fulfilled the Commandements of God yet wantest thou one thing for that work which must merit must be Opus indebitum Now obedience to every branch of Gods law is a debt which we are owing to God by the law of creation and God may say to every one of us as Paul said to Philemon Thou owest to mee even thine owne selfe Doth a Master thank that servant which did that which he was commanded to do I trow not so likewise When yee have done all things which were commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have but done that which was our duty to do Inutilis servus vocatur saith Austin qui omnia fecit quia nihil fecit ultra id quod debuit And Theophylact upon that place The servant if he work not is worthy of many stripes and when he has wrought let him be contented with this that he hath escaped stripes 3. That work by which thou must merit must be thine own but thy good works if thou look to the first cause are not so Quid habes quod non accipisti 1 Cor. 4. It s God that worketh both the will and the deed Phil. 2. 13. Not I but the grace of God in me 1 Cor. 13. So then put case thou couldst fulfill the law and it were not a payment of debt yet is no merit due to thee but to him whose they are Dei dona sunt quaecunque bona sunt Every good and perfect gift comes from above even from the father of lights And Deus sua dona non nostra merita coronat 4. Admit it were in thy power to fulfill the law that it were no debt that thy works were wholly thine and God had no part in them this is not enough there must be some proportion between the work and the reward or no proper merit Now between thy best works and the Kingdome of heaven promised to Christs little flock there is not that proportion that is Inter stillam muriae mare Aegeum as Tullie speaks between the light of a candle and the light of the Sunne between the least grane of sand that lies on the Sea-shore and the highest heaven as shall presently appear 5. Last of all that thy work may merit at Gods hands some profit or honour must thereby accrue to him But my goodnesse saith David O Lord reacheth not unto thee but to the saints that are on the earth If thou be righteous saith Elihu what givest thou to God or what receiveth he at thine hand Job 35. Who hath given unto him first Rom. 11. 35. All these five things are requisite for the merit of works but not onely some but all of them are wanting to our best works and therefore we must with the Scriptures ascribe our whole salvation to the grace of God and acknowledge nothing inherent in us to be the prime cause of all his graces but his owne good will and pleasure I count the afflictions of this world not worthy the glory that shall be revealed Rom. 8. And in another place he tells us That wee deserve hell for our evill workes The wages of sinne is death but not heaven for our good deeds and sufferings but of Gods bounty and mercie Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. 6. Not by the works of righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercie he saved us Tit. 3. And ye are saved by grace through faith not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. And how doth he prove that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works because Ei qui operatur merces non imputatur secundū gratiam sed secundum debitum And if Abraham had been justified by works he had wherein to rejoyce but not with God Rom. 3. These are places of Scripture and let me build upon this occasion to produce an assertion which once I brought upon another point which some that I see here present were pleased to except against as savouring of blasphemy though the words excepted against were none of mine but of Justin Martyr who lived above 1400. years agoe and confidently brought by him in his discourse with Tryphon a Jew if any I will not say Pelagian or Arminian or Papist but if all the Fathers of the Primitive Church if all the ancient Councels if Moses and all the Prophets if Paul and all the Apostles if an Angel from heaven nay if God himself these are the words of Justin the Martyr should deliver any doctrine repugnant to that which is contained in this booke I would not believe him Agreeable unto these places of Scripture was the doctrine of the ancient Church Gratia evacuatur si non gratis donatur sed meritis redditur Aug. Epist 105. Non dei gratia erit ullo modo nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo And in a third place Non pro merito quidem accipimus vitam aeternam sed tantum pro gratia Tract 3. in Ioh. And thus have I confirmed my proposition by reason by Scriptures and by the testimonie of the Church and Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra ecclesiam nemo pacificus contra scripturas nemo Christianus senserit as a Father saith Unto all these might be added if it were needfull the confession of the learnedst of our Adversaries let our Enemies be Judges who cry down this blasphemous doctrine of Merit God saith one of them doth punish Citra condignum but rewards Vltra condignum and Scotus as Bellar confesseth holds that Bona opera ex gratia procedentia non sunt meritoria ex condigno sed tantum ratione pacti acceptationis divinae And of the same opinion saith he were other of the old Schoolmen and of the new Writers Andreas Vega. Ferus as in many other points between us the Pontificians so in this he is as sound a Catholique and as good a Protestant as Calvin himselfe or any that hath written on this subject in Math. cap. 20. vers 8. Gratis promisit gratis reddit si dei gratiam favorē conservare vis nulla meritorum tnorum mentionem facito And in Acts 15. Qui docet in operibus confidere is negat Christi meritum sufficere Both which places many others of the same Author their Index Expurgatorius hath wiped out using him the ancient fathers as Tereus dealt with Progne who cut out her tongue lest she shold tel the truth Yea and Bellarmine himselfe after he hath spent seventeen leaves in defence of merit of works and scrapt and catcht and drawn in by the shoulders whatsoever he could out of the Scriptures or ancine Fathers for colouring that Tenent at length brings this Orthodoxall conclusion with which I will conclude this point Very Orthodoxall indeed if two letters be transposed Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae let it be Propter certitudinem propriae injustitiae propter periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate
reponere A Kingdome Of this as Salust once said of old Carthage its better to say nothing then to say but a little and yet if I should say more then I am able to expresse it were nothing to that which might be said Non mihi si linguae centum sint oraque centum ferreae vox Had I a thousand mouthes and a thousand voyces had I a tongue of steele or spoke with the tongues of those thousands of thousands that waite about the Throne of God I were not able to set forth so much as the shadow or back parts nay the shadow of the back parts of those joyes which God hath prepared for them that love him Nature failes me reason failes you the whole Bible failes me in this point Paul was taken up into the third Heaven the Kingdome here meant and what saw he The glory was such that it did not only dazle his eyes but struck him blind that he could see nothing at all Acts 9 8. Well but what heard he Things that cannot be conceived neither is it possible for man to be uttered 2 Cor. 12. Saint Austin when he was young did thus de cant upon it Ibi erit summa certa securitas secura tranquillitas tranquilla jucunditas jucunda faelicitas faelix aeternitas c. There shall be certaine security secure safety safe delightsome happinesse happy eternity c. O gaudium supra gandium O gaudium vincens omne gaudium extrae quod non est gaudium quando intrabo in te ut videam Deum meum qui habitat in te ubi inventus nunquam senescit ubi vita terminuÌ„ nescit ubi dolor nunquam pallescit ubi amor nunquam tepescit ubi sanitas nunquam marcescit ubi gaudium nunquam decrescit ubi dolor nunquam sentitur ubi gemitus nunquam audit ur ubi triste nihil videtur ubi laetitia semper habetur c. Aust. Soliloqui O joy beyond all joy O joy without which there is no joy when shall I enter into thee that I may behold God which is in thee where youth never growes old De verbis Domini in Joh. Serm. 64. where love never grows cold c. After when he was growne somewhat old he takes a pause and demands this of himselfe after a long discourse What shall I say Surely I cannot tell but I know that God hath such things to bestow And facilius invenire possumus quid ibi non sit quam quid sit We may easilier finde what is not there then what is there Non ibi erit lassari dormire non ibi esurire sitire non ibi erit crescere senescere Behold what I have spoken and yet I have not spoken what is there Eccejam vita jam incolumitas est jam nulla fames nulla paena nulla si is nullus defectus tamen nondum dixi and yet I have not told you what is there that which eye hath not seen how can I discerne that which eare hath not heard how can I speak that which never came into the heart of man how can it come into my heart to declare and indeed to make a long discourse about this subject were but with the blinde man to discourse about colours He may talk long about them but with eyes he cannot know them and we may talke much of Heavens joyes but till we come there and see God we cannot see them Our knowledge is no more able to reach to the excellency of them then a new borne childe is to make a demonstration in the Mathematicks or he that is blinde to name every colour that is layd before him Eye hath not seen nor eare heard saith the Apostle Quicquid recipitur recipitur in modum recipientis A Quart will not containe a Gallon nor a Gallon an Hogshead nothing can receive more then its able to containe Our understandings are like Vessels of small capacity and therefore our heavenly Father who in the Scriptures is often pleased Balbutire cum pueris to condescend to the meannesse of his Childrens capacity expresseth these joyes by such things as their understandings are capable of The Jewes report of Manna that it gave a taste to every man according to their severall appetites and desires For the trueth of this Credat Judaeus apella non ego The Scripture tells us that the taste thereof was like Wafers made with Honey â—um 16. 31. But it may be truely sayd of this Kingdome that in the Scriptures its expressed by such names as may give satisfaction to every mans appetite Some are delighted with faire houses it 's therefore called an house 2 Cor. 5. and Solomons house 1 King 7. was a type of it but far short of the antitype Yea and the house of the Sun too Sublimibus alta columnis clara micante auro flammasque imitante pyropo It 's the house that wisdome hath built Prov. 9. a stately house with a witnesse for her stones are Carbunâ—les her foundation Saphirs its windows of Emeralds and all its gates of shining stones Isa 54. In a word It s a house made without hands eternall and that in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. Some it contents not to dwell in a fair house unlesse it be seated in a goodly Citie It 's therefore likened unto a Citie a Citie having a foundation that is a sure foundation all earthly Cities are founded in quag-mires they want a foundation they are like the house builded upon the sand which cannot endure the weather but downe it goes as Athens Lacedemâ—n Niniveh Babylon and others have done a Citie of the best structure Whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 10. A Citie having the glory of God a Citie of pure gold like unto cleare glasse Revel 21. Oh how excellent things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God But neither faire Houses nor goodly Cities will give contentment to some unlesse they may have wealth at will in which many place their chiefe felicity It 's therefore likened unto a pearle for which the wise Lapidariâ— sells all that hee hath to buy it A treasure which neither rust nor moth can corrupt nor thiefe steale All these will not satisfie the mindes of some unlesse beside them they may have honours and dignities heaped upon them Here is that that may give these contentment too it 's a Kingdome A kingdome that cannot be shaken Hebr. 12. and the greatest Kingdomes of the world have been often shaken and shivered in pieces A kingdome that shall have no end Luk. 1. Or as was foretold by the Prophet A kingdome that shall never be destroyed Dan. 7. 14. Pyrrgus said of Rome when as yet it was not Mistresse of all Italic That it was a Citie of Kings marry one thing was wanting to that Kingly Citie which Hormisda Legate to Constantine did wel observe when he saw the Emperour ravished with the beauty of it as if with Paul he had been wrapt up into the
shine upon it The story of times will make this plain innumerous were the men of the old world yet Gods flock was only contained in the family of Sheth they only were called the Sons of God afterward this flock was compassed in a very narrow fold in Noahs family it was enclosed in one Ark and yet there was one wolf amongst these few sheep Thus it continued in a very narrow compasse till Abrahams time and so downward till it began to multiplie in the land of Egypt and afterward in the promised Canaan as yet it was still tyed to one place there was but one pasture for Gods sheep the rest of the world played the Harlot with other Lovers and went a whoring after their own inventions and in this one pasture there were more goats then sheep for though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand upon the sea shore yet only a remnant was to be saved When the fulnesse of time was come that God had sent his Son made of a woman this Moon did suffer such an eclipse as that the quickest eye could hardly perceive her then she began to recover her light for God broke down the partition wall and rent the veil of the Temple and made no difference betwixt the Jew and the Gentile Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur Then Gods sheep brought forth thousands and ten thousands in the streets then the Vine stretcheth forth her boughs unto the river and her branches unto the lands end then God gave unto his Son the Heathen for his inheritance and the utmost part of the earth for his possession Yet then and ever since the gleanings of Satan have been more then the Vintage of Christ Yet take a survey of the world as it is at this day divide it into three parts with Ptolome or into four with some later Writers nay into six or seven with our last Geographers and you shall not finde much above one of these seven which professe Christ Amongst these separate the orthodox from the heterodox and you shall finde that Christ is now almost banished out of the world so that if the Son of Man should now come he should scarce finde faith in the Earth the true profession of the Gospel is confined in a little corner of the North-west and in this corner remove the Atheists and Hereticks and Worldlings and Neuters and Hypocrites how little will the remainder be after so many substractions And no marvel for many are called but few are chosen and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction Gods sheep have a little narrow path but the Goats have a beaten Cart-way This being so it is strange what Bellarmine meant to make amplitude and multitude to be a note of the true Church especially when he proposeth to speak of such notes by which it may be most easily known and distinguished from the false Religion of the Jews and Hereticks and Pagans and Infidels whatsoever and therefore such as are both proper and inseparable in respect of the Church and again such as though they make it not evidently true yet they make it evidently credible not only probable for that is the imperfection of our notes if you will believe him nay amongst those which admit of the Scriptures and ecclesiastical Histories and writings of the ancient Fathers faciunt etiam evidentiam veritatis Lord how plausible a doctrine would this have been unto Ahab how would it have fitted his turne to plead for Baal what meanest thou Eliah thus to trouble Israel As though we were all Idolaters and thou only a true worshipper of God Consider the matter aright and thou shalt finde what a weak Ground thou standest upon those are the true worshippers of God who are the most in number now thou art but one and the Prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty how pleasantly would it have sounded in the ears of the Jews when Jeremiah thus prophesied Behold might they say all the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem are against thee and is the Spirit of God departed from us all to possesse thee Thus Constantius disputed with Liberinorum Bishop of Rome against Athanasius The whole world is of this opinion and what art thou that thou shouldest take part with a naughty fellow and dissolve the peace of the world If this objection had been urged against Luther when he first began to bait the Popes Bull he might easily have answered in Athanasius his words What Church is there now that doth openly adore Christ if it be godly it is Subject to danger for if there be any that fear God as indeed there are many every where they have hid themselves with Elias in Dens and Caves of the earth But the example of the Jews will not much move our adversary quia non est eadem ratio populi Judaeorum populi Christianorum and might the Church of Christians be still known by the multitude of professors so that a man not yet resolved in the Truth might be guided by this mark to finde her out as the wise men by the star were directed unto Christ Surely no for scimus initio fuisse multo pauciores Christianos quam essent Judaei what better was she in the time of those ten bloody persecutions which indured for the space of three hundred years when a man could no sooner make profession of his faith but he was either killed with the sword or burnt with fire or drowned in the Sea or stoned to death or stean quick or famished with hunger or thrust through with bodkins or thrown to wild Beasts or pulled in pieces with Trees or wild horses or boiled in lead or made away with more exquisite and more Tragicall torments If that be possible then the Perilli of our time have invented to gratifie the Romish Phalaris Come a little lower and compare the Church not with the number of the Gentiles which no Papist in the world can for shame deny to have ever exceeded the number of Christians but with Heretikes I mean not all sorts joyned together for they will subscribe to Austin the Church is every where and Heresie every where but the Church is the same evey where Heresie is not the same but most different but only the Arians which sometimes have so overspread the whole Christian world as that if any had said Loe here is Christ or there is Christ thou wouldest not have believed him The Church was like a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house toppe or like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the desait they counted themselves the onely Catholikes but the true Christian they tearmed Scismatikes callâ—ng them Joannites and Ambrosians and Athanasians and Homousians Even as the Papists at this day challenge the name of Catholikes to themselves and call us Lutherans and Zuinglians and Calvinists They did not onely possesse the Church of Jerusalem and Alexandria
is naught in respect of that which followeth For whereas God challengeth this as a prerogative unto himself to bestow kingdomes on whomsoever he wil and placeth the Princes of the earth in authority next unto himselfe this they have perforce taken from God and bestowed it upon him that sitteth in the temple of God and advanceth himself above all that are called Gods It is he to whom if ye will believe him and his parasites all power is committed both in heaven and in earth He is that King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Princes rule and on whom the right of Kings dependeth all nations must fall down before him and all kingdomes must do him homage The greatest Monarch of the earth must prostrat himselfe before him and kisse his holy feet The Emperour if he be present when he taketh horse must hold the bridle when he lighteth he must hold the right stirrup when he walketh he must bear up his train when he washeth he must hold the bason when he would be born he must be one of the four that must carry him upon their shoulders in a golden chair 7. And as he takes upon him to give kingdomes to whomsoever he will like the Devil who told our Saviour Christ that all the kingdomes of the world were his and he gave them to whomsoever he would whereupon saith an ancient father mentitur diabolus quia cujus jussu homines creantur hujus jussu reges constituuntur the devil is a liar for by whose authority men were created by his are kings appointed as he takes upon him I say to give kingdomes at his pleasure so will he take them away when he listeth So farre is he from that obedience and reverence which every soul should give to the higher power Who knoweth not that Leo Isaurus for putting in execution a decree of a Councill held at Constantinople in his time touching the taking away of Images was first excommunicated and then deprived of all his revenues in Italy That Pope Zacharie deposed Childerick the French king that he might gratifie Carolus Mertellus and his son Pipin That the proud Venetian pedler Paul the second by a publike edict deprived of crown and kingdome George the king of Bohemia because he was an Hâ—ssite and stirred up Mathias the king of Hungary his son in law to warre against him What shall I tell you of the indignities offered in our own land against Henry the second and John king of England or of the buls of Pius Quintus sent against Queen Elizabeth of never dying memory whereby he hath excommunicated her absolved her subjects from their oaths of allegiance stirred up rebellions in these middle parts of Britain and taken upon him to bestow the regal diademe upon strangers God be thanked he that dwels in heaven and of right challengeth the authority of disposing the kingdomes of this world to himselfe laughed all their devises to scorn So that his Canons though they made a terrible noise yet no bullet was felt And his Buls which sometimes had such a terrible aspect that a whole provincial Synod durst scarse venture to bait them proved such cowardly dastards that every single adversary hath been ready to tugge them Much resembling the counterfeit shews of Semiramis when she warred against the king of India which a farre off seemed to be Elephants and Dromedaries but when they were throughly tried proved nothing but Oxen hides stuffed with straw Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements That I may cut off this first branch of my Text my third and last inference shall concerne you R. H. whom the Lord hath placed at the seate of judgement Have Magistrates their authothority from God this concerns you in your places as well as the greatest potentate of the earth And therefore as on the one side it should be incouragement unto you to hold on in all godly courses ye have begun so on the other side it should worke in you an humble and thankfull acknowledgment of so rare a benefit Say not then within your selves that it was not your owne deserts the excellency of your wits the ripenesse of your judgements of so rare a benefit Say not then within your selves that it was your own deserts the excellency of your wits the ripeness of your judgements the deepnesse of your knowledge in the lawes the integrity of your persons that did advance you unto those roomes If these were meanes of your preferment yet have yee nothing whereof ye can justly boast because ye have all from him For Dei dona sunt quaecunque bona sunt Use then your places as received from him acknowledge God to be authour of your advancement and say with Mary in her Song he that is mighty hath done great things for us and holy is his name And so much of the first proposition The second followeth Magistrates are Gods Deputies 8 God as he is jealous of his honour so is he of his name too He will not give it unto any other but only so far as hath he some resemblance with him I find onely three in Gods booke to say nothing of that eternall essence to which it principally agreeth which have this name given them The first is Satan who by reason of his great and almost unlimited power which he hath for a time here on earth by ruling raigning in the hearts of the children of disobedience is called a God The God of this world 2 Cor. 2. 4. The second are the blessed Angels those yeomen of the guard in the Court of Heaven which wait about the throne of God These by reason of their supereminent offices are called Gods Thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Gods Psalm 8. 5. which the Apostle following the Septuagint transâ—â—teth Angels Heb. 2. 7 The third is the Magistrate who both in this Psalm and sundry other places of Scripture is called a God His master shall bring him to the Gods Exod. 21. 6. Thou shalt not rayle upon the Gods Exod. 22. 28. that is the Judges implying thus much that as they have a commandment and authority from God so they have in some sense the authority of God and do supply his room Therefore said Moses unto the Judges which he appointed in every city ye shall not fear the face of man for the judgement is Gods And Jehosaphat to those Judges which which he had set in the strong cities of Judah take heed what you do for ye execute not the judgement of man but of the Lord. 9. Now then if Magistrates be Gods deputies what reverence it behoveth each private person to exhibit unto them I appeal to the conscience of every particular There be many at this day who howsoever in common civility they will seem to give an outward reverence unto the Magistrate yet in heart they scorn and contemn sundry of them as perchance
the Gospel of peace his ministers the Ambassadours of peace his natural Son the Author of peace his adopted sons the children of peace if then ye will be the sons of the most highest your endeavor must be this to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Consider what I say and the Lord give you wisdome and understanding in all things Finally to speake unto all and so to make an end of all seeing that we are all Tenants at will and must be thrust out of the doors of these earthly Tabernacles whensoever it shall please our great landlord to call us hence let us have our loines girt and our lampes continually burning that whensoever the Lord shal call us hence in the evening or in the morning at noon-day or at mid-night he may find us ready Happy is the man whom his Master when he comes shall find watching Let us every day sum up our accounts with God Ita aedificemus quasi semper victuri ita vivamus quasi cras morituri let us build as if we would ever live but let us live as if wee were ever ready to dye Then may every one of us in the integrity of heart and syncerity of conscience when the time of his departing is at hand say with the blessed Apostle If have fought a good fight and have finished my course I have kept the faith from hence forth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day Unto this God one eternall omnipotent and unchangeable Iehovah in essence three persons in manner of subsistence the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory power might and majestie both now and forever more Amen Galathians 3. 10. As many as are of the workes of the Law are under the Cuurse for it is written cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to do them IN which words observe two things 1. A Doctrine 2. A Reason of the doctrine in the former part the reason in the latter I have spoken of the doctrine I purpose now to speake only of the reason for it is written c. wherein observe three things 1. It is to no purpose to begin a good course of life unlesse thou hold it out and continue till the end 2. It s not enough for a Christian to performe obedience to some of Gods precepts and to bear with himself wilfully in the breach of others Cursed is he that continueth not in all 3. That the rule of our obedience is no unwritten tradition but the written Word of God that are written in the booke of the Law But before I speak of these I gather from the connexion this conclusion That no man can in this life perfectly fulfill the Will of God it followeth thus because as it is written Cursed c. So it is written This doe and thou shalt live and the man that doth these things shall live in them So that the Apostle takes this for granted or else his argument is of no force this is evidently confirmed by many places of Scripture 1 Kings 8. 49. Eccles 7. 22. Psal 143. 2. Isa 64. 6. Acts. 15. 10. Acts. 13. 39. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. 2. It is confirmed by reason the first is drawn from the corruption of nature which is in the best Christians from which wee may thus argue he that consisteth of flesh as well as of Spirit cannoâ— fulfill the Law no not in his best actions but the best Christian that ever lived consisteth of flesh as wel as of Spirit therfore he cannot fulfill the law The minor hath been formerly proved The Major is plaine for as he is carnall he is sold under sinne The wisdome thereof is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Thus it is proved from the the death of Christ for if righteousnesse be by the workes of the Law then Christ dyed without a cause Gal. 3. 21. and if they which are of the law be heires then saith is made void and the promise is made of no effect Rom. 4. 14. for he came to fulfill the law Matth. 5. 17. which was impossible to be fulfilled of us in as much as it was weake because of the flesh Therefore God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh Rom. 8. 3. But the Romish Sophisters answer that this maketh against the Pelagians which were of opinion that a man might by the strength of nature fulfill the law not against them which hold that this abilitie comes from grace and that the good workes of a Christian proceed from Christ as the juice in the branches proceedeth from the Vine To this I answer 1. That neither the Pelagians nor these against whom the Apostle disputeth did altogether exclude grace and therefore if it be strong against them it will be of force against the Papists too 2. Their answer is grounded upon a false supposition as that the works of a Christian doe proceed wholly from Christ for they they doe in part proceed from the flesh and therefore though as they are the workes of the holy Ghost who applieth unto the faithfull the force and efficacie of Christs resurrection they be perfect yet in respect of the flesh they be stained and polluted 3. Christ died for us not by any inherent but by his imputed righteousnesse which righteousness is applyed and appropriated unto us principally by the holy Ghost instrumentally by faith whereby wee are incorporate into Christ and so partakers of his righteousnesse wee might be justified I thinke Abraham was as holy a man as Ignatius the father of Jesuits or Dominicus and Franciscus the founders of Friers in whom saith Bellarmine their very adversaries can find nothing that deserveth reprehension praeter nimiam sanctitatem save their too much holiness and yet it was not his good workes but his faith for which he was counted righteous I know that this imputative righteousnesse is counted with them a putative and imaginarie righteousness but herein the injurie is not done unto us but unto him who saith to him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed for righteousnesse Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sinne wee say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse now it is not written for him only that it was imputed unto him for righteousness but also for us to whom it shal be imputed for righteousnesse c. A third reason to prove that no man can fulfill the Law is because all have need to say forgive us our debts who more excellent amongst the old people saith Austin then the holy Priests and yet the Lord commanded them that
did impose this law upon himselfe telling the Pharisees that his Doctrine was not his owne but the Fathers that had sent him Now then if the Priests of the Law if the Prophets if the Apostles if Christ Jesus himselfe did not preach any Doctrine but what they received from God if they were tyed to the word and might not decline to the right hand nor to the left Much more are the Lords Ministers at this day tied not to deliver any Doctrine to their Hearers but what is evidently grounded upon the sacred Oracles of Truth They are to build the Kingdom of Christ to subvert the kingdome of Antichrist to feed the Lords Sheep to drive away the Wolves to comfort the weake and feeble knees to break the brazen and iron sinews of impenitent sinners to sing a song of mercie to penitent and humble soules to thunder judgments to forlorn miscreants To binde and to loose to plucke up and to roote out to destroy and to cast downe to build and to plant but all by the word of God The writings of Heathen men contain in them many excellent precepts of Morality but they are mingled with a number of untruths and vanities The writings of the ancient Fathers are of especiall use in the Church of God but they are not sufficient groun is for me to build my Faith upon them I may no more in all things follow their steps then I may be drunk with Noah or commit incest with Lot or be an Adulterer with David or an Idolater with Solomon or with Peter deny and forswear Christ I say of them all in respect of the Scriptures as Stankarus a Polonian Heretick spake of our Protestant Writers in respect of Peter Lombard Plus valet Petrus Lombardus quam Centum Lutheri c. One Peter Lombard is of more worth then 100. Luthers 200. Melanctons 300. Bullingers 400. Peter Martyrs and 500. Calvins But one plaine sentence of Scripture is more worth then 100. Austins 200. Cyprians 300. Jeremies 400. Ambroses 500. Gregories where their Doctrines are not warrantable by the word of God I say of them as Aristotle did of Socrates and Plato Socrates is my Friend and Plato my Friend but Truth is my greatest Friend And as Austin said of his Country-man Cyprian Cypriani literas non ut Canonicas lego sed ex Canonicis considero quod in ijs divinarum Scripturarum autoritati convenit cum laude ejus accipio quod non convenit cum pace ejus respuo I read Cyprian not as canonical Scripture but I examine his Writings by the canonicall and where I find them agreeing with his due commendations I receive them when repugnant with his good leave I will reject them To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them Isa 8. 20. Quest Is it then unlawfull for a Minister to use humanity or secular learning in his Sermon Ans I have known many who have said that a Sermon is too barren and dry and not so learned nor so pleasant nor so powerfull nor so profitable if it consist meerly of testimonies from Scripture without some inspersions at the least of secular learning as if that were dry which is like the Raine that comes down from heaven and waters the earth that it may yeeld seed to him that soweth and bread to him that eateth or any thing were more learned then that which will make a man wise unto salvation or any thing more pleasant then that which is sweeter then honie or the honie-comb or any thing more powerfull then that which is lively And mighty in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword and entereth through even to the dividing of the soule and the spirit and of the joynts and the marrow or any thing more profitable then that which is given by inspiration from God and is profitable to Teach to reprove to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect unto all good works Again on the other side I know many both Preachers and Hearers who distast as much a sentence borrowed from a prophane Writer as the children of the Prophets did of that branch of Coloquintida that was cast into the pot mors in olla One sentence in their conceit spoils a whole Sermon the thing otherwise never so good These men are verily perswaded that Hieroms dreame was in good earnest that he was wrapt into the third Heaven and miserably beaten before the Tribunall seate of God for reading of Tullie which although he writing to a certain Lady who was too much addicted to reading of secular Authors he relates as a story Yet when the same was objected against him by Ruffinus and without question Lactantius and Tertullian and Austin and some others of the Fathers deserved to lick of the whip for this as well as Hierome who were so throughly acquainted with all secular Writers that as he himselfe speaks of some of them a man cannot tell whether he shall more admire them for their secular learning or their knowledg in the Scriptures insomuch that as Julian complained of some of them De aquila pennas evellerent quibus aquilam configerent They pulled quills out of the Eagles wings the Roman Ensign wherewith they wounded and killed the Eagle My resolution then is this As I cannot approve of the former sort so can I not altogether of the latter my reasons are these 1. No Sermon is purum putum dei verbum meer Logick and Rhetorick and humane invention are used in the best and therefore if I shall sometimes borrow a sentence from a secular Writer be it Goats-hair or hay or stubble or call it what you will peradventure it may prove as good as any thing I can bring of mine owne 2. I take it to be a property of a foolish Captaine to scorn to use any stratagem which his Enemie hath used before It 's lawfull for the Hebrews to spoile the Aegyptians so that it be not to make a golden Calfe of the spoile 3. St. Paul himself sometimes brings sentences out of secular Writers as Tit. 1. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heroicall verse out of Epimenides So Acts 17. We are his generation part of an heroicall verse out of Aratus and 1 Cor. 15. Evill words corrupt good manners a comicall verse out of Menander 4. There is but one truth and Omne verum est a Spiritu Sancto saith Ambrose so that if thou shalt alleadg that it is unlawfull to use it because it dropt from the tongue or penn of a Pagan I will reply that if it be true it is lawfull because it is originally from God but here these cautions are to be observed 1. It must not be a Doctrine but only an Illustration or amplification of a Doctrine 2. It must be sparingly used in popular Congregations 3. As an Israelite when he
was to marrie a captive woman taken in the Wars was first to shave her head and pare her nayls So a Minister when he is in his Sermon to joyne a sentence of a secular Writer with the Scripture hee must shave and pare off all superstition prophanenesse idolatry and whatsoever may seem to be repugnant to the doctrine of godliness 4. He must so carry himselfe in this business that his Hearers may be benefited his Duty discharged and Gods Name glorified 2. Observe That a Minister being Gods Embassadour must after the example of my Prophet deliver no private message of his owne but only that which he hath in commission from him that sent him Duo sunt pontificis opera saith Origen Vt aut a deo discat aut populum doceat sed ea doceat quae ipse prius a deo didicit such a one was Moses c. The charge contains two branches 1. Judgement must be executed 2. It must be executed without partiality it must be just judgement I deliver them in these two Propositions 1. It is the duty of a good Magistrate to see that the good lawes of his Countrey be duly and speedily executed 2. A Magistrate must with out partiality or respect of persons give just judgment Touching the first It 's Gods commandemennt and no sacrifice so acceptable as obedience Behold to obey it better then sacrifice It 's true in the generall especially in this particular To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to God then sacrifice Prov. 21. 3. It is a proper work of the Magistrates calling and he is a sloathfull person that goes carelesly and negligently about the works of his vocation it is a worke of God Ye judge not for men but for God 2 Chron. 19. 6. And cursed is hee that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Jer. 48. The Law of it selfe is a dead letter execution is the soule of it As the body without the soule is dead so is it without execution of judgement It 's not materiall how good a mans Will be if the executors who are put in trust doe not perform it The laws I may call Gods Will and the Will of the King it s no matter how good they be if those who are appointed Executors neglect to put them in execution In this case they are no better then Scar-crows which being set up in the Fields by Husband-men to keep away Birds at the first because they seem to be fenced with bows and Bills and other weapons are terrible to the Fowles but at length seeing them still in the same place and doing nothing they make bold with them and sit on their heads and worse too Or like the Stock in the Fable which Jupiter cast into a poole amongst the Frogs desiring a King At the first by it's fall it so troubled the water that they were all afraid of it and hid themselves but afterwards observing it to be still they came croaking about it and skipt over it and counted it as it was a dead block So the Lawes though never so dreadfull at the first if they be not duly executed by them that are in place grow in contempt and give occasion to the bad to go on with boldnesse in their lewd courses as Solomon hath well observed Eccles 8. 11. Where sentence is not executed speedily against an evill worke the hearts of the sonnes of men are fully set in them to do evill So they are now and they are therefore so now because Sentence is not executed speedily against an evill work the complaint is great too true I doubt that there is too great remisnesse in executing Judgment and that first in matters criminall Secondly in civill controversies between party and party The first of these doth not so much touch or rather scarce at all the reverend Judges of this Circuit as those that are of the Commission of Peace and other Officers in the County whereof some because they would not be holden busie bodies others because they would not be counted rash and indiscreet persons others because they would be reputed gentle and quiet men content themselves with the honour of their Office and neglect the duty and burden and suffer many good Lawes to faint and languish for want of Execution Like Gallio Deputy of Achaia who when an open Out-rage was committed before his face when he sate on the Bench past it by and took no notice of it the Graecians took Sosthenes and beat him before the Judgment Seat but Gallio cared nothing for these things Act. 18. In some particulars conducing to the publick good we see some hope of Reformation and if the old Proverbe be true according to the sound of the Letters Principium dimidium totius and dimidium plus toto it s done already and many think that 's all will be done I am better perswaded of you I would be loth to place any of you amongst those improvident Builders who having not counted the losse before hand after they have said a good Foundation give over and are not able to bring it to perfection But there be many other things of a civill nature the redresse whereof would prove much beneficiall to the whole Publick which Gallio is pleased to wink at and those things which are of a spirituall nature which every Magistrate above all other things should take to heart and so far as the Sphere of his Authority will extend procure Judgment to be executed upon the Offenders true Religion and the Service of God Gallio cares for none of these things if popish Recusants grow more and more insolent if their number increase if Priests and Jesuites run up and down the Country at their pleasure if Gods name be horribly blasphemed if his Sabboths prophaned Gallio cares for none of these things are your mindes set on Righteousnesse O yee Congregation and do yee judge the things that are right O yee Sonnes of men Alas what skilleth it how great or how powerfull or how good a man be in respect of generall vertues or how able and sufficient for his particular place if he shall be deficient in the practise of those duties which are proper to that State and Condition of life wherein God hath placed him Now a fearelesse and just and impartiall executing of Judgment upon Malefactors is the best flower that growes in a Magistrates Garden it s the grace and ornament nay the very life and esse and specificall form of a good Governour and the main end for which God Almighty puts the Sword into his hand and herein he shall not only cleare his own conscience in discharging his duty and credite his calling and do good Service to his Prince and Country and incourage the good and dishearten the bad but which is more he shall make peace between God and his Country and send a prohibition to the Court of Heaven and stop the mouth of the Judge of all the World from