others bosome while we receiue it what to abhorre leauen in that holy Bread what to celebrate loue feasts vpon the receipt what to abstaine from all strangled and bloud what to depend vpon a maintenance arbitrary and vncertaine what to spend our daies in a perpetuall pererration as not onely the Apostles but the Prophets and Euangelists some ages after Christ whosoeuer would impose all these on vs he should surely make vs not the Sonnes but the slaues of the Apostles Gods Church neuer helde her selfe in such seruile termes yea Christ himselfe gaue at first some precepts of this nature which he reuersed ere long when hee sent the Disciples to preach hee charges take not gold nor siluer nor money in your girdles afterwards Iudas carried the bag He charges not to take so much as a staffe yet after behold two swords should the Disciples haue held their master to his owne rule Is it necessary that what he once commaunded should be obserued alwayes The very next age to these Christian Patriarcks neither would nor durst haue so much varied her rites or augmented them if it had found it selfe tyed either to number or kind As yet it was pure chast and which was the ground of all persecuted The Church of Rome distributed the sacramentall Bread the Church of Alexandria permitted the people to take it the Churches of Affricke and Rome mixed their holy wine with water other colder regions dranke it pure Some kneeled in their prayers others fell prostrate and some lifted vp eies hands feet towards heauen some kept their Easter according to the Iewish vse the foureteenth of March the French as Nicephorus the eight of the Calends of Aprill in a set solemnity the Church of Rome the Sunday after the fourteenth Moone which yet as Socrates truly writes was neuer restrained by any Gospell by any Apostle That Romish Victor ouercame the other world in this point with too much rigour whose censure therfore of the Asian Churches was iustly censured by Irenaeus VVhat should I speake of their difference of facts there can scarce bee more variety in daies or meates It hath euer beene thus seene according to our Anselmes rule that the multitude of different ceremonies in all Churches hath iustly commended their vnitie in faith The French Diuines preach couered vpon the same rule which required the Corinthians to be vncouerd we bare The Dutch sit at the Sacrament we kneele Geneua vseth wafers wee leauened bread they common vestures in Diuine seruice we peculiar each is free no one doth either blames or ouer rule others I cannot but commend those very Nouatian Bishops though it is a wonder any precedent of peace should fall from schismaticks who meeting in Councel together enacted that Canon of indifferency when the Church was distracted with the differences of her Paschall solemnities conluding how insufficient this cause was to disquiet the Church of Christ Their owne issue our Separatists will needes be vnlike them in good and striue to a further distance from peace whiles in a conceit not lesse idle theÌ„ scrupulous they presse vs to an vniforme coÌ„formity in our fashions to the Apostles Their owne practise condemnes them They call for some and yet keepe not all yet the same reason enforces all that pleads for some and that which warrants the forbearance of some holds for all Those tooles which serue for the foundation are not of vse for the roof Yea the great master builder chose those workmen for the first stones which he meant not to imploy in the walls Doe wee not see all Christs first agents extraordinary Apostles Euangelists Prophets Prophetesses See wee not fiery and clouen tongues descending What Church euer since boasted of such founders of such meanes Why wolâ—d God begin with those which he meant not to continue but to shew vs we may not alwayes looke for one face of things The nurse feeds and tends her child at first afterward hee is vndertaken by the discipline of a Tutor must he be alwaies vnder the spoone and ferule because hee began so If he haue good breeding it matters not by whose hands VVho can deny that we haue the substance of all those royall Lawes which Christ and his Apostles left to his Church what do we how thus importunately catching at shadows If there had beene a necessity of hauing what we want or wanting what we haue let vs not so farre wrong the wisedome and perfection of the law-giuer as to thinke he would not haue enioined that and forbidden this His silence in both argues his indifferency and cals for ours which while it is not peaceably intertayned there is clamour without profite malice without cause and strife without ende To my Lady Mary Denny EP. III. Contayning the description of a Christian and his differences from the worldling MADAM IT is true that worldly eyes can see no difference betwixt a Christian another man the out-side of both is made of one clay and cast in one mould both are inspired with one common breath Outward euents distinguish them not those God neuer made for euidences of loue or hatred So the seÌ„ses can perceiue no difference betwixt the reasonable soule that which informes the beast yet the soul knows there is much more then betwixt their bodies The same holds in this Faith sees more inward diffrence then the eye sees outward resemblance This point is not more high then material which that it may appeare let me shew what it is to be a Christian You that haue felt it can secoÌ„d me with your experience and supply the defects of my discourse He is the liuing temple of the liuing God where the deity is both resident worshipped The highest thing in a man is his owne spirit but in a Christian the spirit of God which is the God of spirits No grace is wanting in him those which there are want not stirring vp Both his hart his hands are cleane All his outward purity flowes from within neither doth he frame his soul to counterfait good actioÌ„s but out of his holy dispositioÌ„ commands and produces them in the sight of God Let vs begin with his beginning and fetch the Christian out of his nature as another Abraham from his Chaldea whiles the wordling liues and dies in nature out of God The true conuert therfore after his wilde and secure courses puts himselfe through the motions of gods spirit to schoole vnto the lawe there he learnes what he should haue done what hee could not do what he hath done what he hath deserued These lessons cost him many a stripe and many a teare and not more griefe then terror For this sharpe master makes him feele what sinne is and what hell is and in regard of both what himselfe is When he hath well smarted vnder the whip of this seuere vsher and is made vile enough in himselfe then is he led vp into the higher schoole of Christ there taught the comfortable
EPISTLES THE THIRD AND LAST VOLVME CONTAINING two Decades By IOSEPH HALL Doctor of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for E. Edgar and A. Garbrand at the Wind-mill in Pauls Church yard 1611. TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCE HENRIE Prince of Wales all happinesse Most Gracious Prince LET mee not whiles I desire to be dutifull seeme importunate in my dedications I now bring to your Highnesse these my last and perhaps most materiall Letters wherein if I mistake not as how easily are wee deceiued in our owne the pleasure of the varietie shall striue with the importance of matter There is no worldly thing I confesse whereof I am more ambitious then of your Highnesses contentment which that you place in goodnesse is not more your glory then our ioy Do so still and heauen and earth shall agree to blesse you and vs in you For me after this my officious boldnesse I shall betake myselfe in silence to some greater worke wherein I may approue my seruice to the Church and to your Highnes as her second ioy and care My heart shall be alwaies and vpon al opportunities my tong and pen shall no lesse gladly bee deuoted to my gracious Master as one Who reioyce to be your Highnesses though vnworthy yet faithfull and obsequious Seruant IOS HALL THE SVMME OF THE SEVERALL EPISTLES DECAD V. EP. I. TO my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wels. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery 1. EP. II. To my Lord B. of Worcester Shewing the differences of the present Church from the Apostolicall and needlesnesse of our conformity thereto in all things 21. EP. III. To my Lady MARY DENNY Containing the discription of a Christian and his differences from the worldling 33. EP. IIII. To my L. HONORIA HAY. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptisme and the estate of those which necessarily want it 43. EP. V. To Sir RICHARD LEA since deceased Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions 57. EP. VI. To Master PETER MOVLIN Preacher of the Church at Paris Discoursing of the late French occurrents and what vse God expects to be made of them 69. EP. VII To M. THOMAS SVTTON Exciting him and in him all others to early and chearefull beneficence shewing the necessity and benefit of good workes 77. EP. VIII To E. B. Dedicated to Sir GEORGE GORING Remedies against dulnes and hartlesnesse in our callings and encouragements to chearefulnesse in labour 91. EP. IX To S. H. I. Discussing this Question Whether a man and wife after some yeares mutuall and louing fruition of each other may vpon consent whether for secular or religious causes vowe and performe a perpetuall separation from each others bed and absolutely renounce all carnall knowledge of each other for euer 101 EP. X. To M. WILLIAM KNIGHT Incouraging him to persist in the holy calling of the ministery which vpon conceit of his insufficiency and want of affection he seemed inclining to forsake and change 115 DECAD VI. EP. I. TO my Lord DENNY A particular account how our dayes are or should be spent both common and holy 1 EP. II. To M. T. S. Dedicated to Sir FVLKE GREVILL Discoursing how wee may vse the world without danger 13 EP. III. To S. GEORGE FLEETVVOOD Of the remedies of sinne and motiues to auoide it 21 EP. IIII. To M. Doctor MILBVRNE Discoursing how farre and wherein Popery destroieth the foundation 31. EP. V. Written long since to I. W. Disswading from separation and shortly oppugning the grounds of that errour 41. EP. VI. To Master I. B. A complaint of the mis-education of our Gentry 65 EP. VII To Master IONAS REIGES BERGIVS in Zeland Written some whiles since concerning some new opinions then broaced in the Churches of Holland and vnder the name of Arminius then liuing perswading all great wits to a studie and care of the common Peace of the Church and disswading from al affectation of singularity 75 EP. VIII To W. I. condemned for murder Effectually preparing him and vnder his name whatsoeuer Malefactor for his death 83. EP. IX To Master IOHN MOLE of a long time now prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome Exciting him to his wonted constancie and incouraging him to Martyrdome 93. EP. X. To all Readers Containing Rules of good aduice for our Christian and ciuill carriage 107. Errata DECAD V. PAge 3. line 11. read setlednes for seelednes p. 12. l. 16. read their for they p. 14. l. 4. r. stales for stalls p. 17. l. 13. r. great oppugnation for Great oppugnation p. 23. l. 15. r. person for persons p. 27. l. 19. r. Fastes for Facts p. 28. vlt r. concluding for concluding p. 37. l. 9 r. ingrosses for ingrosse p. 44. l. 2. read heard for hard p. 72. l. 10. r. Duels for Doels p. 72. l. 20. r. Cotton for Cotten p. 74. l. 12. r. holy for wholy p. 84. penult r. death-bed for dead bed p. 92. l. 4. r. more weake for more weaker p. 98. 7. r. our price for our pride p. 104. l. 12. r. then euer forthen neuer p. 110. l. 1. r. matrimoniall for matrimonicall p. 115. l. 8. r. I am not more for I am more p 116. l. r. 20 appose vs for oppose vs DECAD VI. PAge 39. l. 6. r. Judges for Iudge p. 66. l. 19. r. Ruffians for ruffianlike p. 73. l. 5. r. glad for gald p. 87. l. 20. r. let for lets p. 110. l. 12. r. yeeld for yeelds p. 112. l. 11. r. probation for prouation The fifth Decade EPISTLE I. To my Lord Bishop of Bathe and Wels. EP. I. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery BY what meanes the Romish religion hath in these latter times preuailed so much ouer the world Right Reuerend and honourable is a consideration both weighty and vse-full for hence may we frame our selues either to preuent or imitate them To imitate them in what wee may or preuent them in what they should not I meddle not with the meanes of their first risings the munificence of Christian Princes the honest deuotions of wel-meaning Contributers the diuision of the Christian world the busie indeauours of forward Princes for the recouery of the holy land with neglect of their owne the ambitious insinuations of that sea the same and large dominiō of those seuen hils the compacted indulgence and conniuence of some treacherous of other timorous rulers the shameles flattery of parasites the rude ignorance of Times or if there be any other of this kinde My thoughts and wordes shall be spent vpon the present and latest age All the world knowes how that pretended chayre of Peter tottered and cracked some threescore yeares agoe threatning a speedy ruine to her fearefull vsurper How is it that still it stands and seemes now to boast of some setlednesse Certainely if hell had not contriued a new support the Angell had long since saide It is fallen it is fallen and the Merchants Alas Alas the great Citie The brood of that lame
not more desirous to teach the ignoraunt what I knowe then to learne of you what I should teach know not The Lord direct all our thoughts to his glory the behoofe of his Church EPIST. V. Written long since to Mr. I. VV. ¶ Disswading from seperation shortly oppugning the grounds of that errour IN my former Epistle I confesse J touched the late seperation vvith a light hand onely setting downe the iniurie of it at the best not discussing the groundes in common now your daunger drawes me on to this discourse it is not much lesse thanke-woorthy to preuent a disease then to cure it you confesse that you doubt I mislike it not doubting is not more the way to errour then to satisfaction lay downe first all pride and preiudice and I cannot fear you I neuer yet knew any man of this way which hath not bewraide himselfe far gone with ouer-weening and therefore it hath beene iust with God to punish their selfe loue with error an humble spirit is a fit subiect for trueth prepare you your heart and let mee then answere or rather God for mee you doubt whether the notorious sin of one vnreformed vncensured defile not the whole Congregation so as we may not without sinne communicate therewith why not the whole Church wo were vs if we should thus liue in the daunger of all men haue we not sins enow of our own but we must borrow of others Each man shal beare his own burden is ours so light that we cal for more waight vndertake what God neuer imposed It was enough for him that is God man to bear others iniquities it is no taske for vs which shrink vnder the least of our owne But it is made ours you say thogh anothers by our toleration conniuence indeede if we consent to them encourage them imitate or accompany them in the same excesse of ryot yet more the publicke person that forbeares a knowne sin sinneth but if each mans known sinne be euery mans what difference is betwixt the roote and the braunches Adams sinne spread it selfe to vs because wee were in him stood or fell in him our case is not such Do but see how God scorneth that vniust Prouerbe of the Iewes That the fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge How much lesse are straungers Js any bond so neere as this of blood Shall not the childe smart for the Parent and shall wee euen spiritually for others You obiect Achans stealth Israels punishment an vnlike case extraordinary for see how direct Gods charge is Be ye ware of the execrable thing least ye make your selues execrable and in taking of the execrable thing make also the hoast of Israell execrable and trouble it Now euery man is made a party by a peculiar iniunction and not onely all Israell is as one man but euery Israelite is a publicke person in this act you cannot shewe the like in euery one no not in any it was a lawe for the present not intended for perpetuity you may as well challenge the Trumpets of Rammes-hornes and seauen dayes walke vnto euery siedge Looke else where the Church of Thyatira suffers the Woman Iezabel to teach and deceyue A great sinne Yet to you saith the spirit the rest of Thyatira as many as haue not this learning I will put vpon you none other burden but that which you haue holde fast Hee saith not Leaue your Church but Hold fast your owne Look into the practise of the Prophets ransacke their burdens and see if you find this there yea beholde our best patterne the sonne of God The Iewish Rulers in Christ time were notoriously couetous proud oppressing cruel superstitious our Sauiour feared not polluting in ioyning with them and was so far frō seperating himselfe that he called sent others to them But a little Leauen Leauens the whole lumpe it is true by the infection of it sinne where it is vnpunnished spreadeth it so wreth al those whose hands are in it not others If we dislike it detest resist reproue and mourn for it we cannot be tainted the Corinthian loue-feasts had grosse and sinfull disorder yet you heare not Paul say Abstaine from the Sacrament till-these bee reformed Rather he enioynes the act and controules the abuse GOD hath bidden you heare and receiue shew me where he hath sayd except others be sinfull Their vncleannesse can no more defile you then your holinesse can excuse them But while J communicate you say I consent God forbid It is sinne not to cast out the deseruing but not yours who made you a Ruler a Iudge The vnclean must be seperated not by the people I Would you haue no distinction betwixt priuate and publicke persons What strange confusion is this And what other then the olde note of Corah and his company Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them wherfore then lift you vp your selues aboue the congregation of the Lorde What is if this bee not to make a monster of Christs body hee is the heade his Church the body consisting of diuers limbes All haue their seuerall faculties and imployments not euery one al who would immagine any man so absurd as to say that this body shold be al toong or al hands euery man a Teacher euery man a Ruler As if Christ had sayde to euery man Goe teach and whose sinnes ye remit Howe Sencelesse are these two extreames Of the Papists that one man hath the Keyes Of the Brownists that euerie man hath them But these priuiledges and charges are giuen to the Church True to be executed by hir Gouernours the faculty of speech is giuen to the whole man but the vse of it to the proper Instrument Man speaketh but by his toong if a voice should be heard from his hand eare foote it were vnnaturall Now if the tongue speak not when it ought shall we be so foolish as to blame the hand But you say If the tongue speake not or speak ill the whole man smarteth the man sinneth I graunt it but you shall set the naturall body on too hard a racke if you straine it in all thinges to the likenesse of the spirituall or ciuill The mēbers of that being quickned by the same soule haue charge of each other and therefore either stand or fall together It is not so in these If then notwithstanding vnpunnished sinnes wee may ioyne with the true Church Whether is ours such You doubt and your solicitors deny surely if wee haue many enormities yet none worse then rash and cruel iudgment let them make this a colour to depart from themselues there is no lesse woe to them that cal good euil To iudge one man is bold and daungerous Iudge then what it is to condemne a whole church God knowes as much without cause as without shame Vaine men may libel against the spouse of
Christ her husband neuer diuorc't her No his loue is still aboue their hatred his blessinges aboue their censures Do but ask them were we euer the true church of God If they deny it Who then were so Had God neuer Church vpon earth since the Apostles time till Barrow Greenwood arose And euen then scarce a number nay when or where was euer any man in the worlde except in the Schooles perhaps of Donatus or Nouatus that taught their Doctrine and now still hath hee none but in a blind lane at Amsterdam Can you thinke this probable If they affirme it when ceased we Are not the pointes controuerted still the same The same Gouernment the same doctrine Their minds are changed not our estate Who hath admonished euinced eccommunicated vs and when All these must be done Will it not be a shame to say that Francis Iohnson as he tooke power to excommunicate his Brother and Father so had power to excōmunicate his Mother the Church How base and idle are these conceits Are we then heretickes condemned in ourselues wherin ouerthroew wee the foundation What other God Sauiour Scriptures Iustification Sacraments Heauen do they teach beside vs Can al the Maisters of seperation yea can al the churches in Christendome set forth a more exquisite and woorthy confession of Faith then is contained in the Articles of the Church of England Who can hold these and be hereticall Or from which of these are we reuolted But to make this good they haue taught you to say that euery trueth in Scripture is fundamentall so fruitfull is errour of absurdities Whereof stil one breedes another more deformed then it selfe That Trophimus was left at Miletum sicke that Pauls Cloake was left at Troas that Gaius Paules hoast saluted the Romaines that Naball was drunke or that Thamar baked Cakes and a thousand of this nature are fundamentall how large is the separatists Creed that hath all these Articles If they say al Scripture is of the same author of the same authority so say we but not of the same vse is it as necessary for a Christian to knowe that Peter hosted with one Simon a tanner in Ioppd as that Iesus Christ the son of God was born of the Virgin Mary What a mōster is this of an opiniō that al trueths are equal that this spiritual house should be all foundation no wals no roofe Can no man be saued but hee that knowes euery thing in scripture Then both they and we are excluded heauē wold not haue so many as their Parlor at Amsterdam Can any man be saued that knowes nothing in Scripture It is far frō them to bee so ouercharitable to affirm it you see thē that both al truths must not of necessity be known some must these we iustly call fundamental which who so holdeth al his hay stubble through the mercy of God condemn him not stil he hath right to the church on erth hope in heauē but whither euery truth be fundamētal or necessary discipline you say is so indeed necessary to the wel-being of a church no more it may be true without it not perfect Christ cōpares his spouse to an army with banners as order is to an army so is Discipline to the Church if the troups be not well marshalled in their seuerall ranks moue not forward acording to the discipline of warre it is an army stil cōfusion may hinder their succes it cannot bereaue thē of their name it is as beautiful proportiō to the body an hedge to a vineyard a wal to a Citty an hem to a garment seeling to an house It may be a body vineyard Citty garment house without them it cannot be wel and perfect yet which of our aduersaries vvill say wee haue no Discipline Some they graunt but not the right as if they sayde Your Citty hath a Bricke-wall indeede but it should haue one of hewen stone your Vineyard is hedged but it should be paled ditched while they cauill at what wee want wee thanke God for what wee haue and so much we haue in spight of all detraction as makes vs both a true Church and a worthy one But the mayn quarrel is against our Ministery and forme of worship let these be examined this is the Circle of their censure No Church therefore no Ministery and no Ministery therefore no Church vnnatural sons that spit in the face of those spirituall Fathers that be got them and the Mother that bore them What woulde they haue Haue wee not competent guifts from aboue for so great a function Are we all vnlearned vnsufficient Not a man that knowes to deuide the word aright As Paul to the Corinthes is it so that there is not one wise man amongest vs No man vvill affirm it some of them haue censured our excesse in some knowledge none our defect in all What then Haue we not a true desire to do faithful seruice to God and his Church No zeal for Gods glory Who hath beene in our harts to see this Who dare vsurp vpon God condemn our thoughts Yea we appeale to that only Iudge of harts whether he hath not giuen vs a sincere longing for the good of his Syon he shall make the thoughts of al hearts manifest and then shall euerie man haue praise of God if then wee haue both ability and will to do publick good our inward calling which is the mayne poynt is good and perfect for the outward what want wee Are we not first after good triall presented approued by the learned in our Colledges examined by our church-gouernors ordaind by imposition of hāds of the eldership alowed by the congregations we are set ouer do we not labor in word doctrine do we not carefully administer the sacraments of the Lord Iesus haue we not by our publick means won many soules to God what shuld we haue do more Al this yet no true Ministers we passe very little to be iudged of thē or of mans day but our ordainers you say are Antichristian surely our censurers are vnchristian tho we shold grant it some of vs were baptized by hereticks is the sacrament annihilated and must it bee redoubled How much lesse ordination which is but an outward admission to preach the gospel God forbid that we shold thus condemne the innocent more hands were laid vpon vs then one of them for the principall except but their perpetual honor som few immateriall rites let an enemy say what they differ from Super-intendents can their double honor make them no elders Jf they haue any personal falts why is their calling scourged Looke into our Sauiours times what corruptions were in the very Priesthood It was now made annual which was before fixed singular Christ saw these abuses was silent heere was much dislike and no clamour we for lesse exclaim seperate euen personal offences are fetcht into the condemnation of lawfull courses God giue both pardon