subject unto The slave acknowledged no more Masters than this one whom if it would please but to say the word his freedome might without difficulty be obtained if the Praetor of the City would but vouchsafe by his Masters leave to lay his white rod upon him and cause him to be turned once or twice about with some few other Ceremonies he could be turned out of a slave into a free Citizen in the space of an houre whereas if his Master had been turned round till his senses had failed him in case the Praetor would have laid his rod an hundred times upon his head hee could not have wound himselfe out of those bonds of servitude wherein his lusts had insnared him This slave had observed that his Master would often commend the frugality and temperance of the ancient Romans and often desire that hee and other moderne Romans might live as they did yet if any great man or good neighbour would invite him to a luxurious feast or if any foolish pleasures with whose excesse he had been formerly stung should proffer themselves he had not so much power to resist or restraine them as this slave had to neglect his designes or commands when they did displease him And for his Master to be drawne thus every day to doe that which in his retired and sober thoughts he did most dislike and condemne was in his judgement a greater slavery than any bodily servitude If the reasons which these and other Heathens often used to prove vitious men to bee the onely true slaves had not been the dictates of the law of nature written in our hearts or reasons unanswerable the Apostles of Christ yea Christ himselfe would not have used the like Know yee not saith S. Paul Rom. 6.16 as if it were a shame in this point to be ignorant that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse And S. Peter tells us of some who whilest they promise liberty unto others they themselves were servants unto corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is hee brought into bondage 2. Pet. 2.19 So our Saviour saith Ioh. 8.34 Whosoever committeth sinne is the servant of sinne And of him no doubt our Apostle S. Iohn learned that doctrine Hee that committeth sinne is of the Devill a servant of his 3. But albeit the wiser sort of Heathens did by light of nature know that every vicious man was a slave or servant to his owne lusts or desires yet the greatest danger which they apprehended from the servitude was but feare of satyricall censure for preposterous basenesse in subjecting reason to sensuality That their owne desires lusts or affections were maintained and cherished by a forreigne enemie as so many rebells to wage warre against their immortall soules or that their consciences being subdued by lust should bee everlastingly subject to so cruell a Tyran as the Devill is were points wherein the Prince of darknesse had blinded the eyes of the wisest Heathen And would to God wee Christians to whom the Lord hath revealed thus much could see or heare so much concerning this doctrine as would make us perfectly understand or lay to heart the inestimable danger wherein wee stand whether in respect of the fast hold which this Tyran by our corrupted nature and custome hath got of us or of the miserable usage which will follow if he and sinne finally prevaile against us But this is a common place for which every man may finde a fitter Text in his owne heart then any other man can chuse for him and matter of more ample and pertinent discourse upon it than reading of many books can suggest unto him All that I have here to say concerning this point is to request the Reader to examine his owne heart and calculate his non-performances of what I presume hee often seriously intended and perhaps hath vowed His duty it is to open the wounds of his conscience either to God alone in secret or to such as God hath appointed for the Physicians of his soule and conscience My purpose is to prepare the plaister or medicine and to informe him how to apply it CHAP. VIII The Sonne of God was properly a servant to his Father yet not by birth as hee was the sonne of his handmaid but by voluntary undergoing this hard condition for the redemption of man 1 TO free us from this miserable servitude unto sinne which alone doth wound our conscience the Sonne of God did freely and voluntarily take upon him the forme of a servant The parts of his peculiar service were in generall two The one to conquer Satan who was by right of conquest our Lord The other to reconcile us to grace and favour with God to make us first servants then sonnes and lastly kings and priests to his and our heavenly Father These two parts of his peculiar service unto his Father for unto him alone hee was a servant exhibit the most admirable paterne of justice mercie and loving kindnesse as well in God the Father as God the Sonne that the wit of man or Angels can contemplate First it was a paterne of justice never after to bee parallel'd for God the Father to exact satisfaction for our sinnes at the hands of his deare and onely Sonne Unto this unmeasurable act or exercise of justice upon the Sonne of righteousnesse his mercy towards us miserable sinners was fully commensurable For whatsoever hee suffered for our sakes was from his Fathers and his owne mercy and loving kindnesse towards us Againe so infinite was the justice of our gracious God that even whilest hee shewed his mercy and loving kindnesse towards us he did vouchsafe to give as we say the Devill himselfe his due and to observe the law of Armes or Duell with this Prince of Rebels his subject by right of Creation but professed enemie by resolution Albeit this grand Rebell after his revolt from God had conquered man and made him by treachery of Gods servant and sonne a meere slave unto himselfe the righteous Lord would not deprive this mighty Lion and greedy Wolfe of his prey by any other meanes than by right of conquest gotten over him by man Hee did not arme a legion of Angels nor summon the whole host of visible creatures against him nor use his omnipotent and absolute power to destroy or annihilate him or as then to shut him up in the everlasting prison The exercises of such power whether immediatly by the omnipotent Creator himselfe or by his creatures had been more than Satans matches upon equall termes or weapons Exercise of strength was not the first way in the wisedome of God to conquer pride ambition or vaine glory though these must bee quelled with the power and strength of the Sonne of God whom it pleased the Father at the first onset to weaken by laying our first Parents infirmities and their posterities upon
probably said Conferebant gratiam ex opere operato The ceremoniall sinne was taken away by a ceremoniall offering From this knowen maxime concerning the law of Ceremonies or Legall sacrifices S. Paul takes his rise unto the high mysterie of the Gospel to wit that the offering which the Sonne of God did make upon the Crosse was more sufficient as well for making full satisfaction unto God for all sinnes committed against his Law as for purifying the conscience of offenders from dead works more effectuall to make men partakers of the true celestiall Sanctuary than the blood of beasts was for making them legally cleane Purification from sinne or sanctification alwayes presupposed full satisfaction for the sinnes committed To cleanse men from sins meerely ceremoniall or to sanctifie them according to the flesh the bloody sacrifice of bruit beasts was sufficient although they suffered no other paines than naturall albeit they felt no force or assault of any agents but meerely naturall much more is the blood of Christ of force sufficient not onely to make a full atonement for us but to cleanse us from all sinnes although he suffered no paines supernaturall although he had suffered no force or impression of any agents more than naturall All this is but a branch of our Apostles inference For albeit sinnes committed against the Morall Law of God doe in a maner infinitely exceed sinnes committed against the Law of Ceremonies onely yet are not the sinnes of the one kinde so much more hainous than the sinnes of the other as the blood of Christ doth for vertue exceed the blood of bulls and goats Nor is there that odds of difference betwixt sinnes Moral and sinnes Ceremonial which is between the Priests of the Law and the high Priest of our soules the Sonne of God And yet the maine ground of our Apostles inference doth not simply consist in the superexcellency of the high Priest of our soules or of the sacrifice which hee offered in comparison with legall Priests and their sacrifices but withall in the admirable union of our high Priest and his sacrifice For admit it as possible first that there might haue been some matter of sacrifice as pure and spotlesse as the body of our Saviour more pure and glorious than the Angelicall substances Secondly that this pure and spotlesse sacrifice had been offered by a Priest for dignity equall to the Sonne of God as by the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity yet his offering or service could not have been so acceptable unto God as our Saviours offering or service was because the infinite worth of the Priest or Person sacrificing could not in this case have conferred any worth or vertue truely infinite upon the sacrifice or offering made by him though as holy and glorious as any created substance can bee unlesse it had been so personally united to him that in offering it hee had offered himselfe as our Saviour did This is the maine stemme or rather the root of our Apostles emphaticall inference or surplus in the forecited place How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God 7. Answerable to this hypostaticall or personall union betweene our high Priest and his sacrifice was that union between his obedience to his Father and his mercy and compassion towards men Obedience mercy and sacrifice were so united in his offering as they never had been before his owne death was the internall effect of his mercy towards us and obedience to his Father the period of his humiliation of himselfe Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even unto the death of the Crosse That we know was a cruell and servile death but no part of the second death not charged with the paines of Hell otherwise our Apostle would have mentioned them as the accomplishment of his obedience or of his service which without them did exceed the very abstract or paterne either of service or obedience Quid est servitus nisi obedientia animi fracti arbitrio carentis suo Servitude saith Tully is nothing else but the obedience of a broken or dejected minde utterly deprived of all power or right to dispose of it selfe or of its actions It is indeed dejection of minde a broken estate or basenesse of condition which make men willing to become servants unto others or inforceth them to resigne all their right and power unto their Masters will But it was no dejection of minde no want of any thing in heaven or earth but onely the abundance of mercy and compassion towards us miserable men which moved the Sonne of God to renounce this world before he came into it and to deprive himselfe of all that right and interest which every other man hath over his owne body and soule by voluntary resignation of his entire humane nature unto the sole disposing of his Father Other servants were obedient unto their Lords upon necessity or dejection of minde hee voluntarily became a servant to his Father that he might accomplish the office of a servant in the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit This was the internall effect of his service and obedience and this sacrifice thus offered was all-sufficient to make satisfaction for all the disobedience of men for the sinnes of ten thousand worlds of men CHAP. XIV That our Saviour in his Agony at least did suffer paines more than naturall though not the paines of Hell or Hellish paines That the suffering of such paines was not required for making satisfaction for our sinnes but for his Conquest over Satan 1 BUt albeit the bloody sacrifice of the Sonne of God were as God himselfe is all-sufficient to these purposes may wee hence collect that hee suffered no paines more than naturall or of no other kinde than his Martyrs Apostles or Prophets have done God forbid Betweene paines naturall and the paines of Hell there is a meane to wit paines altogether supernaturall in respect of the Agent and somewayes more than naturall in respect of the Patient and such paines out of all question the Son of God did suffer in the garden though not upon the Crosse Nor were these his sufferings superfluous though no way necessary for paying the full ransome or price of mans redemption or reconciliation unto God Most expedient they were if not necessary to other purposes As first for his absolute conquest over Satan Secondly for his consecration to his everlasting Priesthood Of his conflict with Satan in the garden a place sutable to that wherein hee had conquered our first Parents Iobs second temptation was the type or shadow His Father exposed him to the second temptation as he had unto the first temptation in the wildernesse and permitted Satan to exercise the utmost of his power against him onely over his soule or life hee had no power These were takē from him by the malice
reverentia nulla opinionum consensio sed quasi in perturbatissimo choro unusquisque diversum canit In coelestibus planetis nulla est dissensio elementa suas sedes tenent unumquodque constitutum sibi officium facit sponsam suam cujus causa omnia facta sunt continua sic dissensione perire labefactari permittis Malósne spiritus seditionis authores atque administros in ditione tua sine ulla reprehensione ita regnare permittes potentemnè illum iniquitatis ducem quem semel dejeceras castra invadere milites tuos spoliare sines Cum hic in hominibus versabaris vocem tuam fugiebant daemones Emitte quaesumus Domine Spiritum tuum qui è pectoribus omnium nomen tuum profitentium malos spiritus magistros intemperantiae avaritiae vanae gloriae libidinum scelerum discordiae abigat Crea in nobis Rex Deus noster cor mundum Spiritum sanctum tuum in pectoribus nostris renova nec Spiritum sanctum tuum auferas à nobis Restitue nobis fructum salutaris sanitatis tuae Spiritu principali corrobora Sponsam Pastoresque ejus Hoc Spiritu reconciliasti coelestia terrestribus hoc formasti ac reduxisti tot linguas tot nationes tam diversa hominum genera in unum corpus Ecclesiae quod corpus eodem Spiritu copulatur capiti Hunc Spiritum si in omnium hominum cordibus renovare digneris tum externae hae quoque miseriae cessabunt aut si non cessaverint ad fructum saltem utilitatemque diligentium te traducentur Siste hanc Domine Iesu confusionem hoc horribile Chaos in ordinem adducito expande Spiritum tuum super aquas malè fluctuantium opinionū Et quia Spiritus tuus qui juxta Prophetae sententiam continet omnia scientiam etiam habet vocis effice ut quemadmodum omnibus qui in domo tua sunt unum lumen unus Baptismus unus Deus una spes unus Spiritus sic unā quoque habeant vocē unam cantilenā unū sonū unā catholicam veritatē profitentes Cum in coelum gloriosè ascendisti demisisti de caelo res preciosissimas dedisti dona hominibus varia munera spiritus divisisti renova Domine de Coelo veterem bonitatem da nunc Ecclesiae labefactatae inclinatae quod illi emergenti exorienti initio dederas Da Principibus Magistratibusque gratiam timoris tui ut ita Rempublicam suam gubernent quasi statim tibi Regi Regum rationem reddituri Da sapientiam semper assistricem illis ut quodcunque optimum factu fuerit animo provideant factis persequantur Da Episcopis tuis donum prophetiae ut sanctas Scripturas non ex suis ingeniis sed tua inspiratione declarent interpretentur Da triplicem illis charitatem quam à Petro requirebas quando illius curae oves tuas commisisti Da Sacerdotibus tuis temperantiae castitatisque amorem Da populo tuo studium sequendi mandata tua promptitudinem obediendi iis quos tu super illos constituisti Ita fiet ut si largitate tua principes ea imperent quae tu praecipis pastores eadem doceant populus utrisque pareat veteris Ecclesiae dignitas tranquillitasque cum ordinis conservatione ad gloriam Nominis tui restorescat Ninivitis pepercisti morti addictis statim ut ad poenitentiam conversi fuerant domum tuam inclinantem jam corruentem despicies quae vice sacci gemitus vice cinerum lachrymas profundit promisisti remissionem conversis ad te at hoc donum tuum est ut quis cum toto corde suo ad te convertatur ut omnis bonitas nostra ad gloriam tuam redundet Tu factor es refice opus tuum quod formasti Tu Redemptor es serva quod emisti Tu Servator es ne sinas perire qui tibi innituntur Tu Dominus es possessor vendica possessionem tuam Tu caput es opem fer membris Tu Rex es da nobis legum tuarum reverentiam Tu princeps pacis es aspira nobis fraternam charitatem Tu Deus miserere supplicum tuorum sis ut beatus Paulus loquitur omnia in omnibus ut universus Ecclesiae tuae chorus consentientibus animis vocibus consonantibus gratias de misericordia inventa agant Patri Filio Spiritui sancto qui pro perfectissimo concordiae exemplo personarum proprietate distinguuntur conjunctione naturae adunantur quibus laus gloria ad omnem aeternitatē Amen LOrd JESUS CHRIST which of thine Almightinesse madest all Creatures both visible and invisible which of thy godly wisdome governest and settest all things in most goodly order which of thine unspeakable goodnes keepest defendest furtherest all things which of thy deep mercy restorest the decaied renewest the fallen raisest the dead vouchsafe we pray thee at last to cast downe thy countenance upon thy welbeloved Spouse the Church but let it be that amiable and mercifull Countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven in earth and whatsoever is above heaven and under the earth vouchsafe to cast upon us those tender and pitifull eyes with which thou diddest once behold Peter that great Shepherd of thy Church and forthwith he remembred himself and repented with which eyes thou once diddest view the scattered multitude and wert moved with compassion that for lack of a good Shepherd they wandred as sheep dispersed straied asunder Thou seest O good Shepheard what sundry sorts of Wolves have broken into thy sheep-cotes of whom every one crieth Here is Christ here is Christ so that if it were possible the very perfect persons should be brought into error Thou seest with what winds with what waves with what stormes thy silly ship is tossed thy ship wherein thy little flock is in perill to be drowned And what is now left but that it utterly sink and wee all perish Of this tempest and storme we may thank our own wickednesse and sinfull living we espie it well and confesse it we espy thy righteousnesse and wee bewaile our unrighteousnesse but wee appeale to thy mercy which according to the Psalme of thy Prophet surmounteth all thy works wee have now suffred much punishment being soussed with so many warres consumed with such losses of goods scourged with so many sorts of diseases and pestilences shaken with so many flouds feared with so many strange sights from heaven and yet appeare there no where any haven or Port unto us being thus tired and forlorne among so strange evills but still every day more grievous punishmēts and more seeme to hang over our heads We complaine not of thy sharpnesse most tender Saviour but we espy here also thy mercy forasmuch as much grieuouser plagues we have deserved But O most mercifull Jesu we beseech thee that thou wilt not consider ne weigh what is due for our deservings but rather what becommeth thy mercy without which neither the Angels in heaven can
stand sure before thee much lesse wee silly vessells of clay Have mercy on us O Redeemer which art easie to bee intreated not that we be worthy of thy mercy but give thou this glory unto thine owne Name Suffer not that the Jews Turks and the rest of the Panims which either have not known thee or doe envy thy glory should continually triumph over us and say Where is their God where is their Redeemer where is their Saviour where is their Bridegroome that they thus boast on These opprobrious words upbraidings redound unto thee O Lord while by our evills men weigh and esteeme thy goodnesse they think wee be forsaken whom they see not amended Once when thou sleptst in the ship and a tempest suddenly arising threatned death to all in the ship thou awokest at the outcry of a few disciples and straightway at thine Almighty word the waters couched the winds fell the storme was suddenly turned into a great calme the dumbe waters know their makers voice Now in this farre greater tempest wherein not a few mens bodies be in danger but innumerable soules wee beseech thee at the cry of thy holy Church which is in danger of drowning that thou wilt awake So many thousands of men doe crie Lord save us we perish the tempest is past mans power yea we see that the indeavours of them that would help it doe turne cleane a contrary way It is thy word that must doe the deed Lord Jesu Onely say thou with a word of thy mouth Cease ô tempest and forthwith shall the desired calme appeare Thou wouldest have spared so many thousands of most wicked men if in the City of Sodom had been found but ten good men Now here be so many thousands of men which love the glory of thy Name which sigh for the beauty of thy house and wilt thou not at these mens prayers let goe thine anger and remember thine accustomed and old mercies Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policy turne our folly into thy glory Shalt thou not turne the wicked mens evills into thy Churches good For thy mercy is wont then most of all to succour when the thing is with us past remedie and neither the might nor wisedome of men can help it Thou alone bringest things that bee never so out of order into order againe which art the onely Author and maintainer of peace Thou framedst that old confusion which wee call Chaos wherein without order without fashion confusely lay the discordant seeds of things and with a wonderfull order the things that of nature fought together thou diddest ally and knit in a perpetuall band But how much greater confusion is this where is no charity no fidelity no bonds of love no reverence neither of lawes nor yet of rulers no agreement of opinions but as it were in a misordered quire every man singeth a contrary note Among the heavenly Planets is no dissention all foure Elements keep their place every one doe their office whereunto they bee appointed And wilt thou suffer thy Spouse for whose sake all things were made thus by continuall discords to perish go to wrack Shalt thou suffer the wicked spirits which bee authors and workers of discord to beare such a swinge in thy Kingdome unchecked Shalt thou suffer the strong Captaine of mischief whom thou once overthrewest againe to invade thy tents and to spoile thy souldiers When thou wert here a man conversant amongst men at thy voice fled the devills Send forth we beseech thee O Lord thy Spirit which may drive away out of the breasts of all them that professe thy Name the wicked spirits masters of riot of covetousnesse of vaine glory of carnall lust of mischief and of discord Create in us O our God and King a cleane heart and renew thy holy Spirit in our breasts pluck not from us thy holy Ghost Render unto us the joy of thy sauing health and with thy principall Spirit strengthen thy Spouse and the Herdmen thereof By this Spirit thou reconciledst the earthly to the heavenly by this thou didst frame and reduce so many tongues so many Nations so many sundry sorts of men into one body of a Church which body by the same Spirit is knit to thee their head This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to renew in all mens hearts then shall also these forreigne miseries cease or if they cease not at least they shall turne to the profit and availe of them which love thee Stay this confusion set in order this horrible Chaos O Lord Jesu let thy Spirit stretch out it self upon these waters of evill wavering opinions And because thy Spirit which according to thy Prophets saying cōtaineth al things hath also the sciēce of speaking make that like as unto all them which bee of thy house is all one light one Baptisme one God one hope one Spirit so they may also have one voice one note and song professing one Catholique truth When thou diddest mount up to heaven triumphantly thou threwest out from above thy precious things thou gavest gifts amongst men thou dealtest sundry rewards of thy Spirit Renew againe from above thy old bountifulnesse give that thing to thy Church now fainting growing downward that thou gauest unto her shooting up at her first beginning Give unto Princes and Rulers the grace so to stand in awe of thee that they so may guide the Common-Weale as they should shortly render accompt unto thee that art the King of kings Give wisdome to bee alwayes assistant unto them that whatsoever is best to bee done they may espy it in their minde and pursue the same in their doings Give to the Bishops the gift of prophecy that they may declare and interpret holy Scripture not of their owne braine but of thine inspiring Give them the threefold charity which thou once demandedst of Peter what time thou didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep Give to the Priests the love of sobernesse and of chastity Give to thy people a good will to follow thy Commandements and a readinesse to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them So shall it come to passe if through thy gift thy Princes shall command that thou requirest if thy Pastors and Herdmen shall teach the same and thy people obey them both that the old dignity and tranquillity of the Church shal returne again with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name Thou sparedst the Ninevites appointed to be destroied as soone as they converted to repentance and wilt thou despise thy house falling downe at thy feet which in stead of sackcloth hath sighes and in stead of ashes teares Thou promisedst forgivenesse to such as turne unto thee but this self thing is thy gift a man to turne with his whole heart unto thee to the intent all our goodnesse should redound unto thy glory Thou art the maker repaire the work that thou hast fashioned Thou art the Redeemer save that thou hast bought Thou art the