the faithfull fearing God and yet was seruant to Achab and that peruerse Iesabell Wherefore it is not like that hee can tarie in their seruice without seruing of Baal as they did at the least in outward shewe this reason is but a vaine thought and an imagination and presumption of mans vnderstanding for there is not one worde in all the historie no not one sillable by which they can prooue this Imagination but rather altogether the contrarie and woulde to GOD that those which will arme them selues with this example had as good a minde and affection to hide the poore persecuted and to succoure them in their necessitie as Abdias had and shewed in deede to the prophets and faithfull of his time and though Abdias had done that which they presume and imagine it followeth not therefore that he was allowed of God no more then other sinnes of the saints saints Sect. But beholde yet an other replie which seemeth not apparant if it be so dangerous a thing 4. Reg. 5. so contrary to the will of God to be partaker of the ceremonies sacrifices of the papists why did Elizeus answere Naaman the Assyrian go thy way in peace After that Naaman said vnto him when my Lord shall enter into the temple of Remmon to worship shall leaue vpon my hand on my shoulder pray the Lord that he wil pardō me thy seruant for this thing if I worship in the temple of Remmō when I shall worship in the same place Elizeus maketh no difficultie to suffer him so to do he condemmeth it not as a damnable thing that he should enter into the temples of idols with the Pagans that he should be present at their sacrifice so that he worship God in his heart why shal wee then be rather forbidden to cōmunicate in like sort with those that are Christians as we are then Naaman with the pagās who were in deed enemies to god This exāple shall serue vs no more then that of S. Paul it might serue your turn if you were like to Naaman if to doe seruice vnto any to whom you were bound in the sight of God you should go with thē in that sort that Naaman kept company with his lord For he went not thither to cōmit idolatry as he did or to allow his idolatry but to serue him as a seruant in his necessities Wherefore we must vnderstand that to worship is often taken in scripture to bow and do reuerence by outwarde signes and gestures as wee doe to kinges and Princes the Idolaters to their Idols and the faithfull also to God when as by outwarde gestures and signes they will declare the humilitie of their heart and the reuerence they beare to God but Naaman requireth not to bee suffered to kneele and doe reuerence before the God Remmon and to worship notwithstanding the true God in his heart to declare by outwarde signes that hee beareth reuerence to the God Remmon to please the king as they do which by outward gestures do worship the host and Images and yet say their heart is not there but that by it they worshippe Iesus Christ in heauen and the father in spirite and truth Naaman speaketh not of that adoration as Sect. touching himselfe but only of the reuerence he ought to shewe in seruing the king when hee woulde kneele or bow downe before Remmon For seeing hee must bee in the seruice of his Prince and stay him when he leaned vpon him the king coulde not bowe but that Naaman also was enclined to bowe that the king might leaue vpon him But Naaman did it not for Remmon as the king did nor to make the king beleeue that he honoured Remmon as he did fearing to displease him but hee did it not only to serue his Prince according to his duetie for before hee agreed to that hee promised and witnessed openly that hee would doe no sacrifice to the strange gods but to the liuing God seeing that hee promised so wee must not doubt but that hee kept his promise and it is most certaine that in the estate dignitie wherin hee was hee coulde not tarry any long tyme without sacrificing to the Idols as others did but it would haue been perceiued but he would that euery one should know vnderstande that he had in his heart there is no doubt but that for this cause hee demanded of Elizeus two mules charged with the earth of Israel to take with him into the land of Syria to beare witnes and make publike confession that he beleeued not nor worshipped any other then God of Israel that he had his diuine seruice aparte separated from that of the other Syrians who were Idolaters And although he did all things that he had Sect. far better cause then those which woulde defend their Idolatrie by his example yet doeth he not so much iustifie his works as they doe but he requireth the Prophete to the ende hee should pray to God for him that he woulde not impute that as a sinne to him wherein he sheweth well that there was some infirmitie in him and that he feareth there should bee some faulte in that worke which the Prophet rather beareth with all then alloweth yea although that before hee had done other thinges enough to confesse his faith before men And if wee consider well the wordes of Naaman hee confesseth very manifestly that he thinketh there is sinne in that he saith he must doe seeing he willeth the Prophet to pray for him that it may not be imputed to him for if there be no fault there is no neede of prayer nor pardon and Elizeus saieth not the contrarie to him that it is not sinne at all but he wil not presse him ouermuch in the confession he made of the name of God therfore he letteth him go giueth him to vnderstand he will do that which Naaman requireth of him that is that he will pray for him biddeth him fare well wherefore although it were so that Elizeus had borne with some great faulte in Naaman who was yet a nouice and newely come to the religion was come from amōgst the Pagans it followeth not therefore that wee which are Christians and haue receiued a greater knowledge of truth confirmed by the death of Iesus Christ and so many martyrs ought to draw this particular example to a general consequent to set it against so many places of holy scripture which forbid all Idolatrie and all shew of denying Iesus Christe If wee testifie publikelie our faith and if we confesse we attribute nothing to the Idols but Sect. that we goe to the assemblies of Idolaters to serue our father or some other to whom we are bounde not in Idolatrie but in that which may concerne our office the example of Naaman might giue vs some further colour for our former confession and the publike witnessing of our faith woulde glorifie God and condemne
the Idolaters and strengthen the faithfull and woulde take away all cause of offending the good and woulde leaue no matter to the Idolaters wherin to glorifie but the cause why we goe it is to doe farre contrary it is to couer vs and not to vncouer vs. Yet notwithstanding if wee shoulde doe as Sect. Naaman did yet ought we no more to iustifie our selues then he but wee ought to aske pardō of God for it as he did And if Naamā were afraid to offend God by that act although he had a goodly cloke to excuse himselfe I ashamed of those with are quite cōtrary to him that they dare so assuredly defend their worke as if there were no sinne in it And to make their matter better after they had red that which was written against their opinion seene themselues bereft of that weapon which they tooke from the example of Naaman to defend their cause they sought another starting hole wherein there is slender foundation they haue imagined that when Naaman made y◠confession to Elizeus which was spokē of before that it is very like he was alone that he said it not before al the cōpany which was with him they proue their imaginatiō by this that it is the custome of great Lordes to speake in a Maiestie of their affaires in the absence of their seruants rather then in their presence Wherefore they cause thē to depart for better confirmation hereof they alleadge that when Geazi ran after Naaman that Naaman descēded out of his chariot that hee came before him Wherefore they conclude that he spake to him apart in absence of his seruants and that hee might well do as much to Elizeus when hee vsed that talke with him wherof the holy scripture maketh mention This is the sophistrie whereby some wil now Sect. adayes make this exāple of force to helpe an euill cause but I know not to what ende it may serue them but to shew that those which are so seene in speculation to imagine these starting holes know wel what they haue to doe that it seemeth they are desirous to finde some cloke in scriptures to couer their matter that they would gladly make the spirite of God which speaketh in his holy scriptures to thinke that he would speake vnderstande things as they would haue it For as for the first all their reason is grounded but vpon imagination which it is as easie to disproue as to allowe but of thinges of so great importance wee must not iudge vpō presumptiōs imaginatiōs Moreouer the scripture doth manifestly witnes that he promised cōfessed he would serue none other God but the Lord woulde declare it by sacrifices and by outward confession publike testimonie to giue this testimony he desired these two mules charged with the earth of Israel as his wordes do manifestly witnes For to what purpose should that earth serue him more then the earth of Syria but to this end then wee haue no cause to doubt but that that matter is easie as he hath purposed demanded it For that which the prophet answered him after the maner which the Hebrwes vse in their salutations whē they bid a man farewell saying to him goe in peace ought not that only to be reserued to the last speech that Naamā vsed touching his worshipping in the Temple of Remmon but to all his former woordes wherein the Prophete consenteth to him The matter then is plaine that his confession was not secrete but publike and therefore his example serueth to no ende for them which content them selues to haue confessed Iesus Christe in secrete before a fewe and blaspheme him publikely It is easie to vnderstande all these thinges Sect. but we seeke these cloking starting holes because we wil not be vnfurnished And what is the cause if we should discouer our selues we shold yeeld our selues all vnto death and shoulde bee murtherers of our selues But those which are out of this danger may babble at their ease our life costeth them little I know some vse suche speech but yet their life is dearer to vs then they thinke for we are no lesse afraide to put them in danger then themselues for wee are not out of pryson without being mindefull of them feeling the afflictions of our brethren as if we were there our selues and therefore it is more safe to followe the iudgementes of those which are out of danger thē those which are in it it is very hard that the sicke man shoulde be a good Phisitiō to himselfe but he hath need of another for it is doubtfull hee would rather make the medicine serue his affections thē rule his affections by the art of Phisicke for sicknesse desireth to entertaine it selfe willeth alwaies that is contrarie vnto it the sicke man also beleeueth rather the phisitions which accord vnto his will then they that gaine say it It is very hard also that a man should bee a good iudge of his owne cause for hardly could he auoide but his affections woulde cary him away hinder him frō seeing the right giuing good iudgement wherefore it is requisite to seeke iudges which be not ouermuch affectioned to the matter do not iudge at randon according to their fancie but bee of good cōscience with out looking to the affection of any but to God only to right and equitie And therefore my brethren consider whether Sect. I speake of mine own head or whether I bring my minde or the mind of God If I speake any other then the word of god my reasons ought not to moue you nor trouble you but you ought to let thē passe as vaine friuolous If I offer vnto you the coūcell of god you haue no cause to be angry or to cōplaine that we are too sharp our iudgement is too hard for would you that wee should change the meaning of god should belie him I haue vnderstood the cōplaints the attestations that som make to cause vs to bethink our selues what we write of these matters They say it is true that the cōtrouersie matter is not of the shadow of an Asse or the wooll of a goate as the olde Prouerbe is but of that they account most deare in this world that is of a thing for which we must forsake our countrie our wife our deare children our goods and all that euer wee may haue delight pleasure in this worlde yea to the loosing of our life running straight vpon death and I denie not but these things are very sharpe and hard to flesh wherefore I cannot thinke therof without great compassion of these which are in such a straight but what shoulde we doe there wee ought to think it more strange and fearefull to forsake Iesus Christe the heauenly habitation and the eternall felicitie then these transitorie thinges which without that we must once forsake Wee would gladly
perhaps they had beginneth to waxe cold and altogether to bee extinguished and after that they fall into such despising of God and his word that they are much worse thē they which neuer knewe God Wherefore wee must take heede of that Sect. Transfiguration of Sathan 2. Cor. 11. same subtill Sathan who can so well transfourme him selfe into an angell of light to make the truth of God to serue our affections and to change it into a lye and blasphemy whē Sathan knoweth that there is any feare of God and any knowledge of truth in vs and that we do any thing reuerēce the holy scriptures he armeth him selfe to fight against vs by thē Mat. 4. and hee alleadgeth them to vs as hee did to Christ Iesus when he tempted him Luk. 4. This Sathan is very dangerous who taketh the staffe of the word of God to beate vs withall wherewith he ought to beaten and therewith he giueth vs dangerous woundes The first is that he mooueth vs to blaspheme God The second is which is made woorse that he maketh vs to beleeue and thinke that it is not wickedly done but that it is lawful for vs to doe so at the least it is a small sinne and amongst the lest that we can commit which is more to the entent we should not perish aone in our errours hee pricketh vs forward to entise others to doe the like And to the end he may bee more couert and lesse knowen to giue a better cloke to these reasons he layeth straight before vs Naaman the Sirian or Nicodemus or Saint Paule which applyeth him selfe to all and who made himselfe a Iewe amongest 1. Cor. 9. Sect. Iewes a gentyle amōgst gentyles I doubt not but these reasons seeme fayre and pleasant to the fleshe and that it loueth such proctors and aduocates which will so excuse Proctors and aduocates of the fleshe iustifie it but it must take heede that they vse her not as aduocates and proctors those are without conscience and without the feare of God and which haue no other God but Golde and siluer and haue no regard so they haue money such proctors and aduocates will make thē beleeue whose cause they defend that their matter is good although it be the worst falsest that may be for euery mā easily beleeueth that which he desireth that which pleaseth him he hath affectiō vnto therfore M. aduocate knowing the affection of man abuseth him to his profit gaine to the hurt of the pore contender for if he would tell him at the first that he had an euil cause hee woulde staye from pleading if hee were wise and woulde pursue that cause no more but would doe that which were right and reason and so the aduocate shoulde gain nothing Or if he were an obstinate persō and affectioned aboue measure to his cause against his partie he woulde be vexed and angrie against his aduocate and woulde iudge him ignorant and scant cunning in his arte for telling him trueth And therfore would goe seeke another more to his liking for it is the nature of man to iudge all thinges according to his affection and for his aduantage If thou speake to his fansie thou shalt be the learnedst man in the world but if thou bee contrarye to his opinion thou shalt be but a beast and haste lost immediatly all thy learning and therefore our flesh will haue aduocates to defend their cause well and to allowe what shee desireth seeing it hath such a desire shee shall no more lacke such fellowes as shee desireth then the same proctors which take pleasure in contention spending their money loosing their time and consuming their bodies and soules in strife and debate But what profit shall they haue to cast away Sect. and destroy them selues for the sentence shall not be giuen by the aduocate and proctor nor according to their desire but by the iudge and such as shall please him and when M. Aduocate shall see that the cause of his Client goeth euill whome he hath alwayes kept in good hope till the last cast he will shake him of well enough and leaue him in the myre wherein he hath plunged him for he hath his reckoning he hath fished in a troubled water he hath plucked the bird he hath the feathers the fat and careth no more for the cause and therefore let vs take good heede that we delight not in such defenders and aduocates for there maye be enough found which to please vs and bee in our fauour and well accounted of will flatter vs and tell vs pleasant thinges wee prooue it true in many bellies whiche haue founde suche tast in the Kitchin of Egypt that they thinke them selues vtterly lost so soone as they haue lost the sight of the smoke But when we shall appeare before the iudgement of God the disputation shal not there be decided nor the cause there iudged by their reasons nor according to their sentence but by the iust iudgment of God which is alwayes in truth And therefore let vs count them more deare Sect. Let vs flee flatterers and Parasites which speake simply and roundly vnto vs according to the truth of God then those whiche flatter and seduce vs to please vs and keepe themselues mor at ease for in this diuine court and in these last appeales sentences shall not there be weyed in the ballance of carnal sense humane reason but in the ballance of Gods worde which shall not be vnderstoode according to our fantasie but according to the will of the spirit of God then both Clients and aduocates shall find them selues as much astonied the one as the other and the one shall not ease then the case of the other for they both shal be sufficiently troubled eche one with his owne cause the plaintife shall not there be only in danger as in the courtes and iudgements of men but if he be condemned the proctor and aduocates shal be subiect to the same condemnation with him and more greeuous for if the hearer be condemned because hee hath taken pleasure to heare and followe euill councel much more grieuously shal the councellour be punished who hath had more regard to satisfie his couetousnes affectiō of a poore ignorāt soule then the word of God for hee hath setled him and confirmed him in errour whome hee ought to haue wtdrawen frō errour to haue led him into a better way by his good councel Why doe not these councellours as well alleadge other places of holy scripture whiche Sect. be repugnant to the affectiō of man as they alleadge those whereby they seeke to please it for it is not needefull nowe to trauell muche to finde cloking to our flesh to arme it against truth to furnish it with armour and to put the sword into her hand to fight against it for she is but too cunning by nature to bold hasty to
was not ignorant what fauour and goodnesse God sheweth towardes his people when they are assembled in his name hee had had sufficiently tryed howe the vertue of the holy Ghost doeth shewe forth it selfe in these holy assemblies and in this body of Iesus Christ vnited together with his members corporally and spiritually to glorifie him all with one heart and voyce why doe the poore captiues of Babylon so muche lament Hierusalem but because they feele what a plague it is to bee so oppressed by tyrannie that men cannot haue anye good fourme of a Churche nor yet serue God according to his pollicie and ordinances nor make publike confession and profession thereof as the faithfull desire But because it is hard for all men to be able Sect. to come to his felicitie to depart wholy this day out of Egypt and Babylon both corporally and spiritually to liue in libertie yet at the least it is necessarie to depart thence in heart and minde if they cannot get thence in body and how can this departure and separation be if we keepe not our selues from the filthines and abominations of this worlde for that it is the true religion as Saint Iames witnesseth He that liueth amongst the Idolaters and communicateth not with their Idolatries and sinnes he is much better separated from them then he that is conuersant with the Godly and hath his heart replenished with superstition and hypocrisie for this separation is made by the holy Ghost who separateth the elect and children of God from the wicked and reprobate and sanctifieth and dedicateth them to serue for his honour and glory for this cause yâ— christiaÌ„s are called saints confesse the holy vniuersall Church Seeing then that the Church is holy that it is nothing else but the assemblie and companie of the faithful it followeth necessarily that al the faithfull which are the members whereof this body consisteth and that this coÌ„pany assembled and made bee holy for this cause we call it also the communion of Saintes And S. Paule writing to the faithfull which haue receiued the Gospell he saluteth them and called them Saintes as it appeareth in all his Epistles for what cause then are they called Saintes but because they are separated from all prophane vses and that they are drawen away from the seruice of the Diuell the world the fleshe that they are wholy dedicated consecrated and sanctified to god to serue him only for the scripture calleth the thing holy which is secluded from all other vse and which is nothing but to the seruice of God and therefore the Lord called his people Leui. 19. 1. Pet. 1. Israell the holy people and commanded them to sanctifie them selues saying be yee holy for I am holy For this cause he hath separated and diuided them from all other people and hath giuen Sect. them lawes ordinaÌ„ces and ceremonies cleane vnlike to all other people to keepe them better in his seruice to this ende that they might not be defiled nor polluted with the superstitions Idolatries and abominations of others wherfore he hath endeuoured by all meanes to draw them from all companie and acquaintance with Idolaters which might any way induce them to worship some other besides him selfe or in other sort then hee had commanded if it were all one that it were no sinne to be in company with Idolaters and to communicate with them in their sacrifices abominations what neede was there that God should giue a Lawe to what purpose hath he so charged the people of Israel with ceremonies if it were lawfull for them to vse al indifferently as they lifted why did Moses study all that he could being thereto appointed of god to ordaine theÌ„ ceremonies â—lat dissonaÌ„t contrary to al their neyghbours about them al the Pagans Idolaters It was for nothing els but that first the Lord would foresee by this way that they should haue no acquaintance and familiaritie with them in that which concerned the seruice of God nor any similitude wherby they might be induced to follow them or obey them with such an opinion of false Gods as the Pagans haue Then to the end it should not seeme they did like vnto them that that which they did to the honour of their God was done to the honour of strange Gods or that it might not seeme that therby they did allow their manner of dealing so farre is it that God would permit it to be lawfull for the people of Israel to communicate with the blasphemies sacriledges abominations of Idolaters that he would not suffer them only to haue any agreement with theÌ„ in ceremonies in their maner of doings with theÌ„ he would not suffer them to haue so much as in the outward thinges euen those which otherwise might haue beene indifferent lawful why did he forbid this so sharply but for the causes aboue sayd to keepe his people alwaies yâ— better wtout waÌ„dering froÌ„ his seruice Wherfore if we wil be accounted Gods people Sect. The office of Gods people we must be holy both in body soule witnes by our words works that we are his children that the works of the wicked displease vs or at the least that wee allowe them not for wheÌ„ the Apostle forbiddeth vs to be partakers of the works of darknes coÌ„mandeth vs rather to reproue theÌ„ he doth sufficiently shew vs that wee cannot be childreÌ„ of light if we do not wholy renounce darknes that we caÌ„not be separated froÌ„ Idolaters Infidels if we coÌ„fourme our selues to their maners their works coÌ„uersation And therfore for a man to boast himself to be faithful outwardly to allow idolatrie to giue good couÌ„tenaÌ„ce to idolatries are things with caÌ„not agree together in a true seruaÌ„t of god Let vs not think our selues excused before god Sect. nor in the coÌ„scieÌ„ce of those with are faithful indeed in saying I know wel enough what my heart is what couÌ„tenaÌ„ce soeuer I cary or what godly shew soeuer I make yet put I no trust neither haue I any deuotion in Idoles but I worship the onely God in my heart it is better yet to doe thus then to persecute the truth and for a man to shewe himselfe an open enemie vnto God But yet it is impossible that the heart should be free from Idolatrie when al the body is defiled and doth reuerence vnto strange Gods to the enemie of God what good heart soeuer a subiect can beare to his prince yet could not the prince beare it that he should do homage to another that he should cary weapon against his natural prince Men say commonly that he the sweareth by art for sweareth him selfe by art we ought not to thinke that the heart remaineth vnsworne if the tongue forsweare it self for we must vnderstand the othe according to the meaning of him that giueth it and not after the meaning of him that