faith then of a perfect 4. A good faith estabisheth it selfe by the works of the law if it bee not a working faith it is cadaver fidei but the carcasse of faith But the fourth is that which is Rom. 3.31 a signe also of the faith of the Law a signe of a naughty faith if it make voyd the Law true faith doth establish the Law first if it be a faith that doth not strengthen it selfe 2. Pet. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things yee shall never fall For if it doe not then Jam. 2.26 it is putridum cadaver a rotten carcasse Faith is an action proper to the mind and not faith That which is Rom. 10.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that a man beleeveth with his heart wee know that it belongeth to the mind and so in Deut. 6.5 wee must love God with the mind but that is not proper to the mind If it bee once in the heart it will come out and shew it selfe it speech in actions c. but to the heart yet if it come not into the heart and kindle it also from whence Prov. 4.23 come the springs of life and all the actions and opinions of a man there shall be no action and consequently no true faith If the heart be once possessed then 2 Cor. 4.13 wee shall beleeve and therefore wee must needs speake Psal 116.10 I beleeved therefore will I speake and as it is Psal 35.10 not only the tongue shall speake but all the bones i.e. every member that wee have Psal 10. All my bones shall say Lord who is like thee The physitions have a saying that judicium à corde fit per brachium the hart will give a pulse to every part by the veines but it may be sensibly perceived by the arme and by that pulse they know the disease of the heart they use a remedy for the diseases of the heart so in the Gospell it hath a present remedie so if faith be once in the heart it will spread it selfe throughout the whole man but it doth especially declare it selfe by the arme id est in the operations and working of it and this is not by little and little or seven yeares after but as it is commonly said when any beleeved in Christ cadem horâ sanatus est he was made whole the same houre This faith must appeare in life and not in death only for so every man even the wicked will crust in God in death because he 〈◊〉 not otherwise choose Esa 66.8 Who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things shall the earth be brought forth in one day or shall a nation be borne at once for as soone as Sion travailed shee brought forth her children the Prophet he wondreth at it yet that is the signe of true faith therefore nothing like to them that have not the fruits of their faith seene till they die for then they must trust in God whether they will or no not all their life they will not but at their death but then there is no remedy yet it is not said in the Scriptures that justus moritur ex side but vivit ex fide the just man dieth but the just man lives by faith his faith must live and not die I will not pray with Balaam let my soule die with the righteous I will rather pray the contrary and it is the duty of a Christian so to pray Let my soule live with the faithfull For the sixt precept of the affirmative 6. Rule our aâ—â—na coÌ„muÌ„â—â—atio fide to coÌ„municate our faith to others There is no mercy to be shewed to any of these wee are willed to entangle others with the meanes and use them to others profit as well as to our owne this sixt precept of the affirmative the Apostle Paul observeth Rom. 1.11.12 he desireth though strong in faith that he might be strengthened and comforted by their faith as on the other side the contrary is not only forbidden but a punishment also injoyned Deut. 13. If any intice thee to follow strange Gods if he be a Prophet if he be thy brother if he be a dreamer of dreames if thine owne sonne or thy daughter or thy wife or thy friend thou art commanded not to consent to him nor pitie him nor shew mercy but shalt put them all to the sword and he that is seduced his hand shall be first on the seducer And doing thus in extending thus our faith to the good of others wee shall receive the end of our faith the salvation of our soules Credâ—ndo quod non videmus videbimus quod non videmuâ—-Timor Dei the feare of God Faith never accepted with God before it come into the heart it comes thither if we stirre up the affections Cor sedes affectionum the heart is the fear of the affections When it cometh into the heart it stirreth Species affectionum in cor de nostro the severall affections of the heart 1. Pet. 1.9 and shall receive this answer with the Centurion Mat. 8.13 Vade secundum fidem tuam fiet tibi goe thy way and as thou hast beleeved so be it done unto thee this Gods answer will be to us merces fidei est visio Dei the reward of faith is the vision of God for in rebus supra naturam idem est videre habere in supernaturall things to see and enjoy is all one so wee shall have him credendo quod non videmus videbimus quod credimus by beleeving what wee see not wee shall at length see what now wee beleeve And thus of the duty of the minde Now to the worship of the heart Rom. 10.10 it is said that faith must come into the heart and the heart must beleeve els there can be no righteousnesse For there must be a mutuall affection of the mind and the heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Now the heart is the place of affections and being the place of affections wee shall know that it commeth into the heart if it stirre up the affections that are in that part to the worship of God The affections are partly such as are agreeable to our nature and such as wee wish for partly such as wee wish to be farre from us of the former kind are love hope joy c. of the other seare griefe hatred Finis usus affectionum in corde the end and use of the affections in the heart God hath ordained them both to a double use for griefe hatred feare and those that are of the two sorts are first either reines to keepe us from evill or secondly after evill committed they are our tormentors to punish us So of the other three are two
reward concerning which reward Gen. 15.1 it is an exceeding great reward or as the Fathers say upon that place merces magna nimis too great for all the obedience we can performe and such as that one of them saith that the Saints of God they repent themselves that their obedience was so strait and no more upon earth and wish that they might come hither againe to doe more good workes and performe more exact obedience The signes Signa 1. For the first part 1. for audire Hearing the signes before would be sufficient if we could once be perswaded that we doe it not ex opere operato but our practise doth so commend it and confirme it as that we thinke our bare hearing pleaseth God for after we have heard what care we have to gather and summe up our estates how is our thoughts wholly taken up with the world what griefe we have if we doe thereby by neglect our profit againe how easily we frame our selves reasons to absent us from thence it is a signe that we are not aright whereas that businesse we would leave at the call of man but if we heare with fruit and profit and doe it carefully if in particular application wee apply it and study to profit it is a true signe of right Hearing For the other i. obedire obedience as it fals out we have a very good triall of it for in the dissolutenesse of this time the onely benefit in our want of discipline is this that as there be divers punished that would annoy the civill body so those that they thinke the civill state will beare are left which should not be as the Primitive Church but then sundry would obey as to the precepts having correctivam vim rather then directivam a correcting rather then a directing power wheras now it is seene who doth it for conscience sake when God gives us a rule of obedience and the lawes inflict not any penalty for the breach of it there our obedience is free and voluntary when Gods forbidding and mans concurâ—e not if we be obedient in as great measure as if they doe concurre then it is a good signe of the truth and soundnesse of our obedience 2. The other and the best when there fals out a question wherein our nature taketh one part and the Commandement another as Gen. 22. in Abraham Nature bade him net sacrifice his sonne God commanded him to sacrifice his son then we may know to whom we are obedient if God have the victory and commanâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—come and the flesh goe downe then we know that ouâ— obedience is right on the other side if God give place the oblocutoâ— gets the victory then we know what becomes of our obedience so or the world when that and the fashion take one part and God and the Commandement the other looke what we follow there is our obedience Aug. Si Dominus sit si Domini amicus while they two walke together wee cannot know the Dogs Master but he that it followeth when they are parted is his Master 6. For the sixth rule for procuring of obedience in other the two words aedificatio scandalum edification and scandall must be it For Edification Rom. 14.19 for Scandall Rom. â—4 13 that which is lawfull is not lawfull as it is both in the first and second Epistle to Timothy except it edifie or if it be scandalous Patience But we make â—t an especiall effect of love as when love is active obedience passive patience Qui amat tâ—lerat si desistis â—â—lerare desistis amare NOw we come to Patience it may be comprehended under obedience they use to call it obedientiam crucis the obedience of the Crosse it is a fruit of love and the first of all very necessary 1. Cor. 13.4 Charitas patiens est Charity suffereâ—h â—ong the Heathen man hath a strange saying Non amo quenquam nisi offendero I love no man but whom I offend the reason is because â—eaâ—ing and forbearing is a great signe of love he that loveth will beare much but if not he loveth not so that we see patience commeth with obedâ—ence for thus it is This Telerare must necessarily have relation to evill i. malum poenae Of our nature as we are naturall it cannot be said â—ruer than that it is durum pati loath to suffer especially evill the object of it Amos 3.6 non est malum in civitate there is no evill in a City but it commeth of God Rom. 5.3 if we suffer sicknesse poverty c. in the being ridde of it we put our felicity then this may be truly said that that which is evill is never patiently borne propter se for it selfe but thus if the good we shall get by suffering be greater then the evill learning is a good thing so is ease now without labour learning cannot be attained to if any thinke that forbearing of ease is better then the want of learning and he know that the privation of ease will so affect him that he shall come to be learned he taketh paines and consequently proveth learned and so on the other side that is the judgement of the reason that saith thus I will doe this because it is good but I will doe that rather because though I be deprived of a good yet by the privation of that good I shall get a greater good so is the judgement of patience The wants and troubles in this life are lesse then the pleasing of God Gregory saith well Ardor desideriorum facit tolerantiam laborum the ardencie of desire provoketh unto labour The end of Patience For the end or applying of it to the scope it falleth into the same that obedience not glorifying God from our selves but from others Another He will have glory over the Devils by us and it is a meanes whereby God useth to quell their malice by us therefore is patience commanded Iob 2.3 See the triumph of God above the Devill in Iobs patience though Satan afflicted him with sundry plagues yet he continued and so God was glorified in his servant above the malice of the wicked adversary The necessity of it Heb. 10.36 is too plaine you must labour after patience for ye had neede of patience a reason Christ bringeth Luke 21.19 for there hee saith we cannot possesse our soules without it How thus if any crosse come upon us either it is too great for us to beare and we fall into exceeding great worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sorrow of the world worketh death and consequently that sorrow will deprive us of our soules as Ahitophell a wise man as any worldly man or else if wee have not patience we shall fall to set our selves against that party that wee thinke offered us injury in anger 1 Cor 15.26 and so wee come to hatred and then to injurious dealing and so we lose our soule Then in this respect that we
or religion upon a sudden these three at this day occupie the greatest persons of mankind and most of mankind either because they are of Auxentius his mind In hac fide natus sum in hac item moriar This faith was I borne in and in this will I die So we see sundry either to this or to the other part inclined because it was the religion of their Ancestors and of their country this they were taught and this they will keepe This religion findeth us and we find not it Or on the other side when it is not sought but because we find some griefe and crosses in some religion and because we have sustained losse by it we will be revenged of it in leaving it And the third that which we find so Soone as if we should stumble on it they goe over seas and in one or two yeares they come and have sought and found the pearle and are able to defend it this is religio repentina this is a stumbling upon religion Now adaies Revelations are but few or none we must have an ordinary time and study and ordinary meanes and according to them we must addresse our selves to find it otherwise he hath no promise Now if any man will say we have found it before we have sought because we are borne in the true religion I answer that there must neverthelesse be a triall of it 1 Thess 5.21 which answereth to seeking They that have it must either seeke it or examine it not as the Turkes which make it a matter of Death to examine it This order of seeking must be kept with the two precepts concerning the manner of seeking The Fathers make many points but we may bring them to two The first is Mat. 6.36 Quaerite primum that it must be first sought because the seeking of it will sanctifie to us all our other exercises that come after and if that be not sought first neither that shall be sanctified and it is very likely that the other shall not God is â—necreil at the first Esa 55.6 he saith that God must be sought while he is nigh and at the first he is nigh Phil. 2.21 When the question is made An quaeremus quae nostra sunt an quae Christi Jesu whether quae sursum or quae deorsum whether wee will seek our owne things or the things which are Jesus Christs whether the things which are above or the things which are below Now when it is come to this point when we give primum to things beneath while they may be found God may be neere but when they have primum God may goe away The other Deut. 4.29 a serious seeking with the whole heart with an earnest desire to find Jer. 29.13 They sought me and found me because they sought me seriously with all their heart Now the contrary to this is Esa 21.12 If you do seeke him seeke him indeed for me thinketh you seeke him as if you cared not whether you ever found him or no you do but trifle in your seeking And though our state be miserable because it must come to such a comparison as that in Prov. 2.4 Solomon noteth a seeker of wisedome when a man seeketh for wisedome as a worldly man seeketh for silver and for hidden treasures if we can come so farre let that Comparison stand Jer. 45.5 And seekest thou great things for thy selfe Opposite to this in the matter it self is the affection of those that thuâ—k religion is hereditary as thâ— opposite to seeking so to diligent seeking that of Esay a seeking not worthy its name 2. Another Joh. 20.15 When we stand weeping and desiring him with teares to grant us his truth though he grant us nothing else as Mary did when she could not see Christs body in the Sepulcher So on the other side as Jer. 45.5 when we do primum quaerere grandia seeke first great things for our selves and after Religion or as Esay calleth it a seeking and no seeking when as our seeking cannot properly be called a seeking Sauls seeking his Fathers asses and the woman in the Gospell her groat shall be with more care than ours for religion 2. The second point 1 Tim. 6.3 as we must seeke for the truth when we have it not or if we have it examine it so when we know that we have it we must acquiescere religioni rest in it Thirdly the use of religion Eph. 6.14 that it may serve us instead of a girdle to gird our loynes i. the truth must be hard applied to our reines as the girdle Regula distinguendi inter excessum defâ—ctum On the other side that which is forbidden the two extremes nimium and parum the excesse and the defect the rule distinguishing these in all that the excesse is where the negative must be set behind as if we yeeld honour cui non oportet A rule of the Schoolemen set your particula neg after it you have the excesse contra the defect quantum non oportet that argueth an excesse and the defect where the negative is set before as if we honour non quem oportet non quantum oportet they are both in Religion Cui non oportet where we honour whom we ought not and there commeth in Idolatry whether it be by honour or by office and use as August de doctr Christiana speaketh and so it is that we come in aliquod pactum into covenant with the Devils Sorcerers Charmers Starres Dreames and other inchantings all come into this if a man yeeld any of the former affections and vertues as love feare c. to the Devill or if he feare the Starres as the Genethliaci and those that quia usum non habent c. Or attribute to dreams inchantments to ligatures lots characters c. it is comprehended in this 1 Tim. 1.19 They shall make shipwracke c. Esa 41.23 God saith that none can foreshew things to come but himselfe not meaning those things that are knowne by naturall causes but where the cause is libera causa free therefore if that honour be attributed to any of these they take a peculiar office from him Deut. 18.10 11 12. there are almost all these forbidden that were reckoned up before Jer. 10.2 there is a plaine commandement that we should not ascribe to the Starres the event Esa 8.19 EZek. 21.21 there is the same thing Examples of these condemned 1 Sam. 28.8 Saul consulteth with the witch of Endor 2 King 1.3 Eliah to Ahaziah because he sent mesengers being sicke to enquire of Baal Zebub the god of Ekron if he should recover his disease Is it not because there is no God in Israel that ye go to enquire of Baal Zebub the god of Ekron And albeit true it is that in regard of the formers wisedome the truth was told As the death of Saul was shewed by the witch of Endor and Act 16.17 the Pythonisse said true that they were the servants of
Thirdly the wealth of the Church Fourthly idlenesse of the Ministers these were the causes of Images Now for the full handling of this question of Images we will see what can be further showed for them out of the Fathers and Councells Their Fathers are either true or counterfeit Truely alledged for them they have none but onely Basil and Eusebius And Basils sentence deceiveth Aquinas and the Schoole-men For where he saith that the honour due to the abstract redoundeth and is due to the patterne he goeth about to prove that Christ is equall with God as he is the Image of God and he speaketh there of this conclusion that Christ is to be worshipped with the same worship that is due to God the Father out of Heb. 1.3 where Christ is called Character substantiae patris If the Papists can shew us any such Image of Christ as Christ was of the Father we will accept of it and worship it 2. Euseb Lib. 10. Cap. 4. in his Panegyr to Paulinus that he is with us and in his Epistle to Constantia the Empresse set downe in the second Councell of Ephes the report he maketh there is only of an Image of Christ that was set up by some of the Gentiles for the miracle he wrought on the Woman of Syrophenissa Which maketh nothing for the Papists For it is absurd to say The Heathen did it therefore the Christians should doe so Their counterfeit Fathers are Athanasius Damasus Chrysostome Athanas in a certaine absurd Booke not his but going under his name concerning a Crucifixe that wrought miracles It is easie to be seen whether it is his or no. If there be any man that shall read it he will say at the reading of one of the first periods that it is farre from Athanasius nay that it is farre from a man of common sense Such another is of Damasus in his Pontificall in the life of Sylvester There is no more to be done in this case but that which is said Noveris oderis To know them is sufficient to make us hate them and never like them againe Read the Treatises themselves So may we say of Chrysostomes Liturgy as Juell noteth in it that there an Emperour is prayed for by name that lived sixe hundred yeares after Chrysostome was dead for they prayed for Alexis whereas Chrysostome lived in Arcadius his time Councells there are none for them but Concil Nicen. 2. in which were more unlearned and evill disposed men then in any that ever was For the gatherer of this Councell together was Jrene the Empresse she an Heathen borne daughter of an Emperour of Tartaria nuzzeled up in Paganisme from her birth till after matching with the Emperour Constantinus his Father was converted from her Paganisme to the Christian Religion and so consequently after his death because her sonne was too young to take upon him the Empire she tooke it in his name soone after her conversion Constantine at the first seemed not to stand against her but after when he came to any small judgement rather then hee would admit Images lost both his eyes for he was after put into prison and had his eyes pulled out Whereby we may see that she was a woman without naturall affection subject to that Rom. 1.31 and 1 Tim. 3.3 The chiefe speakers in this Councell were Tharrasius a Lay-man Bishop but of one yeare and Patriarch of Constantinople all his life before a Courtier and John Legate of the East Church of whom we need no other witnesse then him for whom he was Legate who testifieth he was a good devout man but of no great learning The like may be said of Theodosius and Constantinus These ruled the whole Councell and it may be truly said that in any one Councell there were never such a sort of simple men in respect of their gifts and more evill disposed in respect of their boldnesse and attempts presuming above their gifts There is not in all Durandus Scripture worse alleadged there are not in the Legenda more fabulous Narrations then in the second Nicene Councell There are in it such errors as they cannot defend Action 2. there is a plaine conclusion that the Angels are bodily substances Action 6. that Christ was borne the five thousand and first yeare of the World and in the third fourth sixth and seventh there is Anathema against Honorius the Pope for the Heresie of the Monothelites insomuch that they cry out the Councell is corrupted in all those places Lastly the councell is ranker on their side and saith more then they would Action 1. and 4. Non sunt duae adorationes sed una eadem adoratur prototypus idolum And Action 2. there is a worse then this Idem imaginibus honor debetur qui beatae Trinitati That is that the adorations of the Idoll and the prototype are not two but one adoration that the same honour belongs to an Image and the Trinity Now what they say on our side against Images First an heathen Elius Lampridius in vita Adriani saith that he in a good affection was content to build the Christians according to the manner of their Temples bare Temples without any Ornaments Which were after denyed by the Senate of Rome but it grew after into such contempt among the Heathen that thereof came a proverbe of them If any of the Gentiles had built them a bare Temple it was called Adriani templum And for Fathers First Ireneus 1.24 cha abhorreth them in the Gnosticks and Euchits they said they had the Images of Christ and Paul and Peter and of Pilate and that as he left them of the drawing of the skilfullest men in Jury This he disalloweth in them Secondly Clemens Alexandrinus in his Paraenesis goeth too far Nobis vetitum est omnino fallacem hanc pingendi artem exercere he is so farre from favouring Images that he will have all painting and painters taken away calling it the cheating art of painting and he alleadgeth this Commandement Thirdly Tertullian in Apologetico Nos adoramus oculis in coelum sublatis non ad imagines picturas intentis We adore with our eyes fixt on heaven not bent upon Images and Pictures Fourthly Origen Lib 4. contr Celsum Celsus nobis objicit quod non habemus altaria imagines prositemur inquit Celsus upbraids us That we want Altars and Images We professe we doe so quoth he Fifthly Arnobius Lib. 2. contr Gentes Objicis nohis imagines quid hae nisi vilissima fabrorum opera Thou objectest Images unto us what are those but the most base workes of Mechanicks Sixthly Lactantius Lib. 2. de origine erroris wholly there is nothing alleadged but you may find it there Seventhly Eusebius Lib. 10. c. 4. Epist ad Constantiam Augustam set down in the second Ephesine councell That she must now require no Image of Christ not as he is man because now his glory is much more then when he was in the Mount and yet then
strength and therefore are not feared as 2 Sam. 16.13 great malice and hatred in Shimei yet it was nothing but an handfull of dust and because he wanted might it was faine to end in words onely Whereas if hee had beene mighty his anger would more have prevayled So the want of might is many times the hinderance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mighty so in Esay 31.3 and in other places of the Scriptures it pleaseth God when he opposeth himselfe to men Aegypt is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is such strength in God that mans weaknesse is not able to match it In Hebrew there be two words given to God that comprehend the whole nature of strength first * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnoz the second * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cayl The first is that we call Robur internall strength the other externall strength either of Weapons or Armes c. 1. For the first as when it pleaseth the H. G. to debase the strength of man 1 Cor. 1.25 that the weaknesse of God is stronger then the strength of men so Exod. 8.19 when he speaketh of Gods strength and the mighty wonders which he wrought in Aegypt he compareth it to the finger of God Which finger Psal 144.5 if it doe but touch the Mountaines it will make them smoake and not onely his finger but more the puffe the winde of a mans mouth is the least thing and weakest and yet he saith At the proceeding of it out of his nostrills the foundations of the Hills were discovered and the ground removed Psalm 18.15 This is positive and not onely this but also privative Psalm 104.29 If he doe but hold in his breath all things perish or he cast his eye aside the World comes to an end in a moment Secondly for fortitudo strength or munitions without him albeit this is sufficient to move us yet that Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word even like a fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the stone And Psal 7.13 Except a man returne he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready For the other his powers and Legions of Angels Psalm 68.17 twenty thousand but in Dan. 7.10 they are said to be more Thousand thousands and tenne thousand thousands of heavenly souldiers Luke 2.13 Legions of heavenly souldiers Besides in the 8 9 10. of Exodus Armies of the basest creatures Lice Frogs Caterpillers Grashoppers c. By which he brought mighty things to passe against the great princes as Psal 105. 2. Zelotes Jealousie that seemeth to import thus much It might be thought all one for God whether we did afford him this outward worship or not and that he careth not nor regardeth this outward manner and therefore conceiveth no anger against the breach of it therefore he to take away all such doubt setteth this downe that he is a regarder and a jealous regarder of this Psalm 10.13 he ascribeth to the wicked this speech Tush God he regardeth it not The other possibly will make us regard yet there are but few that make regard whether he can therefore he hath taken upon him that that implyeth the speciallest regard that can be and betokeneth such an affection as is in them that have a regard Jealousie is the excesse of love whereby every man regardeth a thing so as Numbers 5. that he cannot abide it to be common to any with him as he that is Impatiens consortis and cannot abide to have any one part common but he must have it whole himselfe 1. For the first Impatiens consortis when he will have no fellow 2 Cor. 11.2 the Apostle saith he was jealous over them with the zeale of the Lord that he might present them a pure Virgin to Christ onely 2. For the second that he must have the whole Psalm 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath even devoured me and Christ hath applyed it to himselfe It is an affection that it must devoure the whole man and eate him up cleane and separate him so that he have no fellowship with any other such regard then hath God to his outward worship This affection in it selfe is good else God Numb 5.14 would not have given that Commandement allowing the spirit of jealousie Yet by reason of hitting or missing in us it is joyned and mingled sometimes with other affections and when we misse of our purpose wholly then it is Zelus amarus ex laesa concupiscentia as James calleth it Quia extra non sentit quod jutus concupiscit and this griefe stirreth up another Vindicem laesae concupiscentiae Nahum 1.23 such anger as will have revenge and further then that Prov. 6.34 35. a raging and universall revenge Now then if this fall into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it proveth not to be like a sparke in a stack of Straw or falling into an heape of Chaffe which maketh a flame and vanisheth away but like a sparke of fire falling into a barrell of Gunne-powder bearing up all before it According to mans strength is his anger The Kings anger is death and the eternall Kings eternall death of body and soule Luke 12.5 For avoyding error touching this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is affirmed of God what is to be thought of it and what profit we may have of this affirmation Whether there fall any affection of man into God It is certaine it doth not if a man speake properly if he speake not by a metaphor And to them which say Indignum est haec de Deo dici we must answer with Augustine Indignum certe est si quid quod de eo diceretur inveniretur dignum but we cannot for our great and glorious titles of Majesty magnificence glory are nothing to his glory Magis congrua accommoda sunt humanae imbecillitati quam divinae majestati so this is spoken for mans infirmity The applying of it to the Scriptures 1. Whereas it is said in many places God is not as man that he should repent him and in other places that it repented him that he made man c. For reconciling of such places his rule is Cum negantur istae affectiones de Deo significari immutabilitatem cum dicuntur de Deo efficaciam that he will worke effectually So that these affections here shew that God will doe as men doe which have the like affections not that he hath these affections but that he produceth these actions that they doe which have those affections Secondly also as Augustine saith that those things are affirmed of God and man eodem verbo sed non eodem modo For jealousie in man may be light and for no cause but in God with knowledge and wisedome mans jealousie knoweth no order it is disordered and raging in God it is tranquilla justitia Thirdly to these two we may add the end that it is convenient to the same nature these two being observed that
but for a greater good and hee permitteth this for patience no greater good in this life then patience A second thing Ephes 4.27 to see the Devill in it Chrysostome saith it is a foolish thing for the Dog to runne after the stone that is cast and bite it in his mouth and leave the man that cast it and when one hath beaten us well with a staffe to pray him to let us have the staffe and when we have it to hack it and not hurt the man that beate us with it So it is sure The wicked men of this world and whosoever are incited by the Devill are nothing but his staves and stones so then we must set against the Devill and we cannot scourge him worse then with patience Bona opera our good workes as before are flagella daemonum whips for the Devill If the first motion will not stay but it come into the griefe yet if it stay there it is well We said that it was mixt with griefe and revenge but if it be â—otus in fermento all in a fume and if he said Prov. 24.29 I will doe to him as he hath done to me the not saying as Christ said 1 Pet. 2.22 when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to God Deut 30.35 Mihi vindictam ego retribuam his is vengeance he will looke to it In the meane season as Prov. 24.27.28 when this revenge commeth we must be so farre from desiring it that we must not be glad when our enemy falleth lest the Lord seeing it turne his wrath from him to us Iob 31.29 If saith he I have rejoyced at his destruction that hated me when his servants would have beene at him and desired his flesh he would not doe so But the practise is 2 King 21. as the King of Israel did when the Syrians were brought under his hands by the Prophet he asked My Father shall I smite them so when they have one at advantage but 1 Sam. 24.9 Davids practise was better for wee know when he had Saul in the Cave he might have stricken him but did it not but cut off a peece of the skirts of his coate But if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying effudissent è renibus ejus sanguinem they would have let out the best bloud in his body This must not be the desire of revenge and execution And the reason is for we marke in Gods creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is an Ants anger and a Flies anger and the least creatures are the most angry and women more then men and quo infirmiores eo magis iracundi the weaker they are the more subject towrath so on the other side he that is magnarum virium of great courage doth not sentire se percussum resent a blow thus to deale against the desire of revenge If it cannot be prevented it is to be sorrowed but ratio irae or suppuratio the measure or impostume of the anger must be met with he will now and then be angry but he must not requiescere in ira sleep in anger Ephes 4.26 Ne occidat Sol let not the Sunne goe downe upon your anger And the reason is because then we must offer our evening Sacrifice and Marke 11.25 before we open our mouth to pray we must forgive This in Matth. 6.14.15 is set downe both in the Affirmative and Negative This is a case of necessity It was shewed us before what we are to thinke Matth. 18.22 if we number our forgivenesse then our forgivenesse shall be delivered by taley if our forgivenesse be sine fine numero then our sinnes shall be forgiven sine numero This for Suppuratio now for foaming of it out Ecclus. 28. Hee that doth this is a trouble and scandalous to his friends and therefore men must thinke that they have to deale with men and such men Eccles 19.16 fall with their tongue though not with their will who is he that hath not offended whith his tongue And David Psal 116.10 when he was in his anger and haste he said all men were lyers 1 Sam. and all because God deferred his Kingdome therefore if a word passe sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing there is none but offendeth with the tongue the counsell of the Prophet David is good Psal 38.13 eram tanquam surdus to be not deafe but tanquam surdus it is the best and if not yet Ecclus. 28.12 when a man hath heard an evill word it is even like a coale of fire laid before him he may blow on it and it will kindle he may spit on it and it will out And indeed this did the Heathen consider by the light of nature If he without a cause be thus angry quid faciet irritatus so as the Philosopher when one reproached him he cast up dust into the aire and when the other asked him why he did so he answered Injicio pulverem vomitui tuo I throw dust to cover thy vomit and indeed it is nothing else but vomitus bilis a disgorging of choler Vomitus bilis Prov. 29.9 Solomon saith if one man contend with another if he be not wise whether you answer him in jest or in earnest you goe by the worst if he be wise you are wiser if you forbeare him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiser for not returning word for word therefore Prov. 26.4 he would not have a fool answered because so we come to be like him and we shall as we see when a man in reproving a fault will oftertimes be gone so far as he wil commit as great nay a greater absurdity sometimes therefore of fooles words magnum remedium negligentia the best course is to neglect them and vers 5. he would have him answered at sometimes not at other sometimes A foole sometimes must be answered sometimes not lest hee make him è stulto insanum of a foole a mad-man But when he is among such a himselfe that thinke well of him then answer him lest he seeme wise If he be among wise then answer him not and they will regard rather quid tu taceas quam quid ille dicat thy wisedome in being silent then his folly in speaking but Prov. 25.9 there must be no secrets disclosed and Ecclus. 8.5 there must be no exprobration of benefits Come to the action it selfe Requiting They call it bringing a man to justice Acts 22.25 in some causes it may be We must not be as the Pope said of England that it was a good Asse to beare all It was the errour of Iulian persecuting the Primitive Church For if it be a case of Gods or the truths Ecclus. 4.28 strive for the truth to death but if it be a case of meum tuum then it maketh no great matter as Abraham Gen. 13.8 he would be contented to be ordered by Lot and to