no vnderstanding but may bee compared to the beasts that perish And Church-men once got free from the pressure of Heathenish bondage exceeded all measure in aemulations factions and vanities Libertie brake out into luxurie Superseminations and Superstructions ouer-grew and obscured the good seed and building Which Addition and Multiplication not onely of points of Doctrine but superstitious and ridiculous ceremonies partly borrowed from the Iewes and partly from the Heathen beganne to worke a Substraction of other Churches of Rome and continueth especially the Division which now all Christendome groanes vnder To let passe other matters and on with the point we haue in hand The reverent and ancient manner of dedicating Churches to God may appeare by the acts of Constantine in consecrating the Church at Ierusalem registred as you shall finde by Eusebius De vita constantin l. 4. Nicephor l. 8. c. 26. Precibus concionibus decorârunt with Prayers and Sermons they adorned their first assembling in it which was accompanied with almes to the poore and great gifts to the Church and Bishops befitting the estate of the Founder Zonaras in Constantin And haue wee any other in the South Church but Conventus laudes gratias assemblings praises thanksgiuing to God to make vp their consecration Per conventus laudes gratias Deo canentes Athanas Apolog. 2. No more then this in his 2d Apologie Athanasius affirmes Bishop Alexander to haue vsed Home to this comes the Church of Helvetia in their latter confession chap. 22. By reason say they of the word of God and holy Exercises therein celebrated places dedicated to God and his worship are not prophane Which Suarez the Iesuit grants to be sufficient in his third Tome vpon Aquinas disp 61. sect 2. Possit interdum Oratorium per simplicem voluntatem Ecclesiam per simplicem benedictionem sometime an Oratory by the simple intention of the will and a Church by a plaine benediction may bee destined to the Ministery of sacred things But plaine benedictions expressing good intentions come short of the ayme that pompous Rome after leuelled at When the people of Israel were well vnder God's immediate patronage and were told by Samuel of the inconveniences that might follow by alteration Nay say they but we will haue a King over vs that we may be like all the Nations 1. Sam. 8.19 All was naught except they were equall or passed the Heathen in outward pompe and curiositie And was not this the very itch of Rome which raised the scabbes that to this day cannot bee cured A Church or Chappell could not bee built but a crosse or more must bee set vp before hand to designe the place where it should be founded Vid. Durand Rational Divin l. 1. c. 6. Sleidan Com. l. 21. As soone as it is vp twelue crosses must be painted about the walls with twelue burning tapers over-against each of them Then Holy water must be had to wash it and oyle to anoint it Hospin de Tēplis l. 4. that of no ordinary composition The Crosses indeed saith Bellarmine should be painted at the very act of consecration De cultu sanct l. 3. c. 5. but commonly it is done before propter commoditatem nimis enim diù expectaretur si in ipsa consecratione pingerentur It were a great inconvenience to stay so long at the act of consecration till the Painter had finished them all Then comes the Bishop and three vagaries hee must fetch about the place with his company and after hallowing the wals without with some water mixt with salt sprinkled with Hyssop and murmuring some few prayers at the doore being shut Three times he thumps at it and cryes Tollite portas c. Lift vp your heads O yee gates and bee lift vp yee everlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in Then the Deacon who for that purpose is shut within to act his part must take his kue and say Who is the King of glory To whom the Bishop replies no more at first and second course but It is the Lord strong and mighty even the Lord mighty in battle But all this making no way in the third returne he takes vpon and tells him stoutly it is Dominus virtutum the Lord of Hosts he is the King of glory Presently therevpon ope flies the doore and in goes the Bishop with two or three assistants and after a few prayers said at the Altar and exorcising of some salt and water ashes and wine drawing the Greeke and Latine Alphabets crosse-wise wise on the ashes sprinkled on the floore by the Deacons with the end of his Crosiar-staffe at length it comes to their turne who stay all this while at the doore without to bring in the Reliques of some one Saint or other which they haue ready vpon a Beere and then to perfect the Pageant De consecrat distinct 1. C. Omnes Basilicae a Masse must be said For without such Reliques and Masse the Consecration according to the Canonists were altogether ineffectuall 9. Wherefore about a nine or tenne yeares since when a Church was consecrated at Gorslebium in Count Mans-fields Countrey by a Lutheran-Superintendent because all these ceremonies were not then vsed exception was taken by a Papist who said he was then present that it was rather a meere prophanation then consecration Which moued Iohn Aeschardus the man that did it to write against Bellarmine de Templis which our Hospinian had done before more fully both discouer so farre their Heathenish imitation and apish tricks in this behalfe that in hast they will not bee answered I haue purposely omitted many things as the laying of the first stone which of necessity must be square and crossed by the Bishop and sprinkled with holy water the adoe they keepe about Altars Images and Vestments the Baptizing of Bels and the like all which you haue fairely expressed in distinct pictures and red letters in the Pontificall of Clement the 8. anno 1595. Where hee that cannot read may see how it is done Now if any bee further inquisitiue to knowe the meaning of all these Hieroglyphicks De Cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 5. Bellarmine himselfe will informe him That the 12 Crosses and Tapers before them signifie the 12 Apostles that carried this Banner of Christ through all the world and by their Preaching enlightned it Oyle is added for excellency Holy water frankincense and wax-candles for clarity and neatnesse Ad Munditiem claritatem The Greeke and Latine Alphabet in the pauement shew that in those tongues the Gospell was most generally preached when these ceremonies were first instituted Et quia in Templo non solùm docentur homines sed mouentur inflammantur ad virtutem vitae novitatem idcircò saith hee fit illa mixtio aquae cineris salis vini Let them take the inference for good that see a reason for it Ideò pulsatur Ostium
other of the like nature which our Adversaries so stifly stand vpon referred to the dignity of the worker imports a meritorious cause But in regard of the worke it selfe or of the humane Nature apart a consequent to that which went before and a passage to the reward which followes vpon it So much the word merit commonly among the Ancients signified and therefore is fitly expounded by compararare acquirere obtinere adipisci to get to receaue to obtaine to take possession In which sense the most Advised Divines ever vnderstood their Predecessors But this contents not our moderne Merit-mongers Merit is the Popes Mint and therefore must be alway kept going The merit of Christs humanity and the merit of blessed Angels between the instant of their creation and possession of eternall happinesse must be so strictly vrged to make way for Monkish merit and fill their own Church Treasure with workes of superrarogation Otherwise the doctrine of Iustification by faith alone would quickly make them all turne mendicants The more it stands vs vpon Beloued to weigh their peeces before we take them for pay and not to be too liberall in granting them such premisses whereby they shall be animated to venture vpon worse conclusions In a contrary strayne how dangerously doth Socinus take vantage by affirming that Christ so meriting for himselfe serued his own turne only and not ours in that behalfe and therefore his doings and sufferings were only exemplary for our imitation not satisfactory for our redemption Which cuts off all the assurance comfort of our salvation Such dangerous heresies may arise from the misconstruing of one particle as combustions from the neglect of the smallest spark The Master of the sentences shall shut vp this point as being sounder in it then most of his Schollers If Christs virtues and Actions saith he were enough to cleare himselfe from blame wherefore should he suffer and dye His answere is prote non prose for thee not for himselfe But how for mee Vt ipsius passio tibi esset forma causa forma virtutis humilitatis causa gloriae libertatis That his passion might be to thee a patterne and cause a pattern of virtue and humility a cause of glory eternall freedome And here wee may not let slippe that vse which a reuerend Father of our Church hath wittily obserued vpon the like connection Here saith he on earth there is an exaltauit oftentimes a lifting vp of the head to preferment without a propter quod so Sobna and Haman and Sanballat with others of the like merit are sometimes exalted but no man can guesse or imagine why or wherefore But with God it is alwaies otherwise Proptereà must goe before exaltavit the race before the meed the therefore before the lifting vp of the head labouring in the vineyard before the distribution of the penny faithfulnesse in a little before the rule over much The Corne must first dye before it blossome out the blade or eare and wee dye before wee rise and drinke our part of the brooke before the head be lifted vp Which falleth on the manner of our Saviours exaltation and the matter I intend to conclude with 9. Shall he lift vp the head The lifting vp of the head most commonly signifieth in scripture the Advancement from an inferiour condition to a better So Evilmerodach lifted vp the head of Iehoiakim his Captiue to a freer estate 2. Kings and the last Thou art my worship and the lifter vp of my head Psalm 3. In the 52. of Isaiah wee haue three words in the same verse which note in this kinde the three degrees of comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high v. 13. Which the ancient Rabbins with the Chalday Paraphrase expound expresly of the Messias Howsoeuer the latter contradict it for as in his humiliation all were amazed at his visage mangled and marred more then any mans so in his exaltation they admire the vnexpected change and Kings shut their mouthes at the hearing and seeing of those things they thought incredible as it followeth there immediatly to the'nd of the Chapter All this is here comprized Hee not another saith S. Ierome but the person that was abased in the Incarnation and Passion Shall by his owne power not vpon a vantage occasionally taken but by an absolute decree set downe from eternity Life vp the head to spoyle principalities by his triumphing over the powers of darknesse to trample the world vnder his feet by his glorious Ascention Rule in the midst of his enemies by the Iron rod of his wrath conquer the Nations to be converted by the two edged sword of his word and rescue and redeeme his owne elect by his euerlasting Priesthood Lift vp your heads therefore O yee Gates and bee yee lifted vp yee everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Who is the King of glory Hee that was a man of sorrowes brought as a Lambe to the slaughter Isai 53. and buried in the graue with the wicked But after he had made his soule an offering for sinne and quitted himselfe from the brooke of all those miseries then the pleasure of the Lord prospered in his hand to divide the spoyle among the mighty Then brake he the arrowes of the bowe the sword the shield and the battle became of more honour then the hills of the robbers and shewed himselfe triumphantly to be the King of glory 10. And now Beloued is it not meet that the members by drinking and swimming with all resolution and perseverance should prepare to lift vp their heads also by following this their head But alas how should Cain lift vp the head who hath slayne his brother Abel or Achab that hath made away poore Naboth to possesse his vineyard Or Iudas that hath betrayed his Master Or Simon Magus that is in the gall of bitternesse or Ananias Saphira who goe about to cosen the holy spirit of God With what face can that head bee lifted vp which is drowsie with drunkennesse or distracted with idle or pernitious plots or whirled about with vaine glory or poring still on muck through covetousnesse or looking askew through envie and implacable malice Awake thou therefore that sleepest and lift vp thy head and he that beholdeth thy tossings will ever keepe it aboue water neuer feare of drowning as long as he directeth and such a Pilot hath thee in his charge If thou sinking cry out with Peter his hand will bee quickly stretcht out to saue thee and set thee at last in the surest landing Regino reports in the first of his Chronicles pag. 19. that Guntranne a German King sleeping on a time by a brooke there came a little thing out of his mouth which sought a passage ouer but dared not to venture Wherevpon his
our vndertakings It will be taken better from the mouth of that King-preacher Solomon in whom all these met and yet all these together gaue never content I haue seene faith he all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne Cap. 1.14.15 and behold all is vanity and vexation of the spirit That which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbred I returned and saw as it were by a second survey vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong Cap. 9.11 neither bread to the wise nor riches to men of vnderstanding nor favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all When King David 2. Sam. 18. invited old Barzillai the Gileadite that had done him good service at a pinch to follow him to the Court for a recompence how wisely doth the good old man excuse himselfe I am this day saith he fourescore yeeres old and can I discerne betweene good and evill Can thy servant tast what I eat or what I drinke can I heare any more the voice of singing men or singing women Let thy servant I pray thee turne backe againe that I may dye in mine owne citty and be buried in the graue of my Father and of my Mother My sonne Chimham perchance may be fitter for these courtly imployments other matters belong vnto me to looke after And least this Expectation should be turned off to old men only as though younger had no such thing to looke for The Apostles instancing in Moses may bee taken for a patterne Heb. 11. By faith Moses saith he when hes was come to yeares and throughly vnderstood himselfe refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt And the maine reason is there added for he had respect vnto the recompence of the reward How then should the wise man vainely glory in his wisdome or the mighty in his strength or the rich in his wealth Ier. 9. or the advanced in his honour These are eminent blessings we must confesse if they come by good meanes and are managed accordingly But if any of these or all together could giue content it cannot much affect by reason of its shortnesse nor constantly in the times vncertainty nor fully in the midst of troubles nor sincerely amongst many supplanting emulations nor safely in regard of the after reckoning That which therefore must satisfy the vnderstanding fulfill the desire ioy the heart is not here to be had but hence to be looked for which are New Heavens and a New earth the fore-mentioned inheritance for the fourth place 9. New Heauens and a new Earth Heavens we haue herein the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and earth in the singular which casteth vs vpon the distinction of Heavens which is two fold according to the Mathematicians and according to Divines Of the Mathematicians some hold no difference of Orbes at all but these are of the newer stampe and are not yet so fully receaued as the others The other agree not vpon the number of Orbes For Aristotle puts but eight Ptolomie nine Purbachius with his followers tenne Maginus eleuen by reason of the distinct motions they haue obserued in the wandring and fixed starres Yet aboue all these they grant an Immoueable Heauen in which Aristotle saies there is neither place nor emptinesse nor time that makes it grow old but the Inhabitants thereof are inalterable impassible immortall hauing sufficient in all things in the height of happinesse De caelo l. 1. t. 100. And this Hee relates as the opinion of the Ancients before him But Philosophers and Mathematicians herein must not bee our guide Men may dispute vpon these things according to that of Ecclesiastes in the vulgar edition Mundum tradidit disputationi eorum cap. 3.11 And one may speake more probably then another But that which followes in the same Text may curb them No man may finde out the worke of God from the beginning to the end We are yet here learners in the lower forme and out of doubt shall knowe more hereafter when wee come to the higher Divines from Scripture acknowledge but 3 heauens The first in the space ascending frō whence we are as farre as the course of the Moone which they call the heauen aeriall The second which they name syderiall from thence to the vtmost convexity of the first moueable in which are al the revolutions of the Planets and fixed starres which we see and obserue here below The Third aboue all these is that which the Schoolemen call Coelum Empyraeum But in Scripture I finde it to haue nine other names 1. The third Heauen 2. The Heauen of heavens 3. Paradise 4. The house Habitation and Throne of God 5. The seat of blessed Angels and Saints 6. Abrahams bosome 7. The new Hierusalem 8. The heauenly Country 9. The Citty that hath foundations A reverend and learned Bishop of ours in his Survey of Christs sufferings Bilson Pag. 441. for that Christ is said to haue ascended aboue all heauens Ephes 4.10 But that may be vnderstood aboue all heauens seene So that this fourth heauen shall only make the eminent'st place in the third and so no difference will be from the Ancients Thus wee see some ground for the plurality of heauens mentioned in the Text where the earth is notwithstanding one admitting the water into it's concavities to make vp one entyre globe of which there is no controversie But what these New Heavens New Earth should be that here are promised and to bee looked for that will aske some further discouery 10 New as we know is opposite to old the old heavens that are now are mentioned before by our Apostle ver 5. New are here to be look'd for Two things then will come in question First what shall become of the Old secondly what these New heavens shall be and how supply their places For few I thinke will imagine Heb. 10. that both shall stand together but rather conclude as the Apostle doth in another case He taketh away the first that he may establish the second Now concerning the abolishing of these Heavens and Earth which are subject to our view there are two opinions some contend that they shall remaine Others that they shall be quite annihilated They shall remaine for euer say the Peripateticks as they never had a beginning But this tenent as it had birth among heathen Philosophers so it found among the same the Stoicks Epicureans Poets Sybils and all the Ancients as S. Hierom witnesseth to refute it In Isaiam 51 who generally held this world should perish at length by sire Nay the Turks in the Alcoran and Bannians of the Moguls country are of the same perswasion therefore