is but as another mans Person But Slanders and Contempts done to him as a Minister that is with reference either to his Calling or Doctrine are much greater then to another man as reaching vnto God himselfe whose Person the Minister representeth in his Calling and whose errand the Minister deliuereth in his Doctrine For Contempts Saint Paul is expresse elsewhere e 1. Thes. 4. 8 He that despiseth despiseth not Man but God And as for Slanders the very choyce of the word in my Text inferreth as much The dignitie of our Calling enhaunceth the sinne and euery Slander against our regular Doctrines is more then a bare Calumnie if no more at least petty f Wee haue heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses and against God Act. 6. 11. Blasphemie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As wee are slandered as wee are blasphemed That from the word Obserue thirdly § 7. OBSERV III. The best truths are subiect to Slander the wrong done to the Apostle and to his Doctrine Hee was slanderously reported to haue taught that which hee neuer so much as thought and his Doctrine had many scandalous imputations fastened vpon it whereof neither hee nor it were guilty As wee are slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say The best Truths are subiect to mis-interpretation and there is not thaâ— Doctrine how firmely so euer grounded how wariâ—â— so euer deliuered whereon Calumny wil not fasten and stick slanderous imputations Neither a Math. 11. 17 18 19. Iohns mourning nor Christs piping can passe the pikes but the one hath a Diuell the other is a glutton and a wine-bibber Though b Math. 5. 17. Christ come to fulfill the Law yet there bee will accuse him as a destroyer of the Law Math. 5. And though hee decide the question plainely for Caesar and that in the case of Tribute Math. 22. c Math. 22. 21. Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars yet there be that charge him as if he d Ioh 19. 12. spake against Caesar Ioh. 19. and that in the very case of Tribute as if hee e Luk. 23. â— forbade to giue Tribute vnto Caesar Luke 23. Now if they f Mat. 10. 25 called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold If Christs did not thinke wee the doctrine of his Ministers and his Seruants could escape the stroke of mens tongues and bee free from calumny and cauill How the Apostles were slandered as Seducers and Sectaries and vaine babblers and Heretiques and broachers of new and false and pestilent doctrines their Epistles and the booke of their Acts witnesse abundantly to vs. And for succeeding times reade but the Apologies of Athenagoras and Tertullian and others and it will amaze you to see what blasphemous and seditious and odious and horrible impieties where fathered vpon the ancient Christian Doctors and vpon their profession But our owne experience goeth beyond all The Doctors of our Church teach truely and agreeably to vnanswerable euidences of Scripture The g Act. 17. â—8 Esay 26. 12. effectuall concurrence of Gods will and power with subordinate Agents in euery and therefore euen in sinfull actions Gods h Rom. 9. 11. 15 18 c. free election of those whom he purposeth to saue of his owne grace without any motiues in or from themselues The immutabilitie of Gods i Ioh 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. 5. 9. 10. 8. 35 38 39. Loue and Grace towards the Saints and their certaine perseuerance therein vnto Saluation The k Rom. 3. 28. Iustification of sinners by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applyed vnto them by a liuely faith without the workes of the Law These are sound and true and comfortable and profitable and necessary doctrines And yet that impudent Strumpet of Rome hath the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarmine Gretser Maldonate the Iesuites but none more then our own English Fugitiues Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the rabble of those Romish hell-hounds freely spend their mouthes in barking against vs as if wee made God the author of sinne as if wee would haue men sinne and be damned by a Stoicall fatall necessitieâ— sinne whether they will or no and be damned whether they deserue it or no as if we opened a gappe to all licenciousnesse and prophanenesse let men beleeue it is no matter how they liue heauen is their owne cock-sure as if we cryed downe good workes and condemned charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blowne away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These imputations vpon vs and our doctrine are vniust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that thus mis-report vs know that without repentance their damnation will be iust It would be time not ill spent § 8. With the Causes to discouer the grounds of this obseruation and to presse the vses of it something fully But because my ayme lyeth another way I can but point at them and passe If seldome Truth scape vnslandered maruell not the reasons are euident On Gods part on Mans part on the Diuels part God suffereth Man rayseth the Diuel furthereth these slanders against the Truth To begin ordine retrogrado and to take them backwards First on the Diuels part a kinde of Contrariety and Antipathie betwixt him and it He being the a Ioh. 8. 44. Father of lies and b Eph. 6. 12. Prince of darknesse cannot away with the Truth and with the Light and therefore casteth vp slanders as Fogs and Mists against the Truth to belie it and against the Light to darken it Secondly on mans part And that partly in the Vnderstanding when the iudgement either of it selfe weake or else weakened through precipitancie preiudice or otherwise is deceiued with fallacies in stead of substance and mistaketh seeming inferences for necessary and naturall deductions Partly in the Will when men of corrupt minds set themselues purposely against the knowne truth and out of malicious wilfulnesse against the strong testimonie of their owne hearts slander it that so they may disgrace it and them that professe it Partly in the Affections when men ouercome by carnall affections are content to cheate their owne soules by giuing such constructions to Gods Truth as will for requital giue largest allowance to their practices and so rather chuse to crooken the Rule to their owne bent then to leuell themselues and their affections and liues according to the Rule Thirdly on Gods part who suffereth his owne Truth to bee slandered and mistaken Partly in his Iustice as a fearefull Iudgement c 2. Thess. 2 10 11 12. vpon wicked ones whereby their hard hearts become yet more hardened and their most iust condemnation yet more iust Partly in his Goodnesse as a powerfull fierie triall of true Doctors whose constancie and sinceritie is
TVVO SERMONS PREACHED AT TWO SEVERAL VISITATIONS AT BOSTON in the Diocesse and County of Lincolne BY ROBERT SANDERSON Bachelour of Diuinitie and late fellow of Lincolne Colledge in OXFORD PSAL. 122. 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue it LONDON Printed by G. P. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the Signe of the Greene Dragon 1622. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God GEORGE Lord Bishop of London my very singular good Lord. My good LORD I Had euer thought the interest of but an ordinary friend might haue drawne mee to that whereto the despight of a right bitter foe should not haue driuen mee till the Fate of these Sermons hath taught mee my selfe better and now giuen me at once a sight both of my Errour and Infirmitie The improbity of some good friends I had out-stood who with all their vexation could neuer preuaile vpon me for the publishing of but the former of them when loe at length the restlesse importunity of hard censures hath wrung both it the fellow of it out of my hands So much haue wea stronger sense of our own wrongs theÌ„ of our friends requests and so much are wee forwarder to iustify our selues then to gratifie them How euer if by Gods good blessing vpon them these slender labours may lend any help to aduance the peace quiet of the Church in setling the iudgements of such as are more either timorous then they need bee or contentious then they should bee I shall haue much cause to blesse his gracious prouidence in it who with as much ease as sometimes hee brought light out of darknesse can out of priuate wrongs worke publique good In which hope I am the rather coÌ„tent to send them abroad though hauing nothing to commend them but Truth and Plainenesse Yet such as they are I humbly desire they may passe vnder your Lordships protection whereunto I stand by so many deare names engaged By the name of a Visitour in respect of that Society whereof I was of late a member which founded by your Lordships godly a Richard Flemming and Thomas Râ—therham Bishops of Lincolne Predecessors hath had pleÌ„tiful experience of your Lordships singular both Care and Iustice iâ— preseruing their Statutes and maintaining the rights of their foundation By the name of a Diocesan in respect of the Country wherein it hath pleased God to seate mee which hath found much comfort in your Lordships religious and moderate gouernment By the name of a Master in regard of that dependance I haue vpon your Lordship by speciall seruice Which as it putteth a boldnesse into mee to tender this small pledge of my thankefulnesse to your gracious acceptance so it layeth a strong Obligation vpon me to tender my best prayers vnto Almighty God for the continuance and increase of his blessings vpon your Lordship to the good of his Church vpon earth and your eternall crowne in heauen Bootheby Paynell Linc. Nouem 20. 1621. Your Lordships Chapleine in all dutifull obseruance ROBERT SANDERSON AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER GOod Christian Reader vnderstand that in the deliuery of these Sermons because it was fit I should proportion my speech as neere as I could to the houre I was forced to cut off here and there part of what I had penned which yet now together with that which was spoken I here present to thy view distinguished from the rest with this note against the lines Thus much I thought needfull to aduertise thee because I see men are captious more then enough lest I should bee blamed of vnfaithfulnesse in either adding any thing vnto or altring any thing of that which I deliuered which I haue auoided as neere as the imperfection both of my Copies and memory would permit Reade without gall or preiudice Let not truth fare the worse for the Plainenesse Catch not aduantage at Syllables and Phrases Study and seeke the Churches Peace Iudge not anothers seruant Let vs all rather pray one for another and by our charitable support helpe to beare the burdens one of another and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Amen Amen THE FIRST SERMON ROM 14. 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth IT cannot be auoyded § 1. The occasion so long as there is or Weaknesse on earth 17. April 1619. or Malice in hell but that scandals will arise and differences will grow in the Church of God What through want of Iudgement in some of Ingenuity in others of Charity in almost all occasions God knoweth of offence are too soone both giuen and taken whilest men are apt to quarrell at trifles and to maintaine differences euen about indifferent things The Primitiue Romane Church was not a little afflicted with this disease For the remedying whereof Saint Paul spendeth this whole Chapter The Occasion this In Rome there liued in the Apostles times many Iewes of whom as well as of the Gentiles diuers were conuerted a Act. 28. 24. to the Christian Faith by the preaching of the Gospel Now of these new Conuerts some better instructed then others as touching the cessation of legall Ceremonies made no difference of Meates or of Dayes but vsed their lawfull Christian liberty in them both as things in their owne nature meerely indifferent Whereas others not so throughly b De nouâ— conuersus de lege Catholica minùs sufficienter instructus Lyra. catechized as they still made difference for Conscience sake both of Meates accounting them Cleane or Vncleane and of Dayes accounting them Holy or Seruile according as they stood vnder the Leuiticall Law These later Saint Paul calleth c Vers. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weake in the Faith those former then must by the law of Opposition be d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 1. Strong in the Faith It would haue become both the one sort § 2. Scope and the other notwithstanding they differed in their priuate iudgements yet to haue preserued the common peace of the Church and laboured the a 2. Cor. 10 8 edification not the ruine one of another the strong by affoording faithfull instruction to the consciences of the weake and the weake by allowing fauourable construction to the strong But whilest either measured other by themselues neither one nor other did b Gal. 2 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle elsewhere speaketh Walke vprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Fault and offences there were on all hands The Strong faultie in Contemning the Weake the Weake faultie in Contemning the Weake the Weake faulty in Condemning the Strong The strong proudly scorned the weake as silly and superstitious for making scruple at some such things as themselues firmely beleeued were lawfull The weake rashly censured the strong as prophane irreligious for aduenturing on some such things as themselues deeply suspected were vnfawfull
The blessed Apostle desirous all things should bee done in the Church in loue and c 1. Cor. 14. 26. vnto edification d Caiâ—tan iâ— hunc locum aequa lance and e Bulling in hunc locum eodem charitatis moderamine as Interpreters speake taketh vpon him to arbitrate and to mediate in the businesse and like a iust vmpire f Iob 9. 33. layeth his hand vpon both parties vnpartially sheweth them their seuerall ouersights and beginneth to draw them to a faire an honourable composition as thus The Strong hee shall remit somewhat of his superciliousnesse in dis-esteeming despising the Weake and the Weake he shall abate somewhat of his edge and acrimony in iudging and condemning the Strong If the parties will stand to this order it will proue a blessed agreement for so shall brotherly loue be maintained Scandals shall be remoued the Christian Church shall be edified and Gods name shall be glorified This is the scope of my Text and of the whole Chapter In the three first Verses §. 3. Coherence wherof there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Verse the Proposall of a generall Doctrine as touching the vsage of weake ones with whom the Church is so to deale as that it neither giue offence to nor take offence at the weakenesse 〈…〉 Him that is weake in the Faith receiue you but not to doubtfull disputations Next there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second Verse a Declaration of the former generall proposall by instancing in a particular case touching the difference of Meates There is one man Strong in the Faith he is infallibly resolued there is no â— meat a Verse 14. vncleane of it selfe or if receiued with thankefulnesse and sobriety b 1. Cor. 10. 23. vnlawfull and because hee knoweth hee standeth vpon a sure ground c Verse 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is confident he may eate any thing and he vseth his liberty accordingly eating indifferently d 1. Cor. 10. 27. of all that is set before him making no question for conscience sake One man beleeueth he may eat all things There is another man Weake in the Faith â—he standeth yet vnresolued and doubtfull whether some kinds of Meates as namely those forbidden in the Law be cleane or he is rather caried with a strong suspition that they are vncleane our of which timorousnesse of iudgement he chuseth to forbeare those meates contenteth himselfe with the fruits of the earth Another who is weake eateth Hearbs This is Species Facti this the Case Now the Question is in this Case what is to be done for the auoidance of scandall and the maintenance of Christian Charitie And this question my Text resolueth in this third Verse wherein is contained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Pauls iudgement or his counsell rather and aduice vpon the Case Let not him that eateth despise c. The remainder of the Verse and of the Chapter being spent in giuing reasons of the iudgement in this and another like case concerning the difference and obseruation of Dayes I haue made choyce to intreat at this time of Saint Pauls aduice §. 4. and Diuision of the Text. as vsefull for this place and auditorie and the present assembly Which aduice as the Parties and the Faults are is also twofold The Parties two He that eateth that is the Strong and he that eateth not that is the Weake the Faults likewise two The Strong mans fault that 's a Literally setting at naughtâ— so it is translated Luk. 23. 11. and the Latine translation which Tertul. followed readeth here fitly to the Greeke Qui manducat ne nullificet non monducantem Tertullian de ieiun aduersiâ—â— Psych cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despising of his brothers infirmitie and the Weake mans faults that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudging of his brothers liberty Proportionably the parts of the aduice accommodated to the Parties and their Faults are two The one for the Strong that he despise not Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not The other for the Weake that he iudge not Let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth Of which when I shall haue spoken some what on their generall vse I shall by Gods assistance proceed by way of application to enquire how farre the differences in our Church for conforming and not conforming agree with the present case of eating and not eating and consequently how farre forth Saint Pauls aduice in this case of eating and not eating ought to rule vs in the cases of conforming and not conforming in point of Ceremonie And first of the former rule or brand of the aduice Let not him that cateth despise him that eateth not §. 5. Wee must not despise others The termes whereby the Parties are charactered He that eateth and He that eateth not haue in the opening of the Case beene already so farre vnfolded as that I shall not need any more to remember you that by him that eateth must bee vnderstood the strong in Faith and by him that eateth not the weake And so reducing the words ab hypothesiad Thesin this part of the Aduice Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not beareth sence as if the Apostle had said Let not the strong in faith despise the weake Weake ones are easily despised Strong ones are prone to despise and yet despising is both a grieuous sinne in the despiser and a dangerous scandall to the despised In all which respects it was but needfull the holy Ghost should lesson vs not to despise one another weaknesse Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Weaknesse and Smalnesse § 6. Though they be neuer so weak be it in what kind soeuer is the fittest obiect to prouoke contempt As we trauell by the way if a fierce Mastiffe set vpon vs we thinke it time to looke about and to bestirre our selues for defence but wee take no notice of the little Curres that barke at vs but despise them When Goliah saw little Dauid make towards him 1. Sam. 17. the Text saith a 1. Sam. 17. 42. He disdained him for he was but a youth And S. Paul charging Timothy so to behaue himselfe in the Church of God as that none should b 1. Tim. 4. 12 despise his youth implyeth that youth is obuious to contempt and likely enough to be despised And though c Eccles. 9. 16. Wisedome be better then strength yet Salomon tels vs the poore mans wisdome is despised and his words are not heard Eccl. 9. d Psalm 119. 141. I am small and of no reputation saith Dauid Psal. 119. And our Sauiours Caueat in the Gospel is especially concerning little ones as most open to contempt e Matth. 18. 10. Take heed that yee despise not one of these little ones But of all other that