much glory to God nor therefore so much comfort to our own hearts as this This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly saith St. Paul to Titus that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men You cannot do more good unto the Church of God you cannot more profit the people of God by your gifts then by pressing effectually these two great points Faith and good works These are good and profitable unto men Insomuch that the excellent King would say I bring an ear to hear others I bring a conscience to hear Sanderson And the throng of Auditors in Court and Country was so fixed and attentive upon the deep rational and knowing Emanations of his soul as if they expected new Rules of Life from that great Searcher of Rules and Laws His great care was so to direct his Heart his Tongue his Endeavour in the exercise of his Ministry both publick and private that by Gods blessing upon his Labours he might be enabled to advance Gods glory to promote his truth to benefit his Church to propagate all Christian Duties to discharge a good conscience in the mean time and at the last make his account with comfort at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the year 1624. to his death there was no Convocation or Assembly or Treaties but he was called to as a man of deep Observation in the publick defects of the Church of great prudence in applying remedies suitable to those defects in the fear of God and love of his truth so as became a man of Learning Gravity and a good Conscience in so grand Concernments as imported the peace of the Church the satisfaction and salvation of mens souls For which Meetings he prepared himself by a view of all Judgements in the Controversies there likely to be debated which he drew up into Tables still to be seen that he might try all things and hold fast that which is good Where-ever he appeared whether in the School or in Convocation or in a Committee as at the Dean of Westminster March 21. 1640. his moderation was known unto all men 1. In those five Points controverted so much in England as well as Holland of 1. Predestination 2. Reprobation 3. Universal Redemption 4. Effectual Grace and 5. Perseverance he pitched upon such a mean as Bishop Usher Bishop Davenant Bishop Overal aimed at and the excellent Dr. Hammond approved of as appears in his Letters of Accord with that incomparable Doctor 2. As to the Popish Controversies and Adversaries he had so far pity and charity for those plain and honest-hearted people of that way as either their errours or ignorance in some things not fundamental did not betray them either to unbelief or presumption or to final impenitency or immorality or uncharitableness He was herein of Bishop Usher's minde in his Sermon before King James an Wansted 3. As to our Reformation he had a great esteem for the Moderation of it a great Veneration for the Instruments employed of God in it and a great love of that wholsome way of Doctrine Life Devotion and Government then composed not that he was such a Formalist but that he wished an alteration of some Words Phrases and Method and Order to which change of times or Language or the like might invite though he judged all alterations in such grand and established Concerns of Religion should be done by the publick Spirit Counsel and Consent of the Prophets Prince and People 4. As to Conformity to the Church although no man more eminent then he for Orthodox Divinity and orderly Conformity yet if any out of scruple or tenderness of conscience was less satisfied with some things no man had a more tender heart to pity and pray for them none had a gentler and more powerful way to win and perswade those that were capable ingenious and honest Indeed he would say as Bishop Brownrig That nothing was less to be stickled for or against then Ceremonies and yet that nothing was to be stickled for more then Obedience to Governours enjoyning even the smallest Ceremonies not for rhe worth of the Ceremony but for the Obedience due to Authority for conscience sake 5. In the business of Church-government as he was too knowing to question so he was too honest to deny the universal Customs and Practice of the Church of Christ in all ages and places for 1500 years for Episcopacie yet was he passionately inclined to any fair and fraternal accommodation that humble orderly and worthy Ministers might have all their and Bishops no more than was their due by Scripture primitive Customs by the Laws of the Land and by principles of order and true government among all societies of men As his demonstrations for Episcopacie were potent his perswasions pathetick so his designs were upright and just his deportment so fatherly and friendly that he was able to reclaim all rational sober and honest men In all revolutions as he had espoused principles constant to truth and duty so he stood firm to his principles as a judicious and conscientious man as a wise and honest man where he saw Scripture and Law tyed him up bearing up with his great abilities against the stream while Reason could be heard and afterward retyring within himself and wrapping himself in innocence and patience more affected with the publick sins and miseries than his own suffering Alwayes as cheerful as one that had the continual feast of a good conscience and the happiness to learn in what state soever he was therewithall to be contented and to know how patiently to want and how wisely and soberly to abound Nothing troubled him more than that he was layd aside and made useless when a whole Nation desired to imploy him and many eminent Persons as the Honorable Mr. Boyle 1659 endeavoured by all means to contrive a way wherein he might communicate his excellent notions to the world He was a man of whom the world was not worthy How willing were men to have more of that man who had composed so many excellent Sermons as they read who had written those judicious pieces De juramento de obligatione Conscientiae which they enjoyed who had penned the Satisfactory Reason and Judgement of the University of Oxford against the Covenant which they perused who attained that exactness in controversies which in the Letters of accord to Dr. Hammond they observed What reason would have suppressed this worth What people would have deprived this man What Government would have laid aside so much reason judgement and most useful Learning As he went through all conditions prudently patiently faithfully and honourably so he fulfilled all relations conscientiously 1 He was a good faithful tender and loving discreet husband as I take it of one VVife with whom he lived some years comfortably to whom he intrusted his Houshold-affairs intirely whom he troubled
Government clearly stated and rationally expressed with the general sorrow of the Church but his own great satisfaction was taken away with an happy Euthanasia composedly peaceably and comfortably departing giving himself to Prayers Meditations and Discourses which his own strength could bear or others kindness could reasonably afford him full of the grace and peace of God and confirmed as Dr. Reynolds c. by the Absolution of the Church which belongs to all that die in the true Faith and blessed hope of penitent sinners he calmly rendred his holy devout and precious soul to God that gave it in a time when with Bishop Bancroft he could say Eo temporis occubui quò mallem rationem Episcopatus corà m Deo dare quam Episcopatum coram hominibus exercere Quis damnaverit eam qui duabus potentissimis rebus defenditur jure mente Quint. And thus Sir if I have done nothing else I have made it appear that I am so much at your devotion that I chuse rather to expose my self then displease you and venture at these few Remarques of this admirable person rather then refuse a compliance with you in what would be such satisfaction to you and such advantage as you say to the Publick especially considering that publick good was the great designe of this worthy Bishops both Preaching and Living VVriting and Government I could wish I were able to pay my reverence to his great Vertues in publishing them to the world In the mean time devoting to your delight this imperfect yet affectionate and well-meant Account of that great Learning and Prudence Judgement and Zeal Sincerity and Integrity Humility and Charity Conscience and Exactness which are worthy of all mens imitation and shall be my great pattern by Gods assistance by whose grace if I may live what I have writ I have attained what is the serious and just ambition of Your most humble Servant D. F. Bishop Sanderson Two things I have always had in my Care TRUTH and PERSPICUITY for whereunto else serveth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherewith God endued man but to speak Reason and be understood King Charles I bring my EAR to hear others I bring my CONSCIENCE to hear Sanderson Bishop Sanderson HIS JUDGMENT IN ONE VIEW FOR THE SETLEMENT OF THE CHURCH QUest How far we may Indulge good and godly men of tender consciences dissenting from us in liberty of Conscience Answ. First besides that all parties pretend to Godliness Papists Anabaptists and what not even the late-sprung-up generation of Levellers whose Principles are so destructive of all that Order and Justice by which publick societies are supported do yet style themselves as by a kinde of peculiarity The Godly And that secondly it is the easyest thing in the world and nothing more common then for men to pretend Conscience when they are not minded to obey I do not believe thirdly though I am well perswaded of the godliness of many of them otherwise that the refusal of indifferent Ceremonies enjoyned by Lawful Authority is any part of their Godliness or any good fruit evidence or sign thereof But certain it is fourthly that the godliest men are men and know but in part and by the power of godliness in their hearts are no more secured from the possibility of falling into Errour through Ignorance then from the possibility of falling into Sin through Infirmity And as for Tenderness of Conscience fifthly a most gracious blessed fruit of the holy Spirit of God where it is really and not in pretence only nor mistaken for sure it is no very tender Conscience though sometimes called so that straineth at a Gnat and swalloweth a Camel it is with it as with other tender things very subject to receive harme and soon put out of order Through the cunning of Satan it dangerously exposeth men to temptations on the right hand and through its own aptitude to entertain and to cherish unnecessary scruples it strongly disposeth them to listen thereunto so long till at the last they are overcome thereof Needful it is therefore that in the publick teaching the Errours should be sometimes refuted and the Temptations discovered And this ever to be done seasonably soberly discreetly and convincingly and when we are to deal with men whose Consciences are so far as we can discern truly tender with the spirit of meekness and Compassion For tender things must be tenderly dealt withall or they are lost I know it is not allwayes so done nor can we expect it should All preachers are neither so charitable nor so prudent not so conscientious as they should be And they that are such in a good measure are men still and may be transported now and then through passion and infirmity beyond the just bounds of moderation Quest. Whether good men should be suspended from the exercise of their ministry and deprived of their livelyhood which are on all hands acknowledged indifferent and inded in comparison to the work of the ministry are but trifles however some men dote on them Answ. Let Ceremonies secondly be as very Trifles as any man can imagine them to be yet Obedience sure is no Trifle They mis-state the Question when they talke of pressing Ceremonies It is Obedience formally that is required Ceremonies not otherwise pressed then as the matter wherein that Obedience is to be exercised If a master appoint his servant to do some small matter that he thinketh fit to have done though in it selfe of no great moment yet he will expect to be obeyed and it is great reason he should If in such case the servant should resufe to do the thing appointed because he hath no minde thereunto and should receive a check or correction for such refusal could he either sufficiently excuse his own fault or reasonably complain of his master for dealing hardly with him by saying the thing was but a Trifle Is it not evident that the thing which made the master angry and the Servant an offender in that case was not precisely and formally the leaving of the thing undone which had it not been commanded might have been left undone without any fault or blame at all but the refusing to do it when he that had a right to his service commanded him Wherefore Thirdly rhat which is said of some mens doting so extreamely on Ceremonies might have been well enough spared I know no true son of the Church of England that doteth upon any Ceremony whatsoever opinion he may have of the decency or expediency of some of them If any do let him answer for himself Among wise men he will hardly pass for a wise man that doteth upon any Nor will he I doubt prove a much wiser man that runs into the contrary extream and abhorreth all It is true Fourthly that there have been long and unkinde quarrels abour these things More is the pitty but where is the fault To whom is the beginning and to whom the continuance of a quarrel rather imputable to him that
became him no less then smiling and a little laughter doth a good man and a good conscience for his innocent facetiousness was well tempered with gravity mixed with good counsel allayed with good discourse and beautified with excellent example if he would speak facetiously no man did it or could do it more pleasingly if he listed to dispute solidly none did it more satisfactorily he was choice in his friends and faithful to them friendship when true and sincere he would say was the greatest happiness and relief among the cares and troubles of the world especially with those who were of the same inclination profession study and designment with himself an union of mind is next the union of soul and body in the world and friendship is next unto life and it was this reverend persons business where ever he was to promote those two great things friendship and love that as he used to say men might have those that charitably observed and faithfully admonished them of the failings indecencies and miscarriages Nature is obnoxious to which he exactly performed and expected back again to be returned to himself he was constant in his kindness as long as friends were true but as he could easily discern and look through so he deeply resented all artifice and cunning a plain man he was and a plain temper he loved if any mischance happened that might occasion misapprehensions he suffered them not to improve by concealment but presently offered the reasons of the misunderstanding and enjoyned all friends to return him the like measure back again if his own actions seemed at any time doubtful or unseemly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make up Epictetus his Philosophy sustine abstine made our Reverend Diocesans Religion none understood better how all things are lawful none understood better then he how all things are not expedient he knew temptations lye in ambush behind our lawful enjoyments in his apparel none more plain in his dyet none more temperate eating as he would say rationally onely for health and life one meal a day sufficed him with some fruit at night in his sleep none more sparing eleven or twelve at night being his usual time of going to rest and five and very rarely six the hour of his rising recreations which his judgement allowed yet his care and self-denial forbid him ab illicitis semper quandoque à licitis was his rule he would say Things unlawful we must never do nor ever lawful things but with due respect of our calling and other concurrent circumstances Wine and musick and gorgeous apparel and delicate fare are such things as God in his goodness hath created and given to the children of men for their comfort and they may use them lawfully and take comfort in them as their portion but he that shall use any of them intemperately or unseasonably or vainly or wastfully abuseth both them and himself And therefore we shall often finde both the things themselves condemned and those that used them blamed in the Scriptures The men of Israel for stretching themselves upon their couches and eating the lambs out of the flock and chaunting to the sound of the Viol and drinking Wine in bowls Amos 6. And the women for their bracelets and ear-rings and wimples and crisping pins and their other bravery in Esay 3. And the rich man for faring deliciously and wearing fine linnen in the Parable Luk. 16. Yea our Saviour himself pronounceth a woe against them that laugh Luk. 6. And yet none of all these things are or were in themselves unlawful it was the excess onely or other disorder in the use of them that made them obnoxious to reproof Though some in their heat have said so yet who can reasonably say that horse-matches or playing at cards or dice are in themselves and wholly unlawful And yet on the other side what sober wise man because the Things are lawful would therefore approve of that vain and sinful expence which is oftentimes bestowed by men of mean estates in the dieting of Horses and wagering upon them or of that excessive abuse of gaming wherein thousands of our Gentry spend in a manner their whole time and consume away their whole substance both which ought to be far more precious unto them I might instance in many other things in like manner In all which we may easily erre either in point of judgement or practice or both if we do not wisely sever the use from the abuse Many times because the abuses are common and great we peevishly condemn in others the very use of some lawful things And many times again because there is evidently a lawful use of the things we impudently justifie our selves in the very abuses also That is foolish preciseness in us and this prophane partiality by that we infringe our brethrens liberty by this pollute our own The best and safest way for us in all indifferent things is this to be indulgent to others but strict to our selves in allowing them their liberty with the most but taking our own liberty ever with the least There are many things which in my conscience are not absolutely and in Thesi necessary to be done which yet in Hypothesi for some personal respects I think so fit for me to do that I should resolve to undergo some inconveniency rather than omit them still reserving to others their liberty to do as they should see cause There are again many things which in my conscience are not absolutely and in Thesi unlawful to be done which yet in Hypothesi and for the like personal respects I think so unfit for me to do that I should resolve to undergo some inconvenience rather chan do them yet still reserving to others the like liberty as before to do as they should see cause It belongeth to every sober Christian advisedly to consider not onely what in it self may lawfully be done or left undone but also what in godly wisdom and discretion is fittest for him to do or not to do upon all occasions as the exigence of present Circumstances shall require And now you are willing I doubt not to hear how this exact man appeared in the world You must know that when he found his youthful heat abated and fined his Parts and Abilities competent his Understanding furnished with all necessary knowledge his Memory made faithful and serviceable by method and deep apprehension his Invention upon any subject flowing with proper Notions his Judgement in a variety of Learning exact and discerning things that differ his Prudence for affairs mature and well weighed and his Soul knit to a resolution able to meet with variety of occasions with honour quiet pleasure and safety he was not wedded to ease and speculation nor wanting what able men sometimes do a publick Patrociny and Encouragement in answer to the expectation of the University that bred him of his Generation that looked for him and his own inclination who would always say That Employment
very doctrine or where they are commanded so to believe or teach One of their chiefest refuges is the Text we now have in hand but I shall anon drive them from this shelter The other places usually alleaged speak only either of divine and supernatural truths to be believed or else of workes of grace or worship to be performed as of necessity unto salvation which is not to the point in issue For it is freely confessed that in things of such nature the Holy Scripture is and so we are to account it a most absolute sufficient direction Upon which ground we heartily reject all humane traditions devised and intended as supplements to the doctrine of faith contained in the Bible and annexed as codicils to the holy Testament of Christ for to supply the defects thereof The question is wholly about things in their nature indifferent such as are the use of our food raiment and the like about which the common actions of life are chiefly conversant Whether in the choice and use of such things we may not be sometimes sufficiently guided by the light of reason and the common rules of discretion but that we must be able and are so bound to do or else we sinne for every thing we do in such matters or deduce our warrant from some place or other of Scripture Before the Scripture were written it pleased GOD by visions and dreams and other like revelations immediately to make known his good pleasure to the Patriarches and Prophets and by them unto the people which kind of Revelations served them to all the same intents and purposes whereto the sacred Scriptures now do us viz. to instruct them what they should believe and do for his better service and the furtherance of their own salvations Now as it were unreasonable for any man to think that they either had or did expect an immediate revelation from God every time they eat or drank or bought or sold or did any other of the common actions of life for the warranting of each of those particular actions to their consciences no less unreasonable it is to think that we should now expect the like warrant from the Scriptures for the doing of the like actions Without all doubt the Law of nature and the light of reason was the rule whereby they were guided for the most part in such matters which the wisdome of God would never have left in them or us as a principal relique of his decayed image in us if he had not meant that we should make use of it for the direction of our lives and actions thereby Certainly God never infused any power into any creature whereof he intended not some use Else what shall we say of the Indies and other barbarous nations to whom God never vouchsafed the lively Oracles of his written word Must we think that they were left a lawless people without any Rule at all whereby to order their actions How then come they to be guilty of transgression for where there is no Law there can be no transgession Or how cometh it about that their consciences should at any time or in any case either accuse them or excuse them if they had no guide nor rule to walk by But if we must grant they had a Rule and there is no way you see but grant it we must then we must also of necessity grant that there is some other Rule for humane actions besides the written word for that we presupposed these nations to have wanted Which Rule what other could it be then the Law of the Nation and of right reason imprinted in their hearts Which is as truly the Law and Word of God as is that which is printed in our Bibles So long as our actions are warranted either by the one or the other we cannot be said to want the warrant of Gods Word Nec differet Scriptura an ratione consistat saith Tertullian it mattereth not much from whether of both we have our direction so long as we have it from either You see then those men are in a great errour who make the holy Scriptures the sole rule of all humane actions whatsoever For the maintenance whereof there was never yet produced any piece of an argument either from reason or from authority of holy writ or from the testimony either of the ancient Fathers or of other classical Divines of later times which may not be clearly and abundantly answered to the satisfaction of any rational man not extreamly fore-possessed with prejudice They who think to salve the matter by this mitigation that at least wise our actions ought to be framed according to those general rules of the Law of Nature which are here and there in the Scriptures dispersedly contained as viz. That we should do as we would be done to That all things be done decently and orderly and unto edification That nothing be done against conscience and the like speak somewhat indeed to the truth but little to the purpose For they consider not First that these general Rules are but occasionally and incidentally mentioned in Scripture rather to manifest unto us a former than to lay upon us a new obligation Secondly that those rules had been of force for the ordering of mens actions though the Scripture had never expressed them and were of such force before those Scriptures were written wherein they are now expressed For they bind not originally qua scripta but qua justa because they are righteous not because they are written Thirdly that an action conformable to these general Rules might not be condemned as sinful although the doer thereof should look at those rules meerly as they are the dictates of the law of nature and should not be able to vouch his warrant for it from any place of Scripture neither should have at the time of the doing thereof any present thought or consideration of any such place The contrary whereunto I permit to any mans reasonable judgement if it be not desperately rash and uncharitable to affirm Lastly that if mens actions done agreeably to those rules are said to be of faith precisely for this reason because those rules are contained in the word then it will follow that before those particular Scriptures were written wherein any of those rules are first delivered every action done according to those rules had been done without faith there being as yet no Scripture for it and consequently had been a sin So that by this doctrine it had been a sin before the writing of S. Matthews Gospel for any man to have done to others as he would they should do to him and it had been a sin before the writing of the former Epistle to the Corinthians for any man to have done any thing decently and orderly supposing these two Rules to be in those two places first mentioned because this supposed there could then have been no warrant brought from the Scriptures for so doing Well then we see the former Opinion