my knowledge he hath carried himself soberly modestly piously and indeed every way commendably In my Testimonials for Holy Orders a little while after Utpote qui ex ante-actâ vitâ magnam nobis spem praebuerit Ecclesiae Reipublicae utilem fore imo pene necessarium The two last Ministers of Sussex whom I served when a Curate Mr. J Dn. of Ch. and Mr. Bor. of Tw gave me this Testimony under their hands May 10. 1689. That Mr. R. C. whom we have been acquainted with these three Years is a Person exemplary and unblamable in his Life and Convâ—rsation Orthodox in his Faith c. My Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. which is as Mille Testes a thousand Witnesses that as God's Grace hath ever preserved me from Whoredom and Adultery Nor do I know that my Will was ever corrupted to have once designed or intended any such thing and if I were to dye the next hour I could not accuse my self of any thing worse which I speak without any Equivocation so have I served God in my Ministry with a pure Heart a good Conscience and a Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. Do but judge according to Charity which thinketh no evil and is not forward to suspect the worst Speak with Charity which casteth a Mantle over others Infirmities even as Christ terms the Church his Spouse the fairest among Women Cant. ch 1. v. 8. although she hath many imperfections in her as Mr. Ager's Paraphrase on it This says he is contrary to the practice of the World who if they see a Man that professeth Religion to be filled with many excellent Virtues that be worthy of praise yet if they can with thejr curious eyes but see any imperfection in him they quickly set him upon the Stage c. They are willing to behold his stains and blemishes and to cover him with infamy and reproach but they bury all things that are comely in him in the grave of Oblivion I begg of the Reader so much candour and ingenuity as to receive this Discourse chiefly rational and argumentative with the same honest mind with which it was intended that God would bless it to the great end of doing good and make it effectual for turning many souls unto righteousness that now lye wallowing in the mire of all Filth and Uncleanness and that those who have been more lately washed clean in Baptism and through their tender years yet are undefiled may flee youthful Lusts and escape the pollutions which are in the World and be preserved pure and blameless for that inheritance which is incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven for them is the hearty Prayer of Theirs Thine and the Churches Servant R. C. A Discourse of Uncleanness COL III. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication Uncleanness inordinate Affection evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry THIS Chapter begins with an Exhortation to heavenly-mindedness that the generous spirit of a Christian may be elevated beyond those terrene and sublunary enjoyments and objects of sense to the invisible things of Faith v. 1. Seek those things which are above prosecute them with might and main use all diligence by the most earnest and serious endeavours for the attainment of those things as St. Paul hath it Phil. 3. 12. following after if that I may apprehend c. or lay hold on eternal Life and pressing forward for the prize of our Calling in Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our calling from above or our heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus v. 13. In the 2d v. positively Set your Affections on the things above the things of the other World those better things that you look for hereafter according to the exceeding great and precious Promises that God hath made you in his Son Negatively and not on the things on Earth the base and mean Objects the poor pittiful things here below as not worthy of your affections of your cares and your thoughts according to the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies primarily the application of our minds our reason and understanding sursum sapere as in the Latine to be wise for the things above and not the things on earth The Reasons enforcing this Exhortation are drawn First From their spiritual Resurrection in conformity with Christ If ye be risen with Christ v. 1. or have felt the power of his Resurrection as Phil. 3. 10. or as Eph. 1. 19 20. the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead if this power hath quickned you raised you from sin if this heavenly life and disposition be in you then let the same appear by your heavenly-mindedness 2d Argument From Christ's residence in Heaven in his state of Exaltation where Christ also sitteth on the right hand of God v. 1. in the lat part Is Christ our Head in Heaven and shall we the Members be groveling here on earth should we not rather by our heavenly minds and affections ascend up thither whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place and sitteth to keep possession for us 3d. Arg. Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye are dead from these things below in the 3d. v. by a death unto sin as in our Baptism renouncing and disowning the World the Flesh â—nd the Devil to live no longer according to the course of this World the Lusts of â—he Flesh or the Works of the Devil inâ—onfistent with the Christian Profession and Practice 4th Arg. From their expectation of a glorious life hereafter at Christ's second â—oming v. 4. For when Christ who is our â—ife shall appear then shall ye also appear â—ith him in glory that therefore we should â—ave our Conversation in Heaven from whence we look for that blessed Hope and he glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 13. The Apostle having enforced the positivâ— part or his Exhortation to heavenly-mindedness with these Arguments falls upoâ— a farther prosecution of the Negative Sâ— not your Affections on things on earth giâ—ing the Colossians and us with them a dâ—rection how to carry our selves towardâ— them even in a Mortification of our Members which are upon earth Fornication â— that is of our earthly and sensual Affection Mortificare or to Mortifie in English as much as mortuum facere to make deaâ— cause to dye or put to death when applied to sin it is a figurative Speech takeâ— from things which have life and probablâ— enough from the Sacrifices under the Law which were kill'd and slain by the Priest bâ—fore they were offered upon the Altar aâ—swerably to which we must kill the old maâ— of sin before we can become a Sacrifice aâ—ceptable to God by Jesus Christ Killing the Old man or the first Adaâ— as 1 Cor. 15. 45. Not in respect of tâ— Substance but the Quality the evil Dispâ—sitions the corrupt Nature descended aâ— conveighed to
in the likeness of men and Lot entertained them for his Guests but before they lay down the men of the City compassed the House round both old and young all the people from every Quarter and demanded of Lot to bring the men out to them that they might know them even as you read in Rom. 1. 26 27. God gave them up even the Heathens unto vile affections for even the Women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the Woman burned in their Lust one towards another men with men working that which is unseemly and you find 1 Kings 15. 12. Asa took away the Sodomites out of the Land in 2 Kings you read of the Houses of the Sodomites so great an abomination by the House of the Lord where the Women wove hangings for th◠Grove Which Houses good King Josiah in his general Reformation brak◠down Socrates as Tertullian Apol. c. 46. p. 36. th◠great Glory of the Heathen world fo◠the improvement of his natural Reaso◠in Religion was condemned at Athens amongst other things for Sodomy and th◠corrupting of Youth The History of th◠Reformation tells us upon inquiry int◠the corruptions of Religious Houses Monasteries Abbies c. many were foun◠guilty of this sort of wickedness and w◠are told in Sicily where the burning Mountain is that at some times of latte◠years especially it hath overrun Towns an◠Cities with a torrent of fiery sulphureous matter that their Sin as well as their Punishment is that of Sodom and tha◠common among them as Mr. Vincent o◠the three Burnings Grotius de Relig. Chr. 1. 2. tells us Apud Sinenses Gentes alia◠pro licito est In the 18. of Leviticus 22 23. you read Thou shalt not lye with Mankind as with Womankind neither shalt tho◠lye with any Beast to defile thy self therewith it is abomination Which shows how desperately wicked the heart is in this kind that it hath all uncleanness in it as it is said to work all or all manner of uncleanness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. and so you find our blessed Saviour assuring us Mark 7. 21. that not only evil thoughts but Fornications in the plural number as if it were all kinds of Lusts or at least several kinds of actual uncleannesses come from within out of the hearts of men proceeding thence And indeed when men are so prodigiously lustful they will lose all command over their affections and not stick at any Lusts that they are urged to with violence of temptation neither at Ravishments of Virgins nor Bestiality it self which History affords some instances of and they may be perhaps forsaken in such manner for setting their affections too much upon such Creatures as the cause of some other some for their vileness in their vile Lusts or abominable wickednesses or sinful curiosity to try and experiment all sorts of Lust I have read as if this sin among the Moors in Africa was oftner committed and of one or two Relations which carry some Credibility in them of those who in the acting of this strange kind of Lust or this wild-fire have been punished with extraordinary Judgments R. B. in his Wonderful Prodigies of Gods Judgments citing it out of the Adventures of Mr. T. S. an English Merchant taken Prisoner by the Turkish Pirates and carried into the Inland Cuntreys of Africa we find this wonderful Relation That near Tezrim this Gentleman saw the perfect Stature of a Man b-g-g his Ass which was so lively that at a little distance he thought it to be real but when he came near he saw that they were of perfect Stone Upon enquiry he was informed that this was never made by man but that some person formerly had been turned into that Image with the Ass in the very moment of the Act by the mighty power of God the fleshly substance of the man being changed into firm Stone as an eternal reproach to Mankind Upon farther search he found the Stone to represent not only the perfect shape but also the colour of every part of the man and the Beast with the Sinews Veins Eyes Mouths in such a lively manner that he was convinced of the truth of it and was told that some who had laboured to carry from thence that Monument of mans shameful Lust either their persons or their Cattel were struck dead upon the place in the attempt it being necessary the Moors should have such signal testimonies of Gods displeasure before their Eyes because of their proneness to such filthy actions He mentions another in p. 179. Printed under the name of Sir Ken. Digby Next come inordinate Affection and evil Concupiscence to be considered which respect the lusts of men as they are internal though they never break forth into acts of naughtiness Some conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be a general unlimited word that reacheth unto all particular sinful affections desires and inclinations of the heart all such as are disorderly against the dictates of right Reason or the Word of God The word indeed may comprehend any violent strong passion but so it is besides my discourse I shall take it in the other sence for the passion of Love or Lust for it is spoken of here in an ill sense as that which is to be mortified as Amnons passion the fury of which passion preyed upon his vital Spirits so that he waxed lean from day to day When a mans passion is so mighty strong towards any Creature and ungovernable it argues that our love to God is weak For when our affection is carried out after him it will be predominant and take off our inordinate excessive affection to the Creature so that it shall not continue long uncontroulable Else the word may signifie such an habit of corrupt affection as is in those who are given over to lasciviousness such a lustful disposition as is affected upon almost every occasion or temptation and hence Pathici vocantur molles effeminati says Pareus upon the place quales fure Sardanapalus Heliogabalus Such as are weak this way as King Charles the Second in respect of Women Of which Prince saith an eminent Writer our greatest kindness to him will be to forget him unless God cause us to remember him and his sins of this sort by some remarkable Judgment as the sins of Manassah were remembred afterwards in the days of good King Josiah Our way to mortisie this affection will be to beg the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts and to expell the evil habit and to possess and dwell in our hearts that so corrupt affections may not stir and to set our affections upon the right Object even Almighty God and then they will be fixed and like the House that was founded upon a Rock stand firm and not be moved or shaken with temptations which argues great lightness and unconstancy to be taken with every fair Object and
but only the Holy Spirit that abideth with and in the Saints lusteth against the Flesh and striveth to over-master and keep down its evil motions so far at least as to purifie their Hearts and to keep them back from accustomed sins of this sort and bring them to a dislike and some hatred of these sins in themselves or others and bring them to deep sorrow and Repentance â—f they fall into grosser sins of this kind And as you must labour to be throughly convinced of your need of Restraining Grace so you must be heartily thankful for â—t When God hath for a long time restrained the corruption within and the Temptations from without and preserved thee pure and chast he expects Men should give the Glory of it to his Grace as that which freed and preserved them from these Sins and not take it to themselves as if by their own Power Care and Wisdom use of their Reason and Government over their passions they had kept and preserved themselves We are taught in Galat. 5. 23. that the Fruit of the Spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temperance Continence elsewhere 1 Cor. 7. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Incontinency In our Homilies it is rendred Chastity And the Author of the Whole Duty of Man tells us p. 135. Every Vertue is among the goods of Grace and therefore do we pray for it because as every good and every perfect Gift it cometh from above from the Father of Lights As to our Power to mortifie our Lusts or to keep us from being Corrupted by them it is from God and our Wisdom for the Government oâ— this passion it is from God and therefore we are taught where we should have it If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask of God St James Chap. 1. 5. And as to the use of our Reason to any good ends it iâ— from God and his Grace For the Devilâ— are reasonable Creatures as well as we nay in a higher Capacity but cannot improve their Reason to any good use because they are forsaken utterly St. Austin as I have read brings in one speaking I have Sinned little and yet love much Who kept thee who preserved thee saith he but the God of all Grace To whom thou owest even this that thou hast not Sinned much not Sinned so much as others who hast the same corrupt Nature with others Holy Mr. Bradford when he had seen or heard of any other Christians falling into any Scandalous Lewdness or Wickedness used to say There remains in my Nature the Seed of the same Evil if it were not restrained by Gods special Grace And if we look with one eye upon our Sinful selves in the â—orruption of our Natures and with the â—ther eye Gods Grace it will teach us â—he same Humility and Thankfulness Is â—here any young Man or Maid that God â—ath kept from these Sins and given them â—ome measure of Purity let them learn â—is lesson to be Thankful else they will â—rieve the Spirit of God and provoke â—im not only to withhold further Grace â—ut to withdraw Grace given 1 Thess 5. 8. â—e are commanded in every thing give â—anks and so Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by â—ayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving c. â—uch more for so great a Grace as this is â—hich is taken for Sanctification it self in some places Acts. 15. 9. Rom. 1. 21. said of the Heathens that when they knew God they Glorified him not as God neither were thankful 24th ver Wherefore God also gave them up to Vncleanness through the Lusts of their own Hearts Thus God leaves the Unthankful to fall back and to fall foully when they are wanting in observance of Gods Mercy and Grace in any respect The Saints of God have sound it so that when God hath given them a considerable measure of some particular Grace that they have been afterwards to seek for it and almost as far from it as ever and sometimes there is no other Reason to be given for it but their defect as to this thankfuâ— Acknowledgment of that particular Grace and not giving the praise of it to God aâ— his Work As 't is not a Praying Frame oâ— Heart without Prayer it self that is accepted with God as James 4. 2. not thâ— desires after good without actuating them and uâ—tering them before the Lord so ' tiâ— not a thankful frame of Heart that iâ— not enough without actual Thanksgiving for this or that particular Gracâ— Our M 〈…〉 iâ—s or Blessings are matter oâ— Thanksgiving as much as our wants oâ— Petition and our Sins of Confession Another means for the Mortification â— our Lusts or a good Prevention and Preâ—ervative from these sorts of Sins is the Mortification of our Pride If we search out the causing Sin why we are thus and thus Tempted by our Lusts we shall often find Pride to be the cause though not by any Moral efficency as Covetousness is of Niggardliness and Uncharitableness to the â—oor but Meritoriously as one Sin provokes God by way of Punishment to leave us to another And thus for our Omissions and neglect of good we are justly left to fall into Sins of Commission Thus Lust and a Temptation to some â—aughtiness is often a Punishment for Pride Pride of Beauty Pride of Wit Pride of Grace Beauty is an outward Ornament the Excellency of Gods Workmanship in our Bodies But Pride defaâ—eth this the Beauty even of Beauty it â—elf and its Loveliness in Gods Sight and so provokes God to leave it to such Sins as pollute and defile it and make the Person loathsom and abominable with God Further Beauty when it corrupts the Person with Pride that Pride aims to let out it self in all its Advantages that it may appear Amiâ—ble in the eyes of Men and alluâ—e if not excite the Lusts of Men and you know Beauty is had in Admiration by the worst and vilest of Men bâ— them especially who have no command oveâ— their corrupt Affections and they being once captivated by it seek to corrupt thâ— person with the strongest and most importunate Solicitations But Pride not only lays the Beautiful person open to Temptations of this hind more than another but robs the Soul of Gods Protection anâ— leaves it Spiritually Naked and Destitute and so weaker to withstand the Temptation than another When Beauty hath need of a double measure of Grace to preserve its Innocency and to resist the Soliâ—iters to Sin A Proud Beauty will more easily be corrupted by those that are High and Honourable and such as she looks upon to be above her however she may look down with Scorn and Contempt upon those that are below her and refuse to Sin with them in point of Honour though she valueth not the dishonouring God by her Sin Uncleanness or Tâ—mptations to them carry great shame along with them in the Eyes of the World and therefore God makes use of them to humble the Proud The Wise Man saith Prov. 11. 2.
Pleasures of the World so far â— they cannot be gotten or kept withoâ— sinning against God all his sins are so fâ— forgiven that he is in a pardoned jâ—stfied state before God yet the temporâ— chastisement and punishment is not forgâ—ven as is plain in the case of Davids pâ—nishment for his Mâ—rther and Adâ—ltery and Micah 7. 9. I will bear the Indignatiâ— of the Lord because I have sinned againâ— him until he plead my cause c. And whâ— I visit I will visit their sin upon them Nâ— the Spiritual Punishment so wholly soâ— given but that those evil courses whicâ— a Christian was most addicted unto in hâ— days of sin while he was unconverteâ— may stick by him afterwards and that â— closely that they may fetch tears from â—is eyes and signs from his heart and â—e the grief and hitterness of his Spirit â—nd make him cry out Oh wretched man â—at I am who shall deliver me c. Yea he â—ay be ready to faint under the Violence â—f his temptation and be full of doubts â—nd fears as if God had forgotten to be graâ—ious and shut up his loving kindness in disâ—leasure c. Psal 77. 9. Yea others who â—ave seemed righteous and as if they â—ere returning unto God when their past â—s have returned upon them and the â—â—ght of Gods Wrath for those sins lain envy upon their Spirits have been beatâ—n off from the ways of God and though â—hey had as it were one foot in Heaven â—ave drawn that back yea somâ— have â—een so far overcome of the Evil One â—s to have been swallowed up in despair â—nd concealing their guilt the Distemper â—ath raged the more inwardly until at â—ast they have made away themselves I â—peak this as one that passed through this â—ery trial through the Lords goodness â—hen one and the other perished in it â—nd thuâ— it will be and it must be that â—here the Sinner sinneth most and is â—ostdeep in guilt that there his Humiliation must be the greater And for tâ— very end it is that God suffers the temâ—tation to return upon him though a â—nitent and holds him long under â— temptation until he be sufficiently aâ— effectually humbled and smart for sins and find that it is an evil and bitâ— thing that he hath sinned so much â— must be punished either in this World the other World but for true Penitenâ— the future Punishment cannot reach theâ— There is no condemnation for them that are Christ Jesus therefore their sins are grief and vexation to them their pâ— and misery and punishment to them hâ— being chastened of the Lord both corporâ—ly and spiritually by the terrours of Lord let in upon their Souls for sin â— so they should not be condemned with the woâ— 1 Cor. 11. 32. Else in the second Place it is for so present sin that we are tempted by â— Lusts either for our neglect of Prayâ— and so we grow weak and want that sâ—ritual strength against these sins whâ— we used to have and our Lusts grâ— strong and get ground upon us or â— our lewd Company or high gluttonâ— feeding or spiritual Pride and Consideâ— on our own strength or for disregaâ— â—f Gods Word when that is vile in our â—yes and slighted God may then give us â—p to some vile lust or for indulging our â—ase and idleness or for Incontinency and â—sciviousness in Marriage or defiling â—olluting the Holy Sacrament or the â—ther Ordinances of God by entertainâ—ng the fancies of Lust and contemplaâ—ing them in the very time of Gods Worship Or Thirdly It must be for prevention of â—ome sin to come and thus our good God discovers to Christians the corrupâ—ion and â—ickedness of their Natures as the Founâ—ain-head of all their Lusts for a greater Mortification of this Heart-wickedness and deeper humiliation for it And this will be the best means to prevent sins for the future even when the inner rooms of the Soul are swept und cleansed from â—in for from within out of the hearts of men proceed evil Thoughts Fornications Adulteries The more the Heart is purgâ—ed the less will the life be corrupted That was partly preventive of evil when St. Saul 2 Cor. 2. 7. was tempted as he calls it by a thorn in the flesh least he should be exalted above measure God will make the best know how vile their Nature is that they are Flesh and Blood as well as other men least their exaltation in Graâ— should make them forget themselves aâ— their depravation by Nature And poâ—bly when we begin to grow more secâ— and careless more slack or negligeâ— then some Lust is let loose to awaken us Another means for the Mortification our Lusts or a good Preventive or Pâ—servative from sins of this sort is a dâ— care to flee all appearance of evil not oâ— such things as may corrupt Peoples Miâ— and Manners but whatever carries wâ— it bâ—t a suspition of lightness and imâ—desty not only to shun such speeches aâ— actions signs and geâ—tures of the Boâ— and manner of Apparel as is transparâ— and next to nakedness with sâ—ch thiâ— as have an apparent wantonness and laâ—viousness in them but avoiding thâ— things which are commonly reputed sâ— Places and Persons of ill Name and those things that may bring an ill repâ— upon you though possibly you may innocent and in that respect it be unâ—servedly A Man would not only hâ— his Wife be honest but not to go in â— Dress like to this or that Strumpet tâ— she may not so much as appear to be iâ— modest And thus our Church is not â—ly a pure Church having the Gospel a Translation uncorrupt and the Ordinances of God Prayer and Preaching and the Sacraments in their Doctrinal Purity though ut naevus in pulchro corpore some blemish in her neglect of Discipline but hath and must have a care not to come too near that shameless Strumpet of Rome if it be in appearance only The Doctrine of our Church against Transubstantiation and Declaration in the Rubrick after the Communion sufficiently clear us from symbolyzing with Idolaters in kneeling at the Sacrament and wearing the Surplice without consecraring it from Superstitition and an Opinion of Holiness of the Garment And as to the sign of the Cross some have wished it were left at liberty or the use of it forborn if there be any appearance of evil in it unto the People it appearing lawful to the Minister he should have his liberty allowed him by them to administer the Ordinance of Baptism belonging to him and not to the People and so it hath not the nature of scandal and offence as other things if not endangering the People or â—rawing them to do the like to whom it â—ppeareth evil But to return from this â—â—gression even as those that go to the utâ—ost of what is lawful may justly be carried a step farther and fall into somewhat that is sinful even so God may justly leave those to fall into real