all places where we dwell How would our monethly diligence bee laid aside Menstrua diligentia knowing that they are blessed that watch at the gates of wisedome Prou. 8.33 and giue attendance at the posts of her doores The impious Church-robbers can say come let vs take the houses of God into our possession let vs take them into our possessions by a better right and comparing all the glory of the world with them crie out with the Psalmist Why hoppe yee so yee high hils Psal 87.2 3. This is Gods hill in which it pleaseth him to dwell God loueth the gates of Zion aboue all the dwellings of Iacob And shall not we loue his Church Consider what I shall say and God giue you vnderstanding in all things Here euen here in the assembly of the Saints God giues his beloued meat and drinke with other necessarie refreshments for their soules The whole Church of God may be compared to an house where there are places of repast and places of lodging the Church militant may be compared to the Hall where all Gods seruants meet together in seuerall assemblies for their spirituall food the Church triumphant to the lodgings where they rest from their labours As therefore we doe discouer our naturall appetite to meat drinke and cloathing without which we cannot liue so should we discouer the health of our soules by a spirituall appetite to the refreshments of Gods house without which we cannot liue happily It is true indeed that our frequent assemblings to Gods house in many places were enough to make vs iudge that we doe vehemently affect it but all is not gold that glistereth Some come of pride when they so ouerweene themselues I condemne not hearing in season and out of season but this foolish abuse by the superstitious as if the ordinarie imployments of the world were not worthy to be a taske for them and therefore they by their good wils will doe nothing but heare heare heare as if the whole practise of Christianitie stood in nothing but hearing some come of custome some because others come some because it is the fashion some of vaine-glory and some of policie Their motion hitherward is not naturall proceeding from some internall principle of the spirits dwelling in them but violent by some of these outward engines Therefore in the feare of God hearken what I shall say Some Heralds tell vs that none ought to beare gold yellow colour in Armes but Emperors and Kings and such as be of the Bloud Royall Oh that none would beare the glittering shew of profession and holinesse but those that are of the race of Iesus Christ the King of Kings then should we not be as the Priests Prince and people of Israel a snare in Mizpeh to the simple and a net spread on Mount Tabor to catch them that know vs not with an opinion of good men and women faithfull companions and deare friends when nothing lesse To preuent this and to worke the contrary let vs but doe as DAVID desires that is dwell in Gods house which yet he vnderstandeth not of corporall habitation for the house of God is no ordinarie palace for a Prince but in respect of spirituall affection His heart was alwaies there not so much through the loue of the outward fabricke though neuer so glorious as for the presence there and the duties performed Let it be thus with vs let vs not be like the baser sort of people in Swethland who doe alwaies breake the Sabbath saying that it is only for Gentlemen to keepe that day but let our hearts dwell vpon it and vpon Gods house which was principally ordained for it Let our hearts be ready to meet it before it comes and let our hearts follow after it when it is gone If it be thus with vs it is the only way to root out all formalitie in vs and to worke vs to walke in this duty as in the sight and presence of God If it be not thus with vs the house of God will be so farre from doing of vs good that our corporall dwelling in it will doe vs hurt For as it is with a riuer neere Buda in Hungarie it conuerts wood into stone so the word will bee a sauour of death vnto death and make the heart stonie out of Gods iust iudgement for the abuse of it 3. Motiues We haue thus considered the obiect of DAVIDS desires In the applying whereof I haue striued to perswade you to desire as DAVID did And because we are backward to practise good duties we therefore haue need of many motiues But I will not stray take but the two motiues of DAVIDS desires in this place 1. Tâ—e â—â—ith of 〈◊〉 house in â—â—selfe The first is the worth of Gods house in it selfe that is the comely visage sweet presentment or beauty of the Lord. Whence carry this obseruation alwaies with you That The house of God hath worth in it selfe to draw our desires after it How amiable saith Dauid are thy Tabernacles Psal 84.1 O Lord of Hosts Marke here two words first he saith that the tabernacles of God are amiable That is amiable which hath worth in it selfe to draw our loue Loue is in the louer and not in things loued it being wrought in vs and bestowed vpon other things vpon our weake apprehensions and opinions but this amiablenesse is in the thing it selfe whereto we looke which hauing worth doth draw our desires and affections after it Secondly hee saith How amiable whereby he doth imply a secret consultation which he doth make with his owne soule concerning the excellency of the house of God and a resolution that it is so excellent that he cannot expresse it But what was this beauty that set on fire Dauids desires Truly there were many excellent rudiments both in the Tabernacle and in the things contained in them pointing at and teaching Christ to come in which there could not but be matter of much beauty yet this was not all nor it may be the principall that Dauid meanes For though no doubt he was an excellent Master of Ceremonies both for signe and sense yet these were not they that hee beheld for euen Kings came but to the outer Court and the beauty of that stood in the common sacrifices the word prayer and praise by the singing voices of men well ordered You will say what beauty was there in the killing and burning of an oxe Surely none in it selfe but as it was the ordinance of God shewing both our guiltinesse and lying in our owne goare and also Iesus Christ dying to acquit vs. What beauty is there in hauing the Word of God read and expounded by a weake earthen vessell Nothing in it selfe but as it is the ordinance of God for the discouering of God seeing of sinne conuerting of soules mortifying of lusts and putting of life into grace What beauty is there in hearing a man of polluted lips to pray or
their filthinesse their guiltie hearts will endure no sounding those haue a purpose to be cleanly and would haue the least filthinesse to be discouered Secondly he beginneth with those spots which are most conspicuous to the eye of those whom they may offend so must we begin with our vngodly hearts which are most offensiue to the eye of God As when God pulleth a sinner to him Ezek. 36. he diggeth out the quarry of stones from the heart So must we looke to that principally and say with Dauid Psal 51. Create in me a cleane heart O Lord and renue a right spirit within me Those that meane neuer to be cleane begin at the feet and hand that is the outer man and if in outward conuersation they doe abstaine from rebellion whoredome murther and the like they thinke all is well when they are but painted sepulchres full of rotten stuffe and stinke Thirdly hee proceedeth to all parts that they may be sutable So must we that we may attaine vnto holinesse be carefull that all our vessels be preserued in holinesse and honour 1 Thess 4.4 and that the new man be cleansed from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. â— 1 and grow vp in full holinesse in the feare of God Fourthly he proceedeth to his garments and will not wittingly endure filth vpon them So we must hate the garment spotted of the flesh that is all occasions and inducements to sinne yea all sinfull appearances and such as we cannot auoid we must hate whereas the slouenly Christian thrusteth himselfe vpon all occasions and because he is filthie he careth not to be more filthie still Fiftly he is carefull to keepe himselfe cleane so long as he can So we must labour to increase faith which may purifie our hearts wee must oft besprinkle our soules with the bloud of Christ which is like purging fire and like Fullers sope and is that Fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse Wee must reuerently frequent the Word and Sacrament and when wee heare Christ say That if he wash vs not we haue no part in him we must fall downe before him in faithfull prayer saying O blessed Sauiour wash me thorowly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sins Oh wash my feet my head my hands my affections my imaginations and my actions that I may be vnspotted of the world Thus we haue heard the meanes of holinesse God giue vs grace to vse them to Gods glory and our eternall comfort Vse 2 Hauing applied this point vnto our selues we must apply it also to the Church of Rome and seeing it is naturall to pure religion to keepe vs from open professed tainture we learne that the religion of Rome is a false counterfeit religion True religion is as you haue heard according to godlinesse whereas the religion of Rome is the mystery of iniquity and 2 Thes 2.7 if we will be but carefull to marke we shall see that they teach and professe sins against all the grounds of religion Epis Derens Diatrib de Antich l. 3. c. 6 7. Thomps Antich arraâ—g pag. 96 97 c. Perk aduertis Willet Synopsis others Some of our side doe open it one way some another as they doe abound in their owne sense but I open it as it followeth as plainely as I can As Adam in his cursed apostasie from God brake the whole law of nature in that one sinne of eating the forbidden fruit He brake the first commandement by choosing the deuills temptation cleauing vnto him rather than to God and his coÌ„mandements The second by not being ruled by Gods Word the rule of Gods worship The third by falling away from sinceritie and perseuerance and giuing way to the blasphemies of Satan The fourth by making himselfe vnfit to keepe the Sabbath for as we sin against the Sabbath vpon the Sabbath day when we doe not holily performe the duties of it so we may sin against it also vpon other dayes both when we doe not walke in the strength of the duties of that day and also when we doe make our selues vnfit to keepe the Sabbath when it comes The fifth commandement by exposing his owne honor to contempt in yeelding to the inticement of his wife and in not prouiding for the good of his posteritie The sixth by bringing death vpon himselfe and all the children of men the seuenth by being too vxorious for as there may be vncleannesse abroad so dotage at home the eight by depriuing of himselfe and all mankinde of their right to the creatures the ninth by giuing way to the schisme and heresie of Satan and to the lie of the woman and the tenth by disturbing concupiscence at home making a mutinie in the passions lusts and affections Euen so the Pope his faction in his departing from Iesus Christ haue do breake the whole law of God They sin against the first commandement by cleauing vnto Saints by faith and hope in praier and by putting trust in their Masse merits Against the second by making the images of God and idolatry or worshipping of Images and the Crosse Doctor Carier considerat p. 7. It is poorly blanched of them that say that the Papists do vse images for no other purpose but only for a deuout memory and representation of the Church triumphant which is most fit to be made in the time and place of praier where after a speciall manner we should with all reuerence haue our conuersations amongst the Saints in heauen This I say is a poore shift of those that wilfully will not see that they will haue images worshipped properly and for their owne sake Bellâ—r de Imag. l. 2. c. 21. â— 23. Azor. Iustit mor. pâ—r 1. l. 9. c. 6. 7 c. yea some images by the helpe of some nice distinction with the same worship which is due to God as euen their conscience men or casuists do offer it vnto vs. Against the third commandement they sin by swearing by Idols as the Masse and the creatures as the Saints by absoluing from oathes by making impious vowes of those things which they cannot keepe by making promises which they will not keep to wit with heretickes according to the decree of the Councell of Constance Against the fourth coÌ„mandement by more solemne solemnities on some holy daies than on the Lords daies thereby equaling and preferring the appointments of the Church before the ordinance of almightie God Against the fifth coÌ„mandement by abusing parents in pulling and exempting their children who haue taken vpon them Monkish vowes from their paternall power yea by abusing Kings in exempting the Clergy or Church-men as they are called from the power of their sword and so robbing them of a great part of their subiects as also by blanching such execrable treason as hath beene committed against them with their seeming to abhor the fact Doctor Car. consid p. 8. their not
vsurie to the pit of hell as God shall cleerely manifest vnto vs what it is and as we alreadie doe so farre as we are come To the second question I answer that if we did permit vsurie yet it cannot stand in equall ballance with a stewes for to sinne against a mans goods is lesse than to sin against a mans person and continuance and chaste preseruation in this world That God that will establish the chaire of estate to superiours in the fifth commandement will giue superiours chiefly in charge the life of man in the sixt next to that that their life may not stinke to heauen will haue it preserued by honestie in the seuenth next to that because honest persons must be maintained by honest meanes will haue iustice in the eighth in the ninth commandement that honest meanes may bee settled vpon honest persons will haue truth vsurie therefore failing against the iustice of the eighth commandement though detestable in it selfe yet from Gods order seemes to me to be of a shorter size than the Stewes which fighteth against the person in the seuenth The last beautie of our religion which I shall speake of is this That our religion needs not policie to maintaine it It hath preuailed in all ages since Iesus Christ against all power against all policie The bloud of the Martyrs hath bin the dung of our Church And as Pharaohs policy when he would work most wisely could not preuaile against Israel so in the greatest Egyptian darknesse vnder the dominion of Antichrist our Church could not be so obscured but that she hath felt the strength of Romes policy the stroke of her power without her subuersion And at the time when it pleased God to make light to shine out of darknesse that our religion might by degrees climbe againe to its wonted glorie what could the power of the Emperour with the policie of the Pope preuaile against a poore weake man Luther who came with the spirit of power in the name of the Lord For the further propagating of our religion it neither hath neither doth it stand in need of policie If wee should hold a Councell wee need none of the trickes of the Councell of Trent We need not either propound our Canons in such ambiguous termes as will admit of diuers constructions Vpsalensis and Armachanus were created Arâ—h bishops as we reade in the Councell of Trent who yet were Nullatâ—ncases like the ancient Oracles of Apollo neither need wee to create either Archbishops or Bishops to fill vp the number that our voyce may be the more full who haue neither Church nor Diocesses Wee need no bloudie Inquisition to clap the title and punishment of an Heretike vpon euerie one who doth smell either by conuersation or conference of a religion opposite to vs wee need not that Idoll sacrifice of the Masse to fill our purses that poore and poeticall conceit of purgatory to warme our kitchins their Auricular confession to make vs terrible by being of the secretest counsell wee defie to purge either Fathers or any other Authors of their true meaning to make them our witnesses or to be so exact in the prohibition of Hereticall bookes Mar. Anto. de Dom. prosectionis consilium p. 8. 9. that carefull Students in Diuinitie yea Bishops may not reade bookes contrarie to our opinion without licence wee say with the Apostle Iudge yee what I say doe not sweare to the truth of our words except ye finde them so yea of the common people into whose hands many Popish bookes doe fall wee doe but desire this fauour that they would reade them with our answers and humbly desire God that they may finde out the truth remembring thaâ— sweet speech of our blessed Sauiour Iohn 7.17 If any man will doe Gods will hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether we speake of our selues Pia mendacia We abhorre godly lies as they terme them to worke deuotion blinde obedience equiuocating can finde no countenancing amongst vs yea our religion perswades to die and manfully to confesse the name of Iesus rather than thus to lye Neither these nor any other trickes of policie blessed be God doe we stand in need of but confidently expect the turning of Achitophels wisdome into folly and the ruine of the spirituall Egypt and Sodome of Rome in Gods due time notwithstanding all her politike factors and agents throughout the Christian world Thus haue we considered the first motiue to further our desiâ—es to be and to be still of the true Church amongst vs. The second is that in it we may inquire 2 Matter of direction in it and haue full and sound direction to bring vs to life eternall And that it is thus amongst vs may be seene in two things First in this that we haue the oracles of God to consult withall Rom. 3.2 as the Apostle calleth the Scriptures Euery meane Artizan with vs may winde vp his heart from all the distractions and troubles of this world by a daily conferring with God out of the diuine acts of his owne heauenly wisdome The booke of God is or may be in euery mans house and hands And if the word of the great Cham of Tartarie standeth for a law because he is blasphemously called of his subiects the sonne of God and the shadow of God Filius Dei Vmbra Dei Anima Dei. Colos 3.16 and the soule of God then infinitely more worthily doe we account the word of our God to be a law vnto vs it being the shadow of his wisdome And therefore he commanding the Colossians no vnnecessarie obedience we hold it as necessarie for vs that the word of Christ dwell plentifully in vs. Yea we account it our happinesse that as in the Island Rhodes the Sunne is neuer so masked with a cloud but that once in a day it doth shine vpon it so our worldly imployments doe neuer so dampe and darken our spirituall life light and heat but that there is or may be at the least some little comfortable intercourse betweene vs and the word of God day by day if we be not our owne enemies We are sure that we are bound to follow Gods will and therefore we are not afraid to know it Yea we hold it our dutie as Gods children to looke into our Fathers Will and Testament that we may be the better furnished not to breake it And if at any time we neglect the reading and searching of the holy Scriptures we doe desire God that he would send his fatherly rod to whip vs vp to more diligence and to say vnto vs as Aristippus said vnto one who asked him what was become of the friendship betweene him and Aeschines It is asleepe but I will awake it Can we thinke it a fault deseruing burning to haue and to reade a Bible in our natiue tongue Or can we be so miserable as not to obey God in reading