countenance any in sin and in impenitency and yet even this severe Bishop in his greatest strictness for Church discipline though he would not allow the Martyrs and Confessours to be too importunate for the over speedy reconciliation of notorious offenders in which he had also the approbation of the Clergy of Rome yet if an offender had been overhastily reconciled he would not by any means make void that act of mercy thus we read that when the Bishop Therapius had given the peace of the Church to Victor the Presbyter for the Bishops were in those dayes the governours in chief if not in whole of the Ecclesiastical Communion before he had made publick satisfaction for his offence though S. Cyprian and his collegues were much troubled that he had so hastily received him into the Communion of the Church nullâ infirmitate urgente when as no dangerous sickness of his had called for a dispensation of the Canon yet they would not revoke that act of grace that had been done by Therapius but let Victor still enjoy the benefit of it thereby shewing that the true Religion though it stand much upon the exactness of Justice yet is much more delighted in the exercise of Mercy the words of S. Cyprian and his fellow Collegues met together in a Synod meerly about Church-discipline are very remarkable Sed librato apud nos diu consilio satis fuit objurgare Therapium collegam nostrum quod temerè hoc fecerit instruxisse ne quid tale de caetero faciat pacem tamen quomodocunque a sacerdote Dei semel datam non putavimus au-ferendam Cyp. Ep. 59. cum Pam. after we had taken long and full advice about this business we thought it enough to reprove Therapius our Collegue that he had done this rashly and require him to do so no more but the peace which had been given by a Priest intrusted of God to give it though given after never so ill a manner we did not think fit to take away again and therefore declare that Victor shall still enjoy the communion of the Church But what do I speak of Mercy above Justice in the true Religion when she would not call for Justice at all were it not that she might shew Mercy for thus she proceeds to deliver a sinner to Satan that she may keep him from hell as faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 5. to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus true Religion would not exercise that Justice which is for the destruction of the flesh were it not to make way for that Mercy which is for the salvation of the spirit therein resembling God himself who thrusts men away from him meerly out of the necessity of Justice but embraceth and receiveth them from his incessant desire and delight of shewing mercy CHAP. VIII The assurance we have of Religion in that it maketh us reverence and fear God ascribing the honour due unto his Name and of the ten proper Names of God collected by S. Hierome HE that is willing to expostulate with God can never be unwilling to offend him for it is impossible that man should ever be dashed out of countenance by the consideration of any sin who is resolved to justifie and maintain all his sins such a man is more fit for the School of the Peripateticks then for the School of the Prophets because he is made rather for disputation then for devotion and truly this is the chiefest reason that we can alledge for the continuance of all those grand miscarriages that are in the practise of Religion whether by way of superstition or of profaneness that men wedded to their own corrupt practises are in a manner resolved to expostulate with God rather then to comply with him 't is such a Clergy humour as this which the Prophet Malachi complaineth of Mal. 1. 6. saying unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say wherein have we despised thy Name they would needs be disputing when they should have been repenting for all this while they did neither honour God as a Father not fear him as a Master for so saith the Text a son honoureth his father and a servant his master if then I be a father where is mine honour if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name It is a foul shame for any to despise Gods Name but most especially for those who are most bound to glorifie it that is for his Priests who are peculiarly consecrated to serve God and therefore ought to be more particularly devoted to his service no man may securely contemn Religion but he least who is entrusted to teach it for what he is entrusted to teach he is much more commanded to practise and truly this is the proper work of Religion which the Prophet here cals for to glorifie the Name of God that is to honour God as a Father and to fear him as a Master for without this honour and this fear we cannot take God for God but it is the work of Religion to make man take God for God and how can that be but by acknowledging and professing his Verity Omnipotency Goodness and Excellency so that the work of Religion most especially consists in Faith Hope Charity and Reverence or holy Fear for by Faith we acknowledge Gods eternal truth or Verity by Hope his Omnipotency by Love his allsufficient Goodness and by Fear or reverence his Soveraign Majesty or supertranscendent excellency Thus he that beleeveth in God acknowledgeth God to be God because he acknowledgeth him to be the first Truth or chiefest Verity he that hopeth in God acknowledgeth God to be God because he relyeth on his Omnipotency he that loveth God with all his might acknowledgeth God to be God because he taketh him for the chiefest good being wholly satisfied with his allsufficiency and lastly he that feareth God with all his might acknowledgeth God to be God because he taketh him for the Soveraign Majesty or for the greatest excellency wherefore God is truly to be honoured as a Father by Faith Hope and Charity and to be honoured as a Master by Fear and Reverence and the true Religion reacheth us to honour God both as a Father and as a Master as a Father by beleeving in him for shall not a Son beleeve his Father though all others beleeve him no further then for his honesty yet his own Son is bound to beleeve him also for his authority again to honour him as a Father by hoping and expecting a blessing from him and more particularly our inheritance for as faith looks to the promise so hope looks to the thing promised and we can never look upon God too much and much less can we look for too much from him For if we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children how much more
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
to inspiration but rather advanceth it For God is with him and he shall prevail first over himself to settle his own conscience then over others to rectifie theirs O God endue thy Ministers with this righteonsness that so thou mayest make thy chosen people joyfull joyfull in the love and practise of their Allegiance that they may be joyfull in the testimony of a good Conscience knowing that no man who is bound to be subject for Conscience sake can at the same time be a bad subject and yet have a good Conscience Thus our Preacher of Allegiance and Supremacy here hath six names and not one of them but well befits both his office and his doctrine and yet he prefixeth not so much as one of them to the title of his Sermon chiefly sure to teach us that the doctrine was not of his own invention but of Gods Inspiration Like as the ancient Fathers in the first Nicene Council would not set any date under the confession of their faith lest it might be thought to be of their own making Haereticorum tantùm consuetudo erat edere professionem fidei Chronologiâ temporum consulum consignatam saith Binius in Concil Chalc. p. 416 417. edit colon so the Preacher here would not put too his own Name that he might not be thought to preach his own words and indeed the Hebrew Title of the Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly shews as much which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a he but a she Preacher that is not a Preaching man but a Preaching soul or a Preaching wisedom and such is our Preacher here a preaching soul or Conscience to himself a preaching wisedom to others or a preaching soul in setting forth humane frailties and falsities for this Book was the publick testimonial of his repentance and a preaching wisedom in setting forth the divine power and truth And according to the Preacher is the manner of his preaching which is my second general part he preacheth by a grave judicious consciencious advice or counsell I counsel thee Indeed in the Hebrew Text there is no such word expressed but yet by the propriety of that language 't is necessarily to be understood I to keep the Kings Commandment that is I warn thee or I counsell thee or I command thee to keep the Kings Commandment So Aben-ezra fills up the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning of this particle I saith he is this I warn and counsell thee or I command thee And since King Solomon was a most notorious sinner before he was this Preacher or Preaching soul or Preaching wisedom we may thus gloss upon his words First I warn thee as my self a sinner sent to preach to my self and others there 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek Title Secondly I counsell thee as a Preaching soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pouring out mine own conscience Thirdly I command thee as a Preaching wisedom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 setting forth Gods Truth which two last make up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew Title of this Book and all three are admirably consonant with this doctrine of Allegiance in the best times much more in these our wicked days which are the last and the worst of this wicked world the earth growing weary of it self now it is near its dissolution First I warn thee as a Preaching sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels happily can best teach us because they are Intelligences pure understanding spirits but surely men can best admonish us who have been and are under the same infirmities of the body under the same distresses of the soul Dives could say S. Luk. 16. 30. If one went unto them from the dead they will repent It is so here one from the dead comes to preach repentance one who had been so long dead in sin that he was certainly at hell-gate but the hand of an extraordinary mercy pulled him thence one whom others that looked more upon his sin then upon his repentance painted hanging betwixt heaven and hell as being doubtfull of his salvation such a one as this comes here to warn us to take heed of disloyalty and disobedience himself a sinner adviseth us to repent us of our sins that he may keep us from those plunges of conscience which himself hath sustained the memory of his own sins is grievous unto him and that makes him remember us of ours he accounts his own burden intolerable and therefore labours to diminish and lessen ours we were best give him audience here is an expertus loquor in the Text better see our sins in his admonition then in our own consciences better see them in our own consciences here to condemn us then hereafter to confound us better men shew them us in the time of mercy then God shew them us in the time of wrath Ego peccator I am a grievous sinner which have been guilty of much disloyalty and disobedience against the King of Kings my dread Soveraign Lord I warn thee to keep thy Kings Commandment and that in regard not onely of the Oath but also of the wrath of God Secondly I counsel thee as a Preaching soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its first sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I counsel thee as a Preaching soul pouring out mine own conscience that I may have some influence upon thine that Sermon comes nearest to the soul of the hearer which comes first from the soul of the Preacher In other arts the best words but in Divinity the best thoughts are the most powerfull Oratory Conscience is the best Eloquence the most perswasive arguments are neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the affection of the hearer nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the excellency of the speech but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the conscience of the speaker God having spoken to the Preachers conscience makes him speak to the consciences of those that hear him nor is there a greater curse upon earth then an hypocritical Ministery that pretend zeal of Religion and want integrity of Righteousness for if the Shepherd be smitten the sheep will be scattered S. Mat. 26. 31. if hypocrisie get into the Pulpit 't is no wonder to finde it in the pew If the Clergy once place Religion in fine words and fair pretences no wonder if the Laity forsake all Religion to seek after a Reformation Therefore our Saviour first saith ye hypocrites to the Scribes and Pharisees and after that to the common people S. Mat. 15. 7 8. Ye hypocrites well did Isaiah prophesie of you you Doctours of the Law that give false expositions upon the fifth Commandment v. 5. 6. and prefer your Corban before your Obedience Isaiah did first prophesie of you that were the seducers and after that of them who were seduced by you saying truly of both but primarily of you this people draweth nigh unto me with their
the reason that so many men daily fall from the profession of the faith but meerly a twofold ignorance though they pretend to knowledge one of themselves another of their Saviour They are ignorant of themselves know not their spiritual state or condition know not when they are on the mount when they are called to the state of grace and therefore say not with Saint Peter Lord it is good for us to be here And they are ignorant of their Saviour acknowledge him not as the Captain of their salvation or they would never forsake his colours they look no further then the outworks of Religion look not into the foundation of it for if they did they would be unmoveable the foundation moves not no more can he be moved that sticks and cleaves to the foundation O thou which art the way the truth and the life the way wherein we should walk the truth to direct our goings and the life to reward us at our journeys end Forgive us our strayings and straglings out of thy way direct us in thy truth and never leave directing us till thou bring us to everlasting life to bless praise thee our most mercifull Redeemer with the Father and the holy Ghost world without end Amen Thus we see the necessity of being constant in our Christian profession if we will either hear St. Pauls doctrine or follow his example Let us in the next place observe the substance of that profession that we may be unshaken and unmoveable in our constancy For Religion is best when it comes nearest God as having holiness from his purity and peace from his unity so also having duration and perseverance from his enternity Accordingly St. Pauls Religion depends altogether on God and therefore in the profession and practice of his Religion we are sure to meet with nothing but with unquestionable true godliness for the substance of his profession is twofold professio cultûs professio fidei a profession of worship so worship I a profession of faith beleeving all things c. Concerning his worship it is evident he had the true Religion for he worshipped God and he had also the ancient Religion for he worshipped the God of his fathers His Religion was the true Religion in modo colendi in objecto cultûs in the manner of his worshipping and in the object of his worship First in the manner of his worshipping for it was with great fear and reverence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he which is a word derived from much trembling but whether it be so in the word or no is not material it must be so in the thing for it is the very nature of true Religion to fear God and therefore the one is expressed and explained by the other Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him if there be no fear there can be no service if there be no reverence there can be no Religion Unless the Centurion and they that were with him had feared greatly they had never honoured Christ by saying truly this was the Son of God S. Mat. 27. 54. A Religion without fear cannot pierce the heart to make room for God much less open the mouth to glorify him and therefore the prophet Jeremy calling upon the Jews to return to their Religion labours to fill their hearts with the fear of God Jer. 5. 22. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence Secondly St. Pauls Religion was also the true Religion in objecto cultûs in the object of his worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I worship God Divineiy S. Aug. Quod colit summus angelus id colendum ab homine insimo what is worshipped by the highest angel that is to be worshipped by the lowest man angels then are fellow-worshippers with men not objects of their worship And as it is with Adoration so also with Invocation for they both alike tend to the acknowledgement of the Supremest excellency the one by Deed the other by Word the one by bowing to his Majesty the other by calling upon his Mercy And Bellarmine himselfe confesseth That the Invocation of Saints was no part of the Old Religion in the Old Testament because saith he the Patriarchs and Prophets before Christs death were not admitted immediately into glory In carceribus inferni detinebantur But is it not safer to say that Invocation being the highest honour we can give may not be given save onely to the most Highest by the Religion either of the old or of the new Testament for there is neither precept nor example nor promise for the Invocation of any but of God alone in all the book of God so that we cannot Invocate either Saint or Angel in Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And if our Prayers be turned into sin which was a curse prophetically intended onely against the person of Iudas for betraying our blessed Saviour Psa. 109. v. 7. nor can we have share in the curse unless we have a share in the treachery I say if our prayers be turned into sin what shall we do to pray for the forgiveness of our sins if so be that we still sin in praying So neerly doth it concern all Christians to be sure that their Religion be as St. Pauls was true in the Object of their worship And by the same reason that his Religion was the true it was also the ancient Religion Doceant Adamum Sabbatizâsse was an excellent challenge against those who maintained the morality of the Jewish Sabbath Let them shew it was a part of Adams Religion or they will never be able to prove it ought to be a part of ours for the same religion that saved him must save us if it be the truest it will appear to the first so is it here with S. Pauls religion as it was the true so was it also the ancient Religion for he worshipped the God of his fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patrio Deo meo saith the vulgar Lat. My Fathers God and my God whereby he had both the credit and the comfort of his Religion First S. Paul had the credit of his Religion that it had been tryed by so long experience for so many years together and had justified it self in that tryal Religion like an aged-man requiring our esteem by being gray-headed and that practice of godliness being most venerable which is likest God in being the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 9. And we of this Church of England can have no better plea for our selves and ought not to use a worse then to say that our Religion is the same Religion with our Fathers though not the same Superstition with it wherein they had left their first Fathers the Apostles and the Primitive Christians therein onely have we left them for we profess with those Holy men Ezra 5. 11. We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and build the house that
quia nondum expertus eram vel quantum mali eorum auderet impunitas vel quantum eis in melius mutandis conferre possit diligentia Disciplinae and indeed this course then pleased me not because I had not yet seen the experiment either how much mischief their uncurbed licentiousness would produce or how much the diligence of a severe discipline would conduce to their amendment so St Augustine and yet all this while the coaction or compulsion doth in truth reach no farther then to conformity and order it reacheth not to Religion which can no more be driven into the hearts of hypocrites by the power of the lawfull Magistrate then it can be driven out of the hearts of true beleevers by the outragious persecutions of Tyrants and Atheists so that we must conclude that though none are more exposed to violence then religious and godly men for he that would needs make his beloved Son perfect with sufferings will not make his unworthy servants perfect without them yet Religion it self is wholly exempted from all violence being the Queen Regent of heaven and earth to give commands both to angels and men but to receive commands of neither CHAP. VII The assurance we have of Religion for that it resembles God in his attributes of Justice Grace and Mercy IN the last place we come to the attributes of God which are as it were external perfections belonging to him in regard of his creature though not to be truly and fully known from our creation but from our redemption for no one attribute of God is rightly understood by those who are not of the Church of God not his Justice for they know not God in himself that he is of purer eyes then to look on iniquity not his Mercy for they know not God in his Son in whom alone he sheweth mercy not his Wisdome for they know not God in his word the fountain of all true wisdome not his Truth for they know not God in his promises and cannot say he is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. 23. and so of the rest they that are not of Gods Church cannot know his attributes because they are not to be known from our creation but from our redemption and they that are most truly of Gods Church that is to say non numerò sed meritò as Aquinas hath distinguished not onely by outward profession but also by inward affection do most truly understand Gods Attributes they clearly see the severity of his Justice requiring a full satisfaction for sin they clearly see the goodness of his Mercy accepting of satisfaction from his Son when he could not have it from his servant they clearly see that vast Wisdome which found out this way to save man when he was lost and they clearly see that unchangeable Truth which both calls and brings him to salvation But I will follow my former method and insist onely on the chief Attributes to which the rest have relation and may therefore have reduction and these Attributes are three Justice Grace and Mercy Justice whereby he renders to every man according to his works Grace whereby he freely gives what is wanting to us and Mercy whereby he freely forgives what is due unto himself these I say belong to God in relation to the creature for though his Iustice flow from his Truth yet he could not shew that justice either in punishing or in rewarding were there not a creature to be punished or rewarded so likewise his Grace in giving and Mercy in forgiving though they flow from his Goodness and his Liberty which they deny who will not let him have mercy on whom he will have mercy yet he could neither shew his Grace in giving nor his Mercy in forgiving were there not an indigent creature to want his giving and a sinfull creature to want his forgiving The first of these Attributes is Iustice which we must first contemplate in God and then in Religion as it is his service God is just by universal and by particular Iustice First By universal Iustice and that in two respects both in regard of himself as willing and doing all manner of right Shall not the judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. and also in regard of us being the rule of all justice in man Ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement 2 Chron. 19. 6. Secondly God is just by particular Iustice retributing to every man according to his works Rom. 2. 6. who shall render to every man according to his works and v. 5. the day of judgement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of Gods righteous judgement because it is all one in him to judge and to judge righteously thus did S. Chrysostome qualifie the mistake or rather rectifie the abuse which was in some inconsiderate men from Gods decree of election Thou sayest that God hath predestinated and I say that God is a righteous judge and will reward thee according to thy deservings But 't is objected against Gods universal justice that he commanded some things contrary to his own Law as Abraham to slay Isaac and the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians the one against the sixth the other against the eighth commandment 'T is answered by some Divines Generali derogans speciali voluntate that God did in these cases derogate from his general will by his special will but we may not easily approve this answer because Gods will cannot clash with it self and therefore he may not be said to command that by his special which he forbids by his general will and consequently God in commanding Abraham to kill his son did not make murder lawfull but made that killing no murder by passing upon Isaac the sentence of death and commanding the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians did not make it lawfull to rob and steal but made that spoiling no robbery since he who was Lord of all had translated the right of property and this is most acutely dicussed by the Master of subtilties Scotus in lib. 1. sent dist 44. Quando in potestate agentis est Lex rectitudo Legis potest tale agens ordinatè rectè agere aliter quà m Lex illa dictat quia non subest illi Legi sic ejus potentia absoluta non est inordinata When the Law and the justice of the Law are both in the power of the agent we need not then fear any obliquity in the action whether he act by his ordinary or by his absolute power for if by his ordinary power he act not according to the law by his absolute power he can make the law to be in that case no law and where there is no law there is no transgression this rule being allowed which cannot be denied we shall little need to patronize Gods justice in commanding Abraham to kill his son who was guilty of death nor yet in delivering over his own Son to the death of the cross who knew
all even as the first cause hath a stronger influence then the second and all that come after it Will you then ask me why God rewards the best of men the righteous far above their deserts 't is because his mercy first made them men to be capable of righteousness and made them righteous to be capable of reward and that being the first cause must needs have the strongest influence Will you ask me again why God doth not reward the worst of men impenitent sinners according to their ill deservings I must answer again 't is the same mercy because that was the first cause of the creation and therefore cannot but have the strongest influence upon the creature and consequently though his justice do as it were force him to punish for his law must be satisfied either by our active or by our passive obedience yet his mercy will not let him punish to the utmost and hence comes in the citra condignum in the Schools that even the damned in hell shall be punished much less then they have deserved If you ask me in the third place why God forgives so much sin in the best of sinners the true penitents that he may discharge them from all punishment you must still be contented with the same answer for 't is nothing but mercy which having been the first cause of his working will have the greatest preeminence and the strongest influence amongst all his works nay over them all as saith the Psalmist his mercy is over all his works Ps. 145. 9. Deusnon miseretur nisi propter amorem in quantum amat nos tanquam aliquid sui saith the same angelical Doctour Gods mercy is from his love and his love is from himself he sheweth us mercy because he loveth us and he loveth us because he seeth something of himself in us nothing else being truly good and lovely in us but what the fountain of goodness and love hath made so and hence it comes to pass that where is the most of God there is also the most of mercy where is most of his image either by the first righteousness that of innocency or by the second righteousness that of repentance there also is most of his love there is some of his love towards the worst men because there is some of his image in them which they had by their creation but there is very much of his love towards the best men because there is very much of his image in them which they have from their sanctification We are all dull of our apprehensions and cannot easily discern Gods mercies by a right valuation but more dull of our affections and will not easily profess and acknowledge them by our thankfulness but the Apostle whose eyes were opened to discover whose heart was opened to perceive whose mouth was opened to express the goodness of God towards men breaketh forth into this great exclamation but greater admiration for us all O altitudo divitiarum O the depth of the riches who hath first given unto him and it shall be recompenced again Rom. 11. 33 35. here in the words is mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the thing is made good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sigure notorious in Rhetorick for want of words and so called because the latter clause of the sentence doth not contribute or give its part to make up the full sense as Exo. 32. 31. If thou wilt forgive their sin S. Luk. 13. 9. if it bear fruit where nothing more is said to make up a perfect sense but the rest is left to be understood from the silence of the speaker this figure is notorious in Rhetorick the very art of speaking meerly for want of speech but 't is much more notorious in Divinity the art of doing meerly for want of deeds for if when we have done all we are unprofitable servants what shall we say of our selves that we can do nothing this is indeed a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for here is nothing to be given back again God hath given us all but we can give him nothing and that he might be sure to leave nothing ungiven he hath given us him who is all in all he hath given us himself in our creation he hath given us his Son in our redemption he hath given us his holy Spirit in our sanctification but who either first or last hath given unto God and it shall be recompenced unto him again If we give any thing to him 't is but what we first received from him and we cannot give that so entirely as we received it it came better to us then it can return from us so that we must needs confess all that is given is given onely on one side without any the least recompence on the other and consequently none of Gods gifts to man can properly come under the consideration much less under the claim of justice but all of them flow from the inexhausted fountain of his free and undeserved mercy by this mercy alone it is that he willeth our salvation and hath given us his oath that he wills it As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Ezek. 33. 11. which made the ancient Father fall into a rapture and break forth into this exclamation O nos soelices quorum causa jurat Deus O miserrimos si ne juranti quidem Deo credimus O happy we for whose sakes God hath been pleased to swear O most unhappy if we do not beleeve him upon his oath by this mercy alone it is that he inviteth us to repentance the onely means of salvation that in his invitation he condescendeth to our infirmities and beareth with our delays by this mercy alone it is that upon our repentance he actually delivereth us from the bondage of sin and Satan working that deliverance by his Son and sealing it by his holy Spirit and that altogether freely that is to say so far without our good deservings as above them so far with our ill deservings as against them so saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus what did we do for Christ that he hath redeemed us what can we do for God that he should justifie us It is reasonable that we first shew what we have done towards our redemption before we presume to boast what we can do towards our justification Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit saith the Psalmist thereby shewing that the salvation he beseecheth God to restore unto him is as free as the Spirit whereby he restores it Eodem modó retinetur quo acquiritur no more merit is to be pleaded for our retaining of Gods Spirit then was for our first receiving him the Spirit was free when he first laid hold on us and is as free now he still upholds
this attribute of mercy we that have been the sinners are the greatest sharers and therefore I dare not say it is an errour of charity to assert that the Blessed Virgin had no sin to be forgiven her I may say it is an errour for it is against the Text Death passed upon all for that all had sinned Rom. 5. 12. nay I may say it is in some sort an uncharitable errour against the charity that is due to the blessed Virgin for though this doctrine may seem to adde to her honour yet it must needs detract and diminish from her joy since her self hath proclaimed these words My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and we know what his salvation was whom she calls her Saviour even that which gave him his name Jesus S. Mat. 1. 21. which was to save his people from their sins so that if she had no sin how could she have this Jesus for her Saviour and I dare not say that she had him not for her Saviour when I see her so rejoycing in his salvation wherefore the errour must be contented to go without the charity for there is no charity in denying the mother of God the greatest interest in God the interest in his mercy no charity in denying the mother of our Saviour the best interest in her own Son the interest in his salvation I dare not then exclude the blessed Virgin out of that number of which S. Paul hath spoken these words Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you and can but wonder that some who have phansied her more tender-hearted then Christ himself should ascribe so much tender-heartedness to so little need of forgiveness for it is not unknown to travellers that in some Christian Churches where this doctrine of the Immaculate conception is maintained our blessed Saviour is pictured as one ready to pursue and smite the sinner when as his mother is pictured as one ready to shelter and to receive him which false representation seems to have proceeded from as false an imagination broached by Gabriel upon the canon of the Mass Lect. 8. Sibi reservavit justitiam Virgini Mariae concessit misericordiam there being two principal boons of the heavenly kingdome justice and mercy the King of heaven hath reserved the justice to himself but the mercy he hath bestowed on the blessed Virgin 't is very unsound and unsafe divinity that robs the King of Saints of the fairest slower in his Crown to make a garland for his mother but besides the unsoundness and unsafeness whereby it may destroy us there is also in it some unreasonableness whereby it destroys it self for all inclination to mercy in the creature is meerly from receiving it as in the Creatour meerly from giving it God being mercy in himself at first hath mercy because he will have mercy and at last will have mercy because he hath had mercy on us so that in him giving or shewing mercy is the onely cause of mercy because he cannot repent him of his own gifts but man being misery in himself learns to shew mercy by having first received it and continues to shew mercy because he still expects it so that in him receiving mercy is the onely cause of shewing mercy for that he will not be unthankfull to God for the free gift of his mercy wherefore this supposition that the Blessed Virgin needed no mercy cannot be agreeable with this position that she is most ready to shew mercy unless we will grant a non sequitur in the Apostle who thus argues concerning Christ himself the onely fountain of mercy as God to give it the onely channel of mercy as men to derive and to convey it that because he was tempted in all points as we are therefore he is the more to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4. 15. And the same doctrine which he preacheth concerning the head he enforceth concerning the members advising them therefore to forgive because they had been forgiven therefore to be kinde tender-hearted to their brethren because God for Christs sake had been kinde and tender-hearted to them he maketh choice of the best Topick that can be for an argument to perswade them to mercy even the infinite and undeserved mercies of God the Father Son and holy Ghost Forgive one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you here are the two first persons of the most holy blessed and glorious Trinity and if we look back upon the 30. verse we may see the third person and grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption how shall they not grieve that holy Spirit even by doing what follows in the next words v. 31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kinde one to another c. this bitterness and malice least grieves your spirits but it most grievs Gods Spirit which cannot enter into a malicious soul and much less will dwell there wherefore you must put away all bitterness wrath and anger if you would have this heavenly guest come into your souls and you must keep them away if you would have him make any stay and abode when he is come the Apostle reckons up three several kindes or degrees of that fury which opposeth and grieveth Gods holy Spirit the first is bitterness a light distaste or dislike of the minde the second is wraths a violent commotion and disaffection of the heart both these contain themselves within doors and are to be rectified not by Aristotle's but by Christs Ethicks which alone reach to the inward man the third is anger an outward exorbitant passion that expresses it self in clamour and evil speaking and malicious doing not one of these but is against some act of true mercy and accordingly the Apostle prescribes three acts of mercy which will expell them all for first he requires us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benigni kinde or courteous that 's against the bitterness in the distaste or dislike of the minde Secondly he requires us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misericordes tender-hearted or mercifull that 's against the wrath the strong inward impression of anger in the heart Thirdly he requires us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donantes or condonantes forgiving or pardoning that 's against the anger or fury the outward expression of exorbitant passion either in our words or works and as a sufficient motive to all this notwithstanding it is so contrary to flesh and bloud he onely wills us to consider how much kindness tender-heartedness and forgiveness we have all found from God and then we shall never think it much to be kinde and tender-hearted and to forgive one another and to this motive though enough of it self we may further adde another argument for we have need of arguments more then enough to confute
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