of our endeuours I know that you will cut and slash me in your censures as meate to the cauldron yet Dicatur veritas rumpatur inuidia Let trueth be spoken and enuie burst her gall We had neede to doe by and with you as the little children did with Minerua the goddesse so esteemed by them that ruled the memorie the storehouse of discipline and of wisedome which children at this Mineruaes feast vsed to carrie new yeeres gifts to their masters making play dayes of the same to the seruice of the Goddesse whereof came this verse of Ouid Pallida nunc pueri tenerique or note puella qui bene placarit Pallida doctus erit Now Pallas Temple youth and damsels fill He that can please her shall haue mit at will Desire we your good commendations e yea we would but then wee must shew our selues refractary to established orders wrangle about formes and shadowes and shoote squibbes in the ayreat those that are in authority then we shall please you and our doctrine shal be embraced Otherwise we cannot purchase your fauour for your Motto is Wee loue such preaching But let vs see if there bee any iust cause of your calumniations which if there be it will appeare either in doctrine discipline or manners First that it may appeare that there is none in doctrine obserue these three points following First that it must be from God that is The doctrine vpon which we build our saluation must be such as God hath preseribed vnto his Church For Cursed are they that adde thereunto as is manifest by our Lord In vaine they worship mè teaching for doctrine the precepts of mens yea if an Angel should preach any other doctrine then that which God hath deliuered let him bee accursed No doctrine goes currant in the ballance of the Sanctuary but such as comes fró the bosome of the Father Then iudge if the Church of England doth erre or no fró this point namely retaining that doctrine and only that doctrine which God hath prescribed We doe not like the Papists teach you to build your faith vpon vnwritten verities Secondly as it must be from God so it must be compleat that is the whole will of God must be vsed in the Church For the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince and to instruct in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect to euery good worke For not one syllable of Gods word must be kept backe And in this the Church of England cleareth her selfe as in the former not keeping backe any part of Gods word from the Church but freely teaching and giuing liberty vnto prosessors wholly to enioy it Indeed if we should with the Church of Rome locke vp the word in an vnknowen tongue or steale part out from it as they doe the second Commandement we were then iustly to bee accused Thirdly and lastly it must bee rightly ordered which the Church of England obserues For wherein doeth our Church offend in this For we teach Gods loue the primary cause of our saluation Christ his obedience and suffering to be the materiall cause and faith the instrumental cause Againe we teach first Election then Calling then Iustification then Glorification Therefore if there be the same which God commanded and all that God commanded and also ordered according to his will then the Church of England is not to be condemned nor refused for any thing in the doctrine thereof Seeing you haue no iust cause to complaine in regard of doctrine let vs see if there bee any in the discipline and gouernment thereof To that end that wee may perceiue this point the clearer we will obserue the discipline in three branches first diuine secondly necessary thirdly indifferent First diuine gouernment of discipline is such an order as is set downe by God in his word as Prayer the Sacraments the excommunicating of wicked persons gathering of almes for the poore and Ministers and Elders for the gouernement of the Congregation c. All which are practised in the Church of England yet they obiect that the Sacraments are not obserued as Christ instituted them For there is added the surplesse kneeling the crosse and the like But to these I answere thus First the time when Christ commaunded or ordeined these in the Church the Church was not then established and confined to any place and therefore orders could not be ordained before the Church was established Secondly they may be answered thus Christ did not say as oft as yee obserue these orders yee shew the Lords death but as oft as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup setting downe the subiect and leauing the ordering of it vnto the Church touching outward ceremonies Thirdly it may bee answered thus The Church hath not appointed these ceremonies as any parts of the Sacraments For then they could not bee Sacraments but when they should bee so deliuered and so receiued But now to shew that these outward ceremonies are no parts of the Sacraments They are administred sometimes with them and sometimes without them at the discretion of the Ministers And besides this obserue that when any are of this opinion that these are not lawfull Sacraments without the ceremonies that then these are denied the ceremonies though they hauc the Sacrament to the end they may know these ceremonies to be no part of diuine discipline for if they were they could not nor might be omitted In the next place behold that discipline which wee call necessary that is the vse of such things as God hath not commanded and yet they are needfull and warrantable by consequence from the word of God As for example wee haue no commandement for the manner or for me of consecrating the Sacraments yet it is necessarie that they should bee consecrated Moreouer what commandement haue wee for a forme of prayer yet it is necessary otherwise there would be a confusion in the Church Againe what commandement haue we for the buriall of the dead yet it is necessary that there should be some forme vsed that there may be some distinction betweene the buriall of Christians and dogges Of this nature are Te Deum laudamus after the first Lesson and Benedictus after the second And likewise Magnificat and Nunc demittis Also the Collects and Churching of women and the like which albeit God hath not set downe by way of precept yet they are needfull and cannot be omitted Lastly behold that discipline which wee call indifferent that is the vse of such things as may be vsed or omitted it being no vertue to vse them nor any vice to omit them Such are the Surplesse the Crosse in Baptisme kneeling at the Communion wearing a white cloth to be Churched and sestiuall dayes which things may be done or omitted as occasions may serue The Church of England doeth not like the Church of Rome tye the conscience to the
from man it is damnable to reb God for the thest is so much the greater by how 〈◊〉 God is greater then man and spiritual riches better then temporall Let Dauid be brought foorth for the condemnation of these which concludeth that it is a greater sinne to robbe a poore man then a rich Where Dauid concludeth that hee that had stollen the poore mans sheppe should die you may apply it thus Man is rich God is poore for man hath six dayes allowed him God but one what a shame is it then to steale that one day from God and to appropriate the same to our owne pleasure O great ingratitude that cannot be content to allowe that vnto God which cost thee nothing what wouldest thou doe if it should cost the somewhat hauing sixe dayes canst thou not finde in thy heart to let God haue that one day that hee hath reserued to himselfe What wouldest thou doe if God had taken sixe to himselfe and giuen thee but one yet euen then it had beene a sinne to haue taken any part of those daies from him hen much more now Sinne is tollerable in none and lesse tollerable in some The poore hath no law to prophane the Saboath much lesse the rich These are rich if not too rich and what neede haue veluet coates to steale the Saboath or any part thereof from God These are silken theeues and rather then they will abate any thing the Saboath shall goe to wracke God shall be dishonoured and his word despised If I should tell you that there were man slaughter euery Saboath day in the Exchange you would abhorre it but I say vnto you there is worse for the Saboath day is broken a greater sinne then murther But these will appologise for themselues that it is after they haue beene at the Church well grant it be so yet tell me whether that be not a breach of the law to wound a man though he kill him not or to couzen by craft though he robbe not by force or to lust though the adultery be not committed So then I conclude though we prophane not the whole day yet if any part thereof be prophaned it is a breach of the precept And that it may appeare so turne your considerations to that of Esay Wherein the Lord teacheth vs two things 1. negatiuely a. affirmatiuely Negatiuely he doth dehort vs from two things the one is externall that we should doe no actions belonging to this temporall life either of profit or of pleasure saying Turne away thy foote and speake no vaine word Thus as he doth prohibite the externall prophanation of it so he doeth the internall prophanation also Namely that we should not thinke our owne thoughts And affirmatiuely he commaundeth the sanctifying of the Saboath saying if thou turne away thy foote one the Saboath from doing thine owne will on mine holy day and call the Saboah a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word That you may see the greatnes of this sinne note how the holy Ghost makes this the marke and period of a wicked man Then the land shall enioy her Saboaths Hereby shewing that the wicked are ripe in their wickednesse when they beginne to prophane the Saboath With this compare the saying of Amos. Though they were wicked and cruell and greedy after gaine in the selling of their wares yet would they stay till the Saboath was past Hereby shewing that the breach of the Saboath is a greater sinne then the destruction of the poore You will say that these are strangers that haue their inambulation in the Exchange Well it is so and what of that shall they haue a tolleration thereby to prophane the Saboath Remember that God made one lawe for the Iewe and the stranger and by my consent if they will not be obedient to our law they should haue no benefit by it but I must leaue them to authoritie I haue almost done with the subiect there is but one field more But how is my heart oppressed with sudden passion to transport you into this fielde sowne with a shewe of puritie a hot profession of religion and I hope also with vprightnesse of heart yet there are dangerous teares of murmuration that are ready to choake this good corne and of necessitie must be plowed vppe I speake not this to dull the edge of your profession but rather to sharpen your loue and to ripen your iudgement in true godlinesse For non auditores sed factores legis not the hearers of the lawe shall bee iustified but the doers nec eadem profitentes sed eidem obedientes not professors but performers shall bee glorified Thinke not that I am so far void of charity to condemne these as hypocriticall mocke-gods that altogether run out of the way but steppe aside with one foote whereas they should turne neither to the right hand nor to the left Giue me leaue to say as the holy Ghost saith to the Church of Ephesus I knowe thy workes thy labour and thy patience and thy faith I knowe these haue the fruite of the spirit they are diligent to heare the word conscionable to keepe the Sabbaoth vsing holy exercises in their samilies and hauing a great measure of prayer the Lord increase it an hundred fould more then it is Yet I haue somewhat against them They are too vnnaturall children speaking euill of their mother and those that are in authoritie darting forth male volent speeches slanders and imputations against the gouernours and gouernment both of our Church and common-wealth and disgorging themselues to the great scandall of Religion and griefe to our Clergie Shall the poyson of aspes bee found vnder your tongues you that should defend vs by your speech to offend vs in your words One blowe of you Israelites wounds vs deeper then an hundred stripes of the Edomites If it had beene our enemines that had done vs this dishonour we could well haue endured the same But it is you O professors I that haue lifted vp your hilles against vs. O let me say as God saide by Hosea Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Iuda sinne Though Papistes seeke to blowe vs vp the Brownistes to forsake vs the Deuill to tempt vs the flesh to rebell the world to allure and the wicked to perfecute vs yet let not zealous professors reuile vs let not Iehosephat ioyne with Ahab and take part with the enemies of the Lord least a curse follow It seemes strange vnto me to see how our endeuours are rewarded with vngratefulnesse Be we learned eloquent powerfull zealous painefull and godly in life yet all our labours are requited with a depart from vs we know you not Why Because we are conformalists so that one herbe of this kinde shall spoyle the whole pot of pottage Our conformitie to established orders shall dull the edge
themselues as the affections of men are to be viewed Witnesseth that of Marke where the widowes two Mites were more regarded then the abundance of the rich men because they came from the heart Good things done with an euill minde are but splendida peccata glorious sinnes Wherfore God said O that there were an heart in this people to keepe my Commandements for where there is no heart in the action there is no faith if no faith it cannot bee well done 3. It must be done with readinesse Wee must imitate the Angels which are said to haue wings to note out their readines in executing the will of God God will haue his worke done when hee commands not when wee please While it is called to day harden not your hearts It was the saying of Christ to Zaeheus Come downe at once Delayes must not be made in Gods seruice but as Christ said in another case vnto Iudas That thou doest doe it quickly 4. And lastly must bee faithfulnesse to doe all that that God commaunds and no more for to doe lesse then God doeth commaund is disobedience and to doe more is meere presumption and will worship It was Dauids care and resolution to haue respect vnto all his commaundements Thirdly that it be righteous it must bee done to a good ende for to doe good workes and not to a good ende is either vaine-glory or meere hypocrisie as to instance it thus It is a good worke to giue almes to feede the hungry and cloath the naked But if these be done to be commended of men or for the obtaining of credit rather then for the good of the common wealth it is not commendable So we may say it is bonum in respect of the acte but not bene in respect of the ende Therefore to doe good workes to a good end take these three things along with you 1. That they be propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God That is that the loue and zeale to Gods glory constraine vs hereunto as the Apostle speaketh doe all that ye doe to the glory of God 2. That they bee propter nostram salutem for our saluation 3. That they bee done to the good and profit of others as the Apostle teacheth that euery thing may minister grace vnto the hearers for whatsoeuer is done is not right quod non conducit ad praepositam vtilitatem which belongs not to an intended profit Thus you see the word of righteousnesse that it must be the rule of all our actions as also you see the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them Now before I let you passe from this part I would haue you to marke how our aduersaries doe slander vs saying that the Church of England teacheth faith without good works and giueth libertie to sinne being a doctrine of liscenciousnesse to all impietie insomuch that many are kept from vs by reason of these slanders falsely laide vpon vs. The consideration whereof at the first sight seemes like a great mountaine yet after deliberation it is lesse then a moule-hill For if they so blaspheme the holy word of God it is no wonder they thus slander vs. Besides it hath beene an vsuall thing with them of olde thus to slander the people of God They accuse Wickliffe that he should say that Luther did hold magistrates not lawfull that Caluin saide that Christ dispaired on the Crosse that Beza was turned to popery and so died who was then aliue and by his owne wryting prooued them lyers that Caluin fell into blasphemy with many more of the like nature But to bring this home to their doores to pay them with their owne coyne and to beate them with their owne weapons for doe not they themselues teach a doctrine of liscentiousnesse yes vnspeakeable villaynies both countenanced and canonized for worthies as murthers rapes periuries adulteries and the like as the sruite of such a diabolicall Religion Thus much for the subiect Righteousnesse now followes the propertie of the worke which is to sowe The second part of the seede-time SOwe to your selues in right consnesse The propertie of the worke is now to be obserued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sow sowing is sometimes taken for casting of seede into the ground as thou shalt not sowe the ground with mingled seede some time for preaching of the word the sower went out to sowe and sometime for our actions and so it is here yet we will not fall into the error of Pelagius A Deo habemus quod homines sumus a nobis ipsis autem quod insti sumus wee are beholding to God that we are men but vnto our selues that we are good men But the contrary is God both makes vs and makes vs good men and then being good wee labour to doe well That is as my text saith to sowe good workes as the wise man exhorts Babokar zerang eth-zargnaeca Betimes sowe thy seede That is betimes doe good and he giues the reason The sower of righteousness shall bee truely rewarded Mans life is a continuall sowing either good or bad seede the seede is the worke the ground God and man and the doing or acting is the sowing The metapher holds well for first wee knowe that the husbandman casteth his seede into the ground couers it with earth there it rots and seemes to perish as though he should neuer haue good of the same and thus would a man iudge that knowes not what belongs to that art and that he were foolish to cast his seede into the earth vpon so hopelesse a gaine Euen so the sowing of good and charitable workes seemes to be lost because we see not the fruite of our labour as Iohn noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet it appeareth not what wee are Therefore Salomon compareth this sowing vnto the casting of bread vpon the waters which at the first seemeth to perish And this is the estate of the godly they pray fast giue almes honour God loue man obserue his lawes doe his commaundements with the like yet what is to be seene of all this What profite hath a man of all his labours saith Salomon Where is the destinction of good and bad they seeme to bee all one yet Caine and Abel in one field Cam and Iapha in one arke Ismael and Isaake in one family Esau and Iacob in one wombe Peter and Iudas in one company teares and wheate growne together in one field good and euill are not yet diserned And doe not then our labours seeme to bee lost May we not say with Esay I haue laboured in vaine So the world iudges and we in some sort finde for our life is yet hid with God in Christ Onely wee haue some peace of conscience that the world see a not and the loue of God which it knoweth not But we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him as the Apostle Iohn saith and much like those verses which we read of Pithagoras
he is very vnwilling to goe and leaue any thing vnfinished for hee thinkes to get more in one houre by a piece of paper and that with lesse paines then in this way in a whole moneth with greater labour The drunkard sits at ease on his seate and no sooner calls for one pot but hee shall haue two Therefore hee cares not to come into this patly least their should be no tap-houses in the way for he cannot goe farre without a draught and the iourney being long he faints to thinke of it My lady lust will not come in this path because she cannot meete with her companions and to leaue her whorish trade and take paines for her liuing in an honest course shee will not for she gets her maintenance with more ease and often the poxe with all as an ouerplusse So she resolues not to goe the way to heauen and rather then she will take the paines for it shee will goe without it The fashion mungers with their top and top-gallants thinke this way to be both too narrow and the seeling too lowe it will spoile the fashion of their ruffes vnfrizle their haire and staine their beautie yet if they might haue a coach of ease drawne with two horses pride and pleasure they are halfe minded to God but deny them this and you shall loose their company the path hard the iourney long and the paines great a worke too hard for these daintie dames their fingers too tender to handle this seede and their roundabouts too broade to enter in at that doore The Lawyer would trauell this iourney were it not a way of peace and that is not for his profit here trueth is to be spoken and iustice to be performed a worke too hard for him a seede that neuer came within his garner He thinkes to get more in one Tearmes lying then in a whole yeeres truth in Religion and so had rather haue a iourney at Candlemas to Westminster then at Midsomer to heauen Thus because the way seemes troublesome the paine great so long before they shall haue their wages they resolue not to sowe this seede atall Religion was wont to be a pleasure now it is reckened a labour it is too hot in summer they dare not come to the Church then least it make their heads to ake in winter too cold then they refuse to come because they must not bring a fire with them so that Religion is neuer in season with these and they can finde no time to sowe this seede In the winter the stormes are too boysterous and in the sommer the Sunne is too hotte so they keepe the seede still vnsowne Is godlines become laborious and the practise of piety vnprofitable that the wayes of Zion lament because fewe come to the solemne assemblies that a man may with more ease goe out at a Church doore then in at a Play-house gate Most men with Demas shewe Religion a faire paire of heeles I will commend vnto your considerations a story how true it is I knowe not of a certaine man that did still send his wife to sowe this seede the practise of Religion at length when they came to knocke at heauen gates Peter being the imagined porter lets in the woman but keepes out the man answering him thus Illa intrauit prose te She is entred both for her selfe and for thee for as shee went to the Church for thee so shee must goe into heauen for thee We may well moralize vpon this for if wee will not labour to haue a personality of faith and a propriety of deuotion and Religion seruing God in our owne persons and sowing this seede with our owne handes we may goe to the gate of desire but be turned backe againe with confusion Then will the old verse be renewed Scilicet immemores supera vt conuexa reuisant Rursus 〈◊〉 in corpora velle reuerti Therefore let vs with Ioshuah serue the Lord in our owne persone that we may be blessed in our selues For the iust shal liue 〈◊〉 in his faith not by another mans faith And therefore see thou keepe Gods commandements Non memoria sedvita Not in thy memorie but in thy life Non vt reddas ea sed vt facias ea Not to say them by roat but to doe them That so we may say with the Apostle Wee haue kept the faith and henceforth is layd vp for vs a crowne of righteousnesse The Proprietie of the persons You. LAcem You These are the persons and the last part of the seed time Gods commandements are all set downe in the second person Thou You and Yee Hereby to shew that none must denie his seruice to God nor to haue any cuasion or staringhole from this duety Non dicamus Wee may not say Quid nobis tibi est What haue wee to doe with thee But rather to say with the Apostle These things are written for our learning For the propriety of faith is when things are generally spoken to applie them in particular as the Apostle like a good Logician fiames an argument out of the generality of Gods promises thus Christ came to saue sinners there is his proposition But I am a sinner there is his assumption Ergo He came to saue me here is the conclusion Thus euery man when hee heares Gods commandements is to frame his argument to himselfe in this manner Gods commandements are giuen to men But I am a man Ergo. Gods commandements are giuen to mee And so from this argument we should come to another of practising in this sort Whosoeuer is exhorted must obey But I am exhorted Therefore I must obey And hereunto serneth the saying of Christ 〈◊〉 which I say vnto you I say vnto all men euen so when God saith Thou shalt Yee shall and You shall is spoken not to one but to all And so much doth the Prophet intimate in this place Quod autem vobis dico omnibus dico What I say vnto you I say vnto all sow to your selues in righteousnesse But is there none for all that hath bee said that doe apologise for themselues saying Wee are great men and therefore to be freed in this thing as the manner is O thou man of God goe into the land of Iudah and prophe sie there but prophesie no more at Bethel why for it is the kings Court Thus they fight against the Lord with his owne weapons and proue so much the worse as they might haue beene the better and diuert the meanes of their wel doing into an occasion of their confusion That which this Prophet spake was true in them and is as euident in vs As they increased so they sinned not the more they increased in people but in their greatnesse There is such an antipathie betwixt the good blessings of God and the hearts of the wicked that the more they induce them to the seruice of God for their saluation the more they wrastle
story of the Gospel to bee true but for to assure a man of that which he beleeues to be true that they are his And this will appeare to be so by the Etymologie of this Theologicall faith considered either in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine in the Hebrew it is called amunah which commeth of aman which is firme and sure And therefore the Apostle doth vse this word to confirme the promises of God saying All the promises of God are in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in the Syriack amin And hereupon it is that the Church hath appoynted this word to bee said at the end of all prayers nay God himselfe appoynted the same when the people were to be blessed they were to answere and say Amen Also this word Amen signifies a nourcery where trees are planted Faith is the nourcery where the trees of Gods promises grow And so to goe from aman to omen and then to omeneth which is in the feminine gender so that faith is both the nource and the nourcery And as the Etymologie of faith in the Hebrew confirmes the trueth of this doctrine so wee shall see the same in the Greeke For faith in the Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the third Praeterperfect tense Passiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am perswaded the actiue verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Praeterperfect tense meane is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I perswade my selfe And so you reade of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither life nor death shall separate mee from the loue of God in Christ. So that according to this Etymologie of faith it is then a certaine perswading of a mans selfe of the promises of God The Etymologie thereof according to Latine is the same with the former Fides comes of fio or as Cicero saith of fiendo which signifies doing For the thing we beleeue is done and made firme vnto vs. And hereupon saith Chrysostome Therefore wee are called faithfull that we should without doubting beleeue these things that are said And to adde the saying of Augustine He which doubteth in faith is an Insidell Faith then is the euidence of things hoped for and he that hath it must needs haue assurance of glory Secondly if saluation be of faith then it must be while faith is in vse that we may attaine to this saluation Now it is manifest that Iustus ex fide viuet the iust shall liue by faith Which saying is taken out of the Prophet Habakkuk the iust must liue in his faith The meaning is that our saluation is by beleeuing as the instrumentall cause thereof But now faith indures but this life as the Apostle notes the difference betweene faith hope and loue The chiefe is loue for that remaineth with vs for euer in glory Hope goes to the graue yet leaues vs not there but like Peter followeth vs into the high Priests hall I meane into heauen and there remaineth till the day of iudgement Now faith is of shorter continuance and attends vs as a good seruant to the graue and there leaues vs so that after death there is no faith Therefore seeing saluation is of faith and faith but onely in this life it followes that while wee are in the kingdome of grace we are assured of glory If now bee the time of faith and the saluation of the soule be the reward of faith who doubteth then of the assurance of saluation while he is here in this world There are yet other good arguments to prooue that this assurance of glory is in this life viz 〈◊〉 wee lost saluation and here we must finde it againe Mee thinkes that place of the Apostle may be applyed to this and it shall be saide in the place where it was saide yee are not the sonnes of God yee are the sonnes of God Where the wound began the cure was made where death emred there life proceeded Againe in this world we were redeemed now it is fit that where redemption is wrought there assurance should be sealed And here note how answerable the worke of redemption was to the fall of Adam viz Adam sinned in eating Christ suffered in fasting Adam sinned in the spring Christ suffered in the spring Adam sinned in a garden Christ suffered in a garden here Adam lost all and here Christ hath recouered all where wee are redeemed there wee are sealed and where we are sealed there we are assured There is good vse to be made of this doctrine first against the Papist who say that men cannot be assured of this haruest and call the remission of sinnes vaine and of all confidence the hardest and remote and fides daemoniorum non Apostolornm the faith of Deuils not Apostles And this confidence in the promises of God belongs rather ad presumptionem non ad fidem to presumption and not to faith And here let vs see the Scriptures they confirme this their deuillish doctrine by and the first is this Who can say my heart is cleane not that there is none cleane but no man knowes when his heart is cleane Ergo no man can be assured of saluation But to this it may bee answered 1. the wise man speaketh against such as thought themselues to bee meritorious and free from sinne 2. Bee it granted that no man hath a cleane heart free from it yet he doeth not inferre hereupon therefore he cannot be assured of saluation 3. If none but such as are pure from sinne can bee assured of saluation then their Priests are not assured as they say Againe no man knoweth whether hee bee worthy loue or hatred therefore a man cannot be assured of saluation But this place speakes not of any inward cōfort and assurance of glory but of outward estate by the outward estate of man it is not to be knowne who is loued or hated of God because the assurance of saluation is not in outward worldly prosperitie but in the inward grace of the spirit so this place is nothing to prooue no assurance of saluation Againe they bring the saying of the Apostle worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Ergo where there is feare there can be no assurance but doubtfulnesse But marke what feare this is 1. Feare your carnall presumption by which you thinke to be in the state of grace and are not feare this 2. Feare to fall into error and to be deceiued by the craftinesse of men wherby they lay in waite to deceiue feare these 3. Feare in regard of the reuerence to God but no feare in doubtfulnesse of saluation To conclude if this be the best proofe that they can bring to confirme their doctrine the foundation is weake their arguments like ropes made of sand and the building cannot long stand To turne my selfe from them to you and reproofe into matter of exhortation whether you
a coniunction copulatiue ioyning of things together and this is ruach Elohim God the Spirit In a word the Father hath but one respect that is he is produceus non productus producing and not produced The Spirit hath one respect likewise hee is productus produced not producens producing But the the Sonne hath two respects that is he is productus a Patre vna cum Patre producens spiritum sanctum produced from the Father and is one with the Father producing the holy Spirit This is the Trinitie in vnitie and the vnitie in Trinitie three Persons yet but one God And now what is it that you would haue Is it Power to protect you Mercy to forgiue you and Grace to sanctifie you Then seeke eth Iehouah for as Salomon sayde get wisedome get vnderstanding so get Iehouah and get all things For they alone possesse all things which possesse the possesser of all things Well might Dauid say our helpe standeth besham Iehouah for there we haue power and protection mercy and redemption grace and sanctification But this is a Sunne so glorious that wee are not able to behold it a Sea so deepe we cannot sound it and a maiestie so great wee cannot comprehend it I must say with Barnard To enquire of the Trinitie is a peruerse curiosity to beleeue and to hold as the holy Church holdeth is faith and securitie to see it as it is is most perfect and chiefe felicitie And now I say vnto you as Alanus saide to his auditours who told them that hee would open the misterie of the Trinitie and when hee was to speake hereof at the time appointed saide Sufficit vobis vidisse Alanus It is sufficient that you haue seene Alanus So it is sufficient that you haue heard thus much of the incomprehensible Trinitie and this great glorious name Iehouah Eth Iehouah wee will not so let him goe but as Iacob would not let the Angell goe before hee had got a blessing so we will not giue ouer till we haue found the Lord for though we cannot come neere him because of his glory yet let vs tread in his footsteps and that will bring vs to him at length For as the onely way to come to the sea is to follow the streame to the nearest way to follow the Lord is to follow him in his word and this will bring a man peace at the last saith Dauid And this is that which the Lord commaunded saying Seeke mee and you shall liue but seeke not Beth. el. His meaning is that they should obey his word and follow the same and not Ieroboams calues at Beth el. This was commended in Iofiah which sought the Lord that is the will and word of the Lord to doe accordingly Which thing beingsoneedful that the apostle saith Proue that good and acceptable will of the Lord that is to doe it for this is truely to seeke the Lord. When Christ said Seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse hee meaneth that we should doe that righteousnesse And whosoeuer thus seekes the Lord shall finde him to his comfort But here take heede you seeke him not in Poetry Philosophie or in Historiographie for non est hic He is not here The wisedome of the world knew not God in the wisdome thereof Therfore well might the Apostle say Take heede that no man spoyle you through Philosophie A disease whereof many are sicke hauing more delight and being better experienced in humane stories then in godly Diuinity In the one they are cunning in the other they are ignorant When they come to the word they must doe as men that want their sight which put on their spectacles before they can reade so these must turne to the Table before they can finde the Booke Surely it is not like there can be a strong faith when the knowledge is so weake The men of this age are taken with a kinde of giddinesse in the braine and are sicke of curiositie in Religion more ready to enquire after Melchi sedecs father then the way to finde God Much like Adrian who would needes know who was Euandars nurse and great grandfathers granfather to Priamus Maximus reports that Eucledes who being asked wherewith the gods were delighted answered for other things I know not but this I am sure of they hate all curious persons It was strange that the Iewes should forsake the Manna and loue the Garlike and Onions of Egypt But more strange it is to see the men of this time to forsake the word of God and to loue the foame of mens inuentions How are our Sermons now despised if they bee not garnished ouer with historie or Philosophie How many come hither rather for affected wordes then to learne how to practise obedience and to fill their eares with curiositie rather then their hearts with grace There is no great difference betweene the foode of the body and the foode of the soule for good meate must be set out with floures good clothes with toyes and so sound Diuinitie with history These are seekers but for deuils diuintie Looke on the drunkard and you shall finde him a diligent searcher not for the Lord but for strong drinke Hee beginnes with the Sunne-rising and continues till it set and often hee calles for a candle because the whole day is too short and there he and others search till neither witte in their heads grace in their soules nor money in their purses is to be found The adulterer is a searcher not after the Lord but harlots He seekes all in the darke by owle-light lest the chaste birds of honestie should see him and wonder at him and at length findes a bodie going to the graue full of sores and a soule going to hell miserably sinfull The Incloser is a great seeker but to the poore mans cost and his beasts destruction he hedges in the poore mans Common and keepes pasture from his beast and so he is a murderer both of man an beast Not long since by God such an Incloser was strucken dead suddenly from heauen in the very acte of his sinne I could name him I will not The Ingrosser is a great seeker euen to the foure corners of the Land but in all this inambulation hee cannot or will not find the Lord not so much as set a foote in the path of obedience like those dogs running by the riuer Nilus not once giuing a lap at Iacobs Well These seeke not for grace but graine and commodities like the Pharises that compasse sea and land to fill their ware-houses with commodities Surely wee neede not complaine for want of bread were it not for these Inclosers The ambitious man is a diligent seeker hee lookes high and seekes in the ayre yet not for the Lord but for the honour of promotion like Haman that seeke to ride on the Kings horse and thinke the highest step of promotion too low for them
The robbe-Altar that seekes to drinke in the goblets of the Temple and take away the Ministers sheafe that should make him bread and his fleece that should make him clothes Some of the rob-Altars find whole Churches at once and yet not so much as the sweepings will they giue to the minister But let them take heede for the stones will goe neere to choake them one day and the belles ring them a peale to hell and keepe such a shaking in their consciences that they will wish they had neuer swallowed them and then when it is too late begin to evacuate themselues of the same The Vsurer is a seeker not other mens good but his owne profit Hee seekes to lend not to enrich others but himselfe Many a yong gallant is found by the Vsurer to his cost that they could neuer find their inheritance since the Vsurer found them What say you to the Lawyer is hee not a diligent seeker but not of the Lord rather to peruert the Law and to make a poore mans case intricate For it is not for his profit quickly to finish a Cause And often we see after some good Gamaliel hath brought a cause to a period and day of sentence that one Achithophel or other ouerturnes all And before the poore man can bring his cause to an other day of sentence either his dayes or his estate is ended I would some good body would pray to God that hee would either conuert the bad of them or to send them to the deuill for a new-yeeres-gift that we may be rid of them And to adde this petition into the latanie from wicked Lawyers good Lord deliuer vs for the seeke not the Lord but our estates What should I speake of the swearer who seekes for newe oathes the proude person for newe fashions the tradesman for to deceiue the officer for bribes and the like so that as the Apostle saith all seeke their owne but not the Lord. Yet there are a fewe which seeke the wayes of the Lord with Iosia pure in heart with Nathanel vpright in life with Zacharias and shall bee blessed with Abraham These are they which say with Samuel speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and with Esaiah here am I send me Whom this verse concernes Duc me summe Pater altique dominator olympi Quocunque placuerat nulla parenda mora est Assum impiger fac nolle comitabor gemens Lead me great Lord King of eternitie Euen where thou wilt I le not resist thee Change thou my will yet still I vowe subiection Thus the children of God are resolued to seeke the Lord howsoeuer the wicked are bent to seeke their owne Eth Ichouah a word more The Lord that is the loue and fauour of the Lord such a seeking Dauid speakes of Seeke yee my face thy face will we seeke O Lord. This is that the Church prayeth for saying Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth that is shewe me the signes of his loue for it is not the least fauour of God to loue vs and therefore saith Christ. If any man keepe my word my father and I will loue him As if the loue of God were the summum bonum chiefe good and so it is For it is causa causarum the cause of causes and causa cansati the cause of the thing saying of Christ God so loued the world that he gaue his sonne to redeeme it So that Gods loue is the cause of our redemption so the Church sings First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that loued vs and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee washed vs. And as it is the cause of all good so it is the life and ground of faith and repentance for wee beleeue and repent not because of the iustice of God but the mercy of God So saith Dauid there is mercy with the Lord therefore wee feare him for that faith without the feeling of Gods loue is carnall securitie and that repentance without the feeling of mercy is desperation And as it is the life and ground of faith and repentance so it is that which makes the conscience at peace with God as saith the Apostle Then being iustified by faith we haue peace with God If a man had Achithophels pollicy Samsons strength Absoloms beautie Felix his honour Salomens wisedome and Belshazzars kingdome yet all would not make peace in the conscience if Gods loue be wanting Make the vse of it thus is it so that we should seeke the loue and fauour of God then miserable is the condition of those that prouoke the Lord to anger God is saide to be a consuming fire fire is a denouring and mercilesse element if it be before vs nothing more comfortable if vpon vs nothing more deuouring nothing more cold then lead if it bee melted nothing more scalding Nothing more mercifull then God but if hee be mooued nothing more fearefull and consuming for as the loue of God is the cause of all happinesse so his wrath is the cause of all confusion Secondly let this worke vpon you as an exhortation to make you seeke this loue and fauour of the Lord. O that you were sicke of loue that prayer might bee your physicke and faith your hand-maide this would bring long life to your dayes and happinesse to your soules if you could once say with the spouse ani te dodi vedodi li 〈◊〉 my well beloued and my well beloued is mine Foelix illa Conscientia in cuius corde c. Happy is the conscience of that man in whose heart this loue of God is for st Deus pro nobis quis contra nos if God be for vs who shall bee against vs. And thus much briefely for the obiect whom we are to seeke namely the Lord. The compelling cause THere is an appointed time for all things saith the wise man which being done in their time are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer A thing so pleasing to God that hee commends it in the dumbe creatures the Storke knoweth her appointed time and the swallowe obserues the season How much more then doth God looke for it at our hands as my text saith ve-gneth and time it is first in regard of the time past and secondly in regard of the time to come First of the time past which is lost and not to bee recouered againe Arte cannot produce it where it is to come nor reduce it when it is gone It was painted like an olde man with long haire before and all bare behind to shewe that wee are to make vse of it when it is before vs. For all the time that God hath giuen thee shall be required at thy handes how thou hast spent it Time is not our owne but the Lords and giuen to vs for his vse therefore doeth God call vpon vs for the spending of this time in his seruice as here in my text for it is time because many