controversies then gravely to compose them he raised great stirs and by disputing spread them far and wide whilst he went about to make himself sole Lord and commander of the whole profession Now that it may appear wherefore I have noted this it is no hard thing for a man that hath wit and is strongly possest of an opinion and resolute to maintain it to finde some places of Scripture which by good handling will be woed to cast a favourable countenance upon it Pythagoras Schollers having been bred up in the doctrine of numbers when afterward they diverted upon the studies of nature fancied unto themselves somewhat in natural bodies like unto numbers and thereupon fell into a conceit that numbers were the principles of them So fares it with him that to the reading of Scripture comes forepossest with some opinion As Antipheron Orietes in Aristotle thought that every where he saw his own shape and picture going afore him so in divers parts of Scripture where these men walk they will easily perswade themselves that they see the image of their own conceits It was and is to this day a fashion in the hotter countreys at noon when the sun is in his strength to retire themselves to their Closets or beds if they were at home to cool and shady places if they were abroad to avoid the inconvenience of the heat of it To this the Spouse in the Canticles alluding calls after her beloved as after a shepherd Shew me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest thy flock where thou dost rest at noon The Donatists conceiting unto themselves that the Church was shut up in them alone being urged by the fathers to shew how the Church being universal came on a sudden thus to be confinde to Africk they had presently their Scripture for it for so they found it written in the Canticles Indica quem diligit anima mea ubi pascas ubi cubes in meridie In which text meridies doubtless as they thought was their Southern countrie of Africk where the shepherd of Israel was and no where else to feed his flocks I may not trouble you with instances in this kinde little observation is able to furnish the man of slendrest reading with abundance The texts of Scripture which are especially subject to this abuse are those that are of ambiguous and doubtful meaning For as Thucydides observes of the fat and fertile places of Greece that they were evermore the occasions of stirs and seditions the neighbouring nations every one striving to make it self Lord of them so is it with these places that are so fertile as it were of interpretation and yield a multiplicity of sense they are the Palaestra for good wits to prove masteries in where every one desires to be Lord and absolute A second thing occasioning us to transgress against Scripture and the discreet and sober handling of it is our too quick and speedy entrance upon the practise of interpreting it in our young and green years before that time and experience have ripened us and setled our conceits For that which in all other business and here likewise doth most especially commend us is our cautelous and wary handling it But this is a flower seldome seen in youths garden Aristotle differencing age and youth makes it a property of youth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suppose they know all things and to be bold in affirming and the heathen Rhetorician could tell us that by this so speedy entring upon action and so timely venting our crude and unconcocted studies quod est ubique perniciosissimum praevenit vires fiducia a thing which in all cases is most pernicious presumption is greater then strength after the manner of those who are lately recovered out of some great sickness in whom appetite is stronger then digestion These are they who take the greatest mysteries of Christian religion to be the fittest arguments to spend themselves upon So Eckius in his Chrysopassus a work of his so termed wherein he discusses the question of predestination in the very entrance of his work tells us that he therefore enterpris'd to handle this argument because forsooth he thought it to be the fittest question in which he might Juveniles calores exercere The ancient Masters of fence amongst the Romans were wont to set up a post and cause their young Schollers to practise upon it and to foin and fight with it as with an adversary Insteed of a post this young fencer hath set himself up one of the deepest mysteries of our profession to practise his freshmanship upon Which quality when once it findes Scripture for his object how great inconvenience it brings with it needs no large discourse to prove St. Jerome a man not too easily brought on to acknowledge the errours of his writings amongst those few things which he doth retract censures nothing so sharply as the mistake of his youth in this kinde In adolescentia provocatus ardore studio Scripturarum allegoricè interpretatus sum Abdiam Prophetam cujus historiam nesciebam He thought it one of the greatest sins of his youth that being carried away through an inconsiderate heat in his studies of Scripture he adventured to interpret Abdias the Prophet allegorically when as yet he knew not the historical meaning Old men saith our best natural master by reason of the experience of their often mistakes are hardly brought constantly to affirm any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will always cauteâ—â—ously interline their speeches with it may bees and peradventures and other such particles of wariness and circumspection This old mens modesty of all other things best fits us in perusing those hard and obscure texts of holy Scripture Out of which conceit it is that we see St. Austine in his books de Genesi ad literam to have written only by way of questions and interrogations after the manner of Aristotle in his Problemes that he might not for so he gives his reason by being over positive prejudice others and peradventure truer interpretations that every one might choose according to his likeing ubi quid intelligere non potest Scripturae Dei det honorem sibi timorem and where his understanding cannot attain unto the sense of it let him give that honour and reverence which is due unto the Scripture and carry himself with that aw and respect which befits him Wherefore not without especial providence it is that the Holy Ghost by St. Paul giving precepts to Timothy concerning the quality of those who were to be admitted to the distributing of Gods holy word expresly prescribes against a young Scholler least saith he he be puft up For as it hath been noted of men who are lately grown rich that they differ from other rich men only in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that commonly they have all the faults that rich men have and many more so is it as true in those who have lately attaind to some degree and mediocrity
in this kind that ever was made was enacted by Theodosius against the Donatists but with this restraint that it should extend against none but only such as were tumultuous and till that time they were not so much as toucht with any mulct though but pecuniary till that shameful outrage commited against Bish. Maximian whom they beat down with bats and clubs even as he stood at the Altar so that not so much the error of the Donatists as their riots and mutinies were by Imperial laws restrained That the Church had afterward good reason to think that she ought to be salubrior quam dulcior that sometimes there was more mercy in punishing then forbearing there can no doubt be made St. Austine a man of as milde and gentle spirit as ever bare rule in the Church having according to his natural sweetness of disposition earnestly written against violent and sharp dealing with He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taught by experience did afterward retract and confess an excellent use of wholsome severity in the Church Yet could I wish that it might be said of the Church which was sometimes observed of Augustus In nullius unquam suorum necem duravit he had been angry with and severely punisht many of his kin but he could never endure to cut any of them off by death But this I must request you to take only as my private wish and not as a censure if any thing have been done to the contrary When Absolom was up in arms against his Father it was necessary for David to take order to curb him and pull him on his knees yet we see how careful he was he should not die and how lamentably he bewail'd him in his death what cause was it that drove David into this extream passion Was it doubt of heire to the Kingdome That could not be For Solomon was now born to whom the promise of the Kingdom was made was it the strength of natural affection I somewhat doubt of it Three year together was Absolom in banishment and David did not very eagerly desire to see him The Scripture indeed notes that the King long'd for him yet in this longing was there not any such fierceness of passion for Absolom saw not the Kings face for two years more after his return from banishment to Hierusalem What then might be the cause of his strength of passion and commiseration in the King I perswade my self it was the fear of his sons final miscarriage and reprobation which made the King secure of the mercies of God unto himself to wish he had died in his steed that so he might have gain'd for his ungracious childe some time of repentance The Church who is the common mother of us all when her Absoloms her unnatural sons do lift up their hands and pens against her must so use means to repress them that she forget not that they are the sons of her womb and be compassionate over them as David was over Absolom loath to unsheath either sword but most of all the temporal for this were to send them with quick dispatch to Hell And here I may not pass by that singular moderation of this Church of oursâ—â— which she hath most christianly exprest towards her adversaries of Rome here at home in her bosome above all the reformed Churches I have read of For out of desire to make the breach seem no greater then indeed it is and to hold communion and Christian fellowship with her so far as we possibly can we have done nothing to cut of the favourers of that Church The reasons of their love and respects to the Church of Rome we wish but we do not command them to lay down their lay-Brethren have all means of instruction offered them Our Edicts and Statutes made for their restraint are such as serve only to awake them and cause them to consider the innocency of that cause for refusal of communion in which they endure as they suppose so great losses Those who are sent over by them either for the retaining of the already perverted or perverting others are either return'd by us back again to them who dispatcht them to us or without any wrong unto their persons or danger to their lives suffer an easie restraint which only hinders them from dispersing the poyson they brought And had they not been stickling in our state-business and medling with our Princes crown there had not a drop of their blood fallen to the ground unto our Sermons in which the swarvings of that Church are necessarily to be taxt by us we do not binde their presence only our desire is they would joyn with us in those Prayers and holy ceremonies which are common to them and us And so accordingly by singular discretion was our Service-Book compiled by our Fore-fathers as containing nothing that might offend them as being almost meerly a compendium of their own Breviary and Missal so that they shall see nothing in our meetings but that they shall see done in their own though many things which are in theirs here I grant they shall not finde And here indeed is the great and main difference betwixt us As it is in the controversie concerning the Cononical books of Scripture whatsoever we hold for Scripture that even by that Church is maintained only she takes upon her to adde much which we cannot think safe to admit so fares it in other points of Faith and Ceremony whatsoever it is we hold for faith she holds it as far forth as we our ceremonies are taken from her only she over and above urges some things for faith which we take to be error or at the best but opinion and for ceremony which we think to be superstition So that to participate with us is though not throughout yet in some good measure to participate with that Church and certainly were that spirit of charity stirring in them vvhich ought to be they would love and honour us even for the resemblance of that Church the beauty of which themselves so much admire The glory of these our proceedings even our adversaries themselves do much envy So that from hence it is that in their vvritings they traduce our judiciary proceedings against them for sanguinary and violent striving to persvvade other nations that such as have suffered by course of publick justice for religion only and not for treason have died and pretend we what we list our actions are as bloody and cruel as their own wherefore if a perfect pattern of dealing with erring Christians were to be sought there were not any like unto this of ours In qua nec saeviendi nec errandi per eundique licentia permittitur which as it takes not to it self liberty of cruelty so it leaves not unto any the liberty of destroying their own souls in the error of their lives And now that we may at once conclude this point concerning Hereticks for prohibiting these men access to religious disputations it is now too late to
the Philistines could ever fasten upon or drive to any inconvenience one lustful thought forced to Adultery and Murder one proud conceit stirred up to number the people and drew from God great inconveniences and plagues both upon himself and his Kingdom How careful then ought we to be and to stand on our guard and keep a perpetual watch over our hearts diligently to try and examine our thoughts Nunquam securo triumphantur otio sed tantum sollicito premuntur imperio August Nor while we live shall we be able perfectly to master or securely to triumph over them the only way to suppress and keep them down is to have a perpetual and careful jealousie of them Now of this Religious care and watchfulness over our own thoughts hath the Holy Ghost recorded for our use a notable example in these words which but now I read And it came to passe c. To relate unto you at large the occasion of these words and the story from whence they depend were but to wrong you for I cannot think so meanly of your knowledg in Scripture as that any of you can be ignorant of so famous a passage Yet thus much for the better opening of my way unto such doctrines as I shall draw from this Text I will call back unto your memories that Saul hunting after David to kill him unwittingly stept into a Cave where David was David having now his enemy in his hand and opportunity to revenge himself le ts slip all thought of revenging and only cuts off privily the lap of his Garment For this deed so harmless so innocent the Scripture tells us that his heart smote him that he suffered great anguish and remorse in Conscience for it That which I will require you to note is the tenderness of Conscience and strange scrupulousness in David for so small an action for it will yield us a great Lesson I say it appeareth not by Scripture that David intended any mischief or treason to Saul or that he harbour'd in heart any disloyal thought against him This purpose of cutting off the lap of Sauls garment was no other then to purchase to himself a harmless and honourable testimony of his Innocency and to prove unto Saul that there was no likelihood that he sought his blood whom he spared having him at so great an advantage Yet notwithstanding as if the rending of Sauls garment had been the wounding of Sauls body or the shedding of his blood David stands amazed and is affrighted at so honourable so innocent a thought His heart smote him saith the Scripture As men that have been at sea and indanger'd through the raging of windes and tempests and floods when afterward the weather is cleared up the windes allayed the seasmoothed and all calm yet scarcely dare they set sail again and trust to so uncertain so fickle an Element so seems it to have fared with David in this place He was a man subject to the same passions with other men and doubtless through the raging of unruly and misorderly affections he had many times been in danger of spiritual shipwrack wherefore licet in morem stagni fusum aequor arrideat and though now he could discover no tempest in his heart though the face of his thoughts were as smooth as glass yet when he looks upon such fair and calm affections his heart misgives him and he dares not trust them magnos hic campus montes habet tranquilitas ista tempestas est The care he hath over his own heart fills him with suspitions and still he thinks something he knows not what may be amiss But I must come unto the words And it came to pass afterwards c. In these words we will consider these three things 1. The Person David And Davids heart smote him 2. Davids Sollicitousness his care and jealousy very significantly expressed in the next words His heart smote him 3. The cause of this his care and anxiety of minde in the last words Because he had cut off Sauls skirt In the first point that is in the Person we may consider his greatness he was a King in expectation and already anoynted A circumstance by so much the more considerable because that greatness is commonly taken to be a Priviledge to sin to be over carefull and conscientious of our courses and actions are accounted virtues for private Persons Kings have greater businesses then to examine every thought that comes into their hearts Pater meus obliviscitur se esse Caesarem ego vero memini me Caesaris filiam It is the answer of Julia Augustus the Emperour's daughter when she was taxed for her too wanton and licentious living and counsel'd to conform herself to the Sobriety and Gravity of her Father My Father saith she forgets himself to be Caesar the Emperour but I remember myself to be Caesars daughter It was the speech of Enxius the Poet Plebs in hoc Regi antestâ—â— loco licet lachrimari plebi Regi honeste non licet Private men in this have a priviledge above Princes but thus to do becomes not Princes and if at any time these sad and heavy hearted thoughts do supprize them they shall never want comforters to dispell them When Ahab was for sullnness fallen down upon his bed because Naboth would not yield him his Vineyard Jezabell is presently at hand and asks him Art thou this day King of Israel When Ammon pined away in the incestuous love of his Sister Thamar Jonadab his companion comes unto him and asks why is the Kings Son sad every day so that as it seems great Persons can never be much or long sad Yet David forgets his greatness forgets his many occasions gives no ear to his companions about him but gives himself over to a scrupulous and serious consideration of an Action in shew and countenance but light Secondly as the Person is great so is the care and remorse conceived upon the Consideration of his action exceeding great which is our Second part And therefore the Holy Ghost expresses it in very significant termes His heart smote him a phrase in scripture used by the Holy Ghost when men begin to be sensible and repent them of some sin When David had commited that great sin of numbring the people and began to be apprehensive of it the Scripture tells us that Davids heart smote him when he had commanded Jeab to number the People Wherefore by this smiting we may not here understand some light touch of Conscience like a grain of powder presently kindled and presently gone for the most hard and flinty hearts many times yield such sparks as these He that is most flesht in sin commits it not without some remorse for sin evermore leaves some scruple some sting some lothsomness in the hearts of those that are most inamour'd of it But as Simeon tells the blessed Virgin in St. Lukes Gospell Gladius pertransihit animam tuam a sword shall peirce through thine heart so it seems to have
several learned mens judgements who by the more perverse sort might otherwise be thought to use some plot and conspiracy to make their opinions meet together This unexpected motion did not a little trouble the President who was altogether set against any such course which made all especially the exteri wonder that he should offer to pass over a matter of so great consequence without asking the Synods advice for the manner of reading their own judgements the reason why this motion was made by our Colledge was this in forming of our judgements as we have studied to condemn all in the Remonstrants which can justly be taxed so we took pains to condemn no more but that which must be condemned and to condemn too some hard phrases of the contra Remonstrants especially in the matter of Reprobation but they are only phrases now we know that in the making of the Canons no words of ours which sound any thing that way shall be expressed because the provincials in forming of the Canons will carry us down by voices and therefore we desired that in the reading of our judgements at least our ingenuity might be taken notice of by all the auditors Well to this motion the President made this answer that within these few days he himself was in that same opinion which now was propounded but having with more mature deliberation thought upon it and asked the advice of his Assessors that he had now thought it fit the judgements should be read no auditors being admitted unless it were some few choice ministers of good worth who did here attend about the Synod the reasons moving them thereunto were these First because this course seemeth to come nearer the intent of the commission of the Estates General then the other in which they were appointed to enquire after Synodical suffrages privately among themselves without other auditors unless the Synod should think it fit to admit auditors Secondly because it had been a custome hitherto observed in all Synods and counsels to take the suffrages all auditors being excluded Thirdly because though the suffrages of all Colledges do agree as he perceived by reading of them in the thing it self yet because there was some disagreement in phrases and forms of speaking it was to be feared that the Remonstrants and other Jesuits and Dominicans present would make great matter of these verbal differences that they would cast abroad among the people strange reports of the dissensions of the Synod and in another case that the Remonstrants no question as lately they had done would put out in print the opinion of the Synod concerning the Articles before the Canons were formed by the Synod and in their pamphlet no doubt they would oppose sentence to sentence wheresoever they might take hold of the least suspition of difference Fourthly and chiefly because by this course the judgement of the Synod concerning the 5. Articles should go abroad among the people before either the Synod it self had determined what should be their judgements or the Estates General could be made acquainted with the judgements of the Colledges and Synod who notwithstanding in all reasons and good manners ought next to the Synod it self to know what is likely to be the event of all business in it the President added that since this was but a matter of order he hoped the Synod would trust him and the Assessors with the managing of it but perceiving that a great many were not content with it he was glad to put the matter to voices the Delegats being asked their voice they desired the matter might be deferred till the afternoon and so the Synod was dismissed The President in mean time sent Dammanus one of the Scribes to entreat us to give way to the Presidents motion and no question they laboured other Colledges as well as us but certainly all the Presidents reasons above mentioned might easily have been answered for my part I think his course was tutior but ours honestior Sessio 103. eodem die post meridiem Voices were asked concerning the manner of reading the Collegial judgements The Delegats suffrage pronounced by Heinsius was that in reading of the judgements all auditors whatsoever aswel contra-Remonst as Remonst should be excluded and besides they entreat all the members of the Synod that they would conceal as much as might be the things that were done in the Synod The whole members of the Synod without exception according to the judgement of the Delegats So Q. F. F. of the first Article que sit we begun to read the Colledge judgements at this Session were read the judgements of our Colledge and the Colledge of the Palatines both of a just length and agreeable in all things except that the Palatines had added to the end of theirs a very good and necessary counsel for the sober and wholsome manner of propounding to the people the doctrine of Election and Reprobation we purpose after our judgement on the fifth Article to give in such a counsel for the sober propounding of the whole five Articles to the people Sessio 104. 7. March There were publickly read the judgements of the Colledg of the Hassians who were exceeding long of the Helvetians who were but short and grave of Alstedius he who is only superstes of the Nassovians who was but short there was no difference between their judgements and the others which were read before them Sessio 105. eodem die post meridiem There were read publickly first the judgement of the Genevenses who were pretty long they kept a form by themselves for where the confirmations of other â—â—olledges Theses consisted of reasons places of Scriptures and fathers their confirmations were nothing but places of Scripture barely propounded in great number and in a very fine contexture and frame at the end they used this short peroration that they had simply out of the Scripture delivered that concerning the first Article which they knew to be agreeable with the Church of Geneva nay and beside of all the Churches of France which did stick to the French confession Next was read the judgement of the Bremenses which was of a just length very sound and accurate in all things agreeable to the other judgements read before except only with this difference whereas other judgements had said either nothing of the election and salvation of Infants begotten of faithful parents and dying in their Infancy or they which had touched it had determined that faithful parents had no reason to doubt of it but might very well for any thing they did know hope and perswade themselves of it the Bremonses did absolutely determine that all such Infants dying in their infancie if they were baptized were certainly saved concluding it not only ex judicio charitatis as others had done but ex judicio certitudinis too Next begun to be read the judgement of the Divines of Embdane from whom as Mr. Hales well knoweth extraordinary prolixity was to be expected after
effectuall He took indeed to himselfe a liberty of judgeing not of others but for himselfe and if ever any man might be allowed in these matters to judge it was he who had so long so much so advantageously consider'd and which is more never had the least worldly designe in his determinations He was not onely most truly and strictly Just in his Secular transactions most exemplarily Meeke and Humble notwithstanding his perfections but beyond all example Charitable giving unto all preserving nothing but his Bookes to continue his learning and himselfe which when he had before digested he was forced at last to feed upon at the same time the happiest and most unfortunate helluo of Books the grand example of learning and of the envy and contempt which followeth it This testimony may be truly given of his Person and nothing in it liable to the least exception but this alone that it comes far short of him Which intimation I conceive more necessary for such as knew him not than all which hath been said In reference to the second part of my Design I confess while he lived none was ever more sollicited and urged to write and thereby truly to teach the world than he none ever so resolved pardon the expression so obstinate against it His facile and courteous nature learnt onely not to yield to that sollicitation And therefore the World must be content to suffer the losse of all his learning with the deprivation of himself and yet he cannot be accused for hiding of his talent being so communicative that his chamber was a Church and his chair a Pulpit Onely that there might be some taste continue of him here are some of his Remaines recollected such as he could not but write and such as when written were out of his power to destroy These consist of two parts of Sermons and of Letters and each of them proceeded from him upon respective obligations The Letters though written by himself yet were wholly in the power of that Honourable person to whom they were sent and by that meanes they were perserv'd The Sermons preached on several occasions were snatch't from him by his friends and in their hands the Copies were continued or by transcription dispersâ—â—d Of both which I need to say no more then this that you may be confident they are his The Editor hath sent these abroad to explore what well-come they shall find He hath some more of his Sermons Tractates in his hands desires if any Person have any other Writings of the same Author by him that he would be pleased to communicate them to the Printer of this work T. Garthwait upon promise and any other engagement that he will take care to see them Printed and set forth by themselves This Reader is all the trouble thought fit to be given theeâ—â— By JOHN PEARSON Mr. Garthwait I Am very glad you chose so Judicious an Overseer of those SERMONS of Mr. HALES as Mr. Gunning whom I alwayes have had in high esteem both for his Learning and Piety and I am of his Opinion that they may pass for extraordinary That Sermon of Wresting hard places of Scripture may well begin your Collection The other on Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the Faith receive c. was preacht at Pauls Cross and I moved him to print it That of My Kingdom is not of this World I once saw and returned to Mr. Hales with foure more which I saw him put into Mr. Chillingworths hands I wish Dixi Custodiam were perfect I have often heard him speak of it with a kinde of Complacency That of He speak a Parable that men ought always to pray I believe is his by the passage of the Spunge and the Knife which I have heard from his mouth The Sermon which you had from D. Hammond upon Son remember c. was preacht at Eaton Colledge The other of Duels was either one or two and preacht at the Hague to Sr. D. Carlton and his company That you call a Letter on I can do all things is a Sermon The Sermon of Peter went out and wept c. is under his own hand One caution I should put in that you print nothing which is not written with his own hand or be very careful in comparing them for not long since one shewed me a Sermon which he said was his which I am confident could not be for I saw nothing in it which was not Vulgaris monetae of a vulgar stamp common and flat and low There be some Sermons that I much doubt of for there is little of his spirit and Genius in them and some that are imperfect that of Genesis 17. 1. Walk before me c. is most imperfect as appears by the Autographum which I saw at Eaton a fortnight since For his LETTERS he had much trouble in that kinde from several friends and I heard him speak of that friends Letter you mention pleasantly Mr. He sets up Tops and I must whip them for him But I am very glad to hear you have gained Those Letters into your hands written from the Synod of Dort you may please to take notice that in his younger days he was a Calvinist and even then when he was employed at that Synod and at the well pressing 3. S. John 16. by Episcopius there I bid John Calvin good night as he has often told me I believe they will be as acceptable or in your phrase as Saleable as his Sermons I would not have you to venture those papers out of your hands to me for they may miscarry and I fear it would be very difficult to finde another Copy peradventure I may shortly see you at the Term I hope I shall and then I shall advise you further the best I can about those other Sermons you have I see you will be troubled yet a while to put things in a right way I have drawn in my minde the Model of his Life but I am like Mr. HALES in this which was one of his defects not to pen any thing till I must needs God prosper you in your work and business you have in hand that neither the Church nor the Author suffer Septemb. Your assured friend to his power Anthony Farindon CHOICE SERMONS PREACHT ON SEVERAL EMINENT OCCASIONS By Mr. John Hales of Eton College LONDON Printed for Timothy Garthwait at the Little North-door of St. Pauls 2 Pet. 3. 16. Which the unlearned and unstable wrest as they do the other Scriptures unto their own destruction THE love and favour which it pleased God to bear our Fathers before the law so far prevail'd with him as that without any books and writings by familiar and friendly conversing with them and communicating himself unto them he made them receive and understand his laws their inward conceits and intellectuals being after a wonderful manner as it were Figured and Character'd as St. Basil expresses it by his spirit so that they could not but see
and consent unto and confess the truth of them Which way of manifesting his will unto many other gracious priviledges which it had above that which in after ages came in place of it had this added that it brought with it unto the man to whom it was made a preservation against all doubt and hesitancy a full assurance both who the author was and how far his intent and meaning reacht We that are their ofspring ought as St. Chrysostome tell us so to have demeand our selves that it might have been with us as it was with them that we might have had no need of writing no other teacher but the spirit no other books but our hearts no other means to have been taught the things of God Nisi inspirationis divinae internam suaviorémque doctrinam ubi sine sonis sermonum sine elementis literarum eo dulciùs quo secretiùs veritas loquitur as saith Fulgentius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Isidorus Pelusiota for it is a great argument of our shame and imperfection that the holy things are written in books For as God in anger tells the Jews that he himself would not go before them asâ—â— hitherto he had done to conduct them into the promised land but would leave his Angel with them as his deputy so hath he dealt with us the unhappy posterity degenerated from the antient purity of our forefathers When himself refused to speak unto our hearts because of the hardness of them he then began to put his laws in writing Which thing for a long time amongst his own people seems not to have brought with it any sensible inconvenience For amongst all those acts of the Jews which God in his book hath registred for our instruction there is not one concerning any pretended ambiguitie or obscurity of the Text and Letter of their Law which might draw them into faction and schisme the Devil belike having other sufficient advantages on which he wrought But ever since the Gospel was committed to writing what age what monument of the Churches acts is not full of debate and strife concerning the force and meaning of those writings which the holy Ghost hath left us to be the law and rule of faith St. Paul one of the first penmen of the Holy Ghost who in Paradise heard words which it was not lawful for man to utter hath left us words in writing which it is not safe for any man to be too busie to interpret No sooner had he laid down his pen almost ere the ink was dry were there found Syllabarum aucupes such as St. Ambrose spake of qui nescire aliquid erubescunt per occasionem obscuritatis tendunt laqueos deceptionis who thought there could be no greater disparagement unto them then to seem to be ignorant of any thing and under pretence of interpreting obscure places laid gins to entrap the uncautelous who taking advantage of the obscurity of St. Pauls text made the letter of the Gospel of life and peace the most-forcible instrument of mortal quarrel and contention The growth of which the Holy Ghost by the Ministery of St. Peter hath endeavoured to cut up in the bud and to strangle in the womb in this short admonition which but now hath sounded in your eares Which the unlearned c. In which words for our more orderly proceeding we will consider First the sin it self that is here reprehended wresting of Scripture where we will briefly consider what it is and what causes and motioners it findes in our corrupt understandings Secondly the persons guilty of this offence discipher'd unto us in two Epithets unlearned unstable Last of all the danger in the last words unto their own damnation And first of the sin it self together with some of the special causes of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They wrest They deal with Scripture as Chimicks deal with natural bodies torturing them to extract that out of them which God and nature never put in them Scripture is a rule which will not fit it self to the obliquity of our conceits but our perverse and crooked discourse must fit it self to the straightness of that rule A learned writer in the age of our fathers commenting upon Scripture spake most truly when he said that his Comments gave no light unto the text the text gave light unto his Comments Other expositions may give rules and directions for understanding their authors but Scripture gives rules to exposition it self and interprets the interpreter Wherefore when we made in Scripture non pro sententia divinarum Scripturarum as St. Austine speaks sed pro nostra ita dimicantes ut tan velimus Scripturarum esse quae nostra est When we strive to give unto it and not to receive from it the sense when we factiously contend to fasten our conceits upon God and like the Harlot in the book of Kings take our dead and putrified fancies and lay them in the bosome of Scripture as of a mother then are we guilty of this great sin of wresting of Scripture The nature of which will the better appear if we consider a little some of those motioners which drive us upon it One very potent and strong mean is the exceeding affection and love unto our own opinions and conceits For grown we are unro extremities on both hands we cannot with patience either admit of other mens opinions or endure that our own should be withstood As it was in the Lacedaemonian army almost all were Captains so in these disputes all will be leaders and we take our selves to be much discountenanced if others think not as we do So that the complaint which one makes concerning the dissention of Physicians about the diseases of our bodies is true likewise in these disputes which concern the cure of our souls hincillae circa aegros miserae sententiarum concertationes nullo idem censente ne videatur accessio alterius From hence have sprong those miserable contentions about the distemper of our souls singularity alone and that we will not seem to stand as cyphers to make up the summe of other mens opinions being cause enough to make us disagree A fault anciently amongst the Christians so apparant that it needed not an Apostolical spirit to discover it the very heathen themselves to our shame and confusion have justly judiciously and sharply taxt us for it Ammianus Marcellinus passing his censure upon Constantius the Emperour Christianam religionem absolutam simplicem saith he and they are words very well worth your marking Christianam religionem absolutam simplicem anili superstitione confudit In qua scrutanda perplexiùs quà m componenda gratiùs excitavit dissidia pluriâ—â—a quae progressa fusiùs aluit concertatione verborum dum ritum omnem ad suum trahere conatur arbitrium The Christian religion a religion of great simplicity and perfection he troubled with dotage and superstition For going about rather perplexedly to search the
of knowledge Look what infirmities learned men have the same have they in greater degree and many more besides Wherefore if Hippocrates in his Physician required these two things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great industry and long experience the one as tillage to sow the seed the other as time and season of the year to bring it to maturity then certainly by so much the more are these two required in the spirituall Physician by how much he is the Physician to a more excellent part I will add yet one third motioner to this abuse of Scriptures and that is the too great presumption upon the strength subtilty of our own wits That which the Roman Priest somtimes told an over pleasant and witty vestal Virgin Coli Deos sanctè magis quam scitè hath in this great work of exposition of Scripture an especial place The holy things of God must be handled sanctè magis quà m sci è with fear and reverence not with wit and daliance The dangerous effects of this have appeared not in the green tree only in young heads but in men of constant age and great place in the Church For this was that which undid Origen a man of as great learning and industry as ever the Church had any whilst in sublimity of his wit in his Comments on Scripture conceiving Meteors and airy speculations he brought forth those dangerous errors which drew upon his person the Churches heaviest censure and upon posterity the loss of his works Subtil witted men in nothing so much miscarry as in the too much pleasing themselves in the goodness of their own conceits where the like sometimes befals them which befel Xâ—â—uxis the Painter who having to the life pictured an old woman so pleas'd himself with the conceit of his work that he died with laughing at it Heliodor Bishop of Tricca in Thessaly the Author of the AEthiopick story a polite and elegant I consess but a loose and wanton work being summon'd by a Provincial Synod was told that which was true that his work did rather endanger the manners then profit the wits of his Reader as nourishing loose and wanton conceits in the heads of youth and having his choice given him either to abolish his work or to leave his Bishoprick not willing to loose the reputation of wit chose rather to resign his place in the Church and as I verily think his part in Heaven And not in private persons alone but even in whole nations shall we finde remarkable examples of miscarriage in this kind The Grecians till barbarism began to steal in upon them were men of wonderous subtlety of wit and naturally over indulgent unto themselves in this quality Those deep and subtil heresies concerning the Trinity the Divinity of Christ and of the holy Ghost the Union and Division of the Divine Substance and Persons were all of them begotten in the heat of their wits yea by the strength of them were they conceived and born and brought to that growth that if it had been possible for the gates of Hell to prevail against the Church they would have prevailed this way Wherefore as God dealt with his own land which being sometimes the mirrour of the world for fertility and abundance of all things now lies subject to many curses and especially to that of barrenness so at this day is it with Greece Where sometimes was the flow and luxury of wit now is there nothing but extream barbarism and stupidity It is in this respect so degenerated that it scarsly for some hundreth of years hath brought forth a childe that carries any shew of his Fathers countenance God as it were purposely plaguing their miserable posterity with extream want of that the abundance of which their fathers did so wantonly abuse The reason of all that hitherto I have in this point delivered is this Sharpness of wit hath commonly with it two ill companions pride and levity By the first it comes to pass that men know not how to yield to another mans reasonable positions by the second they know not how to keep themselves constant to their own It was an excellent observation of the wise Grecian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Sad and dull spirited men usually mannage matters of State better then quick and nimble wits For such for the most part have not learnt that lesson the meaning of that voice that came to the Pythagorean that was desirous to remove the ashes of his dead friend out of his grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things lawfully setled and composed must not be moved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Iulian. Men over busie are by nature unfit to govern For they move all things and leave nothing without question and innovation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaks out of desire to amend what is already well And therefore we see that for the most part such if they be in place of Authority by unseasonable and unnecessary tampering put all things into tumult and combustion Not the Common wealth alone but the Church likewise hath receiv'd the like blow from these kinde of men Nazianzene in his six and twentieth Oration discoursing concerning the disorders committed in the handling of Controversies speaks it plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Great wits hot and fiery dispositions have raised these tumults From these it is saith he that Christians are so divided We are no longer a tribe and a tribe Israel and Judah two parts of a small nation but we are divided kindred against kindred family against family yea a man against himself But I must hasten to my second general part the persons here accounted guilty of abuse of Scripture The persons are noted unto us in two Epithets unlearned unstable First unlearned It was Sain Jeroms complaint that practitioners of other Arts could contain themselves within the bounds of their own Profession Sola Scripturarum ars est quam sibi omnes passim vendicant Hanc garrula anus hanc delirus senex hanc sophista a verbosus hanc universi praesumunt lacerant docent antequam discant every one presumes much upon his skill and therefore to be a teacher of Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Nazianzen speaks as if this great mystery of Christianity were but some one of the common base inferior and contemptible trades I speak not this as â—â— envied that all even the meanest of the Lords people should propâ—â—sie but onely that all kinde of men may know their bounds that no unlearned beast touch the hill least he be thrust through with a dart It is true which we have heard surgunt indocti rapiunt regnum coelorum they arise indeed but it is as Saint Paul speaks of the resurrection every man in his own order Scripture is given to all to learn but to teach and to interpret onely to a few This bold intrusion therefore of the unlearned into the chair of the teacher
is that which here with our blessed Apostle I am to reprehend Learning in general is nothing else but the competent skill of any man in whatsoever he professes Usually we call by this name onely our polite and Academical studies but indeed it is common to every one that is well skild well practised in his own mystery The unlearned therefore whom here our Apostle rebukes is not he that hath not read a multiplicity of Authors or that is not as Moses was skilful in all the learning of the AEgyptians but he that taking upon him to divide the word of God is yet but raw and unexperienced or if he have had experience wants judgment to make use of it Scripture is never so unhappy as when it falls into these mens fingers That which old Caâ—â—o said of the Grecian Physicians quandocunque ista gens literas suas dabit omnia corrumpet is most true of these men whensoever they shall begin to tamper with Scripture and vent in writing their raw conceits they will corrupt and defile all they touch Quid enim molestiae tristitiaeque temerarii isti praesumptores c. as S. Austine complaineth for what trouble and anguish these rash presumers saith he bring unto the discreeter sort of the brethren cannot sufficiently be exprest when being convinced of their rotten and ungrounded opinions for the maintaining of that which with great levity and open falshood they have averd they pretend the authority of these sacred books and repeat much of them even by heart as bearing witness to what they hold whereas indeed they do but pronounce the words but understand not either what they speak or of what things they do affirm Belike as he that bought Orpheus Harp thought it would of it self make admirable melody how unskilfully soever he toucht it so these men suppose that Scripture will found wonderful musically if they do but strike it with how great infelicity or incongruity soever it be The reason of these mens offence against Scripture is the same with the cause of their miscarriage in civil actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Thucydiâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rude men men of little experience are commonly most peremptory but men experienced and such as have Waded in business are slow of determination Quintilian making a question why unlearned men seem many times to be more copious then the learned for commonly such men never want matter of discourse answers that it is because whatsoever conceit comes into their heads without care or choice they broach it cum doctis sit electio modus whereas learned men are choice in their invention and lay by much of that which offers it self Wise hearted men in whom the Lord hath put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary like Bezaleel and Aholiab refuse much of the stuff which is presented them But this kinde of men whom here our Apostle notes are naturally men of bold and daring spirits quicquid dixerint hoc legem Dei putant as Saint Jerome speaks whatsoever conceit is begotten in their heads the spirit of God is presently the father of it Nee scire dignantur quid Prophetae quid Apostoli senserint sed ad suum sensum incongrua aptant testimonia But to leave these men and to speak a little more home unto mine own auditory Let us a little consider not the weakness of these men but the greatness of the business the manage of which they undertake So great a thing as the skill of exposition of the word and Gospel is so fraught with multiplicity of Authors so full of variety of opinion must needs be confest to be a matter of great learning and that it cannot especially in our days in short time with a mediocrity of industry be attained For if in the Apostles times when as yet much of Scripture was scarsly written when God wrought with men miraculously to inform their understanding and supplied by revelation what mans industry could not yield if I say in these times St. Paul required diligent reading and expresly forbad greenness of schollarship much more then are these conditions required in our times wherein God doth not supply by miracle our natural defects and yet the burden of our profession is infinitely increast All that was necessary in the Apostles times is now necessary and much more For if we adde unto the growth of Christian learning as it was in the Apostles times but this one circumstance to say nothing of all the rest which naturally befals our times and could not be required at the hands of those who guided the first ages of the Church that is the knowledge of the state and succession of doctrine in the Church from time to time a thing very necessary for the determining the controversies of these our days how great a portion of our labour and industry would this alone require Wherefore if Quintilian thought it necessary to admonish young men that they should not presume themselves satis instructos si quem ex iis qui breves circumferuntur artis libellum edidicerint velut decretis technicorum tutos putent if he thought fit thus to do in an art of so inferiour and narrow a sphere much more is it behooveful that young students in so high so spacious so large a profession be advised nor to think themselves sufficiently provided upon their acquaintance with some Notitia or Systeme of some technical divine Look upon those sons of Anak those Giant-like voluminous writers of Rome in regard of whom our little tractats and pocket volumes in this kinde what are they but as Grashoppers I speak not this like some seditious or factious spie to bring weakness of hands or melting of heart upon any of Gods people but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up and kindle in you the spirit of industry to inlarge your conceits and not to suffer your labours to be copst and mued up within the poverty of some pretended method I will speak as Joshua did to his people Let us not fear the people of that land they are as meat unto us their shadow is departed from them the Lord is with us fear them not Only let us not think sedendo votis debellari posse that the conquest will be gotten by sitting still and wishing all were well or that the walls of these strong Cities will fall down if we only walk about them and blow rams horns But as the voice of Gods people sometime was by the sword of God and of Gideon so that which here gives the victory must be the grace of God and our industry For by this circumcised narrow and penurious form of study we shall be no more able to keep pace with them then a childe can with Hercules but I forbear and pass away unto the second epithet by which these rackers of Scriptures are by St. Peter stiled Vastable IN the
learning which the world teaches it were almost a miracle to finde a man constant to his own tenents For not to doubt in things in which we are conversant is either by reason of excellency and serenity of understanding throughly apprehending the main principles on which all things are grounded together with the discrying of the several passages from them unto particular conclusions and the diverticles and blind by-paths which Sophistry and deceit are wont to tread and such a man can nature never yield or else it is through a senseless stupidity like unto that in the common sort of men who conversing among the creatures and beholding the course of heaven and the heavenly host yet never attend them neither ever sinks it into their heads to marvel or question these things so full of doubt and difficulty Even such a one is he that learns Theology in the School of nature if he seem to participate of any setledness or composedness of conscience Either it never comes into his head to doubt of any of those things with which the world hath inured him or if it doth it is to no great purpose he may smother and strangle he can never resolve his doubt The reason of which is this It lies not in the worlds power to give in this case a text of sufficient authority to compose and fix the thoughts of a soul that is dispos'd to doubt But this great inconvenience which held the world in uncertainty by the providence of God is prevented in the Church For unto it is left a certain undoubted and sufficient authority able to exalt every valley and lay low every hill to smooth all rubs and make our way so open and passable that little enquiry serves So that as it were a wonder in the school of nature to finde one setled and resolved so might it seem a marvel that in the Church any man is unstable unresolved Yet notwithstanding even here is the unstable man found too and to his charge the Apostle lays this sin of wresting of Scripture For since that it is confest at all hands that the sense and meaning of Scripture is the rule and ground of our Christian tenents whensoever we alter them we must needs give a new sense unto the word of God So that the man that is unstable in his religion can never be free from violating of Scripture The especial cause of this levity and flitting disposition in the common and ordinary sort of men is their disability to discern of the strength of such reasons as may be framed against them For which cause they usually start and many times falls away upon every objection that is made In which too sudden entertainment of objections they resemble the state of those who are lately recovered out of some long sickness qui et si reliquias effugerint suspicionibus tamen inquietantur omnem câ—â—lorem corporis sui calumniantur Who never more wrong themselves then by suspecting every alteration of their temper and being affrighted at every little passion of heat as if it were an ague-fit To bring these men therefore unto an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to purchase them a setledness of minde that temper that St. Austine doth require in him that reads his book tales meorum Scriptorem velim judices qui responsionem non semper desiderent quum his quae leguntur audierint aliquid contradici the same temper must be found in every reader of Scripture he must not be at a stand and require an answer to every objection that is made against them For as the Philosopher tells us that mad and fantastical men are very apprehensive of all outward accidents because their soul is inwardly empty and unfurnished of any thing of worth which might hold the inward attention of their mindes so when we are so easily dord and amated with every Sophisme it is a certain argument of great defect of inward furniture and worth which should as it were ballance the minde and keep it upright against all outward occurrents whatsoever And be it that many times the means to open such doubts be not at hand yet as S. Austine sometime spake unto his Scholler Licentius concerning such advice and counsel as he had given him Nolo te causas rationesque rimari quae etiamsi reddi possint sidei tamen qua mihi credis non eas debeo so much more must we thus resolve of those lessons which God teacheth us the reasons and grounds of them though they might be given yet it fits not that credit and trust which we owe him once to search into or call in question And so I come to the third general part the danger of wresting of Scripture in the last words unto their own damnation The reward of every sin is death As the worm eats out the heart of the plant that bred it so whatsoever is done amiss naturally works no other end but destruction of him that doth it As this is true in general so is it as true that when the Scripture doth precisely note out unto us some sin and threatens death unto it it is commonly an argument that there is more then ordinary that there is some especial sin which shall draw with it some especial punishment This sin of wresting of Scripture in the eye of some of the ancients seemed so ougly that they have ranged it in the same rank with the sin against the holy Ghost And therefore have they pronounced it a sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater then can be pardoned For the most part of other sins are sins of infirmity or simplicity but this is a sin of wit and strength The man that doth it doth it with a high hand he knows and sees and resolves upon it Again Scripture is the voice of God and it is confest by all that the sense is Scripture rather then the words It cannot therefore be avoided but he that wilfully strives to fasten some sense of his own upon it other then the very nature of the place will bear must needs take upon him the Person of God and become a new inditer of Scripture and all that applaud and give consent unto any such in effect cry the same that the people did to Herod the voice of God and not of man If he then that abases the Princes coin deserves to die what is his desert that instead of the tried silver of Gods word stamps the name and Character of God upon Nehushtan upon base brazen stuff of his own Thirdly No Scripture is of private interpretation saith the Apostle There can therefore be but two certain and infallible interpreters of Scripture either it self or the holy Ghost the Author of it It self doth then expound it self when the words and circumstances do sound unto us the prime and natural and principal sense But when the place is obscure involved and intricate or when there is contained some secret and hidden mystery beyond
the prime sense infallibly to shew us this there can be no Interpreter but the holy Ghost that gave it Besides these two all other Interpretation is private Wherefore as the Lords of the Philistines sometimes said of the kine that drew the Ark unto Bethshemesh If they go of themselves then is this from God but if they go another way then is it not from God it is some chance that hath happened unto us so may it be said of all pretended sense of Scripture If Scripture come unto it of it self then is it of God but if it go another way or if it be violently urged and goaded on then is it but a matter of chance of mans wit and invention As for those marvellous discourses of some framed upon presumption of the spirits help in private in judging or Interpreting of difficult places of Scripture I must needs confess I have often wondred at the boldness of them The spirit is a thing of dark and secret operation the manner of it none can descry As underminers are never seen till they have wrought their purpose so the spirit is never perceived but by its effects The effects of the spirit as far as they concern knowledge and instruction are not particular Information for resolution in any doubtful case for this were plainly revelation but as the Angel which was sent unto Cornelius informs him not but sends him to Peter to School so the spirit teaches not but stirs up in us a desire to learn Desire to learn makes us thirst after the means and pious sedulity and carefulness makes us watchful in the choice and diligent in the use of our means The promise to the Apostles of the Spirit which should lead them into all truth was made good unto them by private and secret informing their understandings with the knowledge of high and heavenly mysteries which as yet had never entred into the conceit of any man The same promise is made to us but fulfilled after another manner For what was written by revelation in their hearts for our instruction have they written in their books To us for information otherwise then out of these books the spirit speaks not When the spirit regenerates a man it infuses no knowledge of any point of faith but sends him to the Church and to the Scriptures When it stirs him up to newness of life it exhibits not unto him an inventory of his sins as hitherto unknown but either supposes them known in the law of nature of which no man can be ignorant or sends him to learn them from the mouth of his teachers More then this in the ordinary proceeding of the holy spirit in matter of instruction I yet could never descrie So that to speak of the help of the spirit in private either in dijudicating or in interpreting of Scripture is to speak they know not what Which I do the rather note first because by experience we have learnt how apt men are to call their private conceits the spirit and again because it is the especial errour with which S. Austine long agoe charged this kinde of men tanto sunt ad seditionem faciliores quanto sibi videntur spiritu excellere by so much the more prone are they to kindle schisme and contention in the Church by how much they seem to themselves to be endued with a more eminent measure of spirit then their brethren whilst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Basils speaks under preâ—â—ense of interpretation they violently broach their own conceits Great then is the danger in which they wade which take upon them this business of interpretation temeritas asserendae incertae dubiaeque opinionis saith St. Austine difficile sacrilegii crimen evitat the rashness of those that aver uncertain and doubtful interpretations for Catholick and absolute can hardly escape the sin of sacrilege But whereas our Apostle saith their own destruction is the destruction only their own This were well if it stretched no farther The ancients much complain of this offence as an hinderer of the salvation of others There were in the days of Istdorus Pelusiota some that gave out that all in the old Testament was spoken of Christ belike out of extream opposition to the Manichees who on the otherside taught that no text in the old Testament did foretel of Christ. That Father therefore dealing with some of that opinion tells them how great the danger of their tenent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if saith he we strive with violence to draw and apply those texts to Christ which apparantly pertain not to him we shall gain nothing but this to make all the places that are spoken of him suspected and so discredit the strength of other testimonies which the Church usually urges for the refutation of the Jews For in these cases a wrested proof is like unto a suborn'd witness It never doth help so much whilest it is presumed to be strong as it doth hurt when it is discovered to be weak S. Austine in his books de Genesi ad litteram sharply reproves some Christians who out of some places of Scripture misunderstood fram'd unto themselves a kinde of knowledge in Astronomy and Physiology quite contrary unto some part of heathen learning in this kinde which were true and evident unto sense A man would think that this were but a small errour and yet he doubts not to call it turpenimis perniciosum maximè cavendum His reason warrants the roundness of his reproof For he charges such to have been a scandal unto the word and hinderers of the conversion of some heathen men that were schollars For how saith he shall they believe our books of Scripture perswading the resurrection of the dead the kingdome of heaven and the rest of the mysteries of our profession if they finde them faulty in these things of which themselves have undeniable demonstration Yea though the cause we maintain be never so good yet the issue of diseas'd and crazie proofs brought to maintain it must needs be the same For unto all causes be they never so good weakness of proof when it is discovered brings great prejudice but unto the cause of religion most of all St. Austine observ'd that there were some qui cum de aliquibus qui sanctum nomen profitentur aliquid criminis vel falsi sonuerit vel veri patuerit instant satagunt ambiunt ut de omnibus hoc credatur It fares no otherwise with religion it self then it doth with the professors of it Diverse malignants there are who lie in wait to espie where our reasons on which we build are weak and having deprehended it in some will earnestly solicit the world to believe that all are so if means were made to bring it to light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen speaks using for advantage against us no strength of their own but the vice and imbecillity of our defence The book of the Revelation is a book full of wonder
writings this sticking close to the literal sense was that alone which made him to shake many of those tenents upon which the Church of Rome and the Reformed Churches differ But when the importunity of the Reformers and the great credit of Calvins writings in that kinde had forced the Divines of Rome to level their interpretations by the same line when they saw that no pains no subtlety of wit was strong enough to defeat the literal evidence of Scripture it drave them on those desperate shelves on which at this day they stick to call in question as far as they durst the credit of the Hebrew text and countenance against it a corrupt translation to add traditions unto Scripture and to make the Churches interpretation so pretended to be above exception As for that restriction which is usually added to this rule that the literal sense is to be taken if no absurdity follow though I acknowledge it to be sound and good yet my advise is that we entertain it warily S. Basil thought the precept of Christ to the rich man in the Gospel Go sell all thou hast and give unto the poor to be spoken as a command universally and eternally binding all Christians without exception And making this objection how possibly such a life could be amongst Christians since where all are sellars none could be buyers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ask not me the sense of my Lords commands He that gave the Law can provide to give it possibility of being kept without any absurdity at all Which speech howsoever we may suppose the occasion of it to be mistaken yet is it of excellent use to repress our boldness whereby many times under pretence of some inconvenience we hinder Scripture from that latitude of sense of which it is naturally capable You know the story of the Roman Captain in Gellius and what he told the Shipwright that chose rather to interpret then to execute his Lords command Corrumpi atque dissolvi omne imperantis officium si quis ad id quod facere jussus est non obsequio debito sed consilio non desiderato respondeat It will certainly in the end prove safer for us to entertain Gods Commandments obsequio debito then to interpret them acumine non desiderato Those other ways of interpretation whether it be by allegorizing or allusion or whatsoever the best that can be said of them is that which Basil hath pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We account of them as of trim elegant and witty speeches but we refuse to accept of them as of undoubted truths And though of some part of these that may be said which one said of his own work quod ad usum lusi quod ad molestiam laboravi in respect of any profit comes by them they are but sport but in respect of the pains taken in making of them they are labor travel yet much of them is of excellent use in private either to raise our affections or to spend our meditations or so it be with modesty to practise our gifts of wit to the honor of him that gave them For if we absolutely condemn these interpretations then must we condemn a great part of antiquity who are very much conversant in this kinde of interpreting For the most partial for antiquity cannot chuse but see and confess thus much that for the literal sense the Interpreters of our own times because of their skill in the Original Languages their care of pressing the circumstances and coherence of the text of comparing like places of Scripture with like have generally surpast the best of the ancients Which I speak not to discountenance antiquity but that all ages all persons may have their due And let this suffice for our first rule The Jewish Rabbins in their Comments on Scripture so oft as they met with hard and intricate texts out of which they could not wrest themselves were wont to shut up their discourse with this Elias cumvenerit solvet dubia Elias shall answer this doubt when he comes Not the Jews only but the Learned Christians of all ages have found many things in Scripture which yet expect Elias For besides those texts of Scriptures which by reason of the hidden treasures of wisdom and depth of sense and mystery laid up in them are not yet conceived there are in Scripture of things that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemingly confus'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carrying semblance of contrariety anachronisms metachronisms and the like which bring infinite obscurity to the text there are I say in Scripture more of them then in any writing that I know secular or Divine If we mean not to settle our selves till all these things are answered let us take heed least the like be said to us which S. Austine said to some of the Gentiles who refused to believe till all objections were satisfied sunt enim innumerabiles quae non sunt finiendae ante fidem ne vita finiatur sine fide The Areopagites in Athens when they were troubled in a doubtful case in which they durst not proceed to sentence were wont causam in diem longissimam differre to put it off till a day of hearing for some hundreth years after avoiding by this means the further being importun'd with the suit To quiet our selves in these doubts it will be our best way in diem longissimam differre to put them to some day of hearing a far off even till that great day till Christ our true Elias shall come who at his comming shall answer all our doubts and settle all our waverings Mean while till our Elias come let us make use of this second rule In places of ambiguous and doubtful or dark and intricate meaning it is sufficient if we religiously admire and acknowledge and confess using that moderation of Austine Neutram partem affirmantes sive destruentes sed tantummodo ab audaci affirmandi praesumptione revocantes Qui credit saith one satis est illi quod Christus intelligat To understand belongs to Christ the Author of our Faith to us is sufficient the glory of believing Wherefore we are to advise not so much how to attain unto the understanding of the mysteries of Scripture as how it best fits us to carry our selves when either the difficulty of the text or variety of opinions shall distract us In the sixth General Councel Honorius Bishop of Rome is condemned for a Monothelite Two Epistles there are of his which are produced to give evidence against him For the first I have nothing to say For the second I speak with submission to better judgement notwithstanding the sharp proceeding of the Councel against him I verily suppose that he gives unto the Church the best Counsel that ever yet was given for the setling of doubts and final decision of controversie For that which he teaches in that Epistle at least in those parts of it which there are
it like the Prophets of God with quietness and moderation and not in the violence of passion as if we were possest rather then inspir'd Again what equity or indifferency can we look for in the carriage of that cause that falls into the handling of these men Quis conferre duces meminit qui pendere causas Quâ stetit inde favet what man overtaken with passion remembers impartially to compare cause with cause and right with right Quâ stetit inde favet on what cause he happens that is he resolute to maintain ut gladiator in arenam as a Fencer to the Stage so comes he to write not upon conscience of quarrel but because he proposes to contend yea so potently hath this humor prevail'd with men that have undertaken to maintain a faction that it hath broken out to the tempting of God and the dishonour of Martyrdom Two Fryers in Florence in the action of Savonoralla voluntarily in the open view of the City offer'd to enter the fire so to put an end to the controversie that he might be judged to have the right who like one of the three children in Babylon should pass untouch't through the fire But I hasten to visit one weak person more and so an end He whom we now are to visit is a man weak through heretical and erring Faith now whether or no we have any receit for him it may be doubtful For S. Paul advises us to avoid the man that is a maker of Sects knowing him to be damned yet if as we spake of not admitting to us the notorious sinner no not to eat so we teach of this that it is delivered respectively to the weaker sort as justly for the same reasons we may do we shall have a Recipe here for the man that erres in faith and rejoyceth in making of Sects which we shall the better do if we can but gently draw him on to a moderation to think of his conceits only as of opinions for it is not the variety of opinions but our own perverse wills who think it meet that all should be conceited as our selves are which hath so inconvenienced the Church were we not so ready to anathematize each other where we concur not in opinion we might in hearts be united though in our tongues we were divided and that with singular profit to all sides It is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and not Identitie of conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the hands of Christians I will give you one instance in which at this day our Churches are at variance The will of God and his manner of proceeding in predestination is undiscernable and shall so remain until that day wherein all knowledge shall be made perfect yet some there are who with probability of Scripture teach that the true cause of the final miscarriage of them that perish is that original corruption that befell them at the beginning increased through the neglect or refusal of grace offered Others with no less favourable countenance of Scripture make the cause of reprobation only the will of God determining freely of his own work as himself pleases without respect to any second cause whatsoever Were we not ambitiously minded familiam ducere every one to be Lord of a Sect each of these tenents might be profitably taught and heard and matter of singular exhortation drawn from either for on the one part doubtless it is a pious and religious intent to endeavour to free God from all imputation of unnecessary rigour his justice from seeming unjustice incongruity on the other side it is a noble resolution so to humble our selves under the hand of Almighty God as that we can with patience hear yea think it an honour that so base creatures as our selves should become the instruments of the glory of so great a majesty whether it be by eternal life or by eternal death though for no other reason but for Gods good will and pleasure sake The authors of these conceits might both freely if peaceably speak their mindes and both singularly profit the Church for since it is impossible where Scripture is ambiguous that all conceits should run alike it remains that we seek out a way not so much to establish an unity of opinion in the mindes of all which I take to be a thing likewise impossible as to provide that multiplicity of conceit trouble not the Churches peace A better way my conceit cannot reach unto then that we would be willing to think that these things which with some shew of probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but our opinions for this peremptory manner of setting down our own conclusions under this high commanding form of necessary truths is generally one of the greatest causes which keeps the Churches this day so far asunder when as a gracious receiving of each other by mutual forbearance in this kinde might peradventure in time bring them nearer together This peradventure may some man say may content us in case of opinion indifferent out of which no great inconvenience by necessary and evident proof is concluded but what Recipe have we for him that is fallen into some known and desperate Heresie Even the same with the former And therefore anciently Heretical and Orthodox Christians many times even in publick holy exercise converst together without offence It 's noted in the Ecclesiastick stories that the Arrians and Right believers so communicated together in holy prayers that you could not distinguish them till they came to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gloria patri which the Arrians used with some difference from other Christians But those were times quorum lectionem habemus virtutem non habemus we read of them in our books but we have lost the practise of their patience Some prejudice was done unto the Church by those who first began to intermingle with publick Ecclesiastical duties things respective unto private conceits For those Christian offices in the Church ought as much as possibly they may be common unto all and not to descend to the differences of particular opinions Severity against and separation from heretical companies took its beginning from the Hereticks themselves and if we search the stories we shall finde that the Church did not at their first arising thrust them from her themselves went out and as for severity that which the Donatists sometimes spake in their own defence Illam esse veram Ecclesiam quae prosecutionem patitur non quae facit she was the true Church not which raised but which suffered persecution was de facto true for a great space For when heresies and schismes first arose in the Church all kind of violence were used by the erring factions but the Church seem'd not for a long time to have known any use of a sword but only of a buckler and when she began to use the sword some of her best and chiefest Captains much misliked it The first law
I proceeded to consider the ensuing words wherein having by an Alchimie which then I used changed the word Recordare Remember into Cave Beware and so read my text thus Beware thou receive not thy good things in this life I shewed you that we had never greater cause to consult our best wits what we are to do and how we are to carry our selves then when the world and outward blessings come upon us Upon this I moved this Question Whether or no if the things of this world should by some providence of God knock and offer themselves to us we are bound to exclude them and resuse them or we might open and admit of them I divided my answer according to the divers abilities and strengths of men first qui potest capere capiat he that hath strength and spiritual wisdom to manage them let him receive them But in the second place he that is weak let him let strong diet alone and feed on herbs let him not intangle himself with more then he can manage Let him try quid ferre resusent Quid valeant humeri to the first the sum of what I spake was this Receive them we may and that with out danger of a Recepisti first if we so received them as if we received them not secondly if we esteemed them not good thirdly if we did not esteem them ours And here the time cut me off and suffered me not to descend unto the second part upon which now I am about to fall Cave ne recipias Take heed thou receive not thy good things In this matter of Receiving enterteining these outward and foreign good things there have been two wayes commended to you the one the more glorious to receive them of this we have spoken the other the more safe not to receive them of this we are now to speak these ways are trodden by two kindes of persons the one is the strong man and more virtuous the other is weaker but more cautelous the one incounters temptation the other avoids it we may compare them to the two great Captains Hannibal and Fabius the one ever calling for the battel the other evermore declining it In one of these two rankes must every good man be found If we compare them together we shall finde that the one is far more excellent the other far more in number For to be able to meet and check our enemy to incounter occasions to act our parts in common life upon the common stage and yet to keep our uprightness this indeed is truly to live truly to serve God and men and therefore God the more because men On the contrary to avoid occasions to follow that other vincendi genus non pugnare to overcome the world by contemning and avoding it this argues a wise indeed but a weak and fainting spirit I have often wondred at Antiquity which doting extremely upon a sequestred a solitary retired and monkish life sticks not to give out that all perfection is in it whereas indeed there is no greater argument of imperfection in good men quam non posse pati solem non multitudinem not to be able without offence to walk the publick ways to entertain the common occasions but to live onely to God and to themselves utilis ipse sibi fortassis in utilis orbi men of no great publike use but excellent for themselves Saints indeed in private but being called forth into common life are like Bats in the Sun utterly ignorant of publike practice like Scheubelius a great Mathematician but by book onely and not by practice who being required sometime in an Army to make use of his Quadrant knew not the difference between umbra recta and umbra versa yet beloved because this kinde of good men is by far the greatest in number and secondly because it is both an usual and a dangerous error of many men to pretend to strength when they are but weak and so forgetting their place range themselves among the first whereas they ought to have kept station among the second sort I will take leave both to advise my self and all that near me to like better of the safer though the weaker side and to avoid the exprobration of a Recepisti here in my text simply non recipiendo by not receiving not admitting at all of the outward lower and temporal good things rather than by an improvident foolhardiness to thrust our selves upon occasions which we are unable to manage without offence This I am the more willing to do because there is not among men a greater error committed and more frequent than in this kinde for in most things in the world men that have no skill in them will be content to acknowledge their ignorance and to give place to better experience should we put the discussion of some point of Scholarship to the plough-hind or a Case in Law to the Physician or a point in Physick to the Lawyer none of these will offer to interpose but will advise to consult with every one in his proper mystery but let offer be made of moneys lands places of honour and preferment and who will excuse himself who will acknowledge his ignorance or weakness to manage them Whereas in all the Arts and Sciences there are not so many errors committed as in the unskilful use of these things cum tamen nusquam periculosius erretur and yet our errors are no where so dangerous It is therefore a thing most necessary that in this behalf we advise men either to know their weakness or to suspect their strength Malocautior esse quam fortior fortis saepe captus est cautus rarissime better to be cautelous and wary than strong and hardy the strong man hath been often captivated but the wary man very seldome We read in many places of Moses and Samuel of a race of men greater in bulk and stature than the ordinary men unto whom men of common inches seemed but as Grashoppers such were the Anakims the Enims the Horims the Zamzummims the Rephaims and the like but if you read the Scriptures you shall finde it observed unto your hand that the men of lesser bodies allways drove them out if you demand the reason experience will answer you that the one went upon the opinion of strength and hardness the other of wary wit and policy it fares no otherwise with these two orders of men of which I have spoken there is the Anakim the man that goes forth in the conceit of his strength and valour there is the man of mean stature whose strength is his wariness were there a survey taken of both those it would be found that more by far have perished by unadvised adventuring upon the things of this world than by discreet and sober retiring Wherefore dost thou finde that thou comest on and thrivest in the world that the good things of this world wooe thee and cast themselves into thy lap that wealth that honours that abundance waits upon
fits the persoa to whom I will apply it and because it is Theophylacts in his Comments on St. Lukes Gospel I will not be ashamed to make use of it Swine saith he have their eyes so fram'd that they cannot look up to Heaven their keepers therefore when they finde themselves troubled with their crying are wont to cast them upon their backs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so make them cease their crying for that beast being amazed to see the frame and beauty of Heaven which before he had never seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being stricken with admiration forgets his crying the eyes of many men seem to be framed like those of Swine they are not able to cast them up to Heaven for would they but cast themselves upon their backs turn their face from earth and view the beauty of things above it could not be but all this claim or rather clamour after earthly things should utterly cease Again yet the more to quicken one to the neglect of these things below among many other fallacies by which they delude us I have made choice of one more they present themselves unto us sometimes as necessaries sometimes as Ornaments unto us in our course of vertue and happiness whereas they are but meer impertinences neither is it any way material whether we have them yea or no virtus censum non requirit nudo homine contenta est virtue and happiness require nothing else but a man Thus say the Ethnickes And Christianity much more For it were a strange thing that we should think that Christ came to make virtue more chargable In regard of virtue and piety all estates all conditions high and low are alike It is noted by Petronius for the vanity of rich men Qui solas divitias extruere curant nihil volunt inter homines melius credit qua quod ipsi tenent those men whose minds are set upon wealth and riches would have all men believe that it is best so to do But riches and poverty make no difference for we believe him that hath told us there is no difference Jew and Gentile high and low rich and poor all are one in Christ Jesus Non naturae paupertas sed opinionis est saith S. Ambrose Poverty as men call it is but a phansie there is no such thing indeed it is but a Figment an Idol men first framed it and set it up and afterward feared it oculi nostri tota haec lunuria est as some Naturalists tell us that the Rain bow is oculi opus a thing framed onely by the eye so this difference betwixt rich and poor is but the creature of the eye Smindyrides the Sybarite was grown so extremely dainty that he would grow weary with the sight of another mans labour and therefore when sometime he saw a poor man digging and painfully labouring he began to faint and pant and requires to be removed Beloved when we are thus offended to see another man meanly clad meanly housed meanly traded all this is but out of a Sybaritish ridiculous daintiness for all this is but to grow weary at the sight of another mans labour would we follow our Saviours precept and put out this eye of ours the greatest part of all this vanity were quite extinguisht for what were all outward state and pompe imaginable were no eye to see or regard it Now beloved yet to see this more plainly what is the main end of our life what is it at which with so much pain and labour we strive to arrive It is or should be nothing else but virtue and happiness Now these are alike purchasable in all estates Poverty disease distress contumely contempt these are as well the object of virtue as wealth liberty honor reputation and the rest of that forespoken rank Happiness therefore may as well dwell with the poor miserable and distressed persons as with persons of better fortune since it is confest by all that happiness is nothing else but Actio secundum virturem a leading of our life according to virtue As great art may be exprest in the cutting of a flint as in the cutting of a diamond and so the workman do well express his skill no man will blame him for the baseness of the matter or think the worse of his work Beloved some man hath a diamond a fair and glittering fortune some man hath a flint a hard harsh and despicable fortune let him bestow the same skill and care in polishing and cutting of the latter as he would or could have done on the former and be confident it will be as highly valued if not more highly rewarded by God who is no accepter of persons but accepteth every man according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not To him let us commit our selves To him be all honour and praise now and for ever Amen FINIS Numbers 35. verse 33. And the Land cannot be cleansed of blood that is shed in it but by the blood of him that shed it THese words are like unto a Scorpion for as in that so in these the self same thing is both Poyson and remedy Blood is the poyson Blood is the Remedy he that is stricken with the Scorpion must take the oyle of the Scorpion to cure him He that hath poyson'd a Land with the sin of blood must yield his own blood for Antidote to cure it It might seem strange that I should amongst Christians thus come and deliver a speech of Blood For when I read the notes and characters or a Christian in holy Scriptures me thinks it should be almost a sin for such a one to name it Possess your souls in patience by this shall men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another peace I leave with you The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace in the Holy Ghost Lee your softness be known to all men the wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy It is reported by Avenzoar a great Physician that he was so tender hearted that he could not endure to see a man let blood he that should read these passages of Scripture might think that Christians were like Avenzoar that the sight of blood should be enough to affright them But is the Common Christian so soft So tender hearted is he so peaceable so tame and tractable a creature You shall not finde two things of more different countenance and complexion then that Christianity which is commended unto us in the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists and that which is current in use and practice of the times He that shall behold the true face of a Christian as it is deciphered and painted out unto us in the books of the New Testament and unpartially compare it with that copie or counterfeit of it which is exprest in the life and demeanor of common Christians would think them no more like then those shields of
Gold which Solomon made were unto those of brass which Rehoboam made in their steed and might suppose that the writers of those books had brought votamagis quam praecepta had rather fancied to themselves some admirable pattern of a Christian such as they could wish then delivered rules and laws which seriously and indeed ought or could be practised in common life and conversation St. James observes that he which beholds his natural face in a glass goes his way and immediately forgets what manner of man he was Beloved how careful we are to look upon the glass the books of holy Scriptures I cannot easily pronounce But this I am sure of we go our ways and quickly forget what manner of shape we saw there As Jacob and Esau had both one father Isaac both one mother Rebecca yet the one was smooth and plain the other rough and hairy of harsh and hard countenance condition so these two kindes of Christians of which but now I spake though both lay claim to one father and mother both call themselves the sons of God and the sons of the Church yet are they almost as unlike as Jacob and Esau the one smooth gentle and peaceable the other rough and harsh The notes and characters of Christians as they are described in holy Scriptures are patience easily putting up and digesting of wrongs humility preferring all before our selves And St. James tells us that the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated St. James indeed hath given the first place unto purity and it were almost a sin to compare Christian vertues together and make them strive for precedency and place For what Solomon saith upon another occasion is here much more true say not why is this thing better then that for everything in its time is seasonable Yet he that shall mark how every where the Scriptures commend unto us gentleness and meekness and that peace is it quam nobis Apostoli totis viribus spiritus sancti commendant as Tertullian speaks which the Apostles endeavour with all the strength and force of the Holy Ghost to plant amongst us might a little invert the words of St. James and read them thus The wisdome that is from above is first peaceable then pure The son of God who is the wisdome of the Father and who for us men came down from Heaven first and before all other vertues commended this unto the world For when he was born the song of the Angels was peace upon earth and goodwill towards men All his doctrine was peace his whole life was peaceable and no man heard his voice in the streets His last legacie and bequest left unto his disciples was the same Peace saith he I leave unto you my peace I give unto you As Christ so Christians In the building of Solomons Temple there was no noise of any hammer of any instrument of Iron so in the spiritual building and frame of a Christian there is no sound of Iron no noise of any weapons nothing but peace and gentleness Ex praecepto fidei non minus rea ira est sine ratione suscepta quam in operibus legis homicidium saith St. Austin unadvised anger by the law of faith is as a great sin as murther was by the law of Moses As some Physicians have thought that in mans body the spleen hath very little use and might well be spared and therefore in dealing with sundry diseased persons they endeavour by physick to abate and take away that part in them as much as may be so if we look into a Christian man as he is proposed to us in the Gospel we may justly marvel to what purpose God hath planted in him this faculty and passion of anger since he hath so little use of it and the Gospel in a manner doth spiritually diet and physick him for it and endeavours much to abate if not quite to purge out that quality Beloved we have hitherto seen who Jacob is and what manner of man the Christian is that is described unto us in holy Scripture Let us a little consider his Brother Esau the Christian in passage and who commonly in the account of the world goes for one Is he so gentle and trâ—â—ctable a creature Is his countenance so smooth his body so free from gall and spleen To trie this as the Devil sometimes spake unto Job Touch him in his goods touch him in his body and see if he will not curse thee to thy face so touch this man a little in his goods touch him in his reputation and honour touch him in any thing that he loves for this is the only way to trie how far these commands of peace and forbearance and long suffering prevail with us and see if he will not forget and loose all his patience Which of us is there that understands the words and precepts of our Saviour in their literal sense and as they lie The precepts of suffering wrong rather then to go to law of yielding the coat to him that would take the cloak of readiness to receive more wrongs then to revenge one these and all the Evangelical commands of the like nature Interpretamento detorquemus We have found out favourable interpretations and glosses restrictions and evasions to winde our selves out of them to shift them all off and put them by and yet pass for sound and currant Christians we think we may be justly angry continue long suits in law call to the Magistrate for revenge yea sometimes take it into our own hands all this and much more we think we may lawfully and with good reason do any precept of Christ to the contrary notwithstanding And as it usually comes to pass the permitting and tolerating lesser sins opens way to greater so by giving passage and inlet to those lesser impatiences and discontents we lay open a gap to those fouler crimes even of murther and bloodshed For as men commonly suppose that all the former breaches of our patience which but now I mentioned may well enough stand with the duties of Christians so there are who stay not here but think that in some cases it may be lawful yea peradventure necessary at least very pardonable for Christians privately to seek each others blood and put their lives upon their swords without any wrong to their vocation out of this have sprung many great inconveniences both private and publick First Laws made too favourable in case of blood-shed Secondly a too much facility and easiness in Princes and Magistrates sometimes to give pardon and release for that crime Thirdly and chiefly for it is the special cause indeed that moved me to speak in this Argument an over promptness in many young-men who desire to be counted men of valour and resolution upon every sleight occasion to raise a quarrel and admit of no other meanes of composing and ending them but by sword and single combat Partly therefore to shew the
even in his most chosen vessels evermore secret and hidden infirmities and sometimes gross and open scapes which may serve when they look into themselves to abate all overweening conceit of their own righteousness and when they shall look into the errours of others may be secret admonitioners unto them not rashly to condemn them considering their own weakness I will therefore shut up this place with the saying of Saint Ambrose etiam laepsus sanctorum utilis est Nihil mihi obsuit quod negavit Petrus etiam profuit quod emendavit The fall of the Saints is a very profitable thing It hurts not me that Peter denied Christ and the example of his amendment is very beneficial unto me And so I come unto the preparative unto Peters Repentance in these words and he went forth THe wisdom of God hath taught the Church sometime by express message delivered by words of mouth sometime by dumb signes and actions When Jeremy walk't up and down the city with a yoke of wood about his neck when Ezekiel lay upon his side besieged a Slate with the draught of Jerusalem upon it and like a banished man carried his stuff upon his shoulders from place to place they did no less prophesie the captivity desolation famine and wo which was to fall upon Jerusalem then when they denounced it by direct word and speech yea many of the ordinary actions of the Patriarks which seem to participate of chance and to be in the same rank with those of other men themselves as a learned divine of our Mercerus age observes not intending or understanding any such thing contained by the dispensation of the Holy Ghost especial lessons and instructions for us That speech of Sarah cast out the bondwoman and her son c. seemed to Abraham only a speech of curst heart and she her self perceives not her self to speak by direction from God but moved with impatience of Ismaels petulant behaviour toward her son Yet the Holy Ghost himself hath taught us that this act of hir prefigured a great mystery Many disputations there are concerning the cause of this action of Peters going forth whether it were out of the common infirmity that is in most men namely a greater shame to repent then to offend or whether it were out of modesty and good nature that he could not indure the sight of Christ whom he had so grievously offended Howsoever it were we shall do this Scripture no wrong if we think it to contain an act in outward shew casual and like unto the actions of other men but inwardly indeed an especial action of a person great in the sight of God and therefore comprehending some especial instruction And to speak plainly this abandoning the place wherein he fell the company for fear of whom he fell and those things that were occasioners of his sin doth not obscurely point out unto us an especial duty of speedy relinquishing and leaving of all either friends or place or means or whatsoever else though dearer unto us then our right hand then our right eye if once they become unto us inducements to Sin In former days before the Fulness of time came the Calling of the Elect of God was not by any one act more often prefigured then by this action of going forth When the purpose of God was to select unto himself a Church and to begin it in Abraham come forth faith he unto him out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house When Israel being in AEgypt it pleased God to appoint them a set Form and manner of serving him before this could be done they and all theirs must come forth of AEgypt they must not leave a hoof behinde them When the time of the Gospel was come our Saviour holds the same course none must be of his company but such as come forth leave all and follow him And therefore the Apostle putting the Hebrews in minde of their duty expresses it in this very tearm Let us go forth therefore unto him saith he without the camp bearing his reproach And in the original language of the New Testament the Church hath her name from this thing from being called forth so that without a going forth there is no Church no Christianity no Service to God the reason of all which is this we are all by nature in the High Priests court as Peter was where we all deny and forswear our Master as Peter did neither is there any place for Repentance till with Peter we go forth and weep For our further light we are to distinguish the practise of this our going forth according to the diversity of the times of the Church In the first ages when Christianity was like unto Christ and had no place to hide its head no entertainment but what persecution and oppression and fire and sword could yield it there was then required at the hands of Christians an Actual going forth a real leaving of riches and friends and lands and life for the profession of the Gospel Afterward when the Tempests of persecutions were somewhat alay'd and the skie began to clear up the necessity of actual relinquishing of all things ceast Christians might then securely hold life and lands and whatsoever was their own yet that it might appear unto the world that the resolution of Christian men was the same as in times of distress and want so likewise in time of peace and security it pleased God to raise up many excellent men as well of the Laity as of the Clergy who without constraint voluntarily and of themselves made liberal distribution of all they had left their means and their friends and betook themselves to deserts and solitary places wholy giving themselves over to meditation to prayer to fasting to all severity and rigidness of life what opinion our times hath of these I cannot easily pronounce thus much I know safely may be said that when this custome was in its primitive purity there was no one thing more behoofful to the Church It was the Seminary and nursery of the Fathers and of all the famous Ornaments of the Church Those two things which afterwards in the decay and ruine of this discipline the Church sought to establish by Decrees and Constitutions namely to estrange her Priests from the world and bind them to single life were the necessary effects of this manner of living for when from their childhood they had utterly sequestred themselves from the world and long practised the contempt of it when by chastising their body and keeping it under with long fasting they had killed the heat of youth it was not ambition nor desire of wealth nor beauty of women that could withdraw them or sway their affections That which afterwards was crept into the Church and bare the name of Monkery had indeed nothing of it but the name under pretence of poverty they seized into their possession the wealth and riches of the world they removed themselves from
and expectation when we finde the ears of God not so open to our requests When Josephs brethren came down to buy corn he gave them but a course welcome he spake roughly unto them he laid them in prison yet the text tells us that his bowels melted upon them and at length he opened himself and gave them courteous entertainment Beloved when we come unto God as it were to buy corn to beg at his hands such blessings as we need though he speak roughly though he deal more roughly with us yet let us know he hath still Josephs bowels that his heart melts towards us and at length he will open himself and entertain us lovingly And be it pâ—â—dventure that we gain not what we look for yet our labor of prayer is not lost The blessed souls under the Altar of which I spake but now though their petition was not granted yet had they long white garments given them Even so beloved if the wisdom of God shall not think it fit to perform our requests yet he will give us the long white garment something which shall be in liev of a Suit though nothing else yet patience and contentment which are the greatest blessings upon earth FINIS John 18. 36. Jesus answered my Kingdome is not of this world If my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews c. AS in the Kingdomes of the world there is an art of Courtship a skill and mystery teaching to manage them so in the spiritual Kingdom of God and of Christ there is an holy policie there is an art of spiritual Courtship which teaches every subject there how to demean and bear himself But as betwixt their Kingdomes so betwixt their arts and Courtship betwixt the Courtier of the one and the Courtier of the other there is as Abraham tells the rich man in St. Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great distance a great difference and not only one but many Sundry of them I shall have occasion to touch in the process of my discourse mean while I will single out one which I will use as a prologue and way unto my text In the Kingdomes of earthly Princes every subject is not fit to make a Courtier yea were all fit this were an honour to be communicated only unto some Sic opus est mundo There is a necessity of disproportion and inequality between men and men and were all persons equal the world could not consist Of men of ordinary fashion and parts some must to the Plough some to their Merchandize some to their Books some to one Trade some to anotheâ—â— only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle calls them men of more then common wit and ability active choice pickt out of a thousand such must they be that bear honors attend on Princes persons and serve in their Courts The Scripture tells us that when King Solomon saw that Jeroboam was an active able and industrious young man he took him and made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph Again when David invited old Barzillai to the Court the good old man excuses himself I am saith he fourscore years of Age and can thy servant tast what I eat or what I drink can I hear any more the voyce of singing men and singing women Lo here my son Chimham he shall go with my Lord the King and do with him as shall seem good in thine eyes Jeroboam and Chimham strong and able and active persons such are they that dwell in Kings houses of the rest some are too old some too young some too dull some too rude or by some means or other unfit for such an end Thus fares it with the honors of the world they seem to participate of envy or melancholy and are of a solitary disposition they are brightest when they are alone or but in few make them common and they loose their grace like lamps they may give light unto few or to some one room but no farther But the honors in the Court of the great King of Heaven ore of another nature they rejoyce in being communicated and their glory is in the multitude of those that do partake in them They are like unto the Sun that rises non homini sed humano generi noâ—â— to this or that man but to all the world In the Court of God no difference between Jeroboam and Barzillai none too old none too young no indisposition no imperfection makes you uncapable of honors there Be but of his Kingdom and you are necessarily of his Court Every man who is a subject there is a Courtier yea more then a Courtier he is a Peer he is a King and hath an army of Angels at his service to pitch their tents about him to deliver him a guard of Ministring Spirits sent out to attend him for his safety It shall not therefore be unseasonable for the meanest person that hears me this day to hear as it were a Lecture of Spiritual policy and Courtship For no Auditory can be unfit for such a lesson Aristotle was wont to divide his lectures and readings into Acroamatical and Exoterical some of them contained onely choice matter and they were read privately to a Select Auditory others contain'd but ordinary stuff and were promiscuously and in publick exposed to the hearing of all that would Beloved we read no Acroamatick Lectures The secrets of the Court of Heaven as far as it hath pleased the King of Heaven to reveal them lie open alike to all Every man is alike of his Court alike of his Councel and the meanest among Christians must not take it to be a thing without his Sphere above his reach but must make account of himself as a fit hearer of a lesson in Spiritual and saving policy since if he be a subject in the kingdom of Christ he can be no less then a Courtier Now the first and main lesson to be learned by a Courtier is how to discover and know the disposition nature of the Lord whom he is to serve and the quality of that Common-wealth in which he bears a place ad consilium de republica dandum caput est That therefore our heavenly Courtier may not mistake himself but be able to fit himself to the place he bears I have made choice of these few words which but now I read words spoken by the King of that Common-wealth of which I am to treat unto such as mean to be his Liege-men there words which sufficiently open unto the Christian politician the state and quality of that Court in which he is to serve My kingdom is not of this world for if at were then would my servants fight which words seem like the Parthian horsmen whose manner was to ride one way but to shoot another way they seem to go apace towards Pilate but they aim and shot at another mark or rather like unto the speaker of them
more state and honour served and therefore more properly is his Kingdome said to be there And this is called his Kingdome of glory The rules and laws and admirable orders of which Kingdome could we come to see and discover it would be with us as it was with the Queen of Saba when she came to visit Solomon of whom the Scripture notes that when she heard his wisdome and had seen the order of his servants the attendance that was given him and the manner of his table There was no more Spirit left in her Beloved Dum Spiritus hos regit artus Whilest this Spirit is in us we cannot possibly come to discern the laws and orders of this Kingdome and therefore I am constrained to be silent Thirdly our Saviour is a King in a sense yet more impropriated For as he took our nature upon him as he came into the world to redeem mankinde and to conquer Hell and death so is there a Kingdome annext unto him A Kingdome the purchase whereof cost him much sweat and blood of which neither Angels nor any other creature are a part only that remnant of mankinde that Ereptus titio That number of blessed Souls which like a brand out of the fire by his death and passion he hath recovered out of the power of sin and all these alone are the subjects of that Kingdome And this is that which is called his Kingdome of Grace and which himself in Scripture every where calls his Church his Spouse his Body his Flock and this is that Kingdome which in this place is spoken of and of which our Saviour tells Pilate That it is not of this world My Kingdome is not of this world Which words at the first reading may seem to savour of a little imperfection for they are nothing else but a Negation or denial Now our Books teach us that a Negative makes nothing known for we know things by discovering not what they are not but what they are yet when we have well examin'd them we shall finde that there could not have been a speech delivered more effectual for the opening the nature of the Church and the discovery of mens errors in that respect For I know no error so common so frequent so hardly to be rooted out so much hindering the knowledg of the true nature of the Church as this that men do take the Church to be like unto the world Tully tells us of a Musician that being asked what the Soul was answered that it was Harmonie et is saith he à principiis artis suae non recescit He knew not how to leave the principles of his own art Again Plato's Schollers had been altogether bred up in Arithmetick and the knowledge of numbers and hence it came that when afterward they diverted their studies to the knowledge of Nature or Moral Philosophy wheresoever they walked they still feined to themselves some what like unto Numbers the world they supposed was fram'd out of numbers Cities and Kingdomes and Common-wealths they thought stood by numbers Number with them was sole principle and creator of every thing Beloved when we come to learn the quality and state of Christs Kingdome it fares much with us as it does with Tullies Musician or Plato's Schollers difficulter à principiis artis nostrae recedimus Hardly can we forsake those principles in which we have been brought up In the world we are born in it we are bred the world is the greatest part of our studie to the true knowledge of God and of Christ still we fancy unto us something of the world It may seem but a light thing that I shall say yet because it seems fitly to open my meaning I will not refrain to speak it Lucian when Priams young son was taken up into heaven brings him in calling for milk and cheese and such countrey cates as he was wont to eat on earth Beloved when we first come to the Table of God to heavenly Manna and Angels food it is much with us as it was with Priams young son when he came first into Heaven we cannot forget the milk and cheese and the gross diet of the world Our Saviour and his blessed Apostles had great and often experience of this error in men when our Saviour preach't to Nicodemus the doctrine of regeneration and new birth how doth he still harp upon a gross conceit of a re-entry to be made into his mothers womb When he preacht unto the Samaritane women concerning the water of life how hardly is she driven from thinking of a material Elementary water such as was in Jacobs well When Simon Magus in the Acts saw that by laying on of hands the Apostles gave the Holy Ghost he offers them money to purchase himself the like power He had been trafficking and merchandizing in the world and saw what authority what a Kingdome money had amongst men he therefore presently conceited coelum venale Deumque that God and Heaven and all would be had for money To teach therefore the young Courtier in the Court of Heaven that he commit no such Solecisms that hereafter he speak the true Language and dialect of God our Saviour sets down this as a principal rule in our Spiritual Grammar That his Court is not of this world Nay beloved not only the young Courtier but many of the old servants in the Court of Christ are stain'd with this error It is storied of Leonides which was School-master to Alexander the great that he infected his non-age with some vices quae robustum quoque jam maximum regem ab illa institutione puerili sunt prosecuta which followed him then when he was at mans estate Beloved the world hath been a long time a School-master unto us and hath stain'd our nonage with some of these spots which appear in us even then when we are strong men in Christ. When our Saviour in the Acts after his Resurrection was discoursing to his Disciples concerning the kingdom of God they presently brake forth into this question Wilt thou now restore the kingdom unto Israel Certainly this question betrays their ignorance their thoughts still ran upon a kingdom like unto the kingdoms of the world notwithstanding they had so long and so often heard our Saviour to the contrary Our Saviour therefore shortly takes them up Non est vestrum your question is nothing to the purpose the kingdom that I have spoken of is another manner of kingdom then you conceive Sixteen hundred years Et quod Excurrit hath the Gospel been preached unto the world is this stain spunged out yet I doubt it whence arise those novel late disputes de notis Ecclesiae of the notes visibility of the Church Is it not from hence that they of Rome take the world the Church to be like Mercury and Sosia in Plautus his comaedies so like one another that one of them must wear a toy in his cap that so the spectators may distinguish them
of them but men have like little children built houses of clay and dirt which every blast of wind overturns The third head by which they may be seen is in the notes and marks by which they may be known For the Kingdoms of the world are confin'd their place is known their subjects are discernable they have badges and tokens and Arms by which they are discovered But the Church hath no such notes and marks no Herauld hath as yet been sound that could blazon the arms of that Kingdom AEsculus the Poet in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 describing the captains that came either for the siege or defence of the City of Thebes in Beâ—â—tia brings them in in their order every one with his shield and upon his shield some device and over that device a Motto or word according to the usual fancies of men in that kinde but when he comes to Amphiraus he notes of him that he had no device in his shield no impress or word and he gives the reason of it because he affected not shew but to be that which others profest But to carry marks and notes and devices may well beseem the world which is led by fancy and shew but the Church is like Amphiarus she hath no device no word in her shield mark and essence with her are all one and she hath no other note but to be And but that learned men must have something to busie their wits withal these large discourses de notis Ecclesiae of the notes and marks by which we may know the Church might very well lie by as containing nothing else but doctas ineptias Laborious vanities and learned impertinences For the Church is not a thing that can be pointed out The Devil could shew our Saviour Christ all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them I hope the Church was none of these It is the glory of it not to be seen and the note of it to be invisible when we call any visible company of professors a Church it is but a word of courtesie Out of charity we hope men to be that which they do profess and therefore we so speak as if they were indeed that whose name they bear where and who they are that make up this kingdom is a question unfit for any man to move For the Lord only knoweth who are his It is but popish madness to send men up and down the world to finde the Church It is like unto the Children of the Prophets in the second of Kings that would needs seek Elias or like the nobles in Hierusalem that would needs go seek Jeremie the Prophet but could not finde him because the Lord had hid him For in regard of the profession The Church as our Saviour speaks is like a City set upon an hill you may quickly see and know what true Christianity is But in regard of the persons the Kingdom of Heaven is as our Saviour again tells us like a treasure hidden in a field Except the place of their abode and their persons were discernable who can tell we go thus to seek them whether we do not like false hounds hunt Counter as the hunters phrase is and so go from the game when Saul went to seek his Fathers Asses he found a Kingdom Let us take heed least the contrary befal us least while we seek our Fathers Kingdom thus we finde but Asses Will you know where to find the Kingdom of Christ our Saviour directs you in the Gospel The Kingdom of Heaven saith he cometh not by observation neither shall ye say Lo here or lo there but the Kingdom of Heaven is within you Let every man therefore retire into himself and see if he can finde this kingdom in his heart For if he finde it not there in vain shall he finde it in all the world besides The fourth head wherein the difference of these kingdoms is seen is outward state and ceremony for outward pompe and shew is one of the greatest stays of the Kingdom of this world Some thing there must be to amaze the people and strike them into wonderment or else Majesty would quickly be contemned The Scripture recounting unto us King Solomons Royalty tells us of his Magnificent buildings of his Royal throne of his servants and his attendants of his cup-bearers of his meats and these were the things which purchased unto him the reputation of Majesty above all the Kings of the earth Beloved the Kingdom of Christ is not like unto Solomon in his Royalty It is like unto David when he had put of all his Royalty and in a linnen Ephod danced before the Ark and this plain and natural simplicity of it is like unto the Lillies of the field more glorious then Solomon in all his Royalty The Idolatrous superstitions of Paganism stood in great need of such Pompous Solemnities Ut opinionem suspendio cognitionis aedificent atque ita tantam majestatem exhibere vide antur quantaÌ„ praestruxerunt cupiditatem as Tertullian tells us For being nothing of themselves they were to gain reputation of being something by concealment and by outward state make shew of something answerable to the expectation they had raised The case of the kingdoms of the world is the same For all this State and Magnificence used in the Managing of them is nothing else but Secular Idolatry used to gain veneration and reverence unto that which in comparison of the Kingdom we speak of is meer vanity But the scepter of the Kingdome of Christ is a right scepter and to adde unto it outward state and riches and pomp is nothing else but to make a Centaure marry and joyn the Kingdome of Christ with the Kingdome of the world which Christ expresly here in my text hath divorced and put a sunder A thing which I do the rather note because that the long continuance of some ceremonies in the Church have occasioned many especially of the Church of Rome to think that there is no religion no service without these ceremonies Our books tell us of a poor Spartan that travelling in another countrey and seeing the beams and posts of houses squared and carved askt if the trees grew so in those countreys Beloved many men that have been long acquainted with a form of worship squared and carved trick't and set out with shew and ceremony fall upon this Spartans conceit think the trees grow so and think that there is no natural shape and face of Gods service but that I confess the service of God hath evermore some ceremony attending it and to our Fathers before Christ may seem to have been necessary because God commanded it But let us not deceive our selves for neither is ceremony now neither was sacrifice then esteemed necessary neither was the command of God concerning it by those to whom it was given ever taken to be peremptory I will begin the warrant of what I have said out of St. Chysostome for in his comments upon the tenth
Gods purpose to save him could not have finally miscarried though he had died without repentance as some have not stuck to give out is nothing else in effect but to maintain against God that David had he stayed in Keilah had not fallen into Sauls hands because we know it was Gods purpose to preserve David from the violence of Saul All the determinations of God are of equal certainty It was no more possible for Saul to seaze on David then it is for the Devil to pull one of Gods elect out of his hand as therefore the determinate purpose of God to free David from the malice of Saul took not away that supposition If David go to Keilah he shall fall into the hands of Saul so neither doth the decree of God to save his elect destroy the supposition if they repent not they die eternally for the purposes of God though impossible to be defeated yet lay not upon things any violent necessity they exempt not from the use of ordinary means they infringe not our liberty they stand very well with common casualty yea these things are the very means by which his decrees are brought about I may not stand longer upon this I will draw but one short admonition and so an end Let no man presume to look into the Third Heaven to open the books of life and death to pronounce over peremptorily of Gods purpose concerning himself or any other man Let every man look into himself and trie whether he be in the faith or no the surest means to trie this is to take an unpartial view of all our actions many deceive themselves whilst they argue from their faith to their works whereas they ought out of their works to conclude their faith whilest presuming they have faith and the gifts of sanctification they think all their actions warrantable whereas we ought first throughly to sift all our actions to examine them at the Touch of Gods Commandements and if indeed we finde them currant then to conclude that they come from Sanctifying Graces of the Holy Spirit It is faith indeed that gives the tincture the die the relish unto our actions yet the only means to examine our faith is by our works It is the nature of the Tree that gives the goodness the favour and pleasantness to the fruit yet the fruit is the only means to us to know whether the tree be good By their fruit ye shall know them saith Christ It is not a rule not only to know others but ourselves too To reason thus I am of the elect I therefore have saving faith and the rest of the sanctifying qualities therefore that which I do is good thus I say to reason is very preposterous We must go a quite contrary course and thus reason my life is good and through the mercies of God in Jesus Christ shall stand with Gods Justice I therefore have the Gifts of Sanctification and therefore am of Gods Elect for Peter to have said with himself I am of the Elect this sin therefore cannot indanger me had been great presumption but thus to have reasoned my sin is deadly therefore except I repent I am not of the number of Gods Elect this reasoning had well befitted Peter and becomes every Christian man whom common frailty drives into the like distress I made my entrance into my Sermon with the consideration of the wisdome of God in permitting his chiefest servants to fall dangerously I have largely exemplified it in the person of Peter give me leave to make this further beneficial unto you by drawing some uses from it for great profit hath redounded to the Church through the fall of these men Felicius ille cecidit quam ceteri steterunt saith St. Ambrose of this fall of Peter His sin hath more avail'd us then the righteousness of many others for wheresoever it pleases the Holy Spirit of God to work effectually I speak cautelously because I would give no place to presumption in him he makes excellent use oftimes even of sin and evil First of all it is a tried Case that many times through negligence and carelesness we suffer our selves to lie open to many advantages In such a case as this a blow given us serves us for a remembrance to call our wits about us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up the Grace of God that isin us which many times is interlunio lies covered like fire under ashes for as a skilful wrestler having suffered his adversary to take advantage upon some oversight recollects himself and comes forward with greater strength and wariness et pudor incendit vires et conscia virtus shame of the foil and impatience of disgrace addes strength unto him and kindles him so oft times is it with the Saints of God The shame of having fallen makes them summon up their forces to look better about them to fulfil their duty in larger sort then if they had not slipt at all Hence it is that we see that of the bitterest enemies of the Church have been made the best converts of this we have a notable example in S. Paul how eager was he in the quarrel of the Jews against Christ None a more mischievous enemy to the Christians then he yet when it pleased God to shew him his error he proved one of the most excellent instruments of Christs glory that ever was on earth And so accordingly he gives himself a most true testimony I have laboured more abundantly not then one or two of them but then they all his writings being as much in quantity as of them all and St. Lukes story being nothing else almost but a register of the acts of St. Paul The sense and conscience I doubt not of that infinite wrong done to the Church provoked him to measure back to the utmost of this power his pains and labour in making up the breach he had formerly made here then is a notable lesson for us teaching us to make our former sins and impieties admonitioners unto us to know our own strength by Christian care watchfulness to prevent all advantages which the Devil may take by our rechlesness and negligence for beloved it is not so much our impotency and weakness as our sloth and carelesness against which the common enemy doth prevail for through the Grace of him that doth-inable us we are stronger then he and the policie of Christian warfare hath as many means to beat back and defend as the deepest reach of Satan hath to give the on-set The Envious man in the Gospel rusht not into the field in despite of the husbandman and the servants but came and sowed his tares whilst men slept saith the text Our neglect and carelesness is the sleep that he takes advantage of when David was so strangely overtaken the Scripture tells us he rose from his bed to walk on the top of his pallace from his bed indeed he arose but not from his sleep for mark I beseech you
David had spent much of his time about the Court he had been abroad and seen and ransak'd many cities and doubtless he had seen many women as fair as the wife of Vriah and that in his younger days when he was more apt to kindle Why then now commits he so great an oversight Look on him a while as now he is He is now at rest in his pallace at ease on his bed and to solace himself he must rise and walk at the top of his house and idely gaze upon a naked dame of this his idleness the Devil takes advantage this is the sleep in which he comes and sows tares in Davids heart even al manner of lust So that David fell as Adam did in Paradise not as a man that falls before an enemy stronger then himself The greatest part of the sins which we commit are in this rank with Davids sin He is faithful saith the Apostle and suffers no man to be tempted above his strength Many creatures if they knew their strength would never suffer themselves to be aw'd by man as they are Beloved we are become like horse and mule without understanding we know not our strength we are more blinde then the servant of Elizaeus and see not that they that are with us are more and more mighty then they that are against us The Angels are ministring spirits sent out of purpose to gard us and doubtless do many and great services for us though we perceive not We have the army of God ubi mille clipei omnis armatura fortium where are a thousand bucklers and all the weapons of the mighty the helmet of Salvation the sword of the Spirit the sheild of Faith to quench all the fiery darts of sin only let us not neglect to buckle it on and make use of it We have to strive with an enemy such a one as Anibal reported Marcellus to be Qui nec bonam nec malam ferre fortunam potest seu vicit ferociter instat victis seu victus est instaurat cum victoribus certamen a restless enemy that is never quiet howsoever the world goes if he conquer us he insolently insults upon us if we foil him he still bethinks himself how to set upon us afresh Let us not therefore suppose sedendo votis debellari posse that the conquest will be gotten by sitting still and wishing all were well We oft maintain against the Church of Rome that our natural abilities whilest we live serve us not to fulfil the Law of God What bootes it thus to dispute shall the confession of our unableness to do what we ought excuse us at all if we do not that which we are able S. Austin was of opinion how justly I will not dispute but of that opinion he was and it was the occasion of his book de spiritu litera ad Marcellinum that it was possible for us even in this natural life seconded by the grace of God perfectly to accomplish what the Law requires at our hands Let the truth of this be as it may be certainly that is most true which the same Father adds that let our strength be what it will yet if we know not our duty we shall do it no more then the traveller sound of body or limb can go that way aright of which he is utterly ignorant Yea let our ability be perfect and let our knowledge be also absolute yet if we have no minde if we want a love unto our duty if we suffer our selves to be overswayed by affection to other things yet shall we not do our duty For which of us being at liberty will do that which he hath no love unto Beloved as for or knowledge God hath left unto us Scripture the perfect register of all our duty the absolute itinerary and map of all the course which in this life we are to run as for love he plentifully sheds it in the hearts of all those that by faithful prayer beg it of him If we shall search the Scripture to improve our knowledge if we shall earnestly beg at his hands to inflame our love Let our natural possibilities be what they will he that now doth little amongst us shall do much and he that doth much shall do much more and the promises made unto the Jews concerning their carnal enemies shall be made good on us concerning our spiritual and ghostly enemies one of us shall chase a thousand and if they come out against us on way they shall fly before us seven wayes And thus much for the first use There is a second benefit of great weight and moment which we reap out of the consideration of the errours of these excellent Ministers of God namely a lesson teaching us to beware of spiritual pride Of all the vices which our nature is subject unto this is the most dangerous and of which we had need be most cautelous For whereas all other vices proceed from some ill in us from some sinful imbecillity of our nature this alone arises out of our good parts Other sins draw their being from that original corruption which we drew from our Parents but this may seem to be the mother of that as by which even natures unstained and in their primitive purity may most easily fall And therefore not without some probability is it concluded in the Schools That no other crime could throw the Angels down from heaven but this That which one leaves for a memorial to great men that in dangerous times non minus periculum ex magna fama quam ex mala it was a matter of like danger to have a good name as an ill that may I pronounce of a Christian man the danger of his innocency is not much less then of his faults For this Devil when he cannot drive us to despair by reason of our sin takes another course to see if he can make us presume upon conceit of our righteousness For when by the preventing grace of God we keep our selves from greater offences if we finde our selves to have a love unto the word of God and the true professours of it to be rich in almsdeeds to have a part in other acts of righteousness he makes us first take notice of these good things in us notice taken draws us to love and admire them in us self-love draws us on to compare our selves with others then to prefer our selves before others and thirdly to disdain others in respect of our selves Here now is a gap laid open to a thousand inconveniences And hence it is that we see divers times men otherwise of life and reputation pure and unblameable upon conceit and unconsiderateness by a secret judgement of God to fall upon extremes no less fearful then are the issues of open prosaness and impiety To cut of therefore all way that may be opened to let in spiritual pride it hath pleased God to make use of this as of a soverain remedy namely to permit