depend vpon Beloved for the establishment of our Eaith the animating of our hope the raising of our thanksgiuing by the addition of the Gospell which assureth vs that this Prophet is come and what hee hath done for vs. S. Mathew fets him forth especially as a man of the seed of David and Abraham and proveth that he was the Prophet that was to come by 22 Prophecies at least fulfilled in him S. Marke aymeth further to demonstrate that this man was both our King and Lord by insisting especially vpon his power and this hee justifieth by aboue twenty of his powerfull Actions S. Luke the Physitian more fully stands vpon that he was not only Man and King and Lord but the Saviour of the World and the Physitian of our soules And to make this cleare he more particularly vrgeth the circumstances of his humble birth gentle conversation zeale to winne soules arming them against all offences his teares over Ierusalem his dolorous passion his victorious and triumphant resurrection S. Iohn that liued longer then the rest and knewe of some Heretiques that opposed our Saviours deity beginnes in a lofty straine to proue his Godhead which by the Arians heretofore and now by the Socinians is eagerly and perfidiously opposed In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs. This he continues to proue by nineteene arguments and then at last concludeth in his 20 Chapter These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Sonne of God and that beleeuing yee might haue life through his name what life of grace here of glory eternall hereafter All that these foure Evangelists haue said may bee contracted into this one argument He that was to be promised seed of David and Abraham to be King and Lord to be a Saviour and the Physitian of our soules and to bee the Sonne of God and God equall to the Father was the Prophet that was to come into the World But in Iesus the Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary all these things are fulfilled therefore he was that King that Lord that Saviour that God that Prophet who was to come into the world Let vs goe on therefore Beloued with confidence chearefulnesse and thankfulnesse as the time approaching invites vs to celebrate the Advent of this Prophet that was to come into the world and now is certainely come and hath performed the worke of our Redemption There haue beene and now are divers that tell vs of a second Advent wherein hee shall come and raigne with the raised Martyrs a thousand yeares here vpon earth before his last comming againe to iudgement The reason is out of the 20. of the Revelation because that Satan was to bee so long bound and after wards to bee loosed which 1000 yeares they are confident are yet to come But for mine owne part I thinke without prejudice to any that these 1000 yeares are past already that Satan hath beene long since loosed and so yet continues And that no other personall comming of our Saviour is hereafter to be expected but only at the day of iudgement The Angels intimate no other personall comming Act. 1.11 Wee finde no other such comming in our Creed besides his first But from thence he shall come to iudge both the quick and the dead Beloued the time is at hand wherein according to the custome of our Church wee are to celebrate the memory and benefits of his first cōming into the flesh Let vs not forget to prepare our selues for his second advent There is a time to dye an account to be made a Iudgement to be passed and hee that shall come will come how soone or how long hence no man knoweth let vs not neglect therefore seriously to thinke vpon this in the midst of our worldly contentments Life is short the account certaine the state hereafter immutable good Lord dispose of vs here so that in that comming we may be found at thy right hand hereafter and haue that happiest doome pronounced vpon vs come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world And this O mercifull Father grant vs for thy Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory might maiesty and dominion both now ever AMEN REVERENCE TO RVLERS A SERMON PREACHED AT THE COVRT BY IOHN PRIDEAVX Rector of Exceter Colledge His MAIESTIE's Professor in Divinity in the Vniversity of OXFORD OXFORD Imprinted by LEONARD LICHFIELD Anno Salutis 1636. ACTS 23. v. 5. Then said Paul I wist not Bretheren that hee was the high Priest For it is written thou shalt not speake evill of the Ruler of thy People 1_THe first word of my text Then intimates a dependance on somewhat going before that dependance may be thus gathered After many hazards runne and great extremities past of our blessed and most laborious Apostle in his long and troublesome peregrination for the Gospell sake at large set forth in the precedent story here drawing as hee thought neere home a Cap. 9. and casting Anchor as it were in the hauen amongst his owne Countreymen he found himselfe neerer shipwracke then in all the stormes he had before escaped At Ephesus he fought with beasts after the manner of men 1. Cor. 15. At Ephesus here he falls amongst men worse then any beasts Agabus had prophecied before whereto hee was to trust when once he came to Hierusalem Chap. 21. and hee quickly found it true vnder the two great chaynes wherewith the Roman Captaine caused him to be bound Chap. 21. But as his resolution before was heroic all what meane you to weepe to breake my heart vers 13. for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus So his performance here was every way answerable The vproare of the people vpon the point to kill him his sudden apprehending by the Captaine wrong imprisonment torturers standing ouer him to lash him like a slaue so abated not his spirits but that hee tooke heart of grace to defend himselfe before his owne Countrymen in an admirable apologie in their own tongue and to plead the priviledge of a Roman to quit himselfe from the Captaine so true is that of the wisest King Prover 28.1 that howsoeuer the wicked fly whē none persueth him yet the righteous continues alwaies bold as a Lion With the same confidence in his innocency hurried as it were to hold vp his hand before the Priests his heavier Adversaries he hangs not downe the head but resolutely bespeakes them as they sate in Councell Men and brethren I haue liued in all good conscience before God vntill this day v. 1. Now what could be pick't out of this most respectiue and religious exordium that might giue the least offence was it for that he seemed to be too sawcy in
stupendious miracles in all kinds he daily wrought were severally as well as iointly sufficient proofes that he was the promised Messias Yet all this may not satisfie without search of these Records Search the scripture saith he for against them yee haue no exception as yee may haue against miracles and other evidences In them yee your selues are convinced in your owne consciences and thinke to haue eternall life Now these are they which testifie of me Ioh. 5. When the Lawyer therefore last of all would needs haue a Rule whereby to inherit eternall life his dispatch was without further adoe What is written Luk. 10. How readest thou After such eminent Elogies from the Master for the scriptures supreame esteeme and vse the suffrages of all his followers may bee well deemed needlesse 10. Vpon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this scriptum est the Fathers came in with their forcible exhortations It is a manifest revolt from faith saith the great Basil to bring in any thing for religion Definit 80 c. 22. that is not written and because it is not of faith it must needs bee sinne for who may speake 0 saith Saint Ambrose De vocat gent. l. 2. c. 3. where the Scripture is silent That which hath not ground from hence addes Saint Hierome is as easily put off as vrged In Mat. 23. I therefore rest saith Theodoret only vpon the Scriptures Dial. l. 1. c. 8. This must end all differences when all is done as S. Augustine affirmes Cont. Crescon l. 2. c. 31. with Origen The Schoolemen here fall in full in the maine with the Fathers Lumbard in in praefat Aq. Scotus to whom those that follow them are not opposite howsoever their practise hath beene stragling and dissonant in the infinite distractions of these syding times Thus farre these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written direct vs. But here we are not to mould the Scriptures according to our fancies or wrest them to serue our owne turnes or stand vpon our owne private iudgement in their doubtfull exposition nor content our selues that this or that is written except we take it and partake it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is written Church Councells Fathers Schoolemen new and old Expositors tongues Arts Histories may and ought to be vsed in their severall places Mat. 13. for the more iudicious clearing and applying of them For every Scribe which is instructed vnto the kingdome of heauen saith our Saviour is like vnto a man that is an housholder who bringeth forth out of his treasurie things new and old How much then doth it stand vs vpon heartily and seriously to pray as our Church teacheth vs in the Collect of the last weeke Blessed Lord which hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning grant that we may in such wise heare them read marke learne and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given vs in our Saviour Iesus Christ Amen For to what end should these things bee written Beloued if not to be read and learned and pondred and conferred and revised againe and againe of vs for our eternall good Precept vpon precept line vpon line must here be taken according to the Prophets method least at any time we should let thē slip as our Apostle tells the Hebrewes Records for our temporall estates will be carefully looked after Heb. 2. and shall these heavenly evidences bee neglected No dainties shall bee thought too deare for the bodies well-fare and is not the soules eternall happines worth the looking after Certainely when modesty blusheth feare faultreth flattery sootheth ignorance sticketh craft adviseth for it's owne endes hypocrisies makes shewes and performes nothing This scriptum est will ever continue to bee bold with the best and greatest to tell all truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth as here it doth of these debosh't Israelites 11. The people sate downe to eat and drinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rose vp to play The people not all as we had before but the greater summe the most part Those that gathered themselues together vnto Aaron not to make them a new leader in steed of Moses for I thinke they greatly cared not whether they had any or no but new Gods insteed of Iehovah not to giue them lawes for directions or punish them when they offended but to leaue them to their owne licentiousnesse and when they were disposed to travell to goe before them Exod. 32.1 such is mans corrupt and selfe-wild nature We loue not Gods or Governors that will be punctuall or busie vpon vs for the observation of morall ceremoniall and iudiciall laws that wil thunder or lighten in the giuing or breach of their commandements but galdly admit of those that will quietly permit vs to follow our owne humours eat and drinke without a reckoning play without exception at vnlawfull games or in vnfit times or places without any restraint or moderation Now such Gods must needs be of our own making otherwise they would be hardly so fitted to our intemperate desires This skill this people had gotten without a teacher God they knew made them and now in requitall they would make them Gods But how would they serue them Not with grace before meat in their eating and drinking nor with the Psalmists excitation to devotion piously premised in our Church Liturgie O come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our salvation Let vs come before his presence with thanksgiuing and shew our selues glad in him with Psalmes O come let vs worship and fall down kneel before the Lord our maker Fal down and kneele and worship Nay sit downe to eat and drinke and rise againe to play O the vngratefull and perverse disposition of vs all the more God in mercy remembers vs the sooner wee forget both our selues and him and the better hee deales with vs the worse most commonly wee proue Pius Quintus that Pope who excommunicated Queene Elizabeth was wont to say I should not relate it but that I haue a Iesuit for my author and that is Cornelius à Lapide vpon the 11th of Numbers at the 11th verse Cum essem religiosus when I was a religious man he meant I thinke a plaine Monk without any Ecclesiasticall degree or dignity I had a very good hope of the salvation of my soule Being made Cardinall Extimui I was much afraid of it Nunc Pontifex creatus but now being Pope what now Penè despero I almost despaire of it And so thought Clement the 8th addes my former Author that followed after him An ingenious confession I must needs professe especially from such men so much ingaged in the pompes and vanities of this wicked world We can censure such passages at our pleasure but I
point to be discussed 3 As Time and Place are the inseparable adiuncts of all transerunt actions so the Lord requires as well a House as a Day for his publike worship Such is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my text not a moveable Tabernacle or an Inne for a nights lodging but a fixed Mansion to dwell in which the Article so restraineth not to the Iewish Temple but that it may well be extended to all publike fabricks erected in like manner and set apart for the like religious worship For this glorious Cathedrall Temple excluded not among the Iewes their Parochiall Synagogues or as they may be termed by an Analogie Chappels of ease Those our Saviour and his Apostles never spake against in those they preached prayed disputed and catechized the people therefore left a warrantable example for all succeeding ages to follow And what shall I speake of the Primitiue zeale of Christians in this behalfe No sooner had they got loose in Constantines time from Heathenish persecutions but euery good mans devotion was set on fire his head plotting his purse open for Churches and Chappels Emulations were betweene Prince and People who in this kinde should goe farthest most men of any ability held it their chiefest glory to be registred to posterity for Founders of Churches or Chappell 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. c. 45 Constantine's decree runnes in the second booke of his life written by Eusebius Vt diligentes sint Episcopi circa Ecclesiarum structuras that Bishops should bee extraordinary diligent about the building of Churches and Chappels if any were ruinous to repaire them and make them larger if any were wanting in convenient places they were to build them new He himselfe beganne with vnspeakable charges to adorne his new City Constantinople especially with Churches and Chappels for Gods seruice One Church called Irene and the other Apostolica were eminent Monuments in the n = a Lib. 2. c. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De vita Constant l 3. c. 23. Tripartite story of his religious magnificence to bee admired rather then imitated In Ierusalem hee commands the Bishop Macarius to erect a Church so farre surpassing all other structures in that kind that Eusebius intimates it might be the New Ierusalem so much fore-spoken of by the holy Prophets Notwithstanding Iustinian was so eager to out-vie him in this devout liberality that hee substracted the n = b Zonaras Annal. tom 3. stipends from his Readers of the liberall Arts and Sciences to inable himselfe the better to build the n = c Evagrius hist Eccles l. 4. c. 30. incomparable Church of Sophia Charles the Great is commended for erecting so many Churches as there be n = d Aventin Annal. l. 4. letters in the Roman Alphabet And what shall wee imagine that others did of greater ability when n = e Henricus de Erdfordia 365 Churches one for every day in the yeare are registred to bee in Ireland of S. Patricks sole foundation 4. But that which true devotion first grounded necessity vrged conveniency furdered holy ability perfected and God blessed Opinion of merit false miracles apish imitation of Paynims superstition toward Reliques and Saints departed and perchance in some an itching ambition to get a name through the Divels stratagems and mans vanity quickly peruerted and abused What a toy was it that n = f Greg. Turonen sis de gloria confess c. 11. S. Martins boy should procure a Church to be built in the place where his Master stood when he cured a lame Priest A strayed n = g Pontanus de Bello Neapolit l. 2. Bull got a Church to be erected for S. Michael the Archangell in mount Garganus And S. n = h Vincent l. 24. c. 22. Denis tels Charles the Great that the sinnes of all the Spaniards were forgiven at his request who had beene contributers to the building of a Church for his Saintship Vpon any dreame or conceit or vow or report of a relique or any other mistaken accident vp must straight-way a Church And Popes to foster the humour for their owne gaine and glory and maintenance of their dependants must sometimes priviledge them with many n = a See a booke called Fiscus Papalis in which Pope Sylvester and Gregory haue granted so many Indulgences to the Church of S. Iohn de Lat aran in Rome quas nemo numerare potest nisi solus deus as Pope Boniface witnesseth who confirmed them all vid. Chemnicii examen part 4. pag. 736. and Bellarmines defēce of these fopperies de Indulgent l. 1. c. 9 lib. 2. c. 20. with Greg. de Valent de Indulgent c. 4. yeares indulgences to get custome to their trade and for the robbing as they were wont to say of the Egyptians to the deluding of simple people and scandall of Christian religion This made way for superstitious processions idle Pilgrimages sottish vowes and oblations whereby the Priests grew fat as the Buls of Basan but the people leane as Pharaohs kine Golden Chalices had wooden Masse-mongers empty skonces precious Miters There were divers S. Maries for one Christ-Church And no marvaile for Gods word and preaching once laid aside and reconciliation by faith in Christ little sought after or mistaken what May-game and outward pomp which best contented the sense might not easily passe for the best Religion and those for the holiest Professors which vnder the vizor of hypocrisie practised the cleaneliest convayance Against such insufferable abuses in sacred intentions expences the Fathers haue sometimes let fall somewhat hasty speeches which might slacke their liberality who take them not aright What should gold doe there saith n = b De offic l. 2 c. 28. Non auro placent que non emuntur S. Ambrose where it can buy nothing Martyrs delight not if we beleeue n = c In Matth. Hom. 51. et 81 S. Chrysostome to be honoured with that money for want of which the poore pineth and lamenteth n = d Malè parietum vos amor cepit Ad Auxentiū Hilary bids vs beware of Antichrist in such magnificent wals and Pallaces Saint Hierome suspects not a few of them bee built rather for pride then piety It is a wonder to read how tart Saint Bernard is against them in his Apology to William n = e Ep. ad Demetriadem exponente Erasmo vide Hieronym in Jeremiae 7. in ep ad Nepotianum Abbot of S. Theodoricke not that these good men with divers others misliked decency cost or state proportionall to situations assemblies and founders and the abilities of such houses for Gods worship but desired to restraine excesse curbe ostentation stop superstition which at length began to be intolerable in Images and Reliques but especially to beat men off from the conceit of merit and rectify their good mindes where circumstances so required in divers cases to more charitable imployments The elegancy of S. Bernards Caveat deserues to be