heresie denied the resurrection of the bodies as you may observe in the 15. Chapter some would defile the Christian doctrine with Judaicall Superstitions which some false Doctours would introduce in the Church as necessary to salvation moreover they would infect the doctrine of the Gospel with the prophanations of the Gentiles as it appears by the 8. and 10. Chapter Concerning the Discipline and government of the Church some there were among the Corinthians who would not have any desiring to live according to their own minds that they might give themselves to all licentiousness without any reprehension or correction which prevailed so far that the Church of Corinth did bear with the whoremongers drunkards and contentious which gave our Apostle occasion to write the 5. and 6. Chapters of our Epistle to extinguish that monster of licentiousness As for the Ceremonies there was division in the Church for among the Corinthians some would not submit themselves unto the performance of them as you may see in our Chapter where you must observe that the divisions of the Corinthians were not about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ nor about heresie which everteth the doctrine but about the manner of preaching and praying and about the manner of receiving the holy Sacrament Concerning the first the contention was about the covering of the head as if we should now dispute about a hat and a coife for men and women had engaged themselves in that division According to the custome of the Corinthians as well as to that of the Church of England the men were to be uncovered as well during the Sermon as during the prayers and women as now they are were to be covered as you may see by the 4. and 5. verses of our Chapter where we may very well take praying and prophesying actively and passively actively for those that pray and preach and passively for those that joyn their vows and prayers with him that prayeth as those that are present at the hearing of him that preacheth so that not onely he that did preach according to the custome of the Church of Corinth was to be uncovered but those also that were present at the hearing of the Sermon but some lovers of divisions would not submit to that custome Some men covered themselves in the holy Assemblies and some women were uncovered which S. Paul hearing of endeavoureth to instruct them about these things shewing them the lawfulness of that custome which the Church had thought fit to be observed by both Sexes in their publick and holy meetings from the 6. ver to the 16. ver For the manner of receiving the holy Sacrament be it standing or kneeling the Apostle leaves it to the custome and ordering of the Church that such things might be established not by the common people but by the Ecclesiastical Superiours for these injunctions belong onely to them as being sub potestate ordinis under the power of order which is insinuated in the 1 Corinth 14. at the last verse Let all things be done that is by the Ecclesiastical Superiours decently and in order but if these injunctions regard the Ecclesiastical Superiours know ye also that the Ecclesiastical corrections for the prophanation of the Lords Supper belong to their persons as it appeareth by our Text I hear that there be divisions among you which hath relation to the following verses where the Apostle condemns the profanation of the Corinthians against the holy Sacrament And indeed it was very sit for the Apostle to condemn their profanation which was committed in their banquets of charity which were kept in the Church before the participation of the Sacrament for it came to pass soon after the institution of these banquets that the rich men that were at the expences of them would not tarry for the poor and so the rich were drunk and the poor hungry as the Apostle speaks in the 21 ver of our Chapter the rich man came to the Sacrament without reverence being in that sinfull and shamefull condition and the poor discontented for as I have said these banquets were kept in the Church before the reception of the holy Sacrament although soon after the Apostles time that custome was changed and these banquets kept after its celebration as it appears by Tertul. Apolog. for the Christians and Chrysostome in moral homil 27. their prophanation then caused divisions in the Church and disorder among the Christian Corinthians which obligeth the Apostle Paul to write and say I hear that there be divisions among you But brethren if all these things which I have mentioned were among the Corinthians give me leave to tell you without offence that the same things are to be found among us who have desiled the glorious Church of England as the Corinthians did the eminent Church of Corinth it was that Ecclesiastical monster of division that spoiled it when it did appear against doctrine discipline and Ceremonies and it is that monster that is yet ready to ruine that glorious Church which as a Phoenix is newly born of her ashes consider I beseech you the divisions which are yet entertained amongst us and you shall see that they regard the Doctrine Discipline and Ceremonies for heresie reigneth yet in England Socinians Anabaptists Quakers and Millenaries with others appear in great number and with a damnable considence endeavour to corrupt and desile the Evangelical doctrine that they may insinuate and scatter their errours and heresies among the poor Christian people licentiousness appeareth too much in this Kingdom we are willing to give our selves to all the corruptions of the world but we are not willing to be reproved for our sins we slatter our selves in our iniquities and wickedly make use of the Christian liberty to maintain our rebellion as for Schism it is too well known in this Countrey and I wish as my duty with my affection to this Nation obligeth me that that monster might be hated of all and that those that have been contentious might quietly return into the Church let them consider that those things which they trouble the Church for touch not the substance and body of Religion but onely the circumstances of it and they shall learn of our Apostle to hate divisions for saith he speaking about these things to the Corinthians if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God and to correct their irregularities about the holy Sacrament I hear that there be divisions among you which shews the contentious that schism about Ceremonies leads to prophanation about other things and to heresie if it be not stayed but behold there are some monsters that appear unto me black and obscure coming from the dark prison of the prince of the air the God of this world and that is pride with many other daughters of hell which you shall see in the second part of my Text. The second Part. As pride made division between God and the Angels that are now devils
ὉΒΆΣΑÎΟΣ ΤΣ ἈΛΗΘΕΊΑΣ OR THE TOUCH-STONE OF TRUTH WHEREIN VERITY by Scripture and Antiquity is plainly confirmed and ERROUR confuted Delivered in certain SERMONS Preached in English by JAMES Le FRANC B.D. and Minister of the French Church in Norwich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen cont Cels lib. 1. Qui veritatem occultat qui mendacium prodit uterque reus est ille quia prodesse non vult Iste quia nocere desiderat August lib. de Agon Christian Ephes 4.25 Putting away lying let every man speak truth CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University 1662. TO THE Right Honourable and truly Noble HORATIO Lord TOWNSHEND Baron of Linn Regis Lord Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk c. All Prosperity and Peace My Lord HAving not long since undertook to vindicate the eminent and glorious Church of England from the Errors and Superstitions of the Church of Rome to blot out the false aspersions which the Enemies of the Church and Nation put upon the Liturgy and Rights which she observes in the publick and sacred Worship of God I could not choose among the Nobility of this Countrey a fitter Person then your Honour to patronise that Work I know though unknown to you the rare qualities and commendable vertues of your Honour they being scattered abroad by your glorious fame I am not ignorant what a Noble and Loyal Subject the Great though Exiled Monarch of England had in your most generous Person when all things were in confusion amongst us and Subjects rebellious to their King I have often heard that the Sequestred Clergy found a Protection and Refuge under your eminent goodness as your Ancestours as well as your Honourable Person received with all affection strangers nay all those that were faithfull to his Majesty our Gracious Monarch whom God preserve were welcome to your Honour Your Lordship was not afraid to venture both life and Estate to serve so excellent and incomparable a Prince because it was your glory nay more then that the glorious fame of your merits tels me that your care was to preserve the Church as well as the State you did strengthen the afflicted members of the Church of England that they might keep close to their Mother and now the chiefest of your Lordships Enterprises clearly appears to be the bringing of the discontented people of this Nation to a better understanding that they may be united with those that do sincerely honour the King and acknowledge their mother the Church of England under the government of their pious and most reverend Bishops pardon me then my Lord if I have assumed the boldness to present your Honour with a Vindication of the Church our Mother whom to protect was your great ambition from the errours and superstitions of the Church of Rome where I have had my Education for as I am not the first who have adventured a Dedication to so Noble a Person to whom the Authour is unknown so I thought I might do this and perhaps without offence to your Lordship seeing the incomparable goodness of your most Honourable Person assures me of your kinde acceptance and makes me confident that you will not reject a stranger who wisheth you all prosperity and happiness and further demands that favour to be My Lord Your Honours most humble Servant James Le Franc. A Preparatory Advertisement to the READER Courteous Reader WHen I made these Sermons I had no thought to print them not onely because I am a stranger and not well vers'd in the English tongue but because I did judge them not worthy to appear to the publick seeing that my young capacity is but weak and not fit to appear to the eyes of so ingenious and learned a Nation but the urgent request of some of my friends and specially the calumny which some enemies of the truth cast upon the first Sermon which is in vindication of the Church of England from the errours and superstitions of the Church of Rome prevailed so much upon me that I could not but give them to the Press Indeed having such enemies that openly and secretly vilifie my Ministry by reason of that Sermon which I gave to bring the contentious to union I cannot but vindicate my self from their false aspersions for I had no other intention in the Preaching of it then to take away the errours of the common people to bring them to a better understanding and make them leave their blinde and proud leaders that they may come to their mother the Church of England which their divisions had spoiled and most shamefully defiled As for the other Sermons which I caused with the first to be printed by the request of my friends I give them to inform not the learned men but the common people that they may see the spiritual silence by which the sons of God cease from the works of the Prince of darkness the reall presence of Christ in the holy Sacrament against the Transubstantiation of the Church of Rome and Consubstantiation of the Lutherans the spiritual reign of our Saviour against the Millenaries Monarchical Kingdom and the Celestial meat of God that they may seriously consider the great mystery of our Redemption by which their and our sins are blotted out through the precious bloud of Jesus Christ And if any contentious man will critically question or enviously quarrel at my undertaking be you Courteous Reader so far my Advocate as to plead in my behalf that it is not my ambition to be exposed publick to the world being of a mean capacity but to be accepted of my friends and especially as much as lay in my power to procure some good to the Church and Nation of England which I am so much engaged to I know that in this present conjuncture of time the matter treated of in the Sermons I give you is necessary to be known and specially the first which I hope will make many confess their errours that caused divisions in the most eminent Church of England whom I wish to stand for ever safe upon the ground and foundation of the Apostles Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour James Le Franc. S. Pauls Reproof OR A Vindication of the Church of England from the Errours and Superstitions of the Church of Rome Delivered in a Sermon preached at Great S. Peters Church in Norwich 1 COR. 11.18 I hear that there be divisions among you WHen I did consider the hard usages and tedious alterations of this Nation where all things were in confusion the right being perverted injustice erected and the Church persecuted I could not but lament such a deplorable condition but when I look upon that happy change which gives a new face unto this people and brings all things to its order I must sincerely confess that it is Gods admirable work for brethren you see that which to me and many others seemed impossible you see our gracious Prince set upon his Throne which his Majesty by the space of
shall leave to them by that you see how the Church of England differeth from the Church of Rome the Liturgy from the service of the Mass in its matter form and manner of its celebration But me thinks that I hear some of the factious say whatsoever you say there is something of the Mass in the Liturgy of the Church of England and much of the Breviary which is a Book different from that of the Mass to which I answer that there is nothing of the corrupted service of the Mass and if there be something in the Liturgy which is observed and said with the Mass and read in the Breviary I say that in is what is good and what was observed in the Christian Primitive Church leaving what was not good to the Church of Rome and her superstitious inventions Conclusion and Application Now let us conclude with Application and to remove the divisions which are now in the Land let us be of one minde and of one perswasion that we may see this Kingdom flourish in peace and truth for if divisions cause such disorders and confusions in States Families and Churches as you your selves by sad experience know you will confess with me that union cannot but bring peace and procreate good order unto them for union conserveth the kingdoms of the earth keeps families in awe and preserveth the Churches of God from schism licentiousness and heresie you know that the God of heaven is a God of union who hateth division which destroyeth his works of nature and that of his grace in which appeareth an admirable and inexplicable union for by the work of his grace our blessed Saviour united unto God those who were divided from him by their iniquities and by that gracious work earth is united with heaven and men with Angels Then let us all that are here present embrace that vertue and daughter of heaven union which leads us to the God of order all the sacred Scripture preacheth nothing else but union and as our Apostle Paul exhorteth unto it the Corinthians so do I exhort you all unto union and beseech you with him by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same things and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement 1 Cor. 1.10 and do not tell me that your conscience cannot bear with those things which are imposed upon you for if you seriously consider the occasions of our fatal divisions you will finde them to be no sufficient occasions examine without partiality your reasons and I am sure that you will not finde any sufficient argument for your division for all that you can plead will appear to be under some of those monsters pride envy ignorance or obstinacy do not say in your selves I have so much spoken against these circumstantial things that I do not know how I shall submit my self again to these orders and injunctions for besides you have the commandment of an August Parliament which you must submit unto let me tell you that such considerations proceed from the devil the god of this world and the Prince of division who doth what he can to hinder the glorious union which we hope the great God of heaven will give unto this Nation to the glory of his great Name and the advancing of the spiritual kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ Let us repent brethren in the consideration of our sins which brought these disorders in this kingdom it is no shame before God and angels and men but rather a commendation and glory let men say what they will but regard not what they say obey God the King and the Church but let your obedience be sincere and without hypocrisie otherwise you keep the divisions in your hearts which will break out at the first occasion Consider these things with an impartial eye and I am sure that you will endeavour to banish out of this Nation that horrible and bloudy monster of division and that for the circumstances and the garments of Religion you will not embroil this glorious kingdom with new wars and spoil the Church of God to give way to all schismaticks and hereticks who arise from the ruine of the Church I could go yet further in the representation of the disorders which are caused by contentious persons but I will not any longer trespass on your patience for I will finish my discourse at this time desiring that the peace of God which passeth all understanding may keep your hearts and minde from schism licentiousness and heresie Amen TO THE Right Honourable and Vertuous THOMAS Lord RICHARDSON Baron of Cramond c. All happiness and Peace Right Honourable IF Presents ought to be worthy of those to whom we present them I must ingeniously confess that it is in vain for me to offer your Lordship any thing being deprived of that eminent capacity and indeed persons of quality and eminency as your Honour is must not expect such presents from their inferiours yet Noble Sir I hope you will receive that which I present here to your Lordship I confess it is something presumptuous in me to make use of your Name to ennoble my Sermon unto others but I am perswaded that the most excellent courtesie which shineth in your most noble Person will excuse a stranger nay will suffer me to present you with a heavenly silence where you may see the fatal Eclipse of the Church of God under the bloody persecutions of its enemies with her happiness and prosperity at the cessation of her afflictions but specially the great mystery of our redemption that procures unto angels and men a profound silence of admiration for I am not ignorant that your Lordship takes a singular pleasure at such celestial meditations your most vertuous person being perswaded that not onely the poor but the rich also are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and obliged to give silence to all the sinfull motions of our corrupted nature and indeed your great charity towards the poor members of our blessed Saviour and singular affection to the Clergy is a sufficient token of that verity nay an example to draw others to the imitation of the noble daughter of heaven vertue and force the most profane to abandon vice that monstrous child of hell I could say much more of the singular vertues which nature and grace have adorned your Lordship with nay of your singular affection to the great Monarch of England and the Church but that would prove needless it being so manifest to all that therefore which I shall say for the present if you will grant me that liberty is that I am My Lord Your Honours most humble Servant James Le Franc. The Churches Spiritual Silence Delivered in a Sermon Preached at the Cathedral in Norwich REVEL 8.1 There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour AS in difficult and obscure things we do
world from thence came the Scythians Tartarians and other Barbarians from thence came the Hunnians Vandals and Goths and therefore it is not without reason that those people are said to be as the sand of the sea in the latter end of the 8. ver of our chapt for they have supplied the world with almost an infinite number of people which caused some Learned men to say that the North was the shop of all Nations from thence come also Turks who by violence took away the Saracenical Empire as for Gog you know that it is the proper name of one of Joels sons of the posterity of Reuben 1 Chron. 5.4 who inhabited Eastward and filled the Little Asia with his posterity which was called Gog. But these Nations which came from Gog and Magog having degenerated from their ancestours became cruel enemies unto the people of God as you see by Ezech. 38. and from thence the Scripture speaks of Gog and Magog to represent the open and secret enemies of the Christian Church as you see by the 8. ver of our Chapter with a part of the 9. ver which shews us that those Nations Gog and Magog compassed about the Camp of the Saints to sight them then we cannot but understand the Turks by Magog and the Pontificial Tyranny with the cruelty of the Sectaries by Gog as for Magog from Miggag revealed and discovered it becomes well the Turks for they are manifest enemies of Jesus Christ and open persecutours of his poor members they publickly esteem Mahomet that grand Impostour the son of the Prince of darkness before our Lord and Saviour who is the Son of God and prefer their Alcoran full of Gentilism Judaism and Arianism compiled by men of impiety before the sacred Scripture inspired by the holy Ghost the essential piety as for Gog let me tell you that it becomes well the tyranny of the Church of Rome with the cruelty of the Sectaries for Gog from Gag is the same as covered and hidden which is very fit for them for they cover and hide their tyranny and cruelty under the cloak of Religion professing one Jesus Christ and him crucified when they crucifie and hand the true members of our Saviour in all their wicked designes they pretend the good of the Church when they rend and defile it and so by a damnable hypocrisie cover all their profanations and wickednesses as you have in this Realm beheld with your eyes where the Jesuites with the Sectaries erected a black Tribunal for a most pious and Christian King and his faithfull Subjects under a pretext of a good Conscience And indeed as Gog did degenerate from his Predecessour Jacob and his father Joel who with humility and reverence adored the Almighty God of Israel and followed his orders so did the Church of Rome with the Sectaries degenerate from their Ancestours who acknowledged with all humility and obedience the Church of God and its orders or if you will as Gog did imitate Reuben who defiled his fathers bed so the Church of Rome with the Sectaries imitate Satan who defileth the Church of God with Schismes and heresies which makes you clearly see that the devil is loosed out of his prison and that the thousand years are expired and finished they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years not that I will say that the Saints do not now reign with Christ for I know that they do reign with him when they are his regenerated Subjects but that now they reign not with Christ with such progress as they did before the expiration of the thousand years of Satans binding for we seldom now see a true conversion or a sincere repentance of our sins but rather often obstination appears in our errours we will not change them because we defended our sins openly and so by our ambition we destroy the Church of our blessed Saviour there is no fear of God amongst us nor sincere love one to another nor charity towards our poor afflicted brethren as there was in the time of Satans binding we are as hard as Pharaoh as cruel as Cain and as profane as Esau it seems that all the Christian vertues are vanished amongst men and that all vices have took their places to give way unto the prince of darkness who is now loosed out of his prison for they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Perhaps you will tell me if the thousand years are now sinished or as you said expired at the formal manifestation of the Antichristian Jurisdiction how can it be said that Satan is loosed out for a little while or season as it is spoken in the 3. ver To that I answer and say that this may very well be said in regard of Satans eternal binding which followeth after his loosing out of his prison for a while indeed if you consider the thousand years binding of Satan I confess that his loosing out will seem a great while but if you look upon Satans eternal binding his loosing out is but a little season which makes me wonder at the Millenaries opinion who expect now a visible and earthly reign for in the expectation of such a reign they loose the spiritual kingdom of our Saviour and in their pretended happiness they may finde a true unhappiness But I will stay no longer upon that imaginary kingdom for the kingdom that I proposed unto you is a true and spiritual kingdom the kingdom of our Saviour which is of grace without which it is impossible to obtain the kingdom of glory for you know that we must first reign here in grace before we can reign hereafter in glory then let me tell you that the Saints who now reign with Christ in glory lived and reigned before with him in grace by many years for as you read in my Text and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Conclusion and Application But let us conclude with application to learn from our Text that the Saints who are actual members of our Saviour live with him in this world the life of grace the onely life of Gods children who are not born of the flesh but of the Spirit Joh. 3.6 not of corruptible but incorruptible seed the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1. Pet. 1.23 not of the prince of darkness but of the Father of lights for as we read and they lived and reigned with Christ indeed there is none but those that are light in the Lord that possess it for this spiritual life changes our darkness into light and our vices into shining vertues and makes us like unto the Sun of righteousness by the gracious brightness which the life of grace procures unto us which is a life that the Scripture cals the life of Christ because the life of grace looks on Christ as on its sacred object and its meritorious cause and by excellency the life of God not as if God were not the authour of the natural life of the