good Christians IOHN COPE A SHORT SCRVTINY AFTER RELIGION THe Poets tell of a Minerua The raritie of Religion whereby is vnderstood the knowledge of Arts and Sciences begotten of Iupiters braine The Philosophers speak of a first matter which must be part of euery thing and it selfe nothing being without forme which matter is so efficacious as nothing can bee without it and yet of it selfe so pure and simple as it is not to be found in any thing He that vndertakes to set forth Religion what it is seemes to goe about the Fiction of a Minerua or the description of a first matter for the holy Ghost who is the worker of all grace in a man may not altogether vnfitly be resembled to the brayne or conceiuing faculty of God as a man may with reuerence speake and this first matter Religion is presumed in euery man to be in himselfe and yet is not to be found perfect in any man Luke 1.28 Religion persecuted In the Euangelist Saint Luke the Angell Gabriel pronounceth the Virgin Mary to be blessed amongst women and yet examine her condition vpon earth you shall hardly find a woman more miserable at the birth of our Sauiour she had not a house to put her head in but was constrained to take vp her Lodging in a back Stable no sooner was shee deliuered of that King which was the cause why she was pronounced blessed but shee must fly to saue her Sonnes life into Egypt and all the time of our Sauiours being vpon earth was a sharer with him in his persecutions whilst here shee liued she was suspected of her best friend Ioseph of incontinency since she departed hence yea to this day is accused of sacriledge to rob God of his Worship in being praied vnto and of blasphemy to vndertake to command God to performe her own will Thus fareth it with blessed Religion when it comes into any Countrey or City it findes euery dore shut against it except it steale in at some backe dore into the heart of some poore Christian and if it make not the more speedy flight into some vnknowne Countrey or Desart Wildernesse sudden waight will be laid to cut off the very life of Religion as we see it at this day chased out of its natiue countrie of Iury and out of the seates of forraine Monarkes into an Iland or two and the confines of the earth next as it fell out with the Virgin Mary so this Religion shall bee reputed a harlot yea suspected by her owne friends and supplanted by the Strumpet of Heresie if God should not assist her and that sacriledge and blasphemy haue been euer layd to her charge will appeare by the accusations of her aduersaries Neither is good and true Religion reiected as odious impious and erronious Religion produced for the maintenance of errors but called to the patronage of all errors vicious liuers wicked practices The Papist because he holds the Catholike faith though stuffed with all manner of corruption he must be accounted Religious the Brownist because he will not endure the corruption of Church-discipline though hee forsake the Church yet he must be counted Religious the Anabaptist the Family of loue the Pelagians and all the rabble of the like Heretikes because they acknowledge Christ though neuer so full of erronious opinions yet they must be accompted religious nay the Turke that worships Mahomet the Infidels that worship the Sunne the Moone or other creatures yea some Nations that worship the Deuill himselfe for feare of him because they worshippe something though neuer so much against reason or common sence yet they account themselues to be Religious Religion the excuse of wicked liuers Tell the Drunkard that Adultery is a sinne he thankes God he is no adulterer and he is of the right Religion and he hopes it will goe well with him Tell the Oppessor that Drunkennesse and Adultery are sinnes he thankes God he is neither Drunkard nor Adulterer and he is of the right Religion and hee hopes it will goe well with him Tell the Swearer that Drunkennesse Adultery and Oppression are sinnes hee thankes God he is neither Drunkard Adulterer nor Oppressor and he is of the right Religion and he hopes it will goe well with him Tell any man of one sinne in another man that he findes himselfe not giuen ouer vnto though he liue in all other sinnes yet he hopes he is not so badde as that man that liues in that sinne and hee is of the true Religion and hopes God will be mercifull to him in Christ it will go well with him But there is a kinde of man that goes to Church vpon Sundayes receiues the Communion once a yeere at the least and that is at Easter because hereby hee hopes to goe to heauen beleeues the Articles of the Creed because he is taught so to doe that hopes God is mercifull because he lookes for a share in his mercy that sweares not but small oathes because to be a great swearer is of ill report that will not drinke extraordinary because it is chargeable that is very painefull and diligent in his calling because he desires to grow rich that keepes touch in paiment of money because he expects others should doe so to him or if they do not he will lay them as close as the Prison can keepe them that giues to the poore at his doore because he would not be hardly spoken of that hath few suites in Law because as neere as he can he will wrong no body that is either able or likely to goe to Law with him in a word he that liues the life of an ordinary ciuill man and holds himselfe to be a good Protestant And this man if you esteeme him not a religious man will thinke you doe him great wrong And yet there is another that goes beyond this ciuill man and that is hee that is vpright in his dealing for iustice sake he that is a true pay-master of his debts for honesties sake hee that is industrious for Prudence sake he that is absteynious for temperāce sake and he that is morally vertuous in any kinde which is his Religion for vertues sake who for point of faith is content with a generall beliefe as the Church beleeues and this man holds himselfe to haue climed vp to a high degree in Religion Religion the pretence of euill practices Farther what is made the colour of most sedicious bloudy wars and horrid practices but Religion As Sir Francis Bacō in his Essayes wittily obserues they bring downe the holy Ghost in sted of the likenes of a Doue in the likenes of a Vulture or Rauen out of the Barke of S. Peter set forth the flagge of a Barke of Pirates When Demetrius the Siluer-smith with all his fellow workemen found their trade like to go downe if the Gospell of Iesus Christ were receiued at Ephesus thē they cry out that the magnificēce of the great
goddesse Diana would bee destroyed Act. 19.27 And what was pretended the cause of that tumultuous sedition but the preseruation of their Religion to their great goddesse Diana Liu. in Historiâ Romanâ Existimauit Ancus Marcius quâ—niaâ— Numa in pace religiones instituisset à se bellicae ceremoniae producerentur c. Liuie in the Historie of the Romanes relates of Marcus Ancus of the Progeny of Numa and his successor that when he had receiued some iniury from the Latines as vnlawfull taking away the commodities of his Realme and holding diuers of his subiects captiue and receiuing as he thought an insolent answer vpon demand of them to be restored being minded to recouer them by warre all his labour is to find out a faire pretence and giue a faire challenge and vpon these considerations he beginnes that since his predecessor Numa had founded Religion in peace it concerned him to ground his warre vpon Religion whereupon his Ambassador being dispatched with Commission to proclaime warre Audi Iupiter ego sum pulibcus nuncius populi Romani iustè piéque venio si ego impiè illos homines dedier nuncio populi Romani mihi exposco tum Patriae compotem me nunquam sinas esse haec quicunque ei obâ—ius fuit haec portum ingrediens haec forum ingressus peragit thus runs his message Heare O Iupiter I am sent by the generall consent of the Roman people and that what I do as Ambassador is iust and religious I call thee to witnesse and if I do herein vniustly or impiously then neuer suffer me to be a man thought fit for seruice or worthy regard in my Country and these things the Legate buzzed into euery mans eare that met him thinking that when hee had made Religion the colour of his Masters warre and inuoked God that then hee might fairely denounce warre for the effecting of his particular end When the Pharises were almost ready to burst with malice against our Sauiour Christ and could finde no rest within themselues till they had committed that deuillish matchlesse and colourlesse murther vpon him for Pilate confesseth he could find no cause they pretend he was a Sabbath-breaker he was a Deuill hee was a Blasphemer he was a mouer of Sedition and these things could not be tolerated in their Religion therefore away with him crucifie him crucifie him So that here the maintenance of Religion is the cloak of this horrible fact But there are too many witnesses of later dayes before our eyes of this truth What vnsheathed the sword of so many Massacrers in France not long since to the taking away of so many Christian soules in one night They will tell you Religion What gaue boldnesse to that desperate Villaine to make his Soueraignes the late King of France his bowels the Scabberd for his poison'd dagger If he were aliue he would tell you Religion What sharpened the wits and steeled the hearts of our Englishmen lately that if there had bene a Councell called in Hell and a company of grand Diuels sent vpon earth for the executing of their designes they could not haue found out a more damnable Plot nor with greater resolution haue prosecuted it then they did the Gun-powder Treason All their excuse would be that it was in the cause of Religion What hath plucked of late the louing Husband from his Wifes tender imbraces the beloued Sonne from his Parents carefull gouernement the diligent Seruant from his Masters serious imployment and the Loyall subiect from his Kings peaceable Dominions and all from their natiue Country either to make way for their enterprises thorow the bowels of men women and children or expose themselues to vnauoydable slaughter Is it not because men pretend Religion the colour of their warre though they intend nothing but the getting of some Towne or Country So that looke into men of all nations and conditions you shall find euery man claime an interest in Religion and yet how hard a thing it is to find sincere and true Religion planted in any Nation our owne excepted or particular mans heart Wherefore it is not altogether vnexpedient for a man as well as hee may to informe himselfe what true Religion is Some will haue the word Religion to be deriued from a Latine word RÄ•lÄ•go which signifies to reade ouer againe or to remember but this seemeth not to bee so proper a deriuation because reading is an act of the tongue and conuersant aswell about falshood as truth and Religion is chiefly seated in the mind and imbraceth nothing but truth Againe for remembrance it is of somthing forepast but neuer man yet knew what belonged to Religion before it is wrought in him by the holy Ghost and therfore cannot remember that of which hee neuer had so much as a notion Farther if it should haue this former deriuation it should onely intimate a bare remembrance of a thing and no way giue light to the nature of the thing There is a word which more fitly offers it selfe and signifies in Latine Religo August de vera relig religat ergo nos vera religio vni omnipotenti Deo vnde religio dicta est to bind or tye True Religion sayes an ancient Writer doth tye vs to the onely and Almightie God and from this tying doth Religion take its name Adam had no sooner transgressed the commandement of God but takes his flight seekes shelter vnder the trees of the Garden to hide him selfe from the presence of the Lord God but when God apprehends him with his cal there is no longer keeping out Adam being arraigned and hauing receiued the sentence of his punishment hee might yet bee like to many children or seruants that when they haue once gotten a custome of running away from their Fathers or Masters they shall neuer keepe them at home without they shackle or tie them fast and therfore God to preuent this runnagacy in Adam and his posteritie hath prouided this bond of Religion to tie them fast to himselfe as the reuerend Father sayes Ierem. super nonum cap. Amos. Ecclesia est fasciculus vnâ Domini religione constrictus vnde ipsa religio à religando in fascem domini vinciendo nomen accepit The Church sayes another is a bundle tyed together with the wreath of Religion whence saies he religioÌ„ takes the name from binding Till the comming of our blessed Sauiour the Church of God was only amongst the Iewes but they when he came into the world refused subiection to him Whereupon our blessed Lord sends his Apostles throughout all the World to gather vp as it were heere a sticke and there a Christian sticke which being presented to God hee makes a bundle and tyes it vp with this wreath of Religion and so hath made himselfe a new Church and this latter word binding giues some insight into the nature of Religion which is either a binding to or a binding from a thing a binding to is a
binding to faith and obedience a binding to faith in all that is declared in Gods Word and obedience to all that is commanded by Gods Word the binding from is from all errour and heresie in point of doctrine contrary to Gods Word and from all impiety in course of life forbidden by Gods Word And this latter deriuation of the word religion seemes to make it more full for as in the word reluctation which signifies a strife or strugling there is an opposition implyed so this aduerbe re in religion doth seeme to intimate an auersenesse in the nature of man to what hee is required vnto by the Word of God Whereupon consequently followes a third tye or binding which is to repentaÌ„ce for the pronenesse of mans nature to euery thing contrary to Gods will and the wicked actions hee cannot chuse but fall into out of that naturall and depraued inclination Caluin in 23. cap. Iob. Iobus adijcit se non ab ea recessisse eo significaâ— homines semper pruâ—itis quodam deflectendi à recta via sollicitari To which purpose Caluin in his coment vpon the 23. Chapter of Iob out of Iob's resolution to walke in the way of God adding these words that he had not gone out of the same hath this obseruation that there is a certaine kind of itching desire in euery man to swerue and decline from that certaine way and therefore he had neede to be kept in with this hedge of Religion There are three words amongst others which the Grecians haue giuen to signifie Religion the one signifies right or true worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not enough to haue knowledge nor to beleeue in God though these are neuer seuered from Religion but there must be a worship and this worship must not be euerie worship but a true worship Another of these words signifies the worship of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that in this name of Religion is included a worship but not the worship of man or any other creature but the worship of God The third word is thought to take its deriuatioÌ„ from the name of the Thracians Vers 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is vsed by the Apostle in the first Chapter of Iames his Epistle But because the perfectest knowledge man can haue of any thing is from the causes thereof therefore it will not be amisse for the vnderstanding of the nature of Religion to inquire into the causes of it more at large som of which are shortly coÌ„tained in the words before Amongst causes God the efficient cause of Religion the efficient cause takes the first place as well does this efficient of Religion deserue it which was truly the first yea before the first thing in the World God was before all things Psal 19.2 so that the efficient cause and worker of true Religion either in a publike estate or priuate mans heart is no other then God himselfe God is the worker of all grace Iam. 1.17 all good giftes proceede from aboue And Saint Paul one of the master-workemen in this plantation of Religion hath these words in his Epistle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12.4 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Spirit There are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersities of operations but it is the same God that worketh all in all In Ezekiel God first vndertakes to clense them of their false religion but leaues them not there for then they were neuer the neerer but in the next words saith Ezek. 36.27 A new heart will I giue you and also a new Spirit will I put within you and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes so that God takes to himselfe the worke of framing them to true Religion and the whole Scripture is very full of proofes to this purpose There was a worthy man who out of his obseruation vpon these words of our Sauiour I am the way the truth and the life brought in Christ speaking to the Christian soule in this manner August in tract 22. Ambulare vis Ego sum via Falli non vis Ego sum veritas Mori non vis Ego sum vita haec dicit Saluator tuâ—â— Non est quò eas nisi ad me non est quaÌ„ eas nisi per me and answering himself Wilt thou walke saith Christ I am the way Wilt thou not be deluded I am the truth Wilt thou not die I am the life This saith the learned Man is the speech of our Sauiour to this silly soule Thou hast not whither to goe but to me nor any way to come to me but by me so that if we will walke in the way of Religion we must walk with Christ for he is the way if wee will not bee seduced by errour which is contrarie to Religion we must be directed by him for he is the truth if wee will liue religiously here and gloriously hereafter we must liue by him and in him and he in vs for hee is the life The same Author sayes in another place Ipsum donum Dei Spiritus cum Patre Filio aequè incoÌ„mutabile colere tenere nos conuenit Wee ought to imbrace the gift of the Spirit of God equally dispensed and vnchangeable from the Father and the Son Another reuerend Father sayes in his Comment vpon the first Chap. of Amos vpon these words God Ierom super primum cap. Amos Deus versatur in vera religione non in Jsrael vrbibus or the Lord will roare from Sion and vtter his voyce from Ierusalem God is conuersant saies he in true Religion professed in Ierusalem not in the Cities of Israel So that from both these may be gathered that as Religion is the gift of God yea of the whole Trinitie so where Religion is God is where he is not there is no true Religion and from that that doth precede the conclusion will easily arise that God is the efficient cause of religion Neither is he only the efficient God the only efficient cause but the onely efficient cause Man is a meere patient No not so much as a patient for all matter is held to haue an aptitude or an appetite or at least a possibilitie to receiue a forme But such is the indisposition of mans depraued nature that it hath no capacity nay it hath a contrary affection to the receiuing of the forme of Religion which God puts vpon him The Apostle Paul to the Romanes saith Rom. 8.7 that the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the word is very expresse and signifies the best thoughts and affections the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians saith that all men by nature are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 And in the second to the
Philippians It is God that worketh both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 In orat pro Marco Marcello Bellicas laudes solent quidam extenuare verbis eásque communicare cum militibuâ— nâ— propriae sint Imperatorum certè in armis millitum virtus locorum opportunitas multum iuuant maximam verò partem quasi suo iure fortuna sibi vendicat Tully in one of his Orations commends Caesar aboue all things for his clemency because that was his proper glory his only In his victories he tells him he should haue sharers the Captaines and common souldiers would euery one claym his share yea a great part of the glory of those coÌ„quests would bee ascribed to the coÌ„uenience of the place or to Fortune but for his clemency none could chalenge any part of that glory So for outward workes as building of houses planting of Vineyards and Orchards husbanding of the earth ordering and disposing of creatures yea and gouerning of nations though God indeed be the giuer and gouernour of all and it is his blessing that makes all things vsefull and commodious to man and so excludes Fortune yet in these things hee hath giuen man leaue to exercise his owne iudgement and industry as it were to share with him in his prayse but for the working of Grace and Religion whereby hee largely expresseth his clemency to man there is none either admitted or able to ioyne with him A King hath certaine prerogatiues reserued to himselfe as sealing of his Patents stamping of his Coyne chusing of his seruants creating of his Nobilitie and the like So God allowes of no Parents for Heauen without they haue his broad Seale of Religion allowes no Christian for currant except he haue his stamp of Religion and whosoeuer shall counterfeite either of these is guiltie of high treason and as no man can challenge to be the Kings seruant out of his owne desert but holds himselfe highly regarded by the King in being called to his seruice and likewise expects continuall meanes from the King to inable him to serue him So in this spirituall seruice of God there is no maÌ„ worthy of him selfe neither hath he inward abilitie to maintaine himselfe in the place that God calles him vnto without a supply of grace from God which worketh in him this Religion And so to bee a Nobleman of heauen is out of Gods meere fauour and as you shall see in a meane man created a Nobleman a great alteration in his behauiour in his speeches in his actions in his whole carriage yea in his mind he hath those thoughts now hee is a Peere to the King that neuer came into his head before so more properly you may discerne in a Christian man a great change throughout body and soule whose base nature is turned into a truly noble disposition despising the trash of the earth and all seruile conditions and aimeth only to conforme himselfe in a religious course of life to his Soueraigne Iesus Christ to whom hee is now made a Peere Kings when they make fauorites for the most part chuse such as are of small meanes and an ordinary ranke that the greater glory might redound to themselues for therein they somthing seeme to resemble God in his Creation who made all things out of nothing so these make a great man out of nothing in comparison of what he is raised to Thus God in his work of regeneratioÌ„ finds maÌ„ void of grace or religion and assumeth to himself the effecting of these things in him whereby he is made a Child and Fauorite of God and yet in this worke doth not take from a man his humanitie naturall abilities but so frames these as they shal become conducible to this effect though no way operatiue neither doth this giue any way to free-wil that there is a vse of the facultie of will in man yea towards his regeneratioÌ„ When a man is said to haue no free will it is not to be conceiued in naturall actions as to goe or stand still to speake or to be silent to doe this thing or not to do it as a natural actioÌ„ or that the vse of the sences is not common free to good and bad men as seeing hearing the like or that a man hath no power in morall actions as to be temperate iust in his dealings liberall and the like or in the outward acts of Ecclesiasticall duties as to go to Church to receiue the Sacrament and do things of that nature or to forbeare the outward practice of some sins as a drunkard or a swearer may be hired not to drink or sweare for a time yet in none of these is to be found freewill to grace which is denied to be in a man and that is to be able out of his own free-will to do these naturall actions and obserue these morall duties all other Religious duties or forbeare euil according to the Word of God and in obedience to his commandemeÌ„ts for sin is a breach of the Law and therefore to doe good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to doe what man does in obedience to the Law which no man can doe of himselfe but must receiue a new forme put vpon him and himselfe and that naturall will which is in its selfe actiue must be meerely passiue wherein is the difference betweene the Papist and the Protestant the one sayes a man doth cooperate with the Spirit the other that the Spirit workes all and that a man is a meere patient In the beginning of the world God made a Coas a rude indigested substance which had an actiue power in it selfe but in relation to the seuerall formes God put vpon it was a meere patient So plants haue a vegetatiue and growing forme but in regard of that sensitiue forme which in all sensitiue liuing creatures this vegetatiue substance is to be considered but as the matter of the ensuing sensitiue creature and that sensitiue soule is but meerely passiue in respect of the reasonable soule wherewith God informes a man So is it with a man he hath naturall power ouer his body and in many morall duties is able to put them in practice but to attaine to Grace he hath no abilitie nor will but is a meere patient to the worke of the Spirit The grand Patron of the Romish profession Bellar. in li. 3. de gratia libero arbitrio hath gathered a definition of Free-will out of the doctrine of one of the chiefe a Ex doctrinae S. Thomae definitio collecta Liberum arbitrium est libera pâ—testas ex his quae ad finem conducunt vnum prae alio eligendi aut vnum idem acceptandi vel pro arbitrio respuendi intelligenti naturae ad magnam Dei gloriam attributa Schoolemen which is this that Freewill is a free power of chusing one of those things which tend to an end before another or accepting or reiecting out of
subiect for â—ithout all the elements there is no body could subsist and yet this warre amongst the elements is the ruine of euery body in which warre they are all conquerers and yet all ouercome for the fire dries vp the water and the water quenches the fire the aire moulders the earth and the earth expels the aire and yet they haue a mutuall concord for the fire and aire agree in heate the aire and water agree in moistnes the water earth agree in coldnesse and the earth and fire agree in drienesse they all agree in this that none of them will depart the field till they haue destroyed the subiect of their contention which is the body of a man and in this is to be admired the wonderfull workmanship of God But yet for all this search the knowledge of God is not to bee found for he is incomprehensible and how can a man comprehend an incomprehensible He is a Spirit and how can flesh and bloud apprehend a Spirit God is infinite not to be limited in time he is euery where and yet no where either circumscriptiuely or definitiuely how can a man circumscribed within two yards receiue a notion of him that fils all things and all places He is omnipotent and how can the weake braine of a man conceiue what He is He is onely good and how can a man that is onely euill be able to vnderstand what He is that is all good He is Wisedome Strength Iustice Fortitude and all Vertue diuine and morall yea in Him are comprehended all Arts and Sciences what man is He is what any other liuing creature is He is yea what is in heauen and earth He is for euill it is a priuation and therefore is not nor cannot haue any being in him and this is all the knowledge man can haue of God that what he himselfe or any other creature is not that God is yea God onely is and man is nothing but what he is in God God is in man and yet no part of maÌ„ man is in God and yet no part of God yea God is absolute without man man is nothing without God and this knowledge of God as imperfect as it is is yet sufficient to direct man to worship God in whom he liues moues and hath his being But how shall man worship him whom he hath not knowne The manner how to worship God which is part of the forme of Gods worship is in truth Seneca a heatheÌ„ man could make a distinction betweene Religion and Superstition or Idolatry Religio Deos colit superstitio violat when he sayes That Religion is an obseruation of God in his Worship whereas Superstition is a violating of his Worship in drawing it from truth and sincerity but what the true Worship of God is man can no way come to the knowledge of but from God himselfe because no man doth in any degree of perfection know what God is Now there are two Bookes that God hath giuen man to study vpon the Booke of Nature and the Booke of the Word In the Booke of Nature although man may reade sufficient to condemne himselfe yet there he shall finde nothing but what will confound him In the Booke of his Word God hath beene graciously pleased more at large to open himselfe vnto man and thereout to affoord him not onely instruments to frame him fit for his Worship but directions how to worship him aright Euery naturall man walkes in darkenesse as is wrriten by the Prophet Isaiah â—saiah 9.2 The people that walked in darkenesse haue seene a great light that is in the Gospell of Iesus Christ The Word sayes the Prophet in the Psalme Psal 119.105 Is a Lampe or a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Dauid sheweth how he got vnderstanding and was growne to a hatred of false-hood and errour namely by the Precepts and Word of God Salomon or Christ is said to ride vpon the Word of Truth Psal 45.5 as one that would ride in triumph ouer all Heresie Now euery man is content to haue some forme of Religion but this true worship doth so strictly tie the conscience to that forme and practcie of Religion which is taught out of the Word of God as that a man is ready to frame to himselfe any kinde of Religion whereby he might haue some dispensation for his euill course of life rather then to be held to so hard termes and hence it comes to passe that so many fall to Popery who when they are loth to deny and crosse themselues in the lusts of the flesh and yet are desirous to go to heauen they imbrace this Religion wherein they beleeue that though they commit neuer so great sinnes yet if they can get Pardons of Indulgences from the Pope or absolution from the Priest or do some workes of Charity or such as are meritorious in their owne opinion or procure some intercession of Saints or some prayers to be made for them after they are dead they thinke God to be well satisfied for their sinnes and well pleased with them Nay such is their grosse stupidity as that they thinke the sprinkling of a little holy water to be salutary for soule and body which appeares plaine in those conjuring words spoken by the Priest in diuine Seruice In Manual ad vsum ecclesiae Sarisburiensis Exorcise te creatura salis per Deum ✚ viuum Sis omnibus te sumentibus sanitas animae carporis effugiat atque discedat ab eo loco quo aspersum fuerit omnis nequitia I exorcise or conjure thee O creature of Salt that thou beest to all that shall partake of thee sanitie of soule body and that all euill shall depart from that place where thou art sprinkled And farther he saith I exorcise or coniure thee O creature of water that thou mayest serue to the casting out of Diuels Exorciso te creatura aquae in nomine Dei Paâ—â—ris vt fias aqua exorcisata ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici c. Ad abijciendos daemones morbósque pellendos vt quicquid in domibus vel in locis fidelium haec vnda respersit careat omni immunditiâ liberetur à noxa non illîc resideat spiritus pestilens non aura corrumpens c. to the expelling of diseases that vpon whatsoeuer thou art sprinkled in any house of the faithfull it may haue taken from it all vncleannesse it may be freed from all obnoxitie that no pestilent spirit may remaine vpon it nor any corrupt ayre Let all the trecheries of the hidden enemy depart and if there be any thing aduerse to the health or quiet of the inhabitants let it be chased away by the aspersion of this water And then the Priest casts the salt into the water crosse-wayes after the manner of the Crosse and sayes priuately Let there bee an equall coÌ„mixture of salt and water And thus is their Holy water made and
continue man but to wayt for his Redemption To what end was it to redeeme man but to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life And how could man so do if God had not wrought this worke of Religion in him Neither is God onely a Creator of man and Religion in man to his owne glory but a louing Father to man in suffering him by this Religion to worke out his owne saluation which is the second finall cause thereof as the holy Ghost sets it downe in the Philippians where a Christian is commanded to worke out his saluation in feare and trembling And the Apostle to Titus Titus 1.2 makes eternall life the end of all Religion and godlinesse and in this is declared the wonderfull loue of God to man notwithstanding his disobedience in his fall What man buyes any cattell but either to droyle them out or fat them for the Shambles but this God bought man from death to life yea himselfe was ledde as a sheepe to the slaughter Isai 35.7 that he might saue man What Master when he hath hired a seruant bids him imploy his time and labour to his owne vse But this God doth so to man and bids him if he want stocke to set vp withall to come vnto him and he will furnish him What Land-lord when the Rent-day comes bids his Tenant lay out his Rent for his owne best profit But this God the Land-lord of the World whē man brings him his Rent which is his Worship in a religious life bids him improue it for his owne good and makes his owne saluation the scope and end of all his labour And is it no lesse then saluation that a man aymes at in being Religious Was there euer any man that had a slaue that ran away from him and subiected himselfe to his deadly enemy that would not onely spare him punishment but make him a free-man Yet behold man that sold himselfe as a slaue to the Deuill is made a Free-denizen of Heauen Was there euer any Souldier that rose vp in mutinie that did not onely escape Martiall Law but was sent home to inherit the Generals owne Land Yet behold man that did not onely rise himselfe but drew the whole Regiment of Iesus Christ mankind into mutiny he is sent to inherit the Kingdome of heauen Christs owne inheritance Was there euer any King that when his subiect was conuicted of high Treason would not onely spare his life but make him one of his Priuy Chamber or Bed-chamber where hee should be neerest to his Person Yet behold when man had risen in rebellion against God he is not onely pardoned his Treason but is receiued into Gods Chamber of Presence in this world which is the Church and shall hereafter be made a Priuy Chamber-man of heauen Why then is it to no end to be Religious when he shall not onely thereby promote the glory of his Creator but purchase to himselfe an eternall Mansion in that new Ierusalem The effects of Religion Obedience Sanctitie and Wisedome Neither is this Religion which proceeds from so excellent causes without the like effects amongst which these three may be noted Obedience Sanctity and Wisedome Obedience is either actiue or passiue For actiue obedience God in his Couenant declared to his Children by his Prophet Ezekiel promiseth first to worke Religion in thē A new heart will I giue you and a new Spirit will I put within you and what followes vpon this Then saith the Lord you shall walke in my statutes Ezek. 36.26 and you shall keepe my Iudgements and doe them But this practicall obedience must be generall such as is inioyned by God in the Prophesie of Ieremiah Iere. 11.4 that they should obey his voice and do the words of his Couenant according to all that he had commanded them And God threatens his people in Leuiticus that if they would not doe all his Commandements then he would appoint ouer them terror consumption and the like Cursed is he that doth not abide in all c. Leuit. 26.14 15 16. It is farther required that this obedience should bee constant thereupon our Sauiour grounds his promise That hee that endureth to the end Mat. 24.13 the same shall be saued And it is the condition that Christ propounds to his Disciples in the Gospel of Saint Iohn Ioh. 8.31 If ye continue in my Word thē are ye my Disciples indeed Passiue obedience is to suffer with patience all the afflictions that befall a man for Paul hath giuen euerie Christian his doome where he saies 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Iesus Christ shall suffer persecution And therefore Christ exhorts his Disciples to possesse their soules in patience Luk. 21.19 of which Dauid is a singular example in suffering the curse of Shimei when he saies 2. Sam. 16.10 11 12. Let him curse because the Lord hath said vnto him Curse and makes an excuse for Shimei by way of extenuating his fault since his owne sonne that came forth of his bowels sought his life and in conclusion casts himselfe vpon the Lord It may be saith he the Lord will looke vpon my affliction Neither is it enough to suffer calamity but to be humbled vnder Gods hand in time of distresse which is the admonition of Iames Be afflicted and mourne Iam. 4.9 10. and weepe humble your selues in the sight of the Lord. The next effect of Religion is Sanctity the speech of Paul to the Thessalonians Thes 4.1 3 5 6. is this when we beseech you brethren that as ye haue receiued from vs how ye ought to walke that is in the way of Religion and please God so you would abound more and more for this is the will of God euen your sanctification And this sanctifying consists either in the forbearing sinne to which purpose the Apostle in the same place instanceth in two euils from which they should abstaine namely the lust and concupiscence or vncleannesse and fraud or deceit or else it consists in the practice of holinesse to which end God would haue the children of Israel to weare frindges on their garments Num. 15.41 that they might remember and do all his Commandements and be holy vnto God And Peter setteth God as a Patterne of holinesse exhorting them as obedient children to be holy in all manner of conuersation 1. Pet. 1.14.15 as he that called them is holy and indeed this holinesse is a maruellous effect whereby is wrought such a secret alteratiō in a true Conuert as that none knowes how it comes to passe but his owne soule within him which yet himselfe is not able to expresse neither would any one take him to be the same man he was before Is it not a strange thing to find a man that for twentie thirty forty yeeres together hath swoom in abundance of all earthly things hath denied himselfe no manner of pleasure that is to bee