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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16944	A sermon preached at Pauls-Crosse, May 30. 1626 vvherein may be seene whom we are to repute hereticks, and schismaticks, what sleights they vse to deceiue, Gods iust iudgements on them, and how we may escape those nets which they lay for vs : also good councell to the magistrate, minister, and subiects, necessary for these times / by Mattheuu Brookes.	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1626 (1626)	STC 3837; ESTC S4166	26,742	50

agreed vpon in certaine Articles in the Conuocation confirmed by the royall authority which Articles are a declaration of what our Church approueth in the most principall points concerning saith and the publike seruice of God Let mee beseech them to marke those that cause deuisions and offences contrary to that receiued doctrine Yet with a iust distinction as well of the persons of those that cause deuisions and offences for some are obstinate and some are tractable as also of the deuisions and offences by them caused and maintained for of those also some are damnable some onely dangerous and to the honour of the Church of God scandalous For the better effecting of this let me remember them further that the old Aegiptians who were not altogether sottish in worldly matters were wont to paint their Iudges blindfolded and their President or chiefe Iustice without hands as intimating that Iustice should neither see the person of any man or feele his reward which if it be to bee practised in matters temporall how much more in this great matter which so neerely and meerely concerneth the soules of men Secondly let mee beseech the Ministers of the Word whom Christ calleth for the worke of their profession the labourers of his haruest who are the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God To looke backe vpon those forenamed Articles and to remember whereunto they haue all subscribed with their owne hands not with equiuocation I hope as Arius but with synceritie and with a good conscience as good Christians ought to doe and more especially as men of God should doe and therefore ioyntly with their hearts and mouthes to stand in defence of that truth vnto which they haue giuen their hands On the other side if any man preach another Gospell or defend or maintaine any contrary opinion by which the peace of our Church is disrupted with such a one according to the Apostol call counsell to haue conference and to admonish him to returne to the soundnesse of faith and into the bosome of our Church like Noahs Done into the Arke againe A m●n that is an Hereticke after the first and second admonition reiect Where I desire them to obserue that admonition in that place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word pointeth out the end and purpose of our trauells rather than the paine and labour of them namely to put a right minde into him or to bring him into his wittes againe For hee is madde as Nazianzen spake of Apollinaris and as Eusebius saith that Manes was madde according to his name therefore must wee labour to reduce him to his right wits againe Indeed to cure a mad-man seemeth to bee a most miraculous thing seeing how few will bee reclaymed But let vs not despaire seeing that God hath sometimes blessed the labours of his seruants in this kinde Berillus Bishop of Bostra in Arabia who denyed that Christ was existent before hee tooke flesh of the Virgin by the painefull trauell of Origen was brought into his wits againe In like manner Coracion who had beene infected with the error of Nepos an Aegiptian Byshop father of the Chiliastes was conuerted to the faith by Dionysius B. of Alexandria But if none of our admonitions will preuaile with them but because they are filthy they will still be filthy let vs then reiect them for their prophane and vaine babblings will increase vnto more vngodlinesse and their word will eate as doth a Canker Let vs haue no more acquaintance with them than the Iewes had with the Heathen men or Publicans or St. Iohn with Cerinthus Let those that haue authority in the Church after the example of the Apostles and the godly Fathers of the prime age of the Church deliuer them to Sathan that they may learne not to blaspheme And let vs after the like examples vtterly auoide their companie and societie as knowing them to bee the diuells sonnes which doe gigantum more bellare cum dijs warre against God as the Poet feigned certaine monstrous Gyants to wage warre against the gods Let vs leaue to conuerse with them which say they are Iewes and are not but are the Sinagogue of Sathan In a word if wee cannot conuert them let vs be sure to auoide them and vtterly to reiect them lest God say vnto vs as he said to the Angell or Bishop of the Church of Pergamos thou hast them that maintaine the Doctrine of Balaam c. For if we proceed not against them by that lawfull power which God and the King hath giuen vs or if we will not doe so much as to auoide them it cannot be denyed but that we haue them Lastly let me speake a few words in the eares of the people and because they are of two sorts either those whose hearts are deceiued by good words and faire speeches or those pillars of the sonnes of Seth against whom the flouds of Beliall which haue euen ouer-flowen the world like the great and generall Deluge haue not preuailed Let me first direct my speech vnto those that are fallen whom I will not terrifie with the greatnesse of their fall by pointing vpward from whence they fell and downeward to let them see whither they are fallen I beseech them to looke on our Christian charitie who doe not esteeme them to be Heretickes or Schismatickes but doe denie them so to be vnlesse with obstinate mindes they will defend and maintaine their dangerous conceipts My counsell vnto such therefore is that they will resort to our Sermons and Lectures where they may heare the reasons giuen in publique for the faith which we professe and if ioyntly with this they will follow Christ his counsell searching the Scriptures adding instant prayer vnto God that hee would be pleased to reueale vnto them the mysteries thereof they shall doe well and I doubt not but they will returne againe into the bosome of our Church to bee ingrafted as naturall branches into the true Oliue from which for a time they haue been cut off and wee shall reioyce exceedingly that they are come againe yea the Angells of God in heauen shall ioy for their conuersion Secondly to those whose hearts are not yet inuenomed let me speake a word in due season Obedience must be giuen to the faith Therefore let them cleaue close vnto it and not suffer themselues in any sort to be seduced It is a rule to interpret the Scriptures Let them expound the Scriptures according to the proportion of faith For if they meete not in all places with the naturall sense and the direct meaning of the holy Ghost for that in the Epistles of St. Paul and diuers other bookes of the Scripture Some things are hard to be vnderstood yet so long as they interpret nothing contrary to the Articles of their faith Augustine will tell them that they are like vnto a certaine traueller who hauing lost the direct way wandreth in those

scandalo of offences giuen and of those that lay blockes and cast stumbling stones in the way to ouerthrow their brethren contrary to Christian charitie and Christs commandement who hath commanded vs to loue one another as hee hath loued vs and contrary to the Apostles rule that wee should consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Furthermore vpon what reason the Apostle doth indite those that cause deuisions and not those onely but them also that cause offences it may appeare by the Scriptures which setteth forth the causing of offences to be a most capitall crime for which cause God commanded the people of Israel vtterly to destroy the old Inhabitants of the land of Canaan left they should cause offences and cast stumbling blocks in their way They will turne away thy sonnes from following mee that they may serue other Gods Our Sauiour Christ saith Woe vnto the world because of offences it must needs be that offences come but woe to that man by whom the offence commeth And woe to him to whom our Sauiour Christ saith Woe for what said he a little before It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hee were drowned in the depth of the Sea But for what cause is a woe so grieuous pronounced against him that causeth offences St. Paul giues the reason By this m●ane● shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed when yee sinne so against the brethren and wound their weake conscience yee sinne against Christ For Gods loue take this to heart yee of vncircumcised hearts and eares who neuer diue into the reckoning of it what it is to wound the weake consciences of your brethren and I speake not to those onely that maketh deuisions in our Church either in matter of Doctrine or of Ceremonie if there be any such that heare me this day But to you that offend your brethren by your euill liues either in the abuse of Christian liberty to your lusts as drinking to drunkennesse dressing to pride sparing to couetousnesse eating to gluttony or such like whereby that which is lawfull is vsed vnlawfully or else by doing that which is absolutely vnlawfull as Whore-mongers Theeues Vsurers Lyers sweaters and such like You wound the weake consciences of your brethren ye cause your weake brethren to perish for whom Christ died repent and amend your liues or let me tell you that yee your selues will say hereafter that it were better if that a milstone had beene hanged about your neckes and that you had beene cast into the depth of the Sea For though it be necessarie that offences should come yet woe be vnto you by whom they come I must now demonstrate this impiety a Contrario as it were by laying white against blacke to discerne the colours Contrary to the doctrine which ye haue learned This is the touch-stone at which all deuisions offences must be tryed by this we must try the spirits whether they be of God He had taught them the high and profound mysterie of Christian religion by authority of the Scriptures now he condemnes not simply all deuisions all offences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with respect and relation those onely that are contrary to Gods word and the proportion of faith and manners which was that doctrine which they had learned at his mouth We must deuide our selues from all Iewes Turkes Papists Infidells and Hereticks as the Israelites were deuided from the abominations of Aegipt and if wee cause offences to them as Lot to the Sodomites and the faithfull of the primitiue Church to the Idolatrous Gentiles by the synceritie of our Religion and our good conuersation wee sinne not for this is bonum Schisma and bonum Scandalum a good Schisme and a good scandall which Christ himselfe made or rather which hee professed to make I am come to set a man against his Father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law And a mans foes shall bee they of his owne houshold But the vnlawfull deuisions and offences are those that are made contrary to the Apostolicall doctrine the blessed word of God Ex illo saith one of the learned Fathers fidem alimus ex illo spemerigimus ex illo fiduciam firmamus thereby wee feed our faith thereby wee aduance our hope thereby wee confirme our trust for this is the power of God vnto saluation to all those that beleeue this is able to make vs wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus and therefore though we or an Angell from heauen preach any ether Gospell vnto you then that which wee haue preached vnto you let him be accursed saith Paul but those that doe so let vs now see how we must deale with them Wee must marke them and avoide them Marke them the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth that wee must bee like vnto those that sit vpon watch Towers to obserue the comming of the enemie For they that cause deuisions and offences are the common enemies of the Church of God and they come to destroy our soules and therefore we ought to be most carefull to marke them Secondly they come with all policie and subtilty and bring in their damnable heresies priuily and therefore we ought neuer to bee absent from our watch-tower but to haue an eye vnto them continually left they come vpon vs vnawares and suddenly destroy vs and as this is generally the dutie of all men vpon this reason that euery man hath a soule which is his best part and the choysest thing that hee possesseth and more deare vnto him than all the world for what is a man profited if hee shall gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule or what shall a man giue in exchange for his soule So more especially it is the dutie of those that are in authoritie either in the Church or Common-wealth vpon this reason that in the Scriptures they are called Watch-men for how doe they watch if they defend not Gods flocke diligently against these rauening Wolues And against whom doe they watch if not against these enemies of mens soules Therefore let euery man in generall marke them as they desire the saluation of their owne soules but more especially the Magistrates according to their places as they will answer for the soules of those that shall be seduced Whom in the name of Christ I doe beseech to be carefull of it Let them marke them by making them knowne vnto Gods people in their colours as Paul marked Hymenaeus and Philetus and Alexander the Copper-smith as St. Iohn marked Diotrephes and our Sauiour Christ the Scribes Pharisees and Saduces Take heed and beware of the leauen of the Pharisees and of the Saduces Let them admonish the people to take heed of the leauen of Iesuites Anabaptists Brownists and all deuiders and

whom wee now speake their god is their belly as if he should haue said that they onely regard the things of this world for them they study and doe their vttermost deuoire Magister artis ingenique Largitor venter their belly teacheth them their skill and bestowes their wit vpon them See here the meaning of that place they cause not Deuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell for any care or conscience to serue God but to serue their belly in acquiring the things of this life And this is an especiall marke of infamie with which they are alwayes branded in the Scriptures Paul to Titus saith that they teach things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake The Apostle Peter saith through couetousnesse shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you And the Apostle Iude saith that they runne greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward This being their aime we need not seeke the cause why those of the Romish Church so obstinately maintaine their masses Indulgencies Pardons and such like Satanicall sigments for because they are separated from the Congregation of the Lord it cannot bee but their studie is to serue their belly Againe this being their aime wee need not wonder if in this flourishing Church of England and as it were in the noone-tyde of the Gospell as well the doctrine as the discipline of the Church being agreed vpon in publique conuocation by the learned and religious of the Land and authorised by law you haue yet many among you who willingly would and doe as farre as they dare alter the forme of our publike Church-Seruice and Ceremonies and feigne would innouate something either in respect of substance or of circumstance and if you haue Sects of Anabaptists Brownists Papists Familists Catharists and those who mislike all things but their owne inuentions For what wonder shall I bring if that I tell you that it is possible there may be couetous men among vs For the loue of money is the roote of all euill which while some coueted after they haue erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes Now because these Leopards doe hide their clawes and sometimes vnder the profession of voluntary pouertie doe practice couetousnesse the Apostle will therefore shew you wherein they hide them lest because you see them not you may thinke them to haue none and so like children play too familiarly with them not finding out their priuate end their belly By good words and faire speeches The Doctours of the Romish Church among other blasphemies are wont to teach that the holy Scripture is a nose of Waxe and a leaden rule meaning thereby that it may be bowed wrested and turned to contrary expositions and interpretations for the maintenance of priuate opinions and absurdities It is most blasphemous to say that the Scripture is so and yet St. Peter takes it for granted that it may be wrested yet with this Prouiso to the destruction of them that wrest it Now because it is true that false Prophets shall come in sheepes cloathing to deceiue therefore it doth follow that they shall bring nothing more than the Scripture in their mouthes which they haue wrested to their owne damnation A thing which the diuell himselfe hath taught them who when hee tempted our Sauiour Christ in the Wildernesse could yet cite the Scripture to his purpose If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written hee shall giue his Angells charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall beare thee vp least at any time thou dash thy foote against a stone These are those good words the Apostle speaketh of with which the mouthes of all those that cause deuisions are stufft Adaptare cupientes ea quae bené dicta sunt ijs quae malè adinventa sunt ab ipsis Striuing to fit those things which in the Scriptures are well spoken according as there they are spoken to what they themselues haue mis-inuented With these good words so ill implyed will the Valentinians goe about to establish their 30. couple of Gods and Goddesses The Manichees their duo Principia or brace of gods the Arians to denie the true diuinitie of Christ the Papists their Purgatorie their Transubstantiation and all the parts of their Masse and euery new deuiser his owne brain-sicke Fopperies therefore as good coyners are not wont hastily to receiue and to approue of euery peece of gold but will first trie it and proue it by the touchstone especially if it be an vnknowne coyne So if any man bring vnto vs any newes in matters of religion and will thrust it vpon vs for gold in the name of the Scripture as good coyners wee must bring it to the Scripture and compare Scripture with Scripture that so wee may iudiciously discerne and see Quis nummus probus sit quis adulter which is good coyne which is Copper And the reason is because it is the practice of those that serue their belly to come with good words euen with the most blessed words of the Scripture in their mouthes like as the Hiaena is wont to counterfeit a mans voyce to obtaine his prey Faire speeches I referre to their moralitie by which they striue to be compleate euery way For it is the condition of an hypocrite to counterfeit vertue for Hypocrisie it selfe as Chrysologus in one of his Sermons obserueth is virtutum fucus the false painting or shadowing of vertue therefore must they come with faire language and vertuous speeches that they may with more ease bee receiued It is true that their end is their belly yet doe their outward actions beare such a shew of holinesse and charitie that to our shame it may bee spoken to the sight of the world they exceed vs farre And hence it is that so many Churches Temples Oratories Colledges Schooles of learning Hospitalls Almes-houses and other monuments of all sorts which our eyes daily doe behold haue beene erected euen in the dayes of blindenesse to say the truth we scarce repaire and vphold those most necessary buildings of all sorts which our Progenitors in the time that they dranke of the waters of Babylon haue erected to our hands Wee must not bely the deuill you shall see more almes-deeds of all sorts done by the hands of Papists more strictnesse and reformation of life and manners among Brownists and Anabaptists more religious obseruation of oathes and promises among the Turkes themselues than among the Formalists of our profession It is true we cannot say these men to be vertuous notwithstanding these great workes for because their good deeds are directed to a wrong end they are but Vmbrae simulachra virtutum the shadowes pictures and counterfeites of vertues and as one of the Fathers saith vt magnae vires cursus celerrimus praeter viam like to great strength and exceeding swift running when a man is

proue them be separated from the Church yea in time of persecution they may deny that blessed name by which they are redeemed as Peter did but they shall not die in their separation for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus the vnregenerate may be deceiued and deceiued finally and by Gods iust iudgement perish in their sinnes because they were seduced and opened their hearts to those that caused deuisions and offences and both these sorts of simple ones as well the regenerate as vnregenerate are those that are here noted to be deceiued by the good words and faire speeches of seducers For the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words are well translated by Theodorus Beza hominum minime malorum that is to say men not drowned and plunged in the vsuall sinnes and vices of the world And this may teach vs two things First that we ioyne not our selues to any of those Sects that are deuided from our Church which is a member of the true Catholike Church of God whether Papists Anabaptists Brownists Familists or what else you may call them for that wee obserue many excellent Ministers endowed with many rare and admirable gifts and qualities to teach their heresies for such a one was Arius the Hereticke And wee can neither depriue our Aduersaries of the Church of Rome nor diuers others that in other kindes trouble our Church with strange opinions of that honour if yet wee may call it honour and not rather Gloriam Herostrate such honour as Herostrotus atchieued by firing the Ephesians Temple For what if they haue learning wit and eloquence what if in outward gifts they shine as the Starres is not that great red Dragon in the Reuelation said to drawe with his tayle the third part of the Starres of Heauen and to cast them to the earth or hath not the diuell at all times gotten such to make deuisions and to cause offences The lesse ought we to admire if they win to bee their disciples and proselites ciuell honest men whom the world for the moralitie of their liues holdeth in some esteeme for such were they whom Absolom by faire speeches and large promises had drawne to his part against the King his father euen to commit treason and rebellion with him Such because they meane least hurt are soonest deceiued like vnwary fishes taken in a Net and being deceiued doe much aduantage the deuills cause for that their liues are had in admiration and they haue gained the good opinion of their neighbours for that syncerity of which they make profession no lesse than the Scribes and Pharisees Ne aetas vos corum nec authoritas fallas Let not their age let not their authority deceiue you faith Cyprian Againe we must not vncharitaby iudge them to bee vtterly cast away all who decline from or leaue our societie for that the heart of a regenerate man may for a time God turning his face from him that hee may be troubled bee deceived but rather let vs pray that their fall be not finall and if it please God of his mercy to send them backe againe vnto vs let vs not refuse them as Nouatus did for that they haue sinned so scandalously against our good profession to the dishonour of God and of our Church I will end here with the words of Cyprian Sufficiat lapsis vna ruina c. Let one fall bee sufficient to those that are fallen let no man deceitefully throw downe those that are willing to rise vp againe let no man presse downe more grieuously those that already lye flat on the earth for whom we pray that God with his hand and arme would helpe them vp let no man denie the hope of life to those that are halfe dead desiring to returne to their former health Nemo nutantibus lapsus sui Caligine omne itineris salutaris lumen extinguat Let no man put out all the light of a secure voyage to those that stagger in the darkenesse of their fall And seeing that those whose hearts are deceiued are fallen downe lie groueling on the earth gasping for breath and grappleing for life and being ready to die doe lie in darkenesse and in the shadow of death it followeth that those who deceiue their hearts throw them downe stabbe them and wound them euen vnto death therefore that I may draw to a conclusion I will binde vp all that hitherto hath beene spoken in the words of the text Now I beseech you brethren marke them which cause deuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned and auoide them For they that are such serue not our Lord Iesus Chrest but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceiue the hearts of the simple And now to recapitulate what hath beene spoken you must remember that the enemies of the Church and people of God are of two sorts forraine and domesticke the first are those that make no profession at all of Christianitie neither will be so reputed as Iewes Turkes Infidells and Pagans the other are those who make profession of Christian religion and will bee accounted Catholicks and Christians these are of two sorts Heretickes or Schismatickes the one doth cut in sunder the band of faith the other doth make a breach in the knot of loue Against these St. Paul addressing himselfe beseecheth all faithfull men as his brethren to marke them and to auoide them vpon this reason that they are most dangerous enemies to the soule causing deuisions and offences in the Church contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell Now least this his fatherly counsell might be slighted he proceedeth to shew the cause or reason vpon which wee are to marke them and auoide them viz. their aime is not to serue God by so doing but they haue worldly respects tending to their owne aduantage they talke like Diuines and demeane themselues like morall honest men by which meanes those that are plaine and meane well are soonest deceiued like harmelesse Doues caught in the Fowlers Net Vpon which great causes that I may end with application I am bold to direct my speech first to those that are in authoritie whom though I cannot accuse for former negligence and euen in my owne conscience am confident that they will carefully discharge their duties in their seuerall places with wisdome and iudgement yet doe I desire that they will be pleased to let me minde them of it as sometimes Philips seruant minded him of his mortality God and the King hath committed the Sword vnto them which Sword they beare not in vaine Therefore by the power of the sword committed to their trust may they marke those that cause deuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine that wee haue receiued This doctrine is the truth of God taught and deliuered in the blessed Scriptures which that wee might hold with vnanimous consent and not diuert from it it was