but to draw the party to remembrance And so there is place left in the Church as well for Cursing as Blessing for rough as for milde speech so that Gods glory bee sought in the suppression of sinne Vt omne os obstruatur that every mouth may be stopped and that all glory may bee given to God Thus we Gen. 3. cap. 9. Deut. 27. read that God cursed the Serpent that Noah cursed Cham of the twelve tribes sixe of them stood on Mount Garazim to blesse and sixe on mount Hebal to curse all the people to say Amen Iacob uttered a dire imprecation upon Simeon and Levie saying Curbe Gen. 49. 7. Mat. 23. Mat. 13. their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell And lest any should restraine this to time of the Law Note that Christ pronounceth many woes against the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites in one Chapter And hee cried woe to the impenitent saying Woe be to him by whom offences come And againe Woe bee Mat. 11. Mat. 26. to thee Corazim Woe bee to thee Bethsaida c. And againe Woe to that man by whom the Sonne of man is betraied it were good for that man if 8 Cor. 16. hee had not beene borne And againe Woe to the World because of offences And Simon Peter cursed Simon Magus saying Thy money perish 2 Tim. 4. 14. with thee And Paul cried Maranatha Anathema to them that love not the Lord Iesus And hee cursed Alexander the Copper-smith Act. 13. 10. Gen. 49. He hath done mee saith Paul much evill the Lord reward him according to his workes And so hee cursed Elimas the sorcerer and called him the Child of the divell an enemy to all righteousnesse But yet wee must curse the sinnes not the party So Iacob cursed Apoc. 2 the rage of his Sonnes not themselves So God hated the deeds of the Nicholaitans not the men Yea sometimes both sinnes and men may be cursed if they give signes of reprobation So the Church prayed against Iulian not for him And Saint Iohn 1 Iohn 5. 16. tels us that there is a sinne unto death I say not that thou shouldest pray for it But to leave all this Michael striving with the Divell durst not give him a railing sentence but saith The Lord rebuke thee Let us learne this lesson of Michael in all reproaches and bitter speeches of our brethren to say unto them The Lord reprove thee for passion must not overmaster us But these railers wee must answere sometime with silence for unto many natures to answere againe is to put fuell to the fire for anger is fire and words are fuell But if silence will not serve the turne then it is good to give place unto it I meane to goe away from Rem 12. 19. a railing person till his anger be over and if that will not serve the turne then answere him as Michael did here the Divell The Lord reprove thee And in any wise take heed you prouoke We must give account of idle much more of evill words not anger for the forcing of Wrath bringeth forth strife as the churming of milke bringeth forth butter and wringing the nose bringeth forth bloud Let us therefore avoyd the customary sinnes of passions and not answere evill for evill or rebuke for rebuke but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee And with David Iudge me o God and Prov. 30. 33. Psal 43. 1. defend my cause against the unmercifull people that is the cruell company of mine adversaries deliver me from the deceitfull and wicked man The Lord rebuke thee This teacheth us as to avoyd all railing so to study carefully and diligently the government of the tongue and to beware of rotten speeches The mouth is the messenger of the heart and from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A filthy tongue argueth a filthy heart an unbridled tongue a licencious heart A poisoned tongue that belcheth out nothing but banning and cursing railing and reviling speeches doth manifest a cursed and corrupt heart Our Saviour saith A Mat. 12. 13 good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth goodthings and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things but I say unto you that of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement If then at the end of the end of the world and day of judgement wee must reckon and account for idle words How much more for our railing reviling speeches Let us therefore hearken unto the counsell of the Apostle Let not corrupt communion proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying that may Ephes 4. 29. minister grace unto the hearers Wee should be of a patient nature and follow the example of Michael who striving with the Divell durst not give him a railing sentence but say The Lord rebuke thee If an Archangell abstaine from all railing having to doe with the Divell the greatest enemie of God and his people wee that have to do with bad men must not take liberty to our selves to use reviling speeches We must commit revenge unto God who hath said Vengeance is mine I will repay THE NINETEENTH SERMON VERS X. But these speake evill of those things they know not c. Malice turnes men into dogs THis is the fourth note that he giveth unto the wicked you shall know them by their evill speaking they are like unto blacke-mouthed Rabshakeh they rayle on God and good men He calleth them first sleepers secondly defilers of the flesh thirdly despisers of government and here raylers they speake evill of all things As fire lyeth not long in the stubble or in the flaxe but the flame breaketh out so hatred lyeth not long in these mens hearts but breaketh out in evill speeches and many times They will speake evill of things they know not Munster writeth of men in India Qui non loquuntur sed latrant which speaketh not like men but barke like dogs so these barke like dogs against the Moone Gorgon turned men into stones and Circe changed them into swine and malice turneth these men into doggs like Hecuba at the siege of Troy for their rayling David saith The wicked speake evil from their mothers wombe even from their belly have they erred and speake lyes their poyson is even as the poyson of Psal 58. 3 4. a serpent like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare that is they passe in malice and subtilty the crafty Serpent the first thing they doe is to speake evill it is Alpha and Omega first and last with them As the serpent vomiteth up her poyson before she drinketh Malice in the heart â—he cause of rayling in the tongue of a cleare fountaine so this is the sinne that must bee avoided before we drinke of the water of life the Word of God Lay
Tim 3. Mar. 10. Iohn 8. Iudg. 3. Iudg 15. words and in workes this is both to have a shew of godlinesse the power of godlines this is to have both leaves fruit this is to be a true child of Abraham We read of the strength of Shamgar who slew six hundred men with an Oxe goad of Samson who slew a whole Army of the Philistines with a jaw bone of David who smote down a Giant with a pibble stone of Hercules 1 Sam. 17. who overcame a Lion and a Beare and threw downe the birds of Stinphalida and put downe an Amazon a mighty warrior and cut off the head of Hydra but as Lactantius said Lib. 1. cap. 9. these are nothing hee is a stronger man who overcommeth his wrath than hee that overcommeth a Lion he that treadeth under his desires than hee that casteth downe Birds and ravenous fowles he that suppresseth his lust than he that suppresseth the Amazons Hercules for all his strength was a slave to Omphale and sate spinning in a womans attire at her feete with a Rocke and a Distaffe He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man and hee that ruleth his owne minde is better than hee that winneth a Prov. 16. 32. Citie We are desirous to know the state of our Salvation our Election and Glorification Let us then beginne where God beginneth at the renouncing of our lusts For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and Tit. 2. 12. worldly lusts None can looke for the blessed hope but they that have denyed ungodlinesse worldly lusts None can say There is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse but such as can say I have fought a good fight except they have striven against 2 Tim. 4. 7. their lusts Election is a thing revealed by steps As therefore it is madnesse to a man that climbeth a ladder to labour to set his foot at the first step on the highest step of the Ladder but to beginne at the lowest and so goe to the highest Paul maketh these steps Vocation Iustification Sanctification Glorification Rom. 8. so that if I would come to Glorification the highest step and is in Heaven with God then must I beginne at the lowest step But to prosecute this worthy point farther If I be called of God then am I justified if justified then am I sanctified if sanctified now then shall I be glorified hereafter Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who Rom. 8. are those Which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit So then if I would know whether I be in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke how I tame the flesh and the lusts of it If I finde that God in mercy hath wrought in me a change a hatred of sinne a love of vertue a zeale to his Gospell a care of his Glory a quenching of my lusts and concupiscence then is the conclusion inferred I am in Christ Iesus I am elected Thus wee If no sanctification no assurance of glorification make our election sure to our selves as the Apostle counselleth us Make your election and calling sure by good works it is known to God before the foundations of the World were laid but it is knowne to us by the effect of it so that still our rule holdeth Rom. 8. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10. If we will know whether wee bee elected to live in Heaven with God we must ever looke how we lead our lives in earth with men Wee must give all diligence joyne vertue godly manners with our Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love For if these things be among us and abound they will make that wee shall not bee idle nor unfruitfull in the knewledge of our Lord Iesus Christ If these things bee then are wee happy if God hath changed us from carelesse to careful men and women from drinking riot whoredome prophanenesse to holinesse of life then are wee Gods then Heaven is ours Now live like a Christian among men and ever live like a Saint among the Angels of Heaven But now live in sinne in lusts and pleasures follow the flesh and then rot in the reward of it goe to the Divell and his angels the end of these thing is death I pray you Rom. 6. therefore as you love your life with God another day and assurance of it to your soules in this world Give your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God and fashion not your selves according Rom. 12. 1 2. to this World but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whosoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to Phil. 4. 8. love whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there bee any praise thinke on these things This desire is the fruit of our life and there is not in the world a better portion This we have chosen and in this we will dwell untill the fulnesse of time that we shall say in our course Nunc dimittis Lord now let thy servant depart in peace These shall assure us that we are the Lords cared Luk. 2. for heere and elected else-where to live with him for ever THE THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XIX These are makers of Sects naturall men having not the Spirit Sectaries cause division in the Church AS before in the former verse he called them Mockers walkâ—ng after their owne ungodly lusts so here he calleth them Sectaries not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace not remembring that there is Ephes 4. 3 4. but one body one Spirit one faith one God and Father over all which is above all and in us all But these Sectaries set Altar against Altar and cut in sunder Christs seamelesse coate they divide Christ Such were the Corinthians one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos a third I am Cephas a fourth I am Christs Is Christ divided This dividing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 12. is a signe that men are carnall unregenerate so reasoneth the Apostle Yee are carnall for whereas there is among you envying and 1 Cor. 3. 3 5. strife and divisions are yee not carnall and walke as men Who is Paul And who is Apollos but ministers by whom yee beleeved There was a rough Altar in Ierusalem to note the imperfection of the law and there was but one Altar to note the unity of the Church Well Exod. 27. said Ierome Meum propositum est antiquos legere singula probare tenere Iorome quae bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae Catholicae non recedere My purpose is to
did undoe in the night so wee learne and unlearne whatsoever wee learne on the Sunday wee forget in the weeke day we may say of our comming to Church as Peter said of his fishing Master wee have Luke 5. 5. travelled all night and have taken nothing So wee have come to the Church twenty thirty forty fifty sixty yeeres some more and have gotten nothing have learned nothing got no Faith no Zeale no Knowledge But to proceed As they must edifie themselves increase and goe forward so the thing that they must increase and goe forward in is Faith for that is the foundation of all Christian Vertues it is Alpha and O mega absque ea nemo potest placere Deo Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 14. 23. Without it no man can please God for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Omnia ergo splendida opera Paganorum Infidelium sant splendida peccata all the glistering workes of Pagans and Infidels bee glistering sinnes their prayers almes fastings the patience of Socrates the justice of Aristides the piety of Epaminondas Faith the originall of all good workes the constancie of Phocion they were but bastard-workes not right workes they are begotten of Hagar not of Sara the free-woman they spring from the waters of Marah not of Siloh from the bitter poole Exanthe not the sweet flood of Hispanis they proceed from feare or vaineglory not from faith For as unto the Tit. 1. 15. pure all things are pure so unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but their mindes and consciences are defiled It is true in all workes that Paul said of prayer How shall they call on him in whom Rom. 10. 14. they have not beleeved Even so how can they glorifie God or love God or serve God in whom they never beleeved Paul making a Catalogue of good men beginneth with Faith and saith By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11. 4 5 7. 8 20 21 33-34 By faith Enoch was taken away that hee should not see death c. By Faith Noah being warned of God of the things which were not yet seene moved with reverence prepared the Arke c. By Faith Abraham when hee was called obeyed God offered Isaac c. By Faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau By Faith Iacob when hee was a dying blessed the sonnes of Ioseph and thus hee goeth on and at the last concludeth that by faith they subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the Aliants c. In every good worke three things are to be considered Origo Finis Vsus The beginning The end and Vse The originall or beginning of every good worke is faith faith is as the Mother and the holy Ghost the Father of all good workes Faith begetteth Love and Love blossometh forth in Vertue and Vertue buddeth foorth in good Workes whereupon Saint Peter inferreth this exhortation Ioyne moreover Vertue with your Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse and with Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and with Brotherly-kindnesse Love Secondly the end is the glory of God Hereupon saith the Apostle Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 1 3â— Thirdly the use is manifold First they are unto us signes of our election and therefore Saint Peter would have us to make our election calling sure by them Indeed our election is sure in it selfe 2 Pet. 1. 10. for God cannot change yet we must confirme it in our selves by the fruits of the Spirit Secondly they edifie others Hereupon saith our Saviour Let your light so shine before men that they may see No life of grace without Faith your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Thirdly that they may stop the mouth of the Adversary For which cause we are willed to have honest conversation among the Gentiles that wheras they doe backbite us as evill doers they may see our good works and glorify Mat. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. our Father which is in Heaven Here is the triall of a Christian that proveth us either sonnes or bastards this proveth us dead or alive by Faith wee live this is the spirit and soule of the inner man wee have a name to live yet are wee dead if wee want Iohn 1. 12. Faith There is a double life of grace and of nature Infidels Vnbeleevers are strangers from the life of grace As a tree liveth not without Ephes 4. 18. moysture nor a bird without aire nor the fish without water nor a body without a soule so neither the soule without faith For in that wee live now in the flesh wee live by the Faith of the Sonne of God who hath loved us and gave himselfe for us Yee see Infidels eating Gal. 2. 20. drinking sporting playing yet are they dead they are alive to the world but dead unto God but the faithfull they are dead with Christ unto the world but their life is hid with Christ with God and when Christ which is their life shall appeare then shall they Col. 2 3 4. also appeare with him in glory Pandora carried deadly poyson in a painted boxe and Lusimachus the cutter a leaden sword in a golden sheath and many men a dead soule in a living body the body is alive but the soule is dead as Paul said of the voluptuous widow But shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth To conclude faith joyneth us to Christ For Christ dwelleth in 1 Tim. 5. 6. our hearts by Faith Christ uniteth us to God 1 Iohn 5. God assureth Ephes 3. 17. us of life For in him wee live and move and have our being So that no faith no Christ no Christ no God no God no life God Act. 17. 28. so loved the world that hee gave his only be gotten Sonne that whosoever Iohn 3. 16 18. beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting hee that beleeveth in him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God Knowledge is the fountaine of all vertue and Faith is the sea in which they all runne and where they jointly end their course But it is to bee observed that hee calleth it not simply Faith but holy Faith yea most holy Faith he riseth to the superlative degree as David extolled Bashan above all mountaines saying The mountaine of God is like the mountaine of Bashan it is a high mountaine Psal 68. 15. as the mount Bashan As Salomon extolled his huswife above all women saying Many daughters
God imputeth righteousnesse but yet in the righteousnesse of Christ not in an inherent righteousnesse of our owne as hee is said to have paid the money to his creditour who paid it by another though himselfe was not able And unto this end the Apostle saith that wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption Rom. 4 5 6 7 8. that is in Christ Iesus To the place in the Romanes where Paul saith But to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse even as David declared the blessednesse of that man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not the sin Bellarmine answereth that Paul setteth not downe a full definition of justification For sinne is not remitted saith he except righteousnesse bee infused but yet inchoated onely not perfected and yet the comparison holdeth not betwixt the infusion of light into the ayre and the infusion of righteousnesse into a man similia illustrant non probant similies doe illustrate a thing but prove not Bellarmine argueth from the comparison betwixt Adam and Christ Per Adae peccatum inhaerens peccatores sumus By Rom. 5. the inhaerent sinne of Adam we are sinners therefore per infusionem inhaerentis justitiae justi sumus by infusion of inhaerent righteousnesse wee are righteous I answere that the argument followeth not the comparison holdeth not in the inherence of sinne or righteousnesse but in the adoption or getting From Adam wee have gotten sinne naturally but from Christ supernaturally by faith by which the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us Bellarmine reckoneth up many things which be necessary to salvation out of the second Epistle of S. Peter the first Chapter as how we must joyne Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. with Faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse Good works the way not the cause of the Kingdome of Heaven love But hee doth detorquere writhe and bow the question another way and to another end For wee doe not exclude good works simply from the obtaining of salvation sunt enim via regni non causa regnandi they are the way to Gods Kingdome not the cause of our ruling and reigning in Gods Bern. Kingdome but from the obtaining of righteousnes For it is onely Christs righteousnesse that maketh us righteous before God for hee is our wisdome and righteousnesse and holinesse and redemption wisdome to instruct us righteousnes to justify us holines to sanctify us and redemption to free us Hee reasoneth thus Faith without Love doth not justify Therefore faith alone doth not justify for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. I deny the Confequence For though faith bee not alone without other vertues yet it justifieth alone as the hand of the writer is not alone but hath other members adjoyned unto it yet it writeth alone as the eye is not alone and yet it seeth alone and the eare is not alone and yet it heareth alone and yet to speake properly faith doth not justify it is a Metonymicall speech for to speake properly the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith justifieth us faith as the principall cause doth not justify us sed ut causa instrumentalis but as the instrumentall cause non per modum dispositionis sed per modum apprehensionis not by the manner of disposition but by the manner of apprehension For although it doth dispose unto good workes yet it doth not justify in respect of that but in respect of the object which is Christ For the blood of Iesus 1 Iohn 1. 7. Christ Gods Sonne clenseth us from all sinne But Iustification saith hee is motus à peccato ad justitiam a moving from sinne to righteousnesse as illumination is a moving from darkenes to light I grant sed non adjustitiam inhaerentem not unto inherent or infused righteousnesse but imputative Hee argueth that things are denominated from the internall not the externall forme as we call an Aethiopian blacke though he have a white garment on him quia nigredo est illi insita because blacknes is naturally graffed in him Ergo nos justos dici à justitia intra nos non extra nos Therefore wee are said to bee righteous of the righteousnesse that is within us not without us I answere This is true in Philosophy but false in Divinity Here we may say with Paul Beware lest there bee any man that spoile you through Col. 2. ◠philosophy Philosophy may bee used so as shee be content to be a servant not a mistris but when men measure all doctrine by humane reason and philosophicall positions as Bellarmine here doth then Philosophy is to be taken heed of Howlet in the fifth part of his resolution confesseth that works are not the causes of salvation but the path that leadeth Papists at death fly to Gods mercy in Christ and not to merit to salvation the fruits and effects of faith as Christ saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your Father which is in Heaven That Paul speaking of the cause of Iustification saying wee conclude that Mat. 5. 16. Rom. 3. 18. a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law is not contrary to Iames speaking of the notes and signes of Iustification saying Yee see then how that of workes a man is justified and not of faith onely This truth God extorted from him as also Iam. 2. 24. from Stephen Gardiner who confessed this at his death but would not have it preached to the people Open that doore quoth hee and then farewell all Hee would bee wiser than God Mounser also granted it and cried Solus Christus solus Christus Christ alone Christ alone And so Sherwin a seminary Priest executed for treason with Campian and others at Tiborne when hee was in the cart ready to dye though he held himselfe a martyr for the Catholike faith acknowledged nowithstanding ingenuously the miseries imperfections and corruptions of his owne vile nature relying wholly upon Christ cried out at his death O Iesus Iesus Iesus bee to mee a Iesus And Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine Domus Dei credendo fundatur sperando exigitur diligendo perficitur the foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith the walles hope the roofe charity If faith bee the foundation of all other vertues as himselfe affirmes and if it bee our safest Lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. cap. 10. De Iustificatione lib. 5. Cap. 7. course to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy of God Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimū est fiduciam totam in
or Life or death Whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Psal 112. 6 7. 9. Gods an elegant Climax or gradation For he riseth by steppes Such a like figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Obiter now that peace and plentie are so farre given unto the Church as is profitable for it and expedient for the setting out of Gods glory The Church sometime eateth ashes as bread and mingleth her drinke with weeping she is as a Pelicane in the wildernesse and like an Owle that is in the desart She is as a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house top and her enemies revile her all the day long Sometime she is eaten up like a Sheep and scattered among the Heathen she is sold for nought and made a rebuke Psal 44. 9. 11 12. rebuked of her neighbours laughed to scorne and derided of all Nay sometime she is smitten into the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of death The Church is oftentimes more hurt by plentie than penurie according to the voice in Constantines dayes Hodie venenum effusum est in Ecclesiam this day is poison powred into the Hierom. Church The Church when it came to Christian Princes to be defended Major erat divitiis virtutibus minor Againe God putteth off her sackcloath and girdeth her with gladnesse He giveth her beauty for ashes and rich apparell instead of sackcloath Psal 30. 12. Esa 61. 3. as he seeth it expedient Non audit ad voluntatem ut audiat ad salutem THE FIFTH SERMON VERS II. And Love bee multiplied Gods love the cause of all good THe third and last blessing which the Apostle here prayeth for is Love which of some learned men is thought to bee the cause of Mercie and Peace For Mercy and Peace are the fruits of Love Love is the fountaine Mercie and Peace the water that floweth from the fountaine Love is as the mother Mercy and Peace as her daughters Love as the cause Mercy and Peace as the effects yea Love is the cause of al blessings as I may say the cause of it selfe yea Causa causarum the cause of causes or Causa causae the cause of the cause or Causa causati the cause of the thing caused God is mercifull because he loveth us and hee loveth us because hee loveth us Eligit quia diligit ideo diligit quia diligit thee hath chosen us because hee loveth us Aug. and therefore hee loveth us because hee loveth us No reason can bee rendred of the love of God but the love of God Let us not buzze too neere the candle with the flye Farsalla lest we burne Let us not soare too high with the Eagle lest wee melt let us not wade too deep with the Elephant lest we drown Let us not bee curious in these things It is enough that Moses setteth downe Love to bee the cause of all blessings So God turned Balaams curse into a blessing unto Israel The cause Moses affirmeth to bee Gods love saying Because the Lord thy God Deut. 23. 5. loved thee So Moses telleth Israel that God did set his Love upon them and did chuse them not because they were more in number than any people For they were the fewest of all people but Because hee loved them Iude here prayeth for it as a most excellent blessing without which all is nothing For as Deut. 7. 7 8. wee say In triviis Hee is poore whom God hateth so hee is rich and happy whom God loveth his favour is as the dew of the Gods love abundant unmeasurable immutable morning as the shadow in the heate and as an haven to them that are tossed as the Cities of refuge to them that are pursued In thy presence saith David is fulnesse of ioy That is where God loveth and favoureth there is perfect felicitie Iohn calleth all men to behold the love of God Behold what love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sonnes of God behold his love that hee calleth us his servants and behold a 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2 Cor. 6. Ephes 2. greater love in that hee calleth us his Sonnes and yet behold a greater love that he calleth us his heyres and coheyres with Christ and yet behold a greater love in an higher degree that he calleth us his Mother Brethren and Sisters but behold the greatest love of all that he calleth us his Spouse or Wife to note that he loveth us with all loves with the masters love as Abraham loved Eleazar with the friends love as David loved Ionathan with the Childes love as Ruth loved Naomi with the Gen. 15. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth 1. Gen 29. husbands love as Iacob loved Rachel What heart of stone is not moved with this love Nati sumus è silice nutriti lacte ferino This love of God is gratuitall free partly because it floweth from his grace and goodnesse and partly because he loveth not for his owne but for our good And it is unmeasurable therefore saith the Apostle Herein is love not that wee loved God but that hee 1 Iohn 4. 10. loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes greater love could not the Father shew than to send his Sonne out of his owne bosome and greater love could not the Sonne shew than to die for his enemies Yea this love of his it is immutable and constant For whom he loveth he loveth to the end hereupon the Apostle calleth God love God is love saith he and not only love for there are many properties and attributes in God as Truth Mercie Iustice Power Eternitie Novit omnia ut veritas tuetur ut salus Iohn 13. 1 Iohn 4. 16. sedat ut aequitas dominatur ut majestas operatur ut potentia manet ut aeternitas he knoweth all things as veritie defendeth all things as health and salvation appeaseth all things as equitie ruleth all things as Majestie worketh all things as omnipotencie and abideth and remaineth as eternitie God is not made of love only as wood of trees as a fountaine of water as a plaister of Balme but all these attributes are in the Lord equally But because God delighteth in love and he reposeth a great part of his glory in love therfore is he described by that attribute of Love by this attribute the Evangelist describeth him God so loved the Iohn 3. 16. Cap. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 18. World that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. And by this attribute the beloved disciple describeth him saying God is love and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him By this attribute David describeth him As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that love him And againe The loving Psal 103. 13. 17. kindnesse of the
est causa discordiae mori possum tacere non possum If Truth bee the cause of our discord I may dye but I may not be silent Wee cannot but speake the things Act. 4. 20. wee have seene and heard But to come to the description of these Adversaries they are here described two wayes By their Life End By their Life they are described foure wayes First they creepe into the Church Secondly they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God Thirdly they bee Libertines Fourthly they are Blasphemers Denying God and Christ By their End also they be described they are ordained to Iudgement written in the blacke Booke not of Life but of Death But first they are described by their Life and they are said first to creepe into the Church The Greeke word signifieth a craftie entrance into the Church they come not in by the Doore Iohn 10. into the Sheepefold but clime up some other way they come not in the Day but in the night like theeves they are Woolves in Sheepes clothing Caterpillers to devoure the vineyard of Christ Mat. 24. they thrust in themselves like Iudas amongst the Apostles therfore the more to bee resisted for no enemy is so dangerous as a secret enemy It was not an open enemy quoth David that did defame mee for I could have borne it neither did my Adversary exalt Psal 55. 12 13. himselfe against me for I would have hidden mee from him but it was thou ô man even mine own companion and guide and my familiar They pray with us in one Church and dip their hand with us in one dish these creepers are the most dangerous hell-hounds above all others they have Butter in their mouths but Swords in their hearts A Dogge that barketh may bee prevented before hee bite and the serpent that hisseth before hee sting and the fire Satan assaults sometime by cruelty sometime by subtilty that smoketh before it burne so may a knowne enemy but a secret enemie a creeper is hard to prevent Satan prevaileth many wayes sometime as a Lion sometime as a Serpent sometime by force as a Lion as in Nero Domitian Trajane Vulerian sometime by fraud as a Serpent as in Herod in the Pharisees in Iulian the Apostata who corrupted by the faith more by lenitie and rewards than all the bloody persecutors did by the sword wherupon one distinguisheth of Divels and saith that some are blacke and some are white to teach that he hurteth not one way but many wayes he sheweth himselfe a blacke Divell when He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking to devoure a white Divell 1 Pet. 5. 8. Luk. 4. 41. Act. 16. 17. when hee cried Thou art Christ the Sonne of God and againe hee shewed himselfe a white Divell when as he cried These men are the servants of the living God which shew untous in the way of salvatio meaning Paul and Silas But whether Divells be white or blacke yet they be Divells still yea and so much the more vile that they be Mat. 26. Mat. 7. 2 Cor. 11. 14. white For there is no kisse to the kisse of Iudas no woolfe to him that is clad in a Lambes skinne no teare to the teare of a Crocodile so no Divell to him that appeareth in the shape of an Angell Satan hath sore wounded the Church every by open tragicall persecutions as in the dayes of Christ Even among the cheefe John 12. 42. rulers many beleeved in him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be excommunicate And in the ten persecutions Satan raged against the Church horribly but never so much as by inward enemies in the bosome of the Church For when the Officers that were sent to apprehend Christ told the Pharisies saying Never man spake as this man The Pharisees answered Are yee also deceived Doth any of the rulers or the Pharisees Iohn 7. 48. beleeve in him Christ had no greater enemies than the Church the Synagogue For who resisted him not Atheists but the Church the Scribes and Pharisees the expounders of the Law the friends of the Gospell Paul had more adoe with false Apostles than with the uncircumcised the infidells the Pagans Some would destroy the purity of majesty the Gospell by their eloquence some would bring in Iudaisme The subtle Gibeonites troubled Iosua more than the open Canaanites The Manichees did more hurt the Church than all heretikes and that under the colour of not marrying not eating of flesh not drinking of wine None will weep faster than a Crocodyle none will make a greater face of godlinesse than these hedge-creepers Ismael will Ier. 41. weep to Gedaliah Herod will bid the wise men seeke diligently for Christ and when they have found him to bring him word Mat. 2. that he may come and worship him The Herodians will salute Christ Mat. 22. with many goodly titles saying Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God truly for thou carest for no man thou considerest not the outward appearance of men c. Dalila will pretend all love to Sampson O I love thee Sampson The adversaries of Iuda Popery prevailes more by fraud than by force and Benjamin will say to Zorobabel and to the rest Wee will build with you wee will sacrifice with you but Ismael killed Godaliah Herod would have butchered Christ the Herodians tempted him Dalila betraied Sampson and the adversaries of Iuda would have pulled downe the Church and not built it up Such trees without Iudg. 15. Esder 4. fruit such eares without corne such nets without fish such lampes without oyle such clouds without raine shall perish As they have lived without feare so shall they did without hope as they have a body without an heart so have they a soule without God They in felle nequitiae even in the gall of bitternesse in the bond of iniquity and therefore they have neither part nor fellowship in Gods Kingdome To apply this to the present state of the Church Satan hath prevailed more in Popery by fraud than by force by creeping than by breaking in with a skaling ladder The first Romane Monarchie stood of unjustice maintained by armes and this latter of impietie maintained by fraud and hypocrisie Whose comming is by the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying 2 Thess ◠9 10. wonders and in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse The Popes Kingdome is not described by force and armes but by sleights and wiles by the names of women enchantments cups Apoc. 17. 19. fornications The beast representing the Romane Empire had the hornes of a Lambe and the mouth of a dragon In all the Kingdome of Popery in Pope Cardinals Bishops Monks Friers Nunnes what was there but hypocrisie How deceived they the world with their Prayers Almes Fastings Crossings Greasings Purgatory Auricular confessions Trentas Dirges Masses Prayer for the dead going
39. Exod. 15. Cap. 16. Num. 20. Deut. 8. Num. 21. were drowned He spread a cloud to be a covering and fire to give light in the night for God went before them in a cloudy pillar by day and a fiery by night he made the bitter waters sweet for their sakes and fed them with Angels food Hee turned the rocke into a river and the flint stone into a springing well their foote swelled not and their cloathes waxed not old in forty yeares travell and when they were bitten with fiery serpents he cured them with a brasen serpent a figure of Psal 136. 19 20 21. Christ Hee slew great Kings for their sakes as Sehon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan and gave their land for an heritage even an heritage to Israel his servant hee dried up Iordan that they might passe thorough it Whereupon the Psalmist useth a most elegant Prosopopopeia Psal 114. 5 6. saying What ayleth thee ô thou Sea that thou fieddest and thou Iordan that thou wert driven backe Yee mountaines why leaped yee like rammes and yee hils as Lambes God gave them Canaan a land that flowed with milke and hony as Iacob prophecied of Gen. 49. 11 12 13. Iuda saying Hee shall bind his Asse foale to the vine and his Asses colt unto the best vine Hee shall wash his garment in wine and his cloake in the blood of grapes his eyes shal be red with wine and his teeth white with milke For the land of Iudah of all lands it was the fruitfullest Moses calleth it A good land and the goodnesse of it afterwards hee describeth at large and saith A land in which are rivers of Deut. 8. 7 8 9 10. waters and fountaines and depths that spring out of vallies and mountaines a land of wheat and barly of vineyards and figge-trees and pomegranats a land of oyle olive and honie a land wherein thou shlat eate bread without scarcenesse neither shalt thou lacke any thing therein A land whose stones are iron and out of whose mountaines thou shalt digge brasse But especially God gave them his Law to convert their soules and his testimonies which gave wisdome unto the simple Psal 19. 7 8 9. his statutes that rejoyce the heart and his Commandments that give light to the eyes his feare which indureth for ever his iudgments which be righteous altogether great in one word was their preferment Gods bounty to England For to them were committed the Oracles of God To them also appertained The adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises of whom are Rom. 3. 20. Cap. 9. 4 5 6. the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever What should I speake of Iosuahs trumpets Ios 6. Iudg. 7. Iudg. 3. Cap. 15. 2 Sam. 1. which blew downe Iericho of Gedeons pitchards that discomfited the Madianites Of Shamgars oxe-goad which slew heapes upon heapes Of Sampsons iaw-bone that killed a whole army of Philistines Of Ionathans bow and Sauls sword that never returned emptie Let us apply all this to our selves whom God hath laded with blessings so that we have cause to say with the Israelites Praysed be the Lord even the God of our salvation which ladeth us daily with benefits For God hath turned the captivity of our English Sion as Psal 68. 19. Psal 126. 1. the rivers of the South As after a Nero God gave a Vespasian after Commodus a Severus after a Sisera a Debora after a Saul a David after an Ahaz an Ezechias and after a Domitian a Trajane and a Nerva So after a Marie an Elizabeth a princely Iames under whose governments we have sate safely these many yeares under our figge-trees and vine-trees from Dan to Beersheba from the one end of the land unto the other his eyes have beene over us as over the land of Chanaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end of it Hee hath troden downe the Northerne rebells with Parrie Somervile Ardington Lopas Hacket Madder Burney hee hath put their life downe to the ground and laid their honour in the dust he hath made them a portion for the Foxes they are passed as water molten c. Psal 58. Of late Balak of Spaine had devised our destruction Balaam of Rome had cursed us at his commandement subtle Achitophel had conspired abroad unnaturall Absalom rose up at home and aspiring Adonia would have the Shunamite to wife but from all these God hath delivered us We have seene France massacred Flanders with civill warres distressed Germanie grieved Scotland divided onely we stand still as an oake of Bashan Pray that God stretch not over us the line of Samaria as 2 Reg. 21. 13. God hath blessed us above many others his wise mercy is in our Parliaments Reg. 21. 13. and governments as in Israel Deut. 4. His learned mercie in our Schooles and Vniversities as in Naioth 2 Reg. 2. His strong mercies in our Castles and bulwarks as in Iuda Soph. 1. His peaceable mercies in our Townes and Cities as was said of Ierusalem Mich. 4. 3 4. Zaeb 8. 4. 5. They shall breake their swords into mattockes and their speares into scithes nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more But old men and old Women shall dwell in the streets of Ierusalem and every man his staffe in his hand for very age and the streetes of the Citie shal be full of boyes and girles playing in the middest thereof His rich mercies in our fields and granaries for he maketh our vallies so thicke with corne that men doe laugh and Contemners of Gods mercy grievously punished sing he crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse and the clouds drop fatnesse they drop upon the pastures of the wildernesse and the hills shall be compassed with gladnesse Would God wee were halfe thankefull for so great blessings that every one of us could say with David Psal 65. 11. Praise the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 1 2. Yee heard before of Gods mercy in delivering the people now are we come to Gods iustice in destroying them yee once know this that after the Lord had delivered the people out of Aegypt he destroyed them First God shooteth paper secondly bullet if men yeeld not primùm ubera deinde verbera ostendit first he openeth his brests after shewes us his rods first by his Ministers as by heraulds he proclaimeth pardon after he sendeth an army to destroy The Lord saith the Prophet is slow to anger but he is great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked the Lord hath his way in the whirlewind Nahum 1. 3 4 5 6. and in the storme and the clouds are the dust of
the old world there were but eight beleevers but two Iosua and Caleb and in Christs time we read but of an hundred and twenty beleevers As Aegypt was full of lice Nilus full of Crocodyles Golgotha full of dead mens skulls so is the world full of Infidells He destroyed them that beleeved not And hence commeth it to passe that so many are damned even because they want faith Perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe ô Israel Ex nobis quod damnamur It is of our selves that wee bee damned blame not God but thine owne infidelity For all things Hos 13. Man 5. are possible to them that doe beleeve And therefore Hemingius in his Enchiridion distinguisheth of the word that There is Duplex verbum Damnans Salvans That there is a double word a Damning and a Saving word The damning word is the Law the saving word is the Gospell The Law offereth grace to them that doe it Yee shall keepe therefore Deut. 2. 27. Gen. 3. 5. Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 4. 9. my statutes and my iudgements which if a man doe he shall live in them But the Gospell offereth grace to the beleevers For Christ is the end of the Law unto every one that beleeve For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Faith is ever a chiefe doer in matters of salvation and therefore said Hemingius in his Enchiridion that Causa imperans salutis est pater the Iohn 3. 16. commanding cause of our salvation is God For God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne to save the world Causa obsequens est filius the obedient pliant cause is the Psal 40. 7. Sonne In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will I am content to doe it thy Law is written in my heart Causa consummans est Spiritus Sanctus the consummating cause is the holy Ghost so saith the Apostle But yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. but yee are iustified by the grace of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God The instrumentall cause is double Exhibens Recipiens Rom. 1. 18. The exhibiting Cause is the word the receiving cause Faith as therefore a Smith worketh not in cold iron so a preacher worketh not on an Infidell There is no life of God in us till we beleeve Ephes 4. 18. till then our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but hee that Iohn 3. 18. beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God A tree liveth not without moisture Without faith no accesse to God nor a bird without aire nor a fish without water nor a Salamander without fire So the soule liveth not without faith The just doth live by his faith this is the spirit and soule of the inward man we Hab. 2. have a name to live yet are we dead if we want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith Paul who loved me and gave himselfe for Gal. 2. 20. me Infidels therefore are dead men What is the cause that wee profit no more by the word wee beleeve not the preacher that may bee verified of our people which God said to Ezechiel concerning the Iewes They come unto Ezech. 33. 31 32. thee saith God as people useth to come and my people sit before thee and he are thy words but they will not doe them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but doe them not So we come to the Sermon heare the preacher but we doe not heare him with such zeale and affection as we should wee beleeve not but abuse the word to our owne condemnation why care wee no more for heaven but are so worldly truely we beleeve not God what is the cause that wee live in sinne seeing it is damnable For the wayes of it is death wee beleeve not the Scriptures what is the Rom. 6. 23. 2 Cor. 4. 4. cause of all disorder even infidelity The God of this world hath blinded their eyes our eares are open to heare but not our hearts to beleeve Satan stealeth away the word lest we should beleeve and so be saved But let us make much of the word that wee may Mat. 13. 19. have faith to beleeve For faith nay one dramme of faith is of more worth than all the treasure in the world This that good merchant well knew that sold all to buy it For hee that beleeveth shall not be condemned for every beleevers cause is removed Mat. 13. 24. from the Court of Gods justice into the Court of Gods mercy where hee that beleeveth is not condemned Therefore our care must be with S. Paul that we may be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 1. Iesus as all beleevers are and untill thou beest a beleever thou belongest not to God For as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be blacke So God rejecteth the infidels and receiveth none till they beleeve None are the Sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in faith The first is a rudiment or entrance Gal. 3. Mat. 12. 20. Rom. 14. 1. Hebr. 10. 22. Rom. 4. 18. which Christ calleth Smoking flaxe The second is a weake faith Him that is weake in faith saith Paul receive unto you The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance of Faith Such a faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope But no faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake faith As a sicke man is knowne from a dead man So a weake faith from no faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of faith For Gods spirit worketh God giues grace according to the measure of Faith that but no faith is accursed For he that beleeveth not is còndemned already There be degrees in faith three examples we have The first of the Ruler of the Synagogue who beleeved that his daughter should revive if Christ would but touch her But the Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 4. woman with the bloody issue beleeved that she should be whole if she touched but the hemme of his vesture But the Centurion beleeved that his servant should doe well if Christ spake but the Luk. 8. Mat. 8. word here is Gradus positivus the positive degree the
tie them together that these all agree in one to worke mischiefe They have Seven heads and tenne hornes Here in the wicked his members are Apoc. 12. like to their Head for howsoever they hate one another in private quarrels yet agree they in the maine point against God and good men Ephraim against Manasses Manasses against Ephraim Esa 9. yet both against Iuda The Pharises against the Saduces the Saduces against the Pharises yet both against Christ The Iewes Mat. 22. against the Gentiles the Gentiles against the Iews and yet both against Paul The Canonists against the Schoolemen and the Acts 19 9. Schoolemen against the Canonists for auricular Confession yet both against the Gospell Parish against Parish one against another yet all against the Minister This may be a good lesson to us that wee may learne all to joyne together against the common enemy If wee will not learne of God and good men to love one another and to cling and cleave together as one man for shame let us learne of Divels for they cleave together like burres Howsoever wee differ in private matters yet let us all agree together against the adversarie Division the cause of Confusion the Papists and other Hell-hounds of division that remaine within and without the Land Division in Christendome opened a way to the Turke to get Constantinople Buda Belgrade Strigonium and all Hungaria almost The division in Italy Inter Guelfos Gibelinos brought all into the hands of that man of Rome The division in England brought in the Spanish Navy hither Anno 1588. Sub spe vincendi In hope to have conquered us and that the Papists would have revolted to them But let not the Papists thinke that the Spaniards would have spared them all had beene fish that had come to net All had bin Huguenotes So was it in the massacre of Paris by the Guise So was it in the conquest of Antwerpe by Parma Therefore that Papist that hath an English heart left in his breast to knocke upon let him pray for our Soveraigne and State now and God blesse both the one and the other and make Gods and our foes his and our foot-stoole THE THIRTEENTH SERMON VERS 6. Hee hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse The Angels that fell are reserved in eternall slaverie HAving already spoken of the sinne of the Angels wee are now come to handle their punishment their fall was great so was their punishment Quanto gradus altior tanto casus gravior the higher their state and condition the grievouser their fall Sin and punishment goe together like Ionathan and his harnesse-bearer Sin goeth before and punishment follows after If it was much for Caine Gen. 4. Gen. 3. to be a vagabond and Adam to be driven out of Paradise and Ismael out of his Father Abraham his house how much more for the Angels to bee driven out of heaven and not to returne like Noahs Dove to the Arke but to live in darkenesse for ever Let the earth tremble let the Sea make a noyse let the Ayre bee darke let all hearts melt and all faces gather blackenesse at the hearing of this Iudgement The Lords face is burning his lips are full of indignation Esa 30. 27 28. and his tongue is as a devouring fire his spirit is as a river that over-floweth up to the necke c. And when hee is kindled The rivers shall bee turned to pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone and the Cap. 34. 9 19. 11. land thereof shall be burning pitch it shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall goe up ever it shall be desolate from generation to generation none shall passe through it for ever but the Pelicane and the Hedgehog shall possesse it the great Owle and the Raven shall dwell in it and hee shall stretch out upon it the line of vanity and the stones of emptinesse The Angels now are Divels reserved in chaines If The Divels malice infinite but his power iimited you aske mee where I say in the earth as it appeareth by the words of our Saviour When the uncleane spirit is driven out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none c. And not in the earth onely but in the ayre For hee is a Prince that ruleth Mat. 12. 43. Apoc. 20. 1 2 3. in the ayre and not in the earth and ayre onely but in the deepe also For saith Saint Iohn I saw an Angel come downe from Heaven having the key of the bottomelesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and hee tooke the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divel and Satan and hee bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the bottomelesse pit and shut him up and sealed the doore upon him that hee should deceive the people no more But in that God hath reserved them in chaines it is a thing of singular comfort as was Davids harpe to Saul in his melancholly and the Dove to Noah in the deluge Like the news brought unto the shepheards whiles they were watching their flockes in the Gen. 8. Luk. 2. night Here therefore wee learne that they cannot passe their linckes and bounds they are under God Pendent exillius nutu they depend on his becke For God useth Satan to serve his justice yet Satan knoweth it not hee is Gods ban-dogge let slip at wandering sheepe and lawlesse swine he is Gods hangman or executioner to punish the reprobate yet can he goe no further than God will For he hath him in chaines as Clemens had Dandalus the Duke of Venice as Sapor had Valerian the Emperour Heereupon saith Gregory Diaboli semper iniqua voluntas nunquā injusta est potestas the Greg. will of the Divell is alwayes wicked but his power never unjust and he giveth the reason Voluntatem habet a se potestatem verò à domino he hath his will of himselfe but his power from God The spirit therefore that vexed Saul is called the evill spirit of the 1 Sam. 18. Lord evill in regard of his will the spirit of God in regard of the power given him of God Isodore saith Adversaria potestas non habet Isodore vim cogendi sed perswadendi the Divell hath no power to compell but to perswade For then he would not leave one man alive He is like the Libberd who is so hatefull to man that if he see but his Luk. 8. picture he will teare it in peeces The Divell could not enter into the swine but by licence An euill spirit vexed Saul but it is added That God sent him An evill spirit deceived Ahab but it is added that God put him into the mouths of the Prophets Satan 1 Sam. 16. 1 Reg. 22. Iob. 1. Exod. 11. could not touch Iob but as God permitted him Moses was a figure of Christ Pharaoh of the Divell now as Pharoah could not hold Israel in
cut from the body of his Country This envy is compared in some respect by some learned men unto the Sunne for as the nature of the Sunne is to obscure and darken things which be cleare and manifest and likewise to lighten and to illustrate that which is obscure so envy endeavoureth to obscure the glory of those which are famous and in the gifts and graces of the spirit excell others for none are more subject to envy than those which for vertue and religion are renowned but let them envy the good and maligne them to the uttermost Rumpanturilia Codro yet let us lay aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and all envy The eye of envy lookes ever upward who is above who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or favoured of God and asmuch grieved is an envious man at the good of another as at the harme of himselfe which Diogenes noted when he saw a knowne envious knave looke sad no man can tell quoth he whither harme hath happened to this fellow or good unto his neighbour for both vexe him alike Envy was the first venome which the Divell powred forth against mankind Hinc periit primus perdidit by this the first Cypr. man perished himselfe and destroyed others what was the cause that Caine slew his brother his onely comfort in that new borne world was it not envy when he saw the gift of his brother accepted of God and his owne rejected he was very wrath And his countenance fel down as not able to endure the sight of his brother Gen. What was the cause why the Patriarkes sold Ioseph to the Ismalites Envie theroot of all mischiefe and then came and told their Father That a wicked beast had devoured him Surely it was because they envied him for his dreames Gen. 37. Because the women sang in the streets Saul hath slaine his thousand and David his ten thousand therefore was Saul exceeding 1 Sam. 18. wroth and had envy to David ever after It was saith the King of Preachers a venimous mischievous eye such as the burning eyes of Witches or the Basiliske or Gorgon that he cast towards him The elder brother when he understood of the entertainement that his father gave to his prodigall brother and with what joy and rejoycing he was entertained Hee was angry at the matter and would not goe in he envied it Examine the reason why Innocencie it selfe was hunted and followed unto death with Crucisie him crucifie him hee is not worthy to live Was it not Mat. 27. envy Let Pilat be judge He knew that for envy they had dilivered him Doe wee looke that envy should favour the honour and welfare of men when it favoureth not the life of a man No not the life of the Lord himselfe Poyson they say is life to the Serpent death to a man and that which is life to a man his spittle and naturall humidity is death to a Serpent I have read it thus applied Vertue and Felicity which is life to a good man is death to the envious and that which the envious live by is the misery and death of a good man for envy endevoreth either that men may not live at all or that they may live miserably And therefore amongst other fruits of a reprobate minde these two are joyned together Envy and Murther and likewise Rom. 1. Gal. 5. amongst the workes of the flesh they are in the same combination as if they were twinnes growing in one body and could not be separated Envy is the roote of all mischiefe in the World this is that Troiane horse that Pandora's boxe full of all deadly poyson that Hydra not with seven heads but with seven hundred heads of mischiefe We marvell that there is so much evill in the world but cease to marvel at it seeing there is so much envious pride in the World For envy commeth from this master sinne Pride which is as a master-pock and cannot be healed Pride is a liking of our selves and envie is the hatred of another mans felicity where the first is there is the second Superbia est metropolis omnium vitiorum Pride is the chiefe or mother sin of all sins Minores despicit majoribus invidet ab aequalibus dissentit She scorneth her inferiors envieth her betters and dissenteth from all equals as was said of Caesar and Pompey the one could not abide a superiour the other an equall Two things be in the Lord Glory and justice the proud man robbeth God of the one as Herod who would not give the glory to God and the malitious envious of Act. 12. the other For he revengeth whereas all men should give roome to vengeance for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will reward The etymology of envie it implying to be in the eye saith the Lord. Envy is as the dung of swallowes which put out the eyes of Father Tobias our pride and envie is infinite wee would be Kings nay wee would bee Gods The Bactrians said of Alexander that if his body were answerable to his heart Rom. 12. 19. He would touch the East with one hand the West with another hee would set one foote in the Land and the other in the Sea the same may be said of many of us for truely wee envie the Aire Fire Water to others If wee could stop the Sunne or inclose the waters into one fist or draw up all the Ayre into one mouth we would doe it to hinder others The Poet describeth envy thus First with a pale face without bloud Secondly with a leane body without any juyce in it Thirdly with squint eyes Fourthly with blacke teeth Fiftly with an heart full of gall Sixtly with a tongue tipped with poison And last of all with a countenance never laughing but when others weepe never sleeping because he studieth and thinketh continually upon mischiefe Invidia dicitur quiavel non videt Cypr. vel nimis intuetur It is câ—lled Envy either because it will not see at all that which in the blessings of God is to bee seene or because it prieth too deepe Envious men are like Mermaides which never sing but in a tempest and mourne in a calme so they rejoyce at the hurt of their neighbours and sorrow at their welfare The housholder said to his servant that murmured at his bounty to others is thine eye evill because I am good enviest thou me because of my liberality Even so is thy eye evill because thy neighbour is wealthier than thou his wit sharper than thine his learning more than thine his credit greater than thine we would have no man fare well but our selves Like Nero who when he died wished that all the world might dye with him Me mortuo Coelum terra misceatur Ier. 6. 10. Psal 120. 3. Psal 14. Esa 1. 5. Phil. 3. 17. Esa 59. 2 Pet. 2. said Nero. Divers sinners have divers properties The
which is written in Ieremie I will put my Lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them And they alledge the saying of Ier. 51. Paul Yee are our Epistle written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God Nay they say further that the Apostles went beyond 2 Cor. 3. yond their Commission when they did write the Scriptures for they were commanded to preach not to write But the Apostle Mat. 28. 19. to the Hebrewes while he doth write the doctrine of the new Covenant alledgeth the forenamed sentence of Ieremy and Paul had already written two Epistles to the Thessalonians and the former Epistle also to the Corinthians when as hee said Tee are our Epistle witten not with inke c. But as Carpocrates Cerdo Manes rejected the bookes of the Law and Cerinthus all the Gospell except Mathew and Severianus and Paulinus the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles so Papists doe accuse the whole Scripture of imperfection and ambiguity Paul being ready to finish his course and to bid a farewell to the world as appeareth in his second Epistle to Timothie when as already the bookes of the New Testament were written saith thus unto Timothie The whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is 2 Tim. 3. 16. profitable to teach to improve to correct and instruct in righteousnesse All things necessary to salvation contained in Scripture where hee bringeth the whole Scripture unto foure heads doctrine redargution correction instruction doctrine is occupied about the chiefe points of faith and religion Redargution confuteth errours in faith and religion instruction comprehendeth information of manners correction is occupied in reproving and punishing delinquents If the Word of God be a two-edged sword to wound the Divell If it bee the hatchet to cut off the head of all hereticks If the Word be mighty in operation entreth thorow even to the dividing asunder of the soule and of the spirit of the ioints and of the marrow If it bee a lanterne unto our feeâ— and a light unto our paths If Christ used no other weapon to repell the Divell but the Word saying It is written If Apollo confuted the Iewes openly proving by the Scriptures Iesus to be Christ If Christs proofes were Scriptum est and his demands Quomodo legis How read you and his Apologies Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures certainly in the Scriptures is contained alone all things necessary to salvation I will therefore conclude this point with the saying of Augustine Neither will I alledge the Councell of Nice neither shalt thou August lib. 3. cap. 14. aduers Maxim alledge the Councell of Arimine against me by the authority of the Scriptures Let us weigh matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason There is no cause therfore why Papists should take the wings of the morning and fly from the written Word unto unwritten verities that the fathers of Colen should call the Scriptures A nose of waxe that Pighius should tearme it The Leaden rule of the Lesbian building that other Papists should tearme it A shipmans-hoase A black Gospell Inken divinity If any will adde or Apoc. 22. detract from it let the curse be pronounced upon him and let all the people say Amen It is false that we have the Baptisme of infants the celebration of the Sunday the distinction of the persons in the Trinity the number of the bookes of the Scripture by tradition not by the written Word God hath kept his law in the Arke and all Popish Philistines could not keep the Arke 1 Sam. 5. Iohn 20. from us These things are written that yee may beleeve Traditions are gathered of an evill egge digge the Papists never so deep they shall not find the myne nor spring of them in the Primitive Church they labour to put life into a dead carcasse of them but it will not be Avant therefore yee Anabaptists with your revelations Avant yee Montanists with your new comforter Avant yee Iewes with your Cabal and Talmud Avant Trent Councell and Papists with your Traditions our salvation is Christ for There is no other name given unto men whereby they shall be saved save only by the name of Iesus The way to salvation is faith the guide Act. 4. 12. to this way is the Scripture Hereupon saith Paul Yee are no longer forenners and strangers but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and There is a foure-fold iudgement Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone So much for the Author cited Enoch the seventh from Adam Now to the thing prophesied which is judgement and therein Ephes 2. 19 20. first we have to observe that there shall be a iudgement There is a fourefold judgement The first judgement was that that was accomplished of man and Angels at their first fall The Angels that fell were judged and throwne out of Heaven Adam that fell was judged and throwne out of Paradise Gen. 3. Secondly There is a middle judgement and so God judgeth the wicked and the godly every day Visiting â—â—eir sinnes with Psal the rod and their offences with the scourge There is a third a particular judgement in the day of every mans death of Lazarus and good men to Heaven of Dives and bad men to Hell and of this particular judgement the Author Luk. 16. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes speaketh thus It is appoynted for all men once to dye and then commeth the Iudgement Hebr. 9. 27. Fourthly there is generall judgement of quicke and of dead whereof Enoch prophesied here saying The Lord will come with thousands of his Saints to give iudgement c. But some will say Why should God judge man after death since hee hath his judgement at his death I answere that in death wee have a particular judgement but God will also have his generall Aug. judgement Secondly In death we have the judgement of the soule But God will judge both body and soule Thirdly In death wee have a secret Doome But God will have an open Assise a publike Sessions and a manifest Iudgement Concerning which generall Iudgement I could produce a cloud of Scriptures to avouch it both out of the old and new Testament Ezechiel saith An end is come an end is come it is looked for Behold it is come Moses also prophesied of this Iudgement Deut. 32. and David Psal 50. and Salomon Eccles 11. 9. and Daniel Cap. 7. 13. and Ioel Cap. 3. and Malachy Cap. 4. So did Christ himselfe Mat. 24. and Paul the Apostle of us Gentiles 2. Thes 5. and Peter 2. Pet. 3. and Iohn 9. Apoc. 20. Neither is this assurance of the judgement to come warranted by the words of Gods servants onely but the Lord hath left many workes of his own to teach us that hee will once at length for all judge the whole
3. For Instruction But first it serveth for terrour it is a wonderfull terrible doctrine to the wicked for how can it be but terrible when the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give iudgement against all men and to rebuke c their hearts shall faile them for feare Luk 21. Apoc. 9. 6 They shall seeke death in those dayes and shall not find it This hath been their day wherein so farre as they could they have done their will The next is the Lords day wherein they must suffer his will how can it be but terrible when they shall see the Sonne of man in the clouds above to condemne them beneath hell mouth open ready to devoure them before the Divels haling No way for the wicked to escape Iudgement them behind them the Saints and all their dearest friends forsaking them on their left hand their sinnes accusing them on the right Iustice threatning them on all sides the world made a bone-fire terrifying them how can it be but terrible when the hilles cannot hide them nor the Mountaines cover them from the presence of the Iudge For hee is here and there and every where If they mount and soare up to heaven he is there if they goe into hell he is there too So that pati intolerabile latere impossibile it is not possible to indure nor possible to avoid the iudgement How can it be but terrible when God shall raine upon them fire and brimstone storme and tempest This shall be their portion to drinke when God shall powre even the vials of his wrath upon them and they shall feele the masse of his displeasure Here the wicked are iudged that they may bee amended but there their iudgement shall be that they may be confounded For there will be no place for repentance If Foelix trembled to heare tell of iudgement What will poore Foelix doe when he must feele Iudgement both in the sentence and execution If Iohn and Daniel at the sight of a mild Angell fell upon the earth as dead Dan. 4. 8. Apoc. 1. 17. How shalt thou miserable sinner indure the presence of the terrible Iudge If Haman could not abide the angry countenance of Assuerus Hest 7. 9. how shalt thou ô wicked man iudure the angry countenance of this frowning Iudge If Adam for the commission of one sinne ranne from God in great feare and hidde himselfe among the trees that were in the garden Gen. 3. 8. whither shalt thou runne ô sinnefull Adamite that hast committed as many sinnes as starres in the sky or sands by the sea Imo horum numerus numero non clauditur ullo Yea the number of them is not to be numbred Whither I say wilt thou run or where shalt thou hide thy selfe from this terrible Iudge If the drowning of the old World the burning of Sodom the opening of the earth to swallow up Corah c. and such like the Iudgements have such horrour in them who can expresse the horrour of this day when many millions of wicked shall be turned into hell with all the people that forget God If it be such a shame to doe penance for one fault in one congregation where men will pray for the offendour what a shame will it be when all our faults shall bee discovered before all the whole world without all hope of pitty and help and all workers of iniquity shall be cast alive into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Looke therefore to your selves yee generation of Vipers and wash your hands and clense your hearts For certainly the Iudge of all the world will doe right 2. This doctrine of Iudgement serveth for comfort to all penitent Christians they may lift up their heads rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious For the Lord shall then come be glorified 2 Thess 1. 10. in his Saints and made marvailous on them that beleeve Hereupon The consideration of the general iudgement should instruct us saith Augustine Quare non gaudes cum venerit iudicare te qui venit iudicari propter te Why dost thou not rejoyce when he shall come to judge thee that came to be judged for thee hee hath beene thy advocate to pleade thy suites to God his Father and certenly when hee comes to judgement hee will not goe against his owne pleading He is thy brother and carries a most brotherly affection unto thee and will he condemne his owne brother He is thy head and hath performed all the offices of an head unto thee and can he then faile thee when thou hast most need of him hee died for us to redeeme us a people peculiar unto himselfe and will he faile us in the last act of our redemption Oh no no lift up your heads then and in patience possesse your soules What though hee bee terrible to the wicked to thee hee will bee kind and mercifull thou shalt not bee wronged by false witnesses neither shalt thou bee iudged by common fame or outward appearance The Iudge will not be transported either by passion or spleene nor will condemne thee to satisfy the people as Pilate did Iesus and besides nothing shall be remembred but what good thou hast wrought and done thy sinnes shall be cleane blotted out of remembrance they shall bee buried in the heart of the earth and drowned in the bottome of the sea they shall never rise up to Iudgement against thee Rejoice therefore poore penitent thou shalt find Christ a friend no foe a Iesus no Iudge a Saviour no confounder thou shalt find Heaven and not Hell Angels not Divels Gods right hand not his left hand everlasting life and not everlasting death 3. This doctrine of judgement serveth for instruction First it should restraine uncharitable censuring and judging one another Who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his master Christ is the Lord of quicke and dead Iudge therefore nothing before the time If wee could consider that we should every one give accompt to God himselfe as Rom. 14. 12. wee should find worke enough to looke to our owne score and little leasure to forestall God in this matter of judging 2. Are there matters of difference among us Let the Saints judge them and end them God will bee contented to put his cause to them at the last day For we know that the Saints shall judge 1 Cor. 6. 2. the World and therefore why should we refuse their arbitrement 3. It should order and moderate our sorrowes for our dead friends We should not sorrow as people without hope seeing we beleeve that all that sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him 1. Thess 4. 13 14 17 18. we shall meet together againe in that day and ever live together with the Lord and therefore wee should comfort one another with these words 4. This summons to judgement gives a dreadfull warning admonition to the world even to all men every where to repent
If I should please men saith the Gal. 1. 10. Apostle I am not the servant of God Now chuse whether thou wilt serve God or men we must learne of the Lord Iesus His enemies could say though temptingly That he was true taught the way of Mat. 22. 16. God truly neither cared for any man for he considered not the person of men As touching the outward quality as whether a man be rich or poore some workes of Christ are our instruction as his miracles some are our imitation as his deeds vertues Learne not therefore of Christ to rebuke the Wind to still the Sea to turne Mar. 5. Iohn 2. Luke 7. Iohn 9. Water into Wine to raise the Dead to open the eyes of the Blind for these thou canst not doe all these are thy instruction but learne to speake truely this thou mayest doe and this is thy imitation speake truth and that truely for God liketh better of Adverbes than of Nounes Christ spake without regard of men let us learne to speake so The word flatterer in Greeke signifieth servility or slavishnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he is a Page a Servant a Slave to other mens affections there is no difference betweene a Gally-slave and him but that the one is fettered in body the other in minde the one serveth the Turke the other the Divell the one chained for a time the other for ever For the Flatterer is in the snare of the Divel and is taken of him at his will Tot vincula habemus quot peccata we have so many bands as we have sinnes I would that there were not 2 Tim. 2. 26. of these Flatterers amongst the Church-men who should rather rebuke then flatter Surely the vulgar people delight to Soothing Preachers the most base flatterers be flattered and would not by their willes heare the Law of the Lord and hence is it That they say to the seers See not and to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us right things but speake flattering things unto us Prophesy errours But such flattering prophets the Holy Ghost Esay 30. 10. calleth the taile and saith The Lord will cut off from Israel head and taile branch and rush in one day the ancient and the honorable man hee Esay 9. 14 15. is the head and the prophet that teacheth lies he is the taile But as touching these flattering prophets that will sow pillowes under mens elbowes and sooth them up in their sins God will punish them He will feed them with Wormewood and make them drinke the water of gall The Holy Ghost compareth them to bad surgeons Ier. 23. 15. that bring toothsome but not wholesome medicines They have Ier. 8. 11. healed the hurt of the daughter of my people with sweet words saith God saying Peace peace when there was no peace Hence grew the ruine of Ierusalem hence is the ruine of England that we are not playne with our people we monish them not the complaint of God against the false prophets may bee taken up against many of us Thy prophets have looked out vaine and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity but Lament 2. 14. looked out for thee false prophesies c. Ministers are called The salt Mat. 5. Ier. 8. of the earth the light of the World Physicians Surgeons Salt must needs be sharp to a rotten wound light is painefull to a sore eye a good Physician must trouble his patient ere hee heale him A Surgeon must lance a festred wound God will have Esay crie aloud Esay 58. 1. lift up his voice like a trumpet shew the people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes Ieremy must speake all that God commandeth He must not be afraid of mens faces Esay would not flatter Princes but told them that they were rebellious and companions of Ier. 1. 8. Esay 1. 23. theeves that they loved gifts and followed after rewards that they iudged not the fatherlesse and the Widowes complaints came not before them He that shall deale so with the Nobles of England shall have small thankes yet are they men and not God flesh and not spirit sinnefull aswell as they of Iuda Iames and Iohn were Boanarges sonnes of thunder we had need thunder and lighten as Pericles did Mar. 3. in Greece speaking will do little good we must not sow pillowes under Ezech. 13. 10. Gal. 4. 16. mens elbowes We say as Paul said to the Galatians Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Better you hate us then God For they that flatter you serve not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speeches and flattering deceive the hearts Rom. 16. 18. of the simple Flattery is a sinne but we are the cause of it the fault is in our selves No man can be flattered but he first flattereth himselfe no vermine breedeth where hee findeth no warmth no flies swarme where they see no flesh no Eagles light where they see no carcasse no man claweth but where he seeth pride in the partie to worke upon These men are as brasse-pots which be they never so huge yet a man can carry them by the eares where hee Reproofe profits more then flattery will so may these men bee carried by the eares and yet it is to their owne hurt For flatterers are like wormes and mothes which eate wooll and garments but it cannot be seene till the knop be off so proud men see not their sinnes till it bee too late Si fueris Thraso non deerit tibi Gnato If thou wilt be a boasting bragging Thraso thou shalt never want a flattring parasitical Gnato Thus by these flatterers many Gentlemen be cōsumed before they be aware their flattering followers undoe them There be two kindes of persecutions Manus persequentis Lingua adulantis the hand of the Tyrant and the tongue of the flatterer the latter is the worser as it is most pernicious to the soule it doth the soule good to be reprooved it driveth away sin as the North-wind doth the raine Multi culpāt amicos Many blame their friends but those accusations are but like water in a Smithes-forge to kindle not to quench the fire Let us blame and rebuke men not to make them worse but better not viler but warier David prayed Corripiat me justus Let the righteous smite me For that is a benefit Psal 41. 5. Let him reprove me and it shall be a precious oyle that shall not breake my August ser 59. de verbis Domini head Well said Augustine Non omnis qui parcit est amicus nec omnis qui ferit est inimicus Not every one that spareth us is a Friend nor every one that striketh us is an enemy Melius cum sinceritate diligere quà m cum levitate decipere better to love with sincerity then to deceive with levity
with any conscience Tertullian telleth of a water in Paphlagonia called Salmacis of the which they that drinke either fall into a phrensie or into a lethargie so are wee not either mad or fallen into a dead sleepe to heare God so often and remember him so little Shame appertaineth unto us and confusion may cover us as a cloake O deafe eares dumbe Dan. 9. tongues dead hearts dull soules How long shall Wisedome crie How Prov. 1. 20 21 22. long shall shee utter her voyce in the streetes shee calleth in the highstreete among the prease in the entring of the gates and uttereth her words in the City saying O yee foolish how long will yee love foolishnesse and the scornefull take their pleasure inscorning and the fooles hate knowledge But let us leave this sinne and learne to remember more and keepe more else the more shall be our judgement But what must we remember we must remēber the words of the Apostles not of the Rabbines Fathers Doctors of the Church therefore it is noted of the three thousand that they continued in the Act. 2. 42. Apostles doctrine It is Basis Ecclesiae so saith Paul Yee are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being Ephes 2. 20. the chiefe corner stone Peter calleth it a most sure word We have 1 Pet. 1. 19. saith hee a most sure word of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that yee take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Esay sendeth all men to the Law To the Law to the testimonie saith the Prophet If they speake not according to this Word it is because Esa 8. 20. there is no light in them Ieremy calleth all mens traditions dreames chaffe How long doe the Prophets delight to prophesie lyes Ier. 23. 26 27 28 29. Even prophecying the deceit of their owne heart Thinke they to cause my people to forget my name by their dreames which they tell every man unto his neighbour as their fore-fathers have forgotten my Name for Baal The Prophet that hath a dream let him tell a dream he that hath my Word let him speake my Word faithfully what is the Chaffe to the Wheat saith the Lord Is not my word even like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the stone These Saint Peter calleth deceivable fables Wee followed not quoth he deceivable fables when wee opened 2 Pet. 1. 16. unto you the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ What neede we to run to the channell when wee may drinke of the The Scripture the rule of faith the touch stone to trie Scripture fountaine or to feed of Acornes when we may have the pure Wheat Or to see with a Candle when we may have the Sun light All mens writings they are as puddles and cesternes that can hold no water they are Labruscae sowre grapes I looked saith the Lord that my vineyard should have brought forth good grapes Ier. 2. Esa 5. 3. and it brought forth wild and sowre grapes Now by these sowre grapes hee meaneth errors in doctrine as well as in life The Zuingsius Word of God must sit on the Bench when Fathers Councels Doctors Rabbines Poets Philosophers must stand at the barre Paul discussing the question of Iustification he saith not What saith reason What say the Rabbines The Thalmud The Caball What say the Bishops Doctors of Ierusalem But What saith the Scripture So Peter proveth all from the Scripture Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture Behold I put a stone in Sion Rom. 4. 3. c. This is to build on the Rocke but a most miserable state it is when a man buildeth on the sand The house must needs fall when the Church goeth from the doctrine Apostolicall to Luk. 6. the doctrines of men then is the Sunne as sackecloth the Moon turned into bloud the starres have lost their light then the three Apoc. 6. uncleane Frogges be come out of the mouth of the Dragon when Popes Cardinals Schoolemen rule the Church Removeantur Chartae Apoc. 13. 16. Aug. Donato nostrae procedat in medium Codex Dei Let our writings be taken away let Gods Booke bee produced and brought in the place Let us take away our deceitfull ballance and let Gods ballance weigh and sway the truth of our cause Martin refused Scripture and fled to traditions and therefore Tertullian calleth him Apostaticall not Apostolicall He calleth the Marcionites Owles Lucifrigas scripturarum saith that Tertull. lib. 4. contra Marcionitas the Waspes make nests aswell as the Bees and that the Marcionites erect Churches aswell as Christians but in their nests is no hony and in the Churches of the Marcionites is no Truth no Scripture they teach for doctrine precepts of men they are like unto Ravens which conceive not with seed but with wind their Mat. 15. doctrine is the doctrine of the wind and the speech of the East-wind Wee are borne againe not of mortall but of immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. even by the Word of God which liveth and indureth for ever that is the true seed The Papists are like the Marcionites and the Valentinians qui prius persuadent quà m docent which first perswade and after teach but Christians doe first teach and after perswade and teach too out of the Scriptures as Apollo did He proved by the Scriptures Iesus to be Christ for he was a man eloquent and Act. 18. 24 28. 1 Thess 4. 15. mighty in the Scriptures Thus Paul taught This say we unto you by the Word of the Lord thus must wee say for every point of Doctrine Againe in that Iude bids them Remember the Words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ some gather from these words that this Epistle is not Canonicall not written by The Saints of God are meek and gentie Iude the Apostle But I answere that Iude naming other Apostles excludeth not himselfe but rather useth the authority of others then of himselfe So Iohn calleth himselfe Iohn at every word not an Apostle yet avoucheth his calling against Cerinthus Apoc. 1. 4 9. and Ebion saying that the Lord Iesus commanded him to write Apoc. 1. So Paul modestly and humbly having to do with God renounceth his titles and saith that he was not worthy to be called an Apostle hee saith that he was among them in much weakenesse that 1 Cor. 15. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 3. he persecuted and wasted the Church of God that he preached in infirmity that he was mad in his Iudaisme but having to do with the false apostles and Pharises hee avoucheth his calling and rowzeth himselfe like a Lion I certify you brethren that Gal. 1. 13. Act. 26. 11. Gal. 1. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 1. 1 Cor. 13. 10. Gal. 2. 8 9 11. the Gospell which was preached of me
another Nay one man is a Woolfe unto another Nay one man is a Divell unto another we are not now Christians but Woolves Leopards Lions Divels Nay worse for one Lion eateth not another and the divels strive not among themselves but maintaine one anothers kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another Let Scythians and Canibals eate one another who know not God nor good humanity but are without all naturall affection But let us love as brethren bee pittifull be courteous not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that wee are thereunto called that wee should bee heires of blessing and if enemies will not be pacified recommend the cause to God till wee meete in Heaven where all injury shall be forgotten and in the meane while I beseech you as Saint Paul did the Saints of Corinth I beseech you I say by the name of our Lord 1 Cor. 1. 10. Iesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there bee no discension among you but that yee bee knit together in one minde and in one judgement and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever Phil. 4. 8. things pertaine to love c. thinke on these things and the God of Love and Peace shall bee with you and the Lord increase your love and make 1 Thess 3. 12. it abound more and more one towards another Christs commandement is all love his Spouse is all loving and Iohn will preach nothing but love and wee must follow after love and above all have fervent love among our selves for that shall cover a multitude of sinnes But marke that the love whereunto Saint Iude exhorteth is called the love of God and keep your selves in the love of God so that not all love is commended but such love onely As is Holy Iust True Constant For first our love must bee Holy love it is for God and not against God under God and not above God for hee loves not God that loves not his neighbour with God whom hee loves not for God and hee that loves his neighbour more than God is unworthy of God and makes his neighbour to be his God Secondly Our love must bee just wee must not love one another in evill but in good and for good Pacem cum hominibus bellum cum vitijs wee must have peace with men warre with their vices We must love their persons but hate their manners if they Foure properties of the Love of God be evill Thirdly our love must bee true Love Wee 〈…〉 and in tongue but in worke and in truth Nemo potest 〈…〉 â—â—â—hn 3. 18. hominis nist primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis 〈…〉 August be a true lover of man unlesse first he be a lover of th◠〈…〉 must love one another not for their riches honours greatnesse but for themselves their good must bee sought not their goods Weâ— must not love one another as dogges doe bones for the flesh that is on them or as men doe trees for their fruit but wee must love them for themselves for this that they are men but especially for that they are vertuous and good men Lastly our love one towards another must bee constant with some friends are like flowers no longer regarded then whiles they are fresh Many mens love is like the harlots love who love while there is lucre and when gifts goe hence their love goes hence they are like the puttocks in the fable that followed the old wife bearing tripes to the market but forsooke her home-ward when her tripes were sold En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis c. A man shall be loved in prosperity but in adversity as rats forsake an house when it is ready to fall and as lice forsake a mans head when he is dying so his lovers and his friends will forsake him Thus our love should be holy just true constant this is true Christian love wherein men should keep themselves For among murtherers theeves and drunkards there is a kind of love but not the Love that Iude would here to bee among us First therefore the love of Atheists is condemned which comes from profit or from pleasure It is not Charitas ex corde puro Love out of a pure heart Love and good works must goe together 1 Tim. 1. 5. to gloze eate play drinke game bee no good workes therefore this is not love wee call it good fellowship but such good fellowes will goe to the good-fellow the Divell if they repent not For if wee sinne willingly after that wee have received the Hebr. 10. 26 27. knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for judgement There is a carnall love but ours must bee a spirituall love such as was among the Colossians of whose Col. 1. 8. love Paul speaketh Who hath also certified us of your love which yee have by the Spirit There is a worldly love and there is an heavenly Love and knowledge giveth life to this love without it Love is as a dead picture Lovers glorious the name is honorable the praise of it is from the rising of the Sunne unto the going downe of the Sunne One saith that love is like hony in bitter broth and sugar in sowre wine it is like unto the Sun unto the world a candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac quicquid vis If Calvin in Iohn Aug. thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or bee silent exhort or rebuke call or cry so it bee in love all is well Yet it must be a godly love an holy charity but it is impossible to have it with all some are so wicked If thou canst have Most love for lucre sake the favour and love of men with the favour and Love of God take it it is precious but if thou canst not have the favour and Psal 133. 1. love of men but with the disfavour and dislike of God let it go For certenly The amity of the World is enmity with God Wee must Iam. 4. 4. love men in the Lord God for himselfe man for God Diligendus est Deus propter se homo propter Deum I may compare the love of Atheists to the agreement that is among a kennell of hounds who sleep together play together hunt merrily together but if a man hurle a bone they grinne snatch and bite one another So Atheists agree together till some matter come of private gaine but then there is grinning biting fighting one with another for the best of them is as a brier and Mich. 7. 4. the most righteous of them is sharper then a thorne hedge for from the least of them to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and Ier.
lest we deprive him of hope so we may not be too soft with an obstinate man lest we increase his pride the one may be driven to desperation the other to presumption we may not incidere in Scyllam evitare Charybdim We must not fall into Scylla to avoid Charibdis but draw out Gods sword and lay Gods axe to the roote of their trees so S. Paul in one of his Epistles to Mat. 3. the Corynthians used oyle to mollify in the other wine to search 1 Cor. 5. the wounds hee brought not a search-cloth but a searing iron For there bee foure uses of the Scripture to teach 2 Tim. 3. 16. trueth to confute errour to instruct in manners to reprove viciousnesse of life this aggravated the sinne of Ananias that hee Act. 5. 4. sinned willingly and this extenuated the sinne of the Iewes that they did it ignorantly Ignorantia enim liberat non à toto sed à tanto If Elymas had beene a weake brother Paul would not have used the Act. 3. 17. roughnesse that he did but because he was an inveterate enemy steeped in his Lees frozen in his dregs he rattleth him up and saith O full of all subtilty and mischiefe the child of the Divell and Act. 13. 10. enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord So Saint Peter dealt with Simon Magus Thy money Act. 8. 20. perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obtayned with money Iames and Iohn were filij tonitrui sonnes of thunder wee had need now not speake but thunder not use tongues but trumpets men are so asleepe that they will not awake except we thunder It is said of the three Ministers of Geneva Vireto nemo fatur dulcius Farrello nemo tonuit fortius Calvino nemo docuit doctius None ever spake more sweetly then Viret none thundred more strongly than Farrell none taught more learnedly than Calvin He that could doe all these three were a perfect Minister A Christian must not be afraid to reprove sinne Noah reproved the old world Lot Sodom and Gomorah Samuel Saul Nathan David the King Iaddi and Ahias Ieroboam the Idolater Hanani 1 Reg. 13. 1 Reg. 14. Asa Elias Ahab Ieremy but what should I rip up all the Prophets Christ Iohn the Baptist the Apostles Ignatius reproved Trajane Ambrose Theodocian Polycarpe Martion Chrysostome the Clergy Gelasius Anastasius All these reproved sinne and are presidents to us to doe the same If Herod will marry his brothers wife Let Iohn tell him Non licet it may not be if Ahab will goe The Prophets of God have terrified the wicked to Ramoth in Gilead Michea must tell him hee shall never returne if Amazia forbid Amos to preach hee may tell him Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Citty and thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt dye in a Mat. 14. 1 Reg. 22. Amos 7. 17. polluted Land and Israel shall surely goe into captivity If the men of Ierusalem will scorne us and our doctrine Let us say unto them Heare the Word of the Lord yee scornefull men Thus saith the Esa 23. 14 17. Lord Iudgement will I lay to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance and the haile shall sweepe away your vaine confidence c. This teacheth Ministers to deale plainely and roundly not to blanch not to bring honey in stead of wormewood not to do as the false prophets did of whom God speaketh thus They have healed the hurt of Ier. 6. 14. the daughter of my people with sweet words saying Peace peace when there was no peace This was their sinne the prophets looked out Lamen◠2. 14. vaine and foolish things for you they have not discovered your iniquities but have looked out false prophesies and causes of banishment Esay said of the prophets of that time Qui ducunt te Esay 9. 15. seducunt te The leaders of the people cause you to erre and they that are ledde by them are devoured they should have mourned not piped Ieremy cried out against these prophets I have seene in the prophets of Ierusalem filthinesse they commit adultery and walke in Ier. 23. 14. lyes they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse they are all unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah therefore thus saith the Lord of Hostes Behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drinke the water of gall for from the Prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone foorth into all the land Heare not the words of these prophets saith the Lord of Hosts that prophesie unto you and teach you vanity and speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord they say still unto them that despise me The Lord hath said yee shall have peace and they say to every one that walketh in the stubbornnes of his owne heart No evill shall come upon you So did Ezechiel at Gods owne commandement cry out against these prophets saying Wo unto the foolish prophets that follow their owne spirit and have seene nothing O Israel thy prophets are Ezech. 13. 3 4. like the Foxes in waste places they have seene vanity and lying divinations c. And of these prophets Almighty God cōplaineth sore Ezeth 22. 25 26 28. saying The prophets are like roaring Lions ravening for the prey they have devoured soules they have taken the riches and precious things they have made her many widowes her priests have broken my Law and have defiled mine holy things They have put no difference betweene the holy and prophane neither discerned betweene the cleane and uncleane they have hidde their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned among them they dawbe with untempered mortar seeing vanities and divining lies c. Ministers must not be of the number of these prophets but they must cry alowd and not spare they must lift up their voices like trumpets they must shew the people their offences and the house of Esay 58. 1. Iacob her sinnes Christ who brake not a bruised reede yet thundered against the Pharises and denounceth many woes against They that reproove profit more thā they that sooth them This also teacheth the people to suffer the Word of Exhortation but flatterers are most esteemed of them such as can sow Mat. 12. 20. cap. 25. Esay 30. 10. 1 Reg. 22. 8. pillowes under their elbowes and can preach placentia pleasing things unto them Ahab cannot abide Michea if he prophesy otherwise than hee would have him This is the difference betweene a wise man and a foole the wise will heare rebukes but the foolish will not so saith Salomon Rebuke not a scorner meaning them that are incorrigible such as Christ calleth dogges Prov. 9. 8. and hogges or he
saith he cōmeth Prov. 6. 15. speedily hee shall bee destroyed suddenly without hope of recovery all these three bee fearefull The wages of sinne is death yea sudden death We pray in the Letany to be delivered from sudden death Rom. 6. 23. but our prayer is nothing except our life be godly that shall give a rest to Gods children No sickenesse no death commeth suddenly Esa 28. 12. to the childe of God for hee prepareth himselfe ever hee is a childe of light and of the day therefore hee will not sleepe as other men doe but he will watch and be sober Gods children have oyle in their Lampes that is Faith and Repentance 1 Thess 5 5 6. Mat. 25. they have made their reckonings their loines be girt and their lights burning and let us bee like unto these servants that wait Luk. 14. 28. for their master when he commeth from the marriage that when he commeth koncketh we may open unto him immediately Luk. 12. The troubles that came upon Iob were not sudden he looked for them long before they came Multa cadunt inter calicem supremaque labra many things happen betweene the cup and the upper Iob 1. 25. lip but not to the godly for they stand alway in awe of God and are affraid to offend him for which cause Salomon counteth them blessed saying Blessed is the man that feareth alway And againe hee saith A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe Pro. 28. 14. Prov. 22. 3. that is the punishment that is prepared for the wicked and flyeth to God for succour hee seeth his wants he suspecteth himselfe hee daily asketh God mercy whereas the wicked feareth nothing like the Amalekites who eating drinking 1 Sam. 30. 16. playing dansing and even in the middest of all their sport and pastime were suddenly slaine For the wicked say Come I will bring wine and wee will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow Repentance and godly life must not bee deserted till death shall bee as this day and much more abundant but God saith Hac nocte repetent animam tuam This night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee when some are eating some drinking some stealing some whoring some building buying selling Esay 56. 12. Luke 12. 45. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. then shall God come For the day of the Lord shall come even as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace peace sudden destruction shall come upon them as sorrow commeth upon a Woman travelling with childe and they shall not escape and therefore the counsell of Augustine is good Vitam emendare dum tempus habenius to amend our lives while wee have time Operari dum dies est to worke Aug. Ser. 4. de sanctis while it is day Pulsare dum aperitur ostium to knocke while the doore is opened falcem mittere dum messis durat to thrust in the sickle while the harvest lasteth Negotiari tempore nundinarum to buy and sell while the Faire or Market lasteth Misericordiam implorare ante diem justitiae to crave mercy before the day 2 Cor. 5. 2. of justice approcheth For now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Begge mercy then to day thou knowest not whether God will give thee time and grace to doe it to morrow To this saying of Augustine I might adde the saying of Ierome upon his death-bed as saith Eusebius Cremonensis Cur moraris miser de die in diē converti ad Deum O miserable and wretched man why doest thou deferre from day to day to bee converted unto God Cur te jam malorum nonpoenitet Why doest thou not now repent thee of thy sinnes and wickednesse Ecce mors properat ut te conterat Behold death approcheth to teare thee and kill thee the Divell plyeth him to receive thee the wormes expect thee daily to devoure thee wit and strength and all beginne to faile thee But thou wilt say I will repent in articulo mortis at the very point of death O vana suspitio oh falsa meditatio O vaine suspition oh false meditation Looke and see if thou canst finde one of an hundred nay one of a thousand that have obtained this grace and mercy of God that his end should bee happy whose life was unhappy his death good whose conversation hath beene bad Ignis est ira Dei Gods wrath is fire Nos sumus stipula wee are as stubble and straw devoured of the fire wherefore let us worke while it is day the night commeth when as no Iohn 9. man can work And as Noah built the Arke in faire weather and Ioseph laid up graine and corne in the seven plentifull yeeres and Gen. 6. as the Ant that hath neither Master Ruler nor Guide provideth in the plentie of Summer for the dearth of Winter so let us Prov. 6. like good Noahs build the Arke of a good Conscience before the judgement overflow like provident Iosephs let us lay up the graine of godliness in the barnes of our hearts before the dearth of Mercy come and like painefull Ants provide food for our soules before the Winter of justice doth approach And whatsoever Eccles 11. we put our hands unto let us doe it quickly For there is neither worke nor invention nor wisdome nor understanding in Ministers save the soules the grave that wee go unto Save them with feare in plucking them out of the fire he saith Save them with feare Christians are said to save men when God useth their speech and exhortation to doe good on men they are said to winne soules which is the greatest gaine in the world For all the gold in the world laid in one ballance and the soule of a man in another will not countervaile one soule they cost more then so for We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold 1 Pet. 1. 18. but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled and without spotte Salomon gained gold and silver and had it in abundance Alexander gained men for he subdued whole hosts Augustus gained 1 Reg. 10. Luk. 2. Countreyes for hee taxed the world but good men gaine soules this is most of all For he that winneth soules is happy happy indeed For they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Prov. 11. 30. Dan. 12. 3. starres for ever and ever Wee are said to convert a sinner because God useth our ministery in it and this should be our chiefe care to convert one another from sinne to sanctity from Sodom to Sion from Babylon to Ierusalem from the power of Satan unto God For hee which hath converted a sinner from going astray out of the Iam. 5. 20. way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And our Saviour saith If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell Mat. 18. 15. him his
serpent must pull out his sting Now death is a serpent and his sting is sinne one may put a serpent in his bosome when his sting is out and wee may Earth-quakes upon extraordinary occasions let death into our bosome when sinne is gone the venim and poison gone But to draw us to a greater hatred of sinne let me apply this late judgement of the earth-quake unto you These judgements Anno Domini 1601. Decembr 24. have never beene but upon great and rare occasions and for horrible and notorious sinnes to note the wonderfull power of God and to presage some rare events some strange plagues to fall upon the world When God gave the Law the earth shooke God did it in fearefull manner to teach Israel that if the earth shooke when God spake much more should their hearts shake The like earth quake was at the restoring of the Law in the dayes of Elias And indeed to whom is the Word of God powerfull 1 Reg. 19. Esay 66. 25. profitable but to him that trēbleth at it Of these former judgements David speaketh O God when thou wentest forth before the Psal 68 7. 8. people when thou wentest thorow the wildernesse the earth shooke and the Heavens dropped at the presence of God even Sinai was moved at the presence of God even the God of Israel Againe in the horrible rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. the one in the Church the other in the Commonwealth the one against the Lords Priest the other against the Lords Magistrate there was an earthquake to teach that hell shall swallow us as it did them if we rebell so Of all judgements these most manifest the power of God and foreshew his great anger so David spake The earth trembled and quaked the foundations also of the mountaines moved and shooke because hee was angry smoke went out of Psal 28. 7 8 9. his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth coales were kindled thereat he bowed the Heavens and came downe and darkenes was under his feete c. When Vzziah would usurpe the Priests office and Zach. 14. ◠confound Church and Commonwealth and make a Chaos of all religion and goodnesse God shooke the earth and when Iericho fell it is thought by the learned to have bene by an earth quake Iosh 6. And when the wicked Iewes crucified the Lord of glory all creatures Mat. 27. shewed their disliking the Sunne was eclypsed the Heavens lost their light the starres were moved the vaile of the Temple rent asunder the graves opened the dead rose the earth quaked O dura obdurata indurata corda hominum quae non contremiscunt O durate and obdurate and indurate hearts of men that cannot tremble David speaketh of the rare Iudgement of God in this case and thereby stirreth up all men to feare God Shall the wildernes quake and shall not our hearts quake Absit The voice of the Lord maketh the wildernes to tremble and shall not Psal 26. 5. wee tremble In the great persecution of the Church S. Iohn speaketh of an earthquake Let us not thinke that these judgements Apoc. 6. 12. bee ordinary and rise altogether of naturall causes for great hurt hath ensued The three famous Cities of Asia Laodicea for wealth Hierapolis for learning and Colossos for strength were all overthrowne with earth-quakes Constantinople was tormented with shaking a whole yeere together In the dayes of Boniface Earth-quakes fore-runners of fearefull Iudgements there happened an Earth-quake and after followed such a plague of scabbes and botches as a man could hardly tell his owne dead from other mens Burdeam was mightily shaken with Anno. 741. an earth-quake And in the yeere of our Lord 1171. the City Tripolis a great part of Damascus in Antiochia and Halapre the chiefe City of Loradin and other Cities of the Saracens either perished utterly or were wonderfully defaced And An. 1539. in divers places as at Venice Florēce there were great earth-quakes which did much hurt In Anno 1579. April the 6. an earth-quake tolled the great bell at Westminster and threw downe a piece of Dover Castle and part of Sutten Church in Kent to note unto us that our sinnes overburden the earth the earth grones and would be eased God shakes his hand the earth trembles man is carelesse beware it gapes not and swallow thee up quicke When Arrius heresy was entertained in Antioch God punished it with earth-quakes to give a Caveat how wee admit of heresy and six great Cities in Greece in the dayes of Tiberius and twelve Cities of Campania in the dayes of Constantine And wee all now might have beene swallowed up if Gods mercy had not bene the Anno. 1601. greater Blessed bee God who kept us and hee keepe us evermore But surely this earth-quake prognosticateth that God is comming to Iudgement As the City of Rome was never shaken but it presaged some strange event The yeere before the Carthaginian warre there were 57. earthquakes at Rome but there presently followed a lamentable warre After an earth-quake in Venice there followed a famine and upon the necke of that a plague which beginning farre North spred over the whole earth but so raged at Venice as scarcely one lived of an hundred but as a wonder lasteth but nine dayes so this earth-quake will be forgotten of many When Ananias fell downe dead suddenly Act. 5. at the feete of Peter all the Church trembled and this should make us all tremble For in my judgement it is a forerunner of Christs comming or else of some fearefull judgement of warre Mat. 26. 7. Pliny or famine or of pestilence For an heathen man could say that earth-quakes portend and foretell fearefull matters ensuing And note that God sent it at this time to begin our Christmas with it so mis-spent of all men The Heathen had their Floralia Bacchanalia Cerealia they went naked surfeted and were drunken and they light torches to Proserpina going naked and what else doe wee Wee eate and drinke and rise up to play and goe up and down showting and revelling Hath the grace of God appeared to Tit. 2. 11. this end Brethren hath the Lord Iesus gotten twelve dayes of his Father for prophanenesse swearing revelling c I am ashamed that the Turke the Iew the Persian should know this Propter nos male audit nomen Christi The name of God is blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. among the Gentiles through us The heathen had their Cerealia Fearefull earth-quakes and comets warne to repent as I said before wherein they surfeted to Ceres and their Bacchanalia wherein they were drunken to the honour of Bacchus they had their Floralia wherein they were idle and gave themselves to lust and Venerie Wherein differ our Christmas feasts from theirs it being spent only in eating drinking nay gluttony and drunkennes riot cards dice swearing swaggering toying fooling and what not
servant Nam naturae gratia se apponit daemoni Deus malae consâ—â—tudini bonus usus multitudini malorum spirituum exercitus Angelorum Grace opposeth it selfe to nature God opposeth himselfe against the Divell good custome against evill an hoste of heavenly Angels against a multitude of evill spirits For the Angels of the Lord doe pitch their tents about them Psal 34. that feare him God telleth us that his grace is sufficient for us and that his power is made perfect is knowne and evidently seene through our 2 Cor. 12. 9. weakenesse A question here may bee asked If God bee able to keepe us from falling why then doth hee suffer us to fall Why did hee let Adam fall by the subtilty of the serpent why did he let Lot Gen. 3. Gen. 19. Numb 21. 1 Reg. 11. fall in Zoar by wine and strong drinke Why did hee suffer Moses in the desart by infidelity Why did he let Salomon King Salomon wise King Salomon fall by women Why did hee let Peter fall through feare into lying perjurie banning and cursing Mat. 26. Why doth hee suffer most of his Saints to fall some into one sinne some into another and all into some sinne So that it may bee said of the best of them Septies in die cadit justus the Prov. 24. Iam. 3. 2. righteous man sinneth seven times a day Et in multis peccavimus omnes in many things wee offend all Hereto I answere Adams fall was permitted of God to bring to passe this eternall counsell decreed before the foundation of the world concerning the incarnation of his Sonne and the redemption of mankind through him Nam tu quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God Secondly concerning Rom. 9. the fall of other Saints God permitteth them for two causes either that his mercy might bee made manifest in their God permitted Adam and the Saints to fall for divers reasons pardon and reclaiming or else that they may see the frailty of their nature that they stand not by themselves but by God For the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to direct his pathes that thus God may humble us and that hee that standeth may take heed hee fall not Saint Iude saith not that God ever keepeth us Ier. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 12. from falling but that hee is able to keepe us and will so farre forth doe it as shall stand with his glory and our consolation And this withall I note that God never suffereth his to fall for ever Qui ex Deo est non peccat Hee that is of God sinneth not that is non peccat in aeternum hee sinneth not for ever their 1 Iohn 3. light is eclypsed sometime like the Sunne but never quenched like the fire on the Altar in the Babylonicall captivity they sleepe but they wake againe to righteousnesse they bee not in a lethargie in a dead sleepe like Coranus and Plato who slept and never waked againe â—hey fall sometime but they rise againe like the Dromedary they lye not by it like the Elephant that wanteth jointes they have weeds and faults but they have corne and vertues also like the fields of Sharon whereas the wicked are as Sichem sowne with salt where never fruit grew they have leaves Cant. 4. but they have fruit also like the vine of Megeddo but the wicked Iudg. 9. Mar. 11. are like the figge-tree that Christ cursed they are all leaves all sinne being full of unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse Rom. 1. 29. full of envy of murder of debate taking all things in evill part they lie downe in sinne they sleepe in sinne they rise up in sinne in the morning they live in it they dye in it it is Alpha Omega Aleph and Tau first and last for the wicked are strangers from the Psal 58. 3. wombe even from the belly thy have erred and spake lies They fall and never rise againe they sinne and repent not of the uncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed 2 Cor. 12. 21. In one word God is able to keepe us and doth keepe us else should wee fall as often as wee are tempted For wee are as dry stubble apt to receive fire but there is a plurality of mercies with God Hee is rich in mercy hee hath mercy for thousands he hath Ephes 2. Exod. 20. Psal 51. Psal 126. â— Ephes 1. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 8. a multitude of mercies he hath lesser mercies and greater mercies Hee filleth our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy hee hath corporall blessings and spirituall blessings temporall joyes in earth and everlasting joyes in heaven hee hath a preventing grace in delivering from sinne and a following grace in pardoning sinne he hath an infusing grace and a restraining grace and Iohn 17. 2 Cor. 12. 7. his grace is sufficient for us But here a question may be moved whether the Church may fall from God in doctrine in manners num errare potest tam fide quà m vita whether it may erre as well in faith as in life To this some answer Ecclesia non cadit non errat universaliter totaliter fundamentaliter finaliter that the Church doth not fall doth not erre universally totally fundamentally finally non universaliter The best have erred in omnibus membris not universally in all the members non totaliter in singulis fidei capitibus not totally in every article of faith non fundamentaliter in praecipuis capitibus not fundamentally in the chiefe heads non finaliter in aeternum not finally for euer unto perdition But admit this yet it may fall it may erre The question is not what it doth but what it may doe Ecclesia potest errare the Church may erre whether yee respect it as universall in Councels or the singular members thereof severally quoth Danaeus for it is manifest that I may erre and you may Danaeus erre and hee may erre sic de singulis and so of every one For wee set but in part the which words are meant of every one wee 1 Cor. 13. 9. proceed and goe forward daily wee are not yet come unto perfection wee see the most excellent men have erred as Thomas in Phil. 3. Iohn 20. Act. 10. Num 9. Exod. 32. Act. 1. the resurrection Peter in circumcision Moses in the Passeover Aaron in the golden Calfe in Idolatry All the Apostles in the Kingdome of Christ Lactantius Eusebius Apollinaris Arnobius were tainted errore Chiliastarum with the error of the Chiliasts which held that Christ should come personally and raigne as a King in this world a thousand yeeres yea all men are lyers and all pray Forgive us our trespasses yea looke into the Apocalyps and Mat. 5. Apos 12. 2 Reg. 11. yee shall find that the woman fledde into the wildernesse the whole visible Church under