THE TRVE ART OF LIVING WELL. THE RIGHT VSE OF things indifferent THE PLAINE FOOT-PATH to the Paradise of God Three Sermons preached at Cambridge Westminster and Worcester by IOHN RACSTER Minister of the word and Preacher LONDON Printed for Thomas Clarke and are to be sold at his shop in Paules churchyard at the signe of the Angell 1605. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE AND to the Reader DEO ECCLESIAE TIBI THree words in one escouchion displaying three vertues in one man towards God godlinesse to his countrey charitie and goodnesse to thee Deo patriae tibi to God his countrey and to thee doth Maister Lambert dedicate his booke Which inuention of his sorting well with my desire though my desert be farre short of his I will God â—illing in this act of dedicating this woâ—thlesse worke of mine try my skill how I can vse his instrument contenting my selfe as welt I may to be his second First Deo to God as to my author I the writer dedicate these my labours my selfe my whole life and all my actions as God shall give grace And this dedication brancheth it selfe out two wayes Hallclu-iah the dedication of praise and Hosanna the dedication of prayer It becometh vs well in all humilitie with thanks and praise to dedicate our workes to God we being thereunto instructed by nature it selfe All riuers pay tribute vnto the Ocean thereby acknowledging their head because the sea filleth them all and supplieth all their wants so must all soules give praise vnto God acknowledging in him the fountaine of their essence or being and the well of their being and doing well Nam de plenitudine eius omnes bibimus Of his fulnesse we all haue drunke all our wants are supplied from him all our diseases are cured in him al our goodnes is procured through him all our life is guided by him all our happinesse and saluation cometh of him Omne datum c. Fuery good giuing and eueric perfect gift is from aboue cometh down from the father of lights This alwayes with all thankfulnesse we do acknowledge most mightle most mercifull most glorious God and Father And this is our Hallelu-iah our dedication of praise vnto the Lord. Our Hosanna our dedication of prayer is Ana Domine Salua obsecro Ana Domine da successum obsecro Prosper thy king O Lord O Lord prosper thy kingdome here with vs prosper euery word and worke tending to the aduancing of thy kingdome our king thy Christ our Lord and God Prosper O Lord this word and worke of me thine vnworthy seruant that being of it selfe but granum a very small thing in it selfe but a graine it may through thee be made semen a seed that is of an esfectual qualitie where it is but of a contemptible quantitie And blesse the growth of this seed by being present with vs as thou hast bene with thy former seruants of old that euery one of vs knowing thee to be the chiefe and true husbandman may pray and say vnto thee Let my wordes O Lord drop as the raine and my speech distill as the deaw as the showre vpon the herbes and as the great raine vpon the grasse so let thy doctrine in my mouth make fruitfull the hearts of all that heare it Thus doth praise and prayer commend this cause vnto the Lord. In the next place next vnto God is the Church of God which being a vine will afford a shadow to such as gather grapes being an house ministreth a couering to the Ministers that be vnder her roofe and being the mother of vs all doth charitably accept the meanest offerings and deuotion of the meanest of vs all These be the arguments that assure me that albeit as in the materiall tabernacle so likewise in the spirituall building of the spirituall temple some bring gold that is workes of greater moment others bring siluer things of brighter and finer shew others bring brasse matter of more strength and others there be that bring blew silke purple scarlet and fine linnen that is daintie devices delectable curious and costly yet is it my hope still that my poore endcuors my homely stuffe whether haire or skins or whatsoever else they shall be thought to be will serue for some vse or purpose in the Church and my willing mind to do good though attended but a little and extended in effect but to a few shall not be condemned though it deserue but slenderly to be commended First in all our actios is God to be remebred next the Church thirdly some principall man in the Church and lastly the good of every common Christian in this case is to be intended The third point therefore is two fold Tibi to thee the patron of my paines and Tibi to thee the reader of my bookes the reading also being different the one requiring an Emphasis and the other including an Antithesis First Emphaticâ—s and principaliter emphatically and principally putting a difference betweene the protector and the partner betweene a father and a friend Tibi to thee thou painfull pillar and stout staÌ„derd bearer of the Church tibi to thee thou chiefi prelate of this our prouince tibi to thee thou most famous Bishop of a most fertile countrey and faithsull people tibi to thee to thee I say thou reuerend father the learned Bishop of worthie Worcester to thee I commend and dedicate these whatsoeuer labours of mine labouring much in my mind how to make known vnto the world and your Lordship how much aswel in the behalfe of my poore Church whose case Itender as mine owne as also in regard of my wretched selfe formerly beyond all deserts fauoured I stand in all dutie bound to honour your Lordship but I have bene too forgetful of my dutie herein I do also confesse my weakenesse and vnworthinesse herein and even this is one of the degrees of happinesse primus foelicitatis gradus est non delinquere secundus delicta agnoscere it is the first and chiefest point of happinesse not to offend the second is to acknowledge our offences saith S. Cyprian Now therefore as a faithfull messenger of a gratefull mind Tibi to thee I send this sun-burnt child of mine it hath the maintenance of truth from the father of goodnesse O let it let it haue the countenance of authoritie from your fatherly goodnesse This Tibi to thee is with difference and with preheminence there is another without difference and without exception for he that publisheth any thing can forbid none but committeth his writings indifferently vnto all without any exception at all Tibi to thee that art learned or art vnlearned Tibi to thee that art godly or art vngodly Tibi to thee that art good or art bad to thee that art sound of heart or art not sound Tibi to thee that louest learning and Tiburn to thee that louest not learning Tibi to thee that hast money and Tibi to thee that hast it not Tibi to thee that buyest and Tibi to thee
of the commander which is Christ the sonne of God and in the abilitie of the Apostles who are enabled by Christ and the holy Ghost And from the equity of this commandement we may learne to know the iniquitie of all other commandemēts that swerue from this which consisteth likewise in two points either in vsurpation in coming to authoritie or in tyrannie in vsing it when he commandeth that ought to obey or that is commāded that can not be done And from hence all that be in authoritie either in Church or commonwealth or haue anie place or calling in either of them both may learne to examine themselues both in the cause effect of their calling First whether they haue Christs commandement Christs call for their calling whether he said vnto them Estote Be ye Be ye Bishops be ye Magistrates be ye Ministers or else they crept vnto it by corruption But if they be so blind that they cannot see this simply in it selfe then let them looke vnto it in the effect let them consider how they fit their place and calling how able they are to go through with the workes of God for whosoeuer is called of God is enabled of God for they that haue from him Estote haue Accipite also to whom he saith Be ye to the same he saith Receiue ye Be ye that you may receiue Receiue ye that you may be able to be such as he willeth you to be Estote Be ye thus much of this word single by it selfe now as it is ioyned to the rest of the words of my text Estote Be ye not sicut serpentes as serpents for the serpent is not to be imitated of vs in all things not in the poison of the serpent but in the wisdome of the serpent Estote prudentes Be ye wise as serpents not first sicut serpentes Be ye as serpents then prudentes wise for then the poison should beare sway and the wisdome would be corrupted but first prudentes be ye wise and then sicut serpentes as serpents and so the wisedome preuaileth and the poison which is our corrupt nature is purged and sanctified by that heauenly wisedome Estote igitur prudentes Be ye therfore wise This is the vertue not that which Aristotle maketh the forme of all moral vertues but which Christ maketh the ground of Diuine politiques Estote prudentes be ye wise Some deuide all Diuinitie according to the threefold vse thereof into these three kinds the one is schoole diuinitie and that is in speciall request amongst the Papistes the other is preaching diuinitie that is wholly studied by the Puritanes the third is politicke diuinitie and that is put in practise amongst all but especially in the Popes pallace and colledge of Cardinals where you shall haue some that whē they are good neither for the schoole nor for the pulpit yet because they can lay a plot for a liuing and plot a peece of knauerie of policie I should say as well as anie of Machiuel his scholers haue gotten great place in the Church are highly esteemed of for their gouernmēt which gouernment of theirs is pure policie but as for poore Diuinitie they seeme either not to haue it or care not for to vse it O say they it is not good in policie when their conscience telleth them it is good in honesty These be wise men but without learning or honestie And I assure you beloued when I consider the course of the world what plots policies and circumuentions be in the world then I thinke men be too wise but when againe I behold the want of religion and the feare of God which is the beginning of wisedome as the Scripture saith when I see they want the beginning of wisdome then I begine to think that they are not wise at all then say I to my selfe Surely Policie hath smothered Diuinitie this policie that is accounted the wisedome of the world is the diuels policie to steale from man the wisedome of God For this I dare auouch that Machiuel his policie is as good as Achitophels diuinitie but Christs diuinitie is better policie For this containeth the purity and quintessence of all without anie drosse or dregs at all Diuinitie disputing preaching practising hath here the right vse and this maketh the good Christian right professor and true Protestant Let vs therefore now heare and learne this Estote igitur prudētes Be ye therfore wise Now I beseech you vnderstand and consider that this heauenly wisedome to which we are in this place inuited is of diuers kinds or rather hath diuers degrees The first is prouidence wherby we do prospicere looke before vs whereunto we are stirred vp Prou. 6. Vade ad formicam ô piger Go to the pismire ô thou sluggard she prepareth her meate in sommer and gathereth her foode in haruest And in the 10. of the Prouerbs verse 5. He that gathereth in sommer is the sonne of wisedome but he that sleepeth in haruest is the sonne of cōfusion An example hereof we haue in Ioseph in auoiding spirituall euil in the case of Potiphars wife and in storing hoording vp temporal goods in the place of Pharaos officer Gen. 41. The second kinde or degree of this wisedome is circumspection not only prospicere to looke before vs but on euerie side of vs the definition is cautela contrariorum vitiorum a diligent heed of auoiding contrarie vices and the worke is to order the affections To beware of contrarie vices it behoueth vs to be circumspect lest in shunning couetousnesse we fal into prodigalitie or in auoiding rashnesse we become too fearefull and therefore it is wisedome to be circūspect that is to looke round about vs to order all our affections And to this purpose the holy Ghost speaketh Prou. 4. Omni custodiâ custodi cor tuum Looke to thine heart and the affections thereof with all diligence being about to say Custodi keepe he first saith Omni custodiâ with all diligence keepe thine heart least thou shut the doores on this side of the heart against thine enemies and open the gates vnto them on the other This kind of wisdome they haue not who do so shun pouertie or other present euill that they fall into eternall euill not vnlike vnto starting horses which starting and shunning shadowes plunge them selues into true danger from whence they cannot get out And this kind or degree of wisedome is commended vnto vs in the first of Ezechiel in the similitude of a wheele that did runne round about and in the similitude of the rings in the wheele which were round in a round but especially in the eyes in the rings and their rings were full of eyes the minde of a circumspect man is like eyes in a ring and rings in a wheele which be round see round and runne round The third kind of this heauenly wisdome is discretion and the worke hereof is not only as the first kind prospicere to looke before vs nor
another vrina est sana the water is a sound or healthful water in that it sheweth the partie whose vrine it is to be both healthful sound so likewise in our soules the spirit and word of God is the health of our souls in that by these blessings our soules health is procured and preserued to vs. But our words and works they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they also may be said to be sound and healthfull as far forth as they be signes of the soundnesse of the heart and frutes of the spirit working by loue And in the whole church and gouernment thereof as confusion and disorder be signes of distempered humours so conformiâ—iâ— and good order be in these indifferent externall things manifest signes of the eucrasie and good healâ—h of the Church Neither onely are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes in vs of the grace of God but they may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others by the good spirit of God woorking together in their harts Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your father which is in heauen Thus is your licet to be limited with coÌ„ducit your lawfull to be accompanied with profitable I might set out this point by another similitude of the getting keeping and shewing foorth of riches As first the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficient cause of riches is the gift of God The blessing of God maketh rich the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeping of them is in the wisedome of man by the blessing of God but the signe of riches be liberall actions and workes which shew and set foorth the riches of anie man both inwardly and outwardly more then anie bragges or boastes of riches whatsoeuer and the holy Ghost seemeth in the Scripture to haue an ayme at this similitude where he saith Be rich in 1. Tim. 61 good works that is as S. Iames aduiseth vs to shew or set forth faith by works that Iames 2. 1 they may be both expedient to your self in the growth and increase of faith and profitable to others to stirre them vp to newnesse of life and edification which is the second point towardes which I haste onely thus much by the way Caiphas tooke a wrong course that applied licâ—t to expedit it is lawfull because expedient when rather he should haue limited licet by expedit first haue considered whether it were lawful that one man should die for the sinnes of the people and then haue brought in his plea of expedit it is expedient that one man should die that the whole nation perish not The like impious sentence was that of the Pope of Rome when he adiudged the Templars to sodaine destruction Etsi non licet per viam iustitiae licet auteÌ„ per viam expedientiae Although saith he it be not lawfull by the way of iustice to destroy them yet notwithstanding it is lawfull by the way of expediencie a most senslesse sentence and altogether not beseeming his holinesse as though any thing could be expedient that is not iust and lawfull many things are iust and lawfull which are not expedient not any otherwise But I come to the second limitation Sed non omnia aedificant But al things edifie not This is the second limitation and it raiseth the state of Christianitie a step higher for licet without expedit lawful and not profitable is good law but naughtie policie expedit without aedificat profitable not edifying is good policie but naughtie diuinitie licet expedit aedificat lawfull profitable and edifying is good law policie and diuinitie So that the true Christian must neither let his cause hang in licet the common pleas where is all law and not so great respect of conscience nor in expedit the Kings bench where is both law and profite but small regard of religion but he must bring it to aedificat the court of conscience or Chancerie where both law and profite be tempered by charitie I might also compare these three words to the three parts of the Bible the Law the Prophets the Gospell licet est legis vocabulum lawfull is a law terme expedit est Prophetarum vox profitable is the Prophets voice but aedificat but edifying is the Gospels speech but this may suffice of this point only I wil adde this that aedificat edification is both finis legis veritatis the ende of the law of truth in this verse and also principium regulae charitatis the beginning of the rule of charitie in the next that as words of truth must tend to edification so all workes of charitie begin from edification and therfore vpoÌ„ this principle of truth is grounded and followeth this precept of charitie Let no man seeke that which is his owne but euery man anothers wealth Nemo quaerat quod suum est c. Let no man seeke that which is his own This 24. verse I said was regula charitatis the rule of charitie and that I will now proue by conferring the two parts of this verse with two other places of Scripture The first is in the 13. Chapter of this first Epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s Charitie seeketh not those things that be her owne what else saith the Apostle here Let no man seeke that which is his owne but onely he applieth that here by particular exhortation which before he deliuered in vniuersall doctrine The second place is in the first to the Corinthians 8. 1. Charitas aedificat Charitie edifieth What else meaneth he in this place by the affirmatiue pâ—â—t when he willeth vs that euery man should seeke that which is anothers but that we should endeuour to edifie one another Nemo quaerat quod suum est Let no man c. This lesson is too much and yet not enough learned of worldly men too much in one sence in that there be some kind of men that because the Apostle forbiddeth euerie man that he should seeke his owne and no man can call any thing suum properly his own but sinne transg ession corruption shame sua peccata sua fraus suum scelus sua iniquitas their sinnes be their owne theiâ— deceipts their wickednes and their iniquities therfore they will hudwinke them selues wilfully that they may not see and seeke to find out their owne sinne and wickednes that they may heale them these mistaking the marke do ouer-shoote it on the left hand But if you do dextrè intelligere rightly vnderstand it the whole world cometh short of it Let no man to wit in the vse of Christian liberty seeke his owne that is quod ipsi licet libet for as it was the speech of an incestuous moÌ„ster si libet licet to make lust a law so quicquÌ„id licet libet to do whatsoeuer we may do by law is the part of a libertine Christian We must somtimes decedere de iure nostro depart from our owne right euen as Christ Iesus being the sonne of God
did humble himself â—il 2. 7. sub forma serui vnto the state of a seruant for our sakes Sed quisque quaerat quod alterius est But let euery man seeke anothers wealth This part also is too much followed of some in the wrong sence and too litle of all in the true for to seeke other mens commodities to drawe them to themselues to seeke other mens goods for their own vse is so common a practise that it seemeth that men haue no need to be instructed in this point but to seeke other mens wealth so that they will do nothing that may giue iust offence to the least will do any thing that may edifie the most men herein they are such dunces non proficieÌ„ts that men will not learne no though they be instructed by the spirite of God Quod alterius est That which is anothers This word alterius anothers maketh the action of seeking to be a relatiue action and this relation of all our actions and endeauors in things indifferent vnto the good of others is to be considered either in common or in seuerall In coÌ„mon euery man is bound to maintaine with all might maine nay to preferre the common good of Church or commonwealth before his owne priuate gaine or commoditie The heathen Oratouis instruction is worthie the attention of Christians in this point As we are not borne of our selues so we are not boâ—ne to or for our selues alone one part of our life our wiues and children will take vp another part our friends and kinsfolke and the greatest part of all our country and commonwealth doth challenge of dutie to belong vnto it And as this is the part of euerie man so more chiefly of those whose persons are fitted to this purpose publique persons must seeke the publique commoditie before others and the common good before their owne and proper welfare The publike persons office and good is in some sort described by the heatheÌ„ Philosopher Omnium somnos illius vigilantia defendit omnium otium illius labor omnium delicias illius industria omnium vacationem illius occupatio His office and care preserueth the estate of al and procureth the good of all all mens sleâ—pe his watchfulnesse all mens ease his labour all mens delights his industrie all mens vacation his occupation These publike persons be of two sorts the Magistrate and the Minister An example of a good magistrate we haue in Moses whose zeale for the common good of Israell was so great that for their sakes he desired to be razed out of Gods booke Exod. 32. 33. An example of a good Minister we haue in Paule who for the benefite of his brethren could wish to be separated froÌ„ Christ Rom. 9. 3. Thus is this relation or relatiue action of seeking anothers good to be considered in common and againe in seueral it hath three combinations or relatiue coniugations One another may be either the superiour to his inferiour the equall to his equall or the inferior to his superior and euerie one of these haue seuerall duties which be his owne and pertaining vnto him and ought of dutie to be performed vnto him of the other the inferior to his superior must giue reuerentiam and obedientiam the equall to his equall supplie auxilium and consilium the superior to his inferior must repay custodiam and disciplinam A word or two of either of these and so an end The duties that the inferiour oweth to his superiour be reuerence obedience reuerence as the homage of his bodie in all outward behauiour as well in action as to rise vp to him vse some action of submission as in word not to speake without due regard to whom he speaketh and that the countenance be voide of all proud and disdainfull lookes in a word that all his iesture and outward behauiour be so ordered that the superiour may haue no exception against the cariage of his inferiour towards him But yet this is not all for obedience bindeth the inferiour more nearely to his superiour for it tieth his soule in subiectioÌ„ vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euery soule saith our Apostle be subiect to the superiour power If thy better to wit the Magistrate thy maister thy father or anie that is in authoritie ouer thee commaund thee any thing so thou doest it thou thinkest thou hast discharged thy dutie but I tell thee whosoeuer thou art if thou doest it mutteringly or vnwillingly thou haddest as good not do it at all for thou owest obedience that is souleseruice vnto thy superiour but thou canst not serue in soule but by the will and therefore he that is vnwilling doth not obey What account theÌ„ thinke you make they of the Apostles rule who are so indifferent in these indiffereÌ„t matters that they wil not in anie case yeeld vnto the authoritie of their superiours herein Wherein I pray you consisteth their obedience wherein their charitie wherein seeke they the edisying of the Church in procuring and seeking the good of others Forsooth in this in maintaining that doctrine which formerly they haue taught in disobeying authoritie in these matters of indifferencie Yea but what if they ought not to haue taught it for who is he that ought to teach the doctrine of disobedience And surely if the Prince directed aduised by the learned and grauest men and men in authoritie in his realme hath not power in his haÌ„ds to commaund all the Ministers in his land to keepe a decent and comely order in their ministâ—rie I knowe not wherein his supremacie doth consist Let euery man I meane euery Minister be Pope in his own Parish But yet constantiâ causae they most goe on where they haue begun This were wel if there were causa constantiae constancie of the cause where there is cause of constancie is good But tell me I pray you what cause of constancie where the cause was neuer good and theâ—fore neuer good for constancie which as it is alwayes good so must it alwayes haue a good cause for error in principio an error in the beginning groweth oftentimes to be an heresie in the ende My aduice herein I refer vnto the next point which is the second combination The duties of the equal to his equal be auxilium and consilium counsell and helpe if thy neighbor that is thy equall be distressed and thy helpe may in any matter releeue him and stand him in stead thou art bound by Christian dutie to put too thy helping hand if at anie time he erre and be deceiued the same dutie bindeth thee to counsell him The best counsell and helpe that I can giue vnto my brethren as concerning the cases now in hand which also I promised in the former point is this poenitentia nunquam sera si seria The third and last relation is of the superiour to the inferiour and the duties thereof be custodia and disciplina custodie and discipline the inferiours are the