Thou art God from everlasting that is without beginning and thou art God to everlasting that is without end And so also is Religion Eternal both from everlasting and to everlasting from everlasting in the reason of it because it is a service or reverence due to God by vertue of his excellent Majesty and consequently that due is Eternal with his very Being but onely to everlasting in the practise of it because there was no creature from everlasting to practise it how then should we exceedingly desire to know Religion how to love it how to practise it whereby alone our souls are prepared to believe Eternity and to enjoy it and to employ it an irreligious soul could it possibly get to heaven would not know what to do there for there is nothing but the practise of Religion or praising God Rev. 19. 1 5 7. Again as God in that he is Eternal oweth his Beginning and Continuance to none but onely to himself and as Eternity because it is from it self is therefore without a Beginning and because it is of it self is therefore without an end so true Religiō hath in some sort its Being from it self for it is bonum in se it is good in and by it self and therefore hath its subsistence in and by it self let the whole world turn Atheist as it is turning apace yet the true Religion will still be the true Religion there may be in the practise of Religion many things good because they are commanded but in the substance of Religion the internal goodness is the reason of the external command so that Religion is indeed a beam of that light which proceedeth from the Father of Lights shewing unto Angels men what they are to know love and do and so leading them both to the Light everlasting for as God himself is so is his service and therefore I could not better explain the properties of Religion then from the properties of God Onely God hath his properties immediately flowing from his own essence but Religion partakes of these mediately from God as it is his service God hath these properties not onely Formally in himself but also Originally from himself Religion hath them Formally in it self but Originally from God Thus hath Religion all those properties of God which are incommunicable to the Creature and thereby appears to have in it self more of Divinity then any Creature whatsoever either in Heaven or in Earth for these being the properties of the true Religion in it self shew it to be spiritual far above the nature of all created spirits whereby themselves draw nearer to the God of Spirits in their affections then in their natures If therefore thou O man desire to be truly Religious thou must desire to be spiritually minded and the way to be so is to have a kinde of Simplicity or Incomposition that is a sincerity of the soul in the love of God To have a kinde of Immutability that is a Constancy to have an Immensity that is a servent Zeal and Alacritie which will not endure to be straitned or confined and to have an Eternity that is an unwearied perseverance in the Faith and Fear and Love of God Nay indeed these same properties are already in thy soul if thou be truly Religious for then thou art spiritually minded and thou canst not but have an uncompounded soul by sincerity of its service not dividing thy affection betwixt God and Baal betwixt Christ and Belial Thou canst not but have a constancy in his service which will let thee be no Changeling a thing as monstrous and abominable in the second as in the first birth thou canst not but have an alacrity and fervency of spirit which will not be circumscribed or confined either to or by time or place neither to a Conclave at Rome nor to a Consistory at Geneva nor to a Conventicle in England for as Christianity it self is not confined so neither the soul as 't is Christian but joyns in Communion with all Christians that ever were or that are or that shall be in the honour and love of Christ thy house is too little thou wilt to the Church nay the Church is too little thou wilt to the Catholick Church the whole Church Militant thy spirit shall be with theirs when theirs is with Christ nay the Catholick Church is too little here on Earth thou wilt up to that part of it which is triumphant in Heaven for Christian duties as they are practised here will cease with our lives therefore the Christian soul will look after such duties as she may practise in Heaven and at least in habit if not in act will even here be eternally Religious as we are divinely taught by our own Church saying with a most Catholick spirit It is very meet right and our bounden duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee O Lord holy Father Almighty everlasting God thereby shewing us the Immensity of Religion That it is not to be circumscribed to or by any place for it is meet that we give thanks in all places and also the eternity of Religion that it is not to be confined to or by any time for it is meet that we give thanks at all times Eternity being the blessedness we look for the means whereby we compass it must needs be eternal not onely in the efficient cause God himself but also in the instrumental cause that is Religion And since Omnipotency All sufficiency and Omnisciency are but three branches of Eternity It is necessary before I come to the Communicable Properties that I speak of them for God in that he is Eternal is Omnipotent since there could be no other fountain of power unless we would make two Eternals and the same God as he is Eternal is All-sufficient for having his being of himself he must needs also have it perfectly in himself and lastly the same God as he is Eternal is also Omniscient for it is the Property of Eternity to have all things present to it as to be always present to it self wherefore it will be worth our while briefly to consider these Properties as they are in God and as they are also in Religion the service of God and first of the Omnipotency Gods Omnipotency or Almighty Power appears especially in two things First that he hath power to do all that he will Secondly that he hath power over all when he will had he not the First he could not be Almighty in himself had he not the second he could not be Almighty in our esteem the first tends to the Execution the second to the Declaration of his Almighty power The text doth ordinarily prove them both together as 1 Tim 6. 15. the Son of God is called the blessed and onely Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords The onely Potentate that hath power to do all that he will and hath also power to do all when he will as King of kings
unto God blind lame and sick prayers but in so doing we do rather in truth offer him defiances then prayers we do rather contemn then worship him unless we will say that God is less honoured with the Christians prayers then he was with the Jews sacrifices or that we have a greater priviledge granted us that we may more securely dishonour him Again if we seriously consider that there is an incomprehensible mysterie in this incomprehensible majestie three persons in one God we will labour for such prayers as may be suitable with the properties of the persons no less then with the majestie of the Godhead thus if we consider the power of the Father the wisdome of the Son the charity of the holy Ghost we will earnestly desire to have our mouths and our hearts filled with powerfull wise and charitable prayers not guilty either of emptiness or of indiscretion or of faction but however it is necessarie that in all our prayers we invocate One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance for the Father Son and holy Ghost are equally to be worshipped and equally to be glorified nor may we communicate with other Christians in their prayers who worship not one God in three coequal and coeternal Persons no more then we may with Turks and Jews who worship an idole in stead of God for S. John in saying Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 S. John 2. 23. hath plainly taught us that Turks and Jews do not worship the same God with us Christians and since we do certainly worship the true God it must needs follow that they do worship an idole in stead of God wherefore doubtless all Anti-Trinitarians are idolaters for though many of them talk much of the spirit yet they have kept him onely in their mouths but thrust him out of their Creed and consequently in vain do they pretend to godliness whiles they fight against God for they cannot truly honour him in their prayers whiles they falsly conceive of him in their belief not acknowledging Three Persons Father Son and holy Ghost in one immortal invisible and onely wise God The fourth Name of God alledged by S. Hierome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod Septuaginta virtutum Aquila exercituum transtulerunt saith he which the Septuagint translate Powers but Aquil a translates Hosts And this name we find Isa. 6. 3. Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cherubims the true ground of the hymn called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a declaration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy O God Holy O Powerfull Holy O Immortal is but an exposition of this Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and who can say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and not say also Heaven and earth are full of the majestie of glory and who can confess that heaven and earth are full of Gods majestie and not earnestly desire that his own soul may not be empty of it And indeed this Name of God the Lord of Hosts is able to strike terrour into their hearts who make it their work to terrifie all the world multitudes of armed men who have violence in their mouths to threaten and swords in their hands to act their threats for 't is not their multitudes or their strength can bear them out in their impiety and injustice since there is far greater strength there are far greater multitudes with God then with them even all the hosts of Heaven and earth Let this consideration move me to take that care of my soul which the approach of an army would me to about mine estate that I may take heed above all least I be spiritually plundred for what have I worth the keeping if I have lost my Saviour and how shall I not lose my Saviour if I lose my Religion Let therefore those angry fellows of the children of Dan ransack me as they did Micah Iudg. 18. yet shall they never get any power over my Religion nor shall it ever be said They have taken away my God for I am commanded by my Saviour who best knew the right way of salvation not to fear those hosts which kill the body and are not able to kill the soul but rather to fear him who is Lord of hosts and is able to destroy both body and soul in hell and will certainly so destroy all those hosts that oppose him if they impenitently persist and persevere in their oppositions Let me thus in my greatest frights think more of spiritual then of carnal Terrours and though I may perchance be almost frighted out of my wits yet I shall be sure of this that I shall not be frighted out of my Religion The fifth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod nos excel sum dicimus saith the same Saint Hierome the most High and this Name is recorded Gen. 14. 18. where it is said that Melchisedeck was the Priest of the most High God and thus let me with the heavenly host say Glory to God in the Highest S. Luke 2. 14. let me always think of his Highness who is no less above heaven then above earth He is in the Highest I am in the lowest in a twofold deep in duplici prosundo inobedientiae miseriae as S. Gregory said of Jonas when he was swallowed up in the whales belly in the depth of disobedience and in the depth of misery and therefore in the depth of misery because in the depth of disobedience Out of these depths have I called unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voice and let thine ear consider well the voice of my complaint that I may be delivered out of the depth pf misery and let not thine eye be too extreme to mark what is done amiss that I may not be confounded in the depth of disobedience so shall I say with great admiration and greater consolation Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth Psal. 113. 5 6. the higher he dwelleth the lower he humbleth himself to behold me the greater is his condescension the greater is my consolation let me then delight in my devotions as being the only means to bring down my Saviour to raise up my soul. The sixth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QUI EST unfit me I AM hath sent me unto you Exod 3. 14. and again I AM that I AM. This Name of God should make me constant in my Religion zealously to practise it at all times and resolutely to maintain that practise in the worst times for my Master in calling himself I AM forbids me to be a changeling in his service and indeed true Christianity is able to say with Christ Before Abraham was I AM John 8. 58. for the same
by a gracious dependance on Gods truth and faithfulness and expecting in his good time a comfortable issue of his promises Such waiters whose God is the Lord Jehovah in whom they trust on whom they depend and whom they constantly obey not departing from his precepts when he seems to have forsaken them in their greatest distresses such men are the prime the onely Christians who have in their soul the seal of Gods grace to assure them of their future happiness O thou whose Name is the great Jehovah and rulest all things in heaven and earth send down from heaven the habitation of thy glory thine Holy Spirit into our hearts and so possess our souls with an awful fear of thy Majesty and a filial love of thee for thy goodness and mercy that we abhorring all things that may displease thee and obeying thy precepts may in the end of our days obtain the end of our hopes and the fruit of thy promises which is the salvation of our souls and eternal bliss through the merits of our blessed Redeemer our Lord Christ Jesus The tenth and last Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 schaddai by which God often stiled himself when he spake unto the Patriarchs to uphold their spirits and sustain their faith in the midst of their troubles Gen. 17. 1. the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said unto him I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the same words he bespake Jacob Gen. 35.11 hence it was that they also when they were to speak or make mention of God often used that Name or word Thus Isaac when he blessed Jacob Gen. 28.3 said the God whose Name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bless thee and make thee to encrease and multiply so Jacob said to Joseph the God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appeared to me in Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me As for the notion or meaning of the Name Galatinus l. 2. c. 17. out of R. Moses the Egyptian and Algazel determines it that it is a compounded term and made up of these two parts or particulars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in composition the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies sufficient and sufficiency so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the whole latitude or acception of it denotes the alsufficiency of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui in se à se sufficientiam abundantiam omnimodam habet it a ut nullius ope indigeat i. e. who in himself and from himself hath a sufficiency and abundance of all good things and needs not the help of any creature There is in God a fallness of power whereby he can do what he will his will being the onely rule and bound of his power therefore the Septuagint do often render this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Job 8.3 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that doth or worketh all things so in our English Translation doth the Almighty pervert justice As there is in many a man an empty fullness when bladder-like his soul is blown up with windy fancies of having what he hath not or of more knowledge then he truly hath so in God there is a fullness without any the least defect or degree of emptiness in God and Christ who is God and man in one person there is as the Schools speak Plenitudo repletiva and diffusiva or plenitudo abundantiae and redundantiae and abounding fullness because no good thing no gift nor grace is wanting in him and a redounding fullness because what gifts or graces soever be in us they are all derived to our souls from him the ever-living and overflowing fountain and spring of them from whom they slow into our souls per Spiritum tanquam per canalem through the spirit as it were a conduit-pipe without any loss of them in him or without any the least diminution and of his fullness have we all received Joh. 1. 16. a fullness without any want argues a great perfection quod plenè habetur perfectè totalitèr habetur Aquin Now if men through the door of faith opened by Gods blessed Spirit did see the fullness the excellency and alsufficiency of God it would so fill them with admiration joy and content that having a communion with God by his sanctifying spirit they would care for nothing else they considering what the Lord is and beholding his glorious face in the glass of his Attributes viz. his Wisedom Power and Justice c. upon this consideration they would say with the Prophet David The Lord is on our side or with us we will not therefore fear what man can do unto us Psa 118. 6. the Lord is ours therefore we can lack nothing that is good for us and if the Lord be thine then his Power is thine to sustain thee under any cross to redeem thee from troubles to help thee in distress to succour thee in the greatest needs and to support thy weakness in the performance of any duties his Wisedom too is thine thou hast an interest in it it is thy portion so that if thou desirest to be instructed in the knowledge of his word to understand those hidden mysteries which are contained in it if thou openest thy mouth to him in prayer he will open thine eyes that thou shalt see mirabilia leg is the wondrous things of his Law Psa. 119. 18. and be also wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. his Justice likewise is thine to vindicate thee when thou art injured if thou committest thy cause unto him and to clear thine innocency when thou art falsly traduced by the malevolent and to deliver thee out of the hands of the oppressour so for his Truth and Holiness the former is thine to make good his promises of blessings in this life and of happiness in that to come if by faith and full affiance thou dependest on him so the latter i. e. his Holiness is thine to sanctifie thy corrupt nature and to free thee as from the guilt so from the power of sin This is the portion of all the Sons and servants of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God al-sufficient who can and will do for us more then either we desire or deserve if we wholly rest and rely upon his goodness Happy is the man who is in such a case in so blessed a condition as to have a close union and near communion with the great God of heaven or to speak in the Prophet Davids phrase who hath the Lord for his God Psa. 144. 15. whose alsufficiency they atterly deny who worship any other God as did the Gentiles who multiplied Deities and sacrificed to more then one such are Polutheists who divide the glory of Gods excellencies amongst those petty Numens even as they are no other then practical Athiests and truly worship none who through infidelity question Gods alsufficiency for if he be God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Ipse omnibus major est dum solo Deo minor est 1 Sam. 26. 6. Fear God and Honour the King CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University MDCLXII TO THE READER Whether Christian Un-Christian or Anti-Christian ALlegiance and Conscience are both joyned together in the Title of this Book because they are both joyned together in the true Christians heart nor is that man able to lay fast hold on conscience who is ready to shake hands with his allegiance whether he be a Jesuited Papist or a Jesuited Protestant it matters not if he hath bid farewell to his Allegiance he cannot keep company with his Conscience tell me not of your Communion with me against Anti-Christ if you will not keep my communion with Christ I desire not to be your fellow-Protestant in those things wherein I cannot be your Fellow-Christian If Rebellion be in your Reformation though it be never so pure in other things yet it still needs to be reformed in this that Rebellion is in it as therefore you say in that your Reformation hath Reformed Religion to the Creed you have a pure faith so I say must Religion reform your Reformation to the Commandments that you may have an unspotted life and give me leave to tell you that though in pretence you may be a brother of the second perhaps in time of the third or fourth Reformation yet in purity you come far short of the first as much as a Rebel comes short of a good Christian your Reformation hath thrown you out of your Religion you do not embrace the Gospel unless it be such a Gospel as the Cainites heretofore embraced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan haer 18. such a Gospel as was taught by Judas that betrayed his master that Christian Religion which was taught by all the rest of Christs Apostles teacheth Allegiance unto Kings Christ in his own example practised it and by paying tribute would rather part with his own right then seem to oppose or question theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Athanasius de Incarn Christi most divinely how can you then look to be thought or called good Christians if you neither regard the word of Christ for your instruction nor the works of Christ for your imitation and the same Father in his Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tels us what manner of Church-men they are which run this way saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are Spies to look into other mens livings and patrimonies and beleeve it many of them amongst us have in this kind used most exact prospectives not Bishops to look over their life and doctrine for they cared not saith he in their Ordinations to hear S. Pauls words to Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop must be blameless which words the Church still retaineth in ordination of Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely think and speak high against Christ and no matter then for thy Christianity I know he speaks the words of Christ our Saviour and against the Arrians yet since the Lords anointed is rendred by the 70 Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Christ and that Translation is justified by the Apostles Act. 4. 26. 't is manifest that one who truly loves Christ cannot hate the Lords Anointed whether written in Text or in short-hand whether ruling in his Son or in his servant whether he be Christ in heaven or Christ on earth and therefore I may well take Athanasius his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lords anointed on earth and say they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which poison mens souls with such venemous tenents against Kings they cannot be of the true Church whilest they belch out such impure blasphemies despising dominion and Speaking evil of dignities offering that defiance to their King which S. Michael would not offer to the devil and bringing railing accusations in stead of Arguments and yet S. Michael had not onely a fitter object but also a better ground for railing because his dispute was with the devil and it was about real Idolatry which he would have caused the people to commit in worshipping the body of Moses theirs with their King and Church onely about imaginary Idolatry which was and is not to be found but in their own fears and jealousies it stands not with a true Church no more then it stood with S. Paul since every true Church is but one grand Apostle or Doctor of the Gentiles of that Nation where it is to appeal to the people that 's a way to introduce though not a many-headed yet a many-hearted Religion not a many-headed Religion but rather a no-headed for such as would have no Bishops were anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without heads Niceph. l. 18. c. 45. and the Council of Ments c. 22. gives them monstrous heads if any at all saying they are Hippocentauris similes nec equi nec homines they have too much of the mans understanding to be horses and they have too much of the horses kicking and wincing to be men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are either such as have no head or as bad as though they had none but surely 't is the way to introduce a many-hearted Religion witness our own late divisions which have produced as many Religions as men our Christian unity and verity being both banished together this is the excellent Divinity you have of late read to your disciples which is able to dash the very venome of Popery out of countenance and throw it in your own faces this is the new way you have taught the people to Truth and Peace by which they shall be sure never to come to either for if they may innovate in Forms of Religion without their King why not in forms of Law If they may change Law without him why not against him if against him why not against his life and consequently why not murther him with the sword of pretended Iustice whom God commands to honour See the High Court of Justice erected in your assembly this is your new way to truth and if the people may deal thus with their King where he is supreme why not with all other supremes whatsoever and consequently by succession and with success for ought we know why not rise against their Magistrates till the last Resurrection and put them to death till death it self shall be swallowed up But I return this placing dominion in the people for appealing to them is no less teacheth them to think they need not Christ in his Kings to rule and govern them they can govern themselves they need him not in his Priests to intercede for them they can pray for themselves they need him not in his Prophets to instruct them they can preach to themselves Was ever Christ so reviled and so opposed in all his three Offices together before Is not this fully to act Anti-Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. 4. to sit
with Martha you do make the greater noise for Christ learned by preaching if at all so to be learned onely sills the head and ofttimes unsettles the brain but Christ learned by praying fills the heart and never fails to establish it he that is come to this establishment is the onely true Christian for he is sure that he doth God good service and leaves it to others onely to think that they do so he that hath but a putâram for the ground of his doings can have but a nonputâram for the Apology of his misdoings If a man do but onely think that he is in the right he can onely say for himself I did not think I was in the wrong and that in ordinary matters is the apology of them that want wit but in matters of Religion it is the apology of them that want common honesty for what is imprudence in regard of the world is impiety in regard of God there it is unwise to be under an uncertainly or mistake but here it is unconscionable there it is insipiency but here it is irreligion For what shall we say Are those taxed by our Blessed Saviour for want of discretion or rather for want of Conscience who by killing Gods servants think they do God service S. John 16. 12. Since therefore it may be so dangerous onely to think we do God service let us in the first place make sure of it especially then when we more particularly profess to serve him for if indeed and in truth we do him true and laudable service we shall have the comfort of his servants here the joy of his salvation the reward of his servants hereafter the enjoyment of his kingdom this is that which he desires to preach to you but much more to pray for you who is Your Brother and Servant in our Common Saviour EDVV. HYDE The Contents of the several Chapters in the Ensuing Treatise CHAP. I. The assurance of our Religion in the order of Nature is before the assurance of our salvation and that the Apostles endeavour was to beget in all Christians the assurance of Religion against Heathenisme Judaisme mixture of Judaisme and depravation of Christianity What we want of Religion we want of salvation The neglect of Religion ends in Irreligion CHAP. II. The Certainty of Religion may be without the Assurance of it by reason of our Profaneness Hypocrisie and Perversness though scarce by reason of our Ignorance And that perversness is the way to the worst kinde of Irreligion or Atheisme CHAP. III. Of the Substance and the Exercise of Religion the difference between them in regard of the Authority Certainty and Immutability CHAP. IV. That though the Substance and the Exercise of Religion be different in themselves yet they ought not to be accounted so now in our Profession much less made so in our Practice for that whosoever is not sure of the Exercise of his Religion will not much regard the certainty that is in the Substance of it CHAP. V. The Assurance we have of the Substance of Religion in that it is spiritual and resembles God the Authour of it in his incommunicable properties of Simplicity and Infinity as also in his Immutability and Eternity which are the two consectaries of Infinity and also in his Omnipotency All-sufficiencie and Omnisciencie which are the three consectaries of Eternity CHAP. VI. The Assurance that we have of the Substance of Religion in that it resembles God in his communicable properties as Truth Goodness Purity and Liberty CHAP. VII The Assurance we have of Religion for that it resembles God in his Attributes of Justice Grace and Mercy CHAP. VIII The Assurance we have of Religion in that it makes us reverence and fear God ascribing the honour due unto his name and of the ten proper names of God collected by S. Hierome CHAP. I. The certainty of our Religion not to be gotten by Speculation but by Practice That the Apostles endeavoured to beget in all Christians a certainty of the Christian Religion against Heathenisme Judaisme mixture of Judaisme and depravation of Christianity What we want of Religion we want of Salvation The neglect of Religion ends in Irreligion THe certainty of salvation in the judgement of those who most earnestly contend for it even with more earnestness then discretion may be desired but cannot be attained without the certainty of Election and the chief proof of our Election is from our perseverance in Religion Thus the Apostle proves that God had not cast off his people whom he did foreknow from this Answer of his to Eliah I have reserved to my self seven thousand men which have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal that is to say who have not been guilty of Apostacie in this general defection of the Jews of which thou complainest but do still persist and persevere in the true Religion If God would have his prophets know he had Elected the Israelites because they had not fallen from his worship shall we think we can be otherwise assured of our Election then by making sure of our Religion Therefore whosoever hath bowed the knee unto Baal cannot rightly conclude that God hath Elected him but rather that God will cast him away because he hath first cast God away And will ye know what is this Baal let Beza tell ye Baal Patronum significat vel eum in cujus aliquis est potestate Baal signifieth a Lord and Master that hath power over any man so then a Religion that pleaseth my Master on earth but not my Father in Heaven is a bowing unto Baal He that will be Gods servant must acknowledge no other Master but onely God both for the Rule and the Practice of his Godliness and this man alone will be sure not to fall away from Gods service wherefore the best assurance we can have that God will not forsake us is that we do not forsake him for none can be assured of his goodness but they that continue in it his own Spirit thus attesting But towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Rom. 11. 22. For Religion is as the way salvation is as the journeys end and a man must first make sure of his way before he can make sure of his journeys end I am the way the truth the life saith our blessed Saviour S. Joh. 14. 6. And he gives this reason of that saying No man cometh to the Father but by me As Christ is the way to his Father so the true Religion is the way to Christ we must all first come to Christ before we can come to God and we cannot come to Christ but by the true Christian Religion for though Religion in general is a knitting of the soul to God yet the Christian Religion which we must look to be saved by is a knitting of the soul unto God in and through our Saviour Christ. For since the great distance made
to the earth with them 't is because they have not yet seen the light of Christ nor heard his voice saying I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9. But we shall the more clearly see the splendour of this Omnipotency if we do seriously consider how suddenly the light of the Gospel notwithstanding all oppositions and persecutions did shine to the remotest corners of the earth insomuch that Polidore Virgil saith lib. 2. Hist. Ab initio orti Evangelii Britanniam fidem recepisse That Great Britain received the Faith from the first preaching of the Gospel and yet Britain was looked upon as divided from all the habitable world penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos many years after Christ. But Gildas saith more expresly De excidio Britan. in Biblioth Patrum Tom. 5 Tempore ut scimus summo Tiberii Caesaris c. We know that Britain received the faith towards the latter time of Tiberius now the very last year of Tiberius was the year of our Lord 38 in Baronius his account so that it is evident if Gildas say true and he was worse then mad if he produced his scimus to broach a lie That Britain received the Christian Faith within five years after the resurrection of Christ and therefore sure not from the Church of Rome for that Church did not it self receive that faith till the 45 year of the Lord that is at least ten years after the resurrection of Christ as saith the same Baronius that in the year of Christ 45 on the 15 of the Calends of Febr. that is the 17 of our January the Church of Rome was instituted by S. Peter and the Popes chair erected there and on that day this prayer was used in ancient rituals Omnipotens sempiterne Deus qui ineffabili sacramento Apostolo tuo Petro principatum Romae urbis tribuisti unde se Evangelica Veritas per tota mundi regna diffunderet Praesta quaesumus ut quod in orbem terrarum ejus praedicatione manavit Universitas Christiana Devotione sequatur Bar. Anti-Christ 45. nu 1. And surely if the truth of the Gospel did go into all the world from Rome and came not to Rome till the 45 year of Christ there were at least ten whole years from the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ wherein the truth of the Gospel did lie as it were hid in a corner but this was certainly far otherwise and Baronius his old prayer must therefore be accounted a new invention and might easily from the very stile of it be so proved for sure very few parts of the now Christian world did stay so many years for the Christian Faith And if the Church of Rome were so unhappy to stay so long for Christianity that she might get Supremacy she may still be so unhappy for ought we know as to keep the Supremacy and lose the Christianity however certain it is that innumerable other Churches and amongst the rest this of Britain received the Christian Faith long before that time the Sun of Righteousness breaking forth like the Sun in the firmament not unto any one place or people alone but unto all What providence brought Joseph of Arimathea or any other Apostolical man to England before St. Peter came to Rome might perchance be accounted a curious but would certainly be a vain dispute 't is enough for the proof of the Omnipotency of the Christian Religion That the Saviour of the world who died for all did not suffer the distance of place to keep or intercept from any the speedy knowledge of his salvation The second branch of Eternity is All-sufficiency and therefore God as he is eternal is likewise all-sufficient as he is eternal of himself so he is all-sufficient in himself which all-sufficiency consists of these three parts 1. That he hath an absolute perfection 2. That he hath this perfection in and from himself 3. That this perfection is not onely sufficient for himself but also for all things besides himself First God hath an absolute perfection not onely of essence or being but also of operation or working for even in that grand Objection That the wicked do flourish and the righteous are oppressed appears a three-fold perfection of Gods operation First in the variety of his providence that he dispenseth both prosperity and adversity Secondly in the justice of his providence that he punisheth sinne in his own servants who though they can say their adversities are greater then other mens yet can they not say they are so great as are their own sins Thirdly in the mercy of his providence that he punisheth them onely temporally therein shewing his mercy to be greater then either their adversities or their sins And so also true Religion hath an absolute perfection both in its being and in its working that is both in its substance and in its exercise and what defects or faults are to be found in the exercise of it among any sort of Christians belong to the men not to the Religion Some will needs kneel to Images that were of their own making others will not kneel to God their Maker the one may go for the exercise of Superstition the other for the exercise of profaneness but neither can go for the exercise of Religion Secondly God hath his perfection in and from himself For who hath first given unto him and it shall be recompensed unto him again Rom. 11. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath given first unto him We may and do and must give unto God O give thanks unto the Lord saith the Psalmist there 's our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our giving unto him but even in this is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his giving first to us for he gives us the grace before we give him the praise we give but he gives first for he hath his perfection in and from himself we have ours in and from him And so hath Religion its perfection in and from it self whence it is called the beauty of Holiness Psal. 96. 9. The Christian Religion is the Beauty of earth even as Christ the Authour of it is the Beauty of Heaven And the Beauty of Holiness which is in Religion consists not in our adorning of Churches or in outward pomp and Ceremonies but in its own internal harmony and congruity to and conformity with him who is the very Beauty of Heaven the proper place of Holiness as being the habitation of the Holy One If thou come to worship thou receivest beauty from the holiness not the holiness beauty from thee thy soul is beautified thereby and made the Love of God and Angels but Religion was so of it self ever before as it is said Psal. 93. 6. Holiness becometh thy house for ever the holiness of Gods House is a becoming holiness and it is a holiness for ever a holiness that was before the creation of the world and a holiness that shall be after the end thereof Therefore outward ornament may not be pleaded for as matter
the Image of God the Son our good of Glory shall be according to the Image of God the Holy Ghost for as the Father and the Son enjoy each other in the communion of the holy Spirit so shall we enjoy them in the same communion And thus also is the Goodness of Religion in it self it is an universal and essential goodness demonstrable by way of efficiency that it makes men good those that have it though not all those that profess it by way of sufficiency that it makes men contented St Paul and Silas were better contented in their prison then the Magistrates that put them there were in their palaces and by way of eminency for that must needs be eminently good which hath filled the earth with so much goodness which were it not for Religion would be filled with nothing but rapine and unrighteousness Again In regard of us the goodness of Religion is the rule or exemplary cause of all goodness Similitudo formae est in omni agente vel secundùm esse naturale vel secundùm esse intelligibile saith Aqu. par 1. qu. 15. The similitude of every form is in the agent that labours for that form either according to its natural or according to its intellectual being so is the similitude of Religion in every man that works according to Religion God saying unto us in the Gospel Go and do likewise S. Luk. 10. 37. as he said in the Law See thou do it according to the pattern in the mount the form in the beginning of the action is the end but in the end of the action it is the form so also is Religion the end of our living and the form or pattern of our life as the knowledge and love of God was the form of man in his first creation as being the Image of God in him and yet withal the end for which he was created The third communicable property in God is Purity in his Action for as is his Power so is his Purity since all matter of impurity is also matter of Impotency and most true is that position of Divines Removentur a Deo actiones culpabiles poenales corporales inconvenientes all culpable or penal or corporal or inconvenient actions are removed far from God we may say in one word all impure actions so that in saying Gods work is pure we do in effect say it is holy as not culpable it is unpassionate as not penal it is unwearied as not corporal it is unblameable as not inconvenient But it shall be enough at present to say God is pure as loving purity and commanding it and as punishing impurity First God is pure as loving purity Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God S. Matth. 5. 8. the eye of the soul is to be refined and purged before it can behold such a heavenly beauty hence it is that the voice of reason proclaims our sinfull eyes to be as bats eyes when they should discern some more excellent created truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ar. 2. Metaph. how much more doth the voice of Religion proclaim our dimness of sight when we should discern that one supereminent uncreated truth for as the bird that is used to darkness cannot endure to see the Sun so also a man that is habituated to the works of darkness cannot look upon the Father of lights and much less stedfastly six his eyes upon the Sun of righteousness Secondly God is pure as commanding Purity S. Iames 4. 8. cleanse your hands you sinners and purisie your hearts ye double-minded an impure minde is a double minde so thinking of heaven as also and much rather of earth that minde onely is pure which is a single minde and that minde onely is single which thinks of heaven where is very much to settle and to compose but nothing at all to distract divide the soul wherefore he that thinks wholly of earth cannot draw near to God and consequently God will not draw near to him and what is the effect of Gods being at a distance from us is most terrible to think and yet more terrible to finde which made the Psalmist cry out so earnestly Psal. 69. 19. Draw nigh unto my soul save it for if God be far off we can have no hope of salvation Thirdly God is Pure as punishing impurity Our Saviour did cast out all wicked spirits but he is said most of all to have rebuked the unclean spirits and S. Paul advising us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit as having the promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. doth plainly shew that we can have no good of Gods promises as long as we continue in any filthiness either of flesh or spirit and if we have not a share in his promises we are sure to have a share in his punishments And thus also is Religion pure in its action as doing what is pure and pure in its affection as wishing and requiring others to do it and pure also in its disaffection as punishing those who delight in impurity nor can any man be impure and impenitent in his impurity and not be excommunicated by the Canon of Religion though haply the Canon of the Church may not take notice of him or not be able to reach him This consideration of Gods Purity should make us repent and abhor our selves in dust and ashes because of our manifold impurities for the heavens are unclean in his sight Job 15. 15. nay the purest bodies of heaven the moon and the stars Job 25. 5. nay the purest spirits of heaven the angels Job 4. 18. he charged his Angels with folly so that we need not with Rabbi David be overmuch inquisitive why Isaiah's Seraphins have six wings when Ezekiels Cherubins have but four for the Prophet himself gives the reason of six Isa. 6. 2. twain to sly withall there 's the readiness of their obedience twain to cover their faces as not daring to see saith Targum there 's their reverence and twain to cover themselves as not daring to be seen saith the same Paraphrast there 's their fear if these three vertues Obedience Reverence and Fear be so truly angelical what are our contrary vices not onely in Gods presence but also in his service but such as we may be ashamed to name and much more afraid to own that is to say diabolical for if all these purest creatures of heaven be impure in his sight and tremble at the thought of their impurity how much more we that are of earth nay of the most contemptible part of the earth of the dust of the earth Gen. 2. 7. and daily groveling in that dust by our affections before we return to it by our dissolution and in that respect alone fitly called worms twice together in one breath Job 25. 6. man that is a worm and the Son of man that is a worm we then who have the most impurity ought not to have the least
foundations because they joyn the soul to him which cannot be properly said of any man whatsoever nor of all the congregations of men in the world not of S. Peter himself and much less of his successours and if it be said cannot be justified by any good Logick or good Divinity much less by that distinction of Fundamentum primarium and secundarium of a primary and a secondary foundation which distinguisheth a numerical identity from it self with too much subtilty and too little truth calling that a secondary foundation which is indeed a piece of the building and therefore they that teach Post Christum fundamentum est Petrus nisi per Petrum non pervenitur ad Christum Bellarm. in praefat in libros de summo Pontifice do mistake a pillar for the foundation to be a pillar in Gods house is a more glorious title then is given to any angel and carries with it a burden too heavy for any man who hath not the extraordinary assistance of the Spirit of God and therefore the Holy Ghost thinks it enough to call S. Peter a pillar leaves it for Christ alone to be the foundation James Cephas that is Peter and John who seemed to be pillars Gal. 2. 9. Cephas was a pillar and Iames and Iohn were no less pillars then Cephas or Peter and consequently their successours no less pillars then his successours but neither of them was a foundation properly so called vide Field pag. 478 479. that is too high an attribute for any man since he cannot work upon the soul by his own power and virtue to unite that immediately unto Christ for he is the onely foundation that sustains the whole building and faith and repentance are called foundations by S. Paul onely as settling and establishing us in Christ which is not possible for any man or angel to do who can work onely instrumentally towards these by instructing the understanding and exciting the will but cannot do the work of them and therefore cannot so much as reductively or instrumentally be called foundations And this is agreeable with Bonaventure's distinction in lib. 4. sent dist 22. qu. 1. Fundamentum dicitur dupliciter uno modo locus in quo aedificium stabilitur alio modo dicitur fundamentum illud secundùm quod res locatur in suo sustentaculo A thing may be called a foundation in two respects either that it self sustains the building so Christ is the onely foundation or that it causeth us to be sustained by the foundation and that is done three ways either by removing the impediments that keep us from it or by placing and settling us on it or by confirming and strengthening us in it In the first consideration Repentance is a foundation because it removes away our sins that keep us from Christ in the second consideration Faith is a foundation because it placeth fixeth our souls on Christ that is to say A faith working by love whence the Apostle saith That we are rooted and grounded in Christ through love as well as through faith Eph. 3. 17. for a faith that is without love is a faith of devils which will nor invite Christ to come to us much less to dwell with us and least of all to dwell in us The Solifidian as he will have his faith to dwell without love so he must be contented himself to dwell without Christ. And lastly in the third consideration the Word and sacraments may be called foundations because they are the means to confirm and strengthen us in Christ All these may in several respects be called Foundations for all these have an immediate influence upon the soul of man by reason of the grace which accompanies them which influence no man possibly can have and therefore no man justly can claim But all these which are called Foundations have as I said an immediate influence upon our souls to make us rise with Christ our Foundation and seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Col. 3. 1 2. for as all the material building tendeth downwards because the foundation is below so all the spiritual building tendeth upwards saith the same Seraphical Doctour because the Foundation thereof is above even on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1. 3. Wherefore we have need of a strong repentance to raise us up from earth that we may detest and forsake our own unrighteousness and we have need of a strong faith to raise us up to heaven that we may lay hold on our Saviours righteousness not onely in our confidences but also in our consciences not onely in our applications but also in our affections not onely by our persuasion but also by our imitation A thing that is easily said but not so easily done for he that will make sure of a true faith must make sure of beleeving at least in the preparation of his minde all the truths that God hath revealed as well as all the mercies that God hath promised or Christ hath purchased And he that will make sure of a true repentance must make sure of bewailing at least in the preparation of his minde and the desire of his soul all those sins which he hath committed and of so bewailing the sins he hath committed as not wilfully to commit the sins he hath bewailed he that hath made sure of this faith and of this repentance hath taken the right way to make sure of his religion to serve God not our of custom but out of conscience not of hypocrisie but out of integrity not onely in the communion of men but also in the communion of saints and this man alone can come to make sure of his salvation We take now a contrary course every man makes sure of his salvation but no man makes sure of his Religion is not Christ Jesus the same yesterday and to day and for ever as it is said Heb. 13. 8. how is it then that we are not the same Christians yesterday and to day and for ever and yet we talk of nothing more then of going to Christ whiles we do nothing less then draw neer him Had we looked after Christ in Christs own Church we should certainly have found him and had we once found him we should not so willingly have left him Had we seen Christ in the exercise of our Christian Religion we would certainly have communicated with him and had we once communicated with him we would not for the advantages or disadvantages of this world have so easily forsaken his communion It is to be feared that either we professed our Christianity as hypocrites and so were not sure of our Religion or that we are fallen from our profession as apostates and cannot make sure of our salvation I speak this out of the love of truth and their souls who are my brethren and therefore hope it will offend none that either love the truth or the brotherhood and must not be affrighted if it do
offend many of those that manifestly oppose the truth and immortally injure their brethren by turning them out of the road of salvation to look after some new by-paths no less doubtfull then perilous for if St. Paul did wish himself accursed from Christ for his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. then none that takes upon him St. Pauls calling but is bound to have so much of St. Pauls zeal as to think the salvation of souls his greatest blessing and to make it his chiefest aim and he that doth the one will certainly do the other and consequently not regard the causless displeasure of many if he may take the right course to save but one and without doubt this doctrine doth immediately tend to the salvation of all which adviseth men to take heed of hypocrisie in professing Religion and of apostacy in renouncing it or of schisme in receding from it for schisme is a particular apostacy even as a apostacy is a general schisme For the onely way to be assured of our future communion with God in happiness is to be assured of our present communion with God in holiness and we cannot be assured of communion with the Father of lights unless we walk as children of the light It is in effect St. Iohns argumentation 1 Epist. c. 1. v. 5 6 7. He that saith he hath communion with God must walk in the light But all we that profess our selves Christians do say we have communion with God in and by our Saviour Christ Therefore we must all walk in the light We that do profess our selves Christians as we do say that we have communion or fellowship one with another so we do much more say that we have communion with God not inviting men to our civil but to our Christian communion and unless we make good that saying we cannot make good our own Christian profession for he that hath communion with Christ hath communion with the Son of God and he that hath the Son hath the Father also 1 Joh. 2. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father therefore Turks and Infidels and Antitrinitarians do not worship the same God with us Orthodox Christians but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also therefore Orthodox Christians in having Christ are sure they have communion with God For although these latter words He that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also be not in the Greek originals either of Greek or Latine Church for which cause they are by our Interpreters inserted in different characters from the text who did not desire to follow Beza where Beza did not follow the Church yet they are in the Vulgar Latine and are owned by Clemens of Alexandria in his comment upon this Epistle as it is recorded in Bibliothecâ Patrum and also by the Syrus Interpres and indeed are in effect owned by the Spirit of God himself for that they are virtually included in the former words by the rule of Contrariety or Opposition for by the same reason that whosoever denieth the Son hath not the Father it is most undoubtedly true that whosoever confesseth the Son hath the Father therefore all our labour must be that we may have the Son for in having him we are sure to have the Father And this is the grand doctrine of all the New Testament this is the main Gospel-truth that the Apostles maintained against all sorts of gainsayers in their time and they have left us their writings that we should also maintain it unto the worlds end That the Christian Religion is the only way to eternal salvation This their doctrine was strongly opposed in their days by four sorts of men 1. By the Gentiles not yet converted for they still maintained their heathenisme 2. By the Jews not yet converted for they still maintained their Judaisme 3. By the Jews not fully converted for they still maintained a mixture of Judaisme with Christianity they mingled together the Jewish and the Christian Religion 4. By the Christians converted but withal partly perverted for they brought in untrue professions and ungodly practises into their Christianity they corrupted and depraved the Christian Religion and the Apostles were accordingly very carefull as to confute these heresies so also to confirm and establish the contrary truth whence it is that all their writings are wholly taken up either in those confutations or in this confirmation For though the truth it felf is but one yet the controversies concerning it were no less then four and the Apostles thought it necessary not only to establish the truth in it self that it might appear truth but also to establish it in our hearts that it might appear truth to us that is truth without controversie not only a mystery of Godliness but also a manifest and confessed mystery 1. Tim. 3. 16. Wherefore it will not be amiss for us to see the state of the several Controversies that so we may the more clearly see the more firmly embrace the more constantly profess the truth The state of the first Controversie which the Apostles had with the Gentiles consisted of these two questions First whether there were a life everlasting to be looked for after this life Secondly whether that life everlasting were to be obtained by continuing in the idolatry of the heathen or by turning to the Religion of the Christians And in both these questions the truth of the Christian Religion is declared or rather demonstrated against the heathenish superstition out of the principles of natural reason and that truth summ'd up by St. Paul 1 Thes. 1. 9 10. How ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is a resurrection from the dead therefore the soul dies not with the body but lives eternally and this eternal life is not to be gotten by serving Idols but by serving the living and true God and there is no serving him but by waiting for his Son from heaven Thus was the Christian Religion justified against Heathenisme which afforded the first Controversie The state of the second Controversie which the Apostles had with the Jews not converted consisted but of this one Question Whether eternal life and salvation was to be obtained by the Jewish or by the Christian Religion And we finde the Apostles still proving out of the Old Testament the Ground of the Jews Religion and so acknowledged by themselves without the least doubt or contradiction that salvation was not to be had by Moses but by Christ so S. Peter in his several Sermons Acts 2. and 3. and 4. Christus Messias that Christ was the Messias the Saviour of the world is the subject of them all This he proves Acts 2. for that he had given the holy Ghost and was risen from the dead and both his proofs are out of the Old
or by the bounds of any place though all spirits are confined to and by the limited bounds of their own essence save onely one which is the God of spirits He acknowledgeth not any bounds of essence cannot confine himself much less doth he acknowledge any bounds of place to be confined by another And this boundless Infinity of God appears in three respects for God may be said to be infinite or incomprehensible three manner of ways Cogitatione nostrâ Essentiâ suâ Communicatione essentiae in our apprehension in his own essence in the communication of his essence 1. Cogitatione nostrâ God may be said to be infinite and incomprehensible in our apprehensions as 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him From whence we cannot but argue thus Si non Divina multò minùs ipse Deus If not the things God hath prepared have entred into the heart of man much less God himself that prepared them Hence Aquinas denies that any created understanding can see the essence of God by a vision of comprehension 1. par qu. 12. ar 1. the reason is because his Infinity makes him incomprehensible and truly for our parts we must confess that we rather know of God what he is not then what he is so far are we from fully knowing him And so is it also with Religion we cannot know it at all till God hath enlarged our souls and after that enlargement we cannot know it perfectly for if we could admirabilis amoris excitaret sui we should be so in love with it as to love and desire nothing else for so it is with the Saints and Angels in heaven who fully knowing the excellency of loving and praising God can do nothing else but love and praise him 2. Essentiâ suâ God may be said to be infinite in his own essence and being and this Infinity of God is evidenced in his Omnipresence or Ubiquity whereby he is so present here as to be present every where and this belongs not to Angels no nor yet to the glorified body of Christ though united to his Deity for a bodie cannot lose its property which is to be in a place but it must also lose it self and no longer remain a body But this doth in some sort belong to Religion for what is spoken of Christs coming to judgement may also be fitly spoken of his coming into the soul of man S. Matth. 24. 27. As the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be And indeed this alone is it which both makes proves the Church to be Universal or Catholick because the Spirit whereby it is quickened governed hath this ubiquity S. John 3. 8. The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit Spiritus spirat ubi vult The Spirit breatheth where it listeth is not confined to a corner in Africa as said the Donatists nor to a chair at Rome as saith the Papist nor to a Family of Love as saith the Catharist and this argument alone is able to evince That Religion is of God not of man because of its Universal presence for such have been the distempers of men that there is now scarce any one visible Church in the Christian world which will allow any true Religion out of its own communion and what men do not easily allow they do easily wish so that not to allow it to be so is in effect to wish it were not so and consequently If Religion did depend upon the will of man for its enlargement it would in short time be confined to a very narrow compass of the world But blessed be God it is far otherwise and we may say of Religion as the Schole hath said of God the Authour of it it is every where by its essence and by its power and by its presence by its essence to fill the soul and to enlarge the heart by its power to over-rule the affections and by its presence to overlook and guide the actions and as Religion is thus always present to us though few take notice of it so the Religious man is always present to himself the good Christian imitating his Saviour Christ who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Semper eadem may be the Motto of the soul that is truly Religious though not as to its action for even our prayers are not always the same though our necessities are but sometimes with greater sometimes with lesser fervency yet as to its resolution a sanctified man always resolves for the best though he doth not always perform what he resolves and he is always ready to give an answer of the hope that is in him if you look upon him in his resolution though if you look upon him in his action he may sometimes scarce seem to have any hope of eternity or if he have may seem not to regard that hope Wherefore it is best for us to believe that Religion is always present to it self and always present with us calling upon us to fear God and to keep his commandments for this belief will make God himself always present with us to sanctifie us here and to save us hereafter and will make us delight in the presence of his grace till we come to enjoy the presence of his glory Thus the Apostle saith that our blessed Saviour hath undertaken to present us holy unblameable and unreprovable in the sight of God Col. 1. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make us stand by in a readiness and Saint Iude recommends all faithfull souls to him that is able to present them faultless v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make them stand in his presence he will not make them stand there who do not care to appear there what we most love we most willingly fancy as present with us so he that truly loves God most wishes his presence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a great reverence which belongs to the presence of a man that overlooks us much more to the watchfull eye of eternity the Sun of righteousness and his overlooking countenance and over-spreading light if shame will not let us offend against a man on whom we can have but an accidental dependance for a temporal and momentany being how much more will it keep us from offending against God on whom we have an essential dependance both of our being and of our well being for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service to men is forbidden Eph. 6. 6. because our masters on earth cannot be always present with us so that eye-service to man is but meer hypocrisie and dissimulation but it is not so towards God our master in heaven who is always present
and Lord of lords Wherefore those men that under pretence of setting up Christs kingdom do fight against the power and authority of earthly Kings and powers do directly oppose this Text as well as very many other for they would so make Christ a King and a Lord as not a King of kings and Lord of lords but as a king and lord of the meanest of the people whereas though there be never so many kings and potentates and lords yet he is truly the onely Potentate the onely King the onely Lord because he is so in and of himself for all others have power and kingship and lordship from him as himself hath taught us S. Mat. 28. 18. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth It will be a hard task for any man to shew who it was that took this power from Christ and gave it to the people that kings and princes here on earth should have their power derived from them and not from Christ but yet least we should think the Power and Kingdom of Christ not the same with the Power and Kingdom of God we finde them both joyned together Rev. 11. 15. where it is said The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ he shall reign for ever and ever He not they to shew there is but one kingdom but one power of Christ and of God and lest we should further think the kingdom of Christ could not be set up without pulling down other kingdoms it is made evident in the 17 v. that his kingdom is set up by taking to himself his great power to reign not by giving it to the people v. 17. We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned where we see the Elders in heaven give thanks to God for taking to himself his Almighty power In imitation whereof our Church hath taught us to say We praise thee we bless thee we worship thee we glorifie thee we give thanks to thee for thy great glory O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty joyning also God the Son and holy Ghost in the same power in the praise and without doubt we have little reason to persecute but we have great reason to honour a Church that teacheth us so to praise God here on earth as we shall hereafter praise him in heaven for thus is God the Father Son and holy Ghost Almighty in power and therefore thus to be praised for being so If then thou murmure and repine under this power when it punisheth thee or presume upon it much more rebel against it when it sustaineth thee thou art as far from heaven as thou art from true thankfulness But if God hath this Almighty power that he can do all how is it that S. Paul saith He cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. The answer is easie God cannot do what he cannot will and he cannot will any thing of impotency for that were directly to overthrow his Omnipotency and in this sense did Nazianzene speak like a Divine saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One kinde of impossibility with God is his unwillingness as the text plainly saith of the Son of God That he could there do no mighty work S. Mar. 6. 5. that is he would there do no mighty work because of their unbelief which unbelief of theirs was so great a miracle to him as that it hindred his working all other miracles accordingly Divines do say That some things are impossible to God in regard of his own will because he cannot will them as to give a new Gospel to make a new Religion to destroy the whole world with a second deluge to extirpate the Catholick Church which imply no contradiction in themselves and therefore might be done though God having promised the contrary cannot now will to do them Habent rationem factibilium sed non habent rationem factoris Other things are impossible to God in regard of themselves because they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non habent factibilium rationem are not things to be done nec rationem factoris and therefore God cannot do them as those things that imply a contradiction as for the same thing to be and not to be at the same time for this being a contradiction cannot be without a lie and therefore that was a strange assertion of Bellarmines lib. 3. de Euchar. cap. 7. deinde and not maintained for its own sake when he said Per divinam potentiam posse ab homine tolli facultatem seu potentiam intelligendi interim ut maneat homo That God can take away a mans reasonable faculty or power of understanding and yet leave him still a man for that is all one as to say That God can make the same man reasonable and unreasonable for if he take away his reasonable faculty he makes him unreasonable and yet if he leave him still a man he leaves him reasonable for this indeed were Impotency in God not Omnipotency if he could make both parts of a contradiction true because they cannot both be made true without a lie And thus also is Religion Omnipotent by vertue of Gods Omnipotencie for it hath power to do all hath power over all Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readiness to avenge all disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. The power of the sword may cast down images but 't is onely the power of Religion that can cast down Imaginations and they no less then the other do exalt themselves against the knowledge of God the power of the sword can bring into captivity every man to the obedience of the Conquerour but 't is onely the power of Religion can bring into captivity everythought to the obedience of Christ That power can avenge the disobedience without which is but half disobedience but 't is onely this power can avenge the disobedience within as well as without that is all disobedience Will you raise an army against Religion Alas That can scatter a people that delight in war for when Christ shall come to judge among the nations they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks Isa. 2. 4. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of men shall be made low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day v. 17. and this being the signe the prophet hath given us of the coming of Christs kingdome let not those who are of a quite contrary disposition pretend to be under Christs government who labour to exalt man not Christ for as Dagon fell before the Ark so must all ensignes of hostility fall down before Christs banner and if they that carry them do not fall
of Religion but onely as matter of decency for decency hath much of its perfection from men but Religion hath all its perfection in and from it self and as God is proved to be all-sufficient from himself because he made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4. for even the wicked though without the order of particular yet are within the order of universal providence For God wills himself and his own goodness onely as the end but all other things as ordered to that end that is for himself and in relation to his own goodness So is it with Religion it admits of Ceremonies not for theirs but for its own goodness and thereby appears to be sufficient of it self without them If the shadow grow longer then the substance 't is an argument the Sun is yet either not at its heighth or past it so where Ceremonies are more looked after then piety and godliness it argues in men a defect of Religion and goodness God using the creature as an instrument doth not so use it for the want of vertue but for the abundance of his goodness non propter defectum virtutis sed propter abundandam bonitatis saith Aquin. par 1. qu. 22. So Religion using the ordinances of men doth it not for want of sufficiency in it self but to impart some excellencie to those ordinances Ut dignitatem causalitatis communicet to communicate to them so much vertue as to make them though not the essential yet the accidental causes of devotion in us and therefore we may no more reject such Ordinances then we may reject the helps of devotion Thirdly Gods perfection makes him not onely All-sufficient for himself but also for all things else besides himself Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield a sun to give life and a shield to preserve it The Lord will give grace and glory grace to our sanctification glory to our salvation that is a full sufficiencie for this life and for the next And no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly that is he hath already given all good things that we were able to receive and when we shall be able to receive the rest he will give them too for he will withhold none according to that of the same Prophet Psal. 145. v. 16. Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing scil whether it be living in earth or in heaven So is true Religion not onely sufficient in and for it self but for us also for what other reason can be given why so many men are contented to lose all that they may keep their consciences but onely this That Religion wants no perfection in it self and brings them that follow it to enjoy the perfection that is in God The third branch of Eternity is Omnisciency and God in that he is Eternal is also Omniscient Now the Omnisciencie of God consists in these two things First in that he fully knows himself Secondly in that he fully knows all other things in and by himself First God fully knows and understands himself the whole compass of his own minde and intentions what they are have been or ever shall be because eternitie is present to its self hence it is said Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. and this is a propertie not belonging to the Angels and much less to men the Angels know what their intentions have been and still are but not what they shall be for ever because then they could comprehend Infinity which cannot be in the understanding where it is not in the essence but as for us men we know not what our intentions have been Remember not the sins of my youth Psal. 25. 7. q. d. I have forgot them O do not thou remember them nor what they are Jer. 17. 9. The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and indeed never more deceitfull then when it labours to deceive it self nor what they shall be the best way concerning those is to say with the Psalmist Keep thy servant Psal. 19. for he that cannot tell what he shall resolve to morrow can less tell what he shall resolve all his life but God knows all his intentions from the beginning to the end so that he alone fully understands himself Secondly God fully knows all other things in and by himself this is a truth acknowledged by the father of lies though therefore acknowledged that it might be abused as truth is still by all the devils instruments Gen. 3. 5. Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil that is all things for they were either good or evil the looking-glass of eternity in it self representing all things to it self Good things by their proper forms and resemblances Evil things by the contrary good Bonum in se per speciem malum non per privationem in se existentem sed per bonum oppositum Aquin. par 1. qu. 14. Thus the Lord is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2. 3. as fully knowing himself and as fully knowing all other things in and by himself So also is Religion a thing of great knowledge cares not for an implicite faith in the knowing no more then in the assenting part cares not for a faith which doth not know for it self no more then for a faith which doth not assent for it self and so is in effect omniscient because it makes us know our selves and know our God that is in the serpents words Know good and evil for we know evil in knowing our selves and we know good in knowing our God First Religion is in effect omniscient because it makes us know our selves nothing else cares to look after the deceitfulness of the heart but sure nothing else can finde it out no man knows so much of himself as he that is religious he knows his own heart his own thoughts what they have been exceeding sinfull what they are very penitent and in some sort what they shall be very perseverant for upon supposition of Gods grace he can promise to himself a perseverance in the way of godliness This you will say is a comfortable doctrine and I doubt not but if you addict your self wholly to your devotions to have a constant communion with God but you will finde it as certain as 't is comfortable For if natural reason makes men very knowing that well improve it though it be but the dim light of men how much more doth Religion make men knowing that rightly use it since it is no other then the glorious light of God so that to live but one day according to the rules of piety and devotion will make a man more truly wise then study without piety will make him though he be a constant student very many years The prophet David tells us this Psal. 119. v. 98. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser then mine enemies but lest any should say That may easily be that a good
the reconciliation would be easily effected as to what concerns Gods interest were it not impeded and hindred by our own Hence it is also that many under a pretence of settling and regulating Religion do indeed disturb and disorder it and in stead of rightly guiding the Christian do indeed misguide him whiles they stand so much upon ceremonals which are of their own making as that they much more neglect morals which are Gods undoubted commands and so desire to have their converts be some of Paul some of Appollos some of Cephas as they little regard and less care to see they be truly all of Christ. And yet amidst all these grand miscarriages of men which no Rhetorick can sufficiently express no repentance can sufficiently bewail though we finde much that may trouble us in the practise of Religion yet we finde nothing that can excuse us if we practise it not for there is matter enough uncontroverted on all sides to engage the whole soul of man if we would take notice of that engagement Satis ampla pietatis exercendae materia est in iis rebus de quibus utrinque convenit nam de side in Christum mortuum resuscitatum pro nobis collocandâ de charitate Deo proximo exhibendâ controversia nulla est at in his duobus capitibus pietatis summa consistit saith the most judicious and pious Cassander in his book De officio pii viri What pitie is it that there should be the greatest defect where is the least controversie amongst Christians This made the forenamed Authour profess that he was nothing at all satisfied with those men who pretended that the contentions of Christians hindred their progress in Christianity for saith he There is matter enough for the exercise of piety which is quite exempted from all controversie for all sides agree that we must be saved by faith in Christ crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification and by the love of God for his own sake and of our neighbour for Gods sake and in these two heads saith he of faith and charity is comprised the sum of all true Christianitie Saint Paul had said no less before him 1 Tim. 1. 5 6. The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfained which Aquinas thus proves most substantially Omnes enim virtutes de quarum actibus dantur praecepta ordinantur vel ad purificandum cor à turbationibus passionum sicut virtutes quae sunt circa passiones vel saltem ad habendam bonam conscientiam sicut virtutes quae sunt circa operationes vel ad habendam rectam sidem sicut illae quae pertinent ad divinum cultum haec tria requiruntur ad diligendum Deum nam cor impurum à Dei dilectione abstr ahitur propter passionem inclinantem ad terram conscientia vero mala facit horrere divinam justitiam propter timorem poenae fides autem ficta trahit affectum ad id quod de Deo fingitur separans à Dei Veritate 22 ae qu. 44. art 1. All the vertues whose acts are commanded in the Law directly tend either to the purging of the heart from the disturbances of the passions as those vertues which teach us to order our affections or they tend to the getting and keeping of a good conscience as those vertues that concern our works and operations or they tend to the getting and keeping of a true Faith as those vertues which immediately concern the worship of God and all these three are required to the true love of God 1. A pure heart for that else will cleave to the earth by its impurity 2. A good conscience for that else will run from God because of its guiltiness 3. an unfained faith for that else will follow a fiction in stead of God and falsities in stead of his truth This being taken for granted which cannot rationally be denied the meanest man that is will finde little cause to be discouraged or disheartened in the Christian Religion by reason of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from all which S. Paul so exceedingly dehorts S. Timothy that there are amongst Christians so many strifes about words and so many vanities and novelties and emptinesses in those strifes for if he will have a diligent care of his own heart that it may be pure of his own conscience that it may be good and of his own faith that it may be unfained he will not dangerously neglect his duty either towards himself or towards his neighbour or towards his God but will always finde matter enough to busie his soul here and take a sure course to save his soul hereafter it is evident from the ensuing words that none but they who swerve from these three scil a pure heart a good conscience and a faith unfained do turn aside unto vain janglings And for this cause our blessed Saviour chides not onely the Scribes and Pharisees but also the meanest of the common people for not following and embracing the undoubted truth though there were at that time as great contentions in the Jewish as are now in the Christian Church S. Luke 12. 54 56 57. And he said also unto the people Ye hypocrites can ye discern the face of the sky and of the earth But how is it that ye do not discern this time yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right He chides them for being quick-sighted in matters of earth but as it were pur-blinde in the things of heaven that they could of themselves judge rightly of the seasons for their profit not so for their amendment and notwithstanding he professeth that he came not to give peace on earth but rather divisions such as should divide the nearest and dearest relations from and against themselves yet he gives no writ of ease to any man that he should leave off being a judge in matters of his salvation for if divisions hinder them not from judging what is right in husbanding their lands why should they hinder them from judging what is right in husbanding their souls To apply this to our present purpose since 't is not in our power to doubt either of Christian faith or Christian Charity as necessarily required and immediately conducing to salvation why should it be in our will to neglect them both for this is in effect to proclaim that we had rather with Martha be troubled about many things then with Mary choose that good part which shall not be taken from us it is in effect to declare that we will have a Religion rather to serve our selves then to serve our God rather agreeable with mens present humours then with Gods eternal truth otherwise our whole labour would be to conform our selves to that eternal truth in our understandings by faith in our wills by charity which two would make us
us I will heal their backslidings saith that Spirit I will love them freely Hos. 14. 4. he heals us freely he loves us freely we were backsliders when he did heal us we are backsliders now he doth love us what the sick man doth towards his cure who provokes his physician by backsliding and wilfully relapsing into his disease that we have done to God why he should heal us why he should love us and how then shall we not alwaies think of this free and undeserved mercy which is the surest salvation of our souls and therefore the best imployment of our thoughts and how shall we but once think of it and not finde words answerable to our thoughts not be ready to sing our Hosanna to the Son of David we have an excellent president from two sorts which were in the lowest degree of speakers the multitudes and the children S. Mat. 21. the one cannot speak orderly the other cannot speak plainly yet both join together in this heavenly consort and sing their Hosannas to our blessed Saviour both orderly and plainly nay we may finde a president by way of supposition though not by way of position from a sort that are in the very highest degree of not speakers for so saith Truth himself Verily I say unto you if those should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out S. Luk. 19. 40. as if he had said if these two that are in the lowest degree of speakers the multitudes and the children should hold their peace and not magnifie that mercy which they cannot deserve which is therefore the more to be magnified because it it hath been the less deserved then would the very stones cry out which are in the highest degree of not speakers as not having any organs that conduce to so much as the making of a noise and therefore sure not to the uttering of a voice and yet even these should not onely speak but also cry out speak very loud if we should be so unthankfull as to hold our peace for God who can out of these stones raise up children unto Abraham S. Matth. 3. 9. can also out of these stones raise up Saints unto himself to sing hosannas to his Son nay indeed he hath raised up both children to Abraham and saints unto himself as it were out of these stones in mollifying the hard hearts of men to make them capable of the impressions of his grace and in opening their lips that he might fill their mouths with the expressions of his praise and glory a mercy that in this respect is greater then all the rest because without this we could not be thankfull for them and unthankfullness is able to make the greatest mercies no mercies at all So that now we may clearly see how to answer that curious and fond Question What did God do before the Creation not by saying that he was making hell for such Questionists but that he was wholly imployed in making heaven for doubtless God the Father Son and Holy Ghost delighted in himself from all eternity and consequently was making heaven for himself for he is indeed his own heaven his own blessedness rejoycing everlastingly in himself but we may yet go further and say that he was making heaven also for us men for that same goodness which made him rejoyce in himself as being his own blessedness made him also rejoyce in his workmanship as that which should proceed from himself and as that which should be blessed in himself and that same goodness made him in time give us a being and such a being as was capable of blessedness as was capable of the joy of heaven by rejoycing in the God of heaven for as God is his own heaven by rejoycing in himself so is he also our heaven by making us rejoyce in him O the happiness of a judicious soul that contemplates this mercy but much more of a religious soul that embraces it for doubtless such a soul begins to go to heaven by delighting it self betimes in God according to that heavenly advice given by the Psalmist Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart what else is the work of heaven but to delight thy self in the Lord what else is the reward of heaven but to have the desires of thy heart If thou do the work thou wilt not miss of the reward but though thou have not all that thou canst imagine which is the desire of the brain yet thou wilt have all that thou canst enjoy which is the desire of the heart thou maist want the corporal rest of thy body but thou shalt not want the spiritual rest and repose of thy soul thou maist be much oppressed by mans cruelty but thou wilt much more be refreshed by Gods mercy which always brings a great refreshment in its contemplation to shew it cannot be without an unimaginable joy in its fruition we may think those men merriest that sing loudest but the Apostle tells us of another singing which thought it hath much less noise yet can it not but have much more chearfulness Eph. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord a true and lively faith in Gods mercy which is most usefull in all times but most needfull in the worst times will neither let us want company for it will make us speak to our selves nor want a speech for it will teach us to speak in Psalms and Hymns nor will it let us want mirth for it will cause us to sing and make melody in our hearts Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs speaking and singing and making melody all is too little to welcome the very thought of mercy and what then can be enough to express the joy and the enjoyment of it but if we look upon the verse before we may there discern a double fulness a fulness of wine and a fulness of the Spirit he that is filled with wine the joys of this world may sing lowdest but he that is filled with the Spirit the joys of the world above surely sings sweetest for come what can come this man must either not be miserable or which is the greater happiness not be discontented with his misery for as it follows in the verse next after he is giving thanks always for all things to God and therefore he is giving thanks also for those things which seem to bring him the greatest discomforts and disturbances because his disturbances cannot be so fixed upon his body as his soul is fixed upon his God and looking with an eye of faith upon the eternal mercy he cannot but look with an eye of scorn upon a little momentany and temporal misery thus we finde S. Paul and Silas singing Psalms to God in the prison after all their stripes having been scourged in the day yet singing in the night these two discords scourging and singing make up an admirable harmony
when their bodies were most tormented and straitned their souls were most comforted and enlarged and the prison doors being opened and the prisoners bands loosed by the singing of a Psalm shew the great power of the key of David that the readiest way to get out of prison is to make use chiefly of that key which will turn thraldome it self into liberty and therefore cannot but turn liberty into a blessing for surely such men who can make heaven where it is not can much more enjoy heaven where it is they who can finde liberty in their captivity cannot but finde a great blessing in their liberty which they esteem to consist not so much in their free egresses and regresses unto men as in their frequent approaches and addresses unto God wherefore let my soul be evermore busied in contemplating Gods eternal mercy and my heart in loving it and my mouth in praising it that when I am driven to such exigencies as least to enjoy my self I may then finde such opportunities as most to enjoy my God Let me alwaies be saying with Israel I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of thy temporal mercies and much less of that eternal mercy which caused them I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies whether shewed me as a natural man or as an Israelite and a Christian or as a true Israelite and a good Christian whether mercies that concern the state of nature or the state of grace or the state of glory I am not worthy of the least of them all and what then shall I offer thee for the greatest I will offer mine heart for an holocaust I will offer the calves of my lips for a sacrifice of praise and thanks-giving that though I cannot deny in my self the greatest unworthiness yet I may never discover the least unthankfulness for though my being unworthy did not keep me from receiving Gods mercies yet my being unthankfull will keep me from retaining them it being alike against the very nature of mercy to look for recompence and not to look for acknowledgments nor can there be a truer acknowledgement of Gods undeserved goodness towards us then by ascribing all that we have are and hope for to his mercy this one thing alone is to us as God even all in all 't was creation when we were not 't is preservation now we are 't is glorification in what we hope to be Mercy is illumination to those in darkness Confirmation to those in weakness Comfort to those in sadness Health to those in sickness Liberty to those in prison Clothing to those in nakedness Joy to those in life and Life to those in death he that can truly and heartily ask for mercy cannot want a prayer to shew his necessities and shall not want a remedy to redress them for he hath both the Spirit and the gift of Prayer the Spirit of prayer in the zeal and sincerity of his affection the gift of prayer in the congruity and fitness of his expression Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me S. Luk. 18. 38. was enough to open the blinde mans eyes to see his Saviour his heart to beleeve in him his mouth to glorifie him we may from those few words observe the Spirit of Prayer in the earnestness of the supplicant and the gift of prayer in the fitness of his supplication so that neither did he stint the Spirit by confining himself to a set form of words for he cryed saith the Text shewing the earnestness of his affection nor did he quench the Spirit by confining himself to the very same words till he had obtained his answer for he cryed so much the more saith the Text approving the fitness of his expression thereby intimating that they might justly have been ashamed who rebuked him for praying not he who maugre all their rebukes and taunts would not be driven from his premeditated and set form of prayer I will also use the same prayer in all my wants distresses will not doubt but as this form is already to me the opening of my mouth or rather of my heart to pray so it shall be also the opening of heaven to let in my prayers that they may have immediate access to him whose mercy is himself who therfore delights in mercy as in himself Thus have I briefly spoken of mercy as it is in God and now come as briefly to shew how mercy is also in the true Religion the service of God for in this above all is the true Religion to be discerned distinguished from faction for all false faith is faction whether it be addicted to blindness or to perversness to superstition or to separation the true Religion is alwaies most inclinable to mercy but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel Prov. 12. 10. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is translated the wicked hath its derivation from commotion or agitation and doth most properly signifie those wicked who are turbulent seditions and factious even their tenderness is hard-heartedness even their mercy is cruelty whereas a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast rather then not shew mercy he will shew it to his beast though in some respects uncapable of mercy in others unworthy of it thus then it is the righteous is mercifull to his beast the unrighteous is not mercifull to his brother so near a conjunction is there betwixt righteousness and mercy faction may often pretend to piety but never to mercy but the true Religion admits of no piety without mercy wherein it follows both the pattern and the precept of its Founder who hath left his minde concerning this matter no less then thrice upon publick record once in the old twice in the new Testament in the old Hos. 6. 6. For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and as he desires so he accepts for to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Prophet Isaiah at the very same time while your hands are full of bloud Is. 1. 11 15. In the New Testament S. Mat 9. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice and again S. Mat. 12. 7. But if ye had known wha◠this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice ye would not have condemned the guiltless where our Saviour Christ requires of all that will be his disciples that is good Christians In the first place to look after mercy 1. in its nature and then in its exercise 1. In its nature here is mercy with sacrifice by way of conjunction mercy in sacrifice by way of command and mercy above sacrifice by way of comparison I will have mercy and not sacrifice affords all these three Expositions 2 In its exercise for we are bid Go and learn what this meaneth Our Saviour sends us all to his School and he sends none onely to look on like idle spectatours
or to gossip and tattle like idle auditours but he sends all to learn the lessons that he there teacheth them and not so much to learn the words of those lessons as their meaning Go ye and learn what that meaneth that is go learn it intellectually to understand it cordially to love it practically to perform it that mercy is the chiefest ingredient of your Religion and ought to be the first of your sacrifices for he that will have mercy rather then sacrifice surely will accept of no sacrifice without mercy and this appears from the very occasion of citing the Text for it is cited S. Mat. 9. 13. to confute those that out of a mistaken zeal would needs be factious and turn Separatists accounting themselves too good to keep company with sinners It is cited S. Mat. 12. 7. to confute those that would needs be superstitious making an idol of the Sabbath and condemning the disciples for plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath-day when they were an hungred and much more is it still to be cited against them amongst us who in the same practises are both factious and superstitious men that most talk of Religion yet least care for mercy for we see that we have now a Religion without sacrifice but we can never have a Religion without mercy Sow to your selves in Righteousness and reap in mercy break up your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you Hos. 10. 12. there cannot be righteousness without mercy for both these make but one exhortation of seeking the Lord whom we must seek no less by mercy then by righteousness or we shall so seek him as not to finde him for even at his own altar will he not be found of us if we come thither to seek him without mercy before we are reconciled to our brother and therefore in this case we are plainly told it is in vain to offer our gifts which is in effect to say that God will not be there for to receive them S. Mat. 5. 23 24. nay even in heaven which is his throne will he not be found by us unless we come with mercy to seek him there and therefore the benediction of purity Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God presupposeth the benediction of mercy Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy for were it possible for a soul to be in heaven and there to see God which had not obtained mercy which had not its sins forgiven that soul could not be truly blessed First because it could not love God looking upon him as not reconciled in Christ and therefore not as a loving Father but as an impartial Judge for if to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little S. Luk. 7. 47. then by the same rule of proportion where is no forgiveness there can be no love supposing that there is sin which needs to be forgiven Secondly because that soul could not love it self as being odious and abominable whilest under the guilt of sin for even the damned souls in hell though they do not contract the guilt of new sins for then unrighteousness would be immortai yet forasmuch as they are still under the guilt of their old sins which could not be washed away but onely by that bloud which they trampled under their feet and by that repentance which they would not let come near their hearts and being not washed away still remains upon their souls cannot but be eternally odious and abominable to themselves because they cannot but be eternally under the guilt of sin so that we may infer with good Logick and better Divinity that if the reward of the pure in heart which is to see God without the reward of the mercifull which is to obtain mercy be no blessedness then surely purity without mercy is no righteousness for it is not possible that true righteousness should be without a reward And indeed it is not possible that true righteousness should be without mercy whence it is that the Seventy Interpreters do render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is mercies by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is holinesses as appears Isa. 55. 3. cited by S. Paul Act. 13. 34. the prophet had said I will give you the mercies but the Septuagint and from them S. Paul did say I will give you the holy or just things they both did mean the same gift though the one called it mercy the other called it holiness and indeed in the Hebrew the same is the good and the mercifull men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and S. Paul tels us that peradventure for such a good man some would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die by the righteous man he means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man rigorously just that would do no wrong but by the good man he means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man piously mercifull that would do all manner of good and this man he accounts so obliging that peradventure some would not stick to lose their own lives so they might save his and by thus comparing the righteous man and the good man he shews that our Saviours love to us was beyond compare who was pleased to die for us when we were yet sinners that is so far from being good men that we were not so much as righteous men so far from having the positive righteousness of doing good that we had not so much as the privative righteousness of not doing evil Thus doth the Apostle prefer him that is righteous according to the rules of mercy before him that is righteous according to the rules of Justice from the example of God himself who delighted in the righteousness of mercy above the righteousness of justice and therefore was not so zealous to commend his love of justice in destroying us as his love of mercy in saving us go and do thou likewise is the use that the best Preacher that ever was either in heaven or in earth makes of this doctrine S. Luk. 10. 37. when the answer had been made that he was the neighbour to the wounded man who had shewed him mercy it follows presently then said Jesus go and do thou likewise and they that do willingly hear this Preacher do as readily obey him having a desire that mercy may rejoyce against judgement in them here because they have a hope that mercy shall rejoyce against judgement for them hereafter and this is the reason of the Apostles inference Eph. 4. 32. Be ye kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you this priviledge and prerogative we men have above the angels that God hath forgiven us very much when as he hath forgiven them nothing they share equally with us in all Gods other attributes but in
our unbridled fury and of motives more then enough to make us restrain it that he who hath purchased all this mercy for us hath taught us not to pray for it and therefore not to hope for the blessing of it upon other terms but onely upon this very condition if we practise it Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us as if he had said make us to forgive as we desire to be forgiven no less then make us desire to be forgiven as we stood in need of forgiveness and this is agreeable with S. Chrysostome's gloss of the words not upon the place but in his 27 Sermon upon Genesis for it was his way of preaching to explain many Texts as he quoted them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us not think that in forgiving others we do a courtesie to them for indeed we do the courtesie onely to our selves who by this means do reap the benefit of that forgiveness which God hath promised and our Saviour Christ hath purchased but without forgiving can have no hopes to be forgiven and this lesson are we taught all along throughout our Saviours whole life and doctrine examine we his doctrine 't is for the greatest part nothing else but so many several instructions and injunctions of mercy I will make but one instance and that in his Sermon upon the mount S. Mat. 5 39. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil and v. 44. But I say unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you as if he had said what ever others have said before it matters not if you will be my disciples you must observe and obey what I say unto you and I say unto you that all your labour and zeal must be to overcome one another in goodness and in mercy Again examine we our Saviours whole life we shall finde it nothing else but one continued practise and president of mercy sometimes we find him preaching and praying to cure the souls sometimes working miracles to cure or relieve the body sometimes helping the body sometimes helping the soul but always doing some good either to body or soul so that we can have no truer touchstone to discover and discern gold from dross true Christianity from vain Hypocrisie then is this of shewing mercy nor may we object That many and great injuries have provoked us to wrath and that solicites us to revenge for though it cannot be denied but this last and worst age of the world hath silled our mouths with too many such objections yet our hearts may in no case be full of them but herein also we must imitate our blessed Saviour who though he were the party offended yet came himself to make the atonement and reconciliation and hath left not onely his example but also his blessing behinde him to encourage us to do so to saying Blessed are the peace-makers S. Matth. 5. 9. If thine enemy come first to thee he will get this blessing and thou wilt lose it and if thou lose this blessing how wilt thou keep thy Saviour that pronounced it It is a mere madness in any man to break down that bridge over which himself is to pass the bridge over which we hope to pass in our journey from earth to heaven is mercy he that breaks down this bridge breaks off his own passage into eternal rest Hypocrites may pretend zeal for an occasion of cruelty but true Christians will be sure to follow the example of Christ to be always doing some act of mercy and wheresoever we find massacres and outrages we may safely say there is the pretence but there is not the power of the true Christian Religion that looks after no bloud but the bloud of Christ to contemplate the merit of it with admiration to congratulate the mercy of it with thankfulness that bloud never baths but it likewise supples whether the bloud of a goat will soften the Adamant or no let the naturalist dispute but that the bloud of the immaculate Lamb doth soften the most stony hearts the divine must determine Therefore if the heart be still in its hardness 't is still in its uncleanness for it cannot be cleansed but by the bloud of Christ and that bloud never cleanseth but where it softens 'T is the part of salvages to overcome good with evil but 't is the part of Christians to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good every Christian must look for this fight and strive for this victorie the fight is to encounter with evil the victory is to overcome it the fight is against a twofold enemie the one without the malice of the devil and his instruments the other within our own weakness and impatience and the victorie is likewise twofold one is over our enemies for we overcome evil another is over our selves for we overcome evil with good this is the way to be more then conquerours and to get the victory over the greatest Potentates even while they trample us under their feet not by resisting much less returning their outrages but by forgiving them Father forgive them they know not what they do was a voice of our dying Saviour and therefore perchance weak in its noise but sure strong in its power for if it did not shake the foundations of hell to conquer the devils tyrannie yet it did pierce the battlements of heaven to open Gods kingdom insomuch that those thousands which were afterwards converted at two several sermons Acts 2. 14. Acts 4. 4. did ow their conversion more to this one voice then to those very sermons which converted them And as the Head himself declared his Almighty power most chiefly in shewing mercie and pitie so hath he given the same priviledge to his members to conquer more by their mercy then by their power by their praying then by their fighting by their tears then by their swords Saul was the man at whose feet the witnesses laid down their clothes whiles they stoned S. Stephen so that he seems to have had the chiefest hand in that Protomartyrs bloud Omnium lapidantium vestimenta servabat ut omnium manibus lapidaret saith S. Aug. in Psal. 147. He kept the clothes of those that stoned Stephen that he might stone him with all their hands Was there ever a more bloudy persecutour then this Saul that embrued not onely his hands but also his heart with bloud That breathed out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord andcunningly acted his threatnings by others hands that he might not put himself out of breath yet even this persecutour is presently after made a convert and the text intimateth in the history no other reason of his conversion but this prayer of S. Stephen immediately before the stones had beaten his soul out of his body Lord lay not
possess this world as to hazard their interest in the next it being S. Pauls express Maxime they that resist much more if they impenitently persist in that resistance shall receive to themselves damnation here then is a Looking-glass for the good Subject to see his duty the bad his guiltiness the one to receive the comfort of a good the other to feel the burden of a bad Conscience the expressions were at first plain and the method easie upon force because a Countrey-auditour may easier be posed then instructed and they ought to be no other now upon choice because a censorious Reader may sooner be instructed then ashamed The discourse was at first abruptly broken off with the Kings life but 't is since compleated in regard of length though in no other respect would the malice of bloud-guilty and bloud-thirsty men which is already compleat in all other respects were also compleat for the length and duration of it But O my soul come not thou into their secret and God keep them from coming into thine for in their anger they slew a man yea more then a man a King and in their self-will they digged down a wall enough to make an everlasting breach in this distracted Kingdom cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49. 6 7. when and where Simeon and Levi Laity and Clergy are partners in such a grand iniquity then and there this is Gods sentence against them and must be his Churches Prayer but I have nothing to say to them onely hope they will not be angry with me if I still pray for their conversion though I may not quietly preach for it This small Tractate speaks to and of those onely who still keep the old true Protestant Religion of the Church of England and with it their Allegiance and their Conscience and the spokes-man verily perswades himself that he is the meanest not of seven but of seventy seven thousands of Israel the true Sons of the Church that have not bowed their knees unto Baal Baal Berith that is Baal for a Covenant in his holy pretensions but since turned into Baal-Peor that is Baal for the mount Peor to over-top all through the pride of his spirit or Peor in the other sence to corrupt all through the Libertinism of his flesh in his unholy performances Baal Peor he is without question though beyond example for all that have joyned themselves to this Baal have not onely eat the offerings of the dead Psa. 106. 28. but also of the Living and 't is most notorious that those of that unhappy City which first began these troubles and that they might do it with some colourable pretence commonly called the most Orthodox Divines Baals Priests are now themselvs by the just judgement of God made Baals bondslaves and those of the Ministry who were most defamed with that ignominious and false aspersion are by the mercy of God the chiefest if not the onely men of their order who would rather lose all then be Baals Chaplains they were frightned with the consideration of that Text which once made Origen break out with tears and speak rather with his eyes then with his tongue in the Pulpit Psa. 50. 16 17. verses Lord how many dumb Sermons should we have now adays by those who would be thought the onely Preachers if they would as he did lay that Text unto their hearts but unto the ungodly saith God why dost thou preach my Laws and takest my Covenant in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee when thou sawest a thief thou consentedst unto him c. See who they were that most hated a Reformation amongst us even they who though they did cry it up yet did practise it down they who did see a thief yea such a thief as impudently answered the Prophets question Mal. 3. 8. will a man rob God and put it out of question and yet consented unto him no wonder if such men have let their mouth speak wickedness and with their tongue have set forth deceit no wonder if the next verse also concern many of them thou satest and spakest against thy brother yea and hast slandered thine own mothers son her truest her best her eldest Son and withall most of her true younger Sons but 't is not a slander can frighten them from their Religion who fear God rather then men Illi mors sibilus cui plausus vita they served not God as hypocrites and therefore have not fallen from his service as Apostates such men are still of the same Church though they cannot so publickly profess it and of the same Religion established in that Church and to them this Treatise belongs which though it be not elegant enough to be their Mothers the Churches Apology yet 't is true enough to be the Churches doctrine for that never taught other then true Allegiance to Gods on earth then true Conscience to God in heaven and never thought that the one could be without the other so that the true Church of England may still with Bishop Jewell in his Apology give solemn thanks to Almighty God Quòdin Angliâ Regia Majest as non minuitur but it must be with relation to its Religion not to the men that have pretended it the Religion of the Church of England is for Obedience and Faithfulness to Kings in the highest degree though some outward professours of that Religion have been as highly for disobedience and unfaithfulness much more then we could have imagined because much more then others ever practised but let not any man say that to be an Apostle hath Treason in it because one of the twelve was a Traitour especially since our Defender of the Faith hath also defended the true professours of our Church in that his Seraphical Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most unquestionable image of himself of his Piety of his Patience and of his Charity a book infinitely above the spirit of any man but a King and as much above the Piety of any King but such a Christian King so throughly conversant with Christ not onely in his doings but also in his sufferings not onely in the innocency of his life but also in the persecutions of it Eâ—pectore mult is tribulationibus macerato prodiêre Psalmi saith Musculus The Psalms of David the sweetest of devotions flowed from the bitterest Marah the bitterness of his soul so our David could not have made such Cherubical ditties fitting the best of Angels had he not been persecuted and reviled by the worst of men this discord gave occasion to that heavenly Musick but I shew my defect of Allegiance whiles I thus labour to express it that book is above all the acknowledgements of Allegiance and can stoop no lower then the Conscience Come and see a Miracle here all ye whose eyes are so wide open to see
of the souls affection yet not so quick as at any time to go without its errand Secondly It is to honour them and that not cursorily or meerly for fashion sake but with the engagement of the soul to know them distinctly and to perform them diligently there is an outward honour in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eye-service or the service of the man but there is moreover an inward honour in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in soul-service or the service of the minde the first is in all manner of serving and the second is peculiarly in observing Thirdly and lastly It is to obey them for observation is vain where it is not active and idle where it is ineffectual which makes our Saviour joyn observing and doing both together S. Mat. 23. 3. that observe and do and consequently the Preacher here bids us so observe the Kings Commands as to be sure not to leave them undone for then our observation will but make us guilty of the greater contempt the wise Historian sets those down for little better then a mutinous rabble of whom he saith Interpretari magìs quà m exequi they were more ready to interpret then to execute all commands truly to observe a command is to love honour and obey it and not onely so but also with the greatest patience as 't is serving with the greatest diligence as 't is observing with the greatest patience as 't is serving for what more tedious then wholly to attend upon anothers will and pleasure yet this you must do if you are bound to serve for that is to wait and with the greatest diligence as 't is observing for wherein can you be negligent if you may not once close much less turn away your eye yet this you may not do if you must observe for that 's to watch as then this word intimates waiting it requires all possible patience and as it intimates watching it requires all possible diligence and yet neither patience nor diligence can be so great as is the reason of them both in the next words and that in regard of the Oath of God where Aben-Ezra's gloss is most admirable a Jew writing to the admiration yet much more as the case now stands with us to the shame of Christians the Preacher saith he useth two such arguments as are both unresistable the one is the word of the Kings mouth the other is the word of thine own mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what hath proceeded from the Kings mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what hath proceeded from thine own mouth that is to say because he hath commanded and because thou hast covenanted so to do sc. to be true and faithfull to thy King and the same Doctour goes on as admirably 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a King among men will not acquit him that rejects his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and much less will the King of truth the King of Kings hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain here is a probable conjecture that among the Jews there was some kinde of Oath made unto their Kings not unlike to our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy there is mention made of a League or Covenant that King David made with the Elders of Israel in Hebron before the Lord when they came to anoint him King 2 Sam. 5. 3. which Covenant was reciprocal without question that David should not molest them for making Ishbosheth King for two years and after Sauls death yet staying five years longer before they came to anoint David King over them saith Kimchi and consequently that they should play no more such pranks with him be no more false to nor averse from his Soveraignty though mention is made onely of David in the Covenant as of the chiefest party yet the Elders did swear too by Kimchi's own confession though he record not the words of their part of the Oath and indeed it were strange if a Nation instructed in the Law of God should against that Law be forward to binde it self under an Oath not to do good to such or such a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Philo of his own Countreymen and not be much more forward to swear homage and allegiance to their Kings which that Law did oblige them to but 't is sufficient for us that the Jews did think themselves bound without any peculiar Oath by vertue of their general Covenant with God To be true and faithfull to their Kings for that the fifth commandment was one of those ten to which they had vowed their obedience nay it was indeed the first commandment of promise and they looked by their obedience to inherit the promisedland and if that nation did think so religiously of the obligation of an Oath or Vow as to pretend that for an actual breaking of a commandment as it was answer enough for them why they did not relieve their father or mother to say they had sworn by Corban by the gift on the Altar not to do it Mat. 15. 5. what will become of us who have sworn to the keeping of this commandment to the honouring of our Father and rather then keep the commandment will break our Oath Jews Pharisees and Sadducees that deny the resurrection shall rise up in judgement against this generation and shall condemn it for they made the keeping of an Oath their pretence for breaking the fifth commandment but we have nothing save the breaking of an Oath or rather of many Oaths to alledge for our selves in that we have so shamefully broken it and can onely say we have made our selves guilty of perjury that we might be guilty of rebellion what have we not as great hopes as had the Jews have we not as great Promises as they had why then should we have a less obedience To be undutiful is not the way to obtain our inheritance in earth much less in heaven especially since God looks upon this grand undutifulness to kings as if it were unto himself And we may challenge all Christendom to shew us any nation or people that is not fully as defective in Conscience as it is in Allegiance Jannes and Jambres that first withstood Moses Gods immediate Vicegerent though not to them and then resisted the truth having left this unhappy legacie to all their followers that as they are men of corrupt minds for want of obedience so they are reprobate concerning the faith for want of a good Conscience God will not so far countenance rebellion as to let the true Religion long continue and much less thrive under it and 't is the general observation of all sound Divines that the Scripture doth most commonly joyn the fear of God with Obedience to Kings as 1 Pet 2. 17. Fear God Honour the King not supposing the one possible without the other and to shew it is not they are both joyned together in one act of Fear Prov. 24. 21. My son Fear God and the King and meddle not with them
appointed by God to limit it though not in regard of laws now what the law doth limit not man but God doth limit Aristot. 3. Pol. 16. doth make the Soveraignty of God and the laws all one in that admirable Axiom of his the foundation of all Politicks or of all good rule in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that bids reason govern bids God and the laws govern he makes God and the laws but one government but he that lets in a man le ts in a wilde beast we let not in the man upon the laws when he is a King much less when he is a Subject in saying he is powers but we let in God upon the man and therefore call him powers plurally because he is many powers nay powers indefinitely because he is All powers in one person whereas no one subordinate power may be called powers without some limitation or qualification but the Supreme power may be called so absolutely and sine additamento because all powers are originally in him and derivatively from him if not by mans for some have lately questioned that yet sure by Gods law 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to the King as Supreme unto governours as unto them that are sent by him even as all motions are originally and virtually in the first Mover the power of judging whether it be to make laws or to repeal them the power of punishing offenders against those laws or the power of the law i. e. of peace and the power of the sword i. e. of war are his powers and our Saviour Christ though he openly said My kingdom is not of this world which may shame them that under pretence of Christs kingdom would engross Supremacy to their consistories yet did he at that very time as openly declare what was the power of the Kings of this world saying If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews S. John 18. 36. Then would my servants fight not against me but for me go you that say and practise otherwise and tell the Eternal Truth that he was mistaken and knew not the constitutions of your kingdom while indeed you know not the constitutions of his But withall take heed that then you put not your kingdom out of this world for the words are undeniable and irresistable If my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants sight that I should not be delivered unto the Jews they would fight with their hands and with their hearts when their hands fail them fight with earth by striving against men in battel fight with heaven by striving with God in prayer and much more fight with hell by striving against devils black-mouthed slanderers and back-biters scorning their mammon rather then their King should be delivered to the Jews to his malicious and bloud-thirsty enemies whatever the Subject can lawfully do by his hand or by his head or by his heart to defend the King and bring his enemies to condign punishment that is the Kings power both for himself and against his enemies nor may we seek to pull this power from a King no more then we may seek to pull a King from his throne for if assistance be the servants duty Then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered saith Christ making it their duty so to do 'T is not possible but resistance should be his guilt a dangerous guilt to himself a scandalous guilt to his Religion so saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of honour that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed What an unsufferable impiety doth possess those men who think God may securely be blasphemed by their Oaths but what an unpardonable impudence hath bewitched those who think there is a greater blaspheming of God in an hasty Oath then in a studied Rebellion Those tongues will certainly and deservedly one day want a drop of water to cool them that are now set on fire from hell customarily and impenitently to blaspheme the God of heaven but yet we must say what we cannot but see that God is and may be blasphemed with the hand as well or rather as ill as with the tongue 't is not a yea and a nay in the mouth will keep us from being blasphemers if there be a rebellious sword in our hands the unruly tongue and the unruly hand do both blaspheme our God and this text of S. Paul seems to make the unruly hand the greater blasphemer for that blasphemes not onely the name of God as the tongue doth but also his doctrine That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed Is not our Religion the Doctrine of God and how shall we dare to blaspheme that our selves or give others the cause of blaspheming it 'T is not onely a false but 't is also a blasphemous doctrine to say that a servant may count his own master not worthy of all honour much more to say that a Subject may dishonour and reproach nay disobey and resist his King 't is a doctrine not onely against the Law but also the Gospel 't is against the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ v. 3. and none can preach or approve it but men that are Proud doting upon questions and strifes of words supposing that gain is godliness v. 4 5. and from such we must turn away for 't is easie from their conversation to judge of their condition if that be the conversation of the godly which is there described by the Apostle then are such men in the state of grace and condition of godliness but if it be not then in vain do they come with godliness in their mouthes and with Rebellion which is the greatest ungodliness in their hands and in their hearts so that we may now answer the Preachers question in my Text Who can say unto him What doest thou Even such men as S. Paul here speaks of but no other if they be ashamed of owning the character let them be ashamed of answering the question and to shew to all the world that this is the doctrine of all good Protestants I will set it down at large as Musculus a learned protestant writer hath delivered it upon the Psalms and I will bring my instance as Job doth his interpreter but One of a thousand and that shall be upon the fourth Psalm This Psalm saith Musculus is of the same argument with the former though it appear not by the Title or Inscription was made upon the same occasion viz. King Davids being driven from Jerusalem his royal City and Palace by Absalom and his confederates accordingly first he makes supplication to God for mercy v. 1. then presently falls expostulating with his enemies v 2. O ye sons of men how long will ye blaspheme mine honour and have such pleasure in vanity and seek after leasing He
and gives this reason why he requires it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We were ordained and appointed of God to preserve the faith holy and incorrupt as we received it the Pope will now tell the Emperour so sed non fuit sic ab initio from the beginning it was not thus no nor in many hundreds of years after and in the sixteenth Action of this Council the acclamations of the Bishops to the Emperour at first calling him Another Constantine another Martian another Theodosius another Justinian are a proof beyond exception for no History is so irrefragable as the Acts of a Council that those Emperours had called the forementioned Councils and the petitions at last of the same Bishops praying for him as the Defender of the Orthodox Religion as the bulwark of the Church and as the Defender of the Faith cannot but assure us that they thought it the Emperours duty to call those Councils because they thought them bound to defend the Faith and to protect the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see the title of Defender of the Faith to a King is of much greater antiquity then our Henry the eight as well as the reason of it and so many several laws in the Code and in the Novels of the Catholick Faith of the Sacraments of Churches of Bishops of Synods of Hereticks will be an evidence to the worlds end of the Supremacy of Kings in causes Ecclesiastical no less then those other titles in the institutes and digests that concern liberty and property and the affairs of this world will be an invincible evidence of their Supremacy in civil causes But I may not insist longer upon this Argument such kinde of quotations being fitter for the school then for the pulpit I will onely add this one more from Pope Adrian's own mouth to Charles the Great of France whom he calls Spiritualem Compatrem that is either his Spiritual Godfather for his patronage and care over his Person or his Fellow-Father in spirituals for his jurisdiction and government over the Church and he labours to give him such punctual satisfaction in all particulars concerning the second Nicene Council as if he feared that of Franckford called by Charles would as indeed it did over ballance that of Nice procured by himself no less in truth then it did in authority but we think his Compater to his Lord and Master a little too high though his Successours will not stoop so low for as we allow the Supreme no superiour so we must allow him no equal which is my second conclusion No person but is inferiour to him in power as no power but is inferiour to his in causes whether Ecclesiastical or Civil so no person or persons whether Ecclesiastical or Civil but is and are inferiour to him in power we understand not that Singulis major Universis minor or if we understand it think that Omnis anima speaks as well Universis as Singulis and therefore not onely one and one by himself but also one and all Subjects together all are inferiour to their Sovereign because they are all bound to submit unto him Let every soul be subject to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. Their convening together doth as much take off their souls as it doth their subjection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can never agree but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joyned with the universis in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore of them also no less then of single persons must the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the next verse be necessarily understood Whosoever resisteth or How many soever resist both alike are comprehended in They that resist and they shall receive to themselves damnation The word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subordinetur let every soul be subordinate a word that more particularly points at the Ordines regni in the very signification of it because they can never want power to make resistance and seldom want chaplains that encourage them to make it but Ordines sunt ordinandi and subordinandi or else Ordines will be Confusiones Orders must be ordered and subordinate or though called States yet will be Ruines though called Orders will turn Confusions both of the text and of the kingdom and certainly the reasons alledged by S. Paul as equally concern Ordines regni as other Subjects and those as well all as some Universos as well as Singulos First Gods ordinance which may no more be rejected by all then by some by all together then by single persons in particular Secondly Damnation which may be incurred by all as well as by some by a Parliament as well as by Private Gentlemen 'T is true the King may not be so great a terrour to all as to some because all joyning together may not be afraid of his power What then yet I hope all have consciences as well as some and though happily it may not be said of the all of the whole kingdom Ye must needs be subject for wrath because all subjects holding together need not fear their Kings wrath yet it may and must be said of them all Ye must needs be subject for Conscience sake as 't is in the first verse For be they never so many that combine together that will give no satisfaction to the Conscience in regard of it self nor release in regard of God and yet even this very objection is sufficiently answered in the verse before in that he is said To bear the sword as the Minister of God and therefore Not to bear the sword in vain For though happily or rather unhappily in regard of his Person he may bear the sword in vain and perish under it yet in regard of his office he cannot for so he is the Minister of God and consequently a revenger of wrath that cannot fail of his revenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Epiph. Haer. 40. adversus Archontichos He hath from God the right of the sword not from any other and he hath it for revenge Would to God those men who follow these Hereticks in multiplying powers and principalities though not in heaven yet in earth and in some other things too for these Archontici did abhor baptism and slight the Communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. ibid. I say would those men who follow these Hereticks in this gross opinion would likewise seriously go along with this learned Father in his solid confutation there would never again be any cavilling disputes upon the 13 to the Romans His confutation in brief is this You Archontici think by multiplying powers in heaven to overthrow the dominion and power of one God but indeed you rather establish it For if in earth there may be so many principalities and powers in one kingdom all subject not repugnant to one King then much more so in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In every kingdom upon earth there are many principalities but they are all under one King Nothing