Samaria were deuoured of Lyons he commanded that one of the Priests which had been brought from thence 2 Ki. 17 26 27. should be carried thether to teach them the manner of the God of the Country so that the superstitious King thought it his duty to see them instructed in the truth A notable example of a godly and religious care this way is in Iehosaphat who 2 Chron. 17 6 7 8 9 10. so soone as hee had taken away the high places and the groues out of Iudah hee sent out sundry of the Leuites that they should teach in the Cities and they taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the LORD with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This is the foundation and stay of all Kingdomes to giue entertainment to the word of God this maketh a wise King and a wise people So long as Magistrates countenance the truth and Preachers of it they secure theyr owne estates and are blessed of God which ought to bee an encouragement vnto them not to bee slacke or slothfull in spreading abroad the Gospell of Christ Lastly because it were troublesome and tedious to go about to rehearse all their duties we breefely number vp the rest It is their duty therefore to be good examples of piety and godlinesse of life to the people and to prouide for them al things necessary for the body to aske counsell of the mouth of the Lord in theyr weighty affaires that is the ministery of the word and to yeeld obedience vnto it to exhort their inferiors in time of publike calamities to earnest repentance and to expresse the same by prayer and fasting to know the cause throughly before they proceed to giue sentence to punish euill dooers and defend the innocent and to establish such positiue lawes as are necessary for the maintenance of order and decency in the Common-wealth Vse 4 Lastly seeing Magistrates are necessary for the Church and Common-wealth it putteth those that are vnder them in minde of theyr duties partly in regard of themselues partly in regard of the Magistrates and partly in respect of God Touching themselues they must know they be no burdens to the Common-wealth nor superfluous parts that may be spared they are as the head or heart of the body or as the eye in the head all depend vpon their welfare so all depend vpon the Kings and Princes welfare If he be vpholden the Common-wealth standeth if he be vnregarded the Common-wealth falleth He is as necessary as the Sunne in the Firmament yea as fire and water and breathing without which we cannot liue If we iudge otherwise of this ordinance of God we are deceiued wrong both them and our selues Againe we learne that their life and continuance is greatly to bee desired of Gods seruants It is the part and duty of all Subiects to craue their safety and protection that they may safe-guard and protect both Church and Common-wealth Yea Rulers themselues in regard of this end which ought daily to bee before their eies may desire of God to lengthen their daies and to continue their happy reigne that together with the Saints they may do seruice to God in his Church in this respect I say they may desire life not so much aiming at their owne priuate good for in that respect it were better to bee dissolued to be with the Lord as respecting the generall vtility of their people What greater glory what higher honour can they haue then this to be the stay and defence of the church that otherwise were like to decay and goe to ruine and to continue the seuerall parts of it in well-doing That good King Hezekiah foreseeing by the word of the Lord the miserable estate of the Church that should bee after his death and considering with great anguish of heart the wofull effects that were like to follow he turned himselfe in his bed to the wall and wept and was greeued to depart hence Esay 38 18 ◠saying The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that go downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I do this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth He desired of God to liue and prayed vnto God to prolong his daies not to lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren not to glory in the smoke of lofty titles not to tyrannize ouer the people not to command the things that are vniust or to punish such as do not deserue it but to do good to the Church and to set foorth Gods praise Death indeede which bringeth the dissolution of nature is a welcome guest to them that are the Lords all the godly do make themselues ready to receiue him to meete and entertaine him and so Kings Princes among the rest howbeit in this respect that the Church may bee benefited by them it is no matter of impiety to desire a longer continuance among Gods people much more then is it the duty of such as are vnder them and gouerned by them to desire their continuance as the daies of heauen and as the course of the Sunne to bee Nurses to the godly This was wont to be a common salutation vsed of the people toward theyr Princes not onely of the Infidels but by the faithfull seruants of God Dan. 2 4 and 6 21 and 3 9 and 5 10. When the King came to visite Daniel being cast into the den of Lyons the Prophet so soone as hee heard him saide O King liue for euer that is GOD grant vnto thee a long life Last of all whensoeuer we haue a wise and worthy a godly and religious Prince giuen to vs it is our duty to be thankfull If the Lord grant vnto a Land a prudent and prouident Prince to reigne ouer thē whose heart is bent to seeke the Lord and to serue the GOD of his fathers the people that breathe vnder his shadow must praise the holy name of God It is their duty to pray that princes may be such and to commend them to God with all faithfulnesse For if they must pray for others much more for them When Salomon was annointed with oyle taken out of the Sanctuary they blew the Trumpet and all the people said God saue King Salomon 1 King 1 39 So the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorteth that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority 1 Tim. 2 1 2 3 that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour Now as we are to pray for them so wee are to praise God for them wee are not to forget the least blessings nor to be vnmindfull of smaller benefits and therefore we are much more bound to be thankfull
ignorantly like the blinde man that hitteth the white cannot be accepted of him or looke for any reward at his hands God will accept of none to be his seruants that know him not Will any man receiue into his seruice one that cannot see to dispatch his businesse and shall we thinke that God will admit blinde men that regard not to vnderstand his wayes and want their spirituall eyes to discerne betweene good and euill This we see by sundry examples as Psal 95.10 where the Lord rendreth this reason why the people erred in their hearts and greeued him forty yeeres in the wildernesse Psal 95.10 because they had not knowne his wayes It was the cause why the Sadduces denyed the resurrection Matt. 22.29 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God This caused the Iewes to crucifie the Lord of life Act. 3.17 Now brethren I wote that through ignorance ye did it as did also your rulers for if they had knowne him they would not haue crucified the Lord of life This is it that maketh the proud iusticiaries of the world to rest in their owne righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 because they know not the righteousnesse of God This was the cause of the idolatry of the Gentiles Gal. 4.8 When ye knew not God ye did seruice vnto them which by nature are no Gods So what was the cause but ignorance that moued Paul to persecute the Saints he rendreth this as the reason 1 Tim. 1.13 I was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and iniurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in vnbeliefe And as it is the roote that brancheth out into many sinnes so it is as pitch that defileth whatsoeuer it toucheth turneth good affections into euill and maketh them to decline and degenerate into sinne Religion deuotion hope feare being ioyned and guided with the eye and light of knowledge please God whereas without this sight they highly displease him For religion ioyned with ignorance begetteth and bringeth forth idolatry deuotion accompanyed with ignorance is no better then superstition hope ioyned with ignorance worketh presumption feare ioyned with ignorance engendreth desperation If we haue not knowledge to support and season vs we erre out of the right way and are deceiued beyond all measure Loue blinded with ignorance becommeth sottish Zeale patience and such like corrupted with ignorance are turned into brutish and sauage passions This reprooueth three sorts of men First the practise of the Church of Rome â—reâ— that taketh away the key of knowledge from the people and seeketh to bring in palpable darknesse These false teachers cannot endure that the people should enioy the light of the Scriptures They reade them in an vnknown tongue perswading them they may be most deuout when they are most ignorant that it shall goe well with them though they haue no faith of their owne but an implicit faith to beleeue as the Church beleeueth albeit they know not what it beleeueth These are they that notably abuse the people to their perdition and bewitch them with spirituall socery as they that bring Gods iudgments vpon their heads â—â—8 â— 13. and 〈◊〉 1. â— 10. â— 1. 8. for when a land is destitute of the knowledge of God al things are couered with darknesse and the persons are liable to his fearefull iudgements as is euident by sundry places of Scripture Dauid saith the blind and lame that mocked at him were hated of his soule so that such should not enter into his house 2. Sam. 5.8 Such as are spiritually blinde shall neuer enter into Gods kingdome they are all seers that shall come thither The want of naturall sight is nothing in comparison of the want of the eyes of the minde Our Sauiour pronounceth them blessed that are pure in heart â— 5.8 because they shall see God This sight of the minde is two fold partly in this life partly in the life to come one of them vnperfect the other perfect when we shall see him as he is This is eternall life to know God â— 3.2 it is eternall death not to know him and to be ignorant that God is our father that Christ is our redeemer and that the holy Ghost is our sanctifier â—â—econd â—ofe The second reproofe is of those that are children in knowledge that liue in the light and yet can see nothing The Sunne shineth brightly in their faces yet they shut their eyes Many thinke they haue religion enough if they haue a good mind and meaning and leade a ciuil life among their neighbours who like not such busy fellowes that will be medling euermore with the Scriptures They are accounted honest men and are well liked of all they pay that they owe they are iust of their word they deceiue no man But this ciuil conuersation and honest behauiour shall profit them nothing nor be able to bring them into the fauour of God nor giue them any title to the kingdome of heauen so long as they are destitute of knowledge forasmuch as they haue God their aduersary who will contend with them and plead against them neither will he know them that regard not to know him Others despise it and contemne it like the foole or idiot that casteth away a pearle or precious stone not knowing the value or worth of it These come to the Church sometimes and heare the word of God both read preached and yet are not so much as acquainted with the histories of the Scripture the principles of religion which are as milke for yong children They know not what faith is they are not acquainted with the meanes of our iustification they know not the difference betweene the Law and the Gospel neither the vse of the one or the other they cannot discerne any thing betweene the religion of Christ and of Antichrist Lastly The third reproofe it serueth to stoppe the mouthes of all proude and malicious slaunderers of the Gospel that accuse the preaching and publishing thereof as the cause of the sinnes and enormities that abound among vs as also of the plagues and pnishments that God hath inflicted vpon the land These men vttering the froth and scumme of their soule mouthes and belching vp the venome of their poisoned hearts cry out It was neuer wel since this new religion sprung vp since there was so much teaching and preaching that we haue so much knowledge and learning that we are well the worse for it The cause of Gods iudgements is not the preaching of the Gospel but the contempt of the Gospel and because we haue the light but loue darkenesse more then the light God iustly giueth ouer such prophane beasts into a reprobate sense Our great ignorance is the cause of our sinnes and that we are children of darkenesse rather then of the day of the night not of the light Are not these ashamed to say that the light of the Sun causeth men to stumble and goe
apostacy neither for any other cause then this that they would not agree and consent with the Church of Rome in the celebration of Easter Thus we see how that Church was alwaies prone to draw out this censure for things indifferent and matters of a meane nature like quarrellers that haue their hand vpon their dagger for euery word speaking Againe as it is an abuse through lightnesse and rashnesse to pronounce and denounce so sharp a iudgement The second reproofe to cut off offenders as a razor from the body of Christ without iust weighty cause so it is a great fault when through remissnesse and negligence this wholesome seuerity is not executed Thus partly through leuity and partly through lenity due discipline is omitted when iust occasion requireth it should be practised For as letting of blood is not to be vsed for euery cause so to preserue life it is to be vsed Great is the reuerence that is to be vsed when we come to any of the exercises of our faith and religion and therfore the mysteries of God and godlinesse are not through great licentiousnes and without any punishment to be prophaned and so holy things to be prostituted and set open to adulterers fornicators drunkards blasphemers contentious persons and to all kind of vicious and sinfull liuers This were as Christ our Sauiour teacheth Matth. 7.6 To cast precious things before dogs and swine For as it is an offence to denounce the sentence of excommunication when it ought not and where it ought not so is it also not to denounce it both when and where it ought As iustice is one of the sinewes of the Common-wealth so is it of the Church Beside this there is also another danger to the Church it selfe For it is to be feared lest the rest of the body be infected with the same contagion forasmuch as one scabbed sheepe infecteth the whole flocke yea themselues that be such doe heape vp and double their condemnation when they presume to come without repentance to the Lords Table This fault was found by Christ with the Church of Pergamus and Thyatira Reuel 2.14 15 20. It had those among them that maintained the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing Christ hated and suffered the woman Iezabel to teach and to deceiue his seruants to make theÌ„ commit fornication to eat meats sacrificed to idols which things ought not to haue bene winked at It is the duty of the Church to purge the body from such and to ease it selfe of them It is worthy counsell giuen by the Apostle Hebr. 12.15 Looke diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God lest any roote of bitternesse springing vp trouble you and thereby many be defiled Where hee chargeth the Church not to suffer prophane persons to remaine among theÌ„ to the infectioÌ„ of others that they should prouide that no poysoned roote continued with them This is to be vnderstood rather of the persons then of the crimes committed by the persons as is that place also Deut. 29.18 from whence it is taken and to which he alludeth This is a fault in many good and flourishing Churches as it were a blemish in a faire face or a spot in a comely garment and this is a great occasioÌ„ of stumbling to those that haue separated themselues from vs. They thinke vs to be no better then a crew of conspirators against God and as a rout of rebels and a confused multitude of disordered persons Wherin albeit they are deceiued yet that is not enough to cleere our selues forasmuch as we ought to consider whether we doe not lay a stumbling blocke before them to make them fall True it is it may be a Church where this key is not rightly handled and where excommunication is not as life in that body that is full of euill humors which are not purged out So may it be where the Sacraments are disorderly administred and receiued and where they are not For excommunication is not of the essence of the Church â—mmuniâ—n not of â—ssence â—e church no more then the wall of a citie is essentiall to the citie or the hedge essentiall to the vineyard The wall may be cast downe and yet the City stand the hedge may be pulled vp and yet the vine remaine â—or 5.2 â— 1.2 The Church of the Corinthians was touched and blamed sharpely for this default in that they retained the incestuous person among them yet he writeth to them as to the true Church of God sanctified by Christ and Saints by calling The discipline is not the heart or life of the Church it is onely as the pulses and serueth as it were to feele the strength of it or it is as a purgation that serueth to procure the health of the body so the want thereof is the sickenesse and disease of the Church and maketh it not so faire so glorious and so beautifull as it would be neither so strong and mighty to keepe out wolues and other noysome rauenous beasts that wold root vp the vineyard or at least deface it and disgrace it because where it is practised duly executed it as a wal of brasse that the enemies cannot breake into the field of God We confesse therefore that albeit we haue the Church of God among vs which is the body of Christ yet is it not without some imperfection We haue very many trees of righteousnesse growing in this Orchard of God planted by the riuers of water bringing forth fruit in due season yet bushes and bryars that are fit to be burned are not cut downe by this axe of God that ought to haue beene laid to the rootes of them long agoe It is a foule fault to the garden to permit such bitter roots to spring vp in it and not to hook them and root them out by fit tools prouided for that purpose These noysome plants are to be displaced and displanted being more bitter then gall and wormewood and they ought to be so farre from remaining in the Church it selfe that they should not be suffered to sit in the Church porch They ought to be so far from comming to the Lords Table that we should not permit them to sit at our owne table We ought to be so farre from keeping them company that we should not bid them GOD speed We ought to be so farre from delighting in them and resorting to them that wee should not eat and drinke with them Wee ought to be so farre from suffering of them in the house of God that we ought not to come to their houses For so often as the word cannot preuaile with such the sword of God must be taken in hand against them Lastly The third reproofe it reprooueth the proud Bishop of Rome that taketh vpon him to excommunicate Kings and Princes to depose them from their crownes to depriue them of their kingdomes to free their subiects from their alleageance and to bestow their dignities
not able to hurt the soule wheras sinne infecteth the soule in which it dwelleth For as a man consisteth of two parts the body and the minde so he is afflicted with two kind of maladies and the euils of the minde are greater then the euils of the body â—in de linâ—in praefa and more danger commeth from them then from these We must haue a true and right iudgement of sinne The common sort thinke him to be much more miserable that hath a dropsie who the more he drinketh the more he desireth then the man that is possessed with couetousnes which is a spiritual dropsie and is neuer satisfied As on the other side they hold him to be more happy that hath a faire and comely body then such a one as hath a faire and beautifull minde adorned with all good qualities of piety and the fruits thereof These preferre the body before the soule and earth before heauen â—â—e diseases â—he soule â—â—se then â—â—e of the â—â—dy The diseases of the body are many in number but the sickenesses of the soule are in a manner infinite and cannot be told and as they are moe in number so they are worse in working and in their effects they corrupt the best part of vs and make vs euill and miserable So doe not the diseases of the body they may vexe vs and paine vs afflict and disquiet vs but though we were sicke from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote though no soundnesse were in the body but wounds and bruises and putrifying soares as it was with Iob who seemed a very picture and patterne of all misery yet they cannot make vs euill men they cannot hurt the soule they cannot separate vs from God Nay the diseases of the body are so farre from destroying of vs that oftentimes they are medicines to cure the diseases of the minde and chastisements are notable instructions whereas the maladies of the body doe for the most part arise of the maladies of the minde For sinne is the cause of sickenesse If we had not transgressed we had not beene visited with such diseases and in the end with death Moreouer those bodily diseases are iudged to be most dangerous and desperate that take away from the sicke party all sense and feeling of his estate all griefe and anguish of his misery forasmuch as the lesse he feeleth the more fearful is his estate the more neere to his end He that is afflicted with the gout or the stone and cryeth out of his misery and willeth the Physitian to be sent for in all haste is in better case and hath more hope to be eased and healed then he that hath a lethargy or frenzy of which one thinketh himselfe sound the other assaulteth the Physitian that commeth vnto him to doe him good Such for the most part are the diseases of the soule and such for the most part is the condition of sinfull persons they thinke themselues to be sound men they thinke they need not the helpe of the Physitian they would defie him that should tell them that they are dangerously sicke euen to the death They are captiues and bond-men and know it not They haue one foote in hell and see it not They are in great misery and feele it not Besides the minde is able to iudge of the diseases of the body but how shall it tell and declare the diseases of the minde seeing it is it selfe diseased If that part be sicke how shall it iudge of sicknesse A Physitian that is sick cannot iudge of himselfe but resorteth to some other because his minde is troubled Aristo polit lib which is the instrument of iudging So is it with all vnregenerate persons they want a right reformed iudgement to iudge of themselues and therefore oftentimes take or rather mistake vice for vertue darkenesse for light and errour for trueth Hence it is that they colour and disguise the face of vice that it might not appeare vgly and deformed as it is in his owne proper likenesse The vnquenchable thirst of getting and hauing is called prouidence and forecast enuy is accounted zeale the loue of himselfe is reputed to be wisedome euill speaking is couered with the title and stile of liberty in speaking Lastly the diseases of the soule are more foule and infectious they pearce deeper and spread farther then those of the body The diseases of the body though they seaze vpon some part yet they leaue other free that they come not neere if they be in the feet they do leaue the eyes and eares and sundry other parts whole and sound yea such as haue some one disease are obserued to be free from the rest There are some diseases that doe not touch or trouble old men some that vexe not yong men But it is not so in the diseases of the minde they corrupt the whole minde and bring a traine and taile of other with them so that one commeth not alone These are as the plagues and pestilences of the soule they spare not any degree any age any sexe they cannot be kept within any bounds but wander ouer the whole world with wonderfull speede and celerity Wherefore this reprooueth all such as make a mocke of sinne delighting in it and dalying with it Who will play with a serpent or sport himselfe with the cockatrice Sinne is worse it bringeth all diseases plagues paines and miseries whatsoeuer It is great folly to shunne sickenesse and death as most fearefull things and not to shunne the causes of them Vse 2 Secondly seeing sinne defileth both the persons that commit it and the places where it is committed it is our duty to walke so circumspectly that we beware of the contagious nature of it and that we be not soiled with it This one vse hath diuers branches and by them spreadeth it selfe hither and thither First it teacheth vs to looke to our footing that we do not fall but that if God haue giuen vs grace to stand we pray him also to giue vs grace to continue and perseuere vnto the end It is a great mercy that God vouchsafeth vnto those that are his when he keepeth them from euill that it hurteth them not The sorrowes of death compasse vs and the paines of hell get hold vpon vs we find trouble and sorrow we want not sundry enemies that enuiron vs round and seeke to preuent vs and to circumuent vs they wait vpon vs and watch ouer vs for euill we haue the diuell our enemy the world our enemy our corruption our enemy what shall we then say but pray to the Lord in the midst of all these dangers Psal 11â— 4 O Lord I beseech thee deliuer my soule And when he hath heard our prayers and we found his helpe at hand and succour in time of need what can we but in thankefull feeling of his fauour cry out with the Prophet Returne into thy rest Ver. 7 8. O my soule for the Lord
leaue this vse by disuse thereof Although it may seem hard vnto vs at the first yet if we labor to discontinue it we shall find it easie at the last The second cause is euill examples when we keep euill company we heare them we learne of them We cannot frequent the company of swearers but we shall haue othes rife in our eares The passage is easie from the care to the tongue That which we commonly heare we commonly talke off If then othes be rife in our eares they will quickly be ready in our mouthes And the reason is because the often practise of any sin maketh vs to haue the lesse sense and sorrow for sin lesse hatred and detestation of sin As it is in them that commit sin so it is in them that are present at it Touching these that are the practisers of it the Prophet saith Can the Ethiopian change his skin Iet 13.23 c. So is it also with these that frequent the society of common swearers it is hard to bee with them to come from them but we shal one way or other be partakers of their sinnes This sinne of swearing is not made the lesse by multitude of euill examples set before vs forasmuch as the multitude of them that sin doth rather make the sin more to be abhorred then excused and prouoketh Gods wrath more fiercely We are not to follow a multitude to do euill If we sin together Exod. 23.2 we shal also suffer together and if we offend with others we shall be punished with others The third cause is want of admonition For many sin this way that do not know they sinne many haue a custome in swearing that are ignorant they do sweare or at least that they swear so often or that the sin offence is so great who are of that flexible nature good disposition that if they knew the greeuousnesse of the sin or the greatnes of the danger would abstaine from doing euill It is an offence indeed in those that swear albeit they doe it of ignorance so is it also in those that pretending loue and friendship to those that vse it do not by admonition seeke to reclaime them The wise man saith Prou. 9.8 Reproue not a scorner lest he hate thee c. It is a fault generally among vs that we doe not exhort one another A word spoken in due season is comely and profitable like apples of gold in pictures of siluer pleasant words are as an hony combe Prou. 25.11 and 16.24 sweet to the soule and health to the bones No words are so sweet to the taste as those that aime at the soules good We may by this means be an occasion of sauing a soule by want of the performance of this dutie and by keeping silence when we ought not we may be partakers of their sinnes and we may be a meanes of damning their soules For what knowest thou O man whether thou mayest winne thy brother The last cause that shall now be touched furthering the sin of swearing is want of punishment It were to be wished that the Magistrate would sharpen the Law against this sin and other of the first Table that are of like nature concerned directly the glory of God The punishment is litle or none at al against it which maketh it so common And I would to God that they who should be most forward to redresse it had not the chiefe hand in this trespasse We are as men afraid to touch this sore and they that ought to reproue it haue taught their tongues to vse it I mean the Ministers of the word How then should they teach others that cannot teach themselues or how should they exhort others not to swear that haue learned commonly to sweare themselues Let all those therefore that are in authority whether their place be higher or lower looke to those that are vnder them There is no smoothering of sin or dealing gently and tenderly with it if we wil represse and redresse it Sinne is like to a nettle Sin is like vnto a nettle the more lightly you handle it the more it stingeth the way is to crush it harder If we deale mildely with sin we make it thereby to gather strength It is the blewnesse of a wound saith Salomon that purgeth euill Sinne is like a serpent in the egge or like a wolfe and lyon that is yong if they be suffred they sting vnto death and make vs their prey Slight and sheet punishment of any sin is after a sort an inuiting encouragement vnto it But some man wil farther obiect without swearing men Obiect 2 will not beleeue me they doubt of my word an oath putteth the matter out of question I answer Answer he that will not beleeue thee without an oth in thy communication neither wil hee with an oth For he that is a common swearer may well be presumed or suspected to be a cōmon liar whosoeuer maketh no conscience of the greater will make no conscience of the lesser sin The prophet Hoseah complaining of the corruptions that reigned in his time ioyneth these together as it were coupleth thē in one yoke Hosea 4.2 by swearing and lying they break out It is not thy facing out-facing thy swearing staring that can procure thee credit among those that are sober minded forasmuch as they that will commonly swear will also forswear Salomon teacheth that in many words there wanteth not folly Prou. 10.19 so in many othes there wanteth not periury Wouldest thou be beleeued and haue mē rest in thy sayings without doubting or gainsaying accustome thy tongue to speak the truth be ashamed to be taken with a lie gain a good report to thy self by gouernment of thy tongue and setting a watch before the dore of thy mouth pondering thy words before thou vtter them and examine thy speach Obiect 3 before thou speake it But some will pretend a necessity wherby they are vrged and say they cānot liue without swearing they obiect that men will not buy of them and that they shall neuer be able to vtter their wares without it Nay Answer the wiser sort beleeue thee the lesse and buy of thee the lesse It maketh them look the better about them and watch thy fingers that hast set no watch before thy mouth They see thou makest no more conscience of an oath then a dogge doth to wag his taile but thou must remember that goods gotten by forgery lying deceit and swearing shall not prosper long nor continue euer Hag. 1.6 Prou. 13.11 and 1.2 〈◊〉 12.27 They put their gaines in a bottomlesse bag Salomon is plentifull in handling this point in diuers places Wealth gotten by vanity c. The treasures of wickednesse c. Albeit euill men may prosper for a time yet they shal not long enioy their stollē goods For goods wrongfully gotten are stollen and thou hast no better title vnto them then the theefe
performed by and by we are not to prescribe to God his seasons hee knoweth when to strike and how to punish It is well said by the Prophet Hab. 2 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speake and not lie though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come it will not tarry For albeit God may seeme to vs to deferre the time or to forget his seruants yet he will try our patience and obedience as wee see in the place named before Heere is the patience and faith of the Saints Reuel 13 10. We must not make too much haste but wait for the accomplishment of those things hauing withall a liuely faith and full assurance to beleeue that in Gods appointed time they shall come to passe He is faithfull that hath promised and cannot lye he is true of his word that hath spoken and cannot deceiue Woe therefore vnto all those that deale vniustly and violently with Gods inheritance they touch his annointed and they that do them harme do touch the apple of his eye so that they cannot escape vengeance Ver. 28. And if the woman bee not defiled but be cleane then she shall be free In the former verse Moses hath shewed the punishment that shal come vpon the guilty person which punishment is sutable to the sinne committed thereby to cleere his owne iustice and to terrifie all persons from committing sinne In these wordes wee haue matter of wonderfull great comfort for the innocent person For howsoeuer GOD setteth downe diuers hard and heauy threatnings as greeuous burdens to be borne against all wicked and vngodly persons yet hee is euermore carefull of his children that they be not oppressed with sorrow and ouermuch heauinesse of minde forasmuch as hee hath a remnant that call vpon him Luke 7. wisedome is alwaies iustified of her children Behold heere a contrary effect and operation in drinking of these bitter waters according to the contrary condition of those that dranke of them Such as were guilty of the sinne of adultery they turned to their horrible destruction and became as it were rank poison their bellies swelled their thighes rotted and the parts which they had shamefully abused miserably perished But such as were indeed innocent suspected without iust cause and accused without due proofe and examined without sufficient triall of the fact committed through the iealousie of their vncharitable husbands and had kept the marriage bed vndefiled those bitter waters should not be bitter vnto them they should not hurt or hinder them at all neither worke any dangerous effect in them but rather bee wholesome and healthfull vnto them God himselfe the iust GOD and the maintainer of iustice will bring the truth to light that was hid in darknesse and turne the hearts of their husbands toward them so that they should liue in godly loue and charity together and see to their endlesse ioy and comfort the fruite of their bodies the hope of their houses the staffe and stay of their age I meane their children the heritage of the Lord. Wee learne from this first promise Doctrine that God maketh knowne the innocency of his seruants God wil mâ—â— the innocency of his seâ—uants â—roâ—â— For howsoeuer the faithfull may be falsely accused and haue many slanderous imputations laide vnto their charge yet God will make their cause to bee rightly knowne and discouer the truth in despight of their enemies This is confirmed vnto vs by many examples in the old and new Testament Ioseph being solde into Egypt was greeuously accused by his mistresse and cruelly imprisoned by his master impudency and incontinency in the one cruelty and credulity in the other Gen. 39 â—â— were the causes that he was put into prison in the place where the Kings prisoners lay bound his case might seeme now to be desperate and he to be for euer in displeasure and out of fauour and no hope left vnto him to be deliuered from thence where his feete were held in the stockes and he laid in irons Psal 10â— 1â— yet when the appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord had tried him hee made his cause knowne Gen. 39. The Lord was with Ioseph shewed him mercy and got him fauour in the sight of the master of the prison c. Whereby we see that at the first he was vsed hardly and had fetters of iron cast vpon him as an euill dooer but afterward hee was more mildely and mercifully handled when as his innocency was made knowne The like we might say of Dauid who in all his dealings toward Saul carried himselfe wisely obediently and vprightly as became the Kings sonne subiect and seruant yet he was persecuted from place to place and hated euen vnto the death and hunted as a Partridge vpon the Mountaines yea he found no rest for the soles of his feete like the Doue sent out of the Arke in the time of the flood and ouerflowing of the waters Gen. 8 9. But when Saul saw that the lap was cut off from his garment and the speare and pot of water that was at his head taken away he said to Dauid Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred me good and I haue rendred thee euill and thou hast shewed this day that thou hast dealt well with mee forasmuch as when the lord had closed me in thine hands thou killedst me not c. but my soule was precious in thine eyes 1 Sam. 24 18. and 26 20 21. So did God deale with Ieremy when he was slandered and falsely accused to be a conspiratour and to weaken the hands of the people and when he was cast into prison the Lord raised vp some to fauour him who made his case knowne and he was deliuered Christ Iesus was charged to be a blasphemer of God an enemy of Caesar an author of sedition and a disturber of the peace howbeit his greatest enemies that sate in iudgement of him pronounced him innocent and confessed that the Pharisees and Priests for enuy had deliuered him I will adde one example more and that shall be the blessed Virgin who being betrothed to Ioseph before they came together as man and wife shee was found to be with childe by the holy Ghost Math. 1 18 19 20. Then she began to be suspected of incontinency and Ioseph being a iust man and not willing to make her a publike example was minded to put her away seretly What then doth God leaue her destitute and him perplexed her in suspicion and him in his resolution to depart from her No for as she was innocent and not faulty of that crime so did he make her innocency and integrity knowne for whiles he thought these things behold an Angel of the Lord appeared vnto him in a dreame saying Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghost All which testimonies make
ye sware vnto her Therfore the Prophet teacheth that he shall dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord Psal 15 4. and rest in his holy hill That sweareth to his owne hinderance and changeth not If there be no faith in our words nor truth in our dealings nor constancy in our promises but that we can take vppe the name of God in our mouths and vse it as a colour to hide our bloody deseignes wee must not looke for any blessing from GOD nor to haue him to go out with our armies Fourthly let the ends of our warres be holy and righteous not tyranny not vainglory but to maintaine the honor and glory of God to defend the Church and Commonwealth from violence and inuasion and to establish peace and concord in our borders The Heathen by Natures light saw these three ends of a iust warre first to withstand force by force Cic. de offic l. 1. and to defend themselues and the things that belong vnto them Secondly to recouer things lost and regaine things taken away Thirdly to reuenge wrongs and iniuries offered being before prouoked Many examples are set downe in the Scriptures of the godlie Kings and other Gouernors who propounded these ends vnto themselues and so were able to warrant to themselues and others the bearing of Armes Fiftly we must not suffer leud euill persons incorrigible and vnreformable to remaine in the hoste of God who may endanger the whole hoste and bring the curse of God vpon them For how should God giue a blessing to such wicked instruments or how should he fight their battels that fight against him Hence it is that he commandeth Deut. 23. Deut. 23 9 10 When thou goest out with the hoste against thine enemies keepe thee then from all wickednes c. When the Israelites gathered themselues together to smite At they could not prosper but were smitten downe ouercome by their enemies Iosh â—7 11 12. Because they had sinned and transgressed the couenant of God which hee commaunded them for they had euen taken of the excommunicate thing and had stoln and dissembled also and put it euen with their owne stuffe So long as Achan remained among them who had taken two hundred shekels of siluer a goodly Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold contrary to the commandement of God they could not stand before their enimies but were constrained to turne their backes This example doth Phinehas afterward propound as a warning to the Tribe of Reuben Gad and the halfe Tribe of Manasseh ch 22 Did not Achan the sonne of Zerah trespasse grieuously in the excommunicate thing and wrath fel on all the Congregation of Israel Iosh 22 20 and this man alone perished not in his wickednesse This is the cause why our warres do not prosper that when wee haue sent out our armies by thousands they haue returned by hundreds and when we haue sent out hundreds they haue come home by tennes because they haue giuen themselues to al wickednesse and vngodlinesse they haue broken out into all disorder and committed all abominations with greedinesse and none is carefull to restraine them and reforme them They haue not desired God to guide them and as a Captaine to goe out with their armies they haue had nothing to do with him nor he with them they haue beene led by the diuell he hath gone out with them and returned home with them taketh the gouernment of their whole liues they liue to him and without repentance they dye to him Sixtly that we may vse our wars aright it behoueth vs to put our trust in God alone to depend vpon him to pray vnto him and to looke for safety and helpe from him It is not the Shield that can defend vs it is not the sword that can deliuer vs it is not the horse that can saue vs the best shield is The Shield of faith Eph 6 14 16 17 the surest armour is The brest-plate of righteousnesse the helmet of saluation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God The Prophet Ieremy teacheth chapt 17. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Ier 17 5 and with-draweth his heart from the Lord. Dauid putting confidence in God when he went to encounter with Goliah put off Sauls armour and saide Thou commest vnto me with a sword 1 Sam 17 45 1 Sam 14 6 and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of boasts the GOD of the hoast of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon Thus did Iehosaphat arme himselfe when he was assaulted by his enemies 2. Chron. 20. 2 Chr. 20 3.12 There is no strength in vs to stand before this great multitude that commeth against vs neyther doe wee know what to doe but our eyes are toward thee Saneherib glorying in his owne strength and boasting of his owne power is driuen to flight with his whole army 2 Kings 19.25 Wee haue seene sometimes the swift not to gaine the prize in running nor the valiant the victorie in fighting nor the strong the praise in wrestling for as Saâ—omon saith Prou. 21. Prou. 21 31 The horse is prepared against the day of battell but saluat on is of the Lord. Such therefore as trust in the greatnesse of their owne strength and do not put their confidence in the liuing God lye open as a prey to their enemies and cannot looke for God o be their deliuerer Seuenthly no man should go out to warfare but with greese of minde and sorrow of heart For albeit the warre be lawfull yet when the enemies are slaine in battell it is a defiling of mens hands and a defacing of Gods Image God hath imprinted his Image in man as hee teacheth Gen. 9 6 in as much as in the image of God he made man Likewise when Dauid would haue builded a Temple vnto God it was said vnto him 1 Chron. 22. 1 Chro. 22 8 and 28 3 2 Sam â— 13 Thou hast seed muâ—h bloud and hast made great battels thou shalt not build an house vnto my name for thou hast shed much blood vpon the earth in my sight Not that hee imputeth it simply for a crime but to giue euery one a lesson and direction which is constrained to fight against his enemies though the cause be iust and the quarrel lawfull that they should be greeued to see the order of nature so troubled and peruerted by reason of mens sinnes and wickednes We ought so to liue together and loue one another as brethren and acknowledge our owne flesh in all that are created after our likenesse what corruption then and confusion is this that we shall be driuen to destroy each other after this fashion Wherefore euen in the time of warre hee that putteth on armour against his enemies and girdeth his sworde by his side must do it after a sort against his will and with sorrow conceiued
Obiection that may arise from this doctrine For some man may obiect the world is full of mixtures and confusions so that all is vanity vnder the Sun Wee see good men to suffer euill and to be oppressed euery day on the other side euill men enioy the good of the Land haue al things that heart can wish or desire The godly are afflicted the vngodly are most respected and rewarded are not these great disorders I answer Answer first confusions as they are thus confused are not of God as they are out of order they proceed not from the God of order but from the Prince of darknesse that ruleth in the ayre and the author of confusion that gouerneth in the earth The proper cause of disorder is the Diuell who first disordered himselfe and kept not his first estate but left the heauens and habitation wherein hee was formed hee by deceiuing our first parents and tempting them to sinne brought vpon them and their posterity ruine and destruction So then such as are simply disorders were brought in by sinne and sinne by the Diuell Of this we spake before in the Preface Secondly we must vnderstand that there is order euen in disordered and distempered things the which albeit it do not appeare to vs by reason of the veile of corruption crept in that shutteth our eyes yet it is knowne to God to whose iudgement wee must submit our selues and to whose wisedome wee must subscribe of whom the wise man saith Hee hath made euery thing beautifull in his time Eccles 3 11 howsoeuer it seeme deformed to vs. Thus much of the obiection the vses follow Vse 1 First learne from hence to acknowledge an exquisite order in all Gods wordes and workes aboue and beneath in heauen earth and in all places If we do not alwaies see the same it is our weaknesse and want of sight and it should mooue vs to call vpon God to open our eyes to beholde the same and if we do see it yet to craue we may see it more and more to his glory and our comfort Let vs lift vp our eyes and behold the worke of creation he hath made all his creatures in a most pure and perfect order in number weight and measure Hee hath appointed the Sunne to rule the day and the Moone to rule the night The earth with all her furniture Trees Hearbes Plants Corne and Grasse for cattell and the vse of man The waters with all their store keepe their comely course and order He hath set them a bound which they shall not passe Psal 104 9 so that they shall not returne to couer the earth He hath diuided the parts of the yeare as winter and sommer heat and cold day and night which continue in a constant course according as they are disposed of him He hath assigned and appointed Kings and Princes Rulers and Magistrates to gouerne his people in all good and godly order We shall not need to wander farre off to learne this if we can come homeward and enter into our selues we shall finde sufficient testimonies to confirme this point in our soules and bodies For as we cannot be ignorant how in the frame of this Vniuerse the matter forme priuation simplicity mixture generation corruption action passion compounded of vnlike Elements of earth of water of the aire of fire is notwithstanding preserued by due and distinct proportion which the parts haue seuerally and as in the family the husband and wife the father and children the maister and seruants are knit together by the same reason of analogy so is it in this little world of man wee behold therein the foot-steps of this comely order in the soule minde vnderstanding memory heart reason speech and such like powers the like might be saide of the members of the body placed in a profitable and pleasant order manifestly declaring the wisedome of the Creator And as the admirable workes of God are seene in naturall and ciuill things so much more in spirituall and heauenly things If we enter into the consideration of the goodly and golden chaine of the causes of our saluation we shall see a notable order of them so linked and ioyned together that no confusion at all appeareth therein but all tend to the setting foorth of the glory of his great Name This the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated those also he called and whom hee called Rom 8 30. them also hee iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified This course is neuer broken off the linkes of this chaine can neuer be put asunder no man can make a diuorce and diuision betweene them This coÌ„nexion of causes is to be looked into and wee must dligently marke the coherence of them We must not aime onely at the last in our desires as Balaam did but wee must learne to ioyne them together and then wee shall finde comfort in them And as there is a distinct order in our generation and regeneration so there is in our resurrection and glorification nay there is the perfection and consummation of all order To this purpose the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15 22 23. As in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue but euery man in his owne order the first fruites is Christ afterward they that are of Christ at his coming shall rise againe Albeit therefore the graue seeme to bury all things in confusion and the Chambers of death to be as a Land of darknesse â—b 10 21 22. where no order is yet the resurrection beeing as the shining of the day and the bringing of all things vnto light shall make manifest an heauenly order that God obserueth therein Likewise hee speaketh in the same chapter There is one glory of the Sunne cor 15 41 42 another glory of the Moone and another glory of the Stars for one Starre differeth from another in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead c. This order we must reuerence and acknowledge this wee must beleeue and hope for and this we shall haue a blessed experience of in our owne persons when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall bee cloathed with immortality But among all the works of God none doeth more aboundantly shew foorth the glory and maiesty of him that is the God of order then the word which he hath magnified aboue all other names The worke of creation setteth foorth the glory of the Creator inasmuch as the inuisible thinges of him that is Rom. 1 20. his eternall power and God-head are seene thereby but the power and wisedome and goodnesse and truth of God appeareth much more brightly in those sacred oracles broght vnto vs from his owne mouth True it is the manner of setting downe and placing the seuerall parts of Scripture as they stand in our printed bookes What order of the Scripâ—ure is humane and what diuine is meerely humane and proceedeth from
to continue for euer namely that they are a necessary good for the common-wealth whereas these damnable heretikes hold them neither necessary nor good but vnnecessary euills that ought not to be planted nor grow among Gods people and where they haue beene planted ought as superfluous branches to be topped and lopped or as noysome weeds to be rooted vp and remooued But the Scriptures of the old and new Testament commend vnto vs captaines in warre and gouernours in peace But those men acknowledge neither the calling of captaines nor the lawfulnesse of warre Rom. 13.1 The Apostles of Christ at what time Magistrates are euill both prophane idolaters and bloody persecutors command euery soule to be subiect to the higher power inasmuch as there is no power but of God The ancient commandement of the morall Law establisheth this as a perpetuall ordinance neuer to be disanulled vntil the vniuersall frame of the heauens be dissolued that we must honour father and mother that is not onely such as are fathers of the family Exod. 20.12 but such as are fathers of the Countrey He that said Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen image Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery said also Honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 For as the house cannot stand without gouernors to rule it no more can the Common-wealth And as themselues take vpon them to order their owne houses and exercise authority and dominion ouer such as are vnder their roofe and Regiment so is the Magistrate called to manage the affaires of state and to doe that within the walles of the citie which he doth within the wals of his house The father hath gouernment ouer his son the master ouer his seruants the husband ouer his wife the teacher ouer his schollers and why then not the Magistrate ouer his subiects Neither doth the Gospel subuert the order appointed by God in the dispensation of the Law for Christ Iesus who first preached the Gospel chargeth vs to giue Caesar those things that belong to Caesar and the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 we must giue to God So his Apostles teach that we must rather obey God then man when their commandements cannot stand together but when God is not disobeyed themselues preached and practised obedience and reprooued and condemned all disobedience Secondly The second reproofe of the Pope and his Cleargy heere the Pope and all the Romish Hierarchy and Cleargy are reprooued who exempt themselues from the authority and iurisdiction of Princes and Magistrates These cal themselues the spiritualty and claime an immunity both in regard of their persons and of their goods wherein they are confederate and ioine hands with their brethren the Anabaptists as wretched enemies to the crownes and scepters of Princes as themselus Only here lyeth the difference the Anabaptists confesse that Magistrats must be obeyed but they deny that there ought to be any in the Church Contrariwise the Pope with all the rabble of his horned Bishops confesse that there ought to be Magistrates but they vtterly deny that themselues ought to be subiect vnto them Now it is in effect all one whether wee take away Magistracy or whether we yeeld not to their authority And if there be any inequality betweene these the Anabaptists seeme to be the better who liue peaceably and obediently vnder them whose power notwithstanding they deny He is an euill child that denieth his father but he is worse that is obstinate stubborne that will not obey him but resist him How many wayes the Popish Religion is enemy to Princes we haue shewed elsewhere In the exposition vpon the Epistle to Philemon I speake not now of the wicked practises of their Assassinates that murther Princes but of their doctrine taught for sound and Catholike by all their schoole-diuines not by some few onely of them For they teach that their persons in causes Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and criminall are exempted from the Courts and Consistories of temporall Magistrates as appeareth in their publike disputations and by the iudicial proceedings of Paulus the fift against he Venetians who were excommunicated and the city interdicted so that their religious men ceased from ministring Ecclesiasticall Sacraments And as they challenge a freedome of their persons so they claime a freedome from paying tributes and like taxes to Princes nd will be bound to them in no respect To the and we may see the truth in these points Obiections â—nswered â—hereby the â—ope and his Cleargy â—laime freeâ—ome from â—emporall Princes be armed against their Arguments let vs see the grounds whervpon they stand and afterward produce sundry reasons out of the word of God to conuince their proud and false assertions First they obiect that the superiour ought not to be in subiection to the inferiour but contrariwise the inferiour must Obiect 1 be subiect to the superiour this is the Law of God and man But the Ecclesiasticall Regiment is distinguished from the Ciuill and politicall state and set farre aboue it by the Law of God Bellar. de cleri lib. 1. cap. 28. as the soule is aboue the body therefore Ecclesiasticall causes ought not to be iudged by temporall Magistrates I answere Answer by distinguishing the seuerall callings for Princes are superiours and inferiours and Ecclesiasticall persons are superiours and inferiours both of them are aboue others in the proper duties of their callings If any reply to be superiour and yet to be inferiour to be aboue and yet to be beneath are contrary I reioyne they are contrary and yet not contrary they are contrary if meant of one and the same thing and spoken in one and the same respect but if they bee diuersly considered in respect of diuers obiects there is no contrariety at all in them To apply this to the point obiected I say that the superiour cannot be subiect in those things wherein he is superiour but he may be and ought to be in those things in which he is inferiour Now the Ecclesiasticall gouernment albeit it be higher then the politike in the essentiall duties belonging vnto it to wit the preaching of the word of God and the administration of the Sacraments yet it is inferiour in those things that belong to Ciuill subiection and obedience Princes must obey so farre as the word of God commandeth in matters of faith and piety neither haue they any authority to inuent and frame a new Religion or to change and alter the Religion set downe in the Scripture or to decide and determine the Controuersies of Religion at their owne pleasure or to preach the word themselues or to dispence the Sacraments of the Church But in respect of Ciuill power ouer all persons they must acknowledge no superiour no equall they are aboue all and vnder none within Obiect 2 their dominions Secondly they obiect It is absurd and vnreasonable that the sheepe should iudge the sheepeheard or
that may not be eaten Whereby we see why some of the beasts were said to be cleane and some of them vncleane namely because some might be eaten and some might not be eaten Lastly in the Booke of Genesis Chapter 9. Where the eating of flesh is most of all expressed and mentioned there seemeth to bee made no new grant in those particulars which in that place are remembred but onely the old priuiledges renewed as the fruit of multiplication the dominion ouer the creatures and the replenishing of the earth Wherefore seeing all these were in vse before it is very probable Gen. 9.3 that as the greene hearbes were eaten before so was the flesh of fish and of the beasts albeit there be not expresse mention of them made before Euery moouing thing that liueth shall be meate for you euen as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all things These things being true the former sect of the peeuish and peruerse Nazarees are more strongly conuinced and ouerthrown forasmuch as they make that vnlawfull which from the beginning was vsed and practised as lawfull These were the sects among the Iewes which they inuented vnto themselues when they departed from the purity and simplicity of the word of God D. Willet Hex in Gen. 1. qu. 35. This we may reade largely and learnedly handled else-where Vse 3 Thirdly this reprooueth the hierarchy of the Church of Rome from the highest to the lowest their Popes their Cardinals their Abbots Monkes Fryers Priors Nunnes Iesuites and the rest of that race and rabble which are as croaking frogges or deuouring locusts that couered the face of the earth and ascended out of the bottomelesse pit of which the word hath not spoken any thing but quite ouerturneth that whole generation For to set the gouernement of the whole Church vpon one mans shoulder and to put all other vnder his feete is a burden able to breake his necke and to cracke his shoulders which no man is able to beare This man of sinne they make the head of the Church The Pope is not head of the Church and the vicar of Christ This is to thrust downe Christ from his dignity and to depose him from the headship of the Church or else they make it a monster of two heads or rather of many heads For this is an high honour peculiar to Christ to be the head of the body which is his Church Ephes 1.22 23. and 4.12.15 and 5.23 Coloss 1.24 and 2.19 And that for these causes First by way of excellency Secondly by reason of fulnesse of grace Turrecrema sum lib. 1. cap. 44. Thirdly because from him floweth all graces of faith and other blessings into his members He it is that gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers to build vp the Church to the end of the world These he thought to be sufficient without Popes and Cardinals that is without such heads and shoulders He called his Apostles and made them all equall none superiour none inferiour to other but commanded them indifferently to preach the Gospel to euery creature The Commission which he gaue vnto them was equall in feeding in binding in loosing in remitting and retaining none was before or after other as Luke 9. He calling the twelue Apostles gaue them power ouer all diuels and to heale diseases and sent them to preach the kingdome of God They had all of them the keyes of it equally committed vnto them But they wil obiect Obiect the words of Christ to Peter Matth. 16. I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Answer These words we acknowledge to be the wordes of Christ howbeit they are too weak a pillar to beare vp the Papacy First let vs speake of Peter and then of the Pope that claymeth to be his successor For if Peter himselfe in those words had no superiority or Monarchy bequeathed vnto him or sole regiment of the Church then hee could not leaue it as a legacy to the Bishop of Rome nor make him his heire of so faire a patrimony that he might claime authority and supremacy from him This is without all question and both sides yeeld vnto it that Peter could giue no more then hee had himselfe and the successour can haue no more iurisdiction then hee had into whose roome he succedeth Now touching Peter obserue this as another rule which also is receiued without cōtrouersie that nothing in this place is giuen to Peter but promised only as appeareth by the forme and phrase of speech that is vsed and by the words vttered in the time to come For Christ saith vnto him I will build my Church vpon this Rocke I will giue vnto thee the keyes of heauen the gates of hell shall not preuaile whatsoeuer thou shalt binde whatsoeuer thou shalt loose so that the manner of speaking in the time to come argueth that nothing is heere really granted but onely graciously promised to be granted He doth not say vnto him I do build my Church I doe giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but I will builde I will giue Bellar. lib. 1. de Pontif. Roma cap. 10. This is so plaine that our aduersaries are necessarily constrained to yeeld vnto it So then I aske the question and demaund of them where this is giuen and how this promise is performed Whatsoeuer Christ promiseth his word is not yea and nay he cannot lie hee will not faile his people Obiection If any reply it is no great matter where we reade the promise to haue been performed seeing no doubt Christ meant to be as good as his word Solution I answere It mattereth much to vnderstand where it is forasmuch as there can be no better way to make tryall of the promise then to know the gift To which purpose they are wont to alledge two places and we are content to stand to both of them The one is in the Euangelist Matthew chap. 18.18 Verily I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Where we see Christ speaketh to all the Apostles and not to Peter alone or to him more then to any other but applyeth the same power of binding and loosing to euery one without exception or limitation The other place is in the Gospel according to Iohn chap. 20. where Christ standing in the middes of them saith vnto them Receiue ye the holy Ghost Ioh. 20 22.23 whose soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them whose soeuer sins ye retaine they are retained In which words Christ also doth equally
people are numbred and ordered exactly and exquisitely Moses proceedeth to the numbring of the Leuiticall Tribe which onely remaineth vnnumbred This is done two waies first simply being considered in themselues without reference and relation to others secondly comparatiuely being compared with the first borne in whose place and roome they succeeded The simple enumeration is two-fold first generall in these words and then particular in those that follow The generall numbring hath two parts the commandement and the execution of it The commandement is amplified by the author of it The Lord spake vnto Moses then by the place in the wildernesse of Sinai there it was giuen for as yet they were not gone from the Mount where the Law was giuen Thirdly by the manner number them by their families after the house of their fathers Lastly the persons to be numbred euery male from a moneth old and vpward The obedience of Moses is in the 16 verse where he is commended by the manner of it he did it according to the word of the Lord in all points as hee was commanded The particular numbring being set downe in the verses that follow we are to reserue to his proper place In this diuision two questions arise vpon the different order obserued in the numbring of this Tribe Questions answered compared with the numbring of the former Tribes which are to be decided For heere Moses is commanded to number all the males from a moneth old and aboue but he did before number the other Tribes from twenty yeares old and aboue Numb 1 3. chap. 1 3. Wherefore first of all the question may be asked why the Leuites are not numbred as the rest are from twenty yeare old but from a moneth old Secondly why they were not numbred as well so soone as they were borne and brought foorth into the world as when they were a moneth old Wherefore we are to enquire why they were numbred so soone and then why no sooner Touching the first to wit why they were Question 1 numbred from one moneth and vpward and not at twenty yeares old and vpward as the rest were it was done for three causes First of all the Leuites were numbred at a moneth old because at that age they were fit to be presented before the Lord and offered vnto him Luke 2. Secondly another cause of taking their number according to these young yeares was to bring the number of this Tribe vnto an equall proportion with the other Tribes for at this God aymed as we shall see afterward whereas if the number had beene taken onely from twenty yeare vpward it should neuer haue beene knowne what number there was of the first borne and so the recompence and satisfaction would haue beene altogether vncertaine and vniust This sheweth both that the Tribe of Leui was in comparison few in number euen the least of all the rest and that by this gracious dealing and mercifull fauour of God the people ought to be inclined more quietly patiently willingly and cheerefully to pay the taxe and tribute that was laid vpon them for the ouerplus among themselues Thirdly they are numbred at that age because it was not necessary they should be fit for the warres whom GOD had exempted from such seruice which was one difference betweene the Leuites and the other Tribes They were numbred at twenty yeares olde because then they were holden and iudged fit to goe out to warre as among vs and in our Common-wealth the State thinkes it fit to haue all warned from sixteene to threescore yeares as able men to beare armes and to serue their Prince and to fight for their country Whereas the Leuites had nothing to do with handling the sword and putting on armour and following the warres they were to attend on holy things and to minister in the Tabernacle they are made word-men not sword men they are fishers of men not fighters with men and albeit they walke in the flesh yet they do not warre after the flesh 2 Cor. 10 3. Touching the second question to witte Question 2 wherefore they were not numbred before the moneth was expired This was done because all the male children by the ceremoniall law were vnpure and vncleane for the space of one moneth Leuiticus 12 verse 4. as also all the maid-children were vncleane threescore and sixe dayes Leuiticus 12 verse 5. At what time the mother brought vnto the Priest a lambe of a yeare olde for a sinne-offering who offered it before the LORD and made an Attonement for her Leuiticus 12 verse 6 7. So then as the male children were vncleane an whole moneth so after that space of time limited and determined they ought to be purified True it is they did belong vnto GOD at all times for vnto such pertained the Kingdome of Heauen from the beginning he had euermore a right vnto them who had saide vnto Abraham I will bee thy GOD and the GOD of thy seede Gen. 17. Notwithstanding they could not be presented vnto him because they were holden as vncleane according to that law that continued for a season for that cause God would haue those onely reckned in this account which were a moneth olde This did put them in minde as also it teacheth vs that we are all by nature sinners and vncleane We are conceiued and borne in sinne and from that which is vncleane who can bring that is cleane Our naturall estate is notably described by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 16. vnder the similitude of a wretched infant polluted in his blood There is not one that doth good no not one so that euery mouth is stopped and all the world become guilty before God Verse 15. Number the children of Leui after the house of their c. Heere is set downe a commandement directed to Moses and a commendation of Moses who was faithfull in the house of God as a seruant A seruant will do nothing before he know the minde of his master and when he knoweth his will he is ready to accomplish it The house is the Church the master of it is God the Stewards of it are the Teachers who rule in this house at the appointment of God and none of them durst presume to do any thing therein without his direction so it is said in this place of Moses that he followed not his own deuice but did all things as the mouth of God directed him We learne from hence that the word of Doctrine 1 God is able to informe the Church generally 〈◊〉 our actiâ—s must be â—â—rected by â—e word of â—od and euery man particularly in all things pertaining to this life and to direct them both what they are to do and what they are not to do Whatsoeuer falleth out into the parts of mans life must receiue warrant from the will and word of God This doth the Prophet Dauid teach in many places of the Psalmes By them thy seruant is warned â—sal 19 11 â—9 9
yet neuerthelesse many neuer lay it vnto their hearts Secondly it is required of the Ministers of Vse 2 the Gospel whom the holy Ghost hath made ouerseers of their seuerall flockes to looke to their whole charge from one quarter or corner of it to another Neither may they thinke they haue discharged their duties by casting an eye ouer some part of their congregation but they must ouerlooke and ouerview it all throughout considering they are to giue an account for euery soule that dyeth through their ignorance or through their negligence There is none of them but they are content to take benefit and to receiue maintenance from the poorest and lowest that depend vpon them and therefore as they are not ashamed to receiue temporall things of them so they ought not to disdaine or refuse to minister vnto them in spirituall things For if we take from them their goods and seeke to doe no good to their soules we rob them and steale from them nay so much as lyeth in vs we are no better then murtherers and manslayers Wherefore we must endeauour to set vp the candle vpon the Table in the Lords house that it may shine and giue light to all that are in it Let vs as the Lords trumpetters sound the siluer Trumpet of the word aloud that all the hoste of God may heare the sound therof or at least may be without excuse if they doe not prepare themselues to battell A good Prince taketh care for all his poore subiects and receiueth them into his protection and beareth the sword for their preseruation The soule of man quickeneth the whole body and euery part of it it giueth life to the hand as well as to the head and to the foote as well as to the eye as well to the parts that are lowest as to such members as are highest so that no limbe is destitute of the functions and operations of it The head serueth to the benefit of euery member which by certaine ioynts and bonds are knit vnto it that they receiue plentifull encrease and want no succour or strength necessary for any part how little and meane soeuer it be So ought it to bee with the Ministers of the Gospell who are made as it were stewards of the Lords family Luke 12.42 which is the Church they must giue them their portion of meate in due season Blessed is that seruant whom his master when he commeth shall find so doing Mat. 24.46 This serueth to reprooue such as absent themselues from their charges because they are small and all proud and lofty spirits that thinke it a disgrace and dishonour vnto them to submit themselues to the lower sort and to take paines to bring them to the knowledge of true religion Hereby indeed they starue the fewest soules but the losse of one soule is more heinous then the killing of many bodies For the body may die yet the soule may bee saued in the day of the Lord. And this is one cause of Non-residency in that such as are of proude spirits doe scorne the simplicitie and pouerty of their hearers Wheresoeuer there is an haughty man and high-minded A rule to be obserued there can by no meanes be an heart to serue the Lord in his Ministery Where ambition and vaine-glory beare sway they are alwayes ioyned with the contempt of others which ought not to be among the Ministers for how then shall the poore the weake the simple be instructed by them The Minister of the word must be affable easie to be spoken withall and familiar with the meanest and lowest he must abase himselfe to reason and conferre and conuerse with the poore Artificer and tradesman as wel as with the Yeaman or Gentleman or rich man The Apostle hath laide before vs his owne example how he behaued himselfe when he was at Ephesus Acts 20.18 19 20. Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons seruing the Lord with all humility of mind and with many teares and tentations which befell me by the laying in wait of the Iewes and how I kept backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but haue shewed you and haue taught you publikely and from house to house c. He was not inferiour in giftes to any euen the deepest doctours in our dayes but went farre beyond them all 2 Cor. 12.2.4 he was caught vp to the third heauen euen into Paradise and heard vnspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to vtter yet he made himselfe equall to the lowest and stooped downe to euery degree 1 Cor. 9.22 that by all meanes he might saue some Humility is a notable vertue that decketh adorneth all Christians and is necessary to be in all that professe the feare of God Col. 3.12 and is oftentimes commended vnto vs among the fruites of a regenerate person which the Spirit of God would haue vs beautified withall The Apostle Peter chap. 5.5 6. giueth this exhortation Be all of you subiect one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proude and giues grace to the humble humble your selues therfore vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time This heauenly gift is opposed to that vaineglory pride and ambition which naturally groweth in vs as Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife and vaine-glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme other better then themselues Howbeit this vertue is most notable and necessary aboue all other to be in the Ministers of Gods word as Christ himselfe both by word and by example in his continuall practise taught his disciples Matt. 11.29 Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules And when he had washed his disciples feet he said vnto them Know ye what I haue done to you If I your Lord and master haue washed your feet yee also ought to wash one anothers feet for I haue giuen you an example that ye should doe as I haue done to you Ioh. 13.14 15. The place of the Apostle is worthy of our remembrance to this purpose 1 Thess 2.7 We were gentle among you euen as a nourse that cherisheth her children c. Where Saint Paul noting out his meekenesse and diligence in preaching vnto them sheweth it by a familiar comparison taken from a naturall nourse-mother who thinketh no seruice too base or meane in the washing and wringing in wiping and cleansing in feeding and bringing vp her tender infant What is it that she will refuse to doe what paines wil she not take for her childe what sauours is she content to endure how ready is she to breake her sleepe and rest in the night season and neuer repineth at it and albeit it be teasty and wayward yet she maketh much of it and loueth it neuer a whit the lesse Thus it ought to be with the Ministers
dominions to whom he pleaseth This is highly to abuse this high censure as they doe also other ordinances of God What is more comfortable then the Supper of the Lord yet they haue horribly and shamefully prophaned it nay they haue altogether abolished it and brought it to nothing by the abominable idoll of the Masse which they haue set vp in stead thereof Suppose this man of sinne had iurisdiction and authority to excommunicate for sinne yet from whence had he right to apply it to the deposition of kings and alienation of subiects and other temporall matters but from him that is the authour of sinne to wit the diuell Lib. 1. de Consider It was well said of Bernard to the Bishop of Rome Your power standeth in censuring crimes not in taking away possessions but a kingdome is a possession and therefore his power extendeth not vnto it Besides the committing of any heinous crime is not a sufficient cause to depriue them of their Crownes and Scepters When a priuate person is censured with excommunication according to the merit of his offence hee loseth not his substance he forfeiteth not either house or land he loseth no part or parcel of his possessions neither is there any cause why he should neither was there euer any such claimed or challenged or practised or assayed What then is the nature of this censure changed when the Bull roareth against Princes shal it take froÌ„ him his possession which it doth not from any other The law of God saith Thou shalt iudge the small as well as the great and not respect persons in iudgement Deut. 1.17 But according to the corrupt proceedings in their courts it were better to bee a priuate man then a Prince To ascend a step higher that we may pull downe the pride of Rome a step lower is it otherwise in the degrees of honour and dignity whereunto men are aduanced then with priuate persons when a Knight is excommunicated is he disgraded of his knight-hood hath he his spurs smitten off with a knife hard by the heeles hath he his coate of armes torne from his body Stowes Annal. in the reigne of Edw. 4. and other ornaments and ensignes of renowne and worship taken from him â—r doth the noble man forfeit his nobility lose his Barony or of a Baron is he made no Baron This was neuer attempted or heard off The lightning that descended from the Vatican neuer touched either the priuate mans possession or the noble mans honour how then should it goe worse with the king himselfe then with al his subiects that he should lose his royalty and not the Baron his Barony Moreouer it is the Apostles rule That God iudgeth those that are without the Church cannot giue sentence against such as are not of the Church 1 Cor. 5.12 13. as we noted before Some are in the Church and some are out of the Church The Church is the house and Citie of God the faithfull are his houshold seruants they liue and abide vnder his roofe they eat of his meate and therfore happy is their condition Such as are not of the Church are not of his house and therefore must perish as all they were drowned that entred not into the Arke and as all perished in the sacking of Iericho that were not in Rahabs house and therefore their condition is wofull and miserable as Reuel 22.15 These shall not goe vnpunished God shall enter into iudgement with them the Church hath nothing to doe with them God will proceed against them so that they shall not escape let vs therefore remit them to his seate of iustice But the Church of Rome holdeth that we are heretiks schismatikes and I wot not what else and so out of the bosome of the Church For so many as do not submit themselues to the Popes supremacy him they adiudge and condeme of heresie If then we be none of the Church they cannot smite vs with their censures nor thunder against vs with their excommunications wherby notwithstanding they haue especially raised vp their state to the top of greatnesse and haue laid such a burden vpon their heads that in time is likely to breake their neckes Excommunication then being a cutting off from the Church of such as are of the Church it cannot touch vs euen in their own iudgment whom they teach in all their bookes of Controuersies to be out of the Church Furthermore this is such a censure as neuer any of the Apostles nor their successors practised to meddle with such as were heathen Pagans or to touch their persons or to take away their possessions This is a barre or blocke that lyeth in the way to hinder the conuersion of kings that are Gentiles For who among them would willingly embrace the Christian religion who being before an absolute Prince should by his embracing the faith and receiuing the Gospel put his head vnder the Popes girdle and offer his necke to be led vp and downe in a string at the discretion of his good lord and master and be a king no long then it pleased him He shall make his estate much worse then 〈◊〉 his people as if the Church were a tender mother to priuate men but a step mother vnto Princes Againe God hath prouided by this ordinance that none should be censured but he only that hath committed the fault and that such as haue not offended should not be punished and chastened The kingdome is an inheritance and admitteth a successour of the same line If the father be dethroned and depriued of his kingdome and it be giuen away to another or left to him that can seaze vpon it the sonne cannot reigne by succession from his father albeit he be innocent he shall not inherite the kingdome albeit he be in no fault at all so that the son must beare the iniquitie of the father contrary to the Law of God Deut. 24.16 and the practise of the godly 2 Kings 14.6 The Prophet Ezekiel handleth this at large chap. 18. ver 20. The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe What iustice then is this to strike the innocent with the guilty and to binde them together as it were into one bundle It was well said of Abraham in his prayer to God Gen. 18.24 25. Peraduenture there be fifty righteous within the citie wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein That be farre from thee to doe after this maner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thee shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right If this be farre from God it ought also to be far from the Church of God If the iudge of all the world will doe right shall he that holdeth himselfe to be the head of all the Church delight to doe open wrong But these
men regard not to plucke vp the wheat with the tares which a good husbandman will not and to pull by vp the rootes wholesome herbes with vnwholesome weeds which a good gardiner will not and to cut off good citizens together with the badde which a good Magistrate will not Lastly in the censure of excommunication there is place left for repentance nay this is the end of euery censure of the Church not to destroy but to amend and reforme so that when the offender returneth againe into the way he holdeth his place that he did before in the Church neither receiueth any hurt or losse or reproch by the fault which he hath confessed and forsaken This is the institution and ordinance of God this he hath appointed of this had Peter experienee after his threefold confession that followed his threefold denyal Of this also had the incestuous person experience when he sorrowed for his fornication for then he was ioyfully receiued againe forasmuch as euen the Angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luke 15. But he that being excommunicated is driuen out of his kingdom and seeth it translated to another hath no place left him to recouer his kingdome his repentance commeth too late to doe any good to himselfe The vsurper that hath once inuaded his seate and set himselfe downe in his throne will not easily depart from it and let it goe againe vntill a stronger then he cometh and ouercommeth him he shall neuer attaine to his right againe neither shall finde place for repentance though he seeke it carefully with teares This is to arme Prince against Prince and to set kingdome against kingdom forasmuch as the right owner will neuer giue ouer his right so long as he is able to right his owne cause Thus we haue seene how excommunication is abused in the Church of Rome and that which was by institution from God an wholesome medicine to saue not to condemne to helpe not to hinder to edification not to destruction is now by corruption of man turned vpside downe and the nature of it quite ouerturned The iniury that is offered to none of the lowest ranke is offered vnto Princes who are thereby in worse condition then any of their people A Christian Prince is made in worse condition then an heathen The heire is punished for his fault to whom he is heire the sonne for the father the successour for the predecessour the innocent for the nocent the infant for the aged the childe vnborne for him that is borne and lastly he that repenteth cannot be restored into his place againe so that it is all one to be penitent or impenitent All these iniuries indignities and miseries to which we might adde the shamefull arraigning endighting condemning and burning men for heretickes after their death all these exhorbitant courses proceed from the abuse of this censure and of all who is author but the Pope of Rome who aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God â—ss 2.4 and is an vtter enemy to Princes Vse 4 Fourthly seeing such as are incorrigible are to be throwne out of the Church it followeth that all such are to be shunned and their company to be auoided We must haue no fellowship with them lest we be defiled by them If there were that sense of sinne in them that ought to be they should not need to be separated and sequestred from the company of others forasmuch as themselues would be as open Heralds publike cryers against themselues saying with the lepers in the Law I am vncleane I am vncleane Leuit. 13.45 46. But because they haue no feeling of their spirituall leprosie but thrust themselues among the faithfull like to the generation that are pure in their owne eyes although they be not washed from their sinnes it is the duty of all the faithfull to auoide them â—t If any aske the question â—er from what things the excommunicate persons are to be excluded I answere not only from the vse of the Sacraments but from the priuiledges of the Church they must be strange vnto vs and we strange vnto them so that we must not liue and conuerse with them we must haue no society conference and communion with them otherwise then for necessitie and rather then haunt their company if we see them come at one side of the streete wee should go to the other The Apostle speaking of suspension a lower and lesser degree then excommunication maketh two parts of it first â—ss 3.10 he must be noted as Caine was Gen. 4. God set a marke vpon him He meaneth he must be branded as with a marke of shame and ignominy we must not spare his name but put him to all the reproch we can we must set him out in his colours and make it known what he is True it is before the sentence published while they continue in the Church we must as with a cloke couer the multitude of sinnes through loue as Shem and Iapheth did the nakednesse of their father while by priuate admonition they may be wonne but when once they be cast out of the Church we must forbeare them no longer that others may beware and bee warned of them For there is no better meanes to doe them good but this and if this way they will not be reclaimed they can no way be brought into the way It is better in this world to suffer a short reproch for our good then endure euerlasting contempt in the world to come Dan. 12.2 This is one point to be obserued and practised another point is seen in refraining his company that is so made infamous as 1 Cor. 5.9 I wrote vnto you in an Epistle not to keepe company with such fornicators This is fitly and not without cause added to the former For if we be familiar with such a man as with a friend we harden him in his sin and as much as lyeth in vs we keepe him from repentance and so from saluation The vse of shunning and eschewing of him is that he may be ashamed and the end of shaming of him is that he may come to amendment of life and consequently to be saued But when no man auoideth him and abhorreth from his company it is so far from working shame in him that it maketh him thinke well of himselfe Such as delight to be euermore with them are partakers of their sinnes and become as loathsome and shamefull as they Moreouer the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 5.11 Now I haue written vnto you not to keepe company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one eate not We ought not to receiue him into our houses nor bid him God speede 2 Ioh. 10. but wholly decline from him and shunne him as we would him that hath a plague soare To sit at the Table is a signe of friendship and familiarity as with a
made light in the Lord that were sometimes darknesse and therefore they must walke as children of the light Secondly for the neglect of this duty the Reason 2 wrath of God falleth vpon the sonnes of men He is the God of order and requireth that all things in the Church be done in order Hence it is that the Apostle saith Col. 3 6. For such things sake the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience And we haue sundry examples of this in the people of Israel who were diuersly destroied because of their sins 1 Cor. 10 5. With many of them God was not well pleased for they were ouerthrowne in the Wildernesse If then notorious sins bring downe Gods wrath notorious sinners are not to bee winked at to the end that his wrath may bee turned away Reason 3 Thirdly we shewed before that they were as swine and dogges or as vncleane beasts and should not be admitted to the fellowship of Christs sheepe which are cleane lest they defile them and corrupt them through their contagion and tread downe with their feete the residue of their pastures The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5 6. Doe ye not know that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Sinne therefore being infectious the sinner is not to bee tollerated in the assembly of the righteous The vses remaine to be handled First of Vse all it should minister great matter of much greefe and sorrow to euery society of Christian men and women when any of the Congregation grow to be thus prophane and defiled with the contagion of sinne Is it not a great greefe to haue any one member of the body cut off Or can any endure it without paine and anguish So should it be when any that is called a brother is put from the rest of the body of the Church and seuered from the externall communion of Saints This the Apostle teacheth 1 Corinth 5 2. Ye are puffed vp and haue not sorrowed This reprooueth those that regard not this censure whether it bee executed vpon themselues or others neyther are touched with the dishonour that is done to God when hainous and horrible sinnes do breake out of the bosome of the Church The Prophet testifieth Psal 119 136. that his eyes gushed out Riuers of teares because they kept not his law So the Lord speaketh to the man that was cloathed in linnen whom he appointed to preserue such as were his Ezek. 9 4. Goe through the middest of the City through the middest of Ierusalem and set a marke vpon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abhominations that bee done in the middest thereof If any man be present and behold the Chirurgian ready to cut off the arme or legge of another he is moued with a kinde of compassion and commiseration and is touched with greefe for it how much more ought wee to be greeued when a brother is cut off from the communion of the Church which is the mother of vs al The Prophet reioyced whē they said vnto him Let vs go into the house of the Lord so it ought to minister matter of mourning when any haue this greeuous punishment laid vpon them as to be turned out of the Church It ought therefore to be accounted neither matter of ioy nor matter of gain neither should we bee glad to heare that any are so proceeded against Secondly it is a cause of great mercy and Vse 2 of a wonderfull blessing from God whē such as transgresse are resisted and punished So long as sinne is suffered God is offended and his wrath is extended ouer those places and persons He hath a controuersie against those that sin against him Iosh 7 1◠◠8 1 2. The host of Israel could not prosper so long as Achan remained among them the enemies preuailed against them and they turned their backs vnto them but when he was taken away and the glory of God reuenged which he had defaced Israel prospered and had the vpper hand They could not stand before their enemies vntill they had put the accursed thing from among them And how much he hateth sin he declareth sometimes in his owne seruants for Ionah must be cast into the sea or else the Ship and the passengers in it shall euer be in ieopardy therfore he said vnto the Marriners Take me vp and cast me foorth into the sea so shall the sea bee calme vnto you 〈◊〉 12. ◠for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you If then he spare not his owne people how should he spare others that are his enemies We haue a notable example of this afterward in this booke when the people of Israel began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab bowed down vnto their Gods and so coupled themselues vnto Baal-peor God brought a fearefull iudgment vpon them 〈◊〉 8 9. and there died in that plague foure and twenty thousand But Phinehas the son of Eleazar rose vp from the middest of the Congregation and with his speare he smote the adulterer and the adulteresse so the plague ceased from the children of Israel the anger of God being turned away from them A contrary example is to be seene in Eli 1 Sam. 2. hee winked at the wickednes of his vngodly sons and it brought downe a greeuous iudgment vpon them and vpon himselfe and vpon the people Such churches therfore as are carefull to put from among them notorious offenders are blessed of God Sinne is the cause of all iudgement and the remouing thereof bringeth all blessings with it Thirdly euery Congregation is bound to Vse 3 purge their owne body from such excrements and filthinesse as annoy it We must haue herein true zeale godly courage in the cause of God and his truth We must not stand in feare of the faces of men though they be neuer so great and mighty The censures of the Church must not be like the spiders web which catcheth flyes and gnats wheras the bigger creatures break from it They must be administred indifferently without all respect of persons otherwise it laieth open a gap to destroy religion faith honesty iustice and equity maketh a way to wrong and all impiety This reproueth such as dare not deale with great mē rich men and mighty men they are afraid to touch them lest they purchase their displeasure 〈◊〉 in Phor. 〈◊〉 1. These are like to fowlers that pitch not the net to catch kites or Hawkes that do hurt but for such as do no hurt They suffer great men to do what they list and see thē not they let them alone either through negligence they will not or through feare they dare not controlle them according to the saying of the Poet 〈◊〉 satyr 2. Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas They that are censors or chastisers of the manners of others do pardon such as are most wicked and greatest malefactors but doe condemne them that
A fift motiue A fift motiue which ought to be very effectuall is the consideration of the forgiuenesse that we receiue at the hands of God We are much indebted vnto him there is no sin that we commit but increaseth our debt so that we are no way able to pay it He is content for his sons sake to forgiue vs al therefore we ought to put off anger wrath malice and reuenge and on the other side to put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse and long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another Col. 3.13 if any maÌ„ haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue vs so also we must do Hence it is that Christ teacheth vs to aske forgiuenesse at the hands of God as we shew our selues ready and willing to forgiue for we say Forgiue vs our sinnes as we also forgiue the trespasses that are done vnto vs and he addeth immediately after If ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you Matt. 6.14 15. but if ye forgiue not men their trespasses neither wil your Father forgiue your trespasses If then we carry grudging spirits and reuenging minds boyling in vs we turne this comfortable petition into an horrible imprecation against our selues and pray that God would not forgiue vs but coÌ„demne vs forasmuch as we determine not to forgiue but to be reuenged on our enemies that offend vs. If we could be perswaded of this truth then which nothing can be truer we would not seeke reuenge to gaine a kingdome considering that we call downe vengeance with our own mouthes vpon our selues which is a most fearefull case For do we thinke that when sin lyeth at the dore vengeance wil be farre from vs and not come neere vs except we cry for it our selues Let vs take heede we doe not dally with God who wil in iustice repay vs because we take vpon vs to repay and will powre vpon vs the vengeance which we aske against our selues The sixt motiue Lastly we are mooued to put vp wrongs suffer iniuries to referre all reuenge vnto God and not to requite euil for euill because it is against all good law right reason common sense that any man should be accuser witnesse iudge and executioner But euery one that taketh vpon him to right his owne cause A reuenger executeth the office of foure men and to reuenge himselfe doth all these together he executeth the office of foure seueral men It is no reason that he which layeth any accusation against vs should be admitted to be witnesse against vs because a witnesse should not be partiall nor any way suspected to be party Whosoeuer refuseth to referre his cause to the iudgement of God and will take vp the weapon and instrument of reuenge into his owne hand doth more then this he cannot be content to be an accuser and witnesse of wrong but wil also sit as iudge to ccndemne and as executioner to punish which is against all right law equity and conscience No man therefore ought to ingrosse so many offices which of right belong vnto seuerall men It is vnpossible that there should be iust proceeding where matters are carryed in this order If then we would be Christs disciples let vs possesse our soules with patience and commit our causes vnto God that the spirit of glory and of God may rest vpon vs. Notwithstanding all these motiues which may serue as so many bands to tie vs to this dutie Obiections answered the nature of man that is corrupt striueth to breake them all and to be at liberty to doe what it list and therefore ministreth many obiections which are but carnall reasons to warrant the practise of priuate reuenge Let vs see what they are and apply seuerall remedies to euery one of them to stay vs vp from offending this way First of all it will be said If we Obiect should put vp wrongs this were to make our selues as fooles for euery one to laugh at and as blockes for euery one to insult ouer vs and to tread vpon vs. I answere Answer it skilleth not what the world esteeme of vs and what they speake against vs. If we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world Ioh. 15. â—â— therefore the world hateth vs reuileth vs taunteth vs and speaketh al manner of euill against vs. If we regard the iudgement of God we must passe very little for the iudgment of men if we receiue praise of God it skilleth not if we be dispraised of men And as they speake euill of the seruants of God that are themselues euill so they will account vs fooles that are indeed fools themselues For there is no foole like to the wicked man and therfore he is in Scripture oftentimes branded with this name and note As for those that account godlinesse folly and place wisedome in committing wickednesse let vs leaue such wisedome to the wise of this world and be content to be esteemed as simple fooles to the end we may be like to the wise God who is a God of patience and so be partakers of the heauenly nature He turneth the wisedome of this world into foolishnesse and the foolishnesse of this world he accepteth as true wisedome Wherefore let vs hearken to the counsell of the Apostle 1 Cor 3.18 Let no man deceiue you if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may bee wise It were better for vs to be accouÌ„ted fools in this world by wicked men then to be iudged fooles for euer in the world to come Againe some wil obiect If we alwaies sufser Obiect 2 wrongs we shall make our selues a prey set an edge vpon others to lay on loade vpon vs. For we shall neuer be quiet but euermore be abused I answere Answer the condemning of vengeance is not a taking away of iust defence God tyeth vp our hands from vniust reuenge but he shutteth not our mouthes from iust complaint For we may claime the help of the Magistrate either for the preuenting of wrong or for the punishment of the doer of wrong The Magistrate is Gods deputy and his office is to releeue the oppressed to defend the innocent to execute iudgment on malefactors When certaine of the Iewes more then forty men banded together and bound themselues vnder a curse that they would neither eat nor drink til they had killed Paul Act. 23. â—â— he sent to the chief captaine to be defended from their conspiracy And when he saw the malice of his nation against him that they ceassed not to lay greeuous complaints to his charge he appealed vnto Cesar that he might not be deliuered into the hands of the Iewes that sought his life and thirsted for blood I stand at Cesars iudgement seat where I ought to be iudged 〈◊〉 â— 10 So
worke to take double wages They labour in one place and receiue recompence for their labour in two places If we should see a day-labourer worke diligently all the yere long with one man and at the yeeres end aske his hire at the hands of two men we would account it iniustice and deny to pay him These men that now we speake off who are like vnto Issachar compared to a strong asse couching downe betweene two burdens can labor but among one people Gen. 49.14 and yet they will haue maintenance of two Parishes If they obiect that they diuide their labours and take paines among them both I answer that helpeth not the matter forasmuch as while they are absent from them and come not among them they take as much of them as when they preach vnto them If the day-labourer of whom we spake before should worke halfe the yeere with them and require of them paiment for the whole yeere they wold not be so simple to grant it though they would be so shamelesse to demaund it These are they that make the calling of the Minister gainefull rather then painefull and sildome or neuer thinke of the account which they are to make for the soules committed vnto them and yet will be sure to haue the greatest maintenance that the Church or Churches can minister vnto them Vse 3 Lastly as this duty and doctrine serueth for the direction of the Ministers that as they looke to be maintained so all are not fit for this office because they must preach in season and out of season and not intangle themselues in matters and businesse of the world that they cannot intend to giue themselues to reading to exhortation and doctrine so it teacheth the people to haue a speciall care of their Ministers that they leaue them not destitute and distracted for want of necessaries They watch for our soules and therefore wee ought to prouide for their bodies We heard before that the Apostle willeth the Galathians Gal. 6.6 to communicate of their goods to their Pastours that labour among them Whereby it appeareth that in those daies so soone as the Gospel began to be planted the Ministers of the word began to be neglected in their daily ministration For as the word it selfe was contemned so were they also that preached it If the word it selfe be had in price and estimation the feete of them that bring glad tidings of peace will be beautifull vnto vs Rom. chapter 10. verse 15. And by this note wee may prooue our selues whether the word be precious vnto vs or not If we regard not the Ministers in what condition they liue among vs but leaue thē in a most poore necessitous estate it is euident that we make little reckoning of the word it selfe Where the Ministers are vilified and basely esteemed it is manifest that the horrible contempt of the word it selfe reigneth there And this is a notable policy of the diuell wherby he vndermineth vs and cunningly getteth ground of vs. For he defraudeth the Ministers of their maintenance that the Church may be spoiled of her Ministers He knoweth wel that if the Church should want the Ministers and haue them taken out of the way he might rage and rauen at his pleasure kill and murther freely as he listed Plutar. in the life of Demosthenes as if the wolues could get the dogges that kept the flocke into their hands they would destroy the sheepe without mercy The diuell is a cruell and sauage wolfe the Ministers are the keepers of the flocke and watch ouer it if they be any way remooued the diuell will suddenly prey vpon them and make hauocke of them Hence it is that the Lord saith in the book of Deuteronomy chap. 12.19 Take heed to thy selfe that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vpon the earth And in the 14. cha 27 verse he repeateth this exhortation againe The Leuite that is within thy gate thou shalt not forsake him for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee The Leuites were appointed of God to serue him and to teach his people that his Law might be knowne among them and therfore it was great reason they should haue wherewith to maintaine them A part of the inheritance belonged vnto them as they descended of the linage of Abraham howbeit God had put them from it to the end they should not be combred with earthly things neither troubled with tillage nor distracted with any other businesse but wholly giue themselues to the performance of their duties And the people also must doe their duties vnto them Great is the vnthankefulnes of this vnthankefull world The wretched Idolaters that worship they know not what spare no cost to maintaine their Priests wheras in the meane season such as serue God purely in their places are in no account and men are content not only to set light by them but vtterly to forsake them And what is the cause of this surely because they reprooue vs for our sinnes and suffer not euery man to doe what he listeth which made the Apostle say Gal. 4.16 Am I become your enemy because I tell you the trueth We all by nature desire liberty and cannot abide to be touched by Gods word we will not be reprooued Wee had rather maintaine such as would neuer speake word vnto vs then such preachers as exhort diligently and rebuke sinne powerfully and discharge their duties carefully How many are there that had rather nourish and keepe with great charge a great rabble of greasie Fryars and an whole Couent of idle Monkes to chaunt and houle all the day long then to finde one painefull preacher to speake vnto them as he ought to doe And how many are there if they might haue their owne choyce that had rather pay their tithes and giue their money to ignorant persons and idle bellies that can doe nothing or will doe nothing then to faithful Pastours that are according to Gods owne heart and might turne vs from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto eternal life Wherefore it is not without cause that the Lord would not haue the Ministers forsaken which publish true doctrine in his Name Neither doth this tend to the benefite of the Ministers either onely or principally but to the good of the people themselues For such as refuse to maintaine those that bring home vnto them the doctrine of saluation doe bereaue themselues of the food of their soules and the bread of life which is all one as if they should goe about to starue themselues for hunger When the Ministers teach this trueth of God that maintenance is due vnto them they are censured to preach for themselues and to seeke their owne profit and to pleade their owne causes howbeit this serueth for the common benefite of the whole people and the generall welfare of the whole Church of God that true religion might be maintained obedience toward God continued and the vnity
of faith established So then the people in doing some good to the Ministers doe more good to themselues they minister to them in temporall things but they receiue at their hands spirituall and eternall things and therfore they are not to leaue them and forsake them but to maintaine them profit them to comfort them of whoÌ„ they receiue comfort 11 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 12 Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them If any mans wife goe aside and commit a trespasse against him 13 And a man lie with her carnally and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and bee kept close and she be defiled and there be no witnesse against her neither she be taken with the manner 14 And the spirit of iealousie come vpon him and he bee iealous of his wife and she be defiled or if the spirit of iealousie come vpon him he be iealous of his wife and she be not defiled â—ent Peâ—â—â— Numer It is well obserued by some writers that Moses intreateth in this Chapter of remouing of three impediments and hinderances that were among the people of God one of vncleannesse another of vnrighteousnesse the third of suspicion We haue spoken already in the former part going before how impurity is to be banished and how wrong and iniustice is to be purged Now we come to consider how euill surmises and suspicions are also to be taken away which is done by setting downe the try all of the suspected wife whereby the innocency of the woman is reuealed and the iealousie of the husband is remooued and the trueth of the matter before hidden is tryed Before we spake of such crimes as are open manifest now of that which is not certaine but only suspected not cleere in it selfe but doubtfull â—â—t iealouâ—â—â— But first let vs speake of Iealousie in generall which is the bane and poison of marriage and maketh that sociable life to be vncomfortable and mingleth it with worse then gall and wormewood Iealousie therefore is a griefe of mind arising from hence that another is iudged to enioy that which we desire to haue wholly and properly as our owne and none beside vs to possesse any part with vs. Heere then we cannot abide any community but hate it as our enemy and the right cause of this iealousie Or we may describe it otherwise on this manner It is an affection proceeding from feare to haue that communicated to another which we challenge and couet to retaine as peculiar and proper to our selues alone â—ereof ieaâ—ie consiâ— From hence it appeareth farther what the nature of iealousie is to wit that it is mixed and compounded partly of loue partly of feare and partly of anger Of loue which admitteth no fellow partner in the thing he loueth Th m. â— secund quaest 28. art 40. For as the king will suffer no companion to be equall vnto him or partaker with him in his kingdome so will the husband suffer no corriuall to mate him in his loue Of feare lest another enioy the vse of that which we cannot abide or suffer he should enioy Of anger whereby it commeth to passe that he is ready to breake out to seeke reuenge and punishment vpon him that hath offended him that way as Pro 6.34 he beareth no ransome For Iealousie is the rage of man therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou giuest many giftes For in this doth the husband suppose the estimation of his owne person the dignity of his children and the honor of his whole family to consist whiles the wife keepeth the marriage-bed chaste and vndefiled and giueth no iust occasion to be suspected of dishonesty and vncleannesse And on the otherside he accounteth all things in the house turned vpside downe his person disgraced his children embased and his family turned into a stewes by the false dealing and the leude practise of his vnchast wife Hence it is that Salomon saith A vertuous woman is the crowne of her husband Prou. 12.4 and contrariwise shee that maketh him ashamed is as rottennesse in his bones Wherefore God established this speciall Law in this place both that false suspicion might be resisted and that no crime though neuer so closely and cunningly committed should be vndetected For albeit it be practised secretly it shall be discouered openly according to the saying of our Sauiour oftentimes repeated in the Gospel uke 13.2 8.17 Matth. 10.26 There is nothing couered that shall not be reuealed neither hid that shall not be knowne Now let vs come to the order of the words In this tryall of the woman suspected of adultery we are to consider two points first The order of the words the setting downe of the Law Secondly the conclusion of the whole matter In setting down the law we are to obserue three points first the propounding of the cause is noted Secondly the determination of the cause is handled Thirdly the issue or euent of the whole processe is declared Touching the matter or cause it is propounded in these foure verses to wit from the 11 to the end of the 14 verse which is twofold in one and the same point of iealousie one if the woman haue committed adultery from whence ariseth a iust and lawful iealousie the other if she haue not committed adultery whence proceedeth a foolish and an euill grounded iealousie The first point is propounded on this manner Put the case a man haue a wife that hath gone aside and deceiued him and committed fornication and he doth not certainly know it neither can euidently prooue it because he can produce no winesse that saw her and she will not make a voluntary confession of her fact committed This is handled in the 11 12 13 and part of the 14. verse The second is set down in this sort Put case she haue not gone astray neither hath beene defiled which is briefly signified in the latter end of the 14. verse In both these whether she be guilty or not guilty the case is doubtfull the husband in perplexity of the matter and therefore in the next words that come heereafter to be considered the Lord himselfe deliuereth the way and meanes how the doubt may be dissolued and that which is secret may be cleared and decided Thus much touching the order Before we come to the doctrine that ariseth from hence it shall not be vnprofitable or any whit from our purpose to answere such Obiect 1 questions as arise out of this diuision And first of all forasmuch as nothing doth more crosse the law of loue and rule of charity then to suspect euill of our neighbour it may bee demaunded to what end and purpose God giueth liberty to the husband to pursue his wife following his corrupt humour and suffereth him to call his wifes name and credit into question defaming and shaming her
what the Ephah was to wit ten times so much If wee follow the account and estimate that some of the Rabbines make which seemeth to bee the most sound and most certaine we may hold What the Omer is that the Omer maketh iust three pintes of our ale-measure so that the Ephah by this reckoning containeth neere halfe of our bushell not full out foure gallons For thus doth Rabbi Shelomo take the computation D. Wâ—lâ—et Hex apâ—â—n Exod. chap. 16. as wee may reade in the learned and laborious commentary set out vpon that booke The Ephah containeth three of the measures called Seah Euery Seah held sixe of the measures called Cabi Euery Cabi held so much as 24. Egges So then the Omer being the tenth part of the Ephah containeth 24. Egges which maketh iust three pintes of ale-measure and as the Omer is three pintes of our ale-measure What the Ephah is so the Epha being ten times so much containeth almost halfe of our bushell Neither may this seeme strange or against that which we reade in the booke of Ruth that she gleaned Ruth 2 17. gathered euery day an Ephah of barley and carried it home to her mother but rather strengtheneth and confirmeth that which hath beene said for as it was not a burden too great for a woman to beare so it was not a measure too great for a woman to gather many in our daies sometimes vsing to do as much who haue not that extraordinary fauour shewed vnto them which she had albeit she were a stranger By all this that hath beene spoken we may easily see and perceiue that this tenth part of the Ephah heere mentioned which was also offered amounted to three pintes of barley floure of our ale-measure I am not ignorant that many enlarge these measures much more and in a manner double the account that I haue followed but this seemeth to be the truer computation neither will we contend with any in a matter of no higher nature let the Reader follow that which carrieth greatest shew of reason And thus much of the questions arising out of the first point Secondly hauing now declared what the husband did wee come to shew in the next place what the Priest did he must bring her neere which is suspected of adultery and set her before the Lord Verse 18. that is before the Altar of burnt offerings standing within the Tabernacle to the end she should consider that shee stood as it were ready to hold vp her hand at the barre of Gods iudgement seat where and when she should not escape if so be she were faulty and guilty of that crime He taketh holy water in an earthen vessell and dust from the floore of the Tabernacle and putteth it into the water so that they were mingled together Then hee vncouereth her head putteth the offering into her hand and holdeth the bitter water in his hand that causeth the curse In this part of the diuision containing the Question 1 actions of the Priest sundry questions are to be considered and dissolued As first whence the Priest had this water heere mentioned From what place did he take it I answer Answer eyther it was the water of separation sprinkled with the ashes of the red heiffer so called because it was applied vnto theÌ„ which for their vncleannesse were separated from the Congregation to the end that being washed and cleansed with it they might bee receiued againe into the host for which cause it is also named the water of sinne of which wee reade at large afterward Numb 19. or else it must be water taken out of the brazen lauer Exo. 30 19 21 wherwith the Priests vsed to wash themselues before they ministred in the Tabernacle And indeed many vnderstand it of the former But that was the water vsed to purge and clense as we noted before which hath no vse in this place forasmuch as the woman should after a sort be reputed as guilty and be condemned of the crime whereof she was suspected accused as if it were to be purged by it which were to condemne the person before the fact be proued a thing that cannot bee practised without iniustice This then is the difference betweene those waters that was to purge this is to discouer Forasmuch therefore as it could not be that water it followeth that it was the water which was set in the Tabernacle and taken out of the brazen lauer appointed for the Priests to wash withall Question 2 Secondly it would bee knowne why this water was called holy Was there any purity or holinesse in it Or was it better then any other Or had it any secret force in it to make any man holy I answer Answer it was so called not in regard of the substance of it or of any naturall strength it had in it but in regard of the vse because it was appointed and set apart to an holy vse 2 Kin◠〈…〉 Iohn 5 â— as the water and washing in Iordan clensed Naaman and the poole of Siloam healed the diseased Thus the instruments of the Tabernacle the Arke the Shew-bread the Candlesticke the Lampes and the rest of the vessels vsed in the seruice of God were all of them consecrated and hallowed not in regard of the matter whereof they consisted neither in regard of the forme after which they were fashioned because they had the one from nature the other froÌ„ art but in respect of Gods ordinance that had separated them to an holy purpose So we see in the new Testament wheÌ„ Christ instituted his last Supper and thereby commanded his Church to keepe a perpetuall memory of his death and passion vntill his coÌ„ming againe the bread and wine that hee set apart to that purpose are said to be blessed Math. 26 26. 1 Cor. 10 â—6 Paul calleth it the cup of blessing not that they haue any holinesse inherent and included in them or any power to sanctifie all the comers and communicants that doe receiue them for then no man should eate of that bread or drinke of that cup vnworthily nor make himselfe guilty of the body and blood of Christ whereas the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 11 29. that whosoeuer eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerning the Lords body And the Church of the Corinthians was generally chastened of the Lord for this abuse contempt as he sheweth in the same place Verse 30. For this cause many are weake and sickely among you and many sleepe It remaineth therefore that these outward elements are holy onely in regard of Gods ordinance and our vse and sanctified to them that come aright prepared vnto them So is it touching the water mentioned in this place it is called indeed holy water howbeit not in regard of any holines that was in it but partly in regard of the vse to which it was applied partly in regard of the person by which it was vsed partly in
pleaseth God to preserue life by very weake meanes to shew that man liueth not by bread onely so is it in the famine of spirituall things In the dayes of Ahab when the Temple was forsaken by the ten tribes and idolatry was erected in Israel the altars digged downe and the Prophets slaine yet God reserued seuen thousand that neuer bowed the knee to Baal 1 King 19.18 Rom. 11.4 There were very few labourers in the daies of Christ among the Iewes ignorance had couered the land that they were as sheep without a shepheard Matth. 9 3â— and yet in those barren times when the seede of the word was thinly sowen there was a plentifull haruest ready to be gathered for loe the fields were white vnto the haruest Ioh. 4.35 Thus doth God blesse what meanes soeuer it shall please him to vse let them be neuer so weake in themselues and little in our eyes yet they shall haue force and strength enough when he will imploy them which serueth as a great comfort to those that haue not the best meanes to bring them to faith and repentance Use 3 Lastly we must take heed we put not slight and vnnecessary excuses for vrgent and necessary causes They that were bidden to the wedding pleaded by way of excuse for themselues I haue hyred a farme I haue bought fiue yoke of oxen I haue married a wife I cannot come Luke 14.18 Matth. 22.5 Many in our dayes would account these good excuses honest pretences lawful defences indeed it cannot be denyed but they iustifie them by their owne practises â—â—k 16.51 as Ierusalem did Samaria For they goe further in their wicked wayes and account it a sufficient colour to warrant their absence from Gods ordinance saying I haue a bargaine to make I haue worke to take I am bidden to a feast I must goe speake with such a man it is rainy weather there is an yeueall at the next Parish I must walke about my ground to see my corne and cattell I am otherwise busie and therefore I cannot come Others that thinke themselues more wise yet shew themselues more wicked because they pretend greater loue to the truth and liking to Religion then the other they can reade good Sermons and vse good prayers at home and therefore what need they come Let all these take heed to bind them together in one bundle lest it be said vnto them heereafter as it was said to such as made such like slight and sleeulesse excuses that none of those that were bidden should taste of that Supper Necessary causes of absence are such as require present doing that could not be dispatched before neither can be put off vntill afterward Heat and colde raine and shine hunger and thirst pouerty of estate or tediousnes of iourney could not keepe the people of God from the Passeouer Psal 84.6 They goe from strength to strength euery one of them in Sion appeareth before God These can excuse no man to his Prince no not to the ordinary iudge and iustice When a man is cited and summoned by word or writ to appeare at the barre of an earthly iudge will it be taken for currant answer to say O sir I was willing and desirous to appeare but it was hote weather or cold weather or rainy weather wil such friuolous and fruitlesse excuses be admitted and shall wee think that the king of kings and the iudge of iudges will receiue them at such times as hee summoneth vs to appeare before his presence Let vs not therefore offer and performe lesse duty and seruice vnto God then we do vnto men nor suppose that God will content himselfe with lesse attendance then man doth Ver 10. If any of you or of your posterity shall be vncleane by reason of a dead body Heere is another cause of being kept from the Passeouer â—â—â—n â—â—dâ—â—â—â—â—â— offenâ—â—â—â—â—ght tâ—â—â—â—ed 〈◊〉 the comâ—â—n to wit vncleannesse The doctrine â—â—ctrine is that open offenders and impenitent persons ought not to haue any accesse to the Lords Table but are to be kept from it as vncleane birdes from the Sacrifice A stranger vncircumcised had nothing to doe with the Passeouer Exod. 12.48 The incestuous person was excommunicated from the Church and the priuiledges of it 1 Cor. 5. as Caine was from the face of God Gen. 4. When Adam had sinned against God and eaten of the forbidden fruite he was put out of the gaâ—den that he might not eate of the fruite of the tree of life Gen. 3.22 23 24. this was as a Sacrament vnto him of life so long as he continued in obedience The Sacraments are holy things but holy things must not be giuen to dogges the Sacraments are precious pearles but pearls must not be cast before swine Now obstinate offenders and notorious sinners are dogges and swine The reasons are as Christ saith they will Reason 1 trample them vnder their feet Matt. 7.6 they place no holinesse in them they do not esteem them as any pearles or value them at any rate Hence it is that the Prophet saith If any that is vncleane by a dead body touch any of these it shall be vncleane Hag. 2.13 if then the person be defiled he defileth whatsoeuer he toucheth the holines of the sacrifice cannot make him holy but the wickednesse of the person shall make the sacrifice vnholy Againe such as come to the Lords Supper must shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 That is he must publish with praise and thanksgiuing vnto God the memoriall of the greatest wonder and mystery that euer fell out in the world to wit the propitiatory sacrifice and precious death of the eternall Son of God But this can neuer be done by a wicked man Praise in the mouth of a foole is not comely nor commendable neither God will accept of them any such sacrifice Thirdly they are guilty of the body and blood of Christ and therfore it must needs be a feareful wickednesse to come in such a wretched and prophane manner 1 Corinth 11.27 They are despisers of the most precious thing in the world Heb. 10.29 They tread vnder foot the Sonne of God and account the blood of the New Testament a prophane thing which caused the Angels of God the whole frame of nature in heauen and earth to wonder at it and to be dismayed at the death of the Sonne of God contemned by these wicked wretches No sinne murther incest treason comparable to this sinne Fourthly they haue no fellowship with the Church in these holy things there is no communion betweene light and darkenesse betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse and therefore Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this businesse Acts 8.21 Such therefore as are scandalous prophane are to be separated by the Church from others as â—â—ule and filthy beasts are to be kept from faire springs lest with their feet they defile the water Lastly the seale belongeth to
Neither doth this any way derogate from the authority of the writings of Moses which were giuen by the inspiration of the Spirit seeing we confesse the Prophets which came after spake by the same Spirit But howsoeuer it be this is certaine that Moses and the Prophets whether they praise or dispraise themselues wrote no otherwise then as they were commanded and appointed Besides these words may be restrained to the cause and matter in hand namely that as by nature he was very milde and gentle so he departed not from his humility though hee were exceedingly prouoked by those whom he least suspected and at whose hands he least deserued it Hee became as a deafe man that heard not and as a dumb man which openeth not his mouth but vsed this as a reason to cast downe himselfe farther before God and as Dauid said I will bee yet more vile in mine owne eyes so Moses saith 2 Sam. 6 2â— I will bee yet more milde in mine owne eies And herein was his meeknes seene hereby it was tried Euery man will seeme to be milde when he is not prouoked but when we are teazed and troubled if then we keepe our meeknes we shew that we haue this gift It is no commendation to keepe silence and hold our peace when no maÌ„ wrongeth vs but if we can beare with patience the wrongs that are offered vnto vs theÌ„ we may assure our selues that this vertue is in vs. We learne from hence That euery one in his owne cause should bee meeke and lowly Doctrine Euery 〈◊〉 should be milde gâ—â—tle in his 〈◊〉 cause ready to put vp wrongs offered vnto them Prou. 24 29. Ro 12 17. Meeknesse is a vertue which adorneth al persons estates degrees as the Magistrate Iosh 7 19 the Minister 2 Tim. 2 25 the master Eph. 6 9. Math. 26 50 the wife 1 Pet. 3 4 a meeke and quiet spirit is of great price and much accepted in the sight of God the hearer of the word of God Iam. 1 21 the seruant 1 Pet. 2 20. To be short it adorneth euery Christian in his generall calling Eph. 4 1 2. The examples of the Saints are many that haue gone before vs. Dauid toward Saul Stephen praied for his enemies Christ setteth forth himselfe as a patterne of this vertue Math. 11 29. and he hath left himselfe an example of it by washing the feet of his Disciples Iohn 13 5 15. and by bearing the reproches of the vngodly 1 Pet. 2 23. Luke 9 5â— The reasons to confirme the point follow Reason 1 First God the Father dealeth thus with vs he beareth with patience and long suffering and forgiueth such as repent Secondly Exod. 34â— Eph. 4 32 Col. 3 13. vengeance is the Lords it belongeth to him only to his assignes to wit the Magistrates not to priuate persons Such as take the sword into their owne hand doubt of Gods iustice Rom. 12 â— Nah. 1 â— and in effect deny him to be iust Thirdly meekenes is a gift of the Spirit Gal. 5 23 and the contrary is a fruite of the flesh and of our corrupt nature If this be necessary for all then we must Vse 1 learne the nature of it and for this purpose consider what it is the matter whereof it standeth and the fruites thereof Meekneâ— what it 〈◊〉 Meeknesse is a gift of the Spirit which moderateth anger desire of reuenge forgiuing offences and pardoning iniuries for peace and quietnesse sake so that albeit a man be prouoked by iniuries receiued yet he doth not intend nor enterprize to requite it but brideleth all hatred impatience The matter wherein it must bee shewed is priuate vnto our selues The mâ— wheâ—â—nesse 〈◊〉 shewed In the wrongs and iniuries that touch our persons we must be as Moses was in this place wee must set his example before our eyes but in matters of God when his glory is impeached or his truth diminished we must be earnest zealous not patient not forbearing not long-suffering but as this Moses was in the case of God Exod. 32 19 27. when he saw the Calfe he waxed hot not meeke wheras in this place in a matter concerning himselfe he waxed meeke not hot So it was with Dauid who held his tongue at his owne wrongs and was as a man that could not heare 〈…〉 14 â—9 and 〈◊〉 yet hee consumed away with zeale against the enemies that forgat Gods word The like we see in Christ our Sauiour 〈…〉 7. â—32 he was as a Lambe meeke before the shearer opened not his mouth yet wheÌ„ the Temple was abused and the worshippe of God prophaned he made a whip of cordes and draue the buyers sellers out of the Temple 〈…〉 â—1 12. 〈…〉 of â—esse Lastly touching the fruites of it we must vnderstand first that it maketh a man with a patient and quiet heart to submit himselfe to the iudgments of God and not to murmure at theÌ„ or to faint vnder them as Dauid beeing in great distresse through Gods heauy hand vpon him doth shew foorth this grace Secondly it maketh a man to beare the iniuries of men with a quiet minde yea to forgiue and forget them Thirdly it maketh a man not onely to beare the iniuries of others but to forbeare to offer wrongs and iniuries vnto others For whosoeuer is patient and meeke in spirit will rather suffer then offer wrong Secondly we ought to labour for the moderation Vse 2 of al our affections especially anger hatred malice rancour and reuenge The motiues to stirre and induce vs hereunto are many and of much force First it is the right way to blessednesse 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 to â—esse Mat. 5 5. If we would be happy or any whit regard this promise we must get the spirit of meeknesse into our hearts expresse the power of it in our liues Secondly we must deale with our brethren as God hath dealt with vs we daily wrong him by our offences and prouoke him by our sinnes yet he beareth with vs shall we then be so vnlike to our heauenly Father as by and by to reuenge the wrongs done to vs and chalenge him the combate that any way toucheth our credite and estimation Col. 3 13. Thirdly without it we cannot heare the word of GOD to our comfort and saluation but it is made vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs Iam. 1 21. Fourthly a soft and milde spirit pacifieth wrath and heapeth coales of fire vpon the enemies head 〈◊〉 1. â—â— 2. 〈◊〉 5 32 It must be our wisedome to giue place to wrath Rom. 12 19. It is our duty to be pitifull and courteous and to loue the brethren 1 Pet. 3 8 9. Lastly it moueth vs to cast vp our eye to Gods prouidence and to assubiect our selues vnto it as we see in the examples of Iob and Ioseph who neuer sought reuenge on them that did them wrong but rest in the will and pleasure of
follow the euil examples that are practised before vs In the things that concern the body euery man will be ready to flye such occasions and auoide such dangers because they tender their liues and loue their bodies how strange then and monstrous is it that meÌ„ dare imitate others in their sins and euill practises which they cannot be ignorant haue bin the causes and procurers of sundry plagues iudgements vpon them Let euery man therefore labour and endeuour against these things and looke narrowly to his owne waies not suffering himselfe to be corrupted and drawn to sinne by the euill examples of others Let vs goe vp at once and possesse it He stirreth vp the people to go forward as the other perswaded them to go backward They mooued them to rebell he exhorteth them to obedience By this we learne Doctrine It is our 〈◊〉 to exhort aâ— stir vp one another to good thiâ—â—â— that it is the duty of Gods children to exhort and stirre vp one another to good things Esay 2 2. 1 Thess 5 11. Heb. 3 13. We must not onely imbrace and receiue the truth our selues but there is a farther duty required of vs to admonish encourage one another to all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse And that for diuers reasons First wee are quickly hardned in sinne We are quickly dull and dead to all good exhortation made by others setteth an edge vpon vs and putteth life into vs Prou. 27 17. Secondly such as continue to the end are made partakers of Christ and with him of all other graces this ought to prouoke vs to practise this duty the rather seeing so great fruit commeth by it the benefit of all benefits and the blessing of all blessings Christ Iesus is made ours Hebr. 3 13.14 Thirdly we haue other reasons vsed by the same Apostle chap. 10 25 26. Fearfull iudgements remaine for all backesliders Seeing therefore so great danger hangeth ouer their heads that reuolt and turne backe let vs with all courage and care set vpon the practise of this duty Fourthly the day of the Lord draweth nere and wee must take heede that it take vs not vnready and vnprepared wee must therefore stirre vp our selues and others to looke for it and to long after it Lastly we see euill men do it in euill and to euill They labour by all meanes to make others as bad as themselues and oftentimes so corrupt them that they become two-folde more the children of hell Prou. 1 10. 7 21. Gen. 11 3. This also we see in this place much more therefore ought we to teach and instruct one another and be helpers to the most holie faith one of another Seeing then we must performe this dutie to Vse 1 others much more ought we to doe it to our selues It is in vaine to go about to mooue others and sit still our selues like to Herod who moued the wisemen that came vnto him to go and search diligently for the yong childe but neither he nor his courtiers would beare them company Mat. 2.8 If then we would haue others go forward in good things we must begin and leade the way our selues The Prophet exhorting the people to praise the Lord beginneth himself I will praise the Lord with mine whole heart Psal 111 1. If we would mooue others and then stand still our selues wee doe more discourage them by our deeds then encorage them by our words The Prophet Zacharie prophesying of the kingdom of Christ of the zeale of men embracing the Gospel saith that the inhabitants of one City shal go to another saying Let vs go speedily to praise the Lord and to seeke the Lord of hosts and they shall adde I will go also Zac. 8 21. And thus it ought to be among euery one of vs if wee belong to the kingdome of Christ and haue in truth embraced the Gospel wee should call on another with vs to go the hearing of the word calling vpon God to the sanctifying of the Sabbath and to attend on the Ministery and adde withall I will go with you The like we see in the prophet Esay chap. 12.1 2 3 4. the faithfull people of God exhorting others to praise the name of God do begin the song of praise and thankesgiuing themselues I will praise thee for God is my strength and my saluation So it is our dutie to go about to perswade not onely by our words but by our example and we must first doe those things our selues which we require of other men It is a note of hypocrisie to binde heauy burthens and greeuous to be born and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers Math 23 4. Luk. 11 46. It is not enough for the husband to say to the wife Goe to the Sermon it is not enough for the parents to say to their children or masters to say to their seruants It is time for you to goe to the Church but it is needefull for them to adde this withall And I will go with you So ought one brother one neighbor one friend to say to another I pray let vs go together to such a Sermon let vs heare what God shall say vnto vs by his Minister wee cannot testifie our loue toward them better then this way and shew that we desire their good howbeit wee must adde I will go with you I will beare you company This is the way for vs to preuaile with them and to doe good vnto them Secondly we must consider the state one of Vse 2 another how it is with them whether they increase or decrease whether they go forward or backward This is a common default amoÌ„g vs al we are not watchful ouer the wayes one of another we neuer consider one another whether they stand still or fall wee are in this like to Caine and ready to say Am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4 9. We care not for the most part how it goeth with them Obiect But peraduenture some man will say Who art thou which iudgest another mans seruant to his owne master he standeth or falleth Rom. 14 4. whereby it seemeth that euery one should bee left vnto himselfe Answer Answer this place is nothing to the present purpose For the Apostle speaketh of things indifferent and sheweth that no man should condemne as wicked and prophane any of the beleeuing Gentiles belonging vnto God and therefore it belongeth to him onely either to approue or disallow the things that are done Wherefore we are charged to take the charge one of another to procure their good by all meanes we can Heb 10.24 Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes And how can wee beare the burthen one of another except wee know the estate one of another Lastly it is our duty to reioyce at such practise Vse 3 when wee see men ready to practise this duty As it ministreth matter of such mourning and
he had beene said Thy seruant went no whither 2 Ki. 5 25. Or if they slaÌ„der and belye their masters or any way falsely accuse them as Ziba did Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 16 3. Or if they run away from their masters and will not tarry in their houses like the seruants of Shemei that fled from him 1 King 2 39. Or if they picke and steale from them as Onesimus did from Philemon or any way deale fraudulently falsly with their masters goods which he hath committed to their trust as the vniust steward did with his Lord Lu. 16 5 6 7. Let these look for no better dealing in times to come at the hands of their owne seruants but be well assured that it is iust with God to send them the like false and disobedient seruants as themselues haue beene to their masters Thus then we see how all inferiors shold be encouraged to honour their superiours because God will cause them to be honoured and on the other side be terrified from despising and dishonouring them lest another day he cause them also to be dishonoured Your children shall wander in the wildernesse forty yeares and beare your whoredomes c By whoredome we must vnderstand the punishment of the idolatry and infidelity of their fathers falling from God and ceasing to trust in him For as idolatry so infidelity is spirituall whoredome They were as a wife that had forsaken her husband and broken the couenant of her God So then obserue that according to the number of the daies in which the fathers had searched the Land eueÌ„ forty daies the children must beare their iniquities and wander too and fro forward and backward forty yeares before they should enter into the Land The doctrine from hence is this Doctrine The iudgements and punishments of God God visiteth the sinnes of the father vpon the childreÌ„ deserued and procured by the fathers sinnes and rebellions do oftentimes fal vpon their children and posterity they do not end and ceasse in themselues but descend to their stocke issue that liue after them Exod. 20 5. and 34 7 8. The reasons First because the children of Reason 1 men and their posterity though they be oftentimes infants and haue not vnderstanding to conceiue of sinne yet the same iudgements that belonged to the fathers sinnes shall light vpon them because God would therby shew his anger sore displeasure against their sins in that when it pleaseth him hee will punish those for their sinnes which as yet had committed no sinne at all Rom. 5 14 Gen. 7 4 and 19 25. Secondly touching those that are of ripe Reason 2 years they are of two sorts either wicked so like to their parents and then it is iust with God to bring his iudgements vpon them because he would shew himselfe displeased with their sins or else they are godly not tainted and defiled with them yet neuerthelesse there is other corruption enough in theÌ„ which may lustly worthily call for temporal iudgment Obiect But some haply will obiect that this may seeme to bee quite contrary to other Scriptures as Ezek. 18 4 â—0 where it is said The soule that sinneth shall die the death and againe The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father neither shall the father beare the iniquity of the son the righteousnes of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon him I answer Answer we must marke the occasion of these words The children of Israel tooke vp a taunting prouerb against God and in their afflictions said The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth are set on edge v 2. that is the fathers haue sinned and the children are punished These were quick-sighted to looke vp but they could not looke downe-ward vpon themselues they could see farther off but were blinde neerer home These were ranke hypocrites who had rather accuse God then themselues and as Adam cast the fault from himselfe vpon his wife Gen. 3 12 so do they from themselues vpon their fathers They neuer thinke of their owne eating of the sowre grapes they thought themselues free froÌ„ any sin that should procure such iudgements but God taketh the sons in the sins of the fathers and then punisheth them for their owne sins taking occasion from their fathers sins Euery mans sin shall be vpon his owne head so that though a wicked father be condemned yet his sonne not treading in his steps shall be saued And though God punisheth temporally for the sin of the father yet he doth not condemn any eternally for the same For as the godlinesse of the father shall nothing helpe the son to eternall life so his wickednes shall not hinder his saluation except he be wicked himselfe and walke in the steps of his wicked father Obiect But it wil peraduenture be said that Dauid sinned in the numbring of the people yet the people were punished many thousands were plagued for his offence 2 Sa. 24 15 17 and he escaped scot-free Loe I haue sinned and I haue done wickedly but these sheepe what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house I answer Answer this is a certaine infallible rule that there is no vnrighteousnesse with God who is the Iudge of all the world Deut. 32 4. Lament 3 33 And touching the people though they were free from this sin of Dauid yet they had many other greeuous sins for which God might iustly punish them and God either for some secret or else some open sin had a quarrell against them as is plaine by these words 2 Sam. 24 1. The anger of the Lord was againe kindled against Israel and therefore he moued Dauid against them to say Go number Iudah and Israel It is not said that he moued Dauid against himselfe but against them So then their owne sin was the cause of the kings sin and the kings sin brought this punishment vpon them The cause he cause the cause the thing caused and therefore their sin was the cause of the cause of their punishment It may be they abused the peace plenty giuen vnto them after the three yeares of famine after the foure great battels which they had fought against the Philistims for it is hard to vse Gods blessings wel our corrupt nature being ready to turne good into euill and blessings into curses Deut. 32 6 15. Therefore the people are especially plagued because their sin was the first cause of al which sin he punished with the sin of Dauid God punisheth one with anothâ— and both of theÌ„ with that greeuous pestilence And touching Dauid we cannot say he altogether escaped vnpunished for God by one and the same plague and iudgement striketh many waies and many persons his sword hath many edges and cutteth euery way he vseth no rod that hath not many sharpe twigs nor no whip that hath not many cordes
sheweth in these words the persons to whom they belong of whom they must bee practised they belong euen to the strangers soiourners among the Israelites as well as to the Israelites themselues namely if they were circumcised as it is saide before touching the eating of the Passeouer chapt 9. One law is appointed for the one and the other â—rine The doctrine is this â—hurch is â—e body â—ded the lawes The members of the church of what place people soeuer they are are one entire body and are to bee ruled by the same lawes Exod. 12 48 49. Eph. 1 22. and 3 15. 5 21. Coloss 1 18. To this purpose it is called sometimes a body sometimes a city somtimes a temple and sometimes a family But it may be obiected if it be one body one temple one city one family how is it that we reade of many Churches as of the Romanes of the Corinthians and of the seauen churches of Asia I answer there is one Church but it hath many particular parts as the great Sea though it be one yet there are many parts according to the seueral coasts and countries by which they run as the Britan the French the Spanish the German seas and yet all but one sea â— 1 2. The reasons First the ruler thereof is one God and one Lord ouer all who is blessed for euer This one God hath one church hath prepared for it one place and one saluation Eph. 4 5 6. Secondly the body tied as it were by ioynts and sinewes in the same the members are diuers but they make but one body there is one hope one inheritance one baptisme one faith being vnited by meanes of the ministery Ephes 4 12. They haue the same Sacraments they eate one bread and they drink of the same cup. This inward meanes is one Spirit by which they walke 1 Cor. 12 13. Thirdly they are ruled by one head which coupleth them together For as one body can haue but one head so one head can haue but one body and thogh the members be many yet the body is but one Col. 1 18. Vse 1 The Vses First the tolleration of diuers contrary religions is not lawful As the church is one body so it is to be ruled by one law one law is appointed for all This tolleration and dispensation is like the sowing of diuers seeds together in one fielde or the mingling of linnen and wollen together in one garment as if a Painter should ioyn to the head of a man the neck of an horse 〈◊〉 de art then adde to the body sundry feathers of diuers sorts and make the picture beneath to end like a fish what a monster would this be So this linsy-wolsy Religion consisting of contrary parts not one agreeing to another would make the church a very monster and it is directly contrary to the first and second commandement and the office of the Magistrate appointed and ordained to maintain the pure worship of God Ahab and his people are reproued for halting with God and wauering between his opinions Salomon is reproued for this 1 Ki. 11. and contrariwise the best Kings Iosiah Hezekiah Asa and Iehoshaphat are commended for their constant profession and perseuerance in the same truth Secondly all monuments of idolatry and superstition must be demolished and pulled down and idolaters should be slain Deut. 12.2.3 4. 7 4 5. and 13 1 2. Gal. 5 12. Reuel 2 14.15 20. Good king are reproued for suffering hil-altars and Groues not taking them away Besides it is a means to ouerthrow church and kingdome 1 Ki. 11 19. If a church be corrupt in the foundation of the doctrine and the substance of Gods worship we ought to separate from it 2 Chro. 11 14 Acts 19 9. 2 Cor 6 16. Reuel 18 5. not ioyn as a member with it of the same body This vnhappy toleration is accompanied with sundry mischiefes it sheweth a coldnesse in Gods cause and litle or no zeale in defacing the monuments of idolatry and no hatred of them at all being content to giue the glory of God to another which he wil not haue to be giuen It nourisheth a serpent in the bosom and setteth vp vncertainty of faith and religion leaueth men in a mammering what to do and to which side to ioyne himself maintaineth confusion in Gods worship fostereth schismes troubles seditions and rebellions among subiects breaketh the sweet comfortable knot of the vnity and amity of brethren and lastly bringeth danger to Prince and State It is directly against sincere profession Ioshua 24. verse 19. 2 Ioh. 10 1. The Samaritans serued euerie one the god of his country and so serued not God at all The Apostle saith There is one faith Ephes 4 5. an house diuided against it selfe cannot stand Mat. 12 25. FroÌ„ such separate 1 Tim. 6 3. Now let vs see what may be obiected in defence of toleration First it is said Obiect it giueth to euery one contentment Answer and therefore it is a safety to a commoÌ„wealth I answer Contentment must be giuen by lawful meanes otherwise discontentment is better as iust warre to be preferred before vniust peace Againe Ier. 22 15 16. there is no true safety without Gods blessing and as the heathen Philosopher reasoneth against coÌ„munion of all things Arist pol. lib. 2. so we may against the toleration of all religions He taught That whatsoeuer is cared for of all is cared for of none so wee may say whatsoeuer giueth contentment to all giueth indeed contentment to none Hence it is that there are so many iars and contentions which indeed are the ruine of a kingdom Neh. 2 19 20. from 1. ver to the 16. This was the most diuellish policy of Mahomet to patch vp his Alchoran with shreds of all sorts of errors schismes and heresies borrowed from Iewes and Gentiles that there might bee somewhat to content all persons that so some of all sects might be allured vnto that superstition Secondly Obiect the Iewes warranted by the word did suffer amongst them the idolatrous Gentiles Deut. 14 21. Exod. 12 44. therefore we may do the like I answer Answer priuate toleration in conuersation did not allow any open profession or practise of idolatry in those Nations Deu. 12 1 2 3. Again thogh they by reason of their weake estate suffered many Deut. 7 22. yet afterward in a perfect state we finde not any Lastly some things were tolerated contrary to morall lawes as we see in the case of diuorce for trifling causes and of vsurie to strangers which we may not now tollerate Obiect Thirdly corrupt manners in well-ordered gouernment haue had open tolleration therefore the roote from whence they spring may also which is corrupt religion as tolleration of polygamy and of vsury to strangers Answ I answer first the sequele is false for there is great difference betweene manners and false worship yea betweene
vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift ye vp your selues aboue c. IN this chap. we haue two other murmurings set down the latter arising out of the former as one sticke on fire kindleth another The former consisteth of a few carried away with enuy and emulation against Moses and Aaron the originall whereof arose from Korah of the Tribe of Leui The cause of Korahs Conspiracy who first blew the bellowes and tooke it greeuously that the Priestly dignitie was translated to Aaron and challenged Moses of partiality as if hee had preferred his owne Kindred and followed his priuate affection rather then the direction of God This seditious Korah associateth vnto himselfe Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Reuben whom he knew to be ill affected towards Moses because hee being the eldest sonne of Iacob had by right of his birth-right the Principality and gouernement of the whole people belonging vnto him and therefore they thought themselues as worthy to haue the Soueraignty in their hands as Moses was to haue it in his hands All these ioyning together made a schisme or rent amongest the people and assemble two hundred and fifty others all Princes of the assembly which seeme to stand for the good of the whole Congregation as also all Rebelles haue euer had some pretence and colour for they plead that all the Lords people are holy that God is present among them and therefore they should no longer vsurpe the sole gouernment of the whole hoste It is vsuall in all ages of the Church to haue schismes and rents to arise in it and for men to separate themselues from the Church because forsooth it is not well gouerned as it ought to be Now albeit this open insurrection were a flat rebellion against the expresse ordinance of God yet they set many goodly shewes vpon their doings helping a bad cause with a beautifull colour lest they should seeme to be mad without reason alledging that all the Lords people are holy and the Lord is among them â—octrine We learne heereby that whatsoeuer corruptions breake out of men and whatsoeuer euils they doe â—hatsoeuer 〈◊〉 wicked â—en doe they some coâ—er vpon it and howsoeuer they decline from God from his word and from his ordinances yet they will labour to excuse it to defend it to colour it that it should not seeme as it is When euill men haue committed euill they are ready to iustifie their euils that they may seeme good We see this in Saul 1 Sa. 13.11.12 and 15.15 so Ioh. 12.5 6. Iudas pretended the poore and his great care of them albeit he cared not for them but for himselfe and chap. 11.48 So Caiaphas pretendeth the safety of the people to wit if Christ were not put to death the Romanes would come with a mighty army and ouerrunne them but the taking of him away and the putting of him to death was indeede the true cause why the Romanes came and destroyed the Temple the Citie and the people This we see sometimes also in those that are not the worst men The fact of Simeon and Leui against the Schechemites was no better then horrible murther committed against the Law of God and of nature and against the league and couenant that had passed between them which ought to be held inuiolable euen among infidels yet somewhat they pretend to couer it Gen. 34.31 should he deale with our sister as with an harlot So the Israelites touching their Idolatry Exod. 32.1 and Aaron verse 23. and our first parents Gen. 3. and in a maner all wicked men do the like that are vnregenerate without repentance and sanctification The reasons Reason 1 For men are affected to their actions as they are to themselues Though they be corrupt abominable yet they would not bee thought and iudged to be so so it is with their actions that proceed from them though they bee wicked and vniust yet they would haue them accounted iust and therefore they seeke excuses for themselues â—â— 7. as Adam did fig leaues to Reason 2 couer his shame and his sinne Secondly if they should pretend nothing al would be ready to condemne them and to passe sentence vpon them therefore to blinde the eyes of others they cast a mist before them as iuglers vse to doe that they may not be espied This did Herod Mat. 2.8 he pretended to come and worship Christ For he knew well enough if hee had dealt plainely and told them hee sought the life of the babe they would haue detested his detestable cruelty This serueth to reprooue diuers sorts that Vse 1 goe about to varnish their actions with false colours thereby to blind the world and to put out their eyes These shew themselues to bee ranke hypocrites exceeding sinners against the Lord which serue to harden their hearts and to hinder them from a sight of their sinnes and sorrow for them For no man can returne from his sinnes and repent of his euill wayes so long as he goeth about to defend them because all such sinners doe declare a firme resolution to continue and goe forward in sinne and thinke themselues safe and sure because they haue some colours for their actions But the first beginning of repentance is confession a duty oftentimes commended and continually practised by the faithfull The first thing that Ioshua perswaded Achan to performe when he was taken as guilty for taking the accursed thing was that he should giue glory to the God of Israel and make confession vnto him Iosh 7.19 Prou. 28.13 1 Ioh. 1.9 Whereas such as hide their sinnes shall not prosper and they that say they haue not sinned doe make God a lyar and his word is not in them Wherefore we cannot giue a more euident signe of our want of the grace of repentance Psa 32.3 4 5. then by defending denying excusing or lessening of sinne Secondly this sheweth the cause why the Vse 2 dregs of Popish religion are so setled in the hearts of men that they are hardly rooted out euen because such deceitfull colours are set vpon them and their superstitious practises If they be accused for their idolatry worshipping of Images they pretend they worship God in the Image Touching the worship of Saints and praier to them they say they honor them as the friends of God and that they are vnworthy to approch or to come neere to God themselues and therefore in humility they goe to the Saints and Angels but this is nothing but to speake lies through hypocrisie Col. 2.23 Concerning their sacriledge in withholding the cup from the people they haue their colour that the labour of the Priest would be too great if he should deliuer the same to all himselfe or else that the blood of Christ might be spilt vpon the ground but these excuses cannot deceiue God hee seeth their open declining from the word of
then Christ is not yet risen from the dead ver 13 15 16. but he is already risen and death shall haue no more dominion ouer him Rom. 6.9 and if the head be risen then the members shall rise also The head cannot be without the members and how can that head be said to haue life in it if all the members should lie couered in the dust and neuer be vnited to the head neither one to another The second reason Againe if no resurrection then of all men the beleeuers were most miserable vers 19. Here they are vexed with sundry enemies Satan the world and the flesh Lazarus heere wanteth and suffereth hunger while the rich glutton is clothed with purple and fareth deliciously euery day Luk. 16.19 The godly weepe and lament while the vngodly reioyce and be glad Ioh. 16.20 At this stone the godly haue often stumbled Psal 73.2 3. Ier. 12.1 2. and from hence the reprobate take occasion to harden their hearts in wickednesse because they thinke there is no God will reward them that seeke after him Mal. 3.14 but they are greatly deceiued Psal 58.11 For woe were it to all Gods seruants if there were no resurrection eternall life But they are not the most miserable because they are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ Matth. 5.4 6 10 11. Luk. 16.25 2 Thess 1.5 6 c. The third reason Thirdly if there should be no resurrection of the godly from death to life then the first Adam should be more mighty and powerful then the second so that the second Adam should be impotent and weake if hee should not be able to deliuer them from the iawes of death Adam and Christ are compared vnto two trees Adam and Christ comâ—red and both of them communicate to Vse 4 their boughes and branches such things as they haue of their owne Adam was as an euill and rotten tree and therefore communicateth so men these properties and no better Christ is the good tree and full of sap and life and he infuseth into his members goodnesse and life and no worse then these It is not possible that an euill tree should bring foorth good fruite or a good tree euill fruit Mat. 7.17 Fourthly The fourth reason all our enemies and the enemies of Christ are to be taken cleane away made subiect to Christ and to vs ver 25 26. All shall be put vnder his feete Psa 8. and he must raigne vntill all his enemies be made his footestoole Psal 110.1 The last enemie of the head and members is death this shall be quite abolished at the last day and not before True it is that Christ himselfe can die no more Rom. 6.9 Heb. 7.25 yet hee accounteth it his enemie because it is an enemie to his children How death is Christs enemy and how ours and he accounteth that as done to himselfe which is done to any of his members Act. 9. And it is our enemie because it daily cutteth off part of our life and seeketh to take hold of it it weareth and wasteth our dayes by his messengers or harbengers to wit troubles and calamities sickenesses sores and aches it bringeth sundry paines and dolours it separateth the dearest and neerest friendes that euer were the body and the soule it leadeth the body captiue and clappeth it vp in a loathsome prison full of wormes and filthinesse and rottennesse it destroyeth that Tabernacle which was at the first a most glorious creature and as farre as lyeth in it it would depriue the body of eternall life and keepe it in ignominy for euer vnder the earth so that it is a most spitefull malicious enemy raging vpon vs without any mercy or compassion Fiftly The fift reason If there were no resurrection to what end and purpose are any baptized for dead if the dead rise not at all Verse 23. why are they then baptized for the dead This place is darke and commonly vnderstood of the Sacrament of Baptisme but then it will not necessarily proue the point for w e it is brought and it is brought to proue the resurrection Wherefore to make the Apostles reason good we must vnderstand it either of the washing and cleansing of the bodies of the deceassed as the word baptisme often signifieth Mar. 7.4 He. 9.10 for this was a common custome among the people of God that first they washed the dead bodies and then annointed them Act. 9.37 yea among the heathen themselues which was a certaine testimony to the liuing of the resurrection of the bodies of the dead To this purpose doth Seruius alledge an old verse of the Poet Ennius Tarquinij corpus bona foemina lauit vnxit Serui. in Aeneid lib. 6. That is A certain deuout woman washed and annointed the body of Tarquinius The like doth Pliny auouch in one place of his naturall histories Pliny as the same Seruius testifieth and expresseth the cause that thereby they might make tryall whether the vitall spirits yet remained in the body or not And Virgil Virgil. Acâ—â—â— lib. 6. declaring how the Trojanes solemnized the funeral of Misenus hath these words Pars calidos latices ahena vndantia flammis Expediunt corpusque lauant frigentis vngunt That is Some brought the waters warm with heat and cauldrons eke appoint The body cold they wash and then with ointments it annoint These witnesses doe sufficiently prooue that the Gentiles did ordinarily vse to wash their dead and then to annoint them and this was a very ancient practise among them Or else we may vnderstand the place of the death and afflictions of the Saints of GOD which they suffer for righteousnesse sake in which they are ouerwhelmed as the body is plunged in the waters and thus the word is taken Luk. 12.50 Matth. 20.22 23. where our Sauiour calleth them backe from their ambitious thoughts of superiority ouer their fellowes and warneth them to prepare themselues for troubles yea for death it selfe This is the cup that all must drinke off 2 Tim. 3.13 Act. 14.22 Baptisme properly signifieth a dipping or plunging into the water and the crosse is a certaine plunging into calamities Thus then the reason is framed If there be no resurrection then should they doe foolishly that would seale vp the trueth of the Gospel with their blood and lay downe their liues for the testimony of God but such as resist vnto blood and suffer persecution for the words sake are not foolish Life is precious and deare vnto them as well as vnto others they would not therefore be so lauish and prodigal of it as to lay it downe except they looked for a better life which the Apostle farther amplifieth by his owne example Matth. 10.39 33. 2 Tim. 2.12 and 4.7.8 1 Cor. 15.30 31. Act. 5.41 16.25 Ioh. 21.19 â—he sixt reaâ—n Lastly the Apostle reasoneth thus If there be no resurrection of the flesh then the Epicures and Libertines taught well that
a true miracle But if it were a miracle men might discerne it by sense as all the miracles of Christ were discerned Let them giue vs an instance in any creature in heauen or earth where the Lord wrought any miracle which he did not subiect to the senses of man but heere is nothing that can be discerned by the senses for as much as the bread by the iudgement of all the senses remaineth and appeareth to bee the same in substance which it was before of the same quality quantity colour taste handling smelling vertue and nourishment there is not any one sense or all the senses together that can iudge otherwise of it then it did before therfore it can be no miracle No work is a miracle which cannot bee felt smelled seene tasted or perceiued Wherefore let the Church of Rome teach in their schooles write in their bookes preach in their Pulpits and decree in their Councels neuer so often that there is a miracle wrought in their Sacrament of the Altar yet because we can neither see nor touch nor taste nor feele any thing but the same that it was before we cannot beleeue them But they tell vs Obiect that though the outward forme and accidents of the bread remaine yet the substance of it is turned into the body of Christ which though we cannot perceiue by our senses yet wee are bound to receiue by faith I answer Answer that if the natural body of Christ were there present we might feele him as Thomas did forasmuch as Christ still retaineth his true body albeit it be now glorified Wherefore seeing there is no miracle in the Supper apparent to the senses there can be no miracle at all The difference which is is in the vse before it was common bread ordained for the nourishment of our bodies now it becommeth holy bread sanctified by the Lord not so much to feede the body as the soule To conclude then by this strange and new found miracle they ouerturne the doctrine of the Scriptures touching miracles For wheras we haue shewed that a miracle is a rare worke apparently to the senses wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God they make it to be an vsuall common and ordinary worke wrought by euery Priests pronouncing of fiue words yet so as no sense at all can discerne of it 12 And the children of Israel spake vnto Moses saying Behold we die we perish we all perish 13 Whosoeuer commeth any thing neere to the Tabernacle of the Lord shall die shall wee bee consumed with dying Hitherto of the first part of the Chapter heere followeth the second part to wit the repentance of the people crauing to bee deliuered from present death and from their sinne wherewith they had prouoked God to anger As if they had said We acknowledge that we deserue to die and perish through our sinnes neither did wee know so much vntill the plague that brake in among vs taught vs and the blossoming of the rod conuinced vs to our faces We presumed to meddle with the office of the Priesthood that belonged not vnto vs and therfore we deserue iustly and worthily to die But is there no place for mercy and forgiuenesse We may obserue from hence that this should bee the effect of all punishments which God bringeth vpon sinners to humble vs â—â—d explic â—â—m to make vs auoide sinne and to submit our selues to God with all obedience Againe we must neuer despaire of Gods mercy which is greater then our sinnes as a garment wider then the body and therfore more then able to couer the nakednesse thereof Thirdly we must acknowledge and confesse our sinnes to God because all sinne is committed against God him onely we haue offended Psal 51.4 Briefly also learne that the first degree of pardon is to know that our sinnes are pardonable this is as a sparke of light in a darke night and giueth hope of great mercy But to leaue these particulars this is the generall doctrine In all chastisements â—trine â—t is to bee â—owled iust in all chastiseâ—ts how grieuous and sharpe soeuer they be God is to bee acknowledged iust and righteous in laying them vpon vs Dan. 9.6 7 8 9 16 19. Ezr. 9.6.10 13 15. Psal 51.4 5. 2 Sam. 24.10 The reasons which are as the grounds of this truth are euident First because his punishments though many times they be greeuous burdens to beare yet are alwayes lesse then our deserts and offences Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with vs according to our offences Secondly our sinnes are the procuring causes of all the euils which we suffer Mic. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him So then the cause of all our sufferings is in our selues Thirdly in all his corrections and iudgements hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 Wee see this often in this book though the whole people sinned as one man yet iudgment came not vpon the whole but the mercifull God striketh some to admonish and amende others The vses follow First it reprooueth such Vse 1 as stand out with God and are ready to iustifie themselues and accuse God of ouermuch sharpenesse and seuerity These men neuer consider Gods manifold blessings and their owne vnthankefulnesse vnto him who reneweth his mercies toward vs euery morning Lam. 3.23 But we render vnto him euill for good and hatred for his good will We are like vnto stubborne children that murmure vnder the rod and cannot abide correction So it is with vs we can abide to sinne but wee cannot abide to suffer Wee regard not how much we prouoke him but we care not how little he punish vs. It is one of the hardest things in the world to iustifie God and to condemne our selues worthy of eternall death and damnation We see it from the beginning in our first parents they sought shifts and fig leaues to couer the nakednesse of their soules more then they did the nakednesse of their bodies as indeed there appeared much more deformity in the one then in the other and they had more cause to be ashamed of the nakednesse of their soules then of their bodies For sinne maketh vs naked of Gods protection and causeth him to depart from vs it taketh away our shield and defence and leaueth vs in the hands of our enemies We see also in the example of Achan Iosh 7. of Saul 1 Sam. 15. how hardly they were drawne to confesse their sinnes they heard sentence pronounced against them before they would pronounce sentence vpon themselues Let vs not tarry vntill God iudge vs but rather learn betimes to iudge our selues Secondly let vs humble our selues vnder Vse 2 the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 and when he draweth out his sword let vs not say wee are righteous like the Pharisee that condemned another but iustified himselfe Luk. 18. rather let vs cry out in the eares of God Spare Lord Ioel 2.17 and confesse that it is
euery where of prayers prescribed for the liuing Paul directeth the church how to carry themselues toward the dead but we haue no word of praying for them They that die in the Lord are pronounced to be blessed Reu. 14 verse 13. euen from the time of their death and dissolution and therefore come not into any fire at all whereas contrarywise if we may beleeue the Popish Teachers that blowe the bellowes it is made so exceeding hote that it scorcheth beyond measure all such as are cast into it and little difference betweene that fire and hell fire but in the continuance And if this tale were not handsomly tyed together and the furnace heated seuen times hoter then ordinary fire their kitchins would quickly wax cold But wherefore serue all the purgings mentioned in this place in other places of the Law of Moses but to assure vs that sinne is pardoned in this life and the punishment of sinne pardoned also so that nothing remaineth on our part to be satisfied for that were to renounce and deny the satisfaction of Christ But the Papists The Popish opinion of purgatory making Purgatory neither heauen nor hell but as it were a middle place betweene them both doe teach that such as die in veniall sinne are put in that prison to fry for a season vntill by the prayers of the liuing made to God but specially by almes deedes giuen to the Priests and Iesuites and by the pardons and indulgences of the Popes they be released But if Christ haue paid the price for our greatest sinnes how should we not beleeue that he hath much more satisfied for the lesser and they that beleeue not that he gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from the lesser how can they hope or haue comfort that he gaue himselfe for the greater Wherefore this fond distinction of persons of places and of sinnes cannot stand with the word of God And as for prayer for the dead Prayer for the dead doth no good it commeth as a pardon after a man is hanged or as Physicke to the body of him that is departed this life We know how God appointed sundry sacrifices in the time of the Law for all estates in the Church high and low one and other but among them all set downe in this booke and in the booke of Leuiticus we finde none at all no not one offered for the dead doubtlesse either God was very forgetfull of them or else this doctrine was not then hatched The liuing are commanded to pray one for another but neuer for the dead for that were to pray with the foolish virgins Lord Lord open vnto vs when the dore is shut Matth. 25.10 11. And doubtlesse the Church of Rome in this point haue a faith by themselues for not only we of the reformed Churches haue forsaken them The faith of the Greeke Church touching Purgatory but the Greeke Churches also renounce such a Purgatory as the Papists imagine for they deny any purging fire to be after this life such as is materiall and corporall For albeit some of them thinke that there is a middle condition wherein some remaine after death abiding in darkenesse without enioying the light of Gods countenance and are holden in a state of sorrow as it were in a prison vntill by the mercy of God and the prayers of the faithfull they be deliuered and incline to this opinion that the lesser sinnes of men dying in the state of grace are remitted and forgiuen after this life without any punishment at all of fire or any other kind by the meere grace and goodnesse of God yet notwithstanding they confidently pronounce that no Scripture or Councell hath deliuered a double punishment by fire after this life and therefore let all the Romanists and such as adhere vnto them take heed lest while they dreame of a temporary fire they mistake themselues and fall into the euerlasting and vnquenchable fire Matth. 3.12 and 18.8 Now to make this more plaine I will set downe such strong and important reasons as were exhibited to the Councell of Florence and are propounded by others D Field in â— Append. pâ— 25. whereby the foundation of that doctrine is shaken in peeces and falleth to the ground To this purpose obserue that as some little good in them that haue great and mortall sins hath no reward at all by reason of the preuailing euill which is found in them so small sins in them that haue great graces workes of vertue are not to be sharpely punished the better things ouercomming and ouerswaying them Againe the wils of men that are dead and departed hence are either changeable or vnchangeable there is no third can be imagined If they be changeable then they that are good may become euill and they that are euill become good so that neither the good shall bee vnchangeably happy nor the euill vnchangeably miserable but that the dead may fal from the top of happinesse to the depth of misery and contrariwise rise from the bottome of misery to the height of all happinesse If they be vnchangeable then they are not capable of any amendment for he that is corrected from going astray is set aright being brought to dislike that which he liked before and to loue that which he hated before and neither of them can be found in a wil that is vnchangeable Another consideration is drawne from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel where Christ Iesus sheweth that the poore man so soone as he was dead was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich mans soule so soone as hee was dead was found in the torments of hell Luke 16.22.23 There is no middle place of temporal torment as there are but two sorts of persons so but two sorts of places one dying in the fauour of God the other out of his fauour so there are but these places heauen for the one and hell for the other Besides it is no way iust that the soule alone should be punished for the sinnes of the whole man but Purgatory presupposeth a sole punishment of the soule without the body which notwithstanding neuer sinned without the body If it be iustice in God to punish the soule for the supposed veniall sinnes how should it not sauour of iniustice to let the body goe scotfree and suffer nothing For what cause or colour can they suppose or surmise why the body which hath had part and fellowship in the sin and should haue part fellowship in the glory after the forgiuenesse of sinne should haue no feeling at all or suffering of the punishment that purgeth our sin Furthermore it is more proper to God to reward good things then to punish euill because he visiteth the iniquities of the Fathers vpon the children to the third and fourth generation but sheweth mercy to thousands Exod. 20 5 6. 34 7. Numb 14 18. Ier. 32 18. If then it be necessary to be
betweene sinne and sinne both in nature and in the punishment due vnto them some are greater some lesser some worther of greater punishment and some of lesser yet the least sin committed in thought and motion deserueth euerlasting death and separation from the gracious presence of God if he deale with vs according to the rigour of his iustice and looke vpon vs without the satisfaction of Christ The writers and teachers of the Popish Religion publish to the world that wee hold the sottish Paradox of the Stoikes that all sinnes are equall The Papists slander vs 〈◊〉 make all siâ— equall the contrary whereof is manifest in the harmony of the confessions of our Churches And why do they slander vs with this dotish doctrine or vpon what foundation doe they ground this accusation forsooth because we hold that all are mortall But this is a weake consequent and will not proue the point for which they alledge it All men are mortall euen Princes as it is said in the Psalme 82.6 shall we hence conclude that the people are equall to Princes because they are alike subiect to mortality In the breach of the seuenth commandement there are sundry sortes of vncleannesse and incontinency forbidden as fornication when men defile themselues with filthy harlots and concubines adultery betweene them that are married incest committed with such as are neere in consanguinity or affinity the sinne of the Sodomites Who leauing the naturall vse of the woman burne in lust one toward another man with man working filthinesse Rom. 1.27 reuenged with fire and brimstone from heauen Gen. 19. Among all these seuerall kindes there are degrees of sinne one is greater then other adultery worse then fornication incest then adultery and Sodometry then them all and all these by the confession of the Papists themselues are mortall and yet by their owne confession also one is more heinous and horrible then the other If then their conclusion bee good against vs that we hold all sinnes to bee equal because we teach that they are mortall how should it not stand as strong and firme against themselues that they also hold all these sinnes to be equall fornication as bad as incest and adultery as heinous as Sodometry because they teach that they are all of them mortall The like absurdity wee might easily inferre against them in the rest of the commandements and that out of the Roman Catechisme But to vnderstand this point the better let vs consider that our Churches teach no other doctrine then the Scriptures teach that as all sinnes proceede out of the same fountaine of corruption and infidelity so all of them make vs guilty of eternall death and damnation vnlesse we obtaine pardon by faith in the Mediatour Christ Iesus Luke 12.47.48 All sinnes whether committed of ignorance or knowledge deserue stripes either many or few and these stripes are no other then eternall punishments as appeareth by the wordes of the Apostle 2 Thes 1.8 so that they which know not God neither beleeue the Gospel shall be punished in hel because according to the opinion of the Papists themselues when the Lord shall come in flaming fire to iudge the quicke and the dead Purgatory shal vtterly ceasse and be no more the prison dores shall be broken the fire shall be quenched the place shall be emptyed and the poore soules shall be discharged then shall be a gaile deliuery they shall be quit by Proclamation To vnderstand this the better we must know that sinnes may bee said to bee mortall or veniall three wayes â—s may â—d to bee â—ll or veâ—â—hree â—s First in regard of the euent Secondly in regard of the cause Thirdly in regard of the nature of the sinnes themselues They are veniall in regard of the successe or euent which doe obtaine pardon and when forgiuenesse followeth them though they be in themselues most greeuous as 1 Ioh. 5.16 where the Apostle calleth those onely sinnes vnto death whose reward certainely is eternall death and those not to death which may bee forgiuen howsoeuer in their own nature they merit damnation Thus we may say that Dauids adultery and murther were veniall sinnes because howsoeuer in the nature of them they were deadly yet were they veniall in regard of the euent because Nathan said vnto him The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye 2 Sam. 12.13 â—ss ordin in â—r 11. No sinne is veniall so long as we follow it and no sinne is mortall when once we forsake it Pro. 28.13 All sinnes are made veniall by repentance no sin is veniall without repentance Secondly sinnes may bee said to bee veniall in regard of the cause from whence they proceed whereupon they sooner obtaine pardon because they are not done of malice and a setled purpose but of ignorance and infirmity as Paul sheweth this to bee the cause why his sinne was veniall vnto him and why he obtained mercy and forgiuenesse because he did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1 Tim. 1.13 And in the fifteenth Chapter of this booke it is said the Priest shall make attonement when a priuate person or the whole Congregation hath committed any thing through errour or ignorance and it shall be forgiuen them for it is ignorance Numb 14.25 These sinnes springing from this fountaine are damnable in themselues from hence it came that Paul was a persecuter and a blasphemer but the Father of all mercies and compassions gaue him pardon because hee sinned of ignorance and infirmity So then his sinnes were veniall in regard of the euent and of the cause But sinne considered in the nature of the thing it selfe is not veniall but deserueth temporall and eternall punishment Now the Papists themselues teach â— Popish 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sinne that sinne is truely and properly called veniall when it is so in it owne nature and deserueth onely a temporall punishment either in this life or in the life to come so that if God would examine it and enter into iudgement with it according to his most rigourous and seuere iustice hee could not punish it with eternall death for as much as in it owne nature it deserueth pardon or at least some slight or temporall punishment And of these the controuersie is betweene the Church of Rome and vs and not of those that are veniall by the euent or by the cause But the Scripture teacheth vs that all sinne is the transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3.4 This is a true and perfect definition of sinne for euery transgression of the Law is sinne and euery sinne is a transgression of the Law From whence wee reason thus Euery transgression of the law is worthy of death Euery sinne is a transgression of the Law Therefore euery sinne is worthy of death The first part is plainely proued by many places Gal. 3.13.10 Deut. 27.26 Matth. 5.22 whereby it is manifest that the Prophet the Apostle and Christ himselfe speake generally without limitation that whosoeuer committeth any
their sicknes trust in the Phisition as Asa did 1 Chro. 16 11 12. 1 Sam. 2.5 not in the liuing God who killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe hee maketh the wound and bindeth it vp he smiteth and his hands make whole he shall deliuer thee in sixe troubles and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee In time of warre and day of battell we trust in our strength armor men munition and defenced places and make them our God Nah. 3.8 â— whereas the Prophet teacheth that this is a cursed confidence and shall not leaue a blessing behind it Lastly we learne from hence not to reuenge Vse 4 our own causes quarels For if we be taught in this practise of Moses to go vnto God in all our wrongs who will iudge his people then we are not to render like for like or to requite euill for euill or to repay wrong for wrong taunt for taunt rebuke for rebuke railing for railing but contrariwise blesse knowing that we are thereunto called that we should bee heires of blessing This vse is concluded Prou. 20.22 Say not thou I will recompence euill but waite vpon the Lord and he shall saue thee This is the direction of the Apostle Ro. 12.17.19 Recompence to no man euill for euill dearely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine Psal 94.1 â— I will repay saith the Lord. Where we see God claymeth and challenge vengeance to himselfe and taketh it from vs so that such as seeke reuenge sit downe in the seat of God and as much as lyeth in theÌ„ wrest the scepter out of his hands taking vpon them the person of the accuser witnesse iudge and executioner contrary to all true forme of lawfull iudgement And albeit it bee hard and harsh for flesh and blood to put vp iniuries yet if we wil be the children of God we must haue more in vs then flesh and blood For they that are after the flesh Rom. 3.5 â— fauour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit so then they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD. Wherefore when Zachariah the Priest a faithfull and fruitefull witnesse of God was vniustly and cruelly stoned to death he raged not he reuiled not he reuenged not but said The Lord see and require it When the Lord of life â—â— 24.22 Christ Iesus was accused condemned and crucified the iust for the vniust he prayed for his enemies Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe â— 23 34. leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps When blessed Stephen who was full of the holy Ghost and saw the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right of God was cast out of the city and stoned with stones hee kneeled downe and cryed with a loud voyce Lord lay not this sinne to their charge â— 55.58 When the Archangel mentioned by the Apostle Iude saw that the diuell went about to corrupt the pure worship of God hee would not vse railing and reprochfull speaches â— ver 9. but desireth the Lord to rebuke him and repay him for his malice Seeing therefore this duty hath beene practised by Priest and people by men and Angels by the head and the members of his body let vs follow those things that concerne peace let vs be of a patient and meeke spirit which is much set by of God and let vs commit our causes to him that is the God of vengeance It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Verse 9 10. Then Moses tooke that rod c. Hitherto Moses Aaron haue behaued themselues vprightly in respect of God meekely in respect of themselues and patiently in regard of the people Now we shal see how they offend by transgressing the commandement of God by distrusting his word by raging against the whole assembly God chargeth them to speake to the rocke they spake vnto the people Againe as if it were vnlikely or vnpossible that the rock should yeeld water they smote it twise through impaciency vnbeeleefe Thus they that had beene the instruments of God in so many miracles that had seene him face to face as a man seeth his friend that had stood so often in the gap where the hand of God had made the breach that had diuided the red sea Moses I say and Aaron the Ministers of God the witnesses of his workes the pillars of the truth now begin to faile to faint and to fall down to shew vs and themselues the weakenesse that is in flesh and blood From hence we learne that many are the failings and fals of the children of God â—trine â— are the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Howsoeuer the faithfull be borne againe and endued with the spirit of sanctification howsoeuer they desire to please God and endeuor to serue him with all the powers of soule and body yet they often stumble in their race thorough the burthen that presseth down and the sinne that cleaueth so fast vnto them This truth is confessed and confirmed by many testimonies Salomon in his worthy prayer at the dedication of the Temple acknowledgeth it 1 king 8.46 So Iob. 15.14 15. Likewise Prou. 20.9 And the Prophet Psal 14 2 3. All which testimonies doe plentifully teach this truth that howsoeuer through the grace of God giuen vnto them the faithful fight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience yet all are sinners and no flesh is cleane and cleere from sin which Moses and Aaron here fal into The reasons of this doctrine are First because Reason 1 the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne Gal 3 2â— Rom. 3.19 That euery mouth might bee stopped and all the world be subiect to the iudgment of God Al matter of glorying in our selues is taken from vs we are found guilty before God wee haue no excuse no defence no cloake for our selues to couer our sins there is no difference Wee haue all sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and euerlasting life so that all both Iewes and Gentiles are proued to be vnder sinne Secondly we see that death the wages of Reason 2 sinne hath raigned and doth raigne ouer all without difference yea it taketh hold euen on children that sinned not actually like the transgression of Adam If then old and yong taste of death all the posterity of Adam are corrupted in him when he wittingly and willingly wilfully sinned against God We flow from an vncleane fountaine we grow out of a bitter root we are as branches of the wilde vine Thus the Apostle reasoneth Death raigned froÌ„ Adam to Moses Rom. 5.14 euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to come So then sinne and death goe together as mother and daughter
or in the publicke ioy of the Church do mourne cannot in truth perswade their owne hearts that they haue anie part or portion in the body of Christ Wherefore whensoeuer God taketh away any principall stay of Church or Common-wealth we haue cause of mourning and humbling our selues vnder Gods iudgement When the husbandman layeth his Axe to the root of the tree or vndermineth the ground about it we can not doubt but he meaneth the felling and falling of it Or when wee see a Gardiner take away the hedge or wall of his garden Esay 5 5 6. plucke vp by the roots the cheefest choisest plants disfigure the ornaments and beauty of it and lay it open for the beasts to enter we may gather hee mindeth not to continue but deface the Garden Or when a Carpenter pulleth downe the master-peeces and postes that doth hold vp the whole frame and layeth the foundation euen with the ground wee may coniecture by these meanes that he meaneth to remoue the building to another place So when we see the euident footsteps of Gods wrath and begin to discerne the fire of his iealousie breaking out by the smoake beginning to appeare in taking away seruiceable men as plaÌ„ts of his own garden as pillars of his own house and as branches of the Tree which his right hand hath planted we must lay it to our hearts as tokens going before destruction This our Sauiour handleth Matth. 42 32 33. speaking of the signes going before his glorious appearance at the end of the world Learne the Parable of the Figge tree when her bough is yet tender and it putteth foorth leaues yee know that Summer is neere so likewise yee when ye see all these things know that the kingdome of God is nere euen at the doore And now beloued behold and consider lift vp your eies and looke how God hath dealt with vs and marke whether his dealings toward vs be not tokens of his anger and fore-runners of his iudgements Hath hee not taken from vs a most worthy Prince our late Soueraigne who by the course of nature might haue liued longer Of whom wee may truly say as Dauid did 2 Sam. 1 24. Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Queene Elizabeth who clothed you with Scarlet and pleasures and hanged Ornaments of Gold vpon your apparrell P. oâ— 31 2â— Or else as Salomon doth speaking of a good woman Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all She opened the house of the Lord in the first yeere of her reigne as good K. Hezekiah did shee called backe the reuerent Ministers fled out of the land as Eliah into the wildernesse through the tyranny of Iezabel she brought in the pure worship of God cast out the Romish abhominations set forth the seruice of God in a knowne tongue repealed the bloody acts of the persecutors and therefore she thus honouring God and aduancing his Gospel he likewise exalted her Throne on high as the Throne of Salomon 2. Samuel 2 ver 30. so that she shined in her time in the world as if all the firmament thereof had bin but one starre and as if in all the cope compasse of heaueÌ„ there had shined none but she This starre is now set and gone downe which should go neere vnto vs and pierce vs to the quicke and make vs seeing a great Prince is fallen in Israel neuer to forget the great works which the Lord did among vs by her happy hand Besides hath not the Lord taken from vs many lights out of the Vniuersity whence flowed many comfortable streames that watered the Garden of God many out of Cities and particular Churches wherby the Church hath receiued a deepe and dangerous wound and yet we seeme to haue feared consciences and to be past feeling When the vitall parts begin to faile or to languish the life of the body is in hazard While the disease or distemperature is in the outward parts farre from the head or the heart there is hope of health and recouery but when the liuely parts begin to waste and consume by little and little it is a signe of the decay of life and of the approch of death Howsoeuer therefore the greatest part neuer lay these things to their hearts nor interprete them as present tokens of imminent danger and iudgement yet we that haue learned better things ought to consider that as they are taken away from the euill to come â— 57 1 2. â—gs 22 20 rest quietly in the graue as in a bed euen so they haue left vs behinde for the euill to come Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to pray to God to stay his hand to shew mercy to his Church and to poure out the full Viall of his vengeance vpon his enemies that know him not Psal 79 6. Ieremy 10 25 and vpon the Nations that call not vpon his Name This the Prophet practiseth Psalm 74 2 19 20 21 22. Thinke vpon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of old and on thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed and on this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelled We see how he putteth God in minde of his Couenant and entreateth him to strike through the loynes of his enemies to their destruction to maintaine his own cause and to spare his people the sheepe of his own Pasture the dwelling place of his own Name and the Congregation of his poore afflicted ones So when in like manner we behold the hand of God vpon his owne Sanctuary to begin iudgement at his owne house let vs call vpon him to consider whereof wee are made and to remember that we are but dust This did the Prophet Habakkuk when God threatened to enter into iudgment with his church O Lord I haue heard thy voice and was afraid O Lord reuiue thy worke in the midst of thy people in wrath remember mercy Hab. 3 2. Where hee teacheth that whensoeuer wee heare of the threatnings and iudgements of God we must pray him to repaire and restore the state of the Church which is ready to perish who is able to heale the wound that his owne right hand hath made True it is the great sinnes of this Land do cry out against vs may iustly prouoke him to make hauocke of all yet let vs call for mercy at his hands and stay the course of our sinnes that so he may stay the stroke of his iudgements CHAP. XXI IN this Chapter â—e diuition â—â—es chapter we are to obserue four principall pointes First the battaile fought betweene Arad King of the Canaanites the Israelites Secondly another murmuring of the people the last recorded in this Booke which God punisheth with fiery serpents cureth them with a brazen serpent Thirdly their happy proceeding in their journey toward the Land of promise where God gaue them water and brought them to the borders of the Amorites Lastly the victories which Israel obtained on Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the
the Canon the clattering of Armor crying in our streetes for then it were to be hoped we would turne vnto God in our misery repent vs of our iniquity and flie vnto God in our aduersity We see by wofull experience that peace prosperity haue lulled many of vs asleepe in a bed of case haue done the Church more harme then cruell war and bloody persecution True it is the blessings of God are not hurtfull of themselues but our corruption turneth that into a curse which God bestoweth as a blessing So that he which should haue beene vpright is laden with fatnesse Deut. 32 15. and spurneth with his heele Therefore God is constrained to punish vs to take his benefits from vs and to bring vs into order and obedience by the want of them Vse 3 Lastly seeing afflictions and chastisements draw vs to God as losse of the battaile did heere the Israelites we learne that whensoeuer they lie vpon vs and presse heauily vpon our bodies our soules our neighbours our familes our friends whether they be common or priuate calamities then it is high time to turne vnto God and to search out the cause of our affliction This must be our practise feeling when his hand is vpon vs when he scattereth the brands of his fire and shooteth the Arrowes of his Quiuer when he draweth out his glittering sword and his hand taketh hold of iudgment wheÌ„ he sendeth famine dearth of bread or the famine of his word which is the sorest and sharpest famine as the Prophet affirmeth Amos 8 verses 10 11 12. Then is cause of humiliation then it is time to cast downe our selues at the foorstoole of God to cry to him to spare his people The Lord thretening by his prophet a great and fearefull iudgement vpon the Land that shall turne their feasts into mourning and make it as the mourning for an onely sonne Doth he meane the sharpenesse of the sword or the arrowes of famine or the inuasion of enemies or the deuouring of wilde beasts or the raging of the pestilence or the carrying away into banishment and captiuity which are the things that worldly minded men feare and regard No But a famine of hearing Gods word that they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North euen to the East shall they runne to and fro to seeke the Lord and shall not find it In that day shal many perish for thirst according to the doctrine of Salomon Pro. 29.18 Where vision ceasseth the people perish Howsoeuer therfore carnall prophane men haue no sense or feeling of any thing but of earthly losses yet the Spirit of God teacheth and euery faithfull soule acknowledgeth that as there is no blessing like to the blessing of the word so there is no worke of his iudgement like to the want of his word And howsoeuer the Pastor may not want the people in respect of the meanes of his maintenance inasmuch as God hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 1 should liue of the Gospel yet the people want the Pastor more as the child wanteth the nurse more then the nurse the child as Lamen 2.11 12. The babes sucklings swound in the streets of the city they haue said to their mother Where is bread and drinke when they gaue vp the ghost in their mothers bosome Now the Ministers are called not onely the Fathers but the Nurses of the Church 1 Thess 2. We were gentle among you euen as a Nurse cherisheth her children and the Apostle exhorteth that as new borne babes we desire the sincere milke of the word 1 Pet. 8 â— that wee may grow thereby because we haue tasted that the Lord is bountifull And thus much of the end and vse of afflictions which God sanctifieth to the good of his Church that thereby they may draw neerer vnto him Israel vowed a vow vnto the Lord and said If thou wilt deliuerer this people into mine hand c. The people pray promise and vow vnto God the destruction of men cities if God would deliuer them into their hands We learne hereby that vowes are lawfull Doctrinâ— It is lawfâ— to vow anâ— such are tâ— performeâ— so vowing we are to performe the same This we see practised by Iacob going to his vncle Laban for auoiding the fury of his brother Esau Gen. 28.20.21 Hannah vpon condition of hauing a sonne 1 Sam 1 â— Pâ—al 6â— 1â— 132 2 5. vowed him for a perpetuall Nazarite to the Lord. So doth Dauid oftentimes make vowes to God in the time of his trouble vpon condition to be deliuered out of his trouble Thus in this example of the Israelites in this place wee see that if God would bee on their side when their enemies rise vp against them to swallow them vp quicke and deliuer them as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler Psal 124 â— they promise and vow the performance of an outward and bodily exercise So then out of this place the doctrine of vowes may bee strongly confirmed and the lawfull practise of them sufficiently maintained and warranted to be good and godly Reason 1 For to come to the reasons whereupon the doctrine standeth a lawfull and holy vow is a profitable helpe to further vs in the worship of God True it is a vow is not a part of Gods worship no more then fasting is as fasting is no more a part of Gods worship then feasting or eating and drinking is which in it selfe and by it selfe considered pleaseth God no more then externall and bodily exercises doe â—m 4.8 yet it is an helpe and furtherance of the true seruice of God a prop and stay to further the same The kingdome of God standeth not in outward things as the Apostle teacheth It is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Romanes chapter 14.17 But when wee promise to God with full purpose of hart some outward duty it serueth the better to excite and stirre vs vp to repentance and thankesgiuing toward God And thus the seruants of God haue vsed it Reason 2 Againe it is farre better neuer to vow then hauing vowed not to pay and performe that which is gone out of our lips so as wee may reason as Peter doth with Ananias Acts 5.4 Likewise may it be said to such as breake their lawfull vowes offered vnto God was it not in thy liberty to vow or not to vow how theÌ„ hast thou conceiued this wickednesse in thy heart to lie not to men but vnto God Vowes were prescribed or appointed by the Law of God as testimonies of faith â—ron in Ecâ— cap. 5. and bonds of that reuerence and obedience which we owe vnto him therefore to vow and not to pay performe the solemne promise and couenant that we haue made is impudently to mocke God and consequently to pull great punishment vpon our owne heads This the Wise man
in the beginning How precious and sweete was it to our taste How zealous and forward were we in hearing the Lord and calling others thereunto But in these dayes wherein wee haue it continued in plenty and abundance that wee may sit vnder our Vines and Figtrees conferring and reasoning of the wayes of God how many loathe it how many neglect it how few receiue it who doth prize it as he ought to do We are cloyed with the preaching of the word we are hart-sicke of peace and prosperity It were an happy and blessed cure to restore vs to the former dayes of our health This surfet is the common sicknesse almost desperate disease of our Land that all her spirituall Physitions know not which way to turne their hands and their heads to cure recouer her Such as once haue taken a surfet by eating any meate are ordinarily prescribed by the Physition to fast to bring them to a stomacke and appetite againe and whensoeuer the body is distempered by repletion the way to recouer Fernel de morb caus cap. 14. is to take the dyet as the masters of that faculty do affirme So God as the chiefe Physition of the soule when we once begin to loathe and abhorre our meate and to surfet of the food which he sendeth bringeth vpon vs most worthily and iustly the famine of his word And do we not see if we be not altogether blinded how hee beginneth now for our sinnes to dyet vs and many assemblies ranged in goodly order which made heauen and earth to ring and resound with the praises of God to be left as sheepe dispersed abroad and wandring in the Mountaines without a Shepheard This is that which the Lord long since threateneth to his people as one of his sorest and sharpest iudgements Behold the daies come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North euen to the East shall they run to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it c. Amos 8 11 12 13. A great greeuous Thunderbolt throwne downe vpon the heads of all carelesse contemners of the word they shall haue it taken from them The childe that is plentifully and fully fed and hath whatsoeuer he craueth and calleth for at last waxeth wantoÌ„ he beginneth to play dally with his meat he breaketh it into peeces casteth it to the dogs therefore it is necessary sometimes that he should be abridged pinched and cry heartily for it before he haue it So doth God deale with vs when the food of his heauenly word is danled and dallied withall and troden as a vile thing of base worth vnder our vncleane feet he is constrained to take away the benefit of his word ftom vs make vs oftentimes in the anguish of our spirit to call and cry vnto him in the want of it before he restore the same vnto vs againe And yee that are the Lords remembrancers Esay 62 6 7. keepe not silence and giue him no rest vntill he repaire and vntill he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world Let vs repent and returne betimes eueÌ„ while it is called to day lest the Gospel be taken away from vs. For as we shewed before among all sinnes the contempt of the word is one of the chiefest that cryeth to heauen for vengeance to fall vpon vs. This the Lord Iesus teacheth in many places Whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your words when ye depart out of that house or that City shake off the dust of your feete truely I say vnto you it shall be easier for them of the Land of Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement then for that City Mat. 10 14 15 and 11 23. Acts 13 51. This serueth to comfort the Ministers in the course of teaching and sheweth how much God esteemeth his Gospel and striketh a feare into all rebellious contemners of his word This ceremony of shaking off the dust from the feet vsed among the Iewes serued to be as a figure of cursing as a witnesse against the inhabitants of that wicked place as if they corrupted the earth and infected the places of their abode with their contagion The Apostles of Christ were not commanded to vse such a solemne kinde of denunciation and detestation against murderers drunkards adulterers theeues false witnesses periured persons such heinous malefactors but against the contemners of the Gospell which teacheth that God is not more offended with any offence then with the contempt of his word therefore he affirmeth that such shall be more greeuously punished theÌ„ the Sodomites who were destroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen Gen. 19 14. This toucheth vs neerely who yet enioy the Gospel and liue vnder the shadow and protection of it let vs remember that we are fallen from our first loue and liking of it let vs repent and do the first works lest the axe being laid to the root of the tree he come against vs shortly and remoue our candle-sticke out of his place except we repent from our harts Ver. 6. Wherefore the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people c. Hee sheweth in these words whence the punishment of fiery serpents came vpon them not by chance or fortune not from the nature of the soile and wildernesse it selfe but from God So then the present iudgement vpon them is amplified by the author The Lord sent them This teacheth that all punishments diseases and iudgements of what sort and condition soeuer are inflicted vpon vs by the hand of God Doctrine All punishments and â—sitations anâ— inflicted vpâ— vs bâ— the haâ— of God Whatsoeuer visitations fall vpon vs and the rest of the sons of men are laid vpon vs at the will pleasure of God This appeareth in Moses when the old world was not spared but a generall flood brought vpon the vngodly God warned Noah to prepare the Arke to the sauing of his houshold and saide Gen. 6 7 1â— An end of all flesh is come before mee I will destroy from the earth the man whom I haue created from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the fowle of the heauen And speaking of the destruction of the Sodomites who were exceeding sinners against the Lord he saith The Lord rained vpon Sodome and vpon Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heauen Gen. 19 24. So â—hen Abimelech King of Gerar tooke away Abrahams wife afterward was constrained by the hand of God to restore her it is said Gen. 21 17 18. God healed him and his wife and they bare childreÌ„ for the Lord had shut vp euery wombe of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abrahams wife This point is also at large confirmed Leu. 26 16 17. If ye will not obey me
〈◊〉 35 â—â— and hearkened not to the words of Necho which were of the mouth of God The like we may consider oftentimes in the booke of Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed a dreame which was not humane but diuine neyther of a naturall cause but of a supernaturall wherewith his spirit was troubled Daniel saide vnto him Dan. 2 28. There is a God in heauen that reuealeth secrets and sheweth the King what shall be in the latter daies The Reasons are euident First to set downe his great loue and fauour to his Children 〈◊〉 1. For as God did shew himselfe in sundry manners and speake by liuely voyce to the vngodly so in all the manifestations of himselfe vnto theÌ„ he had respect and reference to his Church as appeareth in the former examples Heerein therefore appeareth the wonderfull loue of God to his chosen people who hath the harts of all men in his owne hands and turneth theÌ„ about as pleaseth him This is that reason which the Prophet pointeth vnto Psal 105 13 14 15 where speaking of Abraham his posterity he saith Albeit they were few in number yea very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation from one Kingdome to another people yet suffered he no man to do them wrong but reprooued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Secondly it pleaseth God to make himselfe and his great Name knowne out of the limits and circuit of the Church 〈◊〉 2. to constraine euen the wicked to cleere him in his proceedings to acknowledge his iudgements to bee iust and righteous to giue sentence against themselues For God is holy in all his wayes and pure in all his works hee causeth their owne consciences to be witnesses against theÌ„ to accuse and to conuince them inasmuch as they become vnthankfull 〈◊〉 â— 2â— and do not glorifie him as God who is worthy of all glory and neuer leaueth himselfe without witnesse Acts 14 17. no not among the Infidels Thirdly he declareth and reuealeth himselfe Reason 3 to Infidels not because they be worthy but because by the mouth of the very Infidels he will strengthen and confirme his children True it is the cheefe and principall meanes which he vseth is to teach them by his seruants the Prophets and Apostles by Pastours and Teachers which he hath set in his church but he will also vse the tongues of prophane men to his owne glory comfort of his children This we see euidently shewed Iudg. 7 13. When Gideon came to the outside of the hoast of the enemies Behold a man told a dream vnto his neighbour and said Behold I dreamed a dreame and loe a cake of Barly-bread tumbled from aboue into the hoast of Midian and came vnto a Tent and smote it that it fell downe was ouerturned and his fellow answered This is nothing else saue the sword of Gideon for into his hand hath God deliuered Midian and all his host When Gideon heard the dreame deliuered and the interpretation opened he worshipped and returned into the hoast of Israel and saide Vp for the Lord hath deliuered into your hand the hoast of Midian Whereby we see that God made knowne his purpose to these vnbeleeuers for the strengthening of Gideons weake faith and the enabling of him to the worke whereunto he was appointed The vses follow First confesse from this Vse 1 dealing of God not onely that hee is great in â—ion and high aboue all the people but â—hat his Name is great glorious among his enemies He reigneth as King Psal 120.2 1 not onely ouer his Church but ouer all creatures and he maketh them to acknowledge his greatnesse stoop downe vnder his hand â—his we see in the Prophet Daniel chap. 6 26 27 by the decree that Darius wrote vnto all the people nations and languages that dwell in all the world I make a decree that in all the Dominions of my kingdome men tremble and feare the God of Daniel for hee is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shall not perish and his Dominion shall be euerlasting he refuseth and he deliuereth he worketh signes and wonders in Heauen and in Earth who hath deliuered Daniel from the power of the Lyons The like confession Nebuchadnezzar maketh before chap. 3 32 33. I thought it good to declare the signes wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders His kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and his Dominion is from generation to generation Secondly we see that God leaueth not men Vse 2 with out excuse because hee maketh knowne his truth vnto them they haue some meanes or other offered vnto them to teach them to acknowledge God and to glorifie him whom they haue acknowledged Rom. 1.20.24 So Christ our Sauiour speaketh to the obstinate Iewes Iohn chapter fifteene verse 22. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloke nor colour for their sinne Thus was Pilate the Iudge of Iewry conuinced in his owne conscience of wrongfull iudgement against Christ beeing warned of his wife to whom God had reuealed his innocency that he was a iust man as a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled For the Euangelist Matthew testifieth that when Pilate was set downe on the iudgement seate his wife sent to him saying Haue thou nothing to do with that iust man for I haue suffered many things this day in a dreame by reason of him Mat. 27 19. This was no meere humane or naturall dreame Eccles 5 2. arising from multitude of busines or proceeding froÌ„ an euil constitution of the body or euill digestion of meate or such like ordinary causes as daily befall vs but it was diuine from the speciall instinct of God and the inspiration of the Almighty For as God the Father diuers wayes approued the innocency of Christ that it might appeare he dyed not for his owne offences but for ours for our redemption so did God send terror and trouble vpon the Iudges wife in the night season to discouer his hypocrisie make him without excuse altogether in condemning the Innocent that all the water in the wide sea was not able to wash away the guilt of his sinne much lesse the water he called for to wash his hands before the multitude when he saide I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke you to it Math. 27 24. The staine of sinne soyleth the soule and defileth the conscience cannot be washed away with water which onely putteth away the filth of the flesh and clenseth the body but cannot enter any further Thirdly seeing God hath shewed and manifested Vse 3 himselfe to wicked men vnworthy of his fauour we may be certaine and well assured that he will neuer leaue his owne children destitute of instruction that call vpon his
for vs when we sleep he heareth when we are deafe he riseth vp for vs when we lie downe hee is a buckler about vs when we are assaulted he is the God of knowledge when wee are ignorant And if euer there were people vnder the heauen that hath experience of Gods watchfulnesse in this kinde it is this Nation of great Britaine O vnthankfulnes if we doe not acknowledge it O wretchednesse if we doe not euer remember it O wickednes if we do not teach it to our posterities For hath not God deliuered vs from the most cursed and execrable plot of desperate enemies that euer was contriued against the King the Queene the Prince and the rest of their progeny against the Lords the Commons the whole Church kingdome â—hen the fift 〈◊〉 Noâ—â—â— An. 〈◊〉 5. determining suddainly to haue blowne vp the whole house of Parliament with gun-powder Now as this was an inuention bloody an intention barbarous and inhumane See Act. 〈…〉 3. so by what meanes were wee deliuered was it by our fasting and prayer was it by humbling our selues before our God and crying strongly in the eares of the Lord of hostes was it by our teares and weeping for our sins saying spare thy people O Lord and giue not thine inheritance into reproch that the Priests and Iesuites should rule ouer them Nay we vsed none of all these we suspected no danger we feared no enemies we dreamed of no diuelish deuices against the land so that to detect and disclose the fore-named cursed conspiracy was the Lords doing onely and it is marueilous in our eyes When an inuasion in the yeere 88. was intended by the supposed inuincible Armado glorying in their strength munition shippes preparations confederates it was indeed the Lords mercy toward vs to crosse and curse their attempt and to raise the windes and seas against them howbeit this was not without vsing of meanes as rigging of shippes arming of men mustering of souldiers yea it was not without sanctifying of fasts calling solemne assemblies and crying vnto the Lord. If then wee did sing songs of thanksgiuing for that deliuerance how should our hearts be kindled and inflamed with ioyfulnesse and with what praises should wee expresse our thankfulnes 〈…〉 but euen vow vnto the Lord our selues our soules and bodies to offer them vp a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto him For as many haue bene the practices of the malicious and bloody Papists yet this surmounteth them all so many haue bene the deliuerances of our Princes of our Rulers of our Magistrates of our Ministers of our people but this surmounteth and surpasseth them all Psal 95 1 2. Let vs therefore reioyce vnto the Lord let vs sing aloud to the rock of our saluation let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing loud vnto him with Psalmes for the Lord is a great God and a great King aboue all gods He sitteth in heauen and laugheth to scorne the deuices of the wicked He ruleth in earth and maketh all his enemies his footstoole Verse 28. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the Asse When Balaam had smitten his Asse three times that had saued his life it pleased God to worke a wonder to alter the course of nature to giue speech to the Asse to make her able to reproue her master God indeed could otherwise haue set his sin in order before him but a dumbe beast is teacher fit enough for the fals Prophet We see hereby Doctrine God oftentimes worketh aboue nature that God so often as it pleaseth him worketh aboue nature ordinary meanes Hereunto come al the miracles which God hath shewed from the beginning of the world He gaue vnto Abraham Sarah a son in their old age who quickneth the dead Rom. 4 17. and calleth those things which be not as though they were He stayed the course of the Sun diuided the red sea fed his people with Manna Heb. 11 33 34. stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire opened the earth to swallow his enemies brought water out of the hard rocke Hee sent signes and wonders in the land of Egypt vnto this day in Israel and among al men hath made him a name as appeareth this day Hee brought his people out of the hand of Pharaoh with signes with wonders with a strong hand with a stretched out arme and with a great terrour He gaue power to a virgin to conceiue beare a son that he might saue his people from their sins Ier 32.20 Math 1 21 23. The reasons remaine to be considered and Reason 1 handled to confirme vs farther First marke the nature of God he is great in counsell glorious in holines fearefull in praises mighty in his workes and in his enterprises Who made the heauen who framed the earth and laide the foundation thereof vpon the depth who brought light out of darknesse Is it not the Lord that doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen in earth in the depth and in all the world This the Prophet Ieremy teacheth chap. 32. Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power Ier. 32.17 by thy stretched out arme and there is nothing hard vnto thee he maketh the barren fruitfull Psal 136.5 â— he brought all things out of nothing who onely doth great wonders for his mercy endureth for euer who by his wisedome made the heauens and hath stretched out the earth vpon the waters for his mercy endureth for euer Againe therby he maketh his name known Reason 2 and his power to bee acknowledged in the world This is declared by Nehemiah in the prayer of the Leuites chap. 9. Thou hast considered the afflictioÌ„ of our fathers in Egypt heard their cry by the red Sea and shewed tokens and wonders vpon Pharaoh and on all his seruants and on all the people of the land for thou knowest that they dealt proudly against them Neh. 9 9 10. therefore thou madest thee a Name as appeareth this day Wherefore to the end the power and presence of God may bee knowne both to the Church and the enemies of the Church hee breaketh and interrupteth the naturall order and course of things Heereupon it is that Ioshua calleth the children of Israel and telleth them that by the miracle of diuiding the waters of Iordan Iosh 3 10. they should know that the liuing GOD was among them and would cast out the Canaanites before them Vse 1 The vse of this doctrine may bee made in this manner First it serueth fitly to condemne all Atheists and earth-wormes that aduance nature to throw downe the power of God Indeed if GOD onely wrought by ordinary meanes and according to the strength of second causes some pretence might bee alleaged and some colour of reason produced to doubt of the diuine power But seeing GOD worketh not onely by nature and by meanes but sometimes aboue
is added vnto it is the ioy of the seuerall parts and the multiplying of many members is matter of great reioycing to the whole body and cause of stirring of vs vp to the praise of God who quickeneth theÌ„ that are dead and maketh them to bee found that were lost In the naturall body found deformed or defectiue if sight were giuen to the blinde or hearing to the deafe or speech to the dumb if life or limb were restored where it was wanting 〈◊〉 3 7 8. 〈◊〉 â— 24. what great comfort would this bring what great reioycing would it worke So in the mysticall body of Christ when any part or when many parts are added as ornaments of the body and helping to accomplish the number of the elect let vs break foorth into ioy of heart and reioyce that wee haue part and fellowship in this company Thirdly let vs not measure the Church by Vse 3 our owne outward senses When Idolatry and open wickednesse when superstition cruell persecutions ouer-spread all as an vniuersall darknesse couering the earth let vs not suffer our selues to be deceiued nor iudge rashly of Gods people We thinke the Church oftentimes like to perish and to be rooted out of the earth but the foundation of God alwaies remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Therefore the Apostle teacheth That the Lord hath not cast away his people Rom. 11 1 2 3 4 5. When Elias saw the Prophets of God killed and the Altars digged downe God said vnto him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed their knee to Baal Euen so then at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace Wherefore let vs not iudge rashly of priuate persons whether they be in the number of the elect or not much lesse of whole Nations and kingdomes We say commonly he runneth farre that neuer returneth Paul was a persecuter of the Church 1 Tim 1 13 but Christ appearing vnto him made him a Preacher of the Gospel Manasseh was an Idolater a sorcerer and shedder of much innocent blood when hee sate in his Throne and kingdome but hee remembred God afterward in the dayes of his affliction 2 Chron. 33 12. Mary Magdalen who led a wicked life out of whom Christ cast seuen diuels Mark 16 9 had her sinnes forgiuen and loued him much of whom she had receiued so great mercy The theefe that all his life had runne astray Luc. 23.40 and hunted after the goods of other men was vpon the Crosse conuerted to the faith he abhoâ—red his former life confessed his sinnes craued pardon blamed his fellow and longed after the kingdome of God This the Apostle auoucheth concerning the Corinthians when he had taught That neither fornicaters nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor raylers nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God he addeth Such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but ye are iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6 9 10. So theÌ„ we must iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who shall lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and make the counselles of the heart manifest 1 Cor. 4 5. and then shall euery man haue praise of GOD. And let vs not be daunted and dismayed at the great number of the wicked of Atheists Libertines Epicures Idolaters Hypocrites Scorners Blasphemers seeing there is an vniuersality of the elect and faithfull though few appeare to our senses as did to the eyes of Eliah who in heart soule ioyne with vs of whose prayers we are partakers Lastly seeing there are many elected vnto Vse 4 life and saluation let vs vse all meanes to draw others to faith in Christ and repentance from dead works Let vs exhort one another while it is called to day lest any be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb 3 13. Let vs prouoke to good workes and so much the more seeing the day of the Lord draweth neere Heb. 10 25. For what knowest thou O man whether thou shalt win thy brother The husbandman planteth and watereth 1 Cor. 3 7 he tilleth soweth and when he hath done he committeth the successe to God looking with patience for early and latter rayne So must all the Ministers of God which are his laborers preach in season and out of season diuide the word of truth aright and take all occasions to win soules to God And this is that vse which the Lord himselfe teacheth and prescribeth Acts 18 9 10. Feare not but speake and hold not thy peace For I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee for I haue much people in this City Where wee see that howsoeuer Paul found much opposition against him at Corinth some resisting and others blaspheming himselfe ready to depart yet the Lord appeareth vnto him and encourageth him to continue his labours with promise of a plentifull haruest a rich recompence of reward that hee should not labour in vaine but be the Minister of life vnto many This is the greatest comfort to the Ministers of God to turne many to righteousnesse This shall be our Crowne and glory in the great day of account when the cheefe Shepheard of the sheepe shall appeare Therefore the Apostle chargeth the man of God to be of a patient spirit gentle towards all men 2 Tim. 2 24 25. suffering the euill instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the diuel of whom they are taken prisoners to do his will To conclude let vs remember the saying of the Apostles Iames chap. 5 19 20. Brethren if any of you haue erred from the truth and some man haue conuerted him let him know that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Where the Apostle teacheth that so manie of vs as haue receyued any gifts at the handes of God it is our duty not onely to vse them to our owne comfort but to labour diligently to profit others that so we may gaine glorie and winne soules to God by furthering the saluation of our brethren It followeth in the Text. Let mee dye the death of the righteous In these wordes is contained the second part of the conclusion of this first prophesie which is Balaams demand and desire that after the end of this temporall and mortall life hee may rest with the Saints and obtaine the blessed estate reserued for them This had bene a good and godly prayer if it had not proceeded from an euill heart and beene stained with a wicked life This desire of his was not constant and followed vnto the end but
First on the bodye which is cast into a deepe sleepe when the senses are for the time bereaued of the present vse of theÌ„ Secondly on the minde the which that it might bee brought neerer to God is withdrawne from all dealing and fellowship with the body and enlightned to vnderstand diuine things as Acts 10. Peter sâ—w the heauen opened a vessell comming downe and a voyce came vnto him The causes why it pleased GOD to reueale his will after this manner are First that they should take nothing to themselues but account all receiued from GOD. Secondly that their bodies and soules being separate froÌ„ all other dealings might haue a deeper impression of the things reuealed and thereby vnderstand them and keepe them the better Thus much touching the trance of Balaam the beginning of the prophesie Now we come to the substance of the prophesie it selfe the summe whereof is first propounded then amplified and lastly concluded The proposition which is prooued is described by a question and by way of admiration expressing the happines of the Church How goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As if he should say O how blessed and happy a people art thou which now liuest vnder these Tents and dwellest in these habitations And note here that he doth not giue a touch to theyr happinesse and then passe away sodainly from it but he doubleth and repeateth it as if he meant to dwell long vpon it There is no part or parcell of Gods word in vaine If wee see not the vse of some things it is our weaknes we must confesse it not condemne the Scriptures The Spirit of God forbiddeth vaine babling Mat. 6 7 and reproueth idle repetitions and therefore neuer vseth the same himselfe Three causes 〈◊〉 vsing repeâ—â—â—ons The Reasons and occasions of repetitions are these three First for greater assurance for God speaking twice doth as it were produce a double witnes and signifieth that it did not slip from him vnawares but is that which he meaneth to stand vnto and to ratifie so that albeit heauen and earth passe away yet one iot or tittle of his word shall not passe away Secondly to testify the speedy accomplishment of that which hee hath spoken that it shall not be prolonged and delayed but bee swiftly performed shortly be executed And these two causes are both touched by Ioseph in expounding the two dreames of Pharaoh when he sayth The dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh the second time because the thing is established by God and God hasteth to performe it Genes 41 32. The third reason of vsing repetitions is to quicken those that are dull and stir vp those that are heauy hearted that they should shake off all deadnes drowsinesse of spirit Once speaking passeth sodainly away wee cannot heare it or if we heare it wee cannot remember it or if we remember it we are backward in practising of it We haue need to be often put in minde of the same thing 〈◊〉 3 1. and for vs it is a safe thing 〈◊〉 â—8 23. This is the cause that the Prophets of God so often vse repetitions So did Balaam before in the former Chapter Numb 23 21. God seeth no iniquity in Iacob he seeth no transgression in Israel These three causes haue place in this repetition vsed in this place For theyr happines is certainly confirmed speedily to be accomplished and the enemies of the people of God are rouzed vp diligently to consider thereof and thinke with themselues surely this is of great importance seeing God offers it vnto me againe and againe This blessed estate and condition of the Church is set down first comparatiuely then simply whereby the former similitudes are expounded and interpreted The metaphors and similitudes are many in number but tending to one and the same purpose vnder the borrowed speeches of the tents of the sheepheards of stretching out of the vallies watering of the gardens planting of the Cedars he vnderstandeth the safety largenes encrease pleasantnesse multitude and strength of the Church that shall surmount the glory of the Gentiles and treade downe the kingdome of Agag that is of the Amalekites which at that time flourished in the world and promised vnto it selfe a perpetuity vpon the earth which prophesie was performed in the dayes of Saul and Samuel of Dauid Salomon 1 Sam. 15 3. This appeareth plainly in the second branch where the comparisons are explained in which hee sheweth the author of theyr happynes to bee God the giuer of euery good giuing and of euery perfect gift who albeit they were a small people and greatly oppressed yet hee brought them myraculously out of the Land of Egypt he shall bee theyr protection defence against theyr enemies giuing them the strength of the Vnicorne Numb 23 22. assisting them in all theyr dangers and subduing all theyr aduersaries vnder them This is the substance of the prophesie the conclusion remayneth consisting of two parts or members the first respecting the Israelites the second respecting others but vttered for the Israelites sake Touching the Israelites he inferreth vpon the premisses theyr peace safety and security tranquility and quyet dwelling without feare expressed by comparison of a Lyon who eateth his prey without fearfulnes of the passengers so the Iews ouercomming all theyr enemies shall haue rest gouerne theyr Church and Common-wealth in peace which came to passe so long as they did cleaue to God with full purpose of heart and worshippe him according to the precise rule of his word for then no enemies albeit neuer so many or so mighty were able to preuayle against them Thus did the Patriark Iacob expresse the preheminence of Iudah Gen. 49 9. As a Lyons whelpe shalt thou come vp from the spoyle my sonne he shall lye downe and couch as a Lyon and as a Lyonnesse who shall stir him vp The second member belonging vnto others is this that they which blesse thee shall bee blessed and such as curse thee shall be cursed A notable commendation of the Church encouragement to perswade others to be of the church As if hee should say So many as shal ioyne themselues of other people to thee and embrace the same holy Religion with thee for it shall in the fulnesse of time come to passe that God shall allure Iapheth to dwell in the tents of Shem. Gen. 9 27 shall be partakers of the same blessings with thee which GOD shall poure out vpon thee but all such as separate themselues from thee and shew themselues not brethren but strangers not friends but enemies not neighbours but aliens from thee shall lye vnder the fearfull curse and reuenge of God This is it which the Lord pronounced and promised long before to Abraham Gen. 12 2 3. This power did Balak before falsely ascribe to Balaam This is the drift of this diuision and the order that the Spirit of God obserueth therein Touching the instructions that
the Apostle Iohn noteth in the Nicolaitanes Reuel 2 14 20 who maintained the doctrine of Balaam counselling Balak to lay a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel perswading to eate of the things sacrificed to Idols and alluring vnto fornication This he reprooueth in the false Prophetesse whom for her leud qualities he calleth Iezabel who deceiued the seruants of God to make them commit fornication and to eate meates that were sacrificed vnto idols Thus it fareth with the Nations that know not God they are ignorant of the duties which are due vnto men The Turkes that haue seated their Empire in the East and made a mixture of all Religions to the end they might draw some of all sorts vnto themselues doe professe and practise most abhominable vices euen by the doctrine of their Alcoran 〈◊〉 chap. 41. ◠3. where that false Prophet Mahomet alloweth a man to haue foure wiues and to keepe fifteene Concubines he forbiddeth any to be accused of adultery vnder foure witnesses and accounteth those most holy men which accōpany with beasts The Church of Rome defiling the worship of God by detestable idolatry as grosse as the Heathen committed and in some part exceeding all the idolatry of the Heathen in that they worship a breaden god maintaine filthinesse and vncleannesse sundry waies First in the tolleration of the Stewes flat against the Commandement of God Deut. 23 17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal ther be an whorekeeper among the sons of Israel This tolleration is a flat occasion to many young men and women that otherwise might abstaine from this kinde of wickednes And what monstrous impiety is this when father and sonne Brother and Brother Vncle and Nephew shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly they deny marriage as an vnholy thing to their holy Cleargy and thereby open a gappe to all kinde of pollutions contrary to the expresse word of God that a Byshop should be the husband of one wife and that marriage is left free and accounted honourable in all and the bed vndefiled 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 13 4. Thirdly not to stand further in ripping vppe these enormities in this place their Law alloweth the marriage of any persons beyond the fourth degree 〈…〉 whereby in some cases followeth incest Al these testimonies and examples being thus layde together doe teach vs that corruption of manners and lewdnesse of life doe alwayes accompany defects and defilings in the true Religion Let vs come to consider the causes to make it more plaine and euident vnto vs. First such Reason 1 is the iudgment and iustice of God punishing one sin with another giuing ouer such as make no conscience to know or acknowledge God into a reprobate sence and appointing them to be vessels of shame and dishonour This is the reason which the Apostle directly handleth Rom. 1 25 26. They turned the truth of God into a lie seruing the creature and forsaking the Creator which is blessed for euer Amen for this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections for euen their women did change the naturall vse into that which is against nature and likewise also the men left the naturall vse of the woman burned in their lust one toward another and man with man wrought filthinesse and receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was meete Where we see the Apostle charging the Gentiles with turning the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and so regarded not to serue him declareth that God gaue thē vp to their hearts lustes and deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde so that they committed vncleannesse they defiled their owne bodies betweene themselues did those things which are not conuenient So the same Apostle in another place teacheth That God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 2 Th. 2 11 12. This dealing is righteous in God being a punishment for sinne howsoeuer it be wicked in the committers Secondly the first Table containeth the great and chiefe Commandements and the second is like vnto it Math. 22 38. So then all prophanenes is as a bitter and poysoned root infecting farre and neere and as a Tree that ouershadoweth all good hearbs that they cannot grow vp or prosper Our Sauior Christ making the summe of the first Table to consist in louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde calleth this the first and the great Commandement as the fountaine and foundation of the other So the Apostle Iohn making the loue to God and to men necessarily to concurre and accompany one another saith If any man say I loue God and yet hate his brother he is a liar for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene 1 Iohn chapter 4 verse 20. And hence it commeth to passe that where men haue not the feare of God and the knowledge of his Name they become abhominable in all their doings Thirdly the diuell ruleth worketh in such as make no care to know God but walke according to the course of this world in superstition in idolatry The Apostle sheweth this to be the cause why they had their conuersation in times past in the lusts of the flesh in the fulfilling of the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the Children of wrath as well as others Because they were ruled by the Prince that ruleth in the aire the spirit that worketh in all the children of disobedience Ephes 2 2 3. Let vs now proceed to the Vses First we Vse 1 learne from hence that wee may iustly feare all iniurious vniust and vncleane dealing and looke for fraud and oppression where there is no true Religion established and professed When Abraham went down into Egypt with his wife and afterward soiourned in the land of Gerar among the Philistims where was no true knowledge of the true God hee thought thus with himselfe Surely the feare of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wiues sake and thereby was moued to deny the protection of his wife and to say shee was his Sister Gen. 12 12. 20 11. This is to be expected looked for from all such places and persons that haue in them no religion of Christ no godlines of life no feare of God we must prepare our selues to endure all hard wrongfull dealing at their hands Wee see this in the example of the Sodomites toward Lot Gen. 19 9. in the inhabitants of Gibeah toward the Leuite and his wife Iudg. 1◠22. For where the feare of God ruleth not there is no vertue no truth no mercy no honesty no sobriety no conscience They refraine not violence
the sinne might be knowne and the men also knowne that do commit it And to what end doth the Apostle Iohn tell vs 1 Iohn 5 ver 16. There is a sinne to death and of seeing our brother sinne vnto death If then it may be seene it may be knowne And hence it is that when the Church saw Iulian the Apostata who had bin enlightned with the truth and bin zealous in the profession of it to despite God openly to lift vp himselfe against his word and to make a mocke of all religion they would haue no more to do with him they accounted him as a diuell and they prayed with one consent against him that God would confound and destroy him They did not pray vnto God for his conuersion and to giue him a new heart but because he could not repent being past amendment they called vpon God to hasten his condemnation that he might shew thereby what account he maketh of his most holie truth Last of all we ought to haue a care to bee Vse 3 helpfull and profitable to the Church and to be zealous in the seruice of God that thereby to the comfort of our selues and our posterity we may carry a sweet remembrance a blessed report in the Church for euer The loue of Mary in annointing Christ with the precious oyle which she powred on his head is promised by Christ to bee remembred for euer in what place of the worlde soeuer the Gospel shold be published Verily I say vnto you whersoeuer this Gospel shal bee preached throughout all the world there shall also this that she hath done be spoken of for a memoriall of her Matth. 26 13. The praise of Iehoiada is recorded in Scripture he dyed an old man and full of dayes they buried him in the City of Dauid with the Kings because hee had done good in Israel and toward God his house 2 Chr. 14 16. This serueth to reprooue such as care not at all what men thinke or speak of them and regard not what name they haue good or bad what report is giuen of them honorable or dishonorable sweet or rotten so they may preuayle in their purposes Cicer. of fâ—ic l 1. and bring to effect their diuellish deuices An heathen man could say It is the part of a retchlesse and dissolute man to neglect what a man sayth of him Salomon teacheth vs that a good name is more to bee desired then great riches and a louing fauour more then siluer and gold Pro. 22 1 Eccles 7 3 This is not attained by flattery or falshood but by godlinesse and righteousnesse by humility and an vpright conscience Riches are fraile and transitory subiect to vanity and corruption but a good name and louing fauour remaine for euer So the Prophet describing the blessednes of the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth in his commandements sayth that he shal neuer be moued but the righteous shal bee had in perpetual remembrance Ps 112.6 A good name is better then a great name And albeit the godly be despised in the world yet God will aduance theyr estimation giue theÌ„ a sweet sauour among all good men True it is sinfull men are magnified of sinners for euen the sinners loue those that loue them Luke 6 32. to receyue the like of them againe yet they shall bee made abhominable vnto the Saints and their name shall bee cursed and as much loathed as the filthy fauour of his carkasse that lyeth rotting in the graue So then seeing shame shall be as an vnseparable companion of wickednesse and no man can separate those things which God hath ioyned together on the other side heere is comfort to the godly that GOD will vndertake the protection of their names so that no creature shall bee able to rob them of it but as he preserueth them to saluation so he will maintayne their credit and estimation Wee see this in many the deare seruants of God who albeit they haue had their names for a time diminished impayred yet they haue beene restored and recouered The name of Naboth was greatly blemished with the slanderous imputation of treason and blasphemy but that momentary shame is swallowed vp and recompensed with euerlasting honour throughout all generations 1 King 21.10 The like wee might say of Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Bradford Philpot and many other the deare seruants of God that gaue their liues for the truth howsoeuer they were condemned for heretikes yet they are renowned for Saints and shall be so acknowledged to the end of the world 16 Againe the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 17 Vexe the Midianites and smite them 18 For they trouble you with their wiles wherewith they haue beguiled you as concerning Peor and as concerning their sister Cosbi the daughter of a Prince of Midian which was slaine in the day of the plague because of Peor We haue hitherto in this chapter handled the transgression of the Israelites and the reconciliation of God Now remayneth the decree and determination of God against the Midianites For after that God had chastened his owne people and iudgement hath begun to breake out against the house of God hee riseth vp in wrath and indignation as a iust Iudge against his enemies Heerein we are to marke two things First the commandement Secondly the reasons or causes of the commandement The commandement and charge directed vnto Moses in this Smite and slay the Midianites Thus doth wickednesse returne vpon the heads of the authors thereof These enemies being drawne into the league to take part with the Moabites had conspired against Israel soght to subdue them not by strength but by sensuality nor by force of warre but by lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse of women Now the wheele is turned vpon themselues the stone is rolled vpon them that first stirred it and mischiefe falleth vpon the first contriuers Obiect But heere out of this commandement arise two questions fit to be mooued and worthy to be discussed First inasmuch as God euery where forbiddeth reuenging of our owne causes and quarrels why doth hee now permit and prouoke the people of Israel therunto as if they were not by nature prone enough to vengeance I answere Answ there is a double kinde of reuenge one priuate the other publicke Priuate reuenge is that which proceedeth from the priuate motion of our corrupt nature seeking to satisfie our owne malice with the hurt of others This is forbidden by our Sauiour Christ Mathew 5 44 commanding vs to loue our enemies and to ouercome euill with good Publique reuenge is that which is commanded and warranted by God being imposed vpon vs either mediatly by authority of the Magistrate or immediatly by the secret instinct of the Spirit This is allowed and lawfull as we saw before in Phinehas and others inasmuch as it proceedeth not from the corruption of nature but from the inspiration of God For God the iust reuenger of all wickednesse may vse the ministery of
it self who notwithstanding are saued in the day of the Lord. This appeareth in Lots wife Gen. 19 she looked backe contrary to the commandement of the Angel and was turned into a pillar of salt Her offence might seeme little at the first and the punishment to be ouergreat howbeit we must not measure sinne by the outward acte but by the commandement and will of God which is the onely rule of righteousnes This her disobedience seemeth to proceed from infidelity vnthankfulnesse curiosity and the immoderate loue of the world of the substance which they had left behind and therefore she is punished and made as a mirror and monument of Gods iustice which Iosephus testifieth to continue to his time Ioseph antiq Iud. lib. 1. ca. 1◠yet we doubt not but her soule was saued and she receyued to mercy The like we might say of Iobs childred they were all sodainly slaine by the fall of the house wherin they were assembled yet they gaue good testimony of their godlynesse in their life for as no euil is recorded of them in the Scripture so it appeareth they were wel taught and trained vp in the feare of God by their carefull father euen in the daies of theyr youth God heard their father when he praied for them when bee sent for them they came dutifully and obediently vnto him if they had despised that God whom their father worshipped he would not haue said It may be my sonnes haue blasphemed God and it had beene a vaine thing for him to speake to them of sanctification Moreouer if their bankettings feastings had bene like our Wakes and reuels which they commonly call Yeauals or drunken feasts of such as call themselues good fellowes he ought to haue forbidden their meetings and not to haue prayed to God to pardon their sins which they might commit in their meetings and thereby suffer them to liue in the continual practise of sin forasmuch as that were to mocke and dally with God not desiring pardon for sinne past but to craue free liberty to sin for the time to come And if the father had doubted of their saluatiō no doubt hee would haue bewailed their destruction Lastly it is to bee noted that they feasted in their owne houses they did not run to Ordinaries or haunt Ale-houses or frequent Tauernes neither did they feast euery day like the rich glutton whose daily dinners were daily feasts for hee did nothing else but feast euery day neither did they keepe companie with ruffians swearers drunkards swaggerers and such like but they inuited one another to witnesse their good will and to continue mutuall loue among themselues The like wee might say of Vzzah that stayed vp the Arke and was stricken with sodaine death because he laid his hand vpon the Arke 2 Sam. 6 7. So was it with Vriah the faithfull seruant of Dauid yet he was slain by the sword of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 11 17. Iosiah that good king serued the Lord from his youth yet dyed hee a violent death and was slaine by Pharao Nechoh at Megiddo and al the people of the land mourned for him 2 Kings 23 29. Reason 1 Thus doth God deale with his owne children oftentimes they are chastised in this world lest they should be condemned with the wicked in the world to come 1 Cor. 11 32. Secondly those whom God loueth hee loueth vnto the end Ioh. 13 inasmuch as all his giftes are without repentance Rom. 11. therefore temporall chastisements cannot alter his loue or make frustrate the gifts that once he hath bestowed vpon his children Thirdly euen his owne people sinne against him for in manie things we sinne all Iames 3 ver 1. and therfore when they sinne against him he chastiseth thē with death as with a rod howbeit his mercie he neuer taketh from them Thus did Iosiah offend he would not heare the word of the Lord which was brought vnto him therefore he was smitten by the hand of God Vse 1 This teacheth that it is a false rule and a deceitfull measure to iudge of the saluation of men by temporall things whereas commonly all things fall out alike to the godly vngodly Eccl. 9 12. Many there are that wil take vpon them to iudge and censure men to bee out of the fauour of God because sometimes they dye sodainly and sometimes strangely and contrarywise if they dye in their beddes quietly and calmely they conclude that they must necessarily bee the children of God for that cause onely But if we haue no better testimony to discerne a childe of God then this note we may soone be deceiued for this may often happen more by the nature of the disease then through any grace in the soul of the diseased The constant course of a mans life is the best witnesse what is in man A man may dye rauing and haply blaspheming and yet be the seruant of God by the violence and rage of some sicknesse disturbing the head and the braine For as Paul sayeth It was not hee but sinne that dwelled in him Rom. 7 15 so I may say it is not they that raue and blaspheme it is the force of their sicknesse to which they do not consent and againe a man may go away like a Lambe and yet dye out of Gods fauour and go to hell as Iob chap. 21. verses 13 14. Vse 2 Secondly this reprooueth the Popish sort that commonly condemne Zuinglius a sound defender of the true and Apostolike faith Zuinglius defended because he died in the field as a good Patriot against the enemies of his country Hee did no more then euery true Minister and faythfull man ought to be ready to do Hee was slaine with the sword of wickedmen but that death was an honourable death Hee exhorted the people to constancy in the faith as the Priest is commanded in the Law to do Deut. 20 23 It is no reproach to dye in a good cause and a iust quarrell If he had dyed as Sanders an arch enemy to the Queene and State dyed in Ireland in the rebellion which himselfe had procured who died distracted and in a frenzy to behold the hand of God gone out against him and all his plots and proiects crossed O what outcries would these men then haue made he died as a Traitor against his lawfull Prince in the Popes quarrel and was in the field against his owne Soueraigne whereas Zuinglius dyed with his owne Cittizens in a good cause and was lamented of all good men Lastly we must take heed we doe not iudge Vse 3 rashly and rigorously of the Churches sorrowes and afflictions albeit they seem oftentimes both strong and strange when God feedeth them with the bread of teares giueth them teares to drinke in great measure Psal 80 5. The dead bodies of his seruants haue the enemies giuen to be meate to the fowls of the heauen and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth their
Wee should make diligent search of the temporall estate of our brethren but much more how they stand toward God how they do increase in the best things that we may reioyce in their standing and mourne in their decaying and thereby bee prouoked either to giue God praise glory for their continuance and perseuerance or to pray to him to open theyr eyes to see their weaknesse their standing stil or going back or leauing their first loue that so they may repent and do their first workes Reuel 2 5. Lastly it is our duty euen to aduenture our Vse 4 persons and estate for our brethren if by any means we may releeue the distressed This we see in Abraham toward Lot Gen. 14 Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter but visited his brethren and when he saw an Egyptian offer one of them wrong Hee defended him and auenged him that was oppressed Acts 7 24. So it was with Obadiah that liued in Ahabs Court when Iezabel raised hot persecution against the prophets of God he took them and hid them and fed them in a Caue not fearing the fiercenesse of their enemies 1 Kin. 18. The like we see in Ester a notable nursing mother of the Church she went boldly to the King with this resolution If I perish I perish Ester 4. verse 16 to haue the liues of her people giuen at her request chapt 7. verse 3. Many in our dayes thinke they haue gone far in Christianity and take themselues to be notable and zealous Christians if they wish wel vnto the state of the Church or be not open enemies vnto it But it is not enough to wish the good of it except by all meanes we labor to procure it and learne to cast down all that wee haue and bee content to licke the dust of the Churches feete Many will needes be accounted to bee the friends of the Church who wil hazard neither goods nor frends nor honor neither the fauor of great men nor the credit of the world much lesse either limbe or life wheras the Apostle teacheth that this is true loue To giue our liues for the brethren 1 Iohn chapt 3. verse 16. 20 And Moses saide vnto them If ye will do this thing if yee will goe armed before the Lord to warre 21 And will go all of you armed c. vntil he haue driuen out his enemies c. 22 And the land be subdued c. 23 But if ye will not do so behold yee haue sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out 24 Build you Cities c. 25 And the children of Gad c. 26 Our little ones our wiues c. 27 But thy seruants c. Heere we haue the conclusion of the whole controuersie betweene these tribes and Moses and vnder what conditions hee assenteth vnto them that there might be no mistaking one of another The summe whereof is this If they would go vp armed before their bretheren and go forward with them vntill their enemies were cast out then they should return backe againe and be guiltlesse before the Lord and this land should be their lawfull possession if not they should be guilty of sinne before the Lord and should not bee able to escape the vengeance of God These conditions propounded by Moses are approued by the Tribes who promise that they wil leaue their wiues and children and families behinde thē and passe ouer armed for warre before the Lord to battell From hence I might handle sundry instructions that arise in Moses we see his patience in hearing and determining and therefore it is the duty of Magistrates willingly patiently to hear the people Again these two Tribes and halfe might not be discharged till they had finished the Lords worke and therefore in all good duties perseuerance is necessary and we must continue to the end as wee haue shewed chapt 7. Lastly Moses threatneth that if they sinned against the Lord they might be well assured their sin would find them out that is the punishment of sinne shall certainly fall vpon you therefore sinne and the punishment of sinne are vnseparable companions as we see in Kingdomes Cities Families Doctrine The onely cause of punnishment is sinne and particular persons that haue offended against him And hereby we may obserue that the only cause of iudgement and punishment is sin God is neuer displeased with any people or person but for their sinnes Esay 43 24. 63 10. Hos 4 1 2. This is farther confirmed in the examples of his iudgments that fell vpon men and Angelles kingdomes and States houses and persons they haue bin destroyed subuerted for sin 1 Cor. 10.8 9 10. Reason 1 The grounds hereof follow First sinne is the transgression of the law 1 Ioh. 3 4. and 5 17. so defined by the Apostle he gaue a law to al which he would haue to be kept now then when this is broken and transgressed it cannot be but he should be offended and execute punishment against those that break it Secondly God is holy yea most holy and therefore cannot but punish sin which is directly opposite to the holines of his nature The more iust and righteous a Iudge is the more he is greeued at the enormities of malefactors that he hath to deale withall so in this case God being most holy and righteous nothing can be so offensiue and displeasing vnto him as the sinnes of men which are committed against him Thirdly sin is the destruction and condemnation of the creature and bringeth the ruine of soule and body The Apostle teacheth that the wages of sin is death Rom. 6 23 it is the cause of naturall death of spirituall death of eternall death If God doe thus hate sinne that it draweth Vse 1 from him all plagues vpon vs then it giueth wicked men to vnderstand what they are in the sight of God nothing but such as displease greeue and prouoke him by their sinnes and therefore he hateth them as his enemies and setteth his face against them as the Iudge setteth himselfe against euill doers and a Prince setteth himselfe against rebels that do resist against him There cannot be a greater miserie then for a man to commit sinne because it is that which is so highly displeasing to God the procurer of his displeasure and indignation against the committers of it and therefore this pointeth and painteth out the most fearefull estate of all wicked sinners that liue yet are dead in their sinnes seeing God is such an enemy vnto them and they vnto him Some thinke the onely miserable condition to bee to liue in pouerty and neede and want of all things in reproch and contempt in famine dearth of all things in hunger and nakednesse in sickenesse and diseases howbeit these are greatly deceiued who are themselues so much the more miserable that they know not what misery is neyther wherein it consisteth Our sinnes are the true sores and
from dangers acknowledge that it is Gods preseruation and be thankfull for it This should put vs in minde of two things first that if wee happen to liue vnder such a iudgement we must stoope down our neckes vnder this yoake and humble our selues vnder the most mighty hand of God that hath brought so fearfull a iudgement vpon vs. For if we thinke it to be a iudgement when the earth bringeth not foorth her fruite vnto vs then much more may wee thinke it to bee a iudgement when the earth is not able to beare a man but casteth and vomiteth him out into captiuity as the stomack doth grosse and euill humors out of the bodie For this cause doeth the Lord charge the Israelites to keepe his statutes and his iudgements That the Land do not spew them out also when they defile it as it spewed out the Nations that were before them Leuit. chapter 18. verse 25 28. 20. verse 22. And afterward he sheweth that if they did not walke obediently before him the land whither hee bringeth them to dwell therein should spew them out as Reu. 3 16. Of all iudgements to bee carried into captiuity is one of the greatest The very mercies of the wicked are cruelty Dauid made choyse to be vnder the plague and pestilence rather then to flye before the enemy because hee is vnmercifull Wee sit vnder our owne Vines and Figge-trees wee haue seene no inuasion nor heard any complainings in our streetes wee know not what bondage meaneth or to bee carried captiues into a strange Land howbeit it is apparent that wee haue beene very neere vnto it as neere to the pit as could bee and yet not fallen into the same For if the Gunne-powder Treason had taken place which was verie neere vnto the time appointed for the execution of it we had long ere this beene in slauery and bondage againe vnto the bloodie Papists who haue long lyen in waite for such a day and albeit that be defeated and all theyr imaginations bee scattered as chaffe before the winde yet who knoweth how neere we may bee to as great captiuity Wee are secure and put away the euill day farre from vs but the greater our security is the neerer our captiuity may bee We haue close and secret enemies amongest vs neuer more lusty and neuer more couragious then they are at this day which are left to remaine amongst vs to be prickes in our eyes and Thornes in our sides and to vex vs in the Land wherein wee dwell verse 55. These neuer leaue plotting and conspiring our ouerthrow and destruction Wee heare of rumours of Warre abroad and spreadings of errours and heresies which threaten ruine both to Church and Common-wealth these are but the beginnings of sorrow Againe if we looke vnto our selues our sinnes are very great and call continually for vengeance vnto heauen at Gods hands and no doubt he is comming downe to see whether wee haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto him All these laide together and weighed as it were in a ballance what can wee in reason and iustice expect but that GOD deliuer vs into the enemies hands and suffer them to carry vs captiue and so make slaues and bondmen of vs Secondly if any desire to enioy the land wherein hee dwelleth in peace and safety let him labour not to pollute and defile it by his sinnes The Iewes had a promise of God to be his people yet because of their sinnes he suffered them to bee carried into captiuity where they remained long in a strange land Haue we any greater priuiledge then they or may we expect to escape No if wee follow them in contempt of the word and other open sinnes wee shall bee sure to follow them also in the punishment which will be answerable to our iniquities Lastly this assureth vs that as GOD deliuereth his people from temporall danger and bondage so hee will deliuer them much more from spirituall bondage For if he will deliuer our bodies hee will much more deliuer our soules that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1 74 75. Wherefore wee ought patiently to waite his leysure knowing that if hee haue such a speciall care of our bodies that must lye in the dust to set them free from temporall bondage hee will much rather deliuer our soules from spirituall bondage wherein Satan holdeth vs. When Christ our Sauiour would shew that hee came to redeeme the soules of men hee taught them by deliuering their bodies from diseases For when hee restored sight to the blinde by opening their eyes what did it signifie but that hee came to scatter the darknesse of the minde and to make them see that before saw not the light of the truth as Math. 4 16 The people that sate in darknesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp The Prophets in the time of the Law smote the people with blindnes that they knew not what they did neyther whither they went 2 Kings 6 18 as the Angels did the Sodomites so that they wearied themselues to finde the doore Gen. 19 11. But Christ to shew that hee came to seeke and to saue that which is lost restored sight to the blinde and opened the eyes of their vnderstandings when hee healed the bodies of such as were lame and halted what was it but a teaching of them that he came to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at liberty them that were bruised When hee raised some to life from the dead what did it teach and shew but that hee is able to raise out of the graue of sinne and to giue the life of the spirit When hee cleansed the lepers what was it but a making knowne to the world that hee will cleanse from the foule and filthy leprosie of sinne And when he did cast out diuels that possessed the bodies of men what was it but to shew that he casteth the diuels out of the hearts and consciences where they desire to dwell as in an house If then it be no small comfort vnto vs to know that the Lord will deliuer his people from an earthly bondage certainely it cannot but minister much more comfort vnto vs to consider that the Lord is more careful of our soules and if hee be mindfull of vs for things of this life hee cannot be forgetfull of vs for the life to come seeing hee hath sent his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 7 And they remoued from Etham and turned againe to Pihahiroth c. 8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea c. 9 And they remoued from Marah and came vnto Elim c. 9 And they remoued
and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart much more must wee acknowledge the author and giuer thereof to bee the searcher of the heart so that there is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but al things are naked and open vnto the eyes of him with whom wee haue to doe Hebrewes 4 12 13. Will any that is brought before a Iudge and standeth in his presence beginne to mocke and iest as with a childe But the Lord is the Iudge of the whole world and he will reward euery man according to his workes Genes 18 25 and 21 49. Deuteronom 10 17 Acts 17 31. Romanes 2 5 6 and 3 6. So then they are desperately euill that dally with their owne saluation halting on both sides swimming betweene two streames and losing their first loue whereby they glorified God and adorned the profession of the Gospel Lastly it is required of euery good and Vse 3 faithfull seruant of God to bee zealous and amend This serueth to giue a watch word and warning to the greatest number of our professors among vs such as are accounted the most peaceable of the kingdome honest men iust dealers and ciuill liuers who can say with the Pharisie in the Gospel they are no theeues nor adulterers nor drunkards nor extortioners they hurt no man they wrong no man they meane well to all they follow their businesse quietly they liue among their neighbours peaceably they are no medlers nor busie-bodyes in other mens matters these think themselues therefore to be in good case to be assured of Gods loue and fauour to need no particular repentance yet in the meane season they haue no zeale nor care of religion in them But some wil say Are not the former points that you haue named good things Do you shalt passe but no farther and heere shall thy proud waues be stayed Iob 38 11. Vse 1 This serueth to reproue the cursed secte of the Anabaptists who bring in a confusion of all things that set the heauens out of theyr course and remoue the earth out of his place and breake vp the barres of the sea and turne the order that God hath setled vpside down For they can abide no priuate mans possessions but would haue all things common Thus they thinke to make themselues like to the Apostles but indeed they thereby resemble rather some of the Philosophers If we should see a man come into his neighbours ground pull vp the hedges teare vp the enclosures rend vp the fences fill vp the ditches take away the pales through downe the wals and remoue the bounds wee would hold him an enemy to humane society and to the expresse ordinance of God For wherefore hath God seuered and diuided people from people with broâ—d seas deepe riuers and high mountains but that they should not passe those bounds nor inuade the possessions of others And this was the cause why in this place he bounded so exactly the Land of promise and teacheth theÌ„ where it should begin and where it should end on the East-side and on the West on the North-side and on the South And in the booke of Ioshua the seuerall bounds limits of euery Tribe is seuerally and largely expressed and described Hence it is that Salomon saith Prou. 22 28. Remoue not the ancient land-marke which thy fathers haue set This is the law of God and man a law vnder the Law and the Gospel to continue for euer True it is the Romanists would conclude from hence Obiect that their errors which haue gotten foot for a few hundred yeares climbed vp into the chayre of Moses ought to preuayle and take place But this is no better then to draw the words froÌ„ the litterall meaning to an allegory Answer which by the doctrine of theyr owne schooles cannot be sound Tho Aquinas Againe howsoeuer in worldly possessions prescription of time may carry some credite and be of some force Iudg. 11 26 yet in the matters of God no time thogh the hayres be neuer so gray can prescribe against the ancient of daies Dan. 7 22. For if it be a prerogatiue royall in a temporall kingdome as the lawyers teach that nullum tempus occurrit regi that is no time shall barre the king nor preiudice him of his right then much more must we hold that no time shall barre the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords of his right but his law must take place for euer against all other lawes customes immunities priuiledges and prescriptions whatsoeuer Lastly the doctrine of the Gospel which we professe is more ancient then all the deuices and inuentions of men which hath beene receyued and beleeued from the infancy of the Church and from the beginning of the world and therefore the late and new start vp religion of popery must rise vp before the hoary head thereof as the young man is commanded to honour the face of the old man Moreouer Obiect whereas they alledge this and vrge it to procure credite and authority vnto the works and writings of men as if the sayings of the Fathers were to stand for a law it is of no greater weight then the former And albeit it were sufficient to say Let God be true and euery man a lyar Rom. 3 4 yet we answer Answer farther that the Fathers are for the most part against them and refuse to be witnesses for them as might easily appeare in the maine controuersies betweene them and vs. Againe as they dissent from them so sometimes they dissent from themselues Lastly all the Prophets Apostles as a cloud of witnesses stand on our side and we teach nothing but what wee haue receyued of them and they are our warrant To returne then vnto the former point wee see the Anabaptists are iustly reprooued who cannot abide any bounds or buttelles or land-marks neither that any should be master of his owne possessions but would haue all go to spoyle and hauocke And as God would haue iust weights and measures obserued betweene man and man that they might buy sell one with another so he wold haue bounds and markes also vnchanged that equity and vprightnesse in all our dealings might take place For this cause Moses saith Cursed is he that remoueth his neighbours landmarke and all the people shall say Amen Deut 27 17 and 19 14. Diony Halic antiq lib. 2. The very heathen by the light of nature saw that such markes ought to be inuiolable which of old time had beene set in inheritances and they all thought that God himselfe was wronged and iniuried in such false dealings And because it should be accounted an holy matter they made a god of it according to their common manner which they called Terminus and dedicated a feast to him which they called Terminalia True it is this was a diuellish inuention to set vp an Idoll for the maintainance of equity yet nature taught engraued this
dayes of the Gospel to entertain and giue way vnto them may be a great question Whether Sanctuaries priuiledged places may be allowed among Christians Peter Martyr disputing this point whether they are to be retained or abolished deliuereth his opinion that because the law of God allowed them the customes of nations approued them and for that there may bee at some times iust cause of them therefore they may haue place among Christians so that certaine conditions be obserued First that neyther publike nor priuate wealth bee any way hurt or damnified Secondly that vices bee not nourished and fostered by hope of pardon or escaping without punishment Lastly prouision must be made that they should not stand open to all sorts of offenders but onely be granted to certaine persons as when a man at vnawares hath killed another and feareth the auenger or is oppressed and ouer-burthened with debt without his owne fault feareth the creditor Neuerthelesse it seemeth to me that these reasons carry more shew then substance and perswade rather by the number then by their waight For to allow such Sanctuaries and yet to limit them with these cautions seemeth to mee all one as if one should deliuer a knife into the hands of a childe and then appoint three or foure keepers and ouerseers to attend vpon him to take care that hee doe no hurt to himselfe or to others whereas the knife might more safely be taken away and the labour of the men better employed And as for the two particular instances that this learned man giueth in case of man-slaughter and debt there are Courts of iustice and conscience to try euerie mans cause and to mittigate the rigour of such as are mercilesse and therefore howsoeuer wee haue had Sanctuaries and other priuiledged places among vs as appeareth in our Chronicles in the late reigne of Edward the fourth Edward the fift the memory whereof yet remaineth which peraduenture may yet bee in force yet through disuse and discontinuance of them it may appeare that the euil was iudged to be greater then the good that came by them And if some inconuenience in some one case might fall out through want of them it were better to beare that inconuenience by missing of them then to admit a mischeefe or rather an heape of mischeefe by retayning of them But howsoeuer it may bee iudged in some certaine cases a matter of charity to allow to some persons the Sanctuary to saue themselues from such cormorants as would neuer be satisfied but by the body and blood of the poore debter yet because vnder colour and pretence of this protection infinite enormities would arise vnto the detriment of the Commonwealth and that the former supposed causes may bee better remedied by other meanes no way hurtfull or preiudiciall at all to any it were much better quite to dissolue them then to retaine them For grant once this priuiledge and immunity to such as are growne to decay by ineuitable losses you shall haue others in time claime that benefite yea and perhaps sooner receyue it that are gone to decay by their owne negligence and vnthriftinesse And if it were needefull or expedient in case of debt to allow the Sanctuary no doubt the Lord himself setting vp these Sanctuaries would haue extended the liberty to such persons to flye vnto them whereas among the people of God none were allowed to haue refuge vnto them but such as were pursued by the auenger of blood And if there were no other reason to abolish them it were sufficient to see the horrible abuses of them in the Papacy where murtherers and traytors and varlets and a rabble of all sorts of cut-throats as we shall see afterward are protected and allowed to be protected contrarie to the expresse commandement of God Exodus 21 14. If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour and slay him with guile the thou shalt take him from the Altar that he may dy And we see the practise of it in Salomon 1 Kings 2 31 for when Ioab a wilfull murtherer that slew two men more righteous and better then him selfe and shed innocent blood in the time of peace fled into the Tabernacle of the Lord and caught hold vpon the Altar he commanded him to be slaine in that place But to return to the former point Popish Sanctuaries vnlawful whether this be inconuenient or not this is most certaine that no states do so much offend by denying of them as the Romanists do by admitting of them whereby it commeth to passe that Churches and Monasteries are turned into dens of theeues It is noted that Innocentius the third wrote to the king of Scottes that then was That no man should be taken by violence out of the church albeit he had committed very heynous offences Howbeit lest they should seeme to let open a window and to set loose the reynes vnto all sorts of wickednes they haue excepted some certaine cases Decret de Immvnit eccles First they will not defend common theeues and robbers which do stand by the high-way side to set vppon such as passe by whether it be by day or night neither yet those that offend greeuously in the Church or Churchyard in hope there to bee priuiledged because such ought not to bee protected by the Church which sin heynously against the Church Decreâ— 36 9. Can. de Rapto As for other wickednesse and most lewd and loose villanies as the murthering of men the rauishing of Virgins adulteries and such like practises they defend them as appeareth in the Decrees And they offer this immunity and impunity not only to Christians but to the Iewes and heathen people yea to excommunicate persons and to heretickes prouided that the heretickes come into danger for other crimes whereas if it be for heresie they are denyed the benefit of the Sanctuary Neyther is this liberty granted to the Church onely Decret 17 9 4 câ—â— id constitutionis but to the Byshops palace albeit it be not ioyned vnto the Church As great a priuiledge likewise they grant to their breaden-god and great reason why so often as it is carryed about in pompe and procession or vnto the sicke for if in such case any man ioyne himselfe to the Priest he hath a safegard and Sanctuary Many such like enormities are committed and passe as currant among them and so much wickednesse goeth vnpunished whereby God is offended the Church is polluted and the Land it selfe is vtterly defiled and yet such places of speciall priuiledge and protection are retayned and defended Command vnto the children of Israel that they giue vnto the Leuites c. Heere we see what great allowance God gaue to those that ministred at the Altar and did the seruice of the Tabernacle And albeit the Leuiticall Priesthood and all that ministration bee now abolished yet because God to the end of the world gathereth vnto himselfe a Church by the Ministery of the most holy
how farre shall wee haue such cousins restrayned once onely remoued or twise or how many degrees And if any answere onely the first degree I would know why the first more then the second or the second more then the third seeing that the one is no more to be proued out of the Law of God then the other As for those that alledge the words of the Law Leuit. 18 6 None of you shall approch to any that is neere to him to vncouer their nakednesse if they be rightly weighed they giue no colour to such interpretation nor liberty of such extension but rather serue as a barre to seclude them out of the prohibition For if any other degrees then are after expressed should bee meant then all cousinâ—â—n any degree though neuer so farre off euen an hundred times remoued should be included within the former prohibition which no wise man will affirme Neyther may wee imagine that the Lord would giue such a Law not to come neere any of the kinne and neuer expresse what kinne hee meaneth but leaue vs at randon euery man to coniecture and euery man to hold what he pleaseth So then it is euident that the wordes are not to be stretched so largely but are to bee gathered into a more narrow compasse and to a more strict senfe such as may bee inclusiue to all the degrees afterward in particular rehearsed and recited and exclusiue to al others Fiftly the Law of God setteth downe sundry threatnings of most horrible iudgments vpon the heades of such as breake the bounds of Nature and are pursued with the censure of abomination of wickednesse of villany of filthinesse committed Leuit. 20. and with the sentence of blood of death of cutting off of fire and of barrennesse not onely vpon the one party but vppon the other neyther onely vpon the man but vpon the beast neuerthelesse among all these the cousin germans are no more touched in the punishment then they were before in the prohibition Lastly as the threatning is noted so also is the execution of the threatning remembred For there is no incest committed against the holy Law of God mentioned in the Scripture but it alwayes carrieth a note of reproof and a brand of Gods iudgement with it but in the examples of the marriages of cousin germans which are many in Scripture not the least touch of any reprehension or correction Ruben went vp to his fathers bed and defiled his concubine Gen. 35 22 49.4 1 Chron. 5 1 and hee is punished with the losse of his birth-right Abshalon went in vnto his fathers concubines which he had left to keep the house 2 Sam. 16 21 and he is punished not long after with a violent death and liued not out halfe his dayes 2 Sam. 18 14. The incestuous Corinthian committed fornication with his fathers wife and hee is censured by the Apostle with excommunication and deliuering him oâ—â—r to Satan 1 Cor. 5 1. Lot in his drunkennesse committed incest with his owne daughters and is plagued with the birth of obstinate enemies of Gods Church the first fathers of the Moabites Ammonites Gen. 19 33. Iudah defiled his daughter in law Tamar indeede in ignorance yet duly reproued by himselfe effectually repented so that he neuer lay with her Gen. 38 16. Amnon fell in loue with his sister Tamar and lay with her and immediately after his lust he is punished with lothsomnes in himselfe hatefulnes in Absolon toward him plagued with a sodaine and violent death in the end 2 Sam. 13 14 15. 28 29. Lastly Herod tooke his brothers wife and hee is reproued for it by Iohn Baptist Mat. 14.4 10. Iohn Baptist is taken away from him and the vnthankfull world who was as a shining candle in the darknes of the world which was no small plague And if wee may giue any credit vnto ecclesiasticall histories touching this Herod who was called Antipas hee that defiled his bodye with most filthy Incest and embrued his hands with hâ—rmelesse and innocent blood Centur magd ceâ—t 1. l 1 câ—â—â— and abused his tongue to mock Christ our Sauiour with his cursed Courtiers felt not long after the vengeance of God For as he gaped after honour and sought ambitiously to be entituled with the name of a king he and his proud minion with him were in the second yeare of the Emperour Caligula condemned to perpetuall banishment and at Lyons in France they ended their daies in shame contempt reproch and misery A fit death for such a life Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 9. Euseb lib. 2. cap. 4. In all these examples wee see that although the Magistrate leaue these sins of incest vnpunished yet good men doe not passe by them without reproofe euen in the greatest personages and God doth not let theÌ„ alone without a iudgement and the Scripture doth not record them without a due note and censure of the abhomination And may we then in reason thinke that God and good meÌ„ and the Scripture it selfe would be silent and haue let passe so many mariages of Cousen-germans without any one checke or chastisement if they had bene against the law of God godlinesse Nay rather we may wel think that seeing they go away so cleerely without any the least note of reproofe yea and some of them with no small approbation and commendation at the hands of GOD and good men they are not at al incestuous impious but most lawfull and allowable Vse 1 Now let vs come to the vses First this serues to reproue the Church of Rome which as it is corrupt in the cheefest parts of christian religion so is it in none more corrupt theÌ„ in the matter of mariage because they restraine that which God hath left free and they leaue that free which God hath restrained an euident profe among other things that the Roman Church is an Antichristian Church And first it is plaine that they maintaine the lawfulnesse of mariages within the degrees expresly forbidden For whereas by the law of God Leuit. 18 touching consanguinity they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marry at all because they are to be holden as parents and children yet if they bee distinct foure degrees from the common stocke they may lawfully marry by the Popes lawes and canons which is filthy incestuous and abhominable And as they are loose when they should be strict so they are strict when they should be loose For wheras cousen germans are left free by the law of God as wee haue already shewed proued they do condemne the same for no other cause but to make way for popish dispensations Againe they teach that the Pope hath power to dispense with the degrees directly and expresly prohibited in Leuiticus and that many of them are onely iudiciall positiue constitutions not grounded vpon the law of nature but seruing peculiarly for that commonwealth of the Iewes Hence it is that that Antichrist
the Law though I seeme to repent and keepe her still Poenitentia non agitur sed fingitur as Austine speaketh in another case the Repentance is not true but counterfeit and it may still be sayd vnto mee as Iohn in like case did to Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy vnkles wife Marke 6 18. But it will be sayde Obiection Suppose this marriage be lawfull yet it being in the first degree that is made so it is good not to come neere it that wee may not fall into any that were forbidden as if we see a dangerous pit it were no wisedome to play neere it but rather to keepe our selues aloofe that so the daunger may be the farther from vs as when God had set bounds for the people at the giuing of the Law the people fled euen from them that they might be assured not to transgresse them But this similitude carrieth more colour to mooue then force to perswade Answer For this reason is onely an allusion and if wee marke it well we shall see it is a very vnfit and vnlike comparison If Moses had of his owne head set any other bounds in the Mountaine then those which the Lord himselfe had appointed to debarre the people from neerer accesse it might haue bene some ground to leade vs to the like as by prohibiting the degrees farther off to debarre from the degrees prohibited by the Lord. But Moses did not so albeit being supreame Magistrate he had the same power and being wise he could haue seen the same reason so to do as well as wee Now in that the people departed from the boundes which were set them they did it not to yeeld obedience vnto God or because they would not transgresse Gods Commandement neyther did they it by any direction from Moses neyther is it recorded vnto any commendation of them but it is imputed to the confused multitude of the people and to the feare that enforced them not onely to shunne the bounds of the Mount but to runne backe to their owne Tents whereas doubtlesse they might with more praise lesse reproofe haue holden the bounds prefixed by the Lord then to haue fled from them afarre off Exod. 20 ver 18. Let not vs therefore seeke to be wiser then God or go about to set other bounds then he hath done For this is a sure rule the which we may approoue without feare of danger that the Lords bounds are sufficient for vs to keepe vs in euery good way This we see constantly practised by the Priests and people of Israel for rhe high Priest did keepe the bounds of the holiest place appointed vnto him the ordinary Priests the Tabernacle of the Congregation the people the Courts of the Lords house none of them for a supposed modesty restraining himselfe from the vttermost of the liberty giuen vnto him For the people doe not shunne the doore of the Tabernacle with their sacrifices nor the Priests the veyle of the inner Tabernacle with their daily seruice nor the high Priest the presence of the Mercyseat albeit they were all once driuen out of the Tabernacle and Temple also with feare of the glorious Maiesty of God which there appeared Exod. 20 34. Numb 16 42. 1 Kings 9 11. as the people of Israel were from the Mountaine And if the similitude pretended haue any force wee may argue from it with better consequence after this manner wheras the Israelites are commanded not to approch to the bounds of the Lords Mountaine to touch it vnder paine of death and therefore they for feare did flye farther off lest they should touch the Mountaine and die euen so whereas the people of God are by the Leuiticall law commanded not to approch to any of the kindred of their flesh therein specified to vncouer their nakednesse Leuit. 18 6 vnder the paine penalty of most greeuous punishments it shall be well and wisely done of vs so farre to flye from them that we do not so much as approch vnto them in any inordinate luste of minde but flye all occasions that may draw vs thereunto which course if Amnon had holden toward his sister Tamar he had not perished for presuming so farre within the bounds of the Leuiticall law For the approching neere to her in beholding her beauty and in desiring and enioying her company in place too priuate and inconuenient did draw him on to fulfill his loathsome lust whereof I see not how there could haue beene laide by the deuice of man any stronger barre thē the expresse limits of the Lords commandement which might haue sufficed vnto him may likewise to vs if any feare of God or of his iudgements be before our eyes if these cānot preuayle with vs what may bee hoped or surmised by any new prohibitions deuised by men in the degrees otherwise lawfull Obiect Againe it will be obiected that such marriages prooue vnfortunate and neuer succeed well but eyther parents or children or both repent of it when it is too late I answer this is a very weake reason Answer to argue from the successe and the euent to proue the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of any matter Ouid. epist 2. of which the very heathen saw the incongruity Thus do some prophane persons argue also against the mariage of the Ministers of the word because many of their children are loose and disobedient whereas though some proue otherwise then they should and their parents would yet do many thousands of their children and childrens children liue in obedience to God and man And by this reason might the mariage of any seuerall estate and degree of men be taxed as vnlawfull So if we cast our eyes vpon the mariages of many cousen germans we shall see thē liue in great vnity and amity in great loue and contentment betweene themselues and bring forth a plentifull encrease of an hopefull and godly issue As for those that doe ascribe the ill successe in families to such matches it is a plaine parologisme à non causa ad causam to note that to bee the cause of ill euent which is no cause at all And in some particulars where some of their children haue not proued in body or minde or in both as was expected as we see the like also in others so I could alledge other causes more to the purpose if I list to enter so farre or to handle this at large Thus do some make a mans profession of true religion and a good conscience to walke humbly before God the cause of his pouerty and decay in his temporall estate the preaching of the Gospel to be the cause of dearth and famine neuer obseruing how many persons haue prospered by seruing the Lord and how great peace and how long plenty and what store of blessings the Land hath enioyed for the plentifull and powerfull preaching of the truth among vs. Lastly it is obiected Obiectic◠that such marriages are many wayes offensiue and that we