If we consider the time that this Enmity is to continue it is either generall or particular The generall time is here set downe in the Text indefinitly I will put Enmity between â—hee and the Woman and between they seed and her seed which being without limitation is to be understood largely and so signifies that it is perpetuall without end from the beginning of time to the end of all time when time saith one began this malice first began nor will it end but with the latest Man It is an everlasting Act of Parliament like a Statute in Magna Charta 3 If we consider the time more strictly then it signifies in the Subject possest of it the whole time of a wicked mans life or if in time he becomes the Womans seed by a new birth then it signifies that part of his life which went before Regeneration But in the Object of it for the whole time of a godly mans spirituall life after he is become the Womans seed even from the morning of his new birth to the evening of his departure hence without intermission which makes the Psalmist cry out for thy sake are we killed all the day long Psal. 44.22 Quest. What way wee gleane from hence Answ. Some comfort in that this War shall once have an end The Israellites shall not alwayes live under the Tyranny of Pharaoh or travells of the Wildernesse Nor the seed of the Woman alwayes under this heavy yoak of affliction and persecution for Death shall free us from our sorrowes aswell as from our sinnes yea as this is their time to persecute ours to suffer so their time will come to suffer ours to triumph let me rather feele their mallice then be wrapt up in their vengeance SECT II. Quest. WHat is their manner of venting this Enmity Answ. Sathan the Prince of Darknes and his adherents the wicked world do war against Christ and his Members two wayes by Persecutions and by Perswasions under which two Generalls are comprised divers and sundry particulars which I shall severally speak of when I come to the Properties of this Enmity In the meane time we are to take notice that all Sathans businesse was and is at and ever since the fall of Adam to slay Souleâ— 1 Peter 5.8 Iob. 1.7 Neither doth he want Instruments in all places to further and promote this his designe Quest. Now a word of the place where Answ. The circumstance of place is threefold 1. If we consider the place strictly in respect of the Subject in whom it resides then it is principally the heart of Man unsanctified 2. If we consider the place where it was proclaimed then it is Paradise or the Garden of Eden as verse 23. shewes 3. But if wee consider the place where they exercise this Enmity then it is the place of this miserable world where the Church is Militant indeed Revel 12.7 It is said there was warre in Heaven Michael and his Angells fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells But this cannot fitly be construed of Heaven in Heaven but of Heaven on Earth For in Heaven the Church is triumphant and the Devill in the beginning was cast out of that Heaven 2. Peter 2.4 And there is no Warfare but all wellfare no Jarr but love and peace yea such a peace as passeth all understanding So that by Heaven there is meant the Church of God on Earth called in holy Scripture Heaven and holy Ierusalem above for that her chiefe treasure is in Heaven Math. 6.20 her affections in Heaven Colos. 3.2 her Conversation in Heaven Phil. 3.20 and for that the Lord of Heaven dwells in her heart by faith Ephes. 3.17 SECT 12. Quest. WHat is promised shall be the issue or effect of it and who shall get the victory Answ. The issue or effect is declared in these words He shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele The meaning whereof is this 1. By bruising of the head is meant Sathans overthrow and finall Ruine and distruction by Christ in respect of his Power Dominion and Workes Iohn 12.31 and 1. Iohn 3.8 to which purpose the words of the Apostle are very significant Hee also himselfe tooke part of our flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell Heb. 2.14 And he being overcome his seed are overcome and perish with him Revel 12.9 Iohn 14.13.30 and 12 31.32 And this is the first promise of grace and life made to Eve and all mankind now dead in sin and enemies to God Collos. 2.13 and 1.21 Neither is it only meant of Christ in his owne person but it implyes that all his Members by resisting the Devill stedfastly through faith in him shall have victory also 1 Corinth 15.57 given them by the God of peace who shall bruise Sathan under our feet shortly as the Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 16.20 Faith in the Lamb shall put this roaring Lyon to flight They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Reve. 12.11 Secondly by his heele bruising is meant 1. First Christs holy wayes which Sathan should by all means either of Temptations or Persecutions seek to suppresse 2. And secondly his humane Nature which Sathan should afflict all manner of wayes untill he brought upon him That Shamefull Death of the Crosse Gaâ— 3.13 That Painefull and Death of the Crosse Gaâ— 3.13 That Cursed Death of the Crosse Gaâ— 3.13 For then his heele was bruised when his Body was crucified And it was no more then the bruising of his heele his divine Nature being impassible and untouched where note that it was the politick malice of the Devill and the World that aymed by the death of the Generall to disband the Army So long as Christ lived on earth we read of no persecution against his Disciples Math. 9.15 But let him be once removed and then there is havock made of the Church Stephen is stoned Peter crucified Paul beheaded some strangled some burned some broyled some brained all but only St. Iohn murthered And Thirdly it is meant that all who beleeved in
Iealousie The Sap Hatred The Fruit Persecution severally and apart for ignorance causeth Suspition and Suspition Hatred and Hatred Persecution But I cannot stand upon these SECT 61. Qu. IF Ignorance be such a generall cause of hatred and persecution as you have shewre What is the reason that so many great Scholers and wise men do also hate and persecute the godly Ans. Great scholers they may bee and wise men also in the worlds esteeme but in the maine and in Gods account they are nothing so for admit they have inlightned heads sufficient to leave them without excuse yet because they withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse and doe not glorifie God with their knowledge neither are thankfull but become vain in their imaginations their foolish hearts are darkned and so while they professe themselves to be wise in changing the truth of God into a lie they become fools and expresse it by thus hating God and his children Romans 1.18.21.22.25.30 So that Ignorance is the cause even in them also And indeed if they were wise they would foresee the torments of hell and prevent them as Bernard speakes Or if they knew God they would keep his commandments for hereby saith Saint Iohn is it knowne that wee know God if we keep his Commandements 1 John 2.3 but he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and there is no truth in him Ver. 4. Yea these have sworne to keepe the commandements and to deny the world and yet are not content with their owne disobedience unlesse they cast aspersions upon them that obey Againe thirdly if they knew Christ they could not but love him and loving him they must needs love his members not persecute them for it is the very first part of our conversion to love them that love God 1 Joh. 3.14 and 4.7.8 and Joh. 13.35 But so many as are enemies to the crosse of Christ shew that they never knew God in Christ. As for their wisdome and learning you must know that men may be â—xquisitely wise and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion and yet very fooles in Gods account 1 Cor. 3.19 As sharp-eyed as Eagles in the things of the earth and yet as blinde as Beetles in the matters of heaven And knowledge consisteth not so much in the quantity as in the quality not in the greatnesse but in the goodnesse of it For as a little precious stone is of more worth then many other stones of greater bulke so one drop of wisdome guided by the feare of God is more worth then all humane learning One sparke of spirituall experimentiall and saving knowledge is worth a whole flame of secular wisdome and learning One scruple of holinesse one dram of faith one graine of grace is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts But learning and grace doe not alwayes keep company together Yea O Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge yet are not soule-wise That have a Library of Divinity in their heads and not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences no rare thing for men to abound in speculation and be barâ—en in devotion to have full braines and empty hearts cleare judgements and defiled affections fluent tongues and lame hands Yea you shall heare a flood in the tongue when ye cannot see one drop in the life For example I might instance in Balaam whom the holy Ghost stiles a foole 2 Peter 2.16 And Iudas Mat. 27.3 4 5. And Paul before his conversion who even while hee was a persecuter like these men was eminent among the Pharisees for wit and learning but a very Ideot among the Apostles And lastly the Priests Scribes and Pharisees who were matchlesse for their wisdome and learning as wanting nothing that either nature or Art could inrich them withall yea and they were chiefly learned in the Scripture Gods Oracles which will make a man wise or nothing and yet our Saviour who could not bee deceived calls them foure times in one Chapter blinde and twice fools Mat. 23.16.17.19.24.26 Because they wanted faith and holinesse which are the sinewes and nerves yea the soule of saving knowledge inlivening feeding and strengthening the same for in the dialect of the Scripture a fool is a naturall man and a wise man a man sanctified Alas God regards not lip-learning and tongue-wisdome and braine-knowledge except it ceize upon the heart also and lead captive the affections to the government of the Gospel whereby wee are changed and transformed into new men after the image of Christ 1 Cor. 2.12 Eph. 4.20 to 25. Col. 3.10 except we digest our knowledge into practise and imploy our wisdome to his glory that gave it our neighbours good and the furthering of our owne salvation For with him wickednes is folly and the greatest sinner is the greatest foole and he most wise that is most religious and that offends least Prov. 1.7 Iob. 28.28 Prov. 9.10.12 and 11.3 Deut. 4.6 Hosea 14.9 Iames 3.13.17 2 Tim. 3.15 And he that is truly wise thinks that to be wisdome and folly which God thinks so Neither is that worth the name of knowledge which may be heard only and not seen Good discourse is but the froth of wisdome the pure and solid substance of it is in well framed actions What saith the Scripture Keepe the Commandements of God and doe them for this is your wisdome and understanding before God and men Deut. 4 6. And again He that is a wise man and indued with knowledge will shew it by his conversation in good works Iames 3.13 For SECT 62. RIghtly a man knows no more then he practiseth It is said of Christ 2 Cor. 5 21. that he knew no sinne because he did no sin in which sense hee knows no good that doth no good And certainly they who wander in the by-paths of sin and errour declare themselves ignorant of the right way of salvation Rom. 3.17 Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth knowne it is an uniforme consent of knowledge and action Iob 28.28 He onely is wise saith Solomon that is wise for himself Prov. 9.12 He whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart and his heart to God who turneth his knowledge to faith his faith to feeling and all to walke worthy of his Redeemer he that subdues his sensuall desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of the soule Reason and Understanding and makes that understanding of his serve him by whom it is and doth understand hee that subdues his lust to his will submits his will to reason his reason to faith his faith his reason his will himself to the will of God this is practicall experimentall and saving knowledge to which the other is but a bare name or title For what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey to the experimentall taste of it It is one thing to know what riches are and
out that sore judgement seven months and brought upon their god Dagon and the whole Countrey a very great destruction and perceived that all which were guilty of keeping and prophaning the Arke suffered in the judgement and onely they at last could bring forth this conclusion Peradventure it is God's hand that smote us yet it may bee it is but a chance that hath hapened unto us Ver. 9. Wherein it is evident they did half beleeve and no more Their consciences told their hearts there was a powerfull God to revenge the prophaning of his Arke but their hearts were very loth to give assent thereunto and so fares it with these when they wrong and persecute his Children Or they may be likened to those untoward Israelites Exod. 16. Who did in part beleeve God when hee told them If they reserved of the Manna untill morning it should stinke and that if they went to gather it on the Sabbath they should finde none who would have thought it foule scorne if one should have told them they beleeved no such thing for all they had seene so many Miracles yet t is apparent they did but halfe beleeve him for what else made them try whether hee spake true or no after they were flatly forbidden ver 20. or Lastly they are like the unbeleeving Iewes who considering the Oracles that CHRIST spake and the Miracles which he wrought were forced to testifie both these of him for all they hated him never man spake as this man doth and We never saw it on this fashion yet this have yee seen and beleeve not saith our SAVIOUR Iohn 6. 36. They saw they heard they wondered they were convinced yet they beleeved not therfore their own eyes in seeing their own eares in hearing their own hearts in wondring their own convicted reasons shall but witnesse against their unbeleefe Ioh. 16.9 And indeed if they did not in some part beleeve a Judgement to come they should be worse than the very Devills themselves there is no Hell Quis Daemonum hoc asseret What Devill will so affirme They know it and feele it Why say the Legion to Christ art thou come to torment us before the time Matth. 8.29 And shall not men tremble to deny what the Devils confesse sayes Chrysostome Wherefore beleeve it peremptorily â— ye fooles mad men yea believe it avoid it by beleeving to purpose ye shall avoyd it otherwise if ye will give more credit to your deceitful hearts than to what the Word speaks as Eve beleeved the word of the Serpent Adam the word of Eve both before the Word of God God will leave you to be confuted by fire brimston if you wil not beleive what is written you shall feele what is written SECT 70. Ob. BUT here it will be objected That the wickedest man that lives presumes upon Gods mercy in Christ and thinkes he shall be saved as well as the â—heife upon the Crosse yea hee will prove by Scripture that at what time soever hâ— repents his sinnes shall be pardoned Ezech. 18.21 22. Yea there is scarce a man on earth but hee thinkes to goe to Heaven Answ. True the flesh prophesies prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the Powder Traytors â—nd to this the Devill sets his sâ—ale wheâ—â—upon while prosperity lasteth they can turne the grace of God into wantâ—nâ—esse and even apply Christ's Passion as a warrant for their licenciousnesse and take his death as a licence to sin his Crosse as a Letters Pattent to doe mischeife Yea the Devill and sinne so infatuates and besots them that they thinke to have part in that merit which in every paâ—t they have so abused to be purged by that blood which now they take al occasions to disgrace to be saved by the same wounds which they swear by and so often swear away to have Christ an Advocate for them in the next life when they are Advocates against Christ in this and that Heaven will meet them at their last hour when all their life long they have galloped in the beaten road toward Hell The Devil makes large promises and perswades his they shall have what they desire yet ever disappoints them of their hopes as he did our first Parents Diabolus mentitur ut fallet vitam pollicetur ut perimat saith Saint Cyprian But all one their carnall hearts shall be flint unto God wax to the Devil who blowes this presumption into them whereby they believe the promises let go the threatnings You shall die saith God is heard but You shall not die saith the Devil is believed as it fared with Eve when she eat the forbidden fruit Yea they believe the promises that they shall have them but they believe not the precepts to do them nor the threatnings that they shall suffer them for their not believing and disobedience which shewes that they truly believe neither Yea this makes it plain that either they believe there is no God at all or else that God is not just and true nor speakes as he meanes in his word which is worse or if they do believe that he is a just and true God they believe also that they shall be punished as he threatens for their provoking of him and they provoke him that they may be punished which is worst of all So that take them in the best sense they are but like David's fool which saith in his heart there is no God and lives thereafter which is never a whit strange for it is usuall with them to thinke there is no God for whom it would make that there were none what we would have to be we are apt to believe I confesse it is hard for men to believe their own unbelief in this case they that be most dangerously sicke are least sensible of their own sicknesse much more hard to make them confesse it for he whose heart speakes Atheisme will confesse with his tongue that he believes there is a God and that he is just and true and that every tittle of his Word is equally â—rue which being granted this must necessarily follow that God will as well punish the disobedient as reward the obedient which in another fit they are apt enough yea too forward to believe For it is Satan's method first to make men so senselesse as not to feel their sinnes at all and then so desperate that they feel them too much in the first fit men live as if there were no Hell in the last they die as if there were no Heaven for wicked men are altogether in extremes at first they make question whether this or that be a sin at last they apprehend it such a sin that they make question whether it can be forgiven either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list or so just that he will not pardon them upon their repentance SECT 71. BUt to prevent after claps let this point
be argued in the Court of thy Conscience say whether thou art guilty or not guilty He that believes the promises of God to be true believes also the commands and threatnings and thereupon feares God and makes conscience of sin otherwise if thou beest as it were a dead man continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes without sorrow or fear or remorse or care of amendment Ephes. 2 1. If thou art of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons esteeming good evil and evil good if the Devil hath so bewitched thee that thou preferrest Hell to Heaven and blamest those that do otherwise if Ishmael-like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter jests against them Psal. 1.1 Ephes. 5.4 If thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised Psal. 4.2 31.18 35.20 As the Red Dragon Rev. 12. cast a floud of water out of his mouth after the Woman when he could not reach her with his clawes verse 15. Or any way opposest them for the opposition of goodnesse gives thee the title of wickednesse which alone is the enemy thereof and shewes that thou art a Souldier of the great Dragon who goes out to make War with that blessed Seed which keep the Commandments of God Rev. 12.17 These or any one of these shew that thou hast neither part nor fellowship in the Christian beliefe that thou art an Infidell yea an Atheist which is a higher degree of infidelity and that thou doest no way differ from an Heathen but onely in the saying of a Pater noster a Creed and it may be the ten Commandments neither hast thou any more of a conscience than fear which fear also arises more from the power of the Magistrate than from the Omnipotency of a God But to make thy selfe confesse this examine thy beliefe by thy life for infidelity is the bitter root of all wickednesse and a lively Faith the true Mother of all goodnesse Indeed if pride swâ—aring prophaning of the Lords Day drunkennesse adultery contempt of Religion and all goodnesse were fruits of Faith then the World were full of Believers but Faith purifieth the Heart Acts 15.9 and worketh by love Gal 5.6 Consumes our natural unnatural corruptions and sanctifieth the whole man thâ—oughout 1 Thes. 5.23 Acts 26.18 So that our Faith to God is seen in our faithfulnesse to men Shew me thy faith by thy workes saith S. Iames that is thy invisible beliefe by thy visible life for the hand is the best Commentary of the heart What a man does I am sure he thinkes not alwayes what he speakes Men may say they believe the Word but certainly they would never speak as they speak thinke as they thinke do as they do if they thought that their thoughts words and deeds should ever come to judgement If men believed that Heaven were so sweet and Hell so intolerable as the word makes them they would be more obedient upon earth the voluptuous would not say with Esau Give me the pottage of pleasure take who will the Birth-right of grace here and glory hereafter the Covetous would not say Take you Heaven let us have money I le clear it by a similitude If a Physician should say unto his Patient here stands a Cordial which if you take will cure you but touch not this other Vial for that is deadly Poyson and he refuseth the Cordial to take the Poyson in this case who can chuse but conclude that either he believed not his Physician or preferred death before life But go on If men but believed that God alwayes beholds them they durst not sin No Thiefe was ever so impudent as to steale in the very face of the Judge O God let me see my selfe seen by thee and I shall not dare to offend thee Againe if men believed that there is a place of Darknesse they would fear the workes of Darknesse If Lot's sonnes-in-Law had believed their father when he told them the Citie should suddenly be destroyed with fire and brimstone and that by flying they might escape it they would have obeyed his counsel If the old World had believed that God would indeed and in good earnest bring such a Floud upon them as he threatned they would not have neglected the opportunity of entring the Arke before it was shut up and the windowes of Heaven opened much lesse would they have scofft and flouted at Noah while he was building it so if you did firmely believe what the Scripture speaks of Hell you would need no intreaties to avoid it yea cast but your eyes upon that fiery gulf with a full perswasion of it and sin if you dare You love your selves well enough to avoid a knowne paine wee know that there are Stocks and Bridewells and Goales and Dungeons and Racks and Gibbits for Malefactors and our very feare keeps us innocent were your hearts equally assured of those hellish torments ye could not yee durst not continue in those sinnes for which they are prepared yea if you did truly beleeve a hell there would bee more danger of your dispaire than of your security Yea had you but so much of an historicall faith as to beleeve the Scriptures touching what God hath already inflicted upon sinners as upon the Angells the old world Sodâ—me and Gomorrah Pharoah and the Egyptians Nadab and Abihu Chora Dâ—than and Abyram with their 250 Captaines and many thousands of the Children of Israel together with the whole Nation of the Iewes Hammon and Balaam Saul and Doeg Absolon and Achytophell Ahab and Iesabell Senacherib and Nebucâ—adnezar the two Captaines and their fifties Herod and Iudas Annanias and Saphirah with a world of others Much more if you did beleeve how severely he hath dealt with his owne Children when they sinned against him viz. with Moses Aaron and Eli which were in singular favour with him yea with David a man after his own heart and that after his sin was remitted it were impossible but you woulde feare to offend so Jealous a God for thus you woulde argue If God be so just and severe to his owne children who were so good and gracious how shall I a wicked and ungracious servant that never did him a peece of good service all my dayes looke to be dispensed withall If the godly suffer so many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in hell If Sampson be thus punished shal the Philistims escape If the righteous shall scarcely be saved were shall the ungodly and sinner appeare as the Scripture speakes 1 Pet. 4.18 For thou canst not Imagine that he will deale after a new and extraordinary way with thee and so breake the Course of his so Just and so long continued proceedings SECT 72. WHerefore dally no longer with your owne soules Are ye Christians in earnest Doe yee beleeve the word or do you not if ye do not ye are worse than the Devill fâ—r the Devills belâ—eve and
tremble they have both faith and feare whereas thou hast neither feare nor faith If you be Christians there is an hell in your Creed if there be an hell How dare you teare Heaven with your blaâ—phemies and bandie the dreadfull Name of God in your impure mouthes by your bloody oâ—thes and execrations How dare you exâ—rcise your saucy wits in prophane sâ—offes at religion and disgrace that blood whereof hereafter you would give a thousand worlds for one drop It is no light or sleight offence to contemne the brethren of the Son of God but thou fightest against the very graces of Gods Spirit where-ever they appeare and notwithstanding thou didst vow in thy baptisme to fight under Christs banner against the world the flâ—sh and the Devill and to continue his faithâ—ull souldier and servant unto thy lives end as good reason since he laid downe his life to redeeme thee and hath ever since protected and provided for thee for a very Dog will fight for his master that feeds him thou contrarily takest part with the world the flesh and the Devill his mortall enemies and takest up armes to fight against Christ. Againe if there be an hell and but a tithe of them Christians who call themselves so what meanes our grinding of faces like edged tooles and our spilling of blood like water What meanes our racking of rents our detention of wages our incredible cruelty to servants our inclosing of Commons ingrossing of commodities our griping exactions with streining the advantages of greatnesse our inequall levies of legal payments our spightfull suites griping usury our bouzing and quaffing our bribery perjury partiallity our sacriledge simonaicall contracts and soule-murther our scurrâ— prophanesse cousoning in bargaines breaking of promises perfidious underminings pride luxury wantonnesse contempt of Gods Messengers neglect of his Ordinances violation of his dayes c When if the Word of God be true we need no other ground of our last and heaviest doom than ye have not given ye have not visited c. Mat. 25.41 to 46 Certainely if the tythe of us be Christians which call our selvrs so there are abundance of Christians in hell For what eyes can but runne over to see for the most part what lives men leade There was a woman much spoken of in some parts of this Land that lived in a professed doubt of the Dâ—ity yea even after Illumination and Repentance she could hardly be comforted she often protested that the vicious and offencive life of a great learned man in the Towne where she dwelt did occasion those damned doubts in her minde And we reade that Linacre reading upon the New Testament the fifâ—h sixth and seaventh Chapters of Saint Matthews Gospell and comparing those rules with Christians lives hee threw downe the booke and burst forth into this protestation Either this is not God's Gospell or we are not Christians Let any man looke upon the lives of most men and then say whether the argument be not without all exceptions Or let any compare Christians that live now under Christian Governours with those that lived formerly under Heathan Persecutors and it will force them to confesse the same Athenagoras told the Emperor in the Primitive times that there was not one of the Christians evill manured unlesse it were such as dissembled themselves Christians for some by and sinister ends And Tertullian saith of the Christians in his time non aliunde noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum And Chrisostome speaketh of many in his daies whose lives were angelicall they so walked up to their principles It is the abstract of Religion to imitate him whom we worship neither are we worthy to be called Christians except wee be like him in workes Wee are not like Christ except we doe whatsoever God commands and suffer whatsoever he inflicts Now we are naught at doing but when it comes to suffering we are gone it is the happinesse of these cold times that wee are not put to the hot fire for tryall of our faith and love if the Wheele should turne which the mercy of God forbid how many would turne from Christ rather than burne for him Alasse the greatest number are like Orbilius the Grammarian who not onely forgot the Letters of his Book but even his own name for they not only forget what is written in Christ's Gospell but they forget also that they are Christians can be of any religioÌ„ for a need which shewes their hearts are truely of none True Gods seede is sowne but the Devills fruit comes up and like the Iewes we bring Christ Vinegar when he thirsts for Wine But what a shame What a prodigy is this We are bound to praise GOD above any Nation whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven inâ—oyes so much light or so many blessings as we above any creature for all the creatures were ordained for our sakes and yet Heaven Earth and Sea all the Elements all the Creatures obey the Word of God onely men for whom they were all made ingratefully rebell against it The which as it mightily aggravates our unthankfulnesse so when time comes it will gall our Consciences to death Yea when we shall consider that Christ hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination and that our recompence of his love hath been onely to do that which he hates and hate those whom he loves it will make us speechlesse like him in the Gospel who wanted his wedding Garment as neither expecting mercy nor daring to aske it for know this that thy own Conscience will once sting thee like an Adder to thinke what Christ hath given and what he would have forgiven thee if thou would'st but have repented to thinke how often thou hast been invited to Heaven how easily thou mightest have escaped Hell how often Christ by his Embassadours offered thee remission of sinnes and the Kingdom of Heaven freely if thou wouldest but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes how near thou wast many times to have repented and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still impenitent and how the day of mercy is then past and will never dawn again For the same Devil that now shuts your eyes and labours to keep you blinde during the presumption of your Life will open them in the desperation that shall wait on you at death or in Hell as it fared with the rich man who when he was in Hell lift up his eyes to Heaven but never before Luke 16.23 Those scorching flames opened them to purpose sinne shuts up mens eyes but punishment opens them Satan seldome lets us see our folly till we be plunged into some deep extremity but then he writes it in capital Letters and pines it on our foreheads like one riding to the Pillory especially on our death-beds hee shewes us all our sinnes in