Learning necessarily but for the Avoiding A Diviner there must not be He that foretels pretends he foreknowes which in man in respect of humane affaires is not a worke of Art but of Inspiration To foreknow Mans purpose or lot is God's prerogative The Heavenly Lights cannot impart this knowledge though this knowledge has been sometime imparted by a more Heavenly light Yet with pretended Prophets did the Heathen consult seeking by a greater evill to be delivered from a lesse The ceremonie of the Lye which was the Art of the Art was sometimes varied in the posture as by lying on the ground as if Humilitie or rather Hell should give them instruction sometimes in the Instrument as in performing it with Sand with Stones with Iron with a staffe which the Deceiver carried in his hand and leaned on My people saies the Lord Hos 4.12 aske councell at their stockes and their staffe declares unto them The staffe was at hand but not the Helpe that was without sense They without Reason that prostituted their reason not to sense but below it An Observer of Times there must not be The Diviner was carryed as the Pride of his thought carry'd him to believe by inward motion moving as he phansied he was moved by the first Mover But the Soothsaier as a lower Artist proceeded by observation of the Creature This was a slanderer of Heaven by counting some daies Luckie some Unluckie by an opinion which he confuted by his own birthday in which his own distinction was confounded being unluckie to himselfe that was borne to be such a foole as to embrace such folly but luckie to others that by his folly escape folly An Inchanter there must not be an Observer of Fortunes as some say by Luckie or Unluckie signes as the falling of the salt almost as sure a signe that it selfe was spoiled as that the Fortune-tellers wit was spoiled Such also was a Hare crossing one in his way ill lucke undoubtedly that he was not then rather a hunting than a travailing yet good lucke enough if he lost not his patience as well as the Game A Witch there must not be and so neither a Jugler say the Hebrew Masters this was to be beaten the other ston'd the one abused God the other Men but no Art could make them invisible enough to scape the stones or the scourge A Charmer there must not be one that uses strange words over a Serpent that it may not hurt a man whiles the foole by his strange words becomes a worse Serpent to himselfe nor one that whispers over a wound as if he would by silence hide his pretence nor one that reads a verse out of the Bible or layes the Bible upon a Child that it may sleep Surely God's Word should rather awake men than cast them into a sleep and being intended to produce faith must needs affect the Hearing Besides Gods Word is not Physique for the Body unlesse remotely by instructing to Temperance But indeed Life it is as Solomon saies Prov. 3. unto the Soule And shall man intend to doe more or otherwise with God's Word than God intends or by abuse of God's Word make God's Word Mans Word A Consulter with familiar spirits there must not be such Spirits were by divine permission and judgement so familiar that they possess'd the Consulter and spake out of his Belly as from a bottle with a Jow voice he whisper'd as out of the dust as God speakes by Isaiah chap. 29.4 A horrible possession when as the Consulter became a Hell and yet though he was one he could not scape another Such a confident Artist wav'd a Mirtle rod in his hand til he heard one answer him with a low voice The Ceremony was the Deceit The Myrtle is of admirable use for the cure of the body particularly for the clearing of the sight yet such was here the impudence of Sathan that by this pretence he would blind the spirituall sight so blind it that it should not be serviceable to preserve either Soule or Body This was Saul's sinne for which God kill'd him I Chron. 10.13 and for which God has threatned to cut off all such as inquire of such and happy is he that by being threatned is but threatned A Wizard there must not be or Cunning man such did use senselesse and impious Ceremonies as to put the bone of a certaine bird in their mouth and burning incense fell down and pretended to foretell what should come to passe as if either a bird that wanted reason or a bone that wanted life could doe more than man that had Life and Reason and instruct the mouth to tel as much as God only can tell and to foretell more than God will tell What Incense can sweeten such stench of Impiety What falling down can save them from falling into the bottomelesse Pit These undertake to foresee things to come and yet foresee not their own destruction This is the cunning of a Cunning Man but for whom the Devill is too cunning A Necromancer there must not be such slept by a Grave that in their dreame the Dead might teach them what they demanded of him Better it had been they had slept in their graves but though alive they slept worse in sinne Their hope of instruction was but of instruction in a dreame and that instruction but from the Dead Knowledge implies Reason which in sleep is Disabled by Death Destroyed The Grave might have been a better instructer than the Dead Yet even such sinnes the old world had and by such sinnes the new world is still old God's people were then bid to turne from those that would turne them from God they were bid to turne and hearken to the Prophet whom God then promised to send Deut. 18.15 even our Saviour Christ and a woe is threatned to them that shall not harken to him Christ is life Christ is wisedome the Wisedome of the Father O let us not then so mistake our selves as to mistake wisedome so mistake our selves as to mistake our Father our Heavenly Father Would drunkennesse then defile us Let the shame of it save us from the shame of it Would lust defile us Let the body by the danger of that Corruption be the Guardian and so the safety of the Body and Soule Would Idolatry defile us Let Reason tell us we cannot make a God as Religion tells us we must worship God Would Witchcraft defile us Let the madnesse of our sinne preserve us in our Wits and Innocence preserve us from such a sinne as is both the Guilt and the Punishment a sinne and a Hell And let the sight of Heaven into which nothing that is uncleane shall enter preserve us by Hope and Indeavour from Uncleanesse that at the last being wash'd from all uncleanesse by the blood of our Saviour who ascended into Heaven we as a part of his Church purified by his blessed Spirit may be preserved holy and undefiled unto God the Father To
them p. 249. del ap 250. l. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 252. l. 23. frequently p. 253. l. 21 Beginning l. 28 Civil p. 154. l. 10. Hypocrisie p. 154. l 19. such p. 255. l. 6 anciently l. 27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 258. l. 19. in the l. 28. too grievous to p. 259. l. 9. 10. Maran-athap 264. l. del to OF Searching the Conscience AND OF The Last Judgement A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. 1 Cor. 11.31 32. If we would judge our-selves we shonld not be judg'd But when we are judg'd we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world NOTHING is more contrary to the nature of a man then to Judge himselfe and there is nothing more agreeable to the nature of a Christian then to Judge himselfe The Apostle therefore in this place teaches us how to correct the stubbornesse of nature by the Discipline of Christianity and to prevent punishment by punishment He proposes here two Judgements the judgment of man and the judgment of God which two can never stand together If man does judge God does not judge If God does judge man did not judge But that man might judge and so prevent God's judgement God has in mercy given unto man the power to judge himselfe the power of Conscience That therefore we might understand both our own power to judge our danger in the neglect of it we may first speake of our own judgement or judging our selves and afterwards of God's Judgment That we may judge our selves God has indued us with power of Conscience which is that practicall judgement of reason whereby man knows what he ought to doe or avoid which God has so implanted in man's nature that we may truely say it is an immortall gift in a mortall creature since this accompanies him both in this world and in the world to come And this judgment God has left in man so intire that it leaves man without all excuse as S. Chrysostome sayes it proves man to be created after the image of God whiles he still retaines this evident and invincible truth of judgement in despite of his will to condemne his will in all unlawfull acts From whence it was no doubt that even the Philosophers as Theophil Antiochenus tells us against the calumniators of the Christian Religion did account Conscience amongst their Gods And it was an excellent speech of the old Stoique Epictetus who said that whē we are Children our Parents deliver us to Schoolemasters that we may doe no evil afterwards for the same purpose God delivers us to Conscience This indeed is the Law written in our hearts as the Apostle speakes Rom. 2.15 Now our Conscience being given to us thus intire we must especially labour to preserve it so which is by a perpetuall Examination of it Which Examination is Commanded by the Prophet David Ps 4.4 Commune with your own heart upon your bed Qui in occulto lapsus est erubescat saies S. Ambrose occasionally expounding those words He that has sinned in secret let him blush for shame because he has sinned in the presence of his own Conscience which perpetually beholds him This was that which made the same Prophet crie out againe Ps 5.3 I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me and my sinne is ever before me See says S. Chrysostome O see this royall Prophet at his Confession he still sees his Adultery and Murder he sees his sinne yet God had forgiven his sinne He still sees his sinne but God did not see it nay God did not see it because David did see it If we write our sinnes against our selves God will straight blot them out if we forget them God remembers them This made the holy Prophet even the third time crie out Ps 77.5 6. I have considered the dayes of old the yeares of ancient times I call to remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search If a man says S. Austin should with just reason take the paines to search for a mine of gold it would be judg'd an action of wisdome but saies he Quanta homo habet intu non fodit O what strange things has man within him yet searches not for them But he should search for them for all the secret sinnes of his soule He should search for them saies Athanasius till-no more could be found and then he should persevere to search that no more might be found We should continually judge our selves as the Apostle saies that is we should continually search and examine our selves as both S. Gregory and S. Bernard expound it And this examination must be Daily yea and Nightly we must saies devout Ephrem judge at evening of our day and at morning of our night of our night we must judge of the holinesse of it by our preservation from unholinesse And we must doe it with exact severity Smite thy soul saies S. Chrysostome smite it it will never be in danger of death by the stroke nay it will escape death by the stroke It is written Iudgment is before the Lord therefore trust thou in him Iob. 35.14 He is judg'd before the Lord says S. Gregory who in his life time judges himselfe but he that stayes 'till the end of his life non jam coram illo sed ab illo judicatur He is not judg'd before the Lord but by him But a just man prevents God's judgment as S. Chrysostome observes in holy Iob who did continually offer Sacrifice for the sins of his children for their uncertaine sins their sinnes that he knew not How much more carefull was he no doubt to prevent God's judgement for his own sinnes The thoughts of the righteous are right saies Solomon Prov. 12.5 where the Latine Translation has it Cogitationes justerum judicia the thoughts of the righteous are judgements severe and happy judgements passed upon himselfe S. Bernard therefore injoynes a part of every day to be set aside for this examination besides all other spirituall exercises The very Heathen were excellent in this examination S. Ierom telling us that the Pythagoreans had an especiall care and estimation of two seasons of the day the morning and evening that is says he of those things which we have to do and of things which we have done Sencea also l. 3. de Irâ c. 36. reports his own practice how that every night being gone to bed when the light was removed and his wife who knew his custome silenc'd her selfe to leave him to the silence of the night he examined himselfe and his whole day and triumphs with himselfe in the peace of his sleep after such meditation whereby his minde as he says was alwayes either praised or admonished Now we shall the more effectually make this examination if we will resolve as S. Chrysostome counsails us every month to conquer a
sinne in our selves For thus says he we shall by degrees ascend unto heaven as by Iacob's ladder not by visible steps but by the secret increase of vertues Let us still remember the noble examples proposed in Scripture If lust tempts thee call to mind the holy Ioseph and if it sets furiously upon thee breake violently from it and cry out unto thy selfe soul remember Ioseph and if againe it returnes cry out againe soule remember Ioseph and he was proposed to be remembred If thou art tempted to distrust in God being ready to be swallowed up by thy enemies and despaire remember David and if feare does yet assaile thee cry confidently unto thy selfe soule remember David Let us take Cassianus his advice let us first fight couragiously against our greatest sinnes and the rest will be over come with an easy victory Let us take also that excellent counsaile of S. Basil let us compare the present day with the former day so to understand exactly our own proficiency As the merchant uses his bookes of account saies S. Chrysostome Let us consider what speech we have spent upon disgraces of other men what upon foolish jests what upon uncleanesse how we have imployed our hands our feet our eyes And let us know it is as absurd to think our soules can be kept clean without such searching as to think our garments cab be kept cleane without brushing our houses without sweeping our gardens without dressing◠or to expect comlinesse and order in a City without the eye of a Magistrate to discrie offenders yet for all our searching we must not think we shall be free from all sinne we cannot kill it but we must suppresse it Whether thou wilt or no the Jebusite will dwell within thy borders Iudg. 1.21 conquered he may be cast out he cannot be Wherefore let every one examine himselfe and then think he has profited says S. Bernard not when he finds nothing which may be reprehended but when he reprehends somewhat which he finds Then hast thou search'd thy selfe not in vaine when thou findest that againe thou hast need of Searching And if thou dost it always when thou hast need thou dost it always But this examination must be serious it must be solemne we must goe into the presence of God with all Humiliation examining our selves in his presence by his Commandements which will shew unto us all the kinds of our sinnes as our memory must recall unto us the greatest acts of our sins And then no doubt but our examination will break forth into Confession and we shall crie out with the Leaper Vnclean Vnclean Levit. 13.45 Then let us immitate the good Hezekiah 2 Kin. 19.14 So let us acknowledge before him all our sins beseech him as our mercifull Physitian to deliver us from them Then will this mournfull confession not goe alone It will be attended with a Resolution to forsake even our most dearly beloved sinnes it will make us pray against our own heart against our naturall heart but not against our regenerate heart It will make us pray more against the uncleannesse of our sinne then the punishment which is the true marke of true repentance Lastly this Resolution will at last proceed unto Execution and will make us punish our selves with holy Exercises which are punishments to a sinner as they are delights to a repentant sinner It will make us resigne up all our Affections unto God that we may be a living and acceptable sacrifice unto him Now because man has but three things to offer unto God his Soule his Body and his Goods this will make him offer up his Soule by Prayer his Body by Fasting and his Goods by Almes And since our Offering must be free from all uncleanesse which is our sinne this will make us put away all our sinnes which being principally reduced unto three by S. Iohn 1 Ep. 2.16 unto the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of life that is unto Lust Covetuousnesse and Pride we shall put away these three by the three foresaid vertues we shall put away lust by Fasting Covetuousnesse by Almes and Pride by Prayer by the humility of prayer And when by prayer we shall have obtained Perseverance in Prayer in Almes in Fasting then may we with truth to our own soules say we have judged our selves and with triumph to our own soules say we shall not be judged we shall not be judged This is the benefit of the judgement of Man but now behold if man's judgement prevent it not behold the horrour of the judgment of God And this we must also seriously behold it being a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God But if we would judge our selves we should not be judged we should not be judg'd The Iudgements of God are by the Apostle distinguished into chastizements and the Condemnation with the world with that World the world of the perseveringly unrepentant for which our Saviour prayes not Chastizements may be inflicted were inflicted even in the Apostle's time on some loose Christians which by an impure accesse to the Lord's Table not discerning the Lod's Body were sometimes punished with disease and sometimes with death Yet even in those chastizements in those judgements there might be secret mercy and even in death not the despaire of a future life punishment here being usually inflicted that we may judge our selves and escape punishment And if we judge our selves though here we may suffer the judgment of Correction we shall be sure to escape the horrour of the last judgmēt the judgment of Confusion which God has made so dreadfull that by the feare of Hell he might bring us to the feare of God by the Feare of God he might bring us to the Love of God and that lastly by Hell he might bring us to Heaven That therefore we may be mindfull to judge our selves we must be mindfull of God's Last judgment in which is wonder enough for the most prophane and for the most Curious A judgment which does exceed all Persecutions Warre Pestilence Earthquake Famine not only by Horrour but by Eternity And if we consider it we shall find it Dreadfull in all respects dreadfull for the Secrecy for the Suddenesse for the Preparation for the Session itselfe for the Execution Dreadfull for the Secrecy which is so wonderfull that the day and houre of that judgment is not knowne to Christ himselfe who shall be Judge in that day It is not knowne to the Sonne of man Some goe yet higher It is not knowne unto the Sonne of God It is not knowne unto him as he is God the Sonne that is according to his owne personality but only according to his Nature by which the Father and the Sonne are one S. Austin speakes more breifly Pater scit ideo hoc dixit quia in patre filius scit Thus only by his divine nature our Saviour knows it in his humane nature It is the
rugibus were more wit than truth since the Name of the place was more ancient than the Abuse In which place was Molech the Idol of the Ammonites of stature High for Substance of Brasse for Contrivance Hollow and by some held to be the same with Saturne It was of a stately size the Head whereof was like the Head of a Calfe but the Body like the body of a Man whose armes were spread open as ready to receive the children that were offered in Sacrifice to him fire being for that purpose put into the hollow of the Idol unto which the children being compell'd to goe fell into a fire To this Idol belong'd seven roomes for the severall kinds of Offerings that were brought unto him the seventh whereof was for the Children which as some think only passed between two fires by way of ceremonie to testifie their conservation and so there future service unto Molech But others take the Phrase to passe between two fires to signifie they were burn'd Indeed for what purpose els had a certaine place in the vally been called Tophet mentioned in Isaiah ch 30.33 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a drum but because as it is related they beat drummes to out-noise the cryings of the Children whiles sacrificed that so the Parents might not be terrifyed For this was a free Sacrifice and therefore as they believed not to be disgraced with unwillingnesse And as for the custome of passing between two fires it may yet be admitted as a ceremony without the burning in use also among the Heathen so that both are taken for truth but the Burning is here intended With this impiety though thus cruell were yet even Ahaz and Manasses Kings of God's People defiled deserving to feele a worse Gehenna that made others feele This Devillish was his worship yet conceiv'd to have been the wretched Imitation of holy worshippers even Abraham and Isaac Sathan's Art and Malice making Cruelty be esteemed Devotion the Heathen neighbours of Israel as appeares Numb 14.14 being unacquainted with the affaires of Israel But as Molech signifies a Prince and the Devil is by permission Prince of the Aire so is he but for a time permitted Bad Kings there were and a good King there was even good Iosias who destroyed the graven Image of the Grove which Manasses had placed in the house of the Lord 2 Kings 21.7 and burn'd it and stamp'd it to powder ch 33.6 and brake in pieces the Images and cut down the Groves and filled their places with the bones of men v. 14. And in this Vallie of Hinnom as it is in Ieremie chap. 7. did that Prophet break the earthen Vessell telling the Iewes that God would for their iniquity so breake that City and make it as Tophet Iere. 19.11 12. This was Gehenna the Gehenna of Fire whence S. Ierom would inferre that there is also a Gehenna of Cold. But though it be true that in Hell there shall be gnashing of teeth which we may conceive may be from the extremity of Cold yet since in the first Gehenna there was no extremity of Cold it were an impropriety to expresse that torment though in Hell by the condition of Gehenna A Gehenna of fire then Hell is called not to implie a Distinction but a more powerfull expression Which expression S. Iames also uses ch 3.6 when he sayes that the Tongue is set on fire of Hell in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is set on fire by Gehenna the same thing expressing both the sinne of the tongue and the punishment S. Iohn calls Hell a Lake of fire burning with brimstone Apoc. 19.20 But most aptly does our Saviour here call it the fire of Gehenna for the threefold representation of the filthinesse the Burning and the outcry of the place Will ye see the difference now in the punishment of Anger In the Judgement it is by some observed that the Condemnation was uncertaine that in the Councell it was certain though the Punishment uncertaine but that in Gehenna both were certaine Will you next compare the sinnes and the Punnishments There may we with feare and wisedome observe that our Saviour tries Anger though expressed but by signes in no lesse Court than that of Three and Twenty Judges as if we should say at the Publique Assizes and so tries even the first degree of Anger without a cause in the same Court wherein the Iewes tried Murder Next we may observe that the Reproach express'd by Racha he judg'd worthy of a Nationall Judgement in the Councell but wrongfully to object to any a wicked Life he judg'd worthy to be punish'd Like a wicked Life with the fire of Hell Now all these things the Iewes understood they were more known unto them than their sinnes And shall not then the Danger of anger be as well known unto us a danger to the soule more visible than the Soule a danger to the body no lesse sure than Death Wrath kills the foolish man saies Eliphaz the Temanite Iob. 5.2 yet if any should hope That may be long in doing the wise man Eccl. 30.24 will put us out of that mistaking hope telling us that wrath shortens the Life Nay before death it presents the distortions of Death making man as unseemely as his passion in which condition the Looking-glasse may be an unfained witnesse and instruction O how it exulcerates the Mind says S. Ambrose how it dulls the sense changes the speech darkens the Eie and disturbs the whole Body Many says S. Chrysostome I have known that by Anger have got diseases many that have lost their sight Anger then must be a great disease that is the cause of diseases and must be a great grief that deprives man of the pleasure of the eie By frequent anger saies S. Austin to Nebridius the Gall increases and reciprocally by the increase of the Gall Anger againe increases Does man then Love himselfe he should then hate his passion this passion and by a lesse evill he may thus be cured of a greater and by the pollicy of Morality make a lesse enemy helpe him against a greater But if we will not be so kind to our selves we must be so just to another Can any consider how David us'd Saul yet rather imitate Saul than David shall good example make us bad shall we not rather by kindnesse make a brother than by anger loose him Can any consider how Moses used the people and be no better than the people compared with Moses Did not they Murmure Did not he pray Were not they angry Was he angry Should they have been angry should not he have been angry Their anger was his honour his patience was their shame Though then we cannot be like Moses let us not be like the people Let us not be so bad as the people to Moses let us not be worse then the People to one another Can any consider how Ioseph used his brethren and use his brother worse who is not worse than
shall the serpent have such subtill teeth and shall ours be set on edge only to our own overthrow shall his Hornes as some kind of serpent has be so subtill to get a prey and shall our strength want subtilty to save us from being made a prey shall his wings for some kind of serpent does not only creep be more speedy to doe mischiefe than our wisedome in saving us from it shall he change his skinne and renew strength and shall not we renew our Lives by changing them shall his Appetite take all advantage from his Enemie and shall ours increase our spirituall Enemies against our selves shall he drive away other serpents from him and shall we intertaine them in the Bosome imbracing Heresie and Vice to our own Destruction shall his Voice be able to master Man that had Righteousnesse by Creation and shall not we be able to master the serpent that have a double Righteousnesse of Sanctification by Christ's Grace and of Justification by his Merits Briefely skall his whole Body be so subtile as to defend his Head shall not we with all our power defend the Godhead of our Saviour against the execrable Socinian◠our holy Faith in Christ our Head And shall not the Innocency also of the Dove advantage our Innocency He loves the Light and shall we love the workes of Darknesse shall he be ready to be Oppressed and shall we be too ready to Oppresse shall he be without Gall and shall we be full of Malice Were they a sacrifice to God and shall we be lesse acceptable Were they a Resemblance of the Church nay of God and shall we have neither the likenesse of either of them nor the blessing O let us strive then to imitate the Innocency of the Dove and Exceed it Would we be Heirs of the Kingdome of God we must become as little Children they crie not for the want of Wealth nor for the losse of it they doate not on Beauty no not on their own subject they are to sicknesse yet not to malice as if they were more free from sinne then from Disease they raise not themselves to Ambition it is above the reach of the Mother's Breast Such things then let us doe by the simplicity of Grace as they doe by simplicity of Nature Let us call to mind the first Christians how the unity of their Faith produced even a Community of their Goods a rare victory of Grace upon Nature By the blessing of Love they were above the blessing of Propriety shewing the Bounty of the Gospell to excell the Thrift of Law-Let us call to mind how they improved their Enemies into friends making them by forgivenesse their Helps to Heaven Let us call to mind that their sufferings were their Conquests and Death the beginning of Life Eternall O grant us then wisedome sweet Iesu thou that art the Wisedome of the Father and grant us Innocency O blessed Spirit that did'st vouchsafe to appeare like a Dove that we becomeing like the Dove may become like Thee that by descending to us Here we may Hereafter by the wings of the true Dove Innocency and Miracle Ascend to Thee the Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom be ascribed Mercy and Wisedome and Holinesse for evermore FINIS OF BAPTISME A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Galat. 3.27 As many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ THAT Likenesse which we may see produced by Inferiour Causes in their Effects is but an Imitation of the supreame Cause God Himselfe who is so naturally good that whatsoever he maks must needs beare some Image of that Goodnesse Thus when he made man he bestow'd upon him among many other two chiefe Perfections a Holinesse of Soule and a kind of Absolutensse of Body whiles a body that needed not a reference to Apparell But when man fell he fell from this double perfection and at once became sinfull and Naked So that we may say he was not as now unhappily naked when first he had no Cloaths but when first he wanted them and he stood not in need of a Covering for his Body till he stood in need of a Covering for his sinne Which when God naturally good beheld and saw the new dissimilitude between Himselfe and his Creature moov'd by his own goodnesse he intends a reparation of his Creature And since this dissimilitude to speake in part figuratively consisted in a Nakednesse of Soule and Body it pleased him to provide for both a Covering And this he did with such wisedome of Mercy that he made the Covering of his Body a figure of the Covering of his Soule and to teach our Understanding by our Sense sometimes he calls our Righteousnesse a Robe which as the Apostle here tells us every true Receiver puts on in the Sacrament of Baptisme As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Which words duely considered may instruct us in the Nature of this Sacrament and the Extent of it As man is Gods workmanship and so should be his Image so as God is pure should man be pure and therefore being defil'd by sinne he should be now purified Thus though with the Leviticall Leper he may crie uncleane uncleane yet should he also crie with the great and happy sinner wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow That indeed has a right cleanesse the purity of Snow being not only purity but also Coolenesse a figure of the pure Coolenesse of the impure heates of Lust Which purity was shadowed out unto the Iew in his frequent washings whence the greatest pretenders of Sanctity among the Jews were the greatest Washers The Pharisie was a man of a cleare Hand and Cuppe and therefore thought himselfe also of a pure lippe in which opinion though he mistook his Outside for his Inside yet he acknowledged a washing necessary Even Pilate that had his hand in blood would yet also have his hand in water and though that Blood be counted a cleanser thought Innocent blood the greatest staine and that water would at least pretend his Innocency if not procure it But alas had he understood the right Baptisme he would with S. Peters resolution have desired not only the washing of the Hand but also of the Head the whole body Now under this figure as the Iew had been taught so was the Christian to be taught To the devoutest Iew Washing was but a Figure to the Devoutest Christian it is not only a shadow of Grace but also the companion of it and therefore it was not Ceremonie but Charitie in S. Peter Act. 2. to exhort his Converts to be Baptized To understand the Name and so the better the nature of Baptisme it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly to Dippe consequently to wash Hence were the Pharisies by Iustin Martyr called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptists because of their frequent washings which S. Marke also mentioned c. 7.4
baptising was not properly by Iohn but by the power of Christ working with him The outward ministry of Iohn could apply the outward element but it was the inward ministry of Christ that applyed the Holy Ghost Besides Iohn did new baptize them with water but that time should come when the Comforter should come And it specially alludes to the wonder at Pentecost when our Saviour baptised them Not with water but only with the Holy Ghost and with fire the fiery tongues But why then did S. Paul Act. 19.4 5. baptize those disciples that were said to have been baptized into Iohn's Baptisme Many are the Answers S. Ambrose his may satisfie Those converts thought they had been rightly baptised but so it was not they had not heard of the Holy Ghost Besides it is said that they were Now baptized in the name of Iesus implying that they were not so before so that in truth and effect they were not baptized before To be baptized then Into Christ what is it Is it not a Profession of his Doctrine and a promise of an Imitation of his Holinesse It is but more than a promise it is it is an Imitation of his Holinesse in a Conformity of Life with Christ It is to be baptized into the Death of Christ as S. Paul speakes Rom. 6. 3 4. that as our Saviour was raised to a new life so we to a newnesse of life We are by his death made partakers of the merits of his death To be baptised then into Christ is to be Sanctified to put on Christ so by an inward baptisme whiles we are covered with his Garment we shall also become a part of his Mystical Body Which sanctified estate some thinking to be attained only by baptisme even outward baptisme would bring in an Absolute and Indispensable necessity of it unto Salvation This perswasion occationed that custome with some even in the primitive times to baptize men after they were dead if they dyed without baptisme as appeares by the third Council of Carthage Can. 6. by which it was forbidden This occasioned also almost a like custome among the Marcionites who as Tertullian relates it in case that one dyed without baptisme some alive was baptized for him The like some tell us of the Iewes that if one of them dyed without expiation according to the Law Numb 19.12 Some of his kindred were purged for him But know we may and to our comfort that baptisme though so excellent and necessary in respect of God's command if it may be had is not absolutely necessary in respect of Salvation since this may be obtain'd though not ordinarily without baptisme Els should we be injurious to God himselfe and bind his mercy absolutely to outward means We should as some of more Opinion than Wisedome presumptuously and unmercifully esteem all Infants damned that die unbaptized We should pronounce the like also of all such Infants as dyed before Circumcision Which is so odious that the great Master of Theologicall Determinations Peter Lombard would in part help it by an over free conjecture thinking that in case of necessity they anciently circumcised the Child before the eighth day But this defence will not defend it selfe the Masters of Jewish rites telling us that it might not be performed before that day Besides what should we say then to all those that for forty yeares dyed in the wildernesse without Circumcision or all those Infants in the primitive times that died before baptisme which as Tertullian tells us for his time was usually celebrated but at Easter and Whitsontide And though we may grant exceptions in those first times in case of Necessity yet many doubtlesse dyed without baptisme And yet this custome continued in the Church eight hundred yeares even to the time of Charles the Great as appeares by Lawes made at that time about this Rite Which has been long continued since in some degree in Rome itselfe as the pascall Ceremonies of that place imply there being in the Laterane Church Constantines Font as they call it preserv'd for the yearly baptizing at those seasons such Jews or other Unbelievers as are converted to the Christian Faith In such cases then as before mentioned more charitably it is determined as among others eminently by Aquinas that Infants then have baptismum flaminis etsi non fluminis the baptisme of the Spirit though not of water Not the want but Contempt or Neglect of the Holy ordinance hurts He that is not Circumcised shall be cut off from the people of God Gen. 17.14 It is understood of those chiefely that were of age and so in effect it was he that Will not be Circumcised Thus he that is not borne of water the holy Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God that is if he may have the water of Baptisme and will not The Thiefe upon the Crosse was not baptiz'd and yet he was Saved Nay we have no expresse testimonie that the Baptist was baptiz'd though he sayes indeed unto our Saviour that he had need to be baptised of our Saviour and yet we know the Baptist was sanctifyed in the wombe though some think that he baptiz'd himselfe for so we know that Abraham Circumcised himselfe and the Minister in the Holy Communion administers bread and wine unto Himselfe Yet as some may be sanctifyed which were never baptised so on the contrary not all that are baptized are sanctifyed Grace is not necessarily annexed to outward Baptisme Simon Magus had baptisme Act. 8.13 yet without Grace v. 21. Els we should make Simon and Judas the Iscariot Saints since Grace is an Immortall seed by which they that have it shall live for ever and as that which was once a member of a Naturall body shall at last rise againe a member of the body so who by Grace is once a member of the Mysticall body where of Christ is the Head shall at last arise a true member of the Mysticall body Grace then is not Physically annexed to baptisme the element it selfe being not capable of it that so it might impart it God only with the water at the libertie of his favour gives Grace S. Austin is cleare in the approbation of this high truth Lib. 6. contra Donatistas cap. 24. some says he put on Christ usque ad vitae sanctificationem some only usque ad Sacramenti preceptionem this says he is common to the good and evill that is proper only to the Good Some then according to his judgement put on Christ to Sanctification which only indeed is worthy of the bhrase to put on Christ Some only Sacramentally by an outward Profession which passage of S. Austin the master of the sentences not only alleadges but approves And surely S. Paul himselfe teaches us this distinction Rom. 2.29 saying that there is a Circumcision in the Letter and in the Spirit And with a like Reason may we not say there is a baptisme in the Letter and in the Spirit As certainly then as
yet not from the Israelites passing through the Wildernes to the Land of promise nor from their passing through the Red Sea but from the Angells passing over their Dores in Mercy their dores sprinkled with blood when he destroyed the Aegyptians And so will God's vengeance passe over those whom he shall find sprinkled with the mysticall blood of our Saviour imparted to us in this mercifull Sacrament Unto which come all you that would be delivered from all your sinnes past you that are at the Gates of Death and this bread of Life shall give you Life everlasting and this Wine of life shall make your hearts cheerfull with an eternall joy Come all you that would be delivered from sins to come this shall not only take away the delight in smaler sinnes but also a consent to greater Not to come at all to this heavenly food is certaine death to come but seldome or with a small appetite is a manifest sicknesse in the soule O then come frequently to this Sacrament and in time you shall say He hath fill'd the hungry with good things But come with hunger and then you may truely say you keep a good dyet and as truly say you have got that by Grace which the Physitian denyes in nature a perfect Health Come all you that would conquer all Affections and all Temptations that would lead you to such affections Come hither and you shall have peace in all your affections you shall have peace in all your Temptations You shall have that peace which the world cannot give that peace which the world cannot understand Come all you that would be one body with Christ a possibility but a miracle Christ shall not be corrupted into you that indeed is an Impossibility but you by grace shall be perfected into Christ and that is though not properly a miracle which is an outward act of power yet the happiest miracle which is an Act of Spirituall power Come all you that would by Grace be one spirit with Christ come and you shall dwell with him and he in you his Grace in you Eate Christ and thus become Christs ye shall be the Adopted Sonnes of God Heires of Eternity And that you may the rather come and raise a desire in your selves unto this bread observe the desire which was in the people their Desire of this bread Give us Indeed now you have seen the benefit you may easily think the people might well crie out unto our Saviour Give us this bread you will acknowledge their desire and excuse it nay rather commend it by imitation Yet when againe you think upon the wounder of it may you not think that our Saviour might have justly answered them as he did the mother of Zebedeus children ye know not what you ask Surely they had but a little knowledge of it Yet the wounder of the benefit may warrant their desire and condemne us if we have not the like yea a greater Desire of this heavenly food since a greater knowledge we have of this Heavenly food which we should indeed hunt after When the Prophet David says Ps 78.25 Man did eate Angels food he sent them meat to the full the word for meate is there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly venson and so a meate caught with hunting and surely with more earnestnesse should we pursue after this food with a holy appetite No marvaile then we may say if they crie out as if already they had learned the substance of prayer Evermore give us of this Bread which must be broken before it be given and therefore the distribution of the bread in the Sacrament is called the breaking of bread Act. 2.42 Yet is was the custome of the Hebrews to say they brake bread not only when they brake it with the hand but also when they cut it sōetimes when they did neither but only gave it Yet some think this phrase arose from the fashion of the Jewish Loaves which they say were usually made in the forme of Cakes broad and thinne and that so it was their custome to breake their bread Which though it might be true is yet uncertaine for some of their loaves as the Shew-bread which was set upon the table of the Lord were seaven fingers thick as the Hebrew writers teach us But in what manner soever the Jewes brake bread or in what manner soever they gave bread we know how they used the bread of life our Saviour Indeed they could not breake a bone of him and as they did not breake him so neither did they give him but we may say with the Prophet Isaiah c. 53.5 they bruised him but he gave himselfe he gave himself to be bread of life for us And thus you see this bread is a guift therefore justly requires Thanks For which cause it is call'd the Eucharist or the Thanks-giving not only to expresse our Saviour administred it with giving of thanks but also to expresse our duty of thanks which ought most justly to waite upon this Sacrament The bread saies Origen is call'd Thansgiving S. Paul calls the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cup of blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we blesse or which with blessing we consecrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with with the Jews is both to Blesse and to be Thankfull they being commonly performed together And so Justin the Martyr calls the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the food consecrated or bless'd with thanksgiving And well may they be thankfull that are the receivers of it if they but consider themselves They that would here have been receivers were Jews and may we not say that to have given this bread to Them had been to cast the Childrens bread unto dogges yet though they were bad they seem to have some desire to be good may seem somewhat good already whiles they wish'd good to one another every one wishing this bread not only for himselfe but all of them ask'd it for all collectively Give us this bread A desire that might have beseem'd them though they had understood the nature of a Communion This is indeed a Communion not only by our Union with Christ but also with one another We are all members of the same body as was aptly presigur'd in Manna which is said to have been like Coriander which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some think from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather order an armie the seeds growing in great number and order'd as aptly as an armie of men And is not this our Christian Manna or Coriander this wonderfull seed collected and ordered alwayes in a Christian armie of Communicants in the Church Militant It is a Communion also of the rich and poore and therefore in some places is usually celebrated with almes in a good Imitation of the Primitive Christians who had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their feast of Love at which they did use to feed the poore and had