* Exod. 32.27 28. Levites to kill all them which worshipped the golden Calfe did so please God that he turned the curse of Iacob against Levi to a blessing Deut. 33.8 c. But once take away a good cause from zeale and the very absence of it shall make zeale iniquitie If Ioshuah in zeale desire Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie Moses will tell him that his zeale is envie Numb 11.29 And let not Peter in zeale desire Christ to pitie himselfe vnlesse he will be called Sathan for it Mat. 16.23 Though Saule never so zealous as he thinks in Gods cause breath out threatnings and slaughter against Christs Disciples yet in the ende hee shall receaue a reproofe from Gods owne mouth It is hard for thee Saul to kicke against the pricke Act. 9.5 I can easily perswade my selfe that all such men as these were of whose forwardnesse in taking vp their owne and voluntary crosses you haue already heard are very zealous in their sufferings yet because their zeal is not accompanied with a good cause because they doe whatsoever they doe in this with a misconceit of Gods word I must needs say that their zeale is not worth commendation it is superstition it is abomination Although Martyrdome be an excellent worke and the gift of God and howsoever Polycarpus did very well to giue thankes and praise to God when he was put into the fire as Eusebius specifieth Lib. 4. Eccles hist cap. 15. yet hence it cannot be proued that a man should voluntarily endanger his life or any way torment himselfe Let Marculus fling himselfe downe headlong from a rocke and let Donatus in like sort cast himselfe into a pit both with intent to end their liues yet shal they not therefore be called Martyrs saith St Austin Trac 11. in cap. 3. Iohannis Dost thou deserue to be called c Ier. 6.30 reprobate silver because the LORD hath reiected thee or art thou to bee compared to the d Esai 57.20 raging sea whose waters cannot rest but must cast vp mire dirt Be thou never so wicked yet thy death may be like to the death of a Martyr e Aug. conc 2. in Psal 34 There were three at once on the crosse one the Saviour of the world the second a repentant sinner which was to be that night with Christ in Paradise the other a theefe farre from repenting who was to bee rewarded with damnation All these three had like punishment howsoever their causes were altogether different Wouldst thou be coūted a Martyr at thy death saith the same father in his 71. Ep. which is to Dulcitius be thou then a good Christian in thy life assuring thy selfe that it is not the punishment but the cause that maketh the Martyr Eor saith he Lib. 1. c. 17. contra ep Parmeniani if punishment without due regard of the cause be sufficient to eternize a Martyr then let Pagans bee Martyrs as oft as they are lawfully punished for their superstitiō which in their opinions is holy religion yea then let the devils bee Martyrs too for they also in a sort suffer persecution at the hands of Christians when their temples all the world over are overthrowne their Idols broken their sacrifices prohibited their worshippers punished The consideration of the absurdity hereof maketh him in the same place to conclude Non ergo ex passione certa est iustitia sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est A man is not therefore righteous because he suffereth but his suffering is therefore glorious because it is for righteousnes And therefore the Lord hath not said in generall blessed are they which suffer persecutiō but he hath restrained it blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Mat. 5.10 It is the righteous cause then that maketh the persecution glorious if our death be for righteousnesse sake blessednesse shall attend vs yet with a caveat that we be not the procurers of our owne persecutions that we be not the causes of our own deaths For if we are such the goodnesse of our causes cannot excuse vs. Christ his counsell is when they persecute you in this citie fly vnto another Matt. 10.23 So farre is hee from willing vs to vndertake needlesse crosses Wherevpon Clemens Alexandrinus in his 4. book of his Stromata discourseth thus Christ perswades thee to fly not as if it were ill for thee to suffer persecution or as if thou shouldest feare death but that thou mightest not be author of any ill either to thy selfe or to thy persecutors Wilt thou not obey him then art thou presumptuous over rash running vnadvisedly into manifest dangers Thou canst not be ignorant that it is sinne against God f Exod. 20.13 to kill a man Knowe this then that if thou dost not fly in time of persecution but dost offer thy selfe to be apprehended by the persecutors thou killest thy selfe as much as in thee lyeth thou giuest assistance to effect the wicked intents of such as persecute thee What then Is it lawfull to fly in time of persecution Hee that flyed not but stood to it and suffered death for vs all telleth vs that the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe Ioh. 10.11 but an g Ioh. 10.12 hireling and he which is not the shepheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the wolfe comming and hee leaueth the sheepe and flyeth and the wolfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe h Ioh. 10.13 so the hireling flyeth because he is an hireling careth not for the sheepe If then the shepheard ought to put his life in ieopardy for his sheepe and if all that fly be not shepheards but hirelings how is it that the shepheard may flie St Austine in his 180. Epist which is too Honoratus is of opinion that Christs flocke purchased and gotten with his owne blood may not bee forsaken and made destitute of the necessarie ministery Wherevpon this is his resolution that the Pastor when and where there is none to supply his room so that in flying his sheepe may bee brought in danger of destruction ought not to fly but with a bold minde to abide and sustaine persecution evē vnto death if need be When S. Paule fled from Damascus let downe through the wall in a basket Act. 9.25 the Church was not left void of the necessary ministery but the thing which ought to bee done was accomplished by other faithfull brethren which remained there all which willed and egged him forward that he should preserue and keepe himselfe to the vse and profit of the Church and therefore he addeth let the servants of Christ the ministers of his word and sacraments doe that which he hath commanded and permitted let them fly at all times i Mat. 10.23 from city to city when any of them specially and personally is sought of the persecutors so that the Church be not left desolate of others which are not so persecuted that their fellow servants
Christian souldier guided thereby ought to prepare himselfe to followe this high captaine For the better explication whereof I observed 1 That this rule was generall out of the first words And he said vnto all 2 That it was necessary as it is implyed in the condition if any man will come after me 3 That the rule it selfe consisted of 3. precepts let him deny himselfe take vp his crosse dayly and follow me You heard then that this rule was generall for that Christ delivered it vnto all yet to all not simply for the beast the Kings of the earth with their armies following this beast and fighting vnder his colours are no way to bee guided by this rule but to all with a restraint but to all the e Rev. 19.14 armies in heauen which the divine saw following him that sate vpon the white horse which howsoever they are called armies in heaven are notwithstanding men vpon the earth such are Godly Kings Princes Nobles worthie Captaines and Souldiers which with the materiall sword defend the Gospell such are zealous Ministers preachers of the truth which with the spiritual sword fight against Antichrist such are all blessed Christians walking before God in the places whereto they are called warring dayly against their proud enimies the flesh the world and the divell All which are said to be the armies in heaven albeit as yet they liue on earth in regard that their cause for which and the power by which they fight are both from Heauē These ride vpon white horses and are cloathed in fine white linnen and pure these come strongly swiftly and chearefully to this battaile these are cloathed with sinceritie integritie and puritie of faith loue and other affections for all is pure white about them To these only and to all these doth this rule appertaine for he said vnto all if any man will come after me Out of this condition you haue also heard how necessary this rule is even so necessary that neither subiect nor prince neither people nor pastor neither souldier nor captaine how godly soever they seeme in mans eies can be fit to follow this highest Captaine except he be qualified according to this rule Let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse dayly and follow me saith CHRIST Of the first two precepts I haue likewise already spoken now let vs consider the third And follow me Which words do leade me to speake 1 Of imitation or following in generall 2 Of following the best of such an imitation as beseemeth Christians Man by nature how strangely hee is giuen to following if I should hold my peace servants souldiers all inferiours would make it manifest servants will eye their masters souldiers their captaines inferiors their rulers be they good or be they bad get they honour or get they discredit come their profit or come their losse their liues will be insteed of lawes and that must bee holden for well done which is done after their example saith Siraches sonne Cap. 10. vers 2. Thus examples not lawes doe when lawes not examples should teach men to liue And so it was in former ages In regard whereof the divine Philosopher would by no meanes suffer Homers booke to bee read in his commonwealth because in them Gods Goddesses were fained to be such as no honestly minded man or woman would haue their sonnes or daughters like them Yea so it was from the beginning Eues eating the forbidden fruit was sufficient to make Adam doe the like Gen. 3.6 The younger sister wold make her father Lot drunken as well as the elder Genes 19.35 When Iudah was forward his brethren were ready to giue their consents to sell Ioseph to the Ishmeelites Gen. 37.27 Dead flies cause to stincke and putrifie the oyntment of the Apothecarie saith the Preacher Cap. 10. vers 1. Dead workes the workes of darknesse in the better sort doe cause to stinke and putrifie the towardly inclinations of the inferiours For if any man see thee which hast knowledge fit at table in the Idols temple shall not the conscience of him that is weake be boldned to eate those things which are sacrificed to Idols saith St Paule 1. Cor. 8.10 Thou that f Rom. 2.21 preachest a man should not steale doest thou steale Thou that shouldst punish adulterers and reproue swearers dost thou by thy oaths giue them example g Vers 22. dost thou commit adulterie Marvell not then if thy weake brother seeing thy knowledge become a swearer a theefe and an adulterer Thy life shall be his law Vpon consideration hereof a country man of ours hath added that we of all other people vnder heaven are most famous yea infamous too for our imitation For doe we not imitate h Rogers Ep to the followers of Christ A. 7. b. the Spanish in his braverie The French in his vanitie The Italian in his perfidie Yea we follow the Dutch in luxurie who heares not of it The Papists in idolatrie who knowes it not The Atheist in all impietie and impuritie of life why lament we not O come hither all yee that are any way either for birth or calling whether it be spirituall or temporall better then other men yea and all yee too which in the same respect are worse then others for here are lessons for you both to teach you to looke vnto your footings Is there old custome against you Respect it not for it will be foiled by a better custome Is the flesh against you Care not for it for that will be bridled by the heate of the spirit Is that old serpent Sathan against you Feare him not for he both at your prayers will fly and by your godly exercises will be made to runne away First therefore for those that are better then others wonder we may what the matter is or with what spirit they are led or what commeth into their minds that knowing their liues and examples to prevaile when laws cannot doe notwithstanding with such care and study seeke after vile and vanishing things and so seldome call their wits together to thinke of doing any good Is it not because they are perswaded that the LORD spareth the Cedar tree for his height the oke for his strength the poplar for his smoothnesse the Lawrell for his greenenesse O! then they are deceaued for from the Cedar that is in i 1. Kin. 4.33 Lebanon even to the Hysop that groweth out of the wall k Matth. 3.10 7.19 every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Is it not because they partly thinke that God hideth his face from their sinnes seeth them not O! then they are deceaued for Samuel could tell Saul al that was in his heart 1. Sam. 9.19 And Elisha knewe that his servant had taken bribes 2. King 5.26 And shall not God bee able to knowe their deeds and thoughts yes if Miriam and Aaron speake but against Moses the LORD wil
The builders of Babel would vp to Heaven Gen. 11.4 Miriam and Aaron would speake for the Lord as well as Moses Num. 12.2 Looke we to succeeding ages and they wil speake the same Did not Ionathan say vnto David Thou shalt reigne and I will be next to thee 1. Sam. 23.17 Did not Zebedees wife make suit to Christ that her children might sit in his kingdome the one one his right hand and the other on his left Mat. 20.20 Did not Christs disciples among themselues contend who should bee the greatest Mark 9.34 Yeeld we then that a long time Ambition hath beene fostered and yet behold we are not weary of making much of it The Church and Common wealth both do find it to be so The Church shee groaneth for that shee is almost eaten vp The Cōmon wealth hath cause to lament too for albeit shee yeeldeth to every one sufficient for his vocation yet no man is contented with that he hath Both in Church and Common wealth everie one is set to lift vp himselfe For the Church what shall we say Sisac must be lifted vp his wealth must be encreased but how even thus He will spoile the Temple he will take away the treasures of the Lords house Salomons golden shields shall be turned in Rehoboams shields of brasse 1. King 14.26 Dionysius his religion is not forgotten if Iupiters coate be rich it must be had away it is too colde for winter and too heavy or to hot for summer It is a shame the son should haue a beard sith the father had none and thus wittily they think they cary away the golden beard In that old Arke of the testament overlaid round about with gold were these three things Manna Aarons rod and the tables of the testamēt for so may we read Heb. 9.4 Our Arke had these sometimes but those times are gone Many Sisackes and many of Dionysius his schollers haue fatted themselues with a great part of our Manna that little which remaineth they snatch at too and would willingly feed thereon could they but pul downe Aarons rode and so would they leaue vs nothing but the two tables nothing but poore schollers bookes to liue by So common a thing it is to rush into Gods treasury and to rob his sanctuarie It may be they are perswaded that herein they doe God no wrong If they be so perswaded the surely they remember not or they care not for Dan. 5.5 that writing hand which appeared to Belshazzar while he was drinking in the place which his father had taken from the Temple in Ierusalem for some of them haue done so and more and then surely they remember not or they care not for the word of the Lord who hath said yee haue spoiled me by deteining your tithes and offerings Mal. 3.8 for many of them haue done so and more and then surely they remember not or care not for the dreadfull iudgement which befell Ananias Act. 5.5 10. and his wife for keeping backe part of the price of their owne possession which they sold to the vse of the Church for all of them haue done shall I say so I may not for neither their ancetors haue ever brought so much as one stone to the foundation nor themselues so much as one tile to cover the roofe of the church but I must say al of them haue done much more and more wickedly And yet they are not without all excuse for were there no buyers there could be no sellers would no man giue them the liuelyhood of the Church they could not take it Ambitious Pastors do make their Patrons rich Thus while the seller defends himselfe by the buyer the taker by the giver the patrone by the hireling and each by the other they are all become like to Samsons foxes Iud. 15.4 in their tailes they are vnited they are knit togither in mischiefe they haue their firebrāds too to burne vp the commodities of the CHVRCH Silvester 2. gaue himselfe to the Devill that hee might attaine to the papacie so writeth Platina in the life of Silvester Silvester hath left many sons behinde him as desirous of preferment as himselfe I forge it not neither suck I it out of mine owne fingers ends the decayed maintenance of some of our Bishoprickes Deaneries Probends Personages and Vicarages cries out and tels you it is so I meddle not with particulars being very willing with Sem and Iaphet to cloake and cover our fathers nakednesse For I perswade my selfe I may not reveale all their sins lest the vncircumcised reioice yet know I withall that I may not cover some of their sinnes iest the vncircumcised encrease One saide if some mens drunkennesse were not reproved they would bee drunken still and make a common wealth of drunkards let me change the speech I say if Simonie were not reproved in some they would vse Simonie still and fill the Church with other like themselues To what end serue those warnings reproofes excommunications and corrections which Christ hath appointed if every mans nakednesse should be covered We may and must be content to cover the first nakednesse if they will repēt and do no more so But now when in the hardnesse of their hearts that cannot repent they say they stumble not although every man may see them lie groueling on the ground shall we follow them like a blind mans boy to stay them so oft as they fall Shall wee say all our Bishoprickes are as good as ever they were shall we saie none of our Deaneries are impaired shall we say all come freely to their Prebends their Parsonages their Vicarages shall we thus cover their nakednesse So should we indeede make a cloake for their Simony but it were a cloake of flattery not of reverence and therefore not worth the having Wolues are not the Lambes fathers but the Lambes butchers shepheards learning findes that to be true The maintenance of the Church the liuelyhood of the yong Lambes the Lambes not yet borne is even consumed by the greedinesse of the Wolues How can we cal them Fathers since they are our Butchers Let them speake to their own children to cover them let the dead bury the dead the wicked are fittest to cover the wiked We haue a rule and this it is Them that sinne openly reproue openly that the rest may feare 1. Tim. 5.20 You haue heard the groaning of the Church consider now what cause the Common wealth hath of lamentation Her members will be no longer members they must be exalted too But how How they care not so they be exalted Athaliah woulde be sole governour and Queene and that made her destroy all the Kings seed 2. King 11.1 It was a kingdom that Sellum looked for and therfore Zacharie must be done to death 2. Kings 15.10 Abimelech will not sticke to murther his 70 brethren if so thereby he may attaine to a soveraignety Iud. 9.5 And what shall I say more For the time would be
called also Ielous So is it here Because men vse not to change their former purposes intents except it repenteth them that they had so purposed and intended before therefore God is said also to repent when he altereth not his will for that is vnchangeable not his decree for that cannot bee altered but the thing which he had promised or threatned Thus is God truely said to repent according to St Austines discourse Lib. 83. quast quae .. 5.2 Now touching the word of the Lord which came to Abimelech Hezechiah and Nineveh and was not fulfilled therfore to carnall eies might seeme to make much against the cōstancie and truth of the eternall God the Schoolemen teach thus * Aquin. 1. q. 19. art 7. Aliud est mutare voluntatem aliud velle mutationem it is one thing to change the will another thing to wish that a change should be God will haue the law and the ceremonies at one time gospell without ceremonies at an other time this was his will frō everlasting constant and vnmoueable that in their severall courses both should be There may be a change in the matter and subiect yet not a change in him that disposeth it Our will is in winter to vse the fire in sommer a cold open aire the thing is changed according to the season the vnseasonablenesse of the sommer craving fire the warmth of the winter needing none will argue the thing changed but our will whereby we haue decreed and determined in our selues so to doe remaineth the same So writes S. Austine to Marcellium The husbandmā at one time soweth at another time moweth as a third time dūgeth his fields according to the diversity of times his workes are changed Shal we say then that the art of husbandry is chāged No nor yet the will of the husbandman This is the groūd of it A mutatione effectuum non valet consequentia ad mutationem causarum voluntate liberâ operantium let the causes be free-working wils howsoever the effects may be changed they shall stand immutable Some teach thus the decrees and purposes of God consist of two parts the one whereof God revealeth at the first and the other he concealeth a while keepeth in his own knowledge as in the action enioined to Abraham Gods purpose was two-fold 1. To try his obedience 2. To saue the childe and if any shal impute it to vnconstancie thus to bid and vnbid he may know that the will of the Lord was not fully vnderstood in the first part Hitherto belongeth that which S. Gregory hath lib. 20. moral cap 23. Nouit Deus aliquando mutare sententiam sed nūquam novit mutare consilium God changeth his sentence pronounced sometimes but never changeth his counsaile intended By this counsaile intended hee meaneth that decree of God which from all eternity he hath made established with himselfe concerning any thing to be done according to the good pleasure of his will yea by this counsaile he meaneth the very will of God which is holy is pure is perfect eternall everlasting from al beginning according to which his doings are incomprehensible his iudgements secret his waies past finding by which he ruleth all he governeth all he guideth and protecteth all in which all things are as they are This his will this his counsaile is alwaies fulfilled no man hindreth it no man stoppeth it By the sentence of God pronounced he meaneth his sentence passed concerning punishment to be inflicted vpon any either in regard of mans deserts or in relatiō to second causes In regard of mans deserts so was the sentence passed against NINEVEH yet 40. daies and Nineveh shal be destroied The sinnes of Nineveh were winged sinnes they flew vp aboue the top of Carmel they aspired and pressed before the Maiesty of Gods owne throne they cried out in the eares of God enforced him to passe his sentence Yet 40. daies and Nineveh shal be destroyed In relation to two causes so was his sentence passed against Hezechias Put thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue The kings sicknesse was such such was the weakenes of his bodie such was the extremity of his disease as that the Prophet had good reason to warrant his prophecy Put thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue Here may we see a manifest difference betweene Gods decrees and his menacings betweene his counsails and his threatnings betweene his secret will and his revealed will Vnmoueable are his decrees but his menacings changeable vnmutable are his counsails but his threatnings variable his secret wil may not when his revealed will shall bee altered One might haue said and haue said truely both waies Lazarus shall rise againe and Lazarus shall not rise againe Esteeme it by the power and finger of God it shall be but leaue it to nature to the arme of flesh it shall never bee Esay might haue said haue said truely both waies Hezechias shall die and Hezechias shal not die looking only to nature and to the arme of flesh he could say no otherwise but Hezechias shall die but looking to the might and mercy of God who received the praiers of the king hee must needs haue said said truely Hezechias shall not dy Ionas might haue said and haue said truely both waies Nineveh shal be destroied and Nineveh shall not be destroied the sinnes of Nineveh might haue warranted the one and Gods mercies the other Gods decree Gods counsaile Gods secret will reserved salvation for them against whom his menacings his threatnings his revealed will proclaimed destruction Others teach thus In most of the Lords threatnings there is a conditiō annexed which alwaies is not exprest but somtimes vnderstood and it is as hinges to adore it turnes forwards or backwards the whole matter Where we must not forget that a conditionall sentence putteth no certainty nihil ponit in esse as the schoolemen speake it forceth nothing but accordingly as the condition shall be either broken or kept The Lord saide to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man his meaning was except thou restore to Abraham his wife Sarah was restored and Abimelech purged with God The Lord said to Hezechiah Put thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue his meaning was except thou be humbled before me by praier Hezechiah was humbled and lived fifteene yeares after The Lord would haue it proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh Yet 40. daies and Nineveh shall be destroied his meaning was except Nineveh repent Nineveh repented and was reserved to vnderstand of her finall destruction by the ministery of Nahum Thus I hope that the afore-cited places are answered and that the doubt arising from them is cleared So it remaineth that we beleeue Gods promises to be certaine full of constancie and full of truth It was Balaams confession God is not as man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent hath