swadling band Iob 26.11 breakes up for it his decreed place and sets barrs and gates and saies Hither to shalt thou come no farther and here shall thy proud waves bee stayed Iob 38.9 10. Shall we yet step a staire lower and opening the Jawes of the bottom lesse pit see how powerfully hee displayes his Eanners in the dreadfull dungeon below Behold Hell is naked before him Iob 26.6 and destruction hath no covering This made our Prophet sing more generally The Lord is above all Gods whatsoever pleased him that did He in Heaven and Earth and in the Sea and in all deepe places Psal 135.6 Psal 135.6 Thus you heare God is in the world as the Soule is in the body life and government And as the soule is in every part of the body so is God in every part of the world No Quarter-master nor Vice-gerent He but universall Monarch and Commander Totus in toto Totus in qualibet parte A God every where wholly a God and yet one God every where onely One whom the vaine conjectures of the Heathen dreaming to be moe gave in the Skie the name of Iupiter in the Ayre Iuno in the Water Neptune in the earth Vesta and sometimes Ceres the name of Apollo in the Sunne in the Moone Diana of Aeolus in the windes Ex D. August Hot kerus Eccles pol. l. b. 1. Sect. 3. of Pluto and Proserpine in Hell And in fine so many guides of Nature they imagin'd as they saw there were kinds of things naturall in the world whom they honour'd as having power to worke or cease according to the desires of those that homaged and obey them But unto us there is one onely Guide of all Agents naturall and he both the Creator and Worker of all in all alone to be bless'd honour'd and ador'd by all for evermore And is God the Lord indeed Is he chiefe Soveraigne of the whole world Hath his Power so large a Jurisdiction Doth it circuit and list in Water Earth Aire Fire nay the vaster Territories of Heaven and Hell too How then doth this fraile arme of Flesh dare list it selfe against Omnipotence Why doth it oppose or at least incite the dreadfull Armies of him who is the great Lord of Hosts Why doe we muster up our troupes of Sinnes as if we would set them in battel-aray against the Almighty Scarce a place where he displaies the Ensignes of his Power but man seemes to hang out his flag of Defiance or at least of Provocation and though he hath no strength to conquer yet he hath a will to affront If he cannot batter his Fort he will be playing on his Trenches anger his God though not wound him In the earth he meetes him by his groveling Sinnes of Avarice oppression violence rapine Sacriledge and others of that stye and dunghill In the Water by his flowing sinnes of Drunkennesse Riots Surfets Vomitings and what else of that frothy Tide and Inundation In the Aire by his windy sinnes of Ambition Arrogance Pride Vain-glory and what vapour and exhalation else his fancie relisheth In the Fire by his flaming sins of Lust Choller Revenge Bloud and what else sparkles from that raging furnace In Heaven by his lofty Sinnes of Prophanation Oathes Blasphemies Disputes against the Godhead and the like And lastly as if Hell were with man on earth or man which is but Earth were in Hell already by his damned sins of Imprecations Curses Bannings Execrations and others of that infernall stampe which seeme to breath no lesse than Fire and Sulphure and the very horrors of the burning Lake Thus like those Monsters of old wee lift our Pelion upon Ossa Tumble one mountaine of transgressions upon another no lesse high than fearefull as if they not onely cryed for thunder from above but also dar'd it But wretched man that thou art who shall deliver thee from the horrour of this death 2 Thes 1.8 When the Lord shall reveale himselfe from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that feare him not what Cave shall hide 2 Sam. 22.9.16 or what Rocke cover them At his rebuke the foundations of the world are discovered even at the blast of the breath of his displeasure Out of his mouth commeth a devouring flame and if he do but touch these mountaines they shall smoake Psal 104.32 if he but once lift up his iron Rod he rends and shivers and breaketh in pieces like a Potters vessell he heweth asunder the snares of the ungodly and his enemies he shall consume like the fat of Lambes Psal 37.20 O then let all the earth feare the Lord let all the Inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him let Kings throw downe their Scepters at his feet and the people their knees and hearts at those Scepters from the Cedar of Libanus and the Oke of Basan to the shrub of the Valley and the humble Hysope on the wall let all bow and tremble Princes and all Iudges of the Earth both young men and Maidens old men and children let them all seare and in searing praise and in praising sing of the Name and Power of the Lord God for his Name onely is excellent Psal 148.13 and his power and Glory above Heaven and Earth On the other side is the Lord Omnipotent indeed Hath his Power so wide a Province and extent Is the glory of his mighty Acts thus made knowne to the sounes of men Is his Kingdome not onely a great but an everlasting Kingdome His Dominion through and beyond all Generations Psal 145.13 Doth hee plant and root up prune and graft at his owne pleasure Psal 147.6 Doth hee raise the humble and meeke and bring the ungodly down to the ground Is he with his Ioseph in the prison with Eliah in the Cave with Shadrach in the Furnace with Daniel in the Den Doth hee deliver his anoynted from the persecution of Saul His Prophet from the fury of Iezcbel his Apostle from the bonds of Herod His Saint from the Sword and Fagot of the Insidell Psal 104.21 Doth hee cloath the Lillies of the field Have Lyons roaring after their prey their food from him Doth he give fodder unto the Cattell quench the wild Asses thirst feed the young Ravens that call upon him Doth he stop the mouthes of wilde beasts Quench the violence of fire Abate the edge of the Sword Shake the very powers of the Grave and all for the rescue and preservation of his servants his faithfull his beloved servants Why art thou then so sad O my soule why so sad and why so disquieted within thee Trust in God Psal 147.3 he healeth those that are broken in heart and giveth medicine to heale their sick enesse Though thy afflictions be many thy adversaries mighty thy temptations unresistable thy grievances unwieldie thy sinnes numberlesse their weight intollerable yet there is a God above in his provident watch-Tower a God
Cron. 3.4 1 Chro 29.4 Silver and Gold in no small proportion ten thousand talents at least to overlay the walls of it besides the very beames and posts and doores o'respread with Gold Gold of Parvaim no other would serve the turne garnisht within with pretious stones and graved Cherubins 2 Chron 3. Cherubins of Gold too â—â—â—e Gold so sayes the Text vail'd over with blue and purple and crimson and fine Linnen nothing wanting for lustre or riches for beautie and magnificence for the house of a God the King would have it so Salomon the wise King and he would have it so for Ornament and not for Worship except for the worship of his God and that his God approves of with a fire from heaven 2 Chron. 7.1 And now my Brother what capitall offence in the Image of a Saint or Martyr historically or ornamentally done in the house of the Lord It invites not our knee but our eye not our Observance but our Observation or if perchance our Observance not our Devotion Though we honour Saints we doe them no worship and though sometimes wee sing of we sing not unto them wee sing of their Sufferings not of their Power and in so singing we sing unto God Sing first of his Power that he hath made them such Champions for Him and then Sing aloud of his Mercy that they were such Lights unto us And here what danger of Idolatry what colour for Offence what ground for Cavill or exception Our dayes of Ignorance and blind zeale are long since past by but it seemes not of Peevishnesse or Contradiction And certainely if Fancie or Spleene had not more to doe here than Judgement this Quarrell might be ended without Bloud We are so curious in Tything of Mynt and Cummin that we let goe the waightier matters of the Law and whilst we dispute the indifferencies of a painted roofe or window we sometimes let downe the very walls of a Church And I dare say if a Consistory did not more scarre some than a Conscience Temples would stand like those Aegyptian Monuments I know not whether a Modell of Antiquity or Desolation 'T is a misery when the life of Religion shall lye in the Tongues of men and not in their Hands or if in their Hands sometimes not in their Hearts The times are so loud for Faith Faith that the noyse thereof drownes sometimes the very Motion of good Workes and even there too where Faith is either begotten or at least strengthened in the House of the Lord That stands Naked and sometimes Bare-headed as if it begged for an Almes when our Mansions swell in pride of their Battlements the beauty of their Turrets and yet their Inhabitants still cry as the mad people did after the Floud Come Gen. 11.4 let us make Bricke let us Build But all this while No noise of an Axe or a Hammer about the House of the Lord Their project is to lift their Earth unto Heaven and it matters not though the Heaven here below lay levell with the Earth they sing of a City and a Tower to get them a Name They care not for a Temple to sing aloud in to the Name of their God And hence it is that this God makes that sometimes a way to their confusion which they intended a meanes to their Glory I have observ'd three speciall sorts of Builders in our Age and three sorts of singing by them Some build up Babel with the stones of Jerusalem Adorne their owne Mansions by demolishing of Churches and such sing onely Requiems to their owne name and are so farre from singing unto Gods that he cries out against them by his Prophet Though you build aloft Obad. 4. and nestle among the Cloudes yet I will bring you downe into the dust of the Earth Others build up Ierusalem with the stones of Ierusalem repaire one Church with the ruines of another Take from that Saint and Give unto this And in this they thinke they sing aloud unto God but hee heares not their voice or if hee heare he rebukes it Away with your sacrifices I will none of your burnt offerings Isa 1.13 they are abomination unto me saith the Lord God Others build up Ierusalem with the stones of their Babel Repaire the ruines of Gods house with their owne costs and materialls and not onely repaire but beautifie it as you see And such not onely sing unto God but sing Psalmes unto him Talke and doe to the Glory of his Name And blessed is the man that doth it doth it as it should be done without froth of ostentation or wind of Applause or pride of Singularity But from the uprightnesse and integrity of a sound heart Psa 69.9 can Sing aloud to his God 'T is my zeale to thy house that hath thus eaten me up And doubtlesse he that is so zealous for the house of the Lord the Lord also will be mercifull unto His and hee that so provides for the worship of Gods name God also will provide for the preservation of His Deut. 28. Blessed shall he be in the City and Blessed in the field Blessed in his comming in and Blessed in his going out Blessed in his basket and in his store Blessed in the fruit of his cattell and the fruit of his ground Gods speciall Providence shall pitch his Tents about him the dew of Heaven from above and the flowers of the Earth from below Before him his Enemies flying behind him Honours attending about him Angels intrenching on his right hand his fruitfull Vine on his left his Olive-branches without Health of body within Peace of Conscience and thus Psal 25.12 His Soule shall dwell at Ease and his Seed shall inherit the Land And whilst he sings unto Heaven Blessed be the Name of the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Heaven shall rebound to the Earth and the Earth sing aloud unto him Blessed is he that putteth his trust in the Lord for Mercy shall incompasse him on every side And now O Lord it is thy Blessings which we want and thy Mercies which we beg Let thy Blessings and thy Mercies so fall upon us as we doe put our trust in Thee Lord in Thee have we trusted let us never be confounded Amen Gloria in excelsis Deo Amen FINIS The Christian Duell IN TWO SERMONS Ad Magistratum Preached at two severall ASSIZES held at TAUNTON in Sommerset Anno Domini 1634. 1635. By Humphrey Sydenham ROM 8.5 Qui secundum Carnem sunt quae Carnis sunt sapiunt Qui verò secundum Spiritum quae Spiritus sunt Vellem quidem et carnem meam esse in vita sed quia non potest sit vel Spiritus meus sit vel Anima mea D. Aug. Serm. 6. de Verbis Domini LONDON Printed by IOHN BEALE for Humphrey Robinson at the Signe of the Three Pigeons in PAULS Church-yard 1637. TO THE TRVLY NOBLE BOTH BY BLOVD and VERTVE Sir IOHN POULETT KNIGHT Sonne and Heire
and treading the by wayes to Rhemes and Doway make a double partin Man Reason and Sensuality the one of them they stile Spirit the other Flesh dishonouring thereby the sacred Doctrine of our Apostle as if Reason and the Spirit sounded alike in regard of the Inward man Flesh and Sensualitie in respect of the Outward But this were to rivall Philosophy with Scripture Acts 19.9 send S. Paul to Stagyra and Aristatle to the Schoole of Tyrannus for the same Divinity the great Peripateticke preacheth in the first of his Ethicks where hee divides the Minde into two parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 13. where Reason dwelleth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Passions reigne These drawing one way and That another Appetite in an incontinent man being towards Reason ut membrum paraliticum as a limme that is strucke with the dead Palsie turne it to the right hand and it falls to the left whatsoever Reason dictates for the Better Sensuality straineth to the worse and what is that say they but the Flesh and the Spirit Thus they would confound Nature with Grace the meere Carnall men with the Regenerate making the struglings of the one betweene Sensuality and Reason the others combate betweene the Flesh and the Spirit Lib. 6. cap. 11. But S. Augustine tells Julian the Pelagian who first hatch'd this dangerous Cockatrice that in these words of the Apostle Sunt gemitus sanctorum contra carnales concupiscentias dâ—rnicantium the deepe sighes and groanes of the Saints breath'd out against their remainders of corruption and their carnall frailties their minde serving the Law of God but the Flesh the fraile Flesh lead captive by the Law of Sinne. Now in Scripture you know the word Caro Flesh Isa 40.6 is taken either properly pro carnulentâ illâ mole for the body which is compos'd of Flesh or else Tropically Gen. 6.3 for her fleshly qualities and in this latter sense it sometimes signifies the corruptions of the Flesh sometimes the lusts of the Flesh sometimes men expos'd to Both which are nothing else but Flesh and hold a direct Antipathy with the Spirit And therefore the learned African tells his Consentius Epist 164. that he that will be Eminent in vertue must be free of the Flesh And hence is the Apostles Vos non estis in carne Yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit Rom. 8.9 And the Evangelists Quicquid natum de carne caro est Whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh and whatsoever is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3.6 Againe Caro goes sometimes for Concupiscentia Cornel. a lap in Canon verb. Epist Sancti Pauls pag. 22. not properly as if Flesh were Concupiscence it selfe but Metonimically because the Flesh is as it were the shop of the Soule where it moulds and workes as the Potter doth his clay Concupiscentiarum imagines portenta I know not what strange Anticks and Monsters of concupiscence And therefore some Philosophers are of opinion that as the censations so the motions of the sensitive appetite are as well in the body and organs of it as in the soule though others more subtilly and indeed more rationally say that as they are spirituall vitall and animall so they are in the soule onely since that alone is said of it selfe to live and the body by that life and yet the body as they conceive by the Organs Spirits and Blood doth dispose and assist the soule in these and the like motions and operations whereas Saint Cyprian will by no meanes heare that the affictions should any way belong unto the body but to the soule Hoc ipsum quod dico carnis affectus impropriè dico saith the Father For vices indeed are principally the Soules to which sinne is directly and properly imputed for as much as it is indowed with judgement will knowledge power by which it may eschew that which is evill and cleave to that which is good the Soule using the Body as the Smith his hammer or his Anvile by which hee forgeth and fashioneth Omnium turpitudinum idola quarumcunque voluptatum simulachra all her voluptuous and filthy Idols of lust and sensualitie The Flesh doth neither dictate nor invent nor forme nor dispose no project no thought no malice no sinne from her not from her but by her S. Cyp. in prol de Card navirt Christi the soule not sinning neither but by the flesh Saltem mediatione remotâ And yet the Flesh as it is Flesh meerely without the Soule can neither sinne nor serve sinne knowing that when the Flesh is separated from the Soule Idem ibid. it is nothing else but Putredinis massa paludis Acervus a putted and corrupt Masse or Bog and when it is joyned with it It is at best but Quadriga Animae as Galen calls it the Chariot of the Soule in which it jogs for a time in Triumph and then it is Seneca's Carcer animae the Goale and Fetters of the Soule nay his Sepulchrum animae the Greekes calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tombe or Sepulchre a living death a sensible carrion a portable grave Vbi homo in vitijs est sopultus ubi corrupti corporis scatent scelera ubi homo hominis est sepulchrum ubi in homine non homo cernitur sed cadaver as the golden tongu'd iChrysologus in his 120. Sermon upon the fifth of S. Matthew But what then is it this Carkasse and Tombe and Sepulchre St. Paul here so much complaines of is it the bodie and the frailetties there that are here meant by this word Flesh noe But as before wee tooke the word Mens Theologically not Phisically so doe wee here the word Caro Flesh not for the fleshly lumpe this fraile masse of shinne bloud and nerves kneaded and incorporated into one substance but for the Carnall and as yet unregenerate part of man Will Minde Affections soil'd and corrupted from the old Adam so Gal. 5.20 Heresies are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Workes of the flesh Now Heresies you know flow from the minde not from the bodie so that the minde is in some sort Flesh as well as the other not flesh sensible and materiall but Metaphorically taken insomuch that the very Saints and servants of God as long as they have the dregs and remainders of sinne about them not only in the inferior part of the soule but even in the minde and the will are said to bee Flesh and the reason is because that that sinne by which wee consent unto the lusts of the flesh is not committed but in the will where it hath his originall and foment The Schooleman defining Concupiscence to bee nothing else but Voluntatem improbam Altissiod lib. 3. tract 2. cap. 3. q. 2. qua Anima appetit fornicari in creatura A depravednes of the will by which the Soule desireth to play the strumpet with the creature And hence it is that
maintenance and support of these fleshly tabernacles thou shalt eate and drinke ad necessitatem and the church to take downe the frankenesse of nature and tame the wildnesse of the flesh for in point of fasting there is as well a religious as a civill or politicke respect saies thou shalt not eate and drinke ad intemperantiam let us so eate and drinke that we may live and not lust and so live that thus eating drinking we care not if we die to morrow The cause why Moses so long fasted in the Mount was meere divine speculation the cause why David did humiliation so that the way to mortify the flesh and to advance the spirit is by the doore of abstinence whereby wee may undermine the pallaces of lust and wantonnes plant parcimony as nature where riotousnes hath beene study Hooker Eccles pol. lib. 5. that whereas men of the Flesh eate their bread with joy and drinke their wine with a merry heart Eccles 9.7 The man of the Spirit may be contrite and wounded and so humble his soule with fasting Psal 35.13 Beware then of this Ingenuosa Gula this kick-shawed luxury when the braine turnes Cooke for pleasing both of the eye and palate let 's not court appetite when we should but feed it not feed excesse when we should strangle it Moderation and sobrietie are the best Governours of our meetings and where these are as they are not too often in the meetings of a multitude the example of our Saviour will allow us to turne Water into Wine and the advice of his Apostle to drinke it also for our stomacks suke and doubtlesse sometimes for our mirths sake too if we exceed not the bounds of temperance nor flye out into superfluity or Epicurisme which are the blot and staine of Societie and a hinderance of that true joy and comfort which otherwise might smile in our publike meetings when invitations are turned into riots feeding into suffocation clogging the body and damping the spirits and thereby those blessings which else happily might have shower'd upon us A Soule drown'd in meat as the Father phraseth it can no more behold the light of God than a body sunk in puddle can behold the light of the Sun For as fogs and mists arising from the Earth and hiding the light of the Sunne from us debarre us for the present of the vertue of those heavenly influences which otherwise we might partake of So the fumes and vapours of an over-charg'd stomacke ascending to the brain cause a cloudinesse in the soule hindring and darkning those heavenly speculations which the Spirit would else mount to in God and his Son Christ Iesus To conclude then it should be our principall care to keepe the whole man brush'd all sluttishnes swept-of as well within as without not only those outward spots and blemishes which bestain the flesh but even those smaller dusts and atomes which over-spred the soule Remember it is the white robe which is the dressing of the Saint and that the hand which is wash'd in innocency is accepted at Gods Altar The haire that is unshaven is not for his congregation nor the fowle and uncleane thing for his kingdome We read that Solomons Temple had two altars the one without Vbi animaliū caedebatur Sacrificium 1. Kings 6.20 22. where the bullocke was flaine for sacrifice The other within Vbi Thymiamitis offerebatur incensum where incense and perfumes were offered the best mirrhe and the onyx the sweet storax Ecclus. 24.15 And we know that this temple of the holy Ghost hath two altars also the one without in the flesh where the bullocke should bee slaine the Hecatomb of our hundred beasts offered our beastly lusts and corruptions which fight against the soule The other within in the minde where the fumes of mirrhe and frank incense ascend the incense of prayer and gratulation that spirituall holocaust that viall of the Saints full of odours which reacheth the very nostrils of the Almighty On these two altars D. Aug. 256. serm de temp God requires a two fold sacrifice munditiem in corde cleanesse in the heart which David so vehemently desired create in mee a cleane heart O God Psal 5 1. and castitatem in corpore chastity in the body S. Bern. inter sententias which S. Bernar calls martyrium sine sanguine a martyrdome without bloud where there is a death of the flesh without the death of the body a death of her lusts and a death of her corruptions by mortifying and subduing all carnall rebellions And this martyrdome of the flesh S. Paul glories in I keepe under my body or as the Greeke hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corpus contundo Paulin. Ep. 58. et Lividum reddo soe Paulinus reades it to S. Augustine I Bray as it were and macerate my body and marke what followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In servitutem redigo I bring it into subiection 1. Cor. 9.27 And in subjection indeed it must be brought in subjection to the soule which as it gives the other forme so it should steere and master it Vnumquodque sicundum hoc vivat unde vivit saith S. Augustine let every thing live according to the rule and platforme of that by which it lives Vnde vivit caro tua De anima tua unde vivit anima tua De Deo tuo unaquaque harum secundum vitam suam vivat Whence lives thy body from thy soule whence lives thy soule from thy God Let both then live according to that Life which gave them life The world was made for man and man for his soule his soul for God Tū rectè vivit carosecundū animā D. Aug. Serm. 13. deverb Dom. cùm anima vivit secundum Deum The sweet Saint Augustine still then the body lives rightly according to the soule when the soule lives rightly according unto GOD. Let the body then so live after the soule and the soule after GOD that both body and soule may live with God in his eternall kingdome and that for his deare Sons sake Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the Father the holy Ghost bee all honour and glory ascrib'd both now and for ever Amen Gloria in excelsis Deo FINIS Jehovah-Jireh GOD In his PROVIDENCE And OMNIPOTENCE Discovered A SERMON PREACHED Ad Magistratum at CHARD in Sommerset 1633. By Humphrey Sydenham Laudate Dominum de omnimoda potentia ejus Laudate eum secundum multitudinem Magnitudinis ejus Psal 150.2 LONDON Printed by IOHN BEALE for Humphrey Robinson at the Signe of the Three Pigeons in PAULS Church-yard 1637. TOMY HIGHLY HONOUR'D FRIEND Sr. JOHN STAVVELL Knight of the BATH THIS SIR IUST promises are just debts and debts though delayed ever come acceptably if they come with advantage I long since promised you a transcript of this Sermon which was the Principall and now I send it you with a Dedication which is the Interest and such an Interest I
the one is like a well-set Antheme the other as so many Singers and Choristers to voice and chant it First the Heavens they sing Isai 49.13 and then the Earth that sings Psal 98.4 the Mountaines also they break forth into singing Isai 55.12 the Valleys they laugh and sing too Psal 65.13 the Cedar and the Shrub are not without their Song neither Isai 14.8 as well the * Isai 42.11 Inhabitants of the Rocke as those that dwell in the * 26.9 dust nay those creatures that cannot yet speake doe sing The lame leapes as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe sings Isai 35.6 Seeing then that the whole course of nature is but a Song or a kinde of singing a melodious concention both of the Creator and the creature how can we conceive them to be lesse than prodigies who as if they distasted this generall harmony revile that particular and more sacred in our Churches not considering what wonderfull effects and consequences Musicke hath wrought both in expelling of evill spirits and calling on of Good Exagitabat Saul spiritus nequam sayes the Text An evill spirit troubled Saul and with one touch of Davids Harpe hee is refresh'd and the evill spirit departed from him 1 Sam. 16. Elisha V. 14.25 V. 15. when he was to prophecie before the Kings of Iudah and Samaria call's for a Musician and as he play'd The Spirit of God fell upon him 2 Kings 4. Mirum saith S. Augustine Daemones fugat D. Aug. prol in lib. Psal Angelos ad adjutorium invitat And yet 't is not a thing so strange as customary with God to worke miraculous effects by creatures which have no power of themselves to worke them or onely a weake resemblance What vertue was there in a few Rammes hornes that they should flat the walls of Iericho or in Gideons Trumpets that they should chase a whole Hoste of Midianites Digitus Dei hic the finger of God is here and this finger oftentimes runnes with the hand of the Musician and therefore a moderne and learned Wit M. Th. Wright discoursing of the passions of the minde in generall falls at length on those which are rais'd by Harmny and dyving after reasons why a proportionable and equall disposition of sounds and voices the tremblings vibrations and artificiall curlings of the ayre which in effect he calls The substance of all Musicke should so strangely set passions aloft so mightily raise our affections as they doe sets downe foure manners or formes of motion which occurre to the working of such wonderfull effects The first is Sympathia a naturall correspondence and relation between our diviner parts and harmony Sympathia for such is the nature of our soules that Musicke hath a certaine proportionable Sympathie with them as our tastes have with such varieties of dainties or smelling with such diversities of odours And Saint Augustine this way was inforc'd to acknowledge that Omnes affectus spiritus nostri all the affections of our spirit by reason of the variousnesse and multiplicity of them had proper manners and wayes in Voyce and Song D. Aug. lib. 10. coas cap. 33. Quorum nescio quâ occultâ familiaritate excitentur which he knew not well by what secret familiarity or mysterious custome they were excited and rouz'd up The second Providentia Gods generall providence which Providentia when these sounds affects the eare produceth a certaine spirituall qualitie in the soule stirring up some passion or other according to the varietie of sounds or voyces For The imagination saith hee being not able to dart the forms of fancies which are materiall into the under standing which is spirituall therefore where nature wanteth Gods providence supplyeth And as in humane generation the body is from man and the soule from God the one preparing the matter the other creating the form so in Harmony when Men sound and heare God striketh upon and stirreth the heart so that where corporall mussicke is unable of it selfe to work such extraordinarie effects in our soules God by his Ordinarie naturall providence produceth them The third more open and sensible is Sonus ipse the very sound it selfe Sonus ipse which is nothing else but an artificiall shaking quavering of the ayre which passeth through the eares and by them unto the heart and there it beateth and tickleth it in such sort that it is moved with semblable passions like a calme water ruffled with a gale of wind For as the heart is most delicate and tender so most sensible of the least impressions that are conjecturable and it seemes that Musicke in those Cells playes with the animall and vitall spirits the onely goades of passion So that although we lay altogether aside the consideration of Ditty or Matter the very murmure of sounds rightly modulated and carried through the porches of our eares to those spirituall roomes within is by a native vigour more than ordinarily powerfull both to move and moderate all affections and therefore Saint Augustine would have this custome of Symphony kept up in the Church Vt per oblectamenta aurium infirmior animus in affectum pietatis assurgat D. Aug. lib. 10. cons cap. 33. The fourth Multiplicitas objectorum Multiplicitas objectorum for as all other senses have an admirable multiplicitie of objects which delight them so hath the eare And as it is impossible to expresse the varietie of delights or distasts which we perceive by and receive in them so here varietie of sounds diversificate passions stirring up in the heart many sorts of joy or sadnesse according to the nature of Tunes or temper and qualitie of the receiver And doubtlesse in Harmony we may discover the misticke portraitures both of Vice and Vertue and the mind thus taken with resemblances falls often in love with the things themselves insomuch that there is nothing more betraying us to sensuality than some kind of Musicke than other none more advancing unto God And therefore there must be a discreet caution had that it be grave and sober and not over-wanton'd with curiositie or descant The Lacedemonians banished Milesius their famous Harper only for adding one string to those seven which he was wont formerly to teach withall as if innovation in Art were as dangerous as in Religion Insomuch that Plato would make it a Law in Musicke that it should not be Multiplex effeminata V. de Osor lib. 4. de Iustit Regis he using it to his Scholars non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut condimentum non quotidianum pabulum as sauce only or a running banquet onely not as a full meale The over-carving and mincing of the ayre either by ostentation or curiositie of Art lulls too much the outward sense and leaves the spirituall faculties untouch'd whereas a sober mediocritie and grave mixture of Tune with Ditty rocks the very soule carries it into
or degrees of perfection in them in some of them not all Oculus corporis est anima animae mens the soule is the eye of the body and the minde is the eye of the soule and as the eye is the beautie of the face the bright Starre of that Orbe it moves in so is this the beautie and bright Starre of the soule and therefore that is called Mens quod emineat in Anima Minde because it shines in the soule as a light in the spheare it rolls in Hence some would derive the Etimology of Mens from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Aug. ut supra cap. 11. which signifies the Moone not so much for varietie of change as brightnesse or else Mens a mensurando from a dexteritie it hath in measuring or contriving Now Dijudicare mensurare estactus intellectus Parte 1. q. 79. Art 9. ad 4. sayes Thomas to judge and to measure is an art of the understanding and the understanding is the very forme and selfe-being of the soule or rather the soule of the soule as the apple of our eye is the very Eye of our eye so that the minde is the beame and splendor of the soule as the soule is of the body so neere Divinity and so much resembling it that the Romanes of old ador'd the Minde as a Goddesse and by Marcus Aemilius Scaurns there was a Temple dedicated Deae menti ut bonam haberent mentem as S. Augustine observes in his 4. Booke De civitate Dei 21. chapter Well then that we may now looke backe unto the Text we take not here the word Mens physically for reason and understanding as they are in Meris naturalibus but Theologically for the spirituall and regenerate part of man And so taken it stands at some distance with the word Anima though not with the word Spiritus For though every Soule be a kinde of Spirit yet every Spirit is not a Soule nor every Soule a Minde at least a Minde regenerate but Minde and Spirit for the most part kisse in Scripture Saint Paul in the latter end of this chapter calling that Mens which in the very beginning of the next he names Spiritus so that Minde and Spirit in a sacred sympathy goe hand in hand but soule and spirit doe sometimes justle My Soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoced in God my Saviour Luk. 1.46 Here the blessed Virgin makes a difference betweene her * Non in hoc gemmo vocabule gemina substantia intelligitur sed cum ad distinctionem ponitur gemina vis ejusdem substantiae una superior per spiritum altera inserior per animam designatur in hac utique divisione anima quod animale est in imo remanet spiritus autem quod spiritale est ad summum evolat ab infimis dividitur ut ad summa sublimetur ab anima seinditur ut domino uniatur De Spiritu Anima cap. 34. soule and her spirit and why why It is called soule in respect of vivification spirit of contemplation Soule as it is a leiger and sojourner with the body quickning and informing that Spirit as it is mounted and imbarqu'd for Heaven and rapt with the beatitude of that caelestiall Host the soule doth onely magnifie God as a God the spirit rejoyceth in that God as a Saviour In a word the soule in man as it is a soule is like Fire raked up in embers the spirit like that fire extenuated and blowne into a flame the one glowing in our ashy part the other sparkling in our intellectuall And this distinction the great Doctour himselfe useth to his Thessalonians where after some benediction at length he prayeth that their whole spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Thes 5.23 Marke hee begins with the spirit O culatissima hominis parte the Eagle part of man which eyes things divine that like another Mary alwayes sits at the feet of Iesus then comes the soule Stella in cap. 1. Lucae Quae naturales exercet ratiocinales this like another Martha is cumbred with much serving busied about Reason and the naturall faculties but the unum necessarium it hath not chosen yet And lastly the Body that villa Marthae the Village where our Martha dwells those earthly affections of ours which so taste of the body and earth that if they be not restrain'd make man as it were all body that is all carnall for which cause we finde some men call'd spirituall some animall and some carnall 1 Cor. 2.3 Thus the spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Pilot or Governour squaring and fashioning new motions in the regenerate and subjecting their will to the will of God The soule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under whose Lee come the sensitive faculties Reason Iudgement not yet wash'd and purified by the spirit the body Organum illorum the engine and Instrument of both which they imploy in their diversities of actions and operations These three are the integrall parts of a man regenerate when of the earthly man there are only two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aret. in Ep. 1. Thess cap. 5. v. 23. soule and body no spirit he it is foolishnesse unto him Hence proceedes that double man so frequently mentioned in the Scriptures the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animall or carnall and lives yet in the state of Nature the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentall or spirituall and in the state of Grace shewing his profession by his Faith and his Faith by his Workes Now as with man there is a double man spirituall and secular so with the spirituall man there is a double man too inward and outward the one in the Text here call'd Minde the other Flesh that serving the Law of God and this the Law of sinne And here by the Law of God wee understand not that onely on Mount Sinai first promulgated by Moses and after him taught by the Prophets but that also on Mount Sion by Christ and his Apostles to wit The eternall will of God declared in the Doctrine of the Gospell which is no lesse a Law than the other and this Law every regenerate man doth serve serve though not fulfill serve with the minde a willing minde crying out with the Prophet My heart is ready Psal 42.1 my heart is ready so ready that it panteth and gaspeth for the water-brooke the Commandements of God which are as deepe waters But on the other side the Flesh playes the Craven and as if it had received some deadly wound makes him complaine with the same Prophet Thine Arrowes sticke fast in me there is no health in my flesh nor any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne Psal 38.3 You heare then how sinne still lyes at the doores of the Flesh though the Flesh be not properly the
time shall passe for a division for here is Flesh against Spirit and Spirit against Flesh and lust against lust and these in the same man and this man cleft and sundred betweene these in a bitter and restlesse Combat My purpose rather is to shew you the originall and ground of this Duell where and whom it challengeth and how that so the nature and qualitie of this warre being discover'd I may with more truth and boldnesse unmaske the Hytocrite pull off the visard from the Mountebanke in Religion shem you Christianity in her owne face and feature without the whoredomes either of Art or Falsehood the gildings and overlayings of Dissimulation and Imposture tell you who are selected Souldiers for the Lords Battell and who Volunteers for the service of the Enemy what they are that march under the Ensignes of the Spirit and what these under the colours of the Flesh and all this in a Caro concupiscit adversus Spiritum The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh of which briefly and as my custome is bluntly in a few broken Meditations such as I could solder and piece up from the remainders of a more involv'd and laborious discourse And now Caro-concupiscit The Flesh lusteth MAN since the breach of his first Truce with his Greater hath beene a continuall Rebell and Mutineere up in armes against God and himselfe too Gen. 3. the violation of that great Caveat Ne manducas Thou shalt not eate hath expos'd both him and his posterity to the Sword and the doom thereof lies fresh upon record in a Mortemorieris The Lord hath bent his Bow Isai 9. and whet his Sword and prepar'd for him his instruments of Death Psal 7.12 13. And whereas Man hath forsaken the way of peace and broken his league with the great Prince thereof and by that revolt made himselfe no more a Man of peace but of open warre God therefore will signe him his Letters of Mart Gen. 3.15 with an Ego ponam inimicitiam Gen. 3. I will set enmity not onely betweene the Serpent and the Woman or the Woman and the Man but even betweene man and himselfe so that instead of Davids pax inter muros Psal 122.7 Peace within the walls of Ierusalem peace within these spirituall walls calmenesse and quietnesse in the bosome of the Saints here the noyse of Discord hath beene shrill in our eares and that Propheticke speech of our Saviour is come not only about us but within us Bella rumores bellorum Matth. 24.6 There shall be warres and rumours of warres Warres within us and rumours of warres without us Certamen illud praeclarum decertavi saith Saint Paul I have sought the fight the good fight 2 Tim. 4. There 's the warre we talke of Sonum bucccinae audit Anima mea clangorem belli My soule hath heard the sound of the Trumpet the Alarum of Dissention Ier. 4.19 there 's the rumour of warre To come home Care concupiscit adversus spiritum the Flesh is at opposition with the Spirit and the Spirit with the Flesh in the Text here there 's the warre within Vices exercitus tui sunt contra me Thy changes and thine Armies are against me Iob 10.17 there 's the warre without Now though in these wars and rumours of wars there be not as in the other insurrectio gentium a rising up of Nation against Nation or of Church against Church or of opinion against opinion for in their bloudy pursuit the Sword hath been a long time drunke and made the Prophet of them for the truth of his predictions no lesse than a true God yet there is a rising of Brother against Brother nay of each Brother against himselfe the Spirituall is against the Carnall the unregenerate against the sanctified the inward against the outward man and all these as I told you in the same man and this man sawed and rent betweene these in an irreconcileable Discord Neither is there onely thus a rising of Brother against Brother but in an allegoricall way of the Brother against the Sister of the body against the Soule nay of the Sister against the Sister of the Soule against her selfe And herein both Rome and Geneva kisse Cornel. a lap in cap. 7. Rom. v. 25. Solius animae lis ista the soule onely is ingag'd in this Combat the Flesh as Flesh meerely hath nought to doe but as a second to abbet or look on And therefore we take not the word Caro here properly for this fleshly Masse or lump which is as it were the paste and crust of the body but metaphorically for the carnall and unregenerate part of man neither doe we take the word Spirit physically for the reasonable Soule meerely but Theologically for the spirituall regenerate part of man and between this Spirit and that Flesh this regenerate and that unregenerate part this new and that old man there is a continuall skirmish in the same man and this Quarrell not to be decided but by Death Now as this Combat all the Saints and servants of God have so they onely have it a Combat so proper to the true christian that none can fight it but hee alone hanc pugnam non experiuntur in semetipsis nisi bellatores virtutum et debellatores vitioorum saith S. Augustine those that fight for virtue Serm. 59. de diversis and against vice feele this warre and no other and this is a blessed warre and where it is not there is but a cursed Peace If all bee husht and calme within there is not onely a Sleepines but even a vacancy of goodnes the spirit is no longer spirit in man then when it is in agitation and at variance with the flesh And therefore wee here peremptorily exclude two sorts of men from any interest they can challenge in this warre of the Regenerate such as are so buried in the flesh that they seeme to have no spirit at all and such as glory altogether in the spirit as if they had no flesh for as on the one side if there bee no spirit there can bee no reluctancy of the flesh so on the other if no flesh no opposition of the spirit and if neither of these no warre if no Warre no Crowne no Garland no Glory The former sort wee may compare to the children of Israell in the times of Deborah Iudges 5.8 There is not a sworde nor a speare amongst fourty thousand of them a troope of secular and carnall men which know not the use of S. Pauls artillery The sworde of the spirit Ephes 6.14 et 17. and the shield of faith the brest-plate of righteousnes and the helmet of salvation are not their proper harnesse but as unwieldy for their shoulders as Sauls armour was for David A brawling perhaps they may have betweene reason and affection or betweene naturall conscience and naturall affection between the will and the understanding which as in a
the most part 't is a sinne of will and choyce and delight and custome in the other a sinne of infirmity and reluctation and contempt a sinne of invasion not of appetite Besides as there is a difference in the manner of their sinning so there is in their opposition which they make against their sinnes The reluctancy which the regenerate hath is from the apprehension of the goodnes of Gods law forbidding sinne of the carnall man D. D. ut si p. 〈◊〉 from the apprehension of the truth of the judgements denounced by that law punishing those sinnes that from love this from feare Credit bonus et verè credit saith Saint Augustine credit malus sed non vere credit credit Christum sed odit Christum the good man beleeves and hee beleeves truly the wicked man beleeves too but he beleeves not truly hee beleeves Christ but hee loves not Christ hee beleeves him as a GOD loves him not as a Iudge in a word habet confessionem fidei in timore poenae non in amore coronae Peters confession of Christ and the Divells was all one in respect of the words but not of the heart they both acknowledged that hee was filius Dei magni the Sonne of the living God Math. 16. But see the difference Hujus confessio quia cum odio Christi prolata est merito damnatur Eius D. Aug. Serm. 59. de diversis Tom. 10. p. 616 quia ex interna dilectione processit aeterna beatitudine remuneratur The Divell as an Angell that was fallen enviously acknowledged Christs divinity therfore his own just condemnation Peter as an Angell that should rise had an inward tast of his mediatourship and therefore of his owne undoubted glorification In fine though the motions of the flesh bee alike in both yet the humouring of those motions is not Aliud est concupiscere aliud post concupiscentias non ire It is one thing to lust another to goe a whoring after it As it is one thing to glance and dart a wanton desire another to court and plead it A man may have and hath and must as hee is man his carnall titillations and yet a spirituall man all this while if hee oppugne them if hee withstand their march and onset But if hee once hang out his flags of truce if hee give way to their fiery seige if hee open the city gates to let in this armed monster the spirituall man hath lost the day and the carnall hath the full triumph Hearke what Saint Augustine in this case obtrudeth Quicunque carnalibus concupiscentiis cedis atque consentis c Whosoever thou art that givest way to thy carnall concupiscences and either thinkest them good to fill up the saturity of thy lust or else so seest them to be evill that notwithstanding that evill thou doest assent and so follow them where they leade thee and what they suggest commit Tu tu quisquis talis es totus totus carnalis es Thou art carnall Thou thou whosoever thou art art All all carnall And therefore the advice of the same Father will be seasonable here If the infirmities of the Flesh be such D. Aug. Serm. 5. de verb. Apost ut concupiscas saltèm post concupiscentias non eas If thou must needs lust as lust thou must because a man yet run not after thy lusts Though they surge and boile let them not breake upon thee though their flouds rise though they lift up their voyce aloud though their waves are mighty and rage horribly let them not compasse thee about Psalm 93. v. 3.4 let them not come in upon thy soule But though the raine fall and the windes blow and these flouds come and beate upon thy house of clay yet remember the Rocke upon which it is founded the Rocke Christ The Rocke of thy strength as David calls him and the Rocke of thy refuge and the Rocke of thy salvation Againe Math. 7.25 seeing the Flesh is Hostis internus gravissimus as Origen stiles it and that our greatest Enemies are those of our owne House those that are about us Psal 62.7 and within us pâ—aeâ—aeteris omnibus carnis insidiae formidandae sunt we should principally beware of the Stratagems and Ambuscadoes of the Flesh let us strive to awaken her forces abate the edge both of her pride and teachery knowing that where this Syren sings it doth but presage our shipwracke when this Delilah imbraceth 't is but to betray us to the spirituall Philistine 't is the principall snare and pit fall the Divell useth to entrap us to our destruction He may be the Father begetting sinne but the Flesh for the most part is the Mother conceiving and bringing it forth And therefore Saint Iames saith that Every man when he is tempted is enticed and drawne away by his owne Concupiscence Jam. 1.14 So that although Satan hath a hand a powerfull a subtle and malicious hand in tempting us yet the Flesh and her Lusts carry the greater stroke He tempts onely the other entice and draw away he doth but lay the baite the other cause us to play and nibble and at length to swallow it The Divell hath onely a subtilty in perswading no power in compelling man to sinne Non enim cogendo sed suadendo nocet D. Aug. Serm. 197. de temp nec extorquet à nobis consensum sed petit saith Saint Augustine But the Flesh doth not onely insinuate consent to sinne but even extort it she being both a Traytor and a Tyrant first layes her powder-plot and then blowes us up And therefore let every one of us arme himselfe against the assaults of the Flesh the suggestions of our corrupter Lusts humbling and macerating these pamper'd bodies of ours by Prayer and Abstinence choaking all inordinate motions and all wayes of distemper and excesse which may give them either flame or nourishment You know who tells you that Gluttony is the fore-chamber of Lust and Lust is the inner-roome of Gluttony On the other side Abstinence is the mid-wife of Devotion and Devotion is the sister of Zeale and Zeale is the mother of true Prayer so that there is neither Zeale nor Prayer nor Devotion truely without Abstinence I meane as well a corporall as mentall Abstinence a Restraint from the fulnesse of bread as from the fulnesse of Sinne. For it is with the soule and Body for the most part pardon the similitude I beseech you as it is with the Common-wealth and the Exchequer if the one be full the other they say is still empty The Soule which is Gods Exchequer and Storehouse of his Graces when it is full of Contemplations and heavenly Entrancements the Body is commonly empty of her carnall repletions as causing a drowsinesse and dulnesse in all spirituall agitations On the other side the Body which is the Common-wealth of the senses the rebells commonly of the Spirit when that is cramm'd with satiety the bloud dancing in the cheeke
and veines and the joynts swimming with marrow and fatnesse there is a kinde of macelency and famine and leannesse in the soule all goodnesse is vacant and banish'd then and Lust keepes her revell and rendevouz A fit caution and mements as I conceive for this place and meeting that those dayes which the Church hath of Old solemnely consecrated to the service of the Spirit we devote not another way in making provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof That the time shee hath set apart for Fasting and Prayer whereby we should magnifie the Lord upon the strings and pipe and so make the tongue Cymbalum jubilationis A wel-tun'd Cymball wee over-lavish not to feasting and excesse and so make our throate Sepulchrum apertum An open sepulchre I know that Noble assemblies require something extraordinary both for State and Multitude and let them have it But withall I beseech them to consider what Lent is Preached in Lent ad Magstratum and with what devout strictnesse observ'd by the Christian Church for many hundred yeeres together though in these dayes of Flesh cryed downe by some pretenders to the Spirit as a superstitious observation of our blinded Ancestours But let them know or if they doe not let them reade reade Antiquity in her cleere though slow streamings unto us not the troubled and muddy waters novelty hath cast upon our shore and then they shal know that it is a time of Sackcloth and Ashes and casting earth upon the Head for the humbling and macerating of the Sinner not of putting on the glorious apparell your vaine shinings in silkes and trssues for the ruffling of the Gallant A time like that in the mountaine of restraint and scarcity when a few barly loaves and some small Fishes should suffice a Multitude Ioh. 6.9 Not of pomp or magnificence when the stalled Oxe and the pastur'd Sheepe and the fallow Deere 1 King 2.4 and the satted Fowle are a service for the Lords Anointed For mine owne part I am not so rigid either in practise or opinion or if I were in both it matters not where a higher judgement and authority overballac'd me to deny sicknesse or age or in respect of travell or multitude of imployments the publike Magistrate what in this case were either convenient or necessary or enough however I desire them to remember that both the Sword and the Keyes have a stroke here and so that they would feed onely not cloy nourish not daintie up the body knowing that when it is cocker'd and kept too high the Soule it selfe is manacled and more than lame and heavie in sacred operations And therefore let us not be altogether men of Flesh but as the Father hath it occasionally on this Text D. Aug. 43. Ser. de verb. Dom. Vincat spiritus carnem aut certè nè vincatur a carne let the spirit have a sway too and though not wholly a Conquerour yet make her not a captive let our Devotions goe along with our entertainments our Acts of Charity with our Acts of Iustice Foeneratur Domino qui miseretur pauperis saith the Wiseman He that hath pitty upon the poore lendeth or as the Latine implies putteth to use unto the Lord Prov. 19.17 Now Qui accipit mutuum servus est foenerantis The borrower is a Servant to the lender Prov. 22.7 So that the Lord is as 't were a Servant unto him that hath pitty on the poore because in that pitty hee lendeth to the Lord. And indeed who would not be a lender to the Lord when his interest may be a Crowne and his reward everlastingnesse who would not exchange a morsell of bread for the celestiall Manna and almes for the food of Angels a few earthly ragges for the white Robe of the Saints Since most of these are not so properly a lending or benevolence as a due The gleanings of the Cor-field Levit. 23.22 and the shakings of the Vintage were a Legacie long since bequeath'd the poore man by the Law when the Gospel was yet in her non-age and minoritie But now it is not onely the crums and fragments from thy Table and so feed the hungry or the courser shearings of thy Flock and so cloath the naked But visit the sicke too and those which are in prison Mat. 25.26 So that our charity should not onely reach the impotent and needy but the very malefactor and legall transgressor The groanings of the prison should bee as well listned to as the complainings in the streets and at this time more specially more particularly that those bowels which want and hunger have even contracted and shrivel'd up and those bodies which cold and nakednesse have palsied and benumm'd not finding it seemes so much pitty as to cloath and feed them as they should whilst they were alive may at last meet with such a noble and respective charitie as to shroud and interre them like Christians when they are dead In the meane time I have that humble suit to preferre to the Gods of Earth here which David had of old to the God of Heaven Oh let the sorrowfull sighing of the prisoners come before you Psal 79.12 according to the greatnesse of your power have mercy on those which are appointed to dye Let your Vinegar be tempered with Oyle Iustice suger'd o're with some compassion that where the Law of God sayes peremptorily Thou shalt restore and not dye let not there the Law of Man be writ in blood and say except to the notorious and incorrigible offender Thou shalt dye and not live There will a time come when wee shall all appeare before the Iudgement seate of God 2 Cor. 5.10 And what then what The Sinners Plea will bee generally then Job 9.3 Lord I cannot answer thee one for a thousand And what if I cannot yet O Lord with thee there is mercy and plenteous redemption Psal 130.7 But now and then it falls out so unhappily at the Judgement seate of Man that parties arraign'd though they answer a thousand in one multitudes of inditements in one innocence yet sometimes naked circumstances and meere colourable conjectures without any solid proofe at all shall so cast them in the voyce of a dazled Iury that there is neither hope of mercy nor redemption Gen. 40.22 Esther 7.10 but Pharohs Baker must to the Tree and Haman to the Gallowes fifty cubits high But in this case Bee learned and wise yee Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce to him in reverence Psal 2.10 But I have here digress'd a little and perhaps a little too sawcily in this point of charity let charity have the blame if shee have deserved it whilest I returne where I formerly left you and that was at a feast in time of fasting Good LORD how preposterously nay how rebelliously and in one act crossing both the civill and ecclesiasticke power which prohibite it And therefore since nature saies for the better
Nescience not a Privation of knowledge but a Negation of it which was in Adam in his state of Innocence in the good Angells and Christ himselfe as he was man and is no sinne at all neither doth it oppose the knowledge of God either in Generall or Particular A Privative Ignorance is when a man knowes not those things which by nature he may know and by duty he is tyed to know lib. 3. de lib. Arbit cap. 12. haec merito deputatur Animae in Reatum saith Saint Augustine This layes a deserved guilt upon the Soule 't is sinne a dangerous one and not only Peccatum but Paena too as Treading opposite to the knowledge of the true God who is life and without whom there is Death certanely So that now wee cannot but farther conceive a double Blindnesse in respect of things Divine The one affected when through a voluntary Ignorance we know not those things which we cannot not know This is so farre from lessening sin that it aggravates it as being Directè voluntaria and therefore necessarily Sinne And not only so Estius in 2. sent d. 22. sect 11. but a Canopie or Curtaine to sinne with more freedome And this Saint Bernard hath a fling at with his frustra sibi de infirmitate blandiuntur c. Serm. 38. super Cant. infirmity or ignorance is a vaine Plea for those which are contented not to know that they may with greater liberty offend And these the Prophet scourges with a Noluerunt intelligere Psal 34. And the Apostle with a Sponte ignorant 2. Pet. 3. and Iob too with a Nolumus scientiam Depart from us for wee desire not the knwledge of thy Law Iob 21.14 Such conditions are so farre below man that they are altogether Brutish and as brutish taunted at by the Psalmist Nolite estote sicut Equus Mulus Bee not like the Horse and Mule which have no understanding Psal 32.9 The other not affected when through an Involuntarie Ignorance wee know not those things which are without or beyond our knowledge And this Ignoranee is more pardonable That of Saint Augustine standing in force here Non tibi deputabitur ad culpam D. Aug. lib. de nat grat quod invitus ignoras That shall never be imputed unto thee for sinne which either thy Infirmities tell thee that thou canst not or thy will if not averse that thou doest not know Now put the case that our Ephesian had still persisted in his Olim tenebrae that his Darkenesse without an Apostolicall illumination had overshadowed him unto death that neither Saint Paul nor any Proselite of his had acquainted him with the living God not preach'd unto him Christ Jesus nor his Gospell had not this Ignorance beene invincible and consequently no sin No sin in respect of any law positive but of the law naturall For betweene a law naturall and a law positive there is this difference that the law naturall obligeth every man as farre forth as he partakes of the use of reason and Quatenus so without any farther obligation But a positive law whither it be divine or humane Est in 2 Sent. Dist 22. §. 9. doth not binde Nisi positivè promulgatum except it be positively proclaim'd for it hath not the essence and full vigour of law without promulgation Whence it is manifest that the Ignorance of the law naturall is allwaies a sinne whither it have the accesse of externall instruction or no for the Gentiles which had not the law that is the Law taught had notwithstanding the workes of the law ingraven in their hearts Rom. 2. And if ingraven there V. 15. Ignorance had no plea. But the Ignorance of a law positive though it be divine is not a sinne to those to whom it was not promulgated and taught And therefore that Insidelity by which some beleeve not in Christ to wit to whom Christ hath not beene preach'd who have not heard any thing at all of his Name to them it is no sin which our Saviour himselfe intimates in his Si non venissem loquutus essem If I had not come and spoken unto them they had had no sin Iohn 15.22 What no sinne no not of Infidelity And therefore Saint Augustine expounding that place and speaking of those to whom the preaching of the Gospell had not sounded plainly excuseth them from sinne from that particular sinne of unbeliefe in Christ but withall thrusts them headlong into Hell for other sinnes committed against the law of nature in his 89. Tract upon Iohn and more at large in his 3. booke against the 2. Pelagian Epistles 3. Chapter And here by the way Some without pitty censure I cannot the unhappy condition of those unhappy as they would have them for the present though in their owne condition admiredly happy heretofore which were sometimes such Lights unto the world and their incomparable workes still shining to posterity yet the Law of Nature prompting them there was a God that gave them Light and the world too and they not glorifying that God Romans 1.21 they became thereby inexcusable and are now under the chaines of everlasting darkenesse Aristotle the Rationall and Socrates the wise and Cato the censorious and Aristides the Iust and Seneca the morall and Plato the divine with all their rich Precepts and Principles both of Nature and Morality they severely I say not uncharitably doome to eternall flames where they now burne And yet in this heate of Justice they sprinkle them with this Mercy that for their naturall and morall Excellencies they shall burne the lesse even civill vertues prevailing so farre without true Religion Vt hac additâ as Saint Augustine tells Marcellinus of the Romane Empire If they had had this they had been Citizens Alterius Civitatis Denisons of the new Ierusalem so farre from burning below that they had shin'd as Starres in the Firmament for evermore But as they were they past not Absque mercede They doing something saith S. Ierome not onely Sapienter but also Sanctè God being therefore bountifull unto them in this life prosperitate vitae In Epist ad Gal. cap. 10. and mercifull in that to come levitate paenae And indeed it stands with the strict rules of Justice that small offences should lesse suffer and so minus punietur Fabricius quam Catilina Sanctus Hieron in E zech cap. 29. saith the Father Fabricius shall be lesse punished then Catiline But he will have him punish'd not because he was good but because the other was more evill For Good we cannot call him then he had beene Crown'd but he was lesse impious and therefore punishable the lesse lesse impious How non veras virtutes habendo sed a veris virtutibus non plurimum deviande not that the vertues he had were true indeed but that they digress'd not much from those which others had that were reputed true so Saint Augustine againe in his 4. booke against Julian 3.
imaginations following their owne Spirit by which they see nothing and leaving that Spirit by which they might see all So that now wee cannot but discover here a double Spirit the two Spirits spoken of by Saint Paul Dei Hominis 1. Cor. 2.11 By which wee may cleerely distinguish the foolish from the wise the false from the true Prophet That followes the tracke of his owne wheele meerely as his spirit or fancy gyres him This turnes his thoughts with those wheeles in Ezekiel whithersoever the spirit was to goe they went Thither was there spirit te goe too Ezec. 1.20 The one is in Egypt still in darkenesse darkenesse so thicke that it may be felt a grosse and affected stupidity The other followeth his pillar of fire his inspired illuminations and they conduct him to his promised Canaan The former with his darke lanthorne stumbles along the broad way which leads downe to the chambers of Death The latter with a lanthorne too but a light unto his stepps treads that Semitam rectam in the Psalmist and that brings him into the land of the living In fine the foolish Prophet without any divine influence or revelation proprio vaticinatur corde makes the thoughts of his owne heart oraculous when the Prophet of the Lord knowing that the thoughts of the heart are evill continually leaves those vaine suggestions perceiving that he is blinde by nature and must to his poole of Syloam desires to have his Spittle and his Clay wash'd off and so cryes out with David Lord open mine eyes and then I shall see the wonderfull workes of thy Law Here then as there is a double Spirit so a double Prophet And to distinguish either Prophet from his Spirit Saint Augustine borroweth a double word from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both these from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiro but this latter a Spirit of a courser temper Wee reade in the last of Saint John that Christ breath'd upon his Disciples Spiritum sanctum the Originall there using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for the most part hath reference to the Spirit of Sanctity That the Father appropriates to the wise Prophet In the 2. of Genesis 't is said of Adam that God breath'd into him Spiritum vitae the word of the Septuagint is there * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more frequently used in the expression of humane spirit then divine This he bestowes on the foolish Prophet And therefore some Auncient Romans well verst in the Criticisme of that language D. Aug. lib. 13. C. Dei cap 24. and for the better discovery of the difference in Idioms will not call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritum but Flatum So in the 5. of Esay the vulgar translation reades it Omnem flatum ego feci Flatus no doubt there taken for Anima And so also that of Genesis Halitum not Spiritum breath of life Cap. 2.7 not Spirit though the Chaldee paraphrase to reconcile both joynes there Flatus Spiritus together and so reades God breath'd into man flatum sive animam vitae the soule that is the breath of life Vid. Coqueum in lib. 13. Aug. de Civ Dei cap. 24. and man was made in Spiritum loquentem a speaking Spirit Thus after some strugling with the words we have brought Soule Breath spirit in one and this Spirit in the wise Prophet following the true God It is time now to looke backe unto the Text and there view the foolish Prophet leaving the true God and following his owne Spirit Vae Prophetis insipientibus Woe to the foolish Prophet which followes his owne Spirit And what is that Spirit which he followes By Spirit no doubt are understood the corrupt thoughts and imaginations of the Heart For what in the 2. verse of this chapter was call'd Prephecy of their owne heart is in the Text here following their owne Spirit And indeed in the naturall man Spirit and Imagination are al one in essence though in action and vertue diverse the one receiving the formes and images of things with a kinde of passion and impression of the soule occasion'd by the presence of her objects therefore call'd Imagination The other a subtle facility in the penetration of those formes and images received and therefore Spirit which though for the vivacity and quicknesse of it some have beene pleas'd to stile the image of the living God a taste of the immortall substance a streame of the immortall Divinity a celestiall Ray by which there is a kinde of kinred betweene God and Man there being nothing great with God but Man and nothing great in Man but his Spirit yet if this Spirit be not guided by a higher as the poise and wheele by which it moves but leaving the influence of that followes the motions of its owne breast we shall make it the source of all vanity and error a meere Quack-salver in the Church the seedesman of imposture and debate and the very ground worke of novelty and innovation I have seene folly in the Prophets of Samaria an horrible thing in the Prophets of Ierusalem saith Ieremy What is this thing of Folly and Horrour he so deepely complaines off What They walke in lyes what lyes the visions of their owne heart Ier. 23.16 And doubtles the visions of the heart meerely can be no lesse then lyes and therefore lyes because visions of their owne and therefore their owne lyes too because they walke in them and because they thus walke in them they deceive themselves and then there is no hath in them Truth hath abounded by my lie to Gods glory Rom. 3.3 meum dixit mendacium saith S. Augustine veritatem Dei Truth there hath reference to God Lye unto Man unto man properly and solely and therefore Meum mendacium my lye and why my lye because I follow mine owne Spirit which being mans cannot but erre and so prove false and not the Spirit of God which being Gods cannot but be true The Prophet then that thus followes his owne Spirit cannot but speake according to that Spirit which hee followes And he that so speakes must of necessity lye Qui de seipso loquitur Mendax est He that speakes of his owne is a verylyer Iohn 8.44 God only is to be beleeved in all he sayes and that because he sayes it Truth depends not on any humane revelation or authority I may lawfully dispute whether it will passe for current except it be stamp'd with a Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord God * Audi dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Ambrosius aut Augustâ—nus sed dicit Dom nus D. Aug. Epist 48. there are no Principles in man if Divinity hath not either reveal'd or confirm'd them All the rest is but a fancy or a dreame the heate of some private spirit at first which taking bud and blossome
shall thy seamelesse coate be thus rent and divided how long those wounds in thy side this spittle in thy face these thornes on thy head these lashes on thy body How long these daggers and darts in the bosome of thy beloved Spouse The Church hath the same ground for complaint now that it had of old Filij matris meae pugnaverunt coutra me My mothers children were angry with me or fought against me Cant. 1.6 Et pulchre filios matris meae saith Saint Bernard non autempatris sui illos vocat quia non habebant patrem Deum sed Diabolum Solomon was in the right when he call'd Mutineers in Religion Sonnes of their Mother the Church not of their Father God there are many In and From her that are not of her some by-blowes through Faction and Hypocrify not all legitimate and therefore the sonnes of my Mother not my Brothers nor the sonnes of my Father as if God had nothing to doe with Assacinates and Rebells in the Church nothing as a Father or a God as a Judge he hath as a Father he hath not He saies A Kingdome or Family divided cannot stand as a God hee hath not Hee is called The God of peace not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 14.33 Incompositi status as Beza translates it The God of a state or condition incomposed where there is neither Vniformity of things nor Manners Hee is the God of Order Decency Method Vnity And where these are not God is not to be found no Deus pacis there but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of by Saint Paul Vnquietnesse Exagitation Tumult or as we newly render it Confusion And indeed that word is most proper to the State and Church where the Deus pacis hath nought to doe Confusion there there necessarily Peace is the Nurse both of strength and plenty if it be Fax Dei But there is a kinde of peace that the Deus pacis will not father and there he is Deus eversionis as Tertullian tolde the Marcionist in his 4. booke 3. chapter In Schismes Heresies Seditions there is a kinde of peace in respect of the Agents though not of their Ends and Agreement in their Intentions though not in their Execution if this be not more properly a combination than an agreement Now God is not there Deus pacis but Deus eversionis 'T is true God is not the God of confusion but of peace saith Saint Paul But where is hee so In all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 So that amongst his Saints onely hee is Deus pacis but amongst their enemies disturbers he is Deus eversionis Of the Arke which was a Type of the true Church and the Flouds on which it was toss'd of the troubles and persecutions of it God was heretofore Deus conservationis But when men to preserve themselves from the flouds of their own fancies will raise up an Arke of bricke a Tower whose top should even reach the Heavens as if the earth were not large enough for their pride and folly God was Deus confusionis And doubtlesse when the Walls of Ierusalem are pulling downe and those of Babel raising up the peace and unity of the Church demolishing and Anarchie building on so fast God will not bee long there Deus conservationis hee will be at length Deus confusionis Though thou build aloft Obad. 4. and nestle among the Clouds yet I will bring thee downe into the dust saith the Lord God And 't is well that what the God of Heaven thus threatneth the Gods of the Earth will put in execution Authority which this way hath been long time asleepe begins to rub up her eyes againe and Aarons Rod which seem'd in our latter times to droope and wither doth at length blossome and bud afresh Canons Constitutions Decrees which were formerly without soule or motion Oh blessed be the religious care of an incomparable Soveraigne a powerfull Metropolitan and by them here an active Diocesan have recover'd a new life and vegetation Ceremonies harmelesse Ceremonies which some in the heat of their foolish spirit had Anathematiz'd and thrust out of our Church as Antichristian and superstitious have gotten their former lustre and state againe The Academicall Hood and Surplesse so long in exile and disgrace amongst us are visible here in our Congregations Churches are new swept of their dust and Rubbish and put on a more decent and ornamentall dresse Those knees that were heretofore so stubborne and stiffe-joynted that they would not stoope at a Sacrament begin at length without feare it seemes of their murmur'd idolatry to bowe at the Name of JESUS Nay those tongues which were set on fire and Mar-Prelated you know of old against the Ecclesiasticke Hierarchy can pray now how humbly or heartily I know not for the most Reverend Arch-Bishops and the Reverend Bishops And whereas that place of * Sacrificium incruentum Sacrifice which not long since was so odious to them that they beslabber'd it with their greasie imputations of Dressers and Oyster-boords they now begin to re-mould their language and restore it to the primitive Title and Stile of The Holy Table at least though not the Holy Altar Though there are still I confesse some black-mouth'd censurers which will not onely barke and snarle at this Reformation but if they were not muzzel'd by Authority bite too Men that this way even hate to be reformed stopping their eares at the voyce of our charmings and crying downe the Ordinances of our Church as the Edomites of old did Ierusalem Downe with them Psal 137 7. down with them even to the ground for such is ordain'd that Apostolicall sword Abscindantur qui disturbant vos Gal. 5.12 Let them be cut off that trouble you Here Aaron and his Oyle must part and exercise his Rod onely remembring that of Saint Ierome to his Heliodorus Solum pietatis genus est in hac re esse crudelem Cruelty in this kinde is a great piety nay a mercy that those who have beene so gratiously invited to this supper of the good King and they refusing to come that of the parable may at last castigate and bring home Coge ingredi Compell them to come in Luke 14.23 There are among us right Reverend and I even bleed to speake it Qui dum volunt esse Iudaei Christiani nec Iudaeisunt nec Christiant Hos 7.8 certaine Hermophrodite Divines meere Centaures in Religion Saint Austines Amphibions in resemblance Iewes and Christians both in truth neither Cakes on the hearth not turn'd certaine dow-bak'd professors which have a tongue for Geneva and a heart for Amsterdam their pretence for Old England and their project for New to the Iew they become as a Iew to them that are under the Law as under the Law to them that are weake as weake but not with the same intention of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.20 to gaine some but to betray
all 'T were well if such had a hooke put in their Nostrils and a bridle in their jawes that as there is now a generall uniformity in our habit so there may be in our mind and manners too one Heart one Conformity one Obedience I shut up all with the advice of Saint Paul to his Ephesians Since he hath given some Apostles Ephes 4. some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Be not henceforth any more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse of those whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love grow up to him in all things which is our head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyn'd together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it selfe in love And therefore if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill my joy that yee be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one judgement end eavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace knowing that there is but one Body one Spirit one hope of our calling one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 1 Thes 5.23 And Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Amen Gloria in excelsis Deo FINIS The Good Pastor A SERMON Ad Clerum Preached at the Primary Visitation of the right Reverend Father in GOD WILLIAM by divine providence Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells At CHARD in SOMMERSET Anno Dom. 1633. By Humphrey Sydenham MATTH 7.15 Cavete vobis a pseudo-Prophetis qui veniunt ad vos in vestimentis ovium sed intrinsicus sunt lupi rapaces LONDON Printed by IOHN BEALE for Humphrey Robinson at the Signe of the Three Pigeons in PAULS Church-yard 1637. TO MY REVEREND AND LEARNED FRIEND Dr. RALEIGH Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majesty and Rector of Chedsey in Sommerset SIR WOnder not that in such a troope of Dedications I set a Learned Doctour in the Reare for it is my custome in publike Epistles as in my private Letters To remember my choisest Friend in a Postscript Besides you know I am a Divine and no Herauld and therefore should not so much study priority of place as merit or had I done both in these I should have met with no great disparity since vertue was ever thought a companion for bloud and fortune especially in them which can challenge as well an eminency of Descent as Knowledge And therefore to suppose a distance here were but to distinguish men at Ordinaries and make an upper end at a round Table To you then I cannot but send this wandering Pastor of mine who amongst my other Pilgrims abroad hopes to find countenance entertainment frō you and from you in a just claime and interest where like severall streames in a full channell Integritie Learning and Charity meet and what else may speake a Pastor good or a good man glorious In confidence whereof I tender this with my selfe and you can have no more of your best votaries than all assuring you that you have not a truer honourer any where than with Your most respective Friend and Servant HUM SYDENHAM THE GOOD PASTOR JEREM. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feede you wich knowledge and understanding GOD is the God of Israel and Israel is now sicke at heart and her Pastors as sicke as Israel Her Diseases are in chiefe two Ignorance and Idolatry and these no lesse fatall than infectious This contagion hath over-spread the Land Numb 1.46 and amongst so many hundred thousands in her Tribes which have bin worshippers of the true God so many that they have bin compar'd to the stars of Heaven for multitude there is but a remnant free seven thousand left that have not bowed to Baal Shee that had so long the affectionate and familiar stile of the Daughter of my people Ezech. 23.3 and in purity preserv'd her Virgin Teats unbruised as the Prophet speakes is at length become the Strumpet of the Nations Vpon every high Mountaine and under every greene Tree Jer. 3.6 shee hath played the Harlot and through the lightnesse of her whoredomes hath committed Adultery with stockes and stones Those Altars which were wont to smoake onely to the Lord of Hostes now cast up their incense to false and imaginary Gods Jer. 7.18 The children gather wood and the Fathers kindle the fire and the women knead the Dough to make Cakes to the Queene of Heaven The Gods of the Ammonite and the Moabite have their Offerings of drinke and bloud when the Mighty One of Iacob hath not so much as a Sheepe or an Oxe for Sacrifice In this great disorder of the Church GOD himselfe will become Bishop and intends a Visitation no lesse severe than speedie and because he will reforme as well as visite he threatneth the deposing of the Old with the choice of a New Priesthood Wherein you may please to observe first the manner of Ordination and that in the Dabo vobis I will send or give you Next the parties to be ordered and they are intitled here to the word Pastores I will give you Pastors Thirdly their Qualification Secundum cor meum Pastors according to my heart Fourthly their Office Pascent vos they shall feed you Lastly the power and manner of that feeding in respect of their mentall endowments Scientiâ and Intelligentia with Knowledge and Vnderstanding Dabo vobis I will give you I Begin this Dabo vobis Pars 1. with the glosse of Stella upon that Mittam vos of Christ to his Disciples Luke 10. Non est omnium se divino ministerio ingerere sed qui a Deodatur eligitur Instead of a Translator here pray take an Apostle who gives us the sence though not the words No man takes this honour to himselfe but hee that is called of God as Aaron was Heb. 5.4 In matters of divine Ministery to runne and not be sent is not to undertake but to invade it which invasion is no lesse bold than dangerous and therefore amongst the Iewes such as prophesied without a Vision were called Dreamers and not Prophets or if Prophets Prophets of the deceit of their owne heart Jer. 23.26 and by the Sword and Famine such Prophets were consumed Ier. 14.15 The Scribe that made a voluntary tender of himselfe to Christ resolving to follow him wherso'ere he went was