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A13234
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A briefe treatise declaring the true noble-man, and the base vvorldling. By Walter Sweeper minister of Strowd
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Sweeper, Walter.
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1622
(1622)
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STC 23526; ESTC S113865
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26,597
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53
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A BRIEFE TREATISE DECLARING THE TRVE NOBLE-MAN AND The base Worldling 1. SAM 2.30 They that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised By Walter Sweeper Minister of Strowd LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Red-crosse sstreete 1622. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROCK and Philip Earle of Mountgomerie Grace mercie and peace from God the Father through Christ * ⎠* MY good Lords I had intended to haue presented to your honorable Ladie-mother now at rest with God the first fruits of my labours in this kind containing a iust defence of Gods truth and the credit of Dorts Synod against some of Arminius his schollers here at home who will not be reclaimed by the graue sentence of that late Councell nor affrighted with the strange death of their maister but as Arrius his followers after his fearfull death did labour to scatter his errors farre and neare so do these with vs. But your Honours may obiect to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which I answer that partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and partly the importunitie of some enemies did draw me forth both by preaching and printing to assay to stop the mouthes of gainsayers Now I humbly offer to your Lordships view the true Chhristian Noble-man who by the Spirit of Adoption calleth God Abba Father Rom. 8.15 and which Iob stiles Christ Iob 19.25 Goeli My redeeming kinsman and with Isay Isa 5.1 Dodi My neere kinsman Your Honours may best challenge this little Treatise as your owne right because that I gained the greatest part of my litle learning through my acquaintance with your honorable fathers house and family where you had a most religious and truly noble breeding and education by the zealous care of your pious and truly religious father and Ladie Bathshebah neglected not to teach her yong Lemuels humane and diuine knowledge Prou. 31.1 2. Your truly noble fathers house for state and gouernment somewhat resembled Salomons Court 2. Chron. 9.4 where Shebaes Queene obserued the meate of his table the sitting of his seruants and the attendance of his ministers And your famous Wilton house like a litle Vniuersitie was a more excellent nurcerie for learning and pietie then euer it was in former times when King Edgars daughter Editha had her residence and regencie there so that Popish S.F.E. had no need to seek the restoring of it to its former vses Wilton house had in it that godly learned Phisitian and skilfull Mathematician M. Doctor Moffet my most worthy and kind friend it had in it great Hugh Sanford learned in all arts sciences knowledge humane and diuine vsque ad miraculum whom I euer obserued as Horace did his Maerenas euer before him singultim pauca locutus from whom I neuer departed without some profit To passe ouer Gerard the Herballist M. Massinger and other Gentlemen schollers Neuer noble house had successiuely deeper Diuines namely Bishop Babington B. Parry M. Connā M. Walford M. Parker M. Bigs In this noble House Babingtons rules of pietie and honestie swayed swearing was banished yea the house-keepers and inferour seruants well knew and practised the grounds of Religion as Ierome commendeth the ploughmen of Palestina for their Halleluiahs These were the Trophees of your fathers house he honoured God and God honoured him and you his seed enioy the blessing whereas the seed of the wicked lo ijqqare le holam shall not be famous for euer Isa 14.20 The seed of the righteous shall be great or strong in the earth Dor iesharim ieuorach the generation of the vpright shall be blessed Psal 112.1 2. Wisedome with an inheritance is good saith Salomon Eccles 7.12 God hath blessed your Honours with a goodly heritage Psal 16.6 The price of wisedome is in your hands Oh let your hearts be to it Prou. 17.16 To whom much is giuen of them much is required Luk. 12.48 You cannot say with the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor with Vlysses in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serue the Lord with ioy of heart for the aboundance that hee hath giuen you Deut. 28.47 Let your houses not be like Eugenius Tertius Bernards scholler his house recipiant faciant bouos Oh let the vnfained faith as Paul speakes to Timothy 2. Tim. 1.5 that dwelt in your good father dwell in you The Lord blesse your Honours and increase in you all the graces of his holy Spirit for his Christs sake in whom I rest Your Lordships most humble seruant Walter Sweeper THE TRVE NOBLE-MAN The Text Prou. 12.16 The Righteous is more excellent then his neighbour but the way of the wicked seduceth them THE three bookes of Solomon are by some compared to the three parts of the Temple the Prouerbes to the large Court made for the assembly of all the people wherein Christ walked Ioh. 10.23 Ecclesiastes to the holy place where the Priests serued the Lord Luk. 1.9 and the Canticles to the most holy place whereinto the High priest onely went once a yeare Leuit. 16.12 Though this b granted yet the authority and credit of this booke is no whit disparaged but may well answer the beautifull gate of the Temple Acts 3.2 being giuen by diuine inspiration as all other Scriptures 2. Tim. 3.16 And Solomon wrote not this booke by any priuate motion but as he was moued by the Spirit of God 2. Pet. 1.19 20 21. And the title Mishle in the Hebrew much commen deth to vs the excellencie of this booke coming of Mashal to rule excell or speake graue sentences or dark parables Ezek 20.49 Memashal Meshalim hu Doth he not speake parables and it is as much as Kurieuein princely to rule Rom. 6.4 or authentein to exercise authenticke authoritie 1. Tim. 2.12 because these sentences both in regard of their diuine matter and forme do far excell other writings of this kind The Ethicks O Economickes and Politickes of all Heathen Philosophers must giue place to these A great part of these Prouerbes were copied out by Hezekiahs seruants Prou. 25.1 A good patterne for religious Courtiers Now whereas Solomon wrote 3000 parables and 1005 songs 1. King 4.32 God in his gracious prouidence hath reserued to the vse and edification of his Church onely these few holy Prouerbs with Ecclesiastes and the Canticles suffering the other bookes of humane wisedome whereof we reade 1. King 2.41 to perish and not willing to clog the Church with many bookes And therefore many things done by Christ are omitted Ioh. 20.30 because otherwise the world would not containe the bookes that should be written Ioh. 21.25 And as we reade Eccles 12.12 There is no end of writing bookes and much reading is a wearinesse to the flesh If you will know the summe and scope of this booke it is to teach man the holy knowledge of God diuine dutie and morall precepts of ciuilitie Prou. 1.1 2 3 4. For pietie doth not ouerthrow the duties of ciuilitie
as we learne from Christ Luke 14.7 both teaching inward humilitie and outward courtesie in not seeking the highest place at feasts thereby to preserue our credit Now in the perswading to true holinesse and righteousnesse the holy Ghost vseth these two chiefe motiues First he sheweth the excellencie of the knowledge and feare of God in it owne nature Secondly the good effect of it making the godly and righteous truly happie as in this my text the righteous Zadick righteousnes is either attributed to God as he is in himselfe simply iust and infinitely good Math. 19.17 so in the Angels song Isay 6.3 he is proclaimed thrice Holy rather to proue his infinite holinesse then the trinitie of the persons Secondly righteousnesse is applied to God because he doth impute vnto vs Christs righteousnes Rom. 10.3.26 2. Cor. 5.21 Secondly Christ our Mediator is called Gods righteous seruant Isay 53.2 and Zach 9.9 Sions righteous King and Acts 4.27 Gods righteous Child the immaculate Lambe of God 1. Pet. 1.19 Thirdly the Angels and soules in heauen are called holy and iust Math 25.31 Heb. 12.23 But my text speaketh not of these but of a righteous man in this life excelling his wicked neighbour And the truly conuerted Christian is called righteous First in regard of Christs righteousnesse imputed to him Isay 50.8 He is neere that doth iustifie me He doth iustifie the wicked Rom. 3.26 who being iust by faith liueth Rom. 1.17 Secondly we are iust in regard of infused graces and renewed obedience And the word righteousnesse ioyned with holinesse is strictly taken for the duties of the second Table Luk. 1.74 Seruing God in holiness and righteousnesse Sometimes it signifieth both pietie and charitie yea all the duties of the first and second Table so Noah is called righteous Genes 6.9 Of both these righteousnesses first Christs imputed and ours wrought by Gods Spirit and word faith is an instrument for Rom. 1.18 The iust by faith liueth and Acts 15.9 The Gentiles heart was purified by faith and Acts 26.18 They are also sanctified by faith in Christ â—ather commeth of a verbe sometime signifying to abound so the French hath it A plus de resie and the note is more liberall in gifts but the clause following ouerthroweth this sence Sometime it signifieth to remaine Eccles 1.13 Mahijthron What remaineth Iunius hath it What profit is there of all the labours But in my text it signifieth to excell as Gen. 49.3 iether seeth veiethur gnazi Excellencie of dignitie and my strength altogether thou shalt not be excellent The last word reugth signifieth a friend a companion but here a neighbour A man iustified by faith sanctified by Gods Spirit is more excellent then his wicked neighbour You shall haue the sence of the other clause hereafter My text containeth in it two propositions first The righteous man is more excellent then his wicked neighbour The second The prosperous way of the wicked maketh him to erre both in iudgement and in course of life The first proposition teacheth Doctr. that An holy and religious man truly fearing God by the sentence of God and iudgement of the Church is more excellent then his irreligious neighbour though neuer so great in the eye of the world More briefly these two Doctrines First The godly man is truly honorable Secondly The wicked man is truly base That this may not seeme like some of Tullies paradoxes affirming that the wise man is only free the wise man is onely rich let vs first heare what God saith to the commendation of the righteous what in the second place he speaketh to the disgrace of wicked men and note here with me that here is the figure Meiosis lesse spoken then is meant For the Scripture here intendeth that the child of God is truly honorable and the childe of the diuell truly base like to that phrase Eccles 13. Wisedome excelleth folly as light excelleth darknesse Light is good darknesse naught so wicked men are base godly men are honorable In Isay 4.5 the Lord promiseth a couering defence to all the glorie that is emphatically to all the glorious people of God Honorable things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psa 87.3 The beleeuers true worshippers of God are called Gods secret ones Psal 83.3 Gods people are termed Se gullah Gods choise and chiefe treasure Exo. 19.5 and Laos periousios A peculiar people Tit. 2.14 The Bereans gladly entertaining the Gospel are styled Eugenesteroi more honorable then others that did not so readily receiue the word Acts 17.2 There are threescore Queenes and fourescore concubines and virgins without number My Doue my vndefiled is but one the onely one of her mother she is the choise one of her that bare her the daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queenes and concubines praised her Cant. 6.8 Now this that is spoken of the whole Church and Spouse of Christ must be vnderstood of the glorious estate of euery holy beleeuer who excelleth in vertue and is a true Saint here on earth Psal 16.2 And for this cause glorification signifieth both present holinesse and future glorie Rom. 8.39 This causeth the Spirit of God to preferre a poore childe walking in vprightnesse before an old vnwise King Eccles 4.13 But when he that ruleth ouer men is iust and ruleth in the feare of God as Dauid did 2. Sam. 23.3 then he is in honour another Solomon 1. King 3.13 who had not his peere for true honour all his dayes of whose royaltie Christ speaketh Mat. 6.33 When a King reigneth in righteousnesse and Princes rule in iudgement Isay 32.1 when the King is the son of Nobles and Princes eate in due time for strength and not for drunkennesse Eccles 10.17 then the land is not onely blessed but these great men may truly be styled as Abraham was by the Hittite mightie Princes yea the Princes of God after the Scripture phrase Gen. 23.6 Now the great Magor the great Turk the Cham of Tartarie with the rich Chinaes liuing in Heathenisme disgracefully thinking and speaking of our truly noble Christian Princes vnder the name of pettie Princes of Christendome are like Nabal who according to his name was a foolish base creature and yet could speake basely of Dauid Who is the sonne of Ishai 1. Sam. 25.10 The vassals also of Antichrist can write and speake disgracefully of Gods annointed ones who haue shaken off the Popes yoke like Shimei who to our Dauids are but dead dogs 2. Sam. 16.7 8 9. As righteous Lot was more worthy then all Sodom 2. Pet. 3.7 as Lazarus his estate was better then rich Diues Luk. 16.22 23. yea Iohn Baptist in prison more happie then incestuous Herod Mark 6.20 so still are Gods children more honorable then the diuels To conclude therefore the first kinde of proofe drawne from the consent of the Scripture and to hasten to variable arguments drawne out of the Scripture let all men know that the true knowledge and feare of God bringeth credit