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A08457
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The pearle of perfection sought after by Charles Odingsells, Doctour of Divinitie
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Odingsells, Charles, d. 1637.
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1637
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STC 18782; ESTC S113411
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51,839
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106
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there the same Father speaking of the just and righteous saith Bernard ub◠suprà Iustus nunquam arbitratur se comprehendisse nunquam dicitsatis est sed semper esurit sititque justitiam The just man never supposeth that he hath comprehended never saith it is enough but alwayes hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnesse So that if he might liue alwayes he would alwayes as much as in him lieth striue to be more righteous But as the emptiest bladders are most filled with winde so the poorest Christians haue many times the greatest conceit and opinion of their own sufficiency they thinke they haue enough when as in truth they haue a great deale too little Omnia illi desunt Bern. de consid l. 2. ca. 7. qui nil sibi deesse putat he wants all things who thinketh he wanteth nothing saith holy Bernard When our Saviour rehearsed the precepts of the second Table to the young man he answered presently All these things haue I kept from my youth up Mat. 19. v. 20 21. what lacke I yet but the wisedome of GOD threw downe his pride and stopped his mouth with a Si vis esse perfectus c. If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heaven This was a corrosiue to his stomach a pill which he could not well digest And yet there ought to be in every one of us such a measure of perfection as that through effectuall charitie and loue of God we should be readie and willing upon just occasion actually to relinquish father and mother wife and children our goods our lands our liues and all things for the asserting of GODS glorie and for the testimony of Iesus This historie of that young man in the Gospell teacheth us how forcible a remora the loue of the world and worldly things is to stay the shippe of the Christian soule saying on in her voyage unto perfection and felicitie Whereupon the Apostle St. Iohn cryes amaine unto us 1 Iohn 2.15 Loue not the world nor the things of the world for if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him CHAP. XXIX Of three evill qualities in spirituall sloath ACarelesse negligence of our estate in pietie is attended with three evill properties First it is cold and remisse in proficiency secondly it is heavie and dull in going on to perfection thirdly it is a waster and destroyer of grace and so a maine enemie to perfection Wherefore this spirituall sluggishnesse is by Iohannes de sancto Geminiano aptly compared to Saturne the highest planet for three things First He is infrigidativus of a cold qualitie Ioan. de Sanct. Gem. de exempl Simili◠rerum lib. 1. cap. 2. secondly He is tardè incessivus of slow motion thirdly He is faetuum mortificativus a destroyer of young ones First as Saturne is of a cold cooling qualitie causing coldnesse in the inferior bodies and exciting melancholy So spirituall sloath makes a carelesse Christian become cold and remisse in charitie in the loue of God and man for he neither so loveth GOD objectivè as to will more good to Him than to any creature neither doth he so loue Him appretiativè as to value Him at a higher rate or price than the whole world or his owne life Nedum intensivè much lesse doth he loue God with a greater and more ardent degree of loue than his owne life or any other creature And seeing the love of our neighbour is the reflection of Gods loue in out hearts this being so remisse that other of necessitie must be very coole and so coole as that he neither loveth his neighbour as himselfe after the rule of the Law nor as Christ loved us which is the rule of the Gospell So that whereas inward perfection consists in the loue of God and our Neighbour saith Aquinas Aquin. in Heb. cap. 6. lect 1. the spirituall sluggard must needs come short of perfection being so cold and defectiue in this golden vertue of Charitie which is Vinculum perfectionis Col. 3.14 the very bond of perfection Againe as Saturne is of a slow motion finishing his course through the Zodiacke in no lesse than thirtie yeares so the spirituall sluggard is very slow in the use of grace and exercise of good workes going so slowly on unto perfection as that he doth scarce formicinum gradum movere mooue as fast as the pismire and stands in neede to be brobd with Salomons goade and set on his way with a Vade ad formicam piger c. Goe to the Ant thou sluggard Prov. 6.6 consider her wayes and be wise which having no guide over-seer or ruler provideth her meate in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest Lastly as Saturne is destructiue to young ones lately brought forth so spirituall drowsinesse and remissenesse even slay the fruits of grace and vertue when they begin to spring up If any pious motions to good be lately engendred in the heart either by reading the word of life or hearing it read preached or expounded or by private admonition or any good meanes by and by this pestilent vice is readie to strangle them in the birth Children borne under the dominion of Saturne are not vitall many times die within a few dayes as the Astrologers say so good motions begunne in the spirituall sluggard oft die as soone as they be borne and so never come to perfection So that whereas Fulgentius saith of Saturne Filios verò suos comedisse fertur Fulg. Myth ad Catum l. 1. in Fab. Sat. quòd quodcunque tempus gignit consumit He is said to devoure his sonnes because whatsoever time begetteth it consumeth this spirituall sloath doth it not in a long tract of time but in the nativitie or soone after for this common pernicious vice is like the red Dragon in the Apocalyps Apoc. 12.4 which stands before the woman readie to be delivered for to devoure her childe as soone as it is borne But wee must shake off this pestiferous Viper wee must be vigilant and stand upon our watch every houre least whilst wee sleepe the enemie come and sow tares amongst the good seeds of grace sowen in our hearts When the fire of the Spirit is begun to be enkindled in us let us not quench it and put it out againe with the cold water of carelesse remissenesse and negligence but as the Trumpet of grace exhorteth let us with all diligence and holy endeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.6 blow up the sparkes of grace already sparkling in our soules let us by all meanes nourish them but not extinguish them that so we may grow up into Christ our head unto a perfect man following the most wholesome counsell of the great Apostle St. Peter concluding his last Epistle with this heavenly exhortation Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
THE PEARLE OF PERFECTION SOVGHT AFTER By CHARLES ODINGSELLS Doctour of Divinitie GEN. 17.1 I am the Almightie God walke before me and be thou perfect LONDON Printed by M.D. for Iohn Williams at the signe of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1637. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in GOD RICHARD Lord Arch bishop of Yorke his Grace Primate of ENGLAND and Metropolitane And one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Privie Councell THere are not a few who with NAAMAN the Syrian take greater delight in Abana and Tharpar rivers of Damascus than in Iordane wherein our Saviour was baptized than in the waters of Israel the holy waters of Sailo which run gently than in the living waters of the Sanctuarie Ezek. 47 9. which given 〈…〉 to them which mooue therein These are they who after the vulgar estimation preposterously judge the fine meale of pure literature to be course bran and their own course bran of humane knowledge and observation to be fine meale who with Aesops Cocke refuse the pearle and choose the barley corne Such I desire not to please but those who are meliore luto of a better mould and temper of sounder resolution and judgement The argument of perfection worthy to be intreated of is handled by me not as I would much lesse as it requireth but so as by reason of my bodily infirmities and other defects I could I haue propounded this briefe indigest worke as a short modell and briefe draught to be curiously polished and embellished by some others to whom God hath beene pleased to giue a greater measure of knowledge with more health and strength of bodie and withall a richer Librarie a speciall helpe not in the last place requisite For surely as in other Sciences and arts so also in our transcendent Science of Theologie the Philosophers rule is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist polit li. 3. ca. 12. He that shall excell in his worke must haue excellent tooles to worke withall In the meane time I am bold to present unto your Grace this imperfect worke of perfection in token of my dutifull and humble respect to your Lordship our most worthy Metropolitane and Diocesan To whom wee under your Graces jurisdiction doe by good right owe all canonicall obedience and observance unto whom I in particular doe earnestly desire and wish all spirituall and corporall happinesse here on earth and after everlasting fruition of eternall glorie and felicitie in the Heavens Your Graces in all humble dutie to command CHARLES ODINGSELLS A Table of all the principall things contained in the severall Chapters of this Booke Chapter 1. THE Proeme to perfection Folio 1 Chapter 2. The etymologie of perfection Folio 3 Chapter 3. The divers kindes of perfection Folio 4 Chapter 4. Of Spirituall perfection Folio 5 Chapter 5. Of perfection in the state of grace Folio 7 Chapter 6. Concerning knowledge Folio 9 Chapter 7. Concerning knowledge supernaturall Folio 12 Chapter 8. Of the knowledge of God by affection and not bare apprehension onely Folio 15 Chapter 9. Of the knowledge of God in Christ Folio 16 Chapter 10. Concerning Christs Incarnation Folio 18 Chapter 11. Concerning Christs Passion Folio 20 Chapter 12. Concerning Christs Resurrection Folio 22 Chapter 13. Concerning Christs Intercession Folio 24 Chapter 14. Of our union with Christ Folio 26 Chapter 15. Of the knowledge of ourselves necessary to perfection Folio 28 Chapter 16. Of the further knowledge of our selues Folio 31 Chapter 17. Of righteousnesse perfecting the will Folio 33 Chapter 18. Of righteousnesse imputed Folio 35 Chapter 19. Of imputed righteousnesse made ours by faith Folio 37 Chapter 20. Of the different participating of imputed righteousnesse by faith Folio 39 Chapter 21. Of righteousnesse inherent and first of righteousnesse according to morall Philosophie Folio 43 Chapter 22. How Christian inherent righteousnesse differeth from morall righteousnesse Folio 45 Chapter 23. Of the nature of inherent righteousnesse Folio 48 Chapter 24. Of the fruits of inherent justice Folio 49 Chapter 25. Of the nature and qualitie of good workes Folio 52 Chapter 26. That no man by his owne righteousnesse keepeth the Law and is without sinne Folio 56 Chapter 27. Of the growth and increase of inherent righteousnesse Folio 61 Chapter 28. Of spirituall sloath an enemy to perfection Folio 64 Chapter 29. Of three evill qualities in spirituall sloath Folio 67 Chapter 30. What perfection of inherent righteousnesse is attainable in this life Folio 70 Chapter 31. Of perfect righteousnesse in this life more punctually and plainly Folio 73 Chapter 32. Concerning Perseverance Folio 76 Chapter 33. Of perfection in Glorie Folio 80 Chapter 34. Of perfection by immortalitie in Glorie Folio 87 Chapter 35. Of different perfection in Glorie Folio 91 THE PEARLE OF PERFECTION CHAP. I. The Proeme to Perfection THE generations of men had been multiplyed upon the face of the earth above five thousand yeares before the mines of gold were found out in the Westerne Indies And no marvaile seeing the spirituall gold of the Sanctuarie the saving Truth of God in Christ was not discovered unto the Gentiles to Kingdomes and Nations untill the world had continued in blindnesse and ignorance well-nigh foure thousand yeares But as humane truth which with Gollins is temporis filia Gell. noct art lib. 12. cap. 11 the daughter of time though shee be long buryed deepe below yet remaines not alwayes in the darke night of obscuritie but commeth at length to light So the divine and heavenly truth was not alwayes to bee concealed from the miserable lapsed progenie of Adam but by the providence of God was in due time revealed even in plenitudine temporis Gal. 4.4 in the fulnesse of time in the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 in the day of salvation Then the Messias the Life and the Truth came into the world then the desire of the Nations the bright morning Starre appeared in our flesh full of grace and truth And He He set mens hearts on fire inflaming them with the loue of truth Hee excited and stirred up the mindes of men to a diligent enquiry and searching after her that so having found her they might goe and sell all to buy her that they might deny themselues and their owne carnall wisedome that they might renounce the world lightly esteeming of transitory pleasures profits and preferments the worlds three minions and darlings and all to purchase the pearle of true perfection a pearle most precious and of inestimable value Which now shineth and giveth a bright luster in the militant Church by grace but hereafter shall bee more admirably polished and adorned by glorie in the tryumphant Church in heaven in the Kingdome of God in that Kingdome whereof according to St. Augustine Aug. Marcelâ—no epist 5. The King is Veritie The Law is Charitie the measure is Eternitie CHAP. II. The Etymologie of Perfection PErfection is in Latine perfectio and this from the verbe perficere compounded of per and facere and it signifieth