and so 't is Courtesie It vaunteth not it self and so 't is Modesty It is not puffed up and so 't is Humility It is not easily provok'd and so 't is Lenity It thinketh no evil and so 't is Simplicity It rejoyceth in the Truth and so 't is Verity It beareth all things and so 't is Fortitude It believeth all things and so 't is Faith It hopeth all things and so 't is Confidence It endureth all things and so 't is Patience It never faileth and so 't is Perseverance 36. You see two glorious and divine Vertues namely Faith and Charity though not naturally express'd yet pretty well counterfeited by the Moralist And to make up the Analogy compleat we have the third Royal vertue which is Hope reasonably well shadow'd out in that which they call Intenâ—io Finis which is nothing else but a fore-tasting of the happiness which they propose to themselves as a sufficient reward for all their severe and melancholick endeavours 37. What shall we say my beloved Friends Shall the Heathenish Moralist meerly out of the strength of natural Reason conclude that the knowledg of what is good and fit to be done without a practise of it upon our affections and outward actions to be nothing worth nay ridiculous and contemptible And shall we who have the Oracles of God nay the whole perfect will of God fully set down in the holy Scriptures in every page almost whereof we find this urg'd and press'd upon us That to know our Masters will without performing it is fruitless unto us nay will intend the heat and add vertue and power to the lake of fire and brimstone reserved for such empty unfruitful Christians and shall we I say content our selves any longer with bare hearing and knowing of the Word and no more God forbid Rather let us utterly avoid this holy Temple of God Let us rather cast his Word behind our backs and be as ignorant of his holy Will as ever our fore-fathers were Let us contrive any course to cut off all commerce and entercourse all communion and acquaintance with our God rather then when we profess to know him and willingly to allow him all those glorious Titles and Attributes by which he hath made himself known unto us in his Word in our hearts to deny him in our lives and practises to dishonour him and use him despightfully 38. It were no hard matter I think to perswade any but resolved hardned minds that Fruit is necessary before any admission into heaven only by proposing to your considerations the form and process of that Judgment to which you every man in his own person must submit The Authors word may be taken for the truth of what I shall tell you for the story we receive from his mouth that shall be Judg of all and therefore is likely to know what course and order himself will observe 39. In the General Resurrection when sentence of absolution or condemnation shall be pass'd upon every one according to his deserts Knowledg is on no side mentioned but one because he hath cloathed the naked and fed the hungry and done such like works of Charity he is taken and the rest that have not done so much are refused Will it avail any one then to say Lord we confess we have not done these works but we have spent many an hour in hearing and talking of thy Word nay we have maintain'd to the utmost of our power and to our own great prejudice many Opinions and Tenents Alas we little thought that any spotted imperfect work of ours was requisite we were resolved that for working thou hadst done enough for us to get us to heaven Will any such excuses as these serve the turn Far be it from us to think so 40. If you will turn to Matth. 7.22 you shall find stronger and better excuses then these to no purpose Mat. 7.22 Many shall say unto me saith Christ Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name These were something more then hearers they had spent their time in preaching and converting souls unto Christ which is a work if directed to a right end of the most precious and admirable value that it is possible for a creature to perform And yet whiles they did not practise themselves what they taught others they became Cast-aways Others there were that had cast out Devils and done many miracles And yet so lov'd the unclean spirits that themselves were possess'd withal that they could not endure to part company then and now were never likely 41. But have not I all this while mistaken my Auditory Were not these Instructions fitter for the Universities Had it not been more fit and seasonable for me to have instructed and catechis'd mine hearers rather than to give them cautions and warnings lest they should abuse their knowledg No surely Instructions to make use of knowledg in our practise and conversation and not to content our selves with meer knowing and hearing and talking of the mysteries of our Salvation cannot in the most ignorant Congregation be unseasonable Even the Heathen which were utter strangers from the knowledge of Gods wayes did notwithstanding render themselves inexcusable for deteining some part of the Truth as it were naturally ingrafted in them in unrighteousness So that there is no man in the world but knows much more then he practises every man hides some part at least of his Talent in a Napkin wherefore let every man even the most ignorant that hears me this day search the most inward secret corners of his heart for this treasure of knowledg and let him take it forth and put it into the Usurers hands and trade thriftily with it that he may return his Lord his own with encrease Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Verily I say unto you he shall make him Ruler over all his Household 42. And thus I have gone through one member of my First General namely the consideration wherein the Imprudence of the Fool in my Text doth consist In the prosecution whereof I have discovered unto you how severally Satan plants his Engins for the subversion of the Church In the Primitive times when Religion was more stirring and active and Charity in Fashion He assay'd to corrupt mens understandings with Heresies and there by the way was observ'd his order and method how distinctly beginning in those first times with the first Article he hath orderly succeeded to corrupt the next following and now in these last dayes hee 's got to even the last end of the Creed But since by the mercy and goodness of God we are delivered and stand firm in the Faith once delivered to the Saints he hath raised another Engine against us that stand and that is To work that our Orthodox Opinions do us no good which he performs by snatching the Word out of our Hearts and making it unfruitful in our Lives Now those that are thus enveagl'd and
will assure him that if he keep himself to the point of every diffficulty and not weary the Reader and overcharge his margent with unnecessary quotations of Authors in Greek and Latine and sometime also in Italian and French together with Proverbs Sentences of Poets and such Grammatical stuff nor affect to cite a multitude of our Catholique School-Divines to no purpose at all his Book will not exceed a competent size nor will any man in reason be offended with that length which is regulated by necessity Again before he come to set down his answer or propose his Arguments let him consider very well what may be replyed and whether his own objections may not be retorted against himself as the Reader will perceive to have hapned often to his disadvantage in my Reply against him But especially I expect and Truth it self exacts at his hand that he speak clearly and distinctly and not seek to walk in darkness so to delude and deceive his Reader now saying and then denying and alwayes speaking with such ambiguity as that his greatest care may seem to consist in a certain Art to find a shift as his occasions might chance either now or hereafter to require and as he might fall out to be urged by diversity of several Arguments And to the end it may appear that I deal plainly as I would have him also do I desire that he declare himself concerning these points 11. First whether our Saviour Christ have not alwayes had and be not ever to have a visible true Church on earth and whether the contrary Doctrine be not a damnable heresie 12. Secondly what visible Church there was before Luther disagreeing from the Roman Church and agreeing with the pretended Church of Protestants 13. Thirdly Since he will be forced to grant That there can be assigned no visible true Church of Christ distinct from the Church of Rome and such Churches as agreed with her when Luther first appeared whether it doth not follow that she hath not erred Fundamentally because every such error destroyes the nature and beeing of the Church and so our Saviour Christ should have had no visible Church on earth 14. Fourthly if the Roman Church did not fall into any Fundamental error let him tell us how it can be damnable to live in her Communion or to maintain errors which are known and confessed not to be Fundamental or damnable 15. Fiftly if her Errors were not damnable nor did exclude salvation how can they be excused from Schism who forsook her Communion upon pretence of errors which were not damnable 16. Sixthly if D. Potter have a minde to say That her Errors are Damnable or Fundamental let him do us so much charity as to tell us in particular what those Fundamental errors be But he must still remember and my self must be excused for repeating it that if he say The Roman Church erred Fundamentally he will not be able to shew that Christ our Lord had any visible Church on earth when Luther appeared and let him tell us How Protestants had or can have any Church which was universal and extended herself to all ages if once he grant that the Roman Church ceased to be the true Church of Christ and consequently how they can hope for Salvation if they deny it to us 17. Seventhly whether any one Error maintained against any one Truth though never so small in it self yet sufficiently propounded as testified or revealed by Almighty God do not destroy the Nature and Unity of Faith or at least is not a grievous offence excluding Salvation 18. Eighthly if this be so how can Lutherans Calvinists Swinglians and all the rest of disagreeing Protestants hope for Salvation since it is manifest that some of them must needs err against some such truth as is testified by Almighty God either Fundamental or at least not Fundamental 19. Ninthly we constantly urge and require to have a particular Catalogue of such Points as he cals Fundamental A Catalogue I say in particular and not only some general definition or description wherein Protestants may perhaps agree though we see that they differ when they come to assign what Points in particular be Fundamental and yet upon such a particular Catalogue much depends as for example in particular Whether or no a man do not err in some Point Fundamental or necessary to Salvation and whether or no Lutherans Calvinists and the rest do disagree in Fundamentals which if they do the same heaven cannot receive them all 20. Tenthly and lastly I desire that in answering to these Points he would let us know distinctly what is the Doctrine of the Protestant English Church concerning them and what he utters only as his own private opinion 21. These are the Questions which for the present I find it fit and necessary for me to ask of D. Potter or any other who will defend his cause or impugne ours And it will be in vain to speak vainly and to tell me that a Fool may ask more questions in an hour than a Wise man can answer in a year with such idle Proverbs as that For I ask but such questions as for which he gives occasion in his Book and where he declares not himself but after so ambiguous and confused a manner as that Truth it self can scarce tell how to convince him so but that with ignorant and ill judging men he will seem to have somewhat left to say for himself though Papists as he cals them and Puritans should presse him contrary wayes at the same time and these questions concern things also of high importance as whereupon the knowledge of God's Church and true Religion and consequently Salvation of the soul depends And now because he shall not taxe me with being like those men in the Gospel whom our blessed Lord and Saviour charged with laying heavy burdens upon other mens shoulders who yet would not touch them with their finger I oblige my self to answer upon any demand of his both to all these Questions if he find that I have not done it already and to any other concerning matter of Faith that he shall ask And I will tell him very plainly what is Catholique Doctrin and what is not that is what is defined or what is not defined and rests but in discussion among Divines 22. And it will be here expected that he perform these things as a man who professeth learning should do not flying from questions which concern things as they are considered in their own nature to accidental or rare circumstances of ignorance incapacity want of means to be instructed erroneous conscience and the like which being very various and different cannot be well comprehended under any general Rule But in delivering general Doctrins we must consider things as they be ex natura rei or per se loquendo as Divines speak that is according to their natures if all circumstances concurr proportionable thereunto As for example some may for a time have invincible
but that they left the said Communities So Luther and the rest cannot so much as pretend not to have left the visible Church which according to them was infected with many diseases but can only pretend that they did not sin in leaving her And you speak very strangely when you say In a society of men universally infected with some disease they that should free themselves from the common disease could not be therefore said to separate from the Society For if they do not separate themselves from the Society of the infected persons how do they free themselves and depart from the common disease Do they at the same time remain in the company and yet depart from those infected creatures Wee must then say that they separate themselves from the persons though it be by occasion of the disease Or if you say they free their own pâ—rsons from the common disease yet so that they remaine still in the Company infected subject to the Superiours and Governours thereof eating and drinking and keeping publique Assemblies with them you cannot but know that Luther and your Reformers the first pretended free persons from the supposed common infection of the Romane Church did not so for they endeavoured to force the Society whereof they were parts to be healed and reformed as they were and if â—t refused they did when they had forces drive them away even their Superiours both Spirituall and Temporall as is notorious Or if they had not power to expel that supposed infected Community or Church of that place they departed from them corporally whom mentally they had forsaken before So that you cannot deny but Luther forsook the external Communion and commpany of the Catholique Church for which as your self (z) Pag. 75. confess There neither was nor can be any just cause no more than to depart from Christ himself We do therefore infer that Luther and the rest who forsook that visible Church which they found upon earth were truly and properly Schismatiques 25. Moreover it is evident that there was a division between Luther and that Church which was Visible when he arose but that Church cannot be said to have divided her self from him before whose time the was and in comparison of whom she was a Whole and he but a part therefore we must say that he divided himself and went out of her which is to be a Schismatique or Heretique or both By this argument Optatus Melivitanus proveÌ„th that not Caecilianus but Parmenianus was a Schismatique saying For Caecilianus went (a) Lib. 1. cont Parmen not out of Majorinus thy Grandfather but Majorinus from Cecilianus neither did Caecilianus depart from the Chair of Peter or Cyprian but Majorinus in whose Chayr thou sittest which had no beginning before Majorinus Since it manifestly appeareth that these things were acted in this manner it is clear that you are heirs both of the deliverers up of the holy Bible to be burned and also of Schismatiques The Whole argument of this holy Father makes directly both against Luther and all those who continue the division which he begun and proves That going out convinceth those who go our to be Schismatiques but not those from whom they depart That to forsake the Chair of Peter is Schism yea that it is Schism to erect a Chair which had no origin or as it were predecessour before it self That to continue in a division begun by others is to be Heires of Schismatiques and lastly that to depart from the Communion of a particular Church as that of S. Cyprian was is sufficient to make a man incur the guilt of Schism and consequently that although Protestants who deny the Pope to be supream Head of the Church do think by that Heresie to clear Luther from Schism in disobeying the Pope Yet that will not serve to free him from Schism as it importeth a division from the obedience or Communion of the particular Bishop Diocess Church and Country where he lived 36. But it is not the Heresie of Protestants or any other Sectaries that can deprive S. Peter and his Successors of the authority which Christ our Lord conferred upon them over his whole militant Church which is a Point confessed by learned Protestants to be of great Antiquity and for which the judgement of divers most ancient holy Fathers is reproved by them as may be seen at large in Brerely (b) Tract 1. Sect. 3. subd 10. exactly citing the places of such chief Protestants And we must say with S. Cyprian Heresies (c) Ep. 55. have sprung and Schisms been bred from no other cause then for that the Priest of God is not obeyed nor one Priest and Judge is considered to be for the time in the Church of God Which words do plainly condemn Luther whether he will understand them as spoken of the Universal or of every particular Church For he withdrew himself both from the obedience of the Pope and of all particular Bishops and Churches And no less clear is the said Optatus Melivitanus saying Thou canst not deny (d) Lib. 2. cont Parmen but that thou knowest that in the City of Rome there was first an Episcopal Chair placed for Peter wherein Peter the head of all the Apostles sate whereof also he was called Cephas in which one Chair Unity was to be kept by all lest the other Apostles might attribute to themselves each one his particular Chair and that he should be a Schismatique and sinner who against that one single Chair should erect another Many other authorities of Fathers might be alleadged to this purpose which â—omit my intention being not to handle particular controversies 37. Now the arguments which hitherto I have brought prove that Luther and his followers were Schismatiques without examining for as much as belongs to this Point whether or no the Church can erre in any one thing great or small because it is universally true that there can be no just cause to forsake the Communion of the visible Church of Christ according to S. Augustin saying It is not possible (e) Ep. 48. that any may have just cause to separate their Communion from the Communion of the whole world and call themselves the Church of Christ as if they had separated themselves from the Communion of all Nations upon just cause But since indeed the Church cannot erre in any one Point of Doctrin nor can approve any corruption in manners they cannot with any colour avoid the just imputation of eminent Schism according to the verdict of the same holy Father in these words The most manifest (f) De Bapt. lib. 5. cap. 1. sacriledge of Schism is eminent when there was no cause of separation 38. Lastly I prove that Protestants cannot avoid the note of Schism at least by reason of their mutual separation from one another For most certain it is that there is very great difference for the outward face of a Church and profession of a different
judgment to change your Communion for theirs though confessed to have some corruptions it may well be presum'd that he hath but little judgment For as for your pretence that yours are confessed not to be Fundamental it is an affected mistake as already I have often told you 66. Ad § 22. But D. Potter sayes It is comfort enough for the Church that the Lord in mercy will secure her from all her capital dangers but she may not hope to triumph over all sin and errour till she be in heaven Now if it be comfort enough to be secur'd from all capital dangers which can arise only from errour in fundamental points Why were not our first Reformers content with enough but would needs dismember the Church out of a pernitious greediness of more than enough Answ I have already shewed sufficiently how capital danger may arise from errours though not fundamental I add now that what may be enough for men in ignorance may be to knowing men not enough according to that of the Gospel to whom much is given of him much shall be required That the same errour may be not capital to those who want means of finding the truth and capital to others who have means and neglect to use them That to continue in the profession of errour discovered to be so may be damnable though the errour be not so These I presume are reasons enough and enough why the first Reformers might think and justly that not enough for themselves which yet to some of their Predecessors they hope might be enough This very Argument was objected to (a) S. Cyprian Ep. 63. In these words Siquis de antecessoribus nostris vel ignoranter vel simpliciter non hoc observavit tenuit quod nos Dominus sacere Exemplo Magisterio suo docuit potest simplicitati ejus de indulgentia Domini venia concedi noâ—is verò non potest ignosci qui nunc à Domino admoniti instructi sumus S. Cyprian upon another occasion and also by the (b) â—ilfridus to Abbâ—t Colman alleadging that he followeth the example of his Predecessors famous for holiness and famous for mitacles in these words De Patre vestro Columba sequacibus ejus quorum sanctitatem vos imitari reguâ—am ac praecepta coelestibus signis confirmata sequi perhibetis possum respondere Quia multis in judicio dicentibus Domino quòd in nomine ejus prophetaverint dae monia ejecerint virtutes multas seceriat responsurus sit Dominus quia nunquam eos noverit Sed absit ut de patribus vestris hoc dicam quia justius multo est de incognitis bonum credere quam malum Uâ—de illos Dei famulos Deo dilectos esse non nego qui simplicitate rusticâ sed intentione piâ Deum dilexerum Neque illis multum obesse Paschae talem reor observatiam quam diù nullus advenerat qui eis instituti persectioris decreta quae sequerentur ostenderet Quos utique credo siquis tunc ad eos Catholicus circulator adveniret sic ejus monita suisse secuturos quomodo ea quae noverant ac didicerunt Dei mandata probantur suisse secuti Tu autem socii tui si audita decreta sedis Apostolicae imo universalis Ecclesiae haec literis sacris confirmata contemnitis absque ulla dubietate peccatis British Quartodecimans to the maintainers of the Doctrin of your Church and (c) Beda lib 3. Eccl. Hist c. 25. by both this very answer was returned and therefore I cannot but hope that for their sakes you will approve it 67. But if as the Doctor says no Church may hope to triumph over all errour till she be in Heaven then we must either grant that errours not fundamental cannot yield sufficient cause to forsake the Church or you must affirm that all Communities may and ought to be forsaken Answ The Doctor does not say that no Church may hope to be free from all errour either pernitious or any way noxious But that no Church may hope to be secure from all errour simply for this were indeed truly to triumph over all But then we say not that the Communion of any Church is to be forsaken for errors unfundamental unless it exact withall either a dissimulation of them being noxious or a Profession of them against the dictate of Conscience if they be meer errours This if the Church does as certainly yours doth then her Communion is to be forsaken rather than the sin of Hypocrisie to be committed Whereas to forsake the Churches of Protestants for such errours there is no necessity because they err to themselves and do not under pain of Excommunication exact the profession of their errours 68. But the Church may not be left by reason of sin therefore neither by reason of errours not fundamental in as much as both sin and errour are impossible to be avoided till she be in heaven Ans The reason of the consequence does not appear to me But I answer to the Antecedent Neither for sin nor errours ought a Church to be forsaken if she does not impose and injoyn them but if she do as the Roman does then we must forsake men rather than God leave the Churches communion rather than commit sin or profess known errours to be divine truths For the Prophet Ezekiel hath assured us that to say The Lord hath said so when the Lord hath not said so is a great sin and a high presumption be the matter never so small 69. Ad § 23. But neither the quality nor the number of your Churches errours could warrant our forsaking of it Not the quality because we suppose them not fundamental Not the number because the foundation is strong enough to support them Answ Here again you vainly suppose that we conceive your errours in themselves not damnable Though we hope they are not absolutely unpardonable but to say they are pardonable is indeed to suppose them damnable Secondly though the errours of your Church did not warrant our departure yet your Tyrannous Imposition of them would be our sufficient justification For this layes necessity on us either to forsake your company or to profess what we know to be false 70. Our Blessed Saviour hath declared his will that we forgive a private offender seventy seven times that is without limitation of quantity of time or quality of trespasses and then how dare we alledge his command that we must not pardon his Church for errours acknowledged to be not fundamental Ans He that commands us to pardon our brother sinning against us so often will not allow us for his sake to sin with him so much as once He will have us do any thing but sin rather than offend any man But his will is also that we offend all the World rather than sin in the least matter And therefore though his will were and it were in our power which yet is false to
Personal Succession and not Succession of Doctrin Is not this to verefie the name of Heresie which signifieth Election or Choice Whereby they cannot avoid that note of Imprudency or as S. Augustine calls it Foolishness set down by him against the Manichees and by me recited before I would not saith he believe (r) Cont. ep Fund c. 5. the Gospel unless the Authority of the Church did move me Those therefore whom I obeyed saying Believe the Gospel why should I not obey the same men saying to me Do not believe Manichaeus Luther Calvin c. Chuse what thou pleasest If thou say Believe the Catholiques they warn me not to believe thee Wherefore if I believe them I cannot believe thee If thou say Do not believe the Catholiques thou shall not do well in forcing me to the saith of Manichaeus because by the Preaching of Catholiques I believed the Gospel it self If thou say you did well to believe them Catholiques commending the Gospel but you did not well to believe them discommending Manichaeus dost thou think me so very FOOLISH that without any reason at all I should believe what thou wilt and not believe what thou wilt not Nay this holy Father is not content to call it Fool shness but meer Madness in these words Why should I not most diligently enquire (f) Lib de util Cred. c. 14. what Christ commanded of those before all others by whose Authority I was moved to believe that Christ commanded any good thing Canst thou better declare to me what he said whom I would not have thought to have been or to be if the Belief thereof had been recommended by thee to me This therefore I believed by fame strengthned with Celebrity Consent Antiquity But every one may see that you so few so turbulent so new can produce nothing which deserves Authority What MADNESS is this Believe them Catholiques that we ought to believe Christ but learn of us what Christ said why I beseech thee Surely if they Catholiques were not at all and could not teach me any thing I would more easily perswade my self that I were not to believe Christ then I should learn any thing concerning him from other than those by whom I believed him Lastly I ask What wisdom it could be to leave all visible Churches and consequently the true Catholique Church of Christ which you confess cannot err in points necessary to salvation and the Roman Church which you grant doth not err in fundamentals and follow private men who may err even in points necessary to salvation Especially if we add that when Luther rose there was no visible true Catholique Church besides that of Rome and them who agreed with her in which sense she was and is the only true Church of Christ and not capable of any Error in faith Nay even Luther who first opposed the Roman Church yet coming to dispute against other Heretiques he is forced to give the Lye both to his own words and deeds in saying We freely confess (t) In epist cont Anab. ad duos Paroches to 2. Germ. Wit fol. 229 230. that in the Papacy there are many good things worthy the name of Christian which have come from them to us Namely we consess that in the Papacy there is true Scripture true Baptism the true Sacrament of the Altar the true keyes for the remission of sins the true office of Preaching true Catechism as our Lords Prayer Ten Commandments Articles of faith c. And afterward I avouch that under the Papacy is true Christianity yea the Kâ—â—nâ—land Marrow of Christianity and many pious and great Saints And again he affirmeth that the Church of Rome hath the true Spirit Gospel Faith Baptism Sacraments the Keyes the Office of Preaching Prayer Holy Scripture and whatsoever Christianity ought to have And a little before I hear and see that they bring in Anabaptism only to this end that they may spight the Pope as men that will receive nothing from Antichrist no otherwise than the Sacramentaries do who therefore believe only Bread and Wine to be in the Sacrament meerly in hatred against the Bishop of Rome and they think that by this means they shall overcome the Papacy Verily these men rely upon a weak ground for by this means they must deny the whole Scripture and the Office of Preaching For we have all these things from the Pope otherwise we must go make a new Scripture O Truth more forcible as S. Austin says to wring out (x) Cont. Donat. past collat c 24. Confession then is any rack or torment And so we may truly say with Moyses Inimici nostri sunt Judices Our very Enemies give (y) Deut. 32.31 Their faith wants Supernaturality sentence for us 33 Lastly since your faith wanteth Certainty and Prudence it is easie to inferr that it wants the fourth Condition Supernaturality For being but an Humane perswasion or Opinion it is not in nature or essence Supernatural And being imprudent and rash it cannot proceed from Divine Motion and grace and therefore it is neither supernatural in it self not in the cause from which it proceedeth 34 Since therefore we have proved that whosoever errs against any one point of faith loseth all divine faith even concerning those other Articles wherein he doth not err and that although he could still retain true faith for some points yet any one errour in whatsoever matter concerning faith is a grievous sin it clearly follows that when two or more hold different doctrins concerning faith and Religion there can be but one Part saved For declaring of which truth if Catholiques be charged with want of Charity and Modesty and be accused of rashness ambition and fury as D. Potter is very free in this kind I desire every one to ponder the whole words of S. Chrysostom who teacheth that every least error overthrows all faith and whosoever is guilty thereof is in the Church like one who in the Common wealth forgeth false coin Let them hear saith this holy Father what S. Paul saith Namely that they who brought in some small error (z) Gal. 1.7 had overthrown the Gospel For to shew how small a thing ill mingled doth corrupt the whole he said that the Gospel was subverted For as he who clips a little of the stamp from the King's money makes the whole piece of no value so whosoever takes away â—he least particle of sound faith is wholly corrupted always going from that beginning to worse things Where then are they who condemn us as contentious persons because we cannot agree with Heretiques and do often say that there is no difference betwixt us and them but that our disagreement proceeds from Ambition to domineer And thus having shewed that Protestants want true Faith it remaineth that according to my first design I examine whether they do not also want Charity as it respects a mans self The ANSWER to the SIXTH CHAPTER That Protestants are not Heretiques
though I deny that it is required of us to be certain in the highest degree infallibly certain of the truth of the things which we believe for this were to know and not believe neither is it possible unless our evidence of it be it natural or supernatural were of the highest degree yet I deny not but we ought to be and may be infallibly certain that we are to believe the Religion of Christ For first this is most certain that we are in all things to do according to wisdom and reason rather than against it Secondly this is as certain That wisdom and Reason require that we should believe those things which are by many degrees more credible and probable than the contrary Thirdly this is as certain that to every man who considers impartially what great things may be said for the truth of Christianity and what poor things they are which may be said against it either for any other Religion or for none at all it cannot but appear by many degrees more credible that Christian Religion is true than the contrary And from all these premisses this conclusion evidently follows that it is infallibly certain that we are firmly to believe the truth of Christian Religion 9 Your discourse therefore touching the fourth requisite to faith which is Prudence I admit so far as to grant 1. That if we were required to believe with certainty I mean a Moral certainty things no way represented as infallible and certain I mean morally an unreasonable obedience were required of us And so likewise were it were we required to believe as absolutely certain that which is no way represented to us as absolutely certain 2. That whom God obligeth to believe any thing he will not fail to furnish their understandings with such inducements as are sufficient if they be not negligent or perverse to perswade them to believe 3. That there is an abundance of Arguments exceedingly credible inducing men to believe the Truth of Christianity I say so credible that though they cannot make us evidently see what we believe yet they evidently convince that in true wisdom and prudence the Articles of it deserve credit and ought to be accepted as things revealed by God 4. That without such reasons and inducements our choice even of the true faith is not to be commended as prudent but to be condemned of rashness and levity 10 But then for your making Prudence not only a commendation of a believer and a justification of his faith but also essential to it and part of the definition of it in that questionless you were mistaken and have done as if being to say what a man is you should define him A Reasonable creature that hath skill in Astronomy For as all Astronomers are men but all men are not Astronomers and therefore Astronomy ought not to be put into the definition of Men where nothing should have place but what agrees to all men So though all that are truly wise that is wise for eternity will believe aright yet many may believe aright which are not wise I could wish with all my heart as Moses did that all the Lords people could Prophesie That all that believe the true Religion were able according to S. Peter's injunction to give a reason of the hope that is in them a reason why they hope for eternal happiness by this way rather than any other neither do I think it any great difficulty that men of ordinary capacities if they would give their mind to it might quickly be enabled to do so But should I affirm that all true believers can do so I suppose it would be as much against experience and modesty as it is against Truth and Charity to say as you do that they which cannot do so either are not at all or to no purpose true believers And thus we see that the foundations you build upon are ruinous and deceitful and so unfit to support your Fabrick that they destroy one another I come now to shew that your Arguments to prove Protestants Heretiques are all of the same quality with your former grounds which I will do by opposing clear and satisfying Answers in order to them 11 Ad § 13. To the first then delivered by you § 13. That Protestants must be Heretiques because they opposed divers Truths propounded for divine by the Visible Church I answer It is not heresie to oppose any truth propounded by the Church but only such a Truth as is an essential part of the Gospel of Christ 2. The Doctrins which Protestants opposed were not Truths but plain and impious falshoods Neither thirdly were they propounded as Truths by the Visible Church but only by a Part of it and that a corrupted Part. 12 Ad § 14. The next Argument in the next Particle tell us That every error against any doctrin revealed by God is damnable Heresie Now either Protestants or the Roman Church must err against the word of God But the Roman Church we grant perforce doth not err damnably neither can she because she is the Catholique Church which we you say confess cannot err damnably Therefore Protestants must err against God's word and consequently are guilty of formal Heresie Whereunto I answer plainly that there be in this argument almost as many falshoods as assertions For neither is every error against any Doctrin revealed by God a damnable Heresie unless it be revealed publiquely and plainly with a command that a I should believe it 2. D. Potter no where grants that the Errors of the Roman Church are not in themselves damnable though he hopes by accident they may not actually damn some men amongst you and this you your self confess in divers places of your Book where you tell us that he allows no hope of Salvation to those amongst you whom ignorance cannot exouse 3. You beg the Question twice in taking for granted First That the Roman Church is the truly Catholique Church which without much favour can hardly pass for a part of it And again that the Catholique Church cannot fall into any error of it self damnable for it may do so and still be the Catholique Church if it retain those Truths which may be an antidote against the malignity of this error to those that held it out of a simple un-affected ignorance Lastly though the thing be true yet I might well require some proof of it from you that either Protestants or the Roman Church must err against God's word For if their contradiction be your only reason then also you or the Dominicans must be Heretiques because you contradict one another as much as Protestants and Papists 13 Ad § 15. The third Argument pretends that you have shewed already that the Visible Church is Judge of Controversies and therefore infallible from whence you suppose that it follows that to oppose her is to oppose God To which I answer that you have said only and not shewed that the Visible Church is Judg of Controversies
be so wild as to think thou canst repent of thy sins and yet resolve upon such a business to expect your sentence before the judgment feat of God wilfully and irrecoverably to deprive your selves of all those blessed means which God had contrived for your salvation the power of his Word the efficacy and virtue of his Sacraments all which you shall utterly exclude your selves from and leave your selves in such a state that it shall not be in Gods power to do you any good Oh consider this all ye that fight against God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you 40. In the third place There is another great evil under the Sun and that is When men are not content to dishonour Almighty God and their glorious Religion by unworthy scandalous Practises but to make themselves innocent they will entitle God to their abominations Of this nature are those who are curious and inquisitive into Scripture great students in it for this end That they may furnish them with some places which being violently wrested and injuriously handled may serve at least in their opinion to patronize and warrant their ungodly irreligious courses The time will come saith Christ to his Disciples when they who hate and persecute you shall think they do God good service And the time is come when men think they can give no greater nor more approved testimony of their Religion and zeal of God's Truth then by hating and abhorring by reviling and traducing their Brethren if they differ from them in any though the most ordinary innocent Opinions If men accord not altogether with them if they run not on furiously with them in all their Tenets they are enemies unto God and his Truth and they can find Scripture enough to warrant them to disgrace and revile such to raise any scandalous dishonorable reports of them and to poyson utterly their reputation with the World An Application to the Communion I Have hitherto as carefully as so short a time would permit and yet it may be with greater earnestness then you could have been content I should searched into the retired corners of our hearts and there discovered a vice which it may be you little expected namely Atheism A strange vice I confess to be found in Christian Hearts I have likewise exemplifi'd in some particular practices of these times most exactly contrary to our profession of Christian Religion If I should endeavour to discover all that might be observed of this nature not my hour only but the day it self would fail me Notwithstanding I am resolved to make one instance more about the business for which we are met together namely The receiving of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ I suppose you will all acknowledge with me that that is a business of the greatest consequence that a Christian is capable of performing I hope I need not to instruct you how inexcusably guilty those men render themselves who come with an unprepared heart with an unsanctified mouth to the partaking of these heavenly Mysteries What art thou saith God by the Psalmist that takest my word into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed And if that be so great a crime for a man only to talk of God to make mention of his Name when the heart is unclean and unreformed with how much greater reason may Christ say What art thou that takest Mee into thy mouth what art thou that darest devour my flesh and suck my bloud that darest incorporate my flesh and bloud into thy self to make my spotless body an instrument of thy lusts a temple for the Devil to inhabite and raign in To crucifie Christ once more and put him to open shame To crucifie him so that no good shall follow upon it to make the bloud of the New Covenant a profane thing And thus far if not deeper is that man guilty that shall dare to come to this heavenly feast with spotted and unclean affections The Fourth Sermon LUK. IX 23. Let him deny himself GOod reason there is that according to that excess of value and weight wherewith heavenly and spiritual things do surmount and preponderate earthly and transitory so likewise the desire and prosecution of them should be much more contentiously active and earnest than that of the other Yet if men were but in any proportion so circumspect and carefull in businesses that concern their eternal welfare as even the most foolish Worldlings are about riches honour and such trifles as are not worthy to take up the mind even of a natural man We should not have the glorious Profession of Christianity so carelesly and sleepily undertaken so irresolutely and fearfully nay cowardly maintain'd I might add so treacherously pretended and betray'd to the encompassing of base and unworthy ends as now it is 2. To what may we more justly impute this negligent wretchless behaviour of Christians than to an extream incogitancy and want of consideration in us upon what terms it is that we have entred into league with God and to what considerable strict Conditions we have in our first initiation at our Baptism so solemnly submitted and engag'd our selves without a serious resolute performance whereof we have promis'd by no means to expect any reward at all from God but to remain strangers utterly excluded from the least hope of enjoying any fruit of those many glorious Promises which it hath pleased our gracious God so liberally to offer and reach out unto us in our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ 3. It was no good sign when the precious seed of the Word was received into the stony ground with such a sudden Joy Hearers resembled by that ground give good heed to the glorious and comfortable promises which attend Religion without having respect to many troublesome and melancholick Conditions which much necessarily go along too And therefore when persecution begins either within them when they are commanded to strangle a lust as dear unto them and as necessary for their employments as an eye or right-hand Or without them when that Profession which they have undertaken becomes offensive or scanda lous to great men Then as if they had been mistaken in the Purchase or deceiv'd by the Preacher the joy so suddenly kindled assoon vanishes and they retire themselves home expecting a more commodious and gainful bargain 4. Hereupon it is that our Saviour in this chapter spends two Parables One of a King preparing for Warr The other of a Builder for a House whereby to instruct his hearers what they should do before they did offer to undertake his service The sum whereof is this That if they had any ends and projects of their own if they thought to serve themselves upon him they were much deceived that they should deeply and thoughtfully consider of what weight and consequence the business was that they were about 5. There is a Kingdom to be obtain'd And a glorious Pallace wherein are to
down our lives for them So that we are not bound to destroy the love of our selves but only when it is a hinderance to our fulfilling of what God commands us 29. We therefore who have given up our Names unto Christ must expect to enjoy the fruits of his Obedience by treading in the same steps which he hath left unto us As shall be showed hereafter more plentifully 30. And yet it is not necessary that we should exactly and curiously apply our selves to the Rule of his Obedience For whereas he voluntarily undertook the form and fashion of a Servant and being Lord of Heaven and Earth despised and neglected the riches and glory of this world We notwithstanding are not tyed to such hard conditions but may flow and abound with wealth and honour neither need we to deny to our souls any pleasure under the Sun but liberally enjoy it as the gift of God as long as thereby we withdraw not our Obedience and Allegiance from God 31. Peccatum non est appetitus malarum rerum sed desertio meliorum saith St. Augustine quoted by Lombard 2 Sent. 42. dist i. e. Sin does not consist in desiring ' or lusting after things which in their own natures are evil and inconvenient but in preferring a low inconstant changeable good before another more worthy and of greater excellency and perfection Whilest therefore God has that estimation and value in our thoughts that he deserves whilest there is nothing in our selves or any other creature which we preferr before him whilst we conspire not with our lusts to depose him from bearing a Soveraign sway in our heats and Consciences whilst we have no other God before Him not committing Idolatry to Wealth Honour Learning and the like It shall be lawful in the second place to love our selves So that we fulfil this Commandement when we do not Deifie our selves whilst we Sacrifice not to our own wisdom nor burn incense to the pride of our hearts c. 32. Conceive then the meaning of this Law to be such as if it had been more fully inlarg'd on this wise Let every one that but hears any mention of Christ this day take into deep consideration and spend his most serious morning thoughts in pondering and weighing whether those benefits which Christ hath promised to communicate to every one that shall be joyned and marryed to him by a lively faith be worthy his acceptation Let him oppose to them all the pleasures and profits which he can promise or but fancy to himself under the Sun 33. If after a due comparing of these things together he have so much wisdom as to acknowledge that an eternal weight of joy and glory an everlasting serenity and calmness be to be preferr'd before a transitory unquiet restless unsatisfying pleasure And seeing both these are offered and set before him or rather seeing such is the extream mercy of our God that whereas the goods of this life are not allow'd nor so much as offer'd equally and universally to all For not many have ground to hope for much wealth Not many wise not many learned saith St. Paul Yet to every man whom God hath called to the acknowledgment of the Gospel these inestimable benefits are offered and presented bona fide without any impossible condition so that let the Disputers of this Age say what they will it shall be found that those who have failed and come short of these glories offered may thank themselves for it and impute it to an actual voluntary misprision and undervaluing of these riches of Gods mercies which they might have procured and not to any fatal over-ruling power that did inforce and necessitate and drive them to their destruction 34. These things considered if you are indeed convinc'd that light is to be preferr'd before darkness It is impossible but that you should likewise acknowledg that it were meer madness for a man to imagin to himself any the most vanishing faint expectation of those glorious Promises whilst he is busie and careful by all means to avoid those indeed thorny and unpleasant paths that lead unto them whilst he promiseth to himself rest and impunity though he walk in the Imagination of his own heart Surely the Lord will be avenged on such a person and will make his fierce wrath to smoak against him 35. Therefore resolve upon something If the Lord be God follow him serve him conform your selves to the form of new obedience which he hath prescribed But if Baal be God if Mammon be God if your selves be Gods follow the devices of your own hearts But by no means expect any reward at all from God for dishonouring him or preferring a base unworthy lust before his commands Lo 't is the Lord of Glory who is Salvation and the way too it is he that hath professed that there is no possible way of attaining unto him but by treading in the same steps which he hath left us A way which he found full of thorns full of difficulties but hath left it to us even strowed with Roses in comparison 36. The greatest and most terrible Enemies which we can fashion to our selves are those three which St. Paul hath mustered together and ordered them just Roman-wise the strongest in the Rear 1. Death and 2. the sting of that Sin and 3. the poyson of that sting The Law But over all these we are more then Conquerours for it follows Thanks be unto God which bath mark hath already given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ At the first indeed till the paths was worn and made smooth there were some difficulties for what could the Primitive Christians expect having all the world their Enemies but reproaches exiles deportations even horrible torments and death 37. But we blessed be our gracious God are so farr from being annoyed with such difficulties and pressures in the way that all those are to be feared and expected by them that dare deny the Profession of our glorious Religion What therefore if the Lord had commanded some great thing of us even as much as he did of his Beloved Servants the Apostles and Primitive Christians would we not have done it How much more when he says only Be not ashamed of me now when you dare not be ashamed of me now that it almost death to be ashamed of me Deny not me before this generation who would hate and persecute you to the death if you should deny me Crucifie unto you the unclean affections the incendiary lusts of your hearts which the Heathens have perform'd for the poor empty reward of fame Preferr not riches nor honours before me which is no more then many Philosophers have done for those vulgar changeable Gods which themselves have contemned 38. Having therefore beloved Christians such Promises to encourage us such as the poor Heathens never dream't of and yet for all that travelled more earnestly after an airy phantastical happiness of their own then we to our extream shame
he had liv'd but only to maintain him in meat and drink out of danger of starving or which was more fearful because more full of trouble or dishonour hard labour or begging 2. Surely it had been no hard matter for our Saviour who knew all whatsoever was in man to have discover'd more subtil projects plots of a finer and more curious contrivance than this fellow 's But this it seems would serve his turn well enough for the purpose for which he made use of it And to say the truth there cannot be imagined an example more exactly suiting more closely applicable to his entent which was not to discredit and dishearten his followers by comparing I and preferring the cunning of an ordinary fellow a meer Bayliffe or Steward before that spiritual heavenly wisdom to which they pretend Nor Secondly to instruct them by indirect and unwarrantable courses to provide for themselves hereafter But chiefly this 3. To teach us by objecting to our view a man who by his own negligence and carelesness being brought to an extremity for there was no necessity he should be brought to these plunges a little timely care and providence even ordinary honesty would casily have warranted and preserved him had upon the sudden found out a trick of his Office namely by proceeding in his old courses of wasting his Master's substance to the enriching of his Fellow-servants thereby gained their good wills that for the time following they might preserve him from perishing 4. Our Saviour I say by this example would teach us That since God has plac'd us here in this world as his Stewards has put into our hands his Goods his Riches to be dispensed for his use and advantage And such Stewards we are who have advantages infinitely more urgent and pressing us to an honest faithful discharge of our Office than this man in the Parable ever had As first We must of necessity fail and be cashier'd of our Office All the power of Heaven and Earth cannot procure us a perpetuity in it The case did not stand so with this man for it was meerly his own fault to deserve discarding and besides having deserv'd that censure it was his misfortune too that his Lord should come to the knowledge of it for it is no impossible thing that a Steward should thrive by his Lords loss and yet nere be call'd to an account for it And secondly upon our behaviour in this our Office depends the everlasting welfare of our souls and bodies we shall for ever be dispos'd of according to the honest or unfaithful discharge of our place If ill Lord what shall become of us where shall we appear in that great day of account I dare not almost tell you the issue of it But if we have carryed our selves as faithful Servants propose to your selves your own conditions give your thoughts license and scope to be excessive and over-flowing in their desires if the whole extension and capacity of your thoughts be not satisfied and fill'd to the brim with measure pressed down and running over God himself which is impossible to imagin will prove a deceiving unfaithful Master 5. These things therefore considered without question it doth infinitely concern us to consult and project what we mean to do with our riches to what employment we intend to put those honours and that power which God hath conferr'd on us in this life Whether to receive them as our good things to go away contented with them as our Rewards our final rewards expecting no other good things from God after them Or which is our Saviours advice use them as means helps of attaining blessings above all conceivable proportion exceeding them so dispensing providently scattering them abroad that against our time of need which sooner or later will undoubtedly come we may oblige to our selves such friends so gracious and prevailing with our Master who either by their Prayers and Intercession or some other way which we know not may procure for us admission into our Master's joys to be no longer Stewards and Servants but Friends and Sons Thus by the help and benefit of this Mammon of unrighteousness in my Text these little things even the least blessings that God has to bestow upon us so called in the verse following and in the next but one to that these things of other men as if they were trifles not worthy the owning if compar'd with what rewards may be had in exchange for them purchasing to our selves everlasting and glorious rewards By the assistance of our Riches in the expression of St. Paul laying up for our selves a foundation of good works against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life 6. And this I suppose to be the force and meaning of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or moral of the Parable which Christ hath closely contriv'd and press'd into these few words Make to your selves friends of the c. In which words I shall observe unto you these three general parts 1. What we must expect at last notwithstanding all the Riches and Pomps of this world i. e. To fail Christ you see makes no question at all of it he takes it for granted where he says That when ye fail as implying that certainly fail we must 2. This being suppos'd that fail we must the counsel of Christ comes in very seasonably namely to provide for the main to take order that though we our selves sink yet we may procure us friends to support us in our necessities and that is by making to our selves friends of the Mammon c. 3. The comfortable issue and convenience which shall accrew unto us by those friends thus purchased i.e. by them to be received into everlasting c. Of these in the order proposed 7. You do not expect I am sure Part. I. that I should go about seriously to perswade you that you shall not live here for ever For whom should I seek to perswade God forbid I should be so uncharitable as to think or but suspect that ever I should find occasion to make use of any perswasions for such a purpose Indeed a very good man it was the Prophet David once said In his prosperity I shall never be removed Psal 30.6 Thou Lord of thy goodness hast made my hill so strong But was this well said of him think you It seems not For presently to confute this his confidence Vers 7. The Lord did but turn his face away from him and he was troubled Yet surely such a speech as this could never be spoken upon better grounds for this his assurance it seems proceeded not out of any presumptuous confidence of his own strength or policy But only out of consideration of God's especial Providence show'd in his wonderful preservation from many great and imminent dangers and in preferring him from a low contemptible fortune to the Rule and Dominion over his People 8. There is another fellow in a Parable
patient and long-suffering toward thee hoping that his long-suffering may lead thee to repentance and beseeching thee daily by his Ministers to be reconcil'd unto him And yet thou on the other-side for a distemper'd passionate speech or less shouldst take upon thee to send thy neighbours soul or thine own or likely both clogg'd and oppress'd with all your sins unrepented of for how can repentance possibly consist with such a resolution before the Tribunal seat of God to expect your final sentence utterly depriving thy self of all the blessed means which God has contrived for thy Salvation and putting thy self in such an estate that it shall not be in Gods power almost to do thee any good Pardon I beseech you my earnestness almost intemperateness seeing it hath proceeded from so just so warrantable a ground And since it is in your power to give rules of honour and reputation to the whole Kingdom do not you teach others to be ashamed of this inseparable Badg of your Religion Charity and forgiving of offences give men leave to be Christians without danger or dishonour Or if Religion will not work with you yet let the Laws of that State wherein you live the earnest desires and care of your Righteous Prince prevail with you But I have done and proceed to my last part which is the convenience and gain which shall accrew unto us by friends oblig'd with this Mammon of unrighteousness Namely by them to be reciv'd into everlasting habitations 37. I must here again propose another question Part. III. but when I have done that I must be forced to leave it without an answer unless you will be content to take a conjecture a probability for an answer It is How or after what manner those to whom we have done good here shall hereafter receive us into everlasting habitations Whether this is perform'd only by their Prayers and Intercession with God in the behalf of their Benefactors Or whether they are us'd as Instruments and conductors as it were as our Saviour may probably seem to intimate in the Parable where the Lord speaks to his Servants That they should take away the one Talent from him which had no more and bestow it on him which had ten Talents So uncertain it is whether this task shall be performed by them one of these ways or by some other unknown course that St. Auguistine ingenuously confesses he knows not what to make of it Yet Cardinal Bellarmine says he can easily assoil it and can in these words find out Purgatory and satisfaction for sin after death and a great deal more then I can understand But truly if he be able to spy Purgatory in this Text especially such a one as he fancies to himself in his Books of that Argument he has made use of better glasses than ever Galileo found out And I would to God those of his Party would consider how much the weakness of their cause is argued even from hence that they are forc'd to ground most of the Points controverted between us upon such difficult places as these of so ambiguous and uncertain meanings and therefore equally obnoxious to any mans Interpretation There may yet be found out a convenient sense of this place especially if we will allow an Hebraism in those words which is frequent enough in the Evangelical writings of putting the third person plural to express a passive sense and then the meaning will be That when c. they may receive you i. e. That ye may be receiv'd into everlasting habitations Parallel to a like phrase in Luk. 12.12 Thou Fool this night shall they take away thy soul from thee i. e. Thy soul shall be taken from thee And if this sense be true as it is very likely many of our Romish Adversaries have spent much pains about this Text to no purpose 38. But to leave quarrelling It is no very considerable matter whether we have light upon the true sense of those words or no or whether those to whom we have done good have a share in purchasing for us an admission into these everlasting habitations as long as we may infallibly hence conclude that though it should fall out that Abraham should forget us and Israel become ignorant of us yet certainly God who alone is instead of ten thousand such friends he will keep a Register of all our good actions and will take particular care of us to give us a just proportion of reward and harvest of glory according to our sparingness or liberality in sowing 39. But Obj. Would Almighty God have us such mercenary Servants so careful and projecting for our own advantage that we should not obey him without a compact and bargain Is not He worthy the serving unless we first make our condition with him to be sure to gain and thrive by him Is this a consideration worthy and befitting the ingenuity and nobleness of a Christian mind to have an eye unto the recompence of reward Is Christ also become a School-master unto us as well as the Law was to the Jews that we should have need of Thunder and Blackness of smoke and Voyces to affright us or Promises to win and allure us Nay Have not your ears oftentimes heard from such places as this an Obedience of this nature disgrac'd and branded for a Servile slavish obedience an obedience ordinarily made the mark and badg even of a formal Hypocrite the worst kind of Reprobates 40. I confess Sol. I could shew you a more excellent way then this if men were ordinarily fitted and qualified for the receiving of it And that is St. Pauls more excellent way of Charity the keeping of God's Commandements meerly out of the love of his goodness and consideration of his infinite inconceivable holiness And he that can receive this let him receive it and thrice happy and blessed shall he be of the Lord But in the mean time let him not be forward to judg his fellow-servants if they acknowledg themselves so farr guilty of weakness and imperfections that they have need to receive strength and encouragement in this their painful and laborious race by looking forward unto the glorious prize of their high calling in Jesus Christ 41. Surely God is wise enough to contrive the surest course and to set down the best and likelyest means for perswading us to his service and the obedience of his Commandements He is able to enquire and search into the most retired corners of our wicked deceitful hearts and thereby knowing our temper and disposition he is able best to prescribe us a method and diet suitable to our constitutions Therefore if he out of his infinite wisdom and the consideration of what encouragements we stand in need of hath thought it fit to annex to every Precept almost a promise of happiness or a threatning of unavoidable danger to the transgressours What art thou O man that thou darest take upon thee to calumniate his proceedings and to prescribe better
say that all things considered it was absolutely impossible for you to avoid it is flatly to deny it Others there are that think they have done enough if to confession of sin they add some sorrow for it if when the present fit of sin is past and they are returned to themselves the sting remaining breed some remorse of conscience some complaints against their wickedness and folly for having done so and some intentions to forsake it though vanishing and ineffectual These heat-drops this morning dew of sorrow though it presently vanish and they return to their sin again upon the next temptation as a dogg to his vomit when the pang is over yet in the pauses between while they are in their good mood they conceive themselves to have very true and very good repentance so that if they should have the good fortune to be taken away in one of these Intervalla one of these sober moods they should certainly be saved which is just as if a man in a Quartane Ague or the Stone or Gout should think himself rid of his disease as oft as he is out of his fit But if repentance were no more but so how could St. Paul have truly said That godly sorrow worketh repentance 1 Cor. 7.10 Every man knows that nothing can work it self The Architect is not the house which he builds the Father is not the Son which he begets the Tradesman is not the work which he makes and therefore if sorrow godly sorrow worketh repentance certainly sorrow is not repentance the same St. Paul tels us in the same place That the sorrow of the world worketh death and you will give me leave to conclude from hence therefore it is not death and what shall hinder me from concluding thus also Godly sorrow worketh repentance therefore it is not repentance To this purpose it is worth the observing that when the Scripture speaks of that kind of repentance which is only sorrow for something done and wishing it undone it constantly useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which forgiveness of sins is no where promised So it is written of Judas the son of perdition Matth. 27.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he repented and went and hanged himself and so constantly in other places But that repentance to which remission of sins and salvation is promised is perpetually expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a through change of the heart and soul of the life and actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.2 which is rendred in our last translation Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand But much better because freer from ambiguity in the entrance to our Common Prayer Book Amend your lives for the kingdom of heaven is at hand From whence by the way we may observe That in the judgment of those holy and learned Martyrs Repentance and amendment of life are all one And I would to God the same men out of the same care of avoyding mistakes and to take away occasion of cavilling our Liturgy from them that seek it and out of fear of encouraging carnal men to security in sinning had been so provident as to set down in terms the first sentence taken out of the 18 th of Ezekiel and not have put in the place of it an ambiguous and though not in it self yet accidentally by reason of the mistake to which it is subject I fear very often a pernitious paraphrase for whereas thus they make it At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance saith the Lord The plain truth if you will hear it is the Lord doth not say so these are not the very words of God but the paraphrase of men the words of God are as followeth If the wicked turn from all the sins which he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die where I hope you easily observe that there is no such word as At what time soever a sinner doth repent c. and that there is a wide difference between this as the word repent usually sounds in the ears of the people and turning from all sins and keeping all Gods Statutes that indeed having no more in it but sorrow and good purposes may be done easily and certainly at the last gasp and it is very strange that any Christian who dies in his right senses and knows the difference between heaven and hell should fail of the performing it but this work of turning keeping and doing is though not impossible by extraordinary mercy to be performed at last yet ordinarily a work of time a long and laborious work but yet heaven is very well worth it and if you mean to go through with it you had need go about it presently Yet seeing the Composers of our Liturgy thought fit to abreviate Turning from all sin and keeping all God's Statutes and doing that which is lawful and right into this one word Repenting it is easie and obvious to collect from hence as I did before from the other place that by Repentance they understood not only sorrow for sin but conversion from it The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 12.42 is used in speaking of the Repentance of the Ninivites And how real hearty and effectual a Conversion that was you may see Jonas 3. from the 5 to the last verse The People of Niniveh believed God and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them for word came to the King of Niniveh and he arose from his Throne and he cast his Robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sate in ashes and he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Niniveh by the decree of the King and of his Nobles saying Let neither man nor beast heard nor flock taste any thing let them not feed nor drink water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God yea let every one turn from his evill way and from the violence which is in their hands who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away his fierce anger that we perish not Which words contain an excellent and lively pattern for all true penitents to follow and whereunto to conform themselves in their humiliation and repentance And truly though there be no Jonas sent expresly from God to cry unto us Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall be destroyed yet seeing the mouth of Eternal Truth hath taught us that a Kingdom divided is in such danger of ruin and destruction that morally speaking if it continue divided it cannot stand and seeing the strange and miserable condition of our Nation at this time may give any considerable man just cause to fear that as in Rehoboam's case so likewise in ours The thing is of the Lord intending to bring
his heavy judgment upon us for our great sins and our stupid and stupendious security in sinning and to make us instruments of his designed vengeance one upon another peradventure it would be a seasonable and necessary motion to be made to our King and his Nobles To revive this old Proclamation of the King of Nineveh and to send it with authority through His Majesties dominions and to try whether it will produce some good effect Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Who can tell whether he that hath the hearts of King and People in his hand and turneth them whithersoever he thinketh best may not upon our repentance take our extreamity for his oportunity and at last open our eyes that we may see those things that belong to our peace and shew us the way of Peace which hitherto we have not known but this by the way For my purpose I observe That this Repentance which when the sword of God was drawn and his arm advanced for a blow stayd his hand and sheathed his sword again was not a meer sorrow for their sins and a purpose to leave them nay it was not only laying aside their gallantry and bravery and putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes and crying mightily unto God of which yet we are come very short but it was also and that chiefly their universal turning from their evil way which above all the rest was prevalent and effectual with God Almighty for so it is written And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented him of the evil that he sayed he would do and he did it not In the Gospel of S. Luke cap. 24. The condition of the new Covenant to which remission of sins is promised is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name Which place if ye compare with that in the Gospel of S. Matth. Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost teaching them to observe all whatsoever I shall command you It will be no difficulty to collect that what out Saviour calls in one place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance that he calls in another Observing all that he hath commanded which if repentance were no more but sorrow for sin and intending to leave it certainly he never could nor would have done And as little could S. Paul Act. 20.21 profess that the whole matter of his preaching was nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ It being manifest in his Epistles he preaches and presses every where the necessity of mortification regeneration new and sincere obedience all which are evidently not contained under the head of Faith and therefore it is evident he comprized all these under the name of Repentance In which words moreover it is very considerable as also in another place Heb. 6. where among the fundamentals of Christianity the first place is given to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say it is very considerable that though the word may not very absolutely be rendred Repentance yet we shall do much right to the places and make them much more clear and intelligible if instead of repentance we should put conversion as it is in some of the best Latin Translations So for example if instead of repentance to God Act. 20. and repentance from dead works in the Epistle to the Heb. which our English tongue will hardly bear we should read conversion to God and conversion from dead works every one sees it would be more perspicuous and more natural whereas on the other side if instead of repentance we should substitute sorrow as every true genuine interpretation may with advantage to the clearness of the sense be put in place of the word interpreted and read the place sorrow towards God and sorrow from dead works it is apparent that this reading would be unnatural and almost ridiculous which is a great argument that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which forgivenes of sins is promised in the Gospel is not only sorrow for sin but conversion from sin And yet if it be not so but that Heaven may be purchased at easier and cheaper rates how comes it to pass that in the New-Testament we are so plainly and so frequently assured that without actual and effectual amendment and newness of life without actual and effectual mortification regeneration sanctification there is no hope no possibility of Salvation Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire So S. John Baptist preaches repentance Matth. 3.9 It is not then the leaves of a fair profession no nor the blossoms of good purposes and intentions but the fruit the fruit only that can save us from the fire neither is it enough not to bear ill fruit unless we bring forth good Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Not every one that sayeth unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven So our Saviour Matth. 7.21 And again after he had delivered his most divine Precepts in his Sermon on the Mount which Sermon contains the substance of the Gospel of Christ he closeth up all with saying He that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not and yet these were the hardest sayings that ever he sayed I will liken him to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand that is his hope of Salvation upon a sandy and false ground and when the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that House it fell and great was the fall of it They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts So S. Paul Gal. 5.24 They then that have not done so nor crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts let them be as sorrowful as they please let them intend what they please they as yet are none of Christs and good Lord What a multitude of Christians then are there in the world that do not belong to Christ The works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 20 21. saith the same S. Paul are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkenness Revellings of which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God He doth not say they which have done such things shall not be saved but manifestly to the contrary Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but he says