Why then do you not forsake that rude and rusticall people and joyne to these Nobles as you are a Noble man your selfe Unto whom thus Pogiebracius sagely again doth answer If you speak these words of your self saith he you are not the man whom you faine your self to be and so to you I answer as not to a foole but if you speak this by suggestion of others then must I satisfie them Here therefore as touching the Ceremonies of the Church every man hath a conscience of his own to follow As for us we neither use such Ceremonies as we trust do please God neither is it in our arbitrement to believe what we will our selves The minde of man being perswaded with great reasons is captivated will he nill he and as nature is instructed and taught so is she drawn in some one way and in some another As for my selfe I am fully perswaded in the Religion of my Preachers If I should follow thy Religion I might perchance deceive men going contrary to mine own Conscience but I cannot deceive God who seeth the hearts of all neither shall it become me to frame my selfe like to thy disposition That which is meet for a Jester is not likewise convenient for a Noble man And these words either take to thy self as spoken to thee if thou be a wise man or else I refer them to those which set thee a work To this learned and discreet answer of Pogiebracius let me adde a word or two concerning our Protestant Religion In the gravelly shallows of mens fancies and traditions every Atheist and Papist may wade and dabble in but no humane reason can sound the depths of Religion it may delve and dive to finde Utopia's Land and Purgatories no-where bottome and lose it selfe or at least besmeere and muâ— it selfe in a hood-winked muffled scrutiny and never rise againe but wrapped in a Noli me tangere Pest-house weeds doom'd to pollution and perpetuall shades onely faith wrought in the hearts of Gods Children by the Spirit of Adoption can apprehend the great mysterie of godlinesse and apply the sweets and comforts of Salvation in Jesus Christ A true saving faith only I say can distinctly and perfectly see that life of the Soule which is hid with Christ in God which the blear eye of sence or reason can in no wise discover or discerne There is but one true Religion Man ha's but one way to walke in Howbeit there are many by-paths c. and those too inscrutable In the large Maze of Religions professed in Amsterdam I had almost said London Surely the short threed of mans life will scarce clew him through the severall Conclaves of them all and so guide him to the right Variety unhindges the door of the heart and for eagernesse of giving more speedy entrance to all in-commers it blocks up the passage and dispels the timely motions of the spirit and the seeds of of sanctity that would root and settle themselves in the soule In this necessitated coarctation whether shall fickle man betake himselfe The choise of Religion is of some consequence and moment not instantly to be resolved upon by the best judgement This stumbles a man of riper years There is an awing superiour and a sovereigne Diety that scepters the hearts of men Religion carries a confutation along with it and tongue-ties inquisitive nature Propound many things we may and revolve with our thoughts a while uncouth conceits may startle us and unsettle the affections of the minde and yet when we have done all we can in thinking the best of us sit down astonished and as men hurried in a Wildernesse our Pilgrime-speculations amazedly gaze after we know not what And 't is well if we can subside to an holy Admiration If with reverence we prostrate our selves certainly the Spirit will erect us direct our steps and guide us in the way everlasting What our reason cannot reach let the hand of faith apprehend Where the depth of our judgements may not fathom let us trust the mercy of the waves supporting us lest we merge our selves in despaire Where God commands do we must And therefore since we are all made for the service of God Almighty the Maker of all things let us walk in all holinesse of conversation during this our Pilgrimage here upon earth so shall we finde rest unto our soules in the Haven of Felicity 'T is true Happinesse is the Scope whereunto naturally all men do levell their thoughts but it is the just man that attaines the end of his desires that ha's the fruition of his hopes his best intentions onely arrow the white Unâ omnes voco all of us in the Optative Mood can say Faine would we be in that Paradise of Joy and place of Blisse where Crownes and Palmes are given And I could wish that all men I mean the Converts of all Nations would follow 〈◊〉 and the same way of life Christ our fore-runner Surely then maugre the petty differences of Church-Rites and Ceremonies there would be as unanimous consent a Diapason and perfect harmony in the substance of Religion upon which ground we may safely place the prop of our Salvation We are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soule Heb. 10.39 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 And we read in another place of the same Epistle There remaineth a rest to the people of God For he that is entred into his rest he also hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his Let us labour therefore to enter â—nto that Rest lest any man fall after the ensample of those to whom the Word was first preached which entred not in because of unbeliefe For the Word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soule and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Heb. 4. For my own particular I shall ever anchor my selfe upon the Faith Doctrine and Religion professed and protected in the Church of England and other Christianly Reformed Churches For I have a sure testimony and am certainly perswaded that the Protestant Religion is grounded upon the Word of God And for this reason I think it to be the safest of all Religions because it most magnifies God it attributes most to the praise of his glory and makes most for the peaceable Conversation of men Now as touching the Grand Case of Episcopacy which hath exercised so many wits this Parliament I shall give my opinion thus
persecute the beloved Spouse of Christ the Church But the Lord hath reserved a peculiar people to himselfe that hâ—ve not bowed the knee unto Baal God hath selected a faithfull and obedient flock that follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth These the Lord our God the God of Israel who keepeth covenant for ever hath blessed and they are blessed and no adversary power is able to curse them When Jesus Christ was upon earth he prayed thus for his Elect Holy Father keepe through thine owne name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are John 17. But he is entred into Heaven it selfe now to appear in the presence of God for us And this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a Sonne over his owne house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end Let us not be slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises For God is not unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love which his servants have shewed towards his Name The earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth herbs meet for them for whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thornes and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose and is to be burned Let us labour therefore faithfully in Gods Vineyard the Church Militant least we fall in unbeliefe for an ensample of a rebellious and stiff-necked people My hearty desire and continuall prayer to Almighty God is that every one of us in our severall places and callings do shew all diligence in the Worke of our great Lord and Master the God of our Fathers whom we serve and that we labour to advance the truth and purity of doctrine taught and delivered by our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles and to resist convince and silence the gain-sayers and enemies of the Gospell Let us be strong and very couragious that we may observe to do according to all the Law that God hath commanded us let us not turn from 〈◊〉 to the right hand or to the left for then the Lord shall make our wayes our indeavours and works prosperous and then we shall have good successe Let us take good heed therefore unto our selves that we love the Lord our God Else if we do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of Idolatry that remaineth among us Know for a certainty that the Lord our God will no more be mercifull unto us will no more be among us and deliver us But those Idol-worshippers false bloudy-hearted Papists shall be snares and traps unto us and scourges in our sides and thornes in our eyes untill we are restrained from all the good things which the Lord our God hath given us Would God that we had the courage and resolution of Joshua and that this charge of his from the Lord unto the people of Israel were written in our hearts Now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your Fathers served on the other side of the Floud and in Egypt and serve ye the Lord. And if it seeme evill unto you to serve the Lord choose ye this day whom ye will serve whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the Floud or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. See the 24th of Joshua and the 2d of Judges both remarkable Chapters for this purpose O Eternall and most Gracious God inflame thy Messengers the Ministers of thy Word with a holy Zeal and arme thy servants the Civill Magistrates with a godly courage that they may demolish beat down and root out Popery Superstition Heresie and Prophanesse out of these Isles and Dominions of our Sovereigne Lord King Charles The toleration of Massing Religion is against the grounds of true Christian Religion against reason and against the policy of the Common-wealth as I finde at large in an Answer to the Masse-Priests presumptuous Supplication directed to our late King James of renowned memory and published 1604. Our Adversaries themselves declare that indifferency of Religion or toleration of two contrary Religions in one Kingdome is intolerable Possevin Biblioth Select lib. 1. c. 26. saith 1 It is a divelish invention 2 that it is contrary to Gods Ordinance 3 that it repugneth against the Lawes of Moses of nature and the Gospell it selfe 4 That it is contrary to the substance and proprieties of Christian faith 5 That it taketh away the truth and certainty of Christian faith 6 That it taketh away the certainty of Gods divine Worship and of the Church 7 That it taketh away Christian Discipline 8 That it cutteth asunder the unity of the Church 9 That it is contrary to the Word of God 10 That it is repugnant to the practise of the Primitive Church the authority of Fathers and Decrees of Emperours And finally that it provokrth the wrath of God against the Authours of it If then the Adversaries themselves see Liberty of divers Religions to be so pernicious where they have winde in pupp I hope they will pardon others that will not admit their lewd pernicious and phantasticall opinions We read in our Histories when Ladislaus son of Albert King of Bohemia about the year 1440. went to Bohemia there to be crowned where Pogtebracius had the Governance that during all the time of his being there though being much requested yet would the young King neither enter into the Churches nor hear the service of them which did draw after the Doctrine of Hus. Also before he departed thence he thought first to visit the noble City of Uratislavia in Schlesia In the which City the aforesaid King Ladislaus being there in the high Church at Service many great Princes were about him among whom was also George Pogiebracius who then stood neerest to the King unto whom one Chilianus playing the Parasite about the King as the fashion is of such as feign themselves fooles to make other men as very fooles as they spake in this wise as followeth With what countenance you do behold this our Service I see right well but your heart I do not see Say then doth not the Order of this our Religion seem unto you decent and comely Do you not see how many and how great Princes yea the King himself do follow one Order and Uniformity And why do you rather follow your Preacher Rochezana than these Do you think a few Bohemians to be more wise then all the Church of Christ besides
I have been resolved and setled in my judgement of a long time that the Supereminencies Prerogatives Temporall Dignities Barronies intermedling in Secular Affaires and the Lordly Monopolizing of Titles Jurisdictions and Functions by Archbishops and Bishops above the Pastors and Teachers of Gods Word their fellow-latourers and that the High-Commission with the whole Regiment of it's subordinary Offices likewise Deaneries and Chapters with their dependencies are all contrary to Gods Word unlawfull unwarrantable in themselves pernicious destructive of the peace godly unanimity which ought to be in a true Christian Church and Common-wealth But I confesse the many learned Books and Writings which I have seen and diligently perused since this question hath been moved and throughly debated of late by many sage acute Doctors and other learned men of divers Nations and Kingdomes have not only much confirmed but instructed me also in this point 'T is true that ex gratiá Regis by the favour of the Prince and for Government sake the Order of Bishops hath stood a long time in our Nation supported by the Lawes of the Realme and confirmed by Parliaments And so I see no reason why by the same legislative Power it may not be altered Now whereas by the gracious providence and disposing of Almighty God the Honourable Court of Parliament are zealously affected with a magnanimous and godly care of establishing the True Religion in his Majesties Dominions which consisteth in pure and sound Doctrine in a setled Government in a good and decent Discipline agreeable to the Gospell of Christ and to the rules and ensamples of the Apostles and Elders of the Church in the Primitive times From the first sitting of this great Assembly my hearty desires and prayers have been and are continually that in every Parish Countrey Towne lesser Village and Hamblet within the Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland a Religious painfull and learned Preacher may be placed with a Competent Livelyhood and Maintenance for the faithfull and true discharge of their Calling I shall forbear to insist upon this matter or to presse it as large for that Mr. Marshall that worthy and laborious Minister of Gods Word by whose preaching and exhortations thousands of souls have profitted much and as I may probably say many have been converted hath fastned upon this Subject already as I finde in a learned Sermon of his preached before the Honourable House of Commons Novemb. 17th 1640. and published by Order of the said House But I protest in the truth of my heart were I of riper years had I been blessed with a convenable estate and fortune had I been of judgement or had the honour and abilities to have supplied a roome as the meanest Member of that Noble and great Assembly in all humility by a discreet observing of the Countenance and Order of that Court I would have used my best endeavours for the promoting and furtherance of this Motion and I would have laboured and assayed all honest wayes and direct courses in this weighty and only speciall affaire for the security and happinesse both of Church and State had I seen any hopes of effecting it Whence come Heresies Breaches in Religion Schismes Sowings of strife between brethren Backslidings to Popery Superstition Ignorance and blind zeale False worship of God Prophaning of his holy Name Word and Ordinances and polluting of his Sabbaths And wheâ—â— cometh the cursed dishonour of Parents despising of Government the reviling of Magistrates vilifying the Pastors of Gods Word and contemning of Superiours Whence come evill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers thefts covetousnesse wickednesse deceit lasciviousnesse an evill eye blasphemy pride foolishnesse Whence proceed all these impieties I say but out of the impure hearts of prophane and ungodly persons not clensed through the Word of Christ The Apostle St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians not to keep company If any man that is called a brother be a fornicatour or covetous or an Idolater or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eate I am perswaded that many of Gods deare Saints do mourne in secret to behold the crying sinnes of our Nation which they would but know not how to remedy But the wise King Solomon telleth us for our instruction and comfort If the Spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifieth great offences There is an evill which I have seen under the Sun as an errour which proceedeth from the Ruler Folly is set in great dignity and the rich sit in low place I have seen servants upon Horses and Princes walking as servants upon the earth Eccles 10. If thou seest the oppression of the poore and violent perverting of judgement and justice in a Province marvell not at the matter For he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Eccles 5.8 Verily as touching my selfe my spirit groaneth and my heart lamenteth and even bleeds within me to heare and see the horrible blasphemies rash oathes cursings and evill speaking lying hypocrisie dissimulation envie malice corrupt communication drunkennesse adultery fornication uncleannesse riot gluttony idlenesse chambering and wantonnesse filthy lucre pride with many more like sinnes which even now do reigne among us Protestants that professe the Name and Gospell of Christ Wherefore me thinkes we should lay our hands upon our hearts and consider with our selves that we are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that we should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God For when we were in the flesh the motions of sinnes which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death But now are we delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Rom. 7. Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walke in newnesse of life For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne Also let us minde the Exhortation of Saint Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 4. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanity of their minde Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your minde and that ye put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Now if these and such like places of Scripture will not worke upon prophane worldlings and excite them to repentance and amendment of life I mean such riotous persons as have beene lately posted in our Streets being styled the Sucklington Faction or Sucklings Roating boyes I leave them to that dreadful doom pronounced by the Preacher Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heartche are thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement Eccles 11. Because sentence against an evill works is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill Though a sinner â—o evill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God There is a vanity which is done upon the earth that there be just men to whom it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked againe there be wicked men to whom is happeneth according to the work of the righteous I said that this also is vanity Eccles 8. But yet for the comfort of the godly which suffer for the Name of Christ and for righteousnesse sake we read in the 2 Pet. 2. When the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed being made an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly that God delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished But chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse and despise Government Presumptuous are they self-willed they are not affraid to speak evill of dignities whereas Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord. I am perswaded that if godly understanding Preachers were sent abroad into the severall parts and corners of his Majesties Realms to tell the people of their sinnes and if good laws were put in execution for the punishing of offenders wickednesse and prophanesse would not be so much in fashion as it is I have often wondered that albeit the Parliaments of England which like learned and wise Physicians have alwayes been very diligent to provide choise Antidotes against the distempers of the Common-wealth by making good Laws and Statutes yet they never truly tooke into consideration and seriously weighed the miserable and deplored state of the Church so as to apply apt remedies for the redresse of those grievances before mentioned Surely I am even ashamed to thinke what horrible contempt and disgrace is cast upon the meaner sort of the Clergy those Reverend Pastors that have the charge of our souls and whose Callings are sacred How vilely are they accounted of in the Countrey by ignorant scoffing irreligious vaine persons who can afford them no better titles then these viz. poore journey-men schollers ragged priests sillyratts and the like But I am so far from casting the least blemish or aspersion of infamy upon the noble Professors of the liberall Arts and Sciences and especially I am so far from dishonouring of the Tribe of Levi the lot of Gods own inheritance that the Elders which rule well I account worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine For the labourer is worthy of his reward 1 Tim. 5.17 18. I could wish that the large possessions and the superabundant extravegant revenues of Bishops Deanes and Chapters or at least that part of them were bestowed towards the erecting of Churches and Chappels of ease in the severall parts and places of our Kingdomes where they are wanting And towards the maintaining of learned and godly Preachers for the better growth and increase of Religion And I could wish that those lay Parsons that hold Impropriations that the Lords and Tenants of Abbey Lands who pay no tythes and that That Ignavum pecui the Fraternity of sluggish Drones in our Universities I mean those Masters and Fellows of Colledges who mis-imploy their wealth which their Founders endowed them with all for the advancement of Learning and Religion And they themselves are no better than Sots whose filthy and ungodly lives I compare and paralell with the wickedness of the Monks and Epicures of old And I hold them fitter subjects to serve such a Master as that beast and monster of men Heliogabolus was than to lead such Frier-like and Monastick lives as they do making a vain profession of piety and learning under the most religious Christian Prince in Europe To say no more These men are guilty of one very soule fault which I will not mention for shame But they may guesse at my meaning in these old Verses as I finde them in Chaucer in the Monks Prologue which each of them may apply to himself as the case stands with him in particular And it is thus Thou wouldst be a trede foule a right Hadst thou as great leave as thou hast might To perform all thy lust in ingendrure Thou hadst begotten many a creature In truth I could wish that all those above-mentioned especially and that every one of us besides according to our severall abilities c. would contribute cheerfully and freely to this pious work of providing things honest for our spirituall Pastors and give them due honour and necessary allowance who do labour in the word doctrine And last of all I could wish that the honourable Court of Parliament by the direction of almighty God would consult about the promoting establishing and maintaining a faithful learned painful preaching Ministry
them to their own hurt and the Common-wealths This learned and pithy application c. I finde in Babingtons notes upon Exodus 23. If any do so saith he God make his Word profitable to them and so I leave them to him Now if there should be any faults or blemishes rarely found in some of the Iudges or other Ministers and Professors of the Law let not this cast any sinister imputation or black note upon the Law it self or the Profession For the Common Law is defined to be Sanctio sancta jubens honesta prohibens contraria Again the Law is nothing else but a rule or lesson of justice that is made to measure the actions of men And how needfull is the service of upright sage and learned men in the Law without which justice it self cannot possibly stand Therefore though Jupiter as Protagoras in Plato telleth us did first invent and give the Law yet was Mercury sent with that heavenly gift to deliver it ever unto mankinde So as it is manifest that without the Ministry of these Mercuries of these Interpreters of the Law namely the learned Professors thereof there can be no use or application of the Law and consequently the Law or Iustice it self cannot consist without them What a meritorious work is it to resolve those many troublesome questions which arise in the civill life of man either by laying open the truth of the fact or by cleering the doubtfull point in Law that speedy and equall justice may be done unto all and every one may have and enjoy his own in peace How often would the truth be concealed and suppressed How oft would fraud lie hid and undiscovered How many times would wrong escape and passe unpunished but for the wisdom and diligence of the Professors of the Law Doth not this Profession every day comfort such as are grieved prevent the ruine of the improvident save the innocent support the impotent take the prey out of the mouth of the oppressor protect the Orphan the Widow and the Stranger Is she not Oculus coeco pes claudo as Job speaketh Doth shee not with all many times stretch forth Brachium Seculare in defence of the Church and true Religion All which are workes of mercy and singular merit Againe doth shee not Register and keepe in memories the best Antiquities of our Nation Doth she not preserve our ancient customes and formes of Government wherein the wisedom of our Ancestors doth shine far above the policy of other Kingdomes Why may we not then affirme confidently and conclude that the profession of the Law is to be preferred before all other humane professions and Sciences as being most necessary for the Common and continuall use thereof For doe not all persons at all times and in all places stand in need of justice When without her rule The Prince himselfe knows not how to rule nor his people how to obey When we can neither travel safely by day nor sleep securely by night without her protection For we cannot without peril make a Voyage by sea unlesse she waft us nor a journey by land unlesse she convoy us We should be opprest by force in the Countrey if she did not defend us And undone by fraud in the City if she did not relieve us She incloseth every mans garden and field and makes every mans Cotage his Castle of defence So as we have not such an universall and continuall use neither of the light of the Sun nor of fire and water as we have of the light and heat and comfort of justice For a man may remaine alive some houres without the use of those common benefits but a Common-wealth wherein each private mans weal consisteth cannot stand and continue one minute of an houre if justice which is her soule be departed from her And again is not the Profession of the Law most meritorious for the good effects it doth produce in the Common-wealth For doth not all out peace plenty civility and morall honesty depend upon the Law Quid sunt regna nisi latrocinia sine justitia Saint Augustine faith Without justice the Land would be full of Thieves the Sea full of Pirats And I may adde The Commons would rise against the Nobility the Nobility against the Crown we should not know what were our own what another mans what we should have from our Ancestors what we should leave to our children Major haereditas venit uni cuique nostrum à jure legibus quà m à parentibus saith Cicero In a word there would be nothing certaine nothing sure no contracts no commerce no conversation among men but all Kingdomes and States would be brought to confusion and all humane society would be dissolved And lastly is not the profession of the law most noble for the matter and subject thereof For what is the matter and subject of our Profession but Justice the Lady and Queen of all morall vertues And what are our Professors of the Law but her Counsellours her Secretaries her Interpreters her Servants Againe What is the King himself but the cleare Fountain of Justice and what are the professors of the law but conduit pipes deriving and covering the streames of his Justice unto all the Subj cts of his severall Kingdomes So as if Justice be rightly resembled to the Sun in the Firmament in that she spreadeth her light and vertue unto all creatures How can she but communicate part of her goodnesse and glory unto that Science that is her handmaid and waits upon her And for as much as Kings be Gods Schollers as Homer writeth and that the rules of justice be their principall lesson and we read in the Psalmes of that Kingly Prophet David that God doth honour Kings and Magistrates with his own Name Dixi quod düestis Psal 82. Specially for that they sit upon Gods own Seat when they minister justice unto the people And Psal 95.3 The Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods that is above Angels Princes or false Gods Psalm 8.6 and 82.6 and 96.4 5. And whereas we read that Kings shall be the nursing fathers and Queens shall be the nursing mothers of the Church Isai 40. And we be taught by the holy Scriptures that the hearts of Kings are in the rule and governance of Almighty God Let us pray pray therefore for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 22. And let all loyal Subjects and faithful servants of our Sovereigne Lord King Charles joyne with me in the words of David praying for Solomon Psal 72. Give the King thy judgements O God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings son He shall judge thy people with righteousnesse and the poore with judgement We know by the Maximes and Rules of the Common Law that Rex est caput salus reipublicae à capite bona valetudo transit in omnes The King
suffice to be sâ—id at this time of the faculty and Science of Physick a profession I confesse that is altogether out of the Sphear of my Theory and out of the Verge of my activity and practise SECT IV. Of the Science of THEOLOGY BUt finding my soule in greater need of Physick than my body I shall passe by the other Schools and read my last Lecture in Divinity Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God that gave it Vanity of vanities all is vanity And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth The words of the wise are as the goades and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd And further by these my son be admonished of making many bookes there is no end and much study is a wearinesse to the flesh Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keep his Comandements for this the whole duty of mâ—n For God shall bring every work into iudgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill Eccles 12. 8 9 10. c. True Christians endeavour to go forward toward the marke of Christian perfection But if we should returne back into Egypt or desire to live in Babylon we should declare our selves neither studious of perfection nor of Christian Religion nor carefull to maintaine the reputation of our Nation How long shall we waver betwixt two Religions If God be God and his written Word be Truth then we are to follow him and to found our faith upon his Word If the Pope be the supreme God of this world and his determinations true then we are to follow the Pope and his Decretals No man Certes can allow Popery but he must condemne the Apostolicall Religion of Jesus Christ professed in this Church of England What communion saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. hath light with darknesse what concord hath Christ with Beliâ—l what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols As many therefore as believe that the Papists walke in darknesse and follow Antichrist living in idolatry â—nd infidelity wound their consciences if they grant any toleration or consent to it The test trust needs runne into the same danger unlesse they can answer the reasons brought to prove the Pope Antichrist and Papists to be false worshippers of God or else plaine Idolaters See 2 Thes 2. and 1 Tim. 4. And the 13.14.17 and 18 Chap. of the Revel we are to pronounce them Anathema which preach beside that which the Apostle preached as himselfe teacheth us Galat. 1. But the Papists preach the Pope and his decretaline doctrine which is both besides and contrary to the Gospell preached by Paul Christian Religion never called the Pope the foundation the head or the spouse of the Church as Bellarmine in his books de Pontif. Roman and other Papists do It is not therefore safest to retaine Christian Religion built on Christ Jesus and to reject Popery built on the Pope No religion is to be tolerated that leaveth the rule of faith that is the holy Scriptures which of all are called Canonicall and seeketh defence and succour out of other rules as Traditions popish Determinations School-mens Distinctions and such like leaden and Lesbian rules But Papists deny Scriptures to be the onely rule of faith as Bellarmine l. 4. de verbo Dei Cap. 4. and others commonly teach Thus we see how miserably the Papists are deluded and led into vanity by their blinde guides But touching faith and assurance of our salvation we Protestants with a joynt consent hold this Doctrine that True faith is a knowledge firme and certaine of the good will of God towards us which being founded upon the truth of his free promise in Christ is both revealed to our mindes and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost This is Eternall life to know thee to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17.3 Againe which mysterie hath been hid saith Saint Paul Col. 1.36 since the world began and from all ages but now is made manifest unto his Saints And Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit together in love and in all riches of the full assurance of understanding to know the mysterie of God even the Father of Christ And 2 John 3.14 And we know that we are translated c. We know All which places you see evidently prove faith to be a knowledge so doth even reason for how can we believe things which we know not Saint Peter knew it could not be and therefore joyneth faith and knowledge saying And we believe and know that thou art That Christ the Son of the living God For he yeildeth a reason why he and other of the Apostles believed in Christ namely because they knew that he was the Son of God Which being so it necessarily followeth that they believe not to whom those things are unknown that he hath revealed in his Word And therefore that tale of Popery concerning implicita fides an ignorant faith is most foolish for faith and knowledge are so knit together that they cannot be separated Trust perfectly in the grace that is brought unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 Perfectly to trust excludeth doubting 1 John 5.13 14. We know we know c. excluding doubting I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8.38 The knowledge which we have by hope grounded upon Gods promises is so sure that it cannot be deceived as it is plaine Rom. 5.5 The perswasion that the Apostle hath in other places is also grounded upon good Arguments but here Rom. 8. upon the immutable Decree of God And it is good reason to prove that every Christian man which is endued with faith and hope may and ought to be infallibly assured that he is justified and shall be saved because the Word of God and his promise to all that believe in him and in faith call upon him cannot faile but be most infallibly true That we shall also persevere in the favour of God and so consequently that we are predestinated to eternall life the Apostle doth most plainly prove in this Chapter wherefore by the Spirit of Adoption and the effects of Gods grace agreeable we may have certaine knowledge that we shall inherit Gods Kingdome which none shall do but they that continue unto the end and were appointed unto it before the