seeth them not that there should bee miracles by the diuell wrought or forged to stand betweene the eyes of men and this reuealed Antichrist that there should be distinctions coined subtill enough for lesse subtill soules to distinguish to the manifest Antichrist from it selfe Yet all these things are prouided by the seruants of this sonne of perdition and so powerfull that it is Gods election onely which mainely preserues those that stand and withstands this Mysterie of Satan And indeede how can that ignorance which is inioyned to the disciples of Rome be brokē through by them which are bound thereunto by a solemne vow and vnder feareful penalties They must know but what deceiueth them vntill they be so throughly deceiued that it is almost impossible to bee vndeceiued againe But this let them take with it that the same ignorance will serue to breede vp a man in any religiō be it neuer so grosse and at this day it equally serues the diuels turne to nurse two of his goodliest children the erroneous doctrines of Mahomet and the Pope Yet lest ignorance should faile and perchance a glimse of light might shine in vpon the seeled eies there are miracles daily prouided to set before the sight of men These draw them to say that Simon Magus is the great power of God but wee are taught to goe from these signes to the Law to the Testimony to the Word and this Word telleth vs that miracles in the latter times shall be fixed and vnseparable companions of the man of sin So in stead of conuerting vs they are acknowledged by vs to be the badge of Satan fastned on Antichrists sleeue and they tell vs to whom he belongs Wee neede no miracles now but to reueale Antichrist for wee beleeue the doctrine of Christ once fully confirmed by his own miracles Lastly if yet some greater light dazle the eies which neither ignorance can keepe out nor miracles employ in drawing the eies wholly to themselues then are there prouided subtill nice and sublimated distinctions and reasons whose office is to confound and intangle the vnderstanding rather then to enlighten it Falshoods are purified and refined and made as like truths as possibly they may that the vndistinguishing mind may equally accept them and so led by a little mistaking vnto a grosse error And hereof at this time is there a stedy forge in the Church of Rome which doth but expect what the Pope and his Priuie Councell say and instantly they are ready with their excellent inuentions to prooue it the voice of God and not of man Surely the wit of man is a powerfull thing in regard of man but in regard of the Spirit which made it alas weake it is and the effect cannot striue with his cause which is mightier then he Therefore this Babel of mans wit built vp against the Lord must needs be destroied by the Spirit of his mouth In the meane time vntill this victory of Christ vpon Antichrist be fully performed let vs pray vnto God that he will adde easily vnto the Church those who belong vnto him and that they may plainely see that hee who seeketh earthly things more then heauenly is of the earth earthly and farre from being the Deputie of the Lord of heauen 60 The second resurrection needes not to seeme very strange if wee consider the first already done in vs for whereas there is naturally in vs but a carnall wisedom that seeth and alloweth only present visible things for happinesse wee haue in our regeneration a wisedome placed in vs which blotting out the former wisedome and the happinesse thereof beholdeth God which is inuisible as our onely true happinesse We haue also in stead of our fleshly will which onely sauoureth fleshly obiects a will directly contrary therunto planted in stead of it which hateth the former will and the sinful pleasures wherein that wil chiefly delighted and loueth euen the persecutions of Christ which the naturall will especially hated Thus by the new birth light being created in darknesse out of no former creature a rightnesse of will being framed where was nothing but crookednesse and such a light and will that they alter the affections actions whole course of mā why may not the same new birth haue also another power with it euen to change the mortalitie of the body into immortality as it hath to change the corruption of the soule and body into puritie incorruption it being alike easie to go to giue life vnto death as light vnto darknes and good to euill 61 Because wee see not God or at lest we do not see how he seeth vs wee rather thinke that he sees vs not or are careles of his seeing So our blindnesse toward God casteth the likenesse of it selfe on God towards vs and imagineth him to bee vnto vs as we are to him Herein men are to God as some birds are to men who hiding their heads from seeing men think that men the whilest doe not see them But since the knowledge of God is the cause of men the being of men can reach no farther then the knowledge of God So whosoeuer takes the knowledge of God from him takes from himselfe his owne being for where the knowledge of God ceaseth to know him there he ceaseth to bee otherwise should man who is but the effect of Gods knowledge go farder then his cause which cannot be But surely God that made mā by his knowledge knoweth the man that he hath made he hath not placed him out of his owne reach but as at first after he made his creatures he saw euen through them that they were throughly good so for euer he veweth and pierceth them searching all things by that very wisedom which made thē Since then we are manifest and naked before our glorious God who both seeth and hateth all vncleannes but beholdeth with pleasure holinesse and purenes let vs take heede to our hearts yea our whole selues that no filthinesse appeare to him lest we bee shut out from the City into which no vncleane thing may enter But that God seeing vs to be pure in hart euen in soule body may at length be called vp to see God who is the fulnesse and perfection of all felicitie 62 The very being as well as the discoursing of our naturall reason may well prooue that man was not made onely for this world For if first it be granted that a great and excellent wisedome created this Vniuerse which the curious subtiltie of the parts and frame therof will inforce vpon vs it must also be belieued that wisedome doth all things wisely both in regard of order and end euery thing bringing forth his like now the beasts hauing a more easie and vninterrupted enioying of the world as not tilling or reaping neither building Barnes nor filling thē not foreapprehending griefes nor long retaining them what doth this reasonable soule in man I speake of the generall if his bound be this world
raised If they haue done all it is a shame wee should not doe something wee should rather bee glad though not of the cause yet of this effect that there is matter left for our charitie to expresse it selfe in this kind and to let blind deuotion know that if our ancestors had not founded such spiritual maintenance it might and should yet haue bin done by vs. There are many godly deuout persons who haue in these daies of light made and increase dwellings portions for the bodies of the poore and needy Excellent indeed is this worke it is a blessed thing to giue and blessed are they that feede the hungrie and clothe the naked But yet of all Almes houses the spiritual Almes-house is the best and Paul that willeth you to desire the best gifts would haue you vse your gifts to the best aduantage Wherefore I shew you a more excellent way As the soule is infinitely better then the bodie and life eternall then life present so the food of the soule is farre better then that of the body and the sauing of the spirituall life better then the preseruation of the temporall life If thou giuest to the body thou dost well but thou giuest to that which shall die but if thou giue to the soule thou dost better for thou giuest to that which by thy gift may liue for euer in happines and make the body liue for euer in the same blisse with it If thou giue naturall bread thou dost well but thou giuest that which perisheth with the vsing but thou most resemblest Christ thy head and giuest the best Almes when thou giuest the bread of heauen What a comfortable and ioyfull thing to thy soule and heart will it be to see a whole Congregation fed on Gods holy day with thy Almes to see many soules receiuing saluation as it were from thy hand to heare many blesse glorifie God for his gifts to thee thine to them yea to blesse thee therefore in the name of the Lord Surely such ioy is infinitely better sounder and fuller of waight then the ioy of mony corne and oyle but the ioy that God shall giue thee in the great marriage day in the day of the gladnes of thy heart in that day will againe infinitely exceed this Thē shal Christ say vnto thee come thou blessed of my Father for when I was hungry naked and cold in the very soule of my little ones thou diddest buy Manna long white robes fire of the Altar to feede cloth warme me thou gauest the best gifts and which most nearely and inwardly cherish me therefore shalt thou haue the best reward come and sit nearest vnto me But if some backeward withdrawing hearts in whome God hath no delight put this grace and glory from themselues by a perswasion that this businesse concernes them not but that euery horse should beare his owne burthen and each congregation maintaine a Preacher for themselues Let them know that naturall men not vsed to instruction for want of it haue no desire to it Things not known are vnsought much lesse will a naturall man part from things knowne for things vnknowne It is the propertie of teaching to make men desire to be taught expect not then this desire from them which haue not the meanes to attaine it the sweetnesse of the word must be first sounded in their eares before they will loue the sound thereof it must teach them the worth of it selfe before they will part from any of their worth for it He must be partly or wholly a spirituall man that hungers for spirituall foode vnto the losse of his temporall substance and how shall many such be expected where the word by which the spirit entereth hath not bin fitly opened vnto them Therefore if thou wilt haue them doe for themselues do thou something first though but a little for them whereby they may heare the word And then it is likely the word heard will make way for it selfe and perswade for increase of maintenance for it perswades the truly sanctified to a farre greater degree euen to fell all to giue life all for the Treasure of happinesse Christ Iesus whome lying more closely in the Cabinet of the word preaching deliuers vnto vs opened and displaied in full glorie and Lustre Yea it may bee by the word so communicated by thee there wil be some prouoked to doe that for others which thou hast done for them and so a generation of goodnesse may bee continued of which thou hast beene the father and a chaine of good works may be lengthned of which the first linke framed by thee is both the beginning and cause Hereunto may be added this other reason of forrein helpe That such places beare already as great a burden without the benefite of preaching as others do that haue it Wherfore that Saint Pauls rule of equity may bee obserued which will not haue some eased to haue others doubly grieued and that rule of Charity Beare yee one anothers burden it is fit that the burthen of such places should be deuided among many so to take away the griefe of surcharging by an equalitie and to ease the weight of the burthen by deuiding it with others 5. Part. As these great blowes of Satan haue afflicted the Ministery in these latter times so doe daily buffets lesser pinchings of the seruants of Satan follow and persecute continually the same Ministerie His plot and his hatred still are one though the limitation of his power by Gods ouer-ruling suffer him not at all times to bring forth like effects He is God be praised tied vp somewhat from appropriating of spirituall liuings yet what he cannot get in a rent hee striues to obtaine in a fine The Patron that cannot haue the yearely profit must haue a grosse summe in consideration of it and a scholler hauing spent much of his portion spirits and time in studie to make himselfe worthie of a place in the Church yet after must he studie for sureties or readie mony to throw into the mouth of Cerberus euen of these porters of hell that they stoppe not his way into the deserued Benefice And this also is a vertue if they will bestow it in this kinde of bestowing on a man able and sufficient for if such a one bee not very neere as finable as a meere dumbe and vnlearned fellow sufficiency shall bee bought out profitable ignorance shall be preferred before edifying knowledge The great God Mammon must chuse the Priest that fitteth him best the greatest truest God whose Priest is thoght thē to be choosing hath least to do in y t choise But ô thou Marchant of hel Factor for Satā know y t cursed is thy mony with thee thy mony is the price of Soules euen of spirituall blood the life of spirits Thou hast for that summe giuen ouer so many soules to Satan thou hast giuen their throats to the Butcher and thou hast done
haue bin that they might neuer haue bin spoken of so now it desires to couer with silence But the lay seruants of Satan despight them diuers waies And first they let flie at the very calling it selfe by turning the Ministerie into an ignominy and reproch If a man be a Minister he hath deserued at the next quarrell pickt at him to be cald pild Priest And when this is done it is to be thought hee hath beene cald worse then rescall euen as Paul saith the very scumme of the earth But where liue we the whilest and among what people It is thought among Christians But are they Christians that thus tread downe those messengers of Christ which outwardly by Baptisme make them such Christians as they are and inwardly by the word make better Christians then they are yet Are they Christians that being begotten by spirituall fathers will raile on their fathers that begat them surely it shewes they were neuer truly begotten A Christian honoureth Christ by whom hee beareth y e name of Christiā He honoreth him so that whosoeuer bringeth Christ to him and him to Christ hee honoureth them also Christ himselfe was a Preacher and the founder of the Ministerie if thou then despisest the Ministerie thou despisest the very function of Christ and the institution of Christ yea thou despisest Christ himselfe and then without question thou despisest thy owne saluation Take heed therfore thou run not against this sacred Priesthood of the Gospell for it is rocky and whosoeuer runneth against it breaketh himselfe in pieces It is rockie for Christ the rocke is the foundation of it and what is built on it is rocky as Peter from Petra But some will say They despise not the Ministers for their office but their liues and consequently not the good but the bad Surely as this on the one side preferres a petition to the reuerend Fathers to admit or continue none of scandalous life so otherwise it giues vs this answere that these are y e more mannerly kind of men that so say for there is a number which if they see but a man in black in their brauery come off presently There goes a Priest whereof the meaning is There goes a man of contempt per excellentiam But if thou which excusest despisest onely the men why castest thou a reflex of thy malice on the calling by reuiling him with the name of a Priest as with a reproch VVhat is the chaffe to the wheate Is he euill He can neuer defile that excellent calling though hee may scandall it the euill is from himself not from his Ministerie yea the Ministerie is good though tied to an ill person therefore is not the Ministerie of a good man any way within reproach for the faults of a bad one Let his person beare his faults and not the Ministery which is not the cause of them Let him beare it him selfe and not other righteous men with him which hate his conditions honestly as much as thou dost him maliciously 2. Part. Another notable signe of the contempt of the Ministery is that gentlemē scorne to bestow their sons in that calling If a man haue a means he is too good for God and he is counted mad or base if he will turne Minister But know thou puffe of flesh and bloud whosoeuer thou art that the seruice of God is the end of man and there is no man good inough to deserue imployment in his seruice much lesse to surmount it Thy meanes are giuen thee for helpes and aduancements in his seruice not for discouragements and he that made both them and thee lookes for glory to himself of both and that with al thy might not ease and idlenesse only to thy selfe If thou haue gifts for such a seruice and imployest them not therein thou that wouldest not serue his mercy shalt serue his iustice and the tree that would not beare fruit in his field shall beare the fire in the place of torment Why cumbreth it the ground Hew it downe and cast it into the lake that burneth for euer It is a due and necessarie course for parents concerning their sonnes and sonnes when they come to iudgement concerning themselues to waigh and consider wherein and in what way such sonnes are most fit and able to serue and glorifie their Maker In that way let thē be placed for it is a way of safetie protection blessednesse Any way besides that is a way of dragons it is the broadway and leadeth to destruction If this were obserued God should haue the due vse of his own creatures Many Alehouses play-houses yea many Gibbets would be emptie that now are filled mechanicall soules should not so oft become Ministers and excellent able soules wold not so oft turne Lawyers merchants yea earth wormes and Priests of Mammō Yet blessed be God y t hath not giuē al times places ouer to this high Treason Infidelity for euē nobles who now too much behold this profession a far of haue ennobled thēselues by seruing a greater King thē any they here serue yea crouch and creepe to serue Gentlemen of great possessions whereof yet France is not without example haue honoured God with their substance imployed it in the Ambassage of the most High And no maruaile for if we plainly knew saw what a glorious King our god is what a pretious thing a soule is what the truth not the name of Christiā were we should account it a high dignitie to be imployed by God in his busines a great gaine to turne one soule to righteousnes a right ready natural duty of a true Christiā to resigne himselfe ouer wholly to Christ to be bestowed by him in any function since he is his by couenāt redēptiō marke not his own any longer Be it therefore a law for euer to the vpright of heart that a good Minister is an honourable man being an Ambassadour of Christ a successor of Christ a factor for the King of heauen to returne soules the most pretious Iewels into his kingdome of glory and howsoeuer they are here couered with cōtemt they shall breake out in the daies of glory shining like the Sunne as hauing turned many soules to righteousnesse But that honour may continue safe to the Ministerie God perswade them to bestow that labour in the word and doctrine which deserueth double honour to liue as those that adorne the Gospell of Christ and themselues to bee humble rather receiuing honour then snatching at it For honour is best deserued when it is least intended to seeke our owne glory is no glory and to honour our selues is no true honour 3. Part. Another new engine of Satan is the impouerishing of the Ministery The diuell knowes that the Minister hath a bodie which must bee maintained by bodily sustenance and where this sustenance is not there cannot the Minister continue Heretofore when diuinitie was inspired not studied an Apostle though his spirituall worke were worthie of
his wages might bestow his worke without any wages and get wages by the work of his hands But now the study of diuinitie challengeth the whole time of a man so that a Diuine can hardly mingle any other calling with it without iniury vnto it Therefore hauing that only function by that for that he must be sufficiently sustained so is there absolutely no hope of a cōtinual Ministery where there is not a continued maintenance Then how many waies haue these last times holpen the diuell to breake off and discontinue the Ministerie It is too wel known that the bellies of y e friers 1. began to rob both the back the belly of the Ministery And that when these theeues were arraigned conuicted the goods were not restored to the former owners thogh known so hereby many miles together haue bin turned into a spiritual wildernes spoiled of the ordinary means of sauing soules lamentable and euen a hart-breaking consideration it is to them that haue any fellow-feeling of the misery of those who lie in the bondage of Satan when they see many Churches like lampes without lights the oyle of maintenance being taken frō thē How cā a mā there preach where there is scarse bread to maintaine the strength of the voice nor clothes to keep off the cold that would choke y t voice nor means to buy a very few bookes to put matter and soule into the voices And on the other side how can the Eunuch vnderstand except there be some to expound How can they beleeue without preaching alas the liues of such places too much testifie that a naturall man is like a dog and will hardly bite at a whole loafe Yea that a man is so tastelesse of spiritual things that except he be taught to open his mouth except his stomach be stirred vp by continuall prouocations he hath no appetite to the foode of life That a sinner is so heauily asleepe in his sinnes that vnlesse he be pulled and startled and his sinne taken vp before him and the particular odiousnesse and vglinesse thereof liuely presented to his dull and vnwilling eies hee had rather die in his sleepe then awake vnto life eternall Part 4. But this disease being shewed what remedie is there for it Surely the Lord of the haruest being first intreated in heauen there seeme two remedies on earth one is Law another Conscience But how shall there be any hope in Law since it is Law that hath done the hurt Surely as a Law begotten in the times of ignorance hath hurt the Church so a Law borne in the times of knowledge may heale it Let vs shew our faith by our works and shame the workes which haue beene done without faith by exceeding them if wee haue the light of the Gospell let vs make statutes of light and not continue the lawes of darkenesse If wee feele any comfort of light in our selues let vs with our blessed Sauiour pittie them that sit in darknesse and in the shaddow of death I separate law frō conscience for though conscience bee the truest fountaine of lawes yet politicke consideration is very often the cause of them Now it is not the worst policie but indeed the best to lay a sure foundation of religion in the hearts of the people For from true religion groweth the strongest branch of obedience true religion hath wherewithall to confute treason though masked in a vizard of religion It will allow the Pope few subiects in another mans Realme It will keepe them for the right owner In summe the end of kingdomes being the Church and the end of the Church the glorie of God by faith and holinesse how doth that kingdom pierce it selfe through with many darts that suffereth this faith and holinesse the life and soule thereof to bee slaine by wickednesse and vnbeliefe Surely there is a fulnesse of sinnes which is the greatest rebellion in the world for it ouerthrowes kingdomes and le ts out Vineyards to new husbandmen This do Ieroboam and Ahab now declare and bewaile Ieroboam cursing the basenesse of his new deuised Priesthood and Ahab defying the Statutes of men it being a policie to destruction to bee politicke against God But if it be demanded whence such maintenance shold be raised Surely for worldly and temporall ends the raising of huge summes by Parliament are well impoposed and contentedly receiued is there no way to raise one summe for the God of heauen When Moses prouided for the Tabernacle there was offering euen to abundance When Dauid prouided for the Temple there were many thousand Talents offered willingly and with a perfect heart VVhy should not we much more willingly contribute toward the building not of Temples made of hands but of the liuing Temple and Church of the euerliuing God If a towne bee destroyed with fire all men take pitty on the ruine thereof and from that pittie issureth reliefe When whole Townes and Parishes are besieged with hell fire how do we not pitty succour such spirituall desolations Then let that place which made the law of substraction redeeme it by making a law of retribution and by some diuine subsidie granted to the King of heauen regaine part or all of the ancient inheritance of the Church or procure some new sustentation in the stead thereof But if mens hearts shall herein be generally hardened against God against the soules of their brethren yea against their owne saluation and denie this iust and necessarie helpe Let those that are merciful and therfore shal obtain mercy expresse this excellent vertue of him that dwelleth in them let them binde vp the woūds which the Leuits passed by let them imitate him who beheld euen them in their blood pollution and said vnto them Liue. Let cōscience remedy what law doth not the worke of God being done without by the working of God alone in mens harts within Accordingly should it bee a sweet smelling Sacrifice acceptablie ascending before the presence of God if those who are both spirituallie and temporally rich should out of their spirituall treasurie send foorth that most pretious charitie which might conuert some of their temporall and transitorie treasure to this soule-sauing end Herunto God through mee doth beseech them as inwardly no doubt he motions the same vnto them by his spirit Obedience to God and his spirit is the most excellent offring and a soule turned to God is the ioy of heauen but proportionably quenching the spirit by disobedience is a heauie sinne and too quiet suffering of the death of soules where means would giue hope of life is the gall of bitternesse and the stone of the heart Our Auncestors did set vp both Churches and Churchliuings a great and a large work was performed by them we are but to keep in reparatiō that they haue built Indeed this ouer boystrous tempest hath ouerthrowne a great piece of this building yet but a piece not by many degrees so great as that work which they
worse then slaine them for thou killest them with death eternall Christ hath said what shall a man giue for his soule yea to giue a whole world and to lose his soule is a bad bargaine but what a beggerly and bloudy bargaine hast thou made which for litle pieces and shrids of the world hast sold many soules But to what end is it to speake to a man of clay that hath no sense nor feeling of heauen To what end is it to speake to a mule that hath no vnderstanding Such men are more dead then the Altar which heard the word of the Lord. They are stonie at the very heart and nothing but mony makes any sound by striking such a heart Otherwise euen to common reason it wold grosly appeare that a lanterne without a candle can giue no light that a man without sight cannot bee a guide to the blinde that men led by such guides must needes fall with their guides into the pit of eternall destruction But if it happen that a man of some sufficiencie hath like the Centurion by a great summe obtained the freedome of this Benefice then is the Patron readie to go into the Temple with the Pharisie to giue thankes that hee is not like other men There is a fit man in the place and hee hath taken no mony for the Benefice but for the Aduowson which a man may honestly doe But know thou Circumuenter of thy owne soule That if it were lawfull to sell an Aduowson thou shouldest sell it at the price of an Aduowson To finde out this consider what either thou payest for the patronage and so make some proportion by that or what a lay-man would giue for it that would make no vse of it but the bestowing For whatsoeuer is giuen beyond that which a man would giue to haue the meere naming of the Minister is the price of the benefice and not of the Aduowson it paies for the profit of the liuing not for the particular appointment of the man Mingle things as cunningly and confusedly as thou canst the iudgement of God shal single thē as perfectly and the euill shal be takē out shewed thee by it self in the great terrible day of the Lords displeasure Yet neither do I cōmend y e selling of Aduousons though at the easier rate for a Patronage is an excellent priuiledge a patrone hath the power of a great and high worke euen in the chiefest businesse of God Why wilt thou for a little mony let another doe God acceptable seruice when thou maist do it thy selfe Or why perchance dost thou suffer another to doe Gods seruice negligently and corruptly when thou maist doe it faithfully Take heede hereunto for if by thy sale the sheepe be vnfed for whome Christ died thou maist go among the cursed to whom it shall be said When I was an hungrie thou hadst food in thy hand and yet thou fedst me not Part. 6. But after all this is not the Minister fully escaped hauing paide the Patron for his passage he falles after into the hands of his Parish then is hee like a man rid of a Lyon falne among Wolues euery one almost if not wholly rubs vp his wit and makes it a principall conquest to deceiue the Parson Howsoeuer the Vsurer haue his ten of the hundred the Lawyer his grossefee and the workman his wages the Minister who layes out his stock for their saluation shall not haue his tenne of the hundred nay but a leane fee for the most pretious counsell nor his full wages for his most excellent worke It is a speciall part of thrift if we cannot conceale and defraud some tithes yet to make a good bargaine with the Minister and to get somewhat by him and if he will not bee so wrought on he must goe for a couetous and hard man But O thou ouerthriftie Tither what thinkest thou while thou dealest thus hast thou a soule or not If thou hast none at least if thou thinkest so words wil be vseles vntill thou feele one day by the torments of thy soule that thou hast one and then they will also bee vselesse But if thou hast one it is better then thy body which is also better then thy goods Thou gladly giuest to the Phisition to maintaine the health of thy body and to the Lawyers to preserue thy goods how doth not thy hand willingly chiefly stretch foorth it selfe to him which saueth thy soule which is infinitely better then these It sheweth too euidently that thou valuest things backwards since thou esteemest not thy soule as thou dost thy goods and body nor the eternall saluation thereof as thy present preseruation But they that haue had a glimse of heauenly glorie despise earthly things in comparison thereof and in disdaine say Is it a great matter to giue carnall things for spirituall such men know they cannot giue so good things to them as they receiue from them Therefore they would euen take out of their owne bowels to doe good to their teachers at least they wold thrust their right vpon them though ignorant of it they would by all meanes desire that they might liue plentifully in this world whose life is imploied to make them liue euerlastingly in the next Farre be it then from vs to vexe and discourage by robberie and impouerishing those who are the guides vnto heauen Let diuine loue iustifie them in taking their right yea help them to it and bring after them what they haue left of it Let vs entertaine them as embassadours of Christ with bountifull allowance and not shew our small regard of the Lord that sent them by our ill rewarding of his messengers Their estate is but for life and naturall affection towards their family is commendable in them as in vs therefore a prouident care if without wrong is not to be censured but allowed in them and a willing and a plentifull contribution is requisite in vs. And herein I deserue speedier assent because I am none of those I speake for Part. 7. A third cunning of Satan is to make sanctification an odious thing and to fasten on it some vile reproch that men may bee ashamed to serue God and to be saued And that this may worke the more effectually he suffers many to goe so farre in religion as they may without losing them that is in a morall and ciuill profession thereof but that degree beyond which indeed is onely the very life and power of sanctification is very offensiue to them and appeares to such to bee but hypocrisie and scrupulositie Hence it is that among most of these ciuilians regeneration and sanctification which they attaine not is Puritanisme and a true Saint is called a Puritan which in their English meanes a dissembling or scrupulous fellow And this being the verdit of those who account thēselues for honest men and their neighbours think the same to whom these ciuill men are almost Puritans like a kennel of