the onely Beza in Revel 2. 15. Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Iude 4. Quiros in Judam So much for the opening of the three points which you may if you please bind up together into one That false teachers shall privily bring in damnable haeresies even denying the Lord that bought them Now we come to search out what Haeresie is The word haeresie is of Greeke originall and is often translated Sect not o Justnian in 2 â—et 2. a secando from cutting but a sectando from following as being a way which men chuse to follow as it s said The way which they call haeresie Acts 24. 14 A way of worship or doctrine for so he saith so doe I worship the God of my Fathers beleeving c. It appeares to be an act of the will electively pitching upon such a way For the word it selfe signifies election comming not from b Martinius lexicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to expugne or lay waste though that be proper enough but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to chuse or adhere unto and therefore the Septuagint Levit. 22. 18. 21. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free-will offering by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 election or free-willednesse The Rabbins call an Haeretick c Drusius de 3. sectis Judae lib. 1. cap. 2. Grotius in Tit. 3. 10. Nic. Fuller Miscellan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in f Gen. 1. 12. Levit. 11. 22. Scripture signifies a kinde or species and so they denote a man to be an Haereticke who leaving the common road or way of faith and Doctrine sets up and followes a particular way of his own e Elias in Tishbite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without law that will not bee bound up by the rule but runnes out into his owne way and g Nic. Fuller miscel sacra lib. 2. cap. 3. some derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nehem. 9. 17. Exod. 22. 16. signifying to refuse or deny as if you would say a renegado or denyer of the trueth This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while it kept it selfe among Philosophers Physitians and other Professors of knowledge and learning past for an honest word but when it came into the Churches quarters and was taken up by Christians it became branded stigmatized and odious It s used about sixe times in the h Acts 5. 17. 26. 5. 15. 5. 28. 22 24. 14. 24. 5. Acts of the Apostles and whether it may not in some of those places at least bee taken in good part or indifferently shall not bee my dispute at this time But when you finde it in the Epistles Apostolicall and in the Gospell Churches it hath not a jot of good savour in it but carries a marke of iniquity and infamy upon it In those Epistles it is used about i 1 Cor. 11. 18. Gal. 5. 20. Titus 3. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1. foure times expresly and because I would not make a definition which you might say is mine owne and so slight it I will lay before you the Scriptures that speake of it that you may in their light see what it is The first place is that 1 Cor. 11. 18 19. I hear that there bee Schismes among you and I partly beleeve it For there must bee also haeresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you The Greeke Interpreters take Schisme and Haeresie in this place for both one in a manner and understand not by the word Haeresie any matter k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrâ—s Oecumen in lâ—cum dogmaticall or of Doctrine but others l Beza in loc argue from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also There must also be haeresies that they are distinct and that though haeresie include schisme yet schisme doth not include haeresie and to mee it seemes that they are neare a kinne because the Apostle rises from one to the other saying there are schismes there must also be haeresies but they are not collaterally a kin for by the ascent haeresie seems to be the greater For there must bee also haeresies into which those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not m Neque enim eos probatos intelligi jubet qui in haeresin fidem demutant Tertull. de praescript easily fall but are made the more conspicuous or manifest for soundnesse and integrity That we may find the true nature of haeresie let me in few words declare what schisme is The word schisme imports a rent or division of things that were or should be in continuity and undevidednesse and as it s taken in the matter of Religion it signifies a rupture in the communion or from the communion of the Church upon unnecessary and unwarrantable causes and grounds A causelesse breaking or breaking off from the communion of the Church in matter of worship or Religion Society and communion are of great importance the evill of schisme is answerable to the good of society and communion we are to judge of schisme by the cause of it for if it bee upon a cause which the Word warrants not it is a sinne of high nature Some distribute it into two sorts or parts b Cameron de Schismat negative and positive Negative is the very rupture and breaking off positive is the coalition of the parts rent off into new bodies or associations under other Pastors and Teachers The formality of schisme consists in the secession or negative part though the coalition into new bodies which was called the setting up altare contra altare may make it more obstinate and pernicious Now I say the cause must rule us in judging of it For as it is not the party which separates that makes the Divorce but the Adulterous party which gives the cause And as Mornay saith it is not the man who commences or begins the suite which makes the trouble but he that detains the right So they are the schismaticks who give the just cause of separation from them what a hurry was made in the Church by the paschal controversie wherin a Tract of schis page 5. as one saith both parties might be schismaticks dividing themselves asunder upon so triviall a matter who were the Schismaticks when the second Councel of Nice set up Images into such honour and thereby put the Churches into combustion Doubtlesse the Councell was the Schismaticke who were the Schismaticks when the reformed Churches after all means used were either driven out or broke off from the communion of the Church of Rome questionlesse the b Mornay of the Church cap. 10. Pope and his followers not the Protestants who departed from them as the Romans had a saying that when the Gauls had taken Rome and Camillus with the rest of the Patriots were at Veij then though the walls of Rome stood where they did before yet Rome
Judges There was no King in Israel no Magistrate to restrain such arbitrary enormities I speak this upon my conscience neither to flatter nor yet to elevate the authority of Kings where they obtain but to shew that no jus Divinum falls more necessarily upon that form of Government then another and that the word translated supream with reference to subordinate Governours is elsewhere Rom. 13. 1 Tim. 2. ascribed to all Magistrates with reference to the subject and may be so used here in the judgement of learned Interpreters and those words Governours sent by him are not as some say referr'd to the King but to the remote antecedent the Lord And Estius his reason is The end of sending Governours to punish Calvin Estius evil doers and protect them that do well was not in the eye of the Roman Emperour but is alwayes in the intention of God that they should do so I will not labour to destroy either sence that which ascribes the mission of Subordinate Magistrates unto God is true and pious that which derives their Commission from the Supream is Supream is true and apposite to the Text. It followes hence That not onely Magistrates but degrees thereof are needful God hedges in the authority of the Inferior Governour the Presidents of Provinces Proconsuls Curators from contempt they are sent they are Ministers of God Ministers of the Supream under Authority as the Centurion said yet in command a two-pence hath the stamp as well as a shilling The Subordinate Magistrate brings the benefit of common Justice home to our own door in Israel the small townes had a Triumvirate three to sit in their gates the Cities three and twenty and all with dependance upon the Sanedrim or constant Parliament sitting at the Temple in Jerusalem That there be a Supream whose power extends to the whole sphere is needful in the Common-Wealth but pernicious in the Church except it be that of Christ which admits of no Compeer no Second In all Armies all Common-wealths there must be a Supremacy lodged somewhere else it is like a faggot without a bond many sticks no faggot justice cannot be finally done and so not done where there is not a Center to give rest and to stop and determine all motions questions quarrells appeales there is no order say Philosophers nisi cum relatione ad aliquid primum without reference or respect to some First and therefore all Common-Wealths for the preservation of unity and peace within themselves will have some Supremacy which as the Center of a Circle is one and can be no more then one I do not mean more then one man but more then one Supream so our Apostle speaks of Governours as many of Supream as of one Both the Supreme and the Subordinate Governour their office is for the punishment of those that do evil and for the praise of them that do well this is the end of Magistracy not alwayes of the Magistrate he may aime at the dignity not at the duty of his place and clamber the tree to fill his pocket not to shake the fruit for them that are under it but they are set above others for others not for themselves for as Seneca said the Common-Wealth is not for them but they for the Common-Wealth they are called by names of Dignity Principalities Eminent Powers Gods as by names of duty and that in respect of the whole Common-Wealth Foundations Corner-stones fathers of their country in respect of the Church Nursing fathers in respect of the laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keepers of the laws not Lords of them in respect of offenders they are Gods swordbearers in respect of well doers shield-bearers healers benefactors this in respect of their office but in respect of their private they may be Foxes as Herod Lions as Nero. 2 For punishment and for praise the Apostle Paul too uses this word praise Rom 13. 3. the praise of a private man is commendation the praise of a Magistrate is encouragement and protection if there were no severity in a Common-Wealth it would be quite overrun with wicked men more intollerable then wild beasts and vermin There was no Magistrate or Heyre of restraint in Laish Judges 18. 7. and so they became a prey easily you cōceive not their misery of that which some call a liberty to do every one what is good in their own eyes better live where nothing then where all things are lawful And there must be praise too a Magistrates office is executed by his tongue as well as by his hand this is a word that might have expressed a Magistrare even in state of Innocency wherein some hold there should have been Imperium blandum though not onerosum what need have good men Saints say they of Civil Magistracy the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of anti-Magistraticall men of whom I may say as he said of Cato he speaks as if we were in Platoes Common-Wealth not in Faece Romuli if we could make men we should have lesse need to make Magistrates yet there would be need too I would all were honest men that call themselves Saints If they were all Saints they are not all Angells they may do evil Moses had a great task though most of his charge were Church-Members preventing justice is an excellent part of a Magistrate It 's a point of justice to whip an idle beggar but more excellent to prevent Idlenesse and beggary a flock of sheep must have a shepheard though there be no Wolves in the flock there may be some about them The Magistrate is no hinderance to goodnesse which is doubled when one is both a good man and a good subject 3. For the punishment of evil doers the praise of well doers and herein he speakes accurately and properly so Paul Rom. 13. 3. If thou do evil fear If thou wilt not fear do well for the Magistrates are a terrour to evil works Pilate spoke like a Magistrate what evil hath he done The Magistrate judges of persons by their causes and their crimes an ill man may be right in his cause a good man may be an evil doer suffer not as evil doers saith the Apostle to good Christians in nostro Foro we call a godly man a good man you upon the Exchange call an able and a rich man a good man but as to the eye of the Law of the Magistrate which should be but one men are judged good or evil by their crimes or by their causes not by their own persons as the ballance tells you not which is Gold which Iron but which is good weight and which too light and if in this diversity of Opinions among us a Magistrate brided happily by his opinion to think all of his judgement or party good men and so give them the white stone and turn the edge of the axe towards others then upon that account it would follow that all the Christians in the world should be judged evil doers and all of
from the simplicity that is in Christ or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards Christ AS the mother of Christ truly was so the Church of Christ may be truly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clem. Alex. saith a virgin mother The fruitfulness of her womb to bring forth children unto God The fulness of her breasts to bring them up unto God speak her a mother The simplicity of the faith chastity of worship sincerity of love integrity of life speak her a virgin Christ answers the type of him the high Priest Levit. 21. 14. A widow or a harlot he shall not take but he shall take a virgin to wife And therefore it is the scope of the Gospel-Ministers whom God sends as Abraham did his servant with Commission to procure a wife for his son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit and treat a match to espouse chaste virgins unto Christ ver 2. Which scope if we do but carry in our eye and aime at in our Ministery we should avoid the too much used folly and imbrace the successfull foolishness of Gospel-preaching We may justly ask the cause of our Apostle his feare lest this Corinthian virgin should become a Thais for unjust suspition is a kind of slander to chastity and the question is how the Apostle could say I am jealous for the virgin was not espoused to him but Christs Ministers are but the spokes-men the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 treating for Christ 2 Cor. 5. 10. they neither sowe nor mowe for themselvs therefore he takes off the doubt in that expression I am jealous over you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with jealousie of God And he gives the reason The first Adams Eve was corrupted from her virgin righteousness and so may the second Adams espoused virgin the Corinthian Church be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Eve by the Serpent which was Satanae leno the Devils pander The Corinthians by such Preachers as he describes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 2 17. Corrupters of the Word as hucksters by their mixtures do jugulare vinum adulterate the viginity of good wine In these words you may consider two things 1 The object of the Apostle his fear 2 The instance or example whence he draws a similitude shewing the way and meanes of accomplishing that he feares 1 The thing he feares is the corruption and constupration of this espoused virgin which corruption he describes 1 By the seat of it the minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest your mindes be corrupted for the foul vessell corrupts the purest liquor corruption begins in the minde as they say the fish begins to stink at the head and we know defluxions from the head corrupt the vitals and lower region 2 The term à quo is the simplicity or chastity that is towards Christ which they had before and which is required in them that are espoused to Christ Jesus who are then corrupted when they generate and deviate from their simplicity of faith and worship for we cannot say of any of these virgins espoused to Christ as was said of that virgin the mother of our Lord that before they came together she was found to be with child by the holy Ghost 2 The instance or example made use of for describing the way of corrupting the minde from the simplicity that is in Christ is the first and ancientest example in the world lest by any meanes as the Serpent beguiled Eve c. This part of the Text contains the sicut and sic the As So and there are foure things in it As the Serpent that is Satan in his instrument for the Devil appears not in his own colours the Serpent doth not alwayes weare the same slough or skin the Devil sheaths himself in a fit case for his purpose for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unsociable with man therefore hath his ministers ver 15. deceitful workers false Apostles and these instruments he puts on he tempts the proud by ye shall be as Gods the sensual by the promise liberty some by ostentation of holiness for there is a Pharisaical a monasticall a superstitious holiness a holiness of mans making he tempts Christ by Peter Come behinde me Satan 2 The Serpent beguiled the woman Eve for the woman by the Serpent the man by the woman the stronger by the weaker vessel the husband by the wife as the Angler takes the small fish by a worm and then that small fish taken doth become a bait for the greater fish so it is said of his agents they lead captive silly women they deceive the hearts of the sipmle Rom. 16. 18 3 The way of the Serpents deceiving the woman was by corrupting of her minde see its the Apostles observation 1 Tim. 2. 14. that not the man but the woman was deceived because she believed that God had enviously set them in a lower Orbe than they might be in if they eate of the fruit of that tree of knowledge 4 This deceiving of the woman was by subtilty as it appears by many respects wherein the serpent prevaricated the words of God and perverted their meaning this subtilty or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cogging of the dice is ascribed to deceivers Eph. 4. 14. The sum is The Gospel-state of the Church is called a new Creation I create a new heavens and a new earth in this new creation God hath set forth another Adam Jesus Christ out of this Adam dying as out of the first sleeping God hath formed a Church this Church is espoused to the Lord Christ as Eve was to the first as a chaste virgin and there are Serpents now as there was one then that attempt the corrupting of the virginity of this Church and therefore saith the Apostle But I fear c. From the first part of the text the thing feared I take up two Doctrines 1 The simplicity that is in Christ is to be holden untainted 2 The corruption of the minde is the cause of deviation or recess from that simplicity I begin with the first The virgin chastity of the soul espoused to Christ Jesus which loves not to be painted with any Fucus of meretricious gaudiness simpleness or simplicity in vulgar speech and sometimes in Scripture sounds towards foolish credulity or want of wit But in the true notion of the word it signifies a freedom from composition and so we call the simplicity of Gods being which is without all composition Most commonly it is a freedom from mixture of heterogeneal things which might adulterate purity In Doctrine unlearnedness in faith unfainedness in love sincerity in worship chastity in life and conversation integrity do make up that we call simplicity of Christ which I shall compendiate into these three 1 Simplicity of Doctrine 2 Of Worship 3 Of life 1 The simplicity of Christ was personal for being in the form of God he emptied himself and took on him the form of a servant Phil. 2. 6. Official in the acting of