calleth Herod a Fox and the impure Dogges and Hogges Matth. 7. Furthermore whosoever amendeth not the corruptions of our generation and is not renewed in Christ but dieth such a beastly man as we have described this man shall everlastingly retain his Satanicall nature arrogant disdainfull proud and shall remain a cruell Lion an envious Dogge a ravenous Wolfe a venemous worm and a Basilisk never to be reformed he carrieth about with him alwayes the image of Satan in everlasting darknesse to beare witnesse he lived not in Christ nor was renewed according to the Image of God according to John Apoc. 21. Without be Dogges Idolaters and all Inchanters that love and tell lies CHAP. III. How the man is renewed in Christ to life eternall Galat 6. In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature REgeneration is the work of the holy Ghost by which the man the sonne of wrath and eternall condemnation is made the sonne of grace and salvation and of a sinner a just man through Faith the Word and the Sacraments by which our hearts both sense mind understanding will and affections are renewed illuluminated and sanctified in Christ and according to Christ unto a new creature Therefore regeneration is conceived chiefly in two benefits and graces I say in Justification and Sanctification or Renovation Cap. 3. ad Tit. Wherefore the originall of every Christian is two-fold his line or Twofold birth nativity and generation the one carnall defiled with sin damned and accursed descending from Adam by which the seed of the Serpent the image of the Devill and the earthly and beastly man is propagated The other spirituall holy heavenly happy and blessed new birth or regeneration through Christ doth plentifully grow forth by which the seed and image of God and the man of God so heavenly and like unto God is after a spirituall manner begotten produced for even as the stem of old Adam is in us so is it necessary also that the new stock progeny and kindred of Christ be truly in us And this is that old new man old and new birth old new Adam The word of God is the seed of the new birth the earthly and heavenly image the old and new Jerusalem the flesh and the spirit Adam and Christ in us lastly the outward and inward man Now goe to let us see how we are regenerated by Christ Even as the old birth is propagated carnally from Adam so regeneration is made spiritually from Christ through the word of God which is like unto a seed of a new creature born saith Peter Epist 1. cap. 1. not of a corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God living and remaining for evermore And blesed John Cap. 1. For he begot us voluntarily by the word of his faith tbat we might be a certain beginning of his creatures Therefore this Word produceth Faith which apprehendeth in like manner the Word and in that Jesus Christ together with the holy Ghost and by that vertue force and efficacie the man is regenerated Briefly regeneration is made first by the holy Ghost John 3. and this doth Christ call or term to be born of the Spirit Secondly by faith John 5. He that beleeveth Jesus to be Christ is born of God Thirdly by Baptisme John 3. Vnlesse one be born again of water and the Spirit he cannot Faith is the means of the new birth enter into the Kingdome of heaven Of which things let us see further By Adam the man came by the greatest and chiefest of evils sinne abomination wrath death devill hell and damnation for these are the fruits of the old descent and originall but in Christ the man recovereth and receiveth the chiefest good as justice grace blessing The fruits of both births life and eternall salvation From Adam the man hath a carnall spirit and the ruâ—e and dominion of wicked spirits contrariwise from Christ he hath the holy Ghost with his gifts and a most quiet reigne and Kingdom for such as the spirit of man is such is his originall nativity and propriety You know not of what spirit you are of saith Christ Luke 9. From Adam the man hath an arrogant spirit swelling and proud who if he have a desire to be regenerate and born again and to be renewed then it will be necessary for him to receive an humble spirit plain and simple from Christ by A new spirit from Christ faith From Adam we receive an unbeleeving spirit blasphemous and ungratefull therefore it behoveth us by faith in Christ to attain to a beleeving spirit faithfull acceptable and well pleasing unto God From Adam a disobedient fierce and rash spirit is given unto us from Christ we must take the spirit of obedience meeknesse and modesty through faith in Christ From Adam we possesse the spirit of wrath hostility revenge and homicide but from Christ by faith in the place thereof is to be gotten the spirit of long-suffering love of man and goodnesse it selfe which is charity From Adam by our nativity and carnal off-spring the man hath a covetous heart and spirit churlish seeking onely his owne commodities and profits snatching and catching that which is another mans but from Christ by faith is to be obtained the spirit of mercy piety and liberality From Adam by carnall propagation doth proceed the spirit of shamelesnesse uncleannesse and intemperance against which it is meet to seek to obtain a chaste spirit clean and temperate From Adam is communicated to him a lying spirit speaking nothing but falsenesse and calumniation from Christ we ought to participate the spirit of truth integrity and constancy Last of all from Adam doth From Adam all evill from Christ all goodnesse passe the spirit of beasts terrene or earthly and meere brutish and contrariwise there is to be conceived from Christ a spirit from heaven celestiall and divine and for that cause it was behoovefull for Christ to take humanity upon him to be conceived by the holy Ghost and to abound with the same spirit above measure yea for this cause it was convenient that the Spirit of the Lord the Spirit of wisdome and understanding the Spirit of counsell and fortitude the Spirit of knowledge and the feare of God should rest upon him as saith Isaias Chap. 11. that the humane nature in him The human nature is renewed by Christ and his Spirit and by him should be renewed and that we in him and by him and through him should become a new off-spring and a new creature receiving from him the spirit of wisdome and understanding for the spirit of foolishnesse the spirit of knowledge in room of our naturall and inbred blindnesse the spirit of the feare of the Lord in stead of the spirit of impiety in which permutation consisteth the new life the fruit of the new creature or regeneration For as in Adam we were all spiritually dead neither could
judgement Rom. 2. The third is the Law of Nature or naturall justice by which honest and dishonest are commonly discerned whereby both joy and sorrow are discerned and reconciled For there was never The light of nature any Nation so barbarous and câ—â—ell which did not acknowledge some God to be nature arguing and convincing this by both inward and outward reasons most firmly yea they did acknowledge not only there was a God but taught by their owne conscience because therein somtimes they were cruciated with sharp and terrible things and sometimes they did find an inward pleasure and tranquillity thereby collecting that God was just and ought so to be and that he was the revenger of evâ—ll things and the rewarder of good things by which knowledge they went further to find the knowledge or doctrine of the immortality of the soule as appeareth by Plato who most gravely hath discussed and treated of this businesse Last of all by this law of Nature or inbred light they gathered that God was the author and cause of good according to whose nature the best and true worship was the study of vertue and a mind purged from vices wherefore they defined the summe or chiefe good by vertue vertue is the chiefe goodnesse and there were for that cause Schooles of Morall vertues founded and maintained by Socrates and other Philosophers which things doe serve us for instruction that God hath left in man a spark of the light of nature and as it were a certaine token of footstep of in-bred knowledge and understanding Sparks of naturall Theologie of God that thereby he might be admonished of his off-spring and by following these footsteps might so come to his Maker neither was many of the Ethnickes ignorant of this and amongst those Aratus the Poet spoken of by Saint Paul Acts 17. We are the off-spring of God And Munilius who thus saith Is there any doubt that God dwels in our hearts and that our souls return to heaven as they came from heaven Moreover because the Gentiles had this naturall testimony of God and a conscience besides which is a convincing argument that he is our maker and hereupon through their own fault and merit man shall be condemned and shall be altogether without excuse And St. Paul Ethnickes are inexcuseable to the Romans argueth thus Chap. 1. He who knoweth that God is and doth not study to know him aright and him to worship he shall be inexcusable at the day of judgement Seeing then that the Gentiles did know the justice of God that is to say taught by their natural conscience because they that do evill are worthy of death not only because they doe evill but because they are delighted therein and thereby have condemned themselves And in Chap. 2. hee speaketh of their consciences in themselves in like manner accusing or excusing themselves will be a testimony at the future day of judgement when God shall judge the hidden thoughts of men which if the Gentiles for that cause shal be inexcusable because being indued with the naturall knowledge of God against their consciences they have not sought God what shall they say for themselves to whom God hath manifested his Word and by Jesus Christ his onely begotten Sonne hath invited them to repentance that is that they should abstain from sinne and decline from the works of malice to participate by faith False Christians lesse excuseable then Ethnicks the merit of Christ and obtain thereby eternall salvstion Wherefore every halfe Christian in that day shall be condemned of two most grievous witnesses by their conscience I say the law of Nature and by Two witnesses shal coÌ„demn the wicked the revealed word of God Whereupon the terrible sentence will follow Christ saying In that day it shall be easier or better for Sodome and Gomorrah then for them and that the Queen of the South shall arise to the condemnation of the wicked generation The reason is because our great God made the Whereupon cometh the eternall vexatioÌ„ of the soul soule immortall and in that soul a conscience which can neither forget God nor come at God and hereupon followeth the terrible vexation and unrest of the soule and the everlasting pains of the damned which also will be so much more heavy hereafter by how much more by impenitency of heart they have heaped up the wrath of God against the day of judgement 2 Thess 2. for even as our great God Why amongst Christians be wickedness unknown to the heathen by a most just judgement hath given over the Gentiles into a reprobate sense because they contemned the inward Law of Nature and their conscience and the Law of God written in their hearts and contemptuously resisted it as God himself whereby they become blind in their understanding they fell violently into filthy and abominable heynous offences thereby heaping up the just wrath of God So false Christians because they have contemned both as well the inward as the outward testimony of God in not repenting doe resist the holy Ghost and blaspheme God For this cause God giveth them over to a reprobate sense worse then Ethnickes and Turkes And moreover suffereth them to fall into terrible errours to beleeve lies and that all those should be punished that are delighted in unrighteousnesse Whereupon it is that such filthy abominable offences do creep abroad among Christians and doe beare rule pompous and Satanicall pride unsatiable covetousnesse abominable intemperance beastly lust and every kind of most inhumane wickednesse all which doe arise from wilfull blindnesse hardnesse of heart and are in a reprobate sense and the reason is because Christians in their life and They that wil not follow Christ follow Satan conversation will not follow poore courteous meek lowly Christ and are scandalized in him thinking it a shame to them to lead his most holy life whom God hath given to the world that they might live after his example as in the light and walke in his steps Hereupon the the same most just God suffereth them to follow Satan taking the life of Satan upon them full of all abominable wickednesse lying and unmercifulnesse to execute all the workes of darknesse because they resolved in their minds not to walk in the light according to that of Christ Walk in the light while you Joh. 12. have the light that the darknesse doe not overtake you Lastly if God did punish the Ethnicks with such terrible blindnesse and reprobate sense because they contemned the Law of Nature being like unto the snuffe of a Lamp smoking and the remainder of the darknesse of the light of Nature and Conscience or as the words of Paul to the Romans Chap. 1. they did not approve it to have God in their knowledge so that by their own fault they went without their own salvation how much more true is it The new covenant written in our hearts that those doe not attain to salvation in
the pleasures of the world for the fear of God is the foundation and beginning of wisdome and devotion all which the concupiscence and delight of the world doth extinguish For even as by daily contrition or sorrow for sinne and mortification The renewing of the man with his soule of the flesh the man is daily renewed according to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. Although our outward man be daily broken yet our inward man is daily renewed in bearing heavenly fruits and celestiall of unexplicable sweetnesse So contrariwise the pleasure of the world bringeth heavinesse vexation and wound of conscience yea so great The losse of the soul by worldly pleasure is the calamity of the mind and so heavie is the losse of heavenly gifts which flow from the pleasure of the flesh and worldly delights as he that calleth them to mind or would call them to mind he cannot overcome or detest any of the worldly joyes Two things there be which whosoever disputeth and seriously pondereth The fruit of the meditation of eternal ioy and misery with himselfe hee must be neither affected with worldly pleasures nor moved with calamities The one is the pain of the damned which whosoever shall bee willing to consider of deeply truly the more for that cause because it is eternal he is never heartily merry or joyous The other is life eternal which he cānot for that cause neither take out of his mind nor The impedimēt of spirituall ioy and sorrow mitigate do what he can neither whereof because we sometimes doe revolve them in our mind seriously can we revolve hereupon it is no wonder that wee are both without wholsome contrition and sorrow as also ignorant altogether and unexperienced of celestiall joyes and it is the property The true cause of ioy and sorrow of a true Christian to be equally minded who rejoyceth very sparingly in earthly things being full of divine pleasures and life eternall neither is he carried away immoderatly with calamities or dejected in adversity but against the losse of the soule only he beareth it so as for that cause all his life time he doth not refuse to account it a thing worthy of lamentation for a Christian loseth nothing that is never so little of these fragill things which perish but he shall receive a thousand fold in another world but if the soule once perish it cannot be repaired or recovered Blessed then is the man that findeth this divine sorrow and besides that celestiall and spiritual pleasure But oft times we perversly and crookedly doe laugh when we ought rather to weep seeing there is no true liberty or delight but in the feare of God and a right conscience which without faith and holy life can neither be had nor kept For faith accompanied with divine sorrow by the holy Ghost doth correct The hinderāces of the king dome of God the defects of man daily which daily means every man neglecteth and he loseth the best cause and part of living thereby he is adversary to the new life hindereth the kingdom of God in himselfe neither can Who is truly wise he be set free of the blindnesse of his heart Whereupon it followeth that he onely deserveth the name of a prudent and wise man who declines w th all study what he understandeth shall be an obstacle to amendment of life and proficience of heavenly gifts neither doth he determine to flie those things only whereby any calamities might arise to the body and the faculties thereof but much more those things which he understands to be grievous to the mind or any wayes burdensome Be of good cheare then and learn to warre like an enemy and so continue a valiant man can best resist a wicked custome according to that of Saint Paul Rom. 12. Be not overcome of evill but overcome the evill with goodnesse For there is no cause why thou shouldst think thy selfe sick of incurable evils if thou reflect thy thoughts upon thine own mind cogitations first view thine own proper defects and do not curiously first cast a rash censure of judging thy neighbour in admonishing him before thou hast controlled thy selfe first Wherefore if this daily sorrow and spirituall contrition beget reproach and reports and for that cause the good will of men grow cold towards thee take heed therefore that you grieve not at it but rather complain of thy selfe as becometh a Christian and live Christian-like as thy mind desireth and that thou mightest in good works equall the dignity of the name of a Christian For it is meet for thee to be afflicted by the world grieved at it that therefore in like maner God might delight in thee according to that of Isai 57. I doe The ioy of the world and of heaven are quite contrary dwell on high in the holy place and with a contrite and humble spirit that I might quicken the humble spirit contrite heart It is impossible that divine worldly joy at one time reside in the heart of man so contrary they are and so different in their off-spring when the pleasure of the world begetteth one in prosperity the other of heaven is begotten in adversity I acknowledge it indeed to be beside yea against nature to rejoyce in adversity according to that of Paul 2. Cor. 6. As heavy yet rejoycing as poor yet being rich as having nothing yet possessing all things But the grace of God doth mend and purifie change nature whereupon the Apostles rejoyced because they were accoūted worthy to suffer some things for Jesus Christ Act. 4. Neither do all true Christians otherwise who are made the new creature and become other men for they rejoyce and are glad in adversity and indeed those things that disturb the old man cānot disturb the new man who with S. Paul Rom. 8. glorieth in tribulation The joy that is from above is more noble then earthly pleasures which he perceiveth very well by the contumely and contempt of Christ who belongeth to him of whom if we be ignorant let us perswade our selves again and again that this happeneth by reason of the love of the True humility world A man truly humbled thinketh himselfe worthy of afflictions and tribulation and unworthy of divine consolations But by how much he thinketh himselfe unworthy so much more largely is he visited of God And by the more and the oftner he deploreth his sinne so much the lesse is he affected to the world yea it becometh more grievous and bitter to him thereby He who considereth himself as is meet findeth More causes of mourning then ioy more things wherein to mourn then wherein to rejoyce And he who examineth another mans life shall gather more things worthy pitie and compassion then arguments of envie thereby When Christ wept over Jerusalem which persecuted him and followed him to death even because he deplored the sinnes and blindnesse of it let us think the same
this man it is manifest doth not know God who is nothing but Charity or Love For the knowledge of God and Christ is known by experience and feeling and seeing that Christ is meer love and meeknesse it followeth that he that is without charity is without Christ according to that of By charity God is known Saint Peter Epist 2. chap. 1. If you had charity this would not leave you empty nor without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ And Christ himselfe John 13. In this all men may know if you be my Disciples What a disciple of Christ should doe if you love one another But to be the Disciple of Christ is not sufficient to be a Christian in name and outward profession but it behoveth us to be more to beleeve in Christ to love him and follow him to live in him to counsell with him to listen to him to be inwardly loved of him and lastly to participate with him in all his goodnesse Which love of Christ who so hath not this man is not of Christ for how should Christ know him which is destitute of Christ For even as an Apple by his savour and a Flower by his smell is knowne so a Christian is known by his love Bouldly and without doubt blessed Paul affirmeth it 1 Corinth 13. All gifts without Charity is nothing And in truth the knowledge of divers Tongues nor Miracles nor knowledge of Mysteries or any such like good things doe shew a good Christian but faith which God requireth no hard thing worketh by charity Moreover God commandeth not hard things unto us as to work miracles but to exercise charity and humility neither in the day of judgmeÌ„t shal it be demanded of thee how thou hast been verst in the Arts Tongues Sciences but whether thou hast loved charity through faith I have been hungry saith our Saviour Matth. 25. and thou gavest mee to eate And blessed Paul to the Galatians chap. 5. witnesseth In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Charity Furthermore the words of Saint John Epist 1. Chap. 4. If any man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lier For he that doth not love his brother whom hee seeth how can hee love God whom hee hath not seen And this commandement have we of God He that loveth God should also love his brother And this one thing they teach That the charity and love towards God cannot consist without the He must love his neighbour that wil love God love and charity towards our neighbour For he that hateth him cannot but hate God that is the chiefe lover of man Charity is the Law of Nature from which doe flow all good things to mankind and without it mankind would perish Al good is out of charity of necessity When any good thing happeneth to man it proceedeth from Love whereupon Saint Paul calleth charity the Bond of perfection to the Colossians chap. 3. and Rom. 12. doth declare in excellent words and magnificent oration the fruits thereof And our Saviour himselfe The whole law depends on charity Matthew 7. doth teach All things that you would that men should doe unto you doe you the same unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets I passe by that of the Ethnickes whose famous Adage or Sentence is out of the Law of Nature and taken from their Schoole That which you would not should be done to you doe not the same unto another Which most excellent admonition the Emperour Severus a Prince most praise-worthy daily had in his mouth and inserted it in his written lawes Charity is a Charity is the hope of eternall life certain figure of eternall life and a foretast or sweet drink of it wherein the elect doe mutually love each other sincerely do receive singular delight one from another and doe converse together in a wonderfull and ineffable concord sweetnesse affection cheerfulnesse and mildnesse and courtesie one with another Who so therefore doth desire as it were a certain fore supper of the eternall beatitude let him study Love wherewith he may Affinity with God by charity be delighted with singular pleasure and affection in the inward of his soul For how much purer more fervent and fruitful your charity is so much the neerer it approcheth to the divine nature when in God in Christ and the holy Ghost the charity is most pure most rare most fervent and noble Therefore that love will be pure when we love not for private profit but onely for the cause of God alone whom we may know in like manner he loved us and took in us delight most purely and for no good of his own Which he that doth not so but loveth his neighbour for his own profit his love is not pure and divine wherein The difference betwixt Ethnick and ChristiaÌ„ charity also consisteth the difference betweene Ethnick and Christian charity for they do all their vertues in seeking after their own private gain and honour do as it were cast ink upon Ivory but the Christian he loveth his neighbour in God and Christ gratis And the love is true and unfained when theâ—e is no hypocrisie nor dissimulation and love is born in the heart not in the lips and tongue wherewith many are deceived Lastly charity is ardent when it is accompanied with mercy and compassion and when the affairs of our neighbour goe as near to our heart as our own so that we should be ready to lay down our life if need It is the Christians property to love their enemies were for him John 3. after the example of Moses and Paul who wished to be accursed for their brethren Wherupon that also followeth that we ought even to love our enemies Matth. 5. Love your enemies do good unto those that hate you and pray for them that persecute you revile you that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven for if you love them which love you what reward have you or shall you have Doe not the publicans the same In this therefore conâ—isteth the excellency prerogative nobility and dignity of Christians to subject nature unto it selfe to tame his flesh and bloud and to overcome the world with the evill that is therein with goodnesse to the Romanâ— chap. 12. It is the commandement of God in Exod. 23. If thou meetest with thine enemies Oxe or Asse going astray bring him home If thou seest the Asse of him that hateth thee falling under his burden thou shalt not passe by him but thou shalt succour him What care hath God about dumb creatures blessed Paul 1 Cor. 9. admiring writeth Hath God care of Oxen And doth hee not speak this concerning us much more And Rom. 12. he elegantly giveth in charge If thine enemy hunger give him meat Wherefore lest wee think it not sufficieÌ„t not to hurt our neighbour but moreover we
might doe good unto him which to perform if any contemn and refuse this man cannot bee the sonne of God because he loveth not his neighbour He that exerciseth not Christian Charity doth shew a man how to be a living member of Christ charity that man separateth himselfe from the spirituall body of Christ which is the Church and forfeiteth or loseth thereby all the merits of Christ according to that of the Ephesians chap. 4. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme For even as the members pulled from the body doe not participate of the life and bountifull influence of the head but dieth every member even so as many as live not in charity these because they separate themselves from their head Christ doe not participate nor receive his life lively motions and fulnesse Prayer without charity is unprofitable according to that of Saint John Epist 1. chap. 3. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Last of all because by prayer all good gifts are to be obtained of God and without it all helps consolation and freedóme wee may look for but in vain being without blessing and safety And God Almighty giveth hearing to no prayers but to those that are grounded on Faith and Charity according to that saying of Matthew chap. 18. If two of you upon the earth consent together whatsoever they shall desire it shall be granted unto them by my Father which is in Heaven Goe to therefore O mortall men let us live in charity wherein is peace Peace in charity and union and where peace is there is the God of peace where he is in that place the Lord hath commanded his blessing and life for evermore CHAP. XXVII Wherefore our enemies are to be loved Matth. 5. Love your enemies doe good to those that hate you and pray for them that persecute you and revile you that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven THe first cause for which our enemies ought to be beloved of us is the commandement of God to which he giveth no other reason but that you may be the sonnes of your father of him that is to wit that loved us when we were his enemies Rom. 5. As if he should say Unlesse you love your enemies you cannot be the children of the heavenly Father And he that is not his sonne what father shall he have To which commandement when exceeding few of us doe obey it is manifest how farre wee are from the fruits of the children of God wherein we ought to use charity towards our enemies He that loveth not his brother saith blessed John Epist 1. chap. 3. abideth in death for hee hath not in him the true life which is of Christ which is spirituall and heavenly which consisteth in faith towards God and charity towards our neighbour according to that of blessed John We know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Whereupon it is manifest that the fruit testimony of our quickning in Christ is brotherly charity and contrariwise the hatred of him is death so that whosoever dieth in hatred hee shall die an everlasting death And all his good works that hateth his neighbour his divine worship and observation of the commandements of God are in vain according to that of Paul to the Without charity all works are dead Corinthians Epist 1. chap. 13. If I give and distribute all that I have to feed the poore and give my body to be burned have not charity it profiteth me nothing Moreover it is the property of a noble great and divine mind to pardon injuries For let us behold God both how long suffering he is and consider how suddenly hee is reconciled Behold Christ how amongst his most heavie torments and most inhumane pains on the Crosse like unto a Lamb did not so much as open his mouth Isa 53. Let us contemplate the holy Ghost who for no other cause rather appeared in the form of a Dove then to teach unto us the meeknesse and lenity and simplicity of manners Behold Moses with what patience hee did bear the reproaches of the people whereby Numb 12. he deserved this praise Moses was a most meek man above all men which remained on the earth David also with what Ienity of mind he did heare Shimei cursing of him 2 Sam. 16. And one saith True charity knoweth none to be angry with but himselfe and true peace consisteth not in a great fortune but in humble bearing of adversity and his adversaries Publius said excellent well The free estate of an honest man receiveth no reproach And Seneca If thou be magnanimous thou wilt never judge thy selfe any reproach to be done to thee Even as the Sun if any mad man should reproach it and call it meere darknesse for that cause it would not nor doth it change the nature of it so neither a valiant mind or generous whose great generosity is also to pardon The Ethniks examâ—le of long-suffering revenge And many Ethnicks in their examples did expresse thâ—se golden sayings and admonitions As Pericles that was the most pleasant Orator of Greece who having heard a man upbraiding and reproaching him the spâ—ce of a whole day with his own eares â—â—ght comming on did command him to bee brought into his house lest he should take any harm this speech bâ—ing added It is an easier thing to speak evill of vertue then to possesse it Phocion the Prince of the Athenians when he had deserved exceeding well of his Countrey through the envie of some was adjudged to death which being about to undergoe when he was asked by one if hee would command him any thing to his sonne Nothing else said he but that he never take in hand or goe about to revenge this injury which I suffer of my countrey Titus the Emperour when it was told him that two brethren did affect the Empire of Rome and that they had conspired his death made no scruple to bid them to supper and about three dayes after set himselfe betwixt them to behold a Stage-play with which admirable clemency he overcame their improbity When it was told to Julius Cesar that Cato had laid violent hands on himselfe He hath bereaved me saith he of the greatest victory that ever I had for I had decreed with my selfe freely to pardon him all the injuries he had done unto me But most of all whom would not the extream patience and meeknesse of the Sonne of God himselfe move to love his enemies The great long-suffering of God neither this nor any of those of the Ethnicks which I mentioned nor any of the Saints in their examples did equall him For what greater injustice and dishonesty can be thought on then that the Sonne of God should bee so miserably handled of men to be made a laughing-stock to bee scourged with stripes to be crowned with thorns to be spit upon and lastly to be nailed on the Crosse
and keepeth holy day and resteth from his wicked concupiscences will and works Which is to be taken of the state after conversion and of daily illumination and of the increase of gifts and spirituall grace Now neither is it unfitly said which Christ John 14. speaketh I am the Way the Truth and the Life calling himselfe the Way who sheweth the same unto us not How Christ is the way onely in doctrine but in his most holy life Which life is no other thing then a living faith and working by love hope patience meeknesse humility prayer the feare of the Lord and to speak in a word true repentance turning to God whereby we are drawn to the Truth and the Life wherein the whole Christianity doth consist which is the breviary or epitome of all bookes and precepts Which is also the true and Kingly way to life and truth and is Christ himselfe the book of life in the involving and learning whereof wee ought Christ is our book to spend all our life This I say is that strait way and narrow gate Matth. 7. which few doe find this is the book of life which almost none doe reade although in it all things are contained which a Christian ought to know so that wee shall need no other book to our eternall salvation Which is the reason why also the holy Scripture is contained in very few bookes to wit that it might appeare that Christianity did not consist in the multitude of The brevity of Scripture whereupon Commentaries and great Volumes but in living faith and imitation of Christ according to that of Eccles c. 12. There is no end of making many books and much meditation of the flesh is affliction In like maner let us all hear the end of speaking Fear God and keep his commandements Moreover Matth. 7. it is said That the Devill when men are asleep soweth Tares in the Wheat that teacheth us when men neglect repentance and sleep soundly in their sinnes and are overtaken with the love of this world we having more care of frail things then immortall goods then by little and little doth the Devil sprinkle his Pride is the field of heresies seed of false doctrine in the field of pride whereupon doe arise Sects and Heresies for by pride both Men and Angels lost the true light and all errors came into the world which yet we might have wanted if Satan and Adam had lived in the humble life of Christ Whereupon Saint Paul deservedly Ephes 6. saith Arise thou that sleepest and Christ shall inlighten thee being willing to shew that no man can bee divinely enlightned who hath not before shaken off from his eyes the sleep of sinne and driven from him security and impiety according to that of the Acts chap. 2. Repent and receive the gift of the holy Ghost And that of John chap. 17. The world cannot receive the holy Ghost understanding by the world a wicked and worldly life Likewise when Christ saith You know them by their fruits All things are known by the fruits what other thing signifieth it then not O Lord Lord but the fruits of life is the signe and mark of true and false Christians For what belongeth the pure doctrine to those false Christians use who under pretext of sheeps cloathing doe make shew when inwardly they are nothing less thē true Christians And although the life be corrupt yet it should not or may not bee drawn into the argument of false and wicked doctrine as the Papists do at this day esteeming and condemning our doctrine by the wickednes of our lives which way of arguing if it were worth any thing now the doctrine of Christ his Apostles had not been sound because even then many false Christians were found but it is yet and will be a shew and mark of the men themselves whereby The life is the mark of a man wee may know whether they bee true or false Christians he that teacheth otherwise teacheth otherwise then he liveth and when he beleeveth aright he doth blot his faith with an Antichristian life as if Ivory were spotted with Ink. In which sense so many as are so Christ calleth them false Christians unfruitfull trees fit for nothing but to be burned lastly that onely is true and Christian faith which worketh by love by which a man is made or becometh a new creature by which he is regenerated by which he is united with God by which Christ liveth in us dwelleth and worketh in us by which the kingdome of God is built in us and lastly by which the holy Ghost purgeth and enlightneth our hearts To which doe belong many golden Oracles of holy Scripture such as that 1 Cor. 6. He that cleaveth to the Lord is spirit And what is it to have the Spirit of Christ and to breath with it then to have the same understanding and mind and the same heart which joynt breathing and consent is nothing else but a new holy noble heavenly spirituall and heroicall life of Christ in us Also 2 Cor. 6. In Christ is a new creature terming to bee in Christ not onely to beleeve in him but to live in him Also Hosea 2. I will espouse thee to me for The espousing of Christ and its fruit ever in faith I will spouse thee to me Which indeed signifie nothing else then that a man wholly and spiritually is to bee united to Christ so that where faith is there is Christ where Christ is there his life is in man where the life of Christ is there is love where love is there is God himselfe for God is love and the holy Ghost remaineth For all things are connexed and chained together they cleave together no otherwise then the head with the members and the cause with the effect Which connexion of faith and life blessed The chain of vertue Peter Epist 2. chap. 1. representing to us writeth thus But of all have especiall care adde virtue to your faith and in virtue knowledge and in knowledge abstinence and in abstinence patience and in patience piety and in piety brotherly love and in brotherly love charity For if you have these things and abound therein you shall not bee empty nor bee without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But for those that have not these things those are blind and hand-bound being forgetfull of the purging of their old sinnes In which place the Apostle eloquently declareth in whom this conjoyning of faith and life is not when to bee ignorant of Christ to fall from faith and to walk in darknesse For it is the property of true True faith faith to change a man wholly to renew him and to quicken him in Christ so that hee may live and remain in Christ and Christ likewise in him CHAP. XL. Certain Rules very profitable to lead our lives Christian-like and devoutly 1 Timothy 4. Exercise thy selfe in piety for piety is profitable for
should shadow mine own honour under them and expect any thing besides the honour of God and the good of my neighbour therefore all are abomination accursed before Almighty God according to that of Matth. 7. Many Why God respecteth not the gifts shall say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and cast out Devils in thy Name and have done many miracles in thy Name And then I shall say unto them Because I know you not depart from me The alms of the ambitious is damnable you workers of iniquity and you have not respected me sincerely but your selves Of the like mind is Saint Paul If I should give all that I have unto the poore and have not charity it profiteth mee nothing Even that love which exerciseth or sheweth liberality for Gods cause alone and not for his own praise or profits sake Such as was the righteousnesse of the Pharisees who offered many sacrifices and drew on others that they might adorn their Temples with their gifts and offer costly offerings the slaverie of which ambition drew them to forget the offerings of the poore whose gifts ought rather to bee preferred out of pitie alone Which preposterous charity in them Christ upbraideth Matth. 23. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because under long prayers you devoure widowes houses In which perverse religion there be now followers which bequeath large legacies to Temples and Monasteries that their Clerks and Monkes may make long prayers for them which truly is false love seeking themselves and if you scan it well not respecting divine honour but themselves But we who know to live justly by faith let us rather be penitent aâ—d offer our selves to God by mortifying and crucifying our flesh then all our works of charity not out of selfe-love nor for the cause of praise or profit whatsoever but let us doe it for the love and sincere love of God being sure if we doe it otherwise they will not profit us a haire Therefore although thou give thy body to be burned and want love which is due to God alone and his praises and honour thou doest nothing saith Saint Paul Neither doe they profit any more which whip and burn their bodies by humbling and afflicting their souls as speaketh Isai 58. because indeed they are conceited in their singular sanctity and affect their own proper praises and their presumptuous religion in their private judgement doe not respect God but applause popular praise and estimation whereby many of them are so blinded God suffering them the work of error 2 Thess 2. that they make no doubt to suffer themselves to be burned for the defence of their False Martyrs conceived heresie and if God be pleased to become Martyrs of Christ when yet they doe not serve Christ but themselves neither doth the punishment but the cause make a Martyr Such Martyrs as these the Devill even amongst the Ethnickes hath many were so blinded in their understanding they were contented to die for their Altars and Idols And the same is done this day amongst Christians under the shew of the Christian faith seeing the Ethnicks themselves to gain an immortall name to perswade themselves they doe well in so doing To whom for self-love and glory or praise there were like unto them certain Monks devout persons in our age which are called Catholicks which for the cause of propagating Religion will perswade Princes and Monarchs that they are to doe the like unto them even die for the Catholicks cause Whose madnesse is so much the more manifest being they beleeve that they suffer for Christs cause and they become his Martrys when contrariwise they become the Martyrs of Roman Bishops and of their private renown and praise And thus much of coated or cloak charity powerfully seduced and carried on by a false light It remaineth therefore without the sincere love of God and our neighbour and a holy and Christian life all Arts Sciences Faculties profit nothing wisdome how great soever and if it be as great or greater then that which was in Solomon is nothing the knowledge of the whole Scripture and universall Theology is nothing lastly all works whatsoever and Martyrdome it selfe if you will so call it yea to know the will of God and his word and to live after the prescript rule thereof that onely augmenteth the guilt of eternall damnation according to that of Saint John 15. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had had no sin but now they have no excuse for their sin CHAP. XXXVI Of those that live not in Christ but have their heart fixed to the world although they possesse the outward letter of the Word and do not tast the inward force of it and the hidden Manna Apocalypse 1. To him that overcometh I will give the hidden Manna I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it BY this Sentence it appeareth wee are taught that no man doth taste the inward sweetnesse of the heavenly joy and solace hidden in the word of God which doth not overcome his own flesh and the Who be apt to tast heavenly sweetnesse world with all the pomps and concupiscences thereof and lastly the Devil himselfe that is to say they who crucifie their own flesh daily by their serious contrition and repentance with all the desires and concupiscence thereof who die to themselves and the world daily lastly to whom this life is a meer crosse I say these are divinely fed with heavenly Manna and drink the Nectar of Paradise Contrariwise those that follow none but worldly pleasure it is unprofitable for those to taste the hidden Contraries ioy not together Manna For like things are delighted in their like and seeing that the word of God is spirituall it is no marvell if worldly minds be not delighted therewith For even as the soul receiveth no strength of the food which the stomack hath not concocted so the soule of the divine Word or Manna receiveth no strength unlesse it bee converted into it selfe that is into life Yea as a man sick of a Fever distasteth all things and are bitter unto him so those that are sick of the worldly Ague that is of the love of the world covetousnesse pride and lust these I say doe loath the word of God and distast it as bitter Contrariwise With whom the word of God hath no savour those that have the Spirit of God these doe find in it the hidden Manna never to be tasted by them that are carried away with the world which is the cause that many by the daily hearing of the Gospel doe feele little desire and spirituall joy because they are not carried by the Spirit of God nor have any heavenly but earthly minds But he that will fully and soundly understand the word of God and eate Manna it behoveth him to study to