gift and so resolutely to rest vpon the grace of the giuer as to assure himselfe and others of this crowne Presumption is faith with them and true sauing faith is Presumption When they heate him say Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord they would gladly make this only a probable perswasion no certaine faith but others seeing this too grosse a dallying with the manifest scope of the Text say Saint Paule vvas assured of the certainty of his saluation of the happy end of his right way by extraordinary reuelation only But let it be so was it reuealed to him for others that beleeue too he saith so for he saith nothing shal be able to seperate vs Now then if it be reuealed to him for others let vs beleeue the reuelation and apply it with vnfained faith to our owne hearts in particular as he did to his And by the way obserue what it is that Saint Paule builds his faith vpon so that nothing can preuaile against it Is it vpon Peter that rocke Is it vpon Indulgences or Pardons of man Is it vpon personall righteousnes inherent iustice or his owne or other mens merits No It is vpon that rocke Christ Iesus it is vpon the loue and Charity of God in and through the merits of Christ Iesus our Lord which loue not death nor life nor Angell nor power nor heauen not hell can alter for Gods loue is immutable he is not as man that he should repent whom he loues he loues to the end his wayes seeme hard but the Yssues of them are the wayes of life Whereas therefore our Aduersaries accuse vs of nouel presumption for teaching a faith that may assure vs of our saluation and to elude this cleere place of Saint Paul and diuerse other the like say This was reuealed to him by extraordinary fauour Wee know and confesse that hee as a worthy instrument of Gods glory as a Master builder had many things reuealed vnto him for the edification of the Church but for this particular it was no otherwise reuealed to him then it is to euery faithfull Christian in vvhom the Spirit of God dwels as in a temple and there teacheth them to offer Sacrifice and to cry Abba Father with teares and grones that cannot be expressed Well may there bee a difference in the measure of the reuelation not in the matter reuealed Wee know saith Saint Iohn 1. Ep. 3. 14. that wee are translated from death to life c. and after verse 23. He that keepeth his commandement dwelleth in him and he in him and heereby wee know that he abideth in vs euen by that Spirit which he hath giuen vs. So the persons are wee not I not Saint Iohn alone but wee all that beleeue and loue for this faith and loue are inseperable Againe wee are translated not it is probable wee shal be but wee are vvhich makes it certaine by faith as if it were done and accomplished Lastly we know this and wee know it by the Spirit which God hath giuen vs the same Spirit that taught Saint Paule and Saint Iohn is our tutor too For other reuelations Christ himselfe hath silenced all pretences and shadowes and giuen absolute authority to the Scripture opened and interpreted by the Spirit of God to resolue all scruples in case of conscience Luk 16. 19 And this wee may see cleerely in the Parable of Diues and Lazarus where Diues after he had failed of his personall suite and could not obtaine a drop of mercy for himselfe yet requested Abraham to send one to his friends to forewarne them of the state he was in not that they might pray for him for that vvas to no purpose the tree was falne but that they might by repentance and amendment auoyde the danger themselues To whom Abraham giues this answere They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them so he turnes them to the Scriptures wherein the will of God is reuealed to euery man what they should shun what they should doe what they should beleeue and how they should liue And when Diues persisting in his suite saith Nay father Abraham but if one went vnto them from the dead they will repent Abraham replies definitiuely and resolutely If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead So wee see he that doubts the Scripture or beleeues any thing against it vnder pretence of reuelations from heauen or hell or Purgatory or the like fictions of Ghosts and Spirits appearing is in a wise case and may be drawne into a fooles Paradise but neuer into the true Paradise and so wander in this way which seemes right but the end thereof are the Yssues of Death To shut vp this point obserue the certainty of this iudgement as the Apostle Saint Iohn before in the 1. Ep. 3. Chap 14. verse speakes in the present Tence we know that wee are translated to note the certainty of their translation to glory so heere Salomon saith It is the way of Death and the end thereof is so to note the certainty of the thing And this is a plaine proofe of the Spirits assistance to discerne the end and determination of a thing before the end be come when otherwise it were too late to doe it For it is too late for Diues to repent in hell when the end is come he should haue attended better to Moses and to the Prophets before and beleeued the word of God not the foolish traditions of his forefathers against the Word or the idle old-wiues tales of his foremothers besides the Word he should haue attended the admonition of the faithfull Pastor and Prophet and not to the fained Legend of his flattering Patasites trencher-fed Chaplaines The perfection of all humane judgement is to iudge by the end and issue and euen heere wee often erre too but if man goes farther of himselfe by nature it is but coniecture and presumption arising from long experience in obseruation of like circumstances as the effect leades vs to the cause but yet euen then wee cannot say it is or certainely it shall bee but it may be so it may so fall out it may be the end of Death But the Spirit of God sees the end before it comes he sees the thoughts afarre off and iudgeth and warneth men aforehand inwardly by good and holy motions outwardly by the Scriptures and he that will not beleeue the holy Spirit of God in the Scriptures it is but iustice if God giue him ouer to a reprobate minde that he should be seduced and beleeue lies who would not receiue the truth of God but was transported with respect of times persons places and other humane Motiues And heere before wee
that you were sure came immediatly from heauen or Saint Peter or his successor any Man that you were assured without controuersie were his successor or any other Man or woman how holy chaste learned or religious soeuer they bee should crosse this doctrine beleeue them not nay let them be accursed saith Saint Paule Much lesse then beleeue the dotage of men their gulleries impostures fictions melancholy imaginations dreames visions and reuelations with which being deceiued themselues they seeke and indeauor to deceiue others You haue now seene the way 1. What it is 2. How it may seeme good and not bee so 3. How impotent preiudiciall and partiall a Iudge man is in his owne case 4. You haue seene the end of this faire way to bee false 5. The issue of that pretence to be death whilst life was promised 6. Lastly you haue seene the Iudgement of Gods spirit shewing you the true notes to know the false way by Submit your selues now and your senses and iudgements to the direction of Gods holy Spirit and thinke not your selues or your Predecessors wiser then Saint Paule then Salomon then God himselfe but hauing found the right way the way to life walke in it constantly and turne not backe to fables and traditions and falsehoods in which you haue too long wandred astray for howsoeuer that way may seeme right and many of our forefathers haue ignorantly vvalked in it yet the issues thereof are the vvayes of death From which the Lord of his mercy deliuer vs and direct vs to be zealous according to knowledge and from faith to clime vp to practise reforming those corruptions in our liues and manners which now by the course propounded in the beginning wee come to search and lay open in that which followes THE SECOND SERMON PREPARED FOR the Iudges and preached vpon Sunday the Assises following vpon Monday after WEe haue spoken of the speculatiue part Thammim the Theory as the way was taken for Religion now we are to speake of the practicall part as the way may be taken for the custome and trade of our liues and conversations or rather for our passage or vvalking in that Religion which wee beleeue professe to be the truth And as the Lord said by the Prophet Ieremy so may I say to you all Ier. 21. 8. Behold I haue set before you the way of life and the way of death I haue showne you that way which seemes right in the partiall eyes of man who thinkes all his owne vvayes cleane Pro. 16. 2. And I haue showne you that way that is both right and seemes so Pro. 15. 24. euen the vvay of life vvhich leadeth to heauen And now I proceed to exhort you to walke in this vvay for it is better not to know then not to practise what wee know An honest Turke which knowes not the will of his Master is to be preferd before a prophane Christian who knowes his Masters will and doth it not Luk. 12. 47 and therefore shal be beaten vvith many stripes A vvay then in this sence of Salomon is the customary course of life which a man chiefely vseth whether it bee in vertue or in vice The whole race of mankinde naturally walke in the roade and way of sin and death But some are regenerate and called out of this way by faith and repentance others will not obay Gods word but rather choose to liue in the pleasures of sin for a season And they are sayd to be in their vvay because sin reigneth in them tramples vpon them by custome takes away the sence of conscience obdurating their hearts as a way is hardned by the feete of many passengers so as a plow cannot pierce the same Thus men haue their darling and beloued sins which is their vvay out of which you can by no meanes put them as a Hare starred before Greyhounds will haue her accustomed way and muse or die for it so these And thus a man is not sayd to be in his vvay when hee sinneth of frailty he then hath slipt out of his vvay and leaues not till he returne into his vvay by repentance but vvhen he sins by custome then he is in his vvay And a notorious sinner is not sayd to be in his vvay if now and then hee comes to Church prayes receiues the Sacraments and forebeares grosse sinnes or does some singular and solitary good for he is not well till he be out of this vvay againe and like a dog returnes to his vomite Therefore a man is iudged wise or foolish good or bad and to be in or out of his vvay by his ordinary actions not by a speciall single fact For nemo omnibus horis sapit Semel insanivimus omnes and in many things wee offend all It is therefore the generall course proceeding and perseuerance in vertue or vice that brings life or death to our wayes for the crowne of glory is at the end of this race of vertue here death is at the end of this race of vice the end there of is the issues of death Dauid committed Adultery and Murther â— King 11. grieuous slips out of Gods way but being in those sins he vvas besides himselfe out of his wit out of his way and neuer was at rest till by repentance he returned and witnessed his sorrow by that penitential Psalme Psal 51. in which he expresseth cordiall repentance and seemes to do corporall penance in the Church to this day His delight was in the Law of the Lord he vvas a man according to Gods owne heart A man and therefore might erre might slip out of the vvay but a man after Gods owne heart therefore he would walke with God as Enoch did Gen. 5. 24. and was neuer well at his heart till he vvas reconciled to God by humble and hearty repentance Ieroboam was in his way all his life 1. King 13. 33. and solde himselfe to commit sin so that it is sayd of diuerse other Kings that succeeded Ieroboam both in his seate and sinnes That they did euill in the sight of the Lord and vvalked in the vvay of Ieroboam and in his sinne vvherevvithall he made Israel to sinne Ahab vvas not in his vvay vvhen vpon the Prophets admonition he put on sackcloth and humbled himselfe before God 1. King 21 25. but he was in his way when he followed the counsell of Iezabel slue the Prophets of God and murthered Naboth for his vineyard Iehu 2. King 10 15. 16. though he slue all Ahabs children according to the word of the Lord though he would needs haue Iehonadab see his zeale which he pretended was for God in killing all the Priest of Baall and in taking the Images out of the house of Baall though he did many other things tending to reformation of Religion and the State Yet all this while he was not in his element in his way for presently he was not well till he was
THE HIGH-WAIES OF GOD AND THE KING WHEREIN ALL MEN OVGHT to vvalke in holinesse here to happinesse hereafter Deliuered in tvvo Sermons preached at Thetford in NORFOLKE Anno 1620. By THOMAS SCOT Batchelor in Diuinity Qui ambulat in via vna Regia non laborat Hier. Com. in Esa cap. 57. Printed at London 1623. TO THE READER THat which I preached once with approbation of the godly hearers I publish now for the vse of all beholders No other reason perswading me to it then the necessitie of the Times which begin to bee like those wherein S. Augustine would haue all men write Farewell and the Lord make it as I intend it a blessing to thee for Instruction Admonition Reformation Amen Tho. Scot. THE HIGH-WAYES Of God and the King Proverb 14. 12. ⧠There is a way which seemeth right vnto a Man But the end thereof are the wayes of death THE Philosopher Pythagoras whose Ipse dixit was warrant and reason enough to satisfie or silence at least his whole Schoole considering the birth of all Mankind to be after one manner and their deathes a like certaine exprest his conceit by the Greeke letter Y shewing thereby that all haue alike common entrance into the world the King and the beggar the foole and the Philosopher and that only the difference betwixt Man and Man was in the different vse of themselues and the choyce of their wayes heere vvhere there was a way of wisedome and vertue and a way of ignorance and vice propounded to all and as Men walkt in the one or in the other so was their liues and the issue of their liues their deathes either miserable or happy Our blessed Sauiour the true Pythagoras the wisdome of his Father whose Ipse dixit must silence the most curious and satisfie the most contentious hath sayd Mat. 7. that there are two wayes A strait gate and narrow way which leades to life and a wide gate and broad way which leades to destruction And euery Man that is borne of a woman walkes in one of these wayes and to one of these ends Iosuah 23. 14. Now as life is the most sweet and desireable estate and Death of all things the most hatefull and terrible to Nature So the meanes to attaine life and auoyd death should be carefully sought by euery vvise Christian Pro. 19. 19 For he that regardeth not his way saith Salomon shall die This then concerneth euery man to looke to and is a Doctrine fitting all persons all places all times For if the way of life bee so hard to finde that few attaine it and that those who suppose themselues to be in it may bee out of the way vvee cannot bee too wary and sedulous in this inquisition nor need wee feare the losse of our time in seeking but rather the losse of our soules for lacke of seeking This Text containes one of those wise obseruations which Salomon assisted by the Spirit of God made out of his extraordinary experience in the passages of this world and thought so needfull to bee vnderstood of all as he repeates it againe verbatim in the 16. Chap 25. verse and in diuerse other places in a diuerse manner of words to the same purpose Wee obserue heerein two principall parts Diuision 1. An erroneous opinion of Priuacie in these words There is a way which seemes right to a Man 2. An infallible iudgement of verity in these words But the end thereof are the Yssues of Death In the first part we note 1. The subiect or matter propounded There is a way 2. The quality or condition of that way It seemes right 3. The Iudge of that quality A mans selfe The spirit of priuacy In the other part the publike Iudgement we obserue 1. The end or purpose and scope thereof compared with or opposed to the beginning or pretence 2. The certaine ill quality opposed to the seeming good quality It did but seeme good or right but it is certainly it is the way of death 3. The Iudge of this Quality Salomon the Publique Magistrate directed by the Spirit of God opposed to the erring partiall spirit of a Mans selfe of priuacie to whome the way seemes good So the vvay seemes right but it is wrong It seemes the right way to life but it is the ready way to death It seemes good in Mans eyes but it is not so in Gods eyes Multa videntur quae non sunt 1. The Subiect There is a way A way literally and properly is thus defined by some viae vna pars est Locus Com. in Arist Metaphys lib. 8. alia est dispositio in loco per quem initio est possibilis in ea ad finem intentum By others Thus Est via Locus per quem babere iter imnibus licet via est transitus à lòco in locum The Latins call it via as Varro thinketh either ab eundo quasi ia the Impartiue to Eo Or else a vehendo quast primum veba tum deinde via The Greekes call a way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some likewise deriue from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proficiscor or iter facio But none expresseth it so aptly and fully as the Originall which is Derech whose radix is Darech calcauit or conculcauit from the ordinary trampling and beating of the way with the feet of many passengers And thus it is vsed properly for a way or place of iournying and trauaile but metaphorically translated pro more ratione seu vitae institutione seu consuetudine Now in this place it is vsed in a borrowed sense and yet holds proportion or similitude with the thing that lends it And thus it must heere be vnderstood of the wayes of God or the wayes of Man The way of God is considered after a two-fold manner 1. His counsell or secret will which is called a vvay Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the riches c. 2. His reuealed will in his Word of which the Psalmist speakes Psal 18. 3. The way of the Lord is an vndefiled way This last is likewise two-fold 1. Either via legis mandatorum 2. Or via gratiae promissionis Euangelij The first of these wee walke in vvhen vve performe obediently that vvhich is commanded the second when we beleeue faithfully that vvhich is promised So the first respects obedience life action vvorkes the other knowledge faith hope and the affection of loue which performeth all the Law by being accepted in Christ But of these vvayes as the first of all heere spoken of vvhich is that of Gods Counsell is too deepe for any of vs yea or for Salomon himselfe to vvade in though the shallowest fooles vvilbe busiest in it so the other his reuealed will is the rule of our vvayes and neither of them heere intended by Salomon because they are both good and seeme so Vrim or light of knowledge Thumim prefection or holinesse Exod 28.
30 but this seemes good yet it is not so Then this is spoken of the vvayes of Man and they are likewise twofold Either the vvay of knowledge and vnderstanding Or the vvay of Practise or Action The way of knowledge 1. Vrim is that Faith or Religion which a man beleeues to be the truth so farre as he vnderstands and by vvhich he hopes to attaine lâ—fe and happines hereafter Act. 24. 14. And in this sense it is taken Act. 14. 16. 19. 9. And so it sounds as if Salomon had sayd There is a Religion which a man supposeth to be the truth and the right way to Heauen but it is false and erroneous and the next way to Hell The way of Practise or Action is our conuersation 2. Thummim manners and fashion of liuing and dealing betwixt man and man in vice or in vertue Iustice or injurie equity or iniquity and so it is taken Mat. 21. 32. And then the sense is as if Salomon had sayd There is a course of life which a man thinkes very upright and iust and so iudgeth himselfe a holy Man whilst he liues heere in it but it is a most deceitfull trade of life bringing a man to death dishonor and destruction But for our more cleere vnderstanding and discerning of this point we will speake first of the way of Religion being the Speculatiue part whose obiect is truth and falshood And then of Practise being the actiue part whose object is good and bad And this the rather because knowledge or the Theory better suites and answeres the way then action or the practique and action more properly corresponds to our passage trauaile and walking in that way So for doctrine wee will only speake of the truth or falsehood of Religion and vvill reserue the practique part our life our manners and conversation for the vse and application of those points of doctrine which from hence shall naturally and properly flow And thus much for subiect that we may know what it is that Salomon vailes vnder this shadow The way 2. The Quality Which seemes right This is the Quality of the Way which whilst Salomon thus describes he affoords vs from hence a foure-fold diuision according to that common Proverbe The Italian seemes wise and is wise the Spaniard seemes wise and is a foole the French seemes a foole and is wise and the English seemes a foole and is a foole So here There is a way which seemes right and is wrong and to that is opposed A way which seemes wrong and is right and there is A way which seemes wrong and is wrong and to that is opposed A way which seemes right and is right Now these seeme foure diuerse wayes Terminus a quo Terminus ad quem but indeed are but two as two crosse or ouerthwart wayes seeme to him that stands in the midst to bee foure yet haue but two beginnings and two ends so here the difference is not so manifold in the subiect but in the Iudges to vvhose sight these vvayes appeare after a diuerse manner according to the truth or error of their apprehensions For that the right way seemes vvrong or the vvrong vvay seemes right proceedes à deceptione visus from error of judgement For we see an euill vvay may to one man seeme right and yet be wrong and the same vvay to another may both seeme wrong and be wrong and a good way may to an euill sight seeme wrong 1. Sam. 12. 23. and yet bee right and the same way to a good sight may both seeme right and be right Now vvhilst I speake of a good way and a bad vvay I intend a true Religion and a false Religion for as a vvay may be faire which vvee call a good vvay and yet be indirect so a Religion may be glorious to the eye and furnished with faire pretences yet be false And as a vvay may be foule vvhich wee call a bad vvay and yet carry vs directly to the place whither we tend so a Religion may bee naked poore plaine in shew persecuted afflicted scorned contemned of the greatest part of the vvorld of the mighty noble learned politicke and yet be the true Religion and the true direct vvay to happinesse hereafter the lesse happinesse it hath here Having then Religion for our subiect if we looke vpon it vve shall finde three Religions in the vvorld especially justling for the truth of this way The Turkes the Iewes the Christians nor need any man to vvonder at this that I should mention Turkes and Iewes vvith Christians for the Iewes Religion yea the Turkes superstition seemes in their eyes to them as true and as right as ours doth to vs and vve haue nothing but the Scriptures to distinguish them and vs asunder I meane the consent of Scripture Lawe and Prophets Olde and New Spirit and Letter for some passages and obscure places they pretend though vnjustly to be for them But because vve know vvhatsoeuer they boast that their Religions are wayes vvhich both seeme vvrong to all good or indifferent judgements as they are wrong in Gods judgement and because our hope is to haue no hearers here but Christians vvee vvill leaue them to themselues speake of the diuersitie of wayes amongst vs vvhich appeare principally to bee foure euery one clayming truth and holding their Relâ—gion to bee Orthodoxe and so the onely right vvay to heauen 1. The first of these are the Grecians or the East Church 2. The second the Abissins or South Church vnder Presbiter Iohn 3. The West Church or Church of Rome vnder the Pope 4. The fourth is the Reformed Church vnder diuers Princes vvhich for distinction sake and perhaps situation hauing respect to some of these vvee may call the North Church Now if any man expect I should sub-divide the Reformed Religion because there are some differences amongst vs and such as in some times and with some hot-headed persons breed great combustions in the Church I shal not need neither truly ought I to do it because all of vs except the Heretiques who are generally cut off from the body of Christ by vs all or those Schismatickes who separate and cut themselues off as persons that haue no way that haue no tract of Antiquity or any footestep to follow directly in the Scripture agree in the way it selfe though perhaps some of vs may vary either in the manner of walking in that way or in some ceremony and circumstance of deuotion or discipline which is as the hedge and ditch and fence of this way and no essentiall part of the way it felfe but rather for the order ease and conveniencie of the Traueller And thus those whom our aduersaries miscall Lutherans Protestants Puritans walke as Iacobs sonnes did out of Egypt to fetch their good old father thither to whom their brother Ioseph knowing their stubborne crosse proude and peruerse natures gaue them this admonition aforehand See that you fall not out by
vvill of the Law-maker Christ Now the Romish Sinagogue considering the Church of Christ in a threefold manner 1. First as it is Essentiall 2. Secondly as it is representatiue 3. And thirdly as it is virtuall They make the representatiue part to consist in the Ministery and this Ministery to flow from the Pope as from the head and to this part that is to the Pope they attribute that power which God hath giuen to the whole Church Now the Pope being thus invested in absolute power with an opinion of infallibility laying aside the Scriptures iudgeth without them nay against them nay iudgeth them and yet must not be chalenged of error This wee iudge vnreasonable that a Man should make his owne will the Churches lawe and iudge in his owne cause without examination And therefore wee shew Amor odium proprium commodū faciunt saepè Iudicem non congnoscere verum Aristotle lib. 1. Rhe. that man who iudgeth by his sense or reason is not sufficiently qualified for such a busines or if he were naturally so adapted yet is he vnfit to iudge in this question which wholly concernes himselfe in regard of partiality or preiudice to both which he is subiect Therefore in questions betwixt vs and the South-Church Presbiter Iohannes is an vnfit Iudge and in questions betwixt vs and the Grecians the Patriarch of Constantinople is as vnmeet and in controuersies betwixt vs and Rome the Pope is not a competent Iudge Ecclesiasticus 8. 14. Goe not to Law with a Iudge for they will iudge for him according to his honor Let vs therefore seeke a Iudge who iudgeth not by the outward apparance whose sence and reason cannot be deceiued who is neither preiudiciall not partiall who searcheth the reines and the heart for vaine is the iudgement of man to whom this way seemes right when the ends thereof are the Yssues of death And this wee shall finde in the Opposition which wee come now to handle The Opposition or Publique Iudgement 1. The end thereof or purpose pretended Wee had the way iudged before prima facie by the outward apparance by the beginning thereof and so it seemed right But heere wee finde fronti nulla fides no credit to bee giuen to the countenance but the end bewrayes the truth of euery thing The woman beheld the fruite which Sathan so farre magnified She saw the tree was good for foode and pleasant to the eyes Genes 3. 6. so she eate thereof and gaue part to the man Thus they iudged by the outward apparance by seeming and were deceiued euen then when their sense and reason were at the perfectest But after they had eaten it is sayd Their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked Genes 3. 7. And then likewise they knew that the curse of God The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Genes 2. 17 would surely light vpon them So this way seemed the right way to them to attaine knowledge happines but they found the end thereof to be the way of ignorance of darknes and of death And as with them so with all their posterity since this hath succeeded as a testimony of their hereditary sinne still to be deceiued with the seeming of things insomuch as that is true which the Poet long since sung Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra Iuven. sat 4. Cum sit triste habitu vultuque veste seuerum The face and habit of an Anchorite May be the couer of an Hypocrite Therefore all wise men iudge of things not by their shewes but substances and not by their beginnings but ends Now the end of a thing is either propositum the purpose for which a thing is done and so the end of preaching is the saluation of soules or Terminus the issue or determination of a thing as death is the end of a mans life and so it is heere properly taken A Iudge oftentimes saues a theefe because he hopes he may proue an honest man and doe good in the Common-wealth There is the first end The Iudges purpose But the Theefe proceedes in his the euery till he brings himselfe to the gallowes and that 's the extreame end the vltimum vale Of both these we intend to speake briefly though the last only be proper to this Text and the first borrowed for illustration First then remembring wee haue Religion for our subiect let vs see what it is together with the end thereof to what purpose it tends This is Christian Religion August i◠Ioannem Tract 23. cap. ◠that one God not many be worshipped because nothing makes the soule happy but only one God The infirme soule is not made happy in the participation of another soule that is happy but is happy in the participation of God nor is a holy soule happy in the participation of an Angel but if an infirme soule seekes to be happy let it seeke from thence whence a holy soule is happy For thou art not made happy by an Angel but from whence an Angel hath happinesse thou hast it also Faith with a serious feare of God Polan Syntag. is the pure and true Religion as Feare containes in it selfe a voluntary reuerence and carries with it a right worship of God such as is prescribed in the Lawe Religio dicta est eo Isidor lib. 18. Etymilog quod per eam vni soli Dco religamus animas nostras ad cultum diuinum animo seruiendi Religion then being the band or tyall whereby wee are fastned and bound to God as to the souereigne good consisteth of three twines vz. of faith of hope of loue and a threefold corde is not easily broken Now the proper or principall end of this Religion is the glory of God the subordinate end is our saluation That Religion therefore which most directly and cleerely tends to the principall end must needs effect the subordinate end most certainely and so must necessarily bee the only true and direct way to life and the other what shew soeuer it makes must needs be the way and Yssue of Death Againe the glory of God is most aduanced heere in this our way or Religion by two affections of feare and loue and by the true fruits and effects of them Now that Religion which traines a man vp to feare God and to loue God as God ought to be feared and loued giues God the truest glory and so must necessarily be the truth Lastly this feare and this loue is then most rightly generated and cherished in the soule of Man and so Gods glory most aduanced when mans nature is truly set foorth and he thereby humbled in himselfe and so taught to feare and when Gods power and mercy is so exprest as he hath beene pleased to reueale it to mans comfort That so man seeing his owne wants and misery and Gods all-sufficient power and mercy might feare and reuerence God as a good Master might loue and delight
of God and to be exalted aboue all that is called God Like in spirituals to that of the great Earle of Warwickes in the time of H. 6. in temporals vvho chose rather to be called Primus Comes Angliae then Rex Angliae and thought it more honor to make a King then to bee one Lastly they say they humble man more then we and exalt God more then wee 1. They humble man more whilst they tell him his sinnes are such as he must not presume to go to God but by meanes of Saints or Angels 2. They exalt God more whilst they exalt his seruants and giue asmuch reuerence to the Saints as wee to God To this wee answere they arrogate to man whilst they will see me wise aboue that which is written they derogate from God whilst they make his seruice common to the Saints and can only colour it with a distinction nay whilst they make him and Christ only seuere Iudges and the Saints and Angels merciful and so their Mediators They ought not to do euill that good might come of it this is euill to lye of God whilst they faine him to bee what he is not and deny him to bee what he is And of this kinde and to this ende are all their fictions in the Legend to proue the Saints merciful and God seuere yea the blessed Virgin Mary to be more pitifull then Christ her Sonne and Sauiour in whom she was blessed more as a childe then a Mother That they may do this the more safely they contend and say That besides the written word of God there are many other decrees and dogmaticall points and traditions necessarie to be beleeued to saluation which the Church that is themselues alone haue in custody vpon trust and credit Now wee teach the contrary aswell because wee haue cleere testimony of the Scriptures and Fathers generally as of a cloude of witnesses to proue the contrary as also because it makes more for the glory of God in things of absolute necessity toward saluation to gouerne by positiue lawes of his owne rather then by arbitrary and changeable lawes of Man and that he should reueale to vs his will by his owne Sonne Christ Iesus who came to saue vs rather then to leaue vs to the vncertaine relation of Man who for ought wee know may be Antichrist and so intends to deceiue vs though perhaps he comes in sheepes clothing or may seeme an Angell of Light to bleare our eyes with apparance Wee might ioyne in this issue vvith them vpon all the questions controuerted but these shal be sufficient to giue light to see the rest at more leisure In the meane time if wee cast our eyes truly vpon the end of their deâ—ignements vvee shall easily see that gaine and glory vnto themselues are the only arguments which draw them to fight for the Popes Supremacy the Masse Purgagatory Pilgrimages and all the rest of their opinions vvherein they are opposite to vs and to the Scriptures To this end they are called Marchants Reuel 18. 23. Because for gaine and glory they sophisticate Religion as Marchants their wares and thus make marchandize of heauen and earth and of God himselfe And as the Marchants in London haue foreigne commodities whereby they sucke the sweete sap of the Country to themselues and they in the Country haue meanes againe to recall it as Norwich by stuffes Yorke by Cattell some places by vvooll and cloth others by come and others by Mettals Or as England vvith these commodities furnisheth other Countryes and supplies her owne wants from thence and Fraunce with her vvines buyes her children vvooll and Spaine vvith Figges Raysons Limons and Oranges for sauce buyes herselfe bread and meat so these spirituall Marchants chop change commodities and tosse to and fro by that meanes the wealth the pompe the glory of the world the fat of the Earth the Crownes of Kings To this end Walsingham had a lady to bring suiters and sees Eastward and Canterbury had a Saint Becket to draw it Southward The North had a Winifrid Scotland a Saint Andrew and his arme the Low-Countries a Lady of Hales Fraunce a Saint Denis Spaine a Saint Iames Italy a Lady of Loretto and euery Country vvas full of these Marts where the Saints did seuerall cures and seruices to the Church and had continuall Votaries and those of the frankest sort as superstition is commonly a prodigall And this vvas a golden vvorld and a glorious Religion to the eye so that vvee heare old men and women talke of these things still but vvee know this was not sound at the heart the way might seeme good to a man but the end thereof were the Yssues of death 2. The certaine ill Quality or Determination Is the Yssues of Death hauing spoken of the first end vvhich is the purpose and scope of this vvay vvee come to speake of the Yssue of this end that is The Terminus vltimus or determination of this purpose and ayme and that is Death They are the Yssues of Death Life was promised in their first apparance it seemed the right vvay but vpon tryall wee finde Latet Anguis in herba the end is the Yssues or wayes of death A great distance betwixt the promise and the performance betwixt the pretence and the Yssue the passage and the port the starting place and the end of the race vvhen life is proclaimed in the beginning and death meets vs at the concluding I haue fought a good fight saith the Apostle Paule 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8 I haue finished my course from henceforth is laide vp for me a Crowne of glory which God that righteous Iudge shall giue me and not to me only but to all that loue his appearing Now the Apostle hath fought and if he had deserued ex condigno might chalenge this crowne as a debt due to his worth but he doth not so he expects it indeed out of grace of free gift he doth not deserue it by fighting but he obtaines it fighting it is giuen freely by a righteous Iudge vvho gaue him grace to fight and promised him both to ouercome and to triumph 2. Cor 12 My grace is sufficient for thee makes Paule feare no buffeting of Sathan no sting or pricke in the flesh for that grace gaue him strength to fight and conquer and vvas manifested the more by his infirmity for Gods power is made perfect through our weaknes And after he hath fought hee expects a crowne that grace is his assurance he cannot chalenge it by any other right and in that right he is assured of it both for himselfe and all others who loue the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ To all that loue not to all that fight the affection not the action is respected the person not the passion is accepted But now if Paule had beene of the Romish faith this speech of his would haue beene iudged presumption not presumption to chalenge by merit but presumption to chalenge of
her curse as now she forbids it vvith her Anathema Ingenuous therefore is this speech of a Fryer of her owne Math. Tilesius Iusti cap. 5. Iudeos Scripturis tanquam quibusdam cancellis circumdedit Deus ne aliorum more Paganorum euanescerent atque in adinuentionibus manuum suarum-insolescerent God did impale the Iewes with the Scriptures as with certaine bounds or abuttals lest after the manner of Pagans they should apostate and perish through the inuentions and deuises of their owne hands Cyrill ad Regin de fide Therefore saith Cyrill Necessarium nobis est Diuine sequi Literas in nullo ab earum praescripto discedere It is necessarie for vs to follow the Diuine Scriptures and to depart or vary in nothing from that which they prescribe Iren. lib. 2. cap. 59. And Irenaeus Scripturis diuinis quae certa indubitata veritas est in firma valida petra est demum suam aedificare hac varò derelicta alijs niti quibuscunque doctrinis incertam effusae arenae vnde facilis sit euersio est ruinam struere To build vpon the diuine Scriptures which is the sure and indubitable truth is to build vpon a firme and strong rocke but this being left to rely vpon any other doctrines vvhatsoeuer is to build to certaine ruine vpon fleeting sand from vvhence the ouerthrow is easie Againe Ambros lib. de parad cap. ◠In Scripturis diuinis non facilà reprehendamus aliquid quod intelligere non possumus they pursue this obiection farther saying If it should be graunted that with much study the learned might attaine the knowledge of the true vvay from the false by reading the Scriptures yet how shall the simple resolue themselues by that rule vvhen the principall questions arise from the variable exposition of Scripture I told you before that I gaue not this note as an absolute infallible marke to know the true way by though being rightly taken it is truly such a note as is formerly required Essentiall Proper Permanent and the principall things whereby vvee are distinguished and discerned from Iewes Turkes and Pagans but I brought it to discouer the false way as by a light in a darke place And though the Ideot as S. Paule cals him be not able to iudge of the Scripture yet he hath an abridgement of the Scripture that is certaine short rules drawne out by the Apostles or Apostolique Men to guide his faith by and to try the spirits and the doctrine propounded this abridgement is called the Apostles Creede Now none can bee so simple at least in these dayes except they bee beg'd or go a begging but they can vvith labor and study if they thinke the saluation of their soules vvorth the vvhile finde vvhether the doctrine taught crosseth and contradicteth either the Lords Prayer the Commandements or the Articles of our Creede all which they haue commonly by heart Yea God is often so fauorable to these poore soules vvho seeke him in true humility with a sight and acknowledgement of their owne weaknesse and vvith a hunger and thirst after righteousnes that he reueales to babes and sucklings vvhat he conceales from great Doctors and Rabbies Insomuch as though Balaam himselfe blinded by couetousnesse and the desire of gaine and glory cannot see vvhen his vvay is contrary to Gods vvay and when the Angel is ready to smite him Numb 2 32. yet Balaams Asse can see this And they are worse and more stupide then Balaams Asse that will not both see and confesse these flat contradictions opposing directly the written and reuealed vvill of God For it is easier to see flat contradictions and oppositions then things only diuerse or dissentaneous as weake eyes can discerne what stands in the light at least what stops the light To this end whereas God to his owne glory hath suffered Antichrist mightily to preuaile and to seduce many by glorious shewes of vnity and Antiquity and generall apparences and flourishes of truth it hath pleased his goodnes in that Sea Kingdome of Antichrist to leaue such open notorious markes of falsehood Abac. 〈…〉 as they which run by may reade the Emnity betwixt the serpent and the seede of the woman still continuing opposing the truth of the Scripture by doctrines directly contrary both to the outward Letter of the Text and inward meaning of the Holy Ghost And that I may instance briefely what I haue so peremptorily affirmed If they heare Christ say Mar. 6. When yee pray pray thus Our Father c. And then heare another say Nay rather when yee pray pray thus O Saint Mary Queene of heauen O Saint Michael Saint Peter Saint Paule c. they vvill know this is not as it should be and that there is flat contradiction betwixt these two speeches Thou shalt worship thy Lord thy God Mat 4. and him only shall thou serue which is the vvord of Christ and this Thou shalt not worship God only but the Saints and Angels also which is the voyce of Antichrist If thou hearest God say Exod. 20 Thou shalt make thee no grauen Image c. and hearest others say Thou shalt make Images and worship them The Images of God and Christ thou shalt adore with diuine worship the Image of the Virgin Mary and other Saincts vvith the worship that is due to the person it selfe and to this end shalt see them curtaile this commandement out of their Catechismes that by this meanes at this gap they may bring their Whore with all her abhominations in triumph into the Church as sometimes the Grecians did their horse into Troy though thou canst not perhaps well vnderstand their distinctions yet thou canst distinguish this fasehood from truth and see how this their doctrine and practise contradicteth the word of God and therefore howsoeuer it may seeme faire to be the right way to life yet it is foule play and the end thereof must needs bee the Yssues of death Againe when thou repeatest in thy Creede this Article I beleeue in Iesus Christ c. He ascended into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty and from thence shall come to iudge the quicke and dead c. And hearest a presumtuous Priest with blasphemous mouth say This wafer or peece of bread I will presently make the body of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world by crossing it and vsing three or foure words ouer it Thou must needs see that this binds thee to beleeue two contrary things at once for sitting at Gods right hand being spoken to our capacity after the manner of men betokens a remaining and locall residing in heauen touching his bodily presence and comming from thence to iudgement assures thee he will not come before he come to iudge the quicke and the dead And thou maist aswell call his birth his life his death and all the rest of his actions passions in question
Thirdly some naturall vertues for neighborhoods sake and for some resemblance betwixt them are often mistaken for Theologicall vertues And this point would bee vvell obserued for it deceiues many both in judging of others and in iudging themselues too vvhilst either they consider not the difference or marke not the proper concurrants to both or distinguish not betwixt Nature and Grace Thus morall or ciuill honestie vvhich a Turke may haue lookes like true sanctitie vvhich the true Christian onely hath So historicall Faith vvhich vvicked men may haue and the diuels haue lookes at first blush to some that haue eyes to see no farther like iustifying Faith vvhich the Elect onely haue So naturall loue vvhich Ethnickes haue is mistaken for Christian Charitie for that a vvorke be good that is accepted of God it must proceede out of Faith and be done in obedience to his commandement and to the end to glorifie him Now this cannot be vvithout knowledge that is the ground of all for how shall they beleeue on him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. Bona opera dicuntur opera Ethnicorum aut secundum apparentiam tantùm aut quod substantia operis in se bona sit licèt subiecto obiecto fine alijsque circumstantijs sit malum The vvorkes of Ethnickes are called good either by reason of their apparence onely or that the substance of the worke is in it selfe good although in respect of the subiect obiect end and other circumstances it bee euill And againe Opera Ethnicorum non idcircò mala dicuntur quod fiant simplicitèr sed quòd non fiant benè The vvorkes of Ethnickes are not therefore said to bee euill as they are simply done but for that they are not done well as they ought to be For that a naturall vertue be christened as I may say vvithout vvhich it cannot be acceptable to God there must concurre these circumstances 1. First that it be done in a right vvay a right faith a right religion which is onely in the faith of Christ other foundation can no man lay 1. Cor. 3. 11. 2. Secondly that it be warranted by a speciall faith that is first a certaine knowledge out of Gods word that it is a worke pleasing to him and not contradictorie to his will secondly vvith a full perswasion that his person vvho performes it is reconciled to God in and through Christ Iesus and so his worke yea all his works accepted as the person and sacrifice of Abcl was accepted of God Gen. 4. 3. Thirdly that it be done to a good end that is to glorifie God to testifie our loue and thankfulnesse to him for his infinite loue to vs and to make our owne election sure And all workes done otherwise how great soeuer they be how glorious a shew soeuer they make either in our owne eyes or in the eyes of the world are those apparances vvhich often beguile good men I meane men of good natures of good naturall dispositions and affections aud vvhich S. Augustine cals splendida peccata glistering sinnes promising life but leading to death Their wayes seeme right in their owne eyes but the yssues therof are the wayes of death Viae priuatae In the second place we haue priuate vvayes vvhich are vvayes of ease for a mans person or the priuate vse of his family as garden alleys vvalkes back-wayes and by-wayes And these haue their resemblances in our generall callings as Christians and in our particular callings as we are Ministers Magistrates Lawyers Merchants or the like 1. In our generall callings wee haue priuate wayes vvhereby vvith Nouatus vve thinke to goe to heauen alone by our selues As for instance amongst our Romish Aduersaries the infinite Orders and vvayes of perfection as they call them doe plainely manifest and vvith vs that auersenesse and singularitie of humour vvhich preuailes so farre with some as it causeth vvhatsoeuer is commaunded by the lawfull Magistrate in Church affaires to be by them and their followers vtterly misliked if for no other reason yet for this that it is commanded and in obaying they should commit as they say three grieuous faults 1. Sinne against their consciences 2. Giue offence and scandall to their weake brethren 3. Infringe their Christian liberty 2. In our particular calling wee haue our priuate walkes also euery one neglecting the maine end at which they should driue and ayming obliquely either at priuate gaine at vaineglory or the satisfaction of some base humor and passion And to begin with the Diuine because he should leade others right The end of his vocation is by preaching to acquaint men with the will of God by praying to turne the wrath of God from the people and to obtaine a blessing vpon his labors and by practise to confirme such in the true faith by vvorkes as he hath wonne by words to beleeue and imbrace it But doth he tend this errand alas nothing lesse for assoone as he is fligge and comes fresh out of the Vniuersitie if he bee crost in his first preferment then he growes refractary to the State and present government of the Church established neither makes he conscience to mis-leade others so he may be head of a faction and be thought somebody But if in his first yeeres he meetes no checke but gets preferment his study then is to grow with the time and then he cannot distinguish the warts moles scarres and corruptions of the Church from perfections and graces his study is not to discharge one Cure well but to procure and charge himselfe with many to heape steeple vpon steeple as if he ment to climbe vp to heauen that way And after all to retire himselfe to a Prebendary out of the vvay where like a bird in a cage he may be fed fat and prouide to purschace some new and higher preferment but neuer sing more This his way seemes good to himselfe for I will not vncharitably iudge him to sin against his conscience and yet he finds the issue thereof to be the vvayes of death But we must let him alone he is in his way it is in vaine to moue him to leaue it for he laughes both at the motion and the man that makes it he abounds in his owne sense and will not be taught but by sence by feeling punishment when it is too late to shun it The Lawyer is presented next the end of whose vocation is to do iustice and determine controuersies truly for the procuring and preseruing of peace But doth he hold himselfe strictly in his course to accomplish this end of his calling and profession Alas no. But he demeanes himselfe for the most part as a man placed aboue the Lawe And what he doth is either against the Lawe or without a Lawe as it were by his princely prerogatiue 1. Tim. 1. 9. non est iusto lex posita c. There is no Lawe for a Lawyer Thus he may take what cause he list in hand though he know it be