spirituall which a Pastor hath from Christ with the temporall which he deriueth from Princes the confusion hath shed much Christian blood and we must take notice of this that we neuer be engaged in the like vniust quarrell But enough of the Historie There is a mysticall meaning which the holy Ghost aymeth at in mentioning the Staffe and that is the Analogie betweene the care that is taken for irrationall sheepe and that which must bee taken for the rationall God that trusteth Princes and Pastors with the gouernment of his people will haue them to set before their eyes a Iacob feeding Labans sheepe or a faithfull Shepheards care and thereof doth he put them in minde in this phrase But I forget my principall Note I told you that the Staffe is the Hieroglyphick of power and indeed power is here meant Virga potentiae as it is called in the tenth Psalme it is a Rod of power the titles that are giuen vnto Pastors they all sound superioritie Episcopus Oeconomus Bishop Steward Leader Architect Ghostly father This cannot bee denied vnto the Pastor of whom this Text speaketh who as you haue heard is not Seruus but Dominus is Lord of the house and therefore rules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with soueraigntie and with power Touching the Seruants there may bee some question because to them is committed onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are onely Ministers But their Ministrie must not be mistaken for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe administer indeede but it is the power of Christ that they administer so saith Christ himselfe As my father sent me so send I you A Steward is a seruant in a house but such a seruant as vnder the master commands the whole familie wee are Stewards the Keyes are committed vnto vs we are to rule not to be ruled by the people But this Power brancheth it selfe into two parts for there is baculus directionis and baculus correctionis the Pastors power is first to teach the people their dutie they must receiue his words as the words of God and Gods words are commanding words and they are binding Lawes it is not left vnto the peoples choyce whether they will or will not obey them they proceede from the staffe of direction that directs in foro Poli not Soli the consciences of Christian people As the Power is of direction so is it of correction also not ciuill T is true that the Bishop of Rome hath patcht such a power to his pastorall Staffe but we can claime none such from Christ our Censuâ—es are spirituall we binde or loose mens soules we remit or retaine their sinâ—es open or shut the Kingdome of Heauen vnto them But though the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall yet are they mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds 2 Cor. 10. and to reuenge all disobedience Iustly therefore is this branch of Power to be awed that is contained in the Staffe the staffe that is the embleme of the power of Correction I will obserue no more vpon the first part of the furniture the Pastors Authoritie that is noted by the Staues I come on to his Abilities which are gathered out of the properties of the same Staues whereof one is the Staffe of Beautie the other of Bands I might tyre out both my selfe and you if I would scan the seuerall coniectures of the learned commenting on these words some by them distinguishing the Sheepe eyther into the Families of Noah and Abraham or into the Nations of Iewes and Gentiles some distinguishing the Shepheards into good and bad some the furniture of the good Shepheards which they will haue some to bee the Law of Nature and the written Law some restraine it onely to the written word and finde in these words the sweetnesse of the Gospel and the seuerity of the Law The grounds and mistakes of these seuerall opinions I list not to discusse the truest Commentarie is that which wee finde in this Chapter At the tenth verse then we reade that when the Shepheard brake his staffe of beauty he disanuld with that fact his Couenant that he had made with all people And what was that but the Couenant of Grace At the fourteenth verse where he breaketh the staffe of bands he addes that by that fact hee did dissolue the brotherhood between Israel and Iuda And what is that but the band of Charitie Whereupon it fairely followes that these words doe note the properties of the Shepheard the properties of the Euangelicall Shepheard who must be well seene in the Gospell and keep Christians at one Veritie and Charitie are meant the one by the beauty the other by the bands of the Staues And indeede these are the two grounds of a blessed Church Veritate nihil pulchrius nihil fortius Vnitate there is nothing that allures more than the Gospel or that holds faster than Charitie the losse of eyther of these will much distresse a Church For it will thereupon be either deformed or distracted deformed with heresie if it want the truth and distracted with Schisme if it want charitie it will become Tohu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bohu without shape and voyde returne to its former Chaos Christ the great Shepheard was Melchisedech King of Righteousnesse and King of Salem also that is King of Peace hee not onely beautified his Church with Righteousnesse but fortified it with Charitie also And whatsoeuer Pastor vnder him doth not herein resemble him he is too like the Idoll shepheard mentioned at the end of this Chapter and hath eyther his arme dryed vp or his right eye darkened he wants a staffe of beauty or of bands and so will be the cause through defect of his Abilities that the Church be eyther despised by Schisme or with Heresie disfigured But let vsâ—ake these Abilities asunder and looke into them seuerally First into the staffe of beauty The word in the Originall signifieth Pulchritudinem Suauitatem Fairenesse and Sweetnesse whereof the later is a consequent vpon the former for the fairest persons if they degenerate not are most commonly the sweetest natures Certainely it was so in our Sauiour Christ who was the fairest of the Sonnes of men and grace was poured in his lips and so the Gospell that commeth from him beareth both the characters of his nature fairenesse and sweetnesse Touching fairenesse Cyrillus Alexandrinus on this text giueth this Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doctrine of the Gospell is eminently beautifull but hee addes well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee must not mistake it is no corporall but a spirituall beauty for the Kings Daughter is all glorious within But the corporall may teach vs what to obserue in the spirituall Corporall beautie consists of figura and forma proportion and complexion euery member of a body must haue his iust lineaments and his proper die and then the body is beautifull Something answerable hereunto there is in spirituall beautie in the beautie
Kingdome so many and so worthy they commit themselues vnto obscure Guides that either lurke in corners or flie their Countrie No Bookes are for their eyes but those which are of their penning and they that scorne our Apocryphalls what Apocryphall writings doe they dote vpon And as no writings please them but such so no mens Sermons but theirs can edifie them and indeed they doe edifie but it is a Babel their sancies are no better then that Tower of confusion and yet to dwell in that they will forsake Hierusalem it selfe I will not amplifie your fault that are Penitents but a man may guesse at the modell of your knowledge by your Librarie by the Bookes any may guesse what Principles you follow not of your owne Church but of Conuenticles and this is that that hath made you Schismatickes hence forward you shall doe well to take your light from those Starres whom God hath placed in this Church especially seeing they refuse not to let those who with modestie desire to bee resolued see that their Light is deriued from the Sunne of Righteousnesse and that as Faithfull Stewards they presse nothing to the Consciences of their fellow seruants but that for which they haue warrant from their Master Christ wherein they differ from the Popish Pastors But Knowledge is not enough Acknowledgement is required also vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Principles that we haue we must put in vre As our Knowledge must not be Headlesse so must it not bee Heartlesse when we haue gone so farre as that the Light of our vnderstanding can discerne betweene Good and Euill wee must then take care of our Affections that the heate of Grace giue them a good temper that they take a true taste of their Obiects that Loue and Hatred Desire and Feare Hope and Despaire arise out of that which was designed to worke them But to amplifie this a litle farther We should vse knowledge in guiding of our Actions before hand and trie what that is which offereth it selfe to be done before we goe about to doe it If a man were so aduised as timely to moue vnto his soule this question quid ago where about goe I such prouidence if it would not preuent all sinne because of the manifold temptations and mans too naturall infirmitie either in neglecting Grace which he hath or forgetting to pray for Grace which he hath not yet would it put off many a sinne and make vs take lesse content in the sinnes which wee doe not put off yea this would bee a good inducement to the thorough feeling of our slips which is the after vse we must make of our knowledge and is vsually meant by Acknowledgment for what is that but only that if sinne haue preuented our aduisednesse vpon a reuiewe we retract what rashnesse hath committed This is a profitable vse of Knowledge But sinfull soules are now become like corrupt Bodies corrupt bodies haue often times great appetites when they haue but small digestion so many desire much knowledge whereof they put but a little in practice yea as meat that is not digested in the Body doth incumber it and breeds in it many disquieting diseases so if our life bee not the better for our knowledge by our care to expresse it it will be much the worse by our quarrells that we will raise about it Socrates the Ecclesiasticall Historiographer reports a storie of one Pambo Lib. 4. c. 18. a plaine ignorant man such as you the Penitents are who came to a learned Man and desired him to teach him some Psalme hee began to reade vnto him the 39. Psalme when he had past the first verse I said I will looke to my waies that I offend not with my tongue Pambo shut the Booke and tooke his leaue saying that he would goe learne that poynt when hee had absented himselfe certaine moneths hee was demanded by his Reader when he would goe forward he answered that he had not yet learned his old lesson and he gaue the very same answere to one that many yeares after moued the same question I doe not desire that our people should haue so few Sermons the Canons of the Church haue prouided for the people better then so but this I desire that the people would make more vse of that which they learne and let their liues shew that they are the better for the Ministers paines for sure I am that it is their negligence that maketh the Ministers diligence the more needfull and though knowledge be wanting in too many places of the Land yet is Acknowledgement wanting much more the fruit of our paines is so farre from preuenting sinne in the people that we cannot speed so well as to worke a feeling thereof in them when they haue committed it we finde not that tendernesse in their soules which Nathan found in the soule of King Dauid and which King Dauid implies in his Acknowledgment But feeling is not enough that is not all that is meant by Acknowledgement though the feeling bee no lesse in the Heart then it is in the Head Therefore I told you that King Dauids was an ingenious feeling he published what he felt If sinnes bee onely secret then the humiliation of the inward man may suffice in the sight of God it is enough to confesse his faults or in a generalitie to acknowledge them in the publike confession of the Church without specification except the burden of his conscience giue him iust cause to reueale it that he may be relieued by Ghostly counsell but if what he conceiued inwardly hee hath vented outwardly in word or deede to the offence not of God onely but also of the Church then vnto the Confession made vnto God in priuate must bee added a publike also in the face of the Church such was King Dauids sinne and such is King Dauids Confession he testified publikely to the Church the Religious feeling that hee had of his sinnes and this is thereason why I called his dealing ingenious And indeed herein standeth the great conflict that Grace hath with flesh and bloud hardly are wee contented to be priuie to our selues of our owne sinfulnesse for though wee delight to commit sinne yet doe we not delight to behold our selues as we are sinners the more naturall the desire is in euery man to be reputed good the more vnsauorie is that search that sindeth him to bee nothing so And if wee are so vnwilling to know our selues to bee sinners much lesse will we endure that others should be of our Counsell therein Stultorum incurata pudor malus vlcera celat Many will rather die then be knowne that they are sicke of some shamefull disease but men are lesse willing to haue their sinnes published then their sores The more remarkable is King Dauids ingenuitie rather to be wished then hoped for in this Age wherein men sinne without shame but shame to Acknowledge their knowne
there bee different callings in the Church some are Pastors and some are people yet as the saluation is common vnto both so are also Faith Hope and Charitie In morall duties in workes of Pietie and Charitie the Priest must goe with the people and the people must goe with the Priest though the Priest must goe before the people in these things yet must hee not goe alone yea Moses himselfe though otherwise a Shepheard yet herein is a sheepe he that sanctified others must sanctifie himselfe A Gouernour must in vertue be exemplary to his charge These persons must be prepared And Sanctification is the best preparation the word signifieth also to be Confirmed And indeed Puritie is the ground of Confidence sinne is fearefull as you may perceiue by Esay's Wâ—e is me Chap. 6. and Saint Peters Goe from me Master Luke 6. reade Psal 1. Luke 21. Esay 58. and Wisdome 5. it appeares there that righteousnesse is confident in the presence of God and the enemies thereof I haue done with the persons whom this Sanctifying concerneth Let vs now come to the circumstance I will runne them ouer briefly The first is the place the place was the Tents the ordinarie abode of the Israelites thither Moses was sent Goe to the people and whether he was sent there is was to be done And indeed the Acts required could conueniently bee done no where else for where a man vsed his wife there he was to forbeare and where doe the people vse to wash their clothes but at home That which we must take notice of is this Before we come from home wee must thinke whither wee are going and fit our selues for Gods presence before we come at him We must not haue our worldly much lesse our wicked affections to put off when wee enter into Gods House our shooes must be put off before we tread vpon holy ground priuate meditations and deuotions must goe before the publike hearing of Gods Word and performing of diuine seruice and seldome doth hee serue God at Church that doth not beginne his pietie at home And the reason why our deuotion is so often interrupted by vnseasonable and vnreasonable thoughts and desires in the Church is because we doe not rid our selues as we ought of them by preparing Sanctification before wee come there Wherefore that wee may bee much more religious when we come into this place let euery man begin the practice of his religion in his owne house The second circumstance is the circumstance of Time this I told you is twofold First here is set downe a time during which this Sanctifying was a doing that is to day and to morrow The time allowed for Sanctifying varieth much in Moses Law in some cases it was but one day in some seuen dayes in some fortie dayes in some eightie dayes you may read it in Leuiticus I will not now enquire into the reason of the varietie That which I will obserue is this our Clensing or Sanctifying is not perfected in an instant As wounds are easily taken but not easily cured so are sinnes quickly contracted but not quickly purged Sinnes are compared vnto scumme and you know meate will aske some good boyling before all the scumme will come out of it it is compared to drosse and you know metals must be long in the fire before they will bee refined from their drosse or to keepe my selfe to my text staines if they bee deepe in a garment will not bee fetcht out without the fullers sope and he doth not scoure garments without a great deale of toile Dauid therefore desirous to be rid of his sinne prayeth thus Multiplica laua wash mee againe and againe wash mee throughly from my sinne And the old Canons required that Penitents should spend a good deale of time to scoure off their contracted guiltinesse and corruption Ester 2. If the women that were to be ioyned with the Kings of Persia were to be so many moneths a purifying shall it bee much that wee take this time to be purified that must be ioyned with the King of Heauen A time there was of purifying before all the Iewes Feasts Iohn 1â— the Iewes prepare before they goe to their Synagogue so doe the Turkes it was one of the Lawes of the twelue Tables Deos castè adeunto procul hinc procul este profani and sancta sanctè was the admonition giuen to the people in the Christian Churches the Fasts that went before all solemne Feasts the forbidding of mariage for certaine time which some without cause except against although we cannot denie that Dispensations are growne to an abuse tend to this purpose Finally the old Vigils and the ordinarie Eues of Sundayes and Holy dayes shew the Churches desire herein to imitate God and to appoint a moderate time to dispose vs to diuine seruice and the Commemoration of Gods blessings A time is here appointed by God but it is a very moderate time God doth not tire vs out in our Preparation 2 Cor. 2 v. 7. And Saint Paul that would not haue the incestuous Corinthian swallowed vp of sorrow by reason of an ouer-long Penance doth bid man and wife for deuotion not to forbeare companie ouer-long lest Satan tempt them 1. Cor. 7. v. â— The Church is to be discreet in appointing and Christians in vndertaking this time of washing lest that which otherwise is good may bee turned into euill If the Law required three dayes preparation for hearing how many more for obscruing it If the Law required preparation how much more the Gospel Iosepus saith that the Iewes during these two dayes did feast Huge de Sancto Victore saith that they fasted And verily the latter opinion is much more probable for surely mysticall washing of Garments and forbearing of wiues are workes fitter for fasting then feasting But I will not trouble you with that I come to the last point which is the Time against which this worke was to be done and this is the third day the day wherein God would vouchsase his presence and they were to giue their attendance and this will bring vs to the complement of Sanctification For God delighteth not in our separation from sinne and the world except it be to remoue them as impediments that so we may be capable of Him his Spirit his Word and his Grace Wisd 1.4 For wisdome will not enter into a wicked or worldly soule God will not put new wine into old vessels nor new cloth into an old garment hee will not cast pearle before swine nor holy things vnto dogges The children of Israel borrowed of the Egyptians rich clothes when they went to sacrifice to God Exod. 13. Luke 1â— The prodigall child was not permitted to eate of the fat Calfe before hee was clothed with the chiefe Robe and a Ring vpon his finger Iacob before his going vnto Bethel Gen. 35. Gods House purged his Family Iob 1. Iob sanctified his children before he sacrificed
they be Natiue and not Electiue they must needs haue a most free absolute Power And such Christs is Natus Rex it is the expresse letter of my Text And the Wisemen that came to present him Matth. 2. asked for him that was borne King of the Iewes Nay Christ himselfe when Pilate asked him whether he were a King replyed for this cause was I borne And Pilate set vp this stile ouer his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which he would not alter though he were much importuned by the Scribes and Pharisees The places of the Prophets are very cleare Esay 32. Ier. 23. but specially Dan. 7. all of them beare witnesse to the Kingdome of Christ So that wee must acknowledge in Christ a Kingly power such a Power as none must dare to dispute the verity of his Word as curious and scoffing Atheists and Epicures doe or resist his Authority as proud Pharaohs and Senacheribs Christ can brooke neyther But as Christ is called a King so here is an addition vnto his Title his Throne and Kingdome are termed the Throne and Kingdome of Dauid And indeed Christs Pedegree is by St. Matthew and St. Luke fetched from King Dauid Himselfe calleth himselfe in the Reuelation The roote and generation of Dauid The Apostle telleth vs that be was of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh And how often in the Gospell is he called The Sonne of Dauid In the Prophets euen Dauid himselfe sometimes and sometimes The branch of Dauid Finally the Angell in the first of Luke telleth the Virgin Mary That Christ shall sit vpon the Throne of his Father Dauid But how can that bee seeing that which Dauid had Christ had not and what Dauid had not Christ had Christ had not the Temporall state of Dauid that was fallen into the hands of Herod the great and the Spirituall state of Christ Dauid had not His Kingdome was Temporall How then could Christ be said to sit vpon his Kingdome Although it were granted that by succession Christ was the right heire to the Crowne of Israel yet seeing the Scepter was departed and the Law-giuer gone the Tabernacle of Dauid was downe we cannot finde a Truth of these words we cannot if wee vnderstand them literally but if mystically wee may And St. Pauls rule is our guide All things yea and persons too if they were eminent came to the Israelites in Types 1 Cor. 10. they had shadowes of good things to come St. Bernards rule is true This Throne of Dauid which Christ sate on was not sedes Typica but Vera not Corporalis but Spiritualis not Temporalis but Aeterna yet so that Illa was huius Imago the Temporall of the Eternall the Corporall of the Spirituall the Typicall of the true Throne Dauids state of the state of the Church And indeed there is an excellent Analogie betweene the Person of Dauid and Christ as both were Kings Dauid was anointed to be a King long before hee was possessed of his Kingdome and so was our Sauiour Christ anointed with the holy Ghost long before he entred into his Glory For though he did many acts of a Gouernour Propheticall and Priestly yet few Regall acts before his Resurrection and those which hee did hee did them rather with the efficacie than in the Maiestie of a King for his outward Man represented nothing lesse But after his Resurrection and Ascension Efficacie and Maiestie conioyned and he sate him downe at the right hand of God and now doth he gouerne in the glory of his Father Secondly as there was a distance betweene Dauids Vnction too and Possession of the Crowne so was that a troublesome time few quiet dayes had he being persecuted both abroad and at home by Saul by his Seruants Euen so our Sauiour Christ entred not into his glory but by many afflictions all kinde of Enemies pursue him with all kinde of malice so that his life was a continuall Crosse And as Dauid so Christ the nearer he drew to his Crowne the sharper was his Crosse Thirdly as King Dauid first possessed only the Tribe of Iuda and after some yeares the ten Tribes euen so our Sauiour Christ at first possessed only the Iewes and after some time inlarged his Church vnto the Gentiles Fourthly Dauid being possessed of his Kingdome spent many years in repressing the Foes of his Kingdome Philistines Amonites Syrians c. and at length fate downe in peace and ruled with Iustice and Iudgement in much Prosperity euen so our Sauiour Christ though ascended into Heauen and reigning there yet shall he be vntill the generall Resurrection subduing his Enemies vnder his feete and freeing his Church from troubles and calamities when that is done then shall he rule and reigne with his Church in much peace and ioy These and such like Analogies are obseruable in comparing of Christ and Dauid which are the cause why the Kingdome of Christ is called The Kingdome of Dauid But yet in the letter of the storie which is the ground of this comparison you shall finde many Hyperboles reade the 89. Psalme the 72. Psalm the 132. to say nothing of diuers places of the Prophets which seeme to exceede the truth if they be applyed to King Dauid whereby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that they must bee applyed to a greater than Dauid And indeed the phrases that are in these reall Allegories or Types must be vnderstood of the Corporall part but Quodammodo in a measure answerable vnto them the fulnesse of their truth appeares in the Spirituall And some Diuines obserue Ezâ—k 21.26 37 that The Throne of Dauid is not that which Dauid possessed but that which was promised to Dauid for his sonne And indeed in 2 Sam. 7. the Promise though it be made vnto Dauid yet is it made for his sonne his sonne is Christ It was not meant of his immediate Sonne otherwise than in a Type but it was meant of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Messias or Sauiour of the world As also the Promise made to Abraham was made for his Sonne which in appearance seemed to be Isaac but St. Paul to the Galathians telleth vs that that seed is Christ Well then this Kingdome is the Church and therein Christ sitteth as in his Throne it is the Gouernment thereof that is committed vnto him And here wee may not dreame of a corporall Kingdome and turne the truth into a Type St. Paul hath told vs that The Kingdome of God is neyther meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost And Christ in the Gospell The Kingdome of God is within you The Parables of the Kingdome if you looke to their Morall imply as much all sound things and persons spirituall Grosse then is the vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome who in Christs name contrary to Christs rules combines both Swords the Spirituall and the Corporall And they that vnderstand The Kingdome of Christ carnally as if all
they are raised thereby The Motiues are her state considered first in it selfe and that first in what termes she standeth with God good termes Highly fauoured The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word calleth for Ioy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as neare in nature as in name Grace is the seed of Ioy we learne it in the 86. and 87. Psalmes Light is sowne for the righteous and ioyfulnesse for them that are true hearted But the Rhemists interrupt vs and quarrell with our translation they would haue it full of grace And doe wee deny it we doe not our Liturgie refutes them in the Gospell wee reade it Haile full of grace wee confesse the Syriac agreeth with it and that the Fathers haue it so and did not they abuse it still might it goe so but the abuse is grosse and to shew that the aduantage thereof is not in the originall words the Church not without cause hath recourse vnto the fountaines and therehence doth discouer how weake the hold fast is which they take vpon their translation For Full of Grace are doubtfull words there is Grace of acceptance and Grace of inherence whether is here meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that the Angell meant the former Neither doe wee onely say so but themselues also yea the very Iesuites themselues most deuoted to the Virgin Mary confesse that the word so signifieth and must be so taken here the more inexcusable is the Rhemists slander But you will say they include Grace of inherence also Doe wee deny it God forbid we confesse St. Austins rule to be true Vasa quae creatrix sapientia format vt sint adiutrix gratia implet ne vacua sint God that with the holy oile annointed the Tabernacle before he entred to dwel within it did no doubt sanctifie the Virgins person whom he did destinate to be his sacred Temple But the question is concerning the Measure In the measure we say that they exceed their Church exceeds If the Councell of Basil and the Councell of Trent deliuer the Doctrine of their Church they exceed in the measure both of her grace and glory Of her Grace freeing her very conception from sinne contrary to the iudgement not onely of the Fathers but also of their best Schoolemen St. Bernard hath written a very learned Epistle against it Epist 174. ad Canonicos Ludgnnenses Neither doe they lauish onely in their Doctrine of her Grace but of her Glory also and in this much more dangerously euen so much more dangerously as the danger of Idolatry exceedes the danger of Heresie especially this Idolatry because it includes that Heresie They then hauing so farre aduanced the Virgin in the opinion of her Grace doethereupon proportion vnto her such a degree of Glory as that seeing Christ is Head of the Church she must be the Necke and as no influence commeth from the head into the body but by the necke so no grace is communicated to the Church but by the Virgin Mary Are you not amazed when you heare it certainly you would bee if you read the prayers which they make to her euident arguments that they doe beleeue it and foule Idolatry staines all their prayers wherein they doe expresse it I would they would behold themselues in the Collyridian Heretickes and apply vnto themselues that doome which Epiphanius passeth vpon them Heres 79. But I forget my promise I said I would rather edisie you with the truth than refute errour wherefore leauing them let vs come to better matter Ioy is an effect whereof the Angell will haue the Virgin to looke vnto the cause the cause may be looked for either in her selfe or in God or as I spake before in Grace of Acceptance or Inherence It is plaine by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Angell guides her eyes to looke on the former not the later to looke vpon the fauour she findeth rather than the indowments which she hath Angels fall and Mans also was caused by their desire to ioy in themselues for selfe-loue bred their Apostasie And though since the Fall man haue little cause to fall in loue with himselfe yet is hee not free from danger if in himselfe hee will finde the ground of Ioy for he is through the sight of his imperfection as much in danger to despaire as through the sight of his perfection hee was to presume the perfections of the best though they be such as are not void of comfort yet because they haue intermingled many imperfections that comfort must needes haue a mixture of much discomfort entire and solide ioy cannot be found there Wherefore St. Anstins confession must be the confession of vs all Beata vita est saith hee speaking vnto God gaudere ad te de te propter te if we will ioy wee must lift vp our soules as high as God and in our ioy couple nothing with God we must be induced vnto ioy by no other end but to expresse our thankfulnesse for the mercy of God this is the true motiue of entire and solide ioy But a little farther to open it this word doth eleuate the ioy to that degree which beseemes a Christian man there are other obiects which vsurpe falsly that which belongs vnto God Carnall pleasures are the first vsurpers and many rest vpon them they rellish nothing but their meates their drinkes and sensuall lusts whose ioy if it be any it is but gaudium animalis there is nothing that can giue content vnto a man in such a ioy because these pleasures are common to vs with beasts Rationall indowments eyther of the vnderstanding or of the will furnished with liberall arts or morall vertues are the second vsurpers indeed their title vnto ioy is much better than the former yet their plea is but weake Salomon hath censured knowledge as vnfit to breed ioy in that short saying Qui addit scientiae addit dolori And as for Morall Vertues Eccles 1.18 destitute of Grace what ioy can there be in them which the Fathers haue iudiciously censured to be no better than splendid a peccata So that the ioy promised by this vsurper if it be any it is but gaudium hominis the ioy of a naturall man and therefore as imperfect as is his nature The third vsurper goeth a degree higher and that is Inherent Grace whose plea is so probable that it perplexeth many a man and yet it is but an vsurpers plea because of the rebellion betweene the flesh and the spirit and the often ouerthrowes which the spirit receiues in vs from the flesh and what ioy can there be in the midst of so many foyles in him that daily receiueth so many wounds so that ioy if there be any it is but the Pharisees ioy that thinkes of himselfe better than he should and so doteth vpon the little good he hath that he obserues not how much more there is which he should haue
Austine telleth vs called Sacramentum fidei the Sacrament of Faith A little more distinctly now to open this Forme you must take notice of these vsefull Obseruations First to baptize in the Name of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost doth signifie to doe it by their warrant and commission for as God only is the fountaine of grace so none can appoint the meanes of conueying grace but only God This checketh the presumption of the Bishop of Rome in multiplying Sacraments and we must be warned to do nothing in Gods seruice without his warrant Secondly to baptize in Nomine is to baptize in the person of the Trinitie a Minister is a publicke person whatsoeuer he doth in the Church he doth it in anothers Name the parts of his Ministrie being two to administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present the peoples deuotion to God or to minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring Gods message to the People hee should offer no other Prayers to God but such as the Church appointeth because he speaketh in her Name and so when he bringeth any thing from God he must remember that he doth represent his person to the Church This must warne vs to come with holinesse to performe sacred Acts because we sustaine the person of God the Leuites washt their hands and their feete and we must wash our selues in the blood of Christ Thirdly to baptize in nomine is to ascribe the efficacie of Baptisme to the Trinitie the Minister must remember himselfe to be onely an instrument as St. Peter confesseth when hee wrought the Miracle vpon the lame man Acts 3. Wee baptize with water but the gifts of the holy Ghost come from God Wherefore let vs giue the glory of whatsoeuer successe we haue in our Ministrie to the principall agent that is God Fourthly in Nomine Trinitatis is to baptize vnto their seruice and to dedicate vnto them the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes as much And therfore the Ministration of Baptisme is accompanied with an Abrenunciation those that are baptised by themselues if they be of age or if children by their sureties renounce the Diuill and all his workes the pompes and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinfull lustes of the flesh then they deuote themselues vnto God to beleeue the Articles of the Creede and to liue according to the tenne Commandements To this end wee should baptize and we must put the people in minde of this morality and let not their thoughts dwell vpon the ceremonie as if when that were past all were done Finally inuocatur nomen Trinitatis super nos from the time that wee are baptized wee must acknowledge that the Lord is our God Hee hath made vs not wee our selues wee are his people and the sheepe of his Pasture or as the Apostle speaketh Wee are not our owne because wee are bought with a price wherefore we must glorifie God with our bodies and with our soules for they are his We that are Ministers then as we doe not baptize in our own name so must wee not denominate Disciples from our selues as the Corinthians some held of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas we must teach them all to hold of the same Lord of him into whose Name they are baptized As the Baptizer so the Baptized should make vse of euery of these obseruations they must 1. beediscreet in not admitting more Sacraments than God sendeth 2. reuerence the Minister in regard of his person whom hee sustaines 3. giue the glory of the grace which they receiue vnto God 4. appropriate their seruice vnto him and 5. let him be their only Lord. One scruple there is about this Forme for in the Acts cap. 8. v. 16. it should seeme that some were baptized onely into Christ and some haue thought that the Apostles at pleasure did vary the Forme But the constant practice of the Church in all parts of the world retaining this Form permits vs not so to construe the words in the Acts The meaning seemeth rather to be this That those persons confessing their Faith in the Redemption wrought by Christ were baptised after the vsuall Forme Some difference there is also betweene the East and West Church for in the West Church the Minister speaketh thus to him that is baptized Ego baptizo te in the East Church thus Baptizetur iste but the difference is confest on both sides not to be materiall therefore I passe it ouer You see here none of those many Ceremonies which the Church hath multiplied whereof many are very ancient and might be continued if they had not beene corrupted by the Church of Rome especially Themselues hold them not to be of the essence but of the solemnitie of Baptisme they cannot they doe not deny but that wee keepe the essence intire of those things which belong to the solemnitie our Church hath retained so much as is thought fit for edification the rest it hath cut off not without cause and out of that libertie which euery Church hath in such things One thing I may not omit to remember you of that are to be ordered That these solemne words In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost are vsed in your Ordination and therefore what instructions I haue giuen vnto you vpon the Forme of Baptisme you may make vse of euery one of them when you meditate vpon your Ordination And I wish you so to doe Now lay together teach and baptize and then you see the Method of your Ministrie you must first catechise and bring your hearers to beleeue and then dedicate them vnto God because without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. so St. Iohn baptized so baptized the Apostles and the rule is Non potest corpus Baptisma recipere sacramentale nisi Anima accipiat fidei veritatem Hieron and Baptisme saueth no man but Faith is that which maketh a man partaker of grace and this Faith doth not rest vpon the Water but vpon the Word Accedat Verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum non quia dicitur sed quia creditur But as Faith hath Necessitatem medij so Baptisme hath Necessitatem praecepti we may by no meanes neglect Baptisme if it may bee had and the contempt hazardeth saluation Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost bee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Iohn 3. But Faith in no case may be wanting Mistake not Tertullian and Nicetus vpon Nazianzen orat de Baptismo mis-construed these words and thought that Children except it were in extreame danger of death should not be baptized because they could not bee taught The Anabaptists out of this place and Marke 16. proue that no childe must bee baptized vntill he commeth to the yeares of discretion But they grosly mistake for Christ is here and in St. Marke to be vnderstood de adultis none without the Church were to be receiued in except they were first catechised and
cutting off those branches which were past recouery This is true will the Romanist confesse of all particular Churches the Church of Rome is more that is the very trunke of the Tree it is more than a branch the other Churches may faile she cannot faile she and she only hath a priuiledge from erring from falling from the truth deriued from St. Peter But I told you when I brake vp the Text that the charge and comfort were common to all the Apostles St. Crprians Rule is true the Apostles were sent Pari consertio potestatis honoris Cypr. de simplicit clericorum And that their successors are all equall herein is cleere because both charge and comfort are common to them all vntill the worlds end Were there no other Text in the Bible this is plaine enough to refute the vanitie of their priuiledge Doth not Christ here speake to all the Apostles yea and their Successors too as themselues confesse and promise to bee with them to the worlds end and yet wee see that many Apostolicall Churches haue long since failed They might saith a Romanist but we cannot read St. Paul to the Romans and read there that St. Paul doth not onely repute them but a Branch of the Church grafted in the old stocke Rom. 11. but biddeth them Not to bee high minded but feare for they are not so grafted in but they may bee broken off againe no lesse than the Iewes if they giue God the same cause Nay St. Paul goeth farther and insinuateth to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2. that the Romans will fall away their Bishop be the man of sinne who shall sit in the Temple and vndermine the Orthodoxe Faith But I will trouble you no farther with this point onely obserue two errors of the Romanists One that they appropriate to themselues the common Promises made vnto the whole Church the second that they vnderstand them absolutely whereas they are meant conditionally This difference they would haue vs obserue between the promises made to the old Testament and the new In the old Testament they say that God promised indeed a perpetuall Residence but it was if the Iewes performed their obedience And they say true in it the Promised of Gods being with the King with the Priest with the Nation all were made vpon such a condition Take for example the storie of Iosua in the first chapter God promised he would not leaue him nor forsake him yet wee see that not many Chapters afterwards hee did forsake him offended with Achans sacriledge But obserue that this condition is not alwayes exprest in the Promise it is vnderstood then when it is not exprest It is no better with the new Testament the forecited Chapter of the Romanes confirmes this truth and the euent hath proued it true For though touching the Elect it is true that God will preserue them and it is true absolutely that God will euer haue a Church wherein those Elect shall bee yet no man nor congregation must vnderstand the Promises of God made vnto them but with condition of their performance of that which God requires If they doe they doe but vainely flatter themselues and wofull experience will make them spectacles to the world of this vaine presumption To conclude this point The Apostles had a Charge and a Comfort the comfort was to encourage them to performe their charge and the one must not goe without the other and as the Apostles so we must entertain them St. Chrysostome biddeth vs take notice that Christ mentioneth the End of the world that hee may thereby hearten his Disciples and preserue them preserue them from being besotted with any worldly hopes seeing they are transitorie and must haue an end they haue nothing in them for obtaining whereof they should forgoe their calling And as for the Crosse which they are to suffer they should not bee troubled with that that also must haue an End wherefore doing their dutie Christ would haue them minde that Prouerbe Non si male nunc olim sic erit this world shall not last euer yea this worlds comming to an end bringeth vs to a world that shall haue no end Persecuters and Vnbeleeuers shall find another world wherein stript of all their earthly comforts they shall haue miserie without end and the faithfull seruants of Christ they also shall come to another world where they shall enioy the reward of their paines a blessed life for euermore So that the End is not only an End of consumption but of consummation also both to good and bad Whereupon followeth another Note that the word donec vntill doth not meane that after the end of the world Christ wil be no longer with vs that sense of the world condemned by St. Hierome writing against Heluidius in the case of the Mother of Christs Virginitie must also receiue the same sense here Christ shall bee with the Church then but in another manner than now not modo mediatorio as mediating to God for vs for then God shall bee all in all but he shall be with vs as he is with the Angels that are confirmed in grace the enioying of his blessed presence shall be no small part of our eternall happinesse I haue opened vnto you the Charge and the Comfort that are exprest in my Text Two points remaine to be touched very briefly The first is contained in the word Loe which telleth vs whereon wee must place the eyes of our minde Wee are apt to busie them about disheartning obiects and plod vpon the difficultie of our charge and our own disabilitie and thereupon to shrincke backe and be vnwilling to bee employed in such seruices of God we can with the cowardly Israelites obiect the sonnes of Anak in comparison of whom we are but grashoppers the high wals which we can neuer scale and so giue ouer our iourney our warfare But God taketh off our eyes from these bugbeares that so affright vs and biddeth vs looke vpon him Ego vobiscum I am with you If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom 8.3 hee can cowardize all the hearts of our enemies and can curbe all their fiercenesse and can crush all their might nay he can turne a Laban or an Esau that deadly hate vs at least into seeming friends so farre as to salute to entreat vs kindly euen then when we expect they will doe vs mischiefe He can doe more turne euen Saul into a Paul make him a conuert when hee is hot in persecution Finally he can make his Sampson-like conquer more dying by the hands of the enemie than when hee liued to encounter them Whensoeuer God putteth vs vpon any hot seruice Ecce looke vpon this let this bee in our eye it wil suffer no feare to dismay vs. For seeing it is not our strength that must withstand them but Gods power sustaining vs and there is no proportion betweene the power of a Creator and all the Creatures what is there
can be no fit obiect for compassion which is the next point of the Text. Touching which compassion we are here taught that it is a restoring of a Penitent in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arl. Eth. lib. 4. cap. 5. and a meeke man is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle doth not forbid Anger but commendeth indulgence there is a rod and a spirit of meekenesse that for the impenitent but for the penitent this And certainly without meekenesse there is little good to be done with Penitents for generosus est hominis animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur especially in reformation of the inward man where not so much coaction as perswasion preuaileth therefore if any thing will win the wayward it is meeknesse so thought St AMBROSH Tolle hominem a contentione audacia et habebis eum subiectum by meeknesse the prince of this world is soonest ouerthrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is likely to recouer a patient soonest that handleth him gentlest Now if it be so in reclayming of a sinner that meekenesse is so requisite how requisite is it in dealing with a penitent sinner If St BERNARDS practise be commendable in iudging of sinne either to excuse the fact or say the temptation was verie strong how tenderly must we respect the humiliation of a sinner And take heed of a pharisaicall pride which satiateth its owne vncharitablenesse vnder pretext of censure and proceedeth contrarie to GODS rule vltra rather then citra condignum with the most when it should be with the least St PAVL did remember and so should we all that we are the seruants of that GOD which desireth not the death of a sinner Members of that SAVIOVR which will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe Finally Temples of that Holy Ghost which is tearmed in my Text the Spirit of Meekenesse And indeed this vertue is a graffe not of nature but of grace and it argueth the Spirit dwelleth in vs when such fruit springeth from vs. Yea our whole soule must become meekenesse and this vertue must take vp euerie power thereof For such phrases are emphaticall and note not onely the originall but the extent of a vertue it doth argue that the whole inward man should be seasoned with it and concurre to the acting of it But the Spirit of Meekenesse must not be seuered from restoring for compassion should not cherish sinne but rectifie a sinner otherwise it is curdelis misericordia it is as if you should take a man that with a fall hath broken a ioynt and lay him downe vpon a soft bed but not take care to set his ioynts this were to leaue him in perpetuall torture or at least a maymed creature the righteous must smite but their stripes must be a precious balme the Church must censure but it must be for correction not destruction a sinner must be restored to that from which he is fallen It is an error long since condemned in the Nonatians who thought that the Church had no power to restore belieuing Penitents to restore them to that state wherein they were before their fall the very words vsed in my Text refuteth them which comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying compleate and perfect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuper sheweth that it signifieth a perfect restitution vnto that which the person was before The fall did disgrace and disable so the restoring must recouer inwardly and outwardly inwardly in the peace of conscience and new strength to resist sinne outwardly in the Communion of Saints and the participation of sacred things and charitable society in the course of life In regard of all these the person must be as if he had neuer fallen Finally this restoring in the Spirit of Meekenesse must be without respect of persons and without exception of faults so saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he be a man that hath fallen Happily we can be contented to shew meekenesse to our kinred our friends not to strangers with whom we haue no such acquaintance But we must exclude none that may be ouertaken and any may be ouertaken that is a man Saint AVSTIN and other of the Fathers worke vpon the name man and shew that implyeth frailtie according to the Prouerbe Gen. 6.9 Humanum est errare and indeed the Scripture is cleare for it the frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill and that from his youth continually As we may exclude no person so must we except against no sinne If a man be ouertaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any kind of sinne our bowels must not be straighter then Christs merits what his blood hath cleansed the Church may not hold vnpardonable therefore ouer great austerie was well condemned in the Councell of Nice which left power in the Bishops vpon iust cause to mittigate the penance which was enioyned by Canons with great seueritie to the terror of the wicked You haue heard what compassion must be shewed the Text moreouer teacheth who must shew it and vpon what ground Touching the partie that must shew it St HIEROME hath a good rule on this Text Homo potest se in voraginem perditionis conijcere non potest sine auxilio se eripere we may cause our owne ruine of our selues but vnto our restitution we need the helpes of others of others amongst whom we must acknowledge an Agent and the Instruments the chiefe Agent is GOD he onely blotteth out all our offences as himselfe speaketh in ESAY and it is He that healeth all our infirmities Ps 103. yet he is pleased to vse means or instruments and they are of two sorts medium impetrationis and medium operationis that is the Church offended this is the Minister In publike scandals GOD ouer and aboue the teares and sighes of the penitent will haue the whole Church to mediate and deprecate his wrath and he will haue the Minister spondere veniam to promise pardon and absolue in his name so that this Text implyeth a power which GOD hath giuen both the Pastor and People inabling each in his order to forgiue sinnes according as we are taught Math. 18. But marke here the words whereby these persons are described least they be proud and suppose their compassion to be arbitrarie which they may shew or withhold at their pleasure they are taught the contrarie by their names which testifie that it is necessarie for them to shew compassion The first name is Brethren Esay 58.7 this name implyeth an argument of compassion for a man may not turne away his eyes from his owne flesh this is true if he were but a naturall man but the spirituall cognation is greater and therefore bindeth more strongly by how much we owe more regard to our supernaturall then to our naturall Father Adde hereunto that their is no shew no pretence of
Penitent did both couples are alike neere kin and so in true iudgement your case is as his was neither skilleth it that you tooke her not to wife but abused her body onely for if you abuse her body whom you may not take to wife your fact is nothing the lesse Incest your marying would haue argued a resolution to continue the Incest You haue committed complicatissimum peccatum a very manifold sinne there is in it Fornication you knew her body without mariage Adulterie you knew her your wife being liuing Incest you knew such a person as you could not match with by any dispensation from man neither from GOD was there euer any granted Wonder not then that the Apostle doth not onely expresse but amplifie also this sinne The first amplification is in regard of the haynousnesse of it it was not so much as named amongst the Gentiles Mistake not the words it is not meant that the Gentiles neuer were infected with this sinne in the entrance and close of the 18 of Leuit. it appeareth that the Aegyptians from whom Israel then came and the Canaanites whose Countrey they were to possesse were foully stayned therewith and thereupon did GOD take an occasion to lay the prohibition thereof vpon the Israelits Leu. 20.23 that they might not follow the corruption of those Gentiles But Saint PAVL meaneth that euen such as were but onely Gentiles haue out of the light of reason detested and forbidden it which appeareth in their Morals Lawes and Histories the iniquitie thereof being euident not onely out of the Law of MOSES but of nature also otherwise the Canaanites could not in equitie haue beene punished for being guiltie of it And no maruell if the Heathen detested it when the verie beasts doe abhorre it Lib. 9. cap. 47 ARISTOTLE in his Historie of liuing Creatures hath written of a Camell and a Horse which were brought to their dammes but no sooner did they discerne them by falling off of the cloathes which had beene cast vpon them to conceale them but that the Camell was presently so enraged that he kild his keeper and the Horse left not running vntill he had broken his necke The phrase of the Apostle is remarkable that which was not so much as named amongst the Gentiles was done by a Christian whereas the rule of pietie is that those sinnes should not be so much as named amongst Christians which are done by the Gentiles Christians should not walke as other Gentiles doe because they know GOD and are brought so neere to GOD as to be heires by hope of the Kingdome of GOD finally they haue as many tyes layd vpon the lusts of their flesh as they haue prerogatiues vouchsafed to their bodyes whereas the Gentiles they know not GOD theyare aliens from his couenant yea they worship the Diuel which is an impure Spirit and therefore no such wonder if they be giuen ouer to filthy lusts but Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet quante maior qui peccat habetur It is verily a pittifull case when sinne groweth to that heighth in the children of GOD Ezech. 16. as that Iuda iustifieth Israel and both iustifie Sodome when Christians become worse then Heathens in their liues and conuersations You that are the Penitent take this to heart and measure the burden of your conscience thereby The second amplification of the sinne is from the notoriousnesse thereof it is commonly reported the sin is so publike that it cannot be coloured that it needeth no proofe all the world taketh notice of it This is a faire ground of a censure secret sinnes the Church doth not iudge it leaueth them to GOD to mens consciences but notorious sinnes must not escape vnpunished they are ripe for Iudgement when their infamie draweth them to light Cap. 20. Sinnes in generall are called Workes of darknesse but especially the sinnes of Incontinencie IOâ— obserued it and the more foule the Incontinencie the more closely vseth it to be carryed and the more it feareth to be discouered So that for a worke of darknesse to be notorious argueth the impudencie of the sinner Esay 3. it was that for which GOD challenged Israel They declare their sinne like Sodom they hide it not shame and feare are both cast off when sinne hath an Harlots forehead Because you the Penitent haue committed a grieuous sinne and the cry thereof is come into the eares not of GOD onely but also of his Church it was meet you should be made a penitentiall spectacle meet that your sinne should be not onely exprest but amplyfied also and that in regard of the haynousnesse and notoriousnesse thereof otherwise we should deserue the blame which St PAVL layeth vpon the Corinthians that did neglect to censure the Incestuous person in their Church Of their neglect in censuring such an offendor let vs see first the cause and then their fault the cause was first too much selfe-conceipt they were puft vp Instatio is presumptae either innocertiae or scientiae men are puffed vp with a presumption either of their owne holinesse as the Pharisee I thanke God I am not like vnto other men c. or of their guifts of edification as here the Corinthians which you perceiue by former Chapters The first kind of presumption maketh men too forward vnto separation ouerweening of holinesse will bid men stand farther off I am more holy then thou but ouerweening of other guifts is ambitious of followers it will beare with all faults so it may be admired Certainly this puffing vp breeds much confusion in the Church our owne times testifie But because that point is not to this Penitents case I passe it ouer onely giuing this note by the way that none are more proud then they which know themselues least they boast when they haue cause to blush yea and GOD doth often permit grieuous fals in them or amongst them to take downe such vaine mens pride This first cause which I called selfe-conceipt bred another cause which I called too little fellow feeling they sorrowed not Seldome shall you haue a proud man compassionate he is so taken vp with the contemplation of his owne worth that he doth not heed other mens cases no wonder therefore if he mourne not But it beseemes Christian pietie to bewayle other mens fals First because of our reference to them they are members of the same body with vs and how should one member not feele the wound which is giuen to another The mysticall body of Christ ought not to be worse disposed then is the naturall body of man Secondly because of our danger from them for at least their guilt toucheth vs a murderous hand maketh the whole man goe for a murderer and one wicked member of the Church maketh all the Church goe for guiltie vntill it haue cleared it selfe as we learne by the expiation of the vnknown murder Thirdly there is a scandall that their sinne bringeth vpon all
the vncleane Spirit I goe on This censure which you haue heard of was inflicted by St PAVL and the Acts of inflicting it are two first it is pronounced by himselfe iudicially and then he requireth that it be solemnly denounced by the Corinthians First touching his owne iudiciall pronouncing here is something remarkable in his person for he was absent and present absent in body present in Spirit There is a morall rule contained in these words and a miracle The morall is this distance of place doth not extinguish the relation that is betweene persons though a King and his Subiects a Master and his Seruant a Husband and his Wife a Father and his Child be farre a sunder yet may they giue order one to another concerning their affaires so may a Pastor to his CHVRCH Especially an Apostle might who wheresoeuer he were was neuer out of his Dioces for his Dioces reached ouer all the world and so St PAVL being at Ephesus in Asia was in regard of his relation at Corinth also which is in Europe thus was he present euen when he was absent These words containe also a miracle Papae quanta est virtus doni saith St CHRYSOSTOME What a strange guift of the Spirit was this which maketh men that are a sunder to be together and informeth men of those things which are done a farre off so that none of his Dioces could any where be out of his reach Such an assistance of the Spirit had ELIZEVS 2 King 5. 8 who being in Israel could tell what was done in the King of Syria's bed-chamber and being in his owne chamber saw GEHEZI take bribes of NAAMAN when he was farre out of his sight Such a guift had St PAVL and thereby could be present where he was absent as he speaketh here and he tels the Colossians Cap. 2. that when he was absent yet he did he hold their order and stedfastnesse of their faith in Christ as his knowledge so also his power reached to any distance for the punishing of offendors This being obserued concerning his person we are now to see his worke he doth pronounce iudicially I haue iudged already Where we must first obserue that when Iurisdictions are subordinate if the inferiour be carelesse the superiour must take cognizance of the disorder and supply the others negligence otherwise Churches and Common-weales will come to confusion this is the course that St PAVL taketh in his place Secondly the word iudging doth import that he did not deale passionately or rashly but aduisedly and as beseemed a Iudge he tryed the cause by the Law of GOD and doomed not what he found not forbidden therein And indeed Apud Deum non sacerdotis sententia sed reorum vita quaeritur there must be some generall Law which men are bound to obey and mens liues must be tryed by that Law and as they are found so they must be censured otherwise GOD doth not regard he doth not approue the censure Last of all marke that St PAVL doth not onely say I haue iudged but I haue iudged already he doth not put off his iudgement vntill he commeth to Corinth but proceeds without delay you shall find the reason in the Preacher cap. 8. Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill a timely chastisement of one is a soueraigne preseruatiue of many You haue heard how iudicially St PAVL pronounced the sentence the next thing that you must heare is that he requires the Corinthians to denounce it solemnly he will that they haue a hand in it partly to redeeme their negligence and partly to expresse their detestation of sinne in both respects it was behoofefull that they should denounce what he had decreed denounce it by the mouthes of their Pastors as what is decreed by vs in the Consistorie is published by the Minister of the Parish where the sinner dwelleth whom our Decrees concerne But to denounce is not enough they must denounce it solemnly First in regard of the place it must be done in the face of the CHVRCH You being gathered together and my spirit with you that is in the presence of the chiefe Pastor and all his Flocke at Corinth Notorietas facti must haue notorietatem iuris Deut. 29. a publike sinne must haue a publike doome that others may behold and beware But this is done tantum conscia Ecclesia the Congregation is but witnesse to the doome not Iudge of the fact the power of the Keyes is giuen to the CHVRCH quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may haue the benefit of them not the managing the managing is committed onely to the Pastor as appeares Math. 16. and Ioh. 20. As the denouncing must be solemne in place so must it be in proceeding also for they must proceed cum potestate potenti â with the Authoritie and Efficacie of our Lord IESVS CHRIST St PAVL doth pronounce the Corinthians doe denounce neither of them must arrogate more to himselfe then is committed to him in regard of Authoritie they are but Delegates in regard of Efficacie they are but Instruments of CHRIST he is the Author and Actor of the Censure so that the proceeding must not be in mans name or with mans power but in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ and with the Power of our Lord Iesus Christ This maketh the proceeding to be solemne in deed CHRIST is present at it his Commission is our warrant and his cooperation maketh good our censure Whose soeuer sinnes ye remit Iohn â—â— they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes ye retaine they are retained Whatsoeuer ye bind on Earth it shall be bound in Heauen So that we must doe all ad nutum summi Pastoris as we are directed and authorized by the chiefe Pastor And you that are the Penitent must heare and feare the sentence as if it came from CHRIST's owne mouth and were to be performed by CHRIST's owne hand Put all the parts of the censure together and you will confesse that it is horrendum iudicium for you must set before your eyes Heauen and Hell the blessed state of those that are in the one the woefull state of those that are in the other then behold a man taken out of the blisse of the one and throwne into the woe of the other by an Apostle and in the presence of all the Saints nay by CHRIST himselfe by his voyce by his hands you must suppose that all this is done Contra Aduer sarium legis Lib. 1. cap. 17. St AVSTIN when he considered it thought it was grauius quam gladio feriri c. much more grieuous then to be beheaded burned stoned c. Many euidences there are of GODS seueritie against impure lusts Deut. 23. as namely he would not that a bastard should come into the Congregation of Israel
vntill the tenth Generation but against Incest he is more seuere Deut. 271 for he would not onely haue a generall curse pronounced against it whereunto he commanded all the people to say Amen but touching the Moabites and Ammonites the first spawne of Incest that we find in the Scripture though they were the posteritie of LOT whom GOD loued for AERAHAM's sake Deut 23. yet doth he command that they shall not enter into the Congregation of Israel for euer Israel is forbidden to seeke their peace at any time RVBEN is a second example marke what his owne Father IACOB said of him when he blest the Patriarkes Ruben thou art my first borne my might Gen. 49. the beginning of my strength the excellencie of digniâ—â—â— and the excellencie of power these were the preeminences of his birth-right but he forfeited them all for Incest as appeares in the verie next words of his Father Vnstable as water thou shalt not excell because thou wentest vp to thy Fathers bed then defiledst thou it He went vp into my couch A third example is ABSALON he abused his Fathers Concubines therefore he came to an infamous end he was hanged by the haire of his owne head he dyed childlesse and so his name did rot Leu. 8. The Land of Canaan spued out the old Inhabitants for Incest and GOD threatneth the destruction of Israel for that a man and his sonne would goe in to one maid Amos 2. By GODS Law no lesse then death was the punishment of Incest Leu. 10. The Lawes of the Land are more mercifull vnto you the Penitent that suffer you to breathe and leaue you to the censure of the CHVRCH But if you mind what you haue heard touching that censure and drinke in St AVSTINS conceipt therof you shall find cause enough to feare and freedome from death may seeme vnto you worse then death But yet your case is not desperate for there yet remaines one point in the Text which may yeeld a mitigation to your feares and a consolation to your Soule The censure is not mortall but medicinall as appeares in the end whereunto the censure serues Now a medicine you know doth first paine then it doth ease yea it doth therfore paine that it may ease so doth this ghostly censure it serues for the destruction of the flesh there is the paine but there followeth ease vpon it the spirit shaâ— be saued First of the paine As the flesh signifieth sometimes the substance sometimes the corruption of the outward man so may the destruction signifie either the mortalitie or the mortification thereof mortalitie if the censure proceed from the power which is proper to an Apostle but if it signifie the power which is common to Bishops with the Apostles it noteth mortification it signifieth the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof the putting off the old man and the dying vnto sinne And indeed this we intend by our Ecclesiasticall censures We intend that you should root out the sinne for which you doe penance and so destroy your flesh This is painfull to flesh and blood but vt valeas multa dolenda feres you must brooke the paine that you may enioy the ease that followeth thereupon the spirit shall be saued The spirit noteth the soule or the grace thereof the sauing of the soule is the preseruing of grace therein if the soule loose grace it looseth it selfe in regard of all well-being and it were much better for it not to be at all then to be without grace so that the saluation of our spirit is no small part of our happinesse Which must the rather be esteemed because if our spirit fare well it will make euen the flesh that is destroyed in regard of the corruption to be farre better in regard of the substance for it shall be purged from dead works to serue the liuing GOD. But when shall we reape this easâ— out of paine In the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Though a peniten euen in this life shall find some case in his Conscience yet the full benefit of Ecclesiasticall censure is reserued to the day of the Lord because all this life we must be mortifying our flesh especially enormous sinners must be so imployed the greatest of their ease in this world must haue a mixture of paine but in the day of the Lord they shall haue ease without all delay But what day of the Lord is meant here Euerie mans particular day of death or the generall doomes day An account must be made at both and if we vse the Ecclesiasticall censure well we shall find that this Iudgment preuents that this temporall the eternall For as CHRIST at his first comming came not to destroy but to saue so his Ministers that dispense the Gospel vse their power not to destruction but to edification But I thinke the day of the Lord signifieth properly the last day CHRIST will publikely manifest before the CHVRCH tryumphant the effect of the Keyes which he hath committed to his Ministers to be exercised publikely in the CHVRCH militant he will then reueale how all stand bound in Heauen which were neuer loosed on Earth and all whom the CHVRCH hath loosed in Earth shall then appeare to be loosed in Heauen I end The successe which St PAVL had when he inflicted this sentence was that the Corinthians became verie sensible of their fault and the Incestuous person of his St PAVL himselfe doth witnesse this 2 Cor. 7. where he amplyfieth both their godly sorrowes and his congratulating indulgence towards them both Oh that like successe might blesse my paines that I may giue as good a testimonie to this Congregation for their hatred of sinne as St PAVL gaue to the Corinthians and to this Penitent the like mittigation of his Censure as St PAVL to that Incestuous person So may this penitentiall sheet of his be turned into a white robe of righteousnesse his teares into ioy and all we that are humbled for him in the Church militant be with him exalted in the Church tryumphant Amen A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME TWO DID PENANCE FOR INCEST A MAN AND HIS WIVES DAVGHTER LEVIT 20. VERSE 14. Likewise if a man taketh a wife and her mother this is wickednesse they shall burne him and them with fire and there shall be no wickednesse amongst you NO sooner doe you heare this Text but I am ure you vnderstand this spectacle you vnderstand what sinners these persons are what doome this Law doth passe vpon them And indeed their sinne and Gods doome are the maine parts of my Text. But more distinctly In the sinne we must note first the fact then the haynousnesse thereof The fact is vnnaturall adulterie Adulterie because one man taketh more women then one that is plaine adulterie And this adulterie is vnnaturall because there is the neerest reference betweene the women the one a Mother the other her Daughter to take two
you that are the Penitents that it doth not you should not be here to doe penance if you had such doome as GODS Law requireth you are therefore bound to thanke GOD for the clemencie of the State and make good vse of this time of grace remembring that though you scape the corporall fire there is another fire which you haue cause to feare which St IVDE telleth vs was figured out in the perpetuall burning of Sodome and Gomorrha the fire of Hell and assure your selues that if the Land of Canaan spued out those impure persons Heauen will receiue no such and if they that transgressed MOSES Law perished ciuilly without all mercie most wofull shall their destruction be that are reserued for that fire which shall deuour the aduersaries the fire of Hell You shall doe well therefore to quench that fire before you come at it and there are three waters with which you must quench it The first is the water of your teares you must imitate King DAVID who all the night long washt his bed watered his couch with his teares there he sinned and there he bathed himselfe so must you But mans teares are too weake a water to wash away either the guilt or staine of sinne which are the fewell of that fire you must therefore moreouer vse two other waters the water of CHRISTS blood to wash away the guilt and the water of his Spirit to purge out the corruption of your sinne If you make good vse of these three waters that fire will neuer seize on you otherwise assure your selues that though we spare you GOD will not spare you he will one day punish you most seuerely And it were good that our Law did not spare so much as it doth considering the growth and ouer-spreading of impuritie It were to be wisht that our temporall Sword did strike as deepe as the Sword of MOSES did it may when it pleaseth the State and it shall not doe it without example of other Countreys Or if that may not be obtained at least it were to be wisht that the old Canons of the CHVRCH were reuiued and ghostly discipline exercised more seuerely for certainly the scandall is great which such sinnes bring vpon the CHVRCH and they that slander vs without a cause when they haue iust cause how will they open their mouthes against vs Our care then should be to stop their mouthes but principally we should prouide that there be no wickednesse amongst vs which is the end of the doome and the last point of my Text. I will touch it briefly The Iudgement was seuere but it was necessarie Necessarie for the State which is to preserue it selfe free from guilt there must no wickednesse be amongst you No wickednesse that is impossible in this world for viuitur non cum perfectis hominibus they that haue most of the Spirit haue some-what of the Flesh and the Field of GOD till haruest will haue Tares as well as good Eares and the good eares will haue chaffe as well as good graine and the good graine will haue bran as well as flower We may not looke then for any State wherein there is no wickednesse The Law therefore requireth onely that there be Nullum scelus no haynous wickeduesse no tantum scelus as the Vulgar speaketh enormous transgressions there must be no crying sinnes the State must haue a vigilant eye vpon such sinnes and execute vengeance vpon notorious sinners they must not be amongst vs. But they will the Serpent will be in Paradise yea Lucifer was in Heauen the Arke had a CHAM and amongst CHRISTS Disciples there was a IVDAS Be then they will amongst vs. But the meaning of the Law is they must not be indured by vs they must not scape vnpunished if they doe they will proue contagious such sinnes are like fretting Gangreenes they are like vnto Leauen they infect all about them and if they doe not infect they will make guiltie and for sparing such a one GOD will not spare a whole State And there is good reason for Qui non vetat cum potest iubet GOD taketh them for abettors that will not when they may reforme inordinate liuers Therefore the State must put away from amongst them such inordinate liuers 1 Cor. 5. Hierusalem below must as neere as may be be like vnto Hierusalem aboue Apoc. 22. of that aboue St IOHN saith Extracanes impudici no vncleane person commeth thither neither must any be indured here so soone as they appeare they must be made expiatorie Sacrifices and their death must free the State from guilt But I draw to an end A word to you that are the Malefactors Origen Ad paenitentiae remedium confugite qui praeuenti estis tam graui peccato Seeing you haue beene ouertaken with so foule a fault neglect not the remedy which GOD hath left you heartie and vnfained repentance for your sinne the rather because you haue to do with a most mercifull Iudge who doth not onely moderate the punishment but commute it also commute the punishment which you should suffer in Hell with a punishment which the CHVRCH inflicteth here on Earth Consider the qualitie consider the quantitie of these different punishments and you will confesse that it is a most mercifull commutation Cast then your eyes backe and consider what you haue done how haynous your offence hath beene and cast your eyes forwards likewise and consider what you haue deserued how great a danger you haue incurred by inioying a short and beastly pleasure Thinke vpon both these often and thinke vpon them seriously so shall you yeeld GOD the greater glorie for the mercie which he vouchsafeth you and he shall worke the greater comfort in your soules by assuring you of the remission of that sinne wherewith you haue so greatly prouoked him And to vs all this I say Eligamus priùs affectus castigare quà m propter ipsos castigemur Let vs plucke out our eyes cut off our hands rather then by retayning them to be cast into Hell-fire Let this spectacle remember vs often to set before vs the shame of the world and the horror of a guiltie conscience which befall enormous sinners in this life And if that will not hold in our corrupt nature let vs set before vs the neuer-dying Worme the euer-burning Fier Or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs begin here our life in chastitie Nazian that we may one day be in the number of those Virgins that follow the Lambe whether soeuer he goeth Reuel 14. And let Magistrates and Ministers both be iealous ouer the State with a godly iealousie that as by the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments it is espowsed to one Husband 2 Cor. 11. so it may be presented as a chast Virgin vnto CHRIST when those heauenly Nuptials shall be solemnized wherein standeth our euerlasting happinesse This God grant for Jesus Christs sake by the operation of the Holy Spirit To which one