faith 1 For the want of faith It is true that the faith of the elect cannot faile finally or totally 1 For the foundation of God is sealed with this seale the Lord knoweth who are his 2 The grace of election is the gift and calling of God and his gifts and calling are without repentance 3 Whom he loueth to the end he loueth them 4 His promise I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee 5 His gift he hath giuen the elect to his sonne and no man shall take them out of his hands 6 Christ prayeth for them I pray for those whom thou hast giuen me But the euill that we may suffer herein is our want of faith to beleeue that we are of that number for the conscience accuseth vs and layeth our sinnes in order before vs and sheweth vs the wages of this sinne to be death Iob was in this distresse when he complained How many are mine iniquities and sinnes make me to know my transgressions and my sinne Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy In this distresse was Dauid when he said in the bitternesse of expostulation Will the Lord cast off for euer and will he be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious hath he in anger shut vp his tender mercies What greater euill can there be then this it is vinum furoris a cup of vinegar and gall Dauid was in the very pit when he prayed Let not the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me This euill we pray God to diuert from vs that our faith may not faile vs though our feeling doe and because the best of Gods seruants on earth may haue some of these cold shaking fits of feare Christ hath put this petition in our mouthes libera nos a malo 2 Another euill in the state of a Christian is presumption when we make too bold with our God this is not faith but the corruption of it corruptio optimi pessima O keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes so shall I be innocent from the great offences 1 As presumption is a sinne in act we pray against it in Dimitte nobis debita nostra As it is a sinne that we feare to be comming on by our corrupt nature inclining vs to it so we pray against it in ne nos inducas 3 But we must consider presumption as it may bee a punishment a rodde of God to scourge vs for some other sinne and so we pray to be deliuered from it in this petition This presumption whether it build too much vpon the experience of Gods former fauour as Dauid dixi in corde meo nunquam mouebor tu domine c. Or if it let goe the hold that it hath vpon God and rest it selfe vpon some way of our owne as in our Paradise Parents who found a tricke to better their owne creation by being like to God poena est Generally it pleaseth God to punish one sinne by another as wee haue great and full examples Saint Paul saith that the people falling into idolatry Therefore God also gaue them vp to vncleanenesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues and againe For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections So when Dauid waxed wanton of his peace and prosperity and begunne to forget God God gaue him vp to vncleanenesse to defile his body with adultery and after that to hide it with murther so did he Peter for sinning in presumption of the strength of his faith to resist Sathan God gaue him vp to the deniall of his Master and to maintaine that with swearing and protestation Against this we pray deliuer vs from euill that euill of sinning which draweth on and increaseth sinne till it make it out of measure sinfull for there is such a concatenation of sinnes that if God leaue vs in one sinne and heale not our soules he whose name is Legion because they are many will soone bring in seuen spirits worse then the former 2 A malo i. a diabolo He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He compasseth the earth to and fro as he confesseth in Iob and he goeth about saith Saint Peter like a roaring Lyon seeking to deuoure and Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians I feare lest by any meanes as the Scripture beguiled Euah through his subtilty so your minde should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 1 The furie of this violent enemie is to be feared for though his power be so limited that without leaue he cannot hurt vs yet his malice is such to vs that he will neuer giue ouer his prouocation of vs to ill by his temptations and his accusation of vs to God for our offences therefore he is called The accuser of the brethren The Apostle doth expresse him formidable when he putteth a Christian to it to put on the whole armour of God to defend vs against him For the power of Sathan is to flesh and bloud inuincible it cannot resist him whereas the greatest force of flesh and bloud hath beene by flesh and bloud resisted and subdued The great sonnes of Anak the mightie Goliah and his brethren whole armies of valiant men haue beene put to the worst but Sathan was neuer conquered by meere man 2 The malice of Sathan to mankinde is implacable for he hateth God and the image of God in man makes matter of vnreconcileable malignity there is no safety in yeelding to him whom he kisseth he betrayeth for he is a murtherer from the beginning 3 The cunning of Sathan is unmatchable for man he is the old Serpent and he hath his wiles as the Apostle calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraudulent circumuentions pretensed to be the wayes wherein we ought to walke flesh and bloud cannot ouer-reach him And to aduance his cunning he is 1 Inuisible for he is about vs vnseene 2 He is priuy to all our words and workes 3 He is vnwearied in his watch 4 Not hindered in his passage to and fro being a spirit quicke of motion 5 Assisted with innumerable angels of darkenesse nimble mormies to negotiate for him Who would haue suspected the deuill in the bosome of Iudas Iscariot or in the mouth of Peter yet Adam met with him in the faire-spoken tongue of Euah and was beguiled by him Therefore we haue cause to pray heartily and continually deliuer vs from the euill one 3 Deliuer vs à malo quod meriti sumus we haue deserued punishments of our sinnes here in our bodies in our soules in our goods in our good name in our life the second death euen the nethermost hell against all these we pray Libera nos Domine Generally we deprecate all afflictions of body and minde which follow sinne as the punishment of it for there is no punishment in it selfe good
same God that fedde him in the former verse In very grammaticall construction if he spake of two persons God Almighty in the first and a created Angell in the second place he would he must haue said in the plurall benedicant Therefore many learned iudgements haue vnderstood this Angell to be Christ Iesus who onely is called the Redeemer and deliuerer of his Church from all euill Therefore we say to the Church of Rome let them direct their praiers to him onely that saueth and deliuereth from all euill and wee will pray with them and that Angell we will worship with all holy worship As for our Redeemer the Lord of boasts is his name the holy one of Israel If wee looke backe into the story of Iacob you shall meete with former mention of this Angell which will sufficiently declare that he was no bonus genius or good Angell created but the Lord of all Angels that is so called For it was God that said to him in his sleepe when he had the vision of the Ladder Behold I am with thee and will keepe thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee againe into this Land for I will not leaue thee till I haue done that that I spoke to thee of When Iacob awaked he said surely Iehouah is in this place There he deliuered him from the feare of his iourney and established him in the faith of his promise After when he suffered vnder the oppression of Laban and was in danger of a new iniurie it is said The Angell of the Lord comforted him But that Angell saith I am the God of Bethel where thou anointedst the pillar and where thou vowedst a vow vnto me This Angell we inuocate with Iacob hee is also our preseruer and redeemer he is our King and our God And this I finde the iudgement of the learned Rabbines of the Iewes Of this Angell is mention in the Prophet Osea He had power ouer the Angell and preuailed hee wept and made supplication vnto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with vs euen the Lord God of hoasts the Lord is his memoriall This referreth vs to that historie where Iacob wrastled with the Angell and preuailed Which Angell some of the later Rabbines haue thought to be the Angell keeper of Esau who would haue hindred Iacobs iourney on Esaus behalfe which fancie Lyranus doth well confute Others conceiue him to be the Angell keeper of Iacob but Iacob himselfe saith hee had seene God face to face and therefore called the place Peniel Osea saith plainely that this Angell is the Lord God of hoasts Called there a man in respect of his sensible apparition as an Angell in regard of his diuine operations And this place will as well iustifie praier to men as to Angels Christ then the second person of the holy Trinity who was reuealed in paradise the onely Mediatour betweene God and man is that holy Angell who often in the old Testament is sent for the speciall good of Gods Saints Two proofes were alleadged in that lame and vnlearned pamphlet to proue inuocation of Angels One from the Song of the three children O ye Angels of the Lord blesse ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him Which is taken from Dauid in whose imitation that Psalme of the three Children was composed Praise ye him all his Angels praise him all his hoasts And from both wee may as well iustifie the inuocation of the Sunne and Moone as of Angels for so are they spoken to This is all that there is said for inuocation of Angels this also is the chiefe argument vrged by the Apostate Renegado of Spaletto in his last Pamphlet worthily called his Manifesto which hath declared him vnsauoury salt worthy to be trod vpon 2 Concerning inuocation of Saints We are accused to deny our owne Bible in denying praier to Saints 1 They alleadge that the rich man in hell praied to two Saints to Abraham to send to Lazarus to come to relieue him They are neere driuen when they rake hell for examples and the Church must be ruled by the practise of a damned soule in hell I hope this proofe will be soone out of countenance but euen that example cuts to the quicke for he asked and preuailed not they would not helpe him 2 They alleadge for inuocation of Saints the words of Eliphaz saying to Iob. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou looke Lyranus vnderstandeth this as a direction to inuocate Angels And the pamphleter doth cite Aug. in his Annotations vpon Iob for proofe hereof in whom no such thing is found therefore that is a manifest falsification which he hoped his reader would not haue examined The course of the text giueth another sense for the question betweene Iob and his friends is whether Iob be punished for his sinne Iob confesseth his sinne but denieth that that is the cause of his punishment but God hath some other end in it Eliphaz proueth that none is punished of God but for sinne and here hee doth will him to search and enquire out if any can say that the iust God hath at any time punished any and not for sinne and to which of Gods holy ones will hee looke for an example of any such punishment But in their exposition it holdeth not for them for it sheweth that none of the Saints can giue him helpe Therefore they helpe it in their false translation reading thus Ad aliquem sanctorum conuertere so that they must take helpe from their owne translation who pretend to confute vs by ours but ours is the same word for word with their Montanus in the King of Spaines Bible Ad quem de sanctis obtueberis by way of question not obtuere by way of counsaile so they teach the text of holy Scripture to speake the language of their superstition before he falsified S. Aug. now the very text of Scripture But officiosum mendacium doth passe amongst them inter pias fraudes and it is held no sinne to lye to serue a turne for the good of the Church of Rome So Cardinall Bellarmine belying Luther saith vt Fredericus Staphilus citat fratres in malo Staphilus beleeued Luther and Bellarmine did not cite Luther himselfe in his owne words but Staphilus teaching Luther to speake 3 They alleadge for proofe of this inuocation of Saints 2 Pet. 1.15 where there is no syllable to that purpose 3 Daniel is cited where in like manner nothing is said to that argument 4 Hester 13.14 it is Apochryphall but I will not refuse the authority for they are directly against them they are a part of the praier of Mardoche Neither will I worship any but thee O God neither will I doe it in pride 5 1 Chron. 29.18 Another shamelesse quotation against themselues for there Dauid praieth to the God of Abraham Isaac and Israel not to
There is great cause of iubilation in the Church when the righteous increase therefore there is cause of ioy giuen to the Church when the wicked perish The solution of this doubt dependeth vpon this consideration The enemies of God and of our religion are to be considered two waies 1 As they are the creatures of God and partners with vs of the same nature so they are our owne flesh and no man euer hated his owne flesh thus the persons of all men ought to be deare to vs and their life pretious and their welfare desired 2 As they are by their corruptions turned enemies to God and to his Church so shall not I hate them O Lord which hate thee not their persons but their sinnes their malice against the Church that is odio perfecto odi eos Againe in the destruction of Gods enemies we must consider 1 Who it is that punisheth them for it is the hand of God and this is matter of ioy to the Church it is one of the duties of the Sabbath to reioyce in the operations of Gods hand and this is repeated there for one in the Psalmes for the Sabbath Psal 92.4 Thou hast made me glad through thy worke I will triumph in the worke of thy hands When the wicked spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall bee destroyed for euer For loe thine enemies O Lord for loe thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall bee scattered Mine eye also shall see my desire vpon mine enemies c. All which sheweth that the ruine and confusion of Gods enemies is the ioy of the Church as it is the worke of Gods hand for doe we not say Tu Domine fecisti and is it not our prayer fiat voluntas tua and are wee not to reioyce in it when it is done doth not God doe all things well and doe not all things worke together for the good of Gods children 2 We must consider who they be that suffer these are brethren with vs according to the flesh here our bowels yearne and we haue cause to mourne and lament on their behalfe for their sinnes that deserued this iudiciall processe against them He that hath a christall glasse in his hand into which his enemie hath infused poison to destroy him and seeth the glasse broken in his hand discouereth the preseruation of his life by that breaking may he not at the same time be glad that the poison is spilt and sorry that so good a glasse is broken The nature which is impoisoned in Gods enemies is Gods creature if the breaking of this glasse of humane nature doe let the poison fall to the ground is there not cause of ioy for the preuention of that euill and yet cause of griefe for the losse of that vessell by which this worke of mischiefe was to be effected Our elements of which we are composed in the frame of our bodies are mixt and not pure and simple bodies the affections that are in the inferiour part of the soule are also mixt for our best courage is shaken with some feare our hope mingled with some doubt our ioy commedled with sorrow that in the very seruice of God we reioyce with trembling In our intellectuall part our vnderstanding is not cleare of clouds in our spirituall and diuine inspirations by the holy ghost there is aliquid carnis some of the naturall man that eclipseth the light and weakeneth the force of the holy ghost in vs. Therefore as there is cause of ioy so is there cause of griefe in the case of Gods enemies but it is a safe rule alwaies to reioyce in the Lord and to approue admire and blesse the operation of his hands The powder traitours whose zeale of the religion of Rome turned them all into gunpowder and inflamed them to that furie and malice as to destroy the peace and the Religion of this Land with one blast how would they haue ioyed to haue brought forth the mischiefe in full birth which they had conceiued yet the bowels of our compassion were moued towards them to see them dye and suffer the iust reward of their most damnable proiection But the bowels of the wicked are cruell shall I shew you the mercy of a Pope it was Sixtus 5. vpon occasion of the murther of Henry the 3. the French King who in ioy of it being performed treacherously by a Monke set on by himselfe doth make a panegyricall oration in the praise of the Creatour and admireth the excellent worke of God in it quod simplex monachus non mutato habitu nongladio clipeoue armatus ad regem libere penetrauit Is not the folly of this sonne of Belial worthy to be despised that makes this a miracle that a Monke vnarmed and in his own habite wherein no man mistrusted him did commit this treason for so these false Monkes were without suspition admitted to the Kings presence but had he changed his habite and come armed he had beene preuented He reioyceth in the Kings death yet he was no heretique as Rome cals heresie but a sonne of the Pope and he layeth the murther to Gods charge Regem Deus per sacratum virum interfecit the whole oration is extant in print they are all ashamed of it so full it is both of folly and malice Wee may not doe the God whom we worship and serue that vnthankefull iniurie to omit the late fearefull example of his iudgement declared vpon a Popish conuenticle assembled in a priuate meeting to an hereticall Sermon they are blinde that see not the hand of God in it and they that take not warning by it to auoyd the like may tempt the iustice of God to some new execution for he hath treasures of wrath I thinke I speake the charitable thoughts of you all it was a iudgement much to be deplored in respect of them that suffered the same So great a number presently either broken with the ruines of the house or smothered with the closenesse of their owne heapes one vpon another others wounded some dead found some fallen into madnesse We haue cause all of vs to lament the sudden violent death of so many of whom we haue cause to perswade our selues charitably that they had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge and that they were made beleeue that they did God good seruice But how many open Churches did they passe by how many learned Preachers might they haue heard at that time from whose light they might haue borrowed light and in whom they might haue heard Iesus Christ speaking to his Church and declaring the way of saluation they forsooke the houses of God to retire themselues into a chamber where their owne weight was their ruine by the iust hand of God as we must needes confesse for his workes are often secret but alwaies iust Did not the blinde leade the blinde and both fell into the ditch
what God hath directly promised to vs yet hee requireth vs to demand this of him by prayer whether it be for giuing vs good things or for remouing euill from vs. God himselfe doth giue it a cause of his indignation against Iacob Thou hast not called vpon me O Iacob therefore I haue giuen Iacob to the curse and Israel to reproach God in fauour meant to forgiue the friends of Iob who had not spoken right of him as Iob had done and therefore he blameth them and sheweth his anger kindled against them yet notwithstanding hee directeth them the way of their reconciliation to him They must offer sacrifice to God for themselues and Iob must pray for them Him I will accept saith God so his prayer preuailed for them with God The like fauour God meant to Abimelech yet hee passed it to him by prayer by the prayer of Abraham He is a Prophet he shall pray for thee viues Pharaoh himselfe could discerne that there was no way out of the plague that oppressed Egypt but by prayer and therefore he saith to Moses Intreate the Lord that he may take away the Frogges from me and my people It is obiected that the wicked of the earth doe possesse many great fauours of God and in more plenty then the iust and yet they neither pray for what they want nor giue thankes for what they receiue and indeed God is not in all their waies Let not this quench our zeale or abate any thing from the reuerent frequencie of this holy duty for God the Father hath two manners and kindes of distribution and dispensation of his fauours amongst the children of men here on earth 1 God bestoweth his gifts as a faithfull Creator and so he is conseruer of his creatures by a generall prouidence and thus he letteth his Sunne shine and his raine fall vpon the iust and vniust thus he openeth his hand and filleth all things with plenty 2 God bestoweth other fauours as a mercifull Father for Iesus Christs sake and with those fauours his blessing goeth forth and passeth vpon them onely that feare him for seeing he hath ordained Christ his Sonne to be the way of his blessing all the benefits that he bestoweth on man without the mediation of Iesus Christ doe come without his blessing The vngodly of the earth doe receiue many of Gods common gifts but not by the way of grace therefore they are without his blessing so that we cannot esteeme the owners thereof rich seeing the blessing of God maketh man truely rich But whatsoeuer the vngodly possesse is to them vnsanctified therefore let not our eye be set vpon that which they haue and enioy to enuy their prosperity rather let vs consider the want of Gods blessing to lament their miserie and let Saint Paul teach vs that The good things which God bestoweth on his deare children are sanctified by the word of God and by prayer Thus the gifts of God are made blessings to vs the holy Ghost hath an hand in the dispensation of them to Gods glory in vs the aduancement of our saluation The difference betweene these two receiuers doth appeare to vs 1 In the effect that these gifts worke in them 2 In the vse to which they are applied 1 For the effect Where God for Christs sake doth bestow and wee doe receiue good things from him there followeth contentation which euer accompanieth godlinesse but the vngodly man is neuer satisfied 2 For the vse The iust man applieth all the gifts of God to three ends 1 To the glory of God for he vseth the gifts of God as the faculties of well doing whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God 2 To the good of our neighbour for that is the law proximum tuum vt teipsum so that in the Church of God there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both our spirituall and temporall gifts doe by communion of charity so participate themselues to our brethren and sisters as the stomach in the body receiueth in nourishing food not for it selfe onely though into it selfe first but for the good of the whole body 3 Because the end of our creation was not for this life and we haue here no abiding city therefore the faithfull doe apply all the gifts of God as helpes to the prosecution of eternall life whereas the vngodly finde them impediments to them the cause is for they make them the end of their labours and fixe their hearts vpon them The doctrine of the necessity of prayer is thus cleared from the Commandement by which it is imposed and from our necessities no other way to be relieued 2 In the next place I obserued in those Disciples that they found themselues not well instructed in that seruice of God and therefore desire to be taught And this is a common defect for although by a naturall instinct we know that good things are sought by prayer and the wants and griefes which we doe feele will easily breake forth into words yet the Apostle saith Wee know not what wee should pray for as we ought I vnderstand that the Apostles doe here desire to be instructed 1 In the matter of prayer what to aske 2 In the manner of it as they ought But because this motion doth arise from a sense of defect in themselues we know not saith Saint Paul 1 Then of that sense 1 Euery man hath this defect for flesh and bloud is not wise enough to pray prayer is the worke of a better spirit then that which enliues and actuates our mortall bodies it is the worke of the holy Ghost the same spirit that is the spirit of grace is also the spirit of supplications But euery man doth not feele this defect for many doe ouerweene their ability this way and despise the helpe of all set prayers and take vpon them to be able without any other directions to tell their owne tales to God Almighty and vpon this ability which they conceiue in themselues for this seruice they doe neglect the publique meetings of our Church to our common prayers I iudge not their sufficiencie that way but I must admonish you that you doe mistrust it euery man in himselfe so farre as to put all the feare and holy reuerence you can to this worke For if we be carefull in petitions to great personages and Princes to weigh our words and to aduise with our best care both what and how we desire This holy seruice of God which is so maine a part of Gods worship cannot bee vndertaken with too much feare and reuerence wee cannot come too prepared to this conference with our God They that are sensible hereof as no doubt these Apostles were doe well to desire to be taught Wee had need to bee taught our owne and it is not quenching the spirit in our brethren to admonish them of this naturall vnfitnesse that is in vs to pray
cleared for as his Lord forgaue him so should he haue forgiuen his fellow seruant The oddes is great for that seruant did owe his Lord 10000 talents which in the margent of the Kings Bible is estimated in our accompt at 750 ounces of siluer to a talent which amounteth to a huge masse of wealth But his fellow seruant did owe him 100 pence and there euery Roman denarius is valued but at 7 d. ob which difference is put to expresse the great debt that we owe to our God and the small debts that our neighbours doe owe vs so that we who pray for the pardon of our great debts at the hand of God might not thinke much to forgiue the small debts owing vs. Though indeed there be nulla proportio finiti ad infinitum and our debt to our God for infinite sinnes is infinite and Christ would not haue vs seeke the pardon hereof but in the way of charity measuring the same measure to our brethren which wee desire for our selues 6 The duties required from hence 1 From the consideration of our sinnes against which we pray 1 Wee are taught before wee pray to search our hearts and our waies for sinne to examine our reines and to see if there bee any way of wickednesse in vs for so did Dauid I know mine owne wickednesse and my sinne is euer before me This generall confession of our sins in the lump will not serue without a particular recognition of so many as wee can call to our remembrance and therefore hee that would sollicite God for this gratious pardon it behooueth him to examine himselfe by euery commandement of the law and to see how much how often hee hath offended God in the breach of euery one of these commandements in thought word and deed Let him consider what amends he can make to his God for these sinnes that finding himselfe a debtor and knowing how much he oweth he may see that hee is no waies able to satisfie the debt and then he will pray heartily for forgiuenesse of it This is well exprest in the forementioned parable where the King tooke accompt of his seruants and there it is set downe how much one of them did owe him the whole debt was 10000 talents Let no man discourage him to doe this because all our sinnes laid by themselues doe swell to so great a bulke as when we take them into consideration we cannot take vp This was Dauids case Innumerable euils haue compassed mee about mine iniquities haue taken hold vpon me so that I am not able to looke vp they are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth me Dauid doth well expresse these sinnes of ours in their burthen oppressing vs in their number not to bee reckoned He saith more then the hayres of our head S. Aug. saith Minima sunt sed multa sunt But our sinnes are multa magna wee cannot accompt them for who can tell how oft he hath offended These be those builders that set vp a wall of separation betweene God and vs these bee those mists which gather into thick clouds to eclipse the light of Gods countenance and to hinder the cheerefull shining thereof vpon vs. It is the Churches pitifull complaint Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayer should not passe through We haue made this thick cloud with the rising vapours of our many sins which hinder the passage of our prayers Therefore wee must peruse the booke of our conscience and heare the accusations of Sathan we must put our selues in our owne eyes and lay our whole life open like a rowle that is spred before the law of God and euery man must say quid feci In this accompt wee must examine our debitor and creditor as strictly as we vse to doe in the suruey of our estate And here wee shall finde our God a great creditor for what haue we that wee haue not receiued the life that quickens vs the cloathes that couer vs the bread that feeds vs the houses that harbour vs the fruit of the wombe of the earth of the seas health liberty peace and before all our religion these are all of him and through him and by him and from him We shall finde our selues debtors to him the full obedience of the whole law Let vs saue God a labour herein for if wee doe not search our waies our selues he will doe it for vs but a-against vs as he hath said But I will reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes This searching of our wounds to the bottome is the way of our recouery this reuealeth vs to our selues and shewes vs what it is we pray against for when wee come to behold all our sinnes together and finde them innumerable and intolerable wee shall see cause for this petition to desire of God the pardon of them 2 Our second duty is confession of them which doth put them into the eye of God this is implyed in the petition forgiue vs our sinnes for therein we confesse our selues sinners So Dauid I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid Sathan the accuser of the brethren the great Promooter will informe against vs and make the worst of euery thing we haue said or done Our brethren whom wee haue wronged will complaine of vs our owne workes will ioyne with them in the information all these things are against vs therefore Dauid doth well to be his owne accuser saying peccaui stulte egi Iob doth well to cry peccaui quid faciam tibi custos hominum The Prodigall bethought him of the best course to goe to his father and say vnto him peccaui contra coelum contrate c. Saint Bernard directeth us in confession of sinnes 1 It must be humilis against all opinion of setting of some of our sinnes with some of our righteousnesse 2 It must be pura without concealing excusing or defending our sinnes 3 It must be fidelis with confidence in the healing mercies of God There must be confossio cordis the heart must ake for it There must be confusio facici the face must be ashamed of it There must then be confessio oris the tongue must tell the heauy tale of our abberrations But here ariseth a feare Dauid saith who can tell how oft he offendeth who then hath searched the neast of concupiscence within him so narrowly as to finde out all the young ones we haue committed many sinnes that we haue forgotten we haue done much euill that we are not aware of many secret sinnes secret to the world and to the eyes of others many also secret euen to our selues Against this feare let vs oppose 1 A counsaile 2 Comfort The counsaile is let no day escape thee wherein thou dost not suruey thy wayes and before thou sleepest euen the reckoning with thy God by a contrite confession of thy sinnes for often and euen
of such offences are properly against our selues Sworne men are bound by vertue of their oath to enquire after such as doe not liue in the obedience of the lawes of the Church and of the Common-wealth their oath is faithfull to present such delinquents to superiour authority that the ecclesiasticall or ciuill Magistrate may proceed against such delinquents to punish them according to law This is the oath of Church officers and of the Sworne-men of the Iewry let me admonish such that they make conscience of that oath for the wisedome of the State hath put them in trust to giue intelligence of law-breakers for the common good that by punishing of offenders the law may stand in full strength In this case let no Sworne-man take vpon him to forgiue an offender by suppressing this sworne intelligence for the faults detected are not personall trespasses done to them but of an higher nature preuarications of the lawes of God of the Church or of the Common-wealth and therefore out of our power to remit them against their oath to conceale them Mercy here is cruell to such as doth deceiue the trust committed to them and breake the oath sworne by the holy name of God for God will not hold such innocent and it is cruelly to society which is best preserued by inquisition and delation of offenders This resolution of this case of conscience doth also cleare another for a Magistrate to whom the supreme and soueraigne authority doth giue subordinate regencie for administration of equall iustice though as a priuate person he ought to remit offences done to him as he would haue God forgiue him yet in offences done against the law he hath rules set him from which hee must not swarue The soueraigne Magistrate doth commit to the subordinate the dispensation of his iustice and to this he is sworne but he reserueth to himselfe the dispensation of mercy to qualifie and mitigate the rigour of law so that remission of offences in that case is out of the power of deputed Iudges Concerning cases of difference betweene man and man the question is whether those that solicite God in this petition may prosecute suits of law one against another seeing wee stand so strictly obliged to forgiuenesse Our answer is that in regard of the many differences which grow betweene men here God hath ordained Magistracie and politicall gouernment to set all to rights and to assigne suum cuique Therefore in all cases of variance we ought to resort to our Iudges and by men experienced in the lawes to alleadge what wee pretend for our right and to submit our selues to their iudicature So as children goe to a father to iudge between them and this may be done in charity of them who seeke for nothing but equall iustice They that mingle trickes of wit vntrue suggestions cunning suppressions of truth corruption of Iudges or witnesses or any other indirect conueyances with their iust cause or bumbast an euill and leane cause with this vniust addition doe highly offend God and abuse the remedy which God hath ordained to establish peace They that malitiously pursue rightfull cases or cunningly colour vnrightfull with the false dye of seeming pretences striue against charity and peace They that reinduce suits of molestation making iust lawes vniust roddes to scourge those whom God would haue spared trespasse loue But in a case of personall iniury by deprauation of our good name by hurt to our persons or to any thing belonging to vs we may charitably forgiue the wrong done to vs and iustly pursue the offender ad dignam emendationem LVC. 11.4 And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill THis Petition is commonly by our late Writers called the sixt and last Petition of the Lords prayer But the Fathers heretofore haue diuided it into two making seauen petitions whom I follow These foure last petitions are chained together with a coniunction copulatiue Giue vs our daily bread that we may liue and forgiue vs all our sinnes past and present that we may bee reconciled to thee And leade vs not into temptation that we may liue in all godlinesse and honesty hereafter But deliuer vs from the euill one that is from Sathan that hee may haue no power to corrupt our vnderstandings or affections This coniunction is doctrinall 1 It teacheth that wee haue no warrant to pray to God for the necessaries of life except our desire bee to liue well for why should we desire life of God but that we may liue to good workes which God hath ordained for vs that we should walke in them 2 To liue in our sinnes vnrepented of vs vnpardoned of God is to liue most vnhappily therefore the former petition is to reconcile vs to God for all things past amisse and these following petitions serue for preuentions of offences to come O let me liue and I will praise thy name Sinne no more said Christ lest some greater euill fall vpon thee In the storie of the poore widow that was much indebted whom the creditor threatned to take her two sonnes for bondmen in satisfaction of the debt when she made her moane to Elisha that he would take compassion of her Elisha demanded what she had in the house she answered nothing but a pot of oyle he willed her to borrow many empty vessels and she did so and poured out of her pot and filled them all then said the Prophet Goe and sell the oyle pay the debt and liue thou and thy children of the rest In this miracle of Gods mercy our sinnes bee our debts iustice is the creditor which exacteth satisfaction the oyle that must pay the debt is the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men My grace saith Christ to Paul is sufficient for thee Sufficient it is to pay the debt of all our sinnes past sufficient for vs to liue on in the time to come for this oyle we pray in these petitions forgiue vs our sinnes demandeth so much as will pay the debt and leade vs not into temptation desireth enough to maintaine vs for the time to come that we may not runne againe vpon the score in a new reckoning These two cares must not be parted Christ hath put them together Ecce sanus factus es then followeth Noli amplius peccare For without this nothing that we heare from God nothing that we aske of God speedeth with him or vs for Dauid saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart Dominus nom ex audit we must not be like dogs and swine returning c. We must as Saint Peter aduiseth consider that the time past of our life may suffice vs to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings banquettings c. There must be a forsaking of sinne before there can be a partaking of mercy as Salomon saith who so confesseth and forsaketh sinnes shall haue mercy There be two things