Church hath been and is so visible ours not therefore theirs is the true Church of Christ and ours is not For the first we say that howsoever the Catholique and Universall Church hath continued from the beginning of the world and shall continue to the end the Lord shall never want on earth a company of faithfull men to serve him yet this Church is ever invisible an article of our Faith to beleeve there is such a Companie and that we are of that number but for a congregation of men and women to have the Word truly preached and Sacraments administred in publike and by Authoritie which wee call a visible Church and is a mixt company there hath not alway beene such neither can wee be assured that there alwaies shall be such For the second viz. That they say the Roman Church hath beene visible and enioyed such a succession without interruption since Christ and his Apostles time professing the same faith without change I answer there hath not been in the Church of Rome that perpetuall succession they boast of For to say nothing whether Peter was ever Bishop of Rome or not or who succeeded him whether Clement or Linus which is disputed amongst themselues it is most cleare that there have stood three Popes at once and did the Succession hold when Pope Ioan stept into the Papall Chaire and managed the affaires of the Church Was she also Saint Peters Successor and they lawfull Cardinals Bishops and Ministers of her ordination Neither are his Arguments to be despised who proveth that now for divers yeares ever since Sixtus they have had no Popes nor Cardinals nor Bishops according to their owne Councels and Canons c. But grant them what succession soever they challenge yet succession of persons and place without succession of doctrine is nothing worth as Ierome said Yee hold the Seat and Faith of Peter if faith be gone the state is no better then a chaire of pestilence Now the faith is gone and not onely this latter Rome holdeth doctrine contrary to the Ancient Rome within the five hundred or six hundred yeares after Christ but now maintaineth strange and novell doctrines and service which Rome knew not when it first became the seat of Antichrist as the Conception of Mary Latine Service suppression of Scriptures the mariage of Priests adoration of Images supremacie of Pope Communion in one kinde Transubstantiation c. and therefore is long since ceased to be any true visible Church Lastly whereas all Popishly affected persons doe commonly demand Where was your Church and who professed your Religion before Luthers times I will answer plainly that the simple may understand the Doctrine Faith and Religion which we professe is the very same that all the Christian Churches throughout the world professed for many hundred yeares after Christ and his Apostles all the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive died for no other but our Faith and Religion after that the Church had peace by meanes of godly Constantine the learned Bishops Fathers taught no other the people beleeved received professed no other though as the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time so the longer the worse and moe errors and corruptions crept into the Church till in the end the ship came to be covered with waves of heresies persecutions that the Church was not so glorious eminent visible conspicuous as before Then came the darke time of Antichrist for many hundred yeeres yet even then were the Waldenses Bohemians and others who agreed with vs in the substance of Religion and spake and wrote against the corruptions of those times but when it pleased God to stirre vp Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage Martine Luther and other his worthy servants to open the skupperholes the waves which so oppressed the Church ran out the ship came aloft againe and that Faith which had so long beene oppressed began publikely to be professed and a faire visible Church in one place or other hath ever since continued and I trust shall now to the end of the world and shall never be universally covered againe Neither let any Papist suppose it a forfeiture of the cause if wee cannot shew a precise and exact Catalogue of the persons places and times by whom where and when our faith was professed For first howsoever in all ages some have oft appeared and given singular witnesse to our faith as our Martyrologe hath recorded so the Church may be in some places where none can see it as in Elias time there were seven thousand in Israel and yet hee saw never an one of them And as wee doubt not but there are at this day in Spaine Italy Rome even where Satans throne is Againe through defect of history many things are hid from us and specially the Church of Rome doing her best to deface the memory of any thing that might witnesse for us and our Religion If in these daies they will not spare man living but wipe names out of bookes give commandement that none shall name them but with contempt and charge the Protestants with such horrible opinions as wee hold not As that God is the Author of sinne we condemne prayer fasting povertie chaâ—â—itie good workes confession what may wee not thinke their Ancestors have done in former ages to men of our Religion So as it may be there were many moe Martyrs that then died for our Faith yea moe Churches that professed our Faith then are come to our knowledge Thirdly howsoever the Church in these parts of the world might for many yeares be oppressed as the Moone in Ecclipse and as a ship covered with waves yet even then Christ might have most glorious visible Churches in other parts of the world for howsoever the Iesuits brag exceedingly of their conversion of the Indies where they say our Religion is scarce heard of Yet that learned Iewel of our Church hath long since shewed out of Vespatius that in the East-Indies there were many godly Bishops and whole Countries professing the Gospell before the Portugals came there or Popes name heard of Yea doe not they say that the Apostle Thomas lieth buried in a City there and that he converted them to the Faith of Christ and did S. Thomas preach Popery or no If they say true our Religion was there professed before Popery Lastly give me leave in a word to answer them out of themselves Thus writeth Gregorie of Valence When we say the Church is alwaies conspicuous this must not be taken as if we thought it might at everie season be discerned alike easily for we know that sometimes it is so tossed with the waves of Errours Schismes and persecutions that it shall be verie hard to be knowne Yea the learned Papists doe generally confesse that in the supposed or imagined reigue of Antichrist their Church shall be invisible Thus saith Acosta In the daies of
doctrine As was his doctrine so was his life and conversation most holy for he never did sinne nor knew sinne his very enemies could not rebuke him of sinne He came not to breake but to fulfill the Law And he fulfilled all righteousnesse indeed His righteousnesse farre exceeded the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies For it was the righteousnesse of God Now was that fulfilled though hee lay among pots yet had he silver wings and his feathers like gold Psal 68. 13. He did converse with sinners and yet was separated from them he touched pitch and yet was not defiled As he was most holy so most meeke he did not strive nor crie nor lift up his voice in the streets most patient being led as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a lambe dumbe before the shearer he opened not his mouth most humble he did not ride into Ierusalem like an earthly Emperour in Skarlet Purple glistering roabes cloth of gold not mounted on a lustie Palfrey with stately saddle and Princely trappings attended on with great troopes and guard in soft garments and with chaines of gold but he rode on an Asse used to the yoake a poore base contemptible and ridiculous beast in his poore seamelesse coat and in stead of any rich saddle sate upon some poore garments that his Disciples had spread under him attended by a few fisher-men and others of base qualitie in the world yet all the Citie was moved and said who is this And when you heare these things will yee not also marvell and say What manner of man is this so holy harmelesse meeke patient and humble Againe How glorious were his miracles in the eyes of the beholders which hee wrought Giving sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the lame cleansing Lepers casting out devils raising the dead Rebuking Fevers healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases rebuking winds and seas whereat the beholders were astonished And when you heare it wil not ye also marvell and say What manner of man is this for even the winds and the sea obey him How marvellous also in the Sacraments which he hath ordained and instituted for the use of his new Testaments Church Did the Iewes so marvell at their Passeover when but the bloud of a Lambe was shed saying What meane you by this service Exod. 12. 26. And will not you marvell at the Sacrament of the body and bloud of the Sonne of God Did they at the Type and will not you at the Truth Did they at the shadow and will not you at the body Oh marvell inquire and I will informe you I purpose not to sound the Trumpet to warre and perplex your minds with intricate questions and fruitlesse disputes which are endlesse about this subject Christ ordained them for the comfort of our soules and not for the exercise of our curious and subtill wits to seale up a sweet union with Christ and communion one with another not to occasion division and contention yet through Satans malice and our weaknesse it is come to passe that in nothing are Christians more divided nor have more bitter conflicts than about these things I will briefly lay downe the positive truth according to the Scriptures and the Tenet of our Church and labour to prepare you to the worthy receiving thereof And first let mee provoke you to admire the love of Christ and his desire of our salvation who not contented to speake unto our eares in his word doth adde Sacraments as the seales thereof for confirmation of our faith and let us see with our eyes what we heare with our eares the Sacraments being a visible word yea whereas the Word conveyeth grace to the heart but by the one sense of hearing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper conveyeth grace by seeing handling tasting that as David saith We may see and taste how good the Lord is and with the Apostle That which wee have heard and seene and handled These Sacraments properly so called are but two as ours and the other Reformed Churches doe truly teach I say properly so called because the Greeke word Mysterie by some translated Sacrament is of larger extent in the Scriptures and the Fathers in their writings call all Articles which are peculiar to the Christian faith and all duties of Religion containing that which sense or naturall reason cannot of it selfe discerne Sacraments but none are properly called Sacraments but such as have these three things viz. First an outward and visible signe Secondly an inward and invisible grace Thirdly the word of Institution all which doe onely concurre in the New Testament in two viz. Baptisme and the Lords Supper both instituted of Christ both having outward signes in Baptisme Water in the Lords Supper Bread and Wine and both of them one and the same invisible grace Christ being the invisible grace represented and exhibited in the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament For they did eat the same spirituall meat and drinke the same spirituall drinke that wee doe Yet have the Sacraments some things peculiar to themselves for by Baptisme we once receive Christ to new birth and Regeneration but in the Eucharist wee receive Christ to continuall nourishment of that spirituall life wee received in Baptisme and therefore that but once as we are but once borne this often as our bodies are often fed The outward Elements in the Lords Supper are but few and poore to the eye of flesh and bloud common and ordinary bread and wine in some Countries as common as bread and in all places of the knowne world to be had bread made of graine and wine without mixture of water a great corruption though ancient these continuing in their naturall substance to the end though the Papists in their metaphysicall faith beleeve Christ to be present I will not say really for that our learned Divines acknowledge and in candide construction as Reall is synonimall with truth and veritie I will not deny it may be warily and soberly used but corporally and that by Transubstantiation of the substance of bread and wine into the very flesh and bloud of Christ so as after words of Consecration there remaine not the substance of bread and wine but only the Accidents colour and taste No no the words of Consecration doe not change the nature or substance of the signes which once destroyed the Sacrament ceaseth but changeth the qualitie in separating them from a common to an holy use S. Paul to make that out of question doth in one Chapter after the Consecration thrice call it Bread Neither indeed is there any need that there should bee such a change as if Christ could not feed us or our soules be nourished without orall manducation for did the woman by her faith finde such good in touching but
to make Unitie one of the markes or their seventh note of the true Church and assume that to themselves and impute Division to us First for their Divisions it is strange but that men of that side will say and write any thing that Bellarmine should say they all joyne in obedience to their Head and that their Councels Popes Decrees and Writers doe wonderfully agree though writing in divers tongues places occasions whereas the world hath taken notice yea all must needs know that know any thing how Rome it selfe by her owne children hath beene sacked siedge laid to the Castle of Saint Angel and the Pope taken prisoner Is this their Canonicall obedience How divers Popes have challenged the Popedom and three stood at once Many battels have beene fought and thousands slaine Who was the head of their Vnity then and when a woman was Pope How Popes have cut off Cardinals heads one Pope abrogate and condemne the Decrees of others yea in extreme hatred digged up their bodies and cutting off two of the fingers to burie it againe and sometimes cut off head and cast the bodie into Tibur one Councell condemning what another had decreed What Writers euer more eagerly opposite than Dominicans and Franciscans Priests and Iesuits yea Schoole-men themselves about the bookes of Canonicall Scripture themselves the Virgins being without sinne Transubstantiation Purgatorie yea Iustification merit of workes worshipping of Images yea what point of difference is there betwixt them and us wherein some of their own side doe not side with us against them yea as the Church of Rome is wholly departed from that ancient faith it professed in the daies of the Apostles so the moderne Church is exceedingly declined from that faith it formerly professed even since it came to be the seat of Antichrist which being so abundantly cleared by divers of our learned Divines in their polemicall Tracts and Discourses and hoping that either you know or doe not doubt of the truth hereof I will not insist upon probation of particulars which were infinite and therefore if Unitie be a note of the true Church Rome cannot be it so divided as it must needs one day come to ruine and destruction For our owne divisions which we doe not denie have beene some and too many yet such as disprove not the true Unitie of the Church but are justified not only by the divisions of the Romish Church which are moe and greater and it is like will never be composed but the divisions which by Satans malice and subtill abusing of the weaknesse of some have ever infested the true Church of God even in Rome in her best estate Saint Paul saith There were therein that caused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine And telleth the Corinthians there were among them envying strife and contention some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas Paul and Barnabas were at variance Paul Peter had iarres great strife betwixt East and West Churches about the keeping of Easter so as they excōmunicated each other no lesse broils in the Churches about Rebaptization What Tragicall troubles did Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria raise against Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople a chiefe adversarie to whom was Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus The event was Chrysostome lost both Bishoprick and life in banishment many were flame in taking parts the Cathedrall Church and Senate-house in Constantinople burnt downe to the ground in pursuit of reuenge How did the Orthodox Bishops in the Councell of Nice fall at variance and complaine of one another to the Emperour so as Constantine had much adoe to compose the difference In the second Councell of Ephesus such eager contention that Flavianus the Bishop of Constantinople was not only deposed but also pitifully murthered Too too many such grievous contentions Ecclesiasticall stories witnesse to happen in the Churches of God in Councels and amongst the learned Fathers and Bishops so lamented by Cyprian and Basil as the cause of persecution and the turning away of many from embracing of the Christian religion and a great advantage to Arrius and such like Haeretikes to spread the poyson of their haeresies farre and neere Thus you see there have beene yea and as long as Sathan hath leave to compasse the earth to and fro and that Gods Saints be imperfect in knowledge and weake in affections there will be divisions they have beene and are greater than amongst our selves yet not disproving a true Church Secondly our divisions are not of the Church but of some in the Church our Church doth wonderfully accord in the unitie of faith and uniformitie of government and therefore are falsly imputed to the Church Thirdly not in matters of faith wherein as our Church doth accord with other Reformed Churches abroad in all fundamentall verities there being no fundamentall dissention betwixt any the Reformed Churches as the Harmonie of Confessions beareth witnesse so neither is the difference or dissention amongst such in our Church except Popishly affected about matters of substance but of circumstance not about the boords or bodie of the ship anchor cable card or who shall be Pilot but about the saile and ceremonies of blacke or white Fourthly though these differences have beene too hotly and eagerly followed of some yet God be thanked not pursued by fire or death nor to the pronouncing of each other Heretikes as both anciently as partly you have heard and might heare much more if I delighted in this Argument and would for this purpose search the Authentike histories of the Church and lately also in the Romish Church betwixt the Popes themselves and the Franciscans with all cruell extremitie persecuting the poore Dominicans Lastly blessed be God even in this happy calme our divisions and contentions are well slaked and composed notwithstanding they were kindled and nourished especially by the cunning of subtle and secret Papists lurking amongst us as the remnant of the Canaanites to be as pricks in our eies and thornes in our sides but a little storme would make us perfect friends as some of our learned forefathers who in time of prosperitie were much divided and abounded in their severall senses and opinions concerning such matters yet in the daies of Queene Marie went ioyfully to the stake and died together for that truth which they ioyntly beleeved it being most true of an ancient Father The communion of good things oftentimes breedeth envie and hatred but communion in miserie breedeth love and compassion Thus I have shipped the passengers I have given them their charge Looking upon the sea I see many ships when I come to handle the vessel wherein they passe It is a needfull question for these daies which is that ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe and how may it be infallibly knowne from all other When I come to that I hope to make it cleare to all whose eies the god of this
number of cast Pieces but Christ is not there nor his Disciples if Inquisition can finde them out they must over board They will suffer Iewes Atheists and all sort of wicked livers but not Christs disciples This shall suffer wracke And therefore we call to all Passengers therein Come out from amongst them And for this purpose I alledge the Testimonie of one of their owne whom I doe not name for honour being such a wretched and faithlesse Hypocrite and Renegade but because such as are Popishly affected it may be will regard his saying thus therfore hath he painted in paper the Romish Church It is a good Vessell well built not rotten nor fallen in peeces but indeed the Pilot who sitteth at the sterne hath throwne aside the ordinarie Compasse and left the vse of the approved Sea Map and out of his owne capricious conceit devised a new Card and contrived a new found Compasse of his owne whose Needle hath no aspect towards the Pole or touch at all of the Load-stone sutable hereunto he hath out of his owne head framed certaine Cardinal winds which serve only for his Card and propounding only one Port his owne greatnesse and temporall pompe hath in his devised Compasse quartered out his owne counterfet winds which must blow for that haven but he ring-leads them all to wracke And will you heare what testimonie he hath given of the Reformed Churches ship in the same Sermon The Reformed Churches saith he have cast out that strange intruding Pilot and yeelded up their ship to be governed by their owne true Steeres-man such as God himselfe hath ordained and so using the infallible Card of the holy Scriptures and the true Compasse quartered out into the foure ancient Cardinall winds of the foure first Generall Councels and seconded with the under winds of the Holy Fathers they make an happy Voyage and without wandring arrive at the appointed Haven of Salvation If he had beleeved this with his heart which in the name of God he preached with his mouth he had beene an happy man but dealing falsly with God God hath justly discovered him Let them take him we renounce him as an hypocrite and nullifidian and regard not what he hath said or written I will only produce the Testimonie of a Pope viz. Pius the fifth who offred to Q. Elizabeth to approve as good the whole publike service and forme of Religion in our Church with Sacraments and Bible and that hee would change nothing so her Majestie would receive it from him as Pope and Vicar of Christ which because shee refused to doe he presently excommunicated her Let Popishly affected note that how well pleased the Pope would be with all so hee might have the government For this are we such Heretikes I will ioyne issue with a man of greater worth dignitie and esteeme amongst them than Spalato was or now will be viz. Bellarmine himselfe who taketh upon him by certaine infallible notes to the number of foure to declare which is the true ship or Church wherein Christ his disciples are It would aske a great time to examine them all it hath been worthily done by famous learned men already I will only select one or twaine and first be it knowne vnto you that whereas there are only two infallible marks notes of a true visible church viz. the sincere preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments these are none of Bellarmines notes he doth with all his learning oppose them as no true notes I must therefore ioyne in some others of his owne coyning granting such to be as indeed are not that yet it may appeare even those doe more concerne our Church than theirs which though it might be made good in examination of them all yet I will only chuse two because I will not confound the memories of the weake and such two as are most visible that so the common people may see which is the true Church indeed The former of these but the eighth in Bellarmines number is holines of doctrine he addeth there is no sect of Pagans Philosophers Iewes Turks or Heretikes but teach errors but the Church of Rome teacheth no errour no turpitude nothing contrary to reason and therefore that is the only true Church I would to God Bellarmine meant as he saith that by this note of holy doctrine it might be without partialitie tryed which is the true Church for the Scriptures containing the most holy doctrine it would follow that what Church doth preach and professe that doctrine purely by this note must needs be the true Church of God But I doe wonder that Bellarmine should dare to offer such a note whereas they teach for doctrine their owne Traditions Ceremonies give authoritie to the Pope to dispense with the Law of God yea robbe Christ of all his offices as might be shewed by induction of particulars give men liberty to finne by their Auricular Confession Indulgences and Pardons and easie deliverance out of Purgatory Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth that the mariage of Ministers is the worst sort of Fornication That it is better to maintaine a Concubine than a Wife That alloweth swearing and blaspheming so as Saupanlinus but for reproving a man for swearing was suspected to be a Lutheran and thereupon examined condemned and burned Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth no more than a very Reprobate may beleeve and practise Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth killing and poysoning of Kings and Princes Is that an holy Religion which doth canonize for Saints Thomas Becket Garnet and such like notorious Rebels That teacheth lying equivocation mentall reservation breaking of oathes Is that an holy doctrine which teacheth the breach of all the morall Commandements In a word the Romish doctrine is a most prophane carnall and obscene doctrine and most pleasing to carnall wicked and unregenerate men a maine cause why it hath so many professors all the holinesse of it is but in Apish and mimicall gestures bowing of knee lifting vp of eyes and hands abstaining from some meats weeping knocking crossing whipping which are prescribed So that as a worthy Diuine amongst us hath truly said a great part of Popery is very Magicke and nothing else but a politike Atheisme being Divines without Scripture Religious but without Faith in the name of the Lord putting to death such as die for the name of the Lord. To conclude seeing the doctrine of Popery is a renuing and reviving of all ancient Heresies a doctrine of liberty and all licentious living teaching and allowing most filthy positions and practises the Romish Church is not the true Church of God or ship wherein Christ and his disciples passe because they have not holy doctrine The second but tenth note in Bellarmines account and number is Sanctitie and bolinesse of life the very naming of which note would make any man of grace and modestie
Antichrist all light of Ecclesiasticall Order shall lie buried the Priests lament the Church emptie the Altars forsaken and none come to the Lambs solemnitie Many others as Pererius Suarez Ovandus and others speake to this purpose I conclude with that of the Rhemists It is verie like that the externall state of the Roman Church and publike entercourse of the faithfull with the same shall cease With what face then can the Romanists denie our Church to be the true Church of God because of the covering or obscuritie thereof whereas they doe acknowledge their owne subject to the same Thirdly note that it is said the ship was covered with waves but not broken or dashed in peeces or sunke into the waves No no the waves may tosse and shake and cover but cannot breake nor sinke this Ship Your third lesson then is Persecutors may by cruell and bloody practices warres murthers and massacres trouble and disquiet the Church lessen the number of professors hypocrites falling away as the Corne which wanteth moisture withereth when Sunne shineth hot They may destroy for a time the visibilitie of the Church and make such as have publikely served God in his Temple now either serve God privatly in their Houses or Chambers or in Wildernesses Woods Caves Dennes and solitarie places All this they may doe but to destroy the true people of God they cannot They may cut them off and put hundreds and thousands of them to death but as they fall by unities they will rise by multitudes The blood of the Mattyrs will be the seed of the Church Nothing more dangerous to the Church than prosperitie Herem is the Proverbe true the Daughter devoureth the Mother Religion bringeth prosperitie and prosperitie destroieth Religion Gods Church is like the Aire the more it is fanned with the Winds the sweeter it is like Water the more it runneth on Stones the wholsomer like Gold and Silver the oftner tried in the Fire the purer it is like Camomill the more troden on the deeper it rooteth and thicker it groweth like the Lawrell the more oppressed with waight the further it spreadeth like the Vine the nearer cut the more Fruit it beareth like Spice the more it is beaten and bruised the sweeter it smelleth The more the Aegyptians sought to destroy the more the people of God multiplied being like the Bush all in flaming fire but consumed not After the cruell decree of Haman that all the Iewes should be destroied many of the people of the Land became Iewes Never so glorious a Church for zealous profession in England as immediatly after the daies of Queene Mary in whose daies Gods people had beene as dry Stubble before the flaming Fire and one would have thought but few left Never more Protestants in France then since their massacre nor never more Protestants in the Christian world then since the league for to destroy them and that the Iesuites have so farre prevailed with Princes to seeke utterly to root them out and destroy them These are the Israel of God that may truly say Often they have afflicted me from my youth up but they have not prevailed against me Christ is in this Ship and though on sleepe yet it is great weaknesse in Faith to feare the drowning of it But all other Ships though sailing faire for a while shall suffer shipwrack Atheisme Arrianisme Turcisme Iudaisme Anabaptisme Libertinisme Papisme and if there were as many Religions in the world as there are Orders and sorts of Friers in Rome yet shall they all consume and vanish nothing shall continue and abide in the waves and outride all stormes and tempests but the pure Religion of the Gospell of Christ So saith Christ in another Metaphor Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Such Trees may for a time yea a long time take deepe root and flourish and spread but the Axe is at the root they must downe and into the fire To conclude seeing Poperie is no plant of Gods planting but a wilding a composition of novelties a miscellanie of heresies brought in by packing and ambition of some God may suffer it to spread and flourish to saile faire for a while but it shall one day be overturned with the breath of God and sinke into the waves Christ is in the Feild with all his Armies the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken An Angel standing in the Sun hath bid the guests to the supper of the great King and told them their cheere even the flesh of Kings and Captaines All Kings that make warre against the Gospel must to it To shut up all in a word know that not one drop of water can come into the Ship but according to Gods pleasure and therefore that he suffereth such a storme and tempest as the Ship even to be covered with waves is doubtlesse for his glorie and the spirituall good of his Church No affliction saith the Apostle for the present is joyous but grievous Oh Lord how grievous and enough to draw teares from that heart which is not harder than the neather Mill-stone that enemies should come with Fire and Sword to ruinate and waste whole Countreys and Provinces take away the liues of so many and utterly undoe moe make many a widow and fatherlesse child But see the good of it by this meanes he hath made many smite on brest and thighes and shed many a teare breathe out many a sigh powre out many a praier which otherwise God had never heard of How doth the miserie of Gods Church covered with waves abroad cause in England Scotland Ireland and other places where by Gods mercy they enioy a calme to be thankfull and pray Verily if the covering of the Ship with waves do not wonderfully affect you and doe you good it is not well with you but I trust it doth and the Lord turne it to more good So much for the first circumstance aggravating their danger The ship was even covered with waves The second followeth But he was asleepe Sleepe properly taken signifieth the rest of the bodie and is a sweet blessing of God as David saith He giveth his welbeloved sleepe yet ordinarily caused by naturall meanes For as the Physitians say the evaporations of meats from the stomacke being condensate and thickned with the cold of the braine doe stop the passages of the spirits and so locke vp the senses from execution of their functions and stay all the parts and members of the body from their labour And this is that sweet dew of nature the repast of the body and the greatest comfort that nature hath and without which no liuing creature can long continue And sleepe hath two degrees either it is weake and remisse such as in sicke persons or aged people who as Salomon saith awake at the chirping of the bird this is called a
true flesh and bloud such an one as hath had experience of Satans temptations of povertie hunger thirst wearisomenesse slander buffetting cruell paine death distresse c. How comfortable I say againe that we call on one that had himselfe experience of these things If a man be sicke of any disease he is much comsorted that his Physitian hath beene sicke of the very same for he assureth himselfe he will both have the more care and compassion on him and knoweth best how to goe about the cure Nay more wee call on such an one as is not only willing and able to heare and helpe but hath an unconceiveable simpathie and fellow-feeling of all the miseries of his children he is even pinched as much with their povertie want and distresse as themselves Patient Iob in all his misery felt nothing which Christ felt not with him neither did Lazarus suffer any thing wherein Christ did not partake with him So long as the mysticall Union holdeth which by no means can be dissolved Christ the head must needs suffer with the members of his bodie He that toucheth the faithfull toucheth the apple of his eye And he called to Saul from heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He thought he had but to do with the poore abject despised people of Damascus such as had no man on earth of any sort once to speake for them but were esteemed as the off-scouring of the world and whom he thought he might have bound and imprisoned and have killed and slaine without controulement yea have done God service and purchased much favour and preferment But behold beyond his expectation there is a glorious Lord calleth unto him out of heaven whose voice was of such power and Majestie that it cast him upon the ground and he would know the Reason why he persecuted him Oh that men and women had grace to know beleeve and consider that all the reproaches slanders and hurts done to his people how simple soever in the world are done to Christ and though he sleepe for a while and seeme utterly to neglect them yet will he at the day of Iudgement set all before them and account all the good or evill done to the poore Saints as done to himselfe and will accordingly reward or punish them In the mean time let al the people of God reioice that their Saviour doth but sleepe that they have such an high Priest as hath had experience of their infirmities and therefore cannot but have compassion on them And thus much bespoken of the Letter As a man that is on sleepe heareth no cries nor complaints regardeth not the wrongs and injuries done to him or his but is altogether senselesse of such evill as being awake he would not endure but either restraine or revenge so when God maketh as though he heard not the prayers and complaints of his people suffereth his enemies to reproach and blaspheme his name and at their lust to make havocke of his Church and to destroy Religion his Temples and houses where he was wont to be worshipped then the Scriptures speake of God after the manner of men that he is asleepe The sleep of Christ then in this storme doth lively represent Gods seeming to neglect his Church in their great troubles and letting the enemie even doe what he lust Which patience or sleeping hath severall effects in the godly and the wicked first it causeth the godly exceedingly to mourne and complaine yea through Satans malice and their weaknesse to feare and much adoe to keepe from despaire So the people of God being extreamely afflicted and brought to great miserie under the persecution of Antiochus doe thus complaine Oh Lord thou goest not forth with our armies thou makest us turne our backes upon our enemies they that hate us spoile our goods thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for meat and scattered us amongst the Heathen thou sellest thy people for nought and takest no mony for them thou makest us a scorne and derision a by-word a reproach and shaking of heads And then they pray in this forme Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise and cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression And David thus for himselfe Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to judgement which thou hast commanded oh let the wickednesse of the wicked come to an end but guide thou the just Psal 7. 6. Yea as Christ his sleepe did most trouble the Disciples they had never been so fearefull in the storme nor so earnestly called upon him if he had been awake so there is nothing so troubleth Gods people in their generall and particular distresses as that God seemeth not to regard them this oh this hath more disquieted them than any thing else and caused most bitter complaints and expostulations as Why standest thou so farre off and hidest thy selfe in this time of affliction when the wicked in his pride doth persecute the poore And againe How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsell in my soule and be so sore vexed how long shall mine enemie be exalted over me And againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever is his mercy cleane gone and will he shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure By which in stead of many places which might be alledged for this purpose it is most evident that Gods children have never such conflicts and such wrestling betwixt the flesh and spirit as when either the Church of God or themselves are in distresse and God seemeth not to regard them but to have cast off all care of them oh this breedeth complaints and roaring indeed And as it begetteth great feare and perturbation yea almost despaire and deniall of Gods providence as David said of himselfe My feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt I was so grieved at the foolish and to see the wicked in prosperity So doth it wonderfully encourage the enemies of Gods people and make them proud and insolent Then say they Come let us make havocke of them altogether and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession And say God hath for saken them persecute them and take them there is none to deliver them Downe with Ierusalem downe with it even to the ground Oh how evill and wicked men bestirre themselves when they perceive Christ to be asleepe then the sea rageth indeed Oh great is the storme which is now upon the sea and no small trouble it is to such as are awake to see men and women every where asleepe in securitie specially to see those so fast asleepe