ministeriall head ouer all the world both for order and iurisdiction ouer all Bishops all Christians to set out the rule of faith lawes dispensations ouer all the world to trample vpon kings and to decree them to butchery or honour as they serue for the good of the Catholike cause Now how this and the like stuffe can bee inferred from the words of Christ to Peter to vphold their monarchicall head I would intreat you to call your best Logicke to an account and to doe your best to iudge Secondly because the Pope pleades more for himselfe than he doth for him from whom he pretends to receiue deputation He is like an vnfaithfull friend who being sent to speake a good word speakes one for his friend and two for himselfe For what is it that doth imbroyle the whole Christian world more than the Popes monarchie All kingdomes must be at his dispose that so such Princes as he can traine vp in dull ignorance may through ambition be prouoked to be his white sonnes that they may attaine to great honours and other mens inheritances vnder him All must be Hereticks that are not within his Pale The word of God must depend vpon his allowance Scripture must be no Scripture except he looke fauourably vpon it and giue it what sense pleaseth him Kings must be no Kings if it pleaseth him to excommunicate them and we must be no ministers because our calues are cow-calues as that blessed Martyr Woodman answered the Bishop of Chichester who wanted the Popes Bull to consecrate or confirme him in his Bishopricke with many other prettie toyes Thirdly because all the notes of the great Antichrist that are in Scripture doe agree to him to wit the Pope as is maintained to his face by our dread Soueraigne and the reuerend Father Bishop Downame in his treatise of Antichrist and in his Diatriba of the same subiect It is true indeed they would make vs beleeue that his chayre is made of Irish wood to which no copwebs of falshood can cleaue nor any venomous creature come neere without death and that his Church is like that which the mariners built in Illiria to Saint Iohn de Maluatia whose very morter was tempered with malmsey a sweet and precious Church but all the water in Tyber will not wash off that imputation except he doe penance for his ambition and opposition and become such a Bishop as the primitiue godly Fathers were Fourthly because it cannot be shewed that Christ hath appointed the Pope to be his Vicar hee often speaketh of the Holy Ghost as when he saith Ioh. 14.26 The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and againe When he is come which is the Spirit of truth Ioh. 16.13 hee will lead you into all truth but he neuer speaketh of the Pope If he doe let him shew it if he doe not let him consider how hatefull it is for a man to put himselfe into such high commissions without warrant from God and how iustly wee may lay this in his dish No man taketh this honour but he that is called of God as Aaron was Thus I hope you perceiue that we cannot be assured that that is the true Church whereof the Pope is the head Vse Oh therefore my beloued countrey-men leane not to him and to his politicke apostasie lift vp your heads and behold by faith the bowing pillars of his proud monarchy All his diuine vnction cannot foresee nor all his keyes and swords helpe himselfe from that miserie which the Kings of the earth who are and shall fall from him shall bring vpon him As therefore Moselanus a Iew when hee had killed a fowle whose flight the hoast of Alexander expected to prognosticate good or euill successe by said vnto them What a foule shame is it for so many worthy men to seeke knowledge of her that knew not what should happen to her selfe So say I What a shame is it for so many wise men to seeke wisdome and direction from him who is not wise enough for himselfe but rageth now like the deuill because his time is but short and yet cannot see it Surely as he that died of the bite of a weasell lamented because it was not a Lion so will such at the last lament that they haue fallen by that weake one though neuer so great in the eyes of his flatterers whose very throne shall fall as a milstone into the sea to wit with great violence noyse horrour and trouble to the world But now you will say Put case that we account Iesus Christ our head yet if we are not of his body we are not of that Church whereof he is the head It is true therefore that you may know your selues to be of the body I must goe two steps further Richar. Transire in Christum et coalescere cum Christo Membra secundum praescientiam et sâ—cundum praesentem iusticiam First I must shew you how God doth fit vs to be made one with our head and to be members of his body We are falsly charged to require inward qualifications of holinesse in euery member of the Church for there are members in Gods Book before calling as well as such as are called and of such as are called there are members by profession which do admit of a cutting off yet if we would assure our hearts that we are so in the Church as wee are also of it Membra 1. Numero 2. Merito et electione ut corruptè à scholasticis pro opere et electione we must be inwardly coapted and fitted to be made one with him Now for this fitting of vs for our head it must be by three actions of our good and mercifull God First God must cut vs from the wilde oliue that is he must separate vs from corrupted Adam as we are borne after his cursed image To this end God giueth vs by the law a sight of some one sinne which hath haply made deepest gashes in our consciences together with the punishment due vnto it At which sight we suspecting what all our sins may deserue if God shall muster them together through compunction of heart we are brought to a detestation of our former estate and so to a casting off of our transgressions that we may not die Secondly God must pare vs to put vs into the true oliue Christ by humiliation when we see how fearefully wee lie liable to Gods iustice we despairing of all helpe and comfort elsewhere doe humbly lay our selues downe at Gods feet to bee disposed to shame sorrow feare confession prayer and application of spirituall reasons to our carnall hearts to mortifie and dead our corruptions according to Gods Word Thirdly God must ingraft vs into Christ How is this When by the power of the Word and Spirit he doth worke faith in our hearts by which wee comparing the bottomlesse pit of our sinful estate with the height length bredth
vnderstanding and so madly running thorow thicke and thinne thou art no fit witnesse But if Christ haue shined in thy soule by a new light and haue made thee come vnto thy selfe with the Prodigall and haue the vnderstanding of a man in thee then come to Gods Court I hope thine owne heart will not suffer thee to deceiue thy selfe by falshood 5 Fama Fiftly as in a witnesse is required good fame or credit for infamous persons are repelled and excepted against from witnessing especially in criminall causes so if thou be infamous for sluggishnesse like those who vse their bodies to the bone but seldome vse their consciences in any thing or for suffering thy power to be suppressed or thy office to be neglected then thou art more fit to be a slaue than a free-man to be sworne But if thou be of credit for speaking the truth amongst millions of lies and for thy daily imployment in thy office as in the sight and presence of God then thou hast Gods good leaue to speake and without question thy testimony will be admitted Sixtly as in a witnesse together with the former 6 Eâ— Fortuna is required a certaine estate and condition of life because poore men who are of base conditions may more easily be corrupted so if thou suffer thy selfe to be needie and hungrie after the things of the world and lose the honour of that selfe-sufficiencie whereby thou doest resemble God a purse-promise will easily spoile such a witnesse But if thou be kinne to the woman who hath the Moone at her feet and canst say with Iaacob I haue all things Apoc. 12. then thou wilt refuse gold and gaine to be a true witnesse at Gods Barre Lastly as in a witnesse religion is required 7 Fidâ—â— in testibus â—sta requires for an Infidell is not admitted against a Beleeuer so if thou beest not knit vnto God as the deputie of the faithfull Witnesse in heauen cursed is thy witnesse in this diuine Court But if God and thou doe walke together as two that are agreed and if thou doe so proceed according to the rule of Gods word as thou doest not condemne thy selfe in that which thou doest then speake on prosper with this thy glory which God hath giuen thee to be a witnesse in this Court and this thy power shall teach thee terrible things Striue O Conscience that thou maist haue all these qualifications This is the way so to doe thy office here that thou maist not be blamed hereafter Yea this is the way so to preserue thy selfe that thou shalt preserue thy owner I remember that Pythagoras was wont to giue this precept to his Schollers Not to taste of those things which had blacke tailes so let me say to the conscience of euery one here present take heed of the blacke taile of a drowsie conscience It may speake pleasing things for a time it not being qualified as before but at the last as a babbler said to a wise man of old O Philosopher I am troublesome vnto thee with my speech so shaâ—l conscience trouble our patiences and as we would account him miserable who hath a witnesse of his thoughts words and actions against the law of man much more will our consciences make vs miserable in witnessing our thoughts words and actions against the law of God Assumption Thus we haue heard these reasoning thoughts as a witnesse propounding the truth next we shall heare them as a Iurie applying the truth to the parties to be tried A Iurie within vs. And this it doth as an Assumption whence we note that In our selues there is a Iurie which will bring in a verdict concerning vs either of guilty or not guilty To open this I will shew you two points First that Conscience like a Iurie brings in the verdict of guilty vpon sinners And this is discouered vnto vs two waies First by word and secondly by worke By word thus Adonibezek said Iudg. 1.7 Seuenty Kings hauing the thumbs of their hands and feet cut off gathered bread vnder my table as I haue done so God hath rewarded me Iosephs brethren said We haue verily sinned against our brother Gen. 42.21 in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Kain said Whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me Whence proceed these words but from the verdict of guilty which their coâ—sciences had brought in 2. Sam. 24.7 Iob 13.26 By worke thus Looke to Dauid and his heart smote him looke vnto Iob who possessed the sinnes of his youth Dan. 5.6 to Belshazzar whose countenâ—nce was changed his thoughts were troubled his ioynts were loosed and his knees smote one against another Act. 2.37 to the Iewes who were pricked at their hearts Act. 24.25 and to Foelix who trembled Whence proceed all these but from the power of Consciences verdict seeing they are euident signes that they were sicke of that worme which neuer dieth Mar. 9.46 Which power is giuen vnto conscience First in respect of conscience it selfe that it might iudicially proceed against a sinner and without a Iurie there is no Assize Secondly in respect of the wicked that they might haue soure sawce to their sweet sinnes and a heauy heart in the midst of laughter Is it reason that the wicked should carry away all the iollitie Thirdly in respect of the godly that they may be kept from sinne checked in sinne prepared for the feelings of comfort exercised in the knowledge of their owne weaknesse and be wrought more preciously to account of the comforts of the great perswader The second point to be shewed you is that conscience like a Iurie bringeth the verdict of not guilty vpon him that doth well Gen. 28. What was it that made Iaacob sleepe so sweetly when his head lay hardest in Bethel but this acquitting Iurie This made a feast in Iaacobs bosome Pro. 15.15 and whereas the guilty being rouzed and left to themselues haue a trembling heart and feare at the shaking of a leafe Deut. 28.65 Iaacob was as bold as a Lion Pro. 28.1 This made Paul so often appeale vnto his conscience Before the Iewes Act. 23.1 I haue in all good conscience serued God vnto this day Before Foelix Act. 24.16 I haue plotted to haue a cleare conscience towards God and man To the Romanes I say the truth in Christ I lie not Rom. 9.1 my conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost To the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.12 My reioycing is the testimonie of my conscience Heb. 13.18 To the Hebrewes We trust we haue a good conscience To make this yet more plaine doe but marke Paul his phrase of speech Dauids confidence and Gods childrens comfort Pauls phrase is this Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding What peace is this A peace in health wealth
whose corne and wine and oyle increase We shall stand againe before the God of our consciences for though he seeme to frowne and send afflictions and crosses and diseases and death Esai 38.3 yet as Hezekiahs Iurie gaue way to that comfortable prayer O Lord remember I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart so will ours giue way to our comfortable grasping of God and his promise that we perish not in trouble Thus wee haue viewed these reasoning thoughts as a witnesse propounding the truth A Iudge within vs. and as a Iurie applying it to the parties to be tried we come now vnto it as a Iudge concluding Conclusion without all which three there can be no perfect reasoning Whence I offer this point to consider that Wee haue also in our selues vnder God our Iudges For hence is it that we are said to haue reasonings because as a Iudge wee both open the law that the witnesse may propound fit truths and as a Iudge we determine accordingly in the conclusion As it is with Princes and Kings who are the high Iudges of their kingdomes they haue Iudges vnder them by deputation to whom they commit their iudgements of God and allot their seuerall circuits so though God be the high Iudge of heauen and earth ouer the hearts and consciences of all men yet doth hee depute these inferiour Iudges in the circuit of euery mans brest to passe the conclusion and sentence of God Hence is it that Saint Iohn doth couple God and conscience in the selfe-same action of a Iudge 1 Iohn 3.20 If our hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things To condemne wee know is an action of a Iudge and how good cause wee haue to account our consciences our Iudges will appeare if wee consider these three points First That sentence which is giuen by conscience is confirmed by God wee see that so soone as Adam had sinned though no man pursued him no Angell reproued him and the Lord was not yet come hee found himselfe condemned by the inward Iudge and when God came he ratified the same sentence But wee cannot thinke that God would confirme the sentence of a rebell who hath set himselfe in Gods throne to iudge without God Secondly Such is the maiestie and authoritie of conscience that it stands against all the world Looke as a good Iudge though all the world doe pleade against the truth yet he is for it and will not reuoke his iudgement so is it with conscience Therefore doth the Apostle set the sentence of conscience against the calumnies of all men saying 1 Câ—â—â—â— 4 I passe very little to be iudged by you or of mans iudgement no I iudge not my selfe for I know nothing by my selfe and so forth as if hee should say Yee are very forward in censuring mee both in respect of my gifts and faithfulnesse in my place I weigh your censures little though I will not be the preacher of my owne praise yet I tell you I know nothing by my selfe Thus conscience of his faithfulnesse did beare him out against the slanders of false Apostles Thirdly where conscience terrifieth no creature can comfort the pleasures of Paradise auailed not Adam when he was driuen to hide his head in a bush the pleasures of Canaan did Dauid little pleasure when he was driuen to cry out My sinne is euer before me All the delights of Babylon could not raise vp Belshazzars heart when the hand wrote Gods sentence against him on the wall and in his conscience If the Iudge condemne who shall absolue Excellent is that similitude which an ancient makes to this purpose A man condemned to die trieth his three friends to procure his pardon one saith I haue no grace with the King and therefore I can promise thee no such kindnesse yet this will I doe I will buy thee meat and drinke garments and musicke thou shalt want nothing that may giue thee content while thou art here All this is good and yet it contents not because the poore man wanteth a pardon The second answereth I know not how to get to the King but this I will doe I will bewaile thy miserable hap weepe for thy losse and attend thee to the court gates All this is good kindnesse and yet it contents not because the poore condemned man would haue a pardon The third saith Rest vpon my kindnesse I am one of the Kings fauourites and he will deny me nothing I will goe to the court and before the day of execution I will surely bring thy pardon sealed This is he this is the friend that will make the poore man out-face all his trouble because he answereth to the point indeed Behold the case is ours we are poor condemned wretches who must to hel without our pardon our three friends are the world wife children and kindred and a good conscience The world will prouide all necessaries for our bodies but not a pardon this is not purchased with a corruptible price of siluer and gold Wife and children will lament our losse and goe sighing and sobbing to the graue with vs but they leaue vs to our owne shifts for a pardon But a good conscience will make vs outstand all dangers it will procure our peace and our pardon As the world cannot helpe where conscience hurteth so the world cannot hurt where conscience helpeth Vse Thus wee haue considered this iudging power of conscience Oh that wee had hearts to doe our office to conscience and to presse our consciences to doe their offices to and for vs neither can bee done without our care yet we must doe both We must doe our office to conscience three waies First by praying to God for it Ye know that we must pray for them that are in authoritie ouer vs and shall conscience be neglected God forbid When there was no King in Israel ye know what disorders happened surely lesse or fewer doe not happen where conscience is not in full power Miserable is the condition of the inhabitants of Brasile Sine fide Sine lege Sine rege who are said to bee without religion without law without a King and they are no lesse wretched who are without this religious Iudge and gouernour conscience Therefore let vs pray for it that God would giue it that God would keepe it and keepe it tender that so wee may liue a quiet and comfortable life vnder it Secondly wee must doe our dutie to conscience by giuing it good words Yee know the Word of God Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people Oh that we could alwaies remember it in the case of conscience hee that buies with conscience sells with conscience rules with conscience obeies with conscience is commended euen of men that haue no conscience yet if conscience rule in any in the seruing of God and make them tremble at Gods precepts promises or threatnings and the like hee is but
it to wit when what one Iustice sets vp another pulleth downe and what one pulleth downe another setteth vp so is it with these cursed disorders within from that iarre betwixt Reason Will Affections and Desires that is found in vs. Thirdly selfe-loue For as in the Common-wealth many persons of vile conditions are maintained or some profit which is reaped from them and many houses of notorious disorder are vpheld as if they were the very life-bloud of societies wherein we liue for the greatnesse of that rent which they may bring vnto vs so is there much disorder in our inward iudiciall proceedings because wee loue our selues too well All our Logicke is too little to conclude for our selues and all our reason imployed to bring sackes to our owne mills for the time by profits pleasures honours and the like and for after times let come what can come we care not Fourthly skilfulnesse in subtill euasions for as it is in the Common-wealth because almost no bond lease conueyance or will is so sure but a cunning head can finde a hole to make worke for vncharitable persons and because no cause is so good but an innocent man who is confident in his cause and carelesse in the meanes to cleare it may by subtiltie be ouerthrowne therefore there are many disorders in Courts of outward Iustice so because there are infinite subtilties to daube ouer the conscience for a time there are many disorders in the inward court of our hearts Religion did neuer thriue worse than when the Schoole-men had perplexed euery part with varietie of questions and multitudes of quaeres whereby Religion was drawne from the heart to the head and the kinde worke of conscience neuer went on lesse to our comfort than since we healed the hurt of it with sweet words and stopped vp the mouth of it with politicke euasions Vse These and all other causes of this fault of corrupt reasonings in our selues must be rooted out what though we can please our selues for a time in the want of the loue of God discord in our selues selfe-loue and cunning trickes which are the cause of it yet one day neither all these any of these nor any others shall order our consciences from roaring the truth in our eares In the Proâ—ince of Cottie in Scotland We reade of a stone in Scotland about thirteene foot in height which if we may beleeue it wil so dampe the roaring of a Cannon that if it be shot off on the one side the report cannot be heard on the other But we shall finde no such defence from the cries of conscience when before the iudgement seat of God the secrets of our vnderstandings memories wills affection Rom. 2.16 and bodies yea all secrets shall be iudged by Iesus Christ according to the Gospell Oh therfore ye that are witnesses to propound the truth looke vnto conscience speake the whole truth and nothing but the truth for conscience sake Let not malice ill will priuate gaine make you to offend conscience for a world Yee that are the Iurie to apply this truâ—h according to law take heed that yee incline not to the looke to the word to the profit to the pleasure of any man whatsoeuer what or who can doe you good when your consciences are wounded when yee are called to an account for the breach of the peace of your consciences Then surely as Seneca when he came to his Farme and saw the house which he had builded decayed a tree which he had planted rotten a Boy which hee had brought vp with gray haires Quocunque oculâ—â— conuertoâ— deo documentance aetatis said whithersoeuer I looke I behold the monitors of my age so yee shall see on euery side the remembrancers of your woe Your honours the Iudges watch ouer the peace of your consciences in your conclusions Ye may often reade and thinke of that Iudge whom your Fortescue mentioneth Saepius ipse mihi fassâ—es est quâ—d nunquam in 〈◊〉 iâ— animum cius de hoc sacto â—pâ—purgaâ—et who hauing condemned a Gentlewoman to death for the murther of her husband vpon the bare accusation of her man which was afterwards found false Often confessed vnto him that hee should neuer during his life be able to purge or cleare his conscience of that fact And to conclude that conscience may be the better furthered in all others we that are men of God men of conscience looke we to conscience Haue we another way to heauen than we teach others that we should teach them to keepe a good conscience and neglect it our selues In the feare of God please we our consciences and not our passions or the lusts of your youth and as Seneca willed Lucilius to doe all things as if graue Cato were present so let vs doe all things as if our consciences looked vpon vs yea as Hierome whether he did eat or drinke or walke and so forth he thought he heard that fearefull voice Arise ye dead and come to iudgement so let vs heare the voice of conscience We presse our people to walke in the presence of their consciences at the least once a day but for vs as at the bankes of Euboia the sea doth ebbe and flow seuen times a day so let vs doe it seuen times a day also Oh how would this as the Prophet speaketh make vs Priests after Gods owne heart How would it kill pride passion contention selfe-loue couetousnesse and the like which make vs many times lesse profitable to Gods people yea and to account them which haue many graces the scum of our assemblies Is not this to be iudges of euill reasonings Well let all of vs thinke how this power of conscience abused will pay vs home at the last Call to minde the example of Iames Abbes the Martyr Fox Acts and Monuments who being drawne by craftie reasonings to fall from the Gospell was pitiously vexed in conscience and could haue no rest till he went and told the Bâ—shop that it repented him that euer he had consented to their wicked perswasions Remember Thomas Whittle who being constrained through imprisonment to yeeld to the Bishop of London afterwards felt such a hel in his conscience that he could scarcely refrain from destroying himselfe and could be at no rest till he was vnder the crosse againe Forget not also that which we reade of Archbishop Cranmer who writing for feare of death contrarie to truth was more troubled in conscience for it than for all that euer he did and therefore because his hand writ contrary to his heart he would burne that first The like wee reade also of William Sparrow who after submission to Popish Idolatrie went with a troubled soule and could not be quiet till hee had preached against it and professed that if euery haire of his head were a man he would burne them all rather than goe from the truth againe Let vs alwaies haue fresh in our memories these and the like examples
in dressing What euer they be the defects are mine what euer it be the good is Gods and for your with other of Gods peoples goods Let God haue your praise to whom it is due let me haue your prayers who need and craue them that I may still continue Your faithfull Shepherd wishing and striuing for your eternall good ROBERT ABBOT THE NEW MANS New Life GALAT. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God WE reade that the tombe wherewith the carkasse of proud Sennacherib was couered had this inscription Jntuens me aliquis discat essâ— piuâ— Let him that lookes vpon me learne to be godly Much more may a spirituall eye see this ingrauen vpon this golden saying of the Apostle Let no man dare looke vpon me except he resolue to be godly For the Apostle presenteth vs himselfe and all the children of God in his person vnder such an one as is dead vnto the world and sinne and liueth not the life of nature but of grace and godlinesse Neither is it needlesse for vs to behold such draughts in these dayes we being not onely cast asleepe through our securitie but dead in sinnes and trespâ—sses and buried vnder the clots of this world to the wofull miserie of our soules and the dishonour of our Maker How needfull therefore is it for vs to vse all meanes for a ioyfull resurrection and amongst the rest deeply to consider this speaking patterne of Paul in these words which in the naturall language of them doe make some such out-cry as this Lift vp your heads yee gates and be yee lift vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in and dwell in your hearts by faith To which that we may haue the more hearing eares and from which that by the blessing of God wee may reape the more comfort let vs with humble hearts carry along with vs the context sense and seuerall obseruations setled by application vpon our soules Context As for the context and coherence with the words foregoing conceiue it thus The Apostle being to dispute against the Galatians Galat. 1.6 who had made a defection from the doctrine of the Gospell to iustification by works doth plainly set downe this proposition That we are not iustified by the works of the Law Galat. 2.16 but by the faith of Iesus Christ Which being proued by a reason drawne from the feeling iudgement and conscience of the best Iewes in these words we know as also as it is thought by this testimonie Psal 143.2 that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be iustified in Gods sight he fore-seeing that this doctrine of free iustification without our works might by false Apostles be charged with carnall libertie doth propound an obiection to that purpose Is Christ the minister of sinne and doth with a secret detestation answer it God forbid As if he should say Farre be it from the doctrine of the Gospell to giue libertie vnto sinne for as I will at no hand build againe iustification by workes which I haue destroyed because I can finde no comfort in the Law I being dead vnto it and it driuing mee to Christ so I doe know that Christ is not onely my price but my purger that Christ doth not onely say Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee but sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee For I account my selfe crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God Thus I haue brought you vnto the Text. Sense In the consideration whereof I would next intreat you to stay a while vpon the meaning of the words lest the hard and difficult phrases thereof like Asahels body 2 Sam. 2.23 doe hinder the passing of the people by The hard phrases are fiue The first is when he saith I am crucified with Christ for how can this be true when hee was not conuerted to Christianitie before Christs ascension was past For the opening of this you must know that thâ—re is a double crucifying spoken of in the Scriptures The first is Actuall and so according to a double custome it may signifie two things for according to the custome of the Iewes it is to be stoned to death Alsted in Theol. Catech. and aâ—terwards with cords to be bound vnto a crosse and to be set vp as vpon a gibbet for a terrifying example to the like offendors but thus neither Paul nor Christ was crucified Ioh. 18.31 for it was nor lawfull for the Iewes at that time to put any man to death But according to the custome of the Gentiles it is to bee racked and fastned to a crosse with nailes driuen through the hands and feet of a liuing man and so to continue vnto death Thus Christ was crucified but not Paul or we The second is a virtuall crucifying and thus the children of God are said to bee crucified with Christ when they by vertue of that communion and fellowship which they haue with him in his sufferings and death as the members of him their head doe behaue themselues as those that are dead to their corruptions and finde no sauour in the courses of sinne and vanities of this world but spend all their liuelihood in denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing vnto God And of this crucifying doth the Apostle speake in this place The second phrase or manner of speech is in these words I liue I liue not How can both these bee true I answer they may both be true in diuers respects I liue the life of grace and godlinesse I liue not the life of sinne and corrupted nature As if hee should say It is true indeed I haue the same naturall organs or instruments the same head tongue hands and feete but as there is great difference betweene a well-tuned Cymball and a loud Cymball so is there betweene all my parts when they doe receiue actiuitie from God and from nature As the gracious life is a death in respect of the glorious life which is the cause that that life which wee shall haue in glory is for excellencie sake called Life so the naturall life is no better than a death in respect of the life of grace The third phrase is in these words Christ liueth in me that is Christ is my life If you aske me how that can be I answer that it is by vertue of that communion and fellowship which we haue with him For as wee haue a naturall fellowship with him by his assuming and sanctifying our natures and becomming flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and as we haue a sacramentall fellowship with him when in the Sacrament Christ is exhibited and giuen to the faithfull receiuer as he
God The third ground whereto the doctrine of this Text is referred is this that True Religion is a mercifull Religion It maketh vs saith Iames here to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersities Religion is as it were an order and seruice after Gods owne heart who is a God of loue and mercie When God promiseth to giue his people Priests who should pitie them and haue a mercifull care of them he calleth them Priests after his owne heart that is Ierem. who shall be mercifull as he is mercifull Religion therefore being an issue of Gods will and nature it must needs sauour of mercie and compassion Againe the fruits of Religion are Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Galath 5.22 Goodnesse which all are either mother daughter members or companions of that which wee call Mercie And how can Religion be other which is the exercise of a mother The Church is called the Mother of vs all and we know Galath 4. from that ancient iudgement of Salomon that shee who had most affection to the childe was the true mother that the exercise of a mother is mercie Now from this ground I would inforce two things Vse 1 First that euery one of vs must striue to be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull This is that which will assure vs that we are truly religious No mercie no religion God is immediatly mercifull to vs himselfe when he sends his Spirit into our hearts to teach vs correct and comfort vs according to our necessities and hee maketh all the creatures of heauen and earth to be liberall vnto vs and helpfull in some kinde or other and all to this end that we being knit vnto him by true religion may be prouoked to be mercifull also yea we must be so euen vnto the enemies of religion We see many times that no ciuill cause maketh a more seuere and cruel warre than Religion doth When the Reubenites Gadites and Manassites had set vp an Altar by Iordan their brethren thinking that it had beene to separate religion presently mustered their forces against them The Iewes and Samaritanes being of diuers religions euen Peter could smell of this naturall crueltie saying Master call for fire from heauen to consume the Samaritanes but Christ crushed it saying Yee know not of what Spirit you are Yea saith Christ speaking of them who shall take his Disciples to taske for religion sake They shall excommunicate you and kill you and in so doing they shall thinke that they doe God good seruice But we must striue against this crueltie and exercise mercie as the proper fruit of religion If we shall beleeue the declamations of the Iesuits they will tell vs that yet wee are not mercifull and therefore they crie out against our crueltie exercised vpon the Pope-holy Catholikes in tearing chopping and burning of them together with the making of their members a prey to the fowles of heauen and the like Is this mercie say they No surely as it is barely looked vpon without searching into the cause Yet when wee doe see many knowne Papists in the Land and none capitally punished but Traitors and when we doe see that such are punished no otherwise than traytours were punished when Popery vsurped vpon vs and when withall we doe consider that we haue no law to put any Papist to death for his conscience sake or if wee haue a law in that ancient Statute of their owne concerning the burning of Heretikes by vertue whereof they consumed vs that yet none of their bodies euer felt those flames when we doe see I say and consider these things we do reioice in our religion finding mercie in it and doe encourage our selues to goe on still both to proceed mildly against them to pitie and to pray for them and by walking holily before them to trie if yet God will haue mercie on them and bring them to know the Truth Vse 2 Secondly Wee learne also from the former ground that wee haue iust cause to suspect that the religion of the Church of Rome is not the true Religion We know that Rome is spirituall Aegypt Apoc. 11. and that shee letteth the corpses of the Saints lie dead in the streets We see that her instruments are fire and sword and that her meanes are power and policie by hooke and crooke as we say Euery time the fifth of Nouember returneth it calleth to our minde enough of this kinde if we could forget the Popes practises against the Emperours We know that their partie would haue destroyed our whole State euen the breath of our nostrils and creame of our Land at one blow Wee see also so farre as their close policie will giue vs leaue the crueltie of their Inquisitions They aske vs where is our religion saue in little nookes and corners of the world We answer that they might soone see if they would for it would burst out as the noone day in the midst of their darkest darknesse if their Holy-houses as they wrongfully call them did not deuoure the professors of it so soone as euer they looke out We see also how many men women young men and maids were by the cursed Idoll of the Masse brought to their buriall in their owne ashes They dare not for their liues lay this their crueltie aside lest liuing so like open and innocent Doues as we doe in respect of their Iesuited Papists they should soone bring their multitudes into a bunch or two after the Vintage or a gleaning after the haruest As therefore Iaacob said of Simeon and Leui Gen. 49.6 7. in whose habitations were the instruments of crueltie so let vs say to Popery Into their secret let not my soule come my glory be not thou ioyned with their assembly Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell Ob. It may bee you will say Are they not full of workes of mercy in respect of vs Sol. It is true indeed that they are full in shew yet consider with me three things First If wee should neuer so much abound in them if we should exhaust our goods estates lands and liuings yet it would be nothing in their eyes They account them but morall and not religious workes euen such as Heathens doe worke and all because we are not Papists No maruell therefore though they cannot see what good we doe See Doctor Will. Cat. of good W. in the end of his Synop Heb. 6.10 Secondly Blessed be God there are thousands amongst vs of whom according to their abilities we may say as the Apostle to the Hebrewes God is not vnrighteous that hee should forget their worke and labour of loue which they haue shewed toward his name in that they haue ministred to the Saints and yet minister There are many I say whose bowels of mercy doe carry them to counsell the giddy Consule castâ—ga solare remitte fâ—r ora correct the obstinate forgiue the penitent comfort the wounded