with them WHether S. Paul or Barnabas or Clemens or what Apostle or Apostolicall person was the pen-man of this pretious Epistle it is not much materiall though it have beene much argued among the learned some judging it neither to be Pauls nor canonicall some to be canonicall but not Pauls some to be both canonicall and also penned by S. Paul True it is that Faith it selfe is ready to fall if the authority of holy Scriptures do once begin to faile But these pillars of truth doe stand on firmer pedestalls then are the feet of flesh and blood namely the spirit of truth who being the prime Author is also the surest evidencer that all holy Scripture and particularly this sacred Epistle is undoubtedly the word of God And as in the letters of Princes it is not greatly regarded who was the the scribe that wrote them while the seale that is on them doth manifest from whom they came so in holy writings we stand not too much on the pen-man while we finde the seale of the Spirit upon them and doe perceive by the character of the Holy Ghost that they were indited by him This doe we finde and therefore thus doe wee hold concerning this divine Epistle which although it begin not with the same stile that S. Pauls other Epistles doe yet it endeth in the same manner For as that blessed Apostle so the Author of this Epistle upon the doctrine of faith layed for a foundation raiseth precepts of manners and rules for godly life as the building And because next unto faith whereby we are united unto the head love is most necessary whereby the members are knit together therefore the holy Authour immediately after the doctrine of faith exhorteth unto brotherly love Let brotherly love continue And because wee must not love in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth therefore he exhorteth to manifest our love by action especially to such as have greatest need and occasion Two sorts of people there were in those times as still there are who suffered persecution for the Gospell strangers and Captives Strangers driven from their owne places and houses enforced to take up deserts dens and caves for their habitation Captives who were housed indeed but to their greater paine detained in their bonds and prison for their faith and profession Vnto both these severall offices of charity are to be extended Vnto strangers hospitality unto prisoners compassion and pity The former when they come unto us must be harboured Be not forgetfull to harbour strangers But as for poore prisoners and Captives they good soules cannot come unto us they are bound to the contrary therefore it is our duty to visit them either in person if we may have accesse or by provision if we can send to them or by prayers and supplications unto God for them and by sorrowing for them as if we suffered with them Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them This is my text whereof the scope and substance is An exhortation to pity and compassion towards them that are in bonds and captivity especially for Christs sake Wherein I finde presented to our consideration 1. Others misery 2. Our Duty Their passion our compassion Their misery is bondage and captivity They are in bonds Our duty is to extend unto them a twofold mercy 1. Consideration we must remember them 2. Compassion we must so remember them as if we our selves were bound with them Remember Thinke upon their calamity and affliction Let not your owne safety make you forgetfull of others misery let not your enjoyed liberty drive out of your remembrance their calamitous captivity Them that are in bonds All them that are in bondage chiefly such as doe suffer for their conscience and for their Christian profession As bound with them As if your selves were in the same place and case Make their bondage your thraldome their suffering your owne smarting Have a fellow-feeling with them as being members of the same body which is implyed in the last part of the verse But my text hath more need of pressing then of paraphrasing The sence is obvious enough to our understanding would God the substance thereof could as easily worke upon our affections I will God willing use mine endeavour attending his blessing without whom all mans endeavours are nothing or to no purpose And first consider wee others misery that so we may be the better incited to our owne duty Their misery is that they are in bonds Remember them especially because their condition is most hard and lamentable For Captivity is â— most grievous kinde of calamity Bondage is an heavie burthen imprisonment a great affliction aske Ioseph if it be not so Among all the miseries he endured by his brethrens malice none pinched him more then his imprisonment How emphatically speakes the Psalmist of it The iron entred into his soule Though he were vpon the matter at liberty in prison and rather a Keeper then a Prisoner the keeper committing all the prisonâ—rs into his hands yet all this could not countervaile the losse of his liberty All the suite he made to Pharaohs chiefe butler for interpreting vnto him the dreame of his deliverance was that he would thinke on him and make mention of him vnto Pharaoh and bring him out of that house Paul in his wish that both King Agrippa and all that heard him were not almost but altogether such as he was excepted his bonds as if he would not wish them to his greatest enemy not to them who kept him vniustly in those bonds The greatest plague which God inflicted on the Iewes for their idolatry was bondage and captivity Needs must that be one of his greatest rods wherewith he useth to scourge the greatest sinners Be the imprisonment never so mild the bonds never so easy the bondage not accompanied with those calamities that doe vsually attend it yet want of liberty is sufficient to make vp misery Liberty is that which all men doe desire next vnto life esteeming it no life which is deprived of liberty but only a breathing death Some mothers have thought themselves mercifull to their children when they have murthered theÌ„ with their own hands that death might save them from bondage Buris and Spartis two resolute Lacedemonians who had slaine the Heralds of king Xerxes when their lives were offered them on condition that abandoning their country they would attend vpon the king they refused and rather desired any kind of death saying to a noble man who perswaded them to accept of the kings royall offer you know not how pretious a thing freedome is which no man who is well in his wits will exchange for all the Persian monarchy Give us said couragious Brutus either life with liberty or death with glory How sweet a thing then is liberty which is purchased with death and therein preferred before life
us that as he learned obedience by the things which he suffered so he might also learne compassion Not as if he knew not before how to be mercifull whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting but that which he knew for ever by nature he would learne in time by experience If therefore he who was not miserable would be miserable that he might learne that which he knew before namely to be mercifull how much more oughtest thou O man I say not make thy selfe that which thou art not but consider that which thou art namely miserable thereby to learne that which otherwise thou knowest not to commiserate those who are miserable The Apostle presents us with a sound reason why there should be a Sympathy among Christians We are all members of one body and we doe finde in our natural body that If one member doe suffer all the members doe suffer with it A thorne pricketh the foote what so farre off from the head as the foote but though distant in situation they are neere in affection The heart being only in the foote the whole body is busied every member officiously offers to be a Chirurgeon or to seeke and send for one as if it selfe were wounded The head is whole the backe is sound the eyes eares hands are all safe the foote only is grieved yea the foote it selfe is well save in that very place where it is grieved How is it then that the paine of that one part extendeth to the whole By the compassion of charity which enclineth every member to succour one as if every one suffered in that one Observe the same in a prease of people The toe is troden on the tongue cries out why doe you tread on me 'T is not the tongue but the toe that 〈◊〉 Why then complaines the tongue thou treadest on me The compassion of unity saith the tongue causeth me to cry out thou treadest on me because thou treadest on my fellow-member If thus in the naturall body how much more in the mysticall Why should not the smarting of any one be the suffering of every one seing that the members are not more naturally compacted in the naturall body then the members of Christ are in the mysticall And doth not the rule of equity require this duty of us we are ready to reioyce with them that reioyce Is it not right then that we should mourne with them that mourne We do willingly participate with our brethren in their good why then should we not partake with them in their evills If one member be honoured all the members rejoice with it The whole body accounts it selfe adorned with the crowne on the head decked with the Diamond on the finger Is it not right then that if one member doe suffer all the members should suffer with it we are ready to feast with our brethren Why then should we refuse to fast with them If we will not pledge them in the cup of their sufferings why should we drinke with them the pleasant wine of their comforts And surely without this Sympathy there cannot be in us any true tovch of mercy and charity To put our selves in our brethrens case is the only course to make us feelingly to pity them charitably to relieve them Then shall the bowels of our mercy be enlarged towards them when we even feele our selves straitned in the same bonds with them So farre is there mercy in us towards others as we finde the truth of their miseries in our selves But they who have not this feeling can never truly conceive much lesse daily remember least of all charitably releeve others in their distresses Well saith a worthy one We can never be seriously touched with other mens evils as long as we conceive of them as other mens not as our owne The sound man knowes not what aileth the sicke but the sicke and the sicke the hungry and the hungry suffering together doe best know how to pity each other Polus a famous Actor among the Grecians as is recorded of him being to represent on the stage Electra mourning for the death of her brother Orestes and bearing in her hands his Vrne insteed thereof he brought forth the Vrne of his owne deceased Sonne that by the apprehension of his owne he might the more feelingly act anothers passion Doubtlesse deare Christians we shall never act to the life the Christian part of sorrowing for our perplexed brethren unlesse we looke on their thraldome as on our owne as if their lashes did fall upon our loynes as if our hands were galled with tugging their oares and our selves stinted to their hungry diet of bread and water Notwithstanding all this some there are who yet would seeme to be Christians of a Stoicall disposition without passion save in their owne sufferings without compassion of their brethrens Other mens sorrowes and sighes doe no more move them then the roaring of the clifs doe the Rocks and Oakes that are about them Like unto Galli◠who cared not though the mad Greekes did beat sober Sosthenes before his face while the blowes fell not upon his owne bones Fabulous stories faigned Tragedies will sooner moove them then the true relation of their brethrens calamities Such was that Tyrant who could not refraine weeping when he heard a player acting a passionate part in a Tragedy but never relented at the many murthers committed by his command on his innocent subjects Learne we deare Christians by our Saviours both doctrine and example to be better affected towards our afflicted brethren Remember we them who are in bonds while we are at liberty those who are in danger while we are in safety those who are in mourning under any kinde of affliction while we are in joy and jollity Praised be God we sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree There is no leading into captivity no crying out in our streetes We are at leasure to reade the Gazette the Corante Gallobelgicus relations of combustions in every kingdome of Europe but finde nothing of any such in England We stand safe on the shore while we see others tossed in the sea not without an unpleasing pleasing prospect displeased to see others embroyled but pleased to finde our selves exempted Happy are the people that are in such a case but not happy if insensible of their brethrens unhappinesse God having made all calme about us hath left us only leasure to looke and lament the stormes of others How happy are we if we know and thankfully acknowledge our owne happinesse and with a Christian compassion remember our brethrens miseries The one cannot but make us thankfull unto God for our selves the other charitable unto others Are we Christians indeed and not in title only How can we but relent in the midst of our mirth when we remember our Christian brethren in France in the Palatinate Bohemia and all Germany especially our own ountry-men in Barbary in
you freed mee In breife we give you great thanks that you would make us partakers of your carefulnesse and interest us with you in so good and necessary an imploiment as to present unto us fruitfull fields in which wee may sow the seedes of our hope expecting the harvest of those ample fruits which doe grow and proceed from such an heavenly and helpfull harvest Now we have sent one hundred thousand Sesterces that is 781 l 5 s sterling which summe hath beene raised by the contribution of the Clergie and Laytie in the Church over which by the providence of God we are made overseers which you shall distribute there and dispose of according to your diligence And wee desire indeed that there may not be the like occasion hereafter but that our bretheren being protected by Gods providence may be preserved safe from such dangers But if it shall please God for the triall of our charitable minde and faithfull heart that the like shall come to passe hereafter delay yee not to acquaint us therewith by your letters assuring your selves that the Church and whole society here as they doe earnestly pray that such things may not be againe so if they should bee they will willingly and largely send supplies againe And that you may remember in your prayers our brethren and sisters who have so readily and willingly contributed to this so necessary a worke that they may worke so alwaies and in your devotions for them returne unto them a requitall of this good worke I have subscribed the names of every one of them as also of our Colleagues and fellow-priests who themselves likewise being present have contributed both in their own and in the behalfe of their people according to their abilities And besides mine owne portion I have signified and sent the summe of theirs Of all whom as faith and charity requires you ought to bee mindefull in your prayers Most deare brethren we wish you alwayes well to fare A PASSAGE CONCERNING THE GOOD AND BENEFIT OF COMPASSION Extracted out of S. AMBROSE his second Booke of Offices CAP. 28. THE greatest incitement unto Mercy is that wee have a fellow-suffering with others in their calamities that we succour others in their necessities as much as we are able and sometimes more then we are able For it is better to suffer envie for shewing mercie then to pretend excuse for inclemencie As we our selves once incurred envy because wee did breake up the holy vessels for the redeeming of captives which deed displeased the Arians not so much because it was done as that they might have something for which they might carp at us For who is so cruel so yron-hearted as to be displeased that a man is to be redeemed from Death a woman from the pollutions of Barbarians which are more grieveous then Death young maidens children Infants from the contagion of Idols wherewith for feare of death they are in danger to be defiled Which action though we performed not without sufficient reason yet we so defended it before the people that we maintained it to be much more convenient for us to preserve for God soules rather then gold For he who sent his Apostles without gold did also without gold gather the Churches unto himselfe The Church hath gold not that it should keepe it but to disburse it and imploy it for necessarie releifes What need is there to keepe that which doth not helpe when wee have need Know you not how much gold and silver the Assyrians carried away from the Temple of the Lord Is it not better that the Priest should melt up these vessels if other supplies be wanting for the releefe of the poore then that the Sacrilegious enemie should carrie them away and defile them Will not the Lord say why didst thou suffer so many poore men to perish through hunger Surely seeing thou hadst gold thou shouldest have offered them nourishment Why are there so many captives carried away to be bought and sould and are not redeemed Why are there so many slaine by the Enemy Better it were that thou preservedst these living vessells then dead metalls No answere can be returned to those obiections For what wouldst thou say I feared lest the Temple of God should want ornaments He will answere thee the Sacraments seeke not gold neither doe they please the more for gold which are not purchased with gold The adorning of the sacraments is the Redemption of captives And verily those vessells are pretious which doe redeeme soules from death The true treasure of God is that which worketh the same which his blood wrought I then acknowledg it to be the vessell of the Lords blood when I finde Redemption in both that the Chalice redeemeth from the enemies those whom the bloud redeemed from sinne What an excellent thing is it when multitudes of captives are redeemed by the Church that it may be said Those are they whom Christ hath redeemed Behold the gold that is tried the profitable gold the gold of Christ which freeth from death Behold the gold whereby Purity is redeemed Chastity is preserved I had rather present these freed unto you then preserve gold for you This number this order of captives is a faâ—re more acceptable sight then the shew of golden goblets Thus was the Redeemers gold to be imploied that it should redeeme those who were endangered I acknowledge the bloud of Christ powred into gold not only to have shined but to have imprinted the power of divine operation by the gift of redemption Such Gold did the holy Martyr Laurentius reserve for the Lord who when the treasures of the Church were required of him promised that he would produce them Next day he presented the poore saying These are the treasures of the Church And these truly are treasures in whom is Christ in whom is the faith of Christ. What better treasures hath Christ then those in whom he saith that he himselfe is For it iâ— written I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and you gave me drinke I was a stranger and you tooke me in And afterward That which you have done to one of those you have done it to me What better treasures hath Iesus then those in whom he loveth to bee seene These treasures Laurentius shewâ—d and prevailed because the Persecutor himselfe could not take them from him Therefore Iehoiachin who in the seige kept the gold and imploied it not to provide reliefe saw the gold to bee violently carried away and himselfe to be led into captivity But Laurentius who had rather bestowe the Churches gold on the poore then keepe it for the Persecutor according to the singular efficacie of the interpretation of his name received the sacred Crowne of Martyrdome Was it said to holy Laurentius thou oughtest not to have disbursed the treasures of the Church nor to have sold the sacred vessells Necessary it is that a man doe discharge that office with sincere faithfulnesse and discerning