preferre the peruersnes of our owne wils before the Law of God which is the pleasure of his will lest hee make the law I say his reuealed will to be a trayne to the frowardnes of our owne will to bring vs by the consent of our froward will vnto destruction according to the iust purpose of his vvill And thus haue ye heard both the foulenesse of the cause and of the crime NOw followeth to bee expressed The greatnesse of the payne which is no lesse then to be vomited out of the Lords mouth Whereby if this were only meant that all Neuters for their hypocrisy and dissimulation should be cast out of fauor with the Sonne of God it were a most wofull and importable chastisement if we consider of his diuine nature rightly what the Sonne of God is that is the same God that is vnto vs the cause of all our being the fountayne of all life the founder of all ioy the mirrour of all goodnes for he is the Word eternall that is God almighty by whom all things are made in whō is life and of whose fulnesse we receyue whatsoeuer good we haue Whereby it must of necessity follovv that vvithout the fauour of this vniuersall cause vvhich is all in all vvee must needs be annihilated to nothing and being nothing yet remayne such a thing notvvithstāding as is vvithout him in death vvithout life subsisting without being desisting vvithout dying in life neuer ioying in death euer dying But now by this vomiting is meant more then a bare eiecting out of fauour for herein is expressed a fearefull and violent casting out in anger For in this Simile the Church is compared to the stomacke the luke-warme Neuter to the luke-warm water and their grieuous disturbance to noysome vomitings The Church is cōpared to the stomacke because as the stomacke by altering and concocting the nourishment receyued feedeth preserueth the parts of the body so the Church by concocting disgesting the food of life doth nourish and preserue the body of Christ euen in such sort as frō out of food in the stomack the liuer draweth bloud the hart spirit the brayn sence the sinewes strength the veynes nourishmēt the body life so out of the food of immortality which is the word of God that is in the Church to euery mēber of Christ doth the hart draw faith the wil obediēce the vnderstanding knowledge the conscience comfort the body immortality and the soule all felicity and that also after so rare and stupendious an order that euen as the stomake so doeth it quicken by killing reuiue by destroying grow wise by foolishnes obey by rebelling against its owne flesh obtayne life through death felicity through misery and eternity out of mortality The Neuters are compared vnto luke-warme water which to a tasting stomack being receiued is hurtfull whiles it remaineth is grief-ful being eiected is shamefull because all Neuters are euen such in the Church of God not only by hindring the worke of Gods Spirit in the Church but also by the vnquieting and disturbing of the same Their great and grieuous disturbings are compared to noysome vomitings because as that which breedeth vomiting is cast out with hatred for that it is enemy to nature with violence because it oppresseth the stomacke with shamefulnesse because the defilings thereof are laid open to the eye and finally so eiected as neuer agayne to be receyued So all incorrigible Neuters shall by the LORD himselfe be throwne out of the Church as filthy vomitings out of the stomacke that with hatred because they are enemies vnto Christ and with violence because they hurt and oppresse the Church and vvith shame because their hypocrisy shal be made knowne finally cast out of the Church neuer againe to be receyued because that while they were in the Church they could neuer bee amended where the hatred of eiection doeth shew the detestation of the crime the violence the mightinesse of the payne the shame the horror of confusion and the neuer receyuing the eternity of destruction Then if it be such a wofull thing as it hath bene declared for Neuters to be cast out of fauour with the Sonne of God what is it I pray you thus to endure the fiercenesse of his anger If it be so miserable to be depriued of the comfort of his goodnesse how importable to beare the heauy wrath of his greatnes who is to the wicked in terrour the God of vengeance in nature consuming fire in wrath burning ielousie his face lightning his voyce thunder his displeasure death his breath a riuer of brimstone his lippes a floud of indignation his tongue a deuouring flame as the Lord doeth witnesse of himselfe Deut. 4. 32. Es 30. where the mighty terrour of Gods eternall Maiesty is described to make it knowne that as the peruersnes of sinners is incorrigible so his wrath towards them is implacable and as Neuters faults are intolerable so their punishments are vnmeasureable that so there may be a proportion of iustice betweene their crime and his doome that euen as in this world they would neuer want sin so in the world to come they should neuer want payne Wherefore to conclude seeing that the wrath of God is in this fearefull maner reueyled from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men how carefully are we here to consider of our selues how neere this reprehēsion may touch vs. All men by the censure of Christ are either hote in Religiō or of necessity cold or else only luke-warm so either Saints in piety miscreants in iniquity or Neuters for hypocrisy What may herein iustly be deemed of vs are we Saints I would to God we all were as no doubt but the Lord hath his Let euery man iudge himselfe if wee be Saints where is then our workes if miscreants where is then our comfort if Neuters where is then our conscience when the Sonne of God shall come in flaming fire rendring recompēce vnto them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Are wee baptized with the spirit and with fire are we feruent in spirit lucent in life ardent in zeale shining in works burning in loue or in the middest of light remayning in darknes in the time of truth abiding in errour in these dayes of grace liue still in sinne nay are we not cold rather which euery where preferre pleasure before piety that we will take no payne no not to purchase ioy which esteeme of gayne so much aboue godlines that we wil take no losse no not to win heauen in whō all affections grow so cold in respect of Lady Money that for her loue men are brought euen vniuersally to be vniust to their owne neighbours vnfaithfull to their owne friends vnkinde to their owne kinne vnnaturall to their owne parents vntrusty to their owne Country vntrue to their owne Prince impious to their owne God mercilesse to all others most miserable
of God and furtherance of iustice And thus much for these words in Christes second title The faythfull and true witnesse That beginning of the creatures of God CHrist is sayd to be the Author and Beginner of the creatures of God two maner of wayes First as it is Ioh. 1.3 All things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made So that he is beginning without beginning for he that giueth beginning to all things must needs haue none himselfe hee that is before all things cannot after be made to be he that created all other cannot himself be a creature he that sustaineth and giueth Being to all must needs be himselfe an eternall and infinite Being which neuer began to be nor neuer shall make an end to be Therefore he is not the beginning amongst creatures that is the first amongst creatures that began to be but the beginning that is the Beginner Former of all things whatsoeuer be This Maiesty of God in the creation not a little setteth forth the dignity of the message for how materially should we regard his pleasure that is Prince of all power who as hee made vs of nought so can hee bring vs to nought and can make vs heires of heauen or firebrands of hell Secondly he is said to be the beginning of the creatures of God as hee is in this sence Eph. 1.4 As he hath chosen vs in him before the foūdation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue c. 2. Thes 2.13 The Apostle affirmeth that God hath from the beginning chosen them to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and the fayth of truth c. Whereby we may see God looked on the countenance of Christ when hee first made man that whereas in Adam we all perished so wee should in Christ all be repaired and this was his eternall decree from the beginning Therefore is he sayd to be the Lambe slain from the beginning and Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Now as Christ is sayd to be the Beginning of the creatures of God two maner of wayes so is the creature to be considered two maner of wayes that is not onely by creation but by renouation as it is implied Psa 51.10 Gal. 6.15 2. Cor. 5.17 Eph. 2.10 Whereby it appeareth that mans last renewing is as great a worke of God and as mighty as the first In the first creation Adam of nothing was made good In the second man was of ill made good Now to draw one contrary out of another is of no lesse diuine power then to make good of nothing for in ill is a naturall hatred and resistance to be made good but in nothing is no resistance Aug. Par sit vtriusque potestas iustos creare impios iustificare yet must the latter bee of more mercy then the first The first was of the earth earthy 1. Cor. 15.47 And by this creation not only the earthy that is to say the corruptible nature which doth onely sauour terrene and earthly things is made diuine hauing in this life the heart made heauenly with diuine faith the conscience heauenly with diuine peace the vnderstāding heauenly with diuine knowledge the affections heauenly with diuine loue the life heauenly with diuine works but being thus prepared in this life present shall in the blessed heauens of wretched be made blessed of maymed be made perfit of stayned be made pure of caducall immortall and of corruptible eternall So in the like maner in the first was created in the humane body being life and sence and in the humane soule reason memory and wil But such a being as without this last renouation better not to be being indeed nothing else but a perpetuall languishing such a life as was and is to be dissolued such sence as was and is to bee perplexed such reason as was and is to be deceyued such will as was and is to be disordered such memory as hath often fayled But in this second is not onely a being but a happy being not life alone but eternity not only sence but iocundity reason without obscuring wil without disturbing and memory without forgetting So in the first the body was drawne out of dust life out of breath sence out of life mortality out of nature and misery out of sinne But in this second both body and soule are drawne out of hell life out of death and sence out of torment eternity out of mortality and felicity out of misery Moreouer in the first as we must thankfully confesse though man was most royally and magnificently seated and made Lord of this inferiour world had Paradise for his Palace all creatures to serue him all treasures to enrich him all elements to help him the earth to sustain him and heauen to conserue him yet in this second my heart doth melt to thinke it O wonderfull thing mortall man is made heire of the immortall God and succeedeth in the inheritance of his vnmeasurable glory hath heauen for his folace Angels to helpe him Gods spirit to sustayne him his grace to enrich him Gods Sonne to redeeme him God himselfe to adorne him Furthermore God made man at the first when he was thē as the earth is now sencelesse without feeling and liuelesse without mouing so that if he had no praise of well doing hee had no blame of ill deseruing But now at the last when man had fallen from the God of life into the power of the king of death and in preferring the credit of the lying Deuill before the truth of the liuing God had not onely rendred disobedience for duty and great vngratefulnes for Gods great bounty but also had sence of feeling and torments for euer abiding then the gracious and bountifull God to shew not onely a patience in suffering compassion in pittying a mercy in pardoning but also a loue in retayning a bounty in restoring a magnificence in inlarging his estate againe doeth argue his loue to haue so much the more exceeded in how much mans loue had the lesse deserued Opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito charitas sine modo sayth Bernard Besides the first creation was made by the might of Gods Sonne but the second by the death of Gods Sonne so God labored to make the first but Christ suffered to make the last so that in the first man was exalted but in the last God was debased that so interchangeably as that by how much the Sonne of God was humbled in so much was the sonne of man aduanced for God came downe to earth and man went vp to heauē God took our humane flesh and man his diuine spirit God was made the sonne of man man was made the sonne of God yea God was condemned man was acquited Christ suffered and man was redeemed he was done to bitter death and man receyued to eternall life he sustayned the paynes of hell and man
Verity Be a shaddow to my lye and to the Iudge of all righteousnesse Bee my copesmate in wickednesse Was there euer sinne of such a shamelesse face obstinate heart yron-sinewed necke and brazen brow as to say to the Searcher of the heart and Tryer of the reynes Witnesse my witnesse to bee true when he lyeth in his heart O incredible impudency surpassing Tytion in opprobriousnes Gorgon in prodigiousnes and Cyclops in contemptuousnes yea the Deuill himselfe in wickednesse according to that saying Non audet Stygias Pluto tentare quod audet Perturus The Deuill for feare doth quaking stand to see what periury takes in hand Yet though the crime bee neuer so haynous and the punishment neuer so grieuous too too many care no more for false swearing and periury then in maner of a common courtesie I rue to thinke that as in duty I am bound to speake and I would to GOD I might bee silent with safety but seeing the burthen of duty is layd on my backe that I must speake against this horrible and rife sinne and so doe of loue hoping for amendement let the goodnesse of your mindes answere to the greatnes of my desire as to looke rather to your owne duties in amending then mine in admonishing I say that publike place and Courts of reformation Westminster Hall and this your Honourable City is much dishonored and infamed with this crime and periury though I confesse the knowne malefactors haue often receyued condigne punishment for these sinnes so offending God and equity yet needfull is it of a continuall care to saue lands liues goods and soules by graue deepe and discreet scrutiny It is sayd there are certayne called knights of the Post I thinke so called for the greater part because they haue so much true faith truth and knowledge as hath a post that as one man would lend another an horse to relieue his iourney so will they lend another an othe to relieue a cause preferring policy before piety and commodity before equity they dishonour God to fauour men winne themselues wealth with the losse of themselues and runne into this cursed and capitall crime of false witnesse-bearing and periury which is the slaughter of sanctity massacre of verity stab of equity bane of innocency murder of authority and Hagge of all improbity helles sacring heauens vnhallowing Gods defiling mans forlorning and the worldes vntwyning Oh that prophane and wicked wretches would be thinke themselues first before whome they stand let them but imagine it to bee before some man of great authority worthy of reuerence full of seuerity and pearcing of iudgement Secondly that they would perswade themselues when they are to giue in their testimony that then was the last period of their life and therefore then so to speake as one that was presently before Gods tribunall seate then for the same to giue an acount And lastly that they would haue God before their eyes as if he were present visibly and corporally as in trueth hee is inuisibly in all places especially in that place where God is sayd to bee amongst the gods And therefore to speake the trueth the whole trueth and nothing but the trueth according to their charge looking to God the Searcher of all thoughts that standeth there as witnesse and Iudge to allow or disprooue to iudge or acquite them then would they haue one eye to God and the other to the cause in question then would they iustly respect the trueth in euery mans cause and not make account of any mans person knowing that God is Author of trueth and therefore hateth lyes and the deuill father of lyes and therefore hateth trueth that nature hath ioyned their tongues and hearts together because the tongue should expresse what the heart doeth thinke that leasings are the most dangerous enemies to quietnesse and makers of debate that it breaketh and in time taketh away all the affiance and trust that should be betweene man and man it impayreth their credit woundeth their conscience ingageth their soules O remember this yee that forget God and are possessed with whole Legions of lying deuils that make no conscience of a sacred othe feare not the displeasure of men but feare to transgresse the commaundements of God reueyle not one part to gall an enemy nor conceyle an other part to pleasure a friend speake the trueth and the whole trueth Veritat is simulatio abnegatio c. sayth Fulgentius Halt not on both sides with one part of the testimony on one part to pleasure the Playntife and the other to please the Defendant Couer not Neroes cruelty beware of scarlet sinnes vnder Catoes grauity nor Herods butchery with Iohn Baptists simplicity Mala conscientia delictorum testis Iudex carcer tortur Remember that CHRIST doeth intitle himselfe The faythfull and true witnesse in whose heart was neuer vntrue thought in whose mouth was neuer guilefull word in whose hands was neuer false deed for hee was the Way the Trueth and the Life the Way neuer erring the Trueth neuer fayling the Life euerlasting true in all his promises true in all his prophecies true in giuing vs true liberty If then you be true by this example in heart true in tongue true in hand faithfull and true witnesses your thoughts shall yeelde comfort to your selues your tongues prayses to your God your hands good deeds to your brethren But if you lye without feare you shall dye without GOD and when your body is without life your soule shall be without hope And yee most prudent and learned Iudges of the Land to whome it doeth belong though I may say Ye graue fathers as sometimes Bernard did to Eugenius consid lib. 2. Non est meae humilitatis dictare vobis Vel sic vel sic faciendum In all humility for IESVS CHRIST his sake I beseech you to respect of what Religion and honesty the witnesses bee that are produced before you for Constantines rule doeth hold They cannot be faithfull to men that are faythlesse to God You will not suffer them to robbe men by the high way side much lesse to robbe God of his honour the lawes of true Iustice and their neighbours of their rights liues lands and goods They must not murder others and shall they slay their owne soules They may not speake treason against their Prince and shall they vtter blasphemy against GOD Why should any man abuse his owne horse or house for if they please not one they may pleasure another And why should any man bee permitted as farre as it may bee preuented to abuse his owne soule they are not their owne but are bought with the precious bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus I am of opinion if I see one ready to drowne himselfe and stay him not if I may if so hee doeth perish that I am guilty of his death But Pauca sapienti Thankes to God for your religious care already had vpon this poynt and God graunt your perseuerance to the glory
beasts to the birds he shewed his wings to the beasts his feet professing ayd to both yet shew'd himselfe Neuter to both hauing by reason of this partaking of both natures a naturall facility to playe with both hands being ready both to worship Baal with Achab and the Lord with Iehu 1. Kin. 16. 29. both to build vp the Temple with Zerubbabel and pull it down with the Aramites Ezr. 4. to blesse for Israel and curse for Balak Num. 24. to cry Hosanna to day and Crucifige to morrow Mat. 20. 27. Partim seruiunt Deo partim Diabolo sayth Aug. where God being angry the deuill should haue any part doth leaue his part and let the deuill take all for by reason he hath his heauenly heat delayed with worldly coldnes he is not feruent in any religion a man indifferent for all religions ready to partake any religion but indeed a louer of no religion for that he is alwayes for his twofold mixtures mungrell-minded for want of heate cold affected through warmenes busy-headed by negation hollow-hearted with partaking double-handed by delaying halfe addicted in euery mutatiō soonest changed so that as luke-warme water will be soonest yce so luke-warme men wil be soonest wicked as yce wil rather dissolue then admit warmnes so they as easily dye as returne to goodnesse For which cause Christ auoucheth in this place not onely the misbeleeuing Infidell but the prophane Atheist to be better or not so bad as the luke-warme Neuter because the Atheist professeth to be as he is openly wicked the Neuter by ill dissimulation to be good whereby that ill doeth more annoy vnder colour of goodnesse The Atheist thinks not there is a God because he thinketh he is not The Neuter thinketh there is a God but regardeth him not An erring by darknes of nature oftentimes being inlightned doth hunger after grace The Neuter inlightned already with the good gifts of grace through satiety ofttimes returneth to the vomit of nature so whereas the one sort is a committer of wickednes the other is besides an abuser of godlinesse the one offending through boldnes of ignorance the other through peruersnes of will those through frailty of nature these through contēpt of grace Whereby it is euidēt that all luke-warme Christians are for al prophane behauiour most notable hypocrites most dissembling Ambo-dexters in dealing with men Neuters in partaking with neither Nulli-fidians in relapsing from both counterfets of holines to profane vertue Apostataes from God full of all wickednes for all kind of vice monsters in nature Atheists in errour Epicures in pleasure Saints in honour and deuils in demeanour What wonder then if the Lord will haue no coldnesse in thē that professe him when as in onely warmnes there doe muster such an army and lyeth hid so dangerous an Ambuscado of wickednes The more shameful that any fault is the more carefull should we be to shun it And what can bee more haynous then such a crime and yet what more common then such behauiour It is an olde saying Non omnes Sancti qui calcant limina Templi All that gloweth is not gold nor all that seem are not Saints We professe the Kingdom of the Gospell but for the most part wee imbrace the kingdome of the world wee beleeue like Christians liue like Pagans looke like the Lambe and speake like the Dragon the Name of God is in our toūg but the feare of God is not in our hearts we can serue all turnes change our selues into all formes and with a trice become openly Protestāts secretly Papists inwardly neyther outwardly both Saints in face serpents in heart Angels in shew Diuels in deed Gods word swimming in our lips but detestable Satan digging in our soules There was neuer better teaching nor worse following more talking and lesse practizing not like Pambo who when he had heard one lessō would learne no more before he would practise that for we will heare any thing but frame our selues to follow nothing finde great fault with our former sinnes and obiect our forefathers liued in ignorance and in trueth they knew very little but did very much they were spare in speach noble in acts but we as though degenerate or none of their children nay rather none of Gods children the more good wee knowe the lesse good we doe we haue filed tongues but defiled hearts Now if all the world would set to their hands to defend vs from ruine yet howe can God suffer that Common-wealth to stand that shrowdeth such a multitude of wickednes vnder the sacred holines of his most blessed Name Wherefore deare Citizens let vs repent with Niniue that we be not cast away with Laodicea And thus much touching the crime NOw to speake of the cause The Lord in this place assigneth two causes why the loue of Religion is quayled in the Laodiceans and they may be assigned as causes this day why it also quayleth in vs. First worldly riches Secondly spirituall pouerty the one oftentimes ensuing the other for men vnmeasureably rich are commonly immoderately bent vpon the world so incumbred with the toyle of worldly cares that they can scarsly respite themselues one breath or gaspe of an heauenly thought or else after the maner of these Loadiceans hauing their wealth increased begin to conceyue so well of thēselues that they thinke all to be well whatsoeuer they doe and because they haue goods inow thinke themselues to be good inough censuring after the iudgement of the world that God doeth fauour whom the world doeth prosper and therefore because they are well touching the worlds prosperity they deeme themselues well also touching Gods fauour For prosperity is often proud wealth wanton and many times not onely wilful but also witlesse too The rich man is wise in his own conceyt sayth Salomon As who would say he were in deed but a foole Lo how riches can inchaunt the mind to cause a man to think himselfe wise whē he is but foolish strong when hee is but weake fenced when he is naked godly when he is wicked and to leaue the Lord the Tower and strength of his defence to trust in the weak rotten wals of wealth For the nature of man being composed of two contraries of a mortall body the earth Gen. 2. and an eternall soule which is from heauen Eccl. 12. are as contrary as heauen and earth whilest either of these parties are naturally moued to conserue the good estate of his owne nature it commeth to passe that both this base earthly part drawes a man vehemently to be attent vpō earthly things contrary that diuine heauenly part doth couet to carry men vp into heauen frō whence he is descended By meanes of which repugnancy in mans nature it is brought to passe that man is wonderfully drawne into contrary repugnant desires endeuoring to ioyne things together which of their owne nature are seuered most farthest asunder wearying himselfe with infinite toyle