them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
the essential part of it as a day of publick worship and praise to the honour of the Creator and that the ceremonial and symbolical part by a typicall rest from labour was that ' which properly concerned the Jews then it wil necessarily follow that the sabbath onely in this latter respect expired at the death of Christ and that the other part which was the observation of the seventh day as a day of publick praise in honour of the Creatour of all having no reference to Christ for wherein did the observation of a certain day for divine worship typifie Christ or his benefits but being grounded upon moral reasons and not given onely to the Jews ought to continue still unlesse it were altered by the same authority to wit divine and therefore the day being altered de facto as appears by the perpetual practise of the Christian Church to the first day of the week it will clearly follow that this could be done by no lesse then divine authority and so the observation of the Lords day may be truely said to be Jure divino as enjoyned by him who is Lord of the sabbath and therefore had power to alter the day which he did by his Apostles Neither is it needful which some vrge that a cleere precept of Christ should be brought for this out of the new testament It is sufficient if by necessary consequence it can be deduced from scripture and though in matters of faith which are of absolute necessity to salvation for all to know it may be granted that they are all expressed in scripture yet for other matters that concern the discipline order and government of the Church it was not necessary to have them expressed in writing though many of them be occasionally mentioned it was sufficient that they might be known by the daily practise of the Church wherein every one might read them written in large and Capital letters which universal practise and traditio of the Church in these matters he that shall denie or question may by the like reason question the authors and number of the books of Canonical scripture and whether they were written by men divinely inspired and so by consequence may question the authority of the scripture it self which is conveyed to us no otherwise then by the universal and Catholick tradition of the Church Besides how dangerous it is that the publick exercise of Christian religion should depend upon so week a foundation as authority humane wch may alter its own constitutions is subject to manifold errours I leave to the prudent and judicious Christian to consider The Lords day then I conceive to be grounded upon divine authority not onely in regard that all authority is from God and so divine for so all humane laws might be said to be by divine authority for it is true which learned Breerewood saith there may be divine authority for humane decrees and as Molina saith well Licet quae a regia aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur sunt de jure positivo quod tamen illis post quam it a constitutae sunt pareatur est de jure divino cum legitime omnes potestates a Deo sunt Deique vices suo ordine tenent dumque illis obedimus earumque precepta servamus Deo pariter in illis paremus Deique praeceptum voluntatem exequimur though the commands of Kings and other inferiour lawful powers are onely by positive law yet that their constitutions be obeyed is by divine law for all lawful powers are from God and are his Deputies in their order so that when we obey them and keep their Commandments we do also obey God in them and fulfill his will and Commandment But I mean by divine authority that which is immediately divine in regard of the subject God or Christ himself who ordained and appointed this day though it were publisht to the world by the Apostles as the messengers of Christ as they publisht the Gospel and those things for which they had commission from Christ. It is true that the Apostles instituted other things as ordinary governours of the Church which are in themselves changeable as cannot be denied as their orders about widows saluting with a holy kisse and the like which are now antiquated But that the Lords day was not of this latter sort but of the former besides the former reasons which are stronger then any I have seen to the contrary may be likewise evinced by the testimony of the Church and of the most learned and eminent Doctors of it in several ages whose testimony in matters of fact and things of this nature is the best way that I know to prove what is not cleerely and evidently set down in scriptures and that wherein the conscience may most safely rest That text of Psal. 118 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and beglad in it is generally by the fathers applied to the Lords day as made or instituted by the Lord so among others Athanasius Ambrose Chrysostom Augustine expound it Justin Martyr in 2 Aponl Antonim saith Apostolus a Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebritatem accepisse That the Apostles received from Christ himself the celebrity of this day Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 sabbati Dominus in diem Dominicum transtulit that the Lord himself hath transferred the solemnity of the sabbath to the Lords day Hom. de semente and in the forementioned Hom. upon these words all things are delivered to me by my father Infers the Lords day to be of divine institution Cyrill l. 12 in John Cap. 58. speaking of the apparitions of Christ upon this day saith that Christ thereby sanctified this day for solemne assemblies Chrysostom on Gen. 2. 3. saith here God from the beginning intimates this doctrine to us to lay aside and separate one day in every week for spiritual exercises Saint Augustine Epist. 119. seems to say the same that the Lords day was declared by the resurrection of Christ ab illo not ab illa caepit habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is from Christ it began to be made a festival Lactantius and others tell us that the primitive Christians expected Christs returne to judgement on that day by general tradition which shews they thought it unalterable and so no humane constitution Besides particular testimonies we have the publick testimony of the Church in her canons generally received in the the Christian world Cap. 〈◊〉 Feriis where it is said tam veteris quam 〈◊〉 testamenti pagina septimum diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the old and new Testament have appointed the seventh day for mans rest In that famous constitution of Leo the Emperor 〈◊〉 54. for the keeping of the Lords day it is said we ought not to encroach upon that one day which God hath chosen for his own honour Among the canonists some of the chief are expressly for the divine right
far and neer and what a Reverend Prelate said of him in his Funeral Sermon may visibly appear to any Eye in this great Herculean Labour that those things which seldome meet in one Man were in him in a high degree Scientia magna Memoria major Judicium maximum at Industria infinita His Knowledge was great his Memory greater his Judgement exceeded both but his Labour and Industry was infinite and went beyond them all For the Subject it is the Decalogue or those Ten Words in which God himself hath epitomized the whole duty of Man which have this Priviledge above all other parts of Scripture that whereas all the rest were divinely inspired but God made use of Prophets and Apostles as his Pen-men here God was his own Scribe or Amanuensis here was Digitus Dei for the writing was the writing of God These are the Pandects of the Laws of Nature the fountains from which all humane Laws ought to be derived the Rule and Guide of all our Actions whatsoever Duties are variously dispersed through the whole Book of God are here collected into a brief Sum whatsoever is needful for us to doe in Order to Salvation may be reduced hither for this is totunt Homin is the Conclusion of upshot of all saith Solomon to feare God and keep his Commandments and the Apostle tells us to the same purpose that circumcision avayleth nothing nor uncircumcision but the keeping of the Commandments of God And therefore as Philo saith that the Jews used to refer all that they found in the Law of Moses to these ten heads as the Philosophers reduced all things to the ten predicaments not that they were all literally comprized there but because for memories sake they might be reduced thither so hath the Christian Church reduced all the duties of a Christian to the same heads which she hath enlarged and made more comprehensive as partaking of a greater measure of the Spirit then they had and ayming at a higher degree of perfection in all Christian Vertues There is indeed a generation of men sprung 〈◊〉 such as S. Augustine wrote against long since in his Book contra adversarium legis prophetarum that under colour of advancing Gods free grace in mans salvation and affecting Christian liberty would abrogate the whole moral Law as if it were worthy of no better entertainment among Christians then Jehoiakim gave to Jeremies prophecies when he cut the rowl in pieces and threw it into the sire And how far the tenets and principles of some others who would seem to abhor such opinions have promoted these pernicious doctrines I shall not need to shew sure I am that while some teach that the Gospel consists properly of promises onely that the moral Law is no part of the condition of the second Covenant nor the observation of it though qualified in the Gospel required now in order to salvation that the promises of the Gospel are absolute and that Faith is nothing else but an absolute application of them or an absolute relying upon Christ for the attaining of them without the conditions of repentance and new obedience that Christ came onely to redeem not to give any Law to the world that after a man is in Christ though he fall into the grossest sins which are damnable in a man unregenerate yet he is still quoad praesentem statum in the state of salvation and though he may lose the sence and feeling yet he can never lose jus ad vitam his right to heaven what sins soever he walks in I say whilst men teach such doctrins and yet cry out against Antinomians Libertines and other Sectaries what do they in judging others but condemn themselves for they grant the premises and deny onely the conclusion If such doctrines were as true as they are common this Author and all others that have written on this subject might have spared their pains and therefore we may say with the Psalmist It is time for thee Lord to work for they have destroyed thy Law These men are like to Licurgus who being cast into a frenzy by Dionysius in that distemper thinking to have cut down a vine with the same hatchet slew his own son so these being possest with a spiritual frenzy which they call zeal when they lift up their hatchet to cut off some errors which like luxuriant branches have sprung up about the Law these do unawares cut down the Law itself both root and branch making the observation of it arbitrary in respect of Salvation or as a Parenthesis in a sentence where the sence may be perfect without it Such Errors are far more dangerous then many that were held by the old Hereticks which were chiefly about matters speculative whereas these reflect upon matters of practise and whilst they strike at the root of obedience to the Laws of Christ they do directly take away the very way of Salvation to the certain ruine of peoples souls and do utterly overthrow the foundation both of Church and Common-wealth so that wheresuch doctrines prevail nothing but confusion and dissolution of all Government can follow as sad experience in too many places shews where the genuine fruits of such doctrines appear to be no other then to rob the Priest of his honour the Prince of his power the people of their Discipline and Government Pastors of their Flocks and Sheep of their Pastors Preachers of their Churches Churches of their Reverence Religion of its Power and the World of all Religion S. James would have us to try our Faith by our Works but these men will have their works tryed by their Faith To the pure all things are pure if Faith be in their heart God can see no sin in their actions We read of the Scholars of one Almaricus of Paris who held that what was deadly sin in others yet if it were done by one that was in Charitie or the state of Grace it was no sin or not imputed to him for which they were condemned as Hereticks These men seem to be spit out of their mouths for they would have sins distinguished not by their nature or object but by the subject in whom they are and hence they hold that all their own sins though never so great they being beleevers elect are at the most but infirmities which cannot endanger their salvation but the sins of all others are mortall and damnable which impious doctrine with the rest above mentioned from which it flows howsoever they be varnisht over with faire shews of advancing the free grace of God and the merits of Christ and the depressing of mans power yet are indeed no other then the old damned Heresie of SimonMagus who as Theodoret saith taught his Disciples they were free from the obedience of the law was condemned by the Ancient Church in Vasilides Carpocrates Epiphanes Prodicus Eunomius and other impure wretches and is call'd by Luther himself whose unwary speeches have given
a passage to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may catechize others We finde three eminent persons noted to us in Scripture that were catechumeni catechized The first was Theophilus of whom Saint Luke testifieth It seemed good to me saith he to write to thee in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning which thou wert catechized or instructed The second was Apollos of whom also Saint Luke gives this commendation that he was mighty in the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this man was catechized or instructed in the way of the Lord. The third was Timothy of whom saint Paul testifies that he had known the the Scriptures from a childe And in one place mention is made both of the Catechist and Catechized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. After the Apostles times the first Catechist of any fame was the Evangelist Mark in Alexandria after him Pantenus then Clemens Origen Cyril of Jerusalem Gregory Nyssen Athanasius Fulgentius S. Augustine and others And that there were catechumeni in the Church in all ages may appear by the canons of diverse Councels Hegesippus converted from Judaism to Christianity in his Ecclesiasticall story reports that this work of catechizing wrought so great effect that there was no known commonwealth inhabited in that part of the world but within fourty years after our saviours passion 〈◊〉 superstition was shaken in it by Catechizing So that Julian the Apostata the greatest enemy that ever Christians had found no speedier way to root out Christian religion then by suppressing Christian schools and places of catechizing and if he had not been as a Cloud that soon passeth away it might have been feared that in a short time he had overshadowed true Religion 1 And when Catechizing was left off in the Church it soon became darkned and over-spread with ignorance The Papists therefore acknowledge that all the advantage which the protestants have gotten of them hath come by this exercise and it is to be feared that if ever thy get ground of us it will be by their more exact and frequent Catechizing then ours 3. Concerning the third quaere The reasons why this custome of catechizing by way of question and answer hath ever been continued seem to be these 1 Because of the account every one must give Our Saviour tells it us reddes rationem we must render an accompt And every man will will be most wary in that for which he must be accomptable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because we are all young and old to give an accompt of our faith Be ready saith Saint Peter alwayes to give answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you a solid reason not a phanatique opinion And by this we shall be the better fitted to these four necessary duties 1 of examining the doctrine we heare 2 Of examining our selves before we heare the word and receive the sacrements 3 Of admonishing our brethren which we cannot doe unlesse we be fitted with knowledge 4 Of adhering to the truth Because being children we doe imbibere errcres ergo exuendi sunt et induendaveritas we drink in errours which must be shaken of and our loynes must be girt with truth The Heathen man adviseth us that in all our actions we propound to our selves Cui bono What good will arise by that we goe about In this certainly the fruit is great diverse wayes 1 It will be acceptable to God to spend our hours in his service 2 We shall learn hereby to know God and his son Jesus Christ. Whom to know is life eternal 3 It will procure length of happy dayes in this life 4 Lastly the fruit of it is holines and the end everlasting life Now 〈◊〉 the fruit is so great we are to take especial care that the hours we spend in this exercise be not lost and so we be deprived of the fruit For as in natural Philosophy it is held a great absurdity ut aliquid frustra fiat that any thing be done in vain or to no purpose and in morall ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there be a vain and fruitlesse desire so in divinity much more S. Paul useth it as an argument to the corinthians to prove the resurrection that if there should be none then both his preaching and their faith were in vain And in another place he did so forecast his manner of the conversion of the gentiles ne forte currat in vanum lest he might run in vain Therefore as the same Apostle desired the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain so are we to be careful that we heare nothing in vain lest we be like those in Jeremy that let the bellows blow and the lead consume in the fire and the founder melt in vain upon which place saith the glosse that all pains and labour which is taken with such people is in vain and lost But the word of God cannot be in vain in three respects 1 In respect of it self 2 In respect of the Catechist 3 In respect of the Catechized 1 In respect of it self it cannot be in vain For God himself maintaineth the contrary As the rain cometh down saith he by the Prophet and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and budd that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall the word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it 2 Nor can it be in vain in respect of the Catechizer or him that delivereth it I have laboured in vain saith the Prophet I have spent my strength for nought and in 〈◊〉 yet surely mark that my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God The paines which the Catechizer takes is not in vain because God seeing he hath done his part will accept of his endeavours though his 〈◊〉 reject and 〈◊〉 them And if the son of peace be there 〈◊〉 peace shall rest upon him if not redibit ad vos it shall returne to you again saith Christ to his disciples And the Apostle most plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Therefore we ought to be very carefull how we behave our selves in hearing 3 Lastly it cannot be in vain to the Catechized If we come to heare with a good intent the spirit of God takes order that the word shall be profitable and fruitful like good seed sowed in good ground And to this purpose it is that Saint Gregory saith Cum verbiboni auditores 〈◊〉 pro reficiendis eis majora
continence justice repentance fortitude and other holy vertues insomuch as Plotinus an unpartial witnesse admiring their fortitudes said of them Soli Christiani mortis contemptores Christians are the only despisers of death 17. It was an objection of the Jews we know that our Saviour wrought his miracles malis artibus that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub But the heathen Philosopher Longinus was of another belief For saith he They say that your Saviour wrought his miracles by the skill he learnt in magick while he was in Egypt but I hardly believe it For I reason thus with my self If he were a Magician and wrought by inferiour spirits he could not triumphare de diis triumph over the gods And we may reason thus with ourselves that if he and his followers wrought this way they would never have commanded such austerity of manners and life and forbid all such unlawful means But sure it is that the Christians of the Primitive Church were of such innocent life that Pliny the second testifies to the Emperour Trajan that there were never more innocent people then they and gave him counsel that if any of them were accused for Christianity he should enquire after them because it was contrary to the laws of the Empire otherwise that he should forbear to trouble them if there were no accuser 18. The next general reason to prove the truth of Christianity is the constancy of those that suffered for it not onely of men able and of strength to endure misery but of old and feeble men weak and frail women and young children and that in so ambitious a manner as that they conceived they could attain to no greater honour then to receive the Crown of Martyrdom in defence of it As we may see in the story of the woman with the childe in her armes that crossed the Pro-Consuls horse hastily and being asked the reason answered lest she should come too late to suffer with the other Christians whose names he had in his bill to be put to death for I also said she am a Christian. Tertullian hath an excellent passage concerning this constancy of Christians Nature saith he teacheth every man to be touched with shame or fear for the evil he committeth and therefore malefactors desire to hide themselves to shun discovery trembling for fear of apprehension Being taken and accused they deny the fact and confesse not easily though tortured They lament when they are condemned and rage against themselves imputing it to the malignity of fate or their stars and renounce the fact as knowing it to be evil But Christians do not so none of them is ashamed none of them repenteth but in that he was a Christian no sooner If any man take notice that he is so he glorieth if he be accused and interrogated he conconfesseth freely and voluntarily being condemned he is thankful What evil is in all this What is it evil that he hath no shame fear denyal repentance or lamentation What evil is it when the guilty person rejoyceth whose glory it is to be accused and whose punishment is his happinesse c. Now there is no sect of the Philosophers but one Edict commanding it to be left upon pain of death would dash it as it did in the case of Pyrrho and his fellowes but no Edict could or hath ever Glenced this Religion No 〈◊〉 either by pen or sword could ever suppresse it but the Christians ever tired and made their persecutors weary 19. Another argument is the horrid end of the opposers of Christianity For all the opposers and persecutors of Christians from and before the first persecution under Claudius to the tenth under Dioclesian and all the Emperours that signed the Edicts against Christians came to fearful miserable and untimely ends except onely Libanius the Philosopher that was converted to Christianity by S. Basil. As Herod eaten with lice Judas hanged himself 〈◊〉 died in exile Sejanus had a traytors death c. So that one alluding to the bad successe of persecutors said to an Emperor Parce nobis si non nobis pace tibi si non tibi Carthagini Spare us if not us yet thy self if not thy self yet be good to Carthage 20. The Devils testimony against himself may be another argument For it is a maxime in Law that how ill soever the witnesse be disposed yet his testimony is to be taken cum 〈◊〉 in dedecus suum when that which he testifies is against his own reputation And Zozomen hath a story that Julian the Apostata being at Antioch and desirous to know why the Oracle at Daphnes in the suburbs of that City had not given answer as formerly it had done went thither and having offered his sacrifices the Oracle or the Devil rather in it answered that he could not satisfie his expectation till the body or tomb of Babylas the martyr were removed so hard a matter it was for the Devil to do any thing there where the bones and ashes of a poor Christian lay And Tertul challengedthe Emperor Severus who raised the fifth persecution against the Christians concerning his religion saying Suffer me to come into your Temple and have conference with any of the spirits in the images there and if I or any Christian force it not to confesse as much as the foul spirit in the Gospel confest and to come out of the image let your religion prevail and ours take the foil And surely the Emperour had taken that large offer had he not feared the event 21. Lastly Plotinus confesseth as Cyprian and Origen report that Apollonius Thyaneus and other of the Heathen attempting to raise the images of Jupiter Mars c. and effected it but they all confest that endeavouring to raise the image of Christ they and their spirits were forced away with confusion This also to close up this point may be added that their gods were afraid of Styx but now we have found him before whom Styx itself and all the powers of Hell do fear and tremble CHAP. XIII Of the two chief parties that lay claim to Christian Religion Papists and Protestants Their difference about interpretation of Scriptures The Churches authority in expounding Scriptures An additional observation out of the Authors other workes Rules about the sense of the Scriptures Means for finding out the true sense other means controverted Addition about the Churches power in matters of faith whether infallible Decrees of Councels Consent of Fathers The Pope not infallible ANd now having found out the true way and being thus far entred into it we are come where it is divided into two For there are two sorts of Christians that lay claim to the true way and each party pleads possession of it each thinking the other to tread in a by-path and to be out of the right way We will therefore examine which of the two are in the right Christian Religion as it now stands in these parts of the World consists of Papists and
worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched as the prophet speaks which words our Saviour quoteth also So that the Law of Moses for the moral part of it agreeth with the Law of Nature and what God commanded Moses to write for the instruction of the Israelites was in great part written in the hearts of the Heathen and in some measure practised by the better sort of them Now if the question be asked which of us nay doth the best of us fulfil the Commandments or who hath so clean a heart that never lutted or indeed that lusteth not daily We answer confidently None And to prove this Saint 〈◊〉 shall tell you in the first seven chapters to the Romans that both Jew and Gentile were defective and came short herein Saint James saith In mult is offendimus omnes in many things we all offend The prophet David by way of question saith Delicta quis intelligit who is there that understandeth how 〈◊〉 he offendeth So that Septies in die cadit justus The best of us fals seven times a day which diverse take as meant of falling into sin though others very learned take it of falling into afflictions And holy Job confessed that he could not answer one for a thousand Lastly to omit many K. David speaks positively in regard of fulfilling the Law that In Gods sight shall no man living be justified that is if God should proceed according to strict justice If then the case of the best be so another question ariseth Whether God be just in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to be kept and promising that whereof no man can be capable because no man can keep the Law We answer that God is most just and there is no injustice in his proceedings Though the matter be never so crooked yet the rule ought to be straight not like a 〈◊〉 rule For God being perfectly just his Law must needs be perfectly just 〈◊〉 for else if he had left out any part of the Law he might have seemed to 〈◊〉 sin And if it be demanded why we were not made able to fulfill and perform it Some answer thus That Adam was at first made fit and able and received strength to keep it in that perfection which was required but he lost it For Adam was like an evil 〈◊〉 that receiving money of his Master to do his busines spent it riotously 〈◊〉 became drunk by the way and so was not able to perform that work which his Master expected yet the Master might lawfully exact it of him because he had before enabled him unto it So God gave us ability at the first to do what he commanded but we having lost that ability vainly God may lawfully exact of us what he let us to do But against this some object that seeing man lost this ability not efficienter but 〈◊〉 by Gods penal act depriving him of it it can no more stand with Gods justice and wisdom still to require the same obedience without new abilities then for a Magistrate having cut off a mans feet for some offence yet to require him to go to such a place and then to punish him for not going and therefore it may be said that God never requires any thing of us but he either gives or is ready to give ability to do it if we be not wanting to our selves And therefore as God requires obedience under the gospel so he enables us by his grace or is ready to enable if we seek to him to do what he requires as to avoid every known and wilful sin and to perform the substance of every good duty though we are still subject to sins of Infirmity which we must labour against and though we come short of perfection in some degree yet we must aim at it and not rest in a perfection of parts Thus euery Christian may and ought to keep the law of God as it is qualified and moderated in the Gospel so as to be free from all raigning sin and to perform every act commanded in sincerity and as this is possible by the grace of the gospel so it is necessary to salvation in all after their conversion and Repentance As for that absolute perfection or freedom from all sin it is commanded too but not as actually necessary to salvation but onely in our true and constant endeavour as that which we must aim at and come as neer to as we can though we do not attain it in this life And thus it may be truely said that the Law though it cannot be kept in that absolute and exact manner which is required in the Covenant of works that is without the least omission or intermission in which sense God doth not now require it of us to salvation yet as it is required in the second Covenant according to the equity and moderation of the gospel it may by the grace of Christ be kept and must be kept by every true Christian so far as God requires it of us now and this is 〈◊〉 Christian perfection which the Scripture often 〈◊〉 to and the Catholike Church of Christ ever acknowledged God having made a second Covenant wherein there is a Law to be kept as well as promises to be beleeved requires obedience now not by vertue of the first covenant which is void but according to the second which is still in force whereby he is alwayes ready by such means and various dispensations as are agreable to his wisdom and justice to enable us to do what in this covenant is required But an answer to the first question and that more fully you shall have in the words of the Apostle Romans 8. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In which words are two things principally to be observed 1. That the Law cannot now nor ever could justifie men yet he layes not the fault on the Laws weaknesse it being most perfect but on our corrupt flesh It is the flesh that cannot do that which the Law requires 2. The second ariseth out of the former that is seeing that neither the Law could justifie us nor we perform what the Law required God rich in mercy and goodnesse sent his Son into the world that being incarnate here should die for us and by that means take away the guilt and dominion of sin in us and enable us to keep his Laws by faith and love which is the perfection and fulfilling of the Law To shew more plainly how Christ did this and that was two wayes 1. By fulfilling whatsoever was promised and prefigured in the Law and the Prophets As semen mulieris the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent and In thy seed shall
man goeth nor any man desireth more to strengthen a promise he hath given an carnest penny a true Gods penny as we call it 1. Now that which may be objected against this is that the immediate voice of God is not now amongst us and that which we heare is from Moses Esay Saint Matthew Saint Paul c. Yet this we must know that though we heare it from them being but men yet did they not speake of themselves not of their own braines but as they were inspired by the holy Ghost And this Saint Peter tells us the Prophecy saith he came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost For a Prince usually speaketh not to the people immediatly from his own mouth but by Edicts and proclamations published by others in his name And as the Scepter or mace which is delivered to them that publish those Edicts is a signe and token that they come from and for the Prince so the Scepter of Gods extraordinary power was committed to his Prophets Apostles c. The Jews required no more then a signe of our Saviour which with them was the Scepter And our Savionr desired no more of them then that if they would not beleeve him for his words yet they should for his works And that if he had not done among them the works which no other man did those were his miracles they mighe have been excused for their unbeleefe Upon which Saint Augustine saith that either we must grant that they were done or else that without miracles all the world was converted and became Christians which is a greater miracle then all the rest which he did and so we must grant miracles whether we will or no. And this is our warrant that these men the Prophets and Apostles came from God and that God hath spoken to us by them 2. The next quere is whether he is able to performe those things which he hath promised by them To that we say with the Angell that with God nothing shall be unpossible The Prophet saith His hands are not shortned it is able to reach all things When Moses mistrusted Gods providence to feed 600000 men saying shall all the flocks and the herds be slain or all the fish of the sea be gathered together to suffice them God answered is the Lords hand waxed short Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to passe or not 3. Lastly for his Will take a place of a Father for all Scio pcsse scio scire cupere velle for The Lord is good to them that trust in him to the soul that seeketh him That faith is necessary may be thus proved it is called the substance of things hoped for and the evidence ground or demonstration of things not seen both which argue the necessity of it for in totis ordinatis as Religion hath its order the first part is substantia reliquorum as the substance of a house is in the foundation of a ship in the Stern of a tree in the root The Apostle compareth it to a foundation and to a root and he saith there is naufragium fidei a shipwrack of faith and so consequently it is compared to the sterne of a ship If faith then be necessary as the root and foundation of all religion then without it nothing can be done by a Christian which is accepted of God ad salutem to salvation If we stand it is by faith If we walk we walk by faith whatsoever we do if we do it not by faith it is not pleasing to God ad salutem And it is in this respect that faith is called Mater obedientiae the mother of obedience because all duties arise out of it Luther hath a saying which is true if it be taken in a good sense that in faith all the Law is fulfilled before we have fulfilled any part of it in act because it is the root from whence all Christian obedience arises and wherin it is vertually contained and therefore in regard of the necessity of it it pleased God to reject all the high titles of the learned wise men of the world as Philosophers c. and to entitle his flock onely by the name of believers And Euseb. Emisenus gives a good reason for it for the first word of a Christian is credo and that which maketh him a Christian if we be not faithful then are we no Christians God giveth Christians no other name then he gives to himself Fidelis est Deus God is faithful And his Son is called the author and finisher of our faith and his word is called sermo fidelis the word of faith and his family the houshold of saith and prayer is called by Saint James the prayer of faith And Saint Paul calls the Sacraments the seals of faith So we see that faith leadeth us through all duties and not onely this but that which hath bin said of knowledge may be said of faith that it is the beginning of our blessednesse Our Saviour saith to S. Thomas Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved There is an apt similitude in the Prophet to express this I will betroth thee to me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. The inchoation of marriage is in sponsalibus when hands are given so are our sponsalia in fide in this life the marriage is consummate in heaven It is said Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that beleeveth not shall be damned nay further as S. John hath it his sentence is not deferred but it is gone already upon him he is condemned already Therefore for the necessity of it we may conclude with the Apostle Without faith it is impossible to please God And the reason is because there is no man but thinks it a disparagement not to be credited and the greater the person the more desirous he is to be beleeved A private man would be beleeved upon his honesty and a man of greater state upon his honour the Prince upon his own word he writes teste meipso to argue the sufficiency of his word and a disgrace he accounteth it to break it and if any of these persons should not be credited on these terms they would think that a great discourtesy were offered to them If then there be a God he must needs expect more then a Prince and consequently he may of greater right say teste meipso because he is above all Princes Job saith Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked or to Princes Ye are ungodly though they be so much lesse to a good Prince and least of all to God Now he that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true And on the contrary He that beleeveth not maketh God a Lyar and there can be no
tundebantur in horreo Domini non reponitur granum donec flagellis aut triturantium pedibus sit excussum in buildings axes and hammers must be used and no corn comes to the table before it passe through the frail and milstone 5. The grape must be troden and passe the winepresse before it be fit to drink 6. The flock is shorn and carried to the shambles 3. The third reason of trial is to separate the good from the bad Therefore God suffers the Devil to sift his servants trial is Sathanae ventilabrum the Devils seive Luke 22. 31 which separates the good corn from the chaff and for this cause God suffers good men to be afflicted by wicked because it is not fit he should use good men as scourges for the good for there must be a fan to make a separation of the corn and chaff which is the crosse There is a red sea to passe if thou be a true Israelite thou shalt get through if an Egyptian no passage for thee thou shalt be drowned in the midst of it vituli triturantes quotidie ligantur ad stabulum vituli mactandi quotidie in paescuis libere relinquuntur the oxen that are for use are kept tyed up when those that are fatted for the shambles are let loose into the pasture to feed at peasu re 4. The last is for the Devils confusion to confound him when he sayes Doth Job serve God for nought God sends tryalls to stop the Devils mouth who slanders all for mercenaries therefore ost times he sends no reward visible at all and somtimes gives malam mercedem an ill reward in appearance that it may appear that we serve him gratuito freely Now for the manner of suffering There were in the Primitive Church a sort of heretiques called Circumcilliones who hearing patience so much commended conceived of it as the stoickes to bean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a want of passions and therefore whipped themselves and acquainted themselves so much with hardship that they could beare any thing But we are to understand that as Christian religion is far from Epicurisme so it allowes not the doctrine of the stoicks Saint Paul disputed against both Epicures and Stoickes Christian patience is no stoicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Job David Christ they were patient yet had some notable signes of passions that they felt what they suffered Nor is patience a Monothelite to have a will onely to be punished Our Saviour had a will to be rid of the cup as well as a submission to Gods will It was a suffering according to the will of God as the Apostle speaks to which he conformed himself Saint Augustine sheweth the difference between the Heathens and heretiks patience and that which is true patience The first was not in a good cause or for a right end but possibly they vsed themselves to suffer and felt it not but in true patience a man feels the crosse and would be rid of it yet submits to the good pleasure of God And therefore he saith it was stupor morbi being accustomed to ill potius quam robur sanitatis A stupefying disease rather then the strength of health and admiranda duritia quae magna est sed neganda patientia que nulla est their hardnes was to be admired for it was great but their patitence to be denied for they had none That which is forbidden the Apostle comprizeth in one verse 1. A small regard or despising the chastisment of the Lord. 2. and a fainting under his correction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two extreames of true patience 1. Saint Chrysostom noteth upon Exodus 9. 28. that in the wicked there is but momentanea cura not no regard at all but a momentary regard of Gods afflictions as it was in Pharoah concerning the plagues of Egypt and it was no other in Jeroboam there was in him a humiliation for the present till his hand was restored onely That effect which judgement works upon the wicked is onely pannicus timor a panick fear for the present till the danger be over and therefore such patience is called Pannica patientia a pannick patience like to that in bears and wolves at the sound of the drum they are afraid while that is beaten and no longer Or as they which not being used to the sea are sick while the ship is tossed but assoon as they set footing on the land are well again And by this men came to that which the Ancients call Stupor morbi non robur sanitatis a numnesse and hardnes of soul not proceeding from strength of health and thy call it animi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a palsy of the soul. It is one thing to thrust a needle into quick and another into dead flesh And this stupor or numnesse of the soul is of two sorts Contractus et immssus 1. The wiseman speaking of a person given to excesse of meat and drink saith They have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not He shews that some by custome in sinne contract a senselessenesse in sin Their life is like to them that sleep in the top mast whose sleep is broken and yet continues and so they come to a kinde of drunkennesse Ebrii sunt non vino as the Prophet speaks they are drunk but not with wine and so it falls out in other vices when a man is bewitcht with a sin he is smitten but feeleth not because he is drunk with it 2. The other is such as we read Baals Prophets were who when their God would not hear them cut themselves with knives and lancers and thereby might seem patient and this is not stupor contractus but emissus a stupidity infused by Sathan whether he possesse men spiritually onely in their souls or corporally too The Devil taught a man to breake his chaines and cut his flesh with stones and such was that of the Circumeelliones Manichees and Donatists c. it was but pati malum ut facerent malum as Saint Augustine speaks they suffered evil that they might do the more evil This stupor contractus comes two wayes 1. Ex ignorantia causae not considering the cause whence afflictions come or 2. Ex ignorantia finis not considering the end whereto they tend 1. When the afflicted consider not the cause from whence their affliction comeeth Thou hast stricken them O Lord and they are not grieved saith the Prophet thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock c. And God himself by the same Prophet In vain have I smitten your children they received no correction And the Prophet Esay why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more c. No doubt but there are some such among us whom God calleth
not his brother hanged his look his countenance fell Laban upon displeasure taken against Jacob altered his countenance it was not to him as before S. Jerome upon the 16 verse of the 80 Psalm saith there is 〈◊〉 increpationis a chiding countenance and 〈◊〉 detractationis a countenance that can detract which is as the Wise man saith when one doth harden his face or put on a bold face when he is rebuked or hath as David saith a proud look whereby he doth as much as in him lies 〈◊〉 laedere dishonour him by his looks Elisha saith that if he had not reverenced the face of the king of Judah he would not once have looked upon Jehoram intimating that to Superiours especially being godly reverence must be shewed and that it may be shewen even in the looks For Superiours because as they say their power is bottomlesse so their abuses are bottomlesse therefore there are certain signes of a good government 1. The Prophet tells us that in a good government the eyes of them that see shall not need to wink and the mouth of them that can speak shall not need to be silent a man may speak the truth freely without danger or controll a flagitious man shall not be called Good Sir and as it is verse 5. the base shall not be called liberal nor the churl bountiful He gives us to understand that in an ill government a man must see and not see as the Poet said Quod scis 〈◊〉 We may see this in the examples of Esay and Amos. Amos lived in the dayes of Vzziah and Jeroboam and he tells us that then it was a time for the prudent to keep silence because it was an evil time A wise man must hold his peace lest it should fare with him as with the Levite when the Danites cried Tace hold thy peace which he was forced to do lest they should have slain him It was certainly no signe of good government when our Saviour for saying he was not bound to accuse himself before Caiaphas was 〈◊〉 on the face by a Catchpole and when Ananias commanded S. Paul to be smitten on the mouth because he pleaded his own cause whereas Esay living in the dayes of Hezekiah a good king durst say to Shebna Who are you whence come you and God deal thus and thus with you 2. A second signe of evil government is when men cannot have justice but are delayed by those that should right them S. Paul notwithstanding his appeal to 〈◊〉 could get no justice because Nero being upheld by his under governours must also uphold them Achish could confesse that David was upright yet he told him he must not go with him for fear of displeasing the Lords of the Philistims 3. Another signe is by their speech which the Heathen observed A good Governour saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is my duty and I must do it An evil Governour will say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have power and I may do it He boasts with Saul I can give you vineyards c. and with Pilate I have power to crucisie thee and power to let thee go 4. A fourth signe is out of Menander when their eye-brows swell so that they will refuse to amend what is amisse If there be any fault and if you tell them not of it they will say Why did you not tell me of it and if you do they will say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we will consider of it and then it shall be as much amended as if it had never been mentioned and also you shall when opportunity serves be remembred with some mark of displeasure as one too busy or pragmatical When one told Joah of Absaloms hanging in a tree he asked him why he did not kill him but the other replied that considering the kings strict charge to the contrary Joah himself if the fact had been done by another would have been ready to accuse him to the king and to have him punished 5. It is a signe of ill government when Religion is pretended to stop justice It was much practised in the primitive times and oft complained of by the Fathers If any of the Rulers or Officers had wronged a Christian Bishop and he had complained to the Emperour who promised justice and appointed a day for hearing then would the Deputy come and say This man is a Christian he ought to be patient and to forgive injuries and not to go to law it s against the principles of his religion And thus they were dismissed without justice and reproached for their labour So it is often with others especially if any Clergie-man seek for justce 6. Lastly The thriving of the righteous is a good signe In his dayes saith the Psalmist shall the righteous flourish But on the contrary when as the Heathen observed The flatterer is chief in esteem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Sycophant the next and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lewd and naughty person is the third This is a signe of ill government Such a Sycophant was Doeg who accused David to Saul and made him pursue him his crime was such that there was no sacrifice appointed by the Law to 〈◊〉 it and therefore David said Let him be cursed before the Lord. It is reported that when Caesar first entred upon his tyrannical government he gave preferment sic 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tamen inquinaret ornamenta so that the men had no honor by them but dishonor was brought upon the preferments and these places of preferment are discredited when unworthy men as Sycophants and lewd persons are placed in them by governours 6. The sixt rule for expounding the precepts is that we do not onely observe them our selves but cause them to be observed by others According to this we must not onely honour our Superiours but draw others to this duty The negative precept is given by the Wise man My son Fear God and the King and 〈◊〉 not with those that are given to change c We must neither be principals nor accessories in any rebellious course against our Soveraign neither do any thing of our selves nor draw others to joyn with us in any such unlawful course An example we have in David when he had Saul at 〈◊〉 he would not hurt him himself nor would he suffer Abishai to destroy him for who saith he can stretch out his hand against the Lords anointed and be innocent And as they contain a dehortation from disobedience and rebellion so e contra we have an exhortation for obedience and subjection Gedaliah as he was willing to submit himself to the Chaldees so he exhorts others Let us serve the king of Babel and it shall be well with us When any shall rise in the gain-saying of Corah against Moses or Aaron we must not onely not joyn with them but withdraw others from them and say with Moses
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it steales away the understanding We have experience of it in Solomon we see what fottishnes he grew into after this sinne had taken hold of him even to fall down to every block and stock 〈◊〉 by this fell into murder and to cover one sinne with another And it is just it should be so for the light of our Actions coming 〈◊〉 God and our annoynting coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 faith from Gods annoynting he will not commit this oyntment to such a stinking box They are like swine that trample this pearle of understanding under feet 3. The third is 〈◊〉 Of all sinnes this is most inexcusable because other sins may have some colour or excuse but this hath none because God having ordained a remedy for this which is marriage he that will not use that remedy is without excuse 4. The fourth is that whereas God hath been pleased to make marriage a holy institution and a holy resemblance of the union betwixt Christ and his Church it is a manifest contempt of the ordinance of God and not onely that but whereas God hath added this 〈◊〉 to marriage that thereby mankinde should be encreased on the contrary by this meanes they bring the curse of barrennes threatened against whoredome they shall commit whoredome saith the Prophet but not encrease So that they go about as much as in them lieth to destroy the race of mankinde and therefore 〈◊〉 calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in genus 〈◊〉 sacrilegious breakers of wedlock and trespassers against mankinde for not onely the world 〈◊〉 the worse for these courses which would soon bring it 〈◊〉 an end but also it takes away the resemblance between Christ and his Church in holy mariage 5. It is against a mans own body For as Saint Paul argueth every sinne which a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the body but he that committs fornication 〈◊〉 against his own body and that both by defiling it so that as Saint 〈◊〉 saith the garments are spotted by the flesh as also by weakning and decaying it for as the Physitians say the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 humor the generative 〈◊〉 is a special cause of preserving the life of a man and there is nothing brings greater debility to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the radical moysture is consumed and the life shortned then this sinne besides that it brings rottennes to the bones and breeds many 〈◊〉 diseases as daily experience shewes like that water of jelousy under the law or cursed water which if 〈◊〉 woman had defiled her husbands bed caused her belly to swell and her thigh to rot 6. And it is not onely against a mans own body but against others also for it hath this peculiar to it that whereas in other sinnes a man may 〈◊〉 solus perish alone in this he must have one to perish with him for company There is duplex 〈◊〉 a double murther committed by this one finne 7. It is injurious to Christ two wayes 1. He hath bought us and paid a price for us Now if we shall alienate that which is not our own we do as if we should pull down another mans house nay 〈◊〉 Regis as 〈◊〉 the Kings Palace to which we have no right 2. And not onely so but being Christians and Christ our head and we the members if we unite our selves to a harlot do we not 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 est as much as we can bring Christ to be the head of a 〈◊〉 8. Lastly if all these will not move us then let us consider the punishment of it Shall I not visit saith God by the prophet for these things yes surely he will 〈◊〉 and punish and that many 〈◊〉 1. It is a punishment it self for as Solomon saith those whom God hates shall fall into this sinne such as he hath ordained for punishment shall be punished with this sinne 2. It is maxime probrosum peccatum a sin that makes a man most infamous it brings a reproach never to be wiped off 3. It brings a man to beggery for by a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread yea the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life and Job saith it is a fire that will consume to destruction and will root out all a mans increase 4. Beyond all these whereas every punishment should exceed that whereof it is a punishment the Apostle tells us that those uncleane lusts which the heathens where given up to were punishments for their Idolatry 〈◊〉 that this sinn seems to exceed in some case that of Idolatry And therefore the same Apostle saith that if a woman be married to an Idolater or unbeleever and will dwell with him she may but he saith not so for an adulterer Idolatry doth not so neerly dissolve the bond of marriage as adultery And again the children of an Idolater or unbeleever if the one party be a beleever are holy and are received into the covenant as members of the Church but the seed of Adulterers is prophane a bastard must not enter into the congregation not to the tenth generation By these reasons well weighed we may in part conceive what account God makes of this sinne We come now to the particular branches referring to this sin already mentioned CHAP. III. Of the degrees of this sinne 1. The first motions or cogitationes ascendentes 2. Suppuratio the festering of it inwardly 3. subactum solum the fitting of the soyle which is 1. By excesse 2. By Idlenes Exc esse is 1. by gluttony the effects of it Opposite to which is the vertue of temperance which consists in modo in measure which respects 1. The necessity of life 2. Of our calling 3. Of pleasure and delight wherein are 5. Rules 1. For the substance of our meat 2. For the quantity 3. For the quality 4. Not to eate too greedily 5. Not too often 2. Of excesse in drinking in what cases wine is allowed ANd first for the inward cause the malignant vapours arising in the heart which we called the poyson of our nature that inbred concupiscence and those first motions and the 〈◊〉 ascendentes we shall forbeare to speak of them till we come to the tenth commandment and here we will speak in the second place of that which we call suppuratio or the festering of it which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burne and the Prophet illustrateth by a similitude As an oven heated by a Baker so is an Adulterer though we see no sparks without yet there 's a great heate within Solomon saith of him cor ejus loquitur perversa his heart uttereth perverse things though outwardly he saith nothing Saint Augustine saith Ego domine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum cogitationes meaenon 〈◊〉 Lord I oftentimes hold my peace when my thoughts within me are not silent And so when the oven waxeth hotter and hotter then cometh consensus
to know who this Pan should be but they could give him no satisfaction herein And one asking counsel at the Oracle at Delphos about these things was told that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puer Hebreus an Hebrew child that had silenced them 11. 〈◊〉 Tertullian and Justin Martyr testifie so doth Eusebius that 〈◊〉 wrote to Tyberius about Christs miracles after his death and that he died and suffered as an innocent person Whereupon Tiberius wrote to the Senate commanding them to deifie him But the Senate refused because Pilate had written to Tiberius and not to them A cheife man in this opposition was Sejanus who afterward came to a miserable end 12. The next and none of the least general arguments to prove the truth of Christian Religion is the progresse of it For whereas nature and reason teach us that in every action fit Instruments must be had and used or else the action will prove defective and vain and that the matter must be well fitted and disposed before we can work it in this case there were neither For in the eye of man there could be no unfitter instruments then the Apostles they being rude unlearned and most of them Mechanique Men And for the matter to work upon they had it altogether unprepared nay clean against them For the Jewes continued the hatred to the Disciples which they had born to the Master continually persecuting them And the most learned among the Gentiles were the greatest opposite to that which they endeavoured namely the propagation of the Gospel as might be as Vlpian the greatest Lawyer who wrote many books against it and the Christians Galen the greatest Physician Plotinus the greatest Platonist Porphyrius the greatest Aristotelian Libanius a great writer in the Greek tongue Lucian a great scoffer and Julian the great Sorcerer who not onely made Dialogues between Christ and Peter to breed hatred and contempt against Christianity but being Emperour bent all his force against it prohibiting Christian schools c. Besides if we consider the ten bloody Persecutions wherein many thousands of Martyrs suffered and that in most horrid and barbarous manner and kindes To which if we adde which was touched before the unaptnesse of the instruments and the matter the World so rigid ill disposed and harsh to work upon and yet to have the work effected it cannot but be confessed that Christianity is the true Religion and that magna est veritas praevalet great is the truth and prevaileth 13. In the next place if we consider how averse and unpleasing to flesh and blood the precepts of this Religion are we must confesse the premises to be true For they give us not leave to be Libertines or licentious and carnal as the Religion of the Turk of which we spake before For instead of taking revenge of our enemies for injuries done unto us we are bound by them to love our enemies and to speak good of them that persecute us Instead of committing folly with a Woman we must not so much as cast our eye upon a woman to lust after her there is not the least thought left at our pleasure Non concupisces Instead of covetous heaping up of riches we must leave all for the truths sake 14. The promises contained in the Scriptures to them that shall observe this Religion are not of the nature of those in the Religion of the Epicures and Turks c. that is honour preferment wealth pleasure in this World and the like but the contrary as They shall whip and scourge you they shall binde and leade you whither you would not take your Crosse and follow me and leave all and follow me But this a man would think were not the way for sequimini me follow me but discedite a me depart from me rather a deterring and disheartning then any manner of perswading And in this there is a great resemblance between the Creation and the Regeneration In the first something was made of nothing and here nothing to confound something that we may plainly see and 〈◊〉 that it is digitus Dei qui hic operatur the finger of God that bringeth this to passe that strength should be confounded by weaknesse something by nothing Therefore this Religion cannot be but Divine 15. Again if we consider the times when Mahomet began to broach his forged Religion we shall finde it to be in a dissolute time a time of idlenesse and ignorance when Heraclius and Constans ruled the Empire the first being an incestuous Prince one that married his brothers daughter and exasperated the Saracens in denying them pay in his wars the other being a Monothelite and bloody having murthered his brother both of them giving opportunity to the Saracens not onely to enlarge their territories but to propagate their Religion And if we shall observe the Ecclesiastical story well we shall finde that Age very much destitute of learned and pious men Whereas on the contrary when Christianity began and prevailed the world was never so full of eyes never so many learned men as the Scribes and Pharisees the Greek Philosophers c. yet it pleased God to work upon the hearts of many of them in converting them to it as upon Paulinus Clemens Origen Augustine Ambrose and others especially many of the Jewish Priests before these Acts 6. 7. 16. And indeed Conversions are a great argument of the truth of Religion The most memorable whereof we see in S. Paul who was a zealous Pharisee who not only had a warrant from the Counsel at Jerusalem to apprehend and imprison all sorts of people addicted to Christianity but was a principal actor in the martyrdom of Saint Stephen And yet he neglecting the preferment he was like to come to by this his forwardnesse was content upon a sudden to expose himself to all dangers and disgrace to whippings perils by sea and land c. and to embrace this as the true Religion And if any say he aimed at honour and esteem among Christians his practice shews the contrary for when the men of Lyaconia would have sacrificed to him and Barnabas with great zeal he opposed it they rent their clothes and ran in amongst them and told them they were men like themselves so far were they from vain glory Insomuch as Porphyrius said of him that it was great pity that so great a Scholar and so near to preferment should have been converted to Christianity The like may be said of Origen after him the fairest for preferment of any in his time who being scholar to Ammonius and preferred by him before Plotinus afterward loaded with honours in the Common-wealth yet he was content to leave all and to betake himself to a poor Catechists place in Alexandria where he was every minute in danger of his life Never in any other Religion appeared the like examples of life and manners as in those of the Christian Religion as of fasting abstinence