THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESSE A GENERALL DISCOVRSE OF THE REASON THAT IS IN CHRISTIAN RELIGION By WILLIAM SPARKE Divinity Reader at Magd Coll in Oxford and Parson of Blechly in Bâ—â—kingham-shire 1. Cor. 14.19 I had rather speake fiue words with my vnderstanding that I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an vnknowne tongue 1. Pet. 3.15 Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to giue an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare OXFORD Printed for WILLIAM WEBB 1628. TO THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS GEORGE DVKE OF BVCKINGHAM LORD HIGH ADMIRALL OF ENGLAND c. KNIGHT OF THE HONOVRABLE Order of the Garter THE singular grace and Munificent bounty which your Grace pleased to vouchsafe my humble petition for repaire of the Parish Church where I liue vnder your Honourable Patronage most Noble Lord bindeth and at once imboldneth mee to make this publike acknowledgement hauing laboured in the spirituall building whilst the materiall was in hand to set vp through lights in the house of God Such pious deedes of Gratious Lords and Noble Benefactours are worthy to be reported after many reasons now principally for this that the world may discerne against the slanderous adversaries of true religion that shee hath not beene barren nor vnfruitfull of good vvorkes whilst in a fewe late yeares more Churches Colledges and Hospitals haue beene repaired and built then in many ages of their devoutest ignorance and superstition In the meane time what havocke haue they made of the Churches not breaking down the carued worke with axes and hammers but devouring the liuing teÌ„ples of the holy Ghost with fier and sword setting vp their abomination of desolation where they can prevaile Your Grace will goe on to do good as you are great and to Patronise the truth which here comes into your presence in her naked simplicity crauing to goe forth honoured with your name and authority Knowing that God will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2.30 but they that dispise him shall be lightly esteemed To him therefore having learned of the good courtier Nehemiah Nehem 2.4 to direct our prayers even whilst wee make petition vnto Princes I bowe the knees of my soule that hee will bee pleased to adde of his Grace to your Grace still more and more who is able to make all graces abound towards you 2. Cor. 9.8.11 that you alwaies hauing all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good worke which shall cause by vs many thanke giuings vnto God Your Grace his faithfull Chaplaine and humble servant in Christ Iesus WILLIAM SPARKE The Preface to the Reader TRVTH proues it selfe and disproues error Which if it might bee fully and fairely cleared in the great mystery of revealed grace would soone put to silence the endlesse controuersies of religion with all honest hearts Wherein many haue at all times languished away which being now growne from words to blowes haue wasted the Churches and shaken the faith of the most insomuch that if Christ should now come a Luke 18.8 should hee finde faith on the earth when b Mat. 24.12 the loue of so many is waxen cold Religion hath beene so long disputed that now it may be questioned whether there be any or no most men seeming to bee resolued according to that of Nigidius in A Gellius Religentem esse oportet c Noct. Attic. l. 4. c. 9. religiosum nefas Whose practise is either vanished into an empty speculation or meerely pretended vnder an idle profession Was ever chaste Virgin or matron so shamefully handled by the most debaushed ruffians as sacred trueth hath been by her loue making paramours whilst every faction haling her to themselues they haue torne her peece-meale amongst them That we neede not serue her now as once the Levite did his concubine d Iudg. 19.29 to cut her in peeces and to send her into all the coasts of Israel Every tribe hath a part and that they make much of more then of the whole which best serues their owne turnes How infinitely is the pretending head swolne bigger then the whole body being long since fallen from it Never was any Saints relique so improved and vbiquitated How vast are the secular armes growne being cemented to that monstrous head without neck or shoulders A Catholique head with Catholique armes How farre are the legges divaricated beyond the stride of any Colossus as if they would never come together againe to walke one and the same way How is the body pined the while and vtterly wasted away whilst every part stands apart as in the f Menen Agrip. Liv. l. 2. Apologue refusing to labour or take care for the whole Is not this the trueth Thus hath shee beene vsed whose life is Christ whose body is the Church in the house of hir friendes They haue peirced my hands and my feete yea my head and my side they may tell all my bones there is no whole part in mee And they who should haue taken downe her tortured body imbalmed and wrapped it vp in fine linnen vntill it rose againe haue playd the curious Anatomists and dissected every member with so many subtile quaeries and disputes that it is almost as hard to finde the trueth in their bookes as in the others liues Which could we see as faire as she is in her iust proportion and comely feature such is her grace that shee would even ravish our soules with vnsatiable loue and delight and would make vs all of one minde minding that one thing vvhich is necessary There haue not wanted skilfull handes I confesse to gather vp and put together her dismembred limbs to adorne and set her out in her liuely beauty and I thinke many of them had the Spirit of God to reviue her againe and to quicken her Since shee hath brought forth many children vnto God And now what more No more but the same againe in an other manner if by any meanes this vvayvvard age not pleased with varieties may bee perswaded g 2 Thes 2.10 to receiue the loue of the truth that vvee may be saued Likenesse begets liking and lookes beget loue I haue therefore indeavoured to present vnto rationall men a view of the reason that is in Christian Religion The reason I say not of it for it is of faith which hath no vvorth if the truth bee obvious but the reason that is in it how it is thus in the Analogie and Symmetrie of the whole and euery part not why euery particular is so or so which being revealed from God may bee apprehended by faith can not be comprehended by any vvit of man Suffice it vs who proceed in our knowledge vpon certaine principles by comparing their issues that we finde all things ansvverable to what we haue receiued and our faith in nothing deceiued or deluded My principall aime in this ensuing discourse is to giue
the just shall liue by his faith The state of Grace for it shall bee vnto him according to his faith which is of life from God the father in Christ Iesus his sonne our saviour by the Holy Ghost quickning the Holy e Habet popusus Dei plenitudinem suam quāvis magna pars hominū salvantis gratiā aut repellat aut negligat in electis tamen praescitis atque ab omnium gegeneralitate discretis specialis quaedā censetur vniversalitas vt detoto mundo totus mundus liberatus de omnibushominibus omnes homines videantur assumpti Ambr. de vocat Gent. lib. 1 c. 3. Catholique Church which is his body f Eph. 1.23 the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all A life of grace here by reconciliation and communion with God and a life of glory hereafter thorough the forgiuenesse of sinnes and resurrection of our bodies to eternall life The g 1. Pet. 3.7 grace of life in Christ worketh in vs a life of grace by his spirit For the sanctifying graces of GOD rest not in the habit but are in action h 1. Thess 1.3 The worke of faith the labour of loue the patience of hope i Heb. 11. By faith A bell by faith Abraham by faith every one of the holy men in the cloud of witnesses did some notable worke which did evidēce their faith to be indeed as they professed k v. 16. Wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God l Iam. 2.22 Faith wrought with their works for m Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God n Iam. 2.22 by workes was their faith made perfect For the perfection of vertue consists in action So must o c. 1.4 Patience haue her perfect worke p 1. Ioh. 3.18 So must loue be not in word neither in tongue but in deede and in trueth q Iam 2.15.16 If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly foode and one of you say vnto them depart in peace bee you warmed and filled notwithstanding you giue them not those things which are needfull to the body what doth it profit r 20.26 Faith without workes is dead and so is loue no faith indeede but a bolde presumption no loue indeede but a meere pretence ſ Iam. 2.18 Shew mee thy faith by thy workes but do thy workes before God in faith By faith our selues are iustified before God by good workes our faith and profession are iustified and approved vnto men For thereby it appeares that wee are in the faith and that our faith is in God t Tit. 3.8 This therefore is a faithfull saying that they which haue beleeued in God bee carefull to maintaine good workes u Iam. 2.26 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith whithout workes is dead also And if our faith be dead whereby wee liue how dead are we * Iud 12. twice dead plucked vp by the roots x Rom 3.4 5. C. We are justified by a liuely faith sayth Saint Paul y Iam 2. We are not iustified by a dead faith saith St Iames wherefore little children z 1. Iohn 3.7 Let no man deceiue you saith St Iohn Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as hee is righteous a 1. Tim 1.14 Now the grace of our Lord is exceeding abundant with faith and loue which are in Christ Iesus b 2. Pet 1.3 According as his Divine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life godlines through the knowledge of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue Now although the whole Church and euery true member thereof whom the Father hath chosen whom the Sonne hath redeemed whom the Holy Ghost hath effectually called through sanctificatiō sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus bee holy in Gods account although God bee glorified in his Saints here vpō earth by their blessed cōmunion with him with all men in loue wherby they are also highly dignified in a manner diefied c 2 Pet. 1.4 being made partakers of the divine nature so that they doe far excell al the world besides d 1 Iohn 5.19 that lieth in wickednes e In hac vita multi sine crimine nullus vero esse sine peccatis valet Greg. in Moral Vae etiam laudabili hominū vitae si remota misericordia discutias eam Aug. l. 9. confes c. 13. Nemosine peccato Negare hoc sacrilegium est Solus enim Deus sine peccato est Confiteri hoc Deo immunitatis remedium est Ambros in Ps 118. v. vlt. yet whē all is done we beleeue confesse that we haue stil need of farther grace mercy euen the forgiuenes of our sins if by any meanes we may attaine the resurrection of our bodies to eternall life Wherfore as on the one side f 1 Iohn 1.6 If we say that wee haue fellowship with God walke in darknes we lye doe not the truth So on the other side g V. 8. If we say that we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins to cleanse vs frō all vnrighteousnes If any man think that being of the Church in the cōmunion of Saints hee needeth not the forgiuenesse of sins to the last let him also raise his own body frō death to life h Phil. 3.20 21. But wee looke for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it maybe fashioned like vnto his glorious body inheriting eternal life Which begins so soon as we beleeue i Iohn 5.25 for the houre is come that the dead heare the voice of the son of God they that heare it liue neuer ends nor shall euer be quite interrupted by sin nor death k V. 24. For he that beleeueth hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The briefe of all is The praise of the glory of Gods grace that l Habak 2. The iust shall liue by his faith which the Prophet Habakucke receiued of God like as Moses receiued the Law namely vpon his watch-towre with expresse charge m v. 2. to write it and to make it plaine on tables And the Apostle hath giuen vs the constat thereof purposely n Gal. 3. comparing the two covenants together o v. 11. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of GOD it is manifest For the Iust shall liue by faith p v. 12. And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall liue in them q Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting now It is excluded By what Law By the Law of workes Nay but by the Law of faith r 1 Cor. 1.31 That according
Hallowed be thy thrice glorious name O thou holy one as thou hast commanded That the name of God may bee knowne The Christian sabbath of the holy Catholike Church and worshipped as by euery man in priuate so by all of vs in publike God hath appointed the sabbath for the holy assemblyes representing the holy catholike Church in acknowledgement of his kingdome attending his grace in holy exercises and Christian duties and expecting his glory Which day may not be otherwise imployed farther then necessity enforceth which is god his dispensation and hath no law or then mercy to our selues others requireth n â—at 12.7 which God will haue and not sacrifice Of which duty some question hath beene made of late whether it bee of faith I suppose for these reasons principally First because in nature there is little or no appearance of reason for the sabbath that it should bee morall Secondly because it seemes not to be any where expressely recognised in the new testament as the other commandements are but rather to bee slighted both by Christ and his apostles Thirdly because in keeping the sabbath the Iewes were to obserue certaine ceremonies which are now abolished by the Gospell And lastly because Christians haue neuer kept that day which the Iewes did the commandement seemes to prescribe Which doubts if they may be cleared I hope the ten commandements will holde together and not breake company being all of the same kinde and o Exod. 31.18 c. 34.38 written with God his owne finger He spake these ten words and added no more vnto them For the naturall reason of the sabbath somewhat hath already beene said in the proper place thereof concerning the p I book ch 5. law of nature But may not a law be morall for the vse thereof vnlesse it be naturall in respect of the cause Christ hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name he will bee in the midst of them Now although God be euery where at all times yet for our r Ne inordinata congregatio populi fidem minuoret in Corste proptereà dies aliqui constituti sunt vt in vnum oomes pariter veniremus Hieroniad Gal. 4. meetings there must needs be a set time which it is iust that God who appoints the meeting should designe and not wee There may be holy assemblyes as that of Å¿ Acts 10. Cornelius vpon any day to heare the word to praise God and to pray vnto him as occasion is offered inseason and out of season the Lord will be found in them But on the Lords day the holy assemblies must bee and that weekely because hee hath commanded and hath giuen vs the reason which we haue belecued Now for that which Christ said or did we may bee well assured that his intent was not to violate the law of the sabbath The sabbath not abrogated by Christ who came not to breake the law but to fulfill it and was therein so punctuall and exact u Mat. 3.15 to performe all righteousnesse that if it were but a ceremony he would haue obserued it because all was to continue vntill the vaile of the temple his body was rent Hee often tooke occasion indeed by their greatest assemblies on the sabbath daies to doe some miracles workes of mercy in their sight to confirme the truth of what he taught namely that hee was the Lord of the sabbath and the mercifull sauiour of the world This lesson hee first read vnto them out of the * Luk. 4.16.17.18 Prophet Isaiah in one of their Synagogues as his custome was on the sabbath day Which they should now haue taken forth by him being the chiefe and principall end of their sabbath But when they perversely misconstrued his doings he iustifying the same as also his Disciples plucking the eares of corne to satisfie their hunger tooke occasion to teach them better what was the right vse of the sabbath Not a x Cui septima quaeque fuit luâ— Ignava Invenal Sat. 14. Sat. 6. Observant vbi festa mero pede sabbata reges De itinere sabatico Quos etiam irridet Plutarch libel de superstitione superstitious cessation from worke but a spirituall attention to the workes of God euer admitting our workes of mercy and of necessity And if Christ thereby abrogated the sabbath then did hee abolish the other commandements also whereof he said y Mat. 5. So and so it hath beene said vnto you of old but I say vnto you thus and thus shall yee doe and then was the Sabbath abrogated long afore by the Prophet Isaiah in the name of the Lord. z Isa 1.13 The new moones and sabbaths the calling of solemne assemblies I cannot away with But this Christ hath taught vs concerning the sabbath a Mark 2.27 That it was made for man not man for the sabbath as indeed the whole law was made for man not to breake but to keepe it for his owne good This especially was a provisionall statute for his benefit b Quian durabile non est quod requie caret oâ— tium quoddam sanctum Deus praecepit vt insatiabilem hominum cupiditatem fraenaret qui tam seipsoâ— quam servos suos nimijs laboribus exhauriunt modo lucrum faciant Gualterus homil 56. in Luc. partly in regard of his body whose worldly heart would else giue him no rest but would make him out-worke Gods curse if God did not allow vs a rest supplying vs the while with necessaries by his ordinary prouidence c Exod. 16.24 as he did the Israelites by miracle but principally for his soules good that he might attend and receaue the d Homini non ante septimum laetalis inaedia est Plia hist nat l. 11. c 53. Plerique ex his qui septem diebus nihil edere aut bibere volunt in his moriuntur quod si quidam eos super averint nihilominus tamen moriuntur Hyp. l. de carn ad sinem Non possunt boni mores ne secundum naturam quidem ipsam apud eos homines constare qui vnum de septem diebus non observant sanctificant domino Iun. de Pol. Mosis c. 8. spirituall food thereof vnto eternall life As for the Apostles The Sabbath not abrogated by the Apostles St Paul writing to the Galatians condemnes the superstitious e Gal. 4.10 obseruing of daies and months and times and yeares in generall whereof the Iewes accounted some more holy the Gentiles some more happy But to the Colossians he speakes of Sabbaths by name reckoning theÌ„ amongst shadowes he saith f Coloss 2.16 let no man iudge you in respect of the Sabbaths a phrase which he vseth g Rom. 14.4.10.13 elsewhere forbidding all censuring contending about things indifferent amongst which he reckons the obseruing of a day and it may bee that set day for the Sabbath for he saith h V. 6. he that