as an oyster and discourse at the rate of a child but are greatly short of the righteousness Evangelical I have now done with those parts of the Christian righteousness which were not only an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or excess but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Pharisaical but because I ought not to conceal any thing from you that must integrate our duty and secure our title to the kingdom of Heaven there is this to be added that this precept of our blessed Saviour is to be extended to the direct degrees of our duty We must do more duties and we must do them better And in this although we can have no positive measures because they are potentially infinite yet therefore we ought to take the best because we are sure the greatest is not too big and we are not sure that God will accept a worse when we can do a better Now although this is to be understood of the internal affection only because that must never be abated but God is at all times to be loved and served with all our heart yet concerning the degrees of external duty as Prayers and Alms and the like we are certainly tyed to a greater excellency in the degree than was that of the Scribes and Pharisees I am obliged to speak one word for the determination of this inquiry viz. to how much more of external duty Christians are obliged than was in the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees In order to this briefly thus I remember that Salvian speaking of old men summing up their Repentances and making amends for the sins of their whole life exhorts them to Alms and works of Piety But inquiring how much they should do towards the redeeming of their Souls answers with a little Sarcasm but plainly enough to give a wise man an answer A man says he is not bound to give away all his goods unless peradventure he ows all to God but in that case I cannot tell what to say for then the case is altered A man is not bound to part with all his estate that is unless his sins be greater than his estate but if they be then he may consider of it again and consider better And he need not part with it all unless pardon be more precious to him than his money and unless heaven be worth it all and unless he knows justly how much less will do it If he does let him try his skill and pay just so much and no more than he owes to God but if he does not know let him be sure to do enough His meaning is this Not that a man is bound to give all he hath and leave his children beggars he is bound from that by another obligation But as when we are tyed to pray continually the meaning is we should consecrate all our time by taking good portions out of all our time for that duty the devoutest person being like the waters of Siloam a perpetual spring but not a perpetual current that is alwayes in readiness but actually thrusting forth his waters at certain periods every day So out of all our estate we must take for Religion and Repentance such portions as the whole estate can allow so much as will consecrate the rest so much as is fit to bring when we pray for a great pardon and deprecate a mighty anger and turn aside an intolerable fear and will purchase an excellent peace and will reconcile a sinner Now in this case a Christian is to take his measures according to the rate of his contrition and his love his Religion and his fear his danger and his expectation and let him measure his amends wisely his sorrow pouring in and his fear thrusting it down and it were very well if his love also would make it run over For deceive not your selves there is no other measure but this So much good as a man does or so much as he would do if he could so much of Religion and so much of repentance he hath and no more and a Man cannot ordinarily know that he is in a saveable condition but by the Testimony which a Divine Philanthropy and a good mind alwayes gives which is to omit no opportunity of doing good in our several proportions and possibilities There was an Alms which the Scribes and Pharisees were obliged by the Law to give the tenth of every third years increase this they alwayes paid and this sort of Alms is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness or Justice but the Alms which Christians ought to give is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is grace and it is love and it is abundance and so the old Rabbins told Justitia propriè dicitur in iis quae jure facimus benignitas in iis quae praeter jus It is more than righteousness it is bounty and benignity for that 's the Christian measure And so it is in the other parts and instances of the righteousness Evangelical And therefore it is remarkable that the Saints in the Old Testament were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right men and the book of Genesis as we find it twice attested by S. Hierome was called by the Ancient Hellenists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of right or just men the book of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. But the word for Christians is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good men harmless and profitable Men that are good and men that do good In pursuance of which it is further observed by learned men that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vertue is not in the four Gospels for the actions of Christs Disciples should not be in gradu virtutis only vertuous and laudable such as these Aristotle presses in his Magna Moralia they must pass on to a further excellency than so the same which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be sometimes and as often as we can in gradu heroico or that I may use the Christian style they must be actions of perfection Righteousness was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for alms in the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfection was the word for Alms in the New as appears by comparing the fifth of S. Matthew and the sixth of S. Luke together and that is the full state of this difference in the inquiries of the righteousness Pharisaical and Evangelical I have many more things to say but ye cannot hear them now because the time is past One thing indeed were fit to be spoken of if I had any time left but I can only name it and desire your consideration to make it up This great Rule that Christ gives us does also and that principally too concern Churches and Common-wealths as well as every single Christian. Christian Parliaments must exceed the Religion and Government of the Sanhedrim Your Laws must be more holy the condition of the Subjects be made more tolerable the Laws of Christ must be
and being convinced of the truth does also apprehend the necessity and obeys the precept and delights in the discovery and layes his hand upon his heart and reduces the notices of things to the practice of duty he who dares trust his proposition and drives it on to the utmost most issue resolving to goe after it whithersoever it can invite him this Man walks in the spirit at least thus far he is gone towards it his Understanding is brought in obsequium Christi into the obedience of Christ. This is a loving God with all our mind and whatever goes less then this is but Memory and not Understanding or else such notice of things by which a man is neither the wiser nor the better 3. Sometimes God gives to his choicest his most elect and precious Servants a knowledge even of secret things which he communicates not to others We find it greatly remark'd in the case of Abraham Gen. 18.17 And the Lord said Shall I hide from Abraham that thing that I do Why not from Abraham God tells us v. 19. For I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgement And though this be irregular and infrequent yet it is a reward of their piety and the proper increase also of the spirituall man We find this spoken by God to Daniel and promised to be the lot of the righteous man in the dayes of the Messias Many shall be purified and made white and tryed but the wicked shall do wickedly and what then None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand Where besides that the wise man and the wicked are opposed plainly signifying that the wicked man is a Fool and an Ignorant it is plainly said that None of the wicked shall understand the wisdome and mysteriousnesse of the Kingdome of the Messias 4. A good life is the best way to understand Wisdome and Religion because by the experiences and relishes of Religion there is conveyed to them such a sweetnesse to which all wicked men are strangers there is in the things of God to them which practice them a deliciousnesse that makes us love them and that love admits us into Gods Cabinet and strangely clarifies the understanding by the purification of the heart For when our reason is raised up by the spirit of Christ it is turned quickly into experience when our Faith relyes upon the principles of Christ it is changed into vision so long as we know God only in the wayes of man by contentious Learning by arguing and dispute we see nothing but the shadow of him and in that shadow we meet with many dark appearances little certainty and much conjecture But when we know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the eyes of holinesse and the intuition of gracious experiences with a quiet spirit and the peace of Enjoyment then we shall heare what we never heard and see what our eyes never saw then the mysteries of Godlinesse shall be opened unto us and cleare as the windows of the morning And this is rarely well expressed by the Apostle If we stand up from the dead and awake from sleep then Christ shall give us light For although the Scriptures themselves are written by the Spirit of God yet they are written within and without and besides the light that shines upon the face of them unlesse there be a light shining within our hearts unfolding the leaves and interpreting the mysterious sense of the spirit convincing our Consciences and preaching to our hearts to look for Christ in the leaves of the Gospell is to look for the living amongst the dead There is a life in them but that life is according to St. Paul's expression hid with Christ in God and unlesse the spirit of God be the Promo-condus we shall never draw it forth Humane Learning brings excellent ministeries towards this it is admirably usefull for the reproof of Heresies for the detection of Fallacies for the Letter of the Scripture for Collateral testimonies for exterior advantages but there is something beyond this that humane Learning without the addition of Divine can never teach Moses was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians and the holy men of God contemplated the glories of God in the admirable order motion and influences of the Heaven but besides all this they were taught of God something far beyond these prettinesses Pythagoras read Moses's Books and so did Plato and yet they became not Proselytes of the Religion though they were learned Scholars of such a Master The reason is because that which they drew forth from thence was not the life and secret of it Tradidit arcano quodcunque Volumine Moses There is a secret in these Books which few men none but the Godly did understand and though much of this secret is made manifest in the Gospel yet even here also there is a Letter and there is a Spirit still there is a reserve for Gods secret ones even all those deep mysteries which the old Testament covered in Figures and stories and names and prophesies and which Christ hath and by his Spirit will yet reveale more plainly to all that will understand them by their proper measures For although the Gospel is infinitely more legible and plain then the obscurer Leaves of the Law yet there is a seale upon them also which Seale no man shall open hut he that is worthy We may understand something of it by the three Children of the Captivity they were all skil'd in all the wisdom of the Chaldees and so was Daniel but there was something beyond that in him the wisdom of the most high God was in him and that taught him a learning beyond his learning In all Scripture there is a spirituall sense a spirituall Cabala which as it tends directly to holiness so it is best and truest understood by the sons of the Spirit who love God and therefore know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing is best known by its own similitudes and analogies But I must take some other time to speak fully of these things I have but one thing more to say and then I shall make my Applications of this Doctrine and so conclude 5. Lastly there is a sort of Gods deare Servants who walk in perfectnesse who perfect holinesse in the feare of God and they have a degree of Clarity and divine knowledge more then we can discourse of and more certain then the Demonstrations of Geometry brighter then the Sun and indeficient as the light of Heaven This is called by the Apostle the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is this brightnesse of God manifested in the hearts of his dearest servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I shall say no more of this at this time for this is to be felt and not to be talked of and they that never touched it with their
aras Domino laeta trophaea suo the Bishop now dedicates his labours to the service of God and of his Church undertook the Question and in a full Discourse proves the Church of Rome not only to be guilty of the Schism by making it necessary to depart from them but they did actuate the Schisms and themselves made the first separation in the great point of the Popes Supremacy which was the Palladium for which they principally contended He made it appear that the Popes of Rome were Usurpers of the rights of Kings and Bishops that they brought in new Doctrines in every Age that they impos'd their own devices upon Christendom as Articles of Faith that they prevaricated the Doctrines of the Apostles that the Church of England only return'd to her Primitive purity that she joyn'd with Christ and his Apostles that she agreed in all the Sentiments of the Primitive Church He stated the questions so wisely and conducted them so prudently and handled them so learnedly that I may truly say they were never more materially confuted by any man since the questions have so unhappily disturbed Christendom Verum hoc eos malè ussit and they finding themselves smitten under the fifth rib set up an old Champion of their own a Goliah to fight against the Armies of Israel the old Bishop of Chalcedon known to many of us replied to this excellent Book but was so answer'd by a Rejoynder made by the Lord Bishop of Derry in which he so press'd the former Arguments refuted the Cavils brought in so many impregnable Authorities and Probations and added so many moments and weights to his discourse that the pleasures of reading the Book would be the greatest if the profit to the Church of God were not greater Flumina tum lactis tum flumina nectaris ibant Flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella For so Sampson's riddle was again expounded Out of the strong came meat and out of the eater came sweetness his Arguments were strong and the Eloquence was sweet and delectable and though there start up another combatant against him yet he had onely the honour to fall by the hands of Hector still haeret lateri lethalis arundo the headed arrow went in so far that it could not be drawn out but the barbed steel stuck behind And whenever men will desire to be satisfied in those great questions the Bishop of Derry's book shall be his Oracle I will not insist upon his other excellent writings but it is known every where with what Piety and acumen he wrote against the Manichean Doctrine of Fatal necessity which a late witty man had pretended to adorn with a new Vizor but this excellent person wash'd off the Cerusse and the meretricious Paintings rarely well asserted the oeconomy of the Divine Providence and having once more triumph'd over his Adversary plenus victoriarum trophaeorum betook himself to the more agreeable attendance upon Sacred Offices and having usefully and wisely discours'd of the sacred Rite of Confirmation impos'd hands upon the most Illustrious Princes the Dukes of York and Gloucester and the Princess Royal and ministred to them the promise of the holy Spirit and ministerially establish'd them in the Religion and Service of the holy Jesus And one thing more I shall remark that at his leaving those Parts upon the Kings Return some of the Remonstrant Ministers of the Low-Countries coming to take their leaves of this great man and desiring that by his means the Church of England would be kind to them he had reason to grant it because they were learned men and in many things of a most excellent belief yet he reprov'd them and gave them caution against it that they approched too near and gave too much countenance to the great and dangerous errors of the Socinians He thus having serv'd God and the King abroad God was pleas'd to return to the King and to us all as in the dayes of old and we sung the song of David In convertendo captivitatem Sion When King David and all his servants returned to Jerusalem this great person having trode in the Wine-press was called to drink of the Wine and as an honorary Reward of his great services and abilities was chosen Primate of this National Church In which time we are to look upon him as the King and the Kings great Vicegerent did as a person concerning whose abilities the World had too great testimony ever to make a doubt It is true he was in the declension of his age and health but his very Ruines were goodly and they who saw the broken heaps of Pompey's Theatre and the crushed Obelisks and the old face of beauteous Philaenium could not but admire the disordered glories of such magnificent structures which were venerable in their very dust He ever was us'd to overcome all difficulties onely Mortality was too hard for him but still his Vertues and his Spirit was immortal he still took great care and still had new and noble designs and propos'd to himself admirable things He govern'd his Province with great justice and sincerity Unus amplo consulens pastor gregi Somnos tuetur omnium solus vigil And had this remark in all his Government that as he was a great hater of Sacrilege so he professed himself a publick enemy to Non-residence and often would declare wisely and religiously against it allowing it in no case but of Necessity or the greater good of the Church There are great things spoken of his Predecessor S. Patrick that he founded 700. Churches and Religious Convents that he ordain'd 5000. Priests and with his own hands consecrated 350. Bishops How true the story is I know not but we were all witnesses that the late Primate whose memory we now celebrate did by an extraordinary contingency of Providence in one day consecrate two Archbishops and ten Bishops and did benefit to almost all the Churches in Ireland and was greatly instrumental to the Re-endowments of the whole Clergy and in the greatest abilities and incomparable industry was inferiour to none of his most glorious Antecessours Since the Canonization of Saints came into the Church we find no Irish Bishop canoniz'd except S. Laurence of Dublin and S. Malachias of Down indeed Richard of Armagh's Canonization was propounded but not effected but the Character which was given of that learned Primate by Trithemius does exactly fit this our late Father Vir in Divinis Scripturis eruditus secularis Philosophiae jurisque Canonici non ignarus clarus ingenio sermone scholasticus in declamandis sermonibus ad populum excellentis industriae He was learned in the Scriptures skill'd in secular Philosophy and not unknowing in the Civil and Canon Laws in which studies I wish the Clergy were with some carefulness and diligence still more conversant he was of an excellent spirit a scholar in his discourses an early and industrious Preacher to the people And as if there were a more particular sympathy between