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B12473
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A sub-poena from the star-chamber of heauen A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the 4. of August. 1622. With some particular enlargements which the limited time would not then allow. By Dan. Donne, Master of Arts, and minister of the Word.
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Donne, Daniel, d. 1646.
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1623
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STC 7021; ESTC S121163
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55,741
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137
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Therefore my beloued instead of standing like Proud Pharises vpon the tiptoes of of our owne goodnesse let vs with the Penitent Publican truely humble our selues before the throne of his Sacred Maiestie for our manifold transgressions which bring vs vnder the curse of the Law for the manifold sinfull imperfections and blemishes euen in the best fruits that euer wee brought forth for which we stand guiltie before him Let vs reiect the menstruous and rotten ragges of our owne righteousnesse wholly Esa 64. 6. relying vpon the louing mercies of our heauenly Father which hee hath set forth vnto vs in his Sonne Iesus Christ who himselfe alone by his most perfect and all-sufficient obedience hath merited our redemptioÌ„ from the wrath to come and purchased for vs a Kingdome that cannot be mooued This hath he done for Heb. 12. 28. vs but how vnder condition of our new obedience of putting off the olde Man and putting on the new of forsaking the crooked paths of Sinne and following the straight way of Righteousnesse So that being redeemed and bought with the price of the Lambe wee must not thinke we may liue according to the lusts of our owne hearts and whatsoeuer seemeth good in our owne eyes for this is nothng else but a trampling of the blood of Christ vnder our feet a turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse the onely way to make our selues vncapable of that inestimable bounty of our blessed Redeemer No no such as are Iustified by the blood of Christ and haue any sauing portion in his bitter death and passion are also sanctified by his blessed Spirit vnto all holy obedience to bring forth good fruite the fruit of good liuing This is the true Character and cognisance of such as are of the houshold of Faith For as the tree is knowne by the fruit so is Faith made manifest Iames 2. 18. by the workes of righteousnesse The bringing foorth of good fruite is via Regia the Kings yea euery Christians high-way wherein he must walke if he make any account to attaine vnto that Spirituall Caanaan to be a free Denizon of the holy Ierusalem that city aboue the mother of the elect For as among the Antique Romanes the two Temples of Vertue and Honour were so contriued that none could haue accesse vnto the latter vnlesse hee did take the former in his way So it is with vs God in his eternall decree hath set downe this resolution which like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians will admit of no alteration that none shall obtaine the life of Glory but such as liue in the state of Grace The penny is paid onely to such as labour in Gods Matth. â—0 2. vineyard The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp only for those that fight a good fight and finish vp the course of their liues 2. Tim. â— 6 7. in the faith of Iesus Christ Hence that of the Prophet Dauid Eschew euill and Psal â—â— 27. doe good and liue for euer To draw vp all in a word though we can neuer bee saued for bringing forth good fruit yet we can neuer be saued without it such is the necessitie thereof Sola fides justificat sed non solitaria It is a common a knowne position Only faith doth iustifie vs but not faith alone onely faith doth iustifie as the Instrument by which we apprehend and lay hold on the Obedience of Christ the only meritorious cause of our saluation but not faith alone that is a barren a dead faith a faith without fruits for that is no sauing no justifying faith and therefore euery tree must bring forth Haeretici bodieconsâ—â—â—a carnis dederunt doctrinam Ba â—am tenuerunt nec ipsas Dei leges aut madaâ—â— esse ad salutem necessaria sola fide omnes salâ—ari Vt viaÌ„ spiâ—ituale destâ—uâ—rent omnem de peccatis virtutibus saenâ—m dâ—ctâ—nâ—m venenaâ—s suis dogenatibus infeceruÌ„t â—egando vllam bonâ—râ—â— opâ—rum veram iuâ—liâ—am aut ad salutem necessariam consequenter omnia in Sola siâ—e collocando Stapl. promptuar Mot. in Domiâ—â— 7. Pentecostes good fruit This is the Doctrine we Preach and Presse See then by the way the impudent malignitie of our broad-mouth'd aduersaries the brats of Romish Babylon in traducing and branding our Protestant Ministers for Solifidian Preachers such as in their Sermons are al for faith and nothing for fruits Thus like cursed Vipers they vent out the venom of their malice vpon vs of purpose to bring our persons and doctrine into contempt with their hood-winkt Proselites and all because wee will not with them beyond truth adde to the worth of good works and detract from the sole efficiencie of Christ his obedience Maugre their virulent malice this is our abundant comfort that besides the testimony of our owne cleare consciences which are vnto vs as many * Conscientia misse testes millions of witnesses those many learned and religious Treatises of our Churchmen which haue vndergone the Presse are at this present extant that little world of Christian people by our ministery fed to their euerlasting happinesse those many holy and blessed Angels alwayes present at our solemne sacred Assemblies and God himselfe who is all in all and aboue all will subscribe to our white Innocence and their blacke Impudence Oh my beloued I would to God all of vs both Priests and people could as generally wipe away this their foule and false aspersion by bringing forth of good fruit as by our generall preaching and professing the necessity thereof But alas the neuer too much to be lamented misery whilst out of our zeaie to Gods glory we labor to maintaine the sacred prerogatiue of Christ his obedience and labour to pull downe those proud pillars of merit which our Aduersaries of their owne heads haue erected to the honour of mans worthlesse works and the dishonour of God we carelesly neglect and scarce so much as once think vpon that which is Gods chiefest glory and the life of our Christian profession bringing forth good fruit I remember I haue read this censure of the Roman State Omnium bonorum principum imagines in vno posse exculpiannulo that the pourtratures of their good Princes might bee cut out within the compasse of a little ring Oh my beloued is it not as iustly to be feared that the like may be as truly affirmed of vs So small is the number of those in this our Sardis which haue giuen vp their Reuel 3. 4. names vnto Christ if we may take the libertie to censure the tree by the fruit that should the Lord send forth a Ieremy Ierem 5. 1. to make inquisition for a man that is a good man one that like Iob truly feareth Iob 1. God and is fruitfull in all holinesse he would returne if not with a non yet with a vix est inuent us scarce is such a creature found Good men being like little veines
placed so Learned so Laborious so Religious a Clergy as ouer This. Consider how in it yee are blest of God that so yee may blesse God when yee consider of it Blesse God but how why blesse him in Sacrificing vnto him the Calues of your lippes Blesse Hosca 14. 2. him in consecrating vnto him the short remnant and remainder of your liues Blesse him in a reuerend estimation of his holy Ordinances In a word Blesse him in your singular loue vnto those that are ouer you in the 1 Thess 5. 12 13. Lord that are dispensers of his sacred mysteries least yee bee hewen downe and cast into the fire And doe yee not so I would to God I could passe by you concerning these particulars especially the latter without apprehending any iust cause for your generall reprehension It is a Sore I no more but touched but named before intending in this place to handle it more at large and to apply vnto it a corroding Plaister if it were possible to draw away the malignant qualitie wherewith it is so much infested that it is euen swoâ—ne vp as high as Heauen to the pulling downe as is iustly to bee feared vpon this Land a sudden Babel of confusion without some speedy reformation I doubt not but there are some Galathians Gal. 4. 15. amongst vs that would plucke out euen their owne eyes to doe Paul good That there is some Zareptan that 1 Kings 17. would euen hazard the hastening her owne hunger-staruing to communicate vnto Elishaes necessities for whose sakes I am perswaded the Lord hath been many wayes gracious vnto this Land and suspended the infliction of his fearefull iudgements which for our sinnes wee haue long since iustly deserued But alas all these Some these Galathians these Zareptans are but a small Summe scarce to be called a number in respect of those that are contrarily affected For as it was the sin of Ieroboam with which he is branded vnto 1 Kings 12. 3. posteritie by the Spirit of God that he made Priests of the lowest and basest of the People so it is a sinne may bee seene and read in great characters vpon the foreheads of most in this Land that they make Priests the lowest and basest of People the lowest by depriuing them of their allotted Maintenance the basest by prosecuting them with all vnreuerence Not to speak of the former and therin of those violent maleuolent vnchristian-like courses wherein they are very frequent and fruitfull for the dispoyling and robbing vs of those reuenues God out of his holy wiscome hath set apart and consecrated for the maintenance of those that minister and serue at his Alâ—ar that so they might make the Leuites to stoope vnto them and hang vpon their sleeues like beggers for their Almes and voluntary contributions How vnreasonably do they load the Prophets of the Lord with all the iniuries indignities their deuilish malice can inuent The sacred title of our thrice honourable Function is but a terme of disgrace in the mouths of these scoffing Ismaels whose malignant spleene is such that they will not stick to strike at vs with the sword of their virulent tongues euen in the face of the world as we walke in the open streets Nay such is the height of their impudency that they will not forbâ—are to offer violence vnto the honour of our Calling euen before Gods own face euen in the Sanctuary it selfe which hath alwayes bin reputed a place of priuiledge as if they would out-beard out-braue almightie God himselfe Is it possible such a high-handed disrespect and contempt should raigne where the Gospell of Christ is so plentifully and so sincerely preached But I doe the lesse maruell at it when I call to mind the base vsage wherwith the Son of God that High Priest for euer Hebr. 6. 20. after the Order of Melchisedeck our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was saluted in the dayes of the flesh He was in the world saith the beloued Euangelist Iohn 1. 10. 11 and the world was made by him and the world knew him not He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not Nay they did not onely not receiue him but did as ye may read at large in the History of his life prosecute and persecute him with a world of indignities euen vnto the death Now the Disciple is not Math. 10. 24 25 aboue his Master nor the seruant aboue his Lord. It is enough saith our Sauiour for the disciple to be as his master is and the seruant as his Lord. If they haue called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold Our Lord hath drunke vnto vs out of this bittercup and we must resolue to pledge him round O thrice happy we if wee could so apprehend it that he is pleased to accept vs into his sufferings For if we suffer with Christ we may bee assured 2. Tim. 2. 12. we shall also raigne with Christ But vnhappy all those whose delight to grieue our spirits by their disrespectiue cariage and vnconscionable courses shall make vs to be called Great in the kingdome of heauen yea thrice vnhappy and accursed if they breake not off this their sinfulnesse by a more sanctified and conscionable course of life We are indeed but weake Earthen vessels as the Apostle 2 Cor. 47. stileth vs. We are sinfull men men full of sinne and therin not vnlike your selues let him that is among you with out sinne cast the first stone at vs. Yet Iohn 8. 7. consider that we are your Spirituall fathers 1 Cor. 4. 15. Reuâ—l â— 1. that wee are the Angels of God and Ambassadours for Christ If we be 2 Cor. 5 20. your Fathers where is our honour What though Elisha be bald shall the children of Bethel cal him Baldpate vnpunished No two Beares come out of 2 Kin. 2. 22 23. the Forrest and tare them in pieces What though Noah be drunken shall his sonne Ham mocke and deride him without a curse No Canaan is cursed Genes 9. 25. a seruant of seruants shall hee bee vnto his brethren If we be Angels of God and Ambassadours for Christ where is that homage and reuerence you owe vnto vs in the name of our Lord and Master Will an earthly Prince which is but a piece of clay take to heart as done to himselfe whatsoeuer indignitie is offered vnto his Ambassadours And will not Almightie God be sensible of that dishonour which is daily done vnto his Ambassadours I haue heard credibly related how superciliously and contemptuously the Palsgraues Countrey hath looked vpon their Clergie In what case that Countrey now standeth I suppose the remotest Christian Region is not ignorant I will not presume peremptorily to determine that this one sinne hath been the procuring cause of so fearefull a Iudgement Thus much I am sure of that the contempt of the Messengers of 2 Câ—â—on 36 1â— God cost