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A02639
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Conformity with piety, requisite in Gods service Delivered in a visitation sermon at Kingston upon Thames September 8. 1638. By William Hardwick priest and curate of Reigate, in Surry.
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Hardwick, William, priest and curate of Reigate.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 12766; ESTC S103844
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15,604
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31
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Loc Ambr. ideo quod Dei est à Domino postulatur Understanding is a spirituall gift and therefore what is Gods peculiar is sought for at Gods hands So St. Hierome Ate discam non ab Haereticis Judaeis In Loc. I will neither learne of Hereticks or Jewes neither of Philosophers nor Humanists Thou onely O Lord shalt be my Teacher And this is none other than what is recorded in Holy Writ Doubtlesse saith Elihu in the Booke of Job there is a spirit in Man Chap. 32.8 but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Were it from Nature all would have it or were it incident to Old age ancient men could not want it or if Labour could procure it the diligent might abound with it Surely saith Job Chap. 28.1 2 there is a veyne for the Silver and a place for Gold where they fine it Iron is taken out of the Earth and Brasse is molten out of the stone c. But verse 12. where is Wisdome to be found where is the place of Vnderstanding Hee answers verse 23. GOD onely knoweth the way thereof If therefore any of you lacke Wisedome saith Saint James let him aske of God and it shall be given him A man may read much hee may heare much he may converse much but if God doe not open the eyes of the Intellect if he doe not cleare the Understanding he shall groape even at Noone-day And as Mr. Calvin on my Text Parum prodesset Legem in auribus nostris sonare vel scriptam oculis nostris proponi hominis voce enarrari nisi correcto nostro stupore intus nos Deus arcano Spiritus sui instinctu dociles redderet It skills little either to heare or read the Law unlesse Almighty God by the secret instinct or Inspiration of his Holy Spirit make us docile and capable of his Heavenly Counsell If therefore thy Understanding bee over-clouded with the vapours of Errour of Ignorance downe then on thy knees to thy God and touch not a Booke or a Paper till thou hast made thy way by some pious Ejaculation or other And then if thou findest the successe answerable to thy desire blesse God for it and be not thou proud of what thou hast attained for what thou hast is Gods gift whether it bee the gift of Tongues or the gift of Prophesie or what other gift soever each of them all of them descended from the Father of Lights Hee was the giver of it and none else And withall I would have you take notice that as God gives understanding so he gives it ordinarily by meanes To us of the Clergy by Prayer and study and to you of the Laity usually by our Ministry so that if yee doe not frequent the publick Assemblies and seeke for understanding and knowledge from the lips of the Priests yee may thanke your selves if yee continue ignorant still Our Prophet seemes to intimate as much here for the word which hee useth for Testimonies in the Originall signifies as well the place where they were to bee learned the Congregation as the Testimonies themselves so that David as hee would learne them so hee would learne them in the right Vbi not in private Conventicles where he might have heard Anarchy cryed up as the ready way to peace and Piety but in the publicke Assemblies in the Congregation in the holy Sanctuary of his God And oh that once we could learne to see our Happinesse the Happinesse wee enjoy in these Times Oh how ought we to blesse our God who hath given us freedome to come into his Courts no Spanish Inquisition no Lawes or Edicts to the contrary All the Lawes we have are to compell us and to punish us for not comming hither and for our further encouragement to frequent the Courts of our God such hath beene the Piety of our Gracious Soveraigne and the care of the vigilant Fathers of our Church that for the bettering of our Vnderstanding they have put life againe into that meanes which a long time hath laine as it were in a dead sleepe amongst us And if yee would know what that is 't is Catechizing without which all our other Labours are in vaine 't is that which must cleare the eyes of the Vulgar and Common people without it understand certainely they cannot Where this Catechizing is not used preach wee may yea and Ad Clepsydram too but heere 's the mischiefe of it all our Preaching will have no better successe than this wee shall but preach you into ignorance But Manum de Tabula enough of this for the present A word or two of the last Branch the end why hee prayeth thus for Vnderstanding and I have done The end yee see here is That hee may know the Testimonies of his God and no marvell that hee desires to have an insight in them for the knowledge of these infinitely excelleth all other Learning whatsoever In humane Learning a Devill in Hell doth wonderfully surpasse the best Proficients amongst men but this Knowledge of the Testimonies of God and of his mercy to us in Christ testified unto us in them surpasseth the comprehension of any Angell of darknesse whatsoever for it is the Spirit of God onely which knoweth the things of God and therefore here let us fixe and that understanding we have in all other Arts and Sciences let us use as a Hand-maid unto this But yet here is not all there is a knowledge of Practice as well as of Judgment required of us Conscientia as well as Scientia is expected De Inter. Dom. c. 12. 'T is a Complaint of Saint Bernards Multi quaerunt Scientiam panci Conscientiam Many are inquisitive after Science few after Conscience Siverò tanto studi◠solicitudine quaereretur Conscientia quanto quaeritur secularis vana Scientia citius apprehenderetur utilius retineretur But if Conscience were with as great study and care sought after as vaine and worldly Science is it would bee both sooner obtained and with farre more profit retained Let every man therefore looke to his Conscience to his Life to his Conversation If wee that preach and yee that professe Religion be carelesse of these woe worth the time that ever wee were borne for that same knowledge that wee have of the Lawes and Testimonies of our God shall be so farre from excusing that it shall accuse us rather He that knows his Masters will and doth it not saith our Saviour shall be beaten with many stripes And no marvaile for the glory of our Master seemes to be very much ecclypsed by such disorderly servants I remember devout Salvian brings in the Pagans insulting over the Christians whose lives were not agreeable to their knowledge De Guber Dei l. 4. In nobis saith that Father Christus patitur opprobrium in nobis Lex Christiana patitur maledictum Both Christ and his Law are scandalized by us De nobis enim dicunt Pagani Ecce quales sunt Christiani qui Christum colunt Behold this is the common report of Pagans concerning us Vbi est Lex Catholica quam credunt vbi sunt Pietatis Castitatis praecepta quae discunt Where is this Catholick Law which they beleeve where are these precepts of Piety and Chastity which they learne Evangelia legunt impudici sunt Apostolos audiunt inebriantur Christum sequuntur rapiunt vitam improbam agunt probam Legem habere se dicunt They read the Gospells and yet are uncleane they heare the Apostles they frequent Sermons and yet are Drunkards they follow Christ and yet are Theeves they lead a wicked life and yet they boast that they have a righteous Law But now if ye please yee shall heare what these Heathen people inferre and conclude upon all this Falsum planè est quod aiunnt se bona discere quod jactant se sanctae Legis praecepta retinere si enim bona discerent boni essent 'T is altogether false say they that they learne good things and as they boast that they reteine the Rules of a holy Law for if those things which they learne were good they then would be good themselves Thus doe we who would be accounted Christians bring our God our Religion our Profession into contempt if our lives bee not answerable to our knowledge Which I would to God every one of us would take into our consideration that so at length wee may bee carefull to adorne our Profession by our more than ordinary Piety And as for those who will still be refractory ye that have the Rod of Correction in your hands let them smart for it Beare it not I beseech you in vaine but smite and smite home wee must preach but 't is you that must punish And as for you who are Church-wardens and sworne Officers to doe God Almighty service in his Church looke yee likewise to your Oaths 'T is Gods cause not your owne which yee are sworne to defend And therefore let Whore-masters and Drunkards and prophaners of the Lords Day and blasphemous Swearers and such like lewd livers be brought to feele the Discipline of our Mother Holy Church whose Doctrine they have so much disparaged by their unholy lives Certainely if ever the Latine or Roman Tongue deserve to be tearmed the Language of the Beast 't is when Church-wardens come in with their Omnia benè whereas nothing but swearing and whooring and such like disorders keepe their Rendevous in their Parish this one word more and I have done Be ye carefull I beseech you of your Duty as we will endeavour to be of ours and then our Gracious God thereby will be glorified our Brethren edified and our owne soules eternally saved at the Day of the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen FINIS Concionem hanc super illud 119. 125. typis mandari permitto Sa. Baker Lond. Novemb. 6. 1638.